The moment you've all been waiting for! The duel between Zane and Jaden is finally here! Before we continue, I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE SEE IT!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!

Around late afternoon, Zane was laying on his bed inside his cozy, high-class Obelisk Blue bedroom, staring up at the ceiling with nothing but lingering thoughts in his mind. It was about the announcement presented to him along with all other third-year students earlier this morning.

Apparently, he was the third-year student who managed to get high scores on all of his exams and was given the traditional privilege of initiating a final duel to end the school year. Clearly, the winner would be the top student of Duel Academy, and since Zane was participating in the final duel, he was given permission to select anyone he chooses to duel against him.

It was already made clear in his mind who he would choose. It was always obvious from the very start. The one person he would duel is the one person who managed to defeat most of the Shadow Riders, saved the world from Kagemaru, and helped out others with an enthusiastic and kindhearted attitude that might help out Duel Academy once again.

Jaden Yuki.

Her actions weren't the only reason why Zane himself fell in love with her. Yes, he was starting to admit that his feelings for her were genuine and must be known to her eventually. But anyways, her kind spirit to always help out others, even her enemies, along with her own funny moments and huge passion for other things were a huge part of how Zane came to fall in love with her. The bonus one was how cute she was, just as he secretly thought that his little brother was cute, and an extra bonus was that he knew Jaden would soon blossom into a beautiful young woman one day.

Getting up from his bed, Zane reached for his bedroom balcony, lightly pushing the window open and allowing the cool breeze to flow into his room as he stared at the upcoming sunset.

'Who will I duel? The answer is obvious; one that's worthy of my attention,' thought Zane. 'Jaden, it's about time we had our rematch.'

Later, at the Slifer Red Dorm...

"ZANE?!"

It came as a huge shock for both Syrus and Jaden when Zane actually came to visit them. No, not just that, but to the Slifer Red Dorm itself as well! No Obelisk Blue would be caught dead near the Slifer Red Dorm; which is the lowest ranking of all three ranks. Except, perhaps Alexis since she is a good friend.

"Not to be rude, but we're kinda surprised to see you, Zane!" said Jaden, allowing Zane access to their room. "It's not often th-Okay, this is pretty much your first time here, but what are you doing here?"

Glancing around the room, Zane already knew that the Slifer Red Dorm was in a pretty bad shape compared to the other dorms, but he didn't expect it would be this bad. Then again, it did look sturdy enough and although the entire building was old, just cleaning and remodeling the place would be enough to make the Slifer Red Dorm a nice, cozy home.

"You know, in all of my three years here at Duel Academy, not once have I step foot at the Slifer Red Dorm," admitted Zane. "It's a lot nicer than the rumors say."

"So? Whatcha think about our room?" asked Jaden, expecting a nice answer from Zane. "Is it good? Better than Chazz's? I mean, his is like, real small and we've got three beds plus some cute stuffed animals! So? So?"

"Hmm..." Examining the room one more time, Zane crossed his arms. "It's tastefrent."

Although Jaden and Syrus had no idea what the word meant, they unconsciously knew it meant as an harmless insult as they fell backwards awkwardly. "I...I can't tell if he's insulting our room or not..." muttered Syrus.

"What does tastefrent mean?" wondered Jaden, sitting up curiously. "Is that even a word?"

"Jaden," spoke up Zane, offering a hand to her, which she took before he helped her up. "I want you as my opponent for my Graduation Duel."

"Huh? HUH?!"

"Wait, you want Jaden as your opponent?! But this is like, your most important duel of the year!" cried out Syrus.

Zane nodded, patting Jaden on the head before walking away. "Exactly. Good luck out there tommorow, Jaden." Having said what he came here to do, Zane opened the door to leave when he stopped. "Oh, and the door looks like it's going to tear apart soon. I'll talk to Chancellor Sheppard about making repairs to your dorm soon."

After he left, Jaden couldn't stop the grin on her face as she started squealing. "EEEEEEKKKKK! OH MY GOD! I GET TO COMPETE IN THE LAST DUEL OF THE YEAR! YAAAAAAAYYYY!"

"Jaden!" shouted Syrus; his eyes fired up with determination. "I know Zane may be your toughest opponent, and even though he's never lost, except for that one exception with Camula, he's going to put everything he's got into dueling you! So, please respond back using all of your strength!"

"Sy..." Giving him a thumbs-up along with a wide grin, Jaden replied, "Obviously! I was going to do that from the start anyways! So, all you have to do is cheer me on and say, Get your game on!"

"Huh? Oh, okay! Ahem! Get your game on!"

"No, louder than that!"

"Oh! Get your game on!"

"Louder, I said! LOUDER!"

"Get your game on!"

"Even louder! At the top of your lungs!"

'GET YOUR GAME ON!"

Meanwhile, in the forest...

"Did you hear the news? Zane's going up against Jaden in his own Graduation Duel!" commented Alexis, chatting with Bastion and Chazz.

Bastion nodded. "Yes, it's already spread across the campus. It's a little abnormal for a third-year to request a first-year to duel with him, let alone a Slifer Red, but since this is Jaden we're talking about, it's no surprise."

Chazz was beyond frustrated as shown of him childishly stomping his foot. "GRRRR! It's not fair! Why does Jaden get all the fun?! I should be the one dueling her!"

"But you're not a third-"

"SURPRISE!" called Atticus, leaping down from a tree, causing the three others to scream out of surprise before realizing it was Atticus. "Hmm...A duel between two worthy opponents...One that uses intution, and one that uses intelligence...wonder who'll win?"

Late at night...

Jaden wanted some private time by herself to recollect her thoughts before the final match tommorow at the Duel Arena, where the entire school would be watching her and Zane duel to the bitter end.

Thinking back now, it's been a long string of adventures ever since the start of the school year. From one event to another, she's been caught up in one incident that would impact her future, and with each winning duel, she's gained much more experience than she ever thought, especially that one duel where the entire world was at stake. And it wasn't just her dueling skills that lead her this far. Without the aid of her friends, she wasn't sure where she'd be right now.

One thing's for sure. Her skills up until tommorow will be tested at the grand Graduation Duel tommorow, where she'll be faced up against the top student of Duel Academy. It's where, like Chumley, she'll be taking her steps towards creating her own future.

Winged Kuriboh suddenly appeared, nudging her by the shoulders as he alerted her that someone was approaching her. Turning around, Jaden saw Zane, who also wished to catch up to his own thoughts before the duel tommorow.

"...Hey, Zane!" said Jaden, mustering up a smile. "What's up?"

"..." Turning around, Zane spoke, "I just wanted some fresh air. That's all. ...Tommorow, if you can, meet me near the lighthouse at nighttime. There's something important I have to tell you."

"Huh? Why not now?"

"...If I say it, it'll distract you from our duel tommorow, and that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" He left once again, leaving Jaden in confusion.

"Just what is it that he wants to talk to me about?"

The next morning...

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL GRADUATION DUEL OF THE YEAR!" bellowed Crowler, speaking clearly and loudly from the microphone as the audience cheered at the arrival of Jaden and Zane along with them walking onto the dueling platform. "Both duelists are ready to begin, yes?"

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

"Then, let the duel...BEGIN!"

"DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Jaden - 4000 LP

VS

Zane - 4000 LP

"Think I can go first?" asked Jaden, receiving a nod from Zane. "Alright, I draw! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And when he's out on the field with no other cards out, I can draw two new cards! I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"My move," said Zane calmly. "I activate Polymerization and fuse the three Cyber Dragons in my hand to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon!"

"Wait, he's already taking out his most powerful Monster?!" exclaimed Bastion, shocked.

The three Cyber Dragons merged together to form Zane's trump card Monster, who roared loudly as they stepped onto the field, ready for battle.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"But before I attack, I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying one of your Spell or Trap cards!" shouted Zane. "Don't think I didn't take note of your two facedowns, Jaden!"

The twister appeared and blew away one of Jaden's two facedowns; one revealing to be Mirror Gate, a Trap card that would have caused some trouble for Zane had he not activate Mystical Space Typhoon.

"Aw, man!" cried out Jaden. 'Well, if that doesn't work, then I'll just use my other card!'

"I atta-"

"Not so fast, Zane!" countered Jaden. "I activate my other facedown Trap, Hero Ring, and equip it to Bubbleman! Now, Monsters with 1900 or more Attack Points can't target Bubbleman!"

"...Fine. I set a card and end my turn," finished Zane.

Jaden drew her card. "My turn, draw! First, I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian with Bubbleman in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Great Tornado!"

A huge tornado burst from out of nowhere, causing wind to mess around all over the field, nearly sending anything flying but slowly calming down once the appearance of the strong Elemental Hero of wind arrived.

Elemental hero Great Tornado - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2200)

"And when he's Fusion Summoned, I get to halve all the Attack and Defense Points of all your Monsters, Zane!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (2000/1400)

"Now, attack, Great Tornado!"

By summoning two wind tornados around his palms, Great Tornado placed them together to create a larger tornado which was merged from the two tornados, creating an effective blast that was enough to destroy Cyber End Dragon.

Jaden - 4000 LP

Zane - 3200 LP

"She did it! She managed to beat Zane's most powerful Monster!" cried out Bastion.

"Yes!" cheered Jaden.

But, Zane wasn't quite content with the results. "I activate my Trap, Call of the Haunted, returning Cyber End Dragon back to the field in Attack Mode!"

"Fuck!"

Jaden's attitude and surprising choice of words was to be expected from this sudden turn of events during the duel, as she had worked hard to destroy Zane's biggest threat Monster, only for it to be resurrected much stronger.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

Seeing as there was nothing she could do to further destroy the resurrected Monster, Jaden said, "I activate the Continuous Spell, Branch! Then, I'll end my turn with a facedown!"

"My turn," said Zane. "I summon Cyber Dragon Zwei in Attack Mode."

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"Attack her Fusion Monster, Cyber End Dragon!"

All three heads of Cyber End Dragon lunged forward, wrapping Great Tornado tightly with their steel-like necks as their jaws opened wide, filled with brimming energy before they blasted Great Tornado away.

Jaden - 2800 LP

Zane - 3200 LP

"Branch! now activates!" shouted Jaden. "If a Fusion Monster of mine is destroyed, I'm allowed to Special Summon one of the Fusion-Material Monsters used for that Fusion Monster! I Special Summon Bubbleman!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"That won't stop me!" said Zane. "Cyber Dragon Zwei, attack Bubbleman! And when my Monster attacks, he gains 300 Attack Points during the Damage Step only!"

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1000)

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Bubble Shuffle!" Jaden said. "I can target Bubbleman on the field and a face-up Attack Position Monster you control and change both of them to Defense Mode!"

Both Bubbleman and Cyber Dragon Zwei ceased their fighting stances and kneeled down in a calm manner as bubbles scattered all throughout the field.

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"Then, the effect of Bubble Shuffle still continues! I have to sacrifice Bubbleman, but in return, I get to Special Summon another Hero from my hand! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Woodsman from my hand in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"Not bad, but that still won't be enough to take me down," reminded Zane. "I end my turn."

"My turn!~" sang Jaden. "Because of my Standby Phase, Woodsman's effect activates, letting me take Polymerization from my Graveyard! And now that I've got it...Hehehe...It's finally time to summon one of my most powerful Monsters! I use Polymerization to fuse Woodsman along with Elemental Hero Ocean in my hand to bring out the one and only...Elemental Hero Terra Firma!"

With a mixture of earth and water together, it was a simple formula to allow a regular flower to grow. However, this was a warrior being grown through the hardships of two Elemental Heroes, and with their combined forces, they merged to create one of the strongest Elemental Heroes in history.

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Terra Firma?! That's an extremely rare card!" gasped Bastion. "How did Jaden get ahold of that?!"

"I've heard that only a few possess such a powerful card," commented Zane. "But only those who can wield it properly can bring out the full power of Terra Firma. Do you have what it takes to accept that challenge, Jaden?"

"What challenge?" wondered Jaden. "You know this isn't the first time I've summoned him, right? I totally used him against some bullies who were bullying a small kid, and won! Yay for me!~"

'It seems she does have some experience with Terra Firma,' Zane thought. 'Then again, she does own a Hero deck, so it's to be expected.'

"Oh! Before I attack, I'm gonna summon Elemental Hero Heat in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"But! I'm not done! Now I activate Terra Firma's effect! Once per turn, I can tribute an Elemental Hero and he gains Attack Points equal to that Hero's own power until the End Phase! I sacrifice Heat!"

Raising her palm, Heat transformed into a swirling mist of fire that flew around Terra Firm, invigorating him with newfound power.

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4100/2000)

"Alright, now I attack! Terra Firma, get rid of Cyber End Dragon!"

Arms lifted up in the air, Terra Firma used his control of the earth to bring forth burning roots of fire to wrap around Cyber End Dragon, destroying the three-headed dragon.

Jaden - 2800 LP

Zane - 3100 LP

"She took down his dragon a second time!" exclaimed Chazz.

"Yes, she did a successful job, but the damage was very minimal," commented Bastion. "Look at how much Life Points Zane still has! It'll take more than beating his dragons for her to defeat him."

"Aww yeah! I end my turn now!"

"Draw," spoke Zane. "Just because you defeated my Cyber End Dragon twice doesn't mean you should be celebrating so soon, Jaden. I activate Card of Demise, meaning I get to draw 5 cards, but after 5 of my turns, I have to discard my entire hand."

"Zane doesn't usually play risky cards like that," spoke Alexis. "What's going on?"

"Haven't you seen his hand?" questioned Bastion. "Card of Demise was the only card left in his hand, and considering the fact that he only has one Monster and that his ace Monster was taken out, it was the only card he could play at the time, with the 5 cards to decide his fate."

"Well, when you put it that way, that makes sense..."

Zane continued by revealing a Spell card from his hand. "I activate Cyber Dragon Zwei's effect! Until the End Phase, if I reveal a Spell card from my hand, Cyber Dragon Zwei's name is changed to Cyber Dragon. I now summon Proto-Cyber Dragon to the field."

Proto-Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV3 - (1100/600)

"While on the field, Proto-Cyber Dragon's name can be Cyber Dragon as well. Now I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Photon-Generator Unit! By sacrificing two Cyber Dragons on my field, I can now Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon from my deck!"

Cyber Laser Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV7 - (2400/18000)

"He's really cool-looking!" awed Jaden. "Hey, think I can borrow him so I can zap Chazz with him in our next duel?"

"You bitch! I'm right here, you know!" yelled Chazz from the sidelines.

"Lalalala!~ I can't hear you!"

Zane chuckled, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, he's not for sale. And also, it'll be unfortunate for you Jaden, when I activate his special ability. Once per turn, I can destroy a Monster with Attack or Defense Points greater or equal to Cyber Laser Dragon's Attack Points. That means Terra Firma will be destroyed!"

With one shot from Cyber Laster Dragon's jaw, Terra Firm was incinerated, leaving not even a speck of ash.

"Nooo!" cried out Jaden. "Oh, wait! Branch! I activate Branch! That means that since Terra Firma was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon one of his Fusion-Material Monsters to the field! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Woodsman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"He may have high defense, but he still won't be a match for Cyber Laser Dragon! In addition, I still haven't attacked yet!" reminded Zane. "Cyber Laser Dragon, destroy her Monster!"

Like Terra Firma, Woodsman met the poor, unfortunate fate of being executed from a laser attack.

"I set a card before ending my turn."

"My turn!" said Jaden, not giving up. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then, I set a card and activate the Continuous Spell, Supply Squad before I end my turn!"

"My draw," stated Zane. "Impressive, Jaden. You managed to figure out a way around Cyber Laser Dragon's effect and even put up some defense."

"What's my brother talking about?" wondered Syrus.

"It's simple, really," spoke Bastion. "You see, Cyber Laser Dragon's effect makes it so it can destroy a Monster with Attack or Defense Points higher or equal to its own Attack Points. But, Zane can't use that effect right now because her Monster is Set, meaning it's like a mystery Monster."

"Ohhh!"

"I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon from my hand in Attack Mode," continued Zane.

Proto-Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV3 - (1100/600)

"Then, I activate my facedown card, Attack Reflector Unit! By sacrificing Cyber Dragon on my field, I can Special Summon a Cyber Barrier Dragon from my deck! Proto-Cyber Dragon's effect makes it so he's announced as Cyber Dragon while on the field, so I sacrifice him!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV6 - (800/2800)

"Cyber Laser Dragon, destroy her Monster, now!"

With one blast from his jaws, Cyber Barrier Dragon easily dealt with Jaden's Set Monster, which revealed to be Phantom Magician.

Phantom Magician - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (600/700)

"Phantom Magician's effect activates!" shouted Jaden. "When he's destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Hero Monster with 1000 or less Attack Points from my deck in face up Defense Mode! But first, I activate the effect of Supply Squad! Once per turn, if a Monster I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I get to draw 1 card! Now I Special Summon Burstinatrix from my deck in Defense Mode!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/1200)

Zane knew that even though his Cyber Barrier Dragon was highly strong in terms of Defense, not even he could stand up against Burstinatrix's defense when it comes to attacking. "Fine, then I'll end my turn."

"My turn!~" said Jaden, excited. "Ooh! I set a card, and then I activate the Spell, Soul Charge! With it, I can Special Summon as many Monsters as I want, under the cost that each Monster I Special Summon makes me lose 500 Life Points each! Oh, and those Monsters can't attack this turn, either! So, I'm Special Summon three Monsters!"

"But wait, that would mean she would lose 1500 Life Points! That's too much!" cried out Syrus.

"Just what is she planning?" wondered Bastion as three new Monsters popped onto Jaden's field.

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

Jaden - 1300 LP

Zane - 3100 LP

"I will end my turn with that!"

"Then, it's my turn," said Zane. "Now-"

"Not so fast! I activate my facedown card!" declared Jaden. "Elemental Burst! All I have to do is Tribute a WIND, WATER, FIRE, and EARTH-Attribute Monster on my field and I get to destroy all cards on your field!"

"So that's why she used Soul Charge earlier!" gasped Bastion. "She needed to gather the necessary ingredients in order to play the card!"

All four of her Monsters split into their necessary elements; earth, water, fire, and wind before surrounding Zane's field and destroying all of the Monsters he struggled to summon.

"Yahoo! I did it!" cheered Jaden.

"But you're in the same situation as I am," reminded Zane calmly. "And it's still my turn, remember?"

"...Crap baskets."

Searching through his hand, Zane spoke, "I activate Card of Sanctity, meaning we both draw until we have 6 card each in our hands, which so happens that we don't have any, so it's convenient for both of us. Fortunately for you, I don't have any Monsters in my hand, so you're safe for the time being."

"Whew! For a second, I thought I was toast!"

Zane smirked. "Who said you could relax? I activate the Equip Spell, Future Fusion! I send my deck to the Graveyard, Fusion-Material Monsters and Special Summon the one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck that requires those Fusion-Material Monsters! I send three Cyber Dragons from my deck and Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"...I'm screwed."

Zane shook his head. "Not quite. The turn I activate this effect, Cyber End Dragon can't attack this turn, so you're safe for now. I set a card facedown and end my turn."

"My draw!" yelled Jaden. "Okay! I can do this! I activate the Spell, Dark Factory of Mass Production! Now I get to target two Normal Monsters in my Graveyard and add them to my hand! I choose Avian and Burstinatrix! Then, I activate Polymerization and fuse the two Monsters I just got and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"But don't think I'm done yet! I'm entering the Battle Phase and activating the Quick-Play Spell, Frontline Fusion! I can Fusion Summon using this card only during the Battle Phase, and I choose Sparkman and Flame Wingman! I Fusion Summon Shining Flare Wingman!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"For each Elemental Hero in my Graveyard, he gains 300 Attack Points for each, and I count...11!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (5800/2100)

"She can do it! She can win!" cheered Syrus.

"Attack!" declared Jaden. 'This is it! I can win! I can win!'

Unfortunately for her, Zane was one step ahead of her. "Not so fast! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion! Since you're attacking my Fusion Monster, Cyber End Dragon gains the same amount of Attack Points as the one your Hero has right now!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (9800/2800)

Seeing that there was nothing left in her hand that could save her from this huge outcome, most would have faltered and given up, but instead, Jaden gave him a grin as their Fusion Monsters began to duke it out. "Wow, Zane! That was a tight duel! I'm gonna miss ya!"

"And I, you, Jaden," agreed Zane. "And that's why I'm passing down the torch to you."

"Huh?"

"Once I leave here, you'll be the next top student of this school. Despite your grades and your rank, you'll be the best, so make me proud!"

Jaden grinned wider. "Obviously! Hehehe!~ But, when I graduate and become a pro, I'm coming after you next, Zane! So don't think that this is gonna be our last duel!"

Zane nodded as the explosion from the battle results ran off, leaving his Monster as the victor. "You can count on it."

Jaden - 0 LP

Zane - 3100 LP

Winner: Zane

Everyone stood up and applauded for the two respectful duelists, congratulating them for performing so earnestly and for giving it their all for the final graduation duel of the year, which they all enjoyed.

Feeling pride swelling up inside of him, Zane said, "Jaden, I-Jaden?"

Right after the duel was over, Jaden was curled up and had fallen asleep out of exhaustion, breathing in and out and smiling in her sleep. Before he knew it, Zane fell to his knees the moment he started moving. He didn't even realize how exhausted he was himself until now.

"I guess...it'll be okay to take a break..." muttered Zane, smiling to himself at how breathtaking the duel truly was.

Later, that night near the lighthouse...

"Guys, why are we here?" wondered Syrus, hiding behind some bushes with his other friends.

"Shhhh! I'm trying to capture the moment where my bestie confesses to a girl for the first time!" hissed Atticus, adjusting his camera to where Jaden and Zane were talking.

"What?! How can you tell they're going to confess?!" shouted Chazz. "T-They could just be talking like good old friends for all we know!"

Atticus gave him a look. "Really? A guy and a girl going out in the dark, all in private, just chatting like good old friends? Come on, this is obviously a confession scene, and you know it!"

"You guys, this is all wrong! We shouldn't be eavesdropping like this!" said Alexis.

"...Could you make it so we can all hear what they're talking about?" asked Bastion curiously.

"Bastion!"

"What? I simply wish to know so that I may try it out on a girl someday, too!"

'I could just see it now, Flame Wingman and his goons watching all of this and trying to formulate a murder mystery plan. The target? Zane,' thought Chazz, looking up at the stars as though the Duel Spirits lived there, though some actually do.

Listening to Jaden chat on and on about her school life was entertaining and all, but Zane knew that he'd have to tell her here and now about what was on his mind. 'Besides,' he thought, glancing behind his shoulder. 'The others must really be dumb enough to think that I wouldn't notice them eavesdropping. But this is fine so long as they don't interfere.'

"Jaden," spoke up Zane, getting her attention. "Please listen to me. This is very important. I like you."

'HE'S GOING FOR THE STRAIGHT FORWARD PART!' Everyone thought, shocked.

Jaden smiled. "Awww, how sweet! I like you, too!"

Of course, Zane knew that she was naive in terms of love, so he had to correct her. "No, Jaden. As in, I LIKE LIKE you. In a way, it means I do love you romantically."

"Oh...HUH?!" Understanding full well now what Zane was saying, Jaden's face changed into a light strawberry color as she proceeded to freak out. "You mean, like the dating kind of love?! The sort of mushy, gushy love where the boyfriend takes his girlfriend out for dates, beats up any guy who goes near his girlfriend, kiss and watch movies?! That kind of love?!"

'Wow, she just summarized a good dating love despite never having a boyfriend,' thought Zane, mildly impressed. "Yes, Jaden. That. What do you think of me?"

"Me? Well...I think you're a really good duelist who could beat anyone's ass! I mean, if you were able to beat me, you have a chance against the King of Games!"

"Yes...I did expect that kind of answer from you. But, is there anything else?"

"Well..." Fiddling with her fingers, Jaden thought carefully. "I...I never did see you in a sort of love kind of thing. I always thought you were the cool, calm type who was a jerk to his brother."

'Ouch,' Zane thought, feeling a painful memory sprouting in his mind. Yes, back in the past, he did treat Syrus badly and strictly, but he realized before that that wasn't the proper way for Syrus to become a great duelist. Besides, thanks to his friends, Syrus has greatly improved.

"But now I see you as a respective duelist who's still cool and all, and someone who I could gladly kick your ass in if you make Syrus upset again."

'Why does it feel like I'm the lonely teenager being scolded by a girlfriend's mother? Because it feels that way to me!' Zane thought, winching. Okay, maybe he did deserve a bit of Jaden's anger since she was defending Syrus and he had to admit, he was a jerk to him in the past.

"Plus...Now that you kinda talked to me about your feelings, I feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside," admitted Jaden, placing a hand on her heart area. "But...I don't even know if I love you or not. I can't tell."

Zane sighed; the moment of truth becoming at hand. "Yes, and that's another matter I wanted to talk to you about. I thought it hard last night and decided...I can't love you."

"EH?!" Jaden, including her companions from behind the bushes, exclaimed. "Wait, then what was the point of confessing to me, then?!"

Zane shook his head. "No, I...I just had to get these feelings out of my chest before I leave Duel Academy soon. The reason why I called you here wasn't just for confessing, but to tell you my reason for my rejection."

"Wow...Being told to be loved and being rejected...I'm so confused."

"I know, but I want you to listen what I have to say. Jaden, I really did have a crush on you and this was the first time I felt such a thing. But we can't be together because I'm going to graduate soon, and long-distance relationships never work out properly. I wanted to tell you personally because I don't want you getting any wrong ideas."

"I'm...really not sure about these feelings, but why can't long-distance relationships work?" wondered Jaden.

Zane answered, "It's because two people in love are far away that they almost never work. If someone you love is lingering for you, they would want you to stay close to them. Cell phones and photos in letters don't have the same love affection when it comes to long-distance. I'm just saying that you deserve someone better than me, Jaden."

Having listened to Zane, Jaden nodded. "I...I get it. Sorry if I was a bother to you, Zane.

"What? No, you were never a bother to me, Jaden. You never were and never will be. Your kindness and strong will might get you a lover one of these days, and I'm sure whoever he is, he'll take proper care of you and...will be a better person than I am."

Jaden nodded, smiling. "You, too! I hope you find a nice girl someday too! Someone who's beautiful like Alexis and much nicer than Chazz!"

" I WILL FRICKIN'-"

"Chazz, no! You'll give us away!"

Zane smiled back. "I hope to find someone like that too, Jaden. Thank you."

The two of them nodded towards each other before turning around to leave for their parted destinations, cutting off any possible and lingering feelings for each other after their chat together, as they knew a brand new day would arrive the next day to shine for their future.

ATTENTION! ATTENTION, FOLKS!

First, I wanted to say thank you for all your support, but unfortunately, I will be putting this on Hiatus for a while and stop working on this Fanfic. HOLD IT! That doesn't mean I won't return to this fanfic! I will return to this story and continue onto Season 2! The reason being this way is because I have to help out my family, continue onto schoolwork and stuff, and will have to prepare for college, so I'm a busy girl.

That being said, while I will stop working on this story for the time being, I will work on my other fanfics to entertain you guys!

Also, did you seriously think that was the end of the whole Jaden x Zane franchise? NO! If Zane returns to the other seasons, then it's likely they might have a chance, especially since he spends some time in Season 3! But you have to admit, Zane's reasoning is sound because Jaden's still younger and a first year, while Zane's older and a graduate student, so naturally, not all relationships would work out.

That being said, read and review and I will come back to this fanfic someday!~