Sick.

That's how he described them as.

They were both sick.

Alan Faustus wasn't a very shy young man. In fact, he wasn't very shy at all. He boasted his handsome looks, his slick, platinum hair trailing down his lean, muscular neck, which reflected the many colors that obeyed his every order. He had warm, brown eyes, eyes that could make any girl melt. They were vanilla, mixed with chocolate, mixed with carmel, mixed with whatever candy people found appropriate to label him with. His skin had a light tan, and he was tall enough that he could easily claim the attention of a whole room. His long, slender fingers could dominate an entire piano, or a harp, or a violin, or any other instrument that came to mind, and his intelligence was beyond his years, so much so that he was known for putting the top scientists and philosophers to shame.

And he was rich too. His parents owned a huge fashion franchise, so he had a fortune that could circle the globe a countless number of times. He could buy out practically any business he wanted, and all of his endeavors were painfully successful. He had a wonderful family life, his parents willing to spend whatever dime they had on him, and an adoring household, with servants clinging to his every want and need. He only had to snap his fingers, and his desires, spoken and unspoken, would be delivered to him.

The man was spoiled, to say the least.

But after some years of living underneath this luxurious lifestyle, the boy decided he wanted to take over his parents' corporation. So he badgered his caretakers diligently, trampling all over their precious jewels (he bled so very much), ripping away at those hated tax returns (he bled even more), and even spending days on end not talking to them (though in all honesty, he suffered from a sore throat), until at last, they finally gave into his demands. So they decided to pay for the world's top educational facility, packed a few of his belongings, gave him a year's worth of allowance, and sent him there, ensuring that he would be placed at the top of his class.

Alan smirked haughtily, knowing full well his desires would be met. After all, if he complained loud enough, and if his behavior was destructive enough, he knew that more than likely he was going to get whatever he lusted after. It always worked like that in his life.

And as he stared out the windows, the blue ocean speedily passing him by, a distant island came across the landscape. The morning mist was irritating as usually, but it was all going to be worth it in the end. He felt a prideful smile tug at his lips, and he sat back in his chair, his own private jet making a smooth landing onto the runway the school had prepared just for him.

Here he would be staying; Duel Academy.

The first time he met them was when he came into the Chancellor's office.

The Headmaster himself was a bit pudgy, with a small, grey beard etched onto his face. The man was so bald Alan could practically his own reflection (the bald head was pretty convenient), and he wore a maroon clock with white outlines. There was a woman standing next to his desk, an ugly woman with long, blond hair tied up into a neat ponytail. The purple lipstick that was painted messily on her face did little to hide her cracked lips, and her nails were so elongated Alan had to wonder if she was human at all. There were big pink frills sticking out from her shoulders, and the way that she conducted herself was so immature he started to rethink the idea about coming to the island at all. It disturbed him even more when the woman was smiling dangerously at him, so much so Alan had to resist running back to the plane.

Of course, by now it must've already left.

Chancellor Shepard waved the hideous woman away, and asked Alan a few basic questions, all of which he answered in that normally bored tone of his. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the walls. "What'd you do for fun here anyways?"

"Well, we have a lovely pool-"

"Yeah yeah, anything else?"

"I-if you want to look at the arena-"

Alan sighed frustratedly, ignoring the Chancellor as he rambled on and on about some other nonsense. His eyes bore the floor while the clock beside him kept ticking on and on and on, those precious seconds passing him by, seconds he would never get back again. Maybe it was the fact the school was stuck in the middle of nowhere, or how he was wrong about having an exciting life once he was out of his parents' control, but either way, he wanted to go back. He was just about to yank the phone away from the Chancellor's desk and call the pilot to circle back and pick him right up, when the doors suddenly creaked open.

Alan wouldn't have looked up at them. In fact, he wouldn't be interested at all at the students who had just entered. But when the Chancellor told him they would be the ones showing him around, Alan couldn't help but give one irritating glare.

Then he saw them.

There was a boy, who was around the same age Alan was. He wore a red jacket, with those same white outlines. He had on faded black jeans, with a black undershirt that was halfway tucked in. His brown hair was messily done, with a few light highlights in them, so subtle Alan hadn't even noticed them initially. The girl accompanying the boy was in the same dorm Alan was, Obelisk blue. She had long, blond hair that cascaded down her back, and creamy skin, with a beautiful face that rivaled Alan's (which he admitted gladly). She had long legs that went on forever, and high-heels that made her just a bit taller than the boy. Her voluptuous body was also a treat.

But their eyes were what he paid the most attention to.

They were dark, steel-like, with an aura of black spreading around them. There was a certain fearless wildness hidden within their corneas, though their faces radiated in a dark elegance, a gracefulness which normally had no chance of blossoming, especially underneath the light's guise. The entire air around them was cool and composed, and when the boy caught Alan's annoyed glare, he returned it icily, with a tight smile along the edge of his mouth. Though the girl's pupils were a bit more amiable, she too, dismissed him from her mind.

The Chancellor introduced the boy as Jaden Yuuki, and the girl as Alexis Rhodes.

Since then, Alan had devoted most of his time to finding out about those two, the girl for romantic purposes, the boy simply because he was curious. Alan's grades were always high, and he managed to woo every teacher so that it wouldn't hard to convince them for him to skip class. He would look at the libraries, search the databases, and even steal a look at their records to find any answer at all. He would usually talk to people who knew them, both personally and indirectly, and always, they would say the exact same things.

"Cool."

"Nice."

"Friendly."

"Sweet."

They were answers Alan wasn't satisfied with.

The boy, Jaden, was a senior that had horrible grades. He was at the bottom of the bottom, and Alan had to ask himself why he was able to make it this far. The girl, Alexis, was also a senior, but was the first in her class. Still, they both aced every dueling exam, and had gotten the upper hand a majority of times against their opponents, defeating them with all their might. Jaden used an Elemental Hero deck, while Alexis dabbled in the Cyber Angel series.

At that point, Alan should have been fine with knowing that much. He should have been able to focus on his studying; after all, he was planning on graduating a year early. He already had enough influence around the school, so much so he'd have an easy time getting those sought-after recommendation letters. With his now brightly lit future, this strange obsession with Jaden and Alexis would finally come to an end.

But it didn't.

Alan started following the two. Alexis would be with her own friends, busily getting ready for the graduation ceremony and for the big senior banquet, while Jaden would be out fishing, relaxing to the tunes of the early summer breeze. Alan couldn't even begin to count how many times he sat there, watching them doing whatever it was they happened to be doing. Their activities were so mundane, so trivial that Alan started to wonder if he'd actually gone insane. Was he was so wrapped up over one little look that he lost sight of what was truly important? The aspect was just so humiliating Alan was determined to make himself stop.

Then he had finally caught on.

He was studying for the semester finals in the library that evening, one book in hand, the other slowly resting on his cheek, his fingertips trying to keep himself from nodding off. He yawned, his long arms stretching to no end. This was getting nowhere. He's reviewed the material so many times, he could easily recite the entire textbook backwards. He rubbed his eyes and shut the book, then stood. His eyes slid toward the clock, and his mouth parted slightly at the time; almost midnight.

He gathered his belongings and made his way out of the library, his footsteps echoing throughout the hallways. The darkness creeped him out a little, but he wasn't scared. He already knew there was nothing there, those creatures that went bump in the night. It was ludicrous to think that things like that exist.

Then heard furious whispers.

Jaden and Alexis.

"This is getting out of hand."

"But someone took it-"

"Can't you just buy another one?"

"No! That was Annabelle!I love her more than my own life!"

"You're overreacting!"

"But you said…"

The whispers became silent again. Alan narrowed his eyes, and crept a bit closer to the two shadows, who were by now entangled in some emotional mess.

Doll? Wasn't Alexis supposed to grow out of playing with them by now? That regal image he had of her from the first day he met her slowly crumbled to pieces, replaced by a crying little girl that only wanted her toy back; it was that very depiction that made her even cuter than she was. He snickered.

And when Alan looked up, he saw Jaden standing there, with that same, prideful annoyance he had from before. There was a deep black in his eyes, and though Alan wanted to brush him off, he couldn't help but freeze, unable to move. "Can I help you?" he demanded.

"I…I…" Where had his voice gone? This asshole was just asking for it! And after all the interest Alan had invested in them! Still, he looked away, and held up a book timidly, and said, "I was just…studying…I was making my way from the library…"

"Oh." Jaden relaxed a bit, though his muscles were still tense. His eyes visibly softened, and with that, the dangerous mood slowly ebbed away. "You're that new kid, right? Alan Faustus?"

"Y-yeah"

"Sorry," he mumbled, as he grabbed onto Alexis's wrist and dragged her away. "We'll get out of your hair then."

And off they scurried, arguing once again under the cover of shadows. Alan stared after them for a bit, and was shocked when Alexis turned, her bright brilliance shimmering at the edge of night. She smiled at him.

"Do you know who stole her?" she asked.

Thomas Richard was the king of snobs, and everyone knew it.

He was always talking down to others, bragging about how he was so much smarter than they were. He was a student from Ra yellow, and often times, he would say he was the best duelist in that dorm, that he could beat Bastion Misawa in his sleep. He was average looking, but he wore those looks like a badge of honor, something no one paid any attention to. He didn't have the best grades, and even when he at least managed to pass a test, it was because some teacher felt sorry for him, or he bribed his way into making said grade He would always pester the girls for their numbers, and threaten them if they shot him down; he was just that powerful. He could even shut down half the Faustus fashion industry with just one phone call.

All in all, he was pathetic.

So it irritated Alan a countless number of times when he started flirting with Alexis.

Many times a day, she would throw away his love letters to her, and give his gifts to other girls, sometimes chocolates, other times roses, even diamonds. It got to the point where she would even throw the baskets in his face and storm off, only to have him come back in full force. He remembered a couple of girls telling him how she's had to lock all the doors and windows every night, how she's had to check for hidden cameras or bugs, how she's had to sleep at other dorm rooms…

Yes, Thomas really was pathetic.

One day however, he caught Thomas in the hallway, staring at a weird, ragged doll. The doll was nothing special; it had cropped blond hair with big, blue buttons for eyes. Its clothes consisted of frilly, blue overalls with a pink ribbon attached to its chest, and a black tutu at the bottom. There was glitter all over the doll, and scribbles all over its face, scribbles Alan recognized to be Thomas's handwriting.

He was utterly creeped out by how Thomas kept stroking it, whispering words of love and compassion. He held the doll near his chest, moaning with ecstasy, as while he groaned Alexis's name over and over again. Alan blinked, and slowly began backing away. What was this guy's problem?

When Alan turned his heel, there was a blur of black and red that sped past him, a blur Alan recognized to be Jaden.

The senior didn't look like he noticed him, so Alan sort of stopped backing away, and he slowly made his way back to the corner. There was something particularly frightening about Jaden's expression this time; he couldn't see that merciless light wrapped around the cornea of his eyes. No, it was dark and cold and desolate.

Alan slowly peeked out from the corner. He caught Jaden thrusting his arm out, waiting expectantly for some long awaited answer. "That doll isn't yours."

Thomas looked up at him, scrutinized him for a few minutes, then brushed aside his attempt. "This isn't any of your business Yuuki."

Still, Jaden never wavered. "That isn't yours. It's Alexis's, and she wants it back."

Thomas scoffed. "Yeah, I'll give it back. Tell her to be my girlfriend, then I'll give the stupid doll back."

Alan saw Thomas undoing one of the buttons, his meticulous fingers spinning away the thread's strength, before at last, it hit the floor, the sound bursting from one end of the hall to another.

Jaden's arm came back to his side, with a terrifying calm resounded from his frame. Alan could feel that demeanor stretch all the way from here. "Then how about a duel?"

"Huh?"

"Since you're so good at dueling, why don't we have a little match?"

Alan's eyes widened at the challenged, and he flinched at the sarcasm in Jaden's voice, the irony dripping off each letter. His cruel tone grabbed hold of that previously playful air, then choked it, strangled it, stole away every mirth Thomas had enjoyed.

He bit his lip; though Thomas wasn't a good student, that didn't mean he wasn't a good duelist. Alan himself didn't duel, but he's watched Richard's matches more than enough times to know that he wasn't someone Jaden could easily beat. What's more, there was talk that he was getting into Obelisk Blue, based solely on his dueling skills.

And Jaden was only in Slifer Red…

Should Alan stop the challenge? Though he was detached, Alan knew that Jaden had a reputation to uphold, both he and Alexis. If word got out that he lost to an underclassman, and that Alexis played with dolls…well, the results weren't pretty.

But some tiny voice within the depths of his mind told him not to interfere.

The voice chained Alan down from stopping the challenge, and once again, he found he was unable to move. He strained, he struggled, he did everything he was supposed to, but for some reason, just like that night, his body refused to leave that spot. That voice breathed down his neck, its sharp claws digging into his sides as it forced him there, alone. He felt like his skin was being ripped apart, the strange entity peeling away the layers one by one, until there was nothing left but bones and veins. It felt like something was sitting on his lungs, and suddenly it became so very hard to breathe. The sensation was so painful he wasn't even listening to the rest conversation.

Finally, he heard the footsteps fade from the corridors. Thomas Richard was laughing maniacally, promising the senior he was going to castrate him after his victory. Meanwhile, Jaden remained silent, his shadow growing longer and longer by the second. At last, Alan was able to move.

He never looked at the Slifer's eyes; he couldn't bear look up. A metallic sweat drop raced down his cheek, and the entirety of his body had gone cold. In that moment, Alan knew he was trapped.

Jaden stopped in front of him, that calm, eerie smile at the edge of his face. "So you heard all that?"

Alan forced himself to talk. "Y-yes…"

"I would appreciate it, if you didn't tell anyone."

"O-of course…"

"Would you like to watch the duel then?" he invited in that odd, formal tone. "The arena will be open until midnight."

"N-no." Once again, Alan held up his book, praying it would protect him from the senior's piercing gaze. "I-I have f-finals-"

"I see." Alan could hear the disappointment in his voice. He lingered a bit longer before at last, Jaden took his leave.

Alan, true to his word, never watched the duel.

The next morning, Thomas Richard was found near the lighthouse, dead.

Someone had seen him coming back to the dorms late that night, looking like zombie that had been scared out of its corpse. The lights in the kitchen came on, and at first, the student thought he was just getting a late night snack, and wondered if they could share.

Then, at that instant, Thomas Richard grabbed a butcher knife and started sawing his own arm off.

The person who saw him tried to stop him, but Thomas was so frightened he started cutting apart his abdomen, tearing away at the bits of organ and flesh. His craze was so deep, he even managed to gorge out an eye, and carve out half his face. After a brutal fight, the student called campus police, and it led to an all out search for the mad king. Eventually, they surrounded Thomas at the lighthouse, where somehow, Thomas managed to climb the ladders, and throw himself off, thereby killing himself.

Though he wasn't very well liked, his death shocked the entire Academy. The suicide was so gruesome psychiatrists were flown in constantly, keeping watch over the students' mental health to make sure they were fine. Many teachers wrote off the incident as bullying, so the Chancellor came in to lecture everyone about toleration and patience, even if the person was irritating. Alexis and Jaden were there, listening attentively to the Headmaster's ranting. Alan caught that weird ragged doll in Alexis's bag.

Classes were cancelled that day. Alan's aroused suspicions kept prodding him, jabbing their sharp knives into the depths of his brain. So he walked over to Ra yellow dormitory, with the appropriate colored police tape scattered all over the place. He weaved his way around the wrappings and went into the kitchen, where the entire incident started.

He saw a familiar silhouette emerge from the panels.

He saw Jaden, cradling Thomas's eye in his hand.

The studio was glazed with dust and neglect, with the golden lights of the sun pouring from the windows. The velvet curtains swayed in the nonexistent breeze, the hem slightly touching the melancholy of the rusted, wooden floorboards. A small bed rested near tall, Gothic window, with all its sheets, its blankets, its pillows white. There was a small table in the middle of the room with two chairs seated opposite from one another, a table that was decorated with tiny, golden fairies flying all around the sides. The table cloth sat atop, and in the center of it, three white candles, all of varying heights. Black roses entwined with the wax, the thorns interfering with the centerpiece's beauty in that very annoying way. Toward the east side of the room was a huge glass, Victorian cabinet, which housed many a doll, some from Asia, others from England and France, and yet still, from the Caribbean.

There Jaden was, at that table, with a furrowed look in his eyes, as his fingers kept sowing the blue button back into raggedy Ann's stitched face. A brown, wooden box rested near him, filled with yarn and needles. He held the doll up in that fading light, then gave a satisfied huff, closing the wooden box. He threw the doll back in Alexis's arms, who was directly behind him. He couldn't help but smile when an excited squeal erupted from her throat. "Don't lose it again," he pleaded wearily as he closed the toolkit.

The blonde shook her head. "I won't!" She walked up to him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "I still can't believe that guy had the nerve to steal this though…I even made sure that no one would find her!"

Jaden settled back in his seat. "He tore off the eye and scribbled all over her face too. That's my handiwork he's messing with."

"I still can't believe you changed your mind!"

Jaden stared at her pointedly. "You kept putting dead animals in my bed."

Alexis blinked, then slowly, leaned against the table, the doll in hand. Though she had yet to apologize for her antics, he still found her quite cute, the way she pouted like that. "He got what he deserved." she mumbled angrily. "Are you going to use his eye?"

"Most likely."

"He got what he deserved," Alexis repeated.

The Slifer agreed, twirling the strands of her hair in his fingers. The two sat in that studio contently in the midst of the quiet, without a trouble in the world. After some time, Alexis asked what they were going to do about the rotting corpse near her doll collection. Jaden merely shrugged. "You've always wanted a kingdom of dolls, right?"

She nodded her head sheepishly. "Mrs. Fujioka said that if we bring in something to show for art class, she'll give us extra credit."

Jaden raised his eyes. "Wow…I still can't believe you're failing art…"

The lovers began arguing happily, as they usually did, while Alan's body sat there, that shocked expression still on its face.

Author's Note:

I do not own Yugioh GX, Yugioh 5ds, or any of the franchise.