A long, heavy silence ensued as Marcus finished regaling his tale to Rita. She had said nothing during his recounting of how he had come to be in her grotto, which he was thankful for as it let him quickly tell his tale. "And… that's pretty much everything." Marcus said finally, clapping his hands against his side.

"So there's a merman chamber on Mako…"Rita murmured. She was staring down at Poseidon and stroking the cat absentmindedly, but her eyes told Marcus that her thoughts were far away. "And you don't know where it is?"

"Not a clue." Marcus shrugged. "You guys keep that information close to your vest. So do you guys have any idea why you can't remember me?"

"I don't think it's a case of not being able to remember you." Rita said delicately. "I think it's a case of never having met you. I believe that the chamber sent you back in time."

Marcus felt his stomach drop and he suddenly felt woozy. He had considered the option, but somehow Rita's stating the idea made it seem all too real. "Is that even possible?" He managed after a few seconds of silence.

"If what you have told me is true-."

"And it is."

"Then it is. I simply don't know what the capabilities of the merman chamber are, or what its true purpose is." Rita shrugged helplessly. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure if it's possible to return you back to your own time. I would guess that the chamber sent you back for a reason. What that reason is, however, I don't have the slightest clue."

"I can tell you what I remember-." Marcus offered, but Rita viciously shook her head.

"No!" She said vehemently, raising her hands as though stopping his words. "You've most likely already told me too much. It sounds as though things work out best in the future at any rate. Your involvement could change something crucial that happens. No, its best if you excuse yourself from this situation Marcus."

"Excuse myself?" Marcus repeated incredulously. "I have to get back!"

"I understand that, but the chamber is too dangerous to experiment with." Rita told him firmly. "I know it is hard, but you have to understand that using that chamber could have more effects than just you. Even if you managed to get back to your time, activating the chamber now could affect what happens later."

"So, what?" Marcus asked angrily. "What do I do? Leave? Just give up on making it back to my time?"

"Sometimes we face hard choices." Rita said, rising to her feet. Poseidon yowled in protest as she inadvertently deposited the fluffy white cat onto the floor. "But you have to consider what is best for everyone, not just yourself."

"Right now they don't know about the chamber, right?" Marcus argued. "They only know about the trident. While they are fighting about that, let me work on figuring out the chamber. It makes sense."

"The risk is too high! If you were to activate the chamber, none of them would be able to stop you!" Rita was growing angry now, Marcus could see that much in her eyes. "Marcus, I don't know why the chamber sent you back. But whatever the reason it can't be for anything good! The best way to avoid any potential harm would be for you to not go to the chamber at all."

"I'm sorry," He told her. "But that's just not an option."

Rita began to raise her arm, but Marcus beat her to the punch. His eyes narrowed and she staggered back a step, sitting down on the couch again. She tried to rise but Marcus's magic kept her stuck there. "Sorry." He told her sincerely. "But if that chamber can get me back home, then I have to figure out how. According to Erik there was a certain way of activating it, along with the trident stone. I don't have either so it shouldn't activate."

"You don't know that!" Rita insisted. "Marcus, I don't know you. But what I do know is that the chamber is dangerous! The war between mermen and mermaids went on for years! The merman who built that chamber clearly thought that it should not be used! I understand that you want to get back to your home, but this is not the way to do it."

"Maybe it isn't." Marcus acknowledged. Rita tried to rise again, but he forced her back down. Marcus steeled his resolve and hardened his eyes when he looked at her. "But if there's even a chance, then I have no choice but to take it." Marcus wouldn't say it out loud, but he had an ulterior motive for wanting to get back to his time. Last night on the beach, when he had lifted the stump into the air without any effort, he realized that his powers were growing rapidly. In his time the chamber was not an issue. The trident stone was gone and with it the source for the chamber's activation. In this time however, the chamber was still a very viable threat. As it stood right then, no single mermaid or merman could stand up to him it seemed and the girls and Zach were not playing nice.

Marcus turned away from Rita and gazed down at the pool of water that led out to the sea. "I wish there could be some other way." He sighed. "I really do. But, trust me, you don't want me anywhere around when this full moon comes up."

"The full moon is tonight!" Rita told him furiously. "Whatever it is that you are afraid of, or are trying to avoid-."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Marcus sighed. "I'm worried about what will happen tonight with no one being able to contain me. I'm going to that chamber. And I'm going to find a way to get back to where I belong."

He fell into the water and shot off, back towards Mako. The calling of the Merman Chamber was heavy in his mind again, but this time rather than push it back he let it guide him. He pulled himself up onto the beach, keeping a wary eye out for Nixie, Lyla, and Serena. When his legs remerged from his tail he jogged off deeper into the island, still following the direction given by the merman chamber. It led him to a rocky outcrop, but Marcus saw no entrance in sight. He ran his hand against the side of the wall, surprised to feel the familiar power of the trident on the chamber's floor resonating through the stone. Marcus pushed on the wall with both hands at first, and then with magic. Nothing happened at first, but eventually the stone wall started to shimmer and then, suddenly, Marcus fell through the wall and into the tunnel that led to the chamber. The pull of the chamber was stronger now, the connection deeper somehow. Resisting was harder now, and it grew even more difficult with every step he took. When he finally entered the chamber's inner sanctum Marcus felt like he was swimming. The chamber was just like he had last seen it.

"Alright," Marcus said, walking around to the symbols on the raised pedestal. He pressed one finger to the moon again and the trident glowed a brilliant blue. "Take me back." He walked around to the symbol on the floor and took a deep breath. He stepped onto the symbol and winced when he felt a tendril of magic run through him. He felt his breath suddenly be knocked out of him, and something else seemed to leave with the air. Marcus fell to one knee, his face twisted into an odd grimace. The chamber, which had been calling to him as though an old friend might, had seemingly changed from warm to cold. Marcus felt his breath return, knocking him off of his feet. He closed his eyes when the back of his head smacked against the trident symbol.

Just like before, he didn't feel anything change when he closed his eyes. But again when they opened he was no longer in the chamber. He blinked several times, looking around confusedly as he instantly recognized where he was at. Marcus rubbed the back of his head experimentally, making certain there was no damage after his fall. "Erm, son?" Arthur snapped his fingers in front of Marcus's face several times, bringing Marcus's attention back to him

Marcus shook his head and smiled apologetically at the man. "Sorry about that." Marcus said smoothly, "Sort of zoned out."

"Don't be doing that when you are taking my boat out now, you here?" Arthur asked sternly, placing the keys into Marcus's hand. "Treat her good now, she's a bit old."

"No worries." Marcus said, smiling in true relief. He wasn't entirely certain what had just happened, but it seemed to him as though the chamber had sent him back. It might not have been where he had left off, but it was close enough for Marcus. Reliving ten days wasn't so bad. But then a thought struck Marcus. He glanced towards the water, gnawing at him lip. He remembered this day perfectly. It was his third day after landing on the Gold Coast. He had not yet met any of the others, in fact later today he was scheduled to meet Rita. He bade Arthur farewell and made his way down the docks to where the boat was waiting. He stepped onto the craft and quickly pushed off from the dock. He started the motor and headed off to Mako. He waited until he was far enough away from the mainland before he cut the engine and let the boat slide to a stop. He reached over the side and stuck his arm into the water up to his elbow. He waited like that for several minutes, but his tail did not appear. "Well played chamber." Marcus said, laughing at the circumstance. "Well played."