I'm so sorry for the late update! I can't use the holidays as an excuse anymore lol Well here's the next chapter!

Chapter 9 Re-Encounter

There was a special unit in the Royal Guard that did stuff like this. He wasn't sure if they were still active, since most races of Mer were peaceful to each other and they didn't interact with Land Walkers(or weren't supposed to) anymore.

Let's ignore that fun little prank. Lance snickered to himself. Not that he was too interested in Land Walkers, but they were still interesting. Fun to scare, anyway. Why were Mers so cautious of them?

He felt a little bad about deceiving those Eastern Mers when they were just concerned about looking for their Princess. He would probably do the same thing if Princess Allura went missing. But Queen Luxia was just looking out for them, not wanting them to be in danger either. So he really wasn't betraying them. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

He still felt a little guilty, even with the thrill of being some kind of spy.

"You gotta tell me what happened, Lance. Why did you swim off with these Mers if you didn't believe them in the first place?"

Lance had been waiting for this conversation since they left the Shoal. He was prepared. He went over the events again and again, and finally made sense of everything. "I kinda owed them. When I was taking the trial, a Mer asked if I could help hunt. Well, needless to say I was duped and she tied me to a rock. Then Plaxum came and untied me, and she said in payment I would have to help her find the missing Princess."

"Lance…" Hunk sighed. "I always said infatuation was going to be your downfall. What if a shark had found you first? You wouldn't have been able to defend yourself or swim away."

"Duly noted, but it didn't and I agreed to help Plaxum."

"You didn't think the rest through, did you?"

"Hunk, this is no time for your scrutinous comments, we have a job to do." They had already traveled whale lengths away from the Shoal, Lance saying he last saw them by the Wall.

"How are we even supposed to find them in all the ocean? They could be anywhere."

"You forget, I took the trials to become a Hunter, which means I can track." He said, proudly tapping his nose. "I was around them, so I know their scent. And they smelled like jellyfish." He shivered at the memory. Jellyfish were not so appetizing, and they had a horrible smell.

"Ah, I could really go for some jellyfish right now."

"As much as I love your cooking Hunk, I refuse to touch that." He paused and sniffed the waters. "I think I got something." He looked around the forest of coral and rocks, recognizing the area. "Follow me."

Lance recognized that smell. That (fill in what Keith smells like). Wait…there was no jellyfish smell.

"I thought your friends were Eastern Mers."

Shells! Lance pulled Hunk behind some jutting rock to hide them. That wasn't the Easter Mers, that was his supposed "Glow". And by supposed, he meant real Glow he rejected and fucked up.

What if he started glowing again? What if the Mer mentioned the glow? He didn't want questions from Hunk, he didn't want to deal with his screw up right now.

And what if Hunk said something about Glows being Mates? The other Mer(he never got his name) didn't seem to know anything about the Glow. What if he decided he wanted to be together with him? Or worse, what if he rejected him?

"Uhhh, I have no idea who that is, so maybe we should split up."

"What? Lance, that makes no sense. Why would we—"

Lance didn't hesitate to start pushing him in the opposite direction. "I just realized the other Mers might get suspicious if I bring a random person with me." He spewed out without letting Hunk get a word in of protest. "They might catch on to our operation. You head back until I give you the okay."

"But what about—"

"Don't worry, I got this." He said with fake confidence. "I'm a Hunter, I know how to sneak around predators."

"So you aren't—"

"No, I promise." He shooed him along. "I'll meet you back at the Shoal and let you know I convinced them to let you in on the mission."

"Okay…" hunk reluctantly swam off, looking back at Lance a couple of times in concern. Lance waved him off, waiting till Hunk was far enough away that he couldn't see him through the dense, dark waters of the ocean.

Then he took a breath, because he had to convince his Glow to stay away till he could get things straightened out with the Eastern Mers. Now how was he going to approach him?

"Aren't you Lance?"

Lance let out a screech of surprised when he turned around to see the red Mer practically in his gills. "What? How? You scared me!"

The red Mer smirked. A smirk of arrogance and cocky confidence. A smirk that sent a light of frustration into the pit of Lance's stomach. "I happen to have a good nose."

"Ha, well, I bet mine's better." He challenged before he could say anything.

The red Mer glared at him. "I didn't come here to compete with you. I had questions."

"What kind of questions?" Lance asked cautiously. He wasn't going to mention the glow thing, was he?

He suddenly changed from haughty attitude to bashful nervousness. It was kinda cute. And he hated it. "Well, you're kinda the first Mer I've met, and I just had questions."

"What, were you living under a rock?"

He switched back to a glare, and Lance decided he preferred it over the innocent look that made him question…things. "No, I was just…sheltered…"

Lance chuckled. "Sounds like the same thing."

"Well, it wasn't a rock. And you can't live under a rock, it would crush you!"

Lance lifted an eyebrow. Did he not get that was an expression? "Anyway, I'm kinda busy, so you'll have to find someone else."

"What about your friend that just swam off?"

Lance nearly choked on water. He saw them? How long had he been there? "He can't, he's headed back to the Shoal."

"What's a Shoal?"

Lance thought his brain was going to stop every time this Mer opened his mouth. "You don't…you haven't…" He took a deep breath through his gills. "Whatever, I don't have time for this. I have mission to do." Lance wasn't going to waste his time answering stupid questions when he had Mers he needed to find.

"A mission? Are you like a secret agent or something?" Asked the Mer, following him.

"Wha—yes, I am, and you're ruining my mission. Now scram."

"If you were a secret agent, why would you tell me? Isn't that against protocol?" He asked suspiciously.

"Wha?!" He had to pause and turn a shocked and offended glare to the red Mer. "How dare—Who are you to tell me what I am or am not supposed to do?"

"I'm Keith."

He blinked. "What?"

"You asked who I was. I'm Keith."

"Keith…" Lance tried out. It came too naturally from his lips for him to like it. "That's a stupid name."

"What, like Lance is any better?"

"It most certainly is! I was named after my grandpap! He was one of the most skilled trackers in the Shoal!"

"Good for him."

Why was…This jerk was getting on his nerves. There was no way they could be Glows. "What can I do to get you to go away?"

"Let me help. With…whatever you're doing."

"That won't…" Lance paused. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. If he could get him to go away, he would be out of the picture. But he couldn't let him in on his mission. That he knew. But what could he do to get him scared enough to leave him alone?

A thought occurred. If he was so sheltered, then he didn't know the area. He could get him lost, or the very least too scared to come back. And he knew just the place. "Have you ever heard of the Black Pond?"

I know it's a little short(little? try lot) but I wanted to get an update out there and if I had continued from this spot it would have been heeeellllllaaaa long. Anyway, sorry for the late update! Thank you all for reading!