Greetings, one and all!

It is I, Suntory Angel, with a special little announcement:

This here will be a collection of oneshots relaying to my fanfic known at "The Mummy Groom"!

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They will be labeled accordingly with rating, theme, and inspiration!

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To help get things started, I thought a glance back at their duration while in the underworld was in order!

As always, I do not own rights to YGO or any other references that I might make!

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Happy Reading!

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Theme: How pharaoh and the dancer met.

Rating: K

Inspiration: Introducing the moment that the Tea truly began to come to terms with what was happening.

Healing Touch

Her hand rose as he made to come closer. This was all happening so fast that her mind was left spinning like a vortex as he remained at a distance. The pharaoh made to intervene but if memory served him well it was best to let reality sink in on its own. He opted to simply watch in silence, despite his inner wish to calm her. That must have been the right choice since she suddenly marched herself over and began to examine him. It was a bit odd for him as her hands ghosted over his figure. None but his most trusted servants had clothed or bathed him, though he preferred to do both himself, and had never been touched by a woman like this. He blinked and held perfectly still as one of her hands slipped within the folds of his tunic, her warm fingers felt like scorching feathers that caused his otherwise cool being to grow warm when her palm flattened against his chest. His gaze quickly shifted upwards when hers threatened to meet his. The situation was very foreign and delicate, he wasn't about to make her feel anymore uncomfortable by insinuating that he was-

"Judging must have been one of your strong suites when you were…you know…alive…" She removed her hand and turned away. There was no doubt he was real, despite how cold his temperature was and that he had multiple places missing flesh.

He shrugged, resecuring his tunic. "Not necessarily."

"So you weren't just making assumptions about me?"

"Not at all. I was just remembering something fondly is all." It wasn't a total lie, his thoughts would have drifted in that direction if given the chance. This peaked her curiosity and she asked what he was talking about. He moved around so they could speak face-to-face and was relieved to see genuine interest shinning within her deep blue eyes. "During my reign, even before, it was forbidden for a man and woman to touch. This was taken seriously by our culture."

One of her eyebrows rose in questioning curiosity. What did any of that have to do with what was happening? Her thoughts shifted to the story she had heard and felt guilt fill her. Here she was, not taking his feelings into consideration and the fact that he had allowed her to touch him without permission as she sorted through her psychological meltdown spoke volumes. Her lips parted to offer an apology but he simply shook his head. "How did you two…" The pharaoh's eyes never wavered when their gazes finally met. It was then that Tea's vision became hazy.

She was kneeling, pain radiating from her ankles that caused tears to prickle the backs of her eyes. A hand struck her across the face as a disapproving grimace came into focus before she was struck again. White hot pain shot across her back, causing a shriek to pass between her lips. A hand hurried itself into her hair and forced her head back. She saw the whip rise up into the air and braced herself for the surely painful impact…that never came. Her skin crawled as a voice rumbled close to her ear and a few strands of familiar white hair tickled her face. "Well, well, looks like we have a visitor. What do you want, I'm in the middle of something." Someone she couldn't see said that their presence was requested and then they were gone. Th hand in her hair shook violently. "You hear that, girl? I expect you to dance well enough for the pharaoh's son that we receive a handsome reward. Is that understood?"

Tea fell to her knees as the vision faded, bringing the alarmed pharaoh before her into focus. His expression and eyes shone with concern as he also kelt so they were closer in height. Sweat was beading on her brow from the intensity of the vision, which threatened to blind her if she didn't do something soon. The gentlest of contacts caused her to bristle but she soon lost herself in the deep gems that were his eyes as he carefully dabbed at her face with a piece of cloth. Her senses were tickled by faint notes of sandalwood and water lily when he tilted her chin upward so he could better work. His worry grew as she swayed dangerously and quickly caught her before she could make contact with the ground as she lost consciousness.

The large throne room entrance loomed above her in a near threatening way as she paused in front of it. Music and chattering could be heard from inside but her focus was on the throbbing of her ankles. If she danced, they were sure to get worse; If she didn't dance, she was sure to be punished. A growl from her left caused a chill to pass down her spine and spotted the angry expression of a man with white hair -was that Bakura?!- before she was shoved through. Her eyes widened when a man in white robes gestured her forward, his sapphire eyes unmistakable as he called for everyone's attention to focus on her as she came to a stop before the mighty throne. The current pharaoh sat comfortably within it while his son, the man who was supposedly her husband now, stood by his side, both watching her with great interest. Her body bowed lowly as the music changed from the festive jumpy to a smooth sensual rhythm that she had heard numerous times. She kept care to ensure her head was bowed despite her movements as the music carried her away from them back to the center of the room so that none could truly see her painful grimaces when an ankle protested. No matter what she was going to finish the dance.

Her heart froze as the music suddenly stopped, leaving her to fall to her knees when a shadow fell over her. "Bring a basin of cold water and some medicine please. A spare pillow as well." Hands gently lifted her arm, allowing an incredibly warm arm to wrap around her and was lifted. It wasn't until she had been placed upon one of the large extravagant seating pillows that she realized the pharaoh's son had been the one to stop the music and was currently attempting to remove the dressings around her feet. As if sensing her alarm, his gaze rose to meet her own and his lips lifted into a kind smile. "You are going to be alright now. Will you let me help you?" Her head eventually bobbed slightly, earning a bigger smile that caused her cheeks to warm. Now that he was closer she could understand why the women and girls in the streets would converse about how handsome he was. His expression filled with worry as she bit her bottom to stifle a whimper when he began unwrapping the decorative ribbons and she about balked at how bruised her ankles were. They were so discolored that she was surprised she had been able to walk at all and the swelling was nearly three times their normal size. A woman appeared next to them with a water basin, a glass bottle, and several wrappings but she quickly took over for the young man when she herself had seen. The prince conversed lowly with the woman as she worked, their voices barely above a whisper, but Tea's attention was focused on the shadow that lurked within the throne room's entrance.

There was no mistaking that it was Bakura but what did that necessarily mean? The fear pounding in her ears was definitely more than what she had developed for her so called uncle. Her body instinctively tensed when his eyes bore into her own as his lips formed a snarl. There was no mistaking that expression: she was in trouble. The fear of what was waiting for her coupled with the immense pain caused the tears she had been trying to fight back suddenly burst forth with a pitiful cry. She didn't care who saw nor the fact she was before the mighty pharaoh and his court, all she could do was cry. Something wrapped around her shoulders as a hand gently stroked the back of her head, causing her to cling to it as the tears grew to the point where her body was wracked with sobs. "I shall be… punished for such… disrespect…" she sniffled, the arms around her tightening. "I only wish… to dance freely… without fearing the whip…"

The hand behind her head turned it so that it could rest against a shoulder and caught sight of elaborate gold jewelry. "Do not worry, I shall speak to my father once this night is done." When she looked up, the pharaoh's son offered her a confident smirk as he glanced to where Bakura was still leering.

Tea's eyes slowly opened, a hand rising to her hair when whatever her head was resting against shifted slightly. Amethyst eyes met her own as her head tilted upward. He must have caught her when she passed out and looks like he had moved them both to the wall where he allowed her to rest against his figure. "I am relieved to see you wake." His finger gently brushed underneath her cheek, surprising her with the moisture that had gathered upon it. "Are you alright?" Her hand rose and grasped his own as she nodded, her gaze finding the twin birthmarks that wrapped around her ankles. Maybe this was real after all and she wasn't going crazy.

See you next time!