Candlestick

by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX.

Timeline Note: This story takes place during season 2 and refers to events through around episode 70 or so. If you're caught up with the English version, you should be more than fine.

Fubuki hadn't seen it coming. Not by a long shot.

Manjoume had always been eccentric. After Judai disappeared, when the usually dark and angry boy had started insisting on being surrounded in only white and begun preaching about some Hikari no Kessha thing, everyone had dismissed it as him finally going off the deep end. Fubuki had thought to confront his protégé about the issue, but he figured that it was just a phase and he'd stop soon. (Besides, he still had a ton of schoolwork to catch up on, after being trapped in a parallel dimension for a year and a half.)

By the time he did realize that, just maybe, Manjoume seriously needed some help, the boy had already converted half of the Obelisk Blue dorm into white-obsessed loonies, and said loonies had decided that a great time to attempt to convert the Blizzard Prince would be when he was practicing his ukulele, in his own, highly colorful room.

Yeesh, hadn't these people ever heard of privacy? Not that Fubuki'd been doing anything that would merit it, but still. They could have at least knocked, rather than physically kicking the door in.

So, he had been immediately challenged by about a dozen of his dorm-mates to duels, the stakes being that if they won, Fubuki would join the Hikari no Kessha. They wouldn't take no for an answer, either, even when he told them that he just wanted to practice his music. They even blatantly insulted his talent at the ukulele, claiming that it sounded like a pigeon was dying.

Fubuki won all of those duels. Hey, he wasn't placed on a ranking that could rival the Kaiser for nothing. And no one – no one – insulted his musical talent.

But then came the real shocker – just after the Prince had managed to fix his door, Manjoume challenged him. His student in love – his protégé – was now ordering him to duel him. And he was to be called "Manjoume White Thunder".

Fubuki had always been allowed to add a –kun instead.

It was a tough match. Fubuki held his own quite well. But whatever the reason – exhaustion from playing so many others before, or confusion about Manjoume's sudden change in attitude toward him, or possibly even hidden depression after having been told that his music stunk – Fubuki could not hold off the final onslaught, his life points trickled down to zero, and, surprisingly, he lost consciousness.

"Be embraced by the Light…"

Fubuki swore he heard a voice calling out to him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out who it was or where it was coming from.

"The Light will solve everything."

Something white was reaching out toward him, attempting to consume him. He wanted to move away, but he couldn't…

And yet, something black prevented the white from capturing him.

"I'm not about to let you take my host away from me."

The white material growled, but backed away when it realized it was overpowered.

What was this strange black-ness? Why did it prevent the white-ness from consuming him? What had it meant, its 'host'? And why did it seem oddly familiar?

"I borrowed a year of your life from you – it only seems fair that I give you something in return. You know me as Darkness… but now, it's time for you to wake up, Fubuki Tenjoin."

When Fubuki came to, it took him a minute to remember what he had been doing before he passed out. Most of it came back, however, when he noticed that Manjoume was leaning over him. His expression was far from caring – if anything, it was one of curiosity, as if to see if something worked.

Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his aching head and muttered, "Yeesh, Manjoume-kun. Don't you think you could have gone a little easier on me?"

The boy in white looked almost flabbergasted. "You mean, you haven't seen the Light?"

"What light?"

One of the other converted students piped up, "So… you're not joining the Hikari no Kessha?"

Fubuki looked confused. "Why would I?"

"This dorm is for followers of Saiou-sama only! So stay out!"

Fubuki landed on the ground with a thump. How he had been physically thrown out of the dorm by classmates who were at least two years younger than him physically, he couldn't begin to guess. But all thoughts of that disappeared as he noticed the biggest change yet:

The Obelisk Blue dorm's outside walls had all been painted a bright, nearly blinding white. Regular sunlight, admittedly, still gave him headaches if he was out for too long on a particularly sunny day, but just glancing at the dorm now gave him a migraine.

Nope. He hadn't seen this coming at all.

"Saiou-sama!"

Duel Academia's resident fortune-teller was busy at his tarot-reading table again, but he always had time to see his most loyal follower. "What is it, Manjoume?"

White Thunder bowed before Saiou and reported, "Nearly the entire Obelisk dorm has been converted, as was your will, Saiou-sama."

Saiou tilted his head. "Nearly?"

"There are a few stragglers, but none worth your concern. Momoe and Junko can hardly hold their own, and would make us a laughing stock. As for Fubuki Tenjoin… well, you wouldn't really want him around anyway. He's very annoying and insists on playing his awful music."

"Hmm," Saiou mused. "Intriguing. Yet another person who resists my power. I will have to investigate him. Excellent work, Manjoume. Tomorrow, please continue with the Ra Yellow dormitory."

"As you command, Saiou-sama."

"So, what are you going to do, Fubuki-san?"

Judai's question slightly startled Fubuki, causing him to spill a bit of his rice that he had been absentmindedly poking. "Huh?"

"Now that Asuka has joined that Hikari no Kessha thing, and they've taken over your dormitory. What are you going to do now?"

Fubuki stared at his food for another moment before replying, "Well, if it's okay with you and the others, I think I'd like to crash at your dorm for the night, seeing as the other students will have a fit if I try to go back to my room. Then, tomorrow, I'll sneak in during my free period and grab my stuff, and I'll figure it out from there."

"Hopefully they'll be considerate enough to leave your room intact."

"Oh, they can't get in." The Blizzard Prince smiled, replying in a somewhat sing-song-like tone. "I have a single room, so I'm the only one with a key. Even if they tried to kick the door down, Chronos-sensei won't tolerate destruction of school property."

Judai smiled back, and the two of them went back to eating their respective dinners.

Author's Note: This is going to have a second part… it just got a little too long to be just a one-shot. The reason for it being called Candlestick will be explained in the second half, if you're wondering…