Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. It's clear as the.../checks outside/ night sky? Uhm...

A/N

I just realized that the last chapter was...kind of short and rushed. I'll try to make this one better. And thank you all for the reviews! I'm not sure how many chapters will there be, but I know the story is getting close to an end and there won't be more than 30 of them. Right, I'll shut up now and let you read.

The Legend of the Three Souls

Chapter XXII – Fervor

-by Alena S. Anigor


The cold rock of the Ruins of the Doomed shook due to the tremendous noise, thundering all around and making the scattered remains and pebbles tremble over the small gap in the hole. The sand flew and whirled around the numerous feet, creating a dusty wall and making Seto Kaiba squint.

He was still clutching the bust in his hand tightly, leaning it to his chest as he was trying to make his way forward. The Jackals were in his way, blocking him and making it almost impossible for him to move in any direction. Still, he was determined to find the ancient Priest and make him pay for everything he did in the past.

He was so overwhelmed with the visions of his previous life that he had only one goal in his mind – to kill Amukh and make him suffer in the same way he had when he was down on his knees, feeling an almost excruciating pain that made his head spin and his body burn. He gritted his teeth and pushed one Jackal away that was standing in front of him with such force that the creature stumbled a bit and looked down at him, blinking in wonder.

Blue eyes were narrowed in such fury and hatred that they almost glistened and blazed under the dark sky. Not even the flying specks of dust could stop him from advancing ahead; he was so adamant to destroy the Priest that he ignored the prickling sensation in his eyes.

With a growl, he squeezed through the last rows of the Jackals until one of them stepped in front of him and blocked his way.

"Get out of my way!" He roared but the creature didn't move, it was just standing there, observing him with unwavering, red eyes. Kaiba clenched his fist and was ready to hit the creature when his eyes widened suddenly and he stumbled away quickly, letting out a sharp gasp when the Jackal let out a blood chilling roar and one skeletal hand burst out from its torso, bony fingers twitching and grabbing something invisible.

The hand disappeared as quickly as it came and Kaiba looked at the wide eyes of the Jackal before it fell limply on the sand, letting out the last breath it possessed. Looking up, he took a few steps back, crashing into another Jackal, staring wildly at the cloaked figure in front of him. It let out a howling sound then screeched, noticing the bust in his hand. Almost simultaneously, others turned around so quickly that the bones cracked under the hoods. The cloaked ogre stretched his hands toward him, wanting so desperately to grab the relic and snatch it from his hands.

Yuugi, Joey and Tristan stopped abruptly behind the Jackals after they tried to reach the CEO and stop him from making a mistake and getting himself killed. When they saw what happened to the Jackal, they stopped and stared in disbelief at the scene in front of them. Joey and Tristan's eyes were wide in sheer horror while Yuugi was standing stiffly with his mouth agape and his whole demeanor trembling. He managed to snap out of his shock when he saw Kaiba stumbling backwards and made his way through the swarm of the Jackals.

"Kaiba!" He yelled, pushing the bodies away and trying to squeeze through, but the creatures weren't willing to let him through. A few of them that were standing behind the CEO roared dangerously, clutching the spears in their hands and raising them up in a fighting stance. The herd of cloaked monsters started to advance towards them, wanting nothing else but the bust in Kaiba's possession, trying to reach him, swinging with long, lanky arms and pale fingers.

One of the Jackals pushed the still shocked CEO behind him and Yuugi managed to stretch his hand just barely to grab the sleeve of his trench coat, peeking between the bodies of the two Jackals. He yanked the material forcefully, pulling him back and Kaiba disappeared behind the swarm of tall creatures and spears once again, leaving the cloaked monsters to howl and seethe at them from ahead.

Yuugi grabbed the stunned CEO by the shoulders and shook him a few times, observing his blank and wide eyes worriedly.

"Kaiba!" He yelled and shook him more violently this time, making Kaiba blink and look at him. The image of the falling Jackal was spinning in his mind and he felt like his whole body went numb and immobile and he could only stand there and watch it fall helplessly to the ground. He wasn't even aware of the Jackal pushing him behind and Yuugi pulling him back.

He opened his mouth to say something but his lips moved, shaking a bit with no words coming out.

"He's still in shock," Tristan exclaimed from behind and Yuugi glanced at the Jackals, pushing the cloaked creatures away from them with spears but more and more of them kept on coming, threatening to break the solid wall between them.

He turned around, wanting to ask Tristan more about Marik, when Joey squeezed through somehow, glaring at Kaiba furiously and without a second thought, clenched his fist and punched him with all his might, making him grunt and almost fall back if there wasn't for Yuugi, still holding him by the shoulders. The spiky haired boy let out a yelp and looked at the blond Egyptian incredulously then at the glaring CEO who recovered from the blow quickly.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Joey bellowed, leaning forward and Tristan grabbed him by the shoulders immediately, trying to stop him from making another move. Kaiba growled at him, still holding the bust in his hand tightly, sending death glares in his direction. "Just because you're the reincarnation of that stupid thing doesn't mean you can move around and do what you want!" Joey ventured, jerking and trying to break free from Tristan's grasp.

Kaiba sneered at him, wiping a thin trickle of blood from his lower lip, Yuugi moving to stand between them right away.

"Joey, stop it!" Tristan shouted and Yuugi frowned at him as well.

"Tristan is right!" He cut in, becoming frustrated and irate with everything slowly, "this is not the time or place to pick fights!" He added, turning his head to look at Kaiba and give him a warning look as well. The taller young man scoffed, licking his lip and glaring at the Jackals around them.

They were standing like that for a few moments, Tristan holding Joey by the hand now while the blond boy glared at Kaiba silently, breathing heavily. His knuckles were throbbing but he was filled with satisfaction that he managed to land a solid punch at the arrogant bastard. Yuugi lowered his head, observing him from underneath his unruly spikes warningly.

"Joey," he said and the blond boy gave up, relaxing slightly and Tristan let go of his hand, but still lingered behind him in case his friend decided to change his mind again.

"Fine," Joey muttered snappishly, "I'm calm." He replied, combing his tousled hair with his fingers. Yuugi turned around to glance at Kaiba whose eyes were directed ahead, towards the front lines where the cloaked monsters were still trying to get close to them, swaying with their hands that were continuously blocked by the sharp tips of the spears.

"Now," Yuugi turned to the guides again, "what is the deal with this Marik? You said he was Ishizu's brother but was supposed to be dead," he asked and Kaiba reverted his head to pay attention to Yuugi's question, "if I understood well, or what?"

Tristan and Joey looked at each other somewhat grimly then Joey looked down at his feet solemnly.

"Yes, we thought so...but Ishizu and Rashid were always sure that he was still alive," he started and stumbled back a bit when a few Jackals bumped into him from the left. Tristan ventured in a serious tone.

"When Marik was younger, he had a fight with his father and ran away from home. Ishizu hadn't heard from him since and then there was this accident that caused many people to die," he stopped and took a deep breath, glancing at Yuugi and Kaiba before he continued.

"There was a fire, there where that wrecked house is and Ishizu got an information that Marik was spotted there right before it happened. Naturally, the police and everyone presumed that he died in the fire as well, but I think she never stopped hoping he was somewhere out there, alive..."

Stillness ensued between them, disturbed only by the sounds of the battle behind them in which Yuugi and Kaiba stared at the guides attentively while the two of them stared at the sand sadly.

"But how...did Marik end up on Amukh's side then?" Yuugi broke the uneasy silence and bent down a bit to try and catch a glimpse of the sandy haired Egyptian, but the Ruins and pretty much everything in front of him was shielded with the feet of the Jackals and the cloaks of Amukh's minions.

Tristan and Joey raised their heads and looked at each other again, shrugging.

"I don't know," Joey replied and then growled in anger when he was once again pushed aside and pushed Tristan in process who let out a surprised yelp. Yuugi and Kaiba were also suddenly pushed forward, almost landing on top of them but since there was no room to fall down, they simply bumped into each other, Yuugi bumping his head on Tristan's chin while Joey got a smack on the forehead from Kaiba's fist he was holding the bust with.

"This is driving me crazy!" Joey screamed and tried to gain some kind of balance again. Right now, he could only stand next to Tristan, leaning a few degrees to the right. Yuugi and Kaiba were squished in between, fighting to wiggle out and make some room.

"We have to get away from here!" Kaiba growled on which Tristan had to concur.

"I agree," he exclaimed, gritting his teeth when he was forced to huddle and lean his shoulders forward to get some room, "otherwise we are going to end up like sardines in a can!"

"We could sneak our way out to reach Shadi!" Joey yelled exasperatedly, trying to push the bust that was close to kissing him, away from his nose.

"I'm afraid Shadi is busy with Amukh!" Yuugi replied, closing his eyes in concentration. Kaiba was the only one who stood there motionlessly, trying to endure the pain in his limbs and glaring at the dark sky above.

"I think I'm going to kill someone soon..." He muttered and hit one of the Jackals with his elbow vigorously.


"Wait! I think there's someone out there!" Serenity gasped and stopped pushing the rock that was swaying now dangerously over her head. Tea and Mai stopped while Ishizu was still trying to push just a few more inches away, enough for her to squeeze out of the underground chamber. Tea looked at her, wondering for a moment why was she so eager to get out when Mai interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Those dogs probably," she uttered, breathing hard and not feeling her arms anymore. She shook a few times with them then let them dangle by her sides uselessly.

"Ishizu?" Tea asked the dark haired girl timidly. She was still pushing the rock inch by inch until she was sure the hole was big enough for her to get out. She turned to Tea after she thought she had said something. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she paid no attention to anything or anyone else around her.

"What?" She asked her, her breath also ragged and short, blue eyes watching her intently.

"I know you're worried and all, but..." Tea hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say anymore. Her brown tresses were now the color of eggshell due to all the dust and dirt that fell on her head. Even her eyelashes were full of it.

Ishizu stared at her, waiting for her to finish the sentence but when Tea didn't say anything else but only lowered her head, she looked up again and grabbed the sharp edges of the stone above her. She raised her body a bit, standing on the tiptoes to try and peek outside. She quickly ducked her head when she saw a cloaked creature floating by and with horror in her eyes, realized that the Jackals that were meant to protect them were lying on the ground a few feet away.

"Oh, dear..." she whispered and paled. Tea raised her head and glanced at her worriedly. Mai and Serenity were staring at her from aside, waiting for something to happen or for some kind of explanation why they had to move the rock away and expose themselves to the danger willingly.

"Ishizu?" Tea uttered again, this time determined to say her doubts and thought out loud. "What is out there? What do you want to see so desperately?"

The dark haired archeologist lowered her head and bit her lower lip. Should she tell them that she needed to go out in order to see her brother? To see the most important person she thought was dead for a while? Glancing away, she stared at the muddy ground of the chamber pensively.

"Ishi-"

"It's more of a question who I have to see..." She interrupted Tea from saying her whole name and the girls exchanged puzzled glances. Not wasting another moment, she raised her head and looked at them resolutely.

"I'm going out," she said in a firm voice, "but you are going to stay here." She added in a tone that let no room for further discussion, although Tea was already ready to say something.

She turned around, grabbed the edges of the stone again and with one strong thrust, hopped up, holding onto the rock firmly, her feet dangling above the cold stairs slightly. She scanned the surrounding and almost immediately felt a wave of nausea sweeping over her when the first thing she spotted was a dismembered body of a Jackal. She saw the other one lying behind her, red eyes staring upwards, still and immobile. She shook her head and tried to climb up but found out she had no more strength in her arms to do so. Half turning her head around, she looked at the girls, looking at her with wide eyes and almost smiled at her own irresponsible behavior.

"I need some help," she said and her eyes softened for a moment, "please?"

The girls exchanged worried glances again, but when Tea grabbed her legs, and together with Mai and Serenity pushed her upwards, Ishizu managed to crawl up, scratching the cold surface of the ruins with her fingernails. She knelt down first then got up carefully, not bothering to dust herself off. Her hair was now almost glistening on the fresh air, and she shook her head a bit to make the dirt and dust fly away.

"Ishizu!"

She turned around and saw Tea looking at her anxiously. "What about us?"

She leaned down a bit and looked at her sternly. "Stay there, and do not come out! My personal issues are none of your concern!"

With that, she turned around again and with a quick swoosh of her robe, she was gone from Tea's sight. She was left to stare at the dark sky and listen to the sounds of the battle coming from outside. Looking at Mai and Serenity, she took a deep breath and sighed.

Mai looked at Serenity curiously. "What did she mean by 'personal issues'?

The young Egyptian girl looked at her oddly then shrugged, shaking her head fearfully. "I do not know."

Mai stared at her with half-lidded eyes for a few seconds then sighed and plopped down on the ground again, every bone and muscle in her body aching.

"I hate my life."

Outside, Ishizu was sneaking down the Ruins, trying to avoid getting seen by the cloaked ogres. She bent down and let out a gasp when two of them whizzed over her head and over the Ruins, letting out blood-chilling screams and howls. She grasped the material of her robe in the spot where she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. She almost regretted her decision now, but the desire to know, to see for herself if her brother was really here, was stronger than any fear.

She allowed herself a few moments to collect her thoughts and then rose from her spot again, walking over the rocky surface and hiding behind the wrecked walls of the Ruin. When she finally came to the spot where the wall ended, she took a deep breath and craned her neck to peek behind the corner.

And nearly lost her breath.


"This is getting interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Amukh exclaimed with a sickening grin, watching Shadi breathing heavily and lying on the sand in a fetal position. He watched from above, floating a few inches over the sand and observing the Prophet with a malicious smile. He let out a theatrical sigh and landed on the sand softly, standing in front of him now.

"You were never extremely good at mental games, Shadi. Give up," he spoke calmly but his voice was laced with icy tones, "the army of Anubis won't help you much." He turned around to glance at his minions with a bored expression then smirked evilly when Shadi got up slowly, clutching his head with shaky fingers.

"But then again, you were never the one to give up so easily," he ventured, and his eyes glinted dangerously as he kept on walking towards him. "Fine," he added and white teeth flashed when he grinned broadly at him, "We will play until you lose again."

On the other side of the Ruins, Marik was advancing towards a, now very weak Bakura who was standing in front of the raging battle between the Jackals and Amukh's minions. He was breathing rapidly, heavily, sweat trickling down his face. He had been successful in blocking Marik's dagger by now but now, he was becoming tired and his palms were sweaty as well and hurting from clutching the dagger in his hands. Marik, on the other hand seemed almost unaffected by the whole thing. He was breathing rapidly, too, but his strength and stamina seemed almost inhuman compared to the thief who was on the verge of collapsing.

Bakura shook his head to shake away his bangs that were plastered to his face and his eyes. His shirt was now practically nonexistent since Marik managed to rip his sleeves off and tear the most of it apart. His arms were covered in numerous cuts and slits, blood trickling down his skin. The wounds were stinging, making him grit his teeth. He was sure that he could convert him back by telling him about his past, but the boy was simply glaring at him, his eyes now completely tinted with gray and Bakura lost every hope of making him remember who he really was.

He barely had the energy and the strength to stay on his feet; he was swaying slightly, his vision becoming blurry from the sweat or from the loss of blood, he didn't know, but for the first time in his life, he was seriously afraid and panic started to get to him.

He looked behind him and saw he had nowhere to go – a high curtain of sand was swirling behind him, indicating that the creatures were still involved in a merciless battle. He looked back at his used-to-be friend and swallowed hard when he saw him raising his dagger in the air, ready to attack him again.

The white haired thief closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists over the handle tighter, now even ready to fight back, to really fight back and...

The dagger simply slipped away from his hands and Bakura stared numbly at the shiny blade, resting neatly in the sand below. His hands were shaking and he looked up, raising his eyes. His head swam with images of his childhood for some reason and he fell down on his knees, looking dully at Marik's approaching figure. He couldn't even feel the ache in his body anymore or the stingy sensation in his wounds. His head spun and he started falling down.

A tanned hand stopped him from hitting the ground, grabbing his head and raising it up. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the sand but he saw Marik's face, so clearly now and he stared intently into his eyes. The dagger was raised and Marik's lips twitched up to form a sickening smile, when someone grabbed him from behind and yanked him away from the thief with a loud scream. Bakura blinked in confusion before he hit the sandy ground. He managed to turn his head to see what happened and his eyes widened slightly at the sight.

Black and white mixed and tangled together for a moment, before Marik pushed the figure away. He got up quickly, hopping on his feet, dagger ready to stab and swing when he got face to face with a dark haired woman who was watching him intently with tears in her eyes.

"Marik," she whispered and kept on staring at him with blue eyes...familiar blue eyes...

Something stirred in him and he let out a scream, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Like a pulsating sensation, something yanked and pulled inside of him violently, his head spinning with images of her and his emotions raging through him, making him fall down on his knees, eyes wide and staring at the ominous sky.

His head was blank for a moment before he lowered his head and blinked a few times with a pair of clear, violet eyes. He opened his mouth and his lips moved.

"Sister?"