So it appears FFN has ate my formatting (again).

There is a longer back-and-forth text exchange in this chapter. Kat's texts are clearly labeled as 'kitty' (Marik's joke from when she first appeared to him in the dream/vision). Marik's replies are unlabeled, but they are seperate lines and italicized so I hope they still make sense. Like before, the heart got half eaten, so it's just the number '3' (please pretend it's an old school text emoji).

Marik checked his phone again. His messages still hadn't been read.

It was lunchtime and Kat still wasn't up? He knew Kat was exhausted, but he'd apparently underestimated how exhausted she was.

Bakura jerked the device out of his hands.

"Hey! Give that back!"

"You've checked this thing more times since we left this morning than years I've been alive. I think you need to relax. She'll be fine. You already told her last night you'd be back after school."

Just then a notification chimed in. Bakura glanced at the phone, his eyes widening.

"Whoa…that's a nice pic…I think I'll just hold onto this for a while…"

Marik's face turned red as he tried to quickly retrieve his phone from Bakura, who was doing his best to keep it out of the Tomb Keeper's reach.

"Dammit, Bakura! Give me back my phone or I'll tell everyone here what I saw this morning!"

Bakura paled and quickly shoved the phone back into Marik's hands while muttering a string of profanities.

Marik glanced at the message on the screen in confusion. "This isn't a picture…"

Bakura stopped his cussing and smirked. "Nope, but you should see your face. You look extremely disappointed, Tomb Keeper."

Marik scowled and groaned, his face flushing in embarrassment at having been so easily tricked…and because it appeared everyone else was silently judging him for being disappointed at the lack of a suggestive picture from his girlfriend.

He walked away from everyone else and decided to sit by himself across the roof. He'd thought with everyone actually sitting together again, that meant things were finally starting to look up.

He looked back down at the message, feeling relief that Kat had finally responded.

Kitty: sorry just got up. cant wait for you to get home :)

Another message popped up.

Kitty: i hope everything is going good for you today

better than usual. imhotep was acting kinda nice towards me

it was weird

Kitty: lol i bet

though not as weird as seeing bakura come out of atems room this morning

Kitty: :O

yeah that was my reaction too lol

Kitty: i am so teasing kura about all of this for the next 3 centuries

make it 4 for stealing my phone and letting me believe you sent a nude pic

Kitty: … … … i can send one if you really want it ;)

Marik tried to hide the playful smirk that had formed across his face with his hand, glancing over at the group across the roof to determine if they could see his failed attempt at hiding his amusement.

i prefer seeing you in person ;)

Kitty: awww 3

Kitty: you just dont want kura stealing your phone again and seeing it :p

lol he had his chance. like he said- his loss my gain :p

Kitty: lol xD

Marik noticed the group starting to pack up the remains of their lunches and glanced at the time. He sighed as he wasn't quite ready to head back to class yet. He'd rather be back home already.

gotta go. lunch period is almost over :(

Kitty: :(

Kitty: see you after school :)

cant wait :)

3 u

Kitty: … … … 3

A small smile formed on Marik's face at the little heart reply. To him it felt like a big step forward from 'I won't fucking say 'I love you' back!'.

He gathered up his things and headed back inside with the others, shaking his head as he heard Imhotep make another attempt to pry transformation secrets out of Bakura.

As the final bell rang, Marik stood by Bakura's desk, trying to hurry him along. The elemental was his fastest way home.

Bakura casually slung his bag over his shoulder, obviously not in any hurry whatsoever.

"C'mon! Let's get going already!" Marik said impatiently.

Bakura sighed then looked unenthusiastically over at the Tomb Keeper.

"Hate to break it to ya, but I have a little pit-stop to make before heading back."

"What?! No! You can go do that after you've dropped me off at home!"

"Nope. You're coming with me."

Marik growled in frustration. He then clenched his jaw and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"Fine…fine. Just make it quick. And if Kat starts to freak out because it took us so long to get back, just know that I'm gonna blame it all on you."

"I expect nothing less," Bakura commented with a genuine small smile.

Bakura's rather honest expression concerned Marik. It reminded him a little too much of the melancholy that he and Yugi had seen on that first day of school.

"Um, is something wrong? You seem a bit less…you."

If Bakura was offended by the remark, he didn't show it. Instead he just walked out of the classroom, Marik following quietly, until they were back on the roof and out of sight of anyone that might spot the unorthodox form of travel.

Marik didn't mind traveling with Bakura. Honestly he didn't even mind traveling with Malik either. It was a bit suffocating with Malik, but he knew the earth elemental would never allow any harm to come to him. And Kat…one would think the fire would be an unpleasant way to move about the world, but he didn't mind it. He enjoyed the quick burst of warmth, and he knew the flames wouldn't hurt him.

He stood, staring in confusion at the complex across the street from where they had appeared beneath a set of trees.

"Where are we?"

"That's where R-...I was staying. I…made a mess of things with my neighbors the other day…and I don't exactly want to show up alone, just in case…" Bakura looked away uncomfortably as if ashamed.

"I get it," Marik said while placing a reassuring hand on Bakura's shoulder.

Bakura looked mildly surprised by the gesture.

"Thanks. Um…don't tell anyone about this. I mean...I'm sure Kat will figure it out no matter what…but everyone else…I mean…I have a reputation to uphold, and-"

"Bakura," Marik interrupted, "relax. I didn't tell anyone about your breakdown on the roof. I'm not gonna tell anyone about whatever you've got going on here."

Bakura's expression softened from the nervous one he'd had just a moment before. He nodded, then led the way toward the complex.

The closer they got, the more Bakura became tense and began looking around a lot. Even more so when he stopped in front of one door in particular. He nervously looked towards the doors on either side, before attempting to open the one he had stopped at.

"Shit! Someone must have locked it after I ran out! And I don't have my fucking key!" Bakura said in a loud whisper to himself. He looked around again, while holding a closed fist up near his chest. A small vortex of air moved around the closed hand, and when he opened it, a key was sitting in his palm. "Thank the gods it was where I left it," he sighed in relief.

He quickly placed the key in the door handle and just as quickly attempted to open the door.

"Ryou?"

Bakura froze, his eyes wide as he dared to glance sideways towards the old man that had walked out of the neighboring door.

"I'm relieved to see you've finally come back!" the old man said with a kind smile and his eyes squinted shut.

Bakura turned his head, staring in blank confusion at the old man. He seemed to be perfectly fine. That didn't make sense? His forearm, at the very least, should have been wrapped in bandages.

Bakura decided to play along with…whatever the fuck this guy believed had actually happened.

"Oh…uh…yeah. Just needed to get out and clear my head for a bit. Stayed with a friend."

The old man smiled even more.

"I understand. I'm glad you have friends that you can count on."

The old man then procured a sealed letter from behind his back and offered it to Bakura.

"Your father left this on your doorstep earlier this morning. I hope you don't mind, but I didn't want someone else to take it, so I decided to hold onto it until you returned."

Bakura looked at the envelope for a moment, feeling a strange mixture of hatred and confusion. That fake had been here? Why did he just leave a letter?

Something wasn't right. Nothing was adding up. The old man being fine and acting as though he hadn't seen a boy turn into a feral beast and attack him. The fact that just before it happened, he hadn't run at the sight of the dark aura that surrounded said boy. Holding onto a letter that was conveniently left just after the incident.

Bakura narrowed his eyes at the old man in suspicion, then spoke to him in the immortal tongue.

"(Reveal yourself. Who are you?)"

The old man's eyes opened a bit, the smile becoming taunting.

"Take the letter."

Bakura growled in irritation.

"(No. Not until you tell me who you are.)"

The old man's smile quickly soured as his face turned into an irritated scowl.

"(Take the letter, Kura.)"

Bakura's eyes widened.

"SE-!"

Bakura's mouth was quickly covered as the old man roughly pinned him to the doorframe with his other hand behind the elemental's neck.

"(I'm really sorry about this,)" the man said close to his ear in a voice Bakura knew all too well.

Bakura tried without success to stop what was about to happen. He felt that sickening 'pop' in his neck and helplessly watched as the world and the Tomb Keeper rose above him.

Marik took a nervous step back away from the old man.

"What did you just do to him?!"

"He'll be fine. Take him inside. Make sure he reads the letter," the man said, using his aged voice again in front of the Tomb Keeper. He handed the letter to Marik, then left.

Marik stared in confusion, watching the old man until he vanished down the staircase. He then looked at the envelope in his hand, then down at the incapacitated elemental.

"You owe me a big explanation," he said as he stuffed the envelope into his back pocket. He then proceeded to drag Bakura's body into the flat, closing the door once they were inside.

Marik stared at the unresponsive body for a long moment, trying to decide what he was supposed to do with it. After another long moment, he knelt down and closed its expressionless eyes.

"Sorry, but that dead stare just bothers me." He then thought for a moment, his brow furling as he tried to determine something. Against his better judgment, he reopened the lifeless lids. "I have no idea if you can actually still see and hear everything. I'm kinda hoping you can't…but just in case you can…"

Just then Bakura took in a gasped lungful of air.

"Motherfucker!"

Marik fell over backwards in surprise from the sudden outburst from Bakura.

Bakura sat up straight, readjusting the spot in his neck that had been temporarily broken.

"For your information, yes, I can still see and hear everything," he stated irritably. "Though when Mal crushed my freaking skull, I was pretty much in the dark," he added.

Marik's eyes widened.

"Does that mean Kat saw and heard everything the other day?" he asked nervously.

"Only if you were close enough. Our senses become the equivalent of yours at that moment. No enhanced hearing or sight," Bakura explained, still sounding a bit irritated, but in a calmer sense.

"So who was that?" Marik asked. He was both curious and hoping it would distract Bakura from wondering why he'd asked the prior question.

Bakura clenched his jaw, his irritation rising again.

"Apparently someone who's been hiding right beneath everyone's noses this entire time."

He hardened his gaze on Marik.

"The name of the person you were with last night. Kat's reappearance interrupted you before you could say it."

"Oh, right. He said his name was Mabon."

Bakura took in a deep, steadying breath. "What did he look like?"

"Um…kinda like Kaiba I guess, but not nearly as cold."

Bakura took in another calming breath, then closed his eyes. "Do me a favor? Keep that info to yourself. Don't tell anyone…especially not Kat...or the Pharaoh." He opened his eyes again. "And don't bring up what you just saw here."

Marik furled his brow, obviously not happy with the idea. "I'm not going to hide things from her. She didn't hide what happened between her and Atem. It's obvious she wants things to be open and honest between us."

Bakura's expression changed to one of pleading.

"Marik, I am begging you to not say anything. Please?"

Marik hesitated before answering, then relented.

"I don't like the idea, but the fact that you've resorted to begging tells me that there must be a really good reason to keep it hidden. Listen, I won't intentionally bring it up…but if she asks a question I won't lie."

Bakura sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"You still owe me an explanation."

"Turns out Ryou's neighbor wasn't just any old man. I do have to wonder…" Bakura trailed off, lost in thought. "The letter. Give it to me."

Marik reached into his back pocket and handed the letter over.

Bakura quickly tore the seal and began reading it. Once he'd finished, he lowered it and stared off as if in shock.

"She had no idea. She didn't even have anything to do with it. I assumed it was something she had done…but once again…I assumed wrong."

Marik looked at the elemental in confusion. "What?"

"I'd always assumed that Kat had something to do with that fake taking my place and my name. Turns out, that fake had made a bargain with…that old man. Now that I've returned, the terms are up."

"So…that means what exactly?"

"It could mean two things. One, he goes back to being a nobody. Two…let's just say it's not the more desirable outcome and I'd rather not think about it."

"So…Ryou's fake father was only his fake father because of a bargain?"

"Pretty much," Bakura replied.

"That's messed up."

"Yup."

Marik glanced around. "So why did you need to stop here?"

"Oh, right. Almost forgot."

Bakura stood and went to the bedroom, returning several minutes later with a duffle bag.

"Needed a few things. I hadn't planned on staying here much longer, and with the recent discovery of who my neighbor most likely is…I'm definitely not staying here."

"I can imagine," Marik said with a chuckle. "So, if we're done here, can we hurry up and get back? I'd rather not leave Kat alone with Atem any longer than I have to."

Bakura smirked. "What's the matter, Tomb Keeper? Worried she'll get tired of waiting and go running back to him?"

"No," Marik replied casually. "I don't think she'd be mean enough to try stealing him away from you," he said with a taunting smirk.

Bakura's face fell. "That's not even funny." He thought for a moment. "Wait…you didn't tell her what you saw…did you?"

"Whaaat? Why would I do something like that?"

Bakura covered his face in embarrassment. "Fuck. Now she'll never shut up about it…"

Had to bring up Marik being concerned once he realized that even 'dead', it was still possible for her to see/hear the 'Slifer' exchange with Ra. Bakura wasn't so lucky.

If you want to read more about how their 'dead' experience is, I am once again going to suggest reading Bakura's little backstory called 'White Lady'. I'm hoping to sometime in the next month have 'The Lion and the Mouse' finished for Malik's little backstory. So far it's looking to be a 3-parter.