Marcelon let out a warbling little cry and buried her head more deeply into Katara's lap. Solomon put his hand back on the unmoving turtle beside them.

"This is Emily-Helen," he said, equally quietly. "Was. She and Marcelon bonded over having difficult parents." And Solomon had been a difficult parent, at first, not because he couldn't spare the time but because he'd been convinced he was the wrong person for the job. He still wasn't entirely convinced even now, but he hadn't done too badly yet and it was a responsibility he couldn't just ignore either way.

Emily-Helen had had to fight tooth and nail just to get Bakura to accept her. She had been one of the few things he had in his life that was worthwhile. She still was--but now he was going to deny it with every fiber of his being just because of how much it hurt.