SlippingSanity : Sorry for taking so long with this chapter!

To birdie 101 : I'm sorry, but he didn't have a huge spot on the show, so I don't know much about him, but I can make some things up based on what was said and what happened in the duel in. It'll be in the next chapter though.

Disclaimer : I do not own...


Chapter 8 : Land At Last


Jaden sat on the dock of the boat, absently watching the clear, sparkling blue water part slightly as it was sliced by the speeding boat. His legs dangled over the edge lazily, kicking up and down against the metal body, his red and black shoes and bottom half of his jeans sprinkled wet. His arms were crossed on the metal railing surrounding the front of the boat, his head resting on said appendages. His hair swayed back and the damp air, his open Slifer red jacket flapping in the wind behind him.

'Sy...' He thought worridly, his eyes downcast, watching his shoes in their rhythmic back, forth, back, forth motion.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. He was going to see Syrus and, according to Kuriboh, soon. They were going to find said boy and take him back home. Syrus was going to be safe soon, so there was no need to worry.

He ceased shaking his head, opening his eyes and welcoming the sight of the sea once again. There was no need to worry, so he wouldn't worry, it was as simple as that. A small smile crossed his lips. However, as soon as it had made it's apperance, it made it's exit and worry filled the teen once again.

'What if Syrus wasn't okay? What then? What if Syrus...what if he were...' Jaden glared at his shifting image on the water's surface, gripping his hand into a tight fist, 'What if he was already dead?'

He shook his head once again, trying to clear the offending thought out of his mind.

'No! Sy's not dead!' Jaden yelled in his mind, 'He's not!'

Jaden turned away from the water, leaving his thoughts in it. Syrus was alive, and that was that! His gaze landed on the other three that occupied the ship with him. Zane was steering the boat, while Alexis and Chumley stood behind him, a map in their hands, arguing over which island to go to first and why it's the best idea to start there.

"Would someone pick one?" Zane asked, slightly annoyed, not really liking the idea of steering aimlessly into a body of water that streched for miles.

"Go to the island on the far east," Jaden replied.

Zane stared at Jaden, as did Alexis and Chumley, all three wondering how Jaden did that without having to look at the map.

Jaden scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously under their unbelieving stares.

"How do you know?" Chumley asked his brunette friend.

"Heh...well...you see..." Jaden laughed, "It's just a feeling!"

Well, that was half truth. It wasn't Jaden's feeling per se, but it was close to being his. He did feel something telling his to go in that direction, but it was Kuriboh whom told Jaden what island to check out. Kuriboh felt Sy was there, so he wasn't exactly lying about the 'feeling' part. The thought just wasn't his.

"A feeling?" Alexis prodded, raising an eyebrow.

Jaden nodded, turning his full body around to face the three.

"A feeling?" Chumley repeated.

Jaden mentally sighed. This would take a minute.


Bastion walked down the halls of the main building, a small plastic bag in his hand, the contents jingling loudly. In the bag in his hands resided the keys for any other boat the officials brought with them. Bastion had personally taken them away from the officers, suprisingly, never getting caught. That was his contribution to helping return Syrus to the academy. He knew that the officials could just get in another boat, and catch up with the boat that Jaden, Chumley, Alexis, and Zane were on because it, more than likely, had a tracking device in it. He exhaled lowly, thinking about the contents and how he would explain why he had them to the principal, teachers, and officials.

So far he had come up with nothing, and was still getting the same result as he thought about it. It must be because he was worried about Jaden and the others. He tried to think of an excuse, but got to thinking about them and their 'voyage at sea', and if something happened to them or if they found Syrus.

The contents of the bag jingled again.

And he had to find Chazz and apologize for...kissing him. A slight blush graced his cheeks at the memory.

'Get yourself together Bastion,' He thought to himself, turning around to walk towards the Slifer dorms.


A loud knocking echoed in Chazz's room, interrupting what would have been sleep if Ojama Yellow hadn't kept bugging him. An interruption interrupting another interruption. ...great...

The knocking began again, a little louder this time.

"Hold on!" Chazz yelled angrily, sitting up from his bed and walking towards the door.

He flung open the door, partly expecting Jaden and Syrus to come in exclaiming they found eachother, rush past him, and jump on his bed. He, however, did not expect to see the taller boy in a Ra yellow jacket standing in his doorway. The image of kissing him flooded back into his mind.

"What?" Chazz asked, turning his head away from the other boy so he wouldn't see the blush on his face.

"I came to...apologize," Bastion spoke, "I...well it was just...I needed to buy some time and..."

Chazz turned, glaring at Bastion.

"That's what that was? A stall for time? The Chazz is no one's scapegoat!" He yelled, glaring directly into the eyes of the taller shocked teen. Slowly , however, the shock was replaced by closed eyes and a slight smile.

"What's your problem?" Chazz asked, slightly alarmed by the turn of emotions in the other boy.

"Is that it?" Bastion smiled more, "Are you mad because of that kind of kiss?"

Chazz blinked, nodding slowly. He knew this was going somewhere. Where, however, he had no idea.

He was given the idea when Bastion slowly leaned foward and claimed his lips in a kiss...again. And he stood there, stunned yet enjoying the kiss from the other...again. Bastion pulled away.

"A real kiss. Happy now?" He asked with a smile before walking down the strip towards the stairs.

Chazz glared at the boy, slamming the door loudly and leaning against it. He glared at the floor beneath his feet, his face red.

'Damn him...How does he keep doing that?'


"Where did you say you found these?"

"On the trails past the dorms."

Bastion stood on the docks, officers surrounding him. The principal, Dr. Crowler and Mr. Banner, and three officials stood before him. The female in charge, Chera, stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing him up and down as if she could read the lie comming out of his mouth.

"We've been looking all over the place for these, and so I want to thank you," Chera smiled, saluting the Ra yellow student, "so thanks a lot."

"Yes! Thank you!" the blonde officer he'd come to learn was named Ryan smiled, grabbing Bastion in a tight hug. "Thank you! I've been busting my butt trying to find these things!" He exclaimed, taking the bag from Bastion's hands and searching through it. "I found my keys!"

Chera turned to the rest of her team.

"Listen up! Everyone who has key's in here, take your keys from the bag and assemble everyone that rode with you on this island. We will do a head count, then half of us will go out and find my boat and the children!" She yelled out, "So work quickly! Those children could be anywhere and we don't have alot of time!"

A loud rustle of officers yelling 'Yes sir!' and comming towards the front for their keys lit the sky. Bastion took this as his cue to exit. He walked back towards his room, looking at the white clouds in the sky.

'I hope they've gotten far...'


Jaden, Chumley, Alexis and Zane sailed in silence in the direction Jaden spoke of. Why? Because Jaden gave a good argument to do so? ...Fat chance. Zane sailed in the direction because it was the only direction that didn't require a debate over, and it was alot better than going nowhere fast. They also sat in silence because of something Alexis had brought up when Jaden tried to explain why he wanted to go in the direction he chose.

"Jaden, are you sure?" Alexis asked.

"'Course I'm sure! When am I not?" Jaden smiled.

"Then I believe you" She smiled, thought there was some hidded doubt.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, are we sure you aren't suffering from some type of 'ocean madness' or something?" Chumley asked the first year.

"I'm sure, and no, I'm perfectly fine!"

"Yeah," Alexis agreed with Jaden, "and besides, don't they say to 'follow your heart. It'll lead you to love' or something like that?"

'Follow your heart, It'll lead you to love...' Jaden echoed in his mind. Did he...? Was he...? Was he in love with Syrus?

"We're here," Zane spoke, glaring at the island he steered towards.

Jaden covered his heart, that was beating quickly, with his hand, before clenching it into a fist and returning it to his side. He'd have more time to think about that...after Syrus was safe and back to them.