Episode 28: Bonds

Template:Episode Details **Bonds** (KIZUNA) is the twenty eighth episode of Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch.

## Plot

Lucia, Hanon, and Rina, on a quest to save Caren in a coral reef, are lured into a trap set by the Black Beauty Sisters. Aqua Regina gives the trio a new song (thanks to Kaito). Caren forgives Rina about Noel in the end.

## Summary

The mermaid princesses had searched for Caren all moring in the sea but couldn't find her anywhere. Lucia and Hanon were able to convince Rina to go back and rest in their hotel rooms first before searching in the sea again later.

Somewhere in the sea the Black Beauty Sisters kept Caren hostage at a coral reef, they kept flirting with each other in front of Caren and taunted that the three other mermaid princesses would probably come to save her. Caren was angered and said she could escape all by herself, Sheshe hypnotized Caren and made her fall asleep.

In their hotel rooms, Lucia woke up from her dream of what had happen to Caren. She then heard Aqua Regina's voice in her head, telling her to use the mermaid cards to find Caren. Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Hippo woke up and tried to use them together. Hanon held out a row of cards and told Lucia to think of Caren in her heart and choose a card. A certain card flashed in front of Lucia so she chose that card. The card was the Coral card, so they figured that Caren was probably in a coral reef somewhere. Hippo told them there is a coral reef under the sea coastline, so all of them decided to set off and find Caren.

Down in the hotel lobby, Hanon saw Tarou playing the piano as usual. She was scared that the mermaid Tarou is always thinking of might be Caren, and even considered what could happen if Caren never returned back. But Hanon decided that even if Caren was the mermaid he loves, that she has to bring Caren back so they can have a fair fight over Tarou.

Lucia came to the beach so she could find Kaito. She wanted to tell Kaito that she might have to leave for a while, Kaito mistook Lucia's troubled expression as a sign of her being hungry, and offers her a sandwich. Lucia ran off feeling angry and sad at the same time, while looking back to tell Kaito goodbye. Kaito notices her tears and became distracted while he was surfing, causing him to slip off his surfboard and fell into the water. When he opened his eyes, hesaw Lucia in her mermaid form. He felt happy for a second that he got to see her again, but saw that her face seemed more sad than usual. Lucia swam to him and said her goodbye to Kaito, as she kissed him before swimming away to find Caren. Kaito's body floated back onto the water surface, leaving him feeling desperate to see the mermaid again.

The three mermaid princess swam deep to where the coral reef was. There, they found "Gaito's castle" and went inside. Since Noel and Caren were supposedly both held prisoners, the three princesses decided to be careful. Upon entering a room, they were faced with a bright light. After the light faded away, the trio were surprised to find themselves in princess dresses. While Rina went on ahead to find Caren and Noel, Lucia and Hanon were caught by tentacle-like arms, the doors which Rina went through had closed behind her, causing Rina to not notice what had happened and continued her search.

Back at the hotel where the girls were staying in, Hippo continued to worry about Lucia. The doorbell suddenly rang, Hippo thought it was Lucia and opened the door, revealing it was Kaito who had arrived.

In the castle, Rina found Noel and Caren, who were dancing with "Gaito" in the ballroom. Both Caren and Noel were in dresses, they appeared to be happy with "Gaito". They were saying that *they loved to be here and it was all thanks to Rina*. Rina demands 'Gaito" to turn them back to their normal selves. Noel and Caren told "Gaito" that he should dance with Rina. And to her horrors, 'Gaito" reaches out his hand, waiting for Rina to dance with him.

At the hotel, Kaito notices the deck of Fortune-telling Cards placed on the table. He unknowingly summons Aqua Regina when he flips one of the cards with Aqua Regina on it. At the castle, Lucia and Hanon were freed by Aqua Regina's power, and both were changed back to their regular mermaid forms. Rina was becoming hypnotized and almost took "Gaito's hand". Until Aqua Regina told her to wake up. Aqua Regina's light made Rina's dress disappear and the illusion of "Gaito" was gone. However Caren and Noel were blinded by the light and couldn't move. Aqua Regina told Rina that they were not the real Caren and Noel, as she senses dark energy from them. Rina pleaded for Aqua Regina to tell her where the real Caren and Noel were, Lucia confronted Rina on her extreme behavior. Rina started to confess and tell them the story of what happened between her and Noel, and how Caren misunderstood everything. As Rina began to cry, Lucia and Hanon told her that friends are meant to listen and understand each other, Rina felt touched by their kind words. Aqua Regina's light eventually weakened the two fake Noel and Caren, they reverted back to their original forms, which were Sheshe and Mimi in disguise.

Aqua Regina explained that she was simply just an illusion, and gave the princesses a new song before she faded away. The Black Beauty Sisters mocked them and revealed that Caren was still trapped in a light ball. Caren warned the three of them to get out and save themselves, Lucia turned down her warning since they were given a new song. The trio transformed into their super idol forms and began to sing their new song, "Kizuna". As the mermaid princesses sang their song, "Gaito's castle" was falling apart and reverted back into a large anglerfish. Caren was freed from the light ball, and the Black Beauty Sisters retreated.

The three princesses returned Caren's purple pearl back to her Caren. Caren realize that Rina did not abandon Noel in the first place and that she had been mistaken. Lucia then friendly asked if Caren would join their group but Caren still wanted to search for Noel herself and swam away.

Back at the hotel Katio heard Lucia's song that she would sing in only her mermaid form. Kaito followed the singing to the shore of the beach but did not see his mermaid. Lucia then walks up to Kaito, saying that she returned. To her surprise Kaito suddenly hugs her and called her an idiot for making him worried, which Lucia happily accepted.

## Characters

* Lucia
* Hanon
* Rina
* Caren
* Sheshe
* Mimi
* Hippo
* Taro Mitsuki
* Kaito
* Noel (Mentioned, Mimi masquerading as Noel)
* Aqua Regina

## Trivia

* First time Kizuna is sung in this episode.
* This is the first episode where Hanon's, Rina's, Caren's and Noel's princess forms appear. This is also the first episode where the super idol forms appear. This was actually the only episode of the anime in which Hanon's Princess Dress appeared.
* This is the last episode where Promised Land and Daiji na Takarabako are used for opening and ending sequences.