Niana's Journey

Chapter One

     "Niana! Come on!" My sister, Sireena, called to me.

     "But the Dolphin and Shark Peace Association meeting doesn't start until three and it's noon now!" I yelled. "We don't gotta leave yet."

     "Ummm...Yes! Yes, we do! We are already gonna be late! It's a three hour swim to the ocean zone alone. Then we have to find reef and then the coral." Sireena argued.

     "What!? Why didn't you tell me, Sireena?" I screamed. I grabbed all my sea shell pallets and threw them back in my makeup seaweed bag. I quickly put on my new top, a midnight blue blouse over a turquoise bra, to match my deep blue sea tail. I ran a shell comb through my long, pitch black, silk hair.

     "Fluff, fluff, and check the mirror, and perfect!" I sang as I fluffed out my hair, checked my makeup, and posed in front of the camera. "Waterproof is amazing! How do those humans know our secret?"

     "Niana !" Sireena complained again. As I swam from my coral to the family coral, Sireena gasped. "Did you take my turquoise shell pallet set?" She asked horrified.

     "Yes! Yes, I did!" I confessed. "You owed me anyway for taking my Hot Pink human dress! Now we are even."

     "Oh, fine!" She practically whined. "Let's just go!"

***

     After an hour of swimming, we finally came to the reef of Atlantis. We quickly found the Dolphin and Shark Peace Association coral where the meeting was held.

     "Here you are!" The one of many princesses of Atlantis, Princess Ariel, greeted us. She was the founder of Dolphin and Shark Peace Association. She wore her usual attire. Her long fire red hair flowing in the water behind her as she swam, her purple sea shell bra, and her graceful green tail.

     "You never are afraid of matching, are you Princess?" I commented.

     Ariel giggled. "Oh. Well every other mermaid out there wants to match with their tail, but why be bound to one shade of color forever? Like you for example. You were born with a deep blue sea tail, so you always wear shades of blue for your tops. But don't you ever get tire of blue?"

     "Well...yes, but if someone wanted to change the color bad enough they could dye their scales." I proposed. "I just never do because the dye can kill off your scales through out time.

     "Exactly!" Ariel exclaimed, winning the argument.

     "Can we get to things? How are we planning on getting the dolphins and sharks to make peace?" Sireena asked.

   "Ah, yes!" Ariel agreed. "Okay. So the reason we want to make peace between them is because their feuding has begun to affect the merfolk. To make peace, we first need to talk with each of the Royals from each side. Find out some background. Then get the Royals of each side together and have them talk through it to find a solution."

     "Well....what do you need us for then?" I asked trying not to sound too annoyed. "We came to help voluntarily but it seems you've got it all worked out and don't need us."

     "I do need you!" Ariel assured. "I need you 'gals' to interview the Royals of each side and bring me the info."

     "Ummm...okay." Sireena said.

     "Here! Sireena, you can interview the Shark Royals and Niana can interview the Dolphin Royals." Ariel explained. She handed Sireena and I each a set of manuals. "These manuals will teach you how to act and talk around and treat the Royals of each side."

     "Whoa! Wait!" I said. "We have to go all the way back to our reef, and come back tomorrow? Isn't there a local Coral Inn we can stay at on this reef?"

     "Oh of course! I didn't expect you guys to go all the way back home and come back. I'm not like that!" Ariel exclaimed offensively. "I had a mer-servent sent to get you a coral at the palace. Your corals are next to mine."

     "We get to stay at the palace?" Sireena and I squealed in harmony. 

     "Oh, yes indeed!" Ariel giggled. "Come on! I'll show you to the palace." Ariel took off to the palace with Sireena and I following close behind her. We all had big smiles on our faces as Ariel explained how the process to set peace between dolphins and sharks will take several days so it's entitled that we stay at the palace for the rest of the week.

     And soon, we arrived at the palace.