It was a bright sunny day at sea. The royal vessel had just left the port and was sailing out to sea. On board were nobles and common people as well. Also on board was the prince, Lance. He was dressed in a pair of grey pants, a lighter grey blouse, a dark blue coat with gold epaulets on the shoulders, black boots, and a belt around his waist. Clipped to his belt was his sword in its golden sheath.
However, someone was missing from his side. That someone was in the nursery humming along to a song. Above the crib in the room, small lions hung from the mobile. There was a red lion, a black lion, green lion, yellow lion, and a white lion. Inside the crib, lay a baby girl with lightly tanned skin, brown hair, and violet eyes. She laughed and lifted her arms and laughed as her mother picked her up from the crib.
Her mother was Keith. The former merprince of Altea, son and youngest child of King Shiro. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, a white blouse, a purple coat with golden epaulets on the shoulders, brown knee length boots, and a black belt around his waist. Keith smiled as his daughter smiled back at him. She was dressed in a purple dress with light blue trimmed ruffle on the bottom, a white thin jacket with a yellow bow around the collar.
"You are my world, my darling
What a wonderful world I see
You are the song I'm singing
You're my beautiful Sofia"
Upon hearing the door opening, Keith turned and a smile, their daughter cooing upon seeing her father.
"Darling, we better be going" Lance sang as he walked towards the two.
"Look at her, isn't she glowing?" Keith sang back with a smile as he brushed through Sofia's brown hair.
"She looks divine, and you look exquisite
But look at the time" Lance started to push Keith gently out of the room. The former merman's eyes widened as he realized that Lance was right about the time.
"Couldn't be, is it?" Keith asked as they exited the room.
"The crew is awaiting your orders" Colleen sang as she stood beside Coran outside the door.
"We're sailing away from our borders" the captain called from the wheel of the ship.
"Steady, boy, steady" a crew member said as he and a group of the crew lifted up the final decorations.
"Ahoy there, they're coming!" a crew member from the crows nest yelled to the group.
"Trumpeters ready, drummers start drumming" Coran called out as the musicians on board began to play.
Keith and Lance walked down the stairs, Sofia in Keith's arms and Lance's arm around his waist. The guests on board turned and smiled as they caught sight of the royal family. Colleen and Coran following behind them.
"Down to the sea we go
Down to a world I know
There's never been
Not ever before
A child born of sea and shore"
Lance smiled as his husband sang softly. Their daughter was born of merfolk blood and of human blood. The guests and crew on board couldn't help but join in song as the family walked by.
"Down to the sea we go
Down to the world below
A journey to bless the princess to be
Under the sun and under the sea"
Blue, Lance's dog peaked over the edge of the boat. She caught sight of Pidge who in her dolphin form had jumped out of the water and caught sight of the royal vessel. She dived down to Hunk who was in his merman form and she changed into her mermaid form and smiled at her friend.
Hunk was older now, he had grown taller and his hair was grown longer. Pidge had also changed, her hair was now to her shoulders, she no longer had the green headband in her hair as she had grown out of that phase. She still wore her glasses that matched with Matt's, and she now had gold stud earrings in her ears. Though their animal forms had stayed relatively the same.
"Keith's coming…" Pidge announced and Hunk felt excitement and joy rush through him. He sped off announcing to every one of the prince's return. The sea creatures started swimming to the meeting place where the merfolk and sea creatures would meet the child born of sea and shore.
"What's all the big commotion
That's spreading through the ocean?
From sea to shining sea"
Slav had noticed the commotion with the animals as he was conducting a practice with the band and turned his head in confusion. It was then that he remembered what it was.
"There is no hesitating
Today we're celebrating
Keith's little Sofia"
The sea creatures continued to swim to the surface as Slav continued to sing.
"Today when Shiro's son
Comes back into the water
We're gonna have a spree
The boat is nearer now
I think I hear her now
Keith's little Sofia"
Upon seeing the sea creatures heading to the surface, the merfolk of Altea knew it was time. Keith's sisters led the people up to the surface as they joined the sea creatures. Shiro would come later as it was custom for the king to make an entrance.
"Up from the sea we rise
Up to the world of skies
There's never been
Not ever before
A child born of sea and shore"
Slav caught up with Hunk and Pidge and as they breached the surface, Slav jumped onto one of the chains from the anchor that was attached to the ship. Matt flew down in his seagull form and splashed into the water beside his sister. Matt had also grown a little bit over the past two years.
"Up from the sea we rise
Up to the world of skies
Forever to be together as one
Under the sea and under the sun"
Keith smiled seeing the merfolk and sea creatures that had gathered for the celebration. He smiled seeing his sisters who waved and smiled at the sight of the little girl in his arms. He waved at Hunk, Pidge, Matt, and Slav who waved back with smiles. Slav smiled seeing the prince grown up now. He had changed from the 18 year old he used to be. Sofia definitely took after Keith, but also Lance.
"This is your world, my darling
One world, the land and sea
My hope for you for always
Is that your heart will hold part of me"
The group turned as swords began to rise out the water. Lance moved closer to Keith not sure of who was arriving. Keith smiled as he caught sight of his father's trident and Lance relaxed seeing the familiar sign of the king.
Shiro used his magic to raise himself up to the side of the boat. A smile on his face as he caught sight of his son, son-in-law, and granddaughter.
"Down to the sea we go (Up from the sea)
Down to the world below"
Keith smiled hearing everyone singing. Sofia squirmed in his arms as she caught sight of her grandfather.
"Together we come
Forever to be
Under one sun
The land and the sea"
Shiro felt joy as Sofia smiled at him. He turned and used his magic to create a rainbow across the ship. Much like he had done when Keith and Lance had gotten married. The crowd cheered and Sofia giggled at the sight in her mother's safe arms. From above in the crows nest, a sailor tossed down some rose petals which fluttered down softly.
"My precious Sofie…" Shiro said as he used the nickname for the giggling infant. He pulled out something and then opened his hands to reveal it was a golden seashell locket, which had her name engraved on it. "I'm giving you this locket so that you will never forget that part of your heart will always belong to the sea" Shiro opened the locket and an orb floated out of the locket.
Inside the orb was an image of the underwater castle in Altea. Merfolk swimming around the palace happily. A song played in the background, which Keith recognized as Sofia's lullaby. Upon seeing his daughter coo at the gift, Keith sent his father a smile. Shiro, upon seeing his granddaughter so happy, smiled back and eventually closed the locket up.
He placed the locket around Sofia's neck, just as a dark purple tentacle rose up from the water. Keith's eyes widened when the tentacle wrapped itself around Sofia and the baby was ripped from his arms. "Sofia!" he called out, Lance stepped up beside him his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A woman rose out of the water, she stood on top of two manta rays who swam around. The woman, however, was half human and half octopus. She had purple skin, white hair, and yellow eyes. Her tentacles were dark purple with black on the underside. Around her neck was a black necklace with three dark indigo jewels. "A party!" she exclaimed as the sky turned dark.
"Haggar's crazy sister!" Slav exclaimed as the woman approached the ship. "I didn't miss the cake and ice cream, did I?" she asked with a laugh, Sofia still in one of her tentacles. Shiro's eyes widened as he realized who the woman was "Cyrena" he growled out. The trident in his arms glowed upon sensing his anger.
"Surrender the baby or I'll…" Shiro started to say but Cyrena shook her finger. "Ah, ah, ah" she tsked and gave Sofia a gentle kiss on the cheek. She then used her tentacles to climb the side of the ship. "Haggar would have simply loved to have come but something came up" Colleen and Coran watched as the woman sat on the edge of the ship in thought. "Now-Now, what was it? Oh, yes. You all shish-kebabbed her!"
Keith watched in horror as Cyrena bounced his daughter up and down with her tentacle. Lance drew him close as he tried to calm his husband down. He to was worried for the safe being of his daughter. "One minute you're on top, the next you're sushi" Cyrena then pulled Coran close to her and brushed his mustache gently with a sick smile on her face. "Now, is that fair? I ask you" Cyrena then pushed Coran back and he ended up tripping on Colleen's orange and white dress and into her arms.
"But then, whoever said we had to play fair?" she commented as she played with Sofia's hair and gave Keith, Lance, and Shiro a look. "Oh Myzak!" she called.
From behind the crowd of merfolk, a grey fin raised out of the water. The fin moved up to reveal a shark with dark purple on the underside which faded into grey towards the top. The shark plowed through the crowd, tossing merfolk to the side that were in his way. "Make way, little mershrimp! I'm comin' through!" the shark continued to swim until he reached the boat.
Myzak tilted his body out of the water and opened his mouth. Keith watched the shark open his mouth and out of the corner of his eye saw Cyrena slowly lower Sofia to the open mouth. His eyes widened and he gasped with an outreached arm. "Now hand over the trident, or your precious granddaughter will be shark chow!" Cyrena demanded giving Shiro a taunting look.
"You can have anything you want" Shiro started to say in a surrendering tone. The trident stopped glowing and he looked to Cyrena. "Just don't harm Little Sofie" he begged to the woman.
"Well, well get the trident" Cyrena started to say as she moved away from the shark. Myzak closed his jaw and watched as Cyrena moved along the edge of the boat to the trio who kept their eyes on the baby girl. "avenge poor, unfortunate Haggar" Keith tuned out the woman and noticed a rope beside him. The rope was tied to one of the masts and an idea formed in his head. "And gain all the powers of the ocean!" Cyrena cried out catching the former merprince's attention.
"And it's not even 10 0'clock, not a bad morning" Keith glared at the woman and turned to Lance. Before his husband could stop him, Keith grabbed the sword and cut the rope beside him. Lance's eyes widened as he saw the mast coming and ducked down with Keith "hit the deck!" he yelled to the others.
Before Cyrena could move she was hit by the mast and knocked off the side of the ship. Sofia flew from her tentacle and into the air. Cyrena ended up landing on top of her two manta rays and splashing into the water. Sofia flew in the air giggling to herself. Myzak jumped out of the water and opened his jaw, intending to catch the princess in his mouth.
Lance caught sight of his daughter flying through the air and left Colleen to help Keith. Lance grabbed a loose rope and swung off the ship, catching his daughter in his arms just as Shiro used his trident to turn Myzak into a small shark. "Sofie!" Keith gasped out as he grabbed Sofia from Lance's arms and into his shaking ones.
"What have you done to me? Look at me! I'm an anchovy!" Myzak shrieked out in anger. He glared up at the sea king before swimming after Cyrena. Cyrena turned to Shiro and glared at the king "This isn't the end, Shiro! It's just the beginning!" she shouted as she started to spin and let out ink. She muttered a spell and the ink became a tornado of black ink, her rays and Myzak disappeared the tornado.
"After her!" Shiro yelled to his guards who quickly swam after her. The crowd of merfolk swam away as the tornado became bigger and sunk below the surface. "You'll never find me, but I'll find you" Cyrena shouted as she disappeared along with her rays, Myzak, and the tornado. "And your precious granddaughter!" Keith and Lance held Sofia close to them as Cyrena's laughs echoed, even after she had disappeared.
"We shall not rest until that madwoman is vanquished!" Shiro yelled as he shot lightning into the still dark storm clouds. "Find her!" he yelled and he echoed again to get his guards moving. "Find her!"
A few hours later, the sun had started to set. Shiro had sent Keith and Lance back home while his guard searched the waters for Cyrenna. Keith and Lance walked down to the beach to meet with Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Matt, and Slav. Sofia was crawling on the ground under Hunk and Pidge's watch as Keith and Lance spoke with Shiro.
"I'm sorry. There is no sign of her. She's vanished" Shiro said with a frown. "We'll keep trying" Shiro said as he tried to make light of the situation. Keith glanced down and saw his daughter start to crawl towards the sea. Fear gripped him and he picked her up into his arms, water dripping off her dress. "Sweetie, no" Keith said as Lance stepped up beside him.
"Oh, we've got to keep Sofia away from her" Keith said as he gave his father a saddened frown. "Until Cyrenna is found, Sofie can't go in the sea" Keith said looked to his daughter. He took a deep breath and spoke his next words carefully with a sad look on his face "And neither will I" the group's eyes widened "but Keith…" Hunk said with a frown.
Keith turned to his friends and father who all shared similar looks. "I'm sorry, guys" he said softly "But if Cyrenna is anything like Haggar, she'll never give up" Keith turned back to Sofia who had put the locket in her mouth "this is the only way" Shiro could feel his heart breaking, as could everyone else. Keith pulled the seashell locket off Sofia and slowly handed it back to his father.
"Sofia can't know about merpeople or Altea...or even you, Dad" Shiro sighed as his hand closed around the chain that the locket was attached to. In his heart, he knew Keith was right. "Very well, Keith, you're right" Lance wrapped his arms around Keith as the former merprince started to cry softly. His heart broke as he realized that by the separation, Keith wouldn't be able to see his family or friends again.
Shiro turned and slowly swam away, the other following after saying their goodbyes to the couple. Shiro turned to Slav who was perched on a rock "Slav, you will watch over Sofie" he whispered to the crab. Slav's eyes widened "Me? Aww!" he said before fainting into the water.
Shiro and the group(excluding Slav) continued to swim a distance from the shore. Keith and Lance had walked up the stairs that led to the palace to start plans to build the wall. Shiro stared at the locket sadly before lowering his hand into the water and letting the locket slip from his hand. The locket continued to sink down to the bottom of the ocean, where it would sit, waiting.