It's the first time that I write a Soulmate AU, and I wanted to try with this ship, that I've always loved and It's always in my heart.

Jade never cared about the old legends and myths from Earth, sometimes people on Hillys loved to talk about them. While grocery shipping, drink a glass of wine at the Akuda Bar, there was someone always ready to talk about many legends that came from a place to her unknown. Maybe it was that she was skeptical about them, legends can't always be the reflection of reality.

Jade was always a person that believed on what her own eyes could see. She didn't believe on the red threads of fate, however many on Hillys believed on that legend. She asked to herself why sometimes, but she continued to be skeptical on that… probably because that thread was still invisible in her own eyes. She didn't expect that the thread could appear after the IRIS Network gave to her the mission to replace Double H, but here it is: tied to her pinky. She widened her eyes when that thread revealed itself, she felt her heart in her throat and she felt that she couldn't breathe anymore.

As soon as they arrived at the Nutripills factory, Jade showed her pinky to her Uncle Pey'j, pointing the red thread. Pey'j looked at her and raised an eyebrow, saying that he didn't saw anything tied to her finger. And he continued to walk, then Jade looked again at her finger, seeing that the red thread was still there, tied to her pinky. She was the only one that could see it…

Once Jade and Pey'j split to inspect the factory, she noticed that the thread became smaller. She was surprised to see that her own red thread was tied to the one that she had saved from the Spirit eater: Double H.

This can't be… she barely knew him, and there was quite an age gap between the two, however the thread tied on her finger didn't lie. That same thread was tied on Double H's left pinky. She felt confused, distraught and a bit curious about that.

Double H could see too the red thread tied to his pinky, he was almost surprised to see that thread was tied as well on that young woman whom saved him from the Spirit eater, once he recovered his sensed obviously.

Initially, the two of them couldn't explain why fate has choose to have them tied to the red thread. Then, when they could escape from the Nutripills Factory, when Jade has saved Double H for the second time, in a desperate rush towards the IRIS Station… maybe the two could understand why fate has choose them to be together, or maybe Double H understood first. Slowly he felt his heart lighter at Jade's presence and it hurts him to see her having a moment of despair, even if it was for a minute. Because the Alpha Section have taken her uncle, the one that raised her, the one that was her best friend… He tried to console her, with words of comfort, saying that he was probably still alive.

Jade felt her heart heavy; she couldn't understand that red thread that ties her to Double H, however he was always there, he offered to help her for the report on the Old Slaughterhouses

She wanted to find a logic to all this. Jade never gave too much Importance to the old legends and myths from Earth

However, the logic never came, neither when Double H was beside her in her darkest moments, neither when he embraced her to comfort her, and that thread tangled it self when they approached each other, neither when they won the Hovercraft's Championship and he, high on adrenaline, took her cheeks and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. At that thought, Jade's cheekbones and ears turn red and her heart was beating wildly.

But, at the lighthouse destruction…The kids gone, her only home destroyed… The greatest despair came there. Jade no longer had any hope, she had lost it… Only Woof, her loyal dog, survived to the destruction of her own world. Double H was there, watching her, he couldn't find the right words to get her on her feet… In that moment he couldn't move to get close to her, and embrace her… But he still managed to give her hope. Saying that the kids and Pey'j were still alive.

In that moment… Jade probably managed to find a logic in all this, why the red thread tied her to Double H. Probably she found an answer, he was always there, they knew each other slowly, they learned to trust each other in no time, they watched each other's backs… Maybe she understood why fate as choose Double H as her companion, as her soul mate.

He managed to give her hope in her darkest moments. He was her rock. She was in some way his strength.

The base on Selene was probably the decisive test, despite everything, despite Pey'j's lifeless body, despite her discovered powers, despite the danger that was in front of their eyes, the red thread of fate was always tied to their finger.

Even when the DomZ Priest took Double H, the thread didn't break. Jade in that moment thought that the legend of the red thread was real as the fire and water, as the air that she breathed. As she delivers the final blow to the DomZ Priest, the monster insisted that her soul belonged to him… that her human form was just a mere illusion. Jade didn't believe that, because she was there, a human being that breather and felt strong emotions, such as pain, compassion… and love.

The Hillyans were safe, the Alpha Section were no longer there to spread their propaganda, the popular uprising has succeded, Pey'j and the kids were safe, Double H was safe… It was finally over.

Jade felt that it was the calm before the storm, and it won't last longer… The DomZ could come back in any moment, in the blink of an eye. But for now, she preferred to enjoy the calm. To see the sun set under the sea and the moon rise from the mountains.

Jade looked to the red thread tied to her finger, after her daily meditation, and turned to look at Double H…. No… Hub.

She looked at Hub that came close to her, Jade stood and the two looked in each other's eyes. They smiled, enjoying the tranquility. The reconstruction at the lighthouse was nearly complete and Hub offered to help… or maybe it was just an excuse to be next to Jade.

Now she knew that the legend was real, and she saw that with her own eyes and felt it on her skin. That red thread was tied on her pinky, and she was tied to Hub. Now she wasn't confused anymore, and she knew that he will be next to her, in a way or another.

Hub took her cheek and brought her face close to him, giving her a chaste kiss on her lips. This time it wasn't like when they won the Championship: there wasn't adrenaline in his blood, there was that simple and pure affection that he felt for that young woman that saved his life twice.

Jade placed her hands on his chest, not thinking about the red thread that tied her to Hub. Now she believed it, and she saw that with her own eyes. That thread was visible only to her and to her soulmate. And now it was intertwined, because in this moment their bodies are entangled. Jade broke the kiss and looked at Hub in the eyes, her hands still on her chest, his arm was around Jade's waist, his hand still on her cheek. Their foreheads touched, they smiled. They remained silent for a while… and then they laughed.

Jade never gave too much Importance to the old legends and myths from Earth, but now she was there, at the almost rebuilt lighthouse, hugging the man to whom the red thread has tied her. She was surprised and amazed, she certainly never expected that a legend could be so true… and now she believed it.

This is my first time on the Soulmate AU and I've decided to make it in my way. I'm usually not fond of this AU but I wanted to give it a try and do it. I've always shipped Jade and Hub. I can't help but ship them. Probably I'm going to be hated for that LOL.

Even after 18 years, I'm still in love with this game. The emotions that it gives to me are hard to say, if you haven't played this game… Just do it, It's worth it.

I'll probably write more about these two, both in Italian (my mother tongue) and English. This one-shot was completely translated because I wrote first the ITA version, easier for me LOL xD

Thank you so much for reading :3