Yu-Gi-Oh GX Love Story

~Eighteen~

Maya's POV:

Today, the chosen duelists are searching for Professor Banner. Alexis and I are starting in our classes and the school grounds. Chazz, Amber and Bastion are scouring the forest. Jaden, Zane, and Ashly are looking around the old ruins and the abandoned dorm.

"Lex, look at this," I said, holding up a piece of paper. Alexis heaved an alchemy book onto the table.

"What is it?" she asked, examining the single symbol. She opened the rune book, looking for a bit before matching it up. "It's the rune of Amneal."

I nodded. "Okay, but what does it mean?"

She shrugged. We hurried off and shared our findings with the group. I noted Ashly was the only one not there. "Hey, where's Ash?"

Jaden just gave me a confused look, which I ignored. Zane filled in the silence by saying, "She's looking for Atticus."

Alexis's head snapped up. "What?"

Zane looked concerned. "He's missing again. I wouldn't- hey!" He didn't get the chance to finish because Alexis had already taken off. "Well, I figured that would happen."

I laughed. "It's her brother, Zane. Of course she'll go after him."

That night, I was roughly awoken by Chazz and Amber (a.k.a. they brought me outside and dumped a bucket of water over my head).

"What the heck, guys?" I spluttered.

Amber clapped her hand over my mouth. "Shh. Do you wanna wake up Jaden and Syrus?"

I shook my head.

"Then go change and come to the forest," she hissed.

Chazz shoved me back in, and I quickly got my Slifer uniform on and ran back out. "Okay, what is this about?"

"Chazz found the Mark of Amnael and he wanted us at his back to follow it," Amber explained. I looked to Chazz for confirmation. He nodded.

"All right. I'm game for an adventure. But is Jaden coming?"

"Nope. Never in a million years," Chazz said, smirking.

"Good."

Soon, we found ourselves in a clearing vacant of trees. And a duelist was waiting, having just beat Alexis.

Oh boy.

Chazz dueled him next, but lost quickly as well. He shouted, "Don't you dare take him on, Amber! Don't. You. Dare." And he disappeared.

I quickly activated my duel disk. "Amber, go. Warn Jaden."

"What? No, I won't leave you here!"

"I'll hold him off for a few minutes. You gotta go! Get Jaden, please."

Amber nodded, then ran. I turned back to the duelist. "Nobody but nobody messes with my friends! Get your game on!"

Of course, I couldn't beat him. I lost for the first time, collapsing and disappearing into a big, weird book.

Instantly I fell into a bubble, next to another bubble that held Chazz.

"Huh? What the-"

"Long story," I said. "Love to talk, but we have to think up some way to get out."

"Is Amber safe? Her arm-"

"Amber's fine, I made her run," I replied.

Chazz let out a breath. "Well. That's good, then, well, what I mean to say, thank you."

I looked at him like he'd just dropped off the moon. "What?"

"Thank you. For saving Amber."

Deep breath. Nod. Sit down and tell Chazz all about it.

When I was done, Chazz nodded. "I'd bet that someone has to beat that guy to get us outta here."

Ojama Yellow appeared and said, "That'll be Jaden, right boss? Right Maya?"

"I don't trust Jaden further than I could throw him right now," I muttered.

Yellow instantly bawled. "Did you have a fight?"

"You could say that."

Suddenly, the vortex melted away to reveal a tomb, where Jaden stood, facing off against the dark duelist from before. "Where's Maya? What have you done with her?"

"She's gone forever. You'll never get her back!"

"I don't believe you!"

"Believe it, Jaden. She will never walk this Earth again!"

Jaden slumped slightly. "Maya.......I didn't get to hold you, and I won't ever again."

"Don't give up, Jaden!" I screamed. "Come on, don't beat yourself up!"

My amazing Jaden straightened. "All right, Anmael! Bring it!"

Anmael was revealed as Banner halfway through, and Jaden had trouble beating him, but he did. He won. I fell out of the bubble and landed on my feet next to Jaden, wincing a bit. We watched Banner crumble to dust right before our eyes. His spirit went where? With the stinking cat.

Ashly was the first one back to the dorm, finding Atticus. She shrieked, threw her arms around him and yelled, "Leave me again and I'll destroy your ukulele!" Alexis laughed.

Amber was mad at Chazz, extremely mad. "So you force me to go and sacrifice yourself? Really? Come on, Chazz, you know I'm stronger than that," she snapped, walking away.

As for Jaden, the night after the final duel, I was sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean by the Slifer dorm. He sat down next to me and we watched the sunset for a bit.

After a bit, he cleared his throat. "Maya. I've been an idiot."

I laid my head on his shoulder and my hand on his leg. "Why do you think that?"

Jaden glanced at me, then back at the ocean. "If I could take back what I did after the duel with Talos, I would. I don't need to protect you. At first I thought it was my job, as the older one. Then, after Chazz told me about what you did for Amber, to help her alert me, I realized you could make your own choices, and I'd support them." He paused, tilting my chin up a bit with his hand. His brown eyes stared into my green ones. "Can you give me another chance?"

I pushed myself up a bit, closing the gap between our lips. "That answer your question?"

Jaden smiled. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him. "Love you," he whispered.

"Love ya too, Jay."