In the morning there was a small group of merfolk waiting on the outskirts of Coraltide; it was not usual for merfolk to be loitering so long outside the city. This morning, one of them would be leaving, never to return.

  Maribelle looked at everyone that had joined her before she left. Bryn was with her, as was Joyce, who struggled to hide how upset she felt. However she was surprised to see Torya and Emily as well. At least their presence was very appreciated. When they arrived, Maribelle asked Torya why they had come as she had only met them once.

  “Well, you're a nice dy, and it would be wrong for me to not say goodbye. Besides, Emily thinks Joyce is going to need some support,’ Torya expined pointing one of her tentacles at Joyce.

  Maribelle nodded. Joyce had none of her usual cheer; in fact she had not spoken during the morning. Instead she floated away from the group, staring out into the deep sea. This parting was hurting Joyce a lot more than Maribelle thought it would.

  “Thank you. Please look after her for me,” Maribelle whispered to her.

  “Of course, Joyce is a good friend to Emily, and we will make sure she is okay,” Torya said.

  “Goodbye Torya, it was nice meeting you,” Maribelle said, trying to keep herself calm.

  “Goodbye Maribelle. Please stay safe,” Torya said sorrowfully as she embraced Maribelle.

  Torya drifted away, giving space for Emily to say her piece. Emily looked hesitant as if she was worried for the future. As soon as she got closer, Emily wrapped her arms and a few of her tentacles around Maribelle in a tight embrace.

  “I was hoping to get to know you a little better,” Emily admitted, her voice breaking a little.

  “It's a shame I know. It would have been nice getting to know you better as well,” Maribelle confessed.

  Emily pulled back from the embrace. It seemed like she was going to say something before deciding against it. “Goodbye Maribelle. I hope you find what you're looking for on the surface.”

  “Thank you, and I am happy that you found yourself here,” Maribelle said sincerely.

  It was at this point that Joyce swam back to the group. Maribelle noticed that Joyce's eyes were a little red.

  Joyce took a deep breath before saying, “I'm going to miss you Maribelle. Things around here will certainly be quite without-” Joyce suddenly stopped and threw her arms around Maribelle.

  “Joyce?” Maribelle asked, confused about what was going on.

  “You don't have to go, Maribelle. Yes, maybe you had a rough start to things around here. But wasn't it fun going shopping together or seeing ‘love within tides’ with Bryn? Think about it, Maribelle, how many more delights would you see if you just stayed here? Coraltide is a wonderful pce. And surely there must be a hidden part of you that likes being a mermaid, right? No one would judge you for staying. In fact we would be thrilled if you chose to remain,” Joyce rambled, the desperation in her voice clear to all.

  “I'm sorry Joyce, but I can't stay here. I need to return to my family,” Maribelle expined as she held Joyce close.

  “I-I understand. It is only fair that you let your family know you're alive and well. However, once the matter has been cleared up and everything settled down, what if you return? No one is forcing you to stay on the surface. It would be easy for you to come back home as a-” Joyce pleaded as she sobbed onto Maribelle's shoulder.

  “Please,” Maribelle snapped, interrupting Joyce's plea. “Please Joyce. Don't make this any harder than it already is.” She felt like there was a shoal of fish swimming around her stomach. She felt uncomfortable, like something was deeply wrong.

  Joyce drifted away from Maribelle. Joyce floated forlornly, all the hope in her eyes had faded away. “I'm sorry. There's nothing else for me to say now.” Her tail coiled around nervously. “Just be careful on the surface.”

  Maribelle shivered at the ominous warning. “I will. Thank you Joyce, it was nice spending time with you. Goodbye.”

  Bryn swam up beside Maribelle and took her by the arm. “It's time for us to go now. We have a long journey ahead of us,” she said solemnly.

  Maribelle nodded. There was nothing to linger around for. With one st goodbye, she turned around and began swimming away. With each mighty kick, Coraltide faded more and more into the distance. Maribelle looked behind one more time, and her heart sank in sympathy when she spotted Emily holding Joyce while she broke down crying. It was tragic, yes, but it was something she had to do.

  Bryn was right, the open currents were much tougher than she expected. She felt the sea itself try to force her back. However, she was relieved to know that her training had off, as she was able to push through the currents and keep up with Bryn. It was almost exhirating, the knowledge that she was overcoming the sea itself.

  It was almost a shame to know that in a few days time, she would never swim as well as she could now.

  Many hours had passed when Maribelle noticed something that truly surprised her. She had not paid much attention to them when they were far away, but now it was impossible to not notice them. She stared at the pod of gigantic fish; they were certainly the rgest creature she had ever seen. She wondered for a moment how they would compare to the giants and dragons she had heard of back on the surface.

  “Those are whales,” Bryn expined, speaking for the first time since they left Coraltide. “They won't attack us, but we should still keep our distance.”

  “I see,” Maribelle said in awe. She listened to them make some strange chirping noise to each other. Were they able to communicate with each other?

  “Bryn, are there any whale-like merfolk?” Maribelle asked as she continued to watch the pod swim by. She had not seen any such merfolk, but perhaps they lived in other cities.

  “No, there are no such merfolk,” Bryn expined while also watching the pod. “Though some merfolk merchant caravans have trained whales to carry their goods. From what I heard it's not easy to do.”

  Maribelle nodded as she continued to swim onwards. She considered her chances of witnessing such a sight again. Once she was back on the surface it was unlikely that she would ever return to the sea. The best she could hope for was that a pod would pass by. However, she imagined that humans would try and hunt down such rge creatures the moment they saw them for their meat and bones. Such a shame as the whales were quite majestic to behold.

  More time passed as they swam through the sea, and eventually Bryn started to guide Maribelle to a small structure. She expined that despite being able to swim great distances, merfolk still needed to rest. Which was why a series of inns had been set up across the sea floor where the environment was more stable. Anyone was welcome to rest at an inn as long as they needed to; as long as they paid up to help maintain the structures.

  When Maribelle entered the Inn, a few heads turned towards her for a moment before turning back to their own tables. Did they see her as a human or just another merfolk? By their ck of reaction, it was easy to assume the tter The thought relieved her, as she would rather they assume she was a mermaid visiting family then a human returning to the surface.

  Maribelle took a seat at an empty table while Bryn organised a room and a table. They spoke very little while they waited for their meal, and when it arrived, they ate in silence. Maribelle didn't like the quiet. But what could she say? What could they talk about? Maribelle looked up at Bryn as the mershark chewed on her grilled salmon and sighed. She was really going to miss Bryn so very much.

  The next morning, after some much needed rest, they continued their journey to Port Glorious, each kick of Maribelle’s tail bringing her closer and closer to her destination.

  Overall, apart from wrestling against the currents, it had been a peaceful day. And very quiet. Bryn had been withdrawn all day as if something was eating away at her. Maribelle's heart sank seeing her friend so depressed.

  “Bryn, may I ask you a question?” Maribelle asked as she drifted closer.

  “Do you wish to know how close we are now?” Bryn inquired.

  Maribelle shook her head. “No, I was curious as to what exactly a sea witch is?”

  “Oh I see, well I suppose one way to describe us is that we are protectors of the sea. We are trained in the arcane arts and seek to use our knowledge to help people,” Bryn expined as she swam alongside Maribelle.

  “By turning them into mermaids?” Maribelle teased with a small, sly smile.

  Bryn turned her head away in shame. “I'm sorry, Maribelle. It was the only way to save your life.”

  As Bryn drifted away, Maribelle almost reached out but stopped herself. Guilt weighed on her as she continued swimming. However, she imagined that saying anything more would only make matters worse. Instead she kept her distance, hoping to avoid any more mistakes. The st thing Maribelle wanted to do was to upset Bryn.

  Eventually she gave into the guilt gnawing at her, she drifted closer to Bryn. “I'm sorry, that was mean of me to say that,” she admitted.

  “No, it's my fault. I'm the one who did this to you. Everything will be fine though; as soon as we get you back home, I will undo the magic,” Bryn said, her voice shaking with guilt.

  Maribelle cursed herself for her foolishness. Bryn was her friend, she had saved her life. It was true that her method was unorthodox, but she would have died otherwise. How infuriating; she was trying to be kind to her saviour, but instead she was hurting her feelings with her foolish words. Better to keep her mouth shut and avoid any more idiotic mistakes.

  While she was distracted, a particurly strong current buffeted her. She struggled as the force threatened to overwhelm her. Her thrashing tail, and filing side fins did little to prevent her being bowled over.

  Suddenly the currents around her slowed and the pressure eased up. With great grace, Maribelle righted herself, and looked around trying to understand what had just happened. She watched Bryn floating in the sea, her hands raised and her mouth chanting silently, a faint glow around Bryn’s hands as she cast her magic. When the currents slowed to a halt, Maribelle took her chance and kicked out with her tail, breaking free of the current and regaining control of her pace.

  So that was the power of a sea witch? It was truly awe inspiring to witness. Then again Maribelle figured, if Bryn was able to turn her into a mermaid, then controlling the currents would be easy in comparison

  Bryn stopped her chanting, and with a burst of speed caught up to Maribelle. “I promised I would get you home,” Bryn said as she looked away with a guilty look on her face.

  “Thank you Bryn. I would have been dragged away by the tides if not for you,” Maribelle said, reaching her hand out in gratitude.

  Bryn turned her head but did not take Maribelle's hand. “It's fine. It won't be long until we reach your home. And then it will all be over,” she said, her eyes cking the usual glimmer they normally had.

  Maribelle wanted to say something to cheer up Bryn, but unfortunately, nothing came to mind. Rather than risk making a fool of herself again, she instead focused on swimming through the sea. She kicked with her tail in rhythm with Bryn. It wasn't easy overcoming these currents, but she resolved herself to keep going. She had already made it this far so there was no turning back now.

  The prospect of reuniting with her family, and returning to being human brought much anxiety to Maribelle. Questions presented themself to her which needed answers sooner rather than ter. For example: how easy would it be to adapt to being human? Her life in Coraltide was extremely different to how she lived on the surface, and she couldn't help but worry about her bance once she got her legs back. Furthermore, she was going to have to find a way to expin her survival to her family. She imagined the complications that would arise if news spread that she had become a mermaid. She imagined that Steph would likely accept it, and perhaps her parents would rather that she survive as a mermaid than die, but everyone else? No, she would become a pariah at best if they found out she had become a mermaid.

  Now that her return to a normal life was within reach, it all suddenly became very daunting. So many little worries began to bubble up. What if people from the King's Call recognised her? Would she be able to find work? Would she be happy? What if Edward were to spot her? She shuddered at the thought of coming face to face with the man who attempted to murder her.

  As she fretted about Edwards' possible presence, a small voice within her suggested something: What if she turned around and went back to Coraltide? She could be happy there and she could remain with the friends she had made, ones who truly appreciated her. If she spoke honestly with Bryn then surely she would be understanding. Bryn would not judge her for her change in heart, instead she would be eted to hear about it. And stly the voice within asked: Wouldn't life as a mermaid be preferable?

  Maribelle forced the voice back into silence. She had to return to the surface. Her family must know she was still alive. Her parents had done much to support her, and so she had to support them as their age started to take its toll. She had to do this, and despite what the small voice suggested, she had no other choice. As Maribelle swam through the sea, she reminded herself of that fact again, and again, and again.

  It was very early in the morning when the rising seabed forced Maribelle and Bryn closer to the surface. For the first time in a very long time, Maribelle could see the sunlight, and it looked dazzling as the light was refracted through the sea. She gulped, trying to swallow her fears as she knew that her time as a mermaid was almost over.

  With the shore approaching, Bryn began to rise through the water steadily climbing higher and higher with Maribelle following close behind. Together they breached the surface of the sea, and once Maribelle realised where she was, she took a deep long breath of salty air. She could hear seagulls calling to each other, feel the water pping around her, and smell drifting smoke. Gncing behind her she could see the outline of buildings a short swim away. So that's Port Glorious. Her new home.

  “It's changed a great deal since the st time I saw this pce,” Bryn said as she stared at the port. “There's a small cove nearby, it's well hidden so it will be a safe pce for you to nd.”

  Maribelle struggled to speak. The pressure of being so close to returning was getting to her. It was really going to happen. Her tail twitched erratically as she tried to remain afloat while she looked to her new home. Even at a distance she could tell some of the buildings had been hastily built and were suffering for it.

  Coraltide could be her home if she just asked, the little voice within suggested.

  Maribelle shook her head, raining droplets of seawater around her. It was too te to turn back now. “Lead the way,” she asked Bryn.

  Bryn nodded before she dived back into the sea, and Maribelle followed suit. Though her dive was far less graceful than comparison.

  As she followed Bryn towards the shore, Maribelle ran a hand through the sand. She watched the trail of disturbed sand drift around before settling back into the sea floor. When saw small crabs and other sea life scuttling around she pulled her hand back to avoid disturbing them. Watching the drifting sand was distracting, but she didn't want to disrupt their lives. Higher and higher the seabed rose, forcing Maribelle closer and closer to the surface. How was she going to get out of the sea? Well she was going to have to find out.

  The tides rushed towards the shore. Maribelle was so, so close now. Bryn sped up and matched her pace with a tide, and soon she disappeared out of the sea. So that's how it's done. Maribelle pushed herself forwards to catch up with a gentle wave that seemed safe enough for her. As she swam beneath the wave she could hear it push her forwards with such power she barely had to use her tail. She heard the roar of the wave weaken as she ran out of sea to swim in, and with the force of the wave behind her, she slithered onto the beach.

  Her tail flopped about uselessly as she struggled to steady herself. She was back on nd, but couldn't push herself to her feat because she didn't have legs. She had a tail covered in glistening purple scales. The sea pped at her once more before she used her hands to drag herself up the beach to where Bryn was resting.

  Once she was beside Bryn, Maribelle rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky. It had once been such a normal sight, but after so long of being unable to see the sky, she found it strange to see clouds drifting by. She really had been gone for a very long time. How many other things did she take for granted before falling into the sea?

  Maribelle pushed herself to a sitting position with her tail, now coated in sand, curled beside her. Sea water dripped from her hair, face, arms, and hands, spttering across the sand. Driven by curiosity, she dipped a hand into the beach and pulled up a handful of soft sand. As she watched the sand seep through her fingers, she knew for sure this was the surface. Some of the sand clung to her sudden hand, its gritty feeling bothered her, more so when she tried to wipe it off causing some of it to stick to her other hand. How infuriating.

  “Here, this may help,” Bryn said softly as she offered a long damp cloth from a bag she was unpacking.

  “Thank you, Bryn,” Maribelled replied, cleaning the sand off her hands, and for good measure she wiped her tail with the cloth. It brought a small smile to her face to see her purple scales glitter in the morning sun.

  She sat still and watched the waves roll onto the beach for a few minutes. It was peaceful and calming. The serenity of the moment gave her a chance to reflect on the st few weeks. She had been through a lot, changed in ways she could never have predicted, and learned so much. However, everything would now return to normal.

  A delicate touch brought Maribelle's attention to Bryn.

  “Are you ready?” Bryn asked hesitantly while her eyes looked aside.

  Of course, this was the moment. Her time as a mermaid was over, and a small part of her was saddened by this fact. But in the end it had to be done.

  Maribelle looked to the sea, listened to its melodic sounds. After a long, heavy pause, she replied, “yes.”

  Bryn nodded, closed her eyes and began chanting something in Merrow. As she spoke, her hands began to shimmer with a soft light. Maribelle was not sure if she was imagining things, but it felt like she could feel something being pulled from the nd and the sea into Bryn. Was it magic?

  Bryn csped her hands together as if in prayer, and as she finished her chant she held out her hand. “If you desire to return to life on the surface, merely take my hand and it shall be done. The choice is entirely yours and yours alone.” Bryn said with ritualistic importance, her red eyes entirely on Maribelle.

  Slowly, reluctantly, Maribelle began to reach out. This was it, this was the moment where she finally became a human again. Once again she could run, jump, and dance. She would get her pn back on track again.

  A small voice within broke its silence as it begged and pleaded with Maribelle to not go through with it. It was not too te to return to Coraltide. A tear slipped from Maribelle's eye as she ignored it. She had to do this, she had no choice.

  Finally, after an agonising wait, Maribelle's hand csped Bryn's hand. Maribelle gasped as the light from Bryn's hand flowed into Maribelle's. Within moments the light had scattered itself across Maribelle's body and sank into it. Even when she couldn't see it, she could feel the magic infusing itself with her body, preparing her for the upcoming changes.

  This was the magic that had transformed her wasn't it? The same spell that made her a mermaid was going to make her a human. She found herself thinking back to the moment she almost died, and faintly remembered a delicate hand, Bryn's hand, csping her own. That must have been the moment it happened.

  Maribelle shifted around, straightening her tail in front of her in preparation of becoming human again. “What happens now?” she was about to say when suddenly without warning, something rose up her chest.

  There was just enough time for Maribelle to turn her head away before she vomited a torrent of sea water. Her body trembled as she struggled to steady her breath. Of course, she had lived as a mermaid, breathing sea water like any other merfolk would. But now that she was becoming human again, she could no longer breathe underwater.

  She had just recovered her breath when she felt pressure on her ears, compressing them into a smaller shape. It did not hurt, but she had to admit it wasn't a pleasant sensation. Once the pressure subsided, Maribelle put her hands to her ears and gently felt them. The scaly feel of her elongated ear fins were gone, and now she just felt the soft skin on her ears. At least, as far as she could tell, her hearing was unaffected.

  Maribelle winced as her tail fin started to fre up with a very unfamiliar sensation. She could feel it tear apart as it split into two halves, which started shifting, the translucent purple turning pale as her fins turned to fleshy lumps. It was an unsettling experience watching her toes grow as her feet took form. At least she wasn't missing a part of her foot. As her feet finished taking form, her tail began to split, her purple scales there also fading away, leaving behind pale skin. Carefully, she tested the limits of her movement in her lower legs. Everything seemed fine apart from the fact her upper tail was still in the process of changing. She had expected some pain from having her bones and muscles rearranged, but it all happened so seamlessly.

  As her side fins began withdrawing into her waist, Maribelle knew her transformation was complete. She was once again human.

  “My magic has been undone. I'm so sorry Maribelle, I did want to give you the choice, but there was no time,” Bryn mented as her tears stained the sand.

  Maribelle didn't respond, instead she started at her feet that were digging into the sand. It was true, the magic that had made her a mermaid was gone. And yet she didn't feel any etion to being human once more. She wasn't sure how she would feel once it was over, but she never expected such hollowness. Perhaps she was struggling to believe it was over, and she just needed a little time to come to terms with it?

  “I can't stay up here for much longer,” Bryn warned, struggling to speak. Maribelle turned her head and was worried to see Bryn looking much paler than before. Bryn wiped her puffy eyes before gesturing to a bag that had been left on the beach. “This is for you. I'm gd we met. Stay safe. Goodbye.” And then quicker then Maribelle expected, Bryn crawled back to the sea and once in tides, swiftly slithered away. The st thing Maribelle saw was Bryn's dark grey tail disappearing beneath the waves.

  “Wait,” Maribelle screamed without realising it. She rose to her feet, but her unsteady legs gave way and she tumbled to the floor. “Bryn, wait.”

  No response came. Maribelle thumped the beach with her fist. She missed her chance to say goodbye to Bryn. They lived worlds apart. The distance between their homes meant nothing. Bryn couldn't stay on nd, and Maribelle certainly couldn't live underwater. At least not anymore. Bryn was gone, and the chances of crossing paths with her were astronomically small.

  Maribelle felt tears roll down her face, her quiet sobs became loud cries. She let loose the sorrow within her heart. At least no one noticed the lone woman crying on the beach.

  It was only when Maribelle had no more tears to shed did she pick herself up. Her legs wobbled as she stood up; bancing herself had not been an issue when she was a mermaid. Slowly, one steady step at a time, she approached the bag that Bryn had left behind. Crouching down low, something that was easier said than done, she picked up the bag and pulled out what was inside.

  She stared, eyes wide open at her dress, the one she had worn the night she became a mermaid. All the damage it had accumuted had been repaired. Seeing the dress once more brought back terrible, awful memories that she had no desire to relive. She shuddered at the memory of choking hands cmped around her neck. It was all okay now, though, she reminded herself as she put her hand to her neck. She was back where she belonged.

  Looking down at her deep green clothes, Maribelle suddenly realised why Bryn had left her old dress behind. A human wearing merfolk clothing would get spotted almost immediately. She whispered her thanks to Joyce for the clothes she had so kindly bought before changing back into her dress. It was a little saddening to be shedding the st remnants of her time as a mermaid. Still it had to be done.

  Once she had changed, she hid her merfolk clothes in the bag and quickly buried it under the sands in hopes that no one would find it. Once the evidence had been buried, she noticed a rarely used path that presumably led to Port Glorious. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve as there was no going back, and began walking away from the beach towards her new home.

  Slipping into Port Glorious was quite simple thanks to the ck of walls and checkpoints. It was quite on the streets, only a few humans were outside. Maribelle got a few looks from those around her, but reminded herself to stay calm. These people had no reason to assume she was anything other than human. She was just a normal human living among other humans. She’d just spent time living as a mermaid, that's all.

  After finding her way through the winding streets of Port Glorious, Maribelle found herself arriving at a market. The smell of the fish being sold immediately reminded her of the meals she had in Coraltide. She quickly cleared her head of such delicacies as she had much bigger priorities right now. She had to find her family, within the day, and without making a scene. That was not going to be an easy task.

  Weaving around the stalls, Maribelle searched the faces of everyone she passed. Perhaps someone from her family was working in the stalls or was buying food for everyone. She had to find them today for she had no food, no money and nowhere to stay. Panic began to settle in as her mind raced through different scenarios. What if she couldn't find them today? What if they had moved to another colony? What if the King's Call sank after she was thrown overboard? No, if that had happened, Bryn would have told her. How was she going to ever find her family?

  Maribelle was so caught up in her fears and worries that she almost failed to notice someone carrying a bag of groceries who was ever so familiar. She turned around trying to figure out who it was and what about them they almost recognised. She barely managed to avoid gasping in shock when she realised she passed by her own mother and not realised it. Not only that, but her mother passed her own daughter and did not react. Of course, her mother had believed that she had died on the King’s Call. Why would she assume that a stranger was actually her daughter? She almost rushed forwards to reunite with her mother, but relented when she realised how much a scene it would cause. As much as she hated it, for her own safety, she had to wait until her mother was in a more private location before revealing her survival.

  Maribelle kept her distance as she trailed her mother through the markets, and while she tried her stay hidden among the crowds, she also ensured she kept track of her mother’s position. Soon the run for food was over and Maribelle’s mother left the market; the sooner she returned home the better. Eventually, after passing through a few streets, Maribelle’s mother stopped off at a house that, in Maribelle’s opinion, did not look as stable, nor as big as their old home. It was also impossible not to compare her new home to Bryn’s colourful abode. Maribelle sighed at the memory, but this was not the time for regrets and so she resolved to press on forwards.

  As she arrived at the front door, she could hear her parents talking together, but heard nothing from Steph; Perhaps they were already working. As she reached the door, her hand hovered over the door. The moment to reveal herself to her family was here, and despite everything, her heart started to race. There was the awkward matter of how she was going to expin her story of survival. She gripped the door determined to keep going. The longer she held it off, the worse it would get. Building her courage, she pushed the door open, its creaking heralding her arrival.

  Entering the home of her parents, she saw them organising their food. They looked just the same as she remembered them. Her parents looked up to see who had just entered their home, and their eyes widened as they realised who it was.

  “Mother, Father. I am home,” Maribelle said, tears welling from her eyes.