Lucy and the Magic Crystal

by Gillian Shields

  Contents

  Map

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Mermaid Sisters of the Sea

  The Mermaid S.O.S. series

  For Sarah—my best friend and

  queen of the eco-warriors

  —G. S.

  In memory of my irreplaceable friend

  Jeanette, who had such a sense of fun,

  style, and laughter. I was lucky to

  have known her.

  —H. T.

  Map

  Prologue

  Meet Misty, Ellie, Sophie, Holly, Lucy, and Scarlett. They are Mermaid Sisters of the Sea, who live in the magical underwater world of Coral Kingdom. The Merfolk and their wise ruler, Queen Neptuna, look after the sea and all its creatures.

  Coral Kingdom is protected by six powerful magic crystals, which give life and strength to the Merfolk. Without the crystals, Coral Kingdom would not survive.

  Every year, the old crystals fade and have to be replaced. Queen Neptuna sends Misty and her friends—six special mermaids who are pure of heart—to collect the new ones from the secret Crystal Cave. But as they are bringing the crystals home, a storm blows the mermaids completely off course.

  This is no ordinary storm! It is created by Mantora, Queen Neptuna’s jealous sister. Mantora wanted to rule Coral Kingdom, and now she is bitter and full of hatred. She is determined to stop the mermaids from returning home, so that she can overthrow Queen Neptuna and set up her evil Storm Kingdom instead.

  Luckily, the young mermaids have courage and friendship on their side. But that’s not all; their S.O.S. Kits will help them as they race to get the crystals back safely. And they never forget their Mermaid Pledge:

  We promise that we’ll take good care

  Of all sea creatures everywhere.

  We’ll never hurt and never break,

  We’ll always give and never take.

  And as we fight Mantora’s threat,

  This saying we must not forget:

  “I’ll help you and you’ll help me,

  For we are Sisters of the Sea!”

  Lucy and her friends are eager to prove that Queen Neptuna was right to trust them with the precious crystals. They are going to do everything it takes to get them home and safeguard Coral Kingdom for another year.

  Will Mantora win? Or can the mermaids get the new crystals back in time to stop the light fading forever from Coral Kingdom?

  Chapter One

  Lucy was working hard to keep up with the other mermaids—Misty, Ellie, Sophie, Holly, and Scarlett—as they swam past Sandy Bay Island in the dawn’s early light. They darted through the waves like bright sea nymphs, eagerly swishing their sparkling tails in a desperate race against time. Coral Kingdom lay hidden under the waves in the West, and the young friends had to get the magic crystals home before sunset, or the power of the Merfolk would fade forever.

  The shy young mermaid with the pearly green tail was feeling anxious. What if she couldn’t swim as fast as the others? Lucy worried. If only she were strong and swift, like Sophie and Scarlett! Lucy tried to push herself harder, as the mermaids headed out to sea. They wanted to be far from the shore before any early morning fishing boats set off from the island.

  “I must get home in time,” she thought. “I can’t let everyone down.” Lucy felt the precious crystal, which she was carrying in her green pouch, bump against her waist. She hoped that its magic would give her strength and courage. Trying to imagine the crystal’s glittering radiance, Lucy surged after her friends.

  But just at that moment, a large black bird with a gray bill and yellow chin wheeled above them. It was a splendid cormorant.

  “Stop, Sisters of the Sea,” he cried.

  Lucy looked up worriedly. “You’re friends with the seabirds,” she whispered to Ellie, who was near her. “Explain to him that we can’t stop, not for anything.”

  “We cannot stay, my friend,” Ellie called up to him. “Queen Neptuna is waiting for us.”

  “And Mantora is waiting for you!” he replied.

  The mermaids stopped swimming and looked at each other in horror. Then the cormorant settled on the waves in front of them, as they bobbed up and down.

  “What do you mean? Have you seen Mantora?” they all asked him at once.

  “I have indeed,” said the bird with a sigh. “My name is Chad. Late last night, I was flying home over the sea between here and Coral Kingdom. I spotted a strange, dark shape, lurking in the water. It was Mantora, but she wasn’t alone.”

  “Who was with her?” faltered Lucy.

  The cormorant lowered his voice. “She has summoned her sea serpents from the depths of the ocean. They are like dragon-headed snakes, with cold green eyes and gaping mouths. Troops of stinging jellyfish are at her side. And in the air, her dark Storm Gulls are gathering. Mantora is waiting for you—with an army!”

  “What can we do?” shuddered Misty. “How will we get past them?”

  “You won’t be able to,” replied Chad. “There are too many of them.”

  “But … but, we can’t just give up,” said Lucy shyly. “Not after all we’ve been through to get this far.”

  The bird turned his head to look at her with his kind, clear eyes. “Mantora may be too strong for six young mermaids,” he said, “but you have many friends. The Lord Albatross has sent swift messengers to every corner of the wide sea, telling all the creatures of your great deeds. Now you must raise an army of your own, to defend the crystals.”

  The mermaids looked shocked. “An army! But how … where … who will we ask?”

  “My brothers are at your service, for a start.” Chad smiled. He lifted himself from the water and flapped his great wings. A host of cormorants came streaming down on the morning breeze, like black arrows. They landed on the sea in a shower of silver droplets.

  “We will match Mantora’s Storm Gulls, beak for beak and wing for wing,” they declared.

  “Thank you so much,” said the mermaids. This seemed like a good beginning.

  “But how will we fight her jellyfish?” wondered Ellie.

  “I’ve got an idea about that,” said Holly quickly. “Jellyfish are poisonous. So we need to find some of the friendly fish who use stings to protect themselves, and ask if they will join us.”

  “That’s a great idea, Holly,” said Sophie. “Maybe some of the scorpion fish will help.”

  “And some lion fish, too,” added Scarlett. “They are fierce fighters when they have to be. Come on, Sophie, let’s go and look for them on the reefs.”

  The two friends plunged swiftly under the waves, calling out, “We’ll be back soon!”

  “Now we need a plan for dealing with Mantora’s sea serpents,” said Holly, looking very serious. “But which creatures are big and brave enough to stand up to those monsters?”

  The smart young mermaid held her head in her hands and tried to think. Misty and Ellie frowned with concentration, rippling their gleaming tails gently in the water.

  Lucy looked down in despair. She was secretly very frightened at the idea of a real battle, and she was sure that she wouldn’t be able to come up with any good ideas. But then she gasped. Several huge, silent shapes were floating beneath her, making their way menacingly along the deep seabed.

  “I’ve just thought of something,” Lucy blurted out, looking up at the others.

  “What?” asked Holly.

  “Sharks!”

  Chapter Two

  “Sharks?” said Ellie, in a worried voice. “Do we really want to get mixed up with sharks?”
r />   “Not all of them are mean, Ellie,” said Lucy.

  “But how can we find any?” asked Holly. “The sun is already up and time is running out. We can’t just stay here hoping that some will swim by. We have to do something.”

  “Well, why don’t we ask those sharks down there to help us?” replied Lucy timidly. “They look big enough to scare anybody.”

  The mermaids peered down through the blue waves. They saw the majestic outline of some huge fish, slowly swaying along in the deep water below them. These weren’t just ordinary sharks; they were whale sharks, some of the largest and most impressive creatures in the whole ocean.

  “They would be perfect to frighten off Mantora’s sea serpents, Lucy,” exclaimed Holly. “How smart of you.”

  Lucy blushed with pleasure.

  “Let’s go and talk to them,” said Misty eagerly. She flicked her pink tail and dived under the water. Holly followed, but Ellie hesitated.

  “Are you sure they’re safe, Lucy?” she murmured. “They look so big.”

  “Whale sharks are gentle giants really,” replied Lucy. “Don’t worry, they won’t bite.”

  She dived down, with Ellie following cautiously behind. The sharks looked even more powerful when the mermaids got closer. They had immensely long brown bodies, which were dotted all over with white markings. Their smooth, flat heads ended in gigantic, grinning mouths. But Lucy, who was often nervous about all sorts of things, was not in the least bit frightened. The huge sharks seemed to give her courage as they glided silently through the ocean.

  “Don’t go any farther!” she called to them. “We desperately need your help. A dangerous enemy is lurking in wait for us. And she’s your enemy too!”

  The biggest whale shark slowly turned his great head to look at her.

  “An enemy?” he said. “What enemy does Yerik the chief shark need to fear?” His mouth opened wide as he spoke, displaying row after row of pointed teeth.

  “One who wants to destroy the power of Queen Neptuna and harm the sea and all its creatures,” said Lucy impressively. Then the sharks gathered in a large circle around her. They listened carefully as she explained about the crystals and Mantora’s evil troops, lying in wait ahead.

  “So now we need an army too,” Lucy said. “It will be the army of Queen Neptuna, defending all the rightful creatures of the ocean against Mantora.”

  “We do not fear Mantora,” boomed Yerik, “or her sea serpents. But we are afraid of what will happen to our seas if her Storm Kingdom wins.”

  The sharks spoke to each other in their deep voices, while the mermaids waited anxiously.

  “Very well,” said Yerik, at last. “We will join your army. And we will frighten that miserable Mantora and her awful sea serpents so much that they will never return to these waters again!”

  All the sharks laughed, opening up their enormous mouths.

  “Ha, ha, ha!” they rumbled. They looked very alarming. But Lucy was so grateful to them that she threw her arms around Yerik’s nose and kissed him.

  “Thank you so much,” gulped Ellie.

  Then Lucy noticed Sophie and Scarlett hovering in the clear water, a short distance from the sharks.

  “It’s all right,” she cried, waving her arms quickly. “Yerik and the other whale sharks are our friends. They’re going to help us beat Mantora.”

  “Thank goodness,” said Scarlett, with a sigh of relief.

  She and Sophie glided gracefully over to the others. A shoal of strange-looking creatures followed them. Brightly striped lion fish, with billowing orange fronds like a mane, swam behind Sophie. Grim-looking scorpion fish, bright red and bristling with sharp spikes, formed a determined rank of soldiers behind Scarlett.

  “We can sting Mantora’s jellyfish,” they shouted. “We’re not afraid of her.”

  Lucy’s heart began to thump. She hoped none of these brave creatures would be hurt by Mantora.

  “Now we must go and tell Chad, the captain of the cormorants, that our army is ready,” declared Holly. The mermaids looked at each other uncertainly. They had never expected this. Queen Neptuna’s army was on the move!

  Chapter Three

  It was past midday and the sky was gray and threatening. In the distance, a menacing crowd of ragged gulls swooped and swirled on the wind. The mermaids had reached the far Western Waves.

  “We are almost there,” said the cormorant gravely, hovering over the young friends. “Mantora’s storm clouds are gathering ahead. Beyond her, Coral Kingdom is waiting for you. This will be the battleground.”

  Battle! Lucy’s heart fluttered and she felt sick. She wasn’t sure whether she was brave enough to face it. What if a jellyfish stung her? How would she keep track of her crystal in all the noise and confusion?

  As though he had read her thoughts, Chad said, “You must stay back when the fighting starts, Sisters of the Sea.”

  “No!” Lucy exclaimed. She swallowed hard and steeled herself to be strong. “No matter how scary it is, we’re going to face this with you and Yerik and the others. We’re all in this together as a team.”

  “Of course we are,” said Misty. The others nodded solemnly in agreement.

  “Very well,” replied the bird. “Let us fight for Queen Neptuna and all the creatures of the sea.”

  Then Chad and the cormorants flew like black rain in the direction of Mantora’s Storm Gulls. The shadowy, underwater shapes of the sharks and fish raced along beneath the great birds to meet their foes. With a rainbow flash of their jeweled tails, the mermaids leaped through the clear waters, speeding along. Queen Neptuna’s army was sweeping bravely into battle, chanting their valiant cry:

  We do not fear Mantora,

  Hidden in her deep-sea lair;

  For Queen Neptuna’s army

  Is advancing—so beware!

  As the courageous friends charged forward, the rumor and noise of their advance spread through the sea. Other creatures came to join them: lobsters, manta rays, dolphins, turtles, and countless small fish, all eager to help. Soon, the mermaids were surrounded by a great throng of brave and loyal friends.

  “We’ll fight with you,” they cried. “We’re tired of Mantora spoiling everything.”

  Lucy’s heart swelled with gratitude, as she swam through the sparkling waves. The support of all these faithful creatures would give her the courage to face the task ahead. But before she had time to think, Chad called out in a ringing voice, “The time has come. Let the battle begin!”

  Looking up quickly, Lucy saw Chad and his brothers charging to attack Mantora’s cunning birds. But the Storm Gulls put up a fierce resistance—pecking, darting, wheeling, and scratching the brave cormorants. Then a terrible sight rose from the sea, in front of the mermaids.

  Mantora burst above the waves, looking like no other mermaid that Lucy and her friends had ever seen before. She was dressed in a fearsome breastplate that gleamed dully like armor, and her strong arms were bound with heavy, clanking bracelets. In her hand she held a sharp spear, with a dangerous net hanging from it. Her hair was midnight black, and her face—but then Lucy gasped. They couldn’t see her face! The evil mermaid wore a long, ragged veil, held in place by a glinting, spiky crown. The veil concealed her features, but Lucy saw two red eyes, flashing with hatred.

  Raising her spear, Mantora shrieked, “Powers of the Dark Storm, arise!”

  The sky suddenly grew black, and bolts of lightning flashed near the mermaids. Beneath them, the angry sea seethed and leaped. Dark shapes thrashed in the water, and snaky green tentacles writhed above the waves.

  Lucy feverishly took out her crystal and clutched it close to her heart. “Give us strength and courage!” she whispered.

  “Get under the water, away from the lightning,” Holly shouted. Lucy and the others plunged into the sea. There was a confused swirl, as the hideous sea serpents attacked on all sides, lashing out against the brave turtles and lion fish. The scorpion fish raged back against the serpents. Shouts and cries
and the sounds of bitter struggles echoed through the churning water.

  Then the terrifying figure of Mantora sank under the waves, surrounded by transparent jellyfish, which surged toward the young mermaids.

  “The crystals!” yelled Sophie. Soon they were all holding up their crystals as precious weapons in this desperate fight against their enemy.

  “Mermaid S.O.S.!” they cried bravely. At that instant, strange blue rays of light, like freezing ice, shot from the crystals. These cold, piercing beams stung Mantora’s jellyfish again and again, until the poisonous creatures fell helplessly down into the depths, as the great battle raged on all sides.

  “Oh, good job, everyone,” exclaimed the mermaids. But Mantora was furious.

  “How dare you attack my jellyfish,” she screamed. Lurching suddenly toward them with a powerful thrust of her tarnished tail, Mantora flicked her netted spear toward Lucy. Wooosh! Lucy was immediately caught in the net, struggling to find a way out from its close-knit ropes. Her heart was beating wildly as she was dragged toward Mantora’s terrible clutches. She tried to hold up her crystal, but her arms were pinned by her sides.

  “Now you will truly learn to fear me,” Mantora hissed as she got ready to snatch Lucy. But at that moment a tremendous bellow rang out above the noise of the battle.

  “WE … DO … NOT … FEAR … MANTORA!”

  It was Yerik and the other huge sharks. They burst up from the deep waters, their wide mouths spread in grim smiles that displayed their glittering teeth. Yerik propelled himself toward Lucy, who was still trapped at the end of Mantora’s spear. With one swift movement, he ripped the net to shreds and Lucy wriggled free.

  “Swim away, little ones,” he boomed. “Leave us to deal with this traitor!”

  As Lucy sped up to the surface with the others, she caught a glimpse of a haggard face beneath Mantora’s veil. Her dark eyes glowed with fear as she was surrounded by the giant sharks. Mantora gave a strangled yell and tried to hold her spear aloft. Yerik smashed it with a single blow from his powerful tail.