Chapter 7

They flicked through the pages they passed titles such as 'Weather Power and Control', 'Wish Giving' 'Healing Potions and Methods', 'Telepathic Communication' – this they stopped on.

"Guys, we can't dilly dally,"

"Em, relax, we have plenty of time! Literally!"

Emma muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

"It says here that all mermaids have the ability to communicate telepathically, 'this is especially useful when swimming, this means that they can communicate without having to surface,' that would be so useful to learn!"

They read on. 'The mermaids only have to be aware of this power to use it. This is not mind reading; it is simply speaking into the minds of others. 'Mind Speak' is its more common name. The subject in question only has to concentrate or focus on the mermaid or merman they wish to speak to and think the sentence, if they have done it properly the other mermaid or merman would have heard the sentence. This technique is also used in order to talk to more than one person at a time...This technique does not work at all on non-mermaid creatures...Mind Speak has no limit to the distance of communication'

'Is it working?' Rikki spoke into Bella's mind, her eyes firmly shut in concentration.

Bella turned to her surprised and nodded. 'What about me?' she replied via mind speak. Rikki nodded in response and they both laughed.

"Guys! It works!" Bella said.

"This is mean cool," Rikki said. After amusing themselves by practicing their mind speak, they continued to browse through the book until they reached the important page on Time Travel.

"Here it is," Anna said and she began to read. 'Mermaid(s) can travel through time intentionally or unintentionally. Time Travel can only take place if the mermaid(s) in question have a moon stone crystal with them, one each for the safest travel. Without these, the portal will not take the mermaid(s) into the time stream. Any age gain or loss gained by the mermaids in result of time travel, will be reversed in returning to their times.

Mermaid Time Portals: Portals are commonly found in caverns near large expanses of water, the telltale signs of portals are the caves that have a wall of blue crystals.

Use: To use the time portals, the mermaid(s) have to place their moon stone crystal against bare skin and stand exactly one metre from the crystal wall. For example if there are three mermaids or mermen that wish to go into the time stream, they will all have to stand in a line one metre from the crystal wall, as soon as they are the subjects in question will be sucked into the time stream, often they become unconscious with the force of this phenomena. Portals however are very unpredictable, the portal itself chooses the mermaids' destination, and every use will take them to another spontaneous location in time...' "Bla-de-bla-de-bla...Oh here is what we want," Anna said as she found the part that they needed. "Returning to the mermaids' original time, or present, the following steps will need to be taken: 1) Say the words 'Return Portal' – this will release the crystal tray...bla bla - description of what it looks like...okay, the mermaids must place their moon crystals into the tray consecutively. 3) Stand in a line one metre from the crystal wall. 4) The subjects in question will return to the time stream and continue to their own time..." Anna finished reading.

"Okay, well I am extremely relieved and thankful that we returned to this moment in time!" Emma exclaimed. Rikki grabbed another piece of driftwood and set it alight as Cleo put out the fire. With the light of the torch, the five mermaids went into the cave that was apparently a time portal.

"We are taking this with us ay?" Bella asked, gesturing to the purple book that Anna was carrying. Everyone nodded. "Who knows how many scrapes like this one it could get us out of...or into..."

"I'd rather not think about the latter Rikki," Emma said in reply. "Okay." She took a deep breath. "Everyone ready?" They nodded.

'Portal Return' Emma said clearly. As promised a blue crystal tray came out of the wall.

"This is just too creepy..." Cleo said. They all unclasped their necklaces and placed the five stones on the tray. The cave seemed to have sensed that there were five of them as the tray had five slots in the shape of a star. As soon as they did, a glow illuminated the tray and suddenly it zapped back into the wall. They all looked at each other and then stood together in a line, just as the book had told them to. Suddenly, just as the first time, a burst of light hit them square in the chests and they were again unconscious before they hit the floor.

OoOoO

Cleo groaned. "They should've given us more warning of that in the book,"

Rikki moaned and rolled over as she was coming to her senses.

"Arg, my head," grumbled Emma.

"Do you think we're back in present time?" Bella asked as she tried to sit up, her head was swimming.

"Probably." Anna replied, "There's only one way to find out," She got up and picked up that saving purple book. The others all picked themselves off the floor, though Rikki needed a lot more encouragement than the others did to move. They exited the cave and gasped as the saw the state of each other in the sunlight. They all had bits of dirt and leaves from the cave floor in their hair and on the faces, but the bit that they were relieved about was that they were all looking their normal age. They were all absolutely exhausted, the magic involved in the time travelling taking it out of them.

They walked or half jogged, despite their fatigue, back to their campsite location. They all felt joyous and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they saw the familiar bluish water buildings...

A/N: Please review :D