Title: Love X Blessing X Curse

I make Juudai as a girl here to keep my promise to someone. Even so, Juudai's outer appearance isn't changed here. Unlike in my other gender-bending fanfiction (YYH: Ai no Tame ni), here I refer Juudai as a girl from the beginning of the story since she's really a girl in this alternate universe.

Name was edited due to some critique (at first it's English name used together with Japanese name. sorry if it's no good)

Disclaimer: pretty obvious, I don't own Yugi Oh GX

Here goes…the chapter!


Chapter 1: Miai's Blessing


-in the Land of Blessing Rain-

Asuka couldn't believe that this day would come—the day when she wore a wedding dress.

But not with Ryo—with Manjoume.

That's a very nightmare for her. How could this nightmare come? Well, it's because she lose the bet that she made before Manjoume dueling her. At first, she thought she could win, and then freed herself from Manjoume's disturbance which was started after Ryo disappear. But destiny failed her. She lose, and she would marry, albeit their young age.

Now Asuka could only hope for Miai no Kamisama (the Goddess of couple) to pity her. Manjoume chose Miai's church as a place of marriage because—as it's widely believe—a couple who's blessed by Miai would never be able to be separated. Manjoume believed by this way Asuka would have no way to leave him.

Asuka hoped for Miai to pity her: to not blessing this marriage. Miai no kamisama was only blessing the couple who's really a couple. It's showed by her gift called the Bracelet of Love. Here the procession: soon after the blessed couple entered the church, two identical bracelets would appear on the altar. Those were the gift of the goddess—the proof—that the couple was really a couple: two people whose destiny was to be together.

Manjoume believed that he and the blond girl was a blessed couple. Asuka? She definitely believed the opposite. She was sure that the Bracelet of Love would never appear on the altar—no matter how long they waited.

Fubuki Tenjouin, Asuka's brother, held his sister's hand when she out from the car, lead the girl to enter the church. Fubuki didn't oppose this marriage even he knew that Asuka loved Ryo. He did that because Ryo, his best friend, was missing mysteriously five years ago. He had given up looking for him, while Asuka never. The blonde girl still believed that Ryo was still alive, and he would come back someday.

Walking through the crowded seats, Asuka had a wild hope that Marufuji Ryo would suddenly destroy the church's roof using his Cyber Dragon and took her away. 'Great,' She thought, 'Ryo was missing in the Land of Eternal Snow, thousand miles from here. There's no way he can be here to rescue me. Now you just sound like Juudai, imagining a kid-like fantasy show like that. Where is she anyway—at time like this?'

Asuka scanned the row of people, and she saw Sho, Ryo's little brother. He looked sad, of course, his brother's love were going to marry another man.

But there's another look from his eyes. He's not only sad, but he also looked determine on something. And the glare of his eyes somehow gave her hope. Those eyes gave a look that he knew Ryo was still alive and he knew where to find him. Asuka was about to run to him, but Fubuki held her hand tightly.

They arrived in front of the altar. Manjoume was there, smiling happily (mockingly-in Asuka's point of view). He hastily placed himself beside her, replacing Fubuki.

Three minutes passed by, and nothing showed up on the altar. Asuka smiled mockingly at Manjoume. The spiky hair boy didn't budge. He held Asuka' arm so that she couldn't leave. He would wait—forever if it might—as he was sure that they were really a couple.

Suddenly, astonishing everyone, a blast of fire destroyed the roof of the church. Well, not all the roof was broken, but there's a newly-made hole which allowed a brunette with duel disk in let hand jumped, entering the church, landed on the aisle. A fire-type materialized duel monster, Burstinatrix was guarding her.

You know her.

"Juudai!" Asuka screamed, half happy of her sympathy and half to scold the chocolate-eyes girl for causing such a useless mess; the marriage wasn't looked to be blessed anyway. But the problem was Juudai didn't know about it.

"Release her, Manjoume!" Juudai pointed her index finger to the spiky hair boy.

"It's Manjoume-san, da! Juudai, I know you're stupid, but I wish you aren't stupid enough to continue this childish act! Asuka-chan is MY couple and it's useless for you to take her away from me. We are blessed!" Manjoume grabbed his duel disk from one of his servant, put Blood Sucker monster card on its slot and materialized that monster. "Scram or I'll kick you out!"

"No! You shouldn't force her, she is Ryo's!" Juudai walked to the altar, separating Manjoume from Asuka. "Manjoume, I challenge you to a duel! Right here right now! If I win, You will never marry Asuka. If I lose, well that's not going to be happened, so LET'S DUEL!" Juudai said stubbornly.

The guest of the party tried to separate them, but they were prevented by Burstinatrix. "How dare you interrupt a holy marriage in front of Miai!" one of the guests screamed to Juudai.

Speaking about the Kamisama…two identical black bracelets suddenly appeared on the altar. They were made by mithrill* and had shackle-like shape—minus the connecting chains. They were full with intrigued symbols engraved on it. They were the Bracelets of love.

"Ha ha ha ha! See? We are blessed!" Manjoume grabbed those bracelets then shoved Juudai away.

Manjoume locked one of the bracelets on his left hand, above his duel disk. Now he aimed for Asuka's hand.

Juudai stood up quickly and tackled him to the floor. Then, she grabbed Asuka hand to run away, but Fubuki hindered their way. The big brother said, "Juudai, it's enough! Ryo is nowhere to be found, do you wish Asuka to wait for him forever and never be married?"

Asuka frowned, "Wait forever? No, he isn't died! He's alive and I'll wait for him!"

"Yup! Ryo is a great duelist! He's never defeated in any duel, even in a stray duel!" Juudai stated confidently.

"Bllod Sucker, bite that slacker!" Manjoume gave a command to his monster to attack, Burstinatrix jumped to protect Juudai. Before those two monster fought, Fubuki was on their way, "Stop it! Don't you know that it'll be count as stray duel? It's prohibited! Do you want your masters to go to jail?"

"I don't need a stray duel! I'm able to defeat him in (legal) duel!" Juudai screamed.

"I don't need both!" suddenly Manjoume was right beside Juudai and he punched her right cheek. He punched her hardly, since he never thought Juudai as a girl. For him, the brunette wasn't a girl since she didn't have a good shape like Asuka. Besides, he still irritated that he never won duel against Juudai. The girl landed hardly on the floor meters away.

"Juudai!" Asuka wanted to help Juudai, but Manjoume grabbed her right hand, trying to clasp the other bracelet on her wrist. He astonished that the bracelet refused to be locked. Taking this chance, the blond girl kicked him away. Manjoume was thrown and landed on Juudai, who was trying to get up.

The two was ended up in this position: Manjoume was on top of Juudai, blushing heavily. Juudai unknowing of what had hit him hard, caressing her chest which was hit for the first place.

Something weighted her right hand.

Juudai looked at her wrist. There's a black bracelet with intrigued carving LOCKED there.

"NOOOOO!" Asuka screamed furiously, kicking Manjoume once again, threw him far away from Juudai. The brunette just blinked her eyes in confussion. "No! No! Juudai, I'm so sorry!" the crying blond girl hugged her tightly.

"What?" Juudai asked innocently, "Asuka, release me, it is hurt…"

"The bracelet…" all of the guests murmured in awe. "…you're blessed…"

"Blessed for what?" Juudai always sleept on every lesson—she only cared about duel, so it's normal for her to not understand this country's culture. Her origin was from the secluded village on a secluded island anyway—White Stone Island.

"Don't you learn, slacker?" Manjoume scolded her in frustration, "we are…we are…" he's unable to continue his sentence. Besides, the male guests of the church now all started to hug him. Juudai tried to stand up and asked him the continuation, but it's difficult since the female guests were also trying to hug her.

"Congratulations!"

"Oh…finally a blessed couple after years!"

"I'm happy for you…"

"Couple? Couple…what?" Juudai stuttered in frustration, "Asuka, am I failed? Have you married him?" Juudai confusion was doubled since the blonde girl shook her head tearfully in instant.

"I can't believe I marry a dork!" Manjoume—finally able to release him self—grabbed Juudai's collar and took her away from the crowd.

The blood Sucker and burstinatrix were guarding them to have a free space in the corner. Juudai just stayed quiet while Manjoume tried to pull the bracelet from her wrist—it didn't even budge.

"You marry a dork? When? Who is it?" Juudai innocently tried to start a conversation, "and, what is this bracelet anyway? Why do you want it so much?"

Manjoume was so angry, so irritated, so humiliated, until he knew he had to calm himself or else he would burst. He had to be composed: great crisis could only be finished by a calm mind.

"Juudai…" he said, astonishingly calmly.

"Hai, nani? (yes, what?)"

Manjoume took a deep breath, and said, "Juudai, this bracelet is the sign of Miai's blessing."

"Miai?"

"Miai no kamisama."

"Hmmm…?" Juudai tilted her head and laugh sheepishly, "I'm sorry Manjoume, I don't understand what you mean. Would you mind to explain it more clearly to me?"

"Juudai…this bracelet…" Manjoume sighed, and then screamed, "IS THE SIGN THAT YOU ARE MY WIFE! WIFE! OH MY GOD! IT'S ALL YOUR ENTIRE FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"I'm WHAT?" Juudai mouth agape, "but how? I don't want to marry yet! I'm still young! Too young to die! No…" she stammered.

"You are not dead, you are marrying me!" Manjoume still screamed, even not as loud as before.

"But it's the same! Being married is equal to die! No freedom, nurturing kids, cleaning the house, no time for duel, NO WAY!" Juudai tried to put off the bracelet, but even now the both of them try to do it, the bracelet didn't budge.

"You may not do that!" the fat middle aged women, Dorothy, separated both of them. (Burstinatrix and Blood Sucker didn't dare to hurt her)

"Why? I don't like it…" Juudai begged.

"Miai no kamisama have blessed you with this man. There's no force in this world that can destroy the blessing of Miai. Legend has proved! History has proved! Miai's blessing is real." Dorothy explained.

That explanation, Juudai could understand, but she didn't want to accept it. She didn't want to marry. So she said, "I don't want to die…I still want to duel! There must be a way to cancel it, right Manjoume?" Juudai pouted.

"This time you're right. This world is so wide! There must be someway out there!" Manjoume grabbed Juudai's hand, saying "come! I want to cancel this marriage as soon as possible."

Manjoume walked steadily to the exit. But a pale blue hair boy hindered the way.

"Scram!" Manjoume screamed.

That boy ignoring him, "Anniki*, don't go with him…you have promised me that we will look for nii-san* after you messed up this marriage."

The black hair Manjoume wanted to scold him, but Asuka spoke first, "Sho-kun, you know where is Ryo? Tell me! Please…may I go with you?"

Fubuki came beside her, "do you finally find where he is? Is he alive? Is he alright?"

Juudai released her arm from Manjoume, "don't worry, I'll keep my promise. Let's look for Kaiser*! This marriage canceling can wait, right Manjoume?"

"Manjoume-san, da! (it's Manjoume-san!) How many times I should remind you and NO! This marriage canceling CANNOT wait!" Manjoume held Juudai's hand and dragged her away.

"Anniki…" Sho tried to reach Juudai.

"Sho…" Juudai tried to reach Syrus' hand.

"NO MORE DRAMAS!" Manjoume went between them.

"But, Manjoume, you should not be this cruel! Ryo is also your friend, right?" Juudai said.

"Are you saying that you don't mind to be married?" Manjoume said.

"Well, why don't we looking for its canceling while looking for Ryo?" Juudai smiled, "I know you want to look for Ryo too. You tried to marry Asuka not for betraying him, but because you're worried if she would be alone forever. No Manjoume, Ryo is still alive. We finally find some clue. This morning we heard that on the Land of Frozen Fire, people saw the spirit of Cyber Dragon. That monster is Kaizer's main card. If it showed up there, maybe Ryo is also."

Manjoume thought for a while, as usual, Juudai knew him well. "I understand. Well, maybe in that country we can find some way to destroy this." He pointed at his bracelet.

"Hmf, do as you wish, but Miai no Kamisama's blessing will never be destroyed" one of the guest said.

"You should be happy, you are blessed. If you denied it, you will get cursed." Another guest mumbled.

"Hei, if we get cursed, then we just need to over it. It's easy." Manjoume replied.

"Yeah." Juudai nodded and smiled, secretly touching her stomach, 'besides, living with a curse is not that bad—as long as no one knows that you have it.'

Finally, Juudai, Manjoume, Sho, Fubuki, and Asuka set their journey to the Land of Frozen Fire.


to be continued...


Note:

Duel in this AU are accepted as one way of fighting. Duelist or Dueler uses Cards and Duel disk. Magician uses Wand. Another type of fighter will be mentioned later.

Legal Duel, often referred as Duel, is an accepted duel on the most of the country. This duel fight over an imaginary life points (it could be 8000, 4000, etc depends on duel rules of the country). Damages in this duel aren't real, just the pain.

Stray duel is a duel which involved two or more Duelists over a real life. Some cards are pretty useless to be used in this no-rule duel (such as pot of greed, player have no shifted turn and may draw as many cards as possible as there's no rule). Trap card can be used like a spell card (with higher speed that no-icon spell card), high level monster can be summoned without tribute (but still it need a large amount of power). Damages in this duel are real.

Duelist=someone who do legal duel

Dueler=someone who do stray duel

Duel disk in this AU story is act as a 'wand' for a duelist. The difference from wand, duelist also need card to perform their 'magic'.

The title of this story is inspired by Hunter x Hunter style.

Anniki is nickname of Juudai by Sho

Sho called his brother Ryo by 'nii-san' (both anniki and onee-san means 'brother')

Miai no kamisama is an original character, thanks to Shin Souru to give me the name (at first, I just think of some god, but I can't name it) I hope this kind of religion-creating in this story doesn't bother you. It's just for the sake of the plot.

Review please ^_^