Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...I just own this plot, the bad guy of the story and my own crazy and sometimes too vivid imagination...Bwaha!
A/N
My God, I'm already on chapter 16...O.o And I still have no idea how many chapters will this story have and how will it all end...go fig. I'm simply building the story chapter by chapter...And I shouldn't have said that – now people are probably staring at this and asking themselves: "What the hell?"
Oh, well...this is A.S.A coming at you live with another brilliant chapter! Ahem...got carried away a bit there....
The legend of the Three Souls
Chapter XVI – Calm before the storm
-by Alena S Anigor
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"I'm worried," echoed through the darkness. The voice belonged to a younger person, although it revealed fear and anxiety. Yuugi Mutou was hunched in the corner of the dark alley, pressed against the wall and ordered not to move. Ishizu was a few inches away from him, still clutching the bust to her chest tightly. Their ragged breaths were mingling in the pitch - dark alley, and they felt uncomfortable, standing there for some time already and waiting for Tristan to come back. At least they prayed silently for him to come back.
"You think they got him?" Yuugi voiced his dreadful thoughts, turning slightly to try and see the young woman the question was directed to. He could only see a faint shimmer of her jewelry, and even fainter glimmer of her eyes.
Ishizu was thankful for the solidity of the wall she was currently leaning on. She was afraid she would've collapsed on the ground if the wall weren't supporting her trembling body and shaky legs. True, Tristan went to see if the coast was clear and was gone for some time already. Numerous thoughts and scenarios passed through her mind and she was honestly hoping her friend was all right. But due to the fact that there was a herd of cloaked monsters after them, she didn't dare to be too optimistic.
"I hope not," she replied quietly, trying not to speak too loud but loud enough for Yuugi to hear. The young man beside her sighed heavily and she could hear him sliding further down the wall until he sat down, bringing his knees to his chin and embracing his legs in a comforting manner. The hard, rocky ground was cold and he shifted sorely until he finally settled in the, more or less, comfortable position.
Silence settled between them, too and they were both gazing at the moonlit sky; Ishizu staring at the full and shiny orb and Yuugi counting the stars he managed to see scattered around the moon. Time passed slowly, and it seemed like it would stretch into infinity, their thoughts and emotions making them edgy and tense. There was no sound for good five minutes, but then they heard footsteps coming closer to them. Yuugi immediately stood up, slowly sliding up the wall and already ready to fight with everything he possessed. Ishizu clutched the bust closer to her chest, a frightened and alerted expression on her face. Although it was dark in the alley, they could both hear their breaths, quick and mixed with fear.
Yuugi stepped in front of Ishizu quickly, shielding her slightly from the potential intruder when he heaved a sigh of relief, hearing Tristan's low voice calling for them. Soon after they responded, his tall figure stepped into the dark and behind the small, wrecked wall they were hiding behind, and also heaved a sigh of relief.
"Are you okay?"
"They didn't notice you?"
"What about the others?"
Tristan had to clamp his hands over their lips to make them silent. In the dark, he couldn't see where their faces were so he simply stretched his hands in the direction their voices were coming from. Therefore, he clasped his hand over Ishizu's nose and managed to pat Yuugi on the forehead, instead. But, they at least silenced down and looked at him, slightly puzzled.
"Be quiet, you two!" He hissed quickly and they were now staring at him, glancing around warily. Ishizu removed his hand gently, wanting answers.
"Are they still around?" she whispered carefully and Yuugi leaned closer to her to be able to hear what she was saying. Tristan observed his hands for a while then shrugged slightly and leaned in as well. Accidentally, he bumped his forehead against Yuugi's and let out a yelp before they quickly clamped their hands over each other's mouth, eyes wide for a moment. Ishizu resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she just shook her head instead.
"Tristan," she whispered sharply again, "talk! Where are they? Can we proceed towards the ruins?"
Tristan bit his lip for a second, still trying to catch his own breath. He was wandering through the alleys for some time, trying to find a way out of, what looked like a labyrinth to him. He spotted the infamous crossroad they barely managed to escape from half an hour before, and instantly backed away behind the corner, expecting to see the creatures there. He cocked his eyebrows when he peeked behind the wall and saw only a few cloaks lying on the ground. There was no sign of the monsters and he sighed in relief. He was observing the crossroad for some time, and was already prepared to move forward and see if the alley that led to the ruins was free, when he stopped abruptly, sensing the frosty air, swirling around his feet. The cold air was coming from the right alley and he quickly backed away into the shadows, watching intently and waiting. He could practically feel his heart beating somewhere near his throat, chanting all the time to calm down. When he caught a glimpse of a dark cloak, he stopped breathing for a second, his eyes widening when he spotted a cloaked figure floating across the end of the alley. It stopped and turned its head in his direction, and Tristan froze. He could almost feel the creature scanning the alley and was already prepared to run, when the creature turned its head away and floated down the path again, disappearing behind the wall, together with the chilly air it left as a reminder...
"I think they are strolling constantly around," he replied in a whisper, this time leaning back slightly to avoid another bump on the head. Yuugi sighed dejectedly and Ishizu narrowed her eyes.
"So, they're still after us," she added, silently trying to come up with a plan how to reach the crossroad without having to meet the monsters again. Their last rendezvous ended almost fatally for all of them. "But we have to get to the ruins somehow...we just have to."
Tristan and Yuugi exchanged helpless and clueless glances, wondering how to get away from their current situation, as well. Ishizu straightened up, placing a stern expression on her face. The boys stared at her, slightly apprehensive of her next move.
"We have no other option," she chided when they realized what her intentions were and started to object. "It's a risk, I know, but-"
"But, they're all over the place!" Tristan cut in, hissing nervously. Ishizu's expression became even harder and it became clear to them that she wouldn't give up so easily. Yuugi's face faulted. She sure was a stubborn one.
"Choose the alley." She said firmly to Tristan who gaped at her first then looked at her incredulously.
"Are you kidding me?" He asked, not believing his ears.
"Us," Yuugi corrected him humbly from the right. Ishizu shook her head sternly, the serious and unyielding expression still evident on her face.
"It's the only chance we've got, Tristan," she added, and shoving the bust into Yuugi's hands, placed a determined look on her face, stepped forward and peeped behind the wall. Seeing no one, she turned around and waved at them to follow her. When she disappeared behind the wall, Tristan looked at Yuugi who only shrugged helplessly. Tristan deadpanned then glanced at the bust in Yuugi's hands; the main cause of their trouble.
"You better hide that thing," he told him and Yuugi quickly hid the bust beneath his t-shirt. Tristan suppressed the urge to cackle, due to the fact that Yuugi looked like he was expecting a baby. Yuugi just gave him a dirty look. After they peeked behind the wall and saw Ishizu glaring at them angrily, they both sighed in unison and preparing themselves for one, long night, vanished behind the wall and into the darkness.
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"Where is that damn crossroad now when you need it?" Joey mumbled in Arabic and into Mai's ear until she couldn't stand his constant jabbering and growled at him to either shut up or speak in English. He grinned sheepishly and muttered an apology...in English this time.
Mai sighed tiredly, wanting nothing more than to hit the bed and fall asleep. Or maybe to take off her shoes...or take a shower, she could still feel that monster's skeletal hand on her head when it tried to get a hold of her. She wondered briefly where they were going and where did the others end up when Joey stopped and decided to take a break. Dragging and supporting a girl all the way down the numerous alleys was becoming a tiring job.
Turning around, he saw nothing but the dark alley and a few stones reflecting the moonlight. Mai sighed wearily when he let go of her for a moment to take a few breaths. She plopped down on the cold stone and immediately winced at the sharpness of the rocky ground. Supporting herself on the wall of the alley, she got up and leaned onto it, marveling in the coolness slightly. She needed that. When Joey reminded her that leaning on the wall like that wasn't healthy, she waved her hand at him dismissively and sighed again. Looking around, she tried to distinguish where they were, but didn't get far with that – everywhere she looked, she saw either darkness or the stones of the alley. Plus – they all looked the same to her, anyway.
"Where are we?" She asked him, exasperated and tired of everything. Her feet were killing her, and she could sense a headache coming on. She growled, glaring at the sky and putting a hand on her forehead. Joey glanced at her once, before he redirected his eyes to the other end of the alley, the one they came through. He scrutinized the darkness, trying to see if there was someone who could represent a threat to them, but saw no one.
"I don't know."
Silence filled the already dead alley as two young people stared ahead, deep in thoughts.
Joey wondered about Serenity's whereabouts. When he last saw her – she ran away down the alley with...Seto Kaiba. He growled involuntarily, gaining Mai's attention.
"In pain?" She asked him, glancing at him for a second. He leaned on the wall as well, gazing at the sky worriedly. Moonlight cast one silvery beam through one side of the alley and lit their faces slightly. Joey shook his head, not noticing Mai's frown...how come no one was in pain like she was?
"I'm worried about Serenity," he replied calmly, and Mai lowered her head, slightly ashamed for acting like a spoiled brat. "I wonder if she is all right."
"She is," Mai assured him, her gentle voice filling the hollowness of the street. "As long as she's not alone, she'll be okay."
Joey snorted. "That's the point – she's with that stuck – up moron."
Mai looked at him oddly, trying to remember whom he was talking about, when it rang to her. "Ahh, then she's with Seto Kaiba." Joey snorted even louder now.
"Exactly." He frowned and crossed his hands absentmindedly. Deciding not to pry any further, Mai sighed heavily and averted her eyes towards the sky again. They spent a few minutes like that, in complete silence until Mai shivered slightly, and embraced herself with her hands. Joey turned around to see the blond journalist shiver and took the first layer of his robes off, offering it to her. She stared at the robes for a moment, observing the simple piece of fabric before she took the robe from his hands carefully and thanked him. He smiled warmly at her and she got lost in that smile of his for a moment before she blushed and he mistook it as a sign that she got sick.
"I told you not to lean on that wall," he commented a few moments later when she turned her head away in embarrassment after he put his hand on her forehead to check if she had high temperature.
"I'm fine," she retorted quickly, then, not knowing how else to react, added hastily "You were also leaning on the wall as I remember!"
Joey looked at her in confusion, slightly puzzled by her sudden, offensive behavior. Mai caught herself acting like a spoiled brat again and muttered an apology silently. She put his robe on and smiled slightly when a wave of warmth passed through her body.
"Thanks," she said honestly and smiled at him. Joey blinked again, baffled by her changes in behavior. Must be a girl thing, he thought, but smiled back nonetheless. He stared in awe at her glimmering, violet orbs, lit by the moonlight until she blushed again. He snapped suddenly out of his daze, sensing chilliness in the air. He stiffened and Mai looked at him worriedly.
"What?" she asked him but he stopped her with a motion of his hand. Listening carefully, he could hear nothing, but already shuddering because of the cool air around him, decided not to take any chances again after they barely managed to flee.
"Let's go," he said in a deep voice and Mai blinked in puzzlement. It was so nice to spend some time alone with him and now he was urging her to move. She didn't protest, however, when he picked her up in his arms and ordered her to be quiet.
"Okay," she murmured silently, feeling content and happy but when she also felt the familiar breath of cool air she stiffened as well and gasped, realizing why they had to leave so suddenly.
"We have to get to the ruins," he said quietly and she nodded mutely. Just when Joey turned to the left and vanished behind the wall, a cloaked figure appeared on the opposite side of the alley. It was observing the empty alley for a moment, before it let out a raspy sound and disappeared again.
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Kaiba hated being helpless. What he hated even more was asking someone for help...Now, almost hanging down the dangerously swaying rock, he had no choice.
Cringing inwardly and gritting his teeth, he already opened his mouth to ask the most hated thing to say, when Serenity turned around and offered him his hand.
They were climbing up the hard, slippery rocks that remained of the old house once it fell apart many years ago. Nobody bothered to move the rocks away so now they were scattered around, and making a pile in the middle of the street.
"Here," Serenity said, breathing heavily after managing to climb all the way up. She turned around just in time to help her companion climb up. Kaiba stared at her hand for a second before he grabbed it and Serenity had to kneel down in order to pull him up and avoid falling down together with him.
He was panting slightly when she pulled him on the top of the pile. Looking around he saw that they were pretty high above the ground and had to close his eyes for a second to avoid a sudden wave of dizziness. He was used to the heights, but after climbing up the pile of dirty rocks and suddenly getting up after that made everyone slightly wobbly and dizzy.
Serenity sighed in relief when she finally reached the top. It was a dangerous way up and she almost slipped and fell once. Luckily, the taller boy managed to grab her by the waist before she fell. She forgot to thank him for that and she turned around to do that, but discovered she had to crane her neck up to be able to see him.
"Thank you," she said softly, smiling at him and offering him his hand again. Kaiba stared at her, slightly surprised then stared at her outstretched hand.
"For what?" He asked her, still a bit confused. As far as he remembered, no one really thanked him for anything. This was definitely something new. Serenity smiled at him again, noticing his unusual discomfort.
"For saving me when I almost fell," she replied simply and took his hand in his, placing her other hand atop of his in a polite manner. He lowered his head to look at the gesture and felt strange. One, until now, completely unfamiliar feeling crept around and...scared him. He quickly pulled his hand away, leaving Serenity now puzzled.
"Hmph," he muttered under his breath, pushing the feeling down and trying to smother it. Serenity blinked at him in confusion until she looked past him, gasping and pointing at something behind him. Kaiba turned around swiftly to see a few cloaked creatures approaching the pile of rocks, skeletal hands reaching out to grab edges of the pile. Kaiba cursed under his breath, glaring at the monsters then heard another gasp in front of him.
Stepping back abruptly, Serenity slipped on one of the rocks and felt that pang in her chest that signaled both danger and fear. The rocks around her turned and disappeared and now she was looking at the sky and the moon, turning down as well, until she stopped suddenly, hanging on the half way down the rock, brownish hair swaying underneath her.
Kaiba's eyes widened slightly when he saw her falling down. Reaching instinctively for her hand, he grabbed it and steadied himself on the pile. The girl let out a frightened whimper and closed her eyes for a moment. When he turned around, he saw the monsters crawling their way up slowly, and not wanting to waste another second, pulled the girl to him, grabbing her by the shoulders.
Serenity let out a startled gasp, staring at a pair of deep, blue eyes.
"Which way?" He barked, alerted. She blinked once, not realizing what he meant. When she spotted one skinny and whitish hand reaching up the rock behind him, she shrieked and quickly turned in his hands, now aware again of their destination.
"The ruins are there!" She yelled and started jumping down the rocks, not paying attention to the sharp edges and slippery surfaces. Kaiba kicked the upcoming creature with his leg, sending him falling down and on top of another one. The third, that managed to dodge the two remaining, kept on climbing until he scarcely managed to see the outline of the falling stone before it hit him and he tumbled down with a shrill.
"Come on!" Kaiba turned to see Serenity already crawling down one, heavy rock and jumping down to the solid ground. He followed her path, but not before taking a deep breath and smirking for making the creatures topple over the rocks all the way to the other side of the pile.
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"Can't we stop...already?" Tea huffed, trying to run and talk at the same time. Her chest burned with such intensity she wondered how come she could still breathe at all. She wanted to stop and marvel in the sight of the pyramids for a few moments, when the thief grabbed her by the hand and pulled her roughly again. She didn't stop complaining for a few minutes until his patience slipped away and he snapped at her to shut up already.
She's been quiet since then, sulking at him all this time, until she finally couldn't run anymore and had to stop by one, solitary rock that was standing in the middle of the sand, probably left of some old, ancient structure that was once lying there.
Bakura let out a shaky sigh, reminding himself all the time that she wasn't like him and he should expect nothing more. He stopped, putting his arms on his waist, observing the sky angrily. He was frowning and growling silently, cursing the moment when he decided to steal the bust from the museum. He didn't know himself why he wanted to have it – he simply had this urge to possess it, to own it. And he was a man who was guided by his instincts and impulses.
Glaring at the brown haired girl who was sitting on the sand and breathing rapidly, he noticed a shadow not so far away. It was quick and it made him wonder if he really saw anything, but his trained eyes rarely missed anything like that. Someone was perhaps, still after them, and they didn't seem to escape their pursuers after all...He didn't want to take chances anymore.
"Get up," he ordered and the girl looked at him, giving him a dirty look, and still breathing exasperatedly. "Somebody is maybe still after us." He added slowly and she blinked then turned her head to look at the rocks and wrecked walls they left behind. She narrowed her eyes to try and see someone but saw no one.
"I don't' see anyone," she replied, still staring at the rocks, and the shadows they made due to the moonlight. Bakura rolled his eyes and snorted.
"Well what did you expect? To see signals in the air?" He retorted and she frowned, glaring at him again. "Get up." He repeated and leaned down to grab her by her upper arm when she sighed heavily and got up herself. Turning around suddenly, she almost bumped her forehead against his, and they stood like that for a few seconds, looking in each other's eyes intently.
Tea stared helplessly into the depths of his dark orbs, feeling lost and confused again. Why was he having that kind of affect on her, was beyond her. She knew she felt odd and almost giddy, excited and...he leaned in slightly, making her stop breathing. Her eyes widened slightly when she felt his breath on her face.
Bakura's mind was screaming at him to stop, to lean back, to run away as far as possible from the girl, but his body was glued to the spot and he couldn't help himself. Her eyes were captivating, glimmering under the silver moonlight and her lips were so inviting. He could feel himself leaning down, completely loosing every shred of reasoning and mental activity, forgetting about the ruins, forgetting about the mysterious shadow behind them...
One final thought that still managed to reach his mind before his lips met hers was - She is mine.
