Hello, hello, hello! My, it's been a long time. Things have gotten even more hectic recently. On the bright side, my training is going really well, on the downside, I lose time to write. It truly is a cruel cycle. Anyway, once I finished my first assignment, I immediately got to work on finishing this off. More filler than anything else but with what's coming next, things needed to be set up.

Also, as you may have seen from my profile picture, Staying in the Background now has some official artwork. Created by the fantastic Sincity2100. It looks amazing! Not to mention there are a few more pieces on the way, this time commissioned from AliceKuroCross. I'm on the waiting list for her and really looking forward to seeing how they will look.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

*Correction made 26/10/2022 - Thank you Morningside Lows!*

Staying in the Background

Clash of Ideals – The Blair Affair

Life is full of little surprises. They come at times we don't expect and normally fill us with overpowering emotion. As Logan stood in front of the display showing the ceremonial decks, he felt something overpowering. As others came and gave it a passing glance, as most do at exhibits, Logan found that he kept going back to it, often with Mindy following him.

"You must really like these decks," she had joked good-naturedly. Little did she know that he felt like he was looking at his childhood. The duel between Yugi and Atem had been such a big moment for his childhood. When the Pharoh said goodbye, it was like Logan had lost a friend too.

As he read the message from the King of Games, he had to turn away from Mindy as to hide a tear. Although Mindy may have noticed; as when he looked back, she was stifling a chuckle. Had to say, he felt pretty bad about that.

Still, at that moment Logan was overjoyed.

And why wouldn't he be? He had been having a good day. Nay, he had been having the best day. He and Mindy had met up just before lunch to go to the King of Games exhibition. When they arrived, the crowd was short, so they'd managed to get in quickly.

The displays were amazing. Seeing the cards used by his childhood idol gave him shivers. He couldn't believe the number of Dark Magicians that were in one place. The people who put on the event hadn't been stingy either. Some of the cards, such as Dark Magician, Summoned Skull, Kuriboh, Dark Magician Girl and Buster Blader had different artwork so you wouldn't be bored looking at the same card ten times over.

Outside of the ceremonial decks, he had been particularly interested in some of the fusion and ritual support Yugi had used during his career as he didn't recognise them from 2018. Over the last ten years, he was still surprised when he found cards that didn't exist from his time. There were odd cards here and there, but nothing as grandiose as the magician Dimitri had used the previous night.

Mindy, while less interested in the cards than he was, still made fantastic company. Talking to her, Logan found her to be quite interesting and somewhat contradictory. As they walked around the displays, he half expected Mindy to not be bored, but she engaged with him, discussing the cards and, even more surprisingly, strategies to play them.

After the exhibition, they grabbed some coffee and talked. He found out a lot about her. As he'd expected, Mindy came from money. Her father was a banker and her mother was a fashion designer. She had been pampered and spoiled from a young age. She'd gone to the same school as Jasmine and Alexis and when the latter had decided to go to Duel Academy, Mindy and Jasmine had decided to go too.

Her mother, apparently, hadn't been too fond of the idea of her daughter going to a duelling school. Her father, however, foreseeing the future boom in the Duel Monster 'fad', supported her decision and was able to persuade her mother. The rest, as they say, was history. She didn't seem to particularly have any aspirations just yet, claiming that for the time being, she just wanted to have fun.

"So yeah, that's me," Mindy had laughed. "I get that I'll have to take school seriously at some point, but why not enjoy the ride, y'know? Who knows where I'll be in four years? What I do know is that right now, I'm on a tropical island, can work on my tan on the weekends and get to eat food every night that most people would kill for."

"I have heard pretty good things about the Obelisk food," Logan had said.

"Oh, it is the best!" she practically sang. "I don't get why you didn't accept your promotion at the start of the year."

"Well… let's just say I wasn't ready yet. But recently I've been thinking about trying again," Logan said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You should. I've seen your skill in the classroom. You have what it takes."

It felt good to hear someone say that. He… he hadn't heard that a lot in his life. Either of them. And to hear it from a pretty girl was even better. Mindy looked at him and laughed.

"What?"

"You just seem really happy. I've never seen someone grin that much before," she giggled.

"Is it weird?" Logan asked.

"No, no, it's sweet," Mindy giggled.

Logan managed to suppress a grimace. 'Sweet'. That was the kind of thing girls said when they found something cringey. He had had too much experience with that. Maybe it sounded like he was coming off as complaining. He needed to sway the conversation back to safer grounds where he didn't look so meek.

"Anyway, is there anything else you want to do today? We still got some time, right?"

"Of course," she said enthusiastically. "Oh, there's this great place down by the beach that a friend told me about. I've been dying to try it out."

Ah, finally, something he could latch on to. "Let's go then. I'm always up for finding a new hang-out spot."

"C'mon then," Mindy laughed as she got up and took Logan's hand. His cheeks immediately reddened. This had to be one of the best days of his lives. Nothing could ruin this. Nothing.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO! Fuck! This is not happening!"

He had not expected this. He did not want this. When he had returned from the break, Logan had learned that both his roommates had left the Slifer Dorm. One was promoted and the other dropped out, hating the conditions he'd had to stay in. Wasn't a big loss. Logan barely spoke to them, and he had more space now. He knew he'd get another roommate eventually, but he cursed himself that he hadn't seen this coming.

After sharing a drink down by the beach, Logan returned to the dorm in good spirits. That all changed when he noticed the door to his room was open. His pace quickened, scaling the steps two at a time. His door lay at the far end and as he got closer, he heard voices.

"I hope these accommodations will be to your liking. While they are only temporary, you should make yourself feel at home." Logan had immediately recognised the first voice as Professor Banner. At least that had explained why the door was open.

"Thank you, professor…" The second voice was quiet and high in pitch, but by someone clearly trying to deepen their tone. Just the sound of it made Logan pause. He'd heard that voice before. A long… long time ago.

"Oh… please God no…"

Dreading every step, he walked into the doorway to see his worst fear. Professor Banner, Pharaoh in his arms, was showing around a small, effeminate boy wearing the Slifer uniform and large cap. HOWEVER, Logan knew for a fact that wasn't the case. What was actually happening was that Professor Banner was showing around a twelve-year-old girl dressed as a boy pretending to be older than she was so that she could meet her doomed love interest, Zane fucking Truesdale!

No… wait…

From everything he'd seen so far… English names, seemingly English personality traits, English names of cards… Was this the dub universe? Did that mean Blair was eight?!

"THAT'S SO MUCH WORSE!" he internally screamed.

"Ah, Logan, you're back," Banner greeted warmly, flashing him a charming smile. Shifty bastard… "You weren't in this morning, so I didn't get the chance to tell you, this is your new roommate, Blair Flannigan."

"Hello…" the 'boy' said quietly, slightly hiding himself behind Banner. How was it not obvious that this kid was too young? They only came up to Banner's waist! Oh right, Syrus was a thing.

"I know this is sudden," Banner continued, seemingly ignorant to Logan's horror, "but this is only a temporary arrangement. Blair's scores in the written and duel portions of his exam were very high. In fact, he should be moving to the yellow dorm in just a few days. However, as per school rules, all transfer students must start in the red dorm. In that time, as Blair's roommate, I expect you to show him around and get him acclimatised to academy life."

NO!

"But Professor Banner-"

"You are his senior after all, in terms of time spent here after all," Banner pressed on with an eerie smile. "I can rely on you for this, right?"

"But-"

"Right?"

And just like that, Logan found himself unable to say no. Any more denial and he'd have to explain why he didn't want to look after Blair. That would lead to a whole can of nasty worms. And he didn't have the time to deal with that B.S.

"Yes sir…"

"Excellent… I shall leave the two of you to get acquainted then." With that, the teacher quickly made his exit, leaving both Logan and the disguised Blair standing awkwardly in the room.

"So…" Logan tried but he just couldn't think of anything he wanted to say. Blair seemed to be the same. Finally, she made the first move.

"Is your hair actually purple?"

Fuck sake…

"You look like hell," Bastion said as he took the seat beside me.

"And a good morning to you too, dear," I groaned as I wiped the gunge out of my eyes. "I love it when you whisper sweet nothings in my ear."

Rather than be offended by my snark, Bastion merely shrugged. "In a good mood too it seems. I would have thought you'd be over the moon with what you accomplished. You and Dimitri seem to be the talk of the school."

Indeed, we were. Dimitri and I had heard the whispers as we walked in that morning, both of us extremely embarrassed, albeit for different reasons. However, it gave us something to laugh about. In fact, Dimitri had smiled and joked most of the journey. He was back to acting how he had at the beginning of the year. No, he was happier. He practically had a skip in his skip. It gave me a great amount of relief. But…

"That's part of the problem," I moaned, burying my face in my books. "You try to do a good thing, get a little carried away, make an unnecessary move or two and suddenly no one will leave you alone." As if to prove my point, my PDA dinged, signifying a new addition to my already bulging inbox. "They just… keep… coming…"

"What does?" Bastion asked.

"Duel requests. So many duel requests…" My game with Dimitri had garnered me attention. unwanted attention. I now had people coming out of the woodwork wanting to duel the guy who beat one of Yugi's decks. Is this what it had been like for Jaden? Man, he would have loved it. So many opportunities to duel, and so many strategies to see. For Jaden, it would have been a dream. For me it was hell.

"Give me my sleep back, damn it! I have other things to deal with…"

"Language," Bastion chirped as he casually opened his notebook to a fresh page and wrote in the date. "Would you speak to your mother like that?"

"My mother taught me my fine vocabulary, thank you."

"She must be so proud. So why are you so tired? If these requests were really bothering you, you would have just turned off you PDA. Logic would dictate you had to use it for some reason."

I paused momentarily, almost saying something I shouldn't before shaking my head. "No, I just like torturing myself," I huffed, leaning down on the desk to hide my face.

"Of that, I have no doubt," Bastion said dismissively. "But very well then, keep your secrets. When you feel like talking, I'll be happy to listen."

A ghost of a smile crossed my lips. I had to respect that Bastion knew when I didn't want people prying. He really was a good friend. And knew me pretty well turns out. Truth was, I did keep my PDA on for a reason. It was partly why I really wasn't in the best mood. I had way too much on my mind.

"And this is our class. Way bigger than it needs to be but I hear the owner has an ego complex." As if the universe itself was trying to aggravate me, the door to the classroom slid open and the second biggest cause of my headache walked in.

Damn it, why has that jackass got to be so loud?

"Hey, would you look at that?" Logan continued. "There's one of my good buddies. I've got to introduce you."

Buddies? Introduce? Who is he talking to?

Footsteps grew louder until they stopped at my side. I cautiously looked to the side and instantly felt a chill. Logan had an eerie smile like he was planning something devious.

"This is Ren Cambell and Bastion Misawa," he continued gesturing to the two of us, "some of the best duellists in our year. In fact, Ren here was the first person in our year to be promoted to the Obelisk dorm."

"The obelisk dorm?"

I froze. Finally, I noticed the kid next to him. Small, effeminate, wearing a big cap to hide their hair. No doubt about it, that was Blair Flannigan! In a moment, my head connected the dots.

Oh, you fucking bastard!

"That's right. He's brushing shoulders with some of the academy's elite. He's quite the go-getter too. Why I wouldn't be surprised if he's already tested himself against the academy's best duelist," Logan continued, putting the final nail in my coffin.

"Do you mean Zane?" Blair asked, her excitement getting the better of her. Anyone who didn't know better would assume her voice had just cracked. I, unfortunately, knew better.

"Nope. Not at all. Never met the guy." I quickly checked Logan's reaction. He didn't seem surprised. A coincidental statement then?

"Huh?"

I barged my leg into Bastion's knee, promptly stopping him from making a bad situation worse. He shot me an annoyed glare, but I was more focused on Logan. He was trying to offload a whole heap of trouble on me, and I was having none of it. However, that being said, we would be having a serious conversation real soon.

"Oh…" She couldn't hide her disappointment, taking a step back behind Logan.

"However, his brother is in your dorm. His name is Syrus. You can normally find him hanging out with Jaden Yuki. I'm sure he can tell you more than I can."

Blair's eyes lit up again. It seemed Logan hadn't thought to tell her. He should have done that rather than try to offload her on me! Then again, I'm doing the same thing to Jaden.

Eh, it's what should really happen so I shouldn't feel too bad.

"His brother? That's great! Uh… I mean… Cool…" she dropped her voice low quickly. It would have been humorous if it weren't for the coming migraine. "Can you introduce me?" she asked Logan.

"Uh… sure… why not…?" He sounded completely unenthused. He had probably hoped I'd take Blair off his hands. Ha! Serves you right! I'm not touching this with a fifty-foot pole. Nuh uh, this time, I'm staying out of this, and I mean it!

"Syrus should be here soon. He normally sits at the front," I said.

"Thanks." Entirely driven by her goal, Blair turned and made her way down to the front row, Logan trailing behind, grumbling all the way.

Now alone again, my genius friend gave me a strange look.

"Forgetting you kicked me, why did you lie?" Bastion asked once the two Slifers were out of earshot.

"It's as I said, Syrus will have more information about Zane than I will," I replied, dismissing the line of thought with a wave of my hand. "Besides, I think Logan was just trying to offload his duties onto me."

"That much was obvious," Bastion said. "But it is unlike you to turn someone away."

"There's just something on my mind today," I replied, absentmindedly checking my PDA.

"I see…"

We didn't say anything more on the matter. In fact, we remained quiet until class began. It wasn't one of our comfortable silences either. There was tension between us. I think I had disappointed Bastion.

I checked my PDA again and found myself just as frustrated as I had throughout the previous night. Putting it away I kept my eye out as the other students trickled in, keeping my eye out for the Slifer Trio. It took a while. Professor Banner arrived before they did and swiftly went over to talk to Blair. The two exchanged some words before the professor led the disguised girl to a door at the side of the teacher's desk.

I couldn't work out why until I realised Banner was probably going to do a formal introduction of Blair to the class. It seemed to be a necessary right of passage for transfer students. Logan visibly relaxed the moment Blair was away from him, leaning back in his seat like a weight had been lifted from him. I kept my eyes on him. His words from the other night now playing on a loop in my head.

'Why aren't you using Horus?'

It was a question that had been bothering me since the duel. I just hadn't had the time to address it yet. Before I could think on the subject anymore, Banner began the class. "Good morning, everyone. I trust you are all well-rested after such an eventful weekend. Before we proceed, I have a couple of introductions to make." Still smiling, Banner gestured towards the door to his right. "You can come in now."

Immediately, two people entered, joining Banner on the podium. The first was Blair, doing her best to keep her head low and avoid anyone getting a good look at her. Fortunately for her, it was the person next to her who had captured the attention of the room. The moment she entered; murmurs broke out amongst the students.

The girl who had entered was a beauty. Long raven hair came down to her upper back. As she looked out at the sea of faces, she smiled shyly, only riling up the boys in the crowd. It certainly didn't help she had a figure to rival Alexis.

Of course, I recognised this girl. She had attempted to kill me after all. Eve Pechman stood out on the stage, looking extremely uncomfortable. She now wore the Obelisk Blue girls' uniform, the same blue gloves that Alexis wore when duelling and a pair of black, knee-high socks.

"Class, this is Blair Flannigan and Eve Pechman. Please treat them both kindly. Would you two like to introduce yourselves?"

"H-Hello. I'm Blair…" the disguised girl said, still keeping her head low.

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Eve Pechman. Please take care of me," Eve said gracefully, giving a small bow. Once again, murmurs broke out amongst the students. However, just looking at Eve gave me a sense of unease. To me, she was an aberration to this timeline. During my 'little' excursion to the Abandoned Dorm, I found a picture of Eve standing with Alexis's brother, Atticus. A picture that should not exist.

Eve had no place in the original GX story. And yet here she was. I had thought that she was like me, reincarnated into a world she didn't belong. But there had already been many changes to this timeline. There was a chance either Logan or I had done something in the years we'd been here to have Eve enrol and meet Atticus. Somehow that had led to her being possessed by Nightshroud. Something that she now didn't remember. Upon being freed from the demon, she had lost her memories, much as Atticus had in the series. Until she remembered, I'd probably never get a straight answer.

I looked down at Logan. He did seem to take a brief interest in Eve before turning his head, and going back to doodling in his textbook. He had no interest in Eve or what she was. Wish I could be that naïve. Alexis seemed to have struck an accord with her though. She had told me how she'd tried to get information out of her on her brother but had just ended up bonding with her instead.

In fact, casting a quick look back up at the Obelisk Queen, she was smiling down at the nervous girl. It seemed she was happy to see her. In comparison, true to form, Mindy was staring down at… ugh… Logan… Guess their date went well. And Jasmine… well Jasmine just looked miserable. So, the same as ever really.

Having finished their introductions, the two newcomers were told to take their seats. Blair went to sit next to Logan, who was sitting next to Syrus, and Eve took a seat next to Alexis and her friends. Oh… I didn't know Jasmine's face could get that annoyed.

From there, classes proceeded as normal. I kept my eye on Logan, trying to work out how he'd been spying. By the time the bell rang, I'd come up with nothing. However, before we could leave our seats, Banner made an announcement that before our next class, there was going to be an announcement from the chancellor.

I didn't immediately remember if that was supposed to be significant. But then Logan's head shot up, and I managed to spot a smirk cross his lips. Then it hit me.

The school duel was about to be announced.

It had happened just as it had in the show. The student body lined up by house in the main hall with Chancellor Sheppard speaking through a giant monitor. As he told the students about the upcoming school duel, a buzz of excitement spread out among them. It was an excitement Logan shared, only for a different reason.

Next to him, Blair spoke with Syrus and Jaden about how Zane was the likely candidate to take part in the duel. Logan was more preoccupied with trying to find Ren amongst the faces of Obelisk Blue. He wanted to see his expression. To see his reaction as this canon event came to fruition.

As the Chancellor finished his speech, the screen went black, and the students were dismissed. The Lightsworn user followed his fellow Slifers out into the hallway.

"Oh man, I am pumped for this duel!" Jaden cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see how students from North Academy duel! Hey, do you think it could be me representing the school?"

"I don't think so, Jaden. Zane has represented the school for the last two years. It'll more than likely be him again," Syrus said, raining on Jaden's parade.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Because he's amazing…" Before Syrus could reply, Blair had interrupted, her eyes distant and cheeks a little rosy. The others gave her a weird look, Jaden's brow furrowing.

"Uh… yeah… I guess," the hero duelist said, utterly confused.

Finally, out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw a flash of yellow and blue. "Excuse me for a second," he said, not waiting for a reply. Nothing bad should happen. Surely if he left Blair with Jaden, things would play out as they had in canon.

"Hey, wait, Logan!" Jaden called out after the retreating duelist. But it was too late, he was already gone. He couldn't help but feel that Logan was being a bit rude to Blair today. Even as oblivious as Jaden knew he was, he could tell Logan wasn't happy that he had to show Blair around. But to run away was just unfair on the new guy. Guess he'd just have to step up.

"Sorry about that, Blair. I guess he had something he needed to do. You can hang out with us if you – Huh, where'd he go?"

Syrus and Chumley looked around, equally confused. In the few seconds that they had turned their heads, Blair had disappeared.

"But Zane, are you sure about this?" Sheppard asked seriously, his expression grave.

"I am," the Kaiser replied. "If North Academy is using a freshmen representative, then it would not be fair for me to participate. We should do the same."

After the school assembly, Zane had immediately gone to the Chancellor's office to discuss the upcoming duel. But what Sheppard had to say surprised him. North Academy, Central Academy's long-time rivals, had announced that their representative for this year would be a freshman. Zane had expected them to continue with their running 'Czar', Yuri. It seemed he had be dethroned.

Entwining his hands, Sheppard rested his head upon hands, a deep, thoughtful look on his face. "There is a lot at stake with this duel. The Academy's credibility, reputation, and of course… the grand prize…"

Zane resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When it came to the 'prize', it was the same every year with his former master. "We have plenty of excellent freshmen this year, chancellor."

"Oh, and do you have any recommendations?" Sheppard asked.

Two names immediately came to mind. Although, one would probably be met with adversity. Not that it mattered. "I have two in mind. Both are capable duellists. Either could lead the academy to victory."

The chancellor nodded thoughtfully. "I see. The matter will have to be brought to the other teachers. Together, we can come to a decision. I trust you will be willing to attend?" It wasn't really a question. Even as a student, Zane received far more sway at the academy than any of his peers. Coming up to halfway through his final year, and he had already received several invitations from companies willing to sponsor his efforts in the duelling pro league. By all extent, he was considered an adult, despite still being seventeen.

"Will that be all, Chancellor?" Zane asked, uncharacteristically anxious to end the conversation. They met regularly enough that Zane knew any matters discussed from this point on would be trivial.

The bald man nodded. "Yes. Thank you for your time, Zane. I will be calling the staff meeting tomorrow."

"Yes, Chancellor."

Zane turned on his heel and left quickly, making his way to the academy card shop. He rarely visited these days, tending only to stop by when new cards came out that would benefit his strategies. Today was a bit special though.

Finally arriving at the shop, he found it to be relatively busy. It seemed the announcement had the students excited. Members of all houses had flocked to try and improve their decks. A few of them turned their heads as he entered but quickly turned away, opting to let him go about his business.

He went over to the side booth where he found the people he was looking for. Alexis sat with Eve at the booth, the equivalent of a box of booster packs resting on their table. As he approached, both broke from the conversation they had been having and smiled at him.

"Zane, you're here earlier than I thought you would be," Alexis greeted.

"There wasn't much to talk about," Zane said curtly.

"It was about the school match, right?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Something like that." It was best not to reveal his decision just yet. One of the reasons the teachers told him as much as they did was because he was trusted to keep anything discussed confidential. "What are you two up too?"

"We were just getting Eve some new cards," Alexis said, gesturing to the raven-haired girl. Eve looked down shyly, not meeting Zane's eye.

"I'm still getting used to my old cards," she said. "They're a bit… complicated…"

"You'll get used to them again," Zane said giving her the smallest of smiles. "Just take things slowly."

"Was the game always this complicated?" Eve asked exasperatedly.

"It does seem like card effects are getting longer and longer," Alexis remarked thoughtfully.

"Industrial Illusions must be trying to keep the game interesting. Personally, I welcome the challenge," Zane said.

"Oh… I see…"

There was an awkward silence between the three. Zane caught Alexis exasperatedly glancing between himself and Eve. Just what exactly was she expecting? Finally, it seemed like she grew tired of the quiet.

"So, Eve, how did you find your first day back?" she asked.

"It was a bit overwhelming to be honest," she said, a half-smile gracing her lips. "It feels weird being the eldest too, especially when I probably have the least knowledge in the class."

"Hmm, you'll learn quickly. You were a natural study," Zane cut in. In his head, he could just see Eve sitting in her usual space in the library, combing through a history textbook. Being with her and Atticus, that had been when he was at his happiest.

"I hope I still am," Eve laughed. "For now though, I've got to make something I can actually learn with." She gestured to the booster packs in front of her.

At that moment, Alexis shot Zane a silent yet strict glare, gesturing with her head to the table. Finally, the Kaiser sat down. "Let's take a look. I can give you some pointers."

A grin immediately spread across the raven-haired girl's face. "I'd appreciate that. Alexis, are you up for helping?"

"I don't mi-" Alexis trailed off, her head flicking towards the entrance of the shop.

Zane followed her gaze only to see none other than Ren Cambell standing in the doorway. He looked uncharacteristically nervous, trying to peer towards the counter. The Kaiser did have a quick look, but Dorothy was the only one manning the till today. The other girl… Sadie if he recalled, was not there today.

His head falling, the Obelisk freshman pulled out his PDA and gave it a quick look before continuing on his way, his movements sluggish. The moment he disappeared; Alexis got to her feet.

"Sorry," she said quickly, "something's come up. Besides, this will give you two the chance to catch up more."

"Huh? Wait-"

"Look after her Zane," Alexis said, leaving no room for argument. Taking her bag, she quickly made for the door, leaving the two older students alone. "I'll catch you later Eve," she managed to call before disappearing as well.

"Umm… Okay. What was that about?" Eve asked, her head tilted slightly.

"Nothing good, I assume…" Zane said, shaking his head. He had long since stopped trying to work out Alexis's whims. When she took an interest in something, there was no stopping her. "For now, let's focus on your deck. Personally, I don't think you should focus on new cards. It could just create more confusion for you later. Do you still have your old deck?"

"Um… I do. They were… in the clothes I was found in…"

Zane's eyes narrowed. The black coat Eve had been found in had been searched when she was recovering. It had been done in the hope of uncovering some truth about what had transpired at the Abandoned Dorm. All they found were her cards, still packaged in shimmering card sleeves, perfectly preserved.

"I'm a bit nervous about using them," Eve continued, retrieving a red deck box and placing it on the table. "As I said… they are a bit… difficult…"

"I can help you with that. I've faced you in the past. I know a lot of your strategies. May I?" He gestured towards the box, waiting until Eve nodded. Taking the box, he took out the cards and fanned them, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Again, he saw an image of Eve, her face confident with a monster bathed in flames at her side.

A small smile crossed his lips as he laid the cards down on the table. Finding a select few, he pulled them out and placed them in front of Eve. "This used to be one of your favourite plays. First by activating this…"

The two spoke for some time, Zane partially reminiscing whilst Eve soaked up everything up like a sponge. Both became caught up in their own little world, both blissfully unaware of the small Slifer watching them, tears brimming in their eyes.

"Where'd he go?" Logan growled. He was sure Ren had come this way. He'd lost some time when he started following Bastion not knowing that he and Ren had split up. Lumina was quickly able to redirect him though. As he went past the card shop, he heard a familiar voice from around the corner.

"I'm fine. Seriously, nothing is wrong. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Don't lie to me. There's been something bothering you all day. Don't think I didn't see you in class constantly checking your PDA. And just now, in the card shop, what was that?"

Logan peered around the corner. Standing by the window were Ren and Alexis. The two seemed to be having an argument if Alexis's expression was anything to go by. The Obelisk queen stood in front of his fellow reincarnate, blocking his path. Ren's back was to Logan, but his fists were clenched, and he was tapping his foot impatiently, only fuelling Alexis's ire.

"It was nothing," Ren said, his voice calm. "I just have a lot on my mind, and there's something I need to do."

She frowned, unsatisfied by the answer. "Then why don't I help you?"

"I appreciate it Alexis, but… there isn't anything you can do." He said the last part so sadly, it made Alexis's angry façade falter.

"Ren, you promised you wouldn't run from your problems."

"I know," he said, bringing up his head. "And I'm not. This is just something I have to do alone."

Watching them made Logan's chest hurt. It wasn't so long ago that he had been pining after Alexis. He would have given an arm to have her show this much concern about him. Of course, he had Mindy now. He had no right to feel any jealousy. But still, he couldn't help being reminded of his past life. All those times he'd tried to confess, only to be rejected. Only to be used…

He shook his head, banishing the thoughts. He was past all that now. Refocusing his attention on the pair's conversation. Alexis had faltered, her expression grave as she stared at the Obelisk in front of her.

She looked like she was going to say something, try again to coax his secret out of him, but as she looked up, her eyes darted to the side, meeting Logan's. He'd edged too far around the corner. He tried to shoot back around but it was too late.

"What the-? Are you spying on us?" she called out angrily.

Ren shot around, his eyes narrowing when he spotted him. "Logan. Why am I not surprised? Y'know, some things are private."

Okay, so he was in a bad mood, but he had said that with a whole lot of animosity. He had to defuse the tension in some way.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," Logan said, coming out from around the corner, rubbing the back of his head to seem bashful. "I was just looking for Ren. I saw you guys talking and didn't want to interrupt. Sorry if this seems creepy."

Neither of them said anything at first. Alexis looked back to Ren before sighing. "I should probably go. It's not like I'm going to get anything out of you anyway." With a disappointed sigh, she walked away, shooting Logan an angry glare as she passed him. Ren her until she was out of sight before turning to Logan.

"What do you want?" he finally asked. "And shouldn't you be looking after Blair?"

"I left her with Jaden. Hoped things would get back to canon for her."

"You should have done that in the first place," he shot back, crossing his arms.

"Maybe, but it wouldn't have exactly been natural."

"You're kidding, right? Jaden would try to be friends with a rake if it could talk."

"Woah, what's with the aggression? I thought you'd be over the moon right now. You managed to help Dimitri, right?"

"Yeah… it's just that… uh, it's nothing. I'm actually a little glad you came looking for me. There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

A brief pang of hope passed through Logan. Had Ren been having similar thoughts about the school duel? Good, that may make things a little easier. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I know we haven't exactly been agreeing on much recently, but I want you to hear me out. I've been thinking about the school duel."

"The school duel?" Ren repeated in genuine confusion. "Should have figured."

Wait? He doesn't want to talk about the duel? Then what is he so high-strung about?

"Um… yeah… it is a fairly important event after all." Logan forced a chuckle, trying to ease the tension.

"You're right. It's why we should leave it alone."

Ren's words were so sharp, Logan almost grimaced. But this was the answer he'd been expecting. He just had to play it calm. "Now I thought you'd say that, but-"

"No. We do nothing," Ren said plainly. "This is Jaden's fight and his alone. Besides, it's not up to us."

Logan's hands tightened into fists as he tried to suppress the growing anger inside. "What do you mean by that?"

"The teachers will decide the competitors. It'll be Bastion and Jaden. Just forget about it. There's not even a discussion to be had."

Each word made his anger burn with more intensity. "How can you be so blind?" he seethed.

"Excuse me?" Ren asked. "You're one to talk."

"Maybe you're right. But at least I've accepted this life as my own."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Ren growled, taking a confrontational step forward.

"You made a whole deal about Dimitri but let it get progressively worse and worse until you convinced yourself you had to be involved. You claim all day that you believed it would eventually work itself out, but let's face it, the truth is quite simple. You're a coward." Ren was turning red, his own anger boiling over.

"Watch it, Logan."

"Oh, struck a nerve, did I?" Logan laughed mockingly. "Is this something you don't want to hear? Well tough, it's my turn to talk. You need to stop clinging to a series of events that no longer matter. Face it, the butterfly beat its wings a long time ago and now, the wind is starting to pick up. We've both made changes. The path you think you know will now be different. As for your claim that it'll be Bastion duelling Jaden, you don't know that anymore. You're just clinging to a faint hope that your precious safety line is still intact."

"Logan-"

"And worst of all is your damn hypocrisy! 'Oh, I hate the attention, I just want to stay in the background,' but you constantly get yourself involved." Logan's voice had been slowly raising for some time. It was honestly a wonder none of the other students had come flocking. "You'll say, 'but that's not my choice, the others drag me into to it'. Learn to say fucking 'no' then! Get some resolve!"

"Shut up!"

His cry was so sudden that it made Logan pause. Ren's entire body was shaking, his head down, hair covering his eyes. "I'm not scared. I just see the greater picture. Something you clearly haven't grasped. Jaden is the protagonist. Not us. He's the one who will save the world. Not us. I did try and stay away from them, you're right about that too. But I think you know as well as I that Jaden and the others pull people together in a way that can be explained and can't be escaped. You want to help them, become a hero, and go right ahead, but don't stand in the way of his development. The school duel establishes Jaden. Boosts his confidence. And helps secure an essential ally. Maybe I'm not proactive in trying to establish myself like you, but it's because I'm happy with the way things are. But if you try to steamroll Jaden, you'll find me blocking the path. That is my resolve, Logan."

Logan glared at Ren, the Obelisk meeting his gaze with an uncharacteristic fiery passion. "I guess that agreement to work together didn't matter then," he finally said, truly regretful. "All of that just to say you'll be some kind of lurking guardian angel. It's an excuse to not live your life. They don't need it. You're just avoiding the truth by playing protector, and I won't let you chain me down any longer. I want this Ren. I want to live my life! Set my own boundaries!"

"Boundaries, huh?" Ren growled. "Well, if they are so important to you, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Hmm?"

"Horus. You mentioned him during the duel with Dimitri. I've been keeping that deck under wraps. Outside of practice matches with Bastion, I've barely used it. So how did you know about it?"

Logan's blood ran cold, his mind going numb. Truth be told, over the course of the break, he became worried about what Ren might have been doing. This feeling only grew worse when they returned to the academy and the dragon user seemed distracted and frustrated. Feeling something was up… he had asked Lumina to keep an eye on him. She told him everything. How he and Sadie were now dating, how he and Bastion had been having regular practice matches on the cliff, Ren practising using a new Horus lockdown strategy.

Admittedly, Logan had been a bit miffed that Ren was keeping a new deck secret from him… not that he was one to talk about secrets. When Ren had stepped in to duel Dimitri, Logan had been angry. He had wanted the opportunity to duel, and prove himself in front of an audience. He thought that Ren would take it seriously, using Horus to end it quickly. However, in using his dragon deck, he prolonged the game, allowing people to gather and see him duel. It had made his blood boil listening to the whispers in the corridors. Students talking about Ren's ability to defeat one of the King of Game's decks.

Despite not trying, Ren was making a name for himself amongst the student body. The teachers would undoubtedly recognise this as well. But where did that leave Logan? Picking up the scraps. Sure, he'd made a name defeating obelisks at the start of school, but so had Jaden. So had Bastion. Logan has fallen behind because he'd allowed himself to believe his partnership with Ren was equal. But in truth, it only benefitted the dragon user.

So yes, Logan had spied. He'd had the best of intentions, but Ren would never accept that. He'd also immediately lose all trust if he found out that he'd been hiding a spirit partner all this time. What would he say?

Thankfully, at that moment, both Logan's and Ren's PDAs went off, the loud beeps breaking the tension between the two, and then they kept going off. The two shared a glare before both checked their devices. It was a group call from Jaden. Actually, it looked like Jaden had been trying to send him messages for a little while now.

"I think we should take this," Logan said, thankful for the escape.

Ren kept up his glare for a few more moments before shaking his head. "This isn't over."

Letting out a mental sigh of relief, Logan took the call. Already in the chat were Alexis, and Bastion and Dimitri, who were sharing a screen. It looked like the pair were in the library. Syrus and Chumley were also sharing Jaden's screen, the three Slifers squeezed together to be seen.

"Ah, we finally got a hold of you!" Jaden cried in relief. "Dude, where have you been? It's Blair! Something's happened!"

'Ah, so they'd reached the point where Jaden had found out she was a girl? Good, that meant this little side episode is almost over,' Logan thought happily. "What is it?"

"Blair just ran past us crying!" Syrus cried in panic.

Wait, what?

"He was really upset," Chumley went on. "He ran straight by us. We tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't stop. We lost him when he ran outside."

Logan peaked up from his PDA to see Ren giving him a dirty look. Okay, so maybe things had gone off the rails. Again.

"Did you not check the Slifer Dorm?" Dimitri offered helpfully. Bastion must have told him about Blair if he wasn't questioning who Blair was. "He's the transfer student, right? Can't be a lot of places he knows how to get to."

Jaden shook his head adjusting the camera to show the Slifer Dorm. "We raced back here but he's not here. We don't know where he could have gone. We're really worried. The little guy has no idea how to get around, what if he ran into the jungle?"

Alexis, who had momentarily muted herself to talk to someone offscreen turned back to her camera. "Do you think he could have gone to the other dorms?"

"Why would he do that though?" Jaden asked.

Once again, Logan shared a glance with Ren. Both knew exactly why Blair would go there. She currently had a crush on Zane. She'd snuck into his room in canon. Was the reason she'd run off to do it again?

"Anything's possible," he finally said.

Alexis once again muted and quickly talked to someone off-screen before turning back to us. "Zane has said he and Eve will check the blue dorm. I'll help search the forest."

"We'll come too," Dimitri cut in loudly, prompting a very loud 'SHHH' from offscreen.

"It'll be easier as a group," Ren agreed. "But it could be dangerous, so go in groups. Alexis, if you're still on campus, I'll meet you outside. Dimitri and Bastion if you guys are already together, then you go together too. Jaden, Syrus and Chumley make the third team."

Logan paused. Those numbers didn't add up."

"I'll go with R-" Logan began, only for Ren to cut him off.

"Logan, stay and find a teacher. They should be able to help search."

Logan couldn't believe it; Ren was trying to sideline him!

"Hang on-" He wanted to try and refute it, but Alexis interrupted this time. "Sounds like a plan. We'll message if anyone finds anything"

"Right!" the others chimed before each rung off. Logan just stood there dumbstruck. Finally, he looked at Ren.

"I'm coming with you."

"No," Ren said simply. "Find a teacher. Let them know what's happened."

"But-"

"No 'buts'." Ren turned around to him angrily. "There is a little kid lost on this island, someone you were supposed to be watching. Now do the right thing and go get some help. Please."

Logan wanted to refute, but he knew Ren would never budge. Letting out a sigh, he nodded his head silently. Seemingly satisfied, Ren turned and ran to the entrance. Yet again, Logan was left out to dry while Ren ran off to save the day. Yes, this was his fault, but he could help, damn it. He looked towards the window that overlooked the forest, the trees creating a wide sea of green. If Blair was out there, it would take far too long to look for her.

Almost immediately, he felt a familiar presence.

"My saviour," the Lightsworn greeted, her tone humble. Lumina floated at his side; her features impassive as she waited for him to speak. Seeing the spirit, guilt began to build within him.

"I messed up," Logan said immediately, grateful to have someone who would listen. Lumina didn't rebuke him or try to flatter him. "I keep saying I want to be a hero, but then I go and do shit like this. Blair ran off while I should have been watching her."

"Indeed."

"I know I didn't want to deal with her, but I should have at least made sure she stuck with Jaden… or maybe walked her to the Blue Dorm… Done something else…"

Lumina regarded him carefully before turning her head towards the window. "Hindsight is a wonderful thing. It teaches us how to correct our mistakes, and how to make sure they don't happen again. While you and your peers mays deem your actions unbecoming, what you learned from this encounter will help you tomorrow be better than you were today."

"Better than today?" Logan repeated. Yeah… he needed to keep improving. He needed to be better than he was before. A better duelist. A better man. And he couldn't do that from the sidelines. He couldn't be like Ren. He knew what he needed to do.

"Lumina… can you find her?"

She smiled as if expecting his answer. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head, as if listening. After a moment, she pointed out towards the forest. "I will show you the way."

It hadn't taken her long to get lost. She couldn't bear it, seeing Zane with that other girl. They had seemed close too. She was so pretty too. When they'd been stood out in the corridor, waiting to be introduced to the class, she'd been intimidated then too. In fact, not just by her. There were so many pretty girls here. Did she ever really stand a chance?

"You did it again," she whispered to herself, wiping away the tears. Seeing her beloved with another woman was too much. She had to run. That Jaden guy had tried to stop her, but she gave them the slip by running into the forest. She continued to run until her legs could carry her no more Thanking, a nearby fallen tree provided a perfect bench where she could sob.

It was only once she'd calmed down that she realised she didn't know the way back. Trees surrounded her on all sides like steadfast soldiers, witnesses to her despair. She was afraid of what would happen if she started walking in the wrong direction and ended up getting more lost. In her heart, she kept hoping Zane would come to find her. Her knight in shining armour, striding in calling her name.

"Blair!"

Her head shot up, puffy eyes scanning the trees.

"Zane?" The name left her lips involuntarily, hope flooding her. To her right, she saw movement, something moving amongst the trees. Those hopes were dashed when she saw the red blazer and the messy stock of purple hair. "Oh… it's you…"

"Oh wow, such a welcome. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered looking for you," Logan groaned, stepping into the clearing.

She turned her head, remembering that right now, she had to be Blair. "How did you find me?" she snapped. Not that she wasn't grateful to have someone find her, she just didn't like having this randomer seeing her so vulnerable.

"I saw you run out from the window. You looked upset so I figured I should come after you," he said quickly. He moved past her, going to sit on the fallen tree. "Want to talk about it?"

"No," she seethed. She made sure to keep her back away from him.

"Are you sure? I hear it helps," he pressed, taking out his PDA and starting to type.

"This isn't something you'd understand," she barked back, probably a bit more angrily than needed.

Logan paused momentarily, putting away the device in his pocket before replying. Out of her peripheral vision, she spotted his head turn ever so slightly to the side as if listening to something. She snuck a peak but saw nothing.

"You'd be surprised, Blair," he finally said. "So, who was it?"

"Who was what?"

"Who made you cry?"

She shrank back. "And who said anyone made me cry?" Rather than say anything, Logan just shot her a look that told her he wasn't going to take any of her nonsense. It was funny, if she didn't know better, she'd have said that he already knew the answer. "Fine. I got into an argument with one of those Obelisks."

"That's a lie," Logan said flatly, making her flinch. "This morning, you could barely look anyone in the eye. I really doubt you'd have the guts to pick a fight. Try again."

She decided there and then that she didn't like this guy. He was far too smug. "Why do you even care?"

"I was assigned to look after you," he said simply.

"You left me alone with those other Slifers. And you tried to pass me off to that Ren guy this morning." Logan had the decency to look guilty.

"You're right. I'm… sorry," he said slowly. "How about we be honest with each other? For instance, I know that you're a girl."

She froze, a chill running through her. "What? But how? My disguise was flawless!" In her shock, she returned to her normal tone.

"You're only wearing a large hat and slightly lowered your voice. It wasn't rocket science."

Her hands went to the hat, clutching its brim. "But I can't have anyone knowing my secret! If I'm found out, I'll never…" she trailed off, the future she had envisioned herself, popping like a balloon. She needed to nip this in the bud. Her eyes darted to her pack, and raced to it, taking out the duel disk within.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked.

"I can't have you telling other people my secret. I'll duel you. If I win, you won't tell another soul that I'm a girl!"

"Yeah, I'm going to stop you right there," Logan dismissed. "We are not duelling."

"But you already have your duel disk," she said, pointing to the device poking out of Logan's backpack. "And the academy's rules say that all issues between students should be solved by duelling."

"Phh, yeah, no," he laughed.

"We duel… or… or I don't go back!" Blair said, trying to call his bluff.

"Don't be a child," he shot back. "What would you do anyway?"

"I'd find my own way back." He was treating her like a child. She hated that.

"There are wild animals in this jungle you know?" he said casually.

She froze. "What?"

"Oh yeah. Monkeys, snakes, spiders. Really not friendly."

Shakily, she looked towards the forest, slightly afraid said animals would jump it. That was all it took. Logan's hand shot out, snatching the cap from her head, accidentally knocking her hair clip free and causing her long hair to fall.

"Hey! Give that back!" she cried, unsuccessfully trying to use her arms to shield her face.

"Wow, just exactly how old are you?" Logan asked although it didn't sound genuine. He pulled the hat up to his face, having a look inside before stopping. Reaching inside, he gently pulled out the tag, where her name was written in red ink. "Wait, this says Rei? Is that… is that your actual name?" he asked in disbelief.

"No… no, no, no, no," Rei whimpered, slumping to the ground, new tears welling up. Her secret was well and truly out. Hearing her quiet sobbing, Logan suddenly started moving.

"Hey, don't cry… Look… Come sit down." Logan guided Rei over to the fallen tree and sat her down whilst he remained standing over her, looking down at her and waiting. After a few minutes, Rei began to calm down, her sobs dying in the back of her throat. "You good?"

"Yeah…" she said.

"Okay, why don't we start from the beginning then," Logan suggested. "Just who exactly are you?"

Rei took a deep breath, thinking back on all that it took to lead to this moment. "Well… my name is Rei Saotome. I'm twelve… um and a half. I came here… I came here to meet my soul mate again."

"You mean Zane," Logan said bluntly.

"Ye-Yeah… How did you-?"

"You made it obvious."

"Really?" she asked, suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed. "I met him at a tournament last year. We each won our divisions, so we got to talk briefly. He was so cool."

"Then why the fake name?"

"I wanted it to be like one of those fairy tales. We meet and become friends. We get close and then, bam, I reveal I'm a girl from his past. Classic romance."

She saw Logan roll his eyes. Her urge to punch him returned immediately. "So… if your name's Rei, where did Blair come from?" he asked.

"Blair is actually the name of my cousin."

"Huh?"

"I used his name to get into the academy," she admitted. "He's a little older than me, but he suffers from this condition, he's smaller than most guys his age. With that hat on, we look a lot alike."

"Okay… But looking like your cousin isn't enough to get into the academy," Logan pointed out.

"I applied online for Duel Academy. All it took was a picture of someone's ID. I took a picture of Blair's when I visited with my family. The school kept the image on file and when I went for the exam, they didn't even look twice."

Logan let out a groan. "The security at this place really is crap," Rei heard him say under his breath. "What about your parents then? They must be worried sick?" He seemed less concerned with her reasons or more interested in how she actually got to the island.

"They think I'm on a trip with my friend and her older sister," she said. "I was going to ring them every night to let them know I was okay."

"That is… that's ridiculous…"

"Hey, I thought this would go quickly. Love is the most powerful force in the universe after all!" she defended.

Logan didn't seem impressed. "And how long exactly was this plan of yours supposed to take?"

Rei's gaze fell to the floor, her cheeks going crimson. "A week."

"Pffhhh." Logan couldn't contain his laughter, only just managing to die it down to light chuckling. Still, it hurt. "You are such a kid," he grinned, finally throwing her cap back to her.

She caught it indignantly, slipping it back on her head. "And what would you know about love?" Rei demanded.

"Not much truthfully. I actually just got my first girlfriend," he said with a smile. Rei paused, looking at him up and down. He didn't seem like much, and his attitude seemed less than pleasant.

"Now you're lying."

"It's true," Logan pressed. "I wasn't expecting it truthfully. But it goes to show you, feelings aren't something you can expect to just happen. They come suddenly and randomly. Sometimes you have to fight for them too, but you end up pushing too hard and it just goes badly." He said that last part so sadly. He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes growing distant, possibly remembering something.

"But if you're willing to fight, then it's worth it, right?" Rei asked hopefully.

Logan shook his head. "I really want to say it is. But the truth is it's not always. Love is good and wonderful. Obsession… that just consumes everything around you until there's nothing left to give. So let me ask you, do you think your feelings for Zane are love or obsession?"

Rei's eyes fell. "I… I don't know. I've thought about this for so long… I never saw things going badly. My mum always told me, 'Love would conquer all'." She paused, her faith in those words faltering.

"That's bul- that's rubbish," Logan said, snapping Rei to attention. The older boy looked away distantly. "To achieve your dreams, you need to be willing to fight. For what is right, for what matters, for what's true to yourself. It's not love, Rei. Maybe it's part of it, but it's not all of it. It's conviction. That is what makes the difference. Without it, you will never succeed. And that's why you need to go home."

"What? No!" Rei cried, turning round to him with fury. "I'm not done yet!"

"Yes, you are. You will not win Zane's heart in a week, a month or even a year. The dude is not interested in romance. Your parents will work out something's wrong very quickly. And do you really think you'll be able to keep up with your studies? We're three grades above you."

"I'm a tournament winner. I'm way ahead of you guys." Immediately, an idea popped into her head. "And I'll prove it. Duel me."

"I already said no," Logan pointed out.

"If you win," Rei continued, "I'll go home. If I win, we go on like this never happened and you keep my secret."

"Ugh…" Logan sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I should have known I wouldn't be able to avoid this. Fine. I could turn you in to a teacher any time I want, but if this will make it easier… at the very least I'll be able to try out some new cards."

Rei smiled, feeling that she had won. She was confident in her duelling. She'd made it to convey her feelings and it wouldn't lose now. As Logan attached his disk to his arm, she ran to her position and activated her own device.

"You better not go back on your word when I win," she declared cockily.

"I could say the same to you," Logan said with a small smile.

"DUEL!"

"I'm taking the first move!" Rei cried, taking his first card in hand.

Turn 1: Rei - 4000 LP - 6 cards in hand - 0 cards on the field

Rei couldn't help but smile. She had a great hand. "To start, I'll set a monster! Then I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Three cards appeared on her field. Not a very flashy move, but her strategy was now in place. Now she just had to wait for Logan to spring the trap. Rei lowered her disk, taking a breath. She wasn't ready to leave yet. She'd put so much effort into getting here, she wasn't about to go home so soon. She'd have to play perfectly.

"My draw," Logan said, taking his card in a lot less dramatic way than Rei had drawn. He stared at his cards momentarily before making his move. "I'll start by activating the spell, Lightsworn Sanctuary." Behind the Slifer, a golden altar appeared in a ray of light like a gift from the heavens. It shone softly in the light of the setting sun. Rei waited for an effect, but nothing happened. Logan merely continued with his move.

"I'll next activate Foolish Burial to send Wulf, Lightsworn Beast from my deck to the graveyard. This activates my sanctuary's effect, giving it one shine counter." The centre of the altar began to glow dully (SC:1). "And since Wulf was sent to the grave from my deck, he's automatically summoned to the field. Come back Wulf (2100/300)!"

A white wolfman appeared on the field wielding a long spear that rested on its shoulder. It wore white and golden armour on its legs, arms and shoulder, but kept its furred chest bare. It growled lightly as it stared at Rei.

"Lightsworn?" Rei asked, having never heard of the archetype. "What are those?"

"They're the type of cards I play," Logan said simply. "And your about to get a better look at them. I now activate Charge of the Light Brigade. I send the top three cards of the deck to the grave and add a Lightsworn from my deck to my hand, so I'll add Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. Oh, and since more cards went to the grave, my spell gains another counter. (SC:2)" Adding the card to his hand, he reached for another card in his hand. "I now summon Jain, Lightsworn Paladin (1800/1200)!"

Logan's new monster was a knight dressed from the head down in white and gold armour. They possessed short, stunning white hair and wielded a sword and shield. They were very pretty, but Rei couldn't tell if the card was male or female.

"Now go Jain, attack that set monster!" Logan declared, his paladin charging forward, their sword beginning to glow. "And did I forget to mention, when Jain attacks, their attack goes up by three hundred until the end of the battle!" (1800-2100 ATK)

With a fearsome cry, the paladin leapt forth and sliced Rei's set card, revealing it to be an angel with four golden wings. (2100-1800 ATK)

"Thanks for that," Rei said happily. "The monster you just destroyed was my Shining Angel. When he's destroyed, I can summon a light attribute monster with fifteen hundred points or less, so I'll summon another Shining Angel (1400/800)." From a ray of light, a second angel appeared. It used its four wings to hover above the ground gracefully.

"He'll last just as long as the first one," Logan said devilishly. "Wulf, sharpen your claws on that angel!" His beast leapt forth, its spear primed.

Just what Rei had been waiting for.

"You just activated my trap card. Go, Magic Cylinder!"

"No!" Logan cried, his eyes going wide.

Two wooden cylinders emerged from the ground. Wulf had no time to stop. He went through the first cylinder before moments later emerging from the second, this time heading straight for Logan. The beast's spear brazed Logan's side, making the teenager grunt in frustration. (Logan: 1900LP)

"Is that all you've got?" Rei asked, getting a little caught up in the moment, her excitement bubbling up inside her. "You were being so tough before."

Logan's face scrunched up; his eyes were still fierce despite losing over half his life points in a single move. "Laugh it up squirt. I may have underestimated you. Believe me, it won't happen again."

"Ha, we'll see," Rei teased.

"I set one card and end my turn," Logan declared, the holographic card appearing in front of him. "Since it's now the end phase, Jain's effect activates, forcing me to send two more cards to the grave." He quickly moved the top cards of his deck to the grave, his features souring (SC: 3). Rei noticed that one of the cards was a trap.

"Lose something good?" Rei asked.

"Something I was looking forward to testing, yeah," Logan admitted. "But I somehow doubt I'll need it.

"Tough words for a guy losing," she couldn't help saying.

"Just make your move, kid," Logan smirked, immediately breaking Rei's good mood.

"Fine!" She drew her card, and the moment she saw it, a grin broke out on her face. "Sorry to say, but I'm about to show you exactly why I belong here."

"Oh, I can't believe it," I groaned.

"What?" Alexis asked, looking back at me.

"It's Logan," I said staring down at what must have been a hastily written text. "He's found Blair."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," I replied sullenly. Of course, I was happy she had been found. What frustrated me was that Logan had ignored me. And how had he found her so fast? Alexis and I had been walking through the forest for the last twenty minutes, calling out for our runaway with no result. Blind luck, or something else? The size of the island was portrayed inconsistently in the show. Sometimes it felt huge whilst at others, it was like everything was around the corner from the other. In reality, this place took time to navigate. You definitely wouldn't be able to make out a duel happening on the edge of the volcano for instance. I just found it hard to believe Logan had picked a direction and found her. We hadn't even separated that long ago.

Logan had told us where he was around. I half suspected he hoped that Zane would come and nip this story arc in the bud whilst giving Blair some closure. He hadn't thought that because Zane had no interaction with Blair at all, he'd probably stay at the Blue Dorm with Eve.

"Okay, what is with you, seriously?" Alexis suddenly asked, snapping me back to attention. Her glare made the retort in my mouth die. "I know you said you want to keep the tough guy act, but you can't really pull it off," she continued. "I told you about my brother. I told you I want to go back to the abandoned dorm, and I supported you in our duel with Rex and Weevil. I know we had a rocky start, but I thought you'd trust me more."

My brows furrowed, shaking my head. I could feel myself reaching my breaking point today. "You are way too persistent. Please accept this isn't something I want to talk about." I walked past, pushing on in a desperate wish just to find Logan and get this day over with. Alexis continued to push though.

"And why not? I get we didn't have the greatest start, but I'm trying to be a friend to you," she countered, keeping step behind me. "Please, Ren."

I stopped, no longer able to keep in the bubbling feeling in my chest. I turned on her, my whole body shaking. "You really want to know, fine. I've been in a mood all day because I had a stupid argument with my girlfriend, alright?"

Alexis's eyes went wide, the words not quite seeming to process. "Girlfriend?" I could practically see the cogs turning in her head as she came to a quick conclusion. "Wait… you and Sadie? I mean… the two of you seemed close… but I didn't think… How long have you two…?" She trailed off, apparently too many questions running through her head.

"It was before the break, during that whole thing with Harrington," I explained. "We were planning on telling you guys, but we just never found the time."

"You couldn't have just said, 'Hey guys, we're a couple?'" she asked.

"Bit blunt, don't you think?" I sighed. "Anyways, things had been going really well until this weekend. She wasn't exactly happy with… keeping her out of the loop with Dimitri."

"How did she know you did?" she asked.

"We… we may have been together when she made mention of some of Dimitri's behaviour. I worked out what was going on and ran off without telling her. I mean, everything worked out in the end…"

"But she thinks you could have done things differently?" Alexis asked. I could only nod my head. There was an awkward silence before she continued. "Do you think you could have done better?" Again, I nodded my head.

"Alexis… Ever since coming to the academy, it seems a lot like I've been moving from one thing to the other with no break in between. And as you've probably seen, I'm not exactly the picture of grace under social pressure." She didn't answer but she did nod her head. "I tried to help Dimitri, but there were times I could have done something sooner. Maybe things would never have gone down the way they did if I had."

"You're an idiot," Alexis suddenly cut in. I turned, ready to argue until I saw she was smiling. "You have a bad habit of taking everything on your own shoulders. At the abandoned dorm; with Dimitri; even now. It's like you're trying to wrestle with a river. Just… I don't know… go with the flow. Sadie wasn't mad because you didn't tell her what was going on. She was worried because she can see the stress that you put on yourself by carrying that weight alone." She smiled at me kindly, and yet I had to resist the urge to laugh. Something she, unfortunately, very quickly caught on to. "Are you snickering?"

"I'm sorry," I chuckled. "I was just thinking, considering how this year started, I never thought you'd be the one to try and give me relationship advice."

She frowned for a moment before she began to chuckle as well. "I suppose it is weird. I've spent so long being angry with you that if you told me we'd be having this conversation, I would have laughed."

We both shared a laugh and it felt like a small weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "Thank you, Alexis," I said honestly. "I needed this."

"You're very welcome," she replied, falling into step with me. "And don't worry about Sadie. She probably feels as bad as you about your fight. Give her some time."

"I hope so," I said with far less melancholy than I had before.

BOOM!

Our conversation was interrupted by a pillar of light descending from the sky a little distance away from us, falling just below the tree line. The tell-tale sign of a duel. And if that light had anything to say about it, Logan had probably decided to engage Blair.

"That came from this way," I said as the light faded. "Let's go!"

The two of us ran in the direction of the light, coming to the edge of a clearing where we found the two duellists. We arrived just in time to see Logan's attack be thrown back at him, draining over half his life points. However, we weren't the only ones to arrive. Coming out of the trees were not only the three Slifers but also Bastion and Dimitri too.

"I take you guys saw that light too?" I asked them as they joined us.

"It was kind of hard not to see," Dimitri said, giving me a nod.

"Why are they duelling?" Syrus asked. "And what's with Blair?"

It was true, her cap was off, allowing her hair to flow freely. There was no question of her gender now. At least, for those wiser than us.

"Wow, Blair's hair is really long," Syrus remarked. "That must be why he wore that cap."

"Um, Sy… I don't think," Jaden began to say before I cut him off.

"Hang on. He can work it out. Syrus, it would seem Blair is on the other team, so to speak."

"Huh?"

"Blair wasn't quite who they seem. You could say they had something hidden."

He shrugged obliviously.

"Ugh… Logan activated Blair's trap card."

Syrus suddenly let out a loud gasp. "Blair's a girl!"

We couldn't even laugh, that was just how awkward we felt. "Are you proud of yourself?" Bastion asked me.

"No… not really."

The two duellists hadn't noticed us yet. Their concentration was entirely focused on their match. As Logan set down a card, we watched as Blair drew her next card.

"Sorry to say, but I'm about to show you exactly why I belong here," the small girl cried proudly.

"Give me your worst, Rei," Logan shot back.

With those words, my mind went numb. Did he just say Rei?

Turn 3: Rei - 4000LP - 4 cards in hand - 1 monster on the field, 1 set card

"My worst, huh? How about this then? I'll start by activating the spell, Creature Swap. With this, we have to swap monsters. You get to choose though, isn't that nice? I only have my angel to offer. Who will you give me?"

Logan ground his teeth, not wanting to part with any of his Lightsworns. However, while Jain's effect was useful in battle, Wulf was far better suited for this battle. "You can take Jain," he said reluctantly.

As he spoke, the two monsters slid across the field in a perfect circle, Shining Angel coming onto Logan's field whilst Jain took their place at Rei's. "Battle! Jain, attack Shining Angel!" Rei called, throwing out her arm. The paladin responded immediately, jumping the distance as their sword began to glow (1800-2100 ATK). In one motion, they sliced the angel in two. (Logan: 1200LP)

As Jain returned to Rei's field, their sword's glow dimmed (2100-1800 ATK), however, a new light shined down from above. "Even though it was on your field, my Shining Angel's effect still activates," Rei explained with a smile. "So, I call forth my ace! Meet the worst card you can imagine. I summon, the Maiden in Love (400/300)."

From the light emerged a young girl, dressed in an elegant yellow sundress and white bonnet. As she touched the ground, she looked out shyly towards Logan's monster. Ultimately, despite being cute, the card was very underwhelming. And yet, Logan couldn't help but groan.

"Oh, not this thing…"

Rei's grin grew. "Ah, so you know this card. You're right to be afraid of it."

"Yes, that bonnet is terrifying," Logan said dryly, making Rei frown.

"Maybe you'll be warier after this then. Maiden, attack that beast!" Rather than a fierce cry, Maiden began to giggle and run towards the wolf man. However, the beast warrior looked confused and merely stepped out of the way of the maiden's path, causing the girl to fall to her knees. (Rei: 2300LP)

However, Maiden did not shatter. Instead, she looked up at the beast man with large, teary eyes before looking away and beginning to sob. Wulf, taken aback, reached out to the fallen girl, trying to calm her. Maiden in turn looked back to the Wulf and reached out for his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Immediately, a small heart mark appeared on Wulf's left peck.

"Ugh," Logan sighed, barely able to stomach the sight. It was like looking at something out of a fairy tale. He remembered Maiden's effect. It was an anime-only card, one that he found to be entirely useless. He'd tried using it in the Tag Force games, along with other anime-only cards, as a joke. He never used it properly. You'd just take damage from it and end up closer to losing.

Rei, on the other hand, smirked confidently, happy with her choice of monster. "My, it looks like beauty is taming the beast. You see, when Maiden is in attack mode, she can't be destroyed by battle, and any monster attacked by her gains a Maiden Counter." Maiden waved to Wulf before skipping back to Rei's side, whilst the white beast drunkenly returned to Logan's. "You should be careful," Rei warned. "Monsters with a maiden counter tend to switch sides."

Logan's brow furrowed. "It won't come to that."

Rei merely shrugged. "Maybe. For now, I'll set this monster and play one more face down. That ends my turn." As two new cards appeared on the young girl's field, Logan drew his next card and began to think of a new strategy.

Turn 4: Logan - 1200LP - 3 cards in hand - 1 monster on the field, 1 continuous spell card and 1 face down.

"I'll admit, you had a clever play," he said honestly, "but that ace of yours will be your downfall. So for starters, I'll activate my face down, Beckoning Light. I discard my entire hand and then for each card, I add a light attribute monster back from the grave. So, I'll discard these three to return Lumina, Lyla and Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue."

As he planned his next move, he considered summoning Lumina and discarding Lyla to resummon her. He had limited options in that regard though. He'd not been fortunate with his discards. The only other Lightsworns in his graveyard were Jenis, Lightsworn Mender and Shire, Lightsworn Spirit. Not the best cards for use in this situation.

Instead, he'd Lumina for later. For now, Rei's traps were a bigger threat. "I summon Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress (1700/200)," he called as a beautiful woman with raven hair emerged wearing white silk. "I now activate her effect. By switching her to defence mode, I can destroy one of your face-downs. I'll target the one on the left."

Lyla knelt down, radiant light emanating from her, burning away Rei's set card, revealing it to be Enchanted Javelin. A useful card for her strategy to keep her life points. It was good that she'd lost it. And while Maiden didn't have her equip cards, he needed to reduce her life points as much as possible.

"Wulf, attack Maiden!" he cried.

Somewhat reluctantly, Wulf walked forward. He paused in front of the girl, looking confused as to how to proceed. He looked back to Logan pleadingly, but the annoyed look of the Lightsworn user was all it took for the warrior to turn its head in shame. Slowly, it raised his spear…

"Not just yet," Rei cried. "I activate my trap card, Switch!" With this, I change your attack target to my set monster."

As soon as the trap activated, Wulf suddenly tripped, his spear falling upon the set monster. Almost immediately, a pinkish blob sprang from the card, morphing around the spear to form a rotund marshmallow-like creature.

"Sh…Bug…Crap…" Logan finally decided on saying, recognising the creature immediately. Marshmallon (300/500) sprang across the field, sinking its surprisingly jagged jaws into Logan's arm, making the teen wince (Logan: 200LP)

"Oh dear, that looks like it hurt," Rei laughed. "Who knew a little marshmallow could be so tough?"

Logan merely frowned. "I end my turn," he growled. He had little other choice. As his turn drew to a close, Lyla's effect activated, sending the three more cards from his deck to the grave, including Gragonith and Ehren. Those would have been useful. Still, his shrine gained one more counter (SC:4).

Turn 5: Rei - 2300LP - 2 cards in hand - Three monsters on the field

As she drew her card, Rei's smug smile grew, filling Logan with a sense of dread. He had been expecting this to be easy. Maiden in Love was such a joke of a card. However, he'd walked into one trap after another. Rei may have been young, but she was undoubtedly skilled. But he refused to lose. His hunger for success refused to see him lose. His loss to Chazz was bad enough. He refused to be starved of victory again, especially not against this opponent.

"Sorry to tell you, Logan, but I'm ending this duel right now," Rei declared. "I activate the equip spell, Cupid Kiss." A small cherub suddenly emerged, passing into existence like mist. It rose and laid a gentle peck upon Maiden's cheek. "Now, when Maiden attacks a monster with a Maiden counter, I can take control of it. And when I get your Wulf, you'll be one step closer to defeat. Go, Maiden!"

Again, Maiden skipped across the field towards the white wolf man. Rather than attack, the beast warrior looked uncertain, almost ready to turn away again and let her trip, sealing his fate love-slaved puppet.

"Not so fast!" Logan cried out. "I remove Necro Gardna from the grave to negate your attack!"

Before Maiden could reach Wulf, a ghostly apparition appeared before her, blocking her path. Unable to flirt with death, she was forced to return to Rei's side empty-handed. The young girl was clearly upset by this interruption, her face childishly scrunching.

"So what if you stopped my attack? I'm still winning this. Jain, attack Lyla!"

The paladin obeyed, momentarily, their attack points rose, but it was unneeded. Their sword sliced through the sorceress, sending her straight to the grave. However, Rei was not done.

"And to make sure you can't make a comeback, I'll equip my Marshmallon with the spell, Rare Gold Armour. This card forces you to only attack the monster wearing it, and since Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle, you're just out of luck."

"There's more than one way to take out a monster," Logan shot back. As he drew his next card, he prayed to the heart of the cards for one of his Judgment Dragons.

Turn 6: Logan - 200LP - three cards in hand – One monster and one continuous spell on the field

Logan cocked his head. It wasn't what he wanted but could lead to something better. Time for a comeback.

"For starters, I'll activate the spell, Solar Recharge! I discard a Lightsworn, then draw two, but afterwards send the top two cards of my deck to the grave." He discarded Lumina and found he was not disappointed by the trade-off. He then discarded both Armageddon Knight and a copy of Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior. All the pieces were in place. With several paths to choose from, he quickly decided to take the one that allowed him to try a new card.

"First, I'll activate the effect of Lightsworn Sanctuary, swapping out Rinyan in my hand for another Lightsworn in my graveyard. So, I'll bring back Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior(1850/1300) and immediately summon him!"

A new fighter emerged with a spiky head of blue hair. He wielded a large battle axe and much like his fellow Lightsworns wore stunning white armour. As he took the field, he rested his weapon upon his back. He took one look at the dazed Wulf and shook his head.

"And now, with two light monsters on the field, I can summon a new favourite of mine. Prepare to feel the wrath of my Guardian of Order (2500/1200)!" There was an explosion of light that momentarily blinded both Logan and Rei. When it faded, Logan's monster floated above them. A warrior draped in golden armour that most may call divine.

Rei looked up at it in awe, her eyes almost shining. "It's beautiful…" she gasped. However, she quickly caught herself. "But it doesn't matter. You still can't attack anything but Marshmallon!"

"I'm getting to him. First, I need to make a payment. And the cost… are the souls of two monsters of light and darkness. So, I remove, Lumina and the Armageddon Knight resting in my graveyard from play." As he spoke, both monsters appeared, the knight with his head low whilst Lumina smiled. They became twin streams of dark energy circling around each other before sinking into the ground, creating a dark portal to the nether. And from it emerged something far more frightening.

A man. Over six feet tall and draped in dark robes that left his grey chest exposed. Light and dark magic circled around the magic user as if playthings. This monster was one of the new darker spots that now occupied his deck, and one of the more useful ones. Rei shivered as the magic-user took the field, undoubtedly wary of his evil presence.

"Rei, this has been fun and all, but this guy will end this," Logan said with a smile. "Meet, Chaos Sorcerer (2300/2000)!" The magician let out a laugh, his cackle displeasing to the ear. "I use his effect! Once per turn, at the cost of his attack, I can remove a monster from play. Remove Marshmallon!"

The dark magic user raised his hand, the forces of chaos circling around it. He conjured a dark ball of energy. It grew until it was half his size before he gently flicked it towards the marshmallow blob. It encased the small monster, obscuring him from view. There was a great purple flash, and the orb vanished, its quarry vanishing with it, along with Rei's hope of victory.

"It's time to end this," Logan said with no hesitation. "Wulf, strike down Jain!"

This time, there was no hesitation. The wolf warrior threw its spear, piercing the armour of Jain in an instant, shattering them into pixels. (Rei: 2100LP)

"Now go, Guardian of Order, purify that false maiden. Radiant pulse!"

The shining warrior opened his arms, the light emanating from him glowing ever brighter. It swept across the field overcoming the girl. She shied away from it, and hid her face, unable to face the light, however, the damage was done. The light passed by the girl and overcame Rei, burning away the remainder of her life points.

(Rei: 0 LP. Logan Wins)

As the holograms faded, Rei sank to her knees, her long hair hiding her features, but from the slight movement of her head, Logan could tell she was beginning to cry. Slowly, he walked over to the small girl so that he towered above her.

"So that's it?" Rei asked, her voice shaky. "Everything I did… it's over?"

"Yeah," Logan said softly. "You need to go home."

Rei stayed silent for a moment before her head shot up to look at the Lightsworn user with angry eyes. "No! There's still time! I can find Zane! I can tell him how I feel!"

"You could. And if that's what you want, I'll gladly take you to him," Logan said, making Rei falter. "However, the result will be the same. I get you like the guy but he's just not looking for love."

"How do you know?" Rei snapped.

"Well, he's been at this academy for three years with every female student swooning over him. If he was interested, he'd have a girlfriend by now. Nah, that guy is far too detached. You'll just find yourself hurt again."

Her eyes fell, letting out a less than maidenly sniff. "But I came all this way…"

"I know."

"I worked so hard…"

"I know."

"I don't want to go yet."

"I know, but you have to." He knelt down, offering her his hand. "Your family will be wondering where you are. If you don't go back soon, they'll be worried."

Rei looked up at his hand, she went to reach out but stopped. "What does this mean for me? What should I do now?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "That has got to be the stupidest question I've ever heard." Rei frowned. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. Live it. Zane's just your first crush, there will be others, but… uh… they're probably not on this island," he added hastily. "Take it from me, don't be in a hurry to grow up, enjoy what you have while you have it. Don't take anything for granted because you never know when the fun will end."

Rei cocked her head, looking over Logan with a great amount of confusion. "You sound old."

"I am," Logan chuckled. "Older than you at least and with a tiny bit more experience. Now c'mon, let's get you home."

Still hesitantly, Rei finally took his hand, and he hoisted her back to her feet. They turned to leave when they finally noticed their seven onlookers. Syrus and Chumley both had tears in their eyes whilst Jaden seemed inspired. Alexis was hiding her face whilst Dimitri and Bastion both chuckled awkwardly. Ren stared solely at Logan, a thoughtful look on his face. Immediately, both he and Rei turned crimson. "Um… how long have you guys been there?"

Things moved quickly after that. With so many people knowing Blair-no, Rei's secret, there was no way she could remain at the academy. Logan did keep his promise and introduce Rei to Zane, but things didn't really go any different than they had in the canon. Zane recognised her, they briefly reminisced, and then he told her she had to go home. Thankfully, due to the talk she'd had with Logan, she wasn't particularly downhearted, at least not any more than she had been originally. In fact, I saw Jaden trying to cheer her up afterwards. Guess somethings are hard wired. Still, better Jaden than me.

Of course, we had to let the teachers know what had happened. Rei was technically a student, and if she were to disappear, there'd be a search for her. While I was not present for the meeting, I was told she got in quite a lot of trouble, and her family was called. Rei would be staying at the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm tonight whilst her parent made the trip to come and get her.

I had wanted to speak to Logan afterwards and continue our conversation from the hallway but with the others around, I didn't get the chance. Unfortunately, I was forced to go back to the blue dorm alone. The moment I got in, I threw on a blue hoodie and flopped on the couch and started doing deck maintenance, a habit that had formed whenever I was thoughtful.

There was so much that still needed answering. I knew Logan was hiding something, I just wasn't sure what. He was acting strangely. It was like he was reverting to how he was at the start of the year, just in a controlled fashion. I knew he had this hunger to be recognised, but I just couldn't help but feel he was taking it too far.

But what he had said to Rei, that was had struck a chord with me. He was just trying to enjoy his life and give himself the best chance to thrive. I understood that. But in this world, where the stakes were high that Jaden fulfil his destiny, we had to tread lightly.

I shook my head, there was way too much to process in a single afternoon. I looked down at my cards. My Buster Blader fusion deck was on the left, and my Horus Lockdown deck on the right closest to me. Strangely, my mind turned to the ideas of freedom and duty. Despite everything Logan did that annoyed me and his own frustration, he did seem happier. Maybe if I…

KNOCK KNOCK

The rhythmic tapping at the door broke my train of thought. I quickly looked at my watch to see it was almost seven in the evening. No one ever came this late. One of the teachers? I quickly made my way over, opening the door. Who I saw made me pause.

"Sadie?"

She stood in the hallway with a small, sympathetic smile. She wore a cream jumper with maroon sleeves, and a set of black joggers covering her legs. Her long hair was done up in a ponytail and in her hands, she carried a bag of popcorn ready to be microwaved and a few movies.

"Alexis tells me you've been having a bad day," she said. "I'm sorry. I know you did what you thought was right. Dimitri has been your friend since the beginning of the academy."

"I'm sorry too," I quickly said. "You're right, I should have told you what was going on. I should have-"

"Shh," she reached out a hand, pressing her finger into my chest. "Let's just say we were both right, and both wrong. All I want right now is to watch a couple of movies and munch on popcorn. Sound good?"

I looked from her to the food and smiled, opening the door a little wider to let her in. "It is honestly the best thing I've heard all day."

"Ugh… what a day…"

Logan walked into his room feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now alone again, he could finally sit down and relax. It felt like he'd been on edge all day. The first thing he did though was put on a jacket. Without roommates, the room was strangely cold.

"You did well today."

Almost as soon as he slipped the jacket on, his duel spirit emerged, floating just above him with her arms at her side. She had been quiet during the duel, but it seemed she was happy to reappear now.

"Thank you," Logan replied. He gave her a smile before going over to sit at the desk in the room.

"You've come a long way since you started at the academy," she went on. "It seems you grow stronger every day. And now it seems you have another reason to fight."

"Hmm?"

"The girl."

"Rei?"

"No. The Obelisk. The girl you have taken a liking to."

"Mindy?"

"Yes. She will make you stronger."

"Hmm?" He turned to her in genuine confusion. She was looking strangely proud.

"It is the bond of humans that makes them strong. Love is so important. When you fight for love, humans are capable of great miracles. And it is because of this love that I feel you are now ready."

"Ready?"

"I can finally answer your question. I can show you the truth." Logan's eyes went wide. Finally, an answer to a question he'd been asking since the beginning. He'd finally know his purpose. She reached out her hand, the palm glowing softly. "I will show you, my saviour. I will show you the future that is foreseen."

And there we go. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Gonna be honest, it was hard writing this one due to my general dislike for Blair, or Rei in this case. Coming up with a backstory for her, outside of crap academy security, was difficult. For those of you wondering why Logan didn't just expose Blair and be done with the whole matter, well, he didn't think of it because, like Ren, he overthought the issue.

Next time, we have something far more exciting with the duels to decide who will be representing the academy. Clash of Ideals is almost over now, five-six chapters left. Very excited for that :D

I've got another assignment to write but as soon as it is done, I will get started on the next chapter. Hopefully, I will see you all soon!

Before I go, I want to give a shout-out to a few stories that I have enjoyed or found particularly interesting recently. Bakuganman has started a Yu-Gi-Oh/Rosario Vampire story recently called: Yu-Gi-Oh: The Curse of the Rosario. It's got an interesting premise and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of both series.

There is also Wings of Cerulean by BlackfyrePhoenix. She has painted Duel Academy in a completely different way from most and I honestly find it fascinating. Her characters are quite enjoyable too.

Finally, Somehow I'm In GX has been a story I've particularly enjoyed as it doesn't start in the same way most GX stories do. I'm also enjoying the darker undertones of the story and I'm looking forward to seeing where it is going.

Anyway, please don't forget to fav, follow and review and I'll be sure to see you all soon. I'm back off to the grind.