The Cursed Millennium Puzzle (Part 3)

DIMENSION: ANIME (The One That Pays to Save the Day)

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."

"Still? I wouldn't get into it about the spirits yet," Bakura said. "Not unless they need to be involved. You don't want to know what being shouted out by them is like, trust me."

Well? "If I can just call, I won't say anything about them." Not right now.

It wasn't that simple of a phone call either. Yugi seemed to have an idea of someone wanting to hurt her. He gave her information of someone to stay with, and that he was already on his way to her. She agreed, made the connection to the associate of Mokuba, and they left Bakura's hotel room.

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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.

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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 . . . a slave who 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. "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 rope, 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?"

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 rope 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. ///Téa: Yugi's hiding stuff just like I am./// They were playing a delicate game of secrets. ///Téa: Reveal that card, Yugi.///

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

"Yes." He reversed it on her. ///Téa: 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. ///Téa: 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."