The three couples had settled themselves in at the moon pool. As usual, it had only taken a matter of minutes before Will had jumped in the pool to be closer to the girls. Zane and Lewis exchanged a look of slight annoyance as the cute boy moved closer to Rikki and Cleo. Not to be outdone, Lewis also jumped into the water and succeeded in pulling Cleo away from the others so that they could chat privately.

Zane also convinced Rikki to separate herself from the group in the pool. Now they were easily talking with each other. He laid on his stomach propped up on his elbows right on the edge of the pool. Rikki was still in the water, also propped up on the edge of the stone circling the pool. Their faces were parallel to eachother, and barely an inch apart, which made it easier for them to share stories in private, just like Zane liked it.

Will and Bella were absently swimming around the pool, occasionally dipping below the water as they swam. Bella couldn't get over the feeling that Will was keeping something from her. She didn't have any idea what it could be, after all, he knew all her secrets and she was pretty positive there couldn't be anything he would want to keep from her. Feeling like she needed some reassurance that they were still in love, she suddenly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

"Not that I'm complaining," Will breathed, "but can I ask what that was for?"

Before Bella could answer Cleo called to the pair from across the pool. "Ok, guys, get a room, or another moon pool or something if you're going to be all mushy gross."

"Oh, like you two are sitting over there discussing the weather," Bella playfully bantered back.

"I mean, it's just my opinion, but Cleo and I make a WAY cuter couple." Lewis called back, letting his gaze flicker to the other couple before looking back at Cleo.

"Oh come on, Lewis, now don't be jealous." Will answered, a little too seriously.

"Ok now, guys, hush. We didn't come out here for you two to act like 4 year olds." Cleo interjected.

"Right." Bella agreed.

The girls pulled their boys in closer, and both reached forward to give their boyfriend a kiss. This would not have been a big deal if Rikki and Zane had not also been in the middle of a long kiss at that exact moment.

The moment all three of the girls' lips' were locked with their boys' lips' a strong and powerful wind whipped through the cavernous room. They quickly broke their kisses and looked up. The wind grew stronger and stronger around the group, growing colder by the second. Lights flashed all around as if someone were playing a strobe light into the cave. The girls each grabbed tightly onto their boys, looking around in fear. The water remained eerily still and glassy as the wind whipped everyone else. the wind whistled and howled and then all at once a white hot flash of light lit up the entire cave. It was so bright that no once could see anything, not even the person right beside them.

As soon as it had begun it was over. The strange light faded and the wind slowed til it was nothing more than a breeze. Everything returned to normal. Except for one thing. Well, three things.

The girls all had legs. Their tails had disappeared.

They boys' eyes widened as they realized what had happened. Each girl began to move her legs under the water in disbelief as they tried to process what had just happened.

"Wha-?" Rikki gasped. "What the HELL happened?"

"I...- I don't know. It's not even a full moon!" Cleo stammered out.

"Let's try using our powers, NOW." Rikki tried futilely to make the water around her heat up. Nothing.

"Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh..." Cleo couldn't stop repeating to herself in disbelief. Nothing happened when she tried to move the water using her power.

Rikki climbed out of the pool and jumped back in, as if she hoped that maybe her tail just needed a reboot or something. Her legs stayed legs as she flailed around in the water. She let out a scream of frusteration.

Cleo asked "Lewis, is there anything odd about the moon pattern tonight?"

It took Lewis a few shocked moments to make his mouth form words. "NO! Nothing! It's an ordinary crescent! We've been to the moon pool a thousand times on this moon, Cleo."

"Then what could be going on?" Cleo murmured, too in shock to speak any louder. Rikki took the opposite approach, alternating between yelling and anger and splashing her hands forcefully into the water.

Everyone quieted as they turned to look at Bella, who had neither moved nor spoken since the wind had died down.

"Bella?" Will took her hand. "Are you ok?"

It took almost a minute for her to answer him.

"No."

Her one word answer echoed through the cave.

"I'm not ok." She continued. "I've been a mermaid since I was 9. I can't remember what it's like to be in the water without a tail. I'm not even sure I remember how to swim without one. What in the world has changed us?"

"I don't know." Zane was the one who spoke up this time. "But it's late. Why don't we all go to my place. It's big and my Dad is out of town. We can figure things out there. Can you girls make an excuse to be away from home tonight?"

All three girls nodded silently. Lewis and Will also nodded, even though Zane hadn't extended the invitation to them as well. They had no intention of leaving their girls alone tonight.

Unsteadily, the girls pulled themselves out of the moon pool. Zane helped Rikki out, looking at her in concern. One pair at a time they gave the moon pool one last look and started walked the long trek back toward the shore. The walk back was silent and solemn. Each of the girls was deep in thought and each of the boys were watching their girlfriend. Each time they passed a puddle or stream the girls would step a foot in casually, hoping that maybe their tails would appear and this would be nothing more that one of those weird moments that came with being a mermaid. No such luck. The piled into the boat and headed to Zane's. A few quick phone calls to their parents asking for permission to go to a sleepover released them from having to go home separately.

They tied the boat off at the dock and walked the short distance back to Zane's. The boys were so concerned over their girls that they didn't dare mention the fact that they'd been feeling extremely light headed since they'd left Mako. Their stomachs were twisting and they felt funny. But they all ignored the discomfort as thy entered the mansion. Each of the boys may have their faults, but they knew when the focus should be on them and when it shouldn't.

And at the moment the focus was one hundred percent on the mermaids. Well, former mermaids. But the focus was about to shift. And it was about to be two hundred percent on the males, whether they wanted it to be or not.