Have you read Mermaid Part Three - The Heart of the Cave?
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“Marella? Marella! Where in the sea has she gone?” Storm asked.
“She can’t have gone far, there aren’t many places to hide out here,” Amaya said, swimming back to the cave mouth. “Nope she’s not in here.”
Storm swam along the reef but couldn’t find any other caves. They searched for a while, but Storm was getting increasingly irritated.
“We don’t have time for this! Forget it, let’s go to the queen ourselves,” Storm said, and hurried off with Amaya hot on her tail.
They hurried back through the silent streets of Cave District, dodged around the colourful schools of angelfish in Angelfish District, past the dying Pocillopora in Laguna District, weaved between the hungry turtles in Turtle District, until they came to the large golden gates of Pearl District.
“Halt! Don’t come any closer,” a guard called as they came into view.
“It’s important! We need to see the queen,” Storm demanded.
“No one is allowed to enter unless they have a pass from the queen.”
“But we need to get to the castle. We know why the coral is dying. We have to tell the queen!”
“The coral is dying? What nonsense. No one is allowed to enter unless they have a pass from the queen.”
“Yes you said that already, but this is an emergency, the fate of our reef rests on this information.”
“No one is allowed to enter unless they have a pass from the queen.”
“Ugh! Look we need- “
“No one is allowed to enter unless they have a pass from the queen.”
“Come on! This- “
“No one is allowed to enter unless they have a pass from the queen.”
“Fine! Forget it!”
She grabbed Amaya’s arm and dragged her away.
“Do you think we could forge a pass? Do you know what these passes look like?”
“I’ve got no idea what they look like. I didn’t even know we needed passes, I don’t think they’ve been required before,” Amaya said.
“It’s to do with the coral! They’re locking themselves away so they don’t have to deal with it!”
“I don’t know…”
“Whatever. Let’s swim around and see if we can find another way in.”
They swam around the entire perimeter of Pearl District but all they found were more golden gates with guards.
“There’s got to be a way in!” Storm said angrily as she started swimming around the perimeter again.
“What if we went to the mayor of Laguna District?” Amaya suggested. “He’ll be concerned about the pocillopora, surely he’ll help.”
“Good idea!” said Storm, hurrying off again, Amaya trailing along in her wake.
They came to a large purple coral house on the edge of Laguna Park. Storm swam up and banged furiously on the door. It swung open revealing a middle-aged mermaid in an apron.
“What’s all this banging about! Who are you?” she asked, eyeing them beadily.
“My name is Storm and this is Amaya. We urgently need to speak to the Mayor Laguna about the dying pocillopora.”
“The what?”
“The pocillopora! Please can you just get the mayor, it’s very important.”
“Come in then, take a seat over there and I’ll get Hudson.”
“No, we need the mayor.”
“Hudson is the mayor deary. You didn’t really think his name was Laguna did you? That’s just his title,” the mermaid said as she floated up the stairs.
Amaya took a seat in one of the large armchairs, but Storm couldn’t stay still. She swam back and forth across the entrance hall until she heard voices floating down from upstairs.
“…dying pocillopora you say… well no… ok I’m going…”
An elderly merman appeared at the top of the stairs.
“How can I help you ladies?” he called down to them.
“Please Mayor Laguna, I know you’ll be concerned about the dying pocillopora and we’ve found out why it’s dying,” Storm said.
“So I did hear correctly. What is this about a dying pocillopora? There is no dying pocillopora.”
“What do you mean? It’s right there outside your house! It’s going white, it’s dying!”
“Oh that? No, no, the pocillopora is fine. Lord Beckett has already taken a look, it’s just vandals. He’s got guards posted in Laguna Park to catch the misfits.”
“It’s not vandals, it’s dying! The Princess Coral in Cave District is the life force for the reef and Lord Beckett is mining it which is causing the Princess Coral and all the other corals to die. The cup coral fields, cyphastrea boulders, bubble coral bunches, they’re all dying because of the mining!”
“Now that sounds like quite the conspiracy, but I can assure you that everything is fine, it’s just vandals. All the mayors have met with Lord Beckett and we have a plan to catch the vandals and repair the damage. Don’t you worry now, it’s all under control.”
“No it’s not!” Storm shouted. “Lord Beckett is covering it up so he can keep mining!”
“Now young lady, there will be no shouting in my house. I will have to ask you to please leave.”
“But we need to do something.”
“Please leave or I will call one of the guards from the park to take you.”
“But- “
“Now!”
“Come on,” Amaya whispered, tugging at Storm’s arm.
Storm pulled her arm from Amaya’s grip, ripped open the door and slammed it behind them.
“These stupid merpeople. They’re being blindsided by Lord Beckett so he can keep making a profit from his dirty business!”
“I know, but there’s nothing else we can do right now. Let’s go home and make a plan.”
“Fine!”
They turned up the street of colourful coral houses, past chatting groups and laughing children. How could anyone possibly be happy when such a disaster was happening right on their doorstep Storm wondered.
They hadn’t gone far when…
“Halt!”
“What now!” Storm hissed under her breath.
“Storm and Amaya?” the guard asked.
“Yes?” Storm answered, turning to face the guard.
“Come with me please.”
“Why?
“No questions please. You can either follow me freely or I will take you by force.”
“I’d prefer if we went freely,” Amaya whispered to Storm, who signed and followed after the guard.
The guard led them through the busy streets back towards Pearl District. Their guard nodded at the guard at the gate who opened it to admit them. Storm stared around her. She’d never been to the Pearl District before. It was beautiful. Huge colourful houses were adorned with pearls. Brightly coloured fish she’d never seen before floated around lazily.
The guard led them up the hill to the castle. Storm had only ever seen the castle from afar over the golden fence which ran around Pearl District. She hadn’t realised how big it was. The huge double doors swung open, and they entered into a massive entry hall, as big as the chamber in the cave. In the centre of the hall stood the queen and…
“Marella?” Storm said, stopping dead in her tracks.
“Marella? What is this? Have you been playing tricks again Rhea?” the queen asked.
“Storm, Amaya, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to lie to you, or disappear…” Marella said sheepishly.
Storm looked from the queen to Marella. The resemblance was striking.
“You’re… you’re name isn’t Marella is it?” Storm asked.
“No,” Marella admitted. “My real name is Princess Rhea, youngest daughter of King Malik and Queen Naida.”
“Well that explains a lot…”
“Storm and Amaya, if you will accompany us to the Council Chambers, I have some questions for you,” the queen said.
They followed the queen and princess through a door off the entrance hall. The chamber was full of the lords and ladies of the reef. Amaya shrank back as she caught sight of them, but Storm grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.
The queen swam up to the raised dais at the top of the chamber, but Marella stayed with them.
“Lord and Ladies of the reef, as you know this emergency meeting has been called by Princess Rhea. She has just brought disturbing news of coral death throughout our reef this afternoon. These young merpeople have made a discovery that could be very important.”
“How did you only find out about it this afternoon? The coral has been dying for over two months!” Storm butted in.
The queen raised her eyebrows.
“Sorry,” she said quietly.
“Very well. Could you tell the Council of your discovery?”
Storm launched into the story of how she and Amaya had first found the dying cyphastrea boulders, then the bubble coral bunches, then the pocillopora, and finally the cup coral fields which led them to the discovery of the Princess Coral and the mining. When she finished the Chambers were silent.
“What a ridiculous story!” a dark haired lord shouted out.
“Ah Lord Beckett, I’m glad you spoke up. Since you’ve been heading the Vandal Eradication Task Force, which have coincidently targeted all the same landmarks that have just been listed, could you give the Council an update on your progress?”
“Oh, um, well yes, it’s, um, going well, no further vandalism has happened, and, um- “
“But the girl just said the Cup Coral Fields have been vandalised,” shouted out one of the ladies. “We haven’t heard any reports of this until now.”
“Yes, well, I will be sending the Royal Investigation Squad out now to take a look. It can’t have been like that for very long.”
“But according to what we’ve found it’s likely the Cup Coral Fields have been dying long before the others,” Storm said.
“They’re not dying! It’s vandals. We are protecting the landmarks and no further vandalism is happening,” Lord Beckett said angrily.
“Then how did you miss the huge fields of ‘vandalised’ coral? Surely you would know about it since your miners are out in the Cave District everyday mining Princess Coral.”
“That is a preposterous accusation!” Lord Beckett shouted, going red.
“Convenient that it’s your mining that’s causing the coral to die, and it’s your guards who are blocking anyone from further investigating the dying coral!” Storm shouted back.
The Council erupted in chatter as the members discussed the turn of events.
“Order! Order!” the queen demanded, in a carrying voice.
Slowly the Council quietened down.
“In light of the evidence provided by Princess Rhea and the statements submitted by Storm and Amaya, serious actions must be taken. While further evidence is gathered I hear by call for Lord Beckett to be arrested under suspicion of deceiving the crown and endangering the reef.”
“What! No!” Lord Beckett shouted, but he was cut off as the Council once again exploded in chatter as the guards grabbed him.
The guards dragged the shouting Lord Beckett from the chamber. Once the councillors settled down again they all turned to the queen who waited patiently at the dais.
“And now,” she continued. “Storm and Amaya, for your services to the crown and to your protection of Princess Rhea, I would like to formally offer you both a place on the Royal Investigation Squad.”
Storm stared at him, her mouth open.
“What?”
“The Royal Investigation Squad? I assume you’ve heard of it?” the queen asked.
“Heard of it? We’ve dreamed of being part of the RIS since, well since forever!” Storm said in shock.
“I’ll take that as a yes then?”
“Yes, yes, a million times yes!” Amaya shouted.
The councillors erupted in applause. Storm turned to Amaya, her huge smile mirrored back at her.
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Read Pixie Part One - The Party now!