I'm back everybody! Sorry about the prolonged and unexpected leave of absence, but college is being kicked into overdrive and my chances to write are slim to none. I just want everyone to know that I have not abandoned my stories. Now, I hope you all enjoy!

As always, I own nothing

Chapter 8- Spirits Awaken! A Maiden in Love?

The sounds of flesh smacking against flesh filled the air around Naruto's home. Said blonde stood atop the creek's surface, supervising his friends as they continued their training. Zane, Bastion, and Syrus were locked in a three way spar, each using the martial arts, or taijutsu as Naruto called it, he had taught them over the past couple of weeks. Despite his smaller stature, Syrus was easily matching his brother and Bastion blow for blow, using his speed to his advantage. Chumley had declined learning any of the taijutsu, knowing that his strengths did not lie on the battlefield. Naruto had understood and had set the koala duelist on a different kind of training. He was at the creeks edge, meditating and trying to transfer his chakra into his deck. Even with his smaller reserves of chakra, he still possessed enough to give the spirits of his cards physical form, if only for a short time. That was why he was pumping chakra into his deck, to strengthen them and make it easier to summon them in physical form.

Across the water's surface, Alexis, Mindy and Jasmine were going through some physical exercises while preventing themselves from sinking into the water. The three of them may have been in great shape, but they lacked the physical strength and stamina of a kunoichi to complete the next step of their training. Also, by having them do the exercises on the water, it helped to temper and strengthen their chakra and their control over it. That extra control and power would go a long way with the style or fighting Naruto planned on teaching the three.

Before all that though, Naruto had something else in mind for everyone to learn, "That's enough for now; take a few minutes to get some water and rest. After that, I have a surprise for everyone." With their interests piqued, the seven duelists did as instructed.

A few minutes later found the group of eight seated in a circle with all eyes on Naruto. "First, let me say that I am proud of the progress you each have made so far. We may have only trained together for a short time, but I can already see that each of you will become great in the future. Now, because of everyone's outstanding progress, I have decided you all deserve a reward."

"What kind of reward, Naruto?" asked Syrus, unable to contain his excitement at a gift from the blonde.

"Something that can only be achieved by those who have unlocked their chakra and possess a powerful bond with their cards; I will teach you how to unleash the spirits residing in your decks."

"Wait, you mean like see the duel spirits in our decks? Like what Yugi Moto can do?"

"Precisely Chumley," everyone's eyes, with the exception of Alexis, widened. In the dueling world, those who could see and communicate with the spirits of their cards always rose to be extraordinary duelists. "Let's begin. To unleash your cards' spirits, you must delve deep within yourself and find the bond that links you to your deck. Follow that bond to its source and reach out to the spirits within. Once you feel them respond, use your chakra to complete the bond and free them from the restraints of their cards." Eager to meet their spirit companions, everyone quickly sank into meditation, with the exception of our two favorite blondes.

As everyone meditated, Naruto and Alexis decided to have a mock duel while they waited. "So who do you think will be the first to connect with their spirit companions?" asked Alexis as she studied her hand.

"Chumley," Naruto said without hesitation, "With the training he's been doing, the bond between him and his cards is stronger than everyone else's. It won't take long for him to complete the bond and release his decks spirits…" No sooner had the words left his mouth then did they feel the ground shake slightly. Glancing over towards their rotund friend, the two blondes were greeted with the sight of Chumley surrounded by three beast-type monster spirits. Des Koala and Des Kangaroo were jumping around a wide eyed Chumley in glee, while the massive form of Big Koala sat serenely behind the astonished senior Slifer. "Well damn, that was faster than I thought. So Chum, how's it feel to finally meet your spirit companions?"

"Uhh, it's kind of surreal, you know? I mean, you've told us all about them, but actually meeting the spirits of my own cards is like, totally licious!"

Chuckling, Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, hearing about something and experiencing it on your own are two completely different things. Get to know your new spirit friends Chum, I have a feeling it will take the others considerably longer to link with their spirit companions." Turning back to Alexis, he flashed a smirk, "Now, I believe it was my turn, wasn't it?"

With Zane

Zane opened his eyes to a white expanse that seemed to have no end to it. Nothing could be discerned from the rest, not even the seemingly solid surface he stood on. 'This must be my core. I guess Naruto wasn't kidding when he said that a person's core is the purest part of who they are, untouched and untainted by the outside world.' As he glanced around, the appearance of a pulsing blue sphere caught the senior obelisk's attention, and with it, an overbearing pressure on his being. 'And that must be my chakra. Man, Naruto told us that the chakra inside our cores would be more potent than the chakra we utilize outside, but I didn't think it would be this overwhelming.'

Slowly though, the pressure began to lessen until all that was left was a slight tingling on the blunette's skin. Finally able to move around freely again, the eldest Truesdale brother began to move about the white expanse that was his core. It wasn't long before he found something that piqued his curiosity; a stream of chakra that branched off from his core and moved across the expanse. Moving over to the stream of chakra, Zane furrowed his brow as he placed his hand on the surface of the chakra.

'Zane,' an unknown voice sounded in his mind, startling the normally calm duelist, 'Hear us Zane, free us.'

'Could that be… the voice of my duel spirit?' Zane wondered as he looked off in the direction the stream of chakra flowed. 'Guess there's only one way to find out,' with that, he took off, running alongside the stream of chakra towards the mysterious voice that called to him.

For an indiscernible amount of time he ran, following his chakra and the voice that became stronger as time passed. 'Zane,' the voice sounded again, though there was something different about it. It no longer sounded like a singular voice, now it seemed as if it were multiple voices speaking as one. 'Yes Zane, the three of us call to you, for only you can make us one.'

'Make you one? What do you mean?'

'Come to us Zane, and you will know,' with that, the voices fell silent. Determined to find his answer, the senior obelisk continued on his way.

It was not long after that that Zane came upon a wondrous sight; a pair of glowing golden gates towered over him, radiating with an ethereal light. Beyond the bars of the gate, three shadowed, serpentine figures rose up and three pairs of shining yellow eyes gazed down on the blunette. 'Finally, you have come Zane.'

"Who are you?" he asked as he walked closer to the gates.

'You know who we are Zane; we have been with you for as long as you have dueled.'

"Cyber Dragon," the words were but a whisper, yet they carried across the expanse with ease.

'Yes Zane,' cooed the three dragons, 'Now please, free us from this cage so that we may grant you our true power.'

"How do I free you?"

'Your chakra Zane; no matter how imposing it may feel, your chakra is still yours and it will bend to your will. The chakra beside you is what keeps this gate sealed. You must reverse the flow so that it will open the gate and allow us to fully merge our spirits with your deck.'

Zane nodded and turned to face the stream of chakra holding the gate closed. Taking a steadying breath, he reached out and placed both hands on the surface of the stream. Instantly, he felt a pulse of pure, unchained power surge through him, nearly launching him across the endless expanse. Through sheer strength of will, he fought against the power trying to push him away. 'Fight it Zane! Do not let it overwhelm you! Remember, it is still your chakra, you can control it!'

'I won't let this power get the better of me!' eyes closing in focus, Zane gritted his teeth as he felt the power continue to oppose him. 'This is my chakra! I control it!' a second surge of power ripped through Zane's core, this time emanating from Zane himself. His eyes snapped open, revealing they were now glowing a deep, vibrant blue. The stream of chakra pulsed once more before receding from the gate, and flowing into Zane. Once the last of the chakra had returned to Zane's body, the gates holding the three Cyber Dragons back opened, freeing the mighty beasts.

'You did it Zane!' they said in unison once again as they wrapped themselves around the Cyber Duelist. 'You did it! Finally we can give you our full strength and truly fight alongside you!' before the bewildered duelist had a chance to react, the three spirits faded from sight. Zane shook his head to get over the very exuberant way the three dragons had shown their affection for him.

"And I thought Syrus was excitable," he mumbled, though a small smile could be seen on his face. Looking down at his hands, Zane's smile turned into a frown as he concentrated. Chakra erupted from his hands, blazing with the same deep blue hue as his eyes had taken on moments before. 'I'm not sure what it is, but my chakra feels stronger than before. Could it be because the bond with my duel spirits is now complete? I'll have to ask Naruto about this.'

Allowing his chakra to dissipate, Zane prepared to return to the outside world, only to freeze as more voices reached his ears.

'Zane…'the ominous voice caused the hairs of the back of said obelisk neck to stand on end. But for reasons he couldn't fathom, the chakra within him seemed to sing when the voice spoke.

"Who's there?" the blunette demanded as he looked around for the source of the voice, eyes hardening into pits of ice. "Show yourself you coward!"

'We are here Zane…' spinning around, the senior obelisk was faced with the dark confines that had housed the Cyber Dragon's. 'Please, you must free us from the darkness. Free us so that we may know true power alongside you.'

"Sorry, but I don't take offers from those who hide in shadows. Now show yourself!"

'We cannot Zane; the darkness prevents us from revealing ourselves to you. But we are no strangers to you Zane; you have merely forgotten who we are. Look into your past, and remember.'

Furrowing his brow, Zane begin thinking back over everything he had done in his life that was related to dueling. A few moments past before his eyes widened in shock as memories of his early duel training surfaced. "It can't be, you're…" Zane began, taking an involuntary step back as the reality of the situation sank in.

'Yes Zane; remember. Remember all those years ago, it was we who called to you. But you were not ready then; your power had yet to awaken. Now the time has finally come, you are ready to receive our power and achieve your true potential.' From within the inky blackness of the cage, came a gust of wind that forced Zane to brace himself, lest he be blown away. 'Go Zane! Find us and free us from our prison! Unleash our power and take it as your own!' Unable to stand against the increasing force of the wind, Zane felt himself being blown across the expanse, only to fade from sight moments later.

Jolting awake, Zane found himself back in the real world. Around him, his friends were conversing with their now visible duel spirits. Bastion sat with Jasmine, Water Dragon and Fire Dragon coiled around them, while the three Harpie Lady Sister's flew overhead. Upon closer inspection, he could see the chibi form of Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon wrapped in the redhead's arms. Syrus looked awed at the sight of his spirits, while said spirits were running about, enjoying their new freedom.

"Zane?" asked Mindy to the elder Truesdale's right, "You okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Mindy," he replied, "Releasing my duel spirits was more taxing then I expected is all." Before she could say anything else, rhythmic beeping cut through the clearing. Everyone turned towards the sound, while Zane stood up and walked over to Naruto's home. Digging through the pile of bags, Zane pulled out his PDA and read over the new message. "I have to go. Chancellor Sheppard has requested that I be present for a mandatory faculty meeting. I'll see you all later."

Syrus walked up to Mindy as his older brother left the clearing, "Don't worry Mindy, Zane's always been that way. Give him a day or two and he'll be back to his usual self."

"Thanks Syrus," said the blackette, "I just wish Zane would open up to us a little more. With all the time we've been spending together, you'd think he'd trust us enough to tell us when something's wrong."

"Leave it be Mindy," called Naruto, not having moved from his spot next to Alexis, "Like Syrus said, Zane isn't the type to burden others with his problems needlessly. But he also knows the limits of what he is capable of on his own. If he truly needs our help, he knows that he need only ask, and it will be given." Though she was reluctant to simply let things be, Mindy relented and nodded her acceptance. "Alright, now…"

"Syrus! Hey Syrus, where are you?" an unknown voice echoed from somewhere in the forest.

Everyone turned to the younger Truesdale for an explanation. "Friend of yours Syrus?" inquired Bastion.

It took the fairer haired blunette a minute to respond, trying to put a name to the voice. "It sounds like mine and Chum's new roommate, Blair."

"Blair?"

"Yeah, Blair Flannigan; he just transferred in today. Apparently, he aced his exams and passed his entrance duel with flying colors. Banner has him slated for promotion to Ra Yellow within the week." Said transfer student chose that moment to stumble out of the brush on the group's right. He was garbed in the standard Slifer uniform, though his pants were looser fitting and gave a ballooning effect just above his shoes. A large hat, nearly twice the size of Blair's head covered his hair from view. The young teen was also rather short in stature, being an inch or two shorter than Syrus. What stood out most about him were his surprisingly soft, feminine facial features.

Shaking a few leaves and twigs from his person, the new arrival looked up and finally took notice of the group. "There you are Syrus! I've been looking all over for you!"

"For me? Why's that Blair?"

"Why? Don't you remember? You promised to introduce me to your brother once classes were finished!" said Blair exasperatedly. "Now come on, let's go!"

Silence descended over the group, all of them overwhelmed by the emotion from the young boy. It almost seemed borderline hysteric. Like not meeting Zane was the worst possible thing imaginable.

When Syrus didn't immediately respond, Blair ran over and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's go Syrus! You promised to introduce me, now you're going to introduce me!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible at the moment," said Naruto, coming to his friend's aid. "Zane was just called away for an important faculty meeting. He won't be available for a while."

Blair's face fell faster than a stone in water and her hold on Syrus went slack, freeing the Slifer. "Oh," Blair mumbled, "Fine. But you better introduce us as soon as Zane's finished with that meeting Syrus." With that, the young transfer student left the clearing, leaving a flustered and confused group in his wake.

Bastion coughed into his hand. "Well," he began, "That was… interesting."

"That's putting it mildly," Jasmine said. "What was with that guy anyway? It seemed like he was completely obsessed with your brother Syrus."

"I'm pretty sure he is. As soon as he learned Zane was my brother, he wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to introduce him," said Syrus as he retook his seat.

"It seems Zane has a fan. A rather obsessed one if you ask me," Bastion said as he crossed his arms.

While everyone was talking about Blair, Naruto's brow was furrowed in concentration. 'Something's not right about Blair. The way he acted and the way his emotions shifted so quickly aren't normal, even for an obsessed fan-boy. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Blair Flannigan was more girl than boy.'

Naruto was apparently not the only one who was suspicious of Blair. Alexis had her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips thinned, her tell when she was trying to figure out something that didn't make sense.

Naruto leaned over and whispered, "I take it you also found something off about our new friend?"

"Yeah; his emotions seemed to be all over the place. I've met some really obsessed fan-boys before, but they were never that bad. In fact, Blair seemed to behave…"

"More like a girl, than a boy?" Naruto finished, "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

"Why though?" she pondered, "If we're right and Blair really is a girl, why would she bother putting on this charade? It's not like the Academy has anything against girls becoming students."

"There's only one way to find out; we need to have a little chat with Blair Flannigan." Rising to his feet drew the rests attention to the blonde, "That's enough for today guys. We'll meet up later for some duel training. Now though, Alexis and I have some business to attend to, we'll see you guys later." Offering a hand to his fellow blonde, Naruto helped Alexis to her feet. With one last wave goodbye, the two headed out in the same direction Blair had gone.

"I wonder what they have to do?" said Syrus.

Jasmine and Mindy shared a look before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "Isn't it obvious?" the redhead asked, "They just wanted to be alone so they could have a private moment." The three males present widened their eyes at that possibility. It hadn't even crossed their minds that Naruto and Alexis could potentially be an item.

Academy Building- Faculty Room

"Welcome everyone," said Sheppard, seated at the head of the elongated circular table. "Now then, straight to business; as you are all aware, the annual School Duel with North Academy is fast approaching. Therefore, I feel we should begin discussion about who shall be our representative this year. Are there any nominations?"

"Nominations?" questioned Crowler, sitting opposite Sheppard. "Forgive me Chancellor, but are you out of your mind? The School Duel is the second biggest match of the year! Not to mention the pride of Duel Academy is on the line as well. I feel there is very little discussion to be had. Zane is by far our best," he said, gesturing to the blunette standing by the door on Sheppard's right. "Clearly he should be our representative, as he was last year."

Surprising, as he rarely spoke at these meetings, Banner chimed in. "I agree that Zane is our top duelist, and would no doubt secure victory for Duel Academy; however I have heard a rumor going around."

"What did this rumor say, Professor Banner?" asked Miss Fontaine.

"I have heard that North Academy has opted to select a first year student as their representative this year."

"A freshman? Why on earth would they choose a freshman to represent them in the School Duel?" Crowler shrieked, seemingly scandalized at the mere thought of a freshman in such an illustrious event.

"That's right," Sheppard nodded, "Foster messaged me yesterday and informed me of his decision. So in the spirit of fairness, we shall choose one of our own freshmen to compete; any nominations?"

"Naruto Namikaze," said Zane in that borderline monotonous voice of his, "He is one of the best in the freshmen class. He will do us proud if given the chance."

"You can't be serious?!" Now Crowler was almost hysteric, "That menace in the School Duel? Absolutely not! Have you forgotten what he did to Mr. Rosewood? The poor lad hasn't even recovered yet."

The mode in the room changed instantly. A cold silence permeating the space within the four walls.

"No," spoke Zane, his voice colder than ice, "I haven't forgotten. But it seems you have Dr. Crowler." The man's name was spat with an undercurrent of loathing, "Or did you forget who I sided, and still side with, over that matter?"

The blood drained quickly from the Obelisk Headmaster's face. It seemed that particular detail had slipped his mind.

Backtracking and hoping to steer the conversation away from such volatile ground, Crowler turned to Chancellor Sheppard. "If you insist on honoring the spirit of fairness, then might I suggest Bastion Misawa be our rep? He has the highest marked grades out of the entire freshmen class. Not to mention he is a prodigious and well-rounded duelist. I have even heard that he carries multiple decks with him at any given time."

It appeared that was enough to sway everyone's thoughts back to the matter at hand. All except Zane; who still had his intense gaze leveled on the blonde man. Though, that didn't stop him from analyzing Crowler's proposition with a critical eye. It may have been done in the spur of the moment, but it was a sound argument.

Bastion did in fact have the highest marked grades in his class, and he was an exceptional duelist. The kind of perfect combination many of the teachers looked for. That made Bastion a very appealing candidate in the eyes of the staff. What the teachers were not likely to see however, was what Crowler hoped to potentially occur. By nominating Bastion in opposition to Zane's nomination of Naruto, it would no doubt lead to the only way the school settled debates.

With a duel.

Maybe Zane had just been spending too much time around Naruto, and had been influenced by the blonde's tendency to look at every possible outcome of a situation, no matter how ludicrous some of them were. But it seemed to him, that Crowler was hoping to drive a wedge between Naruto and Bastion by pitting them against one another in such a high profile setting. Too bad for Crowler, that was about as likely as Seto Kaiba willingly admitting that Yugi Moto was better than he was at dueling.

Refocusing on the meeting, Zane found all of the staff murmuring to each other about which of the two boys would be better suited for the task. Sheppard was leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, no doubt mulling over the same question as everyone else.

"Very well," the man said suddenly, silencing the room. "Seeing as both nominations are more than qualified, we will settle this matter with a duel. Tomorrow evening, Naruto and Bastion will duel to decide which shall represent us in the School Duel. Zane," he said, turning to address his top student, "I understand that you are quite close with both Naruto and Bastion, so I will leave informing them of this decision to you."

Zane bowed his head slightly, "Yes Chancellor. I'll inform them before the day is over."

"Good," Sheppard said with nod. "Then I call this meeting to a close. I expect to see all of you at the duel tomorrow."

Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm

Blair knelt behind a line of bushes outside of the Obelisk Dorm, watching the comings and goings of the dorms residents. Periodically, she would glance at balcony on the third floor, planning out the best way to access it. Fortunately for her, a branch from one of the taller trees hung almost directly over the balcony. That would be her way in, she decided. Now all that was left was insuring she got in unnoticed and making sure that she wouldn't be disturbed.

Unbeknownst to the young teen, her plans of going unnoticed had already failed. Several yards behind her, perched on a high up branch, were Naruto and Alexis. The two blondes had easily found Blair after leaving their friends and had followed her all the way out to the dorm. "What is she planning?" mumbled Alexis, making sure to keep her voice low so as not to alert Blair.

"Judging from the way she's been eyeing that balcony and tree, I'd say she's looking to sneak into the dorm," Naruto said. "As full hardy as it is, I have to give her some credit. She knows what she's doing."

"Maybe, but that still doesn't explain why she'd risk sneaking into the Obelisk Dorm."

"Take a closer look at the balcony Alexis. There's your answer," said Naruto cryptically. Alexis shot him a mock sideways glare. It always annoyed her when he knew something she didn't and wouldn't just come out and say it. But she knew that he did it for her benefit; she wouldn't learn to see things on her own if he always gave her the answers.

Refocusing on the balcony, she wracked her brain trying to find anything that was familiar about it. After a few minutes of silent contemplation, the answer hit her like a ton of bricks. "That's Zane's room!" she said in a whispered shout, looking to Naruto for confirmation.

"That's right," he said, "It seems that Blair's obsession with Zane is stronger than we originally thought. If she's willing to take this kind of risk, who knows what else she might try in the future."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"Let's hang back and see what exactly she wants to accomplish with this little stunt. Then we'll move in and confront her."

It was several more minutes before Blair finally made her move. Silently making her way over to the tree she had been eyeing, the young teen quickly scaled it. Being mindful of her balance, she slowly walked out along the branch that hung above Zane's balcony and dropped onto the stone structure. At the same time, Naruto, with Alexis on his back, moved closer to the tree line so that they could better observe Blair.

What they saw, was certainly not what they were expecting. Blair had found Zane's spare deck, and was holding the cards close to her chest; like they were the most precious things in the world.

"Well," Naruto said, "There's something you don't see every day."

"Blair's not obsessed with Zane. She's in love with him," said Alexis, unable to keep her surprise hidden.

Naruto shook his head, "I'm afraid that's where you're wrong Alexis. True, it may seem like Blair is in love with Zane, but that is only because she has convinced herself that that is what it is."

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

"I mean, that Blair does not truly love Zane. At least not in the way you're thinking." When Alexis just kept looking at him, Naruto elaborated, "Blair likely greatly admires Zane's, and probably has for a while. She's still young, and likely doesn't understand what it truly means to love someone. So it's possible that she has mistaken that admiration for love, and has convinced herself that Zane must love her back. Sadly, it's something that is rather common in fan girls."

"You sound like you've had experience with this before," Alexis pointed out. "Did you have fan girls like that?" she asked.

Naruto shook his head, "No, I didn't; but a very dear friend of mine, someone I considered a brother, did. I was also friends with one of his fan girls, so I got to see both sides of this kind of ordeal. So believe me when I say, that if this continues, Blair will only end up hurting herself in the long run."

Though he covered it up well, Alexis could see the hurt her fellow blonde felt as he talked about his two friends. Deciding not to pry, she tried to get his mind off of his friends and back on the situation at hand. "Then what should we do? We can't let Blair keep this up if all it's going to do is hurt her."

"We have to make her realize that she doesn't really love Zane, or at the very least, convince her that her reason for coming to Duel Academy is wrong. The second option may not be the best choice, but it would at least be a step in the right direction." It was at that point that Blair emerged from Zane's room, and used the same tree to escape before quickly making her way into the forest. "Let's go, Alexis; best to do this without drawing any unnecessary attention."

With Alexis once again on his back, Naruto followed after Blair, easily keeping up with her. "This is going to be a sensitive conversation, so it would probably be best if you started things off. Blair might take it better if another woman broaches the subject."

"What about you?"

"I'll hang back and watch. If it looks like you're getting through to her, I won't intervene. But if she isn't responsive to you, I'll step in and try a different approach." As he said this, Naruto had put on a burst of speed, slightly startling Alexis as they overtook Blair. Touching down several yards ahead of their target, Naruto set Alexis down. Offering her an encouraging smile, he vanished back into the tree line, leaving Alexis to her task.

Taking a breath to steady herself, she began walking to intercept Blair, safe in the knowledge that Naruto was near. It wasn't long after that Blair appeared through the trees, stopping when she noticed Alexis. "Oh, hey Blair," began Alexis, putting on a kind smile, "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Umm, I was just…" she fumbled over her words, trying to come up with a believable excuse. She was so certain that she wouldn't be caught, least of all by the Queen of Obelisk Blue, that she hadn't bothered preparing a story in advance.

Movement behind Blair caught Alexis's attention. Shifting her gaze upwards slightly, she spotted Naruto kneeling on branch a few feet behind Blair. When she met his gaze, he gave her a quick nod. Nodding ever so slightly back to show she understood, Alexis refocused on Blair, who had mumbled some half assed excuse about being lost. "I'm sorry Blair; it can be a little confusing finding your way around these woods. But don't worry, you'll get used to it after a while," she said, "Actually I'm glad I ran into you; there was something I wanted to tell you."

Blair's confusion was plain to see, "Really? What is it?"

"Well Zane's like a big brother to me, and since we're both Obelisk's, I could introduce you to him sooner than Syrus. That is, if you wanted of course."

From his place in the trees, Naruto smirked at Alexis's plan, 'It never ceases to amaze me how clever she is. If this works, Blair will end up giving herself away before she even realizes it.'

Blair's eyes widened at the offer, before she nodded quickly, "Really? You would? That's great! Thank you so much Alexis!" Said blondes eyes narrowed slightly as Blair's voice slipped towards the end. The tone was not as deep; instead it was softer, and very noticeably feminine. Although it didn't look like the young girl had noticed her slip up as she started talking about how excited she was to finally meet Zane. Taking advantage of that, Alexis broached the subject she came here for.

"Is something wrong with your voice Blair?" she suddenly asked, stopping the younger girls rant instantly.

Blair's eyes widen again, but this time, they reflected fear. "I-I don't," clearing her throat to buy herself a few precious seconds, she came up with a split second excuse. "M-my throats just been b-bothering me lately; I think I might have caught something on the trip over."

"Well we can't have that now can we," Alexis said her kind smile still in place as she walked up to the disguised girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, I'll go with you to see Miss Fontaine. She'll have something that should fix you right up. Besides," she continued, feeling Blair's body tense, "You don't want to meet Zane while you're sick do you?"

Whatever protest Blair might have had was quickly shot down by that. She knew that if she tried to come up with some excuse to not go to the school nurse, it would make her look very suspicious. If she claimed that she was fine, then Alexis would no doubt question her about her voice again, and that was something she couldn't afford. But also, if she tried to dissuade the blonde from taking her to the nurse, Alexis would no doubt insist that it was no trouble, leaving any further protest seeming very hollow.

With no other options available, Blair let herself be led through the forest by the older teen. They travelled in silence for a few minutes, until finally, Alexis decided it was time to put an end to the younger girls charade. "So Blair," she said, noticing the slight flinch from the girl next to her, "Why do you want to meet Zane so badly?"

"Because I lo…" began Blair, only to stop short, realizing what she was about to say. Thinking on the fly again, she tried to make up some kind of believable reason. "Because I look up to him," she said quickly, "I saw him compete in the national tournament once a few years back, and ever since, I've always wanted to be ne… like him."

Alexis's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at Blair catching her slip, but she did well to hide her irritation. It seemed Blair was much more adapt at thinking on her feet and coming up with rather believable lies then she first thought. That meant that catching her in a lie was going to be even more difficult, and she was running out of time, she could already see the spires of the Academy Building over the tree tops.

'Well, if subtlety isn't working, I guess it's time for a more direct approach,' Alexis thought, as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, hoping Naruto would get her unspoken message. A blur shooting through the trees on her right showed that he had. She half expected to see her fellow blonde waiting some distance ahead of them, ready to confront Blair. What she wasn't expecting was for a powerful wind to come out of nowhere and hit Blair and herself head on. Bringing her arms up to brace against the wind, Alexis barely heard Blair's shriek of surprise over the wind. Glancing up through squinted eyes, she noticed a blonde streaked blur rush past Blair, knocking the oversized hat off her head and allowing the younger girls long hair to fall freely down her back.

Almost as quickly as it came, the wind was gone, leaving silence in its wake. "You know Blair," Naruto's unmistakable voice sounded through the clearing. The two girls whipped around to see Naruto leaning against a tree, a deck fanned out in front of him. "You can tell a lot about a person from their deck, but I don't need your deck to see that you've been lying to everyone." Folding the fanned out cards back into a deck, the blonde turned his hard gaze on Blair, "The only thing I can't figure out though, is why?"

Blair was unnerved by the intense sapphire eyes that seemed to look into her very soul. Unable to meet the blondes gaze any longer, and terrified at being found out, she turned and attempted to make a run for it, only for a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her short. "Blair," Naruto's voice had gained a hard edge to it, ridding the young girl of any thoughts of escape. "I won't ask again, now please, tell us what this charade is all about. Or we'll be forced to bring this up with the Chancellor."

"NO!" the brunette shouted, "Alright, I'll tell you!" Casting her eyes down on the ground, and knowing that she had no other choice, Blair began her explanation. "I came to Duel Academy to get closer to my true love."

"You mean Zane," said Naruto.

"Yeah," she mumbled with a blush, "Zane. What I told Alexis was true; I did get to see him compete in the national tournament a few years ago. During the final round, Zane had been backed into a corner by his opponent, if he didn't draw the right card, he would lose. But then, just before he drew his card, his eyes met mine. I couldn't hear him, but I read his lips, he said 'This one is for you.'" Blair's eyes had gained a faraway look to them, and her expression had shifted to a dreamy one. "I knew right then and there, we were meant to be together. So when I learned Zane had come to Duel Academy, I wanted to sign up immediately, but I was too young then and they rejected my application. So I trained every day, honing my dueling skills so that when I finally came to Duel Academy, I could join Obelisk Blue and be with Zane. But when I found out I'd have to start in the Slifer Dorm, I knew I wouldn't get many chances to be near him, especially with the dorm policy. So I disguised myself as a boy to make it easier to get into the Obelisk dorm and meet him."

Refocusing on the blonde haired teen standing in front of her, Blair met his gaze with a glare. "So there, now you know why I did everything. Go ahead and report me to the Chancellor, but no matter what you do, you won't keep me from Zane. We're destined to be together!"

Silence answered her proclamation. Alexis was looking at Blair with raised eyebrows, honestly surprised at how far the girl would go for her supposed 'true love.' Naruto merely continued to meet the girls glare with his own blank stare. But then he did something neither girl expected, he chuckled, "Well, I got to say, I've heard some crazy stories before, but yours takes the cake in the stupidity department. I mean really, disguising yourself as a boy to get close to and attract the attention of another boy? That plan would only ever work if the other guy was gay, and I'm pretty sure Zane doesn't swing that way."

"No, I don't." The three duelists turned to see Zane stepping out from behind a tree.

Blair immediately felt a blush creep onto her cheeks, and her heart began to beat in her ears. "Zane… you're here," she whispered, though the other three present easily heard it. With the presence of her 'true love', Blair felt her confidence rise. Turning to the two blondes who had accosted her, a victorious smirk spread across her lips. "Now do you see? We are destined to be together! Zane knew you were harassing me, so he came to my rescue!"

"That's enough Blair," said Zane as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the young teen. The harshness of her 'true loves' voice caught Blair flat footed, and she stumbled in shock for a moment.

"W-What? Zane, I…"

Said blunette sighed, as he knew this was going to be painful for the young teen, but it had to be done. "Blair, as flattered as I am by your affections, the fact remains that I just don't feel the same about you." The brunette had tears forming in the corner of eyes now, "Besides, I don't believe that anyone is destined to be together. Love is not something that can be predetermined; you must work for it with all your heart."

"Wow Zane," said Alexis, a smirk adorning her face, "Never thought I'd hear something like that from you."

Naruto sported a matching smirk, "The more stoic the surface, the more caring the heart is beneath. You're just a big softy inside, aren't you Zane?"

Zane smirked beside himself, though he had to shake his head at the two blondes teasing. "B-but," Blair's soft voice brought everyone's attention back to her, "How can you not feel the same way? All I've ever wanted was for us to fall in love and live happily ever after. That's the whole reason I've trained so hard to get here, so that we could be together. What am I supposed to do now?" she cried, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

Despite knowing that what they had done was for the best, it didn't lessen the pang of guilt they all felt. Blair looked to be on the verge of an emotional break; her eyes starting to look bloodshot from how hard she was crying. Alexis moved over to the poor girl and knelt down to wrap her in a hug. Whispering soothing words to the distraught girl, the Queen of Obelisk Blue looked up to the two males, silently asking what they should do now. Naruto looked pensive, obviously trying to figure that out himself.

It was Zane however, that offered the solution. "Blair," said girl looked up at the man who had just brought reality crashing down on her, her eyes pleading. "I know it hurts now, but the pain will eventually pass. You say your purpose for dueling was so that you could fulfill your fantasies and now without that you don't know what to do? The answer should be obvious."

"Wh-what do you m-mean?"

"You must find another reason to duel. Right now, your heart feels as though there is a hole in it. By finding a new purpose for dueling, you will take the first steps to filling that hole in your heart." Blair's expression became thoughtful as she thought over the blunette's words, while Zane turned to Naruto, "And I know just the thing to help you; watching two of the best duelist on the island go head to head. Naruto," said blonde quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk playing at his lips. "That faculty meeting earlier today, it was to discuss who would be Duel Academy's representative for the upcoming School Duel. It was decided that you and Bastion would have a duel off to determine which of you would serve as the rep."

"So Bastion and I finally get to have our big showdown huh? And in front of the whole school no less," the small smirk steadily grew into one of his patented foxy smirks, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I figured you say that. It's scheduled for tomorrow evening in the main arena."

"Then I best start getting ready, Bastion already has a head start on me." He then turned to his fellow blonde, "Alexis, I leave Blair in your capable hands. I'll see you all tomorrow at the duel." With that he turned and made his way deeper into the forest, in the direction of his home.

Smiling as she watched her crushes retreating form, Alexis turned to Blair, who she still had wrapped in a hug. "Come on Blair," she said, drawing the younger teen's attention, "You can stay in my dorm for tonight. I can only imagine what it must feel like trying to bunk with all the guys in Slifer." She finished with a small giggle. Even with everything that had happened this evening, Blair still managed a grateful smile at Alexis' offer.

"Thank you, Alexis," she said softly.

There you have it. Hope you all enjoyed it, and please leave a review! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer them. Also, I am no longer accepting deck ideas, I have already received quite a few and I am working on trying to incorporate them into the story.

Till next time!

BSW