A/N: Since I don't know what happened to Nightshroud at the end, I'll just say his spirit was destroyed and reborn. Be gentle in your reviews. If you know what really happened to Nightshroud feel free to tell me!

Last Time

"Awesome I get to duel again, but after hearing what Zane said I have to keep my guard up." She told herself.

"But why do I get the feeling this will be a dangerous duel? I must be careful." She thought.

End Flashback

The day after Alexis received her letter, she was in her room the entire day on Friday and most of the day Saturday preparing her deck for her upcoming duel that night.

No one had heard a word from her.

She had even had her meals alone but as Jaden had told them, when a duelist has to prepare for a duel they need to be by themselves.

But Zane found this amount a little too much so to speak.

So about a half-hour before they had to go to the Kaibadome for her duel he knocked on her door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"It's Zane." He replied.

"Oh, come on in Zane." She said.

He opened the door and walked in, sitting on her couch next to her.

"Are you worried about your duel, Lexi?" He asked softly.

"A little." She told him.

Zane smiled as he looked at her, his grey eyes meeting her amber ones.

"Lexi it's ok to be a little scared." He told her gently.

"I'm not scared. I just don't want to lose." She confessed.

Zane chuckled softly. "Lexi, losing one duel isn't the end of the world here in the pros. It's losing 10 in a row like I did." He joked, getting a laugh out of the blonde girl.

Alexis smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks, Zane. That makes me feel better." She replied.

Zane looked thoughtful before smiling again. "Glad I could help Lex." He said as he left.

As he got to the door he turned around. "Oh and good luck with Jaden." He said as he left.

Alexis stared, looking puzzled by his remark. Then it hit her. He knew she was in love with Jaden!

Alexis blushed deeply at the fact that Zane actually knew without her telling him, but then again her actions around the Slifer brunette gave it away.

She had been in love with the child since his first year at the Academy.

But then there was Zane.

He was the quiet, reserved type.

She had small feelings for him since he came back to his old self at the end of her last year but they weren't even close to her feelings for Jaden.

The problem was, Blair loved Jaden as well.

She wished that she could hook Blair up with someone else so she could have Jaden to herself.

Then an idea struck. She could hook her up with Chazz, then Jaden would be free to be hers but first she had to focus on her duel then she would worry about Chazz.

But as she left, she noticed Syrus there looking at her.

She wondered what he wanted so she calmly but sweetly spoke up.

"Sy?" She asked.

"Yes Lex?" He asked.

"You look like something's on your mind." She replied.

The bluenette blushed. "Well there is, but it's a little embarrassing." He said gently.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly.

"Promise you won't laugh or make fun of me about it?" He asked.

"You have my word, Syrus." She told him.

"Well do you believe in duel spirits?" He asked.

"Yes I do Sy." She said still smiling.

"And do you believe in card crushes?" He asked, referring to when a duelist had romantic feelings for that of a monster spirit of their card.

"Yes but I, myself do not have one." She told him.

"Well my card crush is that of Yugi's famous Dark Magician Girl." He replied, blushing darkly.

"Dark Magician Girl?" She asks softly.

"Yes I used to claim we were going steady when I was little." He said, blushing even more until his face were the red of a tomato.

"Do you still believe in her?" She asked.

Syrus giggled and nodded.

"But I want to know how to win her heart." He said.

Alexis smiled sweetly. "Just be honest with her should you see her again one day." She told him gently.

Syrus smiled an angelic smile and nodded.

Alexis took her hand in his, and they walked to the limo together.

Once they were there safely, they got in their seats Alexis in the seat across from the driver's seat while Syrus was in the backseat both now securely fastened in their seatbelts.

The driver, much to Alexis' shock and surprise was Chazz himself.

"Chazz your driving?!" She squealed.

Her answer is a simple nod as Chazz starts up the limo.

Within 15 minutes, just 10 minutes before Alexis' duel was scheduled to begin the group arrives safely at the Kaibadome, Alexis and the rest of the group hurriedly running in.

Alexis steps on to the arena just 2 minutes before her duel is supposed to begin.

Her opponent walks in wearing a long cape that covers his face.

"Show yourself to me." She firmly declared.

"With pleasure." Her opponent replied removing his cape.

Alexis' eyes widened in terror as she felt her skin go white as did Syrus and Chazz.

"It can't be.. it's impossible. N-Nightshroud?" She asked shakily.

Nightshroud grinned as he nodded, the familiar Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon mask covering most of his face.

Alexis' legs began to quiver a little as she stared at Nightshroud her fear of the past slowly returning to her..

To be continued..