A/N: This fic is HIGHLY AU. And it takes place before Duel Academia, when Juudai is 12 about to turn 13. I realized later that some websites said his bday was in summer OTL but I'm just gonna say otherwise cuz I liked the setting. D; And Haou has his own body…again…and he's still the other half of Juudai's soul but…meh…will be explained later –lazy- And he's 18 about to turn 19. O.o It's…le gasp…SHOTA! –dies- Well, kinda lol. Anyway, I realize this does go against a lot of stuff I preached for…ugh. But I'm done with trying to fit into a certain category and would rather write aimed at different audiences. So this is fer fun. Kk? If you want strict canon, go look at another story I wrote. I shall at least TRY to keep it IC based on the new BG story and I shall at least try not to handwave things away with "oh, it's AU." Ugh nevermind. I don't wanna rant right now. –has to go to class soon-

Disclaimer: I do not own GX. Based on an rp that Angel Duelist 153 and I did.

Prologue: Stranger

It was a dreary winter day when Juudai first saw him. He was rushing down the icy sidewalk on his way home from school, his breaths coming out in short, hot puffs. That November had been extraordinarily cold and Juudai was already a little tired of it. The snow that was sifting softly down from the clouded over sky was beautiful, but it was a little bit unpleasant to walk in day after day. All he could think of at the moment was getting inside his nice, cozy room with the heater turned on high, and a mug of hot chocolate to ward off the chills.

As he hurried, he failed to take notice of a presence that had been lingering nearby for days. In fact, he had not noticed that person at any time that he had been present. He was quite good at concealing himself, and he had had his eye on Juudai for awhile then. No one really knew why he was there or where he had come from; he was simply there and no one questioned it. He was like a shadow, keeping to himself and blending in with whatever surroundings there were. It was not that he was plain, though. He was quite the opposite; an interesting fellow indeed. But even though his demeanor and his appearance were striking, it was his quiet nature that had left him out of the general interest of the public.

For the past few weeks—or perhaps longer; it could not be discerned—this person had been edging closer and closer to intruding upon Juudai's life. And perhaps it was that he had some important purpose. Or perhaps not. Whatever the reason, the winds of change had sent him in that direction and he had gone. And soon, fate would cause these two paths to cross in a most mundane and yet unseemly of ways.

He continued to watch from a bit of a distance as the brunet pushed himself harder. He was not really paying attention to where he was going, so the stranger was keeping an extra sharp eye on him, lest he do something stupid such as run out in the middle of the street. He knew that the boy would do something like this, completely without thought. It was not that drastic of a mistake; however, he was careless and he failed to spot the thin, shimmering area of sidewalk in his path. The stranger sauntered casually towards the boy, his hands jammed in his pockets, deciding that intervention might be necessary to prevent harm. After all, he did not wish for the preteen to hurt himself.

Slipping on the patch of ice, Juudai grasped for the equally icy wrought iron fence. He had expected the contact to be cold and slippery. Instead, he felt something soft and warm grasp his hand. The contact jerked him upwards, saving him from what would have been a nasty spill. He looked up into the owner's eyes to thank him, and found himself speechless. A strange sort of heat spread over him from the inside at the sight. Golden yellow. Such a beautiful and pure color. The color with the warmth of the sun and the spark of fire. Surprised, his breath hitched in his throat, and he jerked his smaller hand away.

The person was very tall and elegant looking. His dark, shaggy hair framed his thin pale face. He had delicate features and wore a serious expression, his posture stiff and regal. A moment was spent gazing upon the look-alike before a stammered thank-you finally escaped Juudai's lips. The stranger barely acknowledged it—only enough to be polite—then started to walk away, his long fingers jammed in the pockets of his black woolen overcoat. Small-talkcould come another day.

Juudai watched him walk away in captivated fascination. Something about this man seemed vaguely familiar and interesting…He found himself being drawn in like the sea at low-tide. He found he wanted to know more. And yet…he was so distant and aloof. Perhaps this was what piqued his curiosity, and drove him to talk to someone he normally would have paid little attention to.

As though he sensed Juudai's desire to gaze upon him once more, the man stopped and turned around to cast a backwards glance over his shoulder. His eyes burned like fire amongst hot coals. Juudai shivered again seeing the strength and zest of his character.

"What is your name?"

It was sudden, unexpected, frightful. Juudai had always been instructed not to speak to strangers like this person but…he was nearly thirteen and this man seemed different, exciting. It was as though there was an invisible connection between them, and he wanted to know why. He supposed he could handle himself and make an exception. Besides, he was naturally outgoing and loved to make new friends. In fact, he did frequently disobey this rule. And so he answered, thereby sealing his fate. "Juudai…Yuuki Juudai…" He finally breathed once he overcame his shock.

A small, cold smirk momentarily twitched those harsh lips. "Juudai…" The rich voice echoed. "I shall be seeing you again."

Juudai only nodded dumbly. He stared at the horizon long after the dark figure had faded into the dull, gray light of the distance. Then, finally, he shook himself of the trance and continue onwards much slower than before. How peculiar! He rather hoped he'd see the stranger again, too. And by the way the other had spoken to him and looked at him, before disappearing as mysteriously as he had come, he rather supposed he would.

A/N: Ok, you can say whatever you like in a review. But just understand that it's like I said before: really AU and the explanation come later. I'm not TOTALLY destroying canon here, K? I don't want to totally destroy it. I'm just changing some things. Also, my chapters will be shorter than usual and there will be moar of them but prolly won't be updated too much cuz I gotta work on my other fics and school work. And it might be awhile until I update this cuz Angel and I gotta finish the rp first and I don't wanna ruin the rp with this. :/