Over the past few years Ryou had become accustomed to the constant black outs and memories lost, given he never would get use to the idea of having an ancient Egyptian spirit living in his Millennium Ring and having his body used as host for said spirit. It was simple outrageous to even consider, Ryou had barely started to accept the voice in his head; he wasn't ready for the truth. But the black outs, he was use to those so it didn't surprise him all that much when he awoke having no idea where he was, why it was so bloody hot, nor the fact that he was famished. No those things had become normality for the young albino...

He forced his tired limbs to move as he heaved himself up, the walls and floor were made of stone, and it briefly reminded him of Pegasus' castle; what little of it he could remember. From the way he had been laid out on the staircase it looked as if he had been traveling downward into the darkness of the underground chamber below. Ryou learned by now not to disobey the nagging feeling in the back of his mind, the same voice that urged him to do terrible things. When Ryou refused he would feel that familiar lightheadedness right before he would faint into another black out. And the teen definitely felt lightheaded right now as he stumbled down the stairs, so much so that he didn't notice the absence of one very important thing.*

Ryou watched on with the others as Atemu and Yugi dueled their last game together, though he was all too distracted by his thoughts. When the eye of Horus lighted the room, Yugi had split apart…and it confused Ryou. There were two of them? From what he could tell from the cheer squad next to him as well as from the gypsy, the taller Yugi was some kind of Egyptian King that had been dead for years but never properly put to rest. A spirit then?

Ryou's hand reached up to his chest but did not make contact with the gold pendant he had treasured so much. Yugi had told him about the other presence living inside his item, but surely that's not what had happened with Ryou also? But now the white haired teen wasn't so sure, without Bakura's presence within him Ryou could think clearly, his mind unclouded for the first time in…while as long as he could remember. It surely fit, the black outs, injuries, and the nightmares didn't start until after he had gotten the ring.

But that wasn't logical! It wasn't fathomable! It wasn't real! Ryou glanced up as the gates to the other world opened and the other Yugi took on his past form as he crossed over. Realization sunk in slowly as the gates slowly closed and the building around them started to crumble. 'It was real…it always had been'…Ryou felt someone tug him hurriedly toward the exit. The white haired teen stumbled and gasped as he saw the tablet fall away in the crumbling mass, the glittering shine of the mysterious Egyptian relics disappeared into the mess. His Millennium Ring was gone.

Ryou had always known, but he no longer had the cynical voice in his head, calming his reality with its whispered sarcasm; "It's all just a dream."

It had been three months and seventeen days since that dawning, since Ryou was given his life back, but the boy did not feel liberated. Ryou felt even more insured then before, while all the other characters touched by this hand of fate had moved on from the past, Ryou felt like he was being sucked back in. Not because he was forced to, but because he himself chose too. Desperate to know of the years he had lost he became obsessed with learning about Egypt, about the history of duel monster, about him.

Yugi and the others found it to be unnerving, this new obsession on his and though they were friends Ryou's constant questions about what happened in the Memory World kept opening old wounds. No one was ready to remember, they wanted to forget the hurt of their lost, but Ryou hadn't even known he had lost something, let alone had given the chance to morn or rejoice about it.

From what Ryou could tell though he should be rejoicing, according to his 'friends' the voice was evil, it was not something to be missed. But that can't be right, he felt…empty. So completely empty inside…like he had lost apart of himself. The others couldn't understand, Ryou shook his head, he didn't even understand. Why couldn't he just put it behind him?

He didn't have the nightmares anymore; that's something to rejoice…dark images of a giant monster, a naga in fact. From what Yugi had told him that was Diabound, the evil kaa or baa, some Egyptian concept that Ryou gave up on trying to understand, of his counterpart. Shuddering Ryou looked down at all the notes he had written, all messily laid out on the coffee table in his home. He spent hours reading and reviewing everything, in desperate hope that he'd find something. He wasn't sure what though…what was he trying to find by trying to figure out his past?

He sighed and put his head in his hands in frustration. Diabound…a naga…a snake.

His evil side, he refused to call him Bakura, from what he learned was in every way a snake. A snake, a cunning creature, a tempting mystery…mystery…

Innocence tricked by sin. Empty Ryou, like curious Eve, caught up in a snake's deception.

A/N: Just a random piece I thought up while watch Memory Arch of YuGiOh, it reminded me of this book I've read called The Garden by Elsie V. Aidinoff. Good book, it's about Eve falling in love with the Snake. Fun stuff indeed, kind of wanted to play off that with Ryou falling in love with Bakura…well more like he becomes obsessed with him.

*I can't remember if it shows Ryou wearing the Ring as he falls down the stairs at the end of the Memory Arch, but I don't see why he wouldn't still be wearing it so I'm going to assume he still is