Chapter 4

Lewis' Secret Fishing Spot, half an hour later...

Theory #1 – Anna is a mermaid

Theory #2- Ben is a merman

Theory #3 – They have some powers

Theory #4 – Recently changed at Mako Island

These theories are what drove the group of ten to test them at Lewis' secret fishing spot.

Lewis managed to get Emma and Bella, a reluctant Rikki, and a 'more than happy to help' Cleo into the water along with Anna and Ben to help with encouraging the new merfolk to accept their transformation. Sure enough, all five girls and Ben transformed, and long tails could be seen.

It was a curious experience for them all to see a merman. His tail was a deep red, a lot darker than the girls' tails. A single sash of reddish scales ran across his bare muscular chest from shoulder to hip.

Ben had his mouth wide open in shock.

"Okay everyone," Lewis announced, "Theories #1, #2, and #4, have been proven correct."

The guys pulled the girls and Ben out of the water so Rikki could dry them off after she had done herself.

"Okay, now for a powers test..." Lewis instructed. "Let's use this rock pool – girls, do what you do as a demo," he gestured to Emma, Rikki, Cleo and Bella and then pointed again to the pool.

Cleo went first, she moved and moulded the water into a tower making it twirl and ascend higher and higher into the sky.

"Where's all the extra water coming from?" Anna enquired to Lewis.

"To be honest, we have no idea! - it's magic..?" Lewis answered.

Cleo then made the wind blow briefly to demonstrate her weather control.

Anna and Ben were already impressed, but it was only the start of the show.

Rikki went next boiling the water, all the while striking lightening down onto the sand and making a bush burst into flames. The bush was put out by Emma.

Emma followed freezing solid what once was boiling. She also caused a small snow storm as a demonstration.

Bella moved forward after her.

"My power is not all as grand as that..." she said before powering up.

Bella made the water in the rock pool a gelatinous mass.

"Go on – touch it" She said to the curious newbies. They did. After this she hardened it into a solid mass. Soon after she released the water in the rock pool, changing it back to its original form.

At the end of the display of powers, Anna and Ben were very, very impressed.

"How long have you been...ahh...?" Ben asked

"Mermaids?" Emma responded

"Yeah..."

Cleo answered, "Five years now isn't it?" She was met by a series of nods.

"Except for me," Bella spoke up, "I've been a mermaid for twelve years."

"Don't worry we'll help you." She smiled at the couples' nervous faces.

"How about you two try on the rock pool, to see if you have powers," Lewis said.

Ben went first; he pushed his palm out in front of him. Suddenly the pool froze over.

"Whoa!" He gasped and took a step back.

Rikki made her hand into a fist and melted the ice from where she was standing.

"Next!" She instructed. Anna moved to the rock pool nervously. The events from the day had really freaked her out. She positioned her hand as Ben had done and focused on the water, nothing happened. Frustrated she tried again in a similar position.

"Don't worry," Rikki said, "It took me a few days to figure out my power." She looked at Anna sympathetically. Anna groaned.

"All the girls have different hand positions when they use their powers, maybe you should try the others' positions." Lewis deducted.

Bella stretched her hand out in demonstration. Anna tried using this one but nothing happened. Rikki showed Anna next. This time as Anna concentrated on the rock pool's water using Rikki's position, a few solitary bubbles floated to the surface. She gasped in surprise.

"Did I do that?" She asked insecurely.

"Yes!" Rikki exclaimed, "You have my power,"

Anna tried again, this time the water bubbled and some steam rose off the surface of the water.
For the next little while Anna concentrated on the water, Rikki coached her until she had the water boiling at the level that Rikki wanted.

"Wait a minute-" Bella started, "If Ben got Emma's power and Anna got Rikki's, who got Cleo's? You said that Charlotte got all three..." She trailed off.

"True" Lewis announced after a pause.

Cleo stepped forward and demonstrated her hand position and how she moved the water to the new couple.

Ben went first; nothing happened. Anna followed. She tried using the hand she used for boiling. Again nothing happened. Lewis suddenly suggested to them to use their other hand. Focusing on the water she used her other hand in Cleo's position, and a slim tentacle of water rose up slowly coming towards Anna. "How do I get it to stop?" She said panicking.

Cleo quickly stepped in.

"Release your control of the water." She said in a gentle but commanding tone.

When Anna didn't release it Cleo used her own experienced power to force the tentacle back into the rock pool.

"We may need to work on that one..." Cleo smiled at Anna.

Ben stepped forward to try with his other hand, another tentacle weaker than Anna's rose out of the rock pool. He then froze it with his other hand.

"Wow!" Everyone smiled.

It had been concluded. Ben had the ability to freeze and mould water, and Anna had the ability to boil water and mould it also. Ben and Anna both tried their luck on controlling the weather, neither could. After the trialling, the group of couples decided to go back to Cleo and Bella's apartment to get to know each other better, knowing that in the near future they would be spending a lot of time together.

Over the next few months the group of ten bonded and became really good friends. Ben fitted in really well with the guys especially Will and Anna definitely fitted in with Cleo and the girls. Rikki, Cleo and Emma taught and coached Anna and Ben with their powers and Bella went swimming with them often. There were a few mishaps along the way but luckily their first full moon went off without a hitch.

Flashback

"Who wants a Berry Bonanza?" Rikki asked the group of nine.

Ben shot his hand up, unknowing that his palm was flat facing Rikki.

Rikki felt herself freezing up. Her body went cold from the neck down and she saw the skin on her arms sparkling.

"Idiot!" She yelled causing heads to turn. "Sorry" she said sheepishly to the customers at the cafe. Luckily Zane was blocking their view of Rikki's frozen lower body. Noticing what he had done, Ben had lowered his arm and was looking scared of the angry Rikki.

"So, so sorry Rikki!" He apologised. Everyone else was acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

Rikki began melting the ice her magical body heat was counter acting the magic of Ben's Rikki began melting the ice

"That was too close!" She whispered forcefully.

Once the ice was gone she quickly dried herself and her clothes so she wouldn't go 'fish' in the cafe again. In a huff Rikki walked back to her house but five minutes from the cafe along the waterfront, she decided to get away from the group to cool down. She was not amused.

End of Flashback

That event was one of many close calls – one of the mild ones that there were with their powers and water. Eventually with quite a lot of coaching the two of them got there – in control of their powers and the situation. All five mermaids and merman became very close; initially there were two groups of three. The moon pool became really crowded so they ended up meeting over at Lewis' secret fishing spot on the rocks when they wanted proper discussion. The moon pool still remained their special place however and they went their frequently, alternating between the two places.