Stay or Go (Part 1)

"The next battle."

Yugi looked around himself anxiously. That was a voice they were all waiting for. Bastet. He had went back and grabbed any terrible bits Sekhmet didn't chomp. Atem and the Bandit King managed to get the number even higher than it had been. Even Bakura had tried to carry some arms and legs he found.

They weren't going to lose anyone just because the numbers didn't get high enough! It would be something that Yugi would probably have nightmares about later in his life, but they couldn't risk this being enough. If they didn't get it, in the short amount Bastet made it clear they had left? Then, that was it. The end of Téa. The end of their potential . . . boy. The end.

There was no hope, no heart of the cards, no nothing extra to save them. They had to put in their own will, physically and emotionally, to get this done. Second chances were long over.

With that sound though, hope rose into him. He had never been so happy as to see Bastet appear before him with Sekhmet.

"The next battle, will be yours alone," Bastet finished her thought. "We tried but we didn't make the number. You are close, but I convinced Isis to believe you will finish. If you do not-"

"I will definitely come and eat all of you, alive, slowly," Sekhmet threatened.

"We will handle Zorc next time," Atem said to her. "He will not win, and no one needs to pay to help us."

"Maybe so, we'll see," Sekhmet said back to him. "He is up to you though, or your children, or your children's children. It will stay on the responsiblity in your family line. If your line ends before he is defeated, he will win, and for the rest of your afterlife you will suffer through immeasurable pains for making us have lied to Isis that you could handle it."

"We will take on whatever's coming!" Yugi said confidently. "Whatever fight we have to face in the future, we'll do it." Just let them have them back.

"For a turn, Bandit King had used his demon Diabound. It had a side effect, bringing a different form of Masika back for just about a minute," Bastet said to them. "The ones closer to the surface of Zorc would have been used, but since Téa was with child, the order messed up. In fact, we made sure they stayed safe by having Hikaru with her."

"It wasn't a perfect soul match that way," Sekhmet agreed. "It would make it harder to blend together."

The full Masika. "Then if Téa wasn't used, what happened?" Why were they telling them this?

"This dimension's Masika, and the other dimension's Téa, had actually formed into one, creating a Masika of two different dimensional selves. It was the first time it had ever happened," Bastet said to Yugi. "The only reason it was permitted to happen was because it was a demon and a gods game that caused the outcome."

Oh no. "There is an even bigger price to pay now for that, isn't there?" Yugi asked.

"We don't know," Bastet said to him. "It's never happened before, I just felt that I should warn you. There may be consequences later in the future for two pair joining that never should have. As far as we can tell, everything is fine."

"Hikaru's presence helped to keep each part, of each part, of Masika safe," Sekhmet added. "Now that the battle is over, and you have earned them back, we safely took it out."

Took it out? "Now?" Already?

"Bearing it the old-fashioned way isn't as easy as you think," Sekhmet warned him. "Bastet will take you to see her. She is resting after the ordeal."

"Yes, please, right away." Yugi was anxious to make sure she was okay. "Is the boy really fine?"

"His power is nearly gone, he is just like a useless human now," Bastet said to him. "Come." Bastet whisked Yugi and Bakura away.

Atem waited there with the Bandit King. They watched Sekhmet as she disappeared. She came back in her full form, holding Silhouette. "This is yours. I may check up with her every once in awhile."

Silhouette's wdjat was now gone on her head. She looked about the same besides that. "Most of her power is gone now, as per the deal," Sekhmet said as she flung new cards toward him and Bandit King. "Sign."

The card's sacrifice was much simpler, it was easier to sign. Although, it did mean, without much doubt . . . "Children or children's children."

Sekhmet handed Silhouette to the Bandit King. Atem watched him easily know how to hold her right away. Where did he get that knowledge? Why did she have to hand her over to him instead?

"One day, a fight will occur for this lineage," Sekhmet said. "However? It may be in the near future, or distant future. Thoth won't tell. Yet, since it was us who . . . created some of this conflict between both dimensions, some leniency is granted. If you wish, you may have your simple eternity back, Atem."

Oh. Yes, the steps they took to help ensure someone paid for the other dimension. "I have no recollection of it."

"We wanted to make sure you felt extremely close to Yugi still and reverting your memory to when you first left seemed to be a good spot," Sekhmet explained.

Oh. Maybe then, three was a crowd. ///Atem: It would be better that way, I don't exactly belong./// Neither did Bandit King, why would he stay? Sekhmet gave Silhouette to him, like he was the one that would stay. ///Atem: I fought Zorc before. I will have an easier time against him.///

Sekhmet took Silhouette back from Bandit King. "Good." She handed her to Atem.

Atem took her, holding her close. He knew how to hold her too, he had learned. That, and . . . ///Atem: I was not the best father for the short time I knew you, but I also wasn't a bad father./// He watched her expression. ///Atem: I wonder how you will grow up./// She was way too young to see any potential or interest in anything. Her only interest right now was mainly shoving things in her mouth and . . . just beginning.

Bandit King signed his card and gave it back. "So? Am I the one paying the price then with Masika?"

"No," Sekhmet declared. "You may rest in peace as well. From what I have seen of Masika, she will stay with the fragile broken goddess." Sekhmet reached toward Silhouette again.

Fragile broken goddess? "Those are terrible words, human works better." Atem did not want to hand her over. Neither Sekhmet nor Bandit King held his full confidence.

"Until you beat your test, that is what she is, but you'll have to have your Yugi soul with you for that one," Sekhmet said. "Don't falter, make sure you beat it or you'll never be a god, Pharaoh." She transformed herself back into a lion. "Decision. Stay or go."