Chapter 28: Fun House
Even though the sun was shinning bright and the grass was a vivid shade of bright green, there was still a darkness in the air. The three millennium item holders felt it, a slow distinct swirling in the pits of their senses, something that a normal person could easily miss, but not for them. The dark energies in the items had unlocked that sense.
For T.R, he felt quite at home with in it. He breathed in slowly, savoring the distinct smell inside his noise, and exhaled just the same. It reminded him of the days of old, before the mighty Pharaoh had locked all that magic away. It reminded him of his thieving and conniving self. Felt it ripple smoothly from his chest into his arms and legs, and he couldn't keep a smirk from his face.
He took more pleasure in that fact, that when he glanced, the others squirmed. A look of uneasiness had crept into the faces of Marik and Joey. They looked up upon the crimson bricked building as if it were something to be cautious of. In that sense, they were correct, since they both did not currently carry anything to protect themselves. No items sheltered them. He and the Pharaoh, alone, were the only ones that did.
He couldn't help but notice the strange way the Pharaoh's dark purple eyes glowed while staring upon that sight. He looked more like a man about to return to something he had known and long missed, instead of a serious and stern invader. The thief watched this light flecked in his eyes and wondered what could have put him in such a good mood.
Glancing down at the puzzle was enough of an answer. He was holding the object with both hands, something T.R had never seen him do, and saw the way his eyes flickered to his shoulder, more like he was listening to someone instead of standing here, with them, looking up at the house.
The smile vanishing from his face, T.R knew that his analogy had been far closer than he had expected.
"I don't sense any traps…out here, anyway." Marik said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and glanced at Yami with his own purple orbs. He, too, had noticed Yami's odd behavior, but he knew it wasn't the time to question it.
Joey flinched at Marik's voice when he broke the silence, further souring the Robber's mood. Yami appeared not to hear them for a moment. Then, as if he had reached some agreement with in his inner mind, he nodded, and led them down the drive, Marik and Joey at his sides, TombRobber at the back of the line. It took the white-headed boy much restraint to remain back there.
They reached the door with no difficulties placed before them, and the four stood on the front step, staring door. Yami was doing more than staring. Marik felt the tentative power pressed against the door, and around the ear piece that was bothering him as he waited.
When Yami found nothing hazardous, he gingerly reached out and closed his hand upon the knob. Nothing happened. Carefully, the Pharaoh proceeded to turn the knob, but found it jerked to a stop and would turn no further. A little annoyed, he turned back to the others.
"It's locked." He declared. Before he asked if anyone had thought to bring a key, TombRobber, who had been fidgeting at the back of the group, roughly shoved Joey aside.
"Get out of my way." He growled, as he plunged his hand into his pocket. With a flick of his finger, the blade of the pocketknife came to view, to which he jammed into the door. Marik and Joey watched TombRobber jiggle and prod about the inside of the handle, a little taken back that he had helped so willingly, yet all Yami could do was smirk.
After a few moments, the knob made a loud click. Before anyone could yell or tell him to stop, the Robber slammed his hand down upon it and twisted. The door opened under the force of his arm. It slammed ninety degrees into a wall.
The three men behind him stared with disbelief.
A rumble of hanging coats and jackets met their sight, all assorted on a rack. Shoes littered the floor. A light bulb hung about two feet into the space and swung slightly, exposing a tight walled space.
They were staring into a closet.
"What the hell?" Joey asked, in disbelief, looking at the outside of the building, and then back into the doorway, the front door, that lead to a narrow closet. His question, how ever, was drowned out when the Robber snarled, storming into the room, and clawed all of the coats out of the way, letting them fall to the ground loudly. He was greeted with a bare cream colored wall.
They stared.
"That doesn't make any sense." Joey said, repeating his disbelief. Marik walked past him, past the robber, and touched the wall with gentle fingers, as if to prove it was actually there. When he was met with cool wood like substance, he turned back and looked at Yami.
"This is definitely not an illusion." He said, his eyes calculating.
"What does that mean?" Joey asked. TombRobber growled at the mortal's constant questioning.
"It means he has rearranged the interior rooms of the house, you fool." Joey blinked. Rearranged? Could he do that? Looking inside the tiny room in front of him said that he indeed could. He moved the closet so that the front door opened to it. Which meant that they could walk through a door and end up somewhere completely different?
"I guess that means the front door is out." Joey said.
"We can see that." T.R snarled at him.
"Anybody got any other ideas?" Marik asked. Yami thought for a moment, his eyes darting over the house, until they settled on the window about ten feet away. That would do nicely.
(…)
Kaiba drummed his fingers on the table, staring at his laptop, a headset hugged over the top of his head. He was waiting. He was not known to be a patient man. He wouldn't have minded having a cigarette right now. Still, he didn't see the point in going out and getting one. He had promised Javas he would help, and that would be disappointing him if he just left like that.
Still, the CEO would've liked it if Yami would move it.
Javas, a chair away from his father, had noticed his agitated state, and was trying very hard not to be detected. He knew equally well how his father's temper faired when he had to wait, and it was his fault that he was making his father wait at the moment. Javas couldn't help his slight ducking posture as he tapped the speaker on his own headset, seeing if it were indeed on.
He got the donk, donk, donk, loud in his ears, winced slightly, and couldn't help but hear his father snort. Sheepishly, he glanced at his father, who had been watching him, and smiled awkwardly, to which he got an ocean eyed blink, and the CEO turned away, to look back at his own laptop. Somehow, it was disheartening. Javas frowned a little, and turned back to his own screen, where his reflection wasn't the only one that greeted him.
He jumped, nervously, and glanced back at Christa nervously; saw her smile at him before letting his eyes dart back to the screen anxiously. There was something very unnerving about her. Made him sickenly uneasy. Yet, rather than to dwell on it with his father so close by, he tried to shove down those edgy feelings and focus at the task at hand. It was much harder than he had expected.
(…)
There was something strange happening. Kaede could feel it. It rippled from somewhere in her chest and moved out of her body in waves. She was unconsidered, yet she closed and opened her hand several times, staring at it. She looked at both her hands, pale and small, normal looking, and yet not.
She was slightly puzzled by this 'not' and continued to study her hands. She had wide palms, and medium lengthen fingers. Strong hands. Hands for crafting, making, creating.
"Your father's hands…" a voice whispered in her thoughts. Curious…and yet true.
"Your father made figurines for his games, he was very talented." the voice whispered again, quietly, tenderly. Yes…he played a role playing game. A game he loved. He loved. The words 'white mage' flew to her mind, yet, she didn't know quiet what they had to do with this strange memory.
"Who are you?" She whispered placidly, her tone only sacredly inquisitive. But before an answer could be told, a very different voice broke the strangeness of the moment.
"Soon…Soon, Kaede, be patient. Sleep now, child."
She had to obey.
(…)
The window opened easily. Tomb Robber had agreed to go first into the house since he was the most trained for battle with the shadow powers. Or that's what Yami said. The burglar, personally, would've liked to rip his throat out at being so mocking. Both the Pharaoh and he knew what was really going on. And it angered him.
But that was better saved for what he'd do to the man keeping the girl when he got his hands on him.
"What do you see?" Yami asked from bellow. The window had proved to higher, red brick built up high enough so that only the tops of their heads could reach it. Sure, they could easily lift themselves up and over into the window, but it was too high to actually see over from where they were standing. T.R was crouched, and balanced on the ledge above them.
He would've curtly replied if he wasn't hit with a strong scent. A familiar scent. He was surprised it had lingered so strong since he had left with the child a week ago. Or it could've been something else he didn't want to admit. The inner workings of her bedroom lay out before him, everything exactly as it was before they had left, the bed, the rug, the dresser, the chair, everything, except a little more faded looking. And her distinct smell covering everything.
He swallowed once, tried to keep himself from breathing, in vain of course, try to keep that odor out of his nose. He faltered when Yami's voice asked him again, more stern and commanding this time. The thief's nose was again flooded with that aroma as he breathed in to speak.
"It's the girl's bed room." He said curtly, and tried to suppress a shudder. He could taste it in his mouth.
"Which one?" Joey asked confused. But Yami had already picked up on the Spirit's odd behavior. Rather than force the Robber to answer, he spoke for him.
"Kaede's." The ancient king said softly. He regarded the thief with dark knowing eyes for a moment; let him have a few more moments, before pressing on.
"Is there anything to be worried about?" Yami asked, loudly. There was a pause.
"No." He answered above him, before the 'youth' jumped into the ledge and out of sight.
That being enough of an answer, Yami allowed himself to go next. If anything was in fact, unsafe, he's be the one to face it since he had the puzzle. He doubted that TombRobber would actually help them if anything did happen; after all, he was tied to the Ryou's, not them.
He found climbing up a little more difficult than he had expected, heard Yugi laughing in the corner of his ear, and couldn't help but smile at his old state. He was still giddy. He had missed this, deeply. He had missed Yugi's mind being so close. He had missed talking to him, having him explore his soul room, dueling with him. He had missed sharing a body. And now that it was back, that his vessel was so close, he felt strangely lighthearted.
Yet, as he pulled his foot up and placed it onto the sill, his arms holding him up and in, he caught sight of the TombRobber, standing in the middle of the room, and the feeling evaporated.
His back to him, his white hair spiked uncontrollably, and his fists were clenched, his arm muscles tensed and his feet apart. He reminded him of a cat, when it was frightened or agitated, how its fur would stand straight up. It brought Yugi's laughter to a halt, made his vessel immediately uneasy. Yami had to calm him with quiet words. It reminded him that he had not told him of what he had witnessed between the Spirit and Bakura's daughter, and now wasn't the time to explain.
He lowered himself into the room, slowly, as not to disturb him. The thief was clearly in deep thought, or at least internally struggling with himself. Yami rose to his feet, and looked around, saw the cream-colored walls, the blue blankets, the green rug stretched over a wood floor.
Through the mirror on the dresser, Yami could see T.R was staring down, down at the containers and bottles scattered beneath it, his gaze clouded, brow furrowed. Like he was remembering something. Yami had never seen such a look dare touch upon his face. It was rather unsettling. The Pharaoh quickly moved his eyes away, to make it seem like he hadn't noticed.
"TombRobber?" The Spirit shook out of his state with a snort.
"I was double checking the room." He retorted, defensively, his voice agitated, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and taking out his apathetic mask. Yami didn't question this.
Marik followed after Yami assured him it was fine, then Joey. The four of them looked around the room, scanning the bedroom, finding the same things Yami had found. Joey grunted.
"This place is like a fun house." He said, his tone already annoyed.
"I don't think we've seen anything yet." Marik replied.
The four of them had all noticed the same thing. There were two doors to go through. Two paths they could take. One was the closet. The other, obviously, was the door out of the room. The four looked between both doors cautiously.
The rooms were shuffled, like a deck of cards. Those touched by Egyptian magic could smell it, taste it, feel it in the very air. Heavy magic was working here. It buried the natural order of things. Two paths. Two door ways. A decision to be made.
"That one." Joey and T.R said at the exact same time, each pointing to opposite doors. Looking back at each other, they both immediately glared.
Feeling a fight coming on, the Pharaoh wisely interjected.
"We'll split up, but first we need to contact Kaiba." With this, he made eye contact with Marik, nodded at him. Both men lifted their hands to their ears and turned a switch on the device, winced at the exact moment a loud buzz blared in their ear, and heard the CEO's voice.
"I don't know how much longer it will take, girl, be patient."
"I have a name you know."
"I'm sure you do."
"Why are you being so prickly?" Only static remained after that comment. Yami immediately started laughing. Some crashing from the other line came on, making the Pharaoh wince more that buzzing zip slamming into his ear drum. Then their was more scrapping and Kaiba's out of breath voice came loud in his ear.
"What the hell took you so long!"
"The front door was... blocked…is everything alright over there?"
"Everything's just fine, just some technical difficulties."
"I didn't know falling out of your chair was a technical difficulty." A female voice said in the distance. That was Christa.
"Quiet you." Growled Kaiba. Yami blinked and struggled not to laugh as the image of Kaiba tipping over in his chair and falling straight on his ass onto the floor swarmed inside the Pharaoh's mind. Deciding to change the subject before the oncoming laughter could deepen, Yami spoke.
"Kaiba, those maps of the house aren't going to help us now. He's rearranged the rooms."
"Yeah and it's like a fun house in here!" Joey yelled, for a second time, so the CEO could hear him. He was rewarded by a swift kick from Marik.
"Shut up! You want them to find us?" He asked in a growl, pressing the ear piece as he scowled at the blonde. Yami ignored them for a minute, listening intently to the other line.
"So what would you have me do instead?" Kaiba asked irritated. Yami could here a drumming noise and assumed it was his fingers drumming on the table. He tried to stay calm and not get annoyed himself.
"We're going to split up. There are two doors here; we'll go in groups of two. We're going to need you and Javas to tell us if the other is in trouble, or perhaps, found the attic and their location."
"Oh that's well thought out and original." Kaiba remarked sarcastically. Yami ignored him.
"Just stand by." He told the CEO, knowing full well that meant just keep waiting. That was punishment in itself, and Yami knew this. He tried hard not to smile at the imagined scowl on Kaiba's face at having to twiddle his thumbs again.
Yami looked at Marik again, who had been listening to what Kaiba said through the set that was linked to Javas, and nodded. He already knew he'd be paired with the TombRobber and that Yami who go with Joey. That way, each group had an item for protection, it separated Joey and Bakura from each other, both got to go their own way, and it would be a quicker approach to finding them.
It couldn't have been any better.
Book Dragon: "Please Review."