Ranryu

Not again! Wynn left the strange group, chasing Lerac blindly through the snow.

"Got it." Wynn looked at the Cufre guy, then turned around to address all the other people. "If you try to stop him, I will kill you. And if that isn't an option, I will banish you to the Shadow Realm." She readied her duel disk.

Wynn looked a little annoyed, but gave in. "Okay, I've got a deck loaded and ready to go. Which one is the bad guy?"

"Lerac!" Wynn hugged him and didn't want to let go. "It's chaos here. Let's end this little crossover and get back to the ICannon multiverse. I didn't know this kind of thing was within Malum's powers." She summoned her duel runner.

"Well that's helpful. Look, if I help you with whatever this is, will you just take me to him?"

"Lerac? Thank goodness he's alive! Where is he?"

"Yeah... wait, who are you? Where am I? Fighting...? I'm supposed to help you."

Wynn looked confused- and exhausted. "It's me, Wynn... what?" She looked like she was about to collapse. "I have cards now. So who do I kill?"

Wynn came up to him. "Can you please explain who you are and why you're here? I was sure that we'd end up in a weird Malum world. And have you seen a guy named Lerac?"

A grey-haired girl walked up, looking rather beat up. "Lerac? Wait, who are you guys?"

Stuff it, Malum. I know you're a liar. Now if you excuse me, those guys look like they need help. A small glow appeared in front of Wynn. "Cards? Yes!" With that, she ran into the fray.

It took Wynn a second to remember what she was talking to. Malum. I don't believe you. She continued in the direction she had been going.

Wynn had no choice but to head in that direction. She couldn't see anything in this snow, and her Shadows were to be saved for the most dire of circumstances. "Lerac? Anybody?"

"Lerac?" Her voice was sucked away by the gale. Even though she was called the bringer of storms, she had no power here. Almost no power at all, actually. It had taken all that she had to make that run. She what what, two, three weeks of memories left? It was enough for her to know how important her mission was. And Lerac. I need to find Lerac. Who are you? Wynn recoiled at the intrusion, still searching the snow while talking. Not many can enter my mind like this. Not many have tried. Are you working with Malum?

A few seconds was enough time. Wynn shot across the path, a Shadow storm rising in her wake. In a mere minute, she expended about three-fourths the energy of a neutron star.

NO. Wynn pushed all her energy into the shadows. Find Lerac. Open a path. She felt a huge amount of energy, eons worth of memories, leave her. A clean path appeared in the void for her to follow.

"No!" Wynn pushed herself faster, almost flying through the strange Void. Not again! Never again!

Shadows launched Wynn after him. The illusion of the Mound dissolved into fragmentary light and reflections. I'm not letting you take him again, Malum. In the meanwhile, Snuffle found the objective. The mechanical puppy's brain when into overload. Wynn would be pleased. Wynn would give her treats for finding the shiny thing!

"Snuffle, retrieve." The little dog leaped off to do as commanded. Wynn grabbed Lerac's hand. "I'm not letting Malum take you from me. Where you go, I go."

"I got you!" Wynn grabbed him. "We're really close. Like, meters away." The runner slowed significantly. "Just a few more minutes, and then we'll be outta here."

Shadows pulled Lerac back into the runner. "What's happening?" Tors, do you know?

"Hang on, I'll pull you up!"

"Lerac!?" Wynn stopped the runner. She tried pulling on the rope, but it wouldn't give. Wynn sank in the thick moss up to her ankles. "Lerac?" She shouted again, starting to panic.

"I don't know if we'll be able to see it until we find it. Focus. I can't lose you again." Snuffle began to bark more frequently as they drew closer to the Stacis.

Wynn laughed. "Death won't stop me. Don't worry, though. We'll keep you safe." The Mound came into view. Wynn forced herself to ignore the little girls skipping along the path. Snuffle barked and pointed her head to the north. "The Stacis isn't too far. Not to close, either. It's hard to tell when we're beyond space like this."