A Brother's Hate; A Brother's Love

Hello, Yu-Gi-Oh GX fans! This is my first GX story and I promise it won't be the last! My original Yu-Gi-Oh series fiction, "The Jedi League of Duelists" is a long one and I don't want to start another epic in here in case I might foul up continuity in my own alternate timeline. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a one-shot. I scanned through to make sure none of you had done this story I've written. It's a little bit angsty, but I hope you like it… It's in Syrus Truesdale's point of view after the duel where Zane tried to kill him.

Disclaimer: Peach doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. If she did, Vellian Crowler would've had a make-over courtesy of "Queer Eye for the Dueling Guy." The dude so looks like a lady…

My name is Syrus Aidan Truesdale. My brother is Zane Brian Truesdale. My brother hates me… Contrary to what he said last year when Camula almost took my soul and took his instead, Zane hates me. How can I be sure of this? He just tried to kill me a few hours ago. I watched him duel his best friend, Atticus Lee Rhodes and win, saying he discovered that power was all that mattered. I thought maybe I could succeed when Atticus had failed. I was wrong.

I confronted Zane at the front entrance to the main entrance to the main Duel Academy building. I was determined to save him from…well, I guess you might call it the dark side of the Force. He'd been acting a lot like Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and I thought I could save him because the Zane I knew wouldn't hurt his opponents like the Zane that stood in front of me. And so, I challenged him. I thought I could fight him and win.

Zane pulled out shock collars and made me put them on. If he wanted to play this game, I'd do whatever it took, even if it hurt. He was my brother, after all. I was unprepared for just how painful it would be, but I thought I had a chance.

And then we dueled. At times, it felt as if Zane and I were the only people in the universe. We were locked in battle, and it became clear that the Zane I knew was dying, if he wasn't already dead. The Zane I knew might've said I didn't belong at Duel Academy, but he'd never have called me a little maggot. The Zane I knew would never have knowingly inflicted real pain for his own pleasure. And the Zane I knew loved his Cyber Dragons and wouldn't have thrown them away.

I did my best, and my best just wasn't good enough in the end. My Zane died, or he wasn't there to be saved. The last attack… my life points dropped to zero… and then I dropped. He left without even caring… I wanted to tell him if I could, I'd find a way to save him… I love you, big brother, and I'll save you somehow.

"He's gone, Sy…" I heard that from my best friend, Jaden Kiyo Yuki. Just before everything went black, I could feel my best friend holding me, trying to help me stay conscious. But everything hurt so badly, I just couldn't. I could just hear him screaming for help as I surrendered to the wonderful oblivion where no one would hurt me.

I was out for hours and hours. Even in the dark place, I could hear people. I could hear Chancellor Crowler coming in when no one else was in the infirmary (Jaden had to go to the bathroom) and telling me how sorry he was that my brother hurt me. He's nicer than he lets on; Jaden says that all the time… I honestly think Jay would find something good to say about the devil himself. I heard Mindy and Jasmine come in and say how cute I look when I'm sleeping and that they hoped I'd get better soon. Aster Phoenix even came in and told Jaden it was all his… Aster's… fault that my brother did what he did to me.

"No, Aster, I don't think it was," Jaden said. "I don't know what happened to Zane, but I can't believe that after losing to you that he'd go so bad as to hurt Sy. Whatever's happened, it wasn't your fault, Aster. So you can stop kicking yourself. I wonder…"

"What is it, Jaden?" Aster asked as I listened.

"I wonder if it would've happened if I'd beaten him at the graduation duel…"

"You dueled him? What happened?"

"We tied. Something held me back in that duel… I… I didn't want Sy to be torn."

"Huh?"

"He's like the little brother I never had, even though we're about the same age. And I wouldn't want to put my little brother in a place where he'd have to choose between me and another person he cares about, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand. Are you staying here?"

"All night, if I have to. They're not gonna make me leave," Jaden answered. Aster left, and Miss Dorothy, the lady who owns the card shack came in and brought Jaden some dinner. She promised to bring me my favorite snacks when I woke up and left. And then Ms. Fontaine, our school nurse and gym teacher came to check on Jaden and me.

"Are you sure you want to just stay sitting, Jaden?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'm sure, Ms. Fontaine. I want to stay up with him. He needs me," Jaden said simply.

After everybody was gone and Jaden was alone in the infirmary, I had a feeling we were alone together in the dark place.

"Sy… I hope you can hear me," Jaden said. I'm all ears, Jay. "I'm sorry. I wish I could fix Zane so he'd be okay again. I'm not sure if you heard me and Aster talking, but he says it's his fault. I don't think it was. But… that doesn't matter right now. I'm not leaving you, Sy… If you need a big brother…I'll be here…" And then I heard what I've never heard before… Jaden was crying. But I couldn't make my body work yet. So I finally let my mind relax, too, and I really went to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, I opened my eyes and moved my hands a bit. I could move my body again! My eyesight's a little blurry and so I reached over to the nightstand next to my bed and found my spectacles. I put them on, and I saw Jaden. He'd fallen asleep in the night and his upper half was sprawled across my bed.

"Jay…" I whispered, hoping he'd hear me. He did. As I've said before, he wakes up in attack mode!

"Sy!" he almost yelled. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Like I got attacked by the Summon Skull," I answered, smiling a little. To my surprise, Jaden gave me a big hug.

"I'm glad you're awake. We all thought for a minute there yesterday that you might…" Jay struggled a little.

"It's okay, bro," I answered. "Like I'd leave you guys…"

My name is Syrus Aidan Truesdale… My brother was Zane Brian Truesdale. But now, my brother is Jaden Kiyo Yuki. My brother loves me.

Read and review, everybody… Please?