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Me: you know, people are probably getting irritated by me rambling on about Johan. I should ease up a little. Me: âŚ. Me: I just love how Johanâs deck are literally his family. Amethyst Cat is such a mom, Sapphire Pegasus is his cool dad, the rest of them all have their roles. I just love that these ferocious, powerful, mystical beasts, representing the way that Caesar conquered half of the world, saw this one blue haired boy duelling his heart, and thought âthis one. We are going to protect and love him forever.â And Johan is so clearly feeling loved by them and protected and the way that the deck works means they are always by his side and-
Johan spread one wing, glanced at the world outside, and then tucked himself back under the feathery softness. He hated getting up early in the morning and today wasn't any different. He vaguely recalled that he didn't have classes this morning, so he didn't have to get up. He started to close his eyes, intent on going back to sleep.
"Johan!" Amethyst Cat's voice dragged him immediately out of the sleep he couldn't quite get back to. "You have to get up. We're going to Duel Academia."
Oh. Right. That was it. He opened up his wings, rolling to his feet, and yawned. "I'm not late, am I?" He'd been late to a lot of things before he met the Gem Beasts. No other spirits cared about him as much as they did.Â
Amethyst Cat appeared, nudging against him gently. "No, you're not late. Not yet, anyway."
"But you should probably get moving," Topaz Tiger appeared on his other side. "The ship will be ready soon."
Johan took a quick glance at the clock and winced. They weren't wrong - not that they often were. He hurried to get ready, cleaning him and changing into his usual clothes before grabbing his bag and launching himself out the window, wings cracking open. Technically he wasn't really supposed to fly too far - it was one of the reasons that they were taking a boat to Duel Academia. But he didn't care. For a little trip like this, it wasn't too bad.
As far as he could tell, he was the first passenger on the ship. He could see someone coming down to the boat, but he didn't know who it was. He settled himself down, folded up his wings, and headed for the cabin he'd been assigned. The Gem Beasts murmured among each other, but didn't directly address him. That was fine; he wanted to see what as much as he could before he tried answering any of their questions.
This ship was definitely one of the best he'd ever seen, the cabins large and airy and roomy. That was to be expected from something provided by KaibaCorp, of course. He'd even spotted perches out there. A few moments of thinking was all it took before he darted out of the cabin and headed there to check them out. They were as good as he'd thought - not solid gold, of course, but gold made horrible perches. These were thick oak, polished and kept in the best condition. He ran one hand over them, then leaped onto one, spreading his wings for balance as he did. He liked perches; he'd always enjoyed being able to watch the world from higher up.
Cobalt Eagle appeared near him. "It is good up here,"  he agreed, looking around. Then he blinked. "Someone's coming.
Johan glanced in the direction Eagle indicated, and saw a tall young man approaching. He was one of the Flightless, Johan noticed right away, without even a hint of wings. What he did have was a crocodile on his back, one that peered out at everything with surprisingly intelligent eyes. The newcomer offered a cheerful wave.
"How you doing?" He asked, speaking the words in faintly accented Japanese. Johan shuffled through his mental list of languages and chose to answer in what he thought the other's native tongue might be.
"I speak English. And Iâm good." Johan flicked his wings in greeting, and the other tilted his broad-brimmed hat neatly.
"Jim Crocodile Cook! Pleased to meet you!" He tapped the crocodile's nose. "And this is my friend Karen."
"Nice to meet you too," Johan agreed. "You too, Karen," he added, nodding at the crocodile. He'd never met one of those before, though he'd seen them in zoos. She didn't look dangerous, but that could probably change if anyone threatened her friend. Johan decided he wouldn't do that. Not that he had any reason to threaten Jim in the first place.
Jim settled on a chair near to the perches. "Those are some nice wings you've got," he said, flicking an appreciate glance up there. "Don't think I recognize their type."
Johan spread his wings carefully and examined them. Wings were very special - not quite like hair colors, but with some similarities, at least. They didn't always match one's parents. Not that he would know - he had no idea of who his parents were, and he doubted he'd ever find out. But his wings were quite large, even for his age, large enough for him to encircle himself in them when he slept, and the feathers were pure white. He'd seen other white wings before but there were always differences from his.Â
"I don't know either." He shrugged. "I don't think they're swan wings or angel wings." Swan wings tended to be longer and thinner than his wings, and angel wings had a tendency to come in multiple pairs, such as four wings or six. He only had the two.Â
"Maybe you'll figure it out at Duel Academia?" Jim suggested. He laughed a small laugh. "Never had 'em myself. I like sticking to the ground too much."
Johan couldn't imagine what it might be like to not have wings. He'd had them for his entire life, just like the ability to see and speak to spirits. None of the spirits he'd talked to knew what sort of wings he had either. Some had suggested one thing, some another, and none of it felt right.
He guessed he'd figure it out sooner or later. Or maybe he wouldn't - they were his wings, whatever else they were. That was what he needed to know about them. Just as Austin O'Brien ended up having the bright wings of a phoenix and Amon Garam the tattered wings of a dragon. Neither of them seemed interested in learning anything more about what sort of wings they had. Though they probably didn't need to. Everyone knew what phoenix and dragon wings looked like and what they usually meant.
But what Johan looked forward to most of all at Duel Academia was meeting one duelist he'd heard so much about - Yuuki Juudai. One of the Flightless, but that hadn't ever held him back. Johan wanted to meet him. Even more, he wanted to duel him.Â
But he had a whole year there. If he didn't do it on the first day, there would be other days. There would always be more days.Â
The End
Notes: One day I might write up an entire chaptered piece for Johan in Sky Stories â a rewrite of s3 and s4 featuring him. Oh, and Iâm sure you guessed, readers. His wings are Rainbow Dragonâs wings.ories â a rewrite of s3 and s4 featuring him. Oh, and Iâm sure you guessed, readers. His wings are Rainbow Dragonâs wings.
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Summary:Â Johan is trying to figure out what to do with his life. An old classmate and a zombie might help.
Notes: This is a giftfic for higuchimon. I hope you enjoy it!
Read on fanfiction.net | AO3
Pack Mentality
The phone call came on a balmy Thursday morning a few weeks before Johan's twentieth birthday, when he'd just stepped outside for a walk with the Gem Beasts. He dug through his jacket with a frown and fished out his phone before it stopped ringing. Unknown number. That had better not be the press again.
"This is Johan Andersen."
"Johan? Oh, good," a man said. His voice sounded familiar, but Johan couldn't place it immediately. "This is Rolf, Rolf Selland. We studied at North together."
Johan had a brief flash of a tall boy who'd been a second year when he was in his first year. Their paths hadn't crossed often, especially not after Johan had left for Duel Academia, but he did know that Rolf's family didn't live too far from Bergen.
"Yes, I remember!" he replied. "How have you been? Anything I can help you with?"
âGood, yes. What I wanted to askâŚâ Rolf trailed off. Johan caught Cobalt Eagleâs questioning look and shrugged.Â
âWhat did you want to ask?â he prompted. On the other side of the line, Rolf took a deep breath.
âYou see spirits, right?â
âI do, yes.â Johan narrowed his eyes. That question usually didnât lead to anything good, and his reputation at North hadnât always been the best. The last time someone had asked that question, it had been a reporter who needed some filler for whatever gossip magazine he wrote for. âWhy do you need to know?â
âItâs my sister,â Rolf said quickly. âWe donât know what to do and mom and dad donât believe her. She hasnât slept properly in weeks.â
âIs she seeing spirits?â Johan asked. He glanced at the road ahead and sighed. He had been looking forward to spending some time outside with the Gem Beasts, especially now that it had stopped raining for the first time in days.Â
âIâm not sure, but she keeps saying thereâs a monster under her bed.âÂ
âMaybe sheâs just having bad dreams?â Not that Johan didnât want to help, but to help a toddler deal with her nightmares?
âSheâs thirteen. She hasnât had nightmares in years.âÂ
⌠That did change things. Johan turned onto the forest path with a glance at the Gem Beasts. If the girl really had a spirit hiding under her bed, he should probably help out. âWhat kind of monster is it?â
âYlva said itâs a wolf. Iâm not sure what monster that would be, though.â
âSilver Fang? Flower Wolf?â There were plenty of wolf monster spirits, some of which hadnât even been made into cards yet. And really, what did Rolf expect him to do? He didnât feel comfortable having to exorcise a spirit, but maybe he could at least try to reason with it. He didnât have anything better to do. âTell you what, Iâll come over and see what I can do. Text me your address, okay? Are you home tomorrow?â
âAfter two, when mom and dad are out.â Rolf said. âThanks. It means a lot. Weâre completely thrown for a loop here.â
âIâll see what I can do.â Johan ended the call and pocketed his phone again. He sighed.Â
âTrouble?â Sapphire Pegasus asked. Johan grimaced.
âIâm not sure. Remember Rolf Selland? He was at North.â
âNot in the least,â said Topaz Tiger. âSo whatâs he want? Whatâs the deal with the wolves?â
âHis sister apparently has one hiding under her bed,â Johan told him. The tiger bared his teeth.Â
âAnd you wanna go drag it out?â
Johan paused. He knew far more about monster spirits than most people, but he would freely admit that the Gem Beasts knew more. âShould I not?â he asked. He hadnât dealt with wolves yet. No monster spirit should be able to cause him harm in this world, but words like âshouldâ had lost a lot of their meaning after hanging out with Judai too much. Speaking of which⌠âWould you feel better if I had backup?â
âWolves are⌠Aggressive,â Amethyst Cat said, her mouth pulling into much the same sneer Topaz Tigerâs had. âWeâre coming with you.â
Ruby chirped. Johan hadnât even considered that they wouldnât be coming along. âI can call Judai.â
âWe would feel better if heâs around,â Amber Mammoth said. âGiven last timeâŚâÂ
Johan shuddered. Last time heâd gone to look at a supposed spirit sighting, Paradox had stolen Rainbow Dragon from him. Over a year had passed already, and yet he still didnât feel comfortable in places he didnât know. He cast a glance at the Gem Beasts, who looked similarly subdued. Ruby chirped again and wrapped herself around his neck. Rainbow Dragon appeared in person, huge and imposing and very much out of place in the forest, but it was comforting to see him here anyway, with them, safe.Â
âI am fine,â the dragon announced. âYou need not worry.â
 Johan nodded and was about to reply when a woman appeared on the other side of the path. Johan hadnât seen her here before, but tourists seemed to have an uncanny knack for finding the quieter spots in town. She brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, nodded at him when they passed her, and continued without so much as a second glance. Johan waited until sheâd disappeared from sight before replying.Â
âIâll call Judai. Heâll like this.â
OOoOo
Judai was more than happy to come along and, in fact, arrived about two minutes after Johan had called him. After three years of intermittent visits, Johan had long stopped being surprised. He just swept Judai into a hug and ushered him and Yubel inside. Good thing he kept the guest room ready at all times now.Â
âSo, where to?â Judai asked once heâd settled in, greeted the Gem Beasts, and raided Johanâs fridge. He was still wearing a sleeveless tank top that looked very much out of place in Mayâ Heâd regret it the moment he spent more than a few minutes outside. But, Judai had explained between bites, he and Yubel had been in Libya when Johan had called them.
âRolf lives in Førde. Itâs about three hours by car.â Johan enlarged the map on his laptop screen. âWe can leave tomorrow after breakfast and be there in time for lunch. Unless you want to eat in the car?â
âOr Judai could just teleport us there,â Yubel cut in. Johan ran a hand through his hair. Right. He probably should have thought of that.
âItâll save on gas, at least,â he conceded.Â
Judai grinned and nodded enthusiastically, leaning back in his chair. âWhatâve you been up to?â
Way to change the subject. Johan mirrored his pose, balancing on the back legs of his own chair. âNothing, really. Thereâs the Scandinavian Tournament in a few months. Iâm thinking of participating.â
âYou donât sound very enthusiastic,â Yubel said. Johan shrugged as best as he could with his unbalanced chair.
âIâm getting a bit bored of the circuit, to be honest. But what else is there?â
Ruby chirped sadly. Johan could almost feel the disappointment radiating off the Gem Beasts in waves, but really, what else was there? He was a duelist.Â
âThereâs gotta be something else.â Judai frowned and leaned forward. âI mean, look at me! I thought I was going to be a Pro Duelist and look what Iâm doing now!â
Johan landed his chair back on its front legs with a thud. He snorted. âWhen I suddenly discover darkness powers, youâll be the first to know.â
âYeah, butââ
âDonât worry, Iâll find something. Iâm not even twenty yet!â
Judai didnât look satisfied with that answer, and Johan knew the Gem Beasts definitely werenât, but he really didnât have a better answer for them. Heâd figure something out soon, right?Â
Thankfully, Judai let the subject drop soon afterwards. They spent the rest of the evening catching up and teleported into Førde a little before two the next day. Johan stumbled once they hit solid ground. Judai and Yubel didnât even have a hair out of place. Being darkness incarnate probably helped, and Johan didnât think heâd ever feel comfortable with the teleportation thing Judai and Yubel did so often. The darkness they used to travel wasnât oppressive, exactly, but he still didnât feel as comfortable with it as Judai did.Â
âThis is it?â Judai asked, looking around. He had landed them in the middle of a wide street lined with houses. A look at the street sign even told Johan they had ended up in the right one.
âYep! Youâre getting better at this.â
âA week ago he landed us into a river again,â Yubel said. Johan snorted. Judai gave them both a betrayed look.Â
âIt was right next to where we had to be!â he protested. Johan slung an arm around his shoulders.Â
âJust donât do that when we have to go back. Come on, itâs number 24.â
Number 24 was a small two-story house with a front lawn in desperate need of mowing. âWeâll be here if you need us,â Emerald Turtle whispered somewhere in the back of Johanâs mind. Probably for the best too. If Rolfâs sister could really see spirits, it would be better not to overwhelm her.
Rolf greeted them at the door. He had grown even taller than Johan remembered him being, and his dark hair, once close-cropped, now almost reached his shoulders. He smiled in relief when he saw them.
âGlad you made it. Come in.â His eyes lingered for a second on Judai. Johan nodded at him.Â
âThis is Judai, a friend of mine from Duel Academia. He knows a lot about spirits too.â
âNice meeting you,â Judai said in perfect Norwegian. That was never not going to be weird. At least Judai usually stuck to Japanese when talking to him, not the weird telepathic version of Norwegian he used with other people.
âYou too. Ylvaâs in the living room. Mom and dad arenât home⌠I figured itâd be better if they werenât around. Theyâve been very edgy about the whole thing.â Rolf closed the door behind them and led them through the house, to the living room, where a girl with the same brown hair as Rolf was watching TV. She barely looked up when they came in. Johan winced at the bags under her eyes. How long had it been since sheâd slept properly? He hoped theyâd be able to get the spirit out of here without any trouble, but if not⌠He was suddenly really glad for Judaiâs presence.
Ruby appeared on his shoulder and chirped reassuringly. Ylva didnât seem to notice the new spirit. Johan frowned. Interesting.Â
âIâm Johan Andersen, a classmate of your brother,â he said. Ylva turned her head and nodded. âYou said thereâs a monster in your room?â
Ylva drew up her shoulders and ducked her head. âItâs under the bed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but itâs been there for so long and it wonât leave.â
âDoes it hurt you?â Johan asked. Ylva shook her head.
âIt usually doesnât even come out. Itâs just⌠there.â
Johan exchanged a look with Judai. That was far from normal spirit behavior. âCan we take a look in your room?â he asked. Ylva didnât reply. Instead, she got up and walked towards the stairs. Rolf motioned after her.Â
âGo on, sheâll take you.â
Judai shrugged and followed the girl up the stairs. Johan followed. In front of him, Judai and Yubel were exchanging meaningful glances, clearly in the middle of a conversation that Johan couldnât hear. They glanced back at Johan and Johan raised an eyebrow. Judai mouthed: âLater.â
Ylva paused in front of a door at the very end of the corridor. âItâs in there,â she said, stepping aside to let them through. Johan took a breath and went in. The room had the messy look about it of someone who couldnât be bothered to clean it anymore. The blankets were strewn haphazardly on top of the bed, evidence of nights of tossing and turning. Poor kid. Johan dropped into a crouch. He really hoped there was a spirit here, because he didnât know how to help her otherwiâ
Johan reeled back. Okay, wow. If the growls that came from under the bed were any indication, there was indeed a spirit there. He caught a look of two glowing eyes, one blue and one red, shining almost unnaturally against the darkness underneath Ylvaâs bed. The spirit growled low in its throat, a clear warning. Judai got down next to him.
âThatâs a spirit, alright,â he muttered. âAny idea which one?âÂ
Johan had just been about to ask the same question to Judai. He shook his head. If the spirit didnât come out from under the bed, they couldnât find out. So theyâd have to get it out from under thereâŚÂ
âSo thereâs really a spirit there?â Rolf asked. Johan nodded, distracted. It clearly didnât trust them in the least, but⌠Well, it never hurt to ask.
âHello there, Iâm Johan,â he said softly. Behind him, Ylva shifted uncomfortably. âCan you come out? Weâd like to see you.â
The blue-and-red eyes focused on him, unblinking. Johan swallowed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the spirit started moving, its eyes never straying from Johan. Ylva took a step back as paws appeared from under the bed, emaciated and dirty. The skin was torn and loose in places, showing the underlying bone.
âZombie,â Judai whispered. Johan went over his mental catalogue of monsters. Which undead monsters were animals? Not Nightmare Horse, with paws like that. Not Gerunia either, and Ylvaâs description of a wolf seemed accurate⌠Very slowly, the monster stuck its head out from under the bed. If its paws had been a gruesome sight, its head was even moreso. The monsterâs very spirit seemed to be escaping it in wisps of blue fire that somehow failed to light the bed it was hiding under.Â
âPlague Wolf,â he realized. âIs that your name? Plague Wolf?â
The monster whined sharply. It looked up at Ylva, who shrank away behind her brother, then lowered its head onto its paws. Very interesting. If Johan was rightâŚ
A door slammed downstairs. The Plague Wolf ducked back underneath the bed with a loud growl and both Rolf and Ylva flinched.Â
âMom and dad,â Rolf said. âIâll distract them. Can you get that monster out of here soon?â
âIâll do what I can,â Johan said. Rolf disappeared downstairs, leaving Johan and Judai with a monster under the bed and a very scared thirteen-year-old. The Plague Wolfâs growl turned into a whine. Johan glanced at Judai and Yubel. âWhat do you know about them?â he asked.
âNot much.â Judai glanced up at Yubel. âHavenât come across them very often. Usually they stay away from other people.â
âWhyâs it here, then?â Ylva asked, an edge to her voice. It was the first full sentence sheâd said since theyâd entered her room. The Plague Wolf whined again, louder this time. It slowly reappeared from underneath the bed and stared at Ylva. Johan glanced at Ruby to confirm his hunch.Â
âYlva, have you ever seen any other spirits in this room?â he asked.Â
âOnly that one.â
Johan glanced around. Ruby had been in the room this entire time, as had Yubel. âNo other spirits, right? Not now, not beforeâŚâ
âNo. Why do you ask?â Ylva said in clipped tones. She pushed away from the wall. âOnly that one. It just sits there all the time!â
âI donât think itâs trying to hurt you,â Johan tried. The wolfâs ears perked up. Johan carefully reached out his left hand, but just when the Plague Wolf started to come out from under the bed entirely, loud voices reached them, coming up the stairs and getting progressively angrier.Â
âOh no,â Ylva whispered. The Plague Wolf disappeared again with a low bark, its eyes now solely fixed on the door. Judai looked at him and got up.Â
ââTelling you, there is no such thing!â a woman said. Johan heard Rolf protesting as footsteps neared the room.
âMom, just let them do this! Ylva hasnât slept in weeks!â
âSheâd be fine if she took her sleeping pills!âÂ
Ylva ducked her head. Something ugly crossed Judaiâs face and Johan barely suppressed a frown. The wolfâs growls got louder as the door reopened and Ylva and Rolfâs parents entered. Johan pulled himself up.Â
âMr. Selland, Mrs. Selland, nice to meet you. Iâm Johan Andersen, a former classmate of Rolf.â He held out a hand. Neither of them took it.
âAndersen?â Mr. Selland said. âOh, youâre that one duelist. Iâm sorry you had to make the trip, but weâd appreciate it if you left now. Our daughterâs having problems enough without believing in some hokey spirit stuff.â
âReally?â Judai said. Johan turned his head, just in time to see Judaiâs eyes change color.
âJudai, no, donâtââ
Too late. Yubel appeared, as did Ruby on Johanâs shoulder and the Plague Wolf under the bed. Johan took a shuddering breath as Rolf and Ylvaâs parents backed away, eyes wide in shock. Even Rolf swayed unsteadily at the sight of the spirits. Dammit, Judai.Â
âMr. Selland, Mrs. Selland, these are spirits,â Judai said coldly. âYubel here, Ruby Carbuncle there on Johanâs shoulder and of course, the wolf thatâs been hiding under your daughterâs bed for the last few weeks.â
âWhat are those things doing in our house?â Mrs. Selland said, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch. âYlva, come here! Get away from them!â
But when she reached out to her daughter, the Plague Wolf finally reacted, jumping out from under the bed, past Johan, and in front of Ylva. In the full light of day and fully solid, the sight of it was even more gruesome than Johan had initially imagined. Large swathes of its skin were missing, the bones of its ribs and vertebrae clearly visible. It growled loudly at Rolf and Ylvaâs parents, who backed out of the room in a panic.Â
âJudai!â Johan said sharply. Judai glanced at him, then at Yubel, who merely looked amused. His eyes finally returned to their normal brown and the monsters disappeared from view. Time for damage control.Â
âI am sorry for that,â Johan said in his best reasonable voice. âIâm sure you can see now that your daughter didnât make anything up, though.âÂ
Mr. Selland nodded shakily, eyes still focused on the place where the Plague Wolf had been. It had now, unseen to Rolf and his parents, moved to stand next to Ylva, hackles raised. Ylva glanced at it uncertainly.
âHow do we get it out?â Mrs. Selland asked. Johan sighed.Â
âIâm not entirely sure if thatâs necessary. Ylva, you told me you only saw the Plague Wolf before, right? Do you see Ruby or Yubel now?â
Ylva looked around, her eyes unfocused even when they passed over Yubel and Ruby. She shook her head.Â
âYou think sheâs like Manjoume used to be?â Judai asked. Johan nodded.
âSome people can see all monster spirits, like Judai and I,â he explained carefully. Everyone was already freaked out enough as it was. âBut some people only see the spirits of their own monsters. Their partners. This Plague Wolf is very protective over you, Ylva.âÂ
The Plague Wolf wagged its tail. Ylva ever-so-slowly reached out a trembling hand. The Plague Wolf raised its head, its red-and-blue eyes staring at her. Ylva almost pulled her hand back, but as she glanced at her parents, her face hardened and she put a hand on the wolfâs head.Â
âThis is so weird,â she muttered, scratching the wolf between its ears. âI donât even duel.â
âPlague Wolf? I think I got a few zombies out of a booster a while back. Is that how it got here?â Rolf asked.Â
âYeah, I believe so. It probably felt safe in Ylvaâs room,â Johan said. Monsters did sometimes get attached to cards and travel with them to new owners. Ylva slowly patted the wolf on its back, her movements becoming more confident with every passing iteration, even though she still avoided the parts where the wolfâs vertebrae were sticking out through its skin. For a first introduction to spirits, Plague Wolf probably hadnât been the best choice. Johan glanced at Ruby, now nestled comfortably around his neck. It would be far easier if kids like her could be introduced to spirits like Ruby first.Â
âWhat did you do with the card?â Ylva asked, attention still on the Plague Wolf, which was now wagging its tail in slow arcs. Rolf shrugged.
âIt didnât fit in my deck, so I put it with the rest of the cards Iâm not using. Itâs got to be in my room somewhere.â
âI want it,â Ylva told her brother. Her motherâs face darkened.Â
âYlva, dear, are you sure you want a monster like thatââ
âYou didnât believe me before and I was right.â Ylva kneeled down next to the Plague Wolf, who, unseen, bared its teeth. âYou donât know anything about it.â
âNeither do you,â Mr. Selland said. âAn hour ago, you didnât want anything to do with it.â
âI changed my mind.â Ylvaâs eyes hardened as she looked down at the Plague Wolf. Johan and Judai exchanged uncomfortable looks. Theyâd come here to help out with a spirit, not to solve a family dispute.Â
Rolf shifted from foot to foot, looking between his parents and his sister. âI think itâs up to Ylva,â he said finally.Â
âShe doesnât know anything about those monsters!âÂ
Judaiâs head snapped up. He shared a quick look and an unspoken conversation with Yubel, which ended with both of them looking at Johan. Johan raised an eyebrow. Judai shot him a quick grin that really didnât instill any confidence in Johan. This was definitely Judaiâs bad idea face.
âActually, I have a suggestion,â he said. âJohan knows a lot about spirits. If Ylva needs help, Iâm sure he can provide it!â
âMe?â
âSure, why not!â Judai slung an arm over his shoulder. âYouâve seen spirits for ages, right? Longer than I have!â
âYou and Yubel know more about them.âÂ
âNot really, and weâre never around anyway.â Judaiâs arm tightened around his shoulders. He leaned closer and whispered: âYou were looking for something to do, right?â
âWell, yeah, butââ
âWhat about becoming the bridge between humans and spirits?â Yubel said. Johan started. That had been so long ago⌠Right when heâd only just met Judai. Yubel had heard even that? But on the other hand, he had said that, hadnât he? He had always wanted to help people forge closer connections, make people aware of the existence of spirits. Maybe children like Ylva were the best place to start.
âI guess youâre right,â he said with a grin, dislodging Judaiâs arm. He turned to Ylva. âIf you have any questions, Iâll be happy to answer them. You donât need to come to Bergen. Iâll give you my phone number and e-mail address, if you want.â
Ylva got up and nodded. The Plague Wolf dropped down at her feet.Â
âShe wonât be making those monsters appear, right?â Mr. Selland asked. Johan snorted, as did Yubel. They grinned at each other over the head of a mildly offended-looking Judai.
âNo, thatâs just Judai. Spirits donât usually appear like that.â He sincerely hoped they wouldnât ask for clarification. Explaining Judaiâs powers was something best left to Judai himself, and even he didnât always seem to know what he could do.
Thankfully, no one asked. Ylva was too concerned with her new spirit partner, while her parents still looked very uncomfortable with the idea. Rolf, for his part, just looked relieved that the issue had been resolved. âThanks, Johan,â he said. âIâll pay you back for the gas.â
âDonât bother, weâre not here by car,â Johan told him. He shook his head when Rolf looked confused. âJudai. Just go with it, Iâve found that that works best.â
âHey!â
Yubel laughed, and Johan couldnât help but join in. Ylva seemed fine dealing with the Plague Wolf. It was still lying at her feet, keeping a close eye on her parents. Maybe those two would need some time to come to terms with Ylvaâs new partner and find a way to restore their childrenâs trust⌠Johan resolved to keep in touch with Rolf even if Ylva didnât contact him. He hoped theyâd work through it, but he was barely even qualified to help people with their spirit partners, let alone with their family problems.Â
âTake care,â he told Ylva as they were leaving. âIf thereâs anything, just let me know, okay?â
âYeah, thanks.â Ylva still moved around the Plague Wolf with care, but at least she wasnât terrified anymore. Maybe sheâd get a proper nightâs rest now. Johan left the house, Judai in tow. The minute Rolf closed the door behind them, the other Gem Beasts appeared. Â
âThat sure was interesting. So what are you gonna do?â Topaz Tiger asked. Johan shrugged.
âHelp her if she needs my help. Other than thatâŚâ
âThere are always going to be more kids,â Judai said. âMaybe not in Bergen, or in Norway, but people will always need help with spirits.â
Johan bit his lower lip. âYeah, but if itâs not in Norway, how am I going to get to them?â He was reasonably well off, and his time in the tournament circuit wasnât at an end yet, but he could hardly go jetting all across the world like Judai did.Â
Judai nudged him. âThatâs what you have us for, isnât it? Anywhere in the world, or⌠or out of this world, you know.â
âLetâs stay on the planet for now,â Johan said, to what felt like the Gem Beastsâ great relief. âBut yeah, why not?â
There would always be people like Ylva who didnât understand what they were seeing. There would always be spirits looking for a partner. And how could he refuse them help when he knew so much more than most people? After all, finally helping people and spirits connect? He could think of no better way to live his life.
i'd imagine with the knowledge that the monsters are corrupted gems, Steven will probs try to calm them down and talk to them (probably almost get himself killed a little) while fighting gem beasts in the future (i mean he was already a little sad when they were beating up the ice golem in Monster Buddies so). That will probably also leave him at odds with The Crystal Gems because they'll attack them to exhaust their physical forms to bring them back into their gems and Steven won't know how to feel about it