He didn't actually hate the spirit of the ring. Yeah, he did try to kill his friends a few times but his gut told him that it wasn't actually… him. Not the spirit he means. Of course, it was just a gut feeling. Not really anything with substantial proof.
Sometimes, when he focused with all his might, he could see a slight glow around the ring. When Bakura was… not murderous, the color was a dark purple. But when he was vicious and cold, striking all the parts that hurt? It was a deep, deep blood red. It was at that time when he always felt a cold shiver go down his spine.
But he was probably seeing things. Lack of sleep does do that to people.
In any point, there was a certain emptiness in his chest now that the spirit was gone. Life was undeniably bland and his body felt like it was searching for something… more.
Each day it felt like Ryou was losing himself. I mean, yeah, he felt like that with Bakura and even before that but now he felt it harsher than he ever had.
You never noticed something completely until it has been taken away with you. Something like that.
He's taken to painting.
No, this isn't off topic.
See, he's been painting memories. But… they aren't his. Ryou is pretty sure they aren't anyway. Last time he checked, he isn't tan nor does he have a six pack or scars. He does have the white hair except longer.
He figured that he was painting Bakura. Or his past memories. Probably. I mean, it's not like he can ask for sure if it's his memories, the Ouija board doesn't work.
Are you kidding? Of course, he tried that. It was probably a bad idea, considering that he's got this distinct feeling that he's called a different spirit. Ah well, it can't be worse than Bakura.
Probably.
These paintings though… He's managed to paint Yami- not Yami. Atem. It was weird knowing his actual name. It didn't feel right to him. He gave the painting to Yugi. He hung it up above his bed.
He had so many paintings of Bakura though… Bakura and the probably Bakura. The Egyptian version he means. His room was littered with canvases and paint. He always had paint somewhere either on his hands or face. Paint has stained most of his clothes.
He wasn't the only one who missed Bakura. Marik did too. Yugi miss Yami. Kaiba does too, he just can't deal with the fact that he loses every time, I guess. What a sore loser. He heard that Kaiba was making a time-traveling device or something. Would that even work? Who knows. He's pretty smart.
Time travel would be nice.
See, Marik was sick and tired of the gloom over the group. Maybe there was a way to contact them. And he had a card he could play. Sure, he wasn't a leader of the Rare Hunters but the Ishtar's are an ancient family.
So, he decided to bring him and Ryou to one of Maqual. A magical headquarter that has a huge ass library for all magic. Shadow magic isn't the only magic that exists. There's plenty of different kinds of magic but let's not go into that. Too much to go through we would be here all year.
That was the beginning of all their trouble. I mean, it would have happened even if they didn't go but that's where the story starts.