Alverna: I can't believe I got this one done so fast. Enjoy the last chapter. I own nothing.
Chapter 8: A Real Tail
Inside the swirl of black tendrils that was the whirlpool, Yami felt a massive drain of strength. Apparently the Shadow Realm wasn't very polite. After a few more whirls, Yami knew he needed help to get out of here. But he couldn't endanger any of his friends, they would get stuck. So, with only one other idea in mind, he tried it.
"Dreamfish!" Yami called out as his strength, and voice, failed even more. "Dreamfish, I need you!"
After a few seconds of nothing, Yami felt ready to give up. But a sudden flash of blue that changed the whole inside of the whirlpool, and a halt, which felt like being stuck on one of those rides that you end up sticking to the sides of things after words, the Dreamfish appeared.
"You called?" the Dreamfish asked.
"Yes." Yami breathed in relief. "Yes, I need help. Please."
"I will offer you your greatest desire." the Dreamfish told him. "I'll send you back home to Malibu, and your merman half will go away. You'll be just a normal teenage male, and it will be as if none of this ever happened."
"You can do that?" Yami felt his heart leap.
"It is your greatest desire." the Dreamfish confirmed. "If you wish it, it's yours."
Home, with his grandfather, no crazy hair, Bakura and Marik. Okay they might stay. You never can tell with those two.
"But," Yami paused, "all of this trouble will still be happening in Kehmet. I just won't be part of it."
"But you would have your dream come true." the Dreamfish pointed out.
"Yes," Yami admitted reluctantly. "But everyone else would pay for it."
"Will you accept the wish?" the Dreamfish asked.
"No." Yami said after thinking a few moments.
The thought of Yugi being trapped in the Shadow Realm or one of Aknadin's dungeons sent shivers down his spine. He didn't know when he had started to fall in love with the merman, but he knew he loved him.
"Whatever I am, I am Atemu, half merman prince of Kehmet. And it is my duty to protect my subjects."
Sudden swirls of crimson colored magic began to spin around the half human and mystical fish, flashing and twinkling.
"Whoa." the Dreamfish gasped. "What's happening?"
"You don't know?" Yami asked, just as confused. "You're not doing this?"
"It's not me." the Dreamfish confirmed. "It must be coming from you."
"From me?" Yami questioned, and then realized he was alone. "Dreamfish? Dreamfish?"
The glow increased in color, forcing Yami to close his eyes. After the glow faded, he was back in the shadow magic whirlpool, except he wasn't stuck to the side. Looking around, Yami tried to figure out what happened. Some movement that wasn't his feet caught his eye, and he looked down and gasped.
A crimson colored tail with gold streaks that started at mid-thigh and ran down to where his scales changed to fin. His top had even changed to a black color, but the design was the same.
"A tail." Yami gasped. "A real tail!"
After getting over the initial shock, Yami began to swim. He had never gone so fast in his entire life.
"And it's strong." Yami grinned before looking to the top of the whirlpool. "I wonder how strong."
"Once again," Aknadin told the gathered people, "I've rescued you, my subjects. Aknankanon's son will never bother us again."
As everyone murmured to the one next to them, Aknadin turned to Yugi.
"You seem to know the half human very well."
Yugi said nothing, and glared at Aknadin.
"If you wish to be silent," Aknadin glared back, "you can be silent as a stone."
As the Millennium Eye flashed, a rumble in the whirlpool caused Aknadin to turn around.
"AH!" With a loud cry, Yami burst out the top of the swirling shadow magic.
As he swam around, everyone gasped.
"A real tail!" Malik cried out with joy.
"What?" Aknadin gasped. How did he escape the whirlpool? "That's impossible!"
Yami however, smirked and swam so that he was in front of Yugi, protecting him from Aknadin's glare.
"But how?" Duke asked, completely dropping his clipboard of to-do things.
"Don't just stand there gawking," Aknadin growled, "GET HIM!"
As the mantas, along with very reluctant high priests, closed in on Yami.
"Wait!" Yami shouted before they reached him. "You don't have to take orders from Aknadin. He isn't the real heir to Kehmet's throne. I am. And I can prove it."
Gesturing with his hand, Bakura and Marik swam up to him, and passed him a pouch he had given them after he got Aknadin's protective necklace off the throwing star. Everyone else gasped at seeing two other humans in Kehmet.
"Behold," Yami turned back to Aknadin, "I have the Millennium Puzzle."
Everyone gasped as Yami pulled the lost item out of the pouch and placed it around his neck, causing it to flash as its rightful owner bore it.
"It is!" Duke gasped.
"And the Millennium Puzzle identifies him as the true heir to the throne." the merman Yugi had previously identified as Mahad spoke out.
"Never mind that." Aknadin snapped. "He's half human; he won't be able to spin shadow magic. If you want the sea to survive, you need me!"
Yami glanced down and started to wave his hands back in forth, as he had seen his father done, a specific task in mind. As shadow magic began to gather, he turned and shot it at Bakura and Marik. As the light faded, Bakura now sported a deep red tail with a two inch black strip encircling his waist like a belt. Marik had a dark, almost black, purple color, with tan edging on his fin.
"You were saying?" Yami asked as he pulled Aknadin's protective necklace out of the bag, ignoring Bakura and Marik as they raced around the city. "And besides, even if I wasn't here, they wouldn't need you to spin shadow magic. Look."
Atemu threw down the necklace, making it smash against the rocks. As shadow magic swirled out, Aknadin gasped in distress as a picture of his brother appeared. The crowd however, gasped in shock at seeing their previous ruler.
"Yes." Yami nodded. "That is my father, Pharaoh Aknankanon, at this very moment, spinning shadow magic."
"Why is he spinning shadow magic?" Bakura asked as he came up next to Yami.
"Yeah." Marik added. "He could have destroyed you father."
"But he didn't." Yami finished as pieces clicked. "He didn't because he can't spin shadow magic."
The crowd whispered to each other as Yami approached Aknadin.
"That's what makes you so angry and jealous, isn't it?" Yami asked. "You're the only one in the royal family who can't spin shadow magic. You're different. And you hate it."
"That's ridiculous." Aknadin brushed it off. "Mantas, high priest, someone, seize him!"
Everyone glanced at each other, but no one moved to grab the prince.
"You've been pretending my father's shadow magic is yours." Yami said to Aknadin before turning back to the crowd. "But Aknankanon isn't happy shut away. That's why his shadow magic is too weak to keep the ocean healthy."
"This boy lies!" Aknadin roars.
"If you let my father go, I know we can work together." Yami said firmly. "Once he understands how horrible you felt, he'll forgive you. I know he will. And I know what it's like to feel different. I can expla-"
"NO!" Aknadin roared as he lunged at Yami, forcing him to dodge and swim around the city as fast as he could. "I alone rule."
As the chase ensued, Yami dodged, causing Aknadin to smash into a few pots.
"Whoa," Bakura grinned, "nice one Yami."
"Yeah," Yami panted and glared as he began to feel short on breath. "Not that this is difficult of anything."
"You can't out swim me." Aknadin snarled as he reached for his nephew.
Looking around frantically, Yami saw the shadow magic whirlpool. He escaped it once; maybe he could do it again. Diving down, Yami went head first into the spinning magic, followed by Aknadin. The crowd gasped and held their breath.
A few seconds later, Yami swam out of the top, and turned back to look. Aknadin lunged out, reaching for the prince… and grabbed nothing.
"What?" Aknadin looked down, and got pulled back into his own creation. "No. I am your pharaoh. I am your ruler. I'm…"
"So last season!" Ryou and Malik cheered as they swapped high fives.
Aknadin cried out as the Millennium Eye fell from his face and floated to Yami's hand. The whirlpool began to move out of the city, and Yugi swam up to Yami and hugged him.
"You're okay." Yugi whispered.
"Yes little one." Yami replied as he returned the hug. "Where is it going?"
"To the bottom of the deepest trench in the ocean." Seto responded.
"I don't deserve this!" Aknadin's wail was heard. Famous last words.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Pharaoh Atemu! Pharaoh Atemu!"
"No, no, please!" Yami cut them off. "I'm not your pharaoh. My father Aknankanon is. We have to find him."
"I know where he is." Duke swam forward as he glanced towards the palace.
A few minutes later, Yami was swimming down a tunnel that was hidden by a tapestry. Duke led the way to a metal grate that resembled coral, and opened it.
Inside 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 barely noticeable streaks in his hair. His hands were moving side to side as more black tendrils floated past and then down into a basket as they were collected.
"Father?" Yami asked as he swam into the room.
"Atemu?" Aknankanon turned around, and his face broke into a smile as he swam forward to greet his son with a hug. "Atemu. Look at you. You've grown a tail."
"I know." Yami smiled. "It's pretty amazing."
Some chirping caught their attention as Hikari swam into the room with a crown that bore the Millennium Symbol on it.
"This ocean belongs to you again." Yami said as he took the crown and placed it on his father's head.
Aknankanon smiled and turned back to his work. Concentrating, powerful tendrils of shadow magic floated past and out into the city, making the ocean vibrant and healthy again.
"Tell me," Aknankanon turned to his son again, "how did it happen?"
"I'll tell you everything, I promise." Yami vowed. "But first, we need to clean out Aknadin's dungeons, along with returning everyone's souls to where they belong."
A few hours later, a large and cheering crowd was gathered in the city. All of the people had been freed from the dungeons and souls had been returned.
On a platform in front of everyone, Pharaoh Aknankanon, now wearing the Millennium Puzzle, stood with his son. With them were the high priests, as well as the destinies, and everyone who had helped Yami in his quest.
As Aknankanon placed a crown on his sons head, louder cheers were heard from the crowd, much louder than at any Aknadin Festival.
"Member of the Royal Court." Malik said as he touched the new shell necklace he wore. "And it matched my eyes."
"Mine matches my tail." Ryou giggled. "And Joey's matches his eyes."
"Who cares?" Seto asked.
"Shut it Rich Boy." Joey snapped.
"In your dreams Dogfish." Seto snapped back.
"What do you dream about Kaiba?" Bakura questioned as he fingered a new dark red shell necklace as well.
"Yeah," Marik grinned, as he held his own lavender colored one. "We seem to recall you falling asleep at lunch and muttering something about a mutt of some sort. One that swims."
"Shut up." Seto snapped, making a good chunk of people laugh.
"Thank you your majesty." Yugi bowed; his own necklace the same color as his eyes.
The others followed suit.
"I should be thanking you." Aknankanon replied. "All of you helped my son."
"It's great to see the two of you together." Sugoroku, Yugi's grandfather, said.
He looked a lot like Yami's grandpa, except he had a dark purple tail instead of legs.
"You could stay with us forever." Malik grinned.
"You could even work in the boutique with us." Ryou gushed. "Not that you would need to, being a prince and all. But it would be so much fun."
"It would." Yami said slowly.
"But there are things you would miss." Aknankanon said gently.
"Yes." Yami nodded. "I mean, I love it here, and everyone I've met. It's beyond amazing. But I'm sad that I'll never see Malibu again, or my grandpa. I'll miss being human."
"Atemu," Aknankanon said, and Yami turned to him. "My son, you will always be human, just like how you will always be a merman. You are both, in equal parts."
"I guess." Yami said with a small smile. "But it was hard enough to hide a random change of hair color and body structure," bunch of mergirls faint, "how am I possibly going to hide my tail? If I went back, I would be a misfit, I would be a freak."
"All you have to be is yourself." Aknankanon said, and took a new shell from his pouch, pouring shadow magic into it, and then placing it around his son's neck. "When you wish upon this necklace, you can control how you appear. Human or merman. Bakura's and Marik's necklaces can do the same. That way all of you can return to the human world, and visit this world anytime you want.
"And I promise, you're not a misfit in either world. Everything in your history lives and breathes in you. You are unique. You are special. And that's what makes you strong."
Yami reached out and hugged his father as the crowd cheered.
"I told you this would happen." Mai smirked at her fellow destinies.
"Yeah, yeah." Tea rolled her eyes.
"No need to rub it in." Jade agreed.
"Would it be to awful if I leave now?" Yami asked warily. "I just know my grandpa's worried sick."
"Come back soon and visit." Aknankanon smiled.
"I will." Yami nodded. "I promise. Bakura, Marik?"
"We'll be back before sundown." Bakura smiled.
"Yeah." Marik grinned as well. "A couple of cuties promised to show us around town."
At this, Ryou and Malik turned 10 shades of red in under five seconds.
"Okay." Yami nodded. "Kaiba?"
"I have some duties I need to finish," Seto glared at him, "but I will be at the tournament. Someone needs to wipe you off your stupid surfboard."
"You wish." Yami smirked at him, and then turned to follow Yugi back home. "Good bye everyone."
An hour later, Yami was at the beachfront that was in front of his house.
"I guess I'll see you later then." Yugi said.
"Yeah." Yami agreed.
"Yami?" Yugi turned to his look alike.
"Yes?" Yami looked at the smaller male.
"Thank you." Yugi said with a smile. "For everything."
"You're welcome." Yami replied with his own smile.
As the two started to go to their separate worlds, they stopped, tuned to look at their counterpart, swam and wrapped their arms around one another, and shared a kiss.
"Wow." Yugi said when they stopped for breathing purposes.
"Indeed." Yami agreed. "Guess I'll have to visit more often."
"You'd better." Yugi said with a playful glare. "Or I'll set Kuriboh on you."
"Oh please." Yami played along. "Not the fluff ball of exploding doom."
"Then come back soon." Yugi said as he tightened the hug.
"I will." Yami said as he placed a gentle kiss on Yugi's lips.
The two pulled apart, and Yugi swam back towards his home.
"I wish to be human." Yami said, and his necklace started to glow.
As he walked out of the water, Yami saw Solomon working on a new surfboard.
"Grandpa." Yami said, making his guardian look up.
"Atemu?" Solomon questioned, and then smiled as the two embraced. "Oh, Yami. I was scared you went coming back."
"I'll always come back grandpa." Yami smiled.
"So," Solomon looked at his grandson's hair, "you're okay? You promise you're okay? I mean, your hair is still, different."
"Is it?" Yami pulled one of his bangs so he could look at it. Sure enough, golden. "Well, I like it. Besides, you need some way to keep track of me out on the water. What, with you old eyes and all."
"What was that I heard?" Solomon playfully glared at his grandson. "Old eyes indeed."
The next day way just had Seto had predicted. He and Yami had wiped out the entire San Francisco team, so it was him and Yami dueling for the title.
"And Seto Kaiba summons his Blue Eyes White Dragon." The announcer called. "How's Yami getting out of this one? His Dark Magician doesn't have enough attack strength."
'Like this.' Yami thought.
As soon as the Blue Eyes White Dragon attacked, Yami activated his trap card, Spell Binding Circle. Since Blue Eyes White Dragon couldn't attack now. Seto's turn was over.
"I activate the magic card Magic Formula." Yami said, making his Dark Magician's attack points jump to 3200, enough to defeat Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon. "And now I summon my Dark Magician Girl. And now my magicians, attack!"
With no trap of magic cards to protect him, Seto lost his Blue Eyes White Dragon to the Dark Magician and the rest of his life points to Dark Magician Girl.
"And Atemu Yami Sennen is the winner!"
Later that day, Yami took his grandpa out to the rocks where Bakura and Marik had first met Yugi. There he introduced his father, his new friends, and his boyfriend. Thankfully, it was completely fine with the older generations.
He also found out that Bakura and Ryou, as well as Marik and Malik, were also together. Seto and Joey got together that evening with some pretty intense making out that followed, but the still argued. Just something they couldn't get out of their systems.
But they were together, as a family. Just how it should be.
Alverna: The End.
Please review anyway.