The next morning, the sun was just beginning to rise as Emma and Rikki made their way to their favourite beach. It was quite far away from all the popular tourist spots and they loved coming here after a swim to dry off without stressing too much.

Rikki had told Emma about the idea that taking Cleo to the moonpool might help and she agreed.

Cleo was already waiting for them by the shoreline, looking out at the ocean. The thought of swimming out there for miles with sharks, jellyfish and whatever else there could be made her feel slightly sick. She spotted Rikki and Emma approaching, her mind filled with all kinds of bad things that could happen.

"I'm not sure I can make it all the way to Mako Island," Cleo confessed. "I barely even remember how to swim properly with...you know...this tail."

Rikki gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Cleo. We'll be with you the whole way. You just need to trust yourself and your instincts."

Emma nodded. "You've done this a million times before, Cleo. Your body will remember what to do, even if your mind doesn't yet."

Cleo hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I'll try."

The three of them walked into the water, the cool waves lapping at their feet. As they waded in, Cleo felt the strange tingling sensation as her legs transformed into her tail.

They slowly moved into deeper water and Cleo struggled to find her rhythm. She could feel the weight of her tail dragging her down, making her feel awkward and uncoordinated. Every time she tried to move it, it drifted unnaturally from side to side, which was the total opposite of the fluid up and down motion it should be.

"I can't do this," Cleo said, her voice trembling with frustration. "It feels like I'm just going to sink. This thing is so heavy!"

Emma swam beside her, placing a hand on Cleo's arm. "Hey, it's okay. You're just out of practice. Watch me and try to follow my movements."

Rikki joined in, demonstrating the smooth up and down motion of her tail. "Just let your instincts guide you, your tail knows what to do if you let it."

Cleo watched them, trying to mimic their movements. Slowly, she began to feel a bit more in control. It still felt foreign to her, but with Emma and Rikki guiding her, she started to get the hang of it.

"See? You're doing great," Rikki encouraged. "Just keep going like that. It'll start to feel more natural soon."

Cleo focused on the rhythm, trying to relax and let her body remember. The initial awkwardness began to fade as she found a steady pace, her tail moving more smoothly through the water. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

Emma smiled at her. "You're getting it, Cleo. Just keep trusting yourself."

As they swam further out to sea, the shore gradually disappeared behind them, and Mako Island came closer. The journey was way slower than usual, but the trio made steady progress. The closer they got to Mako, the more Cleo started to feel a strange sense of familiarity, like something deep inside her was still connected to the place.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they reached the hidden entrance to the moonpool. Cleo paused, staring at the entrance with a mix of apprehension and curiosity and decided to head for the surface once more. She still had plenty of air left in her lungs but her heart was pounding so hard she knew she needed a little break.

"Ready to go in?" Emma asked gently after giving her a minute to breathe.

Cleo nodded, though her heart was still racing. "Yeah... I think I'm ready."

"It's no big deal," Emma encouraged her. "Just take a breath and go straight through."

Together, they swam through the entrance, always keeping an eye on Cleo. As they surfaced in the familiar cave, Cleo felt a strange sensation wash over her and she could feel how powerful this water was. The sunlight came through the opening of the volcano and their scales were shimmering beneath the surface of the water. Cleo looked around, taking it all in.

"This is where it all started," Rikki said, breaking the silence. "This is where we became mermaids."

Cleo took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the beauty. "This is amazing," she whispered.

Emma and Rikki exchanged hopeful glances.

Emma opened a small waterproof container she had brought with her and pulled out a piece of paper that Lewis gave her the day before.

"This is the list of things we'll need to make another potion. We have to work hard on this, the sooner we can make a new potion the faster you'll get your memory back," Emma stated.

"I just really hope this will work," Cleo said as she kept looking around the cave.

"Why don't you two stay here a bit longer, I'll head out and see if I can find a few of the things," Emma suggested.

"Emma's always a show off when it comes to swimming," Rikki whispered to Cleo.

"Well it's not my fault that you're as slow as a turtle," Emma replied, making Cleo laugh.

Rikki was just about to splash her in the face for that when Emma quickly disappeared under the water to go out searching for ingredients.

Rikki and Cleo continued to chat, hoping Emma would find what they need.