Hello everyone!

Well, for some reason, I had a sudden urge, after watching all of GX, to make a Jaden/Syrus story. Then again, who doesn't like a good Jaden/Syrus fanfic (besides EncyclopediaDramatica). Note that I will be using dub names in this story (I need to read up more on the Japanese names. lol).

For those who are reading my other story, Megaman NT Warrior: Memories; Do not worry. This story is just a little bit of a side project, and should have no impact on the progression of Memories (my hope is that I can get away from ANOTHER round of writer's block by doing another story).

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I hereby welcome you, the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX readers to my new story: Romance of the Duelists!

-DISCLAIMER-

Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, all characters, devices, cards, and settings that are not considered original content are solely the property of Konami, TVTokyo, and Kazuki Takahashi. This story makes no claim, stated nor implied, that any content that is not considered original content is the property of the author.

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Chapter 1 – Back to the Basics

Syrus was standing on the deck that circled the Slifer dorm, looking out into the seemingly endless ocean beyond. There was a lot on his mind, more than there normally was. Not only was his second year as a student at Duel Academy such a tiresome one, but the events from his first year were still fresh in his mind. If anything, the events regarding the Sacred Beasts from his first year were just as fresh in his mind as the chaos that Sartorius and the Society of Light caused.

Sighing, Syrus backed away from the railing and started to walk to the front of the dorm building. It was time to go to class and he didn't want to be late. The end of the school year was coming up, which meant that there wasn't any time for slacking off, though to be fair, Syrus wasn't the one that normally slacked off. That personality trait belonged to Jaden.

Speaking of which...

As he walked around the upper-deck, Syrus past by Jaden's room. The bluenette figured that Jaden was probably inside, still sleeping in his bed. 'I wish Jay would realize that he has to go to class so he can become a senior next year. I don't want to graduate without him. I guess I should wake him up'

Walking up to the door, Syrus quietly knocked on it. 'Come on, Syrus. You know he won't hear that. Knock harder.' Trying to get himself to wake his friend up more effectively, Syrus knocked on the door much more loudly than his first attempt.

"Come on, Jaden. You don't want to be late for class"
No answer from inside.
"Jaden! Wake up. Class is going to start soon!"
Still no answer. Syrus had to yell as loud as he could now.
"JAY! WAKE UP!"

However, there was still no answer from the Slifer red beyond the door. He sighed, knowing that there was no other choice but to go inside and physically get Jaden to wake up.

Syrus juggled the door handle a little bit, only to have it break off from the rest of the door. The piece of metal fell to the ground, giving off a loud thud as it hit the wood of the deck. However, this event wasn't all that foreign to the bluenette. The Slifer Red dorm build had been falling apart for almost a year now. So, a door handle breaking off wasn't something that was totally unexpected.

'Well, at least I can get in easier than if it was locked,' Syrus thought to himself as he pushed the door open and entered the room. 'I'll tell Jay after he wakes up. Maybe we can get someone to put a new handle on.'

The room was dark, as the room normally was when Jaden was sound asleep. It took Syrus' eyes a few moments to get use to the darkness inside, hoping that it wouldn't take too long before he could see if Jaden was in his bed or not. The light that was coming from the outside didn't help, as there wasn't much sun out to begin with. Duel Academy's off-shore weather station declared that there was going to be a lot of cloud cover in it's forecast. And, sure enough, the sun had not shown through the clouds yet.

Much to the boy's surprise, he did not see Jaden anywhere inside the room. "Where did Jaden go? Did he get up for class already?" Syrus did not realize it at first, but he started thinking out loud. "Maybe Hassleberry got him up or something. I wouldn't be surprised if he got Jaden out of bed military style, with a bugle and everything..."

Finally, Syrus figured out that he was talking aloud, and with no one there to hear him. 'Well, at least I'm not answering myself. That would be bad. Guess I'll get to class. Jaden is probably just skipping class again, anyway.'

Before leaving, the bluenette wrote a quick note and stuck it on the door of Jaden's dorm room:

DOORKNOB BROKE,
REPAIR ASAP.

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"Alright, everyone. Get to your seats. That means you Slifer slackers, as well!"

Crowler was doing a lecture today on the various effects of Magic cards and how, in some circumstances, they can be more deadly than the effects of Trap cards. It was required that all of the graduating students had to listen to this lecture sometime before they graduated. However, Crowler also decided to force the underclassmen to listen to it, as well.

Syrus walked in just in a nick of time. Due to trying to wake up a non-present Jaden Yuki, he was almost late for the lecture. This forced him to run from the Slifer dorm to the main building, causing small sweat marks to appear on the underarm portion of his Ra yellow jacket.

"Now, then. Let's get this lecture started so we can get it over with!"

With a book in hand, Crowler began to give his lecture on the topic of the day. However, Syrus wasn't in much of a mood to really care what the professor had to say. He was more concerned as to why he couldn't find Jaden anywhere. Even as he was running to the main building, he was still looking in any and all possible directions for the brunette. Unfortunately, it was all in vein.

The upside to the whole ordeal was that he didn't run into Hassleberry, which means that he could ask the self-proclaimed sergeant if he knew where Jaden was. But, that thought didn't stop him from looking around the room to see if he could spot his best friend.

However, Crowler took note of Syrus being distracted.

"Syrus! Would you care to repeat what I just said?"

The sound of his name brought the boy out of his thoughts. The sound of the voice that did it also instilled a feeling of worry in him, not to mention the embarrassment of having all the other students instantaneously look in his direction. 'Oh, great...'

He could only be thankful that he didn't say that aloud.

"Well, Syrus? We are waiting on you."

The bluenette stood up, ready to face even more embarrassment when he answers incorrectly. "Y-you were talking about how..umm..while the Spellbinding Circle Trap card is effective...well...the Magic card Mystical Space Typhoon...is a great counter..." Of course it was. Syrus knew that. Every duelist knew that. Syrus sighed quietly to himself and tilted his head down, knowing that he just answered wrong, and that the laughs and ridicule would come follow.

But, he waited a few moments, and realize that there wasn't a sound from the other students. He looked up to see that Crowler had a bit of a scowl on his face. Luckily for the boy, he recognized that look on the professor's face. It was his "Scowl of Defeat." Just by looking at his face, he knew that something went right.

"...That's correct, Syrus. Sit back down."

His eyes widened in amazement as he sat back down in his seat. He knew very well that his answer was nothing short of a shot in the dark, hoping that it would be a bulls-eye. And, as fate would have it, Syrus avoided a large amount of humiliation.

At least, for now.

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"That does it for today. Now, get out of here and do whatever it is you kids do these days."

Crowler finished his lecture, dismissing the students into a passing period, which many used as a means of catching up with friends, going to the school shop to buy more booster packs, or even have a quick duel if there was enough time and it was short.

Syrus knew that this was the perfect time to find Hassleberry or Alexis, as they might know where Jaden would be. Before Crowler had dismissed the students from the lecture hall, the bluenette was able to get another look around the classroom. To his disappointment, he did not see Jaden anywhere in the hall.

"Wait up there, private! You and I need to have a talk, soldier!"

Stopping in his tracks, Syrus turned around to find Hassleberry running in his direction.

"Hey, Hassleberry. You're just the person I needed to talk to."
"I can same the for you, Private Truesdale. I can't seem to find the sergeant anywhere."
"Yeah, same here. I didn't see Jaden in class. I wonder where he is."
"There ain't nothing to worry about, Private. I'll get myself a platoon together and we will find the sergeant. No man goes MIA when Tyranno Hassleberry is around!"

Before Syrus could object or even make any kind of statement, Hassleberry had already started down the hallway, at an almost sprinting pace. He sighed, knowing that when Hassleberry sets his mind to something, there wasn't any changing it. 'There really is no changing that guy's mind, is there?'

There was still one other person that he needed to talk to. And, Syrus knew just where to find her. Alexis normally hung out with a few of her Obelisk blue friends in the primary concourse of the building, just as you walk in.

However, what Syrus didn't plan on, was to bump into someone else on the way; a certain person that was dressed in all black, had black hair, and seemed to talk to invisible Ojama spirits.

Yeah. It was none other than Chazz.

Fortunately for Syrus, they were walking in opposite directions. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anything that Chazz had to dish out. He wasn't in the mood to deal with one of the most snobbish duelists he had ever met. He just...wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

Unfortunately, the hopes of not having to deal with Chazz diminished...and quickly.

"Hey, slacker. What's with that look on your face?"
"Oh, hey, Chazz."
"It's 'The Chazz.'"
"Oh, right. I forgot."
"So, are you going to spill it, or should I just keep walking?"

Syrus wasn't sure what to say. Sure, he could tell Chazz that he was concerned about Jaden being missing. Sure, he could simply just say what was on his mind, although that probably wouldn't be a good idea. However, there wasn't anything that could say that would get some kind of retort or sarcastic remark from the black-clad duelist standing in front of him.

Still, now that he was in this situation, he had to get out of it so that he could talk with Alexis.

"It's nothing, really. I-I'm just...thinking a little. That's all."

Syrus tried his best to get out of the situation, but Chazz wasn't buying into it. "Oh, really? Is that so? Well, it must be something depressing, since you can't seem to even get a smile on your face. Now, spill it. I don't want to have to deal with you crying at some point."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. 'Well...I guess I have to...'

"...It's Jaden. He wasn't in his dorm this morning, and he wasn't in class, either. I'm worried that something may have happened to him. I already checked his normal napping places, but..."

Syrus was interrupted by Chazz, who was more than annoyed at words that came out of the bluenette. "Oh, him? I saw him on the other side of the island doing some fishing, not far from the Obelisk Blue dorm." Syrus was actually shocked that Chazz was being helpful, and to him of all people.

Amidst his feelings of shock, Syrus remembered something about Chazz that didn't seem to piece everything that was said together.

"Chazz, wait. How do you know Jaden is over there?"
"Duh, because I saw him. What? Is my word not good enough for you?"
"No, it's not that. It's just...you are still a Slifer Red. Why where you at the Obelisk Blue dorm?"

Chazz immediately turned his head, trying to hide his now blushing face. Why was he over there? Because he wanted to catch Alexis leaving the dorm and walk with her to class. But, he couldn't let Syrus know that. He couldn't let anyone know that.

"Well, I was...just..umm...WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU?"
"Chazz, calm down. You don't want to yell at me. I was just asking, that's all."
"Yeah? Well, The Chazz answers to no one. Just find Jaden so I don't have to deal with anymore of your whining."

And, with that, Chazz turned tail and started walking in his initial direction. 'Who does that slacker think he is, interrogating me like that? I'm The Chazz. You don't go around asking all kinds of questions pertaining to The Chazz!'

"Wow, boss! You helped Syrus out! You're so kind!"

Chazz was brought of his thoughts by the most annoying voice he could ever hear. It was the only voice he knew of that was even more annoying than Crowler, Jaden, and Syrus combined. It was even above the sound that is made when nails are scratched across a chalkboard.

It was the voice of Ojama Yellow.

"He sure is. Who knew the boss had such a kind heart?" Ojama Green soon appeared.
"I did! You can see it in every single work he speaks!" Ojama Black finally chimed in.

Chazz, however, was not amused in the least by the appearance of his monster spirits. Without even a hint of warning, he brought his hand in front of him and slapped them together, sandwiches the three Ojamas right in the middle. "Keep your traps such for once!"

Syrus heard Chazz yelling and turned around. Sure enough, he saw the former Obelisk Blue student yelling at what looked like his hands, at least from a normal persons perspective. However, after everything that had happened over the past 2 years, he knew better than that. 'He's arguing with his Ojamas again...'

Knowing that Chazz was ok, Syrus started running out of the building, determined to find Jaden.

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Ahh, there we go! Got the first chapter done in one sitting! Perhaps this means that my writer's block is coming to a close? Who knows! I sure hope it is!

I'll make sure I keep close tabs on this story. You have my word that I won't let it rot due to me having another active story. This one will also be finished (when it will, however, is yet to be determined)!

See you next chapter!