Maribelle groaned as she id on something hard, her limbs twitching as she stirred from her unconscious state. She opened her eyes, but the burning brightness was too much for her. Blinking a few times she realised the brightness was the midday sun. So, she was alive. She had survived her execution. A smile came to her face as a great weight evaporated from her shoulders. She wasn't going to die today.

  She felt around and discovered she was on a wooden structure. The sound of rolling tides also told her she was close to nd. She doubted she was close to Port Glorious at least.

  Picking herself up she gnced around her surroundings. It looked like she was on a very small pier, and behind her was a forest. Yes, this was definitely not Port Glorious; perhaps she was on another isnd

  Looking down at herself, she noticed that her legs were still legs. She had thought that since she almost drowned again then perhaps Bryn would have transformed her into a mermaid again. Stroking her legs, she was shocked to realise that she felt a little disappointed that it had not happened again.

  Wait, where was Bryn? Maribelle looked around, worried that something had happened to Bryn.

  Panic began to set in; Maribelle remembered that Bryn had been wounded during the rescue attempt. What if the wound had been a mortal one? Her heart gripped with fear, Maribelle shouted, “Bryn? Bryn!” hoping her words would be heard.

  She waited, listening carefully to the sea for any sign of Bryn. Just before she shouted out again, a familiar grey face popped out of the water.

  “You're awake again,” Bryn cried out. “I'm so sorry, Maribelle. When I saw you were unconscious, I feared for the worst. It's all my fault. You almost died because of me.”

  “Bryn, you came back for me,” Maribelle said. Her heart soared with relief to see Bryn once more. “You saved my life again.”

  Bryn shook her head. “It's my fault, I never realised how bad things were turning at Port Glorious. I knew something was going on, but I never imagined it was that bad.”

  “What do you mean?” Maribelle asked.

  “When I left you behind, I swam around the pier to see how things were developing so I could share my discoveries with my coven. Oh deep abyss, there were so many cages.” Bryn wiped her eyes. “So many innocent souls. I tried to return and warn you of the danger, but you were already gone.”

  “You never left?” Maribelle asked, putting her hand close to her face.

  “No, you're not like the other humans, and I knew eventually something awful was going to happen to you. I couldn't just abandon you, so I linger around. I only left the shores to hunt and then I returned as quickly as I could. I wanted so much to warn you, but it was impossible to reach you,” Bryn said, tears streaming from her eyes.

  A tear rolled down Maribelle’s cheek. “I went back to that beach two nights ago,” she admitted to Bryn.

  Bryn turned away from Maribelle, her eyes filled with shame. “I went hunting that night. I'm so sorry, Maribelle. I could have warned you that night.”

  Maribelle id down on her stomach and reached a hand out with the tips of her fingers dipping into the sea “It's okay, Bryn. I never bmed you once. I was the one pushing to return. All that matters is that you came back to me. The only reason I'm alive right now is because of you. You did nothing wrong,” Maribelle said compassionately.

  Bryn took her hand, and Maribelle’s heart leapt with how good it felt to be holding her again. “Yes, you are alive. Behind you is a small secluded settlement that very few people know of. Not every human sided with the colonial government; some have founded their own homes. While there are those that would call them pirates, the truth is they are good people. They reject the path the colonies take. The vilge we are close to is one of them. The people there are sympathetic to merfolk, and they will accept you. You will be safe here Maribelle. No one will cause you any more pain,” Bryn said, averting her eyes from Maribelle's.

  Up close Maribelle could see deep cuts on Bryn's shoulders. They were not bleeding anymore, but it was likely that they still hurt.

  “Bryn, you're hurt,” Maribelle whispered. It was her fault that Bryn got hurt.

  “It's nothing compared to the suffering you went through. But it's over now, you'll be safe here. I'm sorry, but I need to return back. Joyce must be getting sick with worry over how long I've been gone. Goodbye Maribelle, I am gd I was able to save you from my mistakes,” Bryn said, her grip slipping from Maribelle's before she dived underwater.

  Once again, Maribelle didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

  She picked herself up, and looked towards the forest. It may not be where her family lived, but if Bryn said she would be safe here then it was most certainly true. Perhaps things would be better there then they would have been in Port Glorious.

  She turned around and faced the sea. There was of course another option open to her. One that had dwelled in her mind, one that a part of her wished to take. It was one that she had even dreamed of. She would be leaving much of what she once knew behind, but what she would gain was so much more appealing.

  Without hesitation she began sprinting down the pier. The pnks rattled as she stormed towards the end of the pier. She grinned as the end came closer and closer, and when there was nothing left to run across, she leapt eagerly into the water. With a great spsh she dived into the sea.

  As she sank downwards, she peacefully closed her eyes and let herself drift downwards. This time there was no fear as she was exactly where she wanted to be.

  It was not long until she felt soft hands hold onto her, and pull her towards the surface. Breathing in fresh air, Maribelle smiled at Bryn whose face was so close to her own.

  “What are you doing?” Bryn asked, her red eyes wide with surprise.

  “Well firstly, I never got to say goodbye,” Maribelle said, treading water. It would be so much easier if she had a tail.

  “I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd want to say goodbye to someone who had put you through so much torment. You were so terrified when you woke up in my home after I changed you. I wished I could have asked you, but there was no time. It's my fault you suffered so much,” Bryn mented.

  “Oh,” Maribelle said. She never did say thank you to Bryn for saving her. “We did have some good times together though right?”

  “Yes, but you were so eager to return home, I just knew you wanted to be anywhere but underwater,” Bryn said, still holding onto Maribelle.

  Looking into Bryn's sad eyes, Maribelle sighed. Yes, she had been rude to Bryn who had been nothing but kind to her, and she had often repeated her need to return to the surface. “This leads onto the second reason I dived back in. Thank you Bryn, for saving my life, for showing me such kindness in a difficult time, and for showing me your wonderful home,” Maribelle said warmly. “Being a mermaid was not a bad experience.”

  Bryn smiled back, her earlier sadness washed away with relief.

  Maribelle ughed, barely containing her eagerness. There was one more reason she had to share. “And now for my third reason: I've made my choice. I know you brought me here so that I may live safely among humans. I'm sure it's a nice pce, but there's somewhere else I'd rather go. You see Bryn-” she grinned with excitement. “I want to go back to Coraltide.” She took a deep breath. Her heart hammered in her chest as she was about to voice her greatest desire.

  “I want to be a mermaid,” Maribelle announced before ughing with glee. It felt so good to finally be honest with herself.

  “But- but I thought you didn't like being a mermaid. What about your family?” Bryn asked, clearly in shock, and maybe a little bit of denial from Maribelle's request.

  “To be honest I think I was in deep denial during that time. Maybe I was afraid of changing my pn, Or maybe I was afraid that I would be making the wrong choice. It doesn't matter now, I know what I want.” Maribelle sighed. “As for my family, they will be fine without me. There is no pce for me on the surface, but there is one for me by your side in Coraltide. So please Bryn, I want this,” Maribelle said, gently stroking Bryn's cheek. “If you’ll have me.”

  Bryn pced her hand on Maribelle's own. “Are you sure about this?” she gently asked.

  “Absolutely. I have never been more sure about anything in my life,” Maribelle decred.

  Bryn's features softened, her fear and worries meeting away with Maribelle's truth. “Very well, please give me a moment.” Bryn let go of Maribelle, closed her eyes, and began chanting a spell.

  As she waited in the sea water, Maribelle could not contain her excitement. She was about to return to being a mermaid once more. How delightful, how thrilling. What great fortune to have her dream come true. She watched, enraptured by Bryn's ritual and the joys that it promised.

  Bryn opened her eyes. “Do you, Maribelle Fairfields, wish for the Tide's Embrace?” she asked. Giving each word great importance.

  She wanted this, she desired this, she needed this. She was also going to have to change her name. The name Fairfields would not suit a mermaid. “Yes, yes, a hundred times yes,” she answered jubintly.

  “Then take my hand, and be welcomed back into the sea,” Bryn said, holding out her shimmering hands.

  Bryn had just about finished her sentence when Maribelle eagerly took Bryn's hands. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Maribelle said joyfully before diving into the water.

  She watched as Bryn's magic coursed through her body and began to infuse itself into her. She took a deep breath, thrilled that she could breathe sea water just as naturally as the fresh air again. It was such a wonderful relief to be able to breathe underwater again.

  Her ears began tingling. She put an inquisitive hand to one of them, and felt as her ear started to elongate and become thinner. She was regaining her ear fins. They were cute, they suited her well.

  She touched her hips as she felt something start to grow out of them. She watched with a wide grin as her side fins started to grow out from her hips. Slowly they took form, and once they were fully grown, she gave them an experimental wiggle. It felt like they had never gone in the first pce.

  When her legs began to shiver, Maribelle started to ugh. Of course, what sort of mermaid did not have a tail. Starting with her thighs, her legs began to fuse back together. Her ughter increased as she felt the bone and muscle in her changing legs merge and morph. Where her legs had fused together, purple scales started to repce pale skin. She ran a hand over her familiar scales, marvelling at their texture. Oh thank goodness she kept her purple scales, she loved the colour.

  Eventually all that was left to transform were her feet. Which soon started to change to a light purple before fttening out. Steadily, her fins started to tale shape and become translucent.

  Maribelle ughed with euphoria as she beheld her transformed body. She was a mermaid again. She realised during her transformation that she had descended down quite a lot in the sea. She looked upwards towards the surface as an idea crossed her mind.

  Kicking with all her might, she rushed up towards the surface. It felt so thrilling to be able to swim as a mermaid once more. Again and again she kicked, her speed increasing more and more. Breaching the surface, she ughed as she felt herself soar through the air. Sea water trailed from her body as she flew higher into the air until she lost her momentum, and dived back down into the sea. With a satisfying spsh, she returned to the sea. She spun and twirled with glee. While she was getting used to her new form. Bryn swam up alongside her, beaming with joy.

  “Thank you so much, Bryn. This is wonderful,” Maribelle said merrily.

  Bryn ughed softly. “It's always much better when the choice is made willingly.”

  “It really is,” Maribelle said ughing as she swam around Bryn. “Having said that, I don’t bme you for saving my life that day. I am sorry for shing out at you when I first saw my changes.”

  Bryn shook her head. “I don’t bme you. It would have shocked anyone to their core to discover they had become something else.”

  “And I never thanked you for your kindness, you did so much for me, and yet I never showed any gratitude to you. I’am sorry for that,” Maribelle said, reaching a hand out to Bryn.

  “All is forgiven. The only thing that matters now is that you are safe, and happy,” Bryn said, smiling as she took Maribelle’s hand.

  “By the way, why do you have your merfolk clothes on?” Bryn asked.

  Maribelle looked at her outfit. “They found them, the soldiers I mean. Before my execution I was forced to wear these again. ‘If I wanted to be a merfolk, then I should dress like one,’ they told me.” She ughed before continuing. “Well I may as well go ahead and become one instead.”

  Bryn didn't ugh, instead she looked so sad. “Oh Maribelle, I am so sorry. What they did to you was inexcusable. Are you okay?”

  “Right now, yes. In fact, I am more than that, I'm great. Perhaps when this is all over I will need some time to process that I almost died again. But right now let's just enjoy this moment between us,” Maribelle said, her smile faltering only for a moment.

  “Allright, let's enjoy this moment. I will always be here for you if you need to talk,” Bryn said, squeezing Maribelle’s hand softly.

  “Thank you Bryn. For Everything.”

  Swimming in sync, the pair of merfolk swam merrily through the waters. There was no direction to their swimming, they just went wherever their hearts wanted to. They rushed along the seafloor leaving a wake of disturbed sand. They spiralled through the water causing Maribelle’s vision to spin. They rushed towards the surface, hands parting before they leapt out of the sea.

  Diving back into the sea, Maribelle turned back towards Bryn and as they reached each other, Maribelle held Bryn close in a tight embrace. Arms wrapped around each other, the merfolk drifted serenely through the water. Maribelle’s

  “Thank you so much for this Bryn. I am so happy to be a mermaid again. It feels so right. Like it fits like a perfectly made glove,” Maribelle admitted.

  Bryn ughed sweetly. “I am relieved to hear.”

  Maribelle rested her head on Bryn’s shoulder. “By the way, do you have any food? I have not eaten since yesterday and I am starving.”

  “Lucky for you, I do have some spare food,” Bryn replied. Their embrace parted as Bryn picked through one of the pouches on her belt. She pulled out some slices of fish and presented them to Maribelle. “Don’t worry, they are properly cooked.”

  “Thank you so much,” Maribelle said, eagerly taking the fish from Bryn. Oh how long had it been since she had fish this fresh. She quickly consumed the fish, relishing its delicious taste. While eating, she nodded her appreciation towards Bryn.

  “Just what you needed?” Bryn asked with a smile.

  “Absolutely. Now I don’t know about you, but I feel like it's time for us to go back home to Coraltide,” Maribelle replied, grinning with the knowledge this time she truly would be returning home.