Metal Bird of Death (Part 1)

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

Atem looked toward the puzzle. "I've been removed, and I can't feel the way back in. Yugi?"

///Yugi: I can still hear you.//// Yugi was right next to him, his spirt could clearly be seen.

"Can you leave though?" The situation was hard enough. He hoped he did not steal all of Yugi's privacy. That had been important for each of them.

///Yugi: Yeah. I feel normal, like I could come back and forth. Except, I can't because there's a block between us.///

"Yes, that block is me. When it is your turn, that block will be you." Atem watched Téa. Or Masika. "Did you take Téa's place, Masika?" She gave a light nod, but the expression he could barely see as she hung her head. He knew exactly how she felt.

///Yugi: We have an hour before Mokuba is ready, Atem. We should work out what we are going to do. I did convince Téa to come back with us.///

"Agreed." Cold. Being alive meant he felt temperatures, touch, and pain. Everything those that were alive had to feel. The air was unusually cold. It felt colder.

///Yugi: You have to say something, in order for us to work anything out. They can't see me, and I can't see Téa.///

"Yes. Sorry, Yugi." ///Atem: I have selfish desires within me right now. I should have gone on. It feels like it was all taken away from me by force, even though I enforced it. No monster, no shadow game, no magic, just one mortal man and too far to save in time!///

///Yugi: I get it. I do. It should all be over. We'll look though, Atem. There must be something we can do.///

If there was something, they would find it. ///Atem: I will do my best not to get in your way. Whatever it is you want to be or your aspirations./// Yugi was so much younger than this when they first joined. Even when he left, he had not yet graduated. Different issues would arise with the passage of the time. Especially with him forced to take Yugi's body every cycle. ///Atem: I will do my best to make it possible. Some will be harder, much harder, but I vow to do what I can to make it through any difficulties that arise.///

///Yugi: You need to help Masika run the Game Shop.///

Um? ///Atem: I don't think I understand you, Yugi.///

///Yugi: Téa is going to be coming back to Domino City with me. Masika won't be able to act, and you aren't going to be able to design games. We are going to run the Game Shop while we figure this all out. You'll have to run the Game Shop too, with Masika.///

Hm. ///Atem: I know about leading and fighting, Yugi. I don't know how to run a shop.///

///Yugi: I'm sure the Great Atem can figure it out if he gave away my body to the gods.///

Atem sighed. "Bitter much, Yugi?"

///Yugi: made a great life for myself, I didn't have anyone tagging along with my every thought, and now it'll never be the same! Thanks for saving Téa, I would have made the same choice, I'd give anything for her- I'm way too emotional to think and talk right now, give me five minutes!///

"Understood." When Yugi said that, it had always meant not to listen to what he thought. A complete filter on for five minutes. It wasn't easy for Yugi, being told that he had no more control of his body. They were split. Even. And Atem hated it just as much. ///Atem: Helping with the Game Shop it is./// Honoring Yugi's requests was about the only thing he could do.

Masika didn't say a word so Atem waited the five minutes. To make sure he was aware of the time, he spoke. "Better, Yugi?"

///Yugi: Sorry. This is a big change and I'm scared. At least I can talk to you. I shouldn't blame you, you did this for Téa, and she means the world to me. So, thank you. Anyway, Téa's skills aren't going to be something Masika knows. She's going to be in real trouble, so she'll need something different.///

"And we are there to help her."

///Yugi: I know the Game Shop and so does Grandpa. He'll be able to teach you when I can't. You'll need to learn a lot, but that shop needs to run at least five days a week to make any profit unless someone comes in for or with expensive cards. Selling or buying the right card could keep you in a profit for a month, or it could put you in the red for a year.///

"I see. Sounds like we had better get the business right." Or Yugi could get fleeced on the cards.

///Yugi: Is Masika ever going to say anything? This is really something to talk about.///

"Masika," Atem addressed her. "Stand up." She instantly stood up. "Téa is going back to Domino City. You will be responsible for learning the duties of running the Game Shop." Somewhat surprised, but she recovered. "I will be helping you to learn it as well. I will be learning too." Yes, that did sound awkward. A learner watching a learner. "You cannot communicate with Yugi and I cannot communicate with Téa. This leaves us to communicate wishes and thoughts through each other or through them." She bowed gently. "There is no need to do that anymore. Without you, I could not have saved my friend. Without accepting this price with me, I could not have paid it to help her. Thank you." She didn't seem to know what to do with that.

"Your welcome?"

Atem smirked. ///Atem: There we go, a little bit of progress, Yugi.///

///Yugi: Yeah, probably Téa telling her to lighten up. I wish I could see her too.///

Atem couldn't make that happen, but he could ask about her. "Masika. Is Téa's presence felt by you right now?" A nod. "How is she?"

Masika looked in different directions, like she was catching flack like Yugi just gave him. "Téa Gardner may need some time to answer that."

"Bitter toward you." Atem understood. "The vessels have every right to feel that way." Atem was used to control in duels. Yugi usually let him take control. During serious situations, Yugi let him take control. To have complete control and not be able to be casted out? It was a miserable, invasive feeling.

At least he felt Yugi. If he hadn't, he would have felt as miserable as he did when Yugi's soul had been casted away from him.

///Yugi: Tell her about the Game Shop. Just the Game Shop, I'll tell Téa more when I'm ready to. Uh? Don't forget you have half our bodies so you need to take half responsibility. Shower. Eat, three times a day if you can. Change your clothes each day. Comb hair. Oh, and teeth! You have to brush every day, really. Cavities are a pain. And if you make dishes, you do them. And you should have dishes if you are eating right.///

///Atem: Got it, Yugi./// "Masika." Her attention was drawn to him again. "We need to be careful to follow daily rules. Showering. Teeth. Eating. Dishes. Understand?" A nod. "Anything else, Yugi?"

///Yugi: No, except to wait for Mokuba. He doesn't know you lost your body, and Téa is now someone else too. So, be patient with him.///

As Yugi said that, Mokuba walked through the door. "Are you ready, Yugi? Hi, Téa. You look well. There's also more company-"

"Téa!"