#femslashfeb2019

  Yuzu was dreaming. It happened occasionally that things would meld together and overlap. They were their own persons, just all in one body. It was confusing and headache inducing but that was life. Their lives. And she was sharing this dream with Ruri.

  Yuzu tried to get to her feet, but she lost her balance quickly. She screamed as she landed with a thud on the tiles. Ruri laughed. Yuzu turned her head.

  Had she always been there?

  At the other end of the slate blue roof, Ruri laughed into her hand. It was sweet laugh, maybe a touch mischievous but otherwise good natured.

 “Do you want to come play?” Ruri asked when she ceased her bout of laughter.

  “Love to.” Yuzu replied.

  Ruri got to her feet and she did so elegantly. Her yellow sundress fluttered in the breeze and she inhaled. There was a bittersweet smile on her face and the moment lingered. Only to fade. She came in closer to Yuzu and offered Yuzu her hand.

  “My brother and I, we used to hang out on the roof all the time.” Ruri explained as she pulled Yuzu to her feet; she was such a gentle-seeming girl, but she was also hardened by war and poverty, Yuzu sometimes forgot that. “We just can’t get enough of high places for some reason but luckily for us, there are all sorts of high places in Heartland.”

  Yuzu noticed Ruri’s eyes slide to her peripheries. Yuzu turned the whole of her head. In the distance, beyond this residential zone and then beyond the central business district and all the little precincts and whatnot in the between, there was a gorgeous and elaborate tower: Heartland’s pride.

  “Follow me.” Ruri said.

  Yuzu wasn’t even given the chance to accept or deny her impish request. Ruri tugged on her hand and Yuzu came tumbling. Ruri threw them both into the wind. She screamed with laughter; Yuzu screamed with terror as they were both taken by the wind which carried birdsong.

  They both landed on their feet, like cats, with two thuds each foot and then, they weren’t at Ruri’s house anymore. They were in a park. It was quiet; mid-afternoon. Before, it had felt like morning. Now, there was an autumnal crispness to the air which Yuzu couldn’t explain, before had felt like summer.

  Ruri had a skip in her step, hands behind her back, as she approached the swings. She sat down on one and beckoned Yuzu closer. She sat down at the swing beside them. Yuzu kicked off and Ruri followed suit.

  It was fun. Earnestly fun to go to and fro like they did. Ruri beamed, squealing with joy, as she went through the motions. Yuzu wasn’t nearly as rapturous, but she felt something like adrenaline in her, nonetheless. But as she went higher and higher into the air, she began to glimpse it.

  Ruri’s sorrow.

  Her Heartland was empty. Not even the spectre of her brother lingered in all these empty streets and quiet houses. Then again, it was like that for the other girls; they couldn’t be expected to remember everything about the world they had once come from. It just felt sadder in Ruri’s case, for Yuzu anyway. Her stomach twisted with both guilt and inertia.

  And then, sometimes the façade would crack. The yellow streets, laden with joy, would turn grey. Concrete would crack and break then fix itself so it would return to some semblance of before: before the Invasion. But it knew, deep down, that the environment was an illusion and there could be no before. Only present. And the present was horrifying. Stricken with war and attempting to make amends.

  At the top of her arc, Ruri kicked off. And she soared through the air like a fumbling baby sparrow all whilst she reeled with joy and laughter. As she landed, skidding slightly but not tumbling, Yuzu wondered how much of it was for show, desperation to return to her homeland which didn’t exist anymore: metaphorically and physically.

  Ruri spun on her heel. “Come on, Yuzu, it’s fun!” she called out.

  The park was beginning to darken. Streetlights were beginning to become lit; orangey and murky.

  “Alright.” Yuzu replied, chirpy.

  Yuzu pushed all her strength into the next swing and at the peak of the arc, she bolted off the swingset. It jumped behind her. She indulged in a little show of acrobatics. Anything Ruri could do, she could do better because she was an Entertainment Duelist. Ruri laughed, heavenly, as she watched Yuzu play the clown for once in her life.

  After her little somersault, Yuzu felt dizzy. Night crashed down around her and lights, so many lights of so many prismatic colours, lit around her. She wasn’t in the park anymore. Ruri stared to her, loving, and Yuzu wondered if she knew the dream had changed. Shifted. No longer were they in the park, they were now at the base of the Heartland Tower and it took Yuzu’s breath away to see such a majestic and spectacular building up close and yet, Ruri seemed so bizarrely indifferent to it; Yuzu thought she would have been ecstatic. Instead, there was a sombreness, not a cheer, to her demeanour.

  Ruri drew in closer, her body had a slight sway to it like she was tired. Exhausted. She took Yuzu’s hands. Their bracelets clinked together upon contact. It was comforting and her voice dropped to a whisper.

  “I’m glad I was able to show you this Heartland.” Ruri murmured, her face millimetres from Yuzu’s.

  “I’m glad I got to see this Heartland.” Yuzu replied, breathless.

  She wondered what her face looked like to Ruri given that she was so close and there was such a lovely shine in her eyes. Then again, Yuzu didn’t have to wonder. It was silly. They shared the same face after all and Ruri looked sublime as she was: draped in darkness on half of her face and painted with all the colours of Heartland in the other. Yet, there was a crinkle of tears in her maroon eyes which were so far gone that they looked entirely black like her pupils.

  Ruri kissed Yuzu. Yuzu closed her eyes and kissed back. She suspected that Ruri was staring because she could feel that little uncomfortableness in her own body as she kissed Ruri who was feather soft and so, so lonely.

  And made to be even lonelier when Yuzu vanished, woke up, right before her eyes. But it was fortuitous timing, Ruri supposed when her hands became empty and her lips became numb. She looked around. She no longer saw the colourful and glowing Heartland that she would always love and cherish. She found herself in war once more. It was morning and an unforgivingly frigid one at that. Around her, in her terror, it was clattering, clamouring, chaotic: raids and sirens and it made her buckle down, hands clamping over her ears, begging and praying for some blessing to find her once more. Like Yuzu.

  It felt funny saying that, but she was. She was home. Well, not at her home; rather the home of her girlfriend’s but it was a home, nonetheless. One that she had been openly and warmly accepted into. It was a funny place. Cluttered with knickknacks and forever smelling like food cooking over the stove. It was nice though. It was very different to the residences that Droite had grown up in and had moved out into. She liked being here more than she did her own apartment, but she wasn’t ready to tell Akari that yet lest it seemed like a plea or beg to move in, when it really wasn’t. Droite wanted some privacy after all, especially now that she and Akari had committed quite firmly. Still, those were problems for another day. For now, all Droite wanted to worry about what was whether or not she had brought Akari the right flavour of cold drinks that she wanted.

  Further in the house, Droite heard the roll of wheels on hard wood: “Ah, fantastic!” Akari’s voice ripped through the silence of the house. “I’m in the living room!”

  “Got it.” Droite replied.

  From the threshold of the house, she moved inward and just like usual, there was the smell of roasting chicken and frying rice. It was nice. Grandmotherly. And in the middle of the house, at her computer, Akari was found by Droite.

  She was hunched over her keyboard, eyes glued to her screen and Droite thought she looked quite cute in her caffeine filled exhaustion and distraction. Her hair was a mess and her face gaunt from lack of sleep but Akari, found genuine energy regardless. She pulled herself away from her office set up and swung out her legs from underneath it, all whilst rolling on her wheeled office chair.

  “Did you bring the goods?” Akari asked.

  Droite held up her opaque-white plastic bag with a green label on it. “All here.” She said.

  “Thank you so much for enabling my addictions.” Akari said as she greedily grabbed at the bag. She pulled out an iced coffee and then an energy drink with several warning labels on it. She beamed. “Ooh, all my favourites are here. Thank you so much again, ‘specially now that Yuma’s cottoned on to how much of this shit I drink.”

  “I mean, I don’t think you should drink it either, but I needed to stretch my legs so… I don’t mind doing you the little errand. I know your busy.”

  “Sure fucking am.” Akari huffed as she cracked open an energy drink. “This deadline is killer. And not just because of all this brouhaha in the story about these ‘dead’ cleaner bots. It’s gonna kill me too and then some.”

  Akari’s voice sounded grizzled but she seemed so much happier once she put the can to her lips. She guzzled from it as quickly as she could, gulping it down unsafely and then contentedly smacked her lips together upon finishing. She belched and Droite’s nose wrinkled. The vaguely grape-smelling flavour did not smell nice remixed through Akari’s morning breath.

  “Disgusting.” Droite murmured. “Well, I best be going. I wouldn’t want to distract you from your news article.”

  “Still,” Akari said, getting to her feet, “thanks, babe. I promise we’ll have a date night soon, I’ll treat you on the royalties I make from this.”

  “Whatever you say, dear.” Droite replied, bemused but appreciative.

  Doubly so, kind of when, Akari pecked the corner of her mouth. True, her nose wrinkled over the abominable smell of morning breath and artificially grape-flavoured energy drink, but she liked the gesture. She moved her head slightly so that their lips met curtly. Then, Akari retreated and slunk back into the fit of news reporting. She was brimming with renewed energy and Droite felt tingly at the bottom of her stomach because she had contributed to that renewal before slinking away, feeling awkward and without purpose now that she had run the errand Akari had phoned her for.

  After all, it taught little girls a horrible moral. It was right there in the title and the barest bones description, too. With just a kiss, something awful and gross and slimy could become something wonderful and handsome and splendid. Little Asuka Tenjoin could not stomach such a thing.

  But now, as a sixteen-year-old, she wasn’t so sure. It probably helped that in her youthful lesbianism, her doubt was being projected in a rather different way. It would be a completely different doubt if it was being projected onto a man and Asuka was most certainly not attracted to boys. Instead, her foibles on the topic of her changing opinion of the fairy tale, The Princess and The Frog, were being projected at a very different type of infatuation.

  Not just any sort of infatuation. The type of infatuation that all good – and, arguably, insane – duellists happen upon. The card crush type of infatuation. Yes, Asuka had it bad for one of her cards and that card was none other than Cyber Tutu.

  People would likely be surprised to hear that. After all, Cyber Tutu wasn’t even one of Asuka’s precious Fusion or Ritual monsters. She was just a run of the mill effect card. But Asuka loved and valued her regardless. Yes, her. She had been the crux of many victory earning combinations and for that, Asuka loved her. And, because she looked very adorable in her pointe shoes and pink bob cut. In short, Cyber Tutu was impossible not to love in Asuka’s very precise opinion.

  And in her very precise opinion, she found many, many narrative and moral faults in the story of the Princess and the Frog. But as she laid atop her bed, staring at the ceiling of the Obelisk Blue dorm with one hand under her head and the other jealousy guarding the card depicting her precious Cyber Tutu, Asuka was more than willing to re-examine the virtues and vices in the bit of fiction that The Princess and The Frog was.

  If all it took was a kiss upon a card to transform Cyber Tutu into a real girl, then Asuka would do it in a heartbeat. But, alas, as weird as real life was, the idea of Cyber Tutu becoming a real girl seemed so far away. It almost made Asuka wish she had the same talents as Judai or Johan, maybe then her love would seem so much closer, far truer and real in the tangible sense.

  She was freeing; she was air. Rio was someone who had always been drowning in depths deeper and deeper, sinking down and down. That was how she had died, in frigid oceanic depths, and it was how she was going to die: past burning cold stars in an endless cosmos. No matter the depths, ice would always cling to her, so she had forged a weapon out of it. She was ice. She was water. She was the heavens. The very things which had torn out her soul from her body had become her soul, no matter how snow or star scattered they were.

  She craved air. She craved freedom. She wanted to be unrestrained like Kotori was. She was a bird, true, but not necessarily caged. She didn’t fight like the others fought; with cards and duels and violence. She fought with words and even then, her fight wasn’t a fight which was sharp. It was gentle. It was leading people away from the edge with debate.

  And it was with all her ice flecked heart, so deep in darkness, that Rio decided that she wanted Kotori. She wanted feather soft normalcy and warm kisses. She wanted to be rid of the ice in her heart and the darkness in her soul. She wanted to be solely of lapis lazuli, no longer did she want to be of iris flowers and marine mirages, in between phases between life and death. She wanted something more tangible than that.

  Hence why Rio was terrified of the space between her and Kotori. Kotori truly was free, unshackled by the long distant past and the long distant future, glittering with ignited gas, and Rio was afraid of reaching out. She was worried that she might turn that beautiful air around Kotori, warm and temperate and immutable, to something horridly cold.

  But she was stronger than that. Rio would prove that she was stronger than all that bandaged her will and her body. She would prove herself as an individual; not her brother’s twin, not the priestess long dead, not the princess of the Barians. But as her own person and she knew that if anyone could look into her cold, cranberry eyes and see herself, and only herself, it would be sweet Kotori.

  So, with a breath like an arctic gust, Rio summoned Kotori to the roof, where they could be with each other in the winter afternoon, a mild breeze blowing. Kotori was confused at first, but she was a darling who always wanted to spent time with her friend, so she easily replied and met Rio as promised.

  Both girls sat side by side. The air around them warmer than when Rio had been sitting alone on her favourite perch against the azure sky. She smiled.

  “I have something important to tell you, Kotori,” Rio began, “I think I’m in love with you.”

  Kotori was surprised to hear such a thing. Her yellowy eyes keened, and her rosy lips parted slightly in a small, unheard gasp. She seemed thankful, gratitude permeated her, but there was something about her. A pinprick of something being wrong. Of a rejection. And suddenly, Rio’s heart froze. Her guts twisted. The icy gale inside her soul blew harder and harder and she couldn’t hear any of the distant noises anymore; the birds above, their schoolmates below, and so on and so forth.

  Aoi made a sympathetic look and she placed her hand on Kiku’s left knee. Her heart ached. She was pining for this girl and now, she feared, that she pined for someone else in turn. So, Aoi kept her emotions close to herself, keeping them safe but she was determined to do her best to comfort Kiku, no matter her emotions and feelings for others whom they talked about.

  “Like, I’ve never been this jealous before.” Kiku said and her eyes started to water. “I’m so dumb. He’s allowed to have other friends but… but I miss him in a way I never thought I would. I was so proud when he rang and sent letters and stuff telling me all about his new friends in the city but… but now its all gone up in smoke.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Aoi managed to say.

  Kiku wiped her eyes. “I just wish I could control myself. But like,” she looked up, to Aoi, her eyes sparkled even though they were now rimmed with red, “I’m glad Takeru met you and Yusaku. I’m glad he was able to bring you two home. I’m thankful to have met you, Aoi. You’re a really sweet girl.”

  Aoi blushed. Her heart hammered. Was it too early to say that she had a crush on Kiku?

  She was certainly infatuated with this girl. Aside from being a natural beauty, with her dark hair, she had an inner beauty as well which was quickly drawing Aoi in. She had a wonderful and sunny disposition. She also seemed wise beyond her years in certain, nearly mysterious ways yet seemed to be just another teenager just like Aoi. She also had such sweet hobbies, a little bit of everything from fishing to sewing to simply keeping up with celebrities. Aoi wanted to get to know her better.

  “Thank you, Kiku…” Aoi replied, a little too late but Kiku smiled.

  “Thank you for listening to me ramble. I’ve never felt this way before.” Kiku said and she hiccupped through the last of her words.

  “I’ve been on the other end,” Aoi confessed, “I moved away before telling my friend where I was going. I missed her very much. I’m sure Takeru would be chuffed to know that you care about him so much.”

  “You’re right. Something so simple yet so… frustratingly complex. I’m just struggling to find the words, I guess.” Kiku said.

  “But I’m glad I met him too. And Yusaku, of course. And you as well.” Aoi said. Her pounding heart caused her nerves to tremble, so she took a breath. “I want to get to know you better. I really like you, maybe even, um, more than as a friend. I hope I’m not being too forward.”

  Kiku reddened. She gasped. Her olive brown eyes seemed to both darken and lighten; Aoi was able to see every speck of colour in them and she swore, she could have gotten lost in such lovely irises. Kiku coughed and closed her mouth. Now she seemed embarrassed for a new reason; for having lost her composure.

  “What is it, darling?” Anzu asked.

  “A bangle.” Dark Magician Girl replied.

  Her eyes, as brilliant as the endless blue of the ocean, glittered happily as she handed over the object in question. It was gold, and heavy too. Sort of squarish rather than rounded it and Anzu regarded it suspiciously. She liked it though. She wanted to like it but given that golden objects involved with Duel Monsters spirits were usually quite strange and had all sorts of effects, she was cautious of it.

  She let the sunlight coming through her window hit it and it cast prismatic shadows on her wall. Anzu gasped, dazzled and kept inspecting it for more hidden dangers. If it had an eye-like design on it, like Yugi’s Puzzle of Pegasus’s, well, Eye, she might have to be extremely wary of it but so far, all she could find on it were engravings which were light and reminiscent of how a child may draw water.

  “Where did you get it?” Anzu asked.

  “I found it in the Spirit World. It was just… hanging out in the sand. I couldn’t let such a pretty thing go to waste on dirt. I simply had to take it and bring it back here.” Dark Magician Girl replied.

  “It’s not cursed or anything, is it?” Anzu asked.

  Dark Magician Girl floated around and hummed. It was an innocent sort of noise – and look – but it did cause Anzu rightful concern.

  “Nope. Don’t think so.” Dark Magician Girl replied. “I mean, it might annoy some Harpie Ladies if they see you wearing it. I think it was originally one of their jewellery pieces but you know what they say! Losers sweepers, winners keepers…”

  “Very well then.” Anzu replied. “Thank you for the gift, my sweet.”

  Dark Magician Girl laughed. She simply adored being referred to with such sweet words by her lover and girlfriend. It made her feel all ticklish and warm inside and it all just welled up inside of her hopelessly as Dark Magician Girl lived by the motto of wearing her heart on her sleeve. That was something Anzu was delighted by; just like Dark Magician Girl adored being called pet names and the like, Anzu adored being able to witness Dark Magician Girl’s seemingly boundless joy. Her laughter, for instance, was a brassy sort of noise, like bronze bells but Anzu loved it. It made her feel warm and tingly inside.

  Anzu then proceeded to don the bangle. She smiled as it jangled and danced around her wrist. It certainly complimented her skin tone; Dark Magician Girl had a great eye for that sort of thing. Dark Magician Girl beamed as she watched Anzu so gracefully adjust it and simply admire it.

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “Well, what?” Anzu countered.

  “Are you feeling cursed yet?” Dark Magician Girl asked, all but squawking.

  Anzu continued to admire the piece of golden jewellery around her wrist. She felt fine, perhaps a little giddy because her girlfriend had been kind enough to go and loot a hopefully abandoned Harpie Nest for her, just to get her a present. But ultimately, she was fine but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t have a little fun with Dark Magician Girl and tease her.

  “Oh no, I am feeling cursed alright.” Anzu replied.

  Dark Magician Girl gasped. “You are? What’s happening? You’re not sprouting feathers, are you?”

  Anzu pulled herself up from where she had been resting. She flung her arms around Dark Magician Girl who playfully squealed and squirmed. Completely and utterly encouraging Anzu and her mischief.

  “I feel very, very cursed with too many feelings of love for my girlfriend!” Anzu squealed.

  “Oh, Anzu!” Dark Magician Girl cried out, grinning and her voice soon dissolved into boisterous laughter. “You are too much sometimes, I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, honey, thank you so much for the bangle, I love it.” Anzu said and the struggle they were both putting up in play dissipated. Instead, it turned to a peaceful snuggle and Anzu breathed deeply.

  Yuzu laced her arm along Serena’s back, bringing into an awkward, one-armed embrace. She offered Serena a sorry smile.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “It’s not like you to be a sore loser.”

  “It’s not right. I hate it.” Serena mumbled but her words came without context, but Yuzu wasn’t offended.

  “What do you hate?” she inquired as peacefully as she could, but she knew that she was stoking a fire.

  “Fusion.” Serena replied.

  Yuzu nodded. She was almost in disbelief. After all, Serena was a proud warrior of Fusion who gladly threw away the mantle of Academia so she could fight for what was good and right. It was uncharacteristically defeatist of her to say things like this.

  “Are you sure its Fusion you hate, or something else?” Yuzu asked, her brows twinging because she really didn’t want to hear things from Serena.

  “No, it’s definitely Fusion that I hate.” Serena replied; all but barking at Yuzu.

  Yuzu blinked. She flinched and Serena balled up. Her hands clutching onto her knees which she brought to beneath her chin. She looked foetal now with her face between the peaks of her knees. She pouted.

  “It’s your Fusion that I hate…” Serena mumbled. “I like my Fusion. I like my cats and my moons. Its all so right. It’s who I am. It’s in my DNA. It just feels and looks right but when I see your Fusion, I see the Fusion that was taught to my peers. To Yuri, Dennis, Sora… To me. The Fusion that’s cruel and unforgiving; the Fusion I wanted to rebel from and even now, so long after the war and reformation, am still trying to rebel against.”

  “Serena…” Yuzu mumbled.

  “It’s not right!” Serena spat, tears in her eyes. “It’s not right…”

  “Shh, shh… I didn’t know. You didn’t know. It’s okay.” Yuzu comforted her.

  “I hate it. I hate that you know Fusion. It’s not in your DNA.” Serena sobbed.

  A strange emotion, not unlike a smile, plucked at Yuzu’s lips. It was funny, almost, to her. These were the sort of qualms that she thought Ruri would have her. They were certainly qualms that Yuto and Shun had of her, when they had encountered her practising this warlike Fusion in the warehouses, before anything had begun or had barely been set into motion. From Yuzu’s mundane perspective, anyway: one untouched by war and inter-dimensionality. Something that Serena had never lived her life untouched by.

  Serena lifted her head. Her lower lip wobbled yet, she tried to clamp down on it regardless. So, she could seem courageous in this moment of slobbery soul-pouring. Yet, her red-rimmed eyes, so wet and mournful, told a different story of her fearsome and usually vicious soul.

  “You should be using Pendulums or Rituals or something. It’s not right.” Serena mumbled.

  “Oh, Serena…” Yuzu mumbled again, and she cuddled against her. “It’s fine. I think Fusion is just right for me. Yeah, so, it mightn’t be my DNA, where my soul and my bracelet supposed to have been, but its mine anyway. I think its beautiful and courageous, nonetheless. Just like you. There are no bad monsters or summoning methods; just bad people and you’re not – we’re not – bad people, Serena. Ignorance is, well, bliss. But the more energy we expend doing good and using Fusion to do good, the better the worlds become, I feel.”

  “Y-Yeah, I guess.” Serena mumbled.

  “C’mon, let’s call it a day…” Yuzu said, and she got up. She extended her hand to Serena.

  “Yeah, alright.” Serena replied and her hand clasped into Yuzu’s.

  Ruri swallowed. She wondered if the other girl could see her. She wondered who had been brought here first between them. And for how long their captivity would be, as homely as such a captivity was supposed to be.

  The room that Ruri was in – and the room she was presuming the other girl was confined to – was so lavish. It felt like a bedroom. A bedroom belonging to a girl who may have outgrown it as it still had hints of being childish. There were plush toys and hair care products and more treats than Ruri knew what to do with. But a gilded cage was still a cage.

  Ruri placed her hand on the glass. It was reinforced and it was a long way down. And a long way across. She hoped and prayed that other girl was safe. She longed to be able to comfort her. Ruri could barely make out her features – green hair, perhaps? White clothes? – but Ruri knew her to be about her own age. That much was instinct. Still, she yearned for that girl so far away and yet so close.

  Someone of her own situation. Ruri wished dearly to be able to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay somehow. Yet, Ruri had so many questions. For every word of comfort that she wanted to apply unto that girl, Ruri had her own.

  Who was she? Where did she come from? And was it possible… was it possible she knew a boy who looked like Yuto? Who looked like the one who had stolen her away from the XYZ Dimension?

  Ruri’s head was in the clouds. Always had been and she suspects that it always will be but she had this strange theory. There was a boy who looks like Yuto and then there was yuto. There was her and there was the other girl in the twin tower. She was so far away but was it possible…?