"Hey."

Atem heard a small meow in his room. He didn't want to open his eyes. There was just so much someone could take, and even Atem could feel his limits being reached. He was sitting on the bed, cross-legged and staring ahead in a mirror. He saw a wilder look in front of him, gazing back. A look he hadn't found himself sporting in a long time. He twisted his head slightly to see who had beckoned him. "Not a cat."

The human body could only endure so much. It was early in the morning after a night of pure hell. He didn't want to deal with the cat.

"Hey. You need to move."

Atem groaned slightly. The cat wasn't the only one in the room. Yuugi had came in. "I need to move?" Why? "Why do I need to move? I only have three days to study to win a game for the sake of humanity that I don't know the rules to yet."

"Atem, I've never seen you like this. Look, I know it's tough." Yuugi opened up the curtains. "We're worried though. You don't look so good."

Atem stared at the bedding and then at Yuugi. "I will get everyone back as soon as we win. Yet. There's something odd . . . I feel something pulling at me."

Anzu walked into the room with Hikaru.

Hmm. "Kiss her, Yuugi," Atem commanded.

"Uh?" Yuugi didn't understand his meaning. "Kiss Anzu?"

"Kiss her, but search. Search for her other half."

"With the power I used to find Hanasaki?" Yuugi shrugged. "Atem. That might be gone now. If she had some power, it probably helped during birth."

"I feel no millennium power inside of your brat, Yuugi. Kiss her, but search for what we need!" He watched Yuugi kiss Anzu again. "Air. Breathe in the kiss."

Then Yuugi pulled away almost immediately, his eyes squinced and his head felt dizzy. "Oh man." Yuugi's finger pointed outward. "I got something, but I don't what I got. She's hiding there. She's trapped there, but I don't see it. But I feel it."

"See what? Feel what?" Atem demanded. "Yuugi!"

"It looks sort of like Egypt," Yuugi answered, "but it doesn't feel like Egypt. Hang on." Yuugi headed downstairs to Jounouchi. "Morning Jounouchi."

"Morning." Jounouchi looked terrible. Not enough sleep, holding Mana. "What is it?"

"I need that gold scarab. I have to figure it out," Yuugi insisted. "We have to go to Bakura. I need the ring." Jounouchi lent him the scarab Sekhmet gave him. He cleaned off most of the blood.

Atem waited for Yuugi, while Anzu was trying to talk to him. He wasn't paying much attention, he just wanted to know what Yuugi found. His head still filled with Horakhty's words, tracing and retracing.

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."

"Anzu." Yuugi came back into the room with Ryou Bakura and Mokuba trailing behind. "I need you to blow on the ring, and see if you can find Masika."

"Huh?"

"Satiah. You know her best. She is the other side of you," Yuugi encouraged her as Ryou Bakura handed over the ring. "You have the best chance of finding her."

Anzu took the ring. She focused on Satiah. The feeling she was missing deep inside. The one she always tried to not let dominate her. Ever since Yuugi lost Atem, she knew how hard it would be to let a spirit go who grew that close. Yet, she couldn't ever completely separate from her. Searching for it again caused her to tear up, but the ring reacted. They all started to point in the same direction Yuugi had pointed before. "So she is still here somewhere. Atem's right, this is a trick!" Satiah was still alive. She could feel her.

Ryou Bakura looked out the window. "That's Hanasaki's side. Is Set having him hide her?" Then his voice changed. "No, the gods wouldn't allow it. The severity of breaking such a tradition with a gods, ma'at would eat him alive. It didn't matter how close he was to them. It makes no sense!"

"I saw Egypt in my mind. I think? It was sandy," Yuugi said. "Small little area with some stones."

Atem's eyebrows raised. "Egypt. Small dwelling, stones? About the size of summoning stones?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, and small statues," Yuugi agreed.

"She's in the afterlife." Just like Set said.

"She can't be." Now, Anzu was starting to break down. "I feel her. I feel her over there and so does the ring! She's got to be over at Hanasaki's side. She's not gone, I can reach her."

"She isn't gone." Atem moved toward the window to look himself. "It's not just any place on Hanasaki's side. Anzu, Masika is alive, and trapped in the afterlife." He pointed out the window, the same direction the ring pointed. "With the starting point to get back to her being there! Kaiba Corp."

"Big Brother's machine?" Mokuba asked.

"Yes." Yes! That was it. "Mokuba, do you know how to run the machine that let Kaiba reach me to play?"

"Yeah," he said confidently.

"Living beings can't survive in the afterlife without protection," Bakura noted. "Unless Set willingly took time to take the old fashion route, she's probably gone."

"Then we need to move faster," is all Atem said. "She is alive at this moment. Anzu feels her. We must try, no matter the chances. Mokuba? Will you come with me and run the machine?"

Mokuba sighed. "Can we use the ring to find Kaiba too?"

Oh, for gosh sakes! "Fine." He'd wait for the teen first. It was important he got the right help as quickly as he could. Without Kaiba, Mokuba would be the next best choice.

Mokuba took the ring. "How does this work?"

"It doesn't just work." Bakura swiped the ring back. He closed his eyes, trying to get something. "I can feel something, but it's not him. It's the last traces of him before he disappeared. He's not in here anymore. He's either dead or he found his way out of the City."

"My brother is not dead!" Mokuba insisted. "He found his way out, I know he did."

"Bastet bit him for Jounouchi," Yuugi told Bakura. "He must still be alive. He found a way out." That would be a great next plan! If we could find our way out, we could get to Kaiba and get the best duel cards we can to win this game. Nothing said they had to stay inside Domino City.

"Masika first, and then Kaiba," Atem promised. "I don't know how long she has, or how she has survived thus far."

"But why would Set ever be so dumb?" Bakura asked. "This has an eternity of damnation written all over it. Why would he risk getting caught like this?"

"Obsession can make the dull-witted stupid," Atem answered. "Mokuba, let's go."

"Right, Atem."

"I'm coming too," Yuugi insisted.

"Me too," Anzu insisted as well.

"What the hey, I better come too," Jounouchi said, still holding Mana. "Breaking up isn't smart."

"Six people." Bakura groaned and tossed the ring at Yuugi. "Six. Counting Mokuba, it's too much. I'll stay but you'll need less people."

"No one else needs to come." Atem looked back at them all. "I am taking the way over, everyone else is staying."

"Okay, then we'll stay at Kaiba Corp," Yuugi insisted. "Anzu, me and Hikaru. Mokuba. Atem. Bakura. That's six. Sorry, Jounouchi."

"Hmm." That still didn't please Atem. They should be staying where it had been safe.

"We'd be too worried," Yuugi reminded him. "Jounouchi can mind the shop."

"We are worried," Anzu warned Atem. "You haven't seemed yourself. We want to be there beside you."

"You go take the trip," Jounouchi said to Atem, "and I'll be right there for you when you get back here with Satiah."

Well, he wasn't going to win that battle easily. He could, but it would take time, and he didn't have that to waste. "Let's go, Yuugi."

Kaiba Corps

"I already know he made one or two in your size." Mokuba was looking around a shuttle area. "Hang on, Atem. I'll find it." Further away than he thought, but he gave a suit type to Atem that Kaiba had always worn to go play with him. "Here." Atem nodded and got dressed while Mokuba set everything up.

Atem went into the shuttle area.

"Please bring her back safe and sound?" Mokuba asked. "I know she had a lot of power of yours, but please watch out for her too? Don't ever let her think she has to stay."

"I am not retrieving her because of any power," Atem said, letting him understand. "I am retrieving her before something more sinister does. I will be back."

"Okay," Mokuba said before stepping away. "I'll give you a small countdown." As he said the small countdown, everyone behind him stayed quiet. As promised, they didn't even try to go with him.

It was a strange ride. It stayed on the given path, like an elevator. Atem never thought he'd be going to the afterlife via this path. How many times did Kaiba say I needed to come back? Did he see in his own mind that I would need to make this same trip one day? He ascended higher and higher until he was able to get out.

Afterlife

The sands of the afterlife. Atem knew them so well. He started to walk, looking for her. "Masika!" Hmm. He kept walking and then saw his kingdom ahead. Grandpa had said he was gone from it. Was everyone else? He called out again for her as his part of the pendant started to shine.

There was no horse this time. He walked the distance the puzzle was signaling. Trust in the pendant. The afterlife wasn't the real world, he just needed to keep faith that he could find her. "Masika!" He called out. He kept trudging through the sands, unable to tell how much time was passing.

It could have been minutes. Hours. Years. The afterlife, time always felt so different. Doing nothing but endlessly walking in sand. He called out again. "Masika!"

There, he heard her. A small smile formed on his face. Life's not over yet for her. Which direction? He called her name again and heard her ahead.

When he first found out about the old Atem, the one that used to be him and Yuugi combined, he was not surprised by the outcome of what he had heard about the parallels between them. The whole of Atem had loved the whole of Masika.

Atem already knew Yuugi and Anzu were meant to be, almost as long as he met him. He could feel it. He felt it within Yuugi. Anzu back then wasn't ready at all, but now her heart had blossomed for his other self. They were destined for each other.

They were the parts of the ancient Atem, that once shared love with the ancient Masika. A bond that was unbreakable.

Atem's bond to the current Masika was different. He had no idea if love was in there itself, but he knew he felt something different ever since he knew her. Ever since their first game. Ever since that date where he was trying to get her to sacrifice herself.

Each time she accomplished something new, felt something new, he delighted in it as much as he did his own. There was a sense of protection, of caring that he just didn't understand yet. One that he mostly ignored, only letting it seep in casually. Especially since she was such good friends with Bakura of all people.

A mere night's span, and he felt the disconnection. He felt changed. Even his appearance had changed more to his time of separation in the puzzle, before he could speak to Yuugi.

Atem could see a figure ahead, but it wasn't clear. He pressed onward toward the figure. It had to be her. "Masika?"

"Atem." That voice was not Masika's, but it actually used his name. Not part of Atem or Spirit or Spirit Trapped in Human's Body.

He turned and saw a deity he hadn't seen yet. Part hippo, lion and crocodile. That had to be. "Tawaret." Another goddess.

He disappeared and then found himself right outside the stone area that once held Mahado and the Millennium Stone. Right where she should be. "Masika?"

"Atem." Her voice.

Atem went inside and . . .she was there, wearing a similar cloak as him, but no other clothes. Not even a gold robe like Anzu.

"Atem. You came." She lifted her gaze toward him. "We have Tawaret to thank for protection, but there is something sinister afoot."

"I guessed as much." Atem looked at her again. "I collect you as mine, and you are now my wife." He would get it official before she came down this time. Maybe Set had suspected he lied and he was hiding her away until he knew for sure? "It's officially declared. I am your Pharaoh, and Set cannot own you."

She didn't really respond. She already knew about the lie last time. It only made sense he would make it come true.

Masika was mostly covered up, yet she wasn't clinging to the robe like Anzu would. She spoke to him as casual as if she were wearing full proper clothes. That was because she was lower class Egyptian. She had fewer clothes if any.

She didn't have to remember everything for her inner self to feel like that. It was just like him. Before Yuugi met him, he dressed differently. As soon as the first night he arrived, Atem felt the privilege and desire to deal with that Ushio man. Not remembering a thing of his life, he did desire something more though. He went looking through Yuugi's things and found a neck collar trapped away. He could feel how much better it was to wear it.

Though fashion statements of Yuugi's modern times were different than his, he wore Yuugi down to wearing more of his fashion slowly. Because he was Egyptian. Even his jacket, he preferred to wear it as a cape. Why am I dwelling on any of this? What does any of this matter right . . . now.

"Honda found me here. I might have died if he didn't give his cloak up for me. He was a brave man being a hero at the end."

It was him or her. That sounds like Honda. At least they couldn't use him in their plans anymore. "Come. Everyone is waiting on the other side."

Anzu couldn't help but wrinkle her nose playfully at Hikaru. She should have known it would be fine. It wasn't easy to take out Satiah. I don't even know why I fretted. Everyone tries to do something against her, or she tries to help and it's supposed to end her, and it never does. She's just invincible.

"Are you eager for Masika to see him?" Yuugi asked.

"Not really. We don't? Well, um." Oh heck, she should just tell Yuugi. "Masika's husband had kids. Lots of them, and . . . whenever they did something wrong, they blamed it on Masika. If it was proved to be them, then we'd still get the blame for not raising them correctly." Anzu shrugged. "There was no winning against those brats. They often got in trouble, just to get her in trouble." Anzu stared at Hikaru. "He's so fascinating though, so maybe she'll be happier about this one."

"HIkaru is a good baby," Yuugi agreed. "I'm sure she'll get to know him and like him too."

"Yep." Anzu handed her over to Yuugi. "Here. I want to give her a great big bear hug when she comes over." She smirked. She'll stand there flabbergasted. Really, it almost felt like Satiah herself had been tricking her. At this rate, it just felt like Satiah would never leave.

"Okay." Yuugi held up Hikaru. "If there's one thing I need to teach you? It's that you always have to believe, no matter how hard it is sometimes, that everything will be okay. Have faith and try your hardest." He brought his son in closer.

Anzu smiled. Oh, she was so ready to see Satiah. She kept staring outward, but watched as the strange shuttle started to come back. Set would pay for trying to hide her, but of course they found her.

Atem was the first to come out. Already, Anzu could see a difference. His hair seemed more back to it's usual style, instead of the overdone wildness. His eyes seemed much more back in control too. "We have returned. It's a good thing Kaiba eventually made this for two." He smirked. "Sometimes I swear it's him that can see the future."

Then, she watched as Satiah started to emerge from the back area. She came out in some sort of cloak. It must have kept her safe. Still? Button up, Girl. She spoke to Satiah with her mind like she always did, but she didn't answer. Satiah? Not that you're showing anything, but you easily could with that cloak flapping around. Satiah still didn't bother to answer. Satiah?

Then, Atem and Yuugi went on their guard as Set showed up.

"Masika?" Set growled, looking from Atem and Yuugi. "How dare you try and hide her from me. That's against the rules."

"Hide her from you?" Atem went off on him. "You are the one who claimed she was dead, and then shoved her between the dimension of death and life!" Atem pointed accusingly at him. "Set, you are the one who was in the wrong!"

Yet, Set's anger seemed to diminish. He looked confused more than anything. "No, I didn't."

"I did."

Anzu watched Satiah's mouth. It was smirking.

"Thanks for the assist, Atem." Those eyes on Masika. "I couldn't have been freed again without a little help from an old friend ."

"What's going on?" Set demanded. "Who are you inside of Masika's body?!"

"Who else?" She threw her head back and laughed. "What do you expect when you work with a demon, Set? You did after all, sacrifice her to me."

"I did no such thing, you promised to get her out!" Set accused her.

"I did. She's mine now." Satiah looked around the room. "Do I have to introduce myself?"

Atem. It was like day and night. Anzu was trying to adjust to the fact of who it was, while Atem seemed to revert back to the wildness of before. She looked at Yuugi. He was holding Hikaru tightly and glaring at Satiah too.

Because it wasn't Satiah anymore.

"Zorrrrrrrc!" Atem screamed with all of his energy. The millennium puzzle part on him was throbbing with light, pulsating along with Yuugi's.

"Zorc?!" Bakura gritted his teeth. "Why . . . why her?!"

"Why indeed?" Zorc answered. "Let's see? Hm. She was available. Um. She used to be the whole of Atem's bride. Oh yes. She was your only friend ever," he said firmly to Bakura. "She's the other side of Yuugi's little wife too. As nice as it would be to have that evil inside of me again, you're not the same," he warned Bakura. "Plus, this one?"

"Let her go!" Atem yelled at him. "Let her go now, Zorc, you are not going to hold her!"

"This one really gets under his skin," Zork said. "Not to mention the current Pharoah-"

"How dare you trick me!" Set threatened him. "I summon-"

"You can't summon shit," Zorc reminded him. "You've abandoned the gods, remember?" He fluffed his cloak. "Amazing little invention of Kaiba's. Too bad he was nowhere around." Then, Zorc looked toward Anzu. "I doubt she would have cared about her manner of clothing. In all the things she's screaming from inside of me, clothes don't seem to be apart of it."

"The heiroglyph. Protection." Yuugi could only uttered a few words.

"No god can interfere in the game," Zorc said again. "Don't you get it you infernal? The heiroglyphs are nothing but tattoos at this point." He laughed slowly, staccato as he stared at Atem. "How much is your blood boiling right now, Pharaoh?"

"Zorc!" Set yelled at him.

"Ah, yes, the current Pharoah. The one with the power, but less brains," Zorc said as he glanced toward Set. "What?"

"Let her go!"

"Make. Me. Oh, that's right, you can't. No gods. No Horakhty, no nothing." Zorc laughed. "You have to admit, Horakhty has a great sense of humor." Zorc looked toward Atem. "Do you regret coming back yet, Pharoah? Because of you. I get to join the game." He shrugged. "Or not? I can just sit back and keep this soul forever in my grasp. An eternity of suffering. Oh, but hang on?" Zorc paid attention to Yuugi. "There are of course two parts to Pharaoh, just like there are two parts . . ."

What was he doing?

" . . . to the tear of Ra!"

"Annnzuuuuu!" Yuugi's voice rang out as he watched in an instant. Zorc had pulled her to him. Having been one before Bastet and Sekhmet destroyed her, she stood standing there.

Masika. Similar to Anzu, but she wore her hair in braids. She was dressed in an older looking type of cloth, just a wrap, but with fine jewelry upon her finger.

Anzu. She had been absorbed into Masika.

"Well, well!" Now Zorc's voice was cheery like Anzu's. "Would you look at that? I guess I'm in control of the favorite pet of the gods now." She kicked up her foot, which strangely wore a high heel while the other didn't. "So many lives. So many memories. So interesting. I'm going to like it here. I'm staying."

"You are not!" Atem, Yuugi and Set all yelled at once.

"What are you going to do about it?" Zorc looked toward them. "Are you going to fight me? All that will do is hurt the precious little tear. No, I'll stay here and slowly think about how to destroy the world again." He shooshed away Atem. "Play your silly game out. It's just two little souls, after all."

Hikaru cried as Yuugi gritted his teeth and held him closer.

Zorc waved at the boy. "Momma's fine, Sweetie!" He said jokingly with Anzu's voice. Then, with Satiah's voice, he turned back to Atem. "Or can I play too?"

Into the game. Zorc wanted into the game. Yuugi tried to hold back his tears as Hikaru cried in his arms, sensing his mommy was in danger. He's going to put them up for the game, I know it! If he won, there would be no deals made. The gods were able to appease Set with several treasures and wives, but Zorc wouldn't do that. If they let him into the game, and he won.

The Earth was doomed. Anzu will eternally be with him!

"Forget it!" Set screamed. "Fine, I give in. I won't let her stay with you for eternity! I'll use the gods to end you, and end the game."

Zorc just chuckled. A chuckle like Anzu. "The gods can't give them back. They are under my control. All Horakhty could do is destroy this body to send me back. Do you know what that would do? Just keep them with me still. Besides, why would Horakhty? Masika is the first tear. Their favorite. When it comes to the ends of the Earth, she is the only one they wanted. Why break their little hearts?"

Then Zorc switched to Satiah's voice. "Go ahead and try. I dare you. You won't win. Satiah was sacrificed to me, and with one, comes the other. You'll never get them back." He shrugged and smiled like Anzu. "Hey, it's your guys' choice after all."

"Will they be used?" Set said strangely to him. "I won't agree if they are the pawns in the game."

"Pawns in the game?" Yuugi had to ask. "They're already pawns. He's already stole them, what more could he do?"

"The gods game . . . will require pawns." Set didn't explain himself any better. "Well?"

"No. I couldn't. Obviously, these are the reward for winning, to the one that wins." Zorc changed from Anzu's playful voice back to Satiah's again. "If you win, Set, they all go to you. You'll get your full bride, the way you really want her. You'll even get my power. With that, I'm sure you can coerce her to finally love you. I'll even make sure they end up in your kingdom, in the afterlife. No one will ever touch her again but you." Zorc looked back toward Atem. "If you win, then you get her separated, back into Anzu and Satiah." He chuckled. "If I win, I keep them for eternity and destroy everything. Well, gentleman? What will it be? Can I join your fun little game?"

"H-h . . .h-how?" Yuugi spoke up first.

"Here." Next to Zorc, a box appeared. "I've been handed it before the game even started. Horakhty is well prepared. How odd, don't you think? Such an all-knowing and powerful being. Didn't see this coming?"

"They did." It was the first thing Atem had said in some time. "If I was here for this fight." Atem squeezed his fingers tightly into his palms. "I would truly be fighting for the world, not just one Pharaoh who couldn't decide on whether he wanted to destroy it or rule it."

"Bingo." Zorc curtsied like Anzu at the end of a dance. "If mankind is worth saving, then you can do it without assistance." She gestured to him. "You win, the Earth is saved. It means it deserved more time. That you saw a side to Earth that Horakhty couldn't understand. You even get the added bonus. Whatever cream filling Horakhty put inside of them for winning. I cannot remove it from me. I can feel it in there. It's radiance." He made a disgusted look. "Queasy. Definitely god power, just sitting there. I can't interfere with it, and it can't interfere with me. So, you'll get the little gods that were promised."

Zorc gestured toward Set. "If he wins? Then his more biased conclusion is the right answer to what happens to Earth. He'll get time to rule and see if it can be restored. He'll even have a new little strong, single god to help him." He smiled. "If I win, everything is destroyed, including this light hiding within. There is no middle ground, no extra gods to restore anything, and I am most eager to play this game. So now that everyone is in place? I'll see you all at the Game Shop. Now is the time to learn the real rules."