Mermaids of Kokololio (#JustWriteit 2016)

Chapter 5: Foul Play is Right, no, Wrong.

AN: CHAPTER 5!! I'm trying to make the book as quick as possible since the due date for the contest i entered this in is on the 30th, so i'm writing away! I'm pretty much making up the story as i go, so if anyone has any ideas i can go off of to add to the story that would be a 'spectacle!'

Sorry for that bad pun, I'm just so obsessed with the song 'Spectacle' By 'Lady RaRa', or otherwise know as 'The Countess.' Only Mlp lovers will understand ;D. Anyway, Have a wonderful reading day My wonderful horses.

"We're here." Ray says, pointing toward a rock wall with 5 dark openings.

"It, looks.... Dark." I say slowly.

"True, but that's why we use these." he says pointing to a small jellyfish bouncing around.

"A jellyfish?" I ask.

"Yeah, they inhabit the caves here. We don't disturb them and in turn they give us light. They're called Neon Jellyfish." He says smiling.

"Oh, I've heard of those. They're pretty cool." I look back at the small jellyfish that was now heading toward us. It was a blue color and was already glowing softly.

"This one is named Blue, he'll be our guide in the cave."

"Blue? Really..." I say looking at Ray.

"Yes and I didn't name him, the elders did. And he doesn't mind anyway, he's got no brain."

"Then how is he our guide?"

"It's a mer thing."

"Sure....." I say rolling my eyes.

I swim ahead of him and make my way in front of one of the caves.

"Which one?" I ask.

He shrugs.

I groan. "Really? How are you going to help me if you don't even know if she's here!" I say crossly.

"Hey, calm down. You don't need to get feisty as a lobster over it. Your cousin should be here, all mermaids and young mer were ordered to take refuge here. If she isn't here then.."

He didn't need to say anymore.

I swim into one of the entrances without waiting anymore and gasp in shock as more jellyfish appear, glowing brightly in the dark. Hundreds lined up against the cave walls, lighting up everything around them. I swim up to one and raise my hand in amazement as the light turns my hand into a beautiful blueish-whitish color.

I turn my head hearing soft music playing in the distance and swim toward it, listening closely with my ears and finding my way through.

"Wait." Ray calls.

I ignore him and continue. A few glowing orange anemones stood on each side of the entrance to another cave, huge with more jellyfish to lighten it up. Mermaids and mer children were playing music and dancing softly.

"I told you to wait." Ray says swimming up next to me.

"Why are they dancing?" I ask.

"It's a tradition for us to dance and sing, make music. Even when a war is going on we must stay high on hopes. These mer are not dancing because they're happy, they're dancing out of hope. Though the children do it for fun." He says smiling.

"It just doesn't seem, appropriate." I reply.

"Well, maybe not in your world but it is here. Come, let's start looking for your cousin." He says and swims in.

I follow.

The mermaids stop their singing and dancing and turn to look at us, some shocked more than others. Most were staring at me, some were just staring at my necklace.

"She's with me. We're looking for the cousin of Kau'i Kekoa, this is her grand daughter." Ray says, motioning for me to come forth.

I swim forward nervously and give a small smile.

"This was my Grandmother's-" I take off the necklace from around my neck and hold it high for all to see. "-if this looks familiar to anyone please say."

Two mermaids swim in front of me, surprised and happy expressions on them.

"That is Kau'i Kekoa's necklace. You really must be her grand daughter than. Please, come with me and my own grand daughter to the next room" One of them, the oldest with white flowing hair directs.

I look at Ray. "Thank you for your help, but I think this is where we should part ways." I say kindly.

"Eh, sorry Hannah. But I have to stay with you any way, the army..." He wanders off.

"The army what?" I ask, now suspicious.

"Well, the thing is. Well we've never seen a land dweller become a mermaid, and we don't know what you're capable of. You saw the ice,  you could harm mermaids." He says in a low voice.

"So, you're saying the mer army doesn't trust me?" I say slowly.

"Yeah, you understand right?"

"Oh I understand-" I start.

"See, I knew you would." He cuts me off.

"-But." I look at him to add a pause to help the suspense. "You're also saying you have to follow me around like i'm some child who needs a baby sitter. No. I will not stand for it." I cross my arms in defiance.

The mermaids who had still been watching with curiosity, fear, and shock now we're watching us with amusement at the little argument.

"Leave the poor girl alone Ray." One of them says.

He looks around at the staring mer and looks back at me awkwardly.

"Fine. I'll be outside." he mumbles and swims off.

I give a silent cheer of victory and turn back to my new found Kin.

"You coming Hannah?" The younger mermaid asks.

I nod. "Coming."

We swim through a cave opening and stop inside. The old mermaid and her grand-daughter sit on what looks like sponges and motions for me to sit down too. I awkwardly sit down with my tail like I would with legs.

"So, you're my dear cousin's grand-daughter hmm." She says politely.

"Yeah." I reply.

"So, what brings a land dweller to turn into a mermaid and come here, just to find me?" She asks.

"My Grandmother's best friend, Beth-nee, I call her Aunt Beth, told me about the war and how my Grandmother asked you too look into how, maybe something didn't go as they said it did. Maybe, some foul play?" I ask slowly, trying to sound innocent.

"Oooh, I remember... I did look into it, and I did find something interesting. Everything seemed to be normal at first, but as I started to interview the Soldiers I hit a surprising fact. Non of them had been attacked that night. They all said they were doing the same nightly patrols and hadn't seen anything suspicious, even the soldiers who were guarding the princess' room had said no one had come to them, except for one person. A merman named Akamai had went over and gave the soldiers some refreshments, soon after the soldiers said they had fallen alseep. Seems suspicious right?" She says.

"Pretty much.." I say thinking hard.  "Did they know what kind of drink it was? And how do you keep the liquid from floating out into the water." I add.

She laughs. "It's not like human drinks, it's a very spongy like goo that mer drink, some types help us to sleep. It's made out of a lot of things you can find in the coral reef."

"Soo, if some types help or put a mer to sleep, could that be what Akamai gave the soldiers?" I ask.

"That's what we were thinking. But the question is, why?"