A/N: One week til Halloween, everyone! Well, that means there's one more chapter after this. Enjoy! We don't own Yugioh GX.
"I...I-I was..." Sho said, his eyes the size of dinner plates.
"It's alright, mate. Just take a deep breath," Jim tried to soothe. To O'Brien, he whispered, "Do you still have Judai's number?"
"I WAS POSSESSED BY A FOX!" Sho screamed, completely panicking now.
"It's okay, Sho! Just calm down," Natsuko said, not sounding or looking very calm himself.
"I was possessed by a fox!" Sho shrieked, making it sound like one word as he ran around in circles. "Asuka was eaten by a nekomata! This Halloween thing sucks! What do they want with us anyway!?"
"Sho," Ryo said. "Sho! Try to stay calm! This is serious! We're all in real danger here, and panicking's not going to help anything! You hear me!? Now get it together!"
"He's right!" Manjoume agreed. "We need to pull ourselves together and figure out what's going on here! You can panic after that! Sho!?"
He didn't seem to hear them—he was still running around in circles, rambling unintelligibly.
"Sho! Calm down, alright!?" Akiko said. "Look, just stay with us, and you'll be fine."
Fearing that her friend was about to get herself squeezed to death or something, Haruko said, "I'm not sure you should tell him that... O'Brien, if you do have his friend's number, you might wanna try calling..."
"Better yet, let's just try this!" Manjoume said, whacking Sho upside the head as the shorter man ran by him.
Sho fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Hey!" Hayato protested. "What was that for!?"
"What? It stopped him, didn't it?"
"Yeah, but only for a little bit," Johan said. "We've gotta figure out what's going on here! I mean, how many yokai are haunting you, Natsuko?"
"I didn't even know I had that one!" he answered, still freaking out. "And a better question would probably be what do they want!?"
"Good question," Manjoume said. "The kitsune said it wanted that bauble. Does it have any special meaning to you?"
"It's my wife's lucky charm. The kids are getting real fond of it, too."
"Hmm. Very interesting! So it has brought you good luck? Then those lousy yokai are trying to steal the luck for themselves! That must be it!"
Akiko was tempted to point out that Natsuko hadn't said the figurine had ever brought them luck or mention that it hadn't brought luck, but instead she asked, "Are we even sure there's two? I've seen one, but I refuse to believe that Waru, who was still a normal cat the last time I saw him, is a bakeneko of any kind."
"Of course there's two!" Manjoume said. "One already did away with Tenjoin-kun! And the other possessed Sho! We just have to hope there aren't any more! Natsuko! Whatever you do, don't give them that magical maneki neko, no matter what! It's protecting you from them!"
Akiko rolled her eyes, thinking that there wasn't any proof Asuka had been eaten by anything, as Hayato asked, "Really? How do you know?"
"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. After all, it is a lot to take in. Let Detective Thunder sum it up for you. At least two evil yokai want that glass cat, right?"
"I guess."
"So, obviously, they know about its magic shield that protects this family, right? So they want to dispose of it so they can attack them! Simple, no?"
"Uh?" Hayato responded, not quite following Manjoume's logic.
"So, to prevent that, we need to protect that lucky charm," Manjoume finished.
"I guess," Hayato caved, just giving in to the ridiculous reasoning of his friend the "detective."
"Right!" Natsuko said.
Akiko rolled her eyes. This is so stupid...
"So you really think that's why?" Ed asked. "But that makes no sense."
"Agreed," Ryo said. "There must be some other reason those yokai want that thing."
Glad that there were other intelligent people in the room besides herself and Fuyuko—who had a rather lame look on his face during Manjoume's proposal—Akiko said, "I'm with you two."
"Alright, then one of you give me one good reason!" Haruko demanded.
"I don't know," Ryo admitted. "But I highly doubt that maneki neko has the power to protect this family from two yokai. It wasn't made for that. So whatever they're really after, we need to hope it's nothing dangerous."
"But, since we're dealing with a nekomata here, it probably is," Ed said. "So we can't let them get that thing, no matter what! Understood, everyone?"
Kenzan, Johan, Fubuki, Manjoume, Ryo, O'Brien and Hayato nodded.
"Got it!" Fuyuko said.
"Right!" Haruko chimed.
"Okay!" said Jim.
"WHO SAID THERE WAS A NEKOMATA INVOLVED!?" Akiko bellowed, still stuck on that bit—after all, there hadn't been a sighting of a nekomata, just Asuka acting weird and pouncing on shrimp. "I don't see a nekomata!" Superstitious idiots... Yeah, Waru's totally evil...
"Uh, anyway, first things first," Johan said. "We need to secure that cat. Then we should all come up with a battle plan. Natsuko. You and Fuyuko take care of the maneki neko. Don't let it out of your sight!"
"Got it!" the two answered.
"Akiko?" Johan asked, hoping she wouldn't snap at him. "You, Manjoume, and Jim go build a barricade. Make sure no suspicious creatures sneak passed you."
Manjoume and Jim nodded.
Akiko crossed her arms, still somewhat annoyed with these people and their assumptions. "Whatev."
The three of them headed off to barricade the front door.
"O'Brien, Ed? You two look into how to get rid of those things," Johan instructed.
"Got it," Ed said as he and O'Brien set off to do that.
"As for the rest of us, find a weapon and get ready for battle. We're not going down without a fight! Let's teach those nasty yokai that they can't push us around!"
"Yeah!" Kenzan agreed.
Ryo nodded, and Hayato said, "If you say so, okay!"
Haruko, on the other hand, looked nervous—as if she had just been told to dress in a suit of meat and go into a den of lions. "B-battle? Can't I just keep an eye on Sho? Or the kids? I mean, someone has to!"
"Good idea!" Johan said. "Go guard the kids in case they get in that way!"
"R-right!" she said, running off for the stairs.
Sho bolted up suddenly, screaming, "I WAS POSSESSED!"
Johan knocked him out again. Sorry, Sho, but we don't have time for that right now.
"And you were calling me an idiot!" the nekomata said to the kitsune, laughing at his failed attempt to get the statue.
"Oh, shut up!" the kitsune said. "It's not my fault if those things are dangerous! We don't want to kill them, right? Don't worry, we'll get that thing yet, now let me see..."
In a back alley nearby, Asuka sat up, rubbing her head. "Ugh. Who knew old women in this country could hit so hard! I sure hope she didn't steal anything."
She looked over her belongings quickly, seeing that everything was accounted for. This wasn't making sense. Why would an old woman lead her to an alley and knock her out, then just leave her there without even taking her wallet or something?
"Okay? What was she after, anyway?"
Shaking her head, she decided to worry about that later. Right now, she should get back to the party before people started to worry.
Upon arriving at Natsuko's place, she found that the door was locked. That's weird...
"Hello?" she called, rattling the doorknob. "Can I come in? Why did you guys lock the door? Hello?"
"It's the nekomata!" Manjoume whispered. "It's come back!"
"'Nekomata,' he says," Akiko muttered. To the person outside, she called, "Sorry, access denied to all 'yokai!'"
Asuka's eyes widened. "What!?"
"Yeah, so go eat the fish in the pond out back. I think they took the maneki neko that way, anyway."
"Why are you guys acting so weird? I'm not a nekomata! It's me! Asuka!"
"I never said you were a nekomata," Akiko answered. "I just said you were a yokai. Well, implied, really."
"Why on earth would I be a yokai? They aren't even real!"
"Don't play dumb, you monster!" Manjoume bellowed. "We'll never let you have the family's guardian! Now get lost or face my revenge!"
"Revenge!? For what!?"
"Oh, you know, eating Asuka Tenjoin, because you did that, apparently." The sarcasm was clear in Akiko's voice as she said this, and Asuka could practically see her rolling her eyes. Muttering, she added, "After all, no one's thinking of any alternatives..."
Asuka stood there, stunned. What's wrong with them!? They sound crazy! "If this is some sort of sick Halloween trick, it's not funny. Now let me in already!"
"Unfortunately, it's no trick," Akiko answered. "Sorry, access denied."
Inside, Jim quietly said to the other two, "Guys, I know this is going to sound a bit odd, but I think that might actually be Asuka."
"Really?" Akiko asked, a lame look on her face. "Why would that sound odd? I don't think she's dead, after all."
"B-but that's impossible!" Manjoume protested loudly. "We saw the nekomata that ate her, remember!?"
By this point, Akiko was starting to think that it was pointless to argue with the stupid. After all, nobody had actually seen Asuka get eaten.
"Eaten by a nekomata," Asuka muttered. "Manjoume! That's the stupidest thing you've ever said! And what's with all this talk about real yokai!? This isn't Dark World and those aren't Duel Monsters! Now let me in before I really get mad!"
Akiko looked at Jim quizzically. "Dark World? Do I want to know?"
"Probably not, sheila," he answered, shaking his head. "Probably not."
"You guys!" Asuka called.
"Pardon me, ma'am, is there a problem here?" a man asked, walking up behind her. He wearing a police uniform, and he was blonde with blue eyes.
Inside, Akiko quietly said to her comrades, "Well, either way, you can't say we saw the 'nekomata' that ate her. For all you know, we saw the poor girl possessed by one. Ever think of that?"
Asuka answered the man who had just arrived, saying, "Yes. My friends think I'm some sort of Japanese monster or something and won't let me in."
"Really?" the officer said. "That figures. People tend to get a little nuts at this time of year." He knocked on the door, saying, "Alright! This is the police! Open this door!"
"D-did he just say police?" Fubuki said, walking over. "We better let him in, then."
He reached for the doorknob, but Akiko beat him to the punch.
Fearing that the officer was one of the many who knew her brother so well and not wanting to be associated with this insanity, she threw the door open, smiling, and said, "Well, hello, officer. I'm sorry. I tried to tell them they're all nuts, but they just don't believe me."
"Shut that door at once!" Manjoume said, slamming it shut.
"Hey!" Asuka protested.
"Manjoume!" Akiko snapped. "What if that really is her? Are you gonna let that 'nekomata' eat her?"
"Are you crazy!?" he countered. "That guy could be one, too!"
"Good call, Manjoume!" Johan said. "We can't be sure who's really who right now, so don't open up for anybody, got it?"
Manjoume nodded.
Akiko rolled her eyes. Arms crossed, she asked, "If I said I wanted to leave, could I crawl out a window, then?"
"But, if you did that, those evil yokai would get you!" Fubuki said. "Do you want to end up like Sho or my poor, deceased sister!?"
"I'm not deceased!" came Asuka's voice from the other side of the door. "I just got mugged by an old lady who stole nothing and dropped me in an alley!"
"You should listen to her, you know?" the officer said. "I'm warning you, don't make me call for backup."
"He's gonna call for backup!" Hayato said, reaching for the doorknob. He started to open the door, continuing, "We've gotta—"
Kenzan slammed the door shut, leaning against it so no one could open it. "Ever hear the term 'sneaky as a fox?' Johan's right. That could just be that yokai again trying to trick us! So, unless he does call for backup and they show up, stay put, got it!?"
Hayato backed up. "G-got it..."
"Call for backup!" Akiko called through the door. "They all need a trip to the Happy Hotel!"
Suddenly, Sho was hovering over Akiko's shoulder. When he got there was anyone's guess, but he seemed eerily calm. "Uh, Akiko, did you forget that I WAS POSSESSED BY A FOX!?" He started panicking again, his eyes wild. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT GUY'S NOT, TOO!?"
Akiko leaned away from the crazy man, eyes wide. Kenzan knocked him out again before he could go on.
"Shut up, Sho. We don't need that right now!"
"W-w-what!?" they heard Asuka stammer from outside.
Akiko stared at Sho for a moment, her eyes still wide. This was a new one for her—she was actually afraid of something. Finally, she screamed, "GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE, THEY'VE ALL GONE TOTALLY NUTS!"
"Akiko?" Ryo said. "Normally, I'd agree with you, but we all saw that kitsune jump out of Sho. So I'd say we need to be careful. Crazy or not, this is real. Don't let your guard down just because you're in denial, okay?"
Akiko stared at Sho another moment. "Right, okay, yeah," she said at last.
"It's all right, sheila," Jim said. "It's going to be fine. Don't worry."
"Who said I was worried?" she countered, not wanting to look weak.
Jim shrugged. He could tell she was pretty freaked out about this whole thing, but he wasn't going to argue with her.
"But you should be!" Fubuki told her. "We all saw my sister attack the dessert tray, too! Only Judai ever came close to doing that, and my sister's his opposite! So there's obviously something going on here! And, if there really is a nekomata here, then it's dangerous, too! Right, girls!?" He waited a moment for Momoe and Junko to respond. When they didn't, he turned. "Girls!?"
Momoe and Junko were lying on the floor in the middle of the room. Apparently they had fainted some time ago.
All was silent for a moment before Asuka said, "What...? Hey, what's going on here!? What do you mean, a kitsune jumped out of Sho!? They're not real, are they!?"
"Well, unfortunately, yes," Akiko answered, still not convinced that the girl they were locking out was actually a yokai.
"And you did attack a platter of shrimp, in case you forgot," Jim added.
There was no answer from outside.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" they heard the officer say after a moment.
Then they heard Asuka scream.
"W-what are you doing!?" she asked. "Let go!"
"Alright!" the officer's voice said. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen! Let me in and give me that thing, or the girl gets it!"
"Crap!" Akiko said, realizing she'd been right about Asuka.
"So the officer's definitely one!" Jim said.
"Well!?" the man called, irritated.
That's when things got really out of hand. Haruko screamed upstairs, followed shortly after by the screams of two small children. The smell of smoke filled the building, coming from up above, and it sounded like someone was up there playing with fire.
"Out of my way!" came an unfamiliar voice.
Akiko's attention snapped to the stairs. "Haru! Risa! Ryan!"
She ran off to check on her friend, niece, and nephew.
"If I had to guess, I'd say they're in," Jim said.
"Battle stations, everyone!" Johan called. "We can't let them win!"
At some point, Kenzan had dove under a table. "I want my Aniki...," he said.
"Well, he's not here, so we'll have to make due without him!" Ed reminded him.
They all got ready to fight, not sure what these yokai wanted or whether they would be able to stop them if they tried.
