Author's Notes

This my first attempt at writing a story here, so apologize for any errors and the first of many chapters to come in this story that is set after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V.

The duels that take place in this story have effects taken from a mix of the Anime and Real-Life version of the cards in the game to keep things lively.

Please feel free to review and opinion on any parts of this story and I do my best to respond to.

I do not claim or own any part of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V properties, nor do I make any money from writhing this story.

Chapter 1 – Conflicting Personalities

Miami City at night was a sight to behold at times as all the cosmos could be seen and tonight was no different as the two teenagers lying on the grassy hillside outside their Duel School, gazed on into the sky with a new profound sense of their existence through recent events.

"So much has changed now. It's hard to get used to it all." The pinked hair girl commented to the boy next to her.

"Yeah, a lot has changed of what we once knew and were." The duel-coloured hair boy replied.

The pinked haired girl adjusted her blue eyes to fall upon him, looking at his crimson eyes. "Yuya, you shouldn't keep thinking like that" the worried girl answered.

Yuya feeling alarmed at the girl worrying calmed her down "No it's not like that, I was Zarc and now assume his identity, but I accept at the same time Zarc caused a lot of trouble for so many that I do feel responsible and at the same time feel helped bring people smiles". The girl calmed down as Yuya continued "besides you yourself managed to help me doing that, Yuzu". Yuzu felt flushed and turned her attention to the night sky again.

"I know, taking it all in about our previous lives and now, it's not normal for anyone to being reincarnated and become one with separate counterparts to our personalities and then assume the identities of our original selves".

Yuya looked at Yuzu and chuckled "I doubt anything about us two is normal if anyone were to believe, ha ha…"

A chuckling Yuya didn't see something materialize in Yuzu's clenched hand and suddenly…

WHACK!

"What do you mean about us being normal?! Like what a couple?!" spoke an embarrassed Yuzu blushing madly whilst whacking Yuya with her paper fan.

"OKAY, OKAY! I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, if only people believed us about the circumstances of what we are now…" a cowering Yuya hurriedly explained, cooling Yuzu down and brought her to a same sticky point that Yuya has just raised.

"I know what you mean, everyone believes about the Dimensions and the events that occurred and when we try to explain about ourselves, they believe us but not about any of our other counterparts existing as one." Yuzu said sadly.

Whilst everyone in the Fusion, Synchro, Xyz and the newly created Pendulum Dimension believed the events that did occur with the Dimensional War and events leading up to the catastrophe with Zarc and the resulting conflict left every dimension being connected, it was a hard one to swallow about Yuya and Yuzu.

Everyone believed that Yuya and Yuzu are related to Zarc and Ray respectively, not many though believed the tale that the souls of Yuto, Yugo and Yuri were now a part of Yuya as well as Serena, Rin and Ruri were now a part of Yuzu.

"It's sad as they did exist and still do exist but within each of us" Yuzu continued looking on into the night sky. Yuya pondered the thought of Yuzu's words and replied "Precisely, they believe everything else about the possibilities of the Original Dimension and the resulting conflicts but not many are willing to believe that we are now merged beings with so many counterparts. If only -" but his next words didn't have time to surface as a new voice could be heard by only Yuya and Yuzu.

"That's right, we still exist but as one as we used to".

Yuya and Yuzu sat up as they recognised the voice and alongside of them materialised the soul of Yugo smiling as followed swiftly by the materialisation of Yuto and Yuri.

"It's fine, but it's hard for people to understand how all this happened though, even though they all saw the conflict between Zarc and the Lancers" Yuto analysed, whilst Yuri added "But there are some who believe we exist, many back in the Fusion Dimension are probably happy that I'm gone."

The boys looked at each other to say something encouraging to Yuri, but almost immediately, the souls of Serena, Rin and Ruri materialised into view. "You can quit that attitude for a start, you're not entirely blameless for everything but at least your different now" Serena pointed out.

"I suppose, now that Zarc no longer fills my head. The point still stands though, not many apart from the few that do know the truth will believe any of us now merged as one being".

Yuri had a point as Rin wagered in to the conversation "That's true, but not many back home would believe either me or Yugo as we grew up as orphans, so we probably won't be missed except the orphanage".

"But a couple of people though know about me and Yuto back in Heartland, after all my brother kept going around the dimensions to find me… and…" Ruri voice was getting weaker as a calming hand laid on her shoulder and spoke.

"It's alright Ruri, Shun knows about what happened to us and knows we exist still under different circumstances".

Yuto's words comforted Ruri and she smiled again "Your right, but it's still no sooner than letting everyone who was involved in certain parts of the dimensions of what did happen."

"It's crazy, everyone believes everything that happened, just not the fact about all eight of us and now people look at me and Yuzu as if were the crazy ones" Yuya quipped.

"Well, given your cheery smile, it's perhaps too dark as it is to believe someone who only wanted everyone to smile" Yuzu posed, as everyone looked on her to expand the explanation.

"Everyone knows you want to spread smiles, but at the same time not everyone wants that image of you being tarnished or tainted by the fact that you were Zarc nor the fact you have your counterparts living on in you."

"What about you then? You were once Ray split into four and now reunited as one and no-one except those close to you believe you either" Yuya countered.

"Not many of us were seen during the conflicts, the most active of us all that were seen was Yuzu where I was kept at Academia most of the time" Serena added.

"Right, I had no idea either about the existence of any of the other dimensions or any of you until Yuri came" Rin muttered, making an uncomfortable Yuri shift slightly.

"Me and Yuto only knew the day that Academia arrived at Heartland and…" Ruri's voice fading into silence, which everyone understood on what she was about to continue with.

"No matter which one of us explained, it'll be too much of a stretch to get people to believe or understand about any of us" Yuto concluded.

All eight sat there and looked up at the night sky again in wonder about their predicaments and how to resolve this, until…

"I know, how about a duel?" from a surging Yugo whose enthusiasm just peaked the scales.

The other seven just looked and thought about Yugo's suggestion until "How's that going to help? No one will be able to see us." Serna fired back, dimming Yugo's face.

A sweat-dropping Yugo charged back with "Well, every time there's always an issue, a duel always seems to solve the problem, doesn't it?"

"I'd hate to agree, but Fusion does have a point. A -" Yuri was interrupted with a loud… "It's not Fusion! It's Yugo!" Everyone laughed out loud at once where even Yugo joined in until the novelty wore off, leaving Yuri to continue "A duel is possible but it would only be possible by using each other's cards."

"Which brings us back to square one, only Yuya and Yuzu can see us and no else can, which defeats the point of convincing people, it wouldn't be possible" Rin said deflatingly.

Yuya and Yuto however looked and understood at once that it would be possible under certain conditions. Their silence and gaze at each other slowly drew everyone's attention to suspect.

"Hey, how long are you two going to be staring at each other? You know of a way, don't you?" a probing Serena observed.

"Yeah. There might be a way" Yuya mentioned. "Back in Heartland, when Yuto and I fought against Aster Phoenix, we managed to connect…"

"Yeah, then in the duel against Serena and Ruri, it went a stage further…" Yuto continued. Both Serena and Ruri were surprised and suddenly recalled.

"That time…" Ruri muttered.

"When we had the parasites in our heads, you…" Serena observed.

"If we could replicate the ability from back then, then surely we could all do it in turn" Yuto theorised.

By this stage Yuzu, Rin, Yugo and Yuri were confused by the cryptic understandings.

"Hey now, are you going to keep this to yourselves all day?" a disgruntled Yuri was becoming as none of the clues he had made sense.

"I'm sorry but there is a way we can all duel, but I'm not sure if it could work like before and I'm not sure you could do it as well" Yuya explained.

"Yuya, what could you possibly be meaning?" a worried Yuzu asked.

"I think it's best we show them Yuya to confirm if we can." Yuto encouraged.

"Okay, here goes…" Yuya stood up on the grassey hillside and closed his eyes in concentration with Yuto and suddenly a bright light illuminated the surrounding area, causing everyone to shield their eyes.

When the light died away, Yuzu, Rin, Yugo and Yuri were open mouthed shocked but Serena, Ruri, Yuto and Yuya were smiling that it worked.

"It worked" 'Yuya' exclaimed.

Suddenly a new out-going perspective was dawning on them and started discussing plans. "This is good, isn't it? We can duel like this" an enthusiastic Yugo charged.

"But, I don't know if we can do something like that…" Yuzu muttered.

"It's okay, Yuzu." Yuya comforted sitting back down on the hillside. "I can teach you how to do this, it might take several days as both Yuto and I didn't do it until dire circumstances, after that we can start contacting our friends and sort with Reiji on setting up a place to Duel with people watching."

Yuzu and the girls agreed and for the next few days, both Yuya and Yuzu trained in secret at the You Show Duel School to practice for the upcoming duel that would confirm to everyone what Yuya and Yuzu were wanting everyone to know about.

With the ability finally mastered, both Yuya and Yuzu travelled through the Dimension Corridor Gates to the other dimensions to let their friends know that both would be having a duel that will open the truth to them. Naturally many accepted at the prospect of seeing Yuya Duel again but also against Yuzu who many wanted to see both Duel.

The night before the duel, Yuzu quietly looked through her deck with the new additional cards she acquired with the help of her counterparts.

"Hm, I think this will do" a smiling Yuzu hummed.

"I hope so, since we are going up against all four dragons and possibly more of them…" Ruri trailed.

"It'll be okay, as long as we stick to a strategy between the turns, it will be possible to overcome the dragons." Rin chuckled.

"Yeah, each one of us has seen each of the dragons in battle before and we can at least predict some of the moves Yuya and the others will make" Serenaquick to reassure.

"Your right, but we still need to be careful as those dragons each present a different challenge and if they are all on the field we may well lose…" Yuzu worryingly stated, however…

"On the other hand, though, even when we face the dragons, we'll give it all we got and give the boys a run for their money's worth!" a charged Yuzu shouted with her counterparts joining in, that was when…

BANG!

Her bedroom door swung open fast with Yuzu turning around rapidly on her chair to find her dad in the doorway.

"That's the spirit Yuzu, charge into that duel all pumped and hot-blooded for the action" Syuzo wildly shouted in excitement only to get the response of…

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

Syuzo was getting battered again by a certain paper fan with Yuzu bringing it down every time she raged her words.

"Argh – next – time, – knock – instead – of – bursting – in!"

As the scene was laid out before them, Rin giggled, Ruri winced in pain and Serena was clueless.

To Be Continued.