Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...simple as that.

The legend of the three souls

Chapter III – The first attempt

-by Alena S. Anigor

"Oh, please, anything but that again..." Mai moaned, covering her ears with her hands, hearing the gipsy like music coming from the radio. The taxi driver didn't pay any attention to the blond journalist and Joey had to tap him on the shoulder, muttering something on his language. The taxi driver cast one glance at the grimacing expressions of the girls behind him and then chuckled, lowering the volume.

He turned again, and Tea managed to muster a smile, although the smile on her lips looked as if she just bit into something sour. Mai sighed, thanking Joey once again and he grinned, wondering if the tourists would ever get used to that kind of music. After all, he read somewhere that that kind of music was relaxing and good for meditation.

Yuugi, Solomon and Tristan were squeezed in the other taxi, Yuugi shifting every now and then to find the best position to sit in. The keys of the hotel room were becoming an obstacle in his pockets, and he couldn't wait to come back to the hotel so he could change. Solomon was still having that same smile plastered on his lips, actually proud of the young woman who managed to prove everyone that the Souls existed. His smile crept away slowly, when he realized that he'd have to pay dinner for seven people. He almost smacked his forehead, already calculating how much money he'd have to give away.

By the time the convention was over, it became really late, and when they reached the hotel, the night was already falling, street lamps turning on in the center of the city, and the traffic didn't seem to subside one moment.

Mai stepped out of the taxi and her other foot got stuck between the edge of the doors, and Joey had to help her out. She thanked him, blushing a bit when the blond Egyptian had to take her hands and pull her out. Solomon and the two young men were already waiting by the entrance of the hotel, and they hurried after them, eager to change and get to the restaurant.

Mai had her clothes spread over the entire bed; what to wear a tough choice. Tea was done with the shower, and she sat on her bed, drying her hair with the towel, staring out the window. It was open, and they could hear the sound of the cars and people from outside. The city seemed alive just like it was from the first moment they arrived. Tiny specks of stars were shining on the, already dark sky, the crescent moon evident also.

The girls were oddly silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts; Mai was still dwelling if she should wear the mini skirt or something more conservative while Tea was lost in her thoughts about the legendary Souls. She wondered why she had never stumbled across the story. She knew she hadn't read all the books about the ancient Egyptian mythology, but she was well accustomed with the old gods and pharaohs. About the Three souls, however, she never read anything.

"Wonder why...?" She half - whispered and Mai turned around, holding two pieces of cloth in her hands.

"What?" She asked, and Tea snapped out of her thoughts, turning her attention to her friend.

"Oh, nothing, sorry," she smiled then observed the black mini skirt and a bluish shirt in her hands. She turned her head aside, pointing at the clothes in Mai's hands, "You're going to wear that?" She asked, and Mai cast her gaze downwards, plopping onto the bed like she had been walking for days.

"I guess," she replied absentmindedly then raised her head, staring at the moon, "I don't know if that's good enough."

"Good enough for the dinner, or good enough for Joey?" Tea asked gingerly, and Mai turned her head to her friend, eyes slightly wide in shock and surprise. For a moment, she was speechless, her mouth working but no words coming out. Tea grinned, leaning back onto the pillow and crossing her fingers across her abdomen.

"So, I was right," she added, the almost wicked gleam in her eyes, "you seem to like the Egyptian guy, huh?" Mai was still staring at her bewildered, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"O-of course not!" She spluttered quickly, making Tea look at her slyly and making the blond journalist nervous. Tea sat up again, putting her hands in her lap neatly, then smiled at her warmly.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she said softly, making Mai blush an interesting shade of red, "and who knows? I think he likes you, too." She added, and Mai shook her head, standing up sharply. She headed for the bathroom in order to change.

"Whatever," she turned her head a bit to look at the brown – haired girl on the bed, "we'll be going back in a few days, and I'll probably never see him again." She added then disappeared behind the wall that lead to the bathroom. Tea sighed, wishing she could fall in love with someone.

"So, tell me," Yuugi was digging trough his grandfather's papers, trying to find something about the legend of the three Souls, "what is that all about?" He asked, becoming frustrated with the amount of papers in his hands and not finding anything that could answer his question.

Solomon was lying on his bed, relaxing a bit, and looking at the white ceiling. The little lamp beside the bed was on, and Solomon chuckled, amused with his grandson's impatience.

"I told you I'd tell you everything...later," he replied, making the younger Mutou growl. He sighed, turning his head to look at his grandpa who was having his eyes closed, pretending to sleep. Yuugi frowned, something very similar to a pout on his lips.

"You're being unfair," he chided, folding the papers back into the leather briefcase. A slight smile appeared at the corner of Solomon's mouth and Yuugi sat on the chair beside the desk, leaning into it and staring out the window.

"When are we going, anyway?" He asked, still looking at the moon and Solomon coughed softly, cleaning his throat.

"In half an hour," he replied, and Yuugi nodded in agreement. He turned to his grandfather once again and saw that he really looked like he was asleep. Then he remembered something and opened his mouth to speak.

"What about Joey and Tristan?"

Solomon opened his eyes slightly and then closed them again. "They're the guides, they already know the schedule. Don't worry, my boy, everything is already planned, so relax and enjoy!" He replied enthusiastically and Yuugi cocked his eyebrows.

'Typical,' he thought and shook his head, crossing his hands over his chest.

Twenty minutes later, Mai was still fidgeting with her hair, until Tea ushered her out of the bathroom and practically threw her out of the hotel room.

"You look fine!" She said exasperated, looking at her watch. Mai grumbled, mumbling something about how her shirt was too baggy, and then almost yelped when Tea pulled her by the sleeve and started dragging her down the hall. Yuugi and his grandfather were already waiting by the reception, Joey and Tristan chatting with them about the convention. They were looking very nice, both of them dressed very elegantly and the girls were stunned to see them, Mai's eyes resting on Joey's hair that was, although still messy, hanging loosely down his neck, looking neatly combed. Solomon smiled at the girls and Yuugi was slightly taken aback seeing Tea in a nice dress. She blushed a bit, a tad surprised by the way her childhood friend was staring at her.

"Well then, shall we go?" Solomon asked, and Tristan grinned.

"And, don't worry – this time, we picked the good ones." He said, the remark meant for the taxi drivers.

The young people smiled, and then headed down the lobby, Solomon and Tristan continuing to talk about the convention, while Yuugi was complimenting his friend, making Tea blush again. She wasn't the only one who blushed; Joey offered his hand to Mai, and she was hesitating a bit, before she smiled nervously and then took his hand.

"You look very lovely," he commented, and Mai stuttered a barely audible 'thank you.'

The taxis were waiting in front of the hotel, and they separated, taking their seats and waiting for the taxis to take them to their next destination.

Ishizu was typing on her computer, eyeing the bust every now and then and letting her impressions and data appear on the white screen. Rashid was busy ordering the other staff what to do with the old artifacts that were on their way to be delivered to the museum in Europe. The other staff was cleaning the hall, cleaning everything what was left after the banquet. Ishizu looked at her watch, and her eyes widened seeing what the time was. She hesitated, glancing at the bust then at her watch; she wanted to stay here and finish her work, but she promised the retired archeologist that she would come to dinner. She sighed, turning her head and waving to Rashid, who let his voice quiet down, leaving the hall.

Ishizu stood up, retrieving her coat, and smiled at her coworker and a friend who raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I have to go now, you know what the deal is," she started, and he nodded, smiling, "so I'm leaving you to stay in charge from now on." She added and Rashid nodded again. She eyed the bust and then saved the file into the computer's database, turning it off. She pointed to the bust that was standing gracefully by the monitor.

"Take care of it," she said, her expression turning into a serious one, "I'm counting on you."

Rashid nodded, turning his attention to the little statue on the desk and then smiled at his boss.

"Have fun," he exclaimed and Ishizu smiled back.

"Hopefully, I will," she replied and then casting one last glance at the Second Soul, she waved at him and exited the room, sighing deeply. Something was, however, bothering her; something she couldn't put a finger on. She had this odd feeling inside her stomach that was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't decipher what exactly that was. She still felt a bit torn between staying in the museum and going to the restaurant, but she made a promise to an old friend, and promises should be kept to old friends.

She sighed once again, reluctantly grabbing the handle of the entrance doors and skidding down the stone stairs, searching for a taxi that was available.

Rashid was eyeing the bust for a while, before he decided to take it from the desk and place it somewhere safe. He put it into a small wooden box, sealing it with the lock. Ishizu taught him once that everything in the museum had its value, and that no matter how small or meaningless the item looked like, it was old and ancient and it was worth keeping and protecting. He knew, too, that there were people out there who would give anything to get their hands on the particular little bust in the wooden box. He himself hadn't heard about the Souls, but Ishizu had said something to him before, about the legendary power they possessed and their purpose. That was two years ago, when they first started searching for them, and he forgot the details by now already. He knew though, that the Souls were of a great importance and that they should be kept safe.

He put the little box in one of Ishizu's drawers; he always put there everything that was small and important to her. He locked the drawer, too and headed to the hall, determined to have it cleaned by the next day.

"I hate this," one of the janitors mumbled, dragging the pieces of papers and napkins behind the mop, sandy hair hidden beneath his cap.

The other one smirked under the shadows of the brim, dark eyes revealing amusement, as he was wiping the floor with a moist cloth covering his mop.

"What's the matter, Marik? You've never cleaned anything in your whole life?" The white haired young man asked, raspy voice low and quiet. The other one stopped cleaning, giving him a dirty look, which was soon replaced by the one of something else. He lowered his head, remembering how he used to clean the house when he was younger and his sister was at school.

'My sister...' the word echoed trough his mind, sounding so alien like and strange. He snorted, raising his head, violet orbs full of mockery.

"Like you ever have, Bakura," he replied, and the white haired man chuckled again, putting the mop into the water filled bucket and retrieving it out a moment later to start wiping the floor again. Traces of wetness were left behind him as he let his arms work back and forth. Marik stopped cleaning, watching in wonder how his companion was neatly wiping the floor like a real janitor. The hall was empty now, and Marik peeped behind the curtain to see if anyone was there. Seeing no one, he turned back to look at the white haired thief.

"Oi, Bakura," he asked, his voice echoing around the hall. Bakura turned around sharply, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Idiot! What are you trying to pull?" He asked vehemently and Marik smirked, resting his elbow on the wooden staff.

"Relax, nobody is here," he replied, and Bakura seethed quietly.

"That's your guess," he said, his mop now resting, too. Marik shrugged and then pointed behind the curtain.

"You can see it for yourself," he exclaimed, "we're the only ones here, and you're acting as if this," he pointed at him and his stance, holding a mop, "is what you're really doing."

Bakura was staring at him for a moment then smirked, noticing the way his companion was looking at him.

"Well, my dear Marik," he started, leaning on the mop, "I like to keep things clean and right. You think I'm so dumb to leave certain things behind, after my job is done?" He added and Marik raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying we should cut the crap and get to business," he replied, and Bakura stopped glaring at him. He observed the hall, noticing that it was still filled with papers, dirt and a few broken glasses.

Bakura smirked, letting the mop fall to the ground and stepping on one of the shards of broken glass, he turned around to look at the sandy haired boy.

"You're right," he replied and Marik grinned evilly.

"It was about time," he mumbled and throwing his mop away, he disappeared behind the curtain with Bakura swiftly following behind.

Ten minutes later they stood in the middle of the office that belonged to Ishizu, angrily eyeing the room. The ruckus they made in other rooms probably surpassed the one made by guests in the hall.

"Damn that woman," Bakura growled, making Marik eye him carefully, "where the hell did she put that bust?" He almost yelled in anger, but managed to control himself barely. Marik scanned the room, and his gaze fell on the two drawers in her desk. He was by them in a second, trying to open them but as he presumed, they were locked. Bakura watched intently, observing his companion and them tumbling a bit trough his pocket, managed to fish out a thin pin. It glistened a bit on the light and he knelt down by the other boy, pushing the pin into the lock and twisting it a bit to find the right spot.

Rashid almost had a heart attack, seeing the mess in the room he just entered. His eyes widened drastically, as he stumbled across the turned chairs and desks, various artifacts lying on the floor. He cursed in Arabian, and then grabbing the first thing that came to his hand, opened the doors to reveal another perfectly upside down turned room.

"Damn it!" He yelled, and then disappeared into the room on the right where the surveillance systems were. As he thought, the computers were off, the surveillance systems completely useless, and he reached for the phone, typing a few numbers in a hurry. He managed to report the break in to the police before he left the phone down, and holding a funny looking spear in his hands, headed to the office.

Bakura and Marik opened the first drawer, which revealed nothing but a bunch of papers and notes, making Bakura growl. Marik fidgeted with the other lock when they heard footsteps coming towards the office. They were on their feet in a second, Bakura with his back to the wall by the doors, already holding the dagger in his hands. Marik was behind the desk, cursing their bad luck. The doors opened with a bang, almost hitting Bakura if he hadn't stopped them with his foot. Rashid wasn't even able to turn around when he felt a sharp pain coursing trough his left shoulder, and he cried out, wincing as he hit the floor with his knees.

"Damn you, old man!" Bakura growled, ready to stick the knife again but Marik ran across the room, making him stop, and pulling him behind.

"He probably called the police already, let's go! We'll have another chance!" He spat, looking at the white haired young man with impatience, and Bakura growled, putting the dagger back into his jacket, and disappearing down the hall. Marik managed to cast one glance at the older man in front of him, before he frowned, a cold expression crossing his features, and he started running, leaving Rashid kneeling on the floor, holding his shoulder in a painful grip. Blood trickled down his arm, making a puddle on the floor and he gasped, ragged breaths filling the empty room.

Marik lead them trough the back door and they were now facing the small and narrow alley, with no lights on, and Bakura sighed in relief, hiding in the shadows. Marik breathed a breath of relief, too, but then tensed, hearing the police sirens from the near distance.

"We better scram," Marik notified and Bakura frowned at him, dark eyes glistening with anger and fury in the shadows.

"I could've killed him," he exclaimed, "why did you stop me?" He spat out, making Marik lower his head. He knew he had made a mistake, but still...Rashid was someone he knew from a long time ago.

The sirens were very near now, and both thieves turned their heads to look at the street in front of them. Bakura growled, then headed down the street, determined to get away before getting caught. Marik strolled down after him, not turning around once.

Solomon made a joke about his old friend from the school days, when Ishizu's cell phone rang. She smiled politely, enjoying the dinner, and took the ringing phone in her hand.

Everyone was quiet when she said 'hello', but their expression slowly started to get worried, seeing a terrified Ishizu sitting in front of them. She only managed to choke out a very weak 'I'm coming', before breaking the conversation and putting the phone down into her purse. She stood up so quickly, that she almost took the whole table with her. Her face was pale, and Solomon also stood up, his face revealing worry.

"Ishizu?" Joey asked, and she eyed them all with a quick glance. Putting her coat on, she grabbed her purse.

"Something happened at the museum, and Rashid...Rashid was hurt," she managed to utter and everyone gasped in shock.

"What happened?

"Who did that?"

"I'm coming with you!"

Was heard from the table and Ishizu nodded, smiling a faint smile as she literally stormed out of the restaurant, five young people following behind. Solomon ran as fast as he could to the waiter and shoved the check and the money in his hands. He ran after them, leaving a stunned waiter and a few stunned guests as well.

Ishizu was boiling from the inside, tapping her foot nervously against the floor of the taxi, cursing the cars and the people around her in Arabian, making the taxi driver gap at her every now and then.

Everyone else was quiet, casting worried glances among themselves, not daring to say a word.

When they finally reached the museum, the first thing they saw was the herd of the police cars parked in front of the museum, policemen running around and marking the museum with yellow straps. Ishizu ran to the main entrance, but a policeman stopped her with his hand.

"I'm sorry, you can't get in, this is a crim-"

"I know that! I'm the owner of this museum and one of my coworkers is hurt, so get the hell out of my way!" She screamed, making the young policeman flinch and he let her pass, turning aside quickly to avoid the young woman's wrath. Solomon and the others managed to run past him, too, and he cursed silently after them.

Ishizu was running frantically trough the corridors, searching for any sign of the older man who was her best friend.

"Rashid!" She screamed trough the halls, spotting a crowd of people gathered in front of her office and she gasped when she pushed her way trough the crowd to see a few medics helping him up, his shoulder bandaged and his face pale.

"Rashid!" She screamed again, catching the attention of the people in the office and one of them turned to look at her, black mustaches messy beneath his nose.

"Who are you?" He asked, blocking her way to her friend. Ishizu gave him a warning look, but he still blocked her way.

"I'm the owner of this museum and that," she pointed to Rashid, "is my friend! Now would you please let me pass?!" She screeched and the man raised an eyebrow before letting her pass and she stormed to the older man, who was still holding his arm.

"Ishizu..." He choked out, stopping in front of her as she stared in shock at him.

"Rashid, what...what happened?" She asked him, eyes wide with fear and worry. "Are you all right?"

Rashid nodded, although his facial expression revealed everything. A few tears escaped Ishizu's eyes and she let out a sob, making him smile faintly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave this world so soon," he replied, making her smile in spite her tears. Solomon, together with Yuugi and others were staring blankly at the scene in front of them, completely speechless.

"I'm inspector Muhadda," the man with mustaches approached them, making them all stare at him now, "may I know who you are?" He asked them grimly, eyeing them suspiciously.

Solomon managed to collect his thought first. "We're the friends of the young lady." He replied, and insp. Muhadda cocked an eyebrow.

"And do you know what happened here?" He asked them again, scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

"No, we were all at the restaurant when her cell phone rang and then she told us that someone got hurt. We got here as soon as we could," Mai replied, eyeing the man with something that resembled apathy.

"So, so..." He mumbled then left again to say something to other people that were gathered in the office.

"Who was it?" Ishizu whispered, desperate to know who hurt her best friend. Rashid lowered his head, his eyes dark and cloudy for a second, before he raised his head again, looking the young woman with sadness. Ishizu opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

"He was wearing a cap, and I couldn't see his face, but I...I heard his voice, and I think..." He halted to cough hastily, Ishizu holding his hands in hers for the support, looking at him pleadingly. Rashid took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, nodding slightly.

"I think it was him," he whispered and Ishizu stiffened a scream, gritting her teeth and lowering her head, her fists clenched. Rashid started coughing again, and the medics started pulling him away. Ishizu turned around to look at him, eyes full of tears and desperation.

"I'll come and visit you!" She yelled after him, when insp. Muhadda approached her, eyeing her with dark, obsidian eyes.

"You will have to give us your statement," he exclaimed, and Ishizu stared at him blankly for a while before nodding. Insp. Muhadda ordered his men to start working and they invaded the whole office, making everyone step outside.

"Are you okay?" Yuugi asked the dark haired woman and she nodded, all grief and pain hidden expertly in her.

"Come, we'll take you home," Solomon nodded, but she shook her head defiantly.

"No, I'm staying here," she replied, stoically looking around the messy rooms. Solomon put his hands on her shoulders.

"Ishizu, you're exhausted and you should rest, and-"

"Thank you, Solomon, really," she cut him off, pulling his hands off her shoulders, placing a stubborn look on her face, "but I'm still staying here. I've got so much to do...you go, have a rest, I'll call you tomorrow."

Nobody could utter a single word anymore because with that she went back to the office, greeting the inspector once again and closing the doors behind her.

Tea sighed, feeling sorry for the young woman and Mai let out a 'hmm'. Yuugi glanced at his grandpa who had a worried expression written all over his face, his head lowered.

"Grandpa, we should go," Yuugi commented and Solomon turned to look at him, nodding faintly. The little group of people suddenly looked so tired and drained that they couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to get some sleep.

Still shocked with the evening's happenings and a pale looking Rashid, Mai stumbled a bit across the carpet, and Joey quickly grabbed her hand, preventing her from falling down. She mumbled something incoherent, wanting nothing more than to lie down and fall asleep.

They stumbled out of the museum, police cars still parked in front of it, and Tristan whistled to a two bypassing taxis. They squeezed inside, every thought of sleep welcome.

Ishizu was talking to inspector, replying on every question like a zombie. The standard questions and answers were flowing out of her, although her thoughts were somewhere far away in the past.

'Marik,' she thought, 'why are you doing this?'

AN:

Thanks for the reviews, although I'd be happy to receive more of them. Anyway, I'm glad some of you like my story...

So much for this chapter. Tell me what you think.

Bye now!

A.S.A