JC: I'm working on a Yu-Gi-Oh! GX vector wallpaper. I'm done with the lineart, so coloring it is up next. I think it'll be up by next week as long as my internet doesn't fail me again. The weather has been crazy lately and my internet connection gets messed up when it's bad. Okay, now for the story. I'm sorry for the evil cliffhanger in the last chapter. A lot of you wanted to know what happened after the kiss. Well, I made Jaden here go through an emotional roller coaster ride, and Atticus here will lend him a hand with the love business. I actually asked a guy friend about his view on love and I've put his words into writing here via Atticus.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.
White Vow
Turn 03: A Duel, Test of Emotions!
Two days later, as Jaden restlessly waited in a café for Atticus to arrive, he recalled the kiss back at the hotel. His impulsive nature usually lands him in trouble. What happened between him and Alexis was totally unexpected. She happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Dammit! Why did he have to go back? Well, he wanted to bid her goodnight, but it didn't go as planned because he ended up kissing her on the lips of all places. Their lip contact lasted for about ten seconds since they were too shocked to move.
The kiss wasn't romantic, but the effect sure had stayed with him. Her lips had felt so warm and sweet. When he finally regained his senses and backed away, he immediately apologized to Alexis. Though he was half-expecting a smack, Alexis did nothing of sort and just sighed. He left after saying goodnight, even after getting reassurance from her.
"It was an accident, so don't let it get to you…"
Accident or not, he was responsible for taking away her first kiss. He tried calling her early the next morning after the kiss incident, attempting to make amends for what he did. But all he got was a reply from her answering machine.
That MAN dropped him a line and threatened him to fix their problem before it gets any worse. He sure gets heated up when it comes to Alexis.
Jaden wondered if it was really right to go through with it. He remembered his conversation with a companion after losing the duel with that MAN, and she wasn't the least bit happy about the deal.
"You are an idiot."
Here it comes. The scolding and insult of a lifetime by Yubel. The Duel Monster Spirit Yubel, a Dark-Attribute monster who had a demonic appearance, had been residing within Jaden since their time in the other dimension. She was a sadist. He knew she wasn't going to let him off the hook easily. Jaden grimaced. He made a bet with the devil and lost the duel.
"How could you have accepted it without knowing the stakes? Honestly, you…"
He sighed as she rubbed his lost on his face. He supposed he deserved the preaching, for he had no excuse about losing the duel. His opponent was so strong.
When she suggested backing out of the deal, he begged off. She was persistent and suggested that she would threaten his opponent into submission. Jaden shook his head, reminding her about a monster of white light that was protecting that man. Yubel was no match for it. Besides, Jaden wasn't cruel to let Yubel do spiteful things to the guy. Besides, a lost was a lost. As a Duelist, he should honor it.
"Then you're on your own, Jaden," Yubel said, clearly disappointed.
He had mixed thoughts about it now. One thing for sure, he doesn't mind hanging out with Alexis and being with her during the past days brought out new feelings to the surface.
When Alexis still refused to pick up the phone after lunch time, Jaden called her brother instead. Sure enough, Atticus answered on the first ring. He told Atticus what happened, yet he spared the interesting details about his confused feelings.
Atticus agreed to meet him and talk about it face to face. He can't believe he was actually seeking the help of the Master of Love. He suddenly felt like Chazz Princeton, a dueling rival and friend back at the academy. Chazz was in love with Alexis and was pretty open about it. At least he was aware of his own feelings, unlike him. The idea of Chazz being his rival of love made him feel a bit insecure. He used to remain so passive whenever Chazz would go out of his way to declare his love for Alexis, but it was different now.
For his part, he'd been forced to acknowledge his attraction. But he told himself that any man would find Alexis attractive.
When someone cleared his throat, his eyes darted to the man across the table. It was Atticus Rhodes, dressed in a black shirt with a dark violet jacket on top and black jeans. Having the body of a model and a face of a movie star, Atticus managed to turn a few heads in the café. He was a sight to see for the girls.
"I know it's my fault, but I didn't do it on purpose," Jaden said, running a hand through his hair. "She wouldn't answer my calls, man."
"And a good day to you too, Jaden," he said in a lazy tone as he sat down. "Just chill, J. Alexis isn't mad at you. She knows that it was an accident."
"Then why—"
"You have to remember that she's a girl, Jaden," he said, folding his arms. "A girl's mood swings can be pretty intense, you know. And it was her first kiss after all. You can't blame her if she's too shy to see you after that."
He arched a brow. "You serious? She's really not mad at me?"
"Obviously not," Atticus replied, shaking his head. "Believe me, she'll do far worse things if she's mad." He shivered.
He had learned not to get on Alexis' bad side during his time in the academy. Never make her angry unless you have a death wish, he thought silently.
"Just give her some time," Atticus said, leaning forward, as a smile cracked his face. "Why so concerned, J? Did puberty finally hit you and got you to finally notice my one and only sister?"
Of course, Jaden mused, that went without saying. Things were changing for him. The alluring charms of the opposite sex were grabbing his attention more often than before. His brain was not merely filled with duels, games, and cards anymore. He would frequently find himself thinking of Alexis, Alexis, and Alexis. Last night, he caught himself thinking about Alexis and the kiss. If he were the old, naïve Jaden, then he would probably consider his behavior as odd and dismiss it without a second thought. But these things were surprisingly normal for a teenager his age.
"How would you know if you're in love?" Jaden asked out of the blue, which surprised Atticus a bit.
The waitress came by their table and took their orders before Atticus gave his answer. "Hmm…That is an excellent question, my good man," he said, feigning a voice of an aristocrat. "Allow me you explain it to you." His voice changed back to normal. "Love is a strange word, Jaden. We use it in regard to everything. You love food, I love music, you love dueling, and I love to party! Everyone is looking and searching for love. Love makes people act differently. But love isn't always that sweet. Sometimes, it causes pain. How can you tell if you're in love? Well, some people fall in love and out of love quickly and often, while others feel lust for one person."
Lust and Love were two different things, Jaden knew that, but what felt like love towards Alexis may be nothing but lust. Or was it really 'LOVE'? It was so confusing, because love was a relatively new concept for him and he didn't know what to expect. He was also concerned over the fact that these feelings may be influenced by the bet and marriage.
"You're new to the whole love thing, J, and I'm sure you're overwhelmed with all sorts of new feelings," Atticus continued on, as their drinks arrived. Atticus had ordered a double mocha latte, while Jaden chose a super deluxe chocolate mousse for a drink. "Thank you, miss," he said, winking an eye at the waitress, making her blush.
Jaden sighed. "Um…Guy in need of an advice here," he said, sipping his drink. "Focus."
"Oh, sorry about that." Atticus chuckled. "Now where was I? Oh, yeah! Many people confuse love with lust. Lust is mainly sexual in nature. When you lust, you act only on physical attraction. Love is something more than that. Well, attraction is one factor in love, but it goes way deeper than that. Love is shared by two people who care about each others' happiness. It makes you want to be better for that person." A blue-haired beauty passed by their table, and Atticus shot her a flirtatious smile.
Jaden sighed once more and finished up his drink silently, realizing that he has always been attracted to Alexis, way before he stopped to notice her physical assets. It was all because of the way she dueled. She was impressive, skilled, and cool. Maybe he had hormones to blame for his recent physical attraction towards her. But, thanks to Atticus, he came to understand that his feelings surpassed lust. Nothing makes him feel as serene as when he and Alexis are together. Alexis also makes him feel special and good about himself. However, he wasn't sure if he could call it love. It was kind of hard to explain, considering the position he was in.
"You know, J, you always have this quiet intensity whenever you look at Lexy," Atticus said, absentmindedly stirring his latte, as he stared outside through the glass. "You just didn't notice it yourself back at Duel Academy."
"Intensity whenever I look at her?" Jaden muttered with a sigh.
"Jaden, I was about eight when I first started liking girls. Little crushes here and there. I started seeing girls in a more sexual way when I hit the teen mark. But I do have this friend way back at Duel Prep, who only started liking girls when he reached 15. There's no set age when boys start falling in love." Atticus finished up his latte and rose from his seat. "But being in love pulls you into a whirlwind of emotions, Jaden. You better get your game on if you want to win Alexis' heart."
Jaden didn't even notice Atticus leave because he got too preoccupied with his thoughts on Alexis. There were still some things that he wasn't certain off. He knew that he had to do what is needed in order to finally confirm his feelings. Slamming his palms on the table, he rose up with a determined look on his face, not minding the stares he just got from the other customers. "Alexis, you better be ready, coz I'm coming for ya!" he exclaimed, raising a fist to his chest.
"Um…Excuse me, sir," the waitress said, holding out a paper in her hand. "Here's the bill for your orders."
Jaden blinked in surprise. "What? Wait—" Atticus was supposed to pay for his drink but he went up and left him. Jaden couldn't help sighing and face-palming. "And he could be my future brother-in-law…" he snorted.
"8 PM tonight at Kaiba Dome. Let's throw down!"
That was the text message she got from Jaden earlier this afternoon. She was aware that she had been getting calls from him, but she couldn't find the guts to pick up the phone. It wasn't like her. As she stared at her laptop screen, then out her room window, replaying the first kiss of two days ago for the umpteenth time, she touched her lips with her fingertips. It wasn't like she hated the kiss. She was glad that Jaden had been her first. However, it didn't hold any meaning. There was no love. It was an accidental kiss and nothing more.
She could never be Jaden's special someone, she thought sadly. The guy was not looking for a girlfriend. He wasn't even interested in romance. Despite all that, she could not fight her attraction to him.
"At Kaiba Dome, tonight…" Alexis muttered under her breath, sitting back in her chair. "I wonder what's going through his head. Doesn't he get it? I don't want to see him…for a while... I know I'm being unfair to him…" She placed a hand over her face and heaved a sigh. "No, I should go. I have to. Jaden's my friend after all. And as a duelist, I have to accept this challenge."
She crossed the room to the large dresser drawer and pulled out her Obelisk Blue Academy Disk. Every graduate was entitled to a Duel Disk once they leave Duel Academy.
"A Duel with Jaden..." She clenched her hands and faced the mirror seriously. She had to put her feelings aside and focus on the duel. "I'm not going to hold back."
Jaden's lips turned into a smile when he saw Alexis walked into the arena. She was wearing a blue strapless mini dress with a silver zipper lined in the middle underneath an open short-sleeved white jacket, and a pair of white knee-length boots.
"Thanks for coming, Alexis."
Alexis tried to read Jaden's voice as she walked to the Duelist platform. She was now in the Kaiba Dome, a large dueling stadium within Kaiba Land. It was constructed in the shape of the head of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. With its high-tech facilities, any duelist would enjoy dueling there. Jaden had his Slifer Red Academy Duel Disk on, obviously excited to duel her. He was wearing a blue shirt underneath an open crimson red long-sleeved jacket with black linings, and deep blue jeans with a pair of black-red shoes.
"Jaden, about what happened two days ago—"
It had been constant in his mind. With this duel, he told himself, he was going to confirm his feelings for Alexis. "Like you said, it was an accident," he said. "Now let's just forget about it and duel."
Her heart felt a pang of pain. She could never forget about it. "So the kiss meant nothing to you, am I right?" She lowered her gaze to the floor. "Well, it's not like I enjoyed it either…"
"No, you're wrong, Alexis," Jaden said. "The kiss meant something."
Alexis stared up at him in surprise. "W-What?"
"Enough talk, let's duel!" Jaden inserted his deck into the Duel Disk and activated it. "So get your game on, Alexis!"
The kiss meant something? Just what did he mean by that? He better not be pulling my leg. Alexis slipped her deck into the disk and activated it. "To miss this duel is to deny my place as a duelist. You're on, Jaden!"
DUEL: JADEN YUKI VS. ALEXIS RHODES
FORMAT: STANDARD, SINGLE DUEL
Duel Mode had been engaged. The wide big screen turned on. Both of them showed up on screen with 4000 LP each. 5 cards were drawn from their decks.
She was going to get her answers sooner or later, she thought. "The first move's mine! I draw!" She joined the drawn card with the others in her hand and normal summoned a warrior to the field. "I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (DEF: 1200) in Defense mode." The beautiful blonde warrior lady was garbed in green with a tattered cape and hat. "Now I end my turn by throwing a facedown."
"It's my move," he said, drawing a card, "and I'm summoning Elemental Hero Sparkman (ATK: 1600) to do battle with your Warrior Lady! Let's spark things up with Static Shockwave!" The Light Attribute Hero shot a surge of electricity from his hand, electrocuting Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.
Alexis sighed. "Was that supposed to shock me? Since your Sparkman sent my warrior to the graveyard, I can now special summon an Earth Warrior-type monster from my deck, as long as its attack power is 1500 or less," she explained as she skimmed through her deck skillfully with one hand. "All right, Cyber Tutu (ATK: 1000), it's time to take the stage!"
A pink-haired ballerina emerged on the field, performing an elegant pirouette and taking a bow.
"Cute as ever! Boy, I sure missed her," Jaden said cheerfully. "I guess I'll call it turn."
"And here I thought you were going to dazzle me," she said disappointedly as she drew her card. "I'm going to bring back Warrior Lady of the Wasteland with the Trap Card Call of the Haunted." As soon as Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (ATK: 1100) came back to the field in attack mode, she entered the Battle Phase. "I hope you didn't forget Cyber Tutu's special ability, Jaden, because she's about to give you a major whooping."
Jaden's face fell. "How could I forget? Tutu may be cute, but she packs a real punch. Since Sparkman's attack points are higher than hers—"
"She can wage a direct attack on you!" Alexis continued. "Go get him, Cyber Tutu! Pounding Pirouette!" Cyber Tutu launched into the air, performing a front flip layout before landing in front of Jaden to give him a spinning back kick.
Jaden (LP: 3000) staggered from the hit. "There goes my life points…" he said. "Anything else you have for me?"
"Plenty, because I'm activating the Spell Card Prima Light!" Alexis announced, revealing the Quick-Spell card in her hand. The instant she activated it, the spotlight was shone on her ballerina. "By sending Cyber Tutu to the graveyard, I can special summon Cyber Prima (ATK: 2300) from my hand!" Long, silver hair adorning her hair and a decorative mask covering her face, Cyber Prima was the 'Nuit Etoilée' of Alexis' deck.
"Never thought I'd see her so soon."
"Cyber Prima, go and attack Sparkman with 'The Ending Reverence'!" Alexis commanded. Cyber Prima performed gracefully in dancing before she launched a powerful kick at Jaden's hero. "I'm not done just yet. With no monsters on your field, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland can attack you directly!" A sword in hand, the Warrior Lady wasted no time and attacked Jaden with all her might. Alexis had the advantage, but she wasn't satisfied with the way things were going. "It's your turn now, Jaden."
"Oh, man, I really have to get my game on or I'm toast," Jaden (LP: 1200) said, taking a look at his drawn card. "Sweet! Hey, Alexis, hope you're hungry, coz I'm serving up my specialty!" He slipped the card into the spell/trap card zone, revealing it to be Polymerization. "With Polymerization, I can fuse Bladedge and Wildheart in my hand in order to create Elemental Hero Wildedge (ATK: 2600)!" A muscular warrior, armed with a gigantic sword and gold armored plates, emerged on the field.
Alexis remained calm.
"Wildedge, if you don't mind, escort these ladies out," Jaden said. Swinging his mighty sword, Wildedge attacked Cyber Prima first before lashing out on Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. "How cool was that? Thanks to Wildedge's special effect, he can wipe the field clean."
"I choose not to use Warrior Lady of the Wasteland's special ability, since you'll end up destroying the monster I'm going to summon anyway." She fought to show any signs of worry, as Jaden set a card down. "You did some pretty nice moves, Jaden, but it's my turn again," she said, drawing a card from her deck.
She had 900 LP left and there were no monsters on her field. In addition to that, Jaden had Bladedge on his field, which had 2600 ATK. This was a no-brainer. She could easily defeat the hero with her set of hand cards.
A laugh escaped him all of a sudden.
Her heart skipped a beat. "And what's so funny?"
He could tell from her tone of voice that she felt like throttling him. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just excited to see what moves you're gonna make. I'm sure you're gonna turn the tables around this turn."
She sighed. "Well, at least this is exciting for you." It wasn't exactly the same for her. Even though she was determined to win the duel, her mind can't help but wonder what he meant earlier. She wanted to finish this duel right away and get the answers from him. "I activate the Spell Card Polymerization," she declared, revealing the spell card along with two monster cards, "to fuse Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber!"
Jaden raised an energized fist. "Here she comes," he said animatedly, "Alexis' trump card!"
"Cyber Blader (ATK: 2100), rise!" Alexis exclaimed. A long blue-haired female skater materialized on the field, performing remarkable ice-skating stunts.
"Trump Card or not, her attack power is not enough to defeat Wildedge."
"Then it's time for him to step down," Alexis said, revealing a spell card from her hand. "I'm activating De-Fusion!" The spell card diffused Wildedge on the field and returned it to the Extra Deck. Then the monsters used for the fusion summon of Wildedge returned to the field. "With Elemental Hero Bladedge (ATK: 2600) and Elemental Hero Wildheart (ATK: 1500) out on your field, Cyber Blader's attack points will now double (ATK: 4200) due to her effect."
"Nothing less from the Queen of Obelisk Blue," Jaden said to himself.
"Cyber Blader attack Bladedge with Whirlwind Rage!" Alexis commanded. Cyber Blader spun into a raging tornado and headed straight for the golden armored hero.
"The winds are blowing hard, but I have just the thing to calm things down," he said, activating a trap. "Negate Attack!"
A barrier shielded Wildedge from Cyber Blader's attack in the nick of time.
"You won't be safe when next round comes." She took two cards from her hand and slipped them into the spell/trap zone. "I set two cards face down and call it a turn."
"Here goes!" Jaden drew a card. "I activate Mystik Wok. I sacrifice Wildheart here, so I can gain life points equal to his DEF points." The instant a giant wok appeared on the field, Elemental Hero Wildheart (DEF: 1600)jumped into it and disappeared, giving life points to Jaden (LP: 2800). "Now with only one monster, Cyber Blader's attack points return to normal."
"The only problem is that you can't destroy her in battle with only one monster on your field," Alexis explained.
"Yup, but I can still deal some damage to you. Bladedge, Slice and Dice attack!"
"That's where you're wrong. I reveal my face down, Mirror Force!" Alexis exclaimed, activating her trap card.
A crystal clear barrier protected Cyber Blader from Bladedge's attack and, due to the effect of Mirror Force, the attack backfired and ended up destroying him.
"Okay, you may have destroyed him, but you won't be missing him for long," Jaden stated, activating a spell from his hand. "I'm bringing Bladedge back with this, Monster Reborn!"
Her lips curved into a smile. "Hold it right there! I'm activating the Counter Trap Solemn Judgment!"
Jaden's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Solemn Judgment?"
"I pay half of my life points in order to negate your spell card," she explained, as the trap shone its light on Bladedge. A priest in robes, along with two maidens, appeared on the field and passed judgment onto the spell. The light engulfed the spell card and reduced it to nothing. "So much for Bladedge's comeback."
Jaden felt a jolt of exhilaration. He'd been nervous all day, waiting for this duel to take place, waiting for the moment when he would confirm his feelings for her. When she'd showed up to duel him, the tension had died down. There was nothing but joy and excitement. Alexis was really something else. "Bold but never reckless, that's what I love about you, Alexis. You never fail to impress me." He was aware of what he just said and did not care. It was his honest-to-goodness feelings about her, so why bother hide it?
He could sense her hesitation before she said, "Flattery won't win you this duel, Jaden."
"Then I guess I have to use E-Emergency Call to get a hero from my deck," he said, slipping the spell card into the allotted zone before skimming through his deck of cards. "And I choose my Elemental Hero Bubbleman. Since he's the only card in my hand, I can special summon him." Slapping the card into the monster card zone, the Water Attribute Warrior emerged on the field in DEF mode (DEF: 1200). "And when he's summoned and there are no other cards on my field and in my hand, I can draw two cards." He drew two cards from his deck and ended his turn.
"Bold but never reckless, that's what I love about you, Alexis. You never fail to impress me." Alexis fought to cover up her elation. His words really tugged the strings to her heart. "I'm making my move and I'll start by summoning Dunames Dark Witch (ATK: 1800)," Alexis said, as a gorgeous purple-haired fairy with angelic wings appeared on the field. "Dunames Dark Witch, attack his Bubbleman!"
"Not good," Jaden muttered.
Taking flight, Dunames Dark Witch conjured a sphere of light in her hands and hurled it toward Bubbleman. With him destroyed, Alexis turned to her Cyber Blader next. "Now, Cyber Blader, battle with Whirlwind Rage!" she uttered.
The attack forced him down to his knees, dropping his life points to 700. "It's official. You rock!" He wiped off some sweat off his forehead with his jacket's sleeve.
Jaden was having the time of his life, Alexis was sure of it. It didn't matter whether you win or lose to Jaden as long as you were having fun. "You've always been such an interesting guy, you know," she said, crossing her arms. "There's never a boring moment with you."
"Ain't you glad to have a fiancé like me?" he proudly said with a big smile on his face.
Her cheeks flushed. "Drop it, will you? Even my brother likes teasing me about that." She stared down at the cards on her Duel Disk, not trusting herself with the emotions surfacing. "Anyway, it's your turn."
Well, Atticus was the kind of brother who would cause trouble for Alexis. Not the dangerous kind, but the ones where romance is usually involve. Atticus has a knack of setting up a date for Alexis, much to her dismay.
"I draw!" he declared, pulling the top card of his deck, "and throw a facedown." He set a trap card on the field and ended his turn.
"It's my turn then, I draw!" Alexis drew her card and glancing at it briefly before entering battle phase. "Cyber Blader, it's time to finish this! Launch a Direct Attack!"
"Here's a trap, A Hero Emerges!" Jaden flipped his facedown open. "Pick a card, Alexis," he said, winking an eye, "and if it happens to be a Monster Card, I get to special summon it."
The corner of her mouth lifted. "There's a good possibility that Neos is in your hand," she said, and Jaden gasped. "I was right."
"You might get to summon him, Lex."
"All right, I'll test my luck. I choose the card on the right."
"You got it! Say hello to my friend, Elemental Hero Neos (ATK: 2500)!"
The symbol of Jaden's deck, Elemental Hero Neos was a tall, muscular alien-like hero of Neo Space. With 2500 ATK, Cyber Blader can't destroy it. "It all comes down to this," Alexis said, setting down a card. "Make your move, Jaden."
Jaden drew his card and activated a Spell Card from his hand. "Equip Spell, Neos Force! With this card, Neos gains 800 attack points (ATK: 3300). With only one monster on my field, I can't destroy your Cyber Blader, but it doesn't mean I can't deal damage to you."
"So you've decided to pitch Neos against Cyber Blader instead of my dark witch. An ace for an ace."
His eyes twinkled. "Bet you're impressed."
She gave him a fixed look. "More or less."
"Alexis…"
"You know, J, you always have this quiet intensity whenever you look at Alexis," Atticus said, absentmindedly stirring his latte, as he stared outside through the glass. "You just didn't notice it yourself back at Duel Academy."
Atticus was right, Jaden told himself. It was her duel that got him interested at first and the attraction had turned into something more for her. He never realized this, but it had always been there. Okay, he couldn't say that he was a hundred percent in love with Alexis, but he was willing to let his feelings develop. Patience and timing was the key.
"All right, Neos, let's end this duel! Attack Alexis' Cyber Blader with Cosmic Crush!" Neos had leapt into the air, his fists glowing in gold, and flew toward Cyber Blader to finish the job. Neos had 3300 ATK and Cyber Blader had 2100 ATK. Therefore, Alexis was going to receive a total of 1200 points of damage, dropping her life points to zero. "I win, Alexis!"
"I'll be the one to decide that!" Alexis exclaimed, her lips curving into a smile.
To be continued…
JC: Let's stop it right there! Yes, it's another cliffhanger. Oh, before anything else, let me just say that this is the first time I wrote about a Duel. I had to go over it so many times to make sure I didn't miss anything. I'm also a real-life Duelist who has a fair share of tournament experiences, so I just wrote the duel here as I see fit. Dunames Dark Witch is card that appeared in Alexis' deck in the Tag Force game. I just wanted to include her. This is the first chapter where a duel was featured. I'm pretty nervous about it. But I enjoyed writing about Atticus and Jaden's conversation here. More moments in the next chapter. I'll update it soon. Please do review! No Flaming.