Haha! This was one of my favorite episodes! Only because of the abridged version! Thanks for helping me with this chapter, Thunder Crush!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
"For today's PE class, we'll be playing tennis!" announced Fonda Fontaine, who was both the PE teacher and the school nurse.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Every student attending PE at the moment all wore the same gym garments regardless of their gender; consisting of light lavender and white jackets and loose pants. Despite the unusual gym wear, it was actually natural due to the weather still being cold, especially since it was a little bit rainy outside. The only other difference for the clothing choice was that the seniors were wearing much more professional sportswear, which contained short sleeves and shorts.
Everyone was randomly partnered up, taking different sections of the courtyard to practice their tennis skills. For instance, Jaden and Syrus teamed up against Mindy and Jasmine who, despite their poor dueling skills, were actually quite fond with tennis and performing a wonderful job. Jaden was doing alright for someone who doesn't play tennis much, and Syrus...
Well, he was getting slightly better. As well as scared of actually getting hurt.
"EEEEKKK!" Screeching loudly while hopping one foot backwards, Syrus cowered behind his tennis racket just as Mindy tossed the ball right back at Jaden and Syrus. Surprisingly, the tennis ball hit Syrus's tennis racket, even while he was hiding his face behind it, and had enough force to bounce it right back to the other team, much to Jaden's confusion.
Of course, Jaden took over and landed a hit on the next ball thrown at her. Tennis might be fun and all, and she was improving as time passed, but...she felt more at ease with practicing dueling rather than tennis.
Taking a few steps back, Jaden decided to allow Syrus to take the next blow. "Your serve, Syrus!"
"Nyeh!" Trying to muster up some courage, Syrus hit the ball with his racket as hard as he could, managing to do so with success.
"Hu! Ha!" Now, Jaden grunted as she hit the next ball back to the other side. Both her and her partner nodded to each other, knowing that they should take turns hitting the ball back to work on teamwork.
"Eh!"
"Un!"
"Gh-!"
"Ha!"
Soon, Jaden and Syrus started making lots of random grunts as they tried their hardest to send the ball packing as fast and hard as they could. They kept running in and out, switching turns in order to have chances to hit the ball back, much to Mindy and Jasmine's slight exhaustion.
Luckily for the two Obelisk Blue girls, a basketball rolling through their side of the courtyard distracted Jaden and Syrus long enough for the ball to swoosh past them, thus earning the Mindy and Jasmine team a point.
Picking up the basketball in her arms, Jaden glanced over and saw another team, most likely the Basketball Club, playing basketball somewhere nearby on a small basketball court with two small teams. She threw the ball back with all her might, watching as one of the members caught it in his hands.
"Wrong court, ya dick!"
"Sorry!"
Jaden groaned as they continued the tennis game, now witnessing Syrus hitting the ball back, though a bit nervously this time. "This is stupid! What does tennis have to do with dueling, anyway?"
Running to get the next throw, Mindy shouted, "Everything! Taking turns, thinking on your feet, and the harder you play..." She paused before taking a shot at the ball, hitting it towards Jaden. "...The better you do!"
'Gotta hit the ball! Gotta hit the ball! Gotta hit the ball! Gotta...' Jaden leaped off the ground using the tips of her shoes for the most highest jump anyone in the courtyard's ever seen.
"GOTTA HIT THE BAAAALLLL!"
Yelling out the proclaimation, Jaden slammed the tennis ball as hard as she could, sending it directly towards the other side of the tennis net before falling down after her leap. However, the force of the ball was too much, and instead of heading for Mindy or Jasmine, it was heading directly towards a distracted and focused Alexis!
"Hey, Alexis! Watch out!" warned Jaden, her eyes widen in realization.
"Huh?" Turning her head, Alexis saw too late that the tennis ball was gaining closer and closer towards her direction, and she had absolutely no way nor time to intercept or dodge.
Just when it seemed that Alexis was about to get hit, a mysterious young man appeared out of nowhere and slammed the ball back with just about twice the force Jaden placed into, redirecting the ball into another direction.
Meanwhile, Crowler was talking to Fonda on top of an elevated chair that lifeguards use when on patrol. He was telling her about the time when he had a good day, involving the small incident where he was hit by a ball by Bastion that one time. While he was storytelling, he failed to notice the sonic speed-like ball racing towards his way.
"And that was the last time I got hit by a ball-OHGODNOTAGAIN!"
Alexis watched as her savior landed down on one knee gracefully after just saving her life by throwing a fastball towards another direction. Honestly, someone would have to be a skilled player in order to pull that one off.
"Thank you..." she said softly.
"Alexis!" called Jasmine as she and Mindy rushed towards Alexis, worried for her."You're not hurt, are you?"
Alexis shook her head, smiling a little at her two best friends. "No, I'm okay."
The male student who saved her stood up and turned, giving Alexis a dazzling smile which caused part of his white teeth to gleam a little. He had dark auburn-colored hair with dark chocolate-colored eyes with a strong toned body that would describe his full appearance as handsome. Judging from his tennis clothing, he seemed to be a senior, about two years older than Alexis.
"Are you alright? Would you like me to carry you in the infirmary?" asked the male student, still flashing his charming smile.
'OMG! He's such a dream!~' thought Mindy and Jasmine, clasping their hands together close to their hearts. They were smiling nonstop with heart-like shapes in their eyes as they admired the male student's good looks and tender hearted personality. Not only was he handsome, but polite as well! He was probably Prince Charming's reincarnation himself!
"No, I'll be alright. Thank you for saving me," thanked Alexis, bowing her head slightly before standing up straight and properly. She, unlike her two lovesick friends, wasn't really interested in him or any other guy at the moment. No...that would be a lie. She had a...small interest on one boy. A certain Kuriboh-like haired boy that was a Slifer Red...
Taking in the looks of the person he saved, the male student never did realize how beautiful this girl was up until now. Her beautiful dark blond locks shaping her small framed face, her curious big, brown eyes, and her curvy body fitted almost like a portrait. In his eyes, she was like a princess from a far away land! Maybe...Maybe like Juliet or Snow White or some other famous princess!
'That's Alexis Rhodes...She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life,' thought the male student, blushing. 'I can feel my heart swelling and getting bigger! And by my heart, I mean-'
"Uh...You alright?"
"Huh?" Noticing that Alexis was speaking to him, the male student nervously laughed and tried to play it cool. "O-oh! I'm fine! No worries about me! It's just that...I know you from Obelisk Blue! I've seen you around! But..." He gently grasped Alexis's hand, taking it in his hands as he spoke in a husky tone, "I've never got the pleasure of talking to a beautiful girl like you before."
"Um...Sure...?" Alexis said in a confusing state as Jasmine and Mindy squealed behind her. Oh, he was such a charmer! It looks like he's another one of Alexis's admirers, and not only that, but he seemed just about the right position to become her true love!
"O-oh! Please forgive my rudeness!" sputtered the male student, letting go of her hand out of embarrassment and in joy. "I never got the pleasure of touching a girl's hand before, let alone yours! W-well, I better get going to my tennis match! Ahaha!" Trying to cover up his embarrassing act, he turned around and pretended to do practice swings with his racket as he hurried towards the field he was playing in.
"..." Alexis just stood there, unsure of what just happen. Syrus and Jaden were right behind her, wanting to check on her in case she was injured when they overheard the whole thing.
Later, after PE class...
"I'm sorry, Professor Crowler," apologized Jaden with her head bowed down. "But, I can't help it if balls are attracted to your face."
"If I wanted balls on my face Jaden, I would have gone back to Mardi Gras!" shouted Crowler, whose black eye was being treated by Fonda. The three of them were located inside the infirmary, where Crowler had to have his eye examined by Fonda, and Jaden was forced inside to apologize to her teacher for an incident she had indirectly been involved.
"Alright, this might make your eyes water," warned Fonda, pressing her hands onto Crowler's cheeks, preparing to snap his face back into shape.
"Oh, come on! I'm a big boy-"
CRACK.
Meanwhile...
"Poor Jay," sighed Syrus as he and Chumley sat together in the Slifer Red dining hall. It just wasn't the same without Jaden eating besides them. After all, she had a much bigger appetite than Chumley, and that was saying a lot. She would have been helping herself to two servings of today's lunch. No, probably four since today's lunch was so small, lots of Slifer Reds got up and asked for seconds.
Chumley, too engrossed in his grilled cheese sandwich, shrugged off his worries. "It's alright! Sure, Crowler can be a pain, but you know that Jaden's gotten through a lot! Like, that Jinzo guy for example."
"Yeah, but Jaden got seriously injured because of him! I just hope Jaden didn't do anything to Crowler that caused him to start screaming his head off."
"Oh, come on, Sy. I'm sure that Jaden wouldn't go that far. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
"JESUS CHRRRIIIISSSTTT!"
"..."
"..."
"...Oh, that can't be good."
"You know, Dr. Crowler, I saw the whole thing," Fonda spoke, defending Jaden as she placed an ice bag over Crowler's black eye. 'And, technically, Jaden wasn't even the one who hit you with that ball. So, let's just forgive and forget, okay?"
"No! Not okay!" yelled Crowler, still upset. "Because Jaden was the one who started it all! I saw the whole thing with my own eyes! Well, one eye, really!"
"*cough* Cyclops *cough*," coughed Jaden, trying to somewhat insult Crowler.
However, Crowler caught wind of her 'coughing' and turned his chair to her, trying to hear what she just said. "Care to repeat that, Slifer slime?"
"Um... You feeling any better?" She knew that was a bad thing to say, given the fact that Crowler was not having a good day. Still, at least it would distract him from what she had previously said.
"No. I just deafen myself and now my ears are swollen!" complained Crowler.
"Well, it's not like that's my fault," replied Jaden.
"It's always your fault, Jaden! Just like this whole incident!" accused Crowler, standing up from his seat and heading towards the female student. "And I think the most suitable punishment for this heinous act is for you to spend one day playing tennis nonstop with Harrington, the captain of the team!"
"Oh, come on! I don't even like tennis!" Jaden whined. "Can't you like, give me detention or something?"
"Yes...Tennis! The perfect punishment!"
"Crowler? I'm giving you the opportunity to give me detention! Even a week's worth!"
"Tennis...PERFECT!"
"TAKE A HINT, GOLDILOCKS! I DON'T WANNA PLAY TENNIS!" Jaden hollered; her patience running thin. "Fuck you!"
"Oh?" Leaning in close, Crowler practically had a smug look on his face. "Do you want a year's worth of detention to add to that list?"
"...No, sir."
"Then, get your feet moving to the tennis courtyard!"
Later, in one the co-ed locker rooms...
Before the male students could use the co-ed locker rooms, it was part of the rules for the girls to use the lockers first. They entered and start packing their things inside their lockers and begin changing out of their gym uniforms. Many of the girls began chatting with each other or just taking quick showers to wash off the sweat they had from exercising.
As for Alexis, she had already finished her quick shower and was already in uniform. She paused for a moment, thinking back on the time when she first dueled Jaden. The only reason she had invited Jaden over to the Obelisk Blue Girls dorm was to duel her to see how good she was. And boy, did she prove her!
Syrus mentioned that the only reason he came to the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm was because he received a fake love letter from her along with some panties. Apparently, they were supposed to be placed inside Jaden's locker, but for some reason, something went wrong and the intended items ended up in Syrus's.
Wait...how did Syrus get panties anyways? Alexis knew he wasn't the type to snoop around and steal girls panties. He was too nice and innocent to do such a thing. And obviously, a guy who came with the letter and panties would get rejected by the chosen girl because they might think he's a pervert.
Just where did Syrus find those panties?
While she was putting away some things in her locker, she heard her name being called by one of her two friends, Mindy and Jasmine.
"We found out who that hot tennis guy is for you!" said Mindy.
"What are you talking about, Mindy? I didn't ask you to find out who he was," stammered Alexis, surprised to hear that Mindy and Jasmine has done such a task for her. "And anyways, why would I want to find out some stranger?"
"But he's so dreamy! We knew that he must have a crush on you, so we did some investigation!" exclaimed Jasmine, receiving a little bit of attention from a few girls nearby. "He's the definition of hot!"
"Shhh! Keep your voices down!" hissed Alexis, glancing back and forth before taking both Mindy and Jasmine's arms. "Look, let's just talk somewhere a bit more privately, okay? And then I'll listen to what you two have to say."
"Okay!" both girls chirped, giggling out of excitement.
Once they were out of the locker rooms, the three girls stood in the middle of an empty hallway where they could talk more privately. All other students had gone back to their respected dorms or were outside dueling or whatever things they wished to do in their free time.
"Now, try to stay calm!" said Jasmine to Alexis, despite the fact that she was ecstatic herself. "His name is Harrington Rosewood! As in, Rosewood Sporting Goods! And they've got stores everywhere, and he's the heir! Plus, he's a third-year Obelisk Blue! Also, there's rumors about him being as skilled as Zane!"
Alexis, whose arms were crossed, didn't seem quite interested about the details of her savior. Except, maybe about that last part about Zane. "That's...great," she said in a dull tone.
"Great?!" exclaimed Mindy, unable to believe in Alexis's choice of words. "An older guy who's rich AND a hottie? That's not great, Alexis! That's boyfriend-material! So, go on and get him!"
Although she appreciate the hard efforts her two best friends placed themselves into, Alexis didn't seem satisfied. "Girls, please. I appreciate all you've done, but I'm just not interested in that guy. I'm too busy with homework and tests to even bother looking for a boyfriend.'
"Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Where's the lousy tennis team?!"
Syrus, who kept repeating and babbling out words, was running back and forth, seemingly in a hurry of some sorts. He must have been searching for something for quite some time, given how red his face and how heavy his breathing is.
"What are you in a hurry for?" Mindy asked Syrus.
"Who cares?" said Jasmine, disinterested in whatever Syrus was up to.
"Oh! Sorry for *pant* disturbing you ladies!" said Syrus tiredily while trying to attempt to flirt with them. "Do you...*pant*...guys happen to know where...*pant* the Tennis Club meets?"
"Out in the court, Syrus. You know, where we played today in PE class?" answered Alexis, pointing to the correct direction down a different hall.
"Okay! Thank you!" Syrus nodded to himself and ran towards the direction Alexis pointed out. He hurried back to the girls for a quick moment. "Oh! And...*pant* If you want to know, Crowler's forcing Jaden to play tennis with Harrington, the Tennis Club captain right after classes are done! They've been at it for more than an hour and I'm afraid Jaden is going to over exhaust herself! I can't let that captain hurt my Jaden!"
With determination found within his soul, Syrus zoomed out of the hallway in a blink of an eye. Both Mindy and Jasmine blinked before turning to each other with newly discovered facts in their minds.
Syrus just declared his jealously and love for Jaden.
The captain of the Tennis Club is Harrington Rosewood.
Harrington Rosewood is the guy in love with Alexis.
The Yaoi Fanclub is going to have a field day with the new photos and information they would soon receive.
"EEEKKK! YAOI!~" squealed Mindy and Jasmine before sprinting ahead towards the courtyard.
Before Alexis could join with her friends, she heard someone calling her name from behind. "Alexis? May I speak with you?"
"Huh?" Turning around, Alexis saw Banner holding Pharaoh in his arms. "Sure, what is it, Professor?"
"Well, it kinda involves some information about Chazz..."
In the courtyard...
"SERVICE!"
WHACK! The last fastball Harrington pulled out made an exhausted Jaden fall on her back. She groaned and tried sitting up, preferring to just lay down and rest when she remembered what Crowler might do to her if she doesn't cooperate.
For the past hour and a half, she kept serving and whacking the ball back and forth, though at times she kept missing due to the fierce force Harrington placed onto the balls or the different directions he choose to toss the ball into. As time passed, Jaden was growing more and more tired, her feet were burning and aching, her heart beating rapidly, face burning up and sweating, and her lungs out of breath.
"You're not good at this at all, are you?" spoke Harrington in a somewhat taunting tone. Somehow, he wasn't even a little bit tired even after all those strokes and swinging. In fact, he looked even more energetic and determined to put Jaden into shape.
"N-nope!"
"And by that, I mean-oh, you already answered. Sorry."
Jasmine, Mindy, and Syrus sat on the sidelines, watching the practice matches commencing over and over with Harrington being the victor. Syrus grasped his hands together, praying for the whole session to be done and over with as Jasmine and Mindy watched not only Harrington, but also for Syrus.
'Come on, Syrus...Save your boyfriend! Save him!' thought Jasmine and Mindy, waiting for the chance to snap a picture. Specifically, a picture of Syrus rescuing Jaden from the clutches of the handsome Harrington.
Unable to handle all the pressure, Jaden collapsed, falling onto the ground facedown. She had bypassed her limits way too much and needed some rest as well as a bottle of water. A cold one with ice would be great right about now.
Syrus was about to rush over and help out Jaden when he and Alexis's best friends spotted Alexis entering the courtyard with a water bottle in her hands.
"Oh! Hey, Alexis!" called Mindy.
Hearing the mention of his beloved's name, Harrington whirled around and saw the gorgeous and benevolent girl he saved before. "Oh! Hey there, Alexis! How's it going!" He ran towards her with a hand raised in order to greet her cheerfully. "I was just kicking Jaden's ass! And by kicking Jaden's ass, I mean I was beating him with succession! And by that, I mean-"
"She walked past you, you know!" pointed out Syrus, annoying and shocking Harrington. No...it couldn't be! The most popular girl skipping out on handsome ol' Harrington like that?
But it was true. As Harrington was bragging on and on about him beating Jaden, Alexis paid no heed and simply went past him over to Jaden's side.
After hearing Syrus's side of the story of where Jaden was, what and why her punishment was like this, Alexis's feminine intuitions told her that Jaden would no doubt be exhausted by Harrington's training. Just in case, she brought a water bottle with her, and just like she guessed, Jaden was on the brink of passing out from exhaustion and thrist.
Kneeling down in front of the gender-mistaken girl, Alexis held up a water bottle. "Here, drink this. Afterwards, I gotta talk to you about something."
Lifting up her head, Jaden's eyes sparkled when she saw the water bottle Alexis was offering. She snatched the beverage from her, opened the cap, and gulped down the contents of the bottle without shame. It was as if all her exhaustion had magically vanished from finishing off the water bottle, causing Jaden to stand up with ease, though she did get a bit wobbly.
"Whew! You saved me, Alexis!" sighed Jaden, swaying her head back and forth as she tried wiping the sweat from behind her neck.
Alexis stared at her, mesmerized by her actions and looks. The way Jaden's sweat dripped away from her skin and landing away somewhere like raindrops, the red cheeks she had that almost looked like the color of lipstick, her curious big, brown eyes full of hope, and that soft, yet spiky-looking dual-colored hair...nearly made Alexis collapse out of...an unnatural sort of heat she's never felt before as her heart pounded.
"Y-yeah," sputtered Alexis, shaking her head in order to focus on her main goal here. "I was on my way here when I bumped into Professor Banner. He told me someone spotted Chazz!"
"Really? Where?!"
"HEY!" yelled Harrington, who appeared out of nowhere, engulfed in imaginary flames that would probably be as hot as his temper and jealously. "I don't like what I'm seeing here! And by that, I don't agree with it! And by that, I mean, GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Wondering what was wrong with Harrington, Jaden raised her eyebrow. "Look, me and Lex were just talking, and-"
"LEX?!" Now, Harrington was not only angry and jealous, but he was also seething with a combination of both emotions. "What is that, a pet name?! Where did it come from?! Huh?! HUH?! How dare you say that to my little Obelisk fairy without my permission!"
'Obelisk fairy? Wonder what that would look like,' wondered Syrus and Jaden as they allowed their imaginations take over.
Syrus's imagination...
A couple of tiny, Obelisk the Tormentors with white, fairy wings were fluttering all over some flowers. Some of them were sipping the nectar from the flowers like bees, some relaxing on top of the flowers, and other just flying by, greeting one another. They spoke in squeaky voices and didn't seem as threatening as the real, humungous Obelisk the Tormentor.
"Er...On second thought, never mind," muttered Syrus, not wanting that image to run through his head. Ever.
Jaden, however, had different thoughts about what an Obelisk fairy would be like.
Jaden's imagination...
"Tee hee hee!" giggled a small blue fairy as she soared around the blue skies. She was just a young little female fairy with bushy blue hair while wearing a blue ballerina uniform. Her white wings sparkled from the sun and there was a picture of Obelisk the Tormentor on the front of her uniform, indicating that not only was she a fan of the famous God Monster, but she was also an Obelisk fairy.
"Awww! That is so cute!~" squealed Jaden, giggling.
Harrington sweatdropped, having no clue what Jaden was thinking at the moment before he remembered why he was talking to her. "Alright! That settles it! You and me! We're dueling now!"
"Huh?" Jaden was more than relieved when she heard him announced that. "Awesome! At least this is better than just plain ol' tennis!"
"So here's the deal! You and I are gonna duel one-on-one! Man to man! And the winner gets Alexis's heart!"
"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Alexis, stunned by the sudden, unexpected reward coming out of this duel.
"A-are you crazy?!" shouted Jaden, rattled by the proposal. "I don't want her heart!"
"Ouch! He didn't even bother sugarcoating those words!" said Jasmine, winching.
"Well, I mean, I get that he's Syrus's boyfriend, but he didn't have to say that in a cruel way!" said Mindy, frowning. "I guess he truly is devoted towards Syrus."
"Wait, what?" Syrus glanced at the two girls before his eyes widen with realization and his cheeks turned red. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! You think that me and Jaden are a couple?! No way!"
"But we saw Jaden kiss you on the cheek after that Tag Duel with the Paradox Brothers," reminded Jasmine. "If that's not what a couple does, then what sort of kiss was it?"
"It was a friendly good job kiss!"
Overhearing Syrus arguing with Mindy and Jasmine, Alexis learned that Jaden was not, in fact, dating with Syrus. She silently sighed in relief. That means that...that she might have a chance with Jaden!
On the other hand, Harrington was arguing with Jaden, who argued back in retaliation.
"How dare you say you don't want Alexis's heart?! Especially in front of her! You heartless duelist!"
"You're the heartless one! Why would you want her heart?!"
"Because I'm in love with her!"
"People don't take other people's hearts out of love! Or, at least, that's what my fairy tales tell me."
"You still rely on baby stories? Even at your age?"
"Oh, hush! I like Little Red Hiding Hood! And anyways, I can't believe you want Alexis's heart!"
"Well, believe it! After I beat you, I'm getting her heart for sure!"
"YOU'RE AN IDIOT! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU TAKE HER HEART, SHE'LL DIE?!"
Silence filled the entire courtyard and ceased the argument between Syrus and two of Alexis's best friends. Everyone was staring at Jaden, unable to comprehend what she meant until they were fully aware what she meant.
"...Jaden, he doesn't mean my actual, literal heart. He means that he wants to be my boyfriend," corrected Alexis.
"...Ohhhhhh!" Looking at Harrington, Jaden's attitude changed into her bright, cheery mood. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? I thought you were gonna be a murderer!"
Alexis and Syrus facepalmed, Mindy and Jasmine groaned, and Harrington fell down anime-style. If it was one thing Harrington learned about Jaden Yuki, it was that while she may care about her friends, she...can be pretty...oblivious at times.
"...Syrus?"
"Yes, Jasmine?"
"I fail to see what you see in that guy."
"JADEN AND I ARE NOT-Ugh! Never mind!"
"You know what? Let me rephrase the conditions!" said Harrington, wanting to get this over with. "If I win, I get to be Alexis's fiancée! But if you win, you get to be Alexis's fiancée instead! Confused? Too bad! We're dueling now, so get your duel disk ready!"
"You're on, Harrington!" agreed Jaden, rushing towards her backpack which was sitting on a bench nearby.
"Wait! Don't I get a say in this?!" demanded Alexis as Harrington left to grab his own deck and duel disk. "Ughhh! Men! I'll never understand them!"
The two duelists prepared themselves for a duel to come after they fetched their own duel disks and decks. After tying his shoelaces tightly, Harrington stood up straight and said, "Alright! You ready?"
"You betcha I am!" said Jaden, grinning. Just what sort of deck will Harrington have? The thought excites her nonstop and wants her to start the duel already.
"LET'S DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Harrington - 4000 LP
VS
Jaden - 4000 LP
"Get your game on!" said Jaden as she and her opponent drew their first five cards.
"Two cuties fighting it out for you! How do you feel, Alexis?" squealed Mindy.
"Please, I'm not interested and I'm not getting married," said Alexis, her arms crossed.
"Oh, fine! Then, engaged!" rephrased Jasmine. "It'll be so cool! We'll be like bridemaids and-"
"I'm not getting engaged, either!" Alexis snapped, losing her cool a little. "Sorry...I didn't mean to get upset at you two. But, the only reason why I'm still here is to see if the rumors are true. To see if Harrington is really as good as Zane!"
'Wait...as good as Zane's?' thought Syrus, astonished to see such a fact coming from Alexis. This is the first he's heard of such rumors, but if that were the case, then Harrington must not be any pushover. If Jaden's going to win this, she's probably going to have to play just like she did against Zane, even though she lost.
"It's my turn. Draw!" shouted Harrington, glancing at his choice of cards. "I'll start by playing the Spell card, Service Ace!"
"A Spell card already?" wondered Jaden, surprised. Most duelists would just play a Monster right off the bat, but instead, this guy's playing a Spell card. Now she's really curious as to see what deck he has. For now, she'll allow him to explain the card's effect.
"Yeah! Here's how it works! I pick a card from my hand-" To demonstrate, Harrington took a single card from his hand, only to show the back side to Jaden. "-Then, you have to guess whether it's a Spell, Trap, or Mon-"
"Trap!" said Jaden quickly. "No, it's a Spell! No, it's a Trap! It's a Spell! Sure, it's a Trap! It's a Spell! Has to be a Spell!"
"Er...You do have a third opt-"
"SpellTrap! It's a Spell...er...Trap...Spellap!" stammered Jaden, now combining her two choices together. "No, a Trell! No, a Trapell! The Trap's a Magic! MAGICAL TRAP!"
"SET ONE!"
"Hmmm...Pass!"
"You can't pass, Jaden!"
"Uh...Hmm...Trap!"
"Well, actually, it's a-"
"It's a Spell! No, it's a Trap! MAGICAL TRAP!"
"IT'S A MONSTER!" yelled Harrington, who showing her the card, having just about enough of her random guessing.
"Aww! That was my next choice!"
"Now, I'll just remove this card from play, and you take 1500 points of damage! And by that, I mean-Well, no, that's pretty much it."
"OH, FU-" BOOM! The card, Service Ace, fired a beam of light near Jaden's feet, and since it was a hologram, it didn't really harm Jaden. However, it did cause damage to her Life Points.
Harrington - 4000 LP
Jaden - 2500 LP
"But, I'm not done!' said Harrington. "Next, I'll place a card facedown and end! Your turn!"
"Yeah...My move!" Drawing her card, Jaden then looked at her hand and scanned Harrington's field. 'Hmm...I've already taken some damage, but on the other hand, Harrington's completely wide open for a direct attack!' "I summon Elemental Hero Avian!"
His wings covering his body, Avian sprang them opened as he soared upwards towards the sky before landing near Jaden.
Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)
"Avian, attack him directly! Quill Cascade!"
The Elemental Hero of WIND sprang into action by widening his wings, which let loose a barrage of sharp, arrow-like feathers which headed straight towards Harrington.
"Don't think so! I activate my Trap, Receive Ace!" shouted Harrington, grinning since he was expecting this moment to come. "This card negates your direct attack and inflicts 1500 points of damage to you!"
Sudden gusts of wind completely deflected the assault of Avian's feather shots and rushed towards Jaden. The girl tried protecting herself from the heavy winds and feathers flocking towards her path.
Harrington - 4000 LP
Jaden - 1000 LP
"Because I activated that Trap, I have to send the top three cards from my deck to my Graveyard," explained Harrington doing so.
Seeing how there was nothing she could do at the moment, Jaden said, "All I can do right now is throw down a facedown and end my turn."
"Jaden! Don't let that guy beat you! You're way better than him!" Syrus tried cheering and encouraging the girl.
Jaden heard him and waved her free hand at him, winking. "Don't worry! I've got this! But thanks for cheering me on, anyways!~"
"Awww! How sweet! A boyfriend cheering on his boyfriend!" awed Jasmine. 'If only I brought my video camera!"
"Gaaaah! For the last time, we're not lovers!" cried out Syrus, ready to tear his hair apart. "And what's wrong with a guy just wanting to cheer his friend on?!"
"Girls, just focus on the duel for now," scolded Alexis, having enough of their fangirling attitude.
"Alright, alright," both Mindy and Jasmine said, defeated. Still, things were getting interesting. If Harrington won, he would be Alexis's new fiancée and Jaden and Syrus would stay together! But if Jaden won, what would happen? Who would he choose? Syrus or Alexis?
"My turn! Draw!" said Harrington. "I play Smash Ace, which lets me flip the top card on my deck! And, if it's a Monster, you receive 1000 points of damage!"
"Eh? Seriously? Card effect damage is your main point of attacking?" wondered Jaden. If that was all, then this duel wasn't interesting at all!
"Sorry, but that's just the way I duel," said Harrington while reaching for the top card of his deck. "And the lucky card is...a Monster card!"
Jaden groaned, holding the side of her head in annoyance. "Lady luck! She hates me!"
"Well, she loves me! Of course, most girls do! And now, get ready for Smash Ace!"
A tornado-like blast appeared in front of the Smash Ace card and rushed towards Jaden, ready to rip her away with its powerful winds.
"Sorry, but I'm activating my facedown, Feather Wind!" said Jaden. "This Trap card negates and destroys the activation of a Trap or Spell card so long as I have Elemental Hero Avian out!"
Placing himself in front of the blast, Avian then shielded himself using his reinforced wings, which not only deflected the blast, but also sent it packing towards a different direction. More specifically, directly towards where Alexis, Mindy, Jasmine, and Syrus were gathered at. They all shrieked when the blast shot at the ground beneath them, thus causing smoke to rise up and cover their area until it cleared away in seconds.
"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" yelled Mindy.
"Yeah! You could have hurt us!" said Jasmine.
"Oh! Sorry, ladies!" called out Harrington, causing the two girls to go all lovey-dovey on the Tennis Club captain.
"It's fine!~"
"We love you, Harrington!"
Jaden sweatdropped before noticing that Harrington's field was now, fully, completely empty. No facedowns, no Monsters, nothing! This was more than a perfect opportunity to direct attack him!
"Well, I guess I'll just end my turn now. Show me what you can do, Jaden!" said Harrington.
"Sweet! I draw!" After Jaden drew a card, which happened to be Polymerization, she glanced at her hand, and a new strategy formed inside her mind. "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK! OH MY GOD! YESSSS!"
Her screeching surprised everyone nearby, as they wondered what sort of card she drew. "Well? Go on! Play your turn, already!" said Harrington, anxious to see what she was about to do.
"With pleasure! I play Polymerization and fuse together...Ebon Magician Curran and White Magician Pikeru from my hand! Girls, let's do this! I Fusion Summon Obsidian Magician Umbra!"
Ebon Magician Curran and White Magician Pikeru appeared on the field for a moment before glancing down at the hole on the floor, which happened to be Polymerization. Both twin sisters held hands before leaping down together. Popping out was a brand new Fusion Monster; Obsidian Magician Umbra.
The new Magician had wore dark, gray colored robes that seemed fitting for a small being such as herself. Her long, pink hair was tied up in swirly ponytails and her weapon of choice was a mace-like staff.
Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2000/1600)
"SHE'S SO CUTE!~" squealed Mindy, Jasmine, and Jaden; all three of their squeals nearly shattering the glass windows nearby. Alexis, Harrington, and Syrus merely covered their ears from the girls, wondering how three females could possess that much squealing in their voices.
Avian and Umbra sweatdropped, glancing at one other. This was the first time Jaden's successfully summoned Obsidian Magician Umbra, and knowing her girly side, they had expected her to act this way, but in present with two other girls? If Jaden gets ahold of more cute-looking Monsters, it was certainly going to be another field day for them.
"Yay! Now that the preparations are done, I'm gonna attack!" announced Jaden excitedly. "Avian and Umbra, do your stuff!"
Both Monsters nodded to each other before leaping up into the air at the same time. Avian pressed his palms together before unleashing a powerful wind-based blast at Harrington. Twirling her weapon, Umbra charged up some combination of dark and light magic and fired a beam from the tip of her weapon. Both her and Avian's attacks merged together and blasted Harrington, causing smoke to cover his side of the field.
Harrington - 1000 LP
Jaden - 1000 LP
"And now, I end my turn!" sighed Jaden, fully satisfied. Sure, her Life Points were down, but so was Harrington's. Just another direct attack like that, and he's finished!"
"Way to play, Jay! You're nearly there!" cheered Syrus, waving at her. Jaden laughed before giving a cheeky grin and holding up two fingers as a sign of victory.
"Don't get carried away before the duel ends," muttered Alexis, her arms crossed as she sighed. Still, she had to admit, that was a miraculous comeback for Jaden.
Jaden turned back to her opponent with her two Monsters standing by her, all tall and strong. "Well, guess we're both tied and you've got no Monsters! It'll be interesting what your next move will be! I can't wait!"
Harrington remained calm as he chuckled and drew his card. "Oh, really? Then, you won't need to wait any longer. I play the Spell card, Deuce!"
Scratching her cheek, Jaden couldn't help but sigh. "Another Spell? What's it gonna be? Another guessing game? No wait, effect damage from a Spell?"
"Far from it! I can guarantee that you've never seen this kind of Spell before!" promised Harrington. "I can only activate it when both of us have exactly 1000 Life Points each! And here's how it works! From now on, each of us can only attack with one Monster during our Battle Phases! And, Life Points don't matter! You win by damaging the other twice in a row!"
"Huh? Those are some weird, but interesting winning conditions!" admitted Jaden, surprised. There was more than one way to win a Duel, like if your opponent runs out of cards, or the summoning of Exodia. But, she's never heard of this kind of condition before!
"Of course! This card is similar to a game of tennis!" said Harrington. "And now, I summon The Big Server!"
The Big Server happened to be a bulky sports-like man who seemed like an expert on tennis, just like his owner, Harrington was. He was even dressed up as a tennis player while wielding a tennis racket as his choice of weapon.
The Big Server - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (300/800)
"The Big Server's special ability allows him to bypass your Monsters and attack you directly! So, strike back, Big Server!"
The tough Monster roared out a battle cry as it tossed a metal ball with spikes into the air before whacking it with his racket, aiming straight for Jaden. She tried shielding herself with her arms before the ball made heavy contact with her, making her yelp when it exploded.
Harrington - 1000 LP
Jaden - 700 LP
"Advantage: Harrington!" announced Harrington. "That was easy! Just one more hit, and you're done thanks to the effect of Deuce!"
Harrington: 01
Jaden: 00
"Oh, and by the way, The Big Server has another special ability," said Harrington. "If he manages to inflict damage to you, he allows me to take a Service Ace from my deck and place it in my hand. But, there's something good in it for you. You get to draw a card, but it's not like it'll matter anyways."
Jaden silently complied, drawing her card which happened to be Feather Shot.
"And since I got Service Ace back in my hands, I think I'm gonna activate it again!" Harrington said before picking a card from his hands. "You remember how it goes, right? You choose the card's type, and if you're right, you're good! If not, then your Life Points will take another hit, and I'll win the duel!"
'She's only got a 1 in 3 chance! The odds are completely against her!' thought Syrus, sweat beading down his neck out of the tension. 'Please let her be right for once!'
Jaden gulped, feeling pressured by her choices when she made her decision. "Alright! I made my choice! It's a Monster, isn't it?"
"Huh? Well..." Harrington flipped over his chosen card,which happened to be...
The Trap card, Exchange of the Spirits.
"Noooooo!" cried out Syrus, his cries echoing throughout the courtyard.
"Too bad, so sad! Did you really think I was going to choose the same card I did last time? That'd be way too obvious!" said Harrington as he removed his Trap card from play. "Now, take 1500 points of damage, and then I'll win this duel!"
"Not so fast! I activate Obsidian Magician Umbra's special ability!" shouted Jaden. "Any effect damage that aims directly towards me is instead added to her Attack Points! So, thanks for the Attack Point bonus, Harrington!"
"What?!"
Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (3500/1600)
"Wow! Not only is that Magician cute, but she's plenty useful too!" said Mindy, impressed. "I just gotta have that card!"
"Um...knowing Jaden, I bet she won't give up Umbra," told Syrus.
Noticing something Syrus had said, Alexis turned to him. "Wait, what did you just say?"
"Huh? I said that Jaden won't give up Umbra."
"No, I mean, could you repeat everything you just said specifically?"
"Er...Knowing Jaden, I bet she won't give up Umbra that easily?"
"...Why did you say, 'she?'"
"...Oh, boy."
Harrington, stunned by the fact that Service Ace failed, asked, "So, no matter if you got the answer right or wrong, you still wouldn't take any damage?"
"Yup, yup!" said Jaden. "Umbra just saved me from losing! Yay!"
Finally calming himself, Harrington smirked and said, "Okay, even if you did dodge that, I still have a backup plan! I activate the Equip Spell card, Giant Racket and equip it to my Big Server!"
A light swirled around The Big Server in a pillar-like manner before a giant tennis racket was equipped onto his back.
Jaden was taken aback by the gigantic tennis racket. "That is a BIIGGGGG racket!"
"There's more to this racket than meets the eye!"
"I can already tell."
"And, I don't mean the size, I mean-"
"WHAT?!" screamed Jasmine, who interrupted the duel between the two. "T-then, you mean...I used my first kiss on...and...she was really a...but not a...a..."
Unable to take it anymore, Jasmine closed her eyes and fainted.
"Jasmine!" Kneeling down besides the girl's side, Mindy felt her forehead and sighed. "Good, she's only unconscious."
Syrus sweatdropped after explaining the whole truth about Jaden. "Uh...if it makes Jasmine feel any better, I don't think kisses on cheeks count as first kisses."
Harrington, having heard everything, glared at Jaden with so much fury in his eyes, that he made her flinch. "YOU! HOW COULD YOU?!"
"What do you mean?"
"If you've kissed girls before, then you don't deserve Alexis! You...You two-timing bastard! You don't deserve anyone!"
Jaden only tilted her head. "I still have no idea what you're talking about! The only girls I've kissed are my Mom and Burstinatrix!"
"..."
"..."
"...What is wrong with you?! I do hope you mean by the cheeks!"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I kiss them on the cheeks?"
Syrus groaned and facepalmed. Sometimes, he wished Jaden wasn't so...dumb in times like these. Avian and Umbra sweatdropped, knowing that Jaden only saw Burstinatrix as a friend and somewhat a motherly figure. It was just...the way she phrased it so...
"...Moving on!" shouted Harrington, having enough of Jaden's nonsense. Clearly, Alexis didn't deserve to be with stupid ol' Jaden! "The Monster equipped with Giant Racket isn't destroyed and can reduce the Battle Damage once per turn!"
"Wait, and since your Deuce only allows me to attack only once per turn, I won't be able to destroy Big Server!" said Jaden. "Big Server can't be beat by one attack!"
"Exactly! Impressive combo, isn't it?" Harrington said, confident in his ability to win. "I'll end my turn now, but don't think that you'll win the duel in your next turn! On my next turn, I'll just have Big Server attack you directly, and then I'll win! And Alexis will be mine!"
"It's not over yet! Not as long as I have cards just itching to help me!" said Jaden. "I draw! Sweet! Just the card I need!"
"Huh?" No, that was impossible! Even if Jaden drew a high level Monster and sacrificed her two Monsters, there was no way she could defeat Big Server! Not as long as Giant Racket was out!
"First, I activate the Spell card, De-Fusion! With it, I'll defuse Umbra back into my cute Magicians, Curran and Pikeru!"
One little girl dressed in black and carrying a whip was Ebon Magician Curan, while the other little girl was pink-haired and wearing white, so she was White Magician Pikeru. Both covered their ears when Jaden squealed and cooed at their cute appearances.
Ebon Magician Curran - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)
White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)
"Now, I have three Monsters on my field! Which means, even if you block my first attack, I can still hit you with two more, and I'll win!"
Harrington laughed. "I can see why you're ranked as a Slifer, because you don't listen! As long as Deuce is out, you can only attack with one Monster per turn! It doesn't matter if you have three!"
"Oh yeah? I can see why you're a snobby Obelisk! Because you underestimate your opponents!" teased Jaden. "I play the Spell card, Feather Shot! It lets Avian attack for every Monster on my side of the field! This card was the card I drew when you activated your Monster's special ability! You thought it wouldn't matter? Well, it did! Go, Avian! Attack three times!"
Flying to the air, Avian then flapped his wings, firing a volley of feathers at The Big Server. The Big Server took the hit, but managed to endure it due to the magic of Giant Racket. However, he wasn't so lucky a second time when Avian fired another swarm of feathers at him, destroying him.
Harrington : 01
Jaden: 01
Having enough energy for one last attack, Avian released all the power within him towards Harrington, who was forced to be pelted by a barrage of sharp feathers from the skies.
Harrington: 01
Jaden: 02
Winner: Jaden
"Yay! She's getting married!' cheered Syrus before realizing how wrong that sounded and blushed. "Uh...I mean...I'm not sure if Jaden swings that way, but hurray for Jaden winning!"
"...She won," spoke Jasmine, who had woken up before and was just as stunned as Mindy and Alexis. They were all excited and rooting for Harrington and Jaden, but after learning that Jaden was actually female...they didn't know what to think.
Harrington fell on his knees, trembling like an earthquake as he tried to comprehend what just happened. He lost? He, a third-year Obelisk Blue, to a first-year Slifer Red? Not only that, but now, some Slifer Red was now going to be Alexis's fiancée! Oh, the horror! The horror!
"Yeah! That's game!" cheered Jaden, winking as she pointed her two fingers at Harrington while her Monsters vanished.
"No! This can't be!" cried Harrington, tears streaming down like waterfall. Clearly, he was still upset and not taking this lightly. "How could I lose?! She was my soulmate! She-I-We were supposed to-WAAAAHHHH!"
Jaden's eyes followed Harrington as he ran off the courtyard, tears still bursting out of his eyes. "Um...Sorry about your loss!" she called. "It was just a game, after all! If you wanna duel again, you know where to find me!"
"Wow! You did awesome, Jaden!" praised Syrus as he, Mindy, and Jasmine went up to the female winner.
"Oh, it was nothing!" assured Jaden, grinning widely as she rubbed her back of her head, a bit embarrassed by the praise.
"Hey, you think this is okay?" wondered Jasmine to Mindy. "I mean, both Jaden and Alexis are girls..."
Mindy shrugged. "Well, love has no bounds, and I did hear of many lesbian couples, so..." Both her and Jasmine turned to Alexis, awaiting for her response.
"So, Alexis...I won, so..." Jaden began walking towards Alexis, causing Syrus, Mindy, and Jasmine to get closer together, itching to hear what was about to happen.
Could it be? Since Jaden won, she's technically Alexis's fiancée, but they were both girls. Even so, could Jaden actually harbor hidden feelings for Alexis despite them being the same gender? Is she actually going to go through with it? Could their forbidden love last in society? Oh, the questions! The drama!
"So, I gotta ask you. What's a fiancée?"
Everyone except Alexis fell down anime-style at Jaden's question. Then again, they shouldn't be surprised after witnessing Jaden's obliviousness about the whole duel for Alexis's heart, or the fact that she went all crazy on her own cute Monsters; something a girl would go nuts over.
"..." Alexis sighed, closing her eyes. "Don't worrry about it, Jaden. It's nothing important. Let's just say we're friends, alright?"
"Uh...Okay!"
"But, I gotta ask you. Are you really a girl?"
"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"...Nothing."
In truth, after hearing Jaden confess to that fact, Alexis couldn't help but feel her heart shatter a little. It's not that she's against same gender couples, but she's just not into girls in that way. And she was just starting to love Jaden too...Oh well.
"Hey, so why didn't you tell us that you were a girl?" demanded Jasmine to Jaden.
"Huh? Uh...didn't you know?"
"NO! You look like a guy! Do-do any of the teachers know you're a girl?"
"Professor Banner does!" said Syrus.
"Then, why isn't Jaden listed as an Obelisk Blue? She's a girl!" pointed out Mindy.
"Because Crowler hates my guts?" Jaden answered, not really knowing. "Look, I like being in Slifer Red! It's way cozy and warm there, and the food is fantastic! Besides, I don't like being in Obelisk Blue, anyways! Everyone there is just so selfish and rude and mean! One of them even pulled a wedgie on poor, cute Syrus!"
"H-hey! They don't need to know that!" said Syrus, turning flustered.
Before Mindy and Jasmine could protest and defend the Obelisk Blue title, Alexis shot them a sharp gaze, causing the both of them to back down. "You're right, Jaden. A lot of Obelisk Blues are like that. Selfish, rude, mean, cocky, all those sorts of stuff. And, I'm sorry for whatever bad things happeened to you and Syrus. But, even so, not all Obelisk Blues are like that, you know?"
Jaden nodded. "Yeah, I know! You and Zane are pretty cool! Mindy and Jasmine? I'm not too sure, but I think they're nice, even though they're pretty loud!"
"HEY!" Both the two mentioned girls yelled.
"But, don't worry, Alexis!" continued Jaden. "I'll duel anyone that insults my friends, no matter who they are! After all, we are all fiancées after all!"
"...What do you mean?" asked Mindy, a little creeped out on how she said that so casually.
"I mean, we're all friends, right? Fiancée does mean friend, right?"
"Er...well..."
Alexis sighed and spoke up for her. "Jaden? Could you please not put fiancée as friends like that? We're just...just friends. That's all."
"Huh? Okay!"
Meanwhile, during sunset...
It was a beautiful sunset to set eyes upon, and the waters glistering under the shine of the sunset made the scene even more beautiful than usual. It would have all been perfect...if not for the loud sobbing of Harrington, who was crying his eyes out while standing on top of a cliff.
"ALEXIS! I'LL WIN YOUR HEART YET! ...Although, Mindy did slip me her number!"
In the Spirit World...
"What's the news this time?" wondered Hero Kid as the Elemental Heroes and other Monsters gathered in their usual meeting room.
Flame Wingman and Avian showed a board full of pictures that could be potential lovers for Jaden. At first, it was just Jaden's regular friends and Chazz, but now, ever since she spent more duels with male students, the board has been so packed up, that they had to revert to a second board.
"We have good news and bad news," announced Flame Wingman, ripping off Alexis's picture off the board. "The good news is that Jaden's friend, Alexis, is no longer interested in her since she found out that Jaden is a girl, so she's safe."
A few of the Elemental Heroes cheered while the others rolled their eyes. Obviously! Jaden didn't seem like the type of girl to be romantically involved with another girl. They were just friends, that's all.
"But, there are bad news. Now, Jaden possibly has another potential lover. Harrington." Flame Wingman hissed, posting the picture of the Tennis Club captain onto the board. In reality, he wanted to burn the two boards down and protect Jaden from any perverted boys.
The three Hero Kids gazed sinisterly at the picture of Harrington. Sure, he seemed handsome, looked really athletic, and had a charming smile, but he had traits that he would never have. Cuteness, the ability to fly, and he wasn't even an Elemental Hero; not that he would ever be one to begin with.
"Bursty?" Wildheart turned to Burstinatrix, confused. "Why does Jaden have so many lovers? Doesn't child need one?"
Burstinatrix sighed and patted her caveman-like friend. "It's called overprotectiveness, Wildheart. You'll understand someday."
Finished at long last! Just a quick tips for all of ya out there!
No asking questions about the whole co-ed room thing and how the whole system works, okay? I'm still trying to get it all figured out, but I don't think a lot of episodes involving PE classes are gonna happen.
Yeah, so since White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran happened to be rare cards at some extent, I just figured that since they're both twins, they deserves some FU...SION...HA! Here's the full descriptive of the new Fusion made-up card!
Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2000/1600)
The reason why she's a high level is because of her special ability! "Must be Fusion Summoned using the above Fusion-Material Monsters. (White Magician Pikeru + Ebon Magician Curran) Whenever your opponent inflicts effect damage to you, you can choose either to increase this card's Attack Points by the same amount of effect damage or you can increase your Life Points by the same amount of effect damage."
Yeah, that card's definitely going into my Tagforce: Cherished Evolution fanfic!
So, I changed a bit of the duel from the original episode, but it ended up all good in the end with Jaden winning. Once again, her cuteness saved the day again!
Anyways, read and review and Merry late Christmas!