Chapter 2: To Awaken

Marie Bakura is a sensible woman. She has to be, as the wife of an enthusiastic archaeologist and history buff and as a mother. When her first daughter was born, she and her husband had been ecstatic. They had spent months planning, prepping, and waiting eagerly for their first child. Little Amane had been a gift, but also a handful. As new parents they were at a loss as to what to do most of the time. Amane demanded a lot of attention and love. She cried and made noises all day whenever she was awake. She was very active as well, looking at everything and getting into things. She was a ball of joy and sunshine to them.

Finding out she was pregnant again had brought even more joy to the little family. They were prepared more this time, after having Amane they thought that they'd were ready for anything. How wrong they were.

Babies are always doing something when they're not asleep. Watching things, making noises as they learn to talk, playing and crying even.

When their second daughter was born, their little Hinata, they expected another Amane. A happy and giggly child. Of course they expected the crying and lack of sleep. But this….Marie is pretty sure that this isn't normal for a baby. Actually, she knows that this isn't normal for babies.

When sweet Hinata was born, she had cried and wailed until she was bundled up and placed in her mother's arms. She had settled down instantly and fallen asleep. Little Amane eagerly peered at her sister, exclaiming that they looked alike (both of her daughters had inherited her own pure white hair, although Hinata seemed to have a blue tint in her hair that she inherited from Osamu) and then told Hinata that she would take care of her and that they would be best friends and play together. Marie and Osamu both smiled at their oldest, answering her questions until it was time to go. They went home a few days later and settled into their new routine. And from there things were normal, similar to how Amane had been as a baby. But then one day, several months later, things suddenly changed. And these changes scare her.

Their babbling and curious little girl just suddenly… stopped. Stopped "speaking", stopped exploring, stopped everything. She would just lie there, staring blankly into space, not reacting to being talked to or touched. She would barely eat when they fed her, she never cried to let them know if she was hungry or had a dirty diaper. It worried Marie and Osamu to no end. Was she sick? She was acting like….she was depressed, but that….wasn't possible.

The worst moment for Marie was one day when she walked up to Hinata, only to see her crying silently.

It broke her heart. What could have happened to make her little girl so sad? Not even Amane, who was usually the one to make Hinata laugh, could do anything.

They considered taking her to the doctor, but nothing was wrong with her. No psychologist would take in such a small child, and her child wasn't depressed, the mere idea of it was just silly, she wasn't even more than a year old!

Nothing was wrong with her baby. Everything was fine, she was just a little sad. That was all. Marie would get so mad whenever Osamu would even hint at something being wrong with her Hinata or her being depressed. How dare he even think about it.

It was a harsh blow to her trust in him, when he told her that he and old Solomon Mutou, his mentor and colleague, had decided that they - she specifically - were going to meet with Solomon's daughter-in-law to speak about their shared problems with their children. Well, child in Yume Mutou's case, but still… her point was still valid.

Finding herself overruled by her own husband… it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Being reborn wasn't all that it was hyped up to be. That's what she realizes the second she comes to her senses after so long in the dark.

Waking up in a foreign place, in a foreign body, surrounded by people you can neither understand nor know who are? That's downright terrifying. Unable to move or speak? That's even more terrifying.

She remembers it all now that she's out of the darkness. Remembers what the gods said, that they want something from her.

She feels helpless, angry of course, they took her life away her choice away. But she mostly feels lost and sad, anguished even.

And she realizes that the darkness before was nothing like depression. This. This is depression.

It's like seeing all the light around you, and you want to reach it, but you just can't get it. It's right at the tips of your fingers, and being off by the breadth of a hair. Of seeing hope to escape, but just not having the energy to try.

She's a few months old, and she's depressed. That has got to be a new record.

Her new family (an odd group of three people - two who are borderline albinos and one with blue hair) worry for her. She can't bring herself to care really. They're not her real family. Her real family is gone, lost to her forever. She'll never get to feel the comfort of her father's arms again, or the warmth of her mother. The softness of her puppy or the laughter of her friends.

She just wishes she could go back to being dead. Properly, this time. Surely anything is better than this. At least if she's dead she can have a hope of seeing her loved ones again.

Her "mother" has to be the strangest of her new "family". Sure, she's loving and caring - everything a mother should be. But she also seems a little… crazy. She constantly mutters "Hina-chan is fine, nothing's wrong, my baby is perfect and healthy".

She finds it oddly ironic how she learns of her new name through the mutterings of a possibly-crazy woman.

Hinata. Or Hina-chan or Nata-chan, depending on the person speaking. Her "father" is a bit better, at least not crazy. He tries, she can tell, to love her. But he's confused and lost in how to help her. He has a lot to deal with, his wife who's in denial, his daughter who is depressed, and his other daughter who may feel neglected and saddened by her little sister's unusual behavior.

She might feel a little sorry for making her new sister sad, not being the ideal baby sister and playmate, but she doesn't know the feeling of that loss. She was the youngest child in that life before, so she never got to experience the same excitement.

The excitement of having someone willing to play with her, of being close friends and sharing secrets.

That hope, that bubble of excitement… burst.

Should she care? Maybe. If a baby is even able to do so. Does she care? No. Not really. She doesn't know.

She just wants to sleep. Sleep forever. Sleep and never get up. Never do anything ever again. Was that selfish of her? Probably. But again: she can't bring herself to care.

She wonders, in a detached sort of way, how long it's been. How much time has passed since she woke up in the new place, in this new life. Wonders if, even if there was a way back to that old world, her true family is still alive. If they miss her as much as she does them.

Her life changes one fateful day, when she hears these new parents of hers fighting. It sounds rather one-sided from where she is in her crib. Her "father" is speaking to her "mother", who is yelling.

"Nothing is wrong, everything is fine". That's all she can really understand. She's distantly annoyed that she can't understand her new "family" half the time. They're bilingual and speak English, so she can understand them most of the time, when she actually tries to pay attention.

Her "mother" is in denial again, it seems. But will her "father" actually take action this time and go against her? Ah, they've switched to the other language again, Japanese she thinks, so she can't tell what they're saying now. She mentally shrugs and tunes them out.

She wants to fall asleep. She really does. But then there's a smaller figure sneaking into the room, and she's faced with her new sister. She doesn't quite remember her name. Hasn't bothered to learn it yet. She knows she probably should, so she can one day play the role of "baby sister", but for now, she just doesn't want to.

She knows it's wrong.

That she shouldn't be like this and think these thoughts.

But, she

Just

Doesn't

Care.

"You're a weird baby, Hina-chan," says the white-haired girl. "I wish you could speak, so mama and papa would know what's wrong, and then they won't fight so much… but, they yelled a lot before," she reaches through the bars in the crib and runs a hand down a chubby cheek. "You wouldn't know. You're just a baby. You weren't born yet".

She stares blankly at the little girl as she speaks, only vaguely registering the few words she's been able to pick up. Both girls attention is caught by their normally calm and easygoing "father" raising his voice and apparently putting his foot down to their "mother".

"Enough is enough, Marie!" He says sternly. "This behavior isn't healthy, and you're worrying us all sick! If you don't want to take Hinata to a doctor, then fine. We won't. But we will go and speak to Solomon's son and daughter-in-law about their troubles with baby Youko!"

"We will not!" She hisses angrily. "No way in all of the hells that could possibly exist will I go and let some strangers judge me for how I take care of my baby!"

"You living in denial won't fix things! Hinata is not well! And I won't let you harm her even more by ignoring that there is actually something wrong with our daughter!"

The white-haired girl (big sister, she really should start thinking of her like that, but it's too much effort for her to care) whimpers, looking around. Then she snatches a blanket from a shelf and goes to hide under the crib. "I promise to protect you when I'm older, Hinata. But for now… they're just too scary".

Hinata- she's got to start thinking of herself by this new name- feels a faint sense of amusement and sympathy. Arguing parents are scary, even terrifying, and saddening.

But she must applaud her "father" for finally putting his foot down. Took him long enough. She was getting sick of being smothered in unwanted hugs and hearing crazy, in denial ramblings from a delusional….."mother", she guesses.

She would much rather call her "female caretaker", now she thinks about it, but it feels a little too cold and detached, even for her standards. One-who-gave-birth is a mouthful really…..she supposes that she can simply use the woman's name instead. Maybe one day she will be able to refer to her new "parents" as "mom" and "dad". She won't hold her breath though, her real parents are lost to her. At best, Osamu and Marie are foster parents or something.

The fight ends with Marie going quiet. Then she just walks into the room and looks her the crib. Looks at her and her sister curled up beneath it.

"Amane…" (ah, so that's her sister's name) she says, her voice tired. "We… we're going to take a trip to Domino City in a few days. Your father and I are going to… talk… with an old colleague of his".

Hinata stares blankly up at Marie, noting how defeated but annoyed she sounds. Points to Osamu in this case for growing a backbone.

There's a scurrying sound. Then Amane whispers: "Are you friends again?"

Marie sighs, crouching down and holding her arms out towards her eldest, who comes running immediately. Hinata watches the scene with detached curiosity and closes her eyes. She's tired again. She also doesn't want to deal with a clingy Marie anymore today.

She wishes for sleep to claim her.

Darkness wraps around her like an old friend.

Marie Bakura does not want to be where she is right now.

As much as she loves spending time with her (at times infuriating) husband… she is genuinely hurt that he'd go behind her back like he did.

She hadn't really been as bad as he told her, had she? Such thoughts swarm her head while they're in the car, en route to visit Solomon, Yakumo and Yume Mutou.

Oh, and little Youko Mutou, as well. She is, after all, one of the main reasons for this sudden visit to Domino City.

Amane is giggling and chatting in the backseat, describing what she sees to Hinata. Hinata who is staring blankly, sleepily at the back of the car seat.

At least she's doing something. Marie thinks she can see her react to some of the things Amane says. Only a little though. The expressions Hina-chan gives sometimes are disturbing. She's only 14 months old, she shouldn't be able to make some of these expressions at all. Like she's studying them… maybe even judging or disapproving of them. But no, that can't be true.

Her Hinata is just a baby, there's no way she can be so aware or anything.

So that's why it's a greater shock than she could possibly ever imagine, when she meets Youko Mutou and finds a child that seems almost identical to her Hina-chan, if not in looks, then in personality.

The adult Mutous are kind people. Ordinary, really, if not for the peculiar genes giving them tri-coloured hair. Yakumo Mutou is a respectable man, Yume Mutou keeps a beautiful home, and Solomon Mutou is an archaeologist turned shop owner.

Baby Youko is so similar to her own Hinata-chan. They are the complete opposites in appearance though. Where Hinata is white and light like the moon, Youko is bright and yellow and shining like the sun.

But both have that off glint in their eyes, like they're watching the world with the same sort of detached interest.

She catches Yume Mutou's eye across the room, sees her look at Hinata with the same sort of shock she imagines to be in her own eyes, and just knows.

Maybe… maybe talking with the Mutous is a good thing, after all.

Osamu looks at his wife as she is engaged in what looks like a very serious conversation with Solomon's daughter-in-law. They're sitting close together, whispering, almost, as they look at where their children are all grouped together on a blanket by the television.

"Hinata's a lovely kid, Bakura," says Yakumo, handing Osamu a cup of coffee. "You've done well, getting two such beautiful girls".

"Same to you and little Youko," Osamu gestures to the children. "I see she's not gotten the family hair?"

"That's what it seems like so far. She's blessed with that. Our family hair is unique so to say, brings lots of attention. I'm glad she'll avoid that."

"Give it time," chortles Solomon. "You were much the same when you were born, my son. All dark hair. But as you grew, the other colours set it".

"And so did the spiky starfish shape too I'm assuming," Osamu says with a teasing grin.

"Nah, that's just an old family hair-styling technique." Solomon bursts into loud laughter, then. "It involves a lot of time and effort in early childhood, so the shape continues to grow naturally".

"Luckily there is a way to maintain it and have a decent hair style for those who don't want the….distinct shape."

Osamu really can't tell if the Mutous are joking or not. That has always been difficult, no matter the generation. Their humor is peculiar, and the family in general is odd. Kind and trustworthy people, but odd.

If it ever came to it, he'd gladly entrust his children into their care, should anything happen to him and Marie.

"What are they even talking about?" Muses Yakumo, looking at the women. "They've been at it for at least 15 minutes, now. Just staring and whispering".

"Well… Solomon told me you've had… problems, of sorts, with Youko?" Osamu inquires carefully, not wanting to offend the man.

But Yakumo appears to take no offense and just nods. "That's right. One day, out of the blue… she just started crying," he frowns, concern clear in his eyes. "It was like that for weeks. Months, even. She just… she wouldn't stop".

Solomon nods with a deep frown on his face. "She would scream and cry whenever she wasn't sleeping. It sounded like she was in agony, but the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her. Nothing would soothe or calm her."

Osamu sighs, finally happy to hear someone having a similar experience. "It's the same with Hinata, right now. Not the screaming, but… she just went from happy and babbling, to… silent. Like… like she's depressed. We've found her countless times just crying silently. And the way she stares blankly at everything… we thought she might be going blind, but there is nothing wrong with her eyes, from what we can tell. Marie's refused to take her to a doctor, so we don't know it for sure, of course. It's just… worrying. No child should act this way. Amane was so different. We're at our wits end. I am at least. Marie refuses to believe that there's something wrong with Hinata."

"Hmm…" Solomon mumbles. "The children are special. There is no doubt about that. But, Osamu old friend, does it make you love Hinata any less? That she isn't quite as you expected?"

"No. She is my child. I love her regardless. It is hard though. I'm so lost, I don't know what to do…."

Yakumo nods, almost like expected this question. Maybe he did - Osamu can believe Solomon to be the type of man to have such a conversation with his son and daughter-in-law. "Then let us be lost together, when it comes to our sweet, but complicated children. Look at Yume… I think she's enjoying having someone else to talk about this with".

Yume Mutou is, in fact, very happy to meet Marie Bakura. To meet someone else so far out where her feet can't touch, drowning in worries and feelings of uselessness. It's nice to have a companion, a fellow woman and mother with whom she can confide in. She does want to chew Marie out though. Living in her denials she's been neglecting poor Hinata. She may not want to believe whatever it is, but Marie still should have brought her daughter to the doctors. What if something really had been wrong? Hinata could have been so sick! She could have died even!

And so she does.

"Listen, I know I'm a stranger right now, and you are probably sick of hearing it from your husband, but really?!" She whispers, so Amane won't hear them. "Do you not take Amane to the doctor when she shows signs of something being wrong? Do you not worry? Or do you tell yourself that everything is fine and that it will pass? Because that is one of the easiest ways to get your child killed. You have been through this once - you should know this!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?! Hinata doesn't seem ill, just sad. She eats, she sleeps, no fever… what did you want me to do, tell the doctor my baby is depressed? Babies can't be depressed!"

"No one knows that for sure! They may have not as developed and mature minds so young, but they're still human!"

Marie doesn't know what to say, how to react. She wants to be angry, to yell at Yume, but… the other woman is right. She doesn't want to admit it, probably never will do so out loud, but she is.

It hurts.

A lot.

She hasn't been taking care of her baby - no, she hasn't been taking care of her children, period. Amane… sweet, precious child that she is, has put up with so much through the months of her being… gone. Lost.

Her poor babies. She's such a terrible mother.

Poor Osamu. This entire time, he'd been right. And she's treated him so terribly.

She was a terrible wife and mother.

"What did you do?" She whispers, looking towards the children. "How did you keep it together? How did you not break from the worry?"

"Because they needed me there. She needed me there," Yume's voice is low, but calm and kind. "I wanted to fight for her. To be able to face a day where she wasn't crying, wasn't fighting against everything. And look now…"

Both mothers glanced over to their children to see them sitting upright and watching a cartoon with rapt attention. Youko would giggle occasionally at something that happened, Hinata…..wasn't doing as much, but her lips would twitch now and then. And that made Marie's heart ache. Her daughter was showing some life and actually reacting to things, as minimal as it was.

How come she hadn't been able to do that around them? Her family?

"I don't think I've seen Youko this happy in months…" Yume whispers, as if mirroring Marie's thoughts. "She's just been watching the world quietly."

Marie nods. "It's the same with Hinata. I don't think I've actually seen her this active, this alive, almost, since before she- before she got sick".

She admitted it. There. Her daughter might not be physically ill, but she is sick. Somehow. And she needs their help to get better.

Or maybe… maybe she just needs a friend? A fellow odd baby?

It could work. If the Mutous are willing to try it.

"Say, Mrs. Mutou… I think I have an idea".

This new kid is strange.

Granted, it's the first time in this life that Hinata has even encountered a child her age, but she can just somehow tell that she's different.

Maybe it's her eyes. They're big and a strange shade of purple, unlike the browns and black of her "family".

Maybe it's her hair. It's bright and shiny like the sun, the complete opposite of her "family's" darker toned haired.

Or maybe it's her family name. Youko Mutou… she's definitely heard the name Mutou before. Not just before, as in "Osamu's mentioned them a lot these past few days", but as in before before. The men of the family even make her pause. Their hair coloring and style…..it's so familiar, but she can't place it…..she doesn't have the energy to really.

(She chooses to "forget" that Mrs. Mutou is familiar, but in a vastly different way than the men and the child, too).

Most likely though, it's that glint in her eye. The spark of knowledge and maturity that shouldn't be there. This other child, Youko (how fitting her name is), may look like a toddler, but she doesn't act like one.

Hinata finds herself intrigued.

Across from her, Youko is having similar thoughts. Not just about this Hinata-kid, but also her sister. Her entire family really.

The name Amane Bakura rings a bell. A vague, barely there, bell, but she feels like there's something important in it.

Something else tells her it's not important (probably for her own sanity) at the moment, though, so she focuses on her new… friend? Playmate? She doesn't know why she's been joined by these two kids.

They're cute kids. Their family's hair is odd, not that she can talk really with her own family's hair. Their family name and their hair bother her. She's got this nagging sense that she's missing something, again she pushes it away.

She forces herself to focus on Hinata Bakura instead. Because this girl - this kid - feels just a little too familiar. It feels a lot like looking into a mirror, when she looks into Hinata's eyes. She looks bored beyond belief. Like she couldn't care less about what happened to herself or the world.

She looks as sad as Youko herself has been feeling for months, and while she's slowly moving past that… it's like Hinata is stuck in that stage.

Puzzling. Very puzzling indeed.

Hina-chan and Oko-chan are so cute! They're so tiny and squishy and she's pretty sure they could fit into the clothes of some of her dolls, if Mommy would let her play dress up with Hina-chan.

Mommy never lets her do anything fun… she's sure if she could just get a chance to play with Hina-chan, she wouldn't be so sad, and then Amane in return wouldn't be so lonely at home, in the apartment where no kids her age live close-by.

Amane wishes Hina-chan would be happier. Then Daddy wouldn't have to worry so much, and Mommy would stop being weird. Maybe they'd stop fighting, too, and play with her again! Maybe… maybe Hina-chan just wants someone to play with, too, like Amane. Maybe Amane's just not the right size at the moment? Maybe that's why they're all the way in Domino City. To buy a friend that's just the right size for Hina-chan. Is that why they're visiting these people? Is that why she and Hina-chan were told to spend time with Oko-chan?

If that's the case, then they need to hurry up and play already, be friends! They're just looking at each other. Amane will not stand for this. What can she do to make them play? Have fun? Mommy would hate it if they just kept watching TV… even if Hina-chan is actually smiling at it. Mommy doesn't like it when she watches too much TV.

Uuuh, blocks! Maybe she could get them to help her build a fort for the dolls and plushies Mommy brought!

"Hina-chan, Oko-chan, lookie here," she says, moving to sit in front of the TV, so the two can't watch it. They look at her. Hina-chan in that weird way she usually watches everything, Oko-chan with something that looks like the face Mommy makes when she's in trouble.

Both babies look at each other with raised eyebrows and the same look Mommy gives Daddy when he's done something silly.

Amane shakes her head and holds up a red block in front of them. "See - see here! Wanna help me build a castle?" She starts placing blocks around her favorite doll - Chiba. "See? Chiba's the pretty princess. She's gonna sit in her castle and look over the land, like this."

She wonders if they understand her. Mommy says Hina-chan is too little to understand much, but… why shouldn't Hina-chan understand her big sister? They have to have a special sister-bond, just like in the movies!

Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Hina-chan pick up a block, pointing towards Chiba. Amane feels satisfied. She knew Mommy was wrong - sister-bond wins!

The wall she's been building suddenly topples over.

Someone behind her snickers. She turns and sees Hina-chan minus the block she had in her hand.

Amane shakes her head. "Hina-chan, no! Don't throw, set it down caarefullyyy," she draws out the world like Daddy did, when he told her this after she accidentally broke that window, because she threw a block.

Her sister-bond will go! She is sure that if she wants it enough, Hina-chan will understand her!

She's evil. They're evil. Not even 2 years old, and already a massive troll. She doesn't think anyone would blame her though. Especially in her position.

Who knew that frustrating a 6 year old would be so fun and therapeutic?

Certainly not her, that's for sure.

She looks at her new-found partner-in-crime and tries her best to grin. It's a difficult thing for Hinata to do, after so many weeks of just… not.

Youko grins back at her and tosses another block at the other tower. She gives a cackle (really, she shouldn't be able to do that…) as it falls over and Amane cries out in frustration. Which in turn makes an odd sound escape her new playmate.

Hinata huffs in amusement. She really shouldn't, doesn't want to, laugh, but it's difficult not to do it, when Amane is minutes from a tantrum of epic proportions. Just because "Hina-chan" and "Oko-chan" can't understand that blocks aren't things you throw, and they keep knocking over her "fort".

Hinata blinks when a small pudgy hand appears in front of her face. She looks to Youko who's grinning like an imp at her. Slowly, Hinata grasps the hand and they shake (again weird). Youko let's out another cackle and Hinata can't help but to snicker at it.

"What a weird kid," Hinata thinks. Youko hands her another block to throw, which she does. Both girls laugh loudly and joyfully when Amane shrieks in rage and starts throwing a tantrum.

"Odd kid," Youko thinks, when Mr. and Mrs. Bakura rush to stop the scene before it can get out of control.

"Too late." Both girls think together as Amane's tantrum escalate and the adults fret and scold her.

It feels like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. She can't wait to see what other chaos they cause in the future.

"This…..this isn't so bad." Hinata thinks with a grin.

If she's going to be an odd child, so be it. At least she won't be alone anymore.

A/N:

And there you have it everyone! We've now introduced Hinata Bakura! Isn't she an interesting character too?

We again wanted to show their reactions of being human and going through grief. We also wanted to show while two people may go through the same thing, they react differently. Where Youko is vocal and loud, and overall more expressive. Hinata is quiet, cold, and tends to internationalize things. We wanted to really have a contrast about both girls to balance out their similarities.

I would like to clarify that myself and NordicTwin are by no means experts on depression. (Or other things like child development, etc). If we ever make a mistake with anything we portray or use, please let us know and inform us if the right things. We do not want to insult, trigger, or offend anyone at all.

At this point, Amane is 5 ½ years old, Hinata is 14 months old and Youko is 16 months old. Youko "woke up" at about 9 months old and went through roughly 5 months of her stages of grief. Hinata "woke up" at 10 months old and is still going through her depression and grief stages.

In another note, while the Mouto's have the Yu theme going for the most part, the Bakura's are another story. We figured from canon that Ryou was British so his family either lived there or one of them was at least British. I chose Marie to be that. (And Marie was just the first name that came to mind). Osamu is the Japanese one and we figure he spent lots of time in England and they moved to Japan later on and that's where they live now. Ah...I'm rambling. Anyways, the name Osamu was actually borrowed from the fanfic author SailorChibi (who has written some amazing and epic Yugioh fics) and their yugioh fics. It's the one name that kept popping into my head and the only one that sounded right. (So I really hope you don't mind SailorChibi). So, yeah….go check out SailorChibis fics you guys!

Shoutout to all those who have viewed the fic, and our new favorite and follows! (VongolaCielo27 and xX-R4CH31-Xx)

And thanks again to the amazingly talented and lovely Moirei for Beta-ing for us!

Thanks for reading you guys and see you all next time on Caught in the Game!

Counting Sinful Stars

A/N:

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another chapter of Caught in the Game! Introducing the Bakuras and our second heroine, Hinata Bakura.

My, I wonder who she could be. What kind of adventures will she end up having along with her new best friend, Youko Mutou? It's a mystery that will have to be solved at a later date. For now, she'll have to adjust to being reborn, life as a toddler and her depression.

Now, I would like to point out that CSS and I aren't experts on certain topics - my only experience with depression is through my sister, who's suffered for years, but is recovering. So if we get anything wrong, feel free to tell us. Same when it comes to any of the characters and details of Yu-Gi-Oh. We know that Amane is sometimes described as both the younger or older sister - we went with her being older in this.

I do, however, want to point out that we wanted to have a contrast between how Youko and Hinata reacted to "waking up". Where Youko is raging and angry at her situation, Hinata is just kind of… lost. Her anger is cold and bubbles beneath the surface, while Youko is very vocal about her displeasure.

On another note, we borrowed (CSS won't let me say we stole it XD) the name "Osamu" from some of SailorChibi's Yugioh fics, because we thought it fit him. (Go check them out, they're awesome!) Besides, none of the names we could think of screamed "Mr. Bakura".

I don't have much else to say. So! Now we've gone through the first few month of the girls' lives. Youko and Hinata are slowly starting to find their way through life, and making a place for themselves. But will they be able to get through the horrors ahead? What about pre-school? And ball pits full of germs and gunk? Not to mention - other children?!

Find out about all of that and more in the next chapter of Caught in the Game!

Thanks for reading.

NordicTwin

Beta/Edited by Moirei

Finished & Published May 11th, 2017