Emma, Cleo, and Lewis froze. They recognized the voice that was coming from behind them. They slowly turned around.

"RIKKI!" they screamed. Emma and Cleo jumped in the moon pool and hugged their best friend. Lewis just stood on the edge of the moon pool speechless.

"We thought you were dead!" Emma said. She could her feel her tail forming.

"We are so sorry for yelling at you!" Cleo said. Her tail was also forming.

"This feels like a dream," Emma said, half-crying. Rikki looked happy hugging her friends again but she seemed uncomfortable with the crying.

"It isn't a dream," she said. "I am alive. No one can keep Rikki down."

"Wait," Lewis said. The three mermaids looked up at their best friend. "You didn't try to kill yourself."

"No," Rikki said, looking confused. But then her face showed surprise. "Wait. Is that what that crazy Sellwood guy is saying I did?" The others nodded. Rikki got angry and hit the side of the cave. "That jerk."

"Huh?" Cleo asked. Rikki was about to explain when a sharp pain shot up her tail.

"Ouch," she said. Lewis looked concern.

"What happened?" he asked, stepping into the water to pull Rikki closer to him.

"I cut my tail on a rock when I fell off Libertas's Mountain," she said as she slowly made her way to Lewis. "I wasn't able to stop the bleeding but I did put some gauze on it from the first aid kit you put in here." She got to the edge of the moon pool, where Lewis pulled her up on dry land. On her tail, they could see the gauze that was amaturely wrapped around the wound. "I can't really swim very well with it. But whenever I become human again, it hurts like I sprained it."

"Which leg?" Lewis asked as he carefully removed the gauze.

"Right one," Rikki said, weakly. "It hurts less when I'm in the water."

"Uh, Cleo," Lewis said. "Keep Rikki wet while I tend to her wound." Cleo nodded and started to spray water on Rikki with her powers.

"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Emma said, still in the moon pool. Rikki nodded and took a deep breath.

"Well, that Sellwood guy wanted to get revenge on my mum by killing me. He had taken revenge on other women who had broken his heart too. He lured me to Libertas's Mountain and ponted a gun at me. Then it started to rain and 7 seconds after it started I jumped, head-first, into the water. About half-way down I transformed and cut my tail on a rock."

"Your mermaid form probably protected you from more damage," Lewis said as he looked up from Rikki's tail. "Like a fish that jumps out of the water really high and lands in the water unharmed." Rikki rolled her eyes.

"OUCH!" Rikki screamed. Lewis had started to sew up the wound.

"I'm sorry but I have to make sure it stops bleeding," he said. "The wound is pretty deep." Rikki sighed.

"Yeah, but I don't feel comfortable with you sewing my tail up, Lewis," she said. "You aren't a doctor."

"Yes but can you think of anyone who can fix it?" he asked. Rikki shook her head and continued with her story.

While falling, I felt free. I knew I could swim away. But when my head hit the water, I gasped in pain as water rushed into my mouth. I tried to swim but the pain was so bad. I could barely move it. I tried to kick as hard as I could but I couldn't go anywhere. There was nothing for me to grab on to. The current was too strong it was pushing everything towards the cliff. Myself, some seaweed, a silver fish. All I needed was a push and I could escape but there was nothing. I couldn't...

But then I felt something pushing against my fin and I pushed. It was enough to get far away from the rocks and I swam as fast as I could, trying to forget the pain in my tail. I finally made it to Mako and I pulled myself onto the edge of the moon pool and grabbed the first aid kit. Then I wrapped the gauze around my tali to stop the bleeding as best as I could. After that, I tried to just survive. I ate the emergency food we left here and I kept my tail as still as I could. After about a day, I tried walking on two feet. It hurt too much so I stuck with the water.

Then, today, I heard people coming down into the cave so I went to the bottom of the moon pool. Then I saw a metal box come down and I ducked out of the way just in time. I opened up and saw all these pictures of you guys and me and things that I guess described my personality. So I surfaced and heard everything you guys said about me. I was touched but I decided to stop you guys before you became too mushy.

"Oh Rikki," Cleo said as she stopped spraying Rikki with water. She hugged her best friend.

"Okay, Cleo," Rikki said. "You can stop. You know I'm not a huge fan of that mushy stuff." Cleo looked sheepish, whispered softy, and continued to spray the water.

"We are so glad your safe," Emma said, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," Rikki said, though she looked happy to hear that.

"Well, once Sellwood is gone," Lewis said, still sewing up the wound, "you can come out and tell everyone you weren't dead."

"No," Rikki said. The others looked at her. "Sellwood needs to go to jail. He's killed other kids our age. All out of rage. He needs to be stopped. Plus, I wasn't the last kid on that list. There is one more. Some boy in America. We need to stop him before that kid is killed too." Cleo nodded in agreement.

"Rikki's right," she said. "This man sounds crazy and dangerous. He needs to be stopped."

"But how are we going to stop him?" Lewis asked. He tied off the stitch and cut off the excess string. "Okay, Rikki. You need to be careful. Let yourself dry naturally." Rikki nodded in understanding and Lewis started drying her off with a towel while Cleo stopped spraying her with water.

"We'll think of something," Rikki said. "But for now, no one can know about this. Not my dad, not your parents, and especially not Zane."

"But-" Cleo began but Rikki cut her off.

"The less who know about me being alive, the easier it will be to put this guy in jail." All of a sudden, she winced in pain as she transformed into her human self.

"Right now, though," Lewis said, "you guys need to be heading home. I'll make sure Rikki is comfortable. We'll move her tomorrow."

"But-" Cleo said again but Lewis once again cut her off.

"You told your parents you would come home tonight so I suggest you go. Just make sure you look sad." Cleo and Emma looked like they wanted to argue but they decided against it. They hugged Rikki one last time and swam off. After they left, Rikki turned to Lewis.

"Lewis," she said. Lewis had his back to her as he gathered supplies to make Rikki's sleep comfortable. He mumbled in acknoledgement. "You know, those fish scales in that bag from the box aren't mine. They're silver. My scales are tan." Rikki laughed as she saw Lewis hitting his head against the cave wall in annoyance with himself.

So many of you knew Rikki wasn't dead and you were right. I would never kill Rikki. She's my favorite. Anyway, sorry if the whole wound thing and broken tail thing doesn't fit with real life. This is a fanfiction about mermaids so reality is a little skewed already. Anyway, review.

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