Swing

AN: Kind of based off Atticus' card, Swing of Memories. Kind of. Anyways, this is, as always, a Jaden x Alexis oneshot. It's sort of based in the fourth season, because Jaden's very aloof. And beware, the beginning is… odd.

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.

Light rimmed the edges of my vision, but everything else was dark. A small portion of my mind knew that I was dreaming, knew that I had curled up in bed after yet another day of tiresome classes. Yet the rest of my mind cried out for more light, for salvation from the darkness.

"Darkness isn't always the enemy," murmured a voice. "You should know that, Alexis Rhodes."

I paid no attention to the voice, still straining to widen the ring of light.

"Alexis… Alexis… wake up! Wake up!"

"Wha…?" I blinked owlishly up at the girl bending over my bed. I sat up, thoroughly disoriented. "Mindy? What are you doing here?"

My friend rolled her eyes. "Alexis, it's noon! You've been sleeping for nearly thirteen hours straight… what's wrong with you? You would have missed class!"

Somehow, my hazy brain managed to comprehend her words. I gasped, pulling the covers away. Noon! And it was Saturday, which still meant classes… what was wrong with me? I had never slept so long in my life! I was always the person who got exactly eight hours of sleep, not more, not less.

Then the rest of Mindy's words penetrated the sleep-induced fog. "Wait… would have?" I questioned, stopping my attempts to pull off the sheets. "What do you mean? We don't have class today?"

Mindy shrugged. "Dr. Crowler cancelled it… apparently, an old student of the Academy is coming to visit. He's grown quite successful, and personally I think Crowler just wants to flaunt it in Bonaparte's face. But yeah, no classes today. Hey, listen, Jasmine and I were thinking of going swimming after meeting this graduate, at about three. You want to join us?"

I blinked rapidly. "When's this graduate coming?" I asked, stretching my arms above my head. Jasmine entered the room and sat at the edge of my bed, cocking her head.

"I think he's coming in an hour. He's going to talk to us and meet some of his old friends. He became a card designer for Industrial Illusions, so he's also going to show the school a new card he's designed."

Industrial Illusions… could it be…? I wondered to myself. Probably. After all, he's visited before.

"I can't wait to see him," I smiled, but punctuated my words with an unintentional yawn. "Sorry guys, I have to go wake myself up properly. I'll see you in the Auditorium in an hour, okay?"

Mindy nodded, but Jasmine looked a little suspicious. "What are you up to, Alexis?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I'll go see the others, too. We'll all meet you at the Auditorium."

Mindy kept quiet, but Jasmine let out a derisive snort. "By others, I suppose you mean that Slifer kid and his gang? Really, Alexis, why do you hang out with them? You're just ruining your own reputation."

I bristled at her comment. "For you information," I snapped, "in case you forgot, Syrus is in Obelisk now! So is Chazz! And Hassleberry isn't doing too badly in Ra. And Jaden… well, he's Jaden, let's not say anything else. But they're all my friends, just like you guys, so don't badmouth them, Jasmine."

This time, Mindy spoke up. "But you're not going to see the others, are you?" Her voice was quiet, unusual for Mindy. "You're going to see Jaden. You're still worried about him."

Her words pierced me far deeper than I had expected, and I turned on her. "No, I'm not!" I replied, more harshly than intended. "Jaden's doing just fine by himself. He's never been a stranger to being alone – and he's never alone anymore, now that he has her." A bitter note seeped into my voice.

Jasmine and Mindy looked confused, and I mentally hit myself. Of course, they didn't know about Yubel. Then they shrugged in unison, probably figuring that I was talking about Blair, who still kept herself attached to Jaden at all times. Sometimes, I wondered if she carried superglue around, just to stick herself to him.

"We'll see you, then." Jasmine sounded disgruntled about my outburst, but she left first. Mindy cast me an anxious glance and soon followed. I walked towards the bathroom, splashing my face with cold water to wake myself up. Water dripping from my eyelashes, I raised my gaze and studied myself in the mirror.

Almost everyone had returned from the alternate dimension with a noticeable change. Chazz was… dare I say it, more friendly. Hassleberry was more mature. Syrus was more confident. Atticus was… actually, Atticus hadn't changed all that much, apart from the fact that he didn't badger me to find a boyfriends anymore. Zane was cured. And Jaden… Jaden was a different story. Jaden was completely and utterly changed, and my heart ached for the carefree youth he had once been. He had grown up too fast.

So why hadn't I changed? I didn't feel different in any way, and I didn't look different, either. I was the only one left untouched. It made me feel ostracized, like I hadn't learned enough in the different dimension. Yet, at the same time, I felt glad that I had no lasting mark of the terrible time on me. I didn't want to remember those days, so there was no point wishing for a change half of me didn't even want.

I changed quickly, donning my Obelisk Blue uniform and folding my pajamas to wash later. I picked up my deck and looked at the back of the top card, trying to remember the last time I had dueled anyone.

Unsurprisingly, I couldn't remember. It must have been before we went to Dark World. I pulled on a blue blazer to shield myself from the nip in the air and slipped my deck into the pocket, sighing softly. I would ask Mindy or Jasmine to duel me tomorrow. Maybe even Hassleberry or Syrus, who had started using Zane's Cyber-Style deck very efficiently.

Zane. Maybe I would go talk to him. I remembered the days when Atticus was still missing, when we met at the harbor and he listened so intently to my memories of my brother. And I had felt warmed, because no matter how emotionless Zane seemed, I knew that he missed my brother too.

It had devastated me when he dueled Syrus so cruelly during the Genex tournament. And now I was watching someone else transform… but this transformation was much, much more painful.

Jaden. My thoughts were irrevocably fixed on him. Everything seemed to come back to him. I clenched my hands, shaking away all thoughts of him.

I'll go see Zane, I decided. He'll know what to do.

I exited my room, closing the door gently behind me. As I emerged outside, the wind picked up a bit, and I hugged my blazer closer to my body. I set off in the direction of the nurse's office.

"Alexis?" Ms. Fontaine looked surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Zane, if that's okay," I murmured. "Is he awake?"

Ms. Fontaine stepped aside. "Certainly, he's in the last bed to the left. But please make sure to leave by at least quarter to one. I'll see you at the Auditorium, dear."

I nodded slightly as the Obelisk Blue Girls' head slash nurse left the office. I walked down the bright white aisle between the beds, the whiteness hurting my eyes. I faintly remembered brightness like this before… the Society…

I shook my head to clear my mind. A familiar pair of blue eyes caught my gaze – they were calm and steady, full of assurance.

"Alexis. What do I owe this pleasure to?" His voice was still flat, but I detected a smile in his eyes. I laughed lightly and perched myself on his bed.

"Hey Zane. How are you?" I suddenly felt foolish.

A wry smile crossed his face. "I'm in a bed. What do you think?"

I blushed. "Oh, right. Uh, sorry. How's the heart holding up?"

He surveyed me oddly. "I'm still living, so I presume it's fine. Out with it, Alexis. Why did you come here? I'm sure it wasn't merely for my company."

I flushed again. "Well, not exactly," I confessed. "But, well… I, um, have a predicament. And I was hoping you could help me with it."

"You're talking about Jaden." Of course, Zane could always read anyone like a book, and I was easier than most.

"Yeah." I fidgeted slightly, playing with my fingers. "I'm just worried about him… h-he never comes to meet us anymore. He's always by himself, holed up in his room, and no one's managed to make him come out. He just grew up so fast."

"You're not his mother, you know." Zane's blunt reply was strangely comforting. "You don't need to worry about him. He'll be fine."

"But I can't help it!" I burst out. "Yubel changed him so much, Zane, he's suddenly grown up… and…" I stopped, unable to complete my sentence.

"And you feel left behind," Zane supplied quietly.

I nodded meekly, avoiding his gaze.

"Lex. Look at me." Surprised that he had used my nickname, I raised my eyes to see him smiling at me warmly. "You've always been like a sister to me – you know that. And I've always been happy to help you. But I can't help you now. This is something you need to do by yourself." An amused twinkle entered his eye. "And you need to tell Jaden how you feel soon, too."

I turned an embarrassing shade of red. "H-how did you know?" I stammered.

"Honestly, Alexis? I think most of the school knows. You're not as subtle as you think you are." Again with the bluntness. This time, it wasn't as comforting.

"Darn," I muttered. Zane let out a short laugh.

"Anyways," I started, changing the subject. "Are you planning on going to this talk by the old student?"

He shrugged slightly. "I'm still not allowed to walk, so I think I'll have to pass."

I smiled. "No, you won't," I told him. "I'm right here. I'll wheel you there."

"I'd like that."

"And now, we'd like to proudly present – Chumley Huffington with his new card, Swing of Remembrance!"

"I knew it," I laughed to myself as I applauded, Jasmine and Mindy on one side and Zane on the other. Jasmine turned to face me.

"You did?" she exclaimed in shock. "I thought they meant an old graduate, not Chumley… I still can't believe a slacker like him managed to snag such a good job."

I stared her down and she seemed to shrink. "Oh, right. Sorry," she muttered.

"Chumley was always an excellent artist," Zane mused on my other side. "I'm glad to see that he's happy, even though I never interacted with him much."

Sure enough, Chumley was positively glowing with happiness as he held his card aloft. "This card was inspired by some friends of mine," he announced. "It's a special card in more ways than one."

"He probably means Syrus and Jaden," I thought out loud. Zane nodded.

"I'd like to see that card… I wonder what it does."

Chumley stepped off the stage as Dr. Crowler took over, rambling on and on about how he had always known that Chumley would achieve great heights.

"Yeah, right. He never liked Chumley," I remarked.

"I just can't wait until this is over," Mindy groaned from next to Jasmine. "Dr. Crowler is so boring!"

Crowler heard her and shot her a glare. I stifled a giggle.

"Now, Mr. Huffington will be staying at the Obelisk Blue dorm for the duration of his stay. He will be staying with Syrus Truesdale."

I peered into the crowd, picking out Syrus' face. The blue-haired, bespectacled boy beamed with joy, hugging his old friend. I strained my ears to catch their conversation.

"… where's Jay?" Chumley sounded disappointed. "I was sure he'd be here… I wanted to show him my card."

I saw Syrus shrug. "He's probably in his room. He hasn't come out for ages, except for meals, and then he sits far away from the rest of us," the small Obelisk Blue replied unhappily.

"Hold on a minute," I told my friends. "I'll be right back."

I wove my way through the crowd, greeting Chumley with a smile. "Hey, welcome back! Heard you're doing pretty well," I remarked. He looked a little taken aback, and I remembered that I hadn't really had too much interaction with him, either.

"Do you mind if I see your card?" I asked him. He shrugged, handing it over.

"Keep it. I have the original copy in my briefcase."

I studied the card intently. It reminded me faintly of my brother's card, the one he had used extensively in his childhood – Swing of Memories. It showed a pretty sunset and two adolescents staring at the sea, dyed by the sunset, with a swing tied to a tree branch in between them.

"Thanks, Chumley. I'll treasure it," I smiled. He smiled back and was about to reply before he was assaulted by a Ra Yellow.

I slipped away, returning to my seat. "Here it is," I told Zane. "Let me see what it does… it's a spell card. Special Summon one Normal monster from your Graveyard and double its attack points. The monster is destroyed at the End Phase," I read aloud.

Zane's eyes widened. "Not a bad card. Quite powerful, in fact," he commented. I peered at the picture, trying to figure out what was so familiar about the two people.

"Oh!" I let out a gasp. "Zane, I have to go. I'm sorry. Jasmine, Mindy," I turned to my friends. "Will you wheel Zane back to the nurse's office?"

"It's okay, I can do that," spoke Syrus. He had appeared next to his brother and placed his hands on the chair. "C'mon, big brother. Let's get you back."

I put the card in the same pocket as my deck and made my way out of the Auditorium.

"Jaden!" I hammered at his door, growing more frustrated by the moment. "Open the door! It's me, Alexis!"

There was no answer. Annoyed, I shoved the door with one shoulder. To my surprise, it creaked open, displaying an empty room. Jaden was missing.

My heart leapt to my throat, and I felt sick. Had he left Duel Academy forever? Had he finally decided that he was too different, too special to fit in?

I held back my tears, turning away. "Forget you, Jaden Yuki," I muttered angrily, brushing away a few stray droplets.

I walked towards the harbor, almost by instinct. When my brother had gone missing, I had sought refuge there – it seemed only fitting that now, I would return there.

The lighthouse was off, owing to the fact that it was still the afternoon. I approached the tall building, almost blinded by tears that I couldn't suppress.

He was gone. He hadn't left a note or anything. But I knew he was gone. I faced away from the sun and cried softly.

I spent the rest of the day at the harbor, ignoring the shrill sounds my PDA made; surely my friends calling me to make sure I was all right. I wasn't, but it didn't matter.

The sun had begun to set when I heard footsteps behind me. I frowned, wondering who it could be, and turned slowly. To my intense surprise, I beheld Jaden.

"Alexis?" He sounded equally puzzled. "What are you doing here? And are… are those tears? Have you been crying? What's wrong?"

I felt a stab of joy at his concerned tone. Had the old Jaden finally surfaced once more?

But I studied his face closely, and it still held caution. No, it was still the same Jaden. Nothing had changed.

Or had it?

"I-I'm fine." My voice shook. "I saw Chumley today… his new card is quite impressive."

Jaden's expression turned distant, and he didn't reply.

"Don't tell me you didn't go to see him?" I asked incredulously. "Jaden, he was one of your best friends! Surely you owe him this much!"

"I don't want to bring him into this, too." His voice was sad.

"Bring him into what, exactly?" My patience had reached its limits. "God, Jaden, all you've been doing is moping these past few weeks! What's wrong with you? What happened to the old Jaden?"

He faced me, his eyes glittering dangerously. "He's gone," he muttered. "He was naïve. He didn't know about life, or the world."

"But I loved him." My voice was quiet. "Look. Look at this card." I fished Swing of Remembrance out of my pocket, shaking it in his face. "Do you see those two people?"

One was a boy, the other a girl. The boy wore a red blazer and had brown hair piled on top of his head. The girl wore white with blue accents and a blue miniskirt, and had long dirty blonde hair.

"I know you recognize them," I said quietly.

He stared at the picture. "That's… that's you and me," he said weakly. "Chumley designed this card? Why did he put us on it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I laughed softly but without mirth. "But you're wrong on one count. That's not you. That's the old Jaden, the one who actually liked dueling, and cared about his friends."

"What…" Jaden's brown eyes narrowed with pain.

"You've just pushed us all away," I continued fiercely. "You're wallowing, Jaden! And when you're not wallowing, it's so obvious that you've changed. Earlier you were a kid, and now you've suddenly become an adult." My voice softened. "You grew up too fast, Jay. Wait. Wait for us."

"I…" He blinked in shock. "I just… I didn't want it to be this way, Alexis."

I scoffed. "Then change it! Stop sulking and come out and be human again."

"But I'm not human. Not anymore." His voice was quiet and pained. "Yubel…"

I closed my eyes. "It always comes down to her. Yubel isn't in control of you, Jaden. You are. Fine, maybe you're not completely human. But you're still Jaden."

He stared at me, speechless.

"This card." I gestured to the card in his hand. "This card… God, was it so obvious that even Chumley noticed?" I said to myself. "Maybe I really am that transparent."

"It's not just you, Lex." I felt a thrill at his words. I slowly faced him again, and I saw the most beautiful smile on his face. It was tentative, but it was utterly genuine. His eyes were two different colors, like Yubel's, but I didn't mind. It was like he was a combination of the old and new Jaden. And I liked it.

"I missed you," he whispered, drawing closer. "More than you can imagine. Thank you for waking me up." He glanced at the card in his hand.

"You think Chumley will give me one of these, too?"

I laughed breathlessly. "Keep it. I don't need it."

He shook his head. "Never. It's yours."

"Just keep it," I insisted. My voice softened. "You already have my heart."

His eyes were brilliant in the fading sunlight. "And you have mine. You've always had it, Lexi."

He had grown taller, and so I had to lean up a bit. But I lightly pecked his cheek.

"One day," I murmured, "we'll be there. Standing by that swing, watching the sun set by the sea."

He drew me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. "We're already there," he breathed. "Look."

I turned slightly, and saw the sun disappearing into the sea. And for a minute, I didn't see the gray lighthouse next to us, but a tall, gnarled tree, from which hung a swing.

AN: Aww! I liked this one! It might've been painful to read in the middle, but still. I thought it was so sweet! And I really liked the Zane/Alexis friendship, almost as much as I liked the Jaden/Alexis pairing... Tell me what you guys think, please?