Chapter Four

Hey Guys! Sorry for this chapter being late and rather short, I have to admit it's more filler than anything, but I also wanted to introduce the magical conflict (for lack of better term). I've been officially diagnosed with Writer's Block. I know where I want the story to go, but I've been having difficulty conveying it, so I know this chapter is probably trash XD. Hopefully I'll get over it before the next chapter is released.

I am really grateful to those of you who have followed the story and reviewed it! I'll start shoutouts this chapter!

Thank you to CaitlynDreamsofMagicalThings, Louisaxo, Makodragon, MerlinWolf, Silver Dragon Master, TheLifeStruggleIsREAL, and mermaidbyheart for following the story! I hope you are enjoying it so far, and the direction it's heading!

Also, I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far! Your feedback has definitely been helpful when putting together the final product! I hope that throughout the course of this story, my writing will improve drastically!

So without further ado, onto the chapter!


Lewis felt nothing but joy as he searched through his girlfriend's green eyes, and as a wide grin crept to her face. He immediately felt relieved that all the trouble he had went to had been worth it to see the surprised look on her face. A blanket was laid out on the sand, overlooking the shimmering ocean and the rest of the beach, several candles in place and a seafood platter set up for the two of them. He couldn't think of any other place he would want to do this- it was the best setting for a romantic evening with Cleo.

"You really went out of your way to do all of this." Cleo looked towards Lewis, amazed.

"It was nothing. You would've done it for me."

"Is that some kind of hint?" She chuckled.

"Maybe."

They sat down, and shared their supper together. Their conversations flowed naturally- there wasn't a single moment for the entirety of the date that they didn't have something to talk about, whether it was college or what their lives would be like after Lewis finally finished his three year course in America, or sharing laughs over seemingly insignificant events. Everything went perfectly for the couple, until it neared the end of their evening, the sun began to set as the sky transitioned into a starry scape.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale." Lewis asked, concerned for his girlfriend, who was rather drained. However, she responded cheerily, not noticing the troubled expression Lewis was wearing.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" The bags under her eyes told him otherwise.

"We should probably put this away." She began to stand up, but found that her legs gave out, and she toppled onto the sand with a halfhearted laugh. She repeated this, but to no avail, her grin starting to wear away.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, just suddenly feel a little tired, I guess."

She put her hand on top of his, but found that she phased right through him. Panicked, she tried again, only to encounter the same outcome. He noticed that the rest of her body began to blend in with the scenery behind her, it was becoming visible through her. They both exchanged looks of pure consternation.

"What's happening?" He could hear the fear and dismay in her voice, as she looked up to Lewis expectantly.

"I-I don't know." He glanced over to the sea, and found that a full moon overlooked it, his nerves shot with a growing notion that the moon was responsible for their problem. He brought his attention back to Cleo, whose necklace started glowing, illuminating a soft blue light. He noticed that as it started glowing brighter, she began to look weaker, and fade away much quicker. She didn't appear to be in pain, but he noticed that her eyes started to mist, as she recognized the helplessness that was beginning to settle in.

"Lewis, I'm scared." Never in his life had he felt so powerless. He tried numerous times to reach for the crystal, which wasn't diminishing with Cleo, but an outburst of energy released when he attempted to do so, causing him to stumble back. He even tried to pull Cleo up with him, but in her state, she wasn't able to grasp his hand, nor move. Tears started to burn his cheeks and eyes, he didn't know what he could do. Looking back to the moon, it started reflecting a blueish color. It was only then he realized…

The blue moon.

The crystal seemed to be draining energy from her body, which also seemed to have an effect on her physical makeup, transferring the energy to the moon. The moon took the energy and bounced it back as blue light. As soon as he figured it out, he glanced towards Cleo.

"Cleo, I-I don't know how to help you. I need to-" He could barely see her, her necklace being much more visible and recognizable against her.

"It's okay Lewis. You need to warn Bella and Rikki. Tell them to take off their necklaces, it won't get to them then." She instructed, as if her worry had dissolved and nothing were wrong, which was unlike her. She had apparently come to the same conclusion and accepted it. If the situation hadn't been so urgent, he would have questioned her uncharacteristic rationality. "I love you."

"But-" He felt his heart breaking. Leave her? He couldn't, he had to figure out how to stop this somehow.

"GO!" A blood curdling scream escaped from her mouth, as his surroundings faded to darkness.

No.

No.

NO.

Lewis bolted awake, bumping his head on the back of his bed, groaning in the process.

It was only a dream.

He waited for his heart rate to return to normal, before staring off towards his bedside table, regaining consciousness. On it, was a photograph of him and Cleo, an alarm clock, and a calendar that counted down the days until he would return to America, the date highlighted being January 28, 2010. Now wide awake, he rushed out of bed, almost tripping on his carpet, towards his desk. Opening his laptop, the precise sound of tapping on his keyboard broke the silence that filled the room, until he found the right webpage. From there, he scribbled a note to himself, walked over to his nightstand once more, and circled a date with a description.

January 31, 2010, Blue Moon


Cleo packed up her things within her locker and headed off for the dolphin tank. A sense of dread hung over her, as she constantly reminded herself that today was the day Ryan and Sophie would be heading off to Mako. Luckily, knowing how busy her shift normally was, she reassured herself that she would be preoccupied enough to push those thoughts to the back of her mind, and instead focused on the eager sounds of dolphins as they flew through the air.

"Cleo! Hey, Cleo!" Ronnie called over to the mermaid, who had just bend over towards his tank. She checked to see if anyone was watching, before replying back.

"Hey Ronnie! How's the water today?" Cleo couldn't contain the growing smile that threatened to take over her face. There was still a sense of awe within her over the fact that she had this incredible new ability.

"It feels great! Perfect for a swim!" He hinted for her to come join him, to which Cleo laughed.

"I know, but I can't exactly get into the water at the moment. If anyone saw me, I'd probably end up in a tank across from yours."

"Oh well, the offer was there." The dolphin sped around the rim of the tank joyfully, and looked back up expectantly at his trainer.

"Cleo!" She heard a familiar voice off into the distance. Standing up, she walked towards Laurie, as the dolphin watched curiously from the water.

"Oh, hi Laurie. What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Lewis told me you had come down with something and had to head home." Concern was evident within his voice, and Cleo began to feel bad for having to lie to him about what had actually happened yesterday.

"Oh, yeah… I'm really sorry, there were a few developments. But I feel much better now, thank you." She beamed warmly, but inside scolded her choice of wording.

"If only he knew…" Ronnie interrupted, receiving a backwards glance from Cleo. For once, she was glad that the exchange they shared was unheard and unrecognized by others, he was practically the equivalent of another side of her conscience. Laurie looked at her strangely, but then continued towards another part of the facility. She turned towards the dolphin, who let out a sheepish click.

"You know, one of these days I'm going to get caught talking to you, and they'll think I'm insane." She stated, in a bit of a playful tone, before grasping her whistle and adding. "Ready when you are."


Rikki walked into the café that morning on important business. As much as she didn't want to, she had to talk to Zane about the Sophie and Ryan situation. They had all agreed that Zane would be beneficial for the rest of their plan, since he would have more influence over Ryan and Sophie's decisions. Trying not be rash, she made her way towards the office, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. A muffled "Come in." invited her to open the door, and the pair locked eyes for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Zane was sitting up in his seat, typing on a computer. A familiar 'Da Boss' label laid on his work area, along with several other knick-knacks. But what caught her eye was the picture of her and Zane that was still on the right-hand side of the desk. Memories flooded through her, as she shook her head to focus on her task.

"Can I help you?" He looked up and saw her staring at him, with a lack of hostility that was normally shown on her face. "Rikki. I-"

"Listen, I need to talk to you." Her voice was rather solemn and quiet, without the usual characterized fiery tone and attitude that he had known her to have. He stopped glancing at the computer screen and gave his undivided attention to her. "I'm all ears."

There was a long and drawn out silence, tension burning between the two, before Rikki found the courage to speak up.

"So, I know things have been on and off between us, but I wanted to put things behind us." He nodded patiently, watching her movements intently. "So you want us to-" He began.

"No, I don't want us to get back together. But even so, I think there's a possibility that we could be friends." Rikki felt herself cringe as she said that. Despite the fact that she was coming out and giving him a chance, a part of her still didn't accept it, not after what he did.

He got up out of his chair and rushed to her side. "Rikki, I've wanted to hear that since the day we broke up. I know what I did was stupid and frankly, unforgivable, and I want to make it up to you. So maybe one day we can be more than friends."

Now this was the moment she'd been waiting for. "Actually, I do have something to ask of you."

Taking her hand, he smiled. "Anything."

From there, she told him about their circumstance- starting from when Ryan encountered Cleo at the graduation party, going on to mention Sophie's proposal to head to Mako again and assess the damage, and finishing by explaining how Ryan stole Will's information on Mako Island. When he asked what he could do to assist them, she went into detail about the plan they had formulated the day beforehand, and what role he would have in the overall plot.

"So, I have to ask Ryan and Sophie if I could come with them on their trip?" Zane clarified, looking to Rikki for confirmation. "What if they deny?"

"Well, tell them that you paid for the equipment they're using, so you deserve compensation. The least they could do is get you on board with it."

"I suppose so. And Lewis is going to come with us?"

"Yes, but he will only follow behind you guys, and make sure the coast is clear. When he's ready, he'll give the signal for us to block off the land and water entrances to the Moon Pool, while you stay with Ryan and Sophie. Worst comes to worst, you can try to distract them, but otherwise, I think this is foolproof."

"Wow, you three really thought of everything."

"What can I say? Mako is our home. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."

Can't let it fall into the wrong hands. The phrase rang through his mind, setting off ripples within an ocean of regret. There was a great amount that was left unsaid due to the countless ignorant mistakes he had made within the course of the year, much of which dealt with his and Rikki's relationship. Kissing Sophie, disregarding Rikki's mermaid issues, putting the café's needs above all else…

Destroying Mako….

He saw this as an opportunity to mend fences and fix all broken ties with his former girlfriend. He didn't express it openly, but their break up sparked a growing pain that resonated in his conscience, reminding him ever so often that he had been oblivious to the apparent deterioration of their relationship. The more and more he began to realize how uncomfortable their conversations had been following that fateful night, the more he realized he was responsible for it. Their connection had indeed fallen into the wrong hands, for it had fallen into his own.

Now it was in his hands once more, and he planned on setting things right.


"Did you find out what time they're leaving?"

"Yeah, Zane called them and asked. They're leaving at 6 and said they should be out by 8."

"And they're still heading out to look at the damage? Did they mention anything about the crystals?"

"As far as I know, they are still going out to get the crystals. Nothing has changed."

"And they really told Zane everything?"

"Yep. They really didn't have any reason not to trust him. As far as they know, he still wants in for the café, and has broken off ties with me."

"And we're heading there at 5?"

"Affirmative. Lewis will meet us at the Moon Pool when we know for certain that Ryan and Sophie aren't trying to get there early or something. Then we can begin sealing off the area."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, my shift's about to let out. Be sure to tell Bella after her rehearsal."

"Got it."


Lewis got his boat together, tossing in the necessities, all the while reflecting on his dream. No matter how many ways he tried to analyze it, he came back to the same nagging question- Was it real? Surely his mind couldn't have come up with such a vivid and incomprehensible situation. There was so much they didn't know, but yet, it seemed as if his dream provided a basis to explain things that he hadn't even considered beforehand- the connection between the crystals and the moon.

The explanation made sense, and was actually rather plausible. In his dream, it was a blue moon, and the crystals were providing some sort of energy to the moon that the moon reflected back as blue light, seemed simple enough. However, Cleo was also drained of her energy, which made him question if the energy in the crystals was the same magic that made her a mermaid. Maybe she had adapted to being a vessel of that magic. That would explain why she was fading, her physical form depended on the moon's power that coursed through her, but that was being pulled away from her by the crystals, which took and directed it to the moon. He could go as far as to say that it was a cycle- the moon stored energy from the crystals, on a full moon it redirected the energy to the crystals (and possibly the Moon Pool) and on certain occasions the moon draws the magic back, or receives excess from certain planetary alignments.

But this was based off of the assumption that the dream was indeed fact, or at least a look into a future outcome. He could have just imagined it out of paranoia, and considering Cleo was the person whom he cared most for, she would have been the most likely 'target' of his insecurities and fears. Ever since finding out that she, Bella and Rikki had to deal with a comet while he was away at the institute, he had been concerned that one day he wouldn't be there to help them if they were in danger, and that he'd be responsible if any damage was done. That might have been projected into his dream, that same feeling of helplessness that had washed over him.

He recalled the reoccurring dream he had back when he was dating Charlotte, of Cleo being discovered on a beach, and remembered when she was almost caught in public at the Marine Park hours later. While at the time he shrugged it off as a coincidence, he did occasionally wonder if the two events were connected in a way. If they were, then is it possible that his recent dream could become a reality? He really wasn't sure at this point, he would have to wait and see what happens next.

While lost in his thoughts, he heard someone coming up from behind him and jumped.

"Relax, it's only me."

"Zane, what are you doing here?" Lewis looked up at the brown eyed brunette, puzzled as to why Zane of all people would want to see him.

"Ryan and Sophie just asked me to check out the equipment on their boat, to make sure they have everything. I figured you'd be here, I haven't exactly had a conversation with you since you left, so I wanted to talk."

"Well, sure. Talk away." Lewis sat on the edge of the dock and ushered for Zane to come and sit beside of him, which he reluctantly did. To be honest, he didn't expect Lewis to act so casual, he had guessed that Rikki had ranted about how 'stupid and deceitful he had been during their relationship' to Lewis in an attempt to catch him up on what happened while he was away. With that in mind, and the fact that they hadn't formed the strongest bond before he had left, he had figured that he would have expressed more of a disliking to his friend's former boyfriend. However, he didn't seem phased. Perhaps his agreement to assist in their plan had redeemed him more than he originally thought it would.

"So, how was the institute? It must be great to work with colleagues on your level of education."

"It's pretty amazing, I'm not going to lie. However, it's incredibly cold, definitely a change from Australia. Even though it's summer here, it's winter there, so I'm using my winter break to visit. I met up with Emma once."

"Really? She came to visit?"

"She actually didn't know I was there. She was in New York at the time, and just happened to bump into me at a local café. We talked for a little while and I showed her my dorm, but she had to leave for Chicago the next day, so we didn't have much time to see each other."

"I don't suppose Cleo's been dying to visit for some time?"

"It's practically all she ever talks about when we video chat. I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up swimming over to New York for a visit one day."

There was a pause between the two, the sounds of the ocean echoing through the air. Lewis dared to speak up once more.

"How are things between you and Rikki? I kind of figured they'd be tense, but I didn't want to make any assumptions."

"They could be better, but we're working on it. I'm hoping we can put it behind us, and start over."

"Well, that's good. You two always were on and off. I'm sure that you'll get through it, you always do."

"Yeah, I suppose. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being there for the girls, and Rikki. I understand I can be ignorant at times, and I really didn't mean for it to go as far as it did. Just, look out for her, okay? While we're still trying to mend things."

"Alright, I will."

The two continued talking for some time, but eventually had to go back to their jobs, Zane going off to meet Ryan and Sophie at their boat to double check supplies and such, and Lewis driving off ahead of them towards Mako on his boat. Checking the time, he found it was quarter until 5, the four of them had agreed to meet up at the Moon Pool at 5. He sped through the water, and spotted the island. From there, he found a secluded landing spot for his boat, where he was sure Sophie and Ryan wouldn't find it unless they were intentionally looking for it, and jumped off the side, making the long trek to the Moon Pool. He silently prayed that everything would go as planned.