A/n
Hello there! I just want to put a little info dump here to answer some questions.
Starting from this chapter on we are under the assumption the girls and guys are 20 and have base level degrees to start jobs etc.. I am starting this as a standalone however it can be read with my other Creating Atlantis story as that is a "prequel" to this. With that in mind enjoy the chapter!
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One of the many myths of Atlantis spoke about a Mer-man named Triton.
Many years ago Triton was the son of Amphitrite and Poseidon and lived with his father in his Palace underwater at the deepest depths of the ocean. His mother Amphitrite decided this was not the life for her and went on to become the Queen of Atlantis. This made Triton jealous. His mother was a Nereid or Sea Nymph and had the ability to transform into a human body. Triton however was stuck in his fish form with Tails for legs.
Wanting to destroy his mother's happiness Triton enlisted the help of Scylla, a sea nymph that had a tryst with Poseidon and was cursed by Amphitrite. Combining forces, the two of them attacked Atlantis, determined to destroy the island. Triton and his army of Mer-men he called the Tritons stormed onto the shores of Atlantis, killing all of those who stood before them.
Due to the peaceful nature of the Atlanteans, the Tritons had very little resistance reaching the heart of the city. It was here that Queen Amphitrite sacrificed a lot for the lives of the Atlanteans, by making a deal with her father Oceanus. With Oceanus army aiding them, the Tritons were beaten back easily, but the damage had already been done.
By giving in to her father, the place she called home was consumed by the deep, becoming Oceanus's new home. The only thing remaining was a moon crystal left over from the Atlantean Core. Amphitrite injected a piece of herself into the core so she could make it possible for a new Atlantis to be born and awaited the people to lead it.
The Beginning
Cleo was the first one to open her eyes. As she groggily shook her head, she screamed as the last thing she remembered was the sky lighting up, fear and awe gripping her heart. With the memories flooding into her she immediately scrambled in a panic to get to her feet, her mind moving faster then her body could responder resulting in a few tries to stand up right.
Cleo looked about and took in her surroundings. She was currently in the moon pool cave. At the edge of the water were the others, their bodies slowly coming to life as they began to wake up. If Cleo had noticed more carefully there were 7 bodies instead of 5…
"Oh my god you guys, are you okay" Cleo said half hysterically as she rushes over to Lewis first. "Are you hurt, is there pain?" She frantically barraged Lewis with questions as she helped him get up.
"I'm ok Cleo, I'm okay" Lewis said reassuringly to Cleo as he stood up. "Where are we?" Lewis said looking around.
"We are in the moon pool, but I don't remember anything, do you?" Cleo said hugging Lewis. She was just happy that Lewis was here. As long as Lewis was beside her Cleo could feel safe. After the two patted each other down as they made sure both were unharmed, they moved on to help the others.
With the help of Lewis and Cleo the others got woken up fairly quickly. Just like Lewis and Cleo, the others also couldn't remember what happened. The last thing any of them remembered was them being at their houses.
Only a few moments had passed after when the water in the pool slowly began to rise. Bella was the first to see this and called out to the others, pointing at the rising tentacle of water.
"Not this again" Rikki exclaimed, preparing herself for the tentacle to attack her like it has in the past. This time however the tentacle instead just stood there and began to grow. Swelling up, the water contorting and expanding until it began taking on the shape of a lady mermaid.
The body of the mermaid was colored a light green blue, her long flowing hair a shade darker than her skin was so long that it cascaded down like a waterfall to where the scales met at her waist. Her tail was intricately woven with scales shaped like waves that flowed down into the water, giving her the image of walking on water.
In her right hand she held a trident that was upside down, the middle of the three prongs just barely touching the surface. The woman opened her eyes and revealed a shing blue ball of light where her eyes should be.
"Hello my children." The lady whispered; her voice was soft like a gentle stream, and tho she spoke quietly the group could hear her every word as her voice traveled effortlessly.
"My name is Amphitrite, but you may know me as the God of the Sea"
With this said the group did a collective shudder, as her words that washed over the group held the weight of the seas behind it. The force behind her voice had stunned most of the group. Seeing that everyone was hesitant to speak, Cleo decided to make the first move.
"Umm Hi, my name is Cleo" Cleo said sheepishly as twiddled her fingers behind her back. Any of her friends could tell you that she was extremely nervous right now.
"I know your name child" Amphitrite says with a laugh. "I know all of my children, even those that were not born from me."
Cleo lightly gulped; this lady knew everything. "May I ask what we are doing here?" Cleo decided she might as well ask the question on everyone's mind and the lady seemed nice.
"I have chosen you eight for two main reasons. The first is because of the bond you share with one another to protect such a dangerous secret. You have seen what actions can happen if the mortals with ill-will find out about our existence.
There have been many Mermorphs who abuse their new powers and risk exposing ourselves to the world as a threat. We don't not want to be a threat only friends. You see, there was once a time where the mortals and the Fae intermixed. These like-minded people lived in harmony in a place called Atlantis..."
The lady paused as she spoke and for the briefest of seconds a look of sadness flitted across her face.
"I was the ruler of this place" She continued in a more solemn tone. "We lived in harmony for a long time. Humans shopped with vampires, spriggans tended the gardens and the kappa's maintained our water supply. But all that changed."
Lewis spoke out when Amphitrite paused. "I know this myth. Your son revolted against you, didn't he?"
"What?!" Cleo and Bella said in shock.
"Her son Triton was mad that he couldn't walk on the land, and he colluded with her enemies to destroy Atlantis. Amphitrite was able to save those that lived there but Atlantis got destroyed"
Amphitrite smiled at Lewis's summary. " That is correct Lewis. Which brings me to my second reason why I chose you." With this said Amphitrite turns to face the wall and wave a wave of her hand a tunnel magically appeared.
"Deep beneath this island lies a shard from the Atlantean Core. This shard is what fuels the moon caves power and with some nurturing, can become powerful enough to create a New Atlantis." Amphitrite finishes her speech with a flourish of her hands.
Amphitrite starts spinning into the air, her arms held out wide and her head tilted back "and I want you all to lead it. Upon touching the core, you shall be blessed with enhanced powers befitting those of the New Council of Atlantis!"
As she finishes her speech Amphitrite's body begins to dissolve, the water shrinking into itself until all that remained was the calm surface of the moon pool.
"She really just left like that?" Zane said aggressively. "You can't just tell people that kind of stuff and disappear!" Zane threw up his hands and stormed away a few steps.
This is when Bella and Emma finally noticed one another, while Will and Ash did the same at the exact same time. "Who are you?" The four say to each other. The shock of what happened momentarily gone when noticing these unfamiliar faces.
"Oh boy this is going to take a while" Cleo said and launched into how Bella became a sister to her and Riki, giving Emma a full detail of their last year at school and the troubles that happened with Ryan.
Once Emma realized that Bella was one of them and considered a sister she immediately welcomed Bella into the group. Any sister of her sisters was her sister Emma thought to herself with a smile and even though it's been a while since seeing the girls it was as though she never left as they all chatted happily with one another.
The boys were a bit more apprehensive, but they trusted their girls and welcomed one another like friends. With the introductions out of the way the group went back to deciding what to do.
They were stuck between two choices. They could either ignore what just happened and live their lives like they have been, or they could explore the tunnel and see what mysteries awaited. There wasn't much deliberation as the group unanimously decided to explore the tunnel.
As the girls led the group into the tunnel the boys were following closely behind them. In case there was any threats it was wisest to the put he girls with their powers in front to protect the boys.
The tunnel was just the right size and seemed like it was naturally carved for them through the ground. As the group descended further into the tunnel the light from the cave behind them slowly began to dwindle as the group continued farther on until they were almost swallowed by the inky darkness. Just when they thought they would have to turn back due to their blindness in the shadows, the faintest shade of light began growing.
As they continued further down the tunnel, time seemed to not exist as the passageway continued for an eternity, the shade of light growing brighter, one layer at a time. Finally, the light suddenly began to grow brighter by a huge margin. "Is the light coming from the sun? "Bella asked.
"No, we are too far down in the ground, there is no way sunlight could reach her. Only one way to find out" Rikki said as she responded to Bella's question.
As they continued deeper into the tunnel the soft glow began to get brighter and brighter until finally the tunnel opened into another cave. This cave was shaped like a dome, the smooth surface of the rock remained unblemished with its earthy brown color. Laying along the edges of the wall were piles of jewels and gold. Various arrays of containers overflowing with gold coins, diamonds and other precious stones could be seen. The light had been radiating from the red stones embedded around the top of the dome creating a circle at the top off the dome. The stones were giving off a light like glow of the sun, however this light was soft instead of the Suns usual harsh rays. Lastly in the center of the room there stood a stone pillar with a blue stone embedded in the top.
As the group looked around in amazement, the blue stone began to shine. "This must be the core Amphitrite was talking about" Emma said to the others as they all looked in wonder at the stone. "So what do we do now?" Bella asked. "Only one thing to do, the way I see it." Rikki said before walking up to the stone and putting her hand on it. The group barely had any time to react to Rikki's rash decision when a voice rang out.
"Welcome Guardian Sekhmet" The voice rang out. "As the Goddess of the Sun, you shall be bestowed powers to protect your home." With the last echoes of the voice disappearing a change began to take over Rikki's body. Her blonde hair began to have streaks of strawberry red run through it, giving her hair the look of a setting sun. Her eyes became a tinted gold, with a sliver of red peeking out.
"Oh wow" Rikki said, playing with her new hair. "Its like a wave of energy just surged into me. I wonder what new powers I was given?" She said all giddy like, "But that's a really weird name. I prefer Sekh… Yea let's go with Sekh" She rambled on half to herself and half to the others as she walked back to the edge. "Ok who is next?" She asked.
"I'll go." Zane said, "It's only right to go after you. I think all of us should go in pairs. Does that sound like a plan?" He suggested to the others. The group nodded their head in agreement and Zane walked up to the stone hesitantly before finally reaching out to touch it.
"Welcome Guardian Prometheus." The voice again responded as the stone was touched. "As Guardian of Humanity you are the conduit between the worlds of the Fae and the Mortals for your new home"
Lewis laughed as he heard this. "Oh you two are a pair alright. Prometheus was the one whose stole fire from the gods to give to the humans."
"Am I your fire Zane?" Rikki says seductively, giving Zane a lustful gaze. Zane smirked unflinchingly and walked up to her, cupping her chin in his hand. "Of course, my fiery woman" He says with a kiss. Rikki leaned into his kiss before "Ahem" Could be heard from Emma. With a quick smile at Emma, Rikki pulled away from Zane, grabbing his hand to lead him back to the edge.
"I'll go up next." This time Bella stepped forward holding Will's hand tight as he follows her to the stone. With a glance at one another they both reached out at the same time.
"Welcome Guardian Flora" The voice announced. "As the Goddess of Plants you will make the floral spring to life in your new home."
"Welcome Guardian Geb." Rikki snickers after hearing his name. "As the God of the Earth you will provide the foundation for the new era."
"Aww that does suit you guys though." Cleo said sweetly, making Rikki give her a weird look. "What? I think its cute that the two matched up like that" she said in response to Rikki's quizzical look.
Bella and Will smiled at each other as they gave one another a quick kiss before stepping back. They were excited to be given their new powers. As Will looked at Bella with love in his eyes he noticed small changes start to take affect on Bella. A bright strip of green began to streak through her hair, a jade tint creeping around the eyes.
As for Bella she noticed a purple ring in Will's eyes It would appear that once they were blessed by the Atlantean core the girls and guys experienced physical changes to their bodies.
Cleo and Lewis were next to go up. Lewis was excited at all the scientific possibilities that could be causing these changes. Was it metaphysical? Or was the change on a cellular level? As Lewis finally reached the stone, he banished all those thoughts out of his head. It was magic after all; no science could explain that right?
As the two reached out and touched the stone, the voice once again resounded.
"Welcome Guardian Artemis. As the Goddess of Nature you will provide safety for all the animals in your domain. Creating a utopia where all animals can live in harmony."
Welcome God Apollo. As the God of Knowledge you will use your wisdom to better the lives of your family and friend and bring upon future advancements."
"As a scientist that suits you perfectly Lewis" Cleo said to him sweetly after hearing his gift." And you spend so much time with Ronnie its no wonder you're the Guardian of Animals" Lewis jokingly teased back.
As the two of them stepped back, they also began to exhibit physical changes. Cleo had a strip of deep-sea blue hair streaking through her hair, the same blue which now ringed around her iris. Lewis's change was a bit more drastic as a ring of red circled his eyes giving him a piercing stare.
Finally, it was the duo of Emma and Ash's turn to come up to the stone. As they walked up with their hands entwined, they touched the stone and awaited the voice.
"Welcome Guardian Khione. As the Goddess of Snow and Ice, your chilly demeanor makes you perfect for making the hardest decisions." A white frost spread through Emma's hair dying the hair white as it passed.
Welcome Guardian Njord, God of Wealth. You will help bring prosperity to those who live at your shores." A dark blue took over Ash's eyes as his physical changes took effect.
"That makes sense with your powers of freezing" Ash said in remark to the gift Emma had received. "And you always do your best to help others, I'm sure you will do great" Emma said lovingly at him.
As the voice finished speaking and the couple made their quick comments to another, a rumbling suddenly occurred as the cave shook violently. With a whoosh, the blue stone exploded with light, and the group began to hear Amphitrite's voice.
"Now that the core has recognized its new owners it's power shall start to grow. It has declared this island to be the new home of Atlantis. As you grow and better the island, your powers will begin to grow and so shall the core. In this room there are sealed doors that will unlock as the core develops. Each of the rooms will provide tools you need to make Atlantis return to its former glory.
The group had now gathered together back in the moon pool cave. Shortly after hearing Amphitrite's words they left the Core room to discuss on what to do next.
As they sat in a circle around the pool, Emma was the first to speak. "The way I see it, it looks like we were chosen to be the next leaders of Atlantis" she said breaking the ice.
"Okay, but do we want to? I mean that seems like a lot of work." Cleo retorted back.
"Weren't you the one who always said we were meant for something bigger? This is our chance!" Rikki said to Cleo.
"I believe if we are to do this we need to come up with some sort of plan." Bella added in.
"We can certainly come up with one but first things first." Lewis chipped in. "if Mako Island is to become the New Atlantis, then we need to oversee it and take ownership. so, I think our priority should be finding out how to make sure we take over and make sure no can take it away from us."
"How about buying it? My father almost did a few years back, I'm sure it should still be for sale. I can ask my father and find out." Zane commented.
"But how would you explain that to him? The island is sure to cost millions of dollars." Ash shot back.
The group nodded in their heads as the harsh reality began to shatter their dreams. Forget about building a kingdom, they first needed to make sure no could take Mako away from them.