[Chapter 8: For the Sake of Syrus!]

Lighthouse!

Alexis and Misaki walked up the docks where a lighthouse was placed to see Zane looking over the ocean with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't look at them as they walked to him.

"So any new leads?" he asked.

Alexis shook her heads before she spoke.

"I still can't believe he's gone," she said, "I keep looking for some sign, but it's like my Brother just vanished into thin air."

"Don't give up," he told her, "you'll find him."

"We hope so," Alexis said.

"Speaking of Brothers Zane," Misaki spoked up, "we saw yours the other day."

"Oh did you two now?" Zane asked.

"Yeah," Alexis answered, "he lost in a practice match against Jaden Yuki. Your name came up, too, and not in a good way."

"The big bad Brother," Zane said, "what? Does Jaden want to scold me now?"

"Actually I think he wants to duel you," Misaki answered.

Zane hummed before looking back over the ocean when all of a sudden they heard yelling.

"Stay back Jaden!"

"Huh?"

"Look it's Syrus!" Alexis said.

The three of them walked away from the lighthouse and over to where they saw Syrus.

Cliff Side!

Jaden ran over to where Syrus was and jumped onto a raft that Syrus built breaking it and making them to fall into the waters. They both came up above water and Syrus started to freak out about not being able to swim which made Misaki sweat drop and it appeared she wasn't the only one.

"And you were about to raft out into the ocean!" Jaden yelled, "that makes sense!"

They went under the water then while Chumly ran and then jumped into the water.

"I'm coming," he said, but when he landed into the water he was setting. "It's shallow."

Syrus and Jaden then came up above the water soaking wet and Jaden was a bit annoyed.

"Why are you trying to stop me Jaden?" he asked, "I stink. Please just let me go? They'll a signed you a new tag partner and you'll have a much better shot at winning the match."

"Sy, that's you Brother talking," Jaden told him, "come pal you've got to believe in yourself."

"You've got to believe me?" Syrus asked, "I'm a lost caused."

It was then that they reached where Jaden, Chumly, and Jaden where.

"He is right you know," Zane said.

"Zane," Syrus said when he and the other two looked up to see Alexis and Misaki

"So that's the school's top duelist?" Jaden asked.

"You dropin' out?" Zane asked.

"Well," Syrus said, "yeah, kinda."

"Well, it's about time," Zane told him.

Misaki felt bad for Syrus she saw him turn and place his hands on two of the logs he was using for the raft before crying which brought tears to their eyes.

"He's wrong," she heard Jaden say making her looked at him to see him looking at Zane with a very pissed off look. "You're his big Brother. How can you say that?"

"Because I know him," Zane answered.

"Yeah," Jaden said, "I think you know it all. Guess what? You don't and I'm going to prove it right now. Let's duel."

"No Jaden," Syrus said in shock.

"Duel a Slifer?" Zane asked interested, "sure why not. After all it's been awhile since I went slumming."

"Then get your game on," Jaden told him.

"Jaden!" Syrus yelled in a full blown panic. "He's good."

"I'm sure is," Jaden told him, 'and I'm sure this duel is going to help with Sy's confidence problem without hurting mine.'

They all left the cliff side to head over to the docks where Jaden and Zane would have more dueling room.

Docks!

Misaki stood with Chumly, Syrus, and Alexis off onto the side as Jaden and Zane faced off against each other.

"Duel!"

Zane: 4000

Jaden: 4000

"Ah man," Syrus mumbled, "my Big Brother taking on my best friend. There's no way this is going to turn out good."

'Ok,' Jaden thought, 'now we find out what's on with Sy and his bro, and we also find out how I rank with the best.' Jaden drew his first card. "Here I come Zane. First I'm going to summon Elemental Hero Avian in Atk mode. And I think I'll go ahead and throw down a face down while I'm at it."

"That's all, uh?" Zane asked as he drew a new card, "ok. For my first move I think I'll summon Cyber Dragon in Atk mode."

A dragon like machine appeared on Zane's fields.

"What?" Jaden asked confused and shocked, "How can you bring out a level 5 monster on your very first turn?"

"It's because it is his first turn Jaden," Misaki answered instead.

"She's right," Zane agreed, "with no monsters out he requires no sacrifices. And now I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face down card.

"That was fast," Jaden said after his card as destroyed.

"Not as fast as your life point meteor going down," Zane told him, "Cyber Dragon Atk. Strident Blast!"

Jaden: 2900

'I told him Zane was good,' Syrus thought.

"Next I activate the spell card Different Dimension Capsule," Zane went on, "it allows me to pick any card from my deck then I put it into the capsule and take it out in two turns and into my hand."

"Man, that's got to be the best card out of his entire deck," Jaden said with awe, "I can't wait to see what comes out there."

'Well, I can cause it's not going to be pretty,' Syrus thought.

Misaki just sweat dropped as she shook her head.

"It's your move Jaden," Zane told him.

'Yeah and I better make it count cause I'm starting to get the feeling that only is this guy's good as everyone say's he is, he might even be better,' Jaden thought, 'but still that doesn't mean he's better then me.' "Alright, round 2." Jaden drew a new card. "And first I'll rock Polymerization. And next I'll roll out Elemental Hero Sparkman and Clayman! And fused them to create Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!" Misaki smirked a bit when the monster appeared. "And since his special ability destroy's monsters with less Atk points then him, your Cyber Dragon is pulverized!" Lighting striked down from the sky and destroyed Zane's dragon. "Yes. It looks Thunder Giant made the big man on campus smaller wouldn't you?"

"Yeah I would say it," Chumly answered.

"And the best part about that blast is that was just his special ability," Jaden explained, "I still get to use his Atk! And since you now defenseless I'm going to use it directly on you!"

The Thunder Giant did as Jaden ordered making Misaki to let out a sigh.

Zane: 1600

"You could at least kinda of flinched," Jaden stated, "oh, well. Maybe this face down card will get to you later."

'Yeah,' Syrus thought, 'if Jaden survives long enough to use it.'

"Nice moves kid, but of course with my field now empty again I can throw out another Cyber Dragon," Zane told him as a second Cyber Dragon on the field, "or better yet two. I play Monster Reborn! And with just one monster in my graveyard you can guess just whose coming back." An other Cyber Dragon appeared onto the field next to the other one. "But neither would be around long in present form that is." Zane had flipped over Polymerization to show Jaden. "Dragons Unite! Now Cyber Twin Dragon emerge!"

A two headed dragon appeared onto the field behind Zane.

"Twin Dragon!" Chumly yelled, "one was bad enough."

"Now my Dragon can Atk twice in a round which means double the trouble for your monster and life points," Zane told Jaden, "Twin Dragon Atk!"

"Not so fast cause I got a trap card out!" Jaden shouted, "A Hero Emerges!" The trap lifted up. "Now normal you'll have to pick a card that's in my hand and if it was a monster I get to summon, but since I have only one card in my hand let's just right to it shell we. Wraughtweiler in Def mode."

A robot dog appeared on the field in front of Jaden and next to his Thunder Giant.

"You'll need it," Zane stated, "Cyber Twin Dragon! Double Strident Blast!"

Jaden: 2500

"Glad you did that cause when Wraughtweiler's destroyed his special ability activates. It brings 1 Elemental Hero and 1 Polymerization card back from the graveyard and into my hand." Jaden took two cards from his graveyard and added them to his hand. "Just when you thought you could probably stop worrying about 'em, uh, Zane?"

"I don't worry," Zane answered.

"Man, your chill!" Jaden said, "not worried, not even flinching! You are good!"

"You, too, Jaden," Zane complemented.

'Wow,' Syrus thought as Misaki and Alexis looked at him, 'since when does Zane give props?'

"Now where was I?" Jaden asked, "oh, yeah." Jaden drew what could be his last card. "I was about to summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman. And since Bubbleman is the only monster on my field I can drew two cards. Huh?" Misaki raised an eyebrow wondering what Jaden drew. 'Transcendent Wings and Winged Kuriboh! The cards that I used to trashed that Dragon Catapult with. An evolved Winged Kuriboh well turn Zane's Cyber Twin Dragon into a pile of Cyber junk then turn it's Atk points as damage. That should be enough to drop his life points to zero and win the duel, but I can't summon any more cards this turn so I'll have to wait till my next turn. But I don't have to wait till next turn to play another card.' "Alright Zane! I play Polymerization and fuse my Elemental Hero Bubbleman with Elemental Hero Clayman. Now Elemental Hero Mudballman raise in Def mode."

"Luscious," Chumly said, "Mudballman got's 3000 Def points. That Twin Dragon's Atk won't get through to Jaden."

'I don't think that's the problem,' Misaki thought, 'if I know Zane like I think I know him then he has something up his selves.'

'I don't believe it,' Syrus thought, 'Jaden might actually win.'

"Alright," Jaden said, "give me, your best shot Zane."

"My best shot, uh?" Zane asked as he drew a new card, "you got it."

'Oh no.'

'This is not good for Jaden,' Misaki thought.

'The Capsule,' Jaden thought as the Capsule from two turns ago reappeared.

"It's been two turn since I activated Different Dimension Capsule," Zane reminded them all, "and now I can take the card I first put into it and add it to my hand. You've played well, but not well enough."

"Hey, give me what'cha got?" Jaden asked, "I'm ready."

'If that card is what I think that card is then...' Misaki swolled, 'Jaden, you really aren't ready.'

"I'm sure that you are," Zane agreed, "a good duelist is ready for anything. And that mean's not just knowing how to use all of their cards, but knowing how to play then, too. And you know how to play your cards well, Jaden."

'Knowing how to play your cards?' Syrus thought.

'That's a nice complement, but an even better advice,' Jaden thought, 'hope Sy's listening?'

'Of course,' Syrus thought, 'knowing how to use a card and knowing how to play it are two totally different things. That's what Zane tried to tell me all those years ago. I get it now.'

"First I activate the D-Fusion card," Zane went on as he held up a card, "it splits my Dragon back into two separate Cyber Dragons. Next I activate the magic of Power Bond. With this spell card I'll allowed to summon a machine-type fusion monster. With a Cyber Dragon in my hand as well I can now fuse three of them together to create the Cyber End Dragon." A metal Dragon with three heads appeared onto the field behind Zane. "Plus it's Atk points are double because of Power Bond's effect."

Zane's Cyber End Dragon let out a roar as it's 4000 Atk went to 8000.

"What?" Chumly asked, "8000?"

"Keep in mind when Cyber End Dragon Atk's the difference between his Atk points and your monster's Def points come out of your life points as damage," Zane informed Jaden.

"Just hang tough!" Chumly yelled at Jaden, "if you can survive this Atk you can win for sure cause of Power Bond's nasty side effect"

"Chumly's right," Alexis agreed, "at the end of the turn that Power Bond is used the player who activated the card takes damage equal to the Atking monster's original Atk points."

'Yeah, but that won't matter if you play it right and Zane has,' Syrus thought, 'I just wish it didn't have to be at Jaden's expense.'

"Cyber End Dragon Atk Mudballman!" Zane ordered, "Super Strident Blaze!"

Misaki covered her eyes as Zane's did as it was told to do which ended the duel.

Jaden: 0

Misaki uncovered her eyes to see Jaden on his back from the atk.

"Jaden!" Chumly yelled, "No!"

"I can't believe it," Alexis said, "he lost."

"No!" Syrus yelled as he ran over to Jaden.

"Thanks for a great duel Zane," Jaden said as he stood up.

Zane nodded his head then he looked at Syrus who was standing right next to Jaden before he turned around and walked off having Misaki and Alexis to run up to him.

"So Zane?" Alexis asked, "what ya think?"

"I think Sy chosed good friends Alexis, Misaki," Zane answered.

Alexis and Misaki smiled before they said their good-byes to Zane and left for their dorm.