Shay is swimming as fast as he can back home. He's left there plenty of times for diplomatic reasons and has memorized every tail he can that will take him back to his home. As he passes by many fish, crabs, clams, everything. Getting closer to a large rock clove, Shay recognizes it as Zuzu's grotto. Smiling Shay isn't sure how far he swims until he sees the golden light of the palace. He's home.
Not wasting any time, Shay swims quickly into his home, swimming past Sora, and making his way towards the throne room. "Dad, don't worry we will find them. They can explain themselves and we can just forget this entire thing." He hears Selena state.
"We can't just forget this! The future king and the youngest princess are missing, having run off with no explanation!" Rin counters.
"Maybe it wasn't by their choice." Lulu's soft voice rings out. Everyone falls silent at her suggestion. Skip does have many enemies and taking two of his children is one way to get his attention; but why haven't they gotten some sort of ransom?
"Dad!" Shay exclaims entering the room. His three sisters turn to look at him while his father watches him from his throne. Their eyes widening in surprise and happiness. His three sisters surrounding him in a hug and welcoming him home; asking him many questions. Their father clears his throat, Selena, Lulu, and Rin moving behind their brother. The girls place their hands behind them while Shay keeps his at his sides. "Dad." Shay says again, his voice neutral as he does not know what to expect.
"Shay." His father smiles, voice shaky and full of relief. Skip leaves his throne and embraces his son, something he has barely done in a long time that it feels foreign to the sea prince. "Where have you been? And where is Zuzu?"
"Dad, there will be time to explain everything. Right now we need to get to Zuzu and help her!"
"What?"
Shay explains as quickly as he can about Zuzu's deal with Henrietta and what is about to happen as soon as the sun goes down. When he is done, Skip tells his daughters to stay put as he and Shay leave.
In his room on the boat, Yuya looks over himself in a full mirror. His white jacket that he normally wears as a cape is gone. Replaced by a dark blue one, that has black on the cuffs and near the neck and gold lining. Dark blue pants and black shoes. Kite is helping him with straightening his clothes while Declan helps him with what he is going to say.
"Am I doing the right thing?" Yuya wonders aloud as Kite fixes his left sleeve and cuff.
Declan and Kite look at each other before back at their friend. "What do you mean Yuya?" Kite asks.
"I don't know." Yuya shakes his head, feeling an argument between his head and heart. His mind is telling him that Gloria is the one, the one he has been searching for. His heart isn't as convinced as it is telling him to go and look for another. Just then a knock comes on the door, Saya poking her head in and informing them that Gloria and everyone else is ready.
Kite then leaves to take his position outside with Allen and Kit. Declan reassures Yuya that it just might be cold feet and that the feeling will pass, especially once the ceremony is over. Deciding that Declan is right, Yuya takes a deep breath leaving the room just a minute or two after his friend and adviser and going towards his bride's room, knocking. She opens it wearing her cream dress, veil, and slightly puffy shoulders and heels.
"You look wonderful." Yuya tells her as he offers his arm as they make their way to the alter. His head feeling a bit clearer now that he is in her presence. She loops her arm though his and they make their way to the people of the kingdom and, Yuya's friends, and the priest. Getting closer to the priest once they reach outside, Yuya can hear Odd-Eyes growling then mopping as someone must have quieted him.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join in the union of Prince Yuya and his chosen bride, Gloria." The Priest announces, unbeknownst to all of them a little flounder fish is bringing a pinknette to the ship. "Where was I. . . oh, yes. Do you, Yuya, take Gloria, to be your lawfully wedded wife, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Yuya responds, clearly. His voice sounding monotone.
"Eh, and do you Gloria," the priest is not heard that well as then many seals and star fish, and birds come crashing on to the boat. They all go to Gloria who is trying to keep them off of her while finishing the ceremony. Zuzu climbing over the railing to see the chaos. "Then by the power vested in me. . . " The priest continues.
"Get off of me, you slimy little, oh why you little-!" Gloria exclaims in her struggle with the sea creatures. In the process, her shell necklace breaks from her neck; the shell breaking against the wood of the floor. The golden light of Zuzu's voice going back to its proper owner.
Yuya feels as if a fog has been lifted from his head as he sees Zuzu standing near the railing. "Zuzu?" Is the first thing he can think to ask to make sure he is seeing things correctly before talking to Declan, Saya, Allen, Kite, Kit, or Dipper.
"Yuya!" Zuzu calls back, her voice feeling like it's home.
"You-you can talk. You're the one." Yuya goes over and embraces her, Gloria shouting at him in the back to get away from her. "It was you all this time." He realizes as he compares what he remembers of the mystery girl the day he was saved and to Zuzu. How could he have been so blind!
"Yuya, I wanted to tell you. . . " Zuzu trails off as she and Yuya lean in, about to kiss and Gloria telling him not to. Just as their lips are about to meet the sunsets and Zuzu sink to the floor her legs forming into a dark red tail.
"You're too late! You're too late!" Gloria cheers before imploding and revealing a light pink skinned octopus woman, with black tentacles, and magenta-pink hair. Henrietta. The Sea Witch then comes over and grabs Zuzu around the waist with one of her tentacles. "So long, loverboy." Henrietta tells him as she takes Zuzu overboard.
"Zuzu!" Yuya yells seeing her go under the waves.
Back under the water Henrietta pulls Zuzu close and grabs her wrist. "Poor little princess, it's not you I'm after. I have got much bigger fish to-"
"Henrietta stop!" Hearing the familiar voice, Henrietta and Zuzu turn to see King Skip with his trident in hand and glowing, pointed towards the Sea Witch. Shay by his side.
"Why, King Skip!" Henrietta laughs. "How are you?"
"Let my daughter go!"
"Not a chance, Skip! She's mine now. We made a deal." A gold light appears in her hands revealing the contract that she signed. Zuzu apologizing to her father that she did not mean to sign the contract and that she didn't know that this is what was going to happen. Hearing enough, Skip aims his trident and tries to destroy the agreement to no avail. "You see? The contract's legal. Binding and completely unbreakable-even for you. Of course, I always was a girl with an eye for a bargain. The daughter of the great sea king is a very special commodity. But I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better. . . ."
Thinking quick, Yuya grabs an escape boat and goes into the water, trying to find where Gloria (if that is even her name) took Zuzu. "Yuya," the prince hears his name being yelled from the ship by Declan and Kite. "What are you doing? Where are you going?" They each ask respectively.
"I lost her once, guys. I am not losing her again!" Yuya replies before stopping the boat and getting his harpoon before diving into the water.
Henrietta summons a gold vortex that takes a hold of Zuzu and starts transforming her into one of the creatures in her lair. "Now, do we have a deal?" She asks as she shows Skip a new contract that will release Zuzu of hers, if Skip is willing to take her place and the Sea Witch gets his crown and trident. Skip thinks about it for a moment, he already lost his daughter once and he can't do that again. He knows that once he signs this, his children will find a way to fight it.
Turning away, Skip lifts his trident, signing the contract. The vortex leaves Zuzu transforming her back into a mermaid and taking him instead. Soon he is just a shriveled and grey creature, his crown now encircling him as his trident falls to his side. "Dad. . . " Shay grumbles sadly seeing his father this way, head bowing.
"Daddy? You monster!" Zuzu attacks her as soon as the octopus woman puts on the ruler's crown and grabs the trident.
"Don't fool with me you little brat! Contract or no-AH!" A harpoon comes and scratches her arm. Zuzu and Henrietta look to see Yuya swimming in the far distance. Zarc and Aster wrapping around Flounder and Shay to stop them. Not for long. Transforming his hand back into a crab's he grabs their tails, they hiss in pain leaving them.
"Yuya! Yuya, look out!" Zuzu warns seeing Zarc and Aster leave her brother and friend and go towards Yuya; Henrietta aiming her trident. Thinking fast Zuzu pulls the Sea Witch's right arm back and gets Zarc and Aster instead. "My poor, little poopsies." Seeing Zuzu, Gong, and Shay go to Yuya to help him, Henrietta feels a boiling rage take over.
After all of her years of hard and dedication and scheming this is how it is all coming to an end? Not on her watch! Feeling herself inking, Henrietta can also the powers of the trident mixing with her own causing her to grow.
"Yuya, you have got to get away from here! Zuzu warns as she and him break to the water of the surface having lost her brother and best friend from the ink clouds.
"There is no way I am doing that! I won't leave you!" He swims towards her embracing her.
From below they can hear a booming voice calling to them. "You pitiful, insignificant, fools!" Something hard and made of gold comes up from the ocean. Looking down, Yuya and Zuzu see that it is Henrietta only about twenty-feet taller! Yuya calls out to Zuzu to look out as they jump into the ocean as they watch her rise up from the sea. "Now I am the ruler of all the ocean! The waves obey my every whim! The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!"
"Yuya!" Zuzu shouts worriedly as the winds Henrietta is creating sends him away.
Landing in the waters Yuya opens his eyes and sees the young merman that was around Zuzu earlier. He has a medium green tail that leans more towards the dark side, black hair and green bangs that go off to the side like wings. "Do you know how to steer a ship?" He asks. Yuya can't nod his head fast enough, hoping this guy is on his and Zuzu's side. "Good. There is a ship that is still in good condition to use. Use it to get rid of that wretched Sea Witch."
Shay then takes Yuya to the ship and helps him get on. Shay knows he could be the one doing this, the future king saving his family and kingdom, a big brother saving his sister. But he is using this as a chance for Yuya to prove himself to Shay; to prove that he is actually good enough for Zuzu and that they do belong together.
"So much for true love!" Henrietta cackles as she zaps spots that Zuzu moves to, trying to end the princess. As she is about to launch what she is sure is going to be her final attack on her target, Yuya appears on a broken boat and steers it right into her, causing the death of the sea witch.