Jounouchi's Place
When she arrived with Mai, she sat on the chair. The conversation had to begin. "Do you think he'll understand? He has to. This is the better option." Anzu wiped her eye. "I don't know what part is scarier, Mai. No one knows how this feels. I'm? I'm helpless, I can't do anything to stop it."
Oh. "I fought Marik, Anzu," Mai reminded her. "I've stared into that fear before. What is it? Why did you just . . ."
"Tear Yuugi's heart into pieces?" Anzu started to lose it. "Knowing is going to be hard enough for them. If I had stayed, if they had watched it . . ." She couldn't do that to them. Satiah? Are you there at all anymore?
Yes. It seems I can hear you again. How are you, Anzu?
I could use some help with Mai. If I'm too far gone before I try to talk it out with Yuugi, then she can tell him. He deserves that.
It is scary Anzu but don't be afraid. Yes my friend, I will help you. We are in this together.
Satiah took over. "There was too much for Anzu to bear. We were all fooled, and now Anzu must bear a terrible burden with me."
"What burden?" Mai asked.
"Hell inside. The inside burns so hot, even I feel it. She has a hell brewing inside of her because of me and the King."
"Because of the extra spirits?" Mai asked.
"Not extra spirits, extra soul parts," Mahado interrupted. "If there was complete separation, it should not have done that."
"What are you talking about?" Mai asked him.
"Ancient Egypt knew different things than your time," Mahado admitted. "Anzu Mazaki only needs to tell the King what she feels inside. He'd understand the truth without explanation, just like I do. I am sorry."
"Yes, but it makes it no easier for her to deal with it. It hurts . A soul isn't a single thing, Mai Kujaku." Satiah said, knowing that didn't help at all. "Do you have puzzle pieces, paper or building blocks?"
"I live with Jonouchi," Mai said. "Of course I have building blocks." She went to his room. "Maybe not?"
"Jonouchi says you are thinking of his miniature rubix cubes in his middle dresser," Mahado said. "He said 'what do you take me for, I don't play with blocks'."
Mai came back with two cubes and a piece of paper. "I only found two."
"That's enough." Satiah took the cubes. "When you think of a soul, you probably think something like this." She drew a solid green square on a piece of paper. "A single entity." She tackled one side of the cube, solving it. All solid green. "This is closer to the truth." She pointed out the little squares. "There are different parts with different names and meanings, depending on which time you are examining so we won't get into it." She gestured to the whole green area on the rubix cube. "This is the King of Darkness' soul." She messed with the block slightly, this time taking a full two minutes longer and gave it to Mai. "Look at where the green is."
Mai looked at it. "You split it between two places. You split it with reds and blues?" She was impressed. "You're good." She gave it back. "What's it mean?"
Satiah took the second cube. She solved one side completely green. "Great King of Darkness is green." She mixed it up again, with only green and red sides. She gestured to one. "Yuugi Mutoh." She gestured to the other side having green and blue sides. She removed the blue stickers. "The Spirit, all green, but not quite whole." She gave it back to Mai again. "The Spirit has a great many green squares. He is most like the Great King of Darkness. However, he is not all green. Yuugi Mutoh's side has some green but mostly blue. Still, even one green square, binds them together."
"Some of Yuugi is the original Pharaoh?" She studied it for a little while. "Parts of the Pharaoh's original soul rests in the Spirit and Yugi."
"Modern incarnation. Yes, with new parts added to his soul." Satiah took the rubix cube back. "It is the same for me and Anzu. However I went, I didn't all go." She rubbed her eyes gently. "The separation of the split cannot be changed, thus we are forever apart," Satiah said. "Yet, forever united. Two souls united with two souls, alike and yet different. Miracles happen."
"Miracles?" Mai asked.
"Yes. A hell inside of her and it hurts. There is an amazing source of power inside of her. Even I grit my teeth to deal with it and I shouldn't even feel." She shook her head. "It's not good. She will let go of it before death even comes."
"Sanity," Mahado said to Mai. "No one escapes the cruelty. It didn't happen very often, but it was a corrupted soul. Chaos happened like this in our time more often. Pharaoh can end the cruelty of it by giving her a swift death."
"Which she will not let happen," Mai said. "No wonder she broke Yuugi's heart, there's no way she's going to have Atem kill her. She's dying because of them together and . . . and you together?" Mai gestured to Satiah. "So you are both the same too? From the same soul, like Yuugi?"
Satiah nodded. "Yes. It is my fault too that we are dying. With this being her body and feeling it so much more, her mind will get weaker first. I should not have been able to communicate." She looked downward. "She is so scared. For once, I wish she would have kept Yuugi closer instead of pushing him away. This is her body's end though, I have just been here for the ride." She covered her face. "I can't do it, I can't ask Yuugi or Other Yuugi!"
Back to Anzu. "I'm sorry, Anzu," Mai apologized. "I can't even?" She bent down to pat her hand. "It's not your fault Yuugi and you have spirits." She watched as Anzu's resolve started to melt. Mai hugged her. "I know what hell feels like. I know what you are feeling, I've been there. Just hang on, okay?" That feeling. It was eating away at her. "We can't give in, not yet. It's been thousands of years, there must be something we can do."
"It feels. It feels like someone ramming a racing engine into a bike. Like taking finals to a class you've never even taken! I just? I." Anzu rubbed the sides of her fists together. "It's worse than being sick. It's worse than a headache. When Satiah is out here, inside it's deafening but I can't face Yuugi either!" She squeezed her eyes shut. "It hurts everywhere and it's getting worse."
"Jounouchi." Mahado looked toward Anzu. "He is telling you that he is sorry and he wants to help however he can."
"No one can help." Anzu looked out of it. "No one can end it. Surviving isn't possible, and even a calm death, that Atem - I can't! Not to him or Yuugi." Her fingers dug into Mai's sleeve. "I don't have much longer, it's increasing exponentially."
"Look, Satiah!" Mai put the phone in Anzu's hand. "Tell Pharaoh something. He is her last chance. Be reasonable and take over."
Anzu looked back toward her, her eyes clear for the goal. Satiah. "No. Even the King can't destroy this hell. This is the chaos of too much soul involved in the act of procreation. The only thing the King could do was end the suffering, but Anzu will not let it haunt him or Yuugi of the regrets. This is her body and her decision. I? I can only try one thing." She looked back toward Mai. "I must see if I can be the only sacrifice. I have to try and take it."
Soul Room
Anzu screamed and covered her ears, her legs crumpled on the ground. The sound was deafening, like a rock concert in her head. She couldn't even hear her screams over it all. Her whole self pounded, like every part of her stubbed itself hard like a toe. A constant thronging that was driving her insane.
"The burden on you is just too great, Anzu! I can't see you like this, not because of me. I have to try this."
Anzu looked beside her. She'd been sent to the soul room at the same time with Satiah.
Satiah. She finally could see her. Last time she had been disguised as the card of Cyndia. Now. A little shorter than Anzu, her hair was different, but she wore the same clothes. If they were both in there? Right now, she probably looked like a hollow shell outside. "I don't know what to do."
"I will try something. A desperate move that may save you." Satiah came over toward Anzu. "I will try to hold whatever hell cannot be harmonious inside of your body. If it works, it should eventually raise me back to the afterlife, where that power belongs. Then, maybe you will have a proper life to live."
"I." Anzu didn't answer right away. "If it works, you'd be gone?"
She seemed to breathe. "If this works, I won't be here anymore. You can have a happy life, without me falling into Bakura's Monster World all the time." She smiled. "You can have your happy life with Yuugi. The agony will stop. Anzu? I will try." She grasped her hand in hers. "I will take this power into me, and get buried in it's energy to the afterlife, letting you survive. Or? I will fail, but I know I will see you again. We will be reunited afterwards."
Anzu watched as she started to fade. "Satiah? Satiah! Please, wait! I don't want to go through this alone!" She didn't want her to go. "You hated the thought of ever going to the afterlife. After you were with me for some time, you said it. I remembered it. It would be the hell of your life before. You live as you did in life, you said that!"
"I go now and maybe you don't have too. That's worth it." A small smile graced her face. "Eternity will eventually come. Take care, Anzu. I hope you survive."
"No! Satiah!"
"Anzu?" Mai called to her, waking her up. "Are you okay? You blacked out."
"She took it." Anzu couldn't say anything else. "Satiah took whatever was hurting me." She didn't feel any pain. Hear anything. Sense anything. "It's over."
"The pain is over?"
Anzu nodded. "Yes and no. My heart's filled with it now for a different reason." Oh, she was going to miss her so much. She felt so . . . alone. But? "Yuugi, call Yuugi."
Kul Elna- 3000 years ago
Satiah moved on her way to her goal. The place Bakura never allowed her to visit. Kul Elna. For years, he had watched over her and protected her, all while knowing and suffering the fate of destiny he was not allowed to get away from.
Satiah tried to put him out of her mind, but word from beyond far reaches were saying that he . . . he dug up the last Pharaoh's remains. She knew in her heart things would only get worse, and she couldn't let it be this way. She would never be able to repay all the kindness he showed to her.
She ran away from her current master for that day, to take a chance. Grip it. She even stole Ebonnee, to reduce someone attacking her, for fear of killing her cat. She had to go that far distance alone.
Bakura had no one on his side, but his only friend. She let go of her cat, she doubted she would need her anymore. She would be better off to go and find a new home, than to stay with her. As she moved through Kul Elna, she could feel the despair in its surroundings. She wasn't spiritually strong with her Ka, but she knew well enough that the spirits were there. The pervading loneliness and suffering was thick in the air. "Please?" She had to.
Further in. "Please don't do this." She felt a rush of air around her. The spirits were giving her warning. She should probably feel privileged they hadn't killed her, but she wasn't there for herself. "For as long as I can remember, Bakura helped me. Saved me. He is a good person, and your suffering has corrupted him so much over the years."
The winds howled against her, almost like they rejected her honesty. "I know that what happened wasn't fair and it wasn't your fault! I know that you suffer, but what can Bakura himself do? Why punish him?" She felt the sands whipping hard against her skin. "He is the only survivor of Kul Elna, but you throw nothing but a curse upon him for living! Why must he alone be responsible? Please."
She moved to her knees, feeling the sands starting to cut against her. "Please give him a chance." She got off her knees to move closer, the world was going dark around her. She could hear the sound of guttural voices she couldn't understand but pain, envy, anger, sadness and endurance was in all of it. Pervading emotions that Bakura had always had surrounding him. Bakura. Their life. The life of the spirits. Not bowing, not just pleading, they weren't giving in! "No, I will not give up! I will give you anything to just give him a chance! A chance to be free!" All of the times he saved her came to her mind. How many times had she arrived upon his horse, in need of him?
And he gratefully helped her because he was her friend. Her only friend, and she was his. His only friend. "If I don't fight for his soul, no one ever ****ing will!" No, she couldn't give up. She felt the winds pushing her back, physically pushing her back through the sands like a force. Screw it. "I'll do anything, anything, whatever it takes, if you just let Bakura go." Then, she heard something.
A curse into the next life.
She could see the spirits now, the pervasive clouds, the corrupted faces of the shadows now around her. She could understand them. She knew what that meant. She wasn't allowed a chance in this life, they would take Bakura as the one who would hold their suffering, but she had a chance. After his death. To save his soul.
There would be a chance. But she paid a price.
She felt the life escaping from her, little by little, but stayed strong. There was no one else to help him, and they had been draining her soul ever since she came in. Take it all. Take this as the sacrifice to save him. If not in this life, then the next, I agree. "I willingly give you all, just save my friend!"
Kul Elna- Present Day.
With a shivering, strained gasp, Satiah felt the breath of life fill her lungs. Lungs? Her heart was beating. Her heart. She felt pain as she struggled to move. Move. She looked at herself. She was naked.
Her head felt dizzy. Her hands reached for the fallen rocks around her. Her price had fully come to be paid.
Bakura's House
Now, Satiah remembered. She watched Ryou Bakura open the door on his broken Monster World. "Bakura." She got up, trying to ease her way to him."I gave my life to give you a second chance!"
Bakura's facial expression seemed to change. "What are you even saying, woman?"
"I went to Kul Elna, on that day. I knew you would be gone, and I knew what would happen." She reached out to him and smiled. "It worked. You've returned. You don't have to live, forever trapped in an eternity of darkness and suffering." She wrapped her arms around him. "Bakura. My friend!"
Bakura didn't answer right away. "Rider. You're the reason I am back?" He didn't sound happy nor sad about it. "I live behind Ryou Bakura's command now." He laughed. "Except right now, I could get away with murder with you naked and hugging me. He's not coming out."
She didn't care about something so trivial. Naked was nothing. She hugged him tightly. "You are a free soul." She felt something strange around her though. A sort of light of goodness. It must be from finally fulfilling her purpose. To protect his soul.
"It was stupid," Bakura scolded her. "I didn't save you all those times, for you to just throw your life away, Rider!"
Yep. Her Bakura. "It was mine to do as I wished, only because you helped me." The feeling within her seemed to grow. Cozy and warm.
"Oka-ay?" Ryou Bakura seemed to be back. As he was unused to her being naked, unlike Bakura, he would be a little unaccustomed of course. "I-I-I, Bakura stepped back so let's s-sit you down over there at the couch, in the other room!" Ryou Bakura said as he took over again. He closed his eyes as he shuffled with her.
Bakura was practically teasing Ryou Bakura by not taking over. "Do you want me to walk over there myself, Ryou Bakura?"
"Yes, please, and I will go find my room. For clothes, for you!" He pointed to the couch. "There, over there. I'll be back."
Satiah sat down on the couch. The air was cool against the skin. The feeling of the air conditioner. I'm not feeding off of Anzu. This is my body. I can appreciate this feeling, this sensation, with my own body.
She watched as Ryou Bakura still kept his eyes closed and held out some garments. "Not the best, but something for now?" He kept looking away.
Satiah took her fingers. Fingers. She touched the shirt and pants as she grasped them. She placed them over her body. Everything was right. This was her body. It even had her birthmark on it. How? How am I really worth getting back my body? How?
"I forgot about that birthmark." Bakura had come back, taking control from Ryou Bakura again now that there was nothing to make him uncomfortable and tease him with. "It still looks like a raindrop."
She finished getting dressed. "I should call Anzu so that she won't worry, but first? May we finally play together again?"
Yuugi went up the stairs and knocked on Jounouchi's door. Mai had finally called him to come down. Anzu had news, good news for him, but she was in a depressed mood. "Mai Kujaku? It's Yuugi."
"Yuugi!" Anzu's voice answered the door. She opened it and looked at him. Her eyes were puffy, it had looked like she had been crying for a long time now. "I'm sorry, Yuugi. Everything I said was true when I left, except it's not why I left. I didn't want you and Atem to know."
Yuugi reached forward and tightened the hug. No matter what she said, he already forgave her. "What happened?"
"Yuugi." Now her voice sounded hoarse.
Mai answered the door next. "Might as well come in. We need to have a little conversation."
Yuugi sat down on the couch with Anzu. Mai showed him the rubix cubes that Satiah had used to explain it. "I'm sorry you were trapped in hell." He hugged her more. "I never wanted you to be hurt, and I'm sorry I couldn't help!" He held her quietly for a few minutes. No wonder. The guilt Atem would have felt. Thanks to Satiah's sacrifice, she's okay now. I promise, Satiah, I'll take the best care I can of her.
Yuugi heard his phone go off and he checked it, still trying to comfort her. She was slowly getting better.
"It's Ryou Bakura. She dropped again, this time um. Um. I-I uh, gave her some clothes. Not the best, my clothes aren't really fit for her. Bakura and her are talking okay. She seems okay, but if you could come get your friend again, it would be a great idea? Okay?"
Wait. "That's impossible." Anzu was right there.
"Oh no, I very much assure you that she broke through the last of the Monster World hold, Yuugi. Naked, Yuugi. She's lucky she wasn't hurt. I mean I don't think she was. I was not straining to observe."
"I'll be right there." Yuugi hung up. "Anzu, where do you think Satiah went?"
"She left me, moving into the afterlife," she admitted sadly. "She despised the thought of it, she never wanted to separate from me. She said the hellish energy would only drive me insane. She did it. For me."
"Are you still in agony?"
"No. The agony's over, thanks to Satiah."
"Yes, but, she didn't go to the afterlife," Yuugi informed her. "She ducked out again. She seems to be good at that. Ryou Bakura just said she fell onto his game again."
"Hm?" Anzu didn't seem to know what to say.
"That's impossible. Anzu said she had to go, to take that hell with her," Mai said.
"Mai." Anzu strained.
"Hon', let me get you into the guest bed," Mai said. "Whether you stay the whole night, you need proper sleep." Mahado got up toward her. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"Jounouchi is driving me crazy," he winced his eyes. "I just. His emotions are too . . . I summon the Dark Magician!"
Jounouchi was panting, clearly back, but the surprise was what was in front of him. Mahado had transformed back to the Dark Magician. And oddly, he seemed better. He twirled his scepter. "This is the form I am meant to be here, I can feel it."
"Gah, it felt like the biggest sneeze in-" Jounouchi stopped as he looked at Anzu. "I want to help too, come on, Mai." Jounouchi helped pick her up. "It's okay, Anzu, Jounouchi's here. We're going to get you a nice bed." He looked over toward the Dark Magician. "Uhh?"
"Try telling him to return to you," Yuugi recommended.
"Dark Magician, return to me." The Dark Magician disappeared and Jounouchi went on helping Anzu to the guest bedroom. After she was down, he put his hand on her head. "I wish I could have helped when you needed me. I can help now though. So get some rest. No worries. Nobody's coming close to you as long as Jounouchi's here." Anzu didn't respond as she went back to sleep. "And you neither." Jounouchi hugged Mai. "I'm sorry about all this, Mai, but I've still been here for you. Just inside." Mai held him closer. Jounouchi looked to Yuugi who had been surveying it all.
"I have to go check on Satiah," Yuugi said. "I promise I'll be back, but I need to make sure she's okay for Anzu."
Ryou Bakura's House
Satiah studied the board in front of her. She had never played this game. "Let's see . . . " She smiled at Bakura. "I think I'm trapped."
"Then why are you smiling?" Bakura asked her.
"Because we are finally playing." She looked at the board again. "Oh no, wait. I can move this way." She took one of his pieces. "These are cute."
"No, they are dumb." Bakura gritted his teeth. "Why am I even doing this?"
Because I'm bringing you back, my friend. She waited for his turn.
"I can't believe Ryou Bakura is making me play this." He grabbed one of the pieces and roughly knocked one of hers down. "And I don't like the way you feel to me."
"I would say it's the power of friendship, but that sounds ****ing ridiculous." She spoke in the off-cuff manner she used to speak to him back then. "Stop being a right bastard and be gentle with the pieces. You almost broke it. I don't see a move yet. You can go."
Bakura didn't answer right away. "****ing capsule monsters." He took another piece of hers, but more gently. Ryou Bakura spoke up. "It was fast and easy to set up. Don't complain. At least you are playing with your friend again." Back to Bakura. "I can't believe you did such a stupid thing for me, Rider. Cursing yourself to this for three thousand years. Only part of you made it to the finish line."
She wouldn't let his anger get to her. "I don't care how much made it, as long as I made it." She looked at her optional places to move. She didn't see anything yet. A diagonal move, but he wasn't on any diagonals. She could send them in to try and defeat. Maybe? Or maybe. She moved her piece up. Bakura took it. "Nice game. Care for another one? Do you have Connect Four? I'm tops at Connect Four."
"I do have Gomoku," Ryou Bakura said taking over. "I will go and get that. Oh?" There was a knock at the door. "That is probably Yuugi."
When the door opened, she saw Yuugi standing there. He seemed to be examining her appearance, the gameboard, and Bakura.
"I did say she showed up in nothing," Ryou Bakura said. "You can . . ." He distorted his face somewhat. "- not take her home, she isn't Anzu Mazaki. Get out of my area!" Bakura of course.
Yuugi didn't move. "Satiah. Hello?" He waved nervously. "Interesting. You are like Anzu."
She cleaned up the game board. Ryou Bakura had more capsule monsters he would set up in a bit. "Is Anzu okay? Did you tell her I am okay?"
"Yes." His voice sounded funny. "You took part of that energy from her?"
"It was tearing Anzu up inside," she said. "She was in agony. Now she's not in pain anymore."
"The girl will be fine, so **** off." Bakura's charming voice.
"Is there anything you know that could explain what happened?" Yuugi asked. "Do you remember the day you died yet?"
She didn't respond as she hunted in some kind of box.
"She was an idiot," Bakura finished for her. "She went to Kul Elna."
A normal person in such a dangerous area as Kul Elna back then? "What happened?"
"I gave everything for Bakura," she said as she brought out a capsule monster. "It wasn't enough to spare him then." She smiled at Bakura. "But it is now. Do you want a three or do you want an unknown cute monster?" She held up two capsule eggs, hiding the number behind one of them with her thumb playfully.
Ryou Bakura clearly took over, smiling toward her and then at Yuugi. "She is the reason he is here today, unattached to Zorc. She sacrificed herself to save her friend. That's why he has to play with her. I know if she's done this much, she can turn him for good. As much as he whines, I don't feel the evil I used to anymore. It's. It's not there."
Self-sacrifice, for his after life. That wasn't even life, the souls that suffered would not release him in life even with a live sacrifice. Their pain was too great. Yet, somehow, they must have known that one day they would be freed. Bakura had been trapped in the ring, with Zorc still attached. Still suffering. "Wow," Yuugi remarked. "You sacrificed yourself for Bakura's soul."
"I'll take the damn level three," Bakura griped at her.
"Good call." She revealed the other egg. "The cute one was a two." She brought out two more eggs. "Now, the dinosaur one or the one labeled two?"
Yuugi smiled. Rough around the edges, but she had a good heart. "Please, feel free to stay at the Game Shop with Anzu. I know she'd appreciate it."
"I will." It wasn't even a question. "Thank you for the offer, Yuugi."
"Yes, but I am watching her for tonight," Ryou Bakura said. "Sorry. I want them to catch up, but I'll drop her off first thing in the morning."
"That sounds great." She should catch up with her old friend. Time to return back to Anzu and let her know.
Domino Museum Earlier . . .
A crush of sound the likes of which he'd never heard lit up, cracking alongside him, shattering, and breaking. Atem gasped for air as he looked around him. It took a couple of minutes to adjust to what had happened. Seeing the jars on the ground and a busted sarcophagus. The old wrappings around him, mostly ripped, and his nude body.
He had his body back. He moved out of the exhibit and to another area to grab any kind of clothes for now.
