New York

Bakura's hotel room was a decent size. He had even brought a compact size game of Monster World with him. Once she got in, she was ready to call Yugi, to see what he thought of what was happening.

Only thing was? "Bakura, do you have Yugi's number? It was programmed in my phone." She could remember some of the numbers, but not all of them. Unfortunately, she just didn't stay as in touch as she should have to remember the number from the top of her head.

"We don't need to do that right away," Masika said to her. "I'm sure he has his own life to deal with. We are the ones with this problem, we don't need to bother the Pharaoh's vessel yet."

Masika really wasn't eager for her to call Yugi. "I have to call him, if anyone knew what was going on, it'd be him."

"No he wouldn't, I would," Masika answered. "I . . . reached out for help when I saved you. This curse is because of me. I was supposed to pay half the sacrifice. I didn't expect to be given a body and have this happen to you."

A curse? "Oh." Téa looked toward Bakura. "You didn't have anything to do with Bakura."

"Destiny I guess," Light Bakura answered. "I've had my spirit for years, not just tonight. I know how you feel, Téa," he said with empathy. "I was so scared at first when I knew he came back. He promised not to mess with me or even talk with me unless I asked him about something. For a whole year, he stayed dead quiet. I slowly started to recognize him the second year, and by the third, I felt fine even sharing my body if I had to."

Oh. She understood now. Masika was responsible for it, Yugi wouldn't know anything. Still? "I'd just like to call him still. Just real quick?"

Bakura brought out his phone with a smile. "I think that's a nice idea. I have Yugi's number in here. I think the spirits are scowling though. Atem wasn't their favorite."

Yeah she could see that. "It's just Yugi, not Atem."

Well? It wasn't that simple of a phone call either.

New York City

YUGI

"He says she's in the guest house back there," Mokuba said to Yugi and Atem as he got on his phone. They had got off the jet, and went straight to his business associate.

He could tell she sounded shook up. A lot had already happened to her.

"I wasn't supposed to see this guy for six weeks, but he got bumped up as a favor to help," Mokuba insisted.

"Sorry I threw your business plans off," Yugi apologized, "but this was important."

"Well, considering you got Pharaoh with a body and a puzzle with you? I think it's better I help," Mokuba said. "We'll be here for hours before it's time to go back so enjoy yourself. Reconnect with your old friend. I'll come to you when I'm done."

"Thanks." Straight to the back with Atem.

"I will give you a moment to catch up with her," Atem insisted from his side. "Then I'll present myself."

Yugi didn't say much to that, he didn't have to. Atem knew him better than anyone.

Téa

Téa stared in the guest mirror. She had watched her back, but so far no one had tried to come for her. The property had its own security guards too. The millennium necklace was blaring across her chest. "Yugi's already worried. I don't want him to worry even faster." She went towards the bed. "I don't want to be lying in bed, that doesn't help. Covering with a blanket doesn't help either."

"The delay would be slight," Masika reminded her from the other side of the room. "It's all inevitable."

"All secrets will eventually be exposed," Light Bakura agreed.

"Yeah, but any worry." Any worrying by Yugi. "Yugi's a good friend, but I feel really jittery. Like I'm doing something I really shouldn't be doing."

"It'll be okay. Take the balcony," Masika suggested.

Right, that was a good idea.

"I will be at Bakura's," Masika said outright. "You may have this moment to talk things over with Yugi yourself."

Masika didn't seem too hyped to meet Yugi. "He's probably going to want to meet you."

"I'm not much," Masika insisted. "Truly, I am the dark side of you, Téa. When you need me again, you will know how to reach me."

"I have talked with the other Bakura," Light Bakura insisted. "For now? I think Masika's right. I don't know why she has a body right now. Yugi sounded eager to meet you, and depending on what he says? We'll see him soon. Maybe for a game of Monster World at my house?"

Téa looked toward Masika. "It's the fact he used to be Atem's vessel, right? Did something happen between you two?"

Masika seemed to almost bristle.

"Téa" Light Bakura came closer with a whisper. "Masika was . . . she suffered greatly in Atem's empire. She doesn't want to move real swiftly into friendship? She will need some time."

Right. That's right, Masika didn't have an easy life back then. "I'll meet Yugi first," Téa decided. "You guys can stay back here. It's just . . ." She couldn't explain it. She never even knew Masika had been with her but now? "I feel like I'm going to really miss you if you leave, Masika."

Masika gave her a small bow of her head. "I know. It is a very strange feeling inside, isn't it? I will stay, but before anyone meets, you need to make sure he's . . . agreeable."

"Agreed," Téa said.

"Then agreed," Light Bakura said too.

The guest house had a hot tub below with a bar, and then there was a small spiral staircase to reach the guest room. The staircase was solid wood. Téa stayed behind it and crouched down slightly. Now the necklace was hidden. "I can ask some questions first. Prepare him for . . ." For her collarbone holding the millennium necklace. "It's all I can do."

She heard a knock on the door. It was unlocked, she was expecting him and Mokuba. She heard the door creak open. As he came in, she could see him. His hair was still the same, but he had on the same blue shirt from the vision, along with the millennium puzzle. It was hanging around him with a chain, like when he was younger.

Then, he spotted her. For a moment, they just stared at each other it seemed. "Téa."

"You have your old puzzle." Good place to start as any considering what happened. No hi, how's he doing, how's the family, none of that filler. "Why do you have your old puzzle?"

Yugi crept up slowly toward the stairs. "Why are you crouching behind those stairs?"

"I didn't want you to worry right away. I'm fine," Téa said.

"You're crouching on a balcony so I don't worry?" Yugi was coming closer to the stairs. "You can't make me not worry any less, Téa. You are in some deep trouble."

"Yeah," she admitted. He'd see it soon. "It's impossible to hide." She stood up straight and started to go downstairs.

"Your wearing the millennium necklace?" Yugi asked as she continued to walk downstairs.

"I'm forced to wear it," Téa admitted. "It doesn't come off." She stopped walking and placed her hands on the sides of it. "It grew from me. It's . . ."

"Attached." He didn't look surprised. "Yeah, I didn't go to Egypt and fish this out of some forbidden abyss. It's the same thing." He held up the chain connecting it. "This part is only for looks. It's connected through my chest."

Oh no, he was having it happen too? "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Yugi stared at her. "Why do you think it's your fault?"

As she thought of his question though, it felt like a sin she was confessing. "I don't even own my old deck." She arrived at the bottom and looked right into his eyes. "Sorry."

"That would be an invaluable deck by now," Yugi said to her. "Why did you get rid of it?"

"I bought two fakes, and I got rid of the rest." Admission hurt. "They afforded me some time to get a good job."

"Two fakes?" Yugi asked. "What fakes?"

"Red Eyes Black Dragon and Dark Magician. I liked looking at them when I felt lonely. But she didn't feel that way anymore. Any of her jitters was gone now, and all she saw was the brightest smile on his face. She could feel herself mirroring it. "It wasn't as easy when I first came. I just wanted your cards, to remember you. Then, I got better, and - thanks for coming, Yugi!"

Yugi broke first as he wrapped her in a hug. "I couldn't just leave you in danger, no matter how far away you were."

Sweet Yugi. "So, do you know what's going on?" Mm. That expression. Classic Yugi. He never could keep a poker face like Atem did. Yugi's hiding stuff just like I am. They were playing a delicate game of secrets. Reveal that card, Yugi.

"Do you know why the millennium necklace chose to grow on you?"

"Yes." He reversed it on her. I guess I reveal my own card instead first. "There was a spirit inside of me."

"What?" Yugi was of course shocked. "Since when and how?"

"Her name is Masika, and she came from that card that was Kaiba's. She was tied to the other card. The Ties of Friendship? It turned out to be a cat. You didn't see it, you were with Rebecca Hawkins at the time." Easy. Am I still jealous over that? "She didn't go into the afterlife with her cat though, she came into me instead."

He asked her why she didn't tell him about it before and she went into how she didn't know. She even told him about the dream she once had about being nabbed in the alley, not being a dream like they thought. Yugi's hand on the stairpost of the balcony was visibly shivering. Rage or fright, she didn't know.

"So this . . . spirit." Yugi sounded like he was trying to keep his voice level. "That hid inside you for years without one word, what happened with her?"

"Who's after me?" Her turn for a question. "She isn't fond of them, Yugi, and she went through really great lengths against me to keep them away. So tell me."

"How great of lengths?" Yugi asked her.

"No. I want to know this, Yugi. Who is after me?"

Yugi gestured to her necklace. "I came straight over here from hours away, and I find you trapped with a millennium item. We can move onto these people after you tell us more about this spirit."

"Us?" He said us. "Oh no."

"Oh yes." Yugi moved back down the stairs and to the door. A look alike to Yugi, even the same age as Yugi? "Atem is back."

"It is good to see you again, Téa." He was being polite, but he wanted to know about Masika right away too. "If a spirit is hiding inside of you has answers, I want them. Now."

Oh. Great, of course he jumped to that. "Atem. Hi."

"Yes. Hello," he answered her as he moved toward the staircase with Yugi. "I have no memories of what happened after Yugi beat me. We believe that no one is allowed to remember the afterlife, if they find a way back here."

Masika, you didn't! You brought Atem back? Boy, you are lucky you are not with me right now!

"What did she do, Téa?" Atem demanded. "I must know. Yugi and you are obviously being punished, and I need to know why."

"She was my spirit, but now she's got her own body."

"What?" Yugi and Atem asked at the same time.

"She left with Light Bakura. I mean, Bakura," Téa said. "Bakura has a spirit back with him, but it's not Zorc. I did say that, right?" Yeah, neither Yugi or Atem looked happy at her. Yeah, better not tell them she was just back there yet. "She didn't want to stick around. She's not exactly a huge fan of Atem. She was a really good friend of the past Bakura."

"A fan or not," Atem insisted. "Bodies aren't granted without reason. I need to talk with this spirit."

Yeah. If Atem opened up at that tempo with a friend, he wasn't going to open up well with Masika. "They'll head back, and they won't have a choice but to meet you eventually," she said. "But if you want Masika to listen and tell you anything, then you need to be really nice."

Neither Yugi or Atem looked pleased with that statement.

"Téa?" Yugi sounded like he was trying to be polite. "You have a cursed necklace that grew from your collarbone, I'm wearing the puzzle from my ribs, and a spirit has been hiding in you for years without a single word to you about it, who also picked up a body."

"No one gets bodies," Atem said a little rougher than Yugi. "No one gets second chances at life like that, Téa! It is absurd for me to fathom a reason to give a Pharaoh another body, but someone who has no stake in the past personally except befriending Bakura? She has done something, I'm sure of it!"

It was for me though! They are going to grill her over me! "I'm sorry your both in a bitter mood," she answered back roughly, "but it wasn't just her fault, and now I'm glad she split!" She crossed her arms. "She created the curse to save me, but now she's scared of what her Pharaoh will do to her, so she left to where she thought it was safe!" What a meeting! Two years since she'd seen Yugi, a long time since Atem, and this is how they had to act? But. I saw her eyes and her reaction. She knew it would be this way.

"Okay. Sorry." Yugi still sounded bitter, but he was trying to be smoother. "So, you know?"

"She made some kind of . . ." Ugh! They were going to have to meet soon. She put her hands on her hips. "You two!" She pointed at both of them. "You are going to deal with me if you are too hard on her, and don't expect me to easily just leave somewhere to figure things out if you are!"

Just like that, Yugi and Atem had the same reaction. Both were wide eyed and practically pushed themselves to the wall.

"Um? Uh? Yes? It was all just frustration. We will hear her out. We won't pass blame. Right, Atem?"

"Then she is here." Yeah, Atem didn't act afraid of her actions soon. "I will not curse her or come near to her very fast. But? I must know what is going on, Téa, and how it can be fixed."

"You better keep that promise," Téa agreed.

ATEM

Atem watched as Téa opened the door. Beside it, was someone who looked like her that started to bow. "What did you do?" This was obviously the spirit that also received a body. Nice. Be nice. "Stop bowing, stand up and answer me this question. What happened to us?"

Masika stood up in front of him. "The future is impossible to predict or share accurately, but the past is set in stone. This will do better than my simple words." She touched the millennium necklace on Téa's neck.

Recent Past

"Don't do anything funny, Téa. Do you have any idea what the market will want for you?"

Ah, so that was it. He's going to sell her. If not murder, another easy out to disappear. Masika had seen him, watching Téa. He was waiting for a chance to get closer, knowing Téa was an easy target to sell. That's why she had been so insistent Téa move and get away. She had made bold moves against Téa's own thoughts, acting like her own to move. Still, Téa was a kind woman. Looking for the good in all people.

Yet, not all people are good.

Far from it. The way he was still holding her, pinning her but not doing anything that caused serious damage. He planned this. He probably sabotaged her car. Someone must be coming to get her, more secure and ready while he made his payday. She only had as much time as it took for them to get there.

Which would not be long. I will do it. It's better to take her for good and endure the pain until her final end, then leave it with her. There was only one thing left to try.

The last thing. The very last thing before resigning to fate. The one thing every Egyptian child had been taught ever since they could speak. Before giving up hope, before giving into the enemies when hope is desperate.

One called to the gods for help. Gods of Egypt, I implore you! I am desperate in such a need, I promise anything if you just give me the power to bring the monsters again!

She expected no answer. It should be a last prayer, a last surrender to everything before accepting the fate of what would happen.

But she did receive answers.

I am not a god, I should not be able to hear this. Why can I hear this request? The gods must want me to hear this. Why do they want me to hear this? What do you need a god for!

Someone that was not a god, but was trusted to hear for them? Could it be the Greatest Pharaoh? Please, grace this vessel Téa Gardener and I with your power! A deliberation of mutters she couldn't understand whispered through the air to her until-

I cast permission for Masika to aid Téa while we pay the price this time. There will be no other sacrifices!

The border of magic that she felt pushing back on her, had waned. She closed her eyes. There would be no sacrifices, nor would she have to let her vessel suffer. I will pay the other half.

She started the chanting, the familiar chanting in her mind. Stronger and bolder as she held The Dark Magician card. As she felt the monster's magic pull through, the binding burst off of her mouth while the enemy was blown backward, merely by the calling of the ancient monsters.

By the time the deed was done, half a block had been annihilated from the dark magic attack.

Normal Time

"I took half. As I was commanded to save her, The Greatest Pharaoh." She lowered her head toward him again.

Atem could hear Yugi starting to lose it. He himself did not like the trip. Someone wasn't after Téa, someone would have had Téa. With her connection to his Egyptian time, Masika had been able to reach someone who wasn't a god but cared for Téa's well being. Obviously? That was me. While she had been begging for help from the Egyptian gods she used to pray to in life.

Atem was no god though, and even if he did reach out to help last time, it would be with Yugi's body. Yugi wasn't near her, it took hours to get there. It would have been too late. "I understand now." He had granted the permission to use the monsters again, to save Téa. Without all of the innocent sacrifices it had taken in the past.

"You never said a word about them actually capturing you!" Yugi yelled at Téa terrified. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I would never allow it." Atem would never leave Téa to face a terrible situation. "I involved the spirit Masika into this."

"What did you do for that power? Atem?"

"Many sacrifices would have recreated the power, but if one were only a spirit, I imagine the price would be different. I don't know the price, Yugi, but whatever it had been? It was one that needed two spirits to grant." Atem looked at the puzzle attached to Yugi's chest. "Cursed items on those that were vessels."

"But bodies for the spirits?" Yugi questioned.

"This. Puzzle." Atem looked toward Yugi and Téa. "I don't think only Masika and I are paying it."

"It's some kind of punishment to pay the price. I don't care, it was the right decision, and I blame no one!" Yugi declared. "You followed your heart, Pharaoh, and so did she!"

"If I didn't, Masika wouldn't have been able to use the power without many innocent sacrifices." Atem backed away slightly. "I am sorry, Yugi."

"Can you be redeemed, Atem? Can we get out of this bind?"

"I have no means to remember," Atem said gently to Masika, knowing she was the only reason Téa was safe. No wonder Téa was so fiercely sided with her. "Is there more to this? If you know, speak up."

"I know nothing more except that Dark and Light Bakura is in the next room over, Greatest Pharaoh," she answered.

Light Bakura peeked out after hearing that. "Hello?"

"Bakura?" Yugi sounded very surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Um. Masika came to me after getting her body," he said.

"He's got the thief Bakura with him," Téa said, not holding any secret from them. "He isn't Zorc though, and Light Bakura says he can control him. He has for years."

Light Bakura rubbed the back of his head. "Yes? Um. I didn't want you to worry."

Yeah, Yugi wasn't impressed. "You should have said something."

"He didn't want me to. I really can control him, I've been with him for years," Light Bakura insisted. "Sorry for hiding it. Anyhow, Dark Bakura knew Masika, and Téa still has a connection to Masika."

Yugi sighed. "Does anyone know what the punishment is or for how long?"

Masika couldn't answer. She didn't know.

"Something that needs spirits to bodies, and vessels to cursed millennium items." Atem glanced toward Bakura, Masika, Téa and then Yugi. "Whatever it is, it is far from over."

As he said that, they watched a black cat move by them. Atem and Masika kept their eyes on it while the others didn't pay much mind. It was probably the owners. Jumped in through a window.

MASIKA

Ebonnee? This random black cat rubbing upon her had the same ankh design, just like her lovely passed on cat. She picked it up and felt the same comfort Ebonnee used to give her. That same velvet feel. That same kind of purr. Téa, this is Ebonnee, my cat from ancient Egypt.

Téa looked toward Masika. From ancient Egypt? Are you sure?

Yes, my cat that had once been in the card Yugi Muto had brought. She placed her back down and watched as Ebonnee moved toward . . . The Greatest Pharoah? He was watching as it came closer, and she relived her past briefly.

Ebonnee was heading toward him once again. Flicking her tail.

She went over the few steps to try and grab her. "Don't bother Greatest Pharaoh."

"The cat." The Greatest Pharoah spoke. "It has an ankh on it."

Masika grabbed her and brought her back over. She stood behind Bakura with Ebonnee.

"What was your position in ancient Egypt?" The Greatest Pharaoh spoke to her.

Speaking to her? "Nothing."

"You must have some position." The Greatest Pharaoh continued to show her favor for conversation. She honestly wished he wouldn't.

"Leave her alone." Dark Bakura's voice was deeper. That was the sound of her old friend. "She didn't know you, she knew me."

"How?" The Greatest Pharaoh asked him.

"She was just an old friend," Dark Bakura said again. "Leave her be."

Oh no! The Greatest Pharaoh was ascending up the steps all the way more towards her.

"Why did she grab the cat?" he demanded of Bakura.

"It's her cat," Téa spoke up toward him. "That's the same cat that came from the Ties of Friendship card."

"Then that's more proof she wasn't no one," The Greatest Pharaoh declared.

I am not lying to him, I am no one important, Téa!

"Yugi?" Light Bakura's weaker voice sounded out. "The spirit is better, but maybe you could help with something? He's very angry right now."

"Atem," Yugi said to the Pharaoh. "I don't know if anyone has the answers, but Téa is

glaring at you again."

"I'm not doing anything," The Greatest Pharoah assured his vessel Yugi. "I am trying to speak civilly. She is the one who is hiding with the cat."

"She wasn't anyone," Téa said to The Greatest Pharaoh. "She was a wife, stuck with a bunch of husbands her whole life, and a bunch of kids, since like eleven." She put some firmness in her age. "She was just a spirit trapped in a card that went to me."

"There must be some kind of significance. That cat has an ankh on it." He tried to move toward Ebonnee again.

Téa, I don't want him bothering my cat! I mean? Oh, that was completely rude but- he was the one who killed Ebonnee!

"What?" Téa actually spoke out loud. Are you serious? On accident?

He was busy fighting a monster with a god. He trampled it with his horse in his rage.

"Cats are pretty significant in Egypt," Téa said to The Greatest Pharaoh. "Right?"

"Right," The Greatest Pharaoh agreed. "No one dared to hurt a cat."

"Well? You did." Téa gestured toward Masika. "You killed that cat when you were chasing a monster. That's why Masika really isn't letting you near it."

He seemed quite surprised. "I killed a black cat?"

"I'm sure it was an accident," Yugi assured her. "Atem would never really hurt your cat. We just want to see it."

"I am sorry," The Greatest Pharaoh said to her. "I am sorry that in whatever haste I was in, I ended the life of that cat. I promise, I will not hurt it. A cat from Ancient Egypt does not just appear suddenly without reason. You have a body. I have a body. That cat is now here."

Seeing it wouldn't do any good, but she couldn't disobey the Pharaoh, Masika let Ebonnee go again.

Ebonnee eagerly went over toward Atem and encircled his legs, purring against him. As if she understood that he was sorry for ending her life in such a dreadful way.

The Greatest Pharaoh bent down and she jumped into his arms. He stood back up and held her, looking at her decorative Ankh. In the meantime, she was cuddling him constantly, as if he were just a toy for her amusement.

Being as finicky as Ebonnee was, when she had her fill, she jumped down and went toward Téa. Tea sneezed briefly. She had been struck with an awful cold, probably due to running for her life in that cold weather.

Téa picked her up and cuddled her, treating her like Divinity. "I have a black cat at home called Divinity. Home." She looked sad.

Ebonnee left Téa and went toward Yugi. Yugi picked her up, still concentrating on Téa. Yugi scratched behind Ebonee's ear. It wasn't something Masika did often with her. She looked irritated but she remained in his lap. "There must be a reason that . . . that . . ." Yugi sneezed. He wiped himself with his sleeve. "Sorry? I didn't even know I was under the weather." His voice had changed.

"Don't worry, I know the feeling," Téa assured him. "My voice is all scratchy and my nose is runny. I'm gonna be sick for sure tomorrow."

"Yeah, I feel that exact same way," Yugi said as he sneezed.

Ebonnee jumped down from Yugi.

"Strange," The Greatest Pharaoh said as he stared at Ebonnee. "It makes sense Téa would get sick in her situation. Yugi, you were never out that long, yet you sound like you have the same sickness."

YUGI

"It's just a cold," Yugi said.

Is it just a cold, or the same cold?

Ebonnee moved away from everyone.

What's wrong, Pharaoh? Yugi said concerned. The cold doesn't spread that fast, and I wouldn't get . . . Atem?" Atem's body was gone, like he was never there.

"Masika is back with me," Téa said to Yugi. "She disappeared. Atem just left. Is he . . .?"

"He's with me," Yugi confirmed to her. I'm sorry, Atem.

I had a feeling a body was only a short time, it's fine, Yugi. We are being punished somehow, not rewarded. There is something beneath the cat.

Yugi saw it too. There was some kind of letter the cat was sitting on now. He went over toward it. "Hello, Kitty, I need to see what's under you." He tried to grab at the letter. He gave it a good yank before the cat decided to move.

He opened up the letter.

He read it. Oh. Oh no. Oh no! Pharaoh?! I-is this real?

I would never choose this for you or Téa, Yugi.

They really were being punished. Yugi looked at the millennium puzzle growing from his chest. There weren't any words about reversing it. It was plain. It was simple.

It was bad, real bad.

Masika was the owner of this cat. She might not have any importance at all, just chosen by the cat since she knew it.

So it is all because of that cat.

Not just a cat. I have a feeling it is being guided by a god to dictate it's demands.

Yugi was quiet, in his thoughts and his mind. Trying to deal with what was in front of him. This isn't the first time I was pulled away, and I do get to come back. Still.

If there is a way out, Yugi, we will find it. But, I clearly had no choice.

Téa or this. My sweet Téa, any day. He closed the envelope. I want to be the one to tell her.

As you wish, Yugi.