There is so much Backwards talking in this chapter I'm just going to write it Forwards. Also, Zatanna's mother, Sindella, has a flashback of Giovanni so whatever they say is actually in Italian.

Zatanna refers to the God of the Sea as Neptune, not Poseidon, because she's from Rome and Neptune is the Roman equivalent of Poseidon.


Zee of the Sea

Chapter 6:

Zatanna lay in her hibernation cave as her strength was renewed...

Zatanna swam through the water of the telepathic plane every mermaid's consciousness went while hibernating. She swam around as she searched for other mermaids. There. Right in front of her. Was her mother!

"Mother?" she called.

Sindella turned around and saw her daughter. They swam to each other and hugged.

"My child, you're safe," she said "What's happened?"

"Mother, I fell in love with someone I trust my name with!" Zatanna exclaimed "His name is Dick Grayson,"

"That's not a mermaid name," said Sindella.

"Mother... he's human," said Zatanna, turning from her and hugged her arms "I imprinted on him, my nails turn violet when I think of him,"

"I'm not one to judge, your father was human after all," said Sindella, turning her daughter to face her "Come, the rest of our tribe await,"

Zatanna followed her mother to a coral reef where the voices of mermaids came from. There was a collection of mermaids having a party while they hibernated in the real world. Zatanna looked around and saw an old friend.

"M'gann!" she exclaimed.

"Zee!" M'gann exclaimed.

They hugged as the friends were reunited.

"You can call me Zatanna, M'gann, it's my true name," said Zatanna "I imprinted on the one I told,"

"Eek! That's so exciting! Where is he? Are you hibernating next to each other?" M'gann asked, looking behind her.

"He's not hibernating, he's human," Zatanna explained "His name's Dick and he's guarding my hibernation place,"

"Ooh! What's with your family and falling in love with humans?" M'gann asked "C'mon, we need a harpist!"

M'gann pulled Zatanna through the water and sat her down on some coral. As Zatanna strummed the harp, she couldn't help but think of Dick. She felt like she had known him for her entire 190 years of life when they had only known each other for 2 weeks.

XxX

Zatanna sat on the top of the coral reef and combed her long black hair. She never felt more separated from her tribe. She missed Dick and she had no idea how long it would take for a month to be up since she had no perception of time. Zatanna tossed the comb away and lay back, looking upwards with her arms crossed behind her head. She started to think about what to do when the micro-trackers were off her. Would she return to the ocean? Or stay on land with Dick? And, what about Italy? She had lived her life off the coast of Rome, could she really leave that?

Zatanna started to swim away from the coral reef where her tribe was spending the Hibernation Month. She went to where there was nothing but ocean and sand. She started to think about her future with Dick. Zatanna lay against the sand and began to count the pros and cons. The Hibernation Month was usually a month long celebration but she didn't feel like partying.

"Dear Neptune, what am I meant to do?" she said as she ran her hand over her face.


In the real world, light began appearing on Zatanna's shoulders and the right side of her torso. She rolled over from being curled up to being stretched out.


"Zatanna?" called Sindella as she looked for her daughter.

Zatanna sat up off the ground and swam over to meet her mother.

"What is it, Mother?" she asked.

"Oh, Zatanna, I was worried you had woken up early," said Sindella, taking her hand "Come, we should return to the reef,"

"No!" Zatanna exclaimed, pulling her hand out of her mother's grip.

She turned away, her arms crossed and her hair flowing around her to hide her. She gently flapped her fins to keep herself in place in the water.

"Zatanna? What's wrong, my child?" Sindella asked.

"Mother, I'm in love with Dick but, not only does he live on land, he lives in America. What can I do when I'm free to leave?" Zatanna turned to her mother "I don't want to leave him but I couldn't possibly leave the Italian sea forever. What should I do?"

Zatanna swam into her mother's arms and began to cry, though she couldn't tell.

"Zatanna... my child... let me tell you how I met your father," said her mother, lifting her chin to look at her "182 years ago..."


...182 years ago...

Italy, Rome

Sindella lay in the water, half-dead, with a spear through her tail. She floated on the surface without the strength to dive down. Her red blood leaking out of her beautiful white tail. Sindella's long blonde hair floated around her.

"Hello?" someone shouted "Are you hurt?"

Sindella turned her head towards the shore and saw the silhouette of a man. He ran through the water towards her.

"A... mermaid?" the man gasped.

Sindella looked up at him and tried to swim away. She shrieked as she splashed around until the man took hold of her.

"Don't worry, I'll help you!" the man said "My name is Giovanni Zatara, I'll take you to safety,"

Giovanni picked her up bridal style and walked back over to the beach.


"He saved my life," Sindella said "and, 2 years later, we had you,"

Zatanna floated onto the ground and curled up, trying to think of what to do.


Zatanna opened her eyes in the hibernation cave. She was suddenly hundreds of miles away from her tribe back at the Italian coast. She sat up and let out a sonar. Zatanna was disoriented from being asleep for a month. She squeezed out of the cave, forgetting to turn human to escape, and swam out of the tunnel.

She swam out into the river and examined herself. Her tail was now violet with golden tips and a violet short-sleeved t-shirt with loose sleeves with golden bands around her upper and lower arms. Zatanna looked at her hair to see violet streaks in it and spiral patterns on her upper arms (though she couldn't see it, she had on on the right side of her waist). Her fins were now pointed rather than round. She couldn't believe it! She had had a mermaid metamorphosis. So... what new powers did she have?

Zatanna swam up and hurled herself onto the side of the river. She flicked her hair and turned around. To her horror, Klarion and Vandel were there with men in black and guns. She looked to see Dick tied to a tree.

"Zatanna! Dive!" he exclaimed.

"I wouldn't recommend it, Zatanna," said Vandel and he raised his hand.

A gun was pointed at Dick's head and Zatanna shrieked in despair.

"No! Don't!" she cried "Please... don't..."

She collapsed onto the ground and began to cry. Vandel grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up.

"We've been camping here for 5 days waiting for you to resurface," he said "Put her in the tank,"

Some of the gunned men picked her up and put her in a glass box then sealed it. Zatanna could barely move in it and she began to feel claustrophobic.

"No! Zatanna!" Dick shouted, trying to break free from the rope.

A black cloth was put over the box and the goons picked it up. Dick watched in horror as they carried it away with Zatanna inside.