Hi everyone. To make up for that one week wait, I shall update two chapters instead of one today. Enjoy!


Chapter 19: Past of the Sleeping Beauty

-Pearl Waters-

Kaito was on his way to Pearl Waters when he notice Masahiro and Nagisa are heading to the same place he is.

"Hey, Masahiro, Nagisa!" Kaito called out to them.

"Oh, Kaito-kun." Masahiro took notice of him.

"Why are you two going to the bath house?" Kaito questioned.

"I got a call from Rina to meet her there." Masahiro answered.

"Strange, Hanon asked the same for me. What about you?" Nagisa asked Kaito.

"Same with Lucia, but whatever it is, it must be important." Kaito told them.

"Well, we won't know if we don't meet up with them, let's go." Masahiro suggested.

The boys entered the bath house to see the nine Mermaid Princesses, Hippo, Nikora, and Taki.

"Ah, Kaito! You came." Lucia notice them enter.

"Yes, just like you asked us to. Why did you call us?" Kaito asked.

"We are planning to find Julie, but first, we need to know what happen to her through the Red Pearl." Rina replied.

"How do you know if it's possible? Or it would work?" Masahiro questioned.

"Because all our pearls are connected to our hearts. If we concentrate enough, we'll know what happen to her two years ago." Noel explain.

Lucia opened her pendent to take out Julie's pearl. From time to time, either she or Seira would watch over the Red Pearl since for some reason, it has a stronger bond with the Pink and Orange Pearls. She place the pearl at the center of the table.

"Alright everyone, concentrate." Coco told them before all of them closed their eyes. The Red Pearl started to shine and one by one, the other pearls started to shine also.

-Past Vision-

-Royal Gardens-

Everyone in the room are given a vision of the past. They were in the Nether Ocean and since it's the past, they are like ghosts.

"Where are we?" Hanon questioned.

"I think we're in the royal gardens." Karen answered.

"Look!" Seira exclaimed as she points to Julie. The others looked to see thirteen year-old Julie is going to the monument of the two sister mermaids. They watched as she used her powers to seal her Red Pearl at the center of the flower orb. Using too much power to seal her pearl away, Julie became a bit tire as she is close to passed out.

"Julie." Taiyo caught her.

"Taiyo." Julie whispered.

"Let's go, before they come." Taiyo suggested.

"Mm." she nodded her head.

The group watched as Taiyo lead Julie away from the gardens, but before they could make it to the palace...

"Kyaa!" Julie screamed as she is taken away by two water demons. "Taiyo!" she tries to reach his hand, but she was too far away.

"Julie!" Taiyo yelled back.

-Sea Cave-

The group follow Julie so they can know what else has happened. Lucia became worried of her little half-sister as Julie was too tired to struggle. She didn't have her pearl with her, she used up too much power, and struggling would be useless.

The two water demons took her to the Sea Cave which is located somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean. When the group enters, Seira felt troubled by the cave's exterior and interior designs. The outside appearance of the cave looked like the mouth of a shark's. The colors are dark like midnight and many dark hues of purple glowed faintly around the place. When they got to the inside, an eerie music was playing and many whispers are echoing in the hallways. The interior didn't really lighten up any of their moods. The only light inside the entire cave was blue candle flames that are flickering in the darkness. When they swim further into the cave, Coco could have sworn she heard chains drifting around in the ceiling, making tingling sounds in the cold silence.

-Throne Room-

When they reached the throne room, they saw the two water demons holding Julie by her arms.

"Shika-sama, we have her." one of the water demons told her.

"Wonderful. It's such a pleasure to final meet one of the original and forgotten princesses." they heard a cold voice crackled.

Julie was in a daze to look up as a shadowy figure moved away from the throne. It was dark, cold, and empty that the girls are hear the clicks of the heels slamming against the marble floor as Shika is getting closer to the helpless princess. Shika still has that veil on her, so no one can see her face. Her legs are then replaced with seven tentacles as she is now in front of the girl. Her hands, which has long nails around an inch, grabbed the red pendant that is around Julie's neck. She pulled the necklace toward her, making Julie looking up to her concealed face.

"At last, I can now have you both. You and your Red Pearl." Shika became excited, but when she opened the pendant to find that it's empty, that excitement is gone. The group cheered for Julie for hiding it in the first place. "Where is it! Where is your pearl!"

"I hid it from you, knowing that you would try to get both if you were to capture me." Julie answered weakly, but with bravery.

Shika growled, "Find it! Find that pearl!" she angrily ordered the water demons.

"H-hai, Shika-sama." the water demons scurried off, leaving Julie alone with Shika. She was swaying a bit, but manage to maintain her composure as she looked at the Sea Witch.

"What's your name, Princess?" Shika asked.

"Emi." Julie used her nickname.

"Well, Emi... Don't think that you've won. You only delayed my plans." Shika turned her back on her. She sighs, "Despite that you used too much of your strength to hide your pearl, your remaining power will do just fine!" she turned and her tentacles wrapped itself around Julie.

She tries to escaped, but it was to fast for her, and the moment it bind her, all her powers are being taken away. She screamed as her body felt fragile enough that it would break into many pieces.

'It's no use... I feel cold. All this warmth... Is leaving my body.' Julie thought as she started to fall to the floor, just as her eyes closed.

"What is this? This power that is flowing into me? Is this what the Red Princess hold? I-I feel even stronger than before." Shika gave a crazed smile.

Lucia couldn't bear to watch it and hugged Kaito as he tries to comfort her. Seira hold hands with Coco for she is frighten. This was almost exactly what happened to her.

"Wait!" Shika felt something strange as Lucia looked back to see what's going on. "I-I sense there is another power coming from this girl... Whatever it is, I must take it for myself." she proceed to take this strange power, but it backfires. A blast sent her tentacles back, paralyzing her for a short time as briars appeared and protects its princess. "No way, it can't be... That's the blessing of the Earth Goddess! Why can't I get through?"

"Because no one with a dark heart like yours can touch someone like Julie!" Taiyo suddenly appeared.

"What?" Shika questioned.

Taiyo picked Julie up, "Julie, wake up! Hang in there."

"Taiyo... My powers are drained, I'm no longer safe now that she knows. Take me to the human realm... To that castle." Julie telepathically told him.

"Alright." he told her as he escape the cave with Julie.

"Wait!" Shika tries to go after them, but she is still paralyzed.

-Abandon Palace-

In the abandon kingdom in Germany, Taiyo laid Julie on a bed in the highest tower. He sadly left because of Julie's request to go back home and wait, in hopes that the Mermaid Princesses will find her forgotten kingdom one day. As he left the castle, briars grow around the place, protecting the princess in her sleep, where she will wait to be awaken once more from her curse slumber, hence giving this castle a new name; The Kingdom of Roses.

-Past Vision Ends-

Everyone returned from the past vision as Lucia put the Red Pearl back inside her pendant.

"We have to save her, Julie has waited too long!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Yeah, we now know where she is and her pearl is now charged." Rina agreed.

"Nagisa, I want you to stay here." Hanon told him.

"You too, Masahiro." Rina agrees with Hanon. Masahiro understands, but Nagisa protests.

"Why? I'm going if you are." he disagrees.

"Because if something happens to you, then I won't forgive myself for bringing you on this mission." Hanon gave her reason.

"Hanon..." he was surprised by her answer.

"So please, stay here." Hanon pleaded.

"Fine." he grudgingly accept. "But promise me that you come back home safe."

"I promise." Hanon smiled.

"Sorry that I can't come to your boxing match. Tomorrow is the 25th." Rina told Masahiro as she gave him back the boxing ticket.

"It's fine, I understand. Besides, there will always be other matches. I'll just have to work hard so that I can win. If I do, that means I know that you've succeeded in saving Julie-chan." Masahiro explained.

"And if you lose?" Rina questioned.

"If I lose, then I know that your journey will have problems, but I know that you'll come back." Masahiro answered.

"Masahiro..." Rina trailed off, happy that he is so understanding.

"Lucia, I'll be going with you." Kaito told her.

"Eh?"

"My powers can protect you and the others. I can help you and if you say that I can't go with you... then I'll find a way because I can't just sit still." Kaito explained.

"No, I'm happy if you do come." Lucia replied.

-Akari's and Miyuki's Room-

At night, the girls are getting ready for their trip. They were packing so they can reach Germany on a one day trip on the plane.

"Akari nee-chan." Miyuki spoke up.

"Hm? What is it, Yuki?" Akari asked.

"Do you think that Julie onee-chan will be happy when she wakes up? She was never heard of for fifteen years, while all the previous Red Princesses lived their lives unnoticed... For the others to now know her, wouldn't it feel like it's a lie?" Miyuki asked. Akari stops packing and went to sit next to her sister on the bed.

"I don't know how she would feel, but look at us. When we first met her, we were surprised that she came, and then Lucia and the others came into our life. And look at us now, we have a family. The only difference between us and Julie is that, Julie has longed to meet them, while we never did. I think it's time to change the fate of the Red Mermaid Princesses- to bring another member to this family." Akari explained.

"And after Julie onee-chan... Our newest and last member will join this group of happy family?" Miyuki questioned.

"Yes." Akari confirms as Miyuki hugs her.

-Rose Palace-

In the Kingdom of Roses, Lady Bat, Lanhua, and Alala are standing in front of the gates.

"So this is the resting place of the sleeping princess?" Lanhua questioned.

"Yes, it is. Let's go." Lady Bat pushed the gate doors open. When the three went inside, new briars grow to close the gates.

-Princess Room-

When they reached the highest tower, Lanhua tries to opened it, but the briars that surrounded the door attacked her. Lanhua jumped in surprised because it was like a shocking warning.

"Looks like we'll have to take her the hard way." Lady Bat suggested.

-Morning-

In the early morning, the nine princesses, Kaito, and Hippo left Pearl Waters as they went to the airport to go and wake the Red Mermaid Princess.


I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be out as soon as possible after this one. See you very soon.