~Chapter 16~

Joel

The ship filled so fast with guests for the wedding. I was afraid I wouldn't make in time. They pulled back the gangplank just as I made it on board. People were mingling all around and as I made my way through the crowd, I picked up the gossip that seemed to have everyone talking. Some people felt that the wedding was rash and there was no kingdom announcement about the bride to be. It wasn't much, but it further proved that this Vanessa woman showed up out of thin air. I looked around for Eric to try again to snap him out of his horrible decision for the wedding, but instead I found Grimsby.

"Where is Eric?" I asked.

"Getting ready of course." Grimsby replied.

"Where?" I pressed.

"In one of the suites below deck."

"I need to talk to him…" I insisted.

"No," Grimsby replied quickly pulling me by the arm, "Come find a seat my boy, there will be plenty of time to talk after the wedding."

As he pulled me along, I saw a set of keys hanging off the side of his belt. I quickly grabbed them in a fluid undetected motion. My brother always said I had fast fingers for pickpocketing. I excused myself from Grimsby lying about getting a drink before the wedding started. He let me go and I did so with the keys in my hand securely. I found the stairs near the back of the ship going below deck. There was nobody down here no guards or security. Several doors were open and vacant, so I moved passed them. There were two more rooms at the end of this single, long hallway. The door at the end of the hallway was closed, but I heard a woman's voice coming from behind it. I recognized it as the one that I heard earlier this morning. Quickly, I took the keys, there at least were only three, and quickly began trying to lock the door. The second key I tried was the one that fit. As the door clicked, the woman inside paused for a few seconds, but then continued talking. I think I was in the clear at least until she tried for the door and then there might be some noise. Going back to the other door, I knocked quickly not waiting for permission to enter. By process of elimination, I knew Eric was in this room. I came in and shut the door behind me quickly.

"What is this?" Eric said as he turned toward me wearing his wedding attire.

"We have to leave now." I pressed pulling him along.

Eric yanked away from my grasp.

"No, I'm marrying Vanessa." Eric replied.

Soon the door to the room flew open and there was the bride holding a bouquet of flowers looking furious at me.

"Ready Eric?" She asked extending her hand out towards him.

"Yes, I am." Eric answered as he walked toward her, but I stood between them quickly. However, Vanessa grabbed me by the arm giving it a firm squeeze.

"Why don't you join the other guests…" She told me giving me intense eye contact, "And don't get in my way, human." She continued releasing my arm pulling me out of the room and ahead of her to return to the deck.

I ran up quickly and stood in the back by the buffet tables. They came up the stairs almost immediately after I did and the wedding music started to play. Eric led Vanessa by the arm down the aisle as the guests looked on toward them. Max, Eric's dog was growling at the bride, which she suddenly kicked with her shoe as she walked by without losing her stride. Nobody apparently saw that, but me. They stopped before the minister as he began reading from a book. As he read, I heard some noise coming from the sky and I looked up curiously. Soon a swarm of birds were headed this way. The birds were of various species and sizes from flamingos to blue birds. All of them flew at the bride unexpectedly, which she screamed trying to dodge them. Then some pelicans dropped a ton of water on Vanessa from their mouths. The rest of the guests reacted when several seals popped on deck wrecking havoc. I think Noella was using her gift to help the efforts to stop this wedding. People ran around scattering the chairs on either side of the deck. Vanessa looked irate and this whole time she was keeping her hand on top of her seashell necklace around her neck. A few lobsters tried to cut it off who had landed on her shoulders courtesy of the birds who dropped them from above. The minister still continued and he was getting to the "I do's". Eric went first saying them, but I ran toward Vanessa tackling her to the ground so she couldn't reply. With surprising strength, she shoved me off her as she quickly got back on her feet. I don't know why, but I lunged at her again this time going for the seashell necklace. It didn't make sense to me, but clearly it was important to her. I tried to yank it from her neck and she fiercely resisted me. Soon, Max trotted over and snapped onto Vanessa's leg making her lunge back screaming. The force of her falling back yanked against my pulls against the necklace and it flew from my grasp, in the air, and breaking in many pieces on the deck floor. Upon breaking, a golden orb of light flew out and it floated over to the side of the deck where to my surprise was Ariel standing dripping wet. The orb surrounded her circling her before going in her mouth and she was singing. I glanced at Eric who seemed to be in a daze, but upon hearing Ariel he ran over to her.

"Ariel." He said grabbing her hands.

"Hi Eric." She smiled.

"I thought you couldn't speak…"

"It's a long story." She smirked

"That voice… it was you who saved me that day wasn't it?." Eric said incredulously.

I looked on nervously at the fading sunset horizon.

"There were so many times I wanted to tell you..." Ariel said.

Eric brought his finger to her lips as he leaned in toward her. Then the sky turned grey as I watched Ariel groan as she crumbled to the deck floor exposing a green mermaid tail beneath the hem of her dress. Eric looked at her confused and Vanessa started laughing with a much crueler and deeper sounding voice.

"You're too late!" She screamed summoning clouds of lightning from her fingertips.
Vanessa melted away and the real sea witch revealed herself in the form I saw in the reflection. Ursula crawled toward Ariel eagerly grabbing her.

"Say goodbye." Ursula said grabbing Ariel pulling her overboard.

Eric yelled for Ariel as the sea witch pulled her over the ship's railing. Eric looked frustrated and equally focused. He began glancing around the ship and ran toward the ship's rowboat that was connected to a rope pulley system to crank it down into the water.

"Joel, help me please. I can't lose her again." Eric said with a fierce tone.

"I'm with you." I nodded.