Title: Like Home, Almost
Author: kirin-saga
Characters: Mirage, Bakura
Rated: G
A/N: For Cindy_73. It's been a while since I've seen Yugioh, so I couldn't remember exactly what happened in the time frame you gave me. Sorry. Hope you like it anyways.
Summary: Mirage meets someone who might be familiar. Bakura meets someone who reminds him of home, but also of someplace else.
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"I remind you of a what?" Mirage asked curiously, watching in fascination as the creature - couldn't be human; he gave off the wrong sensor readings for human despite what he looked like - circled around him. Mirage frowned in confusion, not understanding why it thought he was so fascinating, and moved slightly away when the thing reached out to poke him.

"A Sphinx," Bakura answered as he leaned close enough to see his reflection in Mirage's plating. "Only your colors are wrong for that and you don't have the feline body." Idly, he wondered if any of Mirage's parts were removable; the Pharaoh himself would kill for something this high in quality. "You remind me of Egypt, actually. And of Atlantis, as well." His gaze tracked up Mirage's body until he was looking the mech in the eye... optic. "It's like you're a part of them both." And he even felt like part of them both; the dry majesty of Egypt and the cool, mystical energy of Atlantis... "But also part of something else." Because there was age there that not even the timeless Egypt could achieve. "And it feels like you're trapped between three different worlds, instead of two like I... like how some people I know are."

Mirage cocked his head and leaned closer, studying the not-human. It was strange, what the creature had said, because it felt right almost. He did feel like he didn't belong where he was. Because where he was wasn't Cybertron. And maybe because where he was wasn't these other places either. Mirage had never heard of Egypt or Atlantis, but the names struck a chord in him; they seemed almost familiar, in a strange way, like they were part of the otherworld he passed through whenever he used his invisibility. Even this creature - Bakura - felt almost familiar in a way he hadn't expected when Bakura had fist stalked up to him mere minutes ago.

Bakura was still talking, telling Mirage of all the things he reminded him of, and Mirage could almost feel the power in the images he described. So familiar. Like home, almost. He would have to visit these places his new friend spoke of, even if it was only in the strange otherworld, because if he couldn't be part of Cybertron any longer, maybe he could be part of something in this world.

It was a very comforting thought.