Hello there, my friends! I see you guys are getting pulled into the suspense that is the current phase of this story, and I thank all that have come this far into Charlotte's journey.

And on a side note: This proves what you can do with a non-canon idea when you put thought, time, realism and yet a little imagination into the works!

ENJOY!

(Riley)

I rushed to side Charlotte's side as she hit the floor with a thud, completely unconscious.

I knelt beside her and quickly held her to wake her up.

"Char? Charlotte? Charlie?" I pleaded. "C'mon Char, don't do this to me now!"

...

"And that's when you come in! I know you two have been getting closer before she changed and now, for some reason, she acts like nothing's different when you're around. That must mean that you can get into her head and find out what's wrong. Is that too much to ask?" Karen exclaimed.

Yes, yes it is. And stealing from my sort-of girlfriend was not going to win me any brownie points any time soon.

...

The underneath of her bed was unnaturally cluttered with junk. The first disorganized thing I saw in the room. Old shoes were bunched up under here and some paintbrushes were just thrown under there, something I knew my Charlie would throw a hissy fit over.

...

(Marana)

And then it hit me.

Hit me like a powerful tsunami hitting straight for shore and washing me away. And there are only a short few people on my list that could still surprise me.

I had a spy in my mist and I let him right in. And no doubt my lack of consciousness offered the opportunity on a silver platter too.

...

So, if that's how Laguna was going to play it, then this is how it's going down.

...

(Charlotte)

So this is what it means to drown.

I heard the story: that you're completely submerged underwater, no amount of swimming or flailing will get you air, all until you had no choice but to engulf water into your lungs, and then their slow yet painless death.

And as a mermaid, I'd think I was in no way near the process of ever fearing the effects of drowning.

But then again, Drowning comes in many forms.

...

The woman was wearing a pair of blue Bell Bottoms with a brown belt and a white blouse. She had short, brown hair that slightly cascaded down to her shoulders and her blue eyes...her eyes reminded me of the sea foam that washed up the shores of the beach. She wore a long, turquoise necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet, along with a blue headband with a seashell on it.

...

But then she surprised me when an angry scowl formed on her face and she splashed the water harshly in the air.

"There is a reason Humans mostly could not find out about Magic, and it's specifically because they either get drunk in it or die for it!" she screamed as she got up and paced before me, "And me seeing you that way that night, Hell, me seeing you at all before Old Age wasn't supposed to happen. And it was all my fault. I nudged you. Pushed you towards that path carelessly and nearly lost you because of it!"

I was shocked to see her outburst. I thought she was proud of me. Wasn't this what she wanted? I followed her footsteps. I have friends. I have s smart and caring boyfriend. What was so wrong with that?

"Gracie..." her name almost breathless as it passed my lips, "What's going on? Why are you here? No, how is the question! And, and, and what hospital?! Is that where I am now?"

...

"Honey, I get it. Hell, I always thought it would be a complete crazy person to willingly want a tail, but didn't I feel hypocritical afterward," she stated before gently grabbing my hands. "I get it. I honestly, truly understand what it must have felt like to be here. You were drawn to here, even if you didn't realize it. Then you found the pool and realized what it could do. And you loved it! You loved swimming at depts. no human could even reach. Had abilities people only read about or could imagine seeing. You were a creature beyond anyone's dreams.

And that's why I realized I could live without it. I wanted a husband, kids, grandkids, truth, honesty. I wanted back the whole human experience I left behind. Just look at what Louise and Julia left behind. They never married, had kids, and eventually let go of their powers and virtually no one came to see them when they died. Julia was all alone when she passed and Louise died in a nursing home and none of the girls even knew. Yes, my tail was nice and all, but what was the point in keeping it if it meant pushing those I loved away. Sure, I had friends, and yes, they could relate, but I knew I couldn't live like that. I couldn't handle the lies, the secrets, and the immense loneliness that came with such powers. I couldn't handle keeping my guard up constantly around people. And what if I fell in love, I would have eventual trouble trusting that man. And then there was the possibility of having kids and them possibly inheriting it.

I couldn't let such a cycle begin again. I couldn't be selfish and want people to wait for me. I wanted to live my life my way. I wanted a husband who I could love and cherish without keeping secrets from him. I wanted my future kids to have a normal life, knowing they had nothing holding them back. No tails or powers could ever make life any easier but instead hinder their lives more. Yes, having magic was great, but what's the point of having it if it would cost you your life?

So yes, to them, I simply stopped wanting to be a mermaid. But I knew that if they truly knew what would have happened, they would have made sure to keep me from the moonpool that night. Louise and Julia might've stayed in the present, but they had no idea how much time they would have lost as mermaids. Max, that man did love me, and so did I to him, but he was getting obsessed. And without realizing it, he started to value me for my tail than as a person. So when I left, I left my past behind because, as fun as it was, it was only holding temporary happiness for me. That was the same reason why I gave up my locket."

...

"The truth that everything you've been seeing isn't real. I'm sorry I can't tell you more than that but you have to go!" she said, standing me up quickly.

"But-but-wait! We have to talk-" I started.

"There's no time now!" she interrupted, "she's going to find us at any second and she can't see me or who knows how much damage she'll do to you!"

"But Grace-GRANDMA!" I screamed as she pushed me into the moon pool. Water submerged me everywhere and I nearly felt like I was drowning as something was pulling me down. Darkness covered me again. I swear I heard her last words ring clear as a bell.

"REMEMBER, CHARLOTTE!" her voice rang one last time, "REMEMBER!"

...

(Laguna)

I was working on some paperwork in my office when Byrnes came rushing in, dropped a wooden box in front of me, and the rushed out before I could even get a word in.

...

I was surprised to see it full of various shells, locks of seaweeds...until I rose out of my seat when I realized that they were toxic corals when I nearly scratched myself on a fire one.

...

The drawing was almost made like a picture. It showed Charlotte and those three other girls she disputed with a year ago. This had the background story of a different (alternative) time when the girls managed to become long, lasting friends.

...

"I-I feel like this is a eulogy," she/I sniffed, "but maybe it is. I'm leaving for the States tomorrow. No one died, but I feel like someone did. I always thought I could be kind and compassionate, and loving too, but it turns out I'm not like that. I don't think I ever was. I hurt people that I cared about. People that I wanted to care about me as well. I had acquaintances, but I never had friends. And just when I did, I-I threw that away! Maybe it's because I idolized my grandmother too much. I cried for her when she died, moved on, and then suddenly became obsessed with her. After that, I manipulated and hurt everyone I cared about just so I could get what I want. And I ended up just where I started: Alone..."

...

And I think I now knew how Marana did this to Charlotte.

October 26th, 2009, Monday...

At Paradise Cove Café...

Laguna's POV

"Alright, explain this to me again: Charlotte gave Marana her consent to have her body?!" Karen cried out as she was applying a special lotion to my hands.

Jonathan had quickly driven Karen and Brendan to the cafe with an emergency First Aid kit(at least to the public eye) and dove quickly into my office and opened it to reveal various potions and lotions for these kinds of emergencies. Jonathan and Brendan were sitting in one of my other office chairs as his mother healed me.

And that's when I explained to her what I saw.

And I chose to berate her later for not telling what she had Mr. Byrnes do! I was nearly poisoned!

"Karen, at this rate, we at least know what happened. Or, at least what Marana used to get her consent," I said, gently grabbing the paper Karen had earlier decreed wasn't poisonous, "We've been going about this all wrong. Yes, Marana is using her body, but we can't just 'kick' her out like we thought we could. If anything, we need Charlotte herself to do that."

"Like a landlord kicks out their tenants when they don't pay rent," Karen summarized.

Brendan snorted from where he sat. "Barely. What's the picture got to do with anything or why she gave the Sea Witch permission to use her as a puppet?"

"First off, it's a drawing. A very, incredibly well-made drawing, to say the least. Based on Charlotte's memories, unlike her other artwork that depicted her time as a mermaid, this one remained the only one that wasn't destroyed. And take into consideration that Charlotte hadn't known anything back then about what she knows now, I have a hunch she never saw to its destruction as she thought," Laguna stated.

"What?" Brendan asked. "You're saying she didn't destroy the picture yet she let it float away in the water? I'm lost here."

"I have a theory to that," Jonathan spoke deeply. Karen turned to him with her arms folded.

"And that would be...?"

"Charlotte gave the picture to Marana," he said simply like that was the answer to everything.

"Now that just sounds-" Karen started.

"True," I finished, "anymore to go with that?"

My daughter and grandson looked at us like we've grown two heads.

"Let me explain: So far, Marana has never stepped onto land except through, as we know, consent through Charlotte's mind. That is a natural mermaid's creed for as long as they've existed, " Jonathan explained, "Taking into account of Charlotte's memory, she left the drawing to be distorted in the ocean. And seeing as the ocean is Marana's domain-"

"-Marana could have somehow found the drawing, preserved it, and then what? Gave it back to her?" Karen finished with a question. I couldn't blame her. The whole idea sounded as farfetched as it could get.

"Yes. And considering said mermaid found her first, long before we did-"

"-That gave her a whole lot of room to experiment and figure out how to get to her. But that doesn't make sense. Judging from her memories, Mako Island would have been..."Karen trailed off. She had a lightbulb moment and gave the idea that she didn't feel right.

"HOLD UP!" Brendan exclaimed. "Are you telling me Marana purposely let Charlotte lose her powers!? And that the whole time we might have been training her, we were just doing her dirty work to mold her and she just had to get inside her head to initiate her final plans? That's insane!"

I shuddered at what could be a cruel realization. I had suspected from the moment Charlotte had jumped off the pier that night and I lost my gift that Marana had found her and that it was only a bonus that Ane'lie current life had already been involved with the Supernatural world as it is. But I was wrong, very wrong.

Mako Island, like many other moonpools, was like a beacon of power. Those, who with either with a Supernatural sense or by pure coincidence, were drawn there and often, the younger the mind, the more perceptive they were to the influence of Magic. Technically speaking, Marana could have easily appeared during Charlotte's first time as a mermaid and took over from there. Using the power of the moon pool.

Especially if you consider how those 3 girls were practically human sacrifices with their continuing loss of Humanity, she could have disposed of them easily.

Leaving me hopeless and blind-sighted at the fact I was in the wrong place and at the wrong time to save her from herself.

But instead, Marana could have let her lose her powers and let her mature enough so she could handle her powers more easily. Thus making it easier to control her. Like a similar way that a parent lets their child learn from their mistakes by letting them see and suffer the consequences of their actions. And with Charlotte's choice to let go of the drawing, creating more leverage and created this very disaster!

I knew Marana was cunning and manipulative, but if she truly planned all this like the way I'm thinking...

Jonathan seemed to read my mind.

"Laguna, it's time you faced Marana."

October 27th, 2009 Tuesday...

At Valencia High...

Marana's POV

After that stunt Byrne's pulled last night, I decided to rethink my strategy.

First off, I had no reason to not suspect it was Laguna's idea for the theft the other night. She's not usually a coward in her antics but using a land-boy to sneak her way in was dirty.

I dare say I kind of liked it!

But the downside of it was that she got her hands on the drawing. Luckily, for security-purposes, I stashed it under some poisonous corals, seaweed and other toxic things from under the sea, but she'd still get passed it.

The second thing was that I was finally able to come in contact with Ane'lie again. Saved me the worry of her demise but I felt that something was wrong with her. I believed it might've had something to do with our connection being cut, but I felt more than I should.

I would get to the bottom of that when I got the chance, but I reluctantly left her alone.

And the third part was my plans. The Full Moon would be arriving soon, and that meant my plans were close to fruition. But if Laguna discovered my plans too early, then that meant I might have to do some...permanent damage to get her off my tail. And if that meant that the small group of people that cared for my sister became that said collateral damage...

Then so be it.

I kept thinking about this as reached my locker where, as my luck would have it, Alaine Williams was leaning against. I gripped the backpack in my hand harder as I tried to keep my anger down.

She seemed to sense me glaring at her and stood up as I approached her.

"Charlotte."

"Alaine," I stated.

"I just wanted to know if you still planned to perform at the dance, or concert, or whatever! I just need to know," the land-girl exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"Considering it's mandatory, and a grade, then Yes. I am still performing," I stated, and then decided to mess with the human, "What? Jealous that I might steal the show?"

Alaine looked taken aback by this and I gave her a smirk. As usual, she was so...gullible.

She recomposed her posture. "I'm only asking because you'll be performing in front of everyone. So don't mess this up!"

I slammed my hand against the locker, look truly annoyed. She's giving Ane'lie grief, and then dared try to get her back, and now goes back to acting like complete whale feces. Once again, I'm steadily reminded of why I hate humans.

Too stubborn and complex for their own good!

"You know, I don't get you," I started, "you either love me or hate me! Just make up your mind already and leave it be! One day, you're a friend, then you're an enemy. And then, you tried to win me back earlier, to no avail. Make up your mind or be done with this! Now would you please leave me alone, I have things worth doing today!"

Turning my head away from her, I proceeded to open my locker as I heard her huff and walk away.

"Well, that was harsher than usual."

I didn't have to turn my head to know it was Byrnes behind me. I was tempted to boil him deeply for the theft he committed, but I decided to play his game.

"I'm sorry, not sorry, Riley. She can't go back and forward like that using me like some toy she debates on playing with. I'm done playing games with her and I mean it," I stated, not looking at him.

"Well, at least she's trying, Charlie. She could be doing a better job at it, but at least she's doing something," he said back.

I slammed my locker shut and glared at him. "'Trying" is not a word in the dictionary for me! I am giving her an option and if she doesn't pick it soon, then I'm choosing for her! And is there some reason you came to see me or are you just that divulged in my very extinguished friendship?"

Alright, not the way I wanted that to sound, but the dropping of his shoulders showed surrender.

"Laguna asked me a favor: She wants to see you. Alone," he stated calmly.

Now that was surprising. But what if she truly suspects...

"I take it you already knew my answer would be 'NO' and told her that?" I asked in a quizzing manner.

He nodded. "Practically told her from the moment she'd knew that would be your first answer and as 'insurance', told me to tell you that...well, it goes along the lines of: 'I know who you truly are and meet me at Castaic Lake.' She wasn't time-specific but-"

I now knew what she was doing.

"I know when to meet her. Thank you for telling me this," I said as I started to walk away.

But not before I was stopped by Byrnes, again.

"Um, listen...about that night?" he started.

"Look I told you I was fine-" I started, interrupting him.

"Not that night, I mean the other one," he said.

I raised my eyebrow, having an inkling about what he was talking about. "Excuse me?"

"That night, I went flying into the pool with your mother. THAT night!" he exclaimed in a whisper tone.

Ah, I forgot about that little breakdown my sister had, and may or may not have caused. I almost forgot about the witnesses too.

Another thing to add to my ever-growing list of plans.

At least Annette didn't remember a thing.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal: Put this topic away for the night of the dance and I'll tell you. Can you wait that long?" I asked, gazing lustily into his eyes, "and maybe...something else too?"

I lightly ran my hands over his chest, happily getting the mutual lustful response before stepping back and walking away.

I heard Byrnes groan from behind and smiled.

Land-boys are predictable.

At Castaic Lake...

3rd POV

Laguna felt out of place as she walked about the sandy beach on the beautiful state reservoir. She didn't want the chance of Marana coming into her territory and more than one human life being taken, especially on her beach.

And the last place she wanted was to meet her where Charlotte had found the moon pool she had created. That was a natural disaster she did NOT want to foresee happening.

Castaic Lake was beautiful was a large recreational area that had a park, it's own lake and beach and surrounded by several civilians. In hindsight, Laguna felt like this is one of her worst ideas.

To be honest, the old mermaid hasn't physically interacted with Marana since that vicious storm all those centuries ago. And then after that, she stopped seeing her in her visions. It had seemed as though Marana had practically immersed herself in darkness and Laguna was stuck only following her actions, the results of said actions, and of course...

Ane'lie's reincarnations.

Marana was no longer just a face. She was an entity that had no form and that just disturbed her all the more.

And on the side note, one she never really voiced. Ane'lie wasn't exactly her dear-cursed-friend's name, but then again, Laguna was her chosen name for this period and the last decades was Marana was...All she knew was that she subconsciously knew that her enemy had taken a new name.

But the reason behind that was because, at that time, mermaids were so closed off from humans that they had their language. Or more often, they adopted the other language of other sea creatures. It was only until humans started traveling more and more through the oceans that we inevitably adopted their various languages and it stuck!

And with those new languages came the names, especially sea-related ones! Ane'lie would be a perfect example as her name has a Hebrew origin from so long ago and though its a pretty forgotten name, it has various modern versions going around. And despite its true meaning, the dear mermaid chose it and since stuck.

Thinking about that little motion put an ease on Laguna's shoulders as she walked back up and down the man-made beach.

Having given the message to Riley Byrnes had nearly given her a heart attack, but surprised her to find out Marana had agreed to it. And with school being over an hour ago, it was starting to worry Laguna that she wasn't going to come.

"Don't be too sure about that!"

Hearing Charlotte's voice, she instantly looked up to see Char-no, Marana, standing far ways from her.

Looking at the possessed mermaid, who was a few shades paler- a far cry from the tan she got on Paradise- and the dark clothing, she knew Marana was taking advantage of her time on land. An aura of power was radiating from the distance between them. And lastly...

Marana had chosen to show her true eyes for the occasion.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come," Laguna said, finding her voice. Part of her was wishing that she had brought Jonathan with her- as her family had wished to be nearby in case she tried something- but this was her enemy in the form of her dear friend.

She'd deal with this!

"Not like I had a choice. Well, I did, but I figured this would be the first nice chat we've had in years, don't you think?" Marana asked mockingly, using Charlotte's face to smirk.

Laguna felt agitated. "Marana, I didn't come here for a friendly chat and you know the feeling is mutual. So tell me: What's your endgame in all of this!?"

"Now, what makes you think I'm not Charlotte, Laguna?" she asked mockingly.

It was starting to bug her how Marana was using Charlotte to mimic her body language and had to remember what she was truly here for.

"First off, you dress nothing like how the real Charlotte dresses," Laguna started, "secondly, you chose to show your real eyes to me- and those girls that trapped you in a flooding room-"

Marana rolled Charlotte's eyes.

"-And thirdly, I saw the drawing. I deduced that Charlotte gave her consent to take over her body, but you probably did more than intended when she did so. Am I right?"

Marana nodded. She never doubted Laguna's intelligence for a second.

"Yes, she gave her consent. It was an even deal," she stated, walking towards her.

"So, if I'm right and that drawing holds any indication: When you took over, you put Charlotte somewhere. Somewhere that you deemed safe, away from any emotional turmoil that she was currently dealing with..." Laguna trailed.

Marana motioned her to continue.

"So?" she asked.

"You trapped her inside a fantasy. Whatever you had planned, you knew something would cause her to want to take over again. No, you couldn't have that. Not when you had things that needed to be done. So, you trapped her into some kind of illusion she wouldn't want to break out from, one that she believes too easily..." Laguna explained, "...You're making her think she's back in Australia, aren't you?"

This time, Marana laughed out loud. It, once again, disturbed her to hear such a cruel laugh from Charlotte's voice.

It took her a while to calm down, but eventually, she was heaving.

"I'm sorry... I...It's just...I never doubted you for a second," Marana started, "I mean, I did, but I just wasn't expecting you to realize to a little late. I had my doubts the first time I went to see you. And I have no doubts Williams came crying to you over that tragic event. She had it coming too, you know. But yes, that's where I'm keeping her. Far away from the madness, I'm going to enjoy creating."

"And what would that be?" Laguna inquired.

"Nothing you would ever know by then, Laguna. And even when you do, I'd be long gone by then," Marana stated.

"And what is this twisted endgame then!?" Laguna exclaimed, " All you're doing is adding more power to an endless cycle you started all those years ago with Ane'lie! You made her have to choose this path when there was no other choice!"

"And I regretted it!" she screamed. It came with a burst of silence.

"Remember Laguna, I lost my sister that night. But I learned to be patient and wait for her whenever she was born. After all, we're siblings. That tends to happen!" Marana exclaimed, a fire in her eyes as that abyss grew darker.

"And when you're done, you'd destroy another girl in the process," Laguna said.

"No, this time, she'll live. Besides, this time, I'll have a LOT of loose ends to clean up," Marana threatened, "so, I'm going to give you one offer: Get out of here with your family while you still can or you will see casualties like no other."