10. Chapter 10 (1/1)

series: deadly daughter||title: cast a reflectioncharacters: asuka, selena, ruri||ship: asuka x selena/selena x asukachapters: 10-10||words: 500||total: 5,000genre: angst, friendship||rated: pgchallenges: diversity writing, arc-v alternate/divergent timelines, g1, drabble novel; arc-v angst week day #4, separationnotes: this takes place in the same universe as my earlier fic good-bye. for those who haven't read that, then the professor chose to use selena to find the other

acelet girls, and asuka is her partner/girlfriend (much as yuuri and dennis work together in canon, only deeper).summary: to find one's target means going deep undeercover, concealing one's allegiance, and witnessing horrors undreamed of first hand. asuka never suspected to find a friend with the face of her beloved, let alone have to choose between the truth of her life and truths she's just begun to learn.

silence hung between them for several long minutes, to the point asuka put a few more pieces of scavenged wood on the fire. ruri finally spoke.

"what's synchro like?"

asuka dared to hope this meant ruri would come with her. "like anywhere else, except their main summoning method is… synchro." her lips twitched for a few heartbeats. "i haven't studied much about it there, but i need to get some more information before we – i – go there. find out about who i would be looking for." she ducked her head down. "and explain why i don't have you with me."

ruri started to say something and asuka shook her head. "even if you wanted to go to synchro with me, you can't go to fusion. if they knew you were there, you would be locked up and never released. maybe even carded, to keep you safe until the professor has all four of you." she snorted ever so softly. "i'm surprised that he didn't do that to selena. but i guess he counts on her staying loyal to him."

"will she?"

asuka shook her head. "i don't know. i don't want to think she will." her fingers laced together, remembering many times when she and selena sat together in selena's rooms or her own or in one of the academia gardens, fingers intertwined, staring up at the skies and wondering what the stars of other dimensions were like. they're the same. they shouldn't be, but they are. "it would help if she found out exactly what this war's been like. i know i didn't believe there was anything really wrong about it until i saw it all for myself. she's only seen a little on the edges. she hasn't been down here personally."

ruri could tell her what happened: could tell her the truth of the war. asuka wanted to believe selena would change her mind once she knew. the other two might be harder to convince but she had to try.

again the silence reigned, and again ruri

oke it. "i don't know if i should believe you."

of course she didn't. all asuka had were her words to go on. she had nothing at all that could prove where she came from. there weren't any soldiers available who would recognize her and even if they did, only selena, barrett, and the professor knew about her mission. only she knew how she'd changed as well.

"i understand. but once we get back, i have to go." asuka made sure to meet ruri's eyes, hoping that it would convey her sincerity. "find a way to move your camp – send out word to move all the camps. because if anything happens and the commanders back in fusion suspect at all at what i've done or want to do, they'll strip the information on where you all are from me and i won't have that. i won't let any of you be hurt."

she could do nothing more.

at least not now.

the end

notes: ruri would need far more evidence to believe asuka's story. and in time, that evidence will appear. but that is another story. as are tales of asuka and selena, pre and post war, and how the girls meet and do not get captured and

ainwashed by academia. normally i love a good

ainwashing but arc-v….just no.

other stories, other times. but this is one wip down and twenty-six more to go for 2019.