Mermaids of the Deep

by SailorHexGirl

Rose was in tune with the sea and the beings that dwelled below its surface. When she passed away she leaves many questions for her son. Now that Steven is older he wants to meet the people his mother was close with. There are many challenges for him to face including the trust that has been severed between his family and the ones below.

2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ok." Connie said over the phone "Tell me what happened."

When Steven and Greg got back to the car-wash his dad owned Steven went right to his room, which in all honestly was just the garage bay in the back converted into two bedrooms and a master bathroom. It wasn't fancy by any means but it was enough for the state to deem it a suitable home. Steven had put the boxes from the cove in there make-shift living room of the office space up front and gone to his room right away with the curse shell. Now here he sat talking to Connie on the phone while she was running around her own place doing whatever she was doing when Steven called.

"They asked to see it and when I showed them they all freaked out." Steven repeated for what felt like the tenth time in twenty minutes. "They were all kinda ok until they saw this shell. They all got really scared after and told me not to come back until I get rid of it."

"That's it?"

"And not to get it wet."

"Hm... I'm not sure what kinda curse it is. Especially since you can't get it wet." Steven could hear Connie going to her mothers study and knocking on the door "But my mother mite."

Steven herd her mom tell Connie to come in and by the sound of the door opening and the thumps of books hitting the ground made it obvious the Doctor was in the middle of something.

"What is it Connie." Her mothers voice said a bit away "I'm very busy."

"I have a question." Connie said.

"Is that why your on the phone with Steven?"

"Where you spying on my conversations again?!"

"Hi doctor Maheswaran!" Steven said.

"Ok, Steven has a question."

"I'm very busy right now and if its another question about shifting into dinosaurs then-"

"It's about curses."

The pause on the other side of the line had Steven biting his lip.

"What kind of curse?" The doctor said after a bit. "Is it on speaker?"

"Yea, hold on... Ok, go on Steven."

"Oh! It's, uh, on one of the things my mom owned." Steven said "I finally met the people she talked about in the books she left me, the ones about the water people, and when I showed them this shell they freaked out and-"

"A shell?" The doctor cut Steven off "Are you talking about Mermaids?"

"You know what they are?!" Steven said jumping up.

"No way! Your mom talked to mermaids?!" Connie said "I thought they didn't exists anymore!"

"Well your right and wrong." Her mother said "But Steven, this is a conversation we can't have over the phone. Me and Connie will be coming over in a bit to see you and will talk in person."

"Ok, I'll let my dad know." Steven said shuffling off his bed and going to his door. The line clicked and Steven put his phone in his pocket. He wondered out of his room, down there hallway of hanging blankets to there living-room and told his dad what was going on.

"Oh boy." Greg said getting to his feet and getting his flip-flops on. "Think we should clean up a bit if there coming over. With there heightened scenes a little febreeze isn't going to be enough and I don't want another lecture on health regulations."

Within an hour they had there home clean enough for company. They had opened the front door and let the sea breeze waft into the house to freshen it up when a distant howl echoed threw there home.

"Sounds like there almost here." Greg said as Steven ran over to the front door. He was knocked back in a instant by a black panther the size of a large dog jumping on him.

"Connie please." Doctor Maheswaran said walking in the front door, watching as Connie turned back into a human and was laughing with Steven on the floor. "Hello Mr. Universe."

"Hello Doc." Greg said waving with a smile "I'll just get out of the way here and let you do your thing."

With that Greg slipped into the car-wash part of the building and started playing music. The doctor waited until the music had her wincing before turning to Steven. "Where's this curse item?"

"I'll go get it." Steven said getting to his feet and helping Connie up. "And its a curse shell."

Steven ran back into his room and fetched the shell. When he came back out the Doctor had taken off the backpack she came in with and was pulling out several books. Her and Connie were busy flipping threw the pages of one in particular when Steven came and sat with them. The look on the doctors face was most disturbing when she finally got a good look at the object in hand. The way she quickly got up and went into Steven's makeshift kitchen had the kids feeling uneasy.

"Whats wrong mom?" Connie asked.

"Steven do you have any salt?" The doctor said looking over the shelves quickly.

"Oh, next to the hot plate on the counter. Behind the cereal." Steven answered "Whats wrong?"

The doctor didn't answer the kids as she found the salt and came back over to them. She quickly cleared there coffee table and made a circle of salt in its center. The doctor was a very neat organized person so the fact that she was making a mess had the kids antsy where they sat. After the circle was made the doctor pulled out three candles from her backpack and stood them up in the salt.

"Place the shell in the center." She said as she pulled out a match and started lighting the candles "Quickly Steven."

Steven did as he was told and the kids sat in silence as the doctor lit the candles and then put the match out. They didn't speak as the doctor took a deep breath and blew out the candles. The candles themselves weren't out for more then a few seconds before the candles re-lit and burned a sea green color. They all leaned back at the sudden lighting and the kids looked to the doctor.

"What was that?" Steven asked "What kinda curse is this?"

"It's a soul stealing curse." The doctor said sitting back and frowning before grabbing a book and starting to flip threw its pages. "How you still have yours is a miracle in itself Steven."

"How did you even get an item like this Steven?" Connie asked leaning to the side to look at the shell but not getting any closer. "Curses like this are next to mythical."

"Why's that?"

"Well, most people who can put a curse like this on an object either are outcast-ed from there respective species or-"

"Or there dabbling in the dark arts." The doctor said cutting her daughter off. "Where did this come from?"

"It was my moms." Steven said "She was supposed to give it to the people I met but she..." Steven placed a hand on his stomach "When I showed them they all freaked out and told me to get rid of it and not come back until I do."

"Your lucky they didn't kill you." She said "Most people who present others will a curse object are usually killed before the curse can be passed on."

"I thought mermaids weren't around anymore." Connie said.

"There not. Most of them have either been killed or hunted down for there power. The few that remain have retreated to the deepest parts of the ocean. There so rarely seen now that they are considered an endangered species if not fully extinct."

"Well we know there not all gone."

"We know that now but whoever gave this too your mother either didn't know that or they knew exactly how many were coming to see your mother."

"Why are they so skittish?" Steven asked "Shouting and loud noises spook them but even me smiling at them had them pretty jumpy. Out of the eight of them only two came up to me willingly. The other 3 were very hesitant and one was kinda mean."

"Eight?" The doctor paused and looked up from the book in her hands before putting it aside and grabbing another "Then that's big for a pod of them. With only one hostile towards you?"

"A pod?" Connie said "Like a group of dolphins?"

"A pod. A school. A tribe." Her mother said holding up the book in her hands and turning it around to face them "It all depends on who your talking too. Our people personally call them the-"

"The guardians of the sea." Steven said cutting her off and pointing at the same picture the doctor was "I recognize that one!" Both Maheswaran's looked at Steven with wide eyes as he smiled at them "That's Pearl!"

The picture was of a silhouetted group of mermaids swimming around a glowing stone. There was a mermaid right below the stone, seeming to holding it up in the water above her head with power. Her eyes were whited out to seem like they were glowing and her silhouette was that of the white mermaid who touched Steven's head. "She has the same shape and short hair as her." He said cheerfully.

"Mermaid's live a very long time if left alone." The doctor said pushing the book into Stevens's hands "So it is either the one you met or she is a very close descendant of the one in this picture."

"So the curse." Steven said flipping the page. He face turned a bit red with Connie's as a detailed drawing of mermaid anatomy was displayed on the next page. Starting from the neck down was smooth skin until it hit there chest. Where the nipples would have been the skin faded into scales. The scales went under there chest and curved out to there ribs and made a wavy path down there sides to there hips before blending into the scales of there tails. A thin patch of scales adorned there shoulders and across the back of there shoulder blades before gently dipping down there spines towards there tail. The next page was a detailed explanation of why mermaids with shorter hair had thicker scales on there chest and back then there counterparts with long hair. It then went onto DNA and regions they would be found in before the words got too confusing to follow.

"The curse is defiantly against the one on the receiving end of this shell." The doctor said looking threw another book as the kids put the book in there lap aside, too embarrassed to keep it open about the mermaids detailed anatomy. "The one who gave this to your mother definitely knew who your mother was talking too."

"Do you think this is still backlash from the war?" Connie asked softly.

"War? What war?" Steven asked looking to his best friend then her mom. Both of them looked uncomfortable as the doctor spoke up.

"A long time ago there was a power struggle between magical creatures. Our kind, along with the mermaids and a few aerial creatures were on one side while those who preferred land and power were on another. Needless to say our side lost and those of our blood lines who survived went into hiding. Not having anywhere to go other then the sea and not being able to stay on land long left the mermaids vulnerable and they were hunted down and almost killed off as a species."

"Its hard to hide in the ocean when the people above the surface can find you." Connie added softly.

"The last attempt to wipe them out went bad for the people after them." The doctor said turning the book around in her hand. She was pointing to a picture of three mermaids and the shining stone again "They had cornered the original guardians of the heart of the sea. They killed off the one in the center, took the one on the right and the one on the left disappeared. It threw the balance of the sea into chaos. The remaining mermaids gained god like powers for a short time and used it in revenge. The back-lash was felt so strongly that none of the raiding party made it back to land. Those who had all the power called off the slaughter of the aquatic species." She closed the book and put it aside "Since then, the ones left have been seen so rarely that no-one believes they even exist anymore."

Steven looked at the shell.

"If they are what remains of this race, then the ones you met are all that's left with the burden of the guarding the heart. There inexperienced and out of there league. If there ever attacked again there species will more then likely cease to exist and the ocean will die along with them."

That left Steven a lot to think about. Connie and her mom started talking about how to lift the curse on the shell and how to go about getting rid of the peaces when Greg popped his head into the room. "Uh, not to interrupt but would it be too much trouble for Connie to spend the night? I just got a call from one of Steven's aunt's who needs help with her car and I don't want to leave Steven here alone. And since your house isn't exactly safe for humans, well."

The doctor stared at Greg for a long time but the hopeful look on the kids faces had her pinching the bridge of her nose while she answered "I need to put several charms on your home first."

"Long as it doesn't burn down the house or whats left of my hair."

"Deal." The doctor turned to Steven "In the mean time I'll head back home and get the materials needed to lift the curse from the shell and help get rid of it after."

"Thanks Doctor Maheswaran." Steven said with a smile "I can't wait to see them smile when I tell them the curse is gone."

"They should be very pleased." The doctor said gathering up her things and putting them back in her bag "Come along Connie, we need to get you all set up to stay over."

"Yes Ma'am."

The rim of Challenger Deep

The storm up above had the pod of mermaids keeping deep in the sea. They usually floated about a third of the way down from the surface over Challengers Deep. They tended to swim around with the schools of fish and aquatic life that would pass by at all depths but this storm was a fierce once, forcing them to keep in the cooler water below. Here they lounged about the lip of the deep. Amethyst, Lapis and Blue were swimming around playing a game. Sapphire was sitting with Ruby and Peridot. The two smaller mermaids were entranced with how Sapphire turned the water to ice crystals around them then back, freezing there hair into funny patterns, manipulating the water around them into different shapes and sizes, and making some take the form of the others while some mimicked the sea life. Pearl was glaring up at the oceans surface as Garnet and Jasper took turns sitting next to her and circling around the deep, ever keeping an eye out for threats and predators.

"Your thoughts have your mind clouded." Garnet said as she swam up next to her and sat on the deeps edge. Jasper had taken off to circle a few moments before "Whats fogging up your head?"

'This storm feels different.' Pearl clicked quietly 'The way it crashes into the waters surface... Its too rough. Too forceful.'

"Not natural with the elements of this zone." Garnet said looking up.

'Somethings not right but I can't quite put my finger on what.' Pearl clicked more to herself then Garnet but the taller girl had herd her. Pearl tended to be more in-tune with the elements of the world when they were thrown off balance. The more out of wack things were, the more power she felt run threw the sea, threw herself. If she felt the power of the world coursing threw her then the balance was thrown way off. Now, don't be mistaken. They all could feel the power of the sea run threw them. Pearl was just more in tuned with the chaos it created while the others were in tune with the balance it kept.

If things went wrong or were wrong Pearl would be the first to feel the shift in power. Jasper and Garnet would feel the shift a bit after since they were the Guardians of there pod. Sapphire, Blue, and Lapis would feel the power coursing threw the water and into there fingertips, telling them what was coming by feeling that power. Amethyst, Peridot, and Ruby didn't really have a strong feeling for the power of the sea like the others but they stuck near the heart of the sea when things got rough. Standing as a last defense against would be attackers with Pearl, the three of them used there power well to keep all back and life of the sea safe. There pod was small by enchant standards and unheard of in today's time but they had nowhere else to go, no other mermaid groups to interact with, so they stuck together and made the best with what they had. The few mermaids left swimming the seas solo were spread out so far and wide that it was rare to even run into them.

"Is the balance off?" Garnet asked after a while.

Pearl flexed her fingers and took a deep breath, tuning into the energy of the sea. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up a bit but other then that everything felt fine. This worried her. She knew in her head something was wrong but couldn't feel what it was.

Glancing at Garnet she shook her head. "Then its probably best you go down and get some rest. How long has it been?" Garnet asked. "Your connection is probably out of sync."

"Few days." Jasper's voice came to them. They both watched as she swam over and treaded just in-front of them. "Almost a week."

'I'm fine.' Pearl said waving them off. 'And I have slept in that time.'

"I know when you sneak out when you think I'm asleep." Jasper said making Pearl blush from embarrassment of being caught. "Closing your eyes for a few minutes doesn't count."

"Mite be why you can't feel whats wrong even though you know something feels off. Some rest will put you back in sync with the sea." Garnet said

'But Garnet.'

"Would all of us resting put you at ease?" Garnet asked gently. She knew Pearl better then anyone, even her partner Jasper. They had been around the longest out of the pod and had seen the world once over before. Pearl knew trying to argue her point further would result in them literally dragging her down so she nodded. "Then it's settled."

Jasper gently took Pearl's hand and pulled her down into Challengers Deep. Garnet gathered the others and soon they were all heading down. Towards the bottom, right above the thin layer of earth to its molten core, was a hidden crack in the wall. This crack was covered in runes and markings of there species. Going into this hole you were lead down a small slightly twisting path to an open cave. The cave was covered in runes and symbols all over. Towards the back was another hole. The heart of the sea was in this hole. Locked behind magic, curses, and an eerie blue glow, the heart set a dim light into the darkness of the cave visible to the mermaids eyes only. This was considered a sacred place of there people but due to the war in the past and there dwindling numbers they stayed close and chose here to rest and call home. It was considered treacherous and disgusting to stay where the heart rested but the past didn't matter too much when the ones who cared about that tradition were long gone.

There were dips and curves in the caves floor that served as the resting nooks for the pod. Some were big enough for just one while others were big enough for a group to rest in. They never all slept at the same time. Someone had to always be awake and on watch. It wasn't because they were constantly being attacked, quite the opposite, but there fear of elimination and death instilled by the elders of the past was deeply rooted into them. Pearl was usually the one to stay awake but that wasn't going to happen this time. Amethyst ended up being picked to stay awake.

They all silently swam threw the cave opening one by one. As they entered the runes on the wall started glowing a slightly deep blue color. It was like the heart knew its pod and guardians were back, like it was welcoming them home. The pod liked resting in the cave. Being so close to the earths core it was always warm in here despite the crushing depths and cold chill outside there little home. One by one they settled into there nooks they come to silently claim as there own while Garnet waited at the entrance for them all to enter. As she ran her hands over a few runes, activating a magical barrier so nothing could hurt them, the others got comfortable while Amethyst swam up to a big notch in the cave wall. It was used in the past as a bed for the guardians of old. Now they use it as a perch to keep watch of the entrance. It was up high enough that they couldn't see it and hidden well enough that the dim glow of the runes couldn't reach it and the one perched there had a perfect view over everything.

They all tended to pick the nooks closest to the Heart of the sea. Peridot and Amethyst slept next to each other right at the hearts entrance. Lapis tended to sleep alone but had become accustom to Blue joining her right next to there other two. Next would be Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet in one big pail while Jasper and Pearl took the furthest nook in the group. Forever being protective of there pod and the heart they chose this spot to be the first line of defense and last to wake up when nothing would happen.

After settling in it was a few hours until Pearl woke up with a start. She felt a strong surge of power roll threw it so intensely that it woke her from a dead sleep. She was a light sleeper to begin with but when she was out, she was out. Pearl blinked a few times before looking around. The runes were still glowing and the others were still asleep. Jasper wasn't stirring so that power must of not been strong enough to wake her or Garnet, but that worried Pearl. It was just so strong. So strange. After a bit of debate in her head Pearl slowly de-tangled herself from her partners strong grip on her form. Slowly she floated up enough to look over everything again. Peridot was asleep with Blue and Lapis with both blue girls wrapped around the small green one. Ruby and Sapphire were clinging to each other while Garnet was wrapped around them in a half circle. Jasper was turned to where Pearl had been curled up in her arms, her back to the cave entrance. Pearl couldn't see Amethyst from here so she slowly swam up to check on her. As she got close she could hear light snoring that made her roll her eyes. Her and Jasper could sleep for days if you let them. Pearl couldn't understand how they could be immobile for so long. Just sleeping like she did she felt restless already.

As Pearl neared the sleeping girl, movement was caught in her peripheral vision. Pearl slowed her assent as she turned to the caves entrance. Floating in the center if the dim glow she could make out two eyes. They sent such a cold shiver down her spine that she could feel the chill down to her bones. Before she could react, from the darkness shot out something faster then the blink of an eye. Just like the snap of your fingers, a chain had wrapped itself around the base of Pearl's tail, right above her fin. The end of the chain had a giant spiked hook on it that when a sudden yank on it came, it dug into Pearl's tail with searing pain inflicted.

Now, when a mermaid screams, boy is it loud. It echoes threw the water and sounds like a million voices screaming together. Pearl's in particular was unusually loud so when it suddenly filled the space the others were quick to wake. As Pearl was yanked toward the darkness where the cold eyes once were she twisted around and tried to grab onto something, anything. Jasper and Garnet were the first to react. Jasper b-lined for Pearl, along with a dazed and half awake Amethyst, while Garnet was right behind them. The others swam back to the heart ready to defend it.

Pearl had a terrified look on her face and as she was pulled out of the cave entrance. In her panic and trying to swim away her hand brushed some of the runes on the wall. The fear and panic flowing through her surged through the runes so strongly they reacted instantly. They started glowing a deep red and the whole cave lit up faster then a wildfire in dry brush. The second Pearl was pulled clear of the cave a red field of magic activated and sealed the entrance. From Pearl's end she saw everyone she cared about disappear behind a wall of rock. From the other end Jasper and Garnet slammed into the magical wall, getting thrown back. They could see out but Pearl couldn't see in.

As Pearl was pulled further away Jasper repeatedly slammed her form into the barrier. "Get this open!"

"I'm trying!" Sapphire said as her and Peridot swam around the cave trying to deactivate the runes. "Nothings working!"

From Pearl's end she felt cut off. She felt terrified. The chain was pulling her further and further from the wall. When the chain went to pull her in a new direction it went slack just enough for her to shake it free. The second she felt it was free from her tail Pearl stared swimming as fast as she could back towards where the cave had disappeared. She was fast but whoever was doing this was faster.

As Pearl got close several figures shot out of the darkness and straight at her. Pearl just barley manage to swim out of the way and soon she was doing a deadly dance with her attackers. They all swam here and there trying to catch her but Pearl wasn't a fool. She realized very quickly that they were pushing her further and further from where the cave was as she swam this way and that. She was paying very close attention to the ones moving her and she quickly saw there pattern. Just as the dark figures went to grab her she dove straight down. She broke free of there circle and b-lined for the ocean floor. Just below a thin layer of sand laid several dozen weapons of all shapes and sizes. They were used by there people long ago from the war. In there travels they collected and brought them all back here. The others had thought it was pointless to keep them after a while but Pearl was happy they did as she reached the floor and grabbed one of her favorites and turned around.

Jasper was trying hard to punch through the magic wall when a figure came right up to the caves entrance. The energy rolling off this figure froze the pod inside. The figure was a dark silhouette but that didn't stop there piercing blue eyes from freezing them in place. The figure was twice the size of them with wild hair that floated everywhere. Realizing that they had the silhouette of one of there own caused everyone to back up. They watched the figure turn its head slightly and touch one of the red runes right outside there home. They watched in shock and horror as the rune turned blue. They couldn't see it, but they all could feel the figure smile.

Pearl herself frowned as she shot up from the ocean floor. The figures were quick to see the weapon in her hands and quicker to keep there distance. Pearl's spear was like an extension of her form. She swam through the water and slashed at her attackers with easy but the odds were against her. They managed to stay just far enough away that she couldn't strike them but they in turn couldn't grab her either. Pearl was about to strike again when sudden whispers filled the water. They echoed in her head and swirled around her. It made Pearl grimace and shake her head in lost focus. It was enough to gain the attention at the caves entrance.

"So." The voice whispered threw the water louder then the ones echoing in Pearl's head "Your the one who sealed the door."

Pearl blinked hard as she refocused and looked to where the cave should of been. She jumped a bit in surprise to see a figure floating there. She was already put off with being separated from the others. Even more so now with how big the figure was. She was easily three times the size of Jasper and she herself was big to begin with.

"Open it." The figure whispered harshly at the mermaid. Pearl flinched at the whisper and she barred her teeth, tightening her grip on her spear. What dose she mean open it? Pearl thought, open what?

The figure seemed to sense Pearl's confusion and turned to fully face her. "Open the cave to the heart."

Pearl barred more of her teeth and she clicked out a defiant no. There was a part of her deep, deep down that wanted to give in. That wanted to obey this figure and do what they say like a good little minnow. This feeling frighted and scared her. She hadn't felt a pull like this in a long long time. Not since long before she joined this pod. There was only two figures who had this strong of a pool on there kind from long ago and that alone had Pearl back up ever so much. The need to listen and the need to run were both pulling at her but she fought to stay in place. There was too many people to run and she didn't want to leave the others behind at the mercy of whoever this was.

"A clicker." The figure said amused coming away from the wall a bit. "Your pod must be embarrassed." Pearl growled as the figure continued "To have a weak member like you in there group. How did it feel to love someone who could never love a rejected siren like you-"

'Shut Up!' Pearl clicked loudly. She twisted her spear in her arm and did a wide swing towards the figure. As she swung she felt another surge of power pass through her, causing the blade of the spear to glow and fire off a wide arc of light. The figures eyes grew a fraction bigger as the light blasted towards them. The same time it hit them the figures who were surrounding them attacked Pearl. Several of them grabbed both sides of the spear and slammed Pearl back into the rock wall behind her. Pearl choked on her breath as the figures pushed the spear back into her, pining her hands to her chest. The force was so much that it was going to leave deep bruises for weeks.

The whispers around them increased causing Pearl to whimper a bit in pain from there force in her head as the figures own slight laughed came to her. She was able to crack open her eyes enough to see the figure still floating there. There eyes were such a deep blue that there pupils were nonexistent. "I know who you are little minnow."

Pearl felt her breath catch in her throat as the figure swam over to her. She tried to get free but all her struggling did was make her captors hold her in place tighter. The figure was much bigger up close. Her skin was the color of ice with white hair of snow. Her willowy fingers shot out and grabbed a fist full of Pearl's hair. She yanked her head back, hitting it against the rock wall, while getting a good look at the scar on her forehead.

"Its been along time since I've seen a member of the Pink courts pod." The figure whispered getting close to Pearl's ear "Specially the one who was to be given away to the dead." Pearl's eyes shot open and became small as she look at the figure. She could feel another wave of power rolling up into her. It was so strong that she started to shake. "I wonder what she will say." The figured chuckled "When I bring you back to her."

Pearl felt the power in her burst. Her eyes suddenly glowed white as the energy of the sea surged threw her so forcefully that every figure around her was shot back at blinding speed. All the figures slammed into the Challengers walls as Pearl herself was practically glowing. Her eyes were such a blinding white that the water around her seemed to bubble. Her focus was on the figure as they pulled themselves from the rock wall. Pearl spun the spear in her hand for a moment before she threw it with a lot of force at the figure. Her aim was true but the figure was expecting it. To Pearl's horror the spear shot threw the figures hair and into the rock wall behind her.

The others saw the spear coming and moved out of its way just in time. The spear passed threw the magical barrier and impaled itself into the caves wall. It had shattered a rune and everything went bad. The heart started pulsing a deep red and the water started to bubble and the caves walls shook. The ground and ceiling cracked as crystal spikes shot into the space. The pod scrambled this way and that to get out of the crystals paths. The force and amount of bubbles disorientated them so badly that they didn't realize they were all separated until the water stopped buzzing around them. Jasper and Garnet started hitting and slamming themselves into the crystals while the others swam to there points and tried to yank them away. The crystal spikes circled the caves entrance and shot out into a giant mess jutting out into the dark water. Nothing was getting in and no-one was getting out.

"No!" The panic and trembling could be felt rolling out of the cave as the figure outside yelled in blind fury "She is the guardian of the heart!"

The figure turned to Pearl as her own eyes started to glow blue. The sand on the ocean floor started to swirl and the weapons hidden in the sand shot up. Pearl and the figure were busy staring each other down when something up above shot down at her. Pearl looked up in time to see a long spear shoot threw the water, embedded itself in the wall behind her, and slice threw her side so deeply she screamed. She screamed so loud that there was no way that any mermaid didn't hear her on this side of the sea. Her hand clamped over her side as her blood pored out into the water.

Her flight instinct took over.

With a powerful push of her tail Pearl shot up towards the surface.

"Forget the others!" The figure yelled. "Don't let her get away!"

Pearl's side was burning as she swam. The less pressure on her body the higher she went caused her to move faster with each passing second. She zigzagged her way to the surface as she felt the figure swimming up after her. She felt the sting of the water and blades of weapons shooting by her. Some grazed her skin while others missed her completely. A few hit there mark, knocking her off balance a few times but didn't stop her path. As she neared the surface she could see the sky was clear, the storm was gone, and there were several BIG ships waiting for her.

"Get back here you siren whore!" The figure below her yelled as several figures entered the water above. "Don't let her find a current!"

Pearl easily dodged and weaved her way threw the figures as they tried to orientate themselves in the water. Just before Pearl would breach the oceans surface she arched her back and swam just below its break. She was faster then anyone on the boats could be. They fired spears and nets at her but they just hit the swirling water long behind her. The pain in Pearl's side was throbbing threw her form as she felt the power pushing her forward start to wane. Pearl swam this way and that under the boats and around the people in the water grabbing for her.

Just as she thought she was running out of options of escape while rounding the furthest boat she spotted it. A current. She turned in a wide arc as she dodged a net and swam towards the stream. Just as the figure behind her bellowed for her to stop, Pearl entered the ripping current and was quickly wept away. The mermaid watched her assailants shrink away behind her as the current swept her faster and faster threw the ocean. She didn't know where this current was going but she didn't care.

Something was wrong. Pearl knew that something was wrong but that figure...they had some how put up enough of a barrier that she couldn't feel the power of the seas chaos. That its balance was off. It was strong but not strong enough from it reaching down to the mermaids below.

What of the others? They had disappeared before Pearl's eyes. The cave was gone. The others had vanished. And Pearl felt alone. The pain in her side was becoming stronger and she felt the strain on her body to keep moving, to keep awake. She knew she had to find somewhere to go, a place to hide. The sea wasn't an option. No, if that figure was able to find them at the heart then she would be able to find a damaged mermaid like Pearl just floating about. There was only one place Pearl could think of to go. It wasn't a place she wanted to step foot again.

With the effort of a thousand strokes she pushed herself out of the current and swam off towards the shore. All the wile a thin trail of blood spotted the water behind her.