Yay!really long chapter this time, with a lot explained about Ava. Enjoy!

When we arrived I climbed up to the edge of the small pool in Rita's grotto. I found my way up to the ground and dried myself using my powers.

As I stood on two legs on the edge, Allie stared at me, her eyes wide open. 'H-How did you d-do that? You j-just turned into a human.. wha.. how.. I.. ' she stammered. 'Do what I did, climb up the edge, I'll dry you. ' She did what I said, still in shock.

When she was dry she finally could speak again 'That was unbelievable. You- you really have got magic powers.. W-Where even are we?' I smiled. 'We're somewhere safe. The drying is not the only thing we can do. We can do so much more, but more about that part later.'

I led her to the main part of the grotto. Again I saw how beautiful it was. I was in trance for a split second.. The grotto's incredible. Allie walked around slowly, not believing what she saw.

While I was looking at some potions, Rita showed up. 'Ava! I can't believe you're back! ' I ran into her arms and gave her a hug. It felt so comfortable, so trusting, so good. 'I can't believe it! Where have you been all that time?' Rita's smile was big and warming. 'I'll tell you everything later, I promise. But there's another reason why I came here..'

I stepped aside and Rita saw Allie. The smile on her face turned into an open mouth and big eyes. She was shocked. Allie, looking at Rita, had the same facial expression. 'A-Allie.. Why.. What.. Ava.' I didn't understand. How did she know Allie's name? Why are they both so shocked. Allie said something: 'Principal Santos.. ' And I understood. Allie probably lived here and went to Suncoast High when Rita was still the principal there.

'Allie.. I-I thought you moved to Sydney..' Rita stammered. I tried to explain Rita what was going on. 'I found her in the moon pool earlier today.' Rita mouthed: with a tail? I nodded. 'She said she had no idea how she got there, the only thing she remembered is power. A lot of power. Right Allie?' Allie nodded, still not understanding what her principal had to do with mermaids and why she had this entrance to the sea and this cave..

Rita sighed. 'Allie, I think I need to tell you this. I am a mermaid.' Allie's eyes opened wider. 'No way.. ' She never thought of that. It all makes sense now. She's got this entire cave thing as a place to be herself. Her mermaid self. Mermaid. It was weird for her to to know mermaids were real.

Rita looked at me. '4 years ago, Allie went to Suncoast High, as one of my students. She moved to Sydney because her parents found better work there. I was shocked when I saw her again.' She turned to Allie 'From now on, just call me Rita.' Allie nodded.

'I understand you've got a lot of questions. Ask them, we'll answer them all. Then we'll find a way to get you back to Sydney. But first, you have to call your parents and tell them you're safe. They might be worried.' Allie grabbed her phone and called her parents. She put her hand on the phone and whispered 'they want to know where I am.' I said: 'tell them you're with a friend, you're having a sleepover ' Allie nodded and continued talking to her parents. A minute later she put the phone back and said 'Everything is fine. They said next time, I have to tell them, but it's okay. '

Rita sighed, clearly relieved. Allie yawned. 'Allie, why don't you go to bed. I've got a guest room upstairs, you can sleep there. I'll walk you.' Rita said.

When Rita returned she tapped on the stone bench. 'Now, tell me everything. The whole story. From the moment you left until the moment you arrived here.' I grinned 'So I have to tell you about 3 whole years? Okay there we go' Rita nodded.

'Okay, I'll start right at the moment I left with my sister, Isabelle. So we went to meet the Western pod because of our mother.

We swam all the way to South Africa, but the mermaids there were really scared. They told us about a dragon that takes tails. Have you heard anything about that?

' Rita remembered 'Yes, that dragon was Nerissa, but that's another story. I'll tell you later.'

I nodded and continued talking. 'As they were so scared, Isabelle said we had to go to Europe, to go further away from the dragon. So we did.

When we arrived somewhere near Croatia, the mermaids there also told us about the dragon. The dragon was already at Mako. We were too scared to go back, so then we made a very hard decision. Isabelle would go back to see if it's safe and I would stay there, on land.

We told the local mermaids about our plan and they agreed. The oldest mermaid there said she had a potion for me. A potion which would help me on land in case Isabelle would fail. The potion would make me able to touch water and still keep my legs my legs. Meaning I could blend in and live a normal life. I drank the potion on a secret beach, I already got my legs then. It felt weird, but it worked. I walked to the water and a wave crawled between my toes. I thought I would transform, but I didn't. My legs stayed as they were. I asked if I could ever have a tail again and the mermaid told me I could whenever I wanted. I just had to really really want it. She was right, because the next second my tail appeared and I fell.

The next few days we planned on a family that I could live with, for a little time. Then the oldest mermaid taught me a Western siren song that would make land people believe anything you tell them. I could use it to tell them I'm their daughter. So we did that and the next day Isabelle left.

I promised the mermaids there to come back every day, to get updates and tell them about everything.

So I lived with a land family. They were nice to me. Land is so different and I had a hard time.

And one day, when I returned to the mermaids they told me they heard bad news about Isabelle. She never made it to Mako. No one knew what had happened.

Then my land family told me that we were moving to the Netherlands. I was okay with that, I was just really sad about Isabelle and I didn't think of the mermaids and our plan to come back every day. So we moved to the Netherlands and to be honest, I actually liked it there.

Then summer was over and I got to go to land school. I felt like a stranger in there, but I made friends. I still haven't told any of them about who I really am. They are amazing friends and I love them. I started turning into a land girl more and more.

But then one day on the beach I found a necklace with a moonring stone. I remembered there still was hope for Isabelle and I just wanted to go back to Mako. But I couldn't do that to my friends and land family.

Then I remembered teleportation. With the moonring stone in the necklace, I managed to teleport here. But the pod was never here. I decided to not give up and sleep in the moonpool every night and return to the Netherlands in the morning.

There never was anyone for a year, until I found Allie.. That's the whole story I guess..'

Rita got tears in her eyes. 'I'm so sorry Ava.. You've been trough so much.. Please come back to me everyday.' I smiled and gave Rita a hug. 'I will '

and with that chapter 2 has ended! I worked pretty hard on this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Mimi :)