Atem opened his eyes, seeing nothing but the milky-green membrane of the pod, and rolled over onto his side, trying to see if anyone was in the neighboring beds.

No shadows were hovering around him, and all was quiet, so he slowly lifted the edge, trying not to rip the thin material as he sat up and glanced around. A couple of beds were occupied, and one other pod was sealed.

The medic came rushing through the room, her hair streaming wildly behind her as she approached Atem and bowed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't present when you needed me! How are you feeling, my king?"

"I feel…fine," Atem answered. The room was spinning slightly while stomach growled with hunger. "I am lightheaded. Is it from the blood loss?"

The medic instantly looked serious and drew the sides of the pod up around them for privacy, lowering her voice.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that," she whispered sadly, reaching forward to grasp his hands tightly in hers. "Your illness was caused by acute loneliness. Are you intentionally isolating yourself, my king? You need social interaction, warm touches, and a loving mate!"

Atem swallowed thinly and nodded, his voice caught terribly in a thick lump.
Acute loneliness?
Of course.
He hadn't been socializing because all his friends had left for decade-long shore duty.

Mai and Anzu were also traveling to and from shore so much, he barely saw them.

Mana had grown tired of his gloominess and chose to hang around Serenity instead.

And where would he get warm touches? From who? The baby octopus from the Timekeeper's chambers who often zoomed by to tell him a year had passed on land? Or the other octopus who was Kaiba's stolen Messenger?

And no one was suitable as a "loving mate" aside from Seto Kaiba himself.

Solomon came dashing in through the doors to Atem's pod side, his white hair flowing magnificently behind him while he clutched his staff tightly against his chest.

"My boy! Why are you doing this? You've starved yourself of warmth so much, you fell ill!"

"I said I feel fine," Atem said indignantly, but his grandfather wasn't listening. Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and he was pulled into a tight embrace.

"My boy…my dear precious boy…." Solomon held Atem tighter in his arms, rocking him back and forth in deep sorrow. "Please don't let your encounter with one terrible human dictate how you live your life. We've already lost your mother and your father to the surface. I know it's hard, but perhaps you need to see a Counselor? Your friends will be back soon, the decade is almost up!"

"I don't need…Counseling…" Atem said through gritted teeth, biting back tears of frustration and anger. "I want to see my friends on shore."

"We can't do that," Solomon said gravely, pulling away to gaze into his grandson's angular violet eyes which were glistening at the corners. "Amending a pact too much is bad for your health. Changing the base structure of the wording causes cracks and weaknesses…. It's not good! You'll continue to randomly fall ill, and we can't have that. You'll be in so much pain."

"I'm already in pain," Atem answered heavily, catching a sympathetic grimace from the medic. "May I leave now?"

"No, no. We are not done here," Solomon shook his head furiously. "We must find you a mate, or at the very least, more friends."

A bubble of anger rose rapidly inside Atem's chest as he glared at Solomon. He was about to protest but they were interrupted by Mana, who threw herself through the front doors of the medic's chambers and rushed to his pod with a tear-stricken face.

"Oh, Atem!" She wailed, throwing her arms around his neck and showering his cheeks with a dozen kisses. "I'm sorry I didn't notice! I just thought you wanted some time alone, and I was respecting your wishes, but I didn't know you would get so sick!"

Atem's cheeks grew pleasantly warm, and he held onto Mana's arms tightly, realizing that yes, he was starved of touch.

"What do you say, Mana?" Solomon prompted, folding his arms over his staff. "Let's find Atem a suitable mate, or some more friends."

"OH! Yes, yes," Mana cried, forcefully lacing her fingers through Atem's hand and gripping him so tightly, Atem's fingertips stung from the lack of blood. "Let's journey to a neighboring colony and attend some parties!"

"I don't want to do that…" Atem said nervously, but he was talked over by the medic, who seemed very supportive of the idea.

"YES! That is a wonderful idea!" she nodded enthusiastically at Mana. "I have a map to that colony we talked about in private…Shall I give it to you now?"

"I wasn't aware of this," Solomon smiled, looking very relieved. "What colony did you have in mind, my dear?"

Atem groaned and thunked his head back onto the sponge pillow, feeling a headache building behind his ears. No one was listening to him. Everyone just wanted him to be instantly better, thinking that a mate was the magical cure-all.

Well, it normally would be…if my mate was Seto Kaiba, Atem thought angrily, resisting the urge to poke holes through the green membrane of his pod while Mana and the medic shared a laugh.

"Is he well enough to travel?" Atem heard Mana ask anxiously, and the whole room fell silent, waiting for an answer.

"In short distances," the medic answered carefully. "Could I keep him for two more moons? He required a lot of healing, and I'm not comfortable releasing him unless he's in full health."

"Two moons?" Atem echoed incredulously. "How long was I in here? I'm not injured!"

"Emotional wounds are the hardest to heal," the medic said seriously, and Atem resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"Well, we can take breaks in neighboring colonies on the way, can't we?" Mana asked desperately. "We can look for a suitable mate in all the places we stop! How does that sound, Atem?"

"How long was I unconscious?" Atem rounded on the medic who looked unusually strained.

"You wouldn't wake up after a round of Healing," she said quietly, and a heavy silence blanketed the room again. "It was like…you didn't want to wake up. You were in a tranced sleep for four moons. No one could wake you, not even me."

"Did Mai or Anzu come by to visit?" Atem demanded, now incensed that this information was kept from him.

"No…it was only us," Mana answered, looking strained. "Solomon, Mahad, Isis, and I. Sometimes I'd bring Serenity. Sometimes Shadi would float in to check on you when he was bored. Your friends did send a Messenger, but that stubborn octopus wouldn't deliver the message to anyone other than you."

"I missed a message?!" Atem cried, despair crushing his chest so heavily, his next breath was hard to draw. It had to be a message from Kaiba! Four moons had passed while he was tranced, and if he was kept here for another two, a half year would've passed on shore…again!

"Stop! Stop!" The medic rushed forward and pressed a hand warmly against his chest, holding her hand up for silence around her. "Stop telling him bad news! He's in pain!"

"Which is why we need to get him out of here and into other colonies where he can meet kids his age," Solomon said gruffly, pointing his staff shakily at Mana. "I give you my blessing. Medic, make some medicine for them to bring along the way. He's strong boy, he'll make the journey."

"I said I don't want to go," Atem said loudly, but he was ignored once more.

"I'll prepare the medicines," the medic said cheerfully, turning and beckoning to her nurse. "Come, let's start mixing."

"And we'll start packing!" Mana smiled warmly, pulling Atem out of the pod by the arm and leading him through the door. "Let's bring your finest crowns. Oh! And let's fix our hair."

"Mana…" Atem said quietly, trying to express that he missed Kaiba, but she barreled over him excitedly.

"Do you want to wear a cloak? A royal cloak? You can wear that beautiful purple one that belonged to your father! And—"

"Mana!" Atem gripped her arm weakly, feeling usually helpless. "I don't want to mate with anyone other than Seto Kaiba."

Mana blinked slowly and nodded. They floated to a stop at the door to his room and she turned to give him an eerily robotic smile.

"We will go visit Seto Kaiba's colony. That's where we're headed. It was intended to be a surprise but—"

"What?" Atem spluttered, yanking his arm out of Mana's grasp, his exasperation rising. "For the last time, Seto Kaiba is human. Human."

"And I'm telling you that he is a filthy liar!" Mana replied heatedly, turning slightly red in the face. "Come with me, and we'll argue on the way Pharaoh."

Atem fell silent and decided it was best to say nothing.
When Mana addressed him as 'Pharaoh', it meant she was angry and wanted to be taken seriously, so he decided he would not argue with her anymore about Kaiba's species.

He watched her set a couple of golden armbands into a seaweed sack and sling it over her shoulder, holding a crown up with her other hand.

"Wear this."

Atem nodded reached out both hands to put it on, understanding that he had lost this fight, at least for now. Hopefully, Seto Kaiba was having a better day than he was.

"How many more?!" Joey groaned, lifting a stack of books and setting them heavily onto the van. "Did we really buy this much? Why'd they take so long to come back?"

"Because I had them professionally done," Kaiba answered loftily. He wiped his brow and stepped back to savor the impressiveness of their handiwork.

The entire trunk of the van was filled bottom to top with books and magazines that were neatly laminated in plastic.

He had paid good money to a craftsman to take apart each book in order to preserve every page, including the spines. Now, this shit ought to last a lifetime underwater.

"I can't believe you let me keep the porn," Tristan grinned, swinging the trunk doors shut with a muffled clack! and Kaiba rolled his eyes. Whatever.

He watched Joey climb excitedly into the driver's seat and Tristan clambered into the passenger's side, making a face at him.

"I called it, so you have to cram in the back with all the books," Tristan grinned boyishly, jerking a thumb towards the backseat. "Hup hup, Mr. CEO."

Kaiba pinched his brow in disdain and secretly wondered if they treated Atem this way too.

Atem swam steadily beside Mana, keeping the white staff tightly at his side. It was starting to grow heavy, and he was beginning to resent Mahad for making him bring it along.

They were approaching a familiar fissure, and Atem swam automatically towards it, but Mana gave him a restraining tug.

"Atem! Don't add more distance to our journey. You'll get tired."

"I want to leave this weapon behind," Atem growled, pulling Mana towards the dark crevice in the distance. "I'll leave it in one of the caves. We'll come back to get it. This staff is making my arms ache."

"Okay…hurry back. I'll wait here," Mana said, eyeing the darkness fearfully.

Atem didn't waste a moment and powered through the water hastily, eager to ditch the weapon. He knew he had to carry it because everyone was worried there would be another interruption from the surface during their travel, but Atem decided it wouldn't matter.

If someone wanted to capture him again, he knew Kaiba would show up to save him anyway…that was, if his punishment pact didn't kill him first for surfacing.

Stabbing the end of the staff into the wall of rock, Atem gave it one last look before swimming back towards Mana, wondering what Kaiba would think if he knew about this mate-searching.

"Good, you're back," Mana said cheerfully, looping her arm through his and pulling him forwards steadily, the water causing her hair to billow prettily around her cheeks as they swam. "The nearest colony is Joey's!"

"I don't want to stop there," Atem answered darkly, not in the mood to meet anyone new. "Let's go directly to the colony you wanted to show me and head home. I really don't care about any of this, Mana."

She gave him a long look before hoisting the seaweed sack back over her shoulder and turning her head away in a huff.

"Fine, but you'll tell me when you get tired," Mana said anxiously, and Atem nodded in agreement.

They continued in silence, and Atem quickly sank into his own thoughts as the miles stretched on.

Kaiba eased himself into the chair behind his desk, glancing around his room, thinking it had felt like ages since he had properly sat down.

He practically lived on the guest property with Joey and Tristan, so he barely had any time to himself. The two mermen had insisted they stick together as a "pod", and dragged him along in their antics whenever they felt like "Training", which consisted of spear-throwing, slug hunting, cliff climbing, and long jogs on the beach.

Sighing tiredly, Kaiba reached into one of the desk drawers and pulled out the two bracelets Mai had given him.

He ran his palms across the beads, enjoying the cool feeling against his skin. They were milky white with only a few black striations in the crystal, and Kaiba frowned, wondering what kind of stone it was.

Absently slipping one onto his wrist, Kaiba wrapped his fingers around one bead, attempting to count how many were in the strand but was unprepared for the vision that sent him reeling.

He was no longer sitting at his desk.
Instead, he was floating in a tall cavern with pillars surrounding him on all sides.
A merman with a silvery beard and long locks of hair approached him steadily, holding a tiny golden crown in his hands, looking sorrowful.

"Wear this proudly, my boy, keep it safe," the old man said, and Kaiba held his breath, shocked that his own arms were tan and chubby, almost child-like. They reached for the crown and the scene shifted rapidly. Everything blurred together in a rush of blue, green and white…so white that his eyes stung, and Kaiba realized he was looking directly into the sun.

Wincing, he turned his head away and saw the pretty mermaid named Mana playing in the sand beside him, gently sticking shells against a sand tower she had made.

She looked much younger than Kaiba remembered, and he realized with a jolt that he was viewing Atem's memories.

"What are you doing? Did you find more pink shells like I asked?" She demanded, sounding bossy. "Don't come back until you do!"

Kaiba felt himself nod, and he pushed off the beach towards an oncoming wave. To his increasing horror, Mahad rose out of the water before him with a woven sack slung over his wet shoulder, smiling warmly.

"My king!" Mahad held the seaweed sack up with a well-muscled arm decorated with a multitude of golden armbands. "Pink and yellow shells, as you and Mana have requested."

"It doesn't count when you do it!" Mana cried, her cheeks reddening steadily. "I asked Atem to fetch them."

Mahad rolled onto the beach with precision and gave Mana's arm a warm squeeze, and Kaiba watched curiously as Mahad's eyes softened at the corners.
What the…fuck? Were they in love?

The scene shifted, slower this time, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, once again seeing Mahad floating before him, but this time, he looked different.
His hair was darker, tied back in a slick ponytail, and he had a hardened look in his eye.
He was no longer wearing jewelry on his body and he had a spear at his side.
The warmth from earlier was gone.
Something had happened.

"This will be the route that only you and I will use," the warrior said, sounding tense. "You will use this in times of danger to get yourself to safety. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Kaiba felt his own mouth move, and before he could register what was happening, Mahad shot forward in the water at a surprising speed, and Atem was keeping up, his nose dangerously close to Mahad's elbow. Atem's blond hair flew around his ears as the water tore past their bodies, and Kaiba marveled at the speed.

The scenery flashed by so quickly, he barely had time to stamp each landmark into his memory, but he managed. First, they had passed various rooftops decorated with colorful shells and bits of glass. Then, there was a long stretch of water with nothing but a streaming forest of kelp to their left, and Kaiba blinked, amazed at how clearly he could see everything around him.

They continued swimming and Kaiba saw the remains of a sunken ship buried beneath them. Mahad took a sharp turn, and he followed, keeping his arms tight at his sides while his tail ached with effort, but he kept up, spying a towering wall of rock approaching as they continued to swim closer to the surface.

The air was thinner up here, so much that it made his lungs ache.

Mahad led him alongside the rocky wall and made another gradual turn, the pressure around his shoulders subsiding, but his chest was still tight.
What the hell were all of these feelings?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of swimming, Mahad finally popped his head above water, and Kaiba followed suit, taking a deep gasp of air and his lungs expanded gratefully.

"Quiet…let's not be heard," Mahad whispered, pointing at several houses lining the beachfront in the distance. "Come. Around here."

Kaiba stared at the unfamiliar landscape, trying to figure out where the hell they were.
Was this Japan? But these houses looked a bit old.

"Atem!"

He turned his head and followed quickly as they swam through a crevice of rock along the water's rocky edge, arriving at a small patch of sand with small pools of water scattered around them.

"Did you get all of that?" Mahad asked gruffly. "We can come up as many times as you like until you can remember."

"I remember," Kaiba felt himself say, and Mahad turned to give him a sad smile.

"I will always be here for you, my king. If you're too injured to get to this shore, I'll show you another place. Come."

The scene shifted into a blur and Kaiba found himself staring into darkness.

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba curled his fingers tighter around the bracelet but nothing else flashed before his eyes, so he let go of it, his heart racing with trepidation and excitement.

The beads landed with a soft clatter atop his desk, and Kaiba gripped his hair, his breathing ragged as he realized what had just happened.

These were no ordinary bracelets. They contained images, and memories of Atem's life below.

And…it seemed like Atem had given him a map!

A very clear map. He just had to find the small patch of sand with the tiny row of houses along the beach and swim from there.

Kaiba let his breath out slowly, feeling a delirious laugh crawling its way up his chest.
Holy fuck! Atem had given him a map!

Pressing a hand to his face, Kaiba's shoulders shook before he finally gave in, throwing his head back and letting out a triumphant shout of laughter. Gripping his sides tightly, Kaiba found that he couldn't stop laughing.

Leaning against the edge of his desk, Kaiba reached for the second bracelet, tingling with anticipation.

The minute his palms touched the rounded stones, the smile slid off his face as he was sent reeling into another vision.

Large ruby tears were streaming down his face while he sat on a soft spongy bed inside a comfortable room lit with luminescent jellyfish, and another old merman floated above him, gently consoling him.

"There there, my boy…no need to cry so much…." The old man said uncertainly, sounding as if he was holding back tears himself. "Your father lives on in all of our hearts. He has joined your mother in the afterlife. Don't cry…. They are happy together."

Kaiba's chest constricted painfully as he hiccupped, trying to repress another violent sob that was wrenching itself out of his body against his will.

Furious, he clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from crying, but it was futile. The scene shifted, and he was crying again, but this time, it was tears of frustration while he sat on a golden throne in the large room with the dark pillars.

Several unfamiliar faces surrounded him, debating amongst each other loudly above his head. The mermaid, Mana, was at his side, holding his hand tightly, whispering words of gentle encouragement.

"Don't despair, my king…you'll see him soon…"

"Confinement is not a constructive punishment!" A beautiful dark-haired mermaid spoke. She wore a white decorative sash around her head lined with golden threads that gleamed in the semi-darkness.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Isis?" A merman wearing large earrings asked furiously, and Kaiba recognized him, vaguely. It was the merman who had surfaced with Mahad while negotiating Atem's release.

"He needs to be present for the morale of our kingdom!" The old merman boomed, raising his staff solemnly. "We will amend the pact as many times as needed."

"Amending pacts too many times is dangerous," a merman with a dark tattoo on his forehead muttered, looking bored. "You've already amended it once, and that was pointless."

Kaiba felt a pang of fear and confusion when he heard this.
The blood pact he held with Atem had been broken?
Clearly Atem was trying to reach him too.
Glad to know he wasn't the only one breaking his back trying to meet up.

"Shada, don't speak unless you're adding something of value to this conversation," Mahad snapped, looking angrier than Kaiba had ever seen him.

"Men, let's not fight. We need to find a solution…" the mermaid with the sash said, sound impatient. "Atem needs more friends aside from Mana and those two warriors. He needs a loving mate…."

The scene shifted, and Kaiba wanted to scream, to claw his way back into that dark room and see the end of their discussion, but he was already being shown another memory.

He was in a garden of sorts, with colored seaweed streamers hugging tall pillars and assortments of coral were set artfully around them in a circular pattern. Surrounding him was Joey, Tristan, and a black-haired, flamboyant merman wearing jewelry he clearly made himself.

"Atem! Come hunting with us!" Tristan threw an arm around his shoulder and nearly chocking the air out of him in a tight hug. "Bring one of those fancy royal spears. I've always wanted to use one."

"Touching a weapon that isn't assigned to you will get us in trouble," the black-haired merman said dryly, and Joey glared, baring his fangs.

"Shut yer face Duke. Why you gotta be such a downer? We aren't breaking the rules if Atem says we can have a spear!"

The merman fell silent and looked deeply annoyed.

"Nah, he's right," Tristan said with a sigh. "I guess we'll have to wait until we get our own. Let's use sticks instead! Atem, what's wrong, bud?"

Kaiba blinked and realized he was crying. What the…?

"I hate to ask this of you…" his mouth was moving numbly as he spoke, his voice shaking with emotion. "...But can you find Seto Kaiba when you travel to shore? I want to know how he's doing."

"What's with you and that human?" The black-haired merman rolled his eyes and Kaiba felt a pang of resentment. That guy was not Atem's friend.

"I will find him," Joey said confidently, swimming forward to place both his hands strongly on Atem's shoulders. "Don't worry. I'm good at this stuff. Leave it to me."

Kaiba let his breath out shakily and the scene shifted once more.

The darkness was stifling, and all was quiet. Frowning, Kaiba leaned gently back into his chair and waited. Was that the end? There had to be more.

A warm bubble of light hovered in the distance and Kaiba stared at it excitedly.
This had better be a happy memory. He was fed up with Atem's crying.
It was heartbreaking to experience.

He found himself staring at a bed, the same one inside the room with beautiful jellyfish floating around the ceiling. Blinking rapidly, Kaiba recognized several familiar items. His silver belt buckle had been tacked to the wall, and several of his ties were braided around the stone posts of the sponge bed in a colorful pattern.

Deeply moved, Kaiba reached out to touch it, but his hand went right through the pillar.
He had to remind himself he was still sitting at his desk.

Atem moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, and Kaiba glanced down his entire body, marveling at his toned stomach and the thick red tail. Atem was…so much more beautiful up close.

Holding his breath, Kaiba continued to watch as Atem ran his hands down the sides of his body, touching himself sensually while he gazed into the mirrored surface right in front of him.

He was staring right into Atem's face, his delicate lips half-parted while his blonde bangs floated prettily around his sharp, tanned cheeks.

"Seto…I really…want to see you…" Atem whispered, and he reached a hand down his front, sliding it slowly over a soft patch of scales. In a heartbeat, a thick, curling length emerged underneath his palms and Kaiba rocked back and forth in his seat with disbelief and anticipation, unable to breathe.

Atem was…masturbating in front of a mirror…for him?!

Holy fucking shit.
This was like the equivalent of receiving a dirty video…but better.
His own boner throbbed excitedly inside his pants, but he held out, wanting to see everything first.

Kaiba stared so hard, his eyes watered, but he realized it was because Atem was forcing himself to cry. Confused, he watched as Atem began to touch himself in earnest, throwing his head back shamelessly and using both hands to grab his own length, his light gasps filling the air around them.

A wonderful warmth began building at the base of his stomach and Atem curled forward in a sudden heave, his semen spilling out messily out between his fingers and slowly spreading out in the water before him.

He saw Atem's face twist into one of disgust and fury before he hastily reached underneath the bed to pull out a glass vial, gathering it all inside and capping the lid with a sorrowful air.

A tanned hand reached out to gather up the tears from the bed and Atem's voice rang inside his head.

"I should string this into a bracelet for him…but I don't know if he'll wear it. I don't remember him wearing jewelry."

The scene was fading, and Kaiba shook his head frantically. No. He didn't want it to end.

This was the best fucking memory yet.

His office slowly swam into view and he found himself lying on his back, staring up into Tristan and Joey's faces which were both twisted with worry.

"Ah, there he is," Tristan said, and Kaiba felt himself being sat up by a strong hand. "See Mokuba? He's fine! Toldja."

Kaiba's head rushed violently, and he curled his knees to his chest when he realized he was still hard.

"Ohhhhh…I know what he sent you," Joey said knowingly with a grin, and Mokuba appeared, shoving Tristan aside roughly to kneel beside Seto.

"What the hell, Seto?!" Mokuba pressed a clammy hand against Seto's forehead, checking his temperature. "I came in and you were slumped over your desk!"

"He was having a fun time," Joey said amicably, but he received a glare from Mokuba in response.

"Don't fucking do that again," Mokuba hissed, rising to his feet and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard, the crystals on the chandelier rattled.

Tristan crossed his legs and propped his head up on one hand, pointing lazily at the door. "You guys are related? I would've never guessed. What did you see?"

"I saw…you two goons," Kaiba whispered, wishing he could be alone so he could touch himself to the dirty memory Atem had sent. "And a black-haired jewelry-wearing gay named Duke."

"Wow, language. I think Duke likes women," Tristan grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Aw, how nice. Atem included us in the memories?"

Kaiba nodded mutely, thinking that his original assumption about Joey and Tristan had been correct. They treated Atem with the same amount of disrespect, and it struck him that this was probably why Atem liked them so much.

Being with Joey and Tristan made him forget his status for a while, and he was treated like a fucking normal human being.

"I'd like to be alone," Kaiba said stiffly, nodding at the door. "Leave."

"Yep, don't gotta tell me twice," Joey leapt to his feet and dashing towards the exit. "C'mon Tristan."

Tristan gave Kaiba a long hard look before he also stood and nodded, offering a helping hand out to Kaiba, but he was viciously ignored.

"Suit yourself rich boy," Tristan sniffed, his footsteps pattering across the stone floors as he hurried out of Kaiba's room and closed the door softly behind himself.

Kaiba lowered his head and stared at his knees, piecing together everything he had just seen.

Atem had sent him his entire life's story, starting with accepting the crown at a young age from a man who Kaiba assumed was Atem's father, and it seemed Atem wasn't prepared for the sudden deaths of his parents—which left him growing up with Mana and Mahad, who were his two closest family members along with the other white-haired merman, who Kaiba assumed was Solomon, the grandfather.

He also had the names and faces of everyone in Atem's court.

The woman with the white sash was Priestess Isis, and she looked nothing like Marik.

A man with a dark tattoo on his forehead was Shada, known for his annoying, dry remarks.

The man with scripture tattooed down the side of his face had been absent, but the man with obnoxious earrings was present. Kaiba had a feeling Mahad wasn't on good terms with any of those men given the way he had snapped at everyone.

So Mana and Mahad were on Atem's side. Mahad was not his enemy.
Was that what Atem was trying to tell him?

Nodding slowly to himself, Kaiba got to his feet with some effort and eased back into his chair, staring at his bed across the room. Maybe he could also masturbate in front of a mirror and send one back to Atem. Were the beads tears?

Kaiba snatched the bracelet up and waited for the rush of memories again, but nothing happened.

Frowning, he slid each bead through his fingers, noticing that one was larger than all the rest. Weird. Maybe it was a once-a-day type of thing. He had to figure it out without running tests on it because he couldn't compromise the memories inside the beads.

Joey and Tristan were as close as he could get to Atem, so Kaiba resolved to be nicer to the two mermen.

It seemed they were Atem's only friends, and they were up here, with him.

Then he must be so fucking lonely down there! Kaiba realized with a terrible jolt.

Mai and Anzu were always waiting intermittently at Joey's drop-off spot on the beach, and Mana was more like an annoying little sister.

Intrigued, Kaiba slipped the bracelets onto his wrist, pleased to see that they fit perfectly. He tugged at them, noticing that they had been strung carefully with…a used fishing line.

Wow, pollution is a problem, Kaiba thought, disgruntled, but he shoved the unpleasant thought away. At least merpeople at the bottom were making the best use of the garbage, and that made him feel marginally better.

Atem swam slowly beside Mana, feeling extremely drowsy as they floated near the hemisphere of a dimly lit colony.

Tiny dwellings were barely visible in the darkness beneath them, and many were covered with intentionally planted stalks of seaweed dyed jet black. Everything looked unwelcoming and very ominous.

He shivered, wondering why it was so quiet, and Mana gripped his arm painfully, sounding a bit scared.

"W-Where are the hemisphere guards? I mean…I heard things about this colony, but I didn't think…." Her voice trailed off sadly, and Atem glanced around frantically, his uncertainty rising as the silence rang heavily in the air.

"What? What is it? Tell me what people say about this place." Atem hissed. He had half the mind to turn around and leave. It didn't matter how tired he was, because this colony was barely functioning, which meant they could possibly be chased away with violence.

"That…this colony has been ravaged by war," Mana whispered. "Their population has dwindled because they sent most of their hatchlings to fight on land."

Atem grew cold all over and said nothing.
There was no way Seto Kaiba had ever come from a place like this, so could they leave now?

"Hello?!" Mana called shakily, her voice echoing around them, and no one answered.

"You got your proof," Atem said stiffly, glancing over his shoulder and looking for a rocky wall they could rest against. "Let's leave."

Mana hesitated for a moment before nodding sadly.

Atem looped his arm through hers and began to pull her away, right before they heard a man's voice ring out behind them.

"Halt! Who goes there? Turn around…slowly! State your name and business."

Atem grit his teeth and did as he was told, feeling Mana's arm slip away from his as she held them up, trembling with fear.

"We come in peace," Mana whispered, all her earlier bravery vanishing when she saw the merman floating before them was wearing a helmet with a sharp object protruding from the center. His expression was unreadable, and the staff he held at his side was rusting badly.

"I am King Atem," Atem said nervously, lowering his hands a fraction of an inch. "...From the Kingdom of Muran. We were just passing by. Please let us go."

"Oh! You're from Muran…! Are you Mana?" The man asked, his tone and demeanor changing instantly. He lifted the helmet off his head, letting his long brown locks cascade down his shoulders, and Atem froze, unable to draw his next breath: this man heavily resembled Kaiba…almost too much.

"You got my message?" Mana gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth and turning pink at the cheeks. "Hello! Oh, it's so nice to meet you! You must be Prince Seth!"

"Just Seth. I'm not the prince of anything," the man smiled brightly, and Atem's mouth fell open as he gaped shamelessly.
Wh-Who was this handsome look-alike?
This man was not Seto Kaiba?
But the name even sounded similar.
Seth and Seto were practically the same name.

His fin was a wonderful shade of dark blue with a hint of green, and his straight brown hair was so long, it swirled around his elbows when he swam forward and bowed politely.

"King Atem. I welcome you humbly into my home," he said deeply, straightening up and reaching his hand out for a shake.

Unable to move, Atem just stared.

His soul had evacuated his body when his mouth fell open earlier.
Even when this man smiled, he looked…very much like Kaiba.

"Is he…feeling sick?" Seth asked, frowning. He turned and bowed for Mana, kissing her hand gently. "Please, come rest. I know your colony is quite far from here."

He hefted the rusting staff over his shoulder and led them down to the ocean floor, pointing at each dark hole that emerged from the sand, giving them a short tour.

"That is our Medic's Chambers, this is our library…that is the Shrine…" He fell silent as they passed a towering slab of wood in the sand, with hundreds of names carved upon it in neat lines, and Atem shivered again.

Were they names of the dead?

"Dead…or missing," Seth answered quietly with his head lowered. "Please don't look too long. Let's go somewhere more cheerful."

Mana grabbed onto Atems arm again, her hands oddly cold as she whispered into his ear. "Believe me now?"

"Why?" Atem argued stubbornly, his cheeks heating up with frustration. "Just because you found Kaiba's underwater twin, I'm supposed to believe you?"

"What did you say?" Seth whirled around quickly; his eyes wide with curiosity. "Say it again. I didn't hear you."

"N-Nothing! I said nothing," Atem said hoarsely, his chest swirling with a mixture of anxiety and terror. "Please, continue."

"No." Seth swam dangerously close to his face, bobbing threateningly up and down in the water before him with his blue eyes narrowed. "Tell me what you said."

Atem opened and closed his mouth nervously, noticing that Seth's eyes were a slightly more oval than Kaiba's, and his cheeks were fuller. They…looked similar but not completely identical.

"Kaiba," Seth said evenly, hearing Atem's passing thought and his eyes darted suspiciously between him and Mana. "Yes, that is the vile human who killed my entire family and drove our colony to near extinction. You don't have to whisper. I won't be offended. Let's talk inside."

He turned around with a soft swish and beckoned for them to follow him through a narrow crevice in the broken hull of a metal ship.

Atem held his breath and Mana's nervous grip nearly wrench his hand off as they swam steadily inside the abandoned vessel. They were welcomed by the warm glow of a human lamp hanging from the ceiling, and several tattered chairs hugged the walls with the white stuffing coming out of their faded red cushions.

"Beautiful décor," Mana squeaked, glancing around nervously at all the human artifacts. "It feels like home."

"Ha," Seth scoffed, and he sat himself gracefully down on a blue tattered couch with golden armrests that were rusting badly at the corners. "This is all debris from the war. We don't have enough men or strength to move anything, so we've settled in."

Mana pulled Atem into a sitting position on one of the red chairs, and he tried his best to keep the distressed emotions from showing on his face, but it wasn't working. Seth was stealing glances at him, as if checking to see if he was comfortable, and his handsome face darkened with eerie familiarity.

"I know this sounds desperate given the state of my colony…" Seth said carefully, lacing his hands around his tail and leaning forward politely with a nod. "But I will gladly Mate compassionately with anyone you deem worthy from your colony, King Atem."

Unable to speak, Atem just nodded, trying to swallow the painful lump stuck in his throat.

This was unreal.
This had to be a bad dream.
Seth had said Kaiba drove his colony to near extinction?
His gentle, loving Kaiba had murdered the entire list of people on the wooden board? That…couldn't be!
The Kaiba he knew was kind and accommodating.
His metal ships cleaned up garbage and he had a loving air about him.

Only a cold murderer with no soul could kill thousands of merpeople and live with himself the next day.

"Atem…" Mana whispered, nudging him with her elbow. "Your thoughts are leaking badly…"

"Thank you for your sympathy," Seth said coldly, glancing slowly at the ceiling before he lowered his gaze, and Atem realized he had just rolled his eyes.
H-How strange. Kaiba didn't roll his eyes like that.

"I have to ask," Seth tilted his head, looking interested. "You talk as if you know this Kaiba personally, but he perished on land. We have confirmation of his death. The first name was Gozaburo. Who is this other Kaiba you speak of? Perhaps a human with the same surname?"

Atem blinked rapidly, trying to remember why that name sounded so familiar. Gozaburo Kaiba…

The old man wearing the red suit on the magazine cover! Atem's eyes widened as he slowly began to piece everything together.

The name of his father's killer was never spoken aloud in his court, and Solomon only said things like, "your father was taken by the war."

Gozaburo Kaiba was the man Mai mentioned who had started the most recent war, which his father had ended…at the cost of his life

The realization sent him reeling, and Atem lowered his head heavily, feeling tears building painfully behind his eyes.

Gozaburo Kaiba had directly caused the death of his father.

"Ahahaha! I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse our King for his silence," Mana said, faking a laugh and swatting her hand in front of her nose while shooting Atem a glare. "He was recently captured by a man named Kaiba and suffered several moons of shore illness afterwards. He is traumatized."

"A kin of Kaiba?" Seth sat up straighter with a fiery glint in his blue eyes. "What did he look like? Did he hurt you? You seem to have survived, seeing as how you have all your fins and arms still attached. Tell me everything!"

Atem raised his head slowly, finally meeting Seth's gaze for the first time, his heart thundering thickly in his chest as he choked out his words. "…He looked…exactly like you."

Seth's eyes were almost the same shade of blue. His hair was the same shade of brown, and their resemblance was striking.

What little color was left in Seth's face drained quickly, and his mouth fell open in shock.

I-Impossible! Seth swallowed thinly, gripping the armrest of the couch as he trembled with disbelief.

"Is it?" Mana asked carefully, her voice echoing in the large space around them. "So, it is possible that he is…your kin?"

"I had a brother!" Seth said in a desperate rush, the color returning to his face in a steady flush of red. "A twin brother. We were separated by my horrible parents who thought our chances of survival were better if they sent him to shore. The last time I saw him was decades ago before King Solomon banned hatchlings from surfacing. He can't be alive. The time doesn't add up!"

"What do you mean?" Atem asked through numb lips. Everything was numb.
He couldn't feel his own heart beating inside his chest anymore due to shock.
This meant Kaiba was from the ocean, but that couldn't be right!
Kaiba was human!

"My brother and I were separated for…" Seth's expression darkened, and he tapped the center of his palm with one clawed finger, counting steadily.

"Five decades," Seth finished, his hand shaking visibly. "If my brother survived as a child on land for five decades, I'm sure we would've known. He would've tried to come home! Immortal children don't bode well with humans. We've learned that much."

Atem shook his head instinctively.
Kaiba was human, and he aged like one.
It had to be a coincidence.
But then again…he hadn't seen Kaiba in almost two decades since their meeting at Cathedral Beach.

"A coincidence then," Seth said gruffly, nodding. "Everyone has a twin somewhere. I won't hold out hope. My entire family is gone. There is no one here aside from several Elders. Their kin have moved to other colonies to start families."

"Are you looking to move?" Mana asked gently, glancing around at the tattered furniture that surrounded them. "Our court could use a handsome and resourceful merman like yourself!"

Atem's eyes widened and he tensed. No. That would be bad….
It was horrible enough he'd been separated from Kaiba, but having a court member who looked like his identical twin would only prolong his own suffering.

"No thank you," Seth declined, sounding cold and distant once more. "I appreciate the invite, but I'm going to remain here. This colony is my responsibility and I won't abandon them until everyone has safely relocated on their own terms."

"Oh, how noble of you," Mana gushed, her ears reddening slightly. "We have room in our colony! We have an excellent Medic who specializes in healing for Elders—"

"No. Thank you," Seth enunciated, and Atem felt a shiver go down his spine at the familiar tone in his voice. It was impossible…

But was it? Kaiba was cunning and smart.
He had a glass tank that was the most sophisticated human technology he had ever encountered. Kaiba had built his own kingdom on land, and he lived in a castle…on land.
Those riches took time to acquire, right?
Gozaburo had adopted Seto at a young age.

Trauma could have accelerated his growth…but that was a far-off theory, just like the rumor where mating with humans caused infertility.

But was there a way to prove it?

"Atem?" Mana gave him a soft pat on the shoulder, gazing deeply into his eyes with her brow furrowed in worry. "What are you going on about?"

"Is there proof?" Atem asked quietly, raking his gaze up and down Seth's toned stomach, feeling his cheeks burn. "Does your twin brother have any identifying marks?"

"Yes, but you'll never see it," Seth scoffed, lacing his arms behind his head and leaning back into the couch. "Our parents Marked us on our scalps when we were hatchlings because the Medics were always confusing us, accidentally feeding us the same nutrients twice…that sort of thing. The moment we grew hair, people could never tell us apart anyway."

Mana gasped and dug her fingernails painfully into Atem's arm, grinning wildly.

"That explains it! That explains why he doesn't have any marks!" she cried, shaking Atem so roughly, he saw green spots dotting his vision. "Right, Atem?! Right?! You'd have to shave his head to see his Mark!"

"I-I…" Atem stammered, completely at a loss for words. It was still a reach. Seth was right about the time not adding up.

Seth rose from the couch and floated towards the entrance of another room, throwing them a solemn look over his shoulder, "your concern is appreciated. I'll bring food, and you can rest here for as long as you need before you journey back."

Atem sank back into the chair, his chest tight with confusion as his mind raced rapidly.

"You see?" Mana said bossily, giving Atem a triumphant smile. "My information is good too! My friends come to visit him sometimes because he's handsome…and Pure. The moment I described Seto Kaiba's looks to them, they told me about Seth. He's so totally your type, Atem."

She pulled back with a soft giggle and Atem nodded stiffly, unable to draw his next breath. He wasn't concerned with Seth and his attractiveness anymore. The burning inside his chest was filled with an intense longing to know if Seto Kaiba was really Seth's brother.

Seth returned with two large woven blankets and he tossed them unceremoniously onto the couch with a half-smile.

"This is all I have for guests. Please make do," and he floated quickly out of the room, leaving Mana and Atem sitting together in horrified silence.

"Well, he truly is noble…staying in these horrible conditions for the remaining members of his colony," Mana said finally, grabbing one of the blankets and swimming towards the broken blue couch. "Let's rest quickly so we can make a safe journey back."

Atem gripped the blanket tightly, no longer tired.

"I'm going to talk with him a bit more," he said, pushing the blanket aside and floating towards the door. "You rest for the both of us."

"Don't talk with him too long," Mana said airily, giving him a playful wink. "...or too loudly. I am trying to sleep."

"Nothing is going to happen between us," Atem shot back furiously, his ears burning with humiliation at what Mana was suggesting. "I don't Mate on first sight with strangers."

"Mmmhm," Mana hummed noncommittally and buried her head under the covers, stifling a giggle.

Atem sighed and shook his head, pushing the bubble of doubt down his chest as he drifted through an ornate doorway and into another large room, attempting to find Seth.

He needed answers. Now.

Author's note:

a super long, bombshell-filled chapter! Kaiba gets memory bracelets from atem and atem learns some shockingggg newsssss!

edited by: taedae

next week 2/14 is my birthday! wish me happy birthdayyyyy because i wanna live to write more chapters lmaoo! :D mehwhehehe

hugs,
Ugli