The Imbalance of Afterlife (Part 2)

Hotel in America

"Do you want the right or the left?" Yuugi asked Anzu. Jounouchi and Mai had already rented out two double rooms. Before they left them for the night, Jounouchi warned him. Jounouchi had done all he can. She had the facts. The rest was up to her. Which means his influence that night could help or hurt, and he wanted to help, especially with the spirit, Satiah.

Anzu said her spirit felt guilty about letting Atem leave because she didn't speak up. That guilt was unnecessary. Atem needed to live his afterlife, it was only right. Fear may have dwelled within her, but Yuugi would beat it. ///Yuugi: I have to be really gentle with her and Anzu. Once Satiah sees how gentle I am, and how I'm not at all angry with her? I'm sure she'll let me live with Anzu. Anzu can live in peace without her extreme emotion driving a wedge between us./// Yuugi fluffed up the pillow on the right bed.

There was a knock at the door. Anzu answered it.

"Hey, you two." Mai winked. "Jounouchi and I will be heading to bed soon. If there's anything you want, better let us know now. You had plenty to eat? You know about breakfast?"

"Yeah, I've got it," Anzu answered. "It's good."

"You should really tell him." Yuugi wasn't going to pretend like he didn't pick up on Mai's hint. "You should tell Jounouchi that there's no chance anyone else is the father."

Mai ducked her head away while Anzu looked toward Yuugi.

"We have been working it out ourselves, and we don't need help," Mai said crossly to him. Then she looked toward Anzu. "By the way, Anzu? Just a question about your spirit that I doubt Yuugi would know the answer to? When you are getting down and dirty with someone, does Satiah ever feel it?"

Yuugi gritted his teeth and his whole body tensed up. Mai just asked that to make him mad. ///Yuugi: I don't want to know, why would I want to know. Ask her that alone, geez.///

Anzu seemed a little rigid. "She doesn't really care about that kind of thing."

"Really?" Mai asked. "So does she just not feel anything or she just doesn't care if she feels anything?"

"Hey, Anzu. Do you want the right or left side?" Yuugi's voice went up, interrupting the conversation.

"Well, is it a two in one thing?"

"Mai." Anzu shook her head. "Spirits are different. Satiah isn't attracted to anything. Maybe it's because she doesn't possess a body. I asked her about that, since she's been there and so quiet." She shrugged. "She doesn't care. She doesn't want or need to feel most things. She just lets me run my life."

"Spirits aren't horny, I'll keep that in mind," Mai teased. "Just? The next time you want to ask something-"

"I know, I'm sorry," Anzu apologized. "I couldn't believe she was right. Really, she was basing it off of soap opera logic. Still, I should have gave it more time."

"Not really. Jounouchi's been looking for any excuse to hide it anyway," Mai said. "Speaking of which, I better get him an extra sandwich before we go to bed. Sleep on the decision tonight, Anzu," Mai smiled. "A good night sleep next to an old friend might help you to decide what to do."

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///Anzu: What to do? It would be nice to visit Japan again, but to make it home?/// Anzu wouldn't be going back to the city she grew up and loved from her memories. Time went on. America was home now. Times were tough, and Jounouchi conveyed it clearly. He knew what asking her would mean.

"You know what I'm thinking? Just lying here," Yuugi said toward her while she lied awake in bed. "This reminds me of the first time we met in elementary school."

Double dose of nostalgia. ///Anzu: Mai set me up that night to talk to you in Duelist Kingdom. That's the excuse I gave for wanting to see you in the darkness of night with no one around./// She had such hormone bound mixed signals back then. Teenager. Growing up. A whole different time and world. "I remember. I'm lucky you were so nice about the game."

"You were frustrated," Yuugi said. "I understood that frustration. Even back then, I could see you were a frustrated good person. It sure was a long time ago, but that frustration is still there."

That's where he was stirring to.

"If you didn't do so well in the first game I got you, and it got dented and smashed because of life," Yuugi said, directing his attention back to her. "Let me give you a second game?"

"Yuugi? Do you know how strange this feels?" Anzu rolled in her bed. "Sorry. I never pictured the Game Shop as being what I did. That was your grandpa. That was your future. To open it for just the short time I would be there? It'd be too cruel."

"It doesn't matter whether it's short or long," Yuugi said as he turned closer from his bed too. "The shop is only yours as long as you want. When you don't want to work it anymore, I'll close it back up because . . . I just can't sell it." His arms scrunched the sides of his pillow. "Who would cherish it as much as him? All those old games mixed with all of the rare cards. People would forget the old games and only focus on the rare cards. No matter how I priced it all, someone would do it wrong. The only people that cared about the Game Shop as a whole, were me and my friends." He faced the ceiling again. "Even my mom and dad didn't want it. They never showed interest. Mom was hardly around. I don't even remember my dad spending more than a day before he was off again."

Trust. There wasn't a whole lot to give up in America. If she went back to Japan with Yuugi, she would have a secure place to work and to live until it was safe again. But that? ///Anzu: I don't even know how to begin to repay him.///

///Satiah: Yes. Let's go with Mai and Jounouchi.///

///Anzu: That's not an option, they are having a baby and relationship issues. As in hopefully trying to get a relationship so my presence wouldn't help. Yuugi doesn't blame you, he's said that already. Please let this go?///

"Is this how I looked to everyone else when I was arguing with my spirit?" Yuugi interrupted. "Face scrunchy. Rolling your eyes. Half sweating in frustration. It's me again, isn't it? Anzu, I'm not mad at the spirit. If she can hear it, let her know that. The afterlife is the next step for everyone after they die."

///Satiah: The vessel doesn't understand either. Did I mention I am very good with children? I watched over children.///

///Anzu: Yes, I know you were a mother.///

///Satiah: I watched over children.///

"Satiah?" Anzu said out loud. She looked back toward Yuugi. "Yeah, small argument I guess you could say. I don't think she ever had kids. What about Heba?"

///Satiah: I watched over Heba and several others. They were my husband's first.///

Oh. "Sorry." Anzu looked back at Yuugi. "I jumped the gun. She did have kids, just not biological." Yuugi nodded.

///Satiah: It's okay, most were brats. I mean, sort of . . . wild. Heba though was precious, I took care of her as soon as her birth mother died.///

///Anzu: You've never talked about your husband before. He had a first wife?/// Anzu looked toward Yuugi. "Sorry, Yuugi, I need to talk this out with her."

"No, take your time." He smiled as he watched her. "It's neat to see you speaking to a spirit from this angle."

She probably looked ridiculous then. ///Anzu: Did your husband have a first wife?/// Nothing. ///Anzu: Satiah. I really want to know more about you. Please?/// "Damn."

"Still not sharing?" Yuugi asked. "Atem had reasons for not sharing. He couldn't remember. Her memory was messed up in the end, but she remembers the rest. She should share with you. Even if you don't want to share it with anyone else."

Please? Anzu asked again. "I won't ask for any more details. I just want to know a little about you. I know you always say you are an unimportant commoner, but I don't care. Tell me something."

There was a pause. ///Satiah: I had masters and husbands between. None of it is essential. I found a final husband. Forty with eight kids, worn from the harsh work of his youth, he desired someone who didn't cause trouble and since I had always been barren, I seemed the simple answer. I watched his children, kept a clean home and satiated his desires. He was satisfied with me and so there I stayed until I passed. Tell the vessel that, I know that you want to, and let's not speak of this again. Please?///

Anzu shifted her eyes toward Yuugi. "Different masters and husbands. She took care of her last husband's eight children. She took care of all of his needs. Satisfied him so he wouldn't get rid of her." Anzu felt her eyes tear up. She never exactly . . . knew. She still didn't know anything more than basic facts, but she could feel it. From the emotion. "I shouldn't have pried, I'm sorry, Satiah."

"Ancient Egypt." Yuugi held his blankets tighter. "At least we know more about her. It sounds like it wasn't easy. I'm sorry, it had to be brought up. We had to know something real about her." Yuugi looked back toward Anzu and smiled. "Tell her it's okay. Jounouchi, me and Mai. We all trust her. We trust you too. No matter what." Yuugi got off the bed and went by hers, touching her hand. "She'll never feel that pain again. Not with us."

Yuugi's eyes. No matter how old he got, they always looked the same. Even when they were kids. Big, round, like they were smiling right back. Whenever they weren't Atem's, they were always like that. Hard to look away from. The kindest eyes in the world.

As she grew up more, Anzu understood her attraction to Atem was well . . . hormonal. He saved her life, his commanding boom of authority, and the way he held himself with such supreme confidence. Absolute hottie to any girl back then. But, Yuugi. ///Anzu: We haven't seen each other face to face in four years, yet he is willing to shift his whole life just for me. He's got an endless amount of grace in his heart.///

///Satiah: Yes. I see it. Go with Yuugi.///

"She used your name." Anzu finally looked away from his eyes to the hand he held. "She's always referred to you as vessel. She finally said your name, that's a breakthrough."

"So does she trust me?" Yuugi asked.

"You came all the way to America for me." Anzu smiled. "When I get back on my feet, Yuugi, I owe you so much. There's no way I can ever repay you for this." However what Jounouchi said privately rang well in her ears. ///Anzu: You can either find a way to make it all up to him, or you can die a gruesome death if you are caught./// Jounouchi told her straight, no matter how much she didn't want to hear it. She was surprised with Yuugi as he grabbed her and wrapped her up in a hug.

Then he immediately let go. "I'll go tell Jounouchi. You won't regret this, I promise." His eyes were dancing merrily now. "You should see Honda and Shizuka now. Oh. You can play Monster World with me and Bakura now. Oh? Um."

She just chuckled. ///Anzu: Games to the end, Yuugi./// "That sounds like fun."

"Great, I'll be right back."

Anzu watched Yuugi take off, knock on Jounouchi's door and tell him like an excited child she was staying with him in Japan for now. Before she could change her mind back. ///Anzu: Whatever happened in the past, I won't bring it up anymore. Oh, how am I ever going to repay this back to Yuugi?///

///Satiah: In your time, I have no clue.///

///Anzu: What about in your time?///

///Satiah: You are moving in with a man who is taking care of you. He would already be considered your husband. Do you need to ask more?///

///Anzu: Yeah, it's definitely not your time.///

///Satiah: That is not a bad thing at all, Anzu.///