** It's been a while since I submitted another chapter. Sorry it took so long. However, I'm happy to report that as of being here in FanFiction since December of 2015, I have received up to 2,000 viewers who have read my stories! I'm so happy! I hope to continue forward with this story and others beyond. Anyways, enjoy this chapter! **
"What are you doing, Erica?" a voice replied.
She looked all around and saw no one in the cave. Thinking that all she heard was a hallucination, Erica resumed of sacrificing herself, but then heard a noise inside the cave.
"Who's there?"
"A friend you cared about."
The only person she would have thought of right there was Aqua.
"Where are you? Are you here on land?"
"Yes."
"Let me see you."
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"If you look at me, then you will blame no one else about what you have done to me."
Not knowing what he was talking about, Erica tried to look for him all around the cave, but was unable to find him anywhere. As she turned around to get back to her spot, she then noticed the warlock as before.
"The warlock. What's he doing here?"
As she started to walk away from him, a memory started to appear in front of her eyes. Before she had her eyes opened from the trance, Aqua reached for the strand of hair, but as the water and the serum touched, a powerful light came from the two together and had her return from before. It then hit her. When Aqua went to reach forth the power to stop the serum, the Lake of Time was paid for, but not enough time to save her father's death. All of it was just a dream. To be sure if she wasn't dreaming, she walked close to him to see him clearly.
"Aqua?" she called out.
The warlock turned in respond of the name. In Erica's eyes, she saw Aqua as the sea witch's body.
"What happened?"
"This is what happens from the power of the sea witch."
"He did this to you?"
"Not just him. Another also had this happen."
She knew what he meant. All of this was her fault for thinking that she was fixing for what's right. As a new tear started to fall towards the ground, Aqua placed his hand towards her chin and raised it up for a moment.
"However, I will not let her take the blame anymore."
He held out the knife.
"Wait. What are you doing?"
"To end this. There's no point for me to live if my body will be used for evil. All will be lost and I cannot do anything to stop him. I will be the one to sacrifice himself."
Aqua then was about to strike himself down to the ground.
"Stop!"
He stopped himself for a moment and looked at her. She was actually singing.
"You don't have to take your life for me."
As Aqua looked at her, the form started to appear inside of her. To see how far she will complete the formation, Aqua then tried to use the knife again and get it close to him again.
"Stop!" she sang, "I don't want to lose you again, so please."
Her power started to form all around her that she never saw what she was doing. To tempt her, Aqua started to point the knife towards her.
"Why should I?"
"Because I..."
Her power started to glow as she thought about him, but she knew that Erica had to be honest and tell him the honest truth about her true feelings.
"Love...you."
Erica then closed her eyes and the power was restored all the way for both Erica and Aqua to return as a mermaid and him back as a merman. She then opened her eyes and noticed that both of them returned into the water and was floating.
"Look, I want to say that I'm-"
Before she was able to finish, Aqua came close to her and covered her mouth for a moment.
"Now's not the time for apologies. We have a kingdom to save."
Both Aqua and Erica dunk underwater and swam as quick as they can to save the kingdom. What she didn't know was that in Aqua's heart, he now realized that she fell in love with him, but do not know how long and if it was before the execution. He didn't have time to think about it for a moment. Right now, he has a kingdom to save and a villain to defeat. Meanwhile, as the wedding was ready for preparations, the sea warlock was still in Prince Aqua's formation. He looked at Tatiana and Ariel from a distance and knew that this plan he had prepared for was almost complete. The long hair which was stolen by Erica had an evil power from the serum. With that much power in him, he would be able to use a death song from within that will allow him to overthrow Tatiana and his fiancé to their doom.
"Aqua?" the sea horse called behind the door.
"Yes?" the sea warlock replied.
"Are you ready?"
"Of course I am."
"Well, come on out here. The wedding's in five minutes."
"Coming."
He glared at the mirror so much that his actual reflection was in view.
"This wedding will be the day they will regret for all eternity."
The sea warlock swam towards the door and followed the sea horse towards the chapel. The entire kingdom who lived here and the kingdom of Atlantica were present to celebrate this royal wedding. The song started to chime as the sea witch started to stand for Ariel to enter. As the wedding started to take effect, Aqua and Erica had just barely made it to the sea kingdom.
"Where do you suppose the wedding will be located?" Erica asked.
"The chapel just in the center of the kingdom."
"We need to get there fast."
She started to swim towards the gate when Aqua grabbed hold of her tail.
"What's wrong?"
"You can't go in there."
"Why not?"
"Last time you were here, you ended up killing yourself."
"But if you're there to stop me, then I have nothing to worry about."
"Me too!" a voice interrupted.
Both of them turned around and noticed that Fowler and the seahorse watched them at a distance.
"Fowler?" Erica asked.
"Sebastian. What are you two doing here?" Aqua asked.
"I've noticed that the Aqua that is down below is an imposter, but there is not one that believes my theory." Sebastian replied. "Not even the queen believed me."
"My mother was fooled? She's not going to like the truth once she sees me." Aqua replied.
"When the seahorse found me," Fowler continued, "I knew that he was telling the truth. No friend of mine was getting married so easily."
"Thank you, Fowler." Erica thanked as she was about to hug him.
Fowler backed away.
"I still don't trust you, traitor, but I'm willing to give second chances if Aqua's up for it."
"Very well."
"Any ideas of how to get into the chapel?"
All of them thought about the situation carefully.
"I got an idea, but you may not enjoy it." Sebastian replied.
He then explained carefully of what he thought of and what they are going to do to get in. Though it was a very crazy idea, it was better than any of them could ever think of. As all the mermaids and mermen entered the chapel entrance, both Aqua and Erica were dressed as servants in disguise. Just as Sebastian planned, he strolled through the entrance as Aqua, Fowler, and Erica swam in the back of the chapel to stop this wedding. As they made it towards the back door, two royal guards stood there silently.
"Great. Now what?" asked Fowler silently.
"Allow me." Erica replied as she slowly swam towards the guards.
As she came close to them, the guards blocked the entrance.
"Who goes there?"
"I, good sir, actually work for the future queen of the sea, Ariel from the kingdom of Atlantica. I need to seek her guidance at once."
"Apologies, but we cannot allow anyone not known to enter the premises of the chapel. Queen's orders."
"Not even for the prince." Aqua replied as he revealed himself to the guards.
Fowler just stood there in shock to see Aqua revealing himself to the royal guards. The men also were in complete shock when Aqua appeared that they apologetically bowed in respect.
"We sincerely apologize, your highness."
"We simply must ask why are you here instead of being inside in the chapel?"
"The reason why is that the Prince Aqua that is in the chapel is a fake one. We need to enter in and stop the wedding. No questions asked."
As the guards started to open the entrance as before, Erica and Aqua started to enter together, leaving poor Fowler behind. Aqua and Erica started to find the auditorium to see if there was any possible way to stop him, but what they never expected was the worst. When they tried to find a way to get to the entrance of the chapel, something started to feel uncomfortable for Aqua.
"Are you okay?" Erica asked.
"Something just doesn't feel right."
As he just mentioned that, a few items above the ceiling started to fall towards the ground. In fear, they started to swim as fast as they could towards the exit, but a huge item started to fall towards both of them. When Erica saw this commotion, she pushed Aqua towards the exit and both were safe.
"Ms. Erica, are you okay?"
She nodded and tried to get herself up from the ground. Each time that she tried, she was unable to do so.
"My fin is stuck."
"What?"
As he observed the boulder, Aqua had noticed a terrible incident. The item was one of the most heaviest items that more than one merman had to carry that weight. As he tried to find a way to pull the item up for her to swim out of, the wedding music started to play.
"You need to go, Aqua." Erica replied.
"Not without you, I can't."
"If you don't stop this wedding, then all will be lost."
"But...the prophecy-"
"Just go!" she cried.
Knowing that he didn't have time to argue, he quickly obeyed her command and swam towards the wedding to stop the sea warlock before it was too late.