After a quick explanation, Nixie gave Rikki Zac's phone number, and Rikki and Zac had a conversation on the phone.

Rikki told him about her, Cleo, Emma and Bella, and Zac told Rikki about him, Sirena, Nixie, Lyla, Mimmi, Ondina and Evie.

Zac and Rikki arranged for everyone to meet at the café the following day, so they could talk and ask questions. Zac didn't mention anything about Erik or the moon rings.

However, the next day it rained heavily, and Zac and his mermaids friends had to stay at Mako Island all day, and Cleo, Rikki, Emma and Bella stayed indoor on land. Mimmi suggested that Zac called Rikki and suggested she and her friends swim to Mako. But Zac had left his phone in his mother's car.

Then the following day Cleo had to work a double shift, and Emma had to go to an important soccer game with her younger brother, so they couldn't meet up that day either.

However, the day after that no one was busy, so all her mermaids and Zac were sat in the closed café, each with a different flavoured juice in front of them.

"So you guys were in the Moon Pool on Mako Island on a full moon?" Ondina asked, pointing at Cleo, Emma Rikki and Bella.

"Yep," Emma nodded.

"Well, not me," Bella said quickly. "I transformed into a mermaid when I was nine years old in Ireland. Me and my parents traveled a lot, because my dad is in hotel management."

Ondina and her friends had no idea what this meant, so they just nodded.

"And let me get this straight," Rikki said, leaning across the table. "You guys are actual real mermaids?"

"I'm not," Evie said. "I am a human, but I was transformed into a mermaid when in the Moon Pool on the full moon."

Zac raised his hand slightly. "I'm also not a mermaid."

Rikki rolled her eyes. "And you're a real merman?" She asked.

Zac grinned and nodded. "Yes."

"When did you guys change into mermaids?" Lyla asked. "We've been part of the Mako Pod our whole lives, and we never saw you, once. Did you go to the Moon Pool often?"

"Nearly everyday," Cleo replied. "We transformed quite a while ago."

"There was that one time when all the mermaids traveled to the Northern Pod," Sirena said. "I can't remember why, though."

"It was the anniversary of the death of Nerissa," Nixie pointed at Sirena.

Mimmi slumped back in her seat and looked down.

Nixie's eyes widened when she realised what she had just said. "Sorry Mimmi!"

"What?" Emma asked.

"Nerissa was Mimmi's and Zac's mother, she was pretty much the greatest mermaid that ever lived."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Cleo said.

"So you two are brother and sister?" Rikki asked Zac and Mimmi.

"Yeah, we only found out a few months ago," Zac said. "I lived on land my whole life."

Rikki leaned back in her chair. "Unbelievable," she whispered.

"Do you guys have...magic powers?" Mimmi asked Cleo, Emma, Rikki and Bella.

"Yes, we do," Cleo smiled.

"Do you guys?" Emma asked Sirena.

"We can do all sorts," Sirena smiled. "We can turn invisible-"

"Unlock doors-"

"Bend water-"

"Boil water-"

"Create lightning-"

"Okay, we get the point, you guys are amazing!" Rikki held her hands up.

Lyla smiled. "So what powers have you guys got?"

Cleo, Emma, Bella and Rikki showed the other mermaids their power: Cleo made a bubble of water rise out of her cup, Emma froze her juice, Rikki boiled her juice and Bella turned hers into jelly.

"...Wow," Evie whispered.

Just then they heard a rustling noise and everyone turned around to see a boy with light blonde hair walk in.

"Hi Cleo," the boy smiled, pulling up a chair and sitting next to his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, are we all not here?" Rikki asked, motioning to everyone else sitting around the table.

"Guys, this is Lewis, my boyfriend," Cleo said. "Lewis, these are Sirena, Nixie, Lyla, Mimmi, Ondina, Evie and Zac. They're also mermaids, and Zac is a merman." Cleo turned to face Zac. "Lewis knows about us being mermaids.

They quickly explained everything to Lewis.

"But...real mermaids...don't exist," Lewis commented.

"Then what are we?" Nixie asked. "Potatoes?"

"Some things in life just can't be explained scientifically," Emma shrugged.

Just then two more boys walked into the café. It was Zane, and his best friend Nate.

"What's going on?" Zane came over to the table.

"Leave it Zane," Rikki said through gritted teeth.

"The café is closed so we can have a break today, not so we can invite our friends over and give out free juices!" Zane said.

"So what's Nate doing here?" Rikki folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

Zane chose not to answer this. Instead he huffed, and lead Nate into the office. "I turned the sign on, to show that we're open, I hope you don't mind," Zane called out just as the office door shut.

Rikki rolled her eyes. "He's opened the café, and then complains that I invited you guys over? Urgh, men!"

"Who was that?" Ondina asked.

"Zane, my ex boyfriend, and Nate, his best friend."

"What a bundle of joy," Nixie said sarcastically.

"Does he know about your-" Mimmi began.

"Tail? Yes, Zane knows, but Nate doesn't," Bella replied.

"And you trust him to keep your secret?" Evie asked.

"We have too," Cleo said.

"We know he'd never do anything to hurt us," Bella said.

Zac nodded. "Guys," he addressed Cleo, Emma, Rikki and Bella. "We came here looking for you."

"Looking for us?" Emma asked.

"Well, not your guys in particular," Nixie corrected Zac.

"Just people like you," Sirena said.

"Humans which were transformed into mermaids?" Lewis asked.

"Exactly," Ondina nodded.

"Because there is a problem in the underwater world," Zac said.

"What kind of problem?" Emma and Cleo asked curiously.

"Sirena," Lyla said.

Sirena held up her hand so everyone could see her ring. "This is a moon ring, every mermaid in the world trains to get one. It contains strong magic which can only be controlled once a mermaid had been through all her training," Sirena explained.

"So how come you're the only one with one?" Bella asked Sirena.

"Because all our's were stolen," Evie said. "I had one too."

"Well, the metal wasn't stolen," Ondina said. "Just the blue stones that were inside them."

"Who would do such an awful thing?" Cleo asked.

"We think it's this guy called Erik," Mimmi said.

"He's a merman," Lyla said.

Zac then explained that there was once a trident, that was made to take away all the mermaids' powers. He then told them about the stone in the trident, and that the stone was needed to activate the secret Merman Chamber.

"And you think Erik's been taking the stones?" Emma asked.

Sirena nodded.

"We have had our rings stolen, except for Sirena and Nixie," Ondina said.

"Because we're fabulous," Nixie motioned to herself and Sirena.

"And because without our moon stones we don't have magic that is really strong and powerful," Mimmi said.

Bella smiled. "But we do," she pointed to herself, and then motioned to Cleo, Emma and Rikki.

"Exactly," Evie nodded in agreement.

"Will you help us?" Sirena asked.

"Mako is our home," Ondina told them.

"If Erik gets enough stones to start up the chamber all
would be lost," Mimmi said.

"We don't need a sad sob story," Rikki cut in. "Of course we'll help you!"

"Really?" Lyla asked.

"Mako island is like our home just as much as it is yours," Emma agreed.

"We'd love to help save it," Cleo nodded.

Zac smiled. "Great, I'll let Rita know."

"Rita?" Bella asked.

"She's another mermaid," Evie said. "She lives on land, and she's the Principal of my high school!"

Zac held up his phone and tapped on Face Time, and clicked on Rita's name. He grinned when her face appeared.

"Hi Rita," Zac said.

"Hello Zac," Rita smiled at him. "Are the girls with you?"

"Yeah they're here," Zac replied, turning his phone around so everyone could see Rita.

Sirena stood up. "You trapped Rita inside your phone!?" She asked horrified.

"No Sirena, I'm at home," Rita laughed.

Sirena turned bright red with embarrassment and Nixie pushed her back into her seat.

"Rita, this is Cleo, Emma, Bella and Rikki," Lyla introduced Rita to the girls. "And that's Lewis."

"These are the humans who have turned into mermaids," Mimmi said.

"And they've agreed to help us," Evie added.

Rita smiled. "That's wonderful news! Thank you very much," she said to Rikki, Emma, Cleo and Bella."

"Anything to help Mako," Cleo smiled.

Lewis smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Rita nodded. "I'm afraid I must go and carry on with some work, but please let me know if you need any help."

"We will do," Ondina replied.

"Bye Rita," Zac said.

"Bye!!!" Everyone else yelled in unison.

Zac's phone screen went black after Rita ended the call.

"If Zane's opened up the café I'd best get to work. Will you guys come back tomorrow?" Rikki stood up and addressed Zac.

"Definitely."

"I need to go too," Lewis stood up. "I need have about an hour to catch the tide in my favourite fishing spot. I'll come back tomorrow too."

Zac and his friends stood up and turned around to go, but they froze in their tracks when a young man entered the café. He was taller then Zac, and had blonde hair in a flick that leaned slightly to the right.

"Hi," the young man said. "I was just hoping if I could get three juices to go?"

"No problem," Rikki said, leading the young man to the counter.

Zac and his friends couldn't stop looking at the young man.

"Why are you all looking like that?" Emma asked.

"That's him," Nixie whispered.

"Who?" Cleo asked.

"That boy," Ondina sighed. "That's Erik."