"♪ In this world ♪" "♪ We're all alone ♪" "♪ You know I love My island home ♪" "♪ We'll make this right ♪" "♪ Find our way Through this mystery ♪" "♪ I just wanna be ♪" "♪ Swimming in the sea ♪" "♪ Now it's just you and me ♪" "♪ Forever, ever, ever ♪" "♪ I just wanna be ♪" "♪ With you feeling free ♪" "♪ It's my destiny ♪" "♪ Forever, ever, ever ♪" "♪ Together ♪" "♪ Forever ♪" "♪ Together lying in the sun ♪" "♪ Together ♪" "♪ Forever ♪" "♪ Together ♪" "♪ Just be you and me ♪" "♪ I just wanna be... ♪" " Hey, Rita." " Hey, girls." "Rita, we're making sea sponge cordial." "Do you want to help?" "Sorry, I have to be at school." "First term starts today." "Well, you can go when we're finished." "Not an option, I'm afraid." "Land school isn't like mermaid school." "You can't just drift in and out." " What is this?" " It's a timetable." "The teachers, the subjects, and the time and day of every class." "They all have to fit together so that everyone's in the right class at the right time." "Your machine does all that?" " How?" " Typical Mimmi." "You just have to know everything." "Well, a thirst for knowledge is a wonderful asset." "Now, I have to go." "Save me some cordial?" "I'll help you, then you can tell me about land school on the way." "Here we are." "Thanks, Mimmi." "I'll see you this evening?" "Okay." "Welcome to the prison." "Your locker's over here, next to mine." "If you need anything, you come to the Camster." "Thanks." "You're going to like it here." "The natives are friendly." "We'll see." "Hey, Zac." "Want to try out for the swim team?" "Funny man." "Just trying to be friendly." "How about we meet up at lunch?" "Talk about what happened on Mako." "You know as much as I do." "But you've got to wonder." "Why did mermen build that place?" "What's it for?" "I've got to go." "You really don't trust him." "Once Zac gets paranoid about you, there's nothing you can do to change his mind." "Trust me, I know." "Well, maybe this will change his mind." "That's incredible." "What is it?" "A chamber on Mako, built by mermen." " See those?" " What are they?" "That's what I'm trying to find out." "Maybe the fish chicks would know." "Well, if they do, they're not saying." "Going to see Erik today?" " Turns out mermen go to land school." " Ugh." "Where's Mimmi?" "She was helping Rita, but, uh, she should be back any time." "We're making cordial." " Sea sponge?" " The best." "She's probably gone for a swim, run into some dolphins and started chatting." "You know how she is." "She has to know everything." "Hi." "Uh, hi." "Hi!" "Good morning, Principal Santos." "Did you have a pleasant holiday?" "I did, Ms. Trumble." "And you?" "Very relaxing, until I received my new timetable." "This class schedule is not what I requested." "I'm sure you can appreciate how hard it is to accommodate everyone." "But as a senior member of staff," "I imagined that my request would have carried more weight." "I can assure you it was given every consideration." "Well, perhaps we could discuss it now?" "My schedule is very full." "We can certainly discuss it later, but if you'll excuse me." "How did you get in here?" "I'm Erik." "I'm sure Ondina's told you about me." "She mentioned you." "My enrollment." "I see you're enrolled for a year." "That's quite a long time in one place for... boys like you." "I'm in no hurry to leave." "Not if there's a reason to stay and further my studies." "What studies would they be?" "The merman chamber on Mako." "What can you tell me about it?" "Nothing." "Come on, Rita." "I can't believe you don't know something about it." "Believe what you like." "In the meantime, I strongly suggest you put it out of your mind and focus on your other studies." "And however familiar you are with my situation outside of school, while we're here, you will address me as Principal Santos." "Amazing, isn't it?" "It sure is." "What are you doing here?" "Going to school." "You?" "What are you doing here?" "I was just looking around." "Everybody, take your seats." " I should go." " No." "It's cool." "Stick around for a while." "It's not like you're hurting anyone." "In case you've spent the entire holiday lying in the sun, frying your brains," "I'm going to repeat an experiment we did last year." "And watch closely." "You'll be doing this yourselves this afternoon." "In the beaker, we have flour, food coloring and water." "But we also have the key ingredient, baking soda." "Sodium bicarbonate." "I am now going to add the next key ingredient... vinegar." "Oh!" "Is there the slightest chance that anyone can tell me what this reaction is called?" "Magic!" "Well, I couldn't agree more." "Science is magic." "What's your name, young lady?" "Mimmi." "Well, Mimmi, it's a pleasure having you in my class." "♪ Facing so much every day ♪" "♪ I'm closer right now but still so far away ♪" "♪ But I won't surrender 'Cause I remember ♪" "♪ Shine, shine your light on me ♪" "♪ This love we share will set us free ♪" "♪ Though I'm far from home and will always be ♪" "♪ This is our destiny ♪" "That's a beautiful song." "Want me to teach you?" "Uh, singing's not really my thing." "I prefer plain old talking." "I'm teaching Mimmi later." "You're welcome to join us." "Where is Mimmi?" "No idea." "But you shouldn't be worried." "It's good for her to go out and do something for herself for a change." "Why?" "What happens the rest of the time?" " You... tell her what to do." " No, I don't!" "Well, she doesn't have to do what I say." "She's free to do whatever she likes." " So, today she is." " Right." "So, you shouldn't be worried." " Good." " Great." " Awesome." " Cool." "Okay." "Hey, wait up." "Mimmi, you shouldn't be here." "What's the problem?" "She's just looking around." "She doesn't want to look around." "Come on, Mimmi." "I certainly do want to look around." "In mermaid school, we swim with dolphins and study corals and magic spells, but land school is amazing." "I'm going to check out the computer room." "Want to come?" "Yes, please." "So much knowledge, all at your fingertips." "It's so different to the pod." "We don't write things down." "We learn by telling stories." "I guess Rita must tell you lots of stuff." "Oh, yes." "She's very knowledgeable." "Has she told you anything about the chamber on Mako?" "Only that it's dangerous." " Did she say why?" " No." "Check this out." "It's the merman chamber." "I think these are some kind of language or code." " Do you know them?" " No." "Has Rita mentioned them?" "Why are you so interested?" "If we can work out what the symbols mean, maybe that will tell us what the chamber is for." "You want that, don't you?" "You know how I feel about Ondina." "I want to help her and you get your home back." "We're on the same side." "But you're a merman." "Okay, so we've had some bad press, but that was centuries ago." "Forget the past, Mimmi." "Help me work it out." "I'm sure Rita knows something." "Ask her." "Do it for Ondina." "Do it for the pod." "Mimmi." "Does Rita know you're here?" "No." "Then the sooner you get out of here, the better." "Mimmi?" "I've just checked my class list with Administration." "They have no record of you enrolling." "I... um..." "It's okay." "She's just leaving." "She's not going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this." "What are you doing here, Mimmi?" "I'm waiting." "Uh, Mimmi is Principal Santos' niece." "The principal is your aunt?" "Um, yes." "Strange." "I saw Ms. Santos this morning and she didn't mention that you were starting today." "What was your previous school?" "Um..." "Rita teaches me things." " She means she's homeschooled." " Really?" "Mimmi is very gifted." "And yet she's in my class." "Well, perhaps we should see how gifted you are, Mimmi." "You can be my laboratory assistant this afternoon." "I'm sure the principal won't mind." "Come along." "While you prepare," "Mimmi is going to explain the chemical reaction that takes place." "Mimmi." "I'll start you off." "What is vinegar?" "I'll give you a hint." "Is it an acid or an alkali?" "It's a..." "It's an acid." "Thank you, Evie." "The question was for Mimmi." "Mimmi, what is baking soda?" "It's an ac..." "I mean... alkali." "And what is the chemical reaction that occurs when you mix an acid with an alkali?" "Magic." "What on earth has Rita been teaching you?" "Move." "Sit." "And the rest of you get on with the experiment." "David, will you please go and get the principal." "I'll go." "Sorry to interrupt, Principal Santos." "We have a problem." "Remember, I want a written explanation of the reaction with the proper names of the chemicals involved." "It didn't work." "We're going to have to do it again." "Oh, Principal Santos," "I'm sorry to interrupt your full schedule, but I have some concerns about your niece." "I understand she's being homeschooled." "While she's visiting, yes." "Well, I have to say I'm rather shocked at her lack of basic scientific knowledge." "However, my greater concern is that your decision to homeschool her will reflect badly on this school." "What do you mean?" "I wonder what the school board will think when they hear that the principal doesn't have enough confidence to enroll her niece in her own school." "Erik." "Erik, help out!" "How I educate my niece is my business, Ms. Trumble." "It's not a matter for the school board, or for you." "Well, we'll see about that." "Indeed we will." "Mimmi?" "What about working in pairs don't you understand?" " Give me that." " Why?" "Sorry!" "Good afternoon, Ms. Trumble." "Oh." "Rita?" "They're not in Rita's office." "Or in the toilets." "Then where could they be?" "Ow!" "Mimmi, is that you?" "Me and Rita." "Okay." " Ow!" "Zac, get off my tail!" " Okay." " We have to get them out of here." " But where?" " Over there." " Okay." " Grab Mimmi's tail." " That's my tail." "Sorry." "Okay." "One..." " Two, three." " Careful!" "Okay, let's go." "Sorry, sorry." "You okay, Rita?" "Yes, I'm okay." "Just hurry!" "Keep going." "Keep going." "Incoming!" "Let's go." "I can't find Mimmi anywhere." "I thought you were letting her do her own thing." "Well, she's done enough of it now." "She didn't say anything before she left?" "Nothing." "Just that she was going with Rita to school." "She has to know everything!" " Careful!" " Sorry." "Sorry." "Ow!" "My bad." "Sorry." "Zac." "Have you seen Principal Santos?" "No." "Not since she left the classroom." "Would you please move?" " I can't." " What do you mean you can't?" "I mean, I can't until I've told you what a privilege it is to be in your class." "I always learn so much." "In that case, I hope your performance shows a marked improvement over last year." " Ow!" " What was that?" "I didn't hear anything." "Evie?" "What are you doing?" "Stretching." "My back gets really sore." "Mimmi, what are you doing here?" "Mimmi's had a little adventure." " Are you all right?" " I'm fine." " Ondina was really worried." " No, I wasn't." "You're coming back to Rita's." "Not yet." " Any luck with those symbols?" " No." "But I'm not giving up." "You're okay." "Like you care." "All you wanted from me was information." "It was an accident." "There was nothing I could do." "I still want to help you guys." "Good luck with that." "That went well." "And what is this?" "Sea sponge cordial." "Mmm." "This is really good." "This is really good." "Sorry for causing trouble." "I just wanted to learn more about land school." "It's all right, Mimmi." "No harm done." "Mimmi, this is for you." "Evie." " You shouldn't have." " Ah, it's my old one." "I thought I could teach you how they work." "Now I can find out all about your world without leaving the grotto." "Great." "We'll always know where you are." "Here's to a thirst for knowledge."