Chapter 6: Close

Every night for the past week Tecna and the pixies would meet up by the lake. They were Tecna's supporters that she desperately needed. Especially since Timmy and her friends couldn't be there. Tecna felt better about herself every day, she only hoped no one would find out.

Thursday night her routine started like normal. She jumped in the lake and the pixies talked with her on what to improve on.

"Your speed is great," Digit started. "You haven't done any jumping recently. Let's work on that."

Tecna nodded in response. She did many jumps out of the water, each one higher than the last.

"Do you think she's going to find out about what you did to her?" Amore asked Lockette.

"Maybe," Lockette shrugged.

"You shouldn't keep lies from her," Tune scolded.

"How was that?" Tecna popped her head above the water.

"Perfect. You've really mastered this mermaid thing," Digit smiled.

"All thanks to you guys," Tecna smiled back.

"Plus, Valtor and the Trix are hiding out on Tides," Digit replied. "Great time to take him down."

"You're forgetting the brainwashed mermaids. They'll tear Tecna to shreds," Lockette panicked.

"I have to do it. I sacrificed myself once, I'll do it again," Tecna sighed.

The pixies were left in silence; they thought Tecna had completely lost it.

"Do you guys hear that?" Chatta broke the silence.

"It sounds like motor bikes," Digit replied.

Tecna and the pixies watched six bikes pull up next to the lake. The figures removed their helmets to reveal Sky, Brandon, Timmy, Riven, Helia, and Nabu.

"Oh no, what are they doing here?" Tecna whispered in a panic.

Tecna and the pixies snuck over and hid in the reeds. They were close enough to hear their conversation with each other.

"Say it again, what did you see the other night?" Timmy asked Sky and Brandon.

"It was this girl, half fish half girl," Brandon replied.

"Mermaid," Nabu added. "It's called a mermaid."

"I'm not an idiot Nabu," Brandon said, "But me and Sky both seen it!"

"I think you guys have lost it," Riven rolled his eyes.

"No we haven't. We saw this mermaid jump in and out of the water for awhile. We came back during the day and there was nothing in the lake," Sky said.

"It doesn't make sense, mermaids live on realms like Tides," Nabu replied.

The specialists removed their shorts to reveal bathing suits. Tecna giggled silently at them.

"You guys really want to prove it," Helia sighed.

"They must have seen me the other night," Tecna gasped.

The specialists jumped in the water and swam in the opposite direction of Tecna.

"What do I do now?" Tecna panicked.

"Hurry and get rid of the tail!" Chatta replied.

"She can't, they'll see her," Digit corrected.

Tecna watched Timmy pull out one of his waterproof sonar inventions.

"Timmy's going to see me like this," Tecna sobbed.

"Find something to hide under, like a cave or something. The sonar won't detect you!" Digit ordered. "Go and hide!"

Tecna dove under but accidently slapped her tail loudly on the water's surface. "Ahh!" Tecna squealed and dove around the lake trying to find a place to hide.

"Did you guys hear that?" Brandon said pointing in the direction Tecna just was.

"Yeah," Sky looked around suspiciously.

Timmy and Helia dove under to see the silhouette of a mermaid swim underneath them and into the darkness.

"We saw it!" Timmy rushed above surface.

"There is something down there," Helia replied.

"Told you," Brandon sighed.

"What do you want to do now though?" Riven asked.

"I just want to get closer to it. Maybe she's stuck here and needs help," Brandon shrugged.

"You can't be serious?" Riven rolled his eyes.

Tecna could hear the entire conversation from below.

"You might as well give up Brandon. It's not going to happen," Tecna giggled. She watched from the shadows below as the specialists swim around the lake looking for her. "They're so oblivious."

Timmy suddenly started punching in information on his gadget.

"I've got to hide!" Tecna panicked. She swam hysterically trying to find a small cave so the sonar couldn't find her. Finally she found a small Tecna-sized opening. She waited to hear the specialists.

"Just a few more buttons and..." Timmy's gadget made a beeping noise. "Hmm..."

"What?" Brandon asked.

"The lakes empty."

"It can't be empty, we just saw it!" Helia replied.

"She must be hiding from the sonar," Timmy pondered.

"Maybe she's hiding in an underwater cave? Mermaids are pretty smart," Nabu said.

"It's a fish Nabu," Riven said rudely.

"I'll show him who's just a fish," Tecna mumbled. She would get back at Riven another time.

For a little while longer the specialist dove and swam, trying to find Tecna. In the end they all gave up.

After the guys got out of the water Tecna listened in on them through the reeds.

"Here," Brandon tossed around towels.

"Well this was pointless," Riven wrapped himself with a towel.

"It wasn't pointless. We know something lives in this lake now," Sky replied.

"I swear I've seen her before. She seemed so familiar," Timmy said to himself.

"Well maybe the girls could get in touch with her," Nabu suggested.

"That reminds me, we should plan a group date with them," Sky told the others.

"Cool, I'll call Stella when I get to the school," Brandon said.

The guys rode off on their bikes, but Timmy stayed behind just a few more minutes. Tecna wanted to embrace him so much. "I love you Timmy," she said before quietly sinking back into the water.

Timmy stared out at the lake; he hoped to catch another glimpse of her. Just as he was about to leave, he saw her. Tecna jumped far out of the water multiple times.

"I've seen her somewhere," Timmy said again, "I'm sure of it."

Tecna watched Timmy smile then ride away.

She went to shore and sat on a rock. The pixies came out of hiding.

"What a thrill," Tecna told them.

"We thought for sure you were going to get caught," Lockette replied.

"I hid in this really small cave in the rock," she explained.

"Unable to be detected by the sonar," Digit added. "Smart."

"You aren't going to hide this forever, are you?" Chatta asked.

"I'm going to try, it's going to save everyone the trouble," Tecna said. Suddenly the shimmering light came back and Tecna sat there with legs and her bathing suit.

"You wouldn't lie to your friends," Tune landed on Tecna's shoulder.

"It's for the better," Tecna sat up. "Besides, once I defeat Valtor I'm sure I'll return to normal."