![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yu-Gi-Oh GX - Shatter (4/8)
Chapter Title: De Familia (About family)
Author: Heleentje
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Rating:T for this part, T overall
Characters: Gem Beasts, Johan, Juudai
Word Count: 1214
Warnings/spoilers: spiritshipping-if-you-squint, mentioned character death in this chapter, spoilers for season three and four
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or any of its characters
4. De Familia
Like everyone else, they sometimes hate being right. They especially hate being right when it means imminent danger. So when they predict that things are changing and that prediction comes true, they aren’t happy.
Juudai and O’Brien recover soon enough, but they’re not the only victims. Within days, Kenzan and Jim have taken their places, followed by Manjoume, Amon, and the majority of the school. Johan hasn’t ended up in the hospital room yet, but they’re afraid that it’s only a matter of time, because he probably will end up dueling eventually, that’s just the way he is.
‘Eventually’ comes much too fast, of course. There’s a complete forest underneath the island, and Johan, Juudai and their friends want to explore it. Amethyst Cat is annoyed by this decision, while Cobalt Eagle wonders about the island itself, because none of them can provide a logical explanation for an artificial forest of this size. It doesn’t make them any less worried.
Especially not when the group decides to split up. While Johan, Juudai and Sho go in one direction and Jim, Asuka and Kenzan take the other side, Topaz Tiger demands to know if they have ever watched a horror movie -any horror movie-, and swears to make Johan watch a whole batch of them once they get back to a place with a TV. His warnings go unnoticed by Johan, unfortunately, since he and Sho manage to lose Juudai after only a few minutes. The resultant search amounts to nothing. This only annoys all of them further.
Because the one thing they have always hated is being helpless. They are strong spirits, but they can’t take a physical form and it prevents them from effectively protecting Johan and each other. The feeling only increases when they find Juudai passed out after what appears to be another Dis Duel. This place is not safe, but maybe they can make it to Cobra without further problems.
They have once again spoken too fast. The next moment, everything goes horribly wrong.
Family is family, and family has to be protected, so it’s Sapphire Pegasus who catches the hit meant for Topaz Tiger and is captured in his stead.
And of course they go after him, what else can they do! It means leaving Juudai behind, but Juudai can take care of himself, and Sapphire Pegasus is in danger. Family always comes first.
But what they were so afraid of happens. Johan has to duel this time, and there’s so much at stake! They feel horrible. What gives that man the right to follow him? Why does he want to destroy their family? Johan is struggling so hard, and now Sapphire Pegasus too...! He’ll die if he stays in that trap!
And what does he want from them? What gives him the right to trap Amethyst Cat and Amber Mammoth? What does he know about Rainbow Dragon? Giese... What’s wrong with him?
And how dare he suggest it! How dare he say Johan only keeps them for their powers! he knows nothing about them, nothing at all! Johan will never use them, he’s just as horrified as they are. If only they could help him...
But what does he want? They wonder: does he want to capture them, as he claims? Or does he want to crush Johan, destroy his oldest and most precious dream and break him into tiny little pieces? To make him choose between them and his dream... Them and an innocent spirit. How can one person be so horrible?
Thank goodness for Juudai.
He shouldn’t be here, he’s still too weak after his own duel, but they can only be grateful. Because now that Jerry Beans Man is safe, nothing is stopping them from getting their revenge.
Giese should know better than trying to break bonds that are stronger than he can ever understand. He’s a fool, and they’ll let him know it. He never should’ve tried to break their family.
And if he has his own tragic past, they honestly can’t pity him. Johan does, and maybe Ruby too, but Topaz Tiger scoffs and Sapphire Pegasus refuses to listen. If he had looked for his own spirit instead of destroying the lives of others… That’s what Johan would’ve done. That’s what Johan did.
Johan killed to get them back. They’d do the same in a heartbeat.
But it’s the Dis-belts that caused Johan to kill Giese. That too is unacceptable, because Johan shouldn’t be a murderer. Neither should Juudai, even though he probably hasn’t realized the scope of what he’s done yet. The Dis-belts don’t just tap their energy, they turn duelists in unwitting and unwilling murderers. Cobra… They’d love to take their anger out on him, but this is Juudai’s task.
They’ll watch, though. And they’ll protect him as well, because even though he’s not family, he’s dear to them. After Juudai beats Cobra, they’ll be safe.
But Juudai is struggling. He’s not the duelist they fought the day they arrived. He’s weaker now, and he hesitates. Something is wrong, he has lost his will to duel. He has given up, even though they need him now more than ever. Johan can feel the darkness and they can clearly see it. How can it be that Juudai doesn’t notice? Is he so engrossed with his search for a purpose?
Why is he even looking for one, It’s right there, in front of him. The world needs him, and they thought he already knew. After all the stories he’s told Johan… Can it be that he’s really that naïve? They’re all relying on him, why can’t he see that?
“You fool! What are you trembling for?!”
How lucky they all are to have Johan, who never keeps silent, even if no one else dares to speak up. When everyone else has abandoned hope, it’ll always be Johan who takes matters into his own hands. Even if the rest of the world doesn’t realize that, they, his family, know it very well, and they will keep fighting with him. So if Juudai doesn’t know what he’s fighting for, Johan will be the one to remind him. They all depend on him, not just his friends, not just his monsters, but the whole school! How can he even think for one second he hasn’t got a reason to fight?
Now that’s more like it.
Juudai’s luck is legendary, and of course it doesn’t fail him now. And with Magma Neos on the field, this duel will be over within seconds. Maybe, after that, they can finally return to Duel Academia, where they’ll all be safe. After all, with Cobra out of the way, there’s no one left to threaten them.
No one…
But of course that’s too easy. It seems that no one cares about their safety, because suddenly Cobra’s dead and they’re not on the island anymore. Their lives are about to take a turn for the worse.
This is a different world. A dangerous world.
So many monsters surrounding them, and they’re all real! Juudai can’t protect them anymore, he can barely stand on his feet and he’s slowing them down. The only good thing is that they’re real here as well. They can protect Johan themselves.
Johan shouldn’t need protecting.