Searing pain flared through his legs as they approached the ship, his focused amethyst eyes casting upwards as the sky grew another shade darker. Yugi had tried his best to catch up to the boat and he paused to offer him a thankful smile before climbing one of the built in ridge ladders along the vessel's side. He was about halfway up when he heard the sounds of an organ, his heart nearly stopping at the thought of her standing before the alter with one of the despicable sorcerers and he quickened his pace. Exhaustion threatened to claim him as he grasped tightly onto the banister as if his life depended on it, which considering the situation it was, and blinked at the absurd scene before him.
Various aquatic animals were attacking guests and creating messes throughout the deck; the supposed wedding cake was a pile of frosted chunks as a group of sea lions barked loudly in between bites, dolphins would make appearances and squirt water upon the panicking guests, seagulls and other various birds were bombarding the elderly priest as he attempted to continue with the ceremony. cursed internally when he spotted the being responsible attempting to fight off the onslaught of attacks from the animals.
The teal haired man was disheveled with torn clothing and anger filled eyes that flashed dangerously as he lashed out when an attack came. "Get away from me, you heathens, I'm only warning you this once!" His hair rose slightly from pent up anger when he himself heard how the voice he had stolen became strained, for a moment reverting back to his own, and forced his emotions down. Things could still go his way if he remained in control.
Amethyst eyes shifted from the man to the deck as a howl came and hurried below. There was no doubt that he would fall if the sorcerer decided to unleash his magic but there might be a way to further their chances of preventing it. He screeched to a halt though as scuffling came from the captain's quarters. His brows furrowed in concentration as he searched for a way to break down the door when he found it locked and steeled himself, his hand forming a fist and flinching as shards of glass rained down when he punched through the single window and flipped the switch that was on the doorknob. The door swung open and and he was nearly bowled over by Moki.
"About time." Seto stood, popping filling the air as he stretched and the rope that had been confining him falling to the floor. "What took you so long?"
"Well, if it isn't the little guppy!" Amethyst and sapphire widened as a figure appeared in the doorway. The eel siren was almost too large to fit through the wooden doorframe but she managed and regarded the trio before her with excitement. "How fun, that I get two strapping males all to myself and a hearty meat dish for later!"
Atem nearly stumbled as Seto suddenly grabbed his arm and moved in time for them to dodge her tail that lashed out. He hesitated only a moment when instructed that he should search for Anzu then nodded. Back on deck the fight had caused most of the guests to escape via the lifeboats or by other means and it was then that he spotted a figure dressed in white calmly standing within the center of the chaos, her head bent so low her chin was resting against her chest from behind a veil so thick he had to squint to see her face and a breeze slipped past, causing the heavy lace to rise and reveal her dream-like eyes. The chains were there, barely visible in the fading sunlight, but they were slack and pooled around her feet. What could he possibly do to break her free? He blinked as a wet nose met his cheek, nearly startling him, and found himself staring into the eyes of the large Newfoundland. It was looking at him so intently that he was sure the aquatic dog was seeing through his very soul then sped off like a sea dragon at a race with a howl that caused all remaining passengers to focus solely upon the animal as its jaws opened widely, showcasing sharp teeth just before they plunged into Dartz's thigh, earning a shriek so high pitched that it caused all to flinch.
An item fell from the confines of the once expensive suit that was now mere tattered cloth and Atem hurried to catch it but resulted in falling to his knees upon the wooden deck as the conch shell that had been used as the catalyst for their contract shattered into a million pieces. For a split second he was filled with dread and loss but his eyes grew wide as a single golden orb manifested from the ruined container.
"You incompetent fools! What have you done?!"
Anzu shook her head vigorously as a scream pierced the haze covering her mind, tearing the veil off so that she could see clearly in time to see the seashell shatter. The heavy weight that felt like chains disappeared as she shook herself, glancing down at the ridiculous and confining gown that made her groan in distaste. "One second I'm on the beach with some eel-woman hybrid, then I'm walking out of my own house with my hair styled all weird, now I'm on a boat wearing this suffocating thing? What the heck is going on?" She muttered, tearing at the skirt and sighing in relief when the ocean breeze brushed against her bare legs. "Much better."
"On this day, I give my solemn word that I will find who was responsible for destroying my father's kingdom."
Her breath caught in a gasp. The voice that she had heard all those months ago, the same that would soothe her as the bandages of her legs were changed late at night within the loch, was coming from an orb that was bathing her in warm golden light as it rose high above their heads. She had no idea what was going on but she felt no fear as the orb lazily drifted towards her until it was circling her in long drawn out rotations. It was beautiful, ethereal, but above all the things that could be used to describe this strange thing was that it was familiar.
"It has come to my attention that my grandfather, King Solomon, suspected that humans were responsible and had thus harbored ill feelings for them. He saw us, my brother and I, that night watching her perform upon that cruise liner and retaliated in a way that I would never think possible: he conjured a storm to decimate the entire ship and caused it to sink. It nearly claimed her life as well as her love of dancing and I could not allow her to suffer for something that was not her fault so I hid away within the loch for several days personally overseeing and tending to her wounds."
She reached out to it as it moved away, her hand outstretched to bring it back towards her, and that was when she spotted him. Atem looked absolutely exhausted as he leaned against the banister for support, one of his hands was cut in several places and there were beads of red blood trickling down his knuckles as the golden sphere came to a stop before him. An expression of relief crossed his features as its light illuminated his face and raised a hand to cup the orb. Her heart gave a squeeze when the voice coming from the orb became magnified.
"I have come here to request that my tail be split into legs so that I may not only free my family from this cloud of sorrow but also to attempt to establish a better relationship with those who dwell on land. As I write my name upon this contract, thus establishes a seal that binds us. By my name I validate this contract and seal my voice until the day my end of this agreement is completed!" The golden orb fizzled brightly before flying forward and disappearing within his body, causing his breath to catch at the sudden impact that had nearly sent him over the banister.
Yugi''s lavender eyes had widened when he breeze carried the voice of his brother and felt as though his hammering heart would burst when he spotted him against the banister. He was at the ready in case something happened but even when the golden light faded he didn't cease in praying that they had been in time to stop the ceremony. His lips lifted into a relieved smile when his gaze met wide amethyst as his older brother straightened. "That was way too close."
"I couldn't have done it without you," he bowed his head in gratitude, blinking as he raised a hand to his throat to gently massage it though it had come out barely above a whisper. "I can't believe I am saying this, but I missed having ability to speak."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I'm amazing and unbeatable." He winked, sticking out his tongue.
"Atem?" She might as well have shouted it from the sudden reaction it earned from a clearly angered Dartz and her roughed up brother who had appeared from below deck as she began to take steps towards the young man who looked as though he had been conversing with something down in the water. The events with the eel siren came screaming back to her but it couldn't be possible…Atem was human, he was standing on two legs just like everyone else here. Her legs were shaky as she took another step. Amethyst eyes bore into her own as he called out to her, the first word he had spoken to her, and her feet carried her across the deck in a hurry to answer him. Someone called for her to stay away from him but she ignored them as Atem's warm hands cupped her face gently, those ever shifting gems that were his eyes glittering as her hands rested against his chest. "It was you the whole time, wasn't it?"
His head hung low but his gaze never wavered from hers as she clung to him. "Anzu," All doubt receded from her mind and heart as her name left his lips. He spoke it with such gentleness and resonated with such emotion that her heart could not help but respond with a skip. "it hurt beyond measure that I couldn't tell you the truth. Now I can. My brother and I were in search of finding out how my father's kingdom was wiped out when we happened upon your vessel. We saw you perform and I was captivated. It was our-" he shook his head, "no, it was my fault that our grandfather even noticed that liner and attacked it. I never knew that his hatred ran so deep and I could not allow you to leave this world without it knowing how profound your dancing is. I broke the highest law among us and saved you from the wreckage, then visited you for days after, doing everything within my ability to help you heal."
"So that's why you had me pick you a name," she whispered, cerulean eyes widening for a moment. "It's no different than when I use my stage name 'Mazaki', you were just trying to protect yourself in case things got complicated."
"For us both." He nodded. "Though I tried to keep it secret, he discovered the true reason why I had been away from home for as long as I was. For four months he had be confined within my chambers as punishment for breaking our laws, even destroyed my personal collection of human artifacts, but you have grown too important to me, Anzu, I had to see you again, to be with you…" His eyes closed briefly when her fingers brushed his cheeks as a single tear finally spilled, her soft fingers wiping it away with the lightest of finger strokes.
Everything was falling into place now. The reason that "Yami" had been so secretive, how he always prevented her from seeing his face now was making sense. It was for her protection that he had done so. "You didn't have to save me from that shipwreck, there were several times when I wish you hadn't," her voice cracked, tightening her hold upon his clothing. "But now I am so glad you did." Cerulean met amethyst as she smiled tearfully. "Because if you hadn't then we wouldn't have met."
"Anzu, there is something I have to tell you." The pressure gathered within his chest. It was now or never. "Among my kind, there is the Ainma Vinculum that ties two beings together whose souls resonate; that was how I was able to rescue you from the siren hunting party that night," his hand rose and cupped her cheek. "You have grown to be so important to me that being away for those four months felt as though I was losing my strength every minute we were apart."
A giggle rose in her throat as her eyes twinkled. "Well, we humans call that 'love', but if you want we can use your term." His head tilted to the side, earning a laugh from Anzu. "Big shocker that the Latin and hieroglyph fluent being here has never heard of that simple little word."
"Spending my time upon land with you has proven that the word is more than it seems," he whispered, his arms wrapping around her tightly and bringing their faces close enough that their warm breaths brushed against the other's face. "And I am thankful that you were the one who showed this lonely prince what it truly means to live and to be true to one's self." His lips lifted into an amused smile when she said that he should stick around, that she could teach him a lot more as her arms wrapped around his neck, their noses brushing as gravity pulled them closer.
"You're too late!"
Unadulterated pain seared up his spin, causing him to suddenly drop to the deck with a cry as he fought to stay conscious. A glance towards the horizon confirmed his worst fear: the sun had set. Clouds appeared as if from nowhere, bringing with them winds that threatened to capsize the ship as a single bolt of lightning forked through the air until it reached his being with a resounding boom that threatened to deafen all.
It would have sent her to her knees if it weren't for his suddenly vice-like grip that prevented her from meeting the wooden deck. She held fast though as he writhed, using her own being to prevent his from slipping through the large spaces of the banister. The last thing he needed was to worry about drowning! "Atem, just focus upon my voice," Anzu adjusted so that her upper torso completely supported his own, one arm wrapped around his shoulders while the other cradled the back of his head as he trembled. "You remember what I said the other day, that there was someone else, right? Guess now is as good as any to tell you that the other 'someone' was you, or at least your other identity. You could have at least let me pick something cooler for you than 'Yami', it's nowhere near your true name." She kept her voice soft and low as she coaxed him to take a breath, his chest slowly falling into rhythm with her own as she encouraged him. "There you go, nice deep breaths just like mine, I'm right here."
The haze that had obscured his mind lessened with each breath that wooshed past his ear that was in turn coaxing his own to rise up his throat and through his lips. His limbs that had been devoid and lacking of magical energy now felt as if he had been plugged into one of the outlets back at the mansion. Even the fine hairs across his arms and upper being were standing upright from the surge of power. "It grew on me…" His arms quaked dangerously as he used them to push himself up far enough that their gazes could meet. "I actually quite liked it when it was coming from you but I must confess that hearing my true name coming from you," their foreheads met as his hand cupped her cheek. "I prefer it over any other name."
Heat flared across her fair cheeks the longer his eyes bore into her own and it was as her gaze drifted downwards in shyness and to see what was tickling her calf that her face became filled with awe. A shimmering golden tail was tentatively brushing against her leg, as if introducing itself, and she couldn't help but giggle when he made to pull it away with an apology but was halted by a shake of her head. The clothing that had once covered his being was now minimal thanks to the lightning bolt and she was further in awe of how the golden scales reached up his torso until it faded into the tanned skin of his abdomen. "No wonder you could take Moki's weight with ease, I mean look at you."
"Is that truly what has your attention?" He teased, raising an eyebrow.
The blush in her cheeks darkened another shade. "O-of coarse not! It was your eyes that lured me in! Besides, how was I supposed to find a specific thing I liked about you besides your voice? I couldn't see your face and since I had only seen your eyes the one time I had originally thought it was from the pain I was in. Then there were the flashes of gold that I saw in the loch and the subtle hints so it was no surprise that I connected the dots and just when I thought my feelings for you couldn't get more complicated they seemed to grow tenfold and…and…" Realization of what had just slipped between her lips caused her heart to give a flutter and she made to bury her face in her hands if it weren't for his sudden embrace, caused her to melt as the scents of sandalwood and cinnamon filled her senses. She pulled away though when she had felt his chest rumble with chuckles, her finger appearing inches from his nose. "It's mean to tease a girl, Atem, shame on you." The scold was lightened by her smile but he was surprised when her palm met his tail and trailed downward until it met the fins at the very end. Her warmth and touch earned a slight shiver through his being and the assuring smile she gave him made his weathered heart warm.
"Alright, that's enough of that!" Their attention shifted to Dartz as he threw his head back and howled with laugher, his appearance warping and morphing in grotesque ways before it popped like a balloon and revealed a man with platinum hair with an octopus lower half leering down at them. Those who still remained upon the deck cried out in shock and horror as he slithered and crawled across the wood. "So long, pixie stick, it's been a real treat and though I was so looking forward to picking every last morsel of sweet meat from your bones and that faint trace of power within the blood in your veins," he sneered, eyes combing over her being and earning a flash of crimson in warning. "It's time to collect my prize!" Atem had wrapped his arms around her protectively when Bakura had leered at her but he managed to dodge in time for the sorcerer to barrel over the side of the ship just as the tentacles reached for him.
"Look out!" Her warning came too late and a shout of pain came from his lips as a few of the black appendages wrapped so tightly around his tail he was sure it would snap. "No, no, no, please no!" She tried to hold onto him, to prevent him from being pulled through the banister and out to sea. "Whatever you do, don't let go!"
"Anzu, you have to let go." Atem's amethyst met her wide cerulean as he slid across the wood. "I am the one who made the deal and now I have to pay the price." He winched as a tentacle that had worked its way up his torso to entwine around his waist gave a hearty squeeze. "I will always treasure the time we have spent together but this time, while we are apart, please swear that you dance again. That is what brought us together, you and I, so it was almost unbearable for me to believe that you had given it up." His hold tightened as she brokenly begged for him to stay. "My precious Anzu, my admiration of your strength and heart have grown. I know they will carry you even farther from here on." Her tears nearly scorched his now cool skin as he pressed his lips first against her forehead, then the space between her eyes, once upon each cheek, then the last upon her fair neck; each was a kiss that they had shared with the other during their limited time but each was heartfelt and full of emotion as he fought to keep back his own tears as he deftly slipped from her hold and was pulled backward into the ocean, her wide cerulean eyes full of fear following him until he disappeared from sight.