02x02 - The Depths

[bunniefuu]

What just happened?

- I don't know, but we gotta stay together.

- Hunk, you okay? Hunk?

- I'm fine.
- You just threw up, didn't you?

Yeah. You would too if you got sucked
out of a wormhole at light speed,

then crash-landed on an ice planet
and ended up underwater.

- That is what happened to me!
- Oh, right.

My main system is down. The crash must
have screwed it up. Does yours work?

I'm on reserve power.
My lion's pretty much dead in the water.

This situation's bad enough,
Hunk. Don't make it worse with puns.

I'm just shocked we hit a planet.
I thought Pidge said space was 90% empty.

Well, apparently,
Pidge's science is wrong.

We need to contact the others
and get back to group immediately.

Hello, anyone? This is Hunk and Lance
of the Yellow and Blue Lions.

- They know the color of our lions!
- Oh, right. Okay, yeah.

I always forget that. My bad.

We gotta check for damage
and get these lions running.

- Copy that.
- Oh, good.

The Blue Lion's coming back online now.
Welcome back, beautiful.

Uh...

Hunk, did... did you just see
something swim by?

What? No.

No way! This is going to sound crazy,
but I think I just saw a mermaid.

Oh, boy. Okay, how hard did you
bang your head when we hit the planet?

Dude, I'm serious!

Look! There it is again!
Hey, come here!

Where you going? Hey, slow down!

Lance, knock it off. We have to stay
focused and get to the others...

- You're outside of your lion. Great.
- I know we have to find the others.

I'm just saying maybe this thing can help.

Also, it's a mermaid. A mermaid!
Come on, let's find it.

No. No way. Nope. Not going out there.

Okay, you stay here,
by yourself, in the dark,

all alone in a lion
that's out of commission.

Don't leave me!

Come on!

I can't believe this!
We're really chasing a mermaid.

Hey, wait, wait, wait! We're friendly!

Whoa!

- Hello.

Welcome to my village.

Here, all are safe and warm.

Please, do not startle our guests.
I am Florona.

The almighty Queen Luxia, keeper of
our land, would love to meet with you.

Wait. How did your queen know
we were here?

Queen Luxia knows all.

Lance, I know this mermaid thing is
a dream of yours, but we really gotta go.

We will, big guy, we will,
but let's meet this queen first.

Besides, maybe she can help us.

And, if I just happen to find
the future Mrs. Blue Lion,

well, then that is all right with me.

Space travelers, I am Queen Luxia.

I welcome you to our village
as honored guests.

The honor's all ours.
I'm La-a-a-ance.

Uh, Mrs. Queen,
Your Honor, Your Excellence,

I'm Hunk, and me and my buddy here,
we crash-landed on your lovely planet,

but we really need to get back in touch
with our friends who are in space.

Would you possibly have
any way of doing that?

Hunk, Lance,
I can solve all of your problems.

- Here, we are all safe and warm.
- You use magic, don't you?

I bet this castle's a ship.
This castle is a ship, am I right?

- Just don't say anything if I'm right.
- Here, I've brought you these.

The bubble coral will provide you
with all the air you need.

Whoa-h*-h*!

Thank you, Fish Queen.

Huh. Cool.

And rest assured, your space vessels
will be well protected.

Now, please, follow me.

What is that?

That is the giver of life to our people,
the Baku Garden.

When the waters froze over,
we were forced to live down here.

The garden provides us the warmth
and food we need to survive.

Because of it, we are taken care of.
Here, all are safe and warm.

Your Royalness...
if I may, this food is amazing.

It's even better
than Balmeran cave bugs.

I'm glad you enjoy it.

It was picked fresh from the Baku Garden.
And I hope you enjoy the entertainment.

Whoa.

So, about us getting in contact
with our friends... how can you help us?

Please, let's discuss that
after the dance.

Whoa, this dance is amazing. It's the...

It's the most amazing thing
I've ever seen.

I'm glad you enjoy it.
Put your mind at ease.

Let your consciousness drift
like the tide.

Yes, I will do that.

I... Were... Weren't we just
talking about something?

You were just telling me
how much you like it here,

how much you wanted to stay forever.

Oh, that's right.
Here, we are all safe and warm.

Lance, I think
we should stay here forever.

Okay.

I don't need pants. I'm a mermaid.

Huh?

Who are...?

Leave him. We have to get out of here.

Hello?

- Good morning. Where am I?
- He's awake.

Why am I blindfolded?
Is this a game?

I like games.

Wait, where am I? Why am I blindfolded?
Is this a game? I hate games!

It's okay. You were mind-swished,
but now we want to...

k*ll me? Think again!

Wait! Come back!

Huh?

Aw!

- Don't hurt me!
- Please, we are not here to hurt you.

We brought you here to ask
for your help. I am Plaxum.

- Blumfump.
- Swirn.

Are you saying names, or is this some
kind of weird spell you're putting on me?

We believe you are our savior.

You guys think I'm your savior?
What do you want with me?

The queen is mind-swishing everyone,
controlling their thoughts.

We believe you can stop her.

Lance? Lance, you around?

Lance?

Is everything all right?

I can't find Lance.
Also, there's a hole in our wall.

There was a break-in.
Those cave-dwellers must have taken him.

Them again? What should we do?

Those meddling mermaids are harmless,

but the air-breather could
prove troublesome

if he doesn't fall back
under our control.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Who needs to fall
under our control? Is Lance gone?

- We gotta find Lance.
- And we will.

Don't worry your little mind about it.

But first, we need to sit down and eat,
talk, clear our heads.

No, I'm not really sure if I can eat
right now. If Lance has been taken...

Oh, boy. That... That is good, though.

See? That's all you need.
Here, we are all safe and warm.

Okay.

They are going to come.

We must destroy what remains of their kind
and bring Lance under our control.

But first, Florona, you were in charge
of watching the air-breathers.

So, now, it is time for you
to take a swim in the garden.

Yes, My Queen.

Wait. Wait a minute. Okay.

You're trying to tell me the queen
is brainwashing people?

But she's so safe and warm.

What do you remember from yesterday?

I remember we crashed,
saw the mermaids and the village,

then we had dinner,
and then, uh... we, uh...

You can't remember
because you were under her control.

Our theory is, the queen controls minds

by using her voice to strike certain
head switches in your ear pan.

And her magnetic stare locks on
to your eye-to-brain pathway plug.

Plus, her mind-control sonar is always
broadcasting through the waters.

Bong! Bong! Bong!

She trains her people to use hypnotic
movements to lull you under her control.

I do remember a dancer.

Good, because I haven't finished
my picture for that one.

But you see, she was infecting your brain!

Holy crow! I had a mind-controlling
brain infection!

Sit.

The entire village
is under the queen's mind control.

The only reason we aren't

is because we wear these jellyfish
that hide our brains from her powers.

It's like we have no brains whatsoever.

You can't control what doesn't exist.

Right. Of course.

- Our heads are completely empty.
- Yeah, I get it.

Many years ago, the queen froze over
the surface by blocking the thermal vents.

She forced everyone to the depths,
where she began to brainwash them.

They became her prisoners.

- What size?
- Eight and seven-eighths aquameters.

But what's the point?
Why mind-control the mermaids?

- To k*ll them!
- Really?

Well, we don't know that for sure,

but hundreds of mermaids
have disappeared and never come back.

Goodbye, Florona.
It is time to return to the giver of life.

We've tried to take out the queen,
but failed several times.

And every attempt depletes our numbers.
Now, there are only three of us left.

Without you, there is no hope.

- Found one!
- What do you want from me?

We saw the mer-cat you came in.

We think it can stand up
against the queen and her forces.

But first, you'll need one of these.

Now, they sting pretty bad
and don't smell great.

If my theory is correct,

the smelliest ones block
the most mind-control rays.

- Are you a scientist?
- No.

Also, they can sometimes
make your face swell,

and you might experience hearing loss.

Would you just put it on, already?

- It burns!
- That means it's working!

So, what's the plan?

Here's what Blumfump came up with.

This is you.

You act like you're still thought-swirled
and get past the guards.

Get your mer-cat and grab the queen.

We'll mount a full-scale attack
on the castle and free the people.

Then, I'll be a hero.

"Oh, Lance, you're so handsome!"

"And modest."

"Oh, thank you for saving us.

Can I kiss you?"

"Maybe just a little."

Well, now, you're just
making a tree kiss a turtle.

That's a turtle?
But there's an actual turtle right here.

We needed the turtle to play the wall.

If your acting fails you,

this holds three doses of antidote
to use on the guards.

It should interrupt
the queen's mind-control long enough

for you to escape.

I don't think I'll be needing this.

I missed 14 days of the third grade
for a stomachache I never really had.

Hello, mer-guards! Isn't everything
just so safe and warm here?

Anyway, I'm off to my lion...
Oh, come on!

I had a feeling you'd come
for your vessel.

Servant, take Lance to the Baku Garden.

Hunk?

Hey, buddy, it's me!
Snap out of it! It's Lance!

Darn it!

Everyone, capture him!

Hunk, please! I don't want to hurt you!

Must keep Queen safe and warm.

Whoa!

Whoa! Where am I? What am I doing?
Is that a jellyfish on your head?

Hunk, you've been mind-controlled
by the queen and you're trying to k*ll me.

- Oh, really? Sorry. My bad.
- We're kind of in the middle of a battle.

- So, I'm going to need your help.
- Got it.

- Oh!
- Uh...

- Uh... Uh...

...Huh?

- Now, who are these weirdos?
- Those weirdos are with us.

Come, we must hurry to your mer-cats.

- You hanging on?
- Yes! Let's go!

- What's the plan?
- We need to grab the queen

and take her to an ice prison
Blumfump built,

where her mind-control powers
will be trapped

because of the thick ice
and the jellyfish.

- Okay, who's that?
- It's Plaxum. Just go with it.

There she is!

Got her!

Where am I? What's going on?

What's going on is you're not
mind-controlling these people anymore,

Your Majesty.

What? Mind-control? Me?

No! Please, my people are in danger!
You must go back!

- What's going on?
- Nothing! It's a ruse.

- Are you sure?
- I wasn't controlling anyone.

The Baku!

- She's lying!
- I'm not. Please!

The last thing I remember is that organism
in the garden falling from space.

I went to inspect it.
I thought it was a plant.

Wait a second.
We've been eating that plant.

And it's delicious!
It's so safe and warm.

A-ha! Mind-swishing!
It was the plant the whole time.

And the queen was the first one
to be mind-controlled.

But why?

The Baku has been harvesting us all.
We are its food source.

No way!

I think she's telling the truth.
Look out the window.

You two get somewhere safe.
Okay, Hunk, change of plans.

The queen is actually good
and that thing is bad. Let's take it out.

That thing's too quick for me.
I can't hit it!

- My lion's not very good in water.
- Really?

My lion's moving better than ever.

There's something
about fighting underwater

that's making me feel
extra quick and powerful.

- I think I know how to stop that thing.
- How?

We gotta stop sh**ting
where the creature is

and start sh**ting
where the creature's gonna be.

I got it!

Now, the hunter becomes...

- Oh, no, he's free!

- What?

Here goes nothing!

This place is coming down!
Let's get out of here!

Dude, you just dropped
a sonic boom on him!

So, Blumfump, the jellyfish,
the magnetic stare, the hypnotic dance...

- You got it all wrong. It was the food.
- Well, I did say they were theories.

Mer-science isn't always about
getting the right answer.

I want to thank you all
for what you've done.

You've freed my people, and I will do
all I can to protect that freedom.

I vow to be the voice of my people.
I beg of you to help.

- Will you be my advisors?
- Of course, Your Highness.

I have some great ideas.
Have you ever heard of electricity?

And I wanted to personally
thank you, Lance.

- Mwah.

Finally, I can remove this thing.

Whoa!

Queen Luxia, the reason
we came here in the first place

was to see if you could help us
find our friends.

Of course.

It has been many years since we have
activated the energy beacon,

but perhaps it is time
to rebuild our civilization

and reach out
to interstellar travelers once again.

Activate energy beacon!

I see the beacon!

There is a mer-cat in our system
that appears to be heading our way.

It's the Green Lion!

See, Hunk? I told you they could help us.

Now, the next time I go
swimming after a mermaid,

I hope you won't be complaining
the whole time.

Lesson learned.