This should not have taken this long.

Summary: The Full Moon rises.

Nixie felt it the moment the Moon rose. Every Mermaid could, but Sirena still singing on the stage gave no outward sign that she felt it. Nixie tried to catch Sirena's eye to no avail. She was too wrapped up in her performance.

When the song ended Nixie slipped through the crowd and caught Sirena as she skipped off the stage.

"The moon's up," Nixie whispered as she reached Sirena. "Make your excuses and let's go."

"What do I say?" Sirena asked, her eyes wide, like those dogs people always fawned over.

"Tell him," Nixie trailed off as she struggled to put a believed excuse together, "tell him that Rita needs us at home."

"Is everything okay?" David walked up carrying two bottles of water. Nixie could see the condensation on the sides from here.

"Not really," Nixie said before Sirena could back out. She had too good a heart.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" David set the bottles down and turned his entire attention to Sirena.

"It's Rita," Nixie answered, "we need to go home and see her, make sure she's okay."

"I'm sorry David," Sirena apologised.

"No, that's okay," David put his arm around Sirena's shoulder, "you did so well but the band can cover the rest of the set. I hope your aunt's okay."

"Thank you David," Sirena kissed David's cheek before Nixie grabbed Sirena's hand and pulled her out of the crowded cafe into the slightly less empty outside.

"Come on," Sirena made towards the dock but Nixie grabbed her arm.

"There's too many people about, we'll go round the back."

The Moon called to him.

It's song gnawing on his mind. Seeping into his bones. Every fibre of his body wanted him to rip down the covering, to let the Moon's light in and take off the Mako.

Moon Pool. Trident. Blood. Moon Pool. Trident. Blood.

He focused on his nightmare from the last two nights. He didn't want the Trident. He didn't want the Trident. He didn't want the Trident.

"Lyla," Zac called out.

"I'm here," Lyla was at his side in an instant. "You're okay Zac. You can do this."

"I'm not strong enough for this."

"You are Zac."

Rita surfaced beside Veridia and let the other Mermaid guide her to the ledges that lined the edge of the pool underwater to rest. She leaned back against the rock and exhaled heavily. The swim had taken so long and drained what little energy she had to begin with. They'd had to keep stopping and surfacing. The Moon's light had helped but before they were even halfway to Mako she'd had to rely on Veridia to support her entirely at the surface.

"Are you okay?" Veridia sat on the ledge beside her.

Rita nodded, "just drained."

"It won't be long until the Moon's overhead. You'll feel better afterwards."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"It will."

"But if it doesn't?"

"We'll wait and see."

Rita shifted closer to Veridia and rested her head on her shoulder. She was so tired, she just wanted to sleep. Veridia wrapped her arm around her and rested her chin on Rita's head.

"I can't do this!" Zac gripped the table, curling his fingers around the edges. The call of Mako, of the Trident, grew stronger each passing second. He didn't know how much longer he could fight it.

"You can. Be strong Zac." Lyla's voice sounded a hundred miles away.

"I can't. I can't do this!" Zac stood up, knocking Lyla away from him. He hardly noticed her hitting the ground, or shouting after him before scrambling up to her feet.

"I'm sorry Lyla." His own voice sounded muted, like trying to talk through a wall of water.

"Zac no!"

Zac pulled open the door and ran out into the garden. His footsteps echoed on the wooden jetty. He dove off the edge without a moment's hesitation.

Nixie came to a dead stop behind Sirena, almost crashing into her.

"They're not here," Sirena said.

Sure enough the boatshed was empty. There was a chair halfway out from the desk, but all the tapings were all still in place.

"One guess where they've gone," Nixie remarked.

They shared a look before Nixie spun on her heels and lead them out the door back across the garden to the dock.

The Moon Pool was the heart of Mako. Being back in the pool was being back home. The other Pods they'd met out in the South Pacific were kind and welcoming but nowhere they went was home. Mako was their home.

As long as the Merman was a threat the Pod could not return. It wasn't safe for them and the Pod's safety had to be her priority. Not the Mermaid sleeping beside her, nestled into her side.

Mako was her home, and right now nothing felt more right.

It was an old spoken legend that every Mermaid had another out there who's soul they would be bonded to for life. Most Mermaids never met their other soul. Veridia had always counted herself amongst that number. Sure, she loves- loved Rita, but how could they have been 'soulmates.' Rita had left and found someone else, and a land boy at that. Veridia found someone else. While her and Cordelia had broke it off a while ago, and from the looks of things the land boy wasn't around either - that didn't mean anything despite the events of earlier on.

What happened, what almost happened earlier, almost kissing Rita, was just a fluke, what they had was over. It had to be over. It didn't matter what she felt anymore. The peace and the warmth she felt was from being back at home in the Moon Pool, not from having Rita pressed up against her.

The Mermaid stirred, shifting against her and opened her eyes.

"The Moon's almost up," Veridia said softly.

Rita sat up, lifting her head from Veridia's shoulder but not moving away, her tail lightly pressed against Veridia's.

"You okay?" Veridia asked.

"I think so, just tired."

"Just a little bit yet and then this will all be over."

"Zac!"

Lyla got to her feet on the beach and scanned the tree line hoping desperately to see Zac. His footprints lead up over the beach and over to the forest. Lyla took off following them up to the trees, only the silver light from the Moon illuminating the way.

The forest floor was rough and hard going, tree roots and rocks breaking up the paths and low hanging branches threatened to snag her hair and clothes.

"Zac!"

"It's starting."

The first rays of Full Moon light crept over the lip of the volcano, lighting up the cavern and the Moon Pool. The water began to bubble and Rita let herself slip down and float on her back under the Moon.

The wall rumbled and the doorway opened. Zac walked through the doorway, the Trident's call now drowning out everything, even the Siren song of the Moon. He had to get the Trident. He needed the Trident.

Zac followed the tunnel round, each turn as natural as the waves. This was his place.

The wall with the Trident symbol engraved lit up as he approached. Zac placed his hand against the light and the water doorway appeared.

"Zac please. Don't do this!" Lyla shouted behind him.

The Mermaids couldn't stop him now. Zac turned around and shoved out his hand, sending Lyla flying backwards against the wall. Without another look Zac dove through the doorway into the water chamber.

The Trident was still where it was. The blue stone rippling with light, calling out to him. Zac swam towards it, his powerful fin propelling him forward.

His hands brushed the cool metal and he took the Trident into his grasp. The power within fizzled under his touch. Zac turned around and swam back to the entrance.

The final glow of the Moon's light vanished as the Moon passed out of line of the top of Mako and the Moon Pool settled down.

For the first time in days she actually felt okay. There was no pain, no lingering aches and the final dregs of the fever the Moonlight hadn't shaken off were eradicated.

"Well?"

Rita turned over onto her stomach, an action that no longer caused any pain, and swam back to the ledge. The stiff and awkward movements of her tail from earlier were completely gone.

"I feel good."

The smile on Veridia's face was something she could happily look at forever.

"I told you it would work."

Rita couldn't stop her own smile, especially when Veridia pulled her in a hug. Rita returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around Veridia.

"You were right," Rita whispered. "I know how much you like to hear that."

Veridia laughed.

"Thank you. For everything. If you hadn't been here..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence. They both knew what would have happened, and it would not have ended up with them here.

"I know," Veridia said. "I know."

The cave wall closed over and the Trident's hold over Zac shattered.

"Zac," Lyla whispered.

Zac blinked. He was on Mako. He had the Trident. Lyla was on the ground with blood dripping from her face.

Zac dropped the Trident and ran to Lyla. The blue stone pulsed with light, it's hold trying to weave into his mind again. He ignored it and dropped to his knees beside Lyla.

"Lyla. I'm so sorry. I have no idea what happened," Zac brushed a blonde strand off Lyla's forehead and examined the Mermaid's face. The blood was coming from a gash on her forehead above her right eye.

"I didn't want this," Zac whispered. "I don't want any of this."

"It's done now."

That first kiss was everything she'd wanted since she first saw Veridia again. Twelve years. That's how long it had been since she last kissed Veridia. Twelve years, and in that moment it was like those long years never happened. Every, horrible, heartbreaking thing was forgotten about, for just a moment.

It was the best she'd felt in a long time.

She pulled away and rested her forehead against Veridia's, trying to catch her breath back.

"I missed you," Rita breathed.

Veridia pulled back. "You meant that? You said it once the fever had set in."

Rita leaned in and kissed Veridia again. For someone so clever…

"You're so smart but sometimes you are really, really not."

"I missed you too," Veridia admitted.

It was a comfortable silence that settled over, the lapping waves the only sound.

"You ready to head back?" Veridia asked.

"Can we just stay here for a bit first?"

"Okay."

Rita rested her head against Veridia's shoulder.

"What do you talk about after twelve years?" Rita asked.

"I have no idea."

First things first, sorry this took so long. I meant to have this up pretty soon after chapter 16 but here we are so...

Work has been hectic, family life has been hectic and I'm back at college now so everything is chaos. Second week back of college and I'm behind already, it's all online stuff and quite a few classes (for now anyway) is all self directed study which I just straight up don't have the concentration for.

Anyways chapter 18 is started. That is all I can say. Hopefully getting this chapter up will give me motivation to get working on it.