Berri and Michael were currently watching King Lester's advisor and royal composer, a whale named Willy practice playing his violin. As Willy finished playing, Berri, Michael and the other mercreatures of Subtropolis clapped for him.
Willy smiled and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you, thank you. I'm glad that my practice is paying off." He spoke to the crowd.
Berri giggled a little bit. "It sure is, Willy! You could potentially win a music contest with such a beautiful piece like the one you just played for us!" She said with a smile as she and Michael swam up to Willy.
Michael smiled and nodded in agreement. "Berri's right, Willy. You should enter a contest with such a beautiful piece of music. I bet you'd have a good chance of winning." He added.
Willy chuckled at that. "Thanks, guys. I'm pretty confident about my chances of winning with this piece of music as well. There isn't really a music contest going on anywhere in or around Subtropolis at the moment though, so alas." He replied.
Suddenly, a mailman Mergoat proceeded to swim up to the group. "Excuse me, I have a letter adressed to Willy the Whale." He said to the group.
Berri, Michael and Willy turned to the Mergoat mailman. "Willy the Whale would be me." Willy replied to him.
"Oh, great. Here's your letter, sir." The Mergoat mailman replied with a smile as he handed the letter to Willy. Willy opened the letter and began to read it.
"Holy mackerel! I've been invited to represent Subtropolis for the Eurofishing Song Festival in New Clam City!" Willy exclaimed in excitement as he read through the letter.
Berri squealed happily and clapped her hands. "Congratulations, Willy~!" The Mermunk princess exclaimed.
As Willy continued to read through the letter, Willy was shocked. "What?! It's today around 5 PM?! Why couldn't you have delivered this letter to me earlier?!" He asked the Mergoat mailman.
"Sorry, I got lost." The Mergoat mailman sheepishly replied before he swam off again.
"Oh, brother...Looks like I'm going to have to swim really fast to get to New Clam City in time for the Song Festival..." Willy sighed.
"Can Michael and I come? We don't want to leave you all by yourself!" Berri asked Willy.
"We'll have to ask King Lester, but if he gives his approval, then yes, you two can come." Willy nodded.
"Okay, you two go ask King Lester. I'll ask my parents if it's fine with them." Michael replied before he sped off like a torpedo into the city. Willy gave Berri a nod, and the two of them swam towards the palace before going inside and heading to the throne room, where King Lester was sitting on his throne.
"Father, father! Willy has big news!" Berri told her father excitedly.
King Lester raised an eyebrow. "Really, huh? And what would that news be?" He asked as he looked at Berri and Willy.
"Your Majesty, I have been invited to represent Subtropolis for the Eurofishing Song Festival, and Berri and Michael wanted to come. Is that fine with you?" Willy asked King Lester.
King Lester smiled at that. "Of course Berri and Michael can come. In Michael's case, it's fine if his parents are fine with it." He replied. Suddenly, Berri's shellphone began to zoom.
"That should be him. Let's find out." Berri giggled before she answered her shellphone. "Hello, Michael?" She said as she answered.
"Hey, Berri. Listen, my parents are fine with it. How's things on Willy and your end?" Michael asked.
"Father is fine with it if your parents are fine with it. Looks like we can come with Willy." Berri replied with a smile.
"Alright, then I'm coming to the palace right away! See you soon!" Michael replied before hanging up the phone.
Berri then put away her shellphone again. "Michael's parents are fine with it as well." She told King Lester with a smile.
King Lester nodded. "Alright, then that's settled. Good luck in New Clam City. Be sure to show your best musical side, Willy." He told his advisor and royal composer.
Willy nodded and bowed to the king. "I will, Your Majesty. I'll make Subtropolis proud." He replied with a smile before him and Berri swam towards the palace exit, where Michael was waiting for them.
"Well, are you two ready to go?" Michael asked Berri and Willy with a smile.
"We sure are, Michael! Let's get going!" Berri replied as she, Michael and Willy proceeded to leave for New Clam City. After swimming for a while, Berri stopped and looked up at the surface. Michael and Willy stopped to do the same thing.
"Hey, look. There's, like, a storm going on above the surface." Berri said, pointing up to the surface.
"Yeah, you're right. Looks kinda dangerous..." Michael remarked as he looked up to the surface, scratching his head.
"It's best if we stay down here. I can't imagine what things such a storm can do to merpeople such as ourselves if we go to the surface." Willy replied.
"I'm going up there. I'm curious about what's going on up there right now." Berri replied as she began to swim up to the surface, despite Michael and Willy yelling at her to come back. Seems Berri was a bad listener at times.
Willy sighed. "She never listens, doesn't she?" He asked Michael.
"Yep..." Michael sighed as well. "Come on, we gotta get up there and get her back down here before she gets badly injured." He added before him and Willy followed Berri up to the surface.
Berri then proceeded to reach the surface, and she looked around, seeing the sea water in high waves and the sky filled with dark clouds as thunder and lightning roared in the sky and the wind raged on.
"Wow, this storm is a lot more serious than I thought..." Berri remarked before Michael and Willy reached the surface as well.
"Berri, you gotta get back down there! The surface is no place to hang out during a storm as serious as this!" Michael told Berri.
"The kid's right, young lady. This ain't no place to hang out during a storm." A male voice behind the three replied.
"Who said that?" Berri asked, turning to the source of the voice. In front of her, Michael and Willy flew a white albatross.
"I did. Name's Owen the Albatross. I'm an experienced bird around these parts." The albatross replied.
"Well, where are we?" Berri then asked Owen.
"You're currently in the Great Ship Graveyard. This is where a lot of sailors and their ships tend to meet their demise because of the heavy storms around these parts. Take a look around you. All these shipwrecks came here as a result of the heavy storms such as this one." Owen explained to her.
"Gee, that's terrible..." Berri remarked.
"Yep. Well, the storm's getting worse, so I gotta get out of here. Adios!" Owen replied before flying off again. As soon as Owen left, Berri looked to her right, seeing a ship crashing into a bunch of rocks, after which a few sailors aboard the ship proceeded to fall into the water and they fell unconscious.
Berri gasped at the sight of this. "Oh no! We gotta get those drowning sailors to safety!" She exclaimed.
"Berri, those are surface dwellers! Do you know what surface dwellers do to sea dwellers like us?" Willy replied.
"I don't care! They don't deserve to meet their demise like this! Now come on and help me get these surface dwellers to safety!" Berri replied as she began to swim towards the drowning sailors. Michael followed her, and Willy sighed and began to follow as well.
"Come on, we gotta get them into that boat over there!" Berri said as she, Michael and Willy began to put the unconscious sailors into a nearby rowing boat.
"Alright, now let's get out of here before the storm starts getting even more serious!" Willy told Berri as he dove back under the water, with Berri and Michael doing the same thing. Right after the trio had left, one of the sailors regained his consciousness and saw his ship sinking.
"Alright, now that that's taken care of, we can get to New Clam City and get to your Song Festival, Willy." Berri said with a smile as the trio began to swim towards New Clam City.
A little more swimming later, Berri, Michael and Willy finally arrived in New Clam City. "Alright, we made it! Now we just gotta get over to the New Clam City Stadium where the Song Festival is being held!" Willy said as the trio quickly made their way over there.
A gray furred Mercat with green eyes and a dark blue fishtail was waiting at the main entrance of the New Clam City Stadium. "What's taking Mr. Willy the Whale so long? The Eurofishing people won't be happy if he's late..." The Mercat sighed before he noticed Willy coming his way with Berri and Michael.
"Oh! There he is, with Princess Berri and another companion, no less!" The Mercat exclaimed as the trio stopped in front of him.
"Sorry, sir. Are we late?" Willy asked the Mercat.
The Mercat shook his head. "No, just in time. The first round of the Song Festival is about to begin." He informed him.
"Then let's hurry." Berri replied as the group entered the Stadium.
As the Song Festival began, Willy managed to get himself to the second round, then the semi-finals, and eventually the finale, where he made it to the final three acts. A white furred seal wearing a black tuxedo jacket with a black bowtie was on the stage together with Willy and the other two finalists, a female red furred Merfox and a male gray furred Merwolf. Berri and Michael were in the audience.
"Alright, Willy the Whale of Subtropolis, Madame Coral of Los Anglerfish and Duke Fluke of Kelpfast...You've all made it as far as you can possibly get in the Song Festival. It's now time to announce the winner." The white furred seal spoke.
Berri and Michael held each other's hands in anticipation of the winner. "With a total of 50 points...The winner of the Eurofishing Song Festival is...
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...Willy the Whale of Subtropolis!" The white furred seal finished as the audience erupted in applause and Willy raised his arms in victory.
"Woo! Good job, Willy!" Berri cheered from the audience.
"You really made Subtropolis proud!" Michael cheered as well. Willy was soon given a trophy as well as a bouquet of flowers, and the audience continued to cheer.
Later on, Berri, Michael and Willy were sitting outside a café in New Clam City to celebrate Willy's victory in the Eurofishing Song Festival. "Congratulations, Willy! You really made Subtropolis proud! I'm sure father will be pleased!" Berri squealed happily.
Willy smiled and nodded. "I'm sure he will, Berri. Thank you and Michael for coming with me to New Clam City to support me. I'm not sure I could have won this competition without you two." He replied.
Michael smiled at that. "Awwww, thanks, Willy!" The young Merhorse beamed.
"Well, on another victory for Subtropolis!" Berri cheered as she, Michael and Willy toasted their drinks and each took a sip.