Three months later I'm back with the next chapter.

Summary: Nixie returns from the Pod with Veridia and they work to reverse what happened.

Nixie broke the surface first coming up in front of Sirena. The swim back had felt longer than the way there and more than once Veridia had had to slow down for her to catch up.

Sirena was in the water beside Rita, still floating motionless on her back, her normally tan skin was still so pale. Sirena's face broke into a smile when she saw Nixie. It fell slightly when Veridia surfaced beside Nixie, happiness replaced by surprise.

"Veridia," Sirena dropped her eyes and Nixie saw Sirena clasp her hands together under the water.

"Sirena, you can leave us now."

"Oh. Okay," Sirena moved forward in the water, ready to duck under.

"It's okay," Nixie reassured her.

Sirena nodded and disappeared under the water. Nixie felt the water around her fin move as Sirena swam past then still again so quickly.

This was why Veridia wasn't well liked. Her icy demeanor and pointed stare kept Mermaids at bay. Not to mention her … ruthless approach to issues

Nixie kept back and Veridia moved up beside Rita and took one of Rita's hands into her own.

"She's too cold," Veridia lifted her hand and placed it on Rita's forehead for second before removing it.

"Is that bad?" Nixie asked tentatively, "she's been like that since she got hit."

"Yes. How has her breathing been?"

Veridia placed her hand on Rita's chest.

Nixie looked away. "Fine, as far as I know. I made sure they kept an eye on it."

"Good. Her heart rate's okay," Veridia lifted her hand and slowly curled her fingers in, faint lines of blue glow snaking down the back of Veridia's hand and disappearing like ripples. Rita's skin glowed a light blue.

"What does that mean?"

"It's the energy from the Moon Ring," Veridia explained, "We need Moon energy but too much is dangerous. That glow, that means there's too much, which is… incredibly dangerous."

"It stops our bodies from working doesn't it?" Nixie asked. She remembered that from a class once. She didn't go often but when she did, she remembered everything. Including one very grim fact. "It can kill us can't it?" She'd been scared of that one fact, it had haunted over her since this whole thing started.

"It can do. Too much in one instant moment."

"That's not going to happen to Rita is it?" Nixie's voice quivered slightly and she swallowed thickly to hide it.

"If the initial hit didn't," Veridia paused slightly before continuing, "didn't kill her, then it's unlikely."

"But it could happen?" Nixie pressed.

"Yes. How long has she been like this?" Veridia glanced at Nixie.

"Since yesterday," Nixie replied. The relief that shot through her as Veridia visibly untensed was like nothing else she'd felt before.

"As long as she wakes up soon - she should be alright, but recovery will be long."

"There's not an instant fix?"

Nixie had hoped it would've been. Then it could just be over with. Everyone could move on. They could get back to figuring out how to remove Zac's powers and what to do about the Trident.

"No," Veridia said, "especially not with a wound that serious."

Nixie curled her bottom lip in and stared at the water's surface.

"Who's Moon Ring was it?"

"Hmm?" Nixie looked up.

"The Moon Ring she got hit with, who's was it?" Veridia asked.

"It was one the Merman found out on the reef somewhere."

"The Merman's involved in this?" Veridia's mood darkened, going from concern to pure anger.

"No," Nixie answered quickly, "not completely. It was Sirena and Lyla who activated it with their powers. Zac helped us. If Zac hadn't helped us then land people would've seen Rita's tail. He helped her."

"So it was Sirena and Lyla who did this?"

"It was an accident," Nixie sagged. She'd just thrown Sirena to the sharks. And everyone else too.

"So why did you come to get help and not them?"

Good point. Nixie easily could've sent Lyla or Sirena to ask for help, Sirena would've loved the chance to see Aquata and Aquata could've helped plead to the Council. Truthfully Nixie had wanted to go. She needed to get away before she tore into Lyla or snapped at Sirena. And there was the matter of what Rita told her. Nixie hadn't even mentioned their conversation to anyone. It almost felt like a betrayal to tell anyone else, it was meant to stay quiet, a secret.

If she'd been a coward Nixie would've turned tail and sped off out of there, away from Veridia's accusations and ice cold stare, and hide out until Veridia decided to leave. If she decided to leave.

"They don't know about any of the stuff I know about," Nixie said.

Veridia looked at her sharply, that icy stare getting colder by the second. Nixie half expected the water to start freezing over, like when Lyla and Sirena made in snow inside. Those two really shouldn't be trusted with Moon Rings. Yet they were the two that currently had Moon Rings.

"What do you know?"

"Not much," Nixie answered truthfully. "Just that you two were together. That's all I know, it's all she said. She was actually defending you so… that's … something..." Nixie trailed off and curled her lips inwards, biting down on them. She definitely should've stopped talking much earlier in that sentence. She rambled when she was nervous sometimes.

"That's why you came."

"Yeah," Nixie said, "plus I'm the favourite so I know Rita would've sent me if she... could've…"

Veridia smiled at that.

"I need your help with this next part," Veridia said.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need another Moon Ring. The one you found, where is it?"

Lyla had it on, nestled on her finger. Where Lyla was though, she had no idea. Probably with Zac.

Rita had a Moon Ring though. Hidden in a shell case in one of the alcoves in the grotto.

"I'll have a look."

"Be quick."

Nixie pulled out the shell case and opened it up. One Moon Ring sat inside. Nixie took it out and closed her fist around it. The stone was cool against her skin but the threat of it's power burned.

She took the steps down to the pool two at a time and tripped on the last one. She stopped herself from falling face first into the water but Veridia's disapproving look was enough to confirm the mishap hadn't gone unnoticed by the pod leader.

"Got a Moon Ring."

"Good."

Nixie sat on the edge of the pool and slipped into the water, shifting from legs to tail before surfacing.

"Hold the Moon ring out, don't put it on," Veridia instructed.

Nixie swallowed and held the Moon Ring between her thumb and her finger. She could feel the power fizzing inside it even through the band.

Veridia held her hand out above Rita's chest and the glowing blue became visible again. This time instead of releasing, Veridia pulled her hand up and sparks of blue energy formed in the air beneath Veridia's hand.

The sparks became more numerous and began forming into strands that twisted around into a small ball of glowing energy.

"Hold it out further."

Nixie stretched her arm out as far as she could as Veridia pulled the ball of energy away from Rita, the blue suddenly vanishing from her skin. Veridia guided the energy over to the Moon Ring held in Nixie's outstretched hand.

"Be ready," Veridia said.

"I am."

Veridia relaxed her hand, splaying her fingers out and the energy flowed into the Moon Ring. The force of the energy swirling into the ring was stronger than anything Nixie had felt before, far more powerful than anything Nixie could control. Veridia made it look as easy as conjuring a water ball.

Nixie relaxed her hand and her arm dropped into the water with a bigger splash than she expected. Her arm was so heavy, like stone.

"She should be okay now," Veridia had her back turned to Nixie, looking over Rita. The Mermaid was still unconscious. "She'll wake up on her own and then I can see if there's any further injuries. Did you check for any other injuries?"

"No," Nixie wiggled her arm under the water, "we just saw the scar burn thing and freaked out. Is there anything you can do for that?"

"Not right now. There's nothing I can do until I know the extent of the injury. It's not causing any further harm at the moment, so we'll leave it until she's awake."

Nixie nodded. She didn't know what to say.

Veridia turned back around the face Nixie.

"Can I see that ring?"

"I don't know if this is the one that injured her or not," Nixie handed it back over to Veridia, holding it out in her fingers. Of course it wasn't. Lyla had it.

Veridia took the ring from Nixie and studied it.

"This is her Moon Ring," Veridia said, "she doesn't wear it anymore." That last part wasn't directed at her. Nixie didn't ask how she knew. She wanted to; Moon Ring designs had always fascinated her, the differences between them, but this wasn't the time.

"Would it have made a difference if she had been wearing it?" Nixie asked instead.

"I don't know. Maybe."

Nixie looked down at the water. Her skin was tinted pink under the surface. Nixie wrinkled her face. The water shouldn't be pink. Little swirls of darker pink, almost red danced through the water. Nixie raised her eyes, following the were trails of blood. Blood pouring from the wounds on Rita's chest and shoulder. Nixie eyes went wide.

"She's bleeding."

This wasn't the small cuts like last time, that Nixie could fix with her minimal healing. This time every tiny lightning branch had ruptured and the blood flowed out free as the waves.

Sorry for the delay, college is insane. So many tests, so many project drafts, so many projects and homework, having to work weeends at college on top of my part time job and all that. I've not had much motivation to write the last few months but I've gotten motivated again.

Chapter six hopefully won't be too far behind but I'm not making any promises.

Until next time, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll be back with chapter six.