Reunited for Two Days

Atem returned with Hikaru and Silhouette. The silence was definitely not valid anymore, Anzu immediately went toward Hikaru, speaking his language. "Hikaru! You are really back. Look at you."

"Momma." Hikaru hugged her as she scooped him up.

"You are so much bigger." She looked toward Yugi and spoke Japanese again. "It's him, Yuugi. It feels just like him."

"Hikaru." Yuugi went over and hugged him too.

Silhouette tried to hug Anzu too, but Masika greeted her instead.

"Hello again," she said. "Welcome, Silhouette."

"Momma Masika." She hugged her. "We weren't dreaming."

"No, you weren't dreaming," Momma Masika had informed her. "It's okay."

Another person arrived, and the other god that never gave his name left.

"Two days. Their language skills will be switched to Japanese," that one said. "It's tougher for humans than other gods. Remember it's temporary. Everything's temporary. Are there any hints you can give about winning against your Ethereal selves? For it, I would give a full lifetime pack for language?" No one spoke. "Of course." He disappeared.

"Japanese?" Yuugi looked toward Hikaru. "Hikaru?"

"Daddy!" He wrapped an arm around him too. "We knew it wasn't a dream. Uncle Joey kept saying it had been."

"It just feels like one." Yuugi couldn't help himself. "Look at you, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you." Anzu handed him over to Yuugi.

"Look at his hair. That exact same hair. Bigger tufts, much bigger tufts." Anzu couldn't help but start to cry a little.

Yuugi hugged him so tight. "It's okay. For the next two days, you are going to be here with us."

Silhouette just looked at her Momma Masika. "Why aren't we going over there?" She gestured. "Hikaru. Daddy."

Atem came toward her. "This was quicker than I thought." He waved to her. "Hello. My name's Atem."

"My name is Sil," she said.

"Short for Silhouette. Yes, I know."

"Momma Masika?" Silhouetted grabbed at her hair. "You were gone so long. My braid came out. Can you fix it again?"

"Oh. I think I can. Come on, let's put you over here." Masika moved her toward the counter. "Let me guess. Smaller braid. On the side?"

Silhouette nodded, then she hugged her. "No bands."

"No, no bands. Well? I'm sure we can find some." Masika looked back toward Atem. "I'll be back. Make sure she doesn't fall off the counter."

"Right." Atem looked toward Silhouette. "How are you . . . feeling?"

Silhouette looked toward the ceiling. "My tummy is okay."

"Good." He checked around the counter. Yuugi and Anzu were hugging and huddling and asking all kinds of questions of Hikaru. So far, all they'd done is put Silhouette on a counter and get hair bands.

Masika came back over. "Do you remember exactly where it went?"

She put her hand not holding the dolly up on one side of her head. "Here. The pink, momma."

"The pink color. Right." Masika started to braid the side of her head with only the pink strands. "You have very pretty hair."

"How come you went to another world, Momma Masika?" Silhouette asked as she continued to braid.

"Mm? This world . . . just fits us better." She smiled at her and touched her nose. "You are a cute one. Atem, your genes created one of the cutest little girls."

Um? "She isn't half as . . . talkative."

Masika shrugged. "Everyone's different. She isn't a brat at all so far, I am thankful for that. Not surprised though, not as we observed her, and I raised her. How's that, Silhouette?"

Silhouette touched her hair. "That feels better. Aunt Mai tried once, but she couldn't do it like you." She held onto Masika as she was put back down on the ground. She started to head to Hikaru.

"Someone else isn't being talkative," Masika said as she looked toward Atem. "You should tell her. We only have two days."

"Mm." Right. He went toward her again. His experience with children was limited. People wouldn't bring them to see Pharaoh, and when he was a spirit with Yuugi, most children had been absolute brats. Everything from Mokuba trying to kill them with food, to all the pesterings of people preying on Yuugi that he had to correct.

She wasn't perfect. No child was perfect. She was quieter though, hadn't been up to any trouble, and Masika said she hadn't been a brat. Masika had watched many brats in the past. She would know even better.

Although he hated brats, if she had messed up, he would know what to do. He was good at scolding them. She was just hanging over by Hikaru though.

"Just be a friend," Masika said toward him, seeing he stopped. "You don't need to worry about anything else."

A friend. He was good with friends. "Solid advice." Okay, yes, a friend. He could do that.

"Oh, there's Atem." Yuugi was trying to help. "I think he wants to talk to you. Why don't you go over and see him, Silhouette?"

Silhouette looked at Atem again. "How come, Daddy? Who is he?"

"I am Atem." Atem moved up quicker. "I am your . . . your father."

Silhouette didn't understand. She just looked at Yuugi.

"What's that mean, Daddy?" Hikaru asked Yuugi. "He's our daddy? You're daddy."

"Well? I am your daddy," Yuugi said to him, "but Silhouette has another dad. Anzu is your mom too, while Masika is her mom."

"But Masika is my mom too." Hikaru was just as confused.

"Well? Oh, at six, this isn't as easy. Um? You do know that babies come from bellies?" Yuugi tried. Hikaru and Silhouette both nodded. "Well, Hikaru, you came from Anzu, while Silhouette came from Masika."

"Anzu is mom's new name here," Hikaru said to Silhouette. "I didn't know whose tummy I came from."

"Yep, my tummy," Anzu said.

"Then that makes a mom. What makes a dad?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, I love Yuugi. That love created you." Anzu kept it simple.

"So? Masika loved someone else?" Hikaru asked. "I knew you loved Momma Daddy; you kissed her and married her. Momma Masika has always been around too." He looked toward Atem. "Is he the reason you chose to come here instead?"

Oh, this explaining to six-year-olds wouldn't be easy. Already they were trying to simplify and lie to them so much. Lying was terrible, but when the explanation to this event wouldn't be as easy to understand, this was a better way to introduce themselves.

Eventually, the lying would have to stop. "I am your daddy's twin." But not today. They would have two days, and he would not ruin the happiness in Hikaru for Yuugi and Anzu. After months of hearing nothing, understanding nothing, just that their little boy once existed and didn't?

A few lies for their happiness. It was just like hiding secrets in a game, to win at the end of it. "I only exist here."

"Oh." Hikaru looked toward Yuugi. "Is this your original world, and you get taken to the other one by like a cat?"

"Something like that," Yuugi told him.

"Okay." Hikaru laid his head down on Yuugi. "I don't care which world we are in, Daddy. As long as we are all together."

"Right. Altogether, Hikaru."

Masika approached Atem's side. While Hikaru felt safe and warm in Yuugi's arms, on the verge of falling asleep again. Silhouette just stood there. She had looked between Anzu and Yuugi, and him several times. Then at her dolly. Then back at her brother.

She was a smart child. She didn't easily just come toward him like 'daddy' meant run to the stranger she didn't even know. Like friend, approach her like a friend. He came closer to her again.

She didn't back up. She just looked toward him.