Jem took a deep breath of the sweet ocean air. Countess Du Voisin had invited her and the other Holograms to another one of her yaught parties. "I just love the seabreeze," she sighed.
"Yeah, it's so much better than LA's polluted air." Aja agreed.
"It's too bad we don't live out here!" Kimber chimed in.
"Kimber, don't be silly," Aja laughed. "If we lived out here, how would we put on any concerts?"
"Good point," Kimber sighed. "But it's a nice thought."
"What we should be thinking about is what songs we want to play at our next concert." Jem said.
"C'mon, sis, we're on vacation!" Kimber whined.
"Yeah," Shana agreed, "Kick back and relax, girl!"
"You're right," Jem said, "I'm going to go see how Rio is doing."
Jem ducked into a corner and put a hand up to one of her red star-shaped earings. "Show's over, Synergy!" she whispered. A pink light flashed over her and instantly she became Jerrica.
Then she walked up behind Rio who was resting in a lounge chair and put her hands over his eyes. "Guess who!" she said playfully.
Rio smiled. "Oh hi, Jerrica! I was just thinking about you! How would you like to go for a walk?"
"That would be wonderful!"
Just then, Danielle Du Voisin rushed over to Jerrica.
"Jerrica! I can't find Jem anywhere! I need to talk to her, it's important!"
"Ok, I'll go find her, I think she said something about taking a nap."
"I'll go with you." Rio offered.
"No, Rio," Jerrica said, "you should stay here and relax."
Reluctantly, Rio sat back down in his lounge chair.
***************
Jerrica headed to her room. Once inside, she put a hand to her earing and said, "Showtime, Synergy!" and in a flash of pink light, she became Jem once more. Then she hurried to find Countess Du Voisin.
"What was it you needed to talk to me about, Countess?" Jem asked, once she reached her.
"Well you see, Jem," she began. "Today is the Captain's birthday and he is a huge fan of yours. He was wondering if you would be interested in playing for him after dinner tonight."
"I'd be honoured." Jem said, "and I am sure the other girls will be thrilled!"
"Wonderful!" Danielle smiled, "I will let the captain know at once!"
Meanwhile, underneath the deck in a boat, The Misfits had been spying on the whole conversation.
"Unbelievable!" Pizzazz growled. "First, 'Frenchie' over there doesn't invite US to the party, and now this!"
"Obviously the Captain has horrible taste!" Roxy added.
"Yeah! Anybody who likes those twits must have a screw loose!"
"Who asked you, Brit!" Roxy yelled.
"Shut up, lowlife!" Jetta shot back.
"Guys, someone might hear us!" Stormer exclaimed.
"Stormer's right," Pizzazz said. "We need to stay quiet until tonight!"
"What're we gonna do?" Stormer asked.
"Why crash the little party, what else!" Roxy said.
"And show everybody who the Misfits are!"
"A birthday concert for the Captain? That sounds outrageous!" Kimber said excitedly.
"It's pretty exciting," Raya added.
"I can't wait!" said Aja.
Jem and the girls headed to their room to practice. Playing their music for people was fun for them and they were all honoured that the captain wanted them to play for his birthday.
After dinner, Jem and the girls got ready to perform. But just when they were ready to do their opening song, the Misfits came out of hiding.
"Countess," Pizzazz said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "we're sorry we didn't show up sooner! We didn't get an invitation to your little party!"
"Maybe it got lost in the mail!" Stormer chimed in.
"You four were NOT invited!" Danielle said, annoyed at them for showing up uninvited.
"What a pity!" Pizzazz said, "Well, we should at least play something to make up for the inconveinence. Outta my way, Jem!" With that, she, Roxy and Jetta pushed their way onstage with Stormer following.
"I'm not going to let you ruin this party!" Jem said, trying to keep the microphone away from Pizzazz.
"Ruin it? We're just trying to liven it up!" Pizzazz grabbed the microphone from Jem and shoved her, causing her to fall into the water!
"Jem!" the other Holograms screamed.
"Someone help me!" Jem cried.
"I'm coming, Jem!" Rio called, running over to the edge with a rope. "Grab on!
Jem grabbed onto the rope, not noticing that one of her Jemstar earings had fallen off into the deep waters.
Rio pulled her up to safety. "Jem, are you alright?"
"See to it that these troublemakers are ascorted off my ship!" the captain shouted.
"It's ok," Pizzazz said, "we know the way!"
The four Misfits jumped into the boat they had been spying in earlier that day and sped off laughing.
"Jem, I am so sorry about that!" the captain said, "if there is any way I could make it up to you..."
"Jem!" Kimber interrupted, "one of your earings! It's GONE!"
"Oh no!" Jem gasped, putting a hand to her ear, "it must've fallen off when Pizzazz pushed me off the yaught."
"It's probably at the bottom of the ocean by now." Aja said, sadly.
"We've got to get it back!"
"But Jem, we can't!"
"But those earings mean so much to me!"
"Face it, Jem, that earing is gone forever..."
"Maybe not," the captain said.
"What do you mean?" Jem asked.
"Down at the bottom of the ocean, there is a place called Atlantica where mermaids and mermen live. They are ruled by a king named Triton."
"Captain, that's just a story! I don't believe in mer-people," Danielle said.
"I believe it," the Captain said, "some people say they have seen mer-people come up to the surface, but to actually visit Atlantica, you have to have fins like they do."
"I have to get that earing back," Jem insisted.
"I know of someone who can help you," said the captain. "There's a young woman who lives near the bay area. Her name is Sabrina, and she knows quite a bit of magic."
"Please, tell us where we can find her!" JEm said.
"Merpeople...Sabrina...magic, those are all myths!" said Danielle, scheptically, "you really ought to retire from saling, Captain."
Meanwhile, way down at the bottom of the ocean...
"Flounder, hurry up!" Ariel called to her playmate, "I just know we'll find some human treasures over here."
"Ariel..." Flounder said, out of breath,"...slow...down...you know...I can't...swim that fast..."
Just then, a flashing light caught Arel's eye. "Oh my gosh!" she gasped, swimming up to it, "Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your life?" She picked up the glowing thing and examined it. It was a red star-shaped earing. "I wonder what humans call this thing!"
From the earing, an echoy voice came out. "Show's over, Synergy," it said. Then the earing gave off a pink glow.
"I think I'll call this a Synergy," Ariel said proudly."
"Ariel, we should get home soon!" Flounder said. "It's getting dark."
"Oh you're right," Ariel said, "Daddy'll be so worried!...But I wonder where this Synergy came from. I've never seen anything like it in all the human stuff I've collected"...
"I think this is the right place," Aja said, as they came upon an old victorian house with Spellman in gold lettering on the doorknocker.
Jem rang the doorbell.
"I hope she's a good witch," Kimber whispered.
Just then, a woman with short blonde hair and black-rimmed glasses answered the door.
"Hi, we're looking for a Sabrina." Jem said.
"Oh, she's in the kitchen. Come on in and I'll go get her. I'm her aunt, Zelda." Zelda lead the girls into the living room and then disappeared through the kitchen door.
Then, another blonde woman came down the stairs. "Oh my gosh, it's Jem and the Holograms!" she practically screamed. "Can you autograph my Jem CD?" She held out Jem and the Holograms' latest CD Rock N Romance. "Just make it out to Hilda Spellman."
"We'd love to," Jem said, taking the CD. Each Hologram signed their name on the front cover and handed it back to her.
"So what brings you here?" Hilda asked.
Just then Zelda reappeared with a younger-looking blonde girl about seventeen years of age.
"Oh my god, it's Jem and the Holograms!" the girl squealed. "Can you autograph my CD?" She held out her dopy of Rock N Romance.
"You must be Sabrina," Jem said, taking the CD and passing around so each oth the Holograms could autograph it, then handing it back to her.
"What brings you here?...to see me...?" Sabrina was in shock.
"Well, we need your help." Jem said.
"MY help?"
Jem explained the whole story about how the Misfits had pushed her into the water and one of her earings had fallen off.
"So you see, we need to get that earing back." Aja said.
"What's so important about an earing?" Hilda asked.
"If I show you, you have to promise not to let it leave this room." Jem said, making sure the curtains were secure.
"Your secret's safe with us, Jem." Zelda asured.
Jem pressed her remaining earing and said, "Show's over, Synergy!" and in a flash of light, she became Jerrica.
"You're Jerrica Benton?" Sabrina and Hilda said in unison.
"So then you know magic, too?" Hilda asked.
"No, the earings are hologram projectors," Jem explained, "each earing projects one hologram at a time. And without the other earing, my carreer as Jem may be over."
"Wow," Sabrina said, "All this time you've been leading a double life and you couldn't tell anybody." It really impressed Sabrina to know this because she had to lead a double life, herself. She had her responsabilities with school and homework as well as her responsabilities as a witch. It made impossible to have a social life. "I think I can help you," she said, "but I've never done anything like this before!"
"There should be a spell for it in your handbook," said a voice.
Kimber jumped. "Did that cat just talk?" she gasped.
A black cat emerged from the kitchen. "Allow me to introduce myself," it said, "Salem Saberhagan."
"Howcome you can talk?" Aja demanded.
"Oh, Salem used to be a worlock. He was sentenced to a hundred years as a cat for trying to take over the world." Zelda explained.
"And for being one of his accomplices, I have to keep him worm free during that time," Hilda added.
"So how can you help us?" Shana asked.
"Well," Zelda began, "in order to go to Atlantica, you have to become mermaids. King Triton forbids any contact with the human world and the mer-world. It could be dangerous to go as humans."
"Sabrina should do it. It'll help her practice her witchcraft."
"Yeah, it's not that complicated."
"So all I have to do is make a potion that will turn humans into mer-people? I tried that spell once when I dropped that bracelet Harvy had given me into the ocean."
"But the spell only lasts twenty-four hours," Hilda said, "you'd have to find your earing within that time."
Later, at the shore of the ocean, Jem, the holograms and Sabrina prepared for the Holograms' trip to atlantica.
"How all you have to do is drink this potion and it will turn you into mermaids for twenty-four hours.
Over in some bushes, the Misfits were watching the whole thing. "Jem won't stop at anything to get publicity!" Pizzazz huffed. "We have to follow them! We'll get the scoop on that undersea kingdom before they do!"
"Pizzazz, you're loosin' it," Roxy scoffed, "Atlantica is just a myth! We ain't gonna find nothin'!"
"I have a feeling," Pizzazz argued. "If that girl can turn them into mermaids, then there must be an Atlantica!"
"But how're we gonna get a camera underwater?" Jetta asked.
"Yeah!" Roxy added, "we'll need some footage."
"Eric has plenty of supplies!" Pizzazz said assuringly. "And his video camera is waterproof, so we could use it."
"But are you sure Eric'll mind?" Stormer said, unsure.
"Relax, Stormer," Pizzazz said, "we're just gonna borrow it!"
"Yeah!" said Roxy, "we'll give it back!"
The Misfits hurried back to their hotel.
"Now, you three stand guard, I'll go get the video camera!" Pizzazz disappeared into Eric's room, coming out with a black camera case.
Heading back to the oceanfront, Stormer remembered something. "Um, Pizzazz?" she asked.
"What is it, Stormer!" Pizzazz said, alittle annoyed.
"I think we forgot one minor detail."
"What now?"
"Well, we can't go down there like this!"
"Oh no!" Pizzazz gasped. "I forgot! We're not merpeople!"
"Nice move, genius!" Roxy snarled.
"Shut up, Roxy!"
"Hey, this was YOUR lame idea!"
"Don't yell at her!" Jetta yelled.
"Stay out of this, reject!" Roxy snapped.
"Who're you callin' Reject, Pigface!" Jetta shot back.
"PIGface! Why I oughtta..."
"Guys..." Stormer interupted.
"WHAT!" They both yelled simaltaniously.
"Look!"
The other three Misfits gasped as a creature half woman half octpus emerged from the waters. "Are we having a bit of trouble?" it said.
"Who asked you!" Roxy said, trying not to sound scared.
"It just so happens I can get you into Atlantica."
"How can YOU..." Roxy began.
"I can turn all four of you into merpeople," she said, "My name's Ursula."
"I've heard about this Ursula," Stormer whispered, "she's bad news."
Ursula, who had heard Stormer's comment said, "don't believe what you hear, Dearie, I'm here to help you! I can make you a postion that will turn you into merpeople for twenty-four hours. That should be plenty of time to shoot your...footage...and get more publicity than Jem and her sing-alongs."
"I like the way you talk," Pizzazz smiled.
"All you have to do is alittle something for me." Ursula said. "Bring me the trident of the sea king."
"What do ya need chewing gum for?" Pizzazz said.
"You idiot!" Ursula bellowed, "...I mean, not gum, I mean his magic trident."
"Pizzazz, she's talking about the thing that looks like a pitchfork."
"Oh, ok," Pizzazz said.
"So here's the deal...I turn all of you into mermaids, you go take some pictures, and bring ME the trident."
"You've got yourself a deal." Pizzazz said.
Meanwhile, the Holograms went searching for the missing Jemstar earing.
"Jem, I don't see it anywhere!" Kimber said.
"It's got to be here somewhere!" Jem said, "it couldn't have just vanished.
The five swam off as Ariel came out with the 'Synergy' in her hand.
"I wonder what they could be looking for." Flounder said. "And where did they come from? I've never seen them before."
"They must be new to Atlantica." Ariel looked down at the earing. "I wonder what humans use this for." she said.
"Ariel!" a voice said, off in the distance. "What are you doing here?" A jamacan crab came scurrying up to her and flounder. "your father wants you home right away!"
"Oh, Sebastion, relax! We're on our way!"
"Well hurry! Da king wants to speak with you about da upcoming concert that I am putting together."
Ariel swam for home, followed by Flounder and Sebastion.
"Why don't we ask somebody if they've seen it." said Raya.
"But Raya, we don't know if they can talk," shana said.
"It never hurts to ask," said Aja. "There's someone now.
The swam up to a mermaid with a brown hair, light blue fins and light blue shells. "Can I help you?" The mermaid (Aquata) asked.
"We've lost something," Aja began.
"And we were wondering if you could help us find it.
"That depends." Aquata said. "What is it that you lost?
"We lost an earing," Jem said, "and we were wondering if you could help us find it."
"What's an earing?" Aquata asked. (Earings weren't common under the sea like they are on land.)
"It's like this," Jem showed her the other Jemstar earing.
"Hmmm," Aquata said. 'there's something strange about these mermaids,' Aquata thought. 'I had better bring them to Daddy. Maybe he'll know what to do.' "Perhaps my father can help," she said alloud.
"Your father?" Raya asked.
"Yeah, he's the king of Atlantica. If anybody knows where your...earing...is, he can help you find it."
"Could you take us to him?" Jem asked.
"Right this way," Aquata said, swimming to the castle with Jem and the Holograms following.
"So Ariel, I'm telling you," King triton explained, "this concert is very important. I'm having people from all over the ocean come to watch. Some of them are kings and queens of other kingdoms. We can't let anything go wrong. I've told them all that you have the most beautiful voice, so you HAVE to be there."
"I understand, Daddy," Ariel said, "I don't let you down."
Just then, a little seahorse entered the room. "Your Magesty!" it said, "your daughter, Princess Aquata wants to talk to you!"
"Did she say what she wanted to talk to me about?"
"She said she met five mermaids, and she thinks there's something about them that doesn't seem right."
"Send her in," said Triton.
The seahorse disappeared out the door. A few seconds later, Aquata appeared with Jem and her bandmates.
"What's this all about?" Triton demanded. "Who are you mermaids!" Being the seaking, Triton knew right-on that there was something not quite mer-like about these mermaids. "Where did you come from!"
"Please, your magesty," Jem said and bowed to the king as she spoke, "we're here because I've lost something and I think it's somewhere in your kingdom."
"You mean to tell me that you're HUMANS!" Triton roared, "contact between the human world and the mer-world is strictly FORBIDDEN!"
"Please, sire," Kimber pleaded, "all we ask is that you help us find the thing we're looking for and we'll leave your world in peace."
"How do I know you'll keep your promise?" Triton asked.
The Holograms considered this for a minute. "I guess all we can do is let you make that choice on your own," Jem finally answered.
"Nobody who would do any harm would say that, Triton said. "Ok, what is it you are looking for?"
"It's an earing...it looks like..." Jem held out the other earing. "like this."
Ariel gasped. This 'earing' looked exactly like the Synergy she had found earlier that day. But just when she was about to tell Jem that she had it, Pazzazz and the other Misfits swam into the throan room quick as lightning. Pizzazz had a camera on her shoulder and was videotaping everything.
"Hello, your Majesty!" Pizzazz said, "mind if we join the party?"
"Oh no!" Aja said to herself.
"Yes I do mind!" Triton roared, "how did you get past my guards!"
"That's not important right now!" Roxy scoffed, "what is important is what we're here FOR!"
Pizzazz swam over to the trident. "Nice toy!" she said, grabbing it.
"Give that back to me!"
"Oh what're you gonna do about it!" Roxy taunted.
"Yeah, you're pretty useless without it."
Pizzazz zapped a hole in the palace wall and the Misfits swamthrough laughing.
"Now we should find Ursula and give this to her," Stormer said.
"Forget it, Stormer," Pizzazz said, "I need this thing more than she does!"
"That trident can be very dangerous in the wrong hands!" Triton said, "I must get it back! Atlantica and all the seven seas is at steak."
"We can get it back for you!" Jem promised.
"You?" Triton said in disbelief.
"Yeah," Aja said, "those Misfits have been a thorn in our side for awhile now."
"But what were they doing here?" Aquata demanded.
"I don't know," Kimber said, "I have a feeling they must have followed us somehow."
"But Sabrina wouldn't have revealed she was a witch to them, let alone turned THEM into mermaids." Raya said. "There must've been someone else. Someone who told them about King Triton's trident."
"Ursula..." King Triton gasped.
"Who's Ursula?"
"Ursula is the seawitch," Triton explained, "if she gets her hands on the trident, Atlantica is dumed."
"I don't think you have to worry about Ursual," Jem assured, "Pizzazz probably wouldn't give it to her. But we do have to get it away from HER."
"Please get it back to me," Triton said.
"You can count on us!" Kimber said.
"Oh good," Ursula said, as the Misfits reached her. "You have the trident! Give it to me!"
"I don't think so," Pizzazz sneared.
"But we had a deal!" Ursula insisted. "You promised you'd give ME the trident!"
"I changed my mind," Pizzazz laughed. "I need this toy more than you do, so take a hike!" With that, Pizzazz made herself grow bigger and bigger. "If I can't manage to upstage that pink-haired twit, I'll be the ruler of all the ocean!" she screamed.
"Pizzazz!" Jem and the Holograms had just reached her. "Stop! You don't know what you're doing!"
"Shut up, Jem!" Pizzazz shouted. Raising the trident, she created a thick wall of coral surrounding Jem. "Now you can watch me do something you've never done before! Rule the seven seas!"
Aja jumped at Pizzazz, only to be thrown back by a wave she had used the trident to create. "Now nobody will stop me! She stuck the trident in the water and began creating a deadly whirl pool.
Kimber took this oportunity to catch Pizzazz off-guard. All she needed was a wave the right size.
"Shana, Raya, you guys destract her! I have a plan!"
Shana and Raya complied. "Hey, Pizzazz! "You forgot about ME!" Raya called out.
Pizzazz looked over. "I never liked you, you wimp! Any fool can hit a drum, you think you're so talented!" Pizzazz sent a wave up and Raya went flying to join Aja. "And you," she pointed the trident at Shana, "you're just an ammiteur who sews clothes for orphins!" Again, she sent another wave and Shana went flying and landed next to Aja and Raya.
Kimber took advantage of this oportunity and lept up on the wave.
"Yey! What do you think you're doing, you brat!...My face!" Pizzazz put a hand up to her face, dropping the trident.
Kimber caught the trident and freed her friends.
Without the power of the trident, Pizzazz became her regular size once more.
"I'll get those Holo-twirps! C'mon, Misfits!" she said through gritted teeth.
"Wait just a minute, Greenie!" Ursula said. She had watched the whole thing and was just now coming out of hiding. "We had a deal and you went back on it." Using some of her magic, she zapped the video camera that pizzazz was still holding.
"Oh nice try, you old bat!" Pizzazz scoffed, "Not a scratch!"
Ursula just laughed, as the Misfits headed back to shore to await the final hours before they regained their original forms.
"Jem, I don't know how I can repay you and your friends for returning my trident," King Triton said back at the castle.
"Well, it was Kimber's doing really," Jem explained. "It's her you should be thanking."
"Kimber." Triton began, "is there anything I can do to repay you?"
"We only came here to find my sister's earing," Kimber explained.
"I think I can help you," Ariel spoke up, revealing the other earing. "I found it today."
"Oh thank you SO much!" Jem said excitedly as Ariel handed her the earing.
"What exactly does it do anyway?" Ariel asked. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Well, it's the source to my identity as Jem."
"What do you mean?"
Jem pressed her earing. "Show's over, Synergy." she said, transforming into Jerrica.
"So humans use those to change themselves?"
"No, these earings are special. But you can't tell anybody about them."
"I have an idea," Triton said, "if we promise to keep your secret, you must promise to never tell anybody Atlantica's location. If they knew, we could be invaded by humans."
"I understand," Jerrica said, "Your secret's safe with us."
"You guys are welcome back any time."
"That might not be possible," Jerrica said, "The potion wears off in a few hours, we've got to bet back to the surface!"
"But we'll always remember this place," Raya said.
"It was nice meeting you!" Kimber said.
"And thanks again!" Jerrica called, as they headed to the surface.
Once the Holograms had regained their legs, they headed up the walk.
"It's good to have legs again," Aja said.
"Yeah, that felt kinda funny having a tail," Kimber agreed.
Up the beach a ways, a crowd was waiting for the girls. Some of them had microphones and video cameras.
"So Jem, how does it feel to be the first human to see Atlantica?" one of them asked.
"Are there really mer-people?" another asked.
"What was it like?" a third asked.
"We didn't find any undersea kingdom," Jem said into the mic. "Atlantica is just a myth that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is an ancient fishtale that will live in our hearts forever."
After the interview, the Holograms caught sight of the captain from the yaught party.
"It was a nice thing you did for King Triton," he said. "often times we have to let true stories remain myths and legends in the eyes of others."
"I wonder what happened to the Misfits," Kimber said.
"The Misfits?" the captain asked.
"They followed us to Atlantica." Aja explained.
"What DID happen to those troublemakers?" Shana asked.
"Pizzazz!" Eric shouted, "I specifically told you I didn't want you troublemakers so much as touching my new video equipment!"
"Relax, Eric," Pizzazz said, popping the tape into a VCR. "As you can see, it was quite worth it!"
Eric took a look. His face grew red with anger. "You mean to tell me you borrowed MY video camera to show me THAT?"
Pizzazz and the other Misfits looked. When Ursula had zapped the tape, it had somehow changed the content of the tape. Now it showed reruns of the Brady bunch instead of footage from their trip to Atlantica.
"That's impossible!" Pizzazz said in disbelief, fastforwarding and rewinding. "I know this was the tape!" She then started digging through a nearby box. "It's got to be one of these!"
"ENOUGH!" Eric shouted. "Never touch that camera again or I'll cut your pay!"
THE END