It was a sunny day, the sun's broad beams shone powerfully on Duel Academy island, where the magnificent building stood proudly, masses of young students with their friends thronged on the outside, some practically drooling in anticipation, others close to clawing on the pristine doors that so many top duellists had graduated through. Standing behind a tree out of the way were a young girl and an older boy, the girl wearing a white vest and black jeans her neck in a dog collar just like the boy's, the family resemblance through their hair was clearly evident and she gave a small snicker as she watched a small boy get hoisted away for getting to close to the doors.

"They're all so...pitiful..." Yoko laughed, her brilliant violet eyes turning to her older brother, she crossed her arms and leaned around the tree for a better look,

"Don't be so harsh...they're the same age as you." Yugi replied tersely, "Far too cocky for your own good." He sighed and ruffled her hair, she laughed and ducked out of reach.

"I'm not cocky – there's just not enough duel talent, no one here is bursting with duel energy..." She said with disappointment and swept a lock of long hair away from her face,

"It's because there's no duel going on, you'll find someone in here to test your skills that...I'm sure of. Seto doesn't like slackers so you best behave." He told her with a frown and slid his hands into his pocket.

"Hey they're going in!" Yoko chirped clearly ignoring him, every hair on skin prickled with anticipation of the entrance exam, it was the prospect of a duel that excited her...the roar of the monsters, the magic of the cards, the spirit of the duel was all she craved.

"Have you got everything?" The King of duelling sighed, knowing his close sister would be off and away for a good year in ten minutes all away from his watchful eye.

"Hey, I got it already..." She mumbled absent mindedly, her eyes fixated on the number of people swiftly entering the hall.
"You sure? Tooth paste, tooth brush, pjs, teddy..." He reeled off whilst counting various items on his fingers.

"Yeah, but what person brings her toiletries to an entrance exam!" She reply tiredly, shifting her large backpack that was balance precariously on her shoulder.

"It's only because your 3 suitcases are jam packed of clothes and duelling games!" he replied with a small sigh, "How do you plan on passing school like this?"

"But they're essential..." The girl pleaded, "Plus – Seto will have everything for me." She winked at him and Yugi grew a scowl.

"You've got to carry your toothbrush with you now, It'll be useful in emergencys." He said stuffing one into her pocket.

"Like what, smiling for the camera? Oh wait there, just let me brush my teeth?" She replied looking down at the object sticking noticeably from her jeans.

"Exactly, now you've got to be good, no wild raves on your own and don't miss me too much." He told her with a smile and moved into the pathway which was mostly empty.

"I won't at all, and you'll be too busy dodging reporters to miss me, oh wait there's one there." she said coolly stepping out to him, and sure as hell what was once a small black figure, suddenly became a rushing mound of a teenager.

"Watch ya back!"

"What reporter in their right mind takes a photo of my back?" Yugi quizzed looking at his younger sister with a puzzled expression,

"I...wouldn't be so sure." Yoko replied in a small tune with a grin, and he turned around almost immediately his vision was blocked with a mass of brown hair, as a weight piled on top of him,

"Oomf!- I'm sorry! Don't mind me!" The teen hurriedly rolled off him and began to retrieve his cards that had scattered to the floor messily, "I'm sorry – but I'm so late!" He mumbled scarcely sparing Yugi a look as the duellist picked himself off the floor, Yoko stood beside him with a large grin,

"You saw him coming and didn't tell me?" He hissed into her ear with a playful expression,

"Okay so he's not a reporter...how was I to know you'd get tackled that easily!" Yoko whispered to her brother with a small laugh as he dusted off his shirt. Suddenly her senses sharpened, she could tell...this boy had duel spirit hanging all around him,

"Hey-" She began but Yugi stuck out his arm and shook his head at her, with a frown she looked at him,

"You must be trying out for the Academy." He asked the boy casually who had just retrieved the last of his cards and was holding them in a messy group in his hands,

"Hey aren't you-" the boy began as he fully took in the features of the person opposite him,

"Take this, something tells me it should go with you." Yugi said with a small smile as he handed over a winged Kuriboh card, in Yoko's ears the monster cooed happiness and she smiled knowing her brother had seen the duelling power within him.

"Yugi, it's like one minute till I'm late..." Yoko breathed out glancing at her watch.

"Hm? Oh right well you take care, and don't beat all the teachers on your first day..." Yugi said looking fondly at her, he pecked her on the forehead with a happy smile,

"I won't! And stop looking so soft!" she laughed before running off in the direction of the exams.

"AH! I should get going!" The teen exclaimed and jogged on the spot for a second, "Thank you so much!" He said breathlessly,

"Good luck." Yugi said to the younger teen with a smile and began to walk away, leaving the teen sprinting towards the building.

"You just made it in time Miss..." The man said marking down her name, the names on the clipboard were full, each with a tick beside it, except one.

"Yoko Mutuo."

"Can I just ask..." the man lowered his glasses to study her closely, she prickled slightly under speculation but grew a scowl,

"Related?" she finished testily,

"Yes." He replied looking slightly sheepish,

"It's a total misunderstanding!" She said with a little laugh, and grew a small sweat drop as she wondered how her status would take her on this journey.

"Right. Well it's all in order, and just in time. Your name will be called soon." he informed and gestured for her to enter with a small bow.

"Right, time to pack up people – closing time."

"WAIT!" A lone voice called aloud,

Inside the main hall cheers could be heard, the crowds excitement was thick and heavy, the many enclosures was a feast of duels. The cheering was soon drowned out by the roaring of monsters and explosions, down in arena 3 Yoko was doing herself justice, she had the crowd on edge and hooked by having little more than 100 life points, one turn later...

"Y-you-CAN'T!" the man blathered out, he was almost frothing at the mouth with anger,

"Watch me!...oh wait that was so cliché...Oh forget it – Full force ahead!" Yoko yelled out her raven ,purple hair with blonde tinted locks blew in the tempest her monster created as it struck a direct hit of 6500 damage.

"It's not possible!" The man stammered falling to his knees as life points depleted within the blink of an eye,

"Metamorph all the way!" she giggled, and punched the air with her fist triumphantly as the great stone centipede she'd summoned faded away.

"Hey Chazz, who's that girl there? She's pretty tough took out the guy in-"

"I saw what happened you fool." The pale boy retorted who was slouching on a chair, turning his gaze to her in the arena. "She reminds me of someone...Someone so long ago..."

"You don't think she's better than Chazz do you?" Another boy asked the first one.

"Of course not-No one gets any better than me." Chazz interrupted arrogantly. "Not even someone who deliberately plays the crowd."

Standing across the hall on the second floor, were two students who leaned across the railing, both of their eyes were trained on that duel closely, "Zane, you see that?" Alexis asked, "That was a perfect move..."

"Of Course..." He replied as expressionless as ever.

"What, worried she'll over take you?" She teased with a smile,

"No, but she should be someone to watch and those monsters I've never seen anything like them...those tactics were unreal, breaching on the very laws of duelling." His eyes fixated onto the young teen struggling against the crowd as she left the duel area.

"It's no big deal, you've just never seen them before." Alexis concluded lightly.

"That last move was great!" Jaden shouted aloud his eyes gleaming, however he spoke this to himself more or less standing on the top row that was quite devoid of people.

"You didn't see it, she led him on for so long and then bam!..My names Syrus by the way..." a timid boy with blue hair spoke out, the teen looked at him with a grin and stuck his hand out,

"Mine's Jaden, nice to meet you!" Syrus tentatively shook his hand, "Two moves hey? That's quite impressive, that boy there didn't do so bad either – I can't wait for my turn to duel soon! That girl, I saw her outside." he commented as she walked up the stairs of the arena seats to watch the other duels below.

"The boy you were pointing at is called Bastion, he scored the highest in the test - a real smart kid." Syrus said pointing out the older boy dressed smartly in white who was walking up to the girl who had settled down a few rows below them.

"Come on, let's join 'em." Jaden encouraged his shy friend, nudging his elbow slightly.

"Interesting techni-" Bastion was saying, and gave her a low bow, before Jaden popped up at his elbow,

"Hi there, those were some great duels - never seen anything like them!" He interrupted, "And Bastion is it? Woah that was some sweet duelling!" He laughed,

"Thank you..." The older boy replied with a nervous smile, "And who might you both be?"

"Oh right – I'm Jaden, Jaden Yuki and this is Syrus." The small boy gave a weak smile and hid behind Jaden slightly,

"Hi." Yuki and Bastion said simultaneously with smile,

"I saw you outside right?" Jaden asked the girl, who looked modestly surprised,

"Yea I guess so, my names Yoko." She said giving him a small nod, "I don't quite know what to make of him...it's not often you get someone as enthusiastic as him..."

"Your monsters where'd you ge-"

Suddenly the speakers announced "Jaden Yuki report to arena 4".

"You better get going then." she told him, "Can't wait to see you duel, good luck for it though yeah!"

"Sure will, wish me luck! - Oh and hey Bastion you might just as well be the third best duellist here!" Jaden shouted as he ran down the stairs,

"If I'm third then who's first and second?" Bastian asked genuinely curious. He shouted something inaudible as a reply and disappeared from view,

"He's confident." She said with a laugh, and moved over so the two boys could have a seat,

"He's lucky too; your duel was allegedly the last to be accepted." Bastion added as he sat down, "Quite a personality."

"He sure is someone far too happy to be the last duel of the day, it would have been strange of them not to accept him." She replied watching Jaden skid into the arena.

"Happiness is found in all thing, I personally enjoy mathematics!" He laughed,

"No way! Maths is so boring!" Yoko laughed and Syrus jumped in,

"He got the highest exam result ever recorded!" The small boy chimed,

"Woah...talk about brainy..." She murmured, "Yugi was right...talent is alive in here."

"Still it was nothing compared to your duel, what exactly possessed you to drag it? You had him on the ropes by the second turn!"

"I was just having fun- and what is that duelling Jaden!" She exclaimed getting to her feet for a better view, she was looking at the he-she standing opposite Jaden in the arena, wearing the most ridiculous of clown outfits ever found...

"Calling him a he-she is doing Dr. Crowler justice." Syrus chipped in,

"You're like a lovely tour guide!" She said teasingly and he grew a small blush, "But seriously who is she?" Yoko shook her head slightly as she was snapped from her fixating stare on the man,

"Probably best not call him that when he's around..." Syrus timidly warned.

"You were speaking aloud; anyway Crowler's an elite duelist, he's the deputy head apparently." Bastion droned on, "But clearly his skills are lacking."

"Do you know everything off by heart or something?" she asked amused and looked at Bastion's face which cracked into a small smile.

"Call it intelligence, and I looked at the welcome pack the Academy sent out which included the staff ranks, positions and I simply remembered it." He replied smartly, tapping his forehead, Yoko stared blankly at him,

"There was an Academy pack?" she asked chewing her lip slightly,

"Yup." Bastion said with a laugh,

"Oh right...My ...hamster ate that part..." She mumbled sitting back down sheepishly, "Damn...looks like I'll really have to tidy up if I'm going to make it through school..."

"You mean you couldn't be bothered." Syrus corrected snapping her from her thoughts.

"Yeaaa... but my hamster did chew my homework up once!" She laughed out but it was cut short as an almighty creaking filled the room as a large metallic monster stood up, should it have been real it's body could have crushed the fences around the arenas.

"That's Crowler's strongest monster...-The Ancient Gear Golem" Bastion informed them, his face in awe.

"Hm, thats quite an alright monster." Yoko commented casually.

"Either you're a great duelist or your bluff like mad! How can you not be impressed?" Syrus exclaimed his face in shock, "I mean look at those attack points-they could wipe anyone out soon enough!"

"Yeah, but-" she began to reply earnestly as Bastion interrupted, "Jaden's got his work cut out now, he was doing pretty fine before. I'd like to see if he can do better."

"He's got this duel in the bag." She stated unconcerned as she heard the familiar cooing of a monster ring in her ears as he drew a card.

"How do you know?" Syrus asked confused.

"He's got his Winged Kuriboh out." she said happily,

"But there isn't a - okay so there is..."Bastion murmured, "How did you know?" he asked his eyes fixed onto her as she smirked,

"Um...Call it...a hunch." she replied feebly and remained silent. After what seemed a while Bastion turned away.