A Mermaid's Tail

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its fabulous characters. All recognizable players, dialogue, and/or magic spells belong to ABC and Disney.

Chapter 8

The news that a new criminal was being coveted by Queen Regina did not settle well with the village of Venn. All of the locals already resented the queen for the repressive presence of her guards when taxes were collected and new laws enforced. No one in their right minds would even think to offer to help hunt down the fugitive. So because of this collective consensus, despite the continued patrols and the questioning, by the next day the guards had remained unsuccessful in taking the criminal into custody known by all to be an odd, red-haired, mute girl.

But their prey was further away than anyone would have suspected…

Ariel abandoned Venn only after scouring the entire village and outskirts for Eric. Despite his father's strict orders, she could not bring herself to leave without saying good-bye to him. However, like the knights she had been unsuccessful in her endeavors. Any attempt she made to ask local villagers where Eric might be ended with them giving her distrustful looks and shielding their children from sight, as if her very presence brought a pox upon all of them. It did not help that she could not speak and had to rely upon signing and scratching her message on scraps of paper with charcoal sticks. Apparently, when humans sensed an outsider they did not hesitate to ostracize. Ariel was well aware of the stares and whispers. Often times she heard the voices despite the parties best efforts:

"Showed up out of nowhere without any clothes…"

"Never spoken a word…"

"Weirdest behavior…not natural…"

"Ought to turn her in you know. She might be dangerous…"

It did not bother her. She had lost track of the number of times her sisters had threatened to feed her to a shark, to toss her away like an unwanted scale, or push her into a whirlpool. What did bother her was that she could not find Eric, or even Scuttle. Despite her stubborn nature she gave up after night had fallen. The guard had doubled patrol and she spent more time avoiding them by ducking into alleys than looking. If Eric was back at his house, she could not go there. His father would likely drive her out or worse, turn her over the queen's guard. It was amazing that John had let her go to begin with. He had always had his suspicions about her, and now the visit from the queen's guard only reinforced them. She was a wanted criminal and he had had every reason to turn her in, and yet he had allowed her to leave.

I'll never understand humans she thought disdainfully.

It was night now and she continued to travel. Since it was now officially winter the cold came with a vengeance after the sun fell, the full moon bright and beautiful against the dark canopy of stars. Having no clothing that offered even a semblance of protection against the chill, Ariel could only wrap her thins arms tightly around her torso. Her breath came out in rapid puffs of mist as she tramped down the road. She considered going back to Ella's, but then decided against it. She did not want to burden her friend further and there was really nothing Ella could do.

Have faith in my dreams huh Ella? She thought to herself as she stepped past the path that led to the gated walkway of the Tremaine estate. I wish that had been enough.

There was nothing she could do to stop it. She would turn back into a mermaid the following night, when the sun set on the third day. Since she had resolved herself to that fate, Ariel was returning to her true home. That's right…she was going back to the ocean with her tail tucked between her legs, as the humans put it. If she was not back in the water by the time her transformation happened, she would die. Simple as that.

Changing courses she turned off the road, blindly following her pure mermaid instincts that the sea water was in an easterly direction. She was now traveling through the very depths of the Enchanted Forest. A wolf howled long and lonely in the distant and the mermaid imagined she heard the same note of sadness and desperation in the other creature's tone. She had not intended to feel sorry for herself but when she stopped her hike to settle down for the night, the tears came hot and heavy. Curled up in a miserable little ball on the freezing forest floor, Ariel whimpered softly, her sobs not making a single sound. She felt as if her heart had been ripped out, beaten to its core, and then thrust coldly back into her chest.

How could I have been so stupid? How could I think that it would all work out? She asked the dark sky but the night was as silent as the stars.

Traveling as she had, not stopping for rest, Ariel reached her destination by late the next afternoon.

I'm home Ariel reflected as she stepped out of the tree boundary and into the sandy shore.

Despite (or perhaps because) of the circumstances that led her back here, Ariel was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia when she saw her beloved ocean again. Three moons she had been away. Three moons away from the beauty, the gentle touch, the smells, and the tender movement she associated with her old home. Her leather boots sank awkwardly into the sand until Ariel sat down and pulled them off. She wiggled her toes, savoring the feeling of the grainy material on her feet.

If only I could have both The crazy idea came to her head. If I somehow saw Eric again I would walk right up to him, tell him I'm a mermaid, and then he would still love me.

She slowly descended the slope towards the waterline. Inhaling the intoxicating scents of salt water, seaweed, and wet sand Ariel felt herself let go. For just a little while she forgot her troubles; forgot that any hour now she would have to swim back to her pod and surrender herself to the mercy of her queen, forgot that she had found and then lost a wonderful human boy. Hesitating for a moment, uncertain as to how she would feel, the mermaid stepped forward and boldly put her feet in the cold water.

It felt so wonderful! Like a rush of euphoria, unfelt in nearly three months. But only for a moment. Ariel thought again of Eric and fought the urge to start weeping again.

Get a hold of yourself! Anger was a more familiar emotion so she decided to try and switch to it. You tried and you failed…simple as that. No more tears you pathetic, spineless little…But then she had to stop; the words were echoing what her sisters always called her, what Ella had to endure every single day of her young life. The words were not who she was.

Gods what is wrong with me? Ariel sank down to her knees, letting her soiled skirts soak up the foamy wash. There didn't seem to be any sobs left in her, not even the gentle touch of the waves against her calves helped. She drew her knees up to her chest and sat huddled, allowing the cold caress of the sea to stroke her feet again and again.

If this is supposed to be what you feel when you lose someone you care about…I don't understand love at all. Ariel thought as she hunched. This can't be the "most powerful magic of all", not when I feel so…

Suddenly, a grey-white flash came hurdling from the tree lines and smacked right into the large boulder nestled next to Ariel on the shoreline. A small explosion of downy fluff poofed into the air. Temporarily shocked out of her depression, Ariel rose and quickly walked over to see if the creature was alright. Said-party was an oddly-familiar, disheveled, cross-eyed, bundle-of-mess seagull, rolling around in a crazy manner but seemingly unhurt.

"Ariel! I've been looking all over for you sweetie. Have I got news for you!" Scuttle flapped, cawed, and hopped up and down at the same time. His greasy, disheveled head bobbed fervidly and his bird-eyes had that crazy look to them again.

Had Ariel not been so miserable she would have laughed in delight at seeing her old acquaintance. As it was, she could only manage a small smile.

"You'll never believe who I just saw. Here I was, talking to my best buddy when…"

"Ariel! Ariel over here!"

Another voice called out her name, but this one was human and was strained with urgency. Ariel turned and saw Jenny, Eric's mother, trotting down the shore towards where Ariel and Scuttle stood. A thick teal shawl was wrapped around her shoulders and the familiar white kerchief tucked over her ears.

Ariel tugged at her torn sleeve self-consciously, suddenly very aware that she had ruined the nice dress Jenny had lent her for the Harvest Festival. An embarrassed flush rose in her cheeks as she looked down at her mud-splashed skirts, ripped top, and the stained undershirt. But Ariel was sure that this would not be the worst of it. She was certain Jenny was here to give her a merciless scolding for all the trouble she had caused her son. In the months that she had come to know the human woman, Ariel was well aware of the close bond mother and son had shared.

Bracing herself for the worst, Ariel straightened herself and cast a wary eye at Scuttle as if to say, Stay out of this.

But just as she was prepared for battle mode, the woman did the last thing Ariel expected her to do. She put her arms around the mermaid in a loving hug. Ariel stiffened up in the embrace, feeling like a stick. Twice now she was encased in a hug, very odd these ways of humans.

"Ariel! Where have you been? I was worried" Jenny breathed into Ariel's matted hair. "You didn't come back to the house and we have not seen you for days!"

Ariel swallowed hard, her head still reeling from surprise. You don't hate me?

Jenny loosened her hold a little. "And then Eric and John had that fight and he took off in his skiff…" she continued in a harried, troubled tone.

Ariel jerked herself out of the hug, hoping she had heard right. What? Eric is on the sea now?

She pointed to the surf, made her usual high-pitched mewing noise to signal a question, and mouthed slowly Eric?

"Yes dear" Jenny's voice said, but Ariel was not quite listening.

I can still make it! If I can just reach him before the sun sets. Ariel felt an excited tingling in her body at the possibility. She racked her hands heatedly through her filthy red hair. Eric is out there!

She turned, completely ignoring Jenny as she scanned the horizon hopefully.

"Oh you won't see him now. He left early this morning after getting into a fight with John" Jenny reassured Ariel, wondering at the look of realization on the teenager's face. She sighed and shook her head sadly, recalling the intense confrontation this morning over the breakfast table. Her son felt as if it was his soul duty to find out where Ariel had run off to but her husband had expressly forbid it. After a heated exchange between father and son, Eric had stomped out of the house towards the path that led to the shoreline.

Following the arrival of the queen's guard, Jenny herself had gone through her memory of all the times she had spent with Ariel. Nothing in her entire manner had ever suggested the teenage girl was a maleficent person with a criminal mind. Ariel had always been sweet and wonderful to her son and Jenny would not even consider thinking badly of her. However, her husband had been a little less convinced. "Eric went out looking for you early this morning," she said finally, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Ariel's ear. "After he didn't find you he went out on his skiff, hoping to get away and think a little. He really is very worried about you."

"That's what I wanted to tell you kiddo! I saw your prince," a bird-voice screeched out.

Scuttle! Where did you see him? Ariel turned completely away and rounded back towards the bird, frantically wringing her hands.

"Well I was flying… I mean of course I was flying…and then I saw the flounder, no your prince and then flounder…I mean" the bird stammered in cohesively, eyes scrunched hard in concentration.

Just tell me where you saw him! Ariel clenched her fists hard and thumped them against her thighs in frustration. She wanted nothing more than to reach out, grab Scuttle by the neck, and wring the answers out of the deranged bird. She shook her head, glaring at Scuttle with fury.

"It's alright, I can tell her," came a younger voice behind the rock, from the shallows of the deeper tide waters behind Scuttle's rock perch. Ariel leaned over to look.

A round, scaly head poked itself out of the waters. Even for a sea creature the coloration of light blue stripes on a yellow hue was startling and very noticeable. The striped bass was one of the largest and roundest Ariel had ever seen, its large oval-shaped body stretching as long as Ariel's arms. But the creature gave off an air of magnetic appeal with its expressive, friendly face and large pleasing eyes.

"I'm Flounder." The fish stuck its head further out to enunciate better, its large gills flapping heavily and uselessly out of the water.

Despite the circumstances, Ariel had to pause and cock her head inquisitively at that. Flounder? Asfar as she could tell, it was a striped sea bass, not a flattened flounder. The round, robustly fish was the furthest image of a flounder than she could possibly imagine.

"Yeah I know..." The young one pursed its translucent lips together, doing the best impression of a grimace as a fish can. "My mother had a sense of humor".

"Ariel, what are you…" Jenny was entirely confused. She was watching the teenager engage in a heated argument with a seagull and a fish. Normally she would be concerned that this behavior indicated madness, but the girl had been sleeping on her floor for months now and Jenny felt as if she knew her well enough by now.

"I saw Eric, the one Scuttle says you were with, leave this morning in his boat." Flounder the not-flat-fish said hurriedly. "He was not paying attention to the waters, looked like he was angry. Didn't even notice me swimming next to him."

I have to find him Ariel knelt down and gently took the fish face in her hands, trying hard to convey her thoughts since she could not speak. Please help me.

"I'm on it!" The fish ducked underneath the waves and Ariel saw his huge round body gracefully arch towards deeper waters. He was only gone a minute and when he did come back, Flounder was nudging a huge floating beam towards the shore. The article had formerly graced the highest mainstaff as part of a mast in a previous life but now, it would serve a better purpose as a life-vessel for Ariel. A thick coil of rope was attached securely to one end, with the other end held firmly in Flounder's mouth. Ariel waded into the shallows to touch the beam and confirm it would work well as her ride. But she still had one thing left to do…

After returning to the shore, Ariel began to wiggle out of her skirt. The long folds of cloth would only slow her down for what she was planning on doing. She allowed the material to drop to the ground, and then swooped upward to pull the camise top off too. Once done, she stood in front of Jenny with only her long undershirt and dark, skin-tight leggings on. Her arms instantly hardened with goose bumps at the frigid wind as her red hair billowed in streams about her face. She quickly wrapped the articles of clothing in a bundle and placed it in Jenny's arms.

"Ariel…I don't understand…" The older woman stared down at the clothing; feeling as if something ultimate was going to happen.

I have to go Jenny Ariel pointed to herself, then to the waves. I need to see Eric. She reached out and clutched one of Jenny's hands, pressing it firmly over her own heart. Thank you for everything you have done. For showing me things, for helping me, just for everything. I'll miss you.

Ariel lightly touched Jenny's cheek then turned fully to the ocean. Come on Scuttle! I've got a boy to kiss.

"Righto! To action troops!" Scuttle flapped his wings fervidly, kicking up some dry sand in his excitement. "Ariel, grab onto the rope. There you go…Flounder! Get her to that boy as fast as your little fins can take you. I'll take point watch." With a clumsy arch, the seagull took to the skies.

Ariel lifted her legs high, bounding into the icy ocean with a flurry of splashes as she pushed past the strong shore waves. Flounder was right beside her, already tugging at the piece of mast. When the water came to her neck and started to knock her off-balance, Ariel grabbed a hold of the floating timber and allowed herself to be tugged forward by Flounder.

Jenny was shocked further. "Ariel! What are you going? Are you crazy?" She called frantically from the shore, dropping the bundle of clothing Ariel had shed, and running into the shallows herself.

Too late. The girl was already past the second sandbar and headed into deep waters, scanning the horizon frantically for Eric.

Meanwhile, deep in the Enchanted Forest…

Rumplestiltskin set out his instruments with the upmost care. Even though the clearing was devoid of any large obstructions, he was taking no chances. Not on the day he was finally getting his revenge …

Taking care not to spill, he placed a vial glowing with the essence of magic on a weathered old stump. He strategically plotted a course line then stood at the ready. One clawed hand reached into his coat pockets and withdrew a glowing mollusk shell, the faintest murmur of the song of a siren emanating from within its inner coils. Rumplestiltskin placed the shell on the forest floor and straightened himself to admire his work. Everything was ready…now all he needed was his lure to begin. He retreated to the underbrush and concealed himself with a threadbare cloak from his old days as a humble weaver. Once settled, Rumplstiltskin glanced back towards the clearing and carefully swept his forefinger in a casual flick.

The seashell holding the voice of the mermaid cracked, ever so slightly, and the exquisite melody that emanated from its core rose in volume. It would pull only the magical being that Rumplestiltskin had placed the tracking spell on. Not long now.

"Come to me my dearie," Rumplestiltskin crooned into the darkening late afternoon breeze.

"Don't worry Ariel" Flounder's words came out strained but determined. "We're going to make it. We're almost there!"

Ariel kept kicking to keep herself a float. The piece of timber was already soaked and was not providing enough buoyancy for her body. She had already gone under the waves multiple times, only to have the brave bass swim under to push her back up to the surface. Swimming as a human was so slow and awkward. Whenever she tried to do a simple tail stroke, she ended up flopping like a dead fish. The only swimming motion that she was able to do was to slide her legs back and forth, as if she was running. That of course made no sense, running in water, but it was all she could capable of for now. They were in treacherous waters with winds and waves that would have been threatening even if Ariel had her tail. As she and Flounder kept swimming, Ariel was painfully aware of a high-pitched buzzing in her inner ears that signaled an impending sea storm.

Eric where are you? Ariel thought hopelessly as she spat out yet another mouthful of salt water.

Flounder was also tiring but the brave sea bass tried to not show it. His lateral lines were on fire, allowing him to detect the distinct movement of the rowboat out on the sea. Fish with their super-sensitive nerve line are able to tell individual movements in the water. Flounder was now using this ability now to find Eric so he felt, rather than saw, the boat first.

It was Eric! In his skiff. Bailing out another bucketful of water, Eric did not notice Ariel and the fish swimming up to him at first. Flounder pulled the timber right up to the boat, making sure he saw Ariel grab the side before letting go of the rope. She clutched to the flank so tightly her knuckles turned white. The thrashing sea threatened to tug her away, but she continued to cling with weak arms.

Eric! Ariel opened her mouth to call to him but the only sound was the winds and tossing waves.

Just as she was slipping, her tired hands unable to hold onto the wet boards, a strong grip folded around both her arms. Eric had grabbed a hold of her and quickly pulled her over the sides of the boat. She was so exhausted she could only huddle in a pathetic crouch on the floor of the skiff, her stiff arms clutching her shaking sides.

"Ariel! Are you alright?" Eric quickly shed his oilskin and gently tucked it around Ariel. It was still warm from his body and Ariel felt immensely grateful. Her own body shook with cold and she could not stop her blue lips from trembling no matter how hard she tried. The boat tipped haphazardly with the rocking ocean, occasionally tipping enough to let some water in.

"What are you doing out here?" Eric leaned in and put his strong arms around Ariel's shivering wet form, her long hair soaking his dark-colored tunic.

"You didn't come back…I thought for sure those knights had taken you and thrown you into a dungeon or something." Eric continued to hold Ariel, stroking her head as if to reassure him that she was really there. "Ariel, how did you come to be out here? Did you come looking for me?"

Eric stop it! Ariel tried to keep on track of things. She desperately pulled out of the warm embrace, even though she hated to end it, and clutched his hand. We are in the ocean, the sun is about to set, the storm is about to hit and I need you to…

She fervidly gestured towards the clustering cumulonimbus clouds, opened her hands wide to suggest an explosion, then lowered her hands and wiggled her fingers to show an onslaught of rain.

"The storm? Is that what you're worried about? You came out here because you thought I was in danger?" he chuckled in the same tone his mother usually used when she thought his imagination was a little too wild. "Ariel, I know how to handle myself in a storm." He gently pushed a strand of her hair from over her eyes.

Well… that's not just why I'm here. But her thoughts trailed off as she suddenly, inexplicitly felt very shy. It had seemed like a good idea at the time: swim out to Eric and then somehow convince him to kiss her. But now that she was here, she felt a very annoying sense of reluctance. As she looked bashfully down at her knees, she felt his gentle hand under her chin, lifting her face until their eyes met.

"You don't know how brave and beautiful you really are," he whispered with a warm smile as he lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb.

Ariel swallowed hard and leaned forward, shoulders hunching in shame. Oh Eric, if only you knew! I ran away from my family, I made a deal with the devil, and then I ran away again. I'm not brave and I will never be a good mermaid…

A single tear created a salt-streak down her miserable face. It dropped with barely a plop into a crack in the bottom of the boat… slide fully into the water…then created a ripple that surged silently far down into the deepest depths, invisible to all eyes save for one species…

Ariel saw the magical swell spread out like a damning beacon out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly realized what it meant. What have I done?

But all Eric saw with his eyes was her. "Ariel you came out here to save me. You are the craziest, most amazing girl I have ever met," his voice said with confidence, the words easily coming. He cupped his wet hands around Ariel's cold cheeks, leaning closer to her. Gazing at this girl, this wonderful girl, Eric felt something magical filling his heart.

He struggled for the words, struggled to say what he needed to say. "And I think I love you," he said it finally.

If there was one thing he could have said that shook her out of her sense of urgency, it was that. This time when she leaned in she embraced him too, hoping to show all she could not say with her voice. Her arms went around his neck while his own arms pressed against the small of her back. She inhaled his sweet scent while they folded into each other, completely content in each other's embrace. Eric was holding her so tightly she felt as if she was sinking into an abyss, but she did not want to swim away. As a matter of fact, she wished not to ever leave his arms, ever again.

Finally they pulled back a little, arms still around each other. His face was glowing with happiness and his eyes were joyful, and shining. "I do love you Ariel."

This time, she smiled back at him for his words had filled her with the warmth of an new but wonderful emotion. And I think love you. She took a deep, unsteady breath. I doubted if mermaids were even capable of love...none of my kind has loved before...but now...

As if he knew her doubts, Eric reassuredly pressed his warm forehead against hers and she was suddenly very aware of how near he was. Her heart fluttered when she saw his eyes over her own, felt his warm breath on her cheeks, and heard his heart rhythmically resounding in his strong chest. She froze, caught up in the heat of the moment. And then he put his hands into her wet hair, his lips just barely over her own...

But then…just as he began to deepen into a kiss, Ariel's cold fingers tenderly placed themselves over his mouth, gently pushing him away.

Ariel had come to a decision. By coming out here she had put his life in danger, something bad was coming. She had to save him, no matter what the cost. She did not understand this urge to let go, to forgo any chance of her safety. But she cared about this boy, Eric, in a way that she had ever thought possible, and she did not want to see him die.

Eric quickly lowered his hands from around Ariel's head, feeling his heart crushing with shame at her rejection. How could he be so stupid? He felt his face start to sting so he hung his head, trying to not reveal his sorrow.

"Ariel if you don't feel the same way…I understand if you don't want…" Eric stumbled on the words, seeing Ariel's unhappiness and misinterpreting the cause.

Ariel cupped his own face into her small hands, her determination to push him away gone in an instant. No Eric! It's not that at all, it's just…

The stability of the boat underneath the two young people was suddenly yanked from underneath them. Ariel was jarred so hard she fell into Eric's arms.

"What was that?" Eric could not fathom the cause. They were a few miles offshore and well away from any submerged reefs or shoals. He had not been worried about the water because he was well aware of the ability of his sturdy boat; the small pooling on the bottom was not cause for concern just yet.

But Ariel knew the source. I hope I am wrong. She glanced up at the sun, just barely peaking over the horizon in a brilliant display of a fiery sunset. Almost there…just hold on a little longer…

Suddenly, the entire boat flipped as if shoved by a great force and Ariel and Eric both went head-first into the icy ocean.

Ariel remembered the sensation of drowning all too well from the time Rumplestiltskin had first transformed her mermaid fin into legs. She felt the same panic well up again as the water crashed over her, her beloved ocean betraying her now in its ferocity. But only for a second… then the intense flashes of pain made her forget all about the fear of drowning…

When the boat tipped over Eric had not lost himself to panic; he was, after all, a fisherman's son, and not some clueless knight. Kicking his boots off, he calmly grabbed a hold of the upturned skiff with one arm and wrapped the other around Ariel. Eric struggled to keep her head above the raging waves, but he had a firm grip on her shoulders and would not be letting go for the entire world. He pushed Ariel with all his might towards the upturned skiff, determined to somehow get her on top of it. But for some reason, she was fighting him. Yanking and jerking in his arms. As if she wanted to go deeper into the water…

"Ariel! Ariel come on…what is…" His shouting easily cut through the wind and waves. But then suddenly, he noticed a strange orange glow rising from watery depths. No it was not under him… it was under Ariel.

What the…? he was very confused. This was his last thought before something powerfully strong grabbed his leg and suddenly pulled him under water.

Eric felt as if his heart would rupture from terror as he was yanked down into a dark abyss, bubbles swirling all around his body, all light disappearing as the water closed in over him. The temperature plummeted and the pressure pushed painfully as he went deeper. He kept kicking and reaching with his arms towards the surface, but to no avail. Whatever force had a hold of him was not letting go.

He started to recognize the bodily symptoms of drowning: black spots dancing in front of his eyes, his lungs curling in an agonizing scream. For one sickening moment he realized this was how he was going to die, drowned in the ocean he had always been so comfortable on. Before he even had a chance to kiss Ariel. Then…just as he felt his mind go blank and his sight fade to darkness, he felt something soft pressing against his lips. Forcing air into him. Breathing for him. Giving him life. There was a pause, and suddenly the whole world seemed to be moving all around at once. There was a deafening whoosh in both ears and he was blearily aware of the sensation of being lifted, dragged back towards the surface.

He managed to open his eyes just a slit. It was Ariel! He felt her cold, soft lips over his again, putting air into his lungs. She held him so close and so tightly they were completely meshed. Disoriented as he was, Eric forced himself to concentrate on feeling her kiss him. Her strong arms, her steady heartbeat, and her powerful legs propelling both of them upward towards the surface. Odd though…it felt as if her legs were moving in unison as if…

The two teenagers burst out of the water with a large splash, salt water droplets flying everywhere. A cascade of colors suddenly filled Eric's eyes as he energetically inhaled the sweet sweet air of the surface world. The sun had set and the ocean was awash with the mellow twilights of orange, purple, yellow, red…As red as Ariel's hair he thought in his groggy state. Deprived of oxygen for so long, it took Eric a little while to realize that he was floating in the bumpy ocean, held in a vice-like grip by small hands on his shirt. Under the water, a strange mass lightly touch his dangling bare feet; something large, scaly, and powerful.

"Ariel watch out! There is something underneath us." He tried to kick the thing away.

Ariel did not move, did not even blink, just stared at him. Stared so hard she almost looked terrified.

Held securely in her arms as he was, Eric felt her lower half shifting underneath to keep them both a float. As the scaly mass brushed against his legs again, Eric finally glanced downward and saw. Really saw. Right under her navel the skin changed into shiny emerald scales with fins running down the outside of Ariel's legs. No…there were no legs… there was a long, gorgeous, powerful tail. The tail of a fish…She's a mermaid!

Ariel continued to look at Eric, her eyes warily searching his face as water dripped off her eyelashes. It was like she was waiting for him to say something, anything!. But then again, he realized he was staring at her rudely with his mouth wide open. He quickly shut it, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness. Of all the reasons he had considered of for her silence, her oddities, and her wonderfulness…this had never occurred to him.

"You're a…a…," he stammered. "Ariel this is incredible…" The last statement was so soft; it might have been an unheard whisper.

But Ariel saw something behind Eric that distracted her from listening too hard. A dark, familiar-looking mass had risen out of the sea, the remaining light from the receding sunset illuminating golden-yellow hair. She frantically glanced around as more dark shapes emerged from the depths, inching closer with a feral hunger illuminating in their savage eyes.

No no no no Ariel really started to panic as she twisted and turned, looking around. She could not possibly fight off all of them. This cannot be happening, not when we're so close…

But it was. Floating in the same ocean as the two teenagers was the entire pod of mermaid sisters Ariel had abandoned. None looked remotely pleased to see her, and none spoke a single word as they continued to stare with terrifying, ravenous expressions.

Eric saw the women in the water and he made the connection right away. He was no fool; he could tell that something was wrong by the expression on Ariel's face and the look in the eyes of the other mermaids. Helpless as he was, Eric wrapped one arms securely around Ariel's shoulders, trying to convey his support. "I'm not leaving you," he whispered urgently.

Ariel felt her heart leap with gratitude, then just as suddenly sink with dread. A final dark mass had risen out of the sea, right in front of her and Eric. This one was bigger…much bigger. A large-bosomed woman with short silver hair emerged, her massive arms trailing over her wide stomach. But that was not the worst of it. Instead of a beautiful fish tail, the fiend's lower half morphed into that of a huge, black octopus, tentacles swaying and creeping all around. Two moral eels dangled from the woman's thick trunk of a neck, draping around her as if they were some kind of deranged stole. Ariel swallowed hard, her fear welling up even further. So this was the new queen of her mermaid pod. Marina had been a pacified, generously-kind little guppy compared to the sea witch. Ariel gripped even tighter to Eric's shirt, her blue eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"So…you're back now little mermaid." Ursula's silver hair flowed in time with the wind, as if she were its mistress commanding with her steely voice. Her tentacles twisted and turned as she faced the mermaid, baiting her with her mocking tones. "I've been wondering…I'm sure you've quite a tale to tell me."

The evil sea witch reached out and hooked a long-nailed finger underneath Ariel's jaw, pushing her head up to an uncomfortable angle. Ariel forced herself not to wince at the feeling of the talon piercing the delicate skin under her chin.

"And you're going to tell me everything little mermaid"

So there it is. I know this chapter had a lot going on and I do apologize for the extra length, but it begged to be written this way :) Sorry to leave you at a cliff but rest assured, I plan on telling more of the story as it continues to unfold in my imagination!

If you liked it, pretty pretty please review!