Author's Notes: Well, one person finally reviewed the last chapter, so I'm keeping my word about updating. Don't forget guys, no reviews equals no new chapters...

Enjoy^_^

Chapter Four - Duel Academy Junior High Prep School

"So what about Akiza?" Yusei asked. "I haven't seen anything about her yet."

"She's actually coming in soon," the Time Caster responded. "You meet her for the first time when you are in the seventh grade at Duel Academy Junior High Prep School; she is in the grade below, so you run into her after the both of you are in the same school as you went to two different elementary schools.

"Speaking of school, you're a very bright young man who had skipped two grades of math; as a seventh grader, you are taking the same class as a freshman at Duel Academy High. Dicar is in the same boat you are; Ryan skipped only one year of math but is also in an advanced English class. Kalin and Crow are both in all normal classes, while Jack also skipped a year of math, placing him in the same math class you are in. Akiza is an exceptionally good duelist and so skipped a year of dueling courses, which is how the two of you meet. As you are about to find out, her early life was not affected by Zero Reverse having never occurred."

A school cafeteria faded in, students standing in line, mulling about looking for a table to eat lunch at, or already sitting and chowing down. All the students wore the same customary uniforms of the high school students: a magenta coat with a pleated skirt for the girls and a deep blue coat with navy pants and a neck tie for the boys. At a round table near a wall of windows sat three boys and two girls: It was Yusei, Dicar, and Ryan with two girls the watching the Yusei recognized instantly as Elodie Kumari and Naomi Mori.

The junior-high Yusei gave a low whistle as a girl with magenta hair strutted by. "Who's the girl?" he asked.

"You mean the Witch?" Dicar responded. "That's Akiza Izinski; she's in the grade below us with Elodie."

"Really, Dicar?" Yusei questioned, raising an eyebrow. "You really believe in witches?"

"She isn't a witch, per se," Naomi explained. "She's a psychic, but, unlike Elodie, she has no control when she duels so she ends up destroying everything around her and hurting her opponent, too. That's why everyone calls her a witch; the Black Rose Witch because of the plant type deck she uses, actually."

"I've seen her duel before," Ryan added, "for her entrance exam. The term 'witch' really does fit..."

"ELODIE!"

The other girl at the table groaned. "Just great! I thought he had second lunch!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Jack snapped.

"Uhm... Sitting with my friends?"

Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her up from her seat. "Come on!" he stated as he pulled her away. "And I don't want to hear you calling those scumbags your 'friends' ever again, you hear me?"

"Hoo! Nice guy!" Dicar commented.

"Don't be so harsh, Dicar," Naomi criticized. "He has reason to be bitter right now; his parents just got a divorce."

"You're standing up for Jack Atlas?" Yusei asked incredulously. "He's always been that way! I'm not surprised he pulled Elodie away; he's never been a fan of us."

"He's just protective, is all! And be that as it may, I can't help but feel at least a little sorry for him..."

"I sure don't!" Yusei scoffed. "Why should I feel sorry for that jerk?"

"You're the one sounding like a jerk right now, Yusei," the brown-haired girl retorted.

The raven-haired male locked his blue eyes on her green ones and simply glared at her in response at the accusation.

"It's true, and you can't deny it, Yusei." She crossed her arms across her chest defiantly. Before Yusei had a chance to respond, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Yusei headed off for Duel Gym while his friends headed the other way towards their various other classes. As he entered the gym, he saw Akiza standing off to one side by herself. Not believing she was a witch as his friends had insisted, Yusei approached the lone girl. "Akiza, isn't it?" he asked her.

"What's it to you?" she asked coldly, bitterly.

"Well, I just noticed you were standing here alone, and - "

"Maybe I like being alone!"

"I find that hard to believe! A pretty girl like you - "

"Just leave me alone!" Akiza stalked off towards the other side of the gym.

'Yeesh,' Yusei thought. 'Maybe she really is what they say...'

"All right, everyone!" the instructor called out. "Let's get started! First up on the floor, Akiza Izinski and Kaeru Ramus. On deck are Katsuya Pegasus and Devlin Ishtar. In the hold are Valon Doma and Blair Shepherd."

Needless to say it was a short duel as Akiza was way out of the other student's league; Yusei also had his proof of her power as she tore up the floor. He hoped he'd never have to face her a duel! Akiza had wiped the floor with Kaeru in two short turns, not to mention the bruises he would certainly have the next morning.

"Ahem," the instructor cleared his throat. "Ah... Well... Okay, next up on the other field..."

The voices faded with the scene until all was silent black. "Let me guess: You would still like to continue, Yusei?" Once again the Time Caster was asking his age-old question. "There is still a little time yet..."

Again Yusei hesitated and for longer this time. It wasn't exactly what he had hoped for. Jack came from a broken home which wasn't much better than no family at all in his opinion. Akiza was still the troubled girl she had been before the Fortune Cup; what if no one came to rescue her this time? And as for himself...

"I don't know," he murmured, ducking his head. "This isn't exactly what I thought it'd be."

"I warned you, however brief, that it would be different," the Time Caster spoke gently. "Even that you may not like what you see. But you must decide now: Will you continue on or turn back, Yusei Fudo? For this is your past, and only you can decide."

The raven-haired boy continued to hesitated, caught between what felt like to him to be a rock and a hard place.

"Come now, boy! You must decide now! The time for thinking is past!"

He couldn't decide which to choose; neither option looked terribly promising at the moment. In the end, however, curiosity won out.

"I'll continue on."

Author's Notes: Forgot to mention: Elodie Kumari is used with permission and approval from ElodieKumari94. In other words, I don't own her.

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