Hello my lovelies, I'm updating again for you know what this means? One chap closer to the end, speak of the devil I am on the last chap of this story as you read this and you know what? I can't make up my mind on how to end it without it sucking, anyway on with the chapter.

Warning: M and Yaoi, this chap also has abuse in it, violence and bad language all the good stuff that makes reading fun, but if you're to young for these warnings then please leave now…thank you.

Disclaimer: don't own Yugioh

CHAP 22: Fight To The End.


"The calm before the storm?" Seto narrowed his eyes as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"Well Bakura if you plan on making me pay like before then show me what you've got." Pegasus smirked, Bakura roared as he lunged at him their swords sparked as they hit and the force pushed them back away from each other sliding to a stop. But they ran at each other again, the clinking of the swords rang out in the night.

The sound of padded feet thundered on the soft grass, "what are we dealing with here?" Yami growled as he scanned the area.

"Anticipation is a bitch?" Seto smirked.

"Hellhounds" Marik called out he got a look from Seto and Yami. "How many I have three, Yami?"

"Two, Seto?"

"Four! So let's make this quick I plan to rob that place and buy that car for Jou on his birthday," Seto watched the hounds come closer.

"I'm taking Yugi out to dinner tomorrow night and I would hate to disappoint him." Yami tightened his hold on his sword.

"Keep your mind on the task at hand you sentimental fools… I plan on buying Malik an apartment," Marik smirked as he got a round of sarcastic comments.

The hounds ran at them at the last few feet, Seto, Yami and Marik jumped out of the way at the last minute the hounds ended up hitting heads and getting up, Marik was tackled and dragged away, as he clawed Marik he held it's snapping jaws away from his face he felt around for his sword but all he got was dirt. He gasped as a sword hit the ground right next to his ear and the large animal fell on him. Marik looked up to see Yami jump off and get taken by another, Marik's cape was grabbed and he was pulled back, he grabbed the cape in his other hand and drew his sword back and stabbed it through the eye. He looked around and saw Duke and Noah huddled near the rock and hadn't been spotted yet.

"Get him out of here NOW!" Marik yelled as he stood up eyes widening as a hound was sneaking up to them, he made a run for them. Seto came out of nowhere and stabbed it in the side using his full body weight.

Duke and Noah flapped their wings and they flew up but a hound grabbed Dukes foot and tried to pull him back down, Duke cried out and kicked it a few times yelling at it. Marik ran at the hound and it let go of his foot, Duke looked down to see it's head on the ground. "GO! NOW!" Marik yelled at them. They took off without anyone following them.

Yami was being dragged along the ground and shaken as it let him go and came at his head, Yami stabbed it through the mouth and out the top of its head, he kicked it away only to be pulled back by another, "How many are there?" he growled as he dropped his sword on the ground. As he reached it a paw stood on his sword and growled down at him he opened his mouth and lent forward.

Seto pulled his sword out of another hound, he looked around he had a deep cut on his leg and chest, he had taken down three, he saw Yami and leapt into the air and wished that soul collecting worked on hounds, he tackled the hound his sword going all the way to his hilt in it's side then pulled it out and put it back in at a different angle this time the hound gave a whine and then fell.

Bakura panted as he punched Pegasus in the face and kneed him in the gut and aimed the point of his sword at Pegasus's chest who side stepped and brought his sword around, it would have gotten Bakura in the face but his sword stopped it and he elbowed Pegasus in the throat then swung around slashing his sword cutting him across the ribs.


Duke and Noah landed outside the healer's home. Noah opened the door for Duke as he struggled with Ryou, he stepped inside his foot slipped in the blood that ran down his body and pooled at his feet, Noah stopped him from falling backwards. "Solomon!" Duke called out as he walked into the house.

"I'll see if he's" he stopped as the man walked into the room he gasped as he rushed over to Duke.

"What happened to him?" he asked, as he looked Ryou over.

"Pegasus pulled his wings out," Duke said. Solomon looked over the boy in his arms.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"It's Ryou."

Solomon turned to Noah "call the healers Ishizu and Shizuka at once, but keep it quite" Noah nodded his head as he ran outside.

"Bring him," Solomon walked to the side of the stairs he pushed open the door and an eerie stair case lead downward into darkness, it was dimly lit with only a few steps visible at a time, "down here quickly." They made their way downward, as they got to the bottom Duke gasped it reminded him of a book he had read, Doctor Frankenstein. There were machines everywhere positioned around the room with a table in the centre and dim lights hung overhead.

"Lay him on the table face down," Solomon said as he turned on the machines, one by one they sparked and whined from not being used for so long and the cobwebs blew away.

He waved Duke over "You start to heal him while I work, but slowly, short bursts or he'll suck it right out of you, we need to just keep him alive for now." Solomon started to cut off Ryou's clothes and dumping them in the bin, Duke closed his eyes and he took Ryou's hand.

"Solomon what is going on?" Ishizu asked as she walked in, "why are you in?" she was cut off.

"It's Ryou, were staring project 455 again," he said as he looked up.

"What? Not again" they both said as once.

"No not again, I can't but if Ryou is going to live then we have to resort back to when we made him," he looked up "that's enough," he waved Duke off. "He can't be healed completely."

Duke stepped back as the girls moved around the table unnerved by how the room looked, "Ryou!" he frowned, Solomon told them what to do as he pointed to different machines, "where has he been all this time?"

"With a soul collector," Duke said as he was wiping his hands on a towel, Solomon looked thoughtful for a minute.

"His lungs have collapsed, he's not breathing!" she called out for Shizuka who handed her an air mask, she put it over Ryou's mouth and nose. Shizuka was putting wires on Ryou's head and arms.

"Do you still remember how to do this?" they nodded their heads, "Good." They both moved around the room attaching the machines to Ryou's body.

"This isn't right?" Duke stepped forward disbelieving what he was seeing, it was like Ryou was some sort of robot with wires and tubes coming out of him and on his body.

"Not now, you said he was with a reaper?" Duke nodded his head yes, "Then that means that Bakura finally found you," he smiled sadly down at Ryou as his hands worked on his back, the other wounds and bruises were healed. The flesh only reopened as he tried to stitch it closed. "Go to Bakura and ask him for the ring and bring it to me, if he doesn't let you then tell him Ryou will die without it, go!" Duke ran up the stairs.


Yami cried out at sharp teeth bit into his right leg and dragged him back, a second bit down on his left arm and began to tug, he gritted his teeth as his right hand clutched the sword in his hand. He looked over to see Marik jump on it's back and slit its throat, Yami's foot was freed and he put the other hound down.

Marik looked up just in time to be tackled, he cut it's right paw off and it's head, he fell to his knees he was so tired.

Duke flew over the clearing and the battle below he didn't land but was close enough to talk. "Bakura, I need the ring!"

Bakura ducked the sharp blade and rolled out of the way, "it's mine, I'm not giving it to you" he growled as he swung for Pegasus.

"It's for Ryou Solomon said that he'll die without it I have to take it to him," he called back, Bakura pulled off the ring and threw it up into the air, Duke gasped as he flapped his wings and lunged forward to catch it, once he did he held it closely to his chest and flew off.

Pegasus grinned, "It looks like I did my job well," he chuckled. Bakura leapt forward just missing Pegasus left shoulder, he moved around to Bakura's back and stabbed him right in the side. Bakura spat out blood as he fell to his knees, he brought his sword around and cut Pegasus's right leg who grunted and grabbed his wrist, "Now I'll show you what Ryou went through," he grabbed Bakura's wing his heel in his back pushing him into the ground ready to pull.

"BAKURA!" Marik cried out as he flew over the field and tackled Pegasus to the ground, "This is between you and me," Marik pointed his sword at Pegasus.

"What did I ever do to you?" he frowned Marik sneered.

"You almost killed Malik, Ryou and now Bakura," he started to laugh, Pegasus gave him a funny look, "now you'll see first hand why nobody gets away from me, that fight in the warehouse was child's play," Marik lunged at him Pegasus ducked but when he stood up to get into the fight Marik was nowhere to be seen.

"You coward, you boast big but can't back it up, once I'm done here, this Malik can take Ryou's place," he smirked but jumped as Marik was right next to him, he swung his sword and it went right through him, Pegasus looked confused as he did it again then looked around, he jumped back again as there was a second Marik to his left then one in front of him and behind he was surround by five Marik's. "Stop this and fight me." The Marik's chuckled darkly.

"You can dish it out but you can't take it?" the Marik's amused. Pegasus turned his back on the real Marik and that was his chance as all the Marik's vanished and he turned at the last second to see Marik coming at him he gasped as Marik used the handle of his sword and hit Pegasus in the bridge of the nose sending him to the ground, Marik dropped his sword and continued to beat him with his fists.

Bakura rolled over and saw Marik's back and his arm rise and fall every now and then, he got up and limped over he pulled Marik off Pegasus, Marik shoved him away and went back to what he was doing, "MARIK!" Bakura yelled and hit Marik upside the head.

"WHAT!" Marik raged as he paused his fist just above Pegasus's bruised and bloody face.

"I want him alive," he growled.

"What? Why?" Marik got up letting Pegasus go.

"I have somewhere to take him, I'm not done with him yet," Bakura kicked Pegasus in the ribs sending him on to his side.

"We should heal first," Marik said as he looked at his arm a gash ran from his wrist to his elbow with other gashes on his body if he were a human he would be dead.

"Not now later," Bakura grunted as he grabbed Pegasus by the front of his shirt, they looked over to see Yami and Seto kill the last of the hounds and limped over to them. "Follow me," Bakura said as Marik lent on his shoulder.

"No you two go, we'll head to the healers and see if they need anything," Yami and Seto vanished along with Bakura and Marik.


The sky crackled with thunder and lighting, everything around was dead the heat could be seen rising from the ground and the smell was enough to make you sick, the shadows moved and moaned. But it was ignored by one the other was gripping his arm, Bakura walked up and slapped Pegasus in the face he gasped and opened his eyes and looked around.

"Do you know where we are?" Bakura frowned as his hand was going numb by lack of circulation, "Marik let go!" Bakura shook him off.

"The marshes of Zilla," Pegasus started to struggle more against his bonds. The marshes of Zilla were the real horrors of hell no one really saw them as they never left the marshes but any demon or angel would be eaten and tortured to death no one ever retuned from here alive or dead they were just never seen again.

"Welcome to your new home courtesy of Ryou and Malik," Bakura smirked.

"I'll escape you know I will and I'll kill every one of you one by one when you least expect it," he hissed.

"Bakura stop mucking around and lets get out of here," Marik whined as he tugged on Bakura's arm.

"Not until I'm done." He hissed.

"Then do it all ready."

"Baby," Bakura snorted.

"Am not, I really, really don't like this place," Marik backed up, "Something touched my leg, I need Malik!" Marik bit his lip. Bakura rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to Pegasus.

"The marshes of Zilla is the only place I could think of that could come close to what I want for you," Bakura lent in close "I'm only thinking what's best for you," Bakura lent back "I would have loved to have finished you off but nothing that I would do would make everything all better for Ryou."

"I don't deserve this, I deserve a trial."

"Ryou didn't deserve what you did to him," Bakura smacked him across the face.

Bakura grabbed Pegasus's chin digging his nails into the skin, "this is for keeping me blind to Ryou's whereabouts and also you can see what's eating you." Bakura ripped out his right eye he looked at it and tossed it over his shoulder. The whole time Pegasus screamed out.

Bakura walked around to his back and grabbed his left wing in one hand, "this is for Ryou and also you can't escape ever if they keep you," Bakura grinned as he grabbed Pegasus's left wing and slowly ripped it from his back listening to every bone crack and separate and the flesh tearing then hung it in front of his face. Pegasus gritted his teeth together, Bakura turned and threw the wing into the shadows, the moaning got louder and screaming as they fought over the wing.

"I think they have a taste for Pegsy," Marik chuckled as Bakura cut the rope that held Pegasus to an old tree he fell to the ground. Bakura jumped as he felt a strong grip on his ankle.

"You can't leave me here," Pegasus grabbed Bakura's other ankle Bakura kicked him away.

"You deserve everything that you get, after what you did," Bakura moved away.

"Marik!" Bakura crouched down slightly and leapt into the air Marik was at his side with in seconds. They hovered there in the air for a bit as they watched Pegasus crawl around on his stomach a menacing grin crossed Bakura's lips, "not long now."

The shadows circled slowly at first keeping an eyeful distance checking out Pegasus as he moved away from them, one by one the shadows lunged forward taking small bites at first getting a taste for the rare but sweet smelling fresh blood and flesh. Pegasus screamed out in agony as his left leg was bitten off at the knee. The sounds that came from the shadows now were aggressively violent as the creatures that dwelled within fought amongst themselves for the feast at hand.

As they were distracted, he started to crawl away on his stomach, he looked up with his one eye, to see Marik and Bakura smirking menacingly at him, "BASTARDS! YOU CAN'T!" He was cut off as he was being dragged by the right leg slowly into the shadows, all he could do was scream, as he got closer all he could see was huge dripping fangs covered in what could only be described as black oozing sludge that had a vapour coming from them that could melt your skin. Suddenly the creatures tongue wrapped around his waist melting the skin there and it consumed him in violent gulp.

Bakura clenched his teeth together tightly and fists at his sides, he wanted to inflict that much pain onto Pegasus himself but he wouldn't even come close. The screams of the shadows soon stopped as they moved away.

Marik gulped "Ahh…" Marik flew a little higher "I think we out stayed our welcome, the big ones looking at us, I think he's still hungry, can we leave?" Bakura narrowed his eyes taking one last look then nodded then grabbed Marik and they both vanished.


Yami and Seto had tried to get in but there were other healers walking around the house as this was a place for their training Solomon gave strict orders that no one was allowed down to 'his' room and they didn't get any information either.

Yami sighed again as he looked at his boots they had let him have a shower and he changed into clean battle clothes and they were healed as well, as did Seto.

Yami looked up to see Bakura and Marik walking down the path, Yami pushed off the wall and started to walk to them, "how is he?" Marik asked.

"They won't let anyone inside," Yami started to walk with them.

"I'll see about that," Bakura said as he got to the front door and kicked it open.

"Yeah this should be fun," Seto said sarcastically as he followed them.

"Solomon!" Bakura yelled from the doorway, a few healers jumped and asked him not to yell in this place. Bakura ignored them and called out again and in a few minutes the door opened just under the stairs and Solomon stepped out.

"Bakura, long time no see."

"Cut the crap, where is he?"

"I'm still working on him and it's very hard to say right now, he's not doing so well," he turned to face them as the doors closed. Bakura's eyes' widened as the front of Solomon was covered in blood.

"What's wrong with him? I want to see him now," Bakura's voice was low and warning, the old man sighed.

"Nothing has changed with you," he smiled Bakura rolled his eyes but he did have a small amount of respect as he was the one that helped keep Ryou at his side. "Why don't you clean up and wait if you like or go home and I'll send a messenger to you. It's going to be a while before I can tell you anything. But I have to go back now I can't leave him."

"I'll wait here," Bakura lent on the wall with his arms crossed and narrowed his eyes.

"Marik would you?" Solomon asked as he walked back to the door and it opened. Marik nodded his head knowing what Solomon was implying.


TBC

Umm… sorry looks like you'll have to wait and see whether Ryou lives or dies, (insert evil laugh here) just two more chaps to go people R&R.