A/N: And yet another long break between updates. Again, sorry for the wait, but I've been taking summer classes and working on a duel for Shadgirl2's story "A Second Chance." Anyway, enjoy! I don't own Yugioh GX. All I own are Braeden, Jarlath, and Elliot.
Braeden claimed that night was the best time to seek La Jinn—"under cover of darkness," as she put it. Once they were closer to his home, she felt that it would be wisest for them to wait until nightfall. Manjoume grumbled about how he was being left behind to babysit, but he cooperated for the most part.
The gang stood outside of Braeden's house as evening fell, seeing off the five who were going on this journey. Asuka had changed back into her own clothing, leaving the dress Braeden had commissioned for her behind for the sake of practicality.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Johan asked.
"La Jinn lives in a cave up in the mountains," Braeden answered. "In the Dragon Mountain Range."
"Dragon Mountain Range?" Judai asked.
"So, I take it a lot of dragons live there, too?" Kenzan asked.
Braeden nodded. "It is a very dangerous place to visit. Elliot and I only encountered a Baby Dragon the last time we went. Most who dare to enter are not so fortunate. We must be very careful."
"Got it!" Johan and Kenzan said.
"Then this Dragon Mountain Range is where we should go if you aren't back in time?" Ryo asked.
"Yes," Braeden nodded. "But be sure to avoid the caves, as they are where you would encounter the monsters of this world."
"Got it," Manjoume said. "Not that any of those monsters can stand up to the Thunder." He smirked.
"So what are we going to do when we find La Jinn?" Asuka asked.
"The same thing Elliot and I did the last time. We ask for his help. It may be easier to gain his aid if we mention that rogue genies are attempting to reawaken Haou. After all, very few people in this world want to see that beast again." Realizing what she said, she quickly added, "I mean, he was quite the ruthless leader."
"Yeah," Judai said, looking away. "I was."
"Judai, I am sorry. I did not mean..."
"I know what you meant." He started toward some mountains in the distance. "Is that the Dragon Mountain Range?"
"Yes, it is. It is about a two day's walk from this village."
"So, two days to get there, two days to get back." Judai looked back at his companions. "Think we can still make it back within a week?"
Braeden nodded. "I know where La Jinn can be found, unless he has moved recently. If he is still in the same cave, it will only take us about four days to find him, including the walk to the mountains."
Asuka looked at Ryo and said, "So you had better give us about ten days, just to be safe. If he isn't where she thinks, we'll need to go looking for him."
"Alright, then what are we waiting for!?" Johan asked. "Let's go find that genie!"
"Right!" Kenzan agreed, and the five of them began walking in the direction of the Dragon Mountain Range.
"Good luck, you guys!" Fubuki called after them. "We'll be waiting!"
After a couple of uneventful days, they reached the base of a very tall mountain.
"Whoa..." Johan stared up at the peak before them.
"Do we have to climb this thing?" Kenzan asked.
"Indeed," Braeden said. "At least, we must climb part of it."
Judai grinned at Asuka and said, "Good thing you changed your clothes, huh?"
She shoved him gently, but she was thinking the same thing. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a tank top, and a green hoodie now, which was much better for mountain climbing than that dress. Braeden, on the other hand, was still clad in a floor-length dress.
"There is a path," she said, pointing to a smooth dirt road starting at the base of the mountain, "but La Jinn's home is not on it. We will only be able to follow the path so far before we must abandon it."
"Alright," Judai said. "Lead the way, Braeden."
She started up the path, with the others following behind. The path was steep, but it wound around the mountain rather than taking them straight up, making the journey slightly easier.
Dragon cries echoed through the air constantly. In the distance, a swarm of dragons could be seen flying around another mountain.
"It appears that there are more dragons here than there were the last time that I visited," Braeden said nervously. "Forgive me, but I rather dislike dragons."
"What for?" Kenzan asked. "I mean, they're like dinosaurs. In our world, people found dinosaur fossils and thought they'd found dragons."
"Really?" Braeden asked. "Well, I am not fond of dinosaurs, either."
"Dinosaurs are the greatest!" Kenzan said, and then he launched into a speech about the greatness of dinosaurs.
"She shouldn't have told him that," Judai said quietly, grinning a bit.
Asuka and Johan laughed, and Asuka said, "Yeah, you can say that again."
They kept walking, with Kenzan trying to convince Braeden that dinosaurs were great. Suddenly, a cry filled the air—a dragon's cry.
Braeden stopped quickly, looking up. "Quiet. Stay still."
They all glanced up as well and saw a green and gold dragon flying overhead. It had a mane of orange hair and appeared to be wearing golden armor. Its head was armored, with gold lines around its neck and tail. It had gold shoulder pads, knee pads, and a gold chest plate. Its claws were gold.
"I-isn't that Chaos Emperor Dragon!?" Kenzan asked, eyes wide.
"Stay quiet," Braeden whispered. "Perhaps he has not seen us."
The dragon flew in a circle above them before diving straight at them.
"Or maybe he has!" Johan said.
"Run!" Braeden cried, taking off down the path. The others followed, aside from Judai.
"Johan!" he called to his friend. "Summon Rainbow Dragon! Now!"
Johan stopped, nodded, then activated his duel disk. "Rainbow Dragon! Help us out here, pal!"
His duel disk glowed, and a white serpentine dragon appeared. Asuka and Kenzan stopped running, as did Braeden, who stared in awe at the dragon. It had gemstones running down its sides. The Rainbow Dragon flew over to Chaos Emperor Dragon and roared in its face.
Chaos Emperor Dragon opened its mouth and attacked. Rainbow Dragon didn't seem phased, however, and opened its mouth for an attack of its own. The burst of light that shot from its mouth hit Chaos Emperor Dragon, causing it to shriek in pain. The blast knocked the dragon right out of the sky. It crashed to the ground, stirring up dust.
As the dust settled, Chaos Emperor Dragon stood up, shaking its head. It looked back at Rainbow Dragon, roared, then took off, flying away.
"Smart thinking, Judai," Asuka said.
"Yeah!" Kenzan added. "Using a stronger monster to drive off that other one...and it's a dragon, too, so it's something that would be here!"
Judai shrugged. "I figured a tougher dragon could drive him away."
"Remind me not to cross your friend Johan at any point," Braeden joked. "Now, shall we continue?"
"So, now what, Elliot?" Jarlath asked, sitting atop a fallen log as the red-haired man paced back and forth. "Your last plan totally bombed."
Elliot stopped pacing, his back to the boy. "They're going to speak with La Jinn. He won't help them. He wouldn't help Braeden and me when we went to him, so why would he help Haou?"
Jarlath grinned mischievously. "'Cause he's a genie, like us."
"That's exactly why he should be on our side!"
Jarlath shrugged. "You know how La Jinn is. He doesn't like working with anyone. And, since we're trying to bring Haou back, he really won't want to work with us." He eyed Elliot and added, "Honestly, I'm surprised that you want to bring back Haou. Wasn't he terrorizing your world?"
"That's exactly why somebody has to take control of that beast. He's done enough damage without being allowed to continue. If he were under our control, he would be less of a threat."
Jarlath shook his head, as though he felt Elliot were completely ignorant. He doesn't even know what Aariz wants with that guy, does he?
But that gave Jarlath an idea. "Hey, what if we told everyone in that village down there that Haou was staying with Braeden? What do you think they'd do then? Think they might try to get rid of him? That could be fun to watch."
Elliot thought about it for a moment. Then, slowly, a cold smile crept onto his face. "That's genius, Jarlath. And being chased away by everyone he comes across would trigger his worst emotions, if we're lucky."
"That reminds me. Why aren't we trying to make him mad? Isn't that what caused it last time?"
"You heard Aariz. According to the ancient prophesies, once Haou has been awakened, any negative emotion can trigger a takeover of his host's mind. Granted, most hosts never escape the initial takeover, but that shouldn't mean that Haou can't take control of that boy again."
"What if it does?"
"Ridiculous," Elliot said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'd be more concerned about that spirit he fused with."
"Alright. So we tell everyone in Dark World about the Haou among them and try to get them all to want him dead?"
Elliot nodded. "We start with Braeden's village. Then we move outward and tell everyone in the surrounding area about the beast living there. That should cause a reaction, especially if we can convince those supposed friends of his that he's not what he claims to be."
"Then let's get to it!" Jarlath said, jumping up. "I'll handle Braeden's village!"
"Alright. We'll meet back here once we've spread the word."
In twin bursts of flame, the two vanished.