Authoress Notes: Phew, this was a long chapter to write, and when we say long WE mean long. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful reviews. Blackrose wrote most with me adding in here and there. Merry Christmas you guys!
Blackrose: ^_^ I was more than happy to help out with this. Some not so nice familiar faces appear in this chapter. XD
VB20: :) And Yami and Selene are going to squash em!
Blackrose: Oh yeah unto the review replies:
SailorBlaze: ^_^ If she wants too then it's fine with us. By the way, LOVED the christmas part of your story. It was awesomeness. Keep up the good work.
Aqua Girl 007: Thank you for the feedback. Uploading the chapters sometimes messes up the formating and it's such a pain. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)
MutantEnemy6789: Well thank you :) There are so many adaptions of the story today.
Sunrise Phoenix: Thanks ^_^ They seem like real brothers in the anime and manga. Well make them longer for you.
Coka Cookie Cola: Thanks :) XD He seems so much older and maturer for his age. Well he is a 5,000 pharaoh, not to mention really hot!
Leviathan Of The Sea: Thanks ^_^ LOL, that one isn't good. Merry Christmas to you too.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything.
Plot:( Based on The Little Mermaid) Mermaids are mythical creatures that only exist in fairy tales and myths. A kiss from a mermaid or merman is the most powerful thing in the world. Once they are bonded, the love between them never fades. Yami is a merman prince who rescues a human princess named Tea from almost drowning, and falls in love with her, as she does with him. Even though they are from different worlds, they are willing to risk everything to be together. No matter what the cost. YamiTea JoeyMai SetoKisara
By Night One Way, By Day Another
By VampiressBeauty20 and BlackRoseDragonCK
Chapter Two
'Where in the world can those two be? The graveyard of ships is dangerous enough.' Yugi's thoughts were somewhat restless as he swam with the strong current. The ocean was unusually peaceful that morning, his amethyst eyes looked around nervously. His brother and sister were known to sneak off without telling anyone where they were going.
Kuriboh and Revival Jam followed closely beside him. The fuzzball's eyes on the lookout for the prince and princess. The graveyard of ships happened to be one of the most dangerous places in Atlantis. Sharks were said to roam there day and night many of them searching for their next meal. Kuriboh darted in and out of a couple of caves, squeaking in frustration. Yugi knew he couldn't stand not being without Yami for a second. The two were inseparable.
Sighing, Yugi continued his anxious swim until he reached the place for which he was looking. It was an underwater chasm, filled with towering columns of green and blue coral and oddly shaped stones. The stones leaned on each other, a few of them chiseled with large openings that led off into other oceanic passageways. Multicolored fish swam by, entering tiny holes in the rock that most creatures could not inch through.
What most people did not know about this place...was that it was the sight of Yami's secret hideaway. "The Grotto" as Yami called it, was an underwater cave constructed from a particularly large mountain of stones. A large boulder rested in front of the hole that led inside. The merman prince had chiseled a small, almost invisible Eye of Horus symbol into the rock to set it apart from the stones supporting the entire structure.
Yugi's violet eyes darted nervously over his brother's secret hangout. The light from the sun shone through the crystal water, creating sparkles on the cool, gray stone. Kuriboh squeaked with anxiety and began weaving in and out of the seaweed clumps, desperately looking for his master.
Yugi smiled lightly and swam over to the Grotto. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface...until they finally brushed the telltale Egyptian symbol. Grunting with effort, he pulled the stone backward just enough so that he could squeeze his thin figure inside.
Light shone through a small opening near the top of the Grotto's ceiling, illuminating the strange and unique objects within. It was Yami's collection of things from the surface world. Pointy objects, shiny bobbles, and grotesque things sat all around on their stone shelves, a few of them sparkling in the underwater light...but there was no Yami or Selene.
Kuriboh whined pitifully and gave Yugi a sad look. The young merman heaved a heavy breath of defeat, rubbed the fuzzball's head, and squeezed back out of the Grotto, careful to close the stone door behind him. Only he, Selene, and Yami knew about this place so he was always careful to keep its secrecy.
Yugi beat his tale rapidly, increasing his speed through the water. That was it then. The only other place Yami and Selene would have gone would be the Graveyard of Ships. The youth did not want to go there, to the most perilous place Father had forbidden them to visit...but he did want to make sure that his brother and sister were safe
'I hope they weren't eaten because those sharks would have one satisfying snack,' the ghost said.
He also was worried about his friend even though sometimes he wouldn't admit it.
Ghosts were supposed to be scary and fearless.
"Will you stop it already? No shark is going to eat them now come on," he said gesturing towards the dark crystal waters.
The path to the graveyard proved long and it was terrifying. They swam past volcanoes, boiling whirlpools, and strange eels that glowed different colors in the darkness. The whirlpools threatened to suck Yugi and the monsters into a place where nightmares were born. It was a disgusting wasteland, that seemed to drag on forever. Skeletons of drowned sailors stood out in the darkness, half buried in the dark yellow sand.
Sure enough ahead loomed a large collection of sunken ships from many centuries. Many of them torn apart by violent storms ravaging the human world. A strange dark purple haze clouded the graveyard, making it eerie and scarier. Not even a trace of sunlight could penetrate the shadowy land.
Yugi squeezed through the rotting boards of a century-old ship, grunting as he pulled himself free. The entire ship creaked, sounding eerily loud in the almost tangible silence of this graveyard of vessels. The place...seemed to radiate with an essence of darkness and oppression that was all its own. The waters were freezing cold here and Yugi found himself pressing closer to both Kuriboh and Revival jam for warmth.
The young prince squinted, trying to see through the shadowed waters. His swimming slowed, not just because he was scared, but because the water actually felt heavier here. Yugi wondered if that was just his imagination...or if this place really was as dark and dangerous as in all the horror stories old mermen told.
Finally, the youth's violet eyes adjusted to the dim atmosphere, and he immediately wished they hadn't. Gazing around and the dusky ocean floor, he saw skeletons of every kind. Fish, sharks, human, and of their remains were present, along with the gangly shells of smaller ships. One of the human skeletons was grasping on the side of a small ship, it's long, gangly fingers rigid with desperation, as if it were trying to escape from something.
Looking around, Yugi felt the fear building up within him. He continued slowly forward...and screamed when he bumped into something hard and furry. The thing he bumped into screamed as well...and Yugi realized that it was only Kuriboh. Chuckling shakily, the youth grabbed the fuzzball in one arm, Revival Jam in the other, and hugged both of them close.
"I don't like this place, guys..." he whispered against Kuriboh's fur. Both the fuzz and the slime squeaked in , Yugi took one last look at his surroundings...the murky waters...the dusky haze...the ghastly skeletons...the frigid, oppressive feeling...and realized with just a hint of humor, that he could pretty much figure out what his brother and sister were saying now.
"Wow, Yami..." Yugi murmured to himself in a mocking imitation of Selene's voice. "This place is..."
"Awesome!" Selene beamed, looking around at the dismal graveyard. This place, while dark and grotesque, was so different and exciting compared to the boring peaceful walls of the palace. Her hair was dark brown with golden highlights, falling down to the middle of her back. Ocean blue eyes gleamed brightly in the murky darkness of thick lashes. Her tail was a deep blue color, shimmering scales of a deep azure gleamed, and the ends were a dark blue. Over her arm draped a dark brown sack.
"You definitely got that right," her brother agreed. Though he never thought much of it, the young crown prince was exceedingly handsome. He had a slim yet muscled body, spiked hair of red, blonde, and black. He looked exactly like Yugi, expect he had blonde bangs that stuck up in a couple different directions. His eyes were a beautiful crimson red color. He had a deep voice that was deep and powerful. His tail was black with red, gold, and lavender streaks. The ending fins were of course black.
Yami had a serious, intimidating demeanor which often concealed his true kindness. He was brave, clever, and a little reckless at times. While he never let it go to his head, the youth was also the most skilled in a popular sport in Atlantis known as "Dueling".
As in most tales, merpeople were equipped with all kinds of unique and powerful magic, much of it hailing from the sands of ancient Egypt. One of their many astounding abilities was that they could summon illusions of monsters at will. enhance them with power-up spells, and defend them with trap spells. As the mermen and mermaids grew older, they gained the ability to summon increasingly powerful monsters and do complicated spells. They could only use a certain combination of spells during each battle, however, giving the ability its restrictions.
Merpeople brought forth these creatures and magic in duels, battles whose winner was the last merman or maid standing. For as the monsters battled, their summoner would grow weaker and weaker until they finally passed out from exhaustion. In a few rare cases, some of the duelists had even died in battle, making the sport a hair away from being extreme. This reason made Yami and Selene engage in the game with even more excitement. They were always hungry for adventure.
Adventure...and danger. The siblings stressed their friends and family to no end with their lack of safety regard...but it was just as much a part of them as their scales and fins were.
Beating his tail, the prince led his sister into a large, sunken vessel. The wood was an eerie gray color from the unexplained green lighting of this place and covered with scratches and splinters. With heightening excitement, the two royals squeezed through a side porthole and into the ship.
Yami smiled as his blood eyes flicked over the remains of the crumbling vessel. There were several human skeletons lying on the deck, barnacle-encrusted scabbards still clutched in their bony fingers. There was a wooden chest toppled over among the bones, its contents spilling out onto the wood. There were golden coins, priceless pendants, and glittering jewels. Upon further investigation, the young merman noticed that one of the skeletons had a blade sticking out of his own chest. A blade that belonged to one of his bony companions.
"Selene..." Yami gasped as all the pieces fell into place. "I think...that this was a pirate ship!"
Selene's blue eyes widened. "Really?" she swam over to look at the treasure. "Wow...I think you're right, brother!"The girl beat her tail and began gathering up the abandoned treasure, placing it into her sack with great enthusiasm. They had truly hit a goldmine in this little expedition., She giggled, slowly digging into the chest and pulling out a strand of pearls.
Yami's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful necklace, "That looks so beautiful on you," he said as his sister modeled the necklace. The mermaid searched for a few seconds more and uncovered a gorgeous red and black cross-shaped necklace. She smiled, "This is so totally you," she said pressing it into her brother's palm. "I'll cherish it forever," he said, slowly placing it into the bag.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small silver thing resting upon one of the broken barrels. She swam over towards it, upon further inspection she found that it was silver and heart-shaped. The princess came forward, narrowing her ocean eyes to see the object in her friend's hands. "What exactly is this?" Selene asked.
Yami reached for it, cautiously, and took it between his long pale studied it for a moment, before noticing something carved into the side, "Tea whose Tea?" he asked. Selene shrugged, "I don't know, maybe Ishizu will know who it belongs too," her eyes slowly wandered towards two crates that were neatly arranged along where they had found the chest full of jewels. She swam over towards them, gently digging through the straw to revealing hundred's of tiny alabaster jars. Uncorking one instantly there was the wonderful scent of almond oil. "We should totally take these with us," she said before tossing the stuff into her bag.
Yami picked up one of the swords and swung it in his pale hand, grinning as some of the eerie green light reflected from it. He turned to his sister with a playful, roguish smile and raised the blade. "Time to walk the plank, girlie."
Selene merely smirked and snatched a sword of her own. "What right have YOU to call ME girlie?" she cried and swung at him.
Laughing, the two siblings play fought with every move they had seen their duel monsters make. The prince locked blades with his sister, pushing her out the large, glassless window of the vessel and into the graveyard's shadowy waters. Eventually, they stopped battling and tossed aside their weapons. That grotesque purple haze was even thicker out here, making it difficult to see.
"Man..." Selene murmured, rubbing her hands over her arms. "It's so creepy..."
Yami nodded and swam forward, piercing eyes taking everything in. This area was filled with stones that were jagged like the teeth of the legendary undersea leviathan. Glowing, silvery jellyfish weaved in and out of the boulders, along with some strange dark green eels whose eyes gleamed a sinister black. The water was obsidian here as some sort of black cloud blocked out all sun from the surface.
Looking around at this strange and perilous place, Yami felt a pang of something stab at his heart. It was something he was not used to feeling. Worry...anxiety...fear...The prince reached over and took Selene's arm. She looked at him, confusion plain on her pretty face.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone. "Something does not feel right..." her brother murmured, his red eyes narrowing with solemnity. Selene rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Yami...don't turn into a flounder on me now..."
I am serious, sister..." Yami shot back, sounding a little harsh in his nervousness. "I think we should go..."
"Go?" an unfamiliar voice crackled, making both of them jump. It was a horrible, foreboding voice that was high-pitched and gravelly. "I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that, royals!"
The princess gasped and Yami brought her protectively closer to his side. Out of the murky waters, swam two figures, both of them radiating with a striking essence of one who had spoken had bluish-green hair that hung over his eyes, squinted and covered in large, golden glasses. His tale was green and blue, the end fins jagged and ripped in some places. When he smiled, he revealed a mouth full of sharp, pincer-like teeth that reminded the prince of an insect. The other stranger had long brown hair streaked with purple and covered with a tight red cap. His black eyes gleamed evilly, accenting a tale of navy blue and blood-red.
Selene tensed and Yami narrowed his ruby eyes into slits as he stared down the foreboding were unfamiliar and far too sinister-looking to have come from his father's city. That meant that they must have come from the dark part of the kingdom, the place inhabited by scoundrels and sorcerers of dark magic.
"Let's go, Selene," Yami said, trying to make his voice project the force and hostility he felt toward these two.
A cruel grin twisted the brown-haired youth's face. "I'm afraid that you two aren't going anywhere... after you agree to duel us." His voice was rough and filled with a mocking tone.
"Only this duel..." the insect looking one added. "...will be unlike any you're ever faced before. Your chances of victory are very slim."
"Oh, really?" the prince felt the familiar duelist fire build up inside him. He couldn't help it. The feeling of competition was something that seemed to be instilled in every being who engaged in the game. A quick glance at his sister told him that she was feeling the same thing, judging by the slight sparkle in her azure eyes.
"Very well..." Selene announced, startling her brother. "Let's duel!"
The green haired scoundrel grinned. "All right then. If we're going to battle, then I think a quick introduction is in order. I am Weevil," he pointed to his companion, "and this is my sidekick, Rex."
The merman named Rex started to nod, then scowled. "Whaddaya mean, 'sidekick'?" he snarled. "I'm the senior partner here!"
"By age," Weevil smirked, waving his finger in a taunting way. "...but not by smarts."
"I swear to the Leviathan, you are so lucky I..."
"Hey!" Selene snapped impatiently, long hair swishing around her like a hero's cape. "Are we gonna duel or just stand around talking?"
Rex turned to her and his lips twisted into a smile that Yami did not like. His dark eyes gleamed as he spoke.
"Feisty...I like that. I'll take the girl, Weevil. You deal with her urchin-headed brother."
"Fine with me," the undersea bug smiled unpleasantly. "Let's duel! I'll make the first move!"
Weevil stretched out his hand and closed those narrow eyes. His green brows furrowed as he concentrated and a sparkling orb of light appeared before him. The light swirled and twisted with a kaleidoscope of colors, eventually forming into the shape of its illusion. It was a long yellow and purple worm creature with deadly looking pincers and beady red eyes.
"I summon the leech known as Legule!" the duelist cried and let out a chilling shrill cackle. He then lowered his hand and looked sideways at his partner. "Your move."
Rex nodded and put out his hand, only he closed it into a fist not leaving the fingers open. He moved his arm sharply, and a muddy looking cloud materialized in the water. It writhed and squirmed, forming into the shape of a reptilian beast with tan claws and dark green eyes. The creature snarled and gnashed its sharp teeth, mirage drool dripping from the chomping jaws.
"I summon Gilasauras!" Rex said in a low voice. His red cap had slid low on his face, pushing some of those purple locks into his eyes. His grin seemed almost as edged as the dinosaurs he wielded. "And when this monster is successfully summoned, I can spend a bit of my spell energy and call another one onto the field." He did just that and an identical reptile appeared beside the first one. "Your turn, Prince Yami!"
Yami could feel the sharp fins on the back of his tail grow rigid as his entire body tensed. Something wasn't right here. Duelists had a limited amount of spell energy they could use to set traps and conjure magic. Depending on their strategy, they could choose to use much weaker spells, a few powerful spells, or a balanced mix of weak and powerful spells. So far, these two had not used any spell energy to protect their monsters at all, except for Gilasaurus's special ability. Were they really amateurish duelists? Or were they using a strategy that Yami had never seen before?
"All right..." the prince said, his voice low and fierce. "My move." He crossed his toned arms over his chest in a position like those seen on Egyptian sarcophagi. His blood eyes snapped open and he struck out his hand, making a burning flame of purple energy explode before him. "I summon the Celtic Guardian!"
An elvish warrior sprang from the fire, his muscled body covered in green armor. He had pale skin, catlike golden eyes, and long blonde hair. A glinting sword was clutched in one hand and he wielded it with great expertise.
Yami studied his opponent for a moment, worry building up within his heart. He knew the rules of battle. He knew that he could now attack Weevil's monster which was weaker than his. However, insect monsters were tricky. They were equipped with various viruses and parasites, making it dangerous to attack one that was unfamiliar. He decided to end his turn and not take the risk of an immediate disadvantage.
The prince turned to look at his sister. They locked eyes for a moment, a perfect example of silent communication between close siblings. Selene sensed that something was strange in this situation too and she liked it no more than her brother did.
Narrowing her eyes, the girl turned back to face Rex. She held up two fingers pressed together and placed them against her forehead, closing her eyes for a moment. She then opened them, stretched the fingers out, and cried, "I summon Goblin Zombie!"
A terrifying beast sprang out of the shadows that already surrounded the four opponents in this dismal graveyard. It had a green and gray, scaly body, and sharp teeth that actually curled outside its jaws. Its eyes were red and it clutched a jagged sword in one clawed hand.
With her beast summoned, Selene decided to enhance its power. Her body glowed with an eerie purple light and she waved her hands in the water, conjuring a dark pendant around her creature's neck.
"I enhance him with Black Pendant!" she said. "It raises his attack force, making him stronger than your lizard! Now, Goblin Zombie, attack one of the Gilasaurus!"
The Zombie sprang forward, slashing with its grisly blade. The sword slammed down on the dinosaur, splitting it in half and making it disappear into a murky cloud. Rex's jaw tensed in slight irritation, but that was the only sign of his being weakened by the assault.
"All right," Selene glared at her brother's enemy. "Your turn, bug boy."
Weevil let out another cackle. "My pleasure!"
The green-haired merman shared a disturbingly knowing glance with Rex and they both let loose evil chuckles. Yami liked that even less than he liked their odd dueling strategies.
"What is it you find so amusing?'
Weevil's awful smile widened even more, showing more of those hideous teeth. "I know what you are thinking, 'Master Duelist'. You are wondering what Rex and I could be thinking about this battle. How could two duelists who display such confidence duel so childishly? Well...we happen to have a type of magic...one that is stronger than you could ever imagine. It is this very magic...that will secure our victory!"
Weevil stretched out his arms and turned his head toward the sky. "I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"
In answer to his cry, an odd, glowing green symbol etched itself into his forehead. The mark was a circle with some sort of star shape in the middle. Emerald light shot from the symbol, bathing the entire field in a blinding glare. Yami threw his arm over his eyes in a desperate attempt to shield them from the glow. The force radiating from that spell was incredible, seeming to push him back and pull him in at the same time. When if finally dissipated, the prince slowly opened his ruby eyes and beheld a startling sight.
Encircling his and Weevil's field was a gigantic version of that odd green seal. It crisscrossed in that grotesque star shape, its sinister light sending a shudder through Yami's form. He felt an incredible evil force radiating from this "Orichalcos". An evil force...and intense power.
Weevil let out another laugh, his entire body pulsating with dark energy. He opened those beady eyes and they were glowing crimson.
"What is this?" Yami demanded to know. He reached back behind him...and found that his arm would not penetrate the circle.
"This..." Weevil said with a cocky smirk. "...is the Seal of Orichalcos. Once this is played, players can neither enter nor exit its magical walls. Only the winner is able to escape its wrath. The loser...loses his soul for all eternity." he gestured to his insect. "Not only that, but the Seal grants me an amazing power, strengthening my monster tremendously!"
The prince stared at Weevil's creature and felt his blood go cold. The leech writhed and screeched as a Seal engraved itself on its forehead. Then, it stopped, its eyes glowing red, and its strength obviously enhanced.
"Now..." Weevil pointed at the merprince. "Legule! Use your special ability! Bypass his Celtic Guardian and strike him directly!"
The bug soared in an arc through the murky waters, its horrid pincers gnashing with excitement. It zoomed over the elfin warrior...and clamped its sharp pincers into its target's arm. Yami howled in both pain and surprise. The monsters were illusions, they weren't supposed to hurt that much when they attacked. This bite felt as if he were actually being attacked by a gigantic insect, poison and sharp fangs sending white pain throughout his shoulder.
After a few nauseating moments of agony, the leech finally let go and Yami lurched forward. His shoulders heaved with ragged breaths and his entire arm stung with the supposed illusion of poison. The beast had left no mark, but it sure felt like it had.
"Yami!" Selene cried and he turned to look at her. Her slender shoulders were rigid, her blue eyes wide and darkened with a shadow of fear. That sent a pang through the prince's heart. He had never seen her afraid in a duel before.
Yami painfully turned to look at his opponent, who was grinning cruelly from ear to ear. His vision blurred for a moment, contorting Weevil into a swirl of green, flesh, and blue before laboriously refocusing. This was not good. If that Seal had the power to make him this weak from a single attack...then it most likely did have the ability to steal souls. He had to get both of them out of this...and he knew just who to call.
Yami closed his ruby eyes and breathed deeply. He called on the deep magical connection in his heart that bonded him to one more loyal being of Atlantis. This one, being one of his closest friends.
"Please..." Yami thought with every last ounce of mental strength.
"Please...help me, Dark Magician."
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed until next time!
VB20 and Blackrose