"So Brittany has water powers."
"Yes."
"You've been suspecting something like this for a long time, haven't you, Eleanor?"
Eleanor turned to face her counterpart with an astonished look.
"You can't hide anything from me, Ellie," Theodore told her earnestly. "You and me, we're a team. We're in this thing together."
Eleanor looked at him for a while. Then she sighed slightly and turned back to face the ocean. "Yes, I've been waiting for this to happen."
"Why?" It was Theodore's only question.
Eleanor took a deep breath. "Ever since I saw the gems," she admitted. "I knew something was special about them. One day, I—,"
"LOOK OUT!"
The shriek came from Alvin, who was perched in the masts and pointing ahead with a frantic look in his eye.
Brittany, who was swimming in the water alongside the ship, looked up and pointed, too.
"OH, NO!" Simon screamed when he saw the enormous rock. "No, no, no! TURN! TURN THE SHIP!"
"There's a rock!" Theodore cried in desperation. "We're not gonna make it!"
Brittany screamed and dove underwater, trying to find some way to stop the ship.
Eleanor let out a shriek as the ship headed closer to the rock…closer…closer…
It was going to hit her!
Suddenly, she looked down at her bracelet, and when she did, there was an explosion of light.
Everyone toppled over, trying to shield their eyes, except for Eleanor, who stood firmly on deck, the wind whipping all around her. The silvery patterns of her gem were swirling out of it, surrounding her, enveloping her in light and sound. Then she felt them sliding…into her.
It was a fabulous feeling—like she was being filled with something sweet and syrupy, like honey. She almost felt like she could just float away.
Then, without knowing what she was doing, she thrust her hands out in front of her.
With a creaking, groaning sound, the rock split in half.
The ship sailed calmly through the two halves of rock, and the light faded from Eleanor. She frowned and looked down at her bracelet. The gem dangling from it was a solid pastel green, not switching to any different shades. The patterns and swirls were gone. It was just an ordinary jewel once more.
Gasping, she turned to face the others, who were all staring at her like she was nuts.
Brittany clambered back onto the deck and changed into a chipmunk again, joining the other three in staring at her younger sister.
"Er…I think I just got my powers," Eleanor said nervously.
"Ellie!" Theodore gasped. "I bet you have ROCK POWERS!"
"Um, Theodore? I think she has earth powers," Brittany giggled.
"What makes you say that?" Theodore was confused.
Brittany pointed.
Vines were growing up from the deck and circling around Eleanor's ankles.
"They're trapping you!" Theodore cried.
"I think that they're hugging her," Simon corrected.
Eleanor giggled slightly, rubbed her bracelet, and closed her eyes. The vines receded and vanished.
"Wow." Alvin whistled. "You just saved our lives, Eleanor."
"But think about it," Brittany insisted. "If she hadn't split the rock, then she would have died. I guess that was a dire circumstance."
"I doubt I would have DIED," Eleanor said with a grin. "I doubt any of us would have really died, because we have a sister who is part fish and who could get us out of the water."
Brittany rolled her eyes and grinned ever so slightly. She threw herself off the deck of the ship, spiraling and twisting down until she landed in the water and brought her tail back.
"We should almost be there, guys," she called, pointing. "There are a ton of rocks ahead."
After several minutes of sailing, there were too many rocks to continue. They lowered the anchor.
"There's the island," Simon called, pointing.
They all looked up at the enormous rock in the distance. It was probably the size of half the island they had been on when they were shipwrecked.
"There are tunnels and caves in there," Simon explained, "where he's keeping Jeanette."
"But how are we going to get there?" Theodore asked, frustrated.
Eleanor giggled, bit her lip, and giggled again. "Is it immature to want to use my powers?" she asked.
"No," Brittany called from below, flicking her tail and swimming in circles as she grinned. "At least, I hope not."
Eleanor focused hard. Seconds later, a vine twisted down out of nowhere.
The boys doubled over in astonishment. Theodore peered into the air, but the vine didn't seem to be attached to anything.
The bottom of it looped down and under so that it formed a large hook at the bottom, which provided a very nice seat for Eleanor. Eleanor settled down into it, and the vine set off, drifting off the ship and over the waves.
"Be careful, Eleanor!" Theodore called nervously.
Brittany swam under her sister the entire way in case she fell, which she didn't. The vine delivered her safely onto the large rock, and then it curled back upward and vanished.
"Can you two help us out?" Alvin called, crossing his arms. Simon and Theodore nodded in agreement.
"All right," Brittany called. "Alvin, Simon, I can swim you two over."
Alvin hurried forward.
"I don't really like water," Simon said nervously. "Can you help me out, Ellie?"
Eleanor focused, and two more vines dropped down. Theodore and Simon carefully clambered onto them.
"Hold on tight," Eleanor called, focusing her powers. The vines began to drift toward her.
Alvin jumped overboard into the waves, and Brittany grabbed his sweatshirt and hauled him to the surface before he could sink.
"Get on my back," she told him.
He stared at her.
"Don't be a baby," she snapped, exasperated. "It would be just like riding a fish."
"A very hot female fish," Alvin muttered under his breath. Brittany's cheeks turned red, but she pretended he hadn't spoken.
"If you'd rather I carry you bridal style…"
Alvin hastily climbed onto her back before she could finish.
"Just like riding a dolphin," she told him, careful to keep his upper body out of the waves. She flicked her tail and zoomed off, veering around rocks and obstacles until she was at the rock. Alvin clambered off just as Simon and Theodore got there on their vines.
Everyone climbed onto the rock, and the vines vanished. Brittany climbed out of the water, and with a quick flash of light, she was a chipmunk again.
"I'm getting good at this whole transition thing," she said with a grin.
"I wonder if Jeanette got a gem, too," Simon mused.
"And I wonder what her power is. Do you think she's got it already?" Alvin asked.
"I really hope not," Simon said grimly. "I don't like to imagine her in such a dire situation that she needs it."
"I wonder what OUR powers will be," Alvin mused.
"Let's just go," Simon snapped.
They all saw the entrance to the caves.
"I've got my phone, and I'm tracking Jeanette," Simon told them, displaying the GPS screen on his phone.
"Let's go, then," Brittany whispered uncertainly.
"What's the matter?"
"There isn't any water in there," she said nervously. "My powers aren't going to be much help."
"Maybe they will be. We'll see," Alvin assured her.
They all set off.