Returning the Ring

                                    

                                          
For some reason the trip down to the basement this time lacked much of the enthusiasm and overall willingness than there had been with Kaiba. Perhaps it was the fact that the ground was still stained with a mixture of his blood and the remaining foam from the fire extinguisher. Rishid had been reluctant to go through with it again so quickly after only recently getting Kaiba patched up, but he had both Ishizu and Pegasus to contend with, and it was astonishing how quickly he folded. Marik had seen him withstand the most painful torture and the most demeaning tasks without faltering, but put him in a room with those two against him and he grew silent and agreeable.
                          
Marik would have to remember that trick for later.
                          
Ryou was trembling as he led him down the steps. Marik had insisted on walking behind him in case he collapsed, especially since he looked so pale. He stumbled only once and kept his gaze downward as he entered the room. Except for Kaiba, all of the Item Holders were present. Rishid stood in the corner, his eyes following Ryou with grim concern.
                          
Yugi was the first one to break the stagnant silence. "We'll all be here, Ryou. Don't worry!"
                          
Ryou gave a meek smile as he sat in the creaky chair. He put his clenched hands on his knees and let out a heavy sigh.
                          
Marik squeezed his shoulder, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
                          
Ryou nodded. "I just want it done with already."
                          
Ishizu removed the Ring from the case and handed it to Yugi; it looked dim and dead in the candlelight. He wondered if perhaps the Thief wasn't lurking inside of it, that perhaps even returning this to Ryou might not help their mutual friend at all. What if it only made things worse? But there was surety in Ishizu's eyes. She had no question that this was the right thing to do. It was too bad that she couldn't quite sway Marik. Her Necklace was not a perfect predictor; her duel with Kaiba in Battle City was proof of that.
                          
Yugi offered it out to Ryou, who took it with a smile. It seemed to not affect him for a moment, but then he gave a small gasp and his eyes went wide. His whole body went rigid and the Ring began to glow in his hands. The metal points began dancing, moving in circular motions. Minutes passed, and Marik began to pace. It wasn't like this was anything out of the ordinary. According to Rishid it had taken Ishizu a full half hour or more to come to terms with her Item. However as five minutes stretched on to ten, then fifteen, Marik couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
                          
"Is this normal?"
                          
"Each of us accepts the item in their own way. It is the same for him," Ishizu said.
                          
"Yeah, I get that, but is it normal for him to sit so still like that? Kaiba was yelling at people! Shouldn't we do something to-"
                          
Then Ryou spoke in such a soft whisper that Marik couldn't quite catch his words. When next he spoke there were tears in his eyes as he gasped, "Please don't." Then Ryou screamed.
                          
Marik jumped. Ryou collapsed forward over his knees and laid on the ground for a moment. Was that smoke coming off of him, or was that just the candles? Marik stepped forward. He was going to take up the fire extinguisher in case Ryou burst into flames like Kaiba had earlier. He had stepped out directly in front of Ryou, who suddenly was pulled up to his feet.
                          
At least, it looked like someone pulled him up.
                          
His shoulders rose into the air while his head hung forward. His balance wasn't right as he stood up either. He leaned forward but didn't fall to the ground like he should have. His eyes were closed, and his body was a limp ragdoll's. Marik stopped, unable to move at the sight. When Ryou looked up, his eyes were a vibrant red and he had the most hideous smile on his lips.
                          
Whoever this was, it was not Ryou, and it was not the Thief. They were frozen there for several moments, locked in a stare down. The room was silent, everyone frozen in terror or shock. Marik needed to reach that fire extinguisher, this time for his own protection. He darted for it.
                          
From behind he heard Ishizu gasp, "Look out!"
                          
Rishid grasped his shoulders and flung him aside so hard that he slammed into the wall. It took Marik a moment to gather his senses again as he turned to see Ryou with a very large carving knife in one hand and looking right at him. The blade was bloody, and Ryou's hideous grin didn't falter. Behind him on the ground, Rishid was cradling his arm and Ishizu was crouched down beside him. A streak of fury went through Marik, and he turned to this creature that had possessed his lover.
                          
"Let him go! Ryou, you have to fight against it!"
                          
Ryou gave a deep throated laugh as drool seeped out of the side of his wicked grin. He took a step forward, keeping his eyes locked onto Marik with a sort of maniacal glee. "Come close now. Give us a kiss." He laughed again and Marik felt his back break out into goose flesh. 
                          
Pegasus had made his way around behind Ryou. He was holding something in his hands, but Marik couldn't break eye contact for fear that Ryou would notice. Only when Pegasus had raised it in the air, preparing to slam Ryou in the back of the head, did Marik see what it was: the fire extinguisher. His eyes went wide, "No, stop!"
                          
At his words, Ryou spun around and out of the way of Pegasus' attack. Then in movements reminiscent of a dance, he turned to slice at him. Pegasus used the extinguisher as best he could, but Ryou was unnaturally fast. His movements were practiced and his smile grew in madness as he pushed Pegasus toward the wall. He was trying to corner him.
                          
That was when Yugi body slammed him. He was too short to hit his torso, but it was more than enough to make him lose his balance. Ryou fell to his knees. "You have to stop it!" Yugi cried, "You have to hold it back, Ryou! You're the real owner of the Ring, not this thing. Fight it!"
                          
Ryou looked at Yugi for a moment, then Pegasus, and finally his gaze rested on Marik. Then he was up on his feet, sprinting towards him, screaming some curse that Marik didn't understand. The next thing he knew, Ryou was slicing at him, only Marik didn't have any place to go. He dodged around him, then stumbled over the chair that Ryou had been sitting in. Marik rolled just in time to avoid getting stabbed in the chest. Ishizu screamed.
                          
"You're fast," Ryou whispered. Marik reached for the chair to defend himself, but Ryou grabbed it first, and slammed Marik back to the ground. Next he flipped the chair around and pinned Marik to the ground with the back of it. Suddenly the knife was only centimeters from Marik's throat, and he couldn't move.
                          
"Not fast enough, I'm afraid, but still fast." Ryou smiled and pushed down on the chair to dig into Marik's chest.
                          
"Ryou, if you can hear me, you're the only one that can stop this. You're the only one! It's going to kill me if you don't!"
                          
Ryou lifted up the dagger and made an X in the air over Marik's left eye. "It'll be my calling card." Then he brought the blade down. Pain shot out where Ryou sliced into Marik's eyebrow, but then the blade stopped.
                          
Ryou was frozen, blinking down at him. Only it wasn't the crimson eyes of that creature anymore, and it wasn't Ryou's. These were darker and older.
                          
Marik gulped, "Bakura?"
                          
He blinked down at him. "Marik?" He tossed the knife aside, and stepped back from the chair. "What the hell was I doing?"
                          
Marik leaned his head back against the ground. He could feel blood from his cut oozing down into a pool around his hair, but he didn't care. He gave a weak chuckle.
                          
The Thief, as usual, had a terrible sense of timing.