Well, I wasn't going to start this yet, but we drew a Tea friendship symbol on our hands at college and it set me off... *sigh* I'm making in this in the same format shake it up was in, one episode to one chapter. Until around season two, where the events annoy me too much, and I start to make it up as I go along... *wants to hurry and reach Atticus...* Apologies for the OC, but it was either that or wait for Atticus. Oh!

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. If I did, Zane would still be good, Jaden would be Haou, and Atticus would be worshipped by everyone ^_^

A/N: Everyone should know that wavy lines signal a flashback, right?

Jaden sighed as he looked up at the stands, golden eyes flaring. The typical late-comer, enthusiastic and with a head full of air. He turned his attention back to the duels below him, watching one applicant, one Bastian Misawa, dispatch his opponent with a ring of destruction. Jaden checked the duel disk attached to the sleeve of his jacket absently. It annoyed him having to use a regulation disk, rather than his custom disk, but it wouldn't do to flaunt himself so openly at this early stage.

In fact, he had little love of the idea of him attending this pathetic school at all, but unfortunately his powers wouldn't reach full maturity until he was eighteen. Until then, he wasn't able to remain in his realm for extended periods of time, and he needed to keep a fairly low profile. At least on the subject of his powers. He still remembered when Yubel had first told him of them.

~~'Jaden... I have something to tell you. But you must promise to keep it a secret, at least for now...'

'What is it Yubel? I promise!' Eight year old Jaden had barely been able to contain his excitement.

'What would you say if I told you you contained a great power, handed down over many generations?'

'Cool! What sort of power?' Jaden was practically bouncing up and down.

'The power of darkness. The power of...' Yubel took a deep breath. There was no going back. '...The Supreme King.' Jaden cocked his head a little.

'The... supreme king? I've never heard of him. He sounds cool! What's he the king of?' Yubel sighed slightly, wondering if Jaden had found the sugar again.

'He is the king of duel spirits, like myself, but he also controls the powers of darkness. I can teach you how to use his power, to make it your own. But you mustn't tell ANYONE! Not yet.'

'Why?'

'Because your power won't be fully developed until you reach eighteen. And wouldn't it annoy you, being asked about it all the time?'

'No! It'd be really cool, like I was famous!' Yubel flailed madly for something to convince him with.

'Well... think of it this way... You know all of your super heroes that you love so much?'

'Yeah?' Jaden wasn't sure where this was going.

'Well, they all have secret identities don't they?'

'Yeah, they do! So, hiding my powers is like that?'

'Exactly!' She couldn't tell him the real reason, not yet. He wouldn't understand. She would have rathered wait until Jaden was older, but she needed the time to train him with his powers slowly, so they didn't overwhelm him when the fully emerged. Plus, the eye colour change would be less noticeable.~~

Jaden couldn't help but smirk when he thought of how niave he'd been back then. He didn't begrudge Yubel for not telling him the real reason. Back then, he wouldn't have understood. The announcer called his name for his duel, not that he was nervous. If he had to got to this school, he was damn well going to do a good job of it.

And he did. In the end, it only took him four turns to defeat the instructor, thanks to the early summoning of malicious edge. He was sorely tempted to call Yubel, mostly out of boredom, but he didn't dare, not being aware if any of those present had the ability to see duel spirits. Currently, it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He lounged against the wall, hoping there weren't too many duels left. A group of boys tried to strike up conversation with him, but he just glared at them until they left him alone. He really wasn't in the mood for socializing. It'd be hard enough to avoid at the academy itself.

'Y'know, that wasn't very nice just then.' A lanky youth leaned over him from the next row up. He twirled his shoulder-length brown hair round his finger. Jaden turned his glare to the new guy, but it didn't seem to faze him.

'Aww, don't be like that! The name's Caleb.' He proffered his hand.

'Hmph. I have no intention of shaking your hand, or being your friend as I'm sure you'll ask me next.'

'I think... Hey! Is that teacher duelling that guy over there?' Sure enough, one of the teachers had taken to the field personally, facing off against the latecomer from before. Jaden scowled. Though he wasn't happy to admit it, it annoyed him that one of the teachers was so openly flaunting the rules. He'd made sure to study them carefully, in case he could use them to his advantage. Often, sticking to the rules can be even more effective than breaking them, without the hassle. He feigned watching the duel intently, to try and deter Caleb from speaking to him again. Hopefully he wouldn't have to put up with him much at the academy. He didn't seem the brightest of people, and he certainly didn't seem rich enough to buy his way into obelisk. Jaden hadn't bothered, after scoring full marks on the written paper. His bliss was fleeting.

'Hey, Jaden?'

'...What?' He tried to keep the snap out of his voice, but didn't quite manage it. Caleb didn't seem to notice.

'Have you ever seen the monsters that guy's using before? I don't recognise them.' Jaden was about to insult his intelligence, when he realised he didn't know them either. It annoyed him, as did admitting he didn't know something. So he just snarled instead. 'I think, what you need is a friend. Someone you can have fun with, and can help you when you need it!'

'I don't need friends,' he replied, voice dripping with contempt. Caleb actually looked shocked.

'Everyone needs friends! Without friends, there wouldn't be any fun in the world!'

'Fun is overrated.' Caleb looked on the verge of tears, but then brightened suddenly.

'Alright! My new mission in life is to teach you the true meaning of friendship!' Jaden groaned. He needed to find a way to get rid of this kid, and destroying him would create too many questions, however tempting it was. 'Because when you have friends beside you, anything is possible!'

'Caleb?'

'Yes?'

'Shut up.' He turned back just in time to see the teacher's ancient gear golem crumble before his eyes and his life points drop to zero. Jaden had to admit that he was surprised this kid had beaten a teacher, using his own deck. He put it out of his mind. It was probably luck. The other duelists were beginning to trickle out, so he assumed that the applications where finished. Still, one duelist on the top tier opposite him caught his eye. There was a hardness to the look in his eyes that caught Jaden's attention, but the other was clearly as bored with the proceedings as he was, and he wasted no time in leaving. Caleb followed his gaze.

'That's Zane Truesdale. I hear he's the top duellist at the academy!'

'Good for him.'

The letter confirming his acceptance took a few days to arrive. Jaden wasn't shocked in the slightest.

'Well, Yubel, at least these fools know talent when they see it.'

'Or, Jaden, they could have put you through because you beat the instructor.'

'Yubel, when I want you to be literal, I'll tell you. For now, let me vent some frustration.'

'Well, Jaden, look at it this way – at least now you might actually find some worthy competition.' He scowled.

'As long as the Caleb stays away from me.' Yubel shook her head.

'He couldn't have been that bad...' She trailed off a little.

'Try me.' She looked at his expression, and decided not to.

'Well, you might want to get some rest. You do start in a few days after all.' He scoffed.

'Please, I don't need you emulating my mother.' Jaden was asleep quickly – he'd always had that skill. For a few moments, Yubel was wistful, remembering the innocent boy Jaden had once been, but quickly dispelled the thought, knowing this way was for the best. If his powers had emerged unchecked, they could have engulfed or even shattered his mind, taking Jaden away from her entirely. A darker Jaden was better than someone who wasn't even Jaden at all.

Well, there goes chapter one. No prizes for guessing who the replacement late-comer is. And Caleb? He'll come into his own a bit later, but for now can fill Tea's role of giver-of-friendship-speeches. Tee hee. And no, here Yubel never got sent into space. She was a bit more subtle herself in my timeline. =P *Finds Atticus fanart*