Summary: Nixie comes up with an idea and a past connection is revealed.
Nixie's head spun as she turned away from the pool and stumbled up to the grotto. It hadn't worked. Their one single plan failed. Why wouldn't it? A little water doesn't just undo the damage from a Moon Ring.
It didn't register that she was followed until she reached the wooden banister of the grotto's upper level. Sirena slipped past her and sat down on the top of the stairs holding her knees to her chest.
"What do we do?" Sirena asked quietly.
"I think you've all done enough," Nixie snapped. She gripped the wooden railing in front of her, hiding her shaking hands. They'd messed up before but this was a new low. Mermaids don't hurt other Mermaids.
"It was an accident," Zac defended. Zac followed her too. And where Zac was, Lyla was. Which means they'd left Rita.
"It doesn't matter if it was intentional or not, we're still in this situation," Nixie said, pushing away from the railing and descending the stairs. "Rita's still unconscious and we still have no idea how to help her or if that scar needs any treatment because she's the only one who knows about all that stuff."
The only idea they'd come up with had failed. Maybe the Moon Pool would work but this was an immediate problem, the Full Moon wasn't for a while yet and they couldn't leave her like that. She hoped beyond anything that the Sea would've worked. Moon energy can cause irreparable damage. Who knows what harm had already been done?
"Are there any other Mermaids around that could help?" Zac asked.
"Sure, I've got a list of all their names," Nixie said snarkily, sitting down on the bench beside Poseidon. The cat stood and leapt off to the ground darting away. He didn't like her. He didn't like Lyla. He tolerated Sirena. Rita was the only one that cat actually liked.
"That isn't helping Nixie," Lyla snapped. They were always at each other's throats but this time, Nixie felt the edge. Lyla had neglected to tell her that she got the Moon Ring back from Zac until Nixie saw it on her finger. They were in this mess because of that Moon Ring and here Lyla was flaunting it in front of them all.
"The only other Mermaids are the Pod," Sirena answered, "and they're far away from here."
"Will they help?" Zac asked.
Nixie looked up at him, cowered in the corner, focusing only on Lyla. His eyes were wide and he was biting his lip. It was unusual seeing Zac like that, he always presented a confident front that appeared unshakeable. Almost killing someone is enough to shake anyone's confidence though.
"Why would they?" Lyla asked, "They cast us out, they cast her out. They don't care what happens to any of us."
Lyla was right. The Pod wouldn't care. But maybe there was one Mermaid who would, the Head of the Mermaid Council and leader of the Mako Pod - Veridia.
"Veridia might," Nixie voiced her thoughts. It was a far off chance, but Veridia might help, especially given what Rita told her.
Nixie exhaled heavily into the silence of the grotto. She liked this corner, it was duller than the open centre, a small alcove cushioned with soft red cushions and blankets. She liked the painting on the wall, a pink and purple sky with a wave in the foreground crashing up against the cliff. It held the strong energy of the Sea but captured in a perfect still.
The sliding noise of the bookcase door distracted Nixie. Please don't be Sirena. Or even worse Lyla. She didn't need to deal with them right now. She didn't really want to deal with Rita either, but Rita was definitely the better person to deal with. She understood being in a bad mood and wasn't hurt by it (like Sirena) or annoyed (like Lyla.)
"Nixie, I thought it was you."
It was Rita.
"I brought you tea if you want some?"
Nixie scrunched up her nose. She didn't like tea. It tasted wrong. She liked the warm feeling it left in her belly but the taste was just … bad. Really bad.
"I'll take that as a no."
Nixie kept her eyes on the wall, ignoring the slight clatter as something was set on the floor.
"Do you want company?"
"Not really," Nixie shrugged, "I'm fine being alone and miserable. Besides no one likes being around unhappy people."
"I don't mind," Rita sat next to Nixie. Nixie glanced over at Rita before focusing her gaze back on the wall. "You can't give up Nixie."
"I already have. I know we're never going home, you don't have to keep up the act," Nixie didn't bother turning her head. The blank wall wasn't going to be looking at her disapprovingly. There wasn't any hope left at this point, surely she wasn't the only one who could see this?
"The Pod is gone and they're never coming back until we deal with Zac and we don't know how to do that," Nixie forced herself to look at Rita, "I know you believe me."
"I know that Veridia will not lift your banishment until Zac is … dealt with, but there is a way to do that. We'll find it."
Nixie rolled her eyes. There wasn't a way. There was never going to be a way. She just wanted someone to agree with her. She didn't want false hope.
"If all else fails, you can always try and plead your case."
"Because Veridia will be so willing to listen to what we have to say," Nixie snapped. She didn't mean to snap. Rita was only being nice. She did that a lot lately. Snapped at people, like a shark. Her mind was a mess, a swirling whirlpool and sinking her teeth in was the only thing that could ground her.
"She's not inhuman," Rita said. "I know how she comes across, believe me, I know exactly what she's like."
"Were you two friends?" Nixie asked cautiously. Rita referred to Veridia in an attitude much more casually than anyone else in the Pod would dare to. Veridia was terrifying. She had a very pointed glare, made worse by icy eyes. She wore authority like a crown. A crown that everyone respected whether Veridia was there or not.
"We were."
"What happened?" Nixie winced slightly. It was obvious - Rita left the Pod. Nixie had lost her only other friend besides Sirena when she was cast out.
"We were … together and then I left the Pod."
Nixie stared at Rita. That wasn't so obvious.
"You and Veridia?"
"We were together for about eight years."
"The only real impression I have of her is being cast out of the Pod," Nixie hugged the cushion closer. "But I'm sure she was a great girlfriend," Nixie added sarcastically.
Rita stood up without saying anything.
"I'm sorry," Nixie inwardly winced. She really shouldn't have said that. She didn't mean to say it. She didn't know why she said it.
"I can't make excuses or come up with reasons for what she did. All I know is that when I was with her she was a good person and I loved her. I know she can be a bitch, but I loved who she really was... and I miss her."
Nixie loosened her grip on the cushion.
"I'm sorry," Nixie swallowed, "maybe I will have some tea?"
She took the cup Rita handed her and held it to her chest, letting the warmth seep into her. When she took a sip instead of the bitter leaves she'd been expecting, a sweet fruit taste washed over her tongue.
"Why would Veridia care?" Lyla asked, "she's the one who cast us out. It was probably her who cast Rita out."
"Veridia?" Zac looked up and glanced around them.
"Head of the Mermaid Council," Nixie explained, "her and Rita have a history, so Veridia might be willing."
"Do you really think she'll come all this way?" Sirena asked.
"What do you mean by history?" Lyla asked.
"It's a long shot," Nixie said, ignoring Lyla, "it's the longest shot. And it's our only shot."
"We don't know where the Pod are."
"I'll find them," Nixie assured. She could go and convince Veridia. She had nothing to lose, they weren't going back to the Pod anyways, she could say whatever she wanted and it wouldn't matter.
"You?" Lyla raised an eyebrow.
"I'll leave first thing tomorrow."
The grey morning waves matched the cloudy sky over Mako, the dull weather easily concealing the two Mermaids surfaced off the west shore of the island.
"You sure about this?" Sirena asked.
"Someone has to go," Nixie said. "It's better if it's me. You and Lyla make sure Rita's okay and that she keeps breathing. That's the most important thing right now. "
"We will," Sirena hugged Nixie, "come back soon."
"I'll be back later on," Nixie pushed back slightly and broke the embrace. She smiled at Sirena before turning away from her friend and ducking under the water. The Pod were somewhere in the open ocean, she just had to find them.
The Pod found her.
It only took a few hours. She'd been following the directions of two friendly dolphins she'd met not far from Mako and headed south into the open ocean. Nixie honestly thought it would've taken longer. She'd expected them to move further away from Mako. Granted, it was still a fair distance but most of the Pod, save the youngest hatchlings, could easily manage the swim to Mako if they wanted.
She had been spotted by one of the Pod's scouts, Meredith - a blonde Mermaid with a face as pale as the Moon but with a permanent surly expression carved into it.
Meredith found her as she drew near the Pod, and took her immediately before the Council. Not just the general council full of Mermaids with inflated self-importance, but the Higher Council, the Mermaids with real power - Cordelia, Misako, and Veridia
Meredith left, ducking under the water and disappearing, leaving Nixie alone with the Higher Council.
"What are you doing here?" Veridia asked, "Are your terms of banishment not clear enough?"
"We need your help," Nixie answered.
"You endangered the Pod and all of our kind," Cordelia stated, "Why would we help you?"
"This isn't about the Merman, or any of that." Nixie could feel her voice giving out. She didn't come all this way to face the Council who didn't seem to care about any of them. Cordelia had been the very first Mermaid who cared for Nixie and Sirena when they hatched, before she'd gotten her place on the Council. Seeing her now - cold and intimidating, was adding more weight on the already fragile state Nixie was in.
"Then what is it about?" Misako asked. Misako had the kindest face but the harshest voice, with dark eyes and dark hair to compliment her demeanour.
It's about Rita," Nixie paused trying to gauge Veridia's reaction. She didn't give anything away. The other two Council members were more telling; Cordelia looked to Veridia sharply and Misako whispered something to Veridia.
"I know you know her," Nixie begged, giving up on keeping it together, this wasn't the time to keep her composure, "she told me about you. She needs help and we don't know what to do."
"What happened?" Veridia asked. Was it just Nixie's imagination or she sound worried?
"She got hit by a blast of energy from a Moon Ring."
Veridia's eyes dropped down.
So it wasn't her imagination.
"What condition is she in?" Misako asked.
"She's unconscious and has these cut,mark things where she got hit. Please. We," Nixie sighed, "we don't know what to do. She can't, she can't die because of our mistake." Our mistake. She had nothing to do with it. She was just the cleaner sorting out the mess.
"An accident like that shouldn't kill her," Cordelia said softly, "she won't get any worse but without any intervention she won't improve."
"Which is why I will return to Mako with you," Veridia said to Nixie.
Cordelia and Misako looked sharply to Veridia.
"You can't leave this close to the Full Moon," Misako said.
"I'll be gone a few days at most," Veridia said, "I'll return before the Full Moon."
"You can't leave the Pod," Misako repeated.
"Misako is right. This is not the time to leave," Cordelia enforced.
"Leave us," Veridia directed to Nixie, "I'll find you once we've reached a decision."
Nixie nodded and turned away, diving under the water as she did so.
She found an empty clearing of rocks by the island the Pod had settled near. It was nothing like Mako. The trees covering the shores were all wrong and the water felt weird. Nixie swam into the warmer shallow waters amongst the rocks and waited, watching the land until tears blurred her vision. She let them fall down until the incoming tide covered her rocks and she was left treading water in the empty surface.
"Nixie?"
Nixie spun around to face Veridia. She was alone this time, no Cordelia or Misako shadowing her. Or anyone else. She'd been around the Pod's new island and hadn't seen anyone else beyond the Higher Council and Meredith. Where was Kai? Or Mimmi? Or even Ondina?
"Be ready to leave," Veridia said, "I have some matters to resolve with the Council and then we're leaving."
"Wait you're coming back to Mako?" Nixie asked.
"I am," Veridia said.
"Thank you," Nixie grinned, her first real smile in what felt like forever, "thank you so much!"
Veridia nodded slightly, "I'm not doing it for you."
She'd take it.
The swim to Mako was slower than Veridia would've liked, but Nixie had hardly any chance to take a rest after swimming to find the Pod. It wasn't fair on her. All the same, Veridia couldn't help but press on as fast as Nixie seemed to keep up with. They couldn't waste any time.
The feeling that crept up on her was not a nice one. It was fear and dread. Fear that maybe she was too late, and maybe just a bit about seeing Rita again. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, too long. She didn't want the first time she saw her again to be like this.
Victims of the kind of energy attack as Rita had an eerie resemblance to a corpse, and the longer they were under the worse it got. Moon Energy in such an intense blast caused the body to shut down. She didn't know if she could face seeing Rita like that. It was an easy enough fix though, as long as it was caught in time. The dread twisted against her stomach and her chest.
She never asked how long it had been since Rita got hit.
Maybe it was already too late.
As long as she kept breathing. Once she stopped breathing… it would be too late.
Not gonna lie, not 100% happy with this chapter but I needed to get something posted. Hopefully the next chapter won't be far behind, from what I can remember it's not too far off being finished but right now finding time is hard.
I'm at college all day 4 days a week, half day one day a week. Then at night I'm either working, studying or too tired to do anything but lie in my bed and watch Hell's Kitchen on my phone.
I started my course three weeks ago, had my first assessment today, got my second one a week tomorrow and have my first project due in 5 weeks.
Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I'll do my best to get the next one up soon. Updates may be slow but I'm not going to abandon this, I've written too much to just leave it.
Until next time.