As Aurelia went lower, she noticed mer picking at the contents of the ship. She swam past them, ignoring them, and went to her room.

She laid down on the soft moss of her new bed, sighing. She felt like she was crying, but being in the water, she couldn't tell.

She was so tired of it. At first, it was brilliant and scary but she'd never lived like this before. She wanted to be in the air more than anything, not to have a constant body of water around her at all times. Sometimes, when she just woke up, she panicked, feeling the water in her system. Then she remembered. She wanted her legs back, the soft, smooth skin connected to the backs of her knees and their ticklish ways, the curve of her ankle and feet. She heard a knock, and sat up, her tail curling round the rock to hold her there.

"Come in" she said. It was the king.

She pushed up immediately, making the water swirl around her.

"Your majesty" she exclaimed in surprise.

The King looked uncomfortable, then shook it off and stepped inside.

"You may sit" he said, and they both sat down. He adjusted the crown on his head.

"Now, listen. I am aware of your story, and I didn't trust you. So I sent scouts in the direction of your land, and there was nothing to be seen. Every other mer cove remotely in the area has no idea who you are, and paired with your… inexperience with our mer ways, and your passion for the humans, I can only assume that you are not full mer" he said, looking at her with his stern eyebrows and strong jaw.

She was vaguely reminded of a girl she had known, a long time ago. Fr- something with an f. Freya? No, that wasn't right. Freda. It had been a long time since she had seen her childhood enemy. So much had changed.

She had pressing matters to return to.

"You disobeyed our rules, Ariel. We've welcomed you into our home, but you go against our orders. I demand the truth" the King said, his loud voice reverberating in the water. Aurelia sighed.

"You're right. I'm human" she said "My name is Aurelia. I was cursed, to become a mer, due to a broken deal, and doomed to spend the rest of my life under the sea" she paused "I'm sorry I lied to all of you. I've grown to love this place, and the people. Kai, and Nixie, even varro I enjoy spending time with. It's been a long time since I've been surrounded by friends" she said.

"Doomed to spend your life here?" The king was insulted, his face growing angry.

"No, not doomed. I have truly grown to love it here- but this is not my home"

"No, it is not. And we do not allow humans to stay here. Well, not that it has happened before, but the divide is too strong. our people have been fighting for years. The humans capture us and torture us, and we live in fear. humans cannot be trusted." Aurelia's face fell.

"However" the King continued, looking at her. "considering that you have learned our ways, you are- now, at least- mer, and to be honest many of my people have grown to like you- I will allow you to stay. I will not tell anyone. The conditions are simple- you may not contact any human again. I would prefer you to stay under the divide between the lands, and be assured- I will watch you. I believe that's fair" he said, and she nodded, looking in his eyes.

"Thank you, your majesty"

They shook hands, and Aurelia felt a bond between them, human and mer. Then he left, and she was left with her thoughts.

She had been accepted, finally. If the king was okay with it, even if the others find out, she was positive they would handle it well- with time at least. But the conditions. No human contact again. It meant that she couldn't save Peter, she couldn't find the truth about whether her aunt and friends had been killed. She couldn't leave Peter, he would probably go crazy if she didn't find him soon. She had to find him. And the crocodile. he would continue to hurt other innocent people like herself- and the queen, too. Snow White was young, but already proving to be a courageous fighter. They had met once, Aurelia hadn't thought much of it, but if she joined with Snow White, they could take down both Rumplestiltskin and the Evil Queen. Aurelia had to make a decision. A life of peace in her new home, or go back to human life, back to pain and suffering, and fight. Fight to make it better. The choice was simple. The only problem was how to get out.

Aurelia spent the night tossing and turning, until she had a dream. It was twisted, thorns and blackness everywhere, like ink spilled into clear water. A face, beautiful with twisted and ruined with evil smiled at her, and suddenly, she knew what to do.

The next day, Aurelia's plan was complete. She finished her chores and went back to have dinner with her friends. After being fairly quiet because of the guilt she felt, she went to bed early. She grabbed a cloak from one of the pegs lining the outside castle walls, and swam off into the night. She bit her lip nervous, as she slipped out, avoiding the guards.

She heard something behind her, a whispering every now and then, and suddenly, she turned.

Two black figures remained behind her, and she startled, until they came into view. She breathed a sigh of relief when she recognised the mer features.

"Nixie? Kai?" she asked, trying to calm her fast beating heart.

"Ariel, where are you going? What are you doing?" Nixie said, panicked.

"Keep your voice down" Kai said to her "the guards are still close. Ariel, we went to your room, we thought something was wrong. What's going on?"

They both looked at her in earnest, and she felt guilty for lying to her friends. Then she remembered, they weren't her true friends unless they knew the truth. So she told them.

"You're human?" Nixie asked.

"I knew it!" Kai exclaimed. "When I saw you help the pirate, I knew!"

"I'm sorry. I truly am. I hope this doesn't make you feel differently about me. I was worried if I told the truth someone might try to hurt me."

"It's fine. You were our friend before, and our friend now. But if my father said it was fine, why are you leaving?" Kai asked, puzzled.

"I need to be human again. I don't belong here" Aurelia said "So I've gone to find the one person that can help"

Nixie looked confused, while Kai gasped, his face white as a ghost.

"No! you can't" he said.

"What?!" Nixie said, her voice high.

"She's going to the sea witch, Myrtle" Kai said "Ariel- Aurelia, I mean- you can't. I'm being deadly serious. She will destroy you, turn you into something twisted and monstrous. You don't understand the evil within her, they told us children stories to stop us wandering off at night" he shudder, while Nixie remained silent, her eyes wide in horror, unable to speak.

"I won't allow you to go" Kai said, straightening back "Even if I have to drag you back" he said "No one deserves the punishment from HER"

"Kai, let go of me" Aurelia said softly. "Remember, people often exaggerate. This is something I have to do, and I'll be careful. I've made a deal before, and I've got out of it. I'll be fine." She thought it better than to mention how that particular deal ended up, but she couldn't stay down here.

"We can find another way" Nixie said quietly "Or you could stay with us. We'll love you all the same, it doesn't matter. Forget your old life Aurelia, this isn't the way"

"Yes it is" Aurelia said, holding Nixie's hand. "It came to me in a dream. I have people back on the land that need me."

"Like that pirate?" Nixie asked coyly. Aurelia laughed.

"No- well- no, I don't think so. Family, friends that I need to find. That pirate- it's complicated. I thought he was evil, but his actions have led me to believe there's good in his heart. And we have a common enemy. If there's one thing I want to do though, it's to repaire the friendship between mer and humans. Now that you've seen not all of us can be evil, now I can convince humans not to hurt you. But first, I have to find the sea witch." Aurelia finished.

"We'll go with you" Kai said.

"NO. If it is as dangerous as you say, it won't matter if you go with me, you'll both just get hurt too"

"Try and get rid of us" Nixie said, jaw set, resolute.

Kai nodded, both of them next to her.

Aurelia sighed. "Fine. If you're that insistent. But if anything happens, you two leave straight away, with or without me. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you two"

They began the journey into the dark cold waters, and after half an hour of swimming, Nixie asked.

"Um… So does anybody know where we're actually going?"

"Nope" Aurelia said "Apparently if you go looking for it, you'll find it eventually"

They spent the next ten minutes silently, then when they started chatting, laughing and joking, they saw it.

It was a large cave, covered with black thorns twisting and turning violently, threatening to grip at clothes and skin, tearing cloth and flesh alike.

"You two wait here" Aurelia said, ignoring their protests, looking at them harshly.
"Aurelia... I'm not so sure about this" Nixie shivered.

"it's okay, guys. I'm not afraid" Aurelia said calmly. She hugged them and swam inside.

It was pitch black, and Aurelia shook as she placed a hand in front of her, unable to see anything. She felt a cut on her hand from a thorn, and at the sight and scent of blood, lights went up.

It was like a warped, bloody version of a doorbell.

"Welcome, welcome!" a voice said brightly. "I am Myrtle, the great and powerful sea witch. Come, into the light. Let me see this face of yours" she hissed. The sea witch was fairly pretty, with masses of curly black hair. One of her eyes was completely white.

"You've noticed my eye" she said, less enthusiastically "It gives me another sight. Into the future. I could see you coming, Aurelia. I know why you're here" she said, coming closer.

"Oh really?" Aurelia said sarcastically, then bit her tongue. It wouldn't do to anger the witch.

"You can smell it in your blood" she said, grabbing Aurelia's arm with her sharp black nails, digging in, and pressing her nose to it, breathing in her scent.

"Sweet, not salty like mer! You, my love, are definitely human. And what a beautiful one! I'm not surprised you easily passed as a mer"

"Well that's great" Aurelia said "But that's my problem. I'm sure you can guess why I'm here"

"Don't treat me a fool" the sea witch roared "I know. Now I can help you, but I do have… conditions" she said, fleeing to a wall covered with old shelves, holding thousands of bottles, jars, and containers. They all contained potions and objects and weird parts of things, and Aurelia tried to avoid looking at them. She notice a lizards tail slowly bobbing up and down in what seemed like orange jelly, and part of a tongue surrounded by grey liquid. She glance away, and saw the witch frantically writing on a yellowed piece of parchment.

"So, what are your conditions?" Aurelia asked, her voice firm. Show no fear.

"I will turn you back into a human, on the conditions that in three days, you must find your true love and kiss him. If you don't, you will be dragged back here, and you will be my slave. And I'll kill you shortly after. It's just my thing" she shrugged.

"But I don't have a true love" Aurelia said "Even if I did, he might not be in this land"

"Well, that's your problem dear" Myrtle said, smirking "And it'll just prove that I'm right, that love doesn't equal to power, ever. So, take it or leave it? If you refuse, I will kill you and your friends out there"

"Doesn't look like I have a choice then" Aurelia sighed, tired. Three days until she would die, and at least Nixie and Kai would be safe. She didn't have time to think for too long about it. "Fine. Where do I sign?"

She flourished her name, and the witch gave her a little potion, again gold. Aurelia looked at it warily.

"Don't worry, it won't be nearly as painful as the first process" the witch said "Luckily for you. A little bit of advice- take it when your near air, otherwise you might drown and that'd be a horrid waste"

"Gee, thanks" Aurelia said. "Well, hopefully I'll never see you again" she sighed, hearing a hiss from the witch and quickly began swimming out of the cave, clutching the bottle tightly.

"Mm, see you in three days dear" the witch said absent-mindedly, putting the signed parchment along with her collection of thousands.

Aurelia swam back out to her friends, who looked relieved, hugging her tightly. They began to swim to the surface as she explained the conditions.

"I don't care if you have to kiss every man you meet, Aurelia, you better survive or I will come and rescue you" Kai said. "I'll ask Tiger Lily for ideas in case you don't find your true love" he said, a worried frown etched on his forehead.

"Of course she'll find him" Nixie says, smiling, which made Aurelia feel more confident "Everyone always does. And good always wins. It's just how the world works"

"It's just a matter of time. Three days" Aurelia said.

"well, we'll do what we can down here to make your journey easier" Nixie said. The three stood in a circle.

Nixie gave a half laugh, half sob. "You know, I'm going to miss you a lot. I really liked you- for a human" Aurelia embraced both of them.

"Don't worry. I will find my true love, and I will kiss him. And then, I'm going to find a way to make all of this better. No more fighting, no more deals" Aurelia swore. She broke the surface and pulled her torso onto the rock, her tail feeling dryer already. She pulled out the cork and downed the bottle within seconds, without time to think.

It was still slightly painful, the ripping feeling of her tail into two legs, but not as bad as before, not by half.

She stood, wavering uncomfortable. Oh. She was naked. Kai turned away quickly, and she shouted out "BYE" before running into the forest.

She stood there, awkwardly, feeling vulnerable. What to do now.