Yu-Gi-Oh ! GX : Destiny's Dawn
CHAPTER 8
"Alright, Konami, here," Jaden said as the group had finished today's classes and went straight to the shop. He had handed a couple of booster packs to Konrad. Konrad simply looked at them, blinking repeatedly.
"Are you sure about this, Jaden? You brought those packs using your own duel points." Konrad told him, before refusing his offer, "Thanks, but I can't accept them… Sorry."
"Just take them already!" Jaden said, forcefully handing them to Konrad. "Jeez, you really can be gloomy after losing, you know that? We're helping you, at least trying to, but you're not making any efforts. No one will be able to help you if you don't help yourself in the first place."
"Jay's right. I know I can be such a downer at times," Syrus added, "But even I don't get this sad after a loss. Cheer up, man, we're here for you."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Syrus," Chumley told him, while wolfing down a rather large sandwich, "It feels like Konami doesn't really want us to help him at all. I could be wrong, though."
Jaden looked at Chumley, annoyed by what he said. "What are you saying, Chum? Of course he wants us to help him! We're buddies! Isn't that right, Konami?" He looked back at Konrad, smiling.
Konrad sighed. "Jaden, I know you mean well- But this..This just won't do it, sorry." He said, trying his best to muster a smile.
"I lost to someone easily. And it's my problem alone to deal with. But even though I tell myself this, I can't find it in myself to go and fix it. I appreciate you trying you guys effort to help me, and that you think of me as friends…But I don't see things through your same vision. For me, Jaden, you're a classmate. A fellow Slifer Red, nothing more, nothing less."
The more Jaden heard this, the more a frown was visible on his face as his expression contorted from jovial, to irritated.
"Don't you think it's a bit silly to think of me as a friend, Jaden? We've only known each other for weeks. That's not enough time for people to become friends. You're an admirable person, Jaden, and a great duelist, but not everyone is so cheery and upbeat like you are."
"That's going too far, Konami!" Syrus protested. "Why do people need so much time to become friends? Jaden and I- We're closer than brothers, and we didn't need days or weeks to create the bond between us. Don't you see how much we want to help you out?" Syrus asked, he too got annoyed then turned to Jaden who was fuming. "J-Jay…?" Syrus asked, worried.
"If that's how you want things to be, then fine!" Jaden lashed out at Konrad, never before have Syrus or Chumley seen him this angered; It was a first for them. "I thought you were someone cool, Konrad. Someone who we could get along with, have fun with- But apparently, all of it was a lie. And I believed it!" Jaden said. Konrad did nothing but remain quiet and looked elsewhere, not even looking at Jaden straight in the eyes.
"Keep these booster packs for yourself. Not that they will be any good to you while you're busy crying your heart out after losing. Sy, Chum, let's go." Jaden simply turned and left without so much a word more. "Jay, wait up!" Syrus followed after him.
"Well, that just wasn't very 'licious of you, Konami." Chumley sadly shook his head, truly disappointed by Konrad's attitude. "Well, if you want to see us later, you know where to find us." Chumley added before he went to catch up with Jaden.
"…Darn it all!" Konrad cursed, throwing the packs into the ground in a fit of anger. As if losing wasn't enough, now he had royally pissed off Jaden. "Please, no littering, thank you very much." A short and rotund woman with glasses holding a mop in hand said, this was the person in charge of Duel Academy's shop: Ms. Dorothy.
"Ack, sorry." Konrad went, as he slowly picked up the booster packs he had thrown into the ground. "You know, this is unbecoming of you, Konrad." A voice claimed, belonging to none other than Bastion Misawa who just entered the shop.
"Oh, it's you…Bastion?" The boy with the red cap asked, having barely remembered the Ra Yellow's name. "Did you see what happened with Jaden..?"
"Yes, I did." Bastion nodded, "And if I'm going to be honest, I do think Jaden is right. I can understand that defeat can be crushing, but this is just a loser's attitude. I had thought of you to be reasonable and level headed, but, it seems everyone has depths to them."
"So you're here to just spit on me, in other terms. Well, Bastion, you can go ahead; I'm all yours." Konrad said, this was just pathetic and sad to look at.
But Bastion still had his trademark smile on his face. "Nothing of the sort. I am not one to kick people while they are down, you see." Bastion said, "I'm just going to give it straight to you: You have potential. And I feel as if it's my duty as not only a student of this academy; But as a duelist to help others. Besides, you could grow up to be a worthy rival for me, and the more rivals I have; the more potential for growth I'll acquire."
Konrad simply looked puzzled at what Bastion was sprouting. "And how do you figure that?"
"It has always been a staple of science. No theory has remained unchallenged forever. A good rivalry there and here is healthy. This rule extends for every domain, and dueling is certainly not exempt." Bastion explained, "Now get up, I'm going to show you my best formulas and better your deck. Be warned, I don't know how to take 'No' for an answer."
In the Chancellor's room, Sheppard had been staring outside his window and observed the island in all of its natural beauty. However, he was not in a mood where contemplating would be possible; Instead, he was worried. Some knocks on the door were heard, prompting the chancellor to take his seat and greet the visitors.
"Yes, you may come in." Sheppard simply stated as the door opened. Zane and Alexis entered and walked over to him.
"Ah, Zane, Alexis!" Sheppard was quick to return to his cheery self, "How may I help you?"
"Chancellor, I'm not going to make this long." Zane said, narrowing his eyes. "But, I'm going to ask you something, and I want only the truth out of your mouth."
"Whoa, Zane, you're serious." Sheppard said, half-jokingly, "Well, more serious than usual. What is it?" He had a feeling as to what Zane was going to ask.
"…Something strange is happening in this island. Would you know something about it?" Zane asked. Actually, it was more of an interrogation than a simple question.
"Something strange? I fail to see what you mean," Sheppard said. "What could possibly be so strange? Things have been the same for me!"
"Chancellor, you're not telling us the truth." Alexis stated, seeing through him. Zane was also not convinced, anyone with half a brain wouldn't be. "There's definitely something going on. First, there's been a lot of students leaving the island. Most of them Obelisks and Ras. We know what Zane and I are talking about because our dorms are a lot emptier than before. There's barely anyone left."
"But Alexis, students are going to drop school. In fact, Duel Academy is known for having a high dropout rate." Sheppard stated, trying to dismiss what Alexis just claimed. "Not to brag, but we pride ourselves with this fact."
"That's not the point, Chancellor." Zane interjected. "You forget I've been here for years already. And I tell you what's happening now, is fishy, too fishy. And just like Alexis said, that's just the first thing. The second is, just last night, some weirdo approached us and dueled me."
Sheppard looked at Zane, his smile fading. He wanted to retort, but decided to keep quiet and listen to what the best duelist of the academy said. Usually he didn't speak up, but when he did, meant things were beyond being merely terrible or bad; They were terribad.
"I can tell that the guy wasn't from this academy. I didn't recognize him so he couldn't be a teacher, and he wasn't wearing the outfit students of this school do. In fact, based on his outfit…he must have been someone from a different academy." Zane stated. "If I had to guess, South Academy. His outfit resembled what they have there."
Alexis intently listened to what Zane said. "Chancellor, you know about this. So why did you try to lie? Don't you believe that we have a right to be kept in the light, since we're students of Duel Academy?" She asked him, each question felt like a dagger twisting the Chancellor.
"I…" Sheppard stuttered before he sighed and gathered his courage. "I knew that something was up. But I didn't know their way of doing things would be this."
Zane raised an eyebrow in response to this. "Their? Who?"
"The Princeton group." Sheppard bluntly replied. "Princeton group, you mean like Chazz's brothers?" Alexis asked. "What do they have to do with it?" She then widened her eyes as she figured it a possible reason for them. "You mean, are they doing it as a revenge? For what happened to Chazz?" Alexis grew angry with that statement, "How dare they! Chazz's tried to cheat. They should be mad at him, not at us!"
"I don't think they are doing this for a petty reason, Alexis." Zane said, a bit exasperated. "They don't look like they cared about their little brother in the slightest."
"They don't, Zane." Sheppard confirmed. "Those two are the most vile and evil men I had the displeasure to meet. They are only driven by their greed, their desire to achieve power." He said with venom dripping in his voice. He truly hated Slade and Jagger Princeton. "They are the top of both the political and financial worlds. And now they set their sights on the dueling world; which has grown to be as equally as important as politics and finance."
"This seems rather…extreme? I had no idea dueling was this big." Alexis said, with Zane sharing her sentiments. "But then, if they're not doing it as revenge, what are they doing it for? And how?"
"I think I can answer this one, Alexis." Zane said, crossing his arms. "If we assume the Princeton Group is doing all of this not because they want to avenge Chazz, and they want to control the dueling world- then it means one thing." He paused for a brief bit.
"They're trying to buy this academy. Because whoever has this academy is at the top of the dueling world. Currently, that's Seto Kaiba. But, one thing seems strange about it…What about the other branches? Why was there a South Academy student here?"
Sheppard knew how to answer that question. "That's because they have already brought all of them. North, South, East, West- They're under The Princeton Group's banner."
"What?" Alexis asked, surprised. "How could Kaiba let this happen?"
"He didn't have a choice. They were performing poorly," Sheppard said, "Kaiba was too busy tending to this academy and neglected the others. In fact, they were on the verge of shutting down if it weren't for The Princeton Group. They brought the rights from Kaibacorp and improved the branches. It's now why a lot of newcomers to the pro league are from the different academies."
"But that still doesn't answer my question, Chancellor." Zane spoke. "Why is there a south academy student here? Isn't it against the rules for a student of a different branch to come here without valid reason?"
"Yes, it is. But they didn't come here simply- They intruded our island. And no doubt, The Princeton Group sent them. So that they can buy this academy, the last barrier in their path of conquering the dueling world and by extension: The world itself." Sheppard said. "I wish to stop them, but things are heavily against our favor."
"Just say no, or something, isn't that solution possible." Spoke Alexis, who was past angered with this conversation; She was enraged and barely keeping it together.
Sheppard sadly smiled and shook his head, "Ah, the naivety of youth. How much I yearn for that." Sheppard said, sighing, "No, it just isn't possible. Their methods are far too shady to be stopped by a simple, single answer. Because so many of students have been dropping out, our reputation is taking a nosedive. There are far more negative voices towards the academy than even before, it truly is hurting us. If it goes on like that..I'm afraid we will really have no choice but to shut down Duel Academy."
Zane and Alexis stood there, stunned at what the Chancellor said. "Did I hear that right? Shut down this academy?" Zane asked, in utter disbelief. "But as long as Kaiba is there, what's the worst that's going to happen."
"As powerful as Kaiba is, even he is a slave to the power that the common people possess." Sheppard stated. "If the people decided that Duel Academy was to disappear, Kaiba will have no choice but to oblige, lest he wants to lose all. And knowing Kaiba personally, he would rather abandon the academy than lose everything he holds dear."
"No way..I can't let this academy disappear!" Alexis protested, "I still have so many things left to do here. I just…isn't there anything we could do to prevent this, Chancellor?"
"As a matter of fact…Yes, there's still one last hope." Sheppard said. "In just a few weeks from here, we will hold a tournament with the other academies here. If Duel Academy manages to win, despite all odds, then it will prove that despite what happened, we are still able to pull our weight. We have to get back our reputation and the interscholastic tournament is our only way to do so." He stated, with fervent determination.
Author's notes:
By the time I wrote Chapter 8, this fanfic received 500 views. So, I want to give you guys a huge thank you for reaching this milestone!
As always, keep the reviews coming because I am checking out daily and reading them. Even if it does seem it's going nowhere, all I ask for is a little patience because I'm still in the setting up phase. I do want to get into the meat of the story as soon as possible, too.