On the horizon y Coraltide, and it was just as vibrant as Maribelle remembered. She swam towards the city, her hand intertwined with Bryn's. Assistance was unnecessary, but something about holding Bryn’s hand felt right.

  The journey back had taken a few days, and in comparison to the trip to Port Glorious it had gone much better. Not only was she still riding the wave of euphoria her transformation brought, but they did not have to contend with the currents. It was almost as if the sea itself was encouraging Maribelle to return to Coraltide.

  “Almost home,” Maribelle said with relief.

  Bryn smiled. “Yes, exactly. By the way, you're more than welcome to stay at my home.”

  “Thank you Bryn. That is very kind. How long may I stay for?” Maribelle asked.

  “As long as you need to,” Bryn answered.

  “What about Joyce?”

  “Well Joyce just likes to stay around. I don't mind, she's good company.”

  Maribelle sighed. “I've got a lot of expining to do to Joyce. I think I broke her heart when I left,” she said sadly.

  Bryn squeezed her hand, smiling in sympathy. “It will be okay. Joyce understands why you had to go to the surface. It's just hard to say goodbye sometimes,” she said sympathetically.

  “When you save someone like me, how often do people leave?” Maribelle asked, curious to how many others like her there were.

  Bryn pondered the question for a moment. “Usually people end up choosing to stay, but almost just as often they choose to return to the surface instead.”

  Maribelle ughed before replying, “well from personal experience I can see why most stay here. Life down here is wonderful, and being a mermaid certainly has its perks.” her free hand caressed her tail.

  Bryn smiled. “Yes, it is always wonderful to see someone discover herself,” she said, looking meaningfully at Maribelle.

  It was hard for Maribelle to not blush before Bryn's warm gaze.

  But then Bryn sighed. “But it's always awful when it goes wrong. Usually when people wake up to their new form, they are of course, shocked. Sometimes after the surprise dies down, they find themselves eted when they discover their new body.” She shook her head. “But other times there are those who respond with nothing but horror and disgust. They would sh out with so much anger, their accusations cutting so deep. I just wanted to help them, but in the end I just ended up hurting them. Sometimes they would even slip away from the city, and I know they would have been lost in the tides and perished alone.”

  Maribelle watched a few tears float away from Bryn as they swam together. She realised that those experiences would expin much of Bryn’s behaviour.

  “I'm sorry, Bryn. I must have brought back some bad memories,” Maribelle said sadly.

  Bryn wiped her eyes with her free hand. “I feared the worst when you first woke up. It is true that you seemed to recover well, but with your insistence on returning, I felt like you were just putting on a brave face.”

  “Maybe I was back then, but now I know that this is exactly where I want to be. Thank you Bryn, you showed me something wonderful, and I am thrilled to be a part of it now,” she told Bryn, hoping the truth would cheer her up.

  “Thank you. I am relieved to hear that,” Bryn said, her smile returning.

  “Let's just put it all in the past,” Maribelle suggested. “Right now, I just want to focus on the present.”

  “I like the sound of that. Come on, we should let Joyce know we are both safe,” Bryn said.

  Maribelle nodded in agreement, kicking with her tail to pick up momentum in sync with Bryn. She could not wait to return home.

  *****

  Bryn knocked on the door. “I hope Joyce is in,” she whispered.

  Maribelle and Bryn waited outside the door to their home. While she floated around, Maribelle considered what she was going to say to Joyce when they reunited. Joyce had been ever so kind during Maribelle’s time in Coraltide, but as, they did not part on the best of terms. She would not be surprised if Joyce held a grudge against her, but she really wanted to stay friends with Joyce.

  After a brief wait, the door opened revealing a worried looking Joyce. Her coiled tail loosened when she saw Bryn. “Oh Bryn. You were gone so long, I was terrified that something had happened to you,” she said, rushing forwards to embrace Bryn. Before she did so, her eyes locked with Maribelle’s

  Smiling sheepishly, Maribelle waved to Joyce, whose eyes widened in surprise. “Hello Joyce, it's good to see you again,” she said nervously.

  Joyce put a hand over a mouth as she stared at Maribelle in complete shock. “M-M-Maribelle? Is that really you?” she asked, drifting closer.

  “Yes, it really is me. There's quite the story to it, but in the end I decided that you were right, that I would be happier here.,”

  Joyce rushed forwards and embraced Maribelle tightly, Maribelle could feel Joyce’s long tail wrap itself closely around her own. “You're okay, oh thank the tides you're okay. I just knew something terrible would happen if you returned to the surface.” A few tears drifted away from Joyce. “But why did it take you so long to return? I spent days worrying for both your safety. What exactly happened?”

  Maribelle continued to hold Joyce close. “I am so sorry for making you worry so much. It's a long story, and I think it will be best to expin things inside.

  How about I cook us up something nice while you two catch up. Then we can share a lovely meal together,” Bryn expined.

  While Bryn prepared some food, Maribelle and Joyce took their seats at the dining table. Maribelle looked around the familiar room recognising all the decorations. She then smiled, no longer about this house was just a temporary abode. Now it was her home.

  Joyce fidgeted on her seat. Something was eating away at her.

  “I'm sorry for causing you so much distress,” Maribelle said.

  Joyce sighed before squeezing Maribelle’s shoulders. “I can’t hold anything against you. I understand why you felt compelled to return to the surface. I wouldn't want anyone to be torn between two choices like that.”

  Maribelle nodded before looking at the door. She would wait until Bryn returned before starting her story. It was only fair she also knew what had happened.

  After about half an hour ter, during which Maribelle and Joyce shared some small talk, Bryn returned with a ptter of sushi.

  Eagerly taking one, Maribelle popped it in her mouth and savoured its fvour. She squealed with delight, she had missed merfolk cuisine far more than she had expected.

  She looked to Joyce and Bryn, who was just taking her seat and began to expin what had happened on the surface. She told them how her parents had accepted her return. It did bring her some sadness to know that she was unlikely to see them again, but she had made her peace with that. She also shared her experiences of trying, and in hindsight, failing to adjust to life as a human. She had tried so long to delude herself into being something that she was not. To finally be able to be true to herself brought her great relief.

  “I know now that my experiences here changed me. It may have been difficult at first, but I must confess that becoming a mermaid was one of the best things that could have happened to me,” Maribelle admitted, smiling contently at the truth.

  Bryn beamed back with relief at seeing a mermaid accept herself.

  “So someone called ‘Fairfields’ prefers being a mermaid,” Joyce said, chuckling at the irony.

  “I don't want to go by that name anymore,” Maribelle suddenly said. It took her a few moments to realise she had even said it.

  Joyce's coughing brought her ughter to a halt.

  “What did you have in mind?” Bryn asked eagerly.

  “I was thinking that ‘Maribelle Fairtides’ is a much better name for me now. Don't worry Joyce, I took no offence. I actually think what you said was funny,” Maribelle said, grinning widely.

  Joyce nodded back in appreciation.

  “I think that's a lovely name for a lovely mermaid,” Bryn said, smiling dreamily.

  Maribelle's face turned a deep red at the compliment. “You really think so?”

  Bryn nodded. “It's the real you.”

  That just made her blush more. However it faded away as she remembered she had to expin the rest of her story. Bryn and Joyce's smiles vanished as Maribelle shared her experience of being dragged to prison. They looked on in horror as Maribelle described her prison cell, and how horrible her trail was.

  “Edward, the man who tried to murder me, he was there.” Tears floated away from Maribelle's eyes. “He twisted the truth about what happened that terrible night, and made me the vilin of the story. I didn't recognise him at first on account of that stupid fucking mask of his.”

  Bryn turned her head away, presumably in disgust.

  Joyce on the other hand was furious. She smmed her hands onto the table, using it to push herself up. “That absolute bastard!” she screamed. “You can't trust those red coated pieces of shit. They are just sadistic freaks who see anyone who isn't part of their little club as their pythings: I despise them so much.”

  Maribelle reeled back a little, shocked at Joyce's fury. She was right of course, they all joined in with Edwards cruelty. But how did she know that they wore redcoats? Has she met one once?

  “What did they do to you?” Joyce asked, her tone hardened with cold fury.

  “When I was found ‘guilty’ it was delivered that I was to be executed by-” Maribelle hesitated for a few moments. “Drowning.”

  Joyce's fists clenched in anger.

  “They had found my merfolk clothes.” Maribelle gestured to her top. “So they forced me to wear them in order to humiliate me. And then- and they- they-” she tried to speak but the despair that had been covered by euphoria broke free. She broke down and sobbed into her arms. “The only reason I'm alive is because Bryn saved me, and they wounded her.”

  Maribelle continued to wail in anguish. She had bottled up those dreadful emotions for so long and now they were coming out in a torrent. As she cried, she felt arms wrap themselves around her as Bryn and Joyce came to comfort her.

  “I'm sorry,” Maribelle sobbed.

  Bryn stroked Maribelle's head, her hand ran from the top of her scalp to the back of her neck. “There is nothing to apologise for. Your allowed to cry. You went through so much that day, but it's all okay now, Maribelle.”

  “That's right. Those cruel bastards can't get you here,” Joyce said, soothing Maribelle's sorrow.

  Turning her head to Bryn, Maribelle saw the mershark smiling as a few tears floated away from her eyes. Yes, she was safe now. She was surrounded by friends who cared for her, where she belonged, and who she was meant to be. Everything was going to be okay now.

  Eventually the tears subsided, and Maribelle's emotions finally settled down. Terrible things had happened to her, but she had survived. She will move on from this, and those wounds will heal in time.

  “Thank you, I really appreciate your kindness,” Maribelle said as she looked into Bryns red eyes. She then remembered Joyce's and turned to her. “And you too, of course.”

  Joyce said nothing, but she did smile slyly as she drifted away from Maribelle. Holding onto Bryn for just a moment longer, Maribelle couldn't help but wonder if Joyce was hinting at something.

  “I'm okay now,” Maribelle said. As Bryn returned to her seat, Maribelle helped herself to another piece of sushi. They tasted so good, she had to remind herself to not gorge on them all, and to leave some for the others.

  Swallowing her food, Maribelle turned to Bryn. “There's something I've been meaning to ask,” she said.

  “What's the matter?” Bryn asked as she settled into her seat.

  “That day, when you saved me again. I noticed that I was able to hold my breath far longer than I should have. Was that your magic?” Maribelle said, curious as to what happened that day.

  Bryn pondered the question for a moment. “I think the best way to describe it is this: when I transformed you back into a human, some of the mer remained. It was only a trace of course, but it allowed you to survive longer than a normal human would have.”

  Maribelle nodded to herself as she helped herself to another piece of sushi. Bryns magic had changed her in more ways than she had expected. Not that she was compining because Bryn had given her something truly wondrous.

  “I'm sorry, but there's something I need to know. It's about that day,” Bryn said while she fidgeted nervously.

  Maribelle could tell that Bryn was worried about the pain her question would bring. But she trusted Bryn, and knew she would not ask without good cause. “Ask away.”

  “That mask Edward wore, was there anything else unusual about it? I'm sorry, it reminds me of an old legend I once heard of,” Bryn said.

  Maribelle's hand reached for her neck. Bryn had done so much for her, answering the question was the least she could do. “Well it took me some time to realise it, but the mask was to be a replica of his own face. I don’t know why they fashioned it like that though. Oh, there was also the horrific stench that followed him. Imagine a corpse drowned in brine and you can't go far wrong,” said, her voice quieting as the memories of the trail returned.

  Bryn whispered something in Merrow before telling Maribelle, “thank you, I'll need to look into it.”

  “Is everything okay?” Maribelle asked. Based on Bryns reaction, she knew something that Maribelle didn't. Something terrible.

  “Yes it will be,” Bryn said, trying to brighten her smile. “This is something that can be handled. Besides, there's more important matters than old legends to be discussed.”

  “Like what are you going to do now, Maribelle? You're a mermaid now, that's quite the change in lifestyle,” Joyce said before popping some sushi into her mouth.

  “You're right, that's a very good point. I'm not entirely sure right now,” Maribelle admitted. Right now her life was open to her in a way it never had. “I could learn how to make merfolk clothing. It was my original pn on the surface, and clothes down here are far more exciting that what's avaible on the surface. But on the other hand, maybe I want to try something entirely new,” Maribelle expined as ideas whirled through her mind.

  “Take your time, Maribelle. The council provides for all merfolk who live in Coraltide. For those born as merfolk and those who discover they are merfolk ter in their life,” Bryn said, smiling warmly.

  Maribelle smiled back. “I realise now I never asked before, but what do you do Joyce?” she asked, turning her head towards Joyce.

  “Oh me? Well I'm a teacher,” Joyce said.

  “A teacher? Well I never expected that,” Maribelle excimed as she leaned in.

  Joyce ughed gently. “I never expected it either, but it turns out I'm quite good at teaching those little mers all the important lessons they need to grow up into good merfolk.”

  Maribelle nodded while deep in thought. “I suppose I'll need to start learning Merrow if I'm going to be living here. Don't suppose you'll be willing to help?”

  “Sorry Maribelle. I already have my hands full teaching my students. But maybe Bryn would be willing to help?” Joyce suggested with a sly wink.

  “Would you like that? I’ve taught others from the surface,” Bryn said, still smiling.

  It was certainly appealing. Maribelle had been taught by Bryn before, she was a patient teacher who encouraged Maribelle to keep going. “I would like that very much. I'm looking forward to it,” she replied.

  There was much for Maribelle to learn, but she was surrounded by friends who care deeply for her. She was confident that everything in time would work out for her. As Maribelle looked into Bryn's eyes, she knew in her heart that she was home.