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Let me Carry You From Hell To Home Again -- Beauty And The Beast AU (Tendershipping)

[Once Upon a Time, there was a village not far from an enchanted forest.

It was a normal village, filled with normal people living normal lives. Truly, it was a place ripped right out of a storybook that a particular young man enjoyed reading to his sickly little sister.

A sickly little sister that, one day, passed away.

So the young man lived alone with his father: an explorer who often found himself wandering into uncharted territory and disappearing for weeks at a time. Both were considered 'strange' by the town's standards, often ignored and treated as outsiders by any who knew them. Truly, the man's father was all he had, even if the two had a strained relationship and were hardly what one would consider 'close'.

The boy's name was Ryou, though some of the men in town jokingly called him 'Beauty' for his feminine looks and gorgeous long hair. He took it in stride, spending every day working odd jobs to keep himself fed while his father went off on his expeditions...

Unbeknownst to him, though...

His father's eyes fell onto the castle in the Enchanted Forest.

He found a Ring there, and had to leave with it.

However, a Beast confronted him, and threatened his life. Told him that for trying to steal what was his, he would take his life.

The man, Mr. Bakura, was desperate to survive; there were things to find, and he wasn't ready to join his daughter and wife in Heaven. He had things to see, things to do, and wanted desperately to leave the town behind that had so many horrible memories...

But.

Thinking quickly, the man begged and pleaded:

"Please," he said, "I have a son! He's young and beautiful, and his life is worth far more than mine. If you let me go, I'll bring him to you, and I'll give him to you! No questions asked!"

He didn't intend to give Ryou away, of course; he just needed to find a way out.

To his surprise, the Beast even acquiesced! Told him to return home to his son to have one last day together before the Beast would take him into his castle to take his life.

So Mr. Bakura went home, and did not tell Ryou anything of this encounter, not knowing that the Beast was following behind him to take Ryou once he arrived home...]

Weren't You the Queen, And I Your King (Mythship × Yuugi AU)

CW: Incest

[The Ceremonial Duel...

The day Yuugi and the Pharaoh were to part. Atem returned home to the Afterlife, and Yuugi... was left to continue living.

He was a stronger person now, really! Losing a part of him that was always there for three straight years? It was fine. It was what Atem wanted, so it was fine.

He said forever.

But he just wanted to go home.

It was fine.

It was fine.

Yuugi couldn't bring himself to return home with the others... and so here he was, sitting in the Ishtars' guest room, trying not to let them see him crying in bed with his face buried in the pillow.

It was fine.

It was fine.

Everything was fine.

The Ishtars were so good to him: Marik was a ball of life and energy, and Ishizu... she made him feel safe. Comforted.

That was why he couldn't let them see him cry. They couldn't let them see just how much the Pharaoh's passing had affected him.

He promised.

He promised him...a lot of things. Atem spoke kindly and told Yuugi he was all he needed. He talked about what they'd do together when he got his memories back: where they'd go, what they'd do...

How he loved him.

How he never wanted to be without him...

Was...

Was that a lie...?]

You are the Reason / You're the answer when I'm Drifting Away -- [Klepto / Boundshipping AU]

["When Osiris's Chosen Falls without Ascending, the World will Go Into Darkness."

That was what they said.

It was an old saying in the court, often whispered amongst the old and the wizened and those with enough time in the world to remember where it came from, or to see more than one coronation and the usually cruel aftermath.

Most knew better than to forget it, but over time, the saying fell into dusty old papyri and was dismissed as the speech of old codgers who did little more than whittle their lives away reading instead of looking towards the future of the realm.

You see, it was said that Osiris's chosen would be found by a mark on his back. A birthmark, shaped like a great dragon in flight.

In the early dynasties, the son -- or in one case, the daughter -- who would ascend the throne had the symbol on their back, wings spread wide. The court knew better than to deny them this right, and would give them the throne with little fight, regardless of any political intrigue that may erupt from it.

By the time Akhamkhanon's other son was born -- born of a concubine, a woman not nearly as beloved or as politically powerful as the Head Wife -- it was all but forgotten. When the little boy Ihehy ("Jubilation") was born, he was cast out immediately. His back (and mark) was burned, but somehow he survived, taken in by a poor family with little more than a cartouche bearing his name around his neck.

Ihehy grew up poor, but happy...but all had to end eventually. When he was fifteen years old, his family was slaughtered by a group of men who decided to try to sell the boy into slavery. His anger burst out of him in the form of a dragon with black scales and red orbs, and promptly left the men as little more than ash.

It was then when he met his Itja ("Thief").

Bakura was his real name.

The young boy covered in ash and blood with a destructive power beyond his means fascinated the man; he could be useful in his quest to take down the pharaoh of Egypt. He took him under his wing, and the two bonded.

...

They fell in love.

Ihehy was too kind, his Itja too greedy: neither wanted to let each other go, and even when things seemed impossible, they stayed by the other's side.

Except it was not to be.

Ihehy was caught in an attempt to protect Bakura. He battled the Priest Set, and while he did defeat him, he was too weak to continue, and was taken into custody. As his lover watched in horror, Ihehy was butchered, his blood stained the sands, and his broken body was seared into Itja's memory.

Zorc Necrophades hoped this would happen.

"You will never get him back," he whispered. "His Soul and Body are rent and no longer in this world. Ihehy was precious, wasn't he? If he isn't there, what's the point of existence? What's the point of Anything? I can reunite you, though. I can reunite you in the Pits of Oblivion."

His words held true, and Itja willingly summoned the demon into the world.

Bakura's soul was sealed alongside -- intertwined, mingled with, the same but not -- with Zorc's in the Millennium Ring, certain that Ihehy had faced the Darkness.

Millennia passed.

Little Yuugi Mutou grabbed onto the Millennium Puzzle and solved it on his own, becoming the vessel for his elder brother.

And time would repeat itself, as the two souls were soon to meet again for the first time.

After all, a new boy named Ryou Bakura was set to be transferred into their class after having moved from another town...]

[Angstshipping AU] In the dark we're the same, in the concept of time

[It was gone.

The presence that filled his mind and nearly killed his friends was finally gone; or, perhaps it was just sleeping. Souls were not easy things to destroy, and the spirit of the Ring was not a fragile sort.

He was one who clung to life with his fingernails from his grave, spitting and coughing and clenching blood-soaked teeth.

He was strong.

Unlike Ryou.

How many days did he lose to the spirit taking over his body? Did he look upon the streets of Domino with awe? Disdain? Frustration? Lust? What did he think when he looked through Ryou's eyes...?

He skipped school again.

This was the third day in a row where he just dressed himself in casual clothes, sitting in the middle of the park with little rhyme or reason, the ring tucked into his bag.

The spirits seemed happy and quiet...though maybe that was wishful thinking on his part.

Being outside was nice, though. Smelling the grass, feeling the wind...

It helped him not think.

Except maybe he shouldn't have been so comfortable; he was fast asleep sitting up on a bench, satchel with the ring held tight in his arms.]

Entry tags:

emerald khamsin

[Post-Canon Yu-Gi-Oh! AU] -- I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much

[She met him for the first time when he was lying in the street, drained and exhausted on the side of the road.

The poor thing was so pale; his long hair fanned around him and his clothes were rumpled and dirty. It was like he was wandering for a very long time, though, goodness -- it was difficult to imagine why someone so young would suffer such a fate. Inko had taken it upon herself to carry him home -- she was thankful for her nursing training, since she's pretty used to carrying people around when necessary -- and set him in a bed for him to rest.

When he awoke...

He was so tired. So exhausted.

She couldn't get ahold of his family, so she took it upon herself to make sure that the young man -- Bakura, he called himself -- was able to take care of himself.

She made sure he ate.

She made sure he slept properly.

Honestly, it was...nice. It was probably the most exciting time she'd had since she was first married, all those years ago. The house was animated, filled with life and occasional conversation and activity. He was so talented, too; he could build amazing things! He could build large worlds with crafting equipment and even design little dolls to play with! It was for a game that he called "Monster World"; they played it together a couple of times, and it was more fun than she was expecting.

He even made her a cute little figurine for her character: a cleric, dressed in a lovely robe of green and pink.

She still kept it by her bed. It was such a cute little thing, after all, and it was made with such meticulous care. Honestly, it was almost lifelike, and when she touched it, she could almost swear that her hands felt warm.

It...

Gods, of course such a time would come to an end. Bakura -- "Baku" as she started to call him -- had his own home to go to, and he told her that he had something very important to do. He would never articulate what that was, but it was none of her business. So long as he was doing well, she was happy.

...

It's been three years since then.

She still lives in her little house -- inherited from her mother, which she moved into after she and Hisashi divorced -- and still works at her nursing job.

Day in, day out...always the same routine.

Still, sometimes she searches for a glimpse of white hair, or a hint of that necklace he always wore. It's silly, perhaps, but it would be nice to see him again. Even if it's just to know that he's doing well.

It's another night.

She's heading home from work, having hopped off the bus as she walks down the quiet roads to her home in the dark.

She probably shouldn't walk home alone, but, goodness, she's in her forties. Unattractive, besides! It's not like she's going to run into anyone, especially at this time of night...]

[Early Meetings AU] Even now, you're still inside; You're my Light that Never Fades

[It's been at least a day, but Yuugi still can't stop thinking about it.

Meeting Namu.

Dueling him.

His smile.

His voice.

The strength of his hands, the sweetness of his scent.

...

His kiss.

Yuugi may have laid in bed that night, reliving that moment over and over and even thinking of how it could have...escalated. How they could have enjoyed one another even more.

Nnnngh, he had it bad.

And now here he was, sitting at a table outside the game shop while questioning literally everything that he decided to do that morning.

His clothes: a powder blue short-sleeved hoodie over a black tank top, powder blue cargo shorts, and tennishoes. He even had a pin of a djed pillar on his breast, representing Osiris (a God that spoke to him, though he's not sure why).

His hair: In its usual style, but definitely softer than usual (he made sure to use extra conditioner that morning to prevent any tangles).

His scent: He used sweet-smelling coconut soap and shampoo this morning to make sure he looked and smelled his best.

This...was a date, right? This had to be a date. It was the closest thing to a date he'd ever been on, and he didn't often go out with friends, either...

Yuugi dug into his pocket, touching the object therein. A gift for Namu for when he arrived, since it was customary to give gifts on dates, right? Ugh, what if he thought his gift was stupid?! Nnngh, he was doing this all wrong, and definitely looked like a shy nervous wreck right now! Definitely uncool.]

Entry tags:

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

[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.]