Atem slowly cracked his eyes open and found himself staring at a pile of rotting seaweed, and he withdrew his fins in disgust as the fishy tang invaded his nostrils.

To his horror, he realized his fins had vanished and were replaced with…legs.

Two of them. Or was it one, each?

Thoroughly shaken, Atem took deep, shuddering breaths, glancing around the tiny cave and trying to gather his bearings. Joey was asleep beside him, slumped over a stone covered in writing, and his snores were echoing loudly around them.

Wincing, Atem looked down at his new legs and shivered from the cold. Incredible.
Ocean water was…freezing!
Kaiba could withstand this temperature to be in the water with him?!

Shrinking his legs closer to his chest to protect them, he stared down at his toes in awe. They looked so...real! They were real!

One…two…three… Atem counted all his toes breathlessly, his heart thumping excitedly in his chest.

He was alive, had all ten toes, and he hadn't died on his way up! Pact broken, right? Thank the gods for Joey and his knowledge!

"Joey, wake up!" Atem shook his friend and backed away in shock when he realized his friend was naked, and he could see...all his things. He was pale, and…had a penis.

It had been so long since Atem had seen one, his face instantly reddened, and he instinctively glanced down at himself, unsure if he could take any more surprises.

Yes, he had one.
And it was…ugly.
And small!
Oh, so small and disgusting! It looked nothing like Kaiba's! There was so much…hair?

Perhaps it would look better if it was bigger. It definitely would look better bigger.

Glancing hastily at Joey's penis, Atem narrowed his eyes in concentration.

Joey's penis was strange-looking too. Were they all like this? Or had he been deceived…. because the first penis he'd ever seen was Kaiba's….
Enough of that!

"Joey!" Atem gave his friend a rough pat on the face, and Joey rolled off the rock and woke up with a start.

"AH! Wha?! Oh," Joey rubbed his eyes and stretched, lifting his feet out of the water and wiggling his toes happily. "HAAAAAAAA! We did it! You ain't dead and we got legs! We got legs, boiii yes!"

He hugged Atem tightly in celebration and felt the king stiffen awkwardly beside him.

"Sorry, dude, but man, you scared me for a second!" Joey laughed, his voice echoing loudly through the tiny cavern. "Now, we go up!"

He pointed at the rusty metal rungs embedded into the rock above their heads, and Atem stared at it incredulously.
He hadn't noticed that.
Or…he didn't know that it had been for climbing…because he'd never had legs….

He watched Joey jump to his feet and clamber up the makeshift ladder, putting one foot on the rung at a time, and using it to propel him upwards.

What if I can't do it?! Atem wondered briefly, and his friend sent him an encouraging thought.

Course ya can! Just do what feels right, Joey said brightly, already at the top. He reached a hand down, the shadow of his head blocking the sun from above. Grab onto me if you lose your balance, but I believe in you!

Believing in me won't make me more nimble, Atem thought nervously, and he slowly pushed himself up onto his feet, marveling at the feeling. The pebbles underneath his heels were pressing painfully into his skin.

He took a few steps towards the metal rung and pulled himself up onto it, sticking each foot onto the step the way Joey had done before him, and before he knew it, he was at the top, and Joey was helping him over the smooth, slippery rocks.

Shaking with excitement, Atem glanced around, taking in the clear blue sky, the sloping coast and the beautiful sand of the beach. The view from here was so different! He felt like he was on top of the world!

He could finally see the appeal of being a warrior. If he had to risk his life, it was worth it for these few moments where he felt…like a god.

"Pretty cool, right?" Joey grinned, taking in his friend's wide-eyed expressions. "Now we gotta find some clothes. Since we're here illegally, there aren't any supplies for us, so we'll need…money and stuff. But Rich Boy can take care of us if we can find him."

"What do you mean if we can find him?" Atem repeated, unable to tear his gaze away from the glistening ocean water. "We can definitely find him!"

"Alright, alright," Joey said hastily, holding his hands up defensively. "All I'm saying is, I dunno where we are right now, so let's speak Japanese instead of Mer, alright? I don't wanna get outed in the first five seconds—"

A car drove by on the road in the distance, and two red-faced children stared at them through the windows before it turned the corner and disappeared.

"SHIT!" Joey cried, turning red and covering his parts frantically. "Okay, we gotta run down to the beach and steal some clothes before we get arrested!"

"Arrested?" Atem echoed, realizing he knew nothing about shore rules. Weren't they different on each continent? Some beaches allowed nakedness…but they weren't on a beach.

"C'mon, c'mon," Joey grabbed Atem by the arm and they ran down the road. The pavement was hot, and Atem hissed in pain when he realized…human skin was extremely weak, and thin, just as he'd assumed.

Another car drove by, and Atem froze in terror, but Joey continued running forward, intent on reaching the other side, but then realized with a jolt that the king's arm had left his.
Shit. Shit!

The car honked loudly, swerving around Atem and skidded to a stop.

Horrified, Joey ran forward to grab Atem by the arm again to get them out of sight, but it was too late. The man behind the wheel got out, looking furious as he stalked towards them.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Do I need to call the police?!" He shouted, and to Joey's rising embarrassment, a woman stuck her head out of the seat, calling at the man. "Get back in! Don't mind them! Let them be crazy!"

"You wouldn't call anyone on us if you knew who we're friends with!" Joey shouted back, now itching for a fight. If he knocked the man unconscious, he could take his clothes. Finders takers.

"Oh, yeah?" The man challenged, and Atem backed away slowly until he stepped on a rock, and he hissed in pain.

"Yeah. Seto Kaiba ring a bell?" Joey grinned, flashing the man a thumbs-up. "So leave us alone, or give us some clothes, ya freak."

"Ha…Ha…!" The man pressed a hand to his face and lifted his phone out of his pocket to snap a photo. Atem shrank away, recognizing it as a camera, but Joey struck a fantastic pose, making an ugly face and showing the man his middle finger.

"Yeah, send that to him. He'll come pick us up," Joey stuck his tongue out at the man, and a bundle of clothes caught him in the face.

The woman had got out of the car to toss some spare clothes at them.
She ran back into the car with her face burning red, and she threw herself into the driver's seat, honking the horn at her partner. "Get in! I need to use the bathroom!"

"You…" The man pointed threateningly at Joey as he strode back towards the car. "…better not be lying. Those are all my spare clothes. You've ruined my day at the beach."

"Aw, thanks," Joey cried, his demeanor changing as he held up the plain t-shirt. "I'll have Moki pay you back."

The car door slammed, and they drove off in a cloud of dust.

Absolutely speechless, Atem watched as Joey picked the clothes apart and got dressed easily.

A set of clothes too large for him were tossed into his face, and Atem hastily put them on, carefully stepping into the pant holes made for his legs. They were still missing shoes.

"Don't worry, once we get down to the beach, we can find more clothes than fit us…and shoes," Joey said warmly, and Atem pressed a hand to his face, groaning internally.

This was an undignified disaster.

He was now learning that this was the true consequence of rising to shore unprepared.

The plane touched down with a gentle bump, and that was when Kaiba had had it.

He unbuckled his seat belt and stumbled through the cabin, dizzy with nausea.

After locking himself securely inside the bathroom, he bent over the toilet and vomited heavily, emptying his stomach of everything he'd eaten or drank in the last 24 hours.
F-Fuck.

Moving to the sink, he splashed water to his face and stared at his sallow expression in the mirror. The circles under his eyes were darker than usual, and his skin had a green tinge. Great. Very attractive. Perfect way to greet a stranger.

Exiting the bathroom, Kaiba marched into the kitchen area and found himself a jar of salt. Dumping it into a spare glass, he mixed water into it and drank it rapidly in three solid gulps, feeling his stomach settle nicely, but the horrible head-rush remained.

Fuck everything. He had to get on a helicopter after this. At least those didn't go up as high, but…still.

Bending over the sink and gasping for breath, Kaiba shut his eyes and willed himself to remain composed. It was fine…everything was fine…this nightmare would be over as soon as he dealt with it.

Atem sat anxiously in the dry sand atop a log, watching Joey sneak around people's belongings, obviously stealing.

His stomach churned with guilt, but he realized they couldn't get by any other way.

According to Joey, at other Chrysalises, there would be a 'Shore kit' containing clothes, shoes, and yes, even underwear, as well as a stack of money with some dried food if you were hungry. Sometimes, there would even be a phone.

Sighing, Atem watched as Joey ran back to him triumphantly, holding a pair of shoes that looked to be about his size, a stack of bills, and a shirt that was significantly smaller than the one he was currently wearing.

Accepting the shoes and shirt from Joey silently, Atem put them on, trying to ignore the horrible nagging inside his head.

He was doing a bad thing…this was a bad thing…a crime…stealing was a crime….

"Hey! Do you wanna see Kaiba or not?" Joey asked strongly, giving him a helping hand to his feet. "And I can't wait to show you ramen! Check this out, we can have at least ten bowls with this!"

He kissed the bills and folded them into his pocket with glee, and Atem watched Joey's actions with trepidation. S-Sure. The people up here could always get more money…so why was he feeling so bad about it all?

"Now…we need to find a map," Joey said, scratching his head. "Or a phone. We could ask someone who has a phone, to show us a map. Stay here, okay? I'll take care of it."

"No, let me come with you! Don't make me wait here like I'm…unhelpful," Atem said uncertainly, feeling very useless. "Also, people keep staring at me as they walk by. Do I still have fins?!"

"Nah, you probably look like a foreigner," Joey grinned boyishly and led him down the beach towards a group of women. "Always ask girls, cuz they're nicer, but try not to stare too much, 'kay?"

"O-Okay," Atem agreed, but he didn't feel like he could make that promise.

They approached a group of women sitting on towels, sunning themselves, and Joey smiled bravely at them.

"Hey…ladies, can I borrow one of yer phones? My friend and I here are lost," Joey announced, and to Atem's horror, they received looks of disdain.

"That's a bad pick-up line," one of the women said, looking at them through the tops of her dark glasses. "Go try that on someone else, you pervert."

Atem's mouth dropped open and he stepped away from the women slowly.
Oh…gods. Human women were scary. They sure looked amazingly pretty in the bikini suits that covered their breasts, but they looked like normal mer-people's breasts, so what was the big deal?

Stepping back too far, Atem accidentally tread on someone's toe, and he heard an annoyed hiss from the man beneath him.

"I'm sorry!" Atem cried frantically, and the man sat up slowly, giving him a grimacing smile before lying back down.

Help! Atem thought anxiously, feeling very trapped amongst the sea of people lying down on their towels.

"What's going on here?" A man carrying a bright red float in his arms approached Joey and made brief eye contact with Atem.
Atem looked away frantically.
He wanted to disappear.
This was so embarrassing.
How did Kaiba and Mahad move with such ease among humans?
This was so hard.

"He's bothering us," one of the women said, pointing at Joey, and Joey held his hands up defensively.

"My phone ran out of juice! I just need a phone!" Joey cried defensively, his Japanese breaking down rapidly as he began to lose his composure. "I—my friend and me, we're lost. Just need sum directions, man, c'mon!"

"Ah, foreigners," the lifeguard said mildly, pointing his float towards a tiny house popped up in the sand. "We have tourist maps there. Come with me and stop asking these ladies."

"Gladly," Atem muttered, and he hastily followed Joey and the man as they walked away, being very careful to avoid stepping on any more toes of people lying in the sand.

Kaiba stepped out of the helicopter and repressed another dry heave.

God…fucking… don't hurl…not in front of the security team…

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba!" The shrill, flamboyant voice sounded from afar, and Kaiba couldn't straighten up to look the man in the eye. His breathing was shallow, and his heart was racing. Symptoms of…shore illness…. fuck.

"Ooo do we get air sick or what?" Pegasus nodded sympathetically, holding his hand out for a shake. "Pleasure."

Finally, Kaiba composed himself enough to stand, and he grabbed the man's hand in a firm shake, looking him directly in the face. It seemed the flamboyant voice matched the face, and the outfit, because Maximillion Pegasus looked slightly obnoxious wearing a one-color suit, and had long hair that was cut into an angled hairstyle, giving him a very villainous, cartoony silhouette.

Kaiba kept his mouth shut for fear he'd vomit all over the man's shiny shoes, and he tried to put his feelings about Pegasus into a word, but the only one that kept coming to mind was—gay.

He felt the man grip his hand tighter, gazing into his face with wonder.

"You are…breathtaking. Very…unusual, yes," Pegasus said boldly, throwing his head back with a laugh and still holding onto Kaiba's hand. "You know, I've seen press photos of you, but I've got to say, you look better in person, Mr. Kaiba."

"Great, perfect," Kaiba shrank his hand away, resisting the urge to wipe it on his pants. "Show me your catch."

"Your English is good as well. I am impressed," Pegasus sang, leading him off the rooftop and through a metal door. "This waaaay."

Swallowing the nausea, Kaiba followed quickly and found himself being led down through a winding maze of stairs and doorways.

This guy was a crazy loon!
The inside of his building looked like a labyrinth, for no apparent reason!

After descending several floors, Pegasus waved the security away and tapped his manicured fingers against a card reader. The door blipped, and the small outline of a chip glowed under the man's nail, Kaiba shook his head, wondering if he was seeing things.

This guy wore fake nails that doubled as a card reader.

Now, he'd always thought himself to be crazy, but this guy gave him a run for his money…literally.

They stepped into a large lab, and Kaiba took note of all the equipment, noticing bits of shattered glass strewn over the surfaces, and he nodded knowingly.

Shada had probably screamed for help and it broke all the glass, which explained the labyrinth leading down to…where they were now.

Opening another door, Pegasus pressed a finger comically to his lips and his eyes widened.

"I don't want him to scream again, so…" He pushed the door open quietly and Kaiba could barely see inside due to how dark it was.
Fuck.
Torture chamber confirmed.

WHO IS THERE?! A voice boomed inside his head, and Kaiba answered rapidly.

Shut up, Shada, I'm here to fucking save your ass.

The lights flickered on slowly and remained dim.
Kaiba blinked and was met with a horrifying sight.

A tanned merman was bound and gagged, floating suspended inside a giant cylindrical tank, quite similar to the one he'd held Atem in when he first caught him. The water was a murky green, indicating blood, and Kaiba's stomach churned. Oh…fuck….

Shada was fucking huge! Larger and taller than Atem, maybe? And his tail was a dark shade of violet, similar to Mahad's…

Prince Seth?! Shada's eyes widened, and Pegasus was keen to pick up on this. He raced to press his cheek up against the glass, stroking it lovingly with an index finger as he gazed up at Shada with large eyes.

"You can talk to each other? What is he saying to you?" Pegasus asked rapidly, addressing Kaiba. "Quick. Tell me how to make the magic work!"

"What magic?" Kaiba smirked and leaned against the wall, scanning the equipment for the release button. There was one, encased in glass…protected by the damn card reader. Well, he could pry off one of Pegasus's fake nails, or…chop off his fingertip to release the merman.

"The magic of minds!" Pegasus cried, sounding like an absolute madman as he pointed to his own temple with a pretty finger. "You can read minds, can't you?"

Quick! Tell me what I'm thinking about now!

"Not really," Kaiba rolled his eyes and wished he had a place to sit, because his knees were weakening. "We don't read anything. Your thoughts just…leak out. He's useless. Let him go."

Shada struggled weakly against his restraints and he sent Kaiba a stream of thought.

How did you get up here so quickly?! Thank the gods, Seth, I will never underestimate you again! Please, please get him to untie me.

"Okay, let's get one thing straight," Kaiba marched up to the glass and sneered at Shada coldly. "My name…is Seto Kaiba, and you are a giant pain in my ass. Give me one good reason why this man should let you go."

Pegasus gaped, flitting his gaze between Kaiba and the floating merman. Maybe he was the crazy one…because it sounded like Kaiba was talking to himself….

Shada's blood ran cold and he sagged against the rope.
Just…his rotten luck.
He had never met this man before, but damn if he didn't look just like Seth but with short hair.

"Well? What's he saying?" Pegasus prompted hopefully. "C'mon. Share it with me, Kaiba-boy."

"He's saying nothing," Kaiba answered truthfully, hearing Shada's thoughts about his likeness to Seth. "Let's have some of that famous California wine while we talk about how we can make a lot of money together."

"Oooo goody! Yes yes," Pegasus clapped his hands together happily and raced to get the door for Kaiba.

Shada watched this scene with sheer horror as the evil man in the red suit bowed to Kaiba, and Kaiba threw him a smirk over his shoulder before the door slammed, and he was left blanketed in darkness again.

Was that the 'help' Atem had sent?!
Gods. Atem must have a lot of faith in that man…who was Adina's father…!

The breath caught painfully in Shara's throat as he realized this, and he closed his eyes slowly. Gods…help.
That man was nothing like Seth, and clearly lacked a sense of…gentleness. It was terrifying.

Atem sat outside in the sand, sunning himself and trying to enjoy it.

Joey was inside the tiny hut, deciphering the map and the route for them to take to Kaiba's residence. He had refused help and had even pushed Atem outside, insisting he enjoy shore while he could.

Because if they were caught, it could mean death.

These were probably his last moments, but once he found Kaiba, all would be well. He could disclose the location of a Chrysalis and they could all go home, together. Adina's happy smile would be such a warm welcome….

"Got it!" Joey cheered, waving the paper map over his head and plonking himself down in the sand beside Atem and shoving it under his nose. "Look, here is where we are…"

Atem stared at the red circle on the map at the very bottom of the country, and followed the tiny, dotted line up…up…up the entire continent until he reached Joey's finger, which was tapping on another red circle, labeled, "Kaiba residence".

H-Holy Gods. That was far.

"So…that guy in there says it'll take us about two or three days to get there," Joey said, sounding unfazed. "We can afford train tickets and food, but just barely with all the money we've got. We'll just sleep on the train and eat at a stop before we get back on. Got it? Ready to go?"

"We can't…swim there?" Atem asked anxiously, pointing at the ocean and drawing an odd half-circle. "We know Kaiba's shore. We can swim there, can't we?"

"We'll freeze to death or get too tired," Joey said seriously, rolling up the map and stuffing it into his pocket. "Let's grab some grub here before we go. That guy gave me directions to a town really close to here."

"Right, let's get there without dying," Atem said, equally as serious, and Joey let out a happy laugh, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"You're in for an adventure," Joey beamed, and Atem tried to smile back, but he couldn't shake the dark storm cloud looming over his head.

He had legs and was breathing air on shore but he somehow didn't feel any closer to Kaiba.

In fact, he felt farther than ever.

Kaiba sat at the large dining table, miles away from Pegasus while men came forward to pour them healthy glasses of red wine.

The alcohol stung his nose, but it was a welcome change to the bile that was constantly burning his throat. Kaiba reached for the glass and took a sip, feeling oddly like…Mahad, who had been in this very position years ago, when he was bargaining for Atem's freedom.

"Do you like it?" Pegasus asked anxiously, swirling the wine around in his glass. "It's a bit dry, I'm afraid."

"I prefer it dry," Kaiba answered carelessly, trying to figure out where to start, so he decided to start at the deep end and work his way up. "Now tell me what you're looking for…in life."

"I love blind-date questions," Pegasus said, leaning forward suggestively, and Kaiba had to wonder how old this man was, because he was being hit on relentlessly.

"Let's see, I've already had a beautiful wife, but she passed away," Pegasus lamented, hanging his head over his glass, and Kaiba tilted his head to the side, surprised at the news.

The gayest man he'd ever met had had a wife?
Well…he wasn't one to speak…because he'd blindly married Kisara...

Kaiba continued to study Pegasus's face while he chattered on. He had taut skin, and a smile that wrinkled his eyes. He looked to be about in his mid…twenties?

"Now that I've said it all, what about you, Kaiba-boy? What do you want in life?" Pegasus asked keenly, toasting him with his empty glass.

A man in a dark suit came forward and filled it for him hastily, his expression stony and emotionless.

"I want…to be with my family," Kaiba said truthfully, and he saw Pegasus's eyes widen with interest. "Just like how that man you've captured, has a family…probably, maybe. I don't particularly know or care, but what I do know, is that someone much worse than me will be on their way to you, right now."

He took a sip of his wine and hoped he wasn't talking Mahad up too much. That man wasn't even remotely scary.

"Oguh, I don't care about the merman so much that I want to keep him," Pegasus scoffed. "I've got all the pictures I want, and he's not that cute. I want mystique in my life. I'm…bored!"

"So, you'll let him go?" Kaiba asked, surprised, and Pegasus nodded, propping his head up on one hand and gazing into his wine glass with misty eyes.

"Yes, but what will you give me if I do that?" Pegasus asked poutily, and Kaiba gripped his knees under the table when he heard a stray thought from the man.

The gay rumors must be fake. It's just people speculating…he's been married too, and he looks quite yummy for a guy who's a bit over fifty….

A bit over fifty?! Kaiba reeled, setting the wineglass down and wondering if he really was that old. No. No fucking way.

"What do you want for him?" Kaiba asked wondering if he could promise Pegasus eternal youth. Would he…take it? He'd have to be incredibly vain and stupid to want it.

"I dunno…maybe an island," Pegasus said vaguely. "Care to lend me a couple billion? I want to play Prince on an island by myself while I retire in obscurity! But if I buy the island, I won't have enough to do the renovations I want for my castle. I still want to be comfortable without being stupid about it."

"Sure, how much?" Kaiba asked mindlessly, already reaching for his phone, trying to ignore the low wave of nausea blanketing him with every breath he took. "But let him go first, or the money won't cash out."

Playing 'prince' on an island in a custom-built castle was already pretty stupid, but whatever.

"Oh, just like that?!" Pegasus exclaimed, sitting upright with a bright smile. "Let me call my lawyer, and then my accountant to set it up!"

"Perfect," Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek and watched Pegasus lift his phone to his face and yammer away into it.

God…the nausea was killing him.
He'd only just landed and had solved the damn problem in an hour, with no Mahad or anyone in sight. Shada better pay him the fuck back in visits from Adina….

One of the security men approached Pegasus and bent down to say in an audible whisper, "Master Pegasus, the marine biologist and his assistant has arrived."

Kaiba tried not to roll his eyes when he heard this.

Yes, Mahad, the 'marine specialist'. Very clever.

"About time!" Pegasus barked, and he waved the men away, still talking to his accountant on the other end.

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Kaiba grit his teeth and felt bile rising horribly in his throat again. God…fuck…no… he wasn't going to hurl here….

There wasn't a waste basket or a bathroom anywhere near, he couldn't….

Inching his seat back, Kaiba stood shakily and pointed at the door with a slender finger, seeing Pegasus tilt his head questioningly.

The doors behind him opened, and in walked Mahad…and Marik Ishtar, all dressed up in matching dark suits. Upon making eye contact with Mahad, Kaiba couldn't stand it anymore, and he bent forward to hurl all over Pegasus's shiny floors, his ears ringing with a mixture of rage and embarrassment when he saw that his sick had a greenish tinge to it.
Fuckkkkk….

"Seto…K-Kaiba!" Marik cried, dropping the briefcase with a clatter and rushing forward to help him into the seat. "He's sick! Oh god…you need a Medic, right now!"

"Yes, genius, where can we find a Medic this far out in the middle of nowhere?" Mahad fumed, dropping all pretenses and also rushing forward to help Kaiba into his seat.

"Um…excuse me?" Pegasus said, striding around the table and staring at all the men so casually ignoring the puddle of vomit in the middle of his floor. "Someone clean this shit up! Now!"

He clapped his hands loudly, the sound somehow making Kaiba's ears ache, and the men in dark suits sprang into action.

Dizzy with exhaustion, Kaiba leaned his head against the edge of the table, not caring how undignified he looked. He felt like death. Maybe this was death.

The only other time he felt this shitty was when he was shitting out an egg, unbeknownst to him.

"You're sick, not egg-bearing," Marik said angrily, hearing Kaiba's ridiculous thoughts. "Drink some water. You look like you're about to faint. Someone fetch him a glass of salt wa—"

"Hold it," Mahad held up a hand for silence, eyeing Pegasus with suspicion. "We aren't doctors. We are…scientists…"

"Shut up, you fool," Kaiba gasped, his chest heaving for air. "I've already bought his freedom for 2 billion USD. Go home, you useless fuck."

And he passed out cold.

"Ahhhhh! How will I get my money?!" Pegasus shrieked, gripping his hair in distress. "Revive him! He's an old man! He can't die on me! I need that island!"

"You'll get your money!" Mahad replied anxiously, his heart racing with a mixture of incredulity and admiration at Kaiba's ability to take care of shore matters so quickly. "He needs a hospital, but first, some water for our journey."

Pegasus stared dumbly at Mahad, the phone hanging loosely from his fingertips.

"Saltwater," Mahad commanded, and he glared at Pegasus. "Now! And you will provide ground transport to the nearest medical center!"

"Y-Yeah…yep, I w-will," Pegasus stammered, and he clapped his hands together loudly again, calling out to his men, "Saltwater! Large gallons of it! And two cars waiting out front!"

"What about the merman?" Marik asked, and Pegasus rolled his eyes, striding out of the dining hall, calling over his shoulder, "follow meeee!"

"I will check on Shada. You…make sure his pulse stays steady," Marik whispered to Mahad, slipping a stethoscope out of his pocket while Mahad gaped at it.

"What? I'm a doctor! I carry one everywhere!" Marik protested, and he hurried out of the room to follow Pegasus down the hallway.

Looping the strange tool into his ears, Mahad pressed the metal against Kaiba's chest, hearing a faint, irregular heartbeat.

Oh gods. The day he feared the most was here.

Seto Kaiba had relapsed so far as a merman that he was now suffering shore illness to a degree where he couldn't remain conscious.

What had happened to accelerate this?

Marik, hurry back, Mahad growled, his terror rising as he listened to Kaiba's choppy pulse.

This man lying unconscious here was a future king.
This man was Adina's father, and Atem's loving mate.
This man was…Prince Seto from the Lost Colony of Helios.

Action needed to be taken immediately!
One of their own was dying, right here in his arms.

Author's note:

OoOhhh SHIITTTtttttttttttttttt
Atem and joey are clearly struggling on land cuz they have no resources.

Kaiba reaches shada before mahad and does what he usually does, cause everyone to panic and care about him (hearts)

Cliffhanger kinda?!

(what had happened to accelerate it? Idk maybe being in the air + atem breaking his pact at the same time?)