The Little Mermaid

Chapter 3

Above the waves, fireworks popped in the hazy sky around the ship. Lance popped up from the water, shaking his head to get his hair out of his face. He looked on, admiring the colors and most importantly the sailing ship.

Hunk and Coran popped up next to the merman, "Lance, what-" Lance began to swim toward the ship and crab freaked out. "What are you- Lance, Lance! Get back over here!"

The merman pulled himself up a wooden pole, looking at the party on it through a square opening. He smiled, hearing sailors singing, playing music, dancing and sauntering around. A brown dog, almost a reddish tone, ran up to him after sniffing the ground.

Lance hid to the side. He slowly turned back, getting a slobbery lick from him.

There was a whistle, "Red, come here boy!" The dog ran off, barking happily at the prince, who wore a white shirt and black pants with a red sash. "Hey, you mutt, what are you up to?" Lance stared at him, awestruck as the dog jumped on him. "Good boy."

"Hey there, Lance!" Pidge announced, flapping her wings next to the merman. "Quite a show, huh?"

Lance put a finger up to his mouth and shushed the bird, "Be quiet! They'll hear you."

"Ah, alright. I got you." Pidge nodded, landing next to him. "We're being intrepidatious. We're out to discover!"

Lance grabbed her beak, muffling her voice, "I've never seen a human this close before." He giggled and stared up at the prince, letting go of Pidge's beak. "Oh, he's very handsome, isn't he?"

"Well, he looks a little hairy and slobbery to me." Pidge gagged, looking at the dog.

"Not that one!" Lance whispered loudly. "The one with the black mullet."

"Quiet, please!" A voice, Shiro's, spoke up. "It's now my honor and absolute privilege to present our esteemed Prince Keith with a very... expensive, and large birthday present."

"Aw, you shouldn't have, Shiro." Keith said, crossing his arms.

Shiro shrugged, "Well, its your birthday, right? So, happy birthday."

A large, gaudy stone statue of Keith was uncovered by a cloth. Keith pursed his lips, with eyes wide and full of surprise. Red growled at the statue, clearly not liking it.

"That's- um." Keith was at a loss of words. "That really is something."

"I was wanting it to be your wedding present but-"

"Don't even start." Keith threatened. "You're not still sore because I didn't fall for the princess of Balmera, are you?"

Shiro shook his head, "Either way, it's not just me alone. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled with the right man or woman!"

"Their out there somewhere." Keith sighed, staring out at the waves of the sea. "Really, they are. I just... I haven't found them yet."

"Well, maybe you haven't been looking hard enough." Shiro replied.

Keith let his arms fall to the side of his black pants, "Believe me, Shiro, when I find them I'll know. With no doubt, it'll just- it'll hit me like lightning!"

As he said that, lightning struck in the distance, thunder erupting through the sky. The sky grew even darker in the night as dark clouds loomed over the ocean.

A sailor shivered, watching the clouds circle, "Hurricane a'commin'! Secure the Ruffin' and stand fast!"

The rain came in a downpour, the wind picking up. The ship rocked back and forth as sailors and the prince scrambled to steady the ship.

Pidge was almost blown away, "The winds all of a sudden on the move!" Finally, she was whisked away and flung into the air, flapping her wings harshly. "Oh, here I go!"

The ship rocked harshly, waves crashing into its wood and moving it to looming rocks. Lance hung tightly on the out of control ship. Keith ran to the wheel, trying to steady the ship as he turned it. The merman lost his grip and crashed into the water, swimming back up just as lightning pierced the sail and caught it on fire.

"Watch it!" Keith shouted, just as the ship crashed into the rocks and everyone was thrown overboard. "Shiro, hold on!"

He grabbed onto Shiro, hoisting him in a rowboat with him and some others.

He spotted his dog still on the sinking and flaming boat and began swimming to him. He climbed onto the boat, avoiding a falling sail. The flames started growing to the cannons and Keith held his arms out.

"Jump, Red! You can do it!"

Keith grabbed Red, successfully saving him after his jump from the higher deck. He dropped him into the water as his foot got stuck between broken floorboards. He herd his name being yelled just as the ship exploded..

Lance weaved through sinking things, then spotting the prince near drowning. He was quick to act, grabbing the noirette and bringing him above the water. He was frantic turning every which way to find land.
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Lance was sitting next to the unconscious prince, "I-Is he... dead?"

Pidge peeled open Keith's eyelid, "Well, it's hard to say." She put her ear against his foot and her eyes went wide. "I-I- uh- I-I can't make out a heartbeat."

"No, no, look! He's breathing, he's alive!" Lance chirped, then caressing Keith's cheek. "He really is handsome. What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you? What would I do to see you smiling at me? Where would we walk? Where would we run? If we could stay all day in the sun? Just you and me, and I could be- part of your world."

Coran and Hunk washed up on some rocks. The orange crab eyed the merman and human, his jaw dropping. Pidge smirked, shutting his jaw close. Keith's eyes peeked open slightly, his hand gently grabbing onto Lance's hand.

Red barked, running towards their location with Shiro following. Lance pulled himself back in the water just as the dog licked Keith's face.

"Keith!" Shiro called out, helping the prince off the sand. "You really like these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, dont you?"

"There was a boy." Keith murdered, looking around. "He was singing, with a really beautiful voice and-"

"I think you hit your head or swallowed a bit too much seawater. Let's go." Shiro sighed, putting Keith's arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Red!"

Shiro dragged Keith away and Coran frowned as he turned to Hunk, "We need to forget this whole thing. It never happened. Alfor shall never know! You won't tell him, I won't tell him, and I'll stay in one piece!"

Lance ignored him, propping himself up on a slanted rock, "I don't know when, I don't know how. But I know something's starting right now! Watch and you'll see... some day I'll be- Part of your world!"
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"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no!" The octopus type merman clutched the rum of the coral pot, looking into the projection. "This is too easy. The boys in love with a human. A prince! Alfor will surely love that." He turned, clasping his hands together. "King Alfor'a headstrong, lovesick child would make a very nice addition to my garden."