by Shayne Thames and Kathryn Shiver
Yu-Gi-Oh and related characters and indica © 1996 - 2005 Kazuki Takahashi
Fippy Darkpaw is © to Sony Online Entertainment
Author's Note: Been busy working on my comic, but I found some spare time to post Chapter 5. Enjoy!
Chapter 05: "Oracle of the Ocean Angel"
The next evening, Fippy and Joey had gottan a boat to ride down the river with the merboys, travelleling down through the peaceful woods, occasionally seeing a gnoll or two that watched over them till they made it out to sea.
Yugi for the most part stayed quiet, sticking as close to his mate as possible.
Yami nuzzled him, but even then, he had a great fear. -Seto...-
The blue eyed brunette glaced over towards him. -What is it?-
-I fear the worse has yet to come. I...I...-
-What?-
-...I had...a nightmare...- That was unheard of. Merpeople rarely dream. When they do, its usually a vision of things yet to come and they're NEVER 'nightmares'.
Concern showed on his face now. -Explain it to me.-
-I saw...a great demon...threatening to bring eternal darkness to this world, breaking every mortal law of goodness and peace.-
Seto paled slightly, that didn't sound good at all.
Yami subconciously pulled Yugi closer. -During the vision...I constantly kept seeing a lone diamond shattering into black shards...-
The youth squeeked slightly and snuggled into the embrace while the brunette thought over that scene. -That could mean many things.-
-I saw Yugi at one point. Dispite the chaos going around, he was actually unafraid. He scooped the shards into his hand. They didn't slice his hand, no matter how he held the shards...-
Blue eyes blinked at that. -Thats new.-
-He cradled the shards, and they actually repaired themselves, forming a diamond again, but the diamond was stained, no longer pure, bits of black swirling in it.-
-How can a diamond not be pure?-
-I don't know. Its as unbelievable as a diamond that shatters, save from cutting it the wrong way...-
Seto snorted slightly. -Diamonds become dust when that happens.-
-Oh, right.-
-We'll worry about it later. Lets see what we can find out about the Ocean Angel.-
They finally made it out to sea, and Fippy pointed in a direction. "The island's that way! We can make it by morning."
Seto smiled softly. "Coming with us?"
Fippy nodded. "I wouldn't miss this adventure for the world, my friend."
"I'm glad. Lets get there as soon as possible."
They nodded and started heading out. By the time the sun was rising, they had approached the island. A low fog came from the waters around them as they floated down the rivver. They came upon an old ruin. Yami gasped quietly, when albino gnolls stood, waiting for them in the cool, fall morning air.
Yugi looked up at the white gnolls in quiet awe a bit of curiousity flickering in his eyes.
One of them nodded for them to follow them down the river to their village. One of them looked at Joey and they seemed to carry a silent conversation for a moment.
The small youth looked at Yami and Seto quietly before following.
Joey looked at his hand for a moment as they walked.
Seto watched him quietly. "Whats wrong pup?"
"This is an island for the pure. I cannot be human while we're here."
"I understand."
His paws formed and he changed into his real form, a blonde-furred gnoll.
"Always knew you were a mutt. Seems I was right."
"You're one to talk."
Smirking, he followed the albino gnolls.
Joey watched Yugi for a moment as they walked and spoke to Seto. "Seems more pieces fall into place every moment."
The brunette nodded slowly. "So it seems. Though how Yugi falls into this is puzzling."
"Know the whole thing about this that gets me?"
"Hmmm?"
"I know something about merpeople and humans, and humans DON'T turn into merpeople simply through mating..."
"For all we know pup somewhere in Yugi's family line there was someone of the merfolk."
"The Elders knew something when they told Yami that info about mating with humans. They could forsee the future, and like how Yami was able to manipuate Yugi's body into changing from human to merboy, so can the elders manipulate someone to take a future. They knew Yugi and Yami were to be together for a reason."
"But why?"
"I don't know, but look. Look at Yugi now."
Blue eyes blinked and he did look over towards the small teen in question.
"He hasn't changed."
"What do you mean?"
"I told you this island is a place of purity. Any shapeshift spell would revert a creature to their birth form."
He blinked in reaction, staring at the youth now. "He was born one of our kind? But his records said he was born human."
"Yea, well everything comes back to this place. Fippy's not the only one who knows of this island..."
Seto glared slightly. "I only know of the tales about the place, nothing else."
"I meant myself. I was here when I set out on my journey as a human. I never told you how I met Yugi..."
"Then how about you tell me while we head wherever they are leading us."
"I'm getting to it. See, I was leaving from this island to head to the mainland, when I first found him. He was floating in the waters, just off the coast of the island."
"This island!"
He nodded. "He said he lost his way and I helped him into the boat. He was human when I pulled him in, but I was supicious of him at first. He didn't seem so lost to me. It didn't occur to me at the time that merpeople were nomadic people travelling the world. But somehow, he was able to change forms, so I thought he was human."
Seto frowned slightly. "Our kind needs a spell to transform."
"I know. You took the potion I took to become human. You guys don't shapeshift naturally either..."
"Maybe the Elders here will know."
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Meanwhile, Yami was swimming with Yugi, and Yami was suprised when he glanced at Yugi and saw how serious he had suddenly become. "Are you...alright?"
Amythest eyes blinked in confusion at the question, looking up at his mate quietly. "Huh?"
"You didn't act like yourself for a moment. You looked so...serious..."
"Why would I be serious for, Yami?"
Yami suddenly gave a slightly supicious look and started to say something when Joey intervened. "I dunno, you tell us, Yug."
Yugi looked up at his friend in confusion now. "What do you mean?"
The innocent act was killed when they stopped, and approaching from the morning mist were a small group of elves. In the front, was a short, old human. The mood was not that of happy reunions but that of seriousness as the old one gazed out at Yugi.
Amythest eyes glanced at the human and froze in place where he was in the water, he couldn't pull his eyes away.
He knelt by the water's edge. "I see you have returned after all these years, and you have brought your other half. I take it the situation has escalated dangerously since you set out to find him all these years ago?"
A bit unsure, he nodded quietly at the human, not once moving where he floated.
The old man looked over Yami for a moment. "He is still pure. This is good. If any force of evil knew about what's really happened with you, our world would be in trouble."
The small youth looked over at Yami with a smile before finally swimming to the old man.
He gave Yugi a hug. "You've done good, little one."
He returned the hug easily, he missed his hugs.
Yami gaped at Yugi while Joey just watched. "So...Yugi...you're..."
Seto was watching this all carefully. "Seems Yugi is the Ocean Angel after all."
Sugoroku nodded and he hugged Yugi. "Yugi's summoning here a millenia ago was also responsible for the birth of your kind...Seto."
"What...? But I throught the ritual required two of the merfolk"
"It was your cousins, the sea elves, that filled that role."
The brunette frowned slightly. "The tales said that the Ocean Angel would be a winged member of our kind."
Sugoroku smiled and looked to Yugi, nodding to him with a smile.
Sighing quietly the youth closed his eyes in concertration before a pair of wings shimmered into existance.
"When Yugi was summoned here a thousand years ago, his first creation was to be a mate of purity who would lead those to create a great kingdom..."
Yugi was quiet now where he was in the man's arms, listening to the story.
"But even then, the gnolls of old savge ferocity, the old Razorpaw Pack, sought to control the Angel and his mate, so they had to be seperated. Yugi knew it was for the best, but to make sure his other would stay safe, Yugi wiped all memory of himself from the other's mind." Yami stared at Yugi blankly.
"So that the other would not long for him and try to come looking for him."
The teen kept his eyes on the water, he couldn't look at his mate at the moment.
"Because he is Yugi's other half, he holds a great hidden power. A power that, if corrupted by enemy hands, could mean terrible things for the world."
He shivered slightly at the thought, remembering how bad it was at first without him.
Joey blinked. "So that's why the elders wanted Yami united with Yugi again..."
Slowly, the amythest eyed youth nodded.
Joey looked at Seto. "Your kind will be able to flourish in the seas once again."
"I'm glad for that."
A gnoll approached Seto. "High Priest Seto, I must speak with you alone."
Blue eyes blinked for a moment before nodding, swimming off.
Sugoroku looked at Yugi. "And we must speak."
"Ok..."
He led Yugi down the river until they were alone. "I know you are aware the worst has yet to come, and you cannot prevent it, correct?"
Sadly, the youth nodded at the question, figetting where he was in the water.
"No one, not even the Splitpaws, understands that they cannot prevent the purity and innocence of the one from shattering, no matter how much they try to prepare the others of such a fate from happening. I know it saddens your heart to know the fate of what's to come."
"I don't want it to happen..."
"Know this. Your heart must remain pure and strong, no matter how bad it gets. You must show your heart's light. Never let it go out. Cradle the dark shards."
"But what if he changes cause of it...?"
"Many things may change, but you know his heart for you never will."
"Its not fair..."
He hugged him. "I know..." He looked at him. "But if your heart remains strong...perhaps the diamond will be pure again someday."
Sad amythest eyes looked up at him now. "I don't want to lose him again."
He looked at him. "You know you won't."
"I just got him back..." A small whimper escaped the teen now
"You have to be strong. Let your love bring his heart back to us."
Not wanting to be away from him much longer, he looked in the direction his mate was.
"Be with him. Love him now, for the hour of darkness is approaching."
The youth darted through the water quietly at that, returning to Yami quickly.
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Meanwhile, the old gnoll was walking alongside the river, talking to Seto. "You must be wary. Your prince must remain pure."
"His dreams... The Prince is the diamond?"
"He is. If he is tainted by the darkness, terrible things will come to this world."
"I'll do the best I can to protect him."
"Beware, the secret of his power is unlocked through darkness. Because he is a god created by a god, his powers can be deadly, but right now those powers lay dorment, because he is still innocent."
"I thought his powers were that of life?"
"He is opposite of Yugi, Yugi's 'other half' you can say."
Seto frowned now. "So it was Yugi's powers of life that tied Yami to the one island?"
"Yes, but you saw it was also Yami himself, that was killing the island, because his heart ached. That was why his memory of Yugi was erased the first time."
"Yugi would hurt if Yami came to harm..."
"If his power is unleashed by the forces of evil, his power would be equal, but opposite than that of the Ocean Angel."
"You mean, the planet could die?"
"Worse, the planet could become a twisted black rock of diesese and rot. And he himself would be a great and terrible demon of decay."
The brunette shuddered at that, remembering how Yami had looked after the hurricane.
"What you saw on the island was not even close to a fraction of the power that Yami holds. If his innocence and purity is destroyed..."
"Then the world is lost."
He nodded and looked up as a warm breeze came to the unusually cool fall morning. "Feel that?"
Blinking slightly, he nodded.
"They lay together as we speak. Yugi knows more than what we gnolls can predict."
"Who is the old man and how does ke know so much?"
"He is the one that first summoned the Ocean Angel a millenia ago. The old one made a wish to be human, but he also fell in love with the child god the way a parent would love a child. He had no children of his own, and the child pitied the man, seeing his true wish deep in his heart, and offered to stay, bound to him in the mortal realm as a grandchild."
"I wondered. He did say that his grandfather's name was the same who summoned the Ocean Angel long ago."
A cool breeze blew suddenly. "The storm is approaching. Our darkest days are ahead."
The priest nodded slowly. "Do you have a shelter for our kind?"
"Yes. There is an overhang on a rock wall with the river source flows out from. Your prince and angel should be there right now."
"I'd like it if we can keep the two there as protection."
He nodded. "Of course."
"I was wondering, you wouldn't happen to grow strawberries would you? Yami would be pleased to know if there are some."
"I do believe we grow a small garden with them for some of the tribe."
Seto couldn't help but smile. "One of Yugi's favorite foods are strawberries. Yami got into the habit of always trying to get some for him."
"I will arrnge to gather some for the prince then."
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, under a sheltered overhang, Yami was furiously kissing Yugi's lips in hungry need.
The small youth accepted the kisses hungerly, amythest eyes closed in bliss.