I

Ariel sat on the rock, still as a statue, looking across the gently lapping water at the prince's castle. Far away she could just make him out, standing alone on the same balcony as always. Prince Eric was once again staring out to sea, as he had done every day since the shipwreck.

The little mermaid was certain he was looking for something – for someone. For the girl who saved him from drowning. In her many trips to the surface, Ariel had seen many humans look out over the cliffs and admire the endless blue of the sea. But none had stared so much as Eric. No, he wasn't just admiring. He was waiting.

Ariel shifted her tail up onto the rock and looked down at its glistening green scales and powerful fins, which weren't so powerful out of the water. A few thick wet tangles of red hair fell over her eyes, which she lifted out of the way to look back at the prince in his castle.

"What I would give," she sighed, casting her hair out of the way, "to live where you are."

"What indeed, dearie."

She turned around in alarm to see who had spoken.

It was a human. Or half-human, at least. Stood in a small rowing boat that had not been there before, he had a mess of tangled brown hair and sparkling golden scales.

"Who are you?" she asked, pushing her way further up the rock. The man was grinning.

"I am your ticket," he said with a flourish of his hand, "out of the sea. Rumplestiltskin, at your service," he said with a bow. For a man who moved so much, his boat stayed oddly still in the water.

"Rumple – Rumplestiltskin?"

"The very same," he said, still grinning as he straightened up.

Ariel could have sworn she'd heard of a rumplestiltskin. Isn't that what humans use to put their swords in? Then she remembered. No, that's a scrumplehiltsin.

"And …" she said cautiously, staring at his dark, spiky clothes, "what are you doing here, Rumplestiltskin?"

"Oh wait, not so fast," he said hastily, stepping forward in his boat. "You haven't told me your name yet," he said accusingly, pointing a long sharp finger at her.

"Oh – my name is –"

"I already know your name, dearie," he laughed. "The point is, Ariel, you didn't think to introduce yourself. One might question your upbringing."

For a moment, Ariel was unsure what to say.

"What's wrong? Lost your voice?" he said, and he let out an odd high-pitched giggle.

Ariel took a moment to compose herself.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Well, names are my trade, dearie. And a little fish told me yours. They said you're the most beautiful mermaid under the sea, and that your voice is like a bell … Ariel." He pointed and stared greedily at her throat, before retracting both finger and gaze to sit down.

It was true, Ariel's voice was famous among the merpeople. It was capable of luring any sailor, any human to their demise. Other mermaids, given their hatred of humankind, would have loved such a powerful voice. But Ariel didn't see things the way they did.

"If you know who I am," she said, "then what are you doing here, Rumplestiltskin?"

"I already said, I'm your ticket into the human world. I can give you what you want."

"No one can give me what I want," she said with a sigh, looking down at her tail.

"Except for me. My dear, that's what I do," he said. "What you want is your prince. What you want is to become a human yourself."

Ariel stared at him.

"Can you do that?"

"Of course I can," he giggled. "Why don't we go and talk somewhere less … wet."

He waved his hand, and Ariel's surroundings changed. She was now sat on a much dryer rock, on a narrow beach at the base of a cliff. Eric's castle was just out of view.

"Now," Rumplestiltskin said from behind. Ariel jumped, and he walked into view. "I've heard tell that our maritime prince …" he gestured in the castle's direction, "… has endured quite the storm while at sea. He was miraculously rescued by some mystery maiden, and apparently he's dying to meet her."

Ariel couldn't help but smile.

I knew it.

He was waiting for her to come back.

"If I were to transform you into a human," Rumplestiltskin continued, gesturing to her glistening green tail, "you'd be able to be part of that world. You'd be able to get your prince, and live happily ever after. That is what you want, isn't it?"

Ariel hesitated. She looked at her fins and then to the sea.

"If I become human," she said slowly, "I'll never be with my family again."

"Oh, that's right," said Rumplestiltskin, scratching his scaly chin in mock consideration. "Well, family is important. Isn't life full of tough decisions?"

She looked over Rumplestiltskin's shoulder and along the beach to where the cliff hid the castle from view.

"And you really can turn me into a human?"

"For ever and ever," he said with a dramatic voice that matched his constantly waving hands. "But remember, all magic comes with a price."

"But I don't have anything."

Rumplestiltskin giggled yet again.

"That's where you're wrong, dearie," he said, stepping closer to her. "Oh, I'm not asking much, you'll never even miss it."

He leaned in close. Ariel's skin crawled, as she looked into his large brown eyes. Their gaze seemed to cut into her, as though he were looking straight into her soul.

"What I want from you," he said slowly, "is your voice."

Ariel raised a hand to her throat. Surely he wasn't serious.

"My voice? Why do you want that?"

"That … is my business," he said, stepping back. "Do we have a deal?" His evil grin was wider than ever.

"But – without my voice, how can I –"

"Well that's your problem, isn't it dearie?" he said with a flourish of his hand. "The men on land never like a woman who talks too much, anyway."

"So that's the deal you want to make?" said Ariel. "My voice for -"

"For legs, yes," he said swiftly. "Now I'm a very busy man, do you want them or not?"

"But how can I give you my voice?"

"Oh, it's quite simple really. All you have to is sign …" a roll of parchment appeared in his hand and fell open, "… on the dotted line."

Ariel peered closely at the parchment. It was a contract.

I hereby grant unto Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One …

"Once you sign it, I'll take care of the rest," said Rumplestiltskin.

… one voice …

"And then no more talking, nor singing."

… in exchange for …

"And then you'll get what you've always wanted." He handed her a bright green quill. She took a deep breath. If this was her only chance …

Signed …

Before she could change her mind, she gripped the quill and scrawled her name at the bottom.

Ariel.

The contract vanished in his hand in a puff of smoke, replaced by a golden nautilus shell.

He waved his other hand, and Ariel felt a cold sensation in her throat. All of a sudden her mouth was open. She was singing, though she didn't mean to. A pulsating golden light floated out of her mouth, and the sound of her voice followed it until it vanished inside the shell. And then silence.

Ariel grabbed at her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Rumplestiltskin closed his hand tightly around the shell and giggled. He stepped back and waved his hand again.

Thick, dark smoke appeared around Ariel's tail and consumed it. After a moment, the smoke disappeared to reveal a pair of human legs.

"Use them wisely, dearie."

Unable to believe her eyes, Ariel found the feeling in her new legs and moved them.

"Oh, thank you," she tried to say. Only silent words came out.

She looked up, and Rumplestiltskin was gone. And so was her voice.

Ariel lifted up a foot and wiggled the toes. She grinned in delight, she would even have laughed if she could.

If this is the price of magic, it's worth it.