Chapter Text
Ms Chatham's boat was moored by the Gilbert's dock.
"I don't mean to put you out..." Ms Chatham looked at me as I set out to make the couch more comfy.
"I couldn't have you take the couch," I paused, "Why haven't you been taking your meds?"
Ms Chatham's eyes widened, "How did you know?"
I smiled even without looking I knew it was a little bittersweet, "I know lots of things, but don't you think its time not to be so mysterious and just talk to the girls."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw as Ms Chatham's eyes searched for mine, "You talk as if you are not one of them." She smiled as my eyes widened and darted behind her toward the stairwell.
"Has there ever been four changed before? Or is just three a coincidental number?"
"The moon chooses whoever falls into her depths."
I sighed. More riddles, at least this one made sense.
I turned toward her, "The Gilberts' know. None of the other parents know though."
"Perhaps you are wiser than we were. It can be a heavy burden to have all on your own."
I wondered if perhaps the airy quality of her speech was just how Ms Chatham had always talked.
Rikki came through the door, "Emma said...oh." Her eyes fell upon Ms Chatham.
"You must be Rikki." Ms Chatham gave her a bright smile.
"Yep." Rikki eyed me.
I gave an encouraging smile.
"Will you tell us about your time as a mer, Ms Chatham?"
Ms Chatham giggled, her laughter sounding like chimes.
"Straight to the chase, Ember, was it? Yes, I sense the ember of life in you."
"Ok then..." Rikki sat down next to me on the couch.
"Perhaps we should wait until the others are here, so I can tell the story only once."
"We are here." Emma walked in with Cleo beside her.
Lisa came in carrying some drinks with straws for us. She handed out the drinks before sitting on the couch across from Ms Chatham. "I'll update Niel when he comes home."
Ms Chatham nodded, "When were were fifteen, Gracie, Julia and I visited Mako Island. We were curious about the island that was surrounded with so much mystery. The beaches were pristine and it was like our own private paradise. We decided to explore, we were so young then we thought we were brave explorers and then we fell through a hole at the base of the volcano. Finding no way out other than through we found ourselves at the moon pool. Night came and we realized we would have to swim out. The moon pool began to bubble around us as the full moon rose over Mako Island and the next day we found ourselves forever changed."
"Are you still...?" Rikki nodded toward Ms Chatham's legs.
Only to be answered as Ms Chatham waved her hand in the air and a breeze whipped through the room ruffling our hair before it died down.
"Air, not ice." I whispered.
Fan theories were wrong. The girls didn't have the exact same powers as Cleo, Rikki and Emma.
"It is true." Ms Chatham nodded.
"What of Gracie and Julia's powers?" Emma asked.
"Julia had the ability to control fire." She nodded toward Rikki. "Gracie could control water." Ms Chatham nodded toward Cleo.
I leaned forward my elbows on my knees and my head on my hands, "And natural mers have you ever met them?"
Ms Chatham nodded, "Gracie and Julie didn't explore the seas as I did. I never could get enough of it." She smiled, "I met my late husband upon the sea. We bought the Lorelai, he picked the name he thought it fitting."
Cleo smiled probably thinking of her own love who would swim the sea beside her.
"The natural mers do they have moon rings? What about mermen how are they treated?"
"Whoa, whoa, one question at a time, Ember." Lisa waved trying to encourage me to slow down.
"Mermaids have a prejudice against mermen that goes back hundreds of years. I have heard of mers abandoning their sons or taking them to be adopted on land."
"That's so sad." I nibbled my lip, all because of one power-hungry mer the whole lot of mermen were thrown away.
"It is." Ms Chatham nodded. "Although mermen can be violent, I've never met one that was to me. However, turned mers hold higher respect among the mermen since they don't hold the same prejudices as natural born."
"Do they have different colored tails like us?" It was another thing I'd been curious about. I wasn't sure how much of the extended universe with the sequel I could rely on it to be truth.
Ms Chatham smiled, "You can always tell a natural mer from a turned. Natural mermaids all have golden tails, where as turned mers have a color that reflects their power. Something which can change over time as you grow more powerful."
"What are the moon rings?" Emma asked no doubt remembering my past question.
"Only something the head mer of a pod have. It is a valued item that enhances their powers to the strength it would be on a full moon."
So that differed from 'canon'. It wasn't a rite of passage to gain a moon ring, instead only the leaders had them.
"The powers they achieve with a moon ring eventually can be learned the longer the mer has been in the water and practicing their own abilities. For instance...." Ms Chatham waved a hand over her body and she went invisible or rather camouflaged. We could kind of see an outline of her but it blended in with the background behind.
She reappeared and Rikki bounced in her seat.
"Ooh teach me!"
"After your first anniversary as a mermaid you should be able to access more enhanced versions of your gifts. It will take time to harness other elements."
Rikki tilted her head to the side, "When did you learn?"
"It took me over five anniversaries before I was able to access other elements. It was slow going though." Ms Chatham smiled, "I had a natural mer teach me."
"I thought mermaid pods kept to themselves." I spoke up.
"I never said it was a mermaid." She gave a wistful smile, "I almost took his offer of courtship but I'm afraid I would have never had a life on land if I had." She shrugged and chuckled, "It was not long after that I met my Liam." She ran a hand over her ring finger where a pretty pearl ring still sat.