No one's POV
Within the seas, the animals swam away, sensing that there would be bloodshed as the Ares Tribe and the Mako Pod came swimming to each other, every one of them prepared to die in combat. The full moon shone brightly, the two societies surfacing as the cavalry from land also surfaced to face them. Cold stares and glances were exchanged but sorry looks as well.
"It's over mermaids!" Slade yelled. "I have dreamed of nothing else for years!"
"Oi." Rose muttered. "Does he need a hobby."
"Last chance Slade." Jacob said. "Go. Home."
"I am home!" Slade thundered smiling evilly. "Attack!"
Instantly, the mermen charged while Veridia yelled, "Seize the island!" The cavalry also charged each of them fighting to the last.
Cam and Carly arrived on land to attack the mermen on land while Carly just went helped the unit that treated the ones that were wounded as best as she could.
Veridia did her best to find the half blood so she could finally deal with her once and for all when Nerida got in her way.
"Veridia, have you gone mad?" She asked. "I will not tolerate this assault on the House of Moon!"
"Silence you fool!" Veridia snarled punching her in the face. "The Artemis Half and I have unfinished business to attend to. And this time, you will not interfere."
Veridia then got tackled by Thalassa herself, sending her plummeting in the sea floor. Thalie was about to deliver the final blow but she stopped.
I'm not like you Veridia. Thalie said mentally. My team's oath prevents from me from killing a living creature, human or mermaid. But I will do this. Without warning, she punched her in the face. That's for my dad. And she left, to join the others in battle.
Meanwhile, Zac was struggling to get dry and Helen noticed this so she used her powers to dry his tail faster and he got up with Erik and they both ran to the chamber.
Elsewhere, Mimmi fought her way through the mermen and mermaids and turned around, seeing Veridia swim at her. They both surfaced, facing each other.
"After years of gaining purity for all mermaids, the universe delivers you to me as an act of providence." Veridia proclaimed proudly.
"Please Veridia!" Zoe pleaded. "We don't have to fight! You have the power to end the war and stop what you are doing! You can help mermaids bond with mermen!"
"NO!" Veridia yelled. "Mermaids are the true creatures of the sea! I will not rest until all pods are pure of their filth!"
"So be it." Mimmi sighed, drawing her weapon and they both charged into battle.
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Rita's POV
On the shores of Mako…
I got dry and I used my powers to fight some mermen when I heard someone clear their throat.
"Hello Rita." Agni said to me.
"Agni." I said. "It's been a long time. 20 years to be accurate."
"You only came up when your daughter and her friends got my attention." He said to me. "And I was anxious to see you. After all, you never forget your first love."
"Speaking of that." I said, now playing my cards and getting our my chain. "How's your wife doing? Visited her in prison of late?"
"Ex-wife!" Agni exclaimed furious and yelling as he charged. Thank the moon Caesar and Jacob taught me self defense.
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Evie's POV
In the water…
I fought some mermaids and mermen here and there and even some mermen. I was about to make a strike when I was pulled aside by Persephone.
Evie what are you doing? She asked
What does it look like I'm doing? I snapped back through the underwater link
You can't be out here. She scolded. You don't have enough training.
Neither do Zac or you guys. I reminded her. Besides, you're going to need all the help you can get.
Evie it's too illogical. Persephone said exhasperated. You're gonna get yourself killed!
I can't abandon Zac! I exclaimed.
Are you willing to abandon your life? She asked me.
I stayed silent, wondering about my father and my friends. But this was a battle, a battle for all mermaids and mermen and the world itself. If I was gonna die, so be it. If I have to, yes.
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No one's POV
Raiden proved to be quite proficient with his arm blade gauntlets, using them with precision and deadly anticipation. He killed some mermen and mermaids here and there, but none too noticeable. He wasn't like the other girls who hadn't been in war, they just knocked them out. Powers or not, Raiden was so glad to have been forged into a warrior.
On Mako, things were getting heated up. Xhiva, Xandou and Cam were all out kicking butt.
"Whoa it's kind of getting dark." Xhiva muttered while he was running in the woods. "Wait. Let's use this!" He fished out his goggles which had night vision installed, got out his green and black bo staff and started twirling them around like a pro and attacking some of the mermen and Kanhoji. "Green staff of fury!" He yelled out.
Elsewhere, Xandou ran in a yellow blur, zipping past the soldiers, and punching them at supersonic speed. "SPEED IT UP!"
Meanwhile, Diablo had transformed into a full out wolf, his werewolf nature taken over and in control at once. "I LOVE BEING A WOLF!" He yelled out.
Cam had knocked out a few mermen but he managed to kick one in the nuts before delivering an uppercross punch.
While that happened, Carly was busy tending to the wounded. Surprisingly, even though she took the risk of getting killed while going into battle, no one made a move to attack her. She guessed that in a mer war, attacking a doctor was a big no no. She got out one of the potions that Mimmi concocted and rubbed it on mermaid's wound. "Now that's a chemical reaction!"
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Erik's POV
Near the merman chamber…
Me and Zac ran side by side to the merman chamber. I stopped him to tell him something.
"Zac if you want to back out now, I won't blame you." I said.
"I know." He said running in once the chamber door had already been open. And we went inside, to fight Slade.
Zac's POV
Once we entered the chamber, I signaled Erik to go invisible while I distracted Slade. But when I stepped to the glowing pillars, Slade was there, in still a helmet and leather clothing. He looked like one of those Berserkers from Viking history. Even on legs, he still could scare even a T Rex with the darkness emitting off him. His hand was over the pedestal and electricity was sparking in his fingertips.
"Son of Nerissa." He said not even looking up. "You've come sooner than expected."
I was intimidated by this bastard but I didn't show it. So I kept a stoic face. "I'm not a coward you murderer."
"A little irony in your sentence don't you think?" Slade asked. "You're related to murderers."
"It matters not." I said sharply, drawing out my portable spear. "The time has come to say goodbye Slade." I charged at him but he was 10 times more experienced than I was. But I couldn't give up, not then. I whistled, continuing to distract Slade, even though I landed a good kick on him. But my gut told me that he was just holding back.
I didn't see it, but Erik, who was still invisible charged at him without even making a sound. Somehow, Slade had eyes in the back of his head and grabbed Erik's spear, electrocuting it and him.
"Foolish boy." Slade snarled. "I taught you everything you know. You hold no surprises for me." He used his own powers to throw Erik across the room.
"What tricks do you have on your own since you have no powers?" Slade asked. I still charged at him but lightning coiled out of his arms and lifted me up and with electrifying pain, threw me to Erik. Slade made some big ball of lightning and threw it to us. I covered Erik to protect him but the lightning surrounded us, trapping us in some cage. I hesitantly picked up a spear and poked it but it ended up shocking me.
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Zoe's POV
In the sea…
The fight between me and Veridia was ferocious and I stopped because I had a vision of Zac fighting Slade and I felt pain, like no other. It was like I was being electrocuted from the inside.
Apparently noticing my hesitation, Veridia whipped me back, sending me down.
Come on Zac. I pleaded. Keep fighting.
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Esmeralda's POV
On Mako...
I fought my way, taking out some mermen and mermaids. I only had my sword.
"How you doing Esmeralda?" Persephone asked.
"I must confess." I said. "It feels like the first day of combat school."
"And yet you could not find another and bigger sword Esmeralda?" She asked, punching a guy.
"Sword?" I scoffed. "This is but my dagger. Duck." I used Persephone as springboard to side kick a merman.
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Jacob's POV
Out in the sea…
I had to admit, I kind of missed the adrenaline rush of a fight. It's a fish guy thing, so don't blame me for feeling the rush of a battle. It was more cooler because I had my friends.
Just like old times isn't it? I asked Phoebus.
Just like old times. He said straining to keep another's sword out of the way.
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Thalie's POV
I kept fighting and fighting until I started feeling weak. I looked over at Mako and I knew exactly what was going on. Slade had started the chamber and it would be a matter of time. So I whistled three times, that was the signal in case the chamber got started. The other Omegas following me, we swam to the moon pool but someone stopped us. I looked to the light and it was my aunt Nerida. My aunt agreed with me in many things but peace with mermen? Definitely no.
How could you do this Thalassa? She asked.
Leave this to me. I told the others. I'm sorry Aunt Nerida, I never meant to fall in love.
Love? My aunt scoffed. Mermaids are the sea! You turned your back on your sisters!
No. I said firmly. It is you who did that when you turned your back on your kind.
You were given a life of protection. She said stubbornly.
And you deny one of families and children. I said, blinking out tears, though I couldn't tell because of the seawater. Yes Aunt Nerida, we are mermaids and mermen. But we are men and women too.
I swam past her, the others following me, but that talk with my beloved aunt, would be the one I regretted the most.
Erik's POV
We tried getting out, well I tried getting out since Zac was pretty much useless. I fell back after the 5th time trying to get out. Slade had already put the stone inside the circle and the pool water was rising slowly
"Not working?" Zac whispered.
"No." I said back.
"Slade why are you cutting your arm?" Zac asked. "And why are you letting it pour in the center?"
"What does blood have to do with cleansing mermaids of their magic?" I asked confused.
"You don't seem to get it, Son of King Caesar." Slade said darkly. "I'm not cleansing magic. I'm cleansing the mermaids who don't have a drop of mermen blood in them."
The moonstone started to glow, very very brightly which meant that the chamber was being started up. Not a good thing.
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Rose's POV
In the moon pool…
We were all panicking and trying to stay on the ledge as the moon pool, as the water was being flushed down, like a toilet flushing.
"What are we gonna do?" Kimi asked.
"We have to keep fighting." Raiden said out loud, gripping on the ledge.
"How?" Helen asked.
"Raiden's right." I said hopefully. "We have to keep fighting."
But suddenly, the moon overhead lost it's silvery mystical glow and became a bright blood red. And I could feel myself getting angry at the mermaids but none of us could lose focus at the time
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Sirena's POV
In Mako…
During the lunar eclipse, I felt anger and hate course through my body, I had to use my chain to fight. I could feel the air getting tense as the battle continued. Suddenly this mermaid shone her moon ring and used it to blast me back, sending me hitting a rock wall.
The last thing I ever saw before darkness pulled me in, was the full moon shining red like blood.
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Zac'POV
In the merman chamber…
We watched in horror as the red moonstone glowed and Slade let his blood drip in the trident circle.
"Why would you want to kill mermaids and even mermen?" Erik asked. "You realize that 20% of the tribe are land people who became mermen right?"
Slade scoffed. "So be it. The time has come for a cleansing. Then we will clear the way for the strong and burn the weak blooded. Together we can change the world...as a family."
He finished adding the last drops of blood in the circle. I could only imagine what must have been happening to the others.
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Raiden's POV
In the moon pool…
Thalie continued to shine her moon ring in the sky to try to change the moon but it seemed it was absorbing her power. It was a good thing all of us were dry because it would have been embarrassing if all of us just flopped to the ground in tails. Then Thalie's moon ring was out of power and out of the blue, the girls started crying out and seizing in pain.
"It feels like I'm being burned from the inside." Helen said weakly. "And that's saying something
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Ondina's POV
All around me, mermaids and even some mermen started screaming and falling down in pain, and blotches of red started appearing on their skins.
"Mom!" I screamed running towards her. My mother wasn't doing so well.
"Ondina.." She breathed out. "Get your friends. We'll take care of it."
"No I'm not leaving you!" I exclaimed, holding onto her.
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Raiden's POV
In the moon pool…
"Come on guys!" I said to the mermaids withering in pain. "We can't give up!"
"How?" Kimi asked.
"The chamber is drawing the life from us." Thalie said. "Raiden, I love you."
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On the beach…
Rita's POV
I fell to the ground in pain and Agni stopped fighting me.
"What's happening?" He asked.
"The chamber is drawing the magic from the moon pool and from us." I said.
"What?" He asked shocked. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"
I raised my eyebrow at him. "You really thought this wouldn't happen? That he would allow you to take prisoners? You were a loyal dolphin back then and you're one now."
It took Agni a few seconds before he yelled out, "I'm pulling out of this!" And ran to the sea.
"COWARD!"
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Evie's POV
I withered in pain. The mermaid who was fighting me died because of this unknown force that was causing some of the mermaids and mermen pain. The pain was unlike anything I ever felt, like I was fighting the urge to vomit lava. I tried to move, but I blacked out, but not before I felt a searing pain in my leg.
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Zac's POV
In the chamber…
In the center of the red illuminated chamber. Slade stepped into the tower of water and began absorbing the energy into himself. How much power did that guy want? Even the pillars were glowing red. Every time I tried to get out or creep my hand out, the cage would shock me. Slade's lightning, it wasn't like Raiden's. My cousin's lightning compared to Slade, was controlled, steady and had emotion in it. But Slade's was just violent and brutal.
Erik tried to use his powers to open the cage but it was no use. He groaned. "My powers, it's not enough."
"Well then what do we do?" I asked.
Erik stood still for a minute before saying darkly, "I need your power." He turned to me, stretched his hand, and instantly, my throat started closing up and I could barely breathe. I felt like my lungs were gonna explode.
"Erik." I choked out, holding my throat. "What..what are you doing?"
"Killing you." He said. "I know your powers are in there somewhere, man up and reach to them."
"I...can't." I wheezed.
"You're not a little kid anymore." He said. "Grow up."
Inside me, something snapped. A massive tug in my gut erupted in me and I screamed, with my eyes glowing blue and sending out a massive wave of energy that sent us flying around and broke the electric cage.
I got up and reached for the stone, and it flew to me, after a little tug of war with Slade, and the tower of water began descending.
"What are you doing you fool?" He asked.
"Reversing the spell." I said. "Together we're stronger than you are."
"Stop!" He thundered trying to use his powers to get it back. Slade started to look like he was burning slowly. The tug of war that time, was an intense one. Every fiber of me was concentrated as a golden aura surrounded me, but I was pretty sure I was getting a nosebleed. Just in the nick of time, Erik grabbed onto my hand and he started concentrating really really hard. Slade screamed while still fighting. His skin was melting off into a bloody mess and he was turning into sand. "Stop fighting it. We share the same blood. We're the same." With both of us giving one last push, Slade erupted into a cloud of hellfire and disintegrated, and we were sent back by a wave of force. And the blood moon was the last thing I saw, before I took my last breath
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Raiden's POV
In the moon pool…
The moon pool water was coming back, but the blood moon was out and the girls were weakened. "Guys we have to fight." Helen said.
"How?" Rose asked. "We're weak."
"No that's what Slade wants you to think." I said, getting in the pool. "We're not weak. We're one people. We're all connected. Even to our elements."
"Raiden what's happening to you?" Kimi asked.
"What?" I asked before looking at my hands and my body. My body was surrounded by this purple aura, power rushing in my veins and the crackling feeling of lightning popping in me. I could feel my eyes change from blue to a glowing bright purple. I didn't see it but streaks of my hair changed to gold amongst my brown hair. I was back. "Let's do this, us 5 Omegas, as one energy.!" I raised my arms and a stream of lightning burst out, raising to the sky. It took a second before Thalie joined in, creating a jet of water that joined my lightning surprisingly well. Helen joined in, creating a tower of fire that joined us, Rose joined creating a tower of air and last Kimi joined creating an icy jet. All of our elements combined, creating a tower of pure white light that shot up to the moon and changed it from red to it's natural silver glow. We didn't see it but a wave of white light spread out all over Mako and the seas near it.
All of us were breathing heavily until Helen broke the silence. "Nice work guys."
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Zoe's POV
I didn't really pay attention to the changing moon and the effects, because I was catching my breath. I had just defeated the most feared mermaid of all time. But I held my posture, strong for all the mermaids.
"What…" Veridia asked weakly. "What did you do to me?"
"Let's just say that you can't hurt or threaten anyone else ever again." I said. "Oh by the way, nice legs."
And at that moment, I remembered my brother. "Zac!"
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Erik's POV
In the merman chamber…
I got up, shaking and I had a bit of a nosebleed. Some parts of my shirt was singed because of the lightning. I looked around the chamber, that was now back to normal with it's blue glow. I put my hands on my chest to see if I was really alive. I looked around and Slade was just a pile of ashes.
"Zac…" I breatehd out. "We did it!" I laughed. "I can't believe it, we beat him!" No response was heard. "Zac?" I looked over and I saw Zac lying perfectly still like was sleeping. But his chest wasn't rising. "No." I ran over and shook Zac. "No Zac!" But it was no use, my cousin...was dead.
"Zac?!" Thalie screamed stumbling over, Raiden and Zoe following suit. "No, Zac you are not doing this to me."
"Zac get up!" Raiden yelled shaking him and blinking out tears. "Please get up!"
"Don't you get it?" I breathed. "He's not getting up."
"Zac!" Jacob yelled out with Persephone following him. "No, not again! Not again."
"Don't give up Zac." Mimmi said shaking him. It wasn't until then that my mother noticed the stone that Zac was clutching. She picked it up and placed it on his heart with all of us placing our hands on it.
"Zac please." Thalie sobbed. "Don't leave me. Come back."
"Come on Zac." I breathed out. The stone glowed brightly and just when it seemed like he was gone for good, he opened his eyes to show that his irises were glowing a royal blue before fading back to light brown, and took a big breath.
"Whoa." He said.
"Zac!" Thalie screamed hugging him.
"And I call Raiden a bonehead!" I exclaimed.
We all looked at the stone which was dust, just like the past. He looked at all of us and said, "Well this isn't the kind of family reunion I expected."
We all laughed at his weak attempt to make a joke while Uncle Jay hugged his own son tightly. Like he would never let him go. "I thought you were a gonner, son."
Zac smiled and then his face became horrified as he got up and looked around the room. "Evie. Where's Evie?!"
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Zac's POV
I ran outside, or what you might have called the limping version of running. When we had defeated Slade, I had kind of twisted my ankle. So I ran to the beach, trying to find my girlfriend.
"Evie!" I yelled out. "Evie! Evangeline!" Near the end, I saw a girl in blue clothes lying facedown, perfectly still. "No." Fearing the worst, I ran towards my girlfriend and started shaking her. I used the last bit of strength I had to, to get her wet and in her tail. Still no response.
"No." I breathed out. My heart felt like it was being cut into a thousand pieces. The world around me stood still, with the hanging reminder that I had dragged Evie into this. "I did this. I killed my girlfriend." I sobbed uncontrollably onto her for what seemed like forever. "Oh Evie. I'm so sorry."
"Hey." A merman said out of the water. "I can help her." He used his powers with intense strength to drag her out of the water and I picked her up and pressed my head on her chest. Relief poured in my heart as I heard her heartbeat. Tired but beating away. "She's alive? SHE'S ALIVE!" I screamed in pure happiness. The merman looked at me contently as I looked into him through my teary eyes. "Thank you...for saving my love."
But a blond merman came up, looked at her, and said kind of worried,
"Well, you know, most of her."