Authors Note!
So close... so so close. We're gonna make it guys I promise. There is lots of back and forth during this scene, so sorry for all of those breaks. Thanks for hanging in there with me!
Ariel had slept in after staying up so late the night before, and was finally woke up by the caw oh a seagull. "Ariel! Ariel, wake up! Wake up! I just heard the news. Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!"
Meanwhile, Sebastian was woken up to Scuttle vigorously shaking Ariel's hand while she continued to blink sleep out of her eyes.
"What is this idiot babbling about?" He said with a yawn, ready to go back to sleep.
"Right - as if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's buzzin' about the princess gettin' herself hitched this afternoon!" He cheered excitedly. "You know, she's getting married!"
Ariel was fully awake now and blinked in surprise. 'Getting married?'
"You silly sidewalker!" Scuttle laughed giving Sebastian a noogie, turning to Ariel "I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!" And with a flap of his wings he was out the door.
'Getting married... Who would Erica...? Me? Erica wants to marry me? Erica wants to marry me! Oh Sebastian!' She picked him up and spun around, giving him a big kiss before setting him back down. I've got to go downstairs and see her- oh wait, mirror. Alright my hair looks fine. Downstairs!
Not even bothering out of her pajamas, she rushed down the stairs faster than she thought her feet could go. She heard voices as she neared the landing near the second flight of stairs so she stopped and ducked back behind one of the pillars.
Three of them were gathered near a window. Grimsby was in his normal attire, but Erica was dressed in a sailor's formal wear. Hair pulled up, high red collar on a navy blue uniform top, tailored down to fit a woman's figure, two rows of brass buttons, a belt, trousers and shiny black shoes. She looked down right handsome but, who's that other girl? A simple dark blue dress and a large shell on a string as her necklace. She had long ink black hair, thin pointed lips and dark eyes. She held onto Erica's arm like a barnacle.
"Well, uh…err, Erica. I-it appears that I was mistaken. This mystery maiden of yours, does, in fact exist. And well, she is lovely. Congratulations my dear." Said Grimsby shaking the woman's hand.
"We wish to be married as soon as possible" Erica deadpanned.
"Oh yes of course Erica but, er. These things do take time you know?"
"This afternoon Grimsby. The wedding ship departs at sunset."
"Wedding ship? You want the whole ceremony are you sure?"
"One-hundred percent. Everything. Spare no expense. Invite everyone important and anyone you see fit."
"Oh my. Erica, really. You are sure you want to go through with this? We just had a talk the other day. Three more years and-"
"Love cannot wait three more years Grimsby. Today. I insist."
"Oh… Oh very well Erica. As you wish…"
Ariel could stand and listen to their planning no longer and she fled the room, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
The palace was in a state of frenzy for the remainder of the day. The kitchen would have been loud enough to be heard through the entire palace, had it not been competing with the maids and guests. While organizers and planners had started meeting with Grimsby at the earliest convenience, the guests had started in at about 11:30. Important looking humans in large skirts with big hats, and gentlemen with mustaches. Whispers of scandal and outage flowed behind backs and into ears in back hallways.
"Our princess…"
"She did what?"
"Can you believe she had the audacity to invite me?"
"What of her poor parents though? May they rest in peace…"
"It's a new era!"
"She's not serious is she?"
"An…interesting decision to say the least."
"What is she playing at?"
"Just wait for that poor boy in Glowerhaven to hear about this!"
Ariel watched from her room as they trickled in, pulling up into the front courtyard in their buggies and carriages, it seemed to be a never-ending flow of people. She had rushed back up to her room sobbing and there she remained, sleeping between tears. Sebastian was as shocked as her and tried to cheer her up at first, but to no avail.
The wedding ship arrived just before dinner. Humongous and ornate, it was certainly decorated for a wedding. There was a large tent set up over most of the deck for the guests to sit in the shade, and an alter had been arranged at the prow, lavishly decorated in flowers. That was where most of the guests moved to eat their dinner before the cast off at seven.
Ariel managed to get into her dress from the day before, sans bow and shoes, in time to go and watch the ship depart from the docks. Swishing her feet, let them dangle in the open air (she wasn't tall enough to touch the water) glad that she couldn't see her sad reflection in the lapping waves.
Scuttle, still oblivious to the fact that it was not Ariel who was wedding the princess, hummed as he glided over the boat to check on things. A different song floated on the breeze interrupting his in a haunting way that sent shivers up his spine and made he feathers stand up. He gently coasted down to investigate.
"What a lovely little bride I'll make, my dear I'll look divine."
The voice was both alien yet familiar. Scuttle landed on the window and peered inside. A girl with wicked black hair was dancing around the bride's suite. In the bride's dress. Climbing the bride's vanity.
"Things are working out according to my ultimate design." Throwing a hair pin into the bride's vanity's eye! Scuttle gulped at the cutthroat accuracy and cruel intention.
"Soon I'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be mine!" Each sharp note took her a step up, onto the cushion, crushing a perfume bottle on the vanity. With a spin she laughed and titled the mirror so that she was face to face with herself in the mirror. The final piece of the puzzle was revealed when it was not the reflection of a girl, but of Ursula laughing back maniacally.
"The sea witch! Oh no…" He squawked, reeling backwards away from the porthole. "She's- I gotta!" He ran into the side of the boat with a resounding thud. Shaking it off, he quickly righted himself and flew towards the docks as fast as possible. "Ariel! Ariel!" He landed next to Ariel and Sebastian while Flounder floated in the water listening. "Ariel! I was flying, I wa- of course I was flying…- An' – I s-, I saw that the watch! The witch was watchin' a mirror! And she was singin' with a stolen set o' pipes!" He picked up the confused crab and brought him close to his clenched beak "Do you hear what I'm tellin' you?" He hit Sebastian on the ground with each word for emphasis. "THE PRINCESS! IS MARRYING! THE SEA WITCH! IN DISGUISE!"
"Are you sure about this?" Sebastian asked rubbing his sore head.
Realization dawned on Ariel's face as Scuttle's words sunk in.
"Have I ever been wrong? I mean when it's important!" He said at Sebastian's incredulous glare.
"What are we gonna do?" asked Flounder from the water.
Ariel got up and walked to the other side of the dock. Staring off at the ships silhouette in the sunset she could hear the witch's voice clearly in her head. "Before the sun sets on the third day." I see your play now Ursula. You're not going to get away with this. With a grim look of determination on her face, she dove off the edge and into the water. However, without her fins, the waters normally kind embrace turned sluggish and cold. I can't swim? Why can't I swim? These human legs, they don't work in water?
Sebastian snipped the rope off some nearby empty barrels and they fell with a splash. "Ariel, grab on to that." Grabbing hold of one of the floating barrels, Ariel threw the rope to Flounder. "Flounder, get her to that boat as fast as your fins can carry you!"
"I'll try." Said the small fish as they began their chase after the ship.
"I've gotta get to the sea king. He must know about this."
"What - What about me? What about ME?" interrupted Scuttle before Sebastian could get too distracted by his thoughts.
"You…find a way to STALL THAT WEDDING!" Sebastian followed suit and dove into the sea.
"Stall the wedding. Wh-what am I - what - that's it!" With a harsh caw he flew back to the low lands. Circling the area, he called out to the birds, fish, sea stars, seals, any animal he could find. "Move it, let's go, we got an emergency here!"
Swimming in the waters that had been her home for her entire life was so much different with her thin human legs than it had been with her strong tail. She could've been to that ship, no she could've crossed the whole ocean for that ship with a mere flick of her tail but now? The soggy wood was rough on her hands and hard to keep a hold of as the dark waves kept splashing over the top trying to eat her up with the barrel. Never the less, Flounder continued to struggle and flop onward with his passenger. Closer to the ship and to the sunset.
The pipe organ's tune floated over the chatter of the guests and the crash of the waves. Slowly a hush traveled through the crowd as the organ music began to swell and take on a more familiar tune.
"The bride,"
"She's here."
"The princess"
"She looks so dapper"
"But she doesn't necessarily look that happy does she?"
"A peculiar thing though, isn't it?"
"Is she feeling ok?"
"I think it's sort of…cute?"
Vanessa swished a stray hair out of her eyes. The four-legged fur ball snarled, but was easily silenced with a sharp kick. Not even that dumb mutt could ruin this day. Chin tilted up, she gave a few long glances out the corner of her eye at the gathered crowed before fixing her eyes forward again. Erica played her part perfectly, a handsome puppet to walk down the aisle with. Once at the alter the old priest wasted no time in adjusting his glasses and reading from the large book in front of him.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"
The ship seemed to be getting faster and faster as it went farther away. When did the ocean become so cold and harsh?
"Don't worry Ariel, ugh," Flounder gasped, "we – we're gonna make it. We're almost there."
"Yes, um, do you Erica, take Vanessa- Oh", the priest adjusted his glasses and squinted up at the couple, "Oh alright, yes um, Erica take Vanessa then, to be your lawfully wedded... wife, for as long as you both shall live?"
Erica blinked slowly and said completely deadpan, "I do…"
Vanessa's smirk turned to confusion and she squinted at the quickly setting sun. Are those…
"Eh, and do you…"
birds- AH!
A line of bluebirds swooped in like shots from a machine gun in a dive bomb for Vanessa's head. Ducking to avoid the first line, Vanessa regained her balance only to see them dive back and under her dress. From there, everything descended into chaos. More lines of birds came flying in overhead, Max began barking and wildly tugging on his leash, guests were running around and screaming and seals suddenly appeared, jumping out of the water and onto the deck. Glasses broke and tables flipped, but while the disaster to the general public was bad, the focus of the assault was aimed at Vanessa. A line of pelicans dumped mouthfuls of water and fish on her head, crabs, and starfish caused and covered her scream.
Bluebirds fluttering around their heads, neither Erica nor the priest broke their stance in all of the chaos,
"…then by the power invested in me."
Finally managing to tear the starfish off her face "Get away from me you slimy little-" one of the seals cut her off.
The boat was so much bigger up this close, and her arms felt like wet seaweed, but she could hear the chaos and screaming above, and the sunset was so close. Ariel managed to pull herself up to the railing in time to see Vanessa be thrown into a wedding cake. Hoisting herself over she collapsed on the deck as Vanessa grabbed Scuttle.
"Oh, why you little!"
Her legs wobbled as she pulled herself up using the rail, Max finally broke free of Grimsby and his leash and rushed at Vanessa.
"Ah!"
The string snapped and the shell flew through the air, landing at Ariel's feet.
The glowing blank light dimmed out of Erica's eyes and merged with the light that flowed from the shell and up to Ariel's throat as her voice was freed.
"Ahhahaaaah"
"Ariel?"
Max bounded up to Ariel, happily barking and jumping around her feet.
"Erica!"
She shook her head, a large smile growing on her face, "You, you can talk!" She rushed back down the aisle to Ariel, taking her hands.
"Erica, get away from her!" Vanessa quickly clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing that her voice had returned to its normal, lower pitch now that the spell had worn off.
"It – it was you all the time." The fog behind Erica's eyes had gone and they were back to their clear shinning blue.
"Oh Erica I wanted to tell you." Ariel put her hands upon Erica's shoulders and leaned in-
Vanessa's/Ursula's voice came out in a strangled yell, "ERICA NO!"
A painful, tingling rush went down Ariel's spine and her legs went numb as she went limp in Erica's arms. Her tail restored, she could only look up sheepishly at the even more shocked Erica. Vanessa's own transformation had begun, her skin turning darker, grin growing sharper and more wicked.
"You're too late! You're too late!" Lighting crackled at her fingertips as she burst out of the wedding dress, transformation complete. Her dark tentacles seemed to flow around her as she clawed her way down the aisle towards her prize. Scooping up the girl in a vice like grip, in one fluid motion they were dangling over the railing of the ship. "So long, lovergirl." She smirked, and then they were gone, over the edge. Erica made it to the railing in time to watch them vanish into the dark waves below.
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