Seto Kaiba held the money he had kept in the bank on his side. He had to make a small fuss to make sure he could withdraw all of it. They were scared they couldn't fund anyone else but the meager amount he held in that bank was only for emergencies. He kept something in nearly every bank in Domino City, just in case he ended up in serious trouble.
"Seto Kaiba, are we done going everywhere?" Shizuka Kawa had been worn out from the dragon and the bite. "I'm losing it again."
Seto Kaiba hated to baby anyone. When he had used the dragon and she could see, he didn't hold her hand. She stayed close enough behind him, he didn't need to worry. When she lost her eyesight though, he was learning how to do both. In the endless spots of nothing between, he was watching around her more, but not holding her hand. There was nothing to trip on in those endless voids, only people to watch out for that might try to take her.
When they moved into civilized places again, then he'd hold her hand. "We could go for clothes, but I want to try something else first." Kaiba had never been in the twisted Land of Memories the former Pharaoh had spoken of, but reading into all the information he had, he knew enough that the right kind of magic could make any game look real.
The world going overnight was possible. He had lived it that way yesterday, only focusing on survival and getting back to Mokuba. Now that he knew Mokuba was safe, he had to explore in a deeper way. He stood on the brink of the nuisance pier, near where he had to deal with saving Jounouchi's life one time. Way out there. He looked outward.
It looked like endless desert with no kind of hills between that could be seen. The large gap to go down was nearly ten times the appearance of what it had been in other locations. In other words, if he fell, he was done for. Kaiba held one of the old phones he kept. As long as he kept one, he could use it for his test. He tossed it down lightly on the side, watching it fall. Getting banged up, hitting the sides until . . . nothing. He grabbed his second phone. His last phone to try, and pitched it further outward.
It disappeared too.
"I heard a splash," Shizuka Kawai said. "Are we near water?"
"I have no more phones to test this, and I'm not going to get more accurate readings." Changing what he threw wouldn't help. There isn't water way up here, it receded, but it's down there and farther away. If I run off this pier. It might get us out of here. But to where? Is this bubble to keep us safe from other intruders trying to come in on a given area, or is there civilization outside? "Shizuka Kawai, I need to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Are you ready to die to test a theory?" Kaiba asked. "I think the water's receded, and there is a barrier on the other side of here we can cross. I don't know what's on the other side. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe we both are just going to die, but I want to leap off this pier and find out." He took his rod and carved a frown face into the ground. The former Pharaoh Atem and his little friendly gang would find their way there one day. At least, he'd have a temporary mark of what he'd done.
Whether it led to freedom, or a death by crushing heights.
"I'm ready," Shizuka Kawai answered. "If there's a real life out there still besides this, then I'll risk my life to get to it. What about Mokuba?"
"I already said goodbye." Mokuba would find it too one day. I refuse to live like this, if there's a chance at something else. Mokuba. If there's a way to get you out, I promise I'll find it. He took Shizuka Kawai's hand and stared off the pier. "I'll tell you when to run. I'll tell you when to jump. We'll most likely die, but we might be freed. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then. Run!" He ran off the pier, holding her hand tightly and then, "Jump!" They both jumped together.
There was a splash. Shizuka tried to hold her breath and find her way. They were in water somehow. Where had Kaiba gone? She stretched her arms out, trying to make it to some kind of surface, but she didn't know if Kaiba was there.
She felt a hand grab her arm. He was there. She kept paddling herself to the top until they broke the surface. They each gasped for air, trying to steady themselves. "Where are we?"
"Water." She felt herself getting pulled to the left.
"Lots of water," Kaiba clarified. "Great. We're out but now what?" She heard a helicopter. "We got a ride."
Outside Last Chance
It wasn't isolated, and very few people so far had made it out. Five impenetrable bubbles had appeared mid day yesterday. They were looming over individual cities. Nobody could see what was going on inside, or get inside. It was definitely some sort of magic.
Countries were blaming other countries, but it was the major cities in several of the huge countries that were being hit the hardest as more seemed to pop up hour by hour. It was hard for anyone to pin blame, they were all affected. Rescue teams were all over the place, trying to find anyone who escaped. Scientists were trying to determine how or why they were popping up, and how people were surviving in them. Everyone had hoped that an answer could be found to not only get inside to any potential survivors of those hot, white and massive bubbles, but also to predict where they would come.
As for survivors, Kaiba and her had been the first ones to make it out. Somehow, also getting out of the spotlight of that. Shizuka didn't know how, but Kaiba wasn't someone who liked others interfering with his own affairs. She knew that very well.
It didn't take long for Kaiba to get himself settled out. Even with no ID's, his genius still memorized important numbers that got his accounts back. When he was settled back out, he got a car and headed away. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon might be able to take that massive bubble down," he told her, "but there are way too many authorities watching everything. Sneaking back in won't be fun and it's guarded all the way around. There is also the potential for backfire. I could stir up a hornet's nest, people might flood in and start being massacred the same way. They might think airstrikes are the only thing left, getting rid of all the survivors to try and defeat the foe."
"That's pointless. The one in charge, I don't think he's even there. He knows how to leave, doesn't he?" Shizuka asked.
"I think anyone with an Ankh can probably leave, so yeah, it's safe to say Set could. No, it's a bad idea to bring it out yet," Kaiba said, "so we're doing the next best thing. Finding Set out here. He has to have some kind of trail. He's also going to be looking for the 'lighted ones' and anything having to do with the first human tear. Everything of the former Pharaoh was erased, but there's bound to be something on the first human tear."
"Do you know much about it?" She asked Kaiba.
"No. I just know the prophecy of the light goddess," Seto Kabai said. "I guess it's light goddesses now. Or is it still one? Who knows what happens at birth. Glad I'm not involved in that mess. All I need to concentrate on is who is looking up that information and where it's going to."
Outreach headquarters. Kaiba's allies? Shizuka didn't know but she didn't need to. It's more dangerous to rescue anyone than it is to try and save them.
"I know Mokuba is safe. Yuugi and the others will be watching him, and I have to find out more about Set. They can all survive in there a little longer."
"Do you think Mai was brought out here? Honda, do you think he made it out here somehow?" she asked. "If things got rough, maybe he jumped out and just left without being found." Too hopeful?
"Mai was dealt with, with gods," Kaiba reminded her. "It doesn't matter that these are pockets of magic, it doesn't change the actual game of saving humanity. Except for the fact that a large sum of humanity still exists. For now."
"There must be a way to stop this magic. Stop these bubbles. Without bubbles, it would be over." That sure would be nice.
"These bubbles of magic. I don't think they are tests, or barriers to hold weaker magic. I think they are being used for organization," Kaiba explained. "If you want to take over the world, yet still have people exist in a comfortable manner, you can't just nuke it. They also keep saying only humanity. They aren't aiming for the wildlife, or any other creatures. Hmmm."
Shizuka felt the car turn. "How far will it be to get to a place that has the answers?"
"Far. Don't even think about it tonight," Kaiba answered as the car slowed down and came to a stop. "Out. All we got for clothes is what they gave us when we came through."
Shopping for clothes. This wasn't a moment she would treasure. Clothes were mixed up in sizes, and sorted by style. She needed the opposite of that. She picked up one and placed it against her, feeling out measurements. Too big. She tried another one. Not big enough. She kept feeling around until she found one that seemed like it might fit. The colors were . . . white and blue.
"Would you like to try that on?"
Shizuka heard a voice behind her. She had assumed someone else was shopping. "Direction of changing room?"
"I'm here to help. Come this way."
Shizuka followed her to the changing room. She told Shizuka she would be there when she got out. Shizuka put on the clothes. They felt like they fit. She placed her regular clothes back on and went back out. "Thank you. Could you please take me back to where I had been?"
"No need. We are done." Kaiba's voice as he snapped.
"Right away, Sir!" More than one woman in the department.
"You can figure out what you want later. For now, I've just bought everything in the woman's section that's within two sizes of the size you are holding now. You'll have it by morning. Go ahead and put that back on, so we can get going."
Uh. "Thank you." Did he really just do that? She got dressed and then followed his lead out the doors. Once they got into the parking lot, he grabbed her hand. He was getting very good at knowing when she wanted someone to help her, and not to help her. "You didn't have to do that."
"You didn't have to give up your chance to see again to get Mai Kujaku back only a few months early," he muttered.
You didn't have to give up your winnings either. Kaiba had wanted his prize too surely. He said it was for the Dark Magician Girl, who would help. But. Dark Magician Girl would be a baby girl. She would need to be much older. Was he looking toward the future and not just past the moment? "What do you think about the gods? Do you think they'll actually have them?" She felt the door handle. As soon as she did, he left and she got in.
"Don't know. If Yuugi squanders the chance to have a pair of gods that would have humans actually in their sights to help? It would be Yuugi." He started the car. "He'll give up the gods and the box because he's a chump. I already know it."
"It would be nice to have a real power helping humanity getting back on track from what's going on," Shizuka said. "He would want to be loyal to Anzu if she were his girlfriend though, and he wouldn't want to be with another woman. Only three hours."
"Even on the verge of extinction. Yuugi will be Yuugi. That's what this is too, unless I can figure out how we are supposed to win this," Kaiba said as he drove off.
In Front of The Game Shop: In Last Chance
Jounouchi stayed behind the gold box that was between Yuugi and Atem. Anzu was on Yuugi's side, while Masika took a stand near Atem. The goddesses were nowhere in sight again.
"I don't know, Yuugi," Anzu warned him. "The winnings and the losings. I don't think there's a way out of this."
"Don't worry. We are getting it taken care of now," Yuugi assured her with a small hug.
"Anzu is right," Satiah said toward Atem. "I don't see this as being the way out."
"Sometimes the gods just need to test us, to see when no action is needed," Atem told her. "This must be the way out. It may result in nothing, but it gets you and Anzu out from under this deal you never asked for."
Set didn't show, and the three hours were almost up. Yuugi opened the box. In it was just a small area, barely big enough to hold a card. Which is all it held, a blank card, and a fancy pen. He picked it up and with the pen put the name 'No one' on it. He placed everything back in the box and closed it.
Mokuba and Bakura were clear on the other side. Seto Kaiba and Shizuka were nowhere in sight.
The box began to glow as Horakhty appeared again. "Is that your answer?"
"Yes," Yuugi spoke to her. "The answer is no one. Even though a god would be useful, my friends should never be hurt in the process. Friendship is the only thing helping to get through all these changes and losses. Anzu and I have a relationship, but even that doesn't mean I have a right to make her choose me. Besides, this would only hurt us, bringing another into our lives that shouldn't be there. I'm sorry. We can't accept this gift."
"Atem? You believe the same?" Horakhty said.
"Yes, I do," Atem confirmed. "Human's form attachments, and while some are not strong, others are strong as steel. Making another form an attachment by force is never the answer. To curb on another's right to be free, to not allow them to choose their own attachments, curbs on their humanity. The very thing we need to save."
"Then it is over. The future that would have been is no longer decided thanks to . . . rebellious goddess' plans. Let it come to pass, I grant Sekhmet and Bastet's wish for humanity's sake for the win. I hope you never come to regret your choice, Atem."
"Humanity is worth it all," Atem answered.
"I was speaking to both of you." Then, Horakhty disappeared.
"Gods with gods!" Sekhmet's voice filled the air along with the sounds of her running. "Spirits with spirits. Mortals with mortals. To create a god from a spirit and a man, it took so long. Something only millennium power and the afterlife mixing with the living world could conjure with your help Bastet. I say congrats were in order!" Sekhmet appeared in front of them, in her full form, bowing towards the front doors of the Game Shop. "It's the finest work I've ever seen you produce and I've seen some of your doozies."
"Thank you, Sekhmet." Bastet appeared in her full form in front of the doors, playing her sistrum. "What a glorious day has finally come!" She looked toward Yugi and Atem. "We are almost freed."
"Freed?" Yuugi asked. "The game hasn't started yet."
"No, we've been playing our own game for some time." She smiled at Anzu and Satiah. "They've had it all, encircling inside them like power, but until Horakhty approved, nothing would be created! Only Horakhty can create gods now! It feels like that fresh first bit of catnip, I can't believe we really did it. Our labor after thousands of years will now bear fruit. All they have to do is win."
"Bear fruit?" Yuugi was having trouble understanding it. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, after about the first 1500 gods and fusions and family confusions, Horakhty made it so that no god could have anymore gods or goddesses," Bastet said. "It's been that way thousands of years, and just another reason to not want me and Sekhmet to be apart. To always make us be Hathor. We resigned to deal with it, with a god's game."
"To save humanity." Yuugi's voice didn't sound as confident.
"No. Since gods couldn't have them, then we needed to create mortals worthy enough to have gods and we did it!" Bastet's nose wrinkled. "That's just what we did."
"The power of a pharaoh's heart with the innocence of his nice soul, and of course, the one human that was like the favorite pet. The human tear. Horakhty blessed it!" Sekhmet roared in triumph. "Stand and bear witness! The whole of the first human tear will bear a god and goddess, the first in over three thousand years."
"No," Atem yelled, bringing his hand out in a demanding manner in a wave, demanding obedience. "We have prevented that!"
"No, you assured it. You didn't get them out. You couldn't. Had you chosen anything else, Horakhty would have said you were not worthy enough because you thought you could choose, just like a silly mortal would think. She would have said never, canceled the power, and taken the human tear away," Sekhmet said. "We weren't allowed to say anything, part of the rules, but you did it. Now, you're worthy to save mankind. Which means you were worthy to father gods. The showdown will continue."
"I demand a better explanation that that!" Atem shouted at them. "What have you been doing to us? What have you been doing to my friends to win this god game of yours?"
"You underhanded mongrels!" Bakura's power was rising. "Are you the ones who are responsible for what happened to Rider three thousand years ago?"
Sekmet just laughed with it turning toward a roar. "Of course! We've been wanting to be freed of being pulled into one for a very long time. It wasn't going to happen overnight."
"All this time." Bakura squeezed his hands together. "You've been setting up Rider, to be torn apart and used in your god's game, haven't you?!"
"And Atem!" Yuugi shouted at them. "Isn't it? Where did the Millennium tome even originate from and where did it go?"
Atem gasped. Small yet hard. "That's." He glanced toward them. Not a frown, not anger, nothing. Just. "You were responsible for Zorc. For me being trapped in the puzzle."
"You did that yourself," Sekhmet corrected him.
"But you made it happen to-" Jounouchi almost lost it, but Yuugi held him back. He had to remember to be nice, if he wanted his own deal. "Yuugi. I can't just-"
"What's done is done." Atem barely managed to get it out. "What was it all for?"
"To make mortals worthy of mothering and fathering wouldn't be easy. No one would just be born perfectly that way. A division was needed with someone powerful, yet also caring." Sekhmet said. "Akhenamkhanen seemed like a good one to try, but instead he sacrificed his life away. So we watched his son, and he seemed to be a good match. Still, just a bare human wasn't enough. We needed a division."
"So. Zorc," Yuugi said softly.
"Yes, but once we knew the father, the mother was easy. The human tear," Sekhmet said.
"I knew it, you bitch," Bakura growled. "You've been using us. Me. My family, my village, it was all because of you! So young. I watched so . . . much . . ." Bakura stretched his hand at them. "The ones trying to kill Yuugi and his friends, were only trying to stop the end, while you two were fighting to preserve it!"
"Ah. Yes. You." Sekhmet propped herself up. "Nothing to preserve. This was always going to happen. Except now, mankind will survive. A side effect."
"Your ring." Bastet gestured to it. "Kaiba's rod. Those who still believe in us, the seven strongest and most faithful, sacrificed their lives willingly to the millenium item's creation. To combat the items that were created of the most heinous people that Set created."
"But the most evil being mysteriously gone that Kaiba found?"
"We of course made sure the evil counterpart was created. You can't create faithful sacrifices if the enemy sees the wrong people still alive," Sekhmet simply said. "There are two tablets of millennium power. One of good sacrifice, and one of the worst people alive at the time.
Yuugi held his head down. I don't want to believe it. It's not fair! None of this should have happened. I should have never been born this way. Atem never should have been stuck in the puzzle. No one should have suffered. No wonder Horakhty didn't want him to be here, or me! To know this. We helped the ones who hurt us all . . . when we win, they win.
"Don't worry, we meant for them to get the ring, just like the rod," Bastet continued to speak to Bakura. "You are needed to take care of the little things so that Atem and Yuugi can focus on their own game of gods now." She looked to the girls. "I told you last night that one day this would happen, it was destiny."
"You. You created us." Anzu was so out of it. "To win?" She gulped. "Both me and Satiah?"
"Yes, of course. It's getting later, the sun is sinking, yet you are both so beautifully bathed in light." Bastet smiled. "Since you first fell, you've never bared anything. That's about to change once they win."
"But who?" Yuugi asked. "But how?"
"You, of course," Bastet said. "You and the Nameless Spirit of Atem will be fathers. Fathers to both of them. Division brought the infusion needed."
"But I-" Yuugi didn't even know what to say anymore. What could he? "Atem wasn't even mortal."
"We created gods, not humans," Bastet said gently. "He is mortal now as is the other Nameless Spirit."
"Just." Atem's voice was dangerous. "Leave."
"Are you commanding us, mortal?" Sekhmet threatened him. "Without us, Set would have diced you into pieces like Osiris, and you would be stuck in the afterlife forever. You weren't a threat before. Now you are. The human tear is like the favorite pet, and the fact that some new gods could be possible, makes it a little more tangible other gods and goddesses will now help."
"Sekhmet, it's an emotional time. You should probably leave," Bastet warned her. Sekhmet disappeared.
"You." Jounouchi hadn't let go of his grip on his friends. He had to be nice, for Mai, but he was boiling just as they all were. "How they can each be a dad to each one?"
"How long have you been playing duel monsters?" Bastet chuckled. "They are father to all through a fusion. Thus happens in the world of gods."
"So?" Jounouchi kept trying. "Is it like a nine month thing since the moms are human?" She shrugged. "So, you don't even know, but they might? Just like, with extra power? Do they grow old about the same rate or they gonna pop out full grown?"
"Having human mothers will censor some of their given power, until they get much older." She nodded. "If you choose to have them, but from the way the world will be, you will want them to restore this world back into it's peaceful world. The buildings, the houses, the careers, all of it. So many deities will be willing to lend a hand for the new little ones, you might even get them to turn back time. I'm sure of it."
"Okay," Jounouchi said. "You need to beat it now. I mean. Come back later."
Bastet closed her eyes and presented a large box in front of them. "There is plenty of food, extra clothing, and money. Each day you'll find a carebox at your front step at 6:00 every morning. It will always assure your survival so that you can concentrate on winning. I will take my leave now." She seemed down. "I have not interacted with humans for three thousand years. I am sorry if I'm not . . . mortally nice enough. I will be back later. She disappeared.
Jounouchi pushed Atem and Yuugi forward. "Come on, guys. Time to snap out of it."
Atem pulled out of it first. Okay. Fine. In order to save mankind, I have to deal with the hijinks of goddess cats that had ruined my entire life! God and goddess. Mine and yours. A fusion that should never happen, when we win.
If we want it. This is what mankind has to thank for trying to save it? Goddesses who manipulated us this whole time? Either we accept this gift or start where as a new beginning? She's right, can we ethically choose that?
I convinced Horakhty to give mankind a chance. Not save it. If the gods do offer to help because of the possible new ones in the torn first human tear, then it's a chance. Horakhty still believes mankind should end. The chance is only if we win.
What a way to give a chance.
Even if I knew all of this before Horakhty showed. I would still believe the same thing. I would never turn my back on it all. Atem looked toward Masika. "Masika was right all along. Think about it. Although certain attachment was required, Isis bore Horus without Osiris' own attachment."
"Yep," Jounouchi agreed. "He lost his dick so that was straight up magic. Not no sex. Well, not normal sex. I mean, if that's the right story. Before or after. They were all real confusing. I tried to learn though."
"There were many stories. Many names. Many concepts over the ages." Seeing what just went into creating two gods, it made sense how nothing was completely solid in structure. Infusion. A concept they all knew well from playing dual monsters. What am I doing, standing around just thinking? Yuugi, we need to go see them.
While Atem said it first, Yuugi took the first steps. Anzu and Satiah were both just standing there. Yuugi approached Anzu first. "You were right."
"Yeah." Her voice was soft too. "I heard." Weakening. "It's not that I'm . . appalled. It's just that it'd be a god, Yuugi. An egyptian god would be in me. What am I supposed to do with that? Is that . . . what we should choose?"
"I would, if others favor it, they'll help restore Earth." Jounouchi gave his opinion. "To give it back the life it used to have. Maybe they could even just turn back time, erase all of this from people's minds. Never know. Besides, It'd still your kid. Don't worry, Anzu. It's gonna have god powers or whatever, but it's still born to you. The whole nine months and everything. Maybe we won't even be able to tell the difference?"
"Yeah." Jounouchi could comfort a lot better than Yuugi at the moment. Say everything is going to be okay, Yuugi. Say there's nothing to fear. Say. He couldn't hide his gulp, his dry throat made him have to swallow. Tell her you'll be there. Tell her she'll be okay. Tell her it's her choice.
"Just think. You've got the Game Shop while it grows up. It's never gonna be bored, it'll have lots of games to play with. Who can say that in this world, huh?" Jounouchi tried to smile. He put his hand on her arm. "Life's tough on everybody, Anzu. Nobody's getting excluded from that. This one? It's a tougher fight personally on us," he said. "Not everybody is making it. Not everything is gonna be great, but together, we can work on getting through it." He let go of her shoulder. "I think Yuugi wants to say something to you. At some point, so I better get going. Got a care package to look at. Hopefully there's some steaks or something good."
Jounouchi was gone. Yuugi remained in front of Anzu. Say something, Yuugi, just say something. "We'll get through it. The decision. We'll talk it and decide." Oh his voice was so weak. It sounded like he was a frail sixteen year old again. "I like kids." Lame. Is that the best he could do?
She tried to smile. "I've dealt with a lot of things before, Yuugi. This is just one more thing that I have to deal with. We should do whatever we can to restore the world we know. I guess." Still, her eyes were definitely not saying that.
Oh, forget it. Yuugi pulled her close and hugged her. "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. America and dancing, I never wanted to get in the way." He touched her pretty, bouncy hair.
"Fate got in the way," she said, "but it's okay. As long as it's nine months, and it's mostly like a human baby. I mean, is that mean to say? Either way. I guess. I can handle that. I've done that before." She looked toward him, her eyes almost expressing regret. "When I joined, I gained some memories of being the whole Masika. It comes and goes, full blown lifetimes. I never remember that for more than a few minutes. But, some of it lingers longer."
"That's what hurt you earlier?" Yuugi asked. "When you wouldn't tell me what was wrong."
"I didn't want you to worry." Anzu looked at her stomach. "What I would or wouldn't remember that you might think would affect us. No need to think about that now. Sorry." She wiggled slightly. "Yuugi. There's something I wanted to ask you. I haven't because, as long as I didn't, then it always meant there was a chance."
With that statement, Jounouchi found his way back over. "I know that question." He nodded at Anzu and Yuugi.
Yuugi knew it too. It was something he only ever brought up with Atem. Ryou Bakura was slowly coming toward them.
"Sorry. About the whole god father thing when you win. Unless that is what you wanted? Then congratulations." Ryou Bakura bowed toward Yuugi. "I know you'll be great. I need to go, but I've lost Mokuba." He glanced toward Anzu.
"It's not just a gigantic game board we are on. Right?" She looked toward Yuugi, but her eyes were filled with tears.
"I . . ."
Be brave, Yuugi. Atem's voice. He was near but he was giving Yuugi time first.
That one thin veiled line of hope. "I? I don't think so, Anzu." It was out in the open now. Everything that had happened, wasn't a game. They weren't characters. They weren't in memories. Things couldn't be erased. "As fantastic as it all is, my heart doesn't feel that." He held out the hand that once made the happy face smile bond between them. Jounouchi came over and put his hand in. Anzu held hers out.
Honda's part would never be there again. Jounouchi reached over and put his hand over Anzu's, with Yuugi putting his over Jounouchi's.
With a different fourth hand. Atem. "Our friend, Hirito Honda, will never be forgotten. Nor will any others that have fallen or will fall in this pursuit. Life is fragile and precious. We must remember though, not just what we lose, but what we have, and will gain as well."
"We'll keep going," Jounouchi added. "No matter what."
"Til the end of the ends," Yuugi said himself, "and even beyond."
"Right," Atem agreed. "Beyond."