A/N: So...this is a short chapter... But it's a chapter, and it didn't take me a month to update this time! I wanted to start the next chapter with the next scene, which is my excuse for this one being so short. I'm estimating four or five more chapters before this is done (which is probably an off guess). So, enjoy! I don't own Yugioh GX.
"What did you say!?" Manjoume demanded.
"You heard me!" Johan answered. "We're dealing with genies!"
"That's ridiculous! What about this situation makes you think genie!?"
"The fire that killed Judai's cousin, the mischief that goes along with all of this, Judai's supposed 'attack' on us..." He ticked them off on his fingers. "Oh, and did I mention that Jim saw you in the woods, Manjoume? I mean, before you turned into a little kid and started asking him riddles."
"What!?"
"Genies, you say?" Misawa mused. "It wouldn't be impossible. After all, we have dealt with some bizarre enemies in the past."
"You mean like your girlfriend?" Sho asked, pointing at Tania, who was changing his bandages.
She pursed her lips, but she didn't comment.
Misawa sweat. "Uh...yes, I suppose she does count, doesn't she?"
Manjoume crossed his arms, humphing. "Are you absolutely sure the idiot didn't just snap or something? I mean, he's been acting like a freak lately."
"Manjoume has a point," Misawa admitted. "How do we know Judai isn't unstable enough to attack his friends?"
"We don't," Johan said.
"But we also don't know that he's not under the control of an evil force," Fubuki said. "I mean, I wouldn't normally go around challenging people to Shadow Games, but that's exactly what I did the day I met Judai. All because of Darkness."
"So there's a chance that Aniki's possessed?" Kenzan asked.
"Or that he's being impersonated," Johan added. "The fact that Asuka was with him the second time you guys saw him makes me think that's the more likely answer."
"Hey, that's right!" Fubuki realized. "The Judai who attacked us said he hadn't seen her! But she came over right after that, and she claimed she'd been with Judai in some other world!"
"Damn it!" Manjoume cursed. "Are you telling me that he really didn't do it!?"
"I've been trying to tell you that all along, but you wouldn't listen to me!" Johan pointed out. "Judai didn't attack us. The one who did wanted us to think it was him! He's trying to reawaken Judai's dark side, Haou!"
Sho's eyes widened. "H-Haou!?" He tried to sit up, but stopped and fell back down, moaning in pain.
"Take it easy, Marufuji-senpai! You're still hurt."
"Well, Johan's not 'taking it easy,' and he got crushed by rocks!"
Johan sweat. "Uh, yeah, but I feel fine. You, on the other hand..."
Sho pouted.
"Okay, so someone wants Haou back," Manjoume said, getting them back on track. "So, Haou's Judai's dark side, right? Exactly how is hurting us going to bring him back?"
"Well, if Judai was taken over the last time because of his guilt over what had happened to all of you, then creating a similar situation would, in theory, lead to the same results," Misawa reasoned.
Johan nodded. "That's what Jim, the Kaiser, and I were thinking, too. Jim added that it wasn't until Judai was left completely alone that he turned into Haou. He's not sure if it can happen again, but it's probably better if we don't find out."
"So we never leave him alone. Simple enough. Sho and Kenzan follow that idiot around like ducklings."
"Hey!" the two protested.
"Yeah, except Sho's hurt, and Kenzan fell for that fake," Johan pointed out.
"We all need to talk to him," Fubuki said in one of his rare moments of seriousness.
The others nodded as Sho once again tried to rise. Kenzan stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
"I gotcha, Marufuji-senpai," he said, picking up the smaller man.
"Johan, take us to Aniki! Right now!" Sho demanded, a finger pointed in the air like he meant business.
Johan nodded, glad they had listened so easily. "Alright, come on!" he said, running out.
The others followed, Misawa calling to Tania, "Take care of things here while we're gone!"
"Right!" she answered.
"So, we're dealing with genies," Judai said. "Any ideas how to stop them?"
"Well, the one I saw said that you can control them if you find their home, so I suppose we need to find their lamps," Jim said.
"And where would we find genie lamps?" Asuka asked. "I mean, we don't even know where to look. Judai saw one of these people on Earth, so who knows what dimension they're actually from."
"Right. And, even if we knew what dimension to search, we would still have to search an entire planet," Ryo added.
"So, basically, we don't have any way of getting our hands on their lamps," Judai summarized. "What about finding some genies of our own? Think that would be easier?"
"Where are you thinking you'll find a genie, Judai?" Asuka asked, exasperated. "They don't just grow on trees!"
"No, but there are Duel Monster genies," Ryo pointed out. "Perhaps we could ask La Jinn...if we could find him."
"La Jinn, you say?" Braeden asked. "I may just be able to assist you in finding him. You see, Elliot wanted to change the world, and he consulted many a Spellcaster and Fiend in his search for a way to achieve this. La Jinn was the first one he consulted due to his close proximity to our village."
"Wait, La Jinn is nearby?"
Braeden nodded. "That is correct. If you wish, I could lead you to him. Though, I should warn you, he is not fond of visitors. Elliot and I narrowly avoided being transformed into salamanders the last time we spoke with him."
"A Duel Monster that doesn't like visitors and might turn us into lizards if he's in a bad mood..." Judai shrugged. "Sounds like a typical day for us! What do you guys say? Should we check into it?"
"He might be our only chance of defeating the genies that are after us," Ryo admitted.
Jim nodded. "I say we should go for it."
"We can't just let these guys get their way, and somebody's bound to get seriously hurt if they aren't stopped soon," Asuka agreed. "We don't really have anything to lose."
"Then that settles it! Braeden, lead us to—"
"Judai, I think we should wait until the others get here," Asuka cut him off. "We might need their help."
He looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn't. Instead he looked around at the others and asked, "What do you guys think?"
"I agree with Asuka," Ryo said. "Even if we don't take them with us, they still need to know what's going on. Then we'll have someone who knows where we are to help us if it turns out that we need it."
Jim nodded. "That sounds like a good idea to me, mate."
Reluctantly, Judai nodded. "I suppose that makes sense."
"In the meantime, perhaps you and Asuka could take a walk," Braeden suggested, a sly look in her eyes. "I am sure your friends here would not mind terribly."
Asuka cast her hostess an irritated glare—at least, that was what she meant, but Braeden only smirked, so her embarrassment must have shown through.
Judai shrugged. "Well, if she wants to." He looked askance at her.
She stammered wordlessly for a moment before saying, "Alright, sure."
As the door shut behind the two, Jim turned to Braeden smirking. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"Sure you don't, sheila." He said, still smirking. "Sure you don't."