A/N: I was stuck in an island for a week where the Internet access is waaay to expensive to use, so I wasn't able to update for a while. Anyway I'm raising the rating of this story to T due to violence which will be coming later.

Chapter Seven

Marina

Lucy gasped as water began to fill her lungs and she vainly struggled, kicking madly and fighting against drowning. Suddenly she felt a hand grasp her face and a pair of lips came upon hers for a full minute before she was released. She opened her eyes and realized she wasn't struggling anymore. She could breathe easily but she was still underwater.

The old mermaid was before her offering her a hand.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked doubtfully. She knew it was the mermaid that saved her life by somehow giving her the ability to breathe when she kissed her. Yet fear still gripped her on why the mermaid asked Lucy to follow her in the first place.

The mermaid eyed her sadly. "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what? Who are you?"

The mermaid gasped as if she was having a difficult time talking.

"Come with me, we must go deeper. I cannot stand water so near the surface."

The mermaid dived deeper. Lucy had a moment of indecision. Should she follow the mermaid into the depths of the ocean? But she felt a feeling of familiarity and trust, not unlike what she felt for Mr. Tumnus when she met him the first time. She followed the mermaid and was surprised that she can swim just as fast when before she could barely move forward in the water. It was also dark here, yet somehow she could see everything as bright as day.

The mermaid led her towards the ocean floor and there Lucy could see the wreck of old ship, covered mostly with sea plants and coral. It was huge. Lucy figured it was a galleon probably as large as the Splendour Hyaline. She could just imagine how it looked liked in its heyday.

The mermaid came to rest on the sand using soft water plants as a cushion and began breathing heavily. She gestured for Lucy to sit beside her. Lucy stood on the sand a short distance away.

"My name is Marina," she stared at Lucy as if waiting for a reaction. Lucy said nothing.

"I suppose it's too much to expect for you to remember my name. But no matter, I assure you I was and still your old friend."

"But we've just met." said Lucy and she held out a hand to shake before remembering that most Narnian creatures didn't understand that gesture. "I'm Lucy, Queen of Narnia."

To Lucy's surprise Marina took her hand and shook it properly. The mermaid had such a joyful look in her face that Lucy figured if she were on land, there would be tears falling down her face. "Are you truly the Queen now? Because that would mean the awful time is over, just as he promised!"

"I don't… follow," said Lucy.

The mermaid grasped both of Lucy's hands in her own and kissed them. "Oh my dear, I knew it! I knew it would be you! You have defeated the White Witch! Just as Aslan said humans will one day. How fortunate am I to live to see it! I can die in peace now and join my sisters."

"Die?" said Lucy, alarmed.

"Yes dear. I can feel it. I only have a few minutes left. I feel my body disintegrating. I wish I could have more time. How I would like to tell you all. But I've had more than 300 years. The others had less than that. I am the last of the mermaids in these Islands but in Narnia where you rule I know there are young ones still. Take care of them."

"Yes… yes I will," promised Lucy, though a million questions still plagued her. "But why are you the only one?"

"The Witch and her followers killed them all, dear. I am sorry. I know you don't remember them, but promise me you'll mourn them… mourn all our brave mermaid friends and if you can, mourn for me." Marina was pleading so desperately Lucy could only nod though she hardly understood anything she said.

Lucy felt the hand that clutched hers disintegrate into bubbles. She had read from Mr. Tumnus' books that when mermaids die they become foam. But it was one thing to read the description from a book and actually see it happen. It was heartbreaking yet somehow lightening. It was like watching something noble dissolving into the sea but will set her free back into the waters where she belonged.

"The pearl, Luciana!" Marina cried. "I kept it for you… Hid it… main cabin… where I found you… first time. Inside… broken lantern…"

Her voice died as her face withered away into foam. Lucy clutched at the bubbles desperately, but it was no use. The mermaid was gone and Lucy felt paralyzed for a long moment with grief. She sobbed continuously for what may have been hours though she felt no heat from her tears for they mixed immediately with the sea water as soon as they fell from her eyelids. She imagined that her tears joined with the foam that was once Marina and all the other mermaids that died and became foam. That comforted her somehow that she left them this one tribute.

When Lucy finally calmed down, she remembered Marina's last words. What pearl was she talking about? Only one way to find out.

She swam towards the wreck and found a gaping hole at the side of the ship. She figured the ship must have been here for centuries for it was mostly encrusted with coral and sand. She had no trouble finding the main cabin for the ship was modeled similar to the Splendour Hyaline. There in the center of the cabin hung a lantern from a hook on the ceiling. Unlike the rest of the ship it was free from coral, as if it was regularly cleaned and cared for.

She took it down from the hook and opened it. There it was: a single perfectly formed pearl. She shook it out of the lantern and let it fall into her palm. She touched it with the tip of her index finger.

She felt something like a strong wave pass her and she panicked thinking the old wreck was collapsing due to age. She shut her eyes to combat the dizziness and held her arms over her head to protect herself from falling debris, but nothing hit her.

She looked up. She was standing in the middle of a ruined ship's cabin, underwater! She puzzled for a moment why she was able to breathe normally, let alone still be alive. She felt something in her palm and saw that she was holding a pearl. She was about to examine it when a shadow appeared by the collapsed door. Frightened, she dropped the pearl in her pocket.

"W-who's there?" she asked.

A face appeared framed by long dark hair. Then a pair of arms, bare breasts and below that, a fish's tale showed. It was a mermaid.

She stared at the mermaid completely puzzled. The mermaid stared back with equal surprise and bewilderment.

"Who are you?" asked the mermaid. She stared hard at her, as if taking in her form. "Are you a Sea Girl?"

She shook her head. "What's a Sea Girl?"

"You look like one, but… you don't have gills and your skin is different," said the mermaid.

"I'm human," she said. "I'm…" Her voice died out, for she couldn't remember her name. In fact, she couldn't remember anything that happened to her until about five seconds ago. "I—I don't know who I am… I can't remember."

And she was suddenly afraid. Who am I? What am I doing here? I'm human, I know but how come I'm underwater talking to a mermaid? And why am I not dead yet?

"What are you doing here on the Luciana?" asked the mermaid.

"I don't know… what's the Luciana?"

"We're in it. It's the name of the ship. It's an old Narnian galleon. They say it's the royal flagship of the first king, but it sank hundreds of years ago. This is now my favorite place."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude… I… I just don't know how I got here."

The mermaid stared at her, as if appraising her carefully.

"Your eyes tell no lie," said the mermaid. "But if you're human, how come you can breathe here? I've never met you before. I thought I was the only one with that gift."

"Gift?"

"To allow land creatures to breathe in the sea. I have never given you my kiss, how come you can breathe here?" The mermaid's tone had taken one of doubt.

She shook her head, unable to answer. She was growing more and more terrified by the minute. She tried to jag her memory of who she was, of familiar lands and places. Yet there was nothing. It was like her whole life had been erased. She covered her eyes with her hands and shivered with dread.

"Are you alright?" asked the mermaid.

She shook her head again and she began to cry. "I don't know who I am. I don't even know what happened to me before you came. I'm sorry… please help me…"

The mermaid put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I don't know about that… perhaps if we take you to the surface—"

"Marina!"

The call startled them both.

"Marina! Come home, quickly!"

"It's my sister. I have to go."

The idea of being left behind all alone in this vast ocean was even more frightening to her. "Please don't leave me!" she cried.

"Marina!"

"I'm coming!" shouted back the mermaid.

"Stay here," ordered the mermaid though her voice was calm. "I'll be back for you."

"But—"

"I'm sorry, I really have to go I—"

"Marina, for the last time…" the second voice appeared to be nearer and suddenly a second mermaid appeared. She looked like the first mermaid. They had the same hair and shade of tail but she appeared older. She stopped as she saw the pair of them.

"Marina, what is that?" asked the older mermaid.

"I—I found her here," replied Marina. "She said she's human."

But the older mermaid was staring at her with frightened and suspicious eyes. She pulled her sister away.

"Stay back! We want no trouble. Our escort is nearby. If you do anything we'll scream and our mother will hear of it."

"But I'm not going to hurt you."

There was a sudden loud noise as if someone had blown a horn underwater. All three of them shivered with alarm.

"It's the signal!" cried the older mermaid. "We have to go!"

"But what about her?" Marina asked.

"Leave her! She might be a Sea-person!"

"What's happening?" cried the girl.

Marina looked wildly from her to her sister. She seemed to reach as decision. She grabbed the girl's arm. "Come on, we have to get to the shelter!"

"Marina!"

"I can't leave her here to die!"

Marina tugged at her arm and soon all three of them were swimming quickly out of the wreck. The signal started again and she could see all kinds of sea creatures scrambling to find shelter. The sight of their panic made her even more afraid but she dared not speak to Marina.

Finally they came to a cluster of rocks, encrusted with coral. Marina dragged her in and soon darkness enveloped them.