Longing
Author Notes: Time to dive back into a beloved pairing of mine. Yugioh addition haha and just in time for the holidays. So...how's about a call back to another one shot of mine? Never Too Late. I do not own Yugioh
3rd P.O.V
Judai knew better, or at least, he was supposed to. He had been on his own, surrounded by spirits long enough to always keep on guard. Sweet smiles, innocent gestures, sincere tears, he couldn't afford to be the naive fool he had been back in his academy days.
That was what he told himself when he decided to cut ties with everyone. He needed to be the monster everyone knew him to be capable. When he came back...after stopping Yubel, he saw the mistrust in their gaze. The way the flinched away from him yet tried to hide the action.
They tried to return to the way things were, expecting him to go along with it. But he knew, with all the bridges, with the cities attached to it burned, that there was no going back. Not even to Johan.
Out of all of them, he changed the least. His face never portrayed fear or suspicion, only that same worry and affection. He never blamed Judai for what happened, even when his spirits did. And wasn't that the saddest thing?
The one person that still truly cared about him, was the one most pained, most tortured by what happened. Judai was well aware of his beloved's nightmares. Amythyst Panther, before Johan went home, always liked to rub that fact in.
'You're to blame for his suffering. Everything was fine until you got involved.' As much as the brunette wanted to deny it, she was right. Right in general. His parents erased his memories before ditching him for work. What few friends he had before the mind wipe went into comas.
Yubel died with him in her previous life-only to get corrupted in this one. Even the academy and all his classmates suffered. There were fun days, at least back in the first years...but it couldn't be denied that there were so many dangers.
"You need to focus, Judai." He knew that-he knew that but he wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. "Judai please...don't do this to yourself." A sigh escaped him, the warmth becoming a frost cloud before disappearing.
He listened to Yubel, for now at least. He turned his brown eyes on his surroundings. His limbs were held by magic ice chains, keeping him bound to the wall. With each minute that passed it was getting colder. Combined with those two problems were his wounds.
Thanks to Honest, Kuriboh and Yubel's efforts, the damage was not as severe. A few mid-deep gashes across his arms and back, alongside a broken leg. Hurt like a bitch but was tolerable. Once he got out of his chilly cage he could heal within a couple days.
But that wouldn't happen so long as he stayed there. So long as he was there, his powers were sealed, as were the powers of all the spirits that wanted to help him. "How does it feel being human once more, my lord?" Judai glared at his captor.
Again, he should've known better. While traveling into the new city, there had been reports of both children and spirits going missing. His investigation lead to a series of spirits turned into crushed ice statues, destroyed with malice.
At the time, he panicked, concerned about the children he had yet to find, children who he knew had families that cared about them. So, when the Snow Fairy approached him, begging for his help, he didn't think about how odd it was for her to suddenly appear before him.
As if she knew who he was and why he was there. By the time he connected the pieces together...it was too late. "Aw don't be angry. I made this place specially for you." The spirit had the gall to pat his cheek with affection. Like she was a sister or mother doting on her son, it made him sick.
"What do you want?" Her lips twisted up. She dragged her nails across his cold cheek, mildly disappointed when he gave her no reaction. "I'm due for another statue, I think the Lord of Darkness would make a lovely new addition to my garden." Her comment made several of his spirits seethe in anger.
He heard so many enraged shouts in his mind, all of them promising to torture, if not kill Snow Fairy in the most detailed ways possible. Almost immediately after, he heard those same voices begging him to summon them. To make use of their powers to help him.
Judai ignored those voices for the moment, it wasn't time yet. "Then with your powers absorbed, I'll need a new replacement for my garden. Perhaps I can target some new prey." So that was why some of the frozen spirits were destroyed.
The more stable they were, the more powers they still had keeping them alive. They were both a decoration to her garden as well as a food source. "I'll have to pass on your offer." Snow Fairy slashed at his other cheek with her nails, giving both sides of his face matching gashes that dribbled crimson.
"Don't think you can control me, your highness." She hissed those words out. "I'm not like your pathetic companions, I have no need for a master-" And that meant their conversation was over.
He turned away, closing his eyes. Even with the seal keeping his powers from being summoned...he was not a mere mortal. He was chaos, he was death, he was...the Supreme King. "Burstinatrix." His eyes snapped open, now gold instead of brown.
Flames suddenly surrounded the young man, causing his kidnapper to shriek in pain. He felt the embrace of the fire heroine, she was taking over his body. He allowed it, knowing that she was ones he trusted most.
After Yubel and his mind-wipe, it was the Elemental Heroes who became his family. Who raised him despite him no longer able to hear their words. Burstinatrix became the older sister he always wanted once his powers came back.
She watched over him then, and would continue to do so, especially once he punished himself by cutting off ties. Her anger over everything exploded into a tornado of fire. The chains, Judai's prison, all of it melted away, much to Snow Fairy's frustration.
"How dare you!" Ice and fire collided. With Burstinatrix in control of his body, Judai focused on the statues. "Winged Kuriboh, set them free." His partner nodded his head before fluttering over the imprisioned spirits.
One by one, under the flying furball's powers, the frozen spirits thawed before disappearing. "NO!" Ice shards flew at deadly speeds in all directions, making it hard the elemental hero to keep track.
They were in the enemy's territory, with Snow Fairy easily able to camoflage in the snowy terrain. "Judai-I've found the children. They are alive but cold. We need to get them to safety." Judai wanted to respond to Professor Daisuke, he really did, but he was struggling to breathe.
The pain from his wounds were starting to overwhelm him. His powers were still sealed. On the verge of breaking yes, but not enough to heal his wounds. The fiery maiden was being careful, dodging and blocking as much of Snow Fairy's attacks, but she couldn't protect some of the ice shards that slashed his stomach or impaled his feet.
It was a battle of endurance, a question of who would fall first. The Supreme King already knew the answer. "Avian, you and Honest need to get the children out of here! I'll lend you my powers, but get them to the closest public area." Though the two male spirits were reluctant.
"Get going before I fry you two to a crisp!" But both their master's pleading and Burstinatrix's threat was enough motivation for them to obey. "Men." Judai snorted as Yubel agreed with the flame elemental.
He took offense to that. His friends listened to him in the end-they would ensure the missing kids would be properly returned to their families. "YOUUUUUUUUUU!" An ice storm blurred around them, dropping the already frigid temperatures to the negatives.
Judai hissed in pain, feeling the frostbite spreading across his bleeding skin. "We're ending this now!" Holding his fist out, he broke the seal, unleashing a swarm of darkness on the area. Like Burstinatrix when she used him as a vessle for her fire, his darkness exploded, covering everything in its path.
"AYEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Including Snow Fairy. "JUDAI!" Including him, he lost control. But...he was so tired. So...so...tired. Finally, he fell, allowing the darkness that obeyed him for so long to swallow him whole.
The end
Author Notes: So...took some time but I finally got to where i made a piece that connected to Never Too Late-not the fluffy sequel but hey inspiration for next year lol. But gotta end it there.
Sooo time to wrap this up. Everyone thank you so much for reading this one shot. If you like it please feel free to fav/follow/review as it would mean so much to me. Interested in reading more of me and Sen's stuff than check out our other one shots and series. Tchao for now!