Barbie in A Mermaid Tale 2 2012

Malibu competition and the magical encounter

During a high-stakes Malibu surfing competition, Merliah's focus wavers when pink streaks flare in her hair, triggering a wipeout. While she is underwater, she discovers she can breathe and meets Zuma, a talking pink bottlenose dolphin who greets her. This moment marks the first spark of her extraordinary destiny.

Family secret revealed

Back on the surface, Merliah explains the strange encounter to her grandfather Break. Break reveals a family secret: Merliah's mother is a mermaid, and Merliah was born with legs before being given to Break as a baby. The revelation begins to redefine her identity.

Merliah's heritage confirmed

Fallon and Hadley hear the tale, and Zuma confirms Merliah is half-mermaid. He explains Calissa, Merliah's mother, was the former queen of Oceana, and Eris seized the throne years earlier when Calissa vanished. Merliah realizes her lineage connects her to a royal destiny.

Pendant shatters; Calissa appears

The pendant Merliah wears shatters, and a magical image of Calissa appears, proving she is alive. This revelation gives Merliah newfound resolve to travel to Oceana and seek Calissa's aid in reclaiming her life.

Voyage to Oceana and a festival reveal

On the voyage to Oceana, Zuma explains Merillia—the ocean's life-blood—wanes because Eris lacks the skill to spin it. They slip into Oceana during a festival Eris orchestrates, distributing Merillia to win the citizens' affection. In truth, Calissa is the one spinning Merillia and is imprisoned in the palace dungeon.

Masking legs and gathering Destinies

With the help of mermaids Kayla and Xylie, Merliah's legs are masked by a pretend tail, allowing her to move among land-dwellers. The trio seeks the Destinies—three mermaids with prophetic powers—who reveal that Merliah must collect three items to overthrow Eris: the Celestial Comb, a Dreamfish, and Eris's protective necklace.

Celestial Comb quest

The Celestial Comb lies in an underwater cave, setting up the first piece of Merliah's plan. Merliah, Kayla, and Xylie navigate perilous passages to claim the artifact.

Dreamfish quest in the Adenato currents

The Dreamfish hides within the Adenato currents, requiring the team to brave strong currents and dangerous tunnels. The Dreamfish promises to grant Merliah's deepest wish and could return her to Malibu, but only if she accepts giving up her mermaid life.

Festival confrontation and necklace theft

At the next festival, Merliah, Kayla, and Xylie confront Eris and perform a song-and-dance routine to distract her long enough to grab her protective necklace. Eris yanks off Merliah's tail, exposing her legs, and conjures a whirlpool that banishes Merliah to the ocean's deepest trench. The Dreamfish offers to erase Merliah's mermaid half and return her to Malibu, but Merliah declines, choosing to embrace her responsibilities and earning a real mermaid tail to help her escape.

Surface reveal and Eris's defeat

Back above the waves, Merliah reveals her true identity to the Ocean people, brandishing the Celestial Comb as proof. Eris pursues, but Merliah outsmarts her and drags the tyrant into the whirlpool, trapping her.

Calissa freed and throne reclaimed

Merliah locates Calissa and frees her, allowing Calissa to reclaim the throne. With Calissa back in power, she regains the ability to spin Merillia at full strength, restoring Oceana's vitality.

Gift of transformation

Calissa presents Merliah with a magical necklace that lets her transform between human and mermaid at will. Merliah steps into her dual identity, balancing life on land and underwater.