A Burning Hatred
The weekend quickly breezed by, and soon Monday came. And although the barrier Tsukune was preparing was still incomplete, the two headmasters agreed to proceed with the school trip as planned. The students who went home for the short break eventually came back, but not all of them did. Most of them had resigned from the academy out of fear due to all the high level monster attacks that had befallen onto their beloved Duel Academy, and they no longer felt safe. But while some chose to not come back, there were still plenty of others who decided to stay and keep their faith in their monster peers and hope that Co-existence would be possible one day.
All of the second and third year students had assembled in front of the academy in the main school grounds while they waited for the bus to Yokai to come and pick them up. Jaden was with his friends as they had luckily been assigned to the same group. He assumed it was luck, but he knew that that was probably planned by Chancellor Shepherd so that him and his friends could stick together when they made it to the monster world. "So how come we're waiting for a bus?" Asked Syrus inquisitively. It didn't make sense that a bus would come and pick them up to take them to Yokai Academy, after all, their school was located on an island. Shouldn't they be taking a boat instead?
"Well I can explain that." Said Jaden as he ruffled through his duffle bag to make sure that he packed everything he needed, including his deck of Duel Monster cards so that they could play during their down time. "We don't need to be on the mainland to make it to the monster world. The bus we're taking has a signature which can bypass the Great Barrier. A portal is located on the island, so all we have to do is drive through it so that we can make it to Yokai Academy. But once we make it through the portal, it might take us a couple of hours before we actually make it to their campus." He said before he zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Wow Jaden. You seem to know a lot about how this place works." Said Bastion who stepped up to join in on the conversation. "Well of course I would know about how the portal works. Like I've said before, I'm originally from the monster world. When my sister took me in after my mother passed away, I actually called Yokai Academy my home for a short time. But then Headmaster Tsukune sent me off to stay with his parents in the human world. He thought it would be safer for me since my powers were sealed away. And I'm not going to lie… I'm not exactly excited to be going back there." He said with a long sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.
Syrus looked around after Jaden said that and saw how the other monster students were positively buzzing with excitement about going back to their homeland. And then he looked at Jaden with concern and confusion because of what he last said. "Why wouldn't you be excited about going home? Everyone else seems pretty happy about it. Even some of the human students seem happy, since it will be the first time any of us second year's will be going. It's almost like going on a vacation to a foreign country!" He said trying to lighten the mood, but it failed when Jaden's scowl only grew deeper. "I don't know what you think the monster world is like, but I promise you it's very different from what you're imagining. I love my home, I do. I just hate the memories that come along whenever I think about that place." He said solemnly, but before Syrus could ask him what he meant by that, the bus had pulled up.
"Alright everyone! Line up and stay with your groups when we board the bus!" Said Moka as she stood in front of the crowd while holding a clip board, marking off their names one by one as they hopped on the bus. Jaden pushed through the crowd so that he could stand in front of her. "Is it just you that's coming with us? What about Tsukune? I thought he would be returning to Yokai Academy too." He asked curiously. His older sister placed her hands on her hips before she addressed him. "He's busy with the barrier. He can't leave until it's finished, so I will temporarily be taking his place as headmaster when we return to the school. Or does the idea of being alone with me bother you?" She said as she raised a suspicious brow.
Jaden started to laugh nervously and started backing away after noticing that mischievous glint in her eyes that would terrify him every time he saw it when he was a child. But she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and stopped him from escaping. "We haven't had any sibling bonding time since our reunion! This will be a great excuse for us to play around a little. Maybe I can whip you back into shape and use you as an example for the other students. Because with me in charge, I won't tolerate any slackers. And since it would be unethical for me to be too hard on them during training, you're going to have to pick up their slack." She said with a playful smirk. Jaden turned away from her with beads of sweat dripping down his face as he tried to avoid her gaze.
"Y-yes ma'am." He said meekly which made her laugh and slap him hard on the back, making him lose his breath as he choked on the air that was forced out of his lungs from that one smack. Why did she always have to insist on picking on him like this?! And why did she always have to hit him too?! "I'm glad we have an understanding! Now get back in line, I have a list to follow. I'll call your group when I get to it." She said as she looked back at her clip board and pushed him back into the crowd. He was sent flying, and it took both Syrus and Bastion jumping in his way to stop him from flying any further. All three boys laid in a pile on top of each other with steam coming off of their heads. Syrus sat up with his eyes swirling in his skull from the impact.
"Jeez Jay. Your sister is one scary lady. Pretty! But very scary." The short blue haired teen said as he tried to recompose himself. Jaden stood back on his feet and popped his back in multiple places before he sighed. "Yeah. I'm used to it though. She's always treated me like that. Picking on me, abusing me. The thing I hate most is that she does that knowing I can't even fight back!" He said as he crossed his arms. Alexis walked up and helped their other two friends stand up, and then she walked over to stand next to the young vampire. "Well I can take off your seal whenever. If you want, I can unseal you and you and Miss Akashiya can have a fair fight. I understand sibling rivalry. There have been many times where I've had to put my brother in his place whenever he started getting on my nerves." She said with a fond giggle as she reminisced about her brother.
"Thanks for the offer, but even if I did have my powers she could probably still kick my ass." He said as he laughed, and while him and his friends continued talking, it was like he could hear a voice echoing from the back of his mind. "Oh I beg to differ. I think I would give our arrogant sister a run for her money." Jaden let out a small gasp in reaction to the voice, and he looked around trying to find the source. "Huh? Who said that? Was someone talking to me just now?" He said as he scratched the back of his head, but then the voice started speaking to him again which made him jump in surprise. "It's me genius. The other you. I'm conversing with you telepathically through the Rosario." His inner self said in response.
Jaden looked down at his Rosario and saw that it was floating with the red gem in the middle of it glowing brightly. "What the hell? How are you even talking to me? What's going on?" He said to his inner self, but in his friends perspectives, he was having a one sided conversation. "It appears that the seal has weakened enough to a point where we can both be awake at the same time. Normally, it puts me to sleep. But now, I can hear everything going on around us. I can even talk to you like this whenever I need to." He said matter of factly, which made Jaden roll his eyes. "Great. So now I have to actually talk to you… I can tell that this is already going to annoy me." He said as him and his inner self continued talking to each other, but Syrus brought him back to reality when he tugged on his sleeve.
"Uhm, Jaden? Who are you talking to?" Syrus asked as he tilted his head. He would never say this to his best friend's face, but Jaden was starting to look like a complete psycho. "It's too hard to explain right now. So I'll tell you about it later." He said as he chose to ignore his inner self that continued to chat away. Eventually, Moka finally made it to their group and they boarded the bus and sat near the back. With all the students now accounted for, Moka hopped onto the bus as well and the bus driver started pulling away from the campus and towards the portal. "Buckle up! Our next destination is going to be Yokai Academy!" Said the bus driver as he tinted the windows from the inside. The portal had to remain hidden, even if all the occupants on the bus were students. No one but the headmaster's and Moka could know about the portals location.
Jaden yawned while he stretched his arms above his head and leaned his head against the windowsill and closed his eyes. "Do me a favor Sy and wake me up when we get there. I think I'm going to take a quick nap…" He said as his consciousnesses started to fade away. And maybe it was because of his anxiety about going back to the monster world, or the awkward conversation he had with Syrus earlier, but he couldn't stop thinking about things he had tried so hard to forget, and his memories started to manifest within his dreams. In his dream, he was back in the body of his six year old self.
He sat at a table in his bedroom across from his older sister Kahlua as they played tabletop Duel Monsters together. And for the fourth time in a row, Jaden easily beats her which caused Kahlua to sulk. "Aw come on! How are you so good at this game Judai? I try so hard, but I just can't wrap my head around these rules at all! It's not fair!" She said as she slammed her forehead down onto the table and started crying. Jaden chuckled as he hopped down from his seat and walked around the table over to her and placed his head in her lap. She didn't feel as upset anymore when she saw her adorable little brother staring up at her, and she sighed before she leaned back straight and started stroking his hair. "I can't stay mad at a little cutie like you." She said in defeat.
"Please don't be upset! I don't know how I keep winning either. This might sound silly, but it's almost like I instinctively know what cards to play. Like the cards themselves are helping me and telling me what to do. I must sound crazy, don't I?" He said as he frowned. He didn't have a better way of explaining it. But to him, Duel Monsters was more than just a game. Sometimes he was even able to see the Duel Spirits, but he just chalked that down to them being his imaginary friends since no one else seemed to be able to see them except for him. Kahlua shook her head and pulled Jaden into her lap and wrapped her arms tightly around him as she nuzzled his neck.
"I don't think it sounds crazy at all. From what father told me, Duel Spirits are very much living creatures just like you or I. But they're very shy, so they only show themselves to the people that they trust the most. Only a person with a great destiny or a heart of gold can commune with them freely. If what you're saying is true, then that makes you a very special boy, my little bat." She said with a soft smile. Jaden smiled back at her and hugged her back. This was nice, he thought to himself. He was so lucky to have a caring and loving sister like her, because if it wasn't for Kahlua, he would have grown mad with loneliness by now.
"So what do you say? Do you think you're up for another a game? I promise I'll try really hard this time and be an actual challenge for you!" She said as she started shuffling her deck. But Jaden didn't respond, and she looked down at him worriedly. Normally the little boy was quite chatty. "What's wrong Judai? Why are you being so quiet now?" She said as she rubbed his back. Jaden had his face buried in her shoulder and spoke in a muffled voice. "I just don't feel like playing again. It's starting to get boring. No offense big sister, but I just wish we had more to do down here. Even I can get bored of playing the same games over and over." He said as he melted into her arms.
Kahlua frowned as she started to pity him. This just wasn't right what their father was doing to him! She understood that Judai was very precious to their dad, and that his protection was the most important thing above all else, but to strip a kid of his childhood was just downright cruel. A six year old should be able to go outside and play, not be stuck in a dark basement for the rest of his life! A mischievous smirk formed on her lips when a reckless and risky idea crossed her mind. But it was worth going through with it if it meant her precious baby brother could smile. "Hey Judai. How about we break out of here? At least for the evening. I know the times of the guard change and father is away on business. If we're careful enough to not get caught, I think it will be fine. What do you say?"
Jaden's head immediately perked up and his gloomy expression at first turned to one of joy, but then he started to have second thoughts and doubt creeped into his mind. "But that would be wrong! You always tell me it's not okay to break the rules. What if something bad happens?! I don't want you to get in trouble!" He said as he pouted, but Kahlua reassured him with a playful wink. "Everything will be fine! You know I'm always going to protect you. Besides, you said it yourself. We need to be able to play different games. And I know a perfect spot for hide and seek." She said as she took Jaden out from her lap and started walking towards the door. She pulled it open and turned back to him with her hand extended out. "Are you coming my little bat?" She asked him, but Jaden still wasn't sure.
He gulped and decided to take a leap of faith. He always wondered what the outside world was like and he couldn't just let an opportunity like this pass him by. When would he have another chance like this to see for himself what normal kids got to experience? He happily ran towards his sister and took hold of her hand. Kahlua smiled at him approvingly and closed the door behind them and the two quickly took off down the hallway. They stopped at the corner, where she peeked around and saw the guard leaving his post to alert the next round for the change of the guard and she took that as her chance for them to sneak past.
By now, Jaden was in a part of the castle that he had never been in before. They were in the corridor which led up the basement stairs and on to the ground floor. Just one more flight of steps, and he would finally be able to feel the sun on his skin. "Let's make it quick! Before someone catches us!" Kahlua said as she placed a finger to her lips, and Jaden nodded in understanding. They started heading up the stairs, and just when they were about to reach the top, the basement door swung open and Jaden's beautiful mother stepped through while wearing her gorgeous red gown. Her eyes grew wide when she saw her son and looked around to make sure no one noticed, and swiftly closed the door before she stared at them disapprovingly.
"Judai! What are you doing out of your room?!" She said as she stepped down to meet them halfway. "And you Kahlua… How could you accompany him?! Was it your idea to try and get him out of this place?! You know what your father will do if he finds out you disobeyed his orders! Do you have no concern for your safety?!" She said as she scooped Jaden up into her arms who had a look of shock on his face because they had been caught red handed. "I-I'm sorry mommy… Don't blame Kahlua. She only did it because I was complaining about being bored!" He said with tears welling up in the corners of his red vampiric eyes.
His mother sighed and she started rubbing his back to stop him from crying. "Is this true Kahlua?" She asked as she turned towards the other female vampire. Kahlua stared at the ground while she crinkled her dress in her hands. "Y-yes ma'am. But you should have heard his voice. He sounded so pitiful; it was heart breaking. I thought he deserved a day to just be a kid. I apologize, it was a bad judgment call. If you want me to, I will take him back immediately." She said as she reached to pluck Jaden away, but his mother turned away to keep her from doing so. Kahlua looked at her with confusion as she tilted her head. "Is something the matter ma'am?"
"You will be doing no such thing." She said to her, which surprised both Kahlua and Jaden. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't let you guys go? Judai." She said as she looked at her son who was staring up at her with his large, wide eyes. "Is this what you really want? Do you want to go outside?" She asked him seriously. Jaden did not hesitate to answer and nodded his head. "Yes! More than anything! I want to feel the sun mommy! At least just once!" He said in a tone so cute and child like it would melt anyone's heart if they heard it. Especially hers. "Alright then. I'll let you go, but I will be going with you as well. At least I can try to cover for you if someone tries to ask any questions." Jaden's eyes gleamed with happiness as he hugged his mother tightly. "Thank you mommy! I love you so much!"
She took a deep breath as she smelt his hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "You're welcome baby. But it won't be for long, maybe an hour at most so we don't have any time to waste. Come Kahlua, show us where you were trying to take him." She said as she looked at the tan skinned beauty. "Yes ma'am! Right away!" She took the lead and led the two of them into main part of the castle. They walked for a while as they traversed the large hallways of the estate and Jaden looked around as he took in all of the new sights and smells. "We are nearly there." She said as they approached a large set of double doors. "Are you ready my little bat? The garden is just beyond this door." Kahlua said as she looked at her excited little brother who was bouncing around in his mother's arms.
She giggled and took that as a yes before she pulled the doors wide open. Jaden was not prepared for the bright beams of light that flooded the room, and he had to cover his eyes or else he would be blinded. They stepped outside and he took in the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees and the sounds of the gentle breeze blowing in his ears. His mother put him down and once his eyes adjusted to the light, he eagerly started taking everything in. They were in a rose garden with a magnificent fountain in the middle. "Wow! This place is amazing!" He said and started to laugh when he flopped onto the grass and spread his arms out, letting the warmth of the sun cover his cold pale skin. "I wish I could just be out here forever!" He said before a butterfly landed on his nose.
Both Kahlua and his mother took in his cuteness when he sat up and placed the butterfly onto his finger and smiled from ear to ear. "It looks like you made a new friend!" Kahlua said when she pulled out her smart phone and started taking as many pictures as she could. The butterfly eventually flew away which made Jaden sad. "Oh no. I guess he doesn't like me after all." He said as he pouted, and his mother walked over to him and patted his head. "That's not true Judai. He probably just had somewhere else to be. This world is large and full of many wonders. Be happy that he took the time to say hi to you." Jaden grinned as he stood up and started running around, tempting his sister to chase him. "You said we were going to play hide and seek! So close your eyes and start counting!" He said before he took off to find a good spot to hide.
His mother stood to the side as she watched them play. She had never seen her child so happy during the entirety of his short life. It made her feel like a failure as a parent, because she tried her best to keep him entertained and happy as much as possible, but with Issa looming over their shoulders all the time, there really wasn't much she could do about it. But that didn't stop her from blaming herself for not trying to do more for him. She lost track of time as she continued to watch them play, and what was supposed to be just for one hour turned into several and the sun had already started to set. Once she noticed how late it was getting, she gasped and yelled to call them over.
"Judai! Kahlua! It's time to go back now! Your father will be home any minute-" She said but felt a malicious presence standing behind her. She started to have a cold sweat when she turned around slowly, and she saw the opposing figure of Issa Shuzen standing behind her accompanied by two of his subordinates. He stared at them with a cold and unloving gaze before he approached her and slapped her across the face, making her whimper as she crashed to the floor. "Who gave you permission to take my son here you impotent wench?" Jaden heard the cries of his mother, causing him to rush over and tend to his mom who clutched her burning cheek.
"Mommy! Are you okay?!" He asked her worriedly, but she smiled at him to deter his fear even though she herself was shaking on the inside. "I'm okay Judai. You just stand back. Mommy will take care of everything." She resolved herself before she glared at the man who helped bare her son and stood up to face him. "He is not your son. He is OURS. And I was the one who said it was alright. I have let you have control for far too long! I am the one who caters to his needs, and I am the one who has been with him and loved him since the day he was born! If he says he wants to play outside then I will not refuse him!" She shouted out confidently. For the first time since their forced arrangement, she talked back to her abuser. And it felt impowering.
Issa smirked before he released a fit of hysterical laughter. "What is this talk of love and care? When I purchased you, you became my property. Anything that comes from you belongs to me and only me. And why must I show him love? There is no need to coddle a weapon. He might be my son, but I didn't help give life to him so that I can play an affectionate father. I impregnated you in hopes that you could give me a boy, because I needed the power that could only come from your blood line. I needed the Gentle Darkness. And now that I have it, I will be damned that it ever gets taken away." He snapped his fingers and the two men who stood by his sides instantly transformed into their monster forms. "Grab the boy and bring him back down to his room. I need to teach this one a lesson." He said as he started to approach Jaden's mother.
The monsters started to walk towards Jaden and he stared with wide terrified eyes as he started to back away from them. "No! Stay away from me!" He pleaded, but of course they didn't listen. They grabbed him and started to wrangle him into submission, and he could do nothing except look towards his older sister for help. "Big sister! Don't let them take me! Please! I'm not ready to go back!" But his words could not reach Kahlua's ears. She was frozen in fear when she saw her father and felt his monstrous presence. It had been ingrained into her brain from a young age that she should never go against her father's will. And she thought she was over that when Judai came into her life, but she was still acting like a leashed dog, not being able to forget the harsh lessons she was taught. "I can't… I'm sorry! But I just can't!" She said as she pulled at her hair.
Jaden couldn't even believe what he was hearing. She said that she promised to protect him and that nothing bad would happen! But she was just a big liar! "KAHLUA!!!" He screamed out, but one of the monsters covered his mouth and lifted him up, restraining his arms to his sides and immobilizing him. He continued to scream into the monster's hand, but his ears caught the sound of his mother being beaten. He turned his head and saw her on the floor while his father mercilessly kicked her over and over. Blood was now starting to pool from her head. "You stupid bitch. I should have separated you from that boy the minute he was born. Better yet, I should have killed you, but no. I let you raise him, and because of you he's grown soft. Look at him crying over there and screaming like some kind of plebian."
"It's no wonder that I haven't seen any results from his training! All you ever do is coddle him, and now he's grown dependent. I will never obtain the Gentle Darkness if you continue to be in his life!" He stomped on her one more time before she lost consciousness, but he wasn't planning on stopping there. He was so angry he could care less if she died or not. While Jaden watched his mother being brutalized, he began to feel a burning sensation growing within the pit of his stomach. It grew hotter and hotter until he could no longer take it. The monster holding onto him screamed out in pain when a black mist started to form around Jaden's body, burning the monster and causing him to drop the six year old.
"Don't you dare put your hands on my mommy…" He said in a cold tone unbefitting of him with his bangs covering his eyes. What was this feeling? It felt hot and tasted bitter in his mouth. It scared him, but he couldn't get enough of it. It just continued growing inside of him like a ball of fire and he was the one feeding the flames. "You little brat! How dare you burn me!" The large monster said as he went to swipe at the six year old. "Yubel… I need you." Jaden said without turning around, and for the first time, he used his powers to summon a Duel Monster onto the physical plain. Yubel materialized and stopped the monster from attacking, and then swiftly cut him in half with their large razor sharp wings.
Issa saw the commotion and grinned wickedly. "How interesting. So I was right in assuming that you had a connection to the spirits. I guess it just took you getting angry to finally awaken your potential." He said as he placed his foot on top of Jaden's mother's head. "You. The one who's still alive. Avenge your comrade and subdue the child." The other monster, who looked like a humanoid dragon, roared as he followed his bosses command. He flew high into the sky and descended down with a fireball forming in his mouth. "Let's see if your little spirit friend can stop this!" He said as he shot the ball, but Yubel jumped in front of their master and cut it in half. The two halves crashed on opposite sides of Jaden and caused large explosions which burned the plants in the impacted zones.
With the smoke obscuring the dragonoid's vision, he failed to notice when Jaden jumped after him and then plunged his hand into his chest and ripped his heart out. It beat slowly in his hand with blood spurting out of it, until it eventually stopped. The dragonoid died and fell to the floor with a loud thud. "After all the training you put me through, do you think something like that could hurt me?" Jaden said menacingly as he looked up. Instead of his red vampiric eyes, they were replaced with the color of a shimmering gold that had doom written all over them. Issa couldn't hide his excitement as he started to laugh. "I love that look in your eyes my son. I knew it, you really are the destined one! My finest creation!" He said as he spread his arms out wide. "Now come! Give your father a hug!"
Jaden continued to glare at him with a cold expression. Yubel stood behind him with their arms crossed and their wings unfurled, waiting for their master's command, which she could never deny for the kings word was law. So his mother had lied to him back then, Jaden thought to himself. His father didn't love him at all. He had hoped that maybe they could grow closer, but after witnessing what he did to the woman he loved most in the world, he could care less about winning the affections of that man. All he could feel was a burning hatred and a taste for vengeance. "With pleasure." Jaden said before he lunged forward at lightning fast speed. If it was a hug his father wanted, he would make sure to wrap his arms around him to squeeze the life out of him!