Meeshell and her friends hurried toward the Creature Care Center, but then Meeshell spotted the colorful shape of someone sitting on the beach. It was Professor Yaga. As they grew closer, Meeshell could see that Hunter was there as well. The tide was low, and a series of tide pools had formed. Professor Yaga motioned from the largest tide pool. The girls gathered ’round.
“What’s that?” Briar asked, pointing to a black shape lying on the bottom of the pool.
“It’s a manta ray,” Meeshell explained. She recognized the creature as one of the mantas that she’d ridden many times back home. She knelt on a rock to get a closer look. The manta was listless, his eyes closed.
“This creature is obviously suffering,” Professor Yaga said as sunlight bounced off her hoop earrings. “Hunter called me and I got down here as fast as I could, but I cannot figure out how to help him. Can you speak to him?”
“Yes,” Meeshell said. “Manta Ray was one of the first languages I learned.”
“Oh, can I listen?” Ashlynn said, joining Meeshell. “I’d love to hear what Manta Ray sounds like.”
“Sure.” Meeshell stuck her head in the water and, to her surprise, Ashlynn stuck hers in as well. Then, with delicate precision, Meeshell blew some bubbles, their sequence spelling out words. The manta opened his eyes and bubbled back. After a few lines of conversation, Meeshell and Ashlynn both sat up and took deep breaths.
“He can’t swim,” Meeshell reported. “He collided with a shark.”
Professor Yaga stuck a gnarled finger into the tide pool and gently stroked the manta ray’s back. “If he can’t swim, how did he get here?”
“Coral brought him,” Meeshell explained.
“Who’s Coral?” Apple asked.
“She’s the daughter of the Sea Witch,” Professor Yaga said. She looked out at the ocean. “Is she still here? It would be helpful to speak with her.”
Meeshell expected to hear gasps of surprise at the mention of the Sea Witch, but none of the girls even batted a lash. Hunter looked unfazed as well. Guess they were used to witches of all sorts.
Meeshell pushed her wet hair from her face, then walked from the tide pool to the water’s edge. “Coral!” she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. “It’s okay. You can show yourself. We want to talk to you!”
Some ripples appeared at the surface. Then a blue face popped out of the water. “Hello,” Coral said to Meeshell.
“Hi,” Meeshell said. “Everyone, this is Coral.” She introduced the professor and her friends. Apple was the most delighted to meet someone new.
“You’re almost old enough to come to Ever After High,” Apple said. “Briar and I will make sure you get a warm welcome.” She pointed to her Welcoming Committee badge.
“Thanks,” Coral told her, smiling shyly.
“What can you tell us about the manta ray?” Professor Yaga asked.
Coral pushed her blue-black hair behind her shoulders and swam closer. “He and a shark got into an argument. I’m not exactly sure what it was about, but you know how opinionated sharks are. Anyway, he ended up getting hurt and he’s having trouble swimming. I don’t have all my magical powers yet, so I can’t magically fix him. I thought someone here could help.”
With the professor’s guidance, Meeshell, Hunter, and Ashlynn put the manta ray into a tub. Then the girls and Hunter carried the heavy creature over to the Creature Care Center, leaving Coral and Meeshell alone on the beach.
“How are things going?” Coral asked. “I see your legs didn’t fall off.”
“Yeah, they’ve been pretty good legs. Thank you for that.”
Coral pulled herself onto the beach. She stretched her red tail. “Do you think you’ll be okay with living on land? With losing your singing voice?”
Meeshell sat next to her, cross-legged. “I was worried about what I’d do with myself on land, you know, if I couldn’t sing and if I couldn’t have a tail. But I think I figured it out.” She looked up at the care center building. “I will never lose my connection to the sea because I’m going to focus on my studies in Beast Care and Magicment. I’m going to dedicate my life to taking care of sea creatures.”
Coral smiled. “Whoa, that’s amazing, because I’ve decided to do the same thing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. When Mom leaves to become a famous singer, I’m going to use my powers as the Sea Witch to take care of creatures, too. So we can work together!” They both laughed. Who could have imagined such a twist to their stories?
“I brought you a surprise.” Coral reached into the water and pulled out…
“Finbert!” Meeshell cried. Her little narwhal stuck his happy face out of the water.
“I’ve been working on a new spell. It’s a way for Finbert to stay with you at school. Watch.” With a flick of her abalone wand, a little protective bubble formed around Finbert and he floated into the air. With his tail acting like a propeller, he floated straight into Meeshell’s outstretched arms.
“This is so amazing,” Meeshell said with a laugh. “Thank you!”
After they said good-bye, Coral swam out of the harbor, smacking her red tail one last time before she disappeared beneath the waves. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Meeshell told her beloved pet. “Wait until you meet my friends. They’re going to love you!” She was about to walk up to the Creature Care Center when some splashing sounds drew her attention. It wasn’t ordinary splashing, like a fish enjoying some sunbeams, or a seagull diving for a treat. The splashing was urgent and frantic. “Uh-oh,” she said to Finbert. “Let’s go!”
She ran past the tide pools, around the bluff, and onto Mirror Beach. The beach was empty. An OFF DUTY sign hung from the lifeguard chair. But there, in the water, arms flailed. Someone was trying desperately to stay afloat. Meeshell caught a glimpse of a gold crown and realized instantly who it was.
Then he disappeared under the water.
She was at his side in a heartbeat, pulling him onto shore. He broke into a coughing fit, but she wasn’t worried. She knew he’d be fine. He’d only gone under for a moment. “Humphrey, I don’t mind saving you, but what if I hadn’t come by? Trying to teach yourself to swim with no lifeguard on duty, and no one around to look out for you just isn’t a good idea,” she told him. She reached out and grabbed his crown before it floated away.
“I can…” He puffed out his chest. “I can…” Then he deflated. “Yeah, you’re right. I can’t swim.”
His floaties lay up the beach, next to a log where he’d left them. She shook her head. “That’s not such a big deal! I’m sure a lot of land-dwellers can’t swim. Why do you keep risking your life like this?”
“I…” He swallowed hard and looked away. “I thought I needed to swim, so you’d like me.”
“Huh?”
Humphrey pulled his legs close and wrapped his arms around them. “I thought you’d only like me if I could swim. You know, because you’re a mermaid. I knew you were a mermaid from the first moment I met you.” He continued to look away.
“Really?” She was very surprised. “But how could you know that?”
He dug his toes into the sand. “Well, I knew you’d arrived by boat, so that was the first clue. Then I heard you tell Hagatha that you wouldn’t eat fish. Second clue. And I saw you jump back from the spilled tea and I realized that you were avoiding water. It all made sense.”
Wow, he was as smart as everyone said. “But if you knew I was a mermaid…” He still wouldn’t look directly at her. What was he hiding? She knew his big secret, that he couldn’t swim, but was there something else? The gleam from his golden crown drew her attention. “Barnacles! Are you StoryTeller2?”
He nodded, and finally looked into her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. The secret prince who’d meant so much to her during this first week at school, the prince who’d understood all her doubts and fears and her longing to fit in, had been right in front of her the whole time. “You’ve been risking your life for me?”
“Well, yes. I wanted you to like me, but I’ve never been able to swim. How can a guy like me even hope to get a date with you without being able to swim?”
“Humphrey, you don’t need to change yourself for me. Or for anyone. If I’m going to like you, then I have to like you for who you truly are.” She stuck his crown on his head. “Besides, I can give you swimming lessons anytime you want.”
He suddenly looked terrified.
“Or not,” she said. “It’s not necessary. Really. It’s your choice.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Then… then maybe we can go see a movie at the multihex sometime?”
“Sure,” she said happily. “That sounds like fun. But not a shark movie! Those are way too scary!” They both laughed. Then Finbert swam around Humphrey’s head, startling him.
“Whoa! A miniature floating narwhal. You don’t see that every day.”
As soon as her tail had dried, Meeshell and Humphrey headed to the aquarium to join the others. “I meant to tell you… your performance in the Happily-Glees was astounding. I’m glad you found a club.”
“Thanks. And I meant to tell you… Thank you for being there, when I needed someone to talk to.” She leaned close and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. His entire face turned as red as Coral’s tail.
A pair of gulls flew overhead, swooping in lazy circles. A seal barked in the distance, singing its own song. A tiny narwhal swam through the air. Meeshell inhaled the salty scent and smiled. Her heart was full. For she knew, without a doubt, that being her true self was the right thing to be.
And she put one foot in front of the other, taking the steps toward her next adventure.