A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Let's just get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Little Mermaid.

Chapter 21: The Ultimate Betrayal

Kanade's POV

There was no way. There was no possible way this was happening. I mean… He… He was so sweet and kind! I wondered what was going through Melody's head as the male approached her.

"Melody, I'm doing this for a reason. Sorry it turned out this way. But it seems that you're okay, sweetie," he said. I made a face and stuck out my tongue while his back was turned. He said he wasn't worthy, and now I know that it was true.

"You… How could you, Cole? I-I thought you loved me… I thought I loved you…" Melody choked out, fighting the tears from streaming down her face. It must've been tough. The love of her life, her husband-to-be was the villain.

"Shh… It will all be better in time. You just wait. Oh, and I have a present for each of you princesses." He smirked and snapped his fingers, commanding one of his servants to come rushing to his aid.

"Topher, bring them forward."

"Yes, sir!"The servant looked at us with a hesitant smile and then frowned, shaking his head. He knew what was coming, but we didn't.

A couple of bandits stepped forward into our vision with what seemed to look like a humongous brown potato sacks. They seemed bulky and suspicious, and not like potatoes. They had more of a… human… shape.

"Wh-what are those?" Quellie asked Ara, her voice quivering.

"I dunno, Quellie. I don't know," she responded. I hated seeing my sisters deep in fear. I had to do something about it. I bet all of us were thinking that.

They threw the sacks in and they walked back out the cage, locking the door behind them.

"We'll come back later to feed you," Cole said, waving his hand around as if he was shooing away a fly. He was making me tick like a time-bomb. I was going to explode with anger at any second. When I heard a door slam, indicating that they had left, I started a conversation with my sisters.

"Estar, I need you to untie these ropes…" I whispered. She nodded and we moved back-to-back so she could attempt to remove the knots from our restrictions. I felt tugging and pulling, the movements of a master knot-tier! Who knew that our tying-the-knot-on-our-dress training would come in handy? "I have a bad feeling, Star."

"I know. I do, too. Okay, finished with the knot. What are we going to do?" She asked. I honestly didn't know. I just hated the feeling of being held back, especially when it's LITERAL. I couldn't stand being helpless with no hope whatsoever.

"Okay, we need a plan," I stated to all of them. They nodded their heads and simultaneously said,

"Agreed!"

"First, we all need these restrictions to be off. Estar already did mine. You can go back-to-back or just untie the knot as if it were the bow on your dress," I said. I didn't immediately take the role of leader, but since Melody was clearly in shock, I had to take action. Cole's betrayal made her speechless. She just kneeled there with her mouth half-open and her eyes near tears. With all the things going on, I could understand her pain, almost. Cat had run away with her friends, making her participate in searches while worrying until she was mentally exhausted. She was engaged, making her plan all day for the wedding day. It's too bad her fiancé is a criminal for kidnapping!

I bet she wished she was at home, laughing with her favorite little sister, Cat. It was sort of obvious that Cat and Melody favor each other.

While Estar and Anna were still loosening each other's ropes, Ara and Quellie were already finished with the task. I sighed contently, because it seemed so natural to see something like that. It reminded me of home. I inched over to Melody and asked her if she needed any help. She may have refused my offer, but it was worth a shot trying. When everyone finished loosening their knots, I thought I saw one of the large, mysterious potato bags move. I wasn't the only one.

"D-Did those bags just move?" Anna asked while moving away from the sacks. Each of us nodded.

"Shh, be quiet!" Ara demanded. "Listen!"

I heard a low moan come from one of the bags and a snore from another. There were five bags, which was quite suspicious.

"Kanade…" I heard a mumble from the snoring bag. I made a small gasp and immediately recognized the voice. It was Kichirou! They must have captured him too!

"Hey, girls, help me untie all these bags. I think… I think there are people in them…" I said, dragging my butt across the cold floor. They all followed and we untied the knots holding the bag together. We all chose one bag and decided to pull the person out.

"Ready? Three of you pull the bag, two of you help me with the body," Melody said. I bet it was awkward, as if we were in a crime scene. "Help me with the body…" Creepy.

Once we pulled him out, I immediately burst into tears. It was Kichirou alright, but he was beaten and looked sick.

"Kanade…" he muttered again, helpless. Soon, we lined the beaten bodies of Kichirou, Rez, Lee, and Nathan. I couldn't take it. They had to pay!

"What do they want with us?" Melody asked, shaking her head. I was glad she was talking, but I knew the truth. We were all shaking on the inside, filled with fear and anxiety. "What did Remidima offer them? What did she bribe them with?"

"DO YOU THINK SHE BRAIN-WASHED THEM?" Estar asked, trying to lighten the mood. I suppressed a laugh. It wasn't the time.

"Wait!" Quellie suddenly exclaimed, "Who's in the fifth bag?"

I'd forgotten there was a fifth bag. My sisters and I were dumbstruck until realization hit us. We all looked at each other wide-eyed, all hoping it wasn't who we thought it was. But when we opened the bag…

"Cat!" we all screamed. There, right in front of us, lay the one person we did not want to see pulled out of the bag. There lay our little sister who looked so cold and unconscious. There lay Cat.