Chapter 8
Love Will Find A Way
There's a perfect world
Shining in your eyes
And if only they could feel it too
The happiness I feel with you, they'd know
Love will find a way
Love Will Find A Way, Lion King
Yugi was crying, sobbing, holding Atem's limp body to his chest. Atem's crimson eyes were staring endlessly at the wall, his arm trailing limp fingers in the sand below him, red clouding the water.
"Atem… Atem, please, no… no… no…"
Aknamkanon was in shock, staring at his son with wide eyes. He had never expected Atem to swim in the way, to try and block the attack that had been meant for the small ex-human. And now his own son was lying against the sand, his cerise eyes empty and lifeless.
Ryou came into the room at that moment, tears already soaking his cheeks. He knew, he knew very well what had happened, because his mate had already Seen it. Bakura had been having this vision for about a week.
The Seer himself followed his gentle mate into the room, his face sober, eyes hard. He could no longer See the aura of the Prince, even though he knew very well that Atem was in the room. The young merPrince was dead.
Ryou shook his head sadly, his doe-brown eyes filled with sadness and tears. "I'm sorry, sire. He has already passed on."
Aknamkanon's face fell. "No. No! He is my only son, he can't be dead! Heal him, damnit!"
Ryou simply turned his eyes to Atem. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. Atem is gone."
Yugi buried his nose farther in the crook of Atem's neck, barely feeling the cooling skin beneath his fingertips. "Please… I just got him… don't take him from me…"
But there was nothing he could do. Atem's eyes remained dead, and his body grew cold.
Yugi stared silently at the floor, his violet eyes dark and lifeless. Atem was in front of him, lying on a stone table in the middle of the room. He was being prepared for a royal funeral, and the King was currently floating nearby, watching the young ex-human as he mourned his mate.
Aknamkanon looked to the floor, trying to hold back his tears. What had he done…? He had let his anger get the best of his, and now his only son was dead. He had been blinded by his hatred for humans, and hadn't been able to see how happy Atem had been. That small merboy had made Atem smile in a way that hadn't been seen since his mother had died, and Aknamkanon should have been able to see that, and appreciate it.
Atem's happiness should have come first, and because of the merKing's mistake, there was no way that he could fix it.
Yugi reached out, tracing his fingers along the line of Atem's cold jaw. He had been cleaned up, the hole in his chest closed with Ryou's magics and his eyes closed forever. Everyone in the whole palace was in mourning; even the normally upbeat Bakura was somber and quiet at his mate's side.
Aknamkanon looked around himself, and then back at his son's body. If only there had been more that he could do. He could see the aura of sadness around Atem's little mate, and he knew that it would be a miracle if Yugi didn't waste away without the merPrince. Most merfolk that found a mate would die without their partner. Aknamkanon had seen it happen multiple times. The person would just give up, refuse to eat, move, or even sleep, and then they would finally fall asleep, and slip away in the night.
In short, it would be amazing if Yugi managed to live longer than a few days without Atem by his side.
Ryou reached out, lacing his fingers with Bakura's, sniffling softly. He only wished that they could have done something, but when Bakura had a vision, it was set. They had tried to interfere with it before, and had accidentally ended more than one innocent life. They had learned; what Bakura Saw would happen, it would only change if those involved did something different. Bakura himself could not change it.
Bakura looked up, his blind eyes going to Yugi. He could See Yugi already fading away, whether he wanted to or not. He had Seen Yugi the night before in his dreams, lying on a bed, weak, pale, his tail dying, his violet eyes loosing their light. He had known then, that if Atem truly did die, Yugi would follow not long after, and, once again, there was nothing they could do.
Seth was in shock. To him, Atem had been immortal. The merPrince had gotten into so many accidents, problems, and had gotten so many different injuries, it had been common. He had always gotten away with it, had always been able to go back to being the Prince. And now, here he was, laid out before them, cold and lifeless. It was nothing short of astonishing.
All eyes trained on Yugi as the small merboy's shoulders shook. Up until this moment Yugi's tears had been silent and still, simply flowing down his pale cheeks, but now it looked as though his sorrow was breaking free.
Yugi sobbed softly, leaning over his mate. "I love you, Atem… I'll never forget you, love. I hope you make it somewhere happy…" The small merboy gently kissed those cold lips. "Wait for me…" He kissed Atem one final time, wishing with all his heart that none of this had happened, that Atem would sit up and take him into those strong arms, kiss him and say that everything was okay, that everything was going to be alright.
Bakura suddenly cried out, and the others shortly followed him. Blinding light filled with water, originating from Yugi's small body. Bakura, with his Seeing Eye, had Seen the light before all the others, had Seen it flowing out from Yugi's aura with an intensity that he had never before Seen.
Ryou was the first to be able to open his eyes as the light died down. He lowered his arms, looking towards the center of the room with narrowed eyes. He then gasped. "Gods…"
Yugi was sobbing, his arms wrapped around Atem's shoulders. And Atem was sitting up, his face against Yugi's hair and his arms around the smaller, his hands stroking his back gently. Both were crying, and Atem was murmuring into the water. "It's okay, little one… I'm here, aibou… everything's okay… Everything's going to be alright…"
Bakura smiled, his lavender eyes sparkling. "I knew I had not Seen it all…"
Ryou smiled widely, his tears changing to ones of happiness. "And I knew that love would find a way in the end. They were meant to be together."
Yes, sappy and short, but I like it...