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Cross Game

07: awakening in the wonder land (beyond, something stirs again)

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"A… Duel Counselor?" Johan repeated awkwardly.

On the screen, Rua and Ruka's mother beamed in reply. "That's right! I've already talked it over with my husband and we both think it's a wonderful idea. He has an outstanding reputation. I'm sure he'll be able to help Ruka-chan!"

Although he tried to keep his displeasure hidden, subtle signs of unhappiness passed over Johan's expression. "What will he do?" he asked instead.

"He'll stop by tomorrow, and he'll use his duel with Ruka to draw out her subconscious concerns, worries and fears. Then, he'll be able to help her overcome them," the business woman explained enthusiastically. "So please, Johan, help him in any way you can, for Ruka's sake."

She honestly wanted the best for her children, Johan thought.

"Of course," he agreed with an uneasy smile.

And that had been yesterday.

When the building intercom chimed, Johan momentarily considered just ignoring it. Then the moment passed and, like the responsible adult he was, the duelist answered.

"Mr. Andersen? There is a man here to see you and the twins," the lobby receptionist informed him politely.

"Let him up," Johan answered evenly, trying not to let her know how much he wanted her to do the opposite and call security to haul this "Duel Counselor" out of the building.

As he sighed and ended the call, Rua and Ruka peeked into the entry hall. "Is it him?" Rua demanded, a frown firmly set on his face. Johan smiled a little at the boy's overprotectiveness of his sister. The two of them were really just too cute.

"Yeah," he replied, sighing again. Of course, he had told the twins everything the day before, and both of them understood that there was no getting out of this. If they tried to deny the man's services, he would no doubt tell the twins' parents, who would then insist more firmly or even demand why Johan had sent the man away.

At least it was Ruka who was dealing with the counselor. She was smart enough to be able to get rid of him without arousing too much suspicion.

"He'll be up in a moment, so get your deck and Duel Disk, okay?" Johan suggested. "And Rua, try not to scowl so much. The more we cooperate, the faster it'll be over."

He had been overly optimistic, Johan thought later.

At the sound of a polite knocking, the duelist put on his best smile and opened the door. The man on the other side was less than intimidating. Though tall, he had a plain round face topped by a simple black beret, matching his surprisingly ornate robes. In fact, he looked a little like a priest.

Still, appearances aside, something about him instantly made Johan's hackles rise.

"Hello. I am Professor Frank. You must be Johan Andersen," the man said calmly.

Keeping his smile firmly in place, Johan nodded and stepped back to let the Professor enter into the apartment. It felt like dragging a dead cat into his bed.

"That's right! And these are Lua and Luca," Johan said, gesturing to the twins, who had returned and were now giving the Professor deeply unhappy looks.

"Wonderful to meet you," Professor Frank greeted blandly. "I see Ruka-san already has her Duel Disk. Wonderful. However," here he fixed Johan with a surprisingly strong stare, "I will have to ask you and Rua-kun to step out. Your presence might affect Ruka-san's mental state, so it would be best if you were not present during our duel."

"What?!" Rua demanded instantly, while Johan stared at the Professor in surprise. Before the boy could give the man a piece of his mind (and let everyone know what kind of language he had managed to pick up despite Johan's best efforts), Johan gathered himself and pulled him back.

"I see. When should we return?"

Professor Frank smiled, apparently pleasantly surprised by this cooperation. "Two hours, maybe three. We will certainly be done by then."

Johan nodded, still smiling though a little fixedly. "It'll be best if you duel outside, I think. Rua, why don't you show Professor Frank where the patio is, and then get your deck, okay? I'll help you restructure."

As Rua opened his mouth to protest, his sister stepped quickly on his foot and pushed him the direction of the main room, having caught on to Johan's intentions. Glaring at everyone involved, the boy led Professor Frank away. Left alone with Ruka, Johan knelt in front of the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I don't like him," Ruka said abruptly. "He feels…"

Johan nodded in understanding. "There's something weird about him. Be careful, okay? Here, keep this with you."

"Your Gem Beasts?" Ruka asked, eyes widening as Johan handed her seven cards.

"They'll take care of you," Johan assured, smiling as Ruby Carbuncle appeared on Ruka's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.

Hearing Rua's deliberate, stomping footsteps returning, Ruka quickly pocketed the cards and turned to face her brother and Professor Frank.

"See you in a bit," Johan said, pulling Rua along by the hand. Ruka waved to them as the door shut, leaving her alone with the Professor.

Out in the hall, Rua turned his glare on Johan and demanded, "Are we really leaving her alone with that creep?"

"Um, sort of? We can't stay here in the hall, so let's go down to the lobby. I really will help you restructure," Johan replied a little distractedly. It had been a while since he had last been out of contact with the Gem Beasts and he was testing their connection.

They answered easily, Amethyst Cat appearing next to him. "Go on. We'll look after her," she assured her duelist before disappearing again.

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As she and the Professor faced each other on the sunlit patio, Ruka felt a shudder of uneasiness run through her. She… really hated being alone. Even if she acted all grown up and self-sufficient, Ruka had never really been alone. Her brother, Johan and the spirits had always supported her.

Ruka's eyes widened in surprise as she strapped on her Duel Disk. It was so much lighter and easier to use now. 'Yusei…' she thought. Really, she wanted to meet him again just as much as Rua.

"Saa, shall we get started?" Professor Frank suggested calmly. "What do you say to finding the real 'you' hidden in the inner depth of your consciousness?"

Swallowing a grimace, Ruka smiled uneasily. Her deck and the spirits inside hummed in agitation. They didn't like this man any more than Ruka and Johan did. Only Johan's Gem Beasts remained calm, reassuring her from inside the folds of her jacket.

Nodding more confidently now, Ruka held out her Duel Disk. As the disks activated, both the duelists declared clearly, "Duel!"

'I should end this as quickly as possible,' Ruka thought. "My turn. Draw! I summon Sunny Pixie in defense mode!" As she placed the card down on the Duel Disk, the tiny spirit appeared, its colors changing to blue, and settled near Ruka's shoulder. "I end my turn," she concluded.

Professor Frank nodded. "Then, it is my turn. Draw. I summon Symmetry Rorschach (ATK 1200)," he stated, holding up the card. An indistinctive monster appeared in front of the Professor, making Ruka frown and peer at it in confusion. "This monster will help to acquire clues about what troubles your heart and mind. Saa, Ruka-chan, what do you see in this monster?"

'What is with this man?' Ruka wondered. 'I'm not troubled. As long as…'

"Saa, saa, answer. What is it?"

Ruka hesitated, and the monster's blurry form seemed to shift before her eyes, taking on the appearance of her own monster, Sunny Pixie. The imposter Fairy smiled… and its head split open, a wicked purple face appearing instead.

"Spiral Mind!" Professor Frank ordered. Roaring, the monster attacked and easily overcame Ruka's defense monster. "I see. This test has revealed that, in the recesses of your consciousness, you are afraid. You are afraid of spirits and fairies, am I correct?"

'Nope, totally wrong,' a part of Ruka's mind that sounded suspiciously like Rua declared flatly. Ruka herself didn't answer, drawing away from the Professor and eyeing him with renewed distrust.

"What a creep," came Amethyst Cat's disembodied voice.

"And a monster to match," Topaz Tiger added snarkily. "Shape-stealers are the worst."

'That's right. I'm not alone,' Ruka reassured herself.

"All is fine. I shall clear any worries you have and set them free," Professor Frank went on.

('The only worry we've got is you!' Ruka imagined Rua complaining.)

"And to do that, you shall courageously venture to the whole other world within the depth of your consciousness, the world of Duel Monster Spirits." As the Professor spoke, Ruka's eyes widened, her momentary calm swept away. "Why, I know. You are able to perceive the language of spirits." Smiling again, he said calmly, "Symmetry Rorschach's monster effect activates. When it destroys a monster, it can flip the top card of my opponent's deck face-up. So, Peeping Mind!"

Automatically, Ruka reached out to check the top card of her deck and showed it to her opponent. The Kuribbon had been a present from Johan, and its cheery voice made Ruka smile.

"Such a cute Spirit card it is. Would you happen to hear its voice as well?" Professor Frank enquired, his politeness feeling increasingly false. "Well, I place two cards face down and end my turn."

"It's your turn now, Ruka-chan," Sapphire Pegasus reminded her in his best calm, rational adult voice, the one she suspected Johan had learned from him. "Draw Kuribbon…"

"And show him what a real duel is like!" Amethyst Cat broke in.

Nodding to them, Ruka declared, "I draw, and summon Kurribon!"

Professor Frank smiled a little wider. "Now I open my face down card, Guiding Light to the Inner Depths. The opposing player sends the top five cards from their deck to the Graveyard and adds the sixth card to their hand after both players check it. If they do not play the card during this turn, opposing player will receive 2000 points of damage," he explained.

The card seemed to flash hypnotically, making the world around Ruka tilt strangely. As he spoke, the Professor's even voice echoed oddly.

"Saa, turn over the cards from the top of your deck, if you please," he instructed, and without any thought on her part, Ruka found herself following through. "Do it slowly." Distant voices seemed to be calling to her but they grew more and more faint. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five." She couldn't hear them anymore. The Guiding Light shone brightly. "Saa, saa, saa, what is your sixth card?"

As Ruka held up the card then slid it into her Duel Disk, Professor Frank nodded sagely. "Ah, that's the Field Magic, Ancient Forest. All monsters switch to attack mode. One can neither summon anything in defense mode, nor switch anything to defense mode. And, monsters that attack are destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase."

He chuckled as the Forest's Solid Vision appeared around them. "A world which puts all out in the open… and simply does not tolerate conflict. Now, to that place…"

Gasping, Ruka opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. She was in a forest, definitely, but it was no Solid Vision. The slanted sunlight was warm on her face, and she could hear the wind rustling through the leaves. All around her, fairies fluttered, giggling faintly.

"This is… the world of Duel Monster Spirits?" Ruka wondered aloud. "Is this the world I said I visited?" As she blinked in surprise, Kuribbon bounced up to her, real and solid. "You're here… is everyone else here too? What about…? Everyone! Sapphire Pegasus! Amethyst Cat! Can you hear me?"

The trees wavered a little around her, making Ruka shiver a little. Even though the forest appeared calm and kind, there was something that scared her here.

"Ruka-chan!" Sapphire Pegasus's disembodied voice barely reached her, like someone speaking from far away. "You're still in the middle of your duel!"

"What's happening?" Ruka asked, glancing around desperately.

There was a pause before the Gem Beast answered. "He's activating a card, Gestalt Trap." As he spoke, a spiked metal band materialized around Kuribbon, making the monster whimper. Ruka's eyes widened. 'This must be the trap's effect!' she realized. "He's playing a magic card, Immortal Homeostasis," Sapphire Pegasus continued as a malignant light flared around Kurribon, "and releasing his monster to advance summon Id the Super Demonic Lord."

And Id appeared, a great glowing purple beast that glared at Ruka and the bound Kuribbon with feral red eyes. Darting forward, it struck Kuribbon, the monster disappearing in a shower of golden sparks. But as Ruka watched, Kuribbon reappeared again.

'It must be his trap and magic cards' effect,' she thought. 'Then, the Ancient Forest's effect should apply too! Id will be destroyed!'

The forest whispered angrily, and Id roared as it was destroyed. But like Kuribbon, it reappeared a moment later in a flash of light. Ruka backed away, terrified.

"Someone, help!" she called into the forest.

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"…So if you use this card and this one, your monster will…" Johan trailed off, pausing in the middle of his explanation. "Lua? Lua, what's wrong?"

Across the bench from him, the boy had suddenly grown still, his eyes glazing over as he stared blindly in front of him. Putting down the cards they had been looking over, Johan waved a hand in front of Rua's face, then shook him by the shoulder, but neither action gathered any response.

The duelist stiffened as a wave of agitation, rage and worry washed over him, coming from his Gem Beasts. None of them spared the energy and concentration for words, but Johan clearly understood their message.

'Luca is in trouble. That man is not here for counseling at all,' Johan thought.

Thinking frantically, Johan scooped up Rua's unresponsive form and dashed up the stairs. The way to the top floor seemed infinitely long as the Gem Beasts tugged on his mind with waves of emotion.

When he reached the top landing, Johan was too agitated to bother with the handle and simply kicked the door open, bursting into the apartment. Barely breaking stride to set Rua down on the couch, he ran out onto the patio, where the Professor and Ruka were still standing as if in a duel. Like her twin's, Ruka's gaze was empty and distant.

On her arm, a red mark like a claw was shining.

"What should I do?" he wondered frantically, glancing between the two opponents. Professor Frank looked as empty as Ruka, standing locked in his dueling stance. 'Duel… They're linked through their duel. I have to stop them!'

Swallowing the deeply ingrained etiquette of a duelist, Johan stepped onto the field. He passed through the Solid Vision of Ruka's Ancient Forest and made his way to the girl. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he shook her gently, but that had no effect.

"Luca! Wake up!" But just like before, his voice couldn't reach her at all.

Reaching out, Johan felt along the edge of the girl's Duel Disk and flipped the emergency shut down switch. The lights on the Disk faded out, and the Ancient Forest card automatically slid out. Around them, the Solid Vision disappeared as Professor Frank's Duel Disk also disengaged, his arm dropping to his side.

But both the duelists remained tranced.

Dropping to his knees, Johan hugged the girl tightly and called her name again. In her pocket, the Gem Beast cards began to glow.

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In the world of the Duel Monster Spirits, Ruka felt something shift a little. Id's form wavered, disappearing and being replaced by a smaller but far more malevolent figure. Opening his eyes and looking around, Professor Frank smiled. But the expression was no longer even falsely kind. It was filled with madness and cruelty.

"So this is the world of spirits," he commented gleefully. "Your power had brought me here, I see."

"My power?" Ruka repeated, backing away again. 'Someone, help,' she thought desperately.

The Professor laughed, edging on maniacal. "Your power as a Signer! There are individuals desiring that power!" He held out one hand and Id appeared beside him, bearing its fangs. "Saa, let's see more of that power of yours."

But before the monster could attack, a bright light flashed through the forest. It coalesced into a glowing shape and blinked out as Sapphire Pegasus moved to stand between Ruka and the Super Demonic Lord.

The Gem Beast tossed his head and ordered, "Get on!"

As Ruka obeyed him quickly, grabbing Kuribbon as well, Sapphire Pegasus leapt into the air, flying quickly over Id and the Professor. "How are you here?" Ruka asked as they soared through the forest.

"Johan tried to forcefully end your duel," Sapphire Pegasus explained. "That won't be enough for you to wake up now that you have come here, but it means that the rules of a duel no longer apply either, so we can help you freely."

"Then, how can I wake up?" Ruka asked, clutching Kuribbon closer. Around them, the forest seemed to die away, leaving only dead trunks and withered leaves.

"Only you know that," Sapphire Pegasus answered simply. They had reached a clearing now, and the Duel Monster landed gently beside a dried riverbed. On the other bank, a crag towered over the deadened landscape.

Slipping off the Gem Beast's back, Ruka looked around. She… knew this place. "This is… where I went back then," she murmured to herself. "Just like Johan-nii was telling us…"

Ruka remembered, she had always been able to hear the voices of the spirits, and after following them further and further with every duel, she had followed them all the way to their world one day. This place had been alive then, the river flowing with clear water, the banks covered with flowers, and the Duel Monster spirits had greeted her here.

And watching over all of them had been…

"That's right, Ruka," a disembodied but familiar voice spoke to her. "You have kept your promise. You have returned to protect this world."

"Ancient Fairy Dragon…" Ruka whispered, her eyes widening as the memories she had locked away flooded through her mind.

She had been so happy.

"I'm not lonely here anymore," her three year old self had said. "I promise, I'll stay here and protect you all!"

"That's right… I did promise that. But I was so scared! I was so scared to stay here and protect you all alone!" Ruka called back, guilt and that same fear washing over her. "And when Rua called me, I followed him home…"

A wave of malevolent intent made Ruka spin around. In a swirl of darkness, Professor Frank appeared in front of her, still wearing the same cruel smile. "No matter how far you run, you can't get away from your power, your identity as a Signer," he said with an almost mocking lilt. "Saa, come with me, to a world that will awaken that power completely."

Behind him, Id the Super Demonic Lord rose into being, growling menacingly. As Ruka backed away, Sapphire Pegasus moved between her and the other monster, spreading his wings protectively.

"Rua!" Ruka called desperately. "Rua! Call me home again! Call out to me like you did back then! Rua!"

"Ruka..." her brother's voice whispered in reply. "Ruka..."

"Rua! Where are you? Please, bring me back!"

"I can't. I was watching." Rua's voice sounded strange and echoing, but the same spirit Ruka had always secretly admired and envied still shone through. "You promised to protect everyone, didn't you? You have to protect them, and I'll protect you!"

"But you're not here! I want to protect everyone, but I can't do this alone!" Ruka screamed as Id attacked Sapphire Pegasus, momentarily grappling with the Gem Beast before destroying him in a burst of light.

"Ruka! Ruka!" Ancient Fairy Dragon called out to her, struggling against its rock prison.

"Ruka!" Rua called out, still separated from her by worlds.

"Luca," whispered a voice right next to her, "you're not alone."

Seven lights flared around her, each a different color and brilliance. Their radiance spread across the desolate landscape, engulfing Ruka and the Professor, burning away Id, Kuribbon's restraints, and even the Ancient Forest. A roar echoed around them, pulling them away.

As she fell into the warm, gentle light, Ruka reached out her brother. She could feel his presence now, just like she had back then. Voices spoke around her, as if she was an eavesdropper.

"This is not your destiny. You cannot protect her from the evil that is coming."

"I know. But I can protect her now… and I can guide her. Please! Ruka is still a child!"

"Free me, return me to her, and I will give her all my power…"

And then everything slipped away completely.

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Rua woke abruptly, blinking a little groggily at the familiar ceiling of their living room. 'Huh,' he thought with dull surprise. 'I'm home.'

"I'm home!" he exclaimed, shooting up. And he was. "What? But I was in the lobby with Johan-nii! …Are, it feels like I dreaming about something…" Rua trailed off, putting a hand to his head. "Ruka… Ruka! And that creepy guy!"

Jumping to his feet, Rua ran out onto the patio, only to stop abruptly. The creepy Professor was gone without a trace, but Johan and Ruka lay sprawled to one side. They were breathing though, and they didn't seem hurt, Rua noted with relief as he knelt next to them.

"Ruka! Ruka!" he called, shaking his sister by the shoulder. To his relief, the girl stirred after a moment, slowly opening her eyes and blinking at him.

"Rua..? Am I back?" she asked dazedly. "I… I went to the world of Duel Monster Spirits again, and then the Gem Beasts appeared…"

Blinking away her drowsiness, Ruka pulled out the seven cards. None of them responded, instead giving off an aura of exhaustion. 'They must have helped me get home,' Ruka thought. 'They and Johan-nii… But how? I thought… I saw something, when the Gem Beasts combined their power. A large, powerful shape…'

"Hey! Ruka! Johan's not waking up!" Rua's voice pulled her away from her thoughts. The boy was shaking their guardian by the shoulder, quite desperately now, but he received no response. For an instant, Ruka felt panic surge through her too, but then something (or was it someone?) calmed her.

"It's okay," she said with confidence. "Let him rest, okay? He'll be just fine."

'But the reason Johan-nii got hurt at all was because I couldn't do anything. I was so scared, and even though I decided to honor my promise, I wasn't strong enough…' Ruka thought, despairingly. She remembered the words of the two voices, Johan-nii and Ancient Fairy Dragon, she realized. 'That's right. This is my destiny and my battle. I have to get stronger and protect everyone – the Ancient Forest, the spirits, Ancient Fairy Dragon, Johan-nii, and Rua too. As a Signer, and as Ruka too.'

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A/N: Wow, lamest chapter yet, and also long. So yeah, there will be a limited use of Fortune Cup stuff. While this may seem very filler, since it covers the same stuff as Ruka's consolation match, there are important implications. 1) Professor Frank ran off to report everything, including Ruka's Signer status and Johan's involvement. Up to now, Godwin hasn't thought anything of Johan, but now he'll have a reason to investigate more.

2) Johan is going to be looking for the Ancient Fairy Dragon. Of course, there is a limit to what he can accomplish until we get to the Dark Signers, who have the card now, but it'll be important much later on.

3) Ruka, Rua and Johan are now aware that someone is actively looking into the Signers. Until now it was only suspicion, but this kicks things up a notch.

Now, since there seems to be a steady stream of people reading this, let's have a game! Anyone who can correctly guess the theme behind chapter names can request a short sidestory about any of the characters!

XDDD Please review!