Sand and stones clattered underfoot as Ajit walked casually along the beach, satchel hanging from one hand. He winced as he noticed Everett sat on a large rock whittling a stick with a large knife but forced a smile on his face. "Ah, there you are! I've been searching everywhere for you two since we got separated." He faked a laugh, acting like it was all some huge mistake they'd been separated, instead of him betraying them. The blond hadn't even looked up from his whittling. "It sure is knife to see you again." He joked.

He would've found the irritated side eye he received for that joke far more amusing if he didn't feel so uncomfortable. All he really wanted was to get back to Dan as quickly as possible...

"Anyway!" He shrugged, faking cheerfulness. "Just wanted to say, I shouldn't have abandoned you back there, the crown is all yours." He threw the satchel across the ground, watching it stop beside Everett's feet, the flap falling open and allowing the crown inside to slip out, making a slight clattering noise as it fell against the pebbles. Strangely, he didn't feel the slightest bit of regret for giving it up like he'd thought he would, the ways Dan had changed him in such a short time were nothing short of miraculous... He took a step backwards, "I'll miss you, but I think it's for the best." He stopped short, having almost walked into someone.

He stared up at McQ, whom he was just realising had not been there the entire time he'd been giving the satchel to Everett.

"Holding out on us again? Hm, Ajax?" Everett sneered.

Ajit spun back around, his eyes wide, entirely uncertain what the older thief meant. The reason he was giving the crown up to the other two crooks was because he'd found something more important to him than stealing, someone more important to him than anything he could ever dream of stealing. What exactly did Everett think he was keeping from them? Nothing was coming to mind at all... Maybe the chameleon, Buzzy? Those weren't exactly common... But no, those still weren't worth anything compared to a crown, just, "What...?"

Everett stood up, tossing the knife to the ground. "We heard you found something..." He kicked the crown as he stalked over, towering high above Ajit's far shorter height.

"Something far more valuable than a crown." McQ butted in, glaring down at Ajit. "We want him, instead." He hissed.

Ajit's eyes widened in fear and realisation but it was far too late.

Something heavy hit him in the back of his head.

In the few seconds before he passed out, all he could think of was how badly he hoped Dan would be alright.

Dan was staring into the fog in the direction Ajit had left in. He'd tried to reassure himself by telling Buzzy it would be alright, he trusted Ajit, he wouldn't abandon them.. Still, he felt a large amount of relief when he spotted a silhouette moving through the fog. He let out a laugh, "I was starting to think you'd run off with the crown and left me." He joked, unsure if he was hoping for laughter or assurance from Ajit...

Yet, neither came.

Instead a feeling of impending doom fell on him as the silhouette grew nearer and he realised in a panic they were far taller than Ajit was... And that there were two of them.

"He did." The redheaded thief hectored, smirking.

Dan blinked, "What? No, he wouldn't." He told the crook firmly, knowing deep in his heart Ajit wouldn't do that to him, not after everything they'd gone through.

The blond thief snorted, "See for yourself." He encouraged, waving a hand lazily in the direction of a boat out at sea.

For a moment, Dan hesitated, he didn't trust these two at all yet... Doubt niggled at the back of his mind. He had to check.
He took a few tentative steps forwards towards the water, squinting over at the boat sailing off into the distance.. "Ajit..." He murmured, recognising the person steering the boat but not quite believing his eyes. Then the shock caught up with him. "Ajit!" He yelled, terrified.

Had he truly been naive? Did Ajit ever really care about him or was he just being strung along until the thief had gotten what he'd wanted? His mother had been right all along. It had all felt so real, how could it have all been a lie? He'd felt something he'd never felt before with Ajit and now his heart had fallen from where it had previously been soaring and had buried itself deep in the ground.

"Fair trade," The taller thief taunted, walking behind Dan and moving his hand across the back of his braid. "A crown, for the boy with the magic hair.."

Dan spun around, terror running through him more than it ever had before. His mother was right, people would use him for his powers. She had been right to keep him hidden for his own safety. Things would've been so much better if he'd just stayed inside his tower and had never left chasing after the floating lights..

...But weren't they wonderful? And all those moments he'd spent with Ajit...?

No. Ajit had never really cared about him, had he? He had to stop thinking so fondly of him. To think he'd nearly- No.

"How much do you think someone will pay to stay young and healthy forever?" The younger thief asked, smirking as the older one pulled a large sack out from one of his belt loops.

The long haired boy panicked, "No, please, no..!" He choked out, backing away, then breaking into a run; slipping and stumbling on the stones and sand. "No!" He yelled, glancing back over his shoulder to see the two men still approaching him. He kept running but didn't get very far until his hair got caught on a log. He screamed, trying to tug it free from where he stood, not wanting to risk running back to free it in case the thieves caught him while he was doing so.
It wasn't working. He started to panic more, his gasping breath filling his ears.

Then the sound of fighting nearby distracted him, he heard the two thieves cry out, then he heard the best sound he'd ever heard.

"Dan!" His mother's voice called out to him, full of fear, worry and panic.

"Mom...?" He whispered, barely able to believe it, yet he took a few tentative steps forwards towards her voice and sure enough... There was his Mother, her dark hair messy and loose as she stood holding a large log that had just been used to knock out the two thieves that now laid unconscious on the stony ground.

As soon as his mother saw him, she dropped the log. "Oh, my precious boy." She sighed in relief.

"Mom..." Dan choked out the word, tearing up as he ran into her arms.

His Mother pulled him in close, stroking his hair, "Are you alright?" She pulled back slightly to study his face. "Are you hurt?" She asked, panicked. "I was so worried about you, dear, so I followed you." She answered Dan's unspoken question, he was wondering how his Mother knew where he was.. But that made sense, his Mother cared deeply about him, of course she'd worried enough to follow him when she thought he could be in danger. He was so stupid and awful to have ever even thought of leaving the tower, let alone having actually done so.

"Then I saw them attack you.." She pulled him tightly into another hug before pulling away again. "Let's go. Let's go before they come to." She whispered, leading him away by the hand before letting go and continuing to walk by herself.

Dan paused, taking one last longing look at the boat Ajit was on, tearing up. Hoping beyond hope that he'd turn the boat around and confess it was all a joke and that he really did care about him and never wanted to leave his side and...

Of course it would never happen.

Ajit had lied to him and then abandoned him once he'd gotten what he wanted.

He turned around to see his Mother holding up a green lantern, he watched, eyes still wide, as she placed it down in the grass and held her arms open. She looked older than usual, her hair free, messy and greyer than it usually was and the bottom of her long dark cloak was muddy and slightly torn but she was home.

He ran into her arms again. "You were right, Mom. You were right about everything." He broke down into tears, sobbing into her shoulder as she stroked his hair.

"I know, darling. I know." She whispered, letting Dan continue to lean against her as she picked the lantern back up, then led both of them away with an arm around Dan's shoulder.

While Dan and Omnivia made their way back to the tower, elsewhere in the kingdom, the royal guard were patrolling one of the Kingdom's walls when a noise caught their attention. They looked down to see a boat had stopped against the wall.

"Look!" One of them called, spotting the object the boy on board held in his hand, "The crown."

Down on the boat, Ajax stirred. "Dan..." He murmured, then it all came rushing back to him. "Dan!" He yelled, panic setting in as he noticed how he was bound to the steering wheel of the boat, far away from where he'd just been with Dan.

Guards began to jump onto the boat, snatching the crown from him, untying him from the wheel and roughly pulling him towards the castle's dungeon, not listening to a word he said in protest. Instead he chose to yell the name of the one he cared most about, hoping someone would hear and help him.

"Dan!"

Nearby, Lightning the horse's ears pricked up as he watched the scene. He hadn't originally had any intention of doing anything except watch the thief get put away for his crimes but then he heard the desperation in which he screamed the name of the boy who'd been with him, who'd gotten Lightning to agree not to turn Ajax in for just one day so he could see the lanterns.

The horse looked out at the distance where the boat Ajax was on had come from, then galloped away as fast as he could.