[Yu-Gi-Oh! AU] Don't Think Twice before You Listen To Your Heart; Follow the Trace for a New Start

[motherlypeace]

[This was supposed to be an exciting class trip.

The spring semester was about to come to a close, and Inko Hakuba's first few months in high school were supposed to end with a fun trip for everyone before the summer vacation began.

Said fun trip?

Going to Egypt.

Truth be told, she'd been looking forward to this trip for weeks; it was meant to be a trip for the senior students, but after a particular incident that was not disclosed to the public, the funds and tickets were given to the first years for free (so long as the student had a usable passport) as punishment for the students in question in lieu of barring their chances at graduation.

So Inko and her class were shuttled onto a bus, put on a plane, and were sent to Egypt as a cultural studies trip.

Her very first trip, her very first trip without her parents, and to a foreign country, no less! She was being taken to a land of adventure, full of beautiful golden sands, priceless artifacts, and ancient magic and wonder.

(Of course, it was not actually like that; but nobody had the heart to tell the poor girl that when she excitedly got on the plane. She was only fifteen, less than one month off from her sixteenth birthday, and she was clearly very excited!)

Their first stop was an outdoor market near Cairo, which was clearly trying to appeal to tourists like Inko who bought into the idea of the country rather than the reality. An old woman with graying hair reached out to Inko as she passed a stall, and stopped her as she was about to walk past.

Her classmates didn't notice that they left her behind.

"Yes...?" She asked in clumsy Arabic.

"You...I've seen you before."

The woman spoke in perfect Japanese, but it was clear that she was not a native speaker. Her mouth moved in a strange way, and they didn't seem to match her words, but Inko understood her perfectly.

"I...Excuse me?" Inko blinked.

The woman fished under the counter, pulling something out and holding it to Inko.

It looked like some kind of stone, almost the size of her fist. The image of what looked to be a tiger was carved on it, and the stone...looked old.

Quite old.

"For you. Don't worry about paying."

Inko took it in her hand and held it to her chest, and it felt warm in her hand. She didn't understand what was going on, but she nodded.

"I...if you're...thank you."

She bowed quickly, hurrying to catch up to the other students that were milling around nearby at another stall.

She dreamt of a voice that night, speaking to her. It was faint and muffled, and she couldn't understand it.

It wasn't until the next day, when they went to visit the Cairo museum, that she understood the words:

"Find me."

When she and her classmates went to the museum, she found herself stopping at a stone tablet on the wall with the same tiger etched into it; it looked like he was staring right at her...but that couldn't be right! That was a carving!

And yet...

She felt the stone in her hand growing warm, almost burning to the touch as she felt it...

Phase inside her body.

And something opened up under her, swallowing her whole as she fell into an abyss to the horrified screaming of her classmates nearby.

...

And there she was, lying in her Domino High school uniform inside what looked to be an open sarcophagus, the mummy long since removed. She was in the fetal position, short hair in disarray as she hugged herself.

She was unconscious...

And she wasn't in the museum anymore.]

Comments

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Indeed she wasn't.

She wasn't even in her current time.

Just as he was about to loom over the edge of the sarcophagus after having gotten it open, both he and Diabound sense something.

And smell something. Something sweet like perfume...? A woman's scent?

The thief looks down at her, slightly taken aback by the fact that there's a living body in the sarcophagus. Was she being punished...? (Of course he wasn't surprised to find a body. That was a given. But a live one. That was unusual.)

He grabs at her skirt, rubbing the fabric between his fingers. How strange... it doesn't feel like anything he's felt before. The white snake coils itself around his master's arm, flicking its tongue out to taste the girl. Not of this land. Not of this world?

A click of his tongue as he rummages through Inko's pockets, frisking her for anything valuable.

She won't likely wake up if she's been sealed for a bit now, right?]

[motherlypeace]

Mmmm....nnnn....

[Something...something's touching her. Touching along her sides and nudging against her. Gosh, her kitty was so persistent, always nudging her for affection and food first thing in the morning...]

Zuu-chaan...stop...I'll...f-feed...you later...

[Inko's body shifts, and she huddles herself tighter under that touch.]

Nnnnh...I said...stop it...!

[Wait.

Wait, that...

There wasn't fur. That felt like...

Slowly, Inko opens her eyes...]

Nnnn...?

[...That's a man.

That is a man and he is touching her and she's not in her bedroom, where is she where is she what happened, what's going on--

She sits up quickly, screaming at the top of her lungs as she huddles into a ball and backs up against the...bed? Place she's sleeping? Where even was she?! And was that a...?!]

KYAAAA!!! WHO ARE YOU?!

[thefinalsacrifice]

[He doesn't understand a word she's saying even as the poor woman screams.

Curious that she seems whole and healthy. Was she not sealed away on purpose? What's going on?

But he pulls away, as Bakura assumes that's why she's shouting at him. His hand lowers to his jeweled dagger and he debates putting her out of her misery right here and now.

But he's never really been a killer, just a graverobber.

The snake lazily slithers up his arm and curls up around his neck.]

/What are you doing in here?/

[It's not Arabic. If she knows her languages, Inko may recognize it as Late Egyptian.]

[motherlypeace]

[She curls into herself, clutching her body tightly for a moment...

But then she notices; he isn't speaking her language. It isn't Arabic, either. It sounds...it sort of sounds like what "Late Egyptian" sounds like, though she doesn't understand a word of it. The syllables just sound similar, but...

How can that be?

Why would someone be speaking late Egyptian to her?

Why would she be here at all? Wasn't she supposed to be in the museum? Where did she go? What happened? What...?

Breathe. Breathe, Inko. He's trying to speak to you. He doesn't seem to understand a word you're saying.

Inko closes her eyes...breathes...

Takes a deep, deep breath.

Then lets it out.

In...

Then out...

In...and out...

She shakes her head, wiping her eyes and standing on wobbly legs.]

I...don't understand you.

[From the look of the room, it looks like she's in an underground chamber of some sort, standing in the middle of a...

...coffin? Sarcophagus?

What is she doing in there? Oh Gods, what was she doing in the coffin? Was someone going to kill her?! Oh no, she can't--!

Focus!

She takes another deep breath, trying to stop herself from hyperventilating. Panicking won't do her any good; this man is her only hope for finding anything out, and she has to find some way to communicate with him...!

She puts her hand on her chest, biting her lip.

She shakes, just a little.]

Inko. I'm...Inko.

[She pats her chest again.]

Inko.

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Bakura and the snake watch her curiously as she steadies herself.

Who the hell is this woman? What is she dressed in? And why is she here? How is she here?

His hand is about to go to her skirt again but he stops once he sees she's trying to... introduce herself?

Violet eyes study her for a moment.]

Inko.

[He points to her face.]

A week and a half later...

[motherlypeace]

[As a girl who was used to sleeping on futons, Bakura's home suited her just fine. She spent most of her time inside, eating when Bakura ate and practicing her Hieratic when he was out of the home.

It was well and good that Naturia could translate for her and help her speak, but she needed to learn the language on her own.

She pointed to things to learn the words for them, learned phrases and practiced speaking, and even practiced them on Bakura when he arrived home in the evenings.

It was...nice.

She found some soft spare cloth around the home, and fashioned it into some light day wear by looping it together and tying it in the middle with a loose strip of fabric. (She made sure that nothing was see-through or exposed: she hardly wanted Bakura to get an eyeful!) It likely was not what people of this land wore around the house, but it was comfortable enough and easy to wash when Bakura was out. She got into the habit of washing her clothes (and herself) when he was away with some water and scraps from her skirt: her uniform was too torn up to be used for much other than scrap fabric at this point, so she might as well re-use it.

She was particularly tired today, though...She spent more time sleeping than usual, huddled in her usual spot among some soft pillows.

Naturia huddled close, cuddling with her as though he was a feline instead of...well, her Ka. He typically rested at her feet or a foot away, but he was particularly close this morning, purring softly against her stomach as though trying to comfort her.

She's sleeping soundly, though.]

[thefinalsacrifice]

[It was... strange having someone here with him. At first it had just been himself. Then Diabound manifested one day as a tiny snake. As he began to grow older, the Ka beast too grew in shape and form. While it generally remained as a snake, it was capable of becoming a terrifying god-like being. Even then, it took a while for the two to adjust to each other.

Now? Now he had a woman and her Ka in his hideout with him. A woman out of time, out of her element but was willing to adapt.

That was one of the few reasons he didn't throw Inko out on her ass. She proved capable so far... How long would what last though?

But now would be the time to integrate her into traveling in town by herself. He needed to buy her clothes so she could blend in. So he buys a cursory outfit to get her by for the time being until she can pick something out herself. The thief returns to his hideout to find Inko sleeping and gently nudges her with his foot.]

Hey.

[motherlypeace]

[Inko lets out a small huff as she's nudged...and slowly opens her eyes.

For a moment, they look dull, but upon seeing Bakura they spark with life, glittering in the morning sunlight.

She sits up, stretching her arms as she yawns.]

Nnnnn...Ohay--I mean, Good morning.

[The more she speaks hieratic, the better she gets at it. She's been slipping into Japanese less and less lately.]

Did...Baku sleep well?

[thefinalsacrifice]

Well enough.

[He unslings the bought outfit from over his shoulder and holds it out to Inko.]

Here. You can wear this instead of the makeshift... robe you've made. Once I teach you how to walk and carry yourself, you can pick out other outfits in the market.

Bath Time

[thefinalsacrifice]

[After a good meal and waiting for the sun to set a bit more, Bakura eventually takes Inko to his favorite bathing spot. True to his word, it is indeed very secluded by trees and rocks. The rocks are generally why people avoid it and it doesn't get as warm as other parts of the river due to the trees covering some of the water from the sun.

With their basket of supplies and some linens to use as towels, Bakura sets their stuff down and begins to strip without a moments thought. Nudity isn't a huge thing in their culture, after all. He's aware men and women usually bathe separately but he wants to make sure no one followed them and that Inko is safe.

A small plop is heard as Diabound flops into the water and Bakura begins rubbing the soap into his clothes to wash.

Inko is treated to a rather nice view of the thief's impressive physique as he crouches next to the water's edge.]

You don't need much soap to get your clothes clean.

[motherlypeace]

[Today was...goodness, it was some of the most fun she's had in ages. This was more enjoyable than going out with Micchan or Miho-chan, or going out with her class.

Why was that...?

Why was it more enjoyable than that...? Was it Bakura's company? The sun on her skin? The taste of the food?

Perhaps it was all of it.

But then it was time to bathe.

In truth, Inko isn't sure what to expect. Were they going to bathe on other ends of the river? Were they going to bathe one at a time--

--No, they were clearly going to just bathe at the same time and be naked together oh Gods oh Gods this was not a drill that was literally Bakura being naked holy Gods he was gorgeous his body was so muscled he was talking to her he was talking to her he was talking to her he was expecting them to bathe together oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods--

Inko squeaks, her face a bright cherry red at what she sees.

Look at him.

He is...he is an adonis. There is nothing else to describe him other than 'beautiful': his muscles are perfect, his hair is perfect, his eyes are gorgeous, and his...

Oh.

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.

That was...

Oh Gods, that was a man's...

Inko's eyes shot up back to his face immediately, but the damage was done. She saw it, flaccid and beautiful and thick and why did she feel warmth in her stomach all of a sudden? Was it hot here?

Was this Marble God of a man expecting her to take her clothes of?!

Inko looks dazed for a moment...

Then finds it in her to speak.]

O-o-o-o-o-h y-y-y-yes! Ah-ah---!

[She very quickly mutters something in Japanese as her hands fumble over her clothes, taking them off and making sure that she doesn't tear them or knock anything loose.

Think of it like an onsen. Think of it like an onsen. Just think of it like an onsen this is not weird in the least...!

Once her clothes are off, she holds them in her hands, rubbing soap in her clothes as well.]

O-Okay. Th-thank you for the meal--wait, no that's not what I mean! I--thank you. I.

[Deep breath.]

Thank you.

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Bakura just watches as he's fairly certainly he just saw a bit of her Ba leave her body.

It doesn't dawn on him that she's embarrassed by his nudity until her eyes move down his body and her face turns red.

Ah. Yes. That strange prudish nature of hers. Bakura grunts and turns away which only lets her get a nice view of that chiseled ass of his instead.

...

But he does steal a quick look at her once Inko's naked and.

Hn.

Her body is...

Picturesque. Curves in all the right areas. Supple, plump breasts with cute pink nipples. All of her skin looks so soft...

She had said she'd never done anything with a man. Does that mean none have seen her naked either? He's the first...

Gods, even her sex looks soft. Warm.

Delicious.

Bakura unintentionally licks his lips before turning his attention back to his clothes.]

... I'm glad you liked the food.

[motherlypeace]

[Oh, that ass is...nnngh. It's gorgeous, chiseled, and...it's perfect.

What would he do if she...?

NO! She couldn't just touch it! What was she thinking?! Goodness, you don't just touch a person like that!

She smiles, trying not to think about the fact that they are naked right now.]

Yes, it was delicious. I've never had anything like it in my time. I grew up with food that's much more subtle; this was absolutely bursting with flavor! I could eat food like this for the rest of my life.

[She finishes rubbing soap into her clothes, gently rinsing it off with water.]

A-Ah...when you start to w-wash yourself...would you like me...

[She pauses.]

T-To wash your back for you?

That Night...

[motherlypeace]

[Inko changed back in her makeshift robe as night fell and the moonlight started to stream through the window.

Like this, wrapped in a soft toga-esque thing that covered her more than her day clothes did, Inko really did look like some kind of Grecian beauty, framed by the moon and leaning back on the soft pillows and fabrics that she used as her makeshift bed.

She wasn't sure what to do.

Sure, they were lovers now, but were they lovers now? Bakura was...softer with her. Kinder. But that didn't mean that they were...you know.

Boyfriend and girlfriend.

After all, Micchan told her that people can have casual sex all the time, and she did have sex with some of her male friends from time to time.

But...

The way Bakura touched her. The way he smiled at her...it was so gentle. It made her face hot and her heart race.

She hugged a pillow close to herself, knees to her chest. All she needed to do was rest. She just needed to think of something soothing, and she could get herself to sleep, instead of letting today run through her head over and over....]

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Bakura strips down to his smallclothes once they get back. No point in wearing too many clothes now that Inko's seen him naked. He only wore more than that prior because of how prudish she was.

And while he may not fully understand love, even the thief knows when a woman wants to be close. The way Inko is curled up, the tone in the air. He sits up from his spot in his pillows and looks over at the girl.

Besides, it would be rude not to sleep with her after what they just did.]

Inko. Come here.

[motherlypeace]

[Inko glances up, pillow in her hands.

What did Bakura want?

She set her pillow down and walked over to him, sitting at his side.]

Is everything all right?

[Don't let your heart race, don't let your heart race, don't let your heart race...

Inko's cheeks were warm, her eyes were soft...]

[thefinalsacrifice]

Get comfortable.

[He pulls his blanket back to let her settle in next to him.

Straight to the point as always.]

One Month Later...

[motherlypeace]

[For the third week in a row, Inko got up before the sun rose.

She whispered her good mornings to Bakura, urging him to go back to sleep before slipping on her cloak, tennishoes from inside her knapsack, and...a tiny skirt that she procured from the market. It was typical servants' fare, and usually worn without a shirt. Inko kept her cloak on to not arouse suspicion, but they were remarkably close to the shorts she would wear in her time when she was expected to work out in gym class.

She had herself a little jog around town, darting in and out of alleyways and staying out of sight. At first, it was difficult, and she often had to keep still for long periods to not arouse suspicion, but after a while...

She learned the city streets well enough to where she could keep moving without getting caught. It was...fun.

She occasionally used windows of abandoned little homes to climb in and use as cover when there were people around.

It was like a game.

Admittedly, she hadn't told Bakura what she did in the mornings for that hour and a half (max; these days it was close to thirty minutes); she wanted to surprise him. By the time she got back, he was usually still asleep.

(Or feigning sleep. Who knew when it came to him...)

This morning had a particularly invigorating run. She drank water from one of the wells and snuck behind one of the houses to clean herself off of sweat.

She decided to do something a bit more bold today. She usually came in through the usual entrance...

But with her getting better at climbing, she figured she'd come in through one of the windows.

So her head peeks into their little haven as she starts to climb in.

If Bakura's awake, this must be a very silly thing to see first thing in the morning.]

[thefinalsacrifice]

[There isn't much you can hide from a master thief, especially just starting off. Bakura always keeps tabs on Inko regardless of where she goes.

That's some of the perks of having a Ka beast who can turn invisible. Diabound is always close by should Inko need it. Which is why Bakura is generally asleep when she returns. His Ka would waken him if he was truly needed.

He lets her do as she pleases though, amused by the fact that she's trying to teach herself the art of sneaking and escaping, learning the layout of the city.

When the girl returns the current morning, he's lounging on the pillows, enjoying the cool morning breeze.

And he locks eyes on Inko as she climbs through the window.]

Hello, kitten.

[motherlypeace]

[Inko lets out a squeak of surprise as she stumbles inside; her climbing is better, but she's not nearly as graceful as Bakura. Her shawl slips off her shoulders and flutters to the floor, leaving her in little more than her tiny skirt and tennishoes.

(Look, at least she lands in a roll instead of in a heap. That's progress.)

It's also hard to stay composed when he's looking like that and using that nickname.

Is he a Master Thief, or a Master Seducer?

This man's beauty and grace is illegal.

No, really. He is so gorgeous that if he were unleashed into her time, he clearly would be arrested for crimes against ovaries.

...

Especially her ovaries, because seriously look at him.]

A-ah...! Baku...!

[Where was that confidence when she ran across town, ducking into alleyways and diving into open windows? Here she is, blushing like a schoolgirl.]

G-Good morning.

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Bakura grins, chuckling to himself for the fact that he caught her off guard. Good. She shouldn't get too comfortable when trying to sneak around him.

He shifts in his spot a bit as Diabound lazily slithers up his body to curl up around his neck instead.]

Rule number one to thieving: Never let your guard down. Even if you know your location like the back of your hand, you must always be prepared for the unexpected.

I assume your prowling and pouncing went well?

A week later...

[motherlypeace]

[Inko had left that morning, just like she had every morning.

Prowling and Pouncing, as they say.

It was almost routine at this point: Get up before the dawn, kiss Bakura good morning, and then dash about the city, perhaps even getting bold enough to swipe something when someone wasn't looking. Nothing from a mark's person, of course; her pickpocketing was still clumsy and while her fingers were nimble, she couldn't flow like water in the same way Bakura could.

No, she simply swiped things from food carts or fruit sellers to get her breakfast.

(Oh, how her heart raced the first time she stole something. How her stomach swooped and her throat closed up. It got easier over time, especially the better she got at it)

Just like every morning, that went off without a hitch.

No...

Something else happened. Something unexpected.

As she was leaving the market, she felt something in the air. Something wrong.

Something...familiar.

(Words she didn't understand, a young face but that crackle as a hand reached out for her she felt like she was being ripped apart)

Naturia paced inside her heart, making sure to keep himself scarce as the feeling washed over her; the air closed in on her, her throat was scratchy, she could hardly breathe. Eyes were on her, she could tell, and there was the crackle of someone's Ka nearby--

--Someone who wasn't Bakura, but someone she knew.

How? How did she know them?

And why did she want to get away as fast as possible?

Naturia urged her away from the market, and her legs moved as swiftly as they ever have, away from the presence and deeper into the city. She knew these streets like the back of her hand at this point, but even she knew not to go into the darker alleyways unless she had a reason...

And she did.

She had a reason to crawl into one of the abandoned buildings and lean against the wall, gasping for breath and clutching her chest.

She wanted to get to Bakura, but she knew that she shouldn't. Couldn't.

Had to keep away until that feeling in the air went away. Otherwise she'd lose it again--

Lose what?

What would she lose?

She didn't know! She didn't know she didn't know she didn't know!

All Inko knew was that she couldn't leave her little shadowy corner, hand on her mouth as she tried her best to not even breathe too loudly--

She couldn't lead him back to Bakura. It wasn't safe. He was there and he might have seen her and if he saw her then he could find Bakura and then neither would be safe--

And she hoped to all of the Gods that he didn't see her.]

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Thankfully Diabound was always close by. Particularly in this case, as soon as it could sense the odd energy coming from the Priest's men.

The snake slowly slithers out into view, flicking its tongue at Inko as it waits for her to notice him. When she does, it slithers on to her arm, up to her neck, and wraps itself snuggly around her. Not uncomfortably so though.

Hopefully Naturia won't mind it encroaching on their territory but... Inko needs to get to safety. And what better way than to phase through walls?

The woman will hear a quiet, airy, androgynous voice in the back of her mind, and it only utters one phrase:

The wall.]

[motherlypeace]

[Diabound! He was...here? She hadn't felt him at all; if that was true, then was Bakura nearby? Or...

The snake's weight was grounding. Comforting.

Like Bakura was there, standing beside her.

Naturia huffed, but 'made room' for the snake to get settled. He knew what he was trying to do--

Inko gasps at the sound, glancing around. It was like Naturia's voice, but...not.

Was it...?]

The...wall...?

[She takes a deep breath, almost breathing 'at' the wall, and steps back...

Her foot goes clear through the stone.

She holds her breath, moving her other foot...and she fully phases through like air, or ice melting through a grate.

Was...

This what Bakura felt like...?

She touches Diabound gently in thanks, but does not speak.

Instead, she takes one step back. Then another.

Slowly she backs up, pressing herself against the shadows as she assesses her situation.]

[thefinalsacrifice]

[Good. She figured that out quickly enough. Inko is given one last instruction before Diabound goes fully quiet:

Bakura.

It should be able to cloak her presence until she gets back to their little hideout. As soon as Inko's ready to head that way, he enables that, continuing to let her shift through walls like they aren't even there.

When they return, Bakura's waiting for them. He holds a hand out to Inko as she approaches, a look of concern on his face.]

What happened?