Chapter 4: Mermaid Biology

Tecna woke up the next morning face down in her pillow. She flipped over to see 8:00 am flashing on her clock. Tecna realised she slept through the rest of the day AND night.

"Was it a dream?" Tecna got up groggily and rushed silently to the bathroom to see if it was a mess like she left it. She opened the door cautiously and seen the bathroom cleaner than it's ever been. "It felt so real though..."

Tecna rushed quietly to get dressed and ready. Mrs. Faragonda wanted to speak with her this morning. "Probably about yesterday..." Tecna sighed. Tecna really hoped she had answers for her. She rushed silently out the door and down to her office.

"Please take a seat Tecna," Mrs. Faragonda said in a very serious tone. Tecna did what she was told and sat in the chair.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Tecna asked.

"What happened yesterday during the training exercise?" Faragonda asked.

"I...I couldn't transform at all. I think Valtor has something to do with it," Tecna frowned.

"I think it had to do with the Omega Dimension," Mrs. F replied.

"But my powers worked when I got back!" Tecna argued back.

Mrs. F was silent. "Maybe you are right Tecna, but for the next little while you are excused from classes and I want you to as much research as possible on power disappearance."

"Don't you have information for me?" Tecna asked.

"I've never heard of such a case. The only way I could see such a thing happening is the Omega Dimension affected your powers slightly. But after you told me your powers worked after you got back well... I'm clueless now," Mrs. F replied.

Tecna felt hopeless, "It's just not fair! If it was Valtor who did this...why me?"

"Because he knows you are very strong, being able to get out of Omega without a scratch," she replied.

"I just want it to stop," Tecna replied sadly. She stood up and clenched her hands into fists, "Valtor will pay."

XxXXxxXXxx

After leaving the office, Tecna went down to the school library to find the answers she desperately wanted.

She stood on the podium in the library. "Mermaid," she told the machine. Only one very old book flew from one of the top shelves. Tecna shrugged and grabbed it carefully, and then she found a spot at the back of the library.

She opened the book and dust came flying out, "Wow, old book," she coughed.

Tecna flipped through many pages, until she came to a chapter called Mermaid Biology. Tecna finally found something that could explain it.

In some rare cases there are people out there that, when their legs are in water, will turn into a mermaid. Their tail will disappear when left out to dry after a couple minutes. No one has figured out how people gain this.

"Valtor knows," Tecna frowned and continued to read.

Even though mermaids can't fly or shoot magic, they can swim very fast and can summon creatures to help them. This can be just as rewarding as being a fairy.

Things started making sense to Tecna more. Before she could read ahead a group of students started coming in. She took her book and ran to the podium and ordered it to go back to its original spot. Tecna left looking as though nothing happened.

"I have to find out, if it's all true," Tecna sighed. "But I don't want anyone to find out... I'll go down to the lake tonight when everyone's asleep."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Good night Tecna," Musa yawned from the other side of the room.

"Night," Tecna pretended to yawn. She waited for Musa to fall asleep, and then she sprang into action.

Tecna used one of her gadgets to make a hologram of herself, "Pretty convincing, if I do say so myself," she whispered to herself. Right before leaving Tecna remembered to grab her barrier breaker so she could get through the schools shield without anyone knowing, hopefully. She decided to take the faster way out and climbed a vine branch outside her balcony down to the bottom. Finally after getting through the barrier around the school, she was out into the wilderness. No magic to protect her this time. The cool air made Tecna feel chilly, only wearing her pyjamas and a bathing suit underneath was probably why.

"I hope no one notices I'm gone," Tecna shivered and pushed her way through the damp bushes. She hurried down to the lake. Knowing she had no magic there would be no way of defending herself. The forest looked so scary tonight making her feel even more uncomfortable about being alone.

"Valtor...he wants to see me powerless to him," Tecna wiped some tears from her cheek, "Ms Faragonda is right, I must be a threat for surviving the Omega Dimension."

When she reached the lake everything changed. The water seemed to glow under the moon and stars. The tall weeds blew gently in the wind and a bunch of fireflies danced around Tecna. It felt so magical, giving her a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

"I just have to get this done and over with," Tecna thought out loud. She quickly removed her pyjama's showing her lavender bathing suit.

"I have to hide these," Tecna looked at her pyjamas. She threw them in some thick reeds. Swiftly she dove into the water below.

Sorry about the huge wait...had three school projects on the go ):