Jim,
It's a cold day for Autumn.
I wanted to see you. I heard you had made a discovery. You found a dragon, a crimson dragon! I'm so happy that you did.
Trust me, I wanted to come and celebrate with you, but family matters come first.
Jim, I never told you, or anybody, but I live with just my dad and just my half-sister. I don't think it's important, but apparently the world does. I'm not sure how to tell you, Jim, really, I'm not. But my sister, oh, my dear little sister, she's caught a terrible fever! She's not getting better. But she likes to keep up with my friends, to see what's up with them.
Jim, is it possible to ask that you never read these? I know I'll write more letters. But, could you not read them? Please?

Agh! Never mind, you'll read them, eventually.
Does it ever bug you, Jim? That I never opened up like everyone else? That I hardly spoke to anyone but you? It bugged Axel, I know it did. He always told me to be more open.
But I've learned, the hard way, that good people can turn vile and nasty. I mean, I couldn't fight off Yubel, back in that desert. Jim, I had a hard time getting away, but she's a tough person.
Well, I guess, if you're reading this, then my heart will spill out eventually.
In the meantime, I wish you could be here. I need a shoulder to cry on. My dad's not up to helping Alice and I've used the funds from my win against Yugi to help pay for it. Time's not on my side, and neither is my own heart. If worse comes to horrible, I want to know that Alice will be safe and that she'll know the friends I had, to really know them.

Rambling is never a good idea.

Jess Hanson

PS, is there any way you can scare the cat out of my room?

Jim put the letter back and looked at the front. That was the fourth letter. Nothing was popping out. Jim couldn't understand them. They spoke of his eyes not seeing things like they used to.

But something was different. Jesse's words were slowly becoming darker. There wasn't the image of a smile on Jesse's face that lingered on the first three letters. Now, about two weeks after the first three, this one was sad. But frustratingly questionable.

Jim thought about it and looked at the letter.

Who was "Alice"? Was it true that she'd had a fever? Or was it worse? Was Jesse lying? How in the world had Jesse changed?

Jim looked at the stack and then put the fourth letter to the side. He would keep reading until he got to the end.

---Jaden---

He burst into the hospital room and a smile broke across his face.

Jesse was sitting up and he was fiddling with a piece of paper, breaking it into a million little pieces. He didn't take notice of Jaden's presence. But, now that he was moving, the flowers and balloons and pretty stuffed toys seemed to overflow with something warm. Except where Jesse sat.

"Jesse! It's me! Jaden!" He flung himself at Jesse and held him close.

Right behind him was Aster. Aster saw it right away, what was happening to Jesse. He quickly nabbed Jaden away.

"Wha--?!"

Aster pointed. Jesse's eyes had changed. They weren't turquoise, they were yellow, and filled with rage.

"Jesse? What's wrong?"

"I hate you." Jesse put his bed back down and curled up. His eyes were shut again.

"Why? What did I do?" Jaden asked, pulling the sheet off of Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse's eyes snapped open. "What did you do wrong?!" Jesse grabbed Jaden's collar and started strangling him. "You took away Ruby! And Emerald! You took them all away! I can't see them! My eyes won't see them!"

Aster grabbed Jesse's wrist. "No, your heart can see them."

Jesse let go of Jaden and glared at Aster, his yellow eyes burning with frustration. "My heart could see them, until Yugi. Now, all I see is what really happens. I see life without the possibility of going back. I don't want to see this anymore." He closed his eyes and flopped back down. "But Jesse Anderson has died. I'm Jess Hanson now. So, leave me out of Jess' troubles."

He closed his eyes and his breathing became uneven. He was sleeping.

Jaden touched the top of Jesse's head. "You're not Jesse.... you've changed.... why? Why did you change? You were like my best friend...."

Aster touched Jaden's shoulder. Jaden was crying. "Jaden, stop, please. It's okay. When he wakes up again, we can ask. But we need to be careful. If it's Jess, we're safe, but if it's Jesse, we may have a problem." Aster looked down and saw that tears were staining the blanket. Jess was crying. He poked his head out and tried to say something, but all that came out was sound. "Is something wrong? Say something."

Jess touched his neck and then the crown of his head. He couldn't speak, and something had happened. He curled up and started crying, quietly.

'What happened, Jesse? Where did the playful smile and kind personality go? Did it die without us?' Jaden wondered as he started to cry again.