A Twisted H2O

Treasure Hunter

Traveling through the ocean was more interesting than riding in any car or train. The sunlight constantly shined through the water making the surroundings a glowing blue disco ball. Life feels so simple under the sea. No worries and fun is the silent motto, but the sounds of the sea were saying find me, discover me, become the apex predator, leave the land above behind. 

"Atlantica is so pretty!" Emmeline squeals, looking at the glowing golden buildings. 

"So this is what fairytales look like," Yuu oos, her scales matching the golden glow of the castle. 

"What are we here for anyway?" Riri asks, seeing nothing but the sea and singing animals. 

"We're here to look for the Sea Witch's old potions. Supposedly, there are a couple of bottles left. You can't use them, but they're aesthetically pretty and a legendary antique," Emmeline explains, opening a map. "According to the map, we should swim towards the abyss."

Emmeline looks up and smiles at a couple of merboys swimming by. They go still with fear and swim away as fast as possible. The mergirls swim toward the abyss, making the Atlanticans shoot worried and terrified glances at them.

"What is up with the weird looks we're getting?" Yuu asks as Atlantican guards follow behind them. "We're being watched like hawks."

"Why don't we ask since they wanna be so up close and personal," Riri snaps, turning around and grabbing a guard, slamming him onto the cave wall. "Why are you following us?"

The other guard pulls out his weapon, but Yuu and Cleora use their hydrokinesis to keep a hold on him. 

"It's nothing, really. It's just that your kind tends to be unpredictable in behavior. We're just trying to do our jobs, honest!" The middle-aged guard with brown hair scrambles, trying to escape Riri's fury. 

The girls look at each other, then break out into laughter. 

"Try not to worry too much, old man. We're only dangerous every couple of weeks," Riri laughs, letting go of the man. "Otherwise, we're as nice and sweet as a dolphin."

The mergirls turbo swim away into the cave leaving the guards stunned.

"But the dolphins aren't nice either," The brown-haired guard says.
~~~~~~
"I can't believe we managed to get all these old potion bottles!" Cleora squeals, sliding the bottles into a bag.

"I wonder if any of these could make it easier to comb my hair?" Yuu mumbles, remembering she has to wash her waist-long 4a hair. "Actually, do you guys see any moisturizers, gel, or some Cantu hair products that have somehow gotten lost at sea? Or maybe some Shea Butters?"

"What the hell is Cantu and Shea Butter?" Riri asks, throwing some weird-looking jar away.

I don't know what I was expecting.

"Nevermind, let's get out of here and head to the mines," Yuu replies, tying her bag. "We can follow the town's canals into the woods."

The mermaids swim away to the town and jump out near the marshes. Riri steam dries everyone, and they walk into the mines where Yuu has forgotten a monster lives.

"You know, I think I've been here before. I can't remember when," Yuu announces, looking at the pretty magestones. 

"Maybe you've seen it in your dreams? That happens to me sometimes. I sleep and dream of my dad's ship out at sea. I can even tell which sea or ocean he's in based on how salty it smells," Cleora rambles, looking at all the stones. 

"You certainly have a talent with the imagination, don't you?" Riri snarkily asks, putting a large magestone in her basket. "Ew! Why are these stones so black and inky?!"

"Now I remember why this place feels familiar!" Yuu gasps, realizing the monster must be close. 

Drip! Drip! Drip! DRIP!

The dripping got closer until the ink fell onto the girl's heads. They slowly look up and see a large glass bottle with clothes peering through a hole. They make eye contact with the bottle, making the creature lift its glass head. The cave's ceiling shakes, and the monster bursts through the wall covering all of them in ink. Their vision becomes a blurry black, and they look like they've been in an oil spill.

"Gross!" Cleora shrieks, not noticing the phantom about hit her with the scythe. 

"Cleora, watch out!" Emmeline screams, trying to push Cleora out of the way but slips on the ink. "NO!"

The scythe slashes Cleora's stomach sending her flying backward toward the cave entrance. She falls to the floor and remains unmoving.

"You horrid monster!" Riri yells, her eyes becoming filled with nothing but fury. "RAH!"

Riri lifts her hands, using all her power to light the phantom's ink aflame. 

"Ri! No!" Emmeline screams, seeing the fire trail over to them. 

Everything becomes a room of flame, with smoke clouding anything in sight. Yuu feels the fire go up her body, and she swallows her tears to make sure her friends make it out alive. 

"Come on. You don't have time to cry. You've got to save everyone like you always do," Yuu whispers, the smoke filling her lungs. 

Yuu lifts her right hand and makes the water from the lake come flooding into the cave. The water felt like relief as it covers everyone, making the cave a dark, black ocean.
~~~~~~~~
"You guys wake up! I got the magestone!" Cleora yells, waking Yuu and the other girls up.
"Cleora, how are you alive? Shouldn't you be bleeding out?" Riri asks, looking at Cleora's bloody stomach.

"Oh? That? Being a mermaid has more perks than having powers. You also get advanced healing," Cleora explains, throwing the bag full of treasures over her shoulder. "We should get back. The sun is starting to set."

The four girls run to NRC and present to the RSA class council. 

"Is that enough to cover the damages?" Yuu pants, putting the bag on the table. 

Rielle curiously opens the bag and digs through it, pulling out old potion bottles and a pearl necklace. 

"Well...I'm not really sure random old potion bottles are valuable, but maybe the necklace and magestone might be worth something," Rielle says, trying his best to seem happy.

"These aren't just any old potion bottles. We went straight to Atlantica, in the Coral Sea, and got them from the Sea Witch's old lair. These bottles right here are history," Riri proudly explains, not noticing Rielle's scared expression.

"You what?!" Rielle yells, nearly throwing the bottle in his hand. "Do you know what horrors these bottles could unleash? Why would you bring them up to the surface?"

"Actually, how did you get them? Wouldn't you need to be a mermaid or drink a potion to be able to go to Atlantica?" Neige questions, unknowingly stabbing a hole in their story.

"Shut up, Neige," Rielle, Yuu, Riri, Emmeline, and Cleora say together. 

"Either way, I'm sure a good museum would pay millions for artifacts like this," Yuu states, proud of herself. "Plus, the pearl necklace has the spirit of a smoking hot pirate trapped inside it!"

"Thank you for help, girls. But we decided on one way to raise money. We're hosting a joint magic talent show! Everyone can show their talents, with the exception of Yuu, but I'm sure you have something special inside of you."

Yuu glares at Rielle and looks at her friends.

"You know what, I do have something special. I'm signing myself up with my friends for the talent show. See ya there," Yuu sassily says, turning her back and walking away as her curly hair smacks Rielle in the face.