Where...where am...I...?

His head hurt...there was a skitter down his skin, the ghost of a burning fire that had enveloped him and fizzled away. His throat was dry. Where...gosh, what was...

He tried to move his arms and found that he couldn't. His legs wouldn't function either. Could he move anything?

He opened his mouth and wiggled his tongue. That was working...what about his eyes?

Lua's eyes slowly peeled open, the light stabbing into his sight—where was he? He—he couldn't see. Everything was just pure white, everywhere—

His heart was thrumming now, his throat closing up. He remembered the pain and the heat and the fear and he remembered his dad attacking Yusei and almost killing him but what had happened after that where was he where was he where was he—

"Sh...sh...it's okay...you are all right..."

The voice was...distant. Echoey, somehow...tinny. But there was still something...familiar about it? Either way, the sound was comforting. Wherever he was, he wasn't alone.

"Hush...it's all right. You are safe here. I promise."

Lua tugged on his limbs again, but although feeling was starting to come back into them, he still couldn't move them. He tried to look down at his own body, and slowly, he managed to get it to come into focus. White bands of energy encircled his wrists and his ankles, suspending him in the middle of the white landscape—as far as he could tell, he was the only one here in this vast expanse of white. Then—then where was the owner of the voice?

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing oddly in his own ears, as though the room were much smaller than it appeared. "H-hello? Who's there?"

He heard something move, but couldn't see anything. He tried to crane to look over his shoulder, but there was nothing behind him, or below him, or above him either. Just...white. He struggled against the energy holding him again, but it was tough and wouldn't give.

"Please...relax...it's all right. You're safe. You need to relax."

"I-I'm not gonna!" Lua shouted, angry at himself when his voice wavered. "Who are you? What do you want with me? Where am I?"

"Hush...hush..."

A hand fell onto his hair, and he flinched, trying to struggle away. He tried to look, see who was holding him, but all of a sudden he—he couldn't. His throat tightened and his pulse raced. Who was it? Who was stroking his hair and why did it—why did it feel comforting? Like...like a mom, or a dad...

He forced his head around, forced himself to look.

Whoever it was, his eyes couldn't process it. His brain told him that it was someone he should know the face, but his eyes wouldn't focus. His mind couldn't wrap itself around the concept, and his mouth couldn't form the name. The harder he tried, the more the sounds ripped away from him.

"W-who are you?" he tried, even though he knew, his brain just couldn't understand.

The person did not respond, continuing to stroke his hair gently, soothingly. Lua struggled again, tried to pull free.

"Let me go," he said, his voice cracking. "M-my friends—they'll be worried—"

"Sh..." the person said, cutting him off. "Sh. You are safer here."

"No," Lua said. He forced his voice to get louder and stronger. "No, I—you can't keep me here! I won't let you!"

"Sh...sh...it's all right."

"No, it's not!"

Lua threw his head back, trying to get the person's hand off of him. The person drew back, quiet. They tilted their head at Lua.

"I'm here to protect you," they said.

"I don't want you to!" Lua said. "I want to go back to my sister!"

The person shook their head.

"You can't...I'm sorry. I need you."

"I don't want to help you!" Lua said, throwing himself against his restraints again. "B-besides! I'm useless! I don't have any powers, you can't use me for anything!"

The person shook their head again, looking sad. They stepped forward so that they were suddenly standing in front of Lua, reaching out to touch his shoulder tentatively, and then squeeze it gently. It was so familiar...

"I need your help," they said again. "To...to fix things. To make sure this doesn't happen again."

Their fingers trailed up briefly to the side of Lua's head.

Lua gasped, his head throwing back—images exploded over his brain, splashes of color and smoke and explosions and the distant echo of screams and then a vast explosion of white that blotted out everything—

Lua gasped as his head flopped forward, eyes bulging from the vivid flashback burned into his eyes. The person didn't say anything, didn't touch him as he gasped for breath.

"W-what was that?" Lua gasped. Were there...tears rolling out of his eyes? What had...what had he just seen?

The person leaned forward, brushing the tears gently from his cheeks. Lua tried to flinch away, but he found all of a sudden that there was no strength in his neck.

"That's why you went back, the first time, wasn't it?" the person said. "That's why you started this...started the first loop."

"I...what?"

The person leaned away, took a few steps back. Lua leaned forward in spite of himself.

"D-don't go," he said, his voice cracking. He didn't want to but—but he was alone out here, alone except for this strange, familiar person that he couldn't understand.

The person shook their head yet again.

"It's all right. You're not ready yet. I...I have to...finish. I have to finish the Circuit...then...then I need your help...to fix this..."

They stood there for a long moment, the only sound between them the echo of Lua's breaths. Then they sighed, softly.

"I'm so sorry," they said. "I'm...so sorry."

They leaned forward, touched Lua on the side of the head.

"Please...go back to sleep...until it's time..."

Lua fought it, he fought the seeping sense of exhaustion that spread through him from the point of contact, but it was in vain. The next thing he knew, he was falling under the blackness once again, and he remembered nothing else.

. . .

"Why didn't you call us?"

"Jun, please...not now. Not now."

Manjoume was so red in the face that he looked like he was going to burst into flames. Asuka held his arm, rubbing against his sleeve with one thumb in a soothing gesture that didn't seem to be helping. Her eyes flickered across the table to Judai, but Judai didn't look up. Yusei couldn't blame him. Yusei didn't want to have to look up either.

Silence rang through the small kitchen for a long, long moment.

Luka had stopped crying a while ago, just sitting blankly on the couch, tucked under Crow's arm. Crow looked exhausted, but he hadn't made a move to fall asleep. His fingers stroke gently through Luka's hair, released from their pigtails around her shoulders for once. Manjoume stood on the opposite end of the table with Asuka beside him, and Shou was sitting very quietly on the other side of Manjoume, his eyes on the table, expression unreadable. Aki, for her part, didn't seem able to stay still, walking in circles around the motorcycles parked in the garage as she constantly rolled and unrolled the clip from her hair. Bruno perched on his own bike, fiddling with some bolts between his fingers.

Jack wasn't present. Yusei had heard the sound of him throwing things up in the loft a while back, but the sounds had died some time ago. He could imagine he was probably sitting on the edge of the bed, crying quietly into his hands in that angry way he had when he was a child, after he had finished punching things hoping that it would make him feel better.

Yusei's hands curled into fists in his lap. He wished he could start punching things. He wished he was allowed to start yelling, like Manjoume. Wished he could just grab the table and flip the whole thing over and then start snapping the legs off of it one at a time so that he could throw them across the room.

But that wouldn't help. It never would. It would only make the situation worse.

Lua was gone.

He hadn't been able to protect him. After everything that had happened, he hadn't...been able to do...anything...

Yusei squeezed his eyes shut and ground his fists into them, trying to knead the tears back. God, that wasn't helpful right now—they had to come up with a plan. Something. They had to do something? Right? Right?

But Judai wouldn't even look up from the table. Yusei couldn't see his eyes. Couldn't see past the veil of bangs that he had let fall over his eyes.

Say something, he thought. Please. Judai. Please say something. Anything. Talk to me.

But no one did. No one said anything. It was as though they couldn't process it—any of it. Lua was gone. They had no idea where. No idea what had happened, or where he could have gone. What they could be doing to him. Why did they want him? Was it because, as Judai had said, he was the one that had started Judai's time loop in the first place, by dragging him to the future? But what did that even mean?

The door swung open softly, slowly—if Yusei had gotten around to fixing the squeak in the hinge, he probably wouldn't have even been able to hear it opening.

"Um, excuse me? I'm sorry, no one was responding to the knock so I...is this where Jack Atlas lives...?"

In the darkness of the garage, with only the kitchen's faint light illuminating the figure, Yusei couldn't really see him. He caught the glint of pale green eyes, the edge of blue hair, a taller figure with fair skin and a curious expression, brows furrowed slightly and lips parted. Who was this—a new enemy?

Yusei tried to struggle to his feet as everyone else's eyes snapped to the new figure. Judai's head jerked up and he stood so quickly that his chair fell over, eyes wide and wild as he—

Froze. His mouth fell open.

"...Jo...han?"

For a second, no one spoke. Then the new man—Johan?—smiled, his teeth flashing white in the light from the table.

"I found the right place!" he said cheerily. "Sorry about the wait, by the way, I got a little turned around and ran into some other troubles, and—"

His expression changed as he took in the sight of the room.

"Something...happened, huh?"

. . .

Judai's head was spinning. He wasn't imagining this, right? That was Johan. That was Johanthat Asuka was running around the table to meet, that was Johanthat Manjoume was punching on the shoulder and demanding where he had been, that was Johanwho was smiling back at Shou as Shou asked him what had taken him so long.

He felt a hand on his elbow, and only then did he realized that he was trembling. He looked down to see Yusei looking up at him, dark eyes curious.

"Are you okay?"

Judai felt a lump in his throat, and he pressed his free hand to his mouth for a second, closing his eyes to compose himself. Washe all right? He wasn't totally sure.

Then he opened his eyes and saw Johan, saw Johan looking right at him with that quirked smile on his lips, that cheerful face that had always been there with a smile for him when he had shown up on his doorstep like a lost puppy.

He felt, for a strange second, like the world had fallen into place again.

Yusei's hand slid down into Judai's, and Judai clung to it, feeling tears spring to his eyes.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Yeah, I'm okay. I..."

What kind of feeling could he put to this—this sudden lightening of his chest? He felt...

Hopeful.

Yubel sighed contentedly at the back of his head.

—About time he showed up—

Johan smiled as he shrugged off the other's questions and walked over to Judai.

"Wow," he said, eyes bright. "Look at you—you're shorter than me now!"

Judai snorted, but he had noticed as well. Johan had shot up; he was almost a head and a half taller than Judai now.

"You had thirty years on me," he said. "It's barely a contest."

"I know, but you're so tiny!" Johan said jokingly, ruffling Judai's hair as though he were his little brother. "This is funny, you've always been just a hair taller than me."

"Yeah, yeah, you win," Judai said, rolling his eyes.

Johan grinned at him, and the sparkle in those eyes made Judai feel suddenly like everything was going to be okay.

"Where have you been?" Manjoume said again.

"I told you, my flight was delayed," Johan said, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled, embarrassed. "I came as quickly as I could—"

"No, I mean beforethis," Manjoume said. "It was a goddamn miracle that Asuka was able to get a hold of you for this. What have you been doing? We keep trying to coordinate, and you're never anywhere to be seen, much less at the school you're supposed to be taking care of."

"Honestly, you're almost as bad as Samejima sometimes when it comes to being a headmaster," Shou said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Ouch," Johan said, wincing with a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, I really am. I spend a lot of time looking for kids that might be safer at my school, I'm not always near my phone. It gets busy, you know?"

That sounded...like a very fast answer to Judai. He frowned. Was Johan...hiding something? From the others? Why would he do that?

"So, anyway," Johan said. "Who's going to fill me in on what happened? I got sidetracked helping a Jack Atlas, then I realized that he was in the same team that you guys all told me you were going to be helping, and I thought finding my way to where he was would get me to everyone—and I was right!"

He smiled, looking around at the otherwise shocked and still somber faces. Judai suddenly realized how surprising this must be for the ones that didn't know Johan, and he quickly moved to correct this.

"Guys, this is Johan," he said, looking back around at the others of Team 5Ds. "Johan Andersen. He's another friend of mine."

Aki gasped.

"This—you're Johan Andersen?" she said, her voice jumping. "The founder of Crystal Academy?"

Johan's eyes lit up.

"You know about my school?" he said, turning towards her.

"Of course I do!" Aki said, her eyes wide. "I mean...I..."

She blushed suddenly, looking down at her feet, embarrassed.

"Well, I mean...we have...butted head in the past," she mumbled.

Johan blinked, tilting his head curiously. Aki didn't look up for a few moments, as though hoping everyone would forget she had said anything.

"I mean...the Arcadia Movement," she finally mumbled. "I was...kind of...that poster child."

Johan blinked again, and then comprehension dawned over his face. He mouthed something to himself that looked like "Black Rose Witch," and his eyes returned to Aki with a new light.

"I'm—not with them anymore," Aki said quickly. "And I—really admire what you did with—"

Johan held up a reassuring hand, smiling.

"I'm not going to bite," he said, laughing. "Wherever you came from before, you're definitely here with Judai and everyone, so I'm sure you're a friend! I'm flattered though, that you like my school."

Johan turned back towards everyone else.

"So, does anyone want to introduce me to everyone else? And oh, right, I need to be filled in, it looks like something pretty nasty just happened. What can I do?"

"Judai's probably the best one to do introductions," Asuka said, smiling. She looked like a weight had been pulled off her shoulders, the same way that Judai felt.

Judai blinked, and then suddenly came back to himself.

"Right!" he said. "That's Crow Hogan, and Bruno, and Luka over there. And that's Izayoi Aki."

Aki seemed to have gotten herself composed again, and she half smiled at Johan. Crow looked over the couch with a confused expression, and even Luka peeked over Crow's shoulder curiously. Bruno only barely looked up.

"And this is Fudo Yusei," Judai said, nodding beside him.

Johan grinned and nodded at Yusei, who nodded tentatively back, still looking a little uncertain. Johan's eyes flickered for a moment over Judai's hand, and only then did Judai remember that he was still holding hands with Yusei. Judai couldn't be certain, but he almost thought Johan's smile got a little wider for a second.

"I'm glad to be on board," he said. "Now..."

His smile finally faded to a serious expression, his green eyes taking on a hard, gemstone glitter.

"What can I do to help?"

. . .

It was very, very quiet all of a sudden. Yusei could hear the silence ringing in his ears, the aftershock of chattering voices pressed in on his eardrums. Had everyone really just dropped off to sleep so quickly?

Yusei paused in the hallway, trying to listen for the sounds of his friends sleeping. Jack had only come down after Johan had already been filled in, and then he had explained how Johan had helped him get Carly. Carly was fine, according to Johan, and he wouldn't have left her at the hospital if he hadn't thought so. His Duel Spirit friends Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus were watching over her.

It seemed that he brought an entire entourage of Duel Spirits with him, because Luka had suddenly had her attention taken away by something that Yusei couldn't see, and had retreated off to a corner with them. When she had fallen asleep, Crow had taken her upstairs to use his bed, and Crow himself had passed out on the couch. Asuka, Manjoume, Shou, and Johan had discussed and decided it would be best if they camped out with the rest of the group. Manjoume, in fact, had insisted that they take turns taking watches, just in case, and had gone outside on his own to take the first one. The other three were asleep in sleeping bags down stairs.

Jack was upstairs in his own bed, although Yusei was certain he wasn't sleeping. Yusei had insisted that Aki take his. Bruno had told him that he had no intention of sleeping, not yet anyway, and Yusei could still hear him click clacking on the computer downstairs. Yusei wasn't sure, yet, where he was going to sleep. Could he sleep at all, after all of this?

He heard a soft sound, and then the door to the guest room opened, Judai appearing in his pajamas. He looked exhausted, his eyes sunken and dark.

"Oh, sorry," he said. "I'm not trying to hog the room to myself or anything. Just changing."

Yusei tilted his head.

"Where are you planning on going?"

"Huh? Oh, I thought I'd camp out downstairs with the others, or something, let you have the real bed," Judai said. "Since you gave up yours, and all."

"No, no, no," Yusei said, shaking his head. "You stay right where you are, okay? You need that sleep."

"So do you," Judai pointed out.

They both fell silent, neither of them quite looking at the other.

Yusei couldn't help it. The replay of his desperate action back in the fight before...played over in his mind. Did...did Judai remember? Did he remember that Yusei had...kissed him...?

He cleared his throat softly.

"It seems like adding Johan to the group really boosted the morale when we needed it," he said.

Judai nodded.

"Johan's always been good at that," he said. "He's like floodlight, lighting everybody else up without even trying."

Yusei glanced at Judai, and found that he was smiling softly, his eyes distant. Yusei felt something in his chest jump a little, but he didn't know why.

"You seem close," he said.

"...yeah," Judai said. "We were...pretty good friends in high school. I mean...we went through...some pretty bad times together."

All of a sudden, his face seemed to fall, his eyes going out of focus. Yusei wanted to reach out, wanted to take Judai's shoulders and pull him against him.

He didn't though. He swallowed through a suddenly thick throat.

"It must be good to see him again," he said.

Judai nodded, his eyes still distant.

"It...really is," he mumbled. "Johan just...always seems to know what to do, you know...? He was...always better with this than I ever was. I feel like...like there's a good chance again, you know?"

Yusei looked down at the floor. Yeah. He understood that feeling—the feeling that someone could cast a far better light than you could. The feeling of safety that came with that person being around, taking the reins away from you, or at least, making you feel like you didn't need to hold the reins all by yourself, that person that was and always would be the better leader than he was. For just the briefest moment, the faint smile of Kiryu flashed over his mind.

He nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "I understand that."

For a moment, neither of them spoke again. For some reason, Yusei felt his stomach clench up. He understood Judai's feelings...so why did that understanding make him feel...sad? Why did he feel so...off? The replay of his kiss played over his mind again, and he dropped his gaze quickly down, as though that would erase it.

Maybe it was better if he never mentioned it.

"Well, I don't want to keep you awake," he said. "I'll—"

Judai's hand snaked out before Yusei could move, snagging the fabric of his sleeve. Yusei paused. He looked first at Judai's hand, and then, cautiously, lifted his eyes to Judai's.

Judai was staring right at him, an expression that Yusei couldn't quite understand on his face.

"Wait," Judai said, and his voice cracked. He pressed his free hand to his mouth for a moment, swallowing. Then he let it drop and lifted his eyes back to Yusei. "I wanted to...you saved my life, today, Yusei."

Yusei shook his head.

"You saved me just as often," he said. "In fact, I think I got in your way..."

"No," Judai said. "No, Yusei, I...I don't think I would have...gotten through this fight without you. I really don't."

His hand slid down Yusei's arm until it found his hand, and his fingers curled into Yusei's. Yusei felt a warmth explode from his palm and run all the way up his arm, making his heart flutter.

"I...what I'm trying to say is..."

Judai fumbled for a moment, looking down at the floor. When he raised his eyes to Yusei again, they were so clear that Yusei sucked in a breath.

"I want you to be there, from now on," he said. "Please...I needyou to be there. I need you to be at my side when we fight again. Not behind me, or in front of me, but...but right next to me."

He swallowed, trying to smile.

"I must sound...so selfish," he said.

He tried to draw his hand away—but Yusei gripped it tighter. Judai blinked at the sudden movement, his lips parting as Yusei pulled Judai a little closer to him. His hand was so warm, even through Yusei's gloves, and he drew it closer to him, clasping it between both of his.

"No," he said. "No, you don't. You don't sound selfish at all."

His heart clenched up, and he pulled Judai's hand up towards him, pressed Judai's fingers to his lips. Through his half closed eyes, he thought he saw Judai's eyes widen, and he wondered...was he going too far?

"I want the same thing," he whispered into Judai's fingers. "And I...I would be honored if I could continue to fight next to you."

For a breath, neither spoke, neither made a move or a sound.

And then quietly, Judai stepped closer to him. Yusei's lips parted as Judai pulled his hand down, so that both his and Yusei's hands were moved away from Yusei's face. Yusei knew what was happening just before it happened—and he leaned into it.

Judai's lips found his as his eyes closed, and for a few, beautiful moments, Judai was the only thing in the world. There was only the taste of him on his lips, only the feel of his hands curled into his and his body pressed up against his chest.

When they broke away, it was like the whole space between them was full of stars—shining, sparkling...magical.

"Yusei," Judai said, his voice sounding low, thick—as though he were going to cry. "I never...I never want you to disappear. Please."

Yusei responded by putting his forehead against Judai's, and closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Judai," he whispered, and he felt Judai shiver. "I need to tell you something."

"I do too."

"Do you want to go first?"

Yusei felt Judai hesitate. Yusei took over by leaning forward and kissing him gently one more time. When he broke apart, he opened his eyes to see Judai's—to see the fear, the uncertainty, the desperation, mixed with the hope, the longing...

The love.

"I love you," Yusei whispered.

Judai let out a long, low sigh, like the sound of the universe releasing it's long held breath.

"Gods," he whispered, like a prayer of thanks. "I love you so goddamn much."

And then, almost as an after thought,

"Is...that okay?"

Yusei smiled as he slid his arms over Judai's shoulders, pulling him into his embrace, and he felt Judai's arms wrap around him tightly.

"It's better than okay," he whispered. "God...it's...it's..."

It was more than he had words for in that moment. Yusei curled one hand into the back of Judai's hair and dropped his face against Judai's neck, breathing him in.

"Stay with me?" Judai whispered.

"Forever," Yusei whispered back.

In the darkness of the hallway, it felt like the universe was surrounding them, with the pinpricks of stars lighting up around them.

It felt right.

. . .

It was cold.

Johan felt the air biting at him as he stepped outside, and he frowned. The heat of summer had been record for this year, and it seemed...odd to him that it would be so cold outside, even at night.

Manjoume glanced up as Johan closed the door softly behind him. Johan could see the faint flicker of a lighter as Manjoume lit up the end of his cigarette between his fingers.

"You're early for your shift," Manjoume said between his fingers. He let the lighter go out, and took a drag on the cigarette, blowing out the smoke into the night.

"You're still smoking?" Johan said.

"Don't you mother me, Johan. Not tonight."

Johan shrugged helplessly. Manjoume briefly glared at him over the tip of his cigarette, then shoved it back between his teeth.

They stood in the dark silence for a few moments, the only light coming from faraway street lamps, the stars over head, and the tip of Manjoume's burning cigarette.

"Seriously," Manjoume said suddenly. "Where haveyou been? I know you're not just out looking for new kid recruits for your school."

Johan glanced down at the ground. The cold air whispered at the back of his neck, and he rubbed at it absently.

"You're in and out of contact more than Judai ever was," Manjoume said. "Ever since he disappeared. And don't tell me you've just been fighting off Arcadia Movement or some bullshit."

"That waspart of it," Johan said. "Fighting with them over young psychics was a big part of what I've been doing it."

Manjoume gnawed on the end of the cigarette.

"But that just implied that it wasn't the onlything you were doing."

Johan looked down again. Ruby was sitting at his feet, her tail flicking back and forth across the ground. Light refracted off of the globe of her tail, sending little glimmers of red across the ground. When she noticed he was looking at her, she immediately leapt onto his leg and clambered her way up him like he was a tree, finding her way to his shoulder. Johan reached up to stroke her chin absently, feeling her purr vibrate through her chin. His eyes raised up to the stars, the burning spots of light among the black.

"Do you ever think," Johan said, "about how the world is mostly darkness?"

"Huh?"

Johan stared at the sky. The breeze ruffled his hair.

"Out beyond the atmosphere, there's just...space," he said. "Vast, vast amounts of space...only rarely broken up by the spots of light that are stars."

He let his eyes fall back down, but he didn't look quite at Manjoume yet.

"But without both of those...without the darkness of the space between the stars...and without the stars themselves...we couldn't have life."

"Johan, what kind of philosophical bullshit are you trying to throw at me today?"

Johan glanced at Manjoume, and he wondered, for a moment, if Manjoume would be able to sense the secret in his eyes. If Manjoume would know what Johan was hiding...if he would demand to know more.

"We've always needed both," Johan said. "Light and darkness. The universe knows it...why don't humans know it?"

Manjoume shifted.

"You know, Johan, you're sounding kinda suspiciously like those Yliaster nutjobs," he said. "With their 'balance' bullshit."

Johan grimaced.

"Am I? That wasn't what I meant."

Manjoume shook his head. He pulled his cigarette from his teeth and let it hang at his side for a moment.

"You're really good at dodging my fucking questions," Manjoume said. But then he laughed, a soft, barking sound that let up a haze of smoke. He ground his cigarette out against the wall behind him. "Stop acting like I'm going to rip your throat out, goddamn. You and I both know we've been through too much together for me to distrust you."

Johan let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

"I know," he said, his breath leaving a slight haze in the cold air. "I swear to you Manjoume-san...what I'm doing...I can't talk about it yet. But it won't put any of us in danger. I swear to you."

Manjoume snorted.

"As if I could believe you'd do anything to hurt Judai," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm suspicious, not stupid."

He shoved his hands into both his pockets, eyes up on the stars. Then he smirked.

"You and your poetic bullshit," he said, shaking his head. "But somehow...you make sense, you know?"

He smirked towards Johan again, then yawned loudly.

"Well, have fun keeping watch," he said. "Asuka'll be out after you."

"Right," Johan said. "Sleep well, Manjoume."

Manjoume snorted, but he smiled as he passed. He even clapped Johan once on the shoulder before he disappeared inside the garage.

Then Johan was alone, with only Ruby on his shoulder. He looked up into the sky again, at the stars.

"We need both," he whispered. "Light and darkness."

His hand slid into his pocket of his own accord, and he pulled the little necklace free. Nothing more than a small sphere of white, like a tiny star taken from the sky and forged into a diamond from a silver chain. He stared at it for a while, and then back up at the stars.

Then he let it fall into his palm, and he crushed it under his fingers.

"Sorry," he whispered as he let the dust slip through his fingers and onto the ground. "But...after what I saw..."

His mind flashed back, back to the kitchen, back to Judai.

Back to the beautiful black and white inter-webbing of fate strings that he had seen, all tied beautifully together with a twisted red string that stretched between him and the dark haired boy at his side.

"...I think they can do it," he mumbled. "I think...they can do it."

. . .

A/N: Am I making it too complicated again? I totally am. Buuuuuuut I am enjoying myself and I think it's working out better than I even imagined it would, so I'm gonna roll with it! I hope you're enjoying yourself, too! :D Thanks again for all your support, and I hope to see you again soon with another update!