gone from Yuugi & Co. for a year and a half, but in the last chapter he was only away
from Bakura and the others for six months of that time. Make sense? Now, this chapter jumps
ahead a year from then. Grand total: it's been two and a half years since Ryou left Yuugi &
Co. That help? If not I'll try and clarify better.
Second thing-- the weather around here has been chaotic at best and my internet isn't
always working. If I'm ever late with a chapter it is for that very reason or else something
dire has happened to prevent me from doing so. Just be patient and I will update as best I
can.
I have updated with two chapters because this one is rather short.
Enjoy.
GUIDE
: Ryou to Bakura :
: : Bakura to Ryou : :
Blah is thoughts
-----
ONE YEAR LATER
NO POV
Yuugi stared out of his bedroom window. It was Saturday... and it was raining. His light
was off, and a grayness blanketed the room. Yami was downstairs with Yuugi's
grandfather, managing the shop. There wasn't much business today, with the weather
being as it was, but there was still plenty to do. Yuugi supposed he should go down and
help, but he just couldn't seem to move. Ryou was on his mind again.
It had been exactly two years, six months, and two weeks since the snowy-haired boy had
left. Yuugi hadn't been close to him, but he had proved to be a great help and often
managed to cheer a room when he walked into it. He wasn't much of a talker, but when
he did speak, they all had listened. Yuugi had gotten the impression that there was a whole
lot more going behind those brown eyes than was revealed to them. And then, of course,
there was that dark spirit of the Ring.
Yuugi didn't know quite to make of him. He seemed more than willing to put Ryou in
danger, yet at times appeared to be more protective of him than any other. Yuugi didn't
know if this spirit was a yami, like he and Yami, or just a possessive spirit, or even if Ryou
knew he had a dark spirit lurking about. No, that wasn't true. Ryou knew, Yuugi was
sure. The only problem with that was, why didn't Ryou ever ask for help?
Maybe he's too proud, Yuugi thought. That doesn't sound like Ryou at all, though. He's
about as humble as I am.
It was all too confusing and complicated. It didn't stop him from wondering about the
boy, though. He had considered him a friend, and his abrupt disappearance covered by a
lie just furthered his questioning. If Ryou wasn't with his father, then where was he? Had
he been kidnapped by the spirit of the Ring, or had he gone willingly? Alone? With others?
It did become suspicious when Isis had returned with yet another display of Egyptian
artifacts and asked if any of them knew the whereabouts of her brother, Malik.
Apparently, he had vanished the day before Ryou did. It was a strange coincidence, and all
them had spoken at length about it, but none of them could come up with a definite
answer. During the Battle City tournament it had become clear to them all that Ryou's
dark spirit and Malik did not like each other, and Yuugi would go as far as to say that they
hated each other, so it didn't seem reasonable that they would be together.
Then again, Yuugi thought, what is reasonable any more? It's hard to believe that Ryou
has been gone for two and half years. He'd be around nineteen or twenty by now. I
wonder if he's changed at all. Hard to think of Ryou any other way than what he had
been.
: : Aibou? Where are you? : :
: In my room, : Yuugi replied.
: : Why don't you come downstairs? I'm getting ready to fix some lunch, : : Yami told
him.
: Maybe later. I don't feel like moving right now. :
: : You're thinking about Ryou again. : : It was a statement, not a question. Yuugi sent a
mental shrug. : : Aibou, he's gone. We have to face that. If he was coming back, he
would've by now. : :
: I know, Yami, I know. I just can't help it. There are just too many questions that I can't
answer, and it bothers me, : Yuugi told his darker half. He heard Yami sigh. He turned
around to see him leaning against the doorframe.
"The others have gotten on with their lives, and you should, too," he said. "I know how
you feel. I don't like it either, but we have to face it. Ryou's not coming back."
"It just seems wrong to give up hope. I haven't ever done so before, especially in my
friends," Yuugi said. "If I don't ever see him again, then fine, Fate can have it that way. I
just want to know why."
"We all do," Yami replied. A silence followed. "C'mon. At least come down and eat some
lunch. Your grandfather is worried about you, and we both know how he gets." Yuugi
shuddered. His loved his grandfather dearly, really he did, but the man could get
downright annoying when he thought something was wrong.
"Okay," Yuugi said. He gave one last look out the window. Where are you, Ryou?
Sighing, he followed his dark downstairs.
If Yuugi had been psychic, he would've known that his questions were about to be
answered.
A/N: Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read the next chapter I've uploaded
for you, since this one is pretty short, even for me. Go. Now. You know you want to!