After their encounter with Ishizu Ishtar, Kaiba, Bakura, and Yami watched their ward more closely then ever. There was hardly a single minute in the day when Daphne would turn around and not find any certain pairs of crimson, brown, or icy blue eyes watching her.

One afternoon, she poked her head out of her room and looked around. The coast seemed clear. She then tiptoed up the stairs. Finally, a moment of peace a quiet. Now, if only the guys wouldn't find her missing for at least an hour…

No such luck.

Fifteen minutes later…

"Hey, Yami," Kaiba walked up to Yami. "Have you seen Daphne anywhere? I can't seem to locate her." Yami looked up from his studies.

"I haven't seen her," he looked up, concerned. "Where do you think she'll be?" He jumped up, sending papers flying in every which direction.

"Don't get nervous yet." Kaiba reached out and caught a piece of the flying paper. "I'll go ask Bakura."

He left the library and headed for his room down the hall. There, he pressed the intercom button and boomed, "Bakura, where are you?!" Then he waited. There was a sound of scuffling from the intercom, it turned on and then off. Finally, Bakura's voice came on the intercom, sounding further away than it should be.

"I'm in the kitchen." He sounded like he was scowling at something. The speaker began to fuzz and Kaiba had to shout his question.

"HAVE YOU SEEN DAPHNE ANYWHERE?"

"…can't hear…again…down…" Kaiba gave a irritated sigh as he began his trip down his huge mansion. He found Bakura in the kitchen just as he said and he was staring at the toaster as if it was a snake. The ancient spirit had finally mastered using the intercom only to be deceived once again by the toaster.

"Bakura?" The tall CEO approached cautiously. The days with the yamis had taught him the lesson of staying away when their flashing eyes were narrow, their lips pursed, and their shoes tapping impatiently on the floor. He found out that it was actually possible for Yami and Bakura to become as dangerous as he was. "What are you doing?"

"How in Ra's name does this piece of worthless machine work?!" Bakura all of a sudden exploded, slamming the toaster with his fist. Kaiba rescued the toaster and flicked up the control that was pressed down.

"You mean like this?" The toast popped up, but they were so burned that they turned into ash as soon as Bakura's hands touched them.

"Stupid machine." He muttered.

"It's the newest instrument out actually." Kaiba said curtly, before remembering what he had came down for. "Have you seen Daphne?"

"I've seen wild roses, Daffodils, dessert flowers, Irises, but I've never seen a Daphne before." The tomb robber was still glaring at the toaster.

"I mean Daphne," Kaiba growled. "Daphne…the cousin, the daughter, and daughter of lover…that Daphne."

"Oh," the tomb robber looked up. "No." Then his eyes narrowed. "Did you loose her, you crazy ill-mannered—"

"Spare me the modern teenager speech," the owner of Kaiba Mansion said tartly. "You, of all people, should know I'm nothing like a normal teenager."

Bakura glared at him, then a cocky ghost of a smile curved on his lips. "You're probably right," he agreed smoothly, surprising Kaiba. But he kept his composure and said surely,

"If you don't know anything about Daphne, then I'm leaving. I have better things to do then to talk with you."

"Sure, sure," Bakura waved him off. "Just leave me here to burn down your kitchen. I'll make sure I do it in a way so that the insurance would cover it." Kaiba stopped short in his tracks. Then he turned slowly around.

"Bakura…"

"Okay, fine." Bakura threw up his hands. "Teach me how to make a decent lunch and maybe I'll consider telling you where Daphne is."

"You knew where she was?"

"I might. That depends, the pharaoh couldn't even make anything near decent to eat. I'm stuck with the cooking if we ever want to survive."

"Fine. Open canned soup, dump it into the pot, heat it, and get some bread with it."

"Interesting, I didn't know the CEO knows how to cook."

"I don't. I've seen Mokuba make dinner once."

"I see." Bakura's impudent smirk caused Kaiba to turn red in infuriation.

"You know, that attitude of yours is really getting into me." He growled through clenched teeth.

"I know." Bakura's grin grew wider.

"You two are really getting on my nerves." Yami came into the kitchen and glared at them both. "If you want to argue, then go somewhere else."

"This is my house." Kaiba narrowed him eyes and pointed out crossly.

"And I'm fixing lunch." Bakura crossed his arms.

"Have you guys seen Mokuba?" Yami changed a subject. "I think he has one of my books and my Duel Monsters cards."

"So Mokuba had taken a fancy to the pharaoh, huh?" Bakura looked over at Kaiba, amused. Kaiba muttered something about disloyal and not careful with his deck.

"If both Daphne is gone and Mokuba, then I only have one guess where they'd be." He shook his head, brushing his silky bangs away from his eyes.

The rest nodded and headed up for the library.

Silver glinted in the afternoon sunlight streaming through a window. Black hair as black as the midnight sky gleamed as the rays reflected off. Windowpanes sparkled and had a green view outside of the Kaiba Mansion. Books were paneled against the wall and lined on the shelves. A clear flute melody was heard.

"Hey, Daph?" A little voice interrupted the aria. "What's nine times seven?" Daphne set down her flute.

"Sixty-three, Mokuba."

"How did you get the answer so fast?" The little Kaiba looked up admiringly after writing the detestable digit down on the paper. Daphne cocked her head.

"Why, that's easy." Daphne said lightly. "Here, let me teach you a trick." She slid from her window settee down to where the wild-jet-black hair was.

"See," she said as she spread her fingers out on both hands. "You've got ten fingers. This is number one." She wiggled her pinky on her left hand. "And this is ten." She wiggled her pinky on her right hand. "Now, this only works with the multiplication table nine, get that?" She looked at Mokuba. He nodded eagerly.

"Okay, if I want to find what nine times five is, I would fold down finger number five…which is the thumb." She bent her thumb. "Now, how many fingers are on the right and how many are on the left?"

"Four and five." He said triumphantly.

"So the answer to nine times five is forty-five." She watched the youngest Kaiba tried the trick with all of his fingers with amusing, loving eyes.

"Nine, eighteen, twenty-seven," he counted. "Thirty-six, forty-five, fifty-four, sixty-three, seventy-two, eighty-one! It works Daph!"

"Of course it does." She gave Mokuba a smile before picking up her flute once again and engaged the charming silence of the library into an enchanting fantasy. Peace. Her heart soared and went into her music. Having Mokuba only made it better, for the young boy depended on her and loved her unconditionally.

"Daph, what are memories?" Mokuba's voice once again stopped the captivating and irresistible strain. She set it down patiently once again. "My teach wanted us to write a memory about us and our parents." Mokuba tilted his head sideways, causing some of his bangs to cover his eyes. The pair of eyes that looked like a duplicate of Kaiba's, only more pure and innocent.

"Well, memories are events that you remember." Daphne explained. "In this case, write something you remember about you and your parents."

Mokuba was silent. When he did speak, his voice was no louder than a whisper, "I don't remember my parents."

"Why don't you write about Seto, then?" She said brightly, trying her best to cheer up her cousin. "He's your family after all."

"And you." Mokuba looked up quickly, his big dark eyes sad. "You're my family, too, aren't you Daphne?"

"Of course I am." She replied softly, pulling the younger boy into her lap. "You and Seto are all the family I have now, besides…"

From where Kaiba was standing behind the bookcase, a lump formed in his throat. A long silence followed that, and Bakura and Yami were flashing questions and answers back and forth with their eyes. Before they could confront the pair though, Mokuba's voice was heard again.

"Daph, what are your parents like?" Daphne played with a strand of her hair as she rocked Mokuba back and forth, pondering over the question. The pull of silence was so long that Yami almost couldn't stand it.

"I don't remember." The boys finally heard her voice say softly.

"Oh," the ten-year-old sounded disappointed. "I was hoping maybe I could write a memory about the people you care about the most. Like…your heros."

"Well…in that case…" Daphne's voice took a lighter change to cheer up her cousin, though still melancholy. "I might remember something. My father."

"What about him?" His voice was eager.

"My father was the most compassionate, fair, and the wisest man ever." As she began, her voice began to take on an ethereally and utopian tone. "He was a courageous man, never unwilling to sacrifice himself for a friend."

A filmy mist covered Yami's eyes as he cleared his throat silently.

"Cool…" The small voice sounded drowsy, but they heard Daphne continue, more to herself than to Mokuba.

"Then there was another, he was rough on the outside. But that never covered up the gold on the inside. For those who know where to look, he had a heart of gold, though some people thinks the gold needs to be polished. He faced the pain and fear straight on for the love of another, creating new lives and new futures for everybody."

Bakura's lips trembled as he shoved his hand into his pocket and slouched, letting his hair fall to shadow his eyes.

"And the last," her soft voice continued. "He wears a thick mask, he has forgotten how to cry at an early age, he has grown cold to the world during the years, he has grown thorns around the stem of the rose—all to protect the ones he love and cherish. But beneath that dark mask, you see a boy, not a man, that had been forced to be in the position he is in today. Beneath the mask, you see someone full of love, that cares for you, that understands you, that wants to protect you…that wants to be loved back."

Kaiba's knees were wobbly and his face was pale. He turned his head, but was unable to hide the tears glistening in his eyes.

"They were all heros, in their own way, you know, Mokuba. Heros don't have to save the world. They don't have to be known as gallant kings, or presidents, or CEOs, or top duelists, or anyone famous. In fact, I think that's what makes them the most heroic out of everybody."

She stopped talking as tears trailed down.

"Mokuba?" Quiet tears ran down her cheeks as she looked down. She smiled through her tears and cradled him closer to her body, burying her face in his hair.

"And the last hero," she whispered. "Is you, Mokuba. You know more than you ever let on. You've been through much, but protect your innocence. Never forget how to cry. Knowing how to cry is a gift, tears are heaven's crystals to represent sorrow. They are the most precious gift of all."

"Crystals? Heaven's precious gift?" A voice chuckled. The Millennium Rod lowered and the touching image he had been staring at vanished. The figure stood, as his hands flicked a command from under the dark purple hooded robe. "I think it's time we put our plans into action. Go, my Rare Hunters. Gather all of my mind-slaves and bring the princess to me!"

As they bowed and turned away to do their master's bidding, Marik once again held up his Millennium Rod. The image of Daphne and Mokuba almost brought a smile to his lips…almost.

"My beauty," He smirked as his eyes steeled with determination. He trailed a finger down the image of her face. "You will soon belong to me. And when that happens, Pharaoh, your memories and position will be mine!"

"I don't know, Yugi." Yami was sitting at the kitchen table back at Turtle Game Shop. After listening to Daphne, Kaiba had finally convinced both him and Bakura to take a break and go home. To check on their other half, as he put it. "I just don't know anymore. Why don't I remember anything?"

"You remember Daphne." His lighter half pointed out helpfully.

"You should have heard what she said." Yami laid his head on the palm on his hand. "She…described us so well. As if she was painting a picture, she captured our every move, every action, every thought…and every emotion."

"Well, at least we both know that she's as intelligent as you said she was."

"But Yugi!" Yami lifted his head exasperatedly. "We can't just continue living like this! I've got you and Daphne's my daughter! Kaiba's her cousin and who knows what Bakura's relationship is with her. And what worried me the most is Marik. We don't know when he's going to make a strike."

"Calm down, Yami." Yugi tried saying but Yami had already jumped up and grabbed the phone. He cleared his throat as he dialed Kaiba Mansion's number for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. Yugi sighed, annoyed, as Kaiba's snap came on the phone.

"Seto Kaiba."

"Kaiba, it's—" Yami hadn't even finish when Kaiba's angry threats and accusations showered down upon both the light and the dark.

"Yami, will you stop calling me already?! If Daphne is missing, you do think I would not tell you or something? You're tying up the line, I have business calls around the clock. Don't call me back." The phone clicked and cut off. Yami was seething in anger.

Yugi sighed again, and wondered how Ryou was getting along with his yami.

"So…how's Daphne?" Ryou probed Bakura, who was slouching on the couch, staring at the TV with the remote in his hands. Ryou had been standing in the room for more than twenty minutes now, trying to engage his yami into a conversation. So far, all he had succeeded was irritating his yami and receiving lazy, short answers.

"Fine."

"How is Mokuba?" Ryou pressed "And Kaiba's company?"

"Well enough."

"Why did you come home?" Maybe that'll get a long answer.

"Miss my messy couch." Bakura answered promply.

"Kaiba's living room is too clean, then?"

"Yes."

"How is it between Yami and Daphne?"

Bakura grunted.

"How long are you going to stay this time?"

"Don't know."

"How are you getting along with the rest of them?"

"What's with all the questions?" Bakura snapped. "I came home to see how you're doing and so far, all you're doing is annoying me."

"I just wanted to—" Ryou started defensively.

"Get lost. Beat it." Was the order given. Ryou finally gave up and headed for the kitchen. "Guess Daphne's sweet temper had not rubbed off on you," He muttered as he walked off.

"Ryou!" Bakura's sharp voice made the hairs on Ryou's neck bristle. His foot paused in midair as he turned around slowly. Bakura must have heard him.

"Yes…?"

"Can you toss me a bag of chips and make me a sandwich? You'd think as rich as Kaiba is, he'd have his house stocked up with food. But noooooo…"

I swear I have lost weight, he added to himself with amusement.

"Okay," Ryou shrugged and continued his journey to the kitchen. He stopped at the door, though, and turned back to his dark. "I missed you, yami." He said softly.

At first, he wasn't sure that Bakura had heard him, but when his dark looked up from the couch, Ryou was sure there was something in Bakura's fine features. He held his breath, afraid to breathe.

"I missed you, too, Ryou." His white-haired companion finally returned. They looked at each other until Bakura finally looked away. And the feeling they had shared for a split second disappeared as sternness once again darkened him. "Don't keep me waiting, Ryou." He said scowling as Ryou ducked his head and fled from the room.

But Bakura didn't return to his TV. Instead, his eyes didn't leave the spot where his aibou had been only moments earlier. Then, in a voice so soft and gentle, he said to the empty space, "I missed you too, Ryou. I missed you a lot. Why else did you think I returned for?!" He added hotly as a trace of his old impatient self appeared. "Your slow, soft self? Please, Mortal, use your brain once in a while."

Little did he know that Ryou heard him word for word. He smiled to himself and thought,

So some of Daphne had rubbed off on Bakura. That could be a good thing…

Click, click, clicky-click, clickclickclick. Tap. Click. Tap, tap, tap.

It was all peaceful. Finally the yamis had decided to give him a break. Daphne will be all right. Kaiba was sure he'd know in an instance if something happens to Daphne.

Tick, tock, tick, tock… So silent that the clock seemed to be having a one-person conversation with time itself.

Ring!

Kaiba snatched up the phone with one hand and barked, "Seto Kaiba!" There was a stilled silence and all Kaiba could hear was someone breathing on the other end.

"Who is this?!" He demanded, jumping up from his chair.

There was a low chuckle. Then a rustle sound was heard and a muffled voice. A muffled female cry. Kaiba felt a cold hand squeeze his heart. His face paled as the next muffled cry proved his suspicions right.

"Mmrph…! Mmmph…Seto! Mmrph…Get your hands off me! Let go! Mnmm…"

"Who the hell are you?!" Kaiba hollered into the phone. "And what do you want?!"

There was another low chuckle, then they hung up. The young billionaire stared at the phone in his hands. His heart stopped pumping as realization slowly sank in. Then, after five-minutes of hesitation, Kaiba tore out of his office like a wild animal and raced up the stairs to Daphne's library.

He stopped still when he got there.

The library was ransacked. Books and paper were thrown and tossed everywhere, as if a whirlwind had passed through. Chairs, davenports, and tables were knocked over. The drapes and curtains were a tangled mess.

Mokuba. Kaiba looked about wildly. Wasn't Mokuba with Daphne? Where is he now?

The CEO scrambled around looking for his younger brother, digging through the piles of paper. Finally unable to contain himself, he began shouting,

"MOKUBA?! Mokuba, where are you?" Over and over again, until, impossibly, a small moan was heard through his shouting.

"Ohhh…" Kaiba's head snapped around.

"Mokuba?!" The moan came from an overturned couch and as Kaiba righted the couch, he found Mokuba curled in a tight ball. The back of the couch and the seat had together created a small tent-like cave that had protected the small Kaiba from any harm.

"Mokuba?" Kaiba pulled the child into his lap and gently shook him. "Hey, wake up, kid." He all but begged.

"Seto…?" He opened his eyes. "Wha-what happened?"

"Are you alright?"

"I think I will be…owww…" He grimaced. "Headache."

"Here, kid, let's go downstairs and fix you up." Kaiba helped his little brother stand up and dusted him off. Daphne was temporary forgotten, until something dropped from the young Kaiba's clothes.

"What's this?" Kaiba picked it up, then paled into a paler shade.

It was an earring.

A wind-chime earring.