Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island
Chapter 4: Meet the Mermecs
Danny and his two 'sea buddies' were walking down the river bank after the team had been separated by a flash flood when the teen spied something on one of the boulders in the river.
"Sam! Jimmy!" he called.
When the two didn't answer, he wadded through the ankle-deep water and climbed the rock. There, the genius and the goth were sitting next to one another. The ghost teen then noticed Jimmy was using a doctor's stethoscope on Sam's back.
"What are you doin'?" asked Danny, startling the two.
Sam coughed particularly hard, causing the teen to stare at her, concerned.
The genius looked at him and replied, "Sam's breathing is short and rugged. I fear she has water in her lungs."
Spongebob and Patrick popped their heads over the boulder. "Is that bad?" asked the sea star.
Jimmy solemnly nodded, "It's the worse thing that can happen to mammals. If Sam doesn't get help soon, she could drown above water."
Danny cringed and looked over at his gasping friend in worry. "What should we do, then?"
"We have to find Cosmo and Wanda," explained the genius, "their fairy energy might help."
Spongebob asked, "Me and Patrick will go look for them!"
"We will?" inquired the sea star.
The sponge grabbed his friend by the hand and drugged him to the river bank. They were just about to search when Timmy and Sandy came running towards them from the forest.
"There ya are," hollered the squirrel, "we've been lookin' all over fer ya."
Spongebob beamed when he saw his friends. "Oh thank Neptune you guys are okay! Timmy, where are your fairies?"
With a sudden poof, Cosmo and Wanda appeared as monkeys on the ground.
"Guys, we need your help."
The sponge then led the four to the others, who had climbed down the boulder and had laid Sam against a tree. Danny and Jimmy had crowded around her.
After the team had reassembled, Wanda asked, "What's wrong with Sam?"
"She's got water in her lungs," replied Danny, not taking his eyes off his friend.
Timmy turned to his fairies and commanded, "I wish Sam was better!"
Cosmo and Wanda waved their wands, but nothing happened.
"Oh, don't tell me there's a rule about healing people," whined the bucktooth boy.
Wanda shook her head, "It's not that; we just don't have enough power to help her."
Jimmy again used the stethoscope on Sam. "She's stable, but we have to get that liquid out soon."
The goth girl suddenly opened her eyes and stared up at Danny. "Oh, man...What's goin' on?..."
Danny tried to consul her. "It' gonna be okay, Sam. We'll help you." he said calmly, but inside the teen felt sick to his stomach. Sam had never been in such bad shape before and it took all of his strength just to keep calm.
"Hey...guess what?..." she wheezed. The goth girl dug into her pocket and pulled out the enchanted stone.
The ghost teen's eyes widen. "How'd you get that?"
Sam gasped, "I found it...when I went over...the waterfall. It was...washed up...on the boulder-"
The goth started to cough loudly. Danny gently pounded her back. Just watching the girl struggle for air made the teen's heart ache.
"Jimmy, please," he pleaded, his voice growing hoarse, "there's got to be something we can do."
The genius was about to comment when the group heard something rustling in the bushes.
Two strange creatures dressed in tribal wear stepped out onto the bank. They looked like giant, purple bugs with four legs and two arms. One of them saw the group and gasped, "Eirk, look!"
The creature named Eirk turned to see the assembly with big eyes and was surprised.
"Are they...the Chosen Ones, Guil?" he asked his friend after a moment.
Guil nodded his insect head, "I think so."
Danny stared at the two creatures, but realized they weren't a threat. He quickly stood up and walked over to them. "Please, can you help us?"
Eirk and Guil looked at the teen in amazement. "What is it, oh Chosen One?" asked one of them.
Danny swept his arm to Sam. "My friend's hurt; she can barely breathe because her lungs are filled with water."
"Oh my," said Eirk, "that's not good for your kind, is it? Alright, we'll help you."
Guil looked over at the setting sun. "But not here, it's too dangerous. Follow us and we'll take you to our village."
The group nodded and set off after the two bug creatures, with Danny carrying Sam in his arms.
After a couple of minutes of walking, Eirk and Guil led them to their village. It was filled with the same bug creatures as the two friends. Wooden huts of all shapes and sizes surrounded a large fire pit. They escorted the group into a large hut fitted with several hammocks.
"This type of bed must be common on the island," stated Jimmy, looking at the raised cots.
Eirk nodded, "They protect us from creatures on the ground..."
"...and its a lot more comfortable then other beds," added Guil.
Danny carefully laid Sam on one of the cots. She was still conscious, watching all that was going on, but barely.
The two bug creatures left, saying, "We'll contact the queen for your friend!"
"The queen?" asked Timmy.
Moments later, another bug creature appeared. It was dressed in monarch clothing, complete with a gold crown and necklace. In one hand it had a long scepter with a carving of a scarab on top.
That must be the queen, figured Jimmy, studying her.
"The Chosen Ones?" she exclaimed, "Then the legends are true. I should've believed Shelly all along."
The others looked at one another and quipped, "Shelly?"
A gurgley cough from Sam snapped the crew back to reality. The queen made her way to her bed and knelt down.
"Eirk and Guil told me the Night Girl is hurt," the she-bug said, stroking the goth's black hair.
Danny nodded and told the queen of her condition. "Is there anything you can do to help her, your majesty?"
She flicked her antennae. "Yes, but I need some time with her. You should all wait in the next hut."
Jimmy bowed and said, "Understood. C'mon guys, let's give the queen some privacy."
"Oh, please," smiled the she-bug, "call me Anorra."
After the group had left Sam and Anorra in the medical hut, they waited patiently in the other shack, sitting on some stools and hammocks. Well, almost all of them; Danny paced back and forth, wringing his hands and a nervous demeanor on his face.
Spongebob said, "Danny, it's gonna be okay; just take a deep breath and calm down."
The teen tried the action, puffing out his front, but it didn't work. After trying again several times, he grew dizzy and shook his head.
"No, don't hyperventilate, just relax," voiced Jimmy as Danny plopped onto chair, holding his head.
Sandy looked at the upset teen, concerned. "Golly, he looks worse than a bull on a branding table."
A bug-creature suddenly appeared at the entrance. It was Guil.
"By Anorra's heart, is everything alright?" exclaimed the he-bug when he saw Danny's expression.
Timmy spoke up, "Danny's just upset that is girlfriend's hurt."
"She's not my girlfriend!" retorted the teen, throwing a glare at the bucktooth.
Guil considered for a moment and brought out a piece of fruit from his knapsack. "Here, eat this. It always calms me down."
Danny took the fruit and rolled it between his hands. "Thanks, I guess," said the teen, although he didn't feel hungry.
"Um, Guil, can I ask you something?" inquired Jimmy.
"Of course, Brain Child, what is it?"
"Do you have a name for your species?"
The bug creatures smiled, "We call ourselves the Mermecs. We have peacefully lived on this island for centuries, along with the Crabs and Florians."
"Who are the Florians?" asked Spongebob.
"The Florians are a plant-based species that live not too far from our village. They rely on this river for their nutrients and have become a great ally for us."
Listening to the Mermec talk made Danny feel a little better; it's voice somehow calmed him. Glancing at the others, the teen realized they were experiencing the same thing.
"But the Florians are in trouble," continued Guil, "as the Mawgu's minions have kidnapped their leader, King Gorge."
Patrick suddenly stated, "Those fiends!"
The Mermec hunter nodded, "Indeed. We tried to help the people, but they had already abandoned their camp. Now we're unsure what to do now..."
Anorra suddenly appeared at the entrance, poking her head inside. "Ghost Boy?"
Danny perked and stood up. "Queen Anorra? Is Sam gonna be okay?"
The queen smiled, "Oh yes, quite. She'll fully recover tomorrow."
A whoosh of pent-up, stale air escaped the ghost teen's mouth as he sighed in relief. "Can I see her?"
"Yes," answered Anorra, "but not for very long; your friend needs to rest."
Understanding, Danny sauntered out of the shack, nodding a thanks to the queen.
Once he had disappeared, Spongebob snickered to himself, "And he says she's not his girlfriend..."
Danny quietly entered the medical hut and saw Sam resting on the hammock. He carefully made his way to her and sat on one of the shanty chairs.
The goth opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Danny. "Oh, hey. What's up?"
"It's good to have you back, Sam, that's what's up," said the teen, relieved to hear her breathe normally.
Sam slowly sat up and Danny placed a hand on her back to help her. "It's good to be back," she replied.
Danny handed over the fruit that Guil had given him to Sam. "Here, eat this. You'll feel a lot better."
A sudden growling from the teen's belly caused the goth to giggle.
"Looks like you need it more than I do," she commented.
Thinking for a moment, Danny grabbed the sides of the fruit and pulled it apart in two halves. He gave one to Sam.
"There," he said, "now there's enough for both of us."
Sam smiled and starting eating. The ghost teen did the same and the two quietly chewed on the sweet fruit. Once they had finished, the two teens relaxed.
"Oh, hey, that reminds me!" Sam exclaimed and she reached over and picked up the stone from a table next to the cot.
Placing it in Danny's hands, the goth said, "You'll need to take care of this while I'm recovering."
"Of course," replied the teen, watching it in surprise as it started to glow with a warm light from within. Their hands were still on the stone.
A thought crossed Danny's mind, That's funny; why is it glowing?
His hand slipped onto her's accidentally and the two teens retracted their arms from the stone.
"Sorry," Danny said quickly as his face began to grow warm.
Sam rubbed her hand sheepishly. Yawning, the goth lay back down on the hammock. "Well, I'm going to sleep. See you tomorrow, Danny."
Danny stood up, clutching the stone to his chest. "Yeah, goodnight, Sam."
After the ghost teen took one last look of his friend, he sauntered over to the other hut. Outside the sun had gone down and the blue sky was replaced with a dark, starry atmosphere. The team he had left inside the hut were dozing in their cots. Sighing, Danny placed the stone on the stump table and climbed into his cot. No longer worried about Sam, it didn't take long for the teen to fall asleep.
When morning came, Spongebob opened his eyes and beamed, "All right!" He slid out from his cot and sauntered over to the entrance.
"I should make some breakfast for the crew before-" the sponge was talking to himself when he stopped.
He looked over at Danny, who was sleeping on one side. But something was wrong; the teen was twitching and shaking his arms and legs.
Spongebob walked over to his head and noticed his closed eyes were blinking furiously.
"Danny?" asked the sponge and gently shook the teen's shoulder.
The ghost teen gasped and opened his eyes, panting like a dog. He sat up quickly and looked around in a panic.
"Oh, you're awake!" cheered Spongebob.
Danny looked over at the happy sponge, confused. "What happened?"
"You looked like you were havin' a nightmare."
The teen's eyes widen. "I was?" Then he remembered.
"That's right," Danny realized, jumping down from his bed, "I was havin' a nightmare about you guys. The whole team was attacked by this enormous rock monster."
Spongebob then noticed the teen's look of horror; he had never seen Danny so scared.
Danny continued, "I tried to stop him, but..." He trailed off, squeezing his eyes tight.
"Oh, it's okay, Danny," consulted the sponge, "it was just a dream."
The teen nodded as he started to calm down. "Yeah, you're right; it was just a dream."
"C'mon, to cheer you up, I'll let you have the first bite of my tropical Krabby Patty!"
Spongebob skipped out of the tent with Danny following, confused.
"What's a tropical Krabby Patty?" asked the teen.
The sponge grinned as he rushed to the fire pit, "It's a special KP made with fruit and veggies."
"I bet Sam'll love it," commented Danny.
"Why is that?"
The teen explained, "Sam's a vegetarian."
Spongebob was still confused. "What's that?"
"It just means she doesn't eat meat, only veggies and fruit."
The sponge nodded as he made the tropical Krabby Patty on one of the stump tables. Soon, he plopped one onto Danny's lap. The teen picked up the sandwich and studied it; instead of the usual meaty patty between two buns there was a thick slice of red fruit. And replacing the lettuce, onions and everything else in a normal Krabby Patty, there were several different types of berries.
"Well, go on! Eat up!" encouraged Spongebob, watching Danny, "We Chosen Ones have to maintain our strengths."
The teen smirked, "Ain't that the truth," and bit into the sandwich. The teen smiled as he tasted the sweet and juicy contents.
"Hey, it's actually pretty good," Danny commented.
The sponge grinned from pore to pore. "I'm glad you like it. I'll make more for the rest of the team."
As if on cue, Timmy and Jimmy came out of the hut, rubbing their eyes and stretching.
The bucktooth boy sniffed the air. "Hey, what's cookin'?
"It's a tropical Krabby Patty," Danny and Spongebob said together.
Jimmy sat on the grass and said, "Huh, I've never heard of one of those."
"Well that' cuz I invented it this morning," explained the sponge as he cut some more fruit slices.
Timmy poked the genius, "Hey, just like you do, Jim."
"They say the highest form of flattery is mimicry," replied Jimmy, smiling.
A few minutes later, Spongebob finished the two boys' orders and gave the patties to them. He of course saved one for himself. After they gnawed on their sandwiches for a few minutes, the sponge couldn't help but ask Danny.
"So, are you gonna tell her?"
The teen looked up at Spongebob with his cheeks puffed out with food and inquired, "Tell who what?"
"Ya know," explained the smiling sponge, "tell Sam how you feel about her?"
Danny spat out his food in shock as did Timmy. Jimmy, however, did the opposite and started to choke. After giving a hard pounding on his chest, the genius swallowed the bolus and relaxed, panting.
"Spongebob, I don't think this is the right time for Danny to do such a thing," Jimmy said, as he regained control.
The sponge waved off the comment, saying, "Oh, pishposh; there's always time for love, especially if we're on a stressing adventure to save the world...s."
"How many times do I hafta tell you?" protested Danny, "I. Am. Not. In. Love!"
Timmy smirked, "Sure you're not, and I don't have magical beings that wish up anything I want."
"Didja call us?"
The four boys looked up and saw Cosmo and Wanda, hovering in their parrot form.
Timmy told them, "I'm just comparing Danny's love for Sam to you guys."
"I like her just as a friend!" the teen glared, his face burning red.
Spongebob pointed out, "If that's true, why are ya blushing?"
Danny angrily stood up. "That's cuz I'm getting mad!"
"Will ya'll stop shoutin'?! Yer gonna wake up the whole tribe!"
The team turned around and noticed Sandy standing at the entrance to the hut.
"Hiya, Sandy!" greeted Spongebob and handed her the special Krabby Patty. "We were just talking to Danny about taking his and Sam's relationship to the next level."
The teen suddenly roared, "AUGH!" and threw down his food. Danny stomped away into the forest, leaving the guys stunned.
"Oh no! The Tropical Krabby Patty!" cried Spongebob as he raced to the smushed sandwich.
After examining, the sponge's eyes grew watery. "How could he do such a thing to an innocent Krabby Patty?" he whimpered.
Timmy rolled his eyes while Jimmy looked over to where Danny had stormed off, growing concerned.