"Mother."

The word escaped her mouth mere seconds after she surfaced in the dark waters of the moon pool. Although her heart was beating rapidly and her mind was racing with anticipation, Mimmi could not say that she was shocked to find the woman here.

She had always trusted her instincts and, after leaving Rita's grotto and focusing her mind on her long lost mother, she had immediately been drawn to this place. It wasn't surprising, really. There were not a lot of safe places for mermaids to hide this close to the mainland and she suspected that Nerissa had no intention of going away until she had spoken to her and Zac.

Well, Zac, at least…

The revelation that their mother had come to Zac first, and had not yet gone in search of her, still stung the young mermaid. Perhaps she no longer cared about Mimmi at all and had only come to get her powerful son on her side. But, as the woman turned around to face her, those bitter thoughts quickly began to melt away.

"Mimmi."

She could already see the tears welling in Nerissa's eyes and Mimmi barely had time to take in her appearance before she felt herself being wrapped in her mother's warm embrace.

"My darling girl—no words can express how much I have missed you."

Mimmi knew that it was somewhat foolish to be taken in by the moment but she was not strong enough to resist her own inner desires. She had dreamt of this reunion for as long as she could remember and, to her, Nerissa's emotions seemed genuine. She could almost feel the love and sadness emanating off of the older mermaid.

"I…I missed you." Mimmi managed to choke out. It was taking every ounce of her strength to keep herself composed right now—as overwhelming as this situation was, she didn't want to let herself be overcome. There was too much to say. Too much to talk about. And allowing herself to become a blubbering mess in her mother's arms would not be productive.

Plus, if what her mother had said to Zac was any indication, then it was possible that time was of the essence. If Nerissa was willing to risk everything by coming back here to see them, then that probably meant that they were all in danger.

"I missed you too, my darling." Nerissa said softly as she finally released Mimmi from her arms. "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you. I wish…"

"Don't." Mimmi cut, her eyes locking with her mother's deep blue.

The woman looked surprised by her interjection but she allowed her to continue. "I know you didn't want to go." Mimmi began again, offering the best reassuring smile she could muster. "But I don't want to dwell on the 'what ifs'…not now, anyway. What's done is done. I'm just glad that you're here now." She paused, flinching as her mind momentarily flittered back to her earlier encounter in the grotto. "And I'm glad that I found Zac. I just want us all to move forward."

She watched as her mother's shoulder's relaxed and it felt as if some of the tension in the air had dissipated.

Mimmi had to admit that she was somewhat surprised by her own words. Everything was happening so fast—she had gone from having a quiet evening alone in the grotto to confronting her distraught brother and her estranged mother in the course of two hours. This was not how she had envisioned spending her day, and the news of Nerissa's arrival had caught her off guard.

She hadn't really had time to plan what she was going to say or think about how she was going to feel when they finally came face to face. But, now that it had happened, Mimmi was struck by the odd sense of calm that was growing inside of her.

Yes, the situation was difficult. And yes, she also felt an odd combination of sadness and regret and joy.

But she had meant what she had said. She did not want a tearful reunion filled with apologies and remorse. She knew why Nerissa had left—natural conception was not allowed, and giving birth to a merman was a particularly heinous crime in the eyes of the mermaid council.

Mimmi, of course, found that aspect of mermaid law outdated and ridiculous and most of her anger was reserved for those who had established and upheld the silly rules which had torn their world, and their family, apart.

Nerissa had left to keep them safe. She had left because those around her had given her no choice.

Being left behind had stung. And it was a feeling that she would never, ever, forget. But now that her mother was back it felt like the natural order had been restored. The three of them could be together.

Be a family.

And that was all she wanted to dwell on right now.

"I appreciate that, sweetheart." Nerissa finally replied, a small smile tugging at the side of her lips. "Nothing can change how badly I feel for what happened—but it warms me to know that my daughter has grown into such a compassionate and forgiving young mermaid."

Mimmi smiled back before joining her mother on the ledge of the moon pool. She had a feeling that there was lots to discuss and she figured that it was best to make herself comfortable.

It was surreal to be sitting here. With her.

She looked more or less as she remembered. Long dark hair, vibrant blue eyes. Slightly tanned skin and a beautiful, delicate face.

In a way, it was spooky. Like seeing a ghost from her long buried past.

But there was a certain comfort in it as well. Despite their long separation, Nerissa was so incredibly familiar. She could see shadows of herself and Zac in the woman's face, and she could recall that comforting smile from her earliest childhood memories.

Somehow, looking at her was exhilarating and comforting at the same time.

"Zac told me about your discussion on the beach." Mimmi decided to start, her eyes still locked on her mother. "He was pretty freaked out when I talked to him, but I think he told me pretty much everything. About us uniting the north and south, mermaids and mermen…"

She heard Nerissa draw a deep breath. "Yes." She said softly, looking up towards the dark sky as she began to gather her thoughts. Mimmi had the sense that this was not something she enjoyed talking about but, if what Zac had said was correct, this was clearly a conversation they would have to have. And sooner was better than later.

"I hate to burden you and your brother with all of this." Nerissa admitted with a sigh. She ran a hand through her dark hair before she continued. "When I finally found you again, I wanted to have a proper reunion. To spend time together unburdened by magic and fate and destiny. But I have been watching the stars and reading the signs—and I fear that this cannot wait much longer. I am sorry that I did not manage to tell you about it together. I wanted to. But I found Zac alone of the beach first and I didn't want to wait. I couldn't wait. Time is of the essence here."

Mimmi nodded and waited for the woman to continue.

"In two weeks, there will be a red moon and the ocean's magic will be at its strongest." She began to explain, looking back towards her daughter. "If you and Zac are in the proper places, you will be able to control that magic."

Mimmi's brow furrowed as she contemplated that statement. She knew that they were all more powerful than most merpeople, of course—but controlling 'the magic of the ocean' seemed impossible, even for them. And what did that even mean? No one knew how to harness that kind of primal elemental magic and she doubted that they were capable of such a feat.

Maybe Zac was right after all. Maybe Nerissa really was off her rocker.

"Look, I know it seems unmanageable." Her mother continued as if reading her thoughts. "But trust me, it is possible."

"How?" Mimmi interjected, unable to hold back her questions any longer. "And even if we could control that kind of power, what would we do with it? Why would we want to do this?"

There was a brief pause and Mimmi watched as Nerissa shifted uncomfortably again the ledge. Clearly, she was not pleased about the situation—but she managed to set her face with determination as she began to speak again.

"As you know," she started, "you and Zac are the first natural born merpeople to exist in centuries. And that automatically makes you more powerful."

Mimmi folded her arms across her chest and nodded. This was nothing that she hadn't heard before and she still was sure why that meant they were capable of incredible acts during the red moon.

"If I am not mistaken, you also know that you were born out of a union of the north and the south. My family line has a long history of leadership in the north and your father's line once ruled the merpeople of the south."

The young mermaid felt her heart rate increase slightly at the mention of her father. She knew very little about him, aside from his place of origin. She had no idea if he was still around—or how their connection to this mysterious merman would affect their destinies. Despite her trepidation, she found herself listening with anticipation.

"The merman chamber on Mako was once the seat of their power." Nerissa continued, a sad smile crossing her face. "And our family once built and controlled a similar chamber on Kisinaa Island."

A jolt ran through her body at the mention of Kisinaa and she instantly turned towards her mother. Mimmi had not heard anyone mention Kisinaa since she was a child—but the mermaids of the north regarded it was the same awe and reverence that those of the south held for Mako. She could vaguely recall visiting it once and she knew that it was in the northern waters of Hudson's Bay. But other than that, she was completely in the dark.

She had had no idea that the place had such a strong tie to her mother's family.

"So…so what does all of that mean, then?" Mimmi asked, her voice softer than it had been before. "What does this have to do with reuniting the mer-world?"

Nerissa drew another deep breath. "If you can activate the mermaid chamber on Kisinaa, and if Zac can activate the merman chamber on Mako, then the magic of the ocean, and all of its inhabitants, will be yours to control. You will take your place as the rightful rulers of our people and guide them towards a brighter future."

"Control?" Mimmi let out a shaky breath. She did not like the sound of that word and she shuffled nervously in her seat.

Was Nerissa saying that they should use mind control to end the centuries-long feud between mermen and mermaids?

As much as Mimmi wanted to bring harmony to her world, that did not seem like the answer. It seemed dark. Ominous.

There was no way that she would ever agree to something like that. And she was certain that Zac wouldn't either.

And what did she mean by "rightful rulers"? Was she implying that they were royalty or something? There had not been hereditary rule in the mer-world since ancient times, and she was not particularly keen to revive that antiquated tradition either.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Nerissa cut in, breaking her away from her thoughts. "I'm not asking you to end this by force. To compel people to think or act in a certain way." She paused, her eyes pleading for understanding. "But, after centuries of this futile war, I think we have to use this chance to bring people together in the best way possible. If you and Zac call our people—all of our people—together, and ask them speak rather than fight, then we might be able to begin the healing process."

She paused, looking up towards the night sky once more.

"Most mermaids and mermen never even encounter the other half of their species. They're afraid and they are misinformed. You can change that simply by calling them together."

Mimmi raised her brow skeptically. She was grateful that Nerissa was not suggesting mind control, but this still seemed ridiculous. "You mean…we should summon everyone for some sort of giant meeting?"

"Yes." Nerissa replied with a nod. "You can summon everyone—either to Mako or to Kisinaa—and we can speak to the leaders of all the pods and tribes. I know it might not seem like it, but there are more supporters of unity out there than you might think. I have met many in my travels and I firmly believe that, if they are given a chance to speak, we can make serious progress."

The girl gave a soft smile as she glanced around the small cave.

She had to admit that her mother was making a decent case. She still needed to know more—much more—but the idea of unity and reconciliation certainly appealed to her. Mimmi was a natural pacifist, and she wanted her people to live in peace.

And, on a more selfish level, she wanted her to family to be reunited. This still feud had driven them apart for too long and she wanted to live in a world where they could all be together without cowering in fear.

But, even if she wanted all of that, and even if Nerissa was right, there was still at least one massive obstacle.

"Zac will never agree to this." She began softly, her voice tinged with regret. "He told me himself—he thinks you're…delusional, and he doesn't even want to be a merman. He says he doesn't care about the sea."

Mimmi watched as Nerissa glanced down towards the quietly lapping water. There was an unmistakeable sadness in her eyes and Mimmi could tell that her reunion with her son had been as painful for her as it had been for him.

"He's angry. And scared." The older mermaid said quietly, her hand fidgeting with the silver pendant on her necklace. "I can't blame him for that. All of this is still new to him, and he feels a strong attachment to his life on land. But—" She paused, looking towards he daughter once more. "I know that he also shares the same connection to the sea that we do. I can sense it. It is only a matter of time before he accepts who, and what, he is."

"Yes," Mimmi began with a small sigh. She could sense the same things that her mother could, and firmly believed that Zac would eventually come around. "But will he accept it in time? You said the red moon is only two weeks away. And trust me, he can be pretty stubborn."

To her surprise, Nerissia suddenly smiled.

"He gets that from his father." She noted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "And I have a feeling that he'll be able to talk some sense into your brother…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was late when the messenger arrived and Veridia was not amused that she had been kept waiting for so long. She had never been a patient woman and she scowled dangerously as the other mermaid approached.

"I'm sorry, Veridia." The younger mermaid said breathlessly, sensing her leader's annoyance. "I swam back as fast as I could. But Nerissa did not make contact with her children until nightfall."

"Very well." Veridia responded, waving her hand dismissively. She did not have time for excuses. "At least you found her. What else were you able to discover?"

The teenager took a deep breath. "I couldn't risk getting to close, so I didn't hear everything." She admitted, avoiding the older mermaid's gaze. "But I was able to hear a bit of her conversation with her son. The merman seemed…agitated. He was not pleased to see her, and he said he wasn't going to help her carry out her plan."

Veridia nodded, her fists clenching as she anticipated what was to come. "What plan?" She asked curtly.

"I don't know, exactly." The mermaid replied. "She said something about a prophecy. About uniting north and south, mermaids and mermen." The girl paused, hesitating. "That doesn't sound too terrible, which is good, I guess..."

Veridia scoffed. "Foolish child." She huffed with a shake of her head. "If only you knew how dangerous she and her children truly are. Now," she snapped, waving her hand once more. "Leave me be, Lena. Tell no one what you heard or saw. If I require your services again, I will let you know."

Wordlessly, the young mermaid ducked beneath the waves, leaving Veridia alone in the dark patch of ocean.

Things were playing out exactly how she expected.

She knew that she had to stop Nerrissa and her offspring before it was too late…