Credits
(Jason, Dylan, and Markus are all inside a cave. They're discussing something loudly, and their voices echo on the walls.)
Markus – (urgently) I've checked the calendar. Today is the full moon, which means, that tonight is our only chance.
Jason – Are you sure that we're ready? Won't we need more time to prepare? I mean, especially because of the setbacks we've had.
(Markus and Jason turn to look at Dylan, who's staring at the floor.)
Markus – Speaking of which, how are you doing with Emma?
Dylan – (shrugging) Ok, I guess.
Jason – (looks at Dylan with narrowed eyes) He's lying, I can feel it. He hasn't gotten close to her at all.
Markus – (growls slightly) Damn it, Dylan! We don't have any more time for you to waste on your stupid crush! We have to do this tonight, or not at all.
Dylan – (quietly) How about not at all?
(Markus lifts his hand and Dylan falls to the ground, surprised, with a pained look on his face. He puts his hand on his head, now looking dazed.)
Dylan – What did you do that for?
Markus – Because you weren't listening to me. We have to do this now, so, today, you're going to have to work on Emma. I don't care what you do to get her on your side, use your power if you have to, but, tonight, she better be willing to come with us. (he raises his hand menacingly)
Dylan – (cringes away from Markus) Ok, I promise.
Markus – Good. (he helps Dylan up and then smiles at his two companions) We've got work to do.
(Scene change)
-)-(-
(School. The bell has just rung. Emma, Cleo, Rikki, Shannen, and Lewis are sitting on the grounds, talking.)
Emma – It's the full moon again.
Rikki – (groans) Already? It seems that there was another one just a couple of weeks ago.
Emma – Well, it is, and we have to be very careful, especially because of what happened last time. (she eyes Shannen, who squirms uncomfortably)
Cleo – I asked my dad, and we have the whole house to ourselves tonight.
Lewis – (eagerly) That's great, because I've come up with many great new ideas to keep the full moon from getting into the house.
(Emma, Cleo, and Rikki look at each other, as an awkward silence takes place.)
Lewis – What? What's wrong with my ideas?
Cleo – Lewis, you know we love you, but, as we've told you hundreds of times already-
Lewis – (interrupting) You're not going to let me come again? Really? (he puts his hand over his chest and says in a mock sad voice) I'm hurt, truly, I am.
(Lewis gets up and begins to walk away. Cleo sighs and hurries after him.)
Rikki – (watching the couple) Whew! I'm glad I don't have to deal with that!
Shannen – (speaking up for the first time) But, aren't you dating Zane?
Rikki – Yeah, but he would never offer to help us out during the full moon. He's awesome like that.
Emma – (snorts slightly before turning to Shannen) So, do you want to hang out with us tonight?
Shannen – (eyebrows raised) No offense, but after last time, I don't want to be anywhere near you guys when the moon rises.
Rikki – Aw, come on! It'll be fun!
Emma – And, we're going to make sure that the moon won't get to us this time, we promise.
Shannen – (rolls her eyes slightly, before sighing) Oh, all right.
Emma – Good. (she puts her hand in her pocket and takes out a piece of paper) I've made a list of what you should bring, so we can make sure that nothing's missing. (she notices Rikki and Shannen staring at her) What? I just think it's best to be organized! (she hands Shannen the paper)
(Shannen reads through the paper quickly, and opens her mouth to say something to Emma when she notices Dylan walking towards them. Her mouth closes, and she smiles before getting up and going to Dylan.)
Shannen – (happily) Hi, Dylan. I haven't seen you in days! What have you been up to?
Dylan – (uncomfortably) Nothing.
Shannen – (slightly confused by his short reply) Oh. Well, I'm glad you're here now. Do you want to hang out later?
Dylan – No, I've got more important stuff to do. If you'll excuse me.
(Dylan edges away from Shannen and heads towards Emma, who's still sitting on the grass talking to Rikki. Shannen stays frozen to her spot. Emma and Rikki notice Dylan hovering over them, and turn to talk to him. Dylan kneels next to Emma and starts murmuring something to her. Shannen stares at them, disbelieving. A tear rolls down her face, and she hurries away. Rikki notices her friend, and she gets up to go after her. Emma watches her friends leave.)
Emma – I should go. (she starts to stand up)
Dylan – (grabbing her shoulder) No, stay.
(Emma turns to look at Dylan, and he stares into her eyes. Her mouth opens as if to say something, but she pauses, before nodding.)
Emma – (dazed) Ok. What did you need again?
Dylan – I just needed help with this problem.
(Dylan takes out a paper, and begins discussing something with Emma. Emma looks down at the paper, and Dylan glances towards where Shannen went, a sad look on his face. Scene change)
-)-(-
(Later on in the day, Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Shannen are walking down the street.)
Rikki – Hey, what was up with Dylan today?
Shannen – (quietly) I don't know.
Cleo – Why? What did he do now?
Rikki – He wanted to talk to Emma instead of Shannen. (to Emma) What did he want to talk about anyway?
Emma – (pauses to think) I don't remem- (she then changes the answer) He had a question about homework, I think.
Shannen – That was it?
Emma – Yes.
Rikki – Well, that still doesn't explain why he was so weird.
Cleo – Maybe he was just having a bad day or something.
Rikki – (to Shannen) You know, there is one way to find out the truth.
Shannen – (looking at Rikki, slightly startled) You don't mean…?
(Rikki nods, and Shannen grimaces.)
Shannen –But you know I don't want to do that to him. He deserves his privacy.
Rikki – And you deserve to know what's going on with him. He is your boyfriend, after all.
Shannen – It's still not right.
Rikki – It's not like you're going to find out his deepest darkest secrets. You just want to know what happened to him today.
Shannen – (reluctantly) I guess.
Rikki – (grinning) And it'll keep you from worrying anyway.
Shannen – Yeah, it will. (after a short while) I think I'm going to go look for him right now.
(Shannen starts walking in another direction.)
Cleo – (calling after Shannen) Good luck!
(Shannen waves at the girls before turning a corner. The three girls go back to talking.)
Rikki – (to Cleo) Speaking of guys, how'd Lewis take it that we didn't want him around tonight?
Cleo – He took it fine, same as he takes everything.
(Rikki and Cleo share a look and laugh, and Emma suddenly stops.)
Emma – I just remembered! I left all my full moon stuff at my house! (she begins to walk in another direction) I'll catch you guys later! (she leaves)
Rikki – You know what this means?
(Cleo turns, confused. Rikki looks at her with a grin on her face.)
Rikki – Dibs on the bed! (she starts to run)
Cleo – (starting to run too) Hey, no fair!
(The girls run off, laughing all the time. Scene change)
-)-(-
(Emma's house. Her parents are sitting with Elliot in the living room. Emma opens the front door and lets herself in. Hearing that, Mrs. Gilbert stands up.)
Mrs. Gilbert – Emma?
(Emma hears her mother and heads towards the living room.)
Emma – Yeah?
Mrs. Gilbert – Emma, come and sit down. (she sits down again, and pats the couch next to her)
(Emma goes into the room and sits down, slightly confused.)
Emma – Is something wrong?
Mr. Gilbert – I have a surprise for all of you. We're going to leave and travel the world.
(Mrs. Gilbert does nothing but smile, Elliot instantly jumps up, and Emma freezes from the shock.)
Elliot – (excited) Really? That is so cool!
Emma – (recovering from the shock) What?
Mr. Gilbert – My job needs me to move around a lot for the next year, so, we're all going to leave here very soon.
Emma – (standing up) I can't just leave! My whole life is here: my friends, my boyfriend, my-(she stops herself before she says anything else) I can't just walk away from all that.
(Mrs. Gilbert stands up and goes to her daughter.)
Mrs. Gilbert – Sweetheart, (she tries to put her hand on her daughters's shoulder, but Emma steps back)
Emma – No, I just can't deal with this now. (she takes another step back) I'm going to get my things, I'm staying the night at Cleo's.
(Emma turns and runs up the stairs. Her father stands up and looks after his daughter. Mrs. Gilbert looks upset.)
Mr. Gilbert – We can try again later.
(Mrs. Gilbert nods, and looks at Elliot, who now has a sad look on his face. The family stands there without saying anything. Scene change)
-)-(-
(On the beach. Markus, Dylan, and Jason are talking to each other, facing the ocean.)
Jason – (to Dylan) How's it going with Emma?
Dylan – Ok, I guess.
Markus – Well, that's just going to have to be good enough. We don't have time to go any further than that.
(None of them notice Shannen come up behind them, and she ducks behind a nearby tree. She closes her eyes to listen to their thoughts.)
Markus's voice – I can't believe the idiot nearly ruined it all… if we don't get the mermaids' powers tonight, we're screwed, and if he's to blame, I'm going to be seriously mad…
Jason's voice – stop thinking about what you're going to do to the girls… it's nothing much, really… you're just going to force them to give up their active powers so we can use them… it's not like we're hurting them or anything…
Dylan's voice – I just wish we could get this over with… I wish it was the full moon already…
(Shannen gasps audibly, and the three boys jerk out of their thoughts and look around. Markus stands up and sees Shannen nearby. Shannen tries to run, but Markus raises his hand, and she falls on her knees. The three boys run to her.)
Markus – (angrily) How much did she hear?
Jason – (seems to listen for a moment) Enough. She's feeling all worried and scared about her friends.
(They reach Shannen, and Markus roughly pulls her to her feet. Jason and Dylan don't look comfortable, but they don't do anything about it.)
Shannen – Let go of me!
(Markus doesn't loosen his grip and Shannen looks at Dylan imploringly.)
Shannen – Dylan, tell him to let me go!
(Dylan shakes his head and stares down at his shoes. Markus starts to laugh.)
Markus – You really think he cares about you?
Shannen – Stop it. Why are you doing this?
Jason – You know that already.
Shannen – But, why?
Markus – Because it's what we're meant to do. We got our powers to take theirs.
Shannen – (stuttering) Wh-what? (she looks at Dylan) Is this true?
Markus – (grins) Sure it is. You've already experienced my mental shockwave, Jason can tell what you're feeling, and him (he points at Dylan) has the power of influence, which he used to make you fall in love with him.
(Shannen's eyes widen, and she looks sad. Dylan looks sad as well, but he doesn't do or say anything. Jason is trying to smile, but he can't.)
Shannen – So none of it was real?
Markus – (whispering into Shannen's ear) No, it was all his power.
(Shannen closes her mouth and keeps quiet. Markus lifts the arm that's not holding her, and she collapses. Dylan dashes forward to catch her.)
Jason – How long will she be out?
Markus – Until tomorrow, at least.
(Dylan gazes at Shannen sadly. Markus kicks him softly.)
Markus – Since you're already holding her, make yourself useful and take her to my place. She can stay there until she wakes up.
(Dylan nods silently, and Jason leans down to help with Shannen's immobile body. Slowly, they lift her up and start taking her away. Scene change)
-)-(-
(Cleo's house. The windows have been completely covered, and Cleo and Rikki are sitting in the living room, going through some magazines. A small knock is heard, and Cleo rises.)
Cleo – That must be Emma.
Rikki – (without looking up from her magazine) Nice of her to show up after we've finished moon-proofing the house.
(Cleo rolls her eyes and then opens the front door. Emma comes in, a large bag over her shoulder, looking upset.)
Cleo – (noticing Emma's feelings) What's wrong, Emma?
(Emma shakes her head as she dumps her bag unceremoniously on the floor. Rikki, shocked at Emma's actions, looks up. Emma sits on the couch next to Rikki.)
Emma – My parents just told me that we're leaving.
Cleo – Like… on a vacation?
Emma – No, it's not like a vacation. (she looks up at Cleo, her eyes wet with tears) We're leaving because of my dad's job, and I won't be back in a long time.
Cleo – But, what about… us? Our secret? What will you do?
Emma – (shrugs) I'll just have to deal with it all myself, I guess.
(Rikki sets down her magazine and hugs Emma. Cleo also sits and hugs her friends. They sit there for a while, and then Emma's watch alarm goes off. She sits up, as Rikki and Cleo stop holding her, and brushes at her eyes roughly before turning the alarm off.)
Emma – (voice slightly rough) The moon's going to rise in five minutes.
Cleo – Hey, wasn't Shannen going to help us out?
Rikki – (picking up the magazine once more) She probably made up with Dylan, and they went out or something.
Cleo – But she didn't call or anything.
Rikki – She probably forgot. Happens to every girl.
(Cleo and Emma look at each other, before Emma grabs her bag and stands up.)
Emma – (to Cleo) I'll just leave this in your room.
Cleo – Ok.
(Emma leaves the room. Scene change)
-)-(-
(Outside of Cleo's house. The full moon is in the sky. Lewis is walking up to the front door of Cleo's house. He glances up at the moon, and then continues on his way. He has nearly arrived when Markus, Jason, and Dylan show up just behind him.)
Markus – (ominously) Hello, Lewis.
(Lewis jerks around, startled.)
Lewis – What are you guys doing here?
Markus – I think the more fitting question is, why are you here?
Jason – (narrows his eyes and stares at Lewis) He's just worried about the girls.
Lewis – (gasping slightly in surprise) How did you know that?
(Jason grins mysteriously, as Markus raises his hand. Lewis's eyes roll up in his head and he collapses onto the ground. Markus steps over him, uncaring.)
Markus – (to Jason and Dylan) Come on.
(The two other boys also step over Lewis and head to the front door. Scene change)
-)-(-
(A dark room with a large window through which moonlight is shining through, lighting up Shannen, who is lying on the floor, unconscious. Suddenly, with a loud intake of breath, she sits up, her eyes open. She groans and grabs at her head, grimacing in pain. She breathes deeply for a few seconds before looking up. As she sees the moon outside the window, her eyes widen, and she stands up, her legs trembling slightly. She checks her pockets, but they're empty. Then, she goes to the door. It's stuck. She pulls at it a few times, and finally, it inches open. Shannen pulls at the door with more strength, until there's enough space for her to go through it. She steps outside, and into the street, and takes off, stumbling a couple of times but managing to regain her balance, and then she turns a corner.)
-)-(-
(Cleo's house. Cleo, Emma, and Rikki are hanging out in the living room. Music is playing loudly, and Emma and Cleo are chatting animatedly while Rikki is painting her nails a very dark reddish color. Suddenly, they hear the front door open.)
Rikki – (to Cleo) Are you expecting someone?
(Cleo shakes her head and starts to stand up. As she does, Dylan, Jason, and Markus step into the room, serious looks on their faces. The three girls look surprised.)
Cleo – (politely) Hello. Not that it isn't great to see you all, but now isn't the best time.
(Cleo tries to herd them back to the door, but Dylan turns and stares into her eyes. Cleo pauses, confused.)
Dylan – (in a quiet voice) Actually, it's the best time.
(Markus grins, and Dylan turns to look at the other girls, who also stop what they are doing, and their faces go slightly blank.)
Dylan – (still quietly, but now in a convincing tone) It's a beautiful night outside. The moon is full and shining so brightly. Don't you want to see its reflection on the water?
Emma – (stuttering slightly) B-but we can't.
(Dylan stares into her eyes again, and Jason starts to watch the girls too.)
Jason – I know you want to. I can feel it.
(The three girls slowly nod, and Markus steps away from the group and tears away the covers on the windows. The moon shines through, and the three girls turn to stare at it. Their eyes light up, and Markus rejoins the boys.)
Markus – Now, how about we go for a swim?
(The three girls nod mechanically once more, and then, they follow the boys out the door.)
-)-(-
(The street outside of Cleo's house. Shannen is running up to the front door when she suddenly trips and goes sprawling on the ground. She rubs her knee, and looks back as what she tripped on suddenly moans. It's Lewis, and he's waking up. Shannen's eyes widen and she begins to shake the boy.)
Shannen – (in a loud whisper) Lewis! Lewis!
(Lewis groans and opens his eyes. He sees Shannen and sits up.)
Shannen – What happened?
Lewis – (confused) I don't know. I was talking to the guys who just moved here, um, Dylan, and Markus and- (he freezes, and then cries out) We have to go to the girls! I think they're going to do something to them!
Shannen – Yeah, I read their minds this afternoon. They want to steal the girls' powers. I was going to tell all of you, but they discovered me.
Lewis – But, you're ok now, right?
Shannen – (nods) Yes, but the girls might not be.
(She stands up, and helps Lewis to his feet.)
Shannen – Can you run?
Lewis – I think so.
(They take off at a run to Cleo's house, which is only around the corner. The door is ajar. Shannon gasps slightly as she goes inside. Lewis follows her. They can see that the living room is empty.)
Lewis – I'll check upstairs.
(Lewis runs upstairs, while Shannen steps into the living room and notices the torn cover on the window, letting moonlight inside.)
Shannen – We're too late.
(Scene change)
-)-(-
(The beach, illuminated by moonlight. Markus, Dylan and Jason are leading the three mermaids to the water. Jason gets into the water and begins to swim away.)
Dylan – (convincingly) Don't you want to go to Mako? It's going to look gorgeous tonight.
Cleo – (dreamily) Mako…
(Markus grins, and herds the girls to the water. They dive into the waves, and begin to swim. Dylan and Markus follow. They swim towards the darkened island in the distance. Scene fades)
End Credits
(A/N) Hi, you guys! Happy Easter! Look, another chapter! Oooh, cliffie! And, as you probably noticed, this is not the last one... I'd planned the whole thing out, but when I started writing, I realized that it would be way too long to be a single episode, so I had to cut it in half. The other half is not yet completely written, but, it should be soon. If all goes well, I should have it done sometime this week. Now, I'm really sorry it took me this long to update, but I've had a bunch of stuff to do and such... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Please review to tell me what you think!
Catty - And, Rissa does not own H2O. She never has, and she never will. If she did, this would probably be on TV at the moment.