The Keyword to Them

"Really?" Ethereal Atem complained. "The only child I will ever have, and you didn't even allow me a goodbye, Isis!" He whisked his jacket behind him and pointed at her. "I will remember that."

"The last of goodbyes. Stop your trickery and threatening, I warn you," Isis scolded them. "Bes, come pick up your passengers now," she commanded before she disappeared.

"Sorry, Atem," Ethereal Yugi said to Ethereal Atem. "We'll make this work." He went toward Yuugi and Anzu. He smiled at Anzu. "Tea. I mean Anzu. Hello." He looked bashful as he held a mirror out for her. "Things happen for a reason. You know English, right?"

Anzu shook her head. "Yes."

He gave it to her. "You can only find something with a specific name. Even just saying a name isn't good enough because there's probably another two billion people out there with the same name in different dimensions, you know? My children. Your children." He seemed flustered. "Our children. Their Uncle Joey, which is Jounouchi in this dimension, had a peculiar name for them. Something no one else would use in any other dimension, so it should just be there. He called them concrete gods."

"Concrete gods?" Anzu questioned. "Why did Jounouchi call them that?"

"Oh. He said they were just like angels who couldn't fly yet. I think he started it as a joke for being gods that couldn't do anything, but then smoothly corrected himself," Ethereal Yugi chuckled with a smile. "He was great with them. If you call to see the concrete gods in here, you can see wherever the children are at, only in that dimension. Well, they only exist in that dimension, but you get the point."

"Hey, I recognize that mirror," Jounouchi said as he came closer. "I had that. I saw Mai through it."

"Yes, it was taken away, but it's technically still yours," Ethereal Yugi stated. "We got it back for you. Last time, it was probably set by a higher god just to show you your Mai from this dimension. We are pulling every trick in the book to win the kids back. Otherwise, they end as they are."

"Yes. You cannot be seen in another dimension, it will end all of reality," Ethereal Atem stated toward Anzu as he came over to her too. "You are basically an accidental Zorc if you are seen by anyone else but the kids."

"Yeesh, that's bad," Jounouchi said. "How are they gonna get retrieved?"

"By giving back what's been taken," Ethereal Yugi said. "That dimension paid a lot for the gods game, but you don't need all of the gifts anymore. The reward has been paid out, so give some things back. They are not equipped to deal with Zorc. We aren't there anymore, no more targeting it."

"The dimensions work on balance with each other," Ethereal Atem stated. "The more you give back, the closer you are to getting them back."

"You probably won't just get them once," Bastet warned them. "Isis stays very closely to Horakhty's wishes. If you pull them, you will have some time, but she will pull them back. Plus, giving away power sources will only make it easier for Zorc to return here."

Ethereal Atem spoke only to Yugi and Atem ///Ethereal Atem: There is another reason. For reasons we can't explain, you cannot tell Isis or anyone you suspect of foul play of this. Please do not even tell the First Tears of Ra this news. Only trust Parts of Hathor, they know it.///

Yugi and Atem both nodded toward them.

///Ethereal Atem and Yugi: Zorc pressed a small amount of power into Silhouette when she was trapped in the Border of the Afterlife with Masika. Not only will it not let her escape his hell, the situation is dire enough that in order to save everyone from his hell, you will have to give your wives and children to Bakura for eternity./// Yes, that definitely got their attention. ///Ethereal Atem and Yugi: We need Zorc to come here, to play a game, in order to gamble on divinity for Silhouette.///

Ethereal Yugi just smiled, like he said nothing. "Anzu and Masika both speak English. It's the only language the children know, so you two will definitely be the forms of communication."

Jounouchi came closer to the mirror again. "So if we just say concrete gods, they'll appear? Then what? How are we supposed to get them? Can't you help there, almost Yuugi god?"

He ended on that a little bitter. "There are rules for things, and we are making friends and getting more help as we can. Sehat has already casted on the mirror for the language, so more than Anzu and Masika can understand them. For instance, Seshat is going to let you understand all the languages you hear through the mirror. With. Subtitles? So for now, just watch them and learn their routine. One day soon, you'll be able to pluck them."

Ethereal Atem walked toward Atem and addressed only him. ///Ethereal Atem: The power pressed into the children was most likely Horakhty, knowing most of it would dissipate. Horakhty is never truly against us. With that, they are able to move through different dimensions without ending all of reality. Now? Silhouette. All she knows is your other self. Change this. Even in my final goodbye to my only child ever created in time . . . she had nothing much to say to me because she did not even know me. After this is over, and we have joined as one, they are returning with us for eternity. I do not want to stoop to complimenting her dolly to have something to say! Change that. Please?"

Atem nodded toward him. ///Atem: I will find her and get to know her.///

///Ethereal Atem: It is my fault that Silhouette has demon inside of her. She was trapped in a situation where gods had to gamble because of me. I brought Masika into a shadow game, thinking nothing of any danger, and Zorc used it to his advantage. Please. Never let her get involved in a shadow game. She is your eternity.///

///Atem: That is . . . strange to hear.///

///Ethereal Atem: But, true. You'll understand one day, Atem.///

"Remember, we are still you. We know what we want, but we aren't leaving you empty handed. Don't lose the children, the gods will gamble to give you many things to help with Zorc if you just choose to give up and end yourselves. Don't do it."

"Yeah," Ethereal Yugi looked back at Yugi nervously. "Sorry about that. Obviously the dimension that was supposed to take on Zorc, needs to be no longer valid."

"Yeah, I picked that up. That makes sense," Yugi agreed. "If there's no us, then there shouldn't be a battle. We are the last ones of us now."

"Right," Ethereal Yugi agreed too.

"Yes," Ethereal Atem agreed too as he looked back at Atem. "Don't let them win. And? Don't lose Silhouette's doll."

That doll line was definitely odd. Atem nodded again before Bes came and took their ethereal selves away. He glanced toward Masika who was already heading toward the mirror as well. Hmm.

 ---

"Hikaru is older, but there?" Anzu wiped her eyes. "I don't believe it. He was just a baby, Yuugi. Now, he was that boy? That was crying in the corner?" She looked distant. "I didn't comfort him at all. I heard him too, but I didn't understand it and I didn't-!" She paused. "He was Hikaru!"

Yuugi gave her a side huge. "Hikaru's grown so much, but he's okay. There's still so much time with him. He's not gone yet," Yuugi said to her. "We'll get him back." He looked into the mirror. "Concrete Gods." Nothing happened.

"The other you said we were the communicators, and that the kids knew English," Anzu reminded him. She took the mirror and tried it in English. "Concrete gods."