Busted Sarcophagus (Part 1)

Jounouchi's Place

When Anzu 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. ///Anzu: Satiah? Are you there at all anymore?///

///Satiah: Yes. It seems I can hear you again. How are you, Anzu?///

///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.///

///Satiah: 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."

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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 to. That's worth it." A small smile graced her face. "Eternity will eventually come. Take care, Anzu. I hope you survive."

"No! Satiah!"