Title: A Moment of Memory
Ship: Jim x Asuka [one-sided]
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 647
Genre: Romance, Tragedy||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: GX canon: B19, one character's view of another; Word Count Set Boot Camp, GX, #30, 647; GX Rare Pairs Week, day #3, loss
Notes: This takes place in season 3, before Jim and O'Brien find out who Haou is.
Summary: He wants to say good-bye. But letting go is harder than one could imagine.
I never got the chance to duel her. Jim brushed his fingers across the deck. There wasn't any life in it - only a collection of cards. Did it even count as a deck right now, without a duelist to wield it? Without her?
Tomorrow Girl. They'd only had a handful of conversations, but he enjoyed each and every one of them, and he liked to think that she did too. He would have liked to have had more, but so much had happened that it just hadn't been possible. The strange readings that ended up being their Dis-belts, the journey to that world of sand and everything there - he hadn't wanted to admit it, but once he knew about the zombies, he'd feared that something would happen so she would become one of them. Or perhaps he would have.
The thought of facing her in a duel pleased him, but he didn't want to have done it like that. At least it hadn't happened like that. But perhaps what did happen was even worse.
Had she been afraid when it happened? Had she worried about those who hadn't been caught? Had she known that he'd been there to see her, unable to do anything? They'd not even understood what was going on until it was too late.
Jim wasn't sure if he understood what happened even now. What they knew for certain was that Asuka, Fubuki, Kenzan, and Manjoume were dead, no one knew where Shou or Juudai were, and he'd only recently crossed paths again with O'Brien. They'd heard rumors about the newest warlord, and both he and O'Brien believed that this person might know something about their missing friends.
But for now, they weren't going to face him. They were far away from where this warlord - Haou - established his rule, and they wanted to find any hints of Shou or Juudai before they went to that extreme. From what Jim had heard, Haou wasn't exactly welcoming to traveling guests either.
Just as well that you didn't meet him, Jim thought, regarding Asuka's deck once more. But I think you could defend yourself well here. He might not have dueled her himself, but he'd seen some of what she could do in the world of sand. She wouldn't fall easily.
He resisted the temptation to carry her deck and duel disk with him. For all intents and purposes, this was her grave, and he wasn't going to be a grave-robber. It would be nice to have something of hers with him, but it wasn't possible, either. All he had were memories, as good as those were, and as few as they were. He wished he'd had time to create more. Asuka had even liked Karen, and Karen liked her. Perhaps what hurt the most was that he'd never know what could have been.
I can't stay here. He and O'Brien needed to keep moving, to search for hints to Shou or Juudai's whereabouts. He didn't like the idea of leaving here. Though everyone he'd met in this world respected the burial mounds of fallen warriors, he could not shake the idea that there were people who might not. Did Haou? He had no idea. What about those who served Haou? Still no idea.
But slowly, reluctantly, he turned away. He would return if he could. He wondered if he would have to inform the Tenjoins about what happened to their children. Someone would have to - and if he survived this world to find a way home, then he would be the one. He wasn't sure of what else he could do. Once again he found himself tempted to take the deck, if only to give it to them.
But he let her sleep. With a deep sigh he headed back to where O'Brien and Karen awaited him. He didn't look back.
The End
Notes: Asuka x Jim will always be one of my favored ships. One day I'd like to write a very long fic for them. But that day is not today.