//------------------------------// // Blackmailed // Story: H2O: Just Add Friendship // by Burning Sunset //------------------------------// Without hesitation Sunset was in the water heading directly to the young girl who was just knocked into the water by the large shark. If the red was any indication the girl was hurt and all Sunset could do was pray that the shark hadn’t seriously hurt or killed the girl. It only took her a few moments to shoot through the water like a bullet to catch the sinking girl in one arm, the smaller girl barely struggling despite having her eyes open. “You aren’t getting away with my lunch that easily bitch!” The shark snarled as it came back around towards the two, its razor filled maw wide open for another bite. Flinging her free hand up, the water around the shark instantly froze in ice, the iced shark sinking to the bottom. Turning Sunset hurried to the shore pulling the injured girl along. “So, what now?” Rikki asked as Emma and her sat out in the dock looking out toward Mako Island. It was something that often brought peace to both girls, just relaxing and looking out toward where their friendship was forged and their secret life began. “I don’t know, to be honest I’m still waiting for you to call me trailer trash and just walk away.” Rikki admitted quietly, voicing the fear that had always been there ever since befriending Cleo and Emma. “Rikki! Why in the hell would I do that, you’re my friend! There’s nothing wrong with living in a trailer.” Gasped Emma, staring at her friend in shock as she realized that maybe Rikki had good reason to think that way. “How many times has that happened?” “I’ve never really had friends, Emma. Though I’ve had girls who were nice to me until they found out where I lived. Then everyone would start calling me freak and loser.” Rikki said painfully, “I prefer trailer trash, the could get a lot more creative when we were living in a government funded place.” “Huh? I thought you didn’t take charity.” Emma said, not trying to accuse Rikki of anything despite being genuinely curious. “It isn’t charity when the rent if worked off. And besides, while we don’t take charity, sometimes you don’t have a choice when you have a ten year old and your wife left you taking every cent with her.” Growled Rikki angrily, blinking away tears. “I’m so sorry, Rikki.” Emma said, scooting closer before drawing the redhead into a hug. “Don’t be Emma, it isn’t your fault. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I didn’t mean to come off as being manipulative, but I just didn’t know what else to do. If I came to you with the truth I was afraid you would just turn me away and call me trash. I thought if we could pull it off without that idiot blabbing about the reward then nobody would have to know where I live and we wouldn’t be evicted.” Rikki sighed as she leaned into the hug. It felt nice not having to worry about her friend dumping her because of where she lived and how poor they were. “Well I know where you live now, Rikki. And I expect you to tell Cleo as well, she’ll accept it just like me.” Emma said squeezing a little tighter. “And from now on, no more lies, okay? Not between us. There’s enough lies trying to hide the fact that we are mermaids, we don’t need any between us also.” “I promise, no more lies.” Rikki agreed, both girls smiling. “Good.” Emma said before growing even more serious. “Rikki, for what it’s worth I think of you as a sister. Cleo and you both. While I regret becoming a mermaid sometimes, I’ve never regretted becoming your friend. The only regret I have is not getting to know you as soon as you transferred in.” “Thanks.” Rikki sniffed, trying not to cry as that was a big part of her fears. “And I’m also glad that you didn’t die or get hurt worse. I’m so sorry you left you there by yourself.” Emma admitted, knowing that while Rikki had manipulated them, she hadn’t meant to. She also knew that since Rikki admitted to never having friends before Cleo and Emma, the girl probably wasn’t very good at expressing herself in a group which explained so much. “Don’t be sorry, Emma. I’m not dead, which I’m happy about too believe me, and it’s all in the past.” Rikki said pulling back, “I guess I owe that girl a lot for this.” “What did you do to make her feel like she owed you?” Emma asked, getting up with Rikki. “I have no idea, I never met her before she found me cr-sitting on the dock.” Rikki said, hoping Emma didn’t catch her mistake. “Rikki, what did I tell you about lies?” asked Emma, crossing her arm and tapping her foot making Rikki blush a little. “Fine, I was crying on the dock when she found me.” Rikki huffed, rolling her eyes. “Happy?” “Happy about you telling me the truath? Yeah! Happy that I was part of the reason you were crying? No, and I never want to be the cause to make you cry ever again.” Emma said, “But I’m worried about who that girl is and how much she knows. Do you think she knows about us?” “I don’t really know.” Rikki said slowly, paling at the implications. There was a new girl out there who could possibly know their secret and if she did, would she keep it? She didn’t seem like the type to want to hurt anybody, well maybe Emma for hurting Rikki, but she seemed to have the desire to pay Rikki back for some unknown good deed. “Maybe we should call Cleo and find out.” Emma suggested pulling out her phone. Rikki pulled hers out as well, Emma noticing for the first time that it was a really old model that usually came from the prepaid ones. There was so many signs that Rikki didn’t have a lot of money which was making Emma want to kick herself for never noticing it before. Sunset gasped for air as she pulled herself up on shore, her tail still in the water and the young girl still in the small waves coming up on shore. The entire side of the girl’s swimsuit was ripped off with red all over her. It didn’t look like there was anything missing, but apparently the shark’s teeth either grazed her very badly or he bit into her. “Hurts.” Whimpered the young girl who was looking up wide-eyed at Susnet making the older girl let out a strangled sob. What was she suppsed to do, she was stuck in her fishy form for the moment and even if she wasn’t she just wasn’t too sure what to do. There was nobody in screaming distance that could hear her, and by the time she dried off and found somebody the young girl could be dead. “Please be okay, please!” Sunset cried, trying to pull back the shredded fabric of her swimwear when her hands started glowing a golden color. Gasping in shock as tendrils of water rose from the water lapping up around the two, Sunset felt an urge to hold her hand over the bloody area. Shakily doing so, she was shocked when not only did the tendrils of water washed away the blood, making a lot of it go back inside, but it also began knitting up the large gashes and holes that was now visible without the blood covering the area. After just a few moments color started returning to the young girl and her shaking finally stopped. Looking up into Sunset’s eyes they grew fearful yet at the same time seemed to fill with awe. As her hand stopped glowing, Sunset pulled back, trying to sit up though found it a little difficult to do with a tail. “Are you okay?” “You healed me?” The girl asked in surprise as she too sat up and inspected the area where her wound once was. There wasn’t even any scaring and if it wasn’t for her swimsuit being ruined there would be no evidence of what happened. “I guess I did.” Sunset admitted, a little shaky herself. She could do a lot of things as a unicorn, but healing wasn’t one of them. No unicorn could heal like that and she wasn’t even sure if the princess herself could. “You don’t know?” The girl asked as she scooted farther away from the water as she kept her eyes locked on Sunset. “I don’t even know what I am. I wasn’t like this a few days ago, but since I changed I started getting these powers.” Sunset admitted, looking down and away from the girl. “That is so awesome!” The girl cried out all of a sudden, “Are you saying you somehow turned into a mermaid al of a sudden?” “Well, it wasn’t all of a sudden. Well it was, but not like spontaneous. I stumbled into this place that was full of magic on the full moon and fell into this pool. Since then when I get wet I turn into this thing and when I dry I go back to normal. So I’m a mermaid, huh?” Sunset explained, looking up to see a strange look cross the girl’s face. “My name is Sunset Shimmer.” “I’m Kim Sertori.” Kim said, returning Sunset’s smile as the older girl pulled herself farther up onto dry land before using her powers to dry herself the rest of the way and changed back to normal. “It must be hard dealing with that, changing just because you get splashed with water.” “It probably is, but I don’t really have anybody. No family or friends so I tend to stick to myself anyways.” Sunset explained, “Will you please keep this a secret?” “I will on one condition.” Kim said while giving a shark like smile, “You be my friend and help teach me how to surf and stuff, and I won’t tell anyone.” Sunset wanted to smack the girl, she really did, but she luckily refrained from doing so. She was just a kid and didn’t deserve that, no matter how much a part of her wanted to. Knowing she was screwed, but not regretting saving a young girl’s life, Sunset relented and gave the only answer she could. “Okay.” Pinkie Pie sighed heavily as she boxed up another order of cupcakes and muffins. Ever since she learned the truth, despite having a feeling that something wasn’t right, Pinkie Pie had grown downcast with her poofy hair doing the same as it went flat and seemed to remain so. Ever since Sunset seemed to vanish Pinkie Pie seemed to remain on autopilot, doing just what was required of her including homework and helping the Cakes. Even though all of her friends had tried to cheer her up, she just couldn’t find a reason to. Even the few parties she was dragged to she left minutes later not bothering to even try to enjoy the games, music, food and friends. She just didn’t feel like she deserved to until she found Sunset Shimmer and earned forgiveness for what happened.