Small heads-up, there will be some more insight to a certain character in this chapter. I'm sure it will become extremely obvious who once you get to that part, but I would like to make clear that this character is not OOC. This character is technically what one might consider and OC version of a canon character warped to fit this AU.

Marik sat there for a few moments, trying to decide how to proceed as far as Malik was concerned, when Atem interrupted his thinking.

"We should be heading back. I'm certain by now Katrina is in better spirits."

Marik sighed heavily. "I hope so. She seemed pretty downcast." He then looked over at Atem. "Thank you, by the way, for helping me put things into perspective just now. I know you didn't have to, but you did anyway."

Atem shook his head in dismissal. "You showed concern for me in Rome when you did not have to. It is only fitting that I repay the favor."

"Oh, so you only did it because you thought you owed me one?" Marik questioned with a raised brow.

Atem paled a bit as he realized how his words had come across. "No! That's not-...I didn't mean it like-"

Marik chuckled as he held up a hand to interrupt Atem's fumbling. "It's okay. I know what you meant." He released a sigh then offered his hand towards Atem. "We tried this once before, remember? Starting over and trying to be friends? Maybe this time will go a bit smoother now that you not only have your memories back, but are also a bit less grumpy about me dating your ex."

Atem pouted slightly. "I wasn't 'grumpy'."

"I was trying to put it nicely. I could have been like Bakura and just said 'now that you're being less of an asshole about things'."

Atem's face fell. "Okay….maybe I was a little 'grumpy'..."

"Only a little?"

Atem groaned.

Marik began to retract his hand. "Should I take that as a 'no' to the whole 'let's try to be friends' thing?"

Atem stared down at the hand that the young Tomb Keeper was slowly pulling away. He started to extend his own hand, stopping just before taking hold of Marik's, and pulling back a bit.

"Perhaps you should wait on that offer until later."

Marik looked at him in puzzlement. "Why?"

Atem hesitated before answering. "I'm…not certain if it's my place to say."

"Oh? Then whose is it?" Marik asked warily.

Atem pulled his hand back the rest of the way. "We really should be heading back," he stated, avoiding the question asked as he averted his gaze and stood.

"Okay…?" Marik said, extremely perplexed by Atem's strange behavior. He rose to his feet, staring curiously at the former Pharaoh as he watched him pull out his phone.

"Now let's see…" Atem mumbled, trying to figure out the device in his hand.

Marik shook his head in exasperation. "How is it you could figure out a Duel Disk, but you can't figure out a cell phone?"

"I shared a mind with Yugi. I was able to tap into whatever knowledge I felt was necessary in the moment," Atem replied without looking up.

"And you never picked up on how to use a cell?"

"It wasn't something I focused on. Plus he didn't use it much and his was a different model."

Marik watched boredly as Atem kept opening and closing the different functions on the screen. He then proceeded to (painfully) walk the revived Pharaoh through the process of calling for a cab.

"Don't you know how to do anything on your own?!" Marik shouted in exasperation as the cab pulled away.

"I've never had to!" Atem said defensively in a raised voice.

Marik made a loud, irritated sound as he walked towards the house. "I guess it's a good thing I make sure to always have some cash on me."

Both walked through the front door, looking towards the kitchen where Bakura and Kat could be heard arguing.

"You're not cooking for just the three of us anymore! You have to take what other people do and don't like into consideration!" Kat shouted.

"They can either eat what I cook or go fuck off! I'm not making something separate just because someone wants to be picky!" Bakura argued back.

Kat made a frustrated sound, then stomped her way towards the kitchen door, slamming it aside as she exited. She came to a complete stop as she realized Atem and Marik had returned.

"Oh, you're back," she said in a surprised voice.

Marik quickly walked over and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a quick hug before leaning back to look down at her.

"Feeling better?"

Kat looked up, then averted her gaze as she pulled away.

"Um, we need to talk…privately."

"Okay…?" Marik said, looking extremely puzzled.

She motioned for him to follow her upstairs to their room.

"This is gonna be rough," Bakura said as he came out of the kitchen and looked up towards the now closed bedroom door.

Atem looked up at the door as well.

"She told you about this morning…"

"Yup," Bakura said casually. He then looked over at Atem. "I have to ask what the fuck you were thinking? She offered herself to you, and you said 'NO'? Are you stupid?"

"It wasn't right," Atem replied. "Besides, I could tell it wasn't me that she wanted, but the memory of something that is obviously no longer there."

Bakura stared at him, appearing bored. "I still think you're stupid."

Atem scowled. "And that is your opinion. There is no need to keep repeating it."

Before Bakura could respond, the door upstairs opened quickly and was slammed shut just as fast. Marik stormed down the stairs, anger radiating from him.

Atem began to reach out in an effort to explain things. "Marik, she didn't me-"

"Don't fucking talk to me!" Marik interrupted sharply. He stormed out the front door, slamming it hard enough that the nearby window rattled.

"Oh boy," Bakura said with a sigh. "I'll go check on her, you go after the Tomb Keeper," he groaned.

"I don't think that's a good idea, considering I'm part of the reason he's angry," Atem stated.

"Well, I can't comfort her and go after him. And I don't think it's a good idea for you to be the one comforting Kat. It obviously leads to things that cause problems."

"We should just let him walk it off. If he's not back in a few hours, then we'll go after him. It gives him time to think, and you time to do…whatever it is you do for Katrina."

Bakura thought about it, then nodded. "Sounds good. I'll go do my thing, you just…I don't know…go do whatever it is you do now that you're not ruling over an entire kingdom."

"How could I be so fucking stupid!" Marik shouted aloud to no one but himself. "I should have figured something like this would fucking happen! Of course she wants to be with him! She even admitted that she still loved him!"

He was furious. He'd shown patience and understanding. He'd shown acceptance. And it still wasn't enough! Instead, she still clung to someone that caused her nothing but pain! She wanted to be with the one person that had hurt her so badly that she couldn't even utter the words 'I love you' to someone else!

He felt tears well up from the pain he felt. Kat had betrayed him. Betrayed his trust. He'd trusted her, and she'd thrown it in his face!

"Marik…?" came one of the many voices he really didn't want to hear right now.

He whirled around. "I don't have fucking time for you right now! Just go the fuck away!" he shouted at Malik.

"I just…wanted to make sure you were okay from earlier," Malik said with a worried expression.

"I'm fucking fine! Now leave me alone!"

"I never meant to-"

"WHAT PART OF 'GO THE FUCK AWAY' DON'T YOU FUCKING GET!?"

Malik was taken aback at the harsh tone, hanging his head dejectedly. "Right…I'll go now." He stepped back into the shadow of a tree and dissipated into the earth.

Marik looked around. "I swear to the gods, Bakura, if you're here too, I'll kick your ass!"

The air was resoundingly silent. After a long moment, he felt confident that he was finally alone. He returned to storming off down the sidewalk, making his way to anywhere that didn't have an immortal or a revived Pharaoh.

Marik wasn't certain how long he'd been walking, and he honestly didn't care. He wasn't even certain what part of Domino he was in. He stopped and looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He didn't want to head back, but he wasn't certain where to go either. He thought for a long moment, debating on finding his way to the Kame Game shop, but didn't really want to have to deal with Imhotep. He could only imagine the teen would be thrilled to learn that his mom had practically thrown herself at his dad.

While he stood there contemplating, rain began pouring from the sky.

"Oh, c'mon! Are you fucking serious?!" he shouted at the sky.

Now not only was he in a foul mood, but he was also soaking wet. He began stomping his way down the sidewalk, looking for somewhere he could stand out of the rain. He began to internally shiver as his soaked body tried its best to keep warm in the cold downpour.

He gave up on his search, reluctantly turning around and heading back the way he had come from. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"I swear to whatever fucking god is in charge of the weather in these parts, you had better think twice before adding lightning to the mix! I may not be a god or an immortal, but that won't stop me from trying to kick your ass!" he shouted loudly to the sky.

He stepped on something that made him trip and fall. The thing he'd stepped on had made the most unholy of sounds when he clumsily stomped his food down on it.

"What now?!" he shouted, looking back to see what it was that had tripped him up. He blanched at the sight of a black bird flopping around, one of its wings bent at an unnatural angle as it continued to cry out in pain.

"Oh no!" he shouted in a state of guilt and panic, quickly scooping the bird up into his arms. "Don't worry, I'll find a vet! Y-you'll be flying again in no time!" he said shakily trying to reassure the bird…though he was certain it actually was more for himself. He took out his phone to search for the nearest vet, then cursed as he realized he'd forgotten to charge it and that the battery was now dead.

"Gods, can this day get any worse?!"

As if on cue, a car drove by, creating a wave of muddy water that landed on top of him.

He stood there, now soaked in both mud and water, holding a bird he had stepped on, lost in an unfamiliar part of Domino with a dead cell phone battery, and cursing every god he could think of.

"Life. Sucks."

The car that had splashed him backed up and rolled its window down.

"Need a ride?" asked the stranger within.

Marik slowly turned his head, glaring bitterly at the driver. "No. I love standing in a freezing downpour and having cars toss mud all over me," he replied sarcastically.

The stranger sighed. "There's no need to be rude. It's not as though I did it on purpose. Get in. I'll take you to wherever you need to go."

Marik relented, not wanting to continue standing in the downpour.

"So where to?" the stranger asked.

"The nearest vet. This little guy has a broken wing." He showed the stranger the bird that had calmed, its unnaturally angled wing hanging down.

"I'm afraid the vet's closed at this hour, but you're in luck. I happen to know a thing or two about birds and broken wings. If you don't mind, we can head back to my place first where I can get it in a splint. Once that's done, I can take you home."

Marik nodded. "Sure."

The car continued driving for a short time before pulling into a hidden drive. Marik followed the stranger into his house, pausing in the entryway.

"This way," the stranger said, motioning for Marik to follow.

"Um…I don't want to ruin your floors," Marik stated, glancing down at the expensive looking hardwood flooring.

"It's only water. It can be cleaned up," the stranger said in a calm voice.

Marik thought it was a bit strange. The stranger sounded a lot like Seto Kaiba, and now that he could actually see him in proper lighting, realized he was similar in appearance too. There were several differences that assured him that the stranger wasn't the eccentric billionaire. For starters, he seemed a lot warmer in comparison. His reddish-brown hair was longer, hanging limply down his neck and forehead. He was also much more fair-skinned in comparison. Marik was certain the stranger would be a close match to Bakura in that aspect. There was also a faint scar that ran down the side of his face, stretching from the corner of his right eye down and across the corner of his mouth almost down to his chin. Finally, was the dark green of the stranger's stare. It was soft, yet calculating. It also reminded him a bit too much of a certain fiery elemental.

Marik followed the stranger into what appeared to be some sort of study. There were books lining the walls, and a large desk placed near the large bay window of the room.

"Stay here, I'll be right back."

Marik nodded, then looked around the room to get a closer view of the details. He mentally compared everything in the room to the ones he'd seen on television of Old English homes. There was elegant decorative lighting, a victorian fireplace, even a couple of plush high back chairs surrounding a short, round coffee table.

The stranger returned, carrying some gauze and a couple short pieces of craft wood.

"Keep it still. I'm going to have to set the wing."

Marik nodded, and tightened his grip on the bird in his arms, being careful not to squeeze too hard.

He winced at the sound made by the wing being set, and at the painful cry the bird made.

The stranger worked quickly, and the whole ordeal was over before Marik had time to fully recover from the gut-wrenching sounds he'd heard.

"There, she'll be good as new in no time. She just needs some rest."

"She?" Marik puzzled.

The stranger chuckled. "Yes. You can tell because the plumage beneath her throat is smooth. Male ravens have scruffier feathers on the underside of their necks," he added, while stroking the bird below its chin.

"Oh," Marik said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Now I feel bad for calling her a 'little guy'."

The stranger chuckled again. "I don't think she'll take offense. It's not like you're an expert on corvids."

"No, but you sure seem to be," Marik commented.

"Well, I will admit that I find them fascinating creatures," the stranger admitted. He looked down at the black bird nestled in Marik's arms. "I'll keep her here and make sure she gets better. I'm certain you are eager to get back home."

Marik sighed heavily as he stared down at the raven. "Yeah…home…"

The stranger tilted his head slightly. "You don't sound too enthused about that idea."

"Not really. I kinda needed to get out of there for a bit, but I don't know where to go now."

"You sound a bit lost."

"A bit?" Marik scoffed. "Trust me, that's the understatement of the millennium."

The stranger contemplated for a moment. "You're more than welcome to stay for a while longer until you decide where it is you would like to go."

Marik was silent for a moment as he thought about the offer. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"I wouldn't have offered it if I viewed it as such. Follow me. I'm certain you will be able to think more clearly in something dry."

Marik followed the stranger out of the study and down the hall. The stranger stopped beside an open door, motioning for the Egyptian teen to enter.

"This is my guest room. I keep some spare clothing in the dresser. Nothing too elaborate, just joggers and such that would fit most anyone in a pinch."

Marik looked down at the bird he was still holding, then slowly offered it out for the stranger to take from him. "Thank you…um…"

"Mabon," the stranger replied to the implied question as he took the raven from Marik's arms.

"Oh. Well thank you, Mabon. I'll try to repay your hospitality. My name's Marik, by the way."

"There's no need, Marik," Mabon stated. "Now get dry, then meet me back in my study. I'll prepare us some tea."

Before Marik could respond, Mabon walked away.

"Wow, for someone that kinda looks and sounds like Kaiba, he sure is the complete opposite," he said quietly to himself as he walked over towards the dresser and began searching through it. He settled on a pair of dark gray joggers and an earthy green long-sleeve shirt. He quickly changed into them, then laid his other clothes out to dry in the guest room's private bath. He then made his way back to the study and sat in one of the victorian-style high back chairs and made himself comfortable near the flames that now warmed the room from the fireplace.

He stared into the flames, his heart feeling heavy at who they reminded him of.

"Fire can be quite mesmerizing to look at, wouldn't you agree?" questioned Mabon from behind.

"To a point," Marik replied sadly. "But you can't fully trust it. It's still fire and it will still burn you."

Mabon placed a tray with a steaming kettle and a pair of teacups and saucers on the small table. "That is true. But can you blame the fire? It is fire after all. It doesn't know any better. It is simply doing what fire does. Would you douse the flame because you chose to expect something else of it?"

He poured some tea into one of the cups and handed it to Marik.

"I…guess not," Marik replied uncertainly. "But what if it's the same flame that keeps burning you?"

"Then I would wonder why you choose to repeat your attempts to touch it," Mabon replied, sitting down with his own cup of tea.

Marik hung his head. "Maybe because I like the way the fire makes me feel."

"Oh?" Mabon asked, glancing at him in studied curiosity.

Marik stared into his cup. "It makes me feel…happy."

"Even after it has burned you?"

"Well…that part hurts…but…"

"But…?"

"But I still find myself wanting to be close again. I want to keep feeling the happiness that I never thought I was capable of feeling."

Mabon took a sip of his tea and chuckled. "It almost sounds as if you are in love with the fire."

Marik looked away, a flush of pink forming across his cheeks. "Yeah…something like that."

"I take it that your 'fire' is actually a person?"

"Yeah…more specifically, a girl," Marik replied.

"So what has this girl done to 'burn' you?"

Marik stared back into the tea that he had yet to drink. "She told me something that I'm not okay with."

Mabon remained quiet as he took another sip of his tea.

"She told me that during a moment of self-doubt, her ex comforted her and that she offered herself to him," Marik said, his heart aching with sadness as he said it.

"Do they have a long history together?"

"You could say that. They've been together for a long time, but she recently broke things off with him. She admitted to me, though, that she still loved him."

Mabon nodded his head as if understanding. "Sounds like she has yet to fully move forward. Perhaps her ex is an emotional safety net. Maybe she is afraid to fully take the emotional leap towards you, as she's afraid that she will fall and that you won't be there to catch her."

Marik thought back to what Atem had said before Rome, about wanting someone that wasn't afraid to reach out and catch Kat when she began to fall.

"You said she told you about the incident?" Mabon questioned.

"Yeah. She said nothing happened. That her ex did the right thing and turned her away."

"That means she placed her trust in you. She could have simply kept it a secret, but instead she chose to admit that she did something that she's not proud of. She knew it would hurt you, but she had faith that you would care enough to forgive her."

To apologize is to ask for forgiveness.

The words from the other night rang loudly in his head. Kat had apologized when she told him about what had happened earlier in the day.

"But what if her ex hadn't refused her? What if she had actually slept with him?" Marik asked.

"But he did refuse her and she didn't sleep with him," Mabon stated as a reminder.

"Yes, but what if-"

Mabon held up a hand to interrupt Marik. "You are too focused on the possibilities that didn't happen, rather than on the reality of what did happen. Either way, would you rather she have tried to spare your feelings and kept it a secret, or would you rather she take the risk of sharing the truth knowing how you would most likely react?"

"Well…there are a lot of secrets between us…"

"So you would prefer to add to that list? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to start reducing it?"

"I…guess…" Marik replied, his head hanging low.

"This girl…aside from the current problem, how do you feel towards her?"

Marik released a heavy sigh. "This is going to sound crazy, but I only met her about a week ago and I already told her that I loved her. I don't know if it's just the whole newness and excitement of things with her, but that's just how I feel."

"Until now?"

"Well, I guess I still feel that way. I'm just really upset and hurt that she would do something like this. Though I guess it was to be expected."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because she and Atem grew up together. They share something that Kat and I will never have. Behind their failed relationship, they're still good friends. Kat and I…we don't have that. For us it's just…us dating and having sex. There's nothing beyond that."

Marik glanced up and noticed that Mabon had taken to looking off to the side, staring distantly while lightly tracing the scar that ran across his face.

"Growing up together means nothing. It doesn't strengthen anything. It just means you should know that person better than most. Even then, that person can still end up being someone you realize you never really knew…" Mabon said, sounding almost sad.

"Sounds like you thought you knew someone once," Marik noted.

"Two someone's actually. Both meant the world to me. I kept secrets, though. I didn't want to hurt them, but I realized after it was too late that it would have been better to risk hurting them up front than to have them find out through other means."

Marik thought about everything Mabon had said. "I think I understand what you're saying…but how do I trust my girlfriend to be alone around her ex without worrying that she might offer herself to him again?"

Mabon returned his gaze back over to Marik. "I don't think that will be an issue. She admitted her mistake, which means she knows it was a mistake. I'm certain she won't allow it to happen again. And you said her ex refused her, which means he's already refused to take advantage of your girlfriend in her moment of weakness."

"I guess you're right. Atem has made it obvious that he still wishes he and Kat were together, but he's also shown that he's trying to do right by her."

"It sounds like you hold some level of respect towards this 'Atem', who I assume is the ex?"

"Yeah…it's a bit complicated…and I don't know how to explain it all without sounding like a lunatic."

This brought a small smile to Mabon's face and caused him to chuckle. "Well, it is the time of month for lunacy to run its course."

Marik perked his attention. "You're referring to the full moon?"

Mabon nodded. "Yes. This month's particular full moon is no exception. Not only is it what is referred to as the 'Harvest Moon', but it will also be what is referred to as a 'Super-Blood Moon'."

Marik gave him a puzzled glance.

Mabon chuckled. "Allow me to explain. So the combined term is 'Super-Blood Harvest Moon'. Super Moons are when the moon appears much closer to the earth than normal, making it much larger in the sky. It is said that it enhances your inner self, illuminating your deeper emotions and instincts. For example, repressed feelings and desires will find themselves clawing their way to the surface."

"So like with my girlfriend offering herself to her ex?" Marik questioned.

Mabon nodded. "Exactly. She may be acting under the moon's influence without even knowing it."

"Well, she has admitted that certain…aspects of herself…are influenced by the full moon…"

Mabon nodded as if understanding. "Makes sense. Now onto the Blood Moon portion. Blood Moons are the result of a total lunar eclipse and are crimson in color, hence the 'blood' part of the name. Blood Moons bring about chaos, disruption, and change. Now, this isn't exactly a bad thing. Sometimes disruptions and change are necessary. Even chaos isn't entirely bad. Sometimes the only way to find order is to first endure chaos."

"Well, my life certainly is full of chaos at the moment," Marik commented with a chuckle.

"Chaos is simply a storm. It doesn't last forever, and if you take the time to truly appreciate the calm that comes after, you will grow to enjoy the beauty chaos leaves in its wake."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, what about the 'Harvest' part of things?"

Mabon smiled, appearing pleased that the teen had taken a real interest in what he had to say. "The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox. It symbolizes the idea of reflection. Have you heard the saying 'You reap what you sow'? The Harvest Moon is a time for looking back and seeing what changes you have made over the past year, and seeing how you've grown. It's also a time for letting go of things that are still holding you back. The Harvest Moon illuminates your feelings and emotions, allowing you to see them more clearly. Now is the time to cast aside things like fear and negativity. Look at what you want out of life in general. Now is the time to move forward from your past."

Marik gave Mabon a wary glance. "That seems oddly specific…almost as if you know a bit more about my life than I care to have known by someone I just met."

Mabon shrugged nonchalantly. "You may feel that way, but the truth is that there are many that would feel the same way even though their life is vastly different from your own. Everyone is capable of interpreting these things in their own way, and each interpretation would be correct. The meaning itself is nothing more than a guide."

Mabon glanced over towards the window. "Well, it appears the rain has ended, and it's very late. I know you had your reasons for leaving home, but perhaps you should be returning. I'm certain your loved ones are probably out looking for you by now."

"I don't know about anyone looking for me, but I am ready to go back. Talking with you helped me out a lot," Marik stated earnestly.

"That's good. So that means you are no longer 'lost' then?" Mabon questioned.

Marik smiled softly and shook his head. "No. I'm not entirely 'found', but I'm getting there. Thanks."

"You are more than welcome."

"My clothes are probably still soaked. Do you mind if I wear these home? I'll return them as soon as possible."

Mabon motioned dismissively. "Keep them. As you saw, I keep plenty of spares on hand. I'm not concerned with a few items going to someone that I'm certain will continue to have use for them."

"Thanks…again."

"It's nothing. Let me get you a bag for your soaked apparel. Then if you like I can take you home."

"I'd appreciate that."

Mabon took Marik's untouched cup of tea from him and carried it out on the tray he had carried everything in on. Marik stood and crouched down by the raven that was nestled in a makeshift nest of blankets beside the fire.

"Sorry I stepped on you. I hope you recover quickly so you can soar through the sky again," he said to the dark bird. He then smiled softly. "Bakura was right about ravens leading people to places where they can be found. Thanks."

"Are you ready to go?"

Marik nodded, then stood and followed Mabon out the door.

You survived the therapy session! Yay!

I am well aware that Mabon is long-winded. It's his default setting.

Not sure if anyone here is into Violetshipping/Puppyshipping, but I wrote a short little fluff piece based on a Pinterest prompt. I'm assuming it's fluff at least based on the comments. I'll be honest, I can spot genre type when I read other people's fics, but when I write/read my own I am completely clueless because I never picture genre when I write it. The title is 'Don't you-have a company to run?' (FFN wouldn't let me use the ellipses from the original version). It can also be found on AO3 ('Don't you...have a company to run?') and on my Tumblr page where it was originally posted.