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Of Rain, Destiny and Love
Chapter Thirteen: Why?
By xCharleex
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Jaden Yuki is dead, but Destiny has other plans... Amongst the living once more, can Jaden set things right with his childhood friend Jesse? Or will High School stand in the way of love when even death could not? [JxJ] [Violence, Death, Supernatural Themes, Sex]
Final chapter is here!!!!!! Only a little while after the second-to-last. Sorry about the wait at all…I know it was cruel to end it there…but fear not…just go and read!!! Closing comments at the end :)
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None. Uploaded right after the last :)
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A furiously powerful grip closed around his bicep. Jaden opened his eyes as he continued to swing forwards, the grip on his arm making him circle round and hit the steel support on the front side.
O'Brien pulled him closer and swept a burly arm around his waist in one swift movement. Jaden felt helpless to stop. The angel's touch had given him a surge of hope that seemed to battle with the melancholy and self-loathing that rose against him. It wasn't strong enough to banish the fear—the revulsion of his place in Jesse's life—but in those seconds, it made him just a little bit afraid to die. The waves of depression that had once consumed him, were pushed back just a little further; protecting his heart from being overwhelmed—his heart—the last bastion of his being that ached for life—ached for Jesse…and that faint…almost imperceptible hope…fleeting and futile as it was, that there may still be a flicker of something there…
The brunette was limp in O'Brien's arms. Dutifully unmoving as the muscular angel manoeuvred him to safety, passing him like a rag-doll to Jim, the other angel, on the opposite side of the railings. As Jim too released him, to collapse on the ground, he felt the comforting touch of the angels, and the hope it had brought him, flicker and fade.
Overwhelming despair returned once more, and his heart seemed to be assailed once more by the forces that yearned for his death.
Jim helped his angelic partner return to safety, and then they were both back, supporting Jaden; reinforcing his fading desire to survive…to be alive.
'Stay with us Jaden!' a voice commanded him…it was O'Brien, holding him upright on the left.
'It's her,' a thick accent hissed from the right side, 'she's doing something...'
Jaden was barely capable of processing the words they spoke, though. He felt like an empty shell—a vessel for some great battle that would decide whether he lived or died. And it wasn't looking good for him. But he was curiously detached from it all—an overwhelming melancholy made him indifferent to the idea of death…he would have almost yearned for it, were it not for the touch of the angels at his side, which allied with the desperate wishes of his aching heart. Jesse…
'…stop…' he whispered, as the angels took him further and further from the bridge…his salvation…his end.
Jaden became vaguely aware of a third person around him; Chazz. The angels suddenly halted abruptly, visibly shaking with effort as they tried to resist Jaden's command.
'…let me go…'
What it cost the angels to hold on to their charge, Jaden Yuki would never know. But the torture on their face, the bulging veins in their necks perhaps gave him some inkling…had he been aware of them…for there was only one thing he wanted now. Death, and all the peace it would bring.
'J—Jaden….stop!' Jim begged from his right, 'J—Jesse!' was all he managed to gabble.
That made the brunette stop struggling for a moment. His heart roared its approval as the word 'Jesse' conjured up another image of everything. The rest of his body quaked with revulsion and rejection though—bile rose in his stomach—why was he putting himself through it? Why yearn for what he could never have?
'It—it…was…trick…Jaden!' O'Brien gasped between breaths, still trying to maintain a furious grip on Jaden's arm. The brunette balked and dry-wretched as he heard O'Brien's words. The sudden surge forwards was too much for the angels' combined, weakened grip. Jaden fell forwards onto the pavement, gasping for air between his stomach's determined efforts to empty itself. His sickness a result of Jesse…and the memory of their encounter such a short time ago.
But there was something that had found its way into his mind. And it turned his blood icy with wrath. On the ground, panting with the effort, he gasped his question, knowing the angels were unable to resist, 'what…trick…?'
Jim answered, strained and weakened in an effort to stop himself, his voice sent Jaden's heart racing at a dizzying pace, 'Johan…convinced Jesse to turn you away…so you couldn't interfere…'
'Interfere…with…what?' his quiet, panting voice like thunder to the two angels, they visibly recoiled with the supreme effort of trying to resist. For a few moments, neither gave up the precious information. Every second seemed like a worse agony for them. But Jaden knew agony all too well. He lay crouched on the floor, his head seemingly fixed facing down, his eyes rolled up high in his head so he could see them…his arms weak and heart erratic…bile around his mouth and in his throat, and a deathly cold all around him, pumping through his veins. All the while, haunted by the fiery, imagined touch of Jesse's lips against his pallid cheek.
'TELL ME!' he retched the words as his left arm gave out, driving him to the pavement painfully. He couldn't get up. He lay weakened and failing on the ground, his eyes rolled impossibly high to keep the writhing angels in sight.
O'Brien gave out, 'J…Jes—Jesse is giving himself….up…up—to Yubel…to—to save y…you…'
To Save You.
They echoed in the brunette's mind, reverberated through his failing body, and seemed to spark a fever in him. The cold oppression of his body that yearned for death was cast aside as a new, horrific thought took focus. Jesse was going to die…to save HIM.
Never.
Half-wild, maddened and weakened from his internal struggle and will to die, Jaden had no idea where he found the strength to stand, but stand he did. And each jarring step he took from the weakened angels gave him more strength. Because now there was something to fight for…
Jesse!
'…don't…follow me!' Jaden gabbled back at the angels as he found his rhythm. Stepping once, twice, faster and faster. His shambling hobble became a jog as his stiff limbs, still shaking from the cold inside, carried him closer to his ultimate destination...Jesse's home. That was where he'd left the necklace when he'd returned from Heaven…and the necklace was exactly what he needed right now. It was his one link to Destiny…Yubel…his one chance to make things right.
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Alexis, Aster, Tyranno and Syrus arrived at Heaven Brook Bridge to a scene of disarray. Chazz was half-supporting two burly teenagers, seemingly in deep discussion with them. Alexis stepped out of her car, the others clamouring to follow her Aster from behind her seat. There was a sense of frantic urgency.
'Chazz! What's happening?'
'Where's Jaden?'
'And Jesse!?'
'Who are these two?'
The barrage of questions was endless. Chazz ignored them all and helped O'Brien and Jim to Alexis' car, where they leaned against the body for support.
'Jaden's…gone…' he panted, pointing in a vague direction, opposite to the one they'd driven from, 'ran…to…I dunno where…?'
'Did Jesse come this way?' Aster demanded, his tone businesslike, all the way.
'No? I…I thought he was with you?' Chazz stared pointedly at Alexis, 'I…I told him to come? Jaden was going to—' The black haired teen gulped and waved vaguely at the support where Jaden had threatened to jump from.
Syrus squealed. Tyranno whistled.
'Because of Jesse!?' Alexis whispered.
Aster's mouth set into a hard line, 'Jesse…how could he!?'
The others looked at him. 'When he left Jasmine's…he ran in the opposite direction…like he was heading for the old factory stores…or something…'
O'Brien and Jim exchanged a knowing glance; fleeting and brief…but Alexis caught it.
'What is it? What's there? …and who are you two?'
The angels looked at one another again…hesitation etched across their faces
Aster answered for them, 'they're angels.'
Silence. At first it seemed as though Syrus and Hassleberry were about to burst out laughing…but Alexis and Aster had heard first hand the talk of angels…and Chazz had witnessed the strangeness of these two only moments ago. And when neither O'Brien nor Jim looked the least bit fazed at being proclaimed angels, any potential for humour was sucked dry. Instead, the blue haired boy and the tanned young man's jaws hit the ground.
'An—a…angels!?'
Jim and O'Brien drew themselves up to full height, no longer leaning on the car for support. 'We—we have to get to Jaden...and Jesse...'
'Where have they gone though?' Chazz gasped, 'If Jesse isn't with you, and Jaden's just gone off to who knows where?!'
'Necklace!' O'Brien hissed suddenly. 'Jaden will try and save Jesse…any way he can.'
Everyone but Jim stared in utter confusion at this "revelation".
'And if Jesse went to the industrial sector…he must be trying to reach Heaven!' Jim sighed heavily, 'But we can't stop Jaden, even if we find him in time…'
'We can't…' O'Brien said slowly, 'but they can!'
Jim and O'Brien turned to the collective group. 'You have to find Jaden, and whatever you do, stop him from putting the necklace on.'
'Necklace? That silver pendant from that night when Jesse fainted?' Alexis breathed. Suddenly she recalled—Jaden had thrown the silvery jewellery against the wall before he'd climbed into bed with Jesse… It had seemed so strange at the time… It must be incredibly dangerous.
'Well where are you two going?' Chazz wheezed, a little taken aback at being ordered around by these "angels".
The pair looked at each other and grimaced, 'to get Jesse. He's probably the only person that can reason with Jaden right now…and even then...maybe not...'
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Home!
Jesse. It felt like Jesse. Every breath he took in this place reminded him of the boy who he couldn't bear to live without…the boy he would lose if he didn't set everything straight. He scrabbled on the darkness of the doorstep searching for the spare key.
He found it in minutes. By the time he'd managed to place the key in the lock, the screech of tires far below alerted him to the arrival of…something…someone. Maybe it would be the angels…maybe they'd seen what he was planning and would try to stop him.
But they would be too late…far too late…
The lock clicked and the door swung open, unveiling the place where he had discovered the reason for his life. Footsteps and shouting below...a gaggle of people…he could have sworn he heard the white haired Aster Phoenix's authoritative voice…which meant it wasn't angels at all.
But that was worse! Angels he could order to stop…people could stop him!
Frantic, desperately Jaden ran to the sofa at the end of Jesse's apartment. Scrambling onto all fours he found the loose black material scrap that he'd wrapped the silver pendant in. The necklace itself lay next to it, glinting maliciously, despite the fact that there was no light for it to reflect.
Hesitantly, Jaden's icy cold fingers picked up the even cooler metal, and wrenched the clasp apart with no little effort. Heart thumping, the brunette raised his arms and placed the silver against the nape of his neck.
The snick of the lock coincided with the toll of the elevator bell outside, as it drifted through the open door of Jesse's apartment. They were almost there.
But as Jaden's fingers left the clasp, and he sent his silent plea to whomsoever would hear it, Jaden felt the coolness of the necklace grow suddenly hot. And then the darkness of the room seemed to fade away…until it was not a room at all…but a wall of blackness.
And then he was falling.
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In Heaven, Jesse cried aloud.
'JADEN! NO!'
He whipped around to face his perfect double. Johan's serene expression was replaced with a look of mortal fear. But not from Jesse's snarling expression. Nor his demand to be sent back to Earth. Johan was afraid for all of humanity, and for the Supreme King Haou, now that Jaden had gone to Yubel, to strike the bargain they all knew he would.
Johan mechanically snapped his fingers in compliance with Jesse's desire to return to Earth. The angel barely seemed aware of what he was doing. But Jesse didn't care—he had to reach Jaden...had to stop him!
A tiny part of the bluenette recognised that Jaden's bargain was very much about to save his life. But, even so…some things were far more important than his soul. Jaden, for one...and the world, sort of…but mostly Jaden.
Either due to shock, or out of design, Johan's spell to send Jesse back to Earth had transported him directly to the car park of his apartment block. He vaguely registered Alexis' car as he hit the ground running. The elevator was already moving back to ground level, but Jesse didn't wait. Bursting through the fire door he took the stairs two at a time, leaping across the landings to the next flight.
He skidded onto his floor and pelted down its length, grabbing the frame of his open door and swinging inside…barging past the five onlookers, and jumping over the couch to meet his everything.
Jaden, crumpled and fallen on the floor was wearing the wicked silver pendant, his eyes closed; he looked so peaceful he might have been sleeping…
Jesse cradled the beautiful brunette in his arms and kissed him on the lips with a furious passion, leaving behind his tears as he pulled away…hoping…praying that there was another reason why he couldn't feel the boy's heart beating.
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***
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You're dead.
'No.'
Yes.
'Uhh…NO!' Jaden opened his eyes.
Here he was—back where it had all started. A world of absolute black, save for a large disc of dark purplish and white light, about the size of a football field.
And there was Jesse, standing in front of him, grinning maliciously. Only his eyes gave away what he truly was; one orange, and one a startling teal. Yubel.
'Show yourself to me.'
You're afraid.
'No. There's nothing left for me to lose.'
The demoness Yubel shed Jesse's form in a flash of brilliant light. Her true skin, a pallid purple, with bat-like wings extending out behind her, should have alarmed Jaden. But he was not afraid—what he'd said was true. Here—he had the power. Yubel needed him. She couldn't hurt him…and she wouldn't hurt Jesse…at least…not yet.
Yubel closed her eyes, all three of them, and Jaden felt her alien presence brush against his mind. He closed himself from her though. He'd felt that touch—it was the same icy coldness that had pervaded his being at the bridge. Jaden realised then, that Yubel had tried to kill him—probably to bring him here...so they could strike their final bargain—the bargain that would save Jesse, and destroy Haou, Johan, Heaven, and bring the entire world under Yubel's dominion.
He drew strength from Jesse now. Where once the memory of his everything's touch had hurt him, he embraced it now; imagined once more the caress of the bluenette—for he would likely never truly feel it again. This was it.
'You tricked me once before…into giving up Jesse's soul. You made his heart beat for both me and him. And piece by piece you've stolen his soul. You will reverse it.'
It shall be done.
Jaden's heart was racing now. His breath quickened, and he tried desperately to control his urge to quiver all over, as Yubel's alien touch came upon him again.
In return. You will release me.
He breathed deeply, desperately trying to quell his fear…because he knew he shouldn't…couldn't be afraid. For Jesse. For Jesse, he would stay strong.
'No. I won't.'
At the same time as he spoke, Jaden opened his mind to the alien tendril of Yubel's mind, and recalled the icy coldness of its touch; allowed it….forced it to fill his every fibre. She realised what was happening, tried to withdraw, but Jaden held her fast. Her physical body charged him.
Jaden felt the first scratch by wild and vicious claws as the demoness raged against him, mind and body, but still he held her icy coldness in the grip of his mind. He felt the blood seeping from his open wounds, and he ached all over, but it was the icy chill that almost ended him. It was like being submerged in freezing water filled with shards of glass, that cut him to the very marrow. His brain seemed to be bleeding from within and his limbs tingled as though he was losing feeling. Blood bubbled around his mouth, in his throat, but one thing remained constant throughout it all. One thing, Yubel could not rip from him…one thing that burned forever warm in Jaden.
Jesse.
Perhaps they struggled for a few seconds, perhaps for an eternity, but Jaden did not relent. He continued to pull at Yubel's mind. The physical pain forgotten, the mental pain intensifying, but ignorable; all he needed was the image of Jesse, bright in his mind. That was enough.
The story of Haou had given him the idea. As the King's mortal incarnation, he, Jaden, had enough power to release Yubel...so too could he bind her anew...if he had the strength to survive her assault. And Jesse would be that strength; the fuel that propelled him to keep going...a mortal will pitted against a great demoness—but a demoness who had known only the most fleeting of loves...and now felt only bitterness and hatred.
The longer Jaden held onto Yubel's mind, the more he felt from her—her memories, her emotions, her centuries of confinement, the millennia before.
Jaden felt her pleasures, her pain, and experienced tens of thousands of years of life in the blink of an eye. And still the torrent of emotions and feelings came, from the seconds of her creation, right through to the current moment, and the one feeling that he felt burning from her above all; jealousy.
The brunette felt an overwhelming surge of pity for Yubel as he realised her story fully.
She too had loved Prince Haou; as determinedly and as much as Johan…but that love had remained forever unrequited. Always on the fringe of their holy trinity, Yubel had grown bitter over millennia, ignored and unloved by the only person she had ever truly cared for. Just as Jaden had tried to take his own life at Heaven Brook Bridge, so too had Yubel tried to end her miserable suffering. But her life was not so fragile as his own—the Supreme King alone had the power to end her existence; so she devised a way to force his hand…but even that had failed. Instead she had been condemned to the far reaches of this hellish prison…cursed with the power to watch as Earth fell into ruin: the holy trinity broken, but unable to see Heaven, unable to watch her beloved, even in confinement. And so she had grown to hate him more than words could describe. And after a millennium of torture, her will demanded freedom. And now she fought furiously for it.
Her body had long since stopped its assault of Jaden's physical form; this was strictly a battle of wills now...And then Jaden realised what he had to do…and he was almost afraid…but no…that would give her a chance at release: he must not fear his choice.
For Jesse.
If anything else had existed in the plane of Yubel's imprisonment, they would have been blinded, as a great flash of white rebounded across the plane of her existence, and the two bodies of Jaden and Yubel disappeared in an instant.
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On earth Jesse sobbed and chocked as the necklace around Jaden's neck cracked into two. The silver pendant sheared perfectly down the centre, a black haze seemed to evaporate from its centre…but perhaps he'd imagined that. In the darkness of the apartment, the malignant silver had finally lost it's unearthly shine.
But Jaden did not stir.
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In Heaven a massive cohort of a thousand angels, gathered around Prince Haou and Lord Johan, all staring at the wall-sized looking-glass that was fixed upon Earth. Nobody stirred as they watched Jesse Andersen pull the limp form of Jaden Yuki close
They waited.
Jaden did not appear among them.
Prince Haou remained alive.
And the world had not ended.
…
Silence…
…
'Jaden…' Prince Haou whispered, 'thankyou...'
All around him, the angels breathed the words in reverence, 'thankyou…'
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No! NO! NO!!
'You can't be dead…' he whispered again, into the soft brown hair of the beautiful boy. Jesse cradled him closer and closer; if he just held on...Jaden would be ok.
'You…you've done it Jay,' he breathed, 'you can wake up…'
'Please!'
A kiss to his neck.
'Jaden…Jay…I—I'm here…I've always been here.'
The bluenette pulled his lips from the boy's ear and pressed them to his cheek; the swelling and bruising from Jesse's punch was the only colour in the boy's cheeks.
'Wake up….WAKE UP!' he begged.
Jesse's tears were falling freely now. They landed on Jaden as Jesse bent to kiss him again, still holding him tightly…
He rocked with his world silently, their last moments replaying in his mind—but he shouldn't think of that—instead he remembered the time before. Their last sweet kiss. It had been too short. And their parting words. He whispered them again.
'We said it wasn't goodbye,' he spoke to Jaden's ear, drinking in the smell of the brunette between sobs, 'we said…no matter what…it…it wasn't goodbye.'
Jesse felt a touch upon his shoulder, but it meant nothing. There was only one thing that meant anything to him, and he rocked it now…back and forth…back and forth.
'Please…'
'Please don't leave me Jay…'
Jaden Yuki coughed. His chocolate eyes opened weakly and he stared up at the love of his life. He smiled, but his breathing was ragged, slow. Jesse bent to kiss him on the lips. Jaden winced, but didn't shy away from the touch, letting the bluenette slowly massage his lips with his gentle love.
Jesse moaned quietly into his brunette when Jaden bit his lower lip softly. They pulled apart for a brief second and Jesse stole a kiss against his bruised cheek. Jaden winced.
'I—think…I owe you…for…that one…' the brunette was breathless. His voice was haggard and weak. But in that second, he had everything he needed.
Jesse Andersen was never quite certain, but as he and Jaden deepened their kiss once more, he could have sworn he heard Aster Phoenix's voice in the background. 'Jeez—get a room.' followed by a short sharp sound of a well-timed slap from Alexis.
Nodding in approval to himself, as he entered the brunette's mouth with his tongue, the bluenette recalled, rather stupidly, a time when he wouldn't be caught dead kissing another boy, much less someone as unpopular as Jaden. And as he felt his brunette moaning into his embrace and kiss, Jesse was glad he'd left those old times behind...and all it had needed was a little rain, a touch of destiny, and a whole world of love.
THE END…?
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This feels right. He said.
It was meant to be. She replied, finally quiescent, finally content…even…happy.
That makes sense then.
Yes.
Good.
Yes.
And…Thankyou. She breathed.
No sweat. Feels right.
It feels beautiful.
That's love. He laughed. She joined in.
And laughter. It is beautiful.
Whatever you say… He would have rolled his eyes, but technically he couldn't.
You were brave, to try this. Did you know what would happen? She wanted to know.
Didn't have a clue. He laughed.
Were you afraid to tell him?
Jesse? Never.
What did he say?
You weren't listening?
It did not feel right.
He said stealing his soul was bad, but he doesn't mind you hanging around if you're not gonna be "an evil psycho bitch" (his words)…so long as you…y'know...give us some privacy.
Actually. I was thinking of going on a journey.
Oh?
Yes. She said. There is so very much I have yet to see. You humans have been busy these past millennia.
Err…sure…but...can you do that?
I can leave your body, and travel in a body of my own…no matter how far I roam though, I will always be able to find you again, you will be able to seek me, if you should have the need..
Where will you go?
She would have smiled, but technically she couldn't. Wherever my……'heart'……takes me. She tasted the words again. Heart. What made you so sure I had one?
When I touched your mind, I saw you loved...gotta have a heart to love. And you never really lose your heart, even if you forget how to love.
Jaden. That is very…corny.
Shutup Yubel.
She would have smiled and He would have smiled too, even though they technically couldn't. But since when did anyone really care about technicalities, anyway?
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Wow. It's…over…
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I don't really know what to say, other than this has taken a crazzzy long time to get here. I mean, I started this story a while ago. I'm a little surprised I finished it. I have you wonderful reviewers to thank for that, for spurring me to continue onwards.
I really really, truly, hope you have enjoyed this. And I really love Jesse+Jaden, and am probably going to keep writing them…whether I continue this story arc, I'm not entirely sure. There's, I think, quite a little more to tell about a lot of the characters (and I DO love some of these characters :P) but yeah, I do have to think a little further on all this, since the primary antagonist (Yubel) is now nice.
For those of you who were interested, I had two alternate ending concepts:
Mostly similar to this, but Yubel is actually still evil, and when Jaden binds her inside himself, her presence corrupts him slowly over time. Johan tells him he has X amount of time, but he's OK with that, because he has Jesse. And they're in lurrrve 3
Totally different, and quite cool but didn't totally make sense cause I hadn't fleshed it out properly before discarding it as ridiculous and unworkable. Basically it went something like: "oooh the angels are actually evil, and Yubel is just a nice Destiny lady" but obviously that's…err…odd… But it would have been a cool twist :P
So thanks for joining me on this 50,000+ word adventure. I hope y'all enjoy the story and forever. For now, goodbye, and I'm sure I'll be writing more and more on Jesse and Jaden, thought maybe not THIS Jesse and Jaden in THIS world :P We'll see! I love you all. Thanks for everything.
Please review with comments/ideas/thoughts/criticism/praise(:D) and anything else you feel like writing down. Thankyou and goodnight!