Pearl's Ocean Magic Read online

  Pearl didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to be mean, but she agreed with Echo. Flip’s song wasn’t very good. It sounded the same all the way through. It wasn’t nearly as beautiful and unique as Bay’s song, or those of Pearl’s parents.

  “Very nice start,” Bay said after Flip had finished. “Now, who’d like to go next? How about you, my dear?”

  Pearl realized the teacher was smiling at her. “M-Me?” she stammered.

  “Go ahead, Pearl,” Echo urged. “Just sing what you’re feeling!”

  “Go, Pearl!” Splash added, flipping his fins and making bubbles swirl around him.

  Pearl swam up and took a breath. She was so nervous her fins were shaking. Could she really sing in front of all these other dolphins?

  Just do your best, her mother’s voice said in her head.

  Pearl nodded. Closing her eyes, she pretended she was in her home lagoon with Squeak. Then she began to sing. The song filled her up, making her forget everything else except the dancing notes.

  When she finished, she opened her eyes. Bay’s smile was wider than ever.

  “Lovely!” the teacher declared. “What’s your name, my dear?”

  “Pearl,” Pearl replied. “Was my song really okay?”

  “Better than okay,” Bay assured her. “You’re very talented, Pearl. I look forward to helping you finish your song. Now, who’s next?”

  Pearl felt amazing. She’d always loved music—but she hadn’t realized she was good at it!

  “Great job, Pearl!” Echo whispered as one of the other female students began to sing. “I really liked your song.”

  “Thanks,” Pearl whispered back. “I can’t wait to hear yours!”

  Echo’s song turned out to be pretty good. Most of the other students did fine, too. But when it was Splash’s turn, he didn’t do very well. His song was tuneless, and he kept getting distracted and having to start over.

  “Sorry,” he said at last, grinning at Bay. “I guess I’m not very good at music.”

  “Never mind,” Bay said. “That’s why we have dolphin school—so you can all get better at the skills you need.”

  “But his song is terrible,” Flip called out. “How can it ever get better?”

  “Hey!” Echo said. “That’s not nice, Flip.”

  Splash laughed. “It’s okay. He’s right. My song was terrible!”

  That made everyone laugh, including Bay. “He’ll get better,” she told Flip. “Besides, every dolphin has different talents. I’m sure you’re not good at every single thing you do, either.”

  “Yes, I am,” Flip responded. “I’m good at everything!”

  Pearl nudged Echo with her fin. “Does he always brag this much?” she whispered. “How can you stand being in the same pod with him?”

  “He does brag a lot,” Echo whispered back. “But I think he’s even worse today because he’s nervous about starting school. He’s really not so bad once you get to know him.”

  Pearl wasn’t so sure about that. She expected Bay to scold Flip for his bragging. But the teacher just said, “Hmm,” and then said it was time for Pearl’s school pod to move on to Jumping and Swimming class. “Riptide will be waiting for you outside the coral,” the teacher said.

  “HURRY UP!” RIPTIDE BELLOWED AS PEARL and the others swam out through the school entrance. “Are you dolphins, or did they send me a class of sea slugs by mistake?”

  The Jumping and Swimming teacher was the large, strapping male dolphin who had called for attention earlier. He looked even bigger up close!

  Just as the students reached him, Riptide turned and swam away. “Hey, wait up!” Splash exclaimed. “Where are you going?”

  “No questions,” Riptide said without slowing down. “Follow me. Don’t be lazy, or I’ll let the sharks get you!”

  Echo let out a squeak of alarm. “Come on,” she said to Pearl and Splash. “We’d better keep up.”

  “He wouldn’t really let sharks get us, would he?” Pearl wondered.

  Flip heard her and laughed. “Why, are you scared?” he asked. “I’m not. I can outswim any stupid old shark in the sea!”

  Pearl ignored him. She was too busy trying to keep up with Riptide and the others. She never had to swim that fast at home!

  Riptide led them away from the reef. He stopped in an area of open water. Pearl looked around, her eyes wide and nervous.

  “Is this Bigsky Basin?” she asked.

  Riptide barked out a laugh. “Don’t be silly!” he said. “Bigsky Basin is much deeper than this. I brought you out here so we’ll have space to move around. This is Jumping and Swimming class, and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. Jumping and swimming!”

  “Yay!” Splash cheered, doing a flip.

  Riptide laughed again. “You, young fellow,” he said. “I bet you can do a flip in the air, eh?”

  “Sure! Want to see?” Splash said. He shot up toward the surface and did a high flip, landing with a big splash!

  “Excellent!” Riptide roared out. “Now, who’s next?”

  “Me!” Flip volunteered. “My name is Flip, and that means I’m the best at doing flips. Just watch!”

  Pearl had to admit that Flip’s flip was very good. After that, the two giggling female students took their turns. Both of their flips were good as well.

  “Excellent!” Riptide sounded pleased. “It looks like I’ve got a good class here. Now, who’s next?”

  Pearl hung back as long as she could. She’d never even tried to do an air flip before! But finally it was her turn. She zoomed up toward the surface and burst out into the air. The sun was bright, and it was hard to see up there. She did her best to do a flip like the others, but she landed on her side and sank down.

  “Oof!” Flip called out with a laugh. “Hey, Pearl, you’re supposed to do a flip, not a flop!”

  Riptide blew out a stream of bubbles. “All right, it seems some of us have some work to do,” he said. “Next?”

  Pearl floated back over to her friends. “Never mind,” Echo said, rubbing Pearl’s fin with her own. “Like Bay said, not everyone is good at everything, right?”

  That made Pearl feel a little better. At least for a moment.

  But after that, the class just kept getting harder. All the other dolphins seemed to be stronger and faster than she was. She kept having trouble with jumping and couldn’t keep up with the others while swimming. By the end of class, Pearl was exhausted.

  “I never have to do any of this stuff at home!” she told her friends, sinking nearly to the seafloor.

  “It’s okay,” Echo said. “You’ll get better if you work at it.”

  “Yeah,” Splash agreed. “I’ll help you if you want. And maybe you can help me with music, since you’re so good at that.”

  “It’s a deal!” Pearl said.

  Just then Flip swam over. “That was fun,” he said. “Well, for me at least.” He smirked at Pearl, then swam off.

  “What a shark face!” Echo whispered as Flip started bragging to the rest of the pod.

  “Yeah.” But Flip’s comment didn’t bother Pearl. At least not very much. Not when Echo and Splash were already feeling like such good friends.

  WHEN PEARL AND THE OTHERS SWAM BACK into the school lagoon, Bay was waiting for them. “Time for recess, young ones,” she said. “All the students have a break now. Go play and get to know the rest of your classmates!”

  Pearl looked around. All the other new students were already out in the middle of the lagoon. So were the older students. Some dolphins were playing tag or having a snack. Others were just talking.

  “Look, there’s Finny.” Splash waved a fin at one of the older dolphins. “That’s my brother. Let’s go say hi!”

  Pearl followed him. So did Echo. Flip tagged along, too. “My brother already graduated,” Flip said. “He was the best jumper in the whole school. But everyone says I’m even better!”

  “That’s nice,” Pearl said. She wished Flip would stop bragging.r />
  Splash’s brother was blowing bubbles with two other dolphins his age.

  “Hey, Splash,” he said. “Meet Mullet and Shelly. They’re in my school pod.”

  “Hi,” Mullet said to them in a friendly voice. “Welcome to Coral Cove Dolphin School.”

  “Yeah, hi,” Shelly added. She whistled a little tune. “That’s my welcome song. Do you like it?”

  “It’s pretty,” Pearl said, impressed. Shelly seemed really talented!

  “We already had Music class,” Flip told the older students. “I was probably the best one there. The others did okay, too, though. I guess.”

  “You shouldn’t brag so much,” Echo told him.

  “It’s not bragging when it’s true,” Flip replied, doing a flip in the water.

  “Nice flip,” Mullet told him. “You must be good at Jumping and Swimming class, too, huh?”

  “Definitely!” Flip did another flip. “I’m great at all that stuff.”

  Just then, Bay swam over to the group. “I’ll be right back, youngsters,” she said. “Old Salty asked me to help him shoo away some jellyfish that are floating in his class area.”

  “Ooh, I’ll come help,” Shelly said. “I’ve been working on my magical guiding skills. I’d love to try them out on some jellyfish!”

  “I’ll come, too,” Finny said.

  “While they’re doing that, why don’t I give the new kids a tour of the rest of the lagoon?” Mullet suggested. “Is that all right, Bay?”

  “Hmm.” Bay flicked her flukes. “I suppose so. Make sure you’re back in time for their next class, though. Old Salty doesn’t like his students to be late.”

  “I promise,” Mullet said. “Come on, let’s go!”

  Pearl, Echo, Splash, and Flip followed Mullet as he swam out through the coral entrance. “A tour sounds fun,” Echo said. “What are you going to show us out here?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Mullet said.

  Pearl was surprised. Mullet didn’t sound as friendly and nice as he had a few minutes earlier.

  “We probably shouldn’t swim too far away,” Pearl said. “I don’t want to be late for class.”

  Mullet ignored her. “Let’s see you flip again,” he told Flip. “But stay totally underwater this time if you can.”

  “Sure, I can do that!” Flip said eagerly. He started an underwater flip.

  He was halfway around when his movements suddenly got faster. He spun around and around.

  Mullet laughed. “Hey!” Echo said to him. “Are you doing that?”

  Pearl wasn’t that close to Mullet, but she could feel magic energy coming from him. He was pushing Flip with his magic, just like Pearl’s mother had done with the eel earlier.

  “Help!” Flip cried. “I can’t stop!”

  Mullet laughed again. “Say, ‘Mullet is great,’ and maybe you will,” he said.

  “Mullet is great! Mullet is great!” Flip cried.

  Finally he stopped spinning. He sank toward the seafloor, looking dizzy.

  “You used magical guiding on him—no, I bet it was magical pushing!” Echo accused Mullet. “You’re not supposed to use that on other dolphins!”

  “Not unless there’s an emergency,” Splash added.

  Mullet smirked. “This was an emergency,” he said. “You guys are so boring I thought I might die.”

  “I’m telling the teachers what you just did.” Echo sounded angry.

  “You’d better not!” Mullet stopped laughing and glared at her. “Or else!”

  “Or else what?” Echo demanded.

  Pearl shivered. Now Mullet looked really mean! She was impressed that Echo was being so brave.

  “Or else I might shove you out into Bigsky Basin with the sharks!” Mullet said.

  Pearl let out a squeak of alarm—Echo had started moving backward through the water toward Bigsky Basin!

  “Hey!” Echo yelled. “Stop that, or I’ll send a mental message to the teachers! My mom taught me how!”

  Echo stopped moving.

  “Relax, I was just kidding around,” Mullet said with a laugh. “I’m trying to show you all the cool stuff you’ll learn in Magic class. I didn’t think you’d get so upset.”

  “I’m not upset,” Flip said. “You’re really good at magic, Mullet. I’ll probably be just as good when I’m your age.”

  “See?” Mullet told Echo. “Flip isn’t mad, so I hope you’re not, either. It was just for fun. No hard feelings?”

  Echo looked uncertain. Finally she flicked her flukes.

  “I guess it’s okay,” she said. “We should go back, though.”

  Pearl was relieved when the whole group swam toward the school entrance. Mullet’s tour hadn’t been much fun. But at least nothing really bad had happened.

  HALFWAY THROUGH OCEAN LORE CLASS, Pearl felt sleepy. Old Salty was teaching them about animals and plants in the ocean. Right then he was listing different types of mollusks. Before that, he’d listed different types of sea sponges. And before that, he’d listed different types of algae. After a while, all the names sounded the same.

  “How does he expect us to remember all this stuff?” Splash whispered to Pearl.

  “I don’t know,” Pearl whispered back.

  She was glad that Magic class came next. That was sure to be more interesting than learning about algae!

  Finally Old Salty stopped talking. “I’m sorry to say that’s all we have time for today, young scholars,” he said in his crusty voice. “Tomorrow we’ll discuss crustaceans. Off to Magic class with you now—Bay is waiting for you over by the kelp forest.”

  Pearl swam with her friends toward the waving strands of kelp at the far end of the cove. She could hear the other two girls from their class complaining about how boring Old Salty was.

  “I already forgot everything he said,” one of them exclaimed.

  “I never heard it in the first place,” her friend said. “I was taking a nap.”

  “I remember everything,” Flip bragged. “I have an awesome memory.”

  Pearl rolled her eyes.

  They reached Bay at the kelp forest. “Welcome to Magic class, everyone,” she said. Suddenly Pearl and her classmates were surrounded by sparkly lights and colorful swirls of water. Pearl had seen displays like that before. Her mother was especially good at them. She used her magic to make them out of sunlight and water droplets. Dolphins sometimes used the magical displays to distract other creatures, but mostly they were just for fun.

  “Cool!” one of the other students exclaimed. “Will we learn to do that?”

  “Yes, but not right away,” Bay said as the display faded. “We’ll learn the basics of all the most important kinds of dolphin magic in this class. That includes guiding and messaging, the two most important types of mental magic. Most of you are probably at least a little bit familiar with those.”

  Pearl nodded along with the others. She had liked Bay during Music class, and she was glad that Bay was their Magic teacher, too.

  “What about mental confusion?” Splash asked. “Will we learn that, too? A dolphin in my pod used that once to escape from a hungry orca.”

  “That’s very advanced mental magic,” Echo told him.

  Bay nodded. “Echo is right. It’s a powerful tool against bigger creatures, but you won’t learn that until next year. This year, though, in addition to mental magic, we’ll also begin to study physical magic. For instance, you’ll learn how to make sounds louder or softer, and to create light and rainbows. We’ll also begin to develop your magical healing abilities.”

  “Awesome,” Pearl said. She couldn’t wait!

  “Let’s start today with magical guiding,” Bay said. “Does anyone already know how to do that?”

  “I do,” Echo said, flicking her fins. “At least a little bit. My mom taught me.”

  “Why don’t you show the class?” Bay said. “See if you can guide that sea horse over there to turn around and swim the other way.”

/>   “I’ll try.” Echo swam closer to a little orange sea horse swimming nearby.

  Pearl could tell that her friend was focusing hard. She could feel magical energy coming from Echo.

  The sea horse slowed down. Then he stopped—and turned to swim in the opposite direction!

  “Excellent!” Bay exclaimed. “Your mother taught you well.”

  “Let me try,” Flip said. “I bet I can do that, too.”

  “All right, give it a try,” Bay told him.

  Flip swam over to the sea horse. He closed his eyes and started sending out bursts of magical energy. This time, the sea horse didn’t turn around. After a few minutes Flip gave up.

  “I probably didn’t have enough air left,” he said, darting up to the surface and then returning. “Besides, this stuff is boring. When will we learn how to make one of those light displays?”

  “We’ll get to that on another day,” Bay said. “Now, would anyone else like to see if they can guide the sea horse?”

  Pearl wiggled her fin uncertainly. “I don’t know how to use real magical guiding yet,” she said. “But I can try asking the sea horse to turn by sending him a mental message.”

  “Oh?” Bay looked impressed. “You have experience with sending messages to other species?”

  Pearl nodded. “My family helps baby turtles find their way out to sea,” she explained. “I practice sending the turtles messages sometimes.”

  “Wonderful.” Bay waved a fin at the sea horse. “Go ahead and give it a try.”

  Pearl swam closer to the sea horse. He was floating in one spot now, watching her.

  Closing her eyes, Pearl formed a picture in her mind of the sea horse swimming away. She gathered her magical energy and sent the image out toward the creature.

  Then she opened her eyes. Had it worked?

  Yes! The sea horse was swimming away, just as Pearl had pictured!

  “Great job, Pearl!” Echo cheered. Splash did a happy flip to celebrate.

  Bay seemed impressed, too. “Helping sea turtles is important work,” she told Pearl. “I’d be interested in hearing more about your pod later.”