Notes: This takes place after Ryoga confessed that he and Rio are Nasch and Merag. Also hints of Sharkbait/Ryoyu

If I'd say you were my friend,

would you care about me,

always be there for me,

would you even die for me?

It had been their mission to protect their home, but why was Nasch hesitating and kneeling next to one of these humans, why was he showing weakness when he was supposed to be their leader, the ruler of the Barian world. Why did he care about one of these humans, wanted to stay with them when he was supposed to be the saviour of the Barian World?

It had been her mission to visit earth alongside Nasch, to fulfil their mission and to protect him, because Nasch was their leader and he had to live. They needed him to live and she swore to protect him no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing her own life. That was what she had told a very worried Durbe shortly before they left, she said she'd protect Nasch until her very last breath and Durbe just nodded. She had already known back then that Durbe did not like this plan, but Nasch had insisted that they needed to go to earth to find out whether the humans had already teamed up with Astral and if not, to fight alongside them to protect their home and destroy the Astral World.

Although Nasch would have never worded it that way, "destroying is just wrong, you'll never truly protect something by tearing something else apart". She wanted to laugh at his words, how he hasn't even changed a bit ever since that day. In the end he'd always try to protect the people he loved. Even back then when she was a princess and he was a king, in their first lives (was that really her first life or was there yet another life she just couldn't remember?) when they ruled that country, he fought to protect his kingdom, their home, he fought desperately and would have fought until his death.

Back then, she had known that it was her duty to protect him and the kingdom, so she sacrificed herself, not because she had been afraid, but because it was her fate to give her life for him, him whose life meant so much more than hers.

One could say that they had ruled that kingdom together, so the people would have probably accepted her as their Queen, if he had died in that battle, but she knew, that he has to live, that she has to give up everything so he can keep on living (these powers were only given to her so she could protect him, because it was her fate to sacrifice herself for his sake).

So if he was save and still alive now, could anybody tell me why was he kneeling on the ground next to Yuma when he should be sitting on a throne?

Why he was so shaken and afraid and why he seemed to be crying, when it was her duty to protect him and save him, but still she couldn't lift him up, couldn't do anything and everything was Yuma's fault. To make all of it even worse, she knew that Yuma was the only one, who could help him now, and Yuma would do anything to make his friends feel better, but he was too broken himself to lift Ryoga up.

It made her angry, so angry her hands started shaking, because Yuma had been the one that had ruined their plans when he promised to save the Astral World, and yet Nasch - rather Ryoga, because Nasch would have never felt that way about a human, but Ryoga would, because Ryoga was human and Nasch was a Barian Lord - considered the boy as his friend. The thing is, she did not hate the cheerful, happy boy to begin with, not until the moment where he was kneeling on the ground and Nasch was kneeling on the ground and Astral was gone, so it was just the two boys on the ground and the girl standing next to them.

They would look like three ordinary teenagers to anyone else, although one of them was the ruler of the Barian world, had been a king in his previous life, and another was the person responsible for protecting the Astral World and its messenger, and the last one was the princess that sacrificed herself to protect her kingdom, the warrior who died to protect her ruler, the girl who has been burned and scarred, who has not only suffered through one life but three, or were there more she just couldn't remember? The number did not matter anyway, the only thing that mattered was the reason for her deaths and it filled her with pride to know that every time she gave her life it had been to protect the things that were important to her, may it be her kingdom and its people or the person whose live meant so much more the hers, a person who had to keep living no matter what.

And Yuma was broken in a way one's eyes couldn't see, broken somewhere deep inside, because for the first time in his life he gave up on something he has not lost yet.

He might have given up something before, but only when the situation was hopeless, when he saw no way to turn it around and there had not been a way to turn it around, but even then he would still try to cling to the tiniest bits of hope, though now was different, because Ryoga was not out of reach yet. If he'd only move a few inches he would be able to touch him, take his hand, hug him, hold him and never let go of him again. Embrace until he stopped shivering.

(It made her sick to see him, her ruler to whom she had sworn eternal loyalty, this weak.)

But Yuma didn't move, because he didn't want to make Shark stay when he knew Shark belonged somewhere else, belonged to the Barian World (and his name isn't Shark, it's Nasch, not Shark, he kept telling himself) so he just continued kneeling and crying silently to himself.

(When Astral left, he had been strong enough to stand, to scream his name, to beg for him to come back.)

He kept his eyes fixed on a spot next to Nasch's knees, not daring to look into his eyes, but at the same time not daring to turn his gaze away as long as he could recognize Nasch from the corner of his eyes, through all these tears, as a proof that he was still here, that he has not left him yet, like Astral and Tou-chan and Ka-chan did.

Like the key has left him, the key that has always reminded him of them did, until the only thing that was left of them was a picture on his night stand. What would be left of Kamishiro Ryoga when he left? After all, Yuma has never bothered to take a picture of him, has never even thought about taking a picture of Shark. Would there be any proof of his existence?

It probably had been the same with Astral, but Astral's existence has always been fragile and at some point unreal, while Shark has been a human being made of flesh and blood with heart pumping through his veins similar to the one Yuma felt breaking in his chest. He has never even considered that Shark might leave some day, had believed their time together would be forever.

"I should go."

Shark's voice was hoarse, like he hasn't spoken for days although Yuma knew it had only been minutes (who was he to care about time if one of his closest friends revealed that he actually was a Barian Lord again). As he raised his head and looked into the deep blue eyes of his friend, memories of their time together came to his mind, their first Duel, both of them travelling around the world, the countless times Shark had told him not to get involved with him and him getting involved in Sharks business anyway.

Shark had been right, hadn't he? If he would have listened to Shark in the first place, he wouldn't have to deal with all this sadness right now, would he? In the end, Yuma had been wrong, duelling was not a game to make new friends and be happy together. If he was right, duelling wouldn't hurt him this way. It should help him to form bonds with others, give him the possibility to be near to the people he loved, but instead it took all of them away until he was left alone once again. Not in the way he used to be before, because in the past being alone hadn't bothered him.

The truth is he has never realized how lonely he had been until he has met Astral and Shark. Now that he knew what it meant to have friends it was hard for him to let Shark go, because he feared being alone again. Fear makes people (both humans and aliens) weak and his hands were shaky and he recognised tear drops on Sharks face as well.

"You... you have to, … right?"

Hearing Yuma's hesitant voice made Ryoga drop his head, looking at the floor, but not responding to Yuma's question.

(How was he supposed to answer when he really wanted to stay?)

"Yes, he indeed has to."

She had watched them the whole time, so Yuma shouldn't have been surprised when he heard her voice, but he was. Her approaching steps were the only thing that filled the silence until she was standing right next to him, Rio, another friend that has left him, now Merag. She grabbed his collar and pulled him up to his feet so he was standing in front of her and his legs were shaking and his body was trembling so he could barely maintain standing on his own, but that didn't matter, because Rio didn't let go of him.

How did he dare making Nasch look so weak and vulnerable when Nasch has always been strong for them, has always been fearless?

(She remembered standing in one of their high towers, the red sky, the lightnings and the acid smell in the air; back then, it had been their home and it is the place they should be right now, the place they were supposed to protect. She had been standing next a throne and there was a cloaked figure sitting on the throne right next to her, just like in these memories of another life, when they had been human, although it felt so unreal now, like a dream. It had been silent until Nasch started talking, his voice just loud enough that she could hear him.

"You're the most loyal one all of them... and my very best friend. Would you stay with me forever?")

"He has to leave this place and return to the Barian World, our home. We vowed to do everything, pay any price to protect our home."

"But-"

Yuma didn't sound like he was angry at her, showed no sign of fear towards her, although she could have killed him, had the power to kill him right there. There was obvious sadness in his voice and the lack of anger and hatred in his eyes disappointed her. But there was something else she could see in his eyes, something that made her blood boil from all her restrained anger: pity.

Did he truly feel pity for her and Nasch? How did he dare thinking was in a position to care about them, to take pity on them? How do you dare?

And one of her hand has already formed a fist, has already punched him in the face.

She let go of his collar. Yuma collapsed onto the ground. She heard Nasch shout her name (did he say "Merag" or was it "Rio"). She turned around without looking back, not wanting to see him this broken and weak any more.

Was he still their leader? Could he still be their leader, after everything that has happened to him? Would he still be able to protect their world?

Did that matter? If Nasch didn't want to leave Yuma, she wouldn't force him to do so. She could return to the Barian world on her own, if she had to. She could protect their home on her own, if she had to, she thought as she pulled her Numbers card out of her deck. (No.103, one zero three. Durbe, Nasch, Merag or Yuma, Ryoga, Rio. Until she was alone again)

Even if it meant another life filled with was and pain and despair, she wanted to protect the Barian World. Not because it was a beautiful place to live in, but because protecting the Barian World meant protecting her home, protecting her friends, Gilag and Alit and Durbe, who had always been by their side, and Vector, although he has tried to kill them multiple times, he was one of their comrades, and of cause Nasch.

Thinking about Nasch, she held the card close to her chest.

"I would travel through hell, become its queen just to save you and make sure you keep living, because to me, you're an irreplaceable and very precious friend as well."

Yes, I will care about you,

but if I'd have to leave you,

in order to protect you,

could you at least smile for me?