I'm so sorry for the delay. Work was very stressful and time consuming this past year. I also want to thank Stone-Man85 for help with some scenes and hope everyone is having a great year along with celebrating thirty years of the Little Mermaid. Without that film, who knows what the world would be like without Disney Animation. Read and hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 12 New Resolves and Secrets Revealed
Thatch Residence
12am
After Jack and the BFG left the Tourists on the beach, Eric helped carry Ariel back to his house with a still emotionally hurt Arista in tow. At the house, Ariel was placed on the couch to recover from her vertigo while the other caught Ralph and Wally on recent events.
In the living room, Eric was currently pacing back on forth while holding the phone. "Come on Frey," Eric said as he waited through the ring tones, "I know you have your emergency cellphone on you."
Meanwhile, Ralph and Wally were sitting on the floor while Dax, Iago, and Sebastian were on the couch explaining all that happened while they were away. The gooseling was currently exploring the room while pecking and knocking things over left and right.
"So, let me see if I have this straight," Ralph said, "Ursula really is behind the beanstalk, she's doing some kind of sea witch mind control power on this girl from town, she's using this girl to control the giants up in in the sky, and they're planning to invade tomorrow morning."
"That's correct, mon," Sebastian answered.
"Plus, there's a nice giant up there along with a British hero and a perverted weasel who helped you guys break Eric, Ariel, her sister, and a gold laying duck out of the jail."
"Technically, it's a gooseling," Iago said, "There are many differences between a gosling and a duckling."
"Oh right, sorry," Ralph said, "Finally, this Jack guy along with the BFG and Chamo want us to cut the beanstalk down while he handles the invading giants on his own and saves this Pacifica girl at the same time. Finally, all of you think Ariel's sister has a thing for this Jack guy which is why she went upstairs to be alone."
"That pretty much sums it up," Dax said with a nod.
"WWWhhhoa," Wally said amazed by how so much had happened in so little time.
"Yeah, it's been just another crazy day in the lives of the Thatches," Dax said as he snacked on a clam from his personal stash, "Right Sebastian? Sebastian?" Dax didn't get a response as he looked to his left to see Sebastian turned pale as he stared off into space with his left eye twitching.
"Two daughters on land," Sebastian chanted in silent horror, "Two daughters with humans... Two more to look after..."
"Are crabs supposed to be white like that," Ralph asked as everyone minus the gooseling to look at Sebastian who was clearly in shock.
"Not really," Iago said as he munched on an apple, "I don't see why the crab is so down in the dumps anyway. We're back in Port Royal, we got the girls back, Jack is handling the giant invasion before it starts, and we never have to worry about money problems again thanks to my Nest Egg. I'd say it was a successful mission!"
Just as Iago was saying that, the gosling pecked its beak at the TV set's power button causing the set to turn on, and scare the gosling. It backed away in fear until it tripped on the coffee table and landed right on top of Iago.
Everyone minus Eric looked at the gosling's rear as they wondered if Iago was still alive. "I'm okay," Iago's muffled voice said.
"AHHHHH! Shells," Eric exclaimed as he stared at the phone in frustration, "I can't get through to Frey!"
"He left after Orpet returned from the beanstalk," Ralph said, "Maybe he, Kida, Lilo, and Stitch are still on the way to Atlantis."
"Is the call not going through or is he just not answering," Dax asked as he looked up from the couch, "Maybe he's hitting on Kida or on some Atlantean girls."
"That's... probably what he's doing," Eric admitted knowing his friend's womanizing habit, "I'll try Seifer," he said as he dialed Seifer's number into the phone.
"Guys, how are going to cut the beanstalk down," Ralph asked them, "I mean, it's not like Wally found a giant ax from his nights of scavenging."
Wally nodded in agreement with Ralph. "Don't... like... sharp... thiiiiings," he said as he preferred to find nice things over dangerous ones.
Suddenly, Iago's head popped out of the side of the gosling's rear, "Why should we do anything," Iago said in between coughing fits from having the air knocked out of him, "The higher ups of Port Royal won't let something like an over sized vegetable stay here! I say we let them do the dirty work while we work to keep all our secrets safe!"
"What do you mean," Ralph asked, "Don't we want to help them stop the invading army?"
"What I mean is that if Mercer is going to take the beanstalk down himself," Iago said as he continued to try and pull himself free, "We can just sit back and not have to clean up that mess. After all, we aren't Port Royals' personal maids. We don't have to clean up every mess that pops up if the local authorities are going to do it themselves."
"You know, as much as I dislike agreeing with Iago when it comes to avoiding conflicts," Dax said with a smirk on his face, "That and I can't really take him seriously with his head coming out of a baby goose's butt. He does make a good point."
"I don't know. What if something goes wrong and the beanstalk falls on the town while we're here twiddling our thumbs, wings, and claws," Ralph asked not liking the idea of doing nothing, "I don't think neither Eric or Ariel would like that."
"Well Eric's too busy on the phone to think about it and Ariel is still out of her mind from her dizzy spell," Iago exclaimed as he struggled even more to escape, "Right, Miss Spin Cycle?!" Iago and everyone else expected Ariel to say something random like before, but no answer came. "Don't tell me she's still out cold," Iago squawked from a lack of a response. What he didn't know was that everyone else was looking at the couch that Ariel was sleeping on was now lacking said mermaid princess.
Meanwhile
Outside
Out on the deck staring out at the ocean, Arista was currently leaning on the railing with her head resting on her arms, and staring out at the sea. With the sight of her home in full view, one would think she would be overjoyed. But instead, her facial expression was showing the opposite of joy. Rather, she looked as though she was a mix of frustration and sadness.
'I can't believe him,' Arista thought to herself as she felt energy go through her like a storm, 'How could he be so stubborn and full of himself!? Doing this the hard way by taking on all the giants by himself!' Arista kept staring at the horizon as the image of Jack's, the BFG's and Chamo's faces were still on her mind. Which only added more fuel to the fire in her. ''
"Sounds like you're taking it well."
Arista turned to see Ariel stepping onto the balcony. She was now dressed in her adventure gear and was carrying a blanket.
Arista immediately stood up and looked at her sister, "Ariel. Are you alright," she asked with concern in her voice, "Are you sure you should be up after what happened?"
"I'm alright. A little sore but nothing serious," Ariel said as she walked over and held out the blanket in her hands, "I saw you out here when I went to change and thought you might be cold."
Arista looked at the blanket and smiled, "Thanks, I don't feel cold," Arista said as she looked back at the horizon, "I'm too... Too- I'm just so shelled off about all of this," she exclaimed as she used a saying from the sea.
"I figured you would be," Ariel said as she sat next to her sister, "The others told me what happened after the throgglehumper spun me around. I'm sorry..."
"Thanks... I know I should be happy," Arista continued vented, "We're away from the savage giants, we're close to home, and we're all safe. But I just feel so angry that Jack and the others decided to do things the hard way by doing it all by themselves!"
Ariel looked at Arista as she stared at the sea with a glare on her face. Ariel could tell she was angry after what happened, but she could also see something else in Arista's eyes. Something that Ariel knew Arista was either hiding or didn't know was what she was actually feeling... Was sadness for someone else.
"If any good came from all of this," Arista continued, "It's that I now realize you're not looking for dangerous adventures, it's that they seem to find you in the sea, and on land. That and... Eric really isn't like the other humans."
Ariel becomes astonished by Arista's words. Words she never thought but hoped she would hear from her sisters and friends from under the sea.
"For the longest time, I thought that he wouldn't be there when he was most needed, and that he was just with you because you were a mermaid," Arista explained as she felt she needed to be clear to Ariel, "Now I realize... He's everything that contradicts what we've been taught. He braved a land filled with giants that could crush him with ease, by himself. All just... to save you. Someone like that is almost impossible to find in one's lifetime." Arista looked at Ariel with a sad look in her eyes, "I'm sorry I was so forceful about you coming home and about leaving him. Everyone, back home... especially me just misses and worries about you so much."
Ariel stared at Arista's guilty face and smiles. "It's alright... I miss all of you too," she said as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "And I'm sorry too. I said some things I shouldn't have before and I could've responded to all the requests to come home a little better."
Arista then looked back at the ocean, "I know one thing, home is where I want to go back to as soon as I can. It might help me forget Jack's stupid face, and his stupid selflessness, and maybe his stupid…"
Ariel arched an eyebrow at her sister's behavior, as she silently asked, "Arista?"
"It just boggles my mind," Arista continued, "Just when I think things will work out, Jack pulls a stunt like this! We barely got away from a castle of giants and he leaves us here to go fight off an entire army by himself! Doesn't he realize that we could help me!?"
Ariel thought about it for a moment, and looked back on what she remembered about her and Jack interacting with one another. And then remembered back at the Dream Tree. It then clicked, as she looked to her older sister, and smiled, "I think it's because he's worried that you could get hurt, Arista. In the longest time he's ever had, you're the first non-giant or non-animal friend he's ever interacted. And somewhere along the way, he's grown to cherish that. Cherished you." She looked back at the seas, as she smiled, "It's how I met Eric and grew to cherish him and our feelings. It's… magic. It might be the closest thing to true magic to me or for those who find that connection."
Her sister's words ringed through her whole mind, body, and soul. In truth, despite Jack being a human, he had become a rather important piece in her life. True there were times he made little to no sense, and his taste in food was a bit on the pawn scum side, though she admits it was all he could rummage up in a place like Giant Country. But he was rather sweet, protective of others, not cocky at all but confident. And now that he was gone, it felt… empty. As she looked back at the ocean, she felt a wet but warm feeling from her eyes, and when she blinked, it cascaded down her cheek.
Ariel turned to her and noticed the tears, as she got her attention, "Arista… you're crying."
The blonde mermaid-turned-human blinked at this, as she touched her cheek. She pulled it back to see it wet, and began to innocently panic, "Oh no, I'm leaking! I'm leaking saltwater! Ariel, I'm falling apart!"
Ariel blinked at that, but the giggled, which made Arista panic more, "Ariel, this is serious! I'm gonna turn into sea foam!"
Ariel shook her head, as she walked over, holding Arista's hands, as she assured her, "No, no, Arista. They're just tears. Our bodies make them when we're sad or laughing too hard that we cry laughing. I guess you've never seen them before is because like me, we've been underwater most of our lives."
Arista sighed in relief at that, as she wiped them away, "This is crazy. Next you'll be telling me liquids spews out of our noses if we laugh too hard."
Ariel giggled, as she remembered an incident at the high school, "That only happens on occasion." She then gently led Arista back to the Thatch Household, "Why don't you go clean up and bundle up. There should be a spare room with the balcony on top."
Arista nodded, "Okay." And both walked back into the home, the bond between sisters on the mend after so long.
As they walked in, Arista stopped in her tracks, and looked at the floor. Her eyes filled with tears as she felt a conflicting emotion go through her. 'Why am I feeling like this,' she thought in confusion, 'I wasn't like this earlier when...' The moment she thought back to when she wasn't feeling conflicted, she thought of the times with Jack whether it had been escaping the giants, dodging giant spiders, to the Dream Tree. 'This can't be happening! How can I be feeling this way in such a short time,' she thought to herself in distress, 'I only came to get my sister back! Not fall in- NO! That's not what happening!' Arista continued to reject the idea of her falling in love.
The conflicting feeling in Arista only got worse as she held herself for comfort. 'But then again... I've never felt like this before,' she thought, 'And what if he doesn't lo- er like me back?! What if he was just doing those things to be polite? Even if I wanted to ask them, how do I bring them back?' The more she thought about it, the more confused about herself she became, 'What am I supposed to do!?'
'Believe and take the first step...'
'It took me a little bit to take the first step...'
The memory of the BFG and Jack's words played in her mind as her eyes opened as a new feeling replaced her confliction. 'Take the first step,' she thought to herself, 'The first step towards what though?' As she turned around, looked out the window at the ocean reflecting the night sky. 'In overcoming fear,' she realized as she headed for the balcony, and stood on the rim overlooking the beach.
She looked down at the sand below. 'There's no water here,' she told herself, 'So I'm just going to go straight down into the sand... making it a lot more painful than two days ago,' she thought to herself as she remembered her first time on the beach, 'But if this first step brings them back... it's worth the risk.' Even though
"ARISTA!"
Arista looked behind her to see a shocked Ariel who had returned from getting a drink and blanket for her sister, "What are you doing!?"
"Taking the first step," Arista answered her as she looked back outside, "Or in this case... the first leap," she finished as she leaped into the air. As she fell straight down, she could hear Ariel's voice yelling her name along with the air rushing past her as gravity pulled her towards the Earth below.
"IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, I'LL HAUNT HIM TO THE GRAVE," Arista exclaimed as the sand drew closer and closer as she shut her eyes waiting for the pain. Suddenly, she feeling of falling ceased, and she felt a warm comforting rather than pain. She opened her eyes to see who she was hoping to see... it was the BFG with a look of worry on his face. The sight of this made Arista and Ariel who was standing on the balcony sigh in relief as both girls relaxed. "I knew you'd both catch me," she said with a smile, "Thanks."
"You being welcome," the BFG said with a smile, "It be a good thing I be having a lot of practice with catching people."
Just then, Jack appeared from behind the BFG's shoulder, and slides down his arm, "You know, when we said take the first step," Jack began to tell Arista, "This isn't what we meant. But good imaginat-"
The Jumping Boy stopped mid-sentence when something grabbed and held him tightly. It was Arista who had shot up and ran to Jack. He was surprised to say the least as his body stiffened and his arms were spread out. In fact, he half expected her to be angry at him.
"Don't do that again..."
Just as Jack was about to ask what Arista was doing, her voice stopped him. "Please don't disappear like that again," she pleased in a sad voice, "Not without an answer! Don't make me regret seeing you as a friend like that!"
Jack wasn't sure how to answer as he could feel Arista's tears on his back. Not only was the first the first girl ever saying those things to him, but his choice to leave and protect her seemed to backfire on him.
Just then, Chamo ran down from the BFG's shoulder and leaped onto his partner's back. "Jack... when it comes to a person's heart," he told him with a wise sounding voice, "One must be more understanding and gentler. Especially when it's a woman's heart." Jack looked at his partner as though he got the message, but Chamo could tell he missed the true meaning of his words, "I'm saying hug her already, you veg head," he whispered with a glare.
"Oh... Right," Jack said finally getting the message as he wrapped his arms around Arista, "Sorry, Arista... I should have chosen my words better back there. I just thought you were finished with Giants Land, that's all."
"Promise me," she pleaded again while ignoring his reasons.
"I uhhh, promise," Jack said as the BFG lifted them back to the balcony, "We should let go and return safely to the balcony." Those words only made Arista tightened her grip even more. Much to the delight of Chamo, Ariel, and the BFG who smiled at the warm sight before them.
"What's going on!?"
Ariel turned around as soon as she heard Eric's voice along with footsteps on the stairs. He bolted through the door just in time to see Jack and Arista enter through the window.
"Oh, hi Jack, BFG, Chamo. Welcome back," Eric said with a wave as Dax and Sebastian joined him as well, "When did you-"
"After Arista jumped off the balcony to bring them back," Ariel explained with a smile, "Kind of like how you braved Jones' forces to save me before."
"Oh yeah," Eric said remembering that, "I didn't know what was going to happen. All I knew was that I had to get you off that ship."
"Fun times," Ariel reminisced about her surfer in shining armor came to her rescue when all seemed lost for her from her deal with Ursula. The happiness she felt when he arrived to save her.
"Whoa..."
As the BFG watched with a warm smile at all the happiness before him, he heard a new voice and looked down to see Wally, Ralph, the gooseling, and Iago outside. Ralph and Wally looked up in amazement at the sight of the BFG.
"Wow... for the first time in my life," Ralph began to say, "I feel so... puny!" Wally nodded in agreement from the shared feeling.
Meanwhile
Port Royal Town Fort
The Port Royal Town Fort stood proud even at night. The repairs to the fort after the attack of the Black Pearl were completed and it looked at as though the damage had never occurred. Despite the rest of the town sleeping, the lights were on inside the fort as loud voices continued to argue over what to do about the beanstalk. It had been going on since the day after the beanstalk grew.
Suddenly, the front doors opened to reveal Seifer walking out of the town hall. Ever since Eric left for Giants Land, Seifer had been listening in on the meeting thanks to his father's position of Commodore, he just couldn't speak out or have a say in the decisions unless asked.
"So, have the higher ups had enough of hearing their own voices?"
Seifer stopped in his tracks and looked behind him. Stepping out of the shadows was Olette with a sly smile.
Seifer kept an eye on her before turning away. "You really prefer dark places," Seifer asked her as she walked forward, "Don't you?"
"It's a force of habit," Olette admitted, "Besides, it's worked for me so far."
"Well, you're correct," Seifer continued as the two began to walk away from the building, "Mercer has formulated a plan to cut the beanstalk down without any risk of casualties to the town."
"What about Hartcourt," Olette asked in an uninterested voice, "I seem to recall him wanting to keep the beanstalk up."
"Mr. Hartcourt's request to assemble a team to explore what's at the top of the beanstalk was denied by Mr. Mercer," Seifer continued explaining as though he was giving a report to a higher official, "Even with Altantis' return to the world, Mercer thinks it would be a waste of man power investigating a legend about a land in the sky."
Olette chuckled at that answer. "It's funny. From what I heard, Hartcourt said something similar to the Thatch Family," she said with a grin on her face, "Now he's the one making requests to go explore legendary worlds and getting rejected out of disbelief."
"You seem to enjoy watching other people in misery," Seifer pointed out to Olette.
"Only if they deserve it," Olette defended, as she just shrugged it off as though it wasn't a big deal to her. "So, where to now," Olette asked, "Frey's group is probably not back yet and we have no way of contacting Eric up in clouds."
"I'm heading back to Thatch's place to see if there's been any word from either group," Seifer answered, "You can do as you please as long as you don't go causing more trouble in my town."
"Sure," Olette said as she and Seifer walked to Eric's house.
As the two walked through the dark, empty streets of Port Royal, there was an awkward silence between the two. The source wasn't that earlier that year, Olette was trying to reawaken an ancient evil for Ursula, and that Seifer was among those trying to stop her. The awkwardness was from how the two first met when Olette used the Darkblade and parasite to control Seifer and set him against Eric's group until Seifer broke free of the control. Neither of them had spoken about that day since Olette was welcomed into the group.
'I guess he still hates me. Not that I can blame him. I did take over his mind for a while,' Olette thought to herself, 'Honestly, I'm amazed he hasn't tried to strangle me since Atlantis. Then again, I had the chance to kill Lady Gothel, and I didn't take it...' She knew that forgiveness was the first step to letting go of the hate and pain, but she hadn't forgiven them. She just chose to be a better person then they were. 'I suppose being a nice person means owning up to your mistakes,' Olette thought, 'That means doing the one thing I never thought I would do to a human...'
After mentally preparing herself, Olette took a deep breath, and coughed to get Seifer's attention. "Let's be honest," Olette began as the two continued to walk, "Knowing Eric's luck when it comes to these kinds of things, we're going to end up fighting the giants tomorrow."
For a moment, the ominous comment hung in the air between the two. "That's true," Seifer admitted after a moment of thought, "Based on what I've been told of Eric's adventures so far, they usually end with a cliché final battle."
"Like some kind of never-ending fairy tale," Olette added with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "Anyway, the reason I'm saying this is because we're all going to be in for a heated battle. Due to that... there's something I want... I need to say to you."
Seifer stopped in his tracks at what Olette was saying. 'This ought good,' he thought as he turned around to face her.
"Tomorrow, we'll be in another fight for our lives, and there needs to be no doubt between us," Olette continued trying to find the words she needed to say, "Which is why... I owe you an apolalalala-" Olette's face cringed the moment she said the last word.
Seifer raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What," Seifer asked in confusion at Olette's babbling, "What did you say?"
Olette calmed herself and put on a straight face. "I'm trying to apolalelululului- gahhhck," Olette said before she spat out gibberish, "I want to say sorararararaaaaaaahhhhhh..." It was a though the word she was trying to say was being held back by every fiber of her body.
Seifer just stared at Olette with his arms crossed. "Are you just messing with me to lighten the mood like Asapin would do," Seifer asked her, "If so, we really don't have time for this."
"No," Olette spoke out as she fought back to the need to lose her lunch, "I- I am trying to say... that I am... SeeeeeeeerRRRR," she continued with her face twisting more and more from the sick feeling, "I- aaaammmmm- SSSSSSoooooorrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyy!" The moment she said the word, she began gasping for air.
Seifer stood there a little dumbfounded by what he just saw. "You're sorry," he asked her.
"Yes... for brainwashing you before and forcing you to fight Eric," Olette continued, "For that... I'm ssssssoorrreeey."
The two stood silently under a street lamp as her words echoed through their heads along with the sound of crickets chirping. Olette was looking nervous as her eyes darted from Seifer. Not only out of the guilt she was slowly starting to acknowledged she was feeling, but also from the sick feeling her body was making her feel from apologizing in the first place.
Seifer also stood there as he took that in. A part of him wanted to finish what he started that night when he was free of her control and end her. But he knew he was better than that. Also, hearing Olette struggle to apologize made him realize she was trying to give a heart filled one. Even if it didn't sound like it.
"Well... I'm sorry too," Seifer finally said breaking the silence between the two of them, "If I hurt you that night, I'm sorry too. You're also right. We need to trust each other tomorrow when the worse happens."
Olette looked at him with surprise all over her face at Seifer's response. She thought for sure he would reject her apology, but he didn't. She nodded in agreement as both took the first step to removing the awkward silence aura surround the two since China.
"We should get going," Seifer said as he turned away and started walking, "Also, that was the worst apology I've ever heard. You should work on saying the word 'sorry' before you have to apologize again."
The soft feeling Olette was feeling turned into fiery anger as she glared at Seifer. "Why you," she exclaimed as she grinded her teeth, "You should be so lucky! You're one of the first humans I ever apologized to since I lost my homeland and meant it!"
"You should use that anger against the giants tomorrow," Seifer responded back, "They'd be running away in fear."
Olette growled in anger before she caught up with Seifer. 'He's trying to use my skills against me,' Olette thought with anger in her, 'And worse... it's working!'
"If you're going to continue being honest, I do have a question," Seifer asked her, "What are our chances against the giants if they arrive on land?"
Olette's anger faded as she looked away. "That depends... If the crown is being used by Ursula which I believe it is, then we have a slim chance if we can get our hands on it," she answered with the possibility of surviving the coming battle.
"And if we can't," Seifer asked her.
"Then are chances of surviving this battle... are better left unsaid," Olette answered him knowing they wouldn't stand a chance at winning.
"Sorry I asked," Seifer said as they continued down the street, "See? That's how you say a simply word like 'sorry.'"
Giants Land
BFG's Home
6am
After going back to Giants Land, everyone including a reluctant Iago went back with Jack, Chamo, and the BFG. Ralph and Wally however stayed behind in order to tell Olette and Seifer about all that happened before and to be ready for a possible invasion. At the moment, the group was at the table with the BFG overhead looking at a makeshift display of where Ariel, Arista, and Eric's group first arrived at.
"So here's how I see it," Eric began as he explained the plan to everyone, "We go to the edge of the land before Ursula's group arrives," he explains as they imagine themselves doing just that, "We wait for her up in the trees, distract the giants with more sleep bombs, and ever so gentle remove the headband while Pacifica is asleep."
"Nice plan, but there are some wrinkles," Chamo spoke out freezing the scenario as Eric is removing the headband, "We weren't expecting guests or an invasion so we have a very small amount of sleep bombs left. Nowhere near enough to stop all of Fallon's giants."
"Plus, London Bridge wasn't built in a day," Jack added, "Each bomb takes one day to make and we don't have that kind of time."
"Good point you two. New plan," Eric says as the imagined scenario returned to the beginning, "We go the edge of the land before Ursula's group arrives, wait for her in the trees..."
"And bring a huge amount of extra water in case a fight occurs," Ariel added with the BFG holding a huge bucket of water, "I'll need a lot to fight off an army of giants in an enclosed space like the forest."
"We wait until Pacifica is alone, use a sleep bomb on her," Eric continued, "And I ever so gently..."
"Wait! How do we get the giants away from Pacifica," Sebastian asked seeing another flaw in the plan as the giants surrounded and began to attack, "It's not like she's going to willingly leave herself exposed knowing we're here as well."
"Okay, fine! We sneak ahead to the Edge of Giants Land," Eric started again from the top.
"We bring lots of water in case of a fight," Ariel added.
"We find a way to lure Pacifica away from the giants and into carefully disguised pitfall trap," Eric continued as Pacifica fell through a hole into the caves below, "Hit her with a sleep bomb and I ever so gently-"
"Hang on! I'm not an expert on magic," Arista started, "But how do we know that a sleep bomb will work on Pacifica? She's technically being controlled by Ursula. Wouldn't that mean a sleep bomb wouldn't work on her?"
"Blondie's got a point there, Thatch," Iago squawked, "It might end up being a waste of a bomb."
"Alright! We go ahead of the attack squad," Eric started again from the top.
"Bring extra water," Ariel added for the record.
"We dig a hole, lure Pacifica into a tunnel below," Eric continued, "We surround her, hold her place, and I ever so slightly remove the headband."
"What if it doesn't come off," Dax asked them as Eric attempts to remove the headband, only to discover that it's stuck.
"Why wouldn't the headband come off," Eric asked growing a little annoyed at all these interruptions as he attempts to remove the headband.
"I don't know. Maybe there's an incantation on to only allow the wearer to remove it," Dax explained his reason for the plan not working, "Or maybe she made Pacifia's head bigger to make the headband harder to get off."
"Though I think Pacifica has always had a swollen head in that she thinks of herself," Ariel added as she remembered how every time she was approached by Pacifica, the only subject Pacifica would bring up was herself.
"If her head had been enlarged, we would've noticed it," Sebastian exclaimed as Eric continued to try and remove the headband.
"You said we had to be ready for every precaution," Dax explained.
Suddenly, the giants break through the ground above them.
"Here come the giants," Iago exclaimed in horror as he jumped on the gooseling's head, "Save the Nest Egg!"
"What?! How can they be here!? This isn't really happening," Eric exclaimed as he continued in vain to remove the crown disguised as a headband.
"The power of an over active imagination," Jack suggested.
"Quick, cut her head off," Arista exclaimed as the hands of giants began to reach into the hole to her horror.
"What!? That's murder," Eric exclaimed in horror at the idea of cutting someone's head off, "I can't do something like that!"
"There's no time," Arista argued, "Otherwise we're all dead!"
In the heat of the moment, a conflicted Eric pulled out the Seablade, and went to slash Pacifica's head off...
"WAIT!"
Only to be stopped by Ariel exclaimed ending the dream sequence.
"WHAT NOW," Dax, Sebastian, and Iago shouted.
"Pacifica is innocent! She's being controlled by Ursula," Ariel explained, "Besides, killing people isn't what we do!"
"She's right. I don't have it in me to kill someone," Eric admitted, "Evil or not."
"That be a good quality to be havin," the BFG told Eric, "Kindness even for the naughty ones is hard to be finding. Even in this place."
Eric looked up at the BFG's warm smile. Hearing those kind words made Eric feel happy knowing his kindness was more of strength than a weakness.
"That kind of thinking is going to get you in big trouble kid," Iago told him, "Take it from a bird who once worked for an evil sorcerer. One of a villain's favorite pass times is trying to break the hero physically, emotionally, and mentally."
Eric looked back at the map as he took that bit of criticism in. True that his kindness was one of his greatest qualities, but it was also a weakness that a villain could take advantage of. 'I'll just have to become strong enough to avoid that weakness being used,' Eric thought to himself in order to steel himself.
Everyone stared at the map in silence at their predicament. All the suggestions brought up had been turned down due to the flaws in them. The silence in the room only made the weight of the problem feel all the heavier from no one bringing up any new ideas.
"This certainly is a sticky wicket we're in," Jack spoke out interrupting the silence of the group as they looked at him, "Sometimes, when one can't think of the solution, one should wait for the answer to come to them."
"I have a question that needs an answer now," Arista said calmly before exclaiming in confusion, "Why are you doing that with your head!?"
Jack was currently sitting on his head with his arms supporting him up. "Having the blood rush to my noggin helps me think when I'm stumped," Jack explained as though it wasn't that strange.
"I think that would have the opposite effect on someone," Dax replied back.
Suddenly, the entire room began to shake, and a loud drumming sound could be heard. Random things began to shake and fall over in the BFG's home. Everyone stopped what they were doing and took note of what was happening. Jack leaped on to his feet as he pulled his staff out while the others looked around the room as it shook more and more.
The BFG stood up with a look of freight on his face. "Oh no," he said as he looked at the others, "You'd best be hidin," he said as he put his hand on the table.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Iago exclaimed as he and the Nest Egg had already jumped onto his hand.
As the rumbling grew louder, everyone climbed into the BFG's hand as he quickly hid them on the highest shelf he could before turning around to face the door.
Everyone huddled tightly as they watched the door where the source of the noise was coming from. With every vibration, the more the group prepared themselves for whatever was to come.
"I have a feeling I know what that is," Dax said as the fear of the situation grew in the room, "But please tell me that's just thunder up here."
"Sure, it's thunder," Chamo replied, "Thunder that has bad breath, foul smelling, and an appetite for just about anything that's smaller than it!"
"RUNT!"
The door bust open as Fleshlumpeater burst in along his gang of giants following him. They were all sneering at the BFG and laughing to themselves as their leader stepped forward with a glare on his face.
"What's he going to do," Ariel whispered to Jack as they watched the largest of the present giants approached the BFG.
"Either he's going to threaten him," Chamo began to say, "Or"
Once Fleshlumpeater was meters away from the BFG, he stuck his finger out at the smaller giant. "I has another boo boo," he says in a tone of voice like a master demanding a servant with no sense of appreciation.
Above, the others minus Jack, Arista, and Chamo face vaulted at Fleshlumpeater's request. "A boo boo," Sebastian asked in shock while doing his best to keep his voice down, "What is he? Four years old!?"
"He said same thing last time too," Arista mentioned also in disbelief.
The BFG just looks at Fleshlumpeater's extended finger and shakes his head no. "Well, yer all big boys now," he said trying to sound brave, "You can take care of ye own boo boos now."
Jack and Chamo's eyes widened in surprise at the BFG showing some backbone for once despite the odds. In all the years they knew him, he was never able to stand up for himself against Fleshlumpeater and the other giants. Normally, the two would have to jump in, and scare the giants away with his pollen bombs. Seeing their friend learn to fight for himself made them feel proud, but Jack also felt something else. He didn't know what this feeling was but it weighed on him for reasons he didn't know.
"Oh, we will..."
Jack's train of thought came to a halt when a new voice filled the room. The voice was followed by footsteps... much louder footsteps. Jack knew that voice though... and so did Ariel. The sound of the voice made the BFG and his friends' blood run cold as the giants parted ways for the owner of the footsteps while repeating the voice's words like an echo in a cave.
It was Fallon, the oldest and strongest of the giants. Fleshlumpeater backed away in fear of Fallon. The general stood before the BFG with both of his heads sneering at the BFG as he bent down to be at the same eye level as the BFG. "EE Willlll," Fallon's second head.
The BFG stood his ground but his eyes showed the fear he was feeling. The intimidation that Fallon was giving off. His entire body was beginning to shake with fear due to knowing that Fallon could snap him in half if he wanted.
Seeing the BFG was too scared to speak, Fallon decided to break the ice. "You've been keeping secrets from us," Fallon finally roared as he glared at the BFG. As his second garbled in agreement, Fallon reached into his belt, and shot a familiar piece of garment before the BFG. The sight of the item left the smaller giant and everyone above in shock. It was the coat Arista was wearing before when she went to save Ariel. "It's bad enough that you've been helping the descendants of a jailer," Fallon roared with anger at the BFG as he threw the jacket onto the floor, "But now you're keeping the Daughters of Neptune all to yourself!?"
"You mean, the one you had be escapin," the BFG said as he tried to play dumb, "That bein horriblebly. She must scary out of her mind being now. But I-I certianly not being seeing her. One of the daughters would be scared to even considering going near me."
Fallon stared at the BFG as he backed away against the wall. "How long have we known each other, Runt," Fallon asked the BFG, "Ten, twenty centuries?"
"Long before the Dream Tree turned red," the BFG replied, "Before the bad dreams came to our land."
"Yes, before that day. We grew up before then," Fallon admitted to the BFG, "So I know you very well... and I know when you be lying," Fallon finished with venom in his voice as his second head growled in agreement. The other giants laughed and sneered at the BFG's failed attempts at lying. "What be your reply to that," Fallon asked his former friend.
The BFG said nothing as his friends continued to hide above him. After a moment, he finally found his voice and spoke. "Are you be hunting the daughters out of vengeance... or fear, General," the BFG asked him in a quiet but stern voice. Fallon's eyes widen from the smaller giant's words as he continued. "Are you after the daughters to make them suffering or are you more afraid of them being? You can barely be handling one descendant," the BFG continued his defiance against Fallon, "Does two more intimidated you so much that you be needing help to finding them that you'd come to me for it?"
The room fell silent as all the giants stared in disbelief at the BFG. Never had he spoken such words before... and no one dared speak them to someone like Fallon. Jack and the others stared down in disbelief at the only friendly giant that was risking everything for them. If it wasn't for the fear of exposing themselves, they would be applauding the BFG for his courage.
After a moment of deafening silence, Fallon's frown turned into an evil smile as he began to laugh loudly. "What do you know," Fallon replied with a sinister grin, "You might have a spine after all," Fallon finished as he spat in the BFG's face. Fallon stood up and walked for the door as his army walked him in shock. Not from his words, but from not punching the BFG back for his words. That what Fallon would usually do to one of them if they spoke out of line.
Fallon then stopped in his tracks with his back to everyone. "Tear this place apart," Fallon yelled out in sadistic pleasure, "He's hiding his little friends here! Rip this place apart until they come out!"
The BFG stared in horror at Fallon's orders and the other giants cheering in pleasure at their new commands.
"Giants aren't meant to do harm to people or breaking things to make ourselves do the laughing," the BFG pleaded with desperation in his eyes, "We used to have fun with enjoying good dreams, sharing with the world below and each other! We all were friends once! Doesing none of that be meaning anything to anyone else here!?"
The giants just sneered at the BFG but then they looked at the general who stood there in silence. Even his second head was quiet as it looked at the main head. What the other giants didn't see was a look of thought. As though something in the BFG's words brought back memories of when the two were friends, almost like brothers. After another moment, Fallon turned his head to look at the BFG.
"Another world," Fallon said in a low tone of voice while glaring at the BFG, "Another time..."
The BFG stared in defeat at Fallon's words showing that those time meant nothing to the Fallon that stood before the BFG now.
Fallon left the BFG's home with a neutral expression while the other just laughed at the look of defeat on the BFG's face as he left his 'reward' for his former friend's bravery and defiance.
"You be hearding him," Fleshlumpeater exclaimed, "Let's make a mess!"
With that, the giants began to trash and tear through the BFG's things like it was demolition zone. They laughed and smiled maliciously as they tore through the BFG, Jack, and Chamo's things. From supplies to sentimental items filled with memories, nothing was safe as the giants broke whatever they could searching for Jack and the others. The BFG stood back in horror, unable to act due to his limited strength, and the lack of courage to even resist.
Above, Eric's group stared in horror as the giants rampaged. They all saw the destruction they were causing as though it was all a game to them.
"Oh mon," Sebastian said, "This be horrible..." The other animals agreed as they watched the senseless destruction.
Arista stared at the sight as the warm place she woke up in was torn apart. 'Just like the legend,' she thought as she remembered the story from her childhood, 'This is what the surface and the sea went through...'
"It's... just like before," Ariel thought as the memories of her own grotto being destroyed by her father flashed before her eyes. She felt sadness from remembering the pain she felt... but also great anger. Her fists clenched as she glared at the giants. "I won't allow this," Ariel began to say as she started to stand up and took a water bending pose.
"I'm right behind you, Ariel," Eric replied as he got up and pulled his sword out, "I'm not standing by while all this happens!"
Just as the two were about to jump into battle, Jack and Chamo got in front of them. "We can't," Chamo said, "Not only would we be giving Fallon what he wanted, we'd be fighting a battle we couldn't win."
"That's your friend down there," Ariel shouted in anger, "How can you ignore that!?"
"It's taking everything I have not to jump," Jack told her, "But I'm not about to waste the chance the BFG is giving us!"
Before they could argue anymore, the shelf they were standing on shook violently. A giant had thrown chair at the shelf they were on and now it was about to fall over.
"We're going down," Iago squawked in horror, "We're going to die!"
"Not while Big Ben is still on time," Jack replied as he pointed his staff to the right, "Over there!" In the direction of the staff, there was a metal pipe with water flowing from above.
"You want us to go down that," Dax asked in shock, "That's crazy!"
"We either fall from here or hide down there," Chamo replied, "Make your choice!" He began to ran for the ramp.
"You heard the ermine," Eric yelled out as he ran after him. With little choice, the others followed after him.
Eric and Jack stood on the sides of the make shift waterslide waiting for the others. One by one, each of the group jumped on the water slide with Sebastian riding with Ariel and Iago riding on the gosling. Eric and Jack went last as soon as they were the last just as the shelf went falling towards the floor. They all found themselves caught in the water's current as they went faster and faster around every curve.
Arista found herself being pulled by the current of water as she went down the path of the slide. With every turn, she felt her body being pulled down faster and faster.
'Oh my SHELLS,' Arista screamed internally as sped past giants wrecking the room and barely missing her and the others on the slide, 'If Fallon and the other giants weren't here, this would be amazing! Who knew water on the surface could do this!'
As she was reaching another curve in the make shift pipe system, a giant flung his hand back while throwing a plate over his back causing the path to rise up, and sent the blonde-haired princess flying through the air.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The next thing Arista knew, she was flying through the air again like when she first met Jack... only she was without him and his staff. She flew through the air like a stone thrown out on the water to be skipped and was heading towards the wall. She braced herself as best she could expecting to hit the wall. But instead crashed through a wooden door, and rolled onto the floor out cold from the impact.
The shelf landed by the BFG's feet causing him to look up where he had hidden his friends. A new sense of fear filled him as he looked around in desperation in between the rampaging giants. But he couldn't find them. He looked around the room in a silent panic as the giants continued their destructive attack of his home. He began to breath hard as he felt more emotional pain go through. Finally, he had enough as his hands shook with a burning emotion rising inside of him. For the first time in his life... the BFG was angry.
"THAT BEING ENOUGH," the BFG yelled out getting all the giants' attention. In a swift movement, the BFG grabbed a fire iron by the fire place, and began waving at them. "I be not having anymore of this in my home!"
With each swing, the other giants backed away in fear of the hot fire iron. Despite being strong giants, they still had the mind set of children, and feared being hurt by one of their own. They began to back away at the BFG's anger and the burning metal stick in his hand.
"That's right! You be getting back," the BFG declared, "Or you'll be getting lots of boo boos from me!"
With that, the last of the giants ran out of the BFG's home in fright. Once they were gone, the BFG began to inhale and exhale hard from the anger. He felt his whole body began to cool down and the fatigue from such an angry that once filled him. He fell onto his knees as he continued to breath in. Surrounded by his once clean room. Now left worse than when he first found the cave many centuries ago.
Suddenly, he remember his friends as he got up. "Jack? Chamo? Arista? Anyone," the BFG shouted out, "Are you all being alright!?"
"Over here!"
As soon as the BFG heard the voice, he ran in the direction, and found who he had been looking for. There in the sink was everyone from the surface. All in a huge dog pile from the ride and soaking wet.
"Oh, great idea, Bra for Brains," Iago exclaimed, "Now I'm soaking wet! Do you have any idea how hard it is to fly with wet feathers!?"
"As hard as it is for you to avoid the sight of gold," Dax joked as he poked out from Eric's chest.
"Oh, ha ha," Iago sarcastically said, "Oh my sides!"
"Oh, thank goodness you all being alright," the BFG said with joy on his face. Only for his joy to disappear when he noticed something... or someone was missing.
"Everyone alright," Eric asked them as he caught his breath.
"Depends what you mean by alright, mon," Sebastian said from inside Ariel's hair.
"Right as rain," Jack said as he straightened himself up.
"I'm fine," Ariel said as she stood up as well. She then turned around, only to notice the same thing that the BFG had noticed. "Arista," Ariel asked in fear, "ARISTA!?"
Next Chapter: Back to Where Things Began
I'm so sorry this took so long. This was a challenge to write and work kept getting in the way. Hope anyone who reads this enjoyed it. If you have any questions, ask away in the reviews, and I'll answer them as best I can. Hope the next chapter's production goes better though.