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Chapter 15: Royal Pain

Cat sat against the wall, tracing her name engraved on the locket. She really missed home. Tears started flowing from her eyes to the ground.

How are they going to get me out? There's no way they could free me without giving up the trident.

Just as she thought there was no hope, she heard bubbles in the water. She looked up and rose to her feet. Cat walked over to the door of the cell and peered closely at the water.

When she first heard the bubbles, she thought it must have been Remidima, but when she saw the beautiful colors glowing, she didn't understand what was happening.

"What in the world...?" Cat whispered to herself. Then, she saw a bright flash strike the bars.

Cat, who was in shock, quickly jumped and slipped. She fell on her back, but she was too frightened to feel the pain. Cat scooted back in her cell and sat against the wall. She was trembling, terrified, but at the same time in awe.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" she screamed. Soon, the bars fell to the floor and shattered to pieces.

"She's free!" A deep voice yelled. The voice sounded familiar to Cat.

"Dad?" she whispered. "No, it couldn't be. Could it?"

Just as she started to think she was dreaming, six heads peered inside. Cat couldn't make out the faces, for it was still dark inside the cave. She scooted back even more and into a corner of the cell where she hid in the shadow of the icicle above her.

Cat watched in fear as the six became eight and they walked into the cell. She grabbed an icicle lying next to her, ready to defend herself if she needed to.

One of the eight held a torch in front of themselves and the light filled the whole cell, but Cat still couldn't make out their faces since they were near the opening, and she was all the way in the back.

All eight were calling her name, but she didn't respond because even though the voices sound like those of her sisters and parents, she didn't know who the figures were. All she saw were eyes searching all over the cell. She saw one pair look directly into her eyes. Then the person screamed,

"There she is! She's hiding in the corner!"

Cat knew it was Melody's voice, but how could she have gotten here? All eight figures rushed towards her and knelt before her. She was blinded by the light of the torch at first, but after she blinked a little, she was able to see who the people were.

It was her parents and her sisters, after all. They smiled, glad that she was okay and unharmed. Cat couldn't help but to smile back.

"Mom! Dad!" She said with joy as she gave them both a hug. "How did you guys find me?"

"Well, Melody knew where you were," Ariel replied. Cat gave her older sister a confused look. Melody giggled and said,

"Our bonding together helped us grow closer, which meant our bond has grown stronger. This helped me figure out where you were."

"Okay?" Cat said, holding out the word. "What about the flash I saw?"

"It was grandfather," Quellie explained. "We saw Remidima leave and decided we could free you without giving up the trident."

"We're just glad you're okay, sweetheart," Ariel said and held her youngest daughter close.

"Quickly," Eric said, remembering why they were there. "We have to hurry before Remidima gets back."

They all got up and rushed outside. Before them was a long run to the wooden boat; a narrow path of ice. Cat tried keeping up with the others, but since she was so close to the edge, she lost her footing and slipped, falling on the ice and into the water. This time, though, she felt the pain.

"Agh!" she screamed before she went under. She could feel the iciness of the water pricking her skin. Could this get any worse?

Her head popped out of the water and she started treading. Cat gasped for air.

"Cat!" Ara screamed as she saw her sister bobbing up and down in the water. She and her sisters rushed to the edge of the ice.

"C'mon, Cat!" Kanade yelled and held out her hand. "Grab my hand and we'll pull you up!"

Cat tried to keep her grip when she caught her sister's hand, but it slipped and she plunged back into the water. She was losing her strength and was drowning... again.

Eric saw what was happening and jumped into the water. He carried Cat in his arms before she could drown and made his way to the wooden boat. There, she lay on the floor while her sisters and Ariel took care of her while Eric rowed the boat.

Melody wrapped a towel, which she grabbed from the lair before rushing out of the entrance, around her sister and hugged her so she would warm up. Ariel looked at her shivering daughter with pity in her eyes. Why is it that everything bad happened to her?

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she said. Cat nodded, too cold to speak.

"Mom, I think she broke her right ankle," Kanade said. Ariel leaned her daughter's foot a little to the side.

"Agh!" Cat groaned. Ariel put it back in its place, placed a hand on Cat's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, sweetheart. When we get back to the palace, we'll summon a doctor, okay?" Cat nodded.

The girls all sat around Cat, trying to comfort her, saying that everything was going to be okay, but she knew that this was only the beginning.

Back in the lair, King Triton and his daughters saw the wooden boat leave and were leaving as well, when they heard Remidima yell towards the entrance,

"When I get my hands on you, you will pay, Triton! This is not over! This means war!"

And with that, he said to his daughters,

"We must hurry. We can't afford any of you getting hurt as well."

They all swam out of the lair. When they were far enough from the cave, Arista asked,

"Daddy, where are we going?"

"Back to the shore of the palace to meet your sister," he replied, "and to figure out how to keep Remidima away from Cat."

Next chapter coming soon! Review please!