Near their castle, Mabel and Dipper leaned against a rock and thought about their mysterious rescuers. Waddles was also there, never far from his mistress. Mabel played the song Mermando sang on her flute, and then stopped. Waddles oinked confusedly.
"That voice...I can't get it out of my head." She sighed.
"I know how you feel, I can't get those eyes out of my head." Dipper smiled.
"Oh Dipper, we've looked everywhere." She sighed. "Where could they be?"
It turns out Mermando and Wendy were resting a few feet apart by some rocks near the beach, which wasn't too far from the castle. They were still recovering from the loss of their voices, the gain of their new human bodies, and the long swim they just had.
After recovering Mermando instantly saw his knees. He raised a leg and grinned upon seeing that he had feet instead of a fin. Wendy was a bit freaked out, but mentally calmed herself down. She reminded herself that she did this out of friendship and loyalty to Mermando, who in turn did it because of his deep love for Mabel.
"Besides," She thought. "If things don't work out and we become Gideon's prisoners we'll still be together."
"Well lookie what the catfish dragged in-" Stan suddenly flew in. "Hold the-Mermando! You got legs! Well of all of the- What about you Wendy? Fins or feet?"
Wendy winced and slightly raised a leg as well. Yup, she had feet.
"Ah, only got legs so you can keep an eye on Mermando eh?" Stan chuckled, noticing her expression.
Wendy just nodded. Stan then frowned with confusion.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"They traded their voices to the sea sorcerer for legs." Soos explained.
"Oh..." Stan got it. "Heh, still want to be with that princess eh Mermando?"
Mermando nodded, smiling despite his blush.
"Well, you can't look for her just yet. You two can't go around on land like that." Stan frowned, thinking. "I'd better whip up some temporary clothing for ya."
"My you're taking this well!" Soos snapped. "Look at them! On legs! On human legs! My nerves are shot! This is a catastrophe! What would the Sea King say? I tell you what he would say: he'd say he's gonna kill himself a crab that's what the Sea King would say! I'm gonna march straight home right now and tell him right this minute-"
Mermando grabbed Soos and shook his head desperately at him.
"And don't you shake your head at me young man!" Soos snapped. "Maybe there's still time...if we could get that witch to give you back your voice, you could go home with all the normal fish and just be..."
Mermando looked heartbroken.
"Just be..." Soos realized that Mermando really did love the princess. "Just be miserable for the rest of your life." He sighed defeatedly. "All right, all right, I'll try to help you find that princess."
Mermando grinned and hugged Soos gently before setting him down on a rock.
"What a softshell I'm turning out to be." Soos muttered.
Stan then came back with a discarded sail and two long pieces of rope. He didn't want to hear Soos's rant so he left during the beginning of it.
Soos reluctantly helped Stan tear the sail in two. Stan then helped Wendy and Mermando wrap their pieces of the sail around their bodies so that they were at least decently covered. The ropes were used to keep the sail on their bodies. They all, even Soos and Stan, then headed for shore so that Mermando and Wendy could practice walking. They did obviously have trouble staying balanced, but luckily they at least managed to keep from falling over.
Nearby, Dipper, Mabel, and Waddles were walking along the beach when Waddles smelled something familiar. He squealed happily and ran off.
"Waddles?" Mabel started to run after him. "Waddles come back!"
Dipper ran after the two, shaking his head with exasperation.
"Sometimes I wish she never got that pig..." He muttered.
Around the corner, Wendy and Mermando got the hang of it...when Waddles showed up. Startled, they hopped onto a rock, Mermando protecting Wendy.
"Waddles!" Mabel called, catching up. "Waddles, there you are, what is it?"
She then saw Mermando and Wendy. Dipper had caught up too and also saw them. Mermando, flustered, tried to straighten his hair (not that it needed straightening). Wendy just shyly looked away, not wanting to face Dipper just yet. She still hadn't accepted her growing feelings for the boy.
"Oh..." Mabel said. "Are you two okay? I hope Waddles didn't scare you."
Mermando shook his head, but Wendy still looked away. Mabel went closer...and froze upon seeing Mermando's face.
"You...seem very familiar to me." She realized. "Have we met?"
Mermando nodded excitedly. Waddles oinked with agreement.
"Yeah...I knew it!" Mabel grinned. "You're the one, the one I've been looking for!"
Mermando beamed.
"What's your name?" Mabel asked.
Mermando said his name...but not a sound came out. His face fell upon remembering that detail.
"What's wrong...What is it?" Mabel asked, concerned.
Mermando patted his throat.
You can't speak?" Mabel's face fell too. "Oh...then you couldn't be who I thought."
Waddles looked annoyed. Mermando was annoyed too...then got the idea to use body language. He tried to tell Mabel that he lost his voice only recently, but Mabel had a little trouble translating:
"What is it? You're hurt? No no... You need help?"
Mermando lost his balance and fell down, but Mabel caught him.
"Whoa whoa! Careful." She said concerned. "Easy... Gee you must've really been through something. Don't worry, I'll help you. Come on, it'll be okay."
Mermando looked back to Wendy, Stan, and Soos and grinned happily. Stan gave her a thumbs up...well a seagull's version of it anyway. Wendy watched them leave and smiled.
"Hey Mabel, don't forget there's another castaway." Dipper said.
"Oh yes...forgive me." Mabel turned back around and smiled at Wendy. "Uh...Dipper can you help her? I kinda got my arms full. Come on Waddles."
"No prob." Dipper smiled before heading over to Wendy. "Hi there."
Wendy blushed and looked away.
"What's wrong...shy?" He guessed.
Wendy nodded.
"Well don't worry, Mabel and I come from the same place so you'll be able to stay with your friend." Dipper gently extended an arm. "It's okay, you can trust me."
Wanting to stay near Mermando, Wendy let Dipper help her down while still avoiding eye contact.
"You know...you seem familiar too...won't know for sure until I see your eyes though." Dipper noted.
Wendy shook her head.
"It's okay, you can show them when you're ready." Dipper smiled gently. "Come on."
They headed back to the castle, Soos hiding on the back of Wendy's sail-dress. Stan flew after them and hung around outside the palace so that he could look into the windows.
Inside the palace, Mermando and Wendy were taking baths in separate rooms. A female servant named Susan helped Wendy while a male servant named Chris helped Mermando. Soos had already left Wendy, wanting to give her privacy, and started to explore the place. He was getting a bit hungry so he decided to see if he could find the kitchen.
"Washed up from a shipwreck." Susan said. "Oh the poor thing. You and your friend are both very fortunate, Prince Dipper and Princess Mabel are amongst the most generous of royals. We'll have you and your friend feeling better in no time."
She then went over to Wendy's 'outfit'.
"I'll just...uh...I'll just have this washed for you." Susan obviously didn't know what to make of the outfit.
She went over to the laundry room and dropped it off. Chris then came in with Mermando's 'outfit' so that could be washed as well. They both then went back to their respective charges as the washer women gossiped.
As for Soos, he did find the kitchen...and immediately regretted looking for it once he climbed onto a table. There were all sorts of fish and other ocean creature dishes...including some stuffed crabs. Soos fainted.
In the dinning room, Dipper and Mabel were waiting for Wendy and Mermando. Their parents were there too.
"Oh my children be reasonable." King Pines said. "Young gentlemen and ladies just don't go swimming around rescuing people only to flutter off into oblivion."
"I'm telling you dad they were real." Mabel frowned. "At least he was real...and I'm gonna find him and marry him."
"Same here...except with the girl." Dipper nodded.
They then heard giggling.
"Come on dears, don't be shy." Susan's voice said outside the dining room.
She and Chris led them into the dinning room and stayed on the far end of the table. Mermando tried to steady his pounding heart as he entered the room while Wendy just shyly looked down as she followed him. Mermando was wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue pants and Wendy was wearing a pretty green dress.
Dipper and Mabel both felt their hearts stop once Mermando and Wendy entered the light.
"Aren't they a vision?" Queen Pines smiled.
Dipper and Mabel smiled at Wendy and Mermando respectfully.
"You do look handsome." Mabel agreed, causing Mermando to beam.
"You're very beautiful too." Dipper said to Wendy.
Wendy couldn't help but smile a little.
"Now you two must be famished, please let us help you." King Pines said.
He helped Wendy sit down while Queen Pines helped Mermando sit down. Dipper and Wendy were on one side of the table, with Queen Pines, and Mabel and Mermando were on the other side of the table. King Pines sat at the head of the table.
Mermando was still grinning...and then saw a fork. Thinking it was a comb, he started to comb his hair with it.
"So, it's not often that we have such lovely dinner guests eh-" Queen Pines stopped and stared upon seeing what Mermando was doing.
Everyone else, except Wendy, stared at Mermando too. Embarrassed, Mermando set the fork back down. Wendy frowned, realizing that Stan must've given them the wrong info about that trinket. She wondered what else he had gotten wrong.
King Pines then started smoking a pipe and Mermando smiled at it. King Pines noticed Mermando looking at it and offered it to him.
"Do you like it?" King Pines smiled. "It is a rather fine-"
Mermando tried to play it, but he only hit King and Queen Pines in the face with soot. Susan, Chris, Dipper and Mabel sniggered as Wendy facepalmed. Once she got her voice back she was going to have a long talk with that seagull...
"Dear..." Queen Pines said sternly but calmly. "Maybe from now on you'll listen to me and not smoke at the table?"
"Uh...yeah that might be best..." King Pines said awkwardly.
"Why Dipper, Mabel, that's the first time I've seen either of you two smile in weeks." Chris smiled.
"Indeed, I'm glad you two are feeling better." Susan nodded.
"A lot better." Dipper grinned. "So Susan, what's for dinner?"
"Oh you'll love it, Chef McGucket been fixing his specialty: stuffed crab." Susan smiled.
Mermando and Wendy both paled. Where was Soos?