Hey readers. Apparently you have taken an interest in this story since you clicked on the link. Just to give you some fore warning there is an OC character in this story. I don't know if it's a Mary Sue or not, I haven't been on fanfiction in a long time. Also, I am writing this for me. Yes, I am being selfish. I don't care if you review or not, but I do care if you flame. Last thing; don't look forward for updates anytime soon. I'm really bad with updating on a regular basis because of my private life. Yes, I actually have a private life. Hope the story is interesting.

-o-

I was halfway through the portal rout and having an awesome time. I had gone shopping in New York City and the Arabic desert, walked along the Great Wall of China, and I had met so many new people along the way. I laughed spinning around in the vortex of pastel rainbow colors. "This is the best vacation ever!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

I hardly ever get a good vacation. My family allows seven weeks together and then one week in our own separate vacation area. Traveling via dimension portal was on the top of everyone's list because you were able to go to so many different places and different times. We had traveled through the portal system before as a family and everyone wanted to do it again on their own. It didn't matter if it was training, shopping, or learning about different cultures we all wanted to have our turn. We drew straws this time to see who would bet to travel, and this time I got the lucky straw.

I began to feel the familiar tug of another world on my body. I relaxed and let the current of the portal pull my body to the next world. Wonder where I'll go this time? Maybe a tropical island, or could be a fashion district in the middle of a major city. Where ever I landed I was going to make the best out of my trip.

The light signaling the entrance to a new world began to grow. I made my body as relaxed as possible so the transition wouldn't be too turbulent. Zoop! I entered the world. I could feel my molecules rearranging to adapt to the new environment and yet at the same time be somewhat connected to my original world. The time in this new world seemed slower than my home world. That I meant could stay longer and not miss out on too much. My legs began to tingle from all the excitement. I let out a whoop as I exited the portal and entered the new world.

I saw blue all around me and light filtering in from above. Everything looked so pure and beautiful. The sun streaming down from above, the clear blue sky, even the cute little tropical fish swimming about the coral were beautiful. Eh. Fish?

I pulled at my hair and saw it had turned blue and flowed down to my hips. Well, almost. Where my hips and legs should have been was now a long, smooth, shimmering fish tail. I had turned back into a mermaid without even noticing it. I panicked and looked for a place to hide. I dived for a shallow kelp bed and tried to blend in as much as possible.

I sat there cowering hoping no bounty hunters had seen me until a fish bumped against my "rump" or where my rump should have been. I popped up and shooed the fish away. That's when it hit me, the kelp was too shallow for me to hide in and, the most important fact, there were no wanted posters around. I swam up a little and double checked for wanted posters. Nothing.

I was free. I was actually free for one in my life I was free for all that hunting. I didn't have anything to worry about anymore!

"I'm FREE!" I cried out with glee. I began to laugh uncontrollably and swim around the coral scaring off all the little fishes as I went along. I didn't care. For once in my life I have an entire ocean to myself without having to worry about that stupid prince and his stupid wanted posters and that stupid marriage agreement that my stupid step-parents wanted. I was free and I was loving it.

-o-

Nearby a golden mermaid with dark brown hair was leisurely swimming around Mako Island. She moved slowly but deliberately enjoying the peace and quiet of the ocean. Now wasn't the time for homework or dealing with her little sister. Now was the time to be together with her boyfriend.

Lewis swam up silently behind his girlfriend and taped her gently on the shoulder. Cleo turned around and smiled at her boyfriend. They took each other's hand, happy to be together at last. Cleo pulled Lewis to her favorite spot in the vast ocean coral. She had almost forgotten how perfect the world could be when Lewis was around. She had missed him immensely when he was with Charlotte, missed him more than she would ever admit.

Looking over the ledge into a shallow chasm were thousands of colorful tropical fish, all doing cute fish things. Lewis looked at Cleo her eyes twinkling with excitement and awe. Before he could stop himself he took out his snorkel and gave Cleo a watery kiss on the cheek. She turned and blushing gave one back to Lewis. Lewis inserted his snorkel back in his mouth and pointed up. He need more air. Cleo gave a nod and began to surface when she heard a faint sound in the distance. It wasn't like the usual dolphin laugh it was something different. She looked up and saw Lewis had already surfaced. She looked back to where the sound had come from before joining her boyfriend.

"What took you so long?" asked Lewis jokingly.

"I heard something," replied Cleo. Lewis cocked his head in curiosity.

He thought more a moment before asking, "Want to go check it out?"

Cleo grinned. "Okay, try to keep up." She dived back down with Lewis close behind. She took his hand and began to swim as fast as she could toward the strange sound.

They had only swum a few meters when they both heard the sound again. But this time it was different. It sounded like someone was singing. Cleo looked at Lewis, and he gave her a nod as if to say "It's fine. Go ahead." They swam on.

There, in the middle of a small kelp bed, was a blue mermaid. She was signing for joy at the top of her lungs and doing all sorts of interesting twists and turns in and out of her surroundings. Her blue hair and light blue tail seemed to be one flowing and turning to and fro as if there was no such thing as gravity.

Lewis let out some air bubbles by accident which snapped the blue mermaid out of her trance. Her eyes filled with terror looking at her two onlookers. Cleo put up her hand as if to say wait, but it was too late. The mermaid bolted off into the mess of rocks and fish. Cleo chased after the mermaid, but was too slow. The blue mermaid raced in and out of the rocks at a rapid pace, while Cleo swam steadily behind. Cleo knew she could outrun this new mermaid, but she would have to know where exactly she was going. The way the blue mermaid was weaving around obstacles and constantly changing direction, there was no way that Cleo could catch this new mermaid.

Cleo lost visual contact with her prey for just a second and became completely lost. She looked around for a second and then realized that Lewis was nowhere in sight. Cleo panicked and swam back the way she thought she came.

Where Cleo had been previously floating an invisibility spell powered down and a scared mermaid took a long sigh of relief.

Lewis was in his boat packing up from that afternoon's adventure when Cleo surface beside the boat. "Did you catch her?" asked Lewis not looking at his girlfriend.

"No," Cleo looked down in shame. "Lewis, I'm sorry for ditching you. I didn't even realize you were gone until…"

"Cleo, its fine," Lewis replied. "I know you didn't mean it." Cleo still looked disappointed. "Race you back?" offered Lewis hoping to lighten the mood. Cleo let out a small smile and nodded. She dived down back into the water. Lewis started the engine and whispered to himself, "Sometimes I wish I could swim all the way back with you."