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 14
...
"Hurry up and do my hair Cinderella!" Drizella's already short-temper was drastically being tested by an incompetent servant.
So-called servant scrambled to obey. Ella rubbed her grimy hands hard on the worn apron she wore, trying unsuccessfully to remove the dirt smudges from the wood she had just hauled in. The fire had to be extra-big today because Anastasia had demanded a hot bath, the second one in two days, right after Ella served dinner and before she had to dust the hall. Chopping the extra wood in this cold weather was rough work, but at least she could warm up next to the fire as she prepared the bath water.
Now however, she was being called away to do up her other stepsister's hair. "Yes Drizella," she said as her nimble fingers worked expertly, wounding up the golden curls into a hair twist.
Her stepsister shrieked bloody-murder. "Not that tight!" Before Ella could correct her mistake, the younger girl whirled around and shoved her away. "You ugly clod! You're so clumsy and stupid," Drizella snapped at her piercingly.
The words had very little sting. All her life, Ella had been called much worse.
But her stepsister wasn't finished. "I bet your mother took one look at you and just keeled over flat, dead as a doornail. You probably brought her to an early grave by your ugly face!"
That struck a nerve. Ella's head snapped up, forgetting for a moment to look pathetic and weak. The idea that her stepsister would sullen the name of her mother was too much. "How dare you!" she thought incredulously, trying hard to still her face so as not to show her fury.
She clenched her fists, commanding herself not to punch Drizella's ugly mug of a face right in. If she did such a thing, she would have to face her stepmother's wrath, again. Thankfully, her stepsister was so absorbed in reapplying her rogue she did not notice Ella's furious demeanor.
She calmed herself with her usual count to five, then tried to stroke a soft silver brush through Drizella's curls. This time, the blast of fury included a hard slap to the face and Ella backed a few steps, clutching the offending brush in her hand. Her feelings must have shown on her face because Drizella broke her ranting off and peered right at her. Like any good bully, she continued to pound the weak points. "Your mother was nothing more than a sorry-excuse of a slip who dared marry about her station. She was common and you are even more common!"
Ella kept her head bowed, but could not stop her words. "Do not speak of my mother," she clenched her teeth and hissed out the command.
"WHAT! What did you say cinder-wench?" Drizella shrieked stridently.
Mortified, Ella fled out of the bedroom, down the hall, and through to the kitchen. The voracious voice of her stepsister called out, but she ran through the outer door and into the snow-covered back grounds of the estate. She shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around her thin frame as the tears poured down her cheeks. What had she done? How could she have talked back like that? This was surely going to lead to her being turned out of her home. She'd spent enough time starving in the streets to know that it was to be avoided at all costs, even her dignity.
Her father had died when she was only ten, her stepmother placed her in the maid's position shortly thereafter. She'd tolerated the abuse as long as she could, but a year ago she finally got the courage to try and leave. It had happened right after she'd dropped a hot plate, shattering the expensive porcelain right in front of her stepmother. The plate had been so hot, her fingers were burning, but the Lady Tremaine would not hear of any excuses. She had dealt Ella a very hard beating that evening. After she'd run away, Ella had roamed the streets, begging for food, sleeping in barns and sheds. She'd met a friend on the road, someone who was also on the run, but ultimately had to come back to her father's estate. She had nowhere else to go.
And right now…she needed a plausible excuse for a walk in the wintery woods, something to get away just for a little while. But what…oh, yes winterberries! Her stepmother loved them with a passion and if she had the justification of fetching some she could take several hours to herself in the woods. Ella rubbed her cold forearms hard and ran to the stables to grab an old wicker basket, pausing long enough to give Bruno the blood hound an affectionate pat on the head and wrap herself in an old horse blanket. She had no winter coat.
"Watch over things while I'm gone," she commanded the old dog. He complied with a hearty tail wag.
Navigating her way to the edge of the woods, Ella picked her a way off of the beaten path and onto an animal trail. The little light that made it through the canopy of trees highlighted the white of the spring snow, making Ella squint at the glare. She made her way quietly, with only the occasional singing of birds breaking the silence. It was so nice just for things to be quiet: no one order her around, calling her bad names, and soiling her family's name. She tilted her head up to breath in the moist, cold air, relishing the solitude.
As she hiked in the white woods, Ella silently started scolding herself for her lack of control earlier. She had almost punched her little stepsister. Mostly she tried to pay attention to her chores and keep her head down, like any other respectable servant girl. But lately she'd been so…distracted. That morning she'd heard some awful news and it was still affecting her demeanor.
"Ariel…Eric…what happened to you guys?" she voiced her worries out loud to the tall snow-covered pines of the forest.
It had been easier not having friends, but it made her life a lot more lonelier. What was the good of having friends if you could not be with them? And when bad things happened to your friends and you could not do a thing about it, it was one of the worst feelings in the world.
…
"Can't I help too?" Ariel asked for the umpteenth time.
Snow rolled her eyes and answered. "For the last time…no!"
"You're bossy sometimes," Ariel commented as they strolled together along the deer path that snaked through the Enchanted Forest. "But I like you."
Snow and Ariel were moving out of the cabin and trying to find another hiding place. Red had reported that she'd spotted trackers in the woods, trackers with the insignia of the Queen stitched onto their vests. It could only mean that Queen Regina was getting more desperate to find Snow White if she was relying upon more hired swords. The news had not been well-received, but Snow and Red both knew what it meant. Time to move again, the cabin in the woods was no longer safe. And Ariel was coming with them. Granny had come down with winter flu and Red was staying with her for a while, caring for her elderly loved one and hiding at the same time.
Ariel stumbled along, trying hard not to show how walking hurt her. Her legs had been giving her pains but she figured it was because she only had rags tied to her feet for shoes, it was all they could manage for now. The rest of their supplies were in a canvas bag, slung over Snow's shoulders. The former princess had adamantly insisted on carrying everything herself even though Ariel continually pointed out that she was the stronger.
The two of them hiked on, stopping by a large lake to take a drink and rest for a bit. Snow kept watch warily while Ariel searched among the shore brambles for crabs. But then she stiffened up, her attention fixated on something on the ground in front of her.
"What is it?" Snow came over quickly, then gasped at the sight.
A human skeleton, its empty eye sockets riveted upward, was propped up onto the ground. An old, decimated tree branch protruding from the sternum, revealed the cause of death and the origins of the remains. It was the guard that had tried to stab Snow, those many weeks ago. Snow shuddered at the gapping toothy grimace, she could still remember how the knight had breathed right into her face using that same mouth.
When Snow saw Ariel lean to take a closer look, she gently drew her away, turning the teenager's head from the corpse. "Oh my...don't look Ariel," she whispered as she quickly stepped between Ariel and the corpse, trying to shield her young charge from the gruesome sight.
But Ariel pulled out of Snow's protective embrace, walked over to the ghastly remains, and knelt down right next to them. "Why not? It's only bones. Why should we not look at it?
The calm way in which she spoke of such things heaved Snow's stomach a little. Sometimes she forgot that Ariel was not human, had actually eaten people before. The stories of mermaids never mentioned that. Whenever she said or did things, not wrong things, but things that were not…well, normal, it still surprised Snow. She looked so delicate, so sweet and innocent, and acted like a naïve child most of the time. The tales of mermaids had gotten that part right. But right now, a human corpse did not seem to bother her one bit while Snow was utterly horrified by the sight.
Ariel turned around and rose to her feet. She saw some of Snow's uneasiness and her face saddened a little. "I'd never…killed anyone before."
"Hey,…you…you didn't have a choice." Snow said, somewhat more bleakly than she intended.
Ariel shook her head and looked down at her hands, as if she still saw the man's blood on them. "It was so easy…like poking a stick through the mud. Killing sickens me."
"No, no…it...it was not your fault." Snow tried to show that she understood, almost.
Ariel was still looking very distressed, so Snow gently took her shoulder. "Hey Ariel, you saved my life remember? That is more than enough to show anyone that you are a good person. No matter what you might have done in your past, always remember that. Okay?" Snow ducked her head, fixating her eyes on Ariel's deep dark-blue orbs.
Glancing up, Ariel felt a surge of gratitude for Snow. She always had a way of cheering her up and it was a connection of comfort that the mermaid treasured dearly. After hearing her words, Ariel managed a small smile. After a pause, she turned back to the bony remains and knelt down, her brow furrowed with a thought. With her back turned towards Snow she could not see what was happening but a crunching noise suggested that Ariel was pulling the dead man's boots off. The mermaid sat on the ground and pulled the black leather articles over her own feet, completely oblivious to Snow's shock. When she finally got them on, the leather ends coming all the way up to her bony knees, she rose and looked up at Snow.
"What?" she asked innocently in response to Snow's stunned look. "He does not need them anymore."
Snow tried hard not to show her unease at what Ariel had just done. "Um,…that's true." She glanced down at the boots, too large for Ariel's skinny legs, but they would certainly offer more protection than those rags. It occurred to Snow that Ariel did not know much about being human. Stripping a corpse, even for practical purposes, tended to be frowned upon.
"The armor is in good condition. Do you want it?" Ariel asked, still untroubled.
"No! Gods no!" Snow could not help her exclamation. The last thing she wanted to see was Ariel strip the bones, exposing all of its decaying remains right in front of her.
Ariel cocked her head and was about to retort with her own remark when she swiveled her face upward, listening to the forest. "I hear something."
Snow glanced up too. All she heard was the swaying of trees, the rustling of foliage, and the occasional drip of water as icicles melted. But if Ariel said she heard something, Snow trusted her.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure," Ariel answered. Closing her eyes to concentrate, her forehead wrinkled with the effort. "It sounds like someone coming towards us. But not one of the queen's men, almost like a …" She suddenly let out a laugh, startling Snow so much that she jumped.
"I know who it is!" Ariel took off in a sprint, her too-large boots clunking very loudly on the forest floor.
"Ariel! Ariel wait!" Snow scooped down and grabbed the canvas bag with their supplies, throwing it over her shoulder as she scurried to follow. The mermaid could be walking into a trap and yet she leaped forward like a dolphin, regardless of the danger. Not the best response in the Enchanted Forest. Snow would have to teach the teenager how to be more careful.
…
Ella had found a batch of winterberries, so she felt relatively assured she would not be punished when she got back to the estate. Her fingers were clumsy with cold but she did not stop until her basket was full. The endurance she'd developed in her years of hard, grueling work under her stepfamily's reign served her well whenever she went into the forest, searching for edibles. This was a lot farther than she had ever hiked; she had needed the extra time to compose herself before she faced her stepfamily again.
Since she was concentrating so hard on the task at hand, she did not notice the mermaid running full speed towards her until …"Ella!" Something red flashed against the white background of the snowy forest and then Ella stumbled back, the force of a tremendous hug engulfing her chest.
No, it could not be. She had been wishing and longing for company and now, like something out of a dream, a figure had emerged from the Enchanted Forest. "Ariel?" Ella could hardly believe it; she had not seen her friend in so long. "Ariel…you… you can talk?" It was not the most intelligent thing to say, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
"Ella! You're here!" Ariel squeezed harder, forcing Ella to gasp for breath at her strength. "I've missed you. I wanted to come back to see you, but I never got the chance."
Ella goggled stupidly at the sight of Ariel's mouth moving and words coming out. Her red-headed friend looked…odd. She was clad only in an over-sized man's shirt, it's faded blue edges hanging down to her knees with a simple rope belt securing the article and leather boots that looked several sizes too big.
Ariel reached down, fumbling for the basket lying amongst the berry bushes, afraid she had crushed it. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Your basket."
"The hell with my basket!" Ella exclaimed, her hands reached out and grabbed Ariel's shoulders affectionately. "What happened to you? How come you never spoke before? Where have you been? You just…disappeared, and then…" Ella suddenly looked past the mermaid's head, caught sight of Snow hiking towards them, and let out a squeal of sheer delight that startled Ariel a little. Her blonde friend had a habit of making peculiar noises when she was happy.
Before Ariel could ask what was going on, Snow rushed forward and pulled the younger girl in a wholehearted embrace saying happily, "Ella! It's so good to see you again."
A dazzling smile outshone the dirt smudges on Ella's face as she relished the warmth of the hug. "Snow! What are you doing here?" the girl asked, turning around and addressed her question to both the mermaid and the princess.
"Ariel launched herself towards you. I assume you both know each other?"
Ariel spoke animatedly, "We met a long time ago. Back when I first came on shore."
Ella narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Came ashore? What does that mean?" She gave a light chuckle and grinned at the thought of a gag. "Are you a sailor or something?"
"No, a mermaid," Ariel said nonchalantly.
Ella laughed whole-heartedly, enjoying the good joke before realizing that neither Snow nor Ariel was laughing as well. Her smile slowly faded as her light sapphire eyes grew inhumanely wide. "Oh…," was all she could think to say.
As the 'Little Mermaid' related her tale to 'Cinderella', Snow White studied the young blonde. She looked much the same as the last time they had met a year ago, after Snow had escaped the Huntsmen and before she met Red. Overworked, underfed, but with the spunkiness that would not be defeated. They both had been runaways on the streets, Ella from her stepfamily and Snow from the Evil Queen. Snow had not told Ella who she was then, for the sake of precaution, but the young maid had guessed it right away after she saw the Queen's wanted posters.
"I was trying to get away from my stepfamily for a while," Ella was explaining to Ariel. "I believe 'ugly-clod' and 'cinder-wench' were the terms my stepsister used this time"
"Really?" Ariel's dark blue eyes, so soft a minute ago, hardened instantly. "That blowfish would not know such grace and beauty as yours if it hit her over the head with a shark tail."
Surprised at the odd choice of words, Ella glanced bewilderedly at her friend. Then she broke into a smile and started laughing shyly. Gods it felt so wonderful to laugh and be with others. She had been feeling so alone, so forgotten lately, but now, the other two brought her such pleasure and happiness. Still, they didn't have to exaggerate things to make her feel better. Her voice grew meek again, "You needn't say such things Ariel. I know I'm no great beauty and not the best worker…I mean, I still haven't managed to get my father's workshop in order but…"
"That is not true," Snow said firmly, suddenly breaking into the conversation as she stepped towards Ella.
Surprised at the strong tone in her voice, Ella glanced up at her other friend. Snow put her hand on Ella's shoulder and fixated her gaze onto the younger woman, intent that she understood something. "Your stepfamily doesn't appreciate you but one day, you will change your life and things are going to be different. You have strength and courage, more so than many people I've met. And on top of that…you're beautiful, in here"—Snow touched the resting place of Ella's heart—"and up here." She stroked Ella's cheek.
Ella let out a weak laugh and wiped her face intently, fighting to compose herself. Anger and spite she could handle, but kindness and compassion cut through her self-control so easily. It left her blubbering like an idiot.
Snow embraced her once again, then drew back, keeping her hands on Ella's shoulders. She looked at Ella's worn tunic top and patched skirt with a stern, disapproving eye. "Ella you're out here in the cold without even a coat. What is wrong with that horrible stepmother of yours!"
"My stepfamily runs the household incomes. I've been saving up a few coins to buy a winter cloak but…" Ella said.
"Family!" Snow practically spat the word out and stroked the tangled tumble of dirty hair on Ella's shoulders. "That is no way to treat family."
The term 'family' reminded Ariel of Eric, John, and Jenny. "Ella, have you seen Eric?" she asked shyly. "Does he still know me?" The last time she had seen him, the waves engulfing his form as he was swept back to shore, she did not see any recognition in his eyes. But maybe his time on land had changed that?
Ella was suddenly very uncomfortable, shifting her feet and avoiding the mermaid's eyes. "Ariel…I'm sorry but he…that is, I heard that he was…"
Ariel blinked hard and looked straight at Ella. "What?" she asked with a sinking feeling of dread.
"He was arrested," Ella said, finally looking up at Ariel helplessly. "The Queen's men took him away a week ago."
Ariel let out a little whimper and sat down hard on the forest floor, her eyes glazed over.
Ella hated to be the bearer of bad news, but her friend deserved to know the full truth. She knelt down next to the mermaid. "I went to one of the gatekeepers this morning to inquire. They'll have taken him to the palace of the Queen by now."
"Oh gods," Snow brought her hands to her heart and inclined her face upward. Waves of sorrow ran through her, sorrow and anguish. She stood quietly above the mermaid on the ground, trying not to think about how painful this must be for her. Trying not to remember the stories she'd heard as a child about Regina's dungeons.
"Snow, are you alright?" Ella asked.
Snow realized her thoughts must have shown on her face. "I'm…it's nothing," she said quietly. Then she addressed the mermaid. "Ariel I'm so sorry."
She received no answer, honestly she hadn't expected one. Ariel rose unsteadily, swaying a little but ignoring Ella's outstretched hand offering help. She began to pace back and forth in a blurry motion of swaying limbs and rapped breaths of rage. Ariel stopped suddenly and clenched her fists, her eyes blurred by tears of fury. She turned around carefully and deliberately. "I'm going after him."
"Ariel!" Snow exclaimed, sounding like a reproof. "You can't think to do this alone. How are you going to get in?"
Ariel knew that it was a legit question. No one could get past the stronghold of the Queen's defenses, not even a woman as amazing and as clever as Snow. Ariel forced her swirling thoughts into a semblance of reason. She would have to figure it out on her own, to ask such a thing of her friends was not to be considered. She'd lived alone, taking care of herself, for so long that figuring things out on her own had become almost second nature to her.
She parried Snow's question with another. "Will you tell Red and Rain that I have left? I don't want them to worry too much."
Snow looked at her fiercely. "I cannot be a party to you running off like this."
"Why not?" Ariel asked desperately. "I have to save him! I can't just leave him to rot in some prison because of me."
"Yes," Ella suddenly spoke up, turning to stare hard at Ariel too. "Yes, we have to save him."
She looked past Ariel to Snow, and determination hardened her face. "I can't just ignore my friend in danger, I have so few." The tilt of her head was different now, more bolder, and she spoke with a sense of confidence.
Snow was surprised at her simple, rather brave statement. "Cinderella" may act submissive and meek in front of her stepfamily, but there was spirit in the young blonde that would not be broken. No one could ever call Ella a coward after all she had been through, but this bout of eagerness was a bit unexpected.
Ella flushed a little at the sudden attention but continued to speak, "I'm not a warrior like you or Red, but I still can help somehow!"
Snow studied her intently, until Ella began to think she had overdone it in her last statement. "This is a dangerous task," Snow finally said, her eyes troubled. But then that steely green glint of resolve was back. "But we have to try."
Ella grinned happily, relieved that she was in on the task of saving her friend.
Snow turned, seeking out the mermaid who had walked a little away, gazing out impatiently towards the direction to the kingdom of King Leopold.
"Ariel?" Snow's face softened with compassion, as though she knew exactly what was going through Ariel's mind. The impatience and urgency that was building up.
It was beginning to get colder now that the sun had fallen. Ariel paused her pacing to stand in the twilight, wrapping her arms around her and stomping her aching feet with worry. The sunset lit her red hair like a fire. Snow's hand on Ariel's shoulder was warm and for some reason, despite the dire situation, comforting.
"Now," Snow said. "Are you ready to let us help you save your prince?"
Confused for a moment, Ariel stiffened and almost drew back. How could Snow offer such a risk? But deep within her, Snow's words made her feel more confident. More assured of the task at hand. "Yes," she said. "Let's rescue him."
…
The sea cave was well hidden. A curtain of matted vines hung down the face of the cliff, concealing the entrance from view. Years of pounding had turned a small crevice in the east-facing cliff into a natural cavern, complete with a back entrance only accessible via an old fox den. The cave was as tall as a castle parapet, but only wide enough to contain a few pools of water.
The clicking of the wolf's nails echoed through the large cavern, drawing evil looks from a group of crabs that were basking on a rock. They wanted their peace and quiet, and did not appreciate a strange beast interrupting their daily respite.
The white creature—'Rain' as she was now known—did her best to ignore them. Instead, she concentrated on the still, black water in front of her. She'd come in search of answers and she knew that this was the best, if only, place to find them. Questions that had to do with…mermaids. She could, she supposed, just ask the Dark One. But that didn't feel just right; the man had tried to kill her. She had no reason to believe that the Sea Witch would be anymore accommodating, but she had to try for Ariel's sake. At any rate, even so small a victory of facing Ursula was important, especially now.
Since her return to the Enchanted Forest, Rain had been subjected to several attacks, both magical and mundane. When she found a slew of leg traps in the forest, she quickly buried them only to be chased away by human hunters shouting at her. When she'd herded a lost goat back to its farm, the shepherd had tossed a rock at her. When she'd rushed to the rescue at the cries of a woodcutter's children, magical vines had ensnared her and tossed her into a gully for her efforts. It was getting to the point where Rain was thinking that adventures were not all they were cracked up to be.
Rain frowned with concern at the thought of her mermaid friends, both new and old. Directing her muzzle down at the water pool leading to the ocean, she lifted her chin, closed her eyes, and said in wolf-tongue, Ursula!
Nothing happened. Rain glared, and then thought about adding a little extra something. There had to be a reason mermaids sang to lure sailors to them.
Why do I bother? She stared at the water, her chest tightening for the first time. Was it fear or excitement? Closing her eyes, she summoned herself into her other form. A young woman, brown hair and mild chocolate skin, now crouched next to the water's edge. Then…she began to sing. Memories of mermaids and sirens filled her. Singers so amazing, they had the power to call even the beasts of the land from their dens down towards the sea. Voices so pure, they would drive a fleet of ships into the rocks. Not knowing any songs (at least that humans use), she tried a variation of a well-known wolf howl. It was a simple stanza, and could be roughly translated to a human tongue:
Here I am
Come to me
Ursula of the Sea!
After the last note, Rain's heart began to pound. Did it work? she asked herself.
From behind her, in another pool her answer came. "How dare you summon me! Do you know who you are dealing with?!" a booming voice echoed out all around the cave walls.
On the other side of the cave a rush of waves broke over the rocks, white spray splattering the entire cave. There was a deafening whoosh and a geyser rose out of the water, the twisting form of the Sea Witch sitting on its end. Though she was quite breath-taking with a flawless face, sensuous outlines, and lush auburn hair, her snarling features evoked the image of a fury from hell.
At the first shriek of the Sea Witch, Rain quickly scrambled on her feet and dove out of sight behind a large boulder, morphing for more speed as she went. Ursula did not miss a beat, she simply hurled an extra-large blast of sea water right at the wolf. As she crouched for shelter, Rain tried not to think about how stupid an idea this had been. What did she expect? That Ursula the Sea Witch would be sweet and accommodating enough to answer her questions? It was pure animal instinct that forced her to think of an unexpected tactic. She leapt over the boulder and rolled off its opposite end, just barely in time to avoid one of the octopus-woman's tentacles slamming into the place where she had just been.
Gasping for breath, Rain backed away from the Sea Witch. Out of the water, her sheer size was more intimidating as she edged towards over the shivering wolf. Rain backed up again until her hind quarters hit the cave wall, shaking in fear as she went along. The Sea Witch rounded towards her, reeling both arms up to send another wave forward.
You need to listen to me… Rain set her jaw to brace herself, and tensed her back. The change was instantaneous.
Rain jerked her head up, fixating her eyes on the foul but beautiful creature. She raised her human hands in the surrender position. "Your Majesty," she said quickly. "I come seeking questions regarding the 'little mermaid', not to harm you."
Ursula paused, as Rain hoped she would, at the sound of a mermaid's voice from the mouth of a wolf. Like a hovering wraith, the Sea Witch seemed suspended in the air above the wolf. The black tentacles held her woman-half over the wolf, the wind gushing her fiery hair around her lovely face like a flame. Water from the roaring geyser coated Rain's clothes, and she ducked her head to escape its fury.
"You are," continued Rain, trying a more flattering tone, "truly the most magnificent creature in all the seas. I am but a humble mongrel…but I would like to know more about your kind."
A pair of tentacles shot out, wrapping around Rain's wrist and yanking her forward until she was dangling a mere centimeter in front of Ursula's face. The fangs of the sea monster, so monstrously large and white, gleamed right in front of her.
"Is that why…" Ursula asked, "a filthy land creature risks seeking out the Queen of the Seas?"
Rain sidestepped, yanking her arm out of the tentacles as she went. Ursula sent another one forward, but Rain was faster, leaping over her head like an acrobat. The limb bounced harmlessly off the cave wall. Landing in a summersault, Rain scrambled on the slippery, wet ground, trying to reach the far side of the cave. Before the Sea Witch could recover, Rain tried a different tactic.
"I'm not here to take anything!" she shouted desperately. "I just want information."
"You have a mermaid's voice." Ursula glared hard as she turned around. "You should not have that!"
She disappeared into the water and re-surfaced at an interior pool running deep as the ocean. Right next to Rain. "You have a lot of nerve calling as a mermaid!"
A force of muscle and sinew crashed into Rain's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her against the wall. She slid downward, upside-down on her back, the very image of a pathetic mutt.
Ursula brushed her hands together as she turned away from the wolf. "Thought you could fool me?" Now that she knew the threat was over, she seemed to completely disregard Rain's presence. As if she had more important things to do.
"Please wait!" Rain rolled sideways onto her legs. "I have questions only you can answer."
Ursula paused, tilting her head as if intrigued by this new authority. Rain jumped onto her interests. "I have heard that Sea Folk live longer than us Land Folk. Is that true?"
Ursula paused for a moment looking nonplussed, then whispered a soft curse under her breath. "Yes," she answered indifferently. "We live much longer than you, up to three hundred years, but at last we become foam upon the sea. We have no souls, we never enter into a new life, nor can we continue very long without our true form."
"But…you changed Ariel. You gave her another form." Rain pointed out.
Ursula narrowed her eyes. "What's your point?"
"I know that that particular magic, a transformation, is very difficult." Rain continued. "If what Ariel said is true, you stripped part of her being away. Her human body and her fish body are not complete now. No magic is strong enough to truly change a mermaid's nature, at least…" –Rain cocked her head, flashing her unnatural golden eyes—"not without a little extra help. Which you did not have."
Ursula glared daggers at her, but did not speak to confirm or deny anything. She snatched a coral-encrusted mirror from the cave floor and gazed at her reflection with rapt attention, completely ignoring the wolf.
"You must have taken part of her body, her very essence, when you cast that magic upon her." Rain continued. "I assume that is why you can look like that now." The wolf nodded her head towards Ursula's voluptuous figure with her filled chest, dazzling red lips, and a pair of smoldering eyes that would drive any mortal man into desiring fury. "I know you did not always look like this."
The sea witch tore her eyes from the mirror in her hands and directed a malicious gaze at Rain. "You seem to know a lot about mermaids than is healthy for a filthy wolf pup." Ursula's voice was cold now. She clearly did not like the idea of a mere land-creature knowing about the secrets of sea magic.
Still crouched on her haunches, Rain shrugged. "I have spent a lot of time with mermaids in the past. I picked up a few things." She hardened her voice as well. "What you did to Ariel was meant to be a punishment wasn't it? Humanness is only half of a mermaid's makeup, if she is deprived of the other half then…" she trailed off, her eyes widening in shock as she came to the truth on her own. "My gods…she'll die won't she?"
"Very good puppy!" Ursula's high-pitched jest filled the high-reaching top of the cavern. "No one can last long with only half of their form. You figured it out!"
"You gave her a death sentence! A long, drawn-out means to perish just because she was different and decided to stand up for love." Rain's anger was straining her voice. Then she thought of something. "What must she do? There must be a way to fix this."
"And why do you care?" Ursula turned back to her mirror, fixated on twirling her red hair in her fingers. "What concern is it of yours whether a mermaid lives or dies?"
What must she do? The girl was gone, the wolf was back. The amber eyes were now tinted with a darkness, a rage of the beast that Rain was never in her wolf pack, but rose up with a fury when someone she loved was in trouble.
"Well, well. I suppose it won't hurt to tell you since the feat is impossible anyway." Ursula shrugged her beautiful shoulders. "If a human grew to love her so dearly, if he clung to her with all of his heart and soul, in other words…" Ursula rolled her eyes. "Tttttrrrruuue love…then part of his soul would flow into her body and she would be complete. He would give a soul to her and retain his own as well. But this can never happen! Humans do not know any better, and they think it necessary to have two ugly legs in order to be beautiful."
Rain ignored the last statement. She would be human? she asked with a growl.
"Of course not!" Ursula shrieked. "Did you not hear me? She would be complete, able to be both fish and human. We can't all be blessed by both mermaids and fairies now can we?" The last jab was direct at the wolf, and she felt an unexpected sting of guilt at her good fortune.
Ursula had turned back to her mirror and smiled, crooning softly to herself and stroking her lovely face. "I have a portion of her beauty now, "she said, almost absently," a little taste of the love of self. Her fate does not concern me."
The white guard hairs on the wolf's back stiffened with rage. Her thoughts involved tearing into the sea monster's flesh, ripping off that stolen beauty, and avenging her friend. To force herself into control, Rain changed again. Her human skin was wet with sea water and sweat.
"That is not love." Rain spoke angrily. "To only see your loveliness in the eyes of another? To be so consumed with appearances that you would sacrifice a young mermaid for the pleasure of a reflection in the mirror? Because of that, you made Ariel your victim. That is not love."
"Freak of magic!" Ursula shrilled. "Unnatural thing of beast! Not an animal and not a woman…much like a mermaid. You cannot know of love anymore than Ariel can. Who are you to condemn me and my methods?"
But Rain had already stood and turned to leave. Whatever had kept her there, listening to the ravings of a mad Sea Witch was gone. She started out towards the back exit of the cave, a pile of boulders acting as a staircase to the outside. Up the rocky crevice she struggled to climb, towards the light of the surface world. But as she drew closer to the forest, Ursula's slippery voice sauntered up again.
"I would not waste my time warning her, pup. Her body can only last until the next moon. Then…without the precious love of her prince…well," she gave a titter of laughter from the shadows behind Rain. It sounded like the squeaking of fish gasping from water. "She will not last much longer. It is an impossible feat."
Rain paused in her climbing, feeling a moment of hesitation. Was it right to give Ariel such false hopes? For a moment she was lost in the memories of her old friend, the golden mermaid. All hope seemed gone while the prince lay dead. She remembered the mermaid's despair and her pain, as if her own body was withering away. She remembered the anguish of a lost love. But then…the prince had awakened…it had all worked out. Somehow. Someway. It had all worked out.
She could not answer Ursula; she did not want to give the Sea Witch that satisfaction. But she did allow a small whisper to herself, "Why not? Are we all not impossible beings?"
Note: Some of the dialogue in this chapter comes from the 1997 film"Cinderella", the notion of stripping a corpse was inspired by "Beyond the Tide" by Sandra Evans, and some of the ideas of mermaid physiology stemmed from the original Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" and Jim Hines' "The Mermaid's Madness", both truly wonderful stories about our favorite mermaid.
Many thanks to all who read and review my story. I have never written a story before in my life, but I am loving the new adventure so far!
Shout out to Nikstlitslepmur for some great writer's advice. Hopefully, it turned out alright!