"So, how to defeat Erik," Ondina said, pacing around the grotto. "Who has any ideas?"

"Well, we can guard Mako and fight him as soon as he arrives?" Weilan suggested.

Ondina paused to think. "We don't actually know when he's arriving. We'd have to have mermaids stationed everywhere around Mako."

"How about we try lure him to the Merman Chamber, and attack him there?" Lyla said.

Ondina shook her head. "We can't take him anywhere close to the Merman Chamber, it would be too risky."

"But is he doesn't have a moon stone or the trident stone to get in, what's the harm?" Lyla asked.

"We have to get him away from Mako before the next full moon," Mimmi said. "The Chamber can open on full moons without a moon stone."

"But he doesn't have a moon stone to activate the Chamber," Lyla reminded Mimmi.

Mimmi paused to think. "He has, according to the vision. He found himself some more mermen, and we don't know if they are land-boys, or real mermen. We don't know what type of danger these new men will be."

"So we need to try get the new mermen alone," Lyla nodded. "Find out their individual strengths and weaknesses?"

Mimmi nodded back at Lyla. "Good idea... I also remember something from the vision... There was a trident necklace."

Ondina pointed at Mimmi. "I remember you telling us about that in the Marina... What connection does that have to everything?"

"Do you think they can use that necklace to open the Merman Chamber?" Weilan asked.

Just then, Zac entered the grotto. He looked at all the girls.

"Mimmi, you're here?" He asked.

Mimmi nodded, looking confused. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

Zac remembered his conversation with Chris on the night of the full moon. "No reason," he said innocently.

Zac sat in between Lyla and Weilan. "So what are we talking about?"

"How to defeat Erik," Ondina replied, pacing again. She entwined her fingers nervously.

Just then Sirena enter the grotto, smiling slightly.

"Hi, guys!" Sirena smiled. Then she frowned. "Oh, Nixie isn't here?"

"No, why?" Lyla asked.

"Well, I've been looking for her all morning," Sirena said. "I haven't been able to find her anywhere. Aquata says she hasn't seen her since last night."

"What do you think has happened to her?" Zac asked.

"Maybe she's in the café?" Weilan suggested.

Zac nodded. "I'll ask Evie."

Zac walked to the corner of the room with his phone on his hand as he searched through the contact list on his phone.

Rita entered the grotto. "Hello girls." Rita scanned their faces. "Wait, isn't Nixie here?"

"No, we've just been discussing her whereabouts," Mimmi said. Then she suddenly gave a gasp, and jumped up, frightening Sirena as she did so. "I have an idea! What about Cleo?"

"Cleo?" Weilan asked confused.

Mimmi nodded eagerly. "And Emma!"

Lyla and Ondina shared puzzled looks. "Who?"

"Rikki? Bella?" Mimmi sighed. "Lewis? Will?"

"Oohh!!" Sirena cried with realisation. "Yes, the mermaids! They helped us defeat Erik before, in the Merman Chamber! I remember, Bella and I turned into sirens, and Cleo was kidnapped, and - "

"I don't think we should get those girls," Rita said hurriedly.

"Well, they all have moon rings, their power added on to ours will be stronger!"

"We'll have to get them!" Lyla nodded in agreement.

"It's too far, and they won't have had much training with their moon rings," Rita said. "Plus this will be too dangerous for land-girls." Then she checked her watch. "Look, I'm going to have to go. I have a class to teach. I'll talk to you all later this evening. Just...don't think of some crazy plan to defeat Erik and then go ahead without talking to me first, okay?"

Sirena nodded, just as Ondina was about to open her mouth and complain. "Okay, Rita. And if you see Nixie, please tell her to come find us."

Rita nodded. "I will."

And Rita left. As soon as the splash of the pool water was heard, Ondina burst into a rant:

"What?!" She cried. "We have a mermaid missing already, no doubt taken by Erik, and Erik is on his way to Mako, and Rita isn't going to let us do anything to stop him!"

"Well, just hold on," Weilan said, holding up her hand. "We don't know that Nixie has been taken by Erik - "

"Evie says Nixie isn't at the café," Zac said, ending the call and slipping his phone into his back pocket.

"... Okay, Nixie has been kidnapped by Erik," Weilan said.

"Zac, don't you have Rikki's mobile number?" Lyla asked.

Zac shook his head. "I got a new phone, remember? I lost all my old contacts."

"Zac... You had one job..."

Sirena placed a hand over her flushing forehead. "What are we going to do?!"

"I need to talk to Veridia," Ondina said. "I bet she'll be in the Moon Pool. I go see her now."

"I'll come too," Zac said.

"I'll meet you there," Mimmi said. "I best go to the Marina and tell them I can't work for a month or two."

"Why would you do that?" Zac asked Mimmi, almost immediately.

Mimmi gave her brother a confused look. "So I can help find Erik," she replied, as if it were obvious. "We need all the help we can get, and I can't give this problem with Erik one hundred percent of my focus if I'm going to work."

"Well, I'd hate for you to lose the job," Zac said.

"I won't lose my job," Mimmi told him, confidence in her voice. "I will talk to Chris, he'll understand."

And Mimmi left the grotto.

"We haven't got time," Ondina said, as Zac began to head after his sister. "We have to go see Veridia."

Ondina and Zac headed to the pool these lead to they ocean. They dived in together, grew their tails, and swam as fast as they could to the Moon Pool.

After ten minutes of solid swimming, they reached the Moon Pool.

"I beat you," Zac grinned, as he and Ondina pulled their heads above the water.

"Zac, it's not a competition," Ondina rolled her eyes.

Zac looked hurt. "But, Mimmi and I always race to - "

"I don't care," Ondina said. "We have to find Veridia."

And Ondina and Zac both turned around, to find five young mermaids looking up at them.

"Oh, a merman!" One of them cried.

"I can't wait to learn!"

"I've been practising!" One exclaimed proudly.

"Hi guys," Zac smiled kindly, and the little mermaids giggled to each other. "Are you taking a magic class? I'm sure you'll all do well. Rita is a great teacher."

"Rita?" The girl on the end asked. "She hasn't taught us magic in five full moons!"

"Wait..." Ondina paused. "You mean Rita hasn't been teaching you guys magic for five months?"

The mermaids nodded.

Zac and Ondina shared worried looks. "Are there any other hatchlings learning magic?" Zac asked.

The mermaids shook their little heads. "Nope, it's just us!"

"Do you know where Rita has been going instead?" Ondina asked.

The mermaids didn't know.

Zac and Ondina thanked them, and then left the Moon Pool. They began searching the water around Mako, and eventually found Veridia. They explained everything.

"Yes, we are aware that Nixie has gone missing," Veridia said. "I have been told that she went with the group of mermaids we sent to try stop Erik from coming to Mako... Nixie was the only mermaid who did not return."

"So Erik had kidnapped her?" Ondina asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"It would appear so." 

"Do you know if Nixie's safe?" Zac asked. "Or hurt? Or alive?"

"I'm sorry," Veridia shook her head. "But I don't know."

Ondina took a shaky breath. "Well, how far away are Erik and his group?"

"About two hours away."

"And how are we going to defeat him?"

Veridia paused for a moment. "We've already lost one mermaid, I'd hate for us to lose another... I think it's best that the Pod leave Mako Island. For good."