Yu-Gi-Oh GX - Crossroads (6/11)
Jun. 17th, 2009 08:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heleentjeStory Title: Crossroads
Chapter Title: A Desperate Situation
Author: Heleentje
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Rating: T
Characters: Johan, Yubel, Judai, Gem Beasts
Word Count: 2101
Warnings/spoilers: spiritshipping-if-you-squint, psycheshipping-if-you-look-sideways-and-s
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or any of its characters
It took Manjoume five days to reply, and during those five days Johan quickly became more and more agitated, to the point where the Gem Beasts had to frequently calm him down when he started panicking again.
In the meantime, the nightmares continued their habit of popping up every night, and one memorable night had him screaming so loud that one of his neighbours had almost called the police, thinking that someone had been attacking him.
The second day provided some distraction, though, as the dueling world was suddenly in uproar over a new Pro Circuit that had been formed. Johan wasn’t surprised.
“We now return to Kaiba Corporation’s temporary headquarters, where a press statement has just been released.”
The image shifted to a different reporter, who stood in front of Kaiba Corporation’s logo and looked excited.
“Kaiba Corporation’s spokesman has just announced that the company intends to support this new Pro Circuit. Kaiba himself has released a statement outlining his thoughts on the new Circuit and the Pro Leagues in general. While we cannot reveal the full contents yet, it is very clear at this point that he views the Pro Leagues as corrupt and plans to use this new Circuit as ‘a new beginning for the dueling world’.”
The anchorwoman took over again, briefly going over a few sheets of paper before addressing the audience:
“We have just received new information concerning the founders of this new circuit, and we are proud to be the first to present you with an exclusive overview.”
The image shifted again, and the screen was now dominated by pictures of Ryo and Sho, next to each other.
These two brothers have been confirmed as the creator of the new Pro Circuit Long-time viewers might remember Marufuji Ryo, seen on the right, as an upcoming talent in the Pro Leagues a few years ago, before his career was brutally shot down by Edo Phoenix. Despite many rumors, nothing was known about him until now. His younger brother, Marufuji Sho, on the left, is a recent graduate at Duel Academia, ranking as the third best of his year.”
Johan wondered what their definition of ‘exclusive information’ was, because a quick search on the internet could have revealed all that and a lot more. The dueling world would be plunged in chaos for a few weeks, he suspected. He didn’t really feel concerned.
He had developed a mantra over he past few days, and it kept repeating itself almost constantly in his head, never really giving him a chance to stop thinking and do something else.
Dreams, memory, aura, Darkness
His body was completely exhausted, but he willed himself to stay awake, knowing that sleep would make it worse. The previous three dreams seemed to repeat themselves on a random basis, but luckily no new dreams had invaded his sleep. Not that he slept much.
By the time Manjoume answered, Johan was close to falling over from exhaustion. He was therefore relieved when he finally got a reply. The Gem Beasts all crowded into the small study where his computer was located (Amber Mammoth stayed outside, as he was too big to actually fit in with them all), and read the mail together with him.
From: Manjoume Jun
To: Johan Andersen
Subject: RE: Darkness
Andersen, why are you mailing me?
No, I did not see any darkness coming from cards, and no, I did not remember any of the erased duelists. I think that we established that, once defeated, you were gone.
Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten. Why are we still talking about this?
Manjoume Jun
Johan shivered, first lightly, but the shaking became more and more pronounced as time passed. Ruby pressed against him, feeling his need for comfort, but not being able to actually provide it. The other Gem Beasts, who had been reading over his shoulder, looked at him warily.
“Johan... Are you okay?” Sapphire Pegasus asked carefully.
“He didn’t remember...” Johan whispered, “didn’t see...” He turned around. “Why could I?!’
“Johan, calm down!” Amethyst Cat shouted.
Johan tried to. He sank back into his chair, turned back to the computer screen and read over the mail several times, trying to find something -anything- he had missed. Anything that could help him alleviate his worries. His focus shifted to the end of the message.
Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten. Why are we still talking about this?
This was not helping.
Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten.
“But I didn’t,” he shakily drew a breath, “not immediately.”
Sapphire Pegasus found the passage Johan was talking about.
“Maybe Manjoume was wrong...?” He offered tentatively.
Johan knew he was grasping at straws, but he clung to the idea nonetheless. He didn’t know exactly when he had disappeared, but he knew that it wasn’t when he should’ve. Fubuki had vanished almost the instant he had lost, while he had been around for several more minutes, long enough to see Judai defeat Fujiwara and even talk to him afterwards. Why had he remained rooted on earth for so long?
He quickly opened a new page.
From: Johan Andersen
To: Austin O’Brien
Subject: no subject
O’Brien,
Sorry to disturb you, but I need something clarified.
Is it true that those beaten by Darkness disappeared immediately afterwards?
Sincerely,
Johan Andersen
He hesitated for a second, but then resolutely clicked the ‘send’ button. He slumped in his chair and closed his eyes, giving his thoughts free reign. It didn’t make sense, none of it did. His darkness was overpowering him, but at the same time, he was practically immune to all the other effects Darkness had caused. What was going on?
He rested his head in his hands. There was no way he could figure all of this out. He didn’t know enough. But there was no way he could continue living his life like this, not with the insecurity and not with the nightmares that assaulted him every other night. He needed someone who could actually help him.
Amethyst Cat must have read his thoughts.
“Where is Judai when you need him?”
Johan looked up to see her walking through the room nervously. He looked back at the computer screen and refreshed the page, in the vain hope that O’Brien had somehow already read his mail and sent him an answer. Predictably, the page didn’t show any changes.
“Maybe you’d better do something else,” Cobalt Eagle suggested, “take your mind off things.”
Johan complied, getting up and heading for the living room. He switched on the TV, but absolutely nothing managed to hold his interest. The dueling world was still in uproar about the ‘Marufuji circuit’ as it had been dubbed, but Johan had heard everything before, and the old footage they insisted on repeating had been permanently engraved in his mind already. Since they didn’t have much footage on Sho, the programmes mainly consisted of Ryo’s short stint in the Pro Leagues and his subsequent defeat by Edo Phoenix. Johan strongly suspected that the channels were paid by the old Pro Leagues, in an attempt to discredit the new one.
He switched off the TV and got up, but immediately sat down again. He knew he was being jumpy, he had been for the past week or so, and nothing he had tried had been able to calm him down. He had half a mind to go out and buy sleeping pills, so he could finally get some rest, but he avoided heavy medication on principle, and he wanted to stick to his principles. They helped him retain some of his sanity, and they were something solid he could cling to.
He got up again, this time heading for the kitchen, and filling the kettle out of habit. Tea used to calm him down when he was younger, and while it had ‘till thusfar proven to be ineffective, he figured he might as well give it another go. The wait was long, though. Even though the water couldn’t have taken more than three minutes to cook, he found his mind going in circles, repeating his mantra over and over again.
Dreams, memory, aura, Darkness
And he added a fifth element to the list.
Dreams, memory, aura, Darkness, rooted
The water started to boil, and Johan got out a teabag and poured water in his mug. He drank, hissing when the hot water scalded his tongue, but swallowing the fluid nonetheless. The mug was quickly downed, and he put it back down, going back to the living room and switching on the TV again. He muted the sound and watched distractedly at the images flashing by.
The phone rang.
Johan looked up, startled. He didn’t often receive phone calls, and it was nearing 10 o’clock already. He quickly got up and picked up the phone.
“Johan Andersen.”
“Johan? It’s me, O’Brien. I got your mail.”
It was like receiving an electric shock. Johan was suddenly on high alert.
“Did they disappear?” He asked quickly.
“Are you all right? You sounded rather... urgent.”
“Did they?” He asked again, a note of urgency in his voice.
“Why do you need to know? Are you in trouble?”
“Just answer me, did they disappear or not?”
O’Brien stayed silent for a few seconds, before finally replying:
“Yes, I think they did. I did, anyway.”
Johan sank down onto the sofa, breathing heavily. One more thing to worry about.
“Johan? Are you still there?”
“Yes,” he breathed.
“Good, because I want to know why you are so worried.”
“I’m not...”
“You honestly expect me to believe that? You’re panicking.”
Johan admitted defeat: “It’s just... I didn’t. I didn’t disappear when Fujiwara beat me. Fubuki did, and everyone else too, but I didn’t disappear until much later.”
“... What else?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not one to panic easily. For you to get this worked up, there must be more.”
Johan sometimes wished O’Brien was less astute.
“Just... weird things. Coincidences, but too much of them.”
“Such as...?”
“Weird dreams. Pain. And hatred.”
“What kind of hatred?”
Johan kept silent.
“What kind of hatred?” O’Brien repeated.
“It’s like I hate Judai, only I don’t, but it feels like it. And my darkness, it’s my desire to beat him. I think it’s taking over.” He was surprised at how matter-of-factly the statement sounded.
The other side of the line stayed silent for a long while.
“Anything else you’re worried about?”
And Johan decided it might be better to tell the whole story. O’Brien probably wouldn’t stop asking anyway, and it felt rather refreshing to tell an outsider about the past few weeks.
“I sent a message to Manjoume first. Asked him if he could remember any of the people whom Darkness defeated. Because I could. You told me you had already been defeated when I arrived in Domino. But I could still remember you.”
“Why would Manjoume be able to?”
“We can both see monster spirits.”
“Good thinking. But I take it he couldn’t?”
“No...”
“Anything else?”
“I could see the aura of the infected cards. Manjoume couldn’t either.”
“The dreams?” O’Brien’s replies were becoming shorter and shorter.
“Two are more or less the same, I think. Fear and pain. But there’s someone in it who sounds like Judai... It’s probably nothing.”
“I doubt that. You think your darkness is taking over?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t sound like it.”
Johan did a double take: “What else can it be?”
“Judai gets into a lot of weird situations. And so do we, by association.”
“True...” he didn’t really know what else to say.
“That person who sounds like Judai, what is he doing in your dreams?”
“Yelling. Asking them to stop.”
“Stop hurting you?”
“Yes...” Johan already knew where O’Brien was going.
“And yet you hate him later on. Why?”
“I don’t know... There’s pain too, but different. As if I’m burning up.”
“... I think that you can be helped.”
“How? Where?”
“I want you to stay where you are. I doubt that your darkness is causing this, but if you get any more nightmares, contact me right away.”
“But...” Johan began.
“Stay where you are,” O’Brien repeated, “I think your Gem Beasts are capable to take care of you for the time being.”
A dry click resounded. Johan stared at the phone incredulously for a second, not quite sure whether he should feel relieved or confused. He resignedly put the phone back down.
Fifteen minutes later, in an altogether different part of the world, an altogether different phone rang.