Just a quick note, Bella and Emma have been introduced to each other, and get along fine. Emma still went on her trip around the world, but they are all friends. Just thought I'd let you know, because I suspected that it might confuse someone, and I don't want that. Please enjoy and review. Nothing to harsh would be nice, but don't be afraid to give me some pointers, you know, suggestions. Should I include Charlotte? I think I might, butt it depends on what the readers think. Again, please enjoy, TTYL. (That means type to to later!) :-)
Chapter 1, Part 1: A Not So Happy Anniversary
"I can't believe it! It's been three years already! Isn't this great?" I asked my friends. "Actually, for me, it's been ten years." Bella said. "What?" I asked confusedly. "I've been a mermaid since I was nine." She said. "Oh…" "So, are you guys ready to party?" Rikki asked. "Oh yeah!" Cleo said. "Well let's go. Besides, the boys said they were planning it, so we don't have to worry about it." Bella said. We all ran down the dock and dove, rocketing off towards Mako island at incredible speeds. I surfaced first in the moon pool, then Bella, the Rikki, and finally Cleo. "Wow, this place looks amazing!" Cleo exclaimed. "I'll say." Bella agreed. There were streamers strung along the walls, and seashells dotted the sand. There were some comfy looking throw pillows laid about, along with some delicious looking drinks and food.
The boys appeared out of the shadows, smiling at us. "Happy Anniversary, girls." Will said. "Thanks." Bella said sweetly, smilingly lovingly at her boyfriend. "Well come on. Get dried off so we can get this party started." Zane said, eyeing Rikki like she was the worlds biggest diamond. Lewis stepped forward and grabbed Cleo's hand, hauling her out of the water and onto the sand. Zane, Will, and Ash did the same, each helping us out of the water, even though they knew perfectly well that we could get out by ourselves. But they were just being sweet, so we let them. Rikki steamed dried us, and a burning sensation filled my tail. "Ow! Careful! You know my scales are more sensitive than yours!" I complained. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that." She apologized, and the burning feeling cooled into a warm glow.
My power is ice, so of course I burn a lot easier than the others. Rikki, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Because her power is heat, it doesn't hurt in the slightest when she steam dries herself. My tale shimmered for a moment, and for a few seconds, I was transparent, and my legs reappeared. I hopped up, turning in a full circle, admiring the wonderful decorations. "You guys really outdid yourselves." I complimented. "Thank you!" I said, hugging my boyfriend. "You're very welcome." He said, pecking me on the cheek. I flushed a bit, even though he did this daily.
I still can't believe how lucky I am, getting the guy of my dreams, and he knows my secret. My three best friends; Bella, Rikki, and Cleo, each lucked out too, seeing as they got the guy of their dreams as well, and they each know our secret, and are willing to risk anything to protect it. That's what they say, anyway. It's good to have people that you can trust in your life. Ithought. It turns out that they'd organized a slide show with clips of us, with each other, swimming, on land with our tails, us on the beach at Mako island, us at the moon pool, us in the moon pool, everything. It was perfect, until something happened.
-Zane's POV-
The celebration was going great. We were watching the slide show, I had arm around Rikki's shoulder, and she was grinning happily, so I took it we'd done good. "Thank you so much." She whispered in my ear. "You're welcome." I whispered back. She turned back to the screen, smiling at the photo from the day Emma had come back, and when she'd first been introduced to Bella. It was the four of them in mermaid form, laying on their stomachs on Mako islands beach, smiling at the camera.
I still don't know how I lucked out. She loves me, trusts me with her biggest secret. She's smart, dangerous, beautiful, sassy, just what I like in a girl. She really is sweet, but definitely could be described as poisonous; deadly even. Rikki's the kind of girl that you don't mess with, unless you have an intense death wish. She really does care about her sisters (I mean Bella, Cleo, and Emma), but they easily work their way into fights, seeing how different they are. But they've vowed not to let that tear them apart, to ruin their friendship. They've sworn that they won't let their differences make their relationship turn into something horrible, where they end up hating each other, like Ms. Chatham and her friends, Julia and Gracie. We've sworn to help them, to keep that from happening. We'd die to make sure they stayed together, happy and as friends, as sisters.
Suddenly, a shiver wracked through her body, and I turned to her, concerned. "You ok?" I asked. "Yeah, just a little chilly." She said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. I went to pull her closer, but a freezing sensation shot through my arm, and I pulled back, surprised. "What the…? Emma, if this is some kind of joke, it isn't funny." I said, glaring over at her friend. "What do you mean? I'm-" but before she could finish, her body pitched forward, like someone had shoved her from behind. "D-do any of you feel… hot?" she asked, fanning herself with her hand. "A-are you k-kidding? I'm f-f-freezing." Rikki said.
"No, I feel-" Cleo started, but then her body pitched forward just as Emma's had, as did Bella's. Their breathing slowed, becoming heavy and ragged. "I feel like I'm, burning. Literally." Bella said. "What?" Will asked. "Here, feel." She said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her forehead. He immediately jerked away, like it was covered in acid or something. "Ow! Have you got a fever or something?" he asked. "I d-don't k-know b-but I'm r-r-really c-cold." Cleo said, huddling closer to Lewis. "How could two of you be freezing and the other two burning up?" Lewis asked, hugging Cleo closer to him, while reaching over to feel Emma's hand, who had relaxed backwards into Ash's arms. "I feel fine, the weather in here has always been nice." Ash said. Rikki brought a hand to her forehead "Ooh, kind of, dizzy." She said, pausing between each word. "Are you girls ok? Should we call a doctor?" Ash asked, looking down at Emma's face, which had paled slightly. "I- no. You can't. For one thing, if you do call a doctor, they'll ask where we are, and we can't tell them we're here. Second, I'm really not feeling well, I don't think I have the strength to even swim out of here." She said slowly, her eyes half closed and heavy lidded.
I looked down at Rikki, who was easing herself down onto one of the many pillows we'd spread around, with me helping her, ignoring the freezing feeling that was shooting through my body. "I don't feel very well either." Bella said, sounding weak. She laid down too, next to Will, who no doubt was getting a pretty serious burn. Cleo was embraced in Lewis' arms, blinking slowly and looking at her friends, seeing how pale they were, like her. "What's wrong with you girls? One minute your fine, the next it's like you've come down with something." Lewis said, looking worriedly down at his girlfriend.
Ash's face lit up, and he asked "Could it be the moon? You know what it does to them, we all do. They go all crazy and weird things start to happen." He said. "No offence." He added quickly. "No. Today's a regular crescent moon, like always. It couldn't be the moon. Could it?" Lewis asked. "I'll go check." Will volunteered. He started to rise, but Bella said "Don't leave me." she reached up slowly and grabbed his hand and attempted to pull him back down. "Please, Sweetheart? It's only for a little while, just to see if there's something strange about the moon. I'll be right back. I promise." He said. "Alright. But don't leave me forever. I need you." She said, her voice dying as she spoke. "I promise. I'll be right back." He then walked up the stairs the girls had made, disappearing into darkness. "Don't… worry… Bella. He'll… come back." Emma said quietly, her voice scratchy and unclear.
Chapter 1, Part 2: A Bizarre Discovery
-Will's POV-
What's wrong with her? My thoughts screamed as I climbed. If anything happens to her, I don't know what I'll do. I thought. It had hurt so much to see Bella, my precious Bella, like that. Looking so sick, so weak, I was ready to rip my hair out. If anything happened to her, if anything hurt her, I'd never forgive myself. My beloved Bella, she meant everything to me. If I lost her, I'd lose my will to live. Without Bella, my life was absolutely meaningless. I loved her more than anything in the whole world. More than Sophie, more than my parents, more than diving, more than anything. She was the most treasured thing had in my life, the most wonderful thing I'd ever laid eyes on.
She's sweet, loving, caring, gentle, fun loving, free spirited, responsible, trustworthy, a wonderful singer, smart, gorgeous, and just about everything else you could want in a girl. Her smile made me want to pass out, it was so perfect. Silky, straight, blond hair, soft delicate skin, flawless face with bright green eyes, no freckles, long eyelashes, perfect tan that complimented her emerald green eyes. If I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, I'd die. I needed my Bella. She was the one for me, and I was the one for her. I'm pretty sure we have true love, and if we don't, well, needless to say, I'd be heartbroken.
I soon reached the top of the stairs and climbed out. As I turned to gaze at the moon, I choked on air. It was indeed special. It had a crescent, but that wasn't the strange part. There was another crescent facing it, creating a strange moon pattern, almost like a cats eye marble. The moon was also colored with a bright, bold, glistening blue, which really freaked me out. I dug my phone out of my pocket and raised it over my head, taking a photo of the strange moon. I'd heard the saying Once in a blue moon. But I didn't know the moon could actually be blue. "I'll bet that's what's making the girls like this." I said to myself. I slid back down the tunnel and back towards the moon pool, bringing along my phone, and the photograph of the strange moon.
As I entered the moon pool cave, I hurried over to Bella, who looked even worse since I'd left. She'd gotten about seven shades paler, and her body moved sluggishly, like she was moving through glue, "Will…?" she said in a scratchy voice. She coughed weakly, and I knelt beside her and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you." "Thank you. You're such a nice guy." She muttered. I turned to the others, who looked worried. "Ok, I think I know what's going on. There is definitely something wrong with the moon. Look at this picture." I said holding up my cell phone. Lewis shifted slightly to get a better look, he jumped and lurched forward violently, causing Cleo to groan. "Sorry." He said to her. "What-what's happening to us?" Emma asked, coughing a bit afterwards. "Don't talk, Emma. You'll just tire out your voice." Ash said. "Mm-hm" she mumbled.
"I really don't-" Rikki started, pausing as she started coughing "feel well. I don't think it's just the moon." She finished. "Yeah, I know what it's like… to be… moon struck." Cleo said, in a scratchy voice, and Lewis immediately shushed her. "Yeah, you get all tingly, and there's this tiny voice… in the back of your mind… telling you to stop. But this-" Bella continued, coughing a few times before going on "This is different. I feel… completely in control. But… not myself. I think the moon has something… to do… with… this… but…" she trailed off, her voice growing quieter with every word, until her eyes closed, and her head slumped onto her shoulder. "Bella…?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice. I felt her wrist and said "She's not, you know, is she?" I asked. "No, I can see her breathing. It probably just tired her out being like this, and talking so much." Lewis reassured me.
-Cleo's POV-
I really was feeling horrible, sick. My head was pounding like there was a hammer inside my skull, and it was banging against it, trying to break free. My muscles ached in exhaustion, and my throat was dry and felt like it had been clawed at by a very angry cat. I was freezing, like I was in the arctic with summer clothing. I wanted to rest, but my body wouldn't allow it. My limbs felt like they'd been set on fire, so they were burning, but with freezing energy, not heat. It was hard to breath, my throat felt closed up, and whenever I tried to speak, I just wound up coughing and hurting my throat. I was glad Lewis was here with me, or I might've gone mad. I wanted a blanket or something, but there wasn't one. I didn't have enough energy to even move, so I just lie there, in constant agony. Lewis would occasionally move my hair out of face and whisper comforting things, but he was hard to understand. His voice sounded echoey and far away, and tripled, like there were three of my boyfriend saying the same thing at once. My vision was slightly blurry, but I could see that the other girls were in pain too. Rikki was huddled on the ground next to Zane, shivering violently. Emma was a few feet away, lying in Ashes arms, who was sitting with his back against the moon pool cave walls. Bella was lying on some of the throw pillows that lined the wall on the other end of the cave, with Will seated cross legged next to her, holding her hand. It was quiet, except for the occasional cough from one of us, or one of the guys talked about a way to cure us.
Suddenly, Lewis sat bolt upright and said "Max!" I moaned "Owww. What… was that… for?" "Well, Max was the expert who knew the original mermaids, so he might know what's going on! I'll call him!" he said excitedly, whipping out his phone. "You can't." Rikki's voice. "She's right, Lewis. 'Member? No… phone… service…?" I said. "Oh darn. That means I have to leave." He said, he began to rise, but Will stopped him. "No! You can't go. If someone's not here to keep Cleo warm, something even worse could happen." He said "Oh, right." He said, sounding disappointed.
I saw Bella shift, and she said "Cleo… you could… lay next to me. I could heat… you up… and you… could cool... me down." She suggested. "Alright." I said. "Lewis? Could you… help me… get over there? Please?" I asked. "I don't know. What if it's not safe?" "What if it is?" Zane asked. "Besides, if we don't keep her warm somehow, she could die if her temperature drops too low." Will said. "Fine, fine." He placed his arms under me and carried me over to Bella, me holding on as tight as I could, which wasn't much. "I'll be back. I just have to go get a signal, and everything'll be alright." He said, then kissed my forehead and walked out.
I laid next to Bella, soaking up the rays of heat that emanated off her skin. I was warm, but my body still shivered uncontrollably. I suggested Emma and Rikki do as we were, so Rikki could warm up a bit and Emma could cool down. After a while I started to worry. Lewis shouldn't have been gone this long. Just to make a phone call? I don't think so. I asked "What time is it?" "Exactly eleven thirty nine." Will said. "When do you… think… the moon will… set?" Bella asked with difficulty. "Beats me." he said. Soon, there was a sliding sound, and footsteps. For a second we were worried, but then Lewis walked in. But someone was following him.
Chapter 1, Part 3: The Diagnosis
-Rikki's POV-
"Who's that?" I yelled, immediately regretting it. I started coughing violently. As I finished a few moments later, Lewis said "This is Max. Max Hamilton? Remember, the guy who did all the research?" he asked. "Oh yeah. You mean the guy who's research got us revealed to your phsyco ex girl friend? That Max Hamilton?" I asked angrily. "Uh, yeah." Lewis said nervously, probably thinking I was going to hurt him. I had full intentions to, except for three reasons A) I wasn't feeling all that well B) I wasn't at my normal strength, so Zane could hold me back and C) I'm pretty sure using my powers would just make me weaker.
Max looked at each of us, looking us over slowly and with concern. "Just as I feared. They have been poisoned by the moon blossom." "What?" Emma asked, her voice quiet. "As I'm sure you've noticed, tonight is the blue moon. And on this rare and powerful event, a certain flower blooms under its light. The sap of this blossom is poisonous. To mermaids, that is. One drop is all it takes, and thirty minutes after contact they will fall ill, as you have." He explained. "So… how long… will we… be stuck like… this?" Bella choked out. "You will be completely recovered in two days minimum. A week at the very most." He said, and we all groaned. I couldn't take much more of this pain, I just couldn't.
"This happened to Gracie and her friends, too. I remember it as if it were just yesterday. They were in great pain. Gracie and Louise had reached boiling temperatures, and Julia's body measured below freezing. But, what I do not recall, was there being four young girls who were in an ill condition. Who are you, miss?" he asked, kneeling next to Bella. "I'm… Bella." She said in a strained voice, coughing twice afterwards. "So, do you all get along? I remember when Louise moved away for a bit, and a new girl came to town. She'd been a mermaid since a rather young age, and they quickly became friends. But then, when Louise returned, she was angry, she felt she'd been replaced. They fought, and argued, and eventually, they stopped communicating all together." "We all get along." Emma said, her voice hoarse. "Yeah," Bella started, pausing to rub her throat slightly "We all love… each other… as sisters, and we… get along… wonderfully. Sure we… fight sometimes,… but we'd never… let that… tear us… apart. Would we, guys?" I shook my head, as did the other.
"Interesting. Anyway, how do you suppose you managed to come in contact with the sap?" he asked. I shrugged, when an idea popped into my mind. My eyes widened as Emma said "Charlotte." "She must have done it to get back at us." Cleo said. Charlotte, oh how that name makes my blood boil. She was the witch that had tried to rid us of our powers forever, but fortunately she'd failed, and we'd manage to subtract her powers for good. She'd wanted revenge on us ever since. I was willing to bet anything she'd done this, by putting that sap in the moon pool water, knowing we'd be there. She wanted to see us fall ill, weak and in pain. I swear, someday, I am going to maim her for this.
"So, Max, is there a way we can heal them faster?" Lewis asked. He shook his head and said "I don't know. There is no known cure, as far as I'm aware." We all groaned. Just perfect! I thought sarcastically to myself.