The sun was setting in the sky as Ryou and Joey walked down the street. Stone buildings folded out on either side of them. Joey gave a wary glance around them.
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Joey asked, turning to Ryou.
He looked down at the map in his hands. "Yes. We just left the Safdarjang Airport. Our hotel should be around here somewhere."
"Where exactly are we?" Joey asked, stopping and gazing around. "Suddenly I don't think it was a good idea to leave the others."
"We're in New Delhi, Joey." Ryou explained. "We're in the right place."
"How can you be so sure?" Joey questioned. "What makes Ishizu think the Gem is here?"
"Because," Ryou said, pointing to a magazine stand near them. "It's in the Museum."
Joey turned and blinked at the paper, then back to face Ryou. He squinted at him dangerously. "I get your point."
They both went over to the stand and Joey picked up the magazine. One the front it showed a bracelet sitting in a glass case. It consisted of various different kinds of blue stone and jewels, and in the center was a marble made of a sparkling purple gemstone with carvings on the surface. Neither recognized the language the words were written in.
The keeper of the shop gazed at them and started barking at them in some unknown language. Joey jumped and stared at the guy.
"Sorry, we don't know what you're saying." Joey told him, holding his hands in front of him.
"I'll handle this, Joey." Ryou offered. He turned to the elderly man and began to speak the same tongue as him. After awhile Ryou dug into his pockets and paid the man.
"I never knew you spoke Indian." Joey said bluntly as Ryou bid the man farewell and started to haul Joey away from the shop.
"I've traveled more than you know." Ryou said with a grin.
Joey nodded. "Ok then. But what did that grouch want?"
"He wanted us to pay for the magazine." Ryou explained. "He was afraid we were going to steal it."
"The only thief here is in there." Joey uttered, pointing to the Millennium Ring around Ryou's neck. "Let's just hope he doesn't come out."
As Joey watched Ryou suddenly looked distant, then returned to normal, chuckling a bit.
"What?" Joey asked, a bit annoyed.
A small smile spread across Ryou's face. "Bakura warned you to shut up or you might not wake in the morning."
Joey blinked at him, then gulped. "Uh, sorry..." He uttered, looking down at the ground. His gaze then moved to the magazine in his hands. "Ryou, can you read Indian, too?"
Ryou nodded. "Yes, I can. Why?"
Joey pushed the book in front of him. "Read." It was on a page with more information about the Gem at the museum.
"'Tomorrow will mark the three year anniversary that the Iolite of India has been at the National Museum.'" Ryou read from the page. "'The Iolite of India was said to protect the land in ancient times. For the last few thousands years it had mysteriously disappeared after the place where it was said to be housed burned to the ground. Eight years ago Alagan Sohana found a bracelet during a dig outside of West Delhi. One of the gemstones used in the bracelet was the Iolite of India.
After Sohana's death three years ago his son, Tamal Sohana, donated the bracelet and jewel to the National Museum.'"
"Great." Joey uttered once Ryou finished. "We'd have to break into the place to get the Shadow Gem."
"Maybe if we tell the curator of the museum about it they'll let us have it." Ryou said hopefully.
Joey clapped him on the shoulder. "Good wishful thinking, but I highly doubt they'll just hand it over."
Ryou nodded slowly and flipped through the magazine glancing at articles until he found one and began to read it. They walked in silence for a few moments until Ryou let out a gasp.
"Oh my..." He uttered, rereading what he already read.
"What?" Joey asked, glancing over at him.
"It appears this rogue Gem Keeper has already been to India." Ryou replied, still intent on the book.
Joey stopped dead. "Why do you say that? The Gem is still here."
"Yes, the Gem is." Ryou said, stopping with him. "But perhaps the Gem Keeper isn't."
"You're loosing me here..." Joey told him.
Ryou turned the magazine to him. On the page there was a picture of what appeared to be a happy family consisting of a father, mother and two daughters. In the corner of the page was a picture of the bracelet the Iolite was part of. Joey glanced at the heading. Though he couldn't read it, he knew it wasn't good.
"What does this say?" He asked, pointing to the heading.
"'Iolite of India, Cursed?'" Ryou translated.
Joey stared at the page hard. "What is this all about?"
"Well, it appears a bit of misfortunate events happened with those who have come in contact with the Shadow Gem." Ryou told him. "The most resent is the sudden disappearance of the Sohana family."
"What?" Joey asked, tearing his eyes away from the page to gape at Ryou.
He nodded. "Yes, Alagan's other son, Mohan, his wife Raja, and their youngest daughter, Manju, were kidnapped late last Sunday night." He grabbed the magazine and pointed to a section. "'A ransom note has been delivered to Tamal, but what the letter contained has not yet been released to the public.'"
"One guess says the kidnapper wants the Iolite for the family." Joey uttered in disgust. He looked down at the picture again. "Wait a sec." He said, then pointed to the family portrait. "It never said anything about their other daughter."
"Hmm, let's see." Ryou said and read more of the article. "It appears Sundari, Mohan and Raja's elder daughter, was at a friends house at the time of the kidnapping. In fact, she was the last one to find out about it."
"Poor kid." Joey mumbled as he looked at the picture. "She only looks thirteen."
"Fifteen." Ryou corrected, pointing to a spot on the page. "Maybe we should go talk to her and her uncle. If they understand why their family was taken, they might be able to help."
"Good idea." Joey said. Silently they began to walk down the street. Joey looked up at the sky. "Man, the sun already set. How are we suppose to find our way in the dark?"
"They have street lights for a reason, Joey." Ryou told him.
They talked as they walked, Ryou occasionally glancing at the map to point them in the right direction of the hotel. As they walked past another street Joey stopped.
"Joey?" Ryou asked, stopping and turning to him.
Joey looked down the other street. "Did you hear something?"
"No..." Ryou told him. Joey began to slowly walk down the second street. "Joey, this isn't the way to the hotel."
"I know." Joey said over his shoulder. "I just want to check something out, then we can head back to the hotel."
Ryou sighed but followed. They silently walked down this new street, wary for any movement or sound. Finally, a scream sounded from down yet another street.
"Come on." Joey ordered, and ran in the direction of the scream. Ryou followed after him.
They went down two more streets and found themselves in an alley. Three shadows were coming towards them, one being the girl who had screamed, and two being some teenage guys.
Once the girl saw Joey and Ryou she froze, fear in her eyes.
"We're not going to hurt you." Joey told her. "We're here to help."
She still looked at them with fear. Her eyes darted from Joey to Ryou and back. Finally, her blue eyes came to rest on the Millennium Ring around Ryou's neck. She stared at it for awhile, then finally ran over to Joey and Ryou, hiding behind Ryou and clutching to his arm.
Joey gave both of them a questioning glance, then turned back to the two thugs who stopped and stood a few feet from them.
"I think you have something of ours." One said, gesturing his friend. Though he was speaking Japanese, Joey could still hear a Spanish accent under it.
The girl began to ramble on in Indian, staring at the guys with fear. Ryou spoke back to her, calming her down a bit.
"Sorry," Joey said, looking back to the other guys. "It seems she wants to stay with us."
The second guy cracked his knuckles. "Listen. She has to come with us."
"We'll, you'll have to come through me first." Joey told them, moving to stand in front of Ryou and the girl.
The two guys looked at each other and chuckled a bit. Then, without warning, the first one ran towards Joey, fist ready to hit him. Joey ducked, only to have the second guy knee him in the stomach. The first drove his fist into Joey's back. He could hear the girl Ryou was protecting scream again.
"Ryou," Joey yelled. "Take her and go." Ryou nodded and grabbed the girl's arm, and began to pull her down the street. She pulled away, trying to get to Joey.
One of the guys kicked Joey in the stomach and he collapsed onto the ground. He then could see a fist coming towards him.
From the corner of his eye he could see the girl grabbed the Millennium Ring around Ryou's neck. Though he was hurt and barely saw her, he could still hear her scream at the Ring "Spirit!"
Then Joey wasn't sure what happened. There was a bright light, blinding everything. Then he could hear the two thugs cough and gag, then collapse onto the ground. When the light faded Joey slowly sat up, staring at the two unconscious figures lying beside him. Yet, something was telling him they were far worse than unconscious.
"What it the-" Joey began, turning to Ryou and the girl. His eyes widened.
Ryou appeared different. His eyes were cold and hard, and he had a dark presence around him. The Millennium Ring glittered a bit around his neck.
"Bakura..." Joey whispered, understanding the spirit of the Ring had taken over.
"Are you alright?" A small voice asked. Joey turned to see the girl slowly kneeling down beside him. "You're not too hurt, are you?"
Joey shook his head, still gaping at Bakura. The spirit sneered back at him.
"Not even going to say thank you?" He asked, crossing his arms. "How rude."
"Thank you." Both Joey and the girl said together. The girl smiled, then ripped a piece of her skirt off and dabbed a cut on Joey's forehead.
As she did, Joey got a good look at her. She appeared thirteen, with blue eyes and dark brown hair pulled into a long braid that ran past her waist. She wore a dark pink T-shirt, orangish-pink skirt that ran to her ankles, and light green pants underneath it. She wore many golden bracelets and rings, and on her head was a red dot that so many Indian woman wore. Joey couldn't but his finger on it, but she seemed familiar.
"You two must be tired." She said as she helped Joey to his feet. "As thanks for saving me from those men, I invite you to stay at my family's house."
"Is it close?" Joey asked, not really wanting to walk very far. The girl nodded. "Alright."
As they began to walk down the street she glanced back at the unmoving forms of her attackers.
"What did you do to them?" She asked, glancing at Bakura. He smirked.
"Just, sent them on a little trip, that's all." He told her smugly. She nodded and didn't ask anymore questions.
"Oh, we didn't introduce ourselves." Joey realized. "I'm Joey, he's Ryou, but in this state, he's Bakura. It's kinda complicated."
"Not at all." She assured them. "Your friend Ryou can be taken over by a spirit."
"You say it like you see it happen all the time." Joey said. She smiled.
"I have seen many strange things." She uttered. "Oh, and I am Sundari."
Both Joey and Bakura froze at stare at her. "Sundari Sohana?" Bakura asked.
"Yes." Sundari told him.
"I knew you looked familiar." Joey uttered. "I can't believe we found you already."
"You were looking for me?" Sundari asked.
"Well, we were going to." Joey told her. "But, now it seems we don't need to."
"We need to speak with you and your uncle." Bakura told her. "There are dangerous things happening, and you might be able to stop it from happening."