Wings of Time

Small and Mute

Pale, small, and white, she shivered madly on Yugi's couch, wearing a baggy set of Yugi's pajamas and huddled within a cocoon of quilts. Bandages covered her arms and legs, especially around her torn and twisted right ankle and her head, where a deep cut had been pouring blood earlier. Yugi's grandfather had attempted to convince her to go to the hospital, but when she had a soundless panic attack at the sight of the building they had no choice but to take her back home. There, his grandfather had used every ounce of his medical knowledge gained from his days as an outback archeologist to disinfect and care for her ankle, which he found to have, blessedly, no broken bones.

Yugi sat at her feet now, concerned over the way her blue lips had yet to regain their color. Yami sat with him, eyeing her as well. After Tea had helped her out of her soggy wet dress and into some of Yugi's clothes, her and the boys had left for home for the night at the older man's insistence.

"I can't have you three catching a cold now, eh? You're soaked!" he had said. "Go home and get some good sleep. You can get your camping gear tomorrow."

So now here he was alone (at least, alone besides Yami), with the girl who had yet to make a sound. She watched him as well, blue eyes weary with fear. What was she so afraid of? She looked to be around his age. Could Tea's suspicions be true and something horrible had happened to her in the forest? Yugi didn't want to think about it.

Then her eyes flickered to the spirit of the puzzel for the fourth time that night. Yugi perked.

"What are you looking at?"

But still, she said nothing. Was it possible that she could see the spirit sitting next to him?

"Here we are. This should warm you right up."

Yugi's grandfather appeared by the couch, holding cups of tea on a tray. He handed one to the girl on the couch, who, as always, hesitated, wary of all. In the end, she accepted the cup, sniffing it carefully before taking a careful sip. Yugi accepted his own cup gladly.

"So...um...can you speak?"

Her eyes blinked at him in response, her bluish lips parted slightly. Yami's expression darkened ever so slightly.

"How are we going to find her family if she can't speak?" he said.

"Can you write?" asked Yugi.

Again, she just blinked, except this time she frowned, which on her carefully carved lips turned into a cute sort of pout. Yugi felt a strange warmth in his chest unconnected to the tea he was sipping. Her white hair had been brushed out by Tea, but it still filled out around her head in a wavy, curly mass that reached the middle of her back, and Yugi felt the sudden urge to touch it. He clenched his hands.

A faint hiss came from the kitchen and his grandfather jumped.

"That must be the soup! Excuse me."

And he jostled his way back to the kitchen. Yugi was once more alone with her and her great, deep blue eyes. He fought down the need to squirm.

"Um..." what should he say? Did she even understand what he was saying?

"Yugi, allow me?" asked Yami, finally turning his sharp gaze to him. Yugi nodded and the millennium puzzle shivered and glowed about his chest. When the glow died down, Yami looked out from his eyes, his mind melded into one with Yugi's.