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 9

"I told you dearie, I had all the time in the world."

Blue knew her struggles were in vain but she could not help to try, yet again. She twisted around and shifted her shoulders. The magic net tightened its hold on her, but she was able to fold her fingers over the fairy wand tucked into her glittering belt. She tried to pull it free, but her elbows could not move any further.

Rumplestiltskin's sharp, reptilian-like eyes did not miss her subtle movement. Reaching over a clawed hand, he delicately plucked the wand from the fairy's belt using only two digits. He twirled the article with amusement in front of the fairy's eyes. At her full height he was able to stare her down, make her cringe at his face.

"Oh I see…" he taunted the Blue Fairy with his sneering tone. "You thought to escape. Well, no magic but mine is powerful enough to break that net dearie. Made from the hair of trolls, cost me a small fortune but when you weave straw into gold…" He trailed off, clearly enjoying his moment.

Blue was furious at herself. She had been a fairy worker for many human lifetimes but had somehow managed to get lured into a trap by the evil Dark One. That mermaid song that he'd used…so beautiful…it had been impossible to resist.

She had heard the melody just as she was leaving the home of a young tavern owner whose first-born was in need of some healing. The young one had foolishly eaten some poisoned toadstools. After performing a quick healing spell, offering some advice on further recover, Blue had glided off into the night. But then…she shifted directions when the song came. Right into this elaborate trap of the Dark One. The magically woven net had descended upon her, trapping her in her full-size and unable to move.

How in the name of all that is good did he get a hold of a mermaid's voice? The feat impressed even her. None could resist the pull, the need to get closer to the sound, not even the head fairy herself. It was a dangerous magic to have on the surface world.

This will not go unpunished! Blue grimaced as the net seemed to shrink further. Still, even as the situation seemed hopeless Blue had the sense to still her fear. After all, she did have an era of training and there was no way she would show fear to this monster.

While her face remained impassive and calm, her voice rose with passion and her dazzling purple eyes flashed angrily. "You may kill me Rumplestiltskin, but that will not help your cause. You will never get your son back if you continue to rely upon dark magic. You have already lost him."

Rumplestiltskin lovingly stroked the lengthy folds of her wand, seemingly ignoring the words of the fairy. "You're right about one thing dearie. Because I've already started to work on that…I will get my son back." He pointed the wand directly at Blue's face. "And you will pay for taking him away from me."

Blue squared her shoulders and glared defiantly at the face of the monster. As head fairy, there was no way she was going to beg. "I did not take your son…you drove him away. You are as unfit a parent as any I have ever seen." She knew that this was foolish talk, but her own sense of self-righteousness prevented her from shutting her mouth. "Baelfire is better off without you!"

Rumplestiltskin stopped playing with the wand, his claws pausing in mid-stroke, his face contorting into a terrifying fury. "Don't you EVER say his name!" He yelled. But his screams had more ache than fury in them. The fairy had voiced out loud what he had always felt, in the very corner of his heart, and that was guilt. Guilt of his cowardliness, guilt of choosing power over his son. The guilt every parent feels when they know they had failed.

No…this woman…this thing had taken his son. And now he had the power to end her for good. Raising the wand, he pointed it directly in Blue's face. Now, after months of preparation, he was finally getting his revenge.

But Rumplestiltskin made one fatal mistake in his elaborate trap…he failed to notice the newcomer…

A flash of white exploded from the night, knocking right into the fiend. Rumplestiltskin was too surprised to react quickly enough. He fell hard onto the forest floor, losing the wand in the process. It bounced rapidly on the ground, as if taking a life of its own, until it rolled to a stop at the paws of a pure white wolf.

What the…? Rumplestiltskin wrinkled his brown in confusion as he studied the creature from his position on the ground.

It was by no means an impressive-looking animal. Loose clumps of torn fur hung from its thin frame. The wolf was limping and its fur was darkened with old blood from crusted wounds. It was obvious the creature was hurt but despite the injuries, it was now growling aggressively at the Dark One. Its bright, golden eyes flashed angrily in the receding glow of the twilight.

The wolf stood perfectly still, glaring harshly at Rumplestiltskin as only a wolf can. She searched the clearing with eyes, ears, and nose for other enemies to attack. Her body quivered slightly, her muscles strained with the shock of what she had just done, the crime she had just committed. Wolves are never supposed to interfere with the affairs of humans. But it had been her choice. This wolf was very aware that the world was more than the hunt and the pack; there was good, and there was evil. And this…thing…had been about to do a great evil. She'd had no plan whatsoever when she went flying into the clearing, just that she could not watch the Blue Fairy get killed.

The wolf stood still in the darkness, a white mass against the dark outline of the Enchanted Forest at night. She sniffed the air and stiffened in disgust at what she derived from Rumplestiltskin's scent. Cruelty, cowardice, lack of empathy, lust for power. Forbidden as it was, she knew what she was called to do. She was after all…different.

"I asked you a question darling." Ursula's sweet voice masked her childish impatience.

Her head jutted upward as it was, Ariel could not move to explain her muteness. Eric was still in her arms, held as tightly as she could, so she could not even gesture. Ursula pushed her nail a little harder and Ariel felt a trickle of blood leak down her neck.

"Stop that!" Eric thrashed forward and pushed the sea witch's arm away.

"Well, well. This one is quite a catch little mermaid." Ursula grabbed Eric's chin and peered into his stormy grey eyes, noting the fury and passion. "I'll forgive him that little audacity, so long as you're willing to share the meal."

No! Ariel shook her head hurriedly and yanked Eric away from the clutches of the evil one, wrapping her thin arms protectively around him. There was no way in hell she was going to let them eat him. No way.

"Although…if you do not tell me right now where you got those nice-looking limbs Flotsam saw you with, I might just be tempted to keep your prize for myself." Ursula stroked the top of one of her eels as lovingly as a mother does her first-born babe. The creature's ghoulish face stared fixatedly at Ariel with its one good eye and the creepy fish leer sent a shiver through her.

Despite her fear, Ariel refused to let go of Eric. She had forgone the true love's kiss that could have made her human to save his life. Her tear, like a beacon in the dark abyss, had called to the mer-kind. It was all her fault he was in danger now. My fault. So much for her plan of dragging him back to shore.

"How did this happen to you!?" Ursula was clearly losing her patience.

"Leave her alone. Can't you see she can't talk?" Eric snapped.

Eric was no fool. He could clearly see that the strange octopus-woman was the leader of this pod, certainly more menacing that any other sea creature he had ever seen. He glanced at Ariel out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were lowered, head bowed in submission, and thin shoulders slumped. While her small hands still clutched his shirt with iron strength, she looked like she just wanted to curl up and disappear. Despite the dire situation, Eric felt angry at the sea witch for making Ariel feel so humiliated.

"Cannot talk? Well… that could be a problem." Ursula tapped her double chin with one long, blood-red painted fingernail. "And how, may I ask, did you come to lose your voice and gain legs in one gesture? Just mouth a name and that'll be enough."

Ariel glanced around again, taking in the crowd of onlookers glaring down at her, and then lowered her eyes submissively again. She would not answer that, it was too shameful. Ursula made a move that she knew would get an answer out of the little mermaid.

"Take him!"

The two mermaids Coral and Aqua jolted forward, grabbing Eric with brutal strength. Ariel fought to keep a hold of him but then felt her own arms yanked behind her. The two teenagers were separated, straining with all of their might to reach each other, but to no avail.

Ariel thrashed, jerked, and yanked but her sister Chloe had a tight hold of her. A strong hand caught her hair, stretching out her throat so that it was dangerously exposed. Still she could not make a sound.

"Let's just see about this shall we?" Ursula whispered dangerously, leaning in so close Ariel felt her cold breath against her own cheek.

The sea witch leaned backwards and nodded to Lena, one of the older mermaids. Lena's dark lips curled into a nightmarish smile as she flung her long dreadlocks back. Ariel's sister was known as one of the worst killers of the sea. She grabbed and lifted Ariel slightly out of the water by the loose front of her undershirt. Her long fangs gleamed a deathly white against her darker skin, right in front of Ariel's eyes. "Answer your queen 'little mermaid'," she said sweetly, "Tell her all. Tell her how you abandoned your family and betrayed your kind." She shook Ariel hard, ripping the shirt a little.

Ariel could stand it no longer, she absolutely hated that nickname "little mermaid". Her rage pushed her into do something rash. She jerked one arm out of Chloe's grip and drove her hand down the side of Lena's cheek. Like her incisors, her nails had sharpened considerably. Blood streaks appeared on her sister's flawless mermaid features.

Lena screeched and lifted her still higher with only one hand. With the other hand, she hurled a cuff directly into Ariel's face. Since she was held up by her neckline this prevented Ariel from ducking. So she took it, and then sagged face first into the water. Gods, what a blow. She slumped and tried to reign in her breathing as her vision slowly cleared.

Eric roared with fury. He was madly struggling against his captors, trying to come to her aid, but was held too firmly by the two other mermaids. Even in her semi-conscious state Ariel was aware of his attempts and also that they were futile. He was enraged beyond all reason, but Ariel would not let him attempt suicide. She stared back at him, eyes wide as she shook her head.

Do nothing! She commanded with her face, feeling herself trembling. I'm alright.

She tried to calm herself, even managing a shaky smile for Eric's sake. His face was furious, but he had the sense to listen to her and settled a bit. She spat blood from her mouth and watched fascinated while it diluted into the sea water. Lena leaned forward and slapped her again. Not nearly as hard as before but enough to make her ears ring a little. Her gleaming face told Ariel her sister was enjoying this. As Lena raised her arm again, Ariel cringed and tried desperately to shrink away.

"Enough!" Ursula said smiling. "There is truth in this after all. Not a single sound…" she mused softly to herself. "This could be useful to me…" She shifted her gaze away, with an almost dream-like expression. The octopus-woman was silent for moment, as though pondering over this unexpected good-fortune.

Lena floated closer and Ariel had the grime satisfaction of seeing her sister's newly-marred face up close. "Come now little mermaid" Lena said soothingly, putting her hand on Ariel's arm. "You have a lot to share with your queen." She floated towards Eric and started to stroke the side of his cheek with a talon. "We'll just quickly finish our meal and then leave you to it. Unless you were planning on eating him yourself?"

The matter-of-fact tone in her calm voice was what drove Ariel out of her fear. She could shrink back as she had always done, allow her sisters to have their way like before, and no one would think any less of her. A simple nod of her head and she would likely be spared. But that was not happening. Ariel shook her head rapidly. She had to protect Eric. She took advantage of Chloe's momentary surprise by yanking out of her grasp, then pushing herself towards Eric. Ariel's small form, her chin lifted fearless, placed itself between Lena and Eric.

I will kill you all before I let you have him she threatened them in her mind.

The other mermaids drew back a little, looking at her in surprise. This was the first time any of them had ever seen Ariel even remotely stand up to them. Seeing that she had the upper hand for the moment, Ariel pressed her luck a little more. She whipped around and punched Aqua in the mouth. Her knuckles split open as they made contact with one of her sister's fangs. Eric slipped out of her grip then elbowed Coral in the face, surprising Ariel with his fast movement. He was a great swimmer.

She felt her mind flood with hope. Maybe we can get out of this together! she thought.

Ariel thrust herself forward with a flick of her tail, and then re-grabbed Eric. He had sunk briefly into the water after Coral had let go but now he wrapped his arms around Ariel's thin shoulders gratefully. She spun around, desperately looking for a way to swim away when she paused.

A half-dozen more mermaids stared her and Eric down. Ursula had summoned the rest of the pod. The light of full moon reflected in their eyes, shining in the darkness of the night. One came forward, and Ariel saw a cold smile that was the stuff of ever sailor's worst nightmares.

The mermaid pointed to her. "You choose a human over your own kind. You are even more a traitor than we thought."

Ariel cringed and turned, not knowing where to flee, but Eric spoke up. "Leave her alone. If it's me you want then take me, but don't hurt Ariel."

Lena laughed hard, showing off her perfect teeth. "My my, what courage, threatening us with your puny human flesh. This from the weakest mermaid in sea. Weak and cowardly."

Ariel stiffened with rage, her face split with fury. I am not that mermaid anymore!

With all reason overwhelmed by her anger, Ariel advanced on Lena, lunging out clumsily as Eric slid out of her arms. She made an eel-like turn around her sister's back, and then her fangs found a vulnerable target. The teeth slashed, opening up the flesh at the connecting shoulder blade. This attack was out of fury so it was less calculated than the last desperate attempt at escape, but far more damaging.

Lena shrieked then chopped at Ariel with her tail. Ariel leaped clear with her own tail, moving fast. She pulled back, then twisted and lunged at another mermaid. As she coiled around her prey underwater, she felt the fiery passion of battle-mode take over her mind. Maddened by her fury, she thought of only one thing-take them down! She did not try to kill her sister, but instead stunned her with a quick blow to the head in an elbow jab. She uncoiled herself, then drove forward like a striking snake, right into another mermaid. The woman gave an unearthly screech, swung her arm upward, and then bashed a fist repeatedly against Ariel's unprotected back. Ariel pushed herself away, twisting herself underwater to gain momentum, and then lunged without a sound towards the remaining group.

But Ursula's tentacles were faster. Grabbing Ariel by both wrists she flung her back into Chloe's clutches. As Ariel fell, she saw Eric trying to twist out of Ursula's other tentacles, barely avoiding the snap from the eel dangling from her neck. But then he got caught too; Coral wound her upper arm around his neck and held him in a choke hold. He grabbed at her arm, but even his strong fisherman hands were no match for the mermaid's strength.

"A bit more fight in both of you than I would have thought." Ursula snapped. Her dark eyes flashed, betraying her anger. "I'm almost ready to kill you both myself."

Ariel ignored her, sagging in the death grip of her captors. The thought of what the sea witch would do to the both of them before she killed them made her feel a little sick. Still shaking with the intensity of her first battle, Ariel turned her head to gaze at Eric. He was staring right at her.

She was so small with such a sweet temperment that Eric had a hard time believing what he had just seen. The strength of her fish-tail, the fangs, how fast she had moved when she attacked. She had always seemed so gentle, awkward, and shy when she was around him. Completely harmless. And yet, it was still Ariel. The girl he had come to love. Fighting like a maniac.

Ariel…what the…? He could not even say it out loud. I really should get to know you better now that…

"The two star-crossed lovers, torn apart by higher circumstances, only to be willing to fight to protect the other. This is all so very romantic. I'm all a flutter." Ursula placed a hand over her large bosom and blinked her eyes rapidly, miming the onslaught of tears that never fell. "Ttttrrrruuuee love at its finest! And between a mermaid and her dinner! Oh I could just…" she dawdled off, all the while dabbing at her cheeks with the end of the tailfin of one of her pet eels. The fish looked as if it would have preferred another prop for the showcasing.

"Tell you what little mermaid. If you cooperate with me in one teeny tiny little endeavor, I will spare the life of your prince here."

Ariel shook her head, glaring upward at Ursula's face. She knew better than to trust the sea witch.

"Very well…I give you my word as a witch, I will not harm your little snack here." Ursula leaned forward and twirled a jet-black lock of Eric's hair in one finger. He tried to jerk away, looking daggers at the woman.

"I'm not leaving her with you!" he spat at Ursula.

The audacity of his statement shocked even Ariel. No human would dare speak in such a manner to the mermaid queen, none that wanted to live anyway.

But Ursula merely threw her head back as she cackled. "Oh you don't have a choice sweetie!"

Ariel brought her emerald tail up to splash Ursula's back with water, trying to get her attention. It was not as though she could call out. The queen twisted back and favored her with a semi-interested glance.

I'll do as you say. Just let him go. Ariel mouthed the words and nodded once. It was all she could do.

"Very well…" Ursula slid forward in the water, close enough that her fat cheeks touched Ariel's ear as she leaned forward. Ariel forced herself not to cringe. "Tell me who it was that took your voice and I will find a way to bring it back. Then…you will tell me all you know about the magic that did this to you."

Ariel grimaced. She would have to explain about the Dark One. She refused to look at Ursula, instead her pleading eyes sought Eric's. What would he think of her, after he found out? Ariel had never hated herself more than she did now.

This isn't how things were supposed to be. Ariel shook her head, her expression distant. I'm so sorry Eric.

She hung her head, acknowledging her defeat and her soft lips formed the accursed-one's name. Rumplestiltskin.

"Indeed? You made a deal with the Dark One himself? That is impressive, even for you. Now let's see about getting that beautiful voice of yours back so I can get to the bottom of this." Ursula turned to the west, and started reciting an incantation.

Rumplestiltskin was hopping mad. And by hopping he really was hopping…trying to dodge the snapping jaws of the wolf. The ragged beast snarled again as Rumpestiltskin crept on hands and knees towards the discarded fairy's wand. If he could just reach it, he could turn the thrice-cursed beast into a toad or a…

As silent as a white shade, the wolf pounced. Oddly enough, instead of going for his throat it arched gracefully over Rumplestiltskin, landing without a sound behind him. He was not her aim.

Throughout the brief fight, Blue had continued to struggle in her restraints. She was unaware what good graces had led a white wolf to her aid, but she did not question it. However when the creature landed in front of her, padding as silently as a cat, she was a bit startled. Was it going to tear her a part? Lashed into a net as she was, defense would be nearly impossible.

Instead, the jaws of the animal snapped over a corner of the net and began to tug aggressively.

"No no little wolf…" Blue whispered hurriedly. "You cannot hope to free me in that way. The wand! Get the glowing stick!"

As if by magic (of course that might have been it), the benevolent creature understood. Rounding backwards, the white wolf pounced again at Rumplestiltskin. He had just managed to grab the article off of the ground and roll onto his back, sending a force of magic right at the animal with the fairy wand. The ball of energy smacked right into the wolf, skidded her across the ground, right into a tree. The wolf barely had time to get her feet under her before another force was right upon her. She scampered off into the dark underbrush.

"Gotcha!" Rumplestiltskin cackled triumphantly, but then saw something that made him pause.

The magical sea shell holding the song of the mermaid, the one thing that had enabled this trap to even work, had been knocked aside by the flying wolf and now lay shattered on the forest floor. A purple mist transpired upward, emanating the most glorious sounds of Ariel's voice in a soft, sad melody. Then it began to dissipate, spreading as cooking smoke does, before careening away.

"No! That's mine!" Some magical force was pulling the voice away. Someone was taking what was rightfully his.

While Rumplestiltskin was too distracted by losing the mermaid's voice, the jaws of the wolf suddenly snapped delicately over his fingers holding the wand. Delicately in that two fingers were broken, and not ripped out of their sockets. He spun just in time to see a white flash bowl towards where the Blue Fairy was still secured.

"NNNNNOOOOOO!" He screeched and sent another magical pulse forward, not as strong as the last but enough to really hurt the accursed, interfering animal. His right hand was awash with pain and this added intensity to his already overwhelming fury.

But the white wolf was more intelligent than he would have thought. The animal thrust it's head forward, throwing the wand right into the waiting hand of the Blue Fairy, then was knocked sideways into a boulder where it lay stunned.

Rumplestiltskin raised his arms to dealt another blow, but then was thrust off his feet by a magical pulse similar to his own. Blue was free and she was as mad as a fairy can be.

"You Rumplestiltskin…are the most deplorable of all creatures! A true monster." The fairy fluttered overhead in her smaller, less-vulnerable form. Her holier-than-thou tone was so annoying, Rumplestiltskin would gladly have given up most of his powers just to be able to wipe that arrogant look off her face.

"However…I will let you live. I only hope that you can learn to let go. Killing me would not have ended your pain." Blue glided upward, into the starlit canopy. Rumplestiltskin forced himself up onto his feet and attempted to stab at the flying fairy with his dagger.

"No! Get back here!" He screamed into the night. All these weeks of hard work, perfecting his stun potion, weaving the net, trading the mermaid's voice, were they all for naught?

That wolf! He whipped around to where he had seen the creature last, lying stunned against the boulders. A blur of white was bounding with graceful leaps into the dark interior of the Enchanted Forest. The wolf was getting away. Rumplestiltskin sent another magical pulse hurling towards the beast, even though he knew that it was too far away to do much damage. He did get the grim satisfaction of hearing a small yelp of pain and rustle of foliage as the wolf got caught in the force, and stumbled.

And then…it was suddenly over. The Dark One was left, all alone, standing in a clearing with nothing but a shattered mollusk shell to show for his efforts at getting revenge on the Blue Fairy for taking his son with that magic bean. The siren's song, the one form of magic none one but he possessed, was gone.

Rumplestiltskin turned towards the east, in the direction he saw the voice-mist traverse. Someone or something else had interfered this night. Taken what was right fully his. His fury echoed in his shouts, "That was MINNEEE! I paid for it!"

He had not expected an answer, he really did not. But as he turned away, making preparations for teleporting himself back to his castle, he could have sworn he heard a high-pitch cackle resound over the breeze in the trees and the other night sounds. A snicker from someone, something as evil as he.

That is what you get…for thinking that you could make a bargain with a creature of the sea. The voice of the sea witch echoed lightly over the tree tops of the Enchanted Forest.

Ariel was angry. She could feel the heat of it flushing red into her cheeks, tainting her attempt at a proud, stoic expression of defiance. She had given the accursed sea witch the name she wanted. Why had she not let Eric go?

"Not just yet," Ursula said, wielding a piece of orange coral Ariel recognized as coming from the bottom of the sea. "First, I want to explain the consequences here."

She spoke as if to a child, in the same condescending tone as all of her sisters. Ariel wanted nothing more than to snap the neck of one of her precious eels, just to see her arrogant leer gone.

"Memoria cylindricus," Ursula said, lifting the piece of coral to Ariel's nose. "The more exotic kind. I hope you notice the difference."

I don't really care Ariel answered in her mind. She glared as only a teenager does to an annoying older adult.

"No, of course not." Ursula played with the coral, twisting it in her blood-red talons. "This will do nicely for what I have planned for your prince. You see dear…" she trailed off, stripping the outer exoskeleton of the coral with her nails. "This particular growth of Memoria has some interesting qualities. Ah, yes…you know something about it after all?"

Ariel was immediately alarmed. No no no no…you can't possibly mean to…

"Since you decided to leave us and live amongst the humans, there can only be one consequence to those actions." Here, she rounded back towards Eric. He was doing a much better job at stilling his face, hiding his anxiety by only showing contempt. Ariel's heart ached for she knew what the sea witch was planning and could not stop it.

"I will spare his life, but I will also wipe away his memories. No mortal should be aware of our potential to group, to think, and to command the elements. It would be the end of mer-kind forever. They think of us as mindless monsters as they are, and so we shall remain 'mindless'."

You don't know that. Not all humans are monsters. They would not slaughter us. Ariel was jerking in the arms of her captor like mad, trying to prevent the inevitable.

"Of course…this also means that he will not remember you. Not a single memory of the times you two spent together." Ursula glanced over her shoulder at Ariel. "Did you really think that you could have a life up here little mermaid? That you would be anything other than a freak to him? You're half-fish and half-girl; you're not one or the other. He cannot love you." She snapped.

"I DO LOVE HER!"

All the mermaid's eyes flew to him and Eric questioned if it would have been better he not admit his feelings, he did not want the mermaid's taking out their anger on Ariel. When he glanced over at her, he saw that her deep blue eyes were wide with surprise. Ridiculous as it was, his first fear was that he had offended her and began to think himself a very big idiot. But she did not look insulted, she looked…maybe a little…hopeful? Strengthened by this and feeling more confident, he glared back at the sea witch who seemed to be scoffing at what she had just heard.

"Ooooo…so brave." Ursula slid a blank tentacle forward and wrapped it tightly around Eric's neck. "We'll see about that…humans always talk about the power of ttttrrrrrue love. Let's see what true love can do about this!"

She shoved the coral piece forward under Eric's nose. Since her tentacle was wrapped around his neck, Eric could not turn his head away and was forced to inhale the bitter odor. Ariel tried to scream out a protest but nothing left her throat. Eric's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and then he was out.

Ariel strained to swim to him, sobbing and sobbing. Her trembling lips folding over her fangs as they receded into her gums. He won't remember me. I'll never see him again and even if I do, he won't know who I am. He won't remember me.

"Quite your crying weakling!" Lena was back. She added insult to injury and slapped Ariel across the face. Ariel barely felt the sting.

"That's enough you!" Ursual glared angrily at the mermaid. With reluctance, Lena bowed her head complacently. "The effects will not be complete until he reaches land. Surface dwellers are more affected when reaching their own territory. Just so that any of you are not tempted to take a chunk out of him, I'll send him back myself."

Eric was starting to come to. Ariel saw his eyes flutter and then ease open a slit. Eric! Are you alright?

"Ah ha! Here it comes now." Ursula and the entire pod glanced upward.

Ariel's voice was returning. A glowing purple mist had appeared over the pod, hovering like a thin coverlet stretched over the black waters. It hesitated for one agonizing second, then began to slowly condense upon itself and slid towards Ariel. She stood still knowing something, not quite what, but something important had to be done. She could not just let the sea witch win.

Ariel tried frantically to think of a way to get out of the arms that held her fast, to escape just enough to get closer to Eric and try to break the Memoria spell. She realized it would probably never work; she just did not have enough time. But she had to try. Her back pressed up against her sister's chest went rigid and her fists clenched hard. She tried to relax, to throw her sister off guard, so that she could try something crazy. Luckily, Chloe was still distracted by watching Ursula perform magic that she did not notice Ariel tensing up.

The magic of Ariel's voice slid fully into her throat. It filled her up with warmth, strength, hope, and understanding all in one gesture. She was whole again. Like a wave of the warmest clarity, Ariel knew what had to be done. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. But she had to move fast…

Ursula wound up both her arms and prepared to shove them forward, sending Eric on a wayward return-trip back to the shoreline. In a flash of scales and splashes, Ariel pushed out of Chloe's grasp, flung her arms around Eric's neck and kissed him. Kissed him very hard. There was an unbearably wonderful softness to his lips that she had never noticed before. And he tasted so good, like the sweetest, most amazing fruit from the surface world.

Despite the desperate situation, Ariel found herself caught up in the passion of the kiss, sliding her hand up the back of Eric's neck to hold him closer. Gods! Why didn't I do this sooner? Her thoughts were relentless with the need to explore his lips further. She opened her mouth wider to deepen the kiss but was rudely interrupted.

Lena shrieked and yanked her back by her hair, nearly snapping her neck in the process. "How dare you!" Ariel received a hard blow to the ribs, and was only semi-aware of being thrust under the water by more whacking mermaid tails.

Did it work? She pushed herself back to the surface. Her throat tightened when she did not see any recognition in his half-closed eyelids. It didn't work.

But Eric had felt the kiss. Distorted with dizziness, his muddled mind did not fully register whence it had come from but he did know that it had been there. Something was pulling him back from the swirling dark chasm that his mind had slipped in. No…not something…someone. Someone he knew very well. Someone he…loved? Then, it felt like a great force shoved into his chest. He gasped, choked, and tried to hold his breath as the waves closed around him. He was taking an involuntary trip back to shore. The salty sea spray flew into his eyes, so he squeezed them shut, but just before he disappeared he heard a voice. The most beautiful voice in the whole Enchanted Forest.

"ERIC!" It was the first word she had spoken in over three months. She called out over the crowd of mermaids surrounding her, pushing her back into the depths with their tails. "ERIC I LOVE YOU TOO!"

But it was too late. He was swept out of sight…and he never saw her. The blackness closed around his eyes and he knew no more.

*Note: Memoria cylindricusis derived from Dendrogyra cylindricus which is a species of hard, pillar coral found in the Caribbean Sea. To my knowledge, it does not have any memory-losing properties.

An intense chapter I know :) and the next one is even more exciting, so be prepared! Good reviews are Christmas presents from all my readers!