First Tears of Ra (Part 2)

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

Other Me. That was a phrase they hadn't used in awhile. "Is there a way to pay the price for what happened, without having the spirits sharing bodies on Earth?" Yugi asked Bastet.

She just smiled. "No."

No? "There must be something that-"

"Oh. I almost forgot?" Bastet gestured toward Ebonnee. She moved toward Téa. "Your favorite pet cat, now one. Divinity and Ebonnee share a similar connection. They will each stay with you through these changing times, and will end their lives only when you end your life. A lifelong companion."

///Yugi: Did? Did she really just . . .?///

///Atem: Try again, Yugi, she was distracted. Bastet is a great ally to cats.///

"Sounds great," Yugi said to her. "About the body sharing?"

"The sacrifice you made gave your bodies to the gods and goddesses of Egypt," Bastet told him. "This arrangement is just."

"For how long?" Yugi asked. "Weeks? Months?"

"Until the end of your life," she answered. "Don't quibble with me. Thoth has already written it."

///Yugi: Oh no. I'm not getting anywhere, Atem! What do I try?///

///Atem: Anything! This is important, Yugi, this might be the only shot we have left, just anything!///

"Anything!" Yugi yelled at her. "Look, Téa and I are mortal beings, and we are living a half-life."

"You agreed to it." Bastet did not look happy. "I brought your chosens their cats and gave the gift of a longer life for them to allow continued companionship, and you insist on this? I suggest you stop your squabbling. Your friend Seto Kaiba has some cards to give you. He also knows what happens if you don't agree with the cat."

///Yugi: Seto Kaiba? She visited Seto Kaiba? Atem?///

///Atem: Anything. I was desperate to save my friend, but I didn't want to hurt others. I can take on any mission you wish to deal, I will not shy away from any challenge, please let Yugi and Téa leave our presence.///

The goddess definitely heard Atem, but she didn't look like she was changing her mind. "My last words. Squabble afterwards, and I will call Sekhmet." She breathed slowly. "The you's that will save the world? Are in fact surviving in a dying vision of Domino City. There is nothing but sand and ruined buildings, people with millennium power subduing the people, and another Pharaoh who has power over all. Pharaoh Atem has no power at all, he is surviving in the last vestiges that survived with the tears of Ra, Joey, Mai, Bakura, Serenity and the Kaiba's. To grant your wish of separation into another body would kill them all, and every universe afterwards, including yours."

///Yugi:. . . Atem?///

///Atem: I don't need a body, I don't seek a body, and neither does Masika need hers! We would go away again to the afterlife, and leave our living halves alone.///

Yugi watched as a tiger now appeared before them. Oh no, Sekhmet.

"Let me help explain." Sekhmet came toward them, bending on all fours and moving as fast as a tiger. She looked like a predator wanting to play with it's prey. "I'm the one called when idiots cannot talk peacefully with one of the nicest goddesses! I am Sekhmet. I do not need a lot of reason to start gnawing on humanity, so let's make this as clear as day."

///Atem: Watch out, Yugi! Bend down on the ground with your whole body quickly and fast!///

Yugi pulled Téa down with him, hoping she would catch on as he started to kneel down. He kept his whole body out, exposing his back to Sekhmet. What a creepy feeling. Téa started to do the same thing.

///Yugi: Ask for forgiveness and quickly or she will take a limb!///

"I'm sorry!" Yugi told her quickly. "We don't mean to upset anyone."

///Atem: Nothing and no one, we forgot our place, and will not pursue this matter anymore.///

"You say so now," Sekhmet said as she still creeped around Yugi. He tried to remain still. "We know your hearts, all of them. This future is already written by Thoth. You will risk a limb to approach this subject again. Which is good, we could use one."

"Sekhmet," Bastet called out. "With their emotions, the humans are overwhelmed. We should give the half option. They will need it temporarily anyhow to pay more."

"The half option? We don't need to give that now," Sekhmet disagreed. "You're too good. They aren't the important ones, they are just paying the fee. They aren't even worthy of seeing our true forms."

"A half option," Bastet said toward Yugi and Téa. "You will all have your own bodies, but only one half will have the souls at a time. Whether in Atem or Yugi Muto's body, both souls would only be in one."

A half option? "Atem and Masika can have their bodies part time, but we'd be with them anyhow?"

"Yes, they are already blessed with living bodies just comatose. Your bodies will do the same when you leave them. Be thankful," Sekhmet warned him.

"That's just switching bodies," Téa pointed out. "That's not much different at all, we still share the same space."

"There is a difference," Bastet said. "Taking over a body that isn't yours feels parasitic. If you allow them theirs, they will feel better, especially over time. This is for life so it would be nice to give them that choice. However, once you cross this bridge, we can't do anything. Nothing less than Horakthy could reverse it."

"It doesn't matter," Sekhmet said to them. "Unless you want the universe to end and not give your world a chance by paying the price? Then this is the best outcome."

///Atem: I don't like this, Yugi. There was no reason they needed to give me or Masika a body for such a short time, and there is no reason that they would be offering it part time. This feels risky.///

///Yugi: Then we shouldn't pick it yet.///

///Atem: It's a choice right now. These goddesses are not offering any choices for us. We seem more beneath them than the other us' who are saving their universe.///

///Yugi: I would save the universe if it broke us free from this punishment.///

///Atem: I know, Yugi, I would rather do that too. It's clear that is not our fate to decide. For now, we should remain steady. I feel as if when we open another body door, we might seal all options away forever. No one uses Horakthy lightly.///

Right. "We don't want a half body option," Yugi said.

"Yet," Bastet said. "You will have to, at least for the tears of Ra, but give yourselves time to adapt to your new life. Get to know each other. It's not changing anytime soon. Now, I am off. We have others to speak to."

"Like Seto Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

"He got the gist. He knows the price," Sekhmet said as she stalked wearily toward Yugi. "He knows because I rambunctiously couldn't help taking a finger. Bastet granted him a favor and told him what it had been. He remembers now." She moved back and forth around Yugi. "I could offer that. Cut through all the wondering what it all costs and what you can get back? Just offer this goddess your finger."

"Sekhmet," Bastet scolded.

"One finger, I'll tell you everyone you know that's involved in payment and what it's all really for, it's much bigger than just making up for the millennium item use."

"Sekhmet!"

///Yugi:That will really hurt.///

///Atem: No, do not fall for it, Yugi. We will know soon, and we will not have to lose a finger.///

"How about this? How about I give you a tiny taste of information? So you'll give me that finger," Sekhmet encouraged. "Seto Kaiba is involved too."

"When?" Yugi asked.

"Before you." Sekhmet licked her lips. "I can't feast on the other one, but you are only giving payment. Just a tiny finger for all the knowledge you will never know. Things will happen all around to your friends, and you'll never know why."

Yugi held his fingers closer. "Thank you for letting us know Seto Kaiba knows about you."

That only made Sekhmet angry. "Give me that finger!"

"Sekhmet!" Bastet called out. "Let's go drink some God's Brew and feel better."

Sekhmet stared at Yugi. "Just call my name when you are ready to know the truth." She disappeared along with Bastet.

"Kaiba. Involved. How? Things happening to all my friends." Yugi looked at his finger. "Would I get to pick the finger?"

///Atem: Yugi!///