Plop. 

A small rose tail betta fish launched itself from the waters to reach up to the red berry hanging near the water surface. The three inches platinum white and blue fish bite the red berry hard that its tiny teeth embedded itself to the soft fruit suspending the small fish in the air.

Reddish fruit juice run down the body of the betta fish, dyeing its pure glistening body a bit red. The dyed fish sucked the juice, after knowing how delicious it was, the fish can't help but taste more. However, it felt its jaw ache from being opened for a long time.

Plop.

The rose tail betta fish let go of the red fruit and just let its body fell down the water. The fish swim circling round and round. It wiggle it tail left and right elegantly and it beautifully wave its pectoral fins making it looked like it was dancing.

The betta fish then saw something. It went swimming towards the spider web under the rocks with a lone clear water droplet hanging on it. The fish went directly to the droplet and stopped. The betta fish stared at its reflection from the clear droplet and let out a mouthful of bubbles.

Pop. Pop. Pop. 

The bubbles soar out of the waters, while it drift with the wind. Unfortunately, the bubbles all burst in succession as each touch the rock hindering it from flying upwards. Because of the shock from the bubbles bursting the rock cracked and fragments drop down the waters. 

The betta fish noticed it and closed it mouth immediately. It dive down quickly like a startled cat and hid between the tall acquatic plants growing underneath the lake.

...

...

...

Reed took a peek within the gaps of the leaves, swimming forward a bit then immediately coming back to hide within the acquatic plants.

Reed was both embarrassed and pissed. She became more coward and cautious after she turn into a fish. And the way she expressed her insecurities is very shameful for a grow up like Reed. She just wanted to hide here forever never to see the sun again.

Reed ponders while she let her body rest in between the leaves. She did not know why she suddenly turn into a fish. She already check everything she eats but all she ate was the usual. So, it was impossible if the cause is the fruits she ate, since this is the third week Reed has been staying here. The only possible answer was the dream she had last night.

Reed dreamed of the past, she recalled the small betta fish that Echo killed from a sudden jealousy. Then she wake up as a fish. Reed was not certain, but ever since she managed to get out of that Labyrinth, she keep having dreams about her past.

Remembering her dream, Reed can't help but flap her fins in delight just recalling the feelings of how cute Echo was at the time, completely disregarding the fact that she cried buckets after over thinking things. 

But still, she somewhat felt cheated. If she knew that she could got her memories back–

What's the point of her doing all those crazy thing she did when she just woke up. She wrecked her brains, finding clues about why she's missing half of her memories. Reed wanted to complain, because it's hurt. Reed almost fried her brain back then. If she didn't managed to find that wooden door then, she might have gone back into coma.

Well, anyway...

'Why did I suddenly turned into a fish?' 

Her power was in disarray too.

After pondering deeply for who knows how long, Reed felt tired. This small body easily exhausted. She doesn't even have a time to think more when Reed finally succumb to sleep.

...

...

...

Reed was woken up by noise. Many different tone of voice and murmurs endlessly ringing in her ears. Hearing something new, Reed who was still half asleep thought she was still dreaming and shouted annoyed. 

"Who said fishes does not have ears. I am a fish and can hear everything loud and clear!"

Bubbles. Bubbles. 

Blop. Blop. Blop.

After venting her dissatisfaction, she went back to sleep. Not noticing that she just talk loud with her small fish form. 

The surrounding crowd turned quiet, all of them halted their movements even the swing of their fins lessen. They stayed in their place stiff and afraid. Seeing her snooze back to sleep they felt a little relieve.

However all their effort we're useless since Reed who is a mermaid and is very sensitive and failed to get back to sleep again. Distinct sounds of water disturbances keep resounding in her ears. If a fish can expressed their emotion in their faces then Reed wears a grumpy frown by now.

Clearing her muddle head, Reed looked at her surroundings and was shocked. She was perceiving different living creature close to her, and Reed watched them all with wary eyes.

'Can anyone tell me what's happening right now?!'

 

Aware of what she was feeling right now, the crowd of fishes move back to give her more space.

Their action made Reed lower her guard a bit, she feels that these fishes won't hurt her in anyway. But after arriving in this world, Reed was not so easy to let her defenses down.

The fishes heave a silent sigh seeing her relax a bit.

She is their king, their ruler. Things will get bad if they suddenly frightened her. 

They've already noticed it since the night she suddenly appeared out of now where. They can feel her majesty and power just by watching her from a far. They wanted to talked and get closer to her. But for some reason, she can not hear their voice.

The fishes within the lake gathered every night whenever Reed was sleeping to have a group meeting. Planing what they should do for her to hear them and for her to become aware of their existence.

Then suddenly she turned into a fish which shocked the surrounding onlookers. They all decided to use this opportunity to talked to their sovereign, and if their luck permits them, they can even get closer to her.

Who would not want to get closer to the all powerful full blooded royals. They are their idols, their gods, and they lived just to serve them.

Now that the last remaining royal family is just within their reach, what to do? Of course serve her, give her everything she wanted, offered her everything she needed.

She is their sovereign!

...

Reed watched the fishes with vigilance, however she remembers her disappointments when she failed to met any other living beings before. Her eyes brightens with positive light. Then she saw a fish that looked like a clown fish– hesitating yet still move forward.

"Please, we are the fishes that lives within this lake. We just wanted to talked to you, Your Majesty."

Reed really wanted to talked to them too, seeing that they all seems to have some sentient. However she remembers that mermaids can't talk, they can sing but can't talk! How can she communicate with them. Those tutorial memory videos did not have them!

'huh?'

'did I just hear that clown fish talked??'

"..." Reed stayed frozen on her spot with her mouth open wide, looking like a silly fish. She just hear a fish spoke. Single bubble went out of her mouth and the fishes knowing its lethality, unconsciously give way. 

Reed observed the fish in amazement and curiosity, letting her guard down, but still a bit vigilant. Because of it, Reed by pass what the fish just called her. She hide behind the leaves again, peaking at the fish that seems to be the leader of the crowd. Waiting for it to speak again.

Fish behaviors are really troublesome. She was moving with her instinct, she really became a coward, a fish that was easily scared and get anxious.

The clown fish let her observed himself and become a bit more courageous, he wag his small tail and fin and come closer to Reed.

"My name is Nemo. Try to breathe from your gills, Your Majesty. Our species are unlike other living organisms where they uses the vibrations through their vocal cords to talk."

Knowing what she wanted to asked, Nemo directly explain everything without her needing to speak up.

"We are all born from the sea and will all come back to the sea in the end. The sea is the source of our power, and so is our connection from one another. Your Majesty, you have been practicing your control over the waters for the past weeks, try feeling your connection to the sea and not just received it. Used this connection to expressed your thoughts, Your Majesty."

It was like multiple doors went opened after Reed heard what Nemo just explained. She was used to receiving that power, that she never really thought much about it. 

'So, it can be used like that?'

Reed was watching this clown fish from the very beginning and she did not see Nemo opened his mouth to talk even once. And more over, Reed heard the voice directly into her mind. 

After hearing this particular lesson, Reed completely let go of her defences, but she still keep her distance and stayed in place. Because she was embarrassed.

Reed really wanted to cursed. 

'This body, it is already small. Please don't make me think of myself much smaller than this.'

Reed thoughts wonder in different direction after calming down. She confirmed that this fishes meant her no harm. And if they did then they should have attacked her from the very beginning when she just transformed into a fish. And this is her opportunity to gain information. Reed peaked at Nemo and then the other fishes. 

The truth was Reed was very relieved and thankful that this fishes came and talked to her. She even thought that she was alone this whole time.

And again Reed did not notice what Nemo just called her.

Nemo too was observing Reed from where he stays. In all creatures in this lake, he was the most in control of his connection to the sea. So even without seeing, he knows what Reed was doing right now. Even her most micro movements where all recorded by the waters and was all received by Nemo. That's why he knows that right now, their king has finally accepted them.

He heave a deep sigh, as if he just passed a difficult exam. Nemo wave his fins in signals that he was successful. The fishes all around them let out some bubbles successively.

Reed saw this wonderful sight behind the grass. Her eyes brightens and she peak her head in between the leaves to see more.

Everyone saw this, they wanted to approach her. But they all hesitated thinking back how she was easily frightened. Nevertheless, at the back of the crowd, a young regal Tang that was full of energy and have no shame just happen to be passing by and was curious of what was happening. Seeing so many fishes gathering at one spot, she was so curious that she zoom through the crowd swimming straight to center. 

This young regal fish was so excited that she completely went out of control and with all her strength, swim with her fastest speed towards the center.

Everyone does not have time to react when this ignorant regal fish–who does not know anything– swim across the crowd and went straight to the water grass. Reed, who was currently busy watching the spectacles, also did not notice a certain speedy fish who was swimming right towards her.

They were all frightened, their eyes almost jump off from their sockets. Some curses badly, others scream loud, and several already passed out. Nemo was one of them, he just saw a glimpse of this blue and yellow fish and he immediately passed out. Afraid of witnessing gruesome scene where their cute and pitiful ruler has been bullied by this brute fish. And certainly fear of what is to come.

Nemo passing out was the greatest choice he have ever than, and he was thankful for this choice of his for the rest of his life. He did not want to see the ruler of the seas gets strongly slammed at by a stupid fish.

.. 

In slow motion, everyone who did not passed out witness this once in a life time scene of their all powerful and majestic ruler getting hit by a stupid fish directly.

Bang! 

Reed went flying together with the perpetrator. The sands scattered from the impact forming a white cloud, masking the aftermath of the terrible scene. 

When the cloud of sand and dust dissipated, the crowd saw two fishes laying flatly on the sand. They all went still, and every thing seems suspended. Especially if they are all quietly staying in place like that, just staring unblinking at the beautiful rose tail betta fish on the ground.

Reed was shocked silly. Although it did not hurt her but she was totally not prepared. Being surprised like that, she certainly be frozen speechless.

Reed heart beat like drum. She was trying to over come her heightened emotions, so she did not move. She just used her big eyes and stared at the opposite side where the fish that was bigger than her was laying currently out cold from the strong impact.

'A regal tang. So she was here too. I wonder if her name is Dory. But they were all salt water fish... And this is a lake...'

Reed succumb to sleep feeling tired and confused. She just let it go and think about it tomorrow. She was really tired today, her small fish body can't withstand large amounts stress. 

As Reed was drifting off to sleep, she thought of finding Nemo's dad later.

...