Chapter 6: Poor Unfortunate Souls

Later, Ariel followed Jetsam and Flotsam through a geyser field until they came to a twisted and evil looking castle. The young mermaid assumed that this was where Ursula lived as she looked up at it nervously.

"This way." Jetsam and Flotsam said in unison as they point inside an opening.

Ariel gulped nervously and followed them inside. She was a bit creeped out by the interior of the castle hallways as she followed Jetsam and Flotsam in. What really freaked Ariel out was the garden of souls where the plant like creatures looked at if they were telling Ariel this: "Don't go any farther. Turn back". Then a creature grabbed onto Ariel's wrist, making her yelp. She struggled until she swam up and off after Jetsam and Flotsam until she came to a room.

"Come in. Come in, my child." A sinister female voice said. Ariel froze with shock and spun around to see Ursula there.

"We mustn't lurk in doorways. It's rude." She scolded as she swam over to a mirror to put on make-up. "One might question your upbringing. Now then you're here because you have a thing for this boy. This, er… superhero prince fellow named Spidey. Not to blame you. He is quite the catch, isn't he?"

As she continued using indium levers on all the items on every spread out items. She then used lipstick for her lips. "Well, angelfish, the solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want…is to become a human yourself.

Ariel gasped upon hearing this. "Can you do it?" she asked with a light of hope inside her.

Ursula smirked and turned towards Ariel. "My dear sweet child. That's what I do. It's what I live for. To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

Ariel became a bit nervous as the evil sorceress began to sing.

Ursula: I admit that in the past I've been a nasty
They weren't kidding when they call me, well, a witch

Jetsam and Flotsam snickered earning a glare from Ursula, making them shut up.

But you'll find that nowadays, I mended all my ways

Repented seen the light and made a switch
True? Yes.
And I fortunately now I know a little magic
It's a talent that I always have possessed
And here lately, please don't laugh
I use it on behalf
Of the miserable lonely and depressed

On her table, a hologram of a skinny man and a fat woman appeared.

"Pathetic." Ursula thought as she continued singing.

Ursula: Poor unfortunate souls
In pain
In need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get he girl
And do I help them?

She snapped her fingers and the hologram man was more fit and the woman was more skinny. The two smiled and hugged.

Yes indeed

Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad
So true

Meanwhile, at a doorway to the entrance of the garden of souls, Sebastian looking in and looked shocked. He then signaled for the Flounder to come over. They then tiptoed/swam though the garden.

They come flocking to my cauldron

Crying "Spells, Ursula, Please!"
And I help them?
Yes I do
Now it's happened once or twice
Someone couldn't pay the price
And I'm afraid I had to rank them across the coals

The holograms then turned into the holograms of poor unfortunate souls, making Ariel gasp in horror.

Yes I've had the odd complaints

Ursula plucked one of those pink string things.

But on the whole I've been a saint

On "saint", Ursula then puts the pink string over her head, making her look like a nun.

To those poor unfortunate souls

After that, Urusla swam over to Ariel, putting a hand on the mermaid's shoulder. "Now here's the deal." she began to explain to Ariel as they swam over to the table. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? 3 days. Now listen, this is important.'

As Ursula continued, a hologram of three sun based over a hologram of the earth. "Now, before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get Spidey to fall in love with you. That is he's got to kiss you."

"Okay." Ariel said with a smirk.

"Not just any kiss, the kiss of true love." Ursula said as a hologram of a crown and a heart then shimmered.

"Spidey, here I come." Ariel said with a smile.

Unknown to anyone, Sebastian and Flounder tiptoes/swam into the room and stayed at the doorway.

"If he does kiss you before the third day, you'll remain human…permanently." Ursula said as a silhouette of a human girl running, making Ariel smile.

"But if he doesn't kiss you, you'll turn back into a mermaid." Ursula said.

The hologram of the silhouetted girl of Ariel turned into a silhouette of Ariel in her mermaid form and the real Ariel frowned and the hologram faded.

"And…you belong…to me." Ursula said in a dark tone.

"No, Ariel!" Sebastian yelled, but, without warning, Jetsam and Flotsam wrapped themselves him and Flounder.

"Have we got a deal?" Ursula asked Ariel.

"If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again." Ariel said, half to herself.

"That's right." Ursula agreed in fake shock. "But you'll have your boy." She chuckled fiendishly, "Life is full of tough choices, isn't it." She chuckled again and realized something.

"Oh! And there is one more thing." Ursula said. "We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know."

"But I don't have any-" Ariel started, but she got cut off by Ursula.

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, a trifle." Ursula responded. "You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is…your voice."

Ariel gulped at the thought of this and put her hand on her throat. "My voice?" she asked nervously.

"You got it, sweetcakes." Ursula replied. "No more talking, singing, zip." She then popped her lip after "zip".

"But without my voice, how can I-?" Ariel asked, but was cut off again.

"You'll have you looks. Your pretty face. And don't underestimate the importance of body language! Ha!" Ursula responded in rhythm like she was singing on "body language", she started shaking her butt and began to sing again.

Ursula: The men up there don't like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore

As she said this, she went to a cupboard and opened it.

Yes, up there it's much preferred

For ladies not to say a word
And after all, dear, that is idle prattle for
Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation

She threw a few ingredients into a cauldron as Ariel looked on.

True gentlemen avoid it when they can

But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who's withdrawn
It's she who holds her tongue who gets a man

Ursula then threw a tongue into the cauldron

Come on, you poor unfortunate soul, go ahead

Make your choice

As Ursula sang the next line, she made a vision of Spidey grinning like the Flash with his arms crossed over his chest appear before Ariel who smiled lovingly at the image.

I'm a very busy woman

And I haven't got all day
It won't cost much
Just your VOICE!

As Ursula said that part, the vision of Spidey looked like he was saying it and the vision disappeared as Ursula jumped forward, scaring the daylight out of Ariel.

Ya poor unfortunate soul

It's sad
But true

Ursula then put a hand on Ariel's shoulder and made a contract and quill appear.

If you want to cross the bridge, my sweet

You've got to pay the toll
Take a gulp, take a breath
Go ahead and sign the scroll

Ariel read the first part, which read, "I, hereby hand over to Ursula, one voice. Signed X._"

Jetsam, Flotsam, now I've got her, boys

The boss is on roll
This-poor-

A stern look came onto Ariel's face as she looked up.

Un-

Ariel grabbed the pen as Sebastian and Flounder gasped in shock.

Fortunate soul!

Ariel then turned her own head away while clenching her teeth as she signed "Ariel" on the dotted line. When Ariel finished signing her own name, Ursula took the contract and smiled evilly. Her cauldron then started glowing blue.

Ursula: Beluga, sevruga, come winds of the Caspian Sea

As Ursula chanted this, a blue whirlwind appeared around her and Ariel who looked extremely nervous.

Larynxes, glacydis ad max laryngitis

La voce to me!

Then two huge green phantom like hands appeared. Each was to her left and right.

"Now…sing." Urusla ordered, darkly as she looked at Ariel with an insane look in her eyes and an evil toothy grin.

Ariel nodded nervously, took a deep breath and began to sing.

"Keep singing!" Ursula exclaimed.

Then one phantom hand held Ariel who was still singing still while the other went into her mouth and down her throat and took a gold glowing sphere out. It was Ariel's voice! Even though it was captured, Ariel's voice still sang. She then clasped her hand over her throat as she looked on with shock on her face. The phantom hands took the sphere to Ursula as it went into her necklace as she smiled fiendishly.

Then Ursula began to laugh wickedly as Ariel got trapped in a yellow bubble and she began to completely change. Her tail split in two and transformed into human legs. After the transformation was done, Ariel was now a 16 year old human girl with the same eyes, hairstyle and cap. The bubble that had her trapped, popped and Ariel landed on the ground.

Her friends swam over to her and helped her swim to the surface as quickly as possible as Ursula continued laughing.