I'm not quite happy how this story turned out, but I hope you like it anyway.

I also have to say that updating will become slower the next two months, because I've got exams soon. So please don't panic if my updates are a little later.

Thanks again for all the reviews.

The story begins with a once upon a time in an old castle where an old man is cleaning a mirror. Suddenly a lady's face appears in the mirror behind him.

"Aren't you dead yet?"

"Ha, still so bitter after all these centuries. Some things never change." He turns to another guy that is cleaning glass slippers. "Careful, my boy, those are not just symbols, they're pieces of history."

"I understand."

He puts the slipper back on a stand above a sign saying 'Cinderella'.

"Never forget the power of every fairy tale emanates from each of these." The nail holding up the magic mirror starts to come loose, but the old man is so occupied he doesn't notice. "Their magic continues to shape every child born, even to this day. Which makes the task of preserving and protecting them much greater. No, the mirror! Don't let it fall!" But it's too late. The magic mirror falls from the wall. It smashes and a white mist floats out of it. The mist forms into the lady.

"Thanks so much. I thought I'd never get out of there." She grabs the old man by the neck and chokes him to death. "This is the way to begin a story." The old man drops to the floor. The wicked witch turns to the apprentice.

"Who are you?"

"Little rusty on your fairy tales, I see. Evil witch, magic mirror, speaks only the truth. Perhaps this would help. 'Freedoms lost must be unwitting, into the glass to do my bidding.'" The apprentice is sucked into the mirror. The wicked witch uses her power and the mirror slides back up the wall and into its place. "Now, amuse me. Not that you have any choice. 'Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the most powerful magical being of all?'"

"You're much stronger than all I see, yet truth be told there are three almost as powerful than thee."

Images of Emma, Cleo and Rikki show in the mirror.

"We'll see about that."

The gang is walking down the beach early in the morning.

"I've been working all day for weeks and I think I finally am close to figure out what your transformation is about."

"Lewis, we already figured it out on ourselves."

"Yeah, for me it was the tails, what was it for you Cleo?"

"Ease up on Lewis, he is trying to help." She really doesn't like it when someone tries to mess with her boyfriend. Although she also hates it when he talks about science, she just never understands any of it. Science is her worst course at school for a reason.

"Pfff, you're no more fun since you became a couple with Lewis."

"Yeah, you always team up."

"That's love."

"That's evil."

They walk on laughing, having no idea that the real evil is yet to come.

Back at the castle the wicked witch is looking at images of Emma, Rikki and Cleo in the mirror. The images disappear and the apprentice appears.

"Wanna see more?"

"No, I think I've seen enough to know how to kill them."

"Powerful though you are, I doubt it can be done. For good magic protects the mermaid ones."

"Still, I wonder if it can protect them against such powerful magic as we have here. Certainly worth a try."

"But using the props for evil could..."

"Change the meaning of fairy tales? Shift them away from good? So be it." She opens a large fairy tale book. "Let's begin with Snow White. She was easy prey. Woodsman, come forth." The picture of a woodsman in the book glows and a real life woodsman appears in the room. "Bring me the heart of the mermaid which is white as snow." She picks up an axe off a stand and hands it to the Woodsman.

"As you wish."

"Now, mirror, mirror, show me the girl who's been falling in love."

That afternoon Cleo is taking Lewis to the Marine Park to meet a certain dr. Denman. A beautiful girl walks in.

"Can I help you?"

Lewis is so taken away that he is unable to speak normally, to Cleo's dismay.

"You've seen dr. Denman?"

"Yes, I'm dr. Denman."

"I'm Lewis McCarthny. Who is McCarthny?"

"Lewis McCarthny. Are you the one who sent me forty-eight emails about the research assistant position?"

"Yes I am."

"You must be very keen. Either that or a stalker."

"A stalker? … This is Cleo and this is my résumé if you would like to …"

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you Cleo. Lewis, let me say I found your attitude admirable. Science is the key that unlocks the mystery's of life."

Cleo had enough of Lewis' drooling.

"So mind if we take a look at what you're up to."

"I'm sorry, I'm actually at a crucial stage at the moment, but I'll take a look at your résumé. Okay?"

"Okay."

At the same time, Rikki and Emma are walking down the beach when the woodsman appears in front of them. He comes towards Rikki, having no eye for Emma at all, which gives her the time to think of a plan. While Rikki tries to avoid his axe, Emma uses all her might to push him in the water.

"Rikki, boil his axe."

The axe becomes so hot, that the woodsmen can't hold it any longer. Now it was Emma's turn, who turned him into ice. At which Rikki used the axe, to smash him into pieces.

"Why do I always have to be the one being attacked?"

"I guess you have that effect on people. But I must say, we're getting pretty good at this, don't you think?"

"Yeah, we are called the slaymaids for a reason."

"Rikki, nobody calls us that."

"Emma, when are you gonna except what you're really are? You're not just a mermaid, you're a slaymaid."

The Wicked Witch was watching the two girls through the magic mirror. The apprentice appears back in the mirror.

"Try as you might. Fairy tale magic runs out at midnight."

"There's still plenty of time." She picks up a red apple. "The Woodsman failed, but I won't. I'll split the mermaids up and make sure none of them live happily ever after."

She tucks the apple into her coat and walks over to a locket. She picks it up and smokes out.

"Dr. Denman. Ha, just a Baywatch babe. What does she know anyway?"

"Well, I googled her, she wrote some important papers. Mutations in aquatic mammals."

"She got lucky. I bet she is not even a real blond. What?"

"I think you are jealous."

"What, no. I'm just concerned about Lewis and how he is feeling right now."

"Cleo, he loves you, there is no need to worry."

"You should have seen him before, what if he gets so influenced that he tells her about us. I want to talk to him, but I think I shouldn't be alone."

"We'll go with you."

"And what are you going to say to her Lewis?"

"Have a little faith please. All I want is access to her lab. That's it"

"Oh c'mon, you were all over her."

"Cleo, please. That's so not true. I'm a scientist. Besides she wasn't that special anyway." His phone rings. "ohh it's her." He runs off.

"He got her number programmed into his phone already."

"There is laughter, not good."

"Is he twirling his hair?"

"We're in big trouble."

Lewis hangs up and wants to sit down again next to Cleo, but she just runs off.

"What's with her?"

"What's with her? Is that all you have to say?"

"What do you mean?"

"You really don't know?"

"No."

"Boys."

"I got to go."

Emma and Rikki also get up. While Emma leaves, Rikki's attention is drawn by a red apple that is lying nearby. Zane comes up to her, but she just passes him, without noticing him. She picks the red apple up and takes a bite. She immediately loses conscience. Lucky for her, Zane was there to catch her.

"Rikki, Rikki, are you alright?"

Emma just came out of the bath still in mermaid form, when she notices a locket. She puts it on and suddenly her tail turns shorter and green, her hair red and her top purple. She is still trying to dry herself off when Cleo enters.

"Emma, you've got to hear … what happened to you?"

"I don't know. I put on this locket and suddenly I turn into the little mermaid."

"Emma, you're not wearing a locket."

"I know, it disappeared after the change."

They hear the bell ring.

"Cleo, can you open the door, please."

"Why, it's probably Lewis."

"Cleo, we need his help."

"Alright, alright."

Cleo opens the door and sees Zane holding an unconscious Rikki in his arms.

"Make way."

He comes in, and gets Rikki to Emma's bedroom.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, she ate an apple and suddenly she fainted. I thought I bring her here."

"Thanks Zane… you can go now."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"She is going to be fine. Bye."

"Bye."

After she closes the door, she goes back to Rikki, right in time to see her hair turning black and her clothes into a long white dress.

"Emma, something freaky is going on. Rikki is unconscious and her hair turned black and she is wearing suddenly medieval clothes."

"Oh my, how?"

"Zane said she ate an apple."

"Wait a minute, I'm turning into the little mermaid, Rikki eats an apple and turns into Snow White?"

"You aren't saying that … ?"

"We are living in fairy tales."

Out of a sudden Emma turns pale.

"Emma."

"I need water, I'm a real mermaid now and I think I need water."

"But how am I going to get you in the sea?"

The door rings once again and when Cleo opens it, she sees seven little men.

"Can I help you?"

"We're here for Snow White."

"Great."

While the seven dwarfs watch after Rikki, she puts Emma once again in a wheelchair and helps her to the sea.

"Thanks Cleo."

"But what now?"

"Well if I'm really the little mermaid, I will find the sea witch, so I can get my legs back and then I will help you."

"But what do I do in the meanwhile?"

"Try not to get eaten by the big bad wolf."

She saw Emma disappear and started to walk back to her house, when Byron crossed her, probably on his way for a swim.

Emma was not long gone when she heard somebody scream. It was Byron and he was drowning. She quickly swam over and got him to the beach. He was unconscious and Emma got somehow the strange desire to sing. So she started to sing and that's how Byron woke up. But the only thing he could see of his savour was red hair and then she was gone. She really needed to find this witch, because the fairy tale was starting to take over.

In the meanwhile, Lewis was having the best time with Linda, as he could call dr. Denman now. They were exploring the sea. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move, but when he turned to look, there was nothing there. Although he couldn't get the idea out of his head, that he was being watched.

The door of Emma's house rang once again and Cleo went down to open it. Lewis stormed in.

"You guys think, I wouldn't notice you spying on me? I mean where is the trust?"

"You've gone too far Lewis."

"You don't trust me? After everything we been trough. I've been working so hard trying to solve basic questions about why you guys are the way you are and this is how it comes down to? What's with the dwarfs?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, everything is turning into a fairytale. Emma changed into the little mermaid and Rikki into Snow White and I have no idea what do?"

"What do you mean, you should find the wicked witch and kill her."

"How do you know it's a wicked witch?"

"It's almost always a wicked witch."

"Great and how do I have to kill her. I mean, Rikki and Emma are the super mermaids, I usually just run around after them, throwing water so they can do their thing."

"Cleo, we already talked about it, everything will be fine. Get a closer look at Rikki -, maybe you'll find a hint. But I got to go again, see you later?"

"Great."

While Lewis went back to 'Linda' Cleo went back up to Rikki, when she notices Emma's closet open.

"Did one of you opened that?"

"What? We don't steal if that's what you think."

"Never mind."

She looks in the closet and sees a red hood hanging.

"This can't be?"

The doorbell rang again and Cleo went down to open it. Miss Chatham is standing outside.

"Finally, you've got to help, I've got no one else to turn too."

"What is it my dear."

"Well it all started with …"

And she and Miss Chatham went up. One of the dwarfs noticed something strange.

"You think she knows that's a wolf?"

"Not our business."

A little longer they heard a scream and a wolf comes down the stairs and runs out of the door.

The Wicked Witch watched everything through the mirror.

"The end."

Emma finally found another sea creature, who had to be the sea witch because she was all tentacly. The creature immediately spoke to her.

"Do you want legs, my dear."

"Yes I do."

Emma already found out she could also talk under water now.

"Then we will trade. You're beautiful voice against a pair of legs. What do you say?"

"Alright."

Suddenly Emma was in the castle with legs and the locket. She found she couldn't talk but she did hear a lady talking to a mirror.

"Why won't you answer my question? Why won't you tell me what I want to hear?"

"You know as well as I, that I cannot tell a lie."

"Damn it. Well then, if I'm not the most powerful one in the land who is?"

Emma thinks it's about time to make herself known and throws down the locket, which gives her her voice back.

"Take a wild guess."

"You? That's not possible. You swam off. I saw it!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't agree with you." She opens an oven, that starts to burn immediately. "See if this agrees with you." She throws the witch in the oven.

"No, I'm melting! I'm melting! I'm melting!"

The Wicked Witch melts and disappears. The apprentice is freed from the mirror and the apple, axe and locket appear back on their stands.

"You saved me."

"Are you the Keeper?"

"No, his Apprentice. Or..." He looks at the Keepers body on the floor. "At least I was."

"Oh, no. Wait, if he didn't come back to life does that mean my sisters won't either?"

"No, no, they were victims of fairy tale magic so when you saved the fairy tales, you saved them too." He looks over at the red hood stand. It is still missing.

"Must mean that story hasn't found a happy ending yet."

"Oh, well, I guess this makes you the new Keeper."

"I guess so."

"Any idea how I get the heck out of here?"

He walks over and picks up a pair of sparkly red shoes like on the Wizard Of Oz.

Rikki wakes back up as her normal self when Emma appears in front of her wearing red shoes. But they disappear before she can get a good look at them.

"Good morning, slept well?"

"Yeah great, what happened?"

"I explain on the way, we need to find a wolf."

"What?"

Lewis just got back from dr. Denman's lab, he deleted her article and stole the sample back, when he walks into a big wolf. He starts to run and search in his bag for something. He finds a little Swiss knife right at the moment the wolf jumps on him. The knife gets right into the belly and he hears a scream he continues slicing the wolf open. Cleo gets out and the wolf and the red hood disappear. Emma and Rikki also arrive.

"Cleo."

"Thank god, that was about time. I couldn't stand it any longer in there."

"Glad you're okay now."

"So how is your scientific career going with dr. Denman?"

"Are you serious, you think I buy that stuff about being a good scientist? Please. No I don't think the good doctor and I are going to be a team anymore."

"It's good to have you back Lewis."

"So you aren't mad at me anymore."

"How can I be angry at my huntsman, who saved me from the big bad wolf?"

She gives him a big hug, which he is happy to return.

And they live happy ever after... At least until the next evil turns up.