Ariel gazed in shock as Ursula grew, becoming bigger than anything the mermaid had ever seen. The looming dark clouds, the bursts of lightning across the sky, the ruins of sunken ships floating all around her, all bad omens of the sea witch's new power. Her Daddy's trident, placed wickedly in Ursula's hand, was now seen as a weapon of destruction, rather than a blessing.
She bobbed in the water, looking in all directions. No one was there except for her and Ursula. Or so she thought. But upon looking behind her, she saw Eric's ship, or what was left of it. And, lifelessly floating in the waters around it, were people.
The redhead gasped as her hands flew to her mouth in shock. "No.. No, no, no," she shook her head to herself. And then she thought of something. Where was Eric?
Now frantic, Ariel begin to swim around, avoiding Ursula, who seemed to not have noticed her. Yet. She swam closer to the shore, trying to see through the dense fog. Finally it came into view. No sign of anyone, or anything.
"Ariel!" she heard a voice yell behind her, from a distance. The mermaid turned around quickly and saw Ursula had found someone.
Eric, squirming in Ursula's tentacle, suspended away from the sea.
"ERIC!" she screamed, reaching out as she turned and flipped her fins as fast as she could, desperately trying to reach her husband. But before she could, Ursula lifted her tentacle even higher, arching it back before hurling Eric towards the shore.
"NOOOOO!" she screamed in horror, watching in dread, shock, and disbelief as her husband flew through the air. She began swimming now towards him, wanting to reach him, wanting to catch him, wanting to keep him safe.
But then a terrible, dreadful sound echoed through the vast ocean, and Ariel looked up. He had hit a rock, now stained red.
Swimming faster and faster, Ariel's fins began to tire, but she fought through the fatigue. And as she did, tears began to stream down her face.
Finally she reached the shoreline, and with little energy she pulled herself onto the sand, dragging her exhausted fins through the sand. Her eyes diverted from the rock, she focused on Eric's limp body through glassy eyes.
The mermaid got as close to him as she could, cradling his head in her arms. Her memory flashed back to when she had first encountered him. What had she done? What had happened? She thought he was dead, but then he had started breathing. Gently, she moved his black hair away from his forehead before lowering hers to his, closing her eyes in prayer, focusing on any movement, sound, or breath that could come from him.
And there was nothing.
Ariel jolted awake, eyes wide and breathing heavy. She started hyperventilating, looking around the dark room in confusion. She was awake. It was a dream.
She looked over her shoulder, feeling relief sweep through her when her blue eyes set on Eric's sleeping figure. The redhead practically started crying right there, so happy and so grateful that she could hear his breathing.
Still breathing heavy, she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as the sheets fell off of her. She brushed her bangs from her forehead and rested her head on her knees, feeling the dampness on her face from sweat. Her legs felt weak, and she realized she was still crying.
After a few moments, she raised her head and straightened her numb legs back, a tingling sensation racing through them. Ariel took a deep breath and placed her hand back against her pillow to steady herself. But she found it to be wet, and she realized she had been crying in her sleep.
She paused. Ursula had deeply scarred her, of that she had no doubt. Usually her dreams were flashbacks, which Ariel at this point was used to. But when they involved Eric… Or Melody.. It was too much for her. They were her whole life, her whole world. And if anything had ever happened to them.. She honestly didn't know how she would be able to go on. In fact, she would probably go back to the sea. Permanently. She had become human for Eric. Without him, it would be too much. She would need to isolate herself from the human world forever.
Ariel exhaled again, feeling her thumping heart begin to slow. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a clip, then pulled her hair into a ponytail. She slowly fell back against the damp pillow before flipping it over.
The former mermaid moved close to Eric, careful not to wake him. The warmth of his body comforted her, even if he wasn't aware of it. Quietly she began to relax her mind, closing her eyes against his skin as a final tear spilled down her cheek.