Melody glanced at her locket on her dresser, and muttered, "You probably could have handled it better than me, Tazio...I never heard Mom be so fierce before.. I guess the rumors about redheads are true...At least she was really happy for a few minutes when I sung for her and Dad...", with a sigh.
Melody glanced around before she went towards her mirror and noticed what was lying on the table. The crystals that she had been given before; she actually was so distracted and enamored with her locket that she actually forgot about the crystals!
She gingerly got up, walking over to her vanity with the mirror, and picked the bracelet of crystals, remembering Lucia aka Nola's advice, and smiled as she pulled out a polishing rag from one of her vanity drawers, humming lightly as she went to work hard on the first two crystals, cleaning and polishing for the next few minutes before hearing a knock, "Melody, are you decent? We got cake and, guess what, a few presents from Grimsby and Carlotta!".
Melody smiled, putting the bracelet down, unnoticing the slight dark magic in the first two crystals. Cetus cannot see Melody now, but now he knows that the bracelet is in Melody's bedroom, thanks to a palace map he got in details when he bewitched one of the staff a few months ago, making her think in the end that she was on the way to the town to pick up a few groceries for the staff side of the palace.
With Ariel and Eric throwing a little party in Melody's bedroom to celebrate, cheering her up, Melody felt better somewhat, and after a rare occasion in the luxury bath as she was usually used to her own bathroom, her back is less sore, and exhausted after such a long day, her parents wished her good night, and Melody went to sleep.
It was fine for a bit before a nightmare came, which is not by Cetus's fault, but rather Melody's brain as she saw the events of today intensify worse than actual truth. She woke up in tears and wrought out nerves, panting, sniffling.
One part of herself wanted to go to her parents, but she knew that she's 12 now, and yet she doesn't want to go back to sleep, not wanting to have another nightmare again, and glanced at her locket and bracelet, and sighed, getting out of bed, walking over to sit down on her vanity chair, grabbing the locket on the way, opening it up on the counter.
She then went to work on the bracelet, listening to her family's lullaby, with occasional glances at Tazio, sighing here and there, polishing and cleaning every little crystal, giving a little smile upon every successful clean, imagining herself as a mermaid, playing with Tazio without a care in the world.
Upon the last clean on the final crystal, the bracelet shined and sparkled like stars in the faint moonlight, and Melody smiled, "Perfect...", before suddenly, she saw the bracelet glow bright blue, dark magic whooshing into the mirror in front of her, and the mirror became brighter for a second, a bright blue-white aura moving before transforming into a video-portal, revealing Cetus.
Of course, Cetus is wise enough to know that it would be better for him to look less like he normally does. Maybe if Melody was at more odds with her parents, perhaps his normal self would work, but he'd rather not take the chance and risk Melody just completely outing him and he's right back where he started in terms of his plans. Cetus has disguised himself to look like a more pleasant looking merman, though not one that seems to reside in the waters of the Mediterranean.
Melody obviously is quickly frightened by the appearance of a stranger on her mirror and after quickly looking away to see that he wasn't at least physically in his room, her attention goes back to the mirror.
Cetus smiled warmly, "I apologize for frightening you...My name is Cetus.", knowing that her parents nor Melody hasn't known the name of the monster which is him..."You certainly don't look like my daughter, Nola...".
Melody blinked in surprise, "But you're a merman!", and Cetus chuckled, "Indeed, though I live off Spain. You see, this bracelet was a gift to Nola, but she seemed to give it to you for a reason...Maybe a call for help...".
"What do you mean? Is Nola in trouble?", Melody asked worriedly, and Cetus sighed heavily, "She got infatuated with this freak of nature, somebody with tentacles! I have been searching for her a long time...Have you seen her, child?".
Melody nodded, "Yeah, a few days ago, but she was human, saying that she had a husband.", with a frown before widening her eyes, "Wait, wait, was this somebody the same person who was said to have attempted to kill Queen Ariel?".
"If that's the case, I do not know, who is this Queen Ariel you speak of?", Cetus played naive. Melody rolled her eyes and nodded, "Oh, I guess maybe you might not have heard of her since she's... not really in the seas these days.".
Cetus nodded, "Oh, I understand. So, my daughter is human, meeting a young human child...This is deeper than I thought...".
"Well, what does this freak of nature look like?", Melody replied with a helpful nod, "Maybe I can help you there.". Cetus sighed deeply, "Like I said, he had tentacles, and he got weird eyes, ghostly pale skin, and dark blue scales on top of his tentacles, and oh, I heard rumors that he uses dark magic, which is really forbidden in those Spanish waters...Of course, it was for a quick minute when I tried to convince Nola to get away from him, but my tail here, it isn't as fast those days...", showing rips in his fins.
Melody gasped in horror, "Oh, my! Maybe you could go to Atlantica...I mean, King Triton can help you there...", with a suggestive, helpful shrug.
"I don't think he'd believe me... I heard of the witch similar to this creature was defeated years ago, but I doubt he'd believe a second one like her was around.", Cetus explained.
Melody gave him a supportive smile, "Oh, believe me, he will help, especially when this creature is reported to have taught under Ursula. King Triton hated Ursula with all his heart for all what she had done, and now this creature, he had threatened King Triton by getting through to his youngest daughter, Princess Ariel.".
"Youngest daughter? Oh, wait, oh, now I see! I remember now...Princess Ariel is now a human, isn't she?", Cetus asked hopefully, and Melody nodded, "Yeah, and she's Queen Ariel now.".
Cetus blinked, "Oh, that's why you know her...Okay...you have convinced me...I'll go see King Triton...Thank you, child...You might just saved Nola's life.", with a grateful smile.
"I'm... glad to have helped.", Melody smiled before realizing something. "Um... but I don't know if it'll make much of a difference, in terms of finding this creature unless you have some ideas... or Nola knows where... this monster has been evading the king for many years now.".
"Oh... I see...", Cetus looked away for a moment as Melody bit her lip. She just had to help Nola's father... somehow. She just couldn't think of something right now yet.
"Listen... I think Nola might be in town still, maybe I can find her and then ask her if she knows where this creature is... if she does, then I promise to tell you and even better, I know how to get in touch with the king!", Melody explained.
Cetus blinked softly in surprise, "You'd do that for me? But you could get hurt! Look, I will still go see King Triton...If you find out something by tomorrow, I will be here by the night.".
Melody nodded softly, "Okay. I will see you tomorrow night, Cetus.", and Cetus smiled warmly, "I bid you good evening, child...May I know the name of Nola's friend?".
"My name's Melody.", Melody smiled, and Cetus nodded, "Okay. See you tomorrow night, Melody.", smiling thankfully, before he did something with another bracelet on the other side of the mirror, turning the video-portal off.
Melody smiled, glad to be helping out her friend, praying that she would be saved from the monster in time...She hopes Nola's father has good news by tomorrow night. Glancing at the clock, she sighed, and headed back to bed, falling asleep.
Cetus, in his lair, along with Lucia as a mermaid, chuckled wickedly as he dropped his disguise, "What did I tell you?", as Lucia was feeding the stingrays with some pieces of fish. Lucia chuckled softly, "Okay, you were right. So, how do we do this to lure her down here?".
"Simple. You succeeded to escape from me, going to Melody, proclaiming that I have your father, after seeing that I'm willing to kill anyone of your family to get you to stay with me. Then when you lead Melody here, she will see that it's a trick, yet she will be convinced to stay to listen when I talk about Tazio, showing a projection of him growing up with her, the whole family as it should have been.", Cetus grinned wryly.
Lucia nodded her head, "If you think that'll work. I still think convincing her to get the trident to save you from you would work just as well.".
"But there's a bit of a problem. Why would she need the trident herself when she could ask dear old Triton for help?", Cetus reminded.
Lucia blinked in silence before thinking a bit, and sighed as she crossed her arms, "You may have a point there.", and Cetus smiled wryly.
And so, on the next couple days, as Melody guessed that it would take Nola's father to travel from the waters of Spain to Atlantica, she would go to town to search for Nola, but nothing.
She's afraid that the monster's keeping a close leash on Nola all because she tried to call for help by giving the bracelet to Melody.
On the anniversary of Tazio's death upon the next day, Melody tried again, searching for Nola, for she knew her mother would be breaking down often than usual, having told her that she wanted to find flowers to rest at his grave.
Walking outside town to the cove, she heard a frantic, broken, familiar voice calling out for her, and she ran, finding Nola as a mermaid, bruised in the face and arms.
"Nola!", Melody ran up to her. "Are you okay!?", worried about her friend. "I...", Nola clearly was out of breath and shocked, not to mention her injuries.
Melody kneeled, "Let me help you sit up, Nola, that looks bad...", helping her sit up against the rock wall, as Nola winced, exhaled, "Mel-Melody, you're okay...I can't believe that you talked to my father...he tried to save me...that monster...Daddy was right...about him...".
"I'm sorry... is he alright? Your father?", Melody asked as Nola shook her head. "No... I don't know... that... that monster... has him right now... I think...", Nola leaned back and was starting upwards.
Melody asked, "What about King Triton?", and Nola looked upset, "I couldn't even get an audience with him...something about a closed, private affair to grieve.".
Exhaling in realization that her grandfather is grieving about Tazio as well, Melody bit her lip, trying to think before remembering what her parents said about how they got to Atlantica, and she knew that her mother would pull her back if she knew that Melody wanted to go into the sea, even for helping a friend, she took a deep breath, "Nola, I know it sounds scary, but we have to save your father, and somehow stay out of sight of the monster.".
Nola gasped in horror, "We can't! Look at me! And how could you even come with me? You're human!", with a confused look on her face.
"I have a way for that. Look, we have no choice, Nola.. Don't you want to be with your father, free and happy?", Melody asked.
Nola looked down, hesitating, "I don't know...", and Melody squeezed her hand gently, "Hey, I'm scared too, but we can be brave, okay?".
Nola took a deep breath and nodded. "Listen, just try to stay safe and heal for a bit, I need to quickly take care of something, or this will never work... and then I need to find what can help us and then... we go for your father.", Melody replied.
Nola spoke quietly, "Okay.", and Melody gave her a reassuring smile before she left, heading back to town, through town, and to the palace.
Grimsby smiled, "Princess Melody, I thought you are staying longer in town.", and Melody smiled at him, "Just wanted to ask Dad a question on how to find the right flowers for Mom, you know, since I don't want to say the wrong thing by picking an ugly or wonky bouquet, see what I mean?".
"Well, that's a very important question. You can find your father upstairs.", Grimsby smiled warmly, and Melody nodded, "Thanks, Grim!", before heading upstairs, taking a deep breath as she tiptoed carefully to the master bedroom, peeking to check if her parents are there, and saw them on the balcony, cuddling and crying. She bit her lip, walking slowly over to places where she thought her parents' magical bracelets would be hiding...she knew this is technically stealing, but desperate measures call for it.
"Mom...", Melody whispered under her breath as she quickly went right back to work as she was trying to find where they were keeping one of the bracelets. Where would they hide them, Melody thought to herself.
She looked, carefully pulling out drawers, secret nooks under the vanity, and even the end tables, before noticing her dad's personal desk. She remembers hiding under it when she was younger, and there was a little opening in the chair...too small for a mouse, yet perhaps perfect for bracelets, and she slowly ducked under, watching the balcony doors, wrenching the seat open, to reveal the bracelets, "Clever...", whispering under her breath, and grabbed the first bracelet she saw which is her mother's pearl bracelet, and carefully closed it and quickly, watching out for her parents who hasn't even turned around, and left the room, guilt in her heart, but still went on, leaving the palace, through town, and back to the cove.
Melody knew this was dangerous, but she had to help Nola, somehow, someway... Melody quickly made her way back before she found Nola again. "Okay, I got it!", Melody announced as she checked on her. "How are you feeling now... a bit better?".
Nola nodded lightly, "Yeah, I think so.", before taking a deep breath, "You'll be at my side, right?". Melody smiled, "Yeah. I mean, that's what friends do. You can do this, Nola.", and Nola exhaled, "Okay...let's do this before I am too guppy to back out.".
"Guppy?", Melody asked as she helped her get back in the shallows, and Nola chuckled self-consciously, "Baby...Guppy means baby fish.".
Melody reassured her, "You're not a guppy, Nola.", as they got into the shallows, and the moment the bracelet touched the water on her wrist, a golden glow suddenly came, and Melody gasped in surprise and excitement as she felt her legs fussing, changing, and became into a lovely pretty coral pinkish red tail with translucent pink fins.
"Whoa!", Nola gasped in amazement, and Melody laughed, "It worked! I'm a mermaid!", smiling in awe as she was enraptured by her tail.
Nola smiled, "You sure are. Come on, I will help you with the basics...I hope he hasn't hurt Daddy.", with an anxious look.
"Will we have enough time for me to quickly get things down?", Melody asked. "We can do it on the way... but we really should hurry.", Nola said.
Melody nodded, "Right, let's go!", and Nola smiled before diving under the surface, and with a glance at the palace in the distance, Melody then dived down, following Nola.
Melody immediately felt like she was home, feeling like a kid instead of a princess, and with Nola's occasional advice, Melody took to being a mermaid surprisingly well, probably thanks to her mother's genes in her, and the trip took about 30 minutes, far from Atlantica or the shore, deep and deeper under the sea. Cetus, having seen the pattern of Triton's patrol, has a few lairs, and the last lair is the farthest.
"Are we almost there?", Melody asked. "Almost.", Nola told her. "So, I guess I should ask, what exactly is the plan here? Do we just sneak your father out and then tell Triton where this monster is? I can get to him easily, trust me on that.", Melody inquired curiously.
"That won't be easy to sneak Daddy out, especially if the monster's pet stingrays are on guard...", Nola frowned, and Melody pursued her lips in thought before remembering that stingrays' hearing is bad, but they can feel vibrations in the water. "I got it! What if we knock a big rock over, and the stingrays investigate?".
"That might work... of course, we also have to make sure that... he's... gone... with him out of the way and his pets... then we should be good.", Nola suggested.