"I still can't believe Jaden passed his exams."

Selene leaned backwards in the wooden chair, balancing it carefully on its two back legs. Her legs crossed on top of the desk as she slowly rocked herself back and forth, staring up at the eggshell colored ceiling.

Sighing, she dropped the chair back down on all four legs. Crossing her arms as she slowly sank down on the hard seat, tapping her fingers against her arm. The boy in the room half-turned towards her, raising a brow.

"Do you know that, first year, Jaden Yuki?" he said, crossing his arms. Giving her a bit of an inquisitive look.

"Maybe. Maybe not," she mused lightly, "What's it to you?"

His lips pressed into a hard line, as they often did as her mouth curved into a smile. It was strange, really, Zane hardly ever took interest in people. Too noisy, he would always say. And Jaden, well he was the noisiest of all. But Selene still obliged him, tilting her head to the side.

"We have the same grandparents. And our moms were sisters."

"So you're family."

"We were close as kids," she finally answered, moving her feet down from his desk. Placing her hands on her knees, she sprung up from his chair. "We're not close anymore though. He moved from our hometown when we were really young. Complicated family stuff, you know how it is."

Pacing towards the other end of the room, she pulled the glass doors open. Feeling the cool sea breeze rush into the room, mixed in with the faint sound of waves crashing along the craggy cliffs. Stepping onto the white balcony, she stretched her arms out towards the sky.

"The fresh air feels so good!" she said, feeling the island sun warm her face. Taking an extra step forward, she leaned against the balcony railing. Looking over the leafy green tops of trees which fell into a deep blue ocean, sparkling under the sunlight. She glanced over towards the lighthouse, watching as the ferry pulled into shore.

"Oh, would you look at that," she said, cupping her cheek in one hand. "The freshman ferry is here."

That seemed to get his attention. He stepped out onto the balcony, walking up to her side with his arms folded. Looking down as the faint figures in the distance began to walk off the ferry and onto the concrete docks. She noted that the freshman almost seemed like ants from that distance, laughing to herself a bit.

"Remember when we were in their shoes?" she sighed wistfully. "First-years without a single care in the world."

"I don't know about you, but I most definitely had a care," he replied.

Selene seemed to ignore him, continuing on with her musings.

"You were always so confident," she laughed. "I wasn't sure how you did it. I was a bit nervous, wasn't I?"

"A bit is putting it mildly," he scoffed. He recalled the reserved, if shrewd person he had met those years ago. But now it seemed she could hardly be quiet for more than a few seconds.

"And look at us!" she cheerfully exclaimed. "Actually friends."

"You say that like you're surprised."

"Should I not be? As I recall you h-"

"I did not. How long are you going to hold that against me?"

"Until I stop finding it funny."

Zane merely rolled his eyes.

"The opening ceremony is starting soon." Zane kept his gaze fixated over the harbor. "You should go."

"It doesn't matter though." She exhaled deeply, tucking dark strands of hair that had come loose with the wind behind her ear. She spun around, leaning her back against the rail. Dropping her head, she kicked her feet against the floor. "They say the same things every single year."

"You're one of the top students of our class. The second ranked, if I must remind you."

"Come on, you know as well as I do that title doesn't belong to me."

From the corner of her eye Selene could see a slight shift in his posture after she said that. It was a fact both of them knew well, and knew very well why. He hardly acknowledged her remark, though.

"Regardless, you are still one of the top ranking students. And you should set a good example."

She wondered how far she would need to push it before he would get tired of her.

"Alright, alright. If you're so insistent, maybe I'll consider going."

"Hmph."

"You know, if Jaden beat Doctor Crowler we're in for an exciting year, aren't we? Oh-!" Selene clapped her hands together excitedly, as if she had just remembered something fantastic. "And isn't your brother here too?"

Zane didn't reply, merely looking over to the harbor. Selene went back to leaning her weight against the balcony railing, shaking her head as she cast her gaze back towards the harbor.

"Not very chatty now, are we? You can't dislike the first-years that much. I mean, even if you've known her forever, Atticus' sister is with them too, yeah?"

"It's not about the first-years."

"Then what is it about?"

Selene looked towards her friend, who fixed his gaze to the harbor below. Pressing a finger to her grinning lips, she cocked her head. Swaying back and forth on her still feet.

"Or maybe, you just want to duel Jaden, Kai~ser?" she said, placing emphasis on the last two syllables. Leaning forward, trying to meet his downcast gaze. He shifted ever-so-slightly. So subtly most might not have noticed the change. However, over the years, she had learned to pick up small signs from him. The Kaiser wasn't very expressive after all, he had an invulnerable image to maintain in front of others.

He turned away from her, crossing his arms. He couldn't even bear to let her see his expression. "Of course not. I don't bother with such trivial matters."

"If that's what you say," she replied, her tone clearly showing her disbelief.

He ignored her comment. As he often did with her offhand remarks. She didn't mind though, in fact she only laughed whenever he chose to ignore her. She found something humorous in it.

Standing up straight, she stretched her arms out towards the bright, blue sky. Yawning as she stretched her back. Turning straight on her heel, she opened the balcony door.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to get ready for the opening ceremony, of course." She smiled, giving him a three fingered salute. "If I'm going to set a good example, I may as well look good while doing it. After all, half of being perfect is looking the part!"

The balcony closed shut behind her, his room door following not too long after. Zane pressed his lips together. Turning back towards the open air, he deeply sighed.

"She's so ridiculous."

Selene was almost disgusted at how quickly she found herself readjusting to school life. The summer break was far too short, and upon returning to classes it felt as if she had never left.

She was officially an upperclassman, and it was strange. She remembered walking into Duel Academy for the first time and thinking that the upperclassmen had it all together, that she'd just need to wait a few years and she'd have it together too.

But here she was, third-year, and she still felt as unsure as ever.

A pair of light footsteps came up behind her, the sound of thin boots tapping against the brick pathway. Selene didn't turn around, continuing to crouch beside the flower bed. Carefully spritzing the delicate flowers with a small spray bottle.

"Empress, good morning," a familiar voice called out, ever too cheerful for that hour of the morning.

"Morning, Oliver," Selene replied, much more casually. She sat up straight, trying to brush away some hair that had fallen into her face without touching it with her soil-covered hands. "You know, you're here to bother me awfully early."

Standing up, she turned towards him, placing her hands on her waist. Oliver Kim wasn't much taller than her. His neat black hair matched his perfectly pressed uniform. And even with her remark, Oliver maintained his polite, yet cheerful smile. Selene didn't quite understand that smile. She couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, and that unsettled her.

Keeping his hands behind his back, his gaze followed her as she moved about. "Yes well, as the student council president I need to remind you to fill out your club application for the year."

"Really?" She moved over to another patch of white and pink flowers. "Again?"

Oliver smiled, watching as Selene picked up a large terracotta pot, careful not to crush the fragile plant inside. "It's the new year, Empress. Standard protocol, and all that."

"I know, I know." She brushed past Oliver, readjusting to hold the pot tighter. Pausing, she gestured her foot towards a pot in the walkway. "Pick that up for me."

He quickly complied. Selene watched him stumble slightly while picking up the heavy pot before he quickly readjusted himself. She raised an eyebrow, as if to say, Too heavy? However, he only confidently grinned back in response, trying to reassure her he was fine. Satisfied with his response, Selene led them down the winding, uneven brick path. The soft sounds of birds chirping filling the air.

"Doesn't the student council president have more important things to do than bother me about paperwork?" she asked, slowing her steps down so he could catch up with her.

"Now what could possibly be more important than making sure everything is in order for the new year?" he replied, quickening his pace slightly.

"Dunno. Maybe helping the doctor with one thing or another?"

As they reached the wooden shed at the end of the path, Selene nudged the door open with her shoulder. Oliver practically dropped the pot on the floor of the shed, clearly somewhat out of breath. Setting down her own load, Selene moved over to the shelf towards the back.

"Seika has that covered." Oliver brushed his hands off against one another, smoothing the wrinkles on his uniform. He collapsed into the shed's rickety wooden chair.

"Our fearless leader, everybody!" Selene laughed, catching the slight upturn twitch touching the corners of Oliver's lips. She held out a water bottle towards him, which he seemed to happily take.

Quickly gulping down the last contents of her bottle, he exhaled deeply. Handing it back to her with his usual polite thanks. He stood up, brushing off the seat of his pants.

"Though I should get going," he muttered, looking at his PDA. "I don't want to be late to the Student Council meeting."

As he moved towards the entrance of the shed, Selene gave him a three-finger salute. "Try not to stress Seika out," she chirped.

"I believe it's the other way around, Empress," he replied, stepping back into the garden.

"Whatever!" Selene called after him, turning back towards the shelves.

It wasn't long after another pair of familiar footsteps entered the shed. A bit heavier, a bit less confident.

"Was that Kim?" Zane asked, standing near the entrance.

"He came to bother me about paperwork." Selene stood on her toes, jumping to grab some bags she had shoved to the back of a higher shelf. Her fingers grazed it, pushing it closer to herself until she could just grab it from the edge. "Got it!"

She proudly held up the bag towards Zane with a wide grin. Though he was not nearly as excited about her success.

"He seems to enjoy 'bothering' you," Zane remarked, crossing his arms.

Dropping the bag, she pouted. Couldn't he at least indulge her antics just once? Besides, what was with the sudden iciness she sensed in his tone?

"Yeah," she said, pursing her lips. "No clue why."

Silence. Selene looked up to Zane's face, which had formed an expression she was familiar with. One of tired eyes and lips pressed tightly together. Raising a brow, she placed her hands on her hips.

"What?" she said, cocking her head to the side.

"If you want him to get off your case, maybe you should fill out the paperwork for the club," he said. Reaching his hand forward, he brushed away some stray bangs which had fallen into her eyes.

"Not you too," she groaned, waving his hand away.

"But Kim would leave you alone, no?"

Selene looked him dead in the eyes. Lifting her chin, she sharply pivoted away from him.

"Hmph!" was all she could reply, marching out of the shed.

"I'm so tired," Selene grumbled, dragging her feet down the hall. Classes were officially out for the day, and all she could really think of was getting back to her room and passing out on her bed. Though she knew if she did that, she wouldn't be getting much sleep for the rest of the night.

Pushing the double doors of the main building open, she was met with bright sunlight beaming directly into her eyes and shouting.

"All right! This is amazing!" a boy's voice exclaimed as Selene stepped through the doorway.

"Jaden-" a higher, wavering voice began.

Selene quickly stepped towards the concrete bench outside the entryway, two boys dressed in bright red blazers stood. The shorter of the boys leaned upon the bench armrest while the taller boy was marked by a head of messy brown hair.

"Is that…?" Selene walked closer, squinting in the light. "Jaden? Hey- Jaden!"

The boy's head popped up at the sound of his name. Spotting the third-year, his expression lit up. A big smile appeared on his face, standing up straight.

"Cece!"

"Oof-!"

He practically tackled her, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to stumble back a bit. Pulling her into a tight hug, she was a bit taken aback. Not to mention she was a bit worried he would step on the toes of her boots. Though after she recovered from the initial surprise, she squeezed him back.

"Hey there- it's been a while!" she laughed, pulling away, she examined his face. Though he was certainly a bit older, it was most definitely the Jaden she knew. Glancing up and down, she exclaimed, "You've gotten so much taller!"

"Are you sure you didn't get shorter?" Jaden replied, patting her on the head.

"That's no way to talk to your senior!" Selene scoffed, brushing his hand away from her. Though her smile was unwavered. She reached back towards him, ruffling his hair.

"Hey-! Haha-!"

"How are your parents?" Selene asked.

"They're doing good," Jaden replied, giving a thumbs up. "They're in Australia this year, though."

"Eh? Again?" Selene tapped her chin. Jaden's parents did travel out of the country for work quite a bit, she knew. It would always stress grandfather out. "Well, I guess it's better you're here than alone…"

"What about you? How's everyone at home doing?"

"He's doing well, same as always. But he just got put on a new medication." She paused, pressing her lips together as she thought of her grandfather. He often complained that his other grandchildren never bothered to call. "Call him sometime, won't you?"

"Of course I have to worry."

"Uh-" came a soft voice. Selene turned her head, seeing a shorter boy standing beside Jaden. He had a bit of a nervous disposition to him. A flurry of light blue hair surrounded him, Selene thought he looked somewhat familiar.

"Jaden, who is this?" he inquired.

"Oh! Sorry, Sy." Jaden turned to the boy he called "Sy," gesturing towards Selene. "Sy! Meet Cece, she's family! Cece, this is Sy, my best friend!"

"My name is Selene Amada, I'm a third-year here." Selene gave a small bow to the boy, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Syrus' eyes widened, swallowing. "Selene…? Oh- oh-" The boy shifted uncomfortably, fiddling his hands together. "My name is Syrus- Syrus Truesdale."

Selene slowly blinked, a bit taken aback. She hadn't expected to meet Zane's brother this soon.

So this is the infamous Syrus, huh? she thought, looking at the boy almost curiously. Interesting. He's quite different from Zane.

He must've known who she was as well. She politely smiled, opting not to bring up Zane. And knowing how Zane acted when his brother was brought up, she imagined that there would probably be a similar reaction if she brought Zane up to Syrus.

"I- I've heard a lot about you," he said, stumbling over his words. Though she could immediately see the regret settle in on the first-year's face as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Have you now?" Selene said with a haughty laugh, tucking some loose strands of dark hair behind her ear. Attempting to make a lighthearted joke. "I'm curious as to what he's said about me."

Syrus' eyes widened. He looked down, clutching his hands together tightly. Selene felt her own regret settle in quickly. Syrus opened his mouth to answer her question, but Selene cut him off.

"I'm kidding!" she quickly said, a bit louder than she intended. Wincing at how she made such an uncomfortable atmosphere. Her voice startled Syrus. "You don't have to tell me!"

"Right…" he stammered, flushing pink.

"Wow!" Jaden exclaimed, seemingly ignorant to the awkward mood between Selene and his friend. "Are you popular or something, Cece?!"

"Something like that." Selene answered, thinking about how Jaden's oblivious nature hasn't seemed to ease over the years. She quickly moved to change the subject. "So what are you two up to? Mischief?"

"Exploring!" Jaden said enthusiastically, as he always has. "This place is huge!"

"Yeah, I remember it was really easy to get lost," Selene mused, tapping her foot against the floor. "Did you get lost on your way to class this morning?"

"Yeah, definitely!"

"He also slept in…" Syrus remarked, crossing his arms as he cast a disapproving glance at his friend.

"Sy!"

Selene laughed at Syrus' comment. Well, it seemed that he and his brother were similar in some ways,

"Well, I'll let you get back to exploring." As Selene was about to move to leave, she clapped her hands together suddenly. Startling the two boys. "Oh! I should get your contact!"

The third-year shuffled through her black book bag, pulling out a small PDA. She handed it to Jaden, letting him punch in his contact. When he finished, he handed it back towards her.

"Message me anytime you need something, I'll help anyway I can!" Selene turned towards Syrus, handing him the small electronic. "Here-"

"Huh?" He stood there, staring blankly at her. Dumbfounded.

"Ah, do you not want me to take your contact?" she asked, worried she might make the atmosphere awkward once again.

"No- it's not that!" he stammered out. Dropping his gaze down to his feet, he frowned. "I just didn't think you'd bother with someone like me…"

"Why not?" She wondered if he saw himself as worthless compared to others. Smiling, she softly pushed her PDA into his hands. "Any friend of Jaden's is my friend too!"

He stared at her in disbelief, Looking down, he shakily typed in his contact before handing it back to her. Nodding, Selene placed it back into her bag. Giving the boys a thumbs up.

"Wow! Thanks man!" he replied, raising his fist.

Selene gave him a gentle fist bump. Giving a wave and a "Gotta go, see ya!" Jaden and Syrus sprinted off towards the direction of the red dorm. Upon further thought, she realized it was strange that Jaden ended up in the red dorm, despite beating Crowler.

"Though, if his written exam was bad…" she said aloud to herself, putting a finger to her lips. "Mm… I don't think he'll drop out though, he's far too stubborn for that."

She laughed to herself. Looking up towards the bright blue sky, letting the gentle sun warm her face. With Jaden around they were in for an interesting year for sure. An interesting final year, how exciting!

Kurikuri-!

Selene stopped in her tracks, looking around. Not a single soul in her surrounding area. Not even anything more than a gentle breeze that rocked the grass back and forth like waves.

"What was that?" she muttered. Giving the area one last glance around, she shook her head. Continuing down the path back to her dorm. "Hm…" She gave a hefty sigh, clasping her hands tightly behind her back. "Maybe I'm hearing things…"

Hello everyone! Thank you for checking out my fic! It's a rewrite of my fic, Citrus but you don't need to read it to understand this fic as there will be differences in the plot, major and minor. This fic is also canon divergent. Hope you will have as much fun reading this as I will writing it! Well, that's all for now. And I hope to see you all in the next chapter!

(Also quick shoutout to JustM33 for beta reading this chapter for me! You rock!)

-witchymagnolia