The long-awaited sequel to Shimmer Tail is finally here! Something goes amiss during the 'munks and 'ettes summer vacation. Now, lost and confused in the deepest parts of the ocean, they must work together with friends old and new to save their watery planet…and uncover a secret as old as the sea itself.

Chapter One – Dreams, and the Arrival

It was quiet. Quiet and calm. The silence pressed on all sides ever so gently, interrupted only by the rhythmic lapping up above. The night sky, with its gleaming full moon and its peppering of stars, shimmered through the surface of the water. A silhouette slowly began to obscure the view of the surface. It was a rather detailed form; it had the upper body of what appeared to be a human. Wisps of hair were barely visible floating around the creature's head. The outline of a large shirt, possibly a dress, floated around the creature's lower body. Everything beyond the hem of the clothing was one form. It was long and streamlined, and ended in two fins that appeared mauve in the dim light.

Jeanette inhaled slowly, before breathing out at the same pace. Her lungs did not protest at the amount of water surging into them; instead, they welcomed it. Her heart seemed to beat in time with the water lapping above. It felt wonderful, the cool water skimming over her skin and fur with just the slightest of currents. Jeanette flicked her tail, and propelled forward in the water. She repeated this in rhythm until she reached a spot in the sea where the light of the surface didn't reach. Ahead of her, she could see something glinting in the sea floor. As she swam toward it, a faint sound reached her ears: singing. A soft, lilting voice carried through the sea in a haunting refrain. A tingling sensation filled Jeanette from head to tailfin. She suddenly felt her power draining, the previous contentment being sapped away and replaced by fear and desperation. She flicked her tail in a frantic attempt to reach the surface, but she could already tell that the magic was leaving her, and her tail was separating.

Jeanette's lungs were now protesting the water inside of them. She fought against her will to not gag. With all her strength, she pushed toward the surface of the water…

Jeanette!

Jeanette!

"JEANETTE!"

The brunette Chipette sat bolt upright. Her chest heaved with the effort to breath. Her lungs felt waterlogged, yet they weren't any wetter than they ought to be. Her outer body was a different matter; she was drenched in sweat, making her nightgown stick to her body. As she slowly recovered, she noticed her sisters standing over her. Brittany and Eleanor both looked worried; Eleanor a bit more so, while Brittany looked a tad annoyed as well.

"It's about time!" Brittany said, spinning around and striding quickly over to the closet. "Hurry up, or we'll miss the plane!"

"The plane…?" Jeanette asked blankly. Brittany sighed.

"YES, Jeanette, the plane to Barbados that we're supposed to be catching!"

Jeanette blinked, once, twice, before the metaphoric light bulb went off in her head. She bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Brittany laughed and shook her head. Eleanor stared in the direction that Jeanette had run. Her eyes were glassy, like she was deep in thought. But she eventually shook her head and resumed getting ready for the trip.

It was summer again, two years after the incident at Shellfish Cove, the beach they had visited that year with the Chipmunks. Two years since they had discovered the secret of their origins. That they were…mermaids. According to what they had been told, their grandfather was a merman, and had passed his magic down to the girls. Over that summer, they had all been kidnapped by a crazed mermaid bent on revenge on the Chipettes. Jeanette, who had somehow "Awakened" her mermaid magic, managed to save her friends and the entire mermaid kingdom.

Eleanor shook her head again. It was still all so confusing. She just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she and her sisters had mermaid magic in their blood. Actual. Mermaid. Magic. It was almost unbelievable, and had it not been for the fact that they had actually experienced what they had two summers ago, Eleanor would have probably thought it had all been a silly fantasy.

Not that she was against fantasy.

By the time these thoughts stopped swirling in her head, Eleanor had finished making her bed and going through her bag one more time. She strode over to the mirror, which Brittany had finally left alone, and studied her appearance . She was wearing a light green v-neck with white stripes, white jean shorts, and her lime green crocs. Her blond hair was tied back in the same pigtails she normally wore. Although she was already 12, she'd never outgrow her favorite style.

"Ellie, have you seen my earrings? I CAN'T leave them behind!" Brittany came into the room with a worried frown on her face. She had her auburn hair pinned in a long side ponytail. She was wearing a sparkly pink halter top, black shorts, and dark pink flats. Eleanor smirked and used her hand to stifle a laugh.

"Y-you're wearing them, Brittany."

"…O-oh. Hehehe…" Brittany turned to the mirror and saw that this was true. She went over to her bed and picked up her suitcase.

Jeanette came out of the bathroom and went over to the wardrobe. She pulled out one of her favorite summer outfits: a light purple t-shirt with a palm tree graphic, a denim miniskirt, and purple sandals. After dressing, she looked through her bag once more, as she had packed everything the night before. Finally, she and her sisters gathered their things and went downstairs for breakfast.

On the way to the airport, Jeanette pondered her dream. She had been having dreams about mermaids almost every night for the past two years. Some of them were good, a few of them were bad, and all of them were mysterious. When she and her sisters had been invited to go to Barbados with the Chipmunks, she had, for a split second, wondered if what had happened two years ago could possibly happen again this year. This split-second wondering turned into whole hour pondering each day for the next couple weeks before the trip. And now, as they prepared to go on the trip, it couldn't leave her mind. There were so many things that could happen. She could somehow stumble upon another mermaid. She could somehow get her powers back. Perhaps she could even go back to Oceana. But of course, this was all just a fantasy.

But there was nothing wrong with fantasy.

Ms. Miller pulled up to the airport and parked haphazardly in the lot. It was less haphazardly than she used to drive, but it was still haphazard. Jeanette had gotten so used to it, however, that she barely noticed at all. The Chipettes got out of the car and pulled their luggage from the trunk.

"I cannot WAIT to get there!" Brittany gushed. "White sandy beaches, a sparkling blue ocean, and WHO can forget all the shops!"

Brittany went on and on about how wonderful Barbados would be. Eleanor agreed it would be a nice change of scenery from California. Jeanette half-listened as they continued to walk into the airport.

"There they are!"

All thoughts of mermaids vanished when Jeanette looked up and saw Simon Seville walking toward her. He wore a dark blue t-shirt, cargo shorts, blue beach shoes, and a broad grin on his face. Jeanette smiled back. He reached them, and swept Jeanette into a hug. Alvin and Theodore walked up next, with Dave pushing a luggage cart behind them. Alvin was wearing a red polo with a bright yellow "A", jean shorts, white sneakers, and of course his red cap. Theodore was wearing a green flowered shirt, dark green shorts, and green flats. Dave wore a white button-down, dark shorts, and black sneakers.

"Hey, everyone." Dave said after getting a big hug from Ms. Miller. "Are we all ready to go?"

"All ready, Dave!" the 'munks and 'ettes said in near unison. After giving Ms. Miller quick hugs and assuring her they'd be fine, the Chipettes followed Dave and their counterparts to the plane.

The flight wasn't the most eventful. Alvin and Brittany sat next to each other, and at only one point did they argue over something trivial. But they eventually settled down, leaving Alvin listening to music while Brittany read a magazine and look out the window every few minutes. Eleanor and Theodore were also content; Ellie was reading while Theodore dozed off every once in a while.

Jeanette and Simon also sat together, and she laid her head on his shoulder while he read his novel. Jeanette was beginning to doze off when she looked out the window. The ocean looked beautiful and calm. She smiled slightly. Then her vision flashed, and she saw out the window not peaceful waters, but a frothy, churning, angry sea covered with dark clouds. Jeanette blinked in shock, but as soon as the vision had been there, it had disappeared, and the sea was calm once again. She shook her head. It was probably only her imagination, but she couldn't shake this weird sense of…déjà vu?

"Attention passengers. Please buckle your seatbelts; we will be landing in Barbados soon."

"Did you hear that, you guys? We're here!" Brittany smiled.

The landing was smooth, and the 'munks and 'ettes were of the first few off the plane. After getting their luggage and exiting the airport, Brittany spread her arms in glee.

"Summer vacation, here we come!"

And there you have it! Please review!