A Wish on a Full Moon
Wooh, guys. Welcome to Season 2! Was so excited to get this one out, I forgot to put the author's note in. XD Totally, meant to do that. Anyways guys, hope you enjoy as we are now one step closer to being done with the past. Can't wait for the future episodes. Thank you guys so much for reading and following this story! 3
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 64: Stormy Weather (part 1)
[A shot of Mako Island appears; down below in the deep blue shows three fast-moving figures leaving behind a trail of bubbles. In those massive trails of bubbles, ahead of the line, were three ecstatic and very energetic mermaids: Cleo, Emma, and Rikki.]
The parents watch their daughters in happiness, glad that they could finally live in peace and not worry about anyone else trying to expose them anymore, so they hope.
"I see you're still enjoying the mermaid life," Will grinned. He was glad, after what happened earlier, he wasn't sure if they could enjoy it ever again or not, as they might have been too afraid to have another run-in with people like Denman. But it seems he worried for nothing as they appear to be having the time of their lives. "Well of course. After the incident, which shall not be mentioned again by the way, we want to enjoy every minute of it as we can and never complain about how lucky we are," Emma smiled proudly and pointed a warning finger at everyone to not bring up the Denman showdown again. If they were going to let bygones be bygones, then they needed to at least try and let it go.
"And as always, things don't go according to plan," Rikki said giving Emma a look. Terry looked at his daughter in confusion. What could she mean by that?
"As you should," Bella nodded in agreement. If she were in their situation, she would try to always look on the bright side of things when it comes to being a mermaid, and not always focus on the negative side. Yet she couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy, as also in their situation, they could at least race with one another, and be able to do more than she ever could as they weren't alone. They had one another, while she was by herself, with no one to race with. No point in a race if there was no one to go against. She could only hope that one day she too could do the same.
[They pause for a moment as they pass through a colorful reef full of many different fish swimming alongside them, Emma twists in circles as she swims and the other two admire the underwater world around them.]
"Why'd you slow down?" Charlotte asked. "We always slow down near the reefs, so that way we don't endanger or harm any fish. Either them or us could get hurt if they were to get in our way," Cleo answered. "Sounds about right," Don chuckled. Cleo was never one to harm a fish, considering she has saltwater fish as pets.
[The three continue on their way through the reef side by side swimming close to the ocean floor. As soon as they were out of the zone, they continue their race toward the moonpool and through the underwater entrance one by one.]
"It looks like fun," Elliot grinned. "Totes cool," a matching Kim remarked.
"Are you guys racing?" Sam asked curiously. "Like always," Cleo sighed. "And like always I won," Emma proudly declared. "You know one of these days I'm going to beat you and swipe that crown off your head," Rikki challenged. "I'd like to see you try," Emma countered. "Oh, just wait, as soon as we get out of here –," Rikki tried to say but got cut off by Cleo. "Not again," Cleo groaned in complaint.
"Please tell me it'll be more peaceful here on out," Bev asked, almost begging for the rest of the parents. "That's what you think," Rikki muttered, trying not to laugh. "With your absence, not so much," Cleo mumbled, as she knew this was right after her mother had left.
[Emma arrives in the moonpool first and swims toward the ledge. She looks behind her and watches with a mock expression as Rikki pops up for air, knowing all too well that she got second place again.]
Emma: "You swim like a turtle. What kept you?"
Rikki: "A few more seconds, and I would've had you." Swims to the ledge next to Emma.
Emma: laughs. "Please I beat you easy."
"Ah, good ole mermaid banter. You hear it every day," Lewis sighed in remembrance of all the times he has to hear the constant playful matter. "Maybe for you. This is still new to us," Charlotte scoffed. Try seven years of it, Bella smirked as she thought of what her parents had to hear.
"Hey, that's offensive to turtles," Sam chuckled.
"The tortoise and the hare say otherwise," Ash mentioned. "You're right. More like a sloth, you know, if they could swim," Emma smiled smugly. "Oh, wipe that grin off your face. It's gonna happen to you one of these days," Rikki wiggled a finger at her. "Keep dreaming." "Mermaids," Denman whispered to herself, laughing.
"You are going against an ex-professional swimmer, Rikki. You've got a lot to catch up to," Neil laughed as he shook his head. "Ex? I'm still one of the greatest swimmers around. I just can't do it publicly anymore," Emma defended herself. "Exactly. Ex," Rikki remarked, a smug grin shot back at her.
"My daughter knows the need for speed. I know she can do it," Terry encouraged. "This is never going to end," Cleo rolled her eyes.
"She still has her competitive spirit," Lisa grinned. "Are you kidding? It never left," Elliot grumbled.
Mrs. Chatham and Max chuckled as they glanced at one another, one thought came to their mind. Just like Julia.
Cleo: pops up behind them and swims to the other side of Emma. The girls turn to her when she speaks. "I'm launching a protest. You guys cut me off."
"Oh, look who finally caught up," Kim teased.
"You complain about their banter, yet you joined in," Annette laughed. "Well if you can't beat them, might as well join them," Cleo shrugged.
"You have the whole ocean to swim around and yet your best defense is them cutting you off," Will said.
Rikki: "Cleo, you were so far behind me, I forgot you were even there."
"To be fair to Cleo, she did only start swimming a few weeks after she became a mermaid," Don pointed out. Because of her fear of water, growing up, she never did learn how to swim. It was only because of Emma and Rikki's help she was able to get out of the moonpool that first night on Mako, and then because of her frequent development, she got over her fears and learned how to swim with a tail. "Yeah, for someone who has the least experience she's not that bad," Will admitted.
Cleo: "Winning isn't everything you know."
"Sounds like someone's a sore loser," Zane snorted. "Says the one who lost to Byron," Cleo shot back.
"You're telling that to the wrong people," Terry chuckled, especially his daughter.
Rikki: looks up at the cone of the volcano. "And that is why you're third." Looks back at Emma with a competitive smirk. "I'll beat you on the way back."
Emma: eyes brighten with mischief. "You'll try!" The two quickly duck back underwater. Cleo smiles as she shakes her head at her friends, then sinks back into the water and follows them out, readying herself for another crazy race.
"Here we go again," Sam smiled at them. "You three have way too much energy for this," Annette said.
"You look so done with this," Bella laughed at Cleo's expression. "I was. But I'm used to it," Cleo shrugged. "Why can't you get used to our banter then?" Kim asked. "Because you're more of a pain than they are," Cleo remarked. "Likewise," Kim said as she stuck her tongue out. "But you just got there," Elliot said. "Yes, and we're leaving," Emma told him.
"Maybe Rikki can beat her on the way back," Will said a little hopeful. Emma gave Rikki another smug look, which she returned with an eye roll.
[Later that day, as the morning goes by, the girls return to the mainland and head to their (second) favorite hangout place: the Juicenet Café. The girls stand at the counter as they retrieve their drinks from one of the employees.]
Emma: and Rikki grab their drinks as Cleo takes a sip from hers with a straw. "I'm just faster than you. How many more times do I have to beat you to prove that?" The two walk over to their booth.
"Or not," Zane snorted, earning a playful glare from Rikki.
"Till it gets through her thick skull," Lewis answered. "Till she wins," Terry corrected. "Oh, great. Is everyone teaming up against me?" Rikki sarcastically asked as the girls giggled.
Cleo: looks at her 'hot' chocolate in annoyance then follows them to the booth. They all sit down; Cleo on one side, Emma, and Rikki on the other. "This isn't hot chocolate. This is lukewarm chocolate. They should say 'lukewarm chocolate' on the menu if that's what they're going to serve."
"Well, that was your fault there. You ordered a hot chocolate from a juice bar," Zane said, giving her a weird look. "It was on the menu," Cleo pouted. "Doesn't mean it will be good," he said.
"That's on the kids' menu. You're sixteen, why are you ordering from there?" Kim frowned. "Sixteen and still our little girl," Don said. "Dad," Cleo complained.
[Rikki takes a quick glance around her, making sure no one was watching. Emma glances at her as she does so. Rikki leans against the palm of her hand, as the two look down at her other hand where she casually uses her powers and clenches it at the mug of lukewarm chocolate. Steam rises from the now hot drink as Rikki closes her hand into a fist and releases it. The blonde and brunette share a knowing smirk, as Cleo saw her little act of heat.]
"What happened to the 'no using powers in public' rule?" Ash asked. "That rule was broken a long time ago," Rikki laughed.
"I see you girls have gotten better control of your powers," Mrs. Chatham smiled. "You didn't make it all evaporate. Considering you haven't had your powers for that long, that's impressive," Bella raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. It took her a while to gain control of hers, much longer than Rikki and the others. Then again, as said before, they had each other along with the help of Lewis and Mrs. Chatham. Even with the help of her parents, she had to master it on her own.
"I'm more impressed that she hadn't managed to melt the straw. It would've ruined the drink," Max said. "Oh, it was right at the line of ruined," Cleo and Rikki shared a grin.
Cleo: whispers. "Thanks, Rikki." Cleo takes a sip from her straw and gags, fanning at her mouth. "Ah! Ow! Rikki! Too hot!" Rikki winces, then looks at Emma. Emma lets out a breath as she holds up her hand, palm flat toward the hot-tempered drink. The steam coming from the extra hot chocolate is suddenly sucked back into the drink as the temperature of the drink is cooled just right. Lewis walks up behind Cleo with his computer in hand just in time to see their display of powers in public.
"Too early to celebrate," Annette grimaced.
"Next time just wait till it cools off, or just blow on it. You saw the steam coming from it," Rikki shook her head. "So did Lewis," Kim laughed, both at Lewis and Cleo's reaction.
"Why do that when you have mermaid friends with powers over water that can do it for you," Cleo smirked.
"What's next, Cleo's going to use her powers in public too?" Denman scoffed, though still a bit quiet. "I think mine would be more noticeable than theirs. Especially if they see that there's more liquid coming out than what was poured in," Cleo replied. "I think anyone would be surprised if they saw any kind of power usage," Charlotte commented.
Emma: lowers her hand and smiles. "Try that."
Cleo: nods and sips from the straw again, this time no reaction. "Perfect." Smiles at them which they happily return.
"Satisfied, Goldilocks?" Ash chuckled.
"Good to hear," Lisa smiled. She was glad to know that Emma could control her powers. After all, with great power comes great responsibility.
"So, no more hail in the shower, right?" Elliot asked her. Emma laughed. Whether he was serious or not, she wasn't sure. "Right."
"Seems like you girls finally got the hang of your powers," Neil nodded. "It took a while, but yeah, I say we did get a hang of it," Emma agreed. All of them.
Lewis: finally makes his presence known and walks forward. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that."
"You sound like a disapproving parent," Zane chuckled. "And you would know," Harrison laughed with him.
"Well, no one else did," Rikki shrugged. "That's because half the people in the café have the attention span of a fish or don't know mermaids exist," Lewis explained. "Wouldn't that last part be the whole café?" Neil frowned. "Not whole. We know," Lewis gestured to the four of them.
Rikki: "Excellent! I'll pretend you're interesting."
"Yup. Everything is back to normal," Terry laughed as he shook his head. "As normal as it gets for mermaids," Will mentioned.
"You gotta admit, some of the geeky stuff he says is interesting," Charlotte said with a small smile. "I will not."
Lewis: kisses Cleo's forehead and sits down next to her. Cleo's smile brightens. "So, you mean you're not interested in how I'm going to save you from the full moon tonight?" Sits his laptop on the table and opens it up.
"Ugh, again?" Kim whined, receiving several other complaints or murmurs or worry from the crowd, mainly the parents. "It seems like there's one every month," Will frowned. Ash gave him a strange look. "Because there is."
"Full moon time again? Hopefully, it's not as bad as the last one we saw," Bev said. "Nothing could be worse than Rikki's," Sam agreed. "I wouldn't go as far as to say that," Emma muttered as she rubbed her neck sheepishly.
"Not sure what's worse. The full moon or all this lovey-doveyness," Don scowled. "Dad." "It's done been established, Cleo. You're still my little girl!" Don pointed out.
Cleo: smiles all lovey-dovey at him. "You can do that?"
Lewis: returns the look. "Maybe." Holds her hand.
"Do you really think you could save them this time?" Lisa asked a bit hopeful. Lewis sighed then whispered to himself as he closed his eyes. "I tried." And tried he did. Cleo grew sad from seeing how Lewis was and held his hand, just like they had onscreen.
Rikki: "Give it a rest, you two."
"At least I'm not the only one tired of seeing it," Don said. "How about you give it a rest too," Bev shushed him. "Well, I get tired of seeing it at home, I don't want to have to watch it here too," Don remarked. It reminded him too much of when he and Bev used to be together. And once she left, seeing that was nothing but a painful reminder of what he no longer had. Love. But he still had the love for his daughters, and nothing was going to take that away. Not even a full moon.
"At least it's not as bad as last episode. With all the heart-shaped drawings," Annette pointed out, missing the small, hurt expression her daughter had. "It's sweet," Sam gushed.
"That's not what I was saying it to," Rikki denied. "Though it is annoying." "Just because you and Zane aren't a thing anymore doesn't mean we couldn't love one another," Cleo said. Rikki bit back a smirk. That's what you think.
Rikki: "Every month, the full moon hits one of us."
Emma: "And every month, crazy stuff happens."
"So how long has this been after the … you know?" Ash asked, almost bringing the event that should not be named, but stopped short once he saw the stern glare that Emma sent his way. "Hmm, I'd say a couple of months. If the timeline is right, there's been a time skip so we're almost caught up to present time. This was the full moon before the most recent one," Lewis answered. "So, we're almost done?" Kim asked, though she really hoped it didn't end. She would never admit it aloud, but she loved watching this whole mermaid life, even if it is prying into her sister's life. Okay, that might add to her wanting to keep watching. "Seems like it."
"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened in the last couple of full moons," Ash said. "Then don't," Cleo glared. "Trust me, you don't want to know," Emma winced. "That's between us and the full moon," Rikki jabbed a thumb at them.
Lewis: nods. "Yes, but preparation is nine-tenths of the battle."
"Yes, because hiding from moonlight and water has worked so well in the past," Zane sarcastically said. "What's the one-tenth of the battle?" Neil asked. "Time," Lewis said. Which is what we were completely unprepared for.
Emma: rolls her eyes. "No offense, Lewis, but we've already prepared."
Rikki: "Yup, I've taped up all the curtains in my room. No light can get in."
"That would explain why you had garbage bags over your windows. Although to be honest I was more surprised that you were cleaning your room. Or working." Terry nodded in acknowledgment. "Gee, thanks dad," Rikki resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"So, you're not going to be staying together this time?" Bella asked. "No, we wanted to try and do it on our own this go-around," Rikki answered. "But what if something happened?" Bev asked a bit worried. "We would text each other every hour to check on each other. If one of us didn't respond, then we knew something was wrong," Cleo explained, trying her best not to smart off to her mother. She knew when this was, it was not too long after her mother had left. Had left them behind.
Cleo: "And I'm going to zip myself up inside my sleeping bag under my donna." Lewis leans into the palm of his hand, wanting to speak but keeps getting interrupted.
"Couldn't you have done the same as Rikki and cover the windows?" Will asked. "I did, but I wanted to take extra precautions. I did not want to be broadcasted all over the radio again," Cleo shuttered at the reminder.
Kim and Don shared a frown. They didn't remember Cleo going to sleep in a sleeping bag that night.
Emma: "And my bedroom's sealed. Totally lightproof."
"So, you did the same as Rikki," Zane pointed out. "Yup. She stole my idea," Rikki grinned playfully. "What else was there to do?" Emma rolled her eyes. Bella shrugged. She had to go through the same thing when she was younger before she finally overcame the full moon's effect.
Rikki: "We need to avoid the moon's reflection, too. Remember?"
"What about when it came to water?" Harrison asked. "The only water that was around us was whatever we needed for when we got thirsty during the night. Even then the water was contained in the water bottles from the slumber party, so that way there was no spillage, and we couldn't see the moon's reflection if anything were to happen," Emma told him. "Clever. You really thought this through," Max nodded in approval. "Yeah. It was full moon-proof. Or so we thought," Emma mumbled the last part as she looked over at Lewis.
Lewis: "Guys, stop. No, I've got it all covered." Turns his laptop around to face Emma and Rikki and shows them the program on the screen. Whispers. "I've just downloaded a new astronomy program. It shows the night sky from any place on Earth, it's very accurate. I've got a theory that the moon's power over you guys has something to do with planetary alignments."
"You really think it could be the whole solar system that caused this?" Denman asked, leaning forward in her seat. Could it be more than just the full moon? Could it be something more from outer space that could cause such a magical occurrence? Could this prove that science was better than magic? "It's possible," Lewis shrugged. A high chance of it after that last full moon. "Eh, I'm still saying magic," Rikki shrugged.
Max's eyes widened. He figured it out that quick? It took me much longer than that, even after the girls had lost their powers! Max thought. He thought he was impressed with the girls' control of their powers, but Lewis was able to up the scale with his planetary theory. It took him so long to be able to figure out the magnetism and the planetary alignments, and he was able to do it with a silly program. Then again, technology has changed over the years.
"It's only a theory though, how could you possibly prove it?" Annette asked. "Over time. I just need to keep studying the alignments with the full moon along with the effects on the girls," Lewis answered. He didn't want to tell them that it was already proven during the full moon that was taking place during this episode.
Rikki: and Emma lean forward. Fakes interest, eyes wide. "And you can do something about that?"
"Something tells me no," Terry shook his head. "Please, I'm a scientist, not a superhero," Lewis scoffed. "Then what's the point of the program if you can't do anything about it?" Don asked. "Well, it helps with facts about the full moon along with keeping up when one was coming, what time it'll take place, and where," Lewis explained. "So, it's pointless," Kim summed up. "Sort of," Emma said at the same time as Rikki said, "Absolutely." "Hey! I paid good money for that program," Lewis argued. "And it was a waste of money. Especially after you got the time wrong!" Rikki said the last part through gritted teeth. "How many times do I have to apologize?" Lewis whispered harshly.
Lewis: "I'll need to calculate the moon's position relative to other celestial bodies to verify my theory."
"Sounds like a lot of work," Zane complained. "Of course, it does to you. You never worked a day in your life," Lewis shot back. "Not yet," Harrison mumbled.
Cleo: Winces and nods. "I'd rather just hide in my sleeping bag."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Bella eagerly agreed. It was much better than doing voluntary science assignments. "Better than listening to nerd talk all night," Kim said. "I think you're the only one that wants to, Lewis," Charlotte laughed. She might like the guy, but she'd rather not be up all night looking at moon diagrams.
Rikki: shakes her head. "Yeah, Lewis. Thanks, but we don't need your help."
"I think it's better to have his help than no help at all," Sam said.
"Remember what I said girls, you don't need to go through this challenge alone, you have your friends and each other to help you out," Mrs. Chatham chimed in. "And as said before, he's the only one who can't get moonspelled," Ash pointed out.
"Rikki, he's just trying to keep you all safe," Terry sighed. He didn't want his daughter getting moonspelled again. Last time she was literally playing with fire. It was dangerous, she was dangerous. Who knows what would happen next time she gets affected by the full moon?
Lewis: "Oh, really?" Turns the laptop back around to him and presses a button, reading from the screen. "Moonrise is at precisely 8:37 p.m. and sets at 7:59 a.m." Rikki puffs her cheeks, the others listen. "I've got it all worked out. See? They don't call me Mr. Capable for nothing."
Max and Denman scrunch their noses up in confusion. Something didn't sound right about that. Was there a time change they weren't aware of or was the moon rising and setting at a much later date?
"That seems a little later than usual," Neil said, a little taken back. "Because it is," Lewis sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, I'm confused. Did something change?" Sam asked. She didn't work in the astronomy field, so she didn't know that much about the full moon and its set schedule. "Just keep watching and you'll figure it out," Lewis gestured to the screen. Of how dumb I am.
"Aside from Mr. Incapable, no one calls you that," Kim mentioned.
Emma: narrows her eyes at him as Rikki raises an eyebrow and smirks. "No one calls you that."
Lewis: "Oh, they will." Starts typing on his keyboard. Emma and Rikki bite back a laugh.
"No, they won't," Kim and Elliot both said. "We'll see about that," Charlotte laughed. "Not gonna happen," Rikki shook her head.
"This better work, Lewis," Don said, leaning back. "I wish it did," he whispered.
[After the group disbanded from the café, Cleo heads home to prepare for the full moon, however, instead she finds her bedroom door open. She walks in and catches Kim going through her closet.]
Cleo: in the doorway, steps back in anger. "What are you doing in my room?"
Kim: "I'm just going to borrow this." Holds up a blouse. Cleo marches forward and tries to snatch it from her.
"Nice shirt, I love the blue" Charlotte nodded. "Thanks. I had just bought it," Cleo said, glancing at her sister. "Do we really need to go through this again?" Kim raised an eyebrow. "I hope not," Don huffed as Bev watched the three of them with a curious gaze.
Cleo: "No you're not, I just bought it." Kim and Cleo tug back and forth for the shirt.
Kim: "But I don't have anything to wear! I don't want to look like a loser at my first real adult concert. I want to look cool!"
Cleo: wins the tug-a-war and snatches the shirt from Kim's grip. "Not my problem. Go find something in your own cupboard." Walks over to her nightstand and shoves it in the drawer.
"You have a whole closet," Cleo argued. "You should take it as a compliment. She's calling your clothes cool," Emma mentioned. "Don't say that! You're going to boost her ego," Kim shouted.
"Sisters," Sam shook her head and chuckled. "Kind of makes me glad I'm an only child. No annoying siblings to deal with," Rikki smirked.
"You could've just asked her if you could borrow it," Lisa suggested. "But then that would require me talking to her," Kim said in a duh tone. "It's in the sister code. I shouldn't have to constantly ask to borrow her stuff." "But it's her property," Emma frowned. "If she doesn't want me to get ahold of it, then she should put it in a better spot," Kim shrugged.
"Concert?" Bev gasped and held a hand up to her mouth. She completely forgot about the concert she promised to take Kim to. This was a month ago, and she didn't do it. She broke her promise to her daughter. "Yeah. That concert," Kim scowled and crossed her arms.
Cleo: turns around and shoves Kim back. "Off you go."
"Cleo, you should be nicer to your sister," Bev sighed. "Oh, you're one to talk," Cleo scoffed. "Uh, that's your mom," Ash told her as if she should know to not talk to her so rudely. "And?" Cleo huffed. Ash shook his head and sighed. Emma, Rikki, and Lewis looked at one another in concern, worried for their friend. They knew this episode would be tough for her, as Cleo had harbored her feelings during this time as her mom had left just days prior.
Kim: pushes her hands off her shoulders. "Hey! Just because mom and dad split up, doesn't mean you're in charge." Cleo rolls her eyes in annoyance. "You can't tell me what to do."
"Oh," Ash hissed and shut his eyes. He didn't realize … he didn't know what she was going through. No wonder she was so cold to her mom. When she divorced Cleo's dad, she didn't just leave him, she left them too.
The rest of the audience remained quiet, the tension from before growing even more awkward in the room. There really was nothing to say, nothing to comment about. A mother left her family behind, what else was there to do? It was easy to tell they didn't want pity; they didn't want comfort. They just wanted peace.
Harrison felt bad for Don. He understood what it's like for someone you loved to leave you. Zane's mother had done the same to both Harrison and his son when Zane was just a child.
Terry sighed. He knew what it was like to lose a wife. It was the one thing he, Harrison, and Don had in common. Probably the only thing in common. And because of that, they were raising their kids by themselves, a challenge added to it every day. We should form our own little support group at this rate, he thought, laughing to himself.
Annette tensed up, once again reminded of her ex-husband. It's been so long ago, over ten years, yet sometimes she'll get a small reminder like this. Charlotte grabbed her arm, letting her know she was there. She wasn't alone. That was one thing she was glad about. She has, and always will have her daughter.
Charlotte was shocked. She didn't know what Cleo was going through. She didn't know that Cleo had so much stress in her life, just because of the loss of her mother. But she did understand what it felt like, she could see it affecting her both on and off screen. She had a missing parent too. Her father had left her a long time ago when she was just a kid. She barely remembers him now, but honestly, after just up and leaving her and her mother like that, maybe that was okay. She had her mother, and Annette had her. Hopefully, Cleo will be able to see that too one day. Despite one leaving, they were still a family together: her, Kim, and their dad. They still had each other.
Lewis went to hold Cleo's hand in comfort, but she pulled away. Cleo crossed her arms and shook her head, a way of saying not now. Lewis just hoped these last few episodes would be quick for her. It was going to be tough, and he hated to see her in pain. Ex or not, she will always be one of his bestest friends.
Don looked away from Bev, not wanting to go through those emotions all over again; he already dealt with it once, he doesn't want to have to deal with it again. While said person looked at the ground in shame. Shame for leaving her family, shame for leaving her daughters. She wanted to see them; she really did. But she – but she … Bev sighed. She just wished she could talk to them in private. Hopefully, they will soon.
Kim closed her eyes. She hated hearing herself say it, she hated having to remember that it was still real. She regretted saying it, but Cleo needed to hear it. They were all under a lot of stress due to her mother's absence, but there was nothing they could do about it. They should've been there for each other, should've been there for their dad. Instead, they were tearing each other apart.
Cleo: tight smile. "Oh, yeah? How's this?" Leans forward in Kim's face and yells. "Stay out of my room!"
"That's not going to cut it," Rikki shook her head, trying to change the subject the best she could. At least Cleo was lucky. She didn't have to hear the constant arguing between her parents. At least she got to see her mom off before she left, not just disappear out of the blue. But at least Rikki had a choice. She chose to stay with her dad instead of going after her mom. She will always have her dad's back and vice versa. Her mother never did.
Kim: matches her smile then yells loud enough for Don to hear. "Dad!" Storms out of the room. Cleo rolls her eyes and sighs, then follows her out of the room.
"That might," Lewis grimaced as he rubbed his ear. "How are you so much louder than your sister?" Will asked. His sister was loud, but not that loud. "Years and years of practice," Kim smiled smugly, trying to ignore the aching pain in her chest. "I might have the mermaid powers, but she has the voice of a thousand hyenas," Cleo complained. She was used to the screaming. Luckily with everyone knowing of their secret now, it'll come to an end soon. Hopefully.
[Kim runs downstairs and rushes toward the living room where their dad was sorting through papers in a briefcase.]
Kim: "Cleo won't let me borrow anything."
"You didn't ask," Cleo argued. "Would you have let me borrow it if I did?" Kim asked. "No." "That's what I thought," Kim hummed. "It was my new top!" Cleo shouted. "It was my first adult concert," Kim countered. "It's gonna be another one of those episodes, isn't it?" Don rubbed his forehead. "Oh, it gets more interesting," Rikki grimaced thinking of the full moon.
Don: shouts to Cleo upstairs. "Cleo, we need to sort this out."
Cleo: storms down the stairs, furious. "Yeah. Tell her to stay out of my room." Stands next to Cleo and crosses her arms.
"If you don't want her in your room then don't leave it open," Bella stated. "It wasn't. I had it shut," Cleo informed. "So, you broke into her room. You're not helping your case, squirt," Rikki hissed as she shook her head. "I knocked," Kim said.
Kim: "Tell her not to be so selfish!"
"You could let her borrow some of your things. She did basically say that she liked your clothes," Charlotte pointed out.
"Why don't you just go shopping for your own instead?" Elliot asked. "Duh, I don't have no money," Kim said as if it were obvious. And with everything dad was going through, I didn't want to put any more stress on his plate … like we're doing right now.
Don: throws his hands up. "Girls, please. I liked it better when your mother handled these things." Cleo and Kim glance at one another then look down, a bit sad that the 'm' word was thrown out.
Bev once again glanced down. She left them in such a distressed state. They didn't exactly leave on proper terms. After all, she was the one who walked out of their lives and chose a different path. She's the one that caused all of this. She's the one who caused her daughters to be fighting, to be upset. She's the reason they were angry with her now and felt so conflicted. It's her fault. All her fault. Tell her not to be so selfish, ran through Bev's head.
Charlotte couldn't help but sigh at the reminder that they have a dad and she doesn't. At least theirs stuck around. He was there. Meanwhile, I have a mom and theirs has just walked out and I'm moping about something from ten years ago.
Don: "Not that we can't work this out together, right?" Gestures to Cleo then points to Kim. "Cleo, you're taking Kim to the concert tomorrow." Don walks into the kitchen.
At the mention of the concert, the Sertori sisters' eyes widen in realization and they both stare at each other. The concert! "Oh, crud. We are so screwed," Cleo whispered. "We? You're the one who forgot about me. You're on your own," Kim whispered back. "No way. You went by yourself instead of waiting up on me or calling. If I go down, you go down with me," Cleo pointed at her. "Is everything alright?" Don asked. "Just peachy," Cleo and Kim smiled brightly. "… yeah, something's definitely wrong," Don focused back on the screen.
Cleo: shocked then points to herself and follows Don into the kitchen. "Me? What? I don't even like the Dysfunctionals."
"Oh, I love that band. You have great taste in music," Bella beamed. "Thanks, at least someone agrees," Kim grinned.
"How can you have two different tastes in music, yet you still borrowed – I'm sorry – stole her music player?" Lewis asked curiously. "Easy. I downloaded my songs onto it," Kim smiled. "You little rat," Cleo gasped.
"Oh, come on, they're not that bad," Rikki said. "Then you should've gone with her," Cleo huffed. "You didn't," Rikki whispered to her. "Shh," Cleo shushed. "It's got to be better than the Feral Robots," Emma muttered, earning a gasp from Rikki.
Don: turns around. "Look, your mother bought two tickets to this concert before she … you know, before she left."
I think I'd much rather have Cleo go with me than mom, Kim thought. Yet she couldn't help but wonder if things would've been the same if her mother would've chose to stay and go with her or not. Unknown to her, Bev was wondering the same thing.
Cleo: rubs her head, dropping her shoulders. Kim stands behind her with arms crossed. "Dad, it's not your fault."
No, it's mine. It's all mine, Bev thought as she bit back a sob. Why was she trying not to cry? She was the one who left. It was her choice. What's done is done.
Don: grabs an orange. "Your mother made a choice, Cleo. That's not what this is about." Puts the orange down and faces them. "I have to be at a fishing co-op meeting all day. And we have to pull together as a family now more than ever. Someone has to look after Kim at this concert."
"Just out of curiosity, why couldn't I go by myself," Kim winced. "You're too young to go by yourself," Don said. "But it wasn't that far, and it was in a public area," Kim whined. "Why do I get this sneaky suspicion that I'm not going to like how this ends?" Don told them. Kim quickly looked away.
"I wonder who's going to get grounded first. Kim or Cleo," Rikki said. "How about both?" Lewis leaned forward as he whispered. "Them? What about us? My mom isn't going to like what I did to her kitchen," Emma whispered back. "At least you didn't have to buy more clothes because yours had been mysteriously struck by lightning," Rikki told them.
Kim: smiles. "I can go on my own."
Don: "No, that's not an option. You're taking her." Grabs his papers and orange and walks over to the table.
Bev had to admit, she was slightly surprised by Don taking charge so much. It was usually her having to solve the girls' problems. He was taking it surprisingly well. As were they … for now.
"Don't give in, Don. That's when they want to take power," Harrison said. Don looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry. Many lessons learned from a spoiled son," Harrison apologized. "Hey! Very true but still," Zane shouted.
Kim: walks to the counter, throws her arms to the side. "But all my friends will be there. No one else is going to have their big sister looking after them. I'm not a baby." Behind her, Cleo rolls her head around in annoyance before putting a hand on her hip.
"Wouldn't it be better for her to just go with her friends instead of Cleo? So that way they would both be happy, and Kim would still be safe," Annette suggested. "Exactly!" Kim almost yelped. Oh, please say yes, please say yes. "Well, yes –." Don started. Yes! Kim thought. "But I would still rather have one family member with her as a precaution. Cleo was the only option, and we couldn't waste a ticket," Don explained. Oh, come on! Both Kim and Cleo thought, pouting.
Cleo: "Yes, you are."
Kim: whips her head around. "No, I'm not!" walks over to the fruit bowl and grabs an orange to put in her backpack and her water bottle.
"You're both acting like big babies. Now, will you please stop!" Rikki groaned in complaint. "Thank you," Lewis sighed. He and his brothers were never this bad … were they? "Easy for you to say. You don't have a sibling," Cleo crossed her arms. "No but I do have you two, which is just as bad," Rikki commented.
"Geez, does it usually last this long?" Ash winced. "Only occasionally," Don sighed. "About once a week," the girls answered for them.
"Oh, no. I see that bottle. Please don't do it, Cleo, you'll just make it worse. For me," Elliot shook his head.
Don: "Look, Kim. Cleo's taking you tomorrow. That's settled." Cleo looks aggravated. "Now, get your things. You'll be late for netball."
"Oh, nice. You play netball too?" Bella asked eagerly. She doesn't get to meet many people who do. Very few played it back in Ireland. "Yeah. I'm on the school team. My friends going to the concert are actually the ones on the team," Kim informed her. "Yeah. They're a whole lot nicer than her. How did you get friends that's the complete opposite of you?" Cleo smirked. "I don't know. How did you get friends' period?" Kim shot back. "Is Rikki using her powers, because I can feel the heat rising," Ash said.
Kim: glares at Cleo. "Fine." Goes back to looking through her backpack. Cleo looks at her hand and notices the water bottle in Kim's hand. She smirks then twists her hand. The water from the bottle sprays up into Kim's face. She jumps back in shock as the water hits her in the face. "Ohh! Ugh, I hate this thing! It always spurts up in my face." Wipes her face with her hand as Cleo hides her mischievous smile. "What's wrong with it?"
Laughter fills the room, as the dark and awkward mood from earlier now left. "And I thought Rikki had a bad temper," Will chuckled.
"Again? Why do you always keep doing that to me?" Kim fumed. "Why do you always get on my nerves?" Cleo yelled. "Girls. Girls. Girls. Enough is enough. It's in the past, just leave it there," Don sighed. "I hope you're saying that by the end of this," Kim grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, I think that's enough arguing for the day," Emma said. "For the week," Annette said. "I'd say for the rest of the month," Sam said.
"If it was always doing that to you, why don't you just get another?" Zane asked. "Not everyone can afford new stuff," Kim narrowed her eyes at him.
Don: on the other side of the counter. "Maybe you overfilled it. Come on, you can dry off in the car." Don walks to the door. Kim snatches her backpack up and walks off while giving Cleo a nasty look. The brunette returns it.
"I'm surprised by how much you've done it and how you haven't gotten discovered by now," Bella laughed. "How was I supposed to know that my sister had secret powers?" Kim shrugged. "No one suspects the girl afraid of water," Cleo smiled proudly. "No one suspects mermaids to be real either," Lewis reminded. "Well mermaid or not, they will always be sisters," Neil stated. "Except the powers give the fights a little boost," Terry said. "Yeah, for her," Kim nodded at Cleo.
[That evening, an 'hour' before moonrise, the girls meet up at Emma's place as they go over Lewis's astronomy program theory. Lewis sat at the table with his laptop up as the girls were scattered around him in the kitchen and dining room. Rikki searches the fridge. Emma leans against the counter behind him as Cleo stood next to him.]
Cleo: "Lewis, we're waiting. What's the story?"
Lewis: "Well, I have been examining all the data, cross-referencing gravitational pull, lunar tidal effect –." Picks up a pencil. Emma grabs a bar stool and sits down.
"Sounds like a lot of work," Kim said, sounding exhausted just from listening. "Science does take up a lot of time," Denman said.
"It sounds to me that you're still trying to prove Mrs. Chatham wrong," Will mentioned. "No, I just got a little too into my theory that I kind of forgot where this was leading," Lewis said a bit sheepish. "A little?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Kind of?" Rikki asked as she and Cleo gave him a side glance.
Cleo: leans against the table, cuts him off. "And?"
Lewis: "And I am still working on it." Rikki closes the fridge and turns around to face them.
"And sounds like a lot of wasted time too," Ash said. "Lots and lots of time," Max sighed, a chuckle escaping under his breath.
"Lame," Kim sung. "Yeah, this is boring," Elliot complained. "That's science for ya," Rikki muttered.
"You overestimated your abilities," Denman chuckled.
Emma: "Lewis, how much did this program cost you?"
Lewis: turns his head in her direction. "Like I said, I downloaded it off the net."
"You didn't say you got it from the net, you only said you had downloaded it," Charlotte frowned. "So how much did it cost?" Bella also frowned. Lewis only grew more sheepish.
Rikki: walks around the counter with her drink in hand and stands next to them. "Yeah, but how much did it cost you?"
Lewis: shakes his head slightly. "$24.95"
"Dollars?!" Will asked, jaw dropped. "Even I wouldn't be dumb enough to pay for a stupid program like that," Zane scoffed. "Yes, you would," Rikki said. "No, I wouldn't," Zane countered. "Your mermaid hunting history says otherwise," Rikki grinned.
"You're smart. Wouldn't it have just been better to create your own program?" Sam suggested. "Yes, but it would have taken a whole lot more time. And that was something I didn't have for that full moon," Lewis explained. Although if I had, I would've had the correct time for the moonrise, Lewis thought as he once again blamed himself.
Rikki: "Lewis, you got ripped off."
"Yeah, I agree," Terry nodded. "You could have gotten the book cheaper than that," Denman mentioned. Though astronomy was not in her field, she did at least have knowledge on the prices of certain scientific levels.
"The price for that is ridiculous," Neil shook his head. "Then let's hope it's worth it for our little girl," Lisa told him. "It better work, otherwise I'd be asking for my money back," Annette said.
"Well at least you can say I was right about one thing," Rikki smiled smugly. "That I got ripped off?" Lewis asked, already knowing the answer to it. Rikki nodded.
Lewis: "Oh, come on, guys. I am onto something here."
"An empty wallet?" Ash joked, causing a few chuckles from others. "Oh, hah hah," Lewis rolled his eyes.
Lewis: gestures to the screen. "I'm just – I'm not sure how the moon force works on you the way it does. It's weird."
"They're mermaids. What do you think? Of course, it's going to be weird. It's completely different from normal people," Kim scoffed. The girls give her an annoyed look along with their parents. "I meant it in a good way," Kim added.
Rikki: "'It's weird?' Thanks, Lewis. We walked all the way over here for nothing." Lewis drops his pencil in annoyance.
"I didn't," Emma grinned. "Because it was your house," Rikki shook her head. "Yeah, you were already there," Cleo said. "And you just barged into my home," Emma pointed out. "So, the usual, then," Bella shrugged. "Pretty much," Rikki tilted her head.
Cleo: checks her watch. "Anyway, guys, it's getting late. We should go home and lock ourselves away." Goes to move but Lewis stops them.
"You almost make it sound like your werewolves," Ash chuckled. "Well, we do get affected by the full moon. Instead of hairy beasts we just turn into crazy fish," Cleo informed.
Lewis: "Relax. We've got at least an hour before the moon rises." Looks at the program time, then looks back at them.
"Still, it's better for them to be prepared early than wait till the last second. In case something were to come up," Bev crossed her arms. She wished she was there for Cleo at the time. If she had known what she was going through, both in and out of mermaid business, then she could've helped, could've comforted her. Instead, all she caused was pain. Not just to her, but to Kim and Don too.
"Remember what I told you, Lewis. When it comes to mermaids, you should rely more on the knowledge of magic than the knowledge of science," Mrs. Chatham chimed in.
"Wait. An hour? But it's already past dark," Elliot pointed out and everyone looked to the screen and realized he was right. It was already night. "Exactly," Lewis said in a quiet tone, yet still heard throughout the room. The guilt returning to him.
"I've got a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling," Kim said, her voice laced with concern. "As you should," Lewis added, worrying everyone even more.
Bella frowned. As many full moons as she had, she knew that something was off. The full moon usually came out right at dark. Why would it change all of a sudden? Unless it wasn't what changed, but the time was.
[Unknown to them, it was already too late. Above the water, the full moon began to rise over Mako Island. Inside the moonpool, the water began to bubble and glow from the power, even though the full moon wasn't over the cone yet.]
The crowd gasped in shock. "Oh no," Annette gasped, covering her mouth. "The time was off," Max said in worry. He knew something was off. "Yeah. I was wrong," Lewis said, feeling extremely guilty. It was all his fault, all his fault. "But – but that means," Don said in worry as he looked over at Cleo, the girls avoiding their parents' fearful gazes. "It's too late," Neil whispered, loud enough for the people around him to hear.
"But how is it even possible? You had the exact time," Charlotte argued. "It was, but not for our time zone. Turns out, it was going off the Korean time zone instead of ours. Hence it was an hour ahead," Lewis explained. "Oh, gosh," Bev worried.
"If I had gotten the time correct then I could've – they wouldn't have …" Lewis trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore. Cleo puts a comforting hand on his arm. "Lewis, it's okay. None of us knew what was going to happen. And either way, it would've happened. We probably would have still gotten moonspelled somehow. This was just destined to be, and there's no way to change the past now." Lewis looked up at her eyes, tears glistening in his own, and nodded his head in understanding. She was right. He couldn't change the past, and he couldn't stop magic from happening. But he can always try to fix his mistakes.
The girls glanced at one another in concern. They were unaware of the happenings of what was going on at Mako in the moonpool. To know that the full moon was affecting it long before it was over the cone just showed how strong of a full moon this was. They didn't realize it at the time, but they could feel the pull of it before they were moonspelled. They had just thought it was a feeling of longing. That the magic wanted them to look, but they had to fight it, they had to resist. Unfortunately, it seems that the temptation eventually won over.
Even Bella was shocked to see the effects of the full moon. She knew last month's full moon was powerful, but she didn't know it was that strong. She too had felt the effects of it, the longing feeling, and even though she's normally able to control herself around a full moon, sometimes there's a slight urge that needs to be tamed during strong full moons like this. But she pulled through the night and waited it out. It was a long night, but thanks to her parents she was able to make it through without any trouble. But it looks like the girls were about to be in a bit of trouble, as they were unaware of the powerful magic that awaited outside just for them. And it made her extremely worried for them, along with everyone else. Especially their families.
Mrs. Chatham sighed. She feared this would happen. The girls never told her about it, but she had a feeling the girls were moonstruck, but there was nothing she could do about it. That full moon was a powerful one. One that neither she nor even Lewis could do anything to stop it. They could only do one thing. Don't interfere, and let the magic take place. Although she's never experienced such a peculiar event, she knew there was something different about this one, much different than the last one shown. Much stronger. Its strength was shown here.
Denman frowned at the sight. The moon was a powerful force, something that shouldn't be reckoned with. Including the girls, and she nearly did. She knew the full moon was strong since it granted the girls their powers, but she never realized just how strong it was until now. There is so much more they don't know about, especially if the planetary alignments were mixed in.
[Back at the Gilbert's residence, Cleo grows impatient on Lewis's 'breakthrough' and is ready to leave. She walks into the living room and grabs her sweater off the back of the couch as she walks by. Lewis still sat at the table with his laptop.]
Cleo: "Look, I can't just sit around and wait. I'm going home." Puts on her sweater.
Rikki: joins Cleo in the living room. "Me too."
"No, no, no, no that is a bad idea. A very, very bad idea," Don strongly disagreed.
"Don't do it, girls. I'd hate to see any one of you get moonspelled," Terry grew worried for them. Especially for Rikki. He silently feared what else a moonstruck Rikki could do. No conscious, no memory. No Rikki.
Zane too was worried for his girlfriend. Rikki had said they had to avoid full moons again and that they had received new powers, but never said that she was moonstruck again. Maybe she hadn't, or maybe she didn't want to say. Knowing Rikki, it was more than likely the latter.
"You girls need to stay. It's much safer there than it is outside," Lisa said, her husband nodding eagerly. "Don't leave. It's too dangerous for you to go outside. You have no idea of the dangers that await you," Bev shook her head in fear. "It's too late," Max frowned.
Rikki: "Hey, do you think there's still time to get a burger? I'm kind of hungry." Stands next to Emma in front of Cleo with her arms crossed.
Cleo: "Rikki!"
Rikki: "Kidding." Smiles and crosses her arms.
"I don't think now is the time for jokes," Ash grimaced. "No. Now is absolutely not the time for burgers!" Terry snapped as his worries grew even more. "There's no time for anything," Kim said in concern for her sister.
"Rikki, if you want food, I'm sure there's plenty in the fridge and pantry. Help yourself, just stay inside," Neil informed. "Both of you," Lisa added.
Cleo: and the others look at Lewis who still sat at the table obsessed with his newly downloaded program. "Lewis, we're leaving. Call each of us the minute the moon rises."
"Should've done that an hour ago," Zane sighed. "A bit too late for that," Will raised an eyebrow.
"Better get to calling, Lewis. You're a little behind schedule," Ash joked. "Ya think?" Lewis huffed.
Lewis: tilts his head acting like he was listening then taps a key on his keyboard, pencil in hand. "Yep."
Rikki: "It's important, Lewis. Check on us."
Emma: "In case something happens."
"I should have," Lewis mumbled, the guilt weighing him down.
"What's important is to stay where you know that it's safe," Sam informed. "It's important to me that you stay safe. And you can do that by not coming home," Terry told her. For once, just please don't come home!
"Gosh I hope nothing happens," Lisa muttered. "As long as they stay inside, nothing will," Max said. "Remember girls, our home is your home. Stay as long as you'd like. Seriously," Neil said.
Lewis: raises his eyebrows, still not focusing on them or the conversation. "Yes, yes, I'm hearing you." Frowns at the screen.
"Are you even listening?" Bella scoffed. "Maybe," Lewis winced. "Seriously? It's a full moon night, you want to protect them, you even downloaded a software for them, yet you can't listen to them for one minute and realize that they are putting themselves in danger?" Annette argued. "I may have forgotten my main priority. I know, I know. I was a complete idiot," Lewis sighed, then cut Kim off before she could even speak. "At least he knows," Rikki said before Cleo smacked her arm.
"Lewis!" Lisa shouted along with several other parents. "Lewis, you better hope nothing bad happens to them, or you're gonna regret it," Don warned. "It wasn't us that something bad happens to," Cleo mumbled. "Technically it was both, but he got the worse end of the stick," Emma said. "You're no help," Cleo scowled.
Rikki: "We're gonna go upstairs and have a pillow fight in our jim-jams. Wanna come?"
Lewis: "Mm-hm, mm-hm. Sounds interesting." Cleo shakes her head.
"Again, with the sarcasm?" Elliot asked. "I thought I said it's not the time for this," Ash said. "It was just to see if he was listening or not. As you can tell, he wasn't," Rikki pointed out.
"That sounds nothing like you," Zane chuckled. "Thought it would get him to listen," Rikki shrugged. "Well, it certainly worked," Kim scoffed. "Look who has the sarcasm now," Rikki gave her a smug look. Kim rolled her eyes. "I own it."
Rikki: drops her arms and loses her smile. "Hopeless." Her and Cleo walk to the door.
"Your right about that," Annette said. "Can't argue there," Lewis winced.
Emma: "Go straight home. Don't stop off anywhere."
"So, were you just planning on letting Lewis stay or…?" Charlotte asked curiously. Her parents look toward their daughter with the same curious question. "He wasn't going to stay. No, I promised my parents. I was just going to let him finish his stupid program and then head off," Emma explained. But as always, things don't go to plan, Rikki's words repeated in her head.
"If only it were that easy," Max sighed. He knew what was coming. A moonspell was coming. And it was no ordinary moonspell.
Cleo: "No chance of that. Good luck."
Emma: "You too." Rikki opens the door, and a bright light shines in the entrance. Emma goes to walk away but spots Cleo and Rikki standing in the doorway, staring.
"No!" Terry let out a breath, rubbing his forehead in distress. "Cleo!" Don and Bev shouted. "And she's gone," Kim said in defeat. "This isn't good," Sam shook her head. "The both of them? I thought it would only be one, but two?" Charlotte frowned. "Not for long," Emma sighed. "Oh, no, Em. Don't tell us," Lisa begged. Alright … I won't tell, Emma thought.
Emma: "What are you…" Runs over to the doorway.
"No, no, no, Emma don't!" Neil and Lisa both shout, reaching for the screen. Several others join their cry for help. "Can't hear you," Emma gestured to the screen. Elliot clinged to his sister for what felt like dear life. Or her life for that matter. "It's too late. For all of them," Max whispered.
"Well, there goes the program," Ash threw his hands up in the air. "Things escalated quickly," Harrison mumbled.
[Emma stands next to Rikki in the doorway, Cleo right behind them as all three girls stare up at the night sky in a trance. The full moon greeting them with its presence.]
"And that's the last thing we remember," Rikki stated. Bella let out a breath. That's usually how it goes. Whenever she was moonspelled, seeing the full moon was always the last thing she saw. The next thing she knew she would either be waking up in her bed or in front of her parents. "It is? But how did all three of you get moonspelled?" Sam asked. "Yeah, usually it's just one of you. What's so different about this one?" Ash asked. "Especially since you haven't touched water yet," Denman noticed.
"They already told you. This isn't no ordinary full moon," Mrs. Chatham said. "The full moon can do all three, it just hasn't happened to them yet … until now. And as Mrs. Chatham said, it's no ordinary full moon. It's more powerful than ever," Lewis explained. Thanks to the planetary alignment, he wanted to say but decided to save it for later. "Which is how it took control of them so easily." "And all because you wanted to try out your nerdy program. Thanks, Lewis," Kim huffed. She had a right to be mad. Her sister was at risk of danger all because he couldn't pay attention to them for one minute.
[The girls once happy selves, turn to one with looks of seriousness and anger. Rikki slowly turns around in almost a hypnotic state and slowly moves away from the door. Emma and Cleo follow next, not once changing their stone-like features.]
"What's happening?" Kim asked, a little bit of fear seeping through her voice. "Why do you look so … scary?" Elliot asked, and it nearly crushed Emma having to hear her brother say that. She knew he didn't mean it in a bad way or anything, it was a little terrifying to see her go through that herself since none of them knew what went down that night and they were about to find out; but to hear him say that still, she wasn't prepared, nor what is to come if Lewis's details of that night were accurate. "I – I wish I knew, El," Emma stuttered, rubbing her arms uncomfortably.
"It's so freaky, to see us like that," Cleo shifted uncomfortably. Rikki nodded her head in silence, she had no idea what to say or what was about to happen. And that honestly scared her a little to see just how different they were on this special occasion. "Can agree with you there," Charlotte shuttered. She hoped her grandmother never was like this during her time as a mermaid.
Lewis: unaware of the happenings of his friends as he still studies his program. "'The angle of the moon and Venus constantly changes. Venus is the closest planet and can be seen with the naked eye.' Interesting." Lewis writes it down in his notes. In the background, the girls can be seen moving quietly to the back door. Rikki opens it then exits the house, with Emma and Cleo behind her.
"Girls, I really don't think that's a good idea. Especially now," Don shook his head in fear. "Sorry, dad. But once under the full moon's spell. There's nothing you can do to stop us," Cleo winced.
"Why didn't you just go through the front door then if you were going to go outside anyways?" Will frowned. "The canals. The canal runs behind our house and into the ocean. It's the closest entrance," Neil's eyes widen at the realization. "They're going into the water," Lisa gasped, holding a hand up to her mouth. "Mako's calling," Max whispered under his breath.
"It's nice to see you so focused, Lewis … on the wrong thing!" Kim furiously gestured to the screen, where the girls were doing all of this behind his back. "We really need to consider child locks for the future," Lisa sighed. "Child locks? How about mermaid locks? They can break through them easily with their powers," Terry scoffed. "And our other powers," Rikki mumbled.
Lewis: looks back up at the screen then shakes his head. "Wait, the time. That's not right." Lewis drops his pencil and nods in understanding. Smiles. "Ah, I get it. It's Korean software. It's set on Korean time."
"Oh, so now you noticed," Don huffed in anger. "Keen observation, Lewis," Cleo gave him a look, a reminder of when they saw Denman for the last time (the first time.) "I'll admit, not one of my proudest moments," Lewis admitted.
[Outside, Rikki takes the lead as they pass by the pool and spa, all three of them continue to stare at the full moon as they walk. Like it was just them and no one else.]
"In those moments, it feels like there's nothing else there. Just us and the moon," Cleo said. It's how it felt every moonspelled night. Bella silently nodded in agreement. Even when it came to full moons, it was like it was trying to convince them still. But they always had to remind themselves that they couldn't. For their own protection and for everyone else around them.
[Back inside, Lewis studies the time difference.]
Lewis: "So, the night sky here is one hour earlier." Drops his pencil and holds up his wristwatch. Lewis's frown turns into one of concern as he realizes that it's too late. The full moon is already out. Lowers his arm. "That means the moon's up already." Lewis jumps up from his seat.
"Glad to see you finally up to date, Lewis," Bev narrowed her eyes, upset that he was so careless with her daughter. "Finally caught up with the times, huh Lewis," Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "So how long is it going to take you to realize that they're already moonspelled?" Terry deadpanned. "Too long," Lewis muttered. "It's okay, Lewis. It was bound to happen either way," Cleo comforted him. "The moon always finds a way," Mrs. Chatham whispered.
[The three moonstruck girls walk down the boat ramp toward the water, side by side, in synchronized steps.]
"Anybody else find it weird that we're so synchronized?" Rikki raised her hand; many others join her.
"This gives me the creeps," Bella shuttered. She was so happy she never had to go through that, or her parents never saw her react like this on the last full moon. "Yeah, it is for us too. Since this is the first time we get to see how it all went," Emma said. "You didn't know?" Harrison asked. "Well, we had some details. But you don't really know what it's like until you see yourself doing this stuff," Cleo explained. "Especially since we can never remember what happens when we get moonspelled," Rikki added.
"And since all three of us were moonspelled, none of us really knew what happened or what it felt like. The only information we had is what Lewis was able to describe to us," Emma rubbed her arms as chills ran down them. She honestly felt a little terrified to see just how much of a monster she became when they attacked Lewis. All of them were. Lewis was their friend. They would never hurt him intentionally.
[Lewis opens the curtains to the front room and looks at the reflection of the full moon. He closes them back with a glare.]
Lewis: turns around and hollers throughout the house so his mermaid friends could hear. "Girls, don't …" He pauses in his stride when he sees the front door wide open. "Girls?" He searches the kitchen, then notices the back door open. He looks back at his program, then breaks into a run.
"It's about time you noticed!" Don huffed, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I really hope you're a fast runner, Lewis. Otherwise, you're gonna need to run from him," Zane whispered as he gestured back to the furious Sertori.
"A little slow, aren't ya?" Annette shook her head. "Better hurry, Lewis. They're almost to the water!" Elliot shouted. "And once they are … things will get so much worse," Max announced, making the parents worry even more.
[Rikki, Emma, and Cleo make it to the small dock outback from Emma's house. As they walk down it, their gaze never leaves the full moon. They stop at the edge of the dock, taking in the moonlight. Lewis zooms down the ramp, calling out to them.]
Lewis: "Guys?! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stops next to them and holds his hands out.
"Phew. Right on time, Lewis. Now drag them back inside," Neil jabbed a thumb at the screen. "Unless Emma decides to drag him into the water again," Will chuckled at the memory of their first full moon experience. "As long as they get back inside, I don't care how he does it," Don declared.
Lewis: "Stop. Don't look at the water." The girls slowly turn toward him as his voice momentarily breaks through the trance. "Turn around and come back into the house." Nods as he sees them watching him. "Good. It's me. It's Lewis, your friend."
"It's working!" Elliot smiled. "I wish," Lewis hummed. "He's probably the only one who would have been able to get through to us in that moment," Cleo said. "Only for a second," Rikki sighed.
"I don't think you're gonna be friends with them that night. Not while the moon is still up," Max said warily.
"Be careful, Lewis," Charlotte said in concern.
[The girls turn back to the full moon.]
Lewis: shakes his head, knowing what they were about to do. "No, no, no, don't do that. You're just gonna make things –." The girls dive into the water without a glance back. Lewis walks to the edge and looks at the water. Sighs. "Worse."
"No!" Most of the audience shouted. "Girls!" Don yelled. "Oh, Emma," Lisa cupped her hands over her mouth, trying not to cry. "Rikki," Terry groaned in complaint as he covered his eyes. "Cleo," Kim complained. "What have you girls done?" Terry sighed in frustration. "Well, dad, it appears we have –." Rikki began to say but Terry cut her off. "Don't. Do not finish that sentence. Can you please save all sarcastic comments until this is over?" Rikki sighed. "Yes, dad."
"How'd you know they were going to do that?" Will asked. "Not my first rodeo. I've been dealing with mermaids for way too long," Lewis shook his head. "Far more than any normal person would," Zane chuckled. And I'm one of them.
"Where were you during all of this, Mrs. Chatham? They needed you," Elliot asked worriedly. "Home. As much fun as I had helping these girls with their adventures, it was time to have some of my own. I was getting too old to go on any mermaid tales anyway. It was time for me to rest. And it was time for the girls to go on their own," Mrs. Chatham informed. "Yeah, well look where going on their own ended them up at. Moonstruck and in the ocean!" Don shouted, clearly upset.
[Near Mako Island, the trio of mermaids zoom through the ocean, racing their way toward their known location. They don't slow down as they go through the underwater entrance.]
"Woah, you guys were determined to get there," Ash said, his mouth oohed. "I guess our moonstruck selves knew we needed to go there," Cleo shrugged. "Either that or the moon wanted us to go there," Rikki answered.
"Maybe our moonstruck selves knew what was going to happen to us. I mean think about it, when we woke up, we had these whole different powers that we couldn't control. With what happened with Lewis, 'they', us on screen, had to have known about it," Emma whispered to the other two as she gestured to the screen. "You do have a point," Cleo agreed. "There's a high chance," Rikki nodded.
"Hold on, wasn't there a storm that mysteriously appeared at Mako overnight?" Don pointed out, remembering the sudden bad weather that came out of nowhere. Literally nowhere, as it didn't show up on any radars until it was too late. "More like magically," Lewis mumbled to himself before speaking up. "It comes later."
[Meanwhile, Lewis hops into his boat and takes off from the marina.]
"Hurry, Lewis!" Kim shouted. "A boat can only go so fast," Lewis said.
"There's no way he'll be able to catch up to them that quick," Ash shook his head. "Hey, my boat might not be the biggest or newest, but it'll do the works," Lewis argued. "Mine's better," Zane countered. "Hey." "Considering I've driven it once, I agree," Rikki pointed out. "Hey!" "The ole tin has seen better days," Cleo giggled at the surprised look Lewis had greeted her with.
[At the moonpool, the girls swim in slowly one by one as they pop their heads above the surface. The three mermaids look up at the cone. Just as they do, the full moon rises over the moonpool and cast its rays of moonlight down onto the water and the awaiting girls. The girls remain still in the pool, staring at the full moon, as the water bubbles around them and sparkling bubbles float upwards toward the full moon. They continue to remain there as the full moon passes over Mako.]
"What was that? What just happened?" Sam startled as everyone looked at the screen in wonder and confusion.
"Huh, so that's how it happened," Rikki tilted her head. "How what happened?" her dad had asked. "Keep watching."
Bella frowned. That's odd. That's never happened to me before. When humans get in a moonpool on a full moon night, they turn into mermaids. What happens to mermaids when they are there on a full moon night? An upgrade? Or could it be another trick like the last full moon? Bella wasn't afraid to admit, it did scare her; yet she was relieved to have never gone through this as they had.
"I don't like the looks of this," Don said.
"We've seen this before. At the very beginning. But that caused you to turn into mermaids. You're already mermaids," Ash pointed out. "So, what could it be doing now? Are you actually losing your powers? Is this another trick?" Denman asked, oblivious to what was going on just like everyone else. Except this time, was it real? Did they actually lose them? "No, we didn't lose our powers," Emma answered.
"So, what is going on then?" Lisa asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Yeah, what's happening to you guys?" Kim asked, worried for her sister. However, none of the girls answer. They knew the answers to that, after all they found out the next day. But just seeing what was happening to them was just as much of a shocker to them as it was to everyone else. "You'll – you'll just have to wait and see," Lewis said for them in a defeated tone. It wasn't going to be easy for neither them or him.
Max leaned forward in his seat, intrigued by the scene in front of him. He's never seen this happen to transformed mermaids before. So, he was curious as to what could be happening to them, or what will happen.