November 26, 2006
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in YGO GX except for Uma and future opponents.
Title: Baby Come Back to Me
Author: PurificationArrow
Rated: Teen
Genre: Romance/Drama
Summary: Alexis can't get her mind off the fact that this dark Zane has been born. So as a result, she goes and leaves the Academy for a while to enter the Pro Leagues with Aster Phoenix as her manager. Along the way, she sees different truths, and love in the most unexpected ways.
Notes: Okay, sorry that took a long time to make. But this Thanksgiving Break really hasn't been that much of a break. But anyways, not much dueling in this chapter, partially cause I'm not especially creative with the duels. So sorry to those who likes duels in stories. Oh yeah, and in case you've forgotten, they're in a middle of a duel right now, Alexis had one monster, Uma has three.
Italics - flashback or thoughts
Bold - emphasis on words
Bold and underline - author's note in mid-chapter
Underline - made up cards
Chapter 4: "I Try to Find, Another Boy..."
Last Chapter: She looked up, "Go." She murmured and stared Uma down, eyes glittering.
(Life Points-
Alexis - 1900
Uma - 1800)
Uma nodded, "Alright then Miss Rhodes." She drew a card, "To start things off, I play the Spell known as Horn of the Unicorn which raises my monster's attack and defense by 800 points and equip it to my Pegasus." (3300 atck.)
In a glow of light, a yellow horn appeared on the mystical horse's head.
"I also equip the card Axe of Despair. Now my Fire Winged Pegasus' attack goes up, by 1000 points!"
Alexis' eyes widened and she gritted her teeth, "Fire Winged Pegasus, attack! Abyss Flame!"
The blue skinned animal neighed and shot a burst of red and black flames from its nostrils. They spiraled and engulfed the Cyber Blader, and she screamed and shattered instantly. Alexis frowned and bit her lip hard as her life points dropped 100 points.
"Alright, my draw," and she did, "First up, I'll send out Cyber Gymnast in defense mode. (Cyber Gymnast - Attack: 800, Defense: 1800) Then, I play two cards. First, Rain of Mercy which raises our lifepoints by 1000. Next comes Simple Equation. This card gives my monster 1000 extra attack points takes all the defense points of our and totals them up. Then, it is subtracted out of our lifepoints."
She winked. "And you'll see how that'll end up."
Uma closed her eyes and smiled. She lowered her arm with the Duel Disk on it, and the lights faded away with a queit hum.
Alexis: 1000
Uma: 0
The crows cheered, and an announcer ran up onstage and grabbed Alexis' arm and hoisted it up, "Winner is Alexis Rhodes!"
Alexis smiled happily.
Aster gave a triumphant half-grin and clapped his hands.
When the announcer had let go of Alexis she had walked over to Uma and put out a hand, "Thank you." She said. Some people say that girls can practically communicate with just a glance at each other, this was one of those times.
"No problem Alexis." Uma said. "But if you lose before you get to him, I swear, I'll haunt you the rest of your life."
---
The lights of Domino City twinkled like the stars masked by the smog.
Alexis barely felt the goosebumps that rose up on her arms when a cold breeze from outside swept through the open window and into her room. I can't lose. Not until I get Zane back, the real Zane. The one who helped me, the one who was always kind and caring, just to me. The Zane who protected me. That Zane.
She was still dressed in her Academy uniform, the blue silk that her Obelisk skirt and top were made out of was smooth and well, silky.
She broke out of her revere at a knock on the door, "Come in."
Aster's face appeared through the opened door, "Alexis." He said, greeting her with a nod. She walked over to the door and opened more, "Can I help you?" She asked in a sarcastic voice that could've belonged to Chazz.
The silver-haired duelist chuckled, "Yes, actually. Come with me to the rooftop please."
Then he left.
Alexis stared after him, startled, but collected herself and began walking after him.
-
Alexis stood at the top of the last step and crossed her arms and looked at Aster who was looking at the city.
"Well Mr. Manners, why'd you want me to come up here?" She began to wonder if Chazz really had had that much of a bad influence on her.
Aster turned and put a hand into his pocket and approached her.
"I got something from your friends at Duel Academy. I believe you'd want to see it." He stopped in front of her and handed Alexis an envelope he had drawn from him pocket. Breaking the seal on it, Alexis pulled out the first thing her fingers touched, a folded up letter.
She straightened the paper out carefully, and began to read what was written:
Dear Alexis,
This is Jaden and Syrus. We can't believe that you left the Academy to enter the Pro-Leagues. Pretty sweet, ya know? But anyways, Atticus told us about why you'd gone, and we were really surprised. Especially Chazz, heh, he's acting like a baby. But Syrus says personally that you should've have gone. When he dueled Zane before, he wasn't himself and didn't even seem to care that he had beaten his bro. I (Jaden) sorta agree with him. I haven't gotten a chance to duel Zane, but I'm not sure if he'll be safe to duel. Not that he's going to turn into some weird person, I'm just saying. Everyone's really worried about you Alexis, so ya gotta beat Zane up, and come back soon. Got it? Oh yeah, and we watched your duel against that Uma Ryder girl. Gotta say, you scared us all. But you did a really sweet job, and we're hoping that you can bring Zane back... ya know, to his normal self.
Well, 'till next time Lex,
Jaden and Syrus
Jaden...
She smiled gently and folded the paper back up into thirds.
"Big dope..." She murmured.
A flutter of paper caught her attention. Several very small famliar looking objects landed on the ground, scattered slightly. She bent and picked one up, she gasped quietly when she saw what her friends had sent with the letter.
"You have good friends." Aster remarked.
Alexis looked up at Aster who was handing her the remainder of the fallen cards. She accepted them with a smile, "Yeah, I do." She noticed the sad glint he had in his bright blue eyes, and looked away.
They both straightened up and Alexis ran her thumb up and down the surface of the cards.
She slid the cards into her pocket and looked at her manager, "Is that all you wanted when you asked me to come up here?" Aster nodded, "Yup." He put his hands into his pockets and brushed past her.
Alexis smirked and walked to the edge of the fenced off rooftop. She stared down at the people walking by, entering and exiting shops. Her eyes landed on one person, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed slowly, but strongly.
Blue hair, teal eyes, tall, strong build. It was Zane.
She stepped closer and grabbed the fence, making a unbelieving sound.
Her eyes shook as they continued contact with Zane's. His eyes held hers, and not for one second did she doubt he was looking directly at her. From out of the corner of her conscience he heard Aster walked quickly up to her and stare down. "What?" He asked. Alexis blinked, and he was gone.
Alexis shook her head, "It was nothing." She lied.
Aster gave her a hard stare, but couldn't break Alexis hard and determined shell. He made a face, but left her side and stood at the stairs and turned back. "You should be careful around him now you know." He warned her.
The blonde bit back a snipy retort, but just barely.
Still, what the silver-haired boy made sense, "I know." Was all she could say at the moment. She left her place at the edge of the building, and walked down the stairs without giving Aster a glance.
Then she stopped.
"I still think that he's there. He isn't himself I'll admit that much. But the Zane that I know is a lot stronger than this. He still has respect for his cards and for other people. All he needs is to break free of the side whose afraid to lose."
She turned around and met the Phoenix's eyes.
Aster smiled gently, "I know." Was all he could say as well.
Alexis turned and blushed, "G-good night Aster." She mumbled, and retreated back down the stairs and into her room. Aster's smile slowly disappeared, and he looked at the dark sky.
---
Steam rose up around Alexis and her hair floated in the warm water.
Her grey eyes were closed, and they opened slightly, remembering the look in the Pro Leaguer's eyes. Despite the heat of the bath, she felt goosbumps rise up her arms, but not the goosebumps you get when you're scared or creeped out.
Even now, she still felt hot blush slowly leaving her cheeks.
An image of Zane flashed in her mind.
He was alone, his will to fight nearly gone, and he was afraid. His kind blue eyes had lost their shine, and they were now dull. He was chained to a stony wall, his Academy uniform in tatters.
She jumped forward, panting.
What was that?
Then she remembered the look she had seen in Zane's eyes on the TV, on magazines, when she had met him at the lighthouse, and just now. His eyes were cold as ice and harder than ever. Whenever he found triumph in what he did, a smirk placed itself on his face.
A horrible smirk that Alexis hated to see.
It didn't even seem that he was trying to break free anymore. He had lost his will, sense of freedom, and he was afraid to duel with respect, and duel because he loved the popular game.
By now, Alexis was lying in bed, Zane's image appearing on the ceiling.
Maybe... I should just focus on getting him back to his normal self. Then I can stop being so obsessive. There are other important things in life, aren't there? After I get him back to the true Zane Truesdale, then maybe...
'I know.'
Aster's voice echoed in her head, and she felt warm when she saw his face accompanying his words.
She sighed and covered her face with her pale arms, "What am I doing?" She murmured to herself, thoroughly confused.
---
(A/N:) Alright, so it didn't come out during Thanksgiving Break. Sorry... I'm a bad authoress. XP Sorry... but um, can one of you tell me what in the world Ritual Sanctuary and Machine Angel Ritual do? I CAN'T FIND OUT!!
-PurificationArrow