Chapter 22: Dark With no Light
"You discovered the painful truth, didn't you?" she asked. "Even now, the Gods of Atem are only holding out for more agony."
"No, they aren't. They want to save Silhouette," Anzu said. "You know that now, don't you?"
"Yes. I figured it out," she answered. "The one who raised those children, and loved those children. Even now, they are standing at a chapel. The only thing keeping them from marriage is they are waiting for them to be gods. Well? That and Masika is not taking marrying Atem as well."
"Yuugi should be happy. He can be happy here with me, but then I'm going to hurt for eternity. Two of me can't share a god," Anzu stated. "Two of me can't have Hikaru."
"Memories make people hurt," she insisted. "I don't know how they knew, but at least this was not their first painful lesson. If they want Silhouette and Hikaru, they have to balance more from the dimension they were from. Many things traded though cannot be exchanged. Only one. Seto Kaiba can have a baby with Serenity. That's it. Even with that, they will need much more balance."
"Well, what other kind of balance?" Anzu asked. "I . . . I want to let Hikaru . . ."
"His mother is gone, she is passed, and cannot come back. Some things are never up for trade," Isis told her. "However? You could be part of the resolution, with Masika. An agreeance."
///Anzu: Masika? I think I flew too high to the sun.///
///Masika: Anzu.///
///Anzu: I think I am going with Isis.///
///Masika: I know.///
Atem moved closer toward Masika. While Yuugi and Jounouchi were desperately thinking of things to ask and places to check, and even considering bringing Kaiba into the fold so he had to help?
Masika's head wasn't just on that pillow, it was scrunching up and she was crying.
Atem moved closer, placing his hand on her head. "Masika."
"She went with Isis," she told him. "My light has left me completely, Atem." Her whole body seemed defeated.
"Isis took her?!" Yuugi started to rant on how it had to be her trying to keep them from messing with Hikaru again. Atem heard his rants on the inside and the outside.
"She'll connect, Yuugi," Jounouchi told him. "Probably soon. Relax. At least she wasn't pissed enough to go to Bakura's or something."
"That's not even funny," Yuugi warned him.
"She will connect, Yuugi," Atem agreed. "Please. Relax." He hated to do it but? "Please. Silhouette really is going to need what little rest she can get."
"Sorry," Yuugi apologized. "I'll head back downstairs with Jounouchi."
Atem gazed at Masika. He didn't bother her with senseless words. He looked back toward Silhouette. "Both of you have lost your light." Both of them looked terrible. It was never easy splitting from the light. "Masika." He waved in front of her feet. Too lost. He rocked her shoulder gently. "Masika? I'm not going to question you. I just want to see you respond."
This time, she seemed to rock slightly. "I feel . . . really . . ."
"You don't need to explain." He picked her up and placed her on the bed. "She is not your light, and you are not hers." If they reached toward each other, maybe they would feel better?
He connected to Silhouette while she slept. "I am sorry for interrupting your sleep."
"Atem?" She looked toward him.
"Beside you, is Masika. She has lost her light, just as you lost yours. It would be good for both of you, if you reached out to each other."
Silhouette tried to feel around her. Atem helped her find Masika's hand. "Momma Masika. I am here. I miss Hikaru. I guess, my light. I'm scared. Momma Masika?"
Masika squeezed her hand. "My light is far, far away. She does not want to return."
Atem repeated after her. "Her light is far away. She does not want to return." Why did Anzu not want to return? Yes, it was a terrible lie they had withheld, but the lie was for Silhouette. It wasn't for Hikaru.
"Isis must have used her weakness. She loves Yuugi so much. He just doesn't understand how much. Knowing that she would not be there in his eternity. Another her. One who had married him. One who had raised his children. It burned too deep."
Ooh! Masika was so out of it, she just shared everything Atem needed to know. In order to get her back, they would have to deal with that. It had never even crossed his mind, but Anzu saw further into her eternity. Every dimension of Yuugi pulled into one, with two Anzu's who knew him. It would need sorted out. This should not be an issue Anzu would ever think of, it shouldn't have been worked out until she passed too. "I will be back, Silhouette. Keep holding that hand."
He went downstairs quickly toward Yuugi. "There is a serious problem, beyond the lie, Yuugi," Atem told him.
"Yeah, Isis snatched her," Yuugi agreed.
"The lie was bad, but I can't see that alone being a reason to tear out of here," Jounouchi agreed. "It wasn't her kid involved in the lie even."
"The problem gave Anzu a chance to see and think about a future problem that will affect her," Atem told Yuugi. "A serious problem. If you do not see or find a solution, Anzu will not come back." To lose Anzu as a friend would be terrible. It would also leave Masika in disasterous shape for some time. Light and dark shouldn't break until they were both ready.
"Then I'll figure it out, just tell me the problem," Yuugi begged him. "Atem."
"When we die, we will join with the rest of Ethereal Yugi and Ethereal Atem," Atem stated. "However, Anzu will not. She is a spirit. The spirits always remain separate, but we will now be one."
"I still don't see what's wrong?" Yuugi pointed out. "I want to spend eternity with her."
"Yeah, I don't see it either," Jounouchi complained. "What am I missing? She don't want that?"
"The fact that of all the worlds that used to know Yuugi, they were wiped except for this and one other," Atem said. "The spirit of the one who raised Hikaru and Masika. She was married to that Yuugi. She will be marrying him again. That is not her."
"Oooooooh." Jounouchi got it. "Yeah. I don't see Anzu wanting to be in a duo wife complex."
Yuugi got it loud and clear. "I can't be with her, because another me wants another one?"
"Yeah, one he was married to without any commandment from Pharaoah," Jounouchi pointed out. "Isn't there some kind of loophole though? You guys are already married."
"When they started to become gods, I lost my afterlife kingdom," Atem told him. "I cannot hold command over them again. We are not married."
"Oooh. Ooh. Shit, Yuugi." Jounouchi just looked at him. "I don't see how to deal with this one."
"Okay. Alright? So. We could convince them never to become gods. We can stay separate?" Yugi recommended. "If they don't ever become gods, then things will be okay. Right?"
"Yuugi. I believe that destiny has made it's own demands on us quite clear," Atem said. "They are almost gods. Almost. Even Ethereal Yuugi thought so little of us, he almost ended our reality just to collect us. Why would they not do that for eternity?"
"Even now, Isis has been doing her best to make them gods, right?" Jounouchi pointed out. "Once they get what they want, the afterlife is pretty much set. Normally, it wouldn't be a bad thing. But-"
"There has to be a way to have Anzu with me," Yuugi said. "The other one isn't married yet. Maybe if I actually marry her? With a wedding ceremony? Something they can't annhilate as easy?"
"While you are alive," Atem agreed. "She would be your wife, raise your children, and then die to see you return to another her in the afterlife. To you, the afterlife is a long time. To her, it's all she can think about."
"Seriously jumping the gun," Jounouchi muttered. "How'd she even think about that?"
"There could be some goddess persuasion at play," Atem muttered. "Ethereal Yugi was married to his version of Anzu," Atem reminded Yuugi. "Yet, he must remarry her. This means that at death, it ended. It would not safeguard anyone in any way. There would be two women that you love."
"Maybe like . . . every other day situation?" Jounouchi suggested. "I don't see Anzu going for that."
"I want to be with Anzu. I know I'll be this god later with a million other versions of her, but I want to be with this Anzu," Yuugi insisted. "There must be a way."
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