"No! Please Rikki wake up! Open your eyes and say this was just some stupid joke." Zane shook Rikki. But she didn't open her eyes.
"Zane, it's over. She is… you know… death." Lewis said quietly, trying to comfort Zane.
Cleo ran towards Lewis and started crying in his arms. Lewis tried to comfort her with his whispering, but her waterfall of tears kept coming. Bella sat quietly in Will's arm, staring to nothing.
It was quiet in the cave. Nobody dared to move or say anything.
A few hours later they took Rikki's body back to the mainland, they brought to her father. He started crying when he saw her. He even didn't get the chance to say goodbye, but he was also glad in some way that Rikki didn't die alone. That she was surrounded by people she loved and that loved her.
A week later, there was the funeral. It was at the beach. Terry told it was Rikki's wish that her ashes would be scattered into the ocean. When Lewis opened the urn and the ashes were scattered, Bella read a little text in name of the entire group.
"Rikki, when we first met, you said to me: there is no such thing as magic, but that's not true. You were magic to me. The way you took care of people was magic: you never wanted any help yourself, but were always the first to help another. You helped and saved me in more than one way. You saved all of us in one way or another.
And how stubborn, ironic or angry you could be, you were still a true friend. Because every action you did, every word you said, every emotion you felt…" Bella stopped reading and sniffed. She took her handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
"I'm sorry." She apologized like she had committed a serious crime, but quickly continued. "Because every action you did, every word you said, every emotion you felt,… you did, said or felt with your heart and your soul. You meant it all and that is what true friends do.
You said once you felt free when you were at our special spot. Now you're free forever. We can only hope you're happy up there. Take care Rikki. We'll miss you, my friend. Every day."
Afterwards Terry went to Bella. "That was a beautiful farewell. Thank you for doing this, all of you." he said, while he also looked at the others. They nodded.
"What are you going to do now?" Emma asked.
"I don't know." Terry answered. "Since there's nothing to keep me here anymore, I think I'm gonna travel. It has always been Rikki's dream to travel and see the world. So I think I'm gonna live her dream. It the last thing I can do for her." He smiled when he remembered something. "Last year she said she had found the perfect way of travelling, but she has never told me, what way that was. But I guess I'll never know what that was." He tried to smile.
But the girls did smile when they heard this, they had a pretty good idea of what that way of travelling might be.
That evening, Emma, Cleo and Bella were sitting in Cleo's bedroom. Sam had brought them some food and drinks and promised them that she'd keep Kim and Don away so the girls had some privacy.
At a certain moment Emma started talking. "You know, I've been thinking about what Mr. Chadwick said. Cleo, do you remember our first days of being a mermaid?"
Cleo nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"While we were worrying about the consequences of our transformation, Rikki was thinking about the possibilities. We could swim all the way to Fiji, she said back then. Maybe we can do the same thing as Mr. Chadwick. Maybe we can also leave a little part of her dream and go to Fiji, but not by plane. We should go how Rikki would have went, by swimming. What do you think?"
Bella smiled immediately. "I think it's a great idea. I think it's a good way of saying goodbye to Rikki."
Cleo nodded also. The girls went to bed and woke up early the next day.
They knew what to do. The girls called Lewis, Will and Zane and explained their plan. The boys agreed that this was something they definitely had to do. So that day, the girls swam all the way to Fiji, explored some parts of the island and went back home that evening.
It was their way of saying goodbye and they thought they had done it pretty well.
Rikki's POV
I knew it. (Am I a good or what? Hey, you can't blame me for bragging: I'm still me!)
I knew they'd be okay. They're okay because they have each other.
We've always been protected by the magic: the magic of mermaids and the magic of friendship and love. THAT is what has made us strong enough to keep our secret. That is what has made us strong enough to pull through, no matter what. Not even Denman, Charlotte or Sophie could break us apart.
And that is what them ALWAYS will keep together, to pull through. Not even this, could break them apart.
Oh, and before I forget: thanks dad, for living my dream.
And thank you guys: for the best goodbye-party you could ever give me. Thank you for loving me and missing me. Thank you for supporting my dad and to help him with my funeral. Thank you for swimming to Fiji. And thank you for all those other things you've ever did for me and that I now forget to mention.
I wish you all the best. That you all may find love and friendship. That you all may live long, happy and healthy. That you all just may stay the way you are: true friends.
Hallo and Goodbye. To you all.
- The End –
AN: So this was my story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it review, please. Maybe then (if I have time, because I'm gonna go to college soon) I'll keep writing. If you think there were too many language errors in the story and you think I should use a Beta Reader, tell me also!
Bye. – x –