Author's Note:

Welcome one and all to the grand finale of "The Little Merman"!

I know it was quite the ride and there were several times when things were a bit hectic or boring but I am satisfied with how the story's plot has played out.

Big thanks to everyone who followed, faved, and reviewed! I love hearing back from you readers and it lifts my spirits to see your comments and how much you've been enjoying it.

Though this is indeed the finale, those of you taking the time to read this note may be pleased to know that I have already planned for an epilogue to finish wrapping things up.

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I do not own rights to Yu-Gi-Oh! nor do I own "The Little Mermaid" that is Disney's or Hans Christian Andersen.

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. . Choo-Choo! Shipping train crossing ahead for the finale! . .

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Gentle fingers combing his hair pulled Atem from the comfortable darkness, his eyes briefly struggling to open before they opened widely when he found his head resting upon her chest. They had somehow ended upon the beach, her back resting against one of the rocks that had been worn smooth by the water's tide and he felt his cheeks warm when he discovered where his head was resting. He was about to pull away when she tightened her hold, effectively pining him to her chest. "Don't even think about it," she groaned, nuzzling his hair. "I'm comfy."

His lips lifted into a soft smile as a chuckle rumbled within his chest. "As you wish." The heat dusting his tanned cheeks warmed further when he felt her other hand meet the sensitive scales that reached up his lower back, fingers tracing lazy circles and causing his heart to quicken when they drifted farther downward. She mumbled something about how beautiful his tail was but all he could muster was a soft hum as he suppressed a sigh. He failed to suppress a breathy exhale when her breath met the cluster she had found behind his ear and the more she caressed his tail with gentle brushes of her fingertips the more he wished that she would never stop.

The golden sun peeked over the horizon, bathing them in its warm rays as the ocean glittered. Not a single cloud was in the aqua blue sky, the soft sounds of the seagulls intermixing with the sound of the crashing waves that reached high upon land to tickle their torsos. The scent of salt coming from the gentle breeze compared little those that they now cherished and filled their noses with as they simply rested within each other's hold; spicy cinnamon laced with sandalwood causing her body to relax further and cushion his own, luscious peaches further sweetened by marshmallow causing even his tired muscles to loosen every knot as she enveloped him.

His hands found her legs, which were stretched out on each side of him, the darkened skin of his fingers drifting across her much fairer yet equally sensitive skin. Fingers finding a respectable area, he began to slowly massage, the sea foam that had clung to their beings slowly dissolving into her skin under his ministrations. Atem's ears were blessed with the softest of gasps followed by a drawn out moan that made his being coarse with electrical pulses as his upper torso softly pressed against hers to keep her from falling to the sand when a shudder traveled down her spine. He must have found an especially sensitive area behind her right calf judging from the husky whisper of his name. His other hand rose and carefully massaged the crook of her neck, lighting the pressure when she flinched and whined in pain. Her expression became blissful though as he whispered to her softly and smiled when her body noticeably relaxed as he peppered her shoulder with tender kisses.

"I'm so proud of you…" she groaned softly, her free hand rising to wrap around the back of his neck to keep him close when he rendered her a pile of mush. His motions stalled at her words though, curiosity getting the best of him. "Atem, you were able to let your true strength come forth and you didn't kill her or any of those other sirens. You were so strong and brave, looking all handsome as you told off that giant sea serpent…"

Atem felt masculine pride bloom within his chest when she snuggled farther into him, the warmth radiating from her cheeks seeping into his tanned own as his lips never raised from her skin while trailing up to brush against her ear. The intimate moment back in the loch replayed within his mind, recalling every action that had earned him her praise, and lifted his head too quick for her to pull away, capturing her soft lips in a kiss that caused the surprised squeak to morph into a breathy moan in her throat. Her body pressed itself more against his as a wave of pleasure slipped down her spine in response to the gentleness he bestowed upon her. "It is I who is proud of you, Anzu."

"Humble and mighty one, I am unworthy of your praise." She giggled as he smirked against her skin, her dramatic choice of words earning a chuckle then found herself nearly being crushed against his rumbling chest in a tight embrace. "I know, bad joke, but I couldn't resist." A thought entered her mind, one that made her heart pound harder. What would he think though if she were to voice it aloud? There was one way to find out. "Your original kingdom was near enough to Egypt this fell appropriate" She shifted until her lips brushed against the shell of his ear when he questioned what she could possibly mean. "…king isn't quite right but prince doesn't quite feel appropriate either… I think I have a better one," her lips lightly caught on the shell of his ear. "…the mighty Pharaoh Atem…"

The laughter instantly vanished as the blood in his veins roared like fire, his lips crashing against her own with a fierce growl that earned complete submission from the young woman. Even if she had the will or energy to do so she still would have willingly opened her mouth when something warm and wet begged for entrance. Her skin was sweet, even more so than the deserts and candied fruits they had sampled in the market place, but nothing compared when her tongue challenged his to a dance. Though he wanted to answer, by Neptune he so wished to make her make the same sounds as before, he reined in the flames and leaned back far enough that their lips were still touching but a breath away. This seemed to startle her, those cerulean eyes of hers fluttering open to reveal worried pools that had darkened a few shades with passion. The pride within his chest provided further restraint upon the flames he kept at bay. He would be more than willing to answer the silent plea of her body that quivered against his own. "Again…" he whispered huskily against her lips when they parted for air. All of the titles he had grown up with, "Your Highness", "Your Excellency", "Eldest Prince", none had caused him as much joy as the one she had just bestowed. "Anzu…I need you to say it again…"

She didn't have to ask what he meant. Anzu had felt her heart give a jump as the words left her lips but her hand that had rested against his toned chest felt the strong heart beneath flood with heat. Atem, and Yugi, had both been robbed of their home and loved ones, being raised by a grandfather who only sought to protect the last remaining family he had left in the best way he felt, unknowingly causing harm to them instead by keeping such a protective hold upon them both that they had nearly been driven away in frustration by the lack of understanding. There was one thing that no one could take away that she would never think of denying him. "As you wish…" His warm breath against her was causing the heart hammering within her chest to become a butterfly attempting to free itself from inside the cage that was her chest. Words failed her as those amethyst eyes of his became hooded, as if he were attempting to cast a spell over her, which she would willingly fall under if it meant that he would finally move against her to recreate that delicious friction they had discovered earlier in the loch. Her lips quivered when his impatiently parted them, as if helping her to form the words he wished to hear. "…Pharaoh Atem…"

A shiver rose the fine hairs across his body, even his scales were tingling as he lowered her to the sand and reclaimed her lips, fully unleashing the flames from their bindings as his arms wrapped around her. Those slender legs of hers rose to wrap around his hips as he slid up her being to better explore the sweet cavern that was her mouth, one of his hands appearing upon her jawline to tilt it so he could better reach every corner while the other fell to her thigh where his fingers massaged the sensitive skin.

Her eyes slid closed as pleasure followed wherever his hand drifted…from the thigh it rose to the flat of her stomach, where his fingertips lightly teased the sensitive skin of her abdomen…rising to follow the plane of her toned torso to brush his thumb against the underside of her left breast. A moan slipped up her throat as the slightly calloused skin of his fingers met the incredibly sensitive fair skin that would normally be protected by an undergarment. The dress was now a tattered mass of cloth, the corset strings along her spine and those in front still remaining barely capable of keeping the cloth together enough to preserve her dignity. Now she was inwardly cursing it as her hips ground against his, earning a shudder, and was rewarded for her bold action by his lips drifting down to caress the pounding pulse point in her neck. "A-Atem…" she cried softly in bliss as he lightly traced the area with his tongue's tip then placed an open mouthed kiss upon it, her hands clinging to his back as he suddenly thrusted against her. "…don't…stop…"

His hand instantly appeared upon her hip, giving it a gentle squeeze as her back arched. It slipped of its own accord behind her thigh to brush against the fleshy mound that was the right side of her backside. Evidently it was instinct's desire but he was going to be respectful of her body. Just as he was about to remove it, his eyes widened in surprise as one of her own drifted down until the palm of her hand met the scales that were at the first junction of his tail. When he had legs, he too had one similar to hers, but it was nowhere near the same caliber as the one he had often struggled not to notice. The flames were fanned as her nails drug against his scales and his hand cupped the flesh with newfound vigor while burying his face within the crook of her neck where his teeth grazed across her skin. He tightened his hold upon her as her body reacted by arching farther off the sand to press more firmly against his own as from her lips came the most sweet cry of his name that was immediately committed to his memory as she writhed.

Their lips met again as she suddenly flipped them, surprising him slightly as his back met the smooth rock but it was quickly lost when her hands reached up into his hair and it was his turn to find himself breathless as her tongue entwined with his own. This new position was new, interesting, invigorating when he found that her hips were now forcing his own to move as she ground herself against him. Electrical sparks joined the flames within his chest as she brushed against the scales that hid a certain appendage. One hand rose up her spine to cup the back of her head, further deepening the kiss, while the other repeated its earlier action and grasped onto the mound of her backside. A unified cry of ecstasy slipped from their throats as this caused her hips to fully meet his own in a long drawn out motion that caused both to still for a breath as their blazing gazes met.

Everything within him that wasn't consumed by the flames begged him to stop, to cease before something happened that couldn't be undone, but did he have the strength to fight off the hazy smoke of the arousal and passion that rose from the fire in his blood? "Anzu…"

She could see the hesitation within his hooded eyes. He was asking for permission, if she was really sure of this, and she felt her heart swell for him more. Her answer was a fierce tug on his head that caused their lips to meet again but this time in a softer kiss. Honestly she had no idea how it would work, with him being a merman and she a human, but there was no way she was going to be able to face what comes next without something, a memory, a piece of him, to help her through the heartache that was surely fast approaching along with the sunrise.

He could taste her resolve and willingness, yet there was a hint of hesitation. His lips gently parted from her own as his hands fell to her shoulders, earning a protest, but his eyes remained on the sand as she asked if something was wrong. The answer he longed for wasn't going to be found if he looking into her eyes, the last of his mental strength would surely cave if he were to see those pools swimming with need and desire. "It wouldn't be fair to you, Anzu, so I am afraid that we must stop now."

She sat stunned at his serious tone and eagerly waited with baited breath for an explanation. Frustration took root when he only wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Atem, what do you mean?"

"I…I am not human, like you," he began, taking a moment to take in her scent with a deep inhale. "And if I were to indulge myself, even this once, it would only hurt you more when we part." His eyes drifted closed when her gasp brushed his ear. The lingering flames died down to flickering embers as her hands attempted to come between them, as if she were trying to pull away, but they were shaking so much that they couldn't find a firm holding so they simply drifted down his torso to form fists against his sides.

Her lips, slightly swollen from their shared passion, trembled as she forced them to rise into a smile. "What are you talking about?" she whispered. "I'll be just fine so you don't have to worry about me."

"The more you deny, the more you confirm my suspicion that I have already hurt you more than I care to imagine," his hold tightened further. "Forgive me, Anzu…if only things were different, if I was not what I am…"

"I am thankful that you are." She raised a hand to cup his cheek as his breath caught. "If your mother hadn't sacrificed her scale or given birth to you, I wouldn't be here today." Anzu felt her heart crack farther when he began to tremble, the sheer pressure of emotion coming from him was almost enough to make her cry as he roughly bit his lip to fight back his tears. "Remember what I said back in the loch? I want to be the person you don't have to hide your emotions from but I guess I have to remind you again…you can let your heart breathe easy when I'm with you. Go ahead, I'm not going anywhere until you're done."

The prickling of tears intensified at her words, his lips trembling as they attempted to form words, but it was when her fingertip lightly traced the outline of his mouth that a sound finally slipped up his throat. For a while he could only sob into her shoulder, his tears nearly so hot that they burned her fair skin, but she only tightened her hold upon him when he quaked and wailed. They eventually gave way to silence and then he spilling everything Though it took over an hour, the tension and weight that had plagued him lightened with each spoken confession. He half expected her to throw her hands up towards the sky and to blame him for turning her life upside down when he finally fell silent while resting back against the rock so as to give her space. His head hung when she took a deep breath through her nose and blinked in astonishment when she raised his head with a light tug on his hair.

Her cerulean eyes were soft and held deep admiration as she commended his strength. "You were following your heart, Atem. It wasn't easy and it may not have been smart but if you hadn't done so you would have never found out the truth. Yes, what Bakura did was horrible and evil, but even so…I can't imagine how things would be right now if he hadn't done those things…" Her voice cracked as emotion flooded her chest. His hands cupped her face as tears spilled down her cheeks. It was as if her heart was shattering into a million pieces then slipping through her shaking hands that tried to keep it together like the sand in an hourglass. "And now… that you've found it you have to go back to the ocean and I can't bear the thought of having to say goodbye to you but I will forever be thankful that things turned out the way they did!" Anzu's body wracked with sobs as he embraced her, her ear resting against his chest. Her tears were hot against his bare skin, the storm and battle had effectively ripped the cloth from his upper torso, but it was the broken heart that reflected within her swimming eyes that caused the thought spent tears to form in his own again.

Atem bit his lip in hopes to fight off the near suffocating emotions clawing up his throat as his own heart wept. His lips opened, searching for words that would possibly comfort them both, but found none as her arms wrapped around him and felt her body trembling. A sob wrangled its way between his trembling lips as she curled into his being. "I do not wish to say goodbye either, Anzu." His words only seemed to upset her more, their tears unifying as she clung to him desperately. Amethyst eyes clenched tightly in a feeble attempt to quell the seemingly never ending tears as he brushed his lips against her forehead. "but fate is leading each of us in different directions." His eyes met her own as he leaned back. "Promise me that you will continue dancing, no matter how much it hurts. Know that I will never stop thinking of you, my precious one."

She shook her head. Her strength, drive, even her confidence had taken heavy blows after the accident and it had only been when he appeared within her life that she had begun to internally heal. As "Yami", the merman who had saved her from drowning, he had made her feel beautiful again, despite the scars on her legs, and restored her hope that life was worth living; As "Atem", the silent human she herself had saved from drowning, he had assisted in her rediscovering the joy she had once found in being herself while regaining the strength to give dancing one more try. He had become her pillar of strength this entire time and even thinking about going on with her life without him beside her only made the sand slip through her fingers faster.

"Do not allow you sorrow to control everything you do from now on," he begged, his thumbs swiping away the tears as quickly as they appeared. "You must continue dancing. It is the very thing that brought us together, and I cannot bear the thought of you never gracing the world with your beauty and grace. If it helps, imagine me out in the crowd, watching in awe," his voice cracked as she stared down at her legs in what seemed like hesitation. "You are strong enough now, Anzu, I have faith and the upmost confidence that you can fulfill my one and only request."

Her eyes met his. "Tell me this isn't it…tell me that we'll see each other again…" The lump in her throat grew two sizes as he hung his head in silence. This was it? The ending of her fairy tale? She struggled to swallow it, managing after several seconds, and steeled herself. "Then go and know that my heart is always with you."

Atem's eyes clenched shut then opened as she moved to sit upon the sand. The tide was high now, easily reaching up to his waist. "And mine shall be with you always…"

Broken hearted, their hold on each other loosened until it was just their laced fingers that were desperately holding onto the other's. His eyes drifted down to his tail as she offered to help him back into the water and his reply was a simple shake of his head. Anzu watched with wide eyes as he plucked a scale from the cluster closest to where his heart lay with a soft hiss and asked for her to close her eyes. He embraced her one last time as he placed the scale within her hand, wishing with everything in his being that she would someday forgive him for breaking her heart, and with a gentle kiss to her forehead he slipped from her grasp as a wave of water reached them, allowing it to carry him out to sea where his tears mixed with the already salty ocean.

Her eyes opened when she felt his presence withdraw and bit back an agonized cry when she spotted him cast one last glance over his shoulder towards her before disappearing from sight. A familiar pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she welcomed her older brother's embrace as her wounded heart crumbled to dust. "Seto, I can't believe it…" she sobbed as Seto turned her around, burying her face into his ruined shirt. "…he's gone…Atem…he's really gone…"

His chin rested atop of her head as she wailed but his sapphire eyes were locked upon the shadows that had slowly followed after the retreating form that belonged to the one who had saved his sister from undeniable death. The trio that was the youngest twin brother, the robe wearing advisor, and the apprentice didn't spare a look their way as they too dove beneath the water. Their home was gone, the damages so severe that they would surely have to rebuild from the very foundation itself, but that could be done with time. "I am here," he soothed, carefully picking her up as she slipped into unconsciousness, tears still spilling from her closed eyes. "And I promise to try harder."

A figure stepped out behind him as he turned, facing them fully. "Where to, MrKaiba?" Mai asked softly, resting a hand briefly upon Anzu's head in passing while falling in step with him.

"Set a course for Cairo."