Hello everyone. SO sorry for the hiatus. I've been trying to figure out how to continue the story from where I left off without having too much filler. This chapter pretty much just explains what Anna and Ripple had been up to while the others were gone. It also adds a little backstory to the group's current threat.

Sorry it's late! . But here we go!

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Annalise had always been a rather energetic mermaid. She loved to laugh, party, flirt, and just have fun. When Jeanette had first come to Oceana, she had been ecstatic. Throughout the whole adventure with Sherri, she had grown to love the younger mermaid like a sister. Of course she had been sad when Jean had left. However, the whole ordeal hadn't sobered her up one bit.

~Two years ago, a week after Sherri was defeated~

"Ripple, get a move on!" Anna called. She swam with more vigor than usual. Ripple swished her tail frantically, trying to keep up with her cousin. Anna was making a beeline for the castle of Oceana. As she passed through the ornate archway, she caught the eye of an orange-tailed merman.

"Annalise!" he called. The pink mermaid stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she came face to face with a pair of wide teal eyes. She leaned back a little.

"M-Marlin?" she stuttered. A shaky smile grew on her face. "Hi! What's up?"

"I can't BELIEVE you went on an adventure without me!"

"W-wha?" Anna blinked. The young merman crossed his arms and pouted.

"You defeated an evil sea witch and saved the city without letting me in on it!" he huffed. "I thought we were friends, Anna…"

"Marlin…" Annalise rolled her eyes. When she looked back to him, the pout was gone and a determined look flashed in his eyes.

"Next time, I'm gonna find an adventure!" he shouted. "And I won't tell you at all!"

"Marlin, I have to go! Queen-

"Oh yeah, the Queen summoned you!" he interjected. "You shouldn't keep her waiting. See ya 'round, Anna!"

With that he swam off, leaving Annalise to sigh in frustration and continue on her way. Ripple had finally caught up to her, and now swam beside her.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Ugh, I don't know," Anna said. "Marlin never stays on the same subject for long. I…" she trailed off. "…I don't know why he begs me to let him go on 'adventures' so much. I mean, we've been friends for years, but is my life really that exciting?"

"He probably likes you," Ripple smirked. "After all, what merman doesn't?"

"Ripple!" Anna blushed. "We're good friends, that's all." However, the pink mermaid spared a moment to glance over her shoulder in the direction where the merman had swum away. "He can be such a kid sometimes. I sometimes don't even think he's mature enough to see me as more than a friend…"

"Do you want him to?" Ripple turned her sapphire gaze to her friend. Anna shrugged and swam on.

They reached the throne room within minutes. It had been untouched, thankfully, by Sherri's rampage. In fact, much of the city had been unharmed, save for a few buildings that were toppled by the sea witch's earthquake-inducing swim toward the castle. It had taken only a few days to rebuild most of them.

Queen Marjorie sat on her throne, her serene eyes gazing at the young mermaids steadily. Annalise felt a familiar warmth wash over her. The queen had a natural effect on all beings, it seemed. She made them feel so calm. The pink haired mermaid bowed humbly, Ripple quickly following suit. The golden-haired queen smiled gently.

"Rise, children," She said in her honeyed voice. "Come, let us talk." She rose from her seat and swam over to them.

"You wished to see us, your Majesty?" Annalise asked. The queen's smile grew.

"Yes. I have a task for both of you," she began. "It relates to the events of the past few weeks." The room grew somber at the mention of the adventure.

"You see, Sherri had been rotten from the very start, as I learned after her defeat," Marjorie said. "She had been plotting this long before she met Marlin, long before she had thought of revenge on the Chipettes. She had been working for a higher power, higher than even me." The two younger mermaids exchanged a surprised glance.

"But your Highness, you're the ruler of one of the sea's capital cities!" Ripple said. "You are one of the most powerful mermaids, how could-

"There are higher powers than queens, child," Marjorie gently cut her off. "Yes, my magic is powerful, much more powerful than the common mermaid, but only because of the power that was bestowed in me by the Great Ones." The queen sighed. "What I will tell you next is sacred knowledge, but I believe that you are both spiritually strong enough to know it." She paused.

"Mermaids are not the magic of the sea."

"…I'm not sure I understand, your Highness." Annalise tilted her head.

"The legends, human and mer-people origin alike, have always referenced mermaids to be the great beings of the sea, born of a strong magic. They say that mermaids harness that power and use it to control the seas. That we have the power to manipulate the waves, the tides, the animals, and even the sailors. This, however, is not true.

Mermaid magic is not our own. We merely pull and use the mana of the ocean that was given to us by a higher power. This force is used to do our bidding, though only if we use it in the correct manner. You see, water in general is a very picky magic. It will only listen when it chooses to listen, and at other times it will refuse us. That is why, as a sea mage, I must summon the ocean's power gently and humbly. It is also why Sherri was defeated; she stole the mana and used it for a task other than what she was told. This, combined with the sea's approval of Jeanette's use of the mana, ultimately led to her downfall."

"I see…" Anna nodded slowly. "But I still don't understand why you are telling us this, my queen."

"I tell you this, Annalise and Ripple," Marjorie gazed at the two. "Because I can sense the sea's approval of you. Do you remember when you encountered Sherri at her cave? How you were able to rescue the Chipettes and their friends quickly?"

"I recognized one of the ingredients on her shelf," Anna said. "I'd always had an interest in spells and potion-making. My uncle was great at it, and I had studied so much with him…"

"There was more to it than that, my dear." Marjorie closed her eyes for a moment. "In truth, Sherri's stolen magic, by that time, had advanced to an exceptionally strong level. The pressure of the mana would've crushed any normal mermaid, yet you were able to pass through it with ease."

"…oh." Anna couldn't say much more.

"And you, Ripple," the queen turned to the bluenette mermaid. "You were able to withstand the pressure as well. While I do not sense a power as strong as Annalise's, you clearly have been approved by the sea's magic."

"I see…"

"Now, I have a favor to ask of you girls…" Marjorie glanced around the room. When her gaze fell back to the young mermaids, her gentle eyes showed a bit of tiredness.

"The recent events have led me to believe that something worse may occur in the future. I wish to train you two. You have a strong connection to the Ocean, and if you are able to strengthen that connection, you could very well defeat nearly any threat that comes to our world."

"We…could?" Annalise breathed. Marjorie gave a small smile.

"Yes."

"Oh…wow…"

"I will not force you into anything, dears. However, I would very much appreciate it if you accepted this task."

"Well, I don't see how we couldn't, your Majesty," Ripple said. "I mean, if something like Sherri threatens us again, we won't have Jeanette to save our tails. Why not?"

"I agree with Ripple, your Highness," Anna smiled. "I'm up to the challenge!"

"Thank you, both of you," Marjorie sighed, though this time in a contented fashion. "Please, come to the castle tomorrow. We will begin your training there."

And thus, a new life for Annalise and Ripple began. Throughout their training, they learned to harness the mana of the sea in the most respectful of manners. Queen Marjorie watched over them each day, and their skills grew quickly. However, the queen always felt a small nagging thought in the back of her mind, the uneasy feeling that had prompted her to confront the two young mermaids in the first place.

"I only pray," she said softly to herself one night. "That these two will have no use for these powers, that what I have seen is wrong…" she gazed at the darkness of the night sea from her window. "That my sisters…they are not truly doing this again…"

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Well, that's the first time I wrote a chapter on my laptop. I see more questions than answers here. I think I'm doing this right. :\