Here's your Christmas present to you all! I figured this would be the perfect time to update!

Enjoy!


Chapter 11

Lessons

The three green stingrays were almost to Atlantis when they got lost…again. After swimming through the Panama Canal three times and doing two laps around the Gulf of Mexico, the evil trio was getting closer to their destination. Too bad all three of them had a lousy sense of direction.

"I told you we should have turned south after passing Cuba," said one of the stingrays.

"Then we would have been going to Antarctica!" argued another.

"Well now we're too far north thanks to you!" the leader squawked.

"What kind of idiot sinks a ship in the middle of scenic nowhere?" asked the second stingray.

"The kind of idiot who doesn't watch where they're going!" squawked the third member.

The leader of the trio noticed where they were and started to panic. "You dunderheads! We gotta vamoose! This is sacred ground!" he exclaimed. The other two turned and saw that they were floating in the middle of the Titanic shipwreck. For shipwrecks that had a great loss of life, they were considered sacred ground in respect for the dead (humans and merfolk alike). Of course, keeping it sacred was difficult since treasure hunters from the surface were constantly coming and looking for loot.

The three swam away before anyone knew they were there.

"At least we know we're close," said the leader.

"Do you realize that we're going the wrong way again?" asked the third member.

The leader of the trio cursed before turning around and swimming in the opposite direction.

~0~0~0~

Daniel and Tucker stared blankly at what was on TV. They didn't understand the concept of the program they were watching.

"So, why does the bearded guy want beat up the bald guy?" Daniel asked Valerie.

"To get prize money and championship title," Valerie explained.

"Why does it take several rounds for that to happen?" asked Tucker.

"They basically fight till one of them drops."

"And the championship title is in the form of a belt?" asked Daniel.

"More or less," Valerie replied. "I'm still learning about this sport so I don't have all the answers."

"We don't get it," the boys said simultaneously.

Valerie was showing the boys a wrestling match to help them get a better understanding of the sports world (and maybe protect them from being beaten up by the athletes).

Valerie sighed. "Forget it. Just watch," she said.

Meanwhile, Clockwork was giving Sam some lessons on the ways of merfolk. Sam was desperately trying to tap into her dormant magical powers but had little success.

"Let's try this again," Clockwork told Sam. He held up his blue hand. "Lucerna." A bright light then encompassed his hand.

Sam had to squint her eyes to see Clockwork. She held up her hand and tried to do the same. "Lucerna!" she exclaimed. Nothing happened. The Goth frowned.

"And this will help me how?" she asked.

"This is one of the most basic of spells," Clockwork explained as he extinguished the light in his hand. "It's one of the first spells merfolk learn as guppies."

That took a hit in Sam's pride. "What?! You mean these spells are for rookies?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Clockwork was unfazed by Sam's outburst. "If you don't learn a few simple spells then you'll be as defenseless as a newborn guppy," he explained to the Goth. "We all had to learn these spells."

"Not at twenty-two!" Sam argued.

"Well, you are the first human-turned-mermaid in centuries so naturally you have to start from the basics," Clockwork countered. "Otherwise you won't last a week under the sea."

Sam released a frustrated growl and stomped out of the study. She went into the living room where her friends were watching wrestling on TV.

"Danny, you want to go for a dip? I need to cool off," Sam grumbled.

"Please! I don't think I'll ever understand this sport," said Daniel.

Valerie rolled her eyes. "You merfolk need to learn more sports."

~0~0~0~

"Rough day learning magic?" Danny asked Sam as they swam along the ocean floor.

"You have no idea," Sam groaned. "I couldn't even get a single spark to appear."

Danny scratched his head. "Funny. Usually the light spell is the easiest one to master," he muttered.

Sam moaned. "Don't you start too."

Danny realized what he said and immediately tried to take it. "Th-that's not what I meant! I meant that I find it unusual that you were unable to do magic!" he said hurriedly.

Sam couldn't help but smile. The way Danny always panicked whenever he thought he said something wrong was something Sam thought was rather cute about him.

"Relax," Sam assured him. "Forget about it. I'm just frustrated that I can't do this magic thing."

Danny thought about it for a moment. "Well, do you have every characteristic of a mermaid?" he asked.

"Besides a tail, I'm pretty sure I've got everything," Sam answered.

"Scales?"

"My legs are covered in them, along with other parts of my body," Sam replied.

"Gills?"

"Check."

"Ears?"

"Check."

"Webbed hands and feet?"

"Check for hands, check for feet."

"Forearm fins?"

"And check," said Sam as she held up her forearms for Danny to see.

Danny held his chin and started to think. Why wasn't Sam able to perform magic? Everyone back home could do it. Danny had been able to do it since he was a little guppy (a baby merman that could do magic without reciting any spells made his playful behavior rather unpredictable).

"Is this normal for other girls?" asked Sam.

"If you mean for human girls, no. You're the first human-turned-mermaid in centuries," said Danny.

"Yeah. Clockwork said something about that. Are you thinking about asking him about this?" Sam asked. Danny gave her a blank look. Then Sam remembered, "Right. Not the most reliable in the advice department."

"Maybe we should ask Chuck," Danny suggested. "He knows a lot about our culture."

"You think Mr. Doyle might have some answers?" Sam asked her boyfriend.

"Don't know. That's why we have to ask and see."

Danny then took Sam's hand and the two swam towards the surface, hoping Charles Doyle might have some answers.

~0~0~0~

Dick looked at the events that were yet to happen. Everything was as it should be. Daniel was going to ask Samantha an important question. All four young adults were going to graduate. And some celebrity from Los Angeles was going to do something scandalous.

Deciding to take a break, Dick left his study to get dinner started. He entered the living room when he stumbled upon the sight of Tucker and Valerie making out on the couch.

"Hey! HEY!" Dick barked, breaking up the make-out session. "None of that in my house! Quit that!"

"Yikes!" Tucker yelped. "Didn't hear you come out of the study, Clockwork."

Dick glared at the Cecaelia. "You two can do that in your own homes but not in mine," he growled.

"Sorry, Mr. Tock," Valerie apologized.

Dick rolled his eyes as he continued to the kitchen. "Children these days have no self-control," he murmured.

~0~0~0~

Sam and Daniel made it to the boardinghouse where Sam and Valerie stayed. It was a simple, two-story house. The interior had a 1950s décor, something the landlord fancied.

As the two walked toward Mr. Doyle's room, an explosion was heard from one of the rooms, scaring Daniel.

Sam rolled her eyes and banged on the door to the room where the explosion originated. "Jimmy! How many times does the landlord have to tell you? No experiments in your room!" she shouted. "I'm not going to bed to the sound of you two arguing again!"

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Does this happen often?" he asked his girlfriend.

"You have no idea," Sam answered.

Charles Doyle poked his head out of his room. "Is that fudge-head doing experiments in his room again?" he asked.

Sam turned and faced Doyle. "Yeah. What he's doing specifically, I don't know."

"Whatever it is I hope it doesn't get the EPA's attention again," said Doyle. He then noticed that Sam brought someone who wasn't Valerie. He frowned at Daniel. "Fenton," he greeted with narrow eyes.

Daniel stared right back at Doyle, eyes also narrowed and glowing bright green. "Doyle," he greeted back.

Sam decided to intervene before things got ugly. "Okay! Mr. Doyle, we need to speak with you," she said hurriedly. Doyle let out a 'hmph!' before allowing the two to enter his room.

Daniel's eyes widened as he took in Charles's room. "Holy cow! He's got more books than the college library!" he exclaimed.

"Would you believe me if I told you that half of these books are supposed to go to the Skulk and Lurk?" Sam asked her boyfriend.

Daniel's jaw dropped. "And why aren't they at the Skulk and Lurk?" he asked exasperatedly.

"It's my store, my books, and therefore, I decide what books should be sold," Doyle retorted. He motioned for the two to sit down. He offered them something to drink but both declined. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?"

Sam decided to get down to the point. "I'm having trouble performing magic," she said bluntly.

Doyle lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Do you have everything besides the tail?"

Sam recalled the list of characteristics needed for the transformation. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure," she answered.

Doyle glared at Daniel, thinking he had something to do with it. The young merman put his hands up in front of him. "Don't look at me. I have nothing to do with this," Daniel defended.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong, Mr. Doyle?" asked Sam.

Charles thought long and hard about it. He turned around and, with a crook of his finger, summoned a book from a large pile. He flipped through it until he found what he was looking for.

"Here it is," he announced. "'Transforming a Human into a Mermaid'," he read.


What will it take for Sam to perform magic like her boyfriend? Wait and see!

Merry Christmas, my loyal readers, followers, etc. and a Happy New Year!