A/N: I might be ruining the tone of Mirrors with this one. I don't know. Sorry if I do. It's not very exciting, but I promise next chapter is when some of the biggest revelations are made, particularly in the way that Haou received a separate body and how come he resided in Dark World and Juudai's mind at the same time. This one is just…a development chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX. If I did…well, chaos would erupt. Maybe it's a good thing I don't own it. -.-

Chapter 10: Transition

Haou lay under Juudai's sheets, the covers pulled far over his head. He knew it was ridiculous to be doing something of the sort but he was so overwhelmed. Nothing seemed to be going right. For the past week, he had been feeling weak and sick, and incredibly tired. Nothing he did seemed to touch it. No amount of sleep seemed to make him feel any better. He had been so drained…almost as though his energy were being depleted every second. And he suspected it had to do with the fact that Juudai was dueling constantly in those dis-duels. Though, it seemed to be more than that.

The other problem he had encountered had to do with the nightmares he could not seem to shake. He had been having nightmares for awhile then, but they had gotten worse. He could actually feel what was happening to him, and when he awoke, he was usually out of breath and in excruciating pain. To make matters worse, ever since his solo encounter with the likeness of Anubis—though he was not sure it was actually the fabled god since it did not seem quite like him—had been returning night after night, haunting him. And each time, the beast injured him in some new way. It was almost as though he were being toyed around with, teased. Sometimes he awoke from the dreams to find that the injuries were real. A few times, he had woken up to find that the sheets were stained with his blood. And it was getting worse.

For these reasons, he had become more reclusive than usual, since he was angry and somewhat embarrassed that it had gotten to the point that these things were happening to him. He did spend a lot of time in the library, trying to research it, and trying to figure out a way to put an end to it. Normally, his own strength would suffice. But since Juudai had been dueling so much and causing him to be weakened in every state possible, he was not nearly so capable of defending himself or blocking the attacker out of his mind. And the entity could sense it. It was a predator, lurking in the shadows around him, waiting for the opportune moment so it could feast on his festering soul. And it was all he could do to keep from barging in on Juudai's mind and seizing some of his energy to make up for his own weakness. That would have been foolish. The beast was probably waiting for him to make that move, so he could take the both of them down in one clean swoop. After all, it would expend energy to derive the energy from Juudai and that would only make matters worse for the both of them. No, there had to be some other solution.

It was not as though he could very well tell Juudai to stop dueling either. For one thing, he would have to tell him why. For another thing, Juudai would probably not listen to him if he did not explain why. Not to mention he actually wanted Juudai to duel. Not because it was hurting him, per se. But because he wanted the brunet to hone his skills to the maximum, so he could utilize him in the future. The road to that goal, though, was miserable.

As of the moment, he felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him, and the stone of his deathbelt glowed orange. He stared down at the hated object with spiteful eyes, before banging it against the headboard in desperation. That accursed object was the cause of all his troubles, it seemed! He tugged at it, sawed at it with a knife, picked the fastening—anything and everything he could do to get it off. In the end, he flopped back down to the bed, panting and resigned. Well, one of those days he would find a way to get it off. It just was not going to be very easy.

Closing his eyes, he tried to fight off his lethargic state so that he might be able to at least go to the library to get some more research done. However, he was far too tired. All he wanted to do was lie on that bed and sleep…sleep for all eternity. Perhaps he just might have done that if he had not heard the faintest scraping against the window, followed by sound of something hard and dense hitting the glass. There was a bit of a shout from outside.

Weakly, he rolled over onto his side and tried to stand. He managed just because he wanted the noise to stop so badly. It took every last ounce of strength mustered up to open that window. Disgusted with himself, he muttered under his breath before sticking his head out the window.

"Hey, Haou!"

He directed his half-lidded gaze downwards towards the ground. There stood Juudai and Johan, grinning sheepishly up at him. For some odd reason, he was glad to see them. Perhaps it was because he was feeling uncomfortable with his physical state, and, deep inside, he feared he just might die. As if they could do anything to prevent it.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to project his voice to its normal level. He was not very successful, to say the least.

"Um, well, could you let us in? I accidentally locked the door and forgot my key…I just realized it." Juudai replied, laughing a little.

"Why didn't you just knock on the door?" Haou groaned. Great. He was going to have to drag his sorry self over to the door as well. And the worst part was…he really was not sure he could do it.

Juudai and Johan looked at each other as though it were some new concept to them. They both shrugged. "I don't know." They said in unison. Haou got the feeling that they had just always wanted to do something of that sort.

Sighing heavily and clutching the windowsill as another dizzy spell befell him, Haou called down, "Well, come on up then. I'll let you in." Inside though, he was irritated. How dare he suddenly become a servant to them! He was a king; they were supposed to serve him! Yet…that was beside the point. It took too much energy to think anymore, it seemed.

What felt like only seconds later, there was the sound of the knob turning. Haou had barely moved from the window at this point. Slowly, he made his way over to the door before opening it, gritting his teeth and commanding his body to keep moving, to appear normal. Johan and Juudai stepped into the room brushing past him, giving him strange looks as they settled down on the floor.

Haou swallowed hard, knowing he had to try to walk normally. It was so hard…All he wanted to do was collapse to the floor. But he forced himself to take a step back towards his bed, his refuge. He attempted to go at a normal pace, but miserably failed. That was when Juudai became concerned.

Looking sympathetic, the brunet took his arm and helped him over to the bed. It shamed him terribly, and he made sure Juudai knew he was irritated. He could take care of it himself! Had he not been so weak, he would've shoved Juudai away and snapped at him. But he just didn't have the energy…Maybe later he would reprimand him for it. For the time being, he was just glad to collapse back down to the mattress and close his eyes. Drowsiness clouded his thinking; he felt as though he might fall asleep again.

"Haou, are you all right?" Juudai asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and tilting his head to one side, his brow furrowed and his hair flopping in his eyes.

Haou's gaze flickered up in his direction momentarily. He wanted to say something but could not think of how to respond anymore. He could hardly even think of how to think. How could he feel worse so suddenly?

Juudai patted him on the head, brushing a stand of his hair out of his eyes. He had not even noticed it there until Juudai had moved it. "You haven't been yourself…You've been holed up in this room for a whole week. It's not like you to skip classes."

Haou would have mumbled that although classes were important to Juudai, he did not need them anyway, but he was unable to due to his weakness. Besides, he reminded himself, he had to provide an example for Juudai to follow. He might not need that sort of education, but Juudai sure did.

When he did not respond, Juudai shook him a little. "Hey, did you hear me? Are you Ok?" The other was looking extremely concerned by then.

Haou managed a brief nod before letting his head drop back down to the pillow. Inwardly, he cursed. He just might pass out at this rate.

Johan, who had been sitting on the floor and watching the whole time, finally strode over as well, sitting down next to Juudai. The two boys looked down at Haou then at each other. "Should we take him to Ayukawa-sensei?" Johan asked, frowning.

Haou shook his head wildly. He did not want to be touched by that woman again! Neither did he want to be seen by the public in such an unsightly state. It embarrassed him to no end.

"Are you sick?" Juudai prodded, leaning in his face.

Haou shook his head. He was not sure if he should tell Juudai but…he supposed it was better than Juudai thinking that he was naturally weak or sickly. Besides, he did not want this type of thing happening to Juudai. Feebly, he lifted a hand and pointed to the deathbelt, though he was not sure if Juudai would get the message.

Looking confused, Juudai asked, "Is something wrong with your arm?"

Haou shook his head again. This was getting exasperating. And, as much as he did not want to do it while Juudai was conscious, he figured he just might have to communicate to him through their minds. However, he did not have to do it on his own will. It had already happened unconsciously. Juudai's eyes widened in realization and he grabbed Haou's wrist, holding it up for Johan to see.

"I think it's hurting him!"

"What?!" Johan's eyes widened as well. His gaze dropped to his own dealthbelt, then to Juudai's. "You really think that's the cause of it? I find that a little hard to believe…Are you sure he's not just sick?"

Juudai nodded. "I'm pretty sure of it. I mean, who knows what exactly is going on here but…we have to do something for him. Let's try to get it off him."

"Ok," Johan agreed. He went over to the desk and began to dig through a drawer, looking for something he could use to break the band off with. Suddenly, he stopped his searching and turned to face Juudai. "Wait…how do you know that that's the problem exactly?"

At a loss for words, Juudai shrugged. "I just know. He told me."

"But he didn't say anything," Johan remarked, blinking. No, he did not doubt Juudai. He was more or less curious…and confused.

"Johan…you know how you and I just know things about each other?" Juudai asked.

"Um, yes…" Johan replied slowly, not liking where this was headed.

"Well, it's sort of the same way here too," Juudai told him, "only…different. I don't know how to describe it."

Johan shrugged, accepting it. Though, deep inside, it made him worry. He felt as though perhaps this was the sort of connection Juudai could have with just anyone then. What if it was just because Juudai was telepathic or something? No, that could not be it. But what if…He swallowed back the bitter envy and hurt rising in his throat.

Juudai felt Johan's discomfort but wasn't sure what to do. So, he just started to stand as well to help Johan search for a tool, but his eye caught a glimpse of Haou's wrist again. Slowly, he pulled down the sleeve of Haou's jacket. The king sent him a warning glare, but it was ignored.

"Oh…my…."

Juudai stared at the deep gashes in his arm, trailing all the way up to the shoulder. Slowly, he removed Haou's jacket and tossed it aside, before starting to pull his shirt off. Haou curled his upper lip in disdain, but that was ignored as well. Before he could stop Juudai, his shirt had been removed, revealing the various scars and wounds over his body. Some of them were from past wars that had been transferred from his spirit to the new body. But the rest of them were fresh, from the nightly visits from his attacker. Juudai stared at them, his mouth opening and closing.

"What happened to you?" Juudai's dark eyes softened all the more in sympathy.

Haou set his jaw and refused to avert his sharp gaze from Juudai. He really wanted to protect the other from this one truth, if that was the only one he would allow himself to shield Juudai from. Not to mention he was further ashamed for not being able to fight this creature off. However, since the mental connection between them had slowly been re-established, though this time it was consciously, the brief flashes of memory were all it took for Juudai to realize what was going on.

Slowly, the brunet sat down next to Haou again, frowning as he did so. "This is getting weirder and weirder…"

Haou had to silently agree. Although, it was not entirely new to him. Those sorts of demons had always taken a liking to him. Though, he had always been able to ward them off before.

Johan stifled a little gasp at the sight of Haou, as he had just turned back around. "What the…?"

Juudai shook his head. "We've got trouble…again."

"What is it this time?" Johan asked, perching himself on the edge of the desk and looking worried.

There was a brief pause as Juudai thought about it. Haou could sense he was feeling déjà vu, and knew that soon he would have dug up the memory of the battle that had occurred in his own mind. "I think we're dealing with spirits again." The brunet frowned.

"Duel monster spirits?" Johan asked, cocking his head to one side.

"I don't know…" Juudai replied, staring down at his hands, and looking frustrated, "It doesn't feel like duel monster spirits…It feels like something else. But…although I can sense the way they feel I just can't quite put a finger on it…It's almost as though I've seen this somewhere before but I just can't remember."

Johan frowned. "That's strange. I can't feel anything."

"Well, they're not here right now," Juudai told him, "But…they were here before and they…they hurt Haou." He gestured towards the marks and scars. "But…that's not all that hurt him. Something else happened to him…but I just can't get a clear vision of it." He shook his head.

Well, that was a given. Haou was doing his best to block Juudai off from the area of his mind that contained memories from his past. Granted, at the moment he was not as successful as he usually would have been but at least Juudai was not as in touch with that area of Haou's mind since those memories had occurred before Juudai had been born.

He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Juudai tracing a finger along a particularly nasty cut. His entire body tensed. Already, he hated being touched but…to have his wound touched! It made him want to smack the brunet. Instead, all he could do was give the other a dirty look.

"I'm sorry," Juudai apologized when Haou shuddered and glared at him.

Johan pushed between the two to lean over and grab Haou's wrist. The action was so sudden and fast that it caused Haou to tense and prepare to strike back. Had he not been so weak, Johan would have ended up pinned down to the floor. It was purely out of self defense. Haou never knew when someone was going to attack him and the move had seemed threatening, in his opinion. But no, all Johan was doing was chipping away at the metal with a screwdriver, trying to wedge it in the fastening. Though, his eyes were flashing. It dawned on Haou that he had purposely chosen that moment; he had wanted to put himself between Haou and Juudai because he was jealous and could not help but react. Though, it was apparent he was trying to hide it. Could it be that he sensed…? Haou quickly reprimanded himself as the thought resurfaced to his mind.

Although Juudai did not completely comprehend the action, it did take him by surprise. He blinked, staring at Johan. It was rather unlike him to react so strongly. Perhaps he did sense what was ultimately going on, even more so than Haou or Juudai did. "Johan…"

Immediately, the teal-haired boy composed himself. He sat up straight and smiled, no trace of envy left burning in his mint-green eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just trying to get this off…" He looked down at the screwdriver, his face turning a bit pink from embarrassment.

Although it was obvious how Johan had felt about the situation, Juudai let it go all the same. He patted the European on the shoulder reassuringly, and then tried to help get the deathbelt off of Haou's wrist. They worked at it for fifteen minutes, doing everything in their power to get it off. It was all to no avail.

Panting from the effort, Johan and Juudai lay back, trying to think of some way that they could get the band off. It almost seemed as though it was permanent. This possibility was grim. Perhaps a bit more research would have to do…

"Let's worry about this later," Juudai sighed, groaning, "Until we know more about these, I don't think we can pry it off…But we'll figure it out."

"And it doesn't seem to be hurting him now," Johan pointed out, watching Haou carefully, "I mean, it isn't hurting us either…"

He glanced down at the deathbelt latched around his own wrist in confusion. It was baffling how the object could cause Haou such obvious pain. Was there something he was reacting to that they were unaware of? For the time being, they would just have to forget about it. Obviously, they were unaware of the power it possessed.

By then, Haou had strangely recovered enough energy to prop himself up on his elbow and look at the two. He felt his energy slowly being restored to him, though he knew he would not be up to his full strength anytime soon. At least he was feeling a little better. And he figured it had to do with Juudai's presence. Since they were around each other, their bond was stronger and, therefore, their strength seemed to double. He took a few deep breaths, which enabled him to at least speak again. "You have to duel."

"Huh?" Juudai raised an eyebrow and looked perplexed. "You want to duel?"

"No," Haou replied, his voice shaking despite himself, "You have to duel for…this to hurt."

Juudai stared at him. "Are you serious?!"

Haou nodded. "I can't really explain how that works…" He grimaced. Truthfully, he was just as confused as they were.

Juudai and Johan exchanged a glance. Then, Johan asked, "Are you sure that's how it works? It just doesn't make any sense." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Well," Juudai interrupted, leaning forward a bit, "A few minutes ago, I just dueled some guy and I feel just fine. It can't be that…"

Looking back over at Haou, Johan affirmed, "Yes, that's true! And Juudai's been dueling a LOT lately."

Haou sighed. Really, he did not feel like going into detail about it. Especially when he knew so little about the matter. Perhaps he would return to the subject once he had read up on it more. Honestly, he was sorry he had brought it up at all.

"Is that why you've been so depressed?" Juudai asked suddenly, looking sorrowful, "Because you've been feeling so sick?" He regarded Haou with a concerned gaze.

This caught Haou's attention. His head snapped up and he stared at Juudai. "Depressed?"

Juudai nodded. "Yeah…All you do is sit around in the library all day. And you never smile or look even semi-agreeable. It really worries me because…well…I don't know. I mean you never really look happy. Maybe it's because you're oozing with unhappiness…I can just feel it." He shrugged and paused before continuing. "And it's really bothered me because you've seemed anxious and something's really weighing down on your mind. Can we help?"

"I'm fine," Haou grumbled, irritated at the thought of asking anyone for help. No, he would be just fine on his own. He always had, always would…Right?

"It is true," Johan remarked, looking concerned as well, "You never seem to have any joy in anything. You seem to constantly be angry. There must be something you like to do."

Haou grimaced and muttered under his breath. However, he refused to reply directly to this statement. Instead, he gazed coldly from one to the other, pushing back the interminable ache that rose from within him, the ache of longing. Ever since he had become a part of Juudai's soul, he had been reintroduced to human emotion at its purest state. And he had been reminded what companionship was like, if only from Juudai's perspective. And then…He wanted…he wanted…

No. He would not allow himself to think such things. He denied himself the privilege, and pushed back the tiny flicker of humanity that was igniting within him. He had long gotten rid of that…hadn't he? So why had it returned? Why was it plaguing him then of all times? Even worse, Juudai was giving him that look. The look that meant he could see right through him as though his skin and soul were transparent. Haou had never felt so uncomfortable in the presence of another in his life. No one had been able to sense his emotions, even the slightest bit. So what made Juudai capable of such a feat? Could it be that he possessed the same unique abilities as Haou? True, he was perceptive, more so than people gave him credit for, but he was not really that perceptive…Though, then again, people could change. And he and Juudai had a connection unlike anything else on the earth; it was, indeed, stronger and deeper than anyone else's.

To his utter surprise, and dismay, Juudai seized him by the hand and pulled him to his feet. His initial reaction was to tense and try to jerk away, but Juudai was determined. He dragged the king towards the door. Quickly, Johan jumped to his feet and followed them, almost like a forlorn puppy would follow its master. He was obviously feeling left out. Something was…different then. And Johan could sense it.

Looking helpless, he asked sheepishly, almost as though he were for once afraid of asking, "Can I come? Or do you want to be alone?"

Juudai glanced over at Haou. Well, he was going to come anyway, so Haou only sighed raggedly and refused to respond. Juudai smiled warmly and nodded, remaining as open and friendly as ever. But there was an underlying amount of tension that nagged at him; Haou could feel it. Something was bothering Juudai, but he was mostly unaware of it and mostly uncertain of what it was or how to cope with it. Haou was not much better with these sorts of things either, so he was puzzled as well. Time would tell, he supposed.

"Where are we going?" Johan asked, snapping Haou from his thoughts.

Juudai smiled brightly, leading Haou and Johan down the steps of the Osiris dorm. "Oh, you'll see," He promised, "And once we get there, be sure to wait, Ok? Because I have to get some things."

Haou sighed inwardly at this. There was no telling what Juudai had planned. Already, he had a hunch that Juudai was scheming something ridiculous, to try to make the day more tolerable for him. Well, he would go along with it. Only because he had nothing better to do, and he might as well get Juudai to trust him a little more. Even by that point, he could tell that the brunet had warmed up considerably towards him. He wanted to be a close friend of Haou's, there was no doubt about it. Question was…would Haou be able to condone such a thing? He was already fonder of the other than he would have liked. It was getting to the point where he found it dangerous to his goal. Though, to others it might not have seemed like much of anything, to Haou it was a lot.

The trio walked down the well-worn path silently for awhile, each to his own thoughts. The day was relatively pleasant. The sun felt warm on Haou's face, the wind was down to a minimum. Only then and again did it blow, rustling the leaves of the trees so they whispered musically. Taking a deep breath of the fresh autumn air, Haou let it out slowly, trying to get himself to relax a little. It had been so long since he had left the dorm room, since he had felt somewhat decent. And to think, only moments ago he had felt weaker than he ever had in his life! It was inexplicable, the effect that Juudai had on people, especially him. Even if they were the same person, Haou still found it hard to believe that such a feat could be accomplished.

How could Juudai make him feel so much better? This question had been running over and over in his mind for quite some time then. It seemed that whenever he was feeling very bitter or melancholy, the brunet would sense it and pop up out of nowhere to magically wave it away. It made no sense to Haou. The only thing he could think of was that perhaps Juudai had some sort of power not unlike his own, only his were to be used for different purposes. Naturally, he was still finding the concept of companionship without strings attached difficult to grasp.

By then, Juudai had taken Johan and Haou off the path a ways. Carefully, he navigated his way around trees and bushes before stopping. He turned back around to the others and grinned widely, gesturing towards the spot. "Well, I don't usually like to share my spot so, you guys should be honored," He teased.

Johan shook his head. "You always share it with me, though."

"Yeah, but you know I'm particular about it," Juudai insisted, his eyes twinkling mischievously, "Anyway, I'll be right back, so don't go too far, Ok?"

He turned then stopped, and grabbed Johan's arm. Johan looked confused until Juudai pulled him closer and whispered something in his ear, grinning to the point that Haou though his face would crack. He watched the two carefully, not even bothering to eavesdrop on their short conversation. He had a feeling he was going to find out soon enough, though he really was not all that interested, to be honest. All the same, he supposed it was going to happen regardless of what he thought, judging by the looks on their faces and their excited whispering.

After a moment, Juudai hurried off, leaving Haou with Johan. The two stood in awkward silence. Haou made no effort to start a conversation or even so much as look at the teal-haired boy. However, Johan was determined to achieve some sort of ridiculous goal that he and Juudai had concocted, and he was not one to give up.

"Um, hey, Haou?"

Haou's gaze slid in the other's direction. He grimaced as he answered. "What do you want?"

"Maybe we should go, uh, over there." Johan suggested weakly.

Sensing that Juudai and Johan were up to something—more specifically, something he would not be comfortable with—Haou was naturally reluctant to do so. He stood firmly rooted to the ground, staring unblinkingly at the other. "Why?"

"Because there's something that I want to show you," Johan quickly improvised, grinning wanly.

Haou would have resisted, but Johan did not give him the chance. He seized Haou by the hand and tugged, urging him to follow. Since he was being dragged anyway and really did not have a choice, and since it seemed relatively harmless, he caved and followed Johan, making a point to jerk his hand away from the other's. No one could touch him unless he deemed that person worthy.

They walked for some way, by the uneven cliff side. Johan chattered away to him, attempting to start a conversation. However, Haou was by nature a reserved individual, and did not believe in speaking more words than necessary to answer. In effect, he became quite the conversation killer.

"So, it's a nice day, huh?" Johan prompted, "I really like weather like this. It's not too hot and not too chilly. It's…refreshing. Don't you think?"

"I suppose," Haou replied simply, shrugging slightly. It did not matter to him what the weather was like. All the same, he was polite about it due to his upbringing.

"Hey, do you like it here at Duel Academia?" Johan suddenly asked, stopping and turning to face the other.

Haou thought for a moment, then replied, "It could be better. The academics are severely lacking. And a lot of the students have little potential. But it is pleasant enough."

"Ok…" Johan was clearly thrown off by his response. He had not been expecting that. He seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments, then asked another question, much to Haou's dismay. "Say, why do you and Juudai have such similar decks, anyway? Coincidence?" It could be a coincidence, obviously. After all, Edo had at first played Elemental Heroes. However, it was how each duelist played them that set them apart from the rest. And Johan acknowledged that deep down inside. Yes, they had similar decks. But not the same. They did not play exactly the same.

Haou surveyed Johan's curious expression for a moment, then sighed. "It's not a coincidence. I'm not sure how to explain it to you, but I don't really want to either. Let's just say that what Juudai said before about us sharing a bond was true." He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked on, leaving Johan to stand there pondering his words.

"Wait!" Johan called, hurrying to catch up to him, "I really don't understand. Are you saying that you share a connection that deep with him? Even deeper beyond his connection with…"

Haou cut him off before he could pick up where he had left off. "Of course. You could never fathom it."

"But…why? How?" Johan seemed frustrated. "Juudai and I are really close…You haven't know him for too long. How could…?"

"Like I said, you could never understand," Haou reiterated, "Besides, what you just said is completely incorrect. I have known Juudai far longer than you have. And that's not the point, since you and Juudai developed a bond right away as well. But once again, you could never understand. Let's just leave it at that because I am not going to further this discussion."

Seeing that Haou seemed irritated, Johan backed off on the topic, though he did look taken aback. How had Haou known about first encounter and their immediate connection? If he knew that, what else did he know? Quickly, he shook the question from his mind, though it still made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and chills run down his spine. Haou was…an intriguing individual, to say the least.

They continued the walk for several minutes, until Johan suddenly turned around, muttering for Haou to come along. Wordlessly, Haou followed, figuring that he was about to find out what was going on. Needless to say, he was a bit surprised, and a bit dismayed, at what they came back to.

Juudai was sitting on a blanket that was spread out across the grass and in the shade of a tree, a big grin plastered on his face. He had his legs crossed and a basket between them. Raising a hand in greeting, he called out to them. "Hey!"

Johan sat down next to Juudai, and looked up at Haou expectantly, the same huge grin illuminating his features as well. "Juudai, this is such a surprise!" He said this not too convincingly. It was obvious it had been staged. For what reason, Haou was not sure yet.

"Haou, come on, sit down!" Juudai insisted, gesturing to a spot across from him.

Haou blinked and stared blankly at the two, who were still smiling up at him to the point that their faces looked like they would break. "What is this?"

"A picnic," Johan and Juudai said in unison, looking puzzled.

"For what reason, exactly?" Haou queried.

Johan and Juudai exchanged a glance before Juudai replied. "Because you're miserable and we want to cheer you up. Food always makes everything better!"

Johan nodded in agreement. "Mmhm!"

Haou stared down at them. No hint of emotion, or any sort of reaction for that matter, showed on his face. Since he did not make any move on his own, Juudai took it upon himself to "help" him sit down.

"Come on!" He prodded, seizing Haou's hand and dragging him to the blanket.

Haou sent him a look for that, but did not say anything. Juudai only laughed at his angry expression, as though it did not faze him at all. This irritated the king, but he could do nothing.

Juudai reached into the basket and produced a box lunch, which he held out to Haou. Haou stared at it for a moment before reluctantly accepting it. Juudai beamed before reaching in and pulling out one for Johan as well. Then, he took out his. "I hope you guys like it. It's Tome's special box lunch. It's one of my favorites."

"Juudai," Johan laughed, lifting the top off and reaching for the chopsticks, "Everything edible is your favorite."

"But especially fried shrimp!" Juudai proclaimed, holding out the succulent tempura in his chopsticks.

"What about you, Haou?" Johan asked, somewhat teasingly, "Do you like fried shrimp too?"

Haou refused to respond for a moment. He was too busy examining the contents of the box. He supposed it was not that bad of a lunch. It would suffice. Besides, he had been weak and did need to get his strength back up. And it seemed like it would do him good as far as boosting his energy was concerned. Carefully, he lifted some of the contents in his chopsticks and to his mouth. Before he bit into it though, he finally replied to Johan's question. "Food is food."

"Do you mean that in a generic sense, or a Juudai sense?" Johan asked, trying to suppress the smirk.

"The generic," Haou responded, finally taking the shrimp in his mouth and chewing slowly and thoughtfully.

"Isn't it great?" Juudai asked, grinning, "And that's why it was so much trouble to get it. But I did, just for you guys!"

"I appreciate it," Johan told him, "Thanks!"

"No problem!" Juudai responded, grinning again.

Haou gave his gratitude as well, just to be polite. Besides, it was not bad or anything. He was just used to delicate, gourmet food and this…was not quite it. Still, it was rather filling and satisfying, and Juudai had gone to the trouble of obtaining it, so…

"Perhaps food was all you needed," Juudai continued, nodding, "I mean, after all, you hardly ate anything when you were stuck in that room. And that was over the course of several days. Does it make you feel better?"

"I suppose," Haou replied, closing his eyes. He could not help but feel his spirits lift quite uncharacteristically. It was probably because Juudai's cheerful demeanor was enough to warm the coldest heart.

"So," Juudai said, talking around the food in his mouth, "since you've been so down lately, Johan and I are going to take you around the island today to try to make you feel better. We're going to have a lot of fun, and we can even duel a few times if you want!"

Honestly, Haou was annoyed at how much in denial Juudai was. He just did not seem to understand that dueling was what was going to hurt them if they kept it up. So, he just declined. This seemed to take Juudai aback.

"But," He protested, looking confused, "Don't you like it?"

Johan elbowed him and whispered in his ear, "Remember, he's convinced that it's hurting him. He's not willing to admit that maybe he's sick."

"Oh, right," Juudai said quickly, grinning sheepishly, "Ok, never mind. I guess you don't feel up to dueling then. But we're still going to have fun."

Haou was not so sure.

They finished their lunches, then sat on the blanket, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the leaves and warming them, as well as the fresh ocean breeze that played with their hair. Haou was feeling rather sleepy after having eaten so much. He leaned back on his elbows and closed his eyes, listening to the quiet peacefulness of nature. It was rather pleasant, he decided. Especially when one felt so lazy. That world was not so bad. It was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy something once in awhile. He had really missed out on that in Dark World. And it was nice to be able to close his eyes and use his other senses to perceive the day. He could smell the salty air and the fresh grass, and he could hear the leaves rustling as the wind blew softly, whispering lullabies. The blanket felt so soft and lovely beneath him, as well as the blades of grass that poked from underneath. And the warmth of the sun combined with the cool of the shade only added to the experience. It was moments like this that he felt the need to cherish, for he knew that they would seldom come again.

"Want dessert?" Juudai asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Haou's eyes slid open halfway, his golden gaze appearing dazed and drowsy. He would have said no, that he was too full, but Juudai imposed the parfait on him all the same. Finally, he took it and ate it slowly, savoring the taste. When had it last been that he had enjoyed dining so much? He could hardly remember. Perhaps it was being with Juudai that made it so much better.

Quickly, he shook the thought from his mind, a bit embarrassed and shocked at himself. He glanced over at the brunet, almost as if trying to make sure that he was unaware of the fleeting thought. Well, at least he was on the surface. But Haou knew that at the rate things were going, he would no longer be able to hide his deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings. Even then, that sort of surprised him. No one had ever been able to sense him so deeply. Of course, then too, it had been awhile since he had actually had feelings, it seemed. Not to say that he went through life completely numb. It was hard to describe it, really.

Juudai noticed Haou looking his way and glanced up at well, meeting his amber gaze with his own chocolate one. Their eyes locked only for a brief moment, but it was enough to make the desire grow stronger. Haou wanted to be close to him. He was not sure how close he wanted to be, nor was he sure of the ultimate intentions behind it but…Something about Juudai made him ache. It was a feeling that had lingered in the background for awhile, then, but it increased tenfold when he looked into the brunet's eyes. Or when he saw Juudai interacting with his other friends. He could not help but gravitate towards Juudai, since the other was so friendly and outgoing and pleasant to be around, no matter how annoying he seemed at first impression. It was then that he realized…he wanted to be Juudai's friend. It bothered him when he thought about it. It bothered him a lot. But he wanted it badly. He had tried to resist but…it had finally come to the surface.

Feeling cranky again, he dropped his gaze back down to the half-eaten parfait. He hardly noticed, due to his gloomy state, Juudai inching closer to him, until the brunet was practically breathing down his neck. Haou glanced up as Juudai reached out, arching an eyebrow. What was the boy doing? He watched as Juudai took his wooden paddle and dipped it in his parfait, before innocently taking a bite. Haou stared down at him, utterly shocked. What sort of manners were those?

Juudai hardly noticed Haou's disapproving scowl. He licked the remnant off the paddle then put it aside with his own empty glass, smiling contentedly as he leaned back against Johan, who looked equally mortified. Haou was not the type to mess around with like that, and Johan knew it. Juudai, however, seemed oblivious to this.

Staring back down at his glass, Haou wondered why Juudai had felt the need to do such a thing. He had to remind himself that Juudai was a little bit of a glutton, and had probably just not gotten enough to satisfy himself. And he probably had noticed that Haou was half-heartedly eating it and decided to help him out. Oh, well. It could not be helped. All Haou did was mildly scold him for having such poor manners. In response, Juudai grinned impishly at him and stuck out his tongue. Johan looked on with an air of disappointment.

Before Haou could open his mouth again, Johan stood, pulling Juudai with him. "Maybe we should be heading back to the dorm for awhile…"

"Aw, but it's so pleasant out here!" Juudai protested.

"Yeah, but, Haou probably needs to rest. Isn't that right?" Johan glanced over at Haou nervously.

Haou looked from Juudai to Johan. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, don't worry so much," Juudai added. He turned away from Johan to look at Haou. "So, are you up to going to the beach with us? I mean, it's not like we're going to get in the water or anything."

Haou would have said no, but Juudai would not take that for an answer. Before Haou could refuse, he grabbed the other's hand and started to drag him off. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

Wondering to himself what Juudai could possibly find to do, Haou begrudgingly followed. Johan, as well, tagged along behind them, somewhat reluctantly. Haou supposed it was because he was not sure how to assess the situation, and needed time to think about it. Their eyes met after a bit, and it seemed as though all was revealed between the two. Yes, they would be civil—at least Johan would. And yes, they would hang around each other. But it seemed from that point onward they were rivals for Juudai's attention. Affections? Not so much. At least, not in Haou's opinion. Perhaps Johan viewed it differently. Whatever the case, neither was pleased with the other's position.

Johan's emerald gaze flickered momentarily down to Juudai's hand, which still firmly clasped Haou's. The king had thought nothing of it because that was just the way Juudai was, overeager and unafraid of physical contact. But when he saw the manner in which Johan regarded the action, he began to second guess Juudai's original intent, though he refused to encroach on the other's mind to read his thoughts on the matter. If Juudai really had those intentions, if he really felt that way, he would have said something. All the same, he kept his mouth shut. Only time would tell what Juudai truly meant by constantly seizing his hand. Hopefully, he was not trying to dominate him. Haou truly doubted this, and he truly doubted that Juudai meant anything by it either. Juudai may have been a prodigy, so to speak, but he was clueless when it came to these sorts of things. Haou was not much different, though he did possess basic knowledge of the matter.

They ended up having a good time nonetheless. Johan forgot about their dilemma, for the time being. Haou did not want to admit it, but he actually did enjoy the afternoon, as well as watching Juudai and Johan bury each other in the sand. By the time it was twilight, they had cleaned up and had eaten dinner, and were back in Juudai's dorm room, scheming again. Haou watched at they whispered to each other excitedly, wondering what more they could possibly have in mind for him.

All of the sudden, they seized his arms and dragged him out the door into the cool night air, grinning. They took Haou across the campus towards the main building, which had him even more confused. Were they planning on taking him to the dueling arena for a duel? He really hoped not. Then was not the time. But no, once inside the school, they went up the stairs, and several flights of them at that. They came to a landing and an opening in the ceiling, which Juudai shoved until it came off, revealing scattered jewels across an expanse of black. Stepping up into the darkness, Juudai reached out his hands and pulled Haou and Johan up on the roof with him. Haou blinked and looked around, then frowned.

"You're not supposed to be up here."

"Who cares?" Juudai said, outstretching his arms, "Life is short."

"Aw, come on. Don't be a stick in the mud," Johan prodded, poking Haou's arm and smiling, "It's really beautiful tonight. You should just relax and take it all in."

"Yeah," Juudai agreed, "Let's just look at the stars and see if we can make duel monsters out of them!"

Haou inwardly groaned, but they were persistent. Juudai and Johan each grabbed one of his arms and flopped down to the rooftop with him, lying on their backs with Haou between them. Haou frowned and tried to resist, but they kept finding a way to convince him, it seemed. Really, he was going to end up doing the stupidest things at this rate. Maybe if he had not felt so comfortable with them…Maybe if they had let him continue on his self-destructive path…That was not to say that he changed, though. He still planned on sticking to his goals. And he was not going to let them "manipulate" him forever. It was only that he was in a rather pleasant mood—at least as pleasant as he could be—and felt the need to get something out of the life that had been restored to him. After all, having wandered the lonely earth as a spirit for so long had stripped him of all humanity and all emotions. Juudai gave him a slight sense of renewal, though he figured he would never regain that which he had lost. It had not been entirely involuntary. He had paid the price for his power. For everything that was gained, something was lost.

Juudai shivered a bit and moved closer to Haou, causing the latter to stiffen. Johan as well curled up against the king. Although Haou knew that it was because Johan was just a very touchy person, that did not mean he entirely liked it. He was not used to be touched at all, not to mention being coddled. It made him feel…strange. He was not sure he liked it. Being so close to another human…it filled him with a sense of discomfort and even dread. It made him just want to push that person away; it almost made him want to cut all contact with that person. He was not sure why. He just had never been a very sociable individual. Most certainly, he was not the type of person to lie so closely to another. He had always been a loner, void of emotion and empathy. But then…

He inwardly shook his head in disbelief over himself. How could Juudai almost change his mind entirely about himself? Perhaps it was because they were the same person, and Juudai was a part of him. He could not help but rub off on the king. That must've been the full extent of it.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Juudai whispered in awe, almost as though a single word would shatter the tranquility.

"Yeah," Johan replied, hugging Haou's arm tighter.

Haou tensed, becoming stiff as a board. The others failed to take notice, too enthralled by the heavens above. They began to amuse themselves by spotting "duel monsters in the stars," as they so childishly put it. Haou tuned them out for a bit, though he did take the time to study the layout of the stars as well. It was rather impressive, he had to admit. In fact, perhaps it was not so uncomfortable after all. If only Johan would not be hanging onto him like that. He knew that the boy meant nothing by it. Still…

All the same, he ended up keeping his mouth shut. Being able to relax was enough. And there was something about the moment that was calming. There was something about being so close to Juudai that made him feel less tense. He supposed it was only natural for him to feel better with his other half nearby. It helped him to regain his strength and energy. He felt as though he could continue his work then, since he had the life force to do so. Perhaps all would be better again. If only there was not the ugly thought lingering in the back of his mind about the spirits that had been plaguing him.

Pushing it from his mind, he spent the rest of the evening until the wee hours of the morning lying on the rooftop between the two, lost in his thoughts. He spent some of the time planning. But most of the time, he thought about how he was going to solve the problem of his energy loss and the beasts invading his and Juudai's mind. Not to mention the thought of if he really wanted to do what he planned. He was not so sure he knew what he wanted anymore. Juudai had placed a certain doubt in his mind. It was inexplicable at the time, but later he would understand. Later he would regret the events that came about in the following weeks. Perhaps he did not know as much as he should have about people. In reality, he had a lot to learn. And little time to do so.

A/N: I'm sorry it was so…ehh. I dunno if you thought it was boring. I know it was repetitive but I could not help it too much. D: I'm sorry I'm teasing you so much. DX It's just I can't get em together all quickly and all. And I hope I didn't screw up Haou's character TOO much. D: Well, um, I'd like to say though…I'm getting a lil bit discouraged about my work since they CHANGED things with the stats..I used to update when I got a certain number of hits but I can't rly tell that too well anymore…And I haven't been getting as much feedback. I'm not saying I won't update without it. I'm just saying it would be really nice if you would review b/c Idk, as far as this story is concerned, if I'm making it boring or if I'm losing your interest or what…Though I will admit I feel as though I don't have enough dialogue in here. But Haou's a quiet person. DX Well, there will be moar dialogue next chapter then. :P