A/N: Sorry for the wait! Enjoy! We don't own Yugioh GX.
Johan ran through the woods, looking for Kathleen. He found it to be eerily quiet. He stopped and looked around.
"What's going on here?" he wondered.
A familiar giggle came from behind him, then a female voice he knew well said, "Aw, come on, hon. Ain't that obvious?"
He turned to see the very girl he had been looking for. But...something was off. She was wearing a strange grin, and that giggle had almost sounded evil.
"Kathleen!? What's wrong? Where've you been!?"
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I've been right here this whole time. Say, why don't you come over here?"
Johan backed up—she sounded menacing just then, and she was looking pretty evil. Kind of like Akiko on a bad day, only scarier.
"Kathleen... What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with me. Come on, hon. Why are you so scared? You have nothing to fear by me. But, if you need some proof, then duel me. I mean, we never duel anymore, and I think it's about time for a rematch! Come on! It'll be fun?"
It was so weird—she still sounded menacing there for a bit, but, at the end, she sounded like herself again.
Johan hesitated, still wary. "Okay..."
Kathleen activated her duel disk, saying, "Come on, hon! And I'll show you my amazing beasts!"
Johan activated his duel disk, still not entirely sure Kathleen was herself today.
Johan: 4000
Kathleen: 4000
"I'll go first!" he said, drawing his card. "I summon Amber Mammoth!" (Atk 1700)
An amber appeared on the field before bursting open to reveal a large gray mammoth with an amber on his forehead.
"Turn end."
"Okay!" Kathleen said. "Here goes! I draw!" She looked over the cards in her hand, then giggled. "Okay! First I play a monster face down! Then I place one card face down. You're up, sweetie!" she said with a playful grin.
Johan drew his next card, still not sure what was going on here. Her personality did a complete flip-flop! What on earth is wrong with her?
"Okay, Kathy, I activate M-Force! And I'm equipping it to my Mammoth! With this, he gains 500 attack this turn. And, if he attacks a defending monster with less defense, the difference comes out of your life points!"
"Oh, no! You serious!?"
"Yep! So, Mammoth, attack her face-down monster!"
The mammoth charged at the enemy, revealing a giant rat with a skull in its paw. With only 1450 defense points, it was easily wiped out by the powered-up mammoth.
Johan: 4000
Kathleen: 3250
"Oh, no!" Kathleen whined. "My precious Ralphy! How could you, Johan?"
Johan sweat. "It's a duel, Kathy..."
"Oh, well. Since he's gone, I get to summon another Earth-type monster from my deck. So come on out, Thomas!"
"Thomas" turned out to be a Playful Possum with 800 attack points.
"Cute, Kathy, but I don't think that little guy will last much longer," Johan said. "I'll end my turn, so it's back to you."
"Okay! My turn, then!" She drew her card and then paused. "...Johan, don't you think that was a bit much?"
"Huh?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
"That last attack was brutal. Not only did you destroy my friend Ralphy, but you gave me damage even though he was in defense mode. Why, the only way it could have been worse is if you had summoned another monster, ya know?"
"Kathleen, it's just—"
"Why, that's just like what you did at the dance last night. How you ruthlessly assaulted Fubuki like that? You showed him no mercy and almost did more to Momoe. That's just like what just happened just now, right? You should be ashamed."
"Okay, so I lost my temper at the dance!" Johan admitted. "Can you blame me? I mean, he tried to kill Judai! Akiko would have done worse, I'm sure!"
"That's no excuse," Kathleen said. "You just stooped down to his level. Typical behavior, really. After all, all humans hurt one another sometimes, right?" She shrugged and continued, "Well, anyway, on with the duel! I activate Thomas's effect! Play dead, boy!"
The possum rolled over onto his back, then shattered in the way monsters always do when they're destroyed.
"Huh?" Johan asked, totally lost. "What did he just do?"
"Oh. I'm sorry. Didn't I tell you that, when my mole sees an opponent stronger than him, he can go to the graveyard? Well, anyway, now that he's gone, by paying 1000 life points, I get to summon this monster!" she said, holding up a card. "Come on out, George! I special summon Green Baboon!" (Atk 2600)
Johan: 4000
Kathleen: 2250
As Kathleen's life points fell, a giant green baboon appeared, clad in wooden armor and carrying a club.
Johan's eyes widened. "What!?"
"Yeah. See, George hates anyone who kills an innocent forest creature, so he comes out for revenge. Just like you did last night. Still think revenge is a good thing?" She slipped a card into her duel disk as she added, "Next I activate a continuous spell, Poison Fang! Thanks to this, whenever my beasts do damage, you get hit with an extra 500 points of damage on top of that!"
Johan stepped back. "2600 attack...and extra damage? Who's brutal now?"
"What goes around comes around, dear," Kathleen answered. "Now, my beast! Avenge the fallen and attack!"
The baboon raised his club and smashed Johan's mammoth. An amber appeared on Johan's field with the mammoth's destruction.
Johan: 3100
Kathleen: 2250
"Now for Poison Fang!" Kathleen said. "You take 500 more points of damage!"
Johan: 2600
Kathleen: 2250
"I set two cards face down," she finished. "You're move, dear!"
Drawing his card, Johan muttered, "'Dear...'" Kathy's acting strange. What's gotten into her?
He glanced at his card, then, "I summon Amethyst Cat!" (Atk 1200)
An amethyst appeared on the field before bursting open to release a large pink cat with a gold emblem on her chest. The emblem had an amethyst embedded in the center.
"Next I activate E-Force to release my mammoth!"
The amber shattered, once again placing the mammoth on the field. This time, though, he was in defense mode with 1600 defense points.
"So, you protect your friends but kill your enemies?" Kathleen asked.
"What are you talking about?" Johan demanded. "I've never killed anyone!"
"But what about Fubuki?" she asked. "No one's seen him since last night. You left him helpless and badly wounded on the floor. I bet he didn't make it... In fact, I'm sure he didn't. Those energies you gave him were super severe. He's probably dead right now. Or at least dying."
"I didn't hurt him that bad!"
"Or so you think. People tend to get a little crazy when they're angry. Maybe you just didn't realize how bad it really was. Poor guy," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head sadly. "Face it, Johan. You're a murderer."
"You're wrong," he said, hoping he was right about that.
"Really? Then why was Jim so scared? You heard the way he was talking to you. Like he thought you went crazy, right?"
"I admit, I went a little crazy, but I didn't kill anyone."
Kathleen shrugged. "If that's what you want to believe. Sorry I bothered you. Get on with your turn, then."
She didn't sound like she believed him, and her tone was sad, as though she honestly believed she was talking to a murderer. It made Johan start to wonder if she was right.
What if I did go too far? What if Fubuki really is dying? Did I actually kill a man?
"Johan, listen to me," Sapphire Pegasus said as he appeared beside the boy. "That's not Kathleen you're talking to."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Think about it. Kathleen knows you didn't kill anyone! She was on your side last night! She knows Fubuki will be fine, and even she thinks he deserved what he got. Though, granted, that was a bit much, my friend. Point is, that's not her. Someone else is trying to trick you, using her deck and form. Don't fall for it! Or you could end up joining her! Understood?"
Johan nodded. "Yep, I got it, pal. Thanks. I almost fell for her trick." He turned back to the Kathleen lookalike and continued, "But I'm not that stupid! I know what really happened last night, and I know Fubuki's all right! All I did was give him some bruises and a broken nose! That's not enough to kill someone, and you know it! Alright, who are you!? And why do you look like Kathy!? Tell me!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "Of course I'm me! Who else would I be, silly?"
"Don't lie to me! I know you're not really Kathleen! So, who are you!? Are you working for Darkness!?"
"Why not focus on the duel more and less on who I am? 'Cause, as you can see, you're at a serious disadvantage here."
"If you insist!" Johan said. "Due to her special effect, Amethyst Cat can cut her attack in half to attack you directly!"
The fake cringed, putting her arms over her face, saying, "Uh-oh. Here come the claws!"
"Bingo! And you're asking for it, too, you impostor! Now, Amethyst Cat, teach her a lesson!"
The cat pounced Kathleen's fake, pinning her to the ground.
"Uh, nice kitty?" she said. Darn! She glanced at one of her face-down cards and thought, My Battle Instincts can only help against direct attacks when I've got no monsters! Curse you, Johan!
The cat raised her paw and scratched the enemy across the face.
Johan: 2600
Kathleen: 1650
As the cat, leaped back over to Johan's field, the fake Kathleen sat up, rubbing her cheek. "Ow... That hurt, Johan!"
"Then I set one card," Johan said, ignoring her. "That'll do it for me. You're up, you fake."
"Why do you keep calling me that? You're so mean, Johan!" She drew her card and grinned. "Alright! You're in for it now! First I call my Thomas back from the grave using his other effect."
The possum reappeared on the field.
"Then I activate my first set card, Call of the Haunted, to get my Ralphy back also."
The giant rat reappeared on the field, leaving Johan with a sense of dread. Three monsters... She's not gonna...
"Sadly, though, they won't be there for long...," the impostor continued, confirming Johan's fears. "'Cause now I sacrifice all three of my beasts to call out my ultimate monster! I summon you now! Chimaera! The Master of Beasts! And my true forest guardian! You're up, pal!" (Atk 3000)
A huge monster appeared, roaring ferociously. Its front half was white, its back half black. It had two heads, both covered in an orange mane. Both of its heads were horned, one with black horns, the other with yellow. It had enormous white wings that faded to black toward the bottom, and the front half of a black snake was where its tail should have been.
Johan stepped back a bit, stunned. "Whoa..."
The phony Kathleen cupped her hands together, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. "To all my friends that gave their lives for this beast: Thank you. You will not be forgotten." She opened her eyes and, to Johan, said, "Now to show them how much their sacrifice really meant!" She held up another card, saying, "I activate my field spell, Closed Forest!"
A dense forest appeared around them, much more dense than the real one they were standing in. Johan looked around.
"Oops! I'm sorry!" the imitation said. "You're totally lost again, aren't you? Must be hard being you sometimes. Don't you just wish you didn't get lost all the time? Bet life would be easier. Don't you think so?"
Johan growled a bit. "I'm not lost!" he said defensively.
"What? Really? But we're so deep in a forest! Why, you may never find your way out! Especially since you can't use another field spell as long as it's on the field." She grinned evilly.
"It's just a field spell! It's not like I'm actually in a forest! When this duel's over, it goes away!"
Johan sweat, though, realizing that he was technically in a forest.
The girl who looked like Kathleen shrugged. "If you say so. Guess that's a good thing, though, 'cause this forest's haunted, anyway."
"Haunted?" he asked.
"Yeah! By the ghosts of the fallen forest creatures, duh," she said sarcastically. "They give their avengers what little strength they have left so they can join in the fight, too! So, basically, my Chimaera gains 100 attack for each monster in my graveyard."
"There's three...so that means..."
"You got it! That means Chimaera's attack rises by 300 points! Making his attack points 3300!"
Johan stared at the monster with wide eyes. "3300... Whoa..."
"Okay, my guardian! Attack his Amethyst Cat!"
The beast roared and charged the cat, intending to pounce.
"Hold on!" Johan said. "I activate Amber Mammoth's effect! When you attack one of my Crystal Beasts, I can switch the attack target to my mammoth!"
"What? No! Now I can't deal you any damage!" the fake complained.
"Then I activate my face-down! Crystal Flash!"
"Huh!? No way! What's that do!?"
"With this card, I add one Crystal Beast to my spell and trap card zone, then I pick one Beast I control. For this turn, that monster can't be destroyed in battle! And I choose Amber Mammoth!"
"Hey! That's no fair! Now my attack's useless!" She glanced at her face-down card—Beast Soul Swap.
"Not really," Johan taunted. "It helped me get another Crystal on the field!" As he spoke, he placed a card in his duel disk, and a topaz appeared on the field behind the monsters.
"Kathleen" crossed her arms, humphing. "I guess I'll end my turn then..." Great. Thanks to that dumb trap of his, my whole strategy was blown. Oh, well, guess I'll just have to try again next turn. Just wait, Johan Andersen. Your life ends next turn."
"It's back to me! Draw!" He glanced at the card, then said, "I summon Sapphire Pegasus!" (Atk 1800)
A sapphire appeared, which burst open. The white pegasus with a sapphire horn emerged from the gem.
"With his effect, I add Cobalt Eagle to my spell and trap zone!" Johan said, inserting another card into his duel disk. A blue gem appeared beside the topaz. "Now, because I've got two Crystals in my spell and trap zone, I activate Rare Value! Pick a Crystal, 'Kathy.'"
"So I'm being asked to send an innocent creature to its death, then? You're so cruel, Johan!"
"Oh, you've already killed them, wiping them off the field and trapping them in crystals," he said, referring to her attack on Amber Mammoth. "What does it matter if you send one to the actual graveyard now?"
"I guess you're right... Okay! Then I choose your Cobalt Eagle!" She waved and added, "Bye-bye, birdie!"
The blue gemstone disappeared, and Johan drew two cards. He glanced at them before saying, "Next I activate Monster Reincarnation! By discarding one card, I return Cobalt Eagle to my hand! Now I activate Golden Rule!"
He thought it was a rather fitting card, considering what she had been saying about him earlier. She'd say he hadn't been following the Golden Rule. Well, he'd introduce her to his own version.
"Golden what?" the fake asked.
"Haven't you ever heard the Golden Rule? You know, treat others the way you want to be treated?"
"Oh, I know that, silly!" she said. "That's why we're fighting right now! You abused a man, and now you're gonna pay for it! But what I wanna know is what that card does!"
"I'm getting to that! See, this isn't the same Golden Rule. This is my family's version. It lets me put two level 3 or lower Crystal Beasts in my spell and trap card zone, so come out, Emerald Tortoise and Ruby!"
An emerald and a ruby appeared on the field, along with the topaz that still sat there.
"Next, I summon one monster and equip it with this card. Now, Cobalt Eagle! It's your turn!"
The eagle appeared, cobalt gemstones embedded in his wings. Johan smirked.
"'Kathy...' All my Crystal Beasts are on the field." He held up the last card in his hand. "And guess what this last card in my hand is?"
"Kathleen" gasped, backing up. "Oh, no..."
"Oh, yes! I call forth my mightiest creature! I summon Rainbow Dragon!"
"NOOO!"
The serpentine, white dragon appeared and glared at Johan's opponent.
"No, no, no! It can't be!" she exclaimed. "I was way too careless!"
"Answer me! Who are you, really!?" He shook his head, changing his mind. "No, never mind. It doesn't matter. Rainbow Dragon! Attack her Chimaera!"
"AAHH! No! Not him! He's my forest guardian!" As the rainbow burst of light hit her monster, she cried, "NOOO! Chimaera!"
She screamed as her life points dropped.
Johan: 2600
Kathleen: 950
"Now, Sapphire Pegasus! Cobalt Eagle! Amethyst Cat! Attack her directly! If she wants 'brutal,' we'll give her brutal!"
The three monsters lunged at her at the same time.
No! I don't have a monster strong enough to stop his attacks! she thought, glancing again at Battle Instincts. "Johan! Wait! We don't have to fight! Why not come back with me instead!" she said extremely nervously. "You won't get lost anymore! Whatcha say, hon?"
"No way! And stop calling me 'hon!' I don't know who you are, but you're not Kathy! So stop acting like her!"
The impostor screamed as her life hit zero.
"W-why? I thought for sure you could understand!" she cried. "Johan!"
With that, she vanished, turning to shadows the same way that Trueman had after Johan had dueled him. Johan took several deep breaths.
"Well...so much for that..." He shouted to the heavens, "DARKNESS! How dare you use her against me like that! I'll never forgive you for this!"
He stormed off, hoping to find someone who could help him home. After all, if Darkness had Kathleen, they weren't going to find her unless they defeated that thing somehow. Difficult, considering it had yet to show itself.