We don't own Yugioh GX.
Asuka knocked on Judai's door later that afternoon. She had decided to let him get some rest before she tried talking to him.
"Judai?" she asked. "You awake?"
She heard him groan from the other side of the door before it swung open, revealing a somewhat irritated Judai. "What, Asuka?"
"Well, I hear you've acquired some new stuff lately," she said. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, you want it?"
"No, thanks. So, what is it, anyway? I know about the car..."
"Car, house, horse... Oh, and Rei wanted me to help her raise a child," he rattled off. "You don't have something you want to give me, do you?"
"So, let me get this straight," she said, ignoring his question. "You have all the necessities of life on land, and apparently a new pet...and you still feel the need to stay here? Why not go back and take care of it all?"
Judai groaned again. "Asuka, am I missing something?" he asked. "I never asked for that stuff, and there's no way I know how to take care of a horse, so why should I go back?"
"Because all those things are your responsibility now? Besides, what's the point in having them if you never use them?"
"Shouldn't somebody tell Sho, Manjoume, and Kenzan to stop throwing their money around?" he asked her, clearly irritated. "Especially since I'm pretty sure some of them can't afford to do that! Why are you going after me! Go after the spendthrifts!" he yelled, pointing down the hall toward their rooms.
"Judai, they're just trying to help you," Asuka said. "You don't belong down here, and they had hoped that, by giving you things to take care of that couldn't be brought down here, they'd leave you with no choice but to come back." She lowered her head and muttered, "Although the horse is a bit much..."
"That's it, huh?" Judai said. "Well, I'd probably kill the horse by accident, and the other stuff doesn't matter. So, yeah."
"You're kidding! So, what does matter, then!? Because I'm starting to think nothing does!"
He hadn't come back when told his friends were fighting each other violently every time they saw each other, when Sho had gone insane, or when given a bunch of expensive and ridiculous gifts. Was there anything that would work?
He took a moment to answer. Finally, he said, "Well, stuff sure doesn't..."
"The horse is alive, simple."
Judai looked at her with wide eyes. "Not after I get my hands on it!"
"So, if your friends needing you doesn't count and stuff including that ridiculous horse doesn't count, then is there anything that does!?" she asked, frustrated and desperate.
Judai just stared at her.
"So, I take it that's a no?"
"...Rei had the right idea, though that's a bit much..."
"What?" Asuka asked.
"Look, I'm tired. Will you guys just leave me alone, already?" he said, closing the door and leaving Asuka stunned in the hallway.
Asuka got the others together in one of their rooms and told them what had happened during her conversation with Judai. At the implication that they had to try something more along the lines of what Rei was going for, Ed looked exasperated.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding!" he said. "'Cause that's just ridiculous. Isn't there something else we can do?"
Akiko was annoyed. Gave him a house, gave him a car, gave him a horse... Man, these people are idiots!
"You've got to be kidding me," she said. "You people seriously think giving him a house or a car is gonna be enough? Come on!"
"Well, why wouldn't it be?" Sho defended. "You can't use them down here! And, normally, Aniki loves cool red stuff! Besides, what sense is there in owning a home you're never at? We figured, if he had to take care of his stuff, then maybe he'd want to use it so it was worth it. Right, guys?"
Manjoume and Kenzan nodded in agreement, making Akiko wonder if she was the only smart person here.
She sighed, then asked desperately, "Kathleen, you know why that's stupid, right?"
"Nah," Kathleen said, dashing her hopes. "I understand where they're coming from, and it may have worked if this poor guy wasn't double-spelled."
"You've got to be kidding me! Seriously!? Look, all I'm saying is that doesn't work on everyone. I mean, for instance, I wouldn't go somewhere else just because I had a house or a car. Judai doesn't strike me as that type, either. Sometimes, it takes something a little more meaningful, you know?"
After all, he had run off after graduation with nothing but a bag of his belongings and the clothes on his back, and he liked to travel. Typically, people who don't take their whole house with them on the road don't care as much about material possessions—Akiko spoke from experience. Okay, a car she could understand, except that he might not be able to drive in all the places he went to, it might not be a very practical model in other areas, and he didn't exactly have a steady job, so it would run out of gas, and he'd have to leave it. A house, no way! And what was he going to do with a horse as he traveled around the world!?
"Hmm... You may have a point there, Akiko," Jim admitted.
"I agree on the house, but, if I know Judai, then he'd love having a cool new car like a sports car or a race car," Asuka said, further destroying Akiko's faith in the human race. "Not too sure how he'd feel about that horse, unless he met her, but..."
"What I'm saying is that it's not good enough to snap him out of it!" Akiko snapped, her patience worn out. "Sheesh! Honestly, is idiocy contagious? Because I don't wanna catch it."
Asuka glared at her and said, "Actually, I think the excitement from wanting to see his cool red car would normally be enough! Why, he'd drag us out of here just so he could see it, and then he'd probably want to drive it!" She turned to Kathleen and asked, "And what's all this about two spells?"
"Well, duh," she answered. "I said there were two psychics, so that naturally meant there would have to be two separate spells. Besides, I feel the difficult struggle going on inside of him every time I see him. He's fighting against two other wills. One is weak and easily broken, but it's supported by the other, making it a lot stronger."
"So, what you're saying is..." Johan trailed off.
"There are two powerful wills overpowering his," Kathleen finished.
"Meaning it would take something a lot better than a sports car to snap him out of it," Akiko said calmly.
"I guess," Sho admitted, and Akiko counted it as a partial victory. "But, if that's really the case, then nothing we do will work on him, right!? I mean, his will against two others, and they're both powerful wills, and Aniki can't fight against them, so he's stuck like this, and he's probably never going to have the strength to break free, and Anacis is gonna get his way, and—"
"Whoa, mate!" Jim interrupted the rant. "Slow down! I'm sure there's something we can do! We've just gotta find something more appealing!"
Akiko, thinking that he was also talking about some material good, stared at them all lamely. Am I really the only one here who doesn't sell her soul to material garbage?
"Like what!?" Sho demanded. "We tried the 'need a hero back at home' thing, which should've appealed to him, we tried the friendship angle and how he'd normally never abandon the needs of a friend, we tried a 'cool car' to make him an even better hero, HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN ANYTHING ELSE! So what do we do!?"
"I could try to get him a place in the Dueling Pros," Manjoume suggested.
"Like that's gonna work! Nothing works! We might as well face facts, we can't do a thing to save him this time!"
"So you're gonna give up?" Akiko asked.
Sho looked down, not answering.
"Well, not me!" Rei said. "And I think I know what to do, too!"
"Really? What's that?" Jim asked.
Asuka glared at Rei and said, "Yeah, Rei, I can't wait to hear this one." She rolled her eyes.
"That's my secret!" Rei said before running off.
"Hey! Just what are you thinking!?" Asuka called, running after her.
Akiko, though her hope that they weren't all idiots was starting to reform, was annoyed by this display. "Ugh, it's like hanging with Haruko and all her friends..." Silently, she added, Boy crazies...
Later, Rei knocked on Judai's door yet again. "Judai-sama? You up yet?"
"What do you want, Rei?" he called from inside. "I'm not helping you raise a child."
"Aw, I gave that up already," she said. "But what I was wondering was if you wanted to hang out? You know, just the two of us?"
"Uh..."
"It's not like I'm asking if you want to go on a date, you know," she said quickly. "We could just go somewhere and go over our cards and strategies together. I hear you used to do that with Johan and Sho. So, what do you say?"
He opened the door. "Okay, sure," he said, smiling.
"Great! Then get your deck and meet me out by the big tree, okay?" Muttering, she said, "I can't believe this place can support that kind of life. Anyway, see ya soon!" With that, she ran off.
Sho walked over, a lame look on his face. "Aniki... I'm supposed to tell you to stay away from Rei..."
"Huh? Why?"
"'Cause she's trying to get you to like her as more than just friends, and there's no way you should ever be thinking that?" he answered, sweating.
Judai cocked his head. "Why would I ever think of Rei as anything more than a friend?"
Sho shrugged and said, "I don't know. That's just what my 'boss' was thinking right before she headed to bed mad."
"Your boss?"
"Yeah. Asuka sleepily threatened me to come and stop you from falling for 'that little witch.' Apparently, she couldn't do it herself 'cause she could barely stay awake."
"Why did Asuka do that?"
"Beats me. Girls do some crazy things when they're in love," Sho answered, walking off.
Judai stared after him for a moment, letting that sink in. "In love..."
It'll take five minutes, if that long, Judai thought as he stopped outside of Asuka's door. He had decided to check on her before going to hang out with Rei. Then I'll go meet up with Rei. No time lost at all!
He knocked. "Asuka? You okay?"
There was no answer, so he tried the door. It was unlocked. He peeked into her room, seeing her lying belly-down half on the bed, sound asleep.
"Wow," he said, walking over to the bed. "She is tired."
Asuka moaned, then said, in her sleep, "I'm gonna...get her for...this..."
Judai shook her shoulder gently. She moaned but didn't wake up.
She's normally a pretty light sleeper, Judai thought, slightly worried.
Winged Kuriboh showed up and started poking her—or trying to, being a spirit. "Kuri?"
"...I'm...gonna..."
"Kuri kuri!" Winged Kuriboh suggested. Translation: "She needs a good shake, or maybe even a slap to the face! Then she'll wake up!"
Judai shook her again, taking the puffball's advice. "Asuka. Asuka, wake up!"
"...Huh...?" She opened her eyes for a second, then went right back to sleep.
"Kuri..." Winged Kuriboh sweat. She looks like Judai now...
"Asuka!" Judai yelled, shaking her even more.
She opened her eyes slightly. "Huh...? Judai...?"
"Hey. What's up? You okay?" he asked.
Asuka yawned. "Oh, not much... The sky, for one thing... Hey, wait, you're not with Rei...?"
"Uh, no?"
She yawned again. "That's good... I knew you were smarter than that... Anyway, good night... I'm beat tired, thanks to that stuff she gave me..."
Worried again, Judai asked, "Wait, what stuff? Asuka?"
"...Chl...o...for..."
She was out like a light.
"Asuka!?"
Winged Kuriboh sweat and translated what she had been trying to say: "Chloroform."
"Chloroform? Huh?" Silently, Judai wondered, Why would Rei give her that?
That's when Sho ran by, screaming, "It's the end of the world, I tell you!"
Judai looked at the open door. "Huh? What was that?" As an after thought, he added, "Do I even want to know?"
Hayato ran past in the other direction. "Pack your bags and run for your lives! She's gonna blow!"
Judai just stared for a moment before, slowly, he walked over to the doorway and peeked out into the hall. Johan was shifting his weight nervously while Hayato, Sho, Fubuki, and Kenzan ran around like chickens in a barnyard.
"Who knew it was going to end like this!" Johan exclaimed, phrasing it like a question.
"Johan!" Judai called, stepping out of Asuka's room and shutting the door. "What's going on?"
Johan turned. "Judai!"
"Alright!" Manjoume said, walking down the hall toward this scene. "That's enough, already! So what if she's venting to her!? It's not the end of the world, people!"
The four who were running around ran over and surrounded Manjoume. "Oh, yes, it is!" they all yelled before going back to running around like maniacs.
"Wait, what am I missing?" Judai asked, majorly lost.
"Akiko's venting to Kathleen!" Johan answered, as if this were the least likely event that would ever take place.
Judai stared at him for a moment before asking," So?"
Fubuki got up in his face, making him recoil. "So!?" the panicked weirdo exclaimed. "That should never happen! Where've you been all this time!? Under a rock!? Those two hate each other, remember!?"
Kenzan popped up suddenly on Judai's left side, saying, "So, naturally, if one of them's venting to the other, it's a sure sign of the Armageddon!"
Hayato appeared on his right, adding, "So I believe that, if we want to survive, we should all pack our things and move to the moon!"
Sho got up in Judai's face next to Fubuki. "Or Mars. Mars sounds good!"
"SO YOU SEE, IT'S A HUGE DEAL!" the four finished. Then they went back to running around in a total panic.
Judai, stunned, wasn't sure if he should say anything else. It might be dangerous. Still, the way they were behaving could get somebody hurt... "Couldn't it just mean that she needs someone to talk to, and Kathleen's the only one of us she can tolerate...?"
They gathered around him again, yelling, "THAT'S EXACTLY WHY IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD, YOU IGNORANT DOLT!"
They started running around again. Two of them even left the hallway, Fubuki and Sho, from what he could tell. Judai just stared for a moment, watching this chaos.
"Yeah, the world's gonna end...because you guys are going crazy..." He sweat, imagining one of them setting off nuclear weapons or something by mistake.
Needing to know what they were so freaked out about, Judai headed off to find Akiko and Kathleen. Johan followed him.
"I kinda agree with them, pal," he told Judai. "Those two would keep us up all night arguing on the way over here, and usually Kathy would vent to me, and Aki would bug Jim. So, if they're venting to each other now, maybe the world really is going to end!"
"I don't know... I wanna see this for myself. Where are they?"
Johan didn't have time to answer before Kathleen's door slammed open and Akiko stormed out, glaring at the chickens, with Kathleen close behind.
"Alright, everyone SHADDUP!" Akiko bellowed just as the two who had run off earlier reappeared in the hallway.
The panicking people stopped.
"I hate each and every one of you," Akiko went on, and they'd all have been dead if the venom in her voice could be transferred. "You're ALL idiots! Would you feel better if I just told you all how I feel about YOU!?"
Johan decided to take his life in his hands and asked, "Yeah. But don't you hate Kathy even more!? Why vent to her!? Why not bug Jim again!?"
"What business is it of yours, Andersen?" she answered, the amount of venom in her voice increasing, if that was even possible. "Maybe I'm venting ABOUT Jim, ya ever think of that!? Maybe I just felt like a change of dipsticks, did you consider THAT option? Or maybe I just WANTED to see you all go rabid!"
"Yeah, but why Kathy!? You two want to kill each other, right!?" Johan pressed.
"Ah! How dare you!" Kathleen said, clearly insulted. "Just who do you think I am!? I am so not that kinda girl!"
Fists shaking, Akiko glared at Johan and said, "I wanna kill you right now..."
"Kuriii," Winged Kuriboh whined, shivering.
"Okay, everyone just calm down, alright!?" Judai said, raising his voice to be heard.
Everyone looked at him.
"Look, I'm sure Akiko's got her reasons for venting to Kathleen, and you guys are gonna make her even more angry if you don't quit with the panicking already."
"But—" Sho started.
"Listen to your friend, tiny," Akiko interrupted venomously.
"But—" Kenzan started.
Jim walked over, cutting Kenzan off by asking, "What in the world is going on here?"
"Say, Aki? Why did you choose me?" Kathleen asked her, cocking her head.
Akiko crossed her arms and said, "Because, sadly, you're the smartest person in this dumb group. And, besides, the idiot who needed to hear this is sleeping, thanks to that other female idiot."
"Hey, don't go judging us just yet," Johan defended. "Asuka's not normally like this."
"I know," Akiko sighed. "Honestly, I'm thinking with her, it's more naivety and the little green monster."
"Or maybe she just knows her friend better than you do, and she's right?" Kathleen suggested.
"Am I seriously the only one who noticed?" Akiko asked, irritated again. I mean, besides Haruko, who sees romance in all relationships... Seriously, she likes him, he likes her, so she should just do something to help him break this dumb spell already!
"Noticed what?" Judai asked.
Akiko just shook her head. "Besides you, simple." Muttering, she added, "Maybe."
"So, anyway," Kathleen said. "Is everyone feeling a little better now?"
"I guess," Fubuki said.
"Yeah," Kenzan seconded.
"Uh-huh," Hayato said, nodding slightly.
"No!" Sho exclaimed.
"Me either!" Akiko agreed, throwing her arms up in the air.
She stormed off, leaving Fubuki, Kenzan, Hayato, Sho, and Johan thinking that they may be in trouble in the near future.
"I just know it's the end of the world!" Sho exclaimed once she was out of earshot. "And I think she's the Antichrist!" Sho had been spending too much time with his American—and Christian—friend. Now he saw the Antichrist in a lot of people.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kathleen said. "I mean, sure, she's—Hey, maybe you're right."
Jim, defensive, said, "That's going a bit far, don't you think?"
"Not really," Kathleen said. "I mean, she acts so cold to everyone, after all. Not to mention she just called everyone idiots and said she hated them. Wouldn't you think that the Antichrist would feel that way about us?"
"Yes, yes, YES!" Sho agreed.
"She's not the Antichrist!" Jim snapped.
"Oh, yeah? Then prove it!" Kathleen and Sho challenged.
"She doesn't hate us," Jim tried to clarify. "She just doesn't do well with expressing how she really feels. Heck, Kathy, her real problem with you is that you keep misjudging her all the time!"
Jim thought about all of the times on the submarine when Akiko had gone to him about Kathleen being an "ignorant, judgmental red-head who doesn't know anything about anyone and needs to stop judging people when she doesn't even know them."
"Really?" Johan asked. "You sure, Jim? Honestly, why are you always standing up for her? Why, if I had to guess, I'd say you like her!"
"Maybe I do! She's not that bad, once you get to know her."
Kathleen looked at him questioningly for a moment before saying, "Well, good luck with that one. I so doubt you're her type."
She left, and Jim went after Akiko to try to calm her down. Judai just watched all of this go down, thinking yet again that his friends shouldn't be down here.
Everyone's losing it...