The Discovery of Mermaids

( lol the ball is tomorrow i guess)

"I know absolutely nothing about mermaids!" I said. "I'm a scientist...do you have merfolk that study humans where you live? Where do you live?"

She looked a tad overwhelmed by my barrage of question. I realized I got ahead of myself. "One day, on the beach...I saw a mermaid. She left that necklace behind. My whole life has been devoted to researching the ocean. I'm closer to a few strands of kelp than most other humans."

She giggled at this, but I kept a straight face. It was true - I thought more of the sea than anything else, and was more attached to its smallest microorganisms than my own kind.

"Your kind fascinates me..."

He told me he'd studied the sea. "We don't need scientists to study the humans. We have enough close encounters as it is." I said. "I..." I began to talk but i hesitated. "I... I am a little bit afraid of humans..." I said, quietly. He looked at me, confused. "Well, they are so, unpredictable. Fishermen and Divers scare me most! The fishermen have taken many of my friends. And divers always seem to flash lights at the more colorful fish in our communities." I sighed. "And I couldn't tell you about mermaids... the best way would be to show you... But it's far too risky!"

"Show me?" My mouth hung agape. Her words echoed in my head.

"How is that possible?"

"I wish i knew a way to safely take you there, but i do not." I said, looking up at him. He's so tall! "Tell me something nice about humans! Maybe i won't fear them as much!"

"We....uh...." my mind was a blank. I tried to think of something good about my kind.

"Well, we're...passionate creatures, I guess. But not always for the same things. We're unique, in that way. For example...nothing brings me more joy than the sea. I've done everything I can to bring myself as close to it as possible."

I listened, he spoke. "It sounds nice, to have the freedom to be whatever you want to be! I'm destined for the family job, overseaer of the coral kingdom..." i said with a sigh. I flicked my tail, accidentally splashing Gus with water. "Oops!"

Amethyst accidentally splashed me too and I fell in front of Gus. " Gus, I want to show you this. I have, powers. I can heat, freeze, and control water.", I said. He looked at me in disbalief as well as Amethyst. I showed them my heating power as I evaporated the water off of my tail. Then I grew legs. They were both very shocked. " I don't know how I got them, it just sort of happened.

I gasped. "I didn't see you there Aqua!" I said. I looked up at the stars. "I've been away from my kingdom for a long time... Maybe I should return!" I said. I hugged Aqua. "Have fun at your ball!" I said. I turned to Gus. "I guess this is goodbye..."

" Bye Amethyst! " I said as she dove off into the water. "Well Gus, hopefully I will see you again soon." I smiled but he looked sad I was leaving. My legs came back again and I walked for the docks. I looked at the stars and saw the big dipper. I wondered about what my father was going to say when he found out I came above water. But at this point I didn't care. I looked at my waterproof watch and it was already time for the ball! I hoped this dress would look nice under water. I folded it up and took a dive into the water. Then my tail appeared. I wonder if Dad knew I was half human. I eventually came up to the castle. The ball was going on. The guard came up to me and put on my crown. They said I had lost it near the coral reef. I put on my dress and they announced me and I walked in. One merman said, " The princess has returned!" and instanly they all started asking me where I was and why I was back. I am clastrophobic so I fainted.

I hid behind a rock for a few minutes while Aqua left. I watched as Gus sighed. Swimming back towards shore I called out to him. "Gus!" He turned and looked. "I'm sorry I left in such a hurry... I forgot to say... Thank you!" I hugged him. "OK Bye!" I said quickly and jumped back into the waves. Now that was settled, I can concentrate on getting home. Boy was I in for a shock!

The ball was beautiful.
I noticed the King greeting everyone with Princess Laurel. She looked healthy. Is it true that she actually got better? Laurel's light hair was put up and slightly curled, with a large silver crown sitting perfectly on top. She wore a sparkling white dress, her royal blue tail just barely peeking out.
I looked at myself through my custom shell mirror. My platinum hair was down and curled nicely. My dress was black and white, perfectly in place, just as my pearl accessories.
I glanced around. Where was Amelia? She was supposed to be here…
I noticed some people from school. I smiled and waved hello. I acted like I was just looking around, not looking for someone.
If Amelia was late…

I woke up on my bed in my room in the castle. My father was looking over it and asked. " Sweetie, I have something to ask you, do you have powers?" I replied, " Well yes I can heat, freeze, and controll water." " Show me" he said being a little pushy. I use my powers to do all three. He smiled. Why don't you go out of Aquarious to practice them. I walked through the ball and everyone was watching another princess named Laurel. I walked and saw this mermaid in a black and white dress. " So, what are you up to?" I asked. She looked at me like I knew something she didn't want me to. " Well I need to go practice my powers" I said. "Powers?" she replied. " Well, I can heat, freeze, and control water."

A girl came up to me and spoke.
"I'm kind of busy." I muttered. Well, I was. And I wasn't in the mood to talk.
Powers? What was this, some kind of fantasy world? They're made up. Just like humans. Pathetic. Saying you have powers won't make you "cool", it just makes you, well, not normal.
I shrugged her off and swam away. I was in an awful mood. Amelia just ditched me! She ditched me. Okay… it was only fifteen minutes, but still.
I mean, people wanted to hang out with me, not ditch me. I swam away casually from that girl.
Then Princess Laurel approached me. She managed to stray from her father, who was talking to some wealthy family.
"Remember me?" she asked.
"You're Laurel. Of course I know who you are, everyone knows who you are." I grumbled.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Bad mood."
"Oh. May I ask why?"
"Long story." Like I was actually going to tell her.
"I see. I guess I'll talk to you later, Sia. Maybe you'll remember me when your head clears up."
What? She knew my name, and I had no idea how. How did I remember her?
And then, after a few minutes of wandering, I remembered.

She shrugged me off and walked away. I guess she was in a bad mood. I was just outside of the castle practicing heating the water. The girl was watching me in shock.

I arrived back in Tritania, that's my Coral Reef Kingdom. My father swam out, his long white hair slowing behind him. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" He said, embracing me. "I was so worried about you!" He said. I hid my nervousness. "I got a little, swept away..." I said. He seemed satisfied. "I have a surprise for you!!" I looked at him. "A surprise?" He guided me to inside our house. I opened my eyes to see...

I watched as she left, and sighed. She turned around, swam back to me, and apologized for leaving. And then she...gave me a hug. A mermaid's hug!

"I want to see you again!" he called after her.

As I turned to walk home, I saw a bottle lodged between two rocks.
It had a message in it. I pulled it out and read it....

...it was from Amethyst. Did she still want to meet me at midnight? I suppose I'll show up either way.

I started crying. I wished that I wasn't even a mermaid at all. I swam up to sshore and dryed off. I walked up to the docks and made water come up in a soft form. Then, I froze it an broke it very hard because I was angry. All of a sudden a water boarder came up and made his boat get me soaked. He sat there watching me as I cried and freaked out. Then, I fell on the dock. He saw my tail and took a picture and said, "woah a REAL mermaid!". All of A sudden I woke up from a little fantasy, i was still wet but i didn't have a tail yet. I dived in the water just in time before my tail sprouted. I saw a different city other than Aquarius. The sign said " Tritania ". I swam into it.....

"MOTHER?!" I said, with disbelief. "Is that... really you?!" I said swimming towards her. She held out her arms and hugged me tight. "It is I Ammie!" I began to cry, but because I was so happy to see my mother again. She kissed my forehead and I laughed with pure joy! Pearl was behind Father. She seemed scared of this strange lady. I swam over to her and took her little hand. "Pearl, this is your mommy!" I said. Pearl shook her head. "I don't have a mommy! I have a daddy and a sissy but no mommy!" She said. I took her in my arms. "Our mommy went missing when you were a little baby! You don't remember her! But she remembers you!" I said. Pearl looked at our mother, then with a burst of excitement she sped over to her and hugged her. "Mommy!" She squealed, giggling sweetly. This was a surprise! I feel my body growing cold. I must be going through shock.

*black out*

Dear Amethyst,

How could you show me your people? I want to see!
You have no idea how compelling my curiosity is. I'll do anything.

Did you still want to meet tonight? Oh, I hope this bottle finds you once more!

Your friend,
Gus.

I awoke in my bed to find my mother nursing me. "Mummy?" I squeaked. "Shhh!" She said, in her soothing voice. She stroked my hair which was down over my shoulders. She sat on the edge of my bed. "Sweetheart... As I was swimming home, I found something." She held out a bottle, the bottle which Gus and I used to communicate. "It's a note, to you!" I took it out and read it. She raised an eyebrow. "Who's Gus?" She said with a smile. I bit my lip. "I can explain!" I said. How could I explain? What I had done was one of the worst things I could have done! "I can't explain..." I answered. My mum kissed my forehead. "Is Gus... a human?" She asked. I nodded. "I met him on a beach. He's a professor... We made friends and... And I was stupid! I've let the whole of mer-dom down!" I began to cry. "You know... when I was your age..." My mother began, she held me close as I sobbed. "I befriended a human, she was called Emily." I stopped crying. "Huh?" My mother smiled. "Humans aren't all bad!" She said. "Emily told me many wonderful things! That's what lead to my disappearance, I became curious, your father didn't know about my secret friendship. He wouldn't understand." She looked at me. "Fancy a last minute girly trip to Aquarius?" She said, winking. I hugged her. "Thank you mum!" I squealed. "Thank you for understanding!" She laughed. "It's my job! I'm a mother!" She stroked my cheek. "Come on! We'll sneak out!" She scribbled a note on a clamshell. "That will keep your father satisfied!" And together we swam off!

I sat alone on sand. The sound of the ocean water slapping up against the rocks by the shore passed the time.

It was past midnight, but I had been waiting since around ten. The air was cool and breezy.

Sighing deeply, out of mental exhaustion, I dug my feet into the sand. Would she come?

I lied back, put my hands under my head, and closed my eyes. I began to doze off...

We swam as fast as we could, it was about half an hour to midnight, well it was a few hours past in Tritania but timezones meant it was half an hour there. We were almost at the beach. Mother stopped me about a mile away and spoke to me. "Do you want me to wait here?" I shook my head. "Please come!" I took both her hands in mine. She smiled. "I'd love to!" We continued swimming until we reached the shore. We both crawled onto the beach and caught our breath. "Where is he?" Mother asked. I looked around. I noticed a figure lying on the sand. "There!" I crawled over. He wasn't moving!

I swam back up to shore. making sure no one was looking I evaporated the water off my tail and walked to see Gus on the shore. I said, " Hi Gus! I told you I would see you again! What have you been up to?".

I heard a splash. Someone was coming. Mother and I dived under the waves. I had left a tiny piece of notepaper in Gus's pocket. We swam to Aquarius, just as the ball was ending. I spotted a girl in a black and white dress, she looked stressed. "Excuse me!" I called out to her.