Chapter 20: Adversary

Kaede showered and dressed. She found Yami's advise to be useful, but it was annoying trying to figure out how to move just her wings into the holes. It was difficult since she couldn't just reach back and shove them in, for one she couldn't see her back well in the mirror. It took at least twenty minutes just to get the first one through. The second came easier when she figured out what to do.

She wore the black t-shirt and blue jeans and the trench coat over the branches, feeling better because with them out of sight. She felt less like a freak. She felt sad and insecure, more like an outsider than a no body. She had been a lone wolf in school, but now it was an extreme.

She met Yami out in the family room, a sorrowful look in her face. She glanced at T.R, who was in a very deep sleep, but no longer disturbed. Actually, his face was very blank, and she could see him sweating lightly. She still found herself wondering what his vacant expression meant, puzzling about what he could be thinking about. What ever his dream was about, he didn't look terrified, and that was good enough for her right now.

Yami stood in the middle of the room, his sleeves rolled up and his arms crossed in front of him, his features patient and calm, but his lips curled into a grin when she entered the room, and he motioned for her to come closer. She hesitated for a moment, and walked in front of him, looking at him puzzled.

"Okay, now take off the coat." He ordered gently. Kaede stared at him for a moment, before regretfully taking off the coat, doing as she was told, exposing the wings and ripped holes around them, feeling strange in a bad way.

He gave her an approving look as she put her coat down and fanned out her wings a bit, making the leaves flutter, and the look of a misplaced teen deepen in his mind. He clapped his hands together suddenly, rubbed them against one another, looking like a man about to get to work, before putting them at his sides a moment.

"Now, if you're wondering why I've asked you to meet me here, I have decided to teach you some magic. I think if you learn some, you maybe able to figure out a way for you to make the wings back into whatever they were before, if that is what you want because the wings are natural…" Kaede gave him a look.

"Okay then. Hold out your hands." She did so reluctantly, feeling foolish already. Yami also held out his hands.

"Alright. Now, we're going to do something simple…ah… we're…going to move…that." He pointed to the remote at one side of the table.

"Over there." He finished, now pointing to the other end. "With magic…now, concentrate on the remote, think about where you want it to go… if it helps close your eyes…think…" Kaede closed her eyes, feeling her face start to heat from embarrassment. She thought about the remote, thought about what it looked like, and it sliding across the table to the other end. She furrowed her brow, thinking really hard, muttering now, unaware of doing so. Nothing happened for the longest time, making her feel more and more ridiculous. Finally, she opened one eye for a peek and instead had open eyes open wide a second later.

The coffee table had one large vine sprouting up out of the floor, wrapped around one of the legs, stretching all the way across the table, curled around the remote. Yami started at the vine uncertainly before meeting her gaze.

"That wasn't what I was expecting…but it worked. Congratulations. Now let's try moving that…"

For two hours Yami had Kaede moving things around the room. From objects as light as a picture, to as heavy as the entire bookcase she made things go from one place to the other. Sadly, despite how much she concentrated, she couldn't keep the plants from growing or doing what she thought of. She found when she didn't mutter nothing at all happened. Pretty soon the whole room was covered in vines, and Yami was having trouble not getting entangled in them. But she was at least doing the task. It was better than not being able to do it at all…right?

"Okay, this is good. You've basically got lesson one down. Let's try something a little different…I want you to move from there to here without using your legs and arms."

Javas ignored the things crashing in the family room. He didn't even smile when Yami started yelling stop in a loud voice. He was too busy trying to figure out why, if any of this stuff was true, which was a huge if, why his mother didn't tell him any of it.

For some reason, his parents didn't talk much about their families. Javas had learned at a young age not to even go near it, not to mention ask about it. He could understand if his father didn't what him to know about an uncle, or any of this 'magical' junk Yami was preaching about, but if she actually had a brother that was friends with these psychos, she'd still stand by him. Mother was loyal like that. She was always very true to family. That's why Javas always thought his mother was an only child. All though, he had never really questioned his mother's family tree before. I mean, he did have at least one Uncle on his father's side and a Grandmother to visit on mother's side. That had always been enough. Or at least he had thought so.

Now he realized he always use to wonder why he had blonde hair when no one else in the family did. He had assumed that since his father had been adopted that maybe on of his uncles or grandfathers had blonde hair. Looking at the photo in front of him now, he saw clearly the resemblance between himself and the boy. He saw now that their hair actually flopped in the same way, and he even had that smirk Javas always saw in the mirror every morning when he checked his reflection.

Stroking back his locks every few seconds, he let his icy blue orbs study the snapshot with a wondering gaze, trying hard to put the puzzle pieces in place that Yami had outlined so bluntly, curiously making the figures in his mind.

Could it be that his father hated this boy that much? Could his mother love him so much as to not see her only brother? Or could it be that his mother disliked her own brother?

The questions reeled on and on.

The drone of the car engine was very faint in the limo's cabin. The stretch seat was occupied by three men, one of which was fidgeting, while the other two men sat still. One of the pair was use to it while the other was concentrating deeply, holding the golden object in clenched hands.

Kaiba tried to take no notice of Yugi by pretending to be more interested by what was outside. Even though the CEO would never admit it, he was getting a little unnerved by the silence and stillness by the other man. His feelings worsened when he could see a bright twinkling coming from the object in the corner of his eye.

His whole life he had dismissed the belief in magic, even when Isis had told him he was an ancient priest around 5000 years ago. He even had himself thinking he was dreaming when he saw it for himself for a while. Now, he knew better. Now, he went along with it, since he was worried enough to try anything to find his son. Even trust his enemy Yugi, not to mention deal with Joey.

"Have you got a hold of him yet, Yug?" The biker asked, shifting in his seat uncomfortably for the fortieth time in the last two minutes. Kaede held in a sigh of annoyance as he waited for Yugi's reply.

"…No…his mind is preoccupied with something. I'm not getting through to him." Yugi sighed, opening his eyes.

"Have any idea what he's thinking about? It could lead us to where they might be." Joey suggested. Yugi shut his eyes again and thought. Soon his forehead wrinkled. The puzzle around his neck brightened until it was like looking into a 60 watt light bulb. Kaiba casted a slightly worried look in direction of the driver, but said nothing. If he asked the business man would probably tell him it was nothing and give him a larger tip than normal. Yugi then took a deep breath as he opened his eyes again, letting go of the puzzle and holding his head with one sweaty hand.

"Nothing we can use," Yugi replied sadly, "But whatever he's doing must be really important. His whole mind is fixed on a single point." Kaiba shifted in his seat for the first time in a half-hour, hiding his apprehension for his son behind an icy stare.

"Do you know what it is?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure," Yugi said uncertainly, a look of confusion on his face.

"I think he's trying to figure out how to use super glue…"

Kaiba and Joey just stared at him.

The once King of Thieves struggled inside his uncertain dream. He was sure it wasn't a nightmare, but neither was it a good dream, since it had nothing to do with killing Yami at all and ruling the world.

Instead, he found himself standing ankle deep in cool greenish blue water, staring across a plain of blue carpet, completely covered in twinkling stars, surging back and forth against itself. The feeling of sand between his toes was the most familiar, and comfortable, thing that was here. He found the rubbery green strands swirling around his feet annoying as a large amount of white bubbling water threw itself up against the sand, like trying to escape the giant pit it was stuck in. The wind was strapping; blowing the black shorts he was wearing about playfully as well as messing with his white locks. It also had the distinct taste of salt as well as a bit of sand. The sun was warm on his face, not burning, but warm, soothing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He turned to the source of the voice and wasn't surprised to see Kaede staring at him, a smile on her shaded face by the large black cowboy hat. She was wearing a blue bathing suit. It was a whole piece, thank Ra, but it still showed her shape and exposed her perfect legs. She wore the ring around her neck, the circle lying on her stomach as the chord passed over her bust and rounded her pale neck.

He forced his eyes to stare at the sand.

"Yes." He answered her, listening to the arrows of the ring clink together as she turned and faced the open water, admiring the view, or so he assumed. He felt himself tense up when she placed her arm around his back and hooked her hand into his pocket and leaned against him. He felt her hair, silky and smooth, on his arm as she rested her head on him, the hat suddenly gone, and her bare skin warming his. He listened to her sigh in relief and held onto his arm lightly, stroking him.

"Isn't it surprising how much alike and different the beach and the dessert are? Both have sand, sun, death, and beauty. And yet, one is teaming with life and water, while the other is left bare, with only spots of life. As I said, alike and different, strange to one another."

"Yes." He agreed uncertainly, his jaw tight and closing quickly. He resisted the urge to move hand from his side to stroke her hair and felt Goosebumps breakout over him as her breath tickled him. She was silent for awhile after that, listening to the squawk of a sea bird, comfortable in the warm wind. He started to quiver as she leaned more onto him.

"You know, it's alright." She said to him in a quiet voice, holding him lightly.

"What's alright?" He asked her numbly, having difficultly speaking from how strongly he started to shake.

"What I mean is it is okay to feel that way. I know you want me."

He woke up.

T.R jerked awake, breathing heavily with sweat sliding down his face, wide-eyed and shivering. At first he wasn't quite sure he remembered where he was and nearly screamed before he recognized the cream colored ceiling of the family room. What he didn't seem to remember was the whole room being covered in vegetation.

Surprised he lunged upright, still quivering slightly as he looked around the room worriedly. When he found his legs completely covered in vines he kicked them off and planted his feet on the floor as he held his head in his hands a moment, trying desperately to wake up. He did hear two distinct voices after about an eternity of staring at the darkness cupped in his hands.

"No, no. You have to make a hole in the nozzle so the glue can come out first before you try to apply it. I can't believe you've never had to use this stuff before…"

"I don't see anything sharp in this kit to make a hole with. And I've never broken anything that needed to be fixed permanently."

"Did you look on the cap?"

"Why would they put something like that on- Oh. There it is."

"Okay now just put some on this edge and I'll press them together."

"Like this?"

"No you still have to make a hole!"

"Oh. Okay. There. Now like this?"

"Yes. Just make sure you don't get any on your hands."

"…and why shouldn't I?"

"Well, for one you'll get your hands stuck together or on other things."

"Can't I just wash it off?"

"Well, you can after about two weeks when the stuff dries and you don't rip off a ton of skin."

"Ummm…"

"Let me guess. You got glue on your hands."

"Ahh…yes."

"Okay, just don't touch anything."

"Too late. I'm touching the bottle."

"Well, is it stuck to you?"

"Ummm…"

"Oh great." T.R finally removed his hands from his face and looked up curiously. Kaede was holding two large jagged pieces of a curved object, painted with many designs on one side while the other, the inside, was completely blank. She was staring up at Yami with a look of annoyance as the Pharaoh was looking down at his hands worriedly, one with a large bottle. T.R read the words SUPER GLUE on the side of the container.

Between the two of them, he could also see many more random sized pieces completely still on the floor. He watched the man turn his hands over and release the bottle, only to find that gravity no longer had any affect on it. It stayed, firmly fixed to the inside of his hand. Yami frowned as Kaede sighed.

"Well that's a yes." She replied tiredly, answering her own question.

"Is there anything I can do?" Yami asked her carefully, trying not to let the worry brimming behind his features get to him.

"You could do two things. One, you could wait for it to harden and carry around a glue bottle in your hand for about two weeks. Or two, you could try washing it off with some really hot water. Personally, I'd try two before going with one."

"That or you could remove it with some magic." The old king said suggestively, "I don't think I'll get it off with hot water, and having this stuck to me will prove annoying. I trust you enough to remove this without too much pain. Care to try it?" Kaede bit her lip nervously, thinking rapidly. T.R could hear some of these thoughts whispering in his ears, making him jump a bit in shock.

Technically, I could do this. I could do anything. But what if I hurt him? I have no idea how I'm going to remove this. If I try to just wish it off all sorts of plants might grow in under the skin and push up. But that would be painful. Maybe they could wedge in between some how? No, that would hurt too. Suppose I just take a specific plant, like one that has pain killers in it wedge in between his hand and the bottle, the plant could ooze a little bit of juices while it took off the bottle? Or maybe…

The thoughts buzzed and droned inside his skull, like her voice was echoing off the sides of his mind. For a dumbfounded moment, all he could do was listen to the soft voice, not sure how this was happening. Then his eyes lit up, and a single thought bounced only on his side of thinking, his own thought. The Wall.

"Maybe we should just read the directions on the side of that bottle to see how to get it off…you can still read the warning part right?"

"Hm. Actually yes."

"What's it say?"

"Incase of skin bondage use large amounts of soap and warm water on infected area for fifteen minutes…imagine that." T.R stood up suddenly, making Kaede and Yami jump, clearly not expecting him. It only took a glance at his face for her to realize something was wrong. His features looked pale and stretched, like a man being haunted.

"Good morning, you okay?"

"No." The robber answered, briskly walking off into Javas's room. Yami studied silently as the girl frowned and wordlessly followed him.

"Is there something I can do to help?" She asked him cautiously.

"No. Just stay away from me." He growled viciously, slamming the bathroom door behind him hard. Kaede reentered the room with a slightly annoyed expression. Yami stared plainly at her, hiding the smile lurking just inches beneath the surface and obliged when she told him to wash his hands in her room, knowing full well she'd go back. He let himself chuckle at his reflection in the mirror when suddenly a familiar voice lightly brushed over his thoughts.

"Yami are you there!"

"Yugi?" He felt a sense of relief wash over a distant part of him; his aibou.

"Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you? I called Joey when you didn't come back. We also went to Kaiba and know where looking for you. Kaiba is furious. Where are you?"

"According to his son, we're at one of his safe havens. I've found Kaede."

"We already know, Kaiba's got the whole city wired looking for you guys. Are both of them alright?"

"They're fine. I don't know about the TombRobber, however."

"Why is that?" Yami just laughed.

"You'd have to see it to believe it…"

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Kaede asked through the door. Again she wasn't surprised when she was answered by an angry roar of no. She knew she should have just dropped it and to go check if Yami had gotten all of it off yet, but still she lingered, her mind wondering what was wrong and if it had to do with how funny she had felt all morning.

Whether it was not eating anything for several hours due to lack of appetite or just something she didn't know about, she tried and failed to figure out what felt so different today. Maybe she felt that they shared something in common, maybe the same thing was bugging both of them.

A loud pinging noise suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Confused she left the door and entered the family room, puzzling about the source of the noise until it bleeped again and she heard a single chair in the kitchen shuffle.

"What is that?" She asked loudly, letting her voice carry through the wall.

"The door bell. Could you get that?" she heard muffled. She should her head and sighed before she closed her eyes and muttered lightly. The plants in the room quickly retreated back into nothingness, leaving the room spotless, except for a couple of broken vases. She smiled at her handy work, glad that this was so easy, as she briskly scooped up her coat and shoved it on.

She felt better now, not so much like a freak. She felt like she had a gift and that was all, like how some kids are good at certain things. This time she had spent with Yami had made her see that it was just a talent, something she could get good at, and use for good things. So the wings were a bit of a set back, so what? She could still coax plants into growth, create large plantations, feed the hungry?

She wanted to laugh at herself as she opened the door.

T.R was at the wall in mere moments, filling in the hole as fast as he could with the darkness, moving as fast as he could. He needed to end the noise, the whisperings; they were already getting to him. He could already feel her mind, a soft bubble of light compared to his own. Good and innocent. Of course she had a few rough edges, the ability to be annoying, but nice on the inside.

She was just like her parents.

He grabbed a fist full of black and shoved it mercilessly into the crack, completely furious, trying to lock out her distinct smell as best he could, feeling dizzy because of it. It would be just how he thought. She'd hate him, hate him for everything he'd ever done to anyone and want him dead. Everyone did. And how sure he had never cared when it actually hurt to think that she would. She trusted him. She trusted him so quickly, without much question, it was frightening. She teased him, helped him, and even dared to kick him once. Even though she didn't know it, she had fed him and sheltered him. Talked to him even now. To her he was family.

He removed his peering eyes from the hole and feel back into the sandy dessert scene of his mind, hating himself more and more for the lack of his control. He was slipping away, and he couldn't do that, he had to go through with the plan. He needed to quench the undeniable thirst of his own mind before all others. All others.

He was about to fill in the last dripping opening when a scream bellowed through the very hole. For a frightening moment he had thought she had come across him in her thoughts. When a second shout slammed into the barrier he found himself skidding away from it, the sudden urge to go to her bellowing into his mind in a long shaky green vine.

A moment later he found his hand clasped around the door and bashing it wide open, running out faster than lightning to the source of now crashing and male roaring. His mind was reeling as he came through the second door into the family room. Instantly he was grabbed from the side and jerked away from the door by two powerful arms.

Without thinking about it he bit into the arm of his captive and immediately wriggled out of the hold, only to bash his fist over the purple cloaked figure, clenching his arm for a moment before falling to the ground. Looking from his attacker he focused on the chaos at hand, and found himself not surprised.

The whole room was covered in vines again, except each was covered in billions of three-inch thorns, making the room look like a needle stack. He could see faintly see the shape of the couches and table covered in blankets of jungle forestry, and could feel the dull pain around his ankles from the barbs and ignored them as his eyes immediately focused on the target.

A lavender cloaked figure, back faced to him, hood up with the Egyptian eye, was being tugged from side to side violently. As the figure turned to him, T.R watched a foot fly out, rapped in the thorns kick hard into the form. When the figure faced him fully he could see the young Ryou gripping onto her captors arm tightly, trying to hold herself up as not to be choked by a powerful sleeved arm crushing down on her throat. He could see her red face and her teeth gritted in pain as she kicked and struggled in his grasp, spiked plants growing out of the fight. They weren't doing any damage to the form.

Tightly clasped in one pale fist T.R could see the Millennium Rod in the fist of her attacker, glowing as bright as the sun, a sphere of the same light glowing around the caped figure, deflecting any thorns. T.R clenched his own teeth. Not in pain but against the immense anger suddenly surging through him. It took a great deal of control to keep his feet firmly planted as he listened to the stranger laugh out.

"Don't come any closer," the stranger warned, his voice the product of two voices twisted together, "Or I'll hurt her."

"Let her go!" A dark voice commanded angrily. T.R glanced and found Yami standing in the mess of plants, his hands still dripping, and the puzzle around his neck burning with an intense light. His expression could simply be described in two words: pissed off. The figure laughed at him instead.

"Let her go? That would be incredibly stupid."

"It's incredibly stupid just to be standing there. Chatting away; wasting time." T.R glanced at Javas agitatedly, ignoring the bark in his voice. He stood in the kitchen door way, fists clenched and the veins in his neck bulging, his eyes frosty enough to cast the whole ocean in ice. He would've loved to just shove the little fool back into the room right now. He did turn out to be useful, though. He was redirecting his anger in more than one direction, helping him keep his cool.

"No child, my actions are not idiotic. I have a few spare minutes before those other three fools arrive, and I wish to enjoy them immensely."

"What do you want with her?" Yami asked darkly, his eyes sparked. The shape laughed again, and tightened his hold on Kaede, making her slow her actions and concentrate on holding herself up. Typical, she uses all her energy in the first few moments. T.R cursed to himself, knowing he really should have taught her to fight.

"What I want with her? Isn't it obvious? Fill him in TombRobber; tell him what you wanted when you kidnapped her mother all those years ago." He started to laugh as the Thief growled under his breath. He avoided Kaede shocked and hurt eyes to stare at the floor, making the scornful chuckles deepen.

"What's a matter Burglar? Was that a little too much information of this little girl's ears?"

"Damn you." He snarled at the attacker, making him laugh harder.

"But to answer your question, Pharaoh, I want what every man wants. Power. And I will do anything to get it."

"Well, that's got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone say." Javas grumbled, cutting the laughter dead.

"Shut up." The foe snarled.

"Did he hit a swore spot?" T.R queried mockingly.

"You would know, being the same sort of man I am."

"Who are you!" Yami demanded fiercely, the puzzle shinning vividly. The shape swayed gently, cape flapping toward the door.

"I would love to tell you, Pharaoh. It would blow your mind, but here and now is not the right time. In fact, I must be going; your friends have nearly arrived. It was nice talking to you." He raised the Rod up slowly in there direction, the object gathering more and more golden rays around it.

"Oh and if you're wise, you won't try anything stupid since it will only be her who gets hurt. Normally, I'd let you attack, but I need her unharmed. Good-bye Pharaoh. TombRobber. Kaiba-Child." He chuckled as he took the sharp- knife like edge of the object and slashed open air. A loud tarring sound pierced their ears as a large black line formed and stretched out larger into an opening large enough to accommodate him and his prize.

"I will see you all soon." His voice mocked forebodingly. In an instant, T.R found himself gliding up at the stranger faster than he had thought he ever could.

"No don't!" Yami's voice yelled loudly, but it was already too late. Shouting T.R leap up over the form of the coffee table, in his hand the flashing red object housing a glowing black blade was curled into his fingers. The Thief easily slashed open the glowing barrier, his own Millennium Ring swinging radiantly under his own shirt as he reached for the stranger, his fingers inches away from his throat, when something jarred his bones. Shuttering violently, splayed in mid-air, the once King of Thieves watched in horror as the stranger's hand rose up and lightly tapped him. Instantly the Robber was taken by a phantom hand and thrown viciously back more rapidly than a shot, away from him and slammed straight into the wall, his body creating a huge dent before flopping to the ground, uselessly, the attacker's laughter ringing horribly in his ears.

"Oops. I lied." The outsider replied, just before he slipped into the hole, he waved his hand at the other man, turning the body into wisps of black smoke before he completely submerged into the darkness, dragging Kaede's frightened face into it. Then as suddenly as the hole appeared, it writhed into nothingness. Javas lurched forward just as the hole closed, growling swears as he waded through the spikes, his expression angry.

"Why the hell did we do nothing!" Javas queried agitatedly at Yami, who was looking at area where the hole had been regretfully.

"We would've hurt her. We had no choice." The Pharaoh replied mournfully, before striding over to the fallen Tomb Raider, a look of worry on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked. He listened to the thief groan and gazed at him pathetically try to lift himself up. Yami attempted to pull him to his feet, until he was shaken off by a large buzz of ancient magic. T.R lifted his head sluggishly and glared at Yami.

"Don't touch me! I don't need your help." Snarled the thief in a hoarse voice, shaking as he tried in vain to get up. Javas rolled his eyes at him, but Yami smiled.

"Well, at least we know his pride hasn't been wounded. Come on, help me lift him."

"I said DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Just leave him! We'll find her faster without his help." Javas growled angrily. Yami took the Robber by the armpits and repelled the Ring's magic with his own. The white-haired teen glared helplessly as the Pharaoh raised him to his feet, and kept him standing.

"No, we wouldn't," Yami replied to Javas's comment, "He is the key to finding her."

"WHY! Why is he so important?"

"He is important because he is the one that has a direct link to her mind. The Ring connects them. She may not know that, but he does. She is not only his master but his vessel. If anyone can find her, it will be him." Javas looked at him, stunned.

"…So you're telling me that, him and her, are connected."

"Mentally, yes."

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go after them!" Javas started to run for the front door when Yami's hand reached out and grabbed him.

"No not yet. To run in without a plan would be foolish. Your father and my friends are coming here. I suggest we wait for them to arrive and fill them in. It would also be wise to go back to the Ryou house and see if both there children are still alright."

"They're not." TombRobber said in a slight rasp. Yami gave him a curious look.

"They're not? How do you know?"

"Because," The thief retorted through gritted teeth, every nerve in his body still aflame, "I know that magic when I feel it. It was not the magic from the Rod. No, this was a punishment for trying to attack a master."

"What are you saying? Kaede used her magic to keep you from saving her?" Javas asked skeptically. The Robber shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm saying that our enemy is apart of the family."

Book Dragon: "Please Review!"