Sekhmet's Move (Part 4)

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

Atem was still dwelling in the apartment, wrapping his head around what happened. Yugi would clearly not be okay with this, and he shouldn't be. This never should have happened. Still? ///Bakura: Even 5% is still me too./// He had told Yugi that he wanted to try to talk to Téa as well. He knew he wasn't going to get much private time with Téa. Yugi would clearly not be okay with this, and he shouldn't be. This never should have happened. Still? ///Bakura: Even 5% is still me too./// He had told Yugi he just wanted to have a private moment with her. Yugi was confused, but since he really wanted to know what was wrong with Téa, he allowed him up to try.

He'd tell Yugi soon to look at his card. He would. He just wanted to talk to Téa privately first before crossing that awkward bridge. Understanding that she had a friend no matter what in him, it was important.

He knocked on the door lightly.

Téa eventually answered it. She didn't look cheery at all.

"Hello? I'm sorry, I know this isn't the best time, but finding time could be tricky for this," Bakura apologized. "I wanted to let you know that I?" He held up the card, showing that he knew. "I want to help you out, however I can. I don't know the future, but I . . . I am not looking for a relationship, Téa, but if things do work out, then I want to be here for it as well. I've really always wanted a son, someone to play with and teach things and watch grow up? I think it would be wonderful, so I really do want to help. I just never found the right kind of person."

"Oh." Téa didn't seem happy or sad. "That's good. I guess."

Yes, awkward considering the sacrifice thing. ///Bakura: Keep trying./// "I didn't tell Yugi yet. He hasn't noticed the card is revealed yet." She should know that.

"I appreciate that. Yeah, all my trying to save heartbreak ended up doing nothing because you just aren't allowed secrets with Pharaohs." Bitter. "However it might turn out. It's great to have a friend like you, Bakura. I'm sure in the meantime, I'll be fine," she insisted. Oh wait, did she tell him too? She reached over toward his neck. "That. It should come off now."

"Oh, I almost forgot. You're right, you even gave the necklace away to Yugi." Bakura looked down his shirt. "Thanks for the reminder, Téa." He tried to bring it through his shirt, but it was too big. He unbuttoned it lightly and brought it up and over his head. "I guess that seals it. The Bandit King isn't a part of me anymore."

"Nope, you're all separated," Téa said as she took the ring from him. "Hikaru is supposed to be just the light energies. Silhouette is the dark energies."

"Hikaru?" She already knew the name? "Fitting name."

"Is it? It's what the gods wanted to call it, and I don't want to be picky," Téa answered. "It sounds nice for a boy. I think it's a boys name for him?"

"It does." ///Bakura: It's a boy. I'm having a boy!///

///Bandit King: You already knew the gender.///

///Bakura: Yes, but, it just felt nicer to have it confirmed.///

///Dark Bakura: Yes, that fits you./// Dark Bakura was nearby, he had actually beaten him to the Game Shop. He just didn't feel like using the front door to sneak in. ///Bakura: Yes, Téa is having a boy named Hikaru.///

///Bandit King: Masika is having a goddess?"///

///Bakura: You're having a little girl named Silhouette.///

///Bandit King: Wonderful. Too bad I can't say hello with her trapped away for eternity.///

///Bakura: Don't say that! We will figure this out. Oh!/// Once Téa moved he saw . . . ///Bakura: New goddess here.///

///Bandit King: Which one?///

///Bakura: It's not Ammut, the hind legs aren't short enough./// She did have a crocodile head though. He gave a small bow as she took his ring. ///I think it's Tauret?///

She bowed back. "I am Taweret. Take care of your woman. Pregnancy isn't easy, let alone what they must go through. They will start feeling the effects very soon. Do you have any questions before I leave?"

///Bakura: She is Taweret. She will leave if we have no questions./// "I am really part of the god in Téa?"

"Yes," she answered.

///Bandit King: You already know that, will you quit getting bashful? Ask her if we made the millennium items, would we be susceptible to Zorc again, or would we be more protected?///

"No," she said to Bakura. Being a goddess, she seemed to actually hear Dark Bakura's request. "Everyone creating this time is protected. Those who actually do not create, will not be protected."

///Bakura: Those involved in the creation are protected from him, and she can apparently hear you.///

///Bandit King: Does everyone who has a millennium item card have to be involved to save them?///

"The one who creates the millennium items, will keep whatever their other sacrifice should have been. If you were to create the millennium items, then it would save Masika and Téa. It would not save Mai Valentine or Serenity Wheeler," Taweret answered. "If Joey Wheeler for instance created it with no help from anyone else, only Mai would be saved."

"Oh goodness, it's a good thing Seto Kaiba kept that card," Bakura said. ///Bakura: The one who does it, saves the one that was in the secondary card. Apparently if something happens to Seto Kaiba's card, Serenity Wheeler would be sacrificed./// What was he going to choose? The only thing he had seen any concern for out of the Bandit King was for him and Masika.

But, the millennium items, the way they were created last time. 99 people. 99 people. "Is there a way to work out another deal?" Bakura asked her. He looked behind him. He spotted Yugi around the corner. He waved.

"Still talking?" Yugi asked. "Sorry." He sheepishly went away. When he was gone, Bakura looked back at the door. Taweret was gone.

Dark Bakura snuck around the corner.

"I'm gonna." Téa didn't look so well. "I'm going to lay down. I don't feel so good." She suddenly looked very tired.

Oof. Bearing a god was probably not going to be good on the system. "I will go then."

"Sure. In a second." Dark Bakura snuck past Téa into the room. "Masika?"

"I don't know. I got a quick run through and that's it," Téa said in frustration.

"Is there any time that you exist where you don't need help constantly?" He looked toward Téa. "Both of you, destiny has always made you the ones most likely to fall into trouble. Do you remember how many times I had to help you?"

"Yes, what's the point, I'm tired," Téa said to him bitterly. "I want to rest before someone else knocks on the door."

"Yug!"

"Or yells the truth out before even going to the door." She looked toward the door. "I gotta go." She headed downstairs toward Yugi as Joey was coming in and shoving a card in Yugi's face. "Shutup, Joey, I'm telling him!"

"Telling him?" Joey asked as Yugi looked at the card.

"Mai is a sacrifice now if you don't make the millennium items?" Yugi asked as he gave the card back. "How?"

"Atem made the big kitty mad," Joey said. "Real mad. I don't think there's a choice about them items."

"Brother." Serenity called from the front doorway to. She apparently came with Kaiba and Tristan. Tristan? He should be in the hospital.

"You should be in the hospital," Joey chewed him out too.

"Joey? My card was taken, and Seto Kaiba got two new cards," Serenity said.

"Millennium items or her," Seto said. "Atem made Sekhmet mad."

"Okay, just hang on, guys." Yugi said. He looked toward Téa first. "Do you want to talk about something, Téa?"

"Nobody wants to talk about it." Téa didn't know how to start it, especially with the line of people already having problems. "Your card, Yugi. They are revealed now."

Yugi looked at the extra card. His eyes went a little wide as he was reading.

"What did Atem do?"

"Yo, Yug, how'd he make her so mad?"

Yugi didn't say anything, as he watched out the door. Atem was coming. He didn't look any more pleased either.

"So why'd you piss off the huge kitty?" Joey started it. Atem didn't answer.

"If you make someone mad, can you try and make it not a goddess? They tend to get mean," Kaiba told him. Still no response as he walked straight in.

"The card," Atem said to Yugi. "I see you see it."

Oh great. Atem just had to glance at her. "Don't even!"

"You aren't leaving to New York," Atem told her calmly. "I forbid it."

"You definitely aren't leaving to New York," Yugi agreed. "You need to stay right here, and we need to figure this out."

"We need to figure everything out," Joey said, "because Mai and Serenity shouldn't be put up for a sacrifice just because Sekhmet got mad about something. Atem, man up and go apologize or something."

"Masika?" Atem said toward Téa instead.

"Sekhmet said I can't reach her, no one can, and she'll be back later to tell me more," Téa said. "Don't you look at me like that. What in the world were you doing, pulling Masika into a shadow game?"

"A shadow game?" Everyone asked pretty much in unison.

Atem didn't answer back. He still had some real guilt trip eyes on her, like she was the one who messed up, and not him.

"It never would have showed up on the cards if it wasn't for you!" Téa accused him. "Why couldn't you just leave it alone? Just, let me leave and disappear, and no one would be hurt. No one would have ever known anything." ///Téa: No, no breakdown!/// "Stupid! All I want to do is go lay down, but I have a bunch of stuff to deal with down here because you couldn't just let me have this. Jerk."

She felt Yugi hug her. Dangit. That wasn't fair.