Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX except for Fukugawa Nao. All Naturia Synchro Monsters are changed to Ritual Monsters and Tuner Monsters are converted to regular Effect Monsters. Credits go to Takahashi Kazuki and Director Tsuji Hatsuki.


Chapter 11

Field Trip Part 1: Nao's Questions

Nao listened to the uproar and celebration of the Society of Light's leader, Saiou Takuma, from outside the White Dorm across the lake. More than half of the student body transferred to the society and the only ones left over were a few from Ra Yellow, including Kenzan, Shō and Misawa. Judai was among many other Osiris Red while very few Obelisk girls were left. Nao assumed that Ed Phoenix was an Obelisk too, but he appeared to be off limits to the society.

Later on the same day, the quintet overheard the Manjōme, Asuka and Saiou in a middle of a conversation with the two principals regarding the school field trip. Just when the two gave into the demanding glares from the white members, Judai impulsively barged in with the others behind him, demanding a challenge to decide on the destination. Saiou agreed on the circumstances given but he had chosen a different duelist to face him.

At the arena, Judai had thought for a moment that he was going to duel Asuka, but she was only near the field to hand his real opponent her duel disk - Princess Rose. For a member of the Society of Light, Nao's first impression of Judai's opponent was far from what she imagined in terms of attitude. Her politeness of tone had nearly rivalled her own.

"Dueling is beautiful," was her motto, but as soon as she had summoned her first monster, Nao and the others took back everything they initially thought with a grimace. A measly tadpole had taken arms against Judai. "That is not beautiful at all," Kenzan bluntly put at one point. Nao endured the shivers of slimy amphibians throughout the entire duel, but Princess Rose apparently had an absurd sense of imagination (and in men). When the Princess mentioned Duel Spirits, Nao felt like she was lost in her own thoughts because she hearing about them sounded familiar.

She brushed the idea aside after Judai claimed his victory and his freedom of choice for the field trip. "For our field trip, we're going to the sacred dueling ground where the Yugi and the Kaiba battled it out! Domino City!" Not that she didn't mind the modest destination, there was a distant feeling in her heart that things were going to take a morbid turn. She scolded herself that it she was being too negative on herself and to others.

The night before the students departed for the field trip, Nao made a trip to the infirmary for a checkup on her recent migraines she grew accustomed to. Professor Ayukawa felt around her head and briefly pressed on certain spots. She finished with a smile reporting, "You seem to be making progress. You haven't winced as much as your previous visit."

"Is that so?" she let out a breath she had been holding in, pleased with the results.

"I still suggest to take your regular medicine every day until the pains subside completely. I believe you will be just fine for the field trip. Make sure you get plenty of rest, Nao," she flipped through her clipboard and dismissed her student.

The young heiress made her way out of the main building towards the Red Dorm, but when she stepped outside, someone was already waiting for her. "How were your results," asked the Pro Duelist.

Nao barely gasped in surprise but she calmly collected herself and answered, "I haven't been feeling unwell recently, so they were excellent."

Ed stood up straight after leaning against one of the stone monuments and uncrossed his arms from waiting. "I'll walk you back. It's not even safe in the evening - especially with the Society of Light dominating the students here."

With every meeting the two of them shared recently, Nao had become more and more comfortable around him. It was a fond solace she couldn't particularly put her finger on, but she savoured it. Even Judai and the others noticed some of her cheeriness return after a while. The most surprising fact she had also discovered was that her migraines had decreased significantly. Spending time with Ed for even a few minutes each day had made a difference and so did her theory.

"Thank you," she said and they walked together by the cliffside road. Ed watched her slightly ahead of him, who skipped lightly between a few steps. There was a surge of accomplishment when he saw her pick up some of the habits and traits she used to have as a child. Even without her memories of him, they had gotten closer as friends. Nao didn't seem to mind the distance he occasionally displayed, but those were the moments he regretted. He tried harder to be more open to her and take things slow. It was the only way to keep her approachable.

Ed stopped when she stopped. He followed her gaze to the sunset touching the ends of the ocean. "Strange - I've been walking this path for more than a year and yet I never stopped to watch this," she giggled to herself, but halted her train of thought. He saw her expression freeze and blank out.

Just like when Judai and Ed had their rematch back then, Nao's current surroundings clouded with a piece of the past.

"Ed! Come here!" chirped a young Nao on a boat deck. The lights hanging from the rails and wires floated in the evening air. Her buttercup yellow dress ruffled in the light wind as she dashed to the bow. "The sun is setting now!"

"Of course. The sun can't stay for the entire day," said the boy beside her in a white dress shirt and black vest.

"That's not what I mean," Nao pouted, "Just look." She then opened her arms wide and inhaled the salty oxygen. "Whenever I watch the sun set on a boat, I go like this and fly."

"Fly? But you're shorter than the bar," Ed pointed to the metal cheekily.

"So? It's taller than you too," she pouted at him and fixed her gaze to the ocean again, "One day when I grow up, I will fly across the water towards that sun!"

"Nao?" Ed's questioning voice brought her back to the present. She went closer to the edge and mimicked her past self in that memory by spreading her arms out wide.

"It feels different," she mumbled, "Than moving towards the sun. There's no wind and I don't feel like flying up here. What was that memory?"

His eyes widened at her movements, knowing what she described so vaguely and so abstract. "It's always better on a boat where you're taller than the railing." Nao stayed in her position for a few more moments before turning to Ed with curious eyes.

"Have you done this before?" she asked sensitively. They kept eye contact for a while before he smirked slightly to himself and looked out at the orange refraction on the water.

"Many times."

For the first time, Nao didn't mind the pink blush that coated her cheeks in the warm light for him to see.

The next day at the Domino harbour, Judai and Nao hopped off the boat for Osiris Red students on arrival. Shō and Kenzan carried a seasick Misawa out behind them. Before they could decide how to spend their first day in the famous city, Napoleon announced through the megaphone, "Well, with that, we will now review our plans for today, everyone."

"My apologies, Vice-Principal. I have important matters that I must now attend to. We will be acting on our own accord," Saiou informed and led the white members into the city.

"There is no sense in looking after just them, then, is there?" Chronos looked over his shoulder. "You may use this day today to do as you see fit." With that, the two principals also left them.

"Seriously, what's going on with that Society of Light?" Misawa watched them disappear in the distance in slight envy.

"Well, this stuff's been going on for a while," Kenzan waved off.

"He's right. I've got places I want to go to, so getting to do what we want gives us a warm welcome," Judai grinned. Shō and Kenzan both offered their Big Bro a tour of the city, but neither wanted the other to do it. The shorter of the two backed up his claim with the fact that he defeated the dinosaur duelist, stirring up some old wounds.

Nao sighed but Misawa's question brought her attention to him and Ed. "Wouldn't you know what Saiou has been planning? Saiou is your manager, isn't he?"

"He isn't now," he bitterly answered.

"Just what is that Saiou thinking?" Misawa pressed on.

"I'm sure a duelist of your caliber is incapable of understanding how it is that Saiou thinks," Ed raised an eyebrow, glancing at Misawa's still-yellow uniform.

"I may look like this now, but I always had the skills to get into Obelisk," he argued.

"Then, why is it that you haven't been targeted by the Society of Light? Saiou said that he would get every valuable duelist into the Society of Light, one by one. It looks like your time has yet to come," he shrugged. When Misawa felt taken aback, he attempted to get Judai to back him up, but instead, he was left alone. He turned back to where Ed just stood, but he too had left with a bewildered Nao hand in hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked after finally kept up with his pace.

"Where no one else can disturb a proper date," he said.

"Date?" Nao didn't mind sticking with Judai, Shō and Kenzan, but when they left, she was at a loss until Ed suddenly took her hand. She looked down at her hand easily enveloped with his, and she didn't mind after the security sank in. It was certainly a better option than potentially being outmatched against Judai's endless energy.

When the two arrived into a more commercial area as opposed to the warehouses they ventured through, Nao saw that weren't many people on the street other than a select few. Of course, it was a school day and midterm exams were in session so high school students were either holed up in the classrooms, libraries or at home studying.

"What if people notice?" she meekly worried.

"They are either minding their own business or stuck in their own romance. Look around you more closely," he answered. There were some people alone on their phones or listening to music, and couples paying attention only to each other.

"This is Domino City after all. It is home to many dueling celebrities. You of all people would know this," he teased.

"I must be silly," she scratched her cheek, which he chuckled at. By the time they were deep in a light conversation, she had gotten used to the warmth of Ed's hand. They arrived at a small cafe, unfamiliar to Nao, with a fresh scent of coffee and chocolate pleasantly stirring her senses awake. When he sat her at a table for two, he let go of her hand which she suddenly felt the chill that replaced the heat.

While she busied herself with the menu, Ed remembered the last time he had a conversation with Saiou. After the man's failed attempt to convert Kenzan, he had been strangely inactive.

After ordering their drinks, Nao had a thought. "How different am I from what you remember?"

"Different?" he sipped on his tea, "I would tell you straight, but it would be worthwhile if you figured it out on your own. From where we are at now, there isn't enough for me to distinguish."

"I," she paused and looked down at her hot chocolate, "I want to know more. I feel like my memories are not returning if we just let it be. So I want to ask you for some answers."

Ed studied her determined eyes for a beat, seeing that she didn't waver. He smirked and complied. "Ask away."

Nao didn't expect him to agree, and so she didn't know where to begin. So she asked the simplest question she could think of. "How old were we when we met?"

"We were four years old, so about eleven years ago." Ed didn't answer right away, but he did with honesty. It wasn't painful when he shared something so secret like this, but just a little - only a little - he felt some of the weight lift from his chest.

"Then how long were we friends?"

Ed took another sip. "Two years."

Nao felt her heart drop to her stomach, realizing how she could have forgotten two years of her life.

"When I had forgotten, did I tell you to go away?" she looked away, waiting for his reply.

"No. I pushed myself away from you and your family," he said tonelessly.

"Why?"

"I can't answer that. I will give you one hint though. It was when I met Saiou after my father's funeral. When you left with your family, he foretold my fate. I couldn't understand until that day, that you were destined to die."

Nao then figured out why he said to Judai that she was killed by the criminal who caused the murder of Ed's father.

"If I was destined to die, then the fortune may not have meant it literally."

"That's right. When you awoke with memory loss, it did seem like you had died that day."

Ed knew she deserved to question everything, but she didn't take the opportunity to put blame on anyone. He would have stayed by her side at that hospital, but he left it up to fate. He was glad that he and Nao were able to meet again, though not in the best way possible. She had every right to feel betrayed.

"That person is still out there, right?" Ed remained silent. "You've been searching for him for all these years. I know that revenge may not bring your father back," she paused to take his hand this time, "But the most important thing is that you have never forgotten me."

They stayed in serene silence when Nao had another question. "There is one more thing. Did I ever play Duel Monsters with you?"

Before Ed could answer, the afternoon sun had become heavily clouded, but it didn't feel very normal for both of them inside the cafe. He paid for their drinks and Nao followed him outside.

"What is this feeling?" he muttered. Nao felt as if the city had been barricaded by something. She saw a flash of red running by, realizing that it was Judai searching for someone. He stopped by an alley and went in to help someone. She ran off to catch up to him.

"Judai!" she called his name. He turned his head and saw Nao and Ed close by.

"Nao, Ed," he greeted and turned to the old man beside him, "Gramps, they're from the same school I am."

"You two are from Duel Academia as well?" Nao recognized him as Mutō Suguroku, the grandfather of the famous King of Duelists - Mutō Yugi.

"Let's leave the long elderly talk for later," Ed said. "Judai, don't you feel something? It's faint to me but I can see huge shadows surrounding this city that have brought forth an intense feeling of oppression. After my duel with you, I've been able to see strange things every once in a while." He explained as he scanned the skyline and spotted four figures camouflaged in the sky.

"So then, can you see the spirits of Duel Monsters, too?" Judai implied.

"Judai! Look over there!" Nao interrupted urgently, pointing at one of the tall skyscrapers where a duel seemed to take place.

"That's Solid Vision! And a Dark Tyranno coming from it? Hey, wait! Is Kenzan having a duel over there?"

"Could it have some connection to this sensation?" Nao wondered.

"Let's go. Gramps, you come, too!" Judai said. He broke into a run with the elderly man and Nao hot on his heels. She kept an eye on the faraway Solid Vision for a while but when they arrived at the block just below the tower, the dark clouds cleared along with the four shadows.

"The guards that were surrounding the city are gone," Ed noted.

"Yuki Judai! Ed Phoenix," a teenager caught their attention. "I see you've arrived."

"And who are you?" Judai demanded.

"I'm one of the four Emperors working for Master Mizuchi: Kōrimaru," he introduced himself with an icy tone in his voice.

"Mizuchi? Are you talking about Saiou's sister Mizuchi?" asked Ed.

"You're looking for something, aren't you?" Kōrimaru coldly cackled. "I have the trash that you're looking for." Nao gasped when he referred Shō and Kenzan as trash. A gust of cold snow made them flinch and Kōrimaru was gone in a blink of an eye.

Just when Nao thought that the field trip was a time to relax, there was already a dilemma that hung Shō and Kenzan in the balance. From standing next to Ed, out of pure instinct, both their hands interlaced tightly and well concealed from Judai and Suguroku.

Ed gave her hand a brief squeeze to reassure her that her friends would be fine, even though he wasn't as close to them as she and Judai were. Since Saiou's sister Mizuchi was also involved, he would be too. He also thought back to the last question Nao asked - whether she played Duel Monsters back then.

She was wrong.

She never wanted to play at all.


A/N: Another EdxNao moment, but the plot is going to accelerate (I think) from this chapter. Not much Ryō coming up anytime soon until the GeneX Tournament. It is confirmed that Interlude Year 2 will star him again, but not sure when. In fact, the three interlude one-shots will only feature Ryō as the main point of view.

I probably have room to post up one more chapter this week before I move back to Waterloo for second year. Next chapter Nao will be dueling, so it might be up by Saturday night at latest.

yuuki01200 - I'm going to leave it as ambiguous for other readers to keep guessing. At this point, it's still a love triangle. I can't give away anything too far ahead of the plot.

Reviews are welcome but not obliged.