Chapter 9: Raine:
Pearl's POV:
Slippery, Porcus, and I were looking at another human thing. This one looked like a human girl, and I think she was dancing. Oh, I've always wanted to learn to dance... but I can't dance.
Pearl: Who says that my dreams
Have to stay just my dreams
Oh, to dance would be grander than grand
With those what-sa-called slippers
Fit on my flipper
Could I twirl like they twirl up on land?
I'd dance night and day
To what they say is ballet
In a whoozit that's not too-too tight
I wish I hope I might
Find something inside
To show me how I can start
Living the songs
The songs I sing in my heart
Dreaming my dream
Dancing my dance
I've gotta try without wondering why
I must take a chance
Something inside
Is daring to dance!
"So, those two have been spying on us like creepy people," says Slippery.
It was a dolphinfolk and a normal dolphin.
"I'm Raine," the dolphin said for the dolphinfolk, "and this is Bottlenose, my translator and best friend."
"I'm Pearl and these are Slippery and Porcus."
"So, why do you need a translator," asks Porcus, "and what is your translator doing?"
"I'm deaf and mute," Bottlenose said for Raine, "so I need Bottlenose to speak for me and to tell me what you are saying. He told me that you had a lovely singing voice."
"It just comes naturally for me," I said.
"Someone told us about a magic starfish that can grant wishes," Bottlenose said for Raine, "I was planning on wishing for a beautiful voice like yours and he could make you a great dancer."
"Really," I asked.
"This is a scam," says Porcus, "we have a general who could put you two behind bars... assuming he doesn't mind leaving his date."
General Tarron's POV:
"So, you're a whale... that's... that's nice." We both laughed, but the truth is, this is going terrible. I have to get out of here. "NON-SPECIFIC EXCUSE!" I then broke things and swam away.
Pearl's POV:
We went with Raine and Bottlenose to find this magic starfish.
"I don't know about this," says Slippery.
"And you shouldn't," says Porcus, "I don't trust any of this! I mean, who told these two about the starfish, anyway?"
"Do we even know where we're going," asks Slippery.
"We have a map," says Bottlenose.
"That's great, Raine," I said.
"Oh... that was me talking," says Bottlenose, "I know, that can get confusing."
First, we had to go through lobster territory. We had to avoid getting pinched by the lobsters. I think they were too determined to pinch me. Fresh.
. . .
Next, we had to go through giant clam valley. Those clams sure were hungry.
. . .
Next, we stopped to have a nice lunch, but Raine was getting impatient.
"Hurry up and eat," Bottlenose said for Raine, "we have to get to that treasure!"
"Did you just say treasure," asks Slippery.
"I... I meant starfish," Bottlenose said for Raine.
"Pearl, something isn't right," says Slippery.
"I think you're just being paranoid," I said. But I was hoping I was right.
. . .
Next, we had to avoid the pirannahs. They were jerks. Raine was too determined to let that stop her.
. . .
"Can we take a break," asks Porcus.
"Sorry Guys," says Bottlenose, "I forgot to mention, ever since she touched that stuff in that box, she's been a little obsessed with getting what she wants."
"What stuff," I asked.
"I think there was gold, jewels, some diamonds... wait, do diamonds count as jewels?"
"The man who told you, was he by any chance... a ghost," asks Porcus.
"Yeah," says Bottlenose, "he was!"
"Mad Eye Duke," we all said.
"You know him," asks Bottlenose.
"He's a ghost pirate who put a curse on his treasure," I said, "anyone who touches it becomes obsessed with treasure and that's why she's obsessed with finding this starfish!"
"I'll talk to her," says Bottlenose. Bottlenose then goes to talk to Raine. Then he comes back. "I told her what you guys told me."
"And what did she say," I asked.
"You don't want to know," says Bottlenose.
"We've been traveling with a pirate," says Porcus.
"Not a real pirate," I said, "she's just confused because of the curse of that treasure. We just have to remind her of what's important."
"How do we do that," asks Slippery.
"Remember, when Mad Eye tried to force you to touch the treasure, it broke me out of its control," I said.
"So, we gotta kill Bottlenose then," says Porcus, who was a little too determined.
"Or... we find something else to snap her out of it," I said.
. . .
Now we have to get past the giant squid.
"Really," asks Porcus.
We had to take on the squid, but it grabbed most of us, but not Raine.
"Raine," I said, "you have a chance to get to that treasure!"
Raine was about to, but as I predicted, she stopped and... decided to help us instead. She tickled the squid and it lets go, so we were all able to get through.
. . .
"I'm sorry," Bottlenose said for Raine.
"I understand," I said, "that treasure should be buried and if Mad Eye wasn't a ghost, I'll knock him to next week. Now, come on, we've gone this far. Let's meet that starfish.
"We're still doing this," asks Porcus, "did you touch that treasure again?"
. . .
We then met the starfish. He was gigantic.
"I will grant you your wish," says the starfish, "the mermaid and dolphinfolk first."
"I wish I could sing," Bottlenose says for Raine.
"I wish I could dance," I said.
Nothing happened. "Wait, you guys came for wishes," asks the squid, "he can't even grant a birthday wish."
"It's true," says the starfish, "I want to do magic, but I stink at it!"
"We came all this way for nothing," Bottlenose said for Raine, "all because I touched a stupid cursed treasure."
"Maybe we didn't get our wish, but I can still sing," I said.
"And I can dance," Bottlenose says for Raine.
Pearl: Listen closely you'll hear
Music dance in your ears
Look, a song you can see with your eyes
We're all in the sea
With our own way to be
But we'll never know 'til we try
'Cause it's more than the voice that's singing the song
It's more than the tail that can dance
That'll make our dreams come true
It's something inside
That tells you how you can start
Living the songs
The songs you sing in your heart
Dreaming your dream
Dancing your dance
Gotta try without wondering why
We must take a chance
Something inside
Is daring to try
Daring to sing
Daring to dance
Daring to sing
Daring to dance!
"We may not have what we wanted, but maybe we should be happy for what we have," I said, "and as for you, I think there's another way you can help us."
Mad Eye Duke's POV:
I wonder if me new mermaid o' fortune in trainin' got 'er treasure yet. I then realized the only entrance to me ship been blocked by a giant starfish. "What the 'eck be this here?"
"This is a comfy ship," says the blasted starfish, "I could stay here for all eternity."
"Remove yerself from me ship ye overgrown shuriken! I got more gentlemen o' fortune to make!"
"Sorry, I'm granting a wish," says the starfish, "I think you know her, Pearl!"
"I 'ate that there blasted mermaid!"
Pearl's POV:
We all laughed at that. That should keep others from touching that cursed treasure for a long while.
In the next chapter, the Codfather puts a price on Pearl's head.