"You are unique, not weird."
"Mommy!" Elecktra turned to see her small six year old son, Arek dashed into the kitchen with an unhappy look on his face. Elecktra knelt so she was at eye level with her son.
"What is it, Arek?"
"Amba's really sad and she wouldn't tell me why." Elecktra frowned.
"Where is she?"
"She's outside in the swing with Daddy!" Elecktra stood and walked out of the house with Arek following behind.
Marik sighed as he glanced at Amba who was sitting, staring at her feet. Elecktra walked up next to him.
"How is she?"
"She's just sitting on the swing. She's been sitting there since she got home from school. She wouldn't tell me or Arek what was wrong."
"I think she's ashamed." Marik gave her a funny look.
"Just let me talk to her, go give Arek some attention." Marik nodded and took Arek into the house. Elecktra walked up to her daughter.
"Mind if I join you?" Amba grunted and Elecktra sat next to her.
"So is there something you want to tell me?" She asked gently and Amba was still quiet. Elecktra sighed in frustration.
"Mom, what do you do when people treat you different?" Elecktra was caught a little off guard by the question.
"I tell them to bite me. Why? Are the other kids being mean?" Amba nodded.
"The girls say that my eye color is weird. They think that I wear contacts." Elecktra sighed.
"What do you tell them back?"
"That I don't. That it's my natural eye color. They call me weird." Elecktra chuckled, giving her daughter a sideways hug.
"Amba, I think your eyes are pretty. You have your dad's eyes. They are what make you different and being different isn't a bad thing."
"Really?"
"Yea," Elecktra pulled her daughter into her lap.
"You know, when I was little, I had to leave to home and come here. The first few months were hard and scary. I was surrounded by people I didn't know, in fact the only familiar face I knew was your uncle Simon."
"What did you do, Mama?" A fond smile crossed Elecktra's face.
"Even though I was far from home and surrounded by people who I didn't know or treated me differently because I was different, I still remember a piece of advice that your granddad gave me."
"What was that?" Elecktra tapped her daughter's nose, making her giggle.
"You are unique, not weird, you are special in my eyes, and that's all that matters." Amba hugged her mom and Elecktra kissed her head.
"If though kids are mean to you again, tell them to bugger off and tell me or Dad. Okay Amba?"
Amba nodded and Elecktra smiled. She winked at the girl.
"How about you and me get some ice cream? Just don't tell your Dad and Arek." Amba nodded and giggled. Elecktra set her daughter down and Elecktra darted inside to grab her purse. Marik leaned against the counter watching Arek doodle on some paper.
"Where are you going?" Elecktra winked.
"I'm taking Amba out. Girls only." Arek frowned and Elecktra laughed.
"I want to come too!"
"Maybe next time, Arek. Besides, your sister and I need some time to talk." She kissed Marik on the cheek and Arek on the head and waved as she walked out the door. Marik watched her as she left.
'You never cease to amaze me, E.'
"Daddy! Look!" Marik tore his gaze from the door to see the colorful drawing that Arek made.
Later, Elecktra walked in, carrying a sleeping Amba. Marik smiled when he saw them.
"She asleep?"
"Yup, I'll put her in her room." Marik watched as she momentarily disappeared down the hall and came back a moment later.
"So why was she so upset?" Elecktra sat down next to him on the couch.
"Apparently there were kids saying that her eye color was weird." Marik lifted an eyebrow.
"Why didn't Arek get treated the same?" Elecktra rolled her eyes.
"Because lavender eyes aren't that common, Marik." Marik frowned and Elecktra playfully poked him.
"Don't worry, I told her to tell them to bugger off and tell me or you." He hummed and Elecktra frowned.
"Now what?"
"I don't get why people are treating her differently because she has a different eye color."
"People are afraid of what they don't understand. Fear is something that makes them do crazy things."
"Mommy?" Arek asked from the doorway.
"What do you mean by that?" Elecktra coaxed Arek to sit with them.
"What I'm trying to say is people were mistreating Amba because she's different. She has an abnormal eye color and people tend to fear what they don't understand."
"Does that mean that I am weird?" Elecktra smiled and shook her head.
"Think of it this way, Arek; Weird is good, strange is bad and odd is when you don't know what to call someone." Marik chuckled.
"That sounds familiar." Elecktra grinned.
"Listen Arek, you and Amba are both unique and your dad and I would never ask you to change. Understand?" Arek nodded. He slid off the couch and walked to his room. Marik draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed her temple.
"You and your cheesy advice."
"Hey, it's good advice."
"Whatever you say." Elecktra punched Marik in the stomach and he doubled over and fell off the couch, making E laugh.
"Just as goofy as you were when we were teens." Marik laughed from his spot on the floor.
"Some people never change, huh?" Elecktra chuckled.
"No, I guess not." Marik rubbed his stomach.
"Ouch, that hurt." Elecktra frowned.
"You can bare the pain that your yami gives you, and yet you're saying that one punch hurt? What the hell, Marik?" Marik blew a raspberry at her.
"Shut up E." Elecktra stuck her tongue and he chuckled.
"You're just as mature as ever."
"I could say the same about you." Marik frowned and Elecktra laughed. Marik rolled his eyes and Elecktra growled.
"Oh don't roll your eyes at me."
"Can and will."
Me: Yea, Marik and E being weird at the end. I meant to post this last night, but I didn't have the energy. So here it is now! I don't own Yugioh, just Amba, E and Arek.