Sapphire: The Mergirl with the Lost Memories
The sun began to rise over a coastal town near the beach. A young woman who looked like she was twenty nine years old was taking a walk on the beach. Her name was Faye and she had dark brunette hair, green eyes, freckles, and pale skin. She was wearing a tan t-shirt, jeans, and sandals while she was walking on the beach. She then saw something odd off in the distance. As she got closer, she saw that it was a young child that was just lying on the beach. Faye got closer to the child and saw that it was a girl child with light blue bobbed hair and she also noticed that the girl wasn't wearing a strip of clothing. She looked to be about six years old. What surprised Faye the most was the girl's light blue fish tail and her bracelet on her right arm. "That child's a real life mermaid" Faye said in disbelief. Faye then grabbed the girl's arm and examined her bracelet. She saw some symbols in a language that she had never seen before but also saw some numbers that were in the order five fourteen. Faye then noticed a rather large bruise on the girl's head. "What in the world could have happened to this little mergirl" Faye wondered. As she pondered this question, the mergirl's tail dried up and became a pair of legs. The girl then woke up and stared at Faye with her big blue eyes. "Hi there little one, can you tell me what happened to you" Faye asked. The girl sat up and stared blankly at Faye. "Can you at least tell me your name" Faye said. "Sapp-pyre, Sapp-pyre, Sapp-pyre…" the little girl repeated weakly. "Oh, do you mean Sapphire" Faye inquired. The girl simply nodded in a way that meant yes. "Can you tell me anything else about yourself?" Sapphire shook her head in a way that meant no. "How about that bruise on your head?" Sapphire had a pained look on her face as she touched her head. "C-c-can't remember" Sapphire responded. "What happened to your tail" Faye asked. "My…..tail" Sapphire answered slowly. "Wow, that head injury must have been serious." "She doesn't even remember being a mermaid" Faye thought to herself. "Tell you what little girl, how about I take care of you for a while" Faye said. Sapphire nodded yes to Faye's question. Sapphire tried to stand up but her legs were too weak and she fell back down. "Awww, looks like you're not used to walking on your legs yet" Faye said and giggled a bit. "How about I help you walk back to my house instead" Faye asked. Faye helped Sapphire up and the two headed back to her house.
When the two got back to Faye's house, Faye wrapped a blue towel around Sapphire. "Sorry, I don't have any clothes for girl children" Faye told Sapphire. "That's okay" Sapphire replied shyly. "We're going to go buy you some clothes and then take you to the doctor's office for a quick examination" Faye explained. "My name's Faye but you can call me Miss Faye for now" Faye added. Faye got some tools and measured Sapphire to see what size of clothes she could wear. After that, the pair left Faye's house and got into the car to head to a clothing shop near town. Sapphire was silent the whole car ride there. They went into the clothing store and Faye picked out a lot of blue and pink clothes to have Sapphire try on. Sapphire came out of the changing room wearing a blue t-shirt, a pink skirt, a pair of blue socks, and a pair white shoes. "Hey, you look cute in that outfit" Faye exclaimed. "Thanks Miss Faye" Sapphire answered. "You're welcome Sapphire!" "Now we need to take you to the doctor's office to get you examined and make sure you're healthy" Faye explained. Faye got on her cellphone and gave her doctor a call. "Hello, Doctor Cecilia speaking, how can I help you" Cecilia asked. "Hi Doctor Cecilia, I found a strange child on the beach that seems to have amnesia." "Can you give her a check up to make sure she's healthy" Faye inquired. "Certainly Faye" Cecilia answered. "When do you want to give her a checkup" Cecilia asked. "Today if it's possible" Faye replied. "I don't have any other appointments today and this seems urgent so come on over as soon as you can." "I'll let the receptionists at the front desk know you're coming" Cecilia finished. "Thank you Doctor Cecilia." "I'll see you in about twenty to thirty minutes" Faye said. "Alright, I look forward to seeing this girl you found on the beach." "Goodbye" Cecilia said and hung up. Faye looked at Sapphire and noticed her stomach rumbling. "Hey, you hungry" Faye asked. Sapphire just nodded at Faye. "Alright then, let's get you something to eat before heading to the doctor's office" Faye said. The two of them left the clothing store and got into Faye's car. Faye drove by slowly and Sapphire saw a seafood place with a large fish sign on top of it and pointed at it. "You want something to eat from Toby's seafood place" Faye asked. "Yes please" Sapphire answered. The two of them parked at Toby's seafood place, got out of Faye's car, and went into the seafood place. Faye and Sapphire went up to the counter to order some seafood. "So, what tickles your fancy Sapphire" Faye asked. "I'm not sure…." Sapphire responded. "How about this one?" "This dish is popular with a lot of children, even those who don't like seafood all that much" Faye explained and pointed at the popcorn shrimp basket. "I'll take that one then please" Sapphire said. "What would you like to drink" Faye asked. "I'll have a bottle of water to drink" Sapphire replied. "Sounds good to me" Faye said. Faye ordered the popcorn shrimp basket and a bottle of water for Sapphire while she got a meal of breaded fish for herself. The two of them left Toby's seafood place and went into Faye's car to eat their meals. At first Sapphire stared blankly at one of the shrimps she was holding. She then put it into her mouth and was taken aback at how delicious it was. Sapphire then proceeded to eat all of her popcorn shrimp. "You certainly liked that didn't you?" "I told you that you'd like it" Faye said. "It was a delicious meal." "Thank you for buying that for me" Sapphire told Faye as she looked at her joyfully. "You're welcome Sapphire." "I'll get that for you whenever we're in town." "I can also make some really tasty seafood treats at home" Faye finished. "That would be wonderful" Sapphire replied. "I really like seafood for some odd reason" Sapphire said. "Then I'll make you a lot of seafood while you stay with me" Faye said. Faye left the parking lot of Toby's seafood place and drove off to the doctor's office to give Sapphire an examination.
Faye arrived there ten minutes later and the two of them headed into the building. Faye and Sapphire headed to the front desk to confirm their appointment with Doctor Cecilia. While waiting, the few people that were at the office stared at Sapphire's hair color. Sapphire lightly tapped Faye on the shoulder. "Miss Faye, people won't stop staring at me" Sapphire said and looked worried. "Just ignore them little one." "Blue hair's not a very common hair color so it might just be attracting their attention" Faye told Sapphire. The two of them made small talk while waiting for their names to be called. "Faye, Doctor Cecilia's ready to see you" one of the nurses yelled. Faye and Sapphire went into Doctor Cecilia's room. Sapphire sat up on the examination bed while Faye sat in a chair near her. Doctor Cecilia came in and greeted the two. She had short black hair, hazel eyes, a thin stature, and looked to be in her mid-thirties. "Wow, she certainly is a beautiful little girl" Cecilia remarked. "You don't see a girl like her every day especially one with blue hair like that." Cecilia did some tests and examined Sapphire to make sure she was healthy. "Well, she seems to be a very healthy girl other than the head injury which caused her amnesia" Cecilia told Faye. "You said you found her washed up on the beach" Cecilia asked. "Yes, I also saw something odd when I first approached her" Faye answered. "Care to tell me what that would be" Cecilia inquired. Faye told Cecilia about what she saw when she first found Sapphire on the beach. "No way, this little girl's a real life mermaid" Cecilia asked in disbelief. "Look at her bracelet." "I've never seen that language before in my life" Faye said. Cecilia looked at the bracelet that Sapphire wore on her right arm. "I've never seen this language before either but I think I have an idea about what the numbers mean" Cecilia said. "What do they mean" Faye asked. "It could be her date of birth." "Five Fourteen could mean May 14th" Cecilia confirmed. "Is it alright if I take some pictures of her bracelet to show to a friend of mine?" "He might be able to shed some insight on those odd symbols on her bracelet" Cecilia explained. "Yes that would be fine." "Is that okay with you Sapphire" Faye asked. Sapphire nodded yes and Cecilia got her smart phone out and took a lot pictures of Sapphire's bracelet. "That should be good enough, I'll let you know if anything comes up" Cecilia said. "What should I tell the authorities when I have to fill out the paperwork to formally adopt her" Faye asked. "Just tell them she's a ship wreck survivor or that she fell off a boat and washed up on the beach" Cecilia replied. "Okay then, thank you for taking the time to give Sapphire a checkup on such short notice" Faye told Cecilia. "Don't mention it Faye." "Make sure to come back next year for an annual checkup" Cecilia said. "I'll do just that" Faye said. Faye and Sapphire left the doctor's office and got into Faye's car. "I have some good news for you Sapphire" Faye said. "What's that" Sapphire asked. "I'm going to adopt you as my daughter until your memory returns" Faye responded. "You can call me mom from this day forth instead of Miss Faye" Faye rejoiced. "That's wonderful" Sapphire said. "Thanks mom." "You're welcome dear" Faye answered. Faye drove back to her house to raise Sapphire as her own.
Three years since that day. Sapphire was now nine years old and loved her adoptive mother Faye very dearly. She adapted to her life as a human quite rapidly over the course of three years. Her memories of her past life as a mermaid still haven't returned to her yet but she never let that bother her. There were times when she wondered if her memories would ever come back to her at all. She also wondered about the symbols on her bracelet which she or her mother have not gotten news about yet from Doctor Cecilia. It was around 11:25am in the morning and Sapphire had just woken up from her slumber last night. She went to the dining room, got some pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and greeted her mom. "Morning sweetie" Faye said. "Morning mom" Sapphire replied in a slightly groggy tone. "You look a little sleepy dear, are you okay" Faye asked and looked concerned. "No mom, I had a scary dream last night." Sapphire answered. "What was it about dear" Faye inquired. "I'm getting sucked into a large whirlpool and screaming for someone to help me" Sapphire told Faye and continued. "The last thing I see before the dream ends is a beautiful woman's face that has a sad expression on it" Sapphire finished. "Oh, that does sound scary." "Is this the first time you've had this dream or is this a first" Faye asked. "No, this is the fifth time I've had it." "I get a headache every time I have it" Sapphire said. "A headache huh" Faye said. "I hope I stop having these dreams mom, they're scare me" Sapphire fretted. Faye then got to Sapphire's level and comforted her. "It'll be okay dear." "I'm sure you'll grow out of them one day and get your memories back" Faye said and hugged Sapphire. "Thank you mom." "I'm so lucky to have you" Sapphire responded as she hugged Faye tightly. "You're welcome dear" Faye said. "Hey, let's clear your mind of those scary dreams and go swimming at the beach" Faye shouted happily. "That sounds like a lot of fun mom" Sapphire replied. Faye made a basket lunch for the beach and Sapphire got their swimming gear ready.
The two of them left their house and walked along a nature path to the beach. Faye and Sapphire got into the water but Sapphire had an inter-tube around her waist. "Are you still afraid you might drown dear?" "You know I'll be there to save you if you ever did drown." "You're also a really good swimmer so you shouldn't worry too much" Faye finished. Sapphire didn't have aqua phobia but she was squeamish about deep water. While she was an excellent swimmer, she worried about drowning and always had an inter-tube with her when she went to the beach with her mother. "Okay, if you say so" Sapphire stammered and took of her inter-tube and placed it next to the basket lunch. The pair got into the beach water and swam around for a bit. Faye surfaced and noticed sapphire was still swimming in the shallow parts of the water. "I don't know what she's so worried about." "She's a fine swimmer, probably better than me." "With some proper training, she could be an excellent swimmer" Faye thought to herself. Sapphire surfaced and noticed Faye staring at her. "What's wrong mom" Sapphire asked. "Nothing dear, I was just watching you swim" Faye responded. "You seem to be a gifted swimmer" Faye said. "Thanks mom" Sapphire rejoiced and then blushed. "I'll get you someone to teach you some swimming lessons someday" Faye told Sapphire. "That'd be great mom" Sapphire said. "I won't force you though dear just let me know" Faye added. "Okay mom I will" Sapphire answered. The two of them played at the beach for a few more hours and then it was 3:30pm which meant lunch time. "Well, we finished our basket lunch but do you want more stuff to eat" Faye asked. "Hmmm, how about some seafood snacks" Sapphire replied. "We can do that honey" Faye said. The two of them headed back to their house and Faye got out some breaded cod fillets and put them in the oven. Sapphire got three fillets as soon as they were out of the oven. She began to eat them rather quickly and sometimes yelped because of how hot they were. "Don't eat them so fast dear." "You might burn your mouth or get a stomach ache" Faye joked. "Okay mom, I'll try to eat my fish a bit slower" Sapphire answered and finished her fillets. Two hours later, it was Sapphire's bath time. "Can you prepare the bath water by yourself dear?" "Mommy's gonna take a little stroll around the beach before I help bathe you" Faye explained. "Okay that's fine" Sapphire responded. Sapphire headed to the bathroom to prepare her bath while Faye left the house with her cell phone to take a walk on the beach.
Faye was walking on the beach but then cell phone rang. She saw that it was Doctor Cecilia and answered it. "Hello Cecilia, what can I do for you at this hour" Faye asked. "I found out what the symbols on Sapphire's bracelet mean" Cecilia responded. "What are they" Faye inquired. "You were right about what you told me three years ago." "That girl really is a mermaid and the symbols are in mermish" Cecilia exclaimed. "That's interesting news" Faye said. "She hasn't recovered her memories about being on though" Faye said in a worried tone. "Well, she'll recover them eventually" Cecilia said. "Just give her time." "Okay, if you say so" Faye replied. "Goodbye Faye" Cecilia said. "Goodbye to you too" Faye answered. She then hung up her phone and put it back in her pocket. Faye walked down the beach some more but then heard some sad sounding singing. She got closer and then saw a woman who looked just like an older Sapphire. She had long light blue hair, big light blue eyes, a curvy figure, pale skin, and a light blue fish tail. She looked like she was about twenty nine years old. "Hello there human, did you like my singing" the mermaid inquired. "Y-y-you're a mermaid" Faye stuttered. "You also look like my adopted daughter" Faye said. "Care to tell me more about this adopted daughter of yours" the mermaid asked. Faye just nodded and sat down right next to the mermaid. The two began to converse about Sapphire.
Sapphire went into the bathroom and spotted her mother's special bath soap on a high shelf above the toilet. "I can take a bubble bath with mom's soap" Sapphire exclaimed. She got on top of the toilet and reached for the soap. She got it but then tripped and hit the bruised part of her head on the toilet. Sapphire saw an image of a young girl that resembled her but with a fish tail before she came to. "Oooh, you'd think I'd have come up with a ground breaking discovery by hitting my head on the toilet like that" Sapphire joked. She quickly recovered and put the soap into the tub while she turned the water lever to warm. Sapphire put her new clothes on top of the toilet, took off her old clothes, and got into the bath. "Mmmm, this bath water feels so good and it smells good too because of mom's special soaps" Sapphire said. After about ten minutes of bathing, Sapphire noticed something off about the bath water. Her legs became numb and began to glow. "W-w-what's happening to me" Sapphire said while her voice trembled. Her legs then merged and turned into a bright blue scaly fish tail. "No way, I'm a mer-mer-mer-mermaid" Sapphire screamed as she flopped her new tail around. "How's this even possible" Sapphire shouted. Faye then came into the bathroom with a sullen expression on her face. "It's because you are a mermaid Sapphire" Faye declared.
Sapphire looked at Faye in disbelief. "I am, but I don't remember ever being one and I thought you said that I fell off a ship and hit my head" Sapphire said. "I lied about that part Sapphire." "You washed up on the beach three years ago and your tail disappeared before you woke up" Faye told Sapphire. "I was going to tell you when you were older but now it looks like I had to tell you earlier than expected" Faye explained and then continued. "That bracelet is your birth certificate and it's written in mermish letters" Faye finished. "Mom, I hit the bruised part of my head on the toilet while I was reaching for your bath soap" Sapphire told Faye. "I also saw an image of a girl who looked just like me but had a fish tail after While I was recovering" Sapphire explained. "Maybe your body remembered something about being a mermaid when you hit your head on the toilet" Faye said. "I met an older mermaid on the beach who claims to be your birth mother." "Would you like to meet her" Faye asked. "S-s-sure" Sapphire stuttered. Faye drained the bath water, wrapped Sapphire in a damp bath towel, and picked her up and carried her out of the house.
Faye carried Sapphire to the beach and they saw the mermaid that Faye was talking to earlier. Faye put Sapphire right next to the mermaid. The mermaid looked at Sapphire lovingly. "Hello there little Sapphire." "My name's Amethyst and I'm the mermaid who gave birth to you nine years ago" Amethyst told Sapphire. "It looks like you still have the bracelet I gave to you when you were born" Amethyst added. Sapphire stared up at Amethyst and looked puzzled. "But I don't remember you Amethyst" Sapphire stated. "You will in time dear." "That's why I'm going to take you to your true home under the sea." Amethyst said. "But I don't wanna go live under the sea, I wanna live on the surface with Faye" Sapphire protested. Faye looked at Sapphire with a saddened look on her face and got down to her level. "I'm sorry Sapphire, you can't live on the surface with me for right now." "You need to live underwater in your natural environment and try to recover your memories there" Faye said softly. "But mom, I don't wanna be a mermaid I wanna be a-" Sapphire shouted but then Faye cut her off while Amethyst gave Sapphire a disappointed look. "Sapphire, don't make this harder than it has to be" Faye pleaded and became teary eyed. Sapphire looked at Faye and then at Amethyst. "O-o-okay mom" Sapphire stuttered. Faye then gave Sapphire a hug. "These past three years were short but they were the best years of my life dear." "I'll always love you and I'll never forget about you either" Faye told Sapphire. "It's time for you to go beneath the waves now." "Hopefully you can recover your memories while living with your birth mother" Faye finished. Sapphire reluctantly went with Amethyst beneath the waves. "Perhaps this is for the best" Faye told herself. "Maybe I'll see her playing on this beach again with her mother in the near future." Faye then walked back to her house.
Amethyst began to swim back to her grotto but noticed that Sapphire was struggling with her tail. "Want me to carry you back to our home dear" Amethyst asked. "Sure" Sapphire answered in a saddened tone. Amethyst held her young daughter close and the two arrived at the grotto ten minutes later. "So, what do you think" Amethyst inquired. "It's okay I guess" Sapphire responded nonchalantly. "Does it bring back any memories" Amethyst asked. "Not really" Sapphire replied. "How about you lie down for a bit dear." "You look exhausted after today" Amethyst noted. "Okay, where do mermaids usually sleep" Sapphire asked. Amethyst brought Sapphire to a room with many clamshell beds and put Sapphire on a medium sized one that was next to hers. "Here it is." "Get some rest sweetheart" Amethyst said. "Okay" Sapphire replied. Sapphire lied down on her clamshell bed which was surprisingly comfy. "This has to be a dream." "I'm not a mermaid I'm a human girl" Sapphire told herself and repeated this until she fell asleep. She hoped that she'd wake up in her bed on the surface at Faye's house the next morning.
Sapphire woke up in the late morning but found that she was still underwater in Amethyst's grotto. "No, I've still gotta be dreaming" Sapphire said and began to pinch herself on the face. "I'll wake up soon and be in my bed on the surface" Sapphire told herself. Amethyst swam into the room carrying a net full of freshly killed seafood and saw Sapphire pinching herself on the face. "Sweetheart stop that, you'll ruin your beautiful face" Amethyst snapped. "You're not dreaming dear." "Yesterday's events really did happen" Amethyst said and removed Sapphire's hand from her face to which Sapphire gave her an annoyed look. "Why are you being like this Sapphire" Amethyst asked. "I don't remember you and I wanna recover my memories on land." "I must've fallen off a cruise ship years ago during a storm and hit my head just like mom told me" Sapphire responded. "Are you still on about that dear?" "Faye told you yesterday that she lied about that" Amethyst told Sapphire. "You got sucked into a whirlpool when we were out swimming three years ago" Amethyst stated and continued. "I tried to grab you but you got swept from my hands when I nearly had you" Amethyst finished. "Well I don't remember that part either" Sapphire lied. She concluded that the nightmare she was having on the surface must've been a memory from three years ago but chose not to bring it up. Sapphire then covered her eyes when she realized that Amethyst was naked. "What are you doing now little guppy" Amethyst inquired and gave Sapphire a befuddled look. "Do you sleep naked or something?" "Put some clothes on" Sapphire demanded and looked red in the face. "Mer-people don't wear clothes dear." "We have no need for them underwater, they just weigh us down" Amethyst finished. "That's just gross" Sapphire screeched as she covered herself with her arms. "No it's not dear, it's normal for merfolk not to wear clothes" Amethyst explained. "If you say so" Sapphire said and lowered her arms. "What are we going to do today" Sapphire asked. "I'm going to teach you how to swim with your tail again because it's essential for living underwater" Amethyst responded. "Okay, will you teach me then" Sapphire asked. "Of course I will, I'm your mom after all" Amethyst answered and then offered Sapphire some of the seafood that she killed. "Don't worry dear it's all dead" Amethyst said. "Do we eat it raw, with our hands" Sapphire asked. "Yes, yes we do" Amethyst replied. Sapphire looked at the dead seafood in a skeptical manner but proceeded to eat half the net. "Wow, you must have been a hungry" Amethyst commented. "It tastes good for being raw seafood" Sapphire replied. The two mermaids swam out of their grotto to practice swimming as soon as Amethyst finished her half of the seafood.
The two mermaids swam to place that was perfect for swim practice. "Alright Sapphire, move your tail just like this" Amethyst instructed and swam in a graceful fashion. Sapphire tried to imitate her mother's swimming form but struggled. "Mmmm, I can't do it, it's too difficult" Sapphire screamed. "It's okay dear just keep trying" Amethyst said calmly. Sapphire kept trying but just couldn't get the hang of swimming with her tail. "Grrrr, I CAN'T DO IT" Sapphire screamed. "Please Sapphire, don't be angry let help-" Amethyst was trying to say but then Sapphire cut her off. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" "YOU KIDNAPPED ME AND TURNED ME INTO A FISH FREAK!" "YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT EVEN MY BIRTH MOM!" "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE" Sapphire roared. She rolled around on the seafloor screaming angrily and pounding the ground with her fists. Amethyst looked disheartened as she watched her young daughter throw a temper tantrum but didn't say anything while she waited for her to tire out. Eventually, Sapphire did tire out and Amethyst picked her up and swam back to her grotto. She put Sapphire onto her clamshell bed and noticed her head injury. "This must have happened three years ago." "She must have been hit by debris when she was sucked into that whirlpool and this other bruise on her head must have been recent." "That other head bruise must have caused her body to remember being a mermaid" Amethyst said to herself. "Is this why she can't remember me or her past life as a mermaid." "Poor thing, this must be so hard for her" Amethyst whispered. "She'll be better in the morning and I'll try a different approach for teaching her how to swim" Amethyst said to herself. She then got onto her clamshell bed and went to sleep.
Sapphire woke up before her mother and snuck out of the grotto. "I need to turn back into a human" Sapphire whispered to herself. "I need to find out if those octopus mermaids exist and find one." "If anyone can give me my legs back they can!" Sapphire swam away from her grotto and swam for about ten minutes but she encountered a merboy that looked to be about her age swimming with his young mother. "Well hello there little mergirl!" "What are you doing out here all alone" the friendly mermaid asked. She had long black hair, blue eyes, pale skin, a curvy stature that made her look similar to Amethyst, and a scaly forest green tail. "I'm looking for an octopus mermaid, do those exist" Sapphire inquired. "Of course they do, they're called Cecaelias" the young merboy responded. "There are also all kinds of other merfolk under the sea." "Shark tailed merfolk, dolphin tailed merfolk, orca tailed merfolk, eel tailed merfolk, and we fish tailed merfolk" the merboy finished. He had the same hair, tail, and eye colors as his mother. The pair also had a matching pair of lockets. "Wow, I thought only fish tailed and those cecaelias existed" Sapphire replied. "Why are you looking for one little mergirl" the friendly mermaid asked. "I-I-I just wanna meet one that's all" Sapphire lied. "And my name's not little mergirl it's Sapphire" Sapphire added. "Okay then Sapphire." "My name's Millie and this is my son Flint." Millie said. "Nice to meet you" Millie said and Flint simply nodded at Sapphire. "It's nice to meet you as well but can you tell me if a cecaelia lives around here or not" Sapphire asked. "Yes, Yumiko is a cecaelia and she lives in a cavern about five minutes from here near a vast undersea garden that's pretty difficult to miss" Millie answered and pointed to the northeast. "Thank you" Sapphire said and swam off in a rush. "That mergirl seemed kind of familiar didn't she mom" Flint inquired. "Why yes she did" Millie replied. "I wonder where we met her." The pair pondered this for a few minutes and then went back to their morning activities.
Sapphire swam to the undersea garden that Millie described to her. "That sure is a pretty place" Sapphire remarked. She then spotted a cavern and swam into it. Sapphire swam into one of the rooms of the cavern and spotted a cecaelia sleeping on a clam shell bed with her tentacles hanging off it. Sapphire swam next to her and screamed "Hey, WAKE UP!" The octopus mermaid awoke with a start. She had black hair that was in a ponytail, green eyes with glasses on them, tanned skin, thin build, and had eight orange octopus tentacles for her lower half. She stared at Sapphire and wasn't amused. "Was there a reason you needed to shout like that" the cecaelia grumbled groggily. "I need you to change me back into a human" Sapphire requested. "Wait, what are you going on about little mergirl" the cecaelia asked. "You're Yumiko right" Sapphire inquired. "Yeah, that's me." "What makes you think I can turn you back into a human" Yumiko asked. "It's because you're a cecaelia" Sapphire said. Yumiko then slapped her hand on her forehead and sighed. "Really, that's why" Yumiko said and looked rather annoyed. "Okay, I'll help you but you have to do something for me though" Yumiko demanded as she noticed Sapphire's enthusiasm. "Give up my voice" Sapphire inquired. "No, I don't need your voice!" "I just need your help collecting the herbs I need to create the mixture" Yumiko told Sapphire. "That doesn't sound too bad" Sapphire said. "By the way what's your name mergirl" Yumiko asked. "It's Sapphire" Sapphire replied. "Sapphire huh, I used to know a Sapphire six years ago who would always play with my tentacles." "She was quite cute" Yumiko reminisced. "The herbs we need are in the garden just outside my cavern" Yumiko said and swam out of her cavern. "Right behind you" Sapphire said. The two swam out of Yumiko's cavern and into the garden that Sapphire was in earlier. The two of them gathered all of the aquatic herbs that were necessary for the mixture to be made. "So all of this stuff mixed together will make me human again" Sapphire inquired. "It should" Yumiko replied. "Why do you wanna be a human anyway?" "Did you save a little boy prince from drowning or something" Yumiko asked. "No I just wanna go back to my mom on the surface." "This mermaid that claims to be my birth mom kidnapped me and turned me into a mermaid" Sapphire explained. "Maybe she is your birth mom" Yumiko responded as she glanced at Sapphire's bracelet. "But I don't remember her or being a mermaid" Sapphire said. "That sounds problematic" Yumiko answered. The two of them swam back into cavern to get the mixture ready.
Meanwhile back at Amethyst's grotto. Amethyst woke up and saw that Sapphire had gone missing and wasn't too happy about it. "Oh that girl" Amethyst screamed in a frustrated fashion. "She probably went back to the surface to beg Faye to take her back" Amethyst said to herself. "She'll probably swim back here bawling in about ten minutes." Amethyst then noticed Sapphire's scent was still around and she followed it but then stopped for a minute. "Was she going to Yumiko's cavern?" "Does she really think that cecaelias are all powerful mermaid sorcerers" Amethyst asked herself. She continued to swim in the direction of Sapphire's scent and encountered Millie and Flint. "Hi Amethyst, taking your daily swim" Millie inquired. "No, I'm just looking for my runaway daughter, have you seen her" Amethyst asked. "Oh you mean Sapphire?" "Yes, we just saw her swimming to Yumiko's place about a half hour ago." "She asked an odd question about the different types of merfolk and then swam off" Millie finished. "So she was heading to Yumiko's place after all." "Thank you for your help Millie" Amethyst said. "No problem Amethyst." "I hope you find her so my little boy can play with her just like they used to when they were younger" Millie rejoiced. "I look forward to it" Amethyst responded and then swam off. "I knew there was something familiar about her mom" Flint said. "I wonder where she went all those years." "I don't know but I'm happy you're little playmate is back" Millie exclaimed. "Me too mom" Flint said. Millie and Flint swam back to their grotto and looked forward to seeing Sapphire once more.
Yumiko got the mixture ready with some help from Sapphire. "Do I drink this stuff or what" Sapphire asked. "No Sapphire, you rub it on your tail" Yumiko replied. "Shouldn't we go to the surface to do this" Sapphire inquired. "Yeah about that, I lied about the mixture turning you into a human." "It's actually used to make your scaly tail shinier and prevent fin rot" Yumiko said and continued. "I saw your enthusiasm and I lied to so you'd help me gather the ingredients." "I'm sorry I lied to you and took advantage of that enthusiasm" Yumiko apologized. Sapphire froze and remained silent for fifteen minutes as she sat on Yumiko's bed. "Your mom will probably teach you how you can take human form when you're older" Yumiko added and continued. "Taking on a human form is an ability that all mermaids share." "I don't steal voices or use powerful magic to do that." Yumiko finished. "I don't wanna be human anymore" Sapphire whimpered. "Sapphire, what's wrong" Yumiko asked as she looked at Sapphire with her bespectacled eyes and saw that she was ready to cry. "I-I-I said some mean things to my mom yesterday and I ran away from home this morning." "I called myself a fish freak and then I told her that she wasn't my mom." "She probably hates me now because of the things that I yelled at her when she was just trying to help me swim better" Sapphire bawled and tried to tell Yumiko the rest of what happened the previous day. Yumiko hugged Sapphire and comforted her. "Shh. Shh. Shh!" "Your mom would never hate you." "She knew that you were just angry and said some things you didn't mean." "She's probably searching for you right now" Yumiko cooed. "You think so" Sapphire asked. "I know so little one, she sounds like a loving mother" Yumiko replied. Yumiko managed to calm Sapphire down. "I'm gonna go take a swim for a bit, you wanna be alone for a while" Yumiko asked. Sapphire just nodded and then Yumiko left her cavern. Yumiko was swimming through her garden and then saw Amethyst approaching her. "Yumiko, have you seen my daughter Sapphire" Amethyst inquired. "Of course I have" Yumiko answered. "She helped me gather the herbs I needed to make my mixture for shiny tails and fit rot prevention." "She's in my cavern and it looks like she really needs you" Yumiko said. "Thank you for taking care of her Yumiko." "I'll go to her right away" Amethyst stated. "You're very welcome." "Let's give her a little surprise then" Yumiko added and the pair swam back into Yumiko's cavern.
Sapphire was still sitting down on Yumiko's bed and just stared at the floor and frowned. Yumiko came back in with a smile on her face. "Sapphire, you've got a visitor" Yumiko exclaimed. "Who is it" Sapphire asked. "Well, who do you think it is" Yumiko beamed. Sapphire's head jolted straight up as she knew who Yumiko was talking about. Amethyst then swam into Yumiko's room. "Mom" Sapphire shouted and swiftly swam over to Amethyst and tackle hugged her. "Mom, I'm so sorry I said all of those horrible things and ran away" Sapphire sobbed. "Do you hate me?" Amethyst petted her daughter's back and then looked at her happily with misty eyes. "No sweetheart, I could never ever hate you." "You're my one and only daughter and I love you so much" Amethyst said and continued. "It must be difficult having your life turned upside down so suddenly and it must also be difficult not being able to remember anything about being a mermaid." "It's understandable to be frustrated like that" Amethyst finished and continued to coo and stroke her sobbing daughter. Sapphire looked up at her mother. "Mom, I don't wanna be a human anymore." "I just wanna stay here with you and be a mermaid" Sapphire cried. "I was going to show you how to become a human eventually so we could go visit Faye" Amethyst said. "I wanna learn that when I get my memories back" Sapphire insisted. "Alright sweetheart that's fine with me" Amethyst replied softly. "I love you mom" Sapphire sighed. "I love you too my little guppy" Amethyst responded and then Sapphire fell asleep in her arms. Yumiko came in and sat next to Amethyst. "I remember when you used to bring her here when she was real little" Yumiko said. "We picked herbs together and this little mergirl always used to play with my tentacles and giggle" Yumiko added. "I remember that." "It was so cute and you'd always laugh when she did it and say how much it tickled." "Maybe she'll remember that one day" Amethyst commented. "I hope so" Yumiko responded. The two of them conversed about old times and ate some edible herbs well into the night. Sapphire would wake up occasionally and have some too. Both mermaids decided to stay at Yumiko's place and head back to their grotto in the late morning.
Morning came and the two mermaids woke up. "Morning Sapphire" Amethyst chimed. "Morning mom" Sapphire chimed back. "You ready to go home" Amethyst asked. "Yeah, I'm ready to go back home mom" Sapphire replied. The pair of mermaids had some kelp and seaweed for breakfast. "This stuff's good isn't it" Yumiko asked both mermaids. "It sure is!" "I could eat a whole forest of kelp if I wanted to" Sapphire exclaimed. Yumiko and Amethyst looked at each other and giggled at the thought of a small mermaid eating a whole kelp forest. "I'm glad you like it dear" Amethyst said. "I like seaweed and kelp too" Amethyst added. "How did you find me mom" Sapphire inquired. "I followed your scent dear." "Our five senses are heightened underwater" Amethyst explained. "Wow, that's really neat" Sapphire exclaimed. The mother and daughter continued to bond and converse about their favorite seafood but then the time came where they needed to head home. The three mermaids swam out to the entrance of the cavern. "It was nice having you two over" Yumiko remarked. "I hope you too can visit again sometime." "Oh we'll visit again soon" Amethyst replied. "Thanks again for taking care of her" Amethyst added. "No problem my friend, it was a pleasure having her here" Yumiko answered. "Bye miss Yumiko" Sapphire shouted. "Bye tiny one, I hope you recover your memories soon" Yumiko replied. The two mermaids swam back to their grotto. Yumiko watched the two swim away until they were out of sight. She then went back to her daily routine and knew that she'd see Sapphire again.
A few months later. Sapphire became accustomed to her life as a young mermaid and although she still couldn't remember anything about being a mermaid, she was nonetheless happy to be with her mother and happy to be a mermaid. The two visited Yumiko from time to time and they would also visit Millie and Flint as well. Millie and Amethyst would watch their children play until they became tired. One day, Amethyst approached Sapphire after they got done eating their lobster lunch. "Hey Sapphire, let's see how better you've gotten at swimming with your tail these past few months" Amethyst requested. "Sure mom that sounds like a lot of fun" Sapphire replied. The two mermaids found a place near their grotto where they could have a swimming race. "On my mark, get set, and Go" Amethyst shouted and the two began their swim race. Sapphire was a bit slow at first but then caught up to her mother and was neck and neck with her. Sapphire's swimming form had improved drastically over the past few months. It surprised both her and her mother. "Wow, you've certainly gotten better at swimming with your tail" Amethyst noted. "Yeah, it's all thanks to you" Sapphire responded and swam some circles around her mother and kissed her on the cheek. "It wasn't just me dear, your motivation to be a better swimmer helped you get better too" Amethyst acknowledged. Amethyst then giggled a bit as she remembered something funny. "I remember when you were real little and I'd always let you win our little swimming races by a margin" Amethyst said. "You did that" Sapphire answered. "Yes and you'd always laugh and swim around gleefully when you won" Amethyst added. "I wish I could remember that" Sapphire uttered and looked a little sad. Amethyst swam next to her and petted her daughter's head. "It'll be okay dear, I'm sure you'll get your memories back" Amethyst assured Sapphire. "It'll happen when you least expect it" Amethyst added. "We can look forward to the future and make new and wonderful memories that we'll always remember for years to come" Amethyst declared. "Yeah, you're right mom" Sapphire said. "Let's learn how to hunt now." "It'll be important for when you have children of your own" Amethyst explained. "Okay, I'd like to learn how to catch fish on my own" Sapphire answered.
The two mermaids swam back to their grotto and got some hunting gear ready. Amethyst got a long sturdy spear and Sapphire got a spear that looked just as sturdy. They also grabbed some nets to keep captured seafood in. "Alright, looks like we're all set dear" Amethyst noted. "Where are we gonna go mom" Sapphire inquired. "We'll head to one of the hunting grounds that have large fish swimming around." "Those fish seem a bit slow and are easy to catch" Amethyst finished. The two of them swam to the hunting ground that Amethyst described. Sapphire saw a cornucopia of colorful fish swimming around and she stared in amazement. "Wow, look at all those fish" Sapphire exclaimed. "How do I catch and kill one" Sapphire asked. "It'll be easier to show you than to tell you dear" Amethyst replied. Sapphire watched carefully as Amethyst speared a rather large grouper and put it in her net. "You need to sneak up on them and spear them just right" Amethyst suggested. Sapphire tried to imitate her mother but missed catching the fish she was trying to spear. "These fish sure are fast" Sapphire panted. "Keep trying dear, you just need to focus" Amethyst advised. Sapphire finally managed to impale a fish after a few tries. "I did it, I did it, I did it mom!" "Did you see me" Sapphire shouted. "I did guppy that was wonderful" Amethyst responded. The two mermaids caught just enough fish to feed the two of them. "Hey mom, aren't these fish gonna go extinct if we hunt them too much" Sapphire asked. "That's why we catch just enough to eat dear." "We hunt them for food not for sport like the humans do" Amethyst explained. "Yeah, that is pretty wasteful when humans catch big fish and mount them on walls" Sapphire replied. The two mermaids swam back to their grotto and ate their seafood lunches. "That seafood sure was tasty mom" Sapphire rejoiced. "I know dear, seafood hits the spot anytime of the day" Amethyst responded. Sapphire looked at her tail and then at her mother. "Hey mom, are we being cannon bulls whenever we eat fish" Sapphire asked. "No dear, we're more mammal than we are fish so we're not being cannibalistic whenever we eat fish." "There's also the saying There's always a bigger fish" Amethyst finished. "Oh, okay." "Do I have four other siblings that came out of eggs but were eaten by a hungry barracuda" Sapphire inquired. "No sweetheart, you're my only daughter and mermaids aren't egg layers either" Amethyst answered. "Okay, thanks for telling me that mom" Sapphire said. "You're welcome dear, I'm happy to answer any questions you have about merfolk life" Amethyst stated. "What do you wanna do today babe" Amethyst asked. "What's there to do under the sea mom" Sapphire inquired. "I know a coral reef where friendly sea animals gather." "We can go there" Amethyst suggested. "That sounds like fun mom." "Let's do that" Sapphire shouted gleefully.
The two mermaids left their grotto and went to the coral reef where friendly sea animals gather. They saw Millie and Flint their petting some sea turtles and the pair swam over to them. "Hi Amethyst, hi Sapphire" Millie beamed. "Hello Millie it's good to see you." "It's good to see you as well Flint" Amethyst said. Flint simply blushed at Amethyst's comment. He then approached Sapphire. "Umm, hi Sapphire" Flint said shyly. "Hi there" Sapphire answered. "Do you and your mom come here often" Sapphire asked. "Yeah we do" Flint replied. A large manta ray big enough for two merkids approached them. "Hey, why don't we ride on this manta ray together" Sapphire asked. "Um, uh, sure" Flint replied and blushed. "You don't need to be shy around me." "I'm just a mergirl" Sapphire noted. "O-okay, thank you for telling me that" Flint answered. The two merkids got onto the manta rays back and rode it for about twenty minutes. "That was so much fun" Sapphire exclaimed. Sapphire then spotted two large seahorses. "Wow, I didn't know seahorses could get that big!" "Hey, let's ride those next" Sapphire requested and pulled Flint by the arm. The two of them got onto the sea horses and looked like they were having a blast. "Wow, the sea might be dangerous with the more hostile sea creatures such as sharks in it but it sure is a fun place to be" Sapphire stated. "Yeah it is" Flint replied. Sapphire then gave Flint a kiss on the cheek and he blushed when she did this. "W-w-what was that for" Flint asked as he touched the part of his cheek where she kissed him. "It's because I like you" Sapphire responded and giggled. "Let's have more fun like this sometime" Sapphire said. "O-okay Sapphire" Flint replied timidly. The two merkids played with some of the other sea animals that visited as their mother's watched their children play together. Eventually, it came time for both families to go back to their homes. Both families exchanged good byes and went back to their grottos.
Sapphire and Amethyst we're relaxing at their grotto. "Hey mom, can you sing" Sapphire asked. "Of course I can dear." "It's a talent that most if not all mermaids share" Amethyst replied. "Will you sing for me pleeeeaaassseee" Sapphire requested. "Very well, I'll sing a beautiful song just for my little girl" Amethyst said and then sang the loveliest sounding song in the ocean. "Wow, that was so beautiful" Sapphire marveled. "Why don't you try singing too" Amethyst suggested. "Okay, but it won't be as beautiful as yours" Sapphire replied. "It doesn't have to be as beautiful as mine sweetie, I just want to hear my little girl sing" Amethyst said. "Okay here goes." Sapphire sang a melodic song that resounded throughout the grotto. "That was really good dear" Amethyst remarked. "Thanks mom" Sapphire replied. "You're welcome my daughter" Amethyst said. "We should sing together sometime" Amethyst added. "That'd be fun" Sapphire replied. "Hey mom, can you teach me how to read mermish, I need a refresher" Sapphire requested. "Of course dear anything for my little guppy" Amethyst responded. The two of them went over how to read various mermish symbols until night fall came. Amethyst noted that her daughter was starting to fade. "You want me to take you to bed dear" Amethyst inquired. "Yeah, I'd like that mom" Sapphire replied. Amethyst picked up Sapphire gently and carried her to their bedroom. Amethyst set Sapphire down on her clamshell bed. "Thanks for today mom that was so much fun" Sapphire said. "You're welcome dear, I'm glad you had fun" Amethyst responded. "Mom, I'm sorry I said all of those mean things a few months back" Sapphire apologized. "It's fine dear." "I'm not angry or sad about those things you said back then" Amethyst said and continued. "Don't dwell on bad memories too much dear." "Try to think of good ones from time to time" Amethyst finished. "Okay mom." "I love you so much and I'll never ever hate you" Sapphire stated. "I love you too dear." "You're my most precious treasure in the sea." "I love being your mom" Amethyst said. Amethyst stoked her daughter's head and sang her a lullaby until she fell asleep. She then got onto her clamshell bed and went to sleep herself.
When Amethyst woke up, she spotted her daughter sitting on her bed thinking about something. Amethyst swam over and sat next to her. "Is something the matter dear" Amethyst inquired. "No mom, I just really wanna get my memories of you back" Sapphire answered. "How could my head injury have made me forget about someone as kind and pretty as you" Sapphire asked. "Head injuries are known to do that dear" Amethyst responded. "Will you help me try to get my memories back" Sapphire asked. "Of course I will dear." "I'm always here to help you" Sapphire remarked. A light bulb appeared over Sapphire's head. "Oh, I know" Sapphire exclaimed. "I'll bang my head against the hard side of my bed and induce a flashback!" Sapphire proceeded to bang her head against the hard side of her clamshell bed as her mother watched her and had a concerned look on her face. Five minutes later. "Did you have a flashback dear" Amethyst inquired. "No mom, that just made me feel dizzy and nauseous." "I think I need to bang my head against a rock or a large piece of coral" Sapphire explained. "Let's stop the head banging dear and try something else" Amethyst suggested. "Like what" Sapphire asked. "Try looking at my face for a while." "Maybe you'll remember if you look at me long enough" Amethyst said. "Okay mom" Sapphire said and got close to her mom. "I'm gonna be invading your bubble for a bit is that okay" Sapphire asked. "It's fine guppy." Sapphire stared at her mother's face for forty five minutes. "It's no good!" "I still can't remember anything" Sapphire whined. "Am I the real Sapphire?" "Or is there another grumpy gills Sapphire who's the real one and I'm just a clone or something" Sapphire asked. "No dear, there's only one Sapphire I know in the ocean and that's you" Amethyst said. "You have the wildest imagination to think something like that up" Amethyst added. "Let's take a break from memory recovery and do something else" Amethyst suggested. "How about we visit Yumiko today" Amethyst asked. "Yeah, I'd like to do that" Sapphire replied. The pair of mermaids swam out of their grotto and swam all the way to Yumiko's cavern.
Sapphire and Amethyst arrived at Yumiko's cavern and she greeted the pair with a warm smile. "Hi there you two, what brings you out here" Yumiko asked. "Sapphire and I just wanted to visit you" Amethyst replied. "We were trying to recover her memories but were unsuccessful" Amethyst added. "That's too bad" Yumiko said and looked at Sapphire. "Don't worry dear, you'll recover them soon." "I have this feeling that you will" Yumiko told Sapphire and patted her head. "Thanks for the words of encouragement Yumiko" Sapphire responded. "You're welcome dear" Yumiko said. "Hey, how about you two help me pick herbs and hunt so we can make a seafood salad" Yumiko asked. "That sounds delicious." "Let's do it" Amethyst replied and Sapphire nodded happily. The three mermaids gathered herbs from the large garden near Yumiko's cavern and hunted some mackerel and shrimp that were swimming in the area. When they had enough, they went back to the cavern to prepare the seafood salads. The trio of mermaids then dug into their salads. "Mmmmm" Sapphire marveled "This seafood salad is soooo good!" "I'm glad you like it Sapphire" Yumiko answered. The mermaids finished their salads and then Sapphire stared at Yumiko's tentacles in a puzzled fashion. She watched them the same way a cat would watch a fun looking cat toy or a piece of string. Sapphire then swam close to Yumiko and squeezed one of her tentacles. "Ooooh" Yumiko yelped. "I'm sorry Yumiko." "I should've asked first" Sapphire apologized. "No dear, you just startled me that's all" Yumiko responded. "Feel free to feel them some more" Yumiko said. "Okay" Sapphire replied. Sapphire began to feel Yumiko's tentacles. They had a soft squishy texture to them. Yumiko would occasionally wiggle them and Sapphire chuckled as she did this. "I've never felt a Cecaelia's tentacles before" Sapphire exclaimed. "But you did when you were little" Yumiko said and then Sapphire grimaced a little. "I'm sorry for bringing up stuff you can't remember hon" Yumiko said apologetically. "Its fine Yumiko, I'm okay" Sapphire answered. Yumiko then snuck two of her tentacles behind Sapphire's back and began to tickle her. "Tickle, tickle, tickle" Yumiko teased and began to tickle Sapphire's sides. Sapphire began to laugh hysterically and Amethyst joined in and began to tickle her as well. "Tee hee hee, hahahahahahahahahaha" Sapphire laughed as both Yumiko and Amethyst were tickling her sides. The two did this until Sapphire began to pant and tire out. "Feeling better little one" Yumiko asked. "I….sure am" Sapphire sighed. "That's good to hear" Yumiko said. Sapphire and Amethyst spent a few more hours at Yumiko's place eating a modest lunch and dinner. The time came when the two had to head home. "It was nice seeing you two again" Yumiko rejoiced. "Same here" Amethyst replied. Amethyst and Sapphire then swam away from Yumiko's cavern. Yumiko watched as the two swam back to their grotto. "Please be patient Sapphire." "You'll remember everything soon, I know you will" Yumiko acknowledged. The two mermaids arrived back at their grotto and Sapphire looked drained. "There's still a few hours left before the sun goes down dear." "Don't you wanna do something else before then" Amethyst inquired. "No mama, I'm tired" Sapphire mumbled. "It's been some time since you called me mama" Amethyst noted. Sapphire didn't say anything as she was fighting to keep her eyes open. "Alright dear, I'll take you to bed" Amethyst said. Amethyst picked up her little girl and gently placed her on her sea shell bed. Amethyst began to gently stroke her daughter. "Sweetheart, you would always tire out so easily and it looks like you still do" Amethyst whispered. She petted her daughter and tossled her hair for a few more minutes. Amethyst then gave her daughter one more pet before going to bed herself.
Amethyst woke up the next morning and noticed that Sapphire was still sleeping. Amethyst swam over to her daughter's bedside and saw that Sapphire was starting to writhe and turn in her bed. "Mama, please help me" Sapphire mumbled and the tossing and turning became more violent. "Please, don't let it take me mama" Sapphire shouted and woke up. She sat up, panted, clutched her head in pain, and began to cry. "Sapphire, what's wrong" Amethyst asked. "I had a really bad dream mom" Sapphire responded. "Can you remember enough to tell me what it's about" Amethyst inquired. "It was really dark and a big whirlpool was sucking me in" Sapphire explained and then continued. "You were trying to help me but I still got sucked in and you just stared helplessly" Sapphire finished. The young mergirl then began to bawl. Amethyst put Sapphire on her lap and hugged her tenderly. "Shhh." "Dear it was just a dream" Amethyst cooed. "I'm right here honey" Amethyst assured her. Amethyst knew that the dream that Sapphire just had was no normal dream. It was a memory that Amethyst mentioned a few months back. "Mom, I've been having this dream a few times on the surface." "When will I stop having it" Sapphire asked. "Soon dear, soon" Amethyst responded. The two of them hunted some halibut that were swimming around one of the hunting grounds. They went back to the grotto and Amethyst noticed that Sapphire was staring at her. "Where's my dad" Sapphire inquired. Amethyst looked saddened. "I'll tell you when you're older dear." "You probably wouldn't remember him even if you got your memories back" Amethyst explained. "Oh okay then" Sapphire replied. Amethyst then noticed that Sapphire was getting a little restless. "Why don't you go for a little swim around the grotto dear?" "It might help clear your head a bit and calm down." "Don't swim to far though" Amethyst finished. "Okay mom, I'll be right back in" Sapphire stated. Sapphire then left the grotto to go for a brief swim. Amethyst began to shadow her a few minutes later to make sure she wouldn't get lost.
While Sapphire was swimming, she noticed something odd off in the distance. She swam a little bit closer and saw an enormous forest of kelp nearby. "Wow, that's a big kelp forest." "I don't think I could eat all of that" Sapphire exclaimed. She swam closer to the kelp forest as if it was calling out to her. Sapphire swam inside and saw kelp of all shapes and sizes. She would occasionally pick some of it and eat it. "Mmmm, kelp sure is a tasty sea plant" Sapphire acknowledged. Sapphire began to swim deeper into the kelp forest and she spotted one of the strangest things that she had seen so far under the sea. She saw a teal colored squid that looked like it had a banana for a nose. The squid was playing with a pink starfish, a yellow sponge, and a purple conch shell. It used the starfish to draw things in the sand and it used the sponge as an eraser. The squid then spotted the young mergirl and held the purple conch shell up to its head. A tiny fairy like creature came out of the conch shell and whispered something to the squid before going back into the shell. Sapphire could have sworn she heard the tiny conch shell creature say don't do anything. The squid dropped its toys and sat there placidly. Sapphire swam further but noticed she was lost. She became frightened as everywhere looked the same. Sapphire sat down on a nearby rock and huddled in fear. She was lost and couldn't do anything but sit there and tremble. "Mama, where are you" Sapphire shouted. "Please I'm scared!" Sapphire then sat up straight, her pupils dilated, and her heart began to beat rapidly. Sapphire then clutched her head in pain and got a massive headache. She then saw memories of her past flashing before her as if they were a VHS tape on fast forward. The times with her mother, meeting Millie and Flint, tickling Yumiko's tentacles, and many other memories began to come back to her. There were two memories that stuck out to Sapphire the most. One of them was the recurring nightmare of getting sucked into the whirlpool when she was six years old. This was the main reason she had lost her memories and she did in fact get hit in the head by debris when she was stuck in the whirlpool. The other memory was being lost in the kelp forest when she was four years old. "I remember everything now" Sapphire shouted. "I got lost in this same kelp forest years ago and I screamed for mom to come find me" Sapphire stated. "Mama, please help me" Sapphire screamed as she was attempting to reenact the events from five years ago. She saw Amethyst swimming towards her off in the distance and swiftly swam over to her. "Mama you found me" Sapphire sobbed and hugged her tightly. "I remember everything now" Sapphire exclaimed. "That's wonderful dear" Amethyst cooed. How did you know I was here mom" Sapphire asked. "Well, I followed your scent as usual and then I remembered something similar happening five years ago." "I knew you'd get lost again so I followed behind you shortly after you left" Amethyst finished. "Thank you for coming to find me mom" Sapphire said. "You're welcome dear." "I'm your mom and I'll always be here for you" Amethyst remarked. The two swam out of the forest as Amethyst showed Sapphire various trail markers around the forest so she wouldn't get lost again. The two arrived back at their grotto ten minutes later. "I'm really home aren't I mom" Sapphire stated. "Yes dear, welcome home" Amethyst cheered. "Hey, let's have our friends over and have a welcome home party for you" Amethyst suggested. "Yeah, that sounds like fun" Sapphire responded gleefully.
A few days later. Amethyst had a welcome home party for her young daughter. Millie and Flint brought a large tuna that was freshly killed and Yumiko brought some seafood salad that had lobster in it. The group of merfolk had a merry time celebrating how Sapphire was truly home. Sapphire playfully kissed Flint on cheek and occasionally played with Yumiko's tentacles just like she did when she was younger. It came time for Amethyst and Sapphire's guests to leave when the nightfall was starting to come. "Thanks for coming everyone" Sapphire said. "You're welcome dear" Yumiko replied. "I'm glad you remember everything now" Yumiko added. "I'm glad to" Millie interjected. "I bet you and my little Flint will have a lot more fun together" Millie chimed. The two merkids blushed at Millie's comment. Sapphire then kissed Flint on the cheek. "I'll see you again real soon" Sapphire told Flint. "Yeah, let's play together more" Flint replied. Sapphire waved good bye to Yumiko, Millie, and Flint as they swam back to their respective homes. She then began to yawn. "Tired guppy" Amethyst asked teasingly. "Yes I am mom" Sapphire yawned. "Can I sleep next to you for tonight" Sapphire inquired and looked at her mother expectantly. "Sure you can dear" Amethyst answered. The two mermaids swam into the bedroom and lied down on the one that was Amethyst's. "I'm so glad I remember everything!" "I feel whole again" Sapphire noted. "I'm glad for you dear" Amethyst said. Sapphire looked at her mother with her large blue eyes. "I love you mom" Sapphire said. "I love you too Sapphire" Amethyst cooed. The mother and daughter embraced as they fell into a deep slumber. They knew that they'd see Faye again and tell her all about life under the sea. The two of them also knew that they'd continue to make new and joyous memories under the sea as mother and daughter.
Fin
20