"So this is it, huh?" Frigg asked. "We're finally going home."

Odin nodded, "Yeah. We've done all we can here. It's time to get back to our own people... and help them while we still can." He turned to Alina. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes," she replied, "the tower is fully operational. It should be able to send you back without problems."

"Perfect," Odin hummed. "Then I'll be able to give Z-one his just desserts for sending us here in the first place. And the thing...?"

"I'll agree to stay behind," said Alina. "It simply wouldn't do to leave this world's Surtr and Freyja alone to manage our card shop, after all."

Odin stared at Alina quietly. "Then this is goodbye," he said after a moment, and he stepped forward to offer a handshake. Alina shook it respectfully. "We'll call you if we need anything. Until then, take care of my younger self."

"I'll do my best," Alina said with a smile, and their hands separated. Frigg watched over the scene with a frown.

"Ah, and Alina, if you don't mind..." she began, only to trail off. She shook her head a moment later. "No, never mind."

"It's fine, Frigg." Alina said. "You simply wanted to ask if I'd do the same for you, no?"

Frigg flinched at Alina's acute sense of awareness, but recovered nicely. Even so, she folded her arms and sniffed haughtily. "O-Of course not! You think I care about that harlot simpleton? She could have stayed in that horror-induced coma for all I care-!" her rant was cut off by Odin's hand on her shoulder, and once again, she flinched.

"It's fine, Wis." He said. "We all know you're a little soft-hearted on the inside."

Frigg blushed at the words, and Odin released his grip on her shoulder. He gave Alina a nod, and watched as she fired up the machine meant to send them back home.

"It's a shame," he murmured. "It was nice... seeing the world like it was before... well, you know."

Frigg nodded in agreement. "With any luck, the Zero Reverse will never happen here. All those lives won't be lost."

"Either way," Odin replied, "our time here is done."

The portal opened, and they vanished into its midst.


Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force


Learning to Shine


Arc Two - Chapter Nine


Hope


Back at Duel Academy, a great change was underway. All the men and women of Obelisk Blue were busy painting their dorm. Why? Because Duel Academy had a new Vice-Chancellor, and he had far more influence than the lowly Doctor Crowler.

His name... was Sartorius.

He came to the school during shortly after Konami left with Jaden, and brought with him so many resources and credentials that Crowler simply couldn't say no. It certainly didn't hurt that the lipstick-wearing Chancellor didn't want to in the first place. Why would he, when all Sartorius wanted the title he himself once used to own?

So Crowler gave Sartorius the position of Vice-Chancellor, and returned to his own duties as Chancellor-temp. Perhaps he should have waited before doing so. Not even an hour into his new job did Sartorius put several new decrees into effect. The skill and efficiency in which he did so would have made even Pegasus blush.

The first decree? All Obelisk Blue dorms shall be repainted white.

The second? All high-scoring students shall meet with Sartorius to decide future career choices.

It seemed harmless enough, and due to Crowler passing on the position of Obelisk Blue head to Sartorius as part of the job... it was only natural that a few changes came with it, right?

Wrong.

"I'm telling you, he's weird." Alexis murmured, discussing the new faculty member with her friends in the safety of the Slifer Red Dorm. "Have you seen the way he looks at us? It's like he's hungry... or hunting."

"I don't know what you're talking about Alexis," Mindy sighed. "Vice-Chancellor Sartorius is just amazing..."

Her words came out in a dreamy sigh, but they only served to further Alexis' suspicions. Mindy had been one of the first to meet with the man following the second decree, and ever since she had she'd been acting... strange. If Alexis wasn't so worried about the same thing happening to her, she would've thought it begged investigating.

As it was, she decided it'd have to wait until someone more expendable was around. Like Chazz.

Or Konami.

"Why does he want the Obelisk Dorms repainted anyway?" Bastion asked. "Did he tell you guys anything?"

"You think I'm privy to Vice-Chancellor Sartorius' master plan?" Mindy breathed. "Don't be silly, silly! It's far too complicated for someone like me to worry about."

"In other words, he has a master plan, but just hasn't told anyone." Bastion deduced.

Syrus frowned from the other side of the room. "I don't know why you guys are even looking into this. We all know that if something big's happening, the best thing to do is just wait until Konami and Jaden get back. At least that way we'll have a fighting chance."

If Chazz was there, he most certainly would have taken offense to that.

But he wasn't, so he didn't.

"Man up, Syrus!" Alexis said instead, taking up the Princeton's mantle in his absence. "We're not sidekicks, and this isn't some sort of fairytale! It's real, so we can't just depend on someone else to save us all the time! Not when there's a chance that they won't even come back. Especially after what happened last year!"

"I know..." Syrus murmured, having been thoroughly chastised on the matter before. "But still-"

Bastion interrupted him with a question directed at Alexis. "You still think they're going to run off and never return?"

"Of course not," Alexis said. "At least not where Jaden's concerned. But Konami? Well, it wouldn't be the first time for him, would it?"

"So you are still holding a grudge about that." Syrus noted. "He said sorry!"

"He did, and I accepted his apology," Alexis replied. "But I still need a little time. Anyway, we're getting beside the point. We're supposed to be talking about Sartorius here, not Konami and his habit for fleeing the scene."

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you." Bastion replied. "Until Chazz gets back from his meeting with Sartorius, there's nothing to really discuss. The only thing I can recommend is that we keep our heads down..."

"And wait for Jaden?" Syrus added hopefully.

Bastion sighed. "Yes Syrus, and wait for Jaden."

With Jaden

Despite his horrendous optimistic outlook on life, Jaden Yuki of Slifer Red had recently come to a single, startling revelation.

Surviving on a boat sucked.

"I wonder if this is how Chazz and Konami felt when they left for North Academy," he moaned, gripping his stomach in pain as it groaned and churned in hunger and fear. It had scarcely been a day since he'd set sail to recover his sight, and already his rations were running low. He supposed he should have listened when that Frigg woman told him to pack heavy.

Being Jaden however, he hadn't, and now he was paying the price.

'Water...' he thought, attempting and failing to catch a single drop from his surprisingly empty bottle. 'I need water...'

It was all around him, but there was just one problem; it was filled with salt.

"Yeah, I'm positive this is how they felt when they left for North Academy," he grumbled. Tossing the empty bottle aside, he rolled onto his back and stared at the clear blue skies above. "Well, at least I have a nice view."

Unfortunately for him, even that was about to change.

The sun grew bright, or at least that's what it looked like. In actuality however... destiny was about to strike.

A streaking meteor crashed into Jaden's boat, obliterating it and everything else in the vicinity in seconds. Only Jaden survived; Jaden... and the deck of cards he could not see.

"Ugh... Wha...?" he murmured, gripping his head in pain as he made to stand up. The feel of soft sand beneath his hands drew his attention however, and he glanced to the endless sea that lay before him. "What just happened? If feels like I got hit by a truck. Did I... somehow wind up back at Duel Academy?"

He glanced to the sky, only to find the large, bulking planet of Jupiter staring back at him.

"W-What?!" He cried out, staggering back onto his butt in surprise at the sight of it. "Jupiter?! Okay, that's it! This is all just one bad dream! Yeah, as soon as I pinch myself awake, I'll be back on my boat in the middle of nowhere and... and...!" He didn't know what came after that. What he did know however, was that he was still hungry. "Aw man," he grumbled, rubbing his stomach softly. "If this is a dream, couldn't I have at least dreamt myself into a fast food joint? Or at least a place with cable?!"

The sound of a dolphin chirping broke his thoughts, and shortly after, an echoing voice rang through the air.

"Don't you know all that television rots your brain?" it asked, prompting Jaden to glance to the sea in surprise.

"The only ones here are the dolphins and me, so..." he glanced to the small blue head of the underwater creature that poked just above the sea's surface. "...Is that you talking to me, dolphin? Did you talk just now?"

"That's right," the dolphin said. "Welcome, Jaden Yuki."

Jaden sighed. "I knew it. I really am dreaming."

"No," the dolphin said, raising a human hand to gesture to the stars. "You're on Io, a moon of Jupiter. Neo Space. You were invited to come here." The dolphin dove up onto the beach then, revealing its human-like appearance, much to Jaden's surprise.

"That dolphin has legs!" he gasped. "I thought dolphins were all fins?!"

The dolphin nodded, and then gestured to itself proudly. "I am a dolphinian, a resident of Neo Space."

Jaden sighed. "This has gotta be some weird hallucination or something."

"Well for now," the dolphinian stated, "I don't mind if you think that. But at the very least, would you hear me out?"

"Sure," Jaden replied with tears in his eyes. "Do whatever you want with me."

The dolphinian smiled back sheepishly, and then began to explain. "In all things, the light and the darkness are opposed. In a way, the universe is a battlefield of darkness versus light. Put another way, you could say that it's a world where good and evil duel perpetually. The universe is a gentle world of darkness that nurtures life. But right now, that universe is threatened with ruin by the Light of Destruction. We were searching for someone with the power of Gentle Darkness to fight against that light." The dolphinian smiled, then pointed to Jaden. "And we found you."

"M-Me?" he asked in reply, blinking in confusion.

"Yes."

"No way," Jaden laughed. "I don't have the type of power it takes to save the universe."

The dolphinian sighed. "Listen Jaden," it said, crouching down so it stood face-to-face with the boy, "the Duels you've been learning how to fight are fundamentally the same as this war of light against darkness. Do you understand?"

It was here where Jaden's intelligence shone.

"No," he said, "not at all."

The dolphinian groaned. "Why did you choose to learn how to duel?" It asked, trying another method instead.

"Why?" Jaden asked. "Look, ever since I Dueled Aster Phoenix, my mind's been a white blank. I can't even remember what I've been dueling for..."

He made to continue, but several other dolphins chose that exact moment to chirp in fear. The noise prompted the dolphinian to glance to the stars, and he watched as a single sphere of light descended toward them.

Within it was an advanced piece of machinery.

"Not good," the dolphinian grunted, rising back to his feet. "He's come!"

"Huh? What?" Jaden asked, rising to his feet as well. "Who's "he"? Wait, is that a UFO?"

"I told you before!" the dolphinian grunted. "He's one of the servants of the light, trying to destroy the universe!"

Jaden nodded.

The UFO continued to descend, and as it neared the surface of Io its shine began to fade. The dolphinian watched it all with a serious gaze, and then turned back to Jaden hurriedly.

"We must protect our Neo Space from him," he said. "Lend me your power."

Jaden chuckled worriedly. "But I don't have lasers or beam-shooting katanas or anything..."

"You don't need such things to fight them." The dolphinian stated. "To fight them, you need only Duel Monsters!"

"Duel Monsters?" Jaden breathed.

The UFO landed. Five pronged legs smashed into the sand, and from within its core unit, a small futuristic robot appeared. Wrapped in a golden light of power, it descended to the beach slowly. Jaden took special note of the Duel Disk equipped to its left arm.

"What's that thing?" he asked, not referring to the Duel Disk, but the machine itself. The dolphinian frowned.

"Okay," he said, jumping behind Jaden for defense. "It's your turn. Show me your power as a Duelist."

Jaden gulped. "But I don't have a deck!" he yelled, even as the dolphinian began pushing him toward the robot. "I told you, the deck I've been using has gone all blank! I can't see anything but white space from them!"

"Deck?" the dolphinian asked him finally. "Your deck fell from space when you did." It stopped pushing Jaden, and pointed to a large crippled sphere lying in the sand. Jaden glanced at it in surprise.

"This thing is... a satellite?!" he asked, seeing a worn label attached to the beaten machine's side. A panel fell from the machine not a second later, revealing a small yellow capsule that Jaden grabbed. He twisted it open, only to find a small package wrapped in Duel Monsters packaging. He shared a look with the dolphinian.

"Jaden..." it told him just as he prepared to unwrap it, "remember your excitement. You're the only one that can save Neo Space."

"I'm flattered and all," Jaden said, taking hold of the deck within, "but why me?"

"Because Jaden," the dolphinian said. "Saving Neo Space also means saving Earth. You're a hero!"

"Hero?" Jaden asked.

"The hero that'll save the universe," the dolphinian explained. "Jaden Yuki."

The robot must have been polite, as it did nothing but wait during their entire conversation. Finally however, Jaden was ready to throw down.

"Alright, you evil alien..." he told the machine, "I, Jaden Yuki, shall face you!" He punched his fist forward confidently, but gasped in surprise as a Duel Disk suddenly materialized on his arm. Still, he took it in stride. He glanced back to his dolphinian friend and smiled. "Sorry if I lose," he told it, and it smiled back.

"Well," it said, "please try to win."

The robot took that as an invitation. It hovered another inch forward, and its circular green eyes blinked and glowed. "Beep Boop." it said, speaking like the machine it was. "Duel."

"Okay," Jaden agreed with a nod of his head. "let's Get our Game On!"

"DUEL!"

JADEN - 4000 LP

ALIEN OF LIGHT - 4000 LP

They both drew five cards, but Jaden, taking advantage of the machine's personality, drew a sixth. "My Turn!" he shouted as he did, taking a lesson from Konami in going first. "Draw!"

TURN ONE - JADEN - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

He glanced at the cards in his hand; still blank. He shot a worried look at the dolphinian behind him, who only nodded encouragingly at the boy. Jaden glanced back at his cards, and suddenly, something changed. A series of blue bubbles burst from his drawn card, giving it form where once there was none.

"I can see the card!" he breathed, glancing at it in surprise. "But wait, what's that written on it?!" He raised his hand to the sky. "Time out for a sec! I'll be right back, promise!"

He quickly raced back to the beaten satellite, and more specifically, the dirty label plastered on its side. Using his finger, he smeared away the chunk of dirt covering the letters.

"Kaiba..." he murmured. "The Kaiba Corporation! Then that means... these cards are from that contest! These must be those cards I entered!" he glanced back at his hand. "I don't get the gist of it, but if these really are those cards... then this is gonna be real exciting!"

That was all it took.

One by one, the blank cards that remained regained their form, revealing the hand he needed to see.

Polymerization, De-Fusion, two Fusion Sages, Monster Reincarnation, and something new.

"That's right," the dolphinian said. "The cards you designed were received, and imbued with the breath of the universe we expel to create new Duel Monsters. Incidentally, it looks like you running away made that robot pretty mad, so you take it from here, okay?"

Jaden glanced to the robot in surprise, and reeled back at the sight of its glowing green eyes.

"Darkness that smothers the universe," it hissed mechanically, "a peaceful ocean of darkness. Dark matter, which sparks life...!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Jaden interrupted, quickly running back to where he stood when the Duel began. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting!"

"A light which burns all," the robot continued, "the expansion of entropy, and then heat death. That will mark the end of the universe!" Sparks of the lightning flew from its form as it ranted, and Jaden felt a bead of sweat comically roll down the back of his head.

'I have no idea what he's talking about,' he thought, "I summon Chrysalis Dolphin in Defense Position!" he said instead, placing his new card onto his Duel Disk.

A small pink creature wrapped in a crystal bubble materialized at the words, and it covered its body with its tiny fins.

Chrysalis Dolphin - (WATER/Fish) - LV2 - (400/600)

"My Turn is over," Jaden said then, prompting the robot to draw.

"Beep boop," it replied, "Draw!"

TURN TWO - ALIEN OF LIGHT - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"I send two cards from my hand to the Graveyard," it began, "to Special Summon the Level Twelve Candelato, the Beast of Light!"

A large two-headed alien appeared at the robot's behest, glowing with the Light of Destruction. Its skin was a rubberish orange, but that did nothing to take away from its heads' sharp and menacing jaws.

Candelato - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (0/0)

"A Level Twelve monster?" Jaden asked warily. "But it's got zero Attack Points..."

"Beep boop. Candelato receives a thousand Attack and Defense Points for each card in my hand." The robot explained. "I currently have three cards in my hand, so Candelato has three thousand Attack Points! Beep boop."

The orange alien howled as its stats increased, and Jaden winced at the sight. He wasn't the only one, his new pinky buddy shivered as well.

Candelato - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (3000/3000)

"Beep beep boop." the robot chuckled. "Afraid? Beep boop. Fear not. On the Turn that this monster is Special Summoned, it cannot attack. I end my Turn."

"My Turn," Jaden replied. "Draw!"

TURN THREE - JADEN - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"I Normal Summon Dandylion in Defense Position!" he shouted a second later.

The small, flower-maned lion appeared in response, and it knelt beside Chrysalis Dolphin in a poor effort to defend itself.

Dandylion - (EARTH/Plant) - LV3 - (300/300)

"Well, beep?" the robot asked. "Do you have anything else to do? Beep boop."

"No, I end my Turn." Jaden said.

"Well then, when Candelato is on my side of the field, I skip my Draw Phase." The robot explained.

"In other words," Jaden countered, "as long as it's around, you can't draw any more cards."

"Beep boop. I need no more cards to lead you into heat death." It replied cockily. "My Turn!"

TURN FOUR - ALIEN OF LIGHT - THREE CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"Candelato... Death Shining!" It shouted.

The two-headed alien roared as the blue lights atop its heads shone brighter than before. Purple energy gathered in their mouths, and a second later they opened wide, unleashing a stream of energy that raced toward Dandylion.

The poor plant didn't stand a chance.

But it did give Jaden one.

"Dandylion's effect activates!" Jaden countered, wincing as the monster was blown off the face of Io. "When Dandylion is destroyed by battle, I Special Summon two Fluff Tokens in Defense Position!"

Whisps of Dandylion's glowing remains gathered at Jaden's words, materializing once more in the form of two small fluff monsters.

Fluff Token - (WIND/Plant) - LV1 - (0/0)

Fluff Token - (WIND/Plant) - LV1 - (0/0)

"Beep boop. Zero Defense Points," the robot noted. "You have nothing but small monsters in your hand. Beep boop. I end my Turn."

"My Turn!" Jaden shouted. "Draw!"

TURN FIVE - JADEN - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"And what a draw it is! I activate... Pot of Greed!" he shouted, revealing the card everyone knew and loved. "I draw two cards from my deck." He smiled as he found out what they were. 'I understand, dolphinian.' he thought. 'The concept of this deck..."

'That's right, Jaden.' the dolphinian thought, seeing that Jaden knew. 'The unfettered heart you used to create those cards links your universe with ours. Be the bridge between them, wielder of the Gentle Darkness.'

Jaden nodded. "Here I go. I activate my Spell card Contact!"

A portal to space suddenly appeared on the field, and the robot raised its head in surprise.

"Beep beep boop?"

Jaden smiled. "This card lets me send all monsters with "Chrysalis" in their name to the Graveyard, and Special Summon the monsters listed in their text from my deck or hand, ignoring all summoning requirements. I send Chrysalis Dolphin to the Graveyard to Special Summon Neo Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"

A blue light wrapped around the pink dolphin as Jaden spoke, and the dolphinian Jaden spoke to earlier suddenly leapt onto the field.

Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin - (WATER/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"At last, the door between Neo Space and our universe is opened!" Jaden shouted, clenching his fist energetically. "It's the birth of a new hero from the Neos Universe! I tribute my two Fluff Tokens to summon... Elemental Hero Neos!"

White light burst from the field where the two Fluff Tokens sat, and through their sacrifice a gallant warrior was born. Clad in silver with muscles that made the Greeks themselves jealous, he stood powerfully alongside his dolphinian friend.

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"Ever since I was a little kid, I waited with so much excitement for this moment, when a new hero appeared. Damn! I'm remembering all the excitement I felt back then!" he pumped his fist into the air and jumped. "Yeah!"

"Beep boop." The robot replied. "I cannot comprehend this creature's mental constitution."

"Let's go! I activate Aqua Dolphin's effect!" Jaden said, discarding Polymerization. "By discarding one card, I can check your hand and select one monster card. If a monster with higher Attack Points is on my side of the field, I destroy that card and deal five hundred points of damage to you!" he threw out his hand and activated the effect. "Echo Location!"

Opening its mouth, Aqua Dolphin released a loud, horrendous screech, forcing one of the cards in the robot's hand to reveal itself. Jaden took in the card and grinned. It was Different Dimension Dragon, a Level Five monster with twelve hundred Attack Points.

"Gotcha! I found it!" he exclaimed. "Pulse Burst!"

Again, Aqua Dolphin screeched. That time, however... something different happened. The emblem on Neos' chest glowed, releasing a large blue burst of lightning that shattered the robot's card.

JADEN - 4000 LP

ALIEN OF LIGHT - 3500 LP

"Since you're down to two cards, your monster's Attack Points drop as well!" Jaden reminded the robot.

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (2000/2000)

"I discard one more card..." Jaden continued, sending his first Fusion Sage to the Grave, "and use Aqua Dolphin's effect once more! Echo Location!"

Yet again, the blue humanoid released a screech of power. Yet again, a card in the robot's hand was revealed.

Different Dimension Beast - fourteen hundred Attack Points.

"Pulse Burst!" Jaden repeated, prompting Neos to fire off another bolt of righteous fury.

JADEN - 4000 LP

ALIEN OF LIGHT - 3000 LP

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (1000/1000)

"And one more time!" Jaden said, discarding his final Fusion Sage.

For a third time, his dolphinian monster released a howl that revealed the lone card in the robot's hand.

It was D.D. Scout Plane. Eight hundred Attack Points.

"Pulse Burst!"

JADEN - 4000 LP

ALIEN OF LIGHT - 2500 LP

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (0/0)

"Now! Elemental Hero Neos! Take out that stupid space monster!"

Neos nodded, leaping through space and time to face the twin-headed alien head-on.

"Take this," Jaden roared as he did, "the rage of Neo Space... Wrath of Neos!"

With a fierce karate chop, Neos split Candelato in two, forcing the monster into a violent explosion that mimicked the hero shows of old. A shower of darkness followed the explosion, and within it, the robot couldn't help but cry out.

"Light..." it murmured. "More light!"

There would be none. With one last cry, it too vanished into the darkness, leaving nothing but memories behind.

Jaden lowered his Duel Disk, and as he did, Neos faded from view.

"Is that enough?" he asked himself. "Is the universe safe?"

"The real fight is yet to come," Aqua Dolphin said. "But you passed the test Duel."

"Test?" Jaden asked, confused.

Aqua Dolphin smiled. "Jaden, you haven't lost the pure heart that first made contact with us when you were a child. You just may be able to save the universe from the Light of Destruction."

The dolphins chirped in agreement, and Aqua Dolphin smiled.

"They say, "Give it your best.""

Jaden grinned and shot them a two-fingered salute. "Gotcha! Thanks!" he blinked. "Huh?"

His vision was swimming. With one last grunt, he fell to the sand, exhausted. He awoke some time later, to the clear blue skies of earth, and more importantly, Duel Academy.

"What...?" he whispered, leaning upward as he felt strength flow through his body. "So it was just a dream after all? Heheh... I guess it had to be. I was on Io, after all! Still..." he glanced at his deck, noting it was the same one he'd seen in the dream. "You helped me remember the excitement of Dueling. So I won't give up, no matter what happens!"

The form of Aqua Dolphin stared back at him, and the Duel Spirit housed within smiled.

"That's right, Jaden." It said. "The unfettered heart you used to create those cards links our universes. Be the bridge between them, and save our worlds!"

"Yeah," Jaden nodded, and he smiled into the blue sky. "It's time to Get My Game On!"


Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force


Learning to Shine


Arc Two - Chapter Nine


END


Still alive.