I did not mean to be this long and for that I am really sorry
Summary: The Moon's passed and now there's consequences to be had. Both good and bad.
Nixie leapt over the log and burst out the edge of the trees, stumbling on a loose stick. If not for Sirena behind her to rush forward and grab her arm, she would have tumbled to the ground.
"Lyla!" Sirena cried out and dropped Nixie's arm before Nixie had a chance to balance herself properly. Nixe found herself meeting the ground, rather painfully, with an 'oof', bashing her hand down on a small stone as she landed; tearing part of the skin. 'Ow.'
She could hear Zac apologising as she studied her hand and Nixie's stomach sank. What in the tides had he done this time? Nixie got to feet and forced herself to take in the scene.
Lyla was sitting up, her back against the stone cliff wall, blood dripping down her forehead. Zac and Sirena were crouched beside her, the Trident cast aside on the ground in front of the doorway.
The whole point of Lyla watching Zac was to stop this from happening.
Lyla had sworn blind that this wouldn't happen and that Zac was strong enough and blah, blah, blah. Yet here they were. Lyla was injured and Zac had the Trident. Perfect.
"What did you do Zac?" Nixie asked, crossing her arms.
"I didn't mean to, I don't want this." Zac looked at her like some seal pup who'd been told off for swimming too close to a net. The Trident's stone pulsed with blue light where it sat discarded on the grass. It glowed just like a Moon Ring did, but so, so much worse. They all knew what a Moon Ring could do, what was the Trident capable of...
"So put it back," Nixie said with a shrug, projecting her best calm exterior possible. She may not be Zac's biggest fan but anyone could see getting hysterical right now would only freak the land boy out and then he would be completely useless. If he stayed calm then there were two Mermaids with Moon Rings, it would take nothing to just re-open the tunnel and put the Trident back. The next Full Moon they could properly guide Zac through the Moon Spell.
By tying him up. Out of the moonlight. And forcing him through it. Maybe with some enforced restraints so he can't escape. Someone like Rita was bound to know some sigils to help.
Sigils weren't commonly used but every so often the Pod's oldest, most wizened Mermaid - Aerwyna - would put on a class on how to use sigils. Nixie went to one once but Aerwyna was hard to listen to. Nixie had high standards on which teachers deserved her attention and Aerwyna was not one of them. There was only one teacher who met those standards and that was Rita.
"Nixie! Leave him," Lyla's voice was weak. A far cry from the usual tone she had when talking to Nixie. It was strange seeing Lyla like that, the other Mermaid had a very 'show-absolutely-zero-weakness-to-anyone-at-anytime' attitude. Unfortunately Lyla considered most emotions a weakness. She still hadn't apologised properly for what happened, the 'Moon Ring Incident.'
"No," Nixie forced. "You don't want it, so we'll just open up the tunnel and you can go put it back. Over and done with, and we can all go on and make an actual plan next Full Moon."
"Nixie enough. It wasn't his fault!" Lyla defended, struggling up to her feet, both Zac and Sirena racing to her aid.
Nixie threw up her arms and stalked off. She was over this situation already.
"Where are you going?" Sirena called after her.
"Moon Pool."
Lyla could take care of this mess. Which would mean coddling Zac and telling him everything was okay. As long as Zac had the trident it wasn't okay but Nixie would deal with that later, maybe she'd have Rita to help her talk some sense into the others, as long as Veridia's plan had worked…
With renewed vigor Nixie jogged back down through the forest towards the shore.
"Are you ready to head back?" Veridia asked softly.
No.
Rita was happy enough where she was, pressed against Veridia's side, fins brushing over each other, talking about the years they'd missed from each other's lives. While the events of the last week were still lost to her, her head finally felt clear and her body healthy again.
If there was ever a moment to pause time and just stay present, it was right now. But time can't be paused. Like the waves of the sea, time can never be stopped. Before long the Mermaids would return and the moment would be gone. She didn't want this interrupted. It was such a casually intimate moment, but to have this broken by someone else...
"I think so," Rita begrudgingly admitted, sitting back up, a chill on her side from where she'd been leaning against Veridia.
"If you need to stop on the way back, we will."
"Okay."
This time, ducking under the water and swimming out, it felt an entire world apart from when they left to come here. The dark of the tunnel opened out into the Sea, the colours highlighted in silver glints from the Moon's light piercing the surface. Mako at a Full Moon was like nothing else. She'd travelled all over the world and found many places that came close, but right now absolutely nothing could compare.
Almost dying really changes how you look at things.
The reef below petered out to sandy floors. Rita took Veridia's hand into her own and guided the other Mermaid up to the surface. Veridia following her lead without a single hesitation.
"Are you okay?" Veridia immediately moved to help support her, the way she had on the way over.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just wanted you to see this."
Mako loomed up above them in the dark, the Moon now past the top of the volcano, and the sky behind the island was studded in a thousand stars.
"The Pod will come back one day. I believe it." She wanted to, she really did but she knew what Veridia and the rest of the Council was like. It would take a miracle to convince them to return with a merman around. Once Veridia's mind was made up, that was it, and on matters related to the safety of her Pod… There was a time Rita had some skill in swaying Veridia's mind but not even those old methods would work for this.
"Nothing is ever certain," Veridia's voice was far off as the other Mermaid took in the view of Mako.
"You're too cynical," Rita said. It was always a trait of Veridia's. Whether it was a good thing or bad thing had never been certain. Even know she still wasn't sure...
Veridia snapped back into focus at her comment with a stare that would make a Great White back off. If it was used on anyone else but her.
"And you're not?" Veridia raised an eyebrow, "I remember what you were like."
Sure she had her moments, but it paled in the number of times Veridia expressed her own cynicism.
"I was no worse than you," Rita defended herself, "in fact if I recall you were always the one pushing that attitude onto me."
It's inevitable when you spend so much time with someone, you pick up some of their habits, their views, they way the speak. Considering how much time she had spent with Veridia it was hardly surprising.
"I was not! And even if I was, I can't help if my company is impressionable."
"Impressionable?!" Rita tried to feign anger but couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face.
"If only a little."
Rita flicked water at Veridia, swiping a wave with her hand and sending water flying through the air.
"Hey!" Veridia immediately retaliated, flinging water right back at her. Veridia caught her arm and pulled her in, Rita wrapped her arms around Veridia and met her lips in a kiss that tasted of sea salt.
Nixie surfaced where she saw two Mermaids already at the surface. The only Mermaids at Mako right now were herself, Sirena, Lyla, Rita and Veridia. She knew where Lyla and Sirena were - sheltering Zac from his mistakes - and of course it wasn't her, so she knew which two it was.
Nixie broke the surface, fearing the worst. This last week had been nothing but crushing moments, why not add one more?
When the water cleared from her eyes a fraction of a second later she saw Veridia first, Rita second, the Mermaids side by side in the water. Rita was looking… better. The Mermaid's skin had lost the pale, ill hue she'd had all week and Rita looked like herself again.
"You're okay!" Nixie threw herself at Rita. She couldn't help herself, she really couldn't. Nixie buried her face against the Mermaid's shoulder as the Mermaid took her into a hug.
"I'm okay."
For once Nixie believed her. She could see it. That this whole mess was finally cleared. This mess at least. There was another one just started.
"Are you okay?" Rita broke away and lightly touched her face, cupping Nixie's cheek for just a second.
Nixie nodded.
She was but she wasn't but right now was not the right time. She just wanted one night of good news before bringing all the badness crashing onto Rita. She would love to have that herself but as always - it was on her.
How had she gone from Nixie the mischievous rascal always causing trouble and never taking anything seriously to this?
The Trident haunted his dream.
He'd left it lying there on Mako and it called to him. Invading his every thought. Trident. Mako. Trident. Mako. Trident. Mako. Blue stone glowing in the moonlight. Cool metal in his hands. Trident. Mako. Trident. Mako. Trident. Mako.
It felt like he was moving in slow motion.
He tried to run up the woodland path but his legs moved with the speed of a snail. The moon glinted off leaves and bare tree trunks as he staggered along the path, feet sinking into the ground. The mud engulfed him to his ankles and he fell, a millisecond feeling like hours until he finally hit the ground and fell straight through.
He fell, down, down, down through solid rock and splashed into a bubbling pool of glowing blue water. Hands grabbed at him, pulling him down, he kicked his legs uselessly until they merged into his familiar blue tail.
The hands were gone. The bubbles were gone. It was still water all around him and the Trident right before his eyes. Zac's fingers grazed the metal of the handle, a cool, solid reassurance under his fingers. He took it into his hand.
Zac bolted upright, thrashing his legs out and kicking whatever was beside him. He couldn't force his breath out and his body was coated in sweat.
He was dimly aware of Evie beside him, calming him down, brushing back his hair and kissing his cheek. His breathing evened out and he let himself be eased back down, Evie resting her head on his shoulder. Her long, blonde hair fanning over her shoulder, clear of her stitched up forehead.
Blonde? Evie? Not Evie. Lyla. Evie knew nothing about what was going on. It was always Lyla there nowadays.
Zac slowly slipped back into sleep, a nagging feeling in his mind that wasn't to do with the Trident but the Mermaid in bed beside him.
The morning energy of the waves echoed through to the pool in grotto waking Veridia from sleep. In the early haze of waking she was faintly aware of something warm pressed against her. She opened her eyes, adjusting almost instantly to the faux-natural light on the cave, to Rita lying beside her.
The other Mermaid still slept, her dark hair draped over her scarred shoulder hiding the marks from view. From what Veridia had seen last night the Full Moon hadn't done much to ease the scarring. She'd hoped it would have done something at least but at least she had Kelpie's salve to heal the tissue.
Rita nestled in closer to her, sending little ripples of water across the pool. Veridia draped an arm across the Mermaid and tried to push away the thoughts that clouded the front of her mind - how very soon she had to leave.
Her Pod needed her. The danger here was passed, Rita was fine. In the eyes of the Pod and the eyes of the Council, there was no need to be here any further. The ache in her heart said otherwise. When she thought about this being her every morning, waking up with Rita beside her and none of the constant meetings and diplomatic visits of the Council - it felt like a dream.
But the Pod had to come first. She couldn't abandon them. But then could she abandon Rita right now? She had an idea of one way to solve that dilemma, so long as everyone involved agreed…
When Zac woke Lyla was gone. The only trace that she had been there was a single blonde hair caught on his pillow. Zac hauled himself from his bed and set about getting himself ready enough to be called presentable before crashing on the couch in front of his laptop to make a start on school work.
He got as far as opening a blank document for an essay he knew he had to do but couldn't remember on what, before someone came to his door. He hoped for his mum with a nice cup of tea, instead in walked Lyla. The cut on her forehead still with it's stitched and her hair still tied back away from her face with little pink shells studded into her braid.
Zac's dad had stitched Lyla's face up once they returned back. It had been a long story with some raised eyebrows from his parents and the promise of more questions from his dad.
"Hey," Lyla smiled softly and leaned in his doorway, the sunlight illuminating her hair from behind, the blonde glowing like the sun.
"Hey," Zac swallowed, pushing down butterflies that had appeared in his stomach for some reason, "look I'm sorry about last night, I have no idea what happened." He knew enough to know it was a mess. Enough of a mess that Lyla felt the need to stay with him. Not that he was complaining.
"It wasn't your fault Zac. The Moon Spell is powerful, we should have prepared better."
Wasn't his fault. Wasn't his fault. Wasn't his fault. Wasn't it though?
"Mum got Rita's necklace fixed," Zac picked up a small blue box from beside his laptop. At least he assumed that's what this little box was. It looked like a jewellery box at least. Hopefully last night had gone well enough the necklace would be appreciated by its owner.
Zac opened the lid and checked if it was indeed a seahorse necklace, sat inside on a shiny white pillow, and held it out for Lyla. She accepted the box, her fingers lightly grazing his, her touch leaving warm tingles on his hand.
"Thank you," Lyla opened the box and touched the pendant briefly before snapping it closed.
"How is she?" Zac asked.
"Good. She's good."
Veridia lay drifting between sleep and waken, waiting for Rita to wake up. Not that she was complaining, Rita was warm beside her and kept holding Veridia's hand in her sleep. It was cute and she made a note to tease Rita about it later on.
If you're still here.
It was that choice that kept her from falling back asleep. She always knew exactly what she wanted to do and would do whatever necessary to carry it out, but for once she was lost. Lost on what to do if what she wanted didn't line up with other factors. That had never been an issue for her. She didn't like it being an issue. She resolved it was never be an issue again after today.
"You're thinking too loud," Rita murmured, eyes still closed. Veridia jumped slightly
"Since when did you master telepathy?" Veridia covered up her fright with a spot of sarcasm.
"You keep tensing your hands."
Oh. She hadn't realised she was doing that… Veridia elected not to reply.
Rita untangled her hand from Veridia's and Veridia waited until Rita had settled herself on the ledge around the pool before joining her.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Tired," Rita answered, "but not drained like I was."
"You'll be back to normal soon."
"Yeah. Sure."
Veridia didn't miss the slight hesitation in Rita's reply but didn't press it. There was something else she needed to talk about before she lost her - normally incredibly strong - nerve.
"I have to go back to the Pod." It came out before she could stop herself. The thought had been there but she had never meant to say it right away, and not like that, it came out faster than she wanted it too but who was she kidding, it would have hurt anyway. This wasn't one of those times where the delivery would lessen the impact
"When?" Rita asked quietly, not meeting her eyes.
"By the end of the day."
"That soon?"
In the eyes of the rest of the Council 'the sooner the better.' In her eyes, 'as late as possible' unless...
"I've been gone too long, I should've been back by now. My absence is making the council ... restless."
"I get it, your duty is to your Pod."
Veridia shifted closer. She thought about putting her arm around Rita but decided against it. It was that word. Duty. She hated it.
"You could come with me?" Veridia proposed.
The dreams of this morning were just dreams. A life one land wasn't feasible in the long term. But life in the Pod, with Rita back with her? In their talk last night Rita had let it slip how much she truly missed life in the Sea and her old friends back in the Pod.
Rita's head snapped up, "back to the Pod?"
"I'm head of the Council, if I can't lift your banishment, what's the point in having that position?"
"You have that position to help the Pod, to make the important decisions and protect them, not for ... that," Rita paused and Veridia's heart pounded. "I can't go back. I'm sorry."
Deep down she knew that would be the answer. She hadn't wanted to believe it but she knew it. It had been desperation that made her ask. Desperations and dreams of a life where she didn't have to sacrifice anything. Leaving for land would mean Veridia giving up her life. Rita returning to Pod meant she only gained.
"It's okay," Veridia forced out.
"Is it?"
Veridia sighed. Of course Rita saw through her. "Are you happy here?"
One defining trait a lot of Mermaids seemed to possess was selfishness. It came from the need to protect themselves no matter what, there were a lot of dangers in the ocean after all. Most of the time she couldn't care less about the feelings of others. This wasn't one of these times.
"I am."
"Then it's okay. Besides, the Mermaids need you here."
Nixie especially. This week had been heavy on them all but there was a strong suspicion it was harder on Nixie than she'd let on. Veridia tried to imagine her own daughter in Nixie's place and highly doubted would have coped in the same way. Sirena and Lyla evidently hadn't.
Rita wrapped her arms around Veridia in a hug. Veridia returned the gesture, holding Rita into her. If this was to be it, then she would savour every moment left.
"Will you keep that offer open?" Rita asked.
Veridia pulled back slightly.
"I'm not ready to go back now but maybe at some point I might be."
She'd take it.
"I think I can do that," Veridia smiled. "Whenever you're ready."
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.
Chapter 19 has almost 2,000 words done, which knowing my track record means literally nothing. Hopefully I won't be too long with the next chapter
Until next time! Happy holidays and lets hope 2021 is a damn sight better than 2020.