Chapter nine: An Unforeseen Problem

Melody

I blink. Am I imagining things? Floating right in front of me is an exact replica of myself. We look exactly alike.

"Yes!" Morgana cries triumphantly. "It worked. I haven't lost my magical touch yet. A little of Ursula's potion always helps as well." I give my head a shake. Then I remember that Morgana created this second me. But why?

"Everything is falling into place. This plan is foolproof" Morgana exclaims. In her excitement her tentacle's grip on me tightens. I squeak in pain as it squeezes my stomach. Morgana looks at me in surprise, remembering that I'm still here. She smiles at me, her mouth twisted into a sly grin.

"So sweetheart what do you think? Pretty impressive don't you think?" I glare at her. I have to admit, if the circumstances weren't what they were, it might have been kind of cool, but there is no way I'd ever tell her that. I shake my head. Morgana frowns. Then she drags me back to the ice column and binds my wrists behind it again. She turns and leaves, and my look-alike follows her. Undertow swims up to me with a gleeful expression on his face.

"Oh you're in trouble now kid, Morgana's going to use that replica to-"

"Undertow!" Morgana calls sharply from the other room, cutting the miniature shark off. He quickly swims off. Use the replica for what? So many questions. My head starts to hurt from all the pondering I've been doing. On top of that my tail has started to get cramped up from lack of use. Out of frustration I yank my wrist forward, pulling against the bindings. Snap! The seaweed holding me prisoner breaks and my hands smack against the ice. I rub my wrists. Morgan must have forgotten to reinforce the seaweed when she retied it. I flick my tail experimentally, and I shoot forward a few feet. I practice getting the hang of swimming for a few minutes. Once I've got it right, I swim over to the cave opening and press myself against the wall. I can hear Morgana speaking in the other room.

"Now listen carefully. I want you to swim to Atlantica and impersonate the little brat. Make Ariel believe that you are Melody. Then when they least expect it, snatch the trident and bring it back here. Melody's blood ruins through you, so you will be able to remove the trident from its stand. Got it?" she says to someone.

"Yes Morgana." The voice sounds so much like my own that for a moment I think that I'm the one that said it. then I remember the replica, apparently we are more alike than I thought. So much alike that no one will be able to tell the difference… I gasp as the realization hits me that Morgana might actually succeed. Suddenly a pair of thin hands grabs my arm and pulls me out into the open. Morgana smirks as I stare at my look-alike. Then she waves a dismissing hand.

"Take her back into the other room and re-bind her." Morgana orders. The replica pulls me into the other room once more. I look pleadingly into the eyes that are technically my own.

"Please" I say my voice barely above a whisper. "You could let me go; you don't have to do what that evil which says. She's only using you to get to the trident, people are going to get hurt and so are you." She stares back at me, and her eyes soften.

"Look I can't, you seem really nice and all, I even have some of your memories to prove it, but I can't help you. My kind is created with only one purpose. To serve whomever creates us. I can't help it if Morgana is evil; I live to obey her." She says simply.

"But you could refuse to do what she says right?" I ask hopefully.

She shakes her head apologetically. "No, you don't understand, I'm bound by magic to serve her, I can't betray her, the magic that created me, won't allow me to."

I bite my lip, and think for a moment. "Wait. You are me, it was my blood that was used to create you. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Unfortunately no, you're just the host. Morgana is my soul creator. I'm sorry" she says, binding my wrists again. Then she swims off, leaving me alone and back where I started…

Ariel

The water has slowly started to turn colder. Not enough to bother us, but enough for us to notice. We are getting closer to the arctic waters. The closer we get to the icy waters of the north, the more my stomach tightens with worry. Poor Melody, alone with Morgana, in a frozen wasteland. I shudder at the thought. We only have a day and a half left to find her, and yet I don't even know where Morgana is hiding out. Flounder swims next to me.

"Are you okay Ariel?" he asks in a concerned voice. I shake my head.

"Let's just go, I'll be fine once Melody is safe." I say shakily. Flounder nods and swims faster. Andrina gives my arm a squeeze. I look over at my older sister. She gives me a concerned look. I attempt to smile at her, to assure her that I'll be alright. But instead I have to bite my lip to keep from sobbing. Andrina stops swimming and pulls me into a hug.

"Don't worry Ariel, it'll be okay. We will find her, I promise." She says in a soothing voice that makes me feel like I'm seven years old again. After a moment I pull away from her.

"Andrina thank you, for everything that you've oof" I'm cut off as something smacks into me from the side. I'm thrown down into the sand, which is only about a foot below us. This is the second time that I've been hit by something or rather someone the first time. I really should start paying attention to my surroundings. From above me I hear Flounder gasp quietly.