It was within his sights; that small, isolated island where his best friend was waiting for him. He could see the towering, golden pillars that made up the school's exterior from the ship's helm, where he stood excitedly, and just barely make up the walkway that led up to it. He could even make out the crowds of students, Obelisk, Ra and Slifer alike, and faculty surrounding the pier in anticipation for North Academy's arrival.
As Jesse continued to gaze upon the Duel Academy island, he barely noticed that Arron had walked up behind him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "So, excited to see your friends at DA again?" he asked softly.
Jesse didn't even turn around to look at him as he answered; "You better believe it!" he stated firmly, gripping the railing with an even tighter grip.
There were few moments in Jesse's life that could compare to the heart-pumping rush of adrenaline and completion that he was feeling at the moment. The only thing he could think of would be the moment he acquired the Rainbow Dragon card and its spirit accepted him as its master. Jesse could only imagine the emotional roller-coaster that he'd be first seat on when he reunited with Jaden.
"Friends, no friends, soul mates or whatever you two are; just don't forget that we're gonna beat Duel Academy at the School Duel this year," Arron said in a stern tone. "I get that you like your pals, but I don't wanna end up losing to them again."
Jesse nodded, turning attention away from the island and back to his friend. "Don't you worry, partner," he said confidently. "With Rainbow Dragon in my deck, my beasts and I ain't going down so easily this time!"
Arron grinned. "Thats what I like to hear," he said.
Suddenly, a loud ding ringed throughout the ship. A young female's voice was heard all over the ship through an intercom. "Attention, all North Academy students and crew. The SS Mokuba will be arriving in the Duel Academy docs in about five minutes. Chancellor Foster has requested that everyone meet him at the gangplank for the meet-and-greet with the students and staff from Duel Academy. Thats all North Academy students and staff to the gangplank. Thank you, and have a nice day."
Jesse and Arron looked knowingly at each other.
"Guess its time," said Jesse.
Arron nodded. "Lets get our game... on," he replied, barely getting the words out before Jesse took off and raced for the ships gangplank. Arron took a few seconds to watch Jesse run, letting of a disheartened sigh, and ran after the latter to catch up.
Jesse ran as fast as he could, paying little attention to the man behind him. As he raced down the halls towards the ship's gangplank, a short fantasy played out in his mind that caused his cheeks to flush.
When he walked off the boat and arrived on dry land, he saw Jaden clawing his way through the hundreds of students until he was at the front of the crowd. Jaden yelled out Jesse's name excitedly and tackled him with a hug. Jesse was surprised, but hugged back, pulling the brunette in closer...
Jesse shook his head, ridding his mind of the fantasy before anything else could happen. He didn't believe that Jaden would hug him when he walked off the boat; the most he could expect would be a high-five or a handshake. Even so, he found himself smiling, and his feet moving faster and faster every second, running toward his long awaited return to Duel Academy.
It wasn't long before every person in North Academy was surrounding the gangplank, which was located on one of the lower decks of the ship. Everyone could see the ship pulling into docs, as well as the crowd of Duel Academy students that were packed into it. It was giving everyone from North Academy a sense of adrenaline.
Chancellor Foster stood in front of the gangplank with a stern look in his eyes and his arms crossed over his chest. He loudly cleared his throat, signaling for everyone to cease the hushed chatter amongst themselves, a cue that was followed. "All right, I just want to make one thing clear," he spoke after everyone quieted down. "Two years ago, we lost to a freshman named Jaden Yuki, even with our school's top cards being used by the best duelist at our disposal. Last year, the School Duel was canceled because of the GX Tournament that Sheppard insisted 'needed to be held.' Duel Academy is a formidable foe, but this year, we'll have beaten Duel Academy into the ground." Foster motioned to the front of the crowd, where Jesse, Arron and Kenna stood side-by-side. The three students took a step forward, closer to Foster. He held up a gesturing hand to each student as he called out their names. "Jesse Anderson, Master of the Crystal Beasts. Arron Pearce, the Gladiator Beast Tamer. And Kenna Powers, the Alien Mistress. These three students are the top duelists of our prestigious academy, each with their own unique deck that has rarely been seen outside of the school's walls." Foster threw an invigorating fist into the air, gazing confidently into the eyes of his students. "With our top three nominees, North Academy will come out on top! No one will stand in our way of claiming victory!"
Everyone else threw their fists in the air and cheered, including the representatives. Everyone was stoked for this epic grudge match, and they felt confident that North Academy was going to win. Even Jesse, knowing the capabilities of all of Duel Academy's most likely choices, knew that it would be a difficult time for anyone facing Kenna, Arron or himself, even Jaden.
Just as the cheering died down, the ship had come to a complete halt, parking itself horizontally along the entire Duel Academy port. The gangplank that Foster was standing in front of began to lower itself and extend to one of the docs. As soon as it made contact with the ground, Jesse was gone. He plowed past the chancellor and all but jumped from the deck onto the docs. He could see Chancellor Sheppard waiting patiently at the bottom with his arms behind his back and smiling. He also saw Syrus, Hasselberry, Chazz, Blair, Alexis and Atticus just behind Sheppard, in front of the crowd. Jesse waved to his friends, but was surprised that Jaden wasn't there with them. It looked like everyone in Duel Academy was there, so he wondered where Jaden could be.
When he reached the docs, Chancellor Sheppard was the first to speak. "Welcome back, Mr. Anderson," he said, holding out his hand; Jesse followed suit and they exchanged a brief handshake. "I wish you and your school the best of luck in the School Duel."
"Why, thank you, thats mighty kind of you," he replied. He glanced over Sheppard's shoulder and watched Syrus and the others walk up to him. Sheppard quickly took a step aside and allowed the group to surround Jesse.
"Glad to have you back in our platoon again, soldier," said Hasselberry, giving Jesse a firm pat on the shoulder.
Syrus nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Its been too calm around here ever since you and the others went home, and thats saying a lot for this place."
Jesse laughed. "Well, its nice to know no one missed me," he said jokingly. He took a final look around, confirming that Jaden was nowhere on the port. "Oh, hey, where's Jaden? I really wanted to catch up with him."
Jesse glanced briefly over in Alexis' direction, but rose an eyebrow when he noticed her gasp and look away. "Um, I think he's still up in his room," she replied. "He was probably up late last night prepping for the School Duel tomorrow. You know Jaden; if theres anything he loves more than eating and dueling, its sleeping."
The way Alexis answered him had Jesse suspicious. She made no eye contact, she had her arms crossed and she had a slight blush forming on her face.
Jesse leaned in towards Syrus and Hasselberry, out of Alexis' hearing range. "Y'all wanna tell me what's up with Alexis? She's actin' kinda funny," he whispered to them.
Syrus only shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as ours," he replied.
Hasselberry nodded. "Ever since you went back to base camp, Private Lexi's practically been AWOL," he answered. "She'll still talk to everyone, but she doesn't really speak more than she has to. She's really kept her trap shut; won't talk to anyone about whatever's buggin' her, not even her brother."
"The only one she's had any sort of real contact with since you've left is Jaden, but even that came to a standstill about two weeks ago," Syrus stated.
Jesse was nothing if not surprised by this news. Sure, he never took the time to really get to know Alexis, but he figured that he knew her well enough not to isolate herself from her friends, especially not Jaden. He couldn't help but wonder if something had happened between the two of them.
Just as Jesse was about to run off and meet up with Jaden, Arron and Kenna came running up to him, each giving Jesse a condescending look.
"Thanks for ditching us, jerk," said Kenna, folding her arms across her chest and leering. "Don't forget, we still have to sail back to North Academy in two days. Try that, again and you'll literally be sleeping with the fishes."
"Yeah, not cool!" Arron exclaimed. "I mean, you couldn't have waited an extra few seconds before you bowled over our Chancellor for us to keep up with you?"
Jesse grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, guys, guess I just plum forgot about y'all the second the ship stopped," he said, laughing half-heartedly. He raised a hand and gestured to each of his friends as he introduced them. "Everyone, this is Syrus, Hasselberry, Chazz, Atticus and Alexis, and these are my pals from North Academy, Arron and Kenna. They're also our school's representative, along with yours-"
The second he laid eyes on Kenna, Atticus had pushed Jesse aside, mid-sentence, walked up to her, and seemingly pulled a rose out of nowhere and gave it to her. "Well, hello, Miss Kenna," he said, giving her a flirtatious gaze; eyes narrowed, eyebrows raised and an attractive, toothy grin. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you in any of the previous School Duels; and might I say, it is most definitely a pleasure."
Jesse flinched, suddenly fearing for the current arrangement of Atticus' face. "Uh, A-Atticus, you might not wanna-" As he was about to finish his warning, Atticus held up his free hand and gave Jesse a confident look.
"Don't worry, Jesse, I know what I'm doing," he stated.
Jesse sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't say I didn't try..." he muttered, taking a step back.
Atticus focused his attention back on Kenna, who's face was just as stoic as usual. "So, what I hear is that you're one of the top duelists at North Academy. Think you could give me a lesson some time? Preferably over dinner, maybe even a movie."
Kenna looked down at the rose in her hand and smirked. "Why don't you close your eyes, I'll teach you a lesson right now," she said seemingly innocently.
Atticus grinned wider. "Do with me what you will. I love to learn." His eyes shut, and the others watched curiously as Jesse held up his hand, counting backwards from five with his fingers. In between five and one, Kenna had walked around Atticus and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. When his final finger folded in, everyone winced as they watched Kenna lift up Atticus, bend herself over backwards and slam Atticus' head into the ground in a suplex. Everyone other than Jesse was in shock.
Jesse sighed. "I tried to warn him..." he said aloud. "Kenna hates being hit on, especially by players like him. Atticus got off easy, compared to some of the other guys that she's done that move to."
As Kenna released Atticus and stood back up, letting the latter fall heavily to the ground and rub his aching head, she turned around and looked him in the eye. "Here's a lesson: Try flirting with me again, and this will seem like a happy memory," she said using an innocent and yet ominous tone.
Atticus turned slightly pale, giving Kenna a weak thumbs-up. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" he squeaked, quickly jumping back to his feet and backing away from Kenna, cowering behind his sister.
Alexis smiled, listening to her brother whimpering behind her. "Impressive," she said.
Kenna smiled back. "Thanks," she replied. "Anyway, since you know which opponents you'll be seeing tomorrow, its only fair we know the same."
Chazz chuckled, pointing at himself with his thumb. "Number one goes to The Chazz," he stated arrogantly. "Of course I was their first pick; I am the GX World Champion, and I took down the Shadow Riders and Society of Light single-handedly. There's no one else who's even nearly as qualified!"
Blair gestured for Jesse to lean in. He knelt down slight while he cup a hand over his ear. "He was the third pick," she whispered. "It was a tie between him, Syrus and me, and he drew the long straw."
Jesse chuckled softly. "I figured as much," he whispered back.
Chazz winced as he felt Hasselberry's fist drive itself into his head. "Our REAL ace in the hole is the Serge, soldier," he said, twisting his fist atop Chazz's head and causing the latter to shriek in pain.
Jesse smiled cheerfully. He had been hoping Jaden would be one of the representatives dueling for Duel Academy. With any luck, Jaden would be facing him in the School Duel, and it would be a spectacular duel that both of them would remember forever.
"All right, so Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton will be two of our opponents, but who's the third?" Kenna asked.
Syrus frowned, poking his fingers together sheepishly. "Well, the thing is..." he started softly. "We still don't know who the final rep is."
Arron raised an eyebrow at Syrus and crossed his arms. "Your kidding, really?" he asked.
Blair nodded her head. "Chancellor Sheppard told us that, since we're mixing things up this year, the final representative would be a mystery," she explained. "The person dueling already knows about the arrangement, as far as we know, but won't be revealed until the beginning of the School Duel."
Jesse nodded knowingly. "I guess thats fair," he said. "The tournament isn't until tomorrow, so its only natural that you don't want your opponent to know your deck."
"Given the timeframe, one could easily build a deck specifically to counter another's playstyle," Kenna added. "Not a bad strategy, I admit." Suddenly, she started smirking. "But you don't know anything about mine or Arron's decks, so its the same for us."
"Then may the best duelists win," Chazz said, smirking back at her as he looked over here. "And I'll give you a hint... it won't be you."
"Care to make a wager on that?" Kenna offered, a single hand on her hips. "I'm open to anything, so bring it on. There's just something about putting punks like you in their place that gets me in the Christmas spirit."
Chazz took a moment to think, cupping his own chin with his hand. Abruptly, he grinned and snapped his fingers. "If Duel Academy wins, you have to dress up as 'Ms. Duel Academy' and make out with Chancellor Sheppard in front of the entire school."
Kenna nodded. "Agreed. And if North Academy wins, you have to spend the entire winter break back at NA, doing whatever I say. Essentially, you'll be my slave."
Chazz extended his hand, as did Kenna. They exchanged a brief handshake. "High stakes, my kind of bet," said Chazz, somewhat impressed.
"Thats just how I do," Kenna stated. "Anything less is a waste of time. Don't hesitate to let me know if you wanna make it even more interesting."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jesse sighed, feeling empathetic for Chazz and his stupidity. He knew Kenna quite well, enough to know that she rarely made a bet that she wasn't confident she could win. She had studied every top duelist at Duel Academy - Jaden, Chazz, Alexis, even Syrus - so that she knew what she was getting herself into when she faced Duel Academy. If she was willing to bet stakes as high as those, Kenna was absolutely sure that she would win, which meant that, unless a Christmas miracle happened, Chazz would be riding the SS Mokuba back to North Academy, most likely in tears.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jesse saw the Chancellors exchanging pleasantries and confident glares. As much as he wanted to see what would happen next, Jesse knew that he needed to go see Jaden before something else happened that took time away from that. He was only at Duel Academy until the end of the next day, December 24, and he wanted to extract every moment possible to spend with the best friend he hadn't seen in months before being dragged back home. So, before anyone could notice, Jesse slowly backed away from the group - giving himself a reminder to apologize to them later - and, once he was far enough away that he felt like no one would see him, he took off like a rocket.
His feet threw themselves in front of each other, pushing him up the hill that was paved with a golden yellow dirt road; his arms swung back and forth, propelling him faster; his lungs inhaled and exhaled rapidly; and his heart beat like a drum, nervous and anxious that he was about to reunite with Jaden after what felt like forever.
"I'm coming, Jay!" Jesse said excitedly, running even faster than before.
Even though he wanted to get away unnoticed, Alexis had not taken her eyes off of Jesse since he walked off the boat. She watched painfully as he ran away from his friends, racing after Jaden, she was sure. Alexis sighed, a distraught aura surrounding her. "Why does it have to be him?" she muttered to herself.