In the evening it had gotten cold. Lance had changed into black pants, a white shirt with blue sleeves, brown boots, a red belt around his waist, and a black cape. In his hands was his flute, though he knew had fallen for Keith, he couldn't help but think of the boy who saved him. He still couldn't get the voice out of his head, which was evident when Lance was playing the tune again.
As Lance finished, Coran walked up beside him, Lance turned and gave the man a smile. "Lance if I may say, far better than any dream boy, is one of flesh and blood" Coran's eyes glanced up towards Keith's room and smiled. "One warm and caring, and right before your eyes" with his words spoken, Coran walked off leaving the prince alone.
Lance glanced up towards Keith's room and saw the boy he almost kissed in the lagoon. Keith was in his pajamas and combing his hair once more with the fork. Keith had been staring out at the stars, but turned around and headed to bed as he finished combing his hair. Lance smiled and then sighed. He gripped his flute and made an important decision. He decided that he was indeed going to forget the dream boy and follow his feelings for Keith.
Lance swung his arm back and then swung it forwards. The flute whistling as it flew towards the ocean. Lance glanced up towards Keith's windows and seeing the light still on, headed towards the door that led to that section of the palace. However, as he turned Lance's ears picked up a familiar tune.
He froze in step and turned back to the beach. The singing so familiar. As Lance heard more, he recognized the singing as the same song that the boy who saved him sang, and the same voice to. Lane headed to the edge of the balcony and glanced over seeing a man with a purple cape in the darkness. A seashell around his neck as he sang, Lance soon became lost in the song and soon fell prisoner to the spell.
His blue eyes glowed yellow as the spell traveled up and instead of black irises turning golden instead of black. The prince was now under Haggar's control.
The next morning, Matt was flying towards Keith's room. Luckily the prince's balcony doors were open and allowed Matt to fly in. "Keith! Keith, wake up!" Matt yelled as he woke up the sleeping prince and the crab next to Keith on the pillow. "Wake up! I just heard the news" Keith rubbed his eyes and sat up, Matt grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!" Matt yelled as Slav woke up with the yelling. "What is this idiot babbling about?" Matt smiled "right - as if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's buzzing about the prince getting himself hitched this afternoon!". Keith and Slav stared at Matt in confusion, not understanding the term.
"You know, he's getting married!" Keith's eyes widened and a smile grew on his face. "I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!" Matt yelled as he flew out of the room and back to find Hunk and Pidge. Keith quickly jumped out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair. Without another thought, the prince ran out of the room and down the hallway, Slav following with a groan. Though he was just as excited as Keith. Okay, maybe not that much.
Keith ran down the stairs, trying not to trip over his pajama pants. "Well, uh - err, Lance. I-it appears that I was mistaken" Keith heard Coran say as he almost started down the second set of stairs. Keith quickly hid behind a pillar on the stairs and watched. "This mystery boy of yours does - in fact, exist" Keith shook his head as he saw a man beside Lance.
The man had lightly tanned skin and brown hair that fell to his shoulders. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, a purple shirt, a grey vest with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and brown boots. From what Keith could see, the man's eyes were yellow. The man's right hand was on Lance's chest and the other arm was wrapped around Lance's waist.
Lance was dressed in his prince get up, something that was unusual for him. "And - and he is wonderful. Congratulations, my boy" Coran said shaking the man's hand. Keith hid behind the pillar, he could feel his heart breaking. Today was his last day, by the setting sun he would be a mermaid again and belong to Haggar.
"We wish to be married as soon as possible." Lance said and Keith felt his heart break even more. "Oh, yes - of course, Lance, but, er - but these things do take time, you know. . . .". Slav had just arrived and he climbed up to Keith's shoulder to see what was wrong. "This afternoon, Coran. The wedding ship departs at sunset" Slav's eyes widened as tears fell down from Keith's eyes and down his cheeks.
"Oh, oh - very well, Lance - as you wish" Coran said with a sigh. Keith couldn't take it anymore and took off to his room. Slav holding on as best he could. Haggar looked up to see Keith running off, she grabbed the shell around her neck and laughed. The shell glowing slightly.
Come sunset, the wedding ship was indeed taking off. The guests were on board, as were the groom and bride to be. Keith pushed himself off the pole he was leaning on and sighed. He had refused to get on the ship, he don't think his heart would have handled it. He had changed into the outfit he wore on the day he went to the town with Lance, though he kept the boots off.
Keith slid down the pole and hid his face in his knees. His shoulder shaking as he cried. Hunk and Pidge appeared out of the water, they had heard what had happened and rushed to the prince's aid. Their hearts hurt as they watched Keith cry, Hunk slowly started crying as well.
Slave appeared next to Keith and sat sadly by the prince's side. At some point, even Pidge had started crying, something she hadn't done since her mother died. Keith glanced up and a single tear rolled down his cheek and fell into the water.
Matt was flying through the air. He was humming to himself as he flew. As he flew, his ears picked up familiar singing.
"What a lovely little groom I'll make
My dear, I'll look divine!"
Matt flew towards the window where the singing was the loudest. He peaked in the window as he heard laughing. There he saw the same man Lance was to marry. He was dressed in a pair of white pants, a white shirt with no sleeves, and grey boots.
"Things are working out according to my ultimate design!"
The man laughed again as he turned to Matt, pulled out a bobby pin and threw it at the mirror. The pin landed in the head of the mirror and the mirror tilted back. At this view, Matt caught sight a golden seashell necklace around his neck. The shell glowing slightly.
"Soon I'll have that little merman,
And the ocean will be mine!"
The man then stood up on to the vanity and broke a perfume bottle with his boot. Matt gulped as the man spun around and then turned to the mirror laughing as he pulled it towards him. The reflection however, was not his one. But someone that needed to be taken care of.
"The sea witch! Oh no . . . She's- I gotta. . ." Matt started panicking and hit his head on the edge of the window. With his conscious clear, Matt started flying to find Keith. "Keith!" Matt yelled as he caught sight of the group. "Keith!" Matt yelled grabbing the groups attention. Matt landed beside Keith who had his legs hanging on the edge of the dock.
"Keith. I was flying, I wa - of course I was flying - " Matt said as he babbled on. "An' - I s- I saw that the watch - the witch was watchin' a mirror, and she was singin' with a stolen set o' pipes" the group was giving Matt a strange look. Keith shook his head, not really understanding. "Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE SEA WITCH IN DISGUISE!" Matt yelled as he grabbed Slav and shook the crab.
Pidge looked up at her brother "are you sure about this?" Matt nodded furiously "have I ever been wrong?". Hunk went to open his mouth but Matt interrupted. "I mean when it's important!" Hunk sighed "What are we gonna do!?" Hunk asked turning to the group for an answer.
Keith stood up and walked to the edge of the dock, he glanced at the ship and then at the sun. ". . . Before the sun sets on the third day. . . ." Keith heard Haggar's voice repeat in his head. Keith glanced around and then seeing no other way dove into the water. Keith popped back up and waved his arms, not used to swimming without the help of his tail.
Slav paced in a panicked mode, and seeing barrels tied down with rope, he had an idea. He snapped the rope and the barrels came tumbling down into the water. One of the barrels had a rope around it with a loop at the end of the rope. "Keith, grab onto that" Slav instructed the prince who for once, did as he was told.
"Hunk, get him to that boat as fast as your fins can carry you!" Hunk turned into his fish form and swam through the loop. "I'll try" Slav turned to Pidge "Pidge go with them, take shifts with Hunk" Pidge nodded and turned into her dolphin form. The trio swam off towards the boat.
"I've gotta get to the sea king. He must know about this" Matt turned to Slav "what - What about me? What about ME?" Matt asked wanting to help. Slav turned to Matt "you - find a way to STALL THAT WEDDING!" Slav yelled as he jumped into the water and started swimming as fast as he could towards Altea.
"Stall the wedding. Wh- what am I - what - that's it!" Matt took off flying towards the lagoon, making the noise that a bird in help makes. The birds and creatures heard and started following him. "Move it, let's go, we got an emergency here!" Matt yelled as dolphins and seals also arrived. The large group started making their way to the wedding ship.
Back on the wedding ship, Lance and Haggar were walking down the aisle. Haggar was dressed in a pair of white pants, a white shirt, grey boots, a grey jacket with a tailcoat, and silver epaulets on her shoulders. Her hair was tied in a ponytail.
The guests on either side of the aisle bowed their heads in respect as the couple to be walked down the aisle. Blue growled from where Coran was holding her, she did not like the man before her at all. Haggar gave her a glare and kicked her nose with the heel of her boots. Blue yelped and back away, but still growled as Haggar walked past.
They finally reached the priest and stopped before him. The priest was a short old man with glasses on his wrinkled face. "Dearly beloved . . ."
Hunk panted as he pulled the barrel with Keith holding on. "Don't worry Keith. ugh - we - we're gonna make it. We're almost there." Pidge noticed her friend was tired and swam up beside him. "Hunk switch with me, take a break out of fish form" Hunk nodded and turned to merman form and helped Pidge through the loop.
"Yes, um, do you Lance, take Jeremy to be your lawfully wedded husband, for as long as you both shall live?". Hagar turned and a smile grew on her face as the sun was beginning to set, her plan was almost complete. Lance, still under the spell nodded slowly. "I do" the priest then turned to Haggar/Jeremy.
"Eh, and do you . . ." Haggar tuned out what the priest was saying as she heard birds squawking in the distance. A group of bluebirds dove down and Haggar had to duck before they knocked her over. Matt led the charge back and the dove between her legs, the wind almost knocking her off balance.
(A/N: Keep in mind, for this next scene, Haggar is still in her male form as Jeremy. Enjoy!)
Blue barked happily at the chaos. Guests ran everywhere as the birds flew around. On one side of the ship, seals hopped on board and started flopping around. Haggar turned and yelped as pelicans dropped water on her. Of course, it sounded deeper, due to her having Keith's voice.
One pelican had a lobster in his mouth and it fell on Haggar's head. The lobster then pinched Haggar's nose, a scream tearing out of her mouth from the pain. Silencing her, a group of starfish stuck to her and one landed on her mouth. Lance of course, was unaware of what was happening, due to the spell.
" . . . then by the power inves-" Haggar pulled the starfish off and threw them down. "Get away from me you slimy little-" before she could finish Haggar found herself being tossed up and down by a seal.
The trio had finally reached the boat and Keith started to climb one of the still oars. Pidge and Hunk watched with smiles on their faces. "God get your prince Keith!" Pidge yelled as she high fived a very tired Hunk. "You really are a guppy aren't you?" Hunk pouted "I'm not a guppy".
Haggar found herself being tossed up and down by the seals. Eventually, one seal tossed her off and she landed into the large wedding cake.
Keith had reached the railing and his eyes widened seeing the chaos that had gone on. He made a mental note to thank Matt later. He climbed over the railing and watched as Haggar stood up out of the mess of wedding cake. The cake on her head as she growled in anger.
Haggar turned as she heard the sound of dolphins. As she turned she was splashed with water, the cake now off her, but she was drenched. The wedding suits jacket and epaulets were torn off during the chaos.
Matt landed in front of her face and squawked in her face. Her hair drying but now out of its ponytail. "Oh, why you little-" Haggar yelled as she grabbed Matt around the neck and shook him in anger.
Coran struggled to keep Blue on her leash. She eventually broke free and ran towards Haggar. With an evil smile, Blue bit Haggar on the butt, hard. Haggar had been distracted while trying to get Matt to let go of her necklace. She screamed and the necklace broke off its rope and flew in the air.
The shell broke in front of Keith and golden orbs flew up. With the shell broken, the spell wore off of Lance. He shook his head and tried to make sense of where he was. Everyone turned and watched with wide eyes as Keith's harmonizing voice traveled up and back into Keith. Haggar growled as her plan was failing.
"Keith?" Lance asked as Keith held a hand to his throat. He missed the feeling of having his voice. "Lance" Keith said with a relieved sigh as Blue ran up to him and started barking. "You - you can talk" Lance said in amazement as he approached Keith and grabbed his hands. "You're the one" Haggar growled "Lance, get away from him!".
Haggar's eyes widened as he regular voice came out and she held a hand to her throat. "It - it was you all the time, I should have recognized that mullet anywhere" Keith let the hair comment aside and smiled at Lance. "Oh, Lance, I - I wanted to tell you" the two leaned in to kiss. "LANCE NO!" Haggar yelled despite the fact that her voice was her normal voice.
However, before they could kiss, the sunset. Keith gasped in pain as he felt his legs becoming one again. His pants and shirt were now off as he collapsed to the floor, his red tail in plain view. Lance's eyes widened as Haggar began laughing. "You're too late! You're too late!" lightning lashed and soon Haggar shifted out of her male disguise and back into herself.
The guests gasped and moved out of the way as Haggar crawled her way over to Keith. She grabbed the prince's arm and pulled him onto her lap, wrapping an arm around his neck. "So long, loverboy" Haggar said as she dove into the water, dragging Keith with her. "Keith!" Lance yelled trying to grab the prince.
When they crashed into the water, Sendak and Ladnock had been waiting. Haggar swam through the water, Keith's wrist in a strong grip as she pulled him along. "Poor little prince - it's not you I'm after" Haggar said as Keith tried to free his wrist. "I've a much bigger fish to -" before she could finish a golden glowing triton stopped her path.
"Haggar stop!" Shiro yelled as he glared at the witch, Slav on the ground beside him. "Why, King Siro! Ha ha ha - How are you?" Haggar said eyeing the king and tracing her finger on the edge of the trident. "Let him go" Shiro growled as he pointed his trident closer to the witch. Haggar glared and pulled the struggling prince closer to her "Not a chance, Shiro! He's mine now" Haggar pushed Keith back with her tentacle and his arms became wrapped in Sendak and Ladnock's tails.
"We made a deal" Haggar said with a smirk as she pulled out the glowing golden contract Keith had signed and unrolled it in front of his father. "Dad, I'm sorry! I - I - I didn't mean to. I didn't know -" Keith said as he saw his father grow angry. Shiro raised his trident and struck the contract with a blast. Haggar hid behind it and she was thrown back to a rock. She laughed as the contract remained intact, not a scratch on it.
"You see? The contract's legal, binding and completely unbreakable - even for you" Shiro's eyes widened as he gave Haggar a fierce glare. Haggar swam behind Shiro and popped up on his right side "of course, I always was a girl with an eye for a bargain. The child of the great sea king is a very precious commodity" Haggar said as the contract flew past them and swam around Keith. A golden whirlpool surrounded the prince as Sendak and Ladnock released his arms.
Keith shrunk a little bit, he could feel himself slowly turning into one of the polyps Haggar had in her garden. Shiro went to grab his son but Haggar held an arm in front of him with a sickening smile. "But - I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better. . . ".
Back above, Lance had shed his jacket and loaded into a rowboat, he started rowing to where an appropriate spot was. "Lance! What are you doing?" Coran yelled from the deck, Colleen looking just as worried for the prince as he was. "Coran, I lost her once. I'm not going to lose her again".
Lance turned to Coran "get the whip away from here, get everyone back to the kingdom!" he yelled. Coran sighed but nodded and turned to the captain of the ship to head back to the kingdom.
Time was running out for Keith, he was smaller than before, and he was starting to turn that ugly colour the polyps were. "Now! Do we have a deal?" Haggar asked as she held the contract out with a tentacle. Shiro stared at Keith before closing his eyes and turning his head, he held his trident out and replaced Keith's name with his own.
"Ha! It's done then" Haggar yelled as the whirlpool spun Keith around and he returned back to normal. The whirlpool then surrounded Shiro and spun him around until he had turned into a polyp. His crown falling around him and his trident on the ground beside him. "No!" Keith yelled as Haggar laughed.
Lance stopped rowing when he saw golden light emitting from the water. He stood up in the rocking boat, the waves were becoming strong. He grabbed the harpoon he had loaded in the boat and took a deep breath before jumping in.
Slav glanced at the king and bowed his head "oh, your majesty . . .". Keith stared at his father with guilt. If he hadn't made the deal in the first place, they wouldn't be here now. "Daddy? . . ." Keith whimpered out as he kneeled beside his father. Haggar laughed as she picked up the crown and placed it on her head "at last, it's mine" Haggar then picked up the trident which began to glow golden. Her laughter continuing
Keith glanced up from his father and glared up at the witch. He could feel anger pooling in him and he swam towards the witch, trying to grab the trident from her hands. "You - You monster!" Haggar growled and grabbed Keith with her tentacles and tossed him against the rock. Keith grunted as his back harshly hit the rock. He glared up at the witch but his glare faded when she pointed the trident towards him. "Don't fool with me you little brat! Contract or no- AAAAHH!"
Before she could finish a harpoon grazed her arm and landed in the rock beside Keith. Both turned and Keith's eyes widened seeing Lance. "Why you little troll!" Haggar growled and she pinned Keith down with a few of her tentacles. "Lance! Lance look out!" Keith yelled as Haggar turned to Sendak and Ladnock. "After him!" she yelled as Lance started swimming back to the boat.
Lance breached the surface and grabbed on to the edge of the boat, gasping for air. He went to pull himself up but found himself tugged back down into the water by the two eels. Sendak had wrapped himself around his chest and arms, while Ladnock had wrapped herself around his legs Lance struggled to breathe and free himself as the eels held him in the water.
Slav turned to Hunk who had joined the fight with Pidge. "Come on you two!" he yelled as Hunk and Pidge turned into their fish and dolphin forms. Slav pinched Ladnock's tail, while Hunk and Pidge used their tails and flapped them in Sendak's face.
The two eels let go and glared at the trio as Lance started to weakly swim to the surface. Haggar turned to Keith with a smile "say goodbye to your sweetheart" she said as she pointed the trident towards Lance. Keith glared at her and yanked her hair pulling her body away from Lance and towards the two eels. Instead of hitting Lance Haggar ended up striking the two eels. Sendak and Ladnock exploded into pieces.
Haggar's eyes widened as she realized her minions were no longer. Anger filled her as Keith sped past her and followed Lance to the surface. Haggar started to release clouds of ink. Slav, Hunk, and Pidge hid as they watched Haggar grow with the power of the trident.
Keith surface and helped Lance afloat while catching his breath. "Lance, you've got to get away from here" Lance shook his head "no way am I leaving you alone with that sea witch" Lance said firmly. Between them, bubbles appeared and then a spike of the crown separated the two. The two found themselves being raised out of the water as Haggar grew bigger and bigger.
Keith grabbed Lance's hand and they jumped off back into the water as Haggar continued to grow. "You pitiful, insignificant, fool!" Haggar yelled as she stopped growing. "Look out!" Lance yelled as one of Haggar's tentacles started to fall down towards them. The two dived out of the way as the tentacle crashed into the water.
"Now I am the ruler of all the ocean!" Haggar yelled as a storm was created. Lightning flashed and it started to rain hard. "The waves obey my every whim!" the waves grew large and ferocious, a giant wave swept towards Keith and Lance. The two found themselves separated as Lance was tossed away and crashed into the water.
"The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!" Haggar tilted the trident down and spun it in a circle, the power created a whirlpool. The whirlpool spun down until it reached the ocean floor, to where a graveyard of ships sat. The current lifted the ships off the floor and they soon started spinning with the whirlpool.
Keith jumped out of the way as he avoided a raising ship, he climbed onto a rock and watched as the ships spun around. Lance had popped out of the water and turned as a ship was heading his way. He ended up getting pushed down underneath the ship. "Lance!" Keith yelled as he watched the prince go under.
Lance had some luck as he grabbed onto a rope and climbed up onto the deck of the ship.
Haggar turned and saw Keith hanging onto the rock, the wind making it hard for Keith to see through the falling rain. She struck the rock with the trident and the rock broke. Keith ended up falling into the whirlpool.
Lance ran on the slippery deck, slipping a few times. He was almost to the wheel until a wave crashed over the side and knocked him off his feet.
Keith groaned as he raised himself to his knees. He glanced up at Haggar and his eyes widened as she started to aim the trident at him. He jumped away each time, barely missing the strikes she was sending his way.
Lance finally reached the wheel and gripped the wood tight. He glared at Haggar as he steered the ship towards her. The end of the ship had broken off and became pointed.
Haggar's smile grew as Keith was running out of energy from not being in the water. Haggar laughed as she raised the trident one last time, unaware that the ship was coming closer. "So much for true love!" she yelled. Keith's eyes widened as the trident glowed, ready to fire.
Haggar turned and her eyes widened when she saw the ship coming towards her. However, it was to late. The sharp point pierced through her and she screamed in pain. Lightning struck the witch as she started to go down with the ship. Lance found himself knocked into the water as Haggar's tentacles grabbed onto the sinking ship as her life faded.
Purple smoke raised into the air as Haggar started to dissolve into sea foam.
Lance reached the beach and collapsed in exhaustion. His boots were off and his pants were ripped to his knees. Keith had swum to shore as the battle was over and the sea returned to normal. He was worried about Lance and that was the only thought crossing his mind as he swam to shore.