~k2: This is a different version of 'Free' from Ryou's POV. I was wasn't planning on it, but while writing 'Ever After' I realized that I needed to actually get a good feel of how Ryou felt when he discovered that he was, indeed, free from the ring. It was very important for the progression of that story. So, without further ado, here is the same story from another perspective. Who knows, perhaps it will make a little more sense coming from the POV of the person actually affected the most by the events.

Enjoy! And please, tell me what you think. It's all fine and dandy to have people follow and/or favorite my stuff, but I really would like to see reviews from those people as well. It's nice to hear peoples opinions. And if anyone sees any mistakes whatsoever, please let me know. I would very much like to fix them if they are there. Thanks in advance!

MK: I have been delegated to the disclaimer department. For all those concerned, my creator here has no propensity whatsoever to even attempt to make money off of anything she writes. Nothing she has written here belongs to her, everything you see belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

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Aftermath

Genre: Drama

Rating: K

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Darkness. It was everywhere. No matter where he turned, there it was. Blinding, crushing darkness. It was unyielding, impenetrable and downright suffocating. It was all that he knew.

Slowly, oh so painfully slow, awareness came back to him. He was aware of a hard surface beneath his head. He was aware that he was not quite laying down. He was aware that he wasn't in the last place he remembered being. Ryou Bakura immediately recognized these signs. Signs that something bad had happened again and it was most likely his fault. Well...his body's fault anyway. Then, suddenly, he was aware of something else. He was aware of soft fingers brushing against his cheek. Wherever he was, he wasn't alone.

Ryou slowly began to open his eyes, not sure he wanted to see what was awaiting him. They fluttered a little, not quite wanting to open just yet, and he heard a sweetly familiar voice as Anzu, noticing the action, called for the others.

"Guys! He's waking up!"

"Bakura!" Ryou heard Yugi's excited exclamation; he also heard the hint of worry. More than just a hint.

As Ryou opened his eyes, he had a hard feeling of dread creeping up on him. The room he was in was very dim and very familiar. As his eyes came into full focus, he managed to raise himself up and get a good look at his surroundings. As he recognized where he was, as well as the results of what had happened, his dread grew stronger. He really wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but he found himself asking the question anyway?

"W-what's going on...?"

"Bakura, are you okay?" Yugi asked sincerely. Ryou took in the concerned expressions on each of their faces, something about Yugi's question catching his attention.

"I...I don't know." He turned his thoughts inward, considering the question. He knew he should be asking them that same question (something bad had obviously happened here), but the strange look on Yugi's face caused him to consider his own reply first. As he considered, he began to notice a strange sensation. "I feel...awkward." a sensation that seemed long forgotten, "Alone, kind of." A sensation that felt rather relieving, "Almost...unburdened, in a way...why?" Hope swelled within him and he looked at the others. It was almost too much to hope for, especially after the first time, yet he couldn't help but consider the possibility. The sight of Yugi's face brightening, however, caused the nerves in Ryou's body to alight with suppressed emotion and the firmness he saw in the smaller young man's expression seemed to confirm what Ryou suspected. Yet Ryou needed to hear the words. He needed to hear it from his friends.

"Bakura...," Yugi began, a determined looked replacing what appeared to be reluctance in his eyes, "You're finally free." As if remembering they had thought that before Yugi added, "For good this time!" The blond even held the Millennium Ring up for emphasis, though Ryou wasn't sure what difference that made. It wasn't the action that made Ryou believe Yugi's words. It was the empty feeling he had that usually seemed to house a feeling of completeness. It was the feeling that Ryou was alone, truly alone, added to Yugi's firm finality that caused him to really, truly believe. As he stood there, staring at the ring that had made his life such a mess these past several years, watching the dim lighting sparkle off the polished gold, he found himself filling with emotion. Emotion he didn't remember having the first time the spirit had been defeated. Had the spirit really taken that much more a toll on him then before?

He knew the answer, even if he didn't fully understand. He knew it and he allowed the emotions to flow out. He didn't care that the others would see. He knew they would understand. Tears began to fill his eyes and he let them fall. One word kept repeating over and over in his head. One word that meant more to him then anything else right now. It brought to him a sense of happiness, yet something else he couldn't quite describe. Something he couldn't quite make sense of and couldn't quite beleive. The more he tried to ignore it, the more emotion he felt. So he let himself feel it. He focused on that one word, hope waring with disbelief, attempting to force that word to be all that mattered. In the end, it was. Just one word.

"Free..."

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YGO!
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~k2: Okay. With this story here, I feel it does add something that was left out before. While I am still unsatisfied with it, like the other one, I can safely say that it gives Ryous reaction a bit more clarity. Anzu, having the story in her POV before, didn't know the full extent of what was running through Ryou's head. This here gives us more insight. I hope you all enjoy, please let me know what you think, okay?