Lake Epiphany

A Yu-Gi-Oh GX FanFiction

by Midsummer Nite Dreamer

Chapter One: Soundtrack of My Summer

The Truesdales and Rhodes have been friends since the Rhodes moved next door when Zane was just a few a months old and Mrs. Rhodes was still pregnant with Atticus. When the eldest boys turned four, the families started a tradition of going to Lake Epiphany every July during summer break.

But with middle school, high school, mixed schedules, and really just all the drama (Shadow Riders, Abandoned Dorms...) , the two families had stopped the trips "briefly". In the meantime Lake Epiphany was experiencing a dry year. Briefly.

With Zane entering the Pro-Leagues, Atticus redoing his second year at the Academy, and the youngest two just a couple of years shy of graduating, Mrs. Rhodes and Mrs. Truesdale having lunch together one day decided on the "wonderfully marvelous!" idea to have one last trip to Lake Epiphany.

Zane sitting in the backseat of his parents' ancient mini-van, squished between his brother and Atticus wondered why the moms had to go and plan this accursed trip.

A large road bump caused all of them to jump. Zane slumped down in his seat and looked towards Alexis who had her iPod on high trying to block out all noise. A difficult task of course; Atticus was air drumming a seemingly rhythm-less beat and humming loudly along.

Zane sat up and called to his dad "Dad when are we-"

"Just a bit more, son."

Zane sunk back down and Atticus stopped air-drumming.

"Chillax, man! After we get to the lake it will be nothing babes, the beach, body-building, and beer!"

Mrs. Rhodes whipped around to face her son. "What was that?!"

"Uh that's right Zane, nothing but studying, college prep, and learning to be a successful member of society."

Zane rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad to be away from Domino and the academy"

Atticus popped open a bag of chips and began eating. "Why?" he asked his voice muffled.

Zane looked at Atticus like he was the stupidest person on the face of the planet.

"Because... I got my soul temporarily sucked of out my body and was turned into a doll... and you were turned into a manifestation of pure evil due some freak events at school?"

"Home, my buddy is where the heart is," Atticus said happily.

Zane shrugged. "But Domino City won't be my home for long after I enter the Pro League."

"Eh... whatever, dude. You know you're gonna miss it."

The car moved along on a old bumpy road. Then they passed a large wooden sign that read "LAKE EPIPHANY" in large faded red letters.

Alexis removed her headphones and looked out the window. "This is Lake Epiphany?" She had a reason to be surprised; "Lake" Epiphany looked dry like very large puddle. Though most of the trees around it were green but some were still brown. Some kids were playing in the water, two teenagers were hanging around a boat tied to the dock, and two women were sunbathing even it had to be at least 97° Fahrenheit.

"Yes, nice isn't it?" her dad answered, completely oblivious.

"It's a bit... dry. And hotter than I remember."

"Yes but you were so young when you last came. And besides the lake area's experiencing a bit of a drought," her Mrs. Rhodes.

"A bit?" Syrus asked.

The short ride to the families' cabins was fulled with eager and light conversations (but none really from Zane of course).

The car stopped in front of two large cabins just a stone toss away from each other. The cabins at least were just like Zane remembered; big, made of sturdy wood, and quaint. Both were near the lake. A perfect postcard picture.

The families went inside the cabin that had a sign reading "The Truesdales" hanging above the doorway first. The inside of the cabin was more a haunted house then a glistening vista. It was dusty, damp, and dark. Cobwebs hung every where, not to mention the many unidentified things scattered around.

Mrs. Truesdale walked across the room and pried open a window. Light poured in immediately further highlighting all the filth in cabin. Dirt and grime were everywhere.

"Well it needs a little cleaning but otherwise it'll be our home away from home!" Mrs. Truesdale said happily. Then right on cue, a small rat scurried across the floor and out the door.

Sometime later after the Rhodes had gone to their cabin and the Truesdales had battled through the house's dusty defenses using Mrs. Truesdale's arsenal of cleaning products, Zane sat on his bed with a box marked "Photos" in his lap. He had found it while cleaning out his bedroom's small closet.

He lifted the lid and found that the very first picture inside was of him and Alexis. He looked about eleven, so she was probably around nine. They were sitting on the dock, feet dangling in the water (at least his were, she was a bit short), smiling, and just looking so very happy. Zane looked at the date and saw it their penultimate trip to Epiphany.

Zane studied it for a moment then placed it on his nightstand and moved on to the rest of the pictures. There were dozens of photos; candids, mug shots, pictures of the lake by itself, pictures of all the kids, the moms, and the dads, group pictures, pictures of people Zane didn't even recognize, photos of his brother and him, framed photos, more pictures of Zane and Alexis...

Zane piled all the pictures book into the box as neatly as he could and shut it. He couldn't believe he barely remembered any of it. It had been what? Fours years since he was back here?

He put the box in one of his desk's drawers and sat back on his bed. Zane turned off the light and was about to go to sleep when he saw from his window that a girl was sitting on the lake's dock like in the photo.

Zane got up, grabbed a jacket, and off he went to the shore side like always.

Zane walked over to the dock and sat next to Alexis.

"Hey Zane," Alexis said.

"Hello," he responded curtly.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"It's late. Why are you out here?" Zane asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Why are you here?"

"I saw you down here from my window,"

"Oh," she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that... have you ever had that feeling that life's moving too fast, everything is changing and you no control over it whatsoever?"

Zane stared at her. "Yes... I suppose so."

Alexis tipped her head back and looked at the full moon in the sky. "It's j-just different, Zane. My brother's back, you're back, and the Shadow Riders are gone and that's great but... I don't know. It's like I'm detached from everything in world right now."

He frowned. "Things are changing for the better."

Alexis sighed again by then smiled. "In you're own way your right, Zane."

There was a short pause.

"Thanks, Zane," she said quietly.

"No problem, Lexi"

"Come on we should probably get back," Alexis said checking her watch.

They walked back towards their cabins. As they walked Zane noticed Alexis was shivering slightly.

"Here," he said giving her his jacket.

"Oh! No, Zane it's okay." But he had already put it around her shoulders.

The two had reached their cabins.

"Give it back to me whenever," Zane said quietly, opening his front door. "Good night Lexi."

"Good night Zane..."Alexis whispered.

Alexis flipped through a large photo album when she was back in her room. She had many of the same photos Zane had found but she didn't know it. She came across the same picture Zane was looking at, among others. He was smiling. She hadn't seen him smile much but she just realized it was a very sincere and nice smile even if he was only eleven-ish in the picture.

She closed the album and looked at the cover. There was pretty (but now faded picture) of Lake Epiphany and under that:

Rhodes

&

Truesdales

♪♫♪

Lake Epiphany

1995- Forever

Alexis looked at the "Forever" and smiled inwardly. Her mother probably wrote that and even though it was cheesy and cliché it was still very sweet. She put the photo album away and sat at her vanity. She frowned at her reflection for a second.

"Forever," she thought, "Forever."

How long is forever anyway?

Alexis lay down on her bed. Forever. Forever, forever! It was taunting her.

"Things are changing for the better."

Alexis looked at Zane's jacket hanging innocently on the back of the bedroom door and sincerely hoped Zane was right.

D: GX doesn't belong to me. The fictional town/Lake Epiphany, Japan does.

A/N: Please rate and review. First chapter reviews really motivate me. Go ahead and flame but don't do it anonymously, have cowardly courage and flame with a pen name. Oh and if you do flame, no I will not track you down and kill you. So no fear.

Just to clarify this is not my first fiction. I have three (technically five) fictions that have been deleted and now are being reworked.

E.L. Konigsburg's children novels are generally set in a fictional city called Epiphany the state of New York. This fiction and the setting is named after it. The title of the chapter is from Boys Like Girls' Thunder. Every chapter title will be from a song (hence, Soundtrack of My Summer).

-Becci: MidsummerNiteDreamer

Coming up...

The next chapter is entitled "Separate From the World" in which we'll meet my three OCs, Cissy, Parker, and Amelia, Zane will get a new used car (oxymoron!), Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Truesdale paint a fence, Alexis will continue to question herself, Syrus will meet one of the OCs too (and I'll give him some more lines), we learn about bit about Lake Epiphany, and Atticus explores the town.