Metal Bird of Death (Part 3)

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

///Masika: I do not want to do this. I am going on a huge bird object that will be flying so far off the ground, one step off is instant death.///

///Téa: Relax. I fly all the time, Masika. You always did just fine. Divinity should be having more of a problem than you.///

///Masika: Téa, I buried myself completely inside of you during this, not even looking outward. This. Plane. I hate it. I hate this overwhelming fear inside of me. I wanted to pass into the afterlife safely, but no, it will be with pain, plunging to the Earth!/// Masika stared at the stairs while holding Téa's cat. Mokuba was trying to pull her up into the jet with her other free hand.

"Hey there, relax, come on," Mokuba said kindly to her. "It's not going to hurt you. Didn't you go through this before? What's wrong?"

"She was buried too deep." The Greatest Pharaoh stood beside her. "You barely broke the surface within Téa, even I could not sense you, Masika. Now, you are in complete control. I know what you are feeling. Being alive. It's not easy to get used to it. Feeling fears, anxieties, even speaking and walking is hard. The fears we felt in life are even more amplified. But, I know you can do this. Take Mokuba's hand and be brave."

Masika watched as Joey just patted The Greatest Pharoah's shoulder, hard.

"Yep, that's Yami confirmed," Joey said out loud. "Nobody else gives speeches like that."

///Masika: The amount of disrespect for the King of Egypt!///

///Téa: Yeah, that's Joey. He treats everyone equal, Masika. As much as it feels wrong, Joey is right. Treat Atem like you would treat me or Mokuba or anyone else.///

///Masika: I am not prostrating in front of the King of Egypt, The Greatest Pharaoh, and I have exchanged words. Isn't that enough? Where's Bakura?///

///Téa: Don't worry about Bakura, you can see your friend later, but you aren't staying with him. You are going to be running a shop with Yugi and Atem and me. Get over it. Treat Atem like a regular guy and he's easy to get along with. I know you can. When you were in the game, you weren't speaking Egyptian. When you introduced yourself to me, you weren't speaking Egyptian. Maybe you tried to stay deeper, but you can't tell me that things didn't change.///

///Masika: Fine. Yes. I have modernized myself a little. I still don't feel, as you would say, I should 'rub shoulders' with the frickin' Pharaoh.///

///Téa: Life goes on. You said it yourself. Life changed a bunch in the few years I ran it.///

///Masika: Téa. You don't understand what it's like being near him. Take the highest celebrity you have ever known, and take that excitement and add absolute fear to it.///

///Téa: I know you don't think of Atem as a friend, but we are sharing bodies, and I do.///

///Masika: Well I am not very adamant about being near The Greatest Pharaoh! One wrong word to a Pharaoh sent people to death in my time. If they were having a bad day, many people could die! We should go with Bakura, he protects us.///

///Téa: I'm sure Atem didn't do that. Maybe the people around the Pharaoh. You know, like businesses today. So? Don't think of Atem like this evil person. He even saved me, knowing their would be a bad punishment, Masika. He's a friend.///

Hmph.

///Téa: I know he hurt your cat.///

///Masika: He stampeded over it with a horse. Is that what you call hurt?///

///Téa: I know. I am sorry. That shouldn't set a precedent of how you get along with him though, it was an accident. Even your cat seemed to forgive him. I promise, he won't hurt you. You could be good friends.///

///Masika: I am friends with Bakura, and I know from your words, what transpired between them. I highly doubt I can be in the elite that stayed by the Pharaoh.///

///Téa: Well, you are going to be running a business together, so get over your fear! Just take it as a nice honor if you have to, but don't cower.///

///Masika: I don't cower. Bakura would never forgive me if I did such a thing to Pharoah Atem! I respect, I do not cower.///

///Téa: There, you see? You said his name.///

///Masika: His name is The Greatest Pharoah Atem. I was speaking formally with you though, not him.///

///Anzu: His name is different in different company?///

///Masika: Ooooh, my goodness, yes.///

///Téa: Yeah. I'm guessing Bakura never called him that.///

///Masika: That fucker would never call him anything honorable.///

///Téa: Masika?!//

///Masika: What?///

///Téa: You. Cursed.///

///Masika: So?///

///Téa: I didn't picture you as a curser, that's all. But? I guess, Bakura was your friend. Is your friend. Anyhow? I can imagine how much it's changed in your time but I have a request.///

Hm?

///Téa: I want you to call him Atem instead of Greatest Pharaoh. In fact? I want you to tell Yugi to make that request of everybody. You can't run a shop with someone saying 'Hey, Pharaoh, how much is this card'.///

///Masika: I cannot connect with the Greatest Pharaoh's vessel.///

///Téa: No, you have to tell Atem to tell Yugi my request.///

///Masika: Have you been drinking out of the wrong side of the Nile River?!/// Masika picked up one foot and reached for Mokuba's hand. ///Masika: Ending my life on a gigantic metal bird of death./// Although she couldn't just disobey Téa either. What could she do?

Masika held onto Mokuba's hand as she arrived onboard. She sat down. The longer she was inside that body, in control, the worse she felt. Feeling. She gave Divinity to Mokuba and stared straight. ///Masika: Just don't think about where we are. If only Bakura had come too, but he didn't want to travel with the Pharaoh when Téa made it clear she wanted to stay with Yugi in his Game Shop.///

"Loosen up, Hon, you're going to be okay," Mai said to her. "I'm not leaving Skeezy. He won't go after friends again."

"After friends," Joey muttered. "Ignore me all these years, but you stayed actual friends with Téa. Slumber parties too."

"It's called staying in New York for the weekends," Mai told him. "I told you why, Joey, don't start this."

Joey muttered but stopped talking.

///Masika: Am I not supposed to be okay? Why is she telling me that I am going to be okay?///

///Téa: Because you will be okay. Mai is a good person, don't worry. Remember? She comes down sometimes. Usually tears up something in my life for a day, but the day before that's always fantastic. Never would have changed a thing. Barely made work though when she came.///

"The edges." The Greatest Pharaoh's voice again. "Your hands are unconsciously gripping the edges of your chair."

Okay. Masika should let go of the edges. It sounded like something The Greatest Pharaoh wanted, but her hands wouldn't stop clenching.

"Okay, so," Joey started once everyone was on and strapped in. "This whole switch off thing. How long and why? And the more I'm looking at you, Pharaoh, the more I'm starting to notice something strange about that puzzle."

"Yes. I will try to explain from the beginning," The Greatest Pharaoh said. "I was in the afterlife, but I don't remember it. However, through the power of the millennium necklace, I saw what happened. Téa was in trouble, and Masika had no more power to help, without me there. However, to regain the power of the monsters that Egypt possessed, many innocent sacrifices had to be made. She prayed to the gods for assistance, and they let me hear her voice. I could not allow the sacrifices, but I could not allow Téa to suffer either."

Masika listened to be aware of the Greatest Pharaoh's words while she tried to unclench her grasp on the seat.

"I made a deal. A spiritual deal," The Greatest Pharaoh continued. "The millennium necklace on Masika grew from her, it is attached by the gods. As is, the millennium puzzle. Yugi uses the rope so no one notices it attached to him."

"Whaaa- the puzzle is growing from his stomach?!" Joey almost flipped backward in his seat. "Say it ain't so!"

"It is so, Joey," The Greatest Pharaoh said. "Unless we find a way to appease the gods with a different price, or a way to lessen the severity, then we are doomed to live half-lives, with them."

///Téa: Okay, maybe try just one finger at a time, Masika?///

///Masika: It still won't unclasp. Hands are not a hard object-Nyah, heh, we're moving?! I still cannot let go.///

///Téa: Masika. Is there anything I can do?///

///Masika: This is not taking care of your body, Téa, I am the one at fault, I just don't know-///

"She is really out of it, I don't even think she's recognized I'm right here."

Masika looked beside her. The woman Mai put her hand on top of hers.

"Hey." She rubbed her hand. "Relax, okay? I gotta imagine being from some ancient Egypt, being thrust into a body, and forced to get on something impossible in your time as a plane is a lot to handle."