I just want to thank you guys for giving me some clarification as to why Zane's behavior has suddenly changed during Seasons 3 and 4. Apparently, from what I've been told, Zane's duel with Syrus did influence him to change his ways, in a certain manner of speaking, even though it wasn't specifically told in the anime. Another reason for his behavior change is because of his heart problems, like he was on the verge of death due to overusing his Cyberdark deck, so I guess knowing your own death would influence you greatly enough to change, even if a little.

Well, I've said my thoughts, but I still want to thank all of you who contributed to helping me understand more on Zane's behavioral situation! Let's get back to this story, especially since I've been waiting for this part of the story to make a bit of a twist! Please note that even though there are more published cards in this...certain deck going to be used this duel, I can't use them because of plot reasons and because Synchro Summoning isn't in the show, so sorry!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own any Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!

Jaden didn't know how she got into this mess. She was just heading back to her dorms after dueling a man named Dr. Eisenstein when Bastion suddenly popped out of nowhere and challenged her to a duel. While she was happy to interact with him again, a large part of her heart was swallowed up with guilt over what she had done to him the last time they talked, and how it was practically her fault that he ended up joining the Society of Light, even if he was brainwashed.

She felt like such a horrible friend and still feels that way, especially after ignoring him when he desperately needed her the most.

Right now, the two of them were outside, facing each other and preparing for their duel. Jaden tried to keep a positive attitude, but it was hard, considering that she still felt it was her own fault that Bastion had gone off the wrong side. But, at the same time, it was a relief when she heard from him that he was no longer associated with the Society of Light.

"Jaden, are you fully prepared?"

"Y-Yup! Ready to go! Let's do this!"

"DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Jaden - 4000 LP

VS

Bastion - 4000 LP

"Last I recalled, the last time we dueled was around a year ago, wasn't it?" Bastion questioned.

"...Yeah, so?" wondered Jaden.

"And, the last time we dueled, I went first, so how about I let you go first this time?"

"Really? Alright, then," Jaden agreed, drawing her card. "I activate the Spell, E - Emergency Call! Now, I get to add any Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand! Then, I set a card and a Monster and end my turn!"

"I draw!" said Bastion. "I set a card facedown and then summon Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1850/1300)

"Oh! I think you're using an entirely different deck! I've never seen you use this card before!" praised Jaden.

"But, of course!" Bastion said. "This is my LIGHT Attribute deck, customized for the Society of Light and quite-fitting, if I do say so myself! But enough talk! Let's battle! Garoth, attack! Destroy her Monster!"

Garoth heaved his heavy axe above his head as he charged towards Jaden's Set Monster before bringing his weapon down, intent on bisecting the Monster. However, a force field surrounded the mysterious Monster and threw Garoth back. Due to Garoth's assault, it triggered the reveal of Jaden's mysterious Monster, Elemental Hero Woodsman.

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

Jaden - 4000 LP

Bastion - 3850 LP

"Urgh!" Bastion felt the slight backlash effect from his attack not only failing, but inflicting some damage to his own Life Points. "Very impressive tactic, Jaden. Something I didn't quite anticipate from you, of all people."

"Awww, thanks!" said Jaden. "But if you think that I'm finished, then you're so wrong!"

"Very well, then! I end my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" Jaden said. "And now, I activate Woodsman's effect! Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can use his effect to add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand! I activate Polymerization in order to fuse both Sparkman and Necroshade from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Darkbright!"

Elemental Hero Darkbright - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/1000)

"Darkbright, attack! Wipe out Garoth!"

Darkbright charged up a pulsing ball of dark electricity before hurling it at Garoth, when Bastion intervened right at the last second.

"I don't think so! Go, facedown card! The Continuous Trap, Lightsworn Barrier!" shouted Bastion. "With this Trap, if a Lightsworn Monster I control is selected as an attack target, I can send the top 2 cards of my deck to the Graveyard in order to negate that attack!"

A crystalized barrier appeared and surrounded Garoth, shielding him from Darkbright's dark electrical assault.

"And there's more! One of the cards I just sent to the Graveyard was a certain Lightsworn Monster named Wulf, Lightsworn Beast! And he normally can't be Normal Summoned or Set, but he can only be Special Summoned if he's sent from the deck to the Graveyard! Come forth, Wulf!"

Wulf, Lightsworn Beast - (LIGHT/Beast-Warrior) - LV4 - (2100/300)

Realizing that Wulf is currently more stronger than Darkbright, and that there was a good chance that Wulf could easily wipe out Darkbright on Bastion's next turn, Jaden knew what to do next. "I activate Darkbright's effect! If he battles, I can change his battle position at the end of the Damage Step, so I switch Darkbright into Defense Mode!"

"Trying to play defensive? I don't blame you, considering the circumstances," admitted Bastion, approving of her skillful move.

"I end my turn!" shouted Jaden, knowing that she had a pretty good defense for now.

"My move!" Bastion said. 'It's very fortunate that I haven't suffered any of the side effects of the Lightsworn Monsters, but that'll have to change sooner or later!' "I summon forth Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress in Attack Mode!"

Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1700/200)

"I now activate Lyla's effect! I can target 1 Spell/Trap you control, change Lyla from Attack Mode to Defense Mode, and then destroy that Spell/Trap I just targeted! The only downside of this is that I cannot change Lyla's battle position until the end of my next turn!"

Jaden glanced down at her one and only Set card that was destroyed by Lyla just as she knelt down in Defense Mode; her actions sending a beam of light onto her facedown card that immediately destroyed it.

"Now, I believe it's time for battle! Let's start off with Garoth! Destroy her Elemental Hero Darkbright!"

This time, no interference came from Jaden as Garoth slashed through Darkbright's armored defenses, bisecting him before an explosion occurred, signaling Darkbright's destruction.

"I activate Darkbright's effect! When he's destroyed, I get to destroy 1 Monster on the field!" shouted Jaden. "And I choose Wulf!"

"What?!" Unfortunately, Bastion was unable to do anything to stop the sudden destruction of his currently strongest Monster on the field. "Tch! Very clever, Jaden! I end my turn! At this time, Lyla's effect activates! During my End Phase, I must send the top 3 cards from my deck to the Graveyard! And now, Garoth's effect activates! Each time cards are sent from my deck to the Graveyard by a Lightsworn Monster's effect, I can send the top 2 cards of my deck to the Graveyard and then draw 1 card for each Lightsworn Monster sent through Garoth's effect! I had sent Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, and another Garoth to the Graveyard, so I draw 2 cards!"

"Man, that must be a very complicated deck to be able to understand and use that much!" commented Jaden.

"Oh, don't worry. I've had a lot of practice and training with this deck! Now, make your move, Jaden!"

"Right, right, right! My turn, draw!" shouted Jaden. "And, Woodsman's effect activates once more! Now, I can add a Polymerization card from my deck to my hand during my Standby Phase! I then activate the Spell Card, Fusion Recovery, to get back both a Polymerization and a Fusion-Material Monster from my hand! I choose Sparkman! I fuse both Sparkman and Clayman from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Not so fast, Jaden!" shouted Bastion. "I knew you were going to Fusion Summon again, which is why I prepared for this! My Counter Trap card, Vanquishing Light! By Tributing a Lightsworn Monster I control, I can negate the summon of a Monster and then destroy it! I sacrifice Lyla, so your Thunder Giant is no more!"

Jaden grunted and shielded herself with her arm as both Lyla and Thunder Giant exploded right before her very eyes. Because of this, she was forced to resort to a different method. "I end my turn with a facedown!"

"Pity, I expected more!" said Bastion, drawing his card. "First things first! I sacrifice Garoth in order to Tribute Summon Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon!"

Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV6 - (2000/1600)

"His effect now activates! For every Lightsworn Monster with different names in my Graveyard, he gains an additional 300 Attack and Defense Point bonus each! Right now, there's a total of 4 different Lightsworn Monsters, so that means he gains 1200 extra!"

Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV6 - (3200/1600)

"Next, from my hand, I activate the Spell, Exchange! Now, we have to see each others' hand and then swipe out one card from each other!"

Jaden's eyes widened before she let out a groan. "Oh, what? Alright, fine!" She and Bastion walked towards each other, where they presented and showed their hands towards each other.

Bastion scanned through her cards before picking Polymerization, the exact card he was looking for, out of the two cards she held. As for Jaden, she was rather curious about all of his cards, but ultimately decided on an Equip Spell card called Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade, to add to her hand.

When they returned to their respective sides on the field, Bastion continued his turn. "Now then, the time has come! I activate my facedown card, the Continuous Spell, Fusion Destruction! By sending a Polymerization from my hand to the Graveyard, I can look at your deck and then banish up to three Polymerization and/or Fusion Spell/Traps!"

All of Jaden's Fusion cards were exposed from her main deck, being shown above her head as Bastion peered his eyes and carefully decided which ones to remove. In the end, he chose to remove 1 Polymerization, 1 Miracle Fusion, and 1 Fusion Weapon card.

"It's just like the time when you got rid of me using Polymerization during our last duel!" gasped Jaden.

Bastion smirked, nodding. "But, of course! This time, though, it's a vast improvement! Now, for every card that I banished this way, you take 300 Points of Damage each!"

Surprised, Jaden watched as her three chosen Fusion cards were struck down by lightning, before all those jolts of lightning came together as one and shocked Jaden, knocking her back a bit.

Jaden - 3100 LP

Bastion - 3850 LP

"Oh, man!" complained Jaden.

Bastion stated, "Rest assured, Jaden. I think you'll find that my Fusion prevention tactics will be much more...challenging, this time. I made sure of that. Now, let's continue! Gragonith! Strike at her Elemental Hero Woodsman!"

Gragonith let out a loud neigh-like roar before taking flight in the air, charging up light-elemental forces from his horn before blasting Woodsman in full force.

"And there's more! Gragonith can deal piercing battle damage, especially when your Monster was in Defense Mode!"

Jaden - 1900 LP

Bastion - 3850 LP

"I activate my facedown card, Hero Signal! When a Monster I control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard through battle, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Elemental Hero Monster from my deck to the field!" announced Jaden. "And I choose Elemental Hero Bubbleman!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And, when he's summoned to the field, and I control no other cards, I get to draw two more cards!"

"Fine," said Bastion, nodding. "Now, I set a card and end my turn! At this time, Gragonith's effect takes place and now, I must send the top 3 cards from my deck to my Graveyard!"

"My move!" Jaden said. "Sweetness! I activate Polymerization and fuse both Neos and Liquid Soldier from my hand in order to Fusion Summon-"

"Stop right there, Jaden!" interrupted Bastion. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that! I activate another effect of Fusion Destruction! During either of our turns, whenever you try to activate a Polymerization or Fusion Spell/Trap, I can negate the activation of that card and destroy it! Then, you get hit with 300 Points of Damage!"

Jaden winched when the Polymerization card in her hand fizzed out and was destroyed in a small explosion before she was struck by lightning from above.

Jaden - 1600 LP

Bastion - 3850 LP

"Gh-! Alright, Plan B, then!" declared Jaden. "I activate Necroshade's effect from my Graveyard! Now, once during this duel, I can summon an high-leveled Elemental Hero Monster from my hand without Tributing! I choose Elemental Hero Neos!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"Neos...so, this is your new ace Monster?" muttered Bastion. "I look forward to battling him and seeing what power he has!"

"Oh, you'll see!" assured Jaden. "But first, I activate the Spell, Fifth Hope, and select 5 Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard, shuffle them back to the deck, and then draw 2 more cards! Sweet! Next, I play the Continuous Spell, Common Soul! I select a Monster on my field, then Special Summon 1 Neo-Spacian Monster from my hand! The Monster I selected would then gain Attack Points equal to the Attack Points of the Neo-Spacian! I select Neos, and then Special Summon Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird in Attack Mode!"

Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (800/600)

"And, with Common Soul's effect, Neos gains 800 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3300/2000)

"Then, I activate Air Hummingbird's effect! Once per turn, I can gain 500 Life Points each for every card in your hand! Well, it looks like you only have 3 cards in your hand, so I gain 1500 Life Points!"

Jaden - 3100 LP

Bastion - 3850 LP

"Now, I activate the Equip Spell, Good Hero! This Special Summons 1 Normal Monster with 1000 or less Attack Points from my deck and equips this card onto it! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Avian!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Good Hero's effect also allows Avian to gain 300 extra Attack Points for every Elemental Hero I control! There's a total of 3, so Avian gains 900 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1900/1000)

"But I'm not done yet! Next, I activate the Spell, Cross Change, and use one of its effects! I return an Elemental Hero Monster I control and then Special Summon a Neo-Spacian Monster from my deck with a Level equal to the returned Monster's! I return Avian to Special Summon Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"

Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin - (WATER/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"Hey, Bastion!" called out Jaden. "Just to be clear, that Fusion Destruction card only works on Fusion Spells/Traps, right? Nothing more?"

"Of course!" said Bastion, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "...Why do you ask?"

"Then, what would happen if I happen to...say, Fusion Summon without the use of a Polymerization card?"

"Impossible! It's absolutely necessary and required to use a Fusion card to Fusion Summon! What, do you plan on suddenly use some sort of magical non-logic to suddenly Fusion Summon?"

Jaden shrugged, giving an eerie, awkward grin. "Eh...something like that. In fact, I'll show you something I'd like to call Contact Fusion! I'll place Neos, Aqua Dolphin, and Air Hummingbird back to my deck for a Contact Fusion! And with their combined forces, I Contact Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Storm Neos!"

Elemental Hero Storm Neos - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (3000/2500)

'So, this is the famous new Fusion Summoning technique that I've heard Jaden has achieved!' thought Bastion, gritting his teeth. 'Because this is my first time witnessing it, and due to my lack of experience dealing with this sort of unexpected situation, I don't really have much of a counter attack against this!'

"I activate Storm Neos' effect!" declared Jaden. "Once per turn, he can destroy all Spells and Traps on the field!"

Rising up to the skies, Storm Neos's wings started flapping before picking up speed, controlling the harsh and storm-like winds around the dueling field that blew away every Trap and Spell card on the field.

Bastion grunted as he watched his Continuous Trap, Lightsworn Barrier, and his Continuous Spell, Fusion Destruction, be destroyed. With Jaden's latest move, he no longer can rely on Lightsworn Barrier for anymore defensive purposes, and without Fusion Destruction, Jaden is free to Fusion Summon all she likes, with or without Polymerization, but he did take in some joy that he at least managed to remove her key Fusion cards from her deck. That, and his Gragonith is still technically stronger than Storm Neos.

"If you think I'm done, you're mistaken!" shouted Jaden. "From my hand, I equip Storm Neos with Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade, allowing him to gain 300 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Storm Neos - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (3300/2500)

Bastion thought his plan was thorough until Jaden made him remember that during the part where he played Exchange, in return for him retrieving her Polymerization card, she also took one of his cards, Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade, from his hand. What a major miscalculation on his part!

"Now, Storm Neos, destroy his Gragonith!"

Storm Neos swooped down at Gragonith as he also charged at Storm Neos headfirst. The two Monsters clashed at each other, bypassing one another before Gragonith shrieked in pain and exploded in pure light.

Jaden - 3100 LP

Bastion - 3750 LP

"I'm not done yet! Bubbleman, attack him directly!"

Bubbleman aimed his bubble blaster weapon at Bastion and released a barrage and fast-paced bubbles, showering him completely with bubbles that popped simultaneously, causing Bastion to cry out in pain.

Jaden - 3100 LP

Bastion - 2950 LP

"I end my turn, and at this time, Storm Neos is forced to return to my Extra Deck!"

Watching the all-power Contact Fusioned Monster vanish back to Jaden's Extra Deck, Bastion was surprised. 'Was that part of Storm Neos' natural ability? Or is it possible that all Monsters Contact Fusioned has to return to their deck? Either way, this may work to my advantage!' he thought, drawing his card. "My move! I activate the Spell, Solar Recharge! I discard a Lightsworn Monster from my hand, then draw two cards, and then discard the top two cards from my deck to my Graveyard! Excellent! Now, that I have 4 or more Lightsworn Monsters with different names in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon from my hand, the ace Monster of my Lightsworn deck! Judgement Dragon!"

Judgement Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (3000/2600)

"So, that's your ace Monster-?!" wondered Jaden. "Your new one, I mean?"

"Of course! This card judges everything in its path fairly and equally in the name of justice!" declared Bastion.

"...Wait, are you just saying that because his name is Judgement-"

"No, it goes far beyond that, Jaden! I'm not saying this because it's a pun to his name!" Bastion snapped. "Judgement Dragon judges everything! From our choices, our actions, everything! It judges even fate, and soon, it'll judge even you, Jaden! It'll judge your actions, your choices, everything! ...Just like fate judged me when the Society took me in as one of them, despite me not having contributed much to their cause at all."

"Bastion...is this about the time when you tried to duel Sartorius but you ended up dueling Chazz instead?" questioned Jaden. "Or...is it because you asked for help, but me and everyone else...ignored you?"

"..." Bastion merely glared at Jaden. "Why should that matter now? That's all in the past. Nothing concerning our duel."

Jaden disagreed, protesting loudly. "But-!"

"Now, Judgement Dragon! I'll be activating your special ability!" announced Bastion quickly. "By sacrificing 1000 of my Life Points, I can destroy all other cards on the field!"

Judgement Dragon released a pulsing roar that coursed through the air and across the entire dueling field; the roar soon releasing light-elemental soundwaves affecting all other cards and destroying everything, leaving only Judgement Dragon as the sole card left.

"Judgement Dragon, attack Jaden directly!"

Judgement Dragon wasted no time gathering light energy before unleashing it in the form of a gigantic dragon's breath; all the power aimed directly in front of Jaden before she was thrown back with injuries to boot.

Jaden - 100 LP

Bastion - 2950 LP

"I set a card and end my turn!"

Struggling to stand up due to her heavy injuries, Jaden drew her card. "M-my turn..."

"Hold on!" stopped Bastion. "I activate the Continuous Trap, Non-Fusion Area! With this card, neither of us can ever Fusion Summon! That means that since your Contact Fusion is technically a Fusion Summoning, you can't use that method nor any Polymerization to Fusion Summon! I've completely blocked off any means for you to Fusion Summon!"

"Then, I'll just have to try something different!" panted Jaden. "I activate the Spell, Graceful Charity, letting me draw three new cards in exchange for discarding two from my hand! Then, I activate the Spell, O - Oversoul, to Special Summon Neos from my Graveyard!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"Wait, wasn't Neos already in your deck?" questioned Bastion. "How did-?! No...You took advantage of Graceful Charity's effect to discard Neos and then revive him with your spell?"

"That's right!" said Jaden. "And there's more! I equip him with a special Equip Spell called Neos Force! Now, he gain 800 extra Attack Points! Not only that, but if he ever destroys a Monster in battle, then you take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3300/2000)

"Damnit..." Bastion muttered, clenching his fist. "Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT! How?! How do you always do it, Jaden?! How do you always manage to find some...some convenient way to turn things around at the last second, even with all of my calculations and carefully thought-out strategies?! It's like the whole entire universe is out to get me! As though it WANTS me to always lose to you no matter what!"

"I...The whole universe isn't out to get you or anything! Your strategies are always great! They've always left me in corners more times than I can count!" argued Jaden. trying to calm him down.

"But you somehow always managed to find a flaw in my calculations! You always managed to find a way out no matter how difficult the situation is!" Bastion argued. "How is this fair?! How is any of this fair?! I rely on logic and calculations, and you just rely on dumb luck all the time! Sooner or later, you're going to have to realize that eventually, your luck will run out!"

"Technically, I've always been polishing my skills as well, so it's not just luck, but skill, too," pointed out Jaden.

"Fine! Whatever! Just finish this duel already and we can get on with our lives!"

Jaden knew that Bastion was right, but at the same time, she knew that if she ended the duel with the way things were between them, it wouldn't feel...right. If she did so, it would feel as though their friendship would never again rekindle.

"Bastion...tell me the truth," said Jaden. "You're mad at a lot of things, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Bastion asked.

"Bastion, it's okay to admit it. I won't get mad. Heck, I think I WANT you to get mad," admitted Jaden sorrowfully. "You're mad at a lot of things. The Society. How people won't acknowledge you. And...especially with how the way me and everyone else treated you."

"...You don't know anything."

"Bastion, what I...What me and everyone else did, when you needed our help the most, when you wanted to be acknowledged for your smarts...we just...we reacted in the worst way possible," continued Jaden. "We...we just flat out ignored you. We dismissed everything and anything you said because we were selfish. I was selfish! I...I want to make things right between us again."

"...Why?"

"Huh?"

Bastion indignantly questioned, "Why? Why bother? Why do you even care?! You're just going to ignore me again in the future anyways!"

"That's not true! We would never-!"

"You don't know that!" shouted Bastion. "And frankly, while I understand why, it doesn't mean that it hurts any less! I know! I know most people in this school don't appreciate the smarts! They only truly appreciate talent, skill, all in dueling! But none about logic or calculations whatsoever! In fact, knowledge is practically useless in this school! If you can beat your opponent, then that's all it takes! It's as simple as that!"

"Are you kidding? Crowler always gives me the hardest tests when possible! Knowledge does matter!" protested Jaden.

"But when it really comes down to it, dueling is truly this school's true calling instead of mere tests and written exams," spoke Bastion. "In the end, it doesn't matter what written grade you have, as long as you have the dueling skills to surpass anything. I mean, that's how you managed to pass last year!"

"I..." Technically, Bastion wasn't wrong, as her dueling skills far surpassed her skills in the brains department. "Yeah. But, despite that, I just...Look, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry for everything that's happened to you! I shouldn't have ignored you! I shouldn't have...I should have just listened to you instead of ignoring you and being selfish. Look, I dunno why I acted that way! Why I did that when you needed me! I-"

"I think I know why," interrupted Bastion quietly. "It's all because I'm the smart one. The smartest person in Duel Academy. The only person willingly to study exams and tests instead of merely relying on duels to pass."

"I-I mean, you are the smartest person I know, but-"

"And yet, WHY?!" demanded Bastion, clenching his fist so tightly, the knuckles turned white as snow. "Why is it that no matter how hard I study, how hard I hone my skills, it's never GOOD ENOUGH?! It's...It's so illogical! So UNFAIR!"

"Bastion..." Jaden wanted to comfort him, telling him that everything was going to be alright, but even she knew that wasn't true. It probably was best to let him vent out his feelings and hope for the best.

Bastion continued shouting, pouring everything he had, every single ounce of anger, frustration, all of it into his words. "I worked hard! Unlike you, I actually studied and got straight A's in all of my tests and exams! And yet, you were still everyone's favorite, perfect student after Zane left! I could understand you being the top student after Zane because of your dueling skills! But your studying skills were really poor! Maybe I wasn't as strong as you in terms of dueling, and even though you did defeat me that one time for the school rivalry event, why were you still able to surpass logic itself?!"

"I...I don't know what you're asking, Bastion," admitted Jaden.

"Of course you don't. How could you know? You can't POSSIBLY understand the turmoil I've been going through these past few months!" snapped Bastion. "Why is it that YOU always get the attention?! Why?! I study hard and ace all my assignments, you become the top student! I get up early to hone my brain and body, you still become the top student! Despite spending tremendous amounts of hours working on my calculations and rearranging my decks so many times, you STILL BECOME THE TOP STUDENT! HOW ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! HOW DO YOU DO IT?!"

Jaden flinched from being yelled at by Bastion, and yet, at the same time, she felt she deserved it. Upon hearing his rant, she now had a clearer understanding of his pain, and wished more than ever that she could heal him. "Bastion, I..."

"And that's not even the worst part!" continued Bastion. "You guys LEFT me! You practically abandoned me when I needed you more! You, Syrus, and Hassleberry! Alexis and Chazz, I could understand because they were brainwashed at the time, but you?! After all we've been through, I thought you would at least help me, or at the very least hear me out! No, let me rephrase that! I thought you would help me, instead of dismissing my concerns! I..."

Bastion bit his lips and tried, but failed, to hold back a tear streaking down his cheek. "I thought we were friends."

An explosion of guilt broke Jaden's heart upon seeing Bastion's expression and hearing his words. "Bastion, I...no amount of apologizing will ever make up for the horrible thing I did, but I still want to apology. I'm sorry...I'm so, so, sorry that we ignored you like that. We failed-I failed as a friend. I don't know what went through with me back then, but I...I regretted what happened. I still do. I've been...rehearsing, practicing what I wanted to say to you when I wanted to apologize, but even so, I...I don't think anything I do will ever make up for the cruelest thing that's ever happened to you."

Bastion still hated what happened to him, but he was at least willing to give Jaden a chance to explain herself. He never truly hated her, nor any of his friends. Was he jealous? Absolutely. Did he wish he was more fun-loving and carefree like them? Sometimes. But he would never truly wish full harm on them.

"Bastion, you're right. You're absolutely right. I'm not smart like you. I...I think I only managed to get through my grades by dueling and winning all the time. I still love dueling, that's not going to change anytime soon. But do I regret hurting a friend? Of course! I think you're the smartest student in Duel Academy, but I'm really sorry that you're not acknowledged by that fact. You're a good-no, great duelist, both in dueling and in smarts. And if, between both of us, there were to be a duel based on smarts, I think you would win 10 out of 10. And I'm not saying this just to make you feel better. I truly do think of this of you. And...I'm sorry for everything that's been happening. I was a horrible friend and...I...I really don't know what else to say, other than, I'm sorry..."

Bastion's face softened when he felt how truly genuine Jaden's words were. It still stung back at the memories of his time before joining the Society of Light, but he did know that Jaden was truly sorry. He wanted to give her and everyone else another chance, but...he didn't want to feel betrayed again, and he can't really forget what happened.

"...I...It'll take me a while to forgive you and everyone else," admitted Bastion.

Jaden's face lit up when she realized the implications that Bastion could forgive her. "Yes-! I-I mean, yeah, that's understandable."

"I don't know when, though. Could be next month. Next year, I don't know."

"Yeah..."

"I still have yet to hear Syrus and Hassleberry apologizing."

"I'll make sure to inform them."

"I won't ever forget what happened, Jaden. I may be able to forgive, but forgetting and forgiving things are two entirely different things."

"Yeah..."

Bastion took a deep breath and told Jaden, "Jaden. Finish this duel. Let's end this."

Jaden was a bit taken aback and hesitant upon hearing his request, but nodded. "Alright...Neos, end this! Destroy his Judgement Dragon!"

Neos, being fully powered up, raised his fist filled with overwhelming power before digging it deep within Judgement Dragon; an explosion filling the entire dueling field as the victor of the duel was made clear moments later.

Jaden - 100 LP

Bastion - 0 LP

Winner: Jaden

Deactivating his duel disk and lowering his arm, Bastion sighed. "I...I have no idea what to do now. Even if I start changing now, I feel as though I'll still get no respect from Duel Academy. I'm not part of the Society anymore, and while I'm happy about that, I still feel like I don't belong in Duel Academy, even with you and everyone else as my friends."

Jaden walked towards Bastion and offered a hug, opening her arms wide for him. "Bastion, I don't know exactly how, but we'll get through this together. As friends. And this time, me, Syrus, Hassleberry, and everyone else will be supporting you. And that's a promise I'm willing to take."

Bastion gently took a few steps forward and embraced her as well. There was nothing romantic between them. It was just two good friends rekindling their friendship together. A second chance. A re-bonding.

After a few moments later, they pulled away from each other. Before they could do anything else, someone else coughed for attention, stating, "Er, pardon me? I don't mean to intrude, but..."

They both turned and saw that it was Dr. Eisenstein, the famous German physicist that dueled Jaden earlier today. Of course, Jaden won and had Eisenstein rethinking about his own quantum duel theory.

"Dr. Eisenstein! Oh, it's such an honor to be talking to you!" exclaimed Bastion, straightening himself. "I-I mean, we have talked before, but-Oh, I'm just rambling! Please, forgive me!"

Dr. Eisenstein merely chuckled, easily forgiving someone as excitable as Bastion. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not offended at all. If you'll excuse me for intruding me, but I couldn't help but hold an interest in your duel."

Bastion (almost) practically squealed upon learning that THE Dr. Eisenstein himself was watching their duel. If he had known, he would have used his more carefully calculated deck, presumably his EARTH Attribute deck, to duel Jaden properly. No, perhaps the Knowledge deck would have been more suffice!

"I couldn't help myself but spy on your duel. In fact, I was quite intrigued by it. The different combinations, the uses of strategies, logic and luck mixed in with the duel...it was truly enticing!" praised Dr. Eisenstein. "And then, I couldn't help but overheard your own personal...conversation. I apologize for that, but, if you're willing, would you like to hear advice from a plain old man?"

"Please, Dr. Eisenstein, you mustn't belittle yourself so!" said Bastion. "But...I am rather curious as to any advice you may have, so if you would please share your knowledge?"

"Very well, then." Dr. Eisenstein cleared his throat and turned to Jaden. "Jaden, you seem to hold an immense amount of regret over something you and your friends have done towards young Bastion right here. And while I may not know the exact details, and while I do know you are truly remorseful over your actions, just that is not enough. After all, actions speaks louder than words. If you truly wish to make up with your friend right here, simply apologizing will not be enough. You must prove your remorse through your actions. It's like proving a hypothesis through evidence. You cannot proceed further with some proof of sorts."

"Yeah...I sorta understand what you're getting at, Doc," agreed Jaden.

Dr. Eisenstein then turned to Bastion. "Bastion, was it? I was somewhat like you when I was younger. Always curious and striving to be acknowledged for my own ideals and knowledge. But without friends or family to share this knowledge from, without spending more time with them and spending more time isolated all on your own, the only thing you'll be achieving...is loneliness."

Bastion was taken aback by the wise words his role model had spoke. Dr. Eisenstein also shared the same, or at the very least, very similar experiences as he did! And yet, what awaited for Bastion himself was...loneliness?

"What do you mean?" questioned Bastion. "Surely, knowledge is important!"

Dr. Eisenstein nodded in agreement. "Why, yes. Knowledge is always important. But so is forming emotional and significant bonding with your friends and families. Everything cannot always rely on calculations. That's what I learned in my duel with Jaden over there. I've spent years theorizing my quantum duel theory, and thanks to today, it seems that there is still much I must learn about my own theory when it comes to dueling. You yourself must have noticed it as well, yes? How luck and strategy work in many strange but intriguing ways in dueling?"

"I...have had my fair share, yes."

"Although this is yet another theory of mine, think of it like this: strategy is what you're more used to. Knowledge. Luck is more with what Jaden's used to. Also having fun. So, why not have fun and strategize with knowledge at the same time? What I'm trying to say is that it is good to be curious about knowledge and to learn, but it's also important to spend time with friends and family as well. And yes, I am quite aware that most youths hate studying, and perhaps, studying calculations isn't always going to be a topic to discuss amongst your friends. Who knows, perhaps you may find more knowledge upon spending time with your loved ones."

"...Yes, you're absolutely right, Dr. Eisenstein," said Bastion. "All this time, I wished to be the smartest student in Duel Academy, and be acknowledged for that."

"Why do you wish to be acknowledged, Bastion?" asked Dr. Eisenstein. "For power? The glory? Money?"

"I never did it for power or money," admitted Bastion. "I...I only wished to be recognized. If I were to be acknowledged, I feel like I could connect with people, and I wanted people to understand the importance of knowledge just as much as I do. I...I never wanted to be ignored or regarded as a boring bookworm or anything."

"It was the same for me as well when I was younger, so I can understand how you felt," sighed Dr. Eisenstein. "But when you've been through the things I've been through, you'll have a better appreciation of having fun and gaining knowledge through many trials."

"Now I'm really interested in hearing more of your own experiences!" gasped Bastion excitedly.

"Hmm...then how about this? How about I take you, Bastion Misawa, to be my apprentice? It's been a long while since I've gotten back to the teaching career, after all."

It was as though Christmas had arrived early for Bastion as he was trembling with joy. "M-Me? Be your apprentice? In this one-in-a-lifet-OF COURSE! IT WOULD BE OF UPMOST HONOR TO DO SO!"

Dr. Eisenstein chuckled. "While I am happy that you accepted my offer, what about your education in Duel Academy? Your friends? Didn't you wish to be acknowledged as the smartest person in the academy? I am willing to wait until your graduate to make you into my apprentice, you know."

Jaden, who hasn't said much ever since Dr. Eisenstein began, paused. While she was just as happy for Bastion, a small part of her also didn't want Bastion to leave. Like what Dr. Eisenstein said, she wanted to prove herself and regain Bastion's trust and friendship. But, at the same time, she wished for him to be happy and choose what he wanted most.

"...Bastion," spoke up Jaden, walking up and comforting him by patting him on the shoulder. "If you want to go with the Doc, you can if you want to. It's your choice."

"Jaden?" wondered Bastion, looking at her.

"Don't worry about me and the others. To be honest, I still want to keep you around here. I-WE want to prove ourselves as friends again. I...I still feel like my apology isn't enough, but the choice is up to you, Bastion."

"Jaden..." Bastion sighed and said, "Truth be told, I know how sorry you are. But, despite that, I still wish to go with Dr. Eisenstein now rather than later. Because, for a while, I've always felt that Duel Academy just isn't good enough for me. I don't blame the students here, but...I just don't feel like my full potential will be of use here. That's why, I'm going to follow my own path and follow after Dr. Eisenstein, and learn from him as much as I can. Hopefully...hopefully things will turn out okay."

"Bastion, I only hope that...we can continue being friends. That's all I ask for."

"Me too."

"You know the one good step to the path of recovery?" stepped in Dr. Eisenstein, placing a palm each on their shoulders. "Admitting your faults and willing to redeem yourselves. I feel that's the most important step."

With Bastion's decision made, he made some arrangements with his own dorm and Chancellor Sheppard, resigning as a student from Duel Academy. Of course, the others apologized to him for their stupid inability to help him and how selfish they were, and while Bastion couldn't fully forgive his friends, he did somewhat accept their apologies and they all decided to keep in touch.

Everyone was present when they watched Bastion board the ferry ship with Dr. Eisenstein as he was taking a brand new step to his new path. Everyone was going to miss him, but at the same time, they felt happy that he was going forward to a path that he felt was right and would lead him to his own happiness; a choice he made on his own with the acknowledgement of those dearest to him.

Yeah, before you guys say anything, I would like to point out...that I am...EXTREMELY weird out by this episode's ending. No, I don't mean like the ending I wrote. I mean, the episode of what happened in the actual episode, especially the Japanese version!

What happened, was that Bastion, for some stupid reason, decided to suddenly strip out of his Society clothes, and then walk right out, intent on following after Dr. Eisenstein! No, I'm sorry! The Japanese version actually made him walk naked, while the English version had him wear his briefs. Seriously, Japan, WHAT GIVES?!

I-I'm sorry. I know I'm rambling and ranting, but seriously, rewatching that another time caught me off guard. I normally would question why that happened, if that was some sort of weird Japanese symbolism, like how cutting one's hair means that you're forming a new path and becoming a different person, but according to the wiki, apparently, Bastion getting naked was actually some Greek reference from some mathematician named Archimedes. Seriously though, even if that came from a reference, why? Just...why? At the very least, at least make him don his old Ra Yellow clothes instead of going out there NAKED!

Honestly, the naked part kinda ruined the episode for me. I'd rate this to be one of my least favorite episodes, and at least Bastion's no longer part of the Society of Light. But, because of the...nature of the original episode, I decided to change the ending a bit to give Bastion and Jaden more characterization.

So, basically, I had them duel for what might be the final time between them, all while having the two of them confront their (non-romantic) feelings for each other, as well as give Bastion a chance to rant off his frustrations. I mean, in the original episode, he still becomes Dr. Eisenstein's apprentice, but I wanted to try and change things up. He'll still become his apprentice, but I am not using the NAKED method! This method I made seems more original and professional!

I honestly focused more effort on the duel than the beginning of the chapter, like before the duel, and I kinda hastily rushed the ending of this chapter, so I apologize to all of you if you found this chapter unsatisfying. I'm...kinda not good with-Well, I am kinda good with emotional scenes, but not quite the start up and ending, especially since I have a limited amount of free time each day and am constantly trying to rack my brain for more good ideas.

It's kind of a shame that we don't get to see more Bastion interaction in the anime. I genuinely thought that he might be a good addition! The brains! Everyone needs to have the Brains for their team! Otherwise, it wouldn't be balanced! But, yeah, I did think it was a stupid move for the anime to no longer include him. He's not my most favorite character, but I still liked him. I never really thought of him as annoying. Okay, the Society of Light version of him was a bit annoying, so I preferred his Ra Yellow self. Heck, even the manga version of him was treated better!

Plus, I wanted to see his Fire Dragon! Not only that, but from what I recalled, he had different decks for different Attributes! Last I checked, he only used his WATER and EARTH Attribute decks! The opening showed him with both Water Dragon and some kind of Fire Dragon, which I can easily guess could come out of his own FIRE Attribute deck. I so wanted to see his other Attributes and his own contribution to the anime! It was so unfair!

Then again, him not showing his LIGHT Attribute deck gave me the opportunity to put in Lightsworn as his own LIGHT Attribute deck. Lightsworns are a really interesting archetype in my opinion, and very powerful! Once again, I apologize that I cannot display the full power of the Lightsworns, since they have Tuners and Synchros and now I hear that they have Link Monsters, too! Yeah, I can't include mechanics available in other Yu-Gi-Oh series that GX doesn't have. I hope the duel was satisfying, though. And the reason why I chose LIGHT Attribute? Well, LIGHT Attribute...Society of Light? You know? I have a feeling that while he was in the Society of Light, he used his LIGHT Attribute deck A LOT.

Well, with that said, read and review and hopefully, I did a good job! See ya!