Curse of Amun-Ra
Author's Note: I don't own any of these characters—at least not the ones from Yu-Gi-oh GX. This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh GX story! However, I have done a mini-series based off of the original Yu-Gi-Oh with Yuugi and Yami and others. For those that liked it, check it out under my profile! It's an AU story and there's romance involved (although it's yaoi).
SPOILERS: Depending on where people live, not everyone has seen all the current episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh GX. I'm only going to mention some things, so for those of you who haven't seen episodes including the Pendants that are given to Zane, Alexis, Chazz, Jaden…etc, don't worry too much. It'll only be mentioned so it's not a big part.
EXTRA NOTE: This story does NOT have to do with the plotline of the current Yu-Gi-Oh GX series where Jaden and others are protecting the Spirit Gate that holds the three God Beasts. This is actually after that when they survive the ordeal and Shadow Riders. For those of you who haven't seen the end of the first series, don't worry. You only have to know that they all don't die, as if that's not obvious :-) and then this story is taking place shortly after that.
GENRE: Action/Adventure/Suspense (and some humor and romance too! -) There will be Syrus/Jaden lovey dovey stuff. I'm not sure at this point if there will be other couples…we'll see.
Synopsis: Jaden is quickly becoming the best duelist at Duel Academy. His greatest rival is his best friend Sy's big brother Zane. Zane remains undefeated…for now. However, dueling for reputation and rank is not the biggest concern for Jaden and the others. For they are the only students at Duel Academy who have experienced the Shadow Realm and know that Duel Monsters isn't just a game. It's an ancient magic that could possibly destroy, or even save, the world—depending on who's on top. And Jaden and the others find that it's not even close to over. Strange things begin to happen at Duel Academy; students begin disappearing or losing their minds and unusual markings are found around the school. Jaden gets extremely suspicious and wants to figure out what's going on and with the help of his friends including Zane, Bastion, Chazz, Alexis and more. They all know if this keeps up Duel Academy won't be able to stay open, which means all their dreams of progressing in their dueling skills will vanish, along with a number of students' lives. As they all begin to delve deeper into a confusing mystery that could endanger all their lives, Syrus accidentally unlocks yet another mystery with an ancient power, which brings about unexpected results and takes the gang on an adventure they never could've imagined.
Prologue:
The air was fresh and crisp as it blew through the slightly opened window in one of the Slifer Dorms. Three figures inside were deep asleep in their beds, oblivious to the morning rays of light that crept through the glass. There were two bunk beds in the small room, though one of them in the back by the door only had one occupant. The other bunk beds by the window had two occupants. The one on the top bunk was a small teen, having hair a light shade of blue. The one below had brown hair and was snoring soundly. At that moment an alarm rang loudly, stirring two of three boys out of their sleep.
The top bunk jerked roughly as the boy with light blue hair shot up, rubbing his tired eyes. Syrus blinked, realizing he had fallen asleep with his glasses on again. The sound of the alarm continued to ring and blearily Syrus climbed down from the top bunk to turn it off. Turning, he saw that Chumley, his large friend sleeping in the other bunk alone, was rubbing his eyes tiredly. Sighing in frustration, Syrus approached his friend, who happened to still be snoring soundly.
"Jaden! Jaden, wake up! We're going to be late for class!"
Syrus shook his friend but he didn't wake up; instead he only rolled over and continued to snore peacefully. Feeling rather annoyed, Syrus bent down toward Jaden's ear.
"JADEN WAKE UP!"
Jaden's head jerked up and his arms flailed about in surprise. The sudden movement through his body off balance and he rolled right out of bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud.
"Ow!" Jaden exclaimed, rubbing his butt as he winced. "Sy, you really need to find another way to wake me up."
"Sorry, but we're really going to be late for class!" Syrus exclaimed nervously, while flinging his clothes off as he hurried to get dressed. "You know if we're late one more time we're going to have to stay after class. And I really, really don't want to."
"Isn't that just because you want to watch your brother duel later," Jaden said, yawning as he picked himself up off the floor.
Syrus gave him an annoyed look and crossed his arms. "It's not just to watch Zane duel; it's also because of the celebration."
Chumley, who was already dressed and waiting for his friends, walked over to them and sat down on Jaden's bed.
"What celebration?"
Syrus paused from hurrying to get his books together and stared at both Jaden and Chumley incredulously.
"Don't tell me you both didn't pay attention to what Professor Wilder said last week at the end of class!"
Jaden hesitated after pulling on his Slifer red jacket. "Well, I guess I did fall asleep for a bit there. Of course…I normally fall asleep in her class. Studying just isn't my forte."
"Mine neither," Chumley added. "Can we go get breakfast now?"
"Hold on Chum, I want to find out what this celebration is!" Jaden smiled, turning back to Syrus. "So, Sy, what is it?"
"Jaden, we really don't have time!" Syrus exclaimed, pocketing his deck.
"Aw, come on," Jaden smiled, giving his friend an excited grin.
Syrus sighed then nodded. "Alright. There's a celebration for Duel Academy since it's been open for a full five years now. Apparently once a new school reaches the minimum number of years to be open to be considered successful, they get a certificate or some sort of award. Anyway, the principle is planning on having a huge celebration with all three dorms. I heard Dr. Crowler wasn't pleased because he thought the Obelisk blue dorm should have a special celebration just for them," Syrus huffed, giving Jaden a displeased expression. "But he didn't get his way, luckily."
Jaden gave Sy a small smile, knowing very well Sy wanted to see his brother again. They hadn't spoken in some time since Zane was really busy, being since this was his final semester at Duel Academy (Zane decided to stay a little longer, even though he could've graduated early, just to get a little more advanced practice in). He and Sy had gotten a chance to watch Zane duel again almost three weeks ago and since then they've just been hearing about how Zane continued to stay on top dueling nearly every day to be prepared for finals.
"So where is this party going to be held?" Jaden asked as he stuffed his books in his bag (not that it mattered since he'd probably fall asleep again anyway).
Syrus blinked and stood in thought for a few seconds. "I'm not sure actually. There's probably a notice up around the school somewhere."
Jaden nodded. "Alright! That's sweet! We haven't had a party in a long time. All it's been is school and more school. I mean, don't get me wrong I love dueling, but the homework is killing me!"
Syrus' eyebrows rose slightly. "Uh…what homework? You don't do any."
"Ehehe…heh…alright, let's go!" Jaden said, heading toward the door.
Syrus and Chumley followed right behind him running since they were already about to be late. Chumley puffed behind Sy, who was trying to catch up to Jaden.
"Do we have to run?" Chumley complained.
"Jaden, wait up!" Sy exclaimed, oblivious to his larger friend's antics.
The three of them ran into their Dueling Legends classroom five minutes late and just as they entered a huge sound caught them off guard. Sy turned and blinked with wide, light-grey eyes and Jaden sweat-dropped, smiling half-heartedly and slightly embarrassed. The young woman professor had thrown a book right by their heads that landed on the wall right by the door. Twitching an eyebrow slightly, she glared at them.
"Ah, Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, nice of you to join us. I believe an after class detention is in order."
Syrus groaned and thumped his head on the desk as he let it fall. Jaden just yawned and rested his head on his hand, getting ready to fall asleep. Chumley was looking at the clock as if hoping lunch would arrive soon.
"But," Professor Wilder continued, smiling cheerfully, "because of the celebration today I'll let it pass."
Sy's head came up and a huge grin spread across his face. "Yes! We're saved!"
"However, if you both are late one more time you'll be spending detention with me for the rest of the year, is that clear?" she smiled cheerfully as her tone appeared threatening.
Both of them nodded and she then continued the lecture. Jaden just leaned back in his chair while Sy breathed a sharp sigh of relief.
"Yep," Jaden yawned. "Wake me when class is over, will ya Sy?"
Shaking his head in amusement, Sy watched as Jaden pulled down the eye mask he put together to make it look like he was awake (though it really didn't work). As Jaden began snoring softly beside him, Sy began to day dream of what it would like to be graduating like his big brother. Professor Wilder began to explain how certain individuals became legends (only occasionally mentioning Yuugi Mutoh), but half the class was already distracted by a number of things. Some kids were staring out the window, just thinking and others were doodling. Syrus drifted from his day dream and looked around, noticing that the class was rather small. Most classes were mixed with groups from the Slifer dorm, the Ra dorm and the Obelisk blue dorm, but he didn't see anyone he recognized. In their Dueling Strategies class he knew Alexis and Bastion had the same one, but the first class of the day always held the same students that they never conversed with. Still, although Sy didn't know any of them personally, he was certain a few were missing.
A few minutes toward the end of class, Sy woke up his friend and once class was over Professor Wilder assigned reading homework for the test next week. Jaden stretched his arms over his head as they walked out and began heading toward their next class.
"Is grilled cheese going to be served for lunch today?" Chumley asked, glancing at them.
Jaden shrugged. "No clue, Chum. Hey Sy, did you take any notes?"
"A few, but I don't understand much about what Professor Wilder says," Sy smiled while scratching the back of his head. "It's like she's speaking another language."
"Oh good; I didn't miss anything then," Jaden grinned and winked at him.
The next few classes were the same, except that Sy recognized Alexis, Bastion and Chazz in their History of Duel Monsters class. Chazz kept to himself and just about glared when he saw Jaden asleep. Sy spotted him staring but when Chazz's eyes caught his he quickly looked away. The older boy had an intimidating aura about him and often was cynical and sarcastic. He yelled at Jaden whenever even the smallest opportunity arose. History was, if possible, even more boring than Alchemy. It could've been because Dr. Crowler was teaching it, but either way it went by incredibly slow. When it was over, however, it was finally lunch time. As the class began failing out, Alexis began approaching them while Sy was having difficulty waking Jaden up.
"Jaden, come one!" Sy shook him harder.
"Don't bother, Sy. He'll come around when he wants to," Alexis said, glancing down at the slumbering teen.
"Yeah, I guess," Sy responded, shrugging. "Hey Alexis, is Zane coming to the celebration?"
She smiled at him. "I think so. Zane does want to make sure he's prepared when he has to pass his final duel before graduating, but he's already been studying non-stop. I think a break would do him some good."
"Yeah…he does study too much," Sy sighed half-heartedly. "Jaden doesn't even have to study and his dueling skills are almost as good as Zane."
"Please, that Slifer-slacker is only going to go so far!"
Both Sy and Alexis turned to see Chazz approaching them with his arms crossed, glaring heatedly down at Jaden. Bastion and Chumley had already headed down to lunch so it was just the four of them in the empty classroom.
"But Jaden's one of the top duelists too!" Sy exclaimed, defending his friend. "He may not have beaten my brother yet, but he defeated most of the Shadow Riders by himself."
"What are you saying!" Chazz snapped, glaring angrily at him. "That the rest of us did nothing! That we didn't help protect those three rare sacred beast cards!"
"Chazz, you can lower your voice. We're right by you," Alexis said, glancing up at him casually.
He made a weird face as his eyes traveled over to her and finally he just closed them and looked away. "Fine, but if you really want help waking him here's how to do it."
In one swipe, Chazz grabbed one of his books from his bag and whacked Jaden over the head with it. Jaden snorted and fell off his chair, blinking dazedly.
"What happened?" he asked, getting back on his feet.
"You're what happened!" Chazz snapped, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "You sleep through all of your classes, get horrible grades and yet people still think you're one of the best duelists at this school!"
Jaden grinned and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You really think so?"
Chazz scowled and made a move to hit him again with the book, but the door opened and Dr. Crowler stepped in.
"What are you four still doing here!" he exclaimed in his high-pitched voice. "You should be at lunch!"
"Oh right," Jaden laughed nervously. "So, uh…when's the celebration Dr. Crowler?"
Dr. Crowler's eyes narrowed at the boy, knowing full well he had been asleep. He glanced away almost carelessly. "There won't be any celebration."
"What!" Sy and Jaden exclaimed, exchanging surprised expressions. Even Alexis and Chazz looked surprise.
"What do you mean there's no celebration?" Chazz asked, clenching his fist as he stared at the skinny man with surprise and outrage.
"Just because! It's been canceled," he huffed. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to eat my lunch in peace so please leave!"
Jaden blinked. "You mean, you don't eat in the cafeteria? How come?"
"Because I don't like being surrounded by pests like you!" Dr. Crowler exclaimed, pointing a finger. "NOW LEAVE!"
The four students scrambled out of the room instantly and closed the door behind them. Jaden swung his arms behind his head as they walked away down the hall.
"Wonder why it's been canceled," Alexis said aloud.
"I was looking forward to it," Sy said sadly, glancing at the floor.
They heard a snort and saw Chazz walk fast to get ahead of them.
"Chazz, where ya going?" Jaden asked, blinking curiously.
Chazz glanced over his shoulder and glared at him. "Away from you, Jaden. I don't want to be seen with you Slifer-slackers."
"Hey! I'm not as much of a slacker as Jaden!" Sy exclaimed as his eyebrows furrowed.
"You're still a Slifer!" Chazz shot back. "I'm going to where the other Obelisk students eat. Good riddance!" he said, stalking off.
Sighing, Alexis just shook her head, wondering how they had all worked together to help save the school and the world from annihilation when the Shadow Riders were after the three sacred beast cards. Sure, they had just barely survived that and Jaden had been the one to defeat most of the them, but she didn't understand how such an odd group had managed to come out together. With Chazz hating Jaden, along with just about everyone else he snapped at, and Jaden and Zane being rivals, she just didn't see how it had turned out alright in the end. The dueling academy was back to normal and none of the other students knew anything, except their group (Chazz, Bastion, Professor Banner (who was deceased now), Dr. Crowler, the principal, Jaden, Syrus, Chumley and her brother, who had decided to stay and learn at Duel Academy).
"Geez, Chazz is such a grump," Jaden mumbled. "So, what are you two going to get for lunch?"
Sy blinked and shrugged. "I don't know."
Alexis remained silent, lost in her thoughts and Jaden glanced at her curiously, but didn't bother her. When they got to the lunch room they saw that it wasn't that crowded and that many students were huddled together whispering.
"What's going on?" Sy asked nervously. "You don't think they're whispering about us, do you?"
"Why would they, Sy? We're not that interesting," Jaden smiled, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Come on; let's find out what everyone's talking about. Alexis, you coming too?"
"Sure," she answered, following them as they came to the first table.
The whispering Ra yellow students glanced up at them and Jaden smiled. "Hey there. What's going on?"
"You haven't heard?" one of them asked, lowering his voice. "The celebration's been canceled."
"Yeah, we heard. What's so bad about that?" Jaden asked, as Sy and Alexis listened intently.
"It's because some students have gone missing," another one answered nervously. "And one of them turned up the other day, a Slifer by the name of Di. They found him wandering by the school hot springs and he was sort of in a trance. They brought him back and called the school nurse, but they can't wake him up. It's like he's snapped and forgotten how to talk and do anything."
"The principal's not happy about this either. He doesn't want anyone finding out about it because he's afraid Duel Academy will be shut down, since there were disappearances before."
Jaden, Sy and Alexis exchanged worried glances. It was true; they knew all about the disappearances because of the Shadow Riders and other supernatural things. They had thought once the sacred beast cards were saved that it was all over and things would just go back to normal. Now, however, there seemed to be some more disappearances.
"Uh…thanks," Jaden said, nodding to them as they walked off.
"More disappearances!" Sy exclaimed fearfully. "It couldn't be Shadow Riders again, could it J?"
Jaden's eyes narrowed in thought. "I'm not sure, Sy. I think we should go visit the principal ourselves and ask."
"But Jaden, he might not want to involve any of the students," Alexis spoke up gravely. "He already put our lives at risk the last time when he gave us the seven keys to protect those cards."
"Yeah, well, if he can give us the keys then he can tell us what's going on. I'm going there, are you coming Sy?"
Looking around nervously, the blue-haired boy hesitated but finally he nodded his head. "I'm with ya J."
Alexis sighed heavily and shook her head. "Look, you two go on ahead, but I'm going to find Zane and see if he knows anything."
"Okay," Jaden nodded, waving to her as she walked away.
Sy glanced after her but followed his best friend toward the principal's office. He really hoped there weren't any more Shadow Riders. For one thing, he didn't want to be bait again for Jaden or Zane. And also, he felt bad that the last time he couldn't really help his best friend. Although his dueling had definitely improved it still wasn't up to the standard he wanted. Sure, he got better grades than Jaden, but he was still way behind him in dueling. And if it was another Shadow Rider, there was no way Syrus could help duel against them. Sometimes, he felt a bit helpless. So many burdens were placed on Jaden and Zane's shoulders, plus Bastion, Alexis and Chazz because the five of them were the top duelists. But he just fell in with the crowd, like Chumley, and it hurt that he couldn't help them.
"Hey Sy, you alright?"
His grey eyes gazed into Jaden's light brown eyes and he saw the sincere concern. He smiled gently and shook his head. "It's nothing, J. I was just thinking. Hey…J?"
"Yeah?" he inquired.
"Well…if it is another problem with Shadow Riders, or something, I'll help you in any way I can," Sy said softly.
Jaden smiled down at him widely and put an arm around his shoulders. "I know you will, Sy! You've got the biggest heart out of anyone I know."
Grinning back, Sy felt his fears diminish somewhat. And even as they approached the principal's doors, he didn't feel as frightened. The door was closed but a couple voices were muffled but still noticeable from behind it. Jaden gestured for him to be quiet as they approached. Very carefully, Jaden turned the knob and let the door slide open a crack.
"…again. So you see, that's what I'm concerned about," the principal's voice rang out softly.
Sy was leaning up against Jaden as their ears were pressed up by the open crack.
"I understand, Principal Sheppard," a familiar voice responded.
Syrus gasped softly. "That sounded like Zane," he whispered.
Jaden nodded. "Looks like Alexis isn't going to find him. Maybe Zane had the same idea we did."
They heard the principal sigh heavily. "I'm sorry I'm asking for your help. I know you and your friends barely survived the last ordeal with the Shadow Riders but Kaiba isn't pleased that his Dueling Academy is having so many mysterious incidents. I talked to him earlier today and he told me if the problems persist then he might have to shut it down and build something new…probably just another dueling arena. I really think this academy has so much potential for many years to come. I didn't realize that it would attract so many problems and I certainly don't want my students in danger here. If students keep disappearing or strange supernatural and dangerous incidents keep occurring then this academy might not even get new enrollments during the next term."
"I'll help you any way I can," the other familiar voice replied smoothly.
"I just need you to keep your eye out for anything suspicious. There might be reporters lurking around, but most importantly I want to know who is kidnapping my students and bringing some back in serious conditions. I know you have your own burdens like studying for your final duel so just do whatever you can."
"Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes open," the voice sounded strangely calm.
"Thank you…maybe you could alert some of your friends too. They might be able to help," Principal Sheppard finished, his voice on the verge of desperation.
Jaden panicked and pushed away from the door, almost knocking Syrus over as footsteps began to approach. Grabbing the smaller boy's arm, Jaden dragged him away into the boys' bathroom just as the door opened. They heard footsteps walking in the opposite direction of the bathroom so very slowly Jaden peered out and saw Zane walking down the hall. Sy peered out after him and his facial features brightened when he saw his brother. Sy stepped out so quickly Jaden barely had time to react.
"Za—mphh!"
Jaden covered his mouth and pulled him back roughly as Zane turned, having heard the sound. His dark blue eyes scanned the hallway and then he began walking away again. Jaden sighed with relief and let his surprised friend go.
"Sy, what were you doing?"
"I wanted to say hi to him," he pouted and crossed his arms.
Jaden patted his shoulder. "I know, but you can always go visit him at his dorm if you miss him that much. Besides, Sy, if Zane saw us, he would've known."
"Known what?"
Jaden let out a surprised cry and jumped back behind Sy at the soft voice nearby. His eyes were wide and an awkward expression was on his face.
"Zane!" Sy grinned, reaching out and throwing his arms around his waist.
Jaden nearly toppled over since he had been holding onto Sy's jacket. Syrus held onto him tightly and gazed up at him. The familiar blue eyes blinked down at him in surprise before a subtle smile showed through. Zane put one arm around his brother for a second to greet him back. Sy finally let go of him and Jaden managed to keep a straight face.
"You didn't have to scare me like that," he insisted, forcing a laugh as he stared at the older teen.
The obelisk student's gaze hardened and Zane again looked like he normally did: grim and passive.
"What are you two doing here, Jaden?"
The teen blinked and laughed nervously. "Why are you just asking me?"
Zane closed his eyes for a second before opening them and folding his arms. "Sy normally doesn't think of these schemes without your help. And this definitely isn't the cafeteria; I know you two should be at lunch right now."
"Well, uh…you're wrong, Zane. This isn't a scheme at all," Jaden smiled widely—too widely. "Sy and I were just taking a bathroom break before lunch," he grinned, throwing an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders.
Zane's eyes narrowed. "You were going to the bathroom together all the way up here when there's a bathroom right by the lunch room?"
"Yeah…we like this bathroom better and Sy just decided to come with me. Right Sy?" Jaden glanced at him for help.
Sy blinked, not wanting to lie to his brother but also knowing Jaden was right. They would get in trouble for eves dropping.
"Yeah," he said, not reaching Zane's eyes. "But we weren't in the same stall!" he blurted out, glancing up at Zane who stared down at him while blinking in surprise form his outburst.
Sy's cheeks heated up when he realized what he was implying and he glanced at Jaden who smiled at Zane, sweatdropping. "Uh…what Sy means is…," he trailed off, laughing uneasily.
Zane stared at them for a minute, passively before he turned and began walking away. Sy bit his lip and glanced at his best friend with saddened eyes. Sighing, Jaden gave in to the look and nodded. Brightening, the smaller boy ran to catch up with his brother with Jaden in toe.
"Zane, wait!"
Halting, Zane turned back around and Sy looked up at him guiltily. "Sorry Zane…we weren't exactly being truthful. We were, uh…eves dropping."
Zane's lips curled into a smile and he crossed his arms casually. "I figured that was the case."
"Oh man," Jaden said glumly. "So, are you going to tell Principal Sheppard?"
"No, I won't."
"Thanks Zane!" Sy grinned happily.
"Yeah, thanks. Oh and we'll help you try and figure out what's happening to the students," Jaden grinned.
Sy glanced at him in surprise. "We will?"
"Sure! If more than one person is looking we're sure to find something," his friend assured with a wink.
Sy sighed, knowing he said he wanted to help. A bit reluctantly, he nodded.
"Fine, but be careful. Don't go out past bedtime and always stick together," Zane said, gazing at them both. "If you want to help then just keep your eyes open for students acting unusual, alright? Me, Bastion and Alexis will be doing the rest."
"You got it!" Jaden grinned back.
Zane nodded and gave Sy a small nod before heading back in the direction he had been walking. Sy watched as he disappeared down the hall then turned to his friend.
"How are we going to help, J?" he asked with wide, curious eyes.
His friend inclined his head to face him and Sy could already see the familiar glint in those brown eyes. "We're going out tonight, Sy!" he said confidently.
"T-tonight? Like…before dinner?" Sy gulped, seeing his friend's excitement grow.
Jaden grinned widely. "Nope. After dinner. Preferably after bed time."
Sy gapped. "But…didn't you hear what Zane said!"
"Course I did, Sy. But how are we going to find the kidnapper when he only comes out late at night to unsuspecting students? Don't worry, Sy, we'll stick together. I bet Zane, Bastion and Alexis will be out at night too."
Sy felt his stomach flip nervously. Jaden was already scheming again. His friend was one of the best duelists and had a kind heart, but he did seem to look for trouble at times. Still, Sy wasn't about to let him go alone.
"J, promise me we're going to be careful. We'll just look around for a little bit and then go to bed, right?"
"Don't be nervous, Sy," Jaden put an arm around him. "We won't stay out too long. I just have this feeling that during the night is when we might find some clues."
"Okay," Sy answered uncertainly. "But if I get kidnapped, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"Heh…that's a little creepy, Sy," Jaden's lips curled awkwardly. "Alright, let's go get some lunch! We need our energy for tonight!" he thrust his fist in the air as they began to head back toward the cafeteria.
"I hope Chum saved us some grilled cheese, if there was any," Sy said.
The brown-haired boy was already off in his own world, daydreaming about food and what they would do that night. He was oblivious to Sy's complaints even as they got in line for lunch. They had around twenty minutes to eat and get to class, but thankfully Jaden was a fast eater for how much he ate and Sy didn't eat as much.
The two friends met up with Chumley during lunch and the three of them made their way to their next class. Jaden filled the larger boy in on what was going on and their plans for that night.
"As long as we bring some food," he said, nodding.
"Alright!" Jaden grinned, turning back to face the teacher. "You know…I'm not that tired. I think I'm just too excited about tonight."
"Yeah…well that makes one of us," Sy said nervously, feeling his stomach clench again.
Jaden just laughed softly and pulled him close. "If that creep does come out, I'll challenge him to a duel to win back everyone he's taken."
"But what if he doesn't want to duel?" Sy asked nervously, glancing up at him even in their close distance.
He was used to being hugged by Jaden and pulled close to him, so it didn't bother him much. And he could clearly see Jaden's eyes brightening from the idea of a duel. He hadn't had an exciting one since the Shadow Riders, although those duels were as terrifying as they were thrilling because of the challenge. Still, Jaden didn't scare easily and Sy was envious of him because of that.
"Well…we'll make some kind of deal, I guess," Jaden shrugged. "But he must want the students for a reason. It can't be random. And if it's not a Shadow Rider then that means there won't be any shadow duels so it won't be as dangerous as before."
"Maybe," Sy replied softly, feeling as Jaden pulled him closer until he was in a hug.
Blushing out of embarrassment as the teacher cleared his throat, gesturing for them to split apart, Sy then got back into his original place, trying not to think about all the bad possibilities of searching for a kidnapper. He knew there was no way he'd be able to concentrate on school work for the rest of the day…or night.
XXXXX
Later that night…around 11:15 p.m.
"Are you sure we should be going this way?" a nervous voice whispered.
"We might as wel—ouch! That was my foot!" another voice answered back.
"I'm hungry," a deeper voice complained softly. "Can we take a break?"
"Chum, we haven't even been walking for ten minutes," Jaden spoke up, peering around the bush they were hiding behind.
Sy grasped Jaden's arm as he peered around too. All three of them were dressed in black to blend in the darkness. Jaden was wearing black jeans and a black tank-top. Chumley was wearing large black pajama pants and a brown long-sleeved shirt while Sy was wearing black shorts and a black t-shirt with a signed autograph of Yuugi Mutoh next to his picture (which was on the back). They were heading in the direction of the Ra dorms, but Jaden most likely wasn't planning to actually go to the dorms. Sy wasn't sure where he was going, but he just wished he was back in their dorm snuggled safely under his covers.
"Come on, let's move," Jaden whispered, grabbing Sy's arm and gesturing for Chumley to follow. "The last student who disappeared was in the school hot springs."
"How do you know that?" Sy asked, glancing up at his friend and finding it hard to see him in the dark.
"Because I overheard students talking. Anyway, apparently a Ra yellow student and an Obelisk blue student dared each other to go out at night to the hot springs. Well apparently the Obelisk blue student left the Ra student hanging dry, since he wanted the other boy to get in trouble and not him, and what ended up happening was the Ra boy disappeared. Well the Obelisk blue student came forward the other day with the information since the boy's been missing for three days. I guess the guilt was killing him."
"That's creepy," Sy murmured.
"Yeah, definitely not licious," Chumley nodded in agreement.
Sy nodded and suddenly gasped, grasping onto Jaden tightly from behind. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Jaden asked as he felt Sy clinging to him.
"T-that. It's like…like rustling," he whispered shakily.
"It's probably just the wind," Jaden answered, taking Sy's hand and squeezing it tightly. "Don't worry, Sy, I'll protect you."
From their close position, as Jaden inclined his head so he could see him, Sy saw the sincerity shining in his eyes. He felt his cheeks heat up and he was thankful it was dark out. Opening his mouth, he decided it was time to tell him something that he had been hiding for a while. A soft rustling interrupted him and a second later a huge, bulky figure stepped out in front of them. Sy's eyes widened and his mouth froze; Jaden turned his head to where Sy was staring and found the enormous shadowy figure moving closer to them.
"It's…it's…," Jaden whispered.
"IT'S ALIVE!" Sy suddenly screamed, causing Chumley to trip as he stumbled backward.
Both Jaden and Sy let out cries of surprise as they tumbled backward as well, landing on their friend. Jaden was lying on top of Sy crookedly and both of them were on top of Chumley, who was covering his head with his hands.
"Tell me when it's over," Chumley said fearfully.
"Well, would you look at this? How pathetic."
Jaden blinked and leaned heavily on Sy as he straightened up. "Wait, I know that voice."
Out of the shadows came the enormous, bulky figure, or rather several figures that had seemed like they had been morphed into one. Chazz came out first, smirking down at them with amusement and Zane, Alexis and Bastion followed.
"Oh…hehe, hey guys," Jaden laughed nervously. "What's going on?"
"I thought I told you not to go out at night, Jaden," Zane said coolly as he crossed his arms.
"Figures the Slifer-slacker can't follow simple directions," Chazz sniggered. "And look, he's even afraid of the dark."
"He is not!" Sy exclaimed, pushing his self off of Chumley as he gazed at Chazz with a determined expression. "You guys shouldn't have been sneaking up on us."
"Sy."
His angry tone evaporated and Syrus slowly turned to look at Zane who was staring down at him with an unreadable expression. Biting his lip, Sy glanced down at the ground sheepishly.
"It wasn't Jaden's fault, Zane. I agreed to come with him."
"I know, but you all shouldn't be out here," Zane said while he uncrossed his arms.
Alexis stepped forward and glanced around. "You know, we should probably be quiet if we don't want to scare the kidnapper off."
"Uh, actually, I think we should scare him off," Sy said with a nervous half-smile.
"Look, why don't you kids just get on back to the slacker dorm. It's past your bed time anyway," Chazz said, staring down at them coldly.
"Oh yeah, if it's so dangerous then why are you all out here?" Jaden countered with a smug grin. "You know, I heard what principal Sheppard said. The more people looking around the better, right?"
Zane's eyes narrowed and Chazz snorted in disbelief.
"We're not getting anywhere by arguing," Bastion stated firmly. "If we're going to find him we better start looking."
Jaden jumped up suddenly with his fists clenched in determination. "And we're helping!"
"Keep it down, J. I don't want the kidnapper to hear us," Sy stated while putting an arm on his friend's shoulder.
"Hehhe…" Jaden smiled awkwardly.
"Fine, but you all need to stay with us," Zane said firmly.
"What? You're letting them come with us?" Chazz's eyes narrowed. "Just great."
"Great, let's go," Jaden smiled as Sy clung onto him again.
Chumley followed behind them trying to keep up as the group of them began walking toward the hot springs. Sy was looking all around quite frightened and Chumley was muttering about walking so much. Jaden, however, looked ecstatic as he searched for any clues. Now and again, Sy glanced at his brother who was walking ahead of him and hoped he wasn't angry. Although he had gotten better with relying on him, it was still hard not to think about how Zane felt.
"Here we are," Alexis whispered as they approached the hot springs.
"Look around, but still close to one another," Zane said quietly.
Chazz just rolled his eyes and went off to explore. Bastion and Alexis took off in the same area and Zane stayed close to where they were, searching around the outside of the area.
"You know," Jaden whispered in Sy's ear. "I bet if there are any clues it would be underwater, wouldn't you say?"
"I don't know, J. That might not be safe. You heard what Zane said: stick close," Sy whispered uncertainly.
"Hey, don't worry about it, I won't leave your side," Jaden smiled at him, grasping his hand. "Come on."
Sy glanced over at Chumley who was sitting on a large rock in order to catch his breath. Jaden tugged his arm and pulled him away from the area where he could see Zane looking around. The two of them approached the edge and Jaden suddenly began pulling off his shirt. Sy found his cheeks heating up in partial embarrassment and he quickly looked around.
"J, what if someone sees you? Like Alexis?"
"They're all the way over there," Jaden said casually while pointing. "And besides, it's too dark to really see anything. Come on, aren't you coming in with me?"
"What?" Sy's eyes widened. "Jaden…"
Jaden finished taking off everything except his underwear and set his clothes aside. Then he dipped into the warm, steamy water and sighed contently. He waded around slowly before turning and glancing up at him.
"You know, if you don't come in you'll be left all alone up there," Jaden said as his expression turned serious.
Sy gulped and shook his head as a sudden vision of him being kidnapped came to mind. "Alright, J, alright," Sy whispered furiously as he tugged his clothing off. He made sure to keep his glasses on though so that he wouldn't be completely blind, even in the dark.
Stepping into the water, he felt the warmth and suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around him. Blushing furiously, Sy stuttered: "J-Jaden, what are you doing?"
"Just seeing where you are," he whispered in his ear.
Sy turned and could just barely see his friend's smiling face. Jaden then gestured for him to follow and slowly the two of them waded cautiously away. It was impossible to see anything at all so Sy didn't understand what his friend was looking for. It was a good thing Sy had learned how to swim or he would be forced to stay on bank. He followed closely behind Jaden to make sure he didn't get separated. As they waded around, Sy was becoming a little more relaxed. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
A slight jerk on his feet caused him to gasp and throw his arms around Jaden's neck while pressing up against his back.
"Sy! Hey…you're…choking me," Jaden sputtered.
"I felt something beneath me!" Sy exclaimed shakily, pointing to the spot where he had been. "it was…trying to pull me down!"
Jaden eased the smaller boy's arms from around his neck and turned to face him. Sy was still pressed up against him and as his arms went back to his side, Jaden pulled him closer in a one-armed embrace.
"Relax, Sy. It was just your imagination. There's nothing in the water."
"C-can we please go back now?" Sy stammered.
Jaden saw the fear in his eyes and reluctantly he nodded. He really wanted to explore more but he wasn't going to make Syrus uncomfortable. Together they swam back toward the place where they left their clothes.
"Oh, there they are!" a feminine voice spoke up.
Sy's face flushed in embarrassment as he saw his brother, Alexis, Chazz and Bastion standing where their clothes were, obviously having been looking for them.
"While we're off doing all the work, you two decide to go skinny-dipping," Chazz snorted with crossed arms. His glare settled on both of them but Sy was too busy blushing and gapping from his comment to notice.
"We were not! See?" Jaden stepped out of the water.
"Jaden!" Alexis exclaimed, flushing pink as she turned away.
Although it was hard to see anything they could still tell he had most of his clothes off and his underwear clung tightly to his body because he was wet. It left very little for the imagination and Sy couldn't help but blush as well, feeling slightly embarrassed that his brother had to catch him and Jaden swimming in their underwear.
"I told you two to stay close," Zane reprimanded, glancing down at Syrus who had trouble meeting his gaze.
"Look, we just went exploring a little to see if any clues were in the water. After all, that student could've been swimming while he was kidnapped."
"JADEN!" Sy shouted angrily, flushing with both annoyance and surprise. "If I would've known the kidnapper could be in the water I wouldn't have agreed to that!"
Jaden just smiled widely, trying to hide his awkwardness. "Oops…sorry Sy. I guess I didn't think about that."
"Well it's a good thing some of us were really working," Chazz scolded coolly, "because we actually found something."
While getting out of the water and hurrying to get to his clothes, Sy glanced at the older boy. "Really?"
"What did you find?" Jaden asked in excitement, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Put some clothes on first!" Chazz snapped, looking away snobbishly with his eyes closed.
Hurriedly, Jaden slipped into his clothing, getting his pants wet because he was still soaked, but he didn't mind. Sy stepped up awkwardly since his brother was right by him. Slowly approaching his brother, he lightly pulled on his arm sleeve. He felt Zane's head incline to gaze down at him.
"Big brother, I'm sorry I went off. You're not mad, are you?" Sy asked warily as he peered into his brother's dark gaze, which luckily was hard to see.
He heard Zane uncross his arms. "I'm not mad, Syrus. I was telling you to stick close for your own good. We don't need the kidnapper to get any more victims."
"I know," Sy said softly as he looked up at him. "I'm sorry," he repeated.
Zane stared at him passively and nodded. Sy gave him a small smile and he saw Zane's eyes soften a bit.
"Alright, so where is it? Show us already!" Jaden exclaimed, pleading with Chazz now that he was dressed.
"It's this way," Bastion pointed.
Alexis kept her face forward, still flushing from when Jaden had come out with hardly anything on. She let her self glance in his direction and saw Syrus hurrying toward Jaden. The smaller boy gripped Jaden's arm and grinned as the taller boy put an arm around him. Their friendship was very well-known; they were one of the best tag-team duelists in the school and not just because Jaden was very talented. Syrus was catching up with him as well. Zane seemed more outwardly compassionate and proud toward his brother since the Camilla incident; it made her happy to see that they could get along so well. Unfortunately, she and Atticus, her brother, were a different story. Sighing, she turned her attention back to where they were going.
They came to a small clearing right by the small forest that was to the west of the school. There were rocks cluttered together that students normally used to sit on when playing in the springs. Jaden squinted in the dark and searched around with his eyes.
"What did you find?"
"This is supposedly the area the two boys were supposed to meet in," Bastion said quietly. "Or at least that's what the Obelisk blue student said."
"And we found this," Zane said, pointing to an area on one of the rocks.
Jaden and Syrus stepped closer and finally saw unusual markings carved into the rock, like some sort of ancient language. Although they couldn't read it, they knew it definitely wasn't something from around there.
"What is it?" Sy asked softly, glancing over his shoulder at the others.
"We don't know," Bastion said, shaking his head. "We should probably tell principal Sheppard because it might be a clue to the student's disappearance."
"You mean like the kidnapper is leaving ritual markings to show he has taken a victim?" Jaden asked, as his eyes widened in part excitement part horror.
"Stop sounding so excited you Slifer-slacker!" Chazz retorted.
Alexis ignored them and decided to input her opinion. "The only way we'd know if this is the kidnapper's doing or just some kids fiddling around with symbols is if we figure out all the places that the missing students were at and see if there are any more markings."
"Great idea!" Jaden exclaimed.
Syrus looked hesitant and just continued to stare at the markings. They were definitely unusual, but he hoped they weren't ritual markings like Jaden suggested. However, it could be that whoever the kidnapper was, was like one of the Shadow Riders. The Shadow Riders weren't exactly human either, especially not the vampiress Camula. Sy shivered in remembrance. Perhaps it was ancient Egyptian language since Duel Monsters came from Egypt long ago and whenever a supernatural or dangerous event occurred it had to do with Duel Monsters.
"Sy, what's up?" Jaden asked.
Blinking, he realized he had been staring at it for some time. Feeling awkward, he glanced up and noticed that everyone was staring at him.
"Well…it's just…maybe this has something to do with Duel Monsters, like before. It seems whenever trouble comes it's always about some supernatural force that has to do with dueling, like the sacred beast cards."
"It's a good theory," Bastion nodded. "We won't be able to figure it out so easily, though. There's not much to go on. All we know is that if students keep disappearing this academy could be shut down permanently."
"Yeah and we already had enough trouble before when students were disappearing because of the Shadow Riders and when freaky things were happening," Alexis added. "One more thing and I'm sure Kaiba's school is going to go under with a bad reputation."
"And if his school has a bad reputation it'll probably make a bad impression on him," Jaden said.
"What should we do?" Sy asked uncertainly.
"How about we go back?" Chumley finally spoke up, having been resting on another rock.
Zane nodded in agreement. "We should all get some rest now. It's clear the kidnapper isn't out tonight. We'll have to do more explorations some other time."
His eyes gazed over at Jaden who smiled nervously and nodded. "Alright, I can take a hint. We're going back now."
Sy followed his friend as they all began heading back to their dorms. As they each split up, no one said a word; they all seemed to be lost in thought. Jaden was the only one to say goodbye to everyone before he walked alongside Sy and Chumley toward the Slifer dorms. Yawning, Jaden blinked blearily and smiled.
"Well that was exciting, huh?"
"Yeah…," Sy trailed off.
"Hey, did you guys really go skinny-dipping?" Chumley asked, having been resting a ways away so he wasn't there to witness it.
Sy's face immediately turned crimson and he shook his head firmly. "Of course not! Do you believe everything you hear!"
Jaden just laughed and shrugged. "Well, we almost were, I guess."
Light grey eyes blinked in surprise at him and Jaden caught the look and smiled, winking. "Come on, how about we have a midnight snack and then go to bed."
"Yeah, I'm starving," Chumley agreed.
Sy, having been fighting down a blush, sighed heavily and nodded. "Alright…but then we have to get to bed or we'll be late again tomorrow. And this time, I bet we'll get detention for sure. If my mom finds out, she'll kill me."
"That's fine with me! I'll get up on time and then catch up on sleep during class," Jaden grinned, holding up his peace sign.
Sy glowered at him in annoyance. "And how is it that you're one of the top duelists?"
Jaden laughed softly and put his arm around him, bringing him close. He didn't notice Sy's faint blush as they made their way back to the dorms. And as they entered the dorms, Sy shut and locked the door immediately while Jaden and Chumley went to get the food. Sighing, he knew it was going to be awhile before his friends finally decided to go to bed. There was no way they were going to wake up on time.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Hey all! Again, this is my first yu-gi-oh gx story, but I have written original yu-gi-oh stories. Anywhoo, I hope to update this asap! And for those that didn't read the note at the top, there will be Syrus/Jaden. This story doesn't focus mainly on romance though, but it'll still be included:-)
Oh and I'm sorry for those that wanted me to use their Japanese names. I know it'd be easier, but since most people reading stories on FF read and speak English, I decided to stick with the English names to make it easier for everyone. Anywhoo, that's all!