Konami Kodo hated storms.

They were cold and murky, typically accompanied by a frightful or depressing air. However, it was not these reasons that earned the young teen's spite, but rather, the fact that they kept him from his single, upmost desire: an education.

It had started a month ago, on the piers of Tropica City.

A tropical paradise frequented by tourists, Tropica City was the homeland of our resident hero, the aforementioned Konami Kodo.

A young man in his own right, Konami spent much of his life surrounded by the presence of Duel Monsters, a fact not lost on his caretakers. It was for that reason they saw fit to send him to the most prestigious academy they could afford, that being Kaibacorp's very own Duel Academy, renowned the world over for its many graduates and successes.

Of course, such an education didn't come without a price. Sending a child to Duel Academy was a rather expensive venture after all, and without the Duel Examinations available to those born in Domino City, the Kodo family was hard-pressed to cover the costs.

Luckily, relief came in the form of an unseen benefactor, who not only provided the funds required for Konami to attend the school, but provided a means of transportation to arrive there as well.

Transportation, as Konami had come to discover, that was less than accommodating.

Not a day into the trip did a grand storm strike, turning what was meant to be three day trip… into a two week trip.

Never before had Konami loathed the mediocre pace of repairmen so much.

Regardless, Duel Academy had finally come into view, and if it wasn't for the horrendous rain, Konami was certain that the view would almost look… nice.

"Ere we are!" the Captain roared from behind him, the boat having just pulled into the pier after two long, grueling weeks at sea. "Duel Academy! Last stop!"

"The only stop." Konami corrected, gazing out into the stormy weather from the dry confines on the ship's interior.

"No complainin' now. This is what you wanted, ain't it?" the Captain questioned with a cheerful grin on his face. "Four long, youthful years at the greatest Duel School in the world!"

"Three and three quarters." Konami corrected, gently reminding the man that he'd already missed the first month of classes due to the untimely storm that had set in.

"Aye. Now then, you've got everything you need? Gear intact? I won't be able to turn around once we set out, so the last thing we'd want is for you to forget something on your way out."

"I have everything." Konami said, subtly feeling for a small holster attached to his belt.

The Captain chuckled, noticing the gesture. "I see. Well, that's all you really need now isn't it?" he nodded to himself happily, before turning to regard the gathering members of his crews. "Alrigh' ye lads! As Tropica City's finest crew, it's our duty to send the wee lad here off with style! Are ye' ready boys?!"

"How long do you plan on talking like that?" One of his men asked.

The Captain flinched.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm speakin' like I always do!"

"Whatever." Another crewman perked up. "You know he's just trying to liven things up. We haven't had a real "guest" on this ship for a few years after all."

"Speaking of guests…" the first crewman replied, "you know the kid's long gone right?"

"What?!" the Captain exclaimed, quickly glancing around the ship for any sign of Konami.

It was true.

The boy had vanished.

Yu-Gi-Oh: Tag Force

Learning to Duel

Arc One - Chapter One

Lord of the Red

Outside, Konami glanced up toward the sky, allowing the cold rain to splash against his face. It'd been a long trip, but finally he'd arrived.

Duel Academy, his home for the next four years.

Briefly Konami wondered what kind of people he would meet there, and whether or not any of them would drag him into any exciting adventures. The thoughts were struck just as quickly as they came. He was there for an education, not to fool around. He didn't want to accidently upset whoever it was who paid for his tuition after all, whoever it was that bit the bullet in the first place. His caretakers never did tell him who it was… perhaps he had a mystery on his hands…?

The sound of approaching footsteps cut off that line of thought.

"Huff….! Huff….!" An older, strained voice wheezed out into the storm, drawing the boy's attention. "Curse that Chancellor, who does he think he is, sending me on a chore like this as punishment?!"

It didn't take long for Konami to realize that the voice belonged to an older man, but one still young enough to handle physical activity. As the exhausted silhouette of the speaker came into full view, Konami resisted the urge to flinch. He knew that Duel Academy was said to be filled with colorful characters… but he was never expecting… this.

A rather extravagant looking "girly man", for lack of a better term, appeared in full force, glowering down upon Konami with those large… purple… lips.

Was that… lipstick?

"Hmmm… well, it seems Chancellor Shepard was right after all! There was a student arriving today!" the man said to himself, leaning back to tower over the teen forcefully. "My name is Vellian Crowler. Doctor Vellian Crowler to you. I am one of the teachers here at Duel Academy. I take it you are the student who was waylaid for the past two weeks?"

Konami nodded, unsure how he was supposed to respond to the man standing before him.

"Good. Yes, very good. It was unfortunate that your only means of transportation broke down when it did, as a result you've missed the few orientation classes hosted to get students accustomed to their new surroundings. Oh well, I suppose you'll just have to get used to them in your own time. That being said, don't forget that you'll have plenty of make-up work to catch up on due to your late arrival. You'd do well not to slack off like a few other students I can think of."

Dr. Crowler's face seemed to scrunch up in pain at the mere thought of the students he was referring to, and he clenched his fists in some strange mixture of pain and annoyance.

"Oooh! I just get so fed up when I think of that dropout!" the teacher glowered. "If I had it my way…! Ahem," he paused, coughing several times before regaining his more professional demeanor. "Regardless, just be certain to keep up on your studies."

"Understood." Konami agreed.

"Now then, as for the matter of your residence here." Crowler frowned, fiddling around in his pockets in search of the instructions he'd received from the Chancellor earlier that day. "Ooh, where is it…? Ah! Here they are! Now then, let's see… If I remember correctly you were supposed to be placed in the Ra Yellow Dorm correct?"

Konami nodded his head once, remembering hearing something along those lines during the interview process.

"Well, it seems we've hit a bit of a stump in that regard." Crowler explained. "As it turns out, the Ra Yellow Dorm's out of the question at the moment. It's just that… well, spaces are quite tight at the moment you see and since you took so long to get here… we may have… "accidently" loaned out your room to another young, bright student such as yourself. It is unfortunate, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Still, that puts us in a dilemma as where you'll be spending your first year here…."

Konami's eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head toward the ground. He should have known something like this would've happened. It seemed as though bad luck followed him around wherever he went. Still, how in the world was it possible that they didn't have enough spaces at his Dorm…? Even more importantly… where in the world was he going to sleep?

His questions would be answered by the arrival of yet another member of faculty, and surprisingly, this one didn't look like a circus reject.

"Oh! Dr. Crowler, it seems I finally caught up to you then! Thank goodness."

Crowler blinked at the sudden voice behind him, turning only to come face-to-face with a beautiful young woman dressed in what appeared to be some variant of an Obelisk Blue uniform.

"M-Miss Fontaine!" the man cried out in surprise. "W-What are you doing out here in this weather? Is that healthy for you?!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" she asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. "A little rain never hurt anyone, well, at least not too much. Chancellor Shepard sent me to make sure everything was proceeding well with the new arrival. I assume this is him then?"

"Mmm…." Crowler nodded. "Indeed. This is the boy. We were just discussing his room accommodations."

Konami moved his head in agreement with the man. "My name is Konami Kodo. It's nice to meet you."

"Konami Code?" Ms. Fontaine asked curiously, "What a strange name… Ah! Sorry, how rude of me! I'm Fonda Fontaine, the Head Nurse here at the Academy. Well, that's really only one part of my duties. I'm also in charge of the Girl's Dorm as well. Ah, and that reminds me why I came here in the first place!"

She quickly turned back toward Dr. Crowler, retrieving a small notice and handing it to the man.

"Hmm? What's this?"

"It's an order to get the old room in the Slifer Red Barracks refurbished. Konami here will need somewhere to stay after all, and since both the Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow dorms are filled, there's not much of an option but to move him in there for the time being. That being said…" she glanced away with an ashamed look on her face for a brief instant, "the only room available there doesn't meet any of the safety guidelines… even for a Slifer Red Room."

"W-What?!" Crowler reeled back in horror. "You expect me to send this boy to live with those… those…! Those delinquent dropouts?!"

"Well," Ms. Fontaine said, "in theory it'd only be until room opened up in one of the other dorms… but even if we talk about it now… he still can't move in until the room is refurbished, which is why it's so important that you sign off on the sheet I just gave you."

"But why do I have to be the one to do it?" Crowler complained. "Now it'll look like I'm favoring those slackers! And to send a promising student there as well…. What does the Chancellor think he's doing?"

"His job, as should you." Ms. Fontaine said cheerfully. "Or would you prefer I tell him that you refused to sign the order?"

Crowler's eyes peeled wide open at the threat. "N-No, no! I'll sign it! But that still doesn't explain where he'll be staying until the room's finished. Will he be camping out in the Faculty Lounge?"

"Oh Crowler, you're so silly!" Ms. Fontaine laughed. "You know that room is for staff only! He'll be staying in one of the spare rooms at the Girl's Dorm."

"Ah! I see, I see…." Dr. Crowler nodded.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized what Ms. Fontaine had just said.

"WHAT?! The Girls' Dorm?! Preposterous! You can't have a boy there! It's against the rules! Can you imagine what kind of things they'd get up to?!"

"Is that really alright?" Konami cut in, deciding to make his voice known after a long period of silence.

"Oh, of course it's all right!" Ms. Fontaine said to him, ignoring Crowler's outburst completely. "I already talked it over with Chancellor Sheppard, and he agreed it'd be fine so long as you weren't stuck there for more than a few days. Since Crowler here is already signing off on the refurbish order, it's likely you won't have to spend but one or two nights there!"

"R-Right!" Crowler agreed hastily, "The less time he spends there the better! We don't need him corrupting any of our young female Duelists after all!"

"Corrupting?" Konami muttered to himself quietly. "Funny, and just a moment ago he was saying how outrageous it was for me to be stuck in the Slifer Red dorms…. He sure does change his tune quickly."

"Right?" Ms. Fontaine chirped happily before clapping her hands together. "Well then! I guess it's settled! I'll leave you to handle all the paperwork regarding the room Dr. Crowler! I need to show our guest here to his temporary abode."

"R-Right! You go and do that!" Crowler said, "I need to talk with the Chancellor to see if we can expedite this refurbishing thing. Run along now!" He turned back to Konami, suddenly gazing upon him with a wary eye. "And you don't do anything unusual you hear? Or I'll have you expelled faster than you can say Direct Attack!"

"I understand." Konami nodded. "I'll follow the rules appropriately."

"Good. That's… good." Crowler nodded, staring at the boy for several more seconds before remembering he had places to be.

He turned without a word, his long dress coat billowing in the rain as he disappeared into the darkness. Ms. Fontaine giggled happily as she watched him leave.

"That Crowler. He's such a character isn't he? Well, I suppose we've spent enough time out here in the rain. What do you say I show you to the dorms before we both get sick?"

"That'd be great."

"Alright then!" Ms. Fontaine shouted cheerfully. "Then here we go!"

And so they walked… but despite Ms. Fontaine's exclamation that had led Konami to believe they were in for quite the trek, the Girls' Dorm turned out to be no longer than a five minute walk from the pier. Surprising, given the massive size Duel Academy had turned out to be.

"Well, here we are!" Ms. Fontaine said, coming to a stop outside a large white building with a blue roof. "The Obelisk Blue Girls' Dorm! It's not much, but please tray and enjoy it during these next few days!"

"….That's not true. This is plenty." Konami said, staring in wonder at the giant facility. "Are you sure it's alright for me to be here?"

"Of course it is!" Ms. Fontaine waved him off as they entered the lobby. "Didn't I already tell you that I got the OK from the Chancellor himself? There's nothing to worry about! Now then, hang tight here for a minute while I go make sure everything's in order. The last thing we need is some kind of hiccup seconds before you arrive, right?"

Nodding in agreement, Konami could do nothing but watch as the woman left him alone in what was potentially any male student's paradise. Well, excusing the female baths anyway. It didn't take long for him to wonder how many other male students his age managed to find their way into this top-secret location. It couldn't have been a very large number, then again, it wasn't as if the security they'd encountered on the way in was all that thick.

"H-Huh?!"

The sudden shout of a feminine voice drew Konami's attention. Turning slowly, he found himself approached by a young woman with short brown hair.

"A boy?! In here?! But why…?!" a dark look passed across the girl's features. "Who are you? You're not some kind of pervert are you? Answer me!"

Konami flinched. It figures such a thing would occur mere seconds after Ms. Fontaine left him to his own devices.

"I'm…"

"What's all this racket down here?" another female voice suddenly called out.

"Did I hear something about a boy?"

Before he could accurately respond, Konami was suddenly surrounded on all sides by what seemed to be at least half the dorm's population.

"No way… it really is a guy! How'd he get in here?"

"He's not wearing the school uniform. Is he some kind of intruder?"

"I wonder if he got lost…."

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," a long-haired girl said, "but still… seeing a boy in here is kind of surprising."

"Hey." The first girl said to him, approaching him quickly with a stern expression. "I'm still waiting for an answer!"

Konami frowned, rubbing his forehead lightly as he attempted to ignore the many hushed whispers circling around him. He needed to fix this first impression quickly, or else his time at Duel Academy would be surrounded by rumors he'd rather not have to deal with.

"I'm Konami Kodo." He said after a moment, choosing his words carefully. "A new student here at the school. My own room is still being dealt with at the moment, so Ms. Fontaine said I'd be staying here for a while instead."

"H-Huh?!" the girls' eyes widened. "You're staying here? No way! This is kind of joke right? Did you really think I'd fall for that?!"

"It's the truth." He replied.

"A boy staying here? That's so weird…. Are the boys' dorms really that filled?"

"Well, he did mention Ms. Fontaine…."

"He could be making it up. I mean, he's not even wearing the school uniform!"

"If he really is a Transfer Student it's possible he just hasn't received his yet."

"I dunno… smells kinda fishy to me."

The girl in front of him frowned, but made no move to either retreat or strike out at Konami. Instead, she folded her arms and scowled.

"Alright, I'll buy it for now. We'll just have to wait for Ms. Fontaine to show up and sort this all out then. But you should know, if I find out you're not supposed to be here it won't end well! Sneaking into a girls' dorm like this… it's just not right!"

Konami sighed in relief. The girl in front of him wasn't happy about it, but it seemed she was willing to wait for further proof before doing anything rash.

Fortunately, it didn't take Ms. Fontaine long to finish whatever it was she was doing. She came back not long after Konami had been completely surrounded, a cheerful smile on her face as she turned the corner leading back to the lobby.

"Alright then Mr. Kodo, your room's just about ready now so… oh!" she paused, having realized she'd walked into the middle of a large crowd filled with her many charges. "Already making friends I see! That's good! Being a Transfer Student, I was worried you might have a hard time fitting in."

"No. This is…" Konami trailed off, averting his eyes from everyone around him.

"Huh?" the first girl blinked, turning to regard the older woman with an expression of shock. "Ms. Fontaine, don't tell me you know this person?!"

"Hm? What are you talking about?" Ms. Fontaine said curiously. "He's our new resident for the next few days. He was supposed to arrive earlier, but it seems the ship he was sent on had a bit of an accident while out at sea…."

"An accident…?" the girl asked, "Wait. No, that's not the problem here. You said something about a room right? You mean he's really going to be staying here… with us?"

Ms. Fontaine smiled. "It's only for a few days while his room at the Slifer Red Dorm is refurbished. It doesn't quite meet standards at the moment, even for a Slifer Accommodation."

"A Slifer…." The girl trailed off, tilting her eyes to the ground for several seconds while churning the information about in her head. "Alright. I understand. It's only for a few days right? Then he'll be out of here?"

"That's right, you grasp this pretty quick, Ms. Miyata." Ms. Fontaine smiled.

Sighing, the girl turned her attention back to Konami with a frown. "Sorry about that. You're just a new student, and here I was treating you like you're some kind of creep. Anyway, I'm Yuma Miyata. It's only for a few days, but let's along, alright?"

She extended her hand as a kind gesture. Konami stared at it for several seconds before making his decision.

"It's fine. I'm sure I would have done the same in your position. I'm Konami, I'm in your care."

One thing was certain, he thought quietly, watching the many girls of the dorm close in on him curiously. It seemed as though he'd be making quite a few introductions in the near future.

"Alright, alright!" Ms. Fontaine said helpfully, stepping in before the crowd come become overwhelming, "I'm sure you're all eager to meet our new neighbor, but I'm sure he's had a busy day. It's probably best if I went ahead and showed him to his room. Besides, the rest of you should be turning in for the night as well."

The girls sighed and groaned at the announcement in unison. Well, most of them anyway. More than a few seemed to care little for the fact a boy was staying in their dorm in the first place. Konami knew he'd have to remember to be wary around them.

"Alright then, lights out!" Ms. Fontaine repeated ever so cheerfully, immediately dismissing the girls back to their rooms before acknowledging her temporary charge once more. "And now, if you'll follow me, I'll be more than happy to show you to your room."

"Ah…." Konami said, "Thanks."

Falling in line behind the older woman, Konami felt the day's events catch up with him upon seeing his temporary accommodations. A large, comfy bed, a full view of the Academy below… it was paradise! Were all the rooms in Duel Academy like this? Far from the dry dorm room look he was expecting, the room looked more like something out of a five-star hotel!

"Is this-?"

"Oh, sorry, that's my room." Ms. Fontaine explained, "Yours is the one across the hall."

Konami resisted the urge to face-plant. Really, he should have expected as much. A five-star room for a first-year student…? Impossible.

"Here's the key. It's a little older, but it'll have to do." Ms. Fontaine apologized, "It was really the only one I could afford to give you, seeing as it has a bathroom of its own. We certainly can't expect you to bathe with the girls after all now can we?"

Yes. Yes you certainly could.

Konami had the decency to blush at the thought.

"Anyway, you must be feeling pretty tired, so go ahead and feel free to turn in for the night. Oh, and I nearly forgot. Your uniform's already inside. It's a Red one, given that you'll be moving to the Slifer Barracks in just a few days, but that isn't a problem is it?"

"No. Not at all." Konami smiled gently. "You've been a big help today. Thank you."

"Ah, no need to thank me!" Ms. Fontaine laughed. "It's my job to take care of my students."

She waved extravagantly before stepping inside her room. "Night!"

Her door slammed shut without another word, leaving Konami in the cold, dark hallway alone. He too turned and entered his room, feeling none too eager for a repeat of what happened in the lobby.

"Just as I thought…." He sighed quietly to himself while flicking on the lights, "I was expecting too much."

It was hard to describe the scene he'd found himself staring at.

The room, while not an absolute disgrace to the Obelisk Blue name, wasn't quite a five-star hotel either. It was… relatively normal. Bare white walls free of any posters or writing stared at Konami silently as he set his bag off to the side. The ceiling fan hung low, and outside of the bed, desk, and closet there was nothing of interest in the room itself. Konami could see the extra door leading in toward the bathroom, and upon examination, nothing unusual was in the bathroom either.

Konami sighed.

At least the shower was free of the disgusting stains so commonly associated with Dorm Showers. The toilet and sink were fine as well.

He did his business, and returned to his room.

"And so the story of man yet again runs in a dreary circle, because he is not yet master of the earth that holds him."

"!" Konami glanced toward his bed, where an aged, frail-looking man in a wheelchair sat patiently by its side.

A million questions ran through his head at that moment, the most important being….

"Who are you?"

"I am but a remnant of an age gone by…. A reminder if you will, of the past that is, and future that may be." The old man chuckled.

"Scrooge?" Konami wanted to say, but couldn't. Something about the man put him on edge, and he didn't feel as if he had enough courage at the moment to say as he pleased.

So he just listened.

"It has been quite some time since this room has been used…" the old man explained, "why, the time of the first Chancellor himself in fact, back when this dorm was co-ed….. It was here he spent his evenings, if I am not mistaken."

"The first Chancellor slept here?" Konami asked curiously.

It was an interesting tidbit of information, not that he cared all that much for history.

"Indeed. Who knows, the room may be filled with all kinds of information, if you know where to look."

"I see. Who are you?" Konami asked again, realizing he hadn't quite received a proper response the first time.

Yet again, the aged man chuckled.

"Just an old man satisfying his curiosity. It is rare for this Academy to accept Transfers a month in. Why, I suspect it's only been done twice before. Forgive an old man on wishing to lay eyes upon one of these "Transfer Students" himself. If you don't mind, I think I'll be leaving now."

He turned about in his wheelchair and made to leave, somehow managing to open the door without breaking so much as a sweat. He closed the door behind him after giving Konami one last stare.

"…."

Konami made a mental note to inform Ms. Fontaine that there was an old man creeping about the girls' dorms. He glanced toward the desk, where a single card lay, giving off a gentle glow.

"Yata-Garasu." He read, picking the card from its place on the cold wood and staring at it purposefully. "This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to its owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn it was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, they skip their next Draw Phase."

The image of the purple raven seemed to jump out from the card itself, but Konami knew his eyes had to be playing tricks on him. After all, there was no way Duel Monsters could be real, right?

He glanced out the window, gazing toward the surprisingly clear view of the moon.

"The rain stopped."

The sound of the door knocking drew his attention.

"Coming."

He set Yata-Garasu back upon the desk, before pulling his night clothes on and making his way to the door. Creaking it open ever so slightly, he gazed out into the hall only to be greeted by three of the girls from the lobby. If he remembered correctly, two of them were of the opinion that having a boy at their dorm wasn't such a bad thing after all.

The third one. He hadn't gotten any vibes from her in either direction. What was she thinking…?

"Oh. Sorry, were you asleep?" She asked politely, she and her accomplices till clad in the Obelisk Blue Girl's Uniform.

"Not at all." Konami said. "Was there something you needed?"

"Go ahead Alexis, now's your chance!" the black-haired girl whispered furiously into the girl's ear, as if Konami couldn't hear.

The girl, Alexis, Konami remembered, sighed. Evidently she didn't care much for her friend's words.

"Sorry about this. Ms. Fontaine took the time to ask if we'd show you to the class building tomorrow. These two thought it'd be a good idea to bother you now instead of later, so I thought we'd let you know."

"H-Hey Alexis! You're not supposed to give us away like that!" her other friend, one with spiky brown hair exclaimed angrily.

"You two…." Alexis sighed, "Stop trying to set me up with boys. This is the third time this week. Need I remind you what happened last time, with Zane?"

"T-That was Mindy's fault! It wasn't my plan I swear!"

"Jasmine!"

Mindy and Jasmine, Konami noted. So those were their names. He glanced back toward Alexis, who was obviously the leader of this little 'trio' of sorts.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to consult you in the morning." He nodded appropriately. "Was that all?"

"Yes." Alexis nodded with a smile, happy in the fact that he wasn't going to make a big deal out of things. "We'll be getting out of your hair now."

"Ah, actually, hold on a moment." Konami said, remembering something important. "On your way down here… you didn't happen to see an old man in a wheelchair did you?"

"An old man?" Mindy asked.

"In a wheelchair?" Jasmine finished.

"Uh… sorry, I don't think so." Alexis said after a moment, "Why, should we have?"

"No… it's just…" Konami rubbed his eyes for a moment. Maybe he was just tired after all. "Sorry. Never mind."

"You should get some sleep." Alexis recommended. "Crowler has the first class in the morning, and he doesn't care much for late students, though that doesn't seem to stop that Yuki….."

Not knowing who this "Yuki" character was, nor sure he should care, Konami settled for nodding patiently at the girls.

"Right. I'll get right on it." He agreed. "Night."

"Night." The three girls replied, the door closing in front of them as Konami returned to his room.

"Tomorrow." He mused to himself quietly, listening to their chirps and gossip as they vanished down the hall. "The first day of the next four years…. I should be careful how I approach other guys tomorrow. Since they're going to be my new dorm mates… first-impressions are everything."

He collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion, never realizing that the Yata-Garasu card on the desk… was still there.

Arc One - Chapter One

END

As promised, the first chapter to the Tag Force prequel is now up. It's only the first day of Konami's new life as a Transfer Student at Duel Academy, and already he's being approached by mysterious characters. Does this have anything to do with his mysterious benefactor, the reason he's able to attend the school in the first place, or is it all unconnected? Find out, next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh: Tag Force – Learning to Duel!