Busted Sarcophagus (Part 3)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

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. ///Yuugi: 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. Bandit King 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."

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Ryou Bakura's House

Satiah studied the board in front of her. She had never played this game. "Let's see . . . " She smiled at her friend. "I think I'm trapped."

"Then why are you smiling?" The Bandit King asked her.

"Because we are finally playing again." 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." The Bandit King gritted his teeth. "Why am I even doing this?"

///Satiah: 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 fucking 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."

The Bandit King didn't answer right away. "Fucking 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 the Bandit King. "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. He 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!" Her friend 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 fuck off!" Her friend's voice, he was still in control.

"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."

///Yuugi: 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."

///Yuugi: 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. ///Yuugi: Time to return back to Anzu and let her know.///

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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.