This was the first fanfiction I ever wrote, and consequently, it is appalingly bad. You have been warned!
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will. No money, you see.
Epilogue
Sheppard smiled as he looked at all the eager young boys and girls trying out for Duel Academy.
Sheppard was no longer Chancellor, but because of his talent for spotting really talented kids and his easy way with children, he had been kept on to oversee the exams and the new intake of students for Duel Academy.
He may be getting old, but he still had it.
As Sheppard scanned the list of hopefuls trying to get in, a name caught his eye. Truesdale. Sheppard hadn't seen the name of Truesdale on this list for 23 years now, since Syrus Truesdale had entered the Academy.
He read the name aloud to himself "Surname: Truesdale, First name(s): Oliver Martin Jaden. Oliver Truesdale" he muttered to himself. Could it be?
Sheppard stood and began to scan the faces of the children waiting to duel. There! A pale face with black hair and blue-green eyes. The very image of his father when he was 13.
Oliver Truesdale was leaning against the railings, the same cool confidence in his eyes that his father always had: the knowledge that he was clever and talented and could duel with the best of them. He was talking to a boy about his age, who resembled Jaden as much as Oliver resembled Zane.
'That must be Jaden's son!' Sheppard thought to himself, as he frantically scanned the surnames again, looking for Yuki. He double and triple checked the list, but no Yuki. The boy must just be too young.
Sheppard stood as Oliver was called for his duel, and made his way down to where the other children were waiting.
When Oliver came out, looking pleased with himself, Sheppard went over to him and said "Well done, young man. That was a fine duel, the best I've seen here for a long time" Sheppard held out his hand to shake.
Oliver hesitated slightly, but took it and said "Thanks sir, I'm Oliver. I want to get in. Both my mother and my father went to this place"
"I think you'll have no problem, son. By the way, who are your parents?" Sheppard asked. He wanted to be sure.
Oliver sighed before he answered, as if he had been asked this often "My mother's name is Rowan Scott, and my father is Zane Truesdale"
" So your full name is..."
" Oliver Martin Jaden Truesdale" Oliver sighed.
Sheppard smiled and said " It's wonderful to meet you, Oliver. I knew both your parents. I've known your father since he was only 9 years old and your mother since she was 15"
Oliver's eyes widened "So who are you?" he asked.
"I was Chancellor of Duel Academy when your parents went there. My name is Sheppard" Sheppard answered.
Oliver's eyes went even wider, then he grinned "Pleased to meet you, sir! Why don't you come home with me? I bet my mum and dad would love to see you again! And they're having all their family friends around tonight, you could meet some more old students!"
Sheppard shook his head " I couldn't intrude, young Oliver"
" Oh please sir! Please!" Oliver begged "I'll say it was all my idea. They won't get cross with me today!"
Sheppard laughed and said "Alright Oliver, you've persuaded me. Come on then"
Oliver lead Sheppard to a nice house in the suburbs of the city and knocked on the door.
A girl answered it and stared at Sheppard. Sheppard thought for a minute that he had been taken back to Rowan's childhood, so much did this little girl look like her.
Then Oliver snapped "Don't stare, Willow, it's rude! Go tell Mum I've got someone she needs to see"
Willow ran off and came back with a woman who Sheppard hadn't seen since she was 17. Rowan had barely changed. There might be a few more lines on her face, but her emerald-green eyes and dark hair and the elegant, purposeful way she moved hadn't changed a bit.
Rowan came out of the kitchen and looked at her son. "So who have you brought home this time, Oliver?" she asked, then looked at Sheppard and the slightly amused look on her face turned to shock, then delight.
Sheppard smiled and said "Rowan, you've barely changed"
Rowan answered "Chancellor Sheppard, what a wonderful surprise! What are you doing in town?"
She took him through to the living room and sternly told the children to stay out of the room. She shut the door, turned and hugged Sheppard "It's brilliant to see you again!"
" I hope you don't mind me intruding, it's just... I met your son. He's the image of his father"
Rowan smiled "He is, isn't he"
" And that little girl, she looks just like you" Sheppard continued " I assume she's your daughter?"
Rowan nodded "Yes, that's Willow, as you probably heard. Willow Melissa Alexis Truesdale. Named for Alexis Rhodes. Like Oliver was named for Jaden, King of Games"
"He's bound to be a great duellist then" said Sheppard "His father is Zane Truesdale and he's named for the King of Games"
"Yes, but he was named for Jaden as our brother and friend. The same with Alexis. As our sister and friend." Rowan answered
"So tell me about everyone from the old days" Sheppard said "Starting with yourself"
"Well, there's not much to tell" said Rowan "I married Zane and I had Oliver and Willow. Oliver is 13 and Willow is 10. Syrus married a girl named Maria Corrigan and he has a 9-year-old son, named for Jaden. Jaden Joseph Truesdale. JJ for short"
"What of Jaden?" Sheppard interrupted.
Rowan answered "Jaden married Alexis Rhodes. They've got three children. Their eldest is a boy named Shuyin Jesse Yuki. He's the image of Jaden. He's 12. Then there's a little girl named Kaiya Jasmine Yuki and she's 9. Finally there's another little boy named Riku Syrus Yuki, who is 5 years old. Who else... err... Adecus! Adecus Rhodes, Alexis's brother. He married the actress Saffron Walden. They've got 2 children, a boy named Indigo Zane Rhodes, who is 11 years old and a girl named Alexis Rowan Rhodes, named for his sister and for me, who is 7 years old. Who else do you want to know about?"
"Uh, what about Chazz and Bastian?" Sheppard asked.
Rowan laughed and said "Well, Chazz, he married the last person on Earth we expected. He married Blair Flannigan! You remember her. She was just 20 when she married Chazz. They made a deal. Blair names her sons and Chazz names his daughters. They've two children. The eldest is a boy who was named for Blair's three favourite boys. His name is Zane Jaden Chazz Princeton and he is 6. The other child is a girl and is named Abigail Isabella Princeton. She is 2 years old. Bastian married a Japanese girl called Sachi Kurosaki. They also have two children. A son who is called Sasuke Ichigo Misawa and he is 10 and a daughter who is called Karin Rowan Tanya Misawa. She's 4. Sachi insisted that the children have Japanese first names, otherwise Karin would only have been named for me and one of the Shadow Riders, Tanya."
Sheppard laughed at Bastian naming his daughter after a Shadow Rider, then asked after the 'extra' students: Aster, Jim, Axel and Jesse.
Rowan told him "Aster married a girl named Lireal Jones and has only one child, a girl named Sabriel Serena Phoenix. She is three years old. Lireal is pregnant and if the child is a boy, Aster intends to name him after his father. Jim got married while he was in Africa, to a girl named Niaba Bcunube. They've got two kids. A boy named Kuanto Axel Cook, who is 5 and a girl named Sophia Clotee Cook, who is three. Jesse married a girl from his birthplace, Canada, called Lily Summers and they have three children. A son called Syrus Jack Anderson, who is 4 years old and twin girls called Rose Alexis Anderson and Ruby Blair Anderson , who are a year old. Jesse was going to name his son after Jaden, but there have been 3 other boys named for Jaden already, so he named his son Syrus. Syrus was very flattered. Axel Brody is single, he hasn't married but he is still very good friends with Jim and Jim named his boy after Axel."
"Oh, who else have I forgotten" Sheppard moaned
"Tyranno Hasselberry and Marcel Bonaparte" Rowan answered "They're all single. No wives, no children"
Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Rowan jumped up and went to open it. Sheppard heard her cry "Zane!", then saw Rowan coming back in, dragging Zane by the hand.
The movement was so typical of the pair in their teenage days that it almost seemed to Sheppard that he was back at Duel Academy, and Rowan and Zane were 15 and 16 years old again.
Zane's voice cut through his memories "So who has Oliver brought home that you're so pleased to see?"
Rowan stepped aside to reveal Sheppard.
Zane and Sheppard looked each other straight in the eye for a few moments, then Zane smiled and said "Sheppard, how nice to see you again. How did you come by my son?"
Sheppard smiled "Your son passed the entrance exam for Duel Academy with flying colours. I saw him duel. He's so like you it's untrue. I asked him his name and when he found out who I was, he invited me back. Rowan has been filling me in on your extended family since then"
Zane laughed "It is extended, isn't it? I've no idea how we're going to fit them all in. There's going to be 18 children running around for starters"
"Not quite 18" Rowan interrupted "Jim's in Africa, so he can't come. Jesse called to say that the twins have been playing up, so he's so tired he might not come. And you never can tell whether Adecus is going to turn up or not."
Zane nodded " So we're definitely missing four and potentially missing another 9. I reckon we can handle that"
He suddenly turned and opened the living room door. Oliver fell in and immediately scrambled to his feet, bright red "Oliver, what have I told you about listening through doors" Zane said, sternly
"You said that you never hear anything good about yourself" Oliver muttered, looking shamefaced.
Rowan came to stand next to Zane and demanded "And what do I tell you about listening through doors?"
Oliver looked confused
"I say that if you're going to do it, at least have the decency not to get caught!" Rowan smiled, and ruffled her son's hair.
He went to dodge, muttering "C'mon, Mum, I'm 13"
"Then act it" Zane added.
Oliver nodded, saying "Sorry, Mum, Dad, Sir"
Zane smiled "Forgiven Oliver, now tell me, how did it go? What was the duel like? Did you remember..."
His voice trailed away as he and Oliver walked off. Rowan smiled and hooked her arm through Sheppard's "Come on, we better catch up. You'll stay, won't you?"