"You're, sure you are all right? I mean you banged yourself up pretty good."

"Urchin stop worrying so much you're starting to sound like one of my sisters. Besides, you got hurt too and you aren't begging to be taken to the hospital."

"Sorry I just don't – Oh no!" he shouted so suddenly that Ariel came to another screeching halt.

Her head whipped around and asked with fear "What happened?"

Urchins' face turned a deep red as he muttered, "It's nothing... it's just I remembered that… umm… restaurant on Buena Vista street, Award Wieners? Well, they just got the new Sailor V game: The Moonlight Knight and the manager promised I could be the first to play it if I showed up yesterday before the opening. I just forgot about it with all this exploring stuff going on ya know?"

Ariel giggled in relief, "If you're lucky maybe they'll let you be the third person to play it."

"Third?"

"Yes, right after I and Gabriella get the high scores."

"What? No fair! You know I'll never be able to beat your guys' high scores?"

"All's fair in love and war."

They continued on this way all the way to Tiana's Place.

Eric Celeste had only arrived in Catalinat city in the morning and he was already lost. When he had found that his car wouldn't fit he decided that he'd just walk straight through to the beach. The main portion of the city was a grid and thus easy to navigate.

However, the oldest part located on the west side of the city was a hot mess. The buildings had been built and rebuilt and rebuilt so many times that there were at least three different centuries and cultures represented. With the newest additions, often having been created out of pieces of the previous structures. The roads seemed to meander as much as a wistful old couple and there was barely enough for the two of them to walk comfortably. Overall this section of town was like a pretty version of a self-cannibalizing maze. A fact that he was now grotesquely aware of as he stood tightly packed with houses surrounding him, a graveyard directly in front of him and no idea which way the beach was.

He had sailed many times and could typically find the ocean from the land with little difficulty but this place seemed to defy conventional navigational wisdom. Eric swore that he'd walked in one direction only to find himself facing the opposite direction and that he kept passing the same buildings. There wasn't a hint of the ocean on the breeze. He couldn't tell where the sun was due to the tall buildings. The shadows contradictory making them useless for orientating himself. It was like this place was…cursed. But maybe that was just him shifting the blame from himself. He should have asked for directions or at least brought his compass. It's that he was so eager to go to the castle for fresh information to share with the others.

He stared at the graveyard debating what to do. He could try going back the way he came but he'd probably get even more lost. The teen sighed and ran his finger through his black hair. "Well, at least it's an adventure."

As Eric went to leave he spotted a man with scraggly hair, wearing a long sleeved orange shirt, black vest, white gloves and a bright green hat. It was a bit of an odd get up for such a tropical climate even in the morning. However, the thing that drew his attention, even more, was the fact that the man was kneeling in front of a gravestone. Eric debated if he should ask the older man or just go on his way. Eventually he decided to press forward. It was just a quick question. Hopefully, he wasn't imposing too much.

"Umm, excuse me, sir."

The guy suddenly stood up in surprise. But the rain from the night before had practically made the ground an oil slick. Before he could even say a word, he fell backward. Eric immediately reached out to stop his fall. But when their hands grasped Eric found himself being pulled into the mud. Instinctively Eric let go and latched on to a gravestone to break his fall. This resulted in the teenager only getting his shoes covered in mud. The other fella wasn't so lucky as he landed flat on his back giving him a nice brown coating a bit like a frosted donut.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" Eric wheezed out as he struggled to find his balance in the mud.

"Aw, no need to apologize. That was exciting." He chuckled out a sound that sounded like 'uhyuck' whilst he made his way to stand.

"I'm lost, can you tell me where's the beach?"

"Sure, it's that way," he said as he pointed to the left. "Just follow the brick road."

"Oh, I see. Thank you."

"Your welcome, Lost… Funny name your parents gave you but I'm one to talk."

Eric stared for a moment confused before explaining, "No, no. My names not 'lost' its Eric, lost is just what I am."

"How are you lost if your names not – oh, I get it you're turned around and confused like."

"Yes, and thanks again. Do you also know how to get to the castle?"

"Castle? What castle?"

"Umm… the one by the beach? The haunted one." The man was still staring blankly at Eric, "The one where the ten princesses were murdered by their lovers in the night."

"Oh, that one!"

"Is there more than one castle?" He furrowed his brows in confusion. When he lived here he had only heard of one.

"No, I just forgot about it. Besides you don't want to go there it's covered in thorns and falling apart. It's dangerous."

"But- "

"No buts young man. You stay away from that castle. You should do something worthwhile with your time like getting a job. In fact, I'm on my way to work myself."

The bells tolled.

"Oh no, if I'm late again I'm a goner for sure," said the strange man as he ran. He kept running though. his muddy shoes made him slide into the surrounding houses a few times.

Eric stood completely baffled by the encounter. He shrugged.

'I'll just ask someone else for directions to the castle along the way.' He turned to go but cast one last glance behind. 'I wonder if my parents are there. No, probably not. I'll have to ask Grimsby where they're buried.'

He continued on absorbing the day. It wasn't too long before he heard voices around the corner. Something about someone named Thomas making deliveries. Eric peered around the bend to see a red-haired teen hurrying toward him. The boy was carrying a basket full of bread.

Before he got too far Eric shouted, "Hey, do you know where the castle is?"

Thomas shifted nervously, "The cursed castle? You don't want to go there." He quickly ran off.

Eric was once again baffled but determined to try again. These subsequent attempts to inquire about the castle were not well received. He found that everyone refused to talk about the castle for more than a few minutes if they even acknowledge its existence.

He was almost at the beach and no one had given him directions to the castle. Then Eric spotted a small food stand. Inside the stand, he heard the clang of pots and pans as someone busily set up. Out front was a lovely young lady with brown skin and dark brown hair all dressed in pink. She had a black Scotty dog in a maroon vest next to her. He decided to ask her for directions. Thinking that even if she said no he'd at least get to pet her dog.

"Hi, do you mind tell me where the castle is?" he muttered feeling embarrassed with how intently she was staring at him with her dark brown eyes.

She scrunched her face in confuse. She moved her hands in an odd fashion to which Eric returned her confused gaze. The teenager started to dig through her purse. Eventually dumping out the contents on the table as she bit her lip. It had all the normal contents of a wallet, gum, chap stick, and so on but there were also three walkie talkies. After shifting the items once with her hand she sighed while giving an apologetic smile.

She stood up walked toward the small building. She slammed her hand on a service bell on its counter and it gives gave out a half-hearted ring. Imminently the noise inside the shack stopped as the woman inside turned around.

Eric's heart stopped when he saw her face. Her dark skin, brown eyes and neatly tied black hair were so familiar to him. He had to fight the sweep of memories brought on by her. But he could not stop his heart from swelling with joy. He loved her so much.

Instinctively Eric thought, 'I need to have a food fight with her.'

Before Eric could examine that bizarre thought, he realized that the girl with the dog was pointing at him. He watched as both girls made the same kind of motions he had seen earlier.

Then the woman he loved faced turned toward Eric. For a second her face fell and she looked like she might cry with joy. But quickly she slapped on a professional smile, "You see, Gabby, here is deaf and mute. And forgot her note pad at home. She's used to having an interpreter around."

Eric's face turned a shade red, "I didn't realize. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, what were you talking to her for?" she said as she turned around to her now boiling pot.

"I was just asking directions to the castle."

"It's to the right. If you walk near the cliff side or shore you'll find it. The houses near it have fallen into disrepair so you can use that to know if you're in the right area."

"Thanks, Tiana. You're the first to give me a straight answer all day."

"Yeah, people around here are a bit crazy when it comes to the castle."

When she went back to setting up he found that he couldn't leave Tiana just yet so he sat next to Gabby for a few minutes. They watched in silence as Tiana did things like setting out a sign that read 'Tiana's Place' and prepping food.

When Tiana finished she gave Gabby a note pad. All of them conversed for a few minutes. Eric told them that he was from out of town but he left it vague as to why he was here. Tiana talked about how she served the best food in the whole city. When Eric offered the smallest amount of doubt Gabby bought several beignets and made Eric eat one to prove it. He bought two more batches. Gabby told him all about her service dog, Jock, and how he was an old grump. She even let Eric pet him. Though she made it clear that it was a one-time thing. She didn't want her service dog to be too distracted. And how she went on adventures with her friends.

Part way through customers had started showing up and Tiana left them. Eric felt his heart grow heavy as she left but he knew he had to leave. When he went to leave he saw something red and yellow fly by. He snapped his head in its direction. He saw a red-haired girl on a hot pink bike with duffel bags and a terrified looking blonde boy. She quickly jumped off the bike to tackle Gabby in a bear hug. Leaving the boy to deal with the duffle bags and the bike. Eric went to go stop the load from toppling him over.

"Thanks," the boy said.

"Your welcome."

When Eric turned he could see the new girl was signing as well. Then she turned on her heals with a large smile on her face. But when she saw him her face fell in confusion just like Tiana had. Eric felt something pass between them but it was mercurial like smoke not like the overstimulation that Tiana had caused.

"Do I know you? I feel like I've seen you somewhere like maybe at school or I don't know the supermarket," she asked.

"Maybe I used to live here," he spoke purposely neglected to mention that he had moved when he was a little kid. "I'm Eric by the way."

They stared at each other for an awkward second before she continued, "I'm Ariel. So… Gabriella tells me you're looking into the castle. You want to come exploring with us?"

"I'd love to."

"Great!" Ariel went in for a hug only to stop when she realized just how overly familiar she was being with a stranger.

"What? You can't be serious!" Urchin yelled however before he could get any further Gabby started waving her hands. She was clearly upset that they were excluding her from the conversation by facing away from her and not signing.

Sorry, both Urchin and Ariel signed as they turned to face their deaf friend. They began signing thus excluding Eric from the conversation. He stood off to the side scratching his head. The few patrons that were buying food kept giving them weird looks.

He shouldn't come with us. He's a stranger. It's dangerous in the castle already. Urchin argued.

He seems nice. It's safer to have more people on an expedition. Ariel retorted.

He is nice but Urchin's right. Gabby signed.

Ariel bit her lip. She was out numbered so she changed tactics. How about we ask Tiana's opinion?

Her friends agreed but they were fully confident that Tiana would be smart and agree with them. Once Tiana had finished with her customers they asked. To their shock, Tiana agreed with Ariel.

"Look I know he's a stranger but I trust him. And I know if you get into trouble he will be a great help." She didn't tell them that she felt like she loved him or that he inextricably knew her name.

How do you know? Gabriella demanded.

"I don't know but I do. Just trust me. Okay?"

Urchin and Gabriella relented.

They ended up walking because the undergrowth and deterioration of this part of the city made it difficult for any kind of vehicles to enter. Tiana had agreed to watch Ariel's bike and Eric somehow ended up carrying the duffle bag. The group didn't mind too much as the castle wasn't too far. It also gave them a better chance to look at the scenery.

And it was breath taking. The gently sloping hills were an emerald green. The decaying houses they passed grew hundreds if not thousands of flowers. Down below the cliffs was the bright white sand. It was rocky but the dull wet rocks glittered in the sun. The water was like a kaleidoscope as it reflected and swirled the colors around.

The smell of ocean gently wafted over them. They each drank it in but Ariel truly relished it. It was hard to believe someone visited the sea almost daily could miss it so much. The fact of the matter was she felt like she was home when near it. Maybe it was because she used to live by the northern shore back when her mother was around.

Ariel and Eric got more and more excited as they approached. Urchin and Gabriella, on the other hand, felt almost ill. They wanted to turn back so badly but they couldn't leave Ariel alone with a stranger. Jock increasing fussiness made it even worse. He jumped at the slightest shadow. He even growled at Gabriella.

But up ahead the red and black-haired teenagers were too caught up in their own world to notice. They eagerly talking and taking everything in. Ariel asked many questions about himself and Eric did his best to answer. Something just felt right about the two of them at least for Ariel. For Eric, there was a strange hesitancy mixed in with the attraction he felt toward her.

"How much farther to the castle?" Urchin whined with all his might.

"It's just over this hill," Ariel said as she stared into Eric's eyes.

When they got to the top of the incline. Everyone sucked in a breath even Ariel who had been here many times looking for a way in. From what little of the castle could be seen it was made of several cylinders that did their best to touch the sky. Even if they could never compare to any skyscraper. Cracks ran thick across the building. Yet none of that drew anyone's attention.

Instead, they gaped in horror as from every entrance, window, and fissure impenetrable black thorns sprung. They surrounded and supported the palace like a wickedly jealous lover. There were white areas in it which were the bones of those who had tried to get in but failed, animal and human alike.

"How is it possible to get in? Maybe if we had a machete but..." whispered Eric.

Ariel turned toward him with a mischievous grin, "Tried that. I even tried hacking it with a weed-Wacker. It broke. When I heard about an old smuggling cave that fell out of use. When exploring that I found a secret passage that went towards the castle."

"Why didn't you go in right then?"

"High tide had flooded the passage. And I wanted to come prepared since I wasn't sure what I'd encounter." Ariel bounded off, "Just follow me, guys."

The party followed Ariel's lead toward the castle. Except for the little black dog. Jock wasn't even barking anymore instead he just refused to move. When Gabby picked him and carried him toward the castle he just whimpered. Ariel walked back concerned.

Is he okay? she signed.

Gabriella shook her head.

You don't have to come. I want you and Jock to be safe.

Gabby put Jock down and replied, I'll stay just outside of the cave. I brought walkie talkies. I'll give you one. If something goes wrong tell me. I'll get help.

You're deaf. I'm confused. She also felt rude signing it like that but she was perplexed.

It lights up and vibrates when some tries to make contact.

Gabby dug out three walkie talkies. One was bright blue, another pink and one purple. She pressed the talk button on the pink one. The blue and purple lit up along with vibrating.

"Perfect," Ariel cheerfully said to herself.

Ariel attached the purple to her belt. They took the moment to split up the supplies. Ariel and Urchin each took a backpack with Eric taking the now lighter duffle bag. After Gabby picked up Jock they were off yet again.

"And here I thought we'd get lucky and Ariel would call off this whole thing," Urchin muttered.

But Eric hearing this responded, "I think Ariel would be okay if you wanted to stay behind though it would be a shame if you missed the fun."

"I can't leave Ariel in danger."

"I'll make sure nothing in castle hurts her."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Urchin left Ariel in danger. Well, that's a bit of a lie. He had left her alone with Eric in the secret passage which in Urchin's mind was the same thing as danger. If you asked him why he'd only be able to give the unsatisfactory answer that he was scared. He wouldn't be able to articulate the all-consuming terror or tiredness. It was like he was in a nightmare that if he didn't get out immediately he would never wake up. Though to his credit, he with stood this sensation until they got the secret door open.

They had gone easily through the cave tunnel. However, due to the way the stalactites and stalagmites were arranged most people wouldn't have realized that fact. But once you notice and used a flash light it wasn't that difficult to see a door located at the end of the tunnel. It was a big white stone door and had a strange symbol, ⊕. Which Ariel recognized as the symbol for earth. By the door, they also noticed a decaying boat. Which made sense as the high tide made most of the cave only accessible at certain times of the day. So, if someone was fleeing they'd want to be sure they could escape at any time of day.

Once they had reached the door Eric and Ariel had begun trying to open it. With their combined strength, it had taken them only a few minutes. When they were done Ariel noticed Urchin's sickly-looking face and sent him back to Gabby. He had hurried off so quickly that he didn't think to leave the supplies he had been carrying behind. Ariel was worried about her friends as they weren't feeling well but she was also miffed they hadn't come with her after all the work she had put into this expedition. Eric was just baffled as Urchin had made such an uproar about him being dangerous to Ariel.

This tunnel wasn't all that different from the cave due to the amount of water damage it had sustained. It too was covered in ruins. Ariel huffed a head of Eric, both excited to finally see the inside of the castle and miffed she couldn't share this with her best friends.

The tunnel was covered in symbols and magic ruins. Apparently, those who had built were not only wanted to flee from psychical threats but magical ones. Ariel could have spent a week examining and deciphering the ruins. That would have to wait as she had a limited time before the cave flooded leaving them stuck till the next low tide. Ariel wanted to see the inside of the castle she had been dreaming of for so long.

She was running so fast that Eric nearly lost the supplies and the flashlight he was carrying. He managed to stay near her. Though considering she had a flashlight of her own and the tunnel was straight even if he had fallen behind it wouldn't have been that hard to find her. He was heaving by the time they reached the end of the cave but he would have gladly admitted that running in a dark, mysterious, secret tunnel after a pretty was kind of fun.

"Noo," Ariel half moaned half huffed.

"What? Oh…" Eric saw that the passageway just stopped.

"Maybe there's a secret, secret passage way from here." She thought out loud as she examined every direction.

Eric closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to remember. His body tightened as he tried to remain in control and gently ease himself into the memories. If he went too fast they would consume him. It was like the ocean. When you stand on the shore you can only see the surface, mere glimmers of what's hidden beneath, and a fraction of the horizon. If you ran out into it without taking the proper care you might be stanched away by an under the curtain and drown. Theoretically, you could wade in or go swimming but Eric had found that the shock of the 'cold' had been too much for him. So instead he sailed on top of the water and gazed deep into it and far across its surface.

Everything seemed to be made bubbles or mist. Beautiful and glimmering but faded and immaterial.

He was being led by a man and a woman. They seemed to tower over him. And there was someone clasping his hand. Someone as small as he was.

They walked across a mosaic floor. It was in the shape of the solar system. The adults kneeled and touched the representation of Earth. With one person on each side, he watched them turn the earth to unlock it. When the imitation planet was lifted it revealed a secret tunnel. There.

"I know who to get in."

In a second Arial was on him, "How!"

"Um, well," he turned his flashlight toward the ceiling. "You see that circle etched the ceiling. I think if we turn it will open like the door to the tunnel did."

"Can I get on your shoulders, that way I can reach." She took off her backpack so she could balance better.

"Sure, but hand me your flashlight," he kneeled to make it easier for her to get on.

It was a little weird for Ariel sitting and balancing on Eric's shoulders but she managed. Eric, on the other hand, was being hit the walkie talkie on her belt every time she swayed or turned. Thankfully, the girl got her balance rather quickly so his pain didn't last long. He moved to be more directly under the title.

Now it was up to Ariel. She hoped all the swimming she did had given her enough upper arm strength. The stone felt immovable but Ariel's will was unstoppable. And after a few minutes, she felt it give. Oddly it didn't fall. But no matter she just lifted and slide it over.

"I got it. Now be careful I'm going to stand and climb up."

"Alright. Do want me to put down the flashlights and give you a boost."

"No, I can manage." With that, she lifted herself through the hole. It was nearly pitch black with only a few cracks of sunlight and the flash lights Eric was holding. "Toss up my backpack. It has rope in it."

He did so and within minutes she had ready for him to climb. He put away his last flash light. He moved the duffle bag into what he believed was a suitable position. Grabbed the rope. He closed his eyes, readying himself.

He knew this place was important to his past life. It could provide answers or the memories set off by this place could consume him and knock him out. He could stay on the shore but he wanted to- no, needed to remember more than that would allow. He needed to anchor himself but on what? Hmm, maybe not a what but a who. Ariel would make a good thing to focus on as she demanded attention in such a way that his memories could never compete.

And so, he began to climb up. The rope was sturdy and that made it easy even in the dark. When he reached the top, it was hard to get over. The rope helped but with the duffle bag, the smooth tiled floor, and the dark it was nearly impossible. Then he felt Ariel's hands grip his arm. She managed to pull him out but he fell on top of her. Their face was inches apart. He could feel her breath on him.

Ariel's heart had almost stopped when Eric fell on her. She couldn't see his cute face but she could feel his hot breath on her. It… it… it smelled horrific. She gagged.

He scrambled off her, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just…"

"What?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me. Please."

"Your breath it kind of smells."

He was mortified. He had forgotten to brush his teeth this morning and had now blown his dragon breath all over a beautiful girl. He wondered if it was too late to go back down the hole.

"Can you turn on one of the flashlights," she said changing the topic.

"Of course. Sorry I zoned out."

With a click of the flashlight, everything glimmered even as everything was covered in dust. It was like standing in a thousand colored diamonds. It was open room and floor. It was beautiful.

He moved after Ariel. He felt something underneath his boot crunch. He looked down it was small and an off white. Maybe it was a tile or plaster or a bone.

A bone.

Maybe a bone of one of the many who perished that day.

He smelled flames. There was fire everywhere but nothing was burning, nothing except the people. They screamed as they were either burnt alive or torn apart by the witch's demons. He had to save them. He was the prince! But he had to find his family if he lost them he would surely die from heart break. No, he his duty came first. He would drive theses foes from the Prayer Room, then the castle and extinguish them if he had too. He prepared to rush in when he saw a girl running like a chicken without a head maybe because he hair was on fire. No, her hair was just red. It was Ariel.

Ariel.

Ariel.

Eric snapped back to reality. She was writing furiously in her journal.

She was talking, "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Have you seen anything so cool!"

"What?"

"The floor is designed to look like the solar system. And all the planets look like their satellite photos. How do you think they could have known what Pluto looked like without a satellite?"

"My mom used to tell me ghost stories about the castle and how the people here used to use magic. Maybe they were true."

"You don't believe those silly stories about the castle. Do you?" she teased

He was tempted to say, 'Yes, I do since I'm being hunted by a past life.' But instead, he said, "I'm not sure on the magic bit but is it really that hard to believe that princesses were assassinated by their lovers."

"No, but while legends often stem from truth they can also be stories made to scare children."

"Fair enough… Why do you think the Kingdom really did fall? If it wasn't the slaughter of the princesses."

"It hard to say without more information but I'm sure Scuttle or Mr. Thatch would have some ideas."

"Who?"

"They work at the history museum. They look at the artifacts I collect."

She then turned and without warning fished out her flash light from the duffle bag. She pulled him along as she explored the room. She collected a lot of items too like a sword and some jewelry. They went about it for a few hours. It was time for them to leave unless they wanted to be stuck.

He didn't learn much about his past life but he did learn a lot about architecture and history from Ariel. She knew a lot compared to him and was passionate about archaeology but she was wasn't an expert. However, she was excitedly learning everything she could. Strangely he felt happy, not satisfied but happy. This happiness only lasted until they returned the cave.

The cave had flooded with the tide. It made their movements difficult but it wasn't too far up. The two of them had made it half through the cave when Ariel screamed as though someone had ripped out her heart.

Urchin was laying in the water. He wasn't moving. She rushed to examine him with Eric close behind. Fortunately, they both had first aid training. Once the established he was breathing they checked him for injuries. They didn't find any but they were still loathed to move him in case he had any unforeseen complications. But they had to move him unless they wanted him to drown and possibly swept out to sea. He was lucky he had fallen onto one of the large stones in the cave otherwise he would have died.

Like a spirit, Gabriella appeared at the mouth of the cave. As she drank in Urchins limp body her face contorted in horror and anguish. If given another minute she would have broken down in inconsolable sobbing. Ariel could not give her that. At least not now. The barely coping redheaded girl signed one word: help.

Notes:

1. Was some of this chapter self-indulgent (like the vague humanized goofy)? Yes but whats the point of writing fanfics if you can't have fun. Also, I think a Disney princess sailor moon au is self-indulgent by nature.
2. I'll be alternating updates of this with my other fanfic, Starfire Alone and Titans Together. I'll try to update frequently but with my alternating, that may not be the case.
3. While I did look into the sign langue (specifically ASL) I wasn't sure how to represent it in writing so if some feels I did something wrong or has suggested I'm all ears.
4. I'm setting this in a fictional country/world so I can control more aspects of the story but I'll admit it's weird since Gabriella use ASL and characters like Pocahontas has a specific ethnicity that doesn't work as well when you separate it from its history in this world but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Also, I'll be trying to keep to the 90s level of technology since that's when the original sailor moon anime aired.