Operation: OCEANA, Part 6: Arrival of the Bubble Witch!

Mindy is from the SpongeBob Movie, but I recently learned she cameo'ed in SpongeBob's birthday episode! That's nice!

Mindy's carriage

"Wow, it's big as a limo in here!" Nora beamed, kicking back relaxedly on the long, dark-pink seat. "I knew magic could make things bigger on the inside, but still… Are you rich, Mindy?"

"You might say that." Mindy smiled modestly. "But it's probably nothing compared to traveling with the real live Sea Princess!"

"Haha, don't get the wrong impression." Erin blushed. "I'm just here to help fight the pirates. I don't want special treatment or anything."

"No, I get it. But I bet your waterbending's nothing to scoff at!"

"Ehehe…I wouldn't say that either."

"Oh, stop it, Erin," Nora said, "you've beaten so many tough enemies! Show Mindy a bit of your bubblebending! I'll be your practice dummy!" She got in a fight pose.

"Hehe, okay." Erin withdrew her bubble wand and dipped it in Sabaody Soap. She whooshed and pelted Nora with bubbles, bonking her head about and hitting her leg to knock her down. Nora flipped up and swung a kick at Erin, but she trapped her foot in a mass of foam and spun her in the air.

"That's impressive! You even look like a little witch when you do that."

"Yeah, but I've really been using this bubble gun most of the time. So, what's Oceanic magic like?"

"Well, it's mostly the same as any magic they'd teach at other schools. One of our specialties is transforming into different kinds of fish and studying them. We even pick out little fish familiars. But I'm sure the magic you're familiar with is becoming human."

"!" Madeleine lit up.

"Oh, that's right!" Nora gasped. "Madeleine here was made human by a sea witch! But she stole her voice, too."

"R…Really?" Mindy looked down in surprise. Madeleine nodded sadly. "I'm so sorry. That kind of dark magic isn't supposed to be taught. What exactly happened?"

Madeleine wrote in Mermish, A bunch of scary pirates kidnapped me and killed my family. They used me to lure in human ships with a magic flute and hurt them. They took my fins so I couldn't swim away, but the witch wanted to take my voice as payment. Miss Mindy… can the Mermages change me back?

"Of course! I don't know if we can get your voice back, but I'm sure we can get your fins back, at least."

"But wouldn't she have a harder time walking then?" Mack asked. "Unless she wears one of those bubble floaties, I guess. I'm just saying, there's been more land than sea under the sea."

"That just reminded me." Mindy began. "Near the beginning of the year, the Emile Family was massacred on their own estate. Only the youngest daughter's body was never found."

"Really?" Erin asked. "Madeleine, are you…" The child nodded.

"Now, when you say 'estate,'" Mack noted, "are you telling me she's rich?"

"Er, yes, actually. They were one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom."

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" All their eyes practically shot out at the child.

"How come you never told us you were that special?!" Nora asked.

"Probably 'cause we don't understand her language." Erin blushed.

"Alright, settle down, you guys." Mindy said. "She's a little kid who went through something terrible. There probably wasn't much need to bring it up."

"I guess everyone here is a little special, huh?" Lulu grinned.

Madeleine wrote another message for Mindy to translate. Remember that magic flute? Only my family could play it. That's why the pirates kidnapped me, to use it to trap ships. But I don't know why my family had to die.

"Awwww." Erin patted her hair. "I'm really sorry."

It's okay. I just want my fins and voice back. Then I can be useful.

"What do you mean?"

I can't fight or waterbend or do any of what you can. But if I could swim and talk, I could be more helpful.

"Well, we already promised we'd try to break your curse. But we never thought you were useless, Madeleine. You're really nice and helpful. And your hugs really warm us up."

Madeleine smiled and hugged Erin. The sight warmed the others as well. "That's fine and dandy," Massimo said, "but you promised us mustaches! Mustache us!" He pulled Mack to his side.

"I don't want one!"

"Come on, amico! We can be the Super Mustache Bros.!"

"Fine. But if it gets itchy, I'm shaving."

"Haha, okay!" Mindy laughed. "First, close your eyes." The boys did. "Spin around three times." Massimo spin-jumped while Mack spun normally. "Now, with my Mermaid Magic…" Mindy picked two pieces of seaweed from a pot in the corner, "and my one tailfin…" The girls raised brows as she stuck the seaweeds through their noses, "I command the two of you to turn into men! Okay, it's done."

They opened their eyes. "…Whoa, check it out, bro!" Massimo gasped. "We have mustaches!"

"What?" Mack tapped his. "This is just seaweed! You stuck seaweed in our-"

"Where's your imagination, Macaroni?" Massimo wrapped his arm under Mack's shoulders to hoist him to his level. "I feel so MANLY! I wanna hit the pool table and throw DARTS!"

"Is that what men do?" Lulu asked.

"I guess so." Nora shrugged.

"Hey, guys, look outside!" Mindy pointed. "We're passing the barrier!"

Their carriage rode through swarms of fish in the dense Kelp Forest. They became completely surrounded by fish, blinded to the forest beyond. If the Snapper weren't tethered to the carriage, it would have lost its way amongst the swarm. However, the fish felt Mindy's familiar aura, so they helped the carriage proceed and eventually cleared away. The children's jaws dropped in awe: the forest had become a shade of dark-purple, with bubble jets that changed between rainbow colors, pufferfish that would inflate, blow up into smoke, and reappear somewhere else, snails with swirling hypnotic shells, kelpfish that would magically turn into kelp, and anemones that looked like otherworldly spirits.

"So… beautiful…" Nora gazed.

"They don't have anything like this back home!" Lulu beamed.

"If you like this," Mindy said, "wait'll you see the—AAAAH!" The carriage was blasted on its side, the reins detaching from the seahorses as they fled. "What happened?!" They quickly climbed out. Three magenta koi fish floated above them, wielding angler-like magic wands that shot magic, explosive bubbles. Erin, Nora, and Lulu picked their own fish and pulled them down with their abilities, KOing them after a quick skirmish.

"What were their problems?!" Mack asked.

"I don't know!"

"I suspect the pirates' influence has reached these waters." Jinbe said, he and Zoidberg disembarking the ship. "Let's proceed to Mermage City cautiously. More will be waiting."

"Not a problem for a couple of big, strong men like us!" Massimo grinned.

"Time for our Bubble Witch to make her debut!" Nora fist-pumped.

"Hehe!" Erin blushed. "Say, Madeleine, why don't both of us take the front this time? This is important to you, too."

The child jumped joyously! …She turned back to the KO'ed Fishmen for a moment and approached one. She picked up their dropped Angler Wand and waved it around. "Awe, do you wanna pretend to be a witch, too?"

"Is that safe to use?" Mack asked.

"Magic wands only respond to real mages, anyway." Mindy said. "Just let her play with it. We should probably confiscate them from the pirates, anyway."

"Then we'll be the Mermage Sisters!" Erin cheered. "Hahaha…" She flushed at her own silly idea. (Play "Prehistoric Forest" from Cosmic Shake!)

Stage 4: Magikelp Forest

Mission: Find and protect the Sea Fairies!

The friends bounced a sequence of large, springy flowers to ascend some high steps. They reached a long path where two Koi Fishmen sent their Clam Familiars at the group. Their magic transmitted through the clams to shoot fire, catching the girls off guard as they dodged hastily. The clams fired more when they tripped, but Nora defended them with bubble shields. Erin grabbed her Sponge Gloves to swat the clams with karate. Lulu sprung toward the Fishmen, wrapped Erin in her tongue, and performed the double slam combo to flatten both! They would focus their efforts KOing one fish, but the other would retreat as he uttered a spell to barricade the path in violet flames.

"Barnacles!" Mindy cursed. "A magic flame barrier! It won't let us go over or around this area!"

"It's fire, isn't it? So, just use water!" Nora quickly began dousing the fires with her bending. "Why isn't it working?!"

"Magic obstacles don't get removed that easy. Especially in a place that's rich with Magic Chi. I actually know the counter-chasm to this spell; it's," she uttered some Mermish they wouldn't begin trying to spell, though it translated to 'Frosty Steam,' "but it's not like I can do it myself. Sigh…maybe we should wake the other Fishman up and make him open it."

As Madeleine's gaze wandered for a different way, she noticed a Jetstream of ice-blue bubbles past some kelp. "Madeleine?" Erin questioned as she wandered to the Jetstream. "Oh, you found bubbles!"

"These are Frost Bubbles." Mindy said. "There are jetstreams like this all around the forest, and they have different magic properties mixed in them. Including basic element chis like ice."

"Maybe I can bend them to put out the fire!" Erin took hold of them in her bending, though they felt a bit heavier than her own bubbles. Regardless, she was unable to douse the fire. "No! I thought for sure this would…"

Madeleine curved her brows determinedly. Maybe this wand that she took could give these bubbles the juice they needed. She flicked her wand through the bubbles; she felt a chill rush through her body, but her small efforts seemed to be in vain. She frustratedly thought, Come on! Open up! [Frosty Steam]!

And with that, the flames evaporated into steam, creating a gap to walk through. "Phew!" Erin sighed. "Magic doesn't mess around. Let's keep going." The group proceeded, save for a dumbfounded Mindy.

"But… that's impossible…" The mermaid scratched her head curiously before swimming after them. The kids reached a lagoon of purple ooze that Erin could surf them over with a Bubble Board, evading the spouts of ooze that would erupt in their way. At a wider area of the lagoon, a Flying Fishman would shoot tiny Torpedo Teds from a high ledge.

"It's one of those guys agai—ouch!" Lulu said, her hip struck by a Ted. "If those things were bigger, I could jump up them!"

"That would be possible with those bubbles." Mindy pointed to a platform in the middle of the lagoon, which had a jetstream of darker blue ones. "And if you knew the [Blow 'em Bigger] spell."

"Well, we had luck the first time." Erin said, Madeleine nodding. "Let's do it again!" Both girls surfed a Bubble Board over the lagoon, watching out for the Tiny Teds. Upon reaching the platform, Erin bent the Big Bubbles up at the Tiny Teds. Madeleine swung her wand in the bubbles and felt another rush of power. She strongly thought the spell and enlarged the Teds! "It's working!" They blew up a good row of Teds as Lulu Homing Kicked them, reaching the Flying Fish's ledge and KOing him! Erin would then bring the group over one at a time as Lulu hooked them up with her tongue.

"Wait couldn't you use that on us?" Massimo asked. "Do it on me! Then I can be a REAL man!"

"Well, there's still a bit of it on my wand." Erin said, holding up her bubble wand. She blew it over Massimo, Madeleine thinking the spell at the same time.

"WHOOOA!" His seaweed mustache enlarged, weighing him to the ground. "Too much… manliness!"

"Your nose feeling itchy, yet?" Mack asked.

"Hahaha!" Mindy giggled. "Don't worry, it should go away in a minute." In a minute, it did.

The kids were mortified as they entered a valley of bones. There were two Mermages with black hair and tailfins, which had fishbone designs on them. "Oh no, it's the Mergoths! They like to play with Undead Magic; watch out!" The Mergoths cast Inferius over the bones, reforming them into undead plesiosaurs! Nora bent up the wet sand in this area to bury the skeletons. Mack threw a Shock Bowl at one Mergoth, but she turned it into a skull. Another zap would turn Mack into a sea slug, but Massimo surprised her with a spear to the hip. Lulu assaulted the other with Karate Water Chops, swiftly whipping her tongue to snatch the wand. She hopped to K.O. the witch while Massimo finished the other, causing Mack to poof back to normal.

They would need to cross another purple lagoon, where the necks of larger plesiosaurs would rise out and under. They served as good platforms to cross, but Erin would need to take down the Pooferfish that would suddenly appear between jumps. They reached a tall foothold with a white Jetstream. A trail of floating bones would lead to the next ledge… except it was too high up. "These are Float Bubbles." Mindy said. "These could help us use the [Be a Bubble and Float] spell."

"I bet that'll make these skulls float!" Erin beamed. She and Madeleine dipped their wands in the bubbles, the latter feeling a lightweight sensation. Erin directed the bubbles down at the skulls while Madeleine thought the spell. The skulls would levitate like stairs, in which Mack, Massimo, and Lulu could hook up them with their equipment/tongue, pulling the others with them.

"Man, you really are a Bubble Witch, Erin!" Nora praised.

"Actually, guys… I think Madeleine is the Bubble Witch here." Mindy said. The child looked up in shock.

"She… What?"

"These bubbles don't actually do anything on their own. They actually power up Mermages' magic for basic spells, like the ones we've been using. It's mostly to help trainee mages learn their craft… In other words, Madeleine's a witch."

"SERIOUSLY?!" Their eyes popped at her again. "How many things are you gonna hide from us?!" Mack asked.

I didn't know I was magic! She wrote to Mindy.

"But don't you need to say spells to use magic?" Lulu asked. "She can't even speak."

"You can still think the spells. But normally, that's pretty hard for mages to get right, even using stimulates. Either way, I'm sure glad we have you now!"

Madeleine lit up with more vibrance! She was useful! She faced Erin, who mimicked Madeleine as she pumped her fists and jumped in place! To climb this next ledge, Madeleine powered up with a stream of Big Bubbles, casting the Growth Spell on some leaves to enlarge them. The leaves could bend and spring them up like trampolines. The team reached a ledge that would slope up and around to the next path, but Mermages with pirate hats impeded them. They had the orange tails with blue stripes of bluebanded gobies. They used magic to detach their stripes and throw them as rings to bind the kids. Massimo dodged and caught the rings on his spear, throwing them back to snare the mermaids. Nora and Lulu were free to kick them senseless.

The following winding road was filled with Hypno Snails that would draw them into lazy dazes. They learned this the hard way when Erin and Madeleine wound up dazed. Mack instead sent his Shock Pinball along the trail to safely zap the snails out of eyesight. "Great! This should be the last stretch before town." They traveled down the twisting road and reached a longer one guarded by a large whale Fishman. He was casting spells to turn the earth into mud and wash it over as waves. Nora, knowing it was her turn this time, took the lead and chopped the mud waves in half with her kicks! She advanced and beat the whale down with supersized Water Fists!

"Glad we managed to catch up." Jinbe and Zoidberg approached from a path on their right, the former hauling three unconscious Mergoths and Koi Fishmen over his shoulder.

"Glad to still see you being a showoff." Mack remarked. "By the way, I might need a checkup, Zoidberg. My legs feel a little sluggish after turning into a slug."

"Slugulosis is very common for young Koopas. I don't have any Shock Shells I can prescribe to you, but I can look up an office on Mushroom World that has one."

"I think I'll be fine." Mack dreaded wearing anything labeled 'Shock Shell' all day.

"Hurry up, guys!" Nora called from the end of the path. "You have to see this!"

The friends had never seen any place more gorgeous. The landscape was mostly a soft purple with a river running through it and tall, round plateaus. The buildings were all a swirly conches varying in color; not only were they built on and around the plateaus, but some were set on the pink Island Clouds that drifted about. To their right was a three-layered plateau with lakes on each and waterfalls running down them. On the opposite side of town was a large, palace-like building.

"That building over there is our school, Magiconch Academy."

"Magic…conch?" Mack repeated.

"Yep! This town was founded by a group of explorers who got lost in the Kelp Forest. Legend says they found a magic conch that helped them find the way to a bountiful garden in the center. Eventually, a village was built around that garden, where Mermages would be born, and now we have this. It's even a tradition for campers to carry their own 'magic conch' when they venture into the woods."

"Sounds like the kind of dumb camp tradition kids would do."

"Well, let's go for a quick tour before we meet Daddy at the school! As soon as I rent a new carriage."

They visited the Ol' Familiar; essentially a pet store where mages could purchase Familiars of their choosing, from clams, marine worms, snails, or sea turtles. There was a swimming pool where merkids could swim through rings and become all kinds of fish. Nora, Lulu, and Massimo excitedly jumped in to become fish their selves! They would easily turn back by jumping out of the pool. Naturally, they would visit the bathing shop and buy two Cauldron Bombs and three Jellyfish Bombs.

"Anybody hungry? Let's grab a bite at the Fortune Café!" Mindy thumbed at a restaurant.

"Fortune Café?" Lulu repeated. "Does it have magic food that'll make us lucky?"

"No, but the owner's a fortune teller! Let's go meet her."

Mindy led them to the back of the restaurant, past a purple curtain. The room was wide, but mostly empty with a crystal ball table in the center. A mermaid rested on a couch behind it, a garden of coral at her back; she was 17 feet long, with a dark-purple hood draped over her jet-black hair, and a dark-blue tail, which was that of a shortfin mako shark. "Greetings, Mindy." The woman spoke elegantly, smoking a pink pipe. "You brought the Sea Princess's party as predicted."

"I figured you already saw us coming. Guys, this is Madam Shyarly. The town fortuneteller."

"Wow! You can see the future?" Lulu hopped. "Can you tell if I'll become a great hero?"

"The future is always cloudy." Shyarly tapped her pipe on her ball, a fog swirling inside it. "The answers you want don't always have the reasons you expect."

"You sound like… a big fraud." Mack said.

"A FRAUD, AM I?!" Shyarly shot up to the group, scowling viciously over their quivering frames. "If you want your fortune…" she swam back to her table, "all I can say is you might not get a satisfactory answer. So… who wants one?"

"I do! I do!" Nora jumped up.

Shyarly waved her pipe around the ball; it was actually her wand. She picked it up and stared at Nora through it. …Nora appeared inside it, sad as she turned her back on Erin. "You will… experience heartbreak."

"H…Heartbreak?"

"Would you like clarity?"

"Uh…n-no no, I'm fine." Nora smiled nervously and backed away.

"I apologize. My visions… rarely come up positive."

"Y'know what, do mine." Mack approached. "I rarely have positive visions myself, so I'm feeling lucky."

Shyarly smiled humorously and worked her magic. There was a clear vision… of Mack laying beaten at a blonde girl's feet, cracking her knuckles. "You will experience pain. And you clearly have trouble with girls."

Mack shirked under his friends' snickers. "So, not so lucky."

"Madam Shyarly," Jinbe spoke, "we fear the Sea Fairies may be in danger. The pirates may be hunting them to power their drugs."

"I've already seen this." Shyarly stirred the ball and saw visions of small, four-armed sprites locked in fishnets. "The fairies are being disturbed. Trapped. But I can't see the shadow behind it."

"Where do the fairies live?" Erin asked.

"Deep under Cerulea Mountain. That large mountain of lakes and waterfalls you must've seen on the way here. It's an ethereal forest and a labyrinth of seaweed. Even those who've gone down rarely see the fairies, let alone are able to capture them. If you choose to go down there, be very careful."

"Well, we ain't going down on empty stomachs!" Massimo perked up. "Let's eat!"

"You got your priorities straight, man." Mack said.

The kids helped their selves to a buffet of cake, sea fruits, wakame seaweed brûlée, mozuku seaweed tarts, shellfish meat, scallop sandwiches, and shijimi clam pizza. "No anchovies, delightful." Zoidberg smiled, gobbling up the pizza in seconds, to Mindy's mild disgust. "By the way," he said to Mindy, "you seem to have misplaced your hood somewhere."

"My hood?"

"Yes. It's not safe for Zeenuians to be without their hoods. Their skin could shed," Zoidberg looked over her tailfin scales, "which yours seems to be in the process of."

"I'm a mermaid, you dolt!"

Madeleine consumed her fruits with a sweet smile. She heard the doorbell ring as another customer swam in. "Hey, Madame Kassandra!" a waitress greeted. "Your usual today?"

"Yes, please. With extra jelly butter."

They casually glanced over and saw it was a mermaid with wide, wavy purple hair, mismatched eyes, a read headband with an eye, and gypsy garb with a shell necklace. "?!" Madeleine paled seeing her.

"Hey, Kassandra." Mindy waved. "Back from another treasure hunt?"

"Oh, don't even start, Mindy." The mermaid groaned, propping her head on her hand. "I'm holding this order for a client and they're ordering triple the amount as last time. Those fools better have…"

"Who's she, Mindy?" Erin asked.

"She's a trader of treasure and magic goods. And a fortuneteller like Shyarly."

"Hm?" Kassandra looked over. "That's quite the party… and is that Sir Jinbe?"

"I'm on a… special assignment today." Mindy blushed. "Long story. Hope that deal of yours goes well!"

The kids would finish their food on the way as they scooted off the table and left money. Kassandra narrowed her eyes on the humans during their leave; Madeleine tried to tuck herself behind Erin and Mack.

"Let's go the school next. We should tell Daddy we've arrived."

"Is your dad a teacher?" Erin asked.

"Uh, kind of. You'll see."

No sooner than their arrival on the Magiconch grounds did they hear a manly bellow. "JINBEEEEEE!" A muscular, Jinbe-sized merman burst from the front gates. He wore a tight blue tank-top, thick blue sunshades, and a pink belt labeled WUSS over his blue tailfin. He wore a gold crown and had a flowing white hair, goatee, and armpit hair. "This time, I will take the BELT!" His supercharged fist flew right into Jinbe's stomach, but the Sea Knight barely bent. In return, Jinbe socked the merman in the gut and blasted him several feet and on his back. "Ooooog! Even with my fist enchanted by a Strength Spell, and these strength-enhancing wristbands, you still fisted the Triceps! OH, YEAH!"

"Daddy, you're embarrassing me." Mindy flushed.

"Still feel like a man, Massimo?" Mack remarked.

"Well, the smell makes me feel manly."

"LAND DWELLERS!" He sprung upright with a flex. "I am Triceps, the fitness instructor, and Oceanic Wrestling Champion! HUH!!" He shot both arms up. "Sniff, sniff." He sniffed the right. "Sniff, sniff." And the left. His face contorted from the strong scent, followed by a satisfied, "Ho yeah."

"Uh…yeah, Daddy, this is Sector L. They're here to help with the pirate problem. We fought some rogue Mermages in the forest."

"But there may still be others." Jinbe said. "They are targeting the Sea Fairies under the mountain. We should inform the school and ensure no suspicious folks enter or leave the forest boundaries."

"Those pirates will never get far, when MY fists blast them like 10 cannons! OH, YEAH!"

"I'm sure that's really handy in a magic school." Mack joked.

"My magic is the MIGHTIEST THERE IS! Most Mermages are too obsessed with waving their wands that they forget to wave their arms! Strong magic comes with strong muscles! Makes clearer paths for the chi! OH, YEAH!"

"Aha…yep." Mindy blushed. "Anyway, there's something else I wanna ask, too. This girl here…" She explained Madeleine's curse.

"Ah, the old 'land legs, lost voice' curse, eh? Well, we can ask the Transfiguration teacher for that. Of course, no transfiguration will get you muscles like these. OH, YEAH!"

"Wanna go with them and work this out, Madeleine?" Erin asked.

Madeleine shook her head. She wrote to Mindy, I wanna go help the Sea Fairies with them.

"Well, if you're sure. We should get down there soon, huh?"

"Yeah." Mindy agreed. "Let's…?" Madeleine wrote her another note. Mindy skimmed it in shock. "Are…are you sure?" Madeleine nodded.

"…I see…" Jinbe said, after reading the note.

…

Mindy, Jinbe, and Massimo swam up the waterfalls ascending Cerulea Mountain, pulling the others along until they reached the highest lake. "I'll remain on the surface for now." Jinbe said. "But call if you need assistance."

"Madeleine, you should make a trail for him." Mindy suggested. "Here's another easy spell you can use. It's called [Follow Me]." Madeleine nodded.

"Air tank ready!" Mack plopped on his helmet. "Everyone's lungs good? Let's get diving!" (Play "Deep Sea Rift" from Hat in Time!)

Act 2: Cerulea Mountain

The kids descended several dozen meters, falling into what seemed like a portal of glimmering blue seaweed. Madeleine mentally recited Mindy's spell to leave a magic trail, not just for Jinbe, but to find their way back. The portal became a vast, seemingly endless space where the sun beams were like auroras. There were bright blue fish that glimmered like miniature oceans, dark-blue jellyfish with stars inside them, even large hermit crabs that meditated peacefully. But there were signs of corruption in the abyss: Crocktopuses swum up and shot lasers from their tentacles; their heads were thin in the neck area, but with big heads, complete with wide smirks and narrowed eyes. "These things aren't native down here." Mindy said. "They don't even look natural!"

The octos withstood several good hits from the benders before going down, but they faced more opposition in the form of magic cannonballs. Five giant clams were opening their mouths every second to shoot; the cannonballs themselves had big F's stamped on them. Mack threw his Shock Bowl into their mouths when open to shock them senseless, their mouths slowly stretching fully open. The center clam had a net-cage inside it. "It's a Sea Fairy!" Mindy gasped. The sprite had four arms, bluish-black skin, and a bluish-white gown that went into a swirly black tail.

"That's not how I expected them to look." Erin said.

"And this seems to be a magic-made lock, but it should be easy to open with an [Open Up!] spell. Can you try it, Madeleine? Wave your wand like this and…" Madeleine aimed her wand at the lock and replicated it, but was unsuccessful. "Darn. …Wait, look there!" Mindy pointed at a geyser of dark-blue bubbles behind another clam. "Those are Strength Bubbles. They'll add a little extra power to whatever spell you use." Madeleine swam over and felt a rush of power as she absorbed the bubbles. She returned and used the spell once more, dispelling the lock and setting the fairy free. She spun around Madeleine in gratitude, the child tickled by her glitter. "Nice job! You're only just learning magic, so you can't really use strong spells without stimulates. But we'll free these fairies in no time with your help!" Madeleine pumped her fists excitedly!

"That means whoever's behind this is a mage, too, aren't they?" Lulu asked.

"Yeah. That's how they're modifying these creatures, too. And yet… there's something unnatural about this magic."

They swam into a tunnel and saw a cluster of piranhas blocking the way; they were green and had the same face as the Crocktopus. Rather than fight through the swarm, Mack rolled his Shock Pinball underneath to draw their attention and lure them down another cave. The group could swim through and pass a magic seaweed veil; thinking the Crohnas couldn't swim past it, Mack called the pinball back, and his thesis was correct. They would have to swim up a tunnel with a heavy current… or rather, Lulu would tongue her way up the tunnel using bulbous hook-plants. She made it up to a bulbous, continuously-blowing pufferfish and spat thick saliva to block its mouth.

When her friends caught up, they discovered another fairy in a fishnet. They looked back down the tunnel, which had several normal bubble jets emitting from the sides… except one was a dark-blue. Madeleine swam through it to power up and return to unlock the net. They swam into a large cave with a large shipwreck. They swam in through the only entrance on the deck. The hull was dark, giving Shuris the edge to ambush them. Fortunately, there was a jet of yellow bubbles, which allowed Madeleine to project Light Magic. Her friends were able to fight the Shuris, and her magic light would also make the sea anemones blocking the hall retract. As soon as they entered the next cabin, a giant python shot through trying to eat them, their hearts nearly stopping as they dodged it. Massimo swam alongside it and stabbed the python's soft neck, repeating the process until it gave up completely. Madeleine's light died, but there was a Light Jet beside the python's hole. She could refuel her magic and light the way through the next anemone tunnel.

The next cabin was swarming with anchovies that would spit small bullets at the group. Erin bent bubbles to easily confine them. They found the next fairy cage, but no jetstream. On the opposite side of the cabin, there were several cracked patches of ground. Erin used some Bath Bombs to blow them open; two of the cracks would release living Urchins that would attack them, while the third had Strength Bubbles. Mack and Nora dealt with the Urchins while Madeleine powered up and freed the fairy. Behind her was an exit tunnel, where they ascended a bright tunnel of jellyfish. They were able to conjure storm clouds, which would slowly home above the kids and try to zap them.

They noticed some jellyfish were unlit, hanging limp and depressed. There was a sealed gate with a jellyfish symbol. "Madeleine, I'll teach you a Lightning Redirection spell. Stick your wand into those clouds and shoot the electricity at the unlit jellyfish." Madeleine nodded and tried to do as instructed, but wound up electrified a few times. "I know, it's tricky to get right. But you're the only mage we have that can do this."

"Can't Mack's shock thingy light them up?" Massimo asked.

Mack tried to spin his Shock Bowl around the jellies. "No good. I guess it has to be from their own kind."

"Let me heal you up." Erin said, applying a Healing Touch to the young mage. "Can you keep trying?" Madeleine nodded and repeated the act a few more times before she was able to strike the jellyfish. Once all were lit up, the stone gate opened. Erin gave a thumbs-up at Madeleine, her smile even brighter! They exited the cave and reached a surface, refreshing their lungs.

"Finally! I don't need to keep taking this helmet on and off." Lulu said. "…Uh…"

The cave was filled with netted fairies, squirming to escape. "So many…" Mindy said horrifically. "Whoever's behind this must be close." (Play "The Enforcers" from Trails in the Sky!)

They reached a large cavern with a small lake. There were several fairy cages afloat in the water with different magical protections. "Efefefefef!" There was a floating, golden mech snatching another fairy between its palms. They opened, revealing the fairy to be trapped in a net, which he then froze with ice. The pilot was a skinny man in a blue suit with a white helmet and six gold stars on his chest. His face was like that of the creatures, with thin black hair and glasses. "That's 17! Seventeen SEA FAIRIES!!!!" his suit disassembled and reassembled in four different shapes from his erratic spasm, "captured and only three more SEA FAIRIES!!!! to go! But why stop there? There's still hundreds left to find down here! I'll catch all the SEA FAIRIES!!!! in the cave before I go! Efefefefefef!"

"YOU!" Mindy shouted. "You're the one who's been catching them! How'd a crockpot like you manage to catch this many fairies?!"

"Efefefef! Simple, my dear mermaid. I'm no ordinary crockpot. I, Denzel Crocker, am the greatest FAIRY! hunter in the universe! They call me F – THE FAIRYMAN! EFEFEFEF! I've been hunting FAIRIES! since I was a wee lad. Every day of my life was miserable, but I would look out at the stars and see the FAIRIES! gracing my sky. Sometimes, my dreams would be filled with FAIRIES! But they would never come to me, so I had to hunt them myself. And now, by harnessing their magic, my power is on par with the FAIRIES! themselves! Behold: what you see is a man… but with a bit of magic, I can become a FISH!" He shot his face and became a Fishman. "EFEF! But not just me." He conjured a chalkboard and drew an equation. "I can also make 2+2 equal… FISH! EFEFEF!"

"I'm starting to doubt you had many dreams at all." Mack said. "You sound like you don't get much sleep. That's gonna cause you to get wrinkles faster."

"I beg to differ! I'm only 99 and I'm still in the prime of my youth."

"NINETY-NINE?!"

"Actually, my constant spasms in childhood caused premature aging, but then my body couldn't keep up with my actual age, so at some point, I stopped aging! Efef! Now, why don't you mosey out of here, children? I'm on a tight schedule and wanna be home in time to meet MISTRESS FAIRY!!!! If I do a good job, she'll show me one of her wings! And let me take PICTURES OF IT! EFEF! EFEF! EFEFEFEFEF!"

"I don't know what creepy thoughts are going through your head, but we're gonna save these fairies and kick your scrawny butt!" Erin vowed.

"You're better off surrendering now." Mindy stated. "We have the Sea Knight, Jinbe at our back. There's no way you're leaving here with a straight back."

"You're right about one thing: I don't have a straight back! Efef! But you're foolish to think I came here alone. My accomplice is outside, waiting for me. He'll stop anyone from interrupting my work."

…

Jinbe sat on the shore of the highest lake, patient as he waited the operatives. He heard someone swimming up the waterfall and turned. "Hello, Miss… Kassandra, was it?"

"JINBE?!" The gypsy-dressed Mermage gasped. "I… What are you doing up here?"

"My associates have gone down to help the Sea Fairies. I await their return."

"Well, that's… wonderful! I'm just here for a spot of fishing. This mountain has some of the most gorgeous species. They turn a nice profit, I tell you. I'll try not to be in you guys' way-"

Jinbe snatched her tail before she could begin swimming. "It's a pity, isn't it… what happened to the Emile Family."

"What… Where did that come from?" Kassandra asked, nervous and glaring.

"So, how much did that young girl's voice go for?"

"What… are you… insinuating…?" Her voice grew raspier and eyes thinner with every word.

"I have reason to believe you were in league with the pirates who killed the Emiles. They had you make her human… and you took her voice as payment."

"How dare you make such a claim without proof?!"

"You're right. The only proof I have… is the writing of the child you stole from." Jinbe withdrew the note from his kimono.

That Kassandra lady is the one who took my voice! She has the same voice and face, I'm sure it's her!

"What?! But I didn't see her-…"

"So, you admit it."

Kassandra clenched her teeth. "!" She looked up, hopeful as a caped, dark-clothed figure in a scuba helmet rose into the air behind him. "Oh, now I remember… Yes… that child's voice was my greatest treasure! I just loved to hear it sing at night. I want to hear it sing again… and I won't let you STOP ME!"

Jinbe sensed the attack coming—the volley of metal spears was countered by thin gushes of water from the lake, bent by his karate. He shot one more at the culprit's helmet, knocking him askew, but he recovered and raised the spears again, trying to pierce Jinbe from any angle. Kassandra shot a spell at Jinbe's hand, turning it into a normal flabby fin to escape. "Perhaps I'll come back later!" She swam down the waterfall. "Take care of him, Mr. X!"

"X?" Jinbe repeated. The man did have an "X" over his helmet's glass hole.

"You know, Sir Jinbe, I empathize with the pirates' cause. They merely want revenge on the humans for their cruel treatment of your species."

"That cruelty has mostly disappeared! It hasn't completely gone, yes, but many humans have befriended merfolk and Fishmen alike. The pirates are holding onto ancient grudges!"

"Or maybe they want to advance evolution. If defeating you will assist them with that, so be it."

…

"On second thought, I'd like you all to stay." Crocker said. "So that I can test my FAIRY! magic on YOU! HAHA! HAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!" (Play "Saving Fairy World" from Nicktoons Unite!)

Boss fight: Denzel Crocker

The kids scattered as Crocker fired twin magic guns, turning some of the ground into mushrooms. He managed to snipe Massimo's tail and give it a shroom tip! Nora kicked water at the madman, who endured a few hits before projecting a magic shield. Erin threw a Jellyfish Bomb to trap him, giving Madeleine a chance to swim down to a jet of pink bubbles. "Madeleine, these are Soft Bubbles! You can weaken his shield!" After Crocker escaped the bubbles, he shot Erin and turned her into a scared yellow flounder. Madeleine thought the [Soft and Squeaky] spell and shot pink magic mist at Crocker, weakening his barrier. Massimo threw his spear through and struck Crocker's stomach, causing his legs to thrust out and spin the mech out of control. "Efef! Efef! EFEFEFEFEFEF!"

Madeleine took some more of the Soft Bubbles and saw three fairies stuck in barriers. She did the same magic on the barriers to dispel them and free them. "No! NOOOO! MY FAIRIES! I'll freeze you for that!" Crocker shot the lake with ice and froze it solid, trapping Mindy, Madeleine, and Erin underneath. The ice drew Lulu into drowsiness as she curled up on it, so Massimo quickly picked her up and carried when Crocker tried to shoot her. Nora could still stomp the ice open with bending, but it would freeze back up. The Adabatian swam underwater and noticed a small jet of heat leaking from a crack in the ground. She willed the water to rip the crack open as red Heat Bubbles seeped out. Mindy taught Madeleine a fire spell, the child powering up with the bubbles. Madeleine melted the ice completely and blasted fire at Crocker, causing his guns to overheat and burst.

"Efef! Efef! EFEFEFEF!" The bursts caused him to fly uncontrollably again, during which time Madeleine freed the three fairies trapped in frozen nets. "NO! You wretched FAIRY! thieves. I'll zap you down to size!" He first shot magic at Nora, who dodged and watched a rock on the lakebed shrink.

"Oh, I am NOT havin' that!" Mack screamed. He kept a safe distance on the lake shore and flew his Mech Gloves like a propeller to strike Crocker. Crocker grumbled and flew further away, shrinking the gauntlets. However, he decided his next priority should be the magic child who kept freeing his fairies. Mindy grabbed Madeleine to help her dodge the magic, but he would shoot a circle around them and enlarge the lakebed rocks, trapping the mermaids. He was then free to shoot them, but Lulu shot her tongue in the wake of the spell, causing it to shrink and become a little wormlike tongue. Mindy and Madeleine swam down and found a gap between the rocks; incidentally, there was a jet of Big Bubbles that unveiled from the rocks pushing each other apart. Remembering the Growth Spell, Madeleine shot at Crocker, inflating his head as he fell upside-down into the lake. Madeleine then enlarged the fairy cages that were smaller and compressed, allowing them to fly out through the netting.

"BAH! That's it!" Crocker shrunk his head down. "You won't take another fairy! I'll turn you all into sushi!" Crocker flew erratically and fired magic like a madman, the kids dodging as well as they could.

"Child!" The 12 Sea Fairies began to swirl around Madeleine. "Thank you for freeing us! We'll power up your magic for a little bit, but you only get 12 shots. Make it count!"

"Guys, try to keep him still!" Mindy yelled.

"GOT HIM!" Nora bent up two Water Fists to grab the arms of Crocker's mech. Madeleine first shot three fairies coated in Fire Magic. "OUCH, YOWCH, DAH!" Crocker puffed up another barrier to push the water off. Fortunately, Erin changed back to normal. She told Madeleine to change Lulu's tongue back with a Growth Spell, allowing the frog to grab Erin, spin her around for momentum, and throw a Bath Bomb with speed and precision. With Crocker bound again, Madeleine shot Soft Spells to break his barrier and soften his own defense. Massimo followed with a spear to his stomach, reeling himself up to stomp the man's face. "GYAAAAH!"

Crocker shrunk Massimo as he was jumping off, but when he tried to ram the tiny Fishman with his mech, Mack bent his shrunk Mech Gloves to catch and bring him over, the boys sharing mixed-size smiles. Nora and Lulu distracted Crocker with their own attacks while Mack sent his fists flying to him, Massimo riding them like a surfboard. Mindy helped Madeleine aim and shoot another Growth Spell, enlarging Massimo as he stamped Crocker's face in with momentum. As Crocker spun vertically, Mack rounded the gloves back around, Madeleine shooting them with another Growth. Massimo jumped off as the fists socked Crocker in the gut and groin.

"Grrrrr! …Wait, of course! I'll zap this lake with Lightning Magic and FRY YOU ALL!" Crocker's right cannon charged. Madeleine quickly swam in the line of fire, thought the Redirection Spell, and caught the bolt, and fired back. Crocker shot the next bolt farther away, but Mack would throw the Shock Bowl to intercept it before it hit the lake. Mindy carried Madeleine to intercept the next bolt and shoot, but Crocker dodged, causing the bolt to hit the ceiling. Crocker would then direct his gun every which way to confuse their sense of direction… but the crumbling ceiling caused a stone to fall on his head. Though he was helmeted, Crocker wobbled dizzily and shot the lightning, Madeleine catching it. Her final fairy and jolt would explode Crocker's mech. (Resume "The Enforcers"!)

"GAAAAH!" The skinny man splashed in the lake. "Efefef…I've been defeated… by the magic of FAIRIES!!!! Oh, happy day!"

"I'm glad you're satisfied." Mindy said scoldingly as Nora bent ice-cuffs over Crocker's wrists. "Because you're going to prison."

"Efefefef. We'll see what X has to say about that. I'm sure he's making sushi out of your Sea Knight right now!"

"That's right!" Erin gasped. "He has an accomplice!"

"Let's free those fairies in the cage before we go up!" Mack reminded.

…

X repeatedly bashed Jinbe with a string of seven cannonballs, the knight returning fire with Water Fists from the lake. One punch spun X around, leaving him momentarily blind as Jinbe swiftly caught a cannonball, spun and threw it at X's knee. This caused him to sink, and for Jinbe to shoot up on a gush of water and punch him in the gut. "Five Thousand Tile True Punch!" The intense burst of chi sent X flying and plummeting down the mountain.

Kassandra made her way to an alley near the Fortune Café, where her carriage was parked. It had two giant snail steeds. "I'll just lay low and let our benefactors take care of them. Hey, you!" She smacked the snail shell that seemed curled up. "Wake up. We're moving this carriage somewhere-"

"Hello, how may I help you?" Zoidberg peeked out.

"WHAT?! Who are you?! Where's my snail?"

"Oh, were you saving him for later? He had such a nice shell." He licked his prehensiles.

"YOU MONGREL!"

"Wait, you're that lady Jinbe wanted me to look out for, why not? Sorry, but I have to ask you to lie down and let me feed you this-" Zoidberg took out a pill, but Kassandra zapped it out of his claw with magic.

"How about I feed you these Pooferfish organs?!" She made said organs levitate out of her carriage.

Zoidberg scuttled about in evasion, "Whoopwhoopwhoopwhoopwhoop!" and grabbed a vial of anesthetic gas. He threw it, but the zapped and turned it into a slinky. "Oh, I love these-" Zoidberg happily reached for it, but was zapped and turned into a giant slinky himself.

"And while you have fun with yourself, I've got business to take care of." She ordered her remaining snail to pull the carriage away.

Jinbe swam down after X and erected a giant Water Hand to chop down, X extracting a metal shield to block the brunt of it. He flew the shield like a Frisbee, blades sticking out to slice Jinbe, but he withstood the pain and karate chopped the shield to break it to pieces. Jinbe chopped the air in front of him in various motions, causing X's internal liquids to contract his body. However, he still willed the pieces of the shield to stab into Jinbe's back, with two to pin down his small feet. X called his spears back and lunged them forward, but Jinbe still punched each away and threw an uppercut, bending the water beneath X to punch his scuba helmet clean off.

"JINBE!" Sector L surfed back down the waterfall.

"Children! Is that man an enemy?"

"Yeah, he's the fairynapper!" Erin answered. "And that must be his accomplice, X!"

"Oh, F, letting yourself be captured this easily. The Fairy will not be pleased."

"That suit was just a prototype, anyway! There's only so much I could do with a single STAR FAIRY!!!!"

"Star Fairy?" Massimo repeated.

"As you will." X levitated. "I suppose I'll assist you just this once."

"HEY!" Mack screamed as his Mech Gloves suddenly lifted against his will. They chopped Crocker's cuffs, then spun to bash his own friends. "Guys, I can't control them!"

"Efefefef!" Crocker sprung like a slinky under X. Jinbe lunged to stop him, but X then grabbed the Shock Bowl from Mack's cube and burst it against the Fishman. He then took Mack's torpedo gun and popped the ammunition against the operatives. "What the frick?! He's a metalbender like me!"

"He…" Lulu stared up at him. She had seen that wrinkly, grey-haired face from somewhere. "He looks like…"

"OI! F! X!" Kassandra's carriage drove up, the mermaid floating out.

Her!! Madeleine thought.

"So, she was behind this, too?!" Nora exclaimed.

"Do you have the fairies or not?!"

"Well, eh, unfortunately, I sort of lost them." Crocker scratched the back of his oddly-shaped head. "But no worries! There are some I've been saving on the-"

"Hello again!" Zoidberg came slinking over, surprising Kassandra by binding her in his spiral. "Honestly, this is amazing, I feel so trim, I do!"

"Get OFF me, you twist-brained buffoon!" Kassandra fished for her wand, but Mindy swam over and snatched it. "HEY!"

"Sorry, Kassie, but your business license is being suspended. …And just in time, too."

Several squads of Mermages had arrived, training tridents, Conch Tops, or Pearl Wands. "Don't worry, Mindy!" Triceps yelled. "I'm gonna teach these CHUMPS not to pilfer OUR fairies! OH, YEAH!"

"DO SOMETHING, you morons!" Kassandra demanded.

"Well, this is problematic." X said. "Though nothing I can't handle."

"Hey, guys!" Lulu pointed. "That guy looks just like-"

X whipped toward the frog and shot a spear at her throat—Erin gasped and bent a foam shield to slow it, startling Lulu as she hopped away. "What luck you'd have a Superbian amongst you. Hmph…let's go, F." He stuck some spears through Crocker's clothes to uplift him. "I can't let her speak my name to me."

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Kassandra yelled. "YOU TRAITORS!"

"Do not worry." X said. "We shall deliver our reserve fairies to your masters. I'm sure they can concoct the recipe without you."

"NOOOOOO!"

"Don't let them get away!" Triceps yelled. "AFTER THEM!" The Mermages flew their seahorses and pursued, casting storms of magic at the villains.

"Sorry, children!" Crocker yelled. "But we win this round! Your performance deserves big, fat… F'S!!! EFEF! EFEF! EFEFEFEFEFEF!" (End song.)

Kassandra squirmed in Slinkberg's grasp. Her eyes on the ground, she saw a pair of small, sandaled feet approach. Her glare met the furious eyes of young Madeleine. "So… it was you."

She aggressively wrote a note, ripped the paper off, and showed her. Where's my voice?

"So sorry… but the pirates are holding it for me. And so long as I can't make those fairy drugs, I'll never get it back. The youngest daughter of the Emile Family… one of the purest voices any mermaid could have. Fish dance around it, almost as they would the Sea King himself. Truly the finest treasure I have procured."

"!!!!" Madeleine furiously bombarded her with tiny fire spells. Kassandra was adored, but her complexion steadily blackened by her fury. Madeleine swam under, found a rock, and came up with it. She threw it at Kassandra's head and knocked her out.

"It's okay, Madeleine." Erin patted her shoulder softly. "Calm down. We'll get your voice back. I promise."

"…" Madeleine began to well up with tears, planting her face into Erin's shirt.

"There, there. You really did great today, you know? Not because you had magic or because you were 'useful'… but you were stronger than we ever could've thought you'd be. You… make me jealous."

"…" Madeleine pulled away and wrote a long note that took a few pages. You were always my favorite, Erin. You're really kind and strong. I could never do any of the stuff you can. You may not believe in yourself, but I always thought you were the best. Thank you so much for saying that. I promise I'll do a lot more to help you!

"Hehe…I can't read any of that."

"…" Madeleine tossed the papers away and gave Erin another big hug! "Adorable." Mindy cooed.

"Ahem, excuse me! Sir Jinbe, Mindy." They were approached by a short, chubby merman with a white beard. He wore a yellow clamshell belt over his green tail.

"Principal Greg!" Mindy perked up. "Hi! These are my new friends; Erin, Nora-"

"The Sea Princess, I presume?"

"Haha, yep. That's me." Erin blushed.

"Forgive us for allowing the culprits to escape." Jinbe said, pulling the metal from his body. "That man was stronger than I expected."

"It's alright. I can feel the balance in the mountain restoring. The fairies sing their praise. I would like to offer you whatever amenities we can before you set off. And I also believe," he reached under his belt, "you would like this?"

"A Talisman!" Erin beamed at the blue squid figurine. "Thanks!"

"YEAH!" Triceps splashed out and locked his arm around Greg's neck. "Greg's the man when you need a Talisman, MAN…OH, YEAH!"

"I thought you were pursuing the criminals!"

"That's the wusses' job! Come on, Greg, let's show them some of our old moves!"

"Not now, Triceps!"

"Man, why'd you go all soft on me, man?!" He poked Greg's belly.

"Hahaha!" Erin laughed. "I feel bad for you, Mindy!"

"I know." Mindy moaned embarrassedly. "But hey, before you guys leave, I'll give you a book of basic spells for Madeleine to practice. We'll whip up something to restore her fins, too."

Thank you, Miss Mindy!

"I'd be happy to take those legs off you!" Slinkberg bounced. "Seriously, I'm getting a little lightheaded. Is there a doctor around?"