South Facing Rock (Part 3)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Satiah continued to play solitaire as the ones she knew would show up made their presence known. Atem and Yuugi.

They both came into the room. Yuugi on the left and Atem on the right.

"Masika. Do you mind if we sit down?" Yuugi asked her.

Oh no, he was going to start that too? "It's your household." She sorted through her first cards. Nothing of use.

"How are you taking things?" Yuugi asked her.

How was she taking things? "I am sorting my thoughts by playing an isolated game." Although she was losing already. "I would rather not have people on my sides." They weren't listening right away. "It's distracting." Still nothing. "What the fuck is it already?"

Yuugi just gave her a strained smile. "Um? Sorry. We don't mean to make you uncomfortable. There isn't an exact guide on what to do on these things. I don't even know you much, but a god or goddess might be able to really help. At least, give attention to the Earth? Fix it? Anzu would be okay with it because there's no forming attachments, just poof."

"Poof." She looked through her card choices again. ///Satiah: What am I missing?/// She watched Atem touch the left card. A king! "How could I just leave that there?" She moved it.

"Your mind is in other places," Atem said. "You've never bore a child, let alone a god. This request isn't easy for anyone."

"So? Neither have you. I'll be fine. We have a modern day hospital with supplies." She flipped the card. Ooh! Another King. Nowhere to put it yet, but it would help the game proceed.

"I bet they can swing it." Jounouchi revealed himself right in the doorway next to Anzu. He looked toward Anzu. "Did you plan on telling before all this happened, or was Yuugi just supposed to figure it out?"

"Yes, but it wasn't even like I said officially!" Anzu went off. "It was only if something was agreed with on with Horakhty and the whole of Atem, and if all of creation just felt just right, and it made no sense. I wanted at least a day to come to terms with things." Yuugi reached out to hold her. "I'm sorry, that sentence made no sense. I just meant that I never meant for this to happen."

"It's not our fault at all," Masika agreed. She looked toward Atem. "If you had known, would you have left humanity back to your uncursed afterlife with Yuugi?"

Atem shook his head. "No, I couldn't."

"Then nothing is different or could have been done differently. Pawns of gods." Masika looked outward. "Feels quite familiar." She looked at her stomach.

"It's the power of the egyptian gods you feel, all protecting you from Set until then." Atem looked toward Anzu. "You too. Being the tear, you are the most special human to them. You might even be the only one they all care about unanimously."

"Used to be one," Anzu corrected him.

"The food in the box does look great," Yuugi said to her slowly, "so I guess we should invite Bakura and Mokuba too. Thank them for all the help they've done? For a little while longer?"

"Any conversations you need to have with him, you need to get out of the way," Atem said more clearly. "This is not a sacrifice to me. This is choice, by you and Anzu, and Yuugi and me. To give the world a second chance again."

"It still won't have the best outcome." She sighed. In order for her to get on with things, she needed to confront Bakura first.

Dinner Time

Jounouchi sat down on the small end of the table. Mokuba and Bakura were on the other side. Anzu and Yuugi sat down as well, while Atem and Masika just ate over the counter.

Ryou Bakura poked the food. "Looks great." He glanced toward Yuugi and Atem. "Thanks for inviting us."

Anzu looked toward Masika. "You're always welcome here," she said to him. "After you finish dinner, maybe you could hang around a little longer?"

"Jounouchi!"

Jounouchi looked at his mirror so quick, he could have hurt himself. "Mai?" He laughed enthusiastically. "Hey, Mai can hear me now." He waved at her. "Hi my Mai."

"Hi my Jounouchi." She reached out to him, touching the other side of the mirror. "Isis finally got the hint I wanted to talk to you with my own voice."

"Wish it could have happened earlier," He answered. "You doing okay?"

"Hey, I'm doing head over heels better than you losers," she said. "See this pretty dress? It's just the beginning. Some of the little gods around here actually are waiting on me. It's almost like a dream come true. Somehow overnight I just became so important."

"I'd be weary of that," Masika and Atem both said at the same time.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping my common senses," she promised. "No one's pulling anything over on me. Especially after Mai and Anzu, Jounouchi. So, you guys got a name for them?"

Masika placed her silverware down.

"No, no, ixnay on that," Jounouchi said to Mai. He looked back toward Masika with a squint of his eyes. "Sorry, didn't spoil, did we?"

--

Masika stepped from her plate. While she was trying to remain strong, it was apparent that she wasn't at her strongest at that second. Telling Bakura this felt like cowardism.

"If you need help, I am right here," Atem insisted to her. "It will be okay."

Masika nodded, hoping he was right. Atem understood her. This would feel like a complete betrayal. As if she let herself be sacrificed for Atem. "I need to talk to The Bandit King."

Ryou Bakura followed her outward from the kitchen to her room. ///Ryou Bakura: How are you doing?/// Bakura wanted him to stay away from Yuugi's shop, but Ryou Bakura couldn't just ignore it. ///Bakura: She is still your friend. Please be nice to her./// He smiled. "Hello Satiah."

She didn't say anything at first. Then? "I've been blessed to have a god or goddess. Anzu and I both, after the win, with the winners. We accepted it. You know that."

"Yes, that's exciting news! Having everything restored again."

"Atem and Yuugi are the fathers. This blessing came unannounced with only a little warning, but that warning was not defining a father." She sighed. "I tried to get Anzu to join when it was revealed to us first. This blessing was supposed to ensure humankind's future, and I'd rather be whole and be with someone we were both used to until this happened."

///Bakura: Bandit King, what?! Oh, she definitely wants to hear from you, not me!/// The spirit remained quiet. ///Bakura: Speak!///

"I. I know that you were angry enough that I am civil to Atem," she said slowly. "This may feel unforgivable, but this world will need a god to undo all the pain that has been forced upon others. Will you please say something?"

"Well, what do you expect me to say, woman?!" Bandit King snarled at her, fully there. No longer able to contain himself. "The son of the man who gave the order to slaughter my family. My village. My entire life. He took everything away." He gripped her. "Now, the only one . . . that I trusted . . ." His hair laid in the middle of his face and he didn't care. "Once that bastard wins you'll be pregnant with his spawn, to reward humanity."

"He's . . . he's . . ." It would not be easy to hear, but nothing had been. "Atem isn't bad! Neither is Yuugi. I know you don't want to hear that, but, he isn't evil, you were . He and his father didn't know. Do you remember what you did at all?"

"It's disappearing a little more each day," Bakura admitted. "But our past doesn't, it only gets clearer. So this betrayal is . . ." He squeezed his hands in and out.

///Bakura: She saved your very soul from damnation, she had no control over anything-"///

"The betrayal hurts us all," Bakura settled on. "I know you have no control over the factors. I have no control over this little pinhead unless I have the ring. Which, you did give to Atem and he still hasn't bothered giving back!"

"I thought he could help," she said.

"He's a good . . . " Bakura's look. Like he was a brat who found out his favorite treat was gone. "Something. I don't know, insert something supportive because it's hard to say anything good about him." She gave him a quirky smile. Familiar. "If he hurts you, I'll kill him. Also, we aren't in Ancient Egypt, he doesn't have any control over you. If he tries anything to be royal or leader or in charge against you, he'll pay! So will that infant side of him called Yuugi. He'll die too, nice and slow."

The smile that bloomed on her face as she hugged him. "You're okay again, My Bandit Thief King!"

"Yes. Don't hug." He moved her away. "You'll have to work hard on the spawn to make sure it doesn't take after him." He made a shooing motion. "Now fine, I get it. So. Go. I'm sure 'his majesty' will come looking for you soon."

"Thank you." She bowed lightly. "Could you grant me the tiniest favor?"

"Probably not."