Alright! Here we go!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!


"If I could please have everyone's attention!" announced Banner. "Eyes forward, students! Chumley, stop chewing with your mouth open!"

Everyone stopped eating and placed their eating utensils down, even Chumley, who now stopped an eating contest with Jaden. A few bowls piled up on their sides, indicating how much they had eaten so far. Apparently, they were still going at it, judging from their half-eaten bowls of rice.

"Good! Now, please join me in welcoming a new transfer student! Blair Flanningan!"

Seeing how she was far and couldn't quite see clearly, Elize stood up from her seat. The transfer student was about the same height as her, and wearing the same Slifer Red uniform as her, even though she had to wear the boy's uniform since the girl version was too big on her. In addition, Blair seemed to be wearing an oversize black cap, hiding his expression.

Looking up, Blair was glancing around the room, curious to see how everyone was doing. Apparently, one student stood out, and it turned out to be the only girl in the room. Once their eyes met, Blair turned to his shoes, hiding his eyes from view.

"I had to stop chewing for a transfer student?" Chumley complained. Of course, he could go back to eating, but he didn't want to get in trouble with Professor Banner, so he stayed put.

"Hey, a transfer student's always good!" said Jaden, standing up on his bench seat. "Blair! Wlecome to S-L-I-F...Something, Slifer!"

Blair stood there, startled while everyone focused their attention on Jaden. Wow, not only was he loud, but he sure was an...entertaining one at that.

Jaden jumped off his seat before making his way towards the new student, placing an arm around his shoulders. "We're the best dorm on campus! And in here, we're not a bunch of stuffy, eggheaded, Grade A gettin' brainiacs!"

'I don't think that's quite the welcoming routine, Jaden,' thought Elize. 'Still, it was a nice effort.'

"...And you're gonna love the bathtubs too!" babbled on Jaden, who had finished explaining all the benefits the Slifer Red dorm had to offer, though nobody could understand half the things he said due to Jaden speaking too fast. "Here, maybe you can be friends with someone about your size, like um..."

"Jaden? Why are you-Whoa!"

Jaden grabbed Elize's wrist once he ran up to her. He then dashed across the room back to Blair, releasing his grip on Elize's wrist. "This is Elize, Blair! Elize, Blair! Hope you guys get acquainted!"

"Um...Hello? Nice to meet you," welcomed Elize shyly, hiding behind Jaden and clinging onto his red jacket. She never was really good at introductions like this, especially when Jaden just yanked her out of her seat without warning.

Blair nodded, acknowledging Elize's presence before turning and hiding behind Banner. If anything, Blair was a bit similar to Elize; acting all shy and hiding like she was.

"Jaden, you don't understand," told Banner. "This isn't Blair's home, at least, not for long. He scored perfect on all his entrance exams. You see, it is Academy policy that all transfer students start as a Slifer. However, with his high marks, he'll be moved up into Ra Yellow in a couple of weeks. Speaking of...Elize!"

"Y-yes?"

"I've decided! Blair will be sharing your room until he is all set to go to Ra Yellow!"

"EH?!" Elize was taken aback by Banner's sudden decision. "B-but you didn't even get my consent yet! Besides, Professor! I'm a girl!"

"Oh, don't you worry!" assured Banner, patting Elize's shoulder. "There's obviously going to be strict rules concerning that! And anyways, even if I asked, wouldn't you still agree?"

"I..I guess...?"

Hiita and Eria emerged right next to Elize, both looking quite stern and disappointed at Banner. Of course, nobody else could see them except for Elize, Banner, and Jaden.

"What a jerk! Relying everything on a cute child like Elize!" scoffed Eria, flipping her hair to the side. "That man should be ashamed! I'm never having him as my boyfriend!"

"Same here!" agreed Hiita, gripping her staff which was glowing in a red aura. "If I could, I would have roasted that guy along with Jaden, just for the fun of it!"

'Why me?!' wondered Jaden, terrified of the Fire Charmer as he hid behind Elize, gripping her shoulders not too tightly, but enough so that it'll be hard to pull him off.

Banner sweatdropped, knowing full well who the Charmers were referring to. Oh dear...looks like he'll need to sleep with one eye open if he wants to get through the night. Elize's Monster Spirits sure were protective, just like Jaden said.

Once dinner was already served, everyone retreated to their dorm rooms for some rest time before they would sleep. Elize escorted Blair to his temporary room, and Blair had to admit, she did have a lot of space inside. She clearly didn't have many things, so the room was perfect to crash in.

"Wow...I didn't expect your room would be so...big," admitted Blair quietly. He placed his bag on the ground before deciding to wander around the room curiously.

"Um...Thank you, I guess," thanked Elize, who was just as shy as he was.

Blair went up to the bunk bed; unlike Elize, Jaden's bunk bed consisted of three beds, while Elize's bunk bed had only two. He asked, "Hey, where do you sleep? Up or down?"

"I sleep in the bottom bunk bed. That way, I won't have to worry falling off the top bed during the night. Or, do you want to switch beds? It doesn't matter to me."

Blair shook his head. "No, it's fine. I like being on top anyways!" He greeted her with a smile, trying to be as friendly as possible.

"How dare he...?" growled Dharc, clasping onto his staff and trembling with anger. Elize sweatdropped, wondering how she was going to stop her overprotective Dark Charmer this time.

As if a miracle came to answer her, Elemental Mistress Doriado appeared, looking quite fierce with Dharc for making the wrong assumption. Elize never really summoned Doriado in a duel before, but she did acted like a second mother to her outside of a duel.

"Dharc! You know that's not what that young boy said!" scolded Doriado, yanking on Dharc's ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! But teacher!"

"But nothing! We're going back, now! And, I'll assign you extra homework!"

"Nooo!"
Although Elize hated seeing Dharc so down, it was actually a good thing for him to be taught a lesson on being too overprotective. At least she trusted Doriado to deal with him.

"Hey, I'm going to use the bathroom, alright?" said Blair, pointing to the small bathroom inside of the room. "You know, to wash up and all. I'll even keep the door closed!"

Elize nodded, yawning. "Okay, Blair. I'm just going to change into my pajamas and go to sleep, okay? Goodnight..."

Blair nodded, scooping up some items from his bag and into his arms before running inside the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Elize prepared for class tommorow before changing her clothing and falling asleep on her bed; her deck right next to her as if wanting to protect her.

"Hmm...something's fishy with that new roommate Elize has..." muttered Hiita, wondering what was so strange about Blair.

Wynn had to admit, something was odd about the new transfer student. "Maybe...but we should let it go. I don't want to get in trouble with Miss Doriado."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, if that Blair guy tries anything with Elize, I'll smash him with my fire!"

"Um...let's not get to that conclusion, alright?"


The next morning...

"Settle down, people! Attention, please! Chumley, stop chewing with your mouth open!"

All students, Slifer Reds, Ra Yellows, and Obelisk Blues were all gathered in the auditorium, all lined up properly in their own colored sections. Apparently, Chancellor Sheppard had some exciting news to report, hence why they were all here.

Chancellor Sheppard's face was projected onto the huge monitor, and he looked rather excited. It seemed he had some important news to share, making everyone wonder what sort of news he'll speak up.

"Good! And now, the big match up between our rival school, North Academy, is coming up! Last year, Zane, our student representative, whooped 'em good! And this year, I want to win the school duel again!"

Many people, including Blair, gawked at Zane with admiration and respect, since he is the most powerful duelist in the school. Most people murmured about how skilled Zane was, or squealed how handsome he was. Basically, lots of people looked up to Zane as a role model or just a basic everyday crush.

One person among the crowd only stared at Zane with curiosity; Elize. The only reason she did was because he was standing out in the spotlight, literally, with someone shining light down upon him. This is the first she's heard of some guy named Zane, yet, it's been at least a month or so since she arrived.

Noticing who Blair and Elize were gazing at, Syrus cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered to the both of them. "Hey, Blair! Elize! That's my big brother, Zane!"

"Really?" asked Blair, who was just as surprised as Elize. Both never knew Syrus had an amazing older brother like Zane; though technically, Blair had arrived yesterday, and Elize already figured that Syrus doesn't really talk much about his family.

"Yeah, but Mom says I've got the looks," Syrus lightly bragged, shrugging his shoulders proudly. Hey, if he was just going to be referred as 'Zane's little brother,' he might as well add one good trait about him.

"Now we still haven't decided who's going to represent us this year," continued Chancellor Sheppard. "So, if you keep hitting those books and dueling hard, you may be the one who gets the honor!"

Once the announcement was finished, the monitor went blank with the Duel Academy insignia inplanted on it. As soon as it wenht blank, the color sections began to disperse, going their separate ways to classes or other activities.

"Alright! Did you hear what he said?! It could be me in this match!" proclaimed Jaden, all pumped up. Who wouldn't be after hearing that encouraging speech? Zane may be tough, but so are many duelists in the academy; therefore, there is a huge chance anyone, even Jaden, could be chosen.

"Hey! Or me!" reminded Syrus, crossing his arms. "But we might as well face it, Jay! It'll probably be Zane who gets the spot again!"

"How come?" Jaden wondered as he and Blair diverted their attention to Zane. Well, more like Jaden was wondering why Blair was staring so...intensively at Zane, like he wants something from Zane.

"Because he's amazing," sighed Blair, almost acting like those girls who give off those dreamy sighs whenever they look at a handsome boy.

"...Okay...?"

Elize felt a little uneased by Blair's tone of voice, but quickly shrugged it off. Perhaps he had some sort of interest towards Zane, like he wants to duel him like Jaden does. Well, it shouldn't be any surprise if Zane was really popular.

Still, why does she get this uneasy feeling like something was about to happen?


After classes...

"Amazing?! What's that gotta do with it?! It should be about who's best!"

Apparently, Jaden couldn't get Blair's comment about Zane out of his head. In fact, it only left him a little frustrated since Blair was practically judging based on Zane's popularity and the fact that he is the best duelist in the island.

"Zane did beat you in a duel, Jay," pointed out Syrus, reminding his older friend about the first time him and his big brother dueled. Needless to say, Jaden was so close to winning, but Zane triumphed in the end.

"Yeah, but it was a totally close match!" said Chumley, defending Jaden.

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Wait, Jaden dueled Zane? When did this happen?" wondered Elize, surprised.

"About a few weeks before you transferred here," explained Jaden with excitement shown in his eyes. "You see, in order to defend Syrus from his evil brother, Zane, I, the hero Jaden, fought against him! It was a dramatic and long clash, but I lost in the end! And the whole world got destroyed! The end!"

"Uh...what?"

"Now, I know for a fact that that did NOT happen," said Hiita, expressing her annoyance.

"That's...not exactly how it went, but Jaden got at least, some of the parts right," said Syrus. "I mean, he was defending me when Zane commented that I should leave Duel Academy because I wasn't very good. They did duel, but Jaden lost. That didn't stop Jaden, and he said he would defeat Zane one day."

"Syrus? I don't mean to sound rude towards your brother, but I don't think he really favors you much," admitted Elize with honesty.

Syrus sighed, nodding his head. "I know that. After all, I am the weakest out of both of us."

"I didn't mean in an offensive way or anything! I'm sorry!"

"No! No! You're okay, Elize!"

"Hey, is that Blair?"

Chumley's alarmed voice brought everyone's attention, making them turn to where he was pointing. Blair seemed to be acting a little suspicious; glancing around to see if anyone was following him and carefully running around like he had somewhere to go.

"Oh! I just remembered! I have to return the eraser I borrowed from Blair today!" gasped Elize. "I'm sorry, guys! I'll be right back!"

"No prob! You sure you don't need help?" wondered Jaden, a little concern for the girl.

Elize shook her head. "No, thank you. It'll just be a quick few minutes." She turned and raced after Blair, who happened to be very far from her location, so she had difficulty trying to catch up to him.

By the time she did, she found herself just behind the Obelisk Blue Boys Dorms, discovering Blair standing on top of a sturdy tree branch that was inches from the balcony. Elize wanted to call out to Blair, but was afraid that Blair might lose his balance and fall, so she stayed quiet.

Seeing Blair hop off the branch and successfully land on the balcony made Elize sigh at ease. Still, something was wrong with Blair, and as his friend and roommate, Elize was worried for him.

"What should I do...?" muttered Elize timidly as she tugged down on her red cap. She...sorta had a plan in mind, but she was too nervous to execute the plan. After all, there were a few risks, and she hated taking risks.

"Hey, isn't it illegal to barge into someone's room like that?" wondered Eria, glancing up at the tree branch where Blair had previously been standing up.

Aussa shrugged, not giving a care in the world. "Who cares? Elize, how about you just leave right now and leave that guy? If you stay any longer, you're probably going to be in huge trouble for trespassing."

"Who cares? Elize, do what you gotta do!" encouraged Hiita. "I mean, look at me! I've done what I can do and I'm still as fiery as ever!"

"You also forgot to mention how you nearly burned down a forest that one time due to your recklessness."

"Oh, shut it, Aussa!"

Taking in Hiita's words, Elize felt determined and decided to go through her plan. Carefully grabbing onto the branches, Elize slowly made her way to the top of the tree until she fortunately stood on the durable branch.

"Oh, nice advice you gave to our mistress, idiot!" shouted Eria, glancing at Hiita.

"Hey, I didn't think her plan involved climbing a high tree! But, that is pretty brave and unexpected of her, I must admit."

"Elize! Get down from there! It's too dangerous! You'll get hurt!" called out Aussa, frantically waving her arms around. It was truly a shame that they didn't have physical bodies, or they would have forcibly dragged Elize down themselves.

Elize gulped down while sweat trailed down her forehead. She only glanced at the ground below her once, having a grasp of what might happen should she fall. She felt nausea whelming up in her stomach and nearly slipped on the branch before managing to grab hold in a koala-like position. Thinking she was safe, Elize slowly started scootching towards the balcony while tightening her grip on the branch.

"Elize, this is a terrible idea!"

"Yeah! You'll get hurt! Or worst!"

"Dude, just jump down! There are like, lots of bushes below you! You'll be fine!"

"That's a terrible way to tell her to jump! Even if it is true!"

"Hey, at least there are bushes below! Besides, they should soften her fall! You got any other ideas to get her down?"

"Um...guys? She's already at the balcony."

"WHAT?!"

All four Charmers; namely Eria, Aussa, Wynn, and Hiita, turned towards the direction of the balcony, where Elize happened to be. She was waving at them shyly, a sign stating she was alright. The Charmers sighed in relief, knowing their mistress was unharmed.

Noticing the balcony door was wide open, Elize peeked inside, curious to see what Blair was doing.

Inside felt like a nice, cozy hotel room with a huge higher variety for style. The room was completely clean and organized, as well as wide enough for a small party of five or six. Sadly, there was only one bed, which happened to be much bigger and comfortable than any of the beds in the Slifer Red dorm.

Blair opened the drawers, managing to find a deck case. He lifted the lid off with his tender-like fingers and took some of the cards. Unexpectedly to Elize, Blair started nuzzling his face against the cards, a blush tinging on his cheeks as he enjoyed the feeling of the paper cards against his white skin.

"U-Um..." Feeling embarrassed, Elize stumbled back, her back lightly hitting the balcony as she covered her red-tinted cheeks with her hands. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! Was that what people called a...fetish?

"Come on, guys! What do you say we chill upstairs?"

Hearing something from not too far away, Elize saw three Obelisk Blues accompanying the same person who happened to represent the school last year; Zane Truesdale!

This was bad for Elize and Blair's part! If they get caught, who knows how much trouble they'll be in! People from other dorms aren't allowed to be in different colored dorms unless they were granted permission! Not only that, but they might get in heaps of trouble if they get caught for trespassing!

Without thinking, Elize ran inside of the room, interrupting Blair and his private time. "Blair! Blair! We have to go, now!"

"W-what?! What are you doing here?!" demanded Blair. Before Elize could answer, laughter could be heard just outside of the room, and she knew there wasn't much time before the Obelisk Blues got here.

"W-we'll have to talk later! Come on!" Elize ran up to Blair, trying to drag her along by grabbing onto her arm.

She must have yanked too fast, because her sudden movements not only caused both of them to crash to the ground, but the landing caused Blair's hat to fall off along with some of his cards hidden in the hat and a small hairclip. Long hair erupted and cascaded down Blair's back as soon as his hat fell off.

In short, Blair was, without a doubt, a girl.

Jaw dropped, Elize's eyes widen at the sight of Blair being a girl. Seeing how this was no time to be questioned, Blair grabbed her hat and took off, easily jumping off the balcony climbing down the tree she had previously climbed down. Of course, Elize didn't stand there doing nothing. She rushed towards the balcony, placing both hands on top of it to get to the branch.

"Hey, you!"

Elize gulped, then nervously turned around, seeing the Obelisk Blues and Zane in the room. It looks like she was caught red-handed, even though she didn't even touch any of the cards scattered on the ground.

"Hmph! It's just some stupid Slifer slacker! Typical!"

"Hey, Zane! Guess who we caught hanging out in your room!"

"Yeah, a nosy little girl who was messin' with your cards! Probably a fangirl!"

Elize winched from the hurtful comments coming from the three Obelisk Blue boys, but none of their opinions was compared to the glare Zane was giving her. His glare wasn't exactly of anger, but more of a stern and calm look. It...sorta scares her a little.

"W-well...I...Um...It's not what it looks like?" said Elize, trying to think of a good excuse. She could tell the truth, but even if they believe her, she didn't want Blair to be in huge trouble. On the other hand, if she didn't tell, she'll be the one in trouble!

Spotting a hairclip resembling the duel Monster, Happy Lover, on the ground, Zane picked it up and walked towards Elize. The Obelisk Blue boys immediantly ceased their insults, watching with interest on what Zane was about to do.

Once in close range, Zane stopped, asking in a calm voice, "Alright, who are you? What were you doing in my room?"

Although trying very hard to hide it, and failing, Elize couldn't stop shaking, feeling more anxious. Taking a deep breath, Elize decided on what to say, only stuttering a little.

"M-my name's...E-Elize. Elize Simington. I-I just wanted to look at your cards..."

Zane kept his calm composure, though he could tell something was wrong. "Why?"

"W-well, I...I just wanted to see them. Since you are one of the most strongest duelists in Duel Academy, I-I wanted to know what kind of deck you had so that I could...duel against you one day!"

Her response made the three Obelisk Blue boys quite angry, making them spit out hateful insults which tore up Blair a little from the inside.

"Cheater!"

"Bet she came to steal the deck!"

"Once a Slifer slacker, always a Slifer slacker! Now, they're probably resorting to cheating in order to get high dueling grades!"

"Stop," ordered Zane, raising a hand in order to silence his fellow Obelisk Blue classmates. As much as he was a little mad at Elize for barging in his room, no further insults were necessary for her. He disliked the discrimination of the colored dorms like his dear friend Alexis, and wanted nothing more than for them to stop.

"I'm sorry...I truly am," apologized Elize, a bit shaken up. She couldn't imagine what sort of punishment awaits her if she gets forced towards the Chancellor's Office. She'll probably be expelled, but at least she defended a friend.

"...Here."

Zane tossed Elize the hairclip he had found earlier. The first-year student was about to reply that it wasn't hers when she realized Zane wasn't quite done talking, so she kept her mouth shut.

"...You can leave now. I'll let you off with a warning. Next time, don't come back."

Elize flinched at his cold tone while the Obelisk Blue boys complained, saying they should drag her to Crowler's office immediantly. Relieved that she wasn't going to be expelled, Elize bowed her head at Zane, quickly leaving the room through a regular door and forgetting all about the hairclip she was holding.


That night...

"Wow, a cold, wet dock in the middle of the night. You sure know how to show a girl a good time," said Alexis sarcastically. She was called here by Zane through her PDA, being told that he needed to talk to her near the lighthouse where they usually meet and talk in private.

"Lex, I caught a girl named Elize Simington snooping in my room today. Know her?" asked Zane.

Alexis blinked in surprise. "Elize? Yeah, I know her. She was a new student here about a month or so. What was she doing in your room?"

"Apparently, she told me that she wanted to look at my deck so that she could see what sort of cards I had. She did that so that she could duel me."

"Really? Huh?" Alexis stared down at the ocean water, deep in thought. "That doesn't sound like Elize. I know she's better than this."

Zane gave a silent nod. "Yeah, and I think she was lying. I don't know why, but the story she gave me just doesn't...seem to click in."

"If you want, I could try and talk to Elize. I'm closer to her besides Jaden and his other friends," offered Alexis.

The male duelist shook his head. "No. She'll probably just make up a lie or something. There's no point interrogating her any further until more information is found. We'll just have to leave this be for now."

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But, I trust Elize, so I don't think her true intentions for coming to your room weren't really bad. Of course, that's just my opinion."

Meanwhile, Elize and Blair had gathered at the bottom of a seaside cliff right beneath the Slifer Red dorms. After preparing for some things, Blair managed to contact Elize through her PDA and asked for a small chat at the current location they were now. Blair still had her hair hidden in her hat, though a new orange ribbon helped keep her long hair in place.

Once they met, Elize did most of the talking, since Blair refused to answer some of her obvious questions like "Why were you disguised as a guy?" or "Why were you in Zane's room?" Learning that Elize had risked her neck and told a lie to save Blair, the gender-mistaken girl felt a little guilty, but happy that Elize defended her like that.

"Listen, Elize...I appreciate you helping me out like that, but the fact that I'm a girl has to stay a secret!"

"I don't...really mind that much, but why?" asked Elize, confused. "Can I at least know why you can't-"

"No!" snapped Blair. "You don't need to know why! Nobody does, you got that?!"

"O-okay! I'm sorry!"

Blair sighed, feeling awful for yelling at her like that. After all, Elize did save her from being in trouble, especially keeping her gender safe. Maybe, she might give her a chance...

"Alright! Listen up!" Blair poked Elize's shoulder to get her attention. "Let's have a friendly, fair duel! If I win, you keep quiet without me having to explain anything! But if you win, I'll answer all your questions, got it?"

"Huh? S-sure. I guess."

"Good!"

Both girls took their dueling positions once they made some distance far away from each other. Blair was determined to win, while Elize simply slipped on her duel disk without really caring much for the outcome, but wishing good luck for Blair.

"Now, let's duel!"

- DUEL -

Blair - 4000 LP

Elize - 4000 LP

"Alright! Get ready...to fall in love!" started Blair, drawing her card. "I play Maiden in Love!"

A young, beautiful girl wearing a puffy yellow dress with white trims appeared; her wavy long brown hair just as beautiful as her pink tinted face.

Maiden in Love - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (400/300)

"Wow! She's pretty!" complimented Elize, a little envious of Maiden's appearance. She wished she was as beautiful as her, like many other girls. Of course, she admired her looks as well.

Blair nodded. "Thanks! But looks can be deceiving, and you'll know real soon after I end my turn!"

Aussa the Earth Charmer pushed up her glasses; a confused look on her face. "She lays down a weak monster but no facedowns? Something's up, so be careful, Elize."

"Okay, whatever you say," said Elize, drawing a card. "Okay! I summon White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode!"

Arriving on the field, a young little girl wearing a puffy sheep-like hat and long robes held a staff, trying to keep up the pressure of the heavy-weighted staff as her pink locks bounced up and down.

White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

"Aw! She's so cute! I have one in my deck too, you know!" squealed Blair.

Elize blushed, not used to comments about her Monsters. "T-thank you. Now, White Magician Pikeru! Attack Maiden in Love, please!"

Raising up her staff, White Magician Pikeru used her magic and fired a beam from the tip of her staff, blasting through Maiden in Love.

Blair - 3200 LP

Elize - 4000 LP

"You may have broken her heart, but she lives to love another day!" shouted Blair fiercely. "See, as long as she's in Attack Mode, her special ability keeps her from being destroyed!"

That didn't pose much of a threat to Elize, but what was more shocking was what happened next.

White Magician Pikeru rushed over to Maiden in Love, offering a hand. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, Maiden! Please, isn't there anything I can do to help?!"

"What?!" cried out Elize and some of her other duel spirits. What was White Magician Pikeru doing, assisting the opponent's Monster?

"Traitor!" yelled Hiita, a red aura surrounding around her like mad.

Maiden in Love winched in pain, but placed her warm, delicate hands onto White Magician Pikeru's, making her calm down. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

"There's more!" said Blair. "Maiden in Love has another special ability! Any Monster that attacks her gets a Maiden Counter!"

Maiden in Love demonstrated her power by shooting a heart towards White Magician Pikeru, who now had a small heart stamp on the area where her heart should be.

"What's a Maiden Counter?" wondered Elize, puzzled. She knew Counters placed on specific Monsters can either assist them or activate some sort of effect that benefits the player. However, she's never encountered a Maiden Counter before.

Blair snickered, pleased at her lack of knowledge. Luckily, not many people in the world knew about Maiden Counters and how effective they could be. That leads Blair to have a huge advantage in duels, so long as the opponent doesn't have too many overpowered Monsters.

"You'll find out!~ Well, moving on!~" She sang, drawing her card. "Okay! I attach the Equip Spell card, Cupid's Kiss to my Maiden!"

A petite, child-like angel looking quite similar to Cupid popped from the card, pecking Maiden in Love on the cheek. Her cheeks flustered a little as the angel fluttered away up into the heavenly night skies.

"And now, I'll have her attack!"

"Oh, Pikeru! Come out and play!~ I just want to have a little tea party with you!~" called out Maiden in Love, happily running towards the Spellcaster as she was careful not to trip on her marvelous dress.

"Huh?"

Noticing the Maiden in Love approaching her, White Magician Pikeru scotched out of the way, thus watching the Maiden trip and scrap her knee.

Blair - 2400 LP

Elize - 4000 LP

"Why did you do that?!" Maiden in Love was sobbing, covering her tear-stricken face with her small hands. "You're so mean! I thought we were beginning to feel close! I-I thought we were FRIENDS!"

"W-we are! I'm sorry!" apologized White Magician Pikeru, sitting besides her and rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. "Here, what do you want me to do? I just want to remain as friends!"

"R-really?" Glancing up as she wiped away her tears, Maiden in Love managed to calm down and pointed to Elize, slightly startled at being chosen. "See her? Then, attack her!"

"Okay!"

"Wait, what?!"

White Magician Pikeru hummed quietly to herself, concentrating on a spell before she fired another beam from her staff. The beam was sent flying straight towards Elize, hitting her right in the shoulder area.

Blair - 2400 LP

Elize - 2800 LP

"Gah! What the hell do you think you're doing, Pikeru?!" yelled Hiita, raising a fist. "Whose side are you on?!"

"Hmph! Maiden's, obviously!" White Magician Pikeru hugged her new best friend tightly before sticking her tongue out at the Fire Charmer, enraging the already hot-tempered Spellcaster even further.

"You little twerp..."

"Sorry, Elize! But when Maiden takes damage from a Monster that's been hit with a Maiden Counter, the Equip Spell, Cupid's Kiss, automatically activates!" explained Blair. "And that lets me take control of your Monster! Sure it may cost me some points, but it's about to cost you a lot more!"

Elize grimaced, knowing how dire the situation was. If she were to attack, her Monster would automatically obtain a Maiden Counter, therefore, being a love slave to Maiden in Love! But if she didn't take the offensive, she'd be left wide open for direct attacks! Decisions, decisions...

"Well, now that I've taken control of your Monster, I think I'll just play a facedown card and end my turn!" finished Blair with proud confidence in her tone.

Elize nodded, drawing a card which happened to be her faithful, brotherly-like friend, Dharc the Dark Charmer. 'Dharc! But, if I attack Maiden with him, he'll fall in love too! But, if I don't do anything, he won't get a Maiden Counter, but Pikeru will easily take him out. In that case...if my plan goes well...well, I'm sorry, Pikeru!'

Noticing Elize's hesitant look, Blair grew a little impatient. "Hmm? What's wrong? Why aren't you making your move?"

"Oh! It's nothing, Blair. I'm sorry. Now, I summon Dharc the Dark Charmer in Attack Mode!"

A handsome, young male mage made his arrival, having dark hair and charming eyes as dark as the blackness of night. The cloak he wore contains part of his mysterious presence, but reveals a bit of his dark side with his skull-like scepter.

Dharc the Dark Charmer - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)

"Wow! What a hunk!" gasped Blair with gleaming eyes. "Too bad, though! I don't go for weak guys! Especially one with low Attack Points!"

Lyna, who appeared next to Elize, crossed her arms, seething in anger. Her trembling form and red face was evident of that fact. Dharc and Elize sweatdropped, stepping back a little out of fear. Lyna rarely got angry, but whenever she did, everyone steered clear of her direction, even Hiita, who's usually the more hot-tempered one.

"Elize. Show no mercy."

"W-what? But-"

Wide-eyed, Dharc turned to Elize, nodding frantically. "Elize, for everyone's sake, just do what she says!" He just wanted to get this duel over with! Last time Lyna acted like this, half a building was annihilated. Of course, this happened in the Duel Spirit World, not in the human world.

"Um...Watch out, because I'm activating a Spell, Shield Attack!" said Elize, trying to sound threatening, only to fail miserably. "I'll equip it to Dharc, and his Attack and Defense Points are switched!"

Dharc the Dark Charmer - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (1500/500)

"I'm sorry, Pikeru! I hope you'll forgive me after this!" cried out Elize, facing White Magician Pikeru, who gave no response. "Gh-!...Dharc, please attack her!"

Dharc nodded, feeling only a little remorse for his young apprentice mage friend. He raised his scepter towards the air; a dark orb slowly forming at the tip of the scepter. Once completed, Dharc let the dark orb loose towards White Magician Pikeru.

"I don't think so! I use Defense Maiden!" yelled Blair. "It redirects Dharc's attack, so that the Maiden in Love gets hit instead of Pikeru!"

With fierce determination to protect her friend, Maiden in Love stood in front of her, shielding her with her body and staring at the upcoming dark orb head on like it was nothing. She screamed in pain while the dark orb took its toll on her, inflicting pain on her body once it made contact with her.

Blair - 1300 LP

Elize - 2800 LP

"Hehehehehehehe..." Lyna was chuckling lowly to herself, wearing a sinister smile on her face as she enjoyed Maiden in Love's painful shrieks and the look of pain on her face.

Elize clinged onto Dharc's cloak from behind; both deathly scared of the usually friendly Light Charmer. "Dharc...? I don't mean to sound rude...but Lyna's scaring me..."

Dharc sighed, patting Elize on the head reassuringly. "She...tends to be like that, sometimes. It's...a natural way of women growing up. But! But it only happens to a few, peculiar women. I'm sure nothing like that will happen to you, Elize."

The Slifer Red girl nodded, turning to Blair. "So, um...I guess Maiden in Love's special ability kicks in?"

"That's right! And since your Dharc attacked my Maiden in Love, he gets a Maiden Counter!"

Elize cringed, her cheeks reddening before she covered her tomato-colored cheeks with her hands. Unfortunately for her, Lyna's behavior seemed to worsen, sincer she was practically hissing at Maiden in Love, snarling like an angry cat who had gotten wet.

White Magician Pikeru kneeled down besides Maiden in Love, comforting the harmed girl. Angrily, she swiftly turned her attention to Dharc with confusion and rage.

"How could you do that, you bully?! Maiden's done nothing wrong to you, and yet, you used your magic to hurt her! I can't believe you!"

Dharc's face fell with guilt and regret before he walked towards Maiden in Love, kneeling down and holding her hands with his.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, forgive me."

If Lyna was on the field, she would have mercilessly thrashed Maiden in Love with her staff and magic, Battle Phase or not. She clutched her staff so tightly, her knuckles slowly began turning white in color and aching due to the amount of pressure she was squeezing onto the staff.

"Forgive you?" Maiden in Love looked up at the Dark Charmer, interest shown in her eyes. "Well, maybe you can repay me back a little later.~"

Dharc's heart beated like an earthquake as he tried containing a sigh of joy. His eyes shined with happiness while a Maiden Counter was shown on his chest.

"Yes, my dear..."

"WHAT?!" Lyna's left eye twitched uncontrollably; her grip tightening on her staff so much, the wood might leave traces of her fingerprints.

"L-Lyna! Please, calm down!" whispered Elize before looking back at her hand. "I think I'll place a card facedown and end!"

"Alright!" Blair drew a card and smiled. "First off, I think I'll activate Pikeru's ability! For each Monster on my side of the field, I gain 400 Life Points each! And I've got two, so 800 Life Points for me!"

Blair - 2100 LP

Elize - 2800 LP

"And now, I play the Equip Spell, Bracer of Power! This increases my Maiden's Attack Points by 500! Now, she attacks!"

Maiden in Love - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (900/300)

The young maiden ran towards Dharc, but accidentally tripped when his feet sticked out, thus allowing her to fall facedown on the ground.

Blair - 1500 LP

Elize - 2800 LP

"Dharc! How could you?!" sobbed Maiden in Love, heartbroken. "I thought you wouldn't hurt me anymore!"

Dharc bent down, trying to comfort his maiden. "I'm truly sorry! I never meant to harm you! Truly! I'll do anything, even if it costs me my life!"

"A-anything?" With the help of Dharc, Maiden in Love stood up, looking at Elize. "Well, could you attack that mean girl, please?"

"Okay!" Closing his eyes in concentration, Dharc fired a dark energy beam from his staff, hitting Elize who yelped from the attack.

Blair - 1500 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

"Pikeru! Can you do a good friend a favor and attack her, too?" cooed Maiden in Love.

"Sure!" A white ball of light was thrown at Elize's direction, hitting her in the stomach.

Blair - 1500 LP

Elize - 100 LP

Blair threw off her hat and untied the bandanna that held her long hair up, seeing no need to hold it in considering there was nobody else around to witness she was a girl. She felt a whole lot better. feeling the cool breeze as her hair flowed with the wind.

"Ahh! Much better! I end my turn!"

"Send me next! Me!" demanded Lyna, looking at Elize with malice printed in her eyes.

The duelist panicked after drawing a card, which so happened to be Lyna the Light Charmer. This was bad! If she sent Lyna out, who knows what she'll do, even if she's bound to defend or attack! On the other hand, if Elize doesn't send her out, she'll be completely defenceless!

Elize looked at the four cards in her hand. Well, she did have another Monster, but she's not strong enough to go up against any of Blair's Monsters! But, then again...

"Elize! Send me out! NOW!" Lyna growled, losing her patience before shaking Elize by the shoulders. Elize was getting more and more frightened by Lyna. This wasn't the sweet and friendly Lyna she knew!

"Lyna! LYNA! Quit it!" Aussa shoved Lyna away, stepping in front of Elize. "Would you knock it off?! You screaming at Elize isn't going to help matters! Just look at her, for crying out loud!"

Lyna turned to Elize, who was checking out her cards and trying to devise a good strategy. She caught Lyna staring at her, causing the girl to be scared, trembling like a leaf.

Feeling awful and ashamed, Lyna's anger and jealously quickly ceased. How could she scare her friend like that? No wonder Elize seemed hesitant in summoning her. The Light Charmer probably wouldn't even blame her if she didn't summon her.

"Elize...I..."

"Let's just go!" shouted Aussa, yanking on her sleeve. "I think you've already caused enough trouble for today!"

"..."
Nodding, Lyna followed after Aussa, sending one last sad glance to Elize before disappearing back ino the Duel Spirit World.

Focused on the duel, Elize decided which Monster to call forth. "I play Card Ejector in Attack Mode!"

The small female magician popped onto the field, grinning as she raised her staff and prompt her purple hat on her head so that it doesn't fall off.

Card Ejector - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (400/400)

Needless to say, Card Ejector was shocked to see her two dear friends, Dharc and White Magician Pikeru, on the opposite side of the field. They seemed to be having a tea party together with the Maiden in Love, all three laughing in enjoyment. To anyone else who couldn't see Duel Spirits, it just looks like three regular Monsters standing together.

"Um...Why are Dharc and Pikeru on the enemy's side, enjoying tea?" wondered Card Ejector, scratching her head.

Elize sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "Um...It's a long story." She looked at Blair. "Now I play my facedown, Gift of the Mystical Elf! See, I gain Life Points times 300 for each Monster on the field! There's 4, so I get 1200 Life Points!"

Blair - 1500 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

"Then, I place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"This is it!" decided Blair, drawing a card. "Hope you remember Pikeru's ability, so now, instead of gaining 800 Life Points, I get 1200 Life Points due to having a third Monster on my team!"

Blair - 2700 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

"And now, Maiden in Love! Attack Card Ejector!"

Beaming with light, Maiden in Love kissed her hands before blowing away an air kiss, which expanded in size and headed straight for Card Ejector.

"I activate Mirror Force!" shouted Elize as Card Ejector huffed her chest out proudly.

"What?! Not that card!"

"But it is! Mirror Force reflects your Maiden's attack back towards all the Monsters you control! And since this is a card effect and not something used in battle, your Miaden in Love's special ability can't activate, so she's destroyed!"

Turning to her two controlled Monsters, Dharc and White Magician Pikeru, Elize couldn't felt but feel bad since they are about to be destroyed by her hands. 'I'm sorry for doing this to you two,' she thought unhappily. 'I hope you can understand later.'

The huge heart exploded in three minature hearts as soon as a dome-like barried shielded Card Ejector, protecting her. The three hearts flew straight at Dharc, White Magician Pikeru, and at last, Maiden in Love. All three cried out in pain before shattering into pieces.

Blair grunted, upset of the tides being turned. She thought, 'This is bad! I have no Monsters on the field! Oh, wait! I have Monster Reincarnation! All I have to do is discard one card from my hand, then I can target 1 Monster from my Graveyard back to my hand! Then, I can summon Maiden in Love, and this'll be back where we started!'

"Oh! I almost forgot!" gasped Elize. "I activate Card Ejector's special ability! Once per turn, she can remove one card in your Graveyard from the game! And I choose Maiden in Love!"

"No! I need her!" cried out Blair, her Graveyard slot glowing before the Maiden in Love card slid out, waiting to be put away. Gritting her teeth, Blair was forced to put her favorite Monster in her back pocket, where all removed Monsters had to go.

"Yay! We did it!" Having accomplished her goal, Card Ejector twirled her staff before placing it on her shoulder; her tongue sticking out teasingly.

"Fine! I'll play my Scapegoat card! This causes me to have four Scapegoat Tokens on my side in Defense Mode!" told Blair. "Then, I play one card facedown and end my turn!"

Four small and fragile sheep-like Monsters appeared on the field in a row. Each of them were of different colors, and provided some good defense even though they could easily be wiped out.

Elize drew her card, now knowing what her next move is. "I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards, but discard two in the end! One of the two I just discarded was a Monster, so I'll rescue her from the Graveyard using Monster Reborn! I'll play her facedown in Defense Mode and switch Card Ejector to Defense as well! Then, I place one card facedown and end!"

"My draw!" said Blair. "First, I'll play Token Thanksgiving! This card lets me destroy all four of my Tokens! Then, I gain Life Points equal to the number of destroyed Tokens times 800!"

Blair - 5900 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

"But then, you'll have no defense left!" reminded Elize.

"That's where you're wrong! I play Injection Fairy Lily in Attack Mode!"

An attractive, female pink-haired girl wearing some nurse uniform with wings sat on a gigantic tranquilizer, winking cutely at Elize.

Injection Fairy Lily - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (400/1500)

"I'll end my turn now." Blair thought, 'I don't know what her facedown Monster is, or even her facedown card. But if she tries attacking, I'll just activate my Lily's special effect! I didn't attack because of her facedown, but if she attacks me, I doubt her facedown will do anything.'

Elize drew her card and said, "Okay! I Flip Summon my Monster into Attack Mode!"

Emerging with fire in her hands, Fire Sorcerer glared coldly at Injection Fairy Lily, who flinched at her ice-cold gaze.

Fire Sorcerer - (FIRE/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

"Fire Sorcerer's special ability activates! When she's Flip Summoned-"

"I know all about her Flip effect!" interrupted Blair. "So, I activate my facedown, Royal Command! This is a continuous Trap that negates all Flip Monsters effects as long as Royal Command is on the field! I knew that you might have some Flip effect Monsters in your Deck ever since I saw your Dark Charmer, so I prepared myself with this card just in case!"

Elize gulped; she was good! "Even so, Fire Sorcerer still can be summoned! Fire Sorcerer! Attack Injection Fairy Lily, please!"

Fire Sorcerer raised her palms to the air; fire swirling around her fingertips. She closed her eyes, focusing on concentration as she moved her body around in a sort of wave motion. She then fired a spiral flame-like tornado at Injection Fairy Lily.

"I activate Fairy Lily's effect!" said Blair. "See, after I sacrifice 2000 Life Points, I can give Lily a boost of 3000 extra Attack points for this battle only!"

Injection Fairy Lily - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (3400/1500)

"It's over!" yelled Blair, full of determination as Injection Fairy Lily breezed across the battlefield, ready to inject her needle on her new patient.

Desperate to save Fire Sorcerer, Elize said, "I reveal my facedown, Magic Cylinder! This not only negates your Monster's attack, but now, Lily attacks you directly!"

"Gah! No way!" cried out Blair.

Due to the Trap's effect, Injection Fairy Lily screeched to a halt, the tip of her tranquilizer nearly injecting Fire Sorcerer. She turned around and plunged her weapon onto Blair, an apologetic look on her face as she was forced to attack her owner.

Blair - 2500 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

'Note to self; be very careful with her facedowns!' Blair thought. "Don't think this is over just yet! I'll just play Little Fairy in Defense Mode and end my turn with a facedown!"

A tiny little fairy with crazed pink hair brandishing a wand fluttered on the field, giggling mischeviously.

Little Fairy - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV3 - (800/800)

"Draw!" spoke up Elize, thinking she might have a chance. "Good! I play Fairy's Gift to the field in Attack Mode!"

A pocket-sized green fairy bounced on the field, looking serious as she held her wand like a weapon.

Fairy's Gift - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 -(1400/1000)

"Now, Fire Sorcerer! Please, take out her Little Fairy!"

Placing a hand on her hip, Fire Sorcerer threw a fireball at Little Fairy with one arm, yawning in boredom. Little Fairy shrieked as she was being burned alive before fritting away in ashes.

"And now, Fairy's Gift! Can you attack Blair directly, please?"

The Spellcaster-type fairy nodded before swirling her wand above her head. Small sparkling stars glittered out of the wand and sprinkled onto Blair. Although the stars did no harm to Blair, it did take a massive chunk out of her Life Points.

Blair - 1100 LP

Elize - 1300 LP

"I'll place one card facedown and end," finished Elize, sighing in relief. So far, so good. If she kept this up, there would be indeed a chance of victory.

"My turn! Draw!" Blair smirked, thinking she obtained the right card. "Here's my guardian angel! Shining Angel!"

His golden wings spreading as feathers drifted to the ground, a male angel showed himself, crossing his arms.

Shining Angel - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1400/800)

"Attack Fire Sorcerer, Shining Angel! Give it all you've got!"

The angel flew up in the air, forming a small ball of light before throwing it harshly at Fire Sorcerer, who screamed in pain.

Blair - 1100 LP

Elize - 900 LP

"You activated my Trap, Backfire!" said Elize. "Since you sent my Fire Sorcerer to the Graveyard, and since she's a Fire Monster, you lose 500 Life Points!"

"Wait, what-"

BOOM! At that moment, fires exploded right in front of Blair, knocking her to the ground due to the heavy impact. She was lucky those explosives were just holograms; otherwise, she'd be dead!

Blair - 600 LP

Elize - 900 LP

"U-um...are you okay?" Elize asked, concerned as she took a step forward.

"Y-yeah...But next turn, your Card Ejector's next!" promised Blair; fire blazing in her eyes.

Elize gulped, as did her Card Ejector; both scared from her threat. "Wait, what did my Card Ejector ever do to you?"

"You made her remove my most favorite Monster, Maiden in Love!"

"O-Oh yeah...Right...Well, it's my draw!" Elize was astonished, not expecting to get the exact card she needed. "Okay...I guess I'll play Change of Heart, which lets me control your Monster until the End Phase."

"Wait, what?!"

Shocked, Blair watched as her Shining Angel flew over to Elize's side. Now, she had no Monsters, and her facedown's completely useless! If Elize attacks her directly, she'll be finished!

Card Ejector performed a small dance of joy. Now, she won't have to be eliminated by Shining Angel! This duel will be over before anyone knows it!

"Yay! Yay! Ha! Take that, Blairie! I won't be destroyed!"

Elize sweatdropped, trying to calm down her Duel Spirit friend. "Card Ejector...I know you're happy, but you don't need to brag." Turning to Shining Angel, Elize gave him a small, reassured smile. "I'm...sorry for taking you from your owner, Shining Angel. Don't worry, this'll be over in a second."

Shining Angel nodded, having no qualms about her decision. He didn't seem to mind whoever was controlling him, so long as it wasn't an evil person. So far, both duelists had good souls, so either one was fine to control him.

"Shining Angel, please attack Blair!"

The male angel merely threw another ball of light from his hands, hitting Blair and thus destroying the rest of her remaining Life Points. Yelling from the impact, Blair collapsed on her knees, utterly defeated.

Blair - 0 LP

Elize - 900 LP

Winner: Elize

"W-whoa...I actually won," breathed Elize, who was surprised herself. She strolled towards Blair, offering a hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I guess so." Blair didn't seem too happy about her own loss, but gratefully accepted Elize's hand and stood up. "I guess I have to tell you my secrets, huh?"

"Actually, you don't really have to," Elize said, shaking her head. "I didn't really care much for the deal, so you don't have to tell me anything."

Blair shook her head. "No, I actually want to. You deserve to know. After all, I did lose."

"Um...Okay then. If you really want me to." Elize nodded, and got right to the point. "So, why hide your gender? What's wrong with being a girl?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I like being a girl," replied Blair, picking up the ribbon and hat she had thrown off earlier. "It's just...Well, there's only one reason why I came to this island, and it wasn't for dueling. It was for Zane."

"Zane? The strong duelist in Duel Academy? And whose room you-"

Elize's face blazed before her eyes took a sudden interest on the ground. Reminiscing the event that happened not so long ago, Elize was embarrassed oh being in a boy's room. It was almost like watching a boy changing!

"...Yeah, the room I invaded in," admitted Blair awkwardly. "Uh...Sorry you had to go take the blame."

She nodded, wanting to skip the topic. "Y-yeah...Can I ask another question? If you came here for Zane, why did you break into his room? Couldn't you have talked to him without really breaking into his room?"

"Well...It's not that sort of situation," Blair tried to explain while she was blushing. "It's just...Well, I'm in love with Zane!"

"L-love?!"

"Yes! It's true!" Blair had a lovesick look on her face as she clasped her hands together. "We met at the nationals where Zane was declared the winner! He told me to get stronger, so I did! And I'm in love with him!"

"That's...actually great. I'm happy for you, I guess," encouraged Elize, clapping a little to cheer her on. "But, I'm sorry. I don't know any love advice. In fact, I've never really fallen in love before."

"Oh, that's okay! I already know all I need to know about love anyways! But...since Zane's room was already broken in by yours truly, I think he'll definitely keep a closer look out for any trespassers."

"O-oh! Speaking of..." Elize wanted to ask a question, but her blush indicated she was a little embarrassed to talk about it. "W-well, if you don't mind me asking, but why did you...rub cards against your cheek back in his room?"

"I-I just...I..." Great, not only did Elize saw Blair do that, but Elize might think Blair is a freak! "I just wanted to, okay, Elize?!"

"But...that doesn't really answer my question...Oh, whatever! Can you at least tell me how disguising yourself as a boy will help get Zane's attention?"

"Well, maybe not his attention, exactly," replied Blair. "Look, if I tell you, will you promise to keep it a secret? It's nothing harmful, I promise!"

Elize nodded, seeing how there was no harm in keeping a simple promise; whatever promise Blair was going to force her to keep.

"Alright...Well, to tell you the truth, I'm actually 11 years old."

"Then, you're two years younger than me!"

"Wow, really?" Blair blinked. "Anyways, it's true. Because of me being underage, I'm not allowed as a student at Duel Academy. But, I'll be graduating Elementary very soon! And when that happens, I'm joining Duel Academy! But, I grew impatient and wanted to see Zane more than ever! Besides, I ran away from home and disguised my gender so my parents wouldn't track me all the way here!"

"You ran away?! Blair, I don't think it was really smart for you to do that!" exclaimed Elize, shocked.

"Oh, hush! Remember, you promised to keep my secret a secret! Don't worry! I plan to return later, once I'm done with business!"

"What kind of business?"

"Well, it'll take a while for me to transfer up to Ra Yellow because of my sudden arrival here," interpreted Blair. "Like, a couple weeks later or so. I want to make it all the way to Obelisk Blue! Of course, I'll take you with me!"

Elize shook her head. "No, I'd rather stay in Slifer Red. Sure, it's the lowest dorm, but I actually enjoy it there. Besides, not to sound rude, but a lot of the Obelisk Blues are...kinda bullies."

Blair couldn't agree more. "Yeah, I know! One of them 'accidentally' poured chocolate milk on my jacket! Ugh!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Of course, I did get my revenge by sneaking a worm in his shirt." Blair wore a sinister grin on her face, proud of her accomplishment. "But yeah, after I get promoted to Obelisk Blue and confess to Zane, I'm pretty sure he'll report that I'm a girl. If that happens, well, I'll probably be sent back to my parents."

"You sound...happy?" wondered Elize.

"Well, I'm not going to be if I'm exposed, but if it means confessing to Zane before I leave, it'll be something off my chest! So, I'm begging you not to tell anyone about me until I confess to Zane, okay? Then you can report to me or whatever!"

"O-Okay...?" Well, as long as Blair knew the risks of her actions and apologized to Elize, it would be okay if she stayed for a little bit.

"Great!" Blair smiled and took Elize's hand. "Now, let's go get some dinner!"

"Actually, I think dinner ended like half an hour ago."

"What?!"

"But, I do have a few snacks we could share."

"Sweet!"

"Oh, I remember. Here's your hairpin." Elize took the hairpin she had been given to by Zane and placed it in Blair's hands.

Blair squealed; seeing her favorite hairpin again. "Thank you so much! I was looking everywhere for this! Now, come on!" She grabbed her new friend's hand and lead her back to their room, where a new relationship kindled between the two.


Heya, guys! Nice chapter, huh? I'll try and update as much as I can, but for now, this is the best I can muster up! Looks like Blair's staying for a while! Read and review!