None of the Rainbooms would ever say that they liked hospitals all that much.

The dull white interior, the stuffy warmth, the reek of saturated alcohol and antiseptic, the sheer feeling of disease and death in the sterilized air. None of those factors made for a particularly good spot for seven teenage girls to hang out on a Saturday.

And yet, there they were, lounging about by themselves in the waiting room of Canterlot City's hospital. The atmosphere was slightly tense as they waited for the moment they could head on in and visit Ryou whom they hadn't seen since the day before this one.

After the whole shadow game RPG, though the boy had been set free from the spirit's control, he had also been severely injured and lost a lot of blood. The girls had all later been informed that they had made the call just in time, and that things might've not gone so smoothly had they've been just a few minutes late. Luckily, the ambulance Rainbow Dash had called had arrived and taken Ryou to the hospital without any complications, the girls all followed as they were determined to not leave him alone after everything that had happened.

Of course, once Ryou had been taken to the emergency room for blood-repleneshing and surgery, the seven girls had been forced to answer a few questions regarding the nature of their friend's injuries, as not only the locations of the wounds and why he hadn't been given aid sooner was put into question.

It was all thanks to the group's quick thinking that they had managed to give a good enough explanation for the medical staff. The Rainbooms had told them that all of the wounds were due to simple accidents with some homemade RPG-props, which held some truth to it. A castle miniature was blamed for the mutilated hand whilst the five seperate chest wounds were blamed on a sharp replica of a magic pendant.

It had led to some raised eyebrows for sure, but the inquisitive medical personel eventually seemed to accept it with a stern warning about handling such things with more caution in the future.

After that, the girls had been informed that they couldn't get any more information or be present during the procedures, as they were neither Ryou's guardians or immediate family. Though certainly peeved by the dismissal, espescially knowing that Ryou would probably need them now more than ever, the band of friends did concede and went home, though not without deciding amongst one another that they would come back the next day.

That friday night they had all decided to have a sleepover, all seven of the girls spending the night at Fluttershy's house as it was the closest one to the hospital. Only this time the night wasn't filled with laughter, games, outrageous pizza-toppings or even any real sense of fun.

No, even though they had defeated the spirit, the sheer emotional weight of what they had experienced, what they had learned, the fact that all of them had nearly lost their lives to some twisted being, all of it had truly began to fall down upon them once the urgency to simply stay alive was out of the equation.

Instead, the sleepover had served more as a way for the girls to assure themselves and eachother as the true implications of their confrontation with the spirit of the ring grated on their minds. All throughout the night they had held eachother as they slept.

A few of them had even woken up a couple of times in a cold sweat, each of their dreams haunted by that sinister laughter and the face of their suffering friend twisted into an evil grin. Worse were those dark, terrible eyes filled with hunger and an ancient cruelty. Everytime it had happened, the girls had simply cuddled tighter together, assuring eachother that the demon posing as Ryou could no longer hurt them.

It had been a rough night for all of them, but by being there and supporting eachother they had all managed to somehow get some sleep. Once they had woken up and eaten a balanced vegetarian breakfast, they had gone straight to the hospital with one clear goal in mind. Which leads us to the present.

Everyone of the Rainbooms were all finding ways to keep themselves busy as the seconds ticked away on the waiting room's clock, without being to rowdy as they WERE in a hospital. Twilight was working away on some light math problems (by her standards, anyway), Rarity was casualty knitting some accessory or another, Fluttershy was flipping through a veterinarian's catalouge, and Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were playing Among Us.

Sunset would normally have joined them, but not this time. No, the fiery-haired girl was instead deep in thought, the plain enviroment and nearly hypnotic ticking noise of the clock helping her focus on the implications of what had transpired the last couple of days, and it was no understatement to say that some of it terrified her.

For one, she now knew for certain that there was magic in this world that wasn't equestrian, at least if the millenium ring was anything to go by. That had shocked Sunset, as back when she was still a bully and relatively new to the human world, she had desperatly tried to find any sources of magic that would aid her in her vengeful pursuit of power.

She could still remembering spending countless sleepless night in the Canterlot City library, looking through human folklore and myths, trying to find something of value but always ending up with nothing.

And yet here she was, still trying to process the direct result of a twisted game created by this unknown magic. Sunset was thinking back to what princess Twilight had written to her, about those ancient documents from ponies who had explored the human world 3000 years past.

Ryou had told them that his father had found the ring in an ancient egyptian tomb, and those pony explorers should've entered this world during the high point of the egyptian civilization. Egypt, Egypt, Egypt, it always seemed to come back to Egypt. It was something Sunset would have to remember to look into thoroughly later.

Another point of concern for her was that, according to the documents, there were six other items like the ring possibly out there somewhere. The knowledge did little to soothe Sunset's increasingly longer list of concerns. The millenium ring alone had displayed powers beyond anything she had ever seen, and that included her time as Celestia's personal student.

The damn thing could manipulate souls, for crying out loud! And Sunset had the sinking feeling that the old piece of gold could do a whole lot more. And if one of these 'millenium items' could do all that, who's to say what kind of chaos those six other items could cause!?

And then there was the spirit of the ring himself... Sunset nearly flinched thinking about that malicious entity, rage welling up within her as the memories of what he had done to her friends still burned brightly within her.

The spirit had been unlike anything Sunset or the others had ever faced before. He wasn't just some power-hungry force exiled from Equestria or some poor person simply playing with powers beyond their control.

No, the spirit was pure evil. He clearly knew full well what he was doing and had been doing it for five years, probably even long before that. He didn't seem to want power so that he could rule over the world, instead it seemed more like he would want power just so he could destroy it. And the way he referred to himself and them... He didn't even sound human.

But that begged the question: If he wasn't human, and he wasn't equestrian... Just what in the Hell was he?

Sunset was hindered from further dwelling on this, as the jarring sound of approaching footsteps echoing in the hospital halls drew the attention of all of the seven girls. The source of the steps proved to be a middle-aged doctor of average height. He had cream caramel skin, dark caramel hair and a set of dark cyan eyes obscured by a pair of hornbill glasses.

He appeared to be looking through some medical information or other on a clipboard, before looking up as he now stood near the colourful group. The man looked up and smiled kindly as he saw them.

"You young ladies are friends of Mr. Bakura, here for a visit, correct?" He asked.

"We are." Rainbow Dash affirmed, sounding proud to do so as she and the others all rose from their seats.

"Excellent. I'm doctor Greymare." he introduced himself before gesturing towards the door he had presumably come from, "We've just finished some standard checks and he appears to have recovered the necessary strength. You may see him for a bit now."

Naturally, the man recieved quite a hefty amount of heartfelt thanks from the seven teens, some more enthusiastic than others. Pinkie Pie shook his hand so much that he was still vibrating after Sunset had pulled him away. Luckily, the good doctor took it in good humor, simply chuckling at them,

"No need to thank me, kids. I'm sure he will be happy to have friends like you come and visit." His tone then turned more professional, "Just keep in mind that he is still recovering. NO rough-housing, clear?"

"As crystal." Rainbow Dash answered for them.

Without any other complications, the girls were all lead down the hall before arriving at one particular door. Doctor Greymare gestured for the girls to wait a minute. He then knocked lightly at the door thrice before opening it up, not letting the girls get a look on the inside.

"Mr. Bakura?" He called out gently into the room, "You have some visitors."

"Who is it?" The soft voice sounded just slightly raspy, but it made all of the Rainbooms happy to hear their friend's voice again after spending so much time worrying for his health.

"Your friends, son." The doctor answered, "There are seven girls out here who've been waiting to visit you."

"..." The initial silence from the room felt sickening, and for a brief horrifying moment the girls wondered if they had done something wrong in some way. But then there came a very soft and very simple,

"... Send them in, please."

The girls all let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding, doctor Greymare then stepping aside and allowing them to step inside the room.

Once they stepped inside they first noticed that the room was nothing out of the ordinary for what one would expect from a hospital. No, what imediatley drew their attention was the bed located alongside the middle of the room's opposite wall. Or rather, the familiar figure sitting upright in the bed.

"Ryou..." Sunset muttered, she and the others taking in the sight and moment of finally getting to see their friend whom they had been fretting over for so long.

The boy certainly looked better than the last time they saw him. His chest was no longer bathed in his own blood, for one. Instead, a load of bandage was visibly wrapped around his chest, visible beneath the hospital gown he was wearing. His left hand was also all wrapped up, some dried blood visible at the area where the wound presumably was. He was no loger looking like a corpse, and had instead returned to his normal pale complexion.

Ryou had seen them all come in, and his large brown was currently looking them all over, a varying mix of emotions visible all at once. Shock, awe, happiness, but also some hints of guilt, shame and other unsavoury emotions. None of that was too apparent to the Rainbooms, though, as they instead were almost spellbound by the sight of their hospitalized friend.

"Girls... Y-You came." he remarked, breaking the silence. His soft voice sounded filled with child-like awe and shock, as if what was happening was like some sort of crazy dream come true, "I-I'm so happy you're all alright but... You're really here..."

"Of course we are, darling." answered Rarity, almost sounding a little offended. "Why wouldn't we want to visit you in the hospital? Espescially after everything that has happened."

"I just thought that, well, with everything that..." Ryou's voice died off, his whole face falling into a sad frown, "N-Nevermind."

It was an answer that didn't exactly ease any of the concern the girls were already feeling concerning the boy, all of them exchanging worried looks. But before they could say anything, the pure force of energy that was Pinkie Pie rushed towards the hospital bed, an ear-to-ear smile on her face as she closed in on the boy.

"Hiya, Ryou!" She greeted him enthusiastically and quickly, "How are ya? I'm quite fantabulous myself, now that I get to see your handsome mug again! Are you feeling any better? Did the doctors check your butt temperature? Are you in the mood for cupcakes? 'cause I can get you some cupcakes! What kinda flavours fit hospitals? Do ya know if-"

"Easy there, Pinks." Rainbow Dash of all people chided Pinkie and interrupted her speedy rant, her and the other girls having walked up to the bed as well, "We're in a hospital, remember? Gotta take it cool."

Pinkie paused for just a moment, seeming to realize just what she had been doing. Scratching the back of her poofy-haired head, she blushed just a bit, "Sorry, Dashie." she then got a more guilty look on her face as she turned towards her hospitalized friend, "Sorry, Ryou..."

But Ryou didn't seem to mind, actually letting out a light chuckle at Pinkie's antics. It was a positively amazing sound for the Rainbooms to hear at this point. "Nothing to apologize for, Pinkie."

"So, how are yah feelin', sugarcube?" Applejack then asked him, genuine concern for him evident in her tone as she and the others managed to grab a few seats and gather around the bed.

"Q-Quite good, actually." Ryou answered, managing to give the girls a small smile, "Doctor Greymare said I'll have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but I'm expected to make a full recovery."

Everyone of the girls smiled at that.

"Um, wh-what about your injuries?" the timid Fluttershy asked, looking concerned as her large eyes roamed over the wounds now covered by bandages. "W-will they heal up alright?"

Ryou's smile dipped, "It doesn't really hurt anymore, but that might just be the anaesthetic talking." His expression was unreadable as he looked down on his left hand."The doctor said I was lucky I didn't suffer any nerve damage and that I'll be able to use my hand without any issue. As for my... my chest, well,"

He brought a hand to the aforementioned area, rubbing it slightly, "The wounds were quite deep, but they've been stitched up and will heal eventually. Apparently it was a miracle that no vital organs were punctured."

An uncharacteristically bitter look came across Ryou's face, "I couldn't exactly tell him that a 3000-year old spirit just wanted to not hurt me too badly so he could continue to steal my body."

Another bout of uncomfortable silence followed, the girls not really knowing just how they should respond to such a remark. Feeling the effects of the silence himself, Ryou let out a troubled sigh,

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, rubbing at his eyes as if he was tired, "It's just... There's been a lot on my mind lately."

"Yah don't say." Applejack remarked dryly, though clearly not in an attempt to make light of the situation.

"I'm just thinking about... About what this all means. For me, I mean." His eyes were misty, ghosts of the past dancing about within them, "To think that I've had that... that demon around me for so long and I never even knew."

A deep sadness came across Ryou's face, his voice choking up with emotion, "Just think, a-all the people he's hurt... All because of me... Who knows how many?"

"We've actually got some news on that front, Ryou." Sunset told him, a gentle and reasurring smile on her face, "We think that when we defeated the spirit, we weren't the only souls who were set free. All those other people he turned into dolls were freed, as well."

"Wh-what?" Ryou questioned, not being able to keep the disbelief out of his voice even if he tried, "How can you possibly know that?"

"It was all over the news this morning." Twilight held up her phone which was displaying a recent article, "Over 20 different comatose patients in Japan all alledgedly woke up out of nowhere. Doctors all over the world are baffled but it seems that all of them are on the road to recovery."

Ryou's mouth hung agape, a small spark of hope lighting within him, "D-Do you really mean that-"

"Yes." Sunset couldn't stop herself from smiling as she responded, "They're all free now, as they should be."

It almost sounded too good to be true, and given his previous experiences in life, that's exxactly what Ryou thought this was. Though a noticeable part of him still hoped, "Wh-What about Trixie?" He asked worriedly, remembering the spirit's ominous words regarding the stage magician, "I know the spirit targeted her before the game. I-Is she-"

"She's just dandy, Ryou." Applejack assured him, patting his legs lightly.

"Unfortunatley..." Rainbow Dash muttered, her opinion of Trixie Lulamoon not having changed because of what had no doubt happened to the boisterous girl. This only served to make the athletic girl recieve a sharp, reprimanding elbow-jab from Fluttershy of all people.

"She apparently woke up shortly before the ambulance arrived to pick you up." Sunset explained, "After a few small check-ups she was all good to go."

"Thank goodness." Ryou let out a relieved sigh, leaning back into his makeshift-seat, his brown eyes staring up at nothing, feeling as if a huge weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders, "Ever since the spirit told me what he'd done... I was just so worried."

"... What was it like, by the way?" Rainbow Dash asked after a bit of silence, not being able to contain her inate curiousity, "Being possessed, I mean."

She realized rather quickly that this may not have been the smartest question to ask at this time, given the way Ryou seemed to tense up where he sat and how the rest of the girls gave her dirty, incredulous looks. Naturally, she tried to do some damage controll.

"M-my bad, dude." She stammered out in a nervous laugh, "I-It was a stupid question. You don't have to-"

"No." Ryou interrupted her, his tone of voice sounding just a bit off, "It's alright."

"A-Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, both her and the others looking concerned. Ryou just nodded before taking a deep breath in and out, as if bracing himself for what he was about to tell them.

"... It's an awful sensation." He said, after a while of thinking of the best way to describe it, "Usually I think he did it in a way that I didn't really notice it. But something about this place made him more wild than usual. This time, I could actually feel how the controll of my body slowly left me. It was as if every sense in my body dulled until even my mind completely went unconscious."

The Rainbooms were all silent throughout this explanation, trying to take in this rather horrifying piece of information. As he wasn't interrupted, Ryou simply continued.

"I suppose that I usually just black out when he takes control of my body. But this time..." The boy's entire body tensed up, the events of yesterday shrieking and haunting his consciousness within. For it was with great shame that he remembered this next revelation.

"... I was fully aware of everything that happened." Horrible memories of yesterday's events flashed by in his mind, "It was like being a prisoner in my own body. I could just look on as he did all of those... those horrible things to all of you and I couldn't do anything to stop it... I was useless."

The Rainbooms' mouths hung agape in shock, none of them having imagined that Ryou had been forced to watch all of the spirit's actions during the possession. Not only that, but his last few words worried some of them greatly,

"Ryou, it was because of your intervention that the spirit missed so many criticals." Twilight insisted, not liking what her white-haired friend seemed to be insinuating, "We wouldn't have made it through the game if it hadn't been for you."

Ryou didn't look convinced, looking down despondently as he muttered, "But none of you would've been in that situation in the first place if it hadn't been for me..."

A tense silence what was followed his statement, the pure self-loathing apparent in his words shocking and horrifying all the girls there. None of them liked the implications of his words.

"Dude," Rainbow Dash broke the silence, looking incredulously at Ryou, "You're not seriously thinking that we blame you?"

The boy said nothing, simply keeping his melancholic gaze fixed upon his lap. He couldn't do it, he couldn't look any of them in the eye. How could he after everything that had happened because of him?

"Ryou," said Rarity after another bout of stunned silence, looking sympathetic as she observed her friend, "None of this is your fault, darling."

"But it IS!" Ryou cried out at last, tears of guilt starting to run down his cheeks as he brought his face into his hands, "I brought the spirit to this place! How is it NOT my fault!? Had I just stayed away from you then none of this would have happened!"

This was all his guilt, every last bit of doubt self-loathing which had been building up ever since he first met them, now being unloaded at last. "I betrayed you, I lied to you, I knew full well what happened to the friends I made in the past and I never said anything! How can I live with myself knowing that you all nearly died because of me!?"

The girls were all silent, momentarily too stunned to even attempt to comfort their friend. How could they even begin to fix this? Poor Ryou was pouring his heart out to them, blaming himself for somthing which was far out of his control.

As none of the room's other occupants were speaking, all of the Rainbooms heard how Ryou whispered to himself in between his sobs, his words overflowing with self-loathing, "I don't deserve any of this... All of you, I mean. I'm a horrible person... I-It's all my fault."

"No." Sunset's voice then broke the silence, Ryou's words striking a chord with something deep with in her. Scooting closing over to where Ryou was sitting, she carefully, but firmly, placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder. The girls' hearts collectively ached as they saw how Ryou flinched at her touch.

Sunset's heart ached most of all, though she forced aside, knowing that the shaking and broken boy infront of her needed something else. So instead, she didn't hesitate and instead said, "Ryou, look at me."

Her words were firm, demanding, and yet there was a clear tender tone and intention intertwining with it. Almost as if he hadn't heard her, Ryou kept his face in his hands, weeping softly.

"Um... Sunset?" Fluttershy interjected timidly, seeing Sunset in no way faltering and knowing that Ryou's and Sunset's last real interaction hadn't exactly gone over well, "M-Maybe we should-" she fell silent as she felt Applejack placing a hand on her shoulder, signaling to let Sunset keep going.

Said fiery-haired girl had not yet wavered, simply continuing to give her hospitalized friend that same firm, yet kind expression, "Ryou... We need to sort this out. I know it's hard, but I need you to face me, to face all of us. So please, get your face out of those hands and look at me."

At first the boy didn't make a single move, and for the briefest of moments the girls feared that maybe Sunset had crossed some sort of line. But then, Ryou's pair of pale hands slowly, but surely, began to lower away from his face, shaking like leaves in the wind. His head hung low in clear shame, but just as slowly, his head rose up and turned fully towards where the girls were all sitting, allowing them to get a proper look at the boy's face.

Ryou's pale face had clear, red puffy lines where tears were still faliing. His lips were quivering slightly as his large, lost and guilt ridden brown eyes met Sunset's own kind, determined green ones. It made for a pitiful sight, honestly, but it only served to make the girls more determined to help their friend.

"Now you listen to me and you listen good." said Sunset, her expression filled with a steely resolve and no small amount of empathy, "You are NOT a bad person, nor is any of what's happened to us, to Trixie or to all those other people your fault."

"B-But, I..." Ryou stammered helplessly, sounding confused at the very idea, "The spirit-"

"Came here with you, yes." Sunset acknowleged, her and the others' expressions souring at the mention of the malicious entity, "But that doesn't mean that you are responsible for his actions."

Before Ryou could feebly object, Twilight gently intervened, "It would been one thing had you known about the ring's true nature and brought it anyway. But that's just it: You didn't know, Ryou."

"To you, that old ring was nothing more than a gift from your pops." Applejack spoke up, her words and expression sympathetic, "There ain't no way you could've known about the spirit. Or that he would run out in the world and cause trouble the moment you made some friends, for that matter."

Fluttershy then adressed Ryou, her eyes worried but kind, her horrible memories of the ring's true owner still burning strong, "And from what we've seen... I-It didn't seem like the spirit gave you much choice..."

"What she said!" Rainbow Dash quickly agreed, "It's not as if he asked you to do all that stuff or you turned people into dolls because you wanted to! That buttface literally stole your body and did it while disguised as you! It's not your fault, man! Look at what he did to your hand for crying out loud!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie chimed in with a smile, scooting just a tad closer to the bed and actually keeping a respectful distance, "He was the meanie here, not you! You're as far off from a meanie as they get, Ryou!"

"That... that thing tormented you for five years, darling." said Rarity, giving Ryou a gentle and comforting smile even when her tone made her distaste for the spirit quite clear, "You are as much of a victim in this situation as we are, if not more so."

Sunset then adressed him, giving the boy's shoulder an assuring squeeze, "You hear, Ryou? None of us blame you, nor should you be blaming yourself for any of this." Her tone then got sterner, "It's the spirit's fault, not yours. He is the terrible one, not you."

Ryou's mouth was moving slightly, not a word leaving his lips as he could only stare at the group of seven girls, nearly stunned to the core. For a brief moment he felt the almost alien feeling of hope kindling within. It really seemed as if none of his friends blamed him for what had happened.

A small smile appeared on Ryou's face, but it was not to last. As quickly as it had appeared the smile went out like a light, as more melancholic thoughts surfaced to replace the old ones.

"I still lied to you." The boy mumbled despondetly, lowering his gaze away from his friends, not finding the emotional strength to do what Sunset had asked of him, "I may never have wanted it to happen or known that a spirit would possess my body to do it, but I still knew that people I got close to always got hurt!"

His voice had gotten louder and more distressed with each word, the tears begining to flow once more. For while Ryou started to think that maybe he trule couldn't have done anything to stop the spirit of the ring, the fact of the matter was that he had still endangered his friends' lives!

Like a fool he had ignored his entire history of the terrible fate that tended to await his school mates. At all his previous schools, his friends would always end up in comas, why should CHS have been any different?

"But worse of all is that I kept it all from you!" Ryou now faced the seven girls once again, his conscience and heart aching at the sight of their worried and sympathetic expressions. He didn't deserve it, the boy thought. Why couldn't they see that he had betrayed them all!?

"At my first day here, you all took me in and for once in my life, I actually felt welcome at a new school." said Ryou, unable to keep the wistfulness out of his voice as his lips formed a nearly indiscernible smile. He truly meant every word.

At every single one of his previous transfers, it had always felt rather shallow to Ryou. Though people had always greeted him politely and showed him around, it was like what people would do for any other student. And, as he was forced to transfer more and more, the white haired boy had eventually almost become numb to the experience. The thought that whatever bonds he may form at a new school could be taken away like all the others constantly looming over him.

But Canterlot High School had been different, and it was all because of the girls gathered by his bedside in this hospital.

"Hanging out with you all these last weeks has been some of the most fun I've had in years." Ryou continued, sounding both nostalgic and regretful, "I-I really shouldn't have gotten as close to you as I did. In fact, I should have warned you all on that first day that no good would come from associating with me."

"Ryou..." Twilight started, her tone sad as she tried to get a word in, but the white haired boy wasn't having it.

"But..." For a moment it seemed as if he struggled to find the right words, once he spoke his words were quiet, "I-I don't really know. As I got to hang out with you all... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't tell you."

Memories flashed by in his head, the plenty of good times they had shared in this short time. Some of it may have seemed mundane to anyone else, but to Ryou it had been completely magical. For during those weeks and through those everyday-situations he had gotten to now seven amazing people, unlike any had ever met before.

"The more time we spent together, the more afraid I was of losing that friendship." said Ryou tearfully, his voice choked up as the guilt began to overwhelm him. He looked at the girls with pleading and pitifull eyes, his lips trembling as words left them, "What I'm getting at is that I just wanted to belong for once, okay!"

Ryou's eyes closed, his head lowering in shame as he continued to sob, "I just wanted friends... I'm sorry."

Once again silence reigned in the hospital room, and to Ryou the silence felt suffocating. His heart was still beating wildly in his chest, its loud thumps echoing in his ears like crazy. The quiet room did little to soothe it, melancholy settling in Ryou's mind as his closed eyes allowed his imagination to fill in the unsaid.

Fortunatley, Ryou was once again mistaken.

"Amazing." Sunset muttered , thus breaking the silence, "Nearly every thing you just said... was wrong."

"Wha-" the boy once again fond himself helplessly confused, "What do you-"

"We won't lie to you, Ryou. The fact that you didn't tell us anything about all this kinda hurt." Applejack stated seriously, the other girls briefly averting their eyes in a sign that said they agreed with her. For a brief moment the sorrowful boy felt a lump in his gut, her words doing little good to ease his guilt.

But then, the country-girl continued, her tone gentle and a small smile on her face, "But... We get where you were comin' from, sugarcube."

Startled, Ryou now looked up, his eyes looking lost as he could only stare at the girls, all of which were now looking at him with similar smiles, "I don't understand..."

"It's not that hard to understand, pal." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in good humor, "We're sayin' that we understand why you didn't exactly go around blabbin' about your history. Heck, if I'd been in your shoes I probably wouldn't have wanted something like that to get out, either."

"You've been all by yourself for so long..." Fluttershy remarked sadly, "All those years... I-I don't know what would happen to me if I had to go so long without even a single friend. I don't want to think about it... But you had to live through it, a-and I want you to know that... I'm sorry that happened to you."

"We are all sorry, darling." lamented Rarity, and Ryou could've sworn he saw hints of tears at the edges of her eyes as she spoke to him. "And that's why we don't hold you secrecy against you. Though the deceit may have hurt... It wasn't done out of malice or because you wanted to help the spirit lure in victims... You just wanted some friends."

The Fashionista's next few words were extra determined, looking at the hospitalized boy with compassion, "And we do not blame you for that want, nor anything else, for that matter."

Pinkie Pie was next, her poofy hair looking as if it had been slightly deflated as she slid up closer to Ryou with a comforting grin, "There's nothing bad about you wanting friends, Ryou. In fact, I'd say it's super!"

Twilight adjusted her glasses, giving the boy a smile of sympathy, "It just seems like you've gone for quite a while without a friend, that's all." Bitter memories of her lonesome time at Crystal Prep flashed through her mind. It was not an experience she wanted anyone else, let alone Ryou, to go through, "I know what that's like."

"Me too, for that matter." Sunset chimed in, giving a bitter-sweet smile of her own. Even know, after their tango with the Dazzlings where she truly felt accepted by not only her friends, but also the rest of Canterlot High, there were still times where she felt haunted by the kind of person she once was.

A bully, plain and simple. She had ruled CHS with an ironfist forged out of deceit and intimidation, loving nearly every minute of it.

Or at least, that was what she had told herself.

Because, the more Sunset thought back to and reflected over those times, the more she had realized just how much she herself had been suffering, how much she in actuallity had been craving the warmth of companionship. That's the sole reason she had personally seen to splitting apart the relationships of six of the seven girls seated beside her. Her jealousy and bitter longing over what they had, the friendship they shared, had been her main driving force during those times.

And seeing how Ryou's deceit had been driven by a similar longing, it made her feel all the worse for not only her previous suspiscions regarding the boy, but also the guilt he was apparently feeling for wanting to experience the wonders of friendship.

Once again placing a supportive hand on his shoulder, Sunset smiled kindly at the still silent boy, yet managed to keep her words firm and passionate all at once, "Don't you ever apologize for wanting friends, Ryou. Friendship is what makes life great, it's what makes you different from him."

Ryou was silent for a good while, his lips moving without a sounds as he just stared wide-eyed at the seven girls, their kindness and empathy once again taking him completely by surprise.

"But... It's been so long." He finally muttered with doubt, the weight and emotion of the girls' words steadily making their way into his thoughts. "Even after all this time... Everytime I made some friends they were ripped right out of my hands by him. I-I don't think I honestly know anything about real friendship."

"Dat there's nothin' but hogwash, Ryou!" Applejack interrupted him firmly, in a manner similar to a stern parent. It was enough to make Ryou jump in his seat, looking at the cow girl in surprise.

"Applejack, what-"

"No. 'Hogwash' is quite right, darling." Rarity then interjected, hands on her hips, and a small smile on her face, "If things were as you say, and you truly don't understand friendship... Well, then, none of us would be sitting here right now, that much I can assure you."

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, his melancholy making way for his innate curiosity.

"'cause without you we wouldn't have lived through the game, dummy!" Rainbow Dash chastised him, though there was no real heat in her words. In fact, they sounded downright encouraging, "We would've been goners loads of times if it hadn't been for you!"

"I don't know if-"

"It's true." Fluttershy added on, giving Ryou a gentle smile, her usual timidness set aside for this moment of supporting her friend, "It was with your help that the spirit missed so many chances of finishing us off... And you wouldn't have been able to help if it wasn't for our friendship."

Before Ryou protest, Twilight spoke up, "First you sabotaged the spirit from the inside. Because of Rainbow Dash's critical slash you were able to take over your left arm and sabotage his rolls!" she couldn't help but grimce slightly as she looked at his bandaged left hand, "Even if you yourself were injured in the process..."

"Not to mention," Sunset started, her arms crossed as she looked at Ryou with a cool grin. "I remember a certain white wizard making a dramatic entrance and not only boosting the team morale, but actually making sure that we had a chance to beat an unbeatable game rigged against us. That same white wizard sacrificed himself for us, because he was confident that his friends would pull through and win."

Pinkie Pie, who had been uncharacteristically silent for a while, now began to talk, very enthusiastically and very fast, making over-the-top gestures as she went on and on with her own retelling to convince Ryou,

"But best of all was when you actually went inside one of the dice and came out all force-ghosty! The spirit was all 'WHAAAT!?', and then he tried to blast you out but then ALL of us got all transparent-y through magic friendship-powers and fired it right back at him! AND you changed the dice, and the spirit went all 'NOOOO', going all cliché-villain on us! Then Twi fired a gigantanormous magic blast that made Zorc go kablooey, and it was all thanks to you!"

After this rather lenghty explanation, their was silence for a short time.

Then, there came a titter. Then a chuckle. Followed shortly by full-blown laughter, all coming from one Ryou Bakura. Pinkie Pie seemed to have been working her magic once again, spreading laughter as she went. Ryou didn't really know why he found the summary so funny, wether it was because it was genuinley witty or because he had simply gone insane, he didn't know.

Though shocked by this development, the seven girls in the room were quick to join in, and soon all eight of the youths were laughing heartedly together in the hospital room. They laughed and laughed, so much that their sides hurt. And though it was certainly an odd situation, it was a more than welcome moment of levity for the youngsters.

Through the dark stormclouds of melancholy there now shone the bright rays of laughter and comraderie.

Eventually, the laughter gradually subsided, though even as it once again brought forth a silence to the room, it was no longer tense and constricting. Even Ryou had noticeably cheered up quite a bit, a small smile still holding itself upright on his pale face even after he stopped laughing.

Getting her own chuckling under control, Sunset spoke to Ryou once more,

"Don't you see, Ryou?" she asked him, gesturing to the other six girls, all of them smiling at him, "The frienship we all share, what we have build all this time, that is what defeated the spirit. Not just luck or high-level attacks, but the fact that we had faith in not only ourselves but in eachother! And that includes you, too."

Ryou still looked unsure, his small smile dipping noticeably. Not having any of that, Sunset continued, wanting nothing more than for the boy to understand what she was saying,

"Saying that you don't know anything about friendship, even after all of this, well..." for a brief moment Sunset tried to think of an eloquent way to phrase it, but eventually she settled for, "That's just stupid."

For a moment, Ryou was silent, not a sound escaping him as he thought over what the girls had been telling him. As he did so, his large eyes slowly wandered over each and everyone of the girls gathered at his bedside. The girls who had welcomed him, who had embraced him in this scary new chapter of his life... The girls who had saved him from the very creature who had made his life beyond difficult for so very long.

These girls, all of them looking at him with eyes filled with such great levels of compassion and concern, who had fough teeth and nails for him... How could he ever doubt that? Doubt them? Doubt the very bond that had carefully grown in the short, but eventful time he had known them?

Because, as he thought back to the moment he had managed to infiltrate the spirit's final dice roll, he could remember experiencing the burning pain of the millenium ring's assault, fearing that his gamble wouldn't pay off.

But then... his friends had appeared by his side, standing along side him as they fought back the horrible demon that stole his body. He could still remember the warm and revitalizing sensation that had welled up within him as the girls' allowed him to ensure Sunset's victory.

What kind of fool was he to deny he knew nothing of friendship, when the friendship between him and those seven amazing girls had been what saved them all in the end?

He gave them all a sheepish expression, a slight blush apparent on his pale cheeks as he scratched the back of his head, "I suppose I have been kind of stupid, huh?"

Sunset gave him a friendly smirk, happy to see her friend finally coming to his senses, "Maybe a little."

Everyone shared a little chuckle at that, even Ryou doing so into his bandaged hand. But as he did so, his gaze just went a tad cloudy once more, gazing at the injury his tormentor had inflicted oppon him, his right hand subconsciously going towards his bandaged chest.

The girls all saw this, and exchanged worried, yet determined looks between them. For they all knew that Ryou must have been scarred by this experience more than any of them had, both mentally and physically. It was a depressing fact, but a fact nonetheless. A sinister being had forcefully taken control of Ryou's body, making sure that he was all by himself for five years, and once he got but a taste of true warmth, of true companionship, the spirit tried to take that away as well,

Something like that won't go away all willy-nilly, that much was for certain. Heck, it hadn't even done so for them. But as such, it was their job, as Ryou's friends, to not only help him in any way they could, but through that help eachother.

“Ryou, listen to me." Ryou looked at Sunset, seeing empathy written all over her face, "No one can go through what you did and be perfectly fine afterwards. It’s impossible… But you don’t have to go through this alone."

She looked over her six other friends, the girls that had made Sunset see the light and become a better person for it. "There's a way to heal and it's through the help of those who care about you."

Ryou remained silent, briefly conscidering remarking bitterly if anyone did care about him. Luckily, he angrily squashed that pessimistic thought down, feeling shame welling up within him that he could even conscider the sincerity of the seven girls who had visited him in the hospital simply because they care.

Of course, none of the girls knew of these thoughts, Sunset continuing to speak while the others looked on hopefully, "I meant what I said back when we won the shadow game. We promised we wouldn't leave you and we're not the type of girls who goes back on their word. Not only that, but I promised that I would make it up to you, and I'll be damned before I go back on that promise."

Sunset once more placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder, smiling as she noticed there was no flinchin this time. Her green eyes were filled with both a burning resolve and kindness, "We’re here to help. You just have to let us in.”

"I..." the boy trailed of for just a moment, a frown of doubt still disfeaturing his face. But then, like a gift from the heavens, it slowly, but surely, made its way into a genuine, beautiful smile, "I think I'd like that."

Judging from the delighted smiles the Rainbooms all send him, he had answered correctly.

"Maybe we should start things over properly, and do it right this time." Sunset mused before giving her bedridden friend an honest and inviting smile, "Ryou, would you like to be our friend?"

"Yes, definetly. Aboslutely!" He answered honestly, unable to hinder the warm, fuzzy feeling welling up inside him as the words' meaning truly started to settle in his mind. Of course, he then realized that he might've been a bit too enthusiastic, as was clear by the bemused way the girls all looked at him.

Ryou blushed and looked away slightly, but he didn't feel ashamed or embarassed, even managing to get out a small chuckle at himself. To him, it now felt as if the huge weight which had burdened him ever since he came to Canterlot City had been lifted at last.

Quickly collecting himself, Ryou gazed at the seven girls and shyly asked, "W-would you all like to be mine?"

He didn't know why he still felt that small sting of tredipation within as he asked, but it was quickly forgotten. For the looks of joy he recieved in return were more than enough answer to his question,

"Heck yeah, we do!"

"We'd love to, darling."

"You betcha, pardner."

"A MILLION TIMES, YES!"

"Um, I would like that a lot..."

"More than anything."

"Do you even have to ask?"

Ryou felt his lips spreading into a great, thankful smile and he saw no reason to stop it.

The pure wholesomeness of the exchange proved to be too much for Pinkie, and she decided to proceed with what she had wished to do for days now. Making sure that she was very careful not to adgitate any injuries, she crept up and wrapped her arms around Ryou's frame in a hug, wishing to convey all of her well-wishing and emotion towards the boy in that one gesture.

She didn't say anything, which was actually sort of unusual as far as Pinkie Pie-related actions were conscidered. Instead she wanted to let her simple action to get her point across to Ryou. Said point simply being that she was his friend, and she would always have his back.

Though surprised, the other girls shared a look before shortly following their poofy-haired friend's example. They clustered round the white-haired boy, making sure to be careful, and formed a large group-hug with him at the centre, causing his visin to be filled with various styles of multi-coloured hair.

It was odd, in a way. Ryou hadn't been hugged once in the past five years of his life. Now he suddenly found himself trapped by seven hugs all at once. He nearly flinched at the contact, but the part deep within him which had longed for this sort of contact for years won over his fears. Instead he decided instead to accept it, practically melting into the sheer warmth of the large group-embrace.

By all rights, it should have been sort of strange. It certainly looked that way with seven girls all akwardly making their way and wrapping their arms around a bedridden boy.

But it didn't feel that way to Ryou. No, to him it felt beyond amazing to be embraced, to know that there truly were people out there who cared about him... An experience of which he had been severly lacking lately.

But no longer.

He didn't exactly know when it started, wether it was before or after he had been embraced, but the fact remained that Ryou was now crying. Not the bitter and sorrowfilled tears of guilt or shame, no. Instead, they were tears of joy, joy of finally feeling like he belonged after so many years in solitude. So the tears fell, but Ryou smiled all the same.

The girls could hear him crying and only hugged him tighter, most of them even letting tears of their own fall. But much like Ryou's, their tears were happy.

And so they stayed for quite a while, holding and supporting eachother as they each felt the full emotional impact of what they had been forced to experience strike down upon them. And sure, it wasn't painless for any them, but it wasn't nearly as painful as it could have been. All because they were there and comforted eachother, as all good friends should.

The moment had to come to a close eventually, as all things do. The girls were later all shooed out by the fretting and stern nurse Redheart who insisted that Ryou needed more time to rest and heal.

The Rainbooms had all untangled themselves from the large group hug as they didn't wish to upset the nurse. But though everyone was sad that the group's moment had to come to a close, no one, espescially Ryou, felt too sad about it.

This was mostly due to the fact that the girls all promised that they would come and visit him the very next day, as they would each and every other remaining day Ryou would be forced to stay in the hospital. Pinkie even promised she would get him some more cupcakes every day, and a whole cake once he was healthy enough to leave. Ryou took this in good humor, saying he was expecting nothing but the best from her.

So, as Ryou waved goodbye to his seven friends from his bed whilst they all walked out, he didn't feel the pit of worry or mild melancholy he would usually feel whenever he was alone. The constant worry of losing any friends he made was finally gone, all because those girls had fought for and along side him to free him from the evil spirit which had been the source of so much missery.

Though there still was a lot of ground to cover between them regarding their future and the true nature of the more mystical elements of their lives, that day had truly tied the bonds of friendship between the Rainbooms and Ryou. What had transpired between them, what had been done, what had been said, it finally made one thing very clear to the white-haired boy:

Those girls were his friends, and he, in turn, was theirs. And that fact alone made Ryou Bakura the happiest he had ever been.

Author's Note

Sorry this one took a while. I was afflicted by a bad case of writer's block during all of October, not to mention I've been pretty stressed out with my school work.