Series: Fate's Heart||Story: Embrace of Fate
Characters: Juudai, Yubel, Ocs||Ship: Yubel x Juudai
Chapter: 6-6||Chapter Words: 4,449||Total Words: 24,724
Genre: Romance||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: YGO Soulmate Aus: L19, 5+ fics; First Kiss Challenge: Yubel x Juudai; One Ship Boot Camp, #08, blissfully; Chapter Set Boot Camp, GX claim, #42, 6 chapters; Include The Word Boot Camp, YGO claim, #50, sable
Notes: And at long last, this draws to an end.
Juudai slipped out of his dorm, shivering for a few moments in the early morning air. Duel Academia tended to being warm even this time of year, but until the sun came up, temperatures could still be a trifle nippy. He stifled a small yawn and headed down the path briefly before he turned and darted into the woods.
Where he ended up at the end of this was a place he visited infrequently, usually on those rare occasions when he wanted to think by himself. He wasn't sure if Shou or Kenzan or anyone else had ever followed him here.
Once the trees thinned out, the ground led downward to a white-sanded beach, with large rocks peppering the ground. Juudai climbed up on top of one of them and stared at the ocean. Here it still was kind of dark, though if he tilted his head, he could see streaks of gold and blue spanning the sky.
Juudai wasn't sure of how long he sat there, thinking of nothing in particular, breathing in the scent of the salted air, before Hane Kuriboh appeared next to him, trilling a greeting to someone else. Before Juudai could turn to see who'd interrupted his silence, Ruby Carbuncle pounced onto Hane Kuriboh and the two of them began one of their already familiar tussling sessions.
"Ruby..." Johan muttered as he stepped out of the shadows. Ruby Carbuncle didn't even look up, mouth instead closed around one of Hane Kuriboh's wings, as the other one battered at the tiny creature.
"Johan," Juudai greeted with a raised hand. "What brings you out here?"
"Ruby did, sort of." Johan laughed as he came closer. "Said you were here and I thought it was a little too early for you to be up, so I came to see if everything was all right."
Juudai turned back to look at the rolling waves. "Yeah, mostly. I come out here sometimes when it's early." His right hand rested against his left for a few heartbeats. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say about that. He thought – he knew – that he could trust Johan, but this was still something else altogether.
Johan caught the movement and turned gem-bright eyes on him. Juudai tensed; he'd had other people ask before. Even Shou had, back in first year. He hadn't been the only one. Before he'd broken apart, Daitokuji-sensei had three entire lectures about how soulmates and alchemy went together.
But Johan didn't say anything. At least not about Juudai's mark. Instead, he came a little closer and stared at the ocean for a few moments. "This is really nice. Almost reminds me of being back home. Only warmer."
"What's it like for you?" Juudai asked, breathing a mental sigh of relief that he didn't have to deal with being asked those questions again.
Though it almost made him want to answer them regardless. Maybe Johan would have answers that he didn't and that no one else seemed to have either.
"Home? You'd probably call it chilly. Even cold." Johan launched into describing his home, how it differed from here and how much he liked it there. He didn't mention family of any kind, though, except for the Gem Beasts.
He never had. In the three weeks since his arrival, Juudai didn't think that Johan had ever mentioned mother or father or siblings of any kind. Sure, they didn't know each other that well yet but he thought Johan might have said something. Unless there wasn't anything to say.
"And I've got about eight more months on my timer and there wasn't anyone at home that had one going down at the same time," Johan said at last. Juudai hadn't paid quite as much attention as he should have, but that wasn't unusual with him. He rather liked letting people ramble on about themselves without his input anyway. "What about you?"
Juudai blinked. That simple question wasn't one that he'd expected. He glanced at his arm again before he made an extraordinarily quick decision and pushed his sleeve up. He intended to introduce Johan to the hot springs at one point so Johan would see it then anyway. Might as well get it over with.
Johan peered over, a curious expression on his face, and nodded. "You've already met yours? That's awesome! Can I meet them? Do they go here?"
"Not really – not that I know of, anyway." Juudai fidgeted, casting a brief glance to the ocean and back to Johan. "I don't remember them. I've had the mark since I was really little. I think about six or seven. But I can't remember them and I don't know where they are." For a few moments more he hesitated, before he started to talk.
He spoke of the vague memories he had of being sick and of how his parents hadn't told him anything more, only that this was all for the best. He hadn't known how to argue about it and he'd eventually stopped worrying about it. Until he'd come here, he'd barely thought about it at all, and even then, not until that strange night when he'd met Saiou.
"Later on, after I beat the Light of Ruin, I asked him about it." Juudai remembered. "Only he didn't know anything about my soulmate or where they could be or anything. So – I don't know. The Neo-Spacians don't know either. No one I know does."
Johan nodded slowly. He rested a comforting hand on Juudai's shoulder. "You'll find them. Or maybe they'll find you." He started to stand up. "But you know, I think it's about breakfast time, isn't it?"
Juudai's stomach chose that moment to roar at him, reminding him that soulmate or no soulmate, he needed to eat, and it would be such a shame to miss Tome-san's cooking because he moped around. He shook off the brief sad mood and bounced to his feet.
"You're right! Hey, race you to the cafeteria!"
"That's just going to get you even hungrier!" But at the same moment Johan suited action to words and the two of them hurried back along the barely visible trail.
In the depths of the shadows, an awareness watched, barely more than the flicker of an eye and the wrath of a demon.
Thief. Thief. Thief.
How dare this thief, this mongrel, this foul creature dare to so much as speak to their Juudai? How did he dare to steal Yubel's own form from the past and pass himself off as a friend?
If Yubel had more than one claw, they would have used them to shred Johan in that moment. But they swore, this state of affairs would not last forever. Juudai would be theirs again and Johan would be nothing but a bad memory.
Yubel. It was Yubel.
Juudai slammed his fists harder and harder into the pillow, a choked off sob tearing out of his lips, tears staining his cheeks and spilling down to the blankets.
Yubel. Yubel.
That meant all of this – everything that happened in that other world, the fact that Johan could very well be – that he might be -
Juudai didn't want to think the word. If he thought it, then it could become real and if it were real then it couldn't ever be taken back. No way to make it better. No way to get him back.
Dead was dead. Dead never changed. Dead meant you never saw them again.
Slowly he rubbed at his eyes. He wanted to think about this. He wanted to figure out an answer, but nothing appeared that wasn't smoke and shadows.
He'd infuriated Yubel. He'd sent them away – he'd had a reason for it, hadn't he? He thought he did. Those memories remained vague and hazy but he thought that was true. He'd done it for a reason and it seemed like a good one at the time.
Only now Yubel utterly hated him because of what he'd done and not only hurt everyone that he cared about now but Johan as well. Johan, his new best friend, almost as close to him as his soulmate.
That point did shine above the others as well. Yubel wasn't just an old friend, the spirit from his childhood that he'd forgotten for whatever reasons.
Yubel was his soulmate. The one that he'd forgotten and missed without even being aware of it. The one that the Light taunted him with, teased that it watched over for so long.
Was that why Yubel hated him? Was it because of whatever reason he'd sent them into space? Or was it because of the Light?
Juudai rubbed his forehead and the back of his head, straining to remember what had happened so long ago. Try as he might, nothing wanted to come clear. He could recall vague images of sketching the Neo-Spacians, the sort of thing he'd remembered from the moment when he'd met them again, with the added feeling of Yubel's presence there. He'd drawn them when Yubel was there, watching over him. He knew that for certain.
But why? Why was all of this happening? Why did Yubel hate him so much? They hadn't always. Juudai knew that as well as he knew anything else. The mark on his arm confirmed it – the chains denoting that they loved one another, deeply and truly. But try as hard as he could, he didn't remember enough to know what it felt like to love Yubel.
Oh, but he wanted to. He wanted to remember whatever times they had together, to remember what it was like to gaze into those eyes and love. He wanted to remember so much and nothing, nothing refused to come.
Undying rage bubbled in the deepest depths of his heart. He couldn't feel the Light's touch on this but what else would want to keep them apart? What else even could keep them apart?
No one. No one else. This was all the fault of the Light of Ruin and whatever else happened, he would find a way to save Johan from Yubel and Yubel from it.
No. Matter. What.
Yubel paid little attention to anything else but the captive that they'd taken. Johan lay slumped against the wall, eyes following them as they prowled, fingers knotted against his palms, breath coming in faint gasps as he tried to recover.
He could if he wanted to. Yubel wasn't going to let him go anywhere. He didn't deserve freedom. He deserved only pain and suffering – but not the kind of pain and suffering that meant Juudai's sweet, unending love. No. While what Yubel inflicted on him would mean their love for Juudai, showing what lessons they'd learned from him, what it would mean for this horrid thief would be something far worse.
"Who are you, really? What do you want?" Johan finally snapped. Yubel knew how alone and afraid he must be. They'd taken his deck before he woke up and hidden it where he could never find it. Whatever bonds he had to those spirits would do him no good here. Here only Yubel ruled. Here only Yubel's words mattered.
"What I've always wanted. What is mine and has been mine and will always be mine, as I am his."
Johan tensed, fingers tightening even more. Yubel savored the fear in his eyes. So delicious. They wanted more. So much more.
"Juudai. You're talking about Juudai."
"Of course I am, thief." Yubel circled, leaning in closer. They quite enjoyed having their body rebuilt. Johan had contributed far more to that than once Yubel thought he might. His intentions to help Juudai only made Yubel's return that much sooner. "Juudai is my soulmate."
Yubel extended their left arm, the mark showing clean and clear even against their dragon's skin. Perhaps, they thought, that mark was why the largest part of their destroyed form left was that particular arm. They didn't know but such a thought pleased them greatly.
Johan's gaze dropped to the mark then back up to Yubel. "Why doesn't Juudai remember you, then?"
"Because he doesn't want to! He threw me away and refused to even think about me again!" Yubel all but shrieked in their rage, claws scraping so close to Johan's skin that a pale line of red followed their touch.
Then they pulled back. Juudai would come. Juudai thought that he loved this filthy thief. Juudai would come, either to avenge this or to get his thief back, and then Juudai would be theirs and all the rest of creation could burn forever for all that Yubel cared.
"You're wrong." Johan murmured, raising one hand to touch where Yubel's claws skittered. "He's been worried about you – he told me. He doesn't remember you but he knows that he's forgotten and he doesn't want to. I swear it." He rested his right hand over his left arm, where his own counter ticked. Yubel had seen it before. They'd checked when taking him, to reassure themselves that fate hadn't somehow tried to play a cruel trick on them all, binding Juudai to another while they still existed and still sought to win him back.
But no. The thief's counter unwound itself as any other would and Yubel knew that Juudai and he had spoken and touched one another before. If he were in any way a soulmate to Juudai, then the counter would have reacted.
Yubel wondered if his counter would react if they tore his throat out. The existence of the counter could mean that he lived through all of this and made it to whatever that future meeting was. But Yubel found themselves quite tempted to find out otherwise.
"Keep your lies to yourself, thief. I know the truth. Juudai can only love me. Whatever he feels for you or anyone else is purest falsehood. I have the evidence – as does he." Yubel rested both claws on the thief's shoulders and leaned forward, gazing into his mind with their own. "And you'll not confuse him with your foolishness."
Johan looked as if he were about to say something else but Yubel refused to listen. Soon Juudai would come searching and Yubel intended to be ready.
"Do you think he has one?"
"Of course he doesn't. This is Haou-sama. He doesn't need a soulmate." Guardian Baou slammed his tankard down on the table and gestured for a refill. He cast a brief glance toward the door to make certain that Haou-sama wasn't there before he kept on talking. "Even if he did, could you imagine what they would be like?"
Chaos Sorcerer sipped at his goblet with a trifle more refinement than Baou did. His cup contained some of the finest wine available, compared to Baou's preference for well-made beer. "A demon, most certainly. One far more loyal to him than anyone else." Something touched his lips that wasn't a proper smile. "You have noticed, I'm sure, of what he does to traitors."
All five of them shuddered at that. Skull Bishop leaned forward. "Did you hear what happened to Angmar last week?"
The other four tilted closer, eagerness for gossip and tales of what their relentless liege could perform bright in their eyes. Skull Bishop took a long drink of his own before he answered.
"Angmar saw him without his armor. I think Haou-sama does have a soulmate mark of some kind. I wasn't close enough to hear what he said, but Angmar did say something about it." Skull Bishop shook his head slowly. "I think Angmar wanted a promotion. He – he challenged Haou-sama."
The collective shudders resembled more the reaction if a blast of ice wind swept throughout the room. Skilled Black Magician and Skilled White Magician exchanged a single glance before the dark-robed twin spoke.
"How long did it take Haou-sama to end him?"
Skull Bishop sampled his drink carefully before he answered, clearly enjoying having all of this attention on him. Then he said two words.
"One turn."
Again they stared in surprise, and a few moments of envy that Skull Bishop managed to be close enough to even learn that much. Chaos Sorcerer considered for a few heartbeats.
"What happened?"
"All I know is that Haou-sama allowed him the first turn," Skull Bishop revealed. "And on his first turn, Haou-sama finished him completely. I wish I could have seen more of it."
They all did. Such a sight would have been impressive beyond all words. Haou-sama's dueling could only be described as amazing and whatever else the five of them were, they were duelists.
Guardian Baou sampled his drink again. So Haou-sama did have a soulmate. Exactly who this might be, none of them had the faintest idea of. At least not that they'd indicated to him. He wondered if it would be possible to catch sight of the mark and see if that would reveal anything.
Best not to make the attempt. Haou-sama will let us know if we need to know.
Armored footsteps echoed and all five of them set their drinks down and drew themselves to their feet, ready and waiting as their lord stepped into the room. None of them had ever seen him without his armor, and Baou's gaze fell briefly towards Haou-sama's left arm. He jerked away as quick as he could, straining not to be detected. His throat dried when Haou-sama stared at him, golden eyes glinting.
But Haou-sama said nothing at all. He strode over to the head of the table and turned his gaze to all of them.
"I'm adding these targets to our list. One is a deck – the user of the deck was killed in Brron's arena. But their duel disk and the deck could still be around and if they are, I want them. The deck itself is known as the Gem Beast deck. If found, bring it to me at once along with anyone who dares to use it."
The five bent their heads in perfect unison. Whatever Haou-sama's reasons for wanting this, he would be obeyed in all things. Chaos Sorcerer dared to speak.
"As you command, my lord. What of the other target?"
Guardian Baou thought that perhaps Haou-sama hesitated. But if he did, it was only for a few scant breaths, not even time enough to comment upon.
"A being known as Yubel. They are taller than any of you, with great wings – a demon and a dragon made into one. Their hair is two toned and they have three eyes." Another few moments, this time far more noticeable. Then, Haou-sama removed the armor from his left arm and turned it so everyone there could see the mark upon his wrist.
Guardian Baou did not attempt to breathe. He only stared at it to memorize it. A mark that he recognized as the symbol of darkness – not the kanji itself but something that he thought he recognized from history lessons he'd once had – combined with a dragon's wing – or perhaps a demon's. The two were bound together by a violet chain, with tiny thorns poking up from it.
"Yubel has the same mark as I do. No one else will have that mark."
Yubel is Haou-sama's soulmate.
Baou wasn't entirely certain of what to think about this. It hadn't been that long ago that he'd doubted if Haou-sama even had a soulmate in the first place. Now the evidence lay before them.
"We'll find them, Haou-sama," Chaos Sorcerer promised. "Both the deck and Yubel-sama."
A wise phrasing, Baou thought, as he added his own voice in agreement. If this Yubel were Haou-sama's soulmate, then they would be at least as powerful as Haou-sama. A few thoughts formed as the group departed, Chaos Sorcerer to lead a division of the army to crush a particular annoying village claimed to be the center of a rebellion, Skull Bishop to contact someone that he swore would be a fine spy, and the magicians twins doing some recruiting.
Guardian Baou himself didn't have anything to do at the moment so he settled himself into his room and considered. He'd never seen anyone like Haou-sama described this Yubel and he suspected that whoever used the Gem Beast deck was responsible for Yubel not being there in the first place.
He didn't stay in his room all that long. He set out to explore several locations where demons and dragons hid themselves. If he found this Yubel, then Haou-sama would be greatly pleased. And perhaps he could even find this mysterious Gem Beast deck.
He'd done it all wrong. He'd tried to find Yubel. He'd given up on Johan even being alive, when the only evidence he had for that was the word of Brron. He'd killed so many people in his search for any sign of Johan's deck, for any sign of Yubel, or for anything that he could do to protect those of his friends who'd still been alive at the time.
Part of him didn't regret it. He'd made so many bad decisions and done so much that he could never make up for, but he wanted to try. But that little spark deep inside didn't regret what he'd done for the sake of his soulmate and his friends.
If Johan had been really dead, if everyone else had been dead, then he would have done it all again. What he regretted was that he'd believed lies.
And now he stared across at Yubel, who raged endlessly because of more mistakes that he'd made. Now memories flickered back into place, slotting into where they belonged. It hadn't been the Light that kept his memories from him – it had been his own parents, trying to take care of him in a mistaken way. He'd sent Yubel away to try to help them, to infuse them with the power of the Gentle Darkness in the hopes this would keep Yubel from hurting others.
With his own power. He knew who he was now. He knew who he'd always been: Haou, the one who carried the power of the Gentle Darkness. How Yubel linked to that he wasn't certain, but he remembered now how his counter expired the moment he'd received Yubel's card.
He fought. He fought with Johan's power added to his own and he fought with the Neo-Spacians at his side and the Elemental Heroes as well.
Rainbow Neos struck against Yubel, finally being able to damage them. Juudai wanted to find a way heal Yubel's Light-tormented mind and he wasn't at all sure if this would work or what else he could do…
Memory flooded him with that single strike, memory that he'd never before imagined. All around him there rose a palace and outside the palace was a city and outside the city was an ocean, the salt thick in the air, and the cries of seagulls sharp in his ears, and he could see Yubel speaking to another, a tall man with a long ponytail of black hair, and a woman with rich dark brown hair and warm eyes.
And he was there as well. Juudai didn't recognize the clothes but he knew himself when he saw himself and there he was, standing next to Yubel, their hands entwined about one another. He moved, without being aware that he moved or how he moved, and when he brushed through himself, even more memory rushed inside.
Kuragari. My kingdom. Our capital: Shadowhaven. And they – they were my parents.
King Aodh. Queen Kaien. Soulmates, just the way that he and Yubel were. He'd met Yubel at his Soulmate Party and they'd saved his life from an attacker. In due time they'd admitted that they did love each other, quite deeply, and Juudai swore that he would love no other, no matter what. Yubel was his soulmate.
Somewhere in his mind, a wall he'd never known existed fell. He could remember. Far more than just what happened between him and Yubel in this life, but what happened between them in the life before as well. Long days when they'd walked together, sometimes in the forests, others by the ocean, in the marketplace. The way that Yubel used to love certain fruits – mostly strawberries – that Yubel couldn't get where they came from, and how he made certain that every year on the anniversary of the day they met, they had strawberries.
Yubel introduced him to fried shrimp. It had always existed, but he'd never bothered eating it until Yubel brought him some, and he'd loved it from that moment onward.
Together, after Yubel healed from their transformation, they'd visited Yubel's old home. Given that Yubel had been a knight there, it was only proper to visit and offer something to make up for Yubel now being his soulmate and future consort. They'd brought along a reasonable chest of treasure and several other knights who wished to take a chance on a new life in a new place.
Bandits attempted to attack on their way. Said bandits learned quickly that not only had Juudai learned well how to use his powers but he'd been taught to fight with sword as well. Not to mention that he and Yubel made quite the deadly team.
So many memories and so many events that reasserted one firm awareness in every part of him, something that he'd looked forward to since he'd begun to remember Yubel in the first place.
Juudai remembered what it felt like to love Yubel. All along he'd wanted to heal Yubel's mind, and now he knew exactly how to do that. They'd never had a full official wedding – they'd pledged to one another, of course, but the Light ended up ruining everything before they could do anything else.
It was time, and past time, to change that.
When his vision cleared, he could see Yubel across from him, head hanging, exhausted, but no more ready to give up than he was. Slowly they stirred, raising their head and staring at him. Juudai could feel the Light's rage flickering there. Did it know that he'd regained his full memories? If it did, Juudai did so hope that it knew that what he was about to do couldn't be stopped.
He'd set one card already, aware that Yubel sought to get Super Fusion into their hand, and wary about what they intended to fuse. His plan at first had been to divert it to fuse to create something he could use to win.
Now he had another idea altogether. Now he chose Super Fusion because he wanted Yubel to have it, because he wanted to choose something other than monsters that he could fuse.
"I activate Super Fusion! Make mine and Yubel's souls one!"
The End
Notes: I never thought I'd end this anywhere else. There will eventually be some fourth season fics set in this world. I'm also fully aware of who Johan's soulmate is and I may well write that one day. I'm also not ruling out the thought of writing out Haou vs Angmar as well.
Also, for any fans of A Greater Demon, I am going to finish it in due course: but I need to rewrite it to ensure that I cover all the territory that I want with it. Since it ended up being a rewrite of the entire Haou arc and probably the rest of season three, lots of space is needed.
In August, look forward to Long Live The King the backstory of Haou Juudai of the reversal world/Haou of Dark Destruction. Sorry, no sex will be involved at all. And no Johan. But lots and lots of death and destruction and Juudai forging his path as a conqueror.
Last but not least, my next finished fic goal is Emotional Damage.