Oh, lookies, I'm updating. ^_^;; Yes, I'll update the other fics eventually. Hopefully sometime soon. *nods*

I have… FINALLY finished the lemon. ^_^;; I've put the location on the last chapter. I would appreciate comments. It took about forever.

Disclaimer: Neither Yu-Gi-Oh nor The Little Mermaid belong to me. How sad. Even the flower "amaranth" doesn't. *sulks* I don't own the song near the end of the ficcy, either. It's part of the song "On My Own" from "Les Misérables". The first and last verses, to be specific.

Warning: Yaoi! Yummy (I hope) yaoi! YxY. The other couples are mentioned, but unimportant.

*thinks* What else? Oh yes. I put this in my profile and the other ficcy I posted, but I figure more people would read this fic... Anyway. Ahem. I'm hosting my own fanfic contest. It's at w ww. geocities.c om/kingof fics (just take out the random spaces). Please enter? *chibi eyes* If lots of people enter, I'll be really really happy and I'll update faster. ^_________^ (Bribe? Me? Oh, noooooo, I don't ask for bribes, whatever ARE you talking about?)

Hmm, since I'm unusually chatty right now, maybe I'll write a bit in the A/N? If you just wanna read the story, this part's unimportant. I just wanna rant. Because I'm slightly bored right now. I'm at co-op right now and attempting to model a 3-D kitty. It's taking forever, though, and I'm starting to run out of patience. And to make it worse, I've noooooo idea what a kitty is supposed to look like. ^_^;; I mean, I can draw a cat alright, but now that I have to have all the anatomy correct and know the entire structure, and... @_@ Ah well. Better finish the cat soon. I wanna model my pretty-boy Kyrenai next. In a dress. :P

Oh, BTW, this is the 2nd-to-last chapter left. Don't you feel sooooooooooo glad. *sarcasm* Yes, I know it's been kinda short. Just 5 chapters in total. But, you know, each chapter is kinda long. ^_^;

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Chapter 4: Sacrifice of My Heart

   A beautiful day dawned upon heavy souls laden with unshed tears. Soft, golden sunlight danced across silky skin, cheeks stained with trails of tried tears. Violet eyes did not want to open, did not want to accept the painful reality. The last day... the last day of his life, and he was not allowed to share it with the one he loved.

   "Shhhh, what is it, sweet one?"

   Yugi shook his head. Even had he been willing to burden the prince with his problems, he could not speak.

   "Are you upset because I'm marrying her?" Yami turned onto his side, gathering the mer-boy close in his arms, his blood-red eyes overflowing with concern. "Don't worry, my love. It's only for one day. After today, I could spend my time with you again.

   The younger boy sighed silently. 'There is nothing after today. After today… I will no longer exist…'

   But his prince did not know that. And what he did not know… would not hurt him.

   But it would, wouldn't it? His mind was caught in an internal struggle. He could not bring himself to come to any conclusion. When… he finds at dawn that I am gone forever… Gentle amethyst eyes were downcast, tearful. But that will be dawn. If… if I could somehow tell him, even then it would not be better. It would be worse. Because, then, he would hurt now instead of later.

   What was the Prince of the sea to do?

      "Yugi... Yugi, please don't cry." Firm hands with slender fingers caressed his cheeks tenderly, as soft lips kissed away crystalline tears. "I, too, wish it would not happen, but it is my father's wish. Until my coronation, he is still King... and my father and liege."

   The mer-boy nodded, burying his face in his lover's chest, pressing himself as close as he possibly could. Let the memory of last night stay forever... In the coldness of death, let me feel his body's heat, the fire of his passion...

   In these last moments of peace, the two forbidden lovers, princes of peoples forever at war, embraced as if the world was going to end. And what was to say it was not?

   Golden sunlight complimented them, dancing off of skin of molten topaz and pearl. In this light, they glimmered, a mystical illusion, an epitome of perfection never achievable in reality. The snowy clouds, the wheeling seabirds, the fragile butterflies flying in the wind with fragrant petals of a myriad of different flowers... They were the only witnesses to this display of utmost beauty.

   As a bell tolled in the city, high on top of a clock tower, signaling the late hour of the morning, the two princes pulled away from each other in heartbreaking pain. Rising gracefully from his bed, Yami strode across carpeted floor to a set of large glass doors, shaped like domed windows. Opening them, he stepped out to a balcony of carved stone, pulling a thin robe around himself. Stepping out, he raised his head high, closing his eyes momentarily as a wind sifted through his multi-coloured tresses. Though adorned in nothing but a simple linen robe of the deepest ebony, the proud arch of his back, the haughty set of his head, his stances and movements, marked his royal heritage more strongly than any crown could have.

   Born to be King...

   Yugi blushed shyly as the prince beckoned for him, lightly sliding to the ground and wrapping his blanket around his body and pattering across the floor like winged fairies flitting over blades of grass. Seeing his delicate, hesitant form, Yami wondered idly if he should have been more careful the night before. However, aside from a slight limp in his walk and a light, suppressed wince upon his full lips, the younger boy seemed fine. Those symptoms were to be expected, after all, but that did not mean the prince needed to be happy about them.

   Deciding that it was much too difficult for his little beauty to walk even the short distance between the bed and the balcony, the prince went back, gently scooping him into his arms and holding him tight. Yugi gave a soundless squeak and blushed brightly, bringing a laugh from his lover.

   "This is how I like you," Yami purred, hot breath tickling the younger boy's ear. "Helpless and in my arms. Mine, forever..."

   Though displaying a smile, the mer-boy suppressed a grimace of pain. Forever... There is only today left in this "forever"...

   Carefully, the prince set his beloved angel on the wide railing of the balcony, watching as the gauzy, silky blanket swirled around legs in the wind as they dangled in the air. Like a dress it was, fluttering freely, seeming to be fragile as dragonfly wings. Smooth and shimmering, it clung to the boy's shapely body.

   Yami smiled, garnet eyes deep and soft. "You are... such a beauty. No one could compare. No man, no woman, even, in this kingdom could come even close." The smile trembled for a moment, as he reached out a hand to brush a strand of the boy's sun-kissed bangs, suddenly afraid. "Sometimes, I wonder if you're real. Or... are you just a spectral image, supplied by my own delusional mind? You are too sweet, too perfect." He let out a breath softly, fearing to disturb the air before him. "Who are you, Yugi? What are you?"

   The younger boy merely stared back, a level gaze the tint of the sunset sky reflected in purest diamonds, the wide eyes silently saying, "You know."

   Yes... Yes I do. Now is not the time to see, the time to believe... But I know.

   "And into the sea they were driven," Yami murmured, "their tears cresting the waves, their anger riding the lightning. Of all things in the world, hearts were the strongest... and the most fragile. Rend were their hearts, shattered was their hope. They will never trust again. And thus, you are cursed... cursed..."

   Yugi tilted his head, questioning those words. They felt familiar. They felt... as if they belonged, in that moment.

   "A passage from a book," the prince answered, eyes of clouded blood gazing down, at the sea raging against the cliff beneath his balcony. "A book that was given into my keeping... about the origin of mermaids. Such pain, such tragedy... And nothing was resolved. The book is not complete. It will not be, in my lifetime."

   A prophecy. The mer-boy, more in tune with magic, could recognize the aura of power behind those seemingly idle but undeniably intense words. A prophecy... about a story I am well familiar with. So... he is the keeper of the Human counterpart of the story depicting the Human-Mermaid war. He is the plain-born child of theirs... who yet possesses enough of the old blood to have a spark of magic.

   "Yugi? Yugi, what's wrong?"

   A slight shake of the tri-coloured head was his only answer. He knew, he understood. Their time grew short. There was no more time to speak, only to rest and be comforted by each other, but the presence of the one each loved.

   A soft knock at the door, expected by not welcomed, signaled the return of time, and the destruction of the last free moments the lovers had. Now, a rift separated them, so painful to their hearts as to be almost physical and real. With a helpless stare, a moment of gathering tears never again to exist, the prince opened the door, admitting the golden-haired Jounouchi.

   "Yami... Your... your father calls." The normally cheerful youth was glum, his honey-coloured eyes downcast, a sandaled foot scuffing at the ground nervously. "He requests your presence at the breakfast table. You are to..." Jou swallowed a lump in his throat. "You are to go alone. He said... he said that if you must be stubborn and bring someone, you can take Dark. But not Yugi. H-his majesty specifically ordered that Yugi is to stay with us."

   Eyes of blood froze, all light and warmth dissipating. The prince nodded curtly, letting years of training take over. "So that is how it must be. Take good care of Yugi."

   Leaving... he is leaving... My prince, no... stay with me...

   Yugi... Yugi, my love, I am sorry. I will be back. Wait for me...

   Finally realizing his vulnerability, his own mortality, Yugi watched as the man he loved walked out the door, a violet shadow that he had recognized to be Dark trailing after. Though knowing he would return, he felt a sense of finality, of everything simply ending in that instant. It would never be the same again. Never.

   Jou cleared his throat, trying desperately to break the awkward silence. "Say, um, Yug, d'you want to come with us? We're a poor substitute for your beloved prince, but at least you won't be amongst strangers. We'll protect you. And we'll... we'll take you to the wedding if you want."

   His mind blank, Yugi nodded. Yes. He would go with Yami's friends. He needed something, anything, to keep him occupied. Maybe, if he stayed busy enough, he could forget, if only for the moment. Maybe, somehow, they could give him something that could fill in the sheer emptiness he felt inside.

   Gently, the blonde grasped a delicate, pale wrist. "Yug? Yug, are you all right?"

   The mer-boy shook his head, hugging himself around the torso and shivering. 'Empty... so empty...'

   The taller youth hugged him slightly, leading him away with an arm around his shoulders. "D'you feel like if there's nothing inside? Like you should be sad, like you want to cry, but you can't even do that? I've felt that way once, when I thought that Seto..." His voice drifted off, unwilling to relieve the memory. "Anyway, it was bad. So I know how you feel. I'll... we'll all try to make you feel better, all right? I know you think that you're losing Yami, but, believe me, you're not. He chose you, Yug, not her. They'll... they'll make him be with her today, but... after that, he'll be yours again."

   Yugi offered a weak smile, grateful for the attempt. They did not know... that there was no "after today" for him. He had only one thing to grab before going with Jounouchi. Even if for a little while, he would give Yami his wish.

   With the heavily decorated box holding the golden pieces of what Yami told him was the "Sennen Puzzle", the amethyst-eyed mer-boy followed his friend down the hall.

~*~

   "Son, I wish you would consent to this marriage." The old king's face was worn with fatigue.

   Yami's expression was one of blank politeness, a perfect poker face trained from childhood but for the miniscule lines of sadness around his crimson eyes. "If I did not consent, Father, I would not have said I did. If I did not consent, my King, I would not be standing here right now, waiting as last-minute tailors fit me for my wedding garments."

   The king sighed. "Why are you so cold with me, my son?"

   "Cold, Father?" A delicate eyebrow rose, arched to the perfect degree of polite inquiry. "I cannot discern what you could possibly mean."

   "Don't play games with me, Son."

   "Ah, but I live for games." The prince's eyes widened momentarily, emphasizing his next seemingly innocent comment. "A certain game in particular."

   "That is enough."

   "What is? The talk of games? But I had merely returned what you had started."

   The king shook his head. "You spar with words."

   "Very perceptive, Father." The prince's tone was haughty, mocking. In his cool temperament, his anger shone through. "I am pleased that such perception has not diminished in old age."

   "Do not be discourteous!"

   "Ah yes, the first lesson I learned." A barely-confined sneer played upon Yami's lips. "I was to respect my Father and King at all times. Shall I, then, Father, say that you are young and fit, in the height of your power? Shall we spar with swords instead of words, as we have done years ago? I remember that you had won the last match. Do you yet have your old touch?"

   Feeling a flush of anger rising to his face, the aged king glared at his son, who merely stared back with disconcern. Able to take no more, though knowing that he had lost, he stormed out, leaving behind one order. "Report to the chapel immediately after you are dressed."

   "...Yes, Father."

   The door slammed, leaving the prince alone with the half-dozen servants fussing over his clothes. A moment later, Dark emerged from a shadowed corner of the room. He stood by calmly as the prince cooled down, the anger and excitement flowing out of his system. It was over. (A/N: Waaai, that was fun. But really hard. . Ari doesn't play with subtle words. Ari says, "I don't like you. Go away." ^_^;;)

   "You should not have done that, my Prince." The magician's voice was low in warning.

   The prince sighed. "I know, Dark. I don't need you to chastise me."

   "Until you are King, he still holds the power." The taller man was serious, cold azure eyes hard and steely. "It would be unwise to cross him. You may think him to be old and frail now, but it is in such age that people feel the need to prove the strength that they know they do not have. You are putting yourself in grave danger. Not of your physical self, of course. You are his heir. But..."

   "Let him do his worst. I do not fear him."

   "It is not you that he would target," the mage murmured.

   "What?" The prince spun around sharply, startling the servants fixing pins keeping the fabric in place on his body.

   "He knows you are stronger than him," Dark continued. "You have proven that today in the previous bout. He knows you have the loyalty of your friends, the love of the townspeople, and the service of the magicians. He knows that he is now no match against you."

   Yami shrugged, turning back so the agitated servants could get on with their work. "As I said. I do not fear him."

   "But Yugi would not stand a chance, if he had wish to attack."

   "Yugi would not..." Realization hit, and the prince closed his eyes, shuddering despite the warmth in the room. He took several deep breaths, calming his anger. Anger at his father for starting this mini cold war, anger at himself for not seeing earlier his own weak spot, and putting Yugi in the path of danger. His next words came as a whisper. "What do I do?"

   "Tread lightly, my prince. Your prey has lured you onto thin ice."

   "But I..." Yami bowed his head. "I can't win, can I?"

   The magician shook his head. "I am sorry, my prince. Not this time. You have won an unexpected battle against your father, but not the proverbial war. Now that you have shown him your weakest spot…"

   "Love is not a weakness."

   "Oh?" Dark considered this. "No, I suppose it is not. But how will you use it as a strength?"

   "I…" The prince hesitated. "I don't know. Why can't you tell me? Why can't you say things in terms I can understand?"

   "If you could understand us… you would be one of us."

~*~

   To love was to know great joy... and great pain. Through his soft, weak laughter, it was obvious that Yugi was crying. No matter what Jounouchi and Yami's other friends tried to do to help, nothing worked. Though they did not know the extent of the little mer-boy's despair, they loved, and knew the price one paid for such emotion. Each knew what agony was extracted to be separated from his one chosen lover. None wished such upon the gentle, sweet boy who had almost instantly won their hearts.

   "Awww, c'mon, Yug..." Jounouchi put his arms around the younger boy awkwardly. "It'll be all right. Yami'll be back for you. He loves you, Yug, and nothing can change that."

   The boy nodded mutely, numbly. Yami would be back. By the time Yami was back, he would be gone... forever... He wanted to clear his mind of such thoughts, but could not. It had been sounded so simple. Become a human, make a human fall in love with him in three days, exchange vows of marriage, and he could stay there forever.

   Fate, Yugi thought. I wonder if this "fate" is laughing at me.

   It should not have gone wrong, but it had. Everyone in the ocean world had loved him, so why was it so hard to get the prince to?

   But it wasn't... He realized. He did love me. He just could not admit it.

   Everyone in his world had admitted it, had displayed it almost blatantly. Why would the prince not? Why were their two worlds so different? Why was this difference not taken into account...?

   Marriage. Yugi snorted in his mind. Who, in my kingdom, would not have jumped at the chance to marry me?

   But this was not his kingdom. This was somewhere strange, somewhere so completely different. Despite all the similarities he had seen between their people when he viewed them from beneath the choppy waves, despite all the language and emotions they all shared, their cultures were too different... and he had just begun to realize.

   It was too late.

   Click.

   Yugi did not realize, until he heard the tinkling sound of metals clicking into place, that he was attempting to put together the puzzle given to him by his prince. Left alone, he naturally turned to his most basic element -- that of playing games. Even deep in thought, his nimble fingers moved, almost as if of their own accord, to put together the mysterious golden puzzle.

   Jou, sandy hair falling in wisps into his eyes, peered over the younger boy's shoulders. "What's that?"

   The mer-boy looked up, cradling the box of broken red-gold pieces in his tiny hands. 'Puzzle...'

   The taller youth considered this for a moment, brows frowning in thought. "It's... Yami's puzzle, isn't it? It's what he went to get yesterday morning..."

   Yugi nodded, surprised that he would know.

   "But... you don't need to hurry like that, you know?" The human youth tilted his head, for a moment appearing like the puppy that his lover called him. "You... you're working on it so intently, that I'd think the world was ending or something."

   Violet eyes looked down momentarily, veiled by dark lashes.

   "Or maybe..." Jou murmured, voice soft. "Maybe the world truly is ending..."

   'It is... Oh, it is.'

~*~

   Weddings were noted as happy occasions, but this one was anything but. Good cheer seemed to have just... vanished... from the castle, and even the lowliest servant felt the gloom that permeated the corridors, the gloom that lay like a thin film of tainted varnish over everyone's minds.

   The king, in his anger and spite, could not smile over his triumph. Somehow, something told him that such a victory over his son was wrong, that catastrophic consequences were to arise from it. But he was too proud to admit, too proud to repent. In the knowledge that he was less of a king than his young son, he sought to deny any such thing. In his own head, he kept telling himself that he was great, that he was the ideal ruler, that his son was just being an uproarious child. In his own head, he murmured for countless hours that he was doing what was good, what was right, and that the adolescent Yami was to be taught a lesson in authority. In his own head, he goaded over his victory... but he could convince no one, least of all himself.

   Anzu, ready in an elegant gown of pearly laces, sat stiffly facing the king, her wide blue eyes showing evident worry. She wondered if perhaps she had made a grievous mistake. She could not help feeling that she was the cause of all this pain, all this unhappiness.

   The fact is, the young countess understood that the prince should be marrying his little Yugi. After what she had accidentally witnessed the previous night...

   The brunette blushed.

   The old king looked up, mistaking the girl's blush for excitement, and lifted his lips in a faint smile. "I am glad you approve of this marriage."

   However, Anzu shook her head. "N-no, Your Majesty, that was not why I... I mean... I mean no offense to Your Majesty, but might I suggest that perhaps... this... marriage isn't... proper?"

   "Not proper?" Aged eyebrows raised in surprise, not yet in anger. "Why would you say that, Lady Anzu? I would think that you, more than anyone, would be joyful on this grand occasion."

   The girl hesitated. "I... Your Majesty, I could tell that your son does not love me. I do not wish for him to--"

   "Nonsense." The king cut her off sharply. "Both you and him have agreed to this coupling." His voice softened. "I am sorry that it has to happen to the two of you, children so young. But understand this: political marriages are rarely for love, if ever. It is a high allowance to my son that I should ask his permission first, instead of betrothing him at birth."

   "I..."

   "You do wish to marry him, do you not?" The king looked to Anzu in question. "You say that he bears no love for you... but have you any for him?"

   "Yes." Gentle cerulean eyes closed, hiding the faintest traces of tears. "Yes, I do. All his people do. Your people, Your Majesty, pardon me. He appears to us often, speaks with kindness and wisdom. He is what any woman would hope a man to be -- proud but gentle, intelligent, beautiful... Of course I jumped at the chance to marry such a one, when it was offered. Pardon this pride, Your Majesty, but I knew I could be Queen. I was raised to be a female ruler -- though of a county, not a kingdom -- and have been instructed in full etiquette and management. The people know me well, and they believe, as I do, in my knowledge and compassion..."

   "Then why do you hesitate to marry him?"

   "Because... because he loves another. Loves deeply." The countess opened her eyes, making no attempt to hide the tears that glimmered within the azure depth. "I have no right to separate them. Nor have I wish to cause either of them any pain."

   "Oh?" The king was mildly surprised. "He spoke of a love, but did not tell me who it was. Would you speak of she who captured my son's heart?"

   It is not a "she". Anzu chuckled silently, bitterly, at this irony. "A most gentle beauty, Your Majesty. Far surpassing me in every quality. Yet, you know your son does not look for the superficial. Sweet and kind and infinitely polite, his love is. Soft and refreshing to look upon and to know, as a summer drizzle, healing even the deepest wounds of the heart and mind."

   The king listened intently. "And you could tell this from a few minutes of meeting her?"

   "I could tell. It is the nature of that person, as closely as I could tell from having been taught to read hearts. I truly would have liked to have known him longer..."

   "Him?"

   "Him." The girl nodded lightly, chocolate-brown hair spilling over her eyes momentarily, concealing their expression of sorrow.

   "Then you will marry my son and become Queen?" the king queried. "He cannot marry another male."

   "I will." Anzu looked away, staring out the large wall-length window from between the edges of velvet curtains the colour of blood. "That is the only reason. Because... he needs an heir..."

   "That is the price of nobility," the king murmured softly. "That is the price required for this position."

   "Yes." For a moment, the girl's voice was deathly cold, as crystal tears ran un unchecked streams down her cheeks. "For a life of luxury, we sell out our hearts."

~*~

   "Oooooooooh, I bet this piece goes here!" Jou pointed excitedly, nearly bouncing like a child. The group of the prince's friends were crowded around Yugi, trying to help him solve his Sennen Puzzle. It seemed to be well on its way, and the prospect even managed to cheer the mer-boy, however slightly.

   "No way!" His best friend, Honda, elbowed him away. "If you bet any money, you would've lost it now, 'cause it has to go there."

   "Eep!" Losing his balance from all the pushing and shoving, Ryou fell over, landing, luckily, in Bakura's lap. His lover, originally brooding and refusing to join the rest of the people, grabbed him around the waist and pulled him close.

   The older albino growled in annoyance, jabbing a finger at the puzzle. "You two are both idiots. It's obvious that it goes there."

   "No it doesn't." Sitting up tall and straight on a comfortable couch --and completely defeating the purpose of a couch -- somewhere outside the circle that surrounded Yugi, the high-ranking councilor Seto looked over the heads of his lover and friends. "Amateurs, the lot of you. Mokuba, go show them where that piece really belongs."

   The child's large, sapphire eyes blinked out of a mass of long, raven hair. "Me? But I don't know where it goes."

   Seto sighed, getting up languishly, when Yugi, finally done with studying the wheat-gold piece in his hand, slid it into a position previously thought impossible. Stopping in his tracks for a moment, the tall teen blinked. He never would have expected it to go there...

   Jou grinned, not at all upset that his guess was wrong. "Good job, Yug! You're almost done!"

   The younger boy nodded, slim brows furrowed in concentration, large eyes serious. Almost done. Ah, what wonderful news that was. Soon, he could talk to his beloved prince… though he supposed it would not exactly be "talking". At least, before he passed into nothingness, he could fill one of his prince's requests.

   Everyone watched, awaiting the result eagerly, awaiting the time when they could see the sweet boy's face light up, receiving what he so deserved.

   When it was finally complete, the mer-boy's nimble fingers sliding the last piece into place, the friends, cheering inside, knew it was time for him to be alone. His love was not to be shared with them. His sweet, secret heart was to be his own.

   Emotions, pure and simple and strong, burst through a link in his mind. Unfiltered, untainted, undisguised...

   Yugi reeled from the shock.

   Calming down his own self, he tried to sort out the sudden bundle of new emotions alien to himself, realizing by the blood-red tint that they belonged to his beloved prince. Confusion, sorrow, disappointment... He bit his lips. More than anything, he felt... Despair.

   The mer-boy realized now that the prince had no knowledge of his presence, no knowledge of the completion of the mystical chain that tied them together. He was pouring out his heart.

   Not really knowing what he was doing, the violet-eyed youth sent out a soothing wave of gentle blue, finding the communication of colours the easiest to achieve. Pale colours, comforting colours... Blues and greens and violets in pastel tones. He completed his message with a fiery burst of red. Love...

   Within the bond, the young teen felt surprise, followed quickly by realization. The prince now knew they were together.

   Images flooded his mind. A white wedding dress of elegant gauze, a single clear drop of agonizing tear, a clock ticking... ticking towards doom.

   He understood. There was no more time. The wedding, the happy occasion made unbearably sad, was coming too soon, was coming now.

   He nodded mentally, unsure of what to say. There were no spoken words, only ideas and imagery. It was difficult to communicate, perhaps even more so than what they had before. A wide-eyed gaze, a tug of the sleeve... those were simple to read. But this... this was much deeper, peering into heart and soul and every deep crevice of the mind.

   Yugi did not mind. Now, they were closer than anyone could ever be. Now, they held between them an intimacy that even normal lovers did not own. Now, they had a bond that nothing could break.

   Nothing but death...

   Nothing but death.

   However, that was later. The boy knew that the wedding, the dreaded ceremony, was starting in mere moments. His face filled with the distress he felt, he ran to his beloved prince's friends, feeling in his heart that they would know what to do.

~*~

   The wedding had already commenced as Yami's friends, flustered and exhausted, ran in, dragging with them the little mer-boy. Seto, out of breath and decidedly peeved, sent a glare so intense to the guard standing before the door that it could have killed. Immediately, they were let in by servants stammering in apology at having failed to inform them of the wedding's commencement.

   "How coincidental," Bakura spat softly as they passed.

   Jou nodded in annoyance. "They just 'happened' to forget to mention to the prince's best friends that his wedding's starting, eh?"

   The mer-boy, appearing so young and vulnerable, looked down, following the taller teen aimlessly, concern shining out of his large amethyst eyes. He could feel the prince's anxiety rolling over him, mingling with his own so well that there was hardly any difference between them. He wondered, for an idle second, why he was not crying. But deep down, he knew that he was already beyond tears. There was only so much that one could show with droplets of moisture falling from one's eyes, and this did not belong.

   And besides... he reminded himself. Mermaids don't cry...

   He tried to absently count the seconds, to count how long he could keep that determination.

   When the friends were seated within the Great Hall of the castle, the bride and groom had not yet arrived. Yami was near, the mer-boy could feel. He was probably in the very next room, connected by a cleverly-hidden door that was clear from the younger boy's vantage point. He was calming down, too, through the link -- or at least making a pretense of it. For that, Yugi was both grateful and indescribably sad. An image floated into his mind of a tall man, dark-robed with plum-coloured hair and icy blue eyes. The boy nodded again mentally. So, Dark was helping the prince with his practiced mask of absolute confidence. For a moment, the boy could not decide what to think about the magician. He was everywhere, he knew everything... Just who was he truly working for?

   Some of the mer-boy's inquiry had apparently passed through the mental link, for the prince sent him reassurance in the form and imagery of soft cottony clouds, of gentle kisses rained upon delicate eyelids. Dark was their friend. Dark could be trusted.

   Confirming that his prince was not going to come out for a little while yet, Yugi lost interest in the ceremony and the droning voice of the old priest, preferring instead to study the hall that they were in, so beautifully decorated that it was. (A/N: ...Hah. Ari just wanted to describe the place, and didn't know how weddings went anyway.) As was expected, everything was covered in the traditional white and gold, whether it was imprinted wallpaper or velvet cushions. Rich brown wood broke this unspoken colour code, in beams that supported the tall, arched ceiling, in tables covered by tissue-thin cloth of snow, in chairs adorned with pearly satin embroidered with threads of sun-kissed gold. No expenses had been spared, that though the orders had come at the very last moment possible, everything was still readied as if preparations had been made many months ago. And perhaps they were. Such elegance graced this room, though, in Yugi's opinion, certain parts of the hall was indeed over-decorated, cluttered with white lace, with gold trimmings, with hanging streamers and ribbons and bows that made nothing so much as a mess of lily-white wealth. In simple corners of the room were vases -- white with gold etchings, unsurprisingly -- holding flowers of soft pastel colours. These pleasant additions spread fragrances and colour into the room, in their hues of blue and violet, pink and yellow, their leaves of varying shades of emerald.

   Jerking out of his revelry as a gentle hand shook his shoulders, the mer-boy realized that it was now time for his beloved Yami to appear. Keeping a cool façade upon his face out of brave determination, the young teen stared ahead towards the door through which he could sense the prince.

   Biting his lips, he banished tears that threatened to swell with a sharp admonition. Mermaids don't cry.

   It did not matter how many times he had broken that rule in the past two days; he would not let tears fall during this event.

   If there was ever a man who could be described as "beautiful", Prince Yami was it. Even trying to appear as plain as possible, he cut a stunning figure, winning hearts that he did not want. Now, decked in the finest the kingdom had to offer, he seemed to have walked out of a dream. Gasps sounded across the room at his entry, and Yugi was bitterly amused to notice a few women faint.

   Completely ignoring protocols, Yami was covered in silks the crimson of blood and the onyx of the darkest, moonless night. The colours suited him, suited his personality and mood, his very essence. He was striking, clad in a tunic of simple cut of obsidian, closely hugging his body. Tantalizing bits of tanned, glistening skin showed through the open collar and his unadorned shoulders. Halfway up his upper arm was the start of a pair of flame red gloves, long and elegant, almost as those that women wore. Stiff, slim pants shimmering above soft boots of ruby leather accentuated his long legs, giving him an illusion of height until compared to the people standing next to him.

   The mer-boy gave out a soft purr of appreciation in his mind. He knew, he understood, that the prince dressed for him. The vow spoken may be for Anzu, but the vow repeated deep in his heart was for him.

   Such knowledge did nothing to lengthen his life.

   It was not much longer that the bride arrived, walking slowly upon a flower-strewn carpet of lily-white velvet. Gauzes, veils, ribbons... Much adorned her, twining around her body and braided through her hair. White, gold, pale cerulean... The exquisite garments turned her simple form into a powerful princess, ruling over all that was pure.

   The young teen could not bear to watch as they exchanged vows and rings, and they were bound with the promise that should rightly have belonged to him.

   As the new couple, husband and wife, walked off together, both stiff in knowledge that this was not meant to be, the violet-eyed boy broke, again, his resolve and let the tears flow. When words no longer existed, they were all he had to show his pain.

   "Just today," Jou whispered to try to comfort his new friend. "They just need to be together today, to make a show of it for the populace. From tomorrow on, he will belong to you again. We'll make sure of it."

   A shape, gliding up to them as smoothly as a shadow, placed a hand on his shoulder. "But it's not as simple as that." Steely blue eyes fixed upon the mer-boy. "Is it...?"

   The golden-haired youth jumped, startled. "D-dark! Don't do that. Where did you come from?"

   The magician shrugged lightly. "I was within the prince's dressing chamber." (A/N: ...That can be taken in a very wrong way. ^_^''')

   "And what's the complication, Mage?" Surprisingly, it was the auburn-haired councilor who spoke, cobalt eyes serious. "I know almost as well as Yami what royalty suffers, and what may be done. For once, the Pup's right. It is quite simple. Our 'dear prince' needs to spend a day with his new queen for show, then he could take any lover he wants."

   Yugi shook his head, as the dark-robed man lowered his voice to speak in a gentler tone. "There may not be a tomorrow."

   Confusion was evident on their faces. They did not know of magic. They did not understand.

   There may not be a tomorrow... The mer-boy's eyes shut, squeezing out clear drops of tears. There will not be a tomorrow... Not for me. Not ever again.

   And somewhere, back in the depth of his mind, there was a part that was numb, that no longer cared, knowing that whatever amounts of worry would not change the set path. It had been decided from the moment he first caught the prince's fiery eyes, bound doubly from the moment he asked for the spell that would give him these short moments with his beloved.

   After all, it was either an early death... or a lifetime of pain.

~*~

   The sunset was a splash of flames across the western sky, a composition more perfect than any artist could hope to achieve. So many had tried; so many had spent their lives trying to capture this single moment that bloomed in fiery brilliance before the cold darkness of night.

   A Phoenix, burning to ashes so it could be born anew.

   A fulfilling day, flaring its last bravely to wait for its rebirth.

   A mermaid child, sitting on the ledge of a balcony of worked stone, the same place he had sat that morning, cried... for he would never return. With the rising of the new sun, with the coming of new day that brought hope to men, he would breathe his last.

   Each tear fell with the utmost reverence, the utmost perfection, as if knowing who it was that wept, who it was that brought them into existence. Child of the Sea! Treasure of the Deep! He should now cry. He could not have cried, had he not met with the human who sealed his fate, his doom. Most beloved of the Mermaids, child of the King... the most beautiful legend in all the seas. He could have had any of them, but for that one glance, that one stray gaze.

   The sun bathed him in its glow, and for that short second where its light was fully upon him, Yugi felt as if he was swimming... swimming in the light of the sun. All the events of the past days, the futility of his actions, came crashing down upon him.

   He missed his home. He wanted the sea again. He wanted to be held within its sapphire depth, closer and more loving than the far-away sky of the same tint, warmer and more caring than the bitter breezes that teased his hair and bit into his soft skin mercilessly.

   What wouldn't I give, to take it all back? Yugi mused, idle thoughts slowly covering his tears. What wouldn't I give, to be back in my home, to be surrounded by the people who love me...

   But they loved him here too. Yami's friends loved him. Yami's guardian loved him. Yami loved him.

   But love wasn't enough, was it? a voice muttered bitterly. Love wasn't enough to keep you together. Love wasn't enough to save your life.

   Amethyst eyes narrowed to a slit, taking in, through a liquid haze of unshed tears, the scarlet orb of the sun, red like his lover's eyes, as it sunk beneath the horizon, as it scattered bursts of crimson and gold and magenta across the ever-changing surface of the ocean, as it painted bold strokes of fuchsia across a sky once clear azure, now curling into violet darkness at the edges of his vision.

   Violet and red. Amid his hazy vision, they converged to the petals of the Amaranth, the blood-drop petals of the Ever-flower that bloomed in carefree beauty in the prince's gardens.

   A last lingering glance of the sun caressed his cheeks with its soft warmth, knowing that it may never again meet this precious child.

   I will live for you, bright sun, the mer-boy assured it, almost fearing that it would stay in the sky forever in fear of losing him. I will live long enough for you to come and greet me. I promise that.

   As the glowing disk nodded agreeably and left to its sleep, the boy felt a tinge of regret, of pain. If he had asked the sun to stay for him, would it have...? If the sun had, indeed, stayed for him, would he be able to live forever in that twilight limbo?

   Your people may stay for you, but the sun does not, he reminded himself. And if it did, what then? Would you live at the risk of throwing the world helter-skelter? Would you live in an eternal day without your prince?

   The question did not need an answer. It was simple to see.

   With the setting of the sun, night was rapidly spreading its cloak, dark and shimmering as his prince's attire, over the unsuspecting world. Sitting still as a statue, a spot of white, Yugi could almost feel its protective embrace around him. He wondered if he would stay here, unmoving, from this spot for the duration of the night. He wondered if night's deep love would hold him until dawn, until his death. It would certainly wish to. How beautiful he was, his milky skin unblemished, his flushed cheeks marked in the lightest way by tracks of tears that he did not bother to wipe away. A snowy robe, trimmed in soft lilac lighter than his eyes, twirled around him, a flurry of fluttering sleeves and hems and ribbons. Slim hand rested upon white marble as bare feet, just barely adorned with hair-thin anklets, dangled over the edge of the high ledge overlooking the ocean.

   Going back to the ocean... In death, I return to my people...

   Yugi's face was indescribably sad, touching the hearts of even the coldest of humans and mermaids alike. Large eyes, expressive in their glimmer of purest amethyst, were concealed within a pool of agony, as a small mouth of petal-soft lips opened just a bit in a silent cry. Bangs of golden threads fell into the child-like eyes of complete innocence, as black hair, tinged by flaring magenta, stuck out in a wild crown.

   Tears... liquid crystals, trailing down tender cheeks, wiped away by the wind...

   The small head turned, hearing a nearby sound. After sitting still for the countless hours of afternoon and early evening, going without meal, ignoring even the most well-meaning of the prince's friends, the mer-boy finally moved.

   It was a simple shutting of a door, coming from the room next to his.

   Yami's new room, having given the old, familiar room to Yugi.

   The prince was retiring for the night, along with the Countess -- now Princess -- Anzu.

   The young teen grimaced, looking past the open glass doors to the balcony to his own bed in his own room, so forlorn in its splendor of gold-embroidered violet velvet. He would not sleep in it tonight. He would not sleep in it... ever again.

   "Tonight, Anzu." Yugi could hear his prince's voice drifting to him. "Only tonight. Never again."

   "I understand," came the soft reply. "Your heart could never -- should never -- be changed, my Prince. And... I believe that you have made a good choice."

   "He is the best."

   "You love him most."

   And for all your love, for all your acceptance... The boy bit his lips. For all your words, I will not live another day.

   Slowly, Yugi's hands strayed to the golden pyramid hanging around his neck, brushing across its smooth surface almost lovingly. He sent reassurance, love, receiving the same in return. His prince wore it still.

   Good night, my love... Good night...

   Silence reigned, stillness spread. The mer-boy was content, now, to merely wait for morning's light, to wait for the last embrace of the sun that would take his life forever. He held deep within him the last intimate moment with his prince, in the sanctuary of their mind.

   His eyes strayed to the ocean. Such darkness was borne upon the waves, as they reached to the moon, to the pale orb, still mostly round, that hung in the sky in its white splendor. The moon that foretold his death...

   Something cut through the obsidian mirror of the sea. Silver-white... Emerald-green... The faint moonlight glinted off of strands of silk, off of pebble-like scales, only to have everything disappear to reappear a distance away.

   A cold hand clutched Yugi's heart. He knew such movements, had made them when he lived in the sea. Had someone found him?

   A silver head broke the waves beneath him. Eyes of spring grass stared up in concern, squinting in the darkness. They had no trouble finding him, the child of luminescent white marble.

   "Yugi..."

   Voice of tinkling bells, sweeter than any human's greeted his ears. He alone could surpass her beauty. The mer-boy nodded, a slight inclination of his head.

   "Yugi, please come back to us."

   The boy, in the presence of his eldest sister and the hope she brought, transformed back into a child. Back...? Back to the sea? Back to my life?

   The mermaid lifted her arms, soft and slender, paler than moonlight. The long, slim fingers of her right hand clutched something that sparkled.

   "Yugi…" The princess's voice was pleading, sad. "Yugi, I know the ways of this spell. I have been through it. I have… had the same result – my lover marrying another. I would have died, as you would now. But… there is a way out."

   Yugi leaned forward, though carefully keeping his balance on the ledge. A way out? A way back to his beloved sea, to the people who valued him more than any treasure? His sea… His sea… His initial fascination with humans gone, his passion for the prince banked by Yami's marriage, the teen almost wanted to return to his home, to the land of safety.

   The mermaid extended her right arm, holding high the object within her graceful hand, as if she could reach up to her brother. "Take this, Yugi. Take this, and use it. You will live… You will live!"

   A toss, almost idle but undeniably precise, carried the object up in a smooth arc, letting it sail over the snowy ledge of the high balcony. No tears fell from her verdant eyes, though they were filled with pain. She had suffered the same fate to which she was now leading her younger brother. But… she could not bear to lose him. None of them could. And, lying to herself, she believed that he would adjust, that he would put this love in the past… as she told herself she had done.

   My love, why did you betray me…? The ocean-princess could not help her own thoughts. My love, why did you force my hand? If only… If only you did not leave me for her, this curse would have been broken. My brother would have been happy.

   An eternal curse…

   The youth slid down from his resting-place, carefully turning and hopping down to the cold floor of the balcony, wincing as pain shot through him once again at the contact of his feet. Every step… He walked over to the thrown object gingerly, reminding himself that he had already lived with this pain for the most part of three days, that he no longer noticed it. His full attention was now focused onto the strange, glittering relic that his dearest sister had given him.

   A knife.

   For a second, Yugi wondered if he was to return by taking his own life. But… that did not make any sense, did it?

   "Beautiful, isn't it?"

   The boy nodded, picking up the shimmering knife. It was quite small, its etched blue-silver blade no longer than his small palm. The blade was covered with strange runes that seemed to glow in the light of the still-round moon, while the handle, a highly contrasting ebony, was inlaid with many glittering jewels set in patterns to dazzle the eyes.

   "Use it on him."

   It took a while for the full impact of the message to sink in. Use it on him. Kill him. Kill his beloved prince.

   The mer-boy shook his head frantically. Not his prince! Not his sweet, sweet Yami!

   "You must, Yugi!" A desperate light shone in the princess's eyes. "It's the only way. Please, my beloved brother. Our lives would be forever changed without you, and not for the better. Please… Spill his blood. When the last drop of his blood has flowed from him onto your legs, they will become your glorious, beautiful tail again."

   Yugi looked away. He knew what an impact his death would make on his people. He knew his value to them.

   "Please, dear brother, sweet brother," the mermaid beseeched. "We need you. He has a life now, with someone else. He chose her over you. Even if you were to live, even if he were to keep you by his side, he would have less and less time for you. Was that what you want? And like this… Like this, you would die! You would die, and leave your prince to that girl. You would die, and bereft us of our most precious treasure. How could you, Brother? How could you? Do you love these humans more than you love us, your own people?!"

   The amethyst-eyed youth was torn. He wanted to be with his people, but he wanted to be with his prince even more. But she was right. He could not. He would die, if he did not do something. He would take away the one his people loved most. His people… his people…

   Guilt flooded the boy's gentle features. Away from the lit room, from her brother's view, the mermaid princess looked ashamed. To make her brother hurt so, to attack him in his weakness, in his need to keep others happy… It broke her heart. But they could not survive without him. In this one intense moment where many passions collided, she truly believed that.

   Please… With his older sister's plea ringing through his mind, the boy stood in conviction. His people… He should consider his own people's needs.

   With unnatural grace, Yugi crossed the threshold of the two rooms, easily climbing from balcony to balcony. The prince had arranged them to be together, had arranged easy access to the other's room so that he could slip in during the night. Now, it would prove to be his undoing.

   Gentle fuchsia eyes terrifyingly cold and filled with opalescent tears, the mer-boy padded into his lover's room, seeing much better in the dark than humans could. After all, his warm and inviting ocean was filled with darkness, in the many places that light could not reach. He could see… And what he saw tore at his heart.

   Oh, sweet prince… Oh, my love… Yugi bit down on his full lower lip, willing himself not to cry. He would be strong for his people. He would be… would be…

   With his eyes closed lightly, silken lids hiding the brilliant ruby orbs within, the prince was in the most tranquil of sleep. Resting gently on his side, head lolled on a soft velvet pillow, he was beautiful… beautiful… It was no wonder that the mer-boy loved him. But all that, the younger boy had seen in the previous night. All that would remain in the boy's memory forever.

   No, his beauty was not what shattered the crystal-pure heart. It was… his complete loyalty.

   Though they slept in the same bed, as the rules dictated, the prince kept his promise to love only his chosen one and stayed far away from his new bride. He had found the largest, grandest bed his immense wealth could buy, decking it with multitudes of blankets and pillows. There, he and Anzu lay on opposite sides, backs turned to each other. In Yami's hands was clutched… a doll. A tiny silk-and-velvet replicate of the mer-boy.

   Yugi froze. What choice did he have? His heart thumped loudly in his chest, his blood throbbing in his veins. The pressure built up so much in his head, that he thought he would wake his prince. That would not do; oh no, not at all. Though he would have to kill his love, the boy did not want him to suffer betrayal. That was the worst that anyone could feel. And he knew, as he swallowed his tears, that he had no voice to explain… and no valid explanation even if he were able to speak.

   I'm sorry, my prince. The boy's violet eyes shut in a last desperate attempt to keep his tears from flowing, for if he let them go, they would never stop. I'm sorry, my love. It seems, in the end, it appears that I am selfish after all. My people… I go back to my people, to my land. I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I love them too. I need them, as they need me… as you no longer do…

   But that was not true. He knew. He could see. And yet… Even if he did nothing, Yami would still lose him. It was inevitable that they would be separated. One of them had to die.

   You promised him! Yugi could not get his own voice out of his head, so furious, so accusatory. You promised him love. You promised him eternity. Without words, you did. And now, you go back on your words?

   My people.

   My lover.

   You promised, the voice continued, when you agreed to the spell, that you would fully be willing to give up your life. You promised that you would not regret this choice, that one life, your own, no less, was a small price to pay for even a few seconds with him.

   Exaggerations… So many exaggerations we could make until we were face-to-face with reality… So many promises we could make until we had to pay the price we vowed…

   Despite all his efforts, the mer-boy felt tears squeeze out of his eyes, hot trails of liquid sorrow.

   His people, or his lover? Which was more important?

   His love… or his life? Which was more important?

   I'm sorry… The train of apologies started again in the boy's mind, as he blamed himself for all that happened, as he realized that someone dear to him would be hurt, no matter his choice. I'm sorry, I'm not up to facing this pain… I can't, I can't…

   He realized only now to whom his last apology was directed.

   As the veil of night receded, as the sun pressed to see the ocean's treasure one last time, Yugi turned his back to his sleeping prince, the blade of the bespelled knife glimmering faintly with crimson sheen. Over the balcony ledge and into the sea it went, where, the boy was sure, the mermaid princess collected it. When he turned to the balcony, she stared up, pale green eyes widened in question, thin tendrils of scarlet trailing away from the icy blade in her hands in mesmerizing patterns.

   For an answer without words, the most decisive answer that he had given in all his life, the mer-boy held out his left arm, the soft palm of his slender hand facing downwards. From a cut along the bottom of his wrist dripped blood.

   Drip…

   Drip…

   Drip…

   Each drop made a ripple, a small piece of perfection. Garnet-red of the prince's eyes… Garnet-red of the Ever-flowers…

   Leaving a path of tiny red splatters, Yugi scrambled over the balconies back to his ledge, where he sat in his original position, refusing to move, refusing to acknowledge his stricken sister.

   Finally, she bowed her head in understanding. "So you have done what none of the rest of us could. So you have found something precious…"

   With the slightest of nods, he sent her off.

   In that position, he waited. He did not know what he waited for; whether it was the rising sun, or some sort of a sign… or even his own death, that he could be freed of this pain. But he waited. What else was there to do?

   And indeed, the sun did rise, banishing the night, claiming the beautiful boy for itself. And, feeling as a vampire of legend, Yugi felt it as a burning fire, purifying his soul, his blood, and finally his body, turning his life into nothingness.

   But he would not turn to ashes. He would become foam, and return to his precious ocean in that manner. He would return to his people… though his life would not.

   In one idle moment, the mer-boy wondered if "his" foam would be beautiful.

   Tilting his gaze downwards, the youth noticed something most strange. His legs, long and slender as they trailed over the marble ledge, were becoming ever heavier, ever more difficult to hold up. It was also, slowly but surely, turning a dark shade of shimmering plum. He knew what was happening as he noticed the soft flesh melting together, turning, instead, into tiny pebble-like scales, linked together almost like chain-mail.

   A tail.

   His tail.

   Yugi felt a tinge of relief, of happiness. He would be back to his true form. He would die as himself. He did not know why, but that gave him a sense of… rightness. As his scales, the colour of the depth of the ocean in its iridescence, burst into light from the flame of the sun, he turned his face up, his eyes closed, his open expression embracing his fate far stronger than arms could have.

   Yami… Without knowing, he called out within his mind, within the golden puzzle that lay around his neck.

   "Yami…" Without knowing, he called out, with a voice that had not existed for days…

   A soft voice it was, pure innocence laced with insuppressible sadness, carrying upon the wind in all its beauty, melting into the sweetest of dreams, chasing away the fiercest of nightmares.

   Thus it woke the prince. Thus ruby eyes opened to a song of sorrow.

            On my own, pretending he's beside me,
            All alone, I walk with him till morning.
            Without him, I feel his arms around me,
            And when I lose my way I close my eyes and he has found me.

            I love him, but every day I'm learning,
            All my life, I've only been pretending.
            Without me, his world will go on turning.
            The world is full of happiness that I have never know…

   "No…" a voice, deep and husky, though appearing harsh beside the mer-boy's sweetness, interrupted. "No, that's not true. Without you, my world will not go on turning. Without you, my world will end."

   "Wh-what?" Startled out of his revelry, realizing for the first time that his voice came back, Yugi was extremely flustered to find that, adding to those surprises, his beloved prince was standing behind him, arms wrapped gently around his waist, pulling him back against a firm chest.

   "You are the mermaid who saved me, aren't you?" Yami whispered beside his little lover's ear, hands reaching to caress him, gently rubbing his skin under his shirt, curiously gliding over scales on his shimmering tail. "Mer-boy. Beauty from the sea to whom I owe my life."

   "You owe me nothing," the younger boy murmured softly, leaning back and letting his hair tickle his prince's neck and chin. "You have given me everything."

   "No…"

   "Yes, you have." Yugi was adamant about this.

   "No. I have not." The prince looked away. "If I had… then you would not have been sad. You would not be in such pain."

   "I… I wasn't…" The younger boy's voice trembled.

   "Don't lie…" The youth reached down, tilting his beauty's face up towards him, leaning down to kiss away tears that shone within his violet eyes. "You were, and it was my fault."

   "No… Not your fault… Never your fault…"

   "Then why cry?"

   "I… I'm not crying…" Another tear slid down his cheeks.

   "Oh, indeed." Yami sighed, brushing away the drop of liquid silver. "You cannot lie, my love."

   "I am dying…"

   The words were whispered so softly that, for a moment, the prince was not sure if he had heard correctly. When his mind processed this information, he tensed, his grip tightening around his love. "Dying…?"

   "I love you, Yami."

   "I know."

   "I don't want to leave…"

   The prince's embrace held him securely. "I won't let you leave."

   Flickers of foam, pearly and shimmering, fluttered to the ocean below, to their rightful place. The mer-boy's tail was disappearing. Dissolving.

   "Good-bye, Yami. Good-bye, my beloved prince…" Violet eyes were at peace.

   "No!"

   The prince's calls were futile.

   Slowly, the mer-boy faded, dissipating into droplets of lily-white foam, as his lover tried desperately to hold him. They spilled over the ledge, the watery particles that were once his body. So slowly, it happened, with an agonizing teasing quality… but it was too fast for the two lovers.

   "We had so much…"

   "We had love…"

   And now, there was nothing. Now…

   As Yugi's torso was gone in a glimmer of snowy glitter, the golden pyramid around his neck fell. Down it went, along the path of the foam, crashing upon sharp rocks beneath. As it broke, the prince felt a part of his heart go with it.

   "Wait for me, my love, my beauty…" That was the only thing Yami could whisper through his choking grief.

   "I will. I'll wait forever for you."

   I will come to you…

   I will wait for you…

   Goodbye…

~*~

  And all the water in the ocean was not enough for the prince's tears.