Featured music:

1. Excerpt from "Es la noche del amor" (Spanish version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from The Lion King)

2. "Kiss the Girl" by Samuel E. Wright

______________________________

As night fell, still no progress in getting that kiss. Only one day left. If Benni and Omega didn't kiss by sunset tomorrow, the latter would turn back into a mermaid.

Omega's brothers did find that being on legs themselves now made it a lot easier to get to where they needed to go on land. But to their surprise, if they got their legs wet, they turned back into tails. They hadn't yet let Omega know about this, but they were sure something strange was up, and they needed to find answers. But first, they needed to ensure that Arla didn't get to keep Omega as her prisoner.

______________________________

As the sun was setting to end the second day, Benni took Omega on a little rowboat ride through a lovely lagoon where they could be alone. No kiss yet, but the two being alone was a great place to further the chance of a kiss.

Omega's brothers all watched from afar, but were met only with more frustration as Benni still hadn't puckered up. Omega tried every flirty motion she could think of. Tossing her head back so her hair flowed with the air, shyly brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, even blowing a kiss like she'd seen some of the girls in town do to flirt with guys they liked. Benni seemed totally oblivious. Now Omega knew what Estrella meant whenever she rolled her eyes and groaned, "Men."

Omega thought men under the sea were stubborn; it turned out men on the land were not that different. Assuming she got her voice back soon, she was going to have a lot of 'I told you so's' for Jango regarding how much land and sea folks had in common.

"Omega's pretty and been in so many great places with him," said Echo. "Shouldn't they have kissed by now."

"Only one day left, and that boy hasn't puckered up once." Hunter said. "I thought Estrella said blonde girls are the ones a lot of biped males want a kiss from more than most other girls."

"Maybe he's not as infatuated by blondes." Crosshair shrugged.

"Remind me what Omega sees in him?" Boba asked Estrella.

"Obviously, Benni needs a little help." Estrella said. "Perhaps a song of love?"

Estrella flew as inconspicuous as she could towards a tree, where she sat herself on a branch and began to sing a pretty song of love she knew.

Es la noche del amor

El cielo trae paz

El mundo está perfecto en su quietud

Con todo en su lugar

"Hmm... if I didn't know any better, I'd think I was hearing a siren singing." Benni said, hearing the pretty song. "Though, if that were the case, I guess I wouldn't be aware and we'd crash by now."

Estrella stopped singing at that. She wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment.

"You know, I've heard tales that lots of mermaids used to roam around here," said Benni. "But then they all just disappeared. Long before I was born too."

Omega couldn't believe what she just heard! Merpeople used to roam amongst the humans? But why was she only hearing of this now?

"Some people have said they're monsters, but Mom told me they actually vanished around sometime when Mokko was king. And hearing how big of a liar he was, I don't think I'd put it past him to have done something to drive them off."

According to Benni, the people of Ipsidon had been led to believe that mermaids were monsters of the water who hated when land creatures came in, and would sink the boats of sailors if they heard their seductive song. Omega knew that was wrong, of course, because sirens were the ones who did the sinking of ships. But the people of Ipsidon didn't know that, and Mokko had told everyone that mermaids were demonic and would stop at nothing to take what they wanted, and that was to sink all the dry land in the world and drown every living thing on it. Omega also knew that wasn't true; even if it was, she had no idea how the merfolk would even accomplish that.

So, merfolk thought bipeds were monsters, and bipeds thought merfolk were monsters? What was going on here?

______________________________

Estrella's song didn't seem to do much, but then Hunter had an idea.

"Boys, this is where years of music lessons are finally gonna pay off." Hunter said.

The six brothers split up and gathered some of the animals who lived around the lagoon. Ducks, turtles, birds, crickets, and a few swans too.

"Alright, everyone. Let's get these two in the mood for romance." Hunter said.

Hunter conducted everyone to begin playing music to set the mood. The more romantic it became, the higher the chance Benni would kiss Omega.

Hunter:

Percussion

Strings

Winds

Words

There you see her

Sitting there across the way

She don't got a lot to say

But there's something about her

And you don't know why

But you're dying to try

You wanna kiss the girl

Hunter whispered that part close to Benni's ear before hiding below the water.

"Did you hear something?" Benni asked Omega, who just shook her head with a smile, looking like she was holding back a giggle.

Hunter & his brothers:

Yes, you want her

Look at her, you know you do

Possible she wants you too

There is one way to ask her

It don't take a word

Omega slowly leaned forward and puckered up, but Benni backed up in a quick fit of nerves and just blushed. It seemed oblivion wasn't Benni's issue at all. Rather, it was that he was really shy, and possibly feared messing it up if he kissed the pretty girl in front of him.

Not a single word

Go on and kiss the girl

Hunter:

Sing with me now

Frogs joining in:

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

My oh my

Look like the boy too shy

Ain't gonna kiss the girl

Soon, more animals came and joined in on the song. Together, they made the setting a little more romantic. They set lily pads with beautiful lotus flowers floating in the water, fireflies began to fly by and light up the night, and some of the birds moved as though doing ballet.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Ain't that sad?

Ain't it a shame?

Hunter:

Too bad, he gonna miss the girl

"You know, I really feel bad not knowing your name. Unless, Goldilocks is actually your name?" Benni said.

Omega shook her head.

"Okay, well... is it... Michelle?"

Omega scrunched her nose at that.

"Okay, no." Benni laughed. "How about... Vanessa? Ashley?"

Omega shook her head to each name Benni guessed.

Then Boba carefully popped up.

"Omega. Her name is Omega!" Boba whispered.

Benni didn't catch the owner of the voice, but he did say one word he heard.

"Omega?" Benni scratched his head, and then he saw Omega nod with a big smile. "Omega? That's a pretty name. Okay... Omega."

Benni held hands with Omega and looked into her eyes.

Now that the two lovers were looking into each other's eyes, Omega's brothers and then animals got the two into a more romantic area where they were floating by some weeping willow trees.

Hunter:

Now's your moment (Tadpoles: ya, ya, ya)

Floating in a blue lagoon (Tadpoles: ya, ya, ya)

Mermen:

Boy, you better do it soon

No time will be better (Fish: ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya)

She don't say a word

And she won't say a word

Until you kiss the girl

Everyone:

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Don't be scared (Estrella: sha-la, sha-la-la ya, ya, ya)

You got the mood prepared (Turtles: woah, woah)

Go on and kiss the girl

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Don't stop now (Estrella & birds: sha-la, sha-la-la ya, ya, ya)

Don't try to hide it how

You want to kiss the girl (woah, woah)

Benni couldn't explain it, but there was definitely something special about Omega, something magical even. She didn't need to speak to attract him now. Somehow, her silence making her that much more mysterious just made her even more attractive to him.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Float along (sha-la, sha-la-la)

And listen to the song

Gonky tried to join in, but he sounded so bad, Tech and Wrecker made him stop so he wouldn't ruin the moment.

The song say kiss the girl (woah, woah)

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

The music play (Animals: ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya)

Little by little, Benni and Omega started to look more into each other's eyes as the animals also started whispering for Benni to kiss Omega.

Omega fluttered her lashes like Estrella taught her, and she slowly leaned forward. This time, Benni leaned forward too and started to pucker up.

Do what the music say

You gotta kiss the girl

You've got to kiss the girl

Oh, don't you wanna kiss the girl

Omega's brothers and the animals were all filled with anticipation as this was the big moment they had been waiting for!

You've gotta kiss the girl

Go on and kiss the girl

But just as Benni was about to kiss Omega... the boat was flipped over, sending both the teens into the water.

"Hang on! I gotcha." Benni said, helping Omega up. "You alright?"

Omega nodded.

Fennec and Ventress high-fived each other as they were the ones to flip the boat, thus foiling the kiss. They couldn't wait to be praised by Arla once they returned to her cave. Except, they didn't get quite the response they were hoping for.

______________________________

"Ouch!" Ventress and Fennec both groaned as they were each slapped across their faces.

"What were you two thinking?! You could've drowned the poor girl!" Arla said angrily.

"We were just helping to keep her from kissing that prince." Ventress said.

"I told you two to keep an eye on her, not to drown her!" Arla said.

"You do realize that if she kisses that prince, she'll be a human forever, right?" Fennec pointed out.

"Yes, I am aware. And whether she kisses him or not, it's all fine for me as long as she's away from my no-good brother."

You see, there was a lot to Arla that she didn't let on, not even to her two henchwomen. Though in a dark place she lived, despite the number of poor unfortunate souls suffering at the expense of spells they'd asked Arla for, Arla was not quite the villain you might be expecting. She had plans of her own, but not what you might be thinking.

Arla looked at the shell that held Omega's voice in it.

"There now, my dear. You only need to hold on one more day." Arla said, stroking the shell as though it were a kitten.

Arla turned back to her henchwomen and told them that they were not to harm her niece. Only to keep an eye on her, and if she changed back into a mermaid, bring her back to the cave.

"What kind of deal did you make with that kid anyway?" Fennec asked.

"Let's just say that my brother will be in for a family reunion he never expected." Arla said. "Whether she kisses that prince or not, either way, we'll be getting some decent company around here. But until then, I must continue to prepare. Watch the cave, ladies."

And off Arla went.

Fennec and Ventress didn't think they liked what Arla was planning though. Unlike Arla, they lived in the dark sea willingly, and were able to travel to other parts of the ocean, thus giving the former royal a visual peek into the outside world of her realm. They believed Arla owed them something. Arla gave them shelter, and shared what she could get from those asking her for spells with Fennec and Ventress, but nothing was ever enough.

"You know, Ventress, it's times like these I think Arla is just too soft." Fennec said.

"I agree. Why make an exception for the niece she never knew until two days before?" Ventress said.

"Arla said it herself, she should have been queen long ago, and this girl is the key to Jango's downfall. Why isn't she working harder to use her to that advantage?"

Fennec and Ventress were in agreement; they were confused by Arla's behavior as of late. Instead of prepping a spot among the polyps for Omega, Arla had been piecing together pieces of seaweed and other aquatic plants like she was making a pillow. Arla assured them once she was queen, there would be some changes, but she never specified what kind of changes.

"She's always complaining about how Jango's living it up while we're all stuck here scrounging about." Ventress said. "Why should she be queen when she's weak enough to go soft on family members?"

Ventress and Fennec looked at the shell in which Omega's voice was held and came up with a plan.

______________________________

Arla wasn't the only mermaid to have been banished to the dark seas. In Coralmino, the main scary tale told was of the sea witch, but before Arla's banishment, there were tales of Crescenda, known as the Pied Piper of Sirens. You see, Crescenda had no voice of her own, and she used to use the shell Arla held now to steal the voices of sirens who tried to stop her from carrying out her plans. But when she was without a voice, she would lure ships as well as merfolk with a magical flute... until the day Princess Arla stole her magical shell and her father banished the mute siren to the farthest ends of the dark sea, a place much deeper than even Arla lived now.

"I believe this belongs to you, Your Grace." Fennec held out the shell. "It even has a voice in it."

A blue hand took the shell, and the owner of the hand placed it around her neck, feeling a huge dose of relief as she was able to sing.

"Ah, a voice at last." said Crescenda in Omega's voice. "Tell me, ladies. Why have you come before me, the mighty Crescenda?"

Fennec and Ventress explained to Crescenda everything about Princess Omega and how Arla was planning to use this to an advantage to become queen of Koralmino. However, as they dug a little deeper into Arla's plans, they found that she had no plans to take over the rest of the ocean or do anything else. Simply to take the throne to Koralmino, that didn't seem like enough to the two dark mermaids.

"The people of that land, they're the ones who banished all mer-kind down below here," said Fennec. "Why shouldn't we take revenge upon them?"

"And what better way to do that than to take on their prince?" Crescenda chuckled. "I like the way you ladies think. Tell me more of this Prince Benni and Princess Omega."

______________________________

Arla hummed to herself as she picked one of few sea flowers that grew by the borders of the dark sea. How she missed her days in the palace, where beautiful flowers like that grew everywhere. She remembered how happy she once was, only to have that all taken away when her own people dubbed her a villain, then chose to worship her brother as their leader and exile her to the dark seas.

At first, Arla felt glad to be rid of her brother, with whom she was furious, but then, she grew sad. She was lonely and unhappy with only the terrifying folks who lived in the dark seas to keep her company. But when Omega came, she saw an advantage. Only a member of Jango's royal family could undo the spell Jango cast that prevented her from entering Koralmino, and the moment Omega signed that contract, it gave Arla a chance to finally return home... or at the very least get back at her brother by having him lose a child to something worse than death.

"Oh, dear Omega. If you only could have seen what life was like before the things your father did." Arla said to the flower.

______________________________

After getting dried off, as the nighttime sky hit over the kingdom Benni was now standing at his balcony, playing his flute again as he thought once more of the girl who rescued him. Obi-Wan came by and saw Benni looking a little lonely.

"Benni? If I may say, far better than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood." Obi-Wan said, motioning to a window where there was light. "One warm and caring and right before your eyes."

As Obi-Wan left him alone again, Benni looked to the window and caught sight of Omega as she was brushing her hair. The prince had to admit, although he'd thought about the girl who rescued him, he couldn't deny Omega had captured his heart. Even though she did not speak with words, she spoke through her actions. She was fun, curious, had a beautiful smile, and was very charismatic too.

Benni threw his flute away, not realizing he'd hit someone with it.

"Ouch!" Boba cried and rubbed his head. "Hey! Watch it! You shouldn't be throwing things into the water. You could hurt someone."

Hunter quickly got his brother below the water before Benni could see him.

"Hello? Someone there?" Benni called. "Sorry I hit you."

Benni looked around, but didn't see anyone.

The mer-princes got themselves out of the water and onto the land and decided they had to go see Omega now. Tomorrow was the last day Omega would be a human. If she didn't kiss Benni tomorrow, it would be too late!

______________________________

Hunter and the others made their way toward the window where Omega was. Omega was just getting ready to go to sleep, when she heard something tapping at her window.

Omega thought it was Estrella, but to her surprise it wasn't. It was Hunter! Quickly, Omega opened the window and signed "How did you get up here?!"

"That's a bit of a long story," said Hunter. "This is gonna shock you, but...."

Hunter pulled himself up and into the window to show that he now had human legs!

Omega's jaw dropped at this revelation.

"It's not just him," said Boba as Hunter helped him in.

Omega couldn't believe her eyes when her brothers made their way in and all of them had human legs. Omega started writing notes in Koralese, asking her brothers how they got legs without trading their voices.

"We are just as confused as you are." Tech said. "It appears when we enter dry land, our tails become legs, but when we get them wet, we turn back into mermen."

Omega scratched her head. But I've been on the sand before, and I didn't become a human then. Why?

When Omega wrote that out to her brothers, they concurred with her. Why couldn't she do it before? But then, she remembered something Arla had said before she gave Omega the spell.

Aunt Arla said something Dad did before made it so I had to become a human to be with Benni. She didn't say what though. Omega wrote in another note.

"How do we know she's even being sincere about that?" Boba said. "She's a sea witch!"

"Technically, she was also a member of the royal family, based on what we know of her thus far." Tech said. "But we do not know quite everything about her or Father's past. It might provide some answers as to why we can suddenly transform into humans."

Omega was worried though. If she did become a human, had she just wasted a spell and two days without a voice? She had to find answers, no matter what her father may think of this now.

Suddenly, the mer-siblings heard a sound coming from outside. It sounded like... singing. Omega singing?

That didn't make any sense!

Immediately, Omega looked out the window, and she saw another girl... a girl with gold hair singing with a glowing seashell, and Benni moved closer to her.

"It's Arla! I knew she was bad news!" Boba exclaimed. And Bobarushed out of the room to go after the secret siren.

Omega ran out too, and so did the rest of her brothers.

But before the seven siblings could even get close to Benni, all of them found themselves drenched in water, causing all of Omega's brothers to change back into mermen, and then all seven of them were captured in strong nets thrown by some of the royal guards, who appeared to be in a trance.

The six mermen and the one human girl all struggled in the nets as they were dragged to meet with the very girl who'd seduced Benni with Omega's voice.

"So, you're the infamous Princess Omega who fell in love with a human, are you?" chuckled the mystery girl. "Thank you for making such a deal with Arla. If it weren't for you, I would never have had the chance to carry out my own special plans for the ocean. Take them away."

Omega had no clue what was happening, but she knew that whoever was posing as her was definitely not Arla.

______________________________

Omega and her brothers were taken to the old abandoned ipsium mines, and a giant stone was placed at the entrance.

It was dark in the caves, and not a body of water was in sight. Wrecker tried to push the giant rock out of the way, but the cave walls were too unstable for him to move it from the inside without sending a bunch of rocks tumbling on top of his siblings.

"We're trapped!" Wrecker panicked.

"What do we do now?" Boba said. "How do we get out of here? And who was that woman?"

"Whoever she is," said Hunter. "She's obviously up to no good. We gotta find a way out of here before it's too late."

There was only one problem. None of the siblings knew anything about caves on land, much less ipsium mines. And with no water around, they couldn't use their shells to travel to another body of water.

Omega sat and cradled her head in her knees as she started to cry. This is all my fault! She thought. If I hadn't made that stupid deal none of us would even be in this mess! And Benni... she had no idea what that other girl was planning to do with him. But with how she seemed to know about Omega and her brothers, and then trapped them, Omega could only hypothesize that Benni was in danger!

But there would be no rescuing Benni until Omega and her brothers got out of this cave.

How could they escape?