'Ariel stop, we'll figure something out!' Aquata's attempts to halt her little sister's fretful swimming proved futile. Back and forth she went, her brow creased with worry. How she wasn't dizzy yet could only be marvelled at.
Ariel cast an incredulous glance in her sister's direction. 'How can you be so calm?' she exclaimed.
'Because one of us had to be!' came the reply.
She ducked her head guiltily. She was overwhelmed, that's all, hadn't considered this outcome.
'They were helping him,' continued Aquata, stating what they knew as fact, 'he's one of them, and that women didn't exactly look like she was going to hurt him.'
'And what happens at sunrise?' Ariel voiced her fears, 'what'll they do then? Because if they're at all like Daddy up there then I'm not going to just wait here and expect him to turn up.'
She didn't want to believe this, had always had an idealistic view of humanity, but they would be called into question now if Eric didn't make it back safely. Was it a risk she was willingly to take, to leave him to their judgement? And what could she do if not? She had failed him once already, she wouldn't do so again.
They had drawn away from the palace now, taken themselves back to more familiar depths as the tide continued its retreat. Occasionally, unable to remain still, Ariel would look above the waves, noting the windows of light upon the otherwise darkened exterior of the palace and wondering whether, in one of those lit rooms, Eric was fretting as much as she. Was he even aware of what had happened? The fact that she didn't even know whether he was alright troubled her most of all. He had regained consciousness so briefly that she couldn't help but worry that it had been only false hope.
'Aquata, I have to know whether he's okay, I can't bear it!'
The older sister crossed her arms, 'Okay, fine. We'll just go and ask Dad to turn you human so you can go and see him, shall we?'
Ariel, though irritated by her sister's mockery, recognised the impossibility of satisfying her longing. There was no way to get to Eric; she was down here and he was up there.
'Look,' began Aquata, fighting her own agitation in a bid to remain rational, 'we didn't plan this far ahead, regardless of the outcome. By now Dad will have realised what we've done, and if we go back I doubt he'll ever let us leave again. So what do we do? Go back and talk to him and hope that by some miracle he actually listens, or stay out here and figure out a way to get to Eric?'
She was pleased to have found that her desire to protect her little brother had not lessened despite their many years apart, but right now she was clueless as to how they could help him. She waited for Ariel's conformation that they wouldn't be returning to Atlantica until they knew Eric was safe, but her little sister's attention was elsewhere.
'Ariel?' Aquata looked over her shoulder, following her sister's gaze.
They were not alone.
In the near distance, features hidden by dim light, somebody was watching them. The Princesses drew closer together, unnerved by the intruder. How long had they been there? How much had they heard? The form before them was almost certainly mer, but they could make out no more than that.
'Who's there?' Ariel was the first to find her voice.
When they came no initial change Ariel wondered whether she had been heard, whether the current had carried her question far enough. Then the form drew closer. A mermaid approached them, her murky green tail appearing almost black in the night. Her features were defined, gaunt almost, and her brown hair floated above sharp shoulders. She drew up before the Princesses and both had to suppress a horrified gasp.
The right side of her fin was disfigured by an arc of missing scales and puckered scars, and the eye on the same side was white as sea foam. From the other she regarded the pair scornfully.
'It's rude to stare, you know?' she chided. 'I would've thought they'd at least teach you manners at the palace.'
Ariel and Aquata looked to one another guiltily, though shocked that they had been addressed with such boldness, and after she had first been watching them.
'It's come to the attention of my mistress that you're in a spot of bother,' continued the intruder, 'she'd be more than happy to help, of course.'
Aquata regarded this mermaid suspiciously, wondering still where she'd come from, how she knew anything about what had happened.
'Who's your mistress?' asked Ariel, ever the more curious of the two.
'Why, Ursula, of course.'
'The sea witch?' Ariel gasped.
'Do you know another?' There was a hint of mockery in the intruder's tone that riled Aquata. Plus, the fact that she was allied with the sea witch was a warning in itself that this was not a mermaid to be trusted. She could tell just by looking that Ariel was somewhat tempted by the offer though.
'I think we'll manage without, thank you,' she insisted, taking Ariel by the arm and seeking to drag her away.
'Will you? You won't mind me asking what your plan is then,' the mermaid teased.
Ariel freed herself from her sister's grasp and turned back. 'What's your suggestion?' she asked.
The mermaid smirked, raised her palms as though to demonstrate her innocence. 'All I'm asking is that you come and talk to my mistress, see what she has to offer. If you're not interested you can leave, quite simple really.'
Ariel turned to her sister, her eyes pleading. It was a risk, and a dangerous one at that. It was possible, however, that at this very moment they were being sought out by their father, and when he found them there would be no helping Eric. This was, with the limited time they had, their only option.
Aquata knew it too, and despite the sea witch's reputation she found that her desire to see Eric safe, to help the brother she had once loved so dearly, was too strong to ignore now that a possibility had presented itself. After all, they had paid caution no heed thus far.
She sighed, nodded in response to Ariel's silent question and shot a withering glance in the direction of the scarred mermaid. She didn't trust her, didn't like her attitude, her cockiness. If she could conceive any possible alternative she would never follow her, but for Eric's sake—and Ariel's too, for if anything happened to Eric it would almost certainly break her—she would have to.
Their leader smirked, satisfied. 'Follow me,' she instructed, turning tail on the two sisters.
Aquata took Ariel's hand, halting her progress before it had begun.
'Sorry, I don't think I caught your name?' she spat, determined that they should know who it was they followed so blindly.
The mermaid looked back, regarded her with one steely eye. 'Cedar. Perhaps you remember me?'
The palace of Atlantica emitted a soft light that blanketed the city, rising and falling with the sun and bringing with it a warmth that would otherwise have been snatched by the depths. Out here there were only spitting hydrothermal vents. It was dark, lit only in patches by deep sea creatures, and yet Cedar swam with a confidence and dexterity that suggested she knew every protrusion. The Princesses, joined by the hand, followed closely. They were a long way from home now.
Both remained silent, afraid that their voice would betray the anxiety they felt at going so willingly where they had been expressly forbidden. Stories of the sea witch were used to prevent children from straying too far from the safety of Atlantica. She was famed for her trickery, and her manipulative use of magic had seen her banished a long time ago. Ariel seldom adhered to her father's rules, but this had been one she had obeyed all too willingly. What would he say to see her now?
At length there approached a purplish glow, outlining the ridge before them. As, shivering with trepidation, the sisters cleared this ridge, their destination presented itself to them.
The witch's lair was skeletal, quite literally, some poor, majestic beast felled and stripped of its flesh over time. It lay now, captured in agony, it's massive jaws held forever wide by a silent scream. Along its spine, huge coral-like protrusions cast a shadow over the surrounding seabed.
Cedar looked briefly behind her, seemingly amused by the disturbance of those she lead.
'Getting cold fins?' she teased.
Aquata glared at her, but she had already redirected her attention. She barely remembered her, her disappearance being overshadowed by Eric's—though now that she thought about it, there existed striking similarities between the two events, and not only in proximity. That she had worked as a maid in the palace was as far as Aquata's memory reached. She had thought her no different to any other in her position, but what had happened to her since could only be guessed at.
She entered the waiting jaws 'This way,' she instructed curtly.
The sisters looked guardedly between one another before proceeding. The sight that greeted them as the upper jaw loomed overhead was stomach-turning. Beneath them polyps of all shapes and sizes filled the open mouth with their own tortured moaning. Aquata's hand flew to her mouth, trapping the scream that threatened as they extended desperately upwards, drooping eyes pleading. She pulled Ariel further up, distressed by what she was seeing and regretting the decision to come here entirely. She was about to appeal to Ariel when a voice beckoned them further.
'Come in Princesses, it's rude to lurk in doorways. What would Daddy say to see your upbringing go to waste?' This followed by a poorly suppressed snigger.
Ariel spoke to Aquata without words then, trying to ignore the writhing mass over which they floated. We've come this far.
They entered the beast's ribcage, now hollow and fitted for comfortability. Moving aside a tendril of slick pink weed—at least they sincerely hoped it was seaweed—presented them with the Cecaelia, and Cedar beside her. She sat at a dressing table, an array of unfortunate creatures strewn before her, and regarded the pair via the mirror. Her lips curled upwards.
'There you are. Admiring my garden were you?'
'I'm not sure admiring's the right word.' Aquata's voice trembled only slightly as she responded. She wanted to be brave. She was the older of the two and therefore had a duty to protect Ariel, but she was terrified, unused to breaking the rules. Her disobedience this far had been covert, most notably in her remembrance of Eric. This was different. This was dangerous.
Ursula either didn't hear or chose to ignore the comment, seemingly more interested in her own appearance than listening to anything the Princesses had to say. She raked her fingers through her shock of white hair until Ariel, anxious that they not waste time, interrupted her preening.
'We were told you would help us,' she prompted.
'Could, not would,' corrected the sea witch, raising a finger and rising from where she had been seated. 'In the way that you father could help you, but won't.' Thick tentacles carried her closer to the centre of the chamber, where she stopped before a basin of sorts. 'Now, angelfish, I will help you, but you can't expect something for nothing. What I offer will come with a price.'
'What price?' asked Aquata, Ariel's hand still caught within her own.
'Patience. Now, this friend of yours—lover... brother... whatever he is—this Eric, you want to get him back. I can't say that I blame you, fine young thing that he is.' Ursula allowed herself a private chuckle. 'What would you say if I offered you the opportunity to go to him yourself? To find him and bring him home.'
Though perturbed that the sea witch knew so much of their situation, both Ariel and Aquata were admittedly intrigued.
'How?' wondered the latter.
'Well by becoming a human yourself, of course,' Ursula started, as though it were the obvious solution.
Ariel gasped. 'Can you do that?'
'My dear, sweet child, I have dedicated my life to such things. Those in possession of magic must assist the unfortunate, those, like yourself, with no other to turn to.'
The witch's voice was heavy with pity, much of which Aquata supposed to be faked. If she were telling the truth then why all the stories warning merfolk to keep their distance? She hadn't forgotten that this would come at a price, and repeated her initial question as to what it would entail.
'Demanding aren't we?' chided Ursula, 'very well. Here's how it will work. I will give you a potion that will turn you—only one of you mind—into a human for twenty four hours, no more. You will have that time to find the boy. Now listen carefully this next bit is important. Whether you succeed in finding him is no concern of mine, you will turn back into a mermaid one the time is up regardless, and afterwards belong to me.'
Such calmness were these words spoken with that Aquata almost thought she had misheard. Belong to the sea witch. What exactly did that entail? She looked to Cedar who, sensing her confusion, simply nodded her head in the direction of the gaping jaws. Understanding came swiftly then, like a sharp slap, and Aquata swallowed thickly.
Ursula lifted a scroll from the cauldron before her and unfurled it upon the current, it's conclusion coming to a halt before the baffled Princesses as they struggled to take in all that they had been told.
'So'—the sea witch conjured a needle of light between her fingers and offered it—'which of you will it be?'
Neither swam forward immediately, looking instead to each other. The terms were absolute. If they agreed to this deal they would sacrifice their freedoms—their lives!—without any guarantee that Eric would be safe. Was it worth it just to try? Surely not! There must be room for some negotiation here. Aquata thought back over the years she had spent thinking of him, years of wishing to see him again. She had often wondered what she would do for the chance to see him again. That commitment was being well and truly put to the test now. Ariel need only cast her mind back over the past couple of months, resolute that, for everything he had done, she would spare no effort in helping him. He deserved no less, whatever it meant for her, and she was certain that he would do the same were their positions reversed.
They came to their conclusions at the same time and spoke over one another to put themselves forward.
Ursula rolled her eyes as the sisters confronted one another.
'Ariel I'm sorry, but I can't let you,' insisted Aquata. 'You're my little sister and I won't let you throw your life away. Besides, if we do manage to get Eric back he'll need you. I'm sure he'd rather have you waiting for him than me.'
Ariel shook her head, caught Aquata by the wrist as she moved forward.
'It's my fault that this happened in the first place,' she argued, 'I got him into this, I have to fix it. I promised him I would.'
Amused though she was by this, Ursula was quickly tiring of such honourable antics. It sickened her. She snapped her fingers for Cedar's attention and directed her to the cauldron.
'An opportunity to demonstrate your learning,' she suggested quietly, 'remember what I told them, twenty four hours only.'
Cedar nodded eagerly and hastened to the clamshell cabinet. It always thrilled her to be put to the test like this, for she relished the chance to put into practice what the sea witch had taught her of magic.
Whilst she set to work Ursula slid over to the Princesses.
'Enough,' she demanded. 'Don't get me wrong it's commendable that you're so willing to sacrifice yourselves for one another, very sweet, but you may do so elsewhere if you please. I'll tell you what, you can both sign, then take the potion and discuss it further. The one who drinks the potion does so knowing that they belong to me. The other may think of themselves as collateral, if the one sister fails to show I'll simply take them instead. Do we have a deal?'
A flash of blue light filled the chamber, directing the attention of both sisters to Cedar's work behind the sea witch, to her meticulous finger movements and imperceptible whisperings over a now thick and bubbling substance.
Knowing that they still had time to think about this, to deliberate, Ariel took that which Ursula offered and, taking a deep breath, signed her name at the bottom of the contract. Aquata was quick to follow suit, though irritated that her sister had simply taken the sea witch's word without reading the glowing contract which both were now bound to. What would their sisters say? Their father? One of them would never see them again.
Ursula smiled, tearing the scroll away before either could change their mind.
Another flash and accompanying bang erupted from the cauldron, before a beaming Cedar appeared holding a small vial of ink-black liquid. She presented it to her mistress proudly, unaware or uncaring of the dark smudges upon her cheeks and the sticky substance that matted her hair.
'Excellent, my dear,' praised Ursula, inspecting the gift, 'that'll do the job nicely.'
She held it out, whereupon it was snatched quickly by Aquata in her eagerness to escape this place, much to her sister's chagrin, for Ariel was resolute that she would be the one to seek out Eric.
'Now remember'—Ursula's voice was oily, slick with satisfaction—'your time will begin immediately after taking the potion. Use it wisely.'
She turned her back then, the Princesses dismissed. Aquata practically dragged Ariel from the carcass. Where they would retreat to remained to be seen, but she intended to put as much distance between themselves and the witch as possible. Behind them, and seeming to surround them from all sides, their tormentor cackled at the promise of victory.