I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or anything created by Kazuki Takahashi. This work of fiction is just for fun.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Mental talk with Duel Spirits"
"Announcements/ messages"
. . . - flashbacks/ what if's?
Author's Note: Happy 2022 y'all! Hope the year has started off well for everyone! With this chapter I mark the end of my vacation. It was really fun to write it, had a few hurdles here and there with the duel and... well, you'll see.
Enjoy and I'll see ya at the bottom!
It was a few days after sending Blair off and there was a big event taking place in the card shack. It was a big deal, so big in fact some students say it even overshadows the School Duel!
Jaden, Erina and Alexis wanted to get some lunch and were shocked to find so many people in the card shack. "Geez, I have never seen this many people here…" Erina muttered.
"Yeah, wonder what's going on…?" Jaden asked. Erina opened her mouth, about to tell him, but decided not to. He can be quite the airhead at times plus it wasn't something that exciting for either of them.
"Is that Bastion?" Jaden asked when he saw the familiar hairstyle amongst the crowd. "Hey, Bastion!" He shouted.
The Ra genius turned around upon hearing his name and saw the group. "Ah, hello everyone." He greeted them as they joined him.
"So… What's going on here?" Jaden asked. "It's not eggwich day, right?"
Bastion shook his head, smiling. "No, it's just some lunch time tussle…"
"Really? Who's dueling?" Erina asked.
"Well… on the left is Dimitri." Bastion gestured to him. Dimitri was a Ra Yellow student, the most defining thing about him was that he had dark spiky hair with orange highlights.
"Never heard of him." Alexis said. "Is he good?"
"N-No… not really." Bastion sighed. "He studies hard and has good grades, but when it comes to dueling… Well, it's better if you see for yourselves."
"Okay…? And who's the other-" Jaden turned to the other side only to see… "Syrus?!"
Syrus turned to the sound of his name and smiled once he saw the others. "Hey, guys!" He waved.
"Sy, what's going on here?" Jaden asked, making his way out of the crowd.
"A high stakes duel, that's what!" Syrus explained before pointing to the posters on the wall above him. "Check it out!"
Jaden looked up at the wall and his eyes widened upon seeing the posters. All of them were of the greatest duelist of all time. The King of Games, Yugi Muto.
"Yugi's deck is going on tour and its first stop is here at Duel Academy!" Syrus told him, bubbling with excitement. "Isn't that the coolest? …Jaden?" Syrus noticed that Jaden was just staring at the posters. He walked over to him and waved his hand in front of his face. "Hello? Jay?" He groaned. "I knew something like this was gonna happen…"
Erina smiled at her best friend's reaction. The others, save for Alexis, probably thought that Jaden was just entranced by the opportunity to see Yugi's deck with his own eyes, but no, he has seen it countless times. It was something completely different…
"Seriously, Jaden…" Yubel laughed amusingly. "It doesn't say that he'll be coming himself, just his deck."
Jaden sighed inwardly. "Yeah... I just miss him and the thought of seeing dad again and maybe getting a duel out of him got me excited."
"Sorry, Sy, spaced out for a bit there…" Jaden chuckled sheepishly.
"Well, it is quite exciting." Bastion said. "We get the opportunity to see a piece of history with our own eyes."
Syrus nodded, looking back at the posters. "Yeah! It's the deck he took to Duelist Kingdom, where he beat Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters!"
"Don't forget Battle City." Alexis threw in. "Where he beat Seto Kaiba and Marik Ishtar."
"I know, right?!" Syrus nodded. "And the way he used those Egyptian God cards? Man that was amazing! Of course the deck won't be on tour with the God cards. But it will have all the other classics! I just can't wait! This will be the most awesome thing ever!" Syrus was practically bouncing with excitement. "We have to go… we just have to go!" He turned to Jaden.
The brunet Slifer smiled awkwardly, he felt a bit uncomfortable hearing his friends going full fan-mode over his dad, but he has somewhat gotten used to it over the years. "Sure thing, Sy, so why are you dueling? Let's go get some tickets." Of course Jaden had no interest in seeing the deck, he knew every iteration of his dad's decks like they were his own. He was just doing this for Syrus, plus he had to keep his secret safe and not going would rouse questions he'd rather avoid answering.
"That's just it, Jaden." Miss Dorothy called out from behind the counter. "That's the reason why Syrus is dueling. There's only one ticket left and whoever wins gets it!"
Syrus nodded and pulled out a ticket from his pocket. "I already got mine, so I'm dueling for yours, Jay."
"You're dueling for me?" Jaden asked in surprise.
"Of course! It's the least I can do for you after everything you've done for me!" Syrus walked back to his spot to continue the duel. "I just gotta win this!"
"Well, good luck, pal!" Jaden smiled.
Erina rubbed the back of her neck nervously after hearing why Syrus was dueling. 'He's gonna be bummed out after I tell him…'
"It's my turn!" Dimitri drew his card and smiled. "I now play Heavy Storm! And that, young scholar, will destroy all spell and trap cards on the field!"
Jaden blinked a few times. Dimitri sounded off, like he was trying to imitate someone. Plus the move he just made seemed familiar, especially with the two facedowns on Dimitri's field. "Why is this so familiar to me…"
"Well it should be." Bastion said. "That's the same tactic Crowler used against you during the Entrance Exams."
"Huh…" Jaden turned back to the duel. "That's a weird coincidence."
"That's not it either…" Bastion sighed as the storm blew away the two facedowns, revealing the two ugly Wicked Tokens. "Dimitri is what is known as a copycat. He studies other people's decks and strategies in hopes to be just as good as them with the same deck. So this time he has apparently decided to copy Dr. Crowler."
Jaden was taken by surprise, while Erina had a sour expression. "That's idiotic. Thinking you'll be just as good as the person you're copying. That's disrespectful to him and to the game in general."
Before any other comments could be made, Dimitri continued his turn. "Now, I'll sacrifice my Wicked Tokens and summon forth, the legendary Ancient Gear Golem!" The tall mechanical golem rose from the fog. (ATK: 3000/ DEF: 3000)
"Yup… play for play." Jaden muttered.
"Ancient Gear Golem! Attack with Mechanized Melee!" Dimitri ordered, waving his hand.
"Not so fast!" Syrus called out. Jaden smirked when he saw the cartoonish red jet on his friend's field. "I activate my Jetroid's effect! When he's attacked, I'm allowed to play a trap card directly from my hand! Just like this one." He held up his last card. "Magic Cylinder!"
"Impressive play." Bastion mused. "I wondered why he only played Jetroid on his last turn… It was so he could trick Dimitri into attacking, thinking he was safe and overlook what it does."
"And then give Dimitri a nasty surprise. That's quite the play." Alexis said, impressed.
"What can I say? I'm a great teacher." Jaden puffed out his chest and earned himself an elbow to the ribs by Erina.
Syrus smiled as a pair of cylinders appeared on each side of his monster. "This takes your monster's attack and throws it in reverse!"
"Wait, time out!" Dimitri stepped back.
The Golem's attack entered one tube and a second later, shot out of the other one like a missile, colliding with Dimitri, taking away his last Life Points.
Dimitri: 0
"Yes!" Syrus raised his arms in victory. "That's how you duel!"
"Nice one, Sy." Jaden congratulated and gave him a high five. "You sent that Golem back to the junkyard."
Syrus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It was easy, really. I remembered your duel against Crowler and since Dimitri copied his deck, I knew exactly what to do…"
"Good thinking, Sy." Erina praised. "If your trap was on the field, it wouldn't have activated due to Gear Golem's effect."
Syrus blushed from the praise. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Syrus ran over to the counter and got his prize. He held up the ticket and walked back. "Here's your ticket, Jaden…"
"Syrus… I hate to burst your bubble, but…" Erina pulled out of her jacket's pocket a wad of tickets, one for each of them. "My dad sent me tickets for the showcase this morning…" The others stared in surprise. "I was gonna give them to you all during lunch…"
Syrus looked down sadly. "So I dueled for nothing?"
"No, no! It wasn't for nothing, you got Jaden his ticket! There's no way you could've known I already had tickets for everyone!" The bluenette tried to cheer him up.
"I know!" Alexis exclaimed, a sudden idea coming to mind. "You can give your extra ticket to your brother. I'm sure he didn't manage to get one for himself."
Syrus beamed up. "I'll go find him right now!" He said before running out of the shack.
"Alright everyone, show's over…" Dorothy told the crowd. "Time to get back to class or whatever you were doing."
Jaden and the two girls went to the counter to order some lunch, while the rest of the crowd dispersed, but not without sharing their thoughts about Dimitri and the duel.
"Yet another stunning performance by the loser Dimitri!"
"A Ra yellow like him should've been able to take down that Slifer loser easily."
"What a joke!"
"It's a wonder he's still here."
Bastion looked from side to side, as the crowd thinned out and looked at Dimitri, smiling. "Well, that was the worst of it…"
"Yeah, sure, until the next time I lose!" Dimitri snapped, rising to his feet. "Don't try to sympathize with me, Misawa! You're practically an Obelisk, but refused for some stupid reason!" He shook with anger. "You know what? I've had enough!" Bastion stepped to the side quickly as Dimitri ran past him.
Later that night, Dimitri sat alone in his dorm room at his desk, covered in countless books and notebooks. He slammed his fists against it at the memory of all the duels he's lost.
"I don't get it!" He growled, tossing all his notes and books off his desk. "It doesn't make sense! I watch, I study… and I still lose!" Notes filled with strategies flying all over the room.
"Crowler's deck was useless just like all the rest of them!" He grit his teeth. "Kaiba's, Zane's… it doesn't matter who I copy, I always lose! What is there left to do? If copying the best duelist in the world won't help me win… what will?"
As soon as he said it, he noticed a flyer on the floor. Looking at it, Dimitri smiled and picked it up. "Of course! It's so obvious! Becoming the greatest duelist…"
At the same time in the Slifer Dorm, Yubel sat on Jaden's bed, playing with Winged Kuriboh in her lap while half listening to her ward, who was pacing back and forth in the small room.
"Okay… I can do this… I know I can… There's no reason to be afraid… Aw, who am I kidding…"
Jaden was hyping himself up. Why? Well…
"Why are you even nervous about this?" Yubel asked as she poked the cute furball in her lap, smiling when it cooed happily. "It's just a text message you're sending."
Jaden stopped his pacing and turned to her. "It's not just a text message, Yubel. After I send it everything will change. Nothing will be the same!"
She cocked an eyebrow in amusement. He was being very dramatic for no reason. "I can possess you and send the message for you if you can't gather the courage."
"No…" He shook his head, clutching his stomach as his anxiety surged. "I have to do it…" He did a few breathing exercises to calm his nerves. "Alright… I'm gonna do it."
Jaden sat down on the bed, picked up his PDA and opened a chat with a certain someone.
"Hey, Alexis! I was wondering if you would like to accompany me-"
"No…" He deleted it. "Too formal..."
"Lex, are you free tonight? Cuz, if you are-"
"I don't even talk like that, what the hell?" He deleted it again. "Deep breath, Jaden, deep breath…"
Winged Kuriboh flew and landed on his head to show his support, while Yubel just sat and watched him with a smirk on her face. It was amusing and refreshing to her when Jaden acted his age. It honestly makes her happy to watch him like this. Where the only things on his mind were regular teen issues.
"Okay, I think I got it!"
"Hey, Lex, would you like to go stargazing with me again tonight?
He typed it out, but his thumb was hovering over the send button, refusing to move until he was sure this was good enough. "Yubel, I could really use your sagely wisdom."
"I'm not that old." She complained lightheartedly and took a look at what he wrote. "You're just asking her out, Jaden, stop being so nervous. The message is fine." She assured him.
"You're probably right…" Jaden sighed, a bit frustrated with himself. He was just inviting her out, something he's done many times before, so he has no idea why he was so anxious about it. "Maybe I should change it up a bit-"
A sudden and loud knock on the door startled him. "Shit!" He cursed loudly, realizing that he accidentally hit send. "Welp… no going back now." He sighed in defeat as he rose to see who was bothering him at this hour.
"Bastion?" He was surprised to see his friend on the other side of his door, at this hour no less.
"Ah hello, Jaden…" Bastion greeted awkwardly. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" He asked.
The brunet shrugged. "Not really, why?"
"Well, I have decided to go and take a sneak peek at Yugi's deck since it will probably be crowded tomorrow…"
"Okay…" Jaden nodded.
"And I also realized that we haven't been hanging out much and figured that something like this was right up your alley, so what do you say?"
Jaden was reluctant, he didn't really want to go see the deck before the showcase tomorrow… which he also didn't want to go to. He took a quick glance at his PDA to see if he got a reply from Alexis, but he hasn't, she hasn't even seen it yet. He felt his anxiety flare up and realized that he would drive himself crazy if he didn't go and do something to distract himself.
"Sounds like fun." Jaden accepted his friend's offer. "Let's go get Chumley and Syrus as well."
"Ah, the more the merrier I see." Bastion mused and they headed to get the Slifers.
'Yeah and I won't feel bad for leaving if Alexis agrees to meet up while we're still in the showroom…' Jaden thought as he knocked on the door.
Two security guards had just finished their rounds and were checking in with Doctor Crowler.
"Alright, Mister Crowler-"
"That's Doctor Crowler!" The good Doctor snapped back.
"Doctor Crowler…" The guard corrected himself and handed him a chain with a key on it. "Here's the key to the exhibit hall."
"And thanks for letting us off early." The second guard gave him a casual salute. "We'll see you bright and early tomorrow for the big opening."
"Have a good one Mister… uh Doctor… uh…"
"Good night, sir."
Crowler waved at them as they walked away. "Yes, yes, good night!" He called and looked at the key in his hand. "And it's quite a good night indeed!" He exclaimed giddily as he turned and walked down the hallway, looking at the countless posters of Yugi Muto on the walls. "After all, how many can say they were in the presence of greatness? Of the world's most famous dueling deck!"
"The children will be in awe tomorrow!" He stopped in front of the door and rubbed his chin. "Come to think of it… if memory serves me right, the King of Games has children of his own… I wonder if they'll follow in their father's footsteps and join the dueling world?"
He shook his head and smiled. "If they do I'm sure they'll live up to his greatness!" He opened the door and entered the room. In the middle of the room was a display case with a pedestal inside it. As he walked closer to it, Crowler noticed there was something very wrong. There was a hole on one side of it and broken glass crunched underneath his shoes.
"I-It's not here!?"
It's gone, the deck of Yugi Muto, the King of Games, is gone!
Meanwhile, the two guards were walking down the hall, unaware of what had happened.
"You know, I had no idea he was a doctor."
"Yeah? Well… I had no idea he was a man…"
As the two guards chatted away, the group of teens quietly turned the corner and went in the direction of the exhibit hall.
"I still don't get why we're doing this…" Syrus complained in a whisper.
"Because, Syrus, we won't be bothered by anyone else now." Bastion explained.
"Yeah." Chumley nodded. "This way we can avoid the rush tomorrow, right Jaden?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah..." The brunet nodded, half paying attention to them. His mind was somewhere else right now.
At that moment a shrill screech was heard coming from down the hallway, making all of them pause and look down towards the door at the end.
"You all heard that, right?" Syrus asked.
"Someone's in trouble." Jaden nodded.
"Come on, let's help her!" Bastion urged before running down the hall, the other following close behind.
They burst into the room to see Crowler jump out of his skin from their entrance. He was standing where the display case was, broken and empty.
"Look!" Chumley pointed at the case. "The deck is gone! He stole it!"
Syrus frowned. "How could you do this, Dr. Crowler?"
The good doctor waved his hand and shook his head in a panic. "No, wait! You got it all wrong!"
While the others were throwing accusations at Crowler, Jaden was scanning the room and the Blue headmaster. His eyes flashed golden for a moment when he looked at him, he was looking for something, or more precisely, someone.
When he confirmed he was not in the room, Jaden turned to leave… only to fall face first onto the floor when Crowler tackled him. "Damn it, Crowler, get off me!" Jaden growled.
Crowler picked himself up, begging. "Please, I know how this looks, Jaden! But believe me when I say, I didn't steal the deck! I swear!"
"Then who did?" Asked Bastion.
"You were the only one in the room, Doctor Crowler…" Chumley pointed out.
"And standing right next to the case." Syrus added in.
Crowler stood up suddenly, arms open wide. "Then search me! Search me right now!"
They all backed up with a look of disgust, while Jaden rose to his feet. "I don't think any of us even want to lay a finger on you. I know you didn't steal the deck, Crowler. I don't wanna waste time bickering and go search for who stole it."
"You believe me?" Crowler asked in relief.
"How are you certain it wasn't him?" Bastion asked sceptically.
Jaden pointed at the case, losing patience. "The case is smashed, guys, and Crowler has the keys!" He pointed out. "So why would he need to break it?"
"Yes! It's true!" Crowler quickly pulled the keys out to show them. "You're smarter than you look!"
"Then let's split up and look for this thief before he gets away with it!" Bastion said.
Crowler nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! We have to find this wrong-doer, this pillager! Of course, when I say 'we', I mean 'you'."
"Whatever…" Jaden rolled his eyes and ran out the room, the others close behind him. 'Whoever you are, you're gonna pay…' He thought angrily as Yubel and Winged Kuriboh flew out to search as well.
At the coast, on a large rocky outcropping stood Dimitri, his jacket open and a green scarf wrapped around his neck, both blowing freely in the wind. He was currently enjoying his stolen prize.
He smirked smugly as he fanned out Yugi's cards, admiring them as an euphoric feeling filled his mind. He finally had the best deck in the world! "Finally… I have the greatest cards! I'll be the greatest duelist in the world!"
"Hey!"
'Truesdale…' He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. 'Perfect. I'll test out this deck against him!'
"Someone stole Yugi's deck! Do you know anything?"
Dimitri chuckled as he turned around. "Stole? What do you mean?" He asked in a much deeper voice. "This is my deck!"
Syrus just stood there as Dimitri threw him a Duel Disk.
"Put the Disk on and I'll prove it to you! Right here, right now!" He challenged as he inserted the stolen deck into his own Duel Disk.
"Aw man…" Syrus mumbled nervously as he strapped the Disk to his arm.
Meanwhile, Jaden, Chumley and Bastion met up at the bridge that connects the island to the docks.
"Ra Dorm is clear." Bastion reported.
"Nothing in the classrooms." Chumley wheezed, out of breath.
"Slifer Dorm and the docks are clear as well." Jaden said as he saw Winged Kuriboh return. 'Forest is clean too… Yubel went over to get Erina and check around there, so I'm guessing they haven't found anything as well given that I haven't heard from them.'
A yell from nearby made them all turn towards the coast.
"That sounded like Syrus!" Jaden realized, taking off.
Dimitri laughed as he watched Syrus fall off the rock, defeated. "Ah yes… it's good to be the King of Games!"
"Syrus!" Jaden shouted as he and the others went to check on him. "Are you okay?" He knelt down. "What happened?"
"He… has it." Syrus slowly sat up. "Yugi's deck… and he beat me with it."
Jaden scowled at Dimitri as he jumped on the rock Syrus previously stood on. "Alright, you've had your fun, Dimitri! Give me back the deck! This is your only warning!" He snapped.
"Dimitri?" He scoffed. "I'm Yugi… Dimitri was just a child who would copy other people's decks. You see, with these cards…" He held up his Disk. "I'm not just copying the King of Games… I am the King of Games!"
'Is he… is he deepening his voice to impersonate dad?' Jaden was shaken out of his anger by the horrible impression.
Dimitri suddenly pointed at Jaden. "If you want this deck back then you have to prove it by defeating me in a duel!"
Jaden instantly cringed after hearing it again. 'It's horrendous! Mana imitates dad better than this!' She shook his head in disgust. "Oh God! Are you choking on a bone or something? That imitation is hideous!"
"W-What?" The copycat looked bewildered.
"That impression you're doing is just awful!" Jaden exclaimed. "A little girl could do a better job at imitating Yugi!"
"I-What are you talking about? I am Yugi! This isn't an impression!" Dimitri defended. "Now are we gonna duel or not?"
"You're a nutcase, you know that? But fine, I never back down from a challenge!" Jaden smirked. "I'm gonna teach you a valuable lesson in dueling…"
"Then let's go!" Dimitri smirked.
Syrus threw the Disk to his friend, who strapped it on and brought out his deck to shuffle. 'Let's see… Battle City… There's the Dark Magicians and their arsenal of support cards, Buster Blader, Valkyrion, Chimera, the Poker Knights… am I missing anything?'
"Your dad's little secret is in there, remember?" Yubel said, finally returning. Jaden frowned slightly, knowing exactly what she meant.
"Hey, guys!" Erina greeted, a bit out of breath, as she jumped down on the rocks where the rest of the group were. "What's up?"
"Erina, how did you know we were here?" Bastion asked in surprise.
"Jaden messaged me what's going on and to check the Blue Dorms… And it wasn't hard following the yelling when I got to the bridge." The bluenette explained.
The Ra nodded. "I see. Well, Jaden here is about to duel Dimitri, who has Yugi's deck, and get it back if he wins."
"When he wins." She corrected him.
"Ah… well, I would say that, but this is the King of Games' deck after all…"
"Alright! Get your game on!" Jaden inserted the deck and the Disk came to life.
"It's time to duel!"
Jaden: 4000
Dimitri: 4000
Erina was nervous about this duel, not because Jaden might lose, no, he'd definitely win. Compared to his father's current deck, the Battle City one looked like a starter deck. She was nervous because Yubel told her how angry he was about this and she was worried he might say something he shouldn't and reveal the secret he has been hiding all these years.
"I'm going first!" Jaden drew his card and frowned as he looked over his hand. 'Of course now of all times I'm gonna have a bad opening hand!' He sighed and took a card from his hand, placing it atop the Disk. "I summon Elemental HERO Avian in defense mode!" The feathered HERO appeared on the field, kneeling. (ATK: 1000/ DEF:1000) "I throwdown a facedown and end my turn!" A reversed card appeared behind Avian.
"And now mine begins…" Dimitri said as he drew and held up three cards. "I activate Polymerization! Fusing together Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts and Berfomet to create Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!" A mighty lion with a horn appeared on one side and a four armed, twin horned beast on the other, before they both got sucked into a vortex. From it emerged a mythical chimera, two heads, one belonging to each monster, white feathered wings and a snake tail. (ATK: 2100/ DEF:800)
"This is not gonna be pretty." Syrus commented.
"Go, Pulverizing Pounce!" The mythical creature leapt forward, pouncing and destroying the wind HERO.
"And now my trap activates, Hero Signal!" Jaden pressed a button on his Disk and the spotlight illuminated a giant 'H' in the sky. "Since you destroyed Avian, now I can Special Summon any level 4 or below Elemental HERO from my deck!"
Jaden thought about it for a second and picked the perfect one to help him deal with Chimera. "Elemental HERO Clayman joins the field in defense mode!" The big earth HERO appeared on the field. (ATK: 800/ DEF: 2000)
"Hey, Sy, you just dueled this guy. Any advice on how to beat him?" Chumley asked.
"No…" Syrus shook his head. "I tried everything I knew, but nothing worked."
"So you're saying that Jaden doesn't stand a chance?" The portly boy asked in worry.
Syrus looked back at the field. "I'm just saying that against Yugi's deck, it's possible that even Jaden doesn't stand a chance."
"It's more than that I'm afraid." Bastion said. "Dimitri is a copycat, so in order to defeat him you must exploit the weaknesses of the duelist he is copying. Just like Syrus did today. But the problem is that now he's copying Yugi Muto, whose weaknesses aren't well known. If he even has any at all. There's no set formula to beat the King of Games, so there's no set formula to beat Dimitri now."
Bastion was wrong, there are many ways to break that deck's strategies, but Erina wasn't about to tell him that. For Jaden's sake she'll speak as little as possible and divert any suspicion that rises up.
"Are you done?" Jaden asked.
"Yes, it's your move."
"Good. I'm going to dismantle every play you make and I'm going to show you just how little you understand this game!" He snapped. "I draw!" He drew and added the card to his hand, taking another and playing it. "I activate Mask Change! Sending Clayman to my Graveyard to summon an Earth Attribute Masked HERO from my Extra Deck!"
A white shiny helmet with a bright diamond appeared in Clayman's hands and he put it over his head, enveloping him in light. "Transform, Masked HERO Dian!" The light subsided, revealing a woman in a silver suit of armor adorned with diamonds, standing tall and proudly. A royal blue cloak flowing freely behind her and an elegant rapier hanging from her waist. (ATK: 2800/ DEF: 3000)
"Dian, take down Chimera! Diamond Flurry Strike!" Jaden ordered and the HERO drew her rapier. In a flash of light she appeared before the beast, unleashing an onslaught of jabs, skewering the beast and destroying it.
Dimitri: 3300
"Did… Did Jaden just get first blood?" Syrus exclaimed in surprise.
"My word, impressive!" Bastion mumbled.
"My Chimera has a special ability…" Dimitri said, taken aback that Jaden was gaining the lead. "When it's destroyed, I can summon Berfomet back to the field." The four armed monster reappeared, kneeling down. (ATK: 1400/ DEF: 1800)
"That's nice and all…" Jaden smirked. "But my monster's effect is better!" The HERO held up her sword and it began to shine like a beacon. "When she destroys a monster by battle, I can Special Summon a level 4 or lower HERO from my deck! So, join the fight, Elemental HERO Heat!" In a burst of flame, the fire hero appeared on the field. (ATK: 1600/ DEF: 1200)
"Heat gains 200 attack points for every Elemental HERO on my field, but that won't matter because of this!" Jaden held up a second copy of Mask Change. "Appear, Masked HERO Goka!" In a spiral flame, the new hero took his place. (ATK: 2200/ DEF: 1800) "Goka gains 100 attack points for each HERO in my Graveyard and there's two for now." (ATK: 2200-2400)
"Goka, vaporize Berfomet!" Jaden ordered and the HERO obliged, sending a ball of fire that burned the beast to ashes. "I end my turn."
"Huh…" Syrus noticed something and turned to the others. "Hey, guys, is it just me or is Jaden really angry?"
"Now that you mention it… I have noticed it as well. It's like this is personal for him." Bastion rubbed his chin in thought.
"Well, you guys do remember what I said earlier today, right?" Erina quickly asked. "Copying someone's deck is insulting to the game and more so to the duelist he's copying. You completely disregard how that duelist feels and what their deck means to them. Dimitri is even taking it to the next level by mimicking Yugi's mannerisms… I'm just as angry as Jaden is about this, but he's the one out there dueling, so you can notice it easily." They nodded in understanding, convinced by Erina's explanation.
Dimitri drew his card. "I start my turn off with these two cards facedown and then play the spell card, Card of Sanctity! Now, we both must draw until we hold six cards in our hand." Dimitri drew five, while Jaden three.
Dimitri took a card from his hand and held it up. "Next up, I play Monster Reincarnation! Now, by discarding one card from my hand I get a monster back from my Graveyard and I choose Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts!" The lion appeared on the field. (ATK: 1500/ DEF: 1200) "I lastly, set another facedown and activate the Swords of Revealing Light!" Swords fell down from the sky, surrounding Jaden and his monsters.
"Well, that slows things down." Jaden mused, Dimitri was getting scared.
"Yes, for three turns your monsters cannot attack." Dimitri explained.
"Three turns!?" Syrus squeaked.
"Relax, Sy." Chumley calmed him down. "I'm sure Jaden will find a way around it."
"Let's hope so…" Bastion muttered, not taking his eyes off the duel. Jaden began with a fascinating start and had quickly put Dimitri on the defensive. Not something easy to achieve against the King of Games' deck.
"My turn!" Jaden drew and smirked at what he saw. "Hate to say it, Dimitri, but your math is wrong."
"What do you mean?" The copycat asked through narrowed eyes.
"Your Swords aren't gonna hold me for three turns… or one in fact!" Jaden slapped the card he just drew on his Disk. "Because Elemental HERO Stratos is gonna blow them back into the sky!" The metal winged HERO appeared on the field. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 300) "And to explain what I mean… Stratos can destroy spell and trap cards equal to all other HEROES on my field!
"Alright, Jaden!" Syrus cheered.
"Totally licious!" Chumley nodded.
"I'm not gonna let that happen!" Dimitri said, deflating their moods. "First off, I activate the trap card, Dark Renewal! Then I chain the spell card known as Forbidden Chalice to it!" The two facedowns flipped over. "Firstly, Forbidden Chalice gives one monster on the field 400 attack points, but it negates that monster's effect until the end of the turn!" A chalice appeared above Stratos and poured holy water on him. (ATK: 1800-2200) "And as for Dark Renewal… It activates when you summon a monster. It allows me to take that monster and one of mine to summon a spellcaster from my Graveyard!"
"Graveyard?" Jaden was confused before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait! Monster Reincarnation!" It had to be him in there, he was sure of it.
"Exactly!" Dimitri smirked. "Now, Stratos and Gazelle make room for the one, the only…" The two monsters turned to light and got absorbed by a red and gold coffin that appeared on the field. "My friend, Dark Magician!" The coffin burst open and out came Yugi's most famous monster. (ATK: 2500/ DEF:2100)
"Your friend?" Jaden growled.
Syrus was star struck. "Think we could get an autograph?" He wondered.
Chumley looked a little sad. "Man, I wish I brought my camera for this."
"I got you covered." The small Slifer pulled out his PDA and took pictures.
'Well played.' Bastion thought. 'I doubt Yugi himself could have done it better. Dimitri's copying him perfectly and that's not very good for Jaden.' He looked at Jaden. 'But… he seems to anticipate what Dimitri is doing as if he himself knows the deck just as well…'
"I won't let you insult Yugi's monster like this!" Jaden said and threw his arm to the side. "Goka, take him down! Inferno Javelin!"
"But you can't attack due to the Swords of Revealing Light still in effect!" Dimitri argued.
"Yeah, but I can still use effects and Goka's can destroy one of your monsters every turn, plus he burns you for half that monster's attack!" Jaden explained as his HERO formed a spear of flames in his hand, preparing to toss it.
"Too bad I was prepared for something like that!" Dimitri flipped over his last facedown. "Divine Wrath! By discarding one card this trap allows me to negate your Goka's effect and destroy him!"
Jaden covered his face as a lightning strike from the heavens came down and turned Goka into pixelated dust.
Jaden grit his teeth in frustration as he inserted a card into his Disk. "I set a card and switch Dian to defense mode." The HERO knelt down and pulled out her rapier, using it as a shield. 'Gotta be careful in case he draws a Magic Formula…' He sighed. "It's your move, Dimitri."
"That's Yugi." Dimitri glared at him as he drew his card. "I play the spell card Thousand Knives!" A multitude of blades appeared around Dimitri's field.
'That's worse…' Jaden sighed.
"When Dark Magician is on the field, this card allows me to destroy your monster!" The magician pointed his staff forward, commanding all the knives to hit Jaden's monster and destroy it.
"Jaden's Dian just got cut down to size." Syrus moaned.
"Yeah, size zero cause she's gone." Chumley added.
"Are you ready?" Dimitri smirked. "Go, Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" The purple clad magician hurled a ball of dark energy from his staff directly at Jaden.
Jaden: 1500
"Man that hurt." Jaden groaned as his points fell down.
"Give up?" Dimitri asked with a smirk.
"Never!"
"That's the spirit. Never give up. Always believe in the heart of the cards, that's what I always say."
"You don't say that!" Jaden scowled. "You don't even know what that saying means! I activate my trap, Damage Condenser!" The card flipped over, illustrating an energy reactor getting overloaded. "When I take battle damage, this card allows me to Special Summon a monster from my deck with attack points equal or less to the damage I just took! All I have to do is discard a card from my hand to do this."
"And with the whooping 2500 points of damage he took, Jaden can summon just about any monster from his deck." Erina commented.
"Yes, quite the calculated move." Bastion nodded.
Jaden placed the card in his Graveyard and another popped out of his deck. "I'm choosing you, Elemental HERO Necroshade!" A fiendish looking HERO, clad in red spandex and bone armor appeared on the field. (ATK: 1600/ DEF: 1800)
"Impressive trap card you got there." Dimitri said as he slipped a card in his Disk.
"If you think that's impressive, wait till you see what I'm about to summon! I draw!" Jaden drew his card, adding it to his hand and taking another. "I activate Miracle Fusion! This card allows me to fusion summon an Elemental HERO using monsters on my field and Graveyard! And I'm choosing Necroshade from my field and Sparkman from my Grave!" Sparkman appeared on the field before both HEROES jumped into the vortex.
"Wait, how did Sparkman appear in your Graveyard?" Dimitri asked.
"I send him there with Damage Condenser's discard effect." Jaden smirked. "Now, appear! Elemental HERO Darkbright!" A torrent of black lightning hit the field, revealing a HERO that resembled Sparkman to an extent. The big differences were that he had a black and red spandex, a golden chest plate that spread out to his back, creating golden wings and a silver belt with a skull on it. He dropped down on his knees, ready to defend Jaden. (ATK: 2000/ DEF: 1000)
"What is Jaden thinking? That monster is no match for the Dark Magician." Syrus said, confused over the move.
"That's the point, Sy." Erina whispered, making sure Dimitri didn't hear her. "Jaden's banking on Dimitri attacking and triggering Darkbright's effect."
"I end this off with a facedown." The brunet said as a reversed card appeared in front of his feet.
"I draw!" Dimitri drew his card and looked at Jaden. "With Swords of Revealing Light still out, you can't attack, but I can! Go, Dark Magic Attack!" The Magician threw another ball of dark energy, destroying Jaden's monster.
"You fell for it!" Jaden smirked as a spectral version of Darkbright appeared where the original stood.
"What's this!?" Dimitri gasped.
"My Darkbright's effect, when he's destroyed he takes one of your monsters with him!" The specter disappeared from his spot and appeared behind the Dark Magician, ready to unleash a torrent of black lightning on him.
"I get it now!" Syrus smiled. "That was a smart play!"
"Yes, and with the Dark Magician gone, it doesn't leave many strong cards in that deck." Bastion said. "After all, with no Egyptian Gods, that Dark Magician is the strongest card Dimitri has."
Dimitri laughed at what he heard. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your friends. They are quite wrong. While it is true that the Dark Magician is the strongest monster in my deck, but as a duelist you must know that it's rarely about the card, it's what you do with it! And what I'm going to do is play this, Dedication through Light and Darkness!" Dimitri's facedown flipped up, revealing an image of the Magician of Black Chaos. Dark energy surrounded the card and it spread to Dark Magician, enveloping him in darkness as well. "This takes Dark Magician and turns him into something even more powerful. The legendary, Black Magician of Chaos!"
"Of Chaos?" Syrus asked in worry.
"This can't be good." Chumley mumbled.
"It's not." Bastion agreed. "It's one of the strongest cards you'll ever see."
The spell card glowed one last time and out of it appeared a dark, blurry figure. It materialized fully, revealing a spellcaster dressed in a dark and tight leather suit with dark pink belts around his arms and legs. On his head was a wide black headdress and from behind it flowed long black hair, complimenting his pale blue face. He twirled his staff, stopping and readying himself for battle. (ATK: 2800/ DEF: 2600)
'Oh yeah… forgot that guy was in there…' Jaden thought.
"And when he's successfully summoned, I can add a spell card to my hand, so I choose Card of Sanctity." He took out the card from his Disk. "And now you're wide open for a direct attack! Go, Scepter Strike!" The Magician fired off a powerful sphere of dark magic straight at Jaden.
"Oh man, I can't look!" Syrus exclaimed as he covered his eyes.
"I activate my trap, A Hero Emerges!" Jaden's facedown flipped over. "Now you choose one card from my hand and if it's a monster card, I can summon it to the field!" Jaden held his hand up. "Now choose!"
"Fine then. I choose… the one on the left!" Dimitri called.
"Good choice… for me that is!" Jaden took the card and slapped it on his Disk. "Come out, Elemental HERO Bladedge!" The golden HERO appeared on the field, kneeling with his arms crossed. (ATK: 2600/ DEF: 1800)
The attack collided with the HERO, destroying him.
"When Dark Magician of Chaos destroys a monster it gets banished instead of sent to the Graveyard." Dimitri explained as Jaden was already pocketing the monster. "I now play Card of Sanctity!" Dimitri drew a fresh hand and Jaden drew four.
"Jaden's in deep trouble." Syrus commented.
"That's the understatement of the year, Sy." Bastion said. "Look at what he has against him; the Dark Magician of Chaos, an 1800 life points lead and the deck of the King of Games. The trouble isn't just deep, it's subterranean."
"Just face it, Jaden. This deck and I fit perfectly. Always have, always will." Dimitri chuckled.
"You're really starting to piss me off!" Jaden snapped as he drew. "It's time to say goodbye to your swords! With Mystical Space Typhoon, I'll blow them away!" A tornado formed around the field, shattering the swords.
"Now I summon Elemental HERO Voltic!" In a surge of lightning, the purple clad lightning HERO appeared. (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 1500) "But he won't be staying because he's gonna transform into something greater!" Jaden held up his third and last copy of Mask Change. Voltic got enveloped in light as he put the white and gold helmet over his head. "Appear, Masked HERO Koga!" The light subsided, revealing the gold bladed HERO. (ATK: 2500/ DEF: 1800) "Koga gains 500 attack points for every monster on your field!" (ATK: 2500-3000)
Dimitri took a step back in shock. "If you think that's shocking, just wait." Jaden smirked. "I can banish a HERO from my Graveyard and your Magician of Chaos loses attack equal to that HERO's. And I choose Dian, meaning he loses all of it!" A white aura wrapped around the Magician, weakening him. (ATK: 2800-0)
"That's impressive." Bastion gasped.
"And scary." Syrus added.
"Strike that Magician down, Koga!" The hero leapt forward in a flash and appeared in front of the Magician.
"I discard Kuriboh to reduce the damage I'd take to zero!" Dimitri quickly said, sending the card to his Graveyard as Koga impaled the Magician of Chaos with his blades.
"Thank you, Kuriboh…" Dimitri said to his Duel Disk. "That move brings me back to our duel against Seto Kaiba at Battle City. Those were some good times weren't they, old friend?"
Both Jaden and Erina could see the Spirit of Kuriboh give Dimitri an awkward look as it sweatdropped.
"Battle City? Your duel?!" Jaden snapped, getting sick and tired of this. "You're out of your damn mind, Dimitri! That deck represents the bond and hardships of two very close friends and I won't keep letting you make a mockery of it and them! You're a damn thief and a sham! Nothing else!"
"Jaden… calm down, you're talking too much." Yubel warned.
Syrus blinked. "Anyone know what Jaden is talking about?"
"Beats me…" Chumley shrugged.
'Shit, shit, shit!' Erina panicked inwardly. There was no way she could salvage this easily! She needed to think and fast! 'I sure hope this convinces them…'
"W-well…" She began, getting their attention. "There is a little story behind that that I've told Jaden. You see, between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, Yugi and a friend of his made that deck together, because his friend couldn't exactly duel himself, so the deck was made to symbolize the both of them and that no matter what, Yugi had his friend right there dueling with him." It was a long shot and a very, very fabricated version of what it actually is supposed to be, but it was the only thing she could think of.
"That's… actually very wholesome." Syrus smiled, with Chumley agreeing.
"Quite the uplifting tale." Bastion muttered.
Erina was relieved they believed it, but was still feeling a bit nervous. The others may be fully convinced by the lie, but she suspected it wasn't so with Bastion. He was smarter than that.
"How dare you?!" Dimitri looked offended. "This deck is mine and I know everything there is about it!"
"Yeah right! You know what? Screw it! The only way you'll understand is when you lose." Jaden slipped two cards in his Disk. "Go on, it's your move!"
Dimitri drew his card. "I play Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two." He did just that and smirked. "Excellent, I drew the monster Watapon. You see, when he is added to my hand by card effect, I can special summon him to the field." A little white puffball with big blue eyes and antennas appeared on the field. (ATK: 300/ DEF: 200) "But he won't be staying for long, because I sacrifice him to summon the one and only, Dark Magician Girl!" The famous blond female magician, dressed in her signature blue and pink outfit appeared on the field. (ATK: 2000/ DEF: 1700)
"I can't believe it! I'm actually seeing Dark Magician Girl!" Syrus was bouncing in happiness. "She's even cuter in person!"
Erina felt very awkward right now. All three of the boys were practically entranced by the blond magician. 'Not again…' She sighed.
"She has both beauty and brawn. She gains 300 attack points for every Dark Magician and Magician of Black Chaos in the Graveyard." Dimitri explained. (ATK: 2000-2300)
"Since you have a monster on your field again, Koga gains 500 attack points!" The HERO's power rose. (ATK: 2500-3000)
"We'll see if he will still be standing after this." Dimitri smirked. "With Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can activate this!" He held up the card. "The spell card, Dark Burning Attack! With this, Dark Magician Girl destroys every monster on your field! Now, go! Dark Burning Attack!" Dimitri ordered the Magician and she swung forward with her wand, shooting a ball of pink energy.
"Koga isn't gonna leave without a fight!" Jaden said. "I banish Goka from my Graveyard to lower Dark Magician Girl's attack by 2200 attack points!" Dark Magician Girl got covered by a white aura as the blast hit Koga and destroyed him. (ATK: 2300-100)
"I was hoping you'd do that." Dimitri said with a smile. "Now I can safely summon this… I remove one Light and Dark monster from my Graveyard…" Watapon and Kuriboh popped out of the Disk.
'Gotcha!' Jaden smirked inwardly.
"Wait, that's what Erina does to summon her Chaos monsters!" Syrus exclaimed and turned to her. "Yugi's deck has a Chaos monster?!"
"Oh yeah… I forgot about that." Erina scratched her cheek. "It does and it's quite the strong one."
"So it is true!" Bastion stared at her, wide eyed. He turned to the other two when he saw them giving him a look of confusion. "Other than the Chaos Archetype Erina plays, there are two very rare and very powerful cards that belong to it. Duelists have scoured the world to obtain them. The first being Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End, a card so powerful, it has been banned from official tournaments. The other being Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, a card that was never banned due to how rare it is. Some believe not a single copy exists, but there is a rumor that Yugi Muto has a copy of it."
"Well… the rumors are true. He does have it." Erina confirmed.
"And I have it right here!" Dimitri placed the card atop his Disk. "Come forth, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!" They all watched as the legendary warrior appeared on the field. He wore a heavy suit of dark blue armor with gold outlining, a triangular shield in one hand and a wicked blade in the other. (ATK: 3000/ DEF: 2500)
"I hope you're ready, Jaden, because you're wide open for my Soldier's attack!"
"Bring it!" The HERO duelist challenged.
"Go, Black Luster Soldier, attack Jaden directly!" Dimitri ordered and the legendary warrior charged forward.
"You activated my trap card, Necro Fusion!" Jaden's reversed card flipped up, it illustrated a fiend and a dragon being sucked into a red vortex.
"A trap Fusion?!" Dimitri gasped.
"Yup! It allows me to Fusion Summon by banishing the materials from my Graveyard facedown." Three cards popped out of Jaden's Disk and he held them up. "I'm banishing Clayman, Avian and Heat…" A blinding white light began to shine on the field.
"Wow, Jaden plays all kinds of Fusion cards, huh?" Syrus mused, not really surprised by this anymore.
"Grace the field, hero of the Earth, Elemental HERO Core!" The light died down, revealing a very tall man, clad in a futuristic suit of white metal armor, decorated with red lines. It also had big red orbs on all of his joints, chest and on top of his head. The HERO unleashed a thundering shout that shook the ground as he fully materialized. (ATK: 2700/ DEF: 2200)
"He may look strong, but my Black Luster Soldier is stronger!" Dimitri pointed out, ordering his monster to attack once again. "And when he destroys your HERO, my Soldier can attack again!" He added.
"Which means Jaden will lose!" Chumley realized. Jaden didn't have anything else on his field.
"That effect will only work if your monster survives, you know that, right?" Jaden smirked. "This is why you won't be like the duelists you copy, Dimitri. You blindly copy their plays without thinking and that just cost you a lot."
"What do you mean?" Dimitri asked. "My monster is stronger."
"Check again…" Jaden said and pointed to his monster.
"What's this?!" The copycat gasped.
A white aura began to surround Core, powering him up. "Once per turn, when Core is attacked, his attack points double for that battle!" Dimitri gasped as Core bellowed as his power surged. (ATK: 2700-5400)
"5400!?" Dimitri took a step back in shock.
"Yup and you know what that means…" Jaden smirked. "Your Soldier is done for!"
The soldier of chaos attempted to strike the hero with his sword, but it was blocked when Core grabbed it with one hand and shattered it to pieces. He extended his other hand, unleashing a torrent of blue electrical energy that disintegrated Dimitri's monster.
Dimitri: 900
"He's gone… My Soldier is gone!" Dimitri cried.
"That's not the only thing that's gone." Jaden said, confusing him. "You see, Core has another little effect. When the Battle Phase ends and he's battled, Core can destroy one monster on the field!" He explained and Dimitri gasped. "That's right! Say goodbye to Dark Magician Girl!" Core extended his hand, firing another blast of blue energy that destroyed the female magician.
"I… I end my turn…" Dimitri said, a look of defeat on his face.
Jaden drew his card. "Gotta admit, Dimitri… It was fun in an odd way." 'Even if your imitation of my dad was irritating to no end…' He pointed directly at him. "Alright, Core, end this! Electromagnetic Pulse!" For the third and last time, Core extended his arm and fired a stream of blue electrical energy straight at Dimitri. The blast engulfed him, draining the last of his life points.
Dimitri: 0
"And that's game." Jaden said, doing his pose.
"He beat Yugi's deck!" Syrus cheered.
"Impressive as always." Bastion clapped a few times.
The Ra fell to his knees and began to tremble. "I lost again? Even when I used my…" He shook his head. "Yugi's legendary cards." He let out a whimper, his voice returning to normal. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I ever win?!"
"The answer to that is obvious…"
Everyone turned to see Alexis and Zane walk into view from behind a large boulder.
Dimitri sat up slightly. "Hey… you're Zane…"
"Big bro?" Syrus looked at his brother.
"Why are you guys here?" Jaden asked.
"Why else?" Zane glanced at him. "To see the deck, but it was gone…"
"We snuck into the exhibit hall, but all we saw was a smashed display case and no deck. We figured the thief couldn't have gotten far, so we decided to search for him." Alexis said. "And here we are."
"We found you a while ago, but didn't want to interrupt the duel." Zane said with a small smile on his face.
"Very kind of you." Bastion said sarcastically.
"Wait, then… you saw it all? Me against Dimitri, the whole thing?" Jaden asked, a bit worried.
"Not just us. Your match attracted quite a bit of attention."
Jaden had a sinking feeling as he and the others turned around to where Zane pointed and saw all the people higher up that had been watching all along.
'Oh no…' Jaden thought as he waved at them. "Uhm… Hey, guys! Glad you all could make it!" They all began to clap and cheer, impressed by the duel.
"Man that Jaden can duel!"
"Think he tutors? I'm failing at fusions and he seems like an expert."
"How the hell is he still a Slifer?"
"What now?" Dimitri asked the gang.
"Well kid, the punishment for stealing has always been crystal clear: straight up expulsion." Zane said. "But, since I'm sure everyone here enjoyed seeing Yugi's deck in a duel rather than a display case, I doubt anyone here would turn you in."
Dimitri looked down. "What difference will it make? I still lost."
"Not really." Jaden shrugged. "Not as long as you copy other people."
"Huh?"
"Jaden's right." Zane agreed. "You never truly win until you put yourself out there. That means creating your own deck and strategies, not piggybacking off of others. After all, there is no amount of studying that can help you use someone else's deck as well as them."
"Yeah, what he said." Jaden chuckled. "So how about we put that deck where it belongs?"
"Yeah, okay."
Jaden was satisfied with the conclusion, although he was worried that he might've outed himself if the stare he was getting from Zane was an indication. Zane was a smart guy and with a bit of digging, Jaden was sure that he'd find out if he was curious enough. After all, not everything about him was erased from the internet.
The older Truesdale shook his head after a few moments and decided it was time to leave. Alexis was about to follow him, but first turned to Jaden. She smiled bashfully and tapped a finger on her PDA before leaving as well.
Jaden's eyes widened, realizing what she meant and he hurriedly took out his PDA, opening it and grinning at what was on his screen. A message from Alexis…
"Sure! Meet you by the bridge around 12:00?"
"Yes!" He did a little fist pump, happy that she agreed… until that happiness was overshadowed by the anxiety that filled his body. This was happening wasn't it?
"Relax…" Erina whispered from behind. "I'm sure it'll work out."
"What are you talking about?" Jaden asked nervously as he turned around.
The bluenette gave him a look. "I'm not an idiot, Jaden… Plus Yubel told me that you're finally doing it." She ignored his surprised expression and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know I've been giving you a hard time with all the teasing, but I really want this for you, so… I'll be rooting for you!" She gave him a wink before turning around and leaving Jaden to prepare himself for tonight.
'I can totally see him prepare a written speech.' She giggled at the thought.
Alexis was walking along the path that led to the bridge and the Slifer Dorm, nervously rubbing her hands together and with good reason. She might have had enough time to prepare for this, she was confident, knew what she wanted to say… and it all went straight out the window as soon as she exited her room. She couldn't really blame or be angry with herself. She was about to do the bravest and scariest thing in her life in her opinion.
The tree line began to break up and she could feel the nervous ball in her stomach expand and her heart begin to beat faster. 'Come on, Alexis, you can do this…' She encouraged herself as she saw the bridge come into view, and the man that occupied her thoughts leaning against one of the pillars. 'You're not just some cliché schoolgirl that gets entranced by her crush's… handsome features…' She began trailing off as she got a better look at how the moonlight illuminated him. 'You don't get the urge to… run your hands through his unique and shaggy hair… or think his nose is cute… or want to trail his jawline with your finger…' Jaden noticed her approaching and stood up, giving her a shining smile and wave. 'And your knees definitely don't turn to jelly when he looks at you with those warm chocolate eyes and gives you that dazzling smile… God, I'm hopeless.' She shook her head, cooling off the blush that had crept up. She was glad that Erina couldn't read her mind or she'd be in for a world of teasing and embarrassment.
"Hey, Lex." Jaden greeted her with an embrace when she got to him.
"H-Hey…" She replied shyly as she returned the embrace.
"I'm surprised you are on time this time." Jaden teased, voice thick with mirth as they separated.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Oh, ha ha." She laughed dryly. "Once! I was late once and you're not gonna let it go!"
"Fine, fine." He just chuckled as they began walking in the direction of the Slifer Dorm. "So… did you enjoy the show?"
"Oh, you bet!" She smiled and closed her eyes. "It was very entertaining to watch, even if the Prince of Games had the advantage of knowing the cards of his opponent." She cracked one eye open to see a blush covering most of his face and couldn't stop herself from giggling.
"That is the worst nickname in the world and I hate Erina for telling it to you." Jaden complained.
She giggled again. "I don't see why you don't like it, it fits you perfectly."
'In more ways than one…'
"Although…" Her smile dropped a bit. "You kinda let a few details loose in your anger and I think Zane caught on that you're hiding something. I was ready to run damage control, but he kept quiet throughout the whole duel."
"Figures…" Jaden sighed. "And Bastion definitely thinks there's more to the story Erina told him…"
"Sorry…" Alexis gave him an apologetic smile.
"Hey, none of this is your fault… I guess sooner or later the truth will have to come out... Hopefully it will be later."
Alexis caught the sad tone in his voice. "Can you imagine Dr. Crowler's reaction though?" She asked in an attempt to cheer him up. "To say he'd freak out would be an understatement."
"Oh, man…" Jaden chuckled. "I think he might go into a coma if he found out!" His chuckled escalated into full blown laughter the more he thought about it. The look of complete horror the good doctor would have before collapsing like a sack of potatoes to the ground.
Alexis laughed as well, the image she painted in her mind was indeed funny. She was happy that she managed to lift Jaden's spirit the same way he usually lifts hers.
They arrived at a cliff a bit past the Slifer Dorm. It was pretty much the same as the one behind the dorm, but with the big difference that they didn't have to worry about anyone intruding. Plus, there was the added bonus that security didn't really patrol around the Red Dorm that much.
The two teens just stood there in silence, taking in the breathtaking view before their eyes. It was peaceful, the only things they could hear were the wind bringing the forest alive behind them, making the leaves sound like a whispering audience, and the sounds of the waves crashing into the rocks below. It had a certain beauty to it.
But the sky… the sky was just beautiful tonight. The darkness of the night was incomplete, it only had a small crescent moon to illuminate it. The deep blue, almost black, sky was covered in a canopy of thousands of pinpricks of cold silver light.
Both of them have seen it many times, but can never get tired of it as it looks different every time. But, there was someone who had his attention on something else.
Jaden couldn't really explain it, but there was something about her tonight that made it hard for him to take his eyes off her. There wasn't much moonlight tonight, but it was just enough that it gave this ethereal quality to her beauty.
From her silky smooth golden hair and the way her bangs framed her cute face, to her sparkling hazel eyes that he could just lose himself in, to her gentle hands that made his skin tingle with every touch and that cute giggle of hers that pulled at his heartstrings every time he heard it. All of that was complimented by her gentle yet confident personality making her even more beautiful. She was just mesmerizing to him!
He had to admit it… she's captured his heart fully.
And now all he had to do was hope for the best. 'Alright, Jaden, you can do this…' He took one last deep breath before diving in. He turned to her. "Hey, I've been meaning to tell you someth-" He began, but stopped when he felt Alexis slip her hand into his.
"Uhm, can I say something first, please?" She asked with a nervous smile plastered on her face, trying to ignore how good it felt touching him.
"S-Sure…"
"I… When I came here, to Duel Academy, I was in a really bad place." She admitted. "I was still struggling with my brother's disappearance and I was feeling miserable. I forced myself to move forward, because I had to and so that I wouldn't make things even worse back home… But then, something happened when I stepped on this island that changed things…Do you know what that was?" She asked him, small watery beads forming at the corners of her eyes.
"No…" He shook his head. "What was it?"
"You…" She smiled happily, causing Jaden's eyes to widen in surprise. "You came in like a storm and shook my world when you, without even being asked, wanted to help me search for my brother. It made me so happy…" She used her free hand to wipe the tears that began to spill. "You've been supporting me so much throughout this and I'm so grateful for it. I've begun to feel like a normal person again, who doesn't have to pretend everything is fine, because of you. I'm glad that we met, Jaden…You are my best friend…"
Jaden felt a pang in his heart at the words best friend, but refused to show it, hoping there was more to what she wanted to tell him.
She paused and took a few deep breaths to clear her head, grateful that Jaden was patient with her. "But at some point, I realized that there was more to what I was feeling… I ignored it at first because I refused to admit it, but then…" She shook her head, she shouldn't get off track. Alexis looked him straight in the eyes and smiled. "What I've been trying to say is… I like you, Jaden, not just as a friend, but romantically as well."
To say Jaden was stunned would be an understatement. His plan for how he was going to confess to her flew straight out the window, leaving him frozen like a stump. "You are probably the first boy that doesn't see me as just a pretty face and hot body, you see me as an equal, both as a duelist and a person. I guess that's where it started…" She smiled fondly. "Combine that with your goofy, kind, laid-back and always optimistic attitude? I guess I couldn't help but fall for you." She laughed lightly at the end. She finally did it! But for some reason it didn't feel like it got easier like she had thought, in fact, it felt like it got even harder.
Alexis just bravely stood there for a minute, watching him with eyes that were hopeful yet filled with fear, waiting for an answer from him. It honestly felt like an eternity. She could feel a sadness welling up, threatening to burst out when he still hasn't responded. Her resolve was starting to break and her legs were screaming at her to run. And she almost did until it all happened in a flash…
Jaden reached out, cupped her face with both hands and captured her lips in his, pouring all of his feelings into it.
Alexis' eyes shot open like saucers, shocked over what was happening. It took a few moments for her mind to catch up before she relaxed, closed her eyes and kissed him back. Her hands were dangling awkwardly at her sides, so she reached and gripped the front of his jacket.
It was an inexperienced kiss, but at the same time felt perfect and she was savoring every little thing about it. His lips were surprisingly soft and had a slight sweet flavor. His warm hands on her cheeks weren't helping her heart either, which was about to burst through her chest. She knew they were flushed if the burning sensation was anything to go by. There was something else as well, she didn't know how to describe the feeling exactly, but it felt like fireworks were going off in her head.
They separated too soon for her liking, but their lungs were screaming for air. "Wow…" Was all she could say as she chuckled breathlessly.
"That's one way to describe it." Jaden chuckled, equally out of breath as he placed his forehead against hers, gently stroking her cheeks with his thumbs a few times. "Sorry… you made my brain freeze up for a minute." He pulled away, reaching down to grasp her hands, but kept them against his chest. "What you said really touched me. Thanks."
Alexis looked away shyly, his loving gaze was just too much now. "You're welcome, I-I meant everything I said…"
"I know…" Jaden smiled, enjoying her cute reaction. "It's what earned you a kiss and a boyfriend after all."
"Huh?" Alexis' head whipped back to stare at him. She could see that he began to blush as well.
"I feel the same way." He said with a smile, certain that she could feel his heart beating like a hammer. "I never really thought I'd fall for you, but what can I say? There's just something about you that drew me in. You're fiery yet caring, strong yet fragile, confident yet shy, you brighten up my day every time I see you and you are an amazing duelist. I like all of these things about you and more." He grinned. "I guess I just couldn't help it in the end."
Alexis giggled as she was overwhelmed with joy, it felt like her heart was about to burst with how fast it was beating. She wiggled her hands free and jumped him, locking lips again and wrapping her arms around his neck, pouring as much passion as she could into it.
This time Jaden was taken by surprise, but quickly responded, pouring his own slice of passion into it as he tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist. What he felt was exhilarating. Kissing her was way better than what he could imagine. Her lips were soft, full and tasted like cherries. It felt good to hold her like this, to feel her heartbeat directly against his. The soft air occasionally escaping her nose made his skin tingle as if he was being shocked. All of this made his mind go numb and the only thing he could hear was his own heart beating like a drum in his ears.
Seconds turned to minutes, with them occasionally breathing through their noses to continue indulging in their little slice of heaven.
They pulled back after the two minute mark, but didn't separate fully and stared at each other, the blushes on their faces glowing in the dark.
"Is it normal to see fireworks?" Alexis asked, a giddy smile plastered on her face.
"Yeah, I think it is." Jaden laughed. "So… I'm guessing I did good?" He asked nervously. This was his first time doing this, so he felt self-conscious about this.
She smirked. "You know I have just as much experience as you, right? But… yeah, it was amazing."
"Good." Jaden breathed a sigh in relief. "So, we're official now, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "What does confessing your feelings and kissing mean to you exactly?" She teased playfully.
"Just making sure, this all feels like a dream to be honest." He chuckled.
"Yeah, it does." She admitted and smiled. "But, I'm really excited about this."
"So am I." Jaden admitted as they sat down, dangling their feet over the edge.
She cuddled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder, while Jaden wrapped his arm around her. "Oh, great…" She sighed, realizing what's to come. "Now Erina is gonna start teasing me about this as well…"
Jaden chuckled. "You're not the only one she's gonna tease, but I'm gonna give you a secret weapon against her."
"What is it?" She asked excitedly, looking at him. She had hoped for some dirt she could use against her for a long time now.
"She's gonna kill me for this, but…" A massive grin was plastered on his face at the memory. "She used to practice kissing with oranges in secret a couple of years ago."
"No way!" The blond exclaimed in disbelief before bursting into laughter. "I'm so going to use that!"
Their laughter filled the air as they watched the sparkling night sky. It feels different watching the stars now that they've embarked on this new and unfamiliar adventure. Both of them knew it wouldn't be easy, they weren't that naïve, it would certainly have its own hurdles to overcome, but that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered tonight.
Tonight the world was perfect to them… just perfect…
Oh boy, it finally happened!
I really, really, really hope I managed to do it well enough for you guys. I think it turned out okay? From the beginning I planned for them to get together before the duel off just so they can have some normal couples time before shit hits the fan with the Shadow Riders. And speaking of which, I can't wait till we get there! I'm so excited to begin writing it, but we got a bit more till we get there.
Up next we have the duel off tournament where four people will duel to see who's gonna be representing the school in the School Duel! Who is gonna be in it? Well, I already teased that so it ain't really a secret.
See you all next time! Stay safe!