Chapter Seventeen

17

Chazz waited in the shadows of the Slifer Dormitory. Watching. Waiting for Norika to show up. Connar didn't show up at the beach this time, which was already suspicious enough for Chazz to wonder if she really meant what she said about sneaking away with Jaden tonight.

This is rediculous...

He thought to himself.

Why do I even care what those two losers do with each other at night!?

But that was the problem.

He did care. And it annoyed him even more not knowing why.

He got the feeling something was going on with Connar. She had been acting odd for quite a while... he grit his teeth and thrust his fist into the over grown earth around the Dorm that he was using as his concealer. Maybe following her tonight would clear some things up as to what it was that was happening with her.

If I figure that out...Maybe I can use that to-

He stopped himself with that thought as some shifting grass caught his attention and he shifted his gaze in its direction.

"Wow...you actually showed up." said Norika.

Chazz blushed.

"Yeah, well...so are you!" he huffed.

"I still don't know why you care so much..." Norika muttered.

"I told you...it's none of your bussiness!"

To be honest...he answered rather defensively...because he didn't even know the answer himself. Just what is it that Chazz wanted to do about anything having to do with Connar?

He knew his brothers wanted him to "take care of her" for "the plan" to succeed.

But...did he really want to succeed that way?

The sudden click of an opening door on the deck above startled them and they quickly ducked.

"It's Connar..." Chazz whisperedas he watched the pinkette walk out and lean against the railing. Her blue eyes shined in the light of the moon, revealing her face that seemed to be lost in thought. She wore a distant look that probed Chazz's curiosity. But it was short lived as he watched the slifer brunette creep out slowly and meet her.

"...And Jaden." said Norika, "They really are meeting up after hours!"

"But...why?" asked Chazz.

Though not even Norika could answer that one.

"All right Connie, Sy and Chumley are asleep." he said to her softly," But where's Norika?" he blinked.

"Beats me." said Connar, "But...it's never been uncommon for Nori to sneak out late and do God knows what."

"Oh...well then. "Jaden blinked, "Shall we get going?"

"Yeah, we better make it quick too... before Norika gets back and we are forced to explain ourselves to her." said Connar.

"Come to think of it...why haven't you told Norika?" Jaden blinked.

"Well..." Connar sighed, "Sometimes...even I don't understand what's going on." she stated, "And I think I would want to get a better handle on that before I tell her anything..." she sighed, "...I'd hate to say something weird and lose her too..."

"Aww, Connar..." Norika sighed, "I wonder what she things about herself that would be so terrible that I wouldn't want to be friends with her anymore..."

"Huh...I guess she doesn't trust you as much as I thought."

Norika twitched and shot a glare at him.

"And what's that supposed to mean!?" she huffed.

"It means I have nothing to worry about ~" he stated.

"Wait...Norika blinked, "You...were worried about her."

"Shut up!" he huffed, "Come on, they're getting too far ahead!"

This guy...

Norika thought to herself.

...Chazz Princeton, huh?

"I don't believe this!" Chazz hissed, keeping a safe distance behind the two,"Where the hell are they sneaking off to at this time of night!?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, genius!" said Norika, "Why do you think we are tailing them!?"

He couldn't tell what frustrated more.

Watching the two ahead of them get chummy as they walked close to each other to god knows where in the middle of the night. Or the fact that his sleep schedule was now out of wack thanks to him allowing Norika to call the shots.

"To think I've teamed up with a Slifer loser to follow another Slifer Loser and find out why he and Connie are suddenly best friends." he mumbled.

"...You do know Connar's a Slifer too, right?" asked Norika.

"Hmph, that's what you think..." said Chazz.

"She's wearing red, isn't she?" Norika blinked.

"Ph...yeah...by choice." he mumbled, "Connar is a Corporate heiress of a well known Duelist owned company...you really think she can't handle a deck?"

"I figured he just didn't do well on the test...like me." said Norika, "I can handle a deck as well as the next duelist but my tests leave more to be desired..."

"Connar is an A student." Chazz blinked, "Haven't you ever seen her report cards?"

"Wait...she is?" Norika blinked as she pondered.

"Jeeze..." Chazz sighed, "For someone who claims to be Connar's best friend you don't seem to know very much about her, at all." he blinked, "Do you even know who her father is?"

"I-"

"So...let me get this straight." Jaden'd voice rose bove, cutting Norika off and the two listened close, "You've been having weird dreams about Duel monsters and a magic well just chilling on the North side of the Academy at night?" He blinked as he pondered through Connar's story,"This isn't a horror movie is it?" he asked looking around the wooded area for traps that he knew didn't exist.

Chazz and Norika exchanged a quick glance before shifting back to the other conversation.

"In a weird way I can see how it would feel like one." Connar said awkwardly. She didn't really think much of the whole situation until she said it out loud to someone else. However, considering the situation that involved it, she didn't know who else she could turn to about it other than Jaden. And she certainly didn't feel like she could go alone.

Or that she should.

"I feel like, it's just... important that I atleast see if it's true..." she said softly,"Or if it really is just some weird dream."

"Well Connie, If you feel that strongly about it...Then how can I let you go by yourself?" he smiled,"So...is this the place?" they stopped and gave the area a scan. The place felt different from other parts of the island, but there was no well that they could see.

"I...think so?" she blinked as she scanned the area"Come on...it should be ahead!" she said as she took off running ahead."

"RIght behind you." said Jaden, running after her.

"Come on." said Chazz, "Let's move it!" he waited for a bit of distance between them before running silently through the shadows to catch up while Norika stood silently watching his back.

"Actually, Connar knew Chazz a bit longer than Norika"

That's what Alexis said...

Norika thought to herself as she watched Chazz run ahead with Connar in his sights.

So those two...really do have a history, don't they?

Norika blinked with narrowed amber colored eyes.

Connar...just how many things have you NOT told me...?

Connar was certain this was the place. But the well wasn't in sight.

Could it be that it really was all just 'Hocus Pocus' after all?

That phrase stuck with Connar eversince her father spoke against the possibility when she was small.

"What well could she possibly be talking about?" Chazz whispered to as Norika made her way up to meet him behind a tree they hid behind. he "There's no well on the north side of the island..."

"Connar! Look!" The slifer boy pointed straight ahead. The the area had a warm light that seemed to manifest itself.

"Ahh-!" Startled by the event taking place, the pink haired girl concealed herself behind Jaden, clinging to his Jacket while he stood in a defensive stance. Suddenly a light shone between them and a Brown fur ball with wings shot out from the boy's deck holster.

"Kuri~ Kurii~~"

"I-Is that a...Winged Kuriboh!?" Connar was shocked at what she was witnessing,"A Winged Kuriboh just flew out of your deck..."

"What's up, Partner?" Jaden asked, seeming completly unphased by the situation.

"Kuri~ Kurii Kurii~~!" After swerving a few times around, Kurioboh shot straight ahead to the light that was manifesting and began to circle it.

"I think he wants us to follow him." said Jaden

Connar swallowed nervously and nodded, staying close behind her Slifer class mate. Once they approached the area Kuriboh had lured them too, the light around the place faded and a well now stood in its place.

Chazz's eyes went wide and he gulped.

"So...it's a disappearing well?" Norika didn't know how to take this. And neither did Chazz as he watched from the foliage.

"What the hell is going on?" He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. This had to be some kind of dream. Just in case, he reached slowly into his jacket and pulled out a disposable portable camera, and began snapping photos of the two slifer students.

"Hey! WHat are you doing!" Norika hissed.

"Getting proof...in case I'm not dreaming." he stated.

What ever is going on these two are clearly still out after hours, with proof I can have them both expelled!

He clicked a few times and pondered in however didn't trust his claim at all.

"You do know if you try to use this footage to bust them...WE will get in trouble too, right!?" she stated, "We're ALSO here after hours! Just what sort of excuse were you hoping to give once you produced this 'proof'?"

Chazz froze for a moment.

Dammit...she's right.

hw gritted his teeth.

Was this really the right way to do this? Before he could second guess his actions fully, he noticed The cards of Connar's deck start to glow, and he quickly pulled away to witness the scene. The Pink haired girl picked up on it too and quickly relieved her deck from its holster. As she did so a giggling orb darted around them and teetered.

"At last~! I thought I was never going to get to play~!" The female voice chirped and suddenly Connar found herself thrown back, embraced in the arms of a familiar Magician Girl.

"Oh, ~ It's so good to see you again!" She teetered and squeezed the life out of the girl until her face went pale.'

"There's no way this is happening!" Chazz and Norika spoke together, and it seemed Connar couldn't believe it either, but trying to find logical explanations to the current events was only making her dizzy.

"Ooh, and I see you brought a boy with you~" she giggled,"Sneaking off together into the night~ Ahh SO scandelous~!"

"It's nothing like that-" Connar stated as she pushed the Magician back and then froze up looking into her trembling hands as the realization hit her that she had just touched a spirit.

"Jaden is here...to assure I'm not crazy." she said awkwardly,"Right Jaden? You're seeing this too? I'm not crazy?"

"Not unless we've both gone crazy." Jaden confirmed as he approached the well and give it a look over,"I can't believe the dream you told me about is real!" he stated,"Unless it's not...and we're both having a crazy dream together."

"Please do not start with "what if"s Jaden I am already over whelmed!" Connar exclaimed and she rapidly tossled her hair to try and make sense of the situation.

"Haha, okay I'm sorry." Jaden laughed and gave his female friend a gentle pat on the back,"But it's kinda of cool, isn't it?"

"NO!" Connar panicked, trying to steady her breaths as she placed a hand to her chest and heaved slowly.

"Oh you poor dear..."Dark Magician Girl sighed sadly,"You have repressed so much since that incident..."

"Incident?" Jaden blinked,"What incident is that?"

The blonde magician looked to the brunette and slowly shook her head.

"Best not to overwhelm her more by bringing it up...eventually I am certain it will rise on its own..." She sighed and gently give the girl a pat.

"You have come for something else though...haven't you?"

"Huh?" Connar blinked and looked up at the duel spirit before her,"How do you know about that?"

"You silly~" The Magician spirit giggled,"I'm the one who guided you here...don't you remember?"

Connar blinked for a moment and soon began to ponder, as she tried to recall the dreams she had, when suddenly she recalled the one thta stood out to her the most.

"Follow the light..." the voice said,"It will lead you to me."

Connar gave a soft gasp and found her focus shifted to the well.

"He's waiting for you, ." The magician whispered softly,"He has been waiting for you for a long time."

Connar blinked as her eyes fixated on the well before her and she slowly began to approach it.

"Wait, Connie!" Jaden reached out quickly and grasped her arm in his hand,"Be careful...We still don't know what this thing is exactly." he said softly. Acknowledging her friend's warning she gave him an undersatdning nod and gently pulled herself away from him.

"In my dream...a light came from this well, and someone called to me from within it." she explained,"So I reached my hands out like this, and-" As she replayed the actions from within her dream, the light from inside grew bright. Jaden was in shock as he watched the event. As the girl reached her hands out to grasp the light, it began to take a humanoid shape.

" ~" a familiar male voice resonated from it,"At last...!" In a sudden flashed that blinded the two friends, an all too familiar figure now sat before her on the edge of the well, with one leg over the other, and a warm hearted fatherly smile as her hand rested within his.

"No way...!" Jaden stated in Awe,"Is that...Kaibaman!?"

The spirit chuckled and glanced at Jaden's direction.

"Hello, to you too." he said.

Connar stood frozen, with her hand secured snugly in the spirit's warm grip.

"Uh...Connie?" Jaden prodded for her attention, but her presence in the situation was shot. She gasped quickly darting backwards, and let out a shrieking scream.

To Be Continued