Catania and Carlos looked at each other in alarm.

"The tunnel will close any second!" Catania exclaimed.

Carlos nodded "We have to get her out."

"How?"

"I don't know."

Mariposa tried once again to pull herself free, but her wings were holding firmly. She tried to get them to wrap back around, but there wasn't enough room.

Carlos got down on his knees and held a hand out to her "Grab my hand!"

Mariposa stared at him for a second then obeyed, forcing herself to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

Carlos got a firm grip on her hand and pulled.

Her wings gave way a little bit.

"Couldn't this hurt her wings?" Catania whispered.

Carlos nodded "That's why we have to take it slow."

"Slow isn't an option anymore!" Mariposa cried "Catania! Grab my other hand and pull!"

"But your wings!" Catania said, a bit unsure.

"Don't worry about my wings! We just have to get me out of here! I don't want to be stuck for twenty-four hours like this!" she looked up at the last hole "Please! Just hurry!"

Catania grabbed Mariposa's free hand and she and Carlos both began to pull.

Mariposa slowly began to inch forward.

A low groan came from the tunnel.

"Time's up!" Carlos mumbled.

"One... more... pull!" Catania gasped "On three! THREE!"

Carlos and Catania gave one final pull and Mariposa came flying out, knocking the two royals over in the process.

She pulled her feet out of the way right before the tunnel door slammed closed "That was too close."

"No kidding!" Catania sighed with relief "I thought we weren't going to make it!"

Carlos huffed and shook his head "We are definitely not coming back this way if we can help it."

"Agreed." the two girls echoed.

The prince got to his feet and helped the two up "Are your wings okay?"

Mariposa flapped them a little "They're a little scratched, but they're fine. Thank you, so much." she shook her head "Sometimes I think these wings are more trouble than they're worth."

Carlos shrugged "They suit you though."

One of her eyebrows raised "Big, obnoxious and always in the way?" she asked teasingly.

"No. They're beautiful." Carlos suddenly began to cough uncontrollably as he realized his slip "W-w-we should g-get g-g-going." his face was beet red.

"Yeah. We should." Catania giggled.

Mariposa watched as Carlos walked away "It was just a slip up." she thought "He didn't mean it. Not like that anyways."

"Did they happen to say where the whirlpool was?" Carlos asked a few minutes later.

Catania and Mariposa glanced at each other "No."

"It's right this way!" Hervey said, popping out from a tree.

Mariposa stared at the troll "Please don't tell me there was another way!"

Hervey grinned sheepishly "I don't have a very good memory. Follow me!"

"To where?" Catania asked unsure.

"To the whirlpool of course!"

The three fairies looked at each other and shrugged. Then they flew after the troll.

Hervey talked about everything under the sun as he walked along.

Carlos fell back with Mariposa "You'd think we weren't in a hurry." he chuckled.

Mariposa shook her head "The books do say that they have a tendency to lollygag." they both laughed quietly. They flew in silence for a while before she finally spoke "Thank you... for coming." she sighed "There's no telling how long I'd have been stuck in there if you and Catania hadn't come."

Carlos smiled "I'm just glad I was there."

Mariposa looked back straight ahead, desperately trying to fight the heat that was creeping up her cheeks. Why did he have to do that to her? She couldn't help wondering if he had that effect on all girls. That was probably a yes.

"Here we are." Hervey announced a few moments later "Just jump in and you'll be there."

Mariposa raised an eyebrow "Um... breathe."

"Right!" Hervey ran into some bushes then came back with a handful of berries "Here you go."

Carlos shook his head "Let's hope he remembered which berry it was."

Mariposa laughed then popped a couple of the berries into her mouth "Let's go." then she dove straight into the whirlpool.

Catania gulped "Why does she never hesitate?"

"I have no idea." Carlos answered "Let's go.' then they jumped in.

The whirlpool shot them straight into the water, tumbling head over heel. When they finally emerged on the other side, they were dizzy.

Mariposa laughed "Fun, right?"

Catania closed her eyes "There has to have been another way."

"Oh look." A voice behind them said "It's that fairy again."

Mariposa glanced over her shoulder and sighed "Anemone and Coral."

The two mermaids just looked at each other.

"You know these two?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah. We asked them for help last time."

"Don't tell me." Anemone said "You need the Illios antidote again?"

"Actually, no." Mariposa answered "We need shown the way to Mermaidia. Prince Nalu."

"Oh." Coral said "Whatevs." then the two turned to swim off.

Catania looked over at Carlos and shrugged "Now what?"

Mariposa groaned "What do you want?" she called after the mermaids.

"Well," Coral answered "Did you bring us something, I don't know."

"Beautiful." the two mermaids finished together.

Catania looked down at her crystalite "Do you think they would take it?"

"But, Catania." Mariposa shook her head "That's your crystalite!"

"There are millions of them in Shimmervale." Catania pulled her neckless off and held it out "Do have a deal?"

"Do you like, have one for both of us?" Anemone asked.

Mariposa pulled off her own necklace "Here."

"Alrght." the two mermaids took the necklaces and put them on. Then they swam away "Follow us!"

"Truly impossible." Carlos mumbled "What happened last time you met them?"

Mariposa chuckled, remembering the conckle shells and sea beast "Don't ask."

They swam for nearly an hour. Anemone and Coral just talked back and forth the whole time about their clothes and hair.

"Well," Coral finally said "There's Mermaidia. Bye." then the two swam off.

"Okay..." Carlos looked around "How are we going to find the Prince?"

"I guess we ask around." Mariposa answered "Surely someone will know."

"Hi." A blue haired mermaid said, swimming up to them "Can I help you fairies find something?"

The three looked at each other. This mermaid was acting like she was used to seeing fairies under the water.

"We're looking for Prince Nalu." Carlos spoke "Do you know where we can find him?"

"Sure do." the mermaid answered with a laugh "My name is Nori, by the way. Follow me."

"Thank goodness. She seems nice." Catania said "Unlike those other two."

"Nalu's at the Crystal Cove." Nori said to them "That's his favorite place. I was actually on my way there."she led them up to the surface where a brown haired merman was lounging on a rock "Nalu. These fairies were looking for you."

"Hello." Nalu greeted "What can I help you with?"

"Well," Mariposa answered "We're looking for the Mirror of Uncertainty."

The merprince nodded slowly "I see. Come with me." he dove into the water.

Catania sighed "When do we get out of the water?"

"After this." Carlos answered "After this we go to see the Enchantress."

"Why the Mirror of Uncertainty?" Nalu asked as he led them deep into the water.

"I don't know." Mariposa asked "We have to get to the other side of the Bewilderness. Part of our instructions were to stop by here."

"I see." As they entered some darker waters Nalu spoke again "The Mirror of Uncertainty will show you anything about the past that you're unsure about. Kind of like the Mirror of the Mist. Only this one isn't in the Depths of Despair."

"Thank goodness." Catania mumbled.

"So, think of what you do not know and ask." Nalu continued "It will answer only the question that you wonder about the most." when they reached a cave, he stopped "Go on in. I'll wait for you here."

The three swam through a long, dark tunnel. Seaweed grew up on all sides and small fishes swam past.

Finally the tunnel opened out into a large room. Right in the middle was a huge mirror in a gold swirling frame.

A Jellyfish swam towards them "Can I help you?" it asked.

"We're here to see the mirror." Catania answered.

"Of course." The Jellyfish looked at each other them in turn "What about your past would you like to know?"

Carlos thought then shrugged "Nothing."

Catania shrugged too "I know all I need to know... I think."

The Jellyfish turned to Mariposa "And you?"

She looked at her two friends then at the mirror and bit her lip.

"I can tell there's something in your past that you would like to know." the jellyfish said gently "Tell me. What would you like to know about?"

Mariposa took a deep breath then finally answered "My family."

(I don't know about you, but I always wondered about Mariposa's family... and Elina's, but she's another story. Thanks for all the support guyz! And as a request from a reviewer, I updated both Barbie stories at once. This one and Mattel High! As well as my Robin Hood. That's a lot of typing, let me tell you! Well, Laterz!)