Land and Sea

Chapter Three

There was a new face in town after the curse broke, her name was Belle who Henry confirmed was from the story Beauty and the Beast. Her story was that Rumple took her as payment for saving her family and kingdom, the two fell in love but Rumple thought she could never really love him so he drove her away.

Thinking that she has been dead for twenty-eight years she suddenly appeared at his door step, that's when Rumple released the Wraith. Belle wasn't happy he was using magic to kill so she left him, then for father tried to erase her memory only to be saved by Rumple.

She didn't forgive him. And she still had no where to go, when she finished her story Ariel thought of something. "Why don't you stay with me until you get your own place?" Ariel offered.

She never had the pleasure of getting to know other princesses back at home, and she would like to know more.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble." Belle said. She felt bad about rambling on about her problems.

"It's no trouble at all. You and I can exchange stories about back at home and plus I've never had a room mate." she assured her.

"Okay." Belle answered. Ariel had come in like she does and saw Belle sitting alone looking upset, she decided to sit with her and let her vent. She found her story completely romantic and adventurous. Ruby approached their table with their order, Belle was trying pancakes for the first time, and she brought Ariel's French toast and cappuccino.

"Thank you, Ruby." Ariel thanked, "Not a problem, oh, this was dropped off for you this morning." Ruby said to Belle setting a small box on the table.

Belle was puzzled as she undid the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside was a key to the library, the town didn't have a librarian but someone knew that she would be perfect for the job.

After breakfast Ariel showed Belle where the library was and went back to her shop, around in the middle of the after noon her bell rang telling her someone was here. She came from the back to find Mr. Gold standing in the door way.

"Can I help you, Mr. Gold." she asked, though she wasn't afraid of him but she was wary about him.

"Actually I came here to help you." he said.

Ariel raised her eye brows in suspicion, "Why?"

"Well you offered to take in Belle which was awfully sweet of you, so I thought I should the favor." he said, he walked to glass case that served as a display for her objects and where the register was set.

He set a similar box, like Belle's, on the display case, he gestured for her open it. She opened it finding a necklace, the necklace was leather and the pendant was a Blue Paua Shell Cabochon. It was beautiful, unique, and something from the sea.

Gold could tell that she loved it and he hadn't told her the best part yet. "May I?"

She looked at him he was asking to let him put it on her, she turned handing him the necklace, "I designed this necklace especially for you because I happened to know what you are. I made it my business to knew everything about everyone back at home, dearie." he said as he placed the necklace on her neck then latching it.

She faced him, "What are you getting at, Mr. Gold?"

"As long as you where that necklace, dearie, magical things will happen when your in the ocean." he implied. He took his leave then, "Mr. Gold, wait!" Ariel called after him.

"Do you know what happened to Eric?" that question has been on her mind since the curse broke. Where was he? Was he in Storybrooke? Was he alive?

"No, I'm afraid not." he answered then walked away. That didn't ease her mind at all but right now she wanted to see what Gold meant about the necklace. She closed her shop and went straight home, instead of putting on a swim suit she stripped naked only putting on her long swim cover.

She took her trail down to the beach, and she stopped just at the waters edge unsure whether she go on, toying with pendant. What if Gold tricked her? What if she became sea foam?

She took one step forward letting the water touch her feet, then the water starting to envelop her lower half she could feel her legs coming together then she was set on the sand and water descended back into the ocean.

Ariel looked down at her lower half, there instead of legs was her blue-green tail. She let out a cry of joy, she threw off her swim cover leaving her upper half bare and he scooted herself into deeper water until she able to start swimming.

It felt good to be her self again, she twirled, floated, and jumped around. She swam with the fish that swam in the shallows, she was happy to be apart of the ocean again.

After a while she came back ashore where she left her cover, she found Mr. Gold standing there thank the Gods her hair was long enough to cover her bare chest.

"I see you discovered what the necklace does." he pointed out.

"Yes, it's like apart of me was missing." she said. "Will I be able to change back to a human?"

"Of course, just let your tail dry out and your human form will return." he assured. "As long as you where the necklace when your in the ocean you will change into a mermaid." he added.

She smiled at him wishing she could giving him a hug. He continued his walk down the beach, Ariel dove back into the water finding a rock nearby the looked over the town. She perched herself on it staring at her new home. Here she could be both forms and would be accepted for the way she is.

After the curse was broken several events took place that sent the town in whirlwind, Mr. Gold brought a Wraith to Storybrook. In the process of getting rid of it, it sucked Emma and Mary-Margret though the portal. Which led to a new problem how to get them back home.

Ariel did her best to help in any way possible, then Leroy brought terrible news anyone who crossed the town line will loose their memory and go back to their cursed self. The town was in a panic but Charming was able to convince them to start a new life in Storybrooke.

While Charming temporally took over at the police station, he asked Ariel to watch over Henry.

"This sucks! I want to be helping not being babysat." Henry complained.

They were at the shop looking over new shells she collected the day before, "Well, maybe he'll call for you when he needs you." Ariel attempted comfort him.

But he sat there sulking, she knew what would cheer him up. "Is there anymore to my story that I should know about?" she hasn't told him about how she turn into a mermaid now.

That got his attention. "I don't know, I mean the movie basically got it right, didn't they?"

"Well, in a sense they did. However, the 'kiss the girl' scene did not happen, instead I had to show how much I loved him by dancing." she recalled.

"Really?" he asked intrigued.

"Yes, but me new to having legs learning to dance wasn't easy, but once I found a rhythm that came from my heart the steps became easy. He told me that dancing can show the emotion your feeling." she said with a far away look in her eyes. She quickly came back to earth. "But after I married him I wasn't happy."

"Wait, what?" he was confused, he opened his backpack opening his book skimming the pages to The Little Mermaid. He mumbled then she heard him say happily ever after. "It doesn't say anything about you being unhappy, just sailing away on a ship."

"Yes but what Disney and that book didn't cover is after what happened." Ariel told him.

"What did happen?" he asked, his mood earlier forgotten.

"Well, Eric had sail home straight away because of his duties and rumors of the curse was causing the town to panic. When we returned home he barely paid any attention to me, after a while he stopped speaking to me. Which made me think all of my efforts to make him to fall in love with me was in vain." she revealed her happily ever after to Henry.

"But the kiss, you got true love's kiss." Henry said confusingly.

"No, Henry he never kissed me in time. We did kiss but only after my father turned me into a human, so I really never knew if he was my true love." Ariel supposed.

"Do you know what happened to him? Maybe we can try to find him." he said.

"I'm not sure I want to find him Henry. I was so unhappy with him, maybe I should try to find someone new." she thought.

Henry noticed her new necklace and was just about to say something when Ruby burst through the door, "Henry come quick it's Regina." she said frantic.

"What is she doing?"

"She's going to try and stop Emma and Mary-Margret from coming through!" she warned.

Ariel and Henry followed Ruby to the Wishing Well, Regina and Mr. Gold were already there trying to use magic on the well.

Henry convinced Regina to take the spell off, moments later Emma and Mary-Margret climbed from the well. Ariel rushed to hug Mary with her returning it, "I thought I'd never see you again." Ariel whispered.

Ariel led Mary-Margret to where Charming was still in his sleeping curse state, Mary woke him with true love's kiss and he woke. Everything seemed right again.

The group all went out to Grannies to celebrate, thinking the dangers of the Enchanted Forest were left behind. They couldn't have been more wrong.

In the distance, a ship sailed towards Storybrooke. But not just any shop, it was a pirate ship and it brought two new visitors to Storybrooke, Cora and Captain Hook.

Hook was looking through his spyglass, "There it is."

"Storybrooke." said Cora.

Once on the dock Hook scouted to make sure they weren't seen, they arrived in the night so there was a good chance no one saw them. He helped Cora off the ship and walked on to the dock.

"Well, my dear Cora this where we shall part ways. Thank you for everything, it's time I skin myself a crocodile." he said, eager to start getting his revenge. He turned to walk away only to find her standing in his way.

"You might want to rethink this." she told him.

"We had a deal, get out of my way." he demanded not wanting to prolong this anymore.

"Believe it or not, I'm doing you a favor." she said.

"By preventing my vengeance?" he asked getting rather irritated.

"Ask yourself how I'm doing that." she replied. She could see he was thinking about it then answered.

"By using the dark magic." answering her question.

"Exactly, magic is here. And that matters a bit more complicated, if you go off half cocked after an empowered Rumplestiltskin do you know what would happen?" she questioned.

He didn't say anything, which told her he did. "So you do, good."

A fisherman approached the two, when he started asking questions about the ship and what were they doing here. Cora simply waved her hand and turned him into a fish.

The fish flopped on the deck trying to find water, Hook didn't like to see someone suffering if they didn't deserve it. He simply nudged the fish with his foot and it fell into the water.

The next thing he knew his ship was gone, it's one thing he loved the most and would kill anyone who tried to destroy it. "What did you do to my ship?"

"I hid it away from prying eyes, for what we both want to do we need the element of surprise. Now you ready to listen to me?" she asked, now she was coming to the point of coming to Storybrooke other than seeing her daughter.

"Go on your, majesty, what now?" he said, trying very hard to keep his temper in check.

"Let's go take a look at this Storybrooke, shall we?" he offered her to go first.

Coming off the docks she spoke again, "There's another reason why I'm here. You see, I had this friend back at home who is not happy with someone here in Storybrooke."

When Hook didn't respond she continued. "While you're plotting your revenge I need you to seek out a girl called Ariel, she is the one my friend isn't happy with and wishes for us to bring her back to the Enchanted Forest." she finished.

"Why can't she come and get her herself if she has this quarrel with this girl?" he asked, not really wanting to seek out anyone but the crocodile.

"Have you heard of Ursula?" she wondered.

"The sea witch? Yes, every pirate fears her almost as much as Davy Jones." he said. This poor girl has crossed tentacles with the sea witch, Gods help her.

"Well the pirates can rest assure, she is dead thanks to this girl's husband. Now Ursula's sister wants the girl's head for killing her sister." Cora asserted. "Just seek her out, get close to her. Gain her trust that way when we leave for the Enchanted Forest she'll be willing to follow you." she added.

"Alright, but I'm getting my revenge first." he stated.

Well this chapter was a bit difficult because of trying to write a plot around the main plot but I managed! Enjoy, and please leave a review! :)

*I do not own these characters.*