Crowlers Thoughts on the new Jaden

"…and the Pharaoh Atem had to save his people by using magic and what we call duel monsters. They say that duel monsters were real, and the High Priest Seto had used the magic of the Millennium Rod to seal the darkness in people, into stone tablets…" Professor Crowler went on.

His voice showed little interest in the past, and his eyes were starting to droop, but he had to fill in for the student's usual Intro to Duel Monsters History professor. He didn't really care the class wasn't paying attention, he just wanted to leave, he didn't think history was that important. But, alas, Chancellor Sheppard had asked him personally, and he can be very persuasive… a shiver ran down the substitute professors spine.

He looked up for the second time during the whole hour, and a few students were sound asleep, while others were either listening intently- which were slim to none- staring off into space, or were doodling on their textbooks. His eyes scanned the vast amount of students, and gasped.

Everyone had just arrived from the other dimension, and Jaden had finally returned, so very few things surprised him anymore, but this was incredible, unbelievable, and worrisome. Jaden Yuki was actually awake in class. Just the thought of Jaden not snoring alarmed some of the students, but the fact that he was actually paying attention and not daydreaming had some students believing it was the end of the world… again.

Of course he would skip about three times a week or came in late or usually slept, but ever since he came back, he was different than the Jaden Crowler remembered.

His eyes were guarded; his stance more defiant and confident than aloof, and instead of his goofy grin, there was seriousness, and something dark. He always had his poker face on, even with his friends which he now rarely hung out with. He had become quieter, not menacing per se, but he had an air to him that warned people of his presence, instead of inviting everybody to have fun.

Crowler also noticed that his dueling had become less enjoyable for Jaden, and dueled as if his life depended on every card he drew. He never cracked a smile, never said any words of encouragement except for "sorry" when the person dueling him had gotten hurt, and he avoided everyone as if they were the plague!

'Why does he come to class anyway? He just avoids everyone… I guess he just wants to graduate ASAP and leave forever…'

There was something else, something that Crowler couldn't describe… like whenever he sees Jaden sitting alone, watching the ocean, he catches a glimpse of something next to him. It's like he's two people, not his personality, but like he has another presence with him. You could say it was a ghost, or even the duel monster spirit that is always with him, but it was familiar to Crowler.

He couldn't say he knew the presence, but he had experienced it, dealt with it, or quite possibly battled it. One thing was certain, this was not the Jaden Yuki he had come to know and- although he may deny it- care about like a nephew or friend of a friend. The real Jaden was hiding.