The Troubled Heart of My Love

Angel: I HAVE DONE IT!!! my first spiritshipping fic!! But alas! I can not take all the credit! But I can take half of it!

Kyo: the other half belongs to me!!

Angel: yup! Kyo and meh are writing this! And I get the feeling that a crack fic will soon follow from both of us. Why?

Kyo: we're both crazy authoress!

Angel: that would be it! and I should really stop all the one shots and get on to my other chapter fics (sweatdropps)

Kyo: you mean the crazy ones?

Angel: do I write anything else?

Kyo: what about this?

Angel: …we haven't written it just yet!

Kyo: whatever! Can I-

Angel: yup! DISCLAIMER!!

Lawyers: SUE SUE SUE SUE SUE SUE!!!

Kyo: hehehheheehe!! (bombs the lawyers with REALLY explosive explosives) Angel owns half, and I own the other half!


It had been a week since the whole Dark World thing. Axel had gone back to his school while Jesse and Jim had wanted to stay at Duel Academy. So all things should have returned to normal, right?

But things weren't totally normal. After the whole thing was said and done, Jaden was not Jaden anymore. He would always be cooped up in his room, on the cliff by the dorm or in the forest, or be out on the rocks fishing. He didn't bother to talk to any of his friends unless they approached him first. And when he did talk to them, he wouldn't say much or just plain grunt in response. They hardly saw him because he never went to classes. Since he didn't talk to them or go to classes, they had no idea what was wrong with him. And they didn't want to push him for answers.

Well, all except one teal haired Obelisk student.

Yes. Jesse was the only one that was really reaching out to Jaden, and was also the only one who doesn't know what happened exactly in the Dark World while Yubel possessed him.

He was also the only one who was dumb enough to try and talk to Jaden 24/7.

Jaden was sitting in his usual spot on the rocks fishing quietly. He was obviously all alone with his thoughts, and maybe the occasional duel spirit/Yubel, and was enjoying it. But not for long.

"What do you want Jesse?" Jaden asked looking out to the ocean, not even bothering to look back and see who was there.

"How did you know that it was me?" Jesse asked as he walked up to Jaden and sat down next to him.

"Cause it's always you. No one else bothers to try and talk to me like you do. And it was just about time for you to come down. And I still don't see the point as to why you keep coming to try and talk to me."

"Because I care about ya Jay!" Jesse said putting a hand on Jaden's shoulder. Jaden just shrugged it off and continued to look out to sea. "And because I want to know what really happened in the Dark World! No one will tell me anything besides the fact that you were acting like and obsessed ass and ignoring them."

"That's pretty much what happened Jesse" Jaden answered in a monotone. "The only way to have actually seen what happened there was to have experienced it first hand. So just leave me alone already and go bother someone else! Like Jim or something!"

"I haven't talked about this with Jim yet!" Jesse thought as he stood up. "He's the one person that I haven't talked too! Everyone else yes! He'll give me some answers I know it!

"Fine!" Jesse said out loud. "I guess I will go talk to someone else!" and he walked away with a huff.

"Jay…" Jesse thought as his face went from slight anger to worry. "Why can't you tell me things like you used too? I miss those days. And I miss the old you…"


Jim was in the Slifer cafeteria just reading a book with Shirley at his feet sleeping. Just then Jesse barged in. he walked over to Jim and sat across from him.

"'Ey there mate!" he said putting his book down. "What can I do ya for?"

"Can you tell me what happened in the Dark World?!" Jesse said sounding a little frantic. Jim's visible eye widened.

"Why in the world would you want to know that?!"

"Because…" Jesse said, now sounding more sad then urgent. He looked down at the table sadly. "Everyone knows what happened to Jaden there but me! And I want to know! Please tell me!" Jesse was now close to tears.

"Well if you really want to know mate…"

"I do!" Jesse said his head snapping up to look at Jim. Jim looked into his eyes and say many emotions: sadness, loneliness, determination. But the one that stuck out the most was: Love.

"(sigh) ok then! I'll tell ya!" Jim then started to tell him of what had happened once they had entered the Dark World. But once he got to the duel with Brron that really got his interest. He told them of the others last words to Jaden and then turning into lights. How Jaden had won against him, but lost all of his friends and, though they didn't know it at that time, his sanity as well. And the how the next time they saw him was when he was Haou instead of Jaden.

"WHAT!?!?" Jesse yelled at the top of his lungs once Jim told him that last part. "JADEN WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!"

"Let me finish Jesse!" Jim yelled. He continued his story, skipping the talk her had with Axel about how he and Jaden really started to become close, and getting right to the duel with him. "And halfway through the duel, the bandages on my right eye came off. And everyone around me was able to see my Eye of Orichalcum. And don't ask! It was something I got as a boy that would one day cause a miracle and let me save a friend. And that's what it did. But in the end, it was destroyed. But somehow, once I came back here, the eye came with me."

"Can I see it?"

"Hold on! I was going to show you it weather you asked or not!"

"Why?"

"Cause it's the only way to show you what was really going on with Jaden's mind." Jim then took off his bandages and Jesse gawked at the eye. "Now remember, what I'm about to show you has already happened. So you can't change anything!" the eye then glowed bright red.


Jesse found himself in a dark place. The place seemed to be endless and empty except for a few solid gray mirrors. But upon looking closer, he saw Jim and Axel standing, looking at something. Jesse looked at where they were looking and saw Jaden kneeling on the ground.

"JADEN!!" he called out and ran to in front of him and kneeled down to get a better look at him. "Jay what's wrong?! Wait, this already happened!" Jesse then looked at Jaden's eyes. He noticed that they were gold colored and looked almost lifeless. "What?"

"Why?!" Jaden started to say in a shaky voice. "Why did it turn out like this?! What did I do wrong!?"

"Jaden…" Jim said slowly as he took a step towards Jaden.

"What? What?" just then a picture of the old history teacher (forgot his name in English version) and tells him that he is missing something in his dueling career. And that was Darkness of the Heart. Once his picture disappears from one of the mirrors, Viper's comes up in another one. He then tells Jaden that he only duels for fun and not for anyone but himself and that he is not a real duelist for that reason alone. once his picture is gone too, Jaden then clasps his hands together and trembles. "But, but I always won! I won for everyone else!" he then screams.

"Jaden…" Jesse said, tears starting to role down his cheeks.

Pictures of Hassleberry, Alexis, Atticus and Chazz all appear in some of the mirrors and shatter one by one. "Everyone died because of me!" Jaden continued to say. "I must really be missing something! What is it that I don't have?! What can I do to make things right again!?"

"To defeat evil, you must become evil itself" came a booming voice throughout Jaden's heart. Jaden looks slightly surprised while Jim is totally surprised. It was Haou who was speaking. Pictures of Haou in his armor appear all throughout the mirrors.

"Who's that?" Jesse said getting really nervous.

"You can't get what you want by asking for it!" Haou went on. "You havta take it by force! Kill if you havta get it! Here. Take this" a blank card appeared in Jaden's hand and he looks at it. it starts to glow and get a picture on it. "That is Super Fusion. Take it. take the souls of weaker monsters and humans to complete it."

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM JADEN!!" Jim called out to Jaden. "You don't need any darkness in your heart, or the power of that evil card!" a red light engulfs everything.


"What, what just happened!?" Jesse said holding his head while sweat poured down his forehead.

"That is what me and Axel saw when we entered Jaden's mind." Jim said sadly.

Jesse blinked, attempting to say something. However, it seemed like his throat was made of glue, and his mouth was taped shut. He wanted to know more. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to ask the question he really wanted to ask, for fear of the answer.

Thankfully, Jim answered it for him.

"Haou's gone. Well, at least he can't take over Jaden's body anyway..."

Jesse perked up a little, his childish curiosity getting the best of him as usual, "What do you mean?"

"After I lost the duel and...died...Axel dueled Haou, trying desperately to get through to Jaden. In the end, it was a tie, and both Haou and Axel were killed. Afterwards, well...I can't answer that. The next thing I know, I'm sitting in some swirling dark realm with everyone else, and a blinding light surrounded us. When the light subsided, we were all home."

'Wait...So I'M to blame for what had happened?' Jesse thought sadly.

"So, the only reason this happened was because Jaden went after me..." this time he said aloud.

Jim blinked at the distraught teenager before understanding dawned upon him, "No! I'm sure it would've happened anyway!"

"No Jim. If Jaden hadn't followed me, none of this would've happened. IT'S MY FAULT MY BEST FRIEND WON'T TALK TO ME!" Jesse sprang off of the cafeteria bench and ran out the door.

"JESSE!" Jim attempted to follow, but Shirley wrapped her tail around his leg, effectively stopping him. Jim glanced down at her and immediately understood what she was trying to say.

Leave him alone. In the end, it's for the best.

So Jim, hesitantly sat back down and pat Shirley on the head, still casting nervous glances towards the door every so often.


Jesse stomped through the grounds, obvious to everything around him except for the coastline ahead. A few onlooking students sent him frightened looks, secretly glad they were not on the end of that anger.

But it wasn't anger. Not fully anyway.

No, it was a mixture of anger, sadness, pain, worry...Love. Jesse stood a few feet away from him, merely watching him for a while, before Jaden turned around again to give him an annoyed look. "NOW what do you want!? This is starting to get annoying Jesse"

"WHY?" Jesse shouted sounding desperate. Jaden stopped in midsentence and stared in shock.

"W-What?"

"JADEN, WHY THE HELL DID YOU COME AFTER ME!?"

"Because I had to!"

"So that's why? Just because you HAD to!? I mean, NOTHING to you!?"

"Look, I have no idea what you're trying to prove"

"Where is he!?"

"WHO!?"

"JADEN! I WANT TO KNOW WHERE JADEN IS!"

"ARE YOU STUPID!? I AM JADEN!"

"NO! My old Jaden...Where is he..?" His voice unconsciously took on a softer tone as tears streamed down his face. "I'm sick of this Jay...I want my old Jaden back...My best friend...The one that meant everything to me..."

Jaden stared in shock, barely registering his words.

'He...He can't...Can he?' Jaden thought, both surprised and relived, and a little anger mixed up in there.

"He's gone Jesse. I saw the light, I grew up. Maybe you should should do the same." Jaden then turned and resumed fishing, doing his best to ignore the blue haired boy gawking at him.

"Oh hell no."

Jaden ignored him.

"I refuse to just walk away this time. YOU WILL start explaining RIGHT NOW."

"And why should I explain to you?"

"I've said it once, should I say it again?"

"It won't kill you will it?"

"I care. I CARE. That's why, I refuse to let you push me away like this."

"Why? How can you possibly care about me after all that I've done?"

"Because...You're my best friend. Jaden, you could strangle Alexis and I'd still love you."

Jaden's hand stilled, and it took Jesse a moment to realize why.

'I...I just said...NO! This wasn't supposed to happen!' Jesse thought starting to freak out at what Jaden was going to say.

He merely let his gaze drift to the ground, and a few moments passed where nothing was said. Jesse flinched when he heard something scraping on the ground and footsteps approaching him.

What he was expecting, is exactly the opposite of what happened.

He felt a gentle hand lift his chin ever so slightly, and his eyes widened when he realized he was looking into one green eye, and one orange eye. "W-what?"

Jaden's smile was bitter, clashing with his features. "See this Jesse? This is who I am now. This is the Jaden that killed thousands of people. How can you love a monster like me?"

Jesse's eyes widened even more, and for a moment he was left speechless. Stuttering, he finally regained his voice. "Because, that's what love is. To love someone unconditionally, and accept their faults. I killed people too Jay, if you're a monster, then I'm a monster too."

"That was Yubel...You had no control over that..."

"I could have fought her Jay. But I didn't...I couldn't. So, it's my fault."

"Why?"

"Huh?" Jesse blinked at the teen in front of him, who was shaking uncontrollably, sobs rocking his body.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO DAMN PERFECT!?" Jesse didn't even flinch when the distraught boy began to pound on his chest, each contact getting even more harsh. "IT PISSES ME OFF! YOU'RE SO PERFECT AND I'M NOTHING BUT FLAWS!!"

'What!?' Jesse thought. 'He thinks I'm perfect?! Why!? And why does he think that he's nothing but flaws!? Wait...he couldn't...love me too. Could he?'

Jesse then did something that Jaden never saw coming: Jesse wrapped his arms around Jaden's shoulders and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"J-jess?" Jaden choked out as he tried his best to control his sobbing. "W-what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing silly!" Jesse said into Jaden's shoulder. "Giving you the hug that you've needed for so long! I'm not perfect! Not even close! And you're not all flaws! And even if you were, you would be my flaw! Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Cause I love everything about you Jay! Flaws and all! And nothing in the past or future can ruin that for me!" if it was even possible, Jesse hugged Jaden even tighter. "You'll be mine weather you want to or not!" he then heard something come from Jaden. "What was that?"

"I WANT TO BE YOURS!!" Jaden cried out as he wrapped his arms around Jesse. "I love you with all of my twisted heart Jesse!"

"Your hearts not twisted Jay. It's just been hurt. And I'm gonna be the one to heal it. And I don't care if my heart gets hurt in the prosess! I'd do anything for you Jay!"

"I would do anything for you too Jess!"

They seperated a little from their hug and looked deep into each others eyes. And just as the sun was setting, their lips met each other and they shared a passionate kiss.


Angel: FLUFF!!

Kyo: spiritshipping fluff!

Angel: yay! i like how this turned out!

Kyo: me too!

Angel: is that cause you wrote half of it?

Kyo: (shifts eyes back and forth) nnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooo!

Angel: LIAR!!

HOPE YOU PEOPLE ENJOYED!!! -Kyo and Angel