Chapter Fifty

50

The Waking Shadows

The rain came down hard on Duel Academy. The lightning cracks lit the sky and the Chancellor stood before the window in the darkness with a heavy look in his eyes. He let out a gasp as the first of the unwanted guests made their presence known into the sky.

"And so it begins..." he said with a heavy sigh,"The fight...the war."

Triggered no doubt, by Connar's arrival at the Abandoned Dorm...

XXXXX

"Achoo!" Connar let out a sneeze and a few sniffles.

"Uh-oh, Connie." Syrus blinked,"You didn't catch a cold did you?

Serves me right for having the window open while it was raining last night...

She thought to herself between sniffles. The storm came suddenly. And her window decided to get stuck when she had opened it to let in a cool breeze and the smell of the sea. She tried to shut it when the rains came, but suddenly she felt as if all of her energy was drained out of her and collapsed suddenly right by the window that night...

"Time to get up~" Jaden stretched with a grin,"For lunch!" he laughed pulling out a nicely packed bento box.

"Jaden...we're still in class." Connar mumbled.

"Sorry Jaden...but it looks like your lunch will have to wait." said Professor Banner,"It seems Chancellor Sheppard would like to have a word with you."

"Chancellor Sheppard!?" Syrus sighed,"Jaden...what'd you do?"

"The better question to be asking SyRy...is what didn't he do? ACHOO!"

That one had a little whip lash that caused Connar to groan and place her head down on her arms.

"I think an even better question is what happened to you?" Jaden blinked as he patted the pink haired girl's feverish head,"Seems like you caught a cold there, Connie...and not a pretty one."

"Well I can't say much for Connar's cold." said Chazz from a few rows back,"But I can say that it's never good news with Sheppard!" Chazz laughed,"You're so busted!"

"Actually, Chazz...he wants to see you too." said Preofessor Banner.

"He Wha!?"
"And three others." he stated,"You, Bastion, You Alexis...and then there is also, ."

"Well...this doesn't sound good..." Jaden groaned.

xxxxx

They all gathered in the halls making the trip to see the Chancellor while being escorted by Professor Banner.

"Is everything okay, Misawa?" asked Connar. As the Ra Yellow student seemed a bit quiet and distant.

"I suppse." he stated,"I'm just curious as to where you were on Saturday?"

"Huh? Why?" Connar blinked.

"Well I waited in the reference room...but you never showed."

"The reference room...what...OH NO!" she gasped,"The reference room on Saturday-Bastion I am so sorry!" She apologised profusely much to the confusion of the rest of the gathered students.

"Well at the very least you could at least tell me where you were-" Bastion said, soon interrupted by Chazz Princeton stepping in between them.

"She was with me." he stated,"Got a problem with that?"

"Well..no...not particularly." Bastion blinked,"I was only curious..."

"See, it was like this-" Connar stammared as she tried to explain,"Professor Banner had assigned a field trip for that day-"

"Which you never showed up to!" said the Professor in unison with Jaden, Syrus, Chumley and Alexis, the four students who actually did show up for the trip-

"I wasn't finished!" Connar huffed,"What I was getting at was, I had studied ahead on the lesson for that trip- and then Princeton decided we should study, but I had forgotten we had already made plans to do that and I didn't think about inviting you-I had so much going on and-"She sighed,"Point is...I'm really sorry."

"Haha...take a breather Connar, You might choke." Bastion chuckled awkwardly,"Next time though...maybe a message?" he blinked,"Though I suppose I could also, help by sending you a reminder."

"That'd be great!" she smiled.

"Hold on, since when do you two study together?" Jaden asked.

"Since she actually studies." said Bastion.

"Not all of us are like you slacker." said Chazz,"Some of us actually study to keep up with class- having a long term goal of graduating?"

"Nerds." Jaden mumbled.

" I have come to notice you've seemed a bit scattered lately, Connar..." said Bastion as he pondered for a moment.

"He's right Connie." Jaden blinked,"You seem to be more tired than usual." he stated.

"Honestly I don't know what it is..." said Connar,"I'm just feeling more drained lately..."

"So she studies well. She tests well. Yet somehow she still resides in the Slacker dorm. Amusing." Coming in from the other direction, also came, escorting Zane Truesdale."My my...look at this compilation of students~" chimed,"Uh oh...it seems we have a few red wonders~ Are you lost?"

"He is not!" Jaden stated,"Chazz was invited."

"Uhm...there are only two of you wearing red!" Chazz huffed,"But I'm pretty sure he's talking about you."

"But you're a Slifer too, Chazz~" Jaden teased,"That makes three!"

"I'm not like you!" Chazz huffed,"And Connar is-"

She shot the male student and icy blue stare which he took as a warning to keep his mouth shut,"...Better than you." he huffed with crossed arms.

"How do you know that!?" Jaden asked.

"Easy! I watched her beat you myself!" he stated then let out a gasp and covered his mouth.

"Princeton!?" she blinked,"When did you see that!?"

"Th-That is-uh-w-well..." he gulped.

What do I tell her!?

That I was spying!?

Sure!

That's not creepy at all~

It's a shame she's too close to that Slifer Slacker really...

Dr. Crowler thought to himself.

I could have used her to possibly get rid of him!

He sighed and shrugged his shoulder as they all gathered within the Chancellor's office.

XXXXX

"The Sacred WHAT cards?" Jaden blinked.

"Beasts." said Chancellor Sheppard,"Due to their immense power and colossal might...Mr.- W-Well." he coughed,"Connar's father...had them hidden here."

The gathered guests all gasped and shifted their gaze upon Connar who did her best to avoid all of their eyes. Unlike Chazz and Zane, who didn't really show much reaction at all with their own knowledge.

"Well that explains why Connar is here." said Jaden,"So...woah Connie!" Jaden beamed,"Your dad must be someone super important!"

"It's not just Connar's father who is important, Jaden." said the Chancellor,"Connar herself is also someone of high importance."

"What!?" Jaden blinked,"But how come?" he asked,"I mean don't get me wrong it's not like I doubt her or anything...I'm just curious as to the reason why..."

"Well, Jaden allow me to clarify." said Sheppard as he cleared his throat,"See Connar is not in Slifer Red because she failed her exams...in fact, she's not placed there by the school's zoning at all." he stated,"Connar is in red because she chose to be."

"What!?" everyone gasped once again as both Zane and Chazz scoffed.

"'Bout time that came out in the open." said Chazz as he crossed his arms.

"But...why on earth would she choose to be in the lowest rank?" asked Jaden.

"Beats me." Chazz shrugged,"But what's done is done now."

"You see Jaden when it came upon testing for entry into the school, Connar's scores were pretty much perfect." he stated,"In fact she did even better than Bastion Misawa."

"What!?" Bastion gasped,"...Better than me?"

"Not only that." said Sheppard,"With Connar's status, she didn't even need to take the entrance exam in the first place, she could have gotten in plain and simple." he stated,"Right into the Blue dorm, which, I might add, is actually Connar's true rank."

"Ah-so then Why!?" Jaden asked as he shot her glance and she reluctantly hid her gaze.

"Now Jaden don't be upset." the Chancellor chuckled,"I'm not allowed to say much else, but much like her father, Connar is actually quite prideful." he chuckled,"She would rather earn things on her own merit." he smiled,"However...she is also quite modest."

"I see..." Jaden blinked,"So she deliberately chose to start from the bottom and work her way up in order to prove she belongs here." he said softly as he looked down, with shoulder's trembling.

"Jaden, I-"

Though he wasnt shaking in sadness or anger. Instead, he was laughing.

"Wow Connar!" he laughed,"I always knew you were great!"

"Oh, Jaden..." she chuckled softly.

He was such a simple soul.

"But...I thought I was the best..." Bastion pondered to himself.

"Ahh quit whining!" said Chazz,"There's no rule that states there can't be two bests!" he huffed,"Back in Duel prep School, we had a 'best female' AND a 'best male'!" he stated,"Connar was the female."

"So then who was the male?" Jaden asked.

"Yours truly!" Chazz grinned.

A silence fell between the group and everyone eventually had their own snickers to share.

"It's true!" he huffed.

"Indeed." Chancellor Sheppard chuckled,"And I'm afraid it is Connar's hidden greatness that we may need to rely on in the events to come."

"What do you mean?" Jaden asked.

"What I mean is, this Academy was built in part to protect those Sacred Beast card." said the Chancellor,"They were buried deep under the ground beneath us,with their powers sealedaway." he stated,"Legend says if these cards ever see the light of day, terrible things will happen."

"Like what?" Jaden asked.

"Buildings will crumble...light will fade...souls will fall!" Sheppard said,"Our world will be no more..."

"...No more?" Bastion let out a soft breath following Alexis's gulp.

"So where are these cards?" Jaden asked pridefully with hands on his hips," I say we take them for a spin!"

"Were you not listening!?" Crowler huffed.

"This is why I have gathered you all here." stated Sheppard,"To protect these cards from the wicked ones that seek them."

"The wicked ones?" Zane questioned.

"That's right." said Chancellor,"There are duelists known as The Shadow Riders, who covet these cards." he stated,"And one of them is already here."

Connar gasped softly.

"He arrived in the thick of last night's storm."

Last night's storm!

Connar gasped.

That must have been why I felt my energy drained...

"So how are we supposed to protect these cards?" Alexis asked with rightful curiosity.

"By protecting the spirit gates." The Chancellor stated,"To get to these cards those gates must be unlocked by the keys that serve each one." he sighed,"So to protect the cards...we will protect the keys."

"But if we hold the keys, we'll be targets, won't we?"

"That's true." Sheppard blinked,"By holding these keys, the Shadow Riders will seek you out."

"Seek us out!?" Chazz huffed,"More like take us out!"

"Maybe so." Sheppard sighed,"But only if you lose in a duel." he said as he folded his hands,"Fortunately for us, these keys can't simply be stolen...only won." he sighed once more and leaned back,"However this doesn't make it any less dangerous...if you wish to back out, I understand." he said,"After all...these Shadow Risers play for keeps." he blinked and held his gaze over the silent Connar Rose,"As for you, Connar...you will not be taking a key." he stated.

"What?" Connar blinked.

"No...I'm afraid my role for you here...is quite different."

To Be Continued...