As soon as she reached her room, Sofia shed off her dress and flung it on the back of her vanity chair. She tossed off her heels and tossed them in the same direction as her dress. Her crown was pulled off her head and tossed off her crown and the white bow in her hair and they landed on her vanity. She collapsed onto her bed crying. She hadn't bothered to turn her lights up, so it was rather dark in her room.
Sofia lifted her head and the golden seashell was in her view. She reached over and picked the shell up by the rope it had. The tears continued to fall as she flipped over, her back against her pillows, the seashell in her hands.
Her door opened and in walked Keith, a saddened look came on his face when he saw his daughter crying. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry" Keith said as he sat on the bed beside her. "What's wrong with me?" Sofia whimpered out, Keith smiled softly as he placed a hand on her shoulder "Oh, nothing's wrong with you". Sofia gave her mother a look "Mom, I'm the princess of disaster" she cried and buried her face into her pillow.
Keith sighed and started running his fingers through her hair, he grabbed her signature purple bow from her dresser and tied it into her hair. "Being a teenager i-is hard, and, uh all kids your age feel a-awkward" Keith wasn't sure where he was going with this. Lance was better at this kind of stuff, however, his husband was busy dismissing the guests from the party. During her mother's speech, Sofia had started to wipe the ocean grime away from the shell.
What she found underneath surprised her. "Sofia?" she read. Her name was engraved on the front side of the shell. "What is this? My name's on here" as she opened it, Keith gasped as he got a view of what she had as she sat up. It was the locket his father had made for Sofia as a gift 12 years ago.
"That song. Where have I heard it?" Sofia questioned as she watched merfolk swim around the underwater palace in Altea. "It's Altea. With merpeople and everything" Sofia turned to Keith who had a shocked look on his face. He hadn't expected his daughter to have the locket, he had given it to his father when they decided to keep Sofia away from the sea. Why would she have it? "Mother, you always said it was just an old fish tale".
"Where did you get this?" Keith asked as he grabbed the locket and closed it. "I... I found it" Sofia said with slight hesitation knowing how her mother would react. "You went over the wall, didn't you?" Keith said demanding an answer from his daughter. "Actually, I went under it" Sofia said answering Keith's question with a different answer. "I hate that stupid wall" she said letting her feelings out.
"Sofie, you know you're not allowed in the sea" Keith gasped out as he repeated the rule he had set for her. "But why? And why does that necklace have my name on it?" Sofia asked as she stood up on her bed facing her mother. "Sofie listen to me" Keith said trying to get his daughter to understand. "You're hiding something from me" Sofia said as she realized why Keith was avoiding the question.
"Y-You deliberately disobeyed me! I never want you going out there again! Do you hear me? It's dangerous in the sea!" Sofia glared at her mother. "How would you know? You've never even been in it!" Sofia yelled as new tears sprang to her eyes. Crying, Sofia grabbed the locket from her mother's hand and ran out of her room, just as her father opened the door and walked in.
"S-Sofie, l…" before he could finish, Sofia had already run down the hall. "Oh, no" Keith groaned as he sat on the edge of the bed. Lance walked over as Keith buried his face in his hands, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Keith, darling…" Lance started to say, Keith lifted his head and turned to his husband. "We knew this day would come" he pointed out, Keith nodded with a sigh. "You're right. It's time I trusted her with the truth".
"Sofia where are you going?" Slav asked as he watched her stomp past the rock we was on. However, the crab was ignored as Sofia started to push the wooden boat off the sand and towards the ocean "Young lady, just where do you think you're going?" Slav demanded as the boat slid into the water... "I've gotta figure this out" Sofia called as she climbed into the boat and sat down at the oars.
She grabbed the locket in her hands, which was now around her neck and stared at the engraved name, which was hers, on the shell. "This necklace means something" Sofia stated as Slav jumped on the edge of the boat, hanging on by just his claws. "and if no one's gonna tell me...I'm gonna find out myself" Sofia grabbed one of the oars and hit Slav with it. The crab went flying off the boat and into the water.
Slav popped out of the water and watched as Sofia started rowing away. "Sofia, please! You're making a big mistake!" Slav called out, but his pleas were not heard by the princess.
Meanwhile, Cyrenna was watching the scene from her frozen lair. She laughed as her plan was starting to come together. "Oh, this is delicious. This is divine!" Myzak turned to the two manta rays. "Let's go, flatsos" the rays followed Myzak out of the lair and towards where Sofia was. "Hurry, Myzak!" Cyrenna called out to the shark "There's a little girl out there who needs our help".
"All right, Slav you must remain calm" Slav told himself as he swam through the gates of the wall. "This is not your fault" he said as he climbed out of the pond and towards the palace stairs. "All you have to do is go in there and calmly explain that Sofia has run away" he finally reached the top of the stairs "no reason to lose your head". What Slav didn't know was that Keith and Lance were looking for Sofia. As was the whole palace after the argument.
"Whatever you do you absitively, positutely must not panic" Slav had found himself calm but still anxious. "Sofie!" Keith called out and Slav jumped around and started running towards them. "Sofia's gone! Sofia's gone! Sofia's gone!" Slav called out grabbing the couple's attention. "Slav?" Keith asked he hadn't expected Slav to be here. He would have thought that Slav would be in Altea with his father. "Well, what are you doing here?" Keith asked as Slav stopped at his pant leg.
"All my fault! I tried to stop her! I don't deserve to live!" Slav cried as he buried his face in Keith's pant leg. "Gone? Gone where?" Lance asked as he replayed what Slav had called out in his head. "Out. Out to the sea" Slav cried out and buried his face once more. "What do you mean? Where could she be going?" Keith asked as Slav slowly stopped crying.
"To Cyrenna's" Myzak said with a smile as Sofia asked where she would be going. "And she can tell me what this locket means, why it has my name on it?" Sofia asked, excitement growing inside her. "Oh, sure, kid" Myzak said with a chuckle, the plan was working. "Cyrenna's the best. She'll help ya" Sofia stared at her locket for a moment before deciding.
"Okay. Then let's go" the manta rays tails wrapped around the ropes in front of the boat and started pulling the boat in the direction of the frozen lair. The creatures laughed as Sofia glanced back to where the kingdom was. A thought in the back of her mind told her to turn around and go back to her parents. She glanced down at the locket and sighed. She wanted to go home, but she just had to know more about the locket. She knew her mother and father wouldn't tell her. Cyrenna was her best option.
Sofia awoke hours later. She wondered when and how she fell asleep. She sat up and wrapped the purple blanket around her tighter. The air was cold, like being in the Arctic. Fog surrounded them and pieces of ice were sticking up out of the water, which was bound to be freezing.
The rays pulled the boat into an ice cave. It was freezing. The only time Sofia had experienced cold weather was during the winter, but even then, it was never this cold. However, as they continued to venture further, the temperature became warmer and more comfortable for him.
"Angel face, meet the one and only...Cyrenna" Myzak said as a giant shell turned around. Cyrenna seated on it. A smile grew on her face as she welcomed the princess "Oh, welcome, my precious" she called as Sofia started getting out of the boat. "Oh, don't be shy. Come in. Come in out of the cold" she said helping the princess of the boat and leading her to sit on the shell beside her.
"Sit, sit. Put your feet up" Cyrenna slid a block of ice under Sofia's feet. "Hungry? Afraid all I have is a cold plate" Cyrenna pulled out a plate with odd seafood on it. Sofia cringed back as one of the food concoctions started to move. "Smelt-cicle? Kelp chip? Hush guppy?" however, she remembered her manners and shook her head "Uh, no, thank you" Cyrenna smiled and put the plate away.
"I was hoping you could tell me about this pendant" Sofia said as she pulled the locket off from around her neck. "Why it has my name on it" she continued, holding the locket in her hand. "My mother wouldn't tell me. He just doesn't understand" Sofia said with a frown, Cyrenna placed a tentacle around her shoulders and pat Sofia's head gently. "Oh, you're not the only one with a mother who doesn't understand you" she said remembering her own mother.
"Believe me, I know just how you feel" Sofia sighed, not quite believing the woman's words. "Dear child" Cyrenna began to say as she took the locket gently from Sofia's hands. "Did you ever consider that it has your name on it because it has your destiny in it?" Cyrenna then clicked the locket open, Sofia looked up as the image of the palace and merfolk appeared. "Oh, deep down you know you weren't meant to be a lowly human" Cyrenna said as Sofia watched the merfolk swim.
"What you are is something...far more enchanting" Sofia's eyes widened "a mermaid?" she felt excitement flow through her. But then reality crashed down on her. "But it's not possible" Cyrenna chuckled "darling, anything's possible". "You can turn me into a mermaid?" Sofia asked, practically bouncing in her seat. "Piece of fish cake, honey" Cyrenna replied closing the locket and handing it back to Sofia.
"Lots of luck" Myzak grumbled as Cyrenna rummaged through her cupboards and humming to herself. "Ah!" Cyrenna said and she pulled out a glowing purple bottle. On the front side under the dust layer, was a rare picture of Haggar smiling. "Haggar's magic?" Myzak growled and glared at Cyrenna "Where'd you get that?".
"I've been saving it for a special occasion" Cyrenna snapped at the shark and headed back over to Sofia. "One drop of this and, bada-bing, bada-boom! You're in fin city! Whee!" Cyrenna cried out as she pulled the cap off the bottle. "Really?" Sofia asked in excitement, Cyrenna nodded and gently lifted Sofia's foot. "Come, my darling. Your destiny awaits you" the potion was poured out of the bottle and landed on Sofia's foot in a snowflake form.
Suddenly Sofia was lifted into the air. Green magic swirled around her legs in a tornado. Sofia felt her legs becoming one, it was an odd sensation. Cyrenna laughed as Sofia slowly was lowered to the ground as the tornado faded away. Once the magic faded, a light indigo colored tail with light purple fins was revealed where Sofia's legs used to be. Her top had changed into a matching indigo top. "I don't believe it! I'm a mermaid" Sofia said in amazement, she grabbed her fins and smiled seeing they were real.
"Say it loud, say it proud!" Cyrenna cried out with a laugh as Sofia dove into the water. She expected it to be freezing cold, however, she found the water wasn't cold at all. She swam around an unamused Myzak before diving under the water. Sofia then jumped out of the water with a huge smile on her face "I'm a mermaid!" she yelled and splashed back into the water.
Cyrenna smiled seeing the princess so happy. "You had this all along" Myzak yelled eyeing the now empty potion bottle. "You coulda changed me back. Why I oughta…" Cyrenna rolled her eyes as she slipped into the water "keep your scales on, small fry. I'm still reeling her in".
Outside the walls on a ship, Keith and Lance were talking to Shiro about the situation. Keith was dressed in black pants, a teal shirt, a grey vest with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and brown boots. Lance stood beside him dressed in black pants, a white blouse, and brown knee length boots.
"Oh, Dad, I'm so worried" Keith said, Lance shared his worry as well. "Everything's going to be all right Keith" Shiro said trying to calm his worried son down. Even though he to was worried for his granddaughter's sake. "We have search parties scouring the ocean. I'm going to join them now myself" despite his father's words, Keith still couldn't help but worry.
"Keith, maybe you should go with him" Lance said tuning Keith to face him, his hands on his shoulders. "But Lance…" Keith started to protest with a shake of his head. "I need to stay here and lead the search on land" Lance said explaining his reason. "But you know these waters… and you know our daughter. You have to go" Keith gave Lance a soft smile. "It may be dangerous" Shiro said, trying to reason against his son coming with.
"Lance's right, Dad, I should have known I couldn't keep Sofie from the sea. It's a part of her" Keith said trying to get his father to see reason. "And a part of me. I have to go" Keith was giving Shiro that look he always gave when reasoning with him. Shiro sighed and nodded "very well" he said as he trident started to glow. Keith turned back to Lance "bring her home" Lance said as the two embraced.
Lance helped Keith stand on the edge of the ship. Keith took a deep breath and nodded at his father, closing his eyes and holding his arms out. Shiro pointed his trident at Keith and hit him with the magic. Keith raised into the air and slowly his clothes disappear and his legs took the form of his red tail.
Lance watched on in amazement, Keith opened his eyes and once the transformation was done, dove into the water.
"What a totally cool feeling!" Sofia exclaimed as she dove back into the water. She giggled as she popped out of the water and drifted on her back. She eventually hit a circle of ice and a seal turned its head in surprise. "Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry, ma'am" Sofia said as she saw three white seal pups poke their heads out.
(A/N:
Word=Sofia
Word=Keith)
"Okay
Get a grip
Get the hang of this flipper
It's like slipping two feet into one big huge slipper"
Upon seeing Sofia flap her fins as she tried to get the hang of things, one of the seal pups also flapped their fins. Of course, being newborns, they weren't sure of their fins like their mother was.
"This way is left
Which way is right
Well, now I'll be circling in circles all night
Oh, so this is forward.
No problem"
Sofia swam around a smaller ice circle that the pups had jumped on. The pups got dizzy watching her swim in circles and eventually fell down dizzy. Sofia giggled and dove under the water.
"I can't believe I can do this and more
To swim in the sea like I walk on the shore
Out of my shell
Not closed up like a clam
Look out sea
This is me
Here I am"
Sofia jumped with two narwhals through large hoops of ice. She then dove down and then danced with a sea turtle. A huge smile on her face.
"For a moment all of me
Is alive and at home in the sea
I'm swirling and twirling, so graceful and grand
Not stubbing my toes getting stuck in the sand
For a moment life is cool
I'm a splash in the world's biggest pool
This is more than my thoughts ever thought it could be
For a moment, just a moment, lucky me"
Sofia smiled as she swam through a tornado of different fish.
Meanwhile, Shiro and Keith had split up to search. Keith headed to his grotto first. Shiro had told him that he had rebuilt the grotto and replaced all the treasures inside after he had destroyed them. Eventually, he ended up at the same sunken ship he, Hunk, and Pidge escaped the shark at.
"If only for one moment
I had shared with you all I know
The sea wouldn't be a mystery
Oh, why did you have to go?"
Sofia smiled as the pups jumped off the ice and landed in the water.
"Everything's newer, brighter and bluer
And truer to life than before
Watch me soar
For a moment I can shine
Got a grin and a fin, it works fine
My fingers are wrinkly, I really don't care
If all of my curls are curled out of my hair"
Sofia landed on the back of a humpback whale and laid on her back.
"For a moment I can feel
All the dreams I've been dreaming are real"
The whale took to the surface and Sofia sat up as she grasped at her locket, a smile on her face.
"Wish my mother could hear it
The sea is my song
For a moment
Just a moment
I belong"
Keith swam to the rock where Slav had sung to him to keep him under the sea. He plucked a flower off the rock and smiled, remembering when he plucked petals off a similar flower to see if Lance loved him or not. He pulled it close to him, his heart hurting as he still had found no such luck at finding his daughter.
"I will find you, my darling
And the moment that I do
I'll hold you close, my Sofia
And sing the song of the sea with you
Sing the song of the sea with you
For a moment, just a moment, I belong"
Sofia swam back to Cyrenna's underwater lair and upon setting her and Myzak speaking quietly, she swam up and hugged the woman around her waist. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Sofia squealed out, Cyrenna was silent for a moment before Sofia felt her shake in her arms.
"What's the matter?" Sofia asked as she let go. "Oh, I knew this would happen" Cyrenna said with a sniffle "one taste, and you're hooked". Myzak grabbed a handkerchief as he rubbed his "tears" away. "Oh, Myzak, I'm such a failure, such a…" Cyrenna blew her nose in the handkerchief Myzak gave her before she could finish her sentence.
"Oh, my precious...there wasn't enough potion for this to be a forever spell" Cyrenna said with a frown. Sofia's eyes widened "please" she pleaded. "I don't want to go back to being an ordinary girl" Cyrenna gave a sympathetic smile. "Isn't there some way I can stay a mermaid?" Sofia asked desperately as Cyrenna laid over a table. "Oh, I'm afraid there's absolutely no possible way" Cyrenna cried out burying her face in her arms.
"Well, there is one way" Cyrenna said lifting her head up. Sofia started to get excited, she didn't want to go back to being the weird human girl. "No. What am I thinking? It's far too dangerous" Cyrenna said again, selling the maybe option to Sofia.
"What? Wh... What's too dangerous?" Sofia asked desperately. "Well.." Cyrena said as she turned around and sat on the table "I could make the spell last longer...if I had my magic trident" Cyrenna said using her ink to create an image of Shiro's trident. "Oh, but it was stolen years ago by a deranged kleptomaniac" Cyrenna cried using her ink to create an image of Shiro around Myzak.
"And there's no one to get it back for me" Cyrenna cried into her hands, the ink now disappearing. "Maybe I could get it back for you." Sofia said, she was desperate to stay a mermaid. Cyrenna's trident was her best option at the moment. "You would do that for me?" Cyrenna asked in 'shock', Sofia nodded in response. "If I did, would you make me a mermaid forever?" Sofia asked, she grabbed Cyrenna's hand in desperation.
"Even longer, if you like" Cyrenna said with a smile. She then pulled out a map made of ice and handed it to the princess. "Now, here is where the scoundrel lives" Cyrenna said pointing to where the x was. Sofia's eyes widened at what the map said. "Altea? You mean it's not just an old fish tale? It really exists?" Sofia asked in surprise. "Of course it exists, dear. Whoever told you otherwise?" Cyrenna asked placing a hand on the princess's shoulder.
"My parents" Sofia replied with a frown. Gears began to click in her head. Her parents had been lying to her this whole time.
"Well, I'm sure they didn't mean to be cruel and deceitful" Cyrenna said with a soothing tone. "Okay, I'll bring back your trident. You can count on me!" Sofia called as she exited the lair, ice map in hand. "Be careful, dear. Enjoy those fins!" Cyrenna called out with a smile. "While you can" she muttered to Myzak with a deep laugh.
Her plan was working.