Written for Creator_Chaos for the Ao3 yugioh mini exchange
"I know it's hard to think about, but why did you fight us? We could have helped you."
Kotori wasn't sure why the question had been tormenting her so badly. She wasn't even sure why Rio had invited her over. However, there she was, sitting in the yard of the old Kamishiro mansion drinking tea. Now she had asked, it was like a weight had been lifted.
Rio stared at the cup she held in her hands. Kotori's question cut her deep and poked all the things she had questioned about herself about since coming back to life.
"I had to. They needed me! They were my friends, and they needed me," Rio said with a shaky voice.
"But we were your friends too! We needed you too," Kotori protested.
"I know that now, but at the time…" Rio paused before meeting Kotori's gaze. "I had to. At the time i wasn't Rio anymore, I was Merag. And Merag was the sword of ice, one of the Seven Barian Emperors. I couldn't let myself feel anything, only that I had to fight for and protect the Barians."
"And now?"
"Now? Well, I'm really a Barian anymore. I don't really know who I am anymore." Rio stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm just as much Merag as I am Rio. I have all my memories from all my lives and I'm still working out what that means."
Kotori grabbed Rio's hands in her own. "Well that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that I'll help you find out who you really are."
Rio smiled, a slight flush in her cheeks. "Thank you Kotori, that really means a lot to me."
Kotori smiled in return. "No problem. Through all of the adventures, I've learned that it's really important to help your friends when they're hurting. And if you don't know who you are, I can help you figure it out!"
Rio smiled and took a sip from her cup. Kotori now sat with her hands in her lap, staring very intently at them as I she had just noticed they were there.
Rio sat down her cup and raised an eyebrow in confusion "Did I do something wrong?"
Kotori shook her head "No, it's just.."
"It's just what?"
"Is this a date?" Kotori blurted out, her face now blushing a deep scarlet. She clapped her hands over her mouth, seemingly in shock that she had spoken aloud.
Rio laughed "Would you like it to be?" Kotori held back a squeak, but nodded while still staring at her hands.
"Then it is!"
"But I'm-"
"But you're what? A girl? Not a duelist? I don't care. I may be uncertain about many things about myself, but know what I like. And I like you. Is that ok?"
Kotori turned and met Rio's gaze. For the first time since she met the older girl, she seemed almost shy. No, not shy. Rio looked nervous. Kotori couldn't help but smile. She nodded and Rio's face lit up with a grin.
"Wait really? I need to hear you say it out loud."
Kotori grinned back and spoke with happiness present in every word "Yes, it's ok. I like you too."
Rio grabbed Kotori's hands and held them within her own. Both girls just stared into the other's eyes, unable to do anything other than smile.