Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fanfiction, and I'm going for a long story. My favorite characters are Atem and Mana, and I really wanted to write about them, but I wanted to do something really different. These are not the same Atem and Mana from the series, but their personalities and interactions should be similar to what the original Atem and Mana were. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter One: A New Generation of Duelists

Yugi Muto carefully escorted his wife Tea into the house. She held the tiny bundle in her arms close to her chest. "Joey! Mai! We're home!" Yugi called into the house.

A blonde-haired man came carrying a small boy with tri-colored hair that matched his dad's. "Welcome home, bud," Yugi's long-time best friend greeted him. "How's the new addition to the family?"

"She's wonderful," Tea gazed happily into the blue-green eyes of her daughter.

"You really were hoping for a daughter weren't you, hun?" a woman with violet eyes and long blonde hair came into the room.

"I love my son, but part of me has always wanted a daughter," Tea shyly admitted.

"What did you guys decide to name her?" Joey asked as he shifted his hold on the boy.

"Well, since we named this little guy after Atem," Yugi said as he took his son from his best friend, "we thought it would be fitting to name her after Atem's best friend, Mana."

"Mana," little Atem reached for his new sister.

Fifteen years later. . .

"Atem!" Mana tackle-hugged her brother as he came in the door. The term at Duel Academy had finished and Atem was home for break. Mana always missed him while class was in session, and she pounced on the opportunity to surprise him.

Atem reflexively caught her as the impact almost made them both fall over. "Mana, must you do this all the time?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Mana innocently asked. "You're the only person I can pull this off with."

"Well if you come to Duel Academy next term, you can't do it all the time," Atem chastised her. "We'll already have enough of a reputation as it is."

"Yeah, about that. . . ." Mana looked into her brother's amethyst eyes. "Can we talk?"

Mana let go of her brother, and they went upstairs to Atem's room. Atem sat on his bed and faced his sister. He had spikey, mostly black hair with magenta tips, and his bangs were blonde. His amethyst eyes and confident posture made him resemble their father, the King of Games himself.

Mana took after their mother with her brown hair and bubbly personality. Her hair was long and spikey, and her blue-green eyes were full of mischief. She had a better chance of blending into the crowd when she wasn't pulling pranks.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Atem asked as Mana took a seat at his desk next to the bed.

"It's about me going to Duel Academy," Mana started.

"Are you saying you don't want to go?"

"No!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening at the thought. "No, that's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?" Atem chuckled at her frantic expression.

His sister took a deep breath before she started. "You said people at the school constantly compare you to Dad, right?"

Atem nodded. "It's hard not to. I mean, I look so much like him, and he is the King of Games. It figures people would want to know if Yugi's son is as good as he is."

"And that's what I'm worried about," Mana looked down. "I know I'm nowhere near as good as Dad and I'm not nearly as smart as you. People are going to expect so much from me, and as much as I want to go, I can't live up to all those expectations."

"Mana, it doesn't matter what other people think," Atem said. "I can tell you how much I believe in you, Dad can say how much he believes, but none of it matters as long as you believe in yourself. Because if you don't believe in yourself, it won't matter who else believes in you."

"I know," Mana raised her gaze to meet her brother's. "I'm just scared of messing up like I usually do and letting you and Dad down."

"As long as you are you, you could never let us down," Atem said with conviction. He was always concerned when Mana started doubting herself. "Besides, it's not like you really look like us. The only thing you have to worry about is our last name. I'm a walking look-a-like of Dad."

Mana grinned, the look she had an idea. Atem was instantly concerned—Mana only had that look when she had something really off the wall. "What are you thinking?"

"What if I enrolled under Mom's name?" Mana asked. "I would be Mana Gardner, and no one would know. I could just be any other student."

"And what happens if you do your flying-tackle-hug to me?" Atem asked, knowing Mana would eventually forget where she was and get him while they were at school. "That would prove that you either know me, or you're some crazy girl tackling one of the top students at the school."

"Wow, you're bold to declare yourself one of the top students of the school," Mana punched Atem in the arm.

"I'm not kidding; there's only one person who's really competing with me for the top spot. Zane Truesdale."

"Another reason for me to not be a Muto when I'm there," Mana reasoned. "I want to prove I can do this without people constantly watching me for your genius."

"Well, if you think it's a good idea, I'll go with you when you talk to Mom and Dad."

"Thanks, Atem. You're the best." Mana hugged her brother.

"No matter what, we'll always be a team."

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Mana took a deep breath before she entered the dueling arena. Her parents had been fine with her entering Duel Academy as Mana Gardner. Yugi never wanted his daughter to feel pressured because he was a world-famous duelist. Tea was amused at the idea of her family name producing a strong duelist like Mana.

Mana scanned the crowd looking for Atem. Yugi had dropped them off a couple hours ago, and Atem had promised to watch from the crowd. They agreed to pretend to not know each other, but they were still family.

She had been so nervous when she took the written test; she had been bracing herself for a failure. Mana had never been happier to receive an 84 on anything. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough for her to move on to the practical exam. She just had to win this duel, and she would be an official student of Duel Academy like Atem.

"Mana Gardner, are you ready?" the dueling proctor asked. She nodded.

The deck the proctor used was far below the strength she was used to. Having spent most of her time dueling Atem and Yugi, the proctor was easy pickings. Mana quickly brought out her Dark Magician Girl and blew past the guy's defenses. People cheered as the Dark Magician Girl finished off the proctor. Maybe it was a mistake to use Dark Magician Girl now. Then she shook her head. Dark Magician Girl was a popular card; she wasn't used too much, but it wasn't unheard of for someone besides her dad to use her, and Yugi hadn't used Dark Magician Girl as much since the spirit her brother was named after had crossed into the Afterlife.

"Hey, great duel," a boy with medium-length, slightly spikey brown hair came up to her as she exited the arena. "You really had your game on."

"Thanks," she said holding out her hand. "I'm Mana Gardner. Have you dueled yet?"

"Jaden Yuki," the boy shook her outstretched hand. "I'm still waiting for my turn."

Mana glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's almost time. You've been waiting all day?"

"No, I just got here a little bit ago. I made in just as your duel started."

Mana resisted the urge to slam her palm against her forehead. "You're supposed to be here early so there's enough time to duel!" she chastised him. Though, she really couldn't blame him too much. If it weren't for Atem, she very well might have been in the same boat.

"That's what I said," a shorter boy with long pale-blue hair said. He adjusted his round spectacles in front of his large gray eyes. "I'm Syrus by the way."

"Nice to meet both of you," Mana smiled. "I'm guessing you already dueled, Syrus?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised I passed. It's so nerve-wracking with everyone watching. I kind of have test-anxiety."

"I know the feeling," Mana took her deck out of her duel disk and put it in the holder at her waist. "I was freaking out during my written test. Luckily I can at least keep my cool while I'm playing."

"Jaden Yuki, report to the arena for your duel."

"Good luck," Mana said as Jaden went into the arena.

Jaden was met with someone very different from the normal proctors. Mana had a hard time telling if the professor was a man or a woman. They had long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and wore a frilly blue coat that almost looked like it belonged in a marching band. Instead of a duel disk on the arm, the duel disk was strapped around the torso. The blue eyes and bizarre purple lips reminded Mana of some strange clown.

Mana glanced to where she had seen Atem watching. He looked troubled; Mana guessed he recognized the professor, but he was not happy about it. Mana had a bad feeling about what Jaden was up against.

The professor introduced himself as Dr. Vellian Crowler. When the duel began, Mana saw Crowler wasn't dueling with one of the normal proctor decks. For whatever reason, he was using his personal deck against Jaden and had the look of someone looking to humiliate another. Mana wanted to cry foul, but it was no good. Once a duel was started, it could not be interrupted, and Jaden would have the reputation of someone else intervening on his behalf. Mana could do nothing as Crowler unleashed his Ancient Gears on Jaden.

Mana thought it was over for Jaden when Crowler summoned his Ancient Gear Golem. Three thousand attack points and piercing damage. Not many monsters could stand up to it. It destroyed Jaden's Winged Kuriboh; luckily the little creature's effect kept Jaden from losing the rest of his LifePoints. Jaden finally turned it around when he fusion-summoned his Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. Combined with the field spell Skyscraper, Jaden overpowered the Golem and wiped out the rest of Crowler's LifePoints.

"That was awesome!" Mana called out as Jaden left the dueling arena. She threw her arms around him in her excitement. Embarrassed, she let go and looked away, running a hand through her hair. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's cool," Jaden said. "I'm pumped too. That was a great duel. I can't wait to see what the rest of the duels are going to be like from here on out."

"Same," Mana grinned as she looked up to where Atem was sitting. Things were looking up as she and her new friends prepared for their new lives at Duel Academy.