Emil was just putting the final touches on his project when the door opened, surprising him into dropping the sphere. Bastion blinked twice as he watched the strange looking sphere burst, releasing some sparkles that left the boy coughing.

Having come to know the boy as he did, the intellectual Ra made a swift decision ''I'm not even going to ask.'' The blond's indignation was cut off by a simple sentence ''You did tell me to let you know when breakfast was ready.''

''Oh, right!'' The prospect of their dorm head's cooking was always enough to make him perk up. It was just that good. ''Let's go then.''


Shaking his head in amusement at his whimsical nature, Bastion glanced back at Emil's colorful room, wondering just how on earth Johan dealt with the boy.

Banner approached Syrus near the stairs ''Still at it, I assume?''

''I think you know Jay pretty well by now, Professor.'' So that was a yes, and he was definitely not surprised.

Both continued to watch as Jaden stood at the door leading to his and Syrus' room, arguing with their third roommate. ''Come on, Chumley, you're being ridiculous.''

''Easy for you to say and I'm fine on my own!''

''Well, no one said you weren't but that's not the point…''

Aquos appeared next to Jaden 'I think you're going to have to quit while you're ahead, Jaden. It's not going to be that simple.'

The brunet wondered how it could be considered simple for one reason ''We've been trying to talk to him about this forever.''

''What was that…'' The other boy paused ''…never mind, just leave me alone and go. I was fine before and I'm fine now.''

It all started when Jaden saw how lively and vibrant the art workshop was and given that Chumley was an excellent artist, he'd been all for the boy joining them. He'd just thought it could be a nice change of pace since Chumley kept to himself so much, why did he have to take it this badly?

''Look, Ciel was right, if he doesn't want to then we can't force him, just leave it.'' Syrus chided lightly. The girl had spotted them earlier, something about the argument seemed to stick it in her craw. But she'd been quite clear that Chumley shouldn't be forced if he was this upset.

Banner knew that Chumley was quite lacking in confidence for more reasons than one but he felt he was missing something here. ''Why is he so convinced this'll end badly?''

''He was just sure things would go wrong, said something about the bullies getting him again…''

The teacher held back a sigh, he should've known. Duel Academy may be the most prestigious dueling school but even such a place wasn't without its fair of share bullying. Despite the attempts to do something about it, the trouble persisted. Given that Chumley had failed first year two times in a row, that had given the bullies a lot of fuel to work with.

Banner understood that the real world wouldn't be nice to the students and in a way, this could help them toughen up but he wished they could at least curb the bullies. This was just an example of the kind of damage they caused.

''Come on, Jaden…'' Alexis made her way over ''…he can stay if he wants to. This really isn't helping.'' At his surprise, she added ''I was just on my way back from the lighthouse and you guys were getting loud. I remember you mentioning that Chumley could fit in great there. It wasn't hard to figure out what's going on. And I think you've got some bigger priorities right now, namely your homework.''

The brunet made a face ''Come on, Lex, it's our day off-!''

''And when exactly are you going to get around to it?'' No response ''That's what I thought. Syrus, Chumley…''

''Actually, I finished it a couple of hours ago.'' The blue haired boy interjected.

Nodding approvingly, the girl turned her towards Jaden ''Well?''

Faced with that stern gaze, the boy did the only thing he could.


Johan turned as Cobalt appeared on his way out of the dorm 'Heya, chief, looking to enjoy the day?'

''Something like that.'' The boy continued out the dorm, book in hand. It was a nice day and he didn't want to spend it all cooped up so there was no harm in continuing his studies outside.

The spirit spoke once they were at a tree not too far from the lake 'So even with all the academy stuff you still have study the things you deal with back home? Sounds like a pain.'

''I'm used to it. Besides, even being here doesn't mean I can slack off.''

'And I guess it helps everyone over there worry less? A whole bunch weren't happy about you coming, yeah?'

Johan nodded, leaning against the tree ''I hope they worry less, Cobalt but that doesn't seem likely.''

'Eh, true. Can't really blame 'em though.'

The boy hummed in agreement, his focus turning back to the book. Sure, he wouldn't say he completely enjoyed the studies but it was part of his responsibility as heir and it was one he'd intended to do right.

Of course, the main reason motivating him had been the desire to help his parents. And now…he could only hope that was still a possibility.

''Jeez, you guys again?'' Both started at the new voice, turning to look for the source…


Sora Perse was bored.

He'd just left the blue dorm for a walk when those two idiot seniors decided to crowd him again. This was far from the first time he'd faced such antagonism and he would've thought people got it in their skulls that it wasn't working.

Bright green eyes remained utterly detached as the two cornered him. Honestly, they were making this easy.

''Cocky as ever, brat! And we're sick of it.''

''Yeah, you're nothing special and we're going to show everyone.''

Sora refrained from pointing out that they wouldn't even be here if he was 'nothing special.' Their next words only left him even more unimpressed.

''We're sick of everyone fawning over you…''

''…of you being so lazy and careless. You don't even deserve this…''

''…and we're going to remind the school who the real big shots are around here.''

''Wow, smooth, did you rehearse that or something?''

The bland response naturally ticked them off even more. Sora was sure he'd have to deal with a fight…

''You'd better back off if you know what's good for you.''

The new voice brought their attention to a boy walking over. One of the seniors glared ''What's it to you, Andersen? We're just teaching the shrimp his place.''

The boy couldn't help roll his eyes, could they be any more cliché? And this guy too, stepping in thinking he's a hero…

''Oh, don't misunderstand. The warning was for you two-seems like he can handle this just fine.''

Sora blinked twice; almost sure he heard that wrong. Growling, the two Obelisks gave him menacing glares.

Andersen didn't so much as twitch, Sora would give him credit for that. ''And you really think this is going to do that reputation you're trying to salvage any favors? Maybe you should consider trying not to embarrass yourselves any further and leave so we can forget this happened.''

Sora knew the boy had expected what was about to happen, the older teen throwing a punch which he easily sidestepped. Likewise, his friend's attack was deflected with such ease that it was almost laughable, both boys crashing into each other.

''Nice one. How about I handle those jokers now?''

With a couple of kicks, Sora made them fall into the lake. Andersen only sighed ''Well, that could've gone better.''

''Eh, you're new-you'll get used to those blockheads.'' Sora waved a hand.

''I thought I saw enough of this in duel prep school.''

Sora couldn't help snorting ''How about I dash your hopes now? If anything, they've gotten worse.''

''Oh, joy…''

The boy snickered ''But hey, you might be the most interesting person I met all day. So, your name's Andersen?''

''Mm, I'm Johan. I think I might have seen you before…''

''Yeah, I don't really hang much the dorm if I can help it.'' Sora shrugged ''They praised the blue dorm so much that I thought it could be worthwhile but boy do I regret that now. Discounting some exceptions, the rest just come off as pompous blowhards.'' Sad to say, that was about the impression Johan had too. ''So, I'm curious, how'd you know I could've handled the idiots?''

''Well, it seemed obvious but…'' Johan did have some martial arts training and he'd come to learn to recognize body language in different situations ''…you just seemed so relaxed and confident that I felt it couldn't be faked.''

Okay, Sora was impressed. He could tell with just a few glances? ''Scratch that, you're the most interesting person I met all week. How have I not seen you before?''

''Well, I've only been here for a few days so…''

The boy made an understanding noise ''Say, if you're free, there's something I've been meaning to look into. Wanna come with?''


Their travels took them around certain parts of the island, concentrating on the forest, the boys beginning to get to know each other. Sora was distracted upon spotting a poster when they passed the academy building ''…Oh, figures that was a no-go.''

Following his line of sight, Johan found him observing a colorful poster that listed a bunch of names under card creation. ''Wait, you can make cards here?''

''Basically.'' He nodded ''It's part of the duel club's activities. Coming up with card ideas and putting them together was one of the first things they cooked up, apparently. I hear the teachers critique them and if they think any would work, they send them to Industrial Illusions with a recommendation.''

That sounded interesting actually. Although…''Why were you sure it wouldn't work?''

''They're boring.'' The blunt statement left him more confused ''It's supposed to be about creativity and thinking outside the box but those guys barely even try to do much. Their cards are so basic and just like many others, they don't even try to stand out because it's the safest way.''

''Oh, so they're focused on getting a good in with Industrial Illusions rather than the activity itself?''

''Exactly.'' Sora put his arms behind his head ''I thought it sounded pretty interesting at first so I signed up but if that's how they want it then I'm not wasting any more time with them. I was thinking of finding something else, actually. You've only been here for so long; did you sign up for any club?''

The negative reply was of no surprise ''I'm still learning about the school. My friends showed me the workshop the art club set up and they told me about a few others. There was even something about some sort of virtual simulation but I didn't see anything like that…''

''Oh, you're missing out-come on.'' Sora led him over to the second floor ''So this is like a new way to use solid vision.'' He held up his duel pilot near a scanner towards a door and it swung open, approaching a pedestal before he place his deck on it. It lit up and Sora played a monster card, an adorable pink teddy bear appearing then. He tapped a button and the surroundings changed from a dark room into a wide plaza.

Johan blinked twice ''Wait, but that's Domino City...''

''Mmhm, The Chancellor said it's supposed to be like this new way to teach, you can talk up stuff like history all you want but seeing is believing. Cool, huh?''

It really was, it was quite easy to picture just how effective this could make lessons. Johan found himself trying the set up himself when prompted, drawing Amber's card before playing it. Only he could see the mammoth waving his trunk in greeting, clearly fascinated by the set up himself.

''Hold on, isn't that…?''

It took Johan a moment to register the reason behind Sora's befuddlement. The boy looked from Amber to Johan and back again ''…so it was true that the deck was given away. I wondered…''

''I'm going to have to get used to this, aren't I?''

''More like how aren't you already?'' Sora countered. The crystal beast deck was legendary, he would've thought this was to be expected.

''Well, it's only been a few weeks since I got the deck…besides, you're a surprise too. It's not everyday I run into a former pro duelist.'' Having assumed he might have come across Sora in passing before, it took Johan a bit to remember that he'd actually caught some of the boy's matches in the past.

Sora's tone was one of amusement ''That's not the reaction I'm used to.''

Everyone and their mother had gawked at his arrival, something he'd honestly been unprepared for. He'd left the league a while back so he never expected his arrival to cause such waves. Honestly, the amount of fawning he put up with…

Johan thought his expression said plenty ''That bad?''

''Don't even get me started.'' It was amusing at first but then he realized that they saw him as little more than the kid prodigy who rose through the ranks. And he was really tired of it, he'd left those days behind for a reason.

Thus, the fact that Johan had recognized him earlier but merely carried on treating him like anyone else was incredibly refreshing.

''Well, titles and experience aside, at the end of the day we're all students here. At least that's how I see it.'' Johan offered.

Sora very much liked that perspective ''Works for me! Come on, let's be on our way.''

It quickly became clear that Sora had quite a sweet tooth. This had to be at least the third piece of candy he took out and Johan was starting to wonder where he kept them all.

Something about the boy's demeanor changed after they left the room, seeming that much more cheerful. As if a weight had been lifted off his shoulder. He easily took the time to tell Johan about the different clubs and activities present around campus. He'd known about some of them but put together they were impressive. The duel club included competitions, strategy discussions and even analyzing duels. Others ranged from a fashion club that could involve duel monsters, mentorship programs to name a few.

Except there was more than one reason why Johan hadn't really looked into this before, why he wasn't really convinced that participating in any of them would work out…

''But I think that's enough of the side-quest, let's get back on track.''

''Sure, sure…'' Johan didn't really mind but Sora's story was odd. Supposedly, there was some sort of wild man lurking deep within the forest. He'd only been seen by select individuals and only at night so I was something of an urban myth at this point. ''…I know it's a big place but how could this guy go around undetected? It's not like we don't have security here or anything…''

''Yeah, that's about what I was thinking too. But the stories are starting to spread and the way people have been talking leaves me really curious. Some make him out to be some boogeyman and the others just think he's prowling and lazing around deep in the forest and I wanna know what's up.''

''That and you're just that bored, aren't you?''

He'd mostly been joking, Sora knew. But the boy wasn't ashamed to admit it, snickering ''Yup!''

His grin grew as the former laughed. This day had started like many others but he was already having more fun than he'd had in a long time. After all, how long had it been since someone who wanted to look past the labels and reputation to see him for who he was? He'd forgotten what it was like.

''So, you mind if I ask what brings you here? Usually, people would be looking to go pro after studying in the academy…''

''People suggested it to me before, they thought it could be a good experience.'' Truth be told, entering the league had been an opportunity Sora seized when he thought it was the best choice. But considering how it turned out…he wasn't sure if it would be considered a stroke of good or bad luck. ''But I guess when you really get down to it, I'm just trying to figure out my path forward.''

Okay, he hadn't meant to say that. Sora was trying to figure out how to move things along when he noticed Johan's expression.

''You too, huh?''

''? Then…''

A nod ''I wasn't sure about coming for a while but all I'm looking for and as a promise to an old friend.'' He closed his eyes for a moment, Sora keeping pace as he continued to walk ''We used to talk about becoming great duelists for years. Then when we heard about duel academy, it sounded perfect-just the thing we were looking for…''

Johan's gaze turned nostalgic as he touched his deck holder, thinking of a certain card he'd had for years. Even if things changed beyond what they could've ever imagined back then, even with how he felt so lost now, he still didn't want to give up.

''…it was just a bunch of dreams and plans we knew we may never see happen but it still made us happy. A lot changed and…life took us in different directions but even if he can't be here, those times meant too much for me to just cast them aside.''

Sora's initial response would've been to ask why he couldn't be here but the other boy's tone and wistful expression left him wondering. Could it be that his friend was…?

Johan turned at the sound of his name to find Jaden leading Syrus and Alexis over. Recognition flashed in the girl's gaze when it landed on Sora ''Hey, this is new. I don't think I've seen you hang with anyone.''

''Yeah, it happened.''

''You know each other?'' Jaden wondered.

Syrus gave him an odd look ''Don't you remember? Sora's a former pro…'' Both Johan and Alexis noticed the boy's expression darkening, something that prompted the boy to cut in.

''Hi, I don't know if you remember but we met back in prep school…''

The girl smiled back, shaking his offered hand. They only had a few encounters and Chazz was likely their only shared acquaintance back then ''Sure, I do. Good to see you again, Johan. But you made quite the impression and I don't mean the first day, I have it on good authority that Chazz is a lot more tolerable thanks to you.''

''Ah, I don't know about that…''

''Hey, I was wondering…'' Sora gave Syrus a scrutinizing once-over ''…are you actually Zane's brother? You don't look anything alike.''

''Y-you think? Well, Mom says I've got the looks!'' The boy returned proudly.

''Of course she would...''

''Hey, it's true!''

It couldn't be clearer that Sora was just getting a kick out of wheedling him. Syrus continued to scowl, arguing in his defense as the smirking Sora carried on.

Come to think of it, that name… ''Hold on, Zane as in…'' Johan began.

''Yup, the best duelist in Obelisk Blue.'' Jaden confirmed ''We dueled before and he was something else, I really want to face him again and Crowler just gave me crap for it before.''

''You'd just lose again, you know.'' Sora droned, having heard of the duel from Zane himself.

''You don't know that! I could totally pull it off. Zane isn't invincible…''

''Yeah, but he knows his deck from top to bottom and he's worked out plenty of ways to use the cards. Can you say that about your deck?''

Jaden's immediate response was yes but Syrus spoke up first ''You're talking like you dueled him.''

''He did, actually.'' Both looked at Alexis ''I didn't get to see the whole thing but Sora put up an impressive fight. Zane thought so too, good luck getting him to admit it though.''

''Eh, I did my best.'' The boy waved it off ''But that guy's something else, I can see him doing good in the leagues, so long as he doesn't stop trying to improve.''

''Oh, now that part's a given.'' Alexis' tone made it clear how unlikely she thought the possibility was.

''What're you guys up to anyway?'' Jaden wondered, the two sharing a glance before beginning to explain.

''…So, you're saying we've got our own equivalent of Tarzan out and about?'' Alexis clarified, Jaden blinking twice, equally baffled.

''Apparently.'' Sora shrugged ''It's just a bunch of rumors but they all talk about some mystery wild man prowling the forest. I just ignored the talk a few times but eh, it kept happening and I'm curious with nothing to do so I figure why not check it out?''

''Uh, because it could be dangerous?'' Syrus' tone made it clear how obvious that was.

The younger boy made a disinterested noise ''A lot of things can be dangerous if you think about it, doesn't mean we should just give up because there's a chance of something going wrong.''

Although by what he was coming to learn of the other blue haired boy, Sora got the impression that this was exactly the kind of thing Syrus would do.

Alexis wondered if it really could be mere rumors. Maybe…what if it had to do with…? ''You mind if I come along then? You have me curious now too.''

''Sure, why not?''


''So, Alexis spent an hour just getting you to do your homework?'' Sora was suitably unimpressed ''You do realize this is why you wind up in so much detention, right?''

''It's not like Crowler needs any reason to get Jay in trouble…'' Syrus muttered.

Having noticed the blond's clear disdain himself, Johan was left wondering ''What's his deal anyway?''

''You mean besides the fact that he's an elitist snob? I'm pretty sure he just can't let go of his loss back in the entrance exam.'' Alexis sighed, Johan and Sora exchanging curious looks before the latter added.

''Is he really that much of a sore loser?''

Any response was cut off with Syrus' outcry, the boy jumping behind Jaden ''D-don't you guys hear that?''

A low, odd sort of humming reached their ears, but it didn't seem to be coming from anywhere nearby. ''I knew this was a bad idea, guys. Let's just leave!'' Syrus added.

''Calm down, we don't even know where to go-rushing around won't end well.'' Alexis countered.

''Yeah, we might run into our spooky new friend right off the bat.'' Sora fought back a snort as the other boy's eyes widened in fright. Okay, maybe that was a bit mean but Syrus made it too easy.

The strange sound reached their ears on and off, coming from somewhere in the direction of the Ra dorm. Despite their attempts to track it down, they found no presence in sight. Syrus believing this lent credence to his theory about it being some sort of ghost and thus doubling his efforts to convince the others to leave.

''Come on, you were all antsy like this back when we were in the abandoned dorm and we didn't find any ghosts there.'' Jaden reminded.

Syrus couldn't believe he was using that as an argument ''Yeah, because what we found was way worse! Am I the only one who remembers how bad things were back there?''

''Abandoned dorm?'' Johan echoed.

''Oh, yeah, you probably haven't seen it yet.'' Sora's eyes roamed the area as he began to explain ''It was this special dorm they set up before. No idea what it was really about but there was some sort of accident and the place is now a wreck.''

That was indeed news to him ''How come they just don't tear it down then if it caused trouble?''

''Got me. I hear people think it's some kind of memorial…you know because that's where the missing students were before they disappeared.''

Okay, that part he had heard about. The story had been quite vague but apparently a number of students had simply vanished three years ago and no one actually knew what came of them. They were generally said to be on sabbatical but not many seemed to believe that story and it naturally left Johan all the more suspicious about the secrets this place held.

'That'd probably explain the creepy feeling-oh, wait, Chief, ya think it could have to do with that card we got through the investigation?' Cobalt piped up, the boy momentarily stopping as he considered that.

It was a good question, considering the circumstances and the location with that card…could it really be a coincidence?

As he was the only one who could hear them, Jaden was left curious. His query halting as he spotted Johan holding what he guessed was the card in question.

Huh, he'd never seen anything like that before. It looked like an xyz monster…

''Ah, so that was you.'' Bastion walked over ''I thought I heard something-what're you all up to?''

''We keep hearing this creepy noise and I was just trying to get everyone to leave. Come to think of it, why are you even here?'' Syrus added.

''You do realize you just passed the Ra dorm at least twice now, yes?''

The boy blinked, grey eyes widening as he registered the building. Had he really been so busy fretting that he missed it?

''Oh, so you might know about this noise, huh? I was just trying to tell Sy that everything seems fine.'' Jaden began.

''Ah, yes-about that…''

''So, you do know!''

''Well…''

As Bastion hemmed and hawed, trying to think of a response, Johan turned slightly as Cobalt Eagle flew over. 'I got it, chief. It's just one of them Ra students singing deeper up ahead.' Johan gave him a puzzled look 'She kept checking this songbook every few seconds. I think she just wanted her own space to practice. And no wonder, really…'

''Come on…'' Sure, she wasn't good but that was uncalled for.

Bastion was explaining the same to the others, Syrus' shoulders slumping ''You couldn't have just said so in the first place?''

''I was trying to avoid embarrassing her but I couldn't find a way to evade this.''

''Then we'll just leave her to it and drop this along with any other ridiculous theories, right?'' Alexis added pointedly, spearing Syrus and Sora with a look.

''Hey, I didn't say nothing-Syrus is the one with the wild imagination here.''

The boy threw him a peeved look, Alexis sighing as she refrained from pointing out that Sora practically fed fuel to the flame back there.

''Anyway, Bastion, you hear about the Tarzan stories?'' Jaden checked.

''Tarzan? Oh, yes-those. You're investigating them?'' A nod ''Well, I recently heard there were sightings near the old generator so you might want to try there.''

''Thanks!''


Everything seemed quiet until suddenly, they heard a popping sound and what looked like a dust cloud obscuring their vision. Jaden and Syrus felt something hit them, the quintet managing to get out of the cloud.

''What just happened?'' Jaden wondered.

Sora was just as confused but for a different reason ''Uh, you two might want to take a closer look at yourselves.''

''Whoa!'' Both slifers were understandably taken back to find themselves covered in pink splotches.

Alexis dusted her skirt, having also been splashed by the pink substance ''What just happened? Did we set off some kind of trap?''

''That's one bizarre trap…'' Sora mumbled.

''More like we just walked into one of Emil's pranks...'' Both looked at Johan as he walked past them, peering at the area closely ''…there were go.'' He stood, revealing a pair of egg like objects on his palm.

''What're those?'' Jaden picked one up.

''That'd be what turned your clothes pink.''

Cringing, the boy dropped it in his surprise, Johan readily catching it. ''Considering I'm almost sure this way leads to the blue dorm; I think Emil decided to get creative again.''

''So, this is usual enough for you to pick up on his tricks just like that?'' Alexis clarified.

''Let's just say I learned to act now and ask later for a reason.''

Sora snickered, yup, Johan really was the most interesting person he met all week. He wondered if he'd get to see this Emil guy.

They came across a couple of other pranks, which they agreed confirmed Johan's conclusion. Namely that the obelisks had likely done something to get on Emil's bad side again and he decided to get back at them.

Jaden tried to get rid of the gunk on his shoe, having stumbled across a strange sticky trap hidden beneath bushes ''What even is this, cement?''

''Doubtful, but I'm starting to see why Johan's gotten used to this…'' Shaking her head, Alexis sidestepped the trap.

They finally arrived at the generator area; it was rather peaceful. Hardly anyone came here at all and given the thick trees, it was easy to picture someone hiding around here. The quintet spread out to look, Cobalt Eagle also flying to do the same.

The area was rather quiet, there was hardly much besides the flora and fauna along with a few animals here and there.

''Doesn't look like there's anything here.'' Jaden didn't think anybody really had much of a reason to come all this way at all.

Nothing stood out to Alexis either. Despite knowing this was a long shot, her heart sank a bit. Yet another attempt at finding answers failed…

Syrus was mostly relieved, the idea of having some sort stranger living it out here was unnerving enough. Which was why he really did not understand why Sora would ever want to investigate these stories at all and the less he said about Jaden, the better. As if his best friend didn't get into enough misadventures as it were…

They gathered a short while later, the boy shaking his head ''I don't see this working out, guys.''

''I'd say we tried enough already.'' Sora agreed, to his surprise. ''Well, those were pretty vague rumors. Hard to believe we'd come out with anything substantial right from the get go.''

''No arguing there.'' Alexis concurred ''But yeah, let's go back.''


In the end, it was Cobalt who stumbled across the answer and even that took a lot of maneuvering. The avian had managed to glimpse a cave hidden by the numerous trees, attempting to get a closer look revealed a large human shape somewhat obscured by the darkness.

'Huh, how about that…?' The spirit had no idea what the kids meant by Tarzan but he could see that this person could fit the description of a wild man well enough.

Yet another oddity about this island, just why was he here?

Shaking his head, Cobalt flew back to his duelist, unsure of how to handle this. Johan smiled as their gazes met ''Hey…''

The boy stopped in his tracks as something strange happened. He could see a wide labyrinth before his mind's eye, one that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Then came what appeared to be some kind of rift in the air, it shimmered with colors as it came closer. But then it hit him, something was actually approaching it…

Everything seemed to change, revealing a wide forest as far as the eye could see. The last thing Johan saw was what appeared to be a crystal grove as a long, serpentine like figure in the distance soared towards it.

The next thing he knew, he was back in the forest. Stunned, Johan had to remind himself to breathe. Just what was that?!

Wait, that serpentine figure…he'd barely caught glimpses of it but…'Didn't I see that before…?'

'Whoa, chief, you all right?'

''Y-yeah…that was…'' A cry brought his attention to Jaden up ahead as Sora came through the bushes.

''There you are. No luck?''

It took Johan a few moments to remember the reason they were, mutely shaking his head. Sora sighed ''Figures…maybe this was a wild goose chase after all.''

''Maybe. It wasn't so bad though, right?''

''Heh, yeah-at least I killed some time…might as well see what that dork's up to.''

Had he looked back, Johan could have seen the shadow of the ruins looming close…

Alexis allowed herself a small smile as she watched her fellow obelisks walk ahead. It was nice to see Sora finally connecting to someone, the boy had always taken to staying on his own for as long as she'd known him. And honestly, given the general attitude towards him and his reputation, she totally understood. It quickly grew nauseating to watch everyone fall over themselves like that and Sora obviously felt the same way. But he definitely seemed happy, maybe he just needed the right friend all along.

Although, this may not have been a wild goose chase. Even ridiculous as they were, Emil's pranks might have actually given them an answer. She had just come across another of those sticky traps a minute ago. One that a big footprint, a bare one unlike any of theirs.

There might be a grain of truth to those stories after all…


'Johan?'

A white sparrow with a bright opal on her chest and pink tinted wings joined him. Sapphire appearing behind her as Cobalt flew over 'What's wrong? You're acting really weird.'

Opening his mouth and closing it, he decided to recount the earlier incident in the ruins. The sparrow appeared dumbfounded as Cobalt's beak dropped 'But that means…'

''You think it was him too? It…just happened so fast…'' He shook his head, mystified.

'You guys were around in that forest a whole bunch, right? There's a whole lot of energy there so it could be related. I'll check it out.' She promised brightly, her eyes alit 'This is turning out to the biggest lead we've had in forever! Maybe if…'

'Opal!' She winced at Sapphire's tone 'I understand that you're excited but would you at least think for a minute?'

It took her less to note Johan's discomfort, drooping with the realization of how much she was getting carried away. 'Sorry…'

Shaking his head, the boy gave her a small smile. He understood her enthusiasm, they were talking about a spirit the crystal beasts had been looking forward to see for many years.

Rainbow Dragon, not only their creator god but the one who guided and led them all this time. He'd been lost to them in a terrible battle a long time ago and while some believed him gone, they held on to their faith and awaited the day they could find him with bated breath. Johan didn't know how or why he'd stumbled across what seemed to be a memory of the dragon god's but he hoped Opal was right and it might help.

The vision had been more disconcerting than anything, leaving him with a number of growing questions to the ever-increasing list. The fact that he'd had the crystal beasts for weeks and yet this only happened here also confusing him further ''Do you guys know what that was even about? Especially that rift…''

'About that…I think it might have been a gate to the spirit world.' Sapphire offered 'Our lord had the ability to travel between worlds if he gathered sufficient energy. And that place you described…'

''Your old home, right?'' A nod. Johan remembered hearing enough stories about the place to formulate an image of it. No one actually knew what became of the place, the crystal beasts having been scattered with the loss of Rainbow Dragon and only just regaining their power.

'It might be related to those ruins.' Cobalt recalled passing them earlier. Sapphire putting in his piece.

'It's just like we talked about before, that place is practically brimming with energy though the spirits I talked to seemed to think we're better off staying away from there.'

That was odd. Johan hadn't really interacted with them but he'd seen enough of the island's spirits to learn how carefree they were. Why would they say that?

'Hey, hey, Johan, you saw Lord Rainbow the first time when we met, right? Citri said so but I want to make sure he wasn't messing around with me.'

Opal's attempt to change the subject was obvious but both readily went with it. 'Come on, even Citri wouldn't joke about something like this.'

Cobalt snorted 'Debatable.'

'Exactly.' Opal nodded to her fellow avian 'I might have actually believed that befpre he pulled that honey prank on me.'

''Honey prank…?'' Johan echoed, Sapphire shaking his head.

'Let's just say there's a reason Opal's quite sensitive about her feathers and leave it that.' The little bird harrumphing at the memory.

Despite himself, the boy couldn't help smiling. His new friends really were full of surprises and he always found himself looking forward to know more about them. For all they knew, Opal could be right and they could discover a clue as to the mystery of what happened to Rainbow Dragon.

After all, you never knew what life would bring. Maybe the answer was indeed out there…


Well, let's stop here.

Yup, our mystery Tarzan is Damon. I found myself thinking how nobody noticed him until the sandwich incident and my mind just wandered from there. I figured I could take stuff from other parts of the series if they fit with my narrative and Sora hits the mark. But I'm not making this a crossover. I forgot to mention this but I'm not adding pendulum or link summoning. Frankly, they'd just complicate stuff and I've never really liked either of them much. Arc V stressed pendulum summoning so much that it became annoying real quick. When I do use any pendulum cards, they'll be integrated differently.

Anyway, Sora's had some bad experiences with the pro leagues that shaped his current outlook and he's really in the academy to get a fresh start. He's sick of people looking at him and seeing nothing but the whiz kid who managed to make it out there, especially considering his reasons for sticking it out at the league, which I'll explain later.

I'm going to get into how Johan met the crystal beasts soon, it's a bit different from canon. Mostly because I want to expand on their lore and begin working on my plans for them. Rainbow Dragon was thought lost long ago but they never gave up on him and this is the second time Johan's seen such a vision, the reason has to do with the spiritual aptitude he came to develop over the years. No one even knows the tablet exists at this point, the crystal beasts are just hoping to find any sign of him by now.

By the way, I'm genuinely confused. Why DID they leave the abandoned dorm as it is? It just seems like way more trouble than it's worth. If anyone has an idea, I'd appreciate an answer.

Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!