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Chapter Text

Babya told me the stories since I was a babe in her arms.

She would sing the ancient songs soothing the stormy nights into a soft patter of rain against my windowsill.

“Are we mermaids, Babya?”

My four year old self sat on my grandmother’s lap looking at the leather bound journal spread out over both our laps.

A chuckle came from the old woman, her long silver white hair fell across the pages as she kissed my forehead.

“The Sildroher that we descended from were much more than the legends of sirens or mermaids. They were closer to the Making of the world far more than those who had the abilities to bend the elements. Their songs could calm a fierce storm or bring one.”

My grandmother told me the ancient tales of these supposed ancestors every night before sleep.

My upbringing was an odd dichotomy of the ancient ways my grandmother raised me with and the modern feminist my mother was. My father came from a vibrant Jewish family, I had so many cousins I’d lost count. In comparison, my mother’s family had an odd history. The few records showed them coming to the Americas on one of the first immigrant ships, back in the 1600s when Russia was the ‘Tsardom of Russia’.

Babya wasn’t allowed back to my dad’s family get togethers after she descended into the ‘ancient language’ too often when conversations became heated. Mum said the last time she’d gone there, a freak storm flooded the Lewis grandparents home.

It was sometime after my fifth birthday that my parents decided to place her in a home, mum was ‘fed up with the nonsense her mother was teaching Darcy’.

Before Babya left she gave me an heirloom necklace that had been passed down to each child whose ‘soul was meant for the sea’. A small dagger wrapped in filigree seaweed with a string of small pearls and vibrant pink coral beads.

The night before she left I sat on my bed and watched the full moon rise, humming the song of the moon she had taught me. For a moment it seemed like my night light flickered. I blinked as I saw my room fade from view and I was kneeling in a meadow.

A boy stood head down looking at his hands as if in horror.

His lips trembled and words spilled out from his lips familiar to the language Babya had taught me.

His head shot up. Dark gray nearly black eyes stared at me.

Swirls of black erupting from his hands, his eyes wide with fear.

As the cool tendrils reached me, I gasped, “Shadows, not smoke!”

The shadows wrapped around my wrist and tugged at my clothes.

I smiled at him and his lips quivered as if he was still afraid. “Are you my…?”

My voice faltered as I saw a thoughtful look pass through his features.

His mouth opened as if he were about to interrupt but it gaped instead.

I looked where he was staring to see my hands to see them see-through.

I blinked and I was back in my room, looking up at the full moon.

I ran to my babya’s room knocking on the door until I heard the steady steps and cane tapping I knew well.

“Babya, I met him! My soulmate.”

After I was situated on her lap while she sat on her rocking chair by the window she listened as I told my story.

She nodded along as I expounded on the shadows the boy wielded.

When I finished I looked up into her ocean blue eyes,

“Do you think he was my soulmate?”

My grandmother nodded, “Perhaps moya Darya…” A bittersweet smile came upon her lips, “You will be the first in our line to break the curse.”

My grandmother believed that all the girls that had been born since the time the family emigrated were cursed. For none were ever matched with their soulmates. Either they were blank, or their marks didn’t make sense, some even invisible but only wisps of heat or cold could be felt.

When I was born, my mother hoped I was blank.

I wasn’t.

By my first week tendrils of black would wrap around one or two arms.

As I grew up my family made it a rule that I had to wear long sleeves. I always got the feeling that they were ashamed of the ‘smoke’ that would on occasion wrap itself around my limbs.

Soulmarks were an ongoing source of debate in the science community. They had been around for as long as records were made, none ever understanding how they came about.

Often showing up on only one arm or leg, a soulmark displays your balance’s talent, passion and on occasion habit.

As one could imagine this led to a wide range of possibilities, some beautiful while others worrying.

In school I knew a boy with a soccer ball soulmark that would bounce around his right shin. Another schoolmate’s left arm would on occasion blossom with floral sketches, some in color and others in charcoal like sketches.

So when I had black tendrils my parents assumed the worst.

I would tiptoe towards their room and hear them whispering about the possibilities; an addict, a factory worker, some other unknown. The general consensus was that my soulmark was too odd and so I would need to hide it.

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Not much changed except for daily swims out to Mako with Emma and Rikki. They would test how long they could hold their breath while I tried to keep to myself the differences between our two forms.

One day when the girl’s were over but I was in my room working on getting homework finished. Rikki came and knocked on my door.

I opened it and gestured to my egg chair by the windows.

“Thanks.” She sat on my bed, her legs crossed, “I just can't take any more of it, all they do is whinge, whinge, whinge.”

I chuckled before setting my pen aside and offering some chips to her.

It was quiet except for the crunching sounds from Rikki snacking.

“Anything for you yet?”

I glanced at her only to see her wiggling her fingers at me.

“Powers?”

I'd read the first journal that Babya had given me, and the best I could understand was that I was in the adolescence stage of Sildroher. I wouldn't be able to achieve too much until I learned the ancient songs. When I did I would have to be careful which songs I sang.

I shook my head and raised an eyebrow at Rikki, “You’ve seemed to take all this rather well.”

“It’s the most awesome thing to happen to any of us and all they do is complain about not being able to do the stupidest things.”

I nodded. I’d been invited to the pool party at school as well but I’d turned down the girl that was handing the invites out. The easy cop out of having to focus on schoolwork was easy for an exchange student like me. We were in different grades anyways, other than the girls I hadn't really jived with anyone else yet.

I looked at the blonde, “Can I tell you a secret?”

Rikki got up, checked the hall before closing the bedroom door. She looked back at me with an expectant look, “This wasn't strange to you from the start.”

I chuckled and sent some finger guns her way.

“Can’t fool you Rikki.”

I went to the closet and pulled my locked journal from my suitcase.

I looked at the blonde, I had a good sense about her. She was all hard edges but I could tell she was a solid personality. I unlocked the journal with a key I kept around my neck along with my heirloom necklace, before handing it to Rikki.

“I wouldn’t worry about not getting an ability yet. I think you’ll get it when you least suspect.”

Turning pages and Rikki hummed in interest as she read some of the pages that had English and not the old language written on them.

“Sildh…” Rikki tried to sound out the word.

“Sildroher. My Babya would tell me about how all children from her line that learned the ancient ways could one day return to the sea on a full moon night.”

Wide blue eyes gazed up at me, “You haven’t told…”

I shook my head.

“Emma is already suspicious of me.”

“Why me?” Rikki dropped the journal in her lap, gaze searching out mine.

“You love it like you were born to it.” I smiled remembering how Rikki took to the water. “If Emma found out she’d never forgive me thinking its my fault.”

Rikki turned the pages of the journal before turning to show me an image that looked like the moon pool.

I walked over and sat on the bed. I grabbed a chip. Then gestured toward the journal, “Babya would say that there were pools dotting this world where natural born mer would soak in the rays of the moon.”

“No wonder you took it well.”

“I’m used to the strange.” A shiver went down my spine as I felt a surge of emotion running through my connection with my soulmate. I rubbed my arms, a habit I picked up when I felt her soulmark move.

“You too?” Rikki tugged at the bottom of her long sleeves, “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

I let out a laugh before rolling my sleeves to show the shadow tendrils that curled around my forearm.

“He’s angry today…and sad.”

Rikki whispered, “I thought I was the only one. I looked it up when I was little, all the books say only the soulmates that have met can feel each other’s emotions.” She rolled up her sleeves, a smirk on her lips as she looked at the twin blades on either arm twirling across both arms, “Mine seems to be having fun today.”

After that day Rikki and I became thick as thieves.

Both of us bonded over having dangerous soulmates.

We were happy we were not alone.

I would often go for a swim after my volunteering at the after-school program to teach kids how to use computers. I had gotten a waterproof fanny pack that I’d wear with my cellphone in a waterproof plastic bag.

After a near miss at a pool party, when Cleo’s not-boyfriend Lewis (they were very obviously soulmates, even though they weren't confirmed) discovered the girl’s secrets, we made a promise to keep in contact whenever fishy things happened.

One such emergency came when Cleo, overwhelmed with a sense of justice, got over her fear of the water. She went on a search for her father’s fishing boat which was fishing in illegal areas.

Emma, Rikki and I went on rescue mode when we heard that due to a previous swim they’d had there was a hunt for a shark, making it very dangerous waters for us all.

We reached Cleo just as she had ceased struggling caught in the nets of the fishing boat and it was starting to reel her in.

We swam up to her quickly. Emma freezing the line. As I tried to tear the net apart, I let out a gasp as my nails lengthened into dangerously sharp points. I quickly got over it as I used them to cut through the net until we got our friend free.

Things continued to get more complicated when the girls discovered that the full moon caused the girls to react differently.

I was in Mako that night having felt the pull of the moon, and a song in my heart that felt like it was nearly bursting to be freed.

There was a sense of urgency as I sang the old moon song my Babya had taught me. I hadn’t sung it since the first time I met my soulmate. My parents back then had been set on distracting me when my Babya had left. Then school began and like a typical child my mind was filled with other things. However, I never forgot my soulmate and when I hit puberty I began to feel his emotions with the curl of shadows along my arms.

So when I sung that night I sung with my heart upon the song. The melody sounded haunting in the clear moon night.

I felt as the water bubbled around me and then it felt like was tugged down into the pool by some unknown force.

As the bubbles cleared a chilling cold surrounded me and crimson floated dotted the water, fear rose in my heart.

Through the dark water I saw a silhouette sinking deep in the water, my instincts drawing me to him. I swam quickly pulling him into my embrace, his cheeks too cold and his head injured. He was older than the last time I saw him but younger than I. I sped through the water with him breaking the surface. I brought him onto the snow covered ground to the side of icy lake I’d burst from.

“Please wake up.” I dragged myself up onto the land taking in deep breaths of the chilling air. I proceeded to try to force oxygen back into his lungs and did compressions on his center where his lungs lay. “Please I can’t lose you like this…”

Coughing filled the night.

“Thank the Making.”

Wide fearful eyes turned toward me, before they settled on my sea blue eyes.

I leaned forward. He flinched away.

“I’m glad you didn’t die.”

I leaned back looking down to see my body already turning transparent again.

“Wait!” His voice was hoarse.

(The language translated in my mind as soon as I heard it.)

“Until next time soulmate.” I spoke back in the old language. Then I was back in the moon pool, the water no longer frigid, but a shiver still ran down my spine. There had been bodies in the water, thankfully I was able to get my soulmate to safety. I looked up at the moon and pondered on why I was seeing him out of order. I thought I’d see the 17 year old version of him but I saw a preteen.

The girls, well more accurately Lewis had endangered the girls secret. (Rikki had told me she’d convinced Cleo and Emma not to let Lewis know about me.) The problem seemed to go away for a while.

Later the girls met an old lady Ms Chatham. Cleo would tell us about her odd comments.

When her boat got impounded Emma took her in.

After dinner one evening she looked over at us telling of the adventures she had with her husband aboard the ‘Lorelei’, their boat.

She liked speaking in hints toward the girls’ secret but when she set her eyes on me, they widened.

“There is something different about you.”

Unlike the others who were afraid to ask, I sat beside her.

“Did you ever know a woman by the name of Katya Murphy?”

Her eyes gazed in the distance, a smile upon her lips that seemed whimsical, “Her name sounds familiar like an ancient song sung on full moon nights.”

I nodded, “I’m her Darya.”

She leaned forward and whispered, “Have you returned to the sea too?”

I gave her a smile which she returned.

She turned back to the other girls, “Friendship is the key. Your burden is too great, you must have friends beside you to help.” She glanced my way again, “When you’re different its best not be alone.”

The next day I got a call from Emma, she was scared about Ms Chatham who’d left the house. I left volunteering early that day and ran to the marina where Emma and Lewis waited with a boat.

“Why did you call her?” Lewis looked at me in curiosity.

Before Emma could reply, I spoke up.

“Ms Chatham was kind to me. I’d like to help.”

Emma glanced at me with a nod before turning to Lewis, “Hurry.”

We caught up with Ms Chatham’s boat only to see the annoying teen Zane’s dingy already alongside it.

He came out as soon as we arrived, “It wasn’t my fault.”

Ms Chatham had a heart episode.

Emma and Lewis were quick to get her in their boat.

I climbed into Zane’s, “I can’t weigh down your boat. I have a bad feeling about the floatability of hers. I better stay here to make sure the jerk gets out safely.”

They weren’t far away when a small explosion sounded at the base of the boat and a yell from Zane came from within. I went to the Chatham boat door to find it rammed shut. Taking a deep breath I pulled and pulled, my eyes narrowed as I felt my muscles ripple and as I yanked the door open again I yanked it off its hinges.

I waded through the ankle deep water. Thankful for my differences at that moment. My kind changed when they wanted to change.

I pulled Zane up over my shoulder and quickly made it off the sinking boat jumping onto his.

Coughing sounded beside me as I maneuvered his boat away from the sinking ship.

“How did you do that?”

“Adrenaline I guess. You know mother’s can lift cars if their babies are in danger.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed and teeth ground but it was lost with how much he looked like a wet growling puppy.

“Are you calling me…”

“Hush everything is going to be ok.”

He sat up, wincing as he did so.

“We should get you checked up on once we get to the harbor.”

The girls would have many near misses in the coming days.

One such one came too close, but in another way. They almost killed someone, well Emma did. Rikki and Cleo had work in tandem to revive the girl Emma had frozen.

Rikki sat on my bed, the aftermath causing her to shiver.

I brought her up some hot cocoa. Homemade whipped cream with cinnamon on top with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup. She sipped the hot chocolate gaze staring out into the distance.

“What if…I couldn’t…what if I didn’t.” The shivering started up again.

Rikki ran hot but that day she was cold to the touch as if in shock. I bundled her up in a light blanket and sat beside her offering as much comfort as I could with presence.

I tried to think of something but nothing came to mind except… “I…”

I stopped, I didn’t want to make this about myself.

Rikki had gone through a traumatic event.

“Come on, tell me I’d like something to distract me.”

I took a deep breath, first I needed to give context.

“‘I’m able to transport myself to my soulmate’s side on full moons.”

“Whoa,” it was quiet but I could still see Rikki starting to emote a little bit.

“This last full moon…he almost died in my arms. He’d been injured and he wasn’t breathing. I thought, ‘what if’ then too.” I took a deep breath, “These gifts we have come with so much responsibility it can be overwhelming. It’s easy to make light of the situation but…”

“It still comes back to haunt you.”

I nodded. Rikki showed a rare moment of vulnerability as she rested her head on my shoulder and I rested mine on hers.

Chapter Text

My differences with the girls started coming to the head when Emma noticed me come back from school on a rainy day. Things had gotten a bit out of hand for them as they tried to cover up the reason they couldn’t go out into the rainstorm. I knew I would have to come clean to Cleo and Emma soon.

It was another full moon night when Rikki was affected.

The Gilberts had gone camping leaving the house to Emma.

Lewis arrived ready to full moon proof the house.

He looked at me in curiosity, “You again.”

“She knows.” Rikki spoke from the living room.

“Is there something you haven’t told me?” He glanced from Cleo to the rest of the girls.

They didn’t answer, instead Emma pushed him out as soon as we finished proofing the house.

“You are not staying Lewis. I promised my parents, no boys.”

Lewis left but as he did the reflection of the moon bounced off reflective surfaces. I glanced around the corner to see Rikki staring at the reflection in her glass of water.

“Rikki?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you ok?”

Rikki stood, “I’d like some ice cream.”

When she couldn’t find any, the room seemed to get hotter. Rikki seemed to get more antsy.

“I can’t stand this heat.”

Rikki’s body started overheating.

“I think you are affected, Rikki.” Emma looked worriedly at the other blonde.

An explosion of juice, soda and other liquids in the kitchen followed.

“I’m sorry I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Rikki wiped some sweat from her forehead.

Cleo was quick to set a fan in front of Rikki, “We’ll get you cooled down and then everything will be alright.”

Things escalated from there.

“I should take Rikki to Mako.”

Cleo shook her head, “You’ll be affected too.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed, “It doesn’t affect you does it?” She came closer, “Just like you can get wet. You are different from us. What are you?”

I shook my head, “Rikki comes first.”

We all jumped as we heard the front door slam as Rikki made a run for it

I chased after her.

“You’ll tell us when you come back.” Emma's no-nonsense face was on.

I looked back at them and nodded, “Now close your eyes I’m opening the door.”

Lewis ran past me, as I ran towards the pier after Rikki.

I followed the bubbles left after Rikki’s speed swim to Mako island.

When I reached Mako, the island was on fire. The edges of the beach alight with red and golden flames.

“Rikki,” I whispered as I started my trek through the brush. It was as I was making my way through the flaming jungle that I noticed I only felt warm from the blaze, no sweat was on my brow. It was as if extreme temperatures couldn’t affect me.

I kept walking til I found Rikki sitting at the center of a ring of flames. Her knees pulled up to her chest. Tear-tracks down her soot-covered cheeks.

I came to sit beside her. Her eyes stared at the ground, her face full of grief.

“There’s something wrong. I can feel it here.” She pointed to her heart, “and here.” She rubbed her arms. “I can't take this…this…” A sob wrenched through her parched throat, “It’s too much. It’s too hard. No one understands.”

I stayed silent only scooting closer offering my embrace to Rikki.

“I’ll burn you.”

“I’m tougher than that, elements don’t seem to harm me.”

Rikki leaned into my embrace, “Do you think this will ever get easier?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think we are meant to be alone?”

All my life my mother had taught me how to be alone, how to take care of myself and not rely on anyone else. It was lonely.

“We’ll never be alone if we’ve got each other.”

Even through Rikki’s haze her stony face split into a wistful grin.

“That was so cheesy.”

“I know.” I giggled. I stood and offered my hand, “Let’s go to the moon pool.”

Her blue eyes looked still so far away but she refocused them and grabbed my hand.

By the time we reached the moon pool she was in the moon haze again. Her body heating the pool’s water around us, getting to jacuzzi temps and higher.

“You are not alone Rikki you’ve got me.”

Two heads popped up from the pool’s water and two voices joined, “You’ve got us.”

The bubbles faded and Rikki blinked.

“Did I say cheesy? That’s so…”

I let out a relieved laugh, “She’s back.”

When we got back to Emma's, the Gilberts had arrived back early. They grounded Emma for the ‘party’ and Emma covered for me saying I’d been taking care of Rikki who wasn’t feeling so good. She took all the blame, with a look of ‘you owe me’ on her face.

After her week of grounding the four of us met at the moon pool and I told them the story my Babya told me.

“So you are a natural born mer?” Emma spoke up, her lips pursed and her eyebrows lowered as she pondered over the new information.

“Something like that.”

“I thought…” Emma metered out.

“You thought it was because of me but Ms Chatham disproved that. She met my Babya after being turned alongside her friends.”

“So where does this leave us?” Cleo looked around.

Emma spoke up, “We keep each other’s secrets like always. It’ll help that Darcy can do more than us, especially when it comes to full moon nights.”

Emma and I didn’t bond until Harrison, Zane’s father, had a meeting with her parents and a couple of others. He wanted to turn Mako into a tourist spot.

Emma’s resourcefulness and my stubborn determination worked hand in hand as we got a signed petition of over a hundred locals. We notified the conservationist about the endangered species that surrounded Mako. The community took up arms against Harrison’s ideas of development.

Mako became a private reserve.

Ms Chatham showed up occasionally, giving sage wisdom to the girls.

When Rikki found an identical locket to the one that Emma had found in the moon pool (and that Cleo wore), Ms Chatham told the story of Louise, Gracie and Julia. She told of a time where her friends kept the same secret and the trials that threatened to expose and separate them.

Later with Lewis’s help Rikki was able to buy the locket. When Rikki offered the locket back to Ms Chatham, the older woman told Rikki to keep it. She took her own locket off and gave it to Emma, each locket now sat on the neck of the mer with the ability that matched the gems.

Ms Chatham patted my knee, “I have something for you too.”

When the girls left, I helped the older woman back to her home at the retirement home.

“Come come.”

I walked through her door seeing several items that the girls and I had helped salvage from her shipwrecked boat.

Ms Chatham’s bracelets jingled as she took a large chest from her closet. I rushed forward helping her to place it on her coffee table. Kneeling beside her I watched as she took out many items, including a couple water damaged photos of her and her friends as mers. From the bottom of the chest she pulled out a small box that she handed over to me.

“This belongs to you.”

I glanced up into her ice blue eyes before peering upon the wood box carved with shells and shifting seas. My fingertips followed the patterns to the latch before lifting it, nestled in a worn algae covered cushion was a silver ring. Too open clams with pearls nestled in their mouths framed a moonstone at its center.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I have met many mer since those early days but none stood out to me like Katya. She had helped a pod to survive a near discovery and they gifted her this.” A smile upon her lips, “Well she had to fulfill a couple more challenges before they gave it to her. The rings are one of a kind, made especially for each mer that finishes training at their Academy. Some whispers say the Academy is in the lost city of Atlantis. There are many strange and wonderful things in this world. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was one of them.”

I took the ring from the box. I marveled at how it seemed to hold a full moon reflected along its surface when shifted a certain direction.

“They store moonlight. The rings magnify natural born mer abilities. It's said they can even make themselves invisible while wearing them. This one was made especially for your grandmother when she graduated from their Academy.”

I slipped the ring upon my right index finger.

“Shouldn’t I earn it like she did?”

The old woman shook her head, “Katya and I wrote for a long time. She told me of her granddaughter. She asked me to bestow the ring to you when we met.”

“She knew…”

An old sad smile, “She always had a knowing air about her. So very perceptive.”

Chapter Text

After a school dance, Cleo and Lewis at last became an item. Their soulmarks flared to life after the first kiss they shared. Cleo was gushing about it non-stop, but I suppose that was to be expected.

Cleo had always been unsure since Lewis’s mark had been blank until after she became a mermaid and then it flared to life. She thought that his soulmate was the mer side of her but he was quick to tell her how he’d always liked her ever since they were little.

She was on cloud nine.

Their bubble burst when Dr Denman came back to town.

The marine biologist that stole Lewis's research on the girls. He'd destroyed it back then, but the very fact that she knew something existed with the changeable qualities was dangerous.

“So what’s Dr Denman doing back?”

“I don’t know but whatever she is doing, she’s moored by Mako.”

I had peeked around Emma’s corner overhearing the news when Emma glanced my way.

“Well at least we have Darcy.”

It didn’t take long for Lewis to come and inform them, “She found a new cell sample from the moon pool.”

I looked Cleo in the eye, “I know how tempting it is to go to Mako, don’t. We should stay clear of it for now.”

Rikki looked at me, catching my determined gaze.

“I don’t like that look.”

“If I were her, I would be curious about this new discovery. I’d set up cameras around Mako trying to catch a glimpse of a new species.”

“She would have to have the conservationist groups approval for that.” Emma shook her head.

“Which I doubt she has, so any attention she gains will only put her under the microscope. In the meantime I need you all to go full lock-down.” I looked into each girls' eyes, trying to convey the absolute seriousness of this.

“But Mako is our safe place.” Cleo pouted.

“Not right now it isn’t.” I shook my head.

“What about Denman?” Rikki spoke up.

“We’ll have to do what Lewis did a 2nd time…Destroy the evidence. I can get wet and you all can’t. I could swim with Lewis and remove the cameras if there are any…or if we need to make a quick exit off Denman’s boat.”

“Have you swam without…?” Rikki stopped glancing at Lewis.

“Without what? What haven’t you told me?” Lewis glanced at me and then Cleo.

“It wasn’t their secret to tell Lewis.” I waited for him to jump to his conclusions.

His eyes grew wide, “I knew it! You are a mutant!”

“Rude. I’m pretty sure they prefer superhuman or something and no…I’m a natural born mer.”

“I thought you came from Brooklyn.”

“I do. Not all my family returned to the sea.”

Lewis glanced around the girls and then back at me, “I feel like there’s more you’re not telling me.”

“I barely told Cleo and Emma a few weeks ago.”

“Wait! Rikki knew!” Emma shouted.

Rikki glanced in my direction, “We bonded over our soulmarks.”

“Oh.”

Soulmarks were sacred and even Emma couldn’t refute wanting to keep certain things like that between only a few.

The full moon rose and the girls were locked uptight at Cleo’s. I was seen at Cleo’s too for an alibi. I activated my moon ring with a conscious thought to be invisible. I waved a hand in front of my face and marveled at the new safety net I had. Then I climbed back down the stairs.

I walked down to the marina to see Lewis waiting at the docks.

“I’m here.” I whispered in Lewis’s ear.

“Ah!” A weird squawk-like sound came from him as he turned around, “Where?”

“A little gift from Ms Chatham, allows me to be invisible.”

“I want one.” Lewis whined.

“Go and cause the distraction we want everyone off the boat.”

“Why?”

“We need to draw attention to Denman, how else but her boat going kaboom.”

“You are frightening.” He gave a shiver.

“Why thank you, now go.”

I sprinted and lept in the water mentally telling my body not to transform and low behold it didn’t. I held my breath for a while before reaching the surface and paddling closer to Denman’s boat.

I pulled myself up onto the boat, keeping to the shadows even with invisibility nothing could be certain.

I flattened myself against the side of the boat as Denman and her guard went off the ship when raised voices started up. They seemed to have only just come to the deck and hadn’t tied down yet. As soon as I saw the others off I went up to the helm. I turned the boat on, and revved her until she exited the harbor. Shouts from the dock could be heard from behind.

I wouldn’t have much time before they got another boat out.

I made it to the open sea in record time.

Before stopping and searching the boat for the sample. Underneath a desk that was Denman’s I saw a black box.

“There you are.”

I checked the rest of the ship making sure there was no one else on board.

I lit the cigar I snagged from Cleo’s dad’s secret hiding spot (from a new box, not even opened yet that everyone in the house knew where it was). It was generic, nothing special, the labels pulled off and I jerry rigged the ship to blow, opening the fuel lodge and placing the lit cigar nearby. Something I’d seen in a treasure hunting movie once.

I jumped from the ship after throwing the black box overboard. The black box was heavy but I was able to swim with it, and when I got a little bit away from the blast zone I broke the latch with my bare hands. The strength rippled through me like it had before when I saved Zane. The sample was in a plastic container which I grabbed before swimming away, invisible still to the naked eye.

I brought the sample back to Cleo’s after climbing up to her window before ‘turning off’ my invisibility.

The girls let out a squeal as I came into view.

“Sorry.”

I gave the plastic container over.

“Is that it?”

Rikki promptly destroyed the sample.

The next day Denman was on the news. (I’d swam back to the wreckage early in the morning and gotten rid of any evidence.)

Lewis wasn’t held under suspicion long due to no evidence shown of foul play, only a faulty line that had come undone.

It was still a mystery how the boat had drifted so far by itself. Denman told anyone that would listen that it was foul play.

No one would listen.

As they found out about her putting equipment all through the Mako reefs without prior permission.

The news showed divers going down and removing the equipment as safely as possible so as not to disturb the local wildlife.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

While I attended classes I would get ‘power’ updates from Lewis after tests the girls would do of their powers on Mako.

The powers were overpowered and seemed emotion based.

The girls were not sticking to the rule of not using their powers day to day like we agreed.

Emma had used her powers so her brother could win a soccer game.

Cleo had used hers against her sister when irritated.

Rikki set a couple of fires.

Then one day between classes I got a call from a worried Lewis.

Cleo had told him to back off a bit, that he’d been too clingy lately.

“I mean Lewis you went from being a bit scared of her to being with her 24/7 that can feel like smothering.”

“Whose side are you on?” Lewis whined.

“Neither, I am neutral.” I sighed, “Look Lewis, Cleo has a lot going on her mind right now but she’ll tell you when she needs help with things. In the meantime its best to act like a normal friend and boyfriend.”

“No smothering?”

“No smothering.” I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “No following her around. If you didn’t do it before the events at Mako, don't do it now.”

After my next class I saw a voicemail from Cleo.

When I called her back she was quick to the point.

“You told Lewis he was smothering me!”

I massaged the pressure point between my eyes, this was why I didn’t want to get involved.

Lewis had been contacting me more often since he found out I liked the sciencey stuff. We were more friends than when I went to school with him last term.

“Wasn’t he?”

“Well…”

I took a deep breath, “Look Cleo I told him I’m a neutral party in whatever this is, but I told him to evaluate his actions more that’s it.”

A long sigh, “He was around all the time.”

I laughed, “He cares, Cleo. Together I’m sure you can figure out a balance.”

A couple of days passed and I got calls from both as they figured out each other’s boundaries, each using me as a sounding board.

At the meetup at the moon pool, the girls and I caught up.

“There’s a girl hanging around Lewis. I don’t like her, but Lewis said they are friends.”

“Has Lewis told her you two are soulmates?”

“Yeah…” Cleo looked at each of us.

“Then you have nothing to worry about as long as you trust Lewis.”

“And if she gets close to our secret?” Rikki spoke up, her brow wrinkling.

“Lewis won’t tell. He learned from Denman.” Cleo spoke up.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on her.” Rikki nodded.

“No passive aggressiveness that will only get her suspicious that you are defensive for a reason. Oh and continue using code words like I suggested. All journals are locked up right?”

Cleo nodded, “I hid the key somewhere not even Kimmy can find it this time.”

“Good. Men-in-black are a real thing. They don’t just go after those with mutant abilities, they look out for anything strange. I used to see it happen when I lived in the big city. You all have to be careful.”

“Yes mum.” Rikki joked around with an eye roll.

That’s how the rest of my year went.

Lewis called when he found an old book about mermaids that seemed to be exact. I reminded him to keep any research locked up and not to talk about it public or use public computers.

One weekend while I was studying at the library I got a call from him. As I stepped out I asked, “What’s up Lewis?”

“I need an expert. The other girls are suspicious so they won’t help.”

“Is this about that girl hanging around you?”

“Her name is Charlotte. She is friendly. She said she understood when I told her I was soulmates with Cleo. But she’s always showing up places and she likes to hear me talk about science and fishing and…”

“Lewis…” I waited for him to stop before saying, “Charlotte likes like you. You need to be more straight to the point if that doesn’t work then you need to keep your distance. Anything that seems like a date is in her eyes. Charlotte seems like a determined person and you are too nice.”

The Charlotte issue came to a head one night.

Cleo was missing a once in a year event where the reef spawned, she needed to support her father who was having dinner with a lady.

When she met up later at the moon pool, she looked between Rikki, Emma and I.

“You won’t believe what happened. The lady was Charlotte’s mom. Lewis came over to help support me, but then Charlotte’s mom kept distracting me so that Lewis and Charlotte could be alone. Then…” Cleo took a deep breath, having not taken one yet in her excitement, “You should have seen my dad. When he realized what Charlotte was doing he told her off and then did the same with her mom. He lost the sale of the year to protect Lewis and I.”

“Bravo Mr Sertori.” Rikki spoke up.

One night the Gilberts were away as their house was getting repairs. I didn't have anywhere to go. Rikki reluctantly offered, “You can stay at mine but…” She paused, “We’d have to share.”

“I don’t mind. Growing up I had to do that with my cousins whenever I visited them.”

Rikki led me to a trailer park. Her eyes kept darting toward mine as if expecting something.

“What?”

“Nothin’.”

When we got to the Chadwick home I smiled at the vines that climbed the trellis over the entrance, it felt inviting.

Blocking the entrance were legs that came out from underneath a vehicle and a muffled voice, “Is that you Rikki?”

“Yeah.”

“And friend.” I spoke up.

The man slid out from underneath, his gaze going from his daughter’s face to mine.

“Hi I’m Darcy.” I waved when I saw he was self-conscious about his oil stained hands.

He looked me in the eye, a searching sort of gaze, and I smiled.

“Dad enough.”

“Did I measure up?” I spoke up with a grin and watched as the man’s serious gaze lit up from within.

He let out a chuckle, “Welcome to our humble abode.” As he gestured toward their trailer he walked over to the sliding door and waved me inside. He passed by me through another door to their kitchen. Opening the fridge door and grabbing a cold drink, offering me one.

“Not legal to drink yet, at least in the States.”

He shook his head and chuckled, “Root beer. My daughter won’t let me have beer anymore, trying to get me on a healthier diet.”

I sat on the bar stool and grabbed the root beer he slid over the counter. He glanced between his silent daughter and me before chuckling.

“So you are the Darcy.”

I turned toward Rikki and waggled my eyebrows, “Oh, The Darcy am I?”

Rikki shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“You’ve meant a lot to my daughter.”

“Enough Dad.”

“Ok ok.” The man held his hands up in surrender when he caught his daughter’s glare. “That glare can start fires. I’m off.”

I swiveled on the bar stool, “I definitely could have been there for you more.”

Rikki shook her head, “You are always taking care of everyone else. When do you get a chance to take care of yourself?”

I looked down swiveling, “I suppose its a distraction.”

“Over the break did you see your soulmate?”

I shook my head, “My mom oversees my whole life when I’m there like a hawk. I swear sometimes I wonder if she can hear my breathing through the walls. I snuck out one night and she was waiting for me when I came back from the convenience store.” I looked at her, “What about you?”

Rikki had started having dreams shortly after turning into a mermaid and receiving her first fire ability.

“They’ve been clearer lately. I can almost hear his voice and see his face.”

I hummed beneath my breath, “Maybe if you knew his name…”

“How would I do that?”

“Well try calling him different names and see if the dream sharpens. You said he likes being mischievous often, then try something completely off the wall next time like…” I chuckled before glancing at Rikki. My voice hushed, “Like Loki, legends have him as the master mischief maker.”

Rikki shook her head, “That’s ridiculous.”

“Next time I see mine I’m going to ask for his name and if he doesn’t give me it I’ll make up a name for him.” I looked into the distance, something telling me in my gut that would annoy my soulmate, maybe just enough that he’d give in and tell me his real name.

For the first time ever Emma called me to inform me she thought she might have found her soulmate. He was a riding instructor, which correlated well with horseshoe marks along her arms and legs on occasion.

It was also the shortest conversation I ever had with her, Emma and Ash had a bit of rivalry going on.

I would get occasional calls from her, complaining about something else that Ash did that aggravated. It was honestly kind of adorable.

Then I got a call from a crying Cleo, “She…she…”

“Deep breaths Cleo.”

I listened as Cleo hiccuped before taking a big gulp of air.

“Charlotte has started tutoring me because I’ve been failing biology and…and…”

“She’s being rude?”

A confirmation came on the other line before Cleo, “She makes me feel stupid and she keeps asking about Lewis but in a way that makes me feel like…like…”

“Like she knows him better?”

“Yeah.”

Cleo was the sweetest of our group but also the easier to hurt from outside forces. She had a strength in her but it was rarely in protection of herself instead it was for others.

“How about this, I can tutor you on the weekends. I’ll sign a note and everything if needed.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah.” I smiled, “Plus I want to keep my girls safe, and Charlotte seems to be a red flag.”

This time I could hear laughter in Cleo’s voice, “Your girls?”

“What, I can't be a tad bit possessive of my friends?”

A full blown laugh was heard on the other end and I smiled, happy to hear the joy back in Cleo.

Charlotte wasn’t a problem that much anymore. She tried to low-key bully Cleo for a bit but the girls stood up for Cleo and the counselor got involved.

Still I told the girls to keep up precautions.

Be careful what they talked about at school and for Lewis to stay away from Charlotte.

Over one of the semester breaks, Rikki got me to convince the girls to hunt for some sunken treasure. I knew what this was about.

I’d been over a couple more times at her house and I’d seen the bills piling up. I had a feeling things were getting tight for them. But I also knew Rikki would never ask for help, not monetary anyways.

“I overheard Zane talking about a sunken treasure off the coast of Mako.”

“So?” Emma sat at our Juicenet table on her break. “Why should we care?”

“It sounds like an adventure.” I glanced at Emma, “It would be a nice change of pace.”

Rikki leaned forward, “Who knows Mako better than us?”

“I don’t know…” Cleo metered out.

“Well I’m in.” I spoke up.

Rikki looked at Emma with a waggle of her eyebrows and Emma stood up, “I have work.”

Rikki turned back to Cleo and I, “With the three of us…”

“Four.” Lewis chimed in, “With my smarts and Darcy’s super-strength we’ll be able to bring it to the surface no problem.”

“We can store it at Mako until we can collect the reward.”

Cleo wasn’t so sure but seeing the excitement on all our faces and Lewis pouting she came along.

We searched all day, a couple times hiding from Zane and his buddies who were diving. I would hold the girls hands before willing my moon ring to turn us invisible.

“I’ve got to get myself one of those.” Rikki spoke when we broke the surface.

“How are you guys doing?” I looked from Cleo to Rikki, both looked a bit tired out.

Lewis leaned over the rim of his boat, “Caprisun anyone?”

“Me!” I raised my hand and got a strawberry kiwi, floating on my back happily sipping away ignoring Rikki’s chuckles. We snacked on some jerky and trail mix before we were ready to dive down again.

We thought we’d never find it when Rikki rushed to us and gestured for us to follow her. Across a dip in the ocean floor we found the wreckage of a sailboat.

The black box was not far from the main wreckage half buried in the sand.

Rikki waved toward it, before swimming to the surface and getting Lewis’s device to help bring it up. As it lifted up through the water, I spotted it while the girls stayed at the surface out of the way.

It was a hefty push onto the boat but we got it. Then we headed toward the moon pool where I took it down again and placed it in the cave itself for safety.

All went well early the next morning. Lewis and I came and got the box, then brought it into town to get the reward.

“So how are we going to split this?”

“I’m good.” I shrugged.

“Darcy…” Rikki glared.

“I’ll take half.” Lewis raised his hand.

Cleo took my hint and elbowed Lewis.

“Ok I’ll take a quarter.”

With the money from the treasure hunt, Lewis was able to get a new laptop and Rikki wouldn’t move away.

Being the mom of the friend group didn’t always mean taking care of my girls during the full moon, or mediating between relationships; sometimes odd things would happen.

Like the time Emma got a scrape on some coral and started having a ferocious appetite for fish. Her skin grew pale, and scales appeared even while she was dry.

I coaxed her to the moon pool with the sardines that she seemed to be gobbling down by the canful.

Meanwhile, Hector, one of Cleo’s new fish, was displaying similar characteristics. So while Lewis took him to their marine park contact. I had Rikki and Cleo out grabbing as many fish as they could for Emma who was gorging herself on everything we gave her. Anytime she seemed to get restless I would hum the lullaby I had used to calm the girls during the full moon. By early evening Lewis arrived with the anti-toxin in spray format that we sprayed all over Emma’s face and paling scaled body.

Thankfully it brought her back to normal just like Hector, the fish.

Chapter Text

When I got the chance I would go to the moon pool but it was rare for me to be available on a full moon night.

Finally there was a night I was able to go. I had it all to myself, the girls were locked up tight at their own houses and I could relax in the water.

As it bubbled and the full moon came to overlook the dormant volcano I sang the song of the moon.

It echoed in the chambers and I closed my eyes as I felt a rush of air surround me.

I was plunged into cold water. Too like another time I had rescued my soulmate I looked around in the water to see a figure sinking, this time into the dark sea beneath them. I jetted toward them arriving to see an older version of my soulmate this time closer to my current age. I put an arm around him and brought him to the surface, his eyes fluttering open as we came up into the windy stormy sea air.

“Let’s get you to safety, shall we?”

I looked around and saw a boat in the distance who was battling the storm as well. I was worried if I used my abilities now it might cause unforeseen consequences.

I looked around and beyond the swells in the sea I saw a seashore several miles out. I tucked my soulmate into the curl of my left arm. Using my powerful fluke, and utilizing the webbing between my fingers I was able to push us through the rolling sea waves. When one wave threatened to submerge us I tread water while raising my right hand, taking a deep breath I sang the song to calm storms. The wind whipped around me before I felt it quiet to a caress of my cheeks and the seas undulated no longer in large swells.

From there it was easier to get my soulmate to the shore and then collapse next to him.

“I love a good swim, but it would be wonderful to meet you in another setting for once.”

Instead of his voice answering me in the old language a sweet feminine one spoke instead.

“Sildroher. I haven’t seen one of your kind for many years. I thought we had all died out.”

I turned my head to find a young woman who reminded me of my soulmate. Angular features, deep dark eyes and a bittersweet smile on her lips.

“I am from an ancient line who long left these waters.”

The woman nodded, “The protectors. They’ve been gone before Ravka was Ravka, when all the land was one.”

A cough came from my side, and I glanced at my soulmate. My eyes fixated as I watched him summon his shadows, feeling as my soulmarks flared to life on both my arms.

A relieved breath came from me.

I glanced back at the woman.

“What’s your name?”

“Ulla.”

“Ulla.” I glanced at her long sleeves, a feeling deep in my gut. Perhaps I had got my grandmother’s good senses. Ulla looked down at my arms that began to swirl with shadows as my soulmate summoned them from behind.

“He’s yours then.”

I nodded.

“He needs a protector. I’m glad its you.”

Ulla knelt by me and placed my hand on her sleeve as if giving me permission to be curious. I lifted it to find equations. I gasped.

“Do you recognize these symbols?”

“They are from my world.”

A gruff voice, rough from the salty air, spoke,

“How long…?”

I looked at my soulmate to see him staring at me and I didn’t have to look to know I was already fading.

“Will you give me your name? I’m Darcy or Darya as my Babya would call me.”

“Darya.” The way his smooth and deep voice sounded out my name had a shiver running down my spine. The dark gray pools of his eyes made me wish I could dive into them and never return to the surface. “Until I see you again, Darya.”

And then I was back in the moon pool. A new mission in my heart.

I would find Ulla’s soulmate and I would bring them together. I didn’t know her well, or at all, but there was a longingness that I was familiar with. Ulla seemed to be related to my soulmate somehow, and like I wanted to make him happy I hoped she could too.

Chapter Text

I didn’t have peace to myself for long.

Soon after calm came a flood of calls from the girls.

My fellow college students were now used to how I’d leave a study group to answer my calls outside on a regular basis.

Emma was calling about Ash again.

She had caught him and Rikki whispering several times, and she was worried and jealous.

“Do you trust Rikki?”

“Well…”

I rephrased my question, “Do you think Rikki would ever date someone you thought might be your soulmate?”

“Well no…”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

I received a text later that day that it all had been a misunderstanding as expected. Ash and Rikki had been planning a ‘employee of the month’ gift basket for her.

Another full moon night, Emma and Ash at last confirmed they were soulmates.

The Gilberts were away and we had the house moon-proofed.

Lewis came over to help. He was the only allowed boy as long as I was chaperone.

It was all set until the door was knocked on and in came Ash, moonlight lit Cleo’s face who had come around the corner.

Cleo giggled. I looked from her to Ash.

I smiled.

“Emma will be right down.”

He nodded then headed toward the living room, a big picnic basket in hand. The girls had told me they’d convinced him to be bold when it came to Emma. Well he was taking their advice.

I made it upstairs towing a very loopy Cleo.

“It would be lovely to go for a swim. Don’t you want to go in the water, Darcy?”

“Yes, but what’s more important is taking care of my family.”

“That’s me.” Cleo pointed to herself, before pouting. “But I want to go to Mako, won’t you take me, please?”

I entered Emma’s room with Cleo, passing Lewis in the hall who had finished proofing the upstairs.

“She got exposed?”

“Yep.” I rolled my eyes, “Watch her for me? I need to talk to Emma.”

Emma came out of the room.

“Downstairs there is a lovely possible soulmate that is trying to do something romantic for you.”

“Ash!” Emma whispered.

“Look I know its not the greatest timing but you’ve been avoiding him. Not everyone gets the chance to see their soulmate so early like you and Cleo, you should not be wasting any time.”

“But…” Emma started and I raised my hand to stop her excuses.

“It’s not a request. I’m ordering you as the oldest, go down and enjoy the date. No hanky panky though, I don’t want your parents coming after me.”

I giggled as I heard Emma whisper ‘hanky panky’ with a shake of her head as she went down the stairs. Once Emma was downstairs, I heard the bedroom door open.

I looked behind to see Lewis with wide eyes as high pitched giggles came from behind.

I sighed. “She opened the blinds and Rikki is now moon-tipsy too.”

“Yep.” He nodded.

I sighed, “This will be a long night.”

I passed him and looked at the girls with my hands on my hips.

“Darcy!” Cleo and Rikki chimed.

“Let’s go swim. We’ll love it.” Cleo looked at me with wide eyes. “We should be swimming.”

Rikki came up to me and pulled me towards the open blinded window where moonlight was streaming in, “Can you feel that? Mako would be beautiful right now.” Rikki set her head on my shoulder.

Cleo came up to my other side, “We are happier as mermaids.”

“I know. It is lovely isn’t it?”

A blonde and dark haired head nodded enthusiastically.

“How about I sing you the lullaby my Babya would sing me on full moon nights?”

I nodded toward Lewis, and gestured with my head to the bed. He went over and pulled down the sheets and blankets.

I slipped my hands into each of the girls' before humming the start of the melody.

Singing the melody of a full moon night and the soft patter of rain upon the window pane.

Outside clouds rolled in and following the melody came the sound of a rain shower.

The girls pouted but let me put them into bed. I helped Rikki in, while Lewis helped Cleo.

My voice softly sang the melody until I saw both their eyes droop and their breath deepen.

Lewis closed the blinds behind me then watched as if entranced as I sat at the foot of the bed patting the girls feet.

Singing of full moon nights and soft storms.

Emma came in an hour later, her head in the clouds.

Chapter Text

When February arrived, so did the anniversary of the day all our lives were changed forever.

When we all arrived at the Mako cave that night we found the moon pool cave transformed.

Battery powered fairy lights were strung through the entrance of the cave. Candles on large shells dotted the natural shelves surrounding the moon pool. Paper lanterns were laced through the rock alcoves. An assortment of big cushions and colorful pillows sat in the center.

Cleo looked at us, “Lewis got us a surprise. Come sit.”

We dried ourselves before settling in looking out toward the moon pool.

Music began to play from a CD player to the side and on the rock wall above the moon pool came alive with light. A slideshow of memories from the last year. There were silly photos. We laughed when we saw one where Lewis lounged across all our laps and then Cleo’s dad catching him mid film. We smiled as we saw one that had all four of us girls sitting on the boat that led them to Mako a year ago with me taking a selfie. Several with the three girls, or some with three girls and Darcy’s head poking in or Lewis’s.

“Has it really been a year?” Rikki looked in awe.

“Best year of our lives.” Cleo smiled.

The new year went by quickly and before we knew it it was May.

I got a call from Lewis who liked keeping me updated in regards to his planetary alignment research.

“You won’t believe what I found!”

“It’s all connected?”

He continued on, “Someone has already done my research on Mako before. Rikki found his address. Want to come?”

“We’ll have to be careful. He might have men-in-black already watching him.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to come and not the girls.”

I shook my head, “Well thanks a lot.”

We met up at the cafe and took the same transportation to the man’s house. My gaze keeping a lookout for other strangers who looked like they were watching or out of place.

When we knocked on the man’s door, no one answered we walked back to the road only for Lewis to point to a fisherman. I stayed by the road feeling a bit antsy.

At first it looked like it was friendly before the man started to walk away, so I walked over to Lewis.

“Anything?”

The man in the fisherman’s cap glanced my direction eyes widening as he looked at my hands.

I glanced down and looked at my moon ring.

I pointed to it, “Have you seen one of these before?”

“Where did you get it?”

I smiled, “A kind lady gave it to me.”

“Her name?”

I peered into his eyes, I had a good feeling about this one. He reminded me what an older version of a lonely Lewis might look like.

“Ms Chatham.”

“Louise…”

The old man’s eyes glanced at the ring and then back at me. “She’d only give it to you if you were…” He shook his head. “Take me to Mako and I’ll tell you everything.”

We were preparing for our trip to Mako when I looked at the horizon, “You know a full moon would be the best time to research.”

Lewis nodded.

“A full moon you say?” The old man’s voice came from behind. He turned toward Lewis, “The offer still stands. Take me to Mako and all this…” He pointed to the satchel at his side, “all my research will be yours.”

As soon as we reached Mako, the old man was off straight toward the side of the island where the entrance to the moon pool lay. Sometimes he’d pause his gaze far off as if he was seeing another time.

“Max?” Lewis called.

I shook my head, “Lewis, let’s follow and see what he knows. I already texted the girls before we headed out to stay away from Mako for now.”

When Max fell through the entrance we followed and soon we found him viewing the moon pool with awe.

“It’s like it was back then.”

“With Louise?” I asked.

Max nodded, “Those 3 girls…before everything changed.”

He bent down and scooped the water, “The water has always seemed magical here.”

He threw some in my direction.

“I’m afraid that won’t work.”

I stepped into the water, “I see you’ll only tell us what you know until you see.”

“Darcy?” Lewis’s voice came from behind me.

“It’s ok. That’s why I wore a dress today anyways."

I dove in, keeping below the surface willing the change.

My head bobbed out of the water.

Max gasped looking at my tail, “I’ve only seen a protector from a far.”

“Katya?”

“Yes. Louise told me of her and the natural mer pods.” He gazed off into the distance, “All those years ago Louise, Gracie and Julia. We were the best of friends. I was the first one to know their secret. The others didn’t like it but Gracie was relieved I knew. Gracie was the one for me.” He looked into the water. “I tried my best to find out why this happened. If not for the other two, for Gracie. It was the hardest on her. I didn’t realize how hard it was at the time, promised I could help but she knew I only had theories.”

“She didn’t take to the sea like the others.”

“No…I lost her in the end.” Max looked away, “I need to leave.” He glanced at the ring, “Yours, and whatever 3 others, secrets are safe with me.”

After we took Max back, Lewis looked down at the satchel Max gave.

“I’ve got heaps of reading to do.”

“Call me with the highlights…and don’t…”

“I won’t read them in public.”

“Thanks Lewis.”

Not long after Emma revealed her mer secret to Ash who took it well, Lewis warned us of a specific full moon. According to Max it was the same type of moon from fifty years ago when Gracie gave up the sea. Anyone found in the moon pool the night of June 1st, 2007 would lose their mer status forever. None of us took any chances that night.

Chapter Text

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We were in our cabin when Cleo let out a long sigh.

“I never thought I’d miss Kimmy.”

We all laughed.

“No, really. All Dad’s attention is now on me and Lewis.”

I gave a sympathetic smile. Cleo had undergone something like I had over the break. Her parents had divorced when her mother found her soulmate and left Australia.

“I’m sure Kim doesn’t have it as easily with your mum, either.”

Cleo pouted, “I suppose.”

Bella leaned against the cushion behind her, watching the antics of the rest of us.

“Cleo has been brilliant at the marine park.”

Rikki furrowed her brow, “Still think it’s a bad idea.”

I tsked at Rikki before smiling at Cleo. “Well, I’m proud of you, Ms Dolphin Trainer.”

Rikki glared at me before I handed her a cookie, and she munched on it.

Bella spoke up, “We can’t allow our tails to get in the way of our dreams.”

I grinned over at Rikki.

“Plus, I know someone who is looking to use their tail for their dream.”

Rikki mumbled with her mouth full of chocolate chip cookies, “I told you that in confidence.”

“I didn’t say what it was.”

All eyes were on Rikki now.

She waved away everyone’s looks, “Ok, ok…I liked looking for treasure that time. So I thought, why not? People do that for a living, right?”

Bella grinned, “Our own Ms Indiana Jones.”

Giggles spread through the rest of us.

Rikki rolled her eyes, “Alright, alright. As long as Cleo is careful, it should be ok.”

Later, when the others left and Bella went to work at Zane’s, Rikki and I walked along the beach.

“I’d like your help…”

Rikki looked at me, and I knew I had her full attention.

“I need to learn what the magnitude of my abilities are, but I need someone there to stop me if…”

“I’ll do it.”

“I would need to test it on a full moon…” I faltered, “With the unknown tentacle thing, it would be dangerous.”

“Mako is our safe place.” Rikki turned toward me. I could see her mind was already made over.

I nibbled on my bottom lip, “We don’t know it won’t follow us there.”

I could see Rikki readying another comment, but I interjected.

“You could protect me, but I could very well teleport to my soulmate when you need me.”

“Just don’t sing…”

It ended up being harder than Rikki thought for me in the next full moon.

When we were in the cave, before the full moon was completely risen, I practiced summoning the elements. Water, fire, and wind.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned lightning.

I felt it crackle around me and my hair rising.

Rikki summoned her lightning but as she did so it was as if the cave came alive. The far wall turned to liquid, shooting electrified water into the moon pool. The lightning from Rikki’s hands moved as if drawn by a magnet across the distance.

In a moment of wonder, I ‘caught’ it in one hand, the energy hovering over my palm. I raised my other, and the energy came to form a growing dome over my head. The hair lifted on my arms and a shiver ran down my spine.

I glanced over at Rikki to see the moon trance in her eyes and she threw another lightning burst my way. It merged with the dome and it began to grow out of control.

I opened my mouth to sing.

I watched as Rikki shook herself from her daze in time to see me disappear to my soulmate’s side.

It was dark. A sort of dark that felt alive and breathing.

The light from my lightning dome bounced off my soulmate’s sharp features as he turned toward me.

Ink black tendrils crawled up his arms as his eyes sparkled with awe and something like greed.

A screech from above and the beat of wings was our only warning before a creature swooped down, causing my soulmate to duck beneath my dome.

“Was that a pterodactyl?!”

My soulmate shook his head in confusion. His hands slipped around my waist. His fingertips digging into my waist as he drew me close, an unsettling smile upon his lips that I didn’t like.

“Darya, you are alright.” He leaned down and rest his cool forehead against mine. “You have come to save me again.”

I looked up at him, my nose brushing his, a shock made me jolt my head back. My breath caught in my throat. My eyes darted to where my hands had begun to shake, holding the dome above our head.

“How do we get out of…whatever this is?” I nodded toward the unnatural dark that surrounded us.

“Can you hold on a little longer with your light?”

Something had me speaking back, “It’s lightning.”

“My Darya…”

My soulmate was more affectionate. When I looked into his eyes, they had gained a bit of a daze that reminded me of the girls when they got moon tipsy.

“Ok, hold on to me and I’ll hold the dome. We’ll get through this together.”

He hummed, his hands tightening around me as if afraid I would disappear at any moment. Even though I would never leave when he still needed me.

Making our way through the darkness was slow progress.

When we reached the edge at last, I was getting exhausted.

I fell through the edge and into the setting sunlight, my soulmate at my side as I rolled onto my back. My fingertips were still tingling from the power.

I felt as my soulmate rolled onto his side next to me.

“Aleksandr.” A husky whisper, lips against the shell of my ear. “My name is Aleksandr.”

A breathless laugh came from him as he fell back onto his back.

I faded away. The last thing I heard of my soulmate was the slightly mad-hatter laughter. My eyes closing in exhaustion.

I would wake to Rikki shaking me awake, her eyes wild as she called my name.

As my hearing came back and my other senses came slowly back too, I heard her giving her own mad-hatter laughter.

“You’ll never believe what I saw.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"We think we've figured out what the tower of light might be made of."

We were gathered in the living area of the cottage, watching as Lewis setup is rented lab equipment on the kitchen island.

Lewis stepped forward and jiggled a canteen, "The key is the new waterfall in the moon cave."

"Yeah what about it?" Rikki shrugged.

Lewis grinned, "It flows directly from the rock."

Cleo grin mirrored her soulmate's, "The very magnetic rock." She jiggled a water canteen in her hand. "Lewis has water from the waterfall and I have normal tap water but when we combine them..."

Lewis placed a large beaker in the center of the island, pouring the water from his canteen in before Cleo did the same with hers.

"Nothing happens." Rikki looked at the still water while Lewis and Cleo grinned almost maniacally.

Cleo took up the beaker and threw the contents towards Rikki.

"Watch it!" Rikki's voice metered out as she saw the contents float in the air in front of her. "What in the world..."

Bella clapped her hands, "Brilliant!"

Lewis pushed the mini dormant water tentacle back in the beaker before putting some weights in the cup showing off how the water tentacle kept floating despite them.

I leaned forward, "How fascinating. So this is its dormant state before the moon activates it. Have you tried your powers on it Cleo?"

Cleo bent over to her backpack and brought out several raincoats.

"Someone came prepared." Bella looked over at the two scientists in training.

Rikki raised her hand, "No time like the present."

I quickly put her hand down, "I don't think that's a good idea. What happens if you evaporate it and then we can't control the condensation."

Rikki laughed, "Really how likely is that."

Lewis moved the beaker away from Rikki, "Well to be safe lets just have Cleo and Bella give a try."

What we learned was the water didn't obey the like normal water would, it would jellify when Bella used her powers and get heavy enough to contain but when Cleo did it would move more chaotically around the room.

"So what have we learned?" Lewis looked at the girls.

"We need the full moon." We all chimed. Then somehow with the full moon's help we'd use our combined abilities and the water tentacle to form the tower of light.

It was when I was singing one non full moon night...in the shower when I opened my eyes to find myself in a bathroom that was not mine....naked.

"How?" I double checked my mental calendar, "A new moon?"

The bathroom was subtly ornate. Silver accents on otherwise black interior. I knew it was my soulmate's immediately. A moon in eclipse a staple decoration around. A bathrobe was hung on the door in front of me and I took it, quickly putting it on before burying my nose into the collar. The cool smell mint and a warm slight musk came from it. I smiled into the soft fabric, before carefully opening the door and looking around.

A dark wood framed bed that was simple except for the soft looking dark grey and black sheets and comforter. Gray molding around the walls and dark wood armoire stood out in the room before my gaze drifted to pair of black doors at the center left of the bedroom. I walked over to them, my hand hovered over the door handle before I decided to knock on the door. It felt silly doing so but I didn't want to surprise my soulmate too badly remembering all to well how his mother reacted when surprised.

"Come in." A familiar deep voice spoke in a more simplified version of the old tongue.

I cracked the door open and found on the other side a large study or office. To the right was a large heavy desk with my soulmate's dark head bowed over it as he scribbled listlessly across the page. His hand supporting his cheek as his eyes perused the paperwork in front of him.

I cleared my throat and he stilled, but didn't raise his eyes.

"Hello Aleksandr." It came out as a whisper but I could see how his frame tensed that he heard it. Still he didn't move his head up, I walked closer. "Nice place you have. I like the symbol, a lunar eclipse."

This time granite eyes lifted from the page and looked up into mine, his face blank.

I ignored my instinct to shuffle nervously under his gaze, "You seem to be in a better situation than last I saw you."

I looked around at the finery around him. A sinking feeling in my gut. I knew I jumped through time with him, our ages not matching as others might have. The more I looked around to see the volumes of journals and books collected the more I began to worry.

I nibbled the inside of my lip before my lips parted to ask, "How long has it been?"

He looked back down, setting his pen back in its stand.
His voice came slowly as if each word was deliberate, "Fifty years."

"What?" My eyes widened looking over his features, "But your..." I stopped as I remembered something in my Babya's journals telling of how our kind and the summoners shared a common characteristic. The stronger you were, the longer you lived. "How old are you?"

A wry chuckle came from him, "Much older than you it would seem."

I stepped forward, "I'm sorry."

His gaze this time was surprised as he looked over my features.

"I didn't know. If I could control when...I'd..." I sighed.

"You are already stronger than you once were, my Darya."

My tense shoulders relaxed as I heard him say my name. I still hated the idea of him being alone for so long. I walked to his side, careful that the long robe didn't show any inappropriate bits before I leaned against his desk. My fingertips reached out hovering by his face when I saw him tense again, I dropped my hand only for him to grab it. His fingers intertwined with my own and I looked down upon them.

"I missed you."

He chuckled, it always had a sad sort of depth to it. "How long has it been for you?"

I winced thinking of the comparison, but then raised my head looking him straight in the eye. "It hasn't been long since I last saw you. Barely two weeks, but that doesn't change that I missed you."

He raised my hand that was in his and bestowed a lingering kiss upon it.
"I hope it won't be long until I see you again, my Darya."

Then with a blink I was back in my bathroom, my soulmate's robe getting wet beneath the cold rainfall shower.

Chapter Text

Aleksandr always knew his soulmate was one of a kind.

From the first moment he glimpsed her as a young frightened child, her look of wonderment and joy when meeting his shadows stayed within his heart.

She would save him time and time again, always keeping him from the edge. Always keeping him sane.

And yet the time between when he didn’t see her he felt the coldness envelop him threaten to overwhelm him, make him something like the shell he’d seen of his mother but there was always a voice deep within that promised his soulmate would come back to him. He just had to be patient.

And she did come back to him, always when he least expected it.

He would come to bed one night and find her napping in white sleeping clothes with what looked like strange bright yellow ducks on them. Humming even in her sleep as she cuddled one of his pillows. He would lay beside her watching as she breathed in and out, and marvel at this strange but wonderful soulmate of his.

He would be working and her voice would come through singing an upbeat song with lyrics that were both provocative and cheery, her form appearing to dance around his office with her hips shaking and her full lips singing along to music he could not hear. She’d turn, her ocean eyes blinking open in surprise; her round cheeks reddening as he took in his smirk. Then she’d blink out of existence, like she hadn’t been there before. He would sigh and look back at his paperwork. The same sort of reports day in and day out and look forward to the next full or new moon that would bring his soulmate to his side.

One time she arrived when a Materialki was giving a report on recent inventions. They marveled at her strange devices. 

“What, you haven’t seen these before?” She took out the devices showcasing the glowing screen.

The young Materialki shook their head, hands itching to see her device. 

“Well, why don’t I bring some textbooks next time to show you how they work?” 

She would turn to him then, her features shining bright. 

A shining star in his darkness, he’d once thought he would need the sunlight, but marveling at her light made him think again.

She brought books, so many used with markings along the corners and edges with them she would bring books to help his Corporalki and Materialki to translate the texts on biology and inventions. 

With them, she brought a new age of invention. The Grisha weren’t just useful as soldiers but as innovators. Still, it wasn’t enough, and he wondered if his plans to expand the Fold would even solve the problems he faced. He’d read her history books, of regimes controlled by fear, and they never ended well. He wondered if perhaps she’d foreseen the darkness. The thoughts that would plague him day in and day out. Still, he hoped perhaps one day if all worked out, he’d have her as a queen by his side.

**

She was his peace.

But he soon found he could be hers, too.

She came singing along to her music device one day, but he felt something was off right away. It wasn’t just the sad tilt of the ballad, but also the way her shoulders drooped.

“How do you do it?” Her large blue eyes burrowed into his, taking each flicker of emotion and soaking it in. “How do you bear the weight of so many lives on your shoulders?”

Aleksandr set aside his paperwork and stood, his long strides bringing him before his soulmate. His hands reached out and gently plucked the listening devices out of her ears before placing them in her front pockets and then taking her hands in his.

“I take it a day at a time.”

Her eyes seemed to grow misty, and she swallowed thickly before leaning up and he bent forward so she could rest his and her forehead together.

“I...”

He wondered then if she would at last tell him of her life, so often he’d shown her his side...his world, but she seemed reluctant to do the same. Something seemed to stop her each time. Perhaps her secrets weren’t just hers to keep.

“There’s something that needs to be done, and if done correctly, everyone in my world might die.” She took in a deep breath, “I want to help, I want to make sure my friends don’t die trying to save everyone but I might only be able to stand back and watch and it kills something inside me... I can’t imagine what I’ll do if I can’t stand by their side.”

He hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation until then. It would seem his soulmate had more on her shoulders than he realized. She always seemed to be this positive beacon of light, never wavering or faltering. He had thought she had a safe upbringing, but to hear her whole world was in danger of extinction.

A selfish thought passed through his mind, his lips moving before he could stop them. “You’ve stayed longer before. Stay here with me. You don’t have to put yourself in danger.”

She stepped back, her eyes glaring, “Would you ever abandon your people?”

His shoulders slumped. “Never.”

“Then how could you believe I would?”

“I apologize, my Darya.” He let out a sigh, his hand tightening around her own, afraid she’d leave while angry at him. “I just want you to be safe.” He looked into her eyes and his heart clenched as he saw the tear tracks down her cheeks. “But I know nothing can keep you from achieving something if you put your mind to it. I believe you’ll find a way to help your friends save everyone, because that’s who you are, Darya. You are a savior. You’ve saved me so many times...”

Her eyes were no longer angry. She pursed her lips before letting out a sigh of her own. “Aleksandr...”

He hummed in return as he leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead. Relief flooded him as he saw as her tense shoulders relaxed.

“I promise I will always find my way back to you. No matter what.” Her lips quivered. “What a pair we are, both trying to save our worlds.”

Her gaze seemed to see right through him, to the very heart of him.

“I’m no savior. If you knew...” He stopped. He couldn’t say the words, he couldn’t even voice his fears that she’d hate him for his schemes. His plans would have to wait for now. He hoped a sun summoner could arrive. If he could have them on his Grishas’ side, it wouldn’t matter if the Fold was destroyed or not, the fanatical nation would follow them. And if the sun summoner came, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to feel like he failed Darcy.

Chapter Text

There was a desk set up on the other side of my soulmate's on the next full moon. You could tell that it was weathered but kept in fine condition. The sides polished, not a dust mote in sight. What I loved most were the intricate design of waves along the trim, and the letterbox full of paper with an accompanying ink and pen propped up and waiting for me.

“How long has it been?”

Aleksandr looked up from his desk, a small smile on his lips.

"I thought you'd like a place to work beside me. Perhaps we can find a solution to your problem together."

I felt my heart jump in my chest at his comment even as I realized he changed the subject.

He'd been so endearing lately. Perhaps seeing him more often had helped to take down the wall I had so often felt raised between us. I thought my jumps were closer in time, but from the desk well-preserved looks it had been another age since he’d last seen me.

“How long, Aleksandr?” Now that I thought about it, the Grisha I had met were never the same. A brief breeze of humor went through me as I remembered the moment he told me that name, Grisha. Named in honor of a Grisha long ago, Grigori. But I couldn’t help but giggle as soon as I translated it, the Gregs. He didn't seem to find it all that funny, his face stony before it cracked at my belly laughs.

“We’ve had many achievements thanks to the books you’ve provided over the years. No longer are my Grisha seen as expendable to the royals. They’ve at last seen we are of greater value. Our innovators helped with the production of food and brought better hygiene to the masses.” He looked up, his smile turning soft as he looked me in the eye. His eyes drifted to my lips as I mouthed ‘how long’ again.

He gestured to the cushioned seat, which must have been replaced recently.

As soon as I sat he answered my question.

“200 years have passed.”

“How…” I gaped at him. It seems I have yet to get used to it. I sat at my desk and imagined how many times he must have restocked the paper and refreshed the inkwell.

He rounded his desk and leaned against my own.

"Darya, I will always make time for you. Please let me help you come up with a solution."

I looked up at him and realized that despite all his worries and trials, all this time he’d spent in the in between, he’d always kept me in his mind. Always thinking about how, when we would meet again, he could help.

So with a deep breath I began to tell him of the threat to my world. The comet heading straight toward us. The only possible light at the tunnel being the stories of a girl named Eva with abilities like that of my friend, sacrificing herself to create a towering beam of light that changed the course of the comet.

"Can one of your friends summon light?"

I didn't have to look up to know a look of greed had passed through his features.

"One of my friends can summon lightning like I can." This time I looked up and braced myself for the look in his eyes but it wasn't there instead his brows were furrowed.

"Lightning alone could not have changed the direction of the projectile."

"You are right. We think it was made of a culmination of abilities and that the main tower was made out of water. But to make something of that magnitude would take a lot of energy. I'm surprised Eva was even able to achieve it alone in the past."

"That's why you want to find a way to join your friends in making the tower of light."

I nodded, "If me with my extra abilities could add to their strength then maybe they wouldn't be in so much danger of being consumed by the power."

**

Our next couple visits went similarly, me at my desk and him beside me brainstorming. Always setting aside his work as soon as I arrived.

The last full moon before the comet arrived found me back in my soulmate’s suite.

The room was dark, the lights out, and I found myself knocking on the bedroom door not wishing to walk in on him.

He opened the door and I found myself smiling at how fluffy he looked. His hair out of its always arranged style, sticking up from the side of his forehead; a few tufts set at angles of his head. I succumbed to the urge and ran my fingers through his soft downy locks, setting them in place again.

His arms reached out and pulled me into his embrace, his head resting at the crook of my neck. My name escaped his lips in an almost desperate plea, “Darya, please be real.”

“It’s me.” I looped my arms around his neck and smiled as he nuzzled me, still half asleep it would seem. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Aleksandr rose but not before brushing his lips against my cheek, his hands firmly around my waist.

“You’re more fit.” His hands reached up to run along my arms and I barely fought off the shiver that ran down my spine as I felt his fingertips along my bare arms. “I am so happy you’ve been healthy.”

“I’ve needed to in preparation for the main event.”

He blinked his dark gray eyes and looked down at me with an intense look that made my insides get all squiggly.

"It's almost time, isn't it?"

Despite the ages that seemed to pass for him he still seemed to keep track of my time.

"Yes, next full moon."

Aleksandr ran his hand through his locks before moving into his study, flipping a switch on the wall. The electric lights illuminating the space, just one of the many innovations that had been brought forth by the Materialki educated by my books.

He walked over to his desk, his long strides purposeful even after seemingly just having woken from sleep.

"I've made something that I believe will help. It should work in tandem with your nature." From his drawer he pulled out a wooden jewelry case. He walked back over to me lifting the box so it was near eye level before opening the lid for me to look inside. A beautiful silver teardrop necklace sat cushioned on velvet, a ring sat below it, all inset with the same stone that was eerily similar to what was in my moon ring. My fingertips ran across the stones, my fingers getting a shock. How odd, I touched them again and no more sparks instead a strong wave of reassurance washed over me. It was odd how a jewelry set could seem so welcoming.

"They are beautiful, Aleksandr."

I looked up and my breath caught in my throat, before me was the brightest smile I had ever seen upon my soulmate's face. The strongest desire I've ever had almost overwhelmed me as I took in his happy features, I wanted to kiss this man.

Then he knelt before me, setting the case on his bent knee. His hand reached out for mine where my moon ring sat on my left middle finger. His head bowed over and kissed my knuckles. I felt thoroughly romanced, I supposed that was what I got for having a soulmate in the olden times.

"May I...?"

"Don't let me stop you."

I looked at where he was holding the ring on my middle finger.

He took it from my finger before slipping it onto my ring finger. His left hand fell upon the box and lifted the gifted ring. On a closer look I found it looked like a moon in eclipse. Aleksandr placed it on my ring finger. The two rings seemed to be magnetized and clung together, locking in place as if they were always meant to be together.

"You spoke of the crystals from your moon cave, and I remembered I had seen something similar once. I had my Materialki test the cavern and the rock seemed magnetized to the crystals. It was also at the foot of a large mountain, like yours." His fingers caressed her fingertips, "Perhaps this is a link between your world and mine."

"The ring Aleksandr..."

"A promise." His smile had its bittersweet edge again, "I promise to always be there when you need me Darya, as you have been for me. You are mine, as I am yours."

He looked down at the necklace, something I would never have picked for myself. It had a simple extravagance to it, an elegance I didn't think would ever fit me. He rose before walking behind me. His fingertips brushed against the nape of my neck as he brushed my hair to the side, before settling the ornate necklace around my neck. I could feel his breath at the back, his lips brushing over my skin as he spoke in an undertone.

"Perhaps this will save you one day."

And then I was back in my room, my fingertips brushing against my new jewelry.

Bella came in and eyed the new look before glancing down at my rings.

"Is that an engagement ring?"

"Uh..." I was speechless. Maybe, he had placed it purposely on that finger. I shook my head wonderingly, even as my fingers trailed across the smooth surfaces of the necklace.

I had much to do and not much time to do it.

Chapter Text

The girls would be graduating the next day, but all we could think about was the possible doom.

“So have you figured out how to make the water tentacle like you?” Rikki was blunt like always. 

I swirled my dual rings around my finger, “I may have an idea. The real question is: Are you girls prepared? You will need to work in tandem with something…for lack of a better word, alien.”

“We’ve got an idea of that.” Cleo and Lewis came through the door and I offered them some freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. I was stress-baking again.

“It should be instinctual.” Lewis followed up on Cleo’s comment. 

“The water tentacle should do most of the work at first but its us that will give it the extra push.” Cleo looked around our friend group, her brows set as they did when she was in official business mode. 

“So are we really doing this?” Rikki looked from Cleo, to Bella then finally me. “We are going to save the world?”

“Earth’s heroes but no one will ever know.” Lewis looked chagrined. 

Except for Aleksandr . 

That night we stood hand in hand.

I wore the jewelry Aleksandr had given me like battle armor.

And when the water tentacle rose from the moon pool and wrapped them tightly in its hold before throwing them into the pool. 

I was ready. 

“I am one of them. I can help, let me help.” 

This time it didn’t strike immediately, only dousing me with a torrent of water before rising to attack again. It shot forward but I held my ground. 

I blinked as it stopped, hovering by my neck as if inspecting me. It drew back before encircling me and throwing me in after my friends. 

As I felt the transformation, I took off the dress I was wearing. I couldn’t have it holding me down.

Behind us the rock cavern’s back wall rippled as it showed the incoming comet about to enter our atmosphere. 

“Buckle up, girls, this will be a bumpy ride!”

Nervous giggles answered me before the water began to bubbling around us. The water tentacle started to whip around us in a circle like a cyclone.

“Cleo, you are up.”

Cleo reached out her hand, fingers splayed, her hand turned as she helped the water tentacle to grow bigger reaching up to the roof of the volcano.

“It needs more.” Rikki looked at me and we both nodded before we reached out our hands. I could feel my ring heat up and I felt as if I channeled a full moon night of power even as the moon moved away from view. 

A wind picked up making it hard to see.

Bella helped harden the tower of light as we helped it rise higher. 

It barely reached the top of the volcano when Cleo let out a desperate cry, “It’s not going to be enough!”

We were dunked multiple times underwater before I opened my mouth to sing. I had read that the ancient sildrohers could achieve almost anything with a song, it was all about intent and strength.

I had been toning my body during breaks in the day, going to the university’s on-site gym, building up my strength for this day. I might have had the sildroher ability of strength but that would be useless if my body couldn’t maintain it. 

I let out the purest chord, and the tentacle trembled before shooting higher into the sky. Lightning shot through my fingertips causing everything to turn white but not before we were able to see the approaching comet being drawn to Mako. It was about to break through the atmosphere but we felt the impact of the tower of light hitting the comet just in time. 

The force of the collision caused us to be dunked beneath the water. 

I felt a change of water temperature, from cool to warm, and suspected where I’d be long before my head raised from the water. I lifted my head and found my form in a familiar bathroom. My tail flopping over the rim of the tub. 

The clearing of a throat had me turning my head to see a robed Aleksandr.

His chest peeking through the top of the robe, thankfully everything else was covered or I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

“I take it you succeeded.” A debonair smirk on his lips.

My head fell back to the rim of his bathtub, “I think so.” 

“I haven’t been able to see you like this, so up close.” He nodded toward my sildroher form. “You are stunning.”

I felt my cheeks blush and tried to ignore the desire to cover my chest. I might have been covered in iridescent scales but that didn’t do much to hide the fact that I had boobs…not that my boobs could ever really be easily hidden in the first place. Still it was the idea, and I felt myself covering. 

He kneeled before the tub, his fingertips ran over the surface of the water.

“Did my gifts help?”

I found myself touching the necklace around my neck.

“Perfectly.”

His teeth shone white as he grinned, “Excellent.”

Chapter Text

The girls graduated the next day, the nerves they might have felt gone after saving the world.

Cleo even got a reward, but nothing was quite as momentous as the ring she received from Lewis.

Lewis kissed her cheek. “Look at you, future Mrs. Scientist.”

Don Sertori might have not approved of such an early engagement, but no one could miss the smile on his lips from seeing the look of joy on his daughter’s face. 

Lewis and Cleo planned to marry after college. Lewis had a ground-breaking internship that Cleo didn’t want him to miss out on.

On the weekend, the Sertoris threw a large graduation party for the girls and a going away bash for me. 

A surprise guest arrived and Cleo let out a squeal as she ran to embrace Emma, who came back for the girls’ celebrations.

Lewis nudged me as he drank his punch. “So, what are you going to do after you leave us? More interdimensional travel?”

“Oh, undoubtedly.” I chuckled, “I think I’m going to get a Poli-Sci degree. My soulmate needs all the help he can get.” 

I looked over at the smiling faces turning to Bella who stood by the side like us. 

“What are you going to do, Bella?”

“I got recruited from an international music label. I think I’m going to take them up on the offer.”

“Congratulations Bella! That’s wonderful.”

“It seems everyone is going to fulfill their dreams.” I rolled my lower lip beneath my teeth before letting out a sigh, my gaze catching Rikki’s. “I’m going to miss you all so much.”

Rikki sauntered up. “We’ll only be a swim away.”

I laughed.

“No, really.”

Bella and I glanced at each and smiled.

Cleo ran up to us three. “What are you three doing here all alone? Don’t be spoil-sports. Join the party.”

I grinned, “Wouldn’t want to spoil sports now, would we?”

Emma came over and, for the first time, gave a completely free from tension smile. Traveling abroad must have been eye-opening for her. 

“Cleo was just showing me her ring.” 

Cleo blushed, and we all bent to look at the twinkling diamond. 

“You did good, Lewis.” Rikki clapped him on the back.

“It’s very pretty, Cleo.” And it was, it had small moonstones framing a glittering diamond. It must have cost a fortune. I remembered all the side gigs Lewis had done, and it finally made sense. “Very fitting.” 

Cleo smiled before looking over at my ring finger, “Bella mentioned you got a ring, too.”

It was my turn to blush. “He didn’t exactly propose but…”

“But…” All the girls looked at me. Emma raised an eyebrow while Rikki laughed. 

“He said something very possessive and romantic, I bet.” 

I looked down at my lunar eclipse ring. “Maybe.” 

“Knew it.” Rikki leaned forward. “Something like you are mine and I’m yours.” 

“How did you know?” My eyes widened before it dawned on me.

“Loki can get rather possessive, too. I’m sure he would have marked me as his, if he had the chance.” 

“You make it sound so vulgar, Rikki.” 

She just shrugged.

Emma looked between us, looking a little lost. 

“How about a swim later and we’ll catch you up?” 

Emma nodded with a smile. 

Cleo, Rikki, and Bella glanced at each other and then at me.

Bella smiled, “Yeah, maybe around 6 pm tomorrow. You don’t leave until Monday, right?”

I wasn’t expecting what greeted me at the moon cave when I arrived.

The girls told me they’d meet me there, and that they had something to do first. 

When I rose from the moon pool, I found it aglow, reminiscent to the lighting from our first anniversary as mermaids. The room was lit by the light of candles on shells in alcoves throughout the cave. 

Cushions were surrounding a low table with my favorite foods and drinks. Tears fell down my cheeks as I looked at the girls waiting for me on the cushions. 

“All this for me.”

“We couldn’t let you go without one last hurrah just for you.” Rikki held up a blanket for me to change behind as I got out of the pool. Bella handed me my waterproof backpack with a change of clothes inside. 

Emma looked at me and grabbed a chip, waiting for me to settle on a cushion before leaning forward. “So what did I miss?”

Cleo, Rikki, Bella and I looked at each other before all laughing. This would be a long night. 

It surprised me when Don offered to drive me to the airport when Monday came around. Cleo, Rikki and I squeezed into the truck and we headed off. 

It was quiet, all of us in our own thoughts. 

When we reached the airport, Don looked at us. 

“See her off, girls.” He looked at me. “You always have a place at the Sertori residence. Never forget that, Darcy.”

“Thank you, Mr Sertori.”

He nodded before the girls walked on either side of me into the airport. We paused before the gates and stared at each other. 

“I’m not good at goodbyes.” Rikki spoke up, “So you better call me no matter what time of day or night when you make it back safely.” 

I felt myself choking up, but I grinned despite it. “Got it.”

Cleo jumped into my arms. “We’ll miss you.” 

Tears fell when I felt Rikki’s arms come from behind.

“Keep us updated, ok?” Cleo looked into my eyes, staring me down with that firm expression that was rare but so intrinsically hers. 

“I will.” I turned and enveloped them both in a big hug. “Stay safe for me.”

My last thought before I left Australia was: I’ll miss my family.

Chapter Text

The first couple of full moons after I left Australia were the hardest. The pain from my homesickness overwhelmed me and I didn’t feel like singing. A rare thing for me to prefer silence.

When I moved into my new dorm at Culver, it got worse.

West Virginia had its coldest month of the year and I missed the warmth of Australia. 

One night after curling up and going to sleep, I rubbed my ring as I wept into my pillow.

My dreams were filled with a soothing lullaby sung by a familiar voice. I’d wake in the morning with my soulmate’s name upon my lips.

The dreams persisted and I gradually overcame the homesickness.

I was able to do my trips again, although they were fewer in between due to my busy schedule at the university. 

When completing a semester, I would always bring the books to my soulmate’s people rather than sell them.

By the next year, I was nearly done with my degree.

I sat in front of my counselor and waited as she looked over my forms before looking up at me, her chin on top of her hands.

“Six college credits, and then you’ll be able to graduate.”

I withheld a sigh, but I was honestly done with college. It wasn’t the learning, I loved that, but I missed helping others. It was so intrinsically part of my being. 

I looked up at the counselor, “Anything you suggest?”

“An internship should do it.”

I cringed, it was too late in the year to apply for internships. 

Seeing my expression the counselor continued, “There might be one, but its long work hours and the boss is eccentric and stubborn.”

“I can deal with stubborn.” 

A couple of hours later had me knocking on a door with the words ‘Doctor Jane Foster’ in bronze typeset. 

“Doctor Foster?”

I peeked into the room to see a figure face planted on a keyboard.

“Oh my god.” I quickly ran over and checked the figure’s neck for a pulse. A breath of relief escaped me as I picked up one.

A groan came from the woman and mumbled equations before lifting her head, “Jimmy, pop tart.”

Darcy took a protein bar from her backpack. She opened it and placed it in front of the doctor’s nose. 

Bleary brown eyes blinked open and a shaking hand reached out to take the bar. The woman sat up slowly her hair sticking to one side of her face.

“Who are you?”

“Your new intern.”

“Oh.” The brunette munched on the bar, “This is good.” 

Darcy smiled and couldn’t help but think she got her wish. She at last had someone to care for again.

Jane's research was beyond anything I could really understand. Astrophysics you would think would be right up my alley after all the research Lewis and I had done but the calculations and scientific mumbo jumbo Jane would say went straight over my head.

Jane was an interesting woman. She had a passionate love for the stars and solving the mysteries of the universe.

I first noticed her strange soulmark when she would pause in her research something she would very rarely do. Her hands feeling up her arm in a very familiar gesture.

“I hope they are ok.” She would whisper.

“You too, then.”

Jane looked up from where she was staring out into space.

“I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds.”

Jane shook her head, “I've always wondered...” She shivered, “His pulse is racing so fast.”

My eyes widened, “You can feel a heartbeat?”

She nodded.

“Is it just the heartbeat? No marks?”

Her eyes widened, “How did you know? Do you...”

I shook my head, “No but I've read about such connections before.”

It was then I knew Jane's soulmate was a Corporalki. Through my time visiting my soulmate I would at times read through his journals. He had made note of the different soulmate bonds and marks he'd come across over the years.

Corporalki matches would have no mark, only a heartbeat. A Materialki varied between equations for their various projects, to metal like patterns, foglike clouds or even on occasion for the rare ones branches of a tree or blossoms. Etheralkis were varied too. Infernis bonded would only feel heat no mark. Squallers = cold. Tidemakers would have wave patterns.

After reading of the varied Grisha bonded marks suddenly the Babya's family members' soulmark stories made sense, those not blank were all had Grisha soulmates.

I had yet to hear of someone out of my family to have marks from my soulmate's dimension, so to hear my new boss had a soulbond like that was very odd indeed.

Chapter Text

Jane's research brought us to Puente Antiguo, New Mexico.

I was happy to be back in a warmer climate. I'd missed the heat from Australia, course it would have been better to also be near some water source but perhaps it was best I wasn't.

Our new lab base was housed in an old motor shop, Smith Motors.

And if the close quarters weren't incentive enough not to go visiting my soulmate, I got the feeling that someone was watching Jane a couple weeks into us researching some strange magnetic storm activity in the desert.

Perhaps slightly paranoid I began to squirrel away bits of Janey's research in spots all over Puente Antiguo. Then I called Rikki on a payphone and gave her a code message of clues to where the items were just in case. Rikki was always on the move unlike the other girls, and had always been the best confidante for top secret things. Plus she understood more accurately my desire for secrecy than the other girls did.

It was one such call that Rikki stopped me from hanging up.

“Mischief is in trouble. I haven't been able to see him clearly. Each time it becomes more and more unclear. I'm scared...” She paused, “Something is wrong.”

I nibbled on the inside of my lip, a bad feeling stirring at the bottom of my gut.

“Ok keep me updated.”

Rikki wouldn't let me go yet though, “What about you? Besides the MIB have you got to see your sweetheart?”

I let out a low laugh, “No space to go and visit.”

Rikki sighed, “Hang in there, Darce.”

Jane had called in Erik Selvig, an old mentor, after our investigation into the storms had yielded consistent results. He was kinder than others who sneered at her research, still he looked upon her excitement with a bittersweet gaze.

Not everyone had seen the impossible happen like I had.

One night we prepared to go out again, unknowing how my world would be turned on its head again by doing so.

We parked in the middle of the desert where the readings had been spiking for several weeks. We'd been waiting for more than a hour waiting for the storm to arrive, still Jane stood resolutely stared up at the stars devices in hand. The computers buzzed and I looked out the window waiting for it too.

Despite the blank dark night my protector tingles told me something different was going to happen tonight.

“Wait for it.” Jane diddn't even glance at her mentor, her gaze not seeing how dissapointed a look he was giving her.

He'd already expressed his opinion about her chasing storms before we headed out that night.

I looked behind to see Selvig turning toward Jane, they'd bent down from where they had been looking out the van's sunroof.

“Jane, you can't keep doing this.”

But Jane was in Science Mode. I patted our go-bag with snacks glad we had enough to last the night. I was glad to have some hot coffee in a thermos, we were prepared to wait out the night if we had to.

Jane was looking over the data on her computers checking the monitors for signs that a storm was approaching.

“The last 17 occurrences have been predicable to the second.”

I looked out the window, “What's different this time?”

Jane shook her head, “I've double checked the parameters everything is exact.”

Erik spoke up, “Jane, your an astrophysicist not some storm chaser.”

I tapped the scientists shoulder, “Mr Selvig, there's been something different about these storms. Its not just the atmosphere that changes.”

Jane pointed her pen in my direction, “Exactly. There's a connection between these atmospheric disturbances and my research. I wouldn't have asked you to fly out here unless I was absolutely sure.”

The corner of my eye caught something and I looked at the rear-view mirror.

“Jane, its coming.”

Jane looked out the back window to see lines of light in the sky, it almost seemed to be forming something.

“What is that?”

Even Selvig looked perplexed.

I geared up the van, “We are heading toward it, yeah?”

Jane clambered over the backseat into the front passenger seat and I called out to Selvig, “Buckle up!”

Selvig peered out the windows, “That's not a subtle aurora.”

“Go!” Jane shouted and I drove straight toward the storm, excitement stirring deep inside me. I hadn't seen something like this since Australia and it was phenomenal.

Jane looked over at me her eyes wide, “Get closer!”

“On it!” I stepped on the gas, I didn't have to look in a mirror to know I had a manic grin on my face.

Jane was out the window videotaping as what almost looked like a tornado spiraled toward the grown lit up from within with flashing lights.

I got as close as I could without directly getting into the blast zone but still it wasn't close enough for Jane.

The impact of the storm to the ground shook the whole van and I swerved not wanting to be drawn straight into the impact area.

“What are you doing?” Jane shouted.

“Trying not to get us killed!” I shouted back over the storm.

Jane reached over and turned the steeling wheel, we neared the tornado looking thing.

As I tried to regain control and Jane's hold on the wheel tightened, we screamed as what looked like a figure crashed into the side of the van. The van gradually slowed to a stop. I stared at my white knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

“I think legally that was your fault.” I whispered to Jane only to see her jumping from the van with her flashlight.

I grabbed the first aid kit and my taser. I always carried the taser just in case I needed to shock someone in a non-lethal line of defense (I'd been practicing alongside Aleksandr, him showing me Etheralki techniques that helped with my control.)

Outside the van the light from the stars made for a milky gloomy surrounding as we walked carefully side by side.

Jane ran toward the figure laying a distance away near the impact section of the storm.

“Please don't be dead.” Jane whispered before looking around, “Where did he come from?”

I looked up at the stars.

The storm gone only leaving behind what looked like a giant's thumbprint below the figure laying in the sand.

“From up there?” I whispered while Selvig shook his head.

I came to kneel before the guy who laid out on the ground only to watch as he sat up with a gasp staring wide eyed at the three of us.

The headlights from the van causing his eyes to blink. His gaze was wild and almost afraid like a cornered animal.

“Whoa there big dude, are you ok?”

He let out a groan before stumbling to his feet, his voice gruff as he shouted out, “Hammer! Hammer!”

“Boy, do you think that's what it is? Is he hammered?” I spoke in a stage whisper to Jane as she watched with wide eyes as the guy wandered around shouting. “Well he looks uninjured that's good...Maybe slightly concussed, but it could have been worse.”

Then the scientists' eyes refocused on the giant's thumbprint on the ground.

“We have to move quickly before this all changes.”

Even now a small night wind had started to scatter the sands across the desert floor.

My gaze though was on the bearded man that mumbled and stumbled around the thumbprint. My hand tightening around the tazer in my sweater's pocket.

Vaguely I heard behind me as Selvig implored to Jane to take the stranger to the hospital.

“Oh he's fine. Look at him.” Jane's voice spoke from behind as she no doubt copied the markings on the ground into her journal.

The man kept calling out for his father and then another, a name I recognized from the hours I'd spent pouring over Norse mythology beside Rikki.

“Wait did you say Heimdall?”

From behind I heard Jane tell Selvig to bring the man to the hospital, while she stayed behind.

The man neared me pointing brusquely.

“You! What realm is this? Alfheim? Nornheim?”

“Midgard,” I spoke upon a whim and as he stumbled closer his tall muscular stature looming, I took out my taser just in case.

“You dare threaten me, Thor, with so puny a weapon.”

Electricity flickered as he was downed by my taser and maybe just a little more juice.

As I watched him shudder and fall, still breathing but unconscious, I turned to see Jane and Erik staring at me with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

“What? He was freaking me out...” My eyes turned wide and looked back at the downed man...or perhaps alien. “Wait, did he say Thor?” A minor curse escaped me as the implications made me shake my head.

After I helped Erik get 'Thor' into the van, not wanting to give any clue of my superior strength I looked to Jane and her journal.

“I would suggest you hiding that somewhere only a strip search could find it.”

Jane wrinkled her nose, “What?”

“Whoever he is, that storm is going to bring the wrong sort of attention. Just trust me.” After watching her make stuff her journal which thankfully was her smaller one into her bra, I nodded. We got back into the van and took 'Thor' to the hospital.

Chapter Text

Back at Smith Motors, dawn was approaching. 

Erik stared as Jane quickly typed up the observations on her laptop. “You don't think that was an oridinary magnetic storm do you?” 

“Look the lenses around these edges are characteristic of an Einstein-Rosen bridge?” Jane excitedly pointed at the calculations from the night before. I set Erik and Jane's coffees down beside them, “Is that some sort of portal?” 

“Theoretically, yes.” Selvig still was staring at Jane his brow furrowed. 

“A wormhole if you will.” Jane spoke up after taking a sip of her coffee before continuing her flurry of activity around to the printer where she printed the previous night's data. Jane took one of the diagrams and showed it to Selvig, “It gets better. What do you see?” 

“Stars.” I poked my head over her shoulder gazing at the star chart in her hand. “Yes, but not our stars.” Jane showed another chart, “This is our quadrant this time of year and unless Ursa Minor decided to take a day off then these are someone else's constellations.” 

My theory about 'Thor' was becoming more and more plausible, my fingertips itched to call Rikki but if I was right we could be flooded with MIBs at any moment. My gaze looked over the paperwork she printed out before narrowing on some pictures from inside the storm. “That's not all. Look at these pics from the storm.” I pointed to the man shaped shadow in the storm's heart. 

“It can't be.” Erik stared at the pic. 

“It seems we left something at the hospital.” Jane's gaze was determined and I knew she'd get to the bottom of this one way or another.

We went to the hospital only to find his hospital bed empty. Then as we were leaving, Jane hit him with the van again. 

She ran to his side helping him up, “I'm so sorry, I swear I'm not doing this on purpose.” 

We dropped by a thrift store to grab him some new clothes before we took him back to Smith Motors. 

Thor looked better in clean clothes. Not quite as he was depicted in legend, a lot more buff and tall. 

“So if you are Thor, do you have a brother named Loki?”

 Thor stared at me, “You wielded lightning.” 

I ignored the possible insight he had and just treated it as usual since both Jane and Erik would assume he was talking about the taser. “Yeah sorry about that. You were raving and it was dark.” 

His eyes narrowed before he looked behind me at Jane, “This mortal form grows weak, I need sustenance.” Well he was surely arrogant as one would believe royalty might be. 

We took him to Isabelle's Diner and watched as he gulped down five Hungry Man breakfast specials. 

Jane tired of waiting as he finished up his last meal leaned forward, “How did you get into that cloud?” 

Instead of responding to her question he grinned as he finished his coffee, “This drink. I like it. Another!” Then smashed the mug on the ground. 

We all winced and apologized to Izzy before looking back at the brawny dude. 

I spoke cautiously, “We ask politely for another and don't smash cups here, even if we are royalty.” 

Erik looked at me with incredulous eyes but I ignored it. 

Thor's eyes narrowed upon me, “You are aware of me?”

“I've heard of you. Stories passed down regarding the Asgardians.” Mostly true. 

“Asgard?” Jane whispered. 

“Why are you here, your highness?” I spoke straight to the point. 

He seemed disoriented when he arrived, aggrieved over something that happened back on his home planet perhaps. 

Thor didn't answer me instead he got distracted as some men came into the diner speaking about a 'satellite' that fell to Earth the previous night. None could lift it. 

As Thor got directions he was quick to leave with Jane following after him. Selvig paid the bill as I raced after Jane and Thor. 

“Everything you seek to know will be yours when I reclaim Mjølnir.” 

“Mew-mew, what's mew-mew?” The word he said to Jane didn't ring a bell. Maybe it was something I'd read about but forgotten, after all Rikki and I had mostly focused on legends regarding Loki. I was left by Thor's side as Erik took Jane to the side to talk. “Will you tell me of your brother too?”

Thor's gaze was a solid thing, “What do you need to know of him?”

“Is he alright? Has he been acting strange lately?” 

His brow furrowed, “Mischievous and sly as always.” 

“Right.” I sighed, “Well that's him, isn't it?” 

“You know of my brother?” 

Just as I opened my mouth to reply Jane was back, “I'm sorry I can't take you.” 

I raised my hand, “I will.” 

Jane and Erik's gazes both narrowed, “No you won't.” 

I sighed, I didn't need to be in trouble with my boss. I still had some more of my internship to go, I didn't need any bad vibes. “I guess I won't.” 

Thor bid us a gentlemanly farewell and then he was off. As we were heading back, a truck with all of Jane's equipment passed us by and as we reached the lab we saw it overrun with MIB. Janey tried to fight for her stuff but could only watch as everything was taken away from her. 

We watched as the Shield black vans drove away and Jane turned toward me, “You knew they'd come, how?”

 I looked around in suspicioun, I didn't think it was safe to give a completely truthful answer just yet. Sure the MIB/Shield had left but I'm sure they left listening devices behind. “Just street sense from growing up in a big city.” 

I could see Janey was suspicious but she let it go when I followed up with, “We are not in the clear yet. I bet they are still watching and listening.”

I knew I needed to give Rikki a call, but the MIB or Shield had taken all our tech. While Erik did some research at a local bookstore and Janey went elsewhere I walked into town. There was a pay phone outside a rowdy bar I hoped would have enough noise disruption for any nearby listening devices. 

I tapped Rikki's number in by heart. “Hey its a mauve day.” We made it the color mauve after Doctor Who rather than the normal code red which would be more obvious to anyone listening. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I'll have to update my dream journal.” Code = its regarding her soulmate dreams. 

“Are you going to look into it?” 

“Yeah, might have radio silence for a bit. Self-care and all that.” Code=someone is listening. Keep careful watch on actions. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Selvig make his way into the bar, after hanging up with Rikki I followed. 

I sat beside Selvig at the bar. 

He gave me side-eye, “None of this has surprised you, has it?” 

I let out a laugh. I ordered a light beer, it was cheap as I knew I'd probably not drink it. I stared at the amber liquid, “That's not the first time I've heard that, probably won't be the last.” I shook my head, “Then again, its not every day you run over an alien calling himself the Norse god Thor.” 

“When we spoke of the Einstein-Rosen bridge you asked if it was a portal.” 

I just smiled, “Let's just say I've seen the impossible happen before.” 

We met Jane back at Smith Motors lab, Selvig brought along a children's book he'd found at the local bookstore. A children's book of Norse myths, rather coincidental I couldn't help thinking. I looked through it before resting upon a page with a hammer on it, the words on the opposite page naming it as, 'Mjølnir'. 

“Knew Mew-Mew looked familiar.” I stared at the hammer with a grin. 

I looked up to see Jane trying to convince Selvig that Thor wasn't lying about his origins. 

“The old Norse could have worshiped them as deities unable to explain the advanced science, they called it magic.” 

It reminded me of the non-Grisha in my soulmate's world that would gaze in fear and wonder at the elemental abilities of the Grisha. Of the legends of great Grisha that were reviled as dieties or saints even in places that hunted them. 

Jane looked at me with wide eyes and I gave her a smile. 

Erik went to go get Thor after the conversation. When they came back it was to Thor carrying Erik over his shoulder, Selvig drunk and mumbling nonsense. 

I followed Thor and Jane up to the roof of the lab and we stared up at the stars wrapped in blankets. Even though I doubted Thor or I truly needed them with this level of cold from the desert night air. 

I looked at Thor's arms and watched as he proudly showed off his the soaring airplane soulmarks with his short sleeve outfit. 

“So your soulmate is a pilot, that's cool.” 

Thor looked down at his marks with a sad sort of smile on his lips, “We are destined to be apart.” 

“I believe you'll meet them one day.” 

“Even Heimdall will not tell me where she is, how can you know Darcy, the one who wields lightning?” 

“Just a feeling, and my feelings are rarely wrong.” 

I glanced over at Jane whose eyes were drifting shut, “Just as I know that Janey's soulmate is from a different dimension just like mine.” 

“Are you like the Norns, Lady Darcy?” 

I shook my head, “Nothing like that.” 

I sipped the warm hot cocoa in my hands, the warmth spreading through my body comforting at least. 

“Even still can you sense when I will regain the right to wield Mjølnir again?” 

“I only feel like tomorrow will be a big day, so we should get some sleep.” 

I was just about to drift off when I heard Janey's whisper. “Why didn't you tell me?” 

“Would you have believed me before we met Thor?” 

She looked up from her blanket and stared at the stars, “I wonder if I'll ever get to meet him.” 

“I'll be on the look out for him.” 

“You said he was in a different dimension.” 

I held a finger to my mouth and winked, “Secrets, boss.”

Chapter Text

I was drinking my coffee the next morning when I saw four warriors in full Asgardian armor knocking on the glass at the front of labs, wide grins upon their lips.

“Um…Thor….” I looked over as he came out from the restroom. “I think your friends are here.”

My fingers reached up almost instinctively, feeling the outline of Aleksandr’s gift beneath my sweater. My eyes glanced at my ring and my feet clad in boots. Today was going to be an adventure, I could already tell. 

I glanced at Jane from the corner of my eye. I needed to make sure she was safe. I needed to make sure if I wasn’t there for her after everything that was about to go down, she’d be well-taken care of. Quickly scribbling Rikki’s number on a post-it note, I reached over and placed it in Janey’s front shirt pocket, closing the clasp on it just to be safe. 

Just as she looked at me curiously, I answered in return, “Call the number after things settle down.”

“You talk as if you are going somewhere.”

“Call it a feeling.” The feeling had intensified, my stomach feeling all squiggly with nerves. There was still something I needed her to look into, just in case I wasn’t there to do it for her. “In regards to your research, I’d focus on convincing one dude instead of the whole science community.”

“Who?”

I tapped my lip, “Someone powerful.” I knew just who. “Stark Industries could use an astrophysicist, especially now that aliens have come visiting.”

Janey scoffed, “You can’t be serious.”

I shrugged before looking in surprise as Mr Negative Nancy, Selvig himself, spoke up, giving a clasp on Jane’s shoulder. “It might just work.”

The rowdiness from Thor and his friends brought our attention back to them. 

We all looked back to Thor, who had just finished hugging his friends and getting caught up on news from Asgard. 

He turned toward us, waving us forward. “My friends, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.”

His friends all gave curt nods our way before turning back and expounding about the status of Asgard. Of Odin’s non-death and Loki’s deceit. 

My brows furrowed as my attention drifted to the storm brewing on the horizon.

I nudged Jane and pointed towards it. 

“If only I had my equipment,” she mumbled.

We watched as explosions went off in the outskirts of town, as a giant robot that glinted in the morning light proceeded toward the city.

Thor turned toward us. His words were full of fear for us, encouraging us to leave, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I’d seen the determined set on Jane’s shoulders. She wasn’t going anywhere.

“I’m staying.”

“I’ll help.”

Jane and I both said at the same time.

I looked at Thor and his friends. “We can help get the town evacuated. You guys do what you gotta do.”

Erik, Janey, and I split up going through the town’s stores, telling them of the danger coming, and the need to evacuate. I was thankful then for how well received we’d been in the past. They might have thought us a bit kooky, but they still respected us. The townspeople were quick to help spread the news, helping their neighbors into their bigger vehicles, helping older ones and kids evacuate quickly. When I saw that the town was nearly deserted, I ran into a nearby pet shop and quickly distributed the animals between passing fleeing vehicles. Now everyone in the town would be safe from the explosions. 

Explosions sounded as the robot blew up shops and vehicles in its way. 

When I rejoined Janey and Selvig, we watched the Asgardian warriors fight the giant robot from afar. But it was becoming obvious that their strength and weaponry were no feat against the indestructible robot. 

I doubted any of my abilities would even make a dent if the Asgardians didn’t.

We fell back to see Thor go face off the beast.

Jane looked worried, well we both did. We both had a soft spot for the big guy. 

“What’s he doing?”

I watched and listened as Thor pleaded and apologized to his brother. Begging Loki to leave the innocent people alone.

Rikki had been right. If it was in fact Loki that sent this thing, then something was horribly wrong.

Thor’s strong voice could be heard to all, “So take my life and end this!”

The robot was quick to smack Thor across the head. He went flying. As soon as he landed, we ran to his side. Jane on one side and I on the other.

Thor seemed to exhale with one final breath. “It’s over. You are all safe.” 

In the distance, I could just barely hear a whooshing sound and I quickly pulled Jane away. 

Just as I did, lightning struck right upon Thor, his hand raising and Mjølnir entering his grasp. The air became staticky, and he rose from the ground. Armor rippled across his body and I whispered to Selvig, “Still believe he’s not the real thing?”

The storm surrounding Thor intensified, and we ran back toward Smith Motors, watching as Thor rose in the air inside the storm before blocking the robot’s flame and bringing it up with him before crashing it back down to Earth. The ground shook underneath our feet, but the robot was at last in pieces.

“Whoa! Nice one, Thor!” I couldn’t help but cheer as Thor came through the wreckage, red cape swaying behind him. 

—

We took Thor, the Warrior’s Three, and Lady Sif back to the landing site. Thor called out for Heimdall, but no storm came. His brow furrowed for a moment before he glanced back at us.

His features turned solemn for a moment before a light returned in his eyes. “I did not believe I could find a family in Midgard. To find a place so far from Asgard, like home. Thank you, Lady Jane and Lady Darcy.”

He bowed respectfully toward the both of us before returning to his task of calling forth Heimdall.

I turned toward Jane. I knew what I had to do. It was risky, but that is what you do for family.

“Make sure to sign off on my credits for me.”

Jane’s eyes widened. “Where are you going?”

I smiled. “I promise to tell you about it later. In the meantime, call the number in your pocket. Tell Rikki I’m going to check on her mate.”

I snuck behind Thor, noticing how the Warriors Three and Lady Sif eyed me suspiciously but oddly didn’t stop me. 

“I need to give my almost brother-in-law a talking to.”

“What?” Jane looked shocked.

Thor just noticed me, but it was too late. Light shone all around Thor, his friends and me as we were transported. It was quick and felt like a reverse rollercoaster, one of those that dropped from a great height, instead we rose quickly in the sparkling tube around us before we landed in a golden domed room. 

A tall man laid out on the platform, and Thor’s commanding voice rang out. “Get him to the healing room. Leave Loki to me.” 

I tugged on Thor’s cape, “Oh no, you don’t. I’m coming along too.”

He looked down with a furrowed brow. “You won’t be able to stand the mode of travel.” He raised his hammer as if that gave an idea. Oh, well it was good then I wasn’t even mostly human.

“Good thing I’m hardier than I look. I’ll be fine, Thor.” I jumped on his back, my arms tightening around his neck. “Onwards!” I pointed toward the shimmering gold towered city down the long iridescent shimmering bridge. 

“Hold on tight, Lightning Sister.” 

I smiled at his nickname for me, before he began swinging Mjølnir above his head. I ducked and tucked my head into his shoulder before we lifted in the air and shot off. The shining gold of the city of Asgard is fast approaching us.

I was only slightly dizzy when we landed inside a large palace with huge, taller-than-cathedral ceilings rising high above us. Thor swiftly turned and started walking down the hallways at a fast clip. I kept up with his long strides as we entered another golden room. You would think they’d get tired of all the same element, everywhere the eye could see. It was a bit gaudy, but I shrugged, focusing on the woman that stood at the center. 

Long curly blonde hair with a braid over one shoulder was hugging a tall man with a horned helmet on his head. Not-right blue eyes gave him away.

“Loki,” Thor intoned, but I was the one who stepped around Thor and the woman who was quick to embrace Thor. 

I stalked closer, giving Loki a sharp smile. “Loki, at last we meet. Perhaps you’ve heard of me. I’m Darcy. The Darcy.” My grin became shark-like as his eyes widened. I went straight up to him and smacked his arm. “What if she had been down there when you sent that thing!”

For almost a brief moment he looked frightened. His eyes flickered from ice blue to emerald green before going back to blue.

I sighed, “She is fine, but she’d want me to kick you in the rear for the stunt you pulled.” I looked into his not-right eyes. “Your eyes are all wrong. What happened to you?”

Thor gently but firmly pushed me away from his brother before turning to confront him, which led to him being blasted out of the room with Loki’s scepter. Loki teleported away before I could move toward him again.

I turned toward who I assumed was the queen, “Your Majesty, I am the sister of Loki’s soulmate and she’s said his mind has been closed off lately. Just now I noticed his eyes…”

The queen nodded her head regally as she pursed her lips. “It’s as I feared. He is under someone else’s thrall.” 

“If I get him back to you, would you be able to lift it?”

The queen nodded. “There is an ancient procedure that can break the connection, but it could harm his soulmate bond.” 

I bit my inner lip and feared the answer to my next question. “Would it break the bond?”

The queen shook her head. “Only dampen it, at least until they meet in person.”

“Can you get me to him? I have a bad feeling.” I took off my sweater, feeling as if I would need my ‘armor’ in full view. 

The queen held my hand. “Of course, my dear.”

A gruff voice interrupted, as the one-eyed Asgardian king rose from his sleep pod, “I’ll take her.” 

–

We arrived just in time, upon the iridescent bridge that stretched between the city and Heimdall’s post. 

Thor was hanging from the sharp broken bridge edges, and Odin caught him before his hand slipped. I peered over the edge, my heart in the throat at the abyss beneath Thor and Loki, who hung onto his leg. He wasn’t gone yet. I could still save him.

I closed my eyes and began humming. I felt as my necklace began to warm along with the rings upon my finger. When I opened my eyes, I made eye contact with Loki. His eyes were full of tears before he looked back at his father.

“I could have done it, Father. I could have done it for all of us.”

“No, Loki.” Odin spoke, and I saw the dreaded shift in Loki’s eyes.

A shiver ran down my arms and I began singing full blast, ignoring the looks Thor and Odin threw my way.

I could feel it, the power thrumming in my veins, and just as I saw Loki let go I jumped forward and grabbed his hand.

I only heard Thor let out a yell, “No!” before we vanished before his eyes.