Disclaimer: I don't own the Little Mermaid....you know this already...the characters that aren't in the movie are mine...blah blah blah..Enjoy!
Ch 7 Breaking the Surface
There it is." Cephan said, pointing in the direction of Devil's Pier.
Before Ursula had occupied Devil's Pier, it had been run as a theme park. Eventually, when mer-folk decided that they hated humans and everything to do with them, the park shut down completely when a merman had seen an exact replica of it on land; thus propelling the hate of humans farther. All of the attractions and rides were still there, but had rusted years ago. Ursula had set up her shop in the big circus tent.
"Are you sure about this, Cephan?" Ariel asked, as they approached the huge unnatural tent.
"Positive."
Ariel nodded and swam through the opening. She waited until her eyes adjusted to see through the darkness.
"Come in, come in my child. We mustn't lurk on doorsteps, its rrr-ude." A voice said.
Ariel looked around in the darkness trying to locate the voice, Cephan was right beside her.
As if reading her thoughts, the "lights" turned on at just that moment.
Not ten feet away, floated Ursula/ Nor Ariel or her sister had been born when Ursula had tried to take over the kingdom, so none of them knew much about what she looked like, let alone who she was. King Triton had told only the eldest that they had an aunt who they would never speak of. Ariel, being the youngest, had found out while eavesdropping on her two older sisters.
Ursula, being a squid, had nine tentacles covered with venomous suction cups. She was very large and her tentacles were both purple and black. "What can I do for you, my dear?" she asked.
Ariel just floated there. Cephan elbowed her, she blinked. "Sorry." She regained he composure and started again. "I was told you could do magic."
Ursula's face spread into a grin of some sort. "That is what I do, what I live for. Again I ask, what can I do for you?"
Ariel took a deep breath, "I want to become human. Can you do that?" Ariel asked, hoping just a little that Ursula would say no and she could just go home and forget all of this stupid stuff.
Her thoughts were interrupted though, "Of course I can."
"Rumor has it that there is a fee." Cephan interjected. "What would she have to pay to have you change her?"
Ariel smiled at him for asking the question she was way too scared to ask Ursula of.
"Being that you are one of my nieces, this time there is no fee. I will turn you into a human for four days. If you don't get a human to fall in love with you by then and give you a true love's kiss, you then turn back into a mermaid, no matter where you are. So, do we have a deal?"
Ariel thought about it, No fee involved, four days to get Eric to fall in love with her and all he had to do was kiss her and she'd been human forever. She nodded, "I'll do it."
"Perfect. You'll just have to sign this." Ursula said.
"You said nothing about a contract!" Cephan said.
"Hush, boy. This is my business not yours."
Ariel read it:
I, the signee, agree to whatever magic
Ursula performs on me and will pay the fee (unless exempt)
And not complain. If not I will pay all the consequences.
X Ariel
Ariel signed her name and the contract disappeared.
"Anything for you, boy?" Ursula asked Cephan.
"No." he said firmly.
"Fine."
Ursula floated to a cabinet and started throwing things into a cauldron in the middle of the room. After a few minutes of this, she came over to Ariel.
"Since you won't be able to breathe underwater when you become human, I'll give you the potion, you swim to the surface and as soon as you break the surface, take the potion.
Ariel took the potion and nodded. She swam towards the exit and left, ready to take that trip to the surface.
"Ariel!" Cephan called. She turned around. "Be careful with that potion. I know that I gave you the idea to come to Ursula but I got a feeling when she said there was no fee, Mer-folk get changed into her sea creatures when they can't pay the fee, there's a fee and it's hiding somewhere in that contract. Please be careful."
Ariel smiled at him. "Don't worry, Cephan. I'll be careful." She hugged him.
"What am I supposed to tell your father when he asks where you are?"
"Tell him I'm doing research at the Museum. He never goes near there."
"Ok."
Ariel swam as fast as her tail could carry her. She eventually broke the surface and swam towards the rock where she met Arianna. Taking the tiny bottle that would maker her dreams finally come true, she drank it and felt the pain immediately.
OH! Maybe Ursula tricked me. She said nothing about the pain of turning me into a human. Maybe she's turning me into something else, anything but a human.
When the pain subsided, Ariel looked down at her fin with closed eyes. Hopefully when she opened them, her tail would be gone..hopefully. She opened them a little, expecting to see her green fin. She gasped opening her eyes the full width. She had legs! Human legs! And they were covered in pale ivory skirts. She jumped off the rock. She had to show Arianna immediately. How would Arianna react?? She'll probably be just as excited as I am! Ariel smiled at the thought.
