Alright, another day, another chapter! Of course, I'll be adding changes to this second season just like I did with Bastion, so don't worry one bit! There's definitely going to be changes in this second season!

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

Jaden was wandering around the forests of Duel Academy, tossing her recently obtained Genex Medallion up in the air. A happy grin formed on her face as she giggled to herself, "Yay! I managed to beat a Pro! Even though he was in the lower ranks, he was still a Pro! I can't wait to tell Ast-"

"GAAAAAH!"

A scream, followed by an explosion, caught Jaden's attention. Judging from the sounds alone, Jaden deduced that what happened was probably a duel and that it wasn't too far off to where she currently was. Thinking that someone might need help, and out of curiosity as to who was dueling who, Jaden hurried to where the sounds came from.

She arrived just in time to witness Aster walking up to a beaten-up and unconscious duelist who was most likely the one who lost. Kneeling down, Aster picked up the deck belonging to the unconscious duelist and scrambled through the cards before an irritated look spread on his face. Much to Jaden's shock, Aster then tossed the deck, scattering the cards in the wind, as though they were nothing.

'Where?! Where is it?! The missing Destiny card?!' Aster thought, clenching his fist in frustration. 'Whoever has it was the one who killed my father! Mark my words, Father! I will avenge you!'

"Aster!" called out Jaden, running up to him. "What do you think you're doing?!

Jaden's voice snapped Aster out of his own vengeful thoughts. "Hmm? Jaden, it's not our training time yet. Go away!"

"Not until you tell me what that's all about!" Jaden said, pointing to the unconscious duelist. "What gives?! Why'd you suddenly get all aggressive towards this guy? Injuring him and even doing something awful like throwing his deck away!"

"If I wanted to throw his deck away, I would have done so in the trash," scoffed Aster. "Why are you so concerned? All I did was throw his cards in the grass. Once this guy wakes up, he can pick them up himself."

"That's not the point, Aster!" shouted Jaden. "That act you just did-it was the same as when Zane threw away his cards during his duels! Like they were nothing!"

Aster glared at Jaden indignantly, startling her. "Are you suggesting that I'm anything like that pompous prick?"

"Er...the way you threw those cards, and your attitude right now...you kinda are like Zane...only less emo, so that's...kinda good and bad at the same time?" answered Jaden, being a little eerie and vague about her answer.

Aster glared at her before sighing and facepalming himself. If he hadn't known Jaden for half of this year, he would have downright ignored her, but he knows that Jaden would be stupid enough to answer his rhetorical question. "Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter what you say anyways. Just stay out of my way."

"Why?" asked Jaden. "Aster, I thought you weren't interested in the tournament. Isn't that why you dropped out earl-"

"This has nothing to do with the damn tournament!" snapped Aster; his anger getting the better of him. "Damnit, Jaden! Just stop asking stupid questions and just leave already! If you haven't already figured it out, I'm trying to find my father's killer!"

Jaden blinked in surprise before recalling in one of her duels with Aster that he fought for justice and that he became a Pro Duelist just to find the person who murdered his father. It was so long ago, that she had forgotten about that. "But...what does finding your father's killer have anything to do with these guys?"

"Whoever killed my father also took a special card. A rare and one of a kind Destiny card that my father personally designed, and was the reason that he was killed for! Whoever killed him had to have been a skilled duelist!"

Aster's explanation eventually led Jaden to a conclusion based on rumors she's heard throughout the past few weeks. Recently, she's heard of Aster aggressively defeating duelists left from right despite him claiming to no longer having any interest in the tournament. It wasn't just his dueling style that's changed, but also the way he defeated his opponents; sending them all to the infirmary, or, if there were worst injuries, to the hospital off the island.

"Aster...so, it's true...You have been going around, hurting people!" shouted Jaden angrily.

"Hurting? No, just investigating," said Aster. "But, now that I've told you more than I needed to, I suggest you stay out of my way when it involves issues like finding my father's killer."

"How can I when you're going around, hurting people?!"

"Well, if they don't want to get hurt, they should have gotten stronger. Not my problem if they're weak."

"See that? Right there? You're just acting more like Zane now!" Jaden accused, much to Aster's growing irritation. "Aster, what are you even doing? I thought we were dealing with the Society of Light?"

"We are! This is just a separate matter that only I have to deal with alone! The Society can wait!"

"Aster, what's with you?"

"Nothing! You're in the way, so back off!" Aster said, shoving Jaden out of the way as he stomped away.

"Aster-!"

"Just leave me alone!"

Jaden wanted to persist and go after Aster, but something told her that that probably wasn't a good idea at all. Not while she got Aster all riled up to the point where he wanted to avoid discussing anymore with her. But, at the same time, he must have felt comfortable enough to tell her that he was searching for his father's killer, otherwise, he wouldn't have said anything at all.

This entire vengeance path Aster was taking, it didn't sit right with Jaden, but right now, she lacked the means and knowledge as to how to handle the situation. She didn't know what to do, and whatever she wanted to say to Aster just felt hollow at the moment.

Jaden was worried about Aster, that much was obvious, but she didn't have any clue how to get through to him, so the best she could do was leave him alone for the time being and hope that he would end up alright.

Meanwhile...

Upon arranging a meeting with Pegasus inside his office at Industrial Illusions, Sheppard greeted the President politely and with respect, shaking his hand. "It's has been a while, President Pegasus."

"Yes, you're quite right, Chancellor Sheppard," agreed Pegasus before both he and Sheppard sat down in their respective seats. "So tell me, how is the Genex Tournament going so far?"

"Well, we've yet to find the ultimate Destiny card," informed Sheppard.

"How unfortunate. I thought that it would reveal itself if the Genex Tournament was held, but so far, no avail."

Sheppard nodded. "Yes, and I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, but is the incident that was behind the death of Aster Phoenix's father related to a grave matter?"

"Yes. First, I should tell you that one of my employees, that's Aster Phoenix's father, created the ultimate Destiny card, but it went missing, presumably in the hands of his killer. On the issue of this 'grave matter' I spoke of earlier, my company has teamed up with every genre of science in order to adopt the leading-edge intellect of mankind into our cards," explained Pegasus. "And, my scientific team discovered quite a dreadful fact."

"Is this dreadful fact the grave matter you spoke of?" wondered Sheppard, surprised.

"Correct. In fact, it was an event that occurred in the far reaches of space long ago." With a click of a button on his remote control, Pegasus caused the curtains to cover the windows of his office, thus concealing any sort of important information that he was about to unravel to Sheppard alone as a projection appeared; revealing a white hole in space of sorts. "Around the time that the ultimate Destiny card was created, and according to the scientific observatory's data analysis, it has been found that many millions of years ago, this 'white hole' in the far reaches of space has been emitting immense amounts of energy in the form of light waves. Think of it as a black hole, whereas a black hole absorbs energy, this 'white hole' brings out energy, almost like a celestial volcano, erupting with 'light.' The white hole is basically the opposite of a black hole. One theory calls it the outlet of the dark energy created by a black hole. And, like molten lava, this 'light' that emitted large amounts of energy, was very, VERY dangerous."

Sheppard remained silent, astonished by this revelation as the scenery of the projection changed from a white hole to massive surges of energy expanding out throughout the fabric of space.

Pegasus continued, "The white hole's energy began to tip the balance between dark and light, and as its strength grew, so too did its hunger for power. There is a possibility that Earth was drenched by this light about a decade ago. Let's just call this light the 'Light of Destruction' for now."

"Wait, are you saying that this light was the reason behind the tragedy of the Phoenixes?" wondered Sheppard.

"Yes, quite right. But, there's more. This light developed a mind of its own, and when it reached enough energy, it began searching for a host of its own; a personal thing in which to inhabit. We believe it chose to dwell in that Destiny card." Pegasus' expression changed into a more serious and solemn one. "However, that incident isn't the first time that this 'light' has invested in. It's been discovered that the 'light' has invaded Earth countless times in the past. Other similarly awful events, such as the wars and natural disasters of the world, have run rampart throughout time."

As the projection showed past events of wars and other past tragedies, Sheppard found it quite skeptical that, even though the white hole's 'light' was powerful, it could have affected even world wars as well. "Hold on! Surely, not every tragedy or war event had been caused by the light!"

"Not quite, no," agreed Pegasus. "In fact, the 'light' triggers destruction, being an influence on humans. Every world war, every power-hungry dictator, anything that wished to take over the world...It's a possibility that this Light of Destruction drenched the Earth at all of these turning points in the world's history."

"Even so, wouldn't its power wane as time elapses?" asked Sheppard.

"Not exactly," answered Pegasus, turning off the projection with a click of his remote and making the curtains pull away to bring light back into the room. "As you're aware, there are mystic powers in the cards. Duel Monsters isn't exactly an ordinary game, you know. These mystic powers have sealed away forces like the Egyptian Gods and the Sacred Beasts."

"And, with that logic, you're saying that the Light of Destruction has influenced and dwelled within the ultimate Destiny card?"

"Yes, just when it was being finalized, it was influenced by a strong surge of light," said Pegasus. "If we let it be, there is no doubt that it will become a new menace to the world. It's very likely that the person who controls the ultimate Destiny card is also influenced by the Light of Destruction as well. Because the Society of Light is heavily influenced by the Light of Destruction, it was another reason why we held the Genex Tournament, to search for the person who possess the ultimate Destiny card. However, for the person not to appear after so long..."

"Mr. Pegasus, I hate to ask, but aren't the odds of Aster Phoenix owning the card next to zero?" asked Sheppard.

"Yes, but even so, from my company's investigation, we found that he seems to be acting as if he's hunting for duelists, almost as though someone influenced by the 'light' would act."

"That would be because he's searching for his father's murderer," Sheppard explained, much to Pegasus' surprise. "He's been acting so strangely ever since the tournament began. Every time he wins a duel, he demands that the loser hands over his deck, even though he has no interest in the tournament whatsoever. He's looking for his father's card, but what he doesn't realize is that whoever has it is under the control of an evil force! Aster's blinded by vengeance, and even if he's technically not a participant anymore, he'll still persist on finding his father's killer."

"Why go so far?" wondered Pegasus. "I understand that he must love his father deeply for such conviction, but-"

"I understand how he feels," Sheppard said. "To a man, his father is a being that he must one day surmount. But, Aster had his father taken from him by a murderer. For him to surpass his late father, he will have to defeat that criminal. He searches endlessly for an opponent that he'll surpass in his father's place, but...it shouldn't be in the path of vengeance. Not like this...Not at major costs like this..."

That night...

Jaden was wandering around the darkness, lost and not knowing where to go. "Hello? Is anyone there? Someone, say something!" But, no matter how much or how loud she called out, nobody responded to her.

Suddenly, a bright light emerged in the middle of the darkness, prompting Jaden to run over and see Aster, or at least him with his back turned. Happy to see him, Jaden rushed over and clasped her hand onto his shoulder.

But, right as she did so, Aster turned his head, and suddenly, Jaden found herself face-to-face with Aster...wearing a malicious, evil grin and red eyes as an ominous, ehite presence suddenly overshadowed her and had already engulfed Aster's full being.

"Jaden Yuki...So long have I waited for you!" The evil force enveloping Aster's body, unbeknownst to her that the being was called the Light of Destruction, greeted, twisting his body to grab Jaden by the shoulders so that she couldn't escape.

"W-Wait!" cried out Jaden, trying to act brave even though she was trembling all over. "T-This is all a dream! Y-Yeah! I shouldn't be scared! Yeah! You're not the real Aster anyways! H-Ha!"

"Even so, you should know that I know ALL your fears...After all, you revealed it to me during the second duel you had with young Aster Phoenix..."

"W-What are you talking about...?"

"Oh, you're frightened by things such as losing your friends; typical human behavior. However, the one fear that equals or is possible greater than that other fear alone...is fear of losing your ability to see Duel Spirits."

"W-What?"

"Think about it. You were so miserable after my power alone forced you to lose the power that you actually left Duel Academy! You couldn't coop with losing the ability to see or communicate with your friends that it started affecting one of the things you loved doing; dueling! How utterly pathetic of you! Perhaps you'll get to experience true fear if I take that ability away from you once more!"

"No..." Jaden struggled to back away, but Aster's grip on her shoulders was too firm and tight to be released. Aster released one of her shoulders and his hand inched closer and closer to Jaden's face as her eyes widened; her face expressing horror and fear. "N-NOOOOOO-!"

"GAAAH!" screamed Jaden, gasping as she sat straight up from her bed, being awoken in the middle of the night.

"H-Huh...? Jay, was that you...?" wondered Hassleberry, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he was awoken by Jaden's sudden scream.

In an attempt to calm herself down and assure her friend, Jaden smiled at him and told him, "I-It was nothing, Hassleberry! I just...had a startling dream! That's all! Yeah! I kinda...lost a car race! And that's when I woke up! No biggie!"

"Oh...Well, there's always next time. Don't worry, though! I believe in you! You can win next time!" cheered Hassleberry before twisting around to cuddle within his bedsheets. "Goodnight..."

"R-Right...Goodnight..." Jaden tucked herself back to bed, cuddling with her stuffed animals before forcing her eyes shut, trying to forget the nightmare that she'd rather not recall, hoping that that was just the end of it for now.

The next day...

"Are you okay, Sarge? You don't look so good," Hassleberry asked, concerned for Jaden as he watched her sway back and forth in her movements as they made their way to the Chancellor's Office to use his high-definition TV screen while the Chancellor was away. He also noticed that there were slight bags underneath her eyes, meaning that she probably didn't have a good enough sleep.

"Y-Yeah...I'm alright," assured Jaden, giving him a smile. "I-it's a real shame that Sy can't watch the Championship Duel with us...Guess we'll have to tell him the results later."

"Yeah, kinda a bit of a shame that the infirmary isn't equipped with a TV, but oh, well," sighed Hassleberry. "Seriously, Jay, are you feeling alright? You really don't look good."

"I..." Feeling too tired to argue back

"Chancellor Sheppard! Chance-WHAT?! Why are you two in here?!" questioned Crowler, surprised to see both Jaden and Hassleberry sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon on Sheppard's TV. "I highly doubt that Chancellor Sheppard allowed you two personal use of his TV!"

"Come on, the Chancellor's out, right?" Jaden said.

"While he is, it's cool for us to use his big TV!" said Hassleberry, grinning.

"You should be watching your own televisions in your own room!" scolded Bonaparte.

"True, but the TVs in the Red Dorms are really small," explained Jaden.

"Yeah. It wouldn't be enough to satisfy us for when we watch the Pro League's World Title Match!" added Hassleberry. "Ooh! Look at the time! Just in time! Come on, let's watch it!"

After switching channels to the Pro League Channel, everyone took a seat at the couch to watch the Pro League's World Title Match just as the announcer was beginning to comment on the upcoming duel.

"And now, for the long-awaited match of the century! The Pro League World Title Match is about to be underway right here! The D will arrive to defend his world championship title!"

"Whoa! Talk about packed!" cheered Jaden, noting how the entire stadium was filled with spectators from all over, which goes to show just how exciting the match was going to be.

"That's the World Title Match for ya!" agreed Hassleberry, growing just as excited as the crowd. "I can't wait to see The D in action!"

Bonaparte sighed. "A bit of a late thought, but we probably should have asked The D to help demolish the Red Dorm. Perhaps even invite him to the tournament as well."

"You can't just call up a champion," Hassleberry pointed out.

"Actually, I can."

"Huh?! Really?! Ooh! Do you think if you contact him now, we'll be able to get autographs from him?!" wondered Jaden excitedly.

"I highly doubt it," Bonaparte admitted bluntly, much to Jaden's disappointment. "And anyways, Aster is the one acquainted with him, not I."

"In fact," spoke up Crowler, checking through his papers for verification. "Aster's legal guardian is The D. Well, more accurately, his stepfather, or foster father, or whatever you prefer. Ever since Aster's real father died..."

"Wait, are you serious?!" exclaimed Hassleberry, astonished. "The D's the world-famous Pro League champion whose been ruling the Pro League throne for about a decade now!"

"The D also happens to be one of the patrons at this academy," added in Crowler.

The patron part, Jaden didn't mind too much attention to, but the shocking revelation that The D has step-familial connections to Aster still stuck to Jaden. "Huh, who knew...?"

From that point on, the four of them watched the Pro League World Title Match on television, noting that The D was dueling against his opponent, Doctor Collector, a duelist who's also serving a life sentence while also helping the FBI solve crimes in prison. The duel could have gone either way, but just when it seems like Doctor Collector had the upper hand, Jaden noticed a sudden and significant, as well as familiar, change within The D.

The D was known to be presented as a polite, calm, and respective duelist, but at that moment, Jaden noticed that some sort of light force was taking over The D's body. When she recalled that the sudden, evil force was almost exactly the same as the light force that possessed the Aster in her nightmares, a cold chill ran down Jaden's body. She knew instinctively that when The D activated his "ultimate card," it was anything but good.

It was then that the broadcast went all static-like; the television signal suddenly lost possibly due to interference during the duel, or rather, from the power emitting from The D. As Jaden rushed to try and fix the television signal, she couldn't stop thinking about the unknown, malicious force from both her nightmares and from seeing it possess The D.

If that force really was the same as the one from her nightmares, then she needed to warn Aster as soon as she could.

Later...

"What? You're meeting with The D tonight?"

Jaden found herself at the docks, where she was supposed to meet up with Aster at his yacht for their training as usual. However, not only did Aster suddenly decide to cancel their training for today, but he also told her that he was meeting with his foster father, The D, later today.

"Yup. He seemed alright after that sudden broadcast was cut off, so I'm glad for that, but he said he wanted to talk to me about something important," Aster replied. "So, I'll be busy for the rest of today. Hope that's alright with you."

"No, it's fine..." Jaden then shook her head and blurted out, "No, wait! It's not fine at all! Aster, there's something really important I have to tell you!"

"What is it?"

"I...I don't think you should go see The D at all!"

That caught Aster by surprise. "What? Why?"

"Right before that broadcast cut off, I-No, wait, let me start from the beginning..."

Jaden proceeded to explain from the beginning, starting with the nightmares she experienced from last night. Furthermore, she emphasized on the evil force that had possessed Aster, unknown that it was actually called the Light of Destruction. She described the evil force that possessed the Aster in her nightmares to be the same, or at the very least, similar to the evil force that she saw possess The D right before the broadcast had been cut off.

However, Aster didn't seem very persuasive. "So, let me get this straight," he started with an annoyed look. "You're scared because of something you experienced from a nightmare? And that's why you're telling me not to go meet my foster father?"

Jaden nodded. "Yes! It could be a trap! He could just be baiting you! Please, don't go!"

"Hmm...Yeah, no. I'm still going."

"W-What?! But why?"

"Jaden, you got this from a nightmare. Don't you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" scoffed Aster. "Besides, it's been a long while since I got to hang out with my own foster father. You can't deny me this opportunity because of some stupid nightmare."

"But-!"

"My decision is final, Jaden. You can't stop me on this," Aster said, turning around. "Now, if we don't have anything else more to discuss, I have to get going."

"What about your behavior?" blurted out Jaden.

Aster paused, though he didn't face Jaden. "What about it?"

"Aster, you can't just go around hurting people just to find your father's killer!" Jaden said. "It's not right, especially when-"

"I don't want to hear any criticism coming from you, of all people!" snapped Aster. "Look, I'm going to meet with The D, and I'm going to find my father's killer in my own terms! I don't want to hear from some naïve idiot who's never been through as many hardships as I have! Why should I listen to you, anyways?"

"...Because we're friends."

"Friends? Who gave you that idea?" spoke Aster coldly. "You're only here to because you're necessary to defeat Sartorius and his Cult of the Light. You may be a chosen one, but that's all the use I have for you. Now, get lost and leave me alone."

Aster took the chance to leave a shocked Jaden behind to start his yacht and sail away to where his foster father told him to meet. It took everything out of Jaden not to cry from those harsh words alone, but she stiffened up and stood up straight, trying to stay strong. She really wanted to give Aster more of a piece of her mind!

But...even though her mind was telling her that it was the right thing to do, her heart and body were thinking otherwise; too scared to even consider it. Somewhere deep within her, she knew that if she continued her confrontation, she would most likely have to duel Aster, and that scared her, because the last time she lost to him, she lost the ability to see her Duel Spirits.

And she never wanted to go through that again. She didn't know how Aster had that ability or why he used it on her, but she never wanted to lose to him again because of that horrible experience, even if that led her to meeting the Neo-Spacians and Neos.

Which is why, after regaining herself, Jaden found and challenged Chazz, all in the hopes of readying herself should she be forced to confront and duel Aster. She didn't really explain everything to Chazz, but she knew that he was always eager to duel his own rival. What she didn't know was that Chazz noticed something wrong with Jaden, as she was hesitant and not herself today.

- DUEL -

Chazz - 4000 LPVS

Jaden - 4000 LP

"I'll go first!" Chazz declared, drawing his card. "I set a Monster in Defense Mode and call it a turn!"

"My turn!" said Jaden. "I activate Polymerization and fuse together Wildheart with Necroshade in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!"

Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/1800)

"I now activate Necroid Shaman's effect! When he's Special Summoned to the field, I can select 1 Monster you control, send it to the Graveyard, and then...Special Summon 1 Monster from your Graveyard to the field...But wait...you don't have any Monsters in your Graveyard yet, so how-"

Chazz sighed. "In that case, then Necroshade's effect would only destroy my Set Monster, and then you would Special Summon the Set Monster you destroyed."

"Oh! Gotcha!" Jaden said. "Necroid Shaman! Destroy his facedown Monster with your special ability!"

Gripping onto his khakkhara, Necroid Shaman casted a necromancy spell onto Chazz's Set Monster, shattering it into pieces. Chazz said, "What you just destroyed was my Masked Dragon!"

"Alright, then since he was the only Monster in you Graveyard, I'll Special Summon him!" decided Jaden.

Masked Dragon - (FIRE/Dragon) - LV3 - (1400/1100)

"Jaden, you complete idiot...!" growled Chazz, smacking himself on the head.

"W-What?"

"Your Monster is currently the most strongest on the field!"

"Yeah, and...?"

"So, you could have Special Summoned Masked Dragon in Attack Mode instead of Defense Mode! Why did you do such an idiotic thing?!" questioned Chazz.

"I just...I...I just wanted to return the Monster back to its original battle position and..." Jaden's face scrunched up in frustration as she gripped her head, embarrassed that she did make a mistake. "S-Sorry..."

"Furthermore, why did you Fusion Summon Necroid Shaman now?" questioned Chazz. "Yeah, he's a strong Monster in terms of both his effect and Attack Points, but you could have waited until I summoned a more powerful Monster to activate his effect! You kinda blew it on your first turn!"

"S-Sorry! I-I wasn't thinking..."

'I knew that Jaden wasn't really herself today, but I didn't think it was this bad,' Chazz thought. "Whatever! Hurry up and finish your turn already!"

"Okay! I end my-!" Jaden stopped herself short upon feeling Chazz's glare intensify before she realized an upcoming mistake she was close to committing. "O-Oh! Right! I attack Masked Dragon with my Necroid Shaman!"

Necroid Shaman thrusted his khakkhara staff at Masked Dragon, defeating the Dragon-Type in a single blow. However, because he was in Defense Mode, he protected his owner from losing any Life Points.

"Masked Dragon's effect now activates!" shouted Chazz. "When he's destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon 1 Dragon-Type Monster from my deck with 1500 or less Attack Points! I choose Armed Dragon LV3!"

Armed Dragon LV3 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV3 - (1200/900)

'It's the same move just like the time he dueled me during the whole North Academy and Duel Academy event!' thought Jaden. 'If he's bringing out his Armed Dragons, then I have to defeat them as soon as possible!' "I end my turn!"

"Ending your turn with not even a single facedown? Pathetic!" insulted Chazz, drawing his card. "I now activate Armed Dragon LV3's effect! During my Standby Phase, I can send him to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV5 from my deck to the field!"

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"Armed Dragon LV5, destroy her Necroid Shaman!"

Rotating his spiked arm back multiple times, Armed Dragon LV5 unleashed a flurry of spike-like blows to Necroid Shaman, finishing him off.

Chazz - 4000 LP

Jaden - 3500 LP

"I set a card and end my turn! At this time, during the End Phase, if my Armed Dragon destroyed a Monster this turn, I can send him to the Graveyard and then Special Summon Armed Dragon LV7 to the field from my deck!"

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

Jaden hoped that during her turn, she would do better than her last one as she drew her card. "My turn, draw! I activate Necroshade's effect from my Graveyard! Only once, can I Normal Summon an Elemental Hero Monster without Tributing! I summon Elemental Hero Neos!"

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

"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Neos Space!"

Upon the activation of Neos Space, the entire dueling field and its surroundings became encased in a multi-colored void; movement in the background slow and converging into one single twister in the middle of space, resembling Polymerization of sorts.

"Neos Space's effect makes it so that Neos gains 500 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3000/2000)

Chazz smirked. 'Not bad, Jaden. Looks like you're getting your game back together...Oh, goddamnit, her stupid phrase is starting to affect me, too!'

"Neos, attack! Destroy Armed Dragon LV7!"

Neos gripped his fist tightly, strengthening himself before lunging forward to punch straight through Armed Dragon LV7, resulting in a massive explosion followed by heaps of smoke. However, when the smoke cleared, Neos' frontal assault was blocked by Armed Dragon LV7 himself, though the Dragon-Type himself didn't escape unscathed, either.

Chazz - 3800 LP

Jaden - 3500 LP

"Wha-?! Why wasn't Armed Dragon destroyed?" wondered Jaden.

"Because of this Continuous Trap I just activated! Ojama Pajama!" explained Chazz. "When an Armed Dragon or LIGHT Machine-Type Fusion Monster I control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, I can just banish 1 Ojama card from my hand, field, or Graveyard instead! I just banished Ojama Red from my hand, so my Armed Dragon is safe!"

Jaden knew that she had been so close to gaining an advantage in the duel, should she had successfully destroyed Armed Dragon LV7, but it was not to be. "...I set a card and end my turn."

"My turn, draw!" Chazz said. "I activate one of the effects of my Ojama Pajama! During my Main Phase, I can add an Ojama card from my card to my hand, and then discard 1 other card from my hand! I choose Ojama Ride, and then, I discard Ojamagic! Then, Ojamagic's effect kicks in! When it's sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard, I can add Ojama Yellow, Black, and Green from my deck to my hand!"

"Yeah! We're back, baby!" cheered Ojama Yellow.

"Finally! Wonder what the Boss is gonna do to us now? Summon us? Bring out the royal king?" wondered Ojama Green.

"Whatever it is, it's gotta be somethin' good!" commented Ojama Black.

"You're right, it is something good...for me, that is!" Chazz shouted. "I activate the Spell, Ojama Ride! Now, I get to send the three stooges I just added from my hand to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon 3 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type Union Monsters from my deck in Defense Mode! Come on out, Y-Dragon Head! Z-Metal Tank! And W-Wing Catapult!"

"We're blasting off agaaaaaaaiiinnn!" screamed the three Ojama brothers as they were sucked into the void known as Chazz's Graveyard and replaced by the three Union Monsters Chazz intended on Special Summoning to the field.

Y-Dragon Head - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

Z-Metal Tank - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1300)

W-Wing Catapult - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1300/1500)

"But I'm not done yet! Next, from my hand, I summon X-Head Cannon to the field!"

X-Head Cannon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1500)

"Now, combine! X,Y, Z! Form together to create XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

XYZ-Dragon Cannon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2600)

"I activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect now! By discarding 1 card from my hand, I can target a card on your field and destroy it! I choose Neos!"

XYZ-Dragon Cannon aimed his cannons at Neos, firing off a barrage of blasts that directly hit and destroyed Neos, leaving Jaden's field wide open.

"Just two direct attacks from my Monsters, and it'll be my win," Chazz said before shaking his head. "I expected more from you, Jaden. Now, let's start with XYZ-Dragon Cannon! Attack Jaden directly!"

XYZ-Dragon Cannon started firing rounds at the area Jaden was in, creating clouds of dust everywhere...until suddenly, the rounds started being deflected and hitting back against XYZ-Dragon Cannon. Realizing that his Monster was about to be destroyed unless he did something, Chazz cried out, "I-I activate the effect of Ojama Pajama! I banish Ojama Black from my Graveyard to prevent XYZ-Dragon Cannon from being destroyed!"

A barrier protected XYZ-Dragon Cannon, though he did sustained injuries that were close to destroying him. When the clouds of dust dispersed, Jaden was still standing with a fully-powered Neos by her side.

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3000/2000)

Chazz - 3600 LP

Jaden - 3500 LP

"How?!" questioned Chazz, taken aback.

"I activated my Trap card, Elemental Mirage, just as you were about to attack me directly," replied Jaden. "Elemental Mirage is activated only when you destroyed an Elemental Hero of mine through a card effect, so now, Neos is Special Summoned back to the field in the same battle position he's in, and with the effect of Neos Space, he still go that 500 extra Attack Point bonus, so he's the strongest Monster on the field!"

"...Gah, I hate doing this a second time, but oh, well," muttered Chazz. "I activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect again to discard a card from my hand to destroy Neos!"

This time, XYZ-Dragon Cannon increased the power of his round blasts, ensuring the annihilation of Neos.

"Neos!" cried out Jaden, shielding herself with her arms.

Chazz let out a sigh and stood up straight. "I end my turn. Show me more what you can do, Jaden! Instead of that pathetic first turn you had!"

Jaden nodded, trying to remain focus on the duel. "I draw! I activate the Spell, O-Oversoul, to Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my Graveyard! I choose Neos!"

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

"And, due to Neos Space, he gains an extra 500 Attack Point bonus!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3000/2000)

"Next, from my hand, I summon Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Insect) - LV3 - (500/500)

"Flare Scarab's effect makes it so that he gains 400 extra Attack Points for every Spell/Trap you control!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Insect) - LV3 - (900/500)

"It's time!" declared Jaden. "Time for Contact Fusion, that is! I fuse both Flare Scarab and Neos in order to Contact Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flare Neos!"

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"Next up, Flare Neos' effect! He gains 400 extra Attack Points for every Spell/Trap on both our fields! There's a total of 2, so he gains 800 more Attack Points, plus 500 more due to Neos Space's effect including not only Neos, but all Fusion Monsters that list Neos as a Fusion-Material Monster! That makes it a total of 1300 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (3800/2000)

"3800 Attack Points?!" exclaimed Chazz.

"Flare Neos, destroy XYZ-Dragon Cannon!" ordered Jaden, decided that Monster to be the more dangerous out of the two Monster Chazz had out on the field.

Flare Neos's body surged with radiating heat before soaring downwards at XYZ-Dragon Cannon. Seeing that his Monster was in danger, Chazz shouted, "I activate the effect of Ojama Pajama to remove from play Ojama Green from my Graveyard to protect XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

An explosion occurred afterwards, though both opponents, as well as their Monsters, were safe from battle destruction, though there was even more of a difference between their Life Points.

Chazz - 2600 LP

Jaden - 3500 LP

Jaden said, "I end my turn. At this time, Neos Space's additional effect prevents Flare Neos from going back to my Extra Deck, so he's safe!"

"My move!" said Chazz, drawing his card. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two new cards! Then, I activate Ojama Pajama's effect! I add 1 Ojama card from my deck to my hand, in exchange for discarding 1 other card from my hand! Next, I'll activate the new Ojama card I just got! The Quick-Play Spell, Ojamatch! Now, I have to send another Ojama card from my hand to the Graveyard, and I choose Ojama Red! Then, I get to add an Ojama Monster from my deck/Graveyard as well as an Armed Dragon from my deck/Graveyard! I'll add Ojama Yellow from my Graveyard to my hand, and add Armed Dragon LV10 from my deck to my hand! I now Tribute Armed Dragon LV7 to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV10 to the field!"

Armed Dragon LV10 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV10 - (3000/2000)

Chazz grinned. "Now I'll activate the effect of my XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect twice this round! I'll discard 2 cards from my hand and then destroy 2 cards on your field! That's right, Jaden! I'll target your Flare Neos and Neos Space itself!"

Jaden couldn't do anything to stop Chazz's Monster from firing onto her two targeted cards, and in an instant, her two cards were destroyed, returning the background to normal and leaving her entire field completely wide open for Chazz's Monsters to invade.

"It's my win, Jaden! XYZ-Dragon Cannon! Armed Dragon LV10! Show no mercy!"

With their combined efforts, both of Chazz's most powerful Monsters reigned down a combination of their elemental attacks in a storm-like manner; blasting Jaden's entire field with both wind and light. Jaden screamed as she was thrown in the air; light flashing before her eyes before she came crashing down, defeated.

Chazz - 2600 LP

Jaden - 0 LP

Winner: Chazz

Chazz's grin faltered before growing into a scowl. Even though he should be happy that he won, he's never felt so...disappointed and angry before in his life! That duel was...it couldn't count as a win for him because he felt that Jaden wasn't truly giving it her all! He expected more from her, but she's been a bit distant to him today, and that was bugging the hell out of him!

Marching over to her fallen body, Chazz demanded, "Hey, get up. I wanna see your cards."

Sitting up and groaning in pain, Jaden rubbed the back of her neck. "Oww...W-What? My cards?"

Without warning, Chazz snatched the cards she held in her hand and examined each other them. It was taking everything out of Chazz not to crumple the cards in his hands before her ferociously glared at Jaden. "You IDIOT! Were you holding back on me or something?! What is WRONG with you today?!"

Jaden flinched from Chazz's outburst and said, "N-Nothing! I really was trying my best, I swear!"

"Oh yeah? Then why do I see a bunch of cards you could have used to counter my moves in my last turn?! You had so many options, but you chose pathetic ones! Ones that guaranteed your loss!" Throwing her cards back at her face, Chazz swirled around and activated his duel disk again, getting into position. "Come on, let's duel again!"

"Again? Why? You won already, so-"

"Oh, no! That pathetic duel doesn't count!" Chazz shouted, shaking his head. "You weren't even at your best! So, we're gonna go again, and we're gonna make this right! Get up and start dueling me again! And duel like you mean it, you slacker!"

It took a moment for Jaden to snap out of being stunned before getting up and resuming the duel. But, no matter how much she dueled, no matter how much she tried so hard to focus, for the first time, she found herself on a losing streak against Chazz. Worst, Chazz seemed to be getting more and more frustrated as Jaden kept losing, which puzzled her because, didn't Chazz want to win?

"GODDAMNIT!" yelled Chazz, upon winning once again. Forcibly deactivating his duel disk, he stomped right over to Jaden and gripped her by the front of her shirt. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You're not like this, slacker! And where's your optimism?! Your cheerfulness?! Shouldn't you go get your game on?! GODDAMNIT, NOW YOU'VE GOT ME SAYING IT TOO!"

"I-I...I'm not...I'm just not myself today," admitted Jaden.

Chazz scoffed. "Yeah, right! Or, more like you're not focused! Damnit, Jaden! You keep making more and more mistakes and misplays during our duels! That's not like-Well, actually, you do sometimes do that for fun, but not like this! This isn't supposed to be the way things are! I'M supposed to be the one on the losing end! YOU'RE the one whose supposed to win all the time! Not the other way around!"

Jaden had enough shame to look down, but Chazz didn't even give her the opportunity to as he gripped her tightly, lifting her up in the air. "C-Chazz, it's getting a little-! Y-you're hurting me...!"

"I DON'T CARE RIGHT NOW!" yelled Chazz. "You came to me, requesting for a duel and an opportunity to train, stating that you feel that you didn't feel strong enough! And exactly what made you feel this way?! The Society?! Sartorius?!"

"K-Kinda! But, not...exactly...!"

"Then what?! I agreed to duel you, thinking it was going to end up like about 80% of our duels, but you just kept on losing! Losing, losing, LOSING! I know that I can be a goddamn prick, but even I know when to quit when something's wrong with me! Now, you better tell me what the FUCK is wrong with you before I get even more seriously pissed off!"

When he stopped, Chazz looked up at Jaden. All this time, while he was ranting, Jaden hasn't said a word, though the only signs of life from her were tears threatening to pool down from her eyes and her quivering lips as she tried hard not to cry.

Eventually, Jaden ended up confessing to everything, even expressing her worries about Aster and how she didn't ever want to lose the ability to see Duel Spirits. When she finished, Chazz had long calmed down and had set Jaden down as she had confessed everything while tearing up, revealing her vulnerable side to Chazz.

"...Jaden," said Chazz. "You're a goddamn idiot, you know that?"

Jaden sniffled, trying to wipe away the fat tears pouring down her cheeks. "I-I know-"

"No, you don't! Goddamnit, you realize that you didn't need to duel or train with me in order to prove yourself that you're strong! That's kinda my shtick, you know? All you had to do was confess! Tell someone else your problems instead of dueling! Actually talk things out! God, you didn't need to duel me! You just had to talk, not duel! And yes, that's real surprising, coming from me of all people!"

Jaden looked up to him. "But...but that's how we solve all of our problems here."

"Unfortunately," mumbled Chazz. "Look, you know that I'm not...the most sentimental kind of person here, but I can tell when someone's going through a hard time. I've had enough experience from that."

Chazz's last words flashed Jaden's mind back to when she first witnessed Chazz break down in the bathroom, heavily pressured by the expectations of his older brothers. She doesn't know whether she should compare her situation with his previous situation back then, but in a way, they are alike, so she allowed Chazz to continue.

Chazz continued, "I've been through enough hardships and other shitty stuff throughout my life due to my rich family and stuff, and there's...a downside to being rich. Sure, you get rich and you get to spend a ton of money on things you would love to have, but you'd also have to go through shitty stuff like expectations to be the best, like no one ever was. I've been through shit, and I know you've been through shit, so, while I can't exactly promise that I'll make you feel better, I'll...at least hear you out."

At least Chazz was honest about his approach, Jaden will give him that. Despite him being a jerk at times, Jaden knew she could trust him to at least hear her out, so she told him everything. Her fears, her previous nightmares, Aster, her suspicions about The D, the malicious light spirit, everything.

When she finished, Chazz said the one sentence that both of them could agree on. "Aster Phoenix is a jackass."

"I-" Jaden opened her mouth to defend him, and despite all the training he's put her through, the help she's received from him, his attitude certainly didn't really make things easier for her. "Yeah...I respect him and all, but you're kinda right on that."

"I mean, seriously! I watched the Championship Duel from my TV, too, and I saw that weird, malicious light spirit! He should have known to take you seriously!"

"To be fair, he's just met me this year," defended Jaden. "And...I may have fooled around too much for him to take me seriously, like with the whole Bastion incident and my usual antics..."

"Still, he's an asshole in my book," muttered Chazz, crossing his arms and looking away. "So, how do you feel right now?"

"...Better now that I talked to you," said Jaden, smiling a bit. "But...I still feel scared and worried for Aster. Sorry, I know you said that Aster's a jackass and you probably didn't want to hear that-"

"It's fine. I still think he's a jerk, but I'm not gonna judge you for your own opinion on him. When I said he's still a jackass, that's my own opinion, not yours, got it?"

"...To be honest, I think he's kind of a jackass, too."

Chazz smirked in amusement. "So, we've reached some sort of mutual agreement with that, huh? Anyways, now that we've talked, what are you gonna do?"

"..." Jaden stood up straight with a determined look. "I'm going to find Aster...and stop him."

"How? You don't exactly have a boat."

"I'll steal one! I did take one when I left the island the first time!"

"Yeah, but all of the other boats are taken by the Society of Light and heavily guarded. Good luck stealing one."

Jaden glanced at him. "You sound like you're not going to help me? Do you really hate Aster that much?"

Chazz sighed and leaned back against a tree. "Hey, I think the guy's a jackass, but he's your friend, so if I didn't have a good reason not to go, I would have helped you out."

"Oh? What's your reason not to go?" wondered Jaden, tilting her head.

"Ever since I returned back to normal, I've been secretly recruiting Obelisk Blue members, or at least, the remainder of them, as well as other Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds," explained Chazz.

"Wait, why go through all this secrecy? Why didn't you tell me or any of the others?"

"Alexis already knows as well as Atticus. In fact, they're part of my secret army to take back Duel Academy from the Society. As for you..." Chazz made a face at Jaden. "Jaden...you know you're not the best person to keep secrets, right? You, Hassleberry, and Syrus are by far the WORST people to keep a secret!"

"Wha-?! No we're not! We could keep a secret!" pouted Jaden, scoffing off the idea that she and her friends were the worst people to keep secrets.

Chazz deadpanned, "Jaden. You told everyone about me wiping my food messes with my black sleeve. Now everyone thinks I'm a slob!"

"I mean, you kinda are-"

"I will throttle you, I swear..."

"But, I mean, come on! That was one time! I couldn't be that bad!"

Chazz groaned, facepalming himself. "Jaden, you took my fried shrimp and blamed it on Syrus when it was obvious that YOU took it!"

"How?!"

"Did the fried shrimp crumbs on your lips not indicate anything?"

"I-Wait, why were you focused on my lips?"

"MOVING ON! The point is, you're terrible at keeping secrets! Your history pretty much proves it!"

Jaden pouted, accepting defeat. "Okay, fine...I guess you're right, but I'm trying! And so are Hassleberry and Syrus."

"You seriously have no idea how much trouble they were while you were gone, do you?"

"What?"

"Another time!" sighed Chazz. "But anyways, I've got a question for you, Jaden! Why come to me, of all people? I know Sy's out right now, so you could have talked to Hassleberry, or Alexis, or even Atticus! So, why me?"

"...Because I know you'd be brutally honest," admitted Jaden. "Chazz, I like it when people sugarcoat the bad things because then, they'd hurt less, but in this situation, I think I needed a wake-up call to reality. Someone who would be honest and not sugarcoat things. I think the others would have sugarcoated things and tried to make me think everything's going to be okay when they're not. That, and Hassleberry obviously doesn't like Aster, so I think he would have been biased."

"I'm surprised you even know that word," muttered Chazz. "But...thanks for relying on me, anyways. Or rather, thanks for having faith in me."

"You're welcome, Chazzy!" Jaden welcomed with a huge grin on her face.

"But I swear, you BETTER not tell anyone about me cheering you up or anything!" demanded Chazz, jabbing her in the chest. "I swear-!"

"Okay, okay! I promise not to tell!" Jaden said, holding her hands up. "I swear!"

"Good!" Chazz leaned back against the tree and held his hand out. "Now, gimme your Genex Medallions."

"EEEEHHH?!"

"Yeah, that's right! Don't think I haven't forgotten about the tournament, you idiot! And since you lost to me several times today, I've more than deserved the medals! Now, give them to me!"

Jaden pouted, but knew that Chazz was right before fishing out the medals out of her pockets and handing them over to him. "Here..."

Chazz nodded before staying silent for a minute. Jaden was about to ask what was wrong when he muttered, "...Sorry."

"What?"

Chazz groaned, covering his face with his hand before letting it down. "Ugh! What is wrong with me today?! Being all sappy and sympathetic and shit? Gah, I'm sorry for punching you before in the face!"

"Huh? When was that?"

"Right...before you left. We ended up in a huge argument, and then I ended up punching you, and you started crying about you being unable to see Duel Spirits anymore. I don't-I didn't get to apologize before, so...just listen carefully because I'm only gonna say this once...I'm sorry. I was an insensitive jerk at the time so I should have taken account to your feelings more."

"Oh..." Jaden seemed to recall what he was referring to and looked down in shame. "No, I should apolo-"

"Damnit, Jaden, I was in the wrong that time. You have NO reason to apologize, so just take the damn apology."

"O-Okay, then!"

Chazz scratched his cheek and looked away sheepishly. "And...as a punishment, since I punched you...I'll let you have a freebie and let you punch me back."

"Okay."

PUNCH! Perhaps the hardest she's ever placed her strength into, as well as the swiftest, Jaden punched Chazz straight in the face, directly at his nose, causing him to howl in pain as he covered his nose and crotched down in pain.

"OWWWWW! FUCK! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAIT UNTIL I WAS READY?!"

"You told me I could punch you!"

"YEAH, BUT-!" No matter what, Chazz couldn't rebuttal back, as he did fairly give her permission and did give her a freebie, so technically, she could have started whenever she wanted to, even if he wasn't ready. "Fuck...Fine, fine, fine!"

"Do you need help going to the infirmary?" asked Jaden, concerned.

"No, I'm fine! Just..." Chazz, still covering his nose, glared at Jaden. "Just...what are you gonna do now? You can't take a boat or a ship, as they're all heavily guarded by the Society to prevent anyone else from getting in or out of this island. So, what's your next plan?"

"...I'm gonna make a phone call. Hopefully, Chancellor Sheppard will help me out," said Jaden. "What about you?"

"Still gonna resume the whole army organization...We're really close to making a counterattack, which is why I told you since there's no point in keeping it a secret any longer...but first, I'm gonna head to the infirmary. I think my nose's bleeding, OWWWWW! Jeez, I didn't realize you were this strong, Jaden!"

"I played a lot of Assassin's Creed!"

"What the hell does that have to do with-?! You know what? Never mind, I'm leaving!"

With that said and done, the two ventured on their own separate paths, intent on following what their hearts desired.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am going to change things up a bit, and yes, there will finally be a confrontation between Aster and Jaden, and I'm pretty certain you all know what that means next chapter!

I really didn't like how Aster ended things with his father. I'm not a huge fan on revenge stories, because there's no point to them. I mean, yeah, you get to kill the person who killed the person you loved, but you don't get that person back. That person you loved, whether it's your father, mother, lover, whoever it is, that person is never going to come back even if you avenge them. Hell, the person you loved may not even WANT you to avenge them; just go on with your lives! Which is why I'm changing things!

Also, this chapter kinda explains how Jaden lost the tournament and how Chazz proceeded, because in Season 2, they didn't exactly clarify how exactly Jaden dropped out of the tournament. Well, I guess he dropped out of his own volition off-screen, but I wanted to confirm it in this chapter!

Read and review!