Next To The Gods Realm

Set watched them anxiously. Especially Satiah, she was almost like . . . Masika. Even the part of Atem with the most of his spirit, had taken to calling her Masika. All that time ago, stealing her away from me. Those children should have been mine. The gods interfered to create them, and now they are just going to let the mothers die. I can feel it! They know I won't go on. I can't do it. He thought of her lovely smile the day he met the one he was supposed to be with. His father had decided well. He was more than ready, learning his trade, and then that snake in the sand!

The voices of the gods rang out, from casual to blaming.

"Pitiful, poor human. Definitely dying soon."

"Too fragile, oh too fragile. Wonder if anything can be done?"

"Nothing can be done, we can't help. Unless Set changes his mind, none of us can help."

"Poor lost and pitiful souls, a real tragedy. Unable to receive help simply because of game rules. Humanity, such a hard thing. If only someone really loved them, who could save them."

One day. One meeting. Atem stole her away, took everything, and why? Why? Because he swore the gods told him for many years of the one he would have. Masika.

Set didn't have enough power to delay what was happening. He never wanted this. He wanted all of Masika, he could see her so much in both sides of her. That's all he wanted. Why did the gods have to offer this? He knew there wouldn't be much time.

Being around them, made him feel human again. But without them, all he had was his power. His mighty powers and his empire that was taking the dreaded world down. If he lost the game, voided it right now, Atem would win. Automatically. He would have no powers, and no part of Masika.

But, he couldn't just leave them there to die. Damn Isis. He had no choice. He agreed to no gods, and he needed them. They even fluttered near, acting like he was terrible and hopeless. Like she was sure to die.

No! "Isis did this on purpose!" Set yelled in disgust. To save them, he had to let Atem win.

Use it.

Hm? What was that?

Use the millennium puzzle to save them. You'll get your game for the world, and the love of your lives. Why give up one or the other? Why let Atem completely win because of the gods' tricks?

Who are you? I demand to know!

Oh, let's just say I'm part of the 'father energy'. Don't worry, I'll take care of her. I'll take care of all of Masika. I'll save them, and take Atem down for good!

The demon. Zorc?

Brilliant guess. Use the puzzle. Just place your hands on it, and tell it what you want. Save them. Come on. What do you have to lose except their lives?

The gods game is in play. You can't destroy the world. You have to get through the game and obey.

I'm not a god, I'm a demon.

You are an evil god. That is still a god.

Oh please, you're explaining that to me? You just used the goddess approach to nab the broken first tears. It's all in the definition. For instance, I may be a god to some, but in Christianity a demon is not a god. A god is a creator that rules the universe and has moral authority. I am immoral and if I ran the universe, I would not be bothering with you.

That sounds risky.

Risky? Did you know Yuugi was a god too? A god can be an adored or admired influential person. With all his friends and influence, you have to admit, he's godly. Isn't he? Isn't Atem?

Hmm.

A god can even be just a word for exclamation, or cheap seats in the balconies of a theatre. Yes, a god could be a cheap chair. Do you get it? It's all in the definition. Ergo, I am not a god. I am a demon and I can save them. I just want a little extra . . . living space in return.

You are a tricky demon. I have tremendous power, you can't take over me.

Yes, I know. I just need some room.

I fight fair. If I let you into my body, I want your word that you will not destroy the Earth or hurt Atem or Yuugi or their friend Jounouchi. I want a fair game with them to win first.

Yes, yes, fine, fine. Just give me what I want.

I wouldn't mess with the dragon lady or Mana too. The exact same, give them the exact same chances.

Ugh! You Egyptians, you have to put so much fairness on winning stupid games! Fine, I won't outwardly kill anyone involved in Atem's ancient past if I enter you.

Or hold something from the ancient past. "Go ahead and tell them about the Ishtar's too." What he was already doing, making a deal with a demon, was disgraceful. Anything that looked redeeming would cast doubt on Set's guilt and that would be needed later to eliminate Zorc. After the game, the gods only needed a sliver. Something of doubt. It was their style.

For now, letting him in was warranted, but it wouldn't last long. After the game, he would be banished easily by Horakhty. He just had to wait until after he won the game.

Why bother? Everything the Ishtar's could have shared, it's happened already.

"Doesn't matter, making sure there are no lingering regrets," Set lied. He looked toward Anzu. He had spoken out loud. "I will save you, I promise. Tell Atem and Yuugi that the Ishtar's are actually alive. I created that scenario to make sure they couldn't warn him. They are trapped and locked below, but still surviving fine."

"Then untrap them!" She yelled ungratefully.

He sighed. "Yes, dear." He went to their abode, grabbed all of them, dragged them to the Game Shop where the annoyance of Atem and Yuugi were standing, and then came back. "Done." They could go with me? Back to the afterlife with me, but they couldn't stay, they would go to Atem's empire. If I could just not care. It's not her, it isn't! They looked like her though. Each of them had her charms. She was just divided into two. "Agreed, Zorc," he decided. "Save them, and remember everything else I said."

The Game Shop

Yuugi and Atem waited. Jounouchi did too. While they waited, the Ishtar's spoke of how they were being held hostage, trapped underground, so that they couldn't follow the forbidden magic signs they had seen.

"We were close," Isis Ishtar said to Atem. "We were very close, Pharaoh. I knew what needed to be done, and I had the Domino museum accompany us again. Even if something happened that left you without help in the museum, I instructed others to work with Kaiba or Yuugi easier if found in the exhibit area."

"We didn't know what would happen if you had been summoned back to Earth, so we were ready even if you came to your body and not Yuugi," Malik said. "Night or day, we were ready! We still don't know which Pharaoh this is either, but it doesn't really matter now. What matters is someone convinced the gods that the world wasn't worth keeping anymore. Mankind was exploring beyond its means. It was getting dangerous."

"Master Malik had followed a group of people who had more demonic items," Rishid said. "There was also another group that seemed to be on the same trail as us."

"Kaiba ran into them," Yuugi informed them. "They are gone now, and he took the rod from them."

"That's dangerous, to use anything from him. He could raise Zorc, he's not simply dead. He's a demon, he can be resummoned," Isis warned them.

"Maybe not," Jounouchi said next to her. "I asked Bastet to help him, so Shizuka would be okay. I think she bit Kaiba. So, he's protected by Bastet, right?"

"Oh." Isis nodded. "That weakens the chances Zorc would try anything through him. Still, the more of his power that is produced, the more likely he will come back."

"I have enough problems with one," Jounouchi said as he tucked Mana's blanket around her more. "The millennium items, there are two sets. Good and bad. I mean, if you call sacrificing your life knowingly for humankind's survival good. I would. I think his rod came from there."

"That's Mana," Yuugi told Isis as she stared at the baby. She must have been seeing something. "The past soul that had ran the Dark Magician . . . and the Dark Magician Girl."

"Fused?" Isis was surprised.

"Set didn't want to wait for a date for the damn game," Jounouchi said cuddling her closer. "He advanced Mai's pregnancy. She's not here no more." That was the end of his speaking.

"I am sorry for your loss," Malik said to him.

"We'll get her back. Once we win, we win everyone back," Yuugi told them. He looked at the crib. "Why did Set just bring you straight here? The Game Shop barely has room as it is."

"He seemed to be in a great hurry," Malik admitted. "No words, he just grabbed us and brought us here. There must be a reason for that."

"This is not good, this is really . . . really not good." Bakura looked at them. "You three, you have to find another place. There are plenty of places. I need to get everyone different places. Those Ankh idiots will come back, we need permanent places. This is for Yuugi and Anzu and their godly child."

"Godly child?" Isis asked.

Yuugi explained their current situation.

"Oh dear! That must be a terrible predicament for them," Isis said. "I am very sorry, everyone."

"I don't care," Yuugi said. "At this point, I really don't care , as long as she comes back safely with it."

"Pharaoh?" Isis asked Atem. "Who is your new Queen?"

Atem didn't answer right away. "The Other Self of Anzu," he said. "It's . . . complicated."

"Will it really be using millennium power? The darkness within it?" Malik asked. "That's terrible."

"No, it'll be fine. It has more than that," Yuugi insisted. "It'll be good. It won't be a demon." He looked toward Atem. "It won't be a demon."

Next to the Gods Realm

I sure could use a nap. Anzu smiled though at her slightly glowing boy. "I picked a good name." She had to think of something fast, they all demanded it. So, Hikaru. It worked. The birth was almost painless, and she actually survived. Amazing.

It was cute. Looked more human than godly. Besides the slight glow, it was reminiscent of Yuugi. "Apparently pink, black and yellow are dominant colors." She never would have guessed. It's hair even stood up like Yuugi's.

Even though it was so fast, Anzu was already excited to be holding the little one in her arms. Hikaru was certainly larger than the average newborn too. A full head of hair, and skin lit up like the sun. I thought I'd be upset when you were here, but you're so cute and fragile, I can't be mad about this. Heh. The science of cuteness. It apparently worked on her too.

She tried to find Satiah. She wasn't around there anymore. "Satiah?" Anzu looked over at her mirror. Should she show Yuugi, or should she wait until she was returned? She was going to wait, but she didn't see Set either. I can't risk it. What if something happens? What if Yuugi never gets a chance to see him?

No. He should know. She lifted the mirror and smiled in it. "Yuugi? He's here." She shined the mirror down toward him.

Game Shop

"Atem! Jounouchi!" Yuugi called out automatically. When they rushed over, he showed them proudly. "Look! Look." He kept staring at it. "He's got hair like me. He? It's a he?"

"It's a he," Yuugi heard Anzu's voice. "I had to name him quickly, so I named him Hikaru."

"Hi Hikaru." Yuugi waved at him. His hair really was like his and Atem's. "My son, Hikaru." He watched as the boy opened his eyes. He had strange amber eyes.

"He's so huge for a newborn. A full head of hair. He's kind of glowy and his eyes are cool," Jounouchi said. "All in all? I'd say your kid's pretty awesome you two. Three."

He will be awesome. Yuugi watched Anzu though for her reactions. So far, she seemed happy. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but, I'm stuck here waiting," Anzu admitted through the mirror. "Set isn't back, and Satiah isn't here anymore."

Atem looked toward Anzu as she arrived, almost next to Yuugi. She immediately clung to Yuugi, hiding herself in a gold robe with nothing underneath Set had put her in. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. We all are." Anzu moved from Yuugi slightly, showing off Hikaru. "You are too, aren't you?" She smiled at Yuugi. "We all made it through." She looked back down at him. "Did you want to hold him, Yuugi?" She looked toward Atem. "Or Atem?"

"Yes, yes!" Yuugi easily scooped him up as Anzu handed him over. He was clearly better with babies than Atem knew how to hold them. Atem wasn't good with children in the first place. "Oh, look at you. Nice to meet you in person." He held out his pinkie and Hikaru held it back. "He seems like a normal baby."

"Except that he's a lightbulb in the middle of the night, yeah," Jounouchi said teasing him. "This uh? This wasn't at all how I saw this day ending." He pulled up Mana to look at him. "In three days though, the day is gonna end with you in your momma's arms. We have to win. We have to. We've got Mai waiting on us, Honda, and Hanasaki.." Jounouchi looked over at Atem. "You guys can use any of my cards you want, and Mai's too. I've got a gigantic collection. Oh, if my house is still around?" He looked for Bakura, who was standing a fair amount away. "Hey, Ryou Bakura? Is my house still around?"

"Yes," Ryou Bakura agreed. "You should consider moving there with your daughter. If there's extra room, taking one of the new people is also a good idea." Then his voice changed to Bakura. "Those Ankh people don't always seem to want to call up their superiors before starting to murder."

"Atem?" Yuugi came over closer to him, while Anzu was still holding onto him like a lifeline. For safety or to hide herself, he wasn't sure. "I'm sure Masika is coming with the second."

Set showed up one more time. Something felt off about him. He pointed to Hikaru. "50% Anzu. 10% a-hole. 40% idiot. After the battle? 100% mine."

Atem could barely keep from rolling his eyes at that. "Where is Masika?"

"100% afterlife." Set shrugged. "Not everyone gets a happy ending."

Dead? "Is that a sick joke?"

"100% afterlife," Set said again. "You 100% a-hole. Enjoy your 10% kid." Then, he disappeared.

"She's gone?" Anzu didn't seem to know whether she trusted that. "She's done that to me twice now. She can't really be gone. Not this time."

"Not everyone is lucky in childbirth." Atem kept his speech factual. "Many women didn't always survive childbirth. There are no guarantees. I feel happy you made it Anzu." He nodded toward her.

Yuugi understood though. I'm the idiot. He's the ahole to Set. Hikaru is almost completely mine. But not quite. "Do you want to hold him?"

Atem held up his hand in refusal. Even though he was also a part of Hikaru, something felt . . . off. The boy seemed fine. It wasn't evil. In fact? It seemed a little too pure. Atem took his finger and pressed gently against Hikaru's head. The baby just tried to cross it's eyes and look at the finger. I can't feel an ounce of millennium power. Something. I've been tricked more than once. This is another one! I can feel it. He can't take Masika away, that's against the rules of tradition. Bakura clearly said it so that he wouldn't do it. The punishment must be severe. So what is he trying to pull? "There is no millennium energy in him, Yuugi."

"Oh, there must be some," Yuugi said. "Maybe it's just really light? And besides, you aren't just energy. You're Atem."

"I know what I am," Atem said more confidently. This time, with a slight smirk. "I think I understand. He thinks he is so clever." He gestured toward Hikaru. "This has nothing to do with me, Yuugi. Like Mai, he was only . . . rushed."

"Rushed?" Yuugi asked looking toward Hikaru.

"Oh, yeah. I get it." Jounouchi smirked too. "Nice one, Yuugi Mutoh!" He winked. "No gods help needed for you two, eh?"

"You mean she was already-?" Yuugi looked back toward Anzu. "Oops. Oh. Um."

"Hikaru was already conceived?" Anzu held him tighter. "I just lost the nine month wait. Well, I lost all the pain too. Can't be picky. Oh wait. Yes I can!" Frustration. "Horakhty had said she would impregnate us if we win with part gods, right? To give humanity a chance back?"

"Did Satiah's belly become large, like she was pregnant?" Atem asked.

"Well, no. Mine just blew up real big," Anzu said. "I thought maybe we were taking turns."

"But she said that whole thing about the belly?" Yuugi questioned.

"Yeah. She was talking about mine," Anzu said. "She was right by my side, being supportive, but she's not really a modern kind of girl."

"More tricks by the gods. Man, I had it up to here with tricks! Why would they do that?" Jounouchi asked. "Everybody would find out right after the birth. What was it all about?"

"I? I think I might know. Set. Set, he uh." Anzu sort of glanced toward Yuugi, then back at Hikaru. "He was real protective and it was scary. Unlike Mai, he didn't really want that to happen to us." Small cough. Trying to be delicate for Jounouchi.. "The gods around us kept urging him to use their help. They tried to convince him that I would die. Even Satiah didn't have the greatest confidence in what was happening."

Ah ha. "The ultimate bluff," Atem said, like he figured it all out. "This whole thing was nothing but a bluff." Set couldn't let gods help, or he'd forfeit the game. "They were counting on his feelings to save you." Ah. Clever! Extremely clever Isis, he would forfeit before the rules were even explained. Hikaru was Yuugi and Anzu's child they would have had anyway. The lighting around it was probably from being born so close to the God's Realm.

Thank goodness. Saving the world didn't include brats with Atem.

However? How did she survive then, and where had Masika gone? She wouldn't just vanish. This child could only have been conceived recently, there's no way Anzu should have survived without any help. Even with the goddesses help with her child, it was too much for Mai and she was much further along. Hmm. Masika has disappeared too. Set cannot just take her. Then.

"So then . . . if Atem's new queen wasn't actually pregnant, and it was just Anzu and Yuugi's playing around that made Hikaru?" Jounouchi wondered out loud.

"Hey!" Yuugi warned him. "You don't have to phrase it that way."

"Nah, no worries. I played too, remember?" Jounouchi reminded him as he gestured to Mana. "Anyhow, what was I saying? Oh yeah. If Masika never did nothin' with Atem and it was all a big farce that way, then where is she?"

"I don't know." Set clearly found some way to win Anzu's life, but not use the gods. Sacrifice? He would not! No, he wouldn't, of course he wouldn't. They were both the women he was infatuated with, he wouldn't! Then again. "To save a part of Masika, he had to lose the other part." Once again, Masika's life was over, having been made a sacrifice.

"Are you positive?" Anzu asked. "Maybe he's just hiding her."

"The gods would still know," Yuugi agreed with Atem. "You had to survive in some way without gods. If Masika was used as a sacrifice though, and it wasn't to the gods, then who was it to?"

"What else?" Atem's voice was huffy, unlike him, except for one thing. "To Zorc! She held the millennium power!"

"Zorc?!" Yuugi, Anzu and Jounouchi yelled at once. Even Isis, Rashid, and Malik's voice came from the background.

"The legendary demon that Pharoah had finally taken down," Malik answered. "Oh no. If she was sacrificed to him, then he could return. Pharoah? Do you believe he will return?"

Atem didn't answer. He just crossed his arms and glared out into the night sky.

Yuugi touched Hikaru's little hand, wondering himself.

"To exist with a demon for eternity," Atem finally spoke. "I would not have wished that upon anyone."

Especially her, Yuugi knew that. Atem finally met someone that was like him that wasn't . . . evil. Someone who went through all the same terrible things, and now that ending. Oh. Atem didn't look so good at all. Atem?

She exists in a land of demons with Zorc now! For eternity. That was no fate for her!

I'm sorry, Atem, that your friend is there. After we win though, we can get her back.

No we can't, Yuugi! The gods will restore what they can. She was taken without the gods help. She belongs to Zorc.

Oh. Yuugi was starting to understand. It was a fate worse than spending thousands of years in the millennium puzzle. Eternity with Zorc. She was once a wife of ours. She was part of Anzu. I didn't know her as well as I should have, but . . . it did hurt. Masika was a good person! An excellent person and the bestest of friend to sacrifice herself for Bakura. She did what she could.

Anzu was cuddling up strongly with Hikaru now, more like she was using him for strength as she started to cry. She couldn't even hear the conversation Yuugi had with Atem, but she seemed to understand it as well. A part of Satiah was trapped in a hell for eternity with no escape.

Maybe he just took the power and released her? Maybe he just killed her and she's waiting in a better afterlife?

Atem didn't answer to Yuugi anymore.

"So now we have a Zorc and a Set to deal with," Jounouchi broke the silence. "Which one do we worry more about? Zorc still needs a body. If we can just keep the goddesses protecting Bakura, then he won't get the chance."

"I'm not involved in the game, that's true, but The Bandit King is," Ryou Bakura reminded Jounouchi. "Gods can't interfere with him, so I doubt they can interfere with me." He didn't look at all comforted with it. "Can I drop it without losing the game for everyone? I don't really want to be possessed again. I mean, not by Zorc. I can deal with the Bandit King, but not Zorc."

"Stay away from all millennium items," Malik warned Ryou Bakura. "If you can keep them away, then you can stay safe."

"You don't know how hard that is to do sometimes," Ryou Bakura answered back.

"Well, you're going to have to try," Jounouchi warned Ryou Bakura. "Because Set is bad enough, we don't need a Zorc."

"But . . ." Anzu was still coming to terms with it, searching for another answer on what happened to one of her best friends. "Horakhty wasn't on Isis' side like the others, they were on the side of Set, and Horakhty was the one that said it! It doesn't make sense. It can't be a sacrifice to Zorc."

" Did Horakhty? The exact words were what?" Yuugi thought back to it. It wasn't easy to figure out. They had to ask the 'lighted ones'. It wasn't simply spelled out. "I grant Sekhmet and Bastet's wish for humanity's sake for the win." It sounded easy to understand.

"That was the part human part god thing," Jounouchi said. "Yeah, Horakhty said that. Could Horakhty have meant something else somehow?"

Atem was also trying to figure it out. "Sekhmet and Bastet's wish."

"That was the part humanly god," Jounouchi said. "Right?"

"Or was it not? What if Horakhty was indicating their true wish, and not what they wanted to get their true wish? To be freed of becoming one?"

"Their ultimate wish. Yeah, makes sense. Then Horakhty made them happy so they'd just help now?" Jounouchi reckoned. "They can't help though, it's against the rules."

"For those involved," Yuugi said. "Maybe Horakhty was trying to save Mai. Or maybe."

"Bakura!" Yeah, Jounouchi reached his decision. "Maybe they can seal off Bakura until the games, and make sure Ryou Bakura stays safe? It's pretty dicey. Ooh. Zorc."

"I don't know." Anzu didn't seem any happier with the reveal. "Horakhty said we would know. Bastet told Satiah and I something else. Slight of hand I guess."

"Being truthful, while being deceptive." Horakhty could accomplish that. None of them knew Anzu was pregnant, but Horakhty could have known. Even Isis might have known.

Perhaps the gods had not just used them after all.