A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! We don't own Yugioh GX or Yugioh 5D's.

Manjoume came back over looking annoyed, saying, "Okay, I managed to get you guys an appointment for tomorrow at noon. Happy now?"

"Why did you do that, Manjoume?" Asuka asked.

"I. Don't. Know," Manjoume said, clearly annoyed. "For some reason, I just couldn't stand to see that idiot over there crying, that's all."

Judai stared at Manjoume for a moment. Yeah, definitely a good thing Jim's in Australia.

"What did I say about thinking about him!?" Yubel chided. "Quit it before you make yourself cry again!"

"Well, anyway, thanks for the help," Yusei said.

Manjoume humphed.

"So, now what?" Crow asked. "We just rent a hotel and wait? Does anyone have any modern currency to do that with?"

"Wait, what?" Asuka asked.

Manjoume stared at him.

"Crow's nuts. Don't worry about him," Judai said. Confidentially, he whispered, "He thinks he's from the future."

"That may be true, but he does have a point," Yusei said. "We're broke, guys. Any ideas on how we could get some cash?"

Manjoume rolled his eyes and left before they could ask him for money.

"Don't look at me," Jack said. "The people back home don't even know what I'm worth. I highly doubt anyone around here would."

"I could try my hand at street performing, if nothing else," Aki said unenthusiastically.

With an arrogant grin, Yubel said, "Judai, haven't we done this before? Why not show them how it's done."

"Leave it to me," Judai told them, walking off.

The spirit laughed a little. "And those guys are worried? Obviously they don't know Judai. Or should I say, 'The Red-Clad Hero.' Wait til they see what he can do."

Judai came back soon after, a bundle of money in his hand. Seeing the money, Yusei headed over to a nearby phone booth and started flipping through the phone book.

"Wow," Aki said. "That was fast. How'd you get that?"

"When you've been living on the streets as long as I have, you learn how to get what you need," he answered.

"Good answer," Crow said with a grin, giving him a thumbs up.

Aki looked a little nervous. "Uh, Judai..."

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking," he said, looking at her.

"If you say so..."

"Alright," Jack said. "Now all we need is to find a hotel that we can all get into."

Crow looked at Yusei. "Any luck, pal?"

"Hmm..." He flipped another page and said, "There's one on the other side of the park, according to this..."

"Then let's go," Judai said, turning toward the park.

The future kids started to walk off.

"So, wait," Asuka said, stopping them in their tracks. "Are you guys going to space tomorrow? 'Cause I may not be able to come..."

"It's fine if you can't," Judai said. "Probably better if you don't, actually..."

"Is it because I look like Alexis?"

He didn't answer right away. Asuka looked at him questioningly.

Finally, he said, "Yeah."

"Jaden..."

She was about to comfort him when an older boy stepped out of a nearby alley. He had teal hair and eyes to match. He also had a rather stone-like expression on his face, just like Judai remembered him.

"Ah," he said. "There you are, Asuka."

"Oh, hi, Ryo," she said.

Judai tensed. Fuck...

Out of all the people he could run into back here, that guy was in his Top Five List of People Not to See, along with Asuka and Manjoume. After all, there was a chance he'd see that guy if he saw Ryo.

"So, is this why you haven't stopped by yet?" Ryo asked her. "I was beginning to worry about you. You said you wanted to speak to me, after all."

Crow looked about ready to do something Judai would regret. "Hey, guys," he said to the others, "isn't that the legendary Kaiser? Oh, man! Are we lucky!" He started toward him, calling, "Hey, dude! How's it hanging!?"

Ryo turned, and his eyes wandered over to Judai. Like all those before, he stared.

"Crow! Why don't you just stop talking!?" Judai snapped—he wanted Ryo's attention about as much as he had wanted Yusei's earlier. "Let's go," he said firmly.

"Huh?" Crow looked at him and asked, "What'd I say?"

Asuka looked at him, shocked by this sudden change of attitude. "Jaden...?"

Ryo stared at him another moment before raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Let's go," Judai repeated.

"I'm sorry, but...do I know you?" Ryo asked.

"No. You don't," he answered firmly. "Come on, Crow, let's go."

Ryo looked at him questioningly.

"Jaden?" Asuka asked. "You okay? That's the third time you've—"

"I'm fine. I just... Look, just stop asking me if I'm okay, okay?"

"T-there you are, Nii-san...," a voice said from the alley. "I-I've got something important to tell you..."

Above, the spirit started freaking out. "Crap! Not him! I can't look. This couldn't get any worse!" He amended, "Well, it could, but they'd have to go to Norway for that. Let's just hope that doesn't happen."

His friend nodded, sweating, and the two turned back into lights and hid in Jack's bag again, not wanting to see the outcome of this.

Ryo and Asuka turned toward the speaker. Judai tensed and ducked behind Yusei.

A short boy with blue hair and gray eyes appeared. He had glasses on his face, and he wore a blue jacket and pants, a local middle school uniform. He looked pretty nervous as he said to his brother, "C-can we talk in private?"

Aki gasped. "T-that's—!"

"One minute, Sho," Ryo said. "There's something I need to—" He cut himself off as he turned back to where Judai had been standing to find him missing. He sweat. "...Find out. Okay. Where did he go?"

"Where'd who go?" Sho asked.

Aki whispered to Yusei, Jack, and Crow, "That kid looks a lot like a spirit I saw hanging around Judai once. His 'best friend,' he called it?"

Out of shock, Crow exclaimed. "S-so that's the guy who was haunting our house earlier!? The name fits, anyway!"

It was taking every ounce of willpower Judai had not to leap out from behind Yusei and strangle that loudmouth right then.

"HAUNTING!?" Sho exclaimed. "W-what do you mean!? A-am I dead!?"

He looked ready to have a panic attack, so Asuka tried to calm him. "No. No, Sho, you're not dead! He just—what are you doing? Are you guys from the future?"

"What?" Ryo asked.

"Oh, man! Th-then, if that's true, then what caused it!?" Sho wondered, having not heard a word Asuka had said. Did a car hit me when I was hurrying to school late that one day? I know I wasn't watching the roads very closely! Maybe Gorisuke decided my lunch money wasn't good enough and he'd take my life as payment instead, so he beat me to death! Or I could have gotten amnesia, got lost in the rain and cold, and caught pneumonia and died!

"And when did it happen!?" he went on aloud. "How come I'm just now realizing it!? So much for my dreams of becoming a duelist! It's never gonna happen now!"

Judai still hid behind Yusei, stunned. He's an idiot..., he thought, though whether it was about Crow or Sho, even he couldn't tell you.

"Sho! Sho! Calm down!" Asuka said. "You're not dead! If you were, we'd all be dead!"

That didn't help any. "Oh, no! You're dead, too!?" Sho exclaimed. "Even my Nii-san... How did this happen to us!?"

The look on Ryo's face said he was tired of this sort of thing—apparently it was a pretty common occurrence. "Sho..."

Ugh... I'm gonna have to do something, aren't I...? Judai thought.

"Sho," Ryo said. "We're not dead. Quit it."

"But he just said—!"

"He's crazy," Judai said, stepping out from behind Yusei. "Ignore him."

"But—!" Sho started, turning to Judai. He cut himself off and stared. After a moment, his eyes widened in shock and confusion.

"No buts," Judai said. "He's crazy, so don't listen to anything he has to say, alright, kid?"

Sho just kept staring at him for a long while. Finally, he stammered, "Y-y-you're..."

"Nobody you know, that's who," Judai finished. "Didn't you have something to tell your brother?"

Sho looked at him questioningly, clearly stunned and confused. "WHO ARE YOU!?"

So, it's not just me? Ryo thought.

Judai didn't think he could take any more of this. If one more person asked him that, he felt he'd snap. And it always had to be the worst ones. Now he was only missing one person from his Top Five.

"You didn't answer!" Sho said. "But I already know! But I don't! But—Aniki!? Where'd that come from!? What's going on here!? Who are you!?"

Ryo sweat. Here we go again...

Even Sho knows? Asuka thought. Who is this guy?

Judai backed up a step. "You don't know me. Stop it."

"But I do know you! But I don't! But—AAAAHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!?" He started ripping his hair out.

"Sho! Calm down!" Ryo said, reaching for his shoulders. "It's okay!"

Sho jerked away, yelling, "NO, IT'S NOT! I'M LOSING MY MIND!"

Judai hated seeing Sho like this—heck, at that moment, he hated seeing Sho at all. The only way to calm him down would be to tell him the truth and hope he believed it, but Judai didn't really want to go into that again, especially since he'd be meeting these guys in only a few more months. He teared up, unsure what to do.

Asuka and Ryo kept trying to calm Sho, to no avail. Yusei's group was just staring, stunned speechless.

"NO! IT'S NOT A MOON OF THE POOF! I'M ABOUT TO JUMP OFF AUNT HONEY'S CIRCUS ORANGE!" Sho yelled a bunch of random nonsense, as if he were really going crazy. Heck, Judai thought, maybe he was...

"Damn it... SHO!" He ran over and knelt down in front of the boy, gripping his shoulders firmly. "Sho, calm down, there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this."

"You! Me! WHY!? NOTHING MAKES SENSE ANYMORE!"

Maybe I should call the hospital, Ryo thought.

"Yes, it does!" Judai said. "Okay? Look, we're from the future. Okay? Just calm down. If you calm down, maybe I can try to explain this, okay?"

"So, you are from the future!?" Asuka asked. "Then does that mean—"

She cut herself off, not sure what that could mean, though she had a sneaking suspicion that they knew each other.

"Aw, who cares!?" Sho said, still going nuts. "Future, past, they're all the same! If the memories are still there, they'll always be there! Time's only an illusion, after all!"

Ryo sweat. "Sho... You got that from Avatar..."

Judai's eyes slowly widened as he thought about Sho's words. "But it makes sense..."

Winged Kuriboh sweat. "Kuri..."

From the little guy's reaction, Judai guessed that he had known this all along—that seeing Judai would affect his old friends, even if they hadn't met yet. Like Sho had just (insanely) said, time is only an illusion.

"Geez, Aibou, ya could have said something sooner...," Judai muttered to the hairball. "Sho!" He shook him a bit. "It's not you, it's me! The only one going crazy here is me! Take a chill pill!"

Sho stopped freaking out and was quiet. "Huh?" he asked after a moment.

"I'm the crazy one," Judai repeated. "It's my fault that you think you're going nuts. I shouldn't even be here..."

"And why's that...?" Asuka asked, not sure what else to say.

Judai hesitated for a moment before standing up and saying, "Heck, you guys knowing me is already probably too much... What the hell? Screw the space/time continuum. We aren't supposed to meet for another few months, but my friends here—" He hitched a thumb at Yusei and company. "—thought it would be a real hoot to drag me back in time and screw around with things."

"Uh, Jaden?" Yusei said, not sure telling them was a good idea.

"...What...?" Asuka asked.

Sho looked more stunned.

"Yeah. I'm not giving you any details on that, though. You'll find out soon enough."

Asuka stared for a moment. "How far into the future are you guys from...?" she asked finally.

"Yeah! 'Cause that's not adding up! Did I die at a young age or something!?" Sho asked, worried.

"No," Judai answered. "It's...complicated. And that's all I'm saying."

Sho's shoulders slumped. "So, that's a yes, then... Great..."

"It'll be okay, Sho. I'm sure that's not it," Asuka said.

"You didn't die young," Judai said, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "You got married, had kids, lived a great life, and died an old man."

"Then—you're—what?" Sho asked, too confused to form a coherent sentence.

"But didn't you just say we'd meet soon?" Asuka asked. "Then how come you guys know Sho? As a ghost, that is?"

Judai opened his eyes, looking close to tears.

"Hey. You okay? What'd we say?" Sho asked.

As the tears started to fall, Judai looked away, trying to hide them. Sho leaned toward his gaze.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, cocking his head. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Jaden..."

"J-just leave me alone already... I think I've been saying that for awhile now..."

"Aniki..."

Sho paused after saying that word, a lame and confused look appearing on his face as he tried to figure out why he'd called him that.

It had been so long since any living soul had called him that. The tears were coming even worse with that simple word. That simple word brought back so many memories, good and bad—the day Sho gave him that title, Sho hiding in a trash can, Sho the car, Duel Zombie Sho demanding he duel him...and that day... No. He wouldn't think about that, either.

Yusei put a hand on Judai's shoulder. "It's okay..."

"Stop lying..."

Asuka looked at him, hating the pain in his voice. "Jaden..."

"Crow just went and opened his big mouth in front of Sho, and now I'm standing here talking to the guy," Judai said. "How is this okay...? The only way it could be worse would be if Johan showed up!"

The spirit peeked out of Jack's luggage. "Yeah, no kidding... Dang it! Why do those guys have to be so curious? Maybe I should step in after all..."

Crow rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, pal..."

"Why...?" Judai asked, his head lowered so that his eyes were hidden in shadows. "Why can't you just stop talking to people? You're in my time. You never know who I might know...or what sort of impact you could have on your own time..."

"Hey. It's okay," Asuka said. "I'll stop asking about it, okay? In fact, let's pretend it never happened and start over. Hi. I'm Asuka. And you are?"

Judai just stared at her.

"My name's Sho. Sho Marufuji. Pleased to meet you, stranger!"

Ryo stared at them for a moment. "Okay...," he said at last before walking off.

As Judai stood there silent, he debated whether he should give his alias again or his real name. Seeing as he had just told them the truth, it didn't seem like too bad of an idea.

"Just get rid of them before you start crying again!" Yubel said. "I thought you weren't that big a glutton for punishment?" Muttering, she added, "I mean, you said so earlier."

Judai stared at the ground. "I never learn, do I...?" he said quietly.

"That's why you've got me. Listen to me, and you won't hurt as much."

Those were the magic words. "Just go away...," Judai said to Asuka and Sho. "Both of you..."

"W-what? But why?" Sho asked, whining.

"Jaden," Asuka said, her tone a bit whiny, too.

Judai closed his eyes. "It hurts less...when you're not here... I think..."

"What hurts less? Come on, Aniki."

While Sho may not have known why he kept calling Judai that, it felt wrong to call him anything else, so he was just gonna go with it.

Judai's attention snapped to the gray-eyed boy. "Don't call me that!"

"But—" Sho started.

"I can't take it anymore!" Judai yelled. "Why is this happening to me!?"

"Jaden," Yusei said. "Try to calm down. Just remember why we're here."

"So it does have to do with him!" Asuka said.

Yusei didn't answer, but the look on his face said more than enough.

"In that case, my parents are about to lose another kid for awhile," Asuka said. "I'm going with you guys tomorrow!"

"And where's that?" Sho asked.

Yusei looked at Judai in concern.

Asuka turned to Sho. "I'm not entirely sure why, but..."

She proceeded to explain what she knew of the situation. Judai just stood there, staring at the ground.

"In that case, count me in, too!" Sho said after Asuka had finished. "I can't stand to see this guy so upset! Aniki or not, I'm gonna help him!"

Judai just kept staring at the ground.

"Jaden?" Yusei asked finally. "You gonna be okay, pal?"

The brunette shook his head. "No... I'm done lying. No, I'm not gonna be okay..."

"You will!" Sho said. "Just as soon as we—"

"Find that card that I stupidly sent into space when I was a kid...," Judai cut him off, his voice quiet.

"So you're the winner of that thing?" Asuka asked.

"But...weren't you supposed to send it up there?" Sho asked.

Judai answered, "A card I made. But I asked them to send up one that I owned, and that's gonna cause some serious problems for everyone soon if I don't do something..."

"What!?" Sho exclaimed. "You sent a real card up there!? Why!?"

"Because she was hurting my friends, so I thought that sending her to space might help. Though, as usual, I was wrong, and it's just gonna make everything worse..."

"So, wait, you're saying that a card really does want revenge?" Asuka asked.

Sho just stared, stunned by the whole exchange.

"Yep. Pretty much," Judai said. "That part was the truth. It was the whole 'Jack wants to be an astronaut' thing that was made up."

"So, what will happen if you fail to find her?"

"She'll show up at Duel Academy while you're there, having tricked a teacher into helping her, and send the school—and a bunch of the students—to another dimension where she'll regain her strength by using the students. Everyone will get back to their own world with the help of a special card, but one kid will get left behind, and I'll get to watch my friends die for the first time..."

Asuka's eyes widened. "What!?"

Sho finally found his voice and asked, "First time...?"

"Yeah, though they won't really be dead, just trapped in another dimension," Judai went on. "Then, to save them, I'll end up dueling that duel monster, remembering a past life, and fusing with her as the only answer to undo all the damage I've caused..."

Asuka just stared, stunned and horrified.

"W-wh-wha—" Sho stuttered.

"I break everything I touch," Judai said. "Let's put it that way."

Asuka recovered and said, "S-so, if all that's true, then what's going on here!? You said Sho lived a long life, but how could you know that at your current age!? It sounds like you're gonna be our classmate! But you're only..." She trailed off, too stunned to finish.

Sho fidgeted slightly. Bad feeling...

Judai lowered his head. "...I'm part duel monster..."

"So I figured...," Asuka said.

"But that doesn't answer our question!" Sho protested.

"Duel monsters don't age...or die..."

"What!?"

"Yeah... Disease can't kill them, either... At least, not for long... I've never been dead for more than a year."

Asuka stared at him.

"So, you're immortal?" Sho asked. "That's kinda cool."

Judai pushed away the memory that was threatening to resurface—he wouldn't let himself think about it. "No, it's not," he told Sho firmly.

"Are you kidding? No one can kill you, and you survive everything! You're around to witness historical events and say 'I was there when it happened,' and—"

His head snapped up, and he glared at Sho as he interrupted, "And watch everyone I care about die."

That shut Sho up. He should have tried that when... He wouldn't think about it.

"So, have you tried killing yourself yet?" Asuka asked, not sure what she wanted the answer to be, all things considered. "Maybe if someone killed you of an unnatural cause, then—"

"I've been killed before," he cut her off. "I just turn to stardust and come back later."

"Stardust?" she asked.

Judai smacked himself in the face. "In this other dimension, when someone died, they turned into sparkling dust—stardust—and were 'sent to the stars,' as people sometimes called it. Well, that's what I do when I die now."

Asuka looked at him, not entirely sure how to answer that. "I'm sorry...," she said at last.

Judai looked away.

"So you're thinking that getting the card back will make everything better?" Sho asked. "But won't it still be mad at you for sending it away in the first place?"

"Well, the spirit in that card, who lives inside of my head now, says that she might have been okay if she hadn't crash-landed on Earth after years in space. So I'm just hoping she's right."

Sho stared for a moment before saying, "Yup. I'm going with you guys, alright..."

"That's so sad," Asuka said. "I'll definitely help you out. Especially since I think I know who your dead lover really was."

He still wouldn't look at her, but she could see the tears forming in his eyes. She pulled him into a hug.

"It'll be okay," she assured him. "I know we'll find her."

Judai hugged her tight.

She was silent for a moment before, "Your real name's Judai, isn't it...?"

"...Yes..."

Asuka wasn't sure how she knew that, but she wasn't going to worry about it just then. She held onto Judai, stroking his back to soothe him.

Above, the spirit watched, speechless. When he recovered his voice, he said, "She guessed his name...all because she hugged him...? Oh, no wonder he's so upset. Guess I never really knew how close those two were. Wow..."

His friend looked on at the scene below, then turned to him, looking concerned.

"I...doubt there's much we can do right now, pal," he confessed. "Let's just hope these guys don't fail him."

His friend nodded, and the two continued to watch over this quest—and especially Judai.