In the living room, all the sea creatures were hugging each other, deeply moved by Coral’s speech and song.
Slowly they became aware of a low, rumbling sound. It was distant at first, but got louder and louder.
Ramone’s eyes widened. ‘Stealth and the Urchin Army! It has begun!’
Thousands of frightened fish looked desperately at each other.
‘It is sooner than we thought, but you are ready, my crew. Be strong, be brave.’
He turned slowly, his shell chains swaying.
‘Especially you, Coral.’ He smiled his lopsided, beaky grin at her. ‘This is it, and I know you can do it, girl.’
Coral was terrified. ‘I … I thought I could, but now…’
‘The strength comes from inside you, from that pure heart of yours. Remember that, remember your father’s song. Stealth’s darkness can never put out that light.’
Coral threw her arms around his enormous, smooth shell, and Ramone wrapped his fins around her. ‘We’ll always be with you.’
Coral nodded, her throat tightened. She must not cry.
Fabulous shimmered beside her. ‘Best friends forever. True friends find a way, right?’
‘Right,’ Coral whispered.
Fabulous raised a tiny fin for a high five. Coral put out her finger and brushed it softly along Fabulous’s gossamer fin.
‘Then let’s do this!’ bellowed Fabulous in a voice way too big for a fish that small.
At that moment, the doorway of the living room crashed open, and a tsunami of poisonous urchins crashed in.
‘ACTION!’ Coral and Ramone shouted in unison. Glancing at each other, they nodded determinedly.
‘I’ll take the hallway,’ shouted Fabulous, darting through the black, spiny invaders.
‘Sofa!’ commanded Coral.
Urchins massed towards them, but hundreds of fish dived behind the sofa, lifting it onto its side, forming a barricade. The sofa fabric was made of woven tweed. It was bold and bright and her mother had loved it, giggling to herself when visitors winced at its garishness.
Now that firm weave was serving as the perfect trap for the urchin army. As they attacked the sofa, their deadly spines were getting caught in the cushions, trapping them like flies in a web.
‘Chairs!’ Coral shouted.
The armchairs were transformed into barriers, snaring the urchins as they tried to get past, the strong fabric making it impossible for them to pull away.
Ramone turned ninja with a lamp stand. He swirled it round with his fins, sending urchins scattering with the shade at one end and the wooden base at the other.
Otto the octopus put on the performance of his life. He used his amazing colour-changing ability to camouflage and attack. Coral saw her mother’s yellow curtains come to life as Otto suddenly burst out, sending a tower of menacing urchins tumbling down.
Fighting on the carpet was Marvin the eel, who was crackling with electricity. He zapped urchins by the dozen. The current made their spikes drop out.
The fight seemed to be going in their favour. But Coral understood she must face Stealth, and face him alone. She knew he was waiting for her, and she knew where.
Grabbing hold of a small coffeetable, Coral held it in front of her like a shield and kicked hard. She ploughed through the urchins and headed for the door.
*
Out in the hallway, the battle was raging. Coral saw wave after wave of urchins try to force their way up the stairs. Facing them were the crack team of Sea House defenders.
Fabulous, flanked by the seahorses Dobbin and Swish, yelled orders at a large troop of puffer fish, led by a courageous Bubba.
Every time the urchins made to infiltrate the upstairs, Bubba bellowed, ‘PUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFF!”
Rows upon rows of puffers inflated, spikes bristling.
‘CHAAAARRRRGGGGEEE!’ boomed Fabulous.
As the urchins rose up to attack, the puffers dived from the top of the stairs in defence. Spikes clattered against spines.
The puffers forced the urchins back, stinging them with the venom in their spikes when they could. Then they retreated and resumed their position at the top of the stairs, ready for the next offensive.
Dr Sweetlips was on the landing, tending to any injured puffers. Despite the casualties, they were undeterred. This was a fight to the end.
‘Puffers, PREPARE!’ shouted Fabulous.
Every uninjured puffer gathered. They had another trick under their fins.
Yet another wave of urchins pushed forward. Bubba was ready.
‘Puffers, PUUUUUUUFFFFFFF!’
The puffers puffed, drawing in a huge amount of water into their bodies.
‘Puffers, EXPEEEELLLLL!’
All at exactly the same time, the puffers blew out the water with all their might. Together they were like the jet from a powerful garden hose. The urchins plummeted over the bannisters as they were blasted back down the stairs.
Coral’s heart swelled with pride. But there was no time to stop. She had to face Stealth. She dodged her way through the mayhem, heading for the kitchen.
Again she saw that strange, greenish glow shining from behind the door. As she approached, the door began to open. Mustering all her courage, Coral swam inside and the door shut hard behind her.