Sorry it's taking me so long to update; if it's not writer's block, it's distractions.
To answer KingJGamer's question, I'd describe this story as the world of Fairy Tail with the cast of Yu-Gi-Oh GX. The cast of Fairy Tail is not involved here.
On a side note to all viewers, please don't ask about updates. They'll happen when they happen.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Yu-gi-oh GX, the Yu-gi-oh franchise, or Fairy Tail. I only own the idea and any OCs I make up.
Now, on with the story.
Sunlight and the gentle breeze of a new morning were coming in through Jaden's bedroom window.
For once, he was up on time, stretching with a smile on his face before making final preparations to leave. It had been a couple of months since the entrance exams, and he was now an official incoming freshman at the Academy of Magic.
Going about his morning routine, Jaden took a morning shower, got dressed, and had some breakfast before making sure he had all his things packed for the Academy. He had to leave out a few things before today, like his toothbrush and such, but it would be pretty quick to gather them up. He would be gone for a while, but the landlady had said she would keep the place in shape for him while he was at school.
Once he finished packing, he took one last look around the apartment, knowing he wouldn't be seeing it for a while. Grabbing his things, he left out the door, locking it behind him.
When he got down to the street, some boaters he'd see passing by his building at times called over to him. "Hey, Jaden! Heading to a job?"
"No, school! I got accepted into the magic academy!" Jaden called back.
"Guess we won't be seeing you around for a while!"
"I'll be back in the summer!"
As they sailed away, Jaden turned to see Midori and a young man with brown hair and glasses coming up to them.
"Midori! Koyo!"
"Morning, Jaden." Koyo smiled, hugging his student.
"Since we were on the same trip, I figured I'd come and get you," Midori smiled. "Want to go get some breakfast at the guildhall?"
"You bet!" Jaden nodded, not caring that he had just eaten.
A quick walk down the lane, and they were at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. It looked like a castle with a cafe area out front. It was just as big on the inside, like a large lunchroom with a bar.
Jaden nearly jumped out of his skin when they stepped through the door when his guildmates popped out of various hiding spots, shouting, "Surprise!" There was also a banner across the ceiling that said, "Congratulations, Jaden!"
"Wha-What?!" Jay stuttered, looking around. "This is for me? Why?"
"Everyone wanted to give you a send-off breakfast before heading for Hargeon," Midori explained. "It was Koyo's idea."
"Really?" He looked at his mentor, who nodded that this was true, before smiling. "Oh, wow, thanks, everyone! I don't know what else to say!"
"I say, let's get this party started!" A guild member called out, which was met by a chorus of agreement around the room.
"Make it quick; we have to be at the port in three hours." Midori reminded them of the time crunch.
"You heard the lady!" Koyo called.
Those three hours were full of drinking, eating, karaoke, and a guild brawl. Jaden was approached by every single member, being told everything related to 'so long' and 'good luck.'
Midori went outside and brought around an animal-drawn wagon when it came time for them to go. Once they loaded their luggage in the back, Jaden and Midori said their final goodbyes to Koyo.
"See you this summer, Koyo," Jaden said, hugging his mentor.
"Go get 'em, Jay!" Koyo hugged his apprentice one last time. "Remember, have fun."
"I will." He nodded.
Brother and sister shared one final hug before climbing into the driver's seat of the wagon, with Midori taking the reins. Jaden got up next to her. A swift flick and they were on their way.
Koyo leaned against the door, watching with a smile as his now-former student spread his wings.
(Later)
When they got to the docks in Hargeon, they unloaded their luggage and went their separate ways; Midori to the teachers and Jaden to the students. The new students were each given a box that contained their uniform and a cabin number where they would stay until they docked.
Jaden discovered that he was sharing his cabin with one of the boys he met at the entrance exams, Syrus. After the new friends stowed away their gear, they headed up on deck to hang out.
Soon, the ship shoved off, and they were on their way. Jaden dozed against the rail with his Canis Minor spirit next to him while Syrus watched the ocean go by.
A few hours later, an announcement came over the ship's intercom. "Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. If you look straight ahead, you'll see your new home away from home."
Most of the students did just that and got a good look at the island.
It was mostly forested with a dormant volcano. The large silver with four gold spires building near the island's center was the main attraction. Looking closely, you could see three roofs, blue, yellow, and red, in that order, coming off the main building.
"Quite a sight, isn't it. Okay, please make sure you have all your luggage and prepare to disembark. Next stop, Academy Island!"
(After they dock)
Jaden soon found himself in a large classroom, like the kind found in a university. The principal always made a start-of-the-year speech for the students, so they were all asked to gather there.
Before he got there, he was asked to change into his new school uniform. Jaden customized his so that the tie was loose and the blazer was open with a pair of red and white sneakers. He kept on his belt, Strength Gloves, and necklace.
Meanwhile, Syrus and Bastion wore the traditional look.
At first, he thought all the uniforms were the same until he noticed the patches on the blazers. They were either a blue dragon, a yellow griffin, or a red fairy. Everyone was instructed to stand according to their patch, so he and Syrus were standing with the other kids who had fairy patches while Bastion stood with the griffins.
Seconds later, a man in his mid to late forties appeared on a giant lacrima screen in front of them. He was bald with a goatee and wore a dark red blazer over a shirt and tie.
"Good morning and welcome, my students," He said pleasantly. "I'm Chancellor Sheppard, the headmaster here at the Academy of Magic, and you are the best and brightest mages in the world. Now, please get yourselves settled into your assigned dorms. I hope you find them quite comfortable, depending on how you rank, of course."
Once the speech ended, the students walked out of the main building and headed toward their dorm room assignments or hung around the courtyard.
Jaden and Syrus were sitting near one of the stone decorations, looking through a special communication lacrima they gave to all the students. It held their student ID, student handbook, duel credits from wins in magic duels that could be used to buy things at the school store instead of Jewel, grades, a map of the island, and it could even make calls and videos.
"Well, Sy, it looks like we're in the Fairy Red dorm," Jaden said.
"Looks like it," Syrus replied.
As they were talking, Bastion walked up to them.
"Hey, Bastion! What's your dorm?" The brunette asked the Rune Mage.
Bastion smiled slightly and looked over his patch. "Well now, let's see here… a yellow patch with a griffin on it. I guess I'm in Griffin Yellow."
"Okay, Einstein, don't get smart with me!" Jaden responded, giving his new friend a playful glare.
Bastion laughed at the Fairy's antics. "My apologies."
Jaden's Canis Minor, or Nicora, was still out.
It was a small creature that stood on its back legs. The spirit was all brown with a green cone for a nose.
He looked between his master and the newcomer, making a questioning sound that caught Bastion's attention.
"A Canis Minor spirit…."
"That's Kuriboh," Jaden introduced the little spirit. "He's one of the first spirits I got after becoming an official wizard."
Kuriboh then started dancing around and speaking in his own language. While gibberish to the other two, Jaden was able to understand him.
"I think so, too, Kuriboh."
"You know what he's saying?" Syrus asked, looking at the small spirit.
"Not all spirits talk like you or I do. You learn to understand those spirits as you work with them."
"Oh," The shorter mage nodded, understanding. "So, what did he say?"
The brunette smiled at the other boys. "He said that he thinks we're all gonna be good friends."
Bastion returned the smile. "I certainly hope so."
Getting up to stretch, Jaden decided it was time to go. "Anyway, guess we'll be seeing you 'round the dorms."
"I doubt that," Bastion pointed towards the other end of the island. "Your dorm's over there."
"In that case, we'll see you in class."
(Fairy Dorm)
The two newly made Fairy Reds headed in the direction Bastion pointed out and found the dorm building. However, the place hardly seemed like a dorm. It was more like an old motel with two floors and peeling paint.
"This isn't a dorm!" Syrus complained. "It's an outhouse with a deck!"
On the other hand, Jaden loved it, leaning against the railing to look at the ocean. "No way, check out this view! This place is great!"
He then moved over to one of the doors. "This one's ours, Sy."
The room had a long, two-seater desk along the left wall. A window right was across the room from the door, and a three-person bunk bed was along the right wall. Finally, a small stove and sink for cooking were in the corner.
"It's pretty small." Syrus pointed out.
"I don't mind it," Jaden shrugged. "It's about the size of my bedroom back home. It's a good place to start our first year."
"Well, if you think so…."
"We'll be fine," Jaden assured his new roommate.
Kuriboh walked into the room and hopped up onto the bottom bunk, calling attention to his master.
"You want me to take the bottom bunk?"
The little dog nodded.
"Well, okay, guess that's my bed."
"It's fine," Syrus said, not caring which bed he took.
After putting down his luggage, Jaden moved over to the window and opened the curtains. "Let's get some light in here."
"Hey, those were closed for a reason!" Called an angry voice from the top bunk.
"Oh, sorry," Syrus said.
"Yeah, we didn't see you up there," Jaden added, moving the curtain back.
"Well, can you see me now?!" The covers pulled back, revealing an angry, heavy-set boy with a face and hair that made him look like a koala.
Syrus screamed in fear at the sight of the other boy. He latched on to Jaden, his movements startling the other into falling over.
Kuriboh was also frightened by the other boy, deciding it was time to return to the Spirit World.
"Would you stop your screaming?!" The koala-looking boy snapped. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?"
"Oh, sorry, my name's Jaden Yuki!" The Celestial Wizard said as he and Syrus got up.
"And I'm Syrus."
"We're your new…." Jaden tried to explain himself, but the boy in bed turned his back to the new kids. "Roommates."
"You're new, all right, so lemme tell you how things work here." The boy muttered grouchily.
"What things?"
"Like when parents' weekend's gonna be?" Syrus asked.
"Duh, like how the whole patch thing works? That's more important than anything." The older boy began to explain.
"Yeah?" Both freshmen asked.
"Ya got three kinds of students here: Dragon Blue students, Griffin Yellow students, and Fairy Red students. Now, the Blues are the highest-ranked students, most kids 'cuz of grades, others through connections. The Yellows are second-highest, mostly younger students with lots of potential. Then, there's us, the Red Wonders…."
"The Wonders," Syrus murmured. "That's a cool name."
"As in 'I wonder how flunkies like us ever got this far,' maybe," The larger boy continued, ignoring Syrus' comment. "Yeah, sorry, but we're bottom of the barrel here. Magic duds."
Jaden and Syrus looked at each other for a few minutes before the sleeping boy remembered to introduce himself. "Oh, I'm Chumley, by the way."
(A short time later)
After putting their stuff away, Jaden and Syrus decided to walk around campus. Actually, it was more like Jaden taking Syrus for a walk to take his mind off what they heard.
"Come on, Sy, you can't still be depressed over what happened," Jaden said, trying to get his new friend to cheer up.
"But Chumley said we Reds were the worst." Syrus moaned.
"Syrus, rank doesn't mean anything. You saw my exam, and Fairy Tail's an awesome guild. They have a lot of powerful wizards, and not all of them are S-Class Wizards. Besides, the year just started; there will be chances to move up."
"I guess you're right." Syrus reasoned, perking up a bit.
"Now, come on! Let's explore the main building before dinner!" Jaden suggested, running ahead to the main building.
"Hey, wait up!" The shorter boy called, running after him.
(Main Building)
The main building was impressive from a ship, but it was even better up close.
When the boys got inside, Jaden's magic sensor picked up something. "There's some kind of action going on in there."
"How do you know?"
"I just know," The brunette said before he started following the magic.
They took turn after turn down different hallways before they found themselves deep inside the building. Most people would panic about being lost, but not Jaden.
"It's over this way, I'm sure of it," He said, looking around.
"How can you be sure of it? Do you have some kind of sixth sense for magic or something?" Syrus asked.
Jaden grinned. "It's called a magic sensor, Syrus. I can practically feel the ethernano vibrating."
The duo soon came upon a large room, realizing it was an arena.
The place was huge, with seats all around the walls. There were rune symbols around the walls, most likely to keep the audience from getting hit by a wayward spell and fix any damage done in the battle.
"Wow," Jaden breathed. "This reminds me of the arena used for the Grand Magic Games."
"Yeah, no kidding. It looks completely state of the art," Syrus agreed. "I bet it would be amazing to battle here."
"There's only one way to find out. Let's test it." The brunette smiled, feeling competitive.
"Do you think we're allowed?" The shorter boy asked, not wanting to get in trouble.
"Sure, we're allowed. We're students; this is our campus."
"Wrong! This is the Blue Dragon's campus!"
The boys turned to see two other guys with Dragon patches approach them. They were the same guys hanging out with Chazz: Taiyou Maki and Raizou Goki.
"And you Fairy Red rejects aren't welcome here, ya got that?" Raizou said.
"Oh, yeah?" Jaden glared lightly at the two newcomers.
"That's right," Raizou pointed behind them. "Check out the crest."
The duo turned to see a symbol in the shape of a dragon's head above the arena entrance.
"This arena's our turf." Taiyou sneered.
"Sorry. We were just looking around, but we'll leave now, right, Jaden?" Syrus shrank away, looking at the brunette almost pleadingly.
"No, we don't have to leave. Not so long as…." Jaden turned to the Obelisk snobs with a smirk. "One of you guys agrees to battle me. I'll be a guest wizard."
The blue-haired student looked at Jaden for a moment before he realized something. "Hey, you're that kid!"
Before anyone could say anything, the brown-haired snob turned to someone up in the stands. "Chazz, that Celestial Wizard who beat Dr. Crowler is here! Check it out!"
The boys turned to see another boy with spiky black hair and cold gray eyes staring down at them, specifically Jaden. The brunette stared back at the boy for a few moments before waving at him.
"Hey, what's up? My name's Jaden, and… what was his name again?" Jaden asked the other boys, making the spiky-haired boy growl.
"His name's Chazz Princeton, and he was the best wizard back when we studied privately, so you make sure and pay the proper respects, got it?" Taiyou snapped.
"Yeah, he's gonna be a Wizard Saint, the strongest wizard on the continent!" Raizou added.
Jaden scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe…"
"Say what?" Raizou asked, confused.
"Maybe he'll be a Wizard Saint. Maybe he won't. There are still nine other spots open, and one of them could be mine," Jaden explained with a smirk.
The Dragon boys stared at him before laughing at what they heard. "A Fairy flunkie as a Wizard Saint? That'll be the day!"
"Can it, you two!" Chazz ordered. "Maybe the new kid's right."
"Whaddaya mean there, Chazz?" Taiyou asked, confused.
"He did beat Crowler after all, and that rare Take-Over Magic of his. I suppose it takes some skill to pull that off."
Jaden fought the urge to roll his eyes. He could hear the insult coming a mile away.
"Or was it luck?" Chazz continued with a cocky smirk. "I say we find out right now."
"Bring it!" Jaden responded, ready for a fight.
"This sure is a motley crew." A new voice spoke up.
They all turned to see a girl with blond hair. The blue patch on her uniform showed that she was in the Blue Dragon dorm.
"Whoa, who is that?" Syrus asked.
Jaden shrugged, having no clue.
"Hey, Alexis," Chazz greeted her, knowing who she was. "Have you come to watch me mop the floor with my new little friend Jaden here? It'll be a short match, but an entertaining one for sure."
Alexis just crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm here to remind you about the Dragon Welcome Dinner. You're late."
"Oh, yeah," Chazz mumbled, getting up and motioning for the other two to follow. "Come on, guys."
"Sorry if Chazz rubbed you the wrong way," Alexis said as she turned toward the Fairy duo. "Not all of us Dragons are like that. He's just a jerk, especially with Fairies."
"It's fine." Jaden shrugged, surprising Alexis with his reaction. "I've run into guys like him before; they don't bother me. Besides, I would have beaten him anyway."
"We're gonna have to work on that overconfidence," Syrus commented.
"I'm not overconfident," Jaden argued, pouting slightly.
The other two looked at him before they both started laughing, leaving the Fairy Tail wizard confused. "What's so funny?"
Alexis then remembered something. "The Fairy Welcome Dinner's about to start, too."
"Oh, right, thank you. We better go, Sy." Jaden said before running down the exit tunnel.
"Hey, wait up!" Syrus called as he ran after him.
Just before they left, Jaden stopped and turned back to the female Dragon. "By the way, what was your name again?"
Alexis blinked, surprised, but answered. "Alexis Rhodes. And yours?"
"Jaden Yuki!" He replied. "See ya around!"
"Aren't you gonna introduce me?" Syrus asked, running after him.
"Jaden," Alexis whispered, testing out the name. She smiled as she watched the two boys leave.
(Fairy Red Dorm)
Later that evening, all the welcome dinners had started.
The dinner at the blue dorms was like a fancy ball, with gourmet food, punch bowls, and classical music being played by musicians in the background.
The dinner wasn't as glamorous at the Griffin Yellow dorm, but they still had a great meal with food you would find at a five-star restaurant.
Finally, at the Fairy dorm, the food was basically take-out. It consisted of a small bowl of rice and sardines with sauce.
Naturally, most of the Fairy students were complaining.
"This is our big, fancy, welcome dinner?"
"Forget the dinner; look at our headmaster! It's a cat!" Another said, pointing at a fat, brown tabby, taking a snooze at the front of the room.
That joke died when a tall skinny man with long black hair in a ponytail and small round glasses came into the dining area. He seemed nice, and at least he didn't look like Crowler.
He was soon joined by Midori.
"Hello, children, my name is Professor Banner," He greeted pleasantly before gesturing to the lady next to him. "And this is Ms. Hibiki."
"Welcome, everyone!" She greeted the students.
Jaden was only half listening to what was being said.
While he had said that people like Chazz didn't bother him, that was partially a lie. It always bothered him when someone doubted his abilities. He wasn't cocky, at least he didn't think so, but it's normal to take pride in your skills, especially when you've worked hard to hone them.
At the same time, he might have been feeling a little homesick. The talk earlier about the different dorms reminded him that he was far from home, away from the people he called family, even if Midori was here.
Speaking of, Midori seemed to notice that Jaden was distracted. She watched him until he saw her.
He gave a small smile to try and reassure her he was fine. She didn't buy it.
"Jaden, are you all right?" She asked him, using her Telepathy.
"Yeah, I'm just… a little homesick," Jaden admitted. "I don't regret signing up for this school, but I…."
"I understand, Jaden," Midori reassured the teen. "I felt the same way the first year I took this job. Once classes start and you make some friends, you won't feel this way for very long."
Jaden smiled slightly at her words before focusing back on the welcoming speech.
He was glad Midori was here to help him. It made him feel less lonely.
(Later that night)
After dinner, Jaden was hanging out in his room with his roommates and Kuriboh. Chumley was up in his bunk like he was sleeping, but he was awake while Syrus was at the kitchenette making tea.
"I'm stuffed. I'll tell ya; Professor Banner sure can cook."
"Yeah, and he seems like a pretty nice guy, too." Syrus agreed, coming over with a tray of tea mugs.
"With ya there, he's good people!" Jaden agreed, taking one of the cups. "Thanks!"
"Hey, Chumley, want some tea?" Sy asked the grouchy boy on the top bunk.
"Did I say I was thirsty?" Chumley responded rudely, turning away from them.
"Hey, he just asked if you wanted some tea; ya don't have to snap at him!" Jaden scolded.
"That's okay, Jaden. I'm used to it." Syrus said glumly.
"Duh, tea makes you wet the bed!" Chumley argued, then realized what he was implying. "Not that I do… or ever did… I mean, whatever, I'm trying to sleep!"
The boys looked at each other before Syrus felt Kuriboh tap his leg. Looking down, he saw that Kuriboh was pointing to the tray in his hands.
"What is it, Kuriboh?"
"He's asking if he can have the other cup of tea." Jaden translated.
"Oh, sure," Syrus agreed, crouching down so that the spirit could take the mug. "Here you go, Kuriboh."
The Canis Minor made a sound like 'thank you' before taking a seat next to his master.
Chumley had turned over to see what they were talking about. "You're a Celestial Wizard?"
"Oh, yeah!" Jaden nodded, smiling. "Kuriboh is one of my spirits."
"How many Celestial Spirits do you have?" Syrus asked.
"I've honestly lost count," Jaden answered, getting up.
Moving over to the desk, he reached into the pouch on his belt and pulled out a key ring. On it was an assortment of keys of different colors.
He removed them one by one and organized them by color and order they were obtained. When he was done, his keys almost took up the whole desktop.
"Wow, Jay!" Syrus breathed as he looked over the keys. "You practically have an army with you!"
"I'll say!" Chumley agreed, having gotten out of bed to take a closer look.
"Yeah, I've got a lot of keys," Jaden admitted, smiling sheepishly.
"How come the keys are different colors?"
"There are several types of spirit keys," The brunette explained, pointing to each group as he did. "First, there are the silver keys, which you can buy in the magic shops. I have Lupus the Wolf, Lepus the Hare, Columba the Dove, Corvus the Crow, Equuleus the Little Horse, Vulpecula the Fox, Lyra the Harp, Kuriboh the Canis Minor key, Caelum the Chisel, Aquila the Eagle, Lynx the Cat, Draco the Dragon, Phoenix the Firebird, Ursa Minor the Little Bear, Pegasus the Winged Horse, and Apus the Bird of Paradise."
"The gold keys represent the zodiac signs. I have Pisces the Paired Fish, Aquarius the Water Bearer, Virgo the Maiden, Taurus the Bull, Aries the Ram, Cancer the Giant Crab, Sagittarius the Archer, Leo the Lion, Gemini the Twins, Scorpio the Scorpion, Capricorn the Sea-Goat, and Libra the Scales."
"Third is the copper keys. They represent the Painter's Easel, the Sculptor's Tool, the Altar, the Furnace, the Table Mountain, the Microscope, the Arrow, and the Shield. They don't summon spirits like the others; it's more like they summon items or locations. I only have two copper keys, Altair the Altar and Scutum the Shield."
"Finally, there are the iron keys, which are called the Iron Heroes. They're the children of the Celestial Spirit King. They represent the constellations of Andromeda, Perseus, Hercules, Orion, Indus, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. The only iron key I have is Orion the Hunter."
"Wow, that's over thirty keys!" Syrus gasped.
"And it sounds like you have all the golden keys!" Chumley added.
Jaden nodded proudly. "Yup, though there are legends about other keys besides those that hold such power that they were hidden away. Maybe someday I'll find one of these keys…."
Before the conversation could go in any other direction, a beeping-ringing sound went off in the room. It was quickly determined that it was Jaden's communication lacrima signaling he had a message.
Checking it, the message turned out to be from Chazz. "Hey, Fairy Flunkie, don't think you're off the hook. Tonight at midnight, it's on."
"I had a feeling Chazz was gonna pull something like this," Jaden muttered, powering down the lacrima. "Still, guess I'll get to fight at that arena after all…."
"If that's Chazz you're fighting, all you got is trouble." Chumley pointed out.
The Celestial Wizard smirked. "Well, the same can be said for Chazz."
"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Jaden," Syrus said, nervous for his new friend.
"Good or bad, when someone challenges you to a fight, ya gotta step up. There's no choice." Jaden responded, gathering up his keys and calling Kuriboh back to the Spirit World. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I'll need someone to cover for me if the teachers notice I'm gone."
Syrus wasn't sure about this, but he didn't want Jaden to go alone. Drawing on the courage he didn't know he had, he took a deep breath and said, "I'll go with you."
Jaden turned to the shorter and smiled. "Thanks, Sy."
Knowing he couldn't talk the Celestial Wizard out of it, Chumley made a decision of his own. "I'll cover for you two until you get back."
"Thanks, Chumley." Jaden nodded, thankful he had found a couple of good friends.
(Dragon Arena)
After Jaden and Syrus snuck out of the dorm, it took them about ten minutes to get to the main building.
Walking the dark halls to get to the arena, they found Chazz and his flunkies already there on the other side of the room.
"Well, well, well, he shows." Chazz sneered.
"You know it." Jaden walked over to the field.
Once both boys were on the platform, the symbols around the room began to light up. A screen made of light appeared in front of both boys, like the ones used in Archive Magic. Instructions appeared, telling the wizards to put their lacrimas on the screen so their information could be entered into the battle system and the match could be eligible for battle points.
Once both did that, the system decided who would choose the type of match that would take place.
Usually, it was decided by who had the most battle points. However, since both mages had no points, who made the decision was determined by dorm rank. So, Chazz would be the one to pick the battle format.
"Time to find out if you beating Dr. Crowler was a fluke or a fact," Chazz said when he saw he was going first.
"We're gonna find out something else, too," Jaden responded. "Like whether or not rank means anything around here."
"Yeah, yeah," Chazz dismissed, looking over the match options.
The system worked similarly to the Grand Magic Games. It could make any kind of competition. It could be something simple, like the MPF test from the entrance exams, or something complicated, like a race or a game. It all depended on what the mage wanted.
"All right, slacker," Chazz made his decision. "We'll keep this simple with an all-out battle."
"I'm cool with that," Jaden responded.
After making his choice, the runes around the room responded. A wall of characters formed around the circumference of the platform they were standing on. It would serve as a barrier to make sure stray attacks wouldn't get out and hurt the audience.
The rules for battles were pretty straightforward. Don't kill your opponent, and the match doesn't end until one of the wizards is defeated, surrenders, or calls off the battle.
Chazz smirked as he let his magic leak out. "Ready for what's coming, Flunkie?"
Jaden narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.
He could tell Chazz was strong, not as strong as some of the wizards in his guild, but still noteworthy. His hand subconsciously went to his key pouch, waiting for Chazz to make the first move.
"What is Chazz's magic anyway?" Syrus asked.
"I thought I'd find you guys here."
The shorter Fairy turned around to see the girl they had met earlier walking up to them. "Alexis?"
"Chazz is known for his Fire Magic. He uses Rainbow Fire, which lets the user create flames in different colors with different effects," She explained. "The magic also allows the user to control other flames, giving Chazz an advantage over other Fire Magic users."
"Oh, no. I hope Jaden doesn't summon a spirit that uses Fire Magic!" Syrus worried, turning back to his friend.
"Red Fire!" Chazz called, casting a spell.
The Blue Dragon held both hands out before him as a red magic circle appeared. A surge of red-hot flames flew towards the Fairy wizard.
Thinking fast, Jaden grabbed his key ring. "Star Armor!"
The form he called out wasn't heard by the others because, at the same time, Chazz's spell met its mark. The force of the hit caused the spectators to flinch, shielding their faces in reflex against the heat.
"Jaden!" Syrus called his friend but got no response.
"So that was all it took," Chazz scoffed. "Maybe Jaden's win was all luck after all. I guess fairies aren't as tough as everyone believes."
"I wouldn't count on that."
Everyone looked back at Jaden's spot just as the flames parted and dispersed. The Red Fairy was unharmed, surrounded by a force field of water.
The Star Armor he was wearing was reminiscent of a male dancer. He wore a long, dark robe with a gold zig-zag pattern and trim and a slit up the left side. A gold sash was wrapped around his waist to keep the robe in place.
Jaden's upper body was bare, with gold bands around his wrists and upper arms. He had a gold, blue, and green Egyptian-style collar around his neck, a pair of sandals, and a dark scarf wrapped around his head. The zodiac sign for Aquarius was located between his collarbone, and that wasn't the only mark…
For the spectators to see, in plain view, was a dark red Fairy Tail guild mark on his chest over where his heart would be.
The shield dropped as Jaden released a relieved sigh. "Just in time."
"What the–?!" Chazz gasped, shocked both by the mark and his attack not working.
"Jaden! You're okay!" Syrus cried.
"But how were you able to use Water Magic?" Alexis asked.
"This is my Aquarius Star Armor. I can use her Water and Earth Magic when wearing this armor."
Chazz growled, angry at the revelation. He knew Jaden could use Star Armor, but he didn't think he had a spirit that could counter his Fire Magic.
He was also having the same questioning thoughts Zane had at the exams. Aquarius was a key that belonged to a famous wizard named Koyo Hibiki; someone Chazz had met once when…
Chazz shook his head slightly. He couldn't afford to get distracted.
"Don't think this is over, Fairy Flunkie! Purple Flare!" Casting another spell, the Dragon student unleashed a torrent of purple flames this time.
"Water Barrier!" Jaden brought back the force field from before, shielding himself from the attack.
This time, however, something was different. The flames didn't go out when they hit the water. They started to spread over Jaden's barrier, trapping the Celestial Wizard.
"What's up with these flames?!" Jaden gasped.
"Surprise, Flunkie!" Chazz smirked. "The flames in Purple Flare can't be doused by wind or water!"
"Oh no, Jaden!" Syrus gasped, worried about the other boy.
"This is bad," Alexis said, watching the battle. "If Jaden drops his Water Barrier spell, he'll be hit by the flames. He also can't keep this up forever, or he'll run out of energy."
"It's just a matter of time, Flunkie; you can't win!" Chazz gloated. "Surrender now and spare yourself the embarrassment!"
Unseen by the flames, Jaden glared at the Dragon for even suggesting that.
"Not on your life." He all but growled at the other teen.
Focusing on the field around him, Jaden threw his hands out to his sides like he was pushing something away. The barrier burst apart, forcing the flames away from the brunette.
"What?!" Chazz gasped.
"Aqua Metria!" Jaden called, moving his right hand in front of him.
Focusing on his magic, the ground started to turn and move like water. In the motion of waves, Jaden began to force the rest of the fire to move.
"What's going on?!" Syrus asked in awe.
"Jaden's trying to turn the battle around in his favor," Alexis explained. "When Jaden dispelled the Water Barrier, he did it in a way that forced the flames away from him. The spell he just cast is Aqua Metria, which works with either Earth or Water Magic. On land, the caster forces the earth to soften and swell, using it to attack their opponent as if it were undulating water. Jaden's using the spell in a way that's allowing him to attack using Chazz's flames."
"Like they say, play with fire; you're gonna get burned!" Jaden said before launching his counter-attack.
As described, the ground moved towards Chazz like waves, and these waves had purple flames on them. Chazz yelled in shock, bringing his arms up to shield himself as the attack reached him.
"All right!" Syrus cheered, Jaden giving a peace sign over his shoulder.
"Nice moves, Jaden." Alexis praised.
"More like lucky moves if ya ask me, you Fairy Tail Stooge!" Chazz retorted, glaring daggers at Jaden as a magic circle appeared. "You may have turned my flames against me, but you forget that I can take back control with my Rainbow Fire!"
The purple flames paused and re-shaped themselves as a shield in front of Chazz, protecting him from the rest of the Aqua Metria spell.
"Not bad," Jaden commented, smirking slightly at the maneuver.
"Not bad?" Chazz looked at him before scoffing. "You're something else, Flunkie, you know that, acting all confident? But your lousy magic won't get you out of this jam."
Jaden's smirk turned into a glare at the insult to his magic. "You couldn't be more wrong…."
Before either side could make another move, Alexis turned to the entrance, thinking she had heard footsteps. She turned back to the group with wide eyes when she realized she was right.
"Uh, Guys? We've got company! Campus Security! If they find us all in here, we'll get seriously busted!"
"What?" Syrus yelped.
"What do you mean?" Jaden asked, looking at her.
Alexis huffed and pulled out her school lacrima. "The rules say no off-hour arena duels! Chazz knows that, but let me guess; he didn't tell you?"
The other Dragon blushed at being found out.
"Come on, let's go!" Taiyou urged his boss, both he and Raizou looking ready to bolt.
"Well, well, Flunkie, looks like you lucked out this time," Chazz said, grabbing his lacrima.
"This isn't over, Chazz," Jaden stated, his clothes turning back into his uniform.
"You're right. It's not." Chazz agreed before leaving the arena.
"Jaden, we gotta get out of here!" Syrus urged his friend.
"Yeah, he's right." Alexis agreed, looking ready to bolt.
"Alright, let's go!" Jaden said, grabbing his lacrima.
They turned off the lights on the way out, leaving nothing to tell security that anyone was in there.
After some close calls, they were soon outside the main entrance. Due to security walking around, it took longer to get out of there than in. Still, they managed to avoid them with Jaden's magic sensor.
"I have to say, Jaden, I'm impressed at how you handled the situation," Alexis commented when they finally got outside.
"I've been on a few covert missions before," Jaden responded.
"I wouldn't doubt that, seeing how you're a member of Fairy Tail."
"How come you didn't mention that before?" The shorter male asked Jaden.
"I was going to if the topic ever came up," He answered, looking sheepish. "I wasn't trying to hide it."
"It's okay, Jaden. We're just surprised, that's all." Alexis reassured him they weren't mad.
"Thanks, guys." Jaden smiled, relieved.
"Yeah, it's actually really cool," Syrus smiled before turning to Alexis. "Thanks for showing us the back way out, Alexis."
"Sure," The female Dragon smiled. "I'm sorry that you didn't get to finish your match with Chazz."
"It's okay," The Fairy Tail wizard shrugged. "Something tells me we're gonna face off again at some point."
"What makes you think that?"
"Just something my guild master said once when I asked him why guild brawls broke out every day. We fight because we see each other's strengths, and when we see ourselves in each other, it makes us want to get stronger."
"While Chazz will probably never admit it, that's what happened between us. Plus, now that I know the kind of magic he uses, I'll know how to train for round two."
Alexis looked at Jaden with surprise. She didn't take the brunette for the philosophical type, but then again, Fairy Tail wizards were known to be full of surprises.
Jaden smiled before he started walking back to the Fairy dorm. "See ya."
"Hey, wait up!" Syrus called, running after him.
Alexis watched the boys leave before smiling slightly. 'This is going to be one interesting year.'
And that's chapter two. I hope everyone's staying safe and staying at home.
Read, review, and stay tuned.
Also, a Happy belated Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there.