Authoress Notes: Thank you guys for all the love,Our deepest apologies for not updating sooner. VB20 started college a year ago, and to be honest we're still trying to get the hang of everything. Thank you all for all the wonderful reviews. You guys are so amazing, we love you! :) So, here's a brand new chapter of this story, I hope you all enjoy. Bakura and Seto come in this as well as Ryou.
Coka Cookie Cola: Thanks ^_^ Oh yeah it was a bad idea for him to throw it away. Yeah we know the feeling. XD Nope, they won't be trusted ever!
SailorBlaze: Thanks ^_^ Lots of romance is on the way!
RealshippingPrincess: Thanks ^_^ Actually yes but not until later, you'll see!
Sunrise Phoenix: XD Glad you liked it. We thought it was funny too!
Aqua Girl 007: Thanks :) He's going to be developed a lot more. That was a great line.
MutantEnemy6789: Thanks! No, they're human forever, and the necklace is going to pay a major part in the story.
Kender20: Thanks ^_^ No she's not going to be feeling any pain, the original is too sad. You'll see about the stone ;)
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 Nine
"Wow, all of this looks so good, so who's ready to chow down?" Joey said, gesturing towards the magificent feast. His dark brown eyes glowed, taking in all the savory treats. A huge grin spread across Tristan's face, "You betcha buddy," he agreed. It felt to the both of them they hadn't eaten in ages. All of a sudden, a couple of small monsters came running into the room, along with Mai and Serenity and young man with long white hair.
A cute yellow ball with four wings, the top two a beautiful dark pink, and the bottom a light lilac color, it also had a heart upon his head and two smaller one's on its cheeks, flew towards Tea, squeaking happily.
"Happy Lover! It's so good to see you," she exclaimed, hugging the creature close to her. "This is my friend Happy Lover, he's been with me since I was born," turning towards Yami who smiled in return. "He's adorable," he said. The winged angel bounced over to the former merman, nuzzling him with affection. Selene giggled, as he flew around her.
"Well would you look at that, he likes you," Joey said, as he felt a nudge against his leg. An orange small dragon with bright blue eyes was jumping up and down excitedly. "Hey buddy, I didn't see you there, this is Baby Dragon he's really playful," he said. The dragon bounced up and down in the air, showing off while flapping his wings. A yellow stubby lizard with fat lips and two antenna's grunted excitedly waddling right towards Tristan. "Oh yeah that stubby mutant lizard is Thunder Kid, you'll understand why he's called that when you see him in action," Joey continued. Thunder Kid grunted once again and blew a raspberry at the blonde causing everyone to laugh.
Tristan laughed, "Thunder Kid's my friend, if you were wondering," he said.
"He's so cute," Serenity gushed at the sight of the handsome stranger. "I'm Serenity, and I'm Joey's younger sister." She and Mai were dressed in light-colored purple and pink dresses.
Mai grinned, "I'm Mai, Joey's my boyfriend if you were wondering, he may be a total spazz but I love him anyway," she said putting an arm around the blushing blonde and giving him a kiss on the white-haired young man bowed, "I'm Ryou, it's nice to meet you all," he said in a slight british accent. He wore a dark blue shirt, white pants, and brown boots. He had an air of quietness and gentleness surrounding him as well as a bright intelligence in his brown eyes. Yami briefly noticed that Serenity blushed when she saw him...and a bright sparkle illuminated her chestnut eyes.
Ryou stretched out his arm and a slightly terrifying flying creature flapped over, landing on it. The creature had a small, dark blue and purple body. Two claws clung to his master's arm...and a large, golden eye dominated the entire face aside from a small pair of dark yellow horns. Yami braced his hands on the table, ready to get up and battle this grisly looking creature away...but the white-haired boy merely smiled and ran a hand over its head. The monster gave a low growl and rubbed his head against the hand that caressed it.
"This is Orpheo," Ryou explained. "He is my companion. He may look a bit scary, but he's really quite sweet." He smiled in the direction of Joey's younger sister, who went bright pink. "He's quite fond of Serenity."
As if to prove the point, Orpheo flew from his master's arm and made his way over to Serenity, growling happily as she enclosed him in a warm embrace.
Finally, one last monster entered the area...very slowly. This one was a turtle with dark brown, leathery skin and a golden shell that was shaped rather like a pyramid of ancient Egypt. It trudged over to Marik who grinned and leaned against the oddly shaped shell while patting the creature's head.
Marik announced, "This is Amon, my loyal friend. He is a very rare Pyramid Turtle. He was given to me because I have a great interest in Egyptian history. He has sat by my side for hours on end, giving me inspiration to continue my research into the mystical land of desert, even when my studies seem to reach a dead-end." the turtle gave a low grumble and his blonde-haired master patted him affectionately.
Yami studied Marik for a long moment. That dark skin...the black rimmed, intelligent eyes,the soft, gentle mannerism,the intelligence...they all seemed familiar somehow. He was about to further ponder it...when a loud clattering in front of him made him jump in alarm. Resting before the prince was a large, silver dome over a platter. The dome was shaking, as if possessed by some supernatural force.
"Yikes!" Joey leaped backward out of his chair, nearly tripping over his dragon in the process. "it's a g-ghost!"
All the monsters tensed, nearing their respective humans as the entire table stood at attention. Everyone held their breaths. The dome rattled a bit more and finally flew from the platter on which it rested to show Kuriboh. The little fuzz ball was covered in icing and crumbs that had once been pastries, his round eyes droopy with a sleepiness brought on by too much food. He burped cutely and waddled off of the table, unable to float due to his over-stuffed belly.
Everyone at the table shared a collective look before bursting into laughter. Joey lay on the floor and cackled while Tristan and the others pounded on the table or hugged their stomachs from laugh-induced pain. Yami shook his head, running his fingers through his tri-colored hair in exasperation at his pet.
Once everyone had finished their breakfast, groups began to form as the castle dwellers planned out their day. Mai and Serenity linked arms with a surprised Selene, grinning at her fondly.
"Whaddaya say we treat you to a little makeover, hun?" the blonde said.
"Yeah!" Serenity was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "It's not every day we get a new girl in the castle to dress up! Please?"
Selene blushed but beamed and nodded eagerly. Yami smiled as he watched the two girls hurry his sister into the lavish hallway. It seemed she had finally found some friends who called to her own personality. Revival Jam followed closely behind felt a soft arm slip through his and looked down. Tea stood there, her stunning eyes shining brightly as she smiled up at him.
"I have an indoor swimming pool too. Want to go swimming?"
A sly smile twisted Yami's lips and he slid an arm around the girl's waist. "I would love to."
Yami never thought he would miss the cool, silky feel of water against his skin...but when he stepped into the indoor pool in Tea's exquisite castle, it was like stepping into the embrace of an old friend. It felt wonderfully cold, a nice relief against the warmth of the blazing sun.
The pool room itself was radiant, just as skillfully designed as the other areas of the palace. The walls were built with grey stone and the ceiling was one, great window, making the entire place seem more like an enclosed courtyard than an interior room. Plush chairs were casually placed around the stone sitting area as were bright green plants in elegantly crafted vases. The plants had been freshly sprayed by servants, their leaves glistening with tiny beads of water in the abundant sunlight. A fountain cleverly made to resemble a bubbling creak ran along one corner of the oddly shaped pool, adding a constant coolant to the water which was made hot by sunlight.
The whole room was so beautiful...beautiful and peaceful. No chatter, no sounds of work or play penetrated the tranquil silence. Only the gentle trickling of the water fountain added a soft, pleasant din.
Yami sighed as he leaned his back against the flow of frigid liquid, letting it wash over his toned shoulders. He closed his ruby eyes and leaned his head back so that the water could drench his unruly hair. It felt so good to sit in the sun with the freezing water pouring over him... It also felt good not to have that cursed stone hanging around his neck. It had always sat, feeling hard and cold against his chest...but now it was gone.
In spite of that something still felt off as if the stone wasn't gone. The prince looked down at his legs which looked white peeking out from a pair of black swim shorts that had been given to him. The whole thing seemed...too easy.
A soft splashing made the youth look up in surprise. There...gracefully dipping a slender leg into the cool water...was Tea. He felt his heart leap at how amazingly radiant the girl looked. She was wearing a shell pink bikini that showed off the dancer's figure he had always suspected she had, her soft hair swinging free over her shoulders. Tea smiled at him as she completely entered the water and briefly dipped under, coming up with a refreshed gasp of air. Her wet chocolate hair stuck to her ivory skin and her sapphire eyes sparkled with a staggering brilliance.
Finally, Yami couldn't take being away from his lover anymore and he swam over to her. She caught him in her arms, slowly wrapping her long legs around his strong body. He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Well this is different," she said, as they floated together in the warm water. "It is, just us alone in this big empty room," he snickered. Tea raised an eyebrow smiling before he pulled her in for a kiss.
His lips tasted like rich, sweet chocolate, every bite was so tempting. Tea felt his tounge slowly sliding across her lips, before she opened her mouth to let him in. Their tonuges caressed each other's mouths, as the heat between them became even more intense. Tea gently wrapped her arms around his neck, as they continued to kiss.
The ocean was such a mystery to both, she loved swimming in the waters, feeling the cool, ocean water upon her skin, as she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of her heart, as she held the heart of the only man she loved, holding her against him, feeling the warmth of his heartbeat against hers.
Yami's fingers touching her bare white skin, his skin brushing up against hers, as she melted into his embrace, his beautiful lips running over her bare skin; as she felt herself surrendering her very heart to him, as the ocean crashed within both of their 's fingers ran over his strong, muscular back, as their skin brushed together.
"Your Majesty!"
Yami and Tea jerked out of each others arms, their faces both beat red. They turned in the elegant pool...and saw a young man standing on the poolside deck. He had dark brown hair that hung slightly over dark eyes of an intense blue. His skin was pale, enhancing the seriousness of his shadowed eyes. He wore a long white coat that seemed to almost defy gravity over a black shirt, loose black pants, and black boots. He had an air of slight arrogance about him and seemed none-too-fazed that he had just stepped in on a couple's romance.
"Seto!" Tea smiled cordially at the visitor. "How may I help you?"
"Your Highness..." Seto gave a speedy bow before resuming his ramrod posture. "I'm afraid that an intruder has just attempted to rob the castle treasury. The royal guard has captured him and are awaiting your orders. My suggestion is that you make an example out of him... if you catch my meaning."
A chill passed through Yami's heart and Tea visibly tensed beside him. It seemed this man was as cold as his exterior suggested. The princess recovered quickly however and gave the young man a gentle yet stern look. "Seto, he is a thief, not a murderer. And, there is a difference between those who steal for greed and those who steal for need." the girl got out of the pool and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her slender form. "Give me a moment to dress and then bring him before me in the throne room."
Minutes later, Yami was wearing a loose, long-sleeved shirt of white cotton, dark blue pants, and black boots. He was standing next to the throne upon which sat his lover. The chamber was beautiful, enclosed in glittering silver walls. The ceiling was held up by towering silver pillars that seemed to melt into a glossy floor made of turquoise tile. Tall windows rested on either side wall, curtained with elegant, dark green fabric. The throne area itself was a raised platform that led up to the chair, a solid silver furniture piece softened by blue, velvet cushions.
Tea looked stunning sitting atop the plush chair, her still-wet hair pulled back in a neat bun. She was wearing a dress with a wide neck line that revealed her shoulders and long, gauzy blue sleeves that attached to a dress of dark azure. The girl folded her hands over her lap and stared firmly at the man being held by Kemo and Roland.
The man looked rather similar to Ryou, however his long, white hair was styled in a slightly sharper, shaggy fashion. His skin was so pale it was almost white, its paleness enhanced by intense eyes of dark chocolate. His body was thin and muscled, barely covered by ripped, dirty rags. This man was obviously poor...perhaps desperate.
"We caught this scoundrel stealing jewels from the treasury," Kemo said in his usual low voice. "He's a slick one, this guy. Slipped right past our other guards...though I have no idea how."
Tea tapped her chin, eyes narrowing slightly as she was obviously running over facts in her mind. Meanwhile, the young man scowled and hung his head so that some of the white bangs dangled in his eyes. Keeping his head low, the thief glanced around the room...and suddenly froze, eyes fixated on the side followed the thief's gaze...and surprise made his heart pound.
There, standing quietly at the side wall was Selene. His sister looked positively stunning, with her gold-streaked brunette hair tied into a bun, a few pieces curled and trailing down the side. She wore a sleeveless dress of dark gold and turquoise, an elegant gold choker gracing her slender neck. Her oceanic eyes were locked on the thief's and Yami couldn't quite discern their expression. Before he could ponder it, however, his lover spoke.
"In the absence of my father, the king..." Tea began. "I shall not make any rash judgement. Judging by your clothing, you are obviously in need of money. You shall spend a few nights in our dungeon. Some proper clothes will be brought to you tonight."
The prince wasn't surprised by the girl's generosity, however Seto seemed irked by it. He could tell by the sharp stiffening of the young man's shoulders and the slight twitch of his mouth. He obviously thought that some harsher judgement should be rendered, though he said nothing.
The thief grunted as the guards began hauling him out of the throne room while Mai and Serenity scurried to Tea's side.
"Bring him clothes, Tea?" Serenity asked, her brown eyes wide with apprehension. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Tea nodded. "It gets cold at night in the dungeon. We cannot let him freeze down there. It is our duty to keep the criminal healthy while we wait for my father to return from his trip and administer proper justice."
"I guess you're right, hun..." Mai's violet eyes were averted. "But...who's going to bring the clothes to him? I doubt any of the male staff in the castle will agree to service a criminal...and the women will be too afraid of him. So who...?"
In answer to the woman's inquiry, a soft presence stepped forward. Yami's heart nearly stopped and he grabbed the throne in shock when he beheld the volunteer. Tea looked at her with surprise plain on her face. "You wish to do it?"
"Yes," Selene said in the form of a firm nod, her eyes hard with determination. "Of course, it won't be a problem."
The dungeon was an incredibly somewhat dark place, a couple of torches burned brightly orange light illuminated the stone walls, casting a bunch of shadows that danced upon the stone. Selene held a candle in her right hand, while balancing two other things, a bundle of clothes and a white towel with a small bucket of water. Revival Jam floated along in the air beside her, its black eyes taking in every inch of the creepy dark place.
"So this where they keep all the criminals and bad people? I'm so looking forward to seeing a dead body!" the blue plasma ghost danced excitedly. The former mermaid laughed, "I doubt there's any dead bodies down here you silly ghost, but if we see one, you are not going near it," she said. "This guy better stay at least fifty feet away from you, he might try to hit on you like those other perverts," he continued.
She rolled her eyes, "I'm not afraid of him, will you shut it!" The ghost crossed its blue arms, "Well if you need my help, I'll still be here to help you." At the end of the dark hallway stood a metal door, which was unlocked. She gently grasped the cold handle before pushing open the heavy door. They both stepped into a large room containing at least twenty cells. Each of them across from one another, all of them containing a small cot with blankets and a pillow.
All of the cells reminded her of steel iron cages that prevented anyone from escaping. In the very far corner of the room, in one of the locked cages sat the man who had broken into the castle. Long white bangs covered his face hiding it from anyone's view. She could tell that he had long thin white legs that were covered in blood and grime. He wore a dark blue torn shirt, ripped black pants and nothing on his feet. Even though he was a thief, she wasn't going to be nice to him.
A moment later, as she approached the cell, he looked up to see who was coming. Candlelight shone through the darkness, gently resting upon the face of the intruder. "Who's there?" his voice rang out in the darkness. She got a better look at him ocean eyes taking in every detail of this stranger's face. Selene knelt to the floor, gathering what she needed. His dark brown eyes shone with anger and pain as if he was hiding a deep dark secret from the world.
Bakura almost thought she wasn't real or if he was asleep. Then she turned her head and looked at him. It was stunning how the darkness enhanced her beauty. It covered her ocean eyes with mystery and made her pale skin glow. Her entire being relaxed and subdued. A dark blue plasma ghost was floating next to her its black eyes glowing with mischief. Inserting the key into the lock, the mysterious girl opened the door and stepped inside closing it behind her.
A cruel smirk played on the thief's face, "Well the little royal princess must have sent you to come and check up on me. How sweet, she really must care enough to do something as heart-warming as this, so tell me my dear what's your name?" he said laughing. She opened her mouth to say something,but then realized she had sold her voice to Dartz to become a human. Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of her voice being lost would never be able to speak to anyone again.
Bakura's laughter slowly began to die down, as his face became serious. "What's wrong?" he asked. She looked up at him with deep sorrow in her eyes. "It's all right, you can tell me," he said. But the sorrow in her heart remained there. Selene lifted her fingers, to touch her lips and gently tapped her throat. The thief's expression changed, as he understood. "Oh, I see, you can't speak," he said. In response, she nodded sadly.
"My name is Selene if you were wondering." Selene's voice echoed from the far corner's of his mind. He blinked a couple of times, as if he heard her words clearly as a star filled midnight sky. "Is something wrong?" her ocean eyes stared at him strangely. "Did you just say that?" he asked confused. The princess rolled her eyes and snorted, "Yes in fact I did, you jerk. Now would you mind telling me your name?"
"It's Bakura," he mumbled before she threw the bundle of clothes at him. Bakura flushed an angry red and raised his fist slightly. "Watch where you're throwing stuff woman!I don't have to take this from you girl!" he shouted, as she slammed the door behind her. "And I don't have to listen to a psycho like you!" she retorted.
"Now she's worth paying attention too, I like her," he thought to himself, a smile forming on his face.
A/N: Well until next time!
Blackrose and VB20