The Guardian's Duelist Ch. 3

        Jaden sat in the wooden chair next to the girl's hospital bed. "Will she be okay?" he asked Ms. Fontaine.

"She'll be just fine, Jaden," Ms. Fontaine replied with a confident smile. "She just needs a little good rest and she should be awake in no time," she added.

"Alright, if you say so," Jaden said, unconvinced as he looked down at the unconscious girl.

Her clothes were being dried and was currently wearing a spare Obelisk Blue girl's uniform. Her skin was a lot less pale than it had been when he had first found her, but she had not once opened her eyes.

Ms. Fontaine looked at Jaden with compassionate eyes before looking at the clock and turning back. "Jaden, I think it may be best if you go to class." Jaden looked up. "There's nothing more you can do for her."

Jaden thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding and getting up. Halfway through the open doorway, he looked back and said "Just let me know the moment anything changes."

"I will," Ms. Fontaine replied, picking up a clipboard. "Now, get to class."

Jaden managed half a smile before exiting the nurse's office, the automatic sliding door closing behind him.

Ms. Fontaine looked down at the comatosed girl, not entirely sure herself how someone could have survived the horrible storm the night before.



Jaden didn't sleep in class like he usually did, despite waking up at dawn. He was too worried abbot the mysterious girl and the dragon he had found her on. He kept going over the events that occurred at the lighthouse in his head, asking himself questions he had no answers to.

Who is she? How did she end up on the island? Was that dragon her's? And if it was, could the spirit be visible to the girl like me?

He was so caught up in his questions that Jaden hadn't realized the bell ring to end class. Syrus ended up shaking him to bring him back to reality.

"Jaden," Syrus called.

"H-Huh, what?" Jaden looked up to find Syrus looking at him with frustrated eyes.

"Class is over, Jay," Syrus explained.

Jaden glanced around, realizing that everyone had left. "Sorry, Sy." He picked up his bag and got to his feet.

"Jaden," Syrus said, "are you okay? You seem spaced out and you never do that." Deep concern filled his voice as they climbed the stairs.

"At this point, Sy, I'm not even sure myse-" His words were cut off when he walked throughout the door and bumped into someone. Both dropped to the ground, books sliding across the smooth stone hallway.

Jaden closed his eyes as he landed before rubbing his behind. When he opened his eyes, he suddenly realized he had bumped into Alexis. "Oh, man. Sorry, Alexis." He quickly got to his feet and pulled Alexis up to hers.

"Jeez, Jaden. You're more out of it then I thought," Alexis retorted as she dusted off her skirt.

Jaden quickly squatted down and picked up Alexis's bag and books. He stood up straight and handed Alexis her things. "I'm really sorry," he said again, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassing manner.

Alexis didn't respond but rather looked at Jaden with compassionate eyes. "Is everything okay, Jaden? You looked really out of it today in class."

I-I guess my morning didn't start off so well." Jaden stopped his gesture and looked down the hall in the direction of the nurse's office.

Syrus looked up at Jaden with worriment while Alexis followed the usually energetic duelist's gaze. "You know you can come to me for anything, Jaden," she stated.

Jaden looked back and gave her a slight smile. "At this point, that's probably what I need to do." He looked at Syrus. "I can't always turn away what a friend is trying to do to cheer me up."

Syrus opened his mouth in a grin and his eyes lit up.

Jaden, still smiling, said, "I'm heading over to nurse's office, so I'll explain on the way."



"And now she's here," Jaden finished.

"Jeez, Jaden, you weren't kidding about not having an easy morning," Alexis said.

Just as the three of them came upon the nurse's office, the automatic door slid open, Ms. Fontaine on the other side, her eyes filled with surprise. "Oh, Jaden. I was just leaving to go find you."

Jaden then tensed up and his eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Ms. Fontaine then smiled. "She's starting to wake up."

"Really?" Jaden eagerly asked. Ms. Fontaine moved aside and he quickly rushed to the only occupied hospital bed.

The others joined him, only to be surprised when they found Pharaoh under the girl's left hand. He was curled up in a big lump and was purring loudly.

"When did Pharaoh get in here?" Syrus questioned.

Ms. Fontaine shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure myself. I heard him jump on her bed, meowing loudly. I was about to take him off, but then I saw her fingers twitch and she moaned a little."

The girl then moaned and everyone turned back to her. Her eyes flicked and, very slowly, began to open, revealing hazy blue eyes. She seemed to try and focus her eyes as the clouds dispersed and revealed her white pupils.

"You're finally awake." Jaden's sorrow was no longer heard in his voice and was replaced by relief.

"W-Where am I?" the girl asked weakly. Her eyes moved slowly over each individual in the room.

"You're at Duel Academy," Ms. Fontaine explained. "Don't you remember how you got here?"

The girl shook her head. "N-No, I can't recall." Slowly, she started to sit up in her bed, but she gipped her shoulder as if in pain.

"Don't rush yourself, you must have had a rough ride getting here," Ms. Fontaine urged. "You somehow dislocated your shoulder and shouldn't strain it for a couple of days."

"I do remember that," the girl replied. "I was being tossed like a rag doll in my boat and I hit my shoulder hard on the steering wheel. I think I passed out after that," she said after a moment's pause.

"Well, do you at least know your name?" Syrus asked.

The girl let go of her shoulder and looked up at the blue-haired duelist and smiled. "My name is Morgan; Morgan Halo."