Chapter Text
Selena didn't usually remember her dreams, especially once she had been merged with the other girls.
Tonight was different. The rush of dueling. The feeling of Fusion energy surging through her.
A look of betrayal on Yuzu's face.
Not a pleasant dream.
She woke to sun beaming in through the windows of Yuzu's room. She lied there, for a few seconds, before realizing that she was in control.
In Yuzu's room.
She thought she could hear Yuzu, Rin, and Ruri distantly shouting at her, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth – though it didn't hurt to be sure.
She kicked off the sheets, which were annoyingly pink – why did Yuzu have so much stuff that was pink? Selena didn't have anything against being girly, but she hadn't wanted to seem girly. She had wanted to be seen as a soldier. Still, that was all in the past.
She stood in front of the mirror and flexed her arms. Then, she tensed her calves. Instead of seeing the toned muscles of an acrobat, she saw the solid muscles of a soldier.
She grimaced. Yep, she was definitely in her own body again. Personally, she wished her muscles were more like Yuzu's, but she didn't mind the freedom of being in full control at all.
She froze when she opened the wardrobe. Yuzu's father would notice if she was suddenly the one in control. Even if she preferred shorts and a coat, she'd have to wear a tank top and a skirt. Though she eyed their backpack – she could pack her preferred clothes in there. And of course, it wouldn't be too hard to change her hair, so for now she put it in pigtails.
She could smell breakfast that Yuzu's dad had made, and her stomach rumbled. It smelled delicious.
"Hi honey," Yuzu's dad said when she came to breakfast. "Sweet dreams?"
"I wish," she said with a yawn. "I barely remember them."
"Well, have some pancakes," Yuzu's dad said, pushing a plate at her.
Selena liked pancakes, somewhat. She couldn't remember whether Yuzu liked them more, though.
"Thanks… dad," she said. The word felt unnatural in her mouth, but she had to keep up the illusion. She cut at her pancakes and shoved them into her mouth. They tasted alright. She cut the pancakes sharply and precisely, the way the Professor had taught her to in their weekly dinners.
"Are you alright?" Yuzu's dad said.
"Yes!" Selena said, a tad too quickly. "Everything's fine. Why?"
"You seem… tense," Yuzu's dad said. "Are you sure?"
"I guess I didn't sleep too well," Selena said guardedly. Truth be told, she didn't sleep so much as nap, ready to wake at a moment's notice, but ever since she'd been sharing a body with the other girls everything had been different. Sure, Yuzu was so much more fit than she was, but she missed being able to wake whenever she wanted to.
"You know what," Yuzu's dad said, "How about I call the school and tell them you're feeling sick today. You can take the day off."
"Really?" Selena said. The Professor had sheltered her, but he had also tried to keep her busy with scientific studies and math that she found utterly uninteresting… probably because he saw her as Ray.
"Yeah! Sometimes, you need a break," Yuzu's dad said. "How about we have a father-daughter day?"
"Actually, I was thinking I would go for a ride on my Duel Runner," Selena said. "Sorry… dad."
Voices in her head, that sounded vaguely like Rin and Yuzu, cried out in protest. Selena ignored them.
"Those things are dangerous!" Yuzu's dad said.
"I've survived worse."
Truth be told, Selena wasn't even sure she could die anymore, though she didn't want to test that.
"Well, alright. But be careful. I don't want to lose you," Yuzu's dad said. He stepped up and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. After a moment, Selena hugged him back. She knew how to do hugs, since Yuzu and Ruri were big huggers and Rin was a hugger after violence, but it still felt odd to care enough about someone to hug them. It was nice.
They broke apart, and he put his arms on his shoulders. "And, Selena… I don't know why you're up, and I know this can't be the easiest for you, but if you ever want to talk about anything, if you decide that there's anything you want to work through, I'm always here to listen."
Selena blinked. "You knew it was me?"
Yuzu's dad chuckled. "What kind of father would I be if I couldn't tell my daughters apart?"