Alverna: Here's the next one. I don't own Yugioh or Barbie in a Mermaid's Tail.

Chapter 2: Explanation

Yami lived with his grandfather Solomon Muoto at a beach house. Yami was currently sitting in his room, which had posters of duel monsters and surfing items all over the place. His comforter on his bed was a custom design of "The Dark Magician" surfing.

Right now though, having pulled a sleeveless jacket, sorts, and a belt that held his duel deck over his wet suit, Yami was looking at his unexplainable, color changing hair with a mirror.

'How am I going to explain this one?' Yami wondered as he tossed the mirror onto his desk, right next to his duel disk, and flopped back onto his bed.

"Atemu, I'm home." Solomon called. His grandfather was the only person Yami willingly let call him by his first name. He tolerated other adults calling him that because they were adults, but his peers called him Yami, otherwise they would be on the wrong end of his temper. And sometimes it was on a short fuse.

"I'm in my room." Yami called as he pulled the hood of his sleeveless jacket over his head. He wasn't ready for 20 questions just yet.

Solomon came into the room. He was an elderly man with gray hair and purple eyes, as well as a couple inches shorter than Yami. And that was saying something, because Yami was roughly 5' 5" or so, give or take an inch, more on the take side.

"I heard about what happened at the competition." Solomon said. Yami felt his heart stop. "Too bad about the wipeout. It can happen even to the best surfers." Yami relaxed and his heart started again.

"Grandpa," Yami started, trying to figure out how to word his dilemma. "Have you ever had something odd or weird happen to you before?"

"Do you mean odd or weird like 'whoa.'?" Solomon asked his whoa sounding a bit breathless. "Or 'whoa!'?" This 'whoa' sounded a 'that is so cool!" whoa. "Or maybe even a 'whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!'." The last group of whoas sounding like a "whoa! Slow down a minute!'.

"Well," Yami didn't think any of those 'whoas' were it. "Something like this." Yami brought his hood down, revealing his now changed hair.

"Whoa." Solomon said, this 'whoa' was an 'I'm surprised because I didn't expect you to do this'. "You dyed your hair."

"No." Yami said in a neutral, well he hoped neutral, tone of voice. Solomon however, caught the small bit of underlying desperation. "It happened during the competition. I was surfing and getting ready to take out Rex Raptor, when my hair just suddenly changed color."

"Really?" Solomon asked, his full attention on the recently turned 17 year old teen.

"Yes." Yami said a bit exasperate. "Then I got this weird body build. I didn't and still don't know what's going on. Anyway, I dove off my board and under the water, where I thought I was breathing. And then I thought I saw a merboy." At these words, Solomon sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Whoa." Solomon said, this 'whoa' being the breathless one.

"Grandpa," Yami turned to his guardian. "What's happening to me? Am I going crazy?"

"No Yami." Solomon replied. "You're not going crazy."

"Then what's going on?" Yami asked as he sat up. "What is happening to me?"

"You're growing up." Solomon answered.

"Growing up? That's it?" Yami couldn't believe his ears. He was growing up? For Ra's sake, his hair had changed color!

"Yami, this may seem off topic," Solomon looked a little fidgety, "but, do you remember what happened to your parents."

"Sure," Yami said with a shrug. "They died in an accident when I was a baby."

"Well that is only half true." Solomon said, shocking his grandson. "Your mother died in a boating accident off the reefs. Your father was, and probably still is, alive."

"Then why haven't I ever met him?" Yami demanded, upset that they had never met.

"I'm getting to that." Solomon sighed. "You see, I hadn't seen your mother face to face for roughly about a year before the accident. We kept in touch by phone, e-mails, and the occasional letter.

"Now, your mother was one for telling fantasy stories. So when she told me she had fallen in love with a merman, I thought it was another one of her whoppers. Until about a week after the accident…"

Flashback

Solomon Muoto had returned from his daughter's funeral, and was practicing his surfing balance to keep his mind off of his only child being lowered into the ground. His surfboard stood on a curved rock. With rock on his head, hands, one foot in the air, and his eyes closed, it took a lot of concentration.

"Solomon Muoto?" A deep male voice asked.

"That's me." Solomon replied, not opening his eyes. He assumed it was another person who wanted to be a surfing star.

"I'm Aknankanon." The male continued. "I assume Thema has told you about me."

Solomon's eyes snapped open and he toppled off his surfboard. He looked out to the water and saw a grey eyed, brown hair with dark golden streaks, and tanned skinned merman. A dark purple sash covered his chest and stomach, his tail was a dark gold, the same color as the streaks in his hair. A crown with the Millennium Symbol adorned his head.

Solomon couldn't believe it. What his daughter had told him was true.

Aknankanon came as close to land as he could, Solomon met him halfway there. Aknankanon pulled the sash away from his stomach to reveal a small baby with star spiked black hair and tanned skin.

"Thema gave birth before she died." Aknankanon explained.

"She never told me she was expecting." Solomon muttered as he looked at his grandson. "No tail!"

"Yes." Aknankanon sighed. "No tail. He is quiet human. That is why it is not safe for him in Kehmet."

"Kehmet?" Solomon asked. "If I'm not mistaken Egypt was called that a long time ago."

"Yes." Aknankanon confirmed. "Kehmet has an Egyptian rule. But there is hint of rebellion. It is not safe for my son to be there. So, I have to ask. Will you take care of him for me? He'll fit in better here. He'll be safe."

"Of course." Solomon said without any hesitation.

Aknankanon smiled and passed the sleeping infant to his grandfather.

Taking a shell from a pouch in his belt, Aknankanon closed his eyes as black tendrils of magic seeped into the shell, changing the white shell to black.

"This will keep him safe from harm." Aknankanon said as he placed the necklace over his son's head, and placed a kiss on his son's forehead. "Stay safe my son. Atemu."

End Flashback

"After that I never saw your father again." Solomon finished his story.

Yami dropped his gaze to the necklace around his neck. It wasn't very attractive, but he had it for as long as he could remember.

"I know it's a lot to take in." Solomon said as he looked at his grandson. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Yami said sarcastically, leaping to his feet as his voice rose. "I'm fine. I just found out that my dad is a merman, I'm half merman, and I have a magical necklace to protect me, along with an insane grandfather."

"Atemu I'm telling you the truth." Solomon said as he rose to his feet as well.

"Yeah." Yami said with an eye roll. "So what is my mother, the Loch Ness Monster?"

"Yami," Solomon pleaded, "when have I lied to you?"

"Pretty much my whole life!" Yami's voice spiked.

"Yami." Solomon pleaded.

"I need some time to think." Yami tugged on his sandals and jumped onto the palm tree outside of his window, then down to the beach sand, where he activated his video watch. "Bakura, Marik, we still good for the cove?"

"Last time I checked, yes." Bakura answered.

"Out of dumb curiosity, why?" Marik asked.

"I need a major reality check." Yami answered, and took off for the meeting place.

"… And that's what he told me." Yami finished. "Now I know I'm losing my mind, because craziness clearly runs in my family."

The three friends were currently sitting up on a tall rock. Yami was looking down at his feet, which were dangling off the edge of the rock. Marik had his iPad out and was looking for info on merfolk. Bakura was looking at the back of Yami's head.

"So," Bakura said slowly, "your grandfather said that you are half merman, your dad is not dead, and he gave you a 'protective necklace'."

"That's about it." Yami nodded. "He's crazy. And now I am to."

"Craziness doesn't explain your hair." Marik said. "But being half merman might."

"Mermen or mermaids don't exist." Yami growled.

"Ah-ha!" Marik cried.

"What?" Bakura asked as he and Yami turned to him.

"This website says in that in mythology, when merfolk reach the end of puberty, they go through final changes. Physical body build or growth, 1-2 tone tail scales, or hair that changes style, length or color, sometimes all three. This proves it!"

"Yeah." Bakura said. "It proves you can make up anything, and put it on the internet."

"Oh come on. This is real merfolk fact." Marik protested. "Yami is living proof of this."

"Well, the hair changing color and body build are hard to explain." Bakura agreed.

"Guys!" Yami stood over them and glared. "I'm not proof! I came to you so you could talk me out of this craziness, not dig me in deeper. For Ra's sake, I thought I was breathing underwater and spoke to a merboy."

"There's a reason for that." A familiar childlike voice said, making Yami gasp as he turned, looked down, and saw the amethyst eyed merboy he had met. "You were. And you did."

"Huh?" Bakura gasped as he stood up.

"What?" Marik said as he followed suit. Bakura and Marik came up beside Yami and looked down to see the amethyst eyed merboy.

"No way." Bakura muttered.

"Yes!" Marik exclaimed. "You never told us he looked like you! Nice to meet you."

"And you too." The merboy nodded. "My name's Yugi. Sorry I didn't introduce myself last time."

"Don't worry about it." Marik said grinning. "I'm Marik. White hair is Bakura, and you've already met Atemu, Yami to those who wish to remain on his good side." Marik quickly added seeing the death glare being shot in his direction.

"This cannot be happening." Bakura said as he took a step back.

"My thoughts exactly." Yami agreed.

"It's really nice to meet you all." Yugi said smiling. "Especially you Yami. My grandfather told me about you after your father told him. They were really close."

"You knew my father?" Yami asked as he bent down to Yugi.

"Everyone knew your father." Yugi replied. "He was the Pharaoh of Kehmet. But he was overthrown by his younger brother Aknadin, who has ruled selfishly, never caring about anyone but himself. He's putting the ocean in great danger. Aknankanon has been missing for 16 years now. No one knows what happened. Not even my grandpa."

"Your grandpa?"

"He's the head advisor in the pharaoh's court. The only one your father trusted with the secret he had fallen in love with a human and had a child with her."

"And your grandfather told you?" Yami asked.

"Now that I'm of age by merfolk law, yes." Yugi nodded his tri-colored haired head. "Grandpa wanted to make sure that I would understand how important this secret is."

"How old are you anyway?" Yami asked.

"Sixteen." Yugi replied.

"So Yami isn't just a merman," Bakura talked to himself as things started to click, "but merfolk royalty."

"Please tell me you're not buying into this." Yami gaped at his saner friend.

"We're talking to a merman that looks like you," Bakura shot back, "save a few minor differences that you need to look close to find."

"A merprince." Marik squealed. "This is so cool."

"No it's not." Yami growled as he turned his attention to Yugi again. "If this all happened years ago, why am I finding out now?"

"Because you've come off age." Yugi said. "Your merman self has resurfaced. Now you can return to Kehmet and defeat Aknadin, just as the Destinies for told."

"That is so deep." Marik gushed.

"Deeply crazy." Yami glared at his friend. "My destiny is to be the best surfer in Malibu, or top duelist in the world. Preferably both. This merman stuff is getting in the way. And as for Kehmet, even if it does exist…"

"Which it does." Marik said as he gestured to Yugi with a grin on his face. Bakura stood behind him, grinning as well.

"Why should I care?" Yami shouted. "I don't believe any of this! I don't believe that I am half merman, that there is such a place as Kehmet," Yami snapped of his shell necklace, "or in some merman father and his so called 'protective necklace'." As Yami finished his rant, he threw the necklace down onto the rock, shattering it.

No one expected what happened next. Black tendrils of something came out of the broken remains and formed a cylinder as tall as Bakura.

"Shadow magic!" Yugi yelped as he pulled himself up onto the rock so he could sit on the edge.

"Shadow magic?" Yami looked down to the merman and then back to the cylinder, which form a picture.

In the picture was a merman, with grey-brown, more on the brown side, hair, with dark gold streaks, and tanned skinned. A dark purple sash covered his chest and stomach, his tail was a dark gold, the same color as the streaks in his hair. He was moving his hands side to side as more black tendrils floated past and then down into a basket.

"Pharaoh Aknankanon!" Yugi gasped. "He is alive. This picture proves it."

"That's my father?" Yami asked.

"Yes." Yugi nodded. "I've only seen pictures of the pharaoh, thanks to my grandpa, but it's him. Yami's father filled necklace was filled with controlled shadow magic, that's what's making the picture."

"What is shadow magic?" Yami asked.

"It comes from the shadow realm, and it's what keeps the ocean alive." Yugi explained. "Without it, the coral and ocean's creatures will die. The royal family and six appointed High Priest are the only ones in Kehmet that can control shadow magic."

"Why does it need to be controlled?" Bakura asked, fully interested.

"Unchecked shadow magic is dangerous. More dangerous than not having shadow magic at all. If shadow magic is just released uncontrolled, someone could get killed."

"So controlling shadow magic is what he is doing right now?" Marik asked, wanting to make sure he understood.

"Yes." Yugi nodded. "But the members of the royal family are the only one who can release shadow magic into the ocean. The six priests don't have enough control to do that."

"Is he okay?" Yami murmured.

"With Aknadin ruling, no one is okay." Yugi said. "Yami we need you in Kehmet."

Yami reached for the image of his father, but it disappeared.

"All right." Yami looked down at Yugi. "I'll help you. I'll help defeat Aknadin"

"Thank you." Yugi cheered as he leapt back into the water and swam out towards the open sea.

"And fulfill your merfolk destiny." Marik cheered.

"No." Yami said firmly. "If my father can make a magical necklace, he can return me to normal. Then, I come back after this is all over, and no one will mention it again. Deal?"

"Deal." The two agreed. Yami looked down to Yugi.

"Deal." The merman said with a giggle. He was just giddy that Yami had agreed to come.

"Wish we could go with." Bakura said.

"Yeah." Marik agreed. "This sounds like fun."

Yami pulled off his sleeveless jacket and shorts, leaving him in his 2 piece wet suit, and belt that held his duel deck.

"Good luck." Marik grinned.

"Let Solomon know that I'm all right." Yami said to his friends as he climbed to the top of the rock.

Yami nodded and took a deep breath.

"You coming or what?" Yugi asked as he paddled out further.

With his trademark smirk, Yami dove off of the rock edge and into the water, coming up next to Yugi.

"Have fun!" Bakura shouted.

"Bring back some souvenirs!" Marik added.

"Okay." Yami called back, and tuned, following Yugi to a whole new place he had never been to in his life.

Roughly an hour later, Yugi and Yami passed by a sunken ship. That's when they reached the coral reef.

"Wow." Yami breathed.

"It is beautiful." Yugi agreed, then a black stream of familiar substance floated by. "Recognize this?"

"That's what came out of my shell." Yami answered. "Shadow magic?"

"Yep." Yugi nodded before his face became saddened. "Like I said, only the royal family can fully control it, and it's their greatest joy. Maybe you'll do it yourself someday."

"What's wrong little one?" Yami asked.

"First, I'm not that little." Yugi pouted. "And second, you're not much taller than me."

"Sorry little one," Yami grinned at the pout. "But Marik found a website that says 'when merfolk reach the end of puberty, they go through final changes. Physical body build or growth, 1-2 tone tail scales, or hair that changes style, length or color, sometimes all three'. You said you're of age, and if the website is accurate you're done growing."

"I know." Yugi sighed before looking back to the corral. "My grandfather showed me pictures of what the reef looked like 20 years ago. Your father's shadow magic made it vibrant with color, Aknadin's shadow magic isn't strong enough to properly care for his people, much less the entire ocean. Without proper shadow magic to sustain it, the coral becomes changes color, like your autumn leaves, becomes bleached, and eventually dies all together."

"How sad." Yami muttered as they swam passed some coral pieces on the ocean floor.

"But now that you're here," Yugi cheered up, "things will go back to the way they were."

"We can always hope." Yami told his look-alike, panting a little.

"Here," Yugi held out his arm. "Grab on."

Yami looked at Yugi's arm, then his face, then back at his arm before taking hold.

"Now hang on." Yugi grinned. With a few strong flicks of his tail, Yugi and Yami shot forwards very quickly. In less than 5 minutes, Yami saw an Egyptian city.

"Welcome to Kehmet." Yugi said to the jaw dropped older teen.

Alverna: Please review.