Hello, this is my first ever GX Fanfic, so I hope you guys enjoy! Remember to Follow/Favorite and Review!
This fanfic was inspired by an old fic by the name of 'Syrus and Mindy: Deck of Love' by Shadow-DJ
A Closed Fist to an Open Palm
Chapter 1: Only through Struggle, we can find our Determination part 1
There was a duel in the duel academy arena. On one side was the titular Slifer Red Jaden Yuki, confident and cocky as usual, his opponent was an already-frustrated Jasmine Makurada.
The duel was not going well at all for the Obelisk Blue girl. She had only 1800 life points left, while she had her Harpie Lady Sister's on the field; it was no match for Jaden's newly-summoned Flame Wingman that he summoned through the spell card; Miracle Fusion.
"Now Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! Destroy Jasmine's Harpie Lady Sisters and end this duel! Skydive Scorcher!" Jaden Yuki shouted, pointing a hand at Jasmine's monster. Flame Wingman opened up its dragon mouth weapon and fired out a blazing beam of fire. Jasmine shielded herself from shattered pieces of her monster.
"And Elemental Hero Flame Wingman's effect activates! Whenever it destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points! That's the game!" Jaden declared before giving the defeated Jasmine a peace sign.
"Damn it..."Cursed the red-head as her lifepoints dropped to zero. Jasmine grumbled to herself as a collection of spectating Obelisk Blue students glared down disapprovingly.
"Can't believe one of own got beat by a Slifer Slacker." One Obelisk Blue student expressed to his friend.
"One of our own? The girls at Obelisk Blue are pretty bad; they're only good for their looks! That's what I say!" the friend replied, letting out a chauvinistic snicker, earning the attention of several Obelisk Girls.
"Hey! Don't you dare group Jasmine with us! She shouldn't even be in Obelisk Blue! She's giving the Obelisk girls dorm a bad name with her garbage dueling skills!" An Obelisk girl adamantly remarked. Jasmine twitched in irritation, trying her best to restrain herself from jumping into the seats and confront the girl that was disrespecting her.
"Shut up Alyssa! You're not better than me!" Jasmine shouted back; she would hear a mean and accomplished laugh back in the stands.
"This is the TWELVETH LOST I had in the last two days...And half of them are from this SLIFER RED. What the hell is wrong with me?" The red-head asked herself in an agitated whisper, in disbelief from her losing streak.
Jaden,strode over to Jasmine, with a wide goofy-looking grin. He offered the girl a friendly handshake. Seemingly more happy that he got to duel the sulking red-head than getting a win.
"That was a good game, wasn't it Jasmine?" Jaden asked innocently, apparently not hearing any of the insulting Obelisk Blue students. Jasmine gave Jaden a deathly cold glare before smacking Jaden's hand away.
"Ow! What the heck was that for Jasmine?" Jaden questioned as he tenderly rubbed his hand.
"S-Shut up Jaden! G-Get away from me! You make me sick!" Jasmine shouted right in Jaden's face before stomping out of the dueling field, leaving a dumbfounded Jaden Yuki alone in the middle of the dueling field.
"Jeez, what's gotten into her?" Jaden said, confused.
"Hey, Jazz! Are you okay?" Jasmine heard as she exited into the hallway, the red-head turned to see her best friend; Mindy Hamaguchi, running up to her worryingly.
"Of course I'm not okay! I've dueled over a dozen times in the last two days, and I lost in every single one of them!" Jasmine angrily shouted, stomping her feet as she expressed her pent-up rage. She would earn some perplexed looks from several passing students who witnessed her petulant stomping.
"Jazz...Please calm down; we're all enrolled here to be better duelists, its a learning experience for everyone, So don't get so bummed out over losing." Mindy soothed as she placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. Her honeyed words sadly fell on deaf ears as Jasmine continued her envenomed rant, seemingly not hearing a single word.
"And half of my losses are from that Idiot Slifer Red! It's not fair!" Mindy flinched from the sheer volume of Jasmine's voice. Before Mindy could try to calm her best friend down, Jasmine stormed off in a sulk, leaving Mindy behind, aghast.
"Maybe I should just give her some alone time..." Mindy mumbled in a guilty frown.
"Stupid Jaden! Stupid Losing Streak! What the hell is wrong with me? I'm in Obelisk Blue! An Elite of the ELITE! I should be WAY better than those Slifer Slackers!" Jasmine loudly talked to herself herself as she stomped through the forest path, wrathfully kicking any loose stones that littered her way.
"Can't believe it...I lost to everyone..." Jasmine would pause as the many burdening losses Jasmine experienced would finally set in. Her anger fizzled out as the girl sank to the ground in a now-dour mood. The girl breathed out a deep, tired, and depressive sigh as doubt loomed.
"...I'm a terrible duelist...Aren't I?" The red-headed girl asked herself as she shadowed her eyes. She felt a great sense of shame, burying her head into her knees, not wanting anyone to see her in such a broken state.
"They're right...I shouldn't be an Obelisk Blue. No Obelisk Blue loses to a Slifer," Jasmine would start to degrade herself.
"I really am a failure..." Jasmine admitted as her tears began to dampen her knees.
Jasmine let out a sullen sigh as she stood on the edge of a lake deep within the forest of Duel Academy Island.
Her deck clenched in hand, ready to be dropped into the chilling water below.
"After this...It's back to home with you Jasmine, good riddance." She continued to degrade herself as the depressing thought of confronting her parents about dropping out of duel academy sent shivers down her spine. No doubt they would disown her for wasting their money and time on her failed dream of becoming a professional duelist, not that Jasmine could blame them, she's a failure of a duelist who couldn't even beat a lowerclassman.
She stuck her hand out right above the watery edge, trembling as she struggled to drop her deck. Already second-guessing herself on whether or not she should go through with this, should she abandon her dream? and drop off of Duel Academy?. Would she able to live with such a big regret in her heart? She didn't know.
She closed her eyes, her deck loosening in her hands, not wanting to bare the sight of her cards being lost forever in the blue darkness as she let them fall.
"Only through Struggle, we can find our Determination."
Jasmine let out a yelp of surprise, opening her puffy and slightly reddened eyes to find the speaker, saving her deck just in time before they delved into the water.
The speaker's back was turned away from the teary-eyed Jasmine as he stood a couple of feet away.
It was a Slifer Red student based on the red and white collar-button jacket he wore, but his coat was different compared to the others; the jacket's sleeves ripped off and wrapped around the boy's waist like a gi belt, revealing his well-toned arms and roughly-matted hands. Jasmine could notice his long ruffled blonde ponytail was partially hiding a hanging pair of heavy stones tied to the student's sash, burdening the wearer like a ship's anchors.
"W-What?" Jasmine would ask as she caught up with the mysterious Slifer Red Student, wiping her puffy eyes as she did so to avoid further embarrassment.
The Slifer would not respond as he stared out into the shining lake, watching the ripples unfold before him.
"What do you mean by that?" The Slifer turned to the girl sharply.
The Slifer's face was sharp and fair but roughened, making his bright emerald green eyes all the more noticeable. Jasmine would catch herself from staring at them for too long as the Slifer Red student flashed a light look of sympathy at the girl, glancing at the deck that she dangled above the shimmering shore.
"Only through Struggle, we can find our determination. What this means, is that when we face an obstacle, we'll discover the hidden passion that lies within us all." The Slifer Red student recited in a calm, and collected tone with a finger upraised, closing his eyes so that he correctly remember the meaning of the quote.
"Things may look bleak, and you may shed those tears now...But if you work for that one single smile, then you'll become stronger than you ever imagine." He finished before bowing his head graciously to Jasmine, like a student to a master.
"I heard your sorrow when I was on my daily walk, so I followed you in case you weren't going to do something...Drastic." He admitted in a guilty tone as he averted his gaze from the girl.
"I'm glad I did though for you were about to discard your cards and leave this place... So I've decided to share my master's wisdom to raise your spirits...I hope it was helpful for you." The Slifer Red would explain, occasionally averting his eyes from Jasmine as he did so.
"I-It was a little. Thank you, I guess..." Jasmine said back in a light whisper, somewhat grateful for the boy's effort, how cryptic it initially was. The Slifer Red would nod back in return, not speaking a single word.
An awkward silence loomed over the two students, only being peppered by the chirping of nesting birds and the clicking of crawling insects.
"My name is...Zenn, Zenn Goto." The Boy would stiffly introduce himself, sticking his hand out for Jasmine to shake to which the girl would cautiously accept. Jasmine slightly winced when she felt how rough the boy's hands were, feeling more like a old, rugged leather glove.
"Jasmine, Jasmine Makaruda," She replied as she gave Zenn a small, greeting nod.
"So, you are struggling to break free of your losing streak?" Jasmine swallowed some of her pride before she would nod once more.
"Yeah...It all started with me wanting to duel Jaden Yuki, a Slifer Red like you. He and Bastion are going to duel each other to see who would be the class representative for the Duel Off next week. I couldn't believe it! That guy trespassed into our dorm and yet he's the one that gets a chance to represent the school? Someone from Obelisk Blue should represent Duel Academy! I wanted to put that guy in his place, but then I lost...And lost again, I couldn't take it anymore!" Jasmine explained.
"I can understand, but the path of the duelist is paved with struggle Jasmine, no one said it was going to be easy." Zenn would reply, not mincing his words to the girl. Jasmine frowned from his aloof if correct words.
"I know it wasn't going to be easy! I did the tests and exams to get here! It's not like I coasted my way here, unlike the other Obelisk Blues!" Jasmine exclaimed back in irritation, turning away from Zenn for a moment.
"But I've lost so many times since being here...I feel like I failed as a duelist and I just want to win at least once to prove to myself that I deserve to be here." She finished in a sullen whisper; she felt another tear stroll down her cheek. She shied her face away from Zenn, not wanting the Slifer Red to see her in such a weak state.
"Then how about this Jasmine, we duel each other right now." The sudden request for a duel caused Jasmine to shudder.
"Why?! Is it because you want an easy win!?" She accused with a glare, her surly frown turning into a distrusting sneer.
"It's not that at all! I want to help you feel like you deserve to be here. A duel, no matter win or lose, is a time to reflect yourself." Zenn explained with his hands upraised defensively.
Jasmine would take some time to ponder on the duel request before solemnly shaking her head.
"I appreciate it, but, I'm a lost cause, you don't need to waste your time on me," Zenn seemed to shrink a little from Jasmine's will. "Then..." The Slifer Red would pull out his deck of cards and place them right above the water. Jasmine stared at him confusedly, unsure of what he was doing.
"If you do not duel me, then I will drop my cards into the water with you." He said as he dangled the deck of cards.
"W-What?! You're not serious right?" Jasmine asked, completely bewildered in the boy's insistence on destroying his cards if Jasmine did the same.
"We all delve into darkness Jasmine, but only through each other, we can pull ourselves out of it. If one of us abandons our hope, it's only fair that we all do then." He recited as he stared at Jasmine, earnest in his decision as he waited for the girl's response.
"...I guess that's one way to convince a girl to duel with you...Fine, let's duel." Jasmine relented, sighing.
The two duelists got ready as they took a couple of steps to distance themselves each other, the shimmering lake by their left side and the ingrained forest on their right. Both with a duel disk encased around their wrists and a deck tucked into the device.
"Are you ready Jasmine?" Zenn asked as he shuffled his deck.
"As ready as I can be..." Jasmine mumbled.
"Good; that's all I ask of you." Zenn would bow slowly and graciously to Jasmine before striking a closed fist to an open palm; his eyes tightly shut as he whispered a wish to something from beyond.
"May this duel bring joy to Jasmine's ailing heart." The boy would open his eyes before steadying into a graceful pose, his duel disk activating like a warrior's blade unsheathed for battle.
"DUEL!"
Hello Everyone! Thank you for reading, after some thought, I've decided to put the duel in a separate chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter, I'm excited to continue writing this story :3