A good day to you all. Man, it's great to be back! Sorry for the delay you guys, it's been a rough time lately. I've had a few internet connection problems and the like, and yes, it lasted that long. Unbelievable, but true nonetheless. I promise to make up for it with a great chapter to kick off the second arc!

Thanks for the support so far! It's been great to know that people are still following this story, even during this little hiatus. Today's chapter takes a more dramatic approach, that will reveal a lot of hidden secrets, and culminate in probably one of the most unexpected, if not shocking, cliffhangers I have ever written, so please look forward to it. All I can say is that it's going to really be a turning point in the relationship of two certain friends...

Last time on Beyond the Academy:

Jaden's night out is disrupted by Fira, a member of the elemental knights, who kidnaps Alexis and poisons everyone, then forces him to duel her, with lives on the line. He then has a chance meeting with a man, who knows a lot about the Supreme King. A new battle is about to begin.

So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!

Chapter 11: Unspoken Words

Part 1

When Jaden arrived back at the restaurant, the medics and the cops were already there. The medics had a shocked look on their faces; after all, the people who had been poisoned, and looked to be on the verge of death, had suddenly woken up from their slumber, as if nothing had happened to them. After multiple tests, they determined that there was inconclusive evidence of the fact that the people had been poisoned, whether by the restaurant or otherwise, due to a lack of proof of any traces of the poison inside the bodies of the victims. Of course, they didn't have Jaden's eyes, which saw the black poison mist silently leave the bodies of the people, and disappear into the night.

"It seems like that man held his part of the bargain," said Yubel.

"Seems so," replied Jaden, as he went over to the medics to get Alexis treated, and to confirm if she was okay or not.

As soon as he gently placed Alexis on the floor of the restaurant for the doctors to examine her, Jaden collapsed, probably due to fatigue, and passed out. The last thing he saw as his eyes began closing shut, were the medics who were treating Alexis, and the others who had just noticed that he fainted, coming to his aid.

Atticus yawned, as he woke up from his little coma. "What happened to me?" was the first thing he asked himself, before turning to check on Mac, who was still unconscious. "Hey Reg, rise and shine," he said in a sweet voice, attempting to wake her from her slumber. After shaking her body gently a few times, she slowly began to awaken.

"Huh, what happened?" she asked in a groggy voice, while rubbing her eyes. "Last I remember, we were watching Jaden and Alexis having their little chat, and then there was this dark fog or something that started to fill this place up. After that, it's just blank. Empty, as if I was asleep the whole time," she explained, trying to recall the events that had transpired.

"Yeah, everyone was in a state of panic, thanks to the fog, but suddenly we all just lost consciousness or something, probably due that mysterious mist, but right now, everyone seems to be fine, as if nothing happened," he explained.

They both noticed that the police and several medics were swarming the place, checking on each and every one of the customers and staff members, who had apparently all fallen under the same circumstances as the two of them. A policeman then noticed the two of them, and walked over.

"Are you two alright? Do you feel weird or sick?" he asked.

"No officer, we're perfectly fine," replied Atticus. "What happened here, though?"

"Well, based on reports from the first team of medics to arrive on the scene, everyone in the restaurant seemed to be in a comatose state, and all of them seemed to have been poisoned, which was strange, considering that the place was nice and tidy when we arrived, besides a few tables that had been knocked over, and a strange burn mark in the middle of the room," the officer reported. "Then, several minutes later, the victims started waking up, as if nothing ever happened, and there were no traces of poison in their bodies. Not a single drop! It's as if the poison had simply disappeared into thin air! Amazing, right!"

Atticus and Mac looked at each other for a second. "So, everyone inside is okay?" asked Mac.

"Pretty much. The only two cases that were a bit severe, were a boy and a girl who arrived at the restaurant in tatters," he replied.

Atticus and Mac instantly widened their eyes, and began looking around at the other people inside, hoping that those two weren't the duo that the cop described. After failing to locate them, Atticus ran back to the officer.

"Where are those two? What happened to them? Can you tell me what they look like?" he asked in a loud, panicked voice.

The officer began to back down due to the pressure exerted on him. "Woah, calm down sir. Like I said, it wasn't that severe. If you want to know more, the two of them are being treated at the front door, and the medics can give you a better explanation of the situation. The docs are debating whether or not to take them to the hospital, or let them rest at home instead, seeing as their injuries aren't life-threatening. As for what they looked like, I think the boy had brown hair and eyes, while the girl had blonde hair,and was probably the prettiest girl I've seen in a long time, and... HEY!" The officer stopped as he noticed that the two of them were making their way to the front door.

As they reached the front door, they saw the two of them lying down on stretchers and being attended to by the doctors. "Alexis! Jaden!" Atticus called out to the two of them, as he made his way to their side. Mac gasped at the scene of the two of them, while Atticus frowned and clinched his fist. Alexis's dress was dirty and slightly torn, and her right hand was completely swollen. She also had a few cuts and bruises, but her case was nothing compared to Jaden's. His suit had been torn to shreds, and he had various cuts, bruises and burns all over his body.

"What happened to the two of them?! Are they alright?!" Atticus asked the medic treating them in a loud voice, clearly about to enter a fit of rage.

"Calm down, sir," she replied. "They're both okay. The boy looks bad on the outside, but in reality he's just fatigued. We've treated the major injuries, and at the surprising rate that they're healing, he'll be as good as new within a couple of days. As for the young lady, except for her right hand, she's fine physically. I would recommend letting her rest that right hand in ice for at least a few days, while periodically removing it to apply some ointment. She apparently also received a couple of sharp blows to the stomach area, but again, nothing too serious. On the inside, however, it's a different story, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" asked Mac.

"Well," the medic began, "normally, all the pain she received on the outside should have been bearable after treatment, but that toxin that we analyzed earlier increases the sensitivity of the nerves and pain receptors, and I think that this young lady was exposed to that toxin, when she received her bruises. As such, whoever or whatever gave her those injuries, while it seemed fine on the outside, on the inside, the confused nerves registered the pain as immense, and in shock from receiving that level of pain, she probably passed out."

"Well, did you see what happened to them, or do you at least have an idea?" asked Mac, while calming Atticus at the same time.

The medic simply shook her head. "No idea," she replied. "The theory, though, is that the two of them were attacked." Atticus and Mac widened their eyes in disbelief, while the medic continued. "Seeing all the cuts and bruises, as well as the torn clothes, led us to this theory, seeing that everyone else was alright." The medic got up, and asked, "By the way, are you two relatives of the victims? If so, then I need you to kindly decide on a course of action; whether to take these two home, or to the hospital. So, what's it going to be?"

"Yes, the girl is my sister Alexis, and the young man is one of my good friends, and her boyfriend, Jaden," replied Atticus.

"So, her boyfriend, huh," the medic said, while giving a small smile. "Well that explains a lot."

"What do you mean?" asked Mac.

"Well, as you can see, Jaden over here took a good amount of physical damage, while Alexis took less. My deduction is this; whoever or whatever attacked them, it seems that over here was protecting Alexis from physical harm as best he could, hence the difference in the number of cuts and bruises," explained the medic. "Man, I'm so jealous! I wish my boyfriend actually had the guts to protect me like that. Most boys would probably turn tail, and run in the face of extreme danger. Sadly, I guess I'm stuck with him," she sighed, while Atticus and Mac gave confused looks.

"Alright, I think it's best that we just take the two of them home to rest, if the injuries truly aren't severe," decided Mac after a brief silence.

"Sure, just let me get some meds from the ambulance, and some ointment for the young lady," replied the medic, as she went over to pick up the prescriptions from the other doctors.

Atticus stared long and hard at Jaden, a slightly sad expression crossing his face. All this time, he had known that to Alexis, Jaden had a special place in her heart. However, he didn't know how Jaden felt in return, and at some points, had just given up, and tried to hook up Alexis with other guys he knew. He had always been positive, though, that Jaden had at least some romantic feelings for Alexis, but could never actually confirm it.

Mac took one look at Atticus, then hugged him tightly. "Atty, calm down. You heard her, they'll be fine," she said. "They just need some rest."

After a brief moment, Atticus spoke up. "You know, originally, I was gonna shout, scream, or even take my anger out on someone for what happened. But, I'm actually a little happy, believe it or not." Mac looked confused, as he continued. "I'm glad that Jaden was there to prevent the worst from happening." He then looked up to the sky. "You know what, I'm going to stop trying to hook up my sister with guys she's clearly not interested in, because of my selfish desires, and I'm going to let her focus all her attention towards that dense oaf over here. But to do that, you and I are going to have to keep any unwanted ladies out of his life. So, you in Mac?" he smiled.

She sighed, before returning the smile. "As long as it doesn't involve anything serious or flirty, I'm in," she responded confidently. "Well then, it's time we headed home."

Once the medic returned with the necessary medicine, they helped get the two of them into an ambulance, so the medics could drop them off at home.

Part 2

Jaden opened his eyes, to find himself floating in nothingness.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're inside your mind, Jaden," answered a voice close by.

Yubel then appeared, and Jaden asked, "Inside my mind? You mean that I'm dreaming?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she replied.

Jaden slowly started to recall what had happened the other night. "I remember that I beat Fira in a duel, saved Alexis and everyone in the restaurant, and when I let the doctors look at her, my mind suddenly went blank," he said.

Yubel sighed. "That's because you over-exerted yourself, and collapsed due to fatigue. You've been out for at least a couple of days now, I believe."

"Man, that sucks," he complained. His expression then changed, and he turned to face Yubel. "How about Alexis? How is she?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Relax, Jaden. She's alive and well. She's simply recovering in her room, just like you are in yours. But enough talking; you should wake up, and go visit her yourself," she said.

Jaden's expression darkened in an instant. "How can I, after all that's happened, after I let her get hurt again? Because of me, she got kidnapped, and used as a hostage. She even got hurt physically because of me. How can I even face Atticus and Mac, let alone Alexis, after all of that!" He paused for a second, then sighed. "I think that I should just leave before anyone else gets hurt, and... OW!" he stopped, as Yubel had flicked his forehead. "What was that for?!"

"That was for the dense oaf, who still can't seem to understand," she replied. "Have you actually tried voicing your concerns with Alexis or with any of your friends?" Jaden's eyes widened as she continued. "If you sat down and talked, then you'll realize that there's nothing to fear. Those friends of yours are irreplaceable treasures, and they shine the brightest when you're right there with them, not when you're apart. If you think for a second that disappearing from their lives is the best way to fix things, or that it'll do them any favors, then you've got it wrong!" She then smiled. "Though I say all this, I used to have a completely different view back then. Ironic, isn't it? But enough about me; it's time you got out of here, and went to tell her everything, then you'll see. Everything will be back to the way it was, just like you were back at the academy."

Jaden remained silent for a while, then took a deep breath. "Alright Yubel, I'm going to confess everything to Alexis, and I'm going to promise to never keep a secret from her ever again!" he declared.

"Even the one about you being a dragoon?" she asked.

"Yeah, even that. I'm gonna be perfectly honest!" he replied.

"You know, 'all' your secrets is a bit extreme. Everyone can keep a secret or two to themselves," she sighed. "Well, whatever, off you go. I'll be watching your actions, though I can't save you if you screw up," she said, as she disappeared.

"Yeah, thanks for having my back," he said sarcastically, as his consciousness began to float again.

Jaden slowly began to open his eyes, his consciousness finally beginning to surface. The first think he noticed was that, like Yubel had said, he was in his room (the guest room), and that it was currently day time. The clock on his left read '1:15 PM', which told him that it was currently early in the afternoon.

The first thing that popped in his mind was, "Gotta get up, and find out how long I was out."

As he got out of bed and made his way to the door, he stopped to take a look through the mirror at the end of the room, and after taking off the shirt that he was wearing, he noticed that outside of a couple of bandages here and there, he was in pretty good shape.

"Man, this quick healing power really comes in handy sometimes," he thought. As he was about to leave, the door opened and Mac came in.

"Hey, Jaden! You up yet...," she began, but stopped after seeing Jaden in front of her. She took a good, long look at him, before smiling. "Well, someone's been working out," she said, in a teasing tone.

Jaden stared at her in confusion for a second, before realizing that he had his shirt off in front of a girl. "Aahh!" he gave a startled shout, covering up his chest while blushing.

Mac laughed after getting the reaction she wanted. "Man, you are pretty timid for such a brave duelist. Don't worry Jay, you're not doing anything wrong. Men should show their chests with pride. In fact, it should be me blushing and getting all flustered. Plus, we're practically family, or will be anyways, so we really don't have to hide anything from each-other," she said.

Jaden looked at her suspiciously for a second, before sighing. "Alright, if you say so, then I guess it's okay," he said, putting on his shirt. "By the way, what did you mean by 'practically family'?" he asked.

"Oops, let that one slip. My bad!" she said quietly, before turning towards Jaden. "It's nothing, Jaden. Well, I'll go call Atty, and get you some lunch. In the meantime, get dressed, and wait over here until I get back, okay?", then left the room before Jaden could respond.

"What was that all about?" he asked, as he put his shirt back on, and sat down on his bed.

After a short while, Mac returned, bringing Atticus and a tray of food along with her. Atticus ran over, hugging Jaden while sobbing, with Mac trying to restrain him. After all sides calmed down, and Jaden had finished eating his meal (which he had five helpings of), the three of began to discuss the events that transpired while Mac and Atticus were out cold.

"That girl named Fira showed up. She said she was part of an organization to 'revive' the supreme king," Jaden stated.

"Supreme king? You mean that alter ego of yours that Atty keeps bringing up?" asked Mac.

"Yeah, that one. I'll fill you in on everything else about it later, Mac," said Atticus, then he turned around to Jaden and asked, "So basically, this girl was after you?"

"Yeah, and she poisoned everyone in the restaurant, and also kidnapped Alexis, to force me into a duel, although I think she had other hidden motives," explained Jaden. "Anyways, she told me to meet her on the Domino City Bridge, so I ran all the way over there. When I got there, Alexis was already in pretty bad shape, so I think that Fira might have... assaulted her," Jaden said, those last two words coming out of his mouth remorsefully.

Atticus began clinching his fist hard ,while Mac grabbed his other hand trying to calm his down. "So I got to the scene, and dueled Fira, but for some reason, the damage from the monster attacks were real, despite the duel not being a shadow duel. Because of that, I tried my best to protect Alexis and keep her from getting hurt, at least even more then she was. After a struggle, I somehow managed to beat her in the end, and she gave me the cure to the poison, which was apparently inside a sealed letter, only for that seal to somehow teleport me to this castle-like place," Jaden said.

"Wait, you were teleported somewhere? Is that even possible...," Atticus began, then remembered that this was Jaden he was talking about.

"I don't really know. All I do know, is that a man named Alistair Crowley came up to me. He's the one who sent Fira to duel me, and he's the one who told her to poison everyone, though based on him, he had nothing to do with what happened to Alexis. He said that the duel was a 'test' of sorts, and that this Fira girl, and the others who work for him, were all students at the academy," he replied.

Atticus and Mac both widened their eyes. How could a supposedly evil organization be working right under the nose of Chancellor Sheppard!

"Then again, it wouldn't be the first time...," thought Atticus with a blank, cold expression.

"So, unless you guys know something about this Crowley guy," Jaden continued, "I'm out of ideas."

Silence filled the room for a while, before Mac got up and started to leave. As she headed out, she told the boys, "Listen guys, Alistair Crowley is well known in the duel philosophy world. He's an accomplished professor, who's published hundreds of papers and published thousands of articles in several, well-known scientific magazines, not to mention the fact that he was invited as a key speaker in a large number of world conferences and forums. He was also nominated for a Nobel prize at one point! That's common knowledge for anyone who's studied Philosophy, however I don't know why he's at duel academy, or what his motives are, but I do know someone who can find out."

"Please don't tell me that it's 'that' guy," Atticus groaned.

"I'm sorry Atticus, but he's the only one who might be able to help us now," she explained, then turned to Jaden. "Listen Jay, I'm going to ask a senior and old friend of mine, David Rabb, to help us find out what we need to know. Although he and Atty don't exactly see eye-to-eye, he's got the hacking skills and knowledge we need to find out everything, so until I get some information out of him, just try to keep Atty out of trouble."

She then left to make a phone call, leaving the two of them in the room.

After a brief silence, Atticus was going to say something, before Jaden bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Atticus. Because of my powers, Alexis got hurt, and she could have gotten killed too. I know that nothing I say will change that, and you probably won't forgive me, but please, at least let me make things right!" he stated.

Atticus stared wide-eyed for a second, before sighing. Then he tapped Jaden's forehead, and said, "Listen Jay. First of all, no proud man bows their head, especially not in a begging manner like that, so raise your head, man! Secondly, it's not really my forgiveness you should be asking for, it's hers, but if you truly want my forgiveness, then you have to promise me something."

"Anything, just name it," said Jaden.

Atticus cleared his throat, and declared, "You have to promise that you'll never let her get hurt like that again, and that instead of trying to push her away, you'll keep her close to you. Also, that you'll stand by her through thick and thin, life and death, and that you'll support her, no matter what the situation, place or time!"

Jaden closed his eyes, then opened them and replied confidently, "Alright Atticus, I promise to do everything you just mentioned!"

Atticus nodded his head in satisfaction. "Good!" he said. "Now, why don't you go check on Alexis? You were planning to do that, right?"

Jaden smiled. "Okay Atticus, I'll go check up on her, and don't worry, I'll do my best not to let something like that happen again!" he declared, then left the room.

After making sure that Jaden had left, he smiled and raised his fist in satisfaction. "Man, good thing Jaden doesn't know anything about marital vows, or I would have been busted big time. Alright, I got him to make his vows. Now just as soon as Alexis does the same, they'll be like a married couple, I think. Good thing Jaden's easy to trick," he said jokingly, before realizing something. "Wait, doesn't that mean that others can do the same? Damn it, how did I not notice!" he shouted in agony. After a bit, he sighed. "Well, I'll leave that for later," he said, then walked towards the window. As he stared out into the winter clouds, he said, "Jaden, I leave her to you."

Back on the first floor, Mac had dialed a number and was waiting for a response. After a while, she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello," said the voice.

"Hey Davis, it's me, Reggie," said Mac.

"Well, well, if it isn't good old Reg! How have you been lately? Wait, don't tell me; miserable, disappointed, wishing that you had a hot hunk like me as a boyfriend, instead of that scumbag, loser of a man you have now," he said in a proud, haughty tone.

Mac sighed. David Rabb was her childhood friend, just like Atticus and Alexis, though she knew him longer then she had known them, as the two of them were practically neighbors, and due to the closeness of their parents, 'siblings'. They had even attended the same schools, while she was living in the US. Mac, however, didn't really like David as a person. Through high school, David was a womanizer, and thought that he was the center of the world, always acting above others, and bullying the weak.

When Mac moved on to duel college, David followed, as he thought of Mac as the 'crown jewel' in his collection of conquests, and that he was the only man for her, so when Atticus came along, and Mac started getting attracted to him, David felt threatened for the first time in his life, and he began to harass Atticus, though Atticus never faltered, and continued loving life as usual. Mac knew that Atticus was the complete opposite of David, in that he was kind, caring and selfless, always helping others when needed, and while Atticus did flirt with other girls, it was never serious, and most of the time, it would be the girls that started it, or Atticus just trying to get her attention.

Eventually, after Atticus and Mac started dating, David finally snapped and challenged Atticus to a duel, only to be completely destroyed. In shock from his defeat, and the embarrassment it brought him, David became a shut-in, and eventually, nobody saw him on campus ever again (except during classes).

"So, why'd ya call? Ready to give up on 'Snoticuss', and become my woman?" he asked mockingly.

"Snoticuss?! Really?!" thought Mac in disbelief. "Listen David, I need a favor; I need you to hack into the duel academy servers, and find out everything you can about Alistair Crowley," she said.

"Crowley? You mean the old professor?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's him. I need that info, pronto!" she demanded.

"Well, I'll get it for you, but not without a price. If I get you this info, you have to come to my room, and...," he began, before he was cut off.

"Listen you selfish, perverted son of a b****! You'll get me that info, or I'll go over to your place right now, and chop your balls off! We clear!" she threatened.

"Crystal, ma'am! I'll get it right away!" came the panicked response.

Mac sighed, thinking that today was going to be a long day.

Part 3

Jaden stepped into Alexis's room, to find Alexis resting quietly in her bed. Seeing her in this state made Jaden regret coming, but he took a deep breath, and strengthened his heart and resolve, then stepped inside. Once he made his way over to her bedside, he took a nearby seat.

After taking a long, hard look at her, he said, "Hey lex, you're looking better." Her hand was less swollen, and some of the cuts and bruises had begun to fade and heal, but based on what he had heard from Atticus, a doctor had come to visit while he was out, and said that due to the immense shock she received from the pain, she would need at least a week to recover fully.

"I'm sorry, Alexis. I got you into this mess, and because of that, you might not be up for a while, and we also might have to miss that reunion in a weeks time. I'm sorry I keep pushing you guys away, but that's because I really care about you guys, and I don't want to see any of you get hurt," he said. "Especially you, lex. To me, you're..."

He stopped, as he noticed that his heart had started beating faster, and inside of him, he felt something he hadn't really felt before. "W-What's going on?!" he stammered nervously.

"Okay Jaden, calm down," he told himself, slowly relaxing as he did. After calming himself, he looked back at Alexis, and said, "I wish there was a way to fix this, or at least, a way to help you heal faster."

"There is, Jaden," said Yubel, who had appeared right next to him.

"Wait, there is? How?" he asked.

"You shouldn't sound so surprised. I thought you had already known, but apparently, you still don't know everything about the powers of the supreme king. Listen, it's simple; by transferring a small portion of your power to her, you can help accelerate her natural healing process," she explained.

"Transfer some of my power to her? But how?" he asked.

"It's simple, really. I am a part of you after all. Summon me, using your powers, in a physical form, then by establishing a link between you and her, which will allow me to possess her," she said.

"Wait, possess her? You mean, like what happened with Jesse back then?" he asked.

"Yes, only I'm not doing it to get back at you," she said with a bitter laugh. "Anyways, I'll possess her, release some of your power inside of her, and let her body do the rest of the work."

"Alright Yubel, if it'll work, i'll do it," he said confidently.

"A good choice, Jaden," she replied, then she thought with a smirk,"And maybe I can find out a little bit about this Alexis girl myself."

"Alright, let's do this!" he declared. After rushing back to his room, and grabbing his duel disk, he activated his powers, turned on the duel disk, then declared, "I summon Yubel!"

Instantly, Yubel materialized into a physical form. "Ah, it's great to feel my body again!" she exclaimed, while stretching out. She looked at Jaden, and said, "Alright Jaden, lets get to work, but first...", then pounced and begun hugging him playfully. "Oh Jaden, I've wanted to hug you like this for so long!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Yubel! Stop that, it's embarrasing!" Jaden complained, while blushing.

"Haha, still can't handle the direct approach from the opposite gender. Oh Jaden, what am I going to do with you?" she sighed, then she smiled and said, "Unless, you're embarrassed because it's me," in a flirtatious tone.

"Well, that's more or less it," he stammered while looking away.

"Oh Jaden, I'm so happy," she said, tightening her grip. After a brief moment, she let go of him. "Alright, enough teasing. Time to get to work," she said.

The two of them positioned themselves right next to Alexis. "Jaden, I need you to create a spiritual link between you and Alexis. To do that, you simply have to establish physical contact with her," she explained.

"Wait, what type of contact?" he asked, pretending that he didn't hear her.

Yubel sighed. "It's easy, Jaden. Just take her hand, and hold it tight, nothing more then that," she said. "That's not the best method, but I think that kissing and other romantic related stuff are out of his league right now," she thought secretly.

Jaden looked at Alexis, and said, "Alright lex, this is for you," as he then grabbed her hand gently.

Yubel waited until she felt the connection, and said quietly, "Wow, that's a pretty strong link. She must care for you a great deal."

"What d'ya mean, Yubel?" he asked, confused.

"If a spriritual link between two people is strong, that means that the two people in question share a deep bond, and care for each-other a great deal. It seems you two share a bond far deeper then friendship. Think about that, Jaden," she explained, before slowly entering and possessing Alexis's body.

"A bond greater then friendship? What could it be?" he thought, while gazing at Alexis.

Yubel quickly moved through Alexis's body, and reached her brain. "Now, it's time to do the tasks that I came to do. Firstly, lets take a little peek at this girl's memories," she said.

As she was looking through Alexis's memories, she found an interesting moment she wanted to check out, and so she accessed a memory from Alexis's childhood days. The scene was at the park, where a young Alexis (9 years old) was playing in the sandbox, making a sandcastle. As she was about to put the final touches, a couple of slightly older boys came up to her.

"Well, would you look at that. The little girly is playing by herself in our sandbox," the leader of the boys said.

"It's a public sandbox. Everyone can use it, and I don't see your name on it,"she replied.

"Well, well. A tough one, ain't ya! Boys, let's show her what we do to tough brats like her!" Then the boys proceeded to destroy the sandcastle.

"No! I spent a whole day working on that! How could you?!" she shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

"Aw, is the little baby gonna cry to her mommy?" the boys mocked her, laughing as they did it.

Tears slowly streamed down her face, as she shouted at the boys, "You stupid bullies! You're just a bunch of jerks!" Then, she grabbed some sand, and threw it at the boys. The sand hit two of the boys in the eyes, and one in the nose.

"Ah, my eyes! I can't see!" shouted one of the boys, before he hit a nearby tree face first, and fell to the ground, clutching his face, while the other two, in a panic, ran into each-other, and were knocked down.

"Haha, you boys got you deserve," she laughed, mocking the boys.

"Why you little!" the leader screamed, then they started to gang up on Alexis. In that instant, a water balloon struck the leader's face. "Huh, who's there? Show yourself!" the boy shouted, trying to wipe the water off his face.

"HAHAHAHA!" A mysterious laugh echoed through the trees in the park.

"Who is this guy? Is he making fun of us?" the leader muttered.

"Who am I?" the voice boomed. "I am the voice of justice, and protector of the weak! I help save the cute damsels from the evil ogres that try to do them harm!"

"What'd he say?" asked one of the boys.

"I don't know, but I think he just insulted us!" exclaimed the leader.

"You evil villains shall now feel my wrath!" boomed the voice. An instant later, several water balloons came raining down on the boys.

"AAHH!" they screamed, trying to escape the assault. The assault continued, until the leader just shouted, "This place is cursed! Let's get out of here!", as they picked themselves up, and ran as fast as they could, screaming 'Curse!' and 'Monster!', on their way out of the park.

Alexis was silent as the events transpired, but she started laughing soon after. "Park spirit? Really?" she stated, while laughing.

"I have saved you, fair maiden! Now, farewell!" boomed the voice.

"Yeah, bye spirit," she said, then added quietly, "I mean brother."

Moments later, her brother stepped out of the trees, and waved at Alexis. "Hey sissy, how was your day?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, I was building a sandcastle, but these bullies came and destroyed it, but then, this mysterious 'forest spirit' came, and punished those bad guys! So yeah, it was okay," she smiled.

"Great to hear it! Well, it's time we headed back," he said. As they were about to leave, Atticus stopped. "Oh right! Hey lexi, did you finish that homework that your class got?" he asked.

"Homework? You mean the one my teacher gave my class where we write about our futures?" she asked.

"Yeah, that," he said.

"I've already got my answer. I'm gonna be a teacher when I grow up!" she exclaimed.

"Wow, a teacher? That's awesome!" he smiled. "What about your future husband?" he said, trying to tease her.

"Yeah, I thought about that too. I want to be married to someone strong and kind, someone who truly loves me for who I am, and can understand me. He doesn't have to be really handsome or smart, but he's gotta be a great duelist, at least at my level, if not better. Yeah, someone like you, brother," she said happily.

Atticus blushed a little. "Someone like me, huh?" He then turned around, and said, "Alright Alexis, I'll help you find that guy," with a smile.

"Okay, thanks brother!" she replied with a smile.

All the while, Yubel looked on. "Hm, interesting. I could use this!" she thought, with a smirk. She left that memory, and started searching again, until she found another one that she liked. "Oh, now this one I've got to see," she said, accessing the memory. The first thing she noticed, was that she was in a room, similar to the Obelisk Blue dorm rooms at Duel Academy. She heard the door open, and saw Alexis enter the room, a sad expression on her face. "I have a hunch that I know what this one is," she thought.

Alexis walked over to her desk, and sat down. After a moment, she said in a soft voice, "So, I messed up. He was right there, and we were alone. It was perfect, and I screwed up." Her mood suddenly changed, and she swung an angry fist on the table. "Well, it's also Jaden's fault! Why won't that jerk take a hint! I think it was obvious from my body language and expressions, but no, he just had to be dumb and clueless! Oh my god, Jaden, you are so...AAGH!," she shouted while messing her hair, then she stopped and started laughing. "Look at me," she said, "pinning the blame on others. It was my fault for not being direct, and telling him. Jaden is clueless, and only a direct approach would have probably worked. Silly me!" Then she giggled softly, before tears started falling out of her eyes. "Huh, why am I crying? It's not like there aren't other guys like Jaden out there, right..." She stopped, before her smile disappeared, and her tears intensified. "Oh, who am I kidding? There are no guys like Jaden out there! I...I..." She couldn't finish her sentence, and began sobbing softly.

Yubel, who was watching, decided to leave at this point, as she couldn't bear to see the rest. "Interesting. It seems she really loves Jaden, and Jaden alone. She could have had any other guy, and yet she probably fell for the one guy that didn't really see her that way. It's ironic, really. Well, Jaden didn't even know what love is at the time, so...," she commented. "Anyways, let's have a look at one more, then I have to wake her up," she said. Yubel continued searching, until she found a memory she thought was interesting, and accessed it.

It was a sunny day, and a slightly older Alexis (from the time of the previous memory), dressed in a casual, light-blue top and skirt, was sitting on a bench, reading a book about duel theories. All the guys who passed by were stuck staring at her alluring figure.

"Hey man, isn't that Alexis Rhodes from overseas." "Dude, she is totally hot." "What I'd give to go on a date with that hot chick." "Man, if only I had five minutes alone with that hot body of hers. She must be, like, one of the hottest chicks on campus or something," were some of the comments she overheard.

She sighed. "Those idiots all just want my body or looks. They don't care about the fact that I'm a good duelist, or have some of the highest grades on campus. They all just want to 'score' with a 'hot chick'. What a bunch of animals," she thought. She closed her book, and got up to leave. At that moment, three guys blocked her path. They were all good-looking guys, but they all had an evil look on their faces.

"Hey babe, name's Johnny Rodgers, up and coming track-and-field star, and you are the lucky dame who gets to be the next girlfriend of 'The Johnny'," he said with a cocky attitude, a smirk on his face.

Alexis sighed, then said, "Tempting, but no. I'm not into selfish, cocky, narcissistic jocks like you. Now, if you'll excuse me." Then, she turned around to leave, only for the two other boys to grab her, and pin her down suddenly, one from either side.

"Well, getting dumped is fine and all, but here's the problem," he said, his face revealing a very sinister smile. "I'm not asking!" The two boys picked her up, and he continued. "By the way, I heard poor old David also tried to make a move, and you knocked him into next week. Well, not today! I'm going to make you my woman, in mind and in body!"

Alexis laughed, while saying,"A wimp like you, who only knows how to harass and assault girls. Don't make me laugh! You wouldn't even be able to get an old lady to date you!"

Veins started popping up on Johnny's forehead while Alexis laughed, and he clinched his fist, then swung at Alexis, screaming, "you little b****!"

In that instant, Johnny took a very sharp blow to the head, and fell unconscious to the ground. "You bastards! What do you think you're doing to my BFF!" Mac had appeared, and seeing that Alexis was in trouble, rushed to her aid, and kicked the guy harassing her in the head.

"Mac!" exclaimed Alexis.

"Hey lex. Why don't you just beat up these guys already, so we can go grab some lunch like we planned," said Mac.

"Sorry, I'll get on it right away," she replied, then she kicked the first guy in the gut, and using her now free right hand, she punched the other guy in his solar plexus. The two of them both fell to the ground. Alexis walked up to Mac. "Well, that was a close one. If you hadn't taught me those self-defense moves, I probably wouldn't have made it," she said.

"Glad to hear it, lex. Now, let's get some lunch," suggested Mac. On the way to the cafe, Mac asked, "By the way, don't you think that all those boys will leave you alone, if you just got yourself a boyfriend?"

Alexis groaned. "Not you two, Mac. Listen, none of the boys here are my type, and they're only after my body and looks. There are a couple of decent guys here and there, but they're either taken, or well... they just don't appeal to me. They're nothing like him..."

"Wait, him?" asked Mac.

"N-nothing!" stammered Alexis. "L-Let's just go get some lunch!", then she ran off quickly.

Mac stood there stunned. "Him, huh? She's not telling me something, and I'm gonna find out. I think Atty might know where to start," she said, then she ran after her.

Yubel exited the memory, and began processing what she had just seen. "Hm, interesting. All these memories have given me some very useful information, mostly about how she feels towards Jaden. Now, how to tell Jaden without spoiling it. Well, first things first," she thought.

She continued moving through the brain, until she reached Alexis's consciousness, which she saw as a physical representation of Alexis herself, floating around. "Alright, now to transfer A bit of Jaden's powers to her," she said. Yubel released a small ball of energy from her hands, green in color, and shot it into her consciousness, which began shining brightly as a result.

"Now, I think it's time for me to go," she said, as she disappeared.

Jaden was grabbing Alexis's hand, focusing only on her, feeling his power slowly flow into her. Suddenly, her body began to glow, which startled him, releasing Alexis's hand in the process. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Your power is doing this," said Yubel, who appeared next to him.

"My power?" he asked.

"Yes. Thanks to her now having a small portion of your power, her injuries have started to heal at a much faster rate, and any minute now, she's going to wake up," explained Yubel.

"Let's hope so," he said. Several minutes later, the glow on her body disappeared. The first thing that Jaden noticed was that her swollen hand had almost gone back to normal; only a small, red bruise remained. A vast majority of her remaining cuts and bruises had also healed and disappeared, and it looked like she would be back to full health within the next couple of days. Jaden took a good long look at her. "My powers can do all this. Amazing," he thought.

"I'm not really surprised, and neither should you be," said Yubel. "You are the supreme king after all, so you should at least be able to do this much."

A small voice snapped the two out of their conversation. "Huh, where am I?" asked Alexis, who had just woken up.

"Alexis!" Jaden shouted enthusiastically.

"Jaden, is that you?" she asked. After slowly getting up into a sitting position, she looked around the room, and after confirming Jaden's presence, she smiled.

Jaden returned the smile, and said, "Welcome back, lex!"

"How long was I out?", was the first thing she asked Jaden.

"About two days, same as me," he replied, before putting on a sad expression. "Alexis, I'm sorry. You got kidnapped and hurt, because of who I am. Originally, I was planning to hit the road again, but that meant pushing you and the others away again, so instead I promised something; that I'd always stand by your side and protect you forever. That way, I can make sure that you'll always be safe."

Alexis stared for a bit, then she laughed and said, "Alright Jaden, I'll hold you to that promise, and I expect you to see it through to the end." Then she stopped smiling, and gave a serious expression. "But for me to fully trust and believe in you again, you'll have to promise something too," she declared.

"Something like what?" he asked.

"That you'll never carry a burden like that alone ever again, and that you'll let your friends help you whenever you need it. I also want you to tell me everything, and that you hide no more secrets. I honestly want you to share with me all of your fears, your thoughts, your likes, and in return, I'll do exactly the same. I want us to be perfectly honest with each-other, like an open book. Can you do that, Jaden?" she explained and asked.

Jaden took a moment to think about it, then he gave his usual confident smile. "Alright lex, I promise to tell you everything, and that I won't hide any secrets from you anymore," he declared.

Alexis returned the smile, and said, "Alright Jaden, I promise to do the same. Now, let's tell Atticus that I got up, before he worries about me again, and..." she stopped, after seeing something right above Jaden's head.

"Hey, what's wrong Alexis?" asked Jaden.

"J-Jaden?" she stammered.

"Yeah?" asked a now confused Jaden.

Alexis pointed to a spot above Jaden's head. "I can see her," she said, a slight chill in her voice.

"Huh, see who?" he asked.

"Yubel," she answered in a small, shocked voice.

Both Jaden and Yubel widened their eyes in shock, and looked at each-other.

It seems like things won't be the same between the two of them ever again.

Well, how's that for a cliffhanger! Man, I bet nobody thought of that, though I could be wrong. I feel that this is actually the real start of the story, and a real turning point in fiancee-shipping, though that might just be me.

I tried to make this chapter a tad more dramatic then what a lot of GX viewers are used to, but I think a cliffhanger of this magnitude deserves a dramatic prelude, don't you.

Next time is gonna be a split chapter; the first half is very relevant to the story, and sheds some more insight on this new enemy. The second is a bit of a filler, and an idea courtesy of one of my readers, who was really looking forward to this idea.

Now for the preview:

Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the Academy

Jaden and Alexis end up in a situation that brings the two of them closer together. We learn a lot more about Professor Crowley, and a little glimpse of his true intentions and plans for Duel Academy and Jaden. Then, the group heads to the mall for some Christmas shopping, and Jaden gets a little... plump? All this and more in Chapter 12: The Night of Beginnings

So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!

With that, I end my turn.