Chapter 12: Where Two Hearts Belong

Ryou and Bakura embraced one other tightly. Joey heaved a sigh of relief. The danger, and short reign of King Dartz, was over.

Atemu splashed over to them, and Ryou gave him a relieved hug as well. Atemu smiled at all of them, but his smile faded abruptly when he found a very important one of their number not present.

"Where's Aibou?"

The other mermen looked around in shock and worry. Suddenly Seto lifted himself off of Joey's back and pointed to one of the ships now sinking once more into the ocean.

"There!"

Yugi was lying near the helm on the slowly sinking deck, his wide violet eyes closed and his body motionless.

"AIBOU!"

Atemu blasted over like a bullet, leaned over the deck and pulled Yugi off of the ship as it sank back into the water. Bakura felt the innocent's pulse, before splashing water on him to try and revive him.

"He's not responding!" Bakura muttered in both frustration and anxiety.

"Yugi…" Atemu whispered, his eyes filled in terror. "Aibou, please, open your eyes!"

"Stand back!" Ryou said urgently.

He quite abruptly pushed Bakura aside, pinched Yugi's nose shut and fastened his lips onto Yugi's.

Both Atemu and Bakura's jaws dropped.

"Aibou!" squeaked Bakura, ready to pull Ryou away from Yugi, but stopped by Seto.

Ryou breathed into Yugi's mouth, before using both of his hands to press down on Yugi's chest.

"One!" he counted each time he pushed down on Yugi's chest resolutely. "Two! Three! Four!"

The long-haired albino breathed again into Yugi's mouth, and then repeated the pressure to his chest.

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

He breathed once more. The other mermen around him watched and waited as he repeated the process yet again, looking desperate.

"One! Two! Three…!"

Yugi coughed harshly, and the others were finally able to breathe again.

"Aibou," Atemu murmured, pulling Yugi into his arms and holding him close. "Thanks the Gods, Aibou…"

Bakura splashed some more water onto the human-turned-merman to make sure they caught him while he could breathe.

"Aibou, how did you know to do that?" the tanned albino inquired.

Ryou smiled. "Merpeople have both gills and a weak set of lungs that's used above water until their scales dry out…of course, we have to learn how to use them properly when we're young so we can breathe above water. Yugi changed forms very recently, so he was weak to begin with, and he didn't know anything about merman anatomy. The struggle to breathe above and out of the water became too much for him, so I did as a human would've done to help force oxygen back into Yugi's bloodstream…the so-called 'kiss of life'…mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

Bakura sighed in relief. "Ah…I see."

Ryou raised an eyebrow. "Were you jealous for a second there, 'Kura?"

Bakura looked flustered. "W-well…you looked like you were snogging him! Can you blame me?"

Ryou giggled and pecked Bakura's cheek. "You never have to worry, my big handsome Aibou…you're the only one for me."

Yugi sighed quietly, looking up at Atemu with vague eyes. "You're…alright…"

"Yes, Aibou," answered Atemu quietly, stroking Yugi's face tenderly. "I'm fine…"

"Dartz is…gone?"

"Yes, Aibou, he is."

Yugi sighed again, laying his head on Atemu's shoulder. "Thank goodness…I…I thought…I wouldn't make it…that he'd…"

"Shh," Atemu quieted him gently, stroking his hair soothingly. "He did not. I'm safe…you're safe…everyone's safe."

Joey, Seto, Ryou and Bakura nodded.

"You saved us all, Yugi," Joey told him, putting a hand on the violet-eyed young man's shoulder. "We sure are lucky you were there."

Yugi smiled faintly in gratitude.

"Yugi!"

The group of merpeople turned to see two small boats making their way toward them. In the first were Valon, Amelda, Raphael, Chris and Sky; the other held Tea, Tristan, Rebecca and King Solomon.

"Grandpa!" Yugi breathed, gently pulling out of Atemu's arms and swimming over to him, looking delighted.

King Solomon hugged his grandson tightly. "Thank the Gods you're safe, my boy…we were all so worried about you."

"We thought the storm might've gotten you," Rebecca added. "Are you all okay?"

"We're fine," Atemu replied, wrapping an arm around Yugi, "thanks to Aibou here."

Tea's eyes widened ever-so-slightly at the loving glance the two shared in that moment.

"So…you really were the one who rescued Yugi."

Atemu looked at Tea in slight surprise, and nodded.

Tea smiled, half saddened for herself and half happy for Yugi. "I'm glad you two found each other."

Atemu returned her half-hearted smile with one of gratitude. "Thank you."

"But…" Tristan stammered, "w-what happens now? Yugi can't rule the kingdom…looking like that!"

"Tristan!" Chris reproached, and Valon, Amelda and Raphael glared at him.

"But it's true!" Tristan said defensively. "Without Yugi, there's no heir to the throne! For all we know, the Big Five could take over and make the kingdom go into anarchy!"

"Tristan, shut your mouth," snapped Rebecca angrily.

Yugi looked down, his violet eyes filled with conflict.

'Even though Tristan's words are mean, they're also true…what might happen at home without me there to rule it?'

"Aibou…you must return to them."

Yugi looked up at Atemu in shock. "W-what?"

Atemu's eyes and voice were serious. "Tristan is right; without a ruler, the Big Five could easily take control. They need a strong king, Yugi…they need you."

"But I need you!" Yugi argued, his eyes filling with tears as he grabbed hold of him.

"Aibou…" Atemu murmured, looking torn whether or not to push him away and make him go home or to make him stay and never let go of him again.

"Your Aibou's friend might be right, Atemu," said a voice behind them, "but your Aibou also is."

Atemu turned to see Aknamkanon, his soul returned and the royal staff once more in his hand. Behind him was the loyal High Court, their souls back as well.

"Father!" Atemu realized.

The merprince hugged Aknamkanon tightly, and the King returned the tight embrace.

"I am glad you are safe, my son," he murmured, pulling away at last.

"I'm so sorry, Father," Atemu apologized. "If I hadn't been so stupid, I would never have played into Dartz's hands and he would never have stolen your power-"

"You had no other choice if you wished to be with your Aibou," his father interrupted.

He turned to look at Yugi. "You are the human Prince Yugi?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yugi answered respectfully.

"King Aknamkanon," breathed Valon, his eyes wide. "Atlantis Almighty…"

He and his crew bowed their heads in respect; Aknamkanon acknowledged them with a slight nod before returning his gaze to Yugi.

"I can now see what drew Atemu to you, little Yugi…you are a very brave young man…and I believe you could give my son a very happy life."

He sighed, and his face grew a more somber look. "I suppose there's only one problem left remaining."

There was a slight silence; then Atemu inquired quietly, "And what is that, Father?"

Aknamkanon looked at his son with a sad smile. "How much I'm going to miss you."

They embraced once more, and when he pulled away, Atemu saw, to his surprise, that Aknamkanon's eyes were watery.

"I know…" Aknamkanon whispered, his voice cracking slightly, "…if she were here…your mother would be very proud of you, my son…as am I."

Atemu's heart ached slightly at the memory of his mother, knowing how painful it must've been for his father to mention her again.

"Thank you, Father."

"But Your Majesty," Isis dissented quickly, "if Atemu is not going to rule…who will be your heir?"

There was another short silence; then Atemu slowly turned to Seto.

"Cousin…" the prince started with a slight smile, "…you said so yourself that you learn a hell of a lot more that I do in our lessons with Shada…"

Seto stared, disbelieving. "B-but…you can't mean-"

Atemu nodded firmly. "Yes…I want you to succeed my father in my place…but only on three conditions."

Seto hesitated. "And what might those be?"

"First," said Atemu, "you will revoke Ryou's banishment so that he and Bakura can travel where they please."

"Atemu!" cried Ryou, looking both surprised at Atemu making this a condition for Seto to rule and elated at the chance of going home for the first time in years.

"Second," Atemu continued without making a reference to Ryou's outburst, "you will start to open up talks with the humans…Aibou and I will be glad to assist you with that."

Yugi smiled and nodded in agreement.

"And third," Atemu concluded, his voice serious until his face broke into a broad smirk, "just go on and propose to Joey already, you two are driving me crazy by your pace!"

"ATEMU!" snapped Joey angrily, blushing as red as a tomato.

Atemu and Bakura laughed. Seto, blushing quite red himself, nodded after a moment.

"Very well, Atemu…I agree to your terms."

Atemu raised an eyebrow and feigned doubt. "Hmm…why do I not believe you, coz?"

"You think I'm lying?" asked Seto.

"Why yes, I think I do," Atemu challenged playfully.

Seto gave his classic game-ready smirk. "Well then, I'll prove my honesty to you."

He turned to Joey abruptly. "Dogfish."

"Huh?" asked Joey, looking rather taken aback.

Seto, without taking his eyes off Joey's face, knelt at the blond merman's feet.

"Will you be my Aibou?"

Joey choked; then his eyes narrowed and he retorted angrily to Seto's question.

"WHAT? You think I would ever say yes to a self-centered, stuck-up bastard like you?"

Seto smiled pleasantly. "Yes."

Out of nowhere, Joey practically glomped Seto and kissed him full on the mouth, taking even Seto by surprise.

After a few seconds, the blond pulled away, grinning broadly. "A hundred times yes, you good-for-nothing rich boy."

Seto stroked Joey's hair affectionately. "Love you too, dogfish."

The humans in the boats nearby blinked in confusion at the two mermen's behavior. Bakura, Ryou and Atemu, however, were smiling broadly.

Seto looked at Atemu with a smile. "So? Still doubt me?"

"No, cousin," Atemu answered pleasantly. "I knew I could trust you."

Ryou went over to Atemu and hugged him. "I still can't believe you and Yugi are going back to land…I envy you."

Bakura nodded. "Yeah…you'll know more about humans than we'll ever know."

"I'll tell you all about it," Atemu promised. "Just start splashing around near Yugi's and my window…if I see you, I'll come down to the beach and meet you."

"You better!" replied Ryou. "And we'll keep you updated…about the kingdom...everything."

"Likewise," assented Atemu.

Joey let go of Seto at last and swam over to Atemu. The two best friends stared at each other for a moment, before they wrapped their arms around each other and shared a tight, brotherly embrace.

"I'm really going to miss you, man," muttered Joey.

Atemu nodded into the hug. "I'll miss you too, Joey…but with Seto opening up talks, we will see each other often."

Joey smiled. "Have fun playing games up there with Yugi."

"Have fun ruling the kingdom down there with Seto," responded Atemu.

And with that, the two released each other, smiling warmly.

"Are you ready?" Aknamkanon asked his son.

Atemu looked at Yugi; Yugi took his hand and nodded.

"We're ready," Atemu answered.

The King of the Merpeople raised his staff and pointed it at his son and his Aibou, and a gentle swirl of green light emerged from it and surrounded the two tricolor-haired mermen. Although Dartz's transformation of Atemu had been painful like being ripped in half, the transformation Aknamkanon gave Atemu and Yugi was like a gentle wave on the shore of a beach. When the light faded and the princes were revealed, they were both human once more and dressed in fine clothes of elegant black and virtuous white respectively.

"Be happy, my son," Aknamkanon said with a paternal smile.

Atemu wrapped an arm around Yugi. "I will, Father."

And his father, his Court and his friends one by one returned to the sea.

"Tristan…Tea," Atemu stated quietly, "I think we should head back to shore…after three transformations in three days…I'm going to need a long nap."

Yugi gave a yawn and nodded tiredly, nuzzling his head into Atemu's chest. "Sleep sounds good…"

Atemu looked down at his Aibou lovingly, before he turned his scarlet eyes to the sea that had once been his home. He may miss the kingdom that he had played and grown up in, but he knew that here with Yugi, he would have a home that could stay with him no matter where he was. Home is more than simply a place to live in; it's a place where one can feel like he belongs, and Atemu knew that by Yugi's side was where he belonged, for they could always find a home in the other's heart.