"Rolo," Lotor growled as he shook the cage bars. "Give me the key."

"No," Rolo said shaking his head.

"Need I remind you who you work for?" Lotor asked turning to Rolo with a glare.

"A spoiled brat who had a dumb idea?" Rolo asked swimming behind the couch as Lotor tried to lunge for his satchel.

"WILL YOU JUST GIVE ME THE KEY!" Lotor yelled as he and Rolo swam around the couch, Lotor would go left and Rolo would go right.

"You said never to give it to you in a fit of rage," Rolo said shaking his head.

"Who said I was in a fit?" Lotor asked with a huff. "I am perfectly calm."

"Are you? Cause it doesn't sound like it," Rolo pointed out which caused Lotor to let out a groan of annoyance.

"Just give me the key will you?" Lotor asked calmly as he reached for the satchel over the couch. However, what shocked both Lotor and Rolo was the strike of black magic that came out of his palm and hit the wall behind Rolo. Both stared at Lotor's hand with wide eyes. "Well that's new," Lotor said before he reached for the satchel again, this time succeeding as Rolo was still in shock at what just happened.

"Since when could you do that?" Rolo asked shaking out of his state and watching as Lotor unlocked the cage and allowed the eels to escape.

"Since just now," Lotor said as he examined his palm with a smile, one Rolo didn't like. "I guess magic does run in the family."

"This isn't going to end well," Rolo muttered with a shudder. Not only from the fact Lotor had magic powers now but that the eels themselves unsettled him.

"Oh hush," Lotor said with a roll of his eyes. "Now, who's hungry?" Lotor asked turning to his eels. "I think crab cakes are on the menu tonight."

"Lotor, just what are you planning now?" Rolo asked.

"Slav has been in my way far too many times," Lotor said turning back to Rolo. "I think it's time we put an end to it."

"And what about Keith? He's with him you know," Rolo said with a roll of his eyes.

"Keith? Oh right, him," Lotor said before a bigger smile grew on his face. "Well, guess he'll have to be taken care of as well, can't have him tattling on us now can we?"

"There is no we here, you are doing this yourself," Rolo said shaking his head. This was going too far, Lotor was on his own from now on.

"Suit yourself," Lotor said with a roll of his eyes before he turned back to the eels. "Now, let's go take care of a pest problem."

At Some point in the night, Keith was woken up by a soft melody echoing. He opened his eyes and sat up, his eyes widened seeing a figure swimming in the distance.

"Who?" Keith asked softly as the figure stopped and turned to face him. However, Keith was unable to make out who the figure was. "Slav," Keith called out swimming up to the crab.

"Whaaaat?" Slav whined creaking his eyes open to stare at the Prince.

"There's someone there," Keith said turning back to the figure. The figure turning and swimming slowly towards the kelp buried in the rocks on the other side of where the group was.

"We're the only ones out here Keith," Slav said closing his eyes and turning on his side, away from the Prince.

"But what if we're not?" Keith asked with a huff. "We should go and check."

"You can," Slav said waving his claw in the air to shoo the Prince away. "I'm busy sleeping."

Keith huffed and turned upon hearing the same melody echoing from the distance. He watched the figure disappear into the forest, sparing a look back at Slav Keith started to swim towards the stone wall.

Upon reaching the kelp, Keith was surprised as the kelp parted, as if a doorway had opened. He was skeptical but couldn't help entering as the melody drew him in once more.

Behind the kelp was a sort of cave, crystals littering the edges. Some were large and made up the walls, Keith's reflection following him as he swam around, searching for the figure he had seen. However, what drew his attention was a blue and gold coloured seashell shaped box. Pulling it into his hands, Keith couldn't help but feel like he had seen this box before.

Something in the back of his mind told him to open it, and so he did. Keith's eyes widened as a shimmering swirl of gold magic appeared and a figure of his father dancing with another man started to turn as a familiar song started to play.

However, the more Keith studied the other male with his father, the more he realized where he heard the song before and who the man was.

"Mom?" Keith asked softly, his eyes tearing up as he sunk to the floor. The comforting song washing a feeling of warmth of love on him, his heart aching as memories flooded into his head.

"It was an anniversary present," Slav called out as he crawled up to the Prince. He had followed shortly after Keith left. "Music was important to your parents and so to show his love for his husband, your father had the music box crafted for your mother."

"I remember this box," Keith said softly with a soft smile.

"Adam was more than his King, more than his husband," Slav said with a smile, remembering the couple. "Adam was his best friend in the whole world."

"The palace was so bright back then," Keith said as memories of his family flashed before his head. Memories of his mother teaching his piano, his father taking care of a cut that he had and his mother kissing it better, his sisters and mother sneaking up on his father, the family dancing together during one of the celebrations.

"When your mother died, the entire kingdom was so heartbroken, Adam truly cared about the kingdom," Slav said with a frown. "Over time everyone's heart slowly moved on and healed, the one that didn't was your father's."

"He's forgotten what it feels like to be happy," Keith said wiping a tear from his cheek.

"His heart grew dark after Adam died," Slav added with a shudder.

"I need to bring this to him," Keith said closing the music box and holding it close to his heart. "Help him remember that feeling."

"If that's what you want to do," Slav said with a shrug. "Then I'll help you get back and set things right."

"This is why we came here, wasn't it? You knew this was here."

"I found it a year after Adam's death," Slav said with a sad smile.

"Then that figure was-"

"Most likely your mother, helping you find your way here," Slav said with a nod. "Helping you find the music box."

"Let's go home," Keith said with a soft smile. The pair heading back to wake the group up and explain their plan.

"Okay, let run this by me again," James said after Keith and Slav explained. "You brought us to the middle of nowhere hoping that the ghost of King Adam would guide Keith to the music box."

"Hoping being the keyword there," Nadia pointed out.

"And now you want to go back to Altea, bring that music box back to King Shiro," Ina said with wide eyes.

"All in the hopes that it will remember him what it feels like to be happy and then hopefully he'll allow music to be in the kingdom once more?" Ryan finished, the band looking at the pair like they were crazy.

"Pretty much," Slav said with a nod.

"His heart has been buried under years of pain and anguish," Keith explained with a sad frown as he stared down at the music box. "We have to try."

There was silence for a few minutes before James, Ryan, Nadia, and Ina pulled away and gathered in a group. Pidge and Hunk standing by Keith and Slav, having their own conversation with each other. The band turned back to the pair with frowns on their faces.

"As much as we'd like to come back to Altea with you," Nadia started to say.

"Cause we all music back in the kingdom," Ryan continued.

"We just can't take that chance," Nadia said shaking her head softly. Slav was about to start protesting when Keith stopped him.

"I wouldn't force you all into this," Keith said with a soft smile. "This is something I have to do myself."

"But-"

"Maybe when everything is changed, you all will come back."

"Maybe," Ina responded with a soft smile. Though, they weren't very hopeful.

Keith and Slav shared a nod before the pair headed off.

"Wait!" Hunk called out, stopping the pair in their tracks. "I'm coming with you."

"Hunk?" Nadia asked turning to the boy who had been quiet until now.

"So am I," Pidge piped up.

"You to Pidge?" Ina asked turning to Pidge in surprise.

"But why?" James asked.

"We're fugitives now, going back there is a bad idea," Ryan said shaking his head.

"Maybe," Hunk said with a soft nod.

"But we took an oath when we started this all, to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady, and at all times lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers," Pidge said which struck something in the group.

"Believe me I know what the oath said," James said shaking his head. "But that was when the club was still alive, now it's gone."

"In other words, the oath is gone," Nadia said with a sigh. "Saying it now just means nothing."

"Not to me it doesn't," Hunk said before swimming off to join up with Keith and Slav, Pidge following after him. The band left staring at him before the group was out of sight.

"Your Highness!" Allura turned at the sound of Rolo calling out to her.

"Rolo? What's wrong?" Allura asked noticing how rushed he looked, he also looked concerned. "Where's Lotor, I haven't seen him since the search began."

"That's what I need to talk to you about," Rolo said.

"Has something happened to Lotor?" Shay asked as she and her sisters joined Allura and Rolo.

"No," Rolo said with a shake of his head. "But he's going to do something."

"I'm not following," Hira said tilting her head in confusion.

"Well, as you all know, Lotor's mother is the witch Haggar who was banished years ago."

"Yes, she was banished for trying to take the throne and trying to kill mother and father in the process," Narti said with a nod of her head.

"Well, Lotor may have seemed like he was over it and that he didn't care about his mother," Rolo said with a shiver. "But he never did, he wants to try and bring his mother back and take over the throne."

"But how? She wouldn't be able to come back, without Dad letting her back in," Acxa asked.

"The trident," Rolo answered. "That's why he wanted to get Slav's job."

"So he could get close enough to get it," Allura finished.

"And take over," Ezor added with a shudder. She couldn't imagine Lotor sitting on the throne. She was young when she remembered Haggar getting banished by her father. She didn't remember much but she remembered being frightened of her.

"But now that Slav has escaped, he's gone mental," Rolo said with a shudder. "He's figured out he has magic and he's going after Slav."

"As much as Slav can be annoying, we have to stop Lotor," Ezor said to which her sisters agree.

"That's not all," Rolo said stopping the sisters before they could rush off. "He's going after Keith to."

"WHAT!?" the sisters cried out with wide eyes.

"Okay, that's it," Allura said turning away from Rolo. "I'm going after Lotor."

"Your Highness it's too dangerous," Rolo protested. "Lotor has magic, you'll be no match for him."

"Well, what would you have me do then?" Allura asked turning back to Rolo with a glare. "Just let Lotor kill Keith?"

"Your father is in the western area of the kingdom isn't he?" Rolo asked to which the sisters nodded. "We'll go tell him and he can take care of Lotor."

"But-"

"Allura," Shay called out swimming to her sister's side and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Rolo's right, we can't stop Lotor ourselves, we'd be no match for him and his magic."

"Let's go find Dad," Acxa said giving her sister a soft smile. "He's the only one strong enough to take Lotor down."

There was a few moments where Allura was having an inner turmoil with herself before she let out a soft sigh.

"Alright," she said with a nod.

"We should hurry," Rolo said before the group sped off in search of the King.

"This is weird," Slav said as he looked around.

"What is?" Pidge asked turning from her conversation with Keith and Hunk.

"Was there this much kelp when we came here last night?" Slav asked as Keith was hit by a kelp branch. Keith pushed the branch away as the group continued.

"Maybe we were just tired and didn't notice," Hunk said as he started breaking kelp pieces with his tail to make a pathway. However, one strand for some reason didn't break. Upon hearing growling, the group looked up and their eyes widened seeing not kelp but 5 eels staring down at them with glowing yellow eyes.

"Yeah uh, I don't think that's kelp," Pidge said as the group backed away slowly.

"Good observation," a voice called out, appearing from the help. The group's eyes widened it was Lotor.

"Lotor?" Keith asked as the man swam up to the eels and pet one of their heads.

"What are you doing here? And what's with the eels?" Slav asked.

"Well now, you've been in my way for far too long now," Lotor said wiggling his fingers, small bursts of magic appearing from his hands. "Can't have you blocking my way to the trident and bringing my mother back now can we?"

"I knew there was something fishy about you," Slav said before turning back to the trio behind him. "Swim for it!"

The group took off just as the eels swam after them.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up!" Slav yelled as the trio swam past him to where the dead coral was. Seeing the eels were catching up, Slav pushed against a large rock and managed to push it off the edge. One of the eels yelped as it crashed onto him while the others dodged it and continued on, taking different ways around the crab.

Slav cried out as a magic strike almost hit him, jumping to the left just in time. This of course began a chase between Lotor and Slav.

"Behind here," Pidge called out as the trio hid behind a large boulder.

"Did you see where Slav was?" Hunk asked to which the pair shook their heads.

"Lotor hates him, I would guess they're having a fight," Keith said, ducking out of the way upon seeing the 5 eels heading their direction.

"Just stay quiet and we should be good," Pidge said but Keith could tell how nervous she was. "That means you Hunk."

"Right," Hunk said with a nervous smile. One eel made a circle turn around the top of the boulder, thankfully he wasn't smart enough to look down. The eels then swam back to join up with the others.

However, that was until Hunk's fin accidentally hit a rock causing the eels to turn back around, their eyes glaring upon seeing the group.

"Quiznak!" Hunk cried out as the trio headed into the cave behind them, the eels following.

"We have a problem!" Pidge cried out as she was the one ahead of the group. "Dead end!"

They were trapped, the other end of the cave had been collapsed in thanks to the yeas of the place being deserted. Pidge and Hunk pulled Keith behind them as the eels slowly closed in on them, electric shocks emitting from their bodies. If this was how it was going to go down, Hunk and Pidge would rather give themselves up so maybe Keith would have a chance to escape.

"I've got you!" Nadia called out from above. Suddenly, the trio found themselves being pulled up by tentacles through a hole in the ceiling of the cave. "James! Do it!"

Keith looked up and saw the group had set up a slingshot.

"Fire!" James yelled as Ryan loaded a small boulder into the slingshot and fired at three tall pieces of rocks. Just as the eels were coming out of the hole, the first rock hit the second in a domino pattern and caused the third rock to fall.

Right onto the hole, plugging it up and stopping the eels from coming out.

"Nice shot!" Ina called out as the trio headed down to meet up with the others.

"You guys came back," Hunk said with a smile.

"But what about-"

"Let's just say that Hunk's speech inspired us," Ryan said giving Hunk a smile.

"Thanks guys," Keith said with a smile. "But we need to go help Slav, he's in trouble."

"Let's move!" James called out as the group started heading where Keith, Hunk, and Pidge saw Slav and Lotor last.

However, the eels shook themselves out of their shock and exited the cave the same way they came in. The group cried out as the eels suddenly appeared, cutting off their path. Hunk ended up bumping into Keith which caused the music box to slip out of his hands.

As the group turned to go the other way, Keith dove for the music box, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Keith!" Hunk and Pidge called out, speeding after the Prince. Keith caught the music box but his eyes widened as he came face to face with one of the eels. Hunk made a last minute decision and screamed as he sped past Keith and ended up punching the eel in the face.

"Oh quiznak," Hunk said as the eel snapped out of his shock and started to chase after Hunk, sparks crackling from its body.

"Hunk!" Keith and Pidge cried out moving to swim after their friend but ended up being backed up into a corner by the other eels along with the band.

"Dad!" Shiro and Matt turned as he heard Allura call out.

"Allura? What are you doing here? I told you to-"

"We know where Keith is," Shay said interrupting Shiro.

"Where?" Shiro asked turning to Shay.

"The old crystal cave," Acxa said.

"I'll find him, you all go back to the palace and-"

"That's not all," Hira said interrupting their father once again.

"Lotor's after Slav," Narti started to say.

"And Keith," Ezor finished.

"What could Lotor want with Keith and Slav?" Shiro asked.

"He wants them out of his way," Rolo said speaking up from the crowd. "So he can get close enough to get the trident and bring his mother back."

"Haggar? I should have known he would try something like this," Shiro growled out with a glare to the ground.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner Your Majesty but Lotor-"

"I understand Rolo, it all makes sense now," Shiro said giving Rolo and soft smile. "We'll get this all sorted when this is done."

"Right," Rolo said with a soft smile.

"Matt, come with me," Shiro said turning to Matt who nodded. "Allura take your sisters back to the palace, Rolo you look after them until I return."

"Yes Your Majesty," Rolo replied with a bow as Shiro and Matt sped off.

"What's wrong? Don't know how to use your powers yet?" Slav called out as Lotor continued to strike magic at him. Lotor may have been a little over his head, he had just gotten his powers after all. He wasn't at all in complete control yet.

Slav had managed to dodge (just barely) all of his strikes. Lotor was beyond pissed now.

Slav noticed a broken mirror on the ground near him and changed his course to head for it. Lotor followed, not noticing the mirror on the ground in his blind rage.

As Lotor shot another strike of magic at Slav, he quickly picked up the mirror and placed it in front of him. Lotor's eyes widened as his magic bounced off the mirror and headed back at him. He wasn't able to move fast enough and the magic ended up hitting him instead. The momentum of the magic ended up pushing Lotor into the rock wall behind him and knocked him unconscious.

"Oh thank god," Slav said with a sigh of relief. There were a few moments there where if he wasn't quick enough, he would have been a fried crab.

"Slav!" Hunk shrieked as he noticed the crab, the eel still following him.

"Hunk!?" Slav cried out with wide eyes.

"Help!" Hunk yelled as he swam past Slav, the crab pinching onto the eel's tail. However, the eel didn't notice and continued chasing Hunk.

The chase ended up taking them back to where Keith and the others were being closed in by the eels.

"Hunk!" Pidge called out, an idea popping into her head. "Corkscrew!" she yelled. Hunk smiled and knew exactly what she was planning. Hunk twisted and turned in between the eels who had their minds set on the others. However, they did notice when the eel chasing Hunk started to tie them up. However, by that point, it was too late.

By the time Hunk swam out of the way, the eels were tied into a giant knot.

"Nice job Hunk!" Pidge yelled rushing to give her friend a hug as the other celebrated.

"Definitely planned that one out," Hunk said with a smile.

"Whatever you say Hunk," Nadia said with a smile

That was when Shiro and Matt appeared from above. Shiro froze seeing Keith and his friends celebrating their victory.

"I told you," Matt said with a smile. "As long as Keith has his friends he'll be fine."

"I guess you were right," Shiro responded with a smile.

However, what no one noticed was Lotor had woken up and had slowly made his way to the group, sending a heated glare to Slav. Aiming his hand at the crab, Lotor built up a stronger magic blast that he hadn't before. This time, he was ending it for good.

At that moment, Keith looked up and his eyes widened seeing Lotor aiming his magic at Slav.

"Slav!" Keith yelled speeding over to Slav. "Look out!"

The group turned and everyone's eyes widened at what was going to happen.

"Keith! No!" Shiro yelled before turning and aiming his trident at Lotor.

But. No one was fast enough.

By the time Shiro's magic struck Lotor and chained him to the wall with glowing chains, Lotor had sent his magic in Slav's direction.

However,

It didn't hit Slav.

It hit Keith.