King Truan listened to the young sailor and anger as well as fear well up in his heart for the beloved merman. Queen Isabella drew in a fearful breath.

"What of Corla?" she asked.

"We believe she's safe," the sailor said.

Truan turned to his messenger. "Find Erik and Raina!" The messenger bowed before dashing out.

"Cap won't say anything but he' scared. He really loves Urchin," the sailor sighed. "If something happens…"

"It won't," Truan said determined. "The chests will be gathered but we all know that the pirates can gain much more with Urchin simply because of his rarity. They will double cross us and take him."

Within the hour Erik and Raina arrived worried and frightened for their friend.

Once everything was explained Erik frowned in thought. "You're right Your Majesty. I'd feel better if he had some kind of protection but I can't do anything here. If I can turn his fins into legs he could jump off of the side and into the water."

"Can you let us see how he's doing?" Truan asked.

Erik nodded and held up his hand. Magic swirled around his hand before becoming a small globe. In it was Urchin in a tub that was only partially full and they could tell that the water was dirty. The tub itself was filthy and Urchin was shivering from the cold air and holding his broken hand as tears of pain coursed down his face.

It tugged at their heartstrings. They all hated to see the merman in pain.

As they watched the door opened again and Corla stepped inside. Her fairy magic allowed her to switch between fins and legs whenever she pleased and Erik had taught her the spell to turn Urchin's fin into legs so the two were often together.

The former fairy saw her husband in the state he was in and burst into tears. Raina went over and hugged her feeling her own tears come.

Erik ended the spell and had to take several deep breaths to keep his level head. He looked at Corla. "Corla you need to sit down. The baby…"

Corla looked over and glared at him. "I'm fine!"

The wizard shrank back in slight fear. Urchin had warned him many times when they were on land that Corla's moods were drastic and her magic could become slightly dangerous if she aims it at you. He had grinned and teased Urchin mercilessly like any brother would. "Corla I swear to you we will get him back. If something happens to you than rescuing him would be for nothing because he would die of a broken heart!"

The mermaid's eyes softened before she looked down and nodded tearfully. Raina lead her out and to the room the two merpeople shared when on land overnight.

Erik watched them go before looking out the window at the sun. "We have a few hours yet."

"Could you turning invisible and sneak on board?" the sailor asked.

The wizard looked at him. "I can try. Invisibility is not an easy spell but I think I can do it. If I can sneak onto the ship I can locate Urchin and free him."

Truan nodded. "You will go with the chests. Once Urchin is out of the pirate's clutches Silas can attack and bring them in for trial and sentencing."

"Provided Urchin doesn't bring their good forward, "Isabella said.

Erik frowned. "He'll want to try." He turned to the sailor. "Tell Captain Silas that if he sees a white flare to not attack. That means Urchin was successful. He sees a red flare he should attack with extreme prejudice!"

The sailor nodded. "Aye aye!"

Within a few hours Erik sneaked on board invisible as the chests were taken on board. As expected the pirates shoved the young sailor off of the ship and onto the dock before raising their platform and anchor and prepared to set sail.

The wizard searched the boat until he found his friend. What alarmed him was that he was on the floor and his tail was drying! He made himself appear and knelt down beside him. "Urchin!"

Urchin lifted his head. "Erik…?"

The poor Merman was heavily beaten and covered in bruises. The wizard helped sit him up and looked him up and down feeling nothing but anger for these vicious pirates. "What did they do to you?"

"I...I tried to...to help them…" he said weakly. "Erik I gotta get in the water!"

Erik pulled out his wand to turn the fin into legs only for the door to open revealing the pirate captain!

"How did you get on board?"

Erik glared as he raised his wand and blasted the captain out of the door. He then quickly turned Urchin's fin into legs and helped him up! Together they made their way to the deck. Erik kept his wand out and any pirate they came across found himself on the business end of a very angry wizard!

They made their way to the deck and over to the side where he changed his legs back into fin and practically shoved him overboard and into the water! He made to jump himself but a bullet flew past him. He whirled around and used his magic but something went wrong.

The spell hurled past the pirate and into the water. Before anyone could do anything the water formed a vortex that shot into the sky. Erik watched horrified as Urchin was lifted out of the water and practically thrown in. When it vanished Erik gave himself fins and jumped in the water to search for him.

The merman was nowhere to be found.

Using his magic Erik made a bubble. "Show me Urchin!"

What he saw was completely unexpected!

Urchin had fallen onto a large table and was being stared at by seven humans.

One of them was a boy that looked exactly like Urchin but wore a red shirt and white sailor cap.

Urchin had gone to another dimension entirely! The spell to bring him home would be complicated and would take a lot of concentration and ingredients.

He watched astonished as the boy approached his friend and tried to calm him down. He turned to the man that looked like alarmingly like himself. "Professor he's hurt real bad!"

The Professor drew in a breath and Erik knew he was trying to wrap his head around seeing an actual merman. "Skipper take him to the water trough! I'll see what I can do for him there!"

Erik let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he watched them try to treat Urchin. These people were good. Until he was able to get there to him he'd be in good hands. He watched in relief as Urchin reached out his good hand and put it on the boy's chest.

The two met eyes and something was being passed between them. The people didn't know it but Erik knew exactly what Urchin was doing: he was showing the young man his story.

He had a feeling that Urchin and Gilligan would get along just fine.

A/N: How's that for a twist?