Rachel, Alan, Gwen, and Merlin found themselves on a rock in the middle of the ocean. Alan took one look at the surrounding waves and turned green. "Ugh," he muttered. "Water."

"It's just water," Merlin said in a superior tone. "What's the matter?"

"Be nice, Merlin," Guinevere scolded him. "He's seasick, the poor dear."

Alan turned red, though he still felt ill. "I am not a poor dear," he defended himself.

"Focus, people," Rachel said. She looked at the water and suddenly smiled. Before anyone could stop her, she dove into the ocean.

"Lady Rachel?!" Alan went as close to the edge of the rock as he dared.

For a moment, Alan thought Rachel had drowned. Then she surfaced, her soggy blonde curls sticking to the side of her head. "What?" she asked.

Alan stared at her. Merlin laughed. "Rachel, what are you doing?"

Rachel flipped onto her back and extended her legs out of the water. Except...they weren't her legs. Instead, she had a shiny, scaly tail, like a mermaid. They shone red in the bright sunlight. "I've never had the chance to test this out," she said, slapping her fins against the water. It splashed up and hit Alan in the face. "Merlin, shall we?"

Merlin paled. "I've never...tried," he admitted.

"Hold on," Gwen said, frowning. "How is she a mermaid? What happened?"

"All Guardians have...had," Rachel corrected herself, "the ability to blend in with their surroundings, no matter which Story. This must be the Little Mermaid's Story, which would be difficult to navigate through without being a merperson."

Before Merlin could react, Rachel lunged onto the rock and grabbed his ankle. He toppled into the water and surfaced, spluttering and irritable. "Rachel!" he exclaimed.

"Look," Rachel said, smiling a little. Alan watched Merlin look at his tail.

"Fascinating," Merlin said, struggling to regain his composure. "I didn't even notice I'd changed. What an unusual occurrence."

"Gwen, Alan, we'll have to leave you behind for the moment," Rachel told them. "Since neither of you are Guardians, you can't transform."

Alan was alarmed. "You're going to leave us here? But how will you find us again?" he asked worriedly.

"Sing," Rachel said with a straight face. "Merlin will find you from miles to stop you." Before Merlin could respond, Rachel had slapped her tail and disappeared beneath the waves.

"G'bye," Alan said a little sadly to Merlin. He wasn't thrilled about being left behind, but he also didn't want to go into the water.

Merlin smiled at Gwen. "Goodbye, Guinevere. We'll be back soon." Then he followed Rachel into the water.

"We've been abandoned," Gwen huffed, gathering her skirts about her and plopping down onto the rock. "I don't believe it!"

"I do," Alan sighed glumly, sitting beside her. "We're not Guardians or even former Guardians. So we get left behind." He rested his chin on his knuckle irritably.

Guinevere glanced at him for a long moment. "I don't know much about Rachel," she admitted. "Is there anything I should know?"

"About Lady Rachel?" Alan thought for a few moments. "She isn't talkative. Also, she doesn't smile often. Only around Guy or Will, really. It takes her a while to warm to somebody, but when she does, she feels fiercely attached to them. Umm, let's see...oh. Right. Her brother, Ewan, she loved him more than anything. That wouldn't be bad, except he underwent Final Death only a few months ago, and she kind of withdrew even more after that."

Gwen nodded, processing that. Then she said, "What about you, Alan?"

"Oh...me?" Alan blushed. "I'm a bard. I was formerly an outlaw until Lady Rachel rewrote The Story. I'm married, and I just recently became a father."

"A child?" Guinevere sighed. "I would love to have a child. Alas, Heaven has not granted me my prayers."

For some reason, that made Alan feel awkward. He quickly tried to change the subject. "What about you, Guinevere?"

"Well...the thing you should know about me is that I don't love Arthur," Gwen answered, unhesitating. She spoke frankly and without reservation. It was an admirable trait, Alan thought, though one some people might find annoying. "Well, not like a husband and wife should love each other, anyway. It was an arranged marriage, so neither of us had any say in the matter. I'd like to say we became lovers, but we never did. We accepted the other's presence and even care about each other as siblings, but we do not love each other."

Alan wondered if Arthur felt the same as Guinevere was saying he did. After all, Rachel seemed convinced he would react badly to Guinevere's affair with Merlin, and Rachel was rarely wrong in Alan's eyes.

Deciding Gwen's affairs were her own, Alan sprawled out as much as he could on the small rock. "I rather wish we had a more foolproof plan than 'wait here and see if Lady Rachel and Merlin can find us again', but it seems to travel with a Guardian means hurling yourself into danger without a second thought!"

Gwen snorted. "You've known her for a long time, then?" she asked.

"Not really," Alan admitted. "And for the most part, I irritate her and Merlin with my singing. Honestly, those two have no appreciation for true music! I'm not called the Bard of Sherwood for nothing, you know!"

Gwen put her palms behind her and leaned back, dangling her bare feet into the cold seawater. "I'd like to hear you sing," she said, smiling.

"Really?" Alan asked, brightening. Finally! Someone with a true appreciation for music! He considered his options carefully. "Do you prefer lively or ballads?"

"Ballads. Lively would make me want to dance, and I can't dance with the singer," Guinevere replied.

Alan grinned and launched into one of Sherwood's favorites; the Ballad of Rachel Andric. Alan had composed it when Rachel and Will had rewritten The Story and it was uncertain that Rachel had survived. He closed his eyes as he sang, allowing the sorrow of the homage to swoop over him. Although Rachel was alive, he understood that a part of her had died with Ewan, and the lyrics still applied to her.

He was so absorbed in his music, he didn't even notice the absence of Guinevere until he finished singing and opened his eyes, waiting for her applause. When it didn't come, he stood up and looked around. "Queen Guinevere?" he called. There weren't many places she could go on the small rock. She couldn't have...drowned! He would have heard! "GUINEVERE?"

He heard a splashing sound behind him and turned around. That turned out to be a mistake; a cold, clammy hand grabbed his ankle and yanked him backwards. He gave a strangled yell and grabbed onto the rock, his fingers digging into it. "No, no, no," Alan said repeatedly. He tried to kick free of the hand, but the vice grip wouldn't be shaken off.

Another hand grabbed Alan's other ankle. "NO!" Alan yelled as he was yanked backwards. Not the water...anything but that! He tried to grab the rock again but missed. He was yanked off of the rock and into the water.

The water was churned briefly. Then all was quiet, and the rock, empty.