A Wish on a Full Moon

Stormy Weather (Part 2)

I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.

Chapter 65: Stormy Weather (part 2)

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Minutes later, Lewis slides down the land entrance with a torch. He hastens to his feet and runs for the cave entrance and up the stairs.]

Lewis: enters the mooncave, and finds both the cave and pool, which was now cool, calm, and empty. Shines his torch around. "Cleo? Are you in here? It's Lewis, your boyfriend."

Charlotte felt a small pang once again. Although she should be used to it, as much as she's seen them together by now, it still hurt to watch.

"It's nice to know you cared about us too, Lewis," Rikki squinted her eyes as both her and Emma cross their arms. "What about Rikki and Emma? You know, my sister?" Elliot frowned. "I – I cared. It's just, as Cleo's boyfriend, I was responsible for what happened to her," Lewis stuttered with a blush. "You were responsible for all of them as I recall," Neil too crossed his arms. "You're not helping your case, McCartney," Zane chuckled.

Emma: appears in the moonpool beside him. "Lewis."

"Well, that's not creepy at all," Ash said.

"You weren't there a second ago. How'd you do that?" Harrison asked. "I'm sure I just swam up. The screen was more focused on Lewis anyways," Emma shrugged, a bit uncomfortable at seeing herself like this, as she knew the scene that Lewis had described to them in detail was coming up.

Neil and Lisa let out a breath of relief at seeing their daughter. At least they knew at this point, she was okay.

"You're scaring me, Em," Elliot pouted, causing Emma to be a bit sad. She didn't want to be the reason her little brother was scared. It wouldn't be the first time.

Lewis: looks down at her and breathes in relief as he sees one of his blonde friends bobbing in the middle of the pool. "Emma! Lucky I found you." Points his light at the underwater entrance. "Where are the others?" Emma's face is shown with anger, then turns to her right where Cleo suddenly pops up next to her.

Cleo: "Lewis."

"I think we know his name by now," Zane said, Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Why do you guys keep saying his name like that?" Charlotte shivered. "Beats me," Rikki shrugged. "Full moon magic. That's all we know," Emma said.

Don and Bev had small smiles on their faces, glad to know that their daughter was safe for now.

Lewis: smiles lovingly. "Cleo. Are you alright?"

Cleo: "You have to leave, Lewis."

"Okay, you're officially weirding me out now," Will said as he leaned back in his seat.

"This isn't funny, Cleo," Kim said, getting a little scared herself. "I never said it was," Cleo remarked. "And I thought the trance scene was terrifying. This is worse," Rikki mentioned.

Rikki: pops up between Cleo and Emma and shakes her head. "We told you, we don't need your help."

"But you do," Terry urged his daughter. Despite his daughter being moonstruck, she was still as stubborn as ever. "Otherwise you three wouldn't be stuck in this situation right now," Ash said.

"With or without Lewis's help, this would've happened. Because Lewis wasn't aware of the different time zone," Max stated.

Lewis: leans down next to the moonpool. "I was really worried about you. I take full responsibility for everything that's happened. Let's go home."

"I don't think that's going to work," Max shook his head. "They're far too in. As they said before, that is like a second home to them," Harrison said. "You have no idea how literal it means now," Lewis muttered.

"Worried about who exactly, Lewis?" Rikki grinned. "Probably Cleo," Emma teased. "All of you. I meant all of you," Lewis corrected. "Sure you did, Lover Boy," Rikki chuckled.

"Well at least he's taking some responsibility for his actions," Neil tilted his head. "Some? He said full. He took full responsibility. He knew it was his fault," Lisa told him.

Cleo: swims forward with a serious expression and leans against the ledge. "We are home."

"That is so creepy," Kim said as the audience gasped.

"Those aren't our girls no more," Bev whispered to herself. "No, they aren't. They were something else. Something unnatural," Lewis said as he overheard her.

"I am freaking out!" Will exclaimed.

"It's like, like you're full-blown mermaids or something unworldly," Annette frowned.

Lewis: looks around, getting nervous. "I know. But I'm thinking you'll be more comfortable in your own bed." Cleo swims back to the middle of the pool where the others were, all three glaring at him.

"Lewis, I don't think it's a good idea to keep agitating them," Charlotte grew worried. "Yeah, and I should've listened then," Lewis scoffed. "Why? What happened?" Lisa frowned. Lewis pointed to the screen, the girls duck their heads, trying to fight the fear and shame, and regret building up inside them.

"Come on, girls. Please listen to him. It's too dangerous for you to be out there," Neil pleaded. "I have a feeling that Lewis might be the one in danger," Max said with a wary eye. That feeling is right, Lewis thought. Should have gotten out of there when I had the chance.

Lewis: gets louder, pointing the torch at them. "Let's go. We'll get you all out of this moonlight." Holds a hand out to them.

"Oh, now you done it boy-o," Max winced.

"Just be careful, Lewis," Annette said warily. "Get out of there, Lewis," Charlotte urged. She had a very bad feeling about this.

[Cleo thrusts her hand out at him, her anger finally reaching its limit, and a strong wind blows throughout the cave and is directed at Lewis.]

Lewis: "Oh!" Struggles fighting back against the strong gust of wind as it whips him back. He tries his best to keep his footing and takes a few steps back. Sand flies into his face and whips his hair back, as he tries to duck. Without looking up, Cleo holds her hand upwards and the wind blows the torch out of Lewis's hand, up into the air, through the cone, and out of sight. "Aye!"

"What the –?!" nearly everyone shouted in shock. Everyone looks at the clearly uncomfortable girl in astonishment. "What was that?!" Ash yelled in surprise. "What is going on?" Don shouted. "Cleo, was that you?!" Bev gasped. "Yup," Cleo winced. "You have another power?" Kim asked, jaw dropped. "I can control the wind as you can tell," Cleo nodded. "One of the weather powers as we call it," Lewis explained as if it were nothing.

"Weather power? You guys can control the weather?" Will asked, eyes wide. "Yeah. Cleo can control the wind, and the others, well ... you'll find out in a minute," Lewis grimaced. "The others? So, Emma and Rikki has one too?" Lisa asked, looking at her daughter in worry. "What did they get?" Terry asked, looking at his daughter in curiosity, wondering what he could have possibly missed around that time. "You'll see, dad. It gets a whole lot more interesting," Rikki said with a small smile. "For you. It was terrifying for me," Lewis whispered to her.

"So, wait a minute. Earlier with the full moon, it's what gave you the new power, wasn't it?" Sam realized. "Bingo," Cleo nodded.

"Well, this is going to be even more interesting than I thought," Max said with a wide grin. Though deep down, he was worried for the boy. For he knew he shouldn't be there with the girls. it was far too dangerous for any human to handle alone. Especially with their new powers. "It appears so," Mrs. Chatham smiled. She's never seen anything like this. She and her friends never got to experience having a power upgrade, as they had lost theirs before they ever could. But she was glad to see the girls got to do something they never could, she was glad to see their mermaid adventures still going. She was glad that they were happy.

"That was some strong winds," Bella said, surprised by the sudden appearance of new powers. She thought she had seen it all after the last powers that were revealed. Now she wondered what else she could have missed just by avoiding one full moon.

"Well that one's a goner," Harrison winced as he watched it disappear through the cone. "Where did your torch go?" Charlotte asked, unable to hide her shock. "We found it near the beach the next day," Cleo answered. Among some other things.

Lewis: watches his torch disappear with wide eyes. The strong wind still whips around him. "What is going on?" He looks back down at the girls and holds his hands up to protect himself from the mighty wind. Cleo continues to hold her hand up, still using her newfound powers.

"You didn't know?" Will asked. "Of course, I didn't know. How on earth was I supposed to know?" Lewis snapped.

"For someone who's using it for the first time, you're handling it surprisingly well," Sam said, impressed. "I think it was just my moonspelled self. When the full moon takes over, it completely controls us. We weren't even aware of the new powers until the next day," Cleo replied.

Emma: narrows her eyes at him. "You can't take us." Lewis begins to grow scared. Emma slowly holds her hand up to the cone. Lewis looks up and sees massive dark storm clouds forming above the island, creating powerful booms of wild thunder and lightning.

"I think they really don't want to leave, Lewis," Charlotte gulped in fear. "Woah," Ash whispered, staring at the screen, unsure of how to feel from what he was watching.

"Those storm clouds. You girls were the ones to cause the storm on Mako?!" Don asked in shock as he looked at them. "That's right," Emma said, her lips tight as she saw Elliot cling to his parents, the latter holding on tight to him and sneaking glances at her. Elliot leaned back, getting closer to his parents, frightened by the rise of power his sister and friends were creating.

"When all three of them combine their weather powers, it creates a massive storm. Almost hurricane level. That's how strong they are," Lewis told them. "So if they can do that combined, then what are the powers of the others separated?" Denman, almost afraid to ask. "Well, Emma can make it snow and even ice stuff without having to have any water," Lewis answered. "Basically, an enhancement of my first power, like Cleo and Rikki," Emma added, nodding her head at her two friends. "As for Rikki ...," Lewis gestured to the screen. Terry looked at the screen, and his eyes widened as he saw Rikki was next.

[Rikki looks up at the storm clouds above her, and she too raises a hand toward the sky. Lightning lights up the sky above the cone. Two bolts form together at her command and come crashing down. Rikki quickly closes it into a fist and slings it in Lewis's direction, and the lightning follows. The lightning strikes the ground a few feet behind Lewis. The force of the lightning causes Lewis to be flung to the ground.

The crowd gasped, some in fear. "Lewis!" Charlotte and several others shouted. "Lewis, watch out!" Bev shouted. She cared for the boy. He was Cleo's boyfriend; she didn't want to see him get hurt. Or so she still thinks.

Terry looked at the screen stunned. His daughter just created lightning. One of the most deadliest things of nature known to man. And his daughter could control it. Rikki, so powerful, so strong, and from the looks of almost everyone in the room even if they were trying to hide it and knew she was a good person, so feared. Because that could've killed him. Just a few more feet and it would have. That's the one thing he didn't want his daughter to be, feared. Not by her friends, not by her family nor by anyone in this room who knows of the secret.

Lewis: scoots back and looks at the ground where the lightning had nearly struck him in fear. Glances at the girls then back at the disturbed sand. "Did you do that?"

"I think she did," Will said in bewilderment.

"What do you think?" Rikki rolled her eyes in irritation. Not from him, but from everyone in the room on how they were reacting about them. It was different than last time. The last time, it was in amazement and shock that mermaids existed. This time, it was more of fear of just how much more powerful they became.

[Cleo turns to him, then lowers her hand back down, pointing it at him. The wind picks up even more and howls in his ears as Lewis struggles to stand up.]

Lewis: gets on his feet. "What's happening?" Emma and Rikki do the same as Cleo, directing their powers now at him as they combine the three. Lewis looks at them wide-eyed then back up at the cone as he realizes far too late what they were doing. Lewis looks back down at them then at himself as his feet slowly lift from the ground. "What are you doing?!"

"Lewis!" Charlotte shrieked, several screams erupting from both her and others. "What in the world are you girls doing?!" Harrison yelled, jumping up in his seat. "Stop! Stop it right now!" Don shouted. "Don't hurt him!" Kim and Elliot cried. "If we could stop it, we would," Emma said with a shaky breath. And she knew the other two agreed one hundred percent with her. But sadly, there's nothing we can do in that state. We have no control. We have no say.

[Lightning strikes nonstop outside of the volcano as he rises higher from the ground, unable to do anything under their control.]

Lewis: begs for them to stop. "No, stop!" Shakes wildly in the air as he was lifted by the wind. Lightning once again pops and sparks as it hits the ground near him inside the cave. "Whoa!" Lewis shields his face, then looks up as he sees himself getting closer to the cone. "Help! Ahh! Wah! Help me! Put me down!" Lewis is thrown in the air through the cone of the volcano, just like his torch was, and into the ever-growing storm. The girls continued to use their powers, staring menacingly up at the storm as Lewis's screams falls on deaf ears. The cries for help began to fade until it was silent.

The crowd watched as Lewis was flung through the volcano and into the storm, almost as if he weighed the same as the torch. They did it as if it were nothing to them. And in their moonspelled mind, it was nothing. "Lewis!" Charlotte once again shrieked, this time with many others joining her. "Lewis! Lewis! What did you do to Lewis! You're gonna hurt him!" Charlotte cried into her mother's shoulder, her mother holding on to her tightly as she tried rocking her back and forth to calm her down, watching as Lewis's figure grew smaller and smaller. "Oh gosh, Lewis!" Lisa put her hands to her head. "Poor, Lewis," Annette said as she had done the same as Lisa. "What did you do to him?!" Charlotte fumed in anger. "Cleo! What were you thinking?!" Kim shouted. Lewis got on her nerves a lot, but that didn't mean she wanted him dead.

"It was an accident. I would never do that to Lewis, none of us would," Cleo said, tears in her eyes. She hated so much of what she did to him. It broke her having to see him like that, having to see herself do that to her best friend, to someone she loved. She wished she could take it all back. She never wants to hurt him again. She never wants to hurt anyone again.

"What were all of you thinking? You could have killed him!" Neil scolded them, a furious look on his face. "It's not like we meant to," Emma argued back, upset that her family would think she would hurt someone on purpose. She's not that cold-blooded ... was she? No, she isn't.

"Maybe you should really start paying attention more," Will let out a nervous breath. "I told you it was dangerous," Max had warned him. "Is he dead?" Will was terrified to know. "I doubt he's dead, considering he's still here with us," Ash said in a deadpanned tone, gesturing to the boy with a raised eyebrow at Will. "Maybe he's a ghost," Will suggested. He went to poke Lewis in the face but was swatted away by the blonde geek. "Don't do that. No, not a ghost. I'm still very much alive," Lewis remarked as if it were obvious.

"Rikki, are you crazy? You could have seriously hurt him," Harrison said. "Don't talk to my daughter like that," Terry snapped. Rikki shouldn't have done it, he knew that, but he also knew that wasn't the Rikki he knew.

Denman leaned back; she began to second guess herself on whether her earlier statements of them being a threat were actually true or not. The parents wondering if they had raised their children right, or if they became cold-blooded after the mermaid transition.

Zane watched, but there was no reaction from him. He wasn't afraid like the others were around him, for he knew of the secret. He knew of their new powers, ever since the last time him and Rikki were at Mako alone. The only thing he was, was worried. Not for Lewis, no. He knew he would be okay and was glad to see that he was, but for Rikki, as she had looked away and closed her eyes; whether from the scene, or from the negative reactions around her, he wasn't sure. Neither he liked. He didn't like people looking at her in fear, he didn't like seeing her like this. He didn't like her getting hurt, just from something she couldn't control, when she wasn't even herself. None of them were.

"I would like to remind everyone that they are moonstruck. They can't control, nor are aware of what they are doing. I'm sure they don't mean to be doing this stuff to him and I'm sure he has long forgiven them," Zane announced. Lewis nodded in agreement at his statement. He had forgiven them, though he never really had to. He knew they didn't do it on purpose, he knew they weren't themselves that night. He knew those weren't his friends, they were just possessions of the moon.

"Exactly. This isn't the Emma, Cleo, and Rikki you know. This isn't the real them. This is just a showcase of the full moon. Sure, all of this happened, but everything turned out okay. I came out okay, just a few cuts and bruises but alive, they return back to normal, and everything will be alright eventually."

"He didn't blame them for this, and neither should you. They are still your daughters and friends deep down, and they will be once morning returns," Zane informed. Everyone glanced at one another, and they knew that the boys were right. Deep down, they were still family, they were still the same girls they've always known and loved. Just with a few upgrades; and now another. They should and will still love them no matter what.

Still shaken up by the discovery of their powers and the 'flight' that Lewis had, everyone slowly but surely turned back to the screen with a few still upset about what they just witnessed, trying to fight their fear and remember the girls they've grown to understand, the ones who became their closest friends and relatives. The ones who can figure a way out of this mess, like they always do.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[The next morning, after the full moon was finally over, Cleo laid in her bed till her alarm clock beeped 8:00, letting her know to get up and ready for the day. Cleo fumbles around with stuff on her nightstand, accidentally knocking an object over, when she finally found the annoying beeping box and hits the off button. Cleo sits up, looking around confused and in a daze, then stands up from her bed and walks into the hallway.]

"Wait, it's morning already? What went on the rest of the night? What did we miss?" Bella asked. She wanted to know if there were any more powers to be shown. "We don't know. We just know whatever it was, our secret is still safe," Cleo shrugged. "I think they probably just continued to fuel the storm. It went on for quite a while till sunrise," Lewis mentioned.

"You didn't think something was off? You were still in your clothes from the day before," Annette pointed out. "The only thing I was confused about was why my alarm clock was going off on a Saturday morning. I always like to sleep in if I don't have a morning shift," Cleo explained.

"Feel different?" Denman asked her curiously, noticing the odd look she had. "I felt rested for once. Other than that, I felt fine, like nothing ever happened," Cleo answered. Haven't had that much sleep since before mom left.

"But what about Lewis?" Charlotte asked in deep worry. "Oh, don't worry. I'm fine. I just decided to have a sleepover on Mako," Lewis said. "That's not funny," Emma scowled.

"You don't know what happened to him?" Sam asked. "We didn't even know what went on that night. We don't remember anything once we get moonspelled, remember?" Cleo stated.

"What is this, Cinderella waking up after the ball? Everything ended at midnight then went back to normal?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Well let's hope the other glass slipper doesn't drop," he joked. "Will you stop with the princess references?" Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Was it a dream?" Kim asked, a bit hopeful. "A terrible dream. It was a nightmare," Cleo hugged herself. "That, unfortunately, became a reality," Rikki added. "No, it was real. It seems like everything's back to normal but it's not," Emma answered.

[Cleo walks down the stairs, she stops and sees her dad in the kitchen.]

Don: glances at her. "Aah! The finest fish in the ocean."

Cleo: eyes widen. "What?"

"You found out?" Sam asked in surprise. "What else did we miss?" Ash exclaimed. "No, I didn't find out. That was just the nickname I was calling her that morning," Don laughed. "He's always calling us by some sort of fish or ocean nickname," Kim rolled her eyes. "Had me going there for a moment," Emma let out a light laugh, as she held a hand to her heart. "Yeah, dad. That's not the right choice of words when it comes to me," Cleo giggled. "My bad, sweetheart. I think I'll stick to something else next time," Don agreed with a nod.

Don: walks over to the counter. "You. The shiniest pearl. The perfect jewel." Cleo follows him to the other side, silently relieved as she grabs an empty glass next to the sink and sits it next to the pitcher of orange juice. "Did you sleep well?"

Cleo: unsure, not remembering going to bed. "Uh ... alright."

"I think I prefer the shiniest pearl. Either one is great," Cleo beamed. "Better than a smelly fish," Kim muttered. "Those are some cute nicknames," Sam smiled. "Anything for my daughters," Don smiled proudly.

"A lot better than you think," Lewis snorted. "I don't even know if we slept at all," Rikki frowned, a bit mad that she might have missed out on a few more hours of sleep. "We must have had some, I was in my bed that morning," Cleo theorized.

"After last night, I wouldn't call her the pearl of the sea," Zane snorted. "Hey!" Cleo shouted. "How about the wind in the sails? It's more accurate," Will suggested. "That's not funny. Clever but not funny," Emma said. "It was a little funny," Rikki grinned, pinching her fingers together.

Kim: in the living room, turns around to face them as she leans over the couch. Smiles smugly at her sister. "Cleo, I want some toast."

Cleo: glances at her, then back at the empty glass. Pours herself some orange juice. "Make it yourself."

"You couldn't just be nice to her and do it?" Emma sighed, sensing an argument coming. "She was demanding it. And besides, I wasn't in the best mood already. I had no idea what happened last night and I couldn't focus," Cleo huffed. "If I had known, I might have been nicer," Kim said. "Might have?" Cleo asked skeptically. Kim shrugged.

"Even after a crazy full moon, sibling bickering will always be there," Harrison chuckled. "Yup. Everything's back to normal," Don said, remembering that morning. "Mostly," Cleo winced slightly, knowing what will happen in just a minute.

Kim: "You're supposed to be taking care of me. Dad said."

"You could've asked nicely," Cleo told her. "Could have, should have. Did not, will not," Kim listed off, causing the older Sertori to roll her eyes. Rikki snickered.

Cleo: annoyed. "Make your own toast." Don grabs the newspaper off the counter next to Cleo with a piece of toast in his mouth. Turns around and walks past the arguing sisters.

Kim: turns to him. "Dad!"

"Don't bring me into this," Don shook his head. "You're the one who told her to take care of me," Kim argued. "You're the one who forced this on me," Cleo said at the same time. "You brought this on yourself," Annette chuckled along with some other parents.

Don: takes the toast out of his mouth. "Sorry girls, I've gotta run. You work it out." Walks out of the living room and out the door.

Kim: jumps up from the couch and walks over to Cleo. "I'll have one jam and one honey."

"Why didn't you just make it yourself?" Bella asked curiously. "Because she likes to boss me around," Cleo crossed her arms. "Hm. What she said," Kim tilted her head in her sister's direction.

"Nice combo. But peanut butter always wins over honey. You can't beat the original PB&J," Elliot spoke.

Cleo: gets more annoyed. "I said, get it yourself."

Kim: "Fine. I'll have this instead." Takes the orange juice from Cleo and walks away with a smug smile, heading for the stairs.

"Do you always have to annoy your sister?" Emma asked her. "Yeah. It's my job as the youngest," Kim stated. "And she's very good at it," Cleo pouted. "Likewise."

"Really, girls? I said work it out. Not make it worse," Don complained. "Sorry, dad," Kim said with a slanted grin.

[Cleo watches her go in anger. Before Kim could make it to the stairs, Cleo holds her hand out and twists it in an attempt to use her powers. Kim pauses in her stride and looks down at the shaking glass in her hand with a frown. The glass begins to shake violently as the orange juice splashes around wildly. Some spills out of the glass and down her hand, dripping down to the floor. Cleo tries to keep it under control, but instead, it gets worse to the point that Kim loses her grip from the sudden actions of the juice. Kim steps back in shock as the glass of juice falls to the floor and shatters, causing the juice to go everywhere.]

"Of course, you were the one to do that," Kim huffed, arms crossed but was confused as to why her sister couldn't control it.

"What was that?" Ash frowned in confusion. "I was trying to shoot a jet from the drink at her," Cleo said. "So the usual," Kim cut in, eyes narrowed. "Yes. But I couldn't control it. Instead, this happened," Cleo gestured to the screen, and all eyes turned to it.

[A sudden wind blew in from where Don had left the door open in his rush to get to work. The gust of wind became strong as it blew directly at Kim, causing her to stumble back and hold her hands up in front of her to try and protect her from the sudden burst. Leaves blew into the house. Cleo's eyes widen in confusion as she realizes that she was the one causing it and releases her use of powers. She pulls back her hand and drops it. As she does, the wind stops at her command. Kim lowers her hands as the wind dies down immediately. She looks at the door, down at the floor where the juice and glass were spilt, and back at the door. She glances at her hand, checking for injuries.]

"Uh, what was that?" Ash asked again. "That was me trying to use my powers. I was trying to control the juice. But instead, I found out I can control the wind," Cleo told them.

"I guess I shouldn't have left the door open. I thought you girls were going to come out right behind me," Don said. "I'm glad you did. Otherwise, I would've had a really hard time trying to explain how that happened. Which I couldn't figure out myself," Cleo replied.

"Hold on, so you couldn't control any of what you just did at all?" Will asked, pointing to the screen. Cleo shook her head. "No." "None of us could. We weren't even aware that we had new powers until we tried using our other ones," Emma stated. "Other ones? So, you still have your first powers?" Bella asked. All three of them nod their heads.

"Well, if you still have them then where's the water manipulation?" Kim frowned. She had wondered how that had happened that morning. She had the answers now, but it only led to more questions. Why couldn't her sister control it? Why was there wind instead of juice exploding in her face? What did this mean for Cleo and her friends? Would she fear her mermaid self again? She hoped not. She loved her sister's secret life, even if they have new crazy, exciting powers.

"Can you still control it?" Bella asked, a bit worried. "Yea, I still have water manipulation. It was just having to sit on the back burner for a little while until we could figure out how to control our new ones," Cleo explained. "It's like an upgrade to our older powers. We just needed to separate the two," Emma informed them. "So you basically had to start from the beginning again," Sam summarized. "Pretty much," Rikki said. "Did you girls ever get them under control?" Terry asked her. "You'll have to see for yourself, dad," Rikki grinned. "It took a while, but yeah they figured it out," Lewis answered for her, relieving their parents ever so slightly. Lewis snuck a glance at Charlotte and smiled gratefully. Thanks to an incredibly talented artist.

"That was you with the wind? I can't believe I fell for wind funnels," Charlotte laughed. Everyone looks at her weird, including her mom. "Wind ... what?" Annette frowned, completely clueless. "You'll see later," the redhead said. Cleo too began to laugh, causing them to be confused even more.

"I'm sorry, Kim. I didn't mean to," Cleo apologized. "It's okay. I shouldn't have gotten on your nerves," Kim remarked. I'm more worried about you anyways, Kim thought. She hated having to see her sister without any control. That's the one thing Cleo always feared. Something she couldn't control. It took her a long time to accept her mermaid side, she worried that she might become afraid of it again.

[Cleo lets out a shaky breath. She too glances at her hand, wondering what in the world she just did, then back at the door where the incident just appeared and drops her hand to her side.]

"And this is how we realized we were moonspelled," Emma said. Well the sooner you do, the sooner you'll realize about Lewis and try to help him, Charlotte thought. It was already daytime, and there were still no signs of Lewis being around, and it made her grow worried even more. Lewis might have been better off with Cleo, but it didn't mean he still wasn't a good friend to her. She cared about Lewis, she didn't want to see him get hurt.

Don and Bev hated to see Cleo like this. It's like she was afraid of water all over again, except this time it's herself. And they weren't there to help her. Both were unaware of the situation, but it was much harder for Bev as she knew she was the one to leave them in that situation.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[At the Gilbert household, Emma was wide awake and ready for the day, making herself a smoothie like she does every morning. She stops the blender and opens the lid to check her 'breakfast.' Emma turns around and grabs an orange from the fruit bowl when she notices the freezer door left ajar.]

"First Cleo, now Emma with an orange," Will grinned. "I swear if Rikki has something of an orange too," Ash chuckled. "Nah, I prefer something more ... hot," Rikki said as she thought of her power usage that morning.

"Who left the freezer open?" Neil asked his kids. "Elliot," Emma snitched. "I thought I had closed it back," Elliot defended. "Just make sure you do next time, okay?" Lisa told him and he nodded.

"Are you making a smoothie for breakfast? You're not on the swim team anymore, just eat something normal for once," Rikki whined. "I'm not ruining the diet I've had since I was six years old," Emma defended. "You ruined it for the first time last week," Rikki whispered in a proud tone, reminding her of the rebellious party she threw. "Don't remind me."

"How are you up and ready so early?" Will asked in shock. "I'm always up and ready by seven," Emma shrugged. "Okay, whether you're a mermaid or not, there's no way you're human," he shook his head in disbelief.

Emma: shouts upstairs. "Elliot, you have to shut the freezer door!"

"How'd you know it was him?" Denman asked. "He went downstairs before I got in the bath and mom and dad were already out for their morning jog. I know I didn't do it, so it had to be him," Emma explained.

"Thanks for calling me out," Elliot grumbled.

[Emma sets down the orange on the counter and then opens the freezer more to assess the damage to the frozen goods. She looks inside and finds everything unfrozen, the freezer completely melted and dripping water.]

"Hope nothing got ruined in there," Neil gave his youngest a stern look. "Sorry, dad," Elliot pouted. "I'd be worried more about frostbite," Emma grimaced, confusing her family.

[Emma holds up her hand to the freezer and uses her power. The goods inside the freezer instantly ice over, along with everything else inside the freezer covered in frost. Emma smiles at her success and closes the freezer. She turns around and grabs her orange and goes back to the blender. Before she continues on with making her 'meal,' Emma stops as she hears a crackling noise. Emma frowns at the familiar sound of ice, then looks to the side and gasps in shock to find nearly the entire counter was covered in a thick coat of shimmering ice. The fruits next to the blender, even the fruit bowl on the other side of the counter was frozen. A sheet of ice hung over the edge of the bar. Emma walks over to where the refrigerator once was and finds in its place a fridge frozen in a giant block of ice. Emma looks around in bewilderment.]

"Woah," Will said, gobsmacked like many others in the room. "I'm not sure whether to be amazed or frightened that it spread so quickly within a mere second," Zane furrowed his eyebrows.

"I know you said to stop with the princess references, but come on, how can you not say that you look like Elsa?" Ash exclaimed. "All hail the Ice Queen," Cleo joked. "Don't encourage this, Cleo," Emma scowled. "Just let it go, Em," Rikki smirked. "I know ... hey, wait a second," Emma did a double take at Rikki and the blonde and brunette burst into laughter at their icy friends' reaction. "So if Cleo is Sleeping Beauty, Emma is Elsa –," Will made a list. "Don't forget Ariel," Ash cut in with a smug smile. "Then what does that make Rikki?" Will asked. "Maleficent," Lewis spat. Rikki grinned. "Thanks, Lewis. Seriously, thanks. I'm no princess." "You're a queen in my storybooks," Zane whispered to himself.

"What happened to my kitchen?!" Lisa shouted, Emma winced. "Sorry, mom." "That would explain why the kitchen was so cold when we got back," Neil surmised. "Is that why all the drinks were frozen in the fridge?" Elliot asked her, jaw dropped. Emma nodded with a sheepish grin.

"How did you get rid of it so quickly?" Charlotte asked. "I turned the heat up to eighty, then grabbed me and my mom's blow-dryers," Emma said. "That's why it was so hot when I got out of the shower? I thought I had the water too hot," Elliot realized.

"I'm guessing you don't have to have water anymore to freeze things?" Max guessed, getting more intrigued with the new powers they were witnessing. "Yup. Like we said, it's like an enhancement of our first powers. I don't need water anymore to freeze things just like Cleo doesn't need water to manipulate," Emma informed. "This can't possibly get crazier than this," Bella said. "Oh, but it does," Rikki smirked, making her dad turn to her with a curious expression.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Outside in the Chadwick's yard, Rikki walks up to her laundry hanging on the clothesline with a basket, in her robe still half asleep. She raises a hand to grab a pair of pants but stops herself when she sees water dripping from them. All of the clothes were still soaking wet.]

"It must've been from the storm on Mako. We did get some heavy rain from off of it," Don assumed.

"At least Cleo and Rikki are normal and are just now starting to wake up," Will pointed to the screen.

Terry frowned. Her clothes weren't wet when she showed them to him. They were the complete opposite; way too dry.

"Why are your clothes outside?" Kim asked, getting nudged by her mom to hush. "Why didn't you just put them in the dryer?" Elliot continued, as his mother too shushed him. "Kids, enough," Neil mumbled. They didn't understand, they couldn't understand. How could they when they didn't have to grow up as quick as she did? Not everyone is able to afford the luxuries that others have. "It's okay. We – we couldn't afford a dryer," Terry admitted as Rikki glanced down, avoiding the sad looks her friends gave her. She didn't want to see their pity, she didn't want it from anyone. She didn't want anyone to know how much they struggled. Especially Zane.

He couldn't believe it. He never knew this about Rikki. She never told him. He knew there were things she hasn't told him yet or probably ever would, but he thought she might at least tell him some of her home life.

Emma, Cleo, and Lewis glance at Rikki in surprise. They too never knew this about Rikki. There was a lot she still hasn't opened up to them about yet, but they never realized that she might not have been able to afford things like this. That would explain why she needed the money for the concert. And the investment convention she went to, Emma thought. There was still a lot to uncover from the feisty blonde. This is the closest they've ever seen of her home life and had never met her dad until a few days ago. What else did they not know about their hot-tempered friend?

Harrison sighed. They didn't have much, yet he was still a better father than me.

[Rikki drops her hand to her side and turns around. She takes a few steps forward, then stops as an idea comes to mind. A small grin forms before she looks around to make sure her dad isn't around to see her. Rikki turns back around and aims her hand at her clothes and slowly, forms into a fist. At first, steam rises from the clothes. Then out of nowhere, lightning flashes and strikes down onto the clothesline, thunder rumbles. An electric shock runs through the metal outskirts of the clothesline and electrocutes her clothes, causing them to burst into flames. Rikki takes a step back, drops the basket in shock, and covers her mouth as she watches her clothes burn. Rikki looks up at the clear sky, wondering where the lightning came from, then back down at her hand. She eyes her burning pants warily and glances around.]

Most of the audience jumped in fright, not expecting the lightning to pop up. It was a clear sunny day, why would it? Magic, that's why. "Woah!" Elliot jumped in shock.

"That was you? I was wondering why you had to get a new wardrobe," Terry chuckled at the thought. "I told you they were struck by lightning," Rikki gestured to the screen to prove her point. "There wasn't a cloud in the sky. I kept trying to figure out how in the world lightning would have struck them," he shrugged. He knew of Rikki's unfortunate fashion disaster, as she had shown him the clothes that somehow were burnt and smelled like smoke. He had originally thought that someone had done it on purpose. Turns out someone did do it, but by accident; and it was the owner of the clothes herself. Who would've thought that Rikki would be able to control lightning?

"So that leaves you with lightning," Will assumed. He had to admit, it was a little scary to know one of them possessed one of the most powerful elements of nature known to man. But he knew Rikki wouldn't use it for evil ... hopefully. "Yup. Fire and lightning, just another enhancement to my powers," Rikki nodded with a smile as she looked down at her hand.

Bella pouted and crossed her arms. No fair. Why do they get the cool weather powers? Meanwhile, I can make instant jelly. Don't get her wrong, Bella did enjoy her powers, it was hers and hers only. No one else could claim them, in this room at least. There might have been others out there with it, but right now it was all hers. But still, seeing all the different powers that these girls had and finding out that they can control the weather now too? She couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[The girls quickly meet up at the Juicenet, sitting at a nearby mini bar with juices, quietly discussing what they had done.]

Rikki: "My clothes are toast."

"That's an understatement," Terry snorted.

Emma: "And I iced up a whole room."

"I see you're finally catching up," Annette grimaced.

"Why didn't you mention yours, Cleo?" Bev asked curiously. "Because I already have. I told them to meet me at the café, because of what I did. Afterwards, I found out they went through similar developments," Cleo explained.

Cleo: glances around, making sure no one was listening. "It's like our powers have changed."

Rikki: nods. "And they're out of control."

"All over again," Rikki groaned in complaint. "It's like dying on a level and having to start from the very beginning," Lewis stated. "And that's why you're the geek," Rikki retorted.

Emma: "Did anything go on last night?"

Cleo: shakes her head and shrugs. "There was a full moon. But I don't remember anything else." Phone beeps.

Rikki: scrunches up her face. "What did we do?"

"Way to state the obvious. I mean it wasn't like you were trying to avoid it already last night," Kim sarcastically said. "Which completely failed," Sam added. "Thanks for the reminder," Rikki added in a deadpanned tone.

"A lot more than you think," Zane remarked. "More than expected that's for sure," Max chuckled.

"Well for starters you chucked me out of a volcano," Lewis mentioned. "Don't remind us, Lewis," Emma scowled. "We just witnessed it a moment ago!"

Emma: "I don't know. Was Lewis with us?"

"He was till you literally threw him out of the cone of a volcano!" Charlotte exclaimed, deeply worried for him. It's been about 12 hours since it had happened, assuming from the timeline, and they still had no idea if Lewis was okay or not. Yes, he was still with them in the theater, but whether the fact he was hurt or not, that was the problem. Other than them not remembering and the uncontrollable powers of course.

Cleo: presses a button on her phone and sees she has a voicemail. "There's a message." Holds it up to her ear and listens to the voice. Puts it down on the bar and puts it on speakerphone for the other two girls to hear. They lean in.

Lewis: over the phone. "Look, Cleo, I know you won't get this message until you transform back to normal, but I'm sorry." The girls look at each other strangely. "And I'm coming. I'm nearly at Mako." Message ends.

"You did that on your way to Mako last night?" Harrison asked. "Smart," Max nodded. "I'm surprised you weren't didn't pick up the boat engine in the background," Zane said. "That's because my boat broke down on the way," Lewis said sheepishly. "Lewis!" the girls shouted. "I got it cranked back up clearly."

"Why is your voicemail just now coming through?" Charlotte asked. "Because there's no signal on Mako, barely even around it. It took a while for it to finally pick up one and send off. It must've just went through," Lewis said in understanding. He was wondering why it took so long for them to figure out where he was.

Rikki: "'Transform back'?"

Emma: "Why was he going to Mako Island at night?"

Cleo: "Maybe he was looking for us."

"Now really? Why else would I go there at night, on a full moon of all things?" Lewis sarcastically asked. "We were without any memory of last night. You try putting pieces together that you didn't have," Cleo said in frustration. "Well, I certainly didn't want to become a merman. I like my human self, thank you," Lewis scoffed.

"Now you're connecting the dots, Cleo," Kim faked enthusiasm for her.

[On a tv in the corner, the girls overhear a reporter talking about a certain home of theirs.]

Reporter: "– already calling it the Mako Island Cyclone." The girls look over at the tv, and notices there was a weather report for last night on a radar over Mako. "A sudden and severe electrical storm struck the Mako Island area late last night, with winds reaching over 200 kilometers an hour. Meteorologists are puzzled by the sudden weather event and have no idea what caused it." The girls glance at one another. Wilfred turns the volume up with the remote and sits down behind them at the counter on one of the stools. Several customers around them begin to focus on the weather report as well. "Police have recovered a small aluminum boat adrift in the water nearby. Investigations are continuing." The girls look back at each other with wide eyes and could only think of one person as to who it could belong to: Lewis.

"I'm just happy I got my boat back. Took a while but it's back," Lewis said with a grin. "Meanwhile we're still clueless," Emma reminded him.

"Oh, so that was your boat," Don oohed, remembering the weather report. "I was wondering who could've been crazy enough to go out in a storm." "Only someone crazy enough to chase after three moonspelled mermaids," Max chuckled. "You used to do the same thing too, you know," Mrs. Chatham reminded him in a whisper.

"At least he's okay," Lisa breathed out. She was glad to know that whoever the boat owner was, now knowing it was Lewis, was okay. With it being adrift out in the water, it could've led to many possibilities of what might have happened to them. Most of them leading to death.

"200 kilometers?!" Denman said in shock. "What can we say, don't mess with mermaids," Rikki winced. "Clearly you shouldn't make one angry while they're moonspelled," Ash chuckled in disbelief.

"How did the boat get off of the beach?" Sam asked curiously. "Well the winds were so strong that night and with the storm raging on, it caused the waves to get stronger. One of them took my boat with it," Lewis explained. "Sorry," Cleo grimaced. "Our bad," Rikki added with a grimace of her own. "It's alright, I know it wasn't your fault," Lewis told them. "Technically it was, but they had no control," Bella said. "Don't help," Lewis said, giving her a small glare.

"Just another small reminder about why you shouldn't talk about this in public. There's so many people around you and you put Lewis's voicemail on speakerphone for everyone to hear," Kim gestured to the screen. "One, we were whispering. Two, the volume was only loud enough for us to hear. And three, they were too focused on the weather report. We were in the clear," Emma too gestured to the screen.

"The investigation didn't last long. They just assumed it was a random weather breakout," Rikki grinned.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[The girls rush to the marina where Lewis normally moors his boat, only to find it gone, empty of any boat or Lewis. Cleo is on her phone trying to call Lewis but has no luck with him answering. Emma and Rikki look at the spot and try to come up with some other ideas of where he could possibly be.]

Rikki: walks near the edge. "Are you sure this is where Lewis moors his boat?"

Emma: throws her hands to the side. "Maybe he just went fishing."

"I've been to that spot a hundred times, I know where he puts his boat all the time," Cleo told them. "Fishermen do like using the same spot over and over. It helps with keeping up where their boat is," Don pointed out. "It's best to keep them near the end of the marina. Might take a longer walk but at least it'll be easier to get out," Lewis mentioned.

"The tv said there was an aluminum boat recovered, you knew he went to Mako, and you automatically think he went fishing?" Annette raised an eyebrow. "I was trying to think positive," Emma shrugged.

"He does like to fish," Cleo tilted her head to the side. "At the strangest times," Rikki included.

Cleo: phone still held up to her ear. "'I'm coming', he said. I'm getting a really bad feeling." Extremely worried and turns around. Puts her phone down, still no answer from her boyfriend.

"Me too," Charlotte muttered, rubbing her arms in comfort. Annette tried to help her stay calm by pulling her closer into a hug.

"That would be a sign that he was going to Mako," Kim said as if it were obvious.

Emma: walks closer to Rikki and whispers, not wanting to worry Cleo any more than she was. "If he was out there in that storm ..." She couldn't even finish her sentence, neither one wanting to know.

"Please don't finish that sentence," Elliot pleaded. He might have been young, but he knew what she meant. They all did. And no one wanted to hear it. "Luckily, I'm still here," Lewis reminded them with a wave of his hand.

"How did you survive that fall?" Denman asked curiously. "Well, when I was flung out of the cone, luckily they were still using their powers, so even though the wind was rough, it landed me in the sand. It was a rough landing, and I was sore the next day, but it was gentle enough for me to not have any broken bones," Lewis explained. And lucky enough to still be alive, he thought. He didn't know how his friends would be if he would have died, or his family too.

Cleo: rushes up to them and closes her phone. "Something horrible has happened to him."

Rikki: worried but in denial. "We don't know that for sure."

"Quit with the positivity. It's not helping anybody," Ash said. "It's not positivity ... it's denial," Rikki said, arms crossed. "There's no difference," he remarked.

Terry could tell she cared for Lewis. Lewis was a friend to her, to all of them. And a good one at that. He knew she was worried, most of them could tell. She might not show or express her emotions a lot, but if you know Rikki well enough, you could see just a hint of it. He might not have known about the secret until a few days ago, but he did know his daughter's emotions no matter how much she tries to deny them.

"Cleo is surprisingly the only one being realistic. Normally she's the optimistic one," Lewis grinned. "Unfortunately you're right," Cleo pouted. She hated having to go through this again; although the bad part has passed, they still had to find Lewis and figure out how to control their powers.

Emma: "Come on." They rush down the marina to find a spot to dive in without any prying eyes.

"It's about time," Charlotte huffed. If she were a mermaid, she would've dove in the moment she found out about the boat on the tv. "Well we had to be sure," Cleo defended themselves. "Can't rush into things without searching for more proof," Emma reasoned. "They did need to check. I'm not the only one with an old aluminum boat," Lewis agreed. He was glad it was okay though. It was a gift from his mom and brothers after he turned fifteen. He wanted to take care of it the best he could.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Meanwhile, at the Sertori residence, Kim sat on the stairs of their home with a backpack next to her waiting for Cleo's return, which never happened. She looks at her watch on her wrist, then drops her arm. A smile quickly forms on Kim's face as she jumps up and rushes up the stairs.]

Kim and Cleo's eyes quickly widen. With all the excitement of the previous scenes, they nearly forgot about what was coming: the concert. "Oh, no," Kim whispered. Why does it have to show this? Anything but this! Cleo thought. The two sisters glance at one another. We are so dead! They both thought.

Don and Bev smile at the scene, glad to see that Kim was at least in agreeance with Cleo going with her and chose to wait, despite Cleo being a tad late. "Glad to see that you chose to wait on her, sweetheart. Cleo's clearly got a lot going on and is trying to help a friend. It's okay if she's gonna be a little late, there's going to be plenty of songs at the concert, she'll be there soon. I'm proud of you. You're being mature about this and really growing up," Don said, smiling at the two of them, not noticing their freaked-out expressions. Bev had to agree. They've both grown a lot since she last saw them, even though it's only been a few months. They've grown physically and mentally, and it shows in this one scene. Or so they think.

"Uh, how much time was left before the concert?" Ash asked suspiciously. His trainees from horse riding were similar to this. If he was ever late, they would always try doing something on their own by showing off. He had a sneaky feeling that this was no different. After all, kids will be kids. "Thirty minutes," Kim muttered, loud enough for him to hear. "And where was this concert taking place?" Will raised an eyebrow. He had an older sister, but a sister no less. He knew some of the troubles she would get up to. "Uhm, the marine park," Kim confessed, glancing down. "Isn't that like ten minutes from your house?" Charlotte asked. Kim nodded, her head still looking down at the floor. So there was plenty of time still left, Ash thought. She's up to no good.

Upon hearing this little investigation, Don and Bev both looked at their daughters with the same suspicions.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[The trio of mermaids zoom toward Mako with serious expressions, as if their life depended on it. Well, someone's did.]

Although there was a high chance she was going to be grounded after this episode, Kim was at least a little relieved that her sister got back in the water. She was secretly afraid that with the new changes to their powers, that she would revert back to her old ways. She always feared what she couldn't control, which is why she always feared the water; and with her powers acting up and unable to control the new one, it was like she was starting all over again. But with her being in the water to save her boyfriend just like she did with the turtles once before, she wasn't going to let her fear control her anymore. Not again.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Back at the Sertori's, Kim grabs one of the tickets, leaving the other one behind on the paper holder standing on the dining table. With a new top on, the one she specifically wanted from Cleo's closet, she puts her bag on her shoulder and walks to the door with a victorious smile.]

Don and Bev both gasped. She got what she wanted: to go to the concert alone. "You forgot about the concert, didn't you?" Don gave his oldest daughter a stern glare. Cleo nodded, blushing from embarrassment. "And you forgot about your sister. Both of you," Bev turned to them, her tone saying she wasn't playing around. They both nod once again. "Intentionally," Kim winced. "Accidentally," Cleo held a finger up.

"Well, intentionally, you're grounded. One week, both of you," Don held up two fingers, looking back at the screen. "Wha – dad!" Kim whined. "It was an accident!" Cleo declared. "Bah – ah. Do you want to make it two weeks?" he informed. The Sertori siblings quickly quiet down, leaning back into their seats. "That's what I thought," Don straightened up, glad that it was settled. Kim pouted, upset that she got grounded even more once they return home.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[In the ocean, the girls continue swimming at top speed until they reach Mako. A while later on the beach of Mako Island, the girls walk around in search of Lewis.]

Emma: to Rikki, walks around a fallen tree, ducking under a limb. "I've searched the beaches and the lagoons. No sign of him. What about you?"

Rikki: stops walking, throws her hands to her side. "Not a trace. I didn't see a thing."

"You're not helping my worries," Annette frowned. Hurry. Please, oh please, hurry, Charlotte thought, her anxiety increasing.

"You've searched it that quick?" Ash asked, impressed. "When you're looking for a friend who was possibly in danger, it boosts your adrenaline," Emma shrugged. "Helps that it felt like we were still running off of moonjuice," Rikki tilted her head. "It wasn't the entire island, but we were working on it," Cleo said. Luckily, we didn't have to search the whole island. "Luckily that wasn't necessary," Lewis grinned, unknowingly reading Cleo's thoughts. "Also helps that the concert completely slipped your mind, so you thought you had plenty of time," Will chuckled. "Please don't bring that up," Cleo whined as her dad gave the two Sertori's a stern look.

Cleo: down the beach, walking towards them. "I did." The two blondes face the brunette as she holds up a severely dented torch and tosses it to Emma. Emma catches it. "I found it by the rocks."

"Aww, the torch," Max complained about the state of the light. With him being a scientist, he hated to see technology get damaged, no matter the kind. Even if it's just a battery-powered lightbulb. "Maybe we should worry about Lewis more," Mrs. Chatham turned her head to him and raised an eyebrow. She knew of his obsession, which is why Lewis reminded her so much of her old friend. The two cherishing the love of science. "Right, sorry."

Charlotte held her arms tight, the intensity of the situation getting to her. She knew Lewis was okay, since he was literally in the same room with her. But the fact it was taking them so long to be able to find him and make sure he was okay was killing her. In their time, it would have already been over twelve hours. If Charlotte had to guess, possibly even sixteen.

"Nice catch," Ash nodded. "Why are you focused on that, and not the search?" Bella asked. "I don't know. Why are you asking me that and not focusing on the screen?" Ash gestured to the screen which was continuing to play. "Touché," Bella mumbled.

Emma: examines the broken torch. "You're sure it's his?"

"It has nerd written all over it," Zane joked, but when he received no laughter, he looked around. "Not the time? Alright."

Cleo: "I gave it to him last Christmas." Cleo frowns in worry and shakes her head. "You don't think –."

Emma: cuts her off. "No."

"I said don't finish that sentence!" Elliot frowned. "Sometimes we have to face reality, Elliot," Neil sighed, knowing he shouldn't be telling his eleven-year-old son this, but it was something he needed to know. "Luckily that is not the reality," Lisa informed him. "And luckily, as needed to be reminded for some reason, I'm still alive," Lewis pointed two thumbs at himself, making Cleo laugh.

"That's a nice Christmas gift," Sam said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood ... no pun intended. "He kept complaining about not having enough light at night when he goes out on the water, so I thought that would help," Cleo said. "That is a good quality brand, having helped her pick it out," Don smiled. "It was a good quality," Harrison grimaced at the sight of the torch. "That poor torch, it's been through so much," Annette said. "Yeah, so has Lewis, who's still missing as I recall," Charlotte grumbled, slightly glaring at her mother for what she had her priorities set on.

Emma: and Rikki walk over to her. "Cleo, we'll keep looking until –." A sneeze cuts through the conversation, catching the girls' attention. The three face the woods, where the action was heard. Emma glances back at them, as to whether they had heard it too or not. The blonde takes the lead walking closer to the woods, with Cleo and Rikki following close behind. As they move closer to the edge of the woods, they hear leaves rustling from something moving with silent sobs and shaky breaths, as if someone were crying, then coughing. Emma and the others pear closer, when the blonde's eyes widen in shock at what she saw. Lewis was there, sitting behind some bushes, crying, soaked, and covered in dirt without shoes and torn clothes from his recent adventure.

"Lewis! Oh, gosh!" Charlotte gasped, many others shocked. "Oh, how awful," Sam gasped.

"Well, at least he's alive," Will grimaced, trying to stay positive. "Barely," Bella muttered, a bit shaken up herself about what they – she – could possibly do to a human. Someone who was unable to protect themselves from their powers, especially now with their new upgrades.

"What happened to your shoes?" Kim asked. "I took them off. They were soaking wet and were rubbing my feet raw. I took them off to keep them from getting worse and to dry my socks off," Lewis answered.

"Well, you turned out better for worse. No broken bones, no bruises from the looks of it. Definitely lucky after what you just went through," Denman surmised. "No, just scarred for life. Kidding! Kidding," Lewis held his hands up in defense as the girls sent him a glare. "And you think we weren't?" Emma griped.

Lewis: slow and shakily looks up at them with frightened eyes. "Please, don't hurt me." Emma looks back to Cleo, who too shares a frightened look. However, hers was out of fear of what they had done to him instead of what Lewis was afraid of: them.

"You didn't think they would really hurt you, did you?" Elliot asked. "No, I knew they wouldn't," Lewis said. "So why'd you say that?" Bev asked. "Because of two things. One, my mind was still in aftershock and wasn't able to process everything at the moment. And two, I had no clue if they were still moonstruck or not. I had no watch and lost track of time so I was unaware if the moon still had control," Lewis explained. "I knew they wouldn't hurt me. I knew they never would, not intentionally at least. The ones who did that to me weren't Emma, Rikki, or Cleo. They were just possessions of the moons. Like puppets in a way, controlled by strings they had no power over," he added.

"That's a good way to describe it," Rikki hummed. She had to admit, it did sometimes feel like the moon was in control of her instead of her being her usual self, and they just tend to go with the flow. Though most of the time that was usually during a full moon.

"And I promise we won't ever do it again," Cleo declared. "Cleo, I already told you it wasn't your fault," Lewis said. "And I already told you, it won't happen ever again," Cleo countered in a serious matter. "We will make sure of it, as long as we don't get moonstruck again," Emma nodded. "And as long as you don't get on my nerves again," Rikki remarked. "Rikki!" Emma scolded. "Relax. I know she's joking ... I think," Lewis told her, making Rikki grin.

[A few minutes later, the girls have a fire going for Lewis. Instead of him standing next to it. However ... his clothes are hanging on sticks nearby to dry them off. Rikki knelt down next to the fire trying to keep it going, tossing wood into the fire while Emma and Cleo stood a few feet back from it, avoiding any eye contact with a nearly naked Lewis who hid behind some limbs near the edge of the beach.]

Cleo: "I can't believe we did those things to you,"

"Uh, does someone want to explain to me what is going on here?" Neil straightened up on high alert as Lisa and Bev quickly moved to cover their youngest child's eyes. Don and Terry doing the same as the former and getting ready to attack if things were about to take a wrong turn. Zane and the other guys burst into fits of laughter, unable to hold it in. Charlotte's cheeks turned a deep red and quickly glanced down, anywhere but at the screen. Although she was relieved that Lewis was okay, she did not want to see a naked Lewis onscreen. "Oh, come on! I'm wearing swim trunks!" Lewis exclaimed.

"Doesn't look it from that angle, mate," Zane said through his laughter, wiping tears away. "This better not be like the naked beach scene again," Don glared, thinking back to when Lewis first found out about the secret. "I. Was. Wearing. Swim trunks!" Lewis practically had to spell it out. "Better be," Don pointed two fingers at him, pointing back and forth.

"Then why are you hiding behind a bush?" Sam raised an eyebrow in amusement. "In case there were any passerby's near Mako. We had seen a few already. They had search party's going out some for the so-called 'missing boat owner', aka me," Lewis responded. "We alerted the police who I was once we returned back to the mainland."

"How did you get that by them anyway? About how you returned to the shore without your boat?" Harrison asked curiously. "Easy. I just said I was camping out on Mako when the storm hit and my boat washed away. Luckily a boat passing nearby saw me standing on the beach and brought me back to the coast. It's not that hard," Lewis excused. "You've been around us way too much," Rikki chuckled, shaking her head. "Well we're glad that you're alright, at least," Annette said, patting Charlotte's back, her face still red. "Us too," the girls said. "I might can't stand you, but not enough to kill you," Rikki told Lewis with a smile. Lewis held a hand to his heart. "That's probably the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

Lewis: holding his arms, shivering. "It was like you were possessed." Turns to the side.

"That's one way of putting it. If it weren't for your faces, we wouldn't have been able to recognize you," Terry agreed. "It may have been their faces, but it was not them at all. As has been stated several times, those were not the girls we knew," Lewis remarked. "We never are when one of us is moonspelled," Cleo sighed. "It's like that every full moon, always possessed. Remember the first full moon when Emma was moonspelled? We couldn't even look away when the full moon came out," Rikki gestured to her and Cleo.

Cleo: "I mean, the full moon does horrible things to us."

"I wouldn't say all of the things that the full moon does are horrible. After all, it did gift us with being able to turn into mermaids in the first place," Emma said with a small smile. "And gave you awesome powers at that," Kim eagerly agreed. "With a few upgrades," Elliot said giddily.

"Not all the full moon nights were that bad. Yours and Emma's were a little entertaining," Ash snorted. "Gee, thanks. I'm glad our uncontrollable moonspelled selves were able to give you a bit of entertainment," Emma sarcastically said.

Emma: "And we couldn't do things like that before. Like creating wind or storms."

Rikki: grins. "Or lightning."

"That part was pretty obvious," Bella mentioned. "Yeah, otherwise Rikki would've been using lightning every chance she got," Lewis scoffed. "Hey! ... okay you have a point," Rikki thought about it at the last part. It's true. The number of times I could've struck Nate or even Zane sometimes for getting on my nerves if I had gotten that power in the beginning. Maybe even Lewis too. Sometimes. "Or the amount of times I could've had wind blown in my face instead of a jet of water. Actually, I would've preferred wind over water, at least I could've combed my hair then," Kim pointed out. "I think I'd rather have another ice shower instead of a literal ice bath," Elliot grimaced, Emma soon joined him at the thought of her brother being in a block of ice instead of ice cubes being tossed at him.

Lewis: "You used to be in control."

"And now we're not," Emma sighed. "So we're going to have to watch you try and control your new powers again?" Elliot asked. "Yup. But don't worry, it doesn't take as long as last time," Rikki said with a slanted grin.

Rikki: stood up, tossing the stick to the side with a sigh. "Your shorts are gonna take ages. I'll just dry them." Wipes her hands off and takes a few steps back. She holds her hand up and slowly closes it into a fist. At first, steam began to rise, but quickly bursts into fire. Cleo and Emma jump back, startled with wide eyes.

Rounds of laughter fill the room, as everyone watches Lewis's shorts catch on fire. "Well, at least they weren't struck by lightning," Rikki said, trying to see the brighter side as a blush formed from embarrassment. "It's an improvement," Zane chuckled.

"Oh, so that's where the phrase 'liar, liar, pants on fire' comes from," Kim laughed. "What did I lie about?" Lewis frowned in confusion. "You didn't tell us about the secret for starters," Don pointed out, sneaking a glare at the boy. "I didn't lie about that, we just chose not to tell you. There's a difference between a lie and a secret," Lewis countered.

"It was worth the shot," Max chuckled.

Lewis: eyes widen. "Ah!" The four of them watch as Lewis's shorts continue to burn. "Why are my shorts on fire?"

Rikki: stutters. "Oh, um ..." Quickly grabs a stick nearby and pushes the shorts to the sandy ground. She kicks dirt on the pair of shorts while hitting them with the stick, causing the fiery shorts to stop burning and cool off, leaving only a bit of smoke left. Rikki picks up the stick the shorts were still hanging onto making sure there were no remains of the fire left other than the shorts of course, and walks over to Lewis and holds it out for him. The two girls stand next to her. "Um ... slightly charred. Still wearable."

"Better than nothing," Lewis shrugged. "Couldn't even tell," Ash said. "Only from the smell of smoke," Lewis said. "What are friends for?" Rikki grinned, some still continuing to laugh.

Lewis: grabs the stick with his shorts from the feisty mermaid. "Thank you." Rikki grimaces. "Really, thank you." Lewis puts them down, Rikki's expression growing.

"I was grateful. It was a little chilly that morning," Lewis reminded her. "I wonder why?" Zane snorted.

"He was nice about it and was glad to have them back. That's what matters," Annette defended him.

Better be glad he wasn't rude to my girl. Otherwise, he'd have another Chadwick to deal with, Terry thought.

Cleo: "Lewis, you know we'd never hurt you intentionally."

Lewis: nods. "Yeah, I know. But something's changed."

Emma: "Yeah, but why?" Lewis remains quiet, unsure himself.

"Gee, really? Didn't notice," Rikki sarcastically said. "Rikki, he just thanked you for burnt shorts. There's no need to add sarcasm to the mix," Cleo sighed. "Accidental burnt shorts," Rikki pointed out. "That's what you get for being impatient," Emma smirked.

"It takes time to control these powers girls. It's no different than when you first started. It might be irritating, but once you grow to control it, you'll understand why," Mrs. Chatham informed them. "Do you have an answer for everything? You weren't even there," Bella asked. "I don't need to be there to know," Mrs. Chatham replied. She didn't know about the situation, and she didn't know what it was like to have new powers, but she did know how it felt to be confused and frustrated. She went through similar feelings with Julia and Gracie when they first became mermaids. All it takes is to remain patient, she thought.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Back on the mainland, the four of them go back to the Sertori house.]

Cleo: walks through the door, turning around to the others as they follow in behind her. "It's just too dangerous."

Emma: next to go inside behind the brunette. "Yeah, we can't use our powers until we know what's going on."

"So, no power usage at all?" Kim pouted. "Not until we can figure out how to control them," Rikki said. "What's the point of trying to control them then if you're not going to use them?" Bella scoffed. That makes no sense. You need to use them in order to be able to learn to control them. "Yeah, it should be no different than when you were learning the first time," Charlotte mentioned. "But there is a difference. These powers were so much stronger and a lot more dangerous than our first ones. If we used them in public, it could potentially hurt someone even if we don't mean to," Emma remarked, the others beginning to understand.

Rikki: walks in. "Especially not in public."

"So the usual rules then," Ash said. "Yup. But like usual, those rules occasionally get broken," Rikki smirked, muttering the last part as she snuck a glance at Emma who returned a look with a scowl.

Lewis: scoffs as he goes inside, all of them piling into the living room. "Or near me."

"Oh, come on, we have to make an exception for you," Rikki whined in a playful matter. "When do you not?" Lewis rolled his eyes.

Cleo: "Or near our families." Points a finger at them and pauses as she thought of her family, and one family member came to her mind: Kim. "Oh, no. Kim?" Looks around the downstairs level in the kitchen and calls out for her. "Kim?"

"Well, it's nice to see that you remember me," Kim smiled, despite her grounding. She was happy to know she had a break from winds or water blasts for a little while. She finally got a break from her sister for once.

"It's about time," Bev huffed, crossing her arms. At least Cleo remembered, Kim thought with a scowl on her face.

Rikki: "Maybe she went out." Her and Lewis sat down in the living room; her on the armchair and Lewis on the couch.

Cleo: looks down at the table and finds the other ticket still in the holder, and suddenly remembers about the concert. Grabs the ticket and holds it up to them, marching into the living room. "The concert. I was supposed to take her to the concert."

"Oh, so now you remember?" Kim sarcastically asked. "Well, I'm sorry I had a new power without any acknowledgment of it. There was so much going on with that and Lewis missing that it slipped my mind," Cleo spat, tossing her hands into the air.

"Why didn't you just take the other ticket with you? That way it wouldn't go to waste," Will suggested. "Who would I have given it to? All my other friends already had tickets and Elliot was at soccer practice. I wasn't going to give it to a random stranger," Kim said. "That's a negative," Don shook his head.

Emma: "She wouldn't go on her own, would she?"

"Do you even know me?" Kim scoffed. "That's a yes," Cleo said. "It's alright, I speak Kim," Emma chuckled. She too had a younger sibling and understood a little bit of their sarcastic language.

Cleo: rushes to the door. "Quick, we've got to find her before –." Before she could finish, her dad walks through the door with his bag.

Don: "Hello. How was it, Cleo?" Walks through the living room and past the group of friends. "Hi, guys."

"Oomph, and the bad timing strikes again," Ash grimaced. "When does it not?" Cleo sighed, rolling her eyes. Great, we're going to get grounded again, aren't we?

"It was so great, it was almost unforgettable. Almost," Rikki smirked.

Cleo: hides the ticket behind her back. "The ... concert?"

Don: "Yeah. Was it fun? Did Kim have a good time?" Glances at her then puts his bag on the counter. "Where is she?"

"I had a blast. They were amazing. Best concert ever," Kim gushed over her favorite band. "If we don't move on, she won't ever stop talking about the Dysfunctionals," Cleo told everyone, causing a few chuckles in the room. Elliot smiled, wishing he could've gone to the concert with her. But sadly he had soccer practice that day, and it was his first one. He couldn't miss. Maybe I can go with her to the next one, he thought, an ecstatic smile growing.

Cleo: sighs and decides to come clean. "Well, dad. I –." Before she could continue, the front door opens once again interrupting the brunette.

Kim: barges into the living room, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, dad."

"Looks like bad timing turned into great timing," Zane grinned. If she will cover for her, that is.

"It's about time," Bev mumbled with a huff. She was worried about both her daughters. It might've been directed more toward Cleo since she was shown having to face another obstacle in her life, but she was also concerned about Kim having gone to the concert by herself. It should've been her that went with her daughter, not Cleo. It was her responsibility, and she dropped it all and left them behind to pick up all the pieces.

Don: "Here's my little muffin. How was the concert?"

"Only she would know how it was since she went by herself," Don said, glancing at his oldest. "He's never going to let this down," Cleo sighed. "Nope. And neither will I," Kim said. "Little muffin, shiniest pearl, perfect jewel. You're full of nicknames, aren't you?" Sam chuckled, giving the Sertori a smile. "Part of the job. Being a dad, that is," Don remarked.

Kim: walks past a nervous Cleo, who was hoping she wouldn't rat her out. "It was the best, daddy! They played all their hits! And the crowd just screamed and screamed!" Puts her bag on the table and holds a water bottle in her hand.

"Sounds like any normal concert," Ash commented. "Sounds like the concert we went to," Emma shuttered, thinking about the Feral Robots band that Rikki adored. Despite her earplugs, the roars of the music and crowd was still heard.

Don: "It sounds like you had a great time. See? It wasn't so bad going with your big sister after all, was it? Right?" He glances at the two. Without him noticing the two sisters share a secret look, one that only siblings understood.

Kim: "Right." The four friends in the living room share a small smile.

"Uh oh. Busted," Ash grimaced. "Big time," Elliot joined in. "This isn't going to end well," Will shook his head. "You're right. It won't," Don narrowed his eyes.

"Considering she wasn't there at all, it wasn't so bad," Kim mumbled.

Don: "Well, I'm glad you two finally worked things out." Walks toward the stairs and looks at his youngest. "Nice top, Kim." Walks up the stairs, unaware of the conversation his children were fixing to have.

"Yeah, my top," Cleo bickered. "Not for long," Kim smiled smugly. "The smug smile won't be there for long. I know how this is about to go," Rikki smirked. I've been grounded a time or two after all.

"Not exactly," Cleo grumbled. "Things never fully work out between siblings," Emma chuckled, looking at her brother. "There's always something to fuss about," Elliot agreed.

Kim: walks toward Cleo, a menacing look in her eyes. Still holding the water bottle. "So, the way I see it. I keep this top, and we never mention this ugly incident again."

"Hmm, that's a tough bargain," Will humored. "Making a deal she can't refuse? Smart," Denman chuckled. "One that I was forced to accept," Cleo grumbled. "You could've told the truth," Emma mentioned. "It was too late by then," Cleo scowled.

"You do realize you have witnesses around, right?" Annette asked. "Ones that won't argue about it either. They wouldn't want Cleo to get in more trouble, would they?" Kim said with a mischievous smile. "Oh, you're good," Ash hissed.

Cleo: gets angry. "But, Kim –."

Kim: cuts her off. "Let's not debate this, Cleo. Let's be adult about it." Kim turns around and walks back to her bag, the water bottle held to her side.

"That's a laugh. You're not an adult. You're thirteen," Cleo barked with laughter. "I'm a teenager, I'm old enough to go to a grown-up concert," Kim argued. "And you'll have to wait a while longer before you can go to your next one because you're both grounded for two weeks now," Don hushed the two sisters from arguing even more. "What?! But dad!" The two shouted. "Not buts. You lied to me and did it behind my back too. Grounded," Don cut them off.

"At least they worked together for once," Bev remarked. "Not by choice," Don said. "Hey, I was going to tell you, but she covered for me," Cleo said, blaming her sister. "You're the one who forgot about me. I was just trying to be a good sister," Kim argued. "For once," Cleo added. "You could've owned up to it, and neither one of you would've gotten in bigger trouble. But you didn't, and for that, another week got added. Now zip it," Don told them, pointing at the two to stop the bickering.

[Cleo notices the water bottle Kim held. Fueled with fury, she twists her hand up to use her power. Before she could do any more damage, Emma and Rikki rush over, the latter jumping up from her seat. Lewis stands up and grabs her wrist with Emma quickly joining him. Rikki looks at her as if she were crazy.]

Lewis: "I don't think that's a good idea." Cleo throws her hand down, clearly aggravated as Rikki shakes her head no. Cleo and the others look back at Kim with a glare.

"Uh, didn't you just say that it was too dangerous?" Kim smiled smugly, glad that she had a few days of being unable to use her powers on her, even if she was unaware at the time. "Didn't you just cross the line?" Cleo shot back. "How was I supposed to know you had powers?" Kim scoffed. "This never ends, does it?" Harrison chuckled. "No," Don and Bev both say. Bev wanted to be able to talk to her daughters, but before she could, Lewis interrupts them.

"Alright, well if it's going how I think it's going, there should be only a few more to go. Shall we continue and get this over with? I'm sure we all would love to get back home." Everyone happily agrees, replying with 'yes' and nods of agreement. "Very well, let's continue," Lewis said as he handed the remote to Charlotte, her blush now completely gone. Bev sighed, she guesses she'll have to either wait till the end to talk to them if she got the chance, or wait until they all returned to their homes. But even then, will she be able to fight her insecurities of returning to the Sertori house? Her old home?

Before she could think more about it, the redhead pressed play.