Everything was dark. The sky was covered in clouds, the street was covered in shadows. Only street lamps gave off weak light. Yugi shivered as he and Kaiba walked down the sidewalk, gazing at the grand houses around them, neither saying a word.
Are you sure this is the right way? Yugi asked Yami.
Within his mind he could feel the spirit give a mental nod. Yes. Strong shadow magic lies this way.
Ok. Yugi uttered and returned to a reality mindset.
It had been sunset when Kaiba and Yugi had arrived in Dublin, Ireland. Yugi had explained that he would find where they had to go, Kaiba just glared at him and said nothing. He had said nothing since, or before, for that matter. His unearthly silence worried Yugi a bit, but the boy knew he was only worried about his younger brother. Yugi didn't press the matter, knowing that Kaiba would most likely bite his head off if Yugi got on his nerves. Even Yami had advised him to leave the older guy alone.
With a bit of a sigh Yugi led the way around the corner and froze. Kaiba stopped beside him.
"Why did we stop?" Kaiba asked, his voice low and a bit irritated.
Yugi pointed to one of the houses before them. "That's where it is." He uttered, not looking at Kaiba. He huffed and continued on towards the house, this time with Yugi following. In his mind Yugi could feel Yami's confusion.
What's wrong? Yugi asked. In his mind's eye he could see Yami staring hard at the large home.
It's not there. Yami finally uttered. Yugi blinked at him.
What? He asked. But you said-
I mean, it was there. Yami interrupted him. But it no longer is. The other Gem Keeper beat us to it.
Yugi gave a mental sigh. Then what's the point in going there?
We should explain to the Keeper's family why they're gone. Yami told him. They have a right to know, Yugi.
I suppose. Yugi uttered.
Besides, Yami added as he slowly slipped back into the shadows of Yugi's mind. Whoever lives there knows of shadow magic. There are many spell placed upon this house.
Yugi returned to reality to find that him and Kaiba were already standing before the house's door. Kaiba had already rung the doorbell and Yugi could hear someone coming to the door.
It opened and light spilled out, temporarily blinding Yugi and Kaiba. A figure appeared, blocking out some of the brightness. When his eyes adjusted Yugi saw it was a girl that was a bit older than him. She had jet-black hair that went past her shoulders and inch or two and flipped out at the ends. She blinked at them with stunning green eyes and wore a red tang-top over jeans. After giving them a quizzical look for a few moments the girl said something in a language Yugi didn't understand, though he'd heard it before.
English. He thought. I forgot that in Ireland they speak English.
To his surprise Kaiba began to talk to her in English, which baffled Yugi somewhat.
I suppose he needs to know English since he deals with other countries through his company. Yugi thought.
The girl looked from Kaiba to Yugi and nodded. "Hello." She said in Japanese so Yugi could understand her as well. She even added a small customary bow to the mix. Yugi smiled.
How cultural. Yugi thought as he returned the bow. He was just about to introduce himself when more footsteps sounded and someone began rushing towards them. Yugi and Kaiba watched with interest as the girl turned around to shout and quickly speak in English to the person behind her. Whoever it was push past her and stopped, staring at Yugi and Kaiba.
It was an older lady, mid-forties Yugi would have to say. She was a head shorter than the other girl with very short red hair streaked with grey with dark brown eyes under her bangs. Yugi almost frowned a bit. She didn't appear to be the girl's mother at all.
The older woman's dark eyes that had appeared to be crying slowly moved to Yugi's puzzle. She uttered something in another language much different from either Japanese and English. She then grabbed Kaiba's and Yugi's arms and pulled them inside, smiling.
"I knew you would come." The woman said as she gave a slight smirk to the other girl. "I knew it. With so much going on, others were bound to appear." She pulled the two into a large den area and sat them down. She smiled down at their questioning faces. "I'll go bring you some tea." She offered, and rushed out of the room.
The girl moved to follow, then sighed and sat down across from them on an overly stuff couch. She shook her dark head a bit then turned her attention to them.
"Please forgive her." The girl explained. "I'm Bree Keagan." She held out her hand to them. As the two took it they uttered their own names. Once that was done Bree sat back and looked over her shoulder to where the other woman had disappeared to. "That was Aine Tremain. She's not right in the head. And with the incident, it's just all too much for her."
"Incident?" Yugi asked as he himself settled back. "Was she in an accident?"
Bree shook her head. "Oh no, nothing like that. No, her son, Neil, he has disappeared."
The Gem Keeper. Yami uttered in Yugi's mind. Neil Tremain must be the Celtic Gem Keeper. Yugi glanced to his side and saw that Kaiba was nodding slowly. It seemed he had put two and two together as well.
"Maybe he just ran away." Kaiba told her.
"Neil wouldn't run." Bree snapped at him. "He has no need to. Everyone he's ever cared about is in this here city."
"Then what happened?" Kaiba asked, sitting back and crossing his arms.
"Neil was taken." A voice from the entrance said. They turned to watch Aine walk into the room with a tray of things in her hands. She set it on the coffee table then sat in a chair that was beside the couch Bree was on.
"Taken?" Yugi questioned. The woman nodded her head.
"He was taken for something he had." Aine told him. Her voice suddenly sounded old and worn.
Bree sighed and rolled her eyes a bit. "Don't start with that old story, Mrs. Tremain."
"Story?" Yugi asked, sitting up a bit.
"It's an old fairytale." Bree explained.
"An old legend made from many truths." Aine said at the same time. The glance she gave Bree made the girl close her mouth and sit still. Aine looked back at Kaiba and Yugi and smiled. "But I'm sure you've already heard the tale of the Shadow Gems."
Bree gave an exasperated sigh. "That's nothing but an old wives tale, Aine, and you know it."
"It's true." Yugi and Aine said together. Aine smiled at him, then turned to Bree.
"We all have a right to believe in what we want, Bree." Aine explained. "But my son was taken because he holds the Gem of the Celts, a gem you have seen on many occasions."
"So it was a respectable jewel in the olden days." Bree uttered. "That doesn't mean it holds magic or anything. Other than to the superstitious." The last part was only a mumble that Yugi could barely hear.
"The Gem holds true power." Aine told her, almost dangerously. Then she turned to Yugi again and smiled. "You feel the magic, don't you?" When Yugi blinked at her, unsure of what to say Aine only widened her smile. "Though it wasn't asked of the Gem, over the years that it's been in my family it has placed many protective spells onto this house on it's own. That's the gift of this Gem, to protect the family of the Keeper and bless the house they live in."
Bree almost snorted at this. She sank back in her chair and crossed her arms. "A lot of good that did."
"What is that suppose to mean?" Aine asked. Bree shot a glare at her.
"If the 'gem' protects it's Keeper, then why didn't it protect Neil?" Bree retorted sharply.
"The Gem doesn't protect it's Keeper." Aine said sadly. "It protects those that the Keeper cares about."
"That's just bullshit." Bree snapped. She got up and stormed from the room. Within moments Yugi heard the girl's stomping footsteps running up the stairs, then a door bang close. Aine sat quietly for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
"She's taken Neil's disappearance hard." The old woman uttered, gazing aimlessly at the table before her.
"Why?" Yugi couldn't help but ask.
Aine gave a weak smile. "Bree and Neil have been dating for almost a year. They had gone to a club tonight, but Bree says Neil got into a fight with another guy. The last she's seen of my son was he was storming out of the club after the man who had started the fight. My husband and Neil's younger brother and elder sister have gone out to look for him, but Bree and I know that Neil has been taken."
Both Kaiba and Yugi blinked at the old woman, but it was Yugi who asked the next question. "How do you only you two know?" This made Aine smile again.
"I know because a bond between a mother and her child is strong." Aine explained, staring off into space. "And just the way the Shadow Magic has been shifting around me, I know the Celtic Gem has left this city. As for Bree, though she denies it, she has an uncanny ability to sense what's happening to those she cares about."
Yugi nodded, then slowly arose. "I guess we should be going, huh?"
Aine arose as well, then Kaiba did. The woman followed them to the door. As Kaiba walked into the night, Yugi stopped to say farewell to Aine, but a few questions was playing in his mind.
"Uh, Mrs. Tremain." Yugi began. Aine gave him her full attention. "What was that language you spoke when you saw me? And how did you know why me and Kaiba were here?"
The woman chuckled a bit before answering. "I knew why you were here because I could sense the Shadow Magic radiating from that," She point to the Puzzle strung around Yugi's neck. "After living with the Magic all my life, I know what it can mean. And the language I spoke was Gaelic, an old dialect from when the Celts roamed Ireland. If you see the Celtic Gem, all the carvings are in Gaelic."
Yugi nodded in understandment, then bid her farewell again and rushed to catch up with Kaiba who was already on the other side of the street, obviously not caring if he left Yugi behind or not. As the boy slowed to walk beside Kaiba, someone shouted for them to wait. Both stopped and turned to see Bree running towards them, though now she wore a black jacket and had a lumpy bag slung over her shoulder.
"Hey Bree." Yugi said as the girl stopped before them. "What is it, did we forget something?"
"No." She told him plainly. "I've decided I'm coming with you."
"No." Kaiba uttered, then turned and began to walk away. Bree shot him a glare though his back was turned.
"I know you're going to try and find Neil." Bree said, still glaring at Kaiba's back before her electric eyes moved to peer at Yugi. "And I want to help."
"Why?" Yugi questioned, noting that Kaiba had slowed his pace somewhat. "You don't even believe in this Shadow Gem stuff." The boy added.
"I don't need to believe to know my boyfriend might be in danger." Bree told him, her face becoming determined. "I am not going to allow him to have god-knows-what done to him by some kidnapping freak, not while I'm around. So, whether you like it or not, I'm coming with you and I'm going to find him and beat the living daylights out of this abducting weirdo."
Yugi sighed a bit. "I don't know..." He uttered, then looked over his shoulder to Kaiba who had completely stopped moving but still stood with his back turned to them. "What do you think, Kaiba. Can she come?"
Kaiba half turned to the two of them. "Just so she stops whining." He mumbled, then turned to continue on his way. Yugi wasn't sure, but for a moment he had thought that Kaiba gave Bree a look of admiration, or at least of acceptance.
This could work. We might stand a chance after all. Yugi thought. He smiled a bit, then turned back to see that Bree was glaring at Kaiba again.
"Whining?" She snapped, storming after him. "Whining? What the hell are you talking about, whining?" Kaiba froze, then turned to Bree, his eyes emotionless.
Yugi sighed. Then again, maybe not...
"For someone who believes they can help, you seem to be getting more useless by the second." Kaiba told her. He began to walk away again, leaving Bree steaming.
Unfortunately the girl wouldn't let down. She turned to Kaiba, hands on hips, eyes ablaze. "All I want to do is save someone I care about." She called after him. "But I guess I shouldn't expect someone so bland and emotionless to know anything about that."
Yugi almost flinched at these words. Maybe this was a bad idea...
Kaiba didn't retort to Yugi's relief. Instead he continued walking. Bree let out a violent sigh but walked after him. Yugi dashed to catch up. As the boy stopped beside Bree he glanced to Kaiba. The older guy seemed deep in thought.
"Is he always like this?" Bree asked, casting her own glance in Kaiba's direction.
Yugi gave a slight nod. "Most of the time. But he's just worried."
"About what?" Bree asked.
"Nothing that concerns you." Kaiba said before Yugi could answer. He glanced at Yugi over his shoulder and glared at him before looking ahead again. Yugi moved his eyes to the ground.
"What he said, I suppose." Yugi mumbled. Bree gave him a questioning glance, but said nothing.