Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...[rises an imaginary Millennium Item] Muahahahaha!
A/N
Gah, stupid html codes...Ahem, anyway – sorry for not updating sooner, had no time, really, and was in the process of writing another story (Kaiba/Serenity fic), so pardon my posting hiatus. You have no idea how many times I've rewritten this chapter in order to be pleased with it...hope you'll like it as well.
And yes – I know I killed Shadi...but someone just had to die, you know...And let's just say he won't be the only one...uhh...okay, enough said. Let's move on with the story, shall we?
The legend of the Three Souls
Chapter XV – Separate ways
-by Alena S. Anigor
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The alley was long and narrow, footsteps echoing through the poor dimly path. The only light was coming from the moon set high on the sky, which indicated that it was very late. When Yuugi glanced at his watch, he saw his assumptions were right – it was near midnight.
He looked at the girl in front of him; Tea was breathing heavily as well as the rest of them. Mai was mumbling constantly something about high heels and blisters, while Joey was trying to calm down his sister who was on the verge of panicking. Ishizu, Tristan and Kaiba were following close behind, the CEO having an irritated look plastered on his face.
Tea was in an almost desperate need of air. Her lungs were burning with such intensity she had a feeling they would explode from the inside. The thief, who was still holding her hand and dragging her down the street showed no signs of stopping. When Serenity finally almost collapsed on the solid rock of the alley, Joey yelled at him to stop already so they could rest a bit. Bakura stopped and turned around, ready to object but when he saw in what state they were, decided to keep quiet. The brown – haired girl was gasping for air and he stared at her in wonder for a moment, not comprehending how could they be so out of shape. Running like that was his constant routine, something he was already used to...but then again, they weren't like him.
"How...much...longer?" Tristan breathed out, clutching his shirt tightly. Ishizu bent over, equally exasperated and out of breath. Serenity and Mai leaned against the cold wall to rest a bit when Joey warned them to get away from it if they didn't want to catch pneumonia. Mai groaned and stepped away from the wall only to stumble and almost fall on the floor. Joey was only capable to stop her from completely loosing her balance by grabbing her by the shoulders so she ended on her knees.
"I can't go on anymore," she whispered, disheveled. Kaiba seemed to be the only one who has managed to keep a straight and cool face. He crossed his hands in clear annoyance and glared at the thief. Bakura scanned the alley in front of him, and recognized one of the sheds he remembered as an indication that the exit was close. The wall of the shed was scrapped and the little gap had a form of a star. Such details were quite useful for an orientation when he was younger.
"Are we there yet?" Kaiba's flat and chilly voice broke the silence and made everyone turn to the thief, looking at him curiously. Bakura turned around and looked first at the tall CEO then at everyone else.
"We are close," he replied silently, glaring slightly at Kaiba then redirected his eyes to Tea who breathed a sigh of relief now, "A few steps away is a little crossroad. We are going to go straight forward; that's the closest way to reach my hideout in the desert."
Yuugi listened carefully, glancing at the sky for a second.
"And where exactly is that hideout of yours?" Joey asked, already irritated enough to give up on the whole thing and go home. He was still supporting Mai who now had one hand around his shoulder. Bakura gave him a suspicious glare, already thinking how revealing his hideout spot wasn't such a good idea but due to the circumstances, had no choice.
"When we reach the last house, it's about a mile away. At the Ruins of the Doomed," he replied, observing their faces sternly. Joey's face paled, hearing about the sheer name of his hideout.
"Ruins of the Doomed?" Yuugi asked, slightly perplexed. Ishizu frowned in deep thoughts. She put her hand on her chin, the name sounding so familiar to her. When it finally clicked to her, her eyes widened and she gaped at the thief who was ready to move on.
"You mean...those ruins from the seventh dynasty? The ones who are supposed to be haunted by evil spirits?" She asked, half – scared and half – curious. Mai and Tea paled just like Joey, glaring first at Ishizu in disbelief then at Bakura who was smirking.
"I'm not going there if the place is haunted!" Mai exclaimed, almost letting go of Joey and landing on the floor again.
"Me neither!" Tea joined in, staring at Bakura with frightened expression. Bakura, who was still smirking, let out a chuckle and crossed his hands. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, while Yuugi sweatdropped.
"The only evil spirits there are my...fellow colleagues and me," Bakura said, with a note of pride in his voice. Tristan and Joey exchanged knowing glances, already well aware of the fact who the fellow colleagues might be. Ishizu gave him a somewhat accusing look when Mai and Tea sighed. Serenity, who sighed in relief as well, pulled his brother by the sleeve.
"We're going there?" she whispered in his ear, still slightly apprehensive. Joey turned and put a hand on her shoulder, one that wasn't supporting Mai. He looked back at the thief, who was staring at the sky and frowned absentmindedly.
"Guess so," he whispered back. Kaiba uncrossed his hands, suddenly sensing a chilling sensation creeping around him and immediately stiffened. Ishizu gasped slightly when she felt something cold surrounding her and she turned around to see Kaiba staring at her intently.
"Hey, do you feel that?" Yuugi finally voiced everyone's thoughts and fears when he also felt a breath of icy air, swirling around his feet. Mai's blond locks and Serenity's bangs swayed slightly on the sudden wind as Tea's eyes widened.
"Isn't that...?" She started, and then exchanged startled glances with everyone else. Bakura frowned in concentration and listened carefully. He could feel chilliness around him, billowing and caressing his face but he heard no sound. That meant only one thing.
"Move!" He ordered and grabbing Tea by the hand again, yanked her and pulled her forward. Yuugi and everyone around him got the picture as well, and not knowing whom to take by the hand again, grabbed the first person behind him who happened to be Ishizu. Tristan followed sharply behind, not wanting to wait and see what happens next. Joey said a few encouraging words to Mai who only glared at him and gritted her teeth when she had to run again, her legs slightly wobbly and shaking. Serenity was close behind him, a look of sheer fright evident on her face. She still couldn't believe that something like that was happening, and she still thought she was just dreaming but the reality around her reminded her that she wasn't. Kaiba turned around to see if someone was behind him but saw nothing but thick, threatening darkness of the alley. His eyes widened slightly when Serenity pulled him by the hand and told him to run already.
Footsteps echoed against the rocky alley again, and Bakura wanted nothing more than to reach the end of the alley, cross the crossroad and then run towards his hideout in the desert. The girl and his previous captive was starting to slow down and he turned around to look at her. Tea was out of breath; already thinking how she had never ran so much in her entire life. And to think she came here to spend a nice vacation...
"You have to run faster!" Bakura barked at her on which she let out a strangled choke, her lips dry and her lungs burning again.
"I can't!" She yelled desperately, already wanting to jerk her hand out of his. Not sparing another moment to think about his actions, Bakura suddenly stopped, turned around and grabbed her around the waist and under her knees. Tea was already ready to protest when she found herself in the air, supported by the thief's hands. She yelped, startled for a moment before he leaned her to him and she found herself close to his chest, her head in the crook of his neck. She blushed for a second, before he growled and she yelped again, hugging him tightly so not to fall down.
"Can't you do anything by yourself?" He groaned in irritation when she muttered a meek 'sorry'. Behind him, Yuugi stared at him and his sudden course of action until the chilly air gave him no more time to think about the thief and his childhood friend.
Bakura turned sharply around the corner, happy for once to see the crossroad and just when he was about to run across it, he stopped abruptly, making Tea shift violently and almost falling down. She let out a muffled squeak, angry with him for almost letting her fall when her eyes widened, realizing why Bakura stopped so suddenly. Behind him, Yuugi halted, together with Ishizu and Tristan.
"Oh, no..." Ishizu breathed, staring at the alley that was their only exit to the desert.
"Joey, stop!" Mai yelled, when he almost bumped into Tristan and sandwiched her. He growled angrily, twisting his neck to see what made everyone stop again. His mouth fell open and Mai gasped in shock.
When Serenity and Kaiba finally reached them last, Serenity let out a startled shriek, stopping hastily and making Kaiba stop abruptly as well. When he saw what awaited them at the entrance of the alley he growled in frustration and anger.
"Damn it." He muttered.
In front of them, the herd of cloaked fiends blocked their only way out and to the desert. The air that was creeping around them a few minutes ago was now making their cloaks billow and swish rapidly around them. They were standing still, waiting patiently and observing. One of them stepped out, the hood on his head and they couldn't see who was underneath. Not that they even wanted. It was enough for them to see a pair of skeletal hands to never want to see the same sight again.
Bakura let Tea step to the ground slowly, but she still had he hands wrapped around his neck. She didn't want to let go of the only person her safety depended on now. Bakura didn't let go of her either. His hands were still around her waist protectively.
"Now what?" Tristan whispered to Yuugi who could only shake his head in utter disbelief. Ishizu was breathing rapidly, clasping her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and full of fear. Mai's eyes started to fill with tears, and she hid her head underneath Joey's chin, whispering 'I can't anymore...'
Serenity stepped back, unconsciously gripping the sleeve of Kaiba's trench coat tightly. The CEO glared helplessly at the cloaked monsters, every idea he ever had about avoiding dangerous and risky situations, abandoning him now.
"Bakura?" Tea asked timidly, turning to look at him. Dark orbs were glistening with anger and something that resembled a mixture of annoyance and frustration. They were so close...so close and now, they were trapped. He looked around; there were other alleys that ironically weren't occupied by the cloaked ogres but none of them led to the desert. But, what choice did they have? One of them did lead to another alley that led to the desert, but as far as he remembered, there was a wrecked house, and it was hard to cross the pile of rocks and junk. But then again...what other chance did they have?
"You and me," he whispered slowly and Tea looked at him expectedly, "are going to the desert."
Tea stared at him, confused and puzzled for a moment, before he turned around and looked at Yuugi who snapped out of his trance when Bakura whistled silently to get his attention.
"We will split," he muttered silently, his head half – turned to Yuugi, half – turned so he could still keep an eye on the creatures. Yuugi opened his mouth to object when Bakura stopped him sharply.
"Silence!" He spat out and Yuugi blinked. "The dark – haired girl knows where the ruins are. Follow her and you'll get there." He added and turned around again. He glanced at Tea who was still watching him intently.
Slowly, he reached inside his robes and laid a hand on the handle of his knife. Marik's dagger was close enough, but he still had his other hand occupied.
"But, what about-" Tea spoke when he silenced her by retrieving his knife out that glistened slightly on the moonlight.
"Ishizu, give me that," Tristan said silently to her and motioned at the wooden box in her hands. She gave him a questioning look before he stretched his palms out and gave her a knowing look. Still not comprehending what he had in mind, she reluctantly handed him the box and he looked at her again. She blinked once before gasping and handing him the key. Joey and Mai stared at them in confusion.
"You're not going to giv-" Joey spat out before Tristan shook his head quickly. He opened the box and quickly handed the bust back to Ishizu. The herd of the cloaked monsters shifted slightly when they felt a presence of the ancient artifact. Ishizu quickly hid the bust inside her robes while Tristan closed the wooden box again and looked at the creatures again like nothing happened.
"It will be useful, you know," he whispered to them after Ishizu nodded understandingly.
Yuugi turned around to tell them what Bakura told him and Mai's eyes widened drastically.
"He can't leave us just like that!" She almost shirked if Joey hadn't clasped a hand across her mouth. Yuugi just gave her a helpless look and gulped, turning around to see what would happen next. The silent figure that stepped out, narrowed her head slightly and let out a chuckle. Bakura's eyes narrowed as well, when he thought the chuckle seemed oddly familiar. He dismissed the thought quickly after that when the creatures shifted again and took their stances, ready to attack.
Bakura's grip on Tea tightened and he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Stay close to me."
She nodded mutely, closing her eyes tightly. The leading figure stretched his hand and pointed at them. No one really noticed the way his fingers looked human – like, as they concentrated on the upcoming battle.
When three of them launched forward, Bakura quickly stepped away, holding Tea close to him and swung with his knife at one that was the closest to him. Behind him, he could hear Tristan swinging the wooden box at every creature that approached too close. Ishizu and Yuugi were beside him, Yuugi trying to hit one of them with his leg. Behind them, Mai screamed when one of the creatures got a hold of her hair and Joey launched a solid punch in the darkness of the hood. The creature let out a creepy, squeaky scream and fell down.
"Come on!" He yelled, spotting the nearest alley right to them. Mai was breathing rapidly, wanting nothing more then to wake up already. Joey turned around to see where his sister was, but she wasn't behind him. On the other side of the crossroad, Kaiba managed to push away one of the monsters with a kick right in the middle of the hood, and Serenity shrieked when one of them jumped in front of her and stretched its skinny, white hands towards her. She backed away, reaching the cold wall and shut her eyes tightly when she heard the creature letting out a blood – curling scream and opened her eyes to see Kaiba grabbing him by the hand and throwing him over his shoulder. Those karate classes came in dandy after all. She thanked him breathlessly on which he just glared forward. She turned her head to the left and saw an alley she knew - the alley that led to another alley where the wrecked house was. If they could climb up those rocks and land on the other side...
"Over here!" She yelled and pulled Kaiba by the hand. He protested slightly but decided to follow her when he barely managed to duck two pairs of skeletal fingers that threatened to grab him by the neck.
"Serenity!" Joey yelled, but Serenity was already gone, the darkness of the alley swallowing her. Breathing quickly, he glanced at Mai who was on the verge of crying. His eyes softened with pity and he grabbed her by the waist more tightly.
"Come on, Mai Valentine, you can do it!" He said to her on which she just sniffled and muttered how she hated her life. The alley to the right was now within their reach and he turned one last time to see Yuugi and Ishizu fighting, together with Tristan and Bakura. One of the creatures hurled at him and he barely had the time to lean back and avoid the sharp claws. Not wasting more time on watching the struggle, he disappeared in the darkness of the alley.
Tea was shivering slightly, feeling the cold, skeletal hands on her neck for a moment, before Bakura grabbed the neck of the monster and twisted it around with a loud cracking sound. She almost whimpered and wanted to hide in some corner of the wall, when he pulled her up sharply and ordered her to get a grip on herself. She gasped and pointed at the figure behind him, but Bakura already turned around and swung with his knife. Seeing the rest of them were busy trying to reach Ishizu and the bust she was hiding, he took the opportunity and grasping Tea's hand again, pulled her behind him. Just when he stepped into the alley that promised them the desired freedom, a cloaked figure grabbed his hand and dig his nails into the flesh of his hand. He let out a hiss, turning around and swung with the knife angrily. The figure backed away after letting a hiss itself. Bakura swung his leg to push him away when the figure raised his hand to the hood. It landed on the rock and when was about to get up and finish what it started, Bakura and Tea were gone. The figure growled angrily, hiding his fingers beneath the hood.
Tristan swung the box so violently that it sent two of the remaining figures flying away, but the box cracked as well and after a few moments, crashed to the floor, the wooden pieces scattered around.
He and Yuugi glanced nervously at each other then at Ishizu who was not so far away, clutching the bust to her chest tightly.
"We better run now!" Tristan said, eyeing the figures on the ground that were starting to get up again. Yuugi gulped between ragged breaths and nodded.
"I agree!" He replied, and turning around, they grabbed Ishizu and ran towards the nearest alley that wasn't blocked with cloaked creatures lying on the rocky ground.
Silence filled the crossroad and the only standing figure was left seething angrily. He was so close to achieving his goal...but he wouldn't give up just like that...he would get them, sooner or later. When the figure lowered his hood and showed its face, it revealed a young, sandy – haired man, violet eyes shimmering with gray malice. He was still holding two fingers on the spot where the knife managed to graze his skin.
Marik lowered his hand to rest by his side, small trickle of blood falling down his tanned face, a small but visible cut evident on his cheek.
He smirked cruelly, and turned around to see some of the cloaked creatures up again. His eyes narrowed in malice and he looked at the alleys around him.
"What are you waiting for? Go after them!" He barked and the cloaked monsters nodded slowly, cloaks billowing again and filling the crossroad with chilly air again. Few of them went after Mai and Joey, few of them to the alley where Serenity and Kaiba disappeared in, while three of them followed the path Ishizu, Yuugi and Tristan took. Marik was the only one who turned around again and glared at the alley that led to the desert and through which Bakura managed to escape.
Wiping the blood away from the cut and licking his fingers, he smirked evilly and put the hood back on his head.
"This is not over yet." He whispered and disappeared in the darkness of the alley, leaving just a swishing of the remaining cloaks and then, silence.
