Masika's Past (Part 2)

DIMENSION: ANIME (The One That Saves the Day)

"You do," he said. "I'd appreciate knowing more details than that, Masika."

She made her first move. "My family was killed when I was eight. I was sold to someone else and ran away. Bakura found me. He tried to take me to Kul Elna to live with him, but the spirits wouldn't allow it. Instead, he tied me to his monster, and watched out for me that way."

Diabound? He made a move. "How did he tie you?"

"Whenever I was in deep trouble, I would be teleported to him." She watched the board.

They found camaraderie as children. So? There was a spark of good left in that side of Bakura. A spark. A small spark. "If he can resist saying anything mean to me, I wouldn't mind if you played with your friend here."

"He'll need time," Masika said. "I knew him best before the curse of his village boiled inside of his blood. He stopped coming to my aid when he said he was getting too dangerous."

Oh. "The curse of his village moved slowly in him?" Atem never knew that. All that anger and hatred piled up within him, causing him to bond with Zorc. ///Atem: The village is now at ease. Zorc is gone from Bakura completely./// He looked back toward Masika as she made a move. ///Atem: He didn't come down for a fight. He is wanting the friend that he deserted back then./// Bakura's soul was beginning to be cleansed.

Ryou Bakura was right, he wasn't really a threat. The test will be to see how he respects Ryou Bakura's body now that he has control. Would he hurt it or abuse it in a way his vessel wouldn't like?

He played several more games with Masika. Now that he could concentrate, he won all but one. The first one. However, she would eventually win against him. She herself was very good at that game.

He asked her about her experiences in her time since she had her full memory. She shared some, not going into much detail. It was clear, Ancient Egypt wasn't as kind to her. When he got the nerve to ask how she passed on though?

Things turned.

"I respect the almighty Pharaoh," she said as she released the catch to let the pieces fall, "but I find it a great offense to ask about the end of one's life."

Hmm. "I know that you were the owner of Ebonnee, but I wondered if your death had anything to do with your chosen place as well." He tried to explain it.

She lifted her eyes toward him without lifting anything else. A disturbing look came across her eyes. Even though she had obeyed him, this was something that she couldn't seem to do.

Okay. "Did you look like Téa when you were alive?"

"Yes. All but the hair," she answered. "I kept mine in braids and curls, or I shaved it off. Depending on the husband at the time." She made the first move of the new game.

Hmm. ///Atem: There is a block of ice between us. More than just getting used to being friends with a past Pharaoh./// Was there something else Bakura knew about how she died? ///Atem: That block, it must be that./// "I would appreciate knowing what is keeping you distant from me?"

"You are The Greatest Pharaoh, I am but a humble servant to you."

"False." No. "You are using that as an excuse. You are a very good actress." He smirked. "If you had absolute respect for your Pharaoh, you wouldn't have cursed in my presence."

Yep, there it had been. She started to relax, almost in defeat. "Ebonnee came out of the card. Do you remember who was supposed to come out of the Ties of Friendship?"

Oh, it had to do with the Ties of Friendship card. "A daughter." Yes, Yugi even dated Rebecca to get the Ties of Friendship for it.

"You used people to summon the monsters. When a monster was defeated, the summoner was too."

Hmm. "You and your daughter were used to summon?" Impossible. "The millennium items allowed the closest to me to summon. I would have no need of that."

She stubbornly put in a piece. "You're right. It's just the pathetic puny mind of your subject. She remembers Ancient Egypt, but no, she must be wrong about her death. Your move, The Greatest of All the Greats Pharoah Atem."

Oh. Oh. Oh! "You are a very good actress." This whole time he had thought she just couldn't call him by his first name. ///Atem: The longer the name, the more foul she has actually been to me. Her version of cursing, without being accused of anything, to stay in good manners with her host./// She wasn't afraid or frightened of him, she hated him. "Why would I use you when I had millennium items at my disposal?"

"I don't know," she said firmly. "I have no idea what things a Pharaoh thinks about. Your millennium items were strong but not perfect. You only had so many, yet there were so many disposable subjects."

That attitude. "Who did you raise?"

"Heba and I were in charge of your Dark Magician." She held up the fake Dark Magician Téa had. "You're right though, it must all be in my head. It was absolute instinct that I knew how to summon from a picture. Came with the position as spirit with Téa, right, The Greatest Pharoah Atem?"

That? "If I did have need of a summoner, that wasn't one with a millennium item, I'm sure I wouldn't have chosen a wife and child." He made a move.

"You didn't see," she said hoarsely as she put the card back away. "Just like you couldn't see an innocent, small cat in the way."

Hm. ///Atem: She might have something. I cannot always win. I cannot always be right./// That was something he needed to remember. Maybe she was onto something about why she was chosen.

"Are we done yet?" She clinched her teeth together. "Do you feel like you tried to be friendly enough today?" She glared at him. "You have to be friendly to your past lowly subject, Pharaoh, there's no choice. This past slave spirit is trapped with Téa, the one woman your Yugi self always loved and still can't get over years later. Oh no, you don't get to decide anymore." She threw in another piece. "You're stuck running a peasant little game shop with a spirit slave and her cat. Screw up, and Yugi will lose Téa. I'll convince her that Bakura can help her with the same thing, and with me whispering in her ear, it won't take long before she has a new husband in the other more gentle Light Bakura. Then you'll have a real good rest of existence with someone who would always secretly hate you, just because you couldn't make a friend." She emptied the playing board and let the pieces smash on the table. "Is that about right, The Greatest Pharoah of all the Greatiest Great Pharoah's Atem?"

Atem watched her stand up.

"I will stay peacefully here, you do not need to try to be friends with me. I will learn the way the Game Shop works, however, I will also give it my all to learn from Téa, so that she does not have to give up on her dream of dancing in New York. In the end, whether it is the Game Shop in Domino City, or dancing in New York, her wish is what I will listen to. Not yours, Not Yugi's, no one but this vessels own wishes will dictate my actions! Anything else and I will convince her to go to that sweet Light Bakura."

Atem folded his hands together. ///Atem: Okay. Every friendship is different. This one will prove quite a challenge.///

"Oh, don't look like that," she complained to him. "That was not a challenge I just set upon you, The Greatest Pharaoh. I tolerate you. I do not need to be a friend." She groaned with a mocking sound. "Atem."