Forest of Imagination

REMINDER: THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE BOOK! Stay tuned for the next chapter: The Epilogue.

And since below is a bad place to put an A/N, I'll do it right now. Sorry I didn't update a long time, but I had ART homework (which art class gives out homework? Not that I'm complaining, because art's pretty fun, but it left me no time to write on my own dear book).

"That was nice," McKenzie told me once we'd exited the Oyster Bar.

"Yeah," I agreed.

Ryan bumped into us on the way back. He was riding a black seahorse, who's name I faintly remembered was Ebony. Next to him was - who else? - Everett, on his own lavender seahorse who wasn't in the royal corrals for sure. Otherwise, I would've have remembered its name.

"This is Desiree," Everett informed us, patting his seahorse.

"Ebony," Ryan introduced his seahorse, even though I already knew its name. He must've borrowed it.

"Ruby, and that's Francois," McKenzie pointed at my seahorse.

"Nice," Ryan grinned.

There was an awkward silence that fell over us like a blanket. No one knew exactly what to say.

"Let's go shopping," McKenzie finally suggested, with hardy groans from both Ryan and Everett.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad," I grinned, still in McKenzie's air bubble. It was nice of her to include Francois in the bubble, too, so that I could still cuddle against him and pet him.

"Yeah it will! Believe me, Hawker Estuary Shopping Mall is the WORST mall ever," Everett said.

"How so?" I challenged him.

"So many clothes stores - I mean, sports stores!" Everett quickly corrected himself, probably lying.

"Uh-huh," McKenzie said disbelievingly. "Well, anyway, let's go."

We arrived at the shopping mall quicker than I'd expected. It was humongous, and filled with, you guessed it, clothes stores. Not a single sports store was inside. I now knew Everett's lie.

Inside the atrium, a fountain was spouting from water pipes in the shape of a heart, which was pretty cool. Actually, it wasn't really the water's shape, but more like, the ripples through the water's shape.

"There are business departments here too," McKenzie told me. As we walked through the French double doors, the security guards bowed down to McKenzie, just like the waiter at Oyster Bar. McKenzie must be pretty famous - OH, wait! She was the queen of Hawker Estuary.

Ha, to think I forgot for even a second.

"Like?" Ryan asked.

"Departments of Marine Animals, Magic, Marine Sports, Food, Clothes, Politics, and Tourism," McKenzie answered. "There are a lot more, but that's it for Hawker Estuary Shopping Mall."

"That's it?" Everett cried.

"Sorry," McKenzie shrugged.

"Well, I think we need to check in to the Department of Magic," I ordered, because somehow, that intrugued me. Ryan and Everett gave me feared looks, while McKenzie shook her head.

"You don't want to go there," she replied.

"Why not?"

"Only employees go in and out without any injuries," she explained, which made me drop the subject.

"All right. Then...Politics?" I asked sheepishly.

"Why? That's boring lawyer stuff," Everett said.

I refrained from telling them that I'd once written a letter to the president of America fighting against racism. Even though most people think it's past, a lot more discriminate Asian and African races.

"Well, I think this kingdom needs to fix up a little. Plus, aren't you two part of it?" I added, because McKenzie was obviously queen of the kingdom and she hired Everett as her adviser.

"Yeah, but we deal with economy. Real politics, laws and stuff, are the lawyers' job," Everett admitted. McKenzie nodded, and Everett continued, "Law seems like your cup of tea, though."

"You mean, mine?" I clarified.

"Yep," Everett replied.

"I can make you head lawyer," McKenzie offered, "as long as you do good for trial round."

But I was only twelve! "I'm so young, though - are they going to accept me?" I asked anxiously.

"Don't be silly!" McKenzie assured me, at the same time Everett said, "Of course they won't accept you!"

Very encouraging, Everett.

"Why not?" I challenged him, saying it for the second time today. I was being pushed to the limit.

"Hey, you were the worrywart," Everett shrugged.

"I hate you."

"I hate you too," Everett agreed.

*~,*~,*~,*~,*~,*~,*~,

There is one thing I've learned on my adventure, and amongst so many others, this one stands out.

Humans are humans. Mermaids are humane, or mermaide, too. Everyone has a reason. There is betrayal, hatred, love, and sadness in this world, but ask yourself why before taking action.

Many things can harden a human's heart, making them almost monsterous. But know that they have empathy, sympathy as well, and as hard as it is to believe, regret is true and real in their hearts.

The best thing you can do is tolerate others, because they come to in the end, always. If they don't?

Then it's not the end.

So get out there, and just let your imagination...become a forest.

Hey, why are there so many trees?