Zaira's p.o.v.

"Okay children. Remember that we have school spirit day. So you shall all attend class tomorrow" Mr. Kay told them.

I frowned a little, but a little bit after I shrugged. So we were going on school a saturday, it was no big deal. I sighed a little. I noticed that the students apparently was happy today. They were talking together in different groups. I shrugged. I was not that kind of girl who listened to others conversation. I noticed that Yuma was sleeping like usual. Tori was waking him up and properly telling him about tomorrow's class. I didn't want to wait for him, so I just grabbed my things and began leaving. I had decided to take the long way home. Towards the river. I could calm down before I came home.

"Zai, Zai. Wait up!" could I hear someone say. Or actually I knew it was Yuma. He was the only one who called me Zai. I stopped up and saw him running towards me.

"Why did you leave without me?" He asked and catched his breath "We always go home together. Is it because we have spirit day tomorrow?". I looked confused at him. What did he mean by that? Astral floated out of the key and looked at us.

"What is school spirit day?" he asked "It sounds like phantoms and ghosts?".

"Well it's the day when our parents comes to the school, and watching our teacher teach and sees how we are doing and stuff" Yuma replied. I froze.

"Wait! That's school spirit day!" I yelled angry "I thought it was just something with an extra class for students who didn't have good grades like you Yuma!".

"Wait you didn't know Zaira?" He asked confused "Everyone has been talking about which parents they want to drag to school tomorrow. Didn't you hear them say it?".

"I am not someone who listen in on people private conversation!" I yelled angry and turned my back against him. I was pretty angry right now.

"I am leaving. I am not coming to school tomorrow" I said and began walking. Suddenly I felt someone had taken my arm. I turned around and saw Yuma looking at me. He was having sad eyes all of the sudden.

"Zai please" he said in a sad voice "I know how you are feeling. I know you don't want to go because you have no parents. I know because my parents are not around either". I sneered angry at him and grabbed him by the collar.

"What do you know? How should I know what school spirit day was? I have never been in a school before. So everyone is dragging their family at the school tomorrow eh!" I yelled Yuma in the face "And how do you know how I feel? You have family members. You can drag Kairi or grandma with you to school tomorrow. But what can I do? I am not having a family. When I attend to school tomorrow, everyone's parents will look at me with pity eyes or disgust. The girl who were once a thief. The girl who is all alone!".

I took a deep breath and looked cold at Yuma. He looked at me. He didn't even look angry or scared, that I just had yelled him in the face and was holding him like he was a doll of some sort. He was just looking at me.

"If it helps you sis. Then just continue screaming. I can take it" Yuma said encouraging "But you are not alone sis. Have you forgotten, you are part of my family. So Kairi and grandma will also be there for you. I have to ask them though. But if they come, will you then come to the school with me tomorrow".

He was looking at me with begging eyes. I was stunned. I let go of Yuma. I had forgotten I was part of his family now. I sighed deeply.

"If they come tomorrow, then I will go with you. But only if they come" I replied.

"Yes!" yelled Yuma and was jumping up in the sky "I am so feeling the flow on this one!".

He took my hand and began running like hell. I sighed deeply, but I followed him. I had actually nothing against it. We both began running home now.

Getting Kairi and Grandma to join the school tomorrow seems to be a little more difficult than Yuma had imagined! Or difficult was really not the real word for it. Yuma decided not to ask them. When we both came home, we found out that Grandma had a reunion with old friends of hers, and Kairi had an important interview tomorrow as well. Yuma just couldn't ask them. He sighed deeply in his room now. He was sitting on the bed beside me now. He was signing a little.

"See" I told Yuma "I am not going to school tomorrow. And neither should you Yuma. They will just look weird at us". Yuma looked at me. Then he smiled.

"I don't care" He said "I am going anyway. I am never giving up and I don't care what other people think. I am still me and I don't listen to what other people think about me".

I looked a little surprised at him. Then Yuma began telling a story about his parents. Especially his dad. His parents where adventures. Always on the run. His father had once taken him with on one of the expeditions and told him a story about two worlds living in the same time and place. The positive world and the negative world. Yuma told me that he was living in the positive world, together with his father and mom. They were all dreamers and had goals, they maybe never could fulfil. However Yuma didn't care! He was never gonna give up hope! I noticed Astral was floating beside us both now. Yuma was suddenly looking at me.

"However there is also the negative world. The world with doubt and negativity" Yuma suddenly said and was pointing at my cheek ones "That's the world you live in right now Zai. You are only seeing things as it is now. Not thinking, about what could happen, or about the future and dreams".

I looked surprised at Yuma. Now that I thought about it.. I really didn't have any dreams. I have never thought about the future or stuff like that either.

"Oh so you have dreams eh?" I asked Yuma "Then tell me about them". Yuma grin.

"Sure. One day I will become a duel champion" Yuma said "However I have another new goal right now. I want to share my world with you Zai. I want you to cross over and be a part of the positive world. I am not sure that can happen, but we don't know until we try". Yuma smiled at me. I bit my lip.

"You are crazy if that is ever gonna happen Yuma" I said. Yuma just grinned.

"Don't you have any dreams? Isn't there something you wanted when you were a child?" Yuma asked "I will not laugh you know". I bit myself in the lip again and sighed deeply. I had a dream once... but it was so long ago.

"I... one time ago I dreamed about going out in the world and find my real family. I wanted to know the truth about who I was? Is that a dream?". Yuma nodded.

"Sure it is. In the future you will find them. I just know it. So when we finds some clues we will go out there and find your family" Yuma said encouraging. Astral coughed a little and we both turned around and looked at him.

"I think we already have the first clue on that mystery. The key of yours Yuma. It showed a memory of me and Zaira. Even through we both can't remember" Astral said analytically "Therefore I think that if Zaira stays with you Yuma and me, while we are gathering numbers, then sooner or later, I will regain my memory and then I know who Zaira is. We can use what I know, to find her parents or family maybe?".

I looked surprised at Astral. How long had Astral been thinking about this? I was sure that idea was not just something he just came up with right now. Maybe when we saw that memory in the key maybe? I shrugged a little.

"So Astral you want me to be a number hunter then?" I asked "Like Kite. Gathering numbers for you Astral". Astral looked at me for a moment. Then he shrugged.

"Only if you want to" He said "Yuma and I are capable of gathering numbers ourselves. But it will go faster with you gathering as well". I shrugged a little.

"I will think about it" I just said.

The rest of the day we were dueling, doing stuff for grandma, dueling a little more, and Yuma even forced me to have a race with him and Bronk. At first I really didn't want to, but in the end it was really fun. It also helped that I was faster than Yuma, which made him 3. place. I had a feeling Yuma was trying to cheer me up and make me forget about school spirit day tomorrow, however it didn't go so well. Even with all his cheering, I couldn't get the picture out of my head. It was not the parents thing who was the problem. The problem was the parents made me remember my time at the orphanage and that I had no parents on my own. So early the next morning. I snuck out of the bed and ran away again.

Yuma's p.o.v.

"Yuma! Yuma! You got to wake up!" said a voice near Yuma's ear. Yuma growled.

"Just 5 more minutes grandma" He said and tried to push the voice away "I just need 5 more minutes". He rolled over on his other side and went to sleep once again.

"Yuma. This is important. Zaira is gone!" the voice said really loud.

Yuma blinked with his eyes, then he remembered what the voice had said and flew out of his "bed". He saw Astral floating beside him now. He looked really worried.

"Wait Zaira" He said confused "What's with her Astral?". Astral sighed.

"She snuck out again Yuma" He said and sighed again "She really don't want to go to the school spirit day". Yuma sneered. He grabbed his school uniform and quickly changed. Astral looked curiously at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked "Zaira is gone and you dress up for the school".

"Exactly Astral" He said and smiled. He had grabbed Zaira's school uniform and placed it in his backpack "She is gone because of the school spirit day. I have to show her the day is not that bad". Astral looked confused at him.

"So you are gonna force Zaira to go to school with you?" asked Astral "Why?".

"Zaira is afraid. I promised her I will be by her side and help her" Yuma said and took his backpack on "She can't just run away every time she is scared. Or when the past haunts to much. If she do that, she will continue doing that. She will run away every time she has a problem. The school spirit day must have triggered some problems or memory or something. So I will show her the good things about spirit day as well". Astral looked at him and nodded a little.

"Ah I see. You are also making sure she doesn't leave the city forever right?" Astral said and smiled "By giving her something that she can't leave no matter what. So what is that?". Yuma smiled and grinned.

"Us of course Astral. Us and her friends, Grandma and Kairi" He said "That's the good things about spirit day. Even though my parents aren't around, I can survive because I have people around me who cares. If Zaira just would realise that".

Astral nodded and he and Yuma rushed out of the door. Or they tried, but were stopped by Kairi and Grandma. Yuma was quick to leave the house, without giving much explaining. He told them, he needed to go to school and that Zaira already had left. Yuma rushed down the streets looking for Zaira.

Zaira's p.o.v.

I was walking around on the streets of Heartland with no special place in mind what so ever. The only place I was sure I was no going was places with Water. I knew Yuma and Astral sooner or later would look for me, and with Astral being all that observant, I knew he had figured out my routines and the places I love to be. However this time I didn't want them to find me. Not before the school day was over. I can't explain my fear! It is not like the school ever had hurt me or something like that. I also knew the parents wouldn't do anything to me either, besides some creepy stare, or so did I think. However maybe it was the stares I was afraid off. I could remember or began to remember the stares all the kids and adults were sending me when I was a child. Calling me freak as well and made sure I was as far as way from as possible. Of course I got to eat and sleep, and dress nice, mostly because they wanted to get rid of me pretty quickly, without killing me. I had never understood their behavior. I had never done anything bad. Was trying to be friendly, most of the time. If all in the world is staring at you, calling you names, then one day you will snap. Either be a intimated child, or begin to fight back. I fought back. Which exactly didn't help. However I could remember the adult saying, that they didn't like my eyes. Something about them, made them scared. I sighed deeply and shook my head. It didn't help thinking about the past. I just had to keep forward. I was walking down a dark ally somewhere. I actually didn't care where I was going, when I heard a it. A voice. A voice of someone yelling and maybe crying. It was not that high, but not to low either! I followed the sound! In a alley, I didn't know this ally even existed before I heard the voice who was now screaming. In a normal volume though. I walked closer. The place I was walking in was a empty big courtyard, but there were only a closed brick wall with no windows around at all. Only some garbage cans. I saw a girl and decided to hide behind one of the garbage cans. I was sure I had seen the girl before. She was dressed in Heartland academy school uniform, so she had to be from the school. Her uniform was blue, which told me she was a third year student and then she had red long hair. I noticed that she had green eyes, however some small tears were forming in her eyes. However 5 seconds later she slammed her hands at the brickwall, then she kicked one of the garbage can's with her foot and then placed her head at the wall. She was still slamming the wall with her hands though. She was also mumbling stuff, however I was close enough to hear it.

"Stupid Chris.. .!" she yelled "What does he mean by that he doesn't have the time to come to the school spirit day. He has always done that in the past. Even if Michael and Thomas goes on different schools  Our spirit days always has different dates". The girl slammed the hand at the wall again and sneered angry, then she continued.

"Just because father is returned, Chris has... No, no! What am I thinking?! He is not my father. He never will be. He is Vetrix now!" she screamed that last part and kicked another garbage can. "Stupid Vetrix I want everything to be like they were before!".

I decided that it was time to go, but when I got up, I suddenly bumped into the garbage can with a big BUMP. I froze and was cursing myself inside. However I knew the girl had heard me. She turned around and was looking at me. At first we was both staring at each other. Then the redhaired girl killed the silence between us and sneered. She walked angry over to me now.

"It is YOU!" she yelled angry "The girl from school who grabbed me, just because I bumped into you!".

I lifted my eyebrows. Oh yeah she was the girl I met at my first day at school. I knew I had seen her before. She was looking pretty angry at me.

"Listening to people's private conversation do you!" she yelled at me "How long have you been here?!". I sighed and told her the truth. She got more and more angrier.

"If you ever tell someone about this meeting! You will be dead, do you understand?!" She screamed in my face. I nodded. She sneered coldly.

"You better be. I am not a forgiving person" she said and began leaving. However I grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Wait.. . you are like me. You are also ditching school's spirit day. Maybe we could hang out?" I said quickly. However she pushed my arm away and was staring coldly at me. She had hateful eyes right now.

"I am not like you. You don't know anything. Just stay away from me freak!" she yelled, turned around and rushed away. I was standing still. Totally frozen. I knew the girl didn't mean it like this. I had after all listened to her conversation, however the words still hurt pretty badly. Was I really a freak? Just like in the past. I sighed deeply and decided to walk over to a place with water. I needed to relax.

Time skip.

I was walking down towards a place with water once again. I needed to relax. I was pretty sad right now, and actually wanted Yuma to find me. I arrived at the river in the city once again. I sat down with my feets at the edge of the river. Now I was just waiting. Hoping they would come soon. I took some small stones and began tossing them into the water. I sighed deeply. I actually hoped there were someone I could talk to. I actually wished Cy was here. Suddenly I could hear a voice. A grinning voice.

"All alone are we" it said and grinned again "Not fun being alone right. I can refer to that! My dear Zaira".

"You can't see me? Well that is a pity, because I wanted to meet you for a long time now Zaira" the voice said and grinned again."The girl who is just like me. A outsider with great powers".

"Who are you?" I asked and clenched my fist "Where do you know my name from?".

The voice were grinning again. I felt a strong wind blowing towards me and shielded myself. However the wind never hit me. It was just circling around me. Suddenly a card fell down on the ground beside me, and the wind stopped blowing.

"I have known you in a long time Zaira" said the voice and sounded happy "I am not sure you can see it correctly yet. But I am the card. You can pick me up or not. The choice is yours".

I looked down at the ground. It was a card indeed, and it was having black outlines colors. I knew instantly it was an XYZ monster. I slowly picked it up. As the voice had told me, I couldn't quite make out what it looking like or what it was called. I was sure I could see some letters though. The word "Numbers" was stuck in my head. This card was a number card.

Cy's p.o.v.

A,N: The being Cy is fighting, is dark astral's form. not the number card form. just thought you should know.

Cy was slowly waking up when it heard the sound of the wind. Being a creature of wind, Cy was of course able to sense changes in the wind instantly. Many thought Cy was living inside it's card, in Zaira's deck case, but that was actually not true. Cy was different than the other numbers. It was living inside its mistress. Inside Zaira's soul. Of course Zaira didn't know. Cy was however prepared to tell her one day, when she was ready, and Cy was not possessing it's mistress. It had sworn to protect Zaira forever. So when it felt the wind surround Zaira, and in someway itself, I woke up. It was looking around and saw a figure standing near Zaira. At first it thought it was Astral. Cy had never had a problem with him at all, he was helping it's mistress along with Yuma, however Cy made sure Astral never noticed its presence. Cy closed it's eyes again. It was only Astral! However then it noticed the black color change and flew up. It rushed out of Zaira's body in spirit form. A form even Zaira couldn't see, and the form that was when Cy was strongest. This being who was talking to Zaira was not Astral. It looked like him, but that was not enough reason to talk to HIS Zaira! His mistress before his approval.

"I have known you in a long time Zaira" said the fake Astral"I am not sure you can see it correctly yet. But I am the card. You can pick me up or not. The choice is yours". 

Cy saw Zaira pick the card up. Cy could hear the creature laugh. However he noticed that Zaira didn't hear it. Cy sneered. It hid in the shadow and looked at the card Zaira was holding. Cy could see what card it was. It was a number card! "Number 96: Dark mist". Cy sneered so this card was a number eh?   

"Yes. Little Zaira. Pick me up. So I can get a hold on you. You should be honored. It is not every day I pick someone as my host"It said and laughed"With our combined powers no one can stop us". 

Cy sneered. So this stupid fake Astral number wanted Zaira eh? In its dreams. Dark mist grinned and created black tentacles from it's arms. It was trying to touch Zaira. Cy snort and screamed a little. An invisible wall of wind appeared and blocked Dark mist's attempt. Dark mist sneered angry and looked around. Cy decided to let itself be known to it.

"Who in the world are you?" Dark mist asked and looked at Cy"A chained up wolf? Are you a number? Are you here to gain control of the girl as well?". Cy sneered coldly and wind was blowing towards Dark mist.

"How dare you assume that I am controlling my mistress. Zaira and I are as one. And no new number comes near her. Not as long as I am here" Cy sneered "I only let numbers in who knows I am in charge here". Dark mist sneered coldly.

"So Zaira has a number eh? And a strong one of that" Dark mist grinned a little"However I am not that kind who takes orders. I will force my way through. And when I win, you and Zaira's power will be mine". Cy sneered and yelled.

"It is your own fault. No one can beat the power of me and my mistress" Cy said and wind was blowing around Cy now. A fierce battle began.

Cy was having a hard battle. By creating wind around it's whole body, the wind when it attacks was as strong as sharp bladed sword, and Cy's speed was incredible as well. Cy sliced and diced Dark mist many times, however the number was able to regenerate pretty fast. Secondly Dark mist was trying to get over to Zaira all the time. Like Cy would let it do that. However Zaira had no idea what was happening around them. She couldn't see Dark mist and Cy fighting. Instead had she placed Dark mist's card in her pocket, bowed and said thanks for the card (even though she couldn't see the number) and told them, that she was glad for the card, but was not gonna keep it. The only number she was keeping was Cy. (That made Cy really proud) As soon as Astral and Yuma showed, she would give Astral the card. That made Dark mist even more determined to get to Zaira before Astral and Yuma showed. However Cy would of course never let that happen. It was protecting Zaira forever. Dark mist tried another attempt to strangle Cy, then in the mean time tried to reach Zaira. Cy sneered and let out a cry. Then it slashed the tentacle who was holding it, and it fell to the ground. Dark mist sneered angry.

"I had enough of you!" yelled Cy angry "Haven't you realised my mistress is not yours to take. She is a really kind girl and it should be a honor to serve her instead. If you are trying to possess her, you will have to go through me!". Dark mist sneered.

"Bla, bla, bla, I told you I am not taking orders from any. Especially not some goody Number, who values friendship more than power. And Zaira's power is soon all gonna be mine" Dark mist said.

Cy sneered. It began running in circles around Dark mist. It was running faster and faster and had in some minutes created a giant cylinder formed whirlpool. Dark mist just laughed a little.

"What is this? Do you think I am afraid of some stupid wind" Dark mist said and snort.

However when it tried to get out, Dark mist's body parts instantly got destroyed. It tried to go upwards in the cylinder cage, but Cy appeared and blew wind down there as well. The wind was keeping Dark mist prisoner. The number let out a furious scream. Cy just snort coldly. Suddenly voices filled the air. Cy, who was up in the air, looked down and saw Yuma and Astral had arrived. Yuma was shaking Zaira like hell and told her, he had been so worried. Zaira had surprisingly hugged Yuma and Astral a little. Cy had sad eyes now. 

"Oh Mistress is so sad" He said "I need to be with her".

Cy turned around and looked at Dark mist, who was still caged inside the wind cage. Cy snort. Yuma and Astral had gotten Zaira to go with them. Cy had to follow soon!

"Hope you realise that my mistress is not yours for control. When you have realised that and want to serve my her instead, I will gladly let you in" Cy said "But until then, You will stay away from her". Dark mist sneered.

"You can't keep me in here! Your stupid goody number" Dark mist screamed.

"Of course not" Cy said and smirked "As soon as I am inside Mistress, you will be free, but if you tries anything, I will be ready for you".

Then Cy rushed towards Zaira again. However it hasn't noticed, that Dark mist was smirking now. As soon as Cy was beside Zaira, the wind pressure disappeared from it's body. It was about to disappear into Zaira, when it felt a hard deep sharp pain on it's body. Cy noticed a tentacle piece slashing around on it's body. Cy fell down to the ground, hurt on two of its legs and pain from something around on it's back. Apparently it had been ambushed. Suddenly a dark shadow was standing beside Cy and Dark mist was looking evilly at it. Cy let out a groan and tried to get up on it's feets, however Dark mist tied it down with it's tentacles. 5 seconds later it attacked and slashed Cy so it in the end was filled with wounds all over it's body. Cy let out a lot of screams. When Dark mist finally was finished, Cy looked up at Dark mist with a tired look.

"Even if you kill me, My mistress power would never be yours" said Cy proud "I will never just die either. I am part of my mistress". Dark mist laughed a little.

"I have no intentions of killing you Nb 24. you are correct. Your mistress's power will never be mine, IF I kill you. However I will keep you alive. But only barely" He said evilly"And when Zaira's power becomes mine. You will be my power as well". 

Cy looked defeated up at 96. The tentacles transformed into some bloody dark slime who was slowly absorbing Cy into itself. Cy didn't resist at all. It was too tired.

"You can't take my mistress now. Astral has your card" Cy said weakly "She will never be yours". Dark mist smirked evilly.

"That's true. But there will come a day when she and Astral lets their guard down" Dark mist said coldly"And then there is not a stupid goody Number to stop me. Don't worry you will see Zaira soon". 

Then the slime absorbed the rest of Cy, and it fell down in a place surrounded by darkness. The slime returned back to Dark mist! 96 smirked evilly and looked after Zaira, Yuma and Astral.

"You may have escaped this time Zaira. However your power will be mine" Then he disappeared into his card, inside the key, where Astral had placed it!