It was getting steadily brighter behind his eyelids, and Kaiba slowly cracked an eye open before closing it again when he saw a mass of red and black hair floating across his vision.

If he woke up, this dream would end, so he drifted off again, enjoying the soft tail brushing over his toes.

Atem felt the water warming up around him and he woke up slowly, blinking in astonishment at Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face beside him.

A dream? No…this was reality!

Glancing around in a sleepy haze, Atem realized with a jolt that they were still underwater, and the tide had buried them in the sand from the waist down. Only tips of his red tail were peeking out before another wave came, carrying more sand with it, and buried his tail once more.

"Kaiba…" Atem whispered, giving the human a shake, watching him frown in his sleep. "Seto Kaiba! Wake up!"

Kaiba opened his eyes reluctantly and found himself staring into a pair of deep angular eyes, and his heart jumped into his throat, rendering him speechless.

Atem?!
Right, because they had…fucked, and he had passed out…

"You need air!" Atem said firmly, moving to get up, but Kaiba's iron-like grip around his arm kept him down.

I'm fine. Kaiba insisted, giving Atem a mischievous grin. Ask me how I can breathe underwater. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Aghast, Atem threw his arms around Kaiba's body and pressed his ear against his chest, listening for a steady heartbeat, relieved when he found one.

"How?" Atem breathed, gazing at the colorful rocks that surrounded them in the cave before fixating on Kaiba's bright blue eyes, and his heart swelled magnificently. "Does it hurt?"

Kaiba opened his mouth to say no, but only produced a thick stream of bubbles.

"You can't talk?!" Atem jerked his head back, instantly worried. "Surface, now!"

I've been using the scales! Kaiba said hastily, giving Atem a weak smile and praying the merman wouldn't overreact to this news. No one else knows, but I've been testing them on myself, and look! I'm fine!

Atem stared at the CEO for a long moment before his expression morphed from incredulity to relief in an instant, and he grabbed Kaiba's hands in his, giving them a tight squeeze.

"You're using the dead scales?" Atem asked quietly, hearing his own heartbeat pounding too loudly in his ears. "…Then, was that how you were able to withstand cold water?"

Yep, Kaiba said arrogantly, leaning comfortably against the rock with a smirk. See? I told you I could do anything.

"Ra…" Atem breathed, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he threw himself forward to give Kaiba a tight hug. "You really can do anything!"

Kaiba returned the hug with equal vigor and gazed over the tips of Atem's spiky hair, taking in the beautiful golden sunlight streaming through the surface, casting a glow on Atem's tanned shoulders.

How long can you stay? Kaiba asked, but his question was barreled over by an excited Atem who was asking rapid-fire questions.

"Does this mean you can produce an heir for me? Growing one in a lab the way you said? I need one now, Kaiba! If I produce an heir, my sentence could possibly be shortened!"

What? Kaiba growled, tightening his hand over Atem's and lacing his fingers in through the top of his hand. What the fuck kind of antiquated rules are you living by? Who the fuck wants you to have a kid?

"It would get the Elders off my back," Atem said grimly. "And quite possibly, the entire Council too! They're really looking to me this millennia, and clearly, I've been nothing but a shore-loving disappointment."

Ouch, Kaiba thought mildly, reaching up to brush his slender fingers through Atem's silky blond hair, enjoying how they floated around his face in the water, making him look almost angelic.

"Well? …Do it for me!" Atem urged, fanning his tail insistently and exposing Kaiba's toes in the sand. "The sooner you do it, the longer we can be together!"

Yeah, I could…if Marik Ishtar hadn't stolen the last sample I had, Kaiba said angrily, giving Atem a knowing glare. If you can get me another vial of your jizz, that would be great.

"My jizz," Atem repeated, smiling in amusement. "I'm not sure how I could get that to you."

Find a container that has a seal, and cum in it, Kaiba said with an impish grin. Doesn't matter if there's water in it. I can separate it.

"Because you can do anything," Atem said, smiling mischievously in return. "And it's best if you avoided Marik. He's acting on instructions from Isis, my High Priestess, and let's just say…she's not currently on my side right now."

Avoid him, got it. Kaiba thought dully, resting his head on Atem's shoulder and gazing at his bare earlobes. Hey, why'd you give me your earrings?

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Atem said heatedly, his cheeks flushing with color. "This was a chance meeting, wasn't it? I thought I'd never see the surface for another century!"

You're a king, they can't do that to you, Kaiba replied stiffly, but to his dismay, Atem shook his head.

"I don't make all the decisions…" Atem said quietly, noticing how Kaiba's hand tightened over his, and something Mai said to him came rushing out of his mouth. "Kaiba, do you want to give me a ring? Perhaps, one with a diamond?"

How about...some earrings...and a fuck, Kaiba answered drowsily, still fixated on Atem's bare earlobes, thinking they looked weird without jewelry. Did you give me your only pair? Why the fuck would you do that?

"Because I love you," Atem replied, almost angrily. "And if possible, I want to have you as my Mate for Life, but we don't practice that anymore as a species."

Yeah? Kaiba said with a dry smile. You've got 'dying species' problems. I guess if I could grow you a bunch of little mer-babies, you'd be off the hook.

"You'd hook off my entire species," Atem said seriously, attempting to use human slang, and he earned a hearty laugh from Kaiba that made his cheeks grow warm.

I'll try, Kaiba promised, pressing his lips tightly against the corner of Atem's mouth and feeling the merman smile. Let's fuck again.

"You don't need…air?" Atem asked nervously, eyeing the morning sun streaming in from the surface above them near the entrance of the cave. "We'd better not. Someone might—"

Ateeeeeeeeeeeeeem!

Kaiba winced when he heard a high-pitched voice screaming for the king, and Atem threw him a knowing look, his violet eyes slightly wide with panic.

That's Mana! Atem thought anxiously, wiggling out of the sand and gently patting it back down around Kaiba's legs. Thank Ahti you can breathe underwater, and you look like a merman from the waist up. Stay quiet.

Please don't fucking leave for another three damn years. Kaiba growled, grabbing onto Atem's gold-adorned arm and pulling him into a rough kiss, feeling Atem resist for a millisecond before giving in fully and giving him a passionate, lingering kiss.

"Atem! Oh—"

Mana skidded to a halt and pressed a hand over her mouth, her stomach clenching strangely when she saw Atem kissing the beautiful merman she had seen last night.

The pale merman's clawed hands were threaded through Atem's spiky hair, and Mana wondered if she should cover her eyes when she spotted long waterfalls of claw marks going up and down Atem's bare back.

They had made love!

"I-It's time to go…" Mana said weakly, looking over her shoulder at no one behind her in an attempt to stop staring, but her eyes snapped right back to the pale merman's hands wrapped around Atem's shoulders.

I need to leave… Atem thought sadly, and Kaiba's grip tightened in his hair demandingly while a hot tongue grazed his lower lip and his angry voice filled his head.

We spent too much goddamn time talking!

"C-Come visit us in th-the Kingdom of Muran…if you'd like to see Atem," Mana ventured, wondering if she was being heard, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment when the men showed no signs of stopping.

She cleared her throat nervously, and followed up with, "Solomon would love to meet you."

Kaiba felt Atem tense and gently pull out of the kiss, and his stomach swooped oddly at the sudden loss of contact.

Solomon? Kaiba wondered, not bothering to keep his thoughts to himself. King Solomon VII or whatever?

"You've heard of him?" Atem said, unable to hide his surprise and Mana swam forward bravely, invading their space.

"Yes! King Solomon VII!" She said earnestly, looking clearly into the handsome merman's pale face for the first time, and her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

"Who is retired…and is my grandfather," Atem growled, hovering protectively over where Kaiba's legs which were still buried in the sand, and Kaiba swallowed thinly.

Oh shit. King Solomon had to be really fucking old because he had come across that name in the mer-fanatic's blog when reading about the eruption of Mount Kolumbo.

"Are you a Scholar?" Mana asked with wide eyes, floating daringly closer to the blue-eyed merman. "You sound like one…and, you're very quiet."

"Please, leave us be, Mana," Atem said hastily, gently pushing Mana away from Kaiba, who was gazing into her face with an oddly blank expression. This was Kaiba's first encounter with a mermaid, and Atem knew Mana's beauty was enchanting.

"And yes, my grandfather is quite old. He's the last of my living family, so I must respect his wishes." Atem nodded, giving Kaiba a smile, grateful that the CEO understood his struggles when communicating with the old man.

So he's the one who is imposing these ridiculous rules. How is he not dead? Kaiba asked rudely, knowing the answer immediately, and Mana gasped, looking deeply offended.

"What has he done to you?" Mana cried, growing slightly disenchanted with the handsome merman. "Were you alive during The Eruption? He saved us! How dare you—"

"Mana, please, he's not from around these waters," Atem said, rushing to Kaiba's defense and privately wishing he could've somehow kept Mana from meeting Kaiba.

"What is your name? What colony are you from?" Mana demanded, blushing redder and redder by each passing second. "Who do you answer to?"

Can't say, can't say, and it's none of your damn business, Kaiba sang gleefully, and Mana's eyes widened with fear.

"Atem…do you know his name?" She cried, grabbing onto the king's arm and beginning to drag him away. "He sounds dangerous! Let's leave!"

"I want to stay with him a bit longer," Atem said anxiously, trying to shake her off, and he lied quickly off the top of his head. "He can't tell me his name or colony...because…he's a Warrior on an Assignment."

Spending time with Joey was paying off. It was helping him lie and conceal his thoughts better than he ever could before, even managing to fool Mana.

Mana let go of Atem's arm and her mouth dropped open in surprise before she bent forward in a pretty bow, the tips of her ears red. "…O-Oh! Thank you for your service."

Oh you fucking bet, Kaiba smirked, eyeing the hand-strung jewelry floating around her neck above her large breasts. I'm going to make so many fucking mer-babies for you—

Hilarious! Atem cut across Kaiba with a glare that said, 'shut up', and Kaiba fell silent immediately. "Let me have a day with him, Mana."

"I promised Mahad I'd bring you back by sundown…today," Mana said sadly, throwing a gaze over her shoulder at the bright waters behind them. "Our journey will take most of the day. If we don't come back on time…I'm not sure they'll never trust me to journey alone with you again."

Mahad? Tell that fucker I said 'hi', Kaiba said, his anger rising at the familiar name, and Atem sensed a fight brewing between Mana and Kaiba, so he hastily grabbed Mana by the arm and steered her to the entrance of the cave.

"What has Mahad done to you?!" Mana cried, her voice rising shrilly and echoing in the watery cave. "You know him too? Of course you do! Tell me, what—"

"Mana…Mana," Atem said firmly, gazing into her eyes and giving her a little shake, "Give us a few heartbeats of time. I really need to speak with him privately, and then I'll come right out. I swear on it."

"I-I'll go, and I'll wait," Mana said shakily, throwing the handsome merman a suspicious look before swimming away obediently.

Atem waited until the bubbles disappeared from the water behind her, and he dove angrily towards Kaiba, hovering inches from the CEO's nose, hating the dazed look on his face. "You're frightening her with how much you know!"

'I saw a mermaid with huge boobs, Seto!' Kaiba thought faintly, using Mokuba's voice in his head. Was that her?

"Yes," Atem growled through clenched teeth. "Don't go chasing after her now. Do you think she's prettier than me?"

Kaiba let out a laugh, and a thick bubble of air escaped his mouth as he did so.

Are you shitting me right now, King Atem? Kaiba thought playfully, giving Atem a boyish grin, and he reached up to lace his fingers through Atem's open hand. I love you because you say hilarious shit like this. I spent the last three years getting closer to you. I think I've achieved that.

"Yes, yes indeed you have," Atem whispered hoarsely, gripping Kaiba's hand tightly in his own and wishing he would never have to let go. "I don't know how much time will pass between us until the next time we meet. My heart…hurts. I can't bear to think about it."

We'll always find each other. Kaiba said firmly, rising out of the sand and feeling Atem nearly squeeze the blood out of his hands while they gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

"Y-yes…I know where to find you," Atem said, faltering greatly when tears welled unexpectedly in the corners of his eyes. "But if I don't appear, please move on with your life..."

No. I don't agree to those terms. Kaiba thought viciously, tucking his legs underneath him in a formal sitting position as he pulled Atem closer and watched a glittering tear fall to the bottom of the sandy floor.

"Then I don't know what to do!" Atem raged, hating that he was somehow crying in earnest now. "The mermaids say I should let you live your life, but I see the way Mana looks at you like a potential Mate, and I can't feel happy for you!"

Then wait for me, Kaiba said firmly, shaking with disbelief at what he was about to say next. I'll find my way to you. I can do it. If I can grow a mermaid in a test tube, I'll have a lab-made Chrysalis in my hands. I'll do it, even if it means I don't do anything the fuck else with the rest of my life.

"You'd be...wasting your life…" Atem said, his throat closing up with emotion as Kaiba shook his head, his hair floating up around his cheeks, making him look more handsome than ever.

ATEMMMM!

Mana was calling from afar, and both men gazed panic-stricken at each other.

My life, my rules. Kaiba fumed, not letting go of Atem's hands when he felt the merman begin to pull away. What's the thing you said? Mate for Life? Consider it done. Marry me. Agree to do it. Say 'yes'.

Yes! I agree to it all! Atem thought miserably, hating the gut-wrenching sadness in his chest. I already know there's no merman or mermaid in this entire ocean who could replace you!

Damn right, Kaiba managed a half smile, and he felt a rush of triumph coupled with a pang of sorrow as Atem's hands slid out of his. Your mermaid friend is calling. See you in a few hundred years.

Don't you dare joke about that! Atem flushed deep red, and Kaiba let out another delirious laugh, feeling his own eyes sting and heat up with unshed tears.

He was about to ask for a kiss that he could remember for the rest of time, but Atem had already read his mind and had thrown himself into his arms, his teeth scraping desperately along his lower lip as their breaths mingled in the water in a frenzied but loving kiss, and Kaiba shut his eyes, vividly stamping every moment in his memory.
He wouldn't know when he would ever feel these Atem against his body again so he would cling viciously onto every precious sensation.

Atem's lips on his…Atem's tongue swirling against his own…Atem's clawed hands in his hair, and Atem's warm tail between his legs.

ATEM?! I'm coming in to get you! Mana's worried cries shattered their atmosphere, and Atem pulled away first with his brow furrowed.

He pressed a warm palm against Kaiba's cheek, caressing his face gently as he spoke. "Think of me. I love you."

I love you too, Kaiba said, thankful that he wasn't opening his mouth to speak, because he wasn't sure if he could anymore. His heart was being torn in two, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

He watched with a deep sorrow as Atem remembered to pick the belt up from the sand and throw it over his shoulder before swimming through the entrance of the cave, his red tail glinting magnificently in the sunlight as he gave Kaiba one last forlorn look over his shoulder. He turned the corner and disappeared, leaving nothing but a thin stream of bubbles behind him.

Suddenly feeling very alone, Kaiba sat very still, trying to gather himself together, doing his very best not to cry. No more crying. Crying had really gotten him nowhere last time.

Actions were what mattered, and Atem's words confirmed his feelings a thousand-times over. It was a bittersweet triumph.

Kaiba bent forward and hastily sifted through the sand, gathering up all of Atem's glittering tears in his palm the best he could, but his vision was blurry with his own tears.

He blindly patted around his knees, picking up every rounded gem he could find, and he rubbed his eyes fervently, composing himself. His palm was almost filled to the brim with gems, and his chest was impossibly tight.

It was really time for some air. He didn't know how long he had been underwater.

His clothes were also nowhere to be found. Damn.

Kicking off the ground, Kaiba swam through the water with urgency, curving around the large rocks that surrounded the entrance of the cave before he found a good open space to pop his head up for air.

He flipped wet hair out of his eyes and opened his mouth to breathe, but to his horror, his lungs constricted, and no air entered his lungs. His chest felt like exploding, and Kaiba sank underwater, trying not to panic as he took a deep breath, realizing he could still breathe when submerged.

His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he swam slowly to shore, and he alternated between popping his head up for air and dipping beneath the surface again when his lungs didn't seem to want oxygen.

Fuck. What if he had fucked shit up, and he would have to wear a tank on his head forever because he had slept an entire night underwater with Atem?

Worth it, Kaiba growled, trying to stem his fear as his lungs didn't seem to want to take another breath of air.

He hovered under water for a solid minute, breathing shallowly and wondering if he would pass out on the beach. Whatever. He needed to make the transition somehow, and putting it off while breathing the air in the water wasn't going to make things easier.

Gathering his courage, Kaiba used long, powerful strokes to fight the waves crashing against him, and finally, he reached shallow water where his toes touched the sand. He let a giant wave wash him to shore, managing to perfectly mimic Atem's technique, and he rolled onto his side in the sand, his lungs constricting with effort as he wheezed and gasped for air.

Curling his left hand tightly around the gems, Kaiba's vision turned red, green, and then pulsed white as he slowly suffocated.

Damn…damn…damn!
He was going to die like this.
Naked, and alone on this beach.
Not humiliating at all.

Suddenly, a tanned hand appeared in his vision, holding a dark green mass of something wiggling and slimy.

Kaiba managed to push himself up on all fours to stare at the person holding it, his vision blurring in and out as his brain and lungs screamed for air.

It was a beautiful woman with colorful beads in her hair, making a cupping motion to her mouth with the disgusting clump of as if to say, 'eat it!'

Kaiba swiped it from her hand and shoved the wet mass inside his mouth and swallowed forcefully, his ears ringing with a horrible noise as his body confused violently and he vomited a giant lungful of water the instant the slimy clump landed in his stomach.

Disgusted, he took a deep gasping breath, feeling air rush into his lungs in one deep surge, and he coughed, his throat burning terribly.

Before Kaiba could raise his head to thank his savior, bile came rushing up rapidly, and he vomited again, but this time, it was greenish, and oddly shiny with an unpleasant stench.

"Tsk," the woman made a noise, shaking her head with sympathy. "Young warriors like you are always popping up on this shore forgetting your slugmutt. This is how you all die before completing your first Assignment."

Unable to say thank you, Kaiba decided to keep his pride and cover his modesty with his hand.

The woman let out a barking laugh and rose to her feet, walking away quickly while calling over her shoulder, "I have clothes! Don't worry yourself, I've seen it many times already! Yours is not that ugly!"

Another mermaid? Kaiba thought excitedly, feeling a rush of vicious triumph coupled by a familiar wave of nausea. And whatever the fuck 'slugmutt' was, he needed a fuckton of it if he was going to be in and out of the water like this.

Slowly gathering his bearings, Kaiba took deep shuddering breaths, wondering if Mahad had vomited and suffocated like this when he rose to shore with legs. Probably.

Footsteps were approaching, and Kaiba froze on the spot, scanning the rocks for a hiding place. If another person who wasn't Atem saw him naked, he might just die of embarrassment.

"Oh relax," the woman called, appearing from another side of the rock and in her arms, she carried a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "You read the map correctly. Did your Commander not tell you I was going to be here? Or are they one of those, 'you'll learn the hard way' types?"

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth, after deciding to say nothing that would give him away. Something was odd though. She wasn't speaking Japanese, or English, or Spanish…but he could understand her.

"A Warrior who is a little rusty with his merspeak?" she asked curiously, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she held the clothes away and out of arm's reach. "Speak. Identify yourself! Name and colony! I see no Markings on your body!"

Shiiiiit, Kaiba kept his face impassive as his mind spun quickly. He could technically say Kingdom of…Muran. Wait, shit. He wasn't supposed to say anything. Mission failed.

"Technically?" The woman took a hesitant step towards him and tossed the clothes at him and turned around to give him privacy. "Very well, Undercover Warrior from, technically, the Kingdom of Muran. Your merspeak is sufficient. Now get off my beach, and you're welcome."

Kaiba scrambled to put the clothes on, slightly amazed that they fit, and he dismissed the fact that it was a t-shirt bearing a garish tourist logo as he jumped to his feet to chase after her.
She was the fountain of knowledge, whoever she was.

"Don't! Don't follow me!" She shrieked, weaving through the rocky structures trying to get away from him. "I don't want to mate! Go find a pretty young girl on another shore!"

I like men! Kaiba shouted mentally, racing after her on weak legs. And come back! I need more of that shit…that slagmutt!

She stumbled in the sand and threw him a frantic look over her shoulder, her beads clicking in her hair as she skidded to a halt.

"You don't know what it's called? What kind of Undercover Warrior are you?" She shook her head frantically, turning pale with fear. "Stay away! I don't know you! I've helped you enough! You may thank me by leaving me alone!"

"I'm human!" Kaiba said, choosing to speak English. "I'm human…believe me."

"That is what all merpeople say when they've surfaced!" She said, shaking her head fervently and inching around another tall pillar of rock, visibly trembling with fear. "Stand there, and don't come after me, or I'll cast a curse on your legs!"

She turned and ran off at full speed while Kaiba stood very still, wondering if mermaids could really do that. Blood pacts were a thing, so witchcraft and spellcasting were part of the same…genre of shit?

Realizing that he had been tricked, Kaiba let out a growl and took leaping strides through the sand, trying to find her footsteps in order to find her.

He didn't know what part of the beach this was anymore. All that mattered was he find her and learn everything about her and what she knew. If 'young warriors' were often 'popping up on this shore', that meant a Chrysalis was near!

Kaiba paused to catch his breath, growing dizzy. Too much running, too soon. He bent forward and braced himself on his knees, taking slow breaths, willing the bright spots in his vision to fade.
He felt faint.

Closing his eyes briefly, he perked his ears up and listened for any new sounds of movement or thoughts, but all he heard was silence.

Disappointed and disgruntled, Kaiba eyed his surroundings and stepped over the rocks to walk closer to shore. He could make his way back easier if he followed the edge of the water.

Sighing, he tried his best to keep replaying his last moments with Atem in his mind to help cope with the crushing pang of loneliness in his chest.

Mana's movements were oddly energetic, and Atem swam glumly forward, attributing her uplifted mood with the wonders of moon bathing.

It hadn't even been a thousand heartbeats and he missed Seto Kaiba's warmth.

"You're thinking about him again…!" Mana cried, doing a twirl at his side and giving him a sympathetic frown. "What about that pretty merman you just mated with? He left so many love-markings all over your body, you look like Warrior! Mahad and Solomon are going to be so proud…!"

And proud of me for helping him find someone he likes, Mana thought privately, congratulating herself.

"Ah...yes, him." Atem said, his ears burning with a strange heat. "He reminded me of Seto Kaiba."

"That's your ideal type now isn't it?" Mana said knowingly with a smile. "Brown hair and blue eyes. Did he say he would come visit? I know he's probably a traveling Warrior…but did he promise to make time to see you?"

"He said he couldn't say," Atem replied dully, already scheming for new ways he could communicate with Kaiba. "He couldn't say much."

"That's most Warriors for you," Mana said thoughtfully, "His thoughts were rather rough, but I'm sure if he talked, it would be completely different. Ever heard Mahad's thoughts? He's vile! They sound almost the same." Mana giggled, and Atem swallowed thinly, managing a tight nod.

"Since he's traveling, you probably caught him at a peak Mating time," Mana said dipping forward in the water and giving Atem a warm smile. "My peak is coming soon. Perhaps I could mate with him the next time he comes by? Would he want that?"

Atem felt his stomach clench unpleasantly, and he managed to keep his face impassive as he replied, "I'm not sure, Mana. Again, he didn't say."

"Well I would love to do that," Mana said with a huff, doing another twirl in the water beside him. "I saw him first, you know? He was sitting alone in a pool behind us, and I chased him away! Ah, now I wish I hadn't…"

Atem grit his teeth and said nothing.

"But I'm glad you got to Mate with him," Mana continued, looking for any excuse to continue talking about the pretty merman. "He looks like fun. I've never had a merman leave marks on me. They're all too…polite. Hey, was it fun?"

Mana glanced over at Atem, disappointed to find that the king was ignoring her.

"Atem…are you angry with me?" Mana pouted, noticing a frown creeping over Atem's brow. "I won't tease you about the human Seto Kaiba anymore…I'm sorry."

Atem bit back a sigh.
He was bursting to tell Mana the truth because he wasn't sure how long he could live with hiding it from her anymore. Or maybe it was because Mana was so obviously attracted to Kaiba, it made him uncomfortable.

"…His movements were very quick. I turned around to look, and he was gone!" Mana said, breathless and bright-eyed, still rambling about Kaiba. "Ever seen such a pale merman? What colony do you think he's from? The only other one that comes to mind is—"

"That man was Seto Kaiba," Atem blurted, clenching his fists at his sides as he swam forwards intently, following the crowd of merpeople's tails in the distance before them.

"Seto Kaiba is a Warrior living on land?!" Mana gasped, misunderstanding completely. "It is no wonder he knows Mahad! Perhaps it is no wonder he knows about The Eruption but doesn't know that you are Solomon's grandson! Oh that makes sense! His thoughts make sense now!"

"No, Mana…no," Atem began awkwardly, but Mana showed no signs of stopping.

"…And his request for dead scales is nothing but short of disgusting. He probably asked for it because it's disgusting, and he did it torture Mahad, who he's probably had a fight with! Oh, but he looks so young! He must have been sent up to land as a hatchling, before Solomon implemented the decree to stop the abuse of hatchings who wanted to become Warriors!"

"He's human, Mana," Atem said stiffly, but Mana seemed to be in a world of her own, spinning a wild story about Kaiba's past aloud while she swam beside him.

"He sounds like Scholar, but acts like a Warrior, and Mates like one too, but has no Markings! Atem, oh, he must have a highly trained past!"

"Pretty sure he's human," Atem replied blandly, no longer interested in humoring Mana. "Acts vile enough to be human. You've met his brother, remember?"

"But they look nothing alike!" Mana gasped, slowly piecing together information for herself. "The child was barbaric! Was that merman really Seto Kaiba, and not another merman going by the same name?!"

"Yes, and he's human," Atem said, growing tired of repeating himself, and he swam faster, eager to get away from Mana for a while so he could be alone with his thoughts.

Mana zoomed forward and stuck annoyingly by his side, raining questions down upon him nonstop, "But if he's human, how did he breathe under the water? How did you Mate without air? Humans can only hold their breath for about 110 heartbeats…!"

"Well…I met him on land while in captivity, and he's always had a pair of legs," Atem fumed, now wishing Mana would leave him alone. "He's acted human enough, and he's never given me a reason to believe otherwise."

He swam forward quickly again, but Mana caught up with him easily, and she gave him an imploring look.

"Don't feel angry that he deceived you…" she said, sounding deeply sympathetic. "Perhaps it was part of his Assignment. You never know. Mahad told me this, and it's to never blame yourself for the lies a Warrior tells you while he is on shore!"

"For the last time, Mana," Atem slowed to a furious stop and gazed into her eyes firmly. "He's human."

"We're all a little bit human," Mana said amicably, looping her arm through Atem's and pulling him along gently. "I'm glad I got to meet him. I understand why you love him like a Mate."

Atem fell silent once more and said nothing. The moment he got back, the first thing he wanted to do was visit the mermaids in Confinement and tell them about this meeting.

Mai and Anzu had picture proof of Seto Kaiba as a child. There was no way Kaiba was ever a hatchling, and even so, no hatching was ever sent to land at that young of an age. Atem knew there was one thing about Seto Kaiba that proved him to be irrevocably human, and it was the fact that he aged like one.

A hatchling at that age would remain that age on land for at least several centuries.

He had read about them in the books, learning that humans murdered some hatchlings because they never aged, and it frightened them.

The ones that weren't killed were hailed as Gods, and that was when Solomon issued the decree banning hatchlings from being sent to shore.

Atem was extremely sure that Seto Kaiba was not a merman in disguise, but if Mana wanted to think so, she could.

Author's note:

oh smackaroonies! This was a bit of a short chapter im sorryyyy! i'll try to make the next one longer!

comments and reviews are my fuel!

xo
Ugli