Chapter Text
It started out as a gentle nudge. A periodic probing of his mind during the late hours of the night. The feeling was not painful, but each tug itched. Each night it grew, gaining momentum, till soon it invaded every waking minute of his life. A thrumming discord that slithered under his skin.
But especially in his sleep.
Lance groaned, sitting up in his bed of luscious seaweed. His mind pulsed with the after images of his familiar dreams. The pictures that were once hazy had started to become sharp with frightening clarity over the past year. His dreams were blue, like the waters, like his tail, and it always concluded with an animalistic roar that sounded off an apocalypse, shattering the land and his dreams. The yell was a battle cry, but each time Lance heard it, he felt it was a plead. The blue figure had begun to take shape, looking unlike anything Lance had seen before.
It looked like an animal from the land.
Lance swam out of his room, going for a stroll to clear his mind. Bio-luminescent lights adorned the halls and shimmered on the light of his iridescent scales. Lance’s room was close to the exit of his home, a fact that he much appreciates. Not that he wanted to brag, or well, maybe a little to brag, he had a talent for sneaking past the guards. He was half-certain that they started a new training course for the new recruits on how to keep Lance from getting out, but Lance welcomed the challenge. He was a master escape artist.
Unless, the one hunting him was his elder brother and sister. The tag team twins seemed to come built in with, complimentary, Lance Sensors.
“Where are you swimming off to, little guppy?” The familiar ring of his sister’s voice caused Lance to float to the ground and squirm in irritation. “Now, there isn’t any reason to throw a fuss, Lance.”
Then, another, lower voice, chimed, without missing a single beat. “You’re caught, accept it.”
Lance squirmed some more before floating upright again. Running a hand down his face, stretching his skin in the motion, Lance glared at his siblings. “I was just going for a swim to clear my head! No one has to know.”
Drifting closer to the pair, Lance cupped the side of his mouth and whispered in secret, much too loud to be a true secret, “Tell you what? If you let me go, I’ll babysit Ulysses and Galahad tomorrow! I’ll even take them to see the turtles! You know how much the turtles dislike me.”
The male laughed and pushed Lance away. “First of all, we aren’t even watching the guppies tomorrow and, secondly, we all know the turtles love you a lot. You go to play with them in your free time.”
Lance shrugged, caught in the lie. “Turtles love me, can’t say I blame them. They have good taste.”
His sister laughed at this, the sound sonorous and rich. Lance found a grin plastered on his face at the sound. Even if he was caught, at least his captors were these two. Even through his sleep deprived haze, they made the world glow a little bit more.
His sister, Euphie, was a striking figure. Her tail was green like the shell of a turtle and her eyes a striking luminescent pink. Usually, her unruly hair was tamed down into a manageable intricate braid, but as a testament to the late hour of the night, it flew in clumps of clouds around her. Her figure was broad and strong. Lance liked her smile, it was sweet and full. Almost made her look non-threatening. Then, Lance would look down at her tail, and see the protruding blades of hardened flesh and remembered that she could tear him apart, if she wanted to.
On the other hand, his brother, Theseus, her twin, looked almost pale. His tail was made of white scales, a highly unusual feature that many regarded as ill-omen, and contrasted greatly against his tan skin. He looked nothing like his twin. Theseus was a gaunt figure, and looked delicate.
But Lance knew that he was a little shit.
“Lance,” Theseus patted his head condescendingly, “don’t be a dumbass, we can’t have a prince just running off into the night.”
Lance threw his hands up in the air, knocking away the patronizing patting. Everything was setting him off lately. “I’m not stupid! I wouldn’t go that far from castle grounds! It’s not like some assassin is just going to be floating around close to the castle.”
Euphie shrugged, ignoring Lance’s rude tone and tried to be helpful instead. It was hard to stay mad at her. “I dunno ‘boat that. The sea has been getting a bit dangerous lately. The Crown Bro, Prince Odin, would probably strangle-hook both of us if he found out we let you go out. What’s up anyways? Had a bad dream? ‘Seus and I were just about to hit the kitchens for a snack, want to come?”
Rubbing his shoulders, Lance looked everywhere but at his siblings. “Yeah, uh, same old dream again. Dying roars, the world blowing up, the usual.” Lance knew he had bags under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well for months and it was getting worse. Unease tickled his bones every minute. He needed to be somewhere. Do something. Maybe he was going crazy.
Theseus put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, his voice taking on a mature tone. “You haven’t been your annoying self lately, Lance. We are all getting worried about you. With the rebels growing stronger than ever, you need to keep your fin up, okay? Tomorrow, a representative from the North Atlantic will be coming, so we need to be at our best.”
Lance rubbed his tired eyes, his blue irises glowing before fading back into their fatigue induced dull. “I’m going to try to back to sleep. Beauty rest.” Lance didn’t look back at his siblings as he retreated into his room, floating like a dead fish. He wanted to be normal again. Wanted to be able to laugh and tease naturally, his eyes shining bright, like he did before.
He couldn’t.
The pulling at his brain wouldn’t stop. It was as though he were here, but never truly present. Lance drifted into the soft algae of his bed, knowing that when he closed his eyes, he would no longer see comforting dark; instead, images of a breaking land. If he listened closely, he could hear whimpers and tears. The pleas of desperation from people as the world was ripped from under them.
Lance needed to go.
As the third prince of the Vira empire, Lance knew that his mother, the Queen, would never let him go. Tensions with the Inferi, the fire people, was too great. The Merpeople in general had ill relations with all 4 populations. Lance always wanted to explore, see the land, travel the sea, but he never wanted to leave his family.
Even if the empire had its issues, Lance loved his family. They were not their history.
A pang of dread ate away at the back of Lance’s heart. That creature was calling for him, that blue creature. Lance didn’t know how, or why, but he knew that it was getting desperate. A shiver traveled through Lance’s spine. He couldn’t continue to ignore it. What if it meant something?
Lance was the fourth in line for the throne, the empire didn’t need him. Was there somewhere else that he was needed?
Lance remembered his mother’s warnings about the land dwellers. Speaking of their manipulative and barbaric natures. Honestly, Lance never bought into it. Seapeople could also be pretty damn right terrifying when they wanted to.
Especially his family.
The royal family was gifted with the ability of adaptation. They were not confined, although most preferred, to their tails. They could shift to tails of a shark, legs of an octopus, the shell of a turtle, and even, the legs of a human. Not to mention their mastery over water manipulation was inherently nothing to sniff at.
Suddenly an idea came to Lance.
He had a way to get out.
He knew he had to.
--
The representatives from the North Atlantic arrived the following morning. As per tradition, a loud banner was hung in front of the palace that displayed both the symbol of the empire and the emblem of the colony. It was loud and a meaningless stunt. At least for those who lived in the castle. No colony was more special than any other.
Currently, however, Lance was not out in the front welcoming the guests. Instead, he swam around the back of the castle. There were few guards on post today, since a majority of them were in the front with the guests.
Lance looked beyond the castle. The palace was situated on uneven ground, upon a seacliff that caused it to look taller than it was. Lance looked into the chasm, an endless valley of rocks, until even his night-vision eyes couldn’t discern pebble from boulder. The Abyss. There were stories told to guppies about the endless black of the valley behind the castle. Even rumors that the empire threw subjects in when they misbehaved. Lance could neither confirm or deny this. Executions were a secrete known only the Crown.
He'd always feared The Abyss as a child. Any rational child did. Lance's throat ran dry as he looked into the black nothingness.
“Halt!” a guard swam over to Lance. “Prince Lance, you do know that you can’t escape from back here.” The guard waved his shark tail threateningly. “This chasm goes on for miles. No one has ever been able to swim for that long. No one escapes The Abyss alive. ”
Lace shrugged and floated nonchalantly. He'd heard it all before. He was prepared for a few guards to sweet talk. “I’m not running away, I’m just looking. Pretty chasm. The Abyss. Or should I say,” Lance grinned lopsidedly, “The Abass.”
The guard was unflinching. Their tone dry, and face stone. “Leave Prince Lance. You are wanted at the gates.”
Lance sighed, sinking and shoulder slumping. The guards never had a sense of humor. Or maybe Lance just needed to try something else? Perking up, he cozied up to the guard. “Why? Because I’m occtupying your time?” Lance transformed his tail into 8 octopus legs and bobbled around, showing off his tentacles. The jokes didn't get any better than this!
“Hilarious.” The guard deadpanned.
Eyebrow twitching, Lance mumbled to himself. “Tough customer. Fine,” Lance held up his hands and looked up dramatically. “I didn’t want to do this. Technically a crime, but! You forced me. Remember that!”
The guard moved closer to Lance to hear his musings. A pang of guilt hit Lance. He really didn’t want to do this. The guard was just doing their duty.
He knew he had to.
Taking a gulp, Lance cleared his throat. Deep in his throat he searched for a familiar surge of power and hummed its frequency. Power thrummed through his body. Sound resonated from the pit of his stomach to the tip of his nose. Letting his mind relax, Lance let his sonorous hymn flood the waters.
The serenade of royalty was absolute.
It was a melodious sound, completely disarming. The whistling of wind chimes, the dark of a cello. Sound that transcended sound. The guard dropped their weapons and their pupils dilated. Jaw hung slightly slack, they sunk to the ground in submission. “Your highness, your highness-”the guard drawled as they inched closer to Lance, snaking the ground like a man reaching for an oasis.
“Forget. Sleep.” Lance commanded. The flecks of blue that decorated his skin glowed a chilling ethereal blue. Eyes alight with ghostly command. His voice was unlike its usual dancing cadence, instead primal and double-toned.
The waters trembled.
The guard obeyed, closing their eyes.
Lance’s voice returned to normal and the glowing faded. “Shit, I can’t believe I just did that.” Lance looked around, no one had saw, but there were a few other guards that were asleep. They were all within his range. No royal was permitted to use their absolute power without cause, unless they were the queen or king. Using it on a guard of the family no less!
Lance had already planned to leave, but now he had not a choice.
Taking the iridescent shell pendent around his neck in his hands, Lance ran a thumb over the smooth shell. It was his birthright. The heirloom that had glowed for him at birth. His family, his kingdom, Lance would be leaving it.
Without properly saying goodbye.
The reality of the situation stuck him hard.
Lance threw away his assortment of jewels to the ground. Ripping off his gold and silver chains and his ruby bracelets. A marker that would tell his family of his departure. Lance felt naked without his jewels, left with only his heirloom. Such a state was indecent.
Lance had always wanted to do something with his life, for the world. He’d always thought it would be for his kingdom, but fate wanted him elsewhere.
The pulling in his mind stung and burned.
Taking one last look at the kingdom, Lance clutched the shell to his heart. “Goodbye, home. I don’t know when I’ll see you again. I don’t know if I’ll make this trip alive. I love all of you, but, I have to…” Lance shut his eyes tight and faced The Abyss.
“I have to go.”
Lance gathered power in his fin, shaping it to that of a black marlin, the fastest fish in the sea, and propelled himself towards The Abyss. Only the heroes in his childhood stories could endure The Abyss. Lance prayed to his namesake that he'd find the power to make it through this alive. Fear pickled at Lance's heart, but his eyes were made of steal.
A wave of pressure pushed Lance as the castle he had known his whole life turned into a dot. Lance didn’t look back. The muscles in his body screamed at the exertion, but Lance kept swimming. He pushed. Pushed.
Sound drowned out.
There was only blue.
The structures of the city had faded away. Now, Lance couldn’t see any signs of life. Except, of course, if he looked down and saw the ancient sea creatures that pulsed a bio-luminescent green at the bottom of The Abyss. They were unfriendly and at odds with the Merpeople.
They did not agree that the Merpeople should rule the sea. They were the ancient ones. If Lance fell to them, it would mean his end.
Switching his tail to that of his usual fin, Lance slowed his pace down. He would conserve his energy best this way, now that he was far enough from castle that it would take a trained fish to catch up.
He did it. He left.
A sharp pain nudged the back of his head.
“I’m coming Blue.” Lance promised under his breath. He didn’t know when he had named the thing in his mind Blue, but it felt right. “I’m coming.” With renewed strength, Lance kicked his tail powerfully, his entire body moving in the motion.
“I’m coming.”
The Abyss was said to be endless. Lance would test it.
--
Lance swum for what felt like an entire day before he started to feel himself slipping. Truthfully, Lance knew he’d been swimming for more than a day. He wanted to think it had only been a day. The Abyss was endless, Lance’s mind reminded him. His fins ached for him to stop moving, to rest for a second, but Lance kept going, his body burning in response. Each breath was a knife grating against his chest. Every move of his tail felt like the strangling of a hook. His body was warm. His mind was cold.
With ragged breaths, Lance flopped pathetically through the sea. He hadn’t eaten since he’d left and his stomach yearned for a meal. He hadn’t seen fish in miles.
“ I..’m comin’” Lance slurred, rubbing his eyes. He thought about his soft bed, his bickering siblings, his protective mother, and the energy seemed to leak from his body. “No, ‘m.. com..” Lance shook his head and took in deep breaths and thought instead about his dreams. The dying world.
The world swayed.
Suddenly, Lance wasn’t moving forward anymore. The dull blue of his surroundings grew to grey, then to black. His head felt cloudy, and static filled his brain, till there was nothing else.
He fell into The Abyss. The green bio-luminescent light of the ancients enveloping him in their embrace. Lance closed his eyes.
They were warmer than the stories had told. Their light felt raw, but serene. Or maybe that’s just what Lance wanted them to feel like. It was hard to tell anything anymore, with the world fading away.
He apologized to his family for being reckless and to Blue for breaking his promise.
Lance wasn’t going to make it across the chasm. The Abyss had taken him.
Lance was no hero.
He would die without having done anything. Without having become anyone.