Dark Mer

4

Varian hadn't returned. Rapunzel anxiously looked out to sea in hopes of seeing the glowing Merboy, but she didn't see any sign of him. Cassandra climbed back on-board and she turned to her. "Well?"

"I didn't see anyone, Raps." She said, wringing out her hair. "He's long gone."

"Excuse me!"

They looked down and saw another Mer by the boat, who was examining the harpoon that they hadn't removed yet. "Yes?" Rapunzel asked.

"Are you Rapunzel?" The man asked, looking up at her.

"Uhm...yes?" Rapunzel confirmed. Cassandra slapped her hand to her face.

"Is my boy Varian up there with you?" He asked hopefully.

"No, I offered it, but he swam off to lead that guy with the animals away." Rapunzel frowned. "Is...Is he okay?"

"We can only hope." The man looked towards the horizon. "You should leave."

"Varian could be in trouble; I'm not going anywhere!" Rapunzel insisted.

"I will rescue Varian myself. You need to leave." The man said firmly.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rapunzel insisted.

The Mer let out a groan and swam off.

"Wait! Uhm, follow that Mer!" Rapunzel said to the helmsman, and he turned the boat to follow him.

"Rapunzel, what are you doing?" King Fredric came over to her.

"Varian said that the 'Dark Brotherhood' was after him. I don't remember much, but wasn't the Dark Brotherhood in the Dark Kingdom?" Rapunzel looked at him. "Doesn't that mean that we can find out what happened to the Dark Kingdom if we go to help Varian?!"

"Rapunzel, how do you expect do that? We're not Merfolk." Eugene pointed out. Max neighed his agreement.

"I don't know, we'll figure it out when we get to that! Varian is my friend; I'm not going to leave him in the clutches of some crazy dark king!" Rapunzel said firmly.

"...Alright." Fredric nodded, to everyone's surprise. "Let's find your friend."

Rapunzel smiled and hugged him tightly. "Mmmmm, thank you, dad!"

--

Varian awoke in a room with bars on the door and stone walls. He slowly sat up and swam over to grip at the bars to look out. "Where am I?" He asked, frowning. "Last I recall, that Hector guy caught me..."

He noticed someone approaching and swam away from the bars as a large man swam in front of them to look in at him. "Is it true? Are you the moonstone?" He demanded.

"Uhh...no. No, your guy's completely lost it, there's no way that I'm—"

"SING." Hector hissed as he came into view. "Or I'll feed you to my pets."

Varian whimpered and clutched at the bars on the window of his cell. "O-Okay. It's going to hurt, though..." He cleared his throat and started to sing. "Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free. The spirit free." He didn't need to do the whole thing, not just to make his streaks glow. He lowered to the floor of his cell as the large man, the Dark King, nodding approvingly and then opened his door, beckoning him out.

Varian cautiously swam closer and stopped in front of the man, his body trembling. "What...what do you want with me?"

"Come." He was roughly grabbed and pulled along by the King, to where he didn't know. Hector followed close behind, and there was one other, a woman, that hadn't spoken yet.