[Kota's POV]
The ride in the helicopter was going rather smoothly. Many of the other applicants were chatting amongst themselves, trading cards, or just closing their eyes for a bit. One of those who fell into the last category was the girl sitting next to me, Judy Yuki. Her mouth was slightly agape as a small trail of saliva went down from the corner of her mouth. It was kinda cute seeing her like that, but I decided to just put such thoughts into the back of my mind. There was absolutely no need to go head over heels for a girl. There could be time to find someone like that later. My eyes changed focus from Judy to the window next to me. The ocean looked ever so peaceful from my vantage point. No crazy waves or anything sailing in the water. Just the occasional whale I would see pop up every now and then.
Kota: 'I wonder if there's beach access at the academy.'
Memories started to bubble to the surface, both good and bad. My first couple of months in my new home were riddled with nightmares. It even got to the point where I wouldn't be able to sleep at times. It was thanks to the sounds and the smell of the ocean that kept them at bay. It was just one of the two things that were able to help me sleep. The other thing was all of the Duel Monster spirits that would sense me when I would have one of my nightmares. They would come cuddle and keep me company when I would have flashes back from that terrible night. My heart was starting to rush thinking about those things when I heard the sounds of cooing right next to me. I turn back over to where Judy was napping to see Winged Kuriboh floating there. He had a sad look in his eyes as he cooed again. I smile at him feeling a tear or two shed from the corner of my eye.
Kota: 'Hey, old friend.'
Winged Kuriboh flew over to me and landed in my lap. He flapped his wings and I could tell what he was wanting. I placed on of my hands on his head and started to scratch him. He melted almost like butter, especially when I started to scratch him behind his wings. Doing this was actually making me feel better as the sensation of his fur calmed me down. The cooing seemed to have disturbed Judy as she started to stretch and yawn. She rubbed her eyes and smacked her lips before turning her attention over to the two of us. Her eyes laid on me for a second before looking down towards Winged Kuriboh in my lap. My cooed and flapped his wings happy to see Judy awake from her nap. Her eyes widened shifting between me and our furry little friend. Guess this is a good time to mess with her a bit.
Kota: "Do I have something in my lap?"
Winged Kuriboh: *confused coos*
Judy: "O-Oh, no. I-It's nothing."
Winged Kuriboh: *shocked coos*
Kota: "Well, I wouldn't call Winged Kuriboh nothing. He's makes for a great friend."
Judy: "Yeah, no jo--Wait. WHAT? You can SEE him?"
Kota: "And apparently so can you. He's taken quite a liking to you. That tells me a lot about the kind of person you are."
Judy: "What do you mean? You sound like a fortune cookie."
Kota: "Oh, ha-ha. What I mean is that he has the ability to sense what kind of person someone is. He only likes people who are kind, compassionate, and brave."
Judy: "Really? That's rad! He seems to like you too."
Kota: "Winged Kuriboh and I... have a past." *strokes fur* "We're very good friends."
Judy: "Well, I guess that's one more thing we have in common."
Kota: "Besides being able to see and talk to Duel spirits? What else would we have in common?"
Judy: "DUH! Our love of dueling!"
Kota: *laughs* "Guess you're right on the money with that one."
Judy: "Now that I think about it. Does your deck have any spirits?"
Kota: "Actually-"
The shaking on my hip interrupted my sentence making me confused. The lid for it flew open with a ball of light coming out. A poof of spirity pink smoke explodes and fades away within a matter of seconds leaving the floating astral form of Peten the Dark Clown. He giggled before floating down next to Judy.
Peten: "It does indeed~! Peten's the name and entertaining's my game. A pleasure to meet you, milady."
Judy: "Hi there."
Kota: *hushed* "What are you doing?!"
Peten: "What? Can I NOT say hi to the lady?"
Kota: *hushed* "Can you just wait until we're somewhere more private? Y'know, WITHOUT all the people around us?"
Peten: "Alright, alright. Buzzkill."
And just like how he appeared, Peten disappeared in a poof of pink smoke. Thankfully no one else could see it unless they had a connection to Duel Monster spirits like me and Judy have. It seemed to be the perfect queue for Winged Kuriboh to make his exit too. He cooed one more time snuggling up to Judy's cheek for a second before fading away like he wasn't even there. Judy must be really tired since she was starting to doze off again.
Kota: "Did you get any sleep last night?"
Judy: "Huh? Oh, right. I didn't fall asleep until later than I usually do. I was too excited about today and..." *yawns* "... getting into Duel Academy."
Kota: "Well, why don't you catch some zees. I'll wake you up when we land."
Judy: *sleepily* "sounds... good."
Judy's eyes closed once again, except this time, she fell over into my shoulder and went back to sleep. I was kinda paralyzed at this point since I never had a LITERAL GIRL fall asleep on me! She snuggled into me a bit more wrapping her arm around mine before her light snoring came back on. Once again, I couldn't help but think about how cute she looked when she was asleep. I didn't want to disturb her by readjusting her or making her move, so I just let her sleep the way she was. This continued for about an hour or so, thanks to my wristwatch for telling the time, before the static of the speakers came to life inside the cabin.
Pilot: "Attention new Duel Academy students. If you look outside your windows, you'll see your new home away from home."
Everyone in the cabin scrambled in their seats to get a good look out their windows. I turned my head so I could see what awaited us down below. Beneath us was a large island that was divided into two parts. One was covered in a lush, green forest where the Academy stood clear as day. From our vantage point, I could see a waterfall, a lake, and even a beach! There was a smaller island that was connected to the main one via bridge that had a port for ships to dock at. The other part of the island was practically reserved for the huge volcano that sit dead in the middle of that area. It billowed out smoke signaling that the volcano was active. Overall, it looked really super cool.
Kota: 'Judy's missing out on this.'
Pilot: "Now, now. Don't shove. Quite a sight, eh? Now fasten your seatbelts and set your seats back to an upright position. We're going into land. Next stop: Academy Island."
The chopper came to land on a helipad located by the docks. All the other students rushed to the exit of the craft as soon as the ramp started to drop. I shook Judy awake and let her get up on her own. The sunlight blinded me for a bit, but when my eyes focused, it was like when I first stepped into Duelist Kingdom as a child. It was like stepping into an entirely new world. I could see all of the students racing down the road leading towards the academy. Bastion walked up next to me. We both nodded to each other as he patted my shoulder and went to catch up to the others. I turn around to see both Syrus and Judy walking out of the helicopter. Looks like I didn't quite wake her up enough, so Syrus had to finish the job.
Syrus: "C'mon, Judy! We gotta get to the academy!"
Judy: "Take a chill pill, Sy. I'm coming."
Kota: "Good morning, Judy~"
Judy: "Hey, Kota. I thought you said you'd wake me up."
Kota: "I did, but it seems you fell back asleep. Maybe this time you'll get some proper sleep tonight, eh?"
The three of us made our way from the helipad and down the road to the academy. During our walk, while the other two were talking, I took notice of two buildings during our trip to the academy itself. The first one I saw was red in color, but the paint was faded and looked like cheap, rundown apartment. The second building I saw was almost completely yellow in color to the point it made my eyes hurt a bit. The only difference was that this building looked WAY better than the first. Were those the dorms? If so, why aren't they keeping renovation up with the first building. It looked like it wouldn't pass an examination from the Health Department. We finally made it to the academy and proceeded inside.
Judy: "Would you check this place out? IT'S AMAZING!"
Syrus: "It definitely looks more impressive in person than the brochure."
Kota: "We should probably find out where the others went. We need to check in and get our uniforms."
There were signs leading down the hallway to our left. We followed them until we reached the doors to the gymnasium. Inside were all of the other first year students getting into various lines. There were three tables each manned by two employees with a sign in front of them. Those signs displayed letters "A-F" and so on.
Female Teacher: "All new students, please proceed to the lines that correlate with the first letter of your last name. You will be handed everything you need to start the semester."
Kota: "Guess we each have our own separate lines."
Judy: "It's not so bad. Wanna meet up again once we get our uniforms?"
Syrus/Kota: "Sure."
The three of us go our separate ways and into the lines to get our stuff. The pacing of the lines was pretty smooth, so I didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later and I was standing at the table. I had to get into the "G-L" line since I submitted my application with my original last name. I was quite surprised to see who was sitting in front of me for my particular line.
Kota: "Why if it isn't Miss Rebecca. How do you do?"
Rebecca: "Kota! How nice to run into you again. What can I do you for?"
Kota: "A uniform would be nice."
Rebecca: "You're right. That would be nice. Let me check my roster and see which dorm you've been placed in."
She grabbed her clipboard and started flipping through the pages. Her happy face was soon being replaced with one of confusion and concern. I did not like the way that this was going with the feeling of dread bearing down on me. She waved her hand over to someone as she started to double check her roster. A woman came over with brown hair with crooked flap going down the side of her face, light grey eyes, and a pair of opal earrings. Her attire consisted of a blue blazer with inverted colors compared to other blue blazers I've seen. She was actually quite a stunning beauty.
Woman: "Is there a problem, Rebecca?"
Rebecca: "I do, Miss Fontaine. I can't find him in my roster."
Woman: "Oh my. That's not good. Can you tell me what your name is, young man?"
Kota: "It's Izinski, ma'am. Kota Izinski."
Fontaine: "Izinski? You wouldn't happen to be THAT Kota Izinski, correct?"
Kota: "If you are referring to what I think you are referring to, then yes. I am."
Fontaine: "I see. I have been informed that the Chancellor would like to see you in his office. He wants to discuss about something with you before you're assigned to your dorm."
Kota: "Alright then. Could one of you point me in the direction of his office, please? I'm not sure where it is."
Fontaine: "Have no fear. I'll show you the way. Don't want you getting lost on your first day here, now do we?"
Kota: "That would be nice."
Miss Fontaine led me out of the gymnasium and down the hallway. We passed by some of the classrooms and the cafeteria before coming up to an elevator. We both stepped inside and she pressed the button to the fourth floor. Administrative Level. The ride up was nice with some smooth jazz playing on the speakers. It came to an end after a bit as the doors opened and we stepped out into the hall. We walked down a little way before coming up to a sliding door. To the right of it was a button to open the door with a plaque above it that read "Chancellor's Office". From the other side of the door, we could here two voices talking, or bickering, amongst themselves.
Fontaine: *sighs* "Sounds like Crowler's in there. Good luck with whatever's going on in there, Mr. Pegasus."
Kota: "Thank you, but please... Refrain from calling me that out loud."
Fontaine: "Don't worry. I just wanted to get it out at least once. I'll ensure to refer to you as Izinski from this point forward."
Kota: "I appreciate that, Professor Fontaine."
Fontaine: "How about a trade? I won't call you by your other family name if you just call me Miss Fontaine. Deal?"
Kota: "Deal."
She smiled at me and walked away from where we were. I turned over towards the door where the voices continued to talk to each other. I pressed the button making the door to the office slide open. I am welcomed to the sight of Doctor Crowler talking to a man in a burgundy red coat like all the other blazers here in the academy. He was bald but had a kind smile on his face. He must be Chancellor Sheppard that my dad told me about.
Crowler: "Have you lost your mind?! The rules are clear about first years getting into Obelisk Blue! According to his transcripts, he has never attended any prep school or special program that facilitates the requirement to get in!"
Sheppard: "I understand that, but I feel that he's a special--Ah, Mr. Izinski, what impeccable timing. Please, come in."
Now that my presence had been made known, both of the men were now looking at me. Thankfully, it wasn't very intimidating since I was used to having people of power around me. I approached the desk bowing slightly.
Kota: "Chancellor, Doctor Crowler, a pleasure. Miss Fontaine told me that you wanted to see me?"
Sheppard: "Yes, I did. Have a seat."
Kota: *sits down* "I assume this is about my special accommodations?"
Sheppard: "You'd be correct. However, we seem to have a problem."
Kota: "What kind of problem?"
Sheppard: "Well..."
Crowler: "Can you please answer my question from earlier? What's so special about this boy? Does he have a polyester allergy so something?"
Both myself and the Chancellor look over to Crowler with confused looks. I myself am the most confused by the doctor's comment. Sheppard rubbed his temple like he had a headache. I switched my gaze between the two men before setting my eyes on Sheppard whilst pointing my finger at the blonde.
Crowler: "If this is a joke, then I am NOT amused in the slightest. My father told me that ALL of your faculty was made aware of who I really was."
Sheppard: "They were I assure you. Mr. Crowler, did you not read that memo yet?"
Crowler: "What are you talking about, sir?"
Sheppard: "The memo I sent out this morning. How have you not seen it? I marked it as important!"
Crowler: "I'm being serious, Chancellor Sheppard. I even checked my inbox when we returned from the mainland. I haven't received anything from you in the past week."
Sheppard: "But I was sure... Give me a second."
The Chancellor went over to his terminal and his fingers started typing on the keyboard. Crowler gave me a questioning look like I was guilty of a crime or something. He huffed and swerved his head away from me. Guess he was salty about how I handed his butt to him a few hours ago. Sheppard hummed as the look of realization grew on his face.
Sheppard: "Somehow your email was not included with the memo when I sent it out. My apologies."
Crowler: "Then can you tell me what's so special about this one boy? Sure, he defeated me during his exam, but why is everyone in the faculty all bent over for him?"
Kota: "Should I tell him or are you going to do it?"
Sheppard: "No, no. I'll handle it, Mr. Izinski." *sighs* "For starters, Kota here submitted a different name on his application forms, howe-"
Crowler: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Admittance into this academy under a falsified identity is grounds for immediate expulsion!"
Sheppard: "If you would let me finish? However, I met with both his father and lawyer in regard to his application. Kota is adopted but chose to use his family birth name rather than his adopted one."
Crowler: "And just which family does he belong to that's got YOU all bent over backwards?"
Sheppard: "He is Maximillion Pegasus's adopted son."
There was a silence that fell over the room that I swear I could hear a cricket somewhere. Crowler was left absolutely stunned at the Chancellor's words. He tried forming a coherent sentence but only managed to sputter out partial words. He pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath in, and out came one of the most annoying responses I hear to this bombshell.
Crowler: "WHAT?! Impossible! T-T-There's no way that HE is the son of Pegasus himself! This has to be some sort of sick joke!"
Kota: "I may be known to clown around, but I assure you that this ISN'T a joke. What you heard is the truth."
Crowler: "YOU LIE!"
Sheppard: "He is not lying, Crowler. I met with Pegasus in person over this issue. It was at his son's request that he use his birth family name."
Crowler: "Who in their right mind would want that? Why hide who you are?"
Kota: "Let's see. How about kidnapping, attempted and otherwise, targeted attacks, threating messages, crazed fans, and the one I hate the most. Fake friends."
Crowler: "Fake friends? What are you talking about?"
Kota: "Are you braindead or something after our duel?"
Crowler: *annoyed* "Why you..."
Kota: "When I say that I'm talking about people who don't care about me as a person. They just care about the benefits or the perks that come with knowing me. I've come to Duel Academy to not only become a professional duelist like I've always aspired to be, but to make some actual friends who want to get to know me for ME. Not because I'm the son to one of the most influential people in the world."
Crowler: "Then what is going to happen during your tenure here?"
Kota: "I am to be referred to by Izinski and NOT Pegasus. I am not to receive special treatment because of my father. And I don't want any favors. Treat me like you would any other student."
Sheppard: "As you wish, but I do have an offer for you."
Kota: "An offer? Didn't you just hear me? I wasn't joking when I said I don't want favors."
Sheppard: "I heard you, but I was impressed by your duel against Crowler. To take the attack of such a powerful monster and reversed it are the kind of skills were hoping to instill into our students. Therefore, I would like to offer you a spot in Obelisk Blue."
Even though I just said I don't want any favors. The Chancellor is offering me a spot in THE top dorm in the academy. Normally, that would be quite the honor, but I couldn't help but think about a certain person.
Kota: "Are you offering Judy the same spot?"
Sheppard: "Oh, you mean Miss Yuki, right? No were not."
Kota: "Yet Judy defeated Crowler against his personal deck just like I did. Why isn't she getting this while I am?"
Sheppard: "It's because-"
Kota: "Stop. Let me finish that sentence for you. You are making this offer for me because I am the son of Pegasus. I bet you were thinking that by being my good graces then you would be the same with my father. I want to become an Obelisk, but I want to EARN that rank. Don't think about making me offer like that to me again, Chancellor."
Sheppard: "I hear you loud and clear. Since you don't want this offer, then I am proud to say that you will be a Ra Yellow student like your fellow top-ranking examinee, Bastion Misawa."
Kota: "Thank you. I'll take my leave now."
Sheppard: "Just go back down to the gymnasium and speak to Miss Fontaine. Tell her which dorm you've been assigned to and she'll get the rest of it sorted for you."
I just simply nod to his words and excuse myself from the room. Although that last bit was annoying, I won't have to worry about any sort of headaches regarding who I am. The last thing that I need is to have a bunch of girls trying to hook up with me and guys trying to make themselves look good. I just backtracked the path that I took with Miss Fontaine until I got back to the gymnasium. All of the first years that came with us were just hanging out or dueling each other. What caught my eye were the disks on their arms. They were Kaiba Corp's duel disks for academy students. They were becoming widespread to the point it was rendering the Battle City model almost obsolete. I look around until I found Miss Fontaine chatting with Rebecca in the same spot I was before I met with Sheppard, so I just made my way over to get what I need.
Kota: "Hello again, ladies."
Rebecca: *giggles* "We got to stop meeting like this. People might talk."
Kota: *dramatically* "What would we do then? Oh, the humanity~"
Fontaine: "Alright, enough playing around you two. So, what's the verdict, Kota?"
Kota: "I will be a proud member of the Ra Yellow dorm."
Fontaine: "Congratulations! I believe you're gonna love it there. We also got some things for you."
Both Miss Fontaine and Rebecca went behind the table towards some boxes. They shuffled around a little bit before bringing out a stack of things in their arms. The first thing I saw was one of the duel disks I just saw. Guess Kaiba wants his students to have the most up to date tech. The next thing to be set down on the table is a folded yellow duel blazer. There was a phone-like device, a pair of yellow boots, and a book laid on top of it.
Rebecca: "Here is your standard issue Duel Academy duel disk, your dorm uniform, PDA, and student handbook. You'll get the rest of your things when classes begin."
Fontaine: "Your blazer is an extra-large since you look like that's what fits you."
Kota: "Do I only have the one blazer?"
Fontaine: "Not at all. You'll be provided more blazers when you get to your dorm room. This one is what you'll be wearing tomorrow for the Welcoming Ceremony."
Kota: "Tomorrow? When do we get to check out our dorms?"
Fontaine: "After the ceremony. We need time to assign you all your rooms now that you've been assigned to your dorms. It usually takes about a day for our systems to register you to your rooms and your PDAs."
Kota: "I guess that makes sense."
Fontaine: "Dinner will be served in the cafeteria at eight o'clock tonight. I suggest getting your PDA all set up with your info. Once that's done, it'll be registered to the system. You'll be using that device for communicating with your classmates, accessing your class schedule, and to notify you of anything that concerns you."
Kota: "Like being called to the office or getting mail?"
Fontaine: "That's right."
Kota: "What about my affects? I had some clothes and other things shipped here. It should have arrived during the exams."
Fontaine: "Ah, yes. I know what you're talking about. You aren't the only one. All your things that arrived here before you are being kept safe until your room is assigned so don't you worry one bit. We'll have your things moved into your room during the ceremony tomorrow morning. Other than that, enjoy the rest of your day!"
I give both of the ladies a bow and collect my things. Making my way through all the people was a bit difficult, but I found my spot and set down my things on a bench. The next thing I did was pull out my PDA and turn it on. The screen showed the Duel Academy logo for a couple of seconds before loading up a setup screen. I just followed the prompts filling out my info and whatnot. Once that was done with, I decided to go through the student handbook. The first part was more like a rulebook really stating the general stuff. Things to do, things not to do, dress code, off-hour dueling rules. The next part was a brief summary of the academy and its values mentioning the other academies as well. Then it was followed by a section about each of the teachers here and what they teach.
Kota: 'So, Fontaine's the Gym teacher AND the school nurse? Sweet.'
Judy: "Hey, Kota! There you are!"
The sound of Judy's voice hits my ears making me look up from the book I was reading. I did so just in time to see one Judy Yuki flying through the air and directly at me. I tried to scramble away to avoid getting hit but Lady Luck had other plans. The world was spinning for a second so I couldn't make out anything right. All I could make out was that I was now on the floor.
Kota: *groans* "Hey guys."
I shake my head to refocus myself so I could see clearly again. When I tried to get up on the other hand, I quickly discovered that there was a weight on my chest. I looked to see what it was only to find Judy laying down on top of me having the same problem I had a second ago. The collision must have been loud since nearly everyone in the gymnasium was looking our way. A couple of them were wolf whistling at us.
Boy 1: "Nice one, Izinski!"
Boy 5: "Way to get the girl!"
Boy 4: "Kiss her!"
Syrus: "Oh my gosh! Are you two okay?"
Kota: "I'll be fine... as soon as Judy gets off of me."
Syrus came over and helped me get her off of my chest. It was nice to breathe without a weight on me again. We set her down on a bench until she shook off her dizziness from her kamikazeing right into me. What made it worse was that she had this dopey smile on her face because of it.
Kota: "Hopefully she'll come around in a bit."
Syrus: "Where were you? We were looking around for you close to ten minutes now."
Kota: "Well, I went to go say hi to the Chancellor."
Judy: "The Chancellor? Getting in trouble already?"
Both me and Syrus turned back to the bench to see Judy sitting there crisscross with a smile on her face. Did she not realize what just happened? Man, she is something else. I shake my head while Judy looked at me like I said something in another language.
Kota: *chuckles* "No. Just some technical stuff that needed clearing up. That and I've been sitting here on this bench setting up my PDA and reading through the handbook. That was until I was hit by a Judy cruise missile."
Judy: *nervous laughter* "Sorry..."
Syrus: "Well, at least you're not in trouble."
Judy: "Ugh. Sounds boring. You up for a duel?"
Kota: "Maybe later. I gotta make a call to my dad."
Syrus: "Your dad?"
Kota: "Yeah. I promised I'd call him to let him know how my day went. I'll be back later. Oh, and Syrus?"
Syrus: "What's up?"
Kota: "Can you watch my stuff for me until I get back?"
Judy: "Sure we can! Me and Sy have got your things on lockdown!"
The both of them then started playing soldier guarding the objective. I liked them. Their fun to be around. I step out of the gymnasium and out into the fresh air. All I could hear was the wind and the crashing of the waves. Seeing that there was no one else around right now. I pull out my phone and speed dial a contact from the short list I got. It rings for a bit in my ear until I hear a familiar voice.
Pegasus: <Kota-boy~! How is my son doing? Did you get into the academy?>
Kota: "Yes, dad. I made it made in."
Pegasus: <Like there was any doubt! Tell me, were all the arrangements we made with the Chancellor done?>
Kota: "There was a little miscommunication with one of the professors, but that issue was resolved quickly. Want to know what happened during my exam?"
Pegasus: <Oh, yes, please tell me all about it! Who did you duel? One of the proctors?>
Kota: "Nope. I dueled a guy named Doctor Crowler. He's the Department Chair of Techniques here. He even used his personal deck against me."
Pegasus: <So you got a good challenge then. Excellent! How did you win?>
Kota: "I brought out my ace monster, so he summoned out his own. An Ancient Gear Golem no less!"
Pegasus: <So you had Relinquished AND you went up against that rare monster? I'm very impressed~! How did it end?>
Kota: "He attacked me after using Limiter Removal, but I used Relinquished to snatch his Ancient Gear Beast the previous turn. In the end, the duel ended in one big boom! To make it even better, the guy had a PhD in Dueling, so I beat a Duel Monsters expert!"
Pegasus: <Splendid~! Simply splendid! I'm so proud of you, my boy! Oh, I can feel the waterworks coming on...>
I could hear him sniffling on the other line which I couldn't help but smile to. It made me happy when I made him proud. Then there was a sound of a door opening in the background. Someone's voice was there but I couldn't hear anything through the phone. My dad acknowledged whoever it was and came back to the call with a sigh.
Pegasus: <I'm sorry, Kota, but I have to go back to work now.>
Kota: "It's okay, dad. I know you're a busy guy. Who was it you were talking to just now?"
Pegasus: <It was Croquet. He came in to tell me that the members in the meeting I was in were wondering where I ran off to.>
Kota: "Hold on. You are telling me that you, Maximillion Pegasus, left in the middle of a meeting just to answer my call? I could have waited until afterwards, so I wasn't bothering you."
Pegasus: <Oh, nonsense! I have been eagerly waiting for you to call me since this morning. You are more important than some boring meeting.>
Kota: "Thank you, dad. That's actually really nice to hear."
Pegasus: <Of course, Kota. Now I just have to know. Did you make any new friends yet? Meet any girls~?>
Kota: *groans* "Yes, dad, I did make some new friends, but WHY would you ask a question like that? Why would you want to know that?!"
Pegasus: <Because I'm not going to be around forever, y'know! I'd at least like to be a grandfather someday before I get too old.>
Kota: "If I find someone that I like, then I'll be sure to introduce her to you. I may want to keep certain things under wraps for now, but if I did get a girlfriend, then she deserves to meet you."
Pegasus: <Then I can't wait to see who you will bring home. I got to go now. Otherwise, the others are going to have my head. I love you, Kota. Toodles~!>
Kota: "I love you too, dad. Say hi to Samantha for me, would you?"
Pegasus: <Of course.>
And with those last words the call hung up. I smiled holding the phone close to my heart. I'm really lucky to have such a loving dad like him after everything. His words on the other hand were starting to echo in my head with flashes of that girl from my dreams popping up. I shake my head to get rid of them and the blush on my face. I went back inside and towards the gymnasium to where Syrus and Judy were still guarding my stuff.
Kota: 'I've made some really great friends.'
----- Later that Evening -----
All of us were now in the cafeteria having dinner provided to us by the academy. I just had some fried shrimp with rice with a side of vegetables. Syrus got a sandwich of some kind. Both Bastion and Judy had the same thing that I did. We sat in a relative peace enjoying our food. It was really nice. Nothing crazy happening to spoil this moment.
Guy: "Hey, Izinski!"
Kota: *sighs* 'And the moment's gone.'
I turn around to see a trio of guys standing behind me. The guy on the left had black hair and a pair of glasses. The guy on the right had a tough build to him. The one in the middle had this wacky looking hair and was clearly the leader of the trio. He looked familiar somehow. They all had this smirk on their faces that just rubbed me the wrong way.
Kota: "Can I help you?"
Chazz: "These two are Tai and Gabriel, and I'm Chazz. Chazz Princeton. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
Kota: "Uhh... No. Am I supposed to know you?"
Tai: "Well, you should. He's the number one duelist here out of all the freshmen."
Gabriel: "Yeah, so why don't you pay your respects to him?"
Chazz: "Can it you two."
Tai/Gabriel: "Huh?"
Chazz: "Afterall, he DID beat Doctor Crowler. I was a little impressed with your match against him. Being able to suffer no damage in the face of a monster with six thousand attack points takes some skill."
Kota: "It was fairly easy to be honest. He was the architect of his own destruction with the way he played."
Chazz: "Is that so? Then how about a duel to prove that your victory over him wasn't just a fluke?"
Kota: "A fluke? Oh, I get it. You're trying to hurt my pride as a duelist just so you can get me to accept your challenge. I see, I see. If we were judging you based on the way you handled that. I'd give it a three."
Chazz: "Excuse me?!"
Kota: "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of my dinner? Rather rude to challenge someone when they're eating their meal. Why don't you get some food yourself, and if we have time, then we can duel."
Chazz: *growls* "But by then it'll be too late. We'd have to wait till after the ceremony tomorrow."
Kota: "Really? Hmm, that's a shame."
I was going to turn back around and finish my dinner when I saw Gabriel move out of the corner of my eye. He made a move to knock my food all over the floor and I wasn't going to have any of that. With my quick reflexes, I grabbed Gabriel's arm and pressed on a nerve. I gave his arm a small twist and the dog fell to his knees.
Gabriel: "Owowowowowow! Let go, let go, let go!"
Kota: "My, my, my. Now that... was rude."
I looked to the side so we could make eye contact. I gave him the best creepy smile I could pull off. I was told that I had this crazed look whenever I would make a creepy smile. It seemed to do the trick since Gabriel flinched. I brought his arm around and threw him away. He came back over rubbing the nerve I pinched and his shoulder.
Kota: "Knocking over someone's dinner just because they told you no? I guess your mothers didn't teach you decent manners, did they?"
Many of the applicants in the room were laughing and giggling at the show we were putting on for them. The three of them growled at me one more time before storming off to who knows where. The two stooges followed suit like little puppies. Now that the headache was over with, I returned to my unfinished dinner.
Judy: "Nice way to handle those bullies."
Syrus: "Yeah. That was really amazing."
Bastion: "Those were some impressive maneuvers to neutralize that man. Did you learn at a dojo by chance?"
Kota: "No. Just some self-defense classes spiced with some krav maga. I prefer not to use that knowledge unless I have to."
Judy: "You know krav maga! You gotta teach me some moves, dude!"
Kota: "Perhaps another time."
We went back to our food enjoying the rest of the evening. Fontaine came in with some others to escort us back to the gymnasium. Apparently, we're staying the night in there. There was a girl's gymnasium where all the girls were staying for the night. Judy tried walking in where we were sleeping to which I fixed real quick with the assistance of Miss Fontaine. I took off the jacket I wore along with my shoes and pants setting them down next to me with the rest of my current belongings. While I was tucking into the sleeping bag for the night. There was only one thought racing through my mind.
Kota: 'I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.'
----- In the Morning -----
[3rd POV]
The light of the morning sun broke over the watery horizon. Its golden rays shimmered across the waves flying through the cold ocean mists to reach Academy Island. As the shadows of night were chased away by the warmth of the new day, the rays were bleeding through the windows of the campus. Kota woke up with a yawn stretching his arms and legs. He rubbed his eyes seeing that many, if not all of the other boys, were still sleeping. Seeing as though this was a good opportunity to explore a bit; Kota got dressed, rolled up his sleeping bag, and collected his things into a little academy-issue knapsack he found in a pile of other bags like it.
Kota: 'I guess now is a good of a time as any to see how the blazer fits me.'
Kota picked up his new blazer and flung it over his shoulders like how Yugi did with his high school uniform. Thankfully it matched his black long sleeve shirt and pants, so it didn't look awkward to the observer. He pocketed his PDA and put his new duel disk on his arm. Carefully he made his way through doing his best not to disturb anyone from their slumber. The halls were quiet without a single thing to disturb the silence except the soft footsteps of Kota's boots. He made his way out of the main building and off towards the bridge. Kota just walked up towards the edge of the cliffside taking in the sight of the oceanic sunrise. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty morning air stretching his arms out to catch the warmth of the sun. He pulled out his phone to check the time. It was about five till seven in the morning.
Kota just stood there enjoying the song of nature around him. He would do the same thing while he lived in Duelist Kingdom or whenever he needed some time alone with his thoughts. The calm was disturbed by the approaching sound of footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around expecting to see someone trying to jump him. All he was met with the sight of a man. He was tall with black hair and a pair of glasses. One could take a single look at him and can tell that he was Asian. He wore a simple white shirt and black pants. By his feet was a rather large Brown Ragamuffin, and by large one would mean packing on the pounds.
Man: "Good morning, Mr. Izinski."
Kota: "Good morning."
Banner: "My name is Lyman Banner. I'm one of the teachers here and the Headmaster of the Slifer Red Dorm. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Kota: "Not at all, professor. You are more than welcome to join. Plenty of sun to go around."
Banner: "How kind of you."
Kota: "And who's this lovely little furball?"
Banner: "His name is Pharoah. He is my pet cat."
Kota bent crouched down a bit reaching out a hand to Pharoah. He meowed before coming over and licking his hand. He started to purr loudly rubbing and cuddling against him. Both Kota and Banner smiled at the cat's loving behavior. He went back over to Banner and the man picked up the large cat.
Banner: "I'd recommend making your way back to the academy soon. They should be waking up the other freshmen for breakfast here in a bit. The Welcoming Ceremony will start afterwards."
Kota: "Thank you for the heads up."
Banner: "Of course, Mr. Pegasus."
Kota: "groans* "If you teachers keep calling me that, then everyone in the school is going to know who I am. Do I really need to bring this to the attention of the Chancellor?"
Banner: "Do not worry. No one's around to eavesdrop. They're all sleeping in since it's the weekend."
Kota: "That and the year hasn't started yet."
Banner: "That too. It's a shame I won't see you around my dorm, but I will see you in class. Have a good day, Mr. Izinski."
The professor went back on his walk with his cat in his arms. Kota stared out to the ocean for a little bit longer. Sensing that he should make his way back, he picked up the bag and followed the path to the academy. The doors opened for Kota to hear the sounds of people talking and mingling in the direction of the gymnasiums. He eventually made his way back to the others and followed them to the cafeteria where breakfast was being served. Waffles with eggs, bacon, and fruit. A very nice meal to start the day off with. Everyone enjoyed their meal continuing to chat amongst themselves while wearing their new blazers. Two teachers came in asking everyone to finish their breakfast and follow them to the main auditorium for the Welcoming Ceremony. All the new students did as they were asked and followed their soon-to-be instructors.
Once everyone was inside, the teachers and other employees helped to get the students organized on the main floor. They were all standing in front of an elevated floor where the professors and the employees were lined up followed by a large monitor mounted on the wall. The screen statically crackled to life revealing the face of Chancellor Sheppard calling from his office. He would have been there in person for the ceremony, but he unfortunately had a video conference he had to attend to right afterwards.
Sheppard: "Good morning and welcome, my students. I am Chancellor Sheppard, Headmaster of the Academy, and YOU are the BEST and BRIGHTEST young duelists in the world!"
Kota was standing next to Bastion. The two of them looked at each other and smiled in pride at the Chancellor's words. Kota returned his attention to the screen when the sound of snoring caught his ear. He turned his head around a bit to see that Judy had fallen asleep STANDING UP. Kota's had to hold in his laughter so as not to make a scene during the ceremony. He faced forward returning his focus on the Chancellor's speech.
Sheppard: "During your time here, you'll learn the different aspects and mechanics of Duel Monsters. You will be taught how to use the knowledge gained from your courses and use it to become the next generation of top duelists! Now please, get yourselves settled at your assigned dorms. I think you'll find them quite comfortable, depending upon how you ranked of course."
The Chancellor had a good laugh before the monitor shut off and his speech was done. All the new students chatted amongst each other. The topics of conversation ranged from wondering how their dorms would look like to who they were gonna duel first. Crowler stepped up and got everyone's attention by clearing his throat into the microphone.
Crowler: "You may all exit and head out to your assigned dorms. You probably can tell which dorms you are assigned to, but please check your PDAs. They will tell you which dorm you are in, and which room number is yours. Classes begin tomorrow so we expect all of you to show up on time. You're dismissed."
All of them eagerly leave the room with some making tracks to where they will be staying. Kota however just walked alongside Bastion seeing as they are both in Ra Yellow. They didn't exchange that many words with each other as they simply talked about how they felt finally being in the academy. Their attention was quickly diverted when they both spot Judy and Sy chilling out on one of the statues by the entrance. Kota led the way while the duo checked their PDAs to see where they ended up.
Judy: "Sick! I don't know about you, ma dude, but I'm in the Slifer Red dorm."
Syrus: "Yeah, same here."
Judy: "Oh, hey guys! Are you two in the Red dorm like us?"
Kota: "Now let's see here. Yellow sleeves, yellow buttons. Nope! I don't think so."
Bastion: "Can't you tell from our uniforms?"
Judy: "Ohh! Is that what the uniform colors mean?"
Bastion: "Please tell me that you didn't just figure that out now..."
Judy: "So what, smart guy? Ever think I'm color blind?!"
Bastion: "Well, no actually."
Kota: "Are you color blind, Judy?"
Judy: *laughs* "Nah! But I could've been. Hey, Kota, what do you think of my uniform? Does it look good on me?"
Kota looked at Judy more intently than he originally was. She was wearing a black girl's tank top with her sleeveless Slifer Red blazer over it. She had the same kind of boots like he did but with a red color scheme to them then yellow. Judy wore a white pair of shorts with a brown belt. The last things to tie up the look were the pair of over-the-knee black socks and the leather fingerless gloves. Kota couldn't help but stare in awe at the way she was dressed. She was becoming more and more like the girl he'd seen in his dreams of late.
Kota: "Y-You are... really rocking that outfit, Judy."
Judy: "Really? That's sweet! I tried asking Syrus, but he wouldn't answer. Thanks for your opinion! See you guys around the dorms?"
Bastion: "Unlikely. Your dorm's over there."
Once Bastion pointed down a different road that led over to the Slifer Red dormitory. The Ra Yellow pair continued on their path until coming up to the Ra dorm. All Kota could think was that the place was VERY yellow, both inside and out, he imagined. They stepped through the main door and met an assistant with a clipboard and keys on hooks. The two of them checked in and the man gave them both the keys to their dorm rooms. They went down the hallway until Bastion came up to his room. He opened the door just to find that Kota was opening the door just next to his.
Bastion: *chuckles* "Guess we're neighbors?"
Kota: *laughs* "Seems like it. Catch you around, neighbor."
Bastion: "Cheerio."
Kota stepped into his dorm room, and he was right. It was very much yellow. He looked over to the bed to see his luggage and other belongings sitting next to his neatly made bed. There was a closet large enough to fit some clothes in there along with the spare blazers that hung up on the rack. There was a desk on the other side of the room equipped with one of Kaiba Corp's new holocomputers. The window that sat in between his bed and his desk offered a nice view of the trees and the ocean a little ways away. Kota set down the bag and duel disk he'd been carrying around on the floor. He plopped himself onto the bed and just stared at the ceiling. Finally, after waiting for a bit longer than he expected, he was finally in his dorm room.
Kota: 'I can't believe it. I'm actually in my own dorm room now...' *smiles* "I ACTUALLY MADE IT TO DUEL ACADEMY!"