South Facing Rock (Part 4)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Kitchen

"So she's chosen to have your pathetic spawn," Bakura said as he came back into the room. "Terrible. Things we do to save the world. Ooh, steak. Isn't that fancy in this new time." He sat down where Ryou Bakura had sat before.

Anzu poked at her steak, glancing toward Masika. ///Anzu: Well?///

///Masika: I am lucky he understood, Anzu. I did try though./// Masika went back toward her steak.

"Boy, this looks good," Bakura went on as he quickly ate the steak. "Yummy, yummy, yummy. You know what else is yummy? The south facing rock."

Anzu's fork slid off her steak to the floor.

"Oh, you dropped your fork." Yuugi looked at the floor. "I'll get you another one."

"Here." Bakura tossed his fork toward Anzu. "Not the first time I gave you a good fork, is it?"

"Nevermind that." Yuugi's voice was tense as he got up and got her a fork. "Here you go, Anzu."

"Apparently Yuugi knows how to fork too," Bakura continued. "Still, my fork came when you needed it."

"Stop it." Anzu's voice was forceful. "That wasn't me."

"Oh but it was, you are a part of my Rider too," he warned her. "Otherwise you wouldn't have dropped the fork when I said south facing rock."

"Bandit King." Masika stopped eating. "Anzu is different than me. Please, don't."

"I just want to know if it could have been possible without gods?" Bakura asked. "Yuugi? What about you? You've forked your side of my Rider, haven't you? Or am I the only one in that group?"

Yuugi hit the table with his fist. "She doesn't remember!"

"She was a different person back then," Jounouchi also stood up for her. "You can't judge that on Anzu. She's not yours anymore, she's got no feelings for you. Just get over it, she moved on."

"Well of course she moved on." Bakura shrugged. "Silly human. That's why I fucked her. It wasn't love, it was protection. In different angles and positions, and even inviting others to the fest." His eyes narrowed on Satiah. "I made my Rider strong enough to survive any master. Remember how?"

"You should go now!" Yuugi warned him. "Leave. Ryou Bakura, take him over and get him out."

"Sorry." Ryou Bakura stood up. "He demanded to have his peace. It was important to him." He sighed. "He wasn't in love with her or anything. Not like a boyfriend. It was out of protection. Every terrible bit of his time with her had purpose. He made it sound so much worse than it had been to upset you!" He looked toward Masika. "You understand that?" Masika nodded toward him.

"But we don't need to dwell on it." Anzu held her fork tightly in her hand. "It's just old memories. Barely there. It doesn't mean anything." She was starting to lose it. "I'm done."

"No, you aren't." Yuugi sat back down beside her. "That was someone different, you are right. I don't blame you, and I won't listen to him. I love you ." He smiled, held her hand with the fork. "Enjoy the steak."

"Yes. Enjoy. I'm sorry," Ryou Bakura apologized. "He's still adapting and this was unexpected. We should go now." Mokuba got up, ready to follow. Ryou Bakura reached in his pocket. "He signed these for you. Here's his losings." He placed it on the table. "Here is his winnings. Jounouchi, you can use the winnings card for her. He doesn't care about the prize. We'll go now. Come on, Mokuba."

"The winnings?" Jounouchi was on it quick, grabbing the winnings card and holding it out in triumph. "That's number three! My Mai can come back!" The delight on his face couldn't be scrubbed off with a scouring pad.

"So ask them, did they dream of anything?" Mai's voice came from the mirror. "Was it anything like my dreams?"

"No, we were just warned." Anzu took her knife and fork and started to cut into her meat again.

"Naw, nothing like yours, Mai," Jounouchi replied to her in the mirror. "No forecast for this thing at all."

"Strange. Sorry, I just thought since they were having something with so much power, they'd have something like mine," Mai said. "Anywho, no problem over here." She backed away from the mirror and twirled around in a sparkling gold dress. "Like what you see?"

"Wow." Jounouchi winked. "Sure do. Pretty nice outfit. Don't get used to it though, I'm bringing you back the next time I see one of those goddesses again."

"Sounds great, Jounouchi! It's more than the outfit here too, Sweetie." Mai picked the mirror back up to him. "It's like being catered on hand and foot. I really couldn't believe it when I first came. If I just say 'I want something to drink', then I'll get someone who will just go do it. It's like the life I always dreamed of, others serving me and granting my every wish." She laughed. "A long time ago I would have been delighted." She looked straight back at Jounouchi. Serious eyes. "Instead, I feel scared. Why are they being this nice to me, Jounouchi? I didn't do anything to warrant any of this. I'm ready to come back."

Then, Jounouchi lost connection with the mirror. He fidgeted with it for several minutes and then heard a knock on the front door. He looked out and opened it in a rush. Standing there was Bastet with Mai back in her regular clothes. "Mai!"

"Winnings." Bastet took Bakura's winning card and disappeared.

He wrapped his arms around her. "You're back. Safe and sound."

"Yeah, I didn't get to keep the ethereal dress," Mai complained to him but with a smile.

Mai was back safe.