01x01 - The Pearls of Neptune

[bunniefuu]

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ The Mermaid magic power

Lights the world ♪

♪ Oh, yeah! ♪

-In moments lost at sea ♪

-Oh! ♪

-My friends are there for me ♪

-Yeah! ♪

♪ Together we can do anything ♪

♪ You can do anything! ♪

-With courage, love and friendship ♪

-Hey! ♪

-Believing deep in your heart ♪

-Ah! ♪

♪ We're making waves ♪

♪ There is no stopping us ♪

♪ We'll swim together till forever ♪

♪ We're sparkling on our way ♪

♪ We've got the mermaid power ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

[grunts]

Ha! You think you can slow me down

with your Electro-Magic?

Oh, I know I can.

Ha! Electro-shock.

I'm gonna reach that bell

before you do.

Yeah? We'll see who's faster.

-Excuse me. Coming through.

-Huh?

Merlinda, you know

the portal is off-limits

to everyone but the elite guard.

I know. Danger!

Please don't tell my dad!

And, since we're using our powers,

how about a little Ocean Wall?

[chuckling] Nice one.

-Sasha?

-You're doing great, Merlinda.

Just ask my followers.

[barking]

Beau Jr and I are getting this all

on my live feed.

-Say hi, Merlinda.

-Hi. Huh?

Bye.

Merlinda is going for a personal record,

but Nerissa is closing in.

Huh? Ohh!

There's the bell.

-Huh?

-I see you, Sparky.

It's time to get soaked.

Huh? Ohh!

[laughs]

[clangs]

Well, it was messy,

but that was your best time yet.

You were fantastic, Merlinda.

Thanks, but I need

to do better than "messy".

Someday I may have to step up

and protect Mertropia,

like my mother did.

If that day comes, you'll be ready.

And you won't be alone.

You'll have us.

[all] Mermaids swim together forever.

Oh, the water b*mb

at the end? Genius!

Haha! This mer-squad is going viral.

[alarm goes off]

Oh, we better hurry.

We're gonna be late for class.

I am going to be the queen

of social media one day.

Do I really need to know math? Hmm

[Nerissa] Sasha. Let's go.

[Sasha] Okay.

[laughing]

[kid] Look, Mom!

It's the princess!

Hi, Merlinda!

Hi, Sasha and Nerissa!

Hi! Sorry, we're late for school.

Oh, let's take our shortcut

through the market square.

It's not a shortcut

when you window-shop.

-Oh, you look so wonderful.

-I bought these new clothes.

Would you like to see them?

Hey, Mr. Goby!

The statue is looking really great.

Thanks, Princess.

Aren't you late for school?

-Hi, Mrs. Sand Flea.

-I have a new book for you, Princess.

Oh, great.

I'll be back later, I promise.

You've outdone yourself, old friend.

It looks as good as new.

Oh, the proudest day of my life,

Your Highness,

was the day

Queen Corelia first wore this crown.

And soon the princess will wear it.

What's the occasion, sire?

No occasion. Sometimes a father

just wants to give his little girl a gift.

-Oh!

-Daddy.

Merlinda. What are you doing here

in the market on a school day?

Well, I could ask you the same question.

I definitely did not come

to pick up a surprise for my daughter.

And I definitely am not coming back

from a thing I wasn't supposed

to be doing between classes.

[chuckles]

Is that so?

Your dad follows me on Merstagram.

Nerissa, you know I don't want

Merlinda training to be a warrior.

Don't be mad at Nerissa, Dad.

I begged her to train me.

And, you know how persuasive I can be.

She can be persuasive, Your Highness.

Yes, I'm fully aware.

Great. I'm glad we cleared all that up.

[rumbling]

Huh?

[merperson 1] Oh. What's happening?

[merperson 2] What's going on?

Ohh!

Dad, what's happening?

I need to get to the palace.

You stay here.

Something is really wrong.

I have to know what it is.

Wait here.

[both] Huh?

Your Highness!

-Uh Oh.

-You did it!

The four remaining pearls have stabilized.

How long this time?

How long before they all lose their power?

At this rate, a month, maybe less.

If the pearls of Neptune die,

the kingdom will soon follow.

Every time you use your power

to replenish the pearls,

you become more depleted.

This is your life force.

It's not an infinite source of energy.

One more effort like this

could be your last.

Our only hope to save Mertropia

is to send another elite team out

into the open ocean to find more

Enough!

I will not send another team

through the portal

to be wiped out

by Barbarossa's sea-monster army.

No. I can make the pearls last longer.

I can outlast him and his siege.

I can go.

I'll find the pearls.

Hmm.

Dad.

How could you not tell me

about the pearls?

About how you're using

your life force to

-It's not your concern.

-I'm the princess.

It's my responsibility

to help my people, and you.

I am king.

They're my responsibility.

Your responsibility

is to go to class and study.

I'm more than just your little girl, okay?

I'm 16 now.

It's time for me to step up.

I can fight. I'm good at it.

I can take on these sea monsters.

You have no idea

what you're talking about

or what waits

on the other side of that portal.

-But, Dad!

-I don't want to hear any more of this.

I have to do something.

I can't just sit here

and watch you risk your life.

You haven't seen what I've seen.

Not one merperson

who has passed through that portal

has made it back alive.

I've already lost your mother.

I will not lose you.

I lost Mom too, Dad.

I can't lose you.

Merlinda?

How long until the other pearls

are like this one?

A month.

Maybe less.

Okay, I think it's time

for a doom-and-gloom intervention.

Let's turn these frowns upside down.

Hmm.

Haha!

I have a better idea.

I'm going to sneak out of Mertropia,

find a new set of pearls,

and bring them back.

Oh, there you go!

-Good plan.

-Terrible plan.

Have you forgotten

what's on the other side of that portal?

-Sea monsters.

-[Nerissa] Hundreds of them.

I can find a way past them.

Argh. It's not just them.

The pirate, Barbarossa.

Ooh, scary.

Barbarossa is an evil pirate.

All surface dwellers are evil pirates.

[Nerissa] 400 years ago,

Barbarossa and his pirate armada

waged w*r on the merfolk

to conquer us and steal our powers.

At his side was a sorceress,

the sea witch.

So scary.

Are there no puppy pics in this book?

Or maybe a kitten?

The sea witch created for Barbarossa

a talisman full of dark magic.

With it, he could steal

the life force of any merperson.

But the merfolk,

harnessing their magic and the sea,

fought hard and were able

to defeat Barbarossa.

The pirate armada was destroyed

and Barbarossa was imprisoned by magic

in the blade of his own sword.

Yes, but somehow

Barbarossa broke free

and 15 years ago

I know what happened 15 years ago.

Even if you made it

past the creepy monsters

outside the portal,

how would you find the pearls?

My mom.

Um, I don't want to be that girl,

but don't we need permission

to enter the royal archives?

I am that girl, and yes, we do.

It's okay. I know the king.

My mom was the last keeper

of the pearls.

Before she disappeared,

she would go out into the ocean

and tend to the magic oyster beds

and

she kept a map.

This map is mer-mazing!

And Merlinda is right. Look.

It can take us

straight to the pearls.

That map is not supposed

to leave the archives.

Nerissa, my dad is using his life force

to keep the pearls working.

If he keeps doing it,

he's going to die.

I have an idea for

the "sneaking past the monsters" part.

Merlinda, you can control water

with your magic.

Nerissa can generate

an electrical charge.

You can camouflage yourself.

And if you hide behind me,

I can make you invisible too.

Sasha, that's genius.

-Really?

-Yes.

Sneaking-past part solved.

Merlinda, as a member

of the royal guard,

I cannot let you go.

Nerissa, we're talking

about my father's life.

Just this one time.

Please! Forget the rules.

Alone. I cannot let you go alone.

If you're gonna go through the portal

to save the king's life,

I'm going with you.

Yay, Nerissa! I'm in too.

The three of us are going to save

my dad and Mertropia together.

Definitely, but first we'll have

to get past your boyfriend.

Alex Dorselfin is not my boyfriend.

Hey, Alex.

Princess Merlinda.

What?

What are you doing back here?

Uh, yeah. Pretty night, isn't it?

It sure is. The stars are out.

Do you love the stars, Alex?

Well, I sure do. Um

How are things

on the other side of the portal?

Quiet?

Those sea monsters aren't causing

any sea-monster trouble, are they?

Uh, you really shouldn't get

too close to that.

You're right, it is quiet.

Although it's hard to tell in here

exactly what's going on out there.

Maybe you should open the portal

so we can check it out.

Wait. What? No! Merlinda

You know perfectly well it's dangerous,

and your father forbids it.

Okay, Alex, you got me.

This was a test.

And you aced it, Captain.

-So now I can tell you the truth.

-Which is?

Which is me, Sasha and Nerissa

are on a secret mission

for the king.

It's an urgent matter,

so we should get moving.

You just need to use your key

and turn that wheel thingy.

Your father has no idea

about this, does he?

By no idea, do you mean?

Nerissa!

-I had this under control.

-We're not supposed to be here.

The longer it takes,

the better the chance we get caught.

I moved things along.

Well, fine.

Good job.

Princess Merlinda.

Sorry, Alex.

Ha! I knew it.

-Boyfriend.

-Not boyfriend.

There's danger on the other side.

Sea monsters and who knows what else.

But we've got one thing

they don't have.

Us.

Are we ready?

Pearl power.

Come follow me ♪

Under the sea ♪

Merfolks will always be free ♪

There is no fear ♪

When we are near ♪

Oceans are calm and so clear ♪

I am strong, I stay true ♪

I feel the pearl, the miracle ♪

I have the power of the pearl ♪

Pearl power ♪

You got the power to love ♪

You got the strength to be tough ♪

You got the magic

when the pearl's by your side ♪

Under the moon down below ♪

Mermaids will shine and glow ♪

We got the magic

and we dance all night, yeah ♪

Pearl power ♪

Pearl power ♪

You got the power to love ♪

You got the strength to be tough ♪

You got the magic

when the pearl's by your side ♪

Strong as the ocean's spirit

We unite ♪

For Mertropia.

And for you, Dad.

[Sasha] Time to disappear.

There is something

I should have shared earlier.

Sometimes, when I'm nervous,

I have trouble staying camouflaged.

Sasha.

-I think he sees us.

-You think?

Lightning Bolt!

Ocean Shield.

Argh! The map!

No!

Merlinda!

Argh! Merlinda!

I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

[Baby Merlinda crying]

-What's happening to her?

-Huh?

[Nerissa] Merlinda!

Ah!

Avast, matey!

Some scurvy dogs

have dumped more trash ahead.

[Celia on radio] Good eye, Tyler.

Also, can we not use

all the clichéd pirate words?

Stellar idea, me sister Celia.

We'll make the polluters

walk the plank. Aye!

And more pirate words!

Still with us, Petey?

I just hope we can make a dent

in all this floating trash today.

It would be so great

to see some of the species

that abandoned Morton Bay

come back and make it home again.

Don't worry, sis, they'll come back,

because they've got us

and Operation Deep Clean

looking out for them.

You said we were calling it

Operation Bash The Trash.

Uh, I changed my mind.

You had me print flyers!

[beeping]

Celia.

Something big just got stuck in the net.

I'm on it.

Huh? Something's coming

straight for the boat.

Gotcha.

Huh?

Whoa!

Hey.

Hey!

Are you okay?

-Celia, you're not gonna believe this.

-Hold that thought. Tyler.

I'm trying to find our hitchhiker.

[through radio] Oh, there.

Looks like the poor guy

is all tangled up in plastic trash.

I'll get you free.

-Tyler, I'm being attacked.

-What are you talking about?

Huh? What is that?

Tyler? Whatever you do,

stay out of the water.

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do.

Ohh

[panting]

[screaming]

Uh

[straining]

-[Celia] What were those things?

-She needs air.

We need to get her up to the

Wow.

Give me that. What is this?