Chapter Text
The power he held had many names and brought him many titles. The Gentle Darkness. The Darkness of Justice. The Supreme King of Duel Monsters. The Herald of the Gentle Darkness.
He hadn’t liked any of those titles. He’d only bared them on his back and his crown to appease the people who relied on him.
He’d been a gentle child of the Gentle Darkness. He was kind to those in the shadows, helping to uplift those left in the dark. If a Herald is one who brings important messages to the people, then he was here to say that those in the gloom did not have to despair.
Then his father died.
His father who had hated his kindness. His father who had been beheaded because he was protecting Haou. His father who had done terrible things to their people to create the weapons Haou would need to fight the Light of Ruin.
The gentle child could not do what needed to be done about the Light of Destruction.
This is how the Supreme King was born. The Darkness of Justice’s avatar, it was his duty to drag the Light of Destruction down into his shadows and destroy every last trace of it, so no one would ever suffer from it’s vial illumination again.
If people hated him in turn, then that simply made it easier to hide in the darkness.
Let them curse him. Let them forget him. Let them never thank him.
He wouldn't thank himself either.
Chazz stares at the ground.
It's over.
It's all over.
Being a Duelist.
Going to North Academy.
Reaching the title “King of Games”.
It's lost. Forever.
Chazz can't make himself look up even as he hears his brothers approaching.
“You loser!” Slade shouts.
“You dog!” Jaggar hisses.
Chazz can’t do this. He can’t do this anymore.
“You’ve disgraced yourself.” Jaggar spits in front of him.
“You’ve disgraced the Princeton name.” Slade stamps on his hand.
Chazz bites his lip hard enough it’ll surely bleed. He can’t let them hear him scream. “Just give me another chance.”
He knows it’s useless to reason with them but all he knows how to do is plead.
“Another chance?” Jagger stamps his foot threateningly. “Do you have any idea how much money was wasted on this Duel because of you?!”
“The cameras, the paperwork, the rare cards we bought you-” Slade kicks him in the side. “None of which you used!”
Chazz goes rolling, groaning as he stares at the ground he’s laying flat on. He forces himself up, off his knees, off his hands.
He doesn’t let them see his face as he ducks his head. “Sorry. I’ll do better next time. I thought I could win this by myself.”
That’s it then.
Chazz has no power in this world to call his own.
All he has is whatever power his brothers let him have. Even that will never be good enough to live up to the Princeton name.
Jaggar marches towards him. “By yourself?!”
“When could you do anything by yourself Jun?!” Slade follows him.
Chazz grits his teeth, eyes shut, bracing himself for the smack across the face.
“That’s enough!”
Chazz opens his eyes.
Yuki is standing in front of him, her arms out wide, her legs in a stance, her head on straight.
“Chazz may have lost the match, but he did it on his own terms. He fought me with his own power and as a Duelist, there’s no higher honour than that!” Yuki shouts. “In fact, I would’ve been offended if he used someone else’s power to try to match me.”
Jaggar and Slade seem to be struck dumb by her interference.
But Slade’s a politician with a fast recovery rate.
“This has nothing to do with you. This is a family matter, little girl.” Slade steps forward, glaring down at Yuki and Chazz. “Move aside.”
Chazz fights not to flinch.
“If you’re family then you should treat him with kindness. And even if he isn’t really family in your eyes…” Yuki moves in front of his head, as if to hide him further. “You made this a public matter when you assaulted a teenage boy in front of two entire schools’ worth of witnesses.”
Chazz gasps and stares at the stands.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
It’s back enough his brothers think he’s weak, if North Academy thinks that too it’s over.
“My match up with Chazz the Thunder forced everything I had in me.” Yuki slams her fist over her chest. “I was having fun because he was giving it everything he had too!”
“You were having fun?” Jaggar snarls. “I could have you crushed, kid.”
Yuki’s got the cockiest voice in the world. “Good luck with that, I happen to be made of tough stuff. I’m not scared of you.”
“Do you have any idea who we are?!” Slade grabs the front of Yuki’s jacket.
Chazz grabs her shoulders, trying to stop her from getting dragged up.
Yuki grabs Slade's arms and pushes him away from her, pushes herself back. “I know exactly who you are!”
She really doesn’t. She has no idea what Jaggar and Slade are capable of.
Yuki puts her arms behind her, as if trying to protect Chazz. “You’re the two jerks who were pressuring Chazz to fight that hard or you’d do something awful to him, because he what, lost a game?! Do you even hear yourselves right now?!”
“I don’t care about the interval!” Jaggar advances. “What matters is results in this family. And if Jun can’t give us the results we want from her, then she’s gone!”
Chazz sucks in a harsh breath.
No.
Please no.
“Results are everything. Victory is everything!” Slade advances. “If Jun can’t give us what we want from her, then she’s nothing but a useless dyke!”
Chazz flinches.
Yuki opens her mouth. “Chazz the Thunder is anything but-”
“SHUT UP!” Jaggar slaps her.
Yuki ducks her head and shakes.
Chazz doesn’t know what to do.
“Jun is no longer our problem. I don’t want to even think about being related to that thing.” Slade faces the school. “There’s no point in defending her! The cameras caught everything. The world saw her fail and that’s all she’s ever done!”
Jaggar leans down in Chazz and Yuki’s faces. “You’re both nothing but useless little girls. A Slifer Red and the butch she beat! You almost deserve each other.”
No one will ever take Chazz seriously ever again. Everyone knows.
Everyone knows his secret now.
Everyone knows he’s a-
Yuki laughs.
Chazz stares at her like the lunatic she is.
Yuki lifts her head and Chazz can hear the cockiness in her voice. “So this is what a sore loser looks like.”
“What?” Jaggar and Slade snarl at her.
“This Duel wasn’t about Chazz beating me. It was about you two controlling him.” Yuki lifts her head high and shouts. “Chazz lost the fight, but he won the war! He beat you two and showed you both he won’t let you control him! CHAZZ THE THUNDER IS THE WINNER!”
Chazz stares at her.
Jaggar and Slade stare at her.
The entire arena stares at all four of them.
She’s fucking insane.
“Yuki, you’re crazy.” Chazz takes a step back from her.
Yuki turns to him and-
Are her eyes fucking gold?!
Then she blinks and they’re back to brown. Like they normally are.
He’s seeing things.
Chazz looks down. “No one else believes that. You beat me. A Duel is only about who wins and who loses. That’s all there is to it.”
His life is falling apart. It’s all over.
“Please don’t make me look like any more of a loser than I already am.” Chazz ducks his head further, to hide his eyes from the arena.
He can’t let anyone here see him cry.
“Chazz! The! Thunder!”
Chazz blinks harshly, looking up.
Andersen is standing up, clapping as he shouts. “Chazz! The! Thunder! Is! The! Winner!”
“Chazz it up!” Ezar next to him starts, waving the North Academy flag as hard as he can. “Chazz it up!”
Ezar and Andersen then shout together. “CHAZZ IT UP!”
The two of them continue to chant it, like the mad men they are.
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
Yuki and Chazz turn to the stands.
One of Yuki’s little pipsqueaks, Flannigan, is standing on her seat as she screams with Ezar and Andersen. “CHAZZ IT UP!”
She even claps in time with Andersen.
The rest of Yuki’s peanut gallery also stand up and clap. “CHAZZ IT UP!”
Soon the entire Duel Academy arena is shouting it, both schools screaming as loud as they can, some people stomping their feet, everyone clapping out of tune but still yelling out.
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
“Chazz the Thunder, you fought well!”
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
“That’s our Thunder!”
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
“Chazz the Thunder!”
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
“CHAZZ THE THUNDER!”
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
“CHAZZ THE THUNDER!”
Chazz spins and spins and spins, staring at the arena, twisting and turning to see everyone crying but they’ve got proud looks on their faces.
Everyone’s voices… it feels like, like, like-
“Go Chazz!”
Chazz turns.
Yuki is smiling at him as she applauds him. “Chazz the Thunder! Chazz the Thunder! Chazz the Thunder!”
“Chazz the Thunder has lost the match, but won the hearts of every person on this island, including mine!” Melissa Trail calls out over her microphone. “I’m proud of you Chazz! You fought well!”
Chazz stares at all the people who hated him, who mistreated him, who abandoned him and called him a loser… everyone who is now screaming for his success, who applaud him, who support him and call him a winner.
“I don’t have time for this garbage.” Slade hisses. “We’re leaving.”
With that Slade and Jaggar are gone.
Marching out of the arena like they were never there at all.
It doesn’t feel real until he’s watching their helicopters leave the island towards the dying sun.
Yuuna folds her arms. “The wicked step brothers ran away forever and Chazzrella lived happily ever after. The end.”
“ Good riddance. ” Yubel huffs.
Yuuna couldn’t agree more.
Looking at Chazz staring down the sunset, watching the helicopters fly away while he stands on the cliff edge. She can only imagine how he’s feeling. He’s probably scared. He’s been completely cast adrift from anything that supported him in the past.
Sure being with his family wasn’t safe, but at least he had food, water and a roof.
Now he’s only got North Academy. And who knows how long that lasts.
“Why’d you help me?”
Yuuna blinks.
Chazz hasn’t turned to her. He’s still staring at the ocean. “Why use yourself as a shield for one of those Blue Bloods you hate so much?”
Yuuna blinks and smiles, walking over to him. “I never hated you. I just didn’t like your attitude at first.”
She knows her Deck is being silent, now that they know Chazz can hear Duel Spirits. Yubel will probably have to be more careful about what they say around him in the future.
Chazz scoffs. “Well, now you know why I’m like that. Congratulations.”
Yuuna walks so she’s side by side with him. “We’ve all got our own things going on. Doesn’t mean we can be mean to other people.”
Chazz groans and smacks his hand into his forehead and eyes. “Ugh, more of this goodie two shoes shit. Spare me the patronising lectures.”
“Alright then, I will.” Yuuna tucks her arms behind her back.
She glances at Chazz out of the corner of her eye.
She remembers the nasty Blue Blood who stole people’s cards on their first day. She remembers the bully who threw Bastion’s Deck into the ocean.
Not easy to match up with the guy who refused to use cards he didn’t get himself.
“North Academy sure helped you out.” Yuuna grins, bending down and smiling up at him.
Chazz glares down at her. “What’s that supposed to mean slime?”
Yuuna giggles and straightens. “Exactly that. I haven’t heard one insult over my gender or my dorm. You actually treat the people around you with respect. In fact, you seem to respect yourself enough now to stand up for what you want.”
Chazz stares at her with wide, shocked eyes.
“I’m proud of you and how far you’ve grown. I’m glad you made friends there.” Yuuna offers him a fist bump.
Chazz stares, then looks out at the sea.
Yuuna leaves her fist up, waiting.
“You still haven’t told me why you helped me.” Chazz says, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, hands in his pockets.
Yuuna lowers her fist, putting her hands in her pockets. “That’s easy.”
Chazz continues to stare half at her, half at the sea.
“It was the right thing to do.” Yuuna shrugs. “That’s all there is to it.”
Chazz turns his head to her, mouth open in shock.
Then his eyes widen in horror.
“Is something behind me?” Yuuna blinks and starts to turn.
Chazz grabs her shoulders and Yuuna snaps back to him, staring at him in shock.
“I didn’t need your help Yuki!” Chazz snarls. “I could’ve dealt with my brothers on my own!”
Yuuna nods. “I know you could have. That doesn’t mean you should have.”
Chazz goes still, letting go of her shoulders.
“Humans need help sometimes.” Yuuna tucks her arms behind her back and smiles. “No one can do anything entirely alone.”
Yuuna may be human, but it’s her duty to save the world from the Light of Destruction. She can handle this by herself. What’s the point in having the Gentle Darkness if she doesn’t use it to save people?
“I know you didn’t need my help. But I’m glad I could help you out.” Yuuna walks past him. “You don’t have to thank me.”
That’s right. She doesn’t need thanks.
Haou’s great war with the Light of Destruction has been lost to history. And even in his own time, people didn’t exactly celebrate him for that fight.
“Haou was not a popular King. In fact he was hated because that fool refused to marry anyone but me.” Yubel said it with a fond, sad smile. “The people appreciated the prince’s kindness and patience, but it all meant nothing when he snapped after the Princess of Light killed his father in front of him. After that he acted in anger and hatred, which turned his people away from him or got them killed, until I was the only one left. He said it was only natural he would carry all the world’s hate as long as it united people against the Light.”
Yuuna doesn’t need Chazz to thank her for saving him from his brothers. If anything she may have made things worse.
But if it helped Chazz, to keep him safe and happy even a little bit… then it’s fine.
Jesse finishes running up that hill. “Oh man, is she gone?”
He saw Yuuna Yuki talking to Chazz, so he started running, but it seems she left.
Chazz huffs and walks towards him, grabbing his arm. “Yeah, yeah, now let’s blow this joint. I’m sick of this stupid island.”
Jesse lets himself be dragged, sighing in defeat.
Maybe next time he comes to Duel Academy he’ll get to meet her.
“Ah well, there’s always next year.” Jesse says out loud.
Chazz flinches. “Uh, what do you mean next year?”
Jesse looks at the main Duel Academy building with a smile. “Well the School Duel is a yearly event. Maybe next year I could go head to head with her, or, or maybe I could come along to watch whoever does get to do it and in the crowd we could meet or-”
“Are you fucking serious?”
Jesse pauses, blinking at Chazz.
Who is giving him the most disgusted look he’s ever seen.
“About what?” Jesse blinks.
“Are you seriously talking about Yuki to act like the shit with my brothers didn’t happen?!” Chazz snarls.
Ah. Well that was part of why Jesse was doing that.
“Do you want to talk about your brothers?” Jesse offers.
He knows family can be complicated, especially for boys like them. It took a long time for Jesse’s own mother to come to terms with the fact she had a son when she’d raised a daughter for most of Jesse’s life. There were times when he worried he’d end up like Chazz is now.
Chazz puts his hands in his pockets. “No.”
“Thought so.” Jesse puts his hands in his pockets.
The two of them walk in silence for a bit.
Chazz sighs and looks at the sea. “I’m not looking forward to spending a winter in North Academy.”
“Oh, you could spend the holidays with me if you want!” Jesse offers, smiling.
Chazz stares at him, pausing.
“My Mom mostly lives on the family ranch now, so it’ll be a toasty winter if you’re worried about that. And summer isn’t too bad either.” Jesse looks out down the mountain. “It’s pretty far out in the countryside, but there’s a town within walking distance, it only takes an hour. There’s loads of people if you wanna be distracted with that and all the chores, but there’s plenty of hidey quiet spots too if you need them.”
He misses his home with his Mom a little. He misses Uncle Pwyll and the local gay cafe he ran even more. The thing he misses the most though, no matter where or when he is, will always be his Dad.
“Andersen.”
Jesse blinks, turning to Chazz.
Chazz is walking ahead. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”
Jesse hums. “Fair enough then.”
He watches Chazz walk down the mountain, looking like he belongs on Duel Academy’s high cliffs and wild volcano.
“ Jesse, you ought to keep him in your sight or you’ll get lost. ” Amethyst reminds him.
Jesse shakes his head. “Nah. If I get lost, then I get lost. Besides…”
Chazz clearly needs some peace right now. He needs time to think.
“ Maybe that Yuuna girl will come to your rescue if you do get lost. ” Cobalt cackles.
Jesse laughs and looks up at the sky. “That would be fun, being lost with her.”
He’ll have to see if he gets that lucky.
Yuuna can’t believe she’s thinking this, but she’s gonna miss Chazz this time around. All of them gathered in the docks, the North students and the Duel Academy students who wanted to see them off. It’s enough to make anyone at least a little sentimental.
“Well Chazz, I guess this is goodbye.” Yuuna offers Chazz a playful fist bump. “Now don’t forget to write, or I’ll go to North Academy to Duel you myself.”
Chazz gives the Academy one last look, then looks Yuuna in the eye as he says. “Yuki, I’m not going back.”
The North Academy students still on the submarine blink in surprise.
One of the big buff ones calls out. “What’s this Chazz? Why are you leaving us?”
“This is one Hell of a plot twist.” Blair murmurs.
Chazz looks down. “I don’t belong with you guys. I’m sorry. I have things left to do here.”
“Then, where do you belong Thunder?” A tall skinny kid asks.
Another says “What things do you have left to do?”
Chazz turns around, head up high. “I belong right here. Duel Academy was always my home. And I’ve got a lot more to learn about respecting myself, without counting on everyone else thinking I’m the King of North Academy.”
Yuuna’s eyes widen as does her smile.
“But you are the King of North Academy! You’re our best Duelist. Are you sure Chazz?” The buff guy leans forward.
Chazz looks over his shoulder. “I am, if Chancellor Sheppard will have me back.”
Sheppard smiles. “Well Chazz, you were one of the best students we had. How could I say no?”
Yuuna’s smile widens even more.
He’s going to stay.
“Well if that’s what you want Chazz, then I will accept that. Just remember to trust in your Deck and in your Spirit Partner.” Foster nods, then turns to Yuuna. “As for you, miss-”
“May I have your attention please!”
Yuuna blinks and everyone turns to the stage setup by the docks.
Where Crowler is standing on it, holding a microphone with huge purple curtains behind him.
“And now, to present the prize in this year’s match between North Academy and Duel Academy, I give you the most beautiful women on the island!” Crowler declares, throwing his arm up. “Miss Duel Academy!”
Immediately most of the student population closes in on the stage, Yuuna and her friends near the front.
“Who’s Miss Duel Academy?!” Blair shouts out.
Bastion folds his arms. “Do we really have someone like that?”
“Sounds hot.” Chumley says.
Syrus puts his hands on the stage, lifting himself up. “Chumley, be my wingman.”
“Is she strong?!” Yuuna almost climbs onto the stage herself. “I wanna Duel her!”
Behind her she hears Jasmine and Mindy laughing.
“Of course that’s all she thinks about.” Mindy says.
Jasmine agrees. “This is Yuuna we’re talking about.”
Crowler gives another wave of his arm and out of the stage rises…
Dorothy from the Card Shop, in a tight orange dress and with quite a bit of makeup.
The students scream in shock but Yuuna is just wondering if Dorothy really is that strong to be Miss Duel Academy.
“Will the winning chancellor please approach the stage?” Crowler declares.
Shepard does so, walking across the stage with a pep in his step.
He presents himself and Dorothy leans in, giving him a big kiss on the cheek?
Yuuna blinks. “So wait… Chazz and I were Duelling for that?”
She doesn’t get it.
Somewhere behind her, Foster cries loudly and promises revenge.
And then the submarine is leaving.
Chazz watches the North Academy boys shouting out “CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ THE THUNDER! CHAZZ IT UP!” as they leave. He even spies Andersen waving from one of the windows, a branch in his hair for some reason.
Well, at least he won’t have to deal with brutal winters while figuring out this orphan thing. There’s no way his parents will take him back in after his brothers tossed him out.
When he first came out, his parents said that their daughter Jun had taken ill in a car accident, but her life had been saved by a young boy named Chazz. They’d adopted Chazz to thank him and were setting him up to have a good life, while they waited on Jun to survive.
Maybe they’ll say Jun finally succumbed to her coma and that Chazz left the family.
It doesn’t really matter to him anymore.
Jun Princeton has been dead ever since she knew Chazz was alive.
Chazz the Thunder still has to figure out who he’s gonna be now that Princeton is gone.
“There is one thing Chazz.” Sheppard says.
“What is it?” Chazz looks down.
Someone steps over, so Chazz turns around.
It’s the Slifer Red’s dorm leader. Banner, right? “Since you dropped out of Duel Academy and are now coming back, you are technically a new student and therefore, must start from the bottom. At Slifer Red.”
Chazz gapes at him. “Slifer?! ME in SLIFER?!”
This is some sick cosmic joke.
“Yes, welcome to the dorm!” Banner smiles. “We’ll get you fitted for a blazer as soon as we get back to the dorm and we’ll find you a roommate.”
The less cool Truesdale smiles wide. “Chazz can share with me and Chumley, since we’re the only ones with a bunk empty.”
“Roommate?!” Chazz gets up in that twirp’s face. “Listen here, Chazz the Thunder rooms alone! Ya got that?”
“Well we could find you an empty room.” Flannigan has her pinkie finger up her nose, smirking as she twists her fist. “But you’ll end up rooming with at least one cockroach.”
No way.
“WHAT?!” Chazz screams in her face.
Flannigan turns to the side, smirking wider.
“The dorm’s got a few, and some rats.” Yuki giggles and claps her palms together. “They’re really cute, there’s even some babies I see rooting through the bins sometimes, so I just toss them my leftovers out my window. I think they like me!”
“RATS?!” Chazz jumps up.
Screw the rats and the cockroaches, at least in the frozen north there’s none of that!
“I’ve changed my mind!” Chazz runs to the edge of the dock. “Turn the sub around!”
But there’s no hope of rescue.
“Come on guys, let’s celebrate Chazz joining the Slifer dorm with everyone’s favourite chant!” Yuki throws her arm over Chazz’s shoulder, dragging him back to the group. “One, two, three!”
“CHAZZ IT UP!”
Flannigan grabs his arm. “If you’re rooming with Syrus and Chumley, that makes you my new big spirit brother! Welcome to the family.”
“Your brother?!” Chazz gapes at her in shock.
“Yeah, we don’t need to be related to relate!” Truesdale grabs his other arm. “Welcome to Slifer, Chazz, you’re gonna love it here.”
“If you’re brothers with Syrus and Blair, then you’re my brother too!” Yuki jumps up and down, then gives him a hug. “I always wanted a brother my own age!”
“I am not your brother!” Chazz struggles and twists.
He escapes the Slifer weirdos, only to walk backwards into something soft and big.
He looks up.
The big guy Yuki hangs out with gives him a pet on the head. “I don’t mind having a bratty little brother, so long as you aren’t being too mean to the others.”
Chazz snarls.
He gets on his knees and covers his head with his arms. “Oh great, my new family’s already dysfunctional.”
He did not sign up for this. He didn’t sign for anything in fact!
“My new family…”
Chazz looks up at these laughing fools, the Slifers chanting his name, Bastion giving him an approving smile, their two tag along blue girls grinning at him smugly…
Chazz smiles.
This is going to be a pain in the ass.