Title: World So Cold

Genre: hurt/comfort, romance

Rating: K+ for very mild language and slight violence (might go up)

Pairing: JohanXJudai (spiritshipping)

Song: "World So Cold" by Three Days Grace

Summary: AU. Long ago, Odin banished the god Johan out of Asgard and sent him to the world Midgard, world of the humans, after banishing Johan's lover, Judai AKA Hel, to the world Niflheim, the realm of the dead. Now, Judai, after being tricked by Odin into thinking that Johan abandoned him, wants revenge against his former lover. Can Johan prove his innocence, and prove that he truly does love Judai before Judai is dragged into Niflheim again?

Me: The second chapter is finally up!

Lucy: Judai, as we figured the young man in the library was, seems to be in a state of depression for some reason, and we do not know why just yet, but we will know in this chapter!

Me: This chapter is one of the longer ones, since the story is going to be so short, and there is a lot of information that needs to be in this for the story to flow!

Lucy: So, please enjoy!

Chapter Two: Hel's Dream

"Do you want some more coffee, sir?"

"No thank you. It's too late for coffee anyway."

"Very well, sir."

Eighteen-year-old-appearing Johan Andersen sighed as his servant, Skilfner, walked out of the room after taking away his empty coffee mug. Johan had been drinking cup after cup of coffee in order to stay awake, but he just couldn't stomach any more of it. One more cup, and he felt like he was going to start throwing up everywhere. As if Skilfner didn't have a hard enough job.

When Skilfner arrived back a moment later, Johan smiled at him. "Skilfner, we..." he sighed and shook his head rather slowly. "Do you remember our days in Asgard? 900 years ago?"

Skilfner put the tray down and sighed. "I do, Master Johan," he answered.

Johan frowned a little at the memories of the golden fields, the massive halls that each god possessed, the animals that ran around, and the giant tree, Yggdrasil, that raced through the center of Asgard.

"I remember when you were banished, Master Johan," the servant said with a heavy sigh.

Johan nodded slowly and leaned back in his recliner chair, closing his exhausted emerald eyes with a sigh. "Yeah," he murmured sleepily. "I can remember that, too."

Truth be told, Johan was a god.

He had been one of the Norse gods from so many years ago, going on adventures with Thor, playing tricks with Loki, hitting on the lovely goddess Freyja, even stealing something from Odin, which nearly got him executed on several accounts, but always managed to give him a giant A in Loki's book.

Back then, Johan spelt his name differently.

It was pronounced the same way, but was spelt in a totally different manor than the way it was now. Back in Asgard, Johan's name had been spelt Yjöhan rather than Johan.

And back then, 900 years ago, Johan had truly fallen in love.

Loki, the Trickster god, had three terrible children with a giantess, against Odin's best wishes, of course. They were Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, Fenrir the wolf, and Hel.

While the gods feared the two massive monsters, Johan took an interest in Hel.

While Hel was often written down as a woman in normal mythology, in reality, Hel was a young man. He looked normal from the hips up; lovely pink-peach skin and lovely brown hair and eyes; but from the hips down, his flesh was a pale, decaying green-white color. It was enough to make him seem like a monster.

But unlike the other gods, Johan thought that Hel was beautiful.

When they got to know each other a little bit better, and came on good, close terms, Hel insisted that Johan call him by the name that he had chosen for himself. Judai.

Judai claimed that he changed his name because he hated having the same name as the eighth world, the one that rested right above the world of the dead, Niflheim.

Both Niflheim and Hel were worlds of the dead.

But then, just as Johan thought that he and Judai could be together forever, Odin learned to fear Loki's three children, and had them disposed of immediately.

Fenrir was chained and banished to Midgard.

The Midgard Serpent was banished to Midgard as well, into the oceans, where he grew and grew until he was large enough to encircle the entire world and bite his own tail in the end.

And as for Judai AKA Hel, Odin took one look at him, thought him disgusting, and hurled him into Niflheim, where he appointed him as the watcher/god of the dead.

Johan, enraged with Odin, attacked him.

But Odin was too strong, and overpowered Johan. But Johan's crushing defeat was not enough to satisfy Odin. No, he needed something to really punish the young god.

Odin banished him to Midgard for 1000 years, making sure that Johan could never go in to Niflheim and see his beloved Judai until the thousand years had ended, but by then, who knows how their feelings would have changed.

"I've never stopped loving you, Judai," Johan whispered.

Skilfner glanced over with a slightly raised eyebrow. "What was that, Master Johan?" he asked. Johan slowly shook his head and looked sadly at the ground.

"It's nothing," he murmured.

Skilfner, dissatisfied with the answer, said nothing and merely nodded. His master had told him of a bad feeling that he had been getting, but the servant had dismissed it as nothing but paranoia.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Above Niflheim is the land known as Hel.

The child of Loki, also called Judai by his own choice, had been named after this land since he reminded people of death, what with his strange colored lower body and all.

Judai had changed Hel into a world of his own choosing.

With the assistance of Shou, one of the dark elfs that lived within Niflheim, Judai had managed to temporarily break his banishment and come free of Niflheim, though all he could do was go to Midgard and Hel at his own choosing.

But this would soon wear off, Judai knew.

That is why... I must hurry and get my revenge on Johan, for abandoning me, the brunette thought, gripping the book that he had taken from the library on modern day Midgard in his hands.

From behind him, Shou appeared.

Unlike Judai, Shou had a strange mochaish tint to his flesh, and his hair was a silver-cyan color. His eyes were gray, and shone red whenever he was angry with something. He dressed in an orange shirt and a pair of khaki jeans, and walked around in bare feet. Around his ankle was a strange charm.

"Aniki," the dark elf said with a bow. He eyed the book in Judai's hands and sniffed. "You went to Midgard?"

Judai sniffed and glanced out the window. "What of it?" he murmured.

Shou merely shrugged and said that it was none of his business nor his concern what Judai did, and took a seat at one of the tables in the Hall Judai had made long ago in Hel.

Shou reached out and patted Judai's hand.

"It'll be soon, Aniki," he promised with a big smile. "It'll be in a short while. Johan will suffer for what he did to you. For all the tears he's made you cry these 900 years."

Judai nodded and laid his head against the wall, whispering Johan's name and tightening his hold on the book. He grit his teeth and glanced at the ground with a blank expression at the thought of Johan's horrified face when he saw him claiming revenge.

Shou sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Come on, Aniki. This is a happy occasion," the dark elf from Niflheim snapped. Judai glanced away and kept his gaze on the ground, refusing to look at Shou. "You're revenge is about to be made. Johan will know how much you suffered. You could put on a happier face, y'know?"

Judai sighed and looked over at Shou. "I am happy," he said. He looked at the ground with another small frown. "I just forgot how to smile a long time ago."

Before Shou could say anything, Judai set the book down on the table.

"We should go," Judai murmured.

He reached down and rubbed the side of his thigh, covered by the purple-magenta socks and the brown plaid shorts. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of what he had learned. Johan had once called Judai beautiful, but now that Judai knew the truth, he felt the need to hide the discolored part of his body from even Johan.

"Johan will be waiting."

Late at night, Johan and Skilfner usually enjoyed walking the streets.

It was a peacful time, and not a lot of crime happened in these portions of the night. Johan and Skilfner enjoyed walking down to the intersection that went two ways.

Tonight, they found it different.

"Strange," Skilfner murmured, running his finger over the dead end's wall. He glanced over his shoulder and pointed to the wall. "Master Johan, has this always been here?"

Johan narrowed his eyes at the cold feeling around him. "No."

Before Skilfner could speak, a figure appeared on one of the high walls near them. The two young men glanced over and noticed the young cyan haired dark elf perched on the wall, eying them with a wicked smirk. Johan narrowed his emerald eyes and crouched down, as if ready to use his magic and attack at any moment.

"Shou," he spat.

Shou raised his hand with a laugh. "I wouldn't if I were you," he answered with a mocking smile. "You might make him angry if he sees you attacking his servant, you see?"

Johan's eyes widened, and he stood up straight, his entire body trembling weakly.

"Y-you mean..."

Johan shook his head. There was no way he was here. Shou was just making up another lie. There was just no way on all of Hell that Judai could be here. There was just no way.

Shou laughed evilly. "Think what you will," he answered. "I have a score to settle."

Johan was genuinely confused. "Score?" he asked. Shou flashed his teeth but said nothing, and merely looked away. "What do you mean? I never did anything to you, Shou!"

"Aye," Shou nodded. "But it's not what you did to me."

Johan's emerald eyes narrowed. Skilfner shifted so that he was neither behind nor in front of his master, in case something went wrong. "Then why are you here? I have no business with you," Johan spat.

Shou nodded again and fiddled with a lock of his spiked cyan hair. "True, true," he said. He stopped and yawned. "But I merely came to make him a bit... happier, you see?"

Johan flinched again and growled. "How dare you..."

"How dare I what?" Shou called down from the wall he was sitting on. "You're in no position to be thinking yourself better suited for him. After all, I am not the one who made him cry for 900 years, now, am I, Johan?"

The banished god twitched and glanced down at the ground, trembling. "T-that's not-"

"Not what?" Shou snapped. "Not it? Hah. Idiot."

Before Johan could make any remarks or comebacks, Shou gave him a glare that would melt the ice in the depths of Niflheim. Johan took a small step back, hating the look in his eyes.

Shou growled and grit his teeth. "This is all your fault, Johan," he said bitterly. "Because of you, he can't even remember how to smile anymore! It was all because of you!"

Johan shook his head and looked at the ground. "N-no, that can't-"

"Can't what?" Shou snapped. "Be true? That can't be the truth? You're such a moron! It is all because of you! Because you abandoned him, he is a miserable wreck! He's been this way for 900 years! 900. Damn. Years!"

Before Johan could speak, a strange crimson ball of energy came from the skies and hovered right beside Shou.

Shou turned and stared at the ball of energy as it grew and formed into a human appearance. This transformation lasted about three seconds, and then it turned into a true person, with color and everything.

If Johan wasn't immortal, he would have thought his heart would stop.

"J-Judai..."

Judai frowned and glanced down at Johan. He turned is gaze away and lowered himself so that he was standing on the wall right beside Shou, who turned to him with a smile.

"You're kinda late. Did something happen?" he asked.

Judai stared blankly down at Johan for countless moments, and then slowly shook his head. "Not really," he murmured. His tone was so soft that Shou had to strain to hear it.

To Johan, seeing Judai there was both amazing and haunting.

He looked the same as he always had; brown hair, peach skin, brown eyes; but he was wearing slightly different clothes. They were the same white dress shirt, red plaid vest, and brown plaid shorts that he always wore, but he was wearing long marron-purple socks that covered all of his legs up into the underneath of the shorts. He also wore a pair of black shoes.

"Judai," Johan whispered.

Judai glanced down at Johan and just as quickly glanced away from him. His heart was pounding, but he couldn't let it. He knew the truth. Odin had told him everything.

Johan stepped forward. "Judai!" he called. "Judai, why are you-"

"Be quiet," Judai answered.

Johan stopped speaking and glanced up at the brunette. He noticed how pained and upset Judai looked, and for some reason, he felt guilty. He felt as if it were all his fault that Judai was like this.

"I can't expect you to understand anything," Judai spat.

He glanced down at the ground, and Johan noticed right off that he was shaking. Johan thought that he saw tears filling behind Judai's brown eyes, but none of them fell.

"Especially not when I know the truth," Judai finished.

"What truth?" Johan called.

Judai shook his head and refused to look at Johan. "Good bye, Johan," he said rather bitterly. "I don't expect you to follow me. You never did the first time, after all."

He nodded to Shou, and then the two locked hands and vanished on into the night, a red crimson glow encircling them before it made them vanish away.

When they were gone, the dead end that had appeared before them vanished.

Skilfner glanced over to Johan with a frown. "Master? Are you okay?" he asked. Johan shook his head and glanced down at the ground, his whole body shaking violently. "Shall we... go after them?"

"Yeah," Johan whispered. "I need to know what's going on with Judai."

Skilfner turned towards his master. "But do you know where they went, Master Johan? I mean, if they went back to Niflheim, then you can't follow him, anyway," he said.

Johan narrowed his eyes and glanced at the sky. "I know exactly where they went," he said.

Me: Oh no! What's up with Judai? Why is he so upset with Johan?

Lucy: That will be discovered in the next chapter, or rather, the next two and final two chapters!

Me: Will Johan prove his innocence, and where exactly did Shou and Judai head off to? It can't be Niflheim, since Johan can't enter Niflheim or Asgard for 1000 years (about 100 now since 900 years of his banishment have passed).

Lucy: So, please review and we will update soon!