A/N: If I mess up on a duel, sorry. Just point it out and I'll try to fix it.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX.

Chapter 9: Power

Alexis stared at her reflection in the mirror as she ran the brush through her silky golden hair. Her amber eyes softened and misted over. Sniffling, she quickly wiped her stray tears away and tried not to think about what had happened. Why had she given so much to a cult leader? Why had she, Alexis Rhodes, always denying boys' requests, let Sartorius take so much from her? Perhaps she really did love him. Of this, she could not be sure.

As she watched herself in the mirror, she noticed that she looked far sadder than she had ever looked. Perhaps it was her indecisiveness that made her so. All she knew was that the burden she'd been placed under was far too great for her to bear. And then, of all the things to happen, she had to duel Sartorius. The man she'd thought she'd loved. Or did she still? Why, he'd taken all her dignity and thrown it away. He could care less about her. She had eaten his lies right from his hand. How disgraceful of her! Well, never mind that. She didn't have time for such a minute detail of her past to matter.

At this point, all she could do was attempt to redeem herself. First, she'd have to look fairly agreeable in appearance; not one least bit ragged or slutty, mind you. No, she'd have to make amends as far as her reputation was concerned. Then, she'd have to make sure she dueled like her life depended on it. She had to win, not just for her own sake, but for the sake of her friends as well. It was almost as though her life did depend on it after all.

She straightened out her Obelisk blue uniform and gave a curt nod to her reflection. It wasn't the most modest of apparel but it would have to do. It wasn't like the uniform would hurt her reputation any more. Although the hem of the skirt came up a little too high for her taste at the moment, it wasn't as bad since all the other girls wore the same thing. She would make up for it with her proper manners and behavior, which she planned on doing. She would behave as a lady would and that would allow her to redeem herself.

Sighing heavily, she snatched her deck off the nearby night stand. Leafing through the cards, she figured that she could make do with it. Sartorius might be able to see into the future, however, that did not mean destiny was on his side. As long as she kept her wits about her and played well, she'd do just fine. There was no way he would capture her back into his trap. Never again would she fall for such trickery.

Perhaps, she thought, she shouldn't be so cocky about it. After all, who was to know what would happen? Say he did manage to win? Where would that leave her? She supposed that she'd end up as his mindless drone again, and his little sex doll. How she despised the mere thought! Well, she would enjoy his company and perhaps even love him once more if he wouldn't treat her so casually. If he really cared, then she would be more willing to do what he needed. The only thing that kept her from smacking him was the uneasy gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, telling her that it wasn't his fault. There was just something about him that made her wonder…

Chazz gave a little "tsk" of disapproval as he looked at his watch. How much longer was Alexis going to take in preparations? She had to be there as soon as possible. Sartorius was becoming restless, and he was beginning to eye Chazz in a rather disagreeable manner. Give a few more minutes and he might even attack the poor raven haired teen.

Shifting a bit, he tried his best not to look at Sartorius. The last thing he needed was to create more tension between them. However, it seemed as though that were inevitable. Actually, it seemed to have already happened, for Sartorius was walking towards him. Chazz swallowed hard and tried not to look the psychic in the eye.

"Alexis is late. You wouldn't have anything to do with this, now, would you?"

Chazz failed to respond. He only looked down at the floor.

"Answer me, Mr. Princeton."

He finally shook his head and swallowed hard again. The other man's amethyst gaze was becoming most unbearable.

"Well, whether she shows up or not, you are certainly still in as much trouble as you were to start with." Having said that, Sartorius turned around and walked away.

Chazz gripped the iron railing even tighter. He knew for a fact that Alexis would never avoid a duel. Why, then, had she failed to show up? Already, it had been twenty minutes past the time she should have arrived. What was keeping her away? Could it be that…?

No, Sartorius couldn't have. He wouldn't…would he? The very suspicion nearly drove the boy mad. He couldn't stand to think of Alexis in trouble like that. Was she sick? Hurt? What if she needed help? At this point, it was ever clear that she wasn't going to make it. Something had happened to her along the way. Something that he had to go investigate. Otherwise, who knew what could happen.

As discreetly as possible, he slipped into the shadows and to the door. On his way out, he motioned Jaden over. Looking confused, the clueless brunette trotted over.

"Listen," Chazz whispered in Jaden's ear, "I would like for you to keep an eye out for Alexis. Just in case she comes by. I'm going to go look for her. I think something might be wrong…"

Jaden looked slightly alarmed. "Well, she hasn't come yet and that is kind of unlike her…All right. I'll stay here. I'll call you if she comes. But what if she doesn't and you don't find her?"

"Then we'll take it to the school officials," Chazz replied, "Don't let anyone know I've left."

Jaden only nodded as Chazz walked out the door.

The pain was absolutely overwhelming. Alexis didn't feel as though she'd ever been so sick. Every time she tried to get up, another wave of dizziness overcame her and she fell back to her bed. Her head throbbed as she tried to focus on items in the room. However, she found herself unable to lay her eyes on an object for more than a few seconds. It was almost as though her soul were trying to leave her body. Frightened, she fought with all her might to keep herself from slipping away and giving into the pain. Somehow, it even felt as though the Light were trying to repossess her. And she could not let that happen at such a critical time as this.

Glancing back over at the clock, she tried desperately to get to her feet. What sort of duelist was she if she didn't show up? What would the Academy think if she, Queen of Obelisk blue, refused to duel? It would appear that she was a coward. No, she could by no means let that occur.

At that moment, there was a slight tapping on her door. Sickened by fever, she let out a small moan, trying to get to her feet so she could answer the door. She didn't need to bother. Soon enough, the door opened and Chazz stepped in. Seeing her lying on the bed, he rushed over and hovered over her.

"Alexis…" He whispered, stroking her hair out of her face, "You're so sick…there's no way you can duel now."

Tears of frustration came to her eyes. "But, Chazz…" She choked, "I've got to. How else can I make up for all the things--"

"Shush," He quieted her, "Let me take care of it for you. I'll be sure to tell them why you can't duel."

"Allow me to at least show up. Take me with you so I can cheer you on…so they will know I cannot duel myself…" She clutched his sleeve, her amber eyes begging him.

Looking down at her, he sighed. Then, reluctantly, he nodded. "All right, Lex. I'll take you. It's not a good idea but…all right."

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and lifted her off of her bed. She collapsed against him as he helped her towards the door. Finally, he grew weary of dragging her and lifted her off the floor. His charcoal eyes softened as he looked down at her. Murmuring a few words of sympathy, he pressed his cool lips to her heated forehead. She only smiled up at him in silent gratitude.

When they arrived back at the duel arena, they found that Sartorius was less than pleased. Upon seeing Alexis, his expression grew all the more annoyed, and also, a bit distressed. He rushed over to Chazz and snatched the golden haired girl from his arms.

"What have you done to her?" He demanded angrily, noting her half-conscious state.

Chazz clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing in a deep scowl. "What have I done to her? I think you should blame yourself. Can't you see she's suffering the after effects of being exposed to the Light? Whatever you've done to her to make her overly exposed, I don't know, but I do know that it's killing her!"

"As of recent, I've done nothing! She fought off the last attempt…" He paused, then his eyes widened, "Oh, no, it must've been dormant! If that's the case, then surely she will die…"

"What?!" Chazz gripped Sartorius by the collar of his jacket and growled through his teeth, "You'd better set things right, or else."

"There's nothing more I can do. It's far too late," Sartorius muttered, his face drooping in sorrow, "We can only wait for fate to claim her as one of its own."

"Shut up," Chazz snarled, "I don't want to hear any of that. Now, since Alexis obviously can't duel you, I'm taking her place."

"But you can't…you're deliberately going against my will!" Sartorius' face darkened with rage, "How dare you! No longer will I call you a son of the Light..."

Chazz snorted. "Ha! Like I'd want to be part of your noxious cult, anyway. Now, let's get this over with, shall we?" He held out his arm, activating his duel disk.

"If you must, then please, stop committing this sacrilege and blasphemy and remove all your white garments at once! One as soiled with sin as yourself should not go around disguised in the clothing of the pure--"

"Oh, shut up," Chazz seethed through his teeth, "If that's the case, then you are the one who is the biggest poser of all! You lure in those of us with great weaknesses, promising us all sorts of rewards and power. You can do no such thing. You are but a man, not of any sort of divine power. What, are we to treat a wretched mortal as a deity? What good can you do? Huh? Why go preaching to us like Jesus? Why talk about the way of the Light when it's only the pathway to darkness? You deceiver! When you speak of sacrilege and blasphemy, you are only condemning yourself. You are the blasphemer, not me."

Sartorius' face grew livid. "Fine! Say what you'd like, but this duel will most certainly prove to you, and the world, that I am not a poser. I am real. What I stand for is real! And you," He paused and laughed as he walked slowly closer to the teen, shaking his head all the while, "You poor sad soul. Nothing can save you now. For once you've turned your back on the Light, there's no returning. You are finished."

"Hold your tongue, oh wise one," Chazz hissed sarcastically, his eyes narrowing, "At the end of this duel, when you're burning away in hell, we'll see how much of a believer you really are! Can the Light save you in Hades? I don't think so."

Sartorius said nothing for a moment, only snatched Chazz's deck and shuffled the cards as Chazz shuffled his. Then, thrusting them back into the boy's hands, he said quietly, leaning his face in Chazz's, "Fate will see about that."

"Fate is a lie," Chazz scoffed as Sartorius walked back to his side of the duel field, "Fate would have you dead already. I say life is a mix of destiny, choice, and circumstances. And all those odds are against you right now."

"Be still," Sartorius hissed, activating his duel disk, "Just duel me."

"It would be my pleasure. I'll go first." Chazz drew his cards and glanced at them momentarily before making his move. "I summon White Knight Swordsman in attack mode (1200)! I end my turn."

Sartorius looked at the warrior with silver bladed arms for a moment with a slight smirk on his face. Then, he drew. "I summon Arcana Force III--The Empress in attack mode (1300)!" A figure that resembled some sort of alien appeared on the field, her sheer cape flowing behind her. "Now, Arcana Force III, attack White Knight Swordsman!"

Chazz suppressed a smirk as the creature destroyed his swordsman. It seemed as though Sartorius were playing into his hands.

"Now, I place one face down," Sartorius finished, "And end my turn."

"Finally," Chazz snorted. He drew, then, held a card out, "I summon White Knight Lancer in attack mode (1500)!" A warrior with a red feather atop his helmet, a white mask, and a white medieval lance appeared on Chazz's side of the field "And, since White Knight Swordsman is in my graveyard, his special ability activates. For every monster that I have on my side of the field with 'White Knight' in its name, it gains 300 attack points! Now, White Knight Lancer (1800), attack Arcana Force III!"

"You're so impatient, Mr. Princeton," Sartorius chided, wagging a finger at him, "First, let me activate my spell, if you would be so kind."

"Of course," Chazz scoffed, "I'm not disrespectful and rude like you."

"Now, now, there's no need to get so testy. Besides, weren't you just being a hypocrite there? Ah, never mind. I activate Ace of Sword! Now, watch as it spins around, as does the wheel of fate. Where it stops is up to you. If it stops right side up, then I get to inflict damage to your life points that is equal to a selected monster's attack points. If it stops upside down, then you select one of my monsters and inflict damage to my life points according to that monster's attack points."

"I'm sick of these sorts of games you play," Chazz seethed, "I won't let you win this time. And fate won't have your back anymore. Stop!"

The card began to slow. Sartorius smirked, as it seemed as though the card would stop right side up. Chazz only glared skeptically at it.

"Your time is up. You've failed me for the last time, Sartorius,"

Sartorius gripped his head, "No, don't…don't hurt me," He tried to scream, his fingers digging into his skin, "Leave me be!" Even though he felt as though he were speaking these words, they failed to come through his lips.

He watched in shock as the card landed upside down.

"I will hand you the ultimate defeat, and then you will be sorry forcing me out of the boy and the girl!"

"Oh no…" Sartorius gasped inwardly, "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Just wait and see…"

He felt as though tears were stinging his eyes. More than anything, he hoped that Chazz would win, and that he wouldn't be harmed because of it.

Chazz gave a little laugh. "Looks as though destiny is not on your side today. Since you only have Arcana Force III out, then obviously those 1300 attack points are coming out of your life points."

Sartorius let out a small cry of pain as he felt part of his soul being stripped from him. Panting, he tried to hold onto himself, ignoring the loud screeching in his head. He watched partly in joy and partly in dismay as his life points dropped to 2700. He knew he had only a matter of time left before he left the world for good.

"Now," Chazz smirked, "I attack your Arcana Force III as I'd originally planned."

Sartorius planted his feet firmly into the ground, his muscles tense and shivering. Somehow, this sudden control felt strange…Could it be that he finally was able to move freely? Lifting his hand to his face and turning it over, he realized in shock that for the first time, he was mobile without having to be in excruciating pain. Happiness overwhelmed him. Until he realized what it meant. It meant that It had left him. This meant two things; one, his time was almost up and It was working against him. And two, Alexis would be the new victim.

Before he had time to warn them, however, his monster was destroyed in a fiery explosion. He let out another cry as his life points dropped to 2100.

"Because of White Knight Lancer's special ability," Chazz informed him, "I can attack twice in one turn. So I think I'll just attack your life points directly."

"No, wait, please," Sartorius gasped, "I have something to tell you, something to warn you about--"

"Please," Chazz snarled, "Spare me. You make me sick with all the faux concern in your voice. You're just trying to save your own skin. Now, go, White Knight Lancer, attack his life points directly!"

"No, no, NO!" Sartorius screamed again as sheer agony rippled through his veins. His life points dropped to 400.

"Tsk," Chazz shook his head in disgust, "And you said you were all for the Light. Look at you. You can hardly stand. This is the elite, acclaimed leader of the Society of Light. Look at him! He's reduced to a helpless, whimpering coward, just begging for his life. Well, it won't do you much good where you're going!"

"Stop, please," Sartorius panted, "Please I beg you…"

"There is no room in my heart for mercy of your kind," Chazz growled, "Not only did you brainwash almost the entire student body and endanger us all, and not only did you threaten my life, but you stole MY Alexis' sweet, pure, womanly innocence! And I can never forgive you for what you've done to her, and what you've taken from her. You've spoiled her, her reputation, and her dignity. There is nothing more you can take from her. Now, I lay a face down and end my turn."

Sartorius took a deep breath. "Well, if you won't listen to me, then I guess I have no choice." Now, he felt slightly determined to win the duel. If he did, then at least he would have a chance to tell Chazz about everything and apologize. Filled with a new determination and a new hope, he drew a card.

"I play my face down card!" Chazz interrupted his thoughts, and his reborn resolution. As soon as he saw the card, his heart sank. "Infernal White! This card allows me to inflict 600 points of damage to your life points for each of your standby phases. All I have to do is show you my hand. Which won't really matter since you're about to lose, anyway! Guess fate, destiny, luck or whatever you want to call it was not looking out for you today. Just goes to show that you can't rely on something as intangible as the ripples in a pool of water." Chazz showed Sartorius his hand, then, "Sayonara, sucker. Have fun in hell."

Sartorius fell to the floor as his life points dropped to zero. Seeing how he didn't black out immediately, he figured that perhaps he had been saved. Joy filled him to the core. He tried to get to his feet to thank Chazz for saving him; however, a sharp pain hit him in the stomach.

"Your fate is sealed…"

"No, please…" Sartorius begged, watching in horror as a black cloud enveloped him, "Please don't do this, I'm sorry! I'll never mess with tarot cards or fate again, just please give me another chance!"

"You failed."

Alexis let out a scream as the darkness began to expand, filling the room. She cried and sobbed, begging that this wouldn't happen. Chazz hurriedly jumped up into the stands next to her, and tried to shield her from the blinding light that followed the shadows. Although they could all hear Sartorius' screams, no one did anything about it. Everyone was too frozen in shock.

"Please don't abandon me!" Sartorius screamed from within, banging on the sides of his sepulture, "Please help me! Alexis, please! Somebody save me!!"

Unable to restrain herself, Alexis tore from Chazz's arms. "Sartorius!!"

"Alexis, don't!" Chazz screamed, clawing at her arm as the delusional girl rushed towards the expanding light, "Come back! Please!!"

"Sartorius!" Alexis shrieked, tears streaming down her face as she scratched at the massive orb feverishly, "No, please don't die! Don't leave me! It's not your fault, I know it isn't…please no…please come back…I know the truth now…please…" She sank to her knees, shaking.

"I won't let this happen!" Jaden shouted, finally finding his voice. He leapt out of the stands and practically threw Alexis out of the way. She let out a cry of distress as she was shoved roughly back into Chazz's trembling arms. "Let him go!"

"He failed me. He sold his soul to me and now he must pay." It growled. "What do you think you can do about it?"

"Whatever I can to save him," Jaden offered, "Take me if you have to,"

"No!" Chazz shouted, "Don't be a fool, Jaden. Get back!"

Jaden said nothing, only drew a card and placed it in his duel disk. Winged Kuriboh appeared.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chazz screamed, holding Alexis' body hard against his own, trying desperately to protect her and calm her sobs, "You can't duel It!"

"Just trust me," Jaden assured him, winking, "Kuriboh, go save Sartorius!"

"He's nuts…" Alexis gasped, tears still gathered at the corners of her eyes, "He's so crazy…it'll never work."

The light grew more brilliant. So much so, in fact, that Chazz had to push Alexis under the desk to shield her. Despite her protests and screams, he held her under, keeping her face hidden in the front of his jacket. She clung tighter and tighter to him as a loud, high pitched buzzing sound filled the room, up to the point that she thought something would explode. And then…it was all over.

Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes. Peeking up over the edge of the desk, they found Sartorius lying unconscious on the ground. Looking around, Alexis found that Jaden was no where in sight. Gasping, her hand flew to her mouth in horror. He surely couldn't have…

Once more, she tore away from Chazz and rushed over to Sartorius. Somehow, she expected to find one of Jaden's cards lying nearby. But, no, she didn't even find that. Crumpling to her knees, she mourned for him, her crystal tears dripping onto Sartorius' face.

"No," She sobbed, hiccupping, "NO! Please bring him back, oh, please don't let it be true…PLEASE!!" She let her face drop into Sartorius' chest, her shoulders shaking and her body quivering.

Chazz slowly walked over, looking slightly lost. He knelt by Alexis and Sartorius. Nobody said anything for a long time. Finally:

"He'll be all right," Chazz whispered, "He'll be back. I know he will, Ok?"

Alexis sniffled and raised her head, then began to beat Chazz. "No, he won't! He'll never be back and it's all my fault! It's our fault! How could we be such horrible friends?!"

Chazz caught her wrists and told her, "I promise you, he'll be back. He's all right."

"How do you know?" Alexis gulped, "How can you be so calm?!"

"Because," Chazz replied simply, "I know Jaden. And one day he will return."

Alexis shook her head. She wasn't so sure if he were right or not. Maybe Jaden hadn't been lost after all. Maybe he would, indeed, return. An eerie sense of calm washed over her. She felt as though everything would be all right. Perhaps he was off somewhere, fighting an epic battle. All she knew was that he had saved Sartorius' life, and she could never repay him fully for that.

Looking up at Chazz, she felt grateful. She took Chazz in one arm and Sartorius in the other. Yes, she may have lost one of her best friends, but he had sacrificed himself in order for her to have her two others. And because of that selflessness that he'd demonstrated, she would not give up on him. Rather, she would search the world if she had to. It was her duty to go find him and rescue him from then on.

A/N: Sound like the end? Nope. I have one more chapter left to go. Excited? Nervous? In tears cuz Jaden disappeared? -You know who you are. Well, don't worry too much about it. :P