The wedding yacht was more beautiful than Ariel could have imagined. The ship had three stories, with a ballroom below deck and a plethora of private quarters and sitting rooms for the guests. Palace folk worked busily through their suppertime to prepare the wedding ship, but it was no bother; no one could eat out of anticipation for the night's events. Ariel watched from her fourth story window in the palace as Chef Louie animatedly instructed some unfortunate sailors how to wheel the seven-tiered wedding cake aboard.
"Are sings going smooth-lee?" Jeanette asked from the other side of the room where she was making final adjustments on the wedding veil. Again, however, the seamstress did not look up for an answer, so Ariel only smiled and turned back to the window. She was excited, in spite of herself.
She would have a charmed life, to say the least. She kept the standard of living she was used to by marrying a prince, and she loved the subjects of his kingdom. Her future husband cared for her immensely, and she felt she could care for him as well. He was her first love, after all. He would be a good counterbalance for her adventurous, most times reckless, personality, and she could continue learning about humans- from a real human this time, she thought before she could stop herself. The princess bit her lip and pivoted away from the window, the sea, and the future, and watched Jeanette work in forced silence.
Sebastian arrived at Ursula's prison an hour before sunset, the dark corridors of her lair made more ominous in the red evening light.
"How ees de prisoner?" He asked one of the four sentry. A blond merman saluted, his eyes not moving from their target in the middle distance. "No activity, sir! Not since she was first captured by the esteemed King Triton."
Sebastian nodded, his claws folded behind his back. "As yoo were," he intoned, scuttling into the inner chambers. There he found ten more guards, along with a captain of the force.
Ursula herself hung on the wall like a fish caught in a human's net, her head hanging and arms limp as the gold magic pulsed around her. The small crab felt a sense of patriotic pride at his sovereign's handiwork, but composed himself before turning to the captain.
"She ees awf-lee quiet there, sol-deer." He noted offhandedly. "Wot do yoo make of eet?"
"Nothing, sir," the captain said just as indifferently, meeting the crab's gaze. "I do not know much about witch-folk, though I do know they are slippery creatures. We'll make sure not to let down our guard."
Sebastian nodded in approval and made his way to the exit, his wary heart a bit lighter. He reached the mouth of the cell before a guttural voice uttered,
"I'm still in the game, you pompous side-walker."
The sea witch sneered, straining to point in a corner where Ariel's contract lay. "As long as that contract is still in existence, it has not been fulfilled. If the contract still there by sunset, I will have the collateral I need to be set free, and then some."
Sebastian knew he should not retort, but he could not keep himself from saying; "Dee king has sent hees best mermen to de surface to retrieve Aryal should the spell remain unbroken."
"And you think that will stop me?" Ursula cackled, throwing her head back and crowing at the ceiling, "This has only begun, Triton! This has only begun!"
The court composer motioned for the mer-captain to follow him out of the inner sanctum into the corridor.
"Double de gawd, and keep de sol-deers fresh," he instructed, trying not to shake in his shell as Ursula's peals of sardonic laughter pierced through the bone walls. "Shee ees only biding her time."
"Hawkins, my lad, good ta' see ya on a ship agin!" Captain Harris beamed at his apprentice, and Jim had to smile in return.
"Me too, Captain," he replied, petting his parakeet's breast absentmindedly, "Though I don't know how I'll get my sea legs while in this bloody chair."
Harris clucked at the boy's language. "Hey now, lad. I'm sure we have some spare parts around here a ways, and with yer brains, ye could fix ya up a new set o' brakes, I'd say."
Jim grinned. It would be nice to work on something, calm his nerves. "Yeah, that would be great. Where are they?"
The captain stroked his beard, his mind running through ship's schematics. "Aye," he mumbled, finding what he wanted. "On the fourth level below deck, in the cargo bay."
"Thanks cap'n," Harris's apprentice haled, rolling away.
"Oi, what's that you got there, then?"
Jim looked over his shoulder at the oblong object wrapped in tarp and strapped to the back of his wheelchair that his mentor motioned to. "Oh, nothing," he murmured, "Just a pet project."
Sable found him right before the ceremony.
"Stubborn up to the end, I see." She huffed, holding open the door to the kitchen closet with her elbow. Jim turned his head slightly, his back to her.
"I was working on my brakes. But I- don' t think they will be sufficient. I should stay here where I can't- roll off."
Sable just stared holes at the back of his head. He sighed.
"It's the end, isn't it?" He heard the duchess's disgust in her heavy sigh.
"You're so emotional for a sailor." She grumbled. "Come on, or you'll miss-" Sable corrected herself midstream "- or I'll get Eric to come get you."
The moody youth pivoted so abruptly that Sable jumped. He glared at her, then wheeled himself out the door. "You can't just leave me be? No one would miss me, and I would give anything..."
He trailed off, so Sable picked up the conversation.
"The hard truth is, your little crush is getting married. You can't delude yourself with happily ever afters. Face the fact that she will never be yours." Sable grinned tightly at him. "Life isn't a fairy tale."
Jim, who had been watching the duchess out of the corner of his eye, looked dejectedly down again, his throat dry and jaw clenched in anger.
"Is that what you told all those men you dumped?"
Sable stared at him in surprise.
"It's not fair." Jim looked straight into the noble's eyes, his own shining with unshed tears. "I only want her!"
Triton turned away from his scrying mirrors as the wedding procession began, as if it were a family member's execution. He never imagined his little Ariel's wedding day like this. Maybe it would not have been so heart-breaking if he knew she would be happy, but after seeing the way she looked at the alien boy, even her happiness was uncertain. The future of his kingdom also rested on the shoulders of his baby.
"Oh, Ariel," the king sighed sadly. "How do you get mixed up in these things?"
"Um, ex-kyuse me, Mah-jesty?" Sebastian's voice came from the entrance to the king's chambers. "De sea witch is se-kyua fo de time being. But..."
Triton looks inquiringly down at the crab when he did not continue. The composer was shaking uncontrollably.
"Sebastian?"
Sebastian swallowed hard, "Doo yoo have a plan to save her, Mah-jesty?"
"No, Sebastian, I don't," the king replied, turning away again. He looked up toward the surface, his eyes steely and teeth clenched in determination. "But I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe."
Ursula smiled toothily as the sea reddened with the last rays of the sun. If the princess was as much of a sap as her father, the sea, and possibly the galaxy, would soon be hers.
Prince Eric took his place in front of the assembly, his knees trembling as the guests finished situating themselves and focusing their attention on him.
Even the queen- my mother- showed up, he thought nervously, nodding slightly at the middle-aged, auburn haired woman smiling at him. I haven't seen her in nearly two years, due to trouble in the North. She hasn't met Ariel yet. What if she disapproves? What if-
Grimsby, noticing his master's discomfort, lay a hand on the heir's shoulder.
"Everything will go swimmingly I'm sure, Your Highness." The butler reassured. "Do not focus on the crowd, all that matters is-"
The processional music started, drowning out the best man's words. Eric would not have heard his butler anyway. His heart pounded in his ears as the doors to the captain's quarters opened and the woman of his dreams walked out.
She was so beautiful Jim thought his broken heart would fall out of his chest. Her dress was pure white, sparkling in the evening sun and making her glow like an angel among mortals. The sailor pushed to the front of the crowd in spite of himself, needing to see her, as she glided to the altar. He smiled slightly as she reached over to pet Max on the head as she walked past, not minding in the least that he licked her perfectly manicured hand. That French seamstress had done an excellent job of accentuating her most appealing features. The silhouette emphasized Ariel's small waist, and the green trim made her loose, long hair fierier. Her bright blue eyes shone, brought out by her modest make-up. However, there was a shadow in those eyes that caused a crease between Jim's thick eyebrows.
"Dearly Beloved," the priest began. Every muscle in Jim's body tensed, his old indignation rising in him. He did not notice he wheelchair was moving into the aisle until he felt himself being pulled backward. He looked over his shoulder in mild annoyance, then his face pulled into a grimace when he saw Sable grasping the handles. That's right, he recalled, Sable had managed to stand next to him in the crowd of spectators and had been pestering him with her usual unwelcome attentions since the beginning of the ceremony. When Ariel stepped onto the deck, though, Sable and everything else melted away.
"I do," he heard Eric say. Jim's stomach dropped, and his throat closed in panic. He could not be there. This was worse than torture on the prison planet in sub-sector nine. Cruel and unusual punishment. They could not make him stay.
Jim looked about frantically for an escape route as the priest turned to the bride, a kind look in his senile eyes.
"And do you, Ariel, take Prince Eric to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Ariel bit her lip at the question. This was the moment of truth. In a moment, she would say 'I do', kiss the prince, and then her father and his kingdom would be free of a witch's wrath- and a princess's stupidity. Her eyes drifted over the crowd, then back to the prince, who was smiling lovingly at her.
'I-'
Then, she realized something- someone- was missing. Ariel jerked her head back to the audience, her ocean blue eyes watering as she strained to find the person she knew in her heart was no longer present.
'Jim.' The ex-mermaid looked down at the hands Eric was holding, then squeezed her eyes shut to hold back her tears, pretending she had seen what she hadn't.
"What? Is something wrong?" The prince asked worriedly, the crowd of nobles twittering in the background. The priest repeated the question.
"Ariel, do you take Prince Eric to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Ariel wasn't listening, her head buzzing with her own thoughts. Jim wasn't there. She knew it sounded sick, but she couldn't go through with it if he wasn't there. She wanted to be able to see his face in the audience of strangers and pretend she was making these oaths to him. Because she loved him, more than she knew she could love anyone. And now he was gone, and she lost the will to do what was necessary. But now, finally, she knew what was right. She had to find Jim. She had so much to atone for, and little time to do it in. But first,
Ariel looked into Eric's inquiring eyes and smiled reassuringly, her grin so radiant that Eric's breath caught. Taking the opportunity, Ariel leaned in and kissed the prince's cheek. 'I'm-,' she began, then stopped.
She wasn't sorry. She had no regrets. Whatever happened to her she had only herself to blame, but for the first time in her life, she didn't care.
So instead, she mouthed, 'You'll be fine,' and squeezed his hands one last time before pulling away. With a grin Ariel gathering her skirts and barreled down the aisle faster than she had run from the renegade sailors at the bar. Cries of shock and fresh waves of gossip from the nobles accumulated in her wake, but none attempted to retrieve her, not that she would have let them. Now, if I were an alien sailor looking for somewhere to mope, she thought euphorically, where would I hide? A familiar form to the right of the captain's quarters caught her eye. Jim's wheelchair. He must have left it there to go below deck to- the kitchen. Ariel kicked off her high heels and ran down the nearest staircase, searching frantically for the galley.
Jim managed to escape Sable's grasp and, his handler held back by the queen herself, wheeled to the head of the stairs before the priest asked Ariel the fateful question. The youth abandoned his chair in his haste to reach the solace of the lower decks before the ceremony had concluded and the celebrations began. Now, hearing the roar of voices above deck, his chin hit his chest in defeat.
"I guess it's over, Morph." The spacer sighed. His pet chirruped worriedly, sliding over his owner's face in a sweet caress. Jim attempted a small smile to sooth the shape shifter, but the action only served to squeeze barely withheld tears from the corners of his eyes. Finally, the spacer broke down.
"Why did it have to be her, Morph?" He asked in hushed, jerky tones, a sob racking his frame. "I had sworn never to fall in love- and I am infatuated by the prince's fiancee? Does Fate hate me so much? I know I will eventually get over this- once I'm back among the stars and away from this blasted planet, all this will be just a bad memory- but why-?" He pushed the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying in vain to stop the flow of tears. "Why do I love her so much I could die?" Suddenly Morph, who had been lightly massaging Jim's left temple, began vibrating excitedly, cooing and chirping rapidly.
"What is it, boy?" Jim looked around the kitchen hurriedly for any intruders or dangers, his hand flying to a knife hidden in his boot.
Then he heard it, too. Above the din of the prince's guests, the patter of bare feet on wood and heavily breathing echoed against the walls. The doors to the kitchen exploded open, and Jim's jaw dropped.
Ariel stood panting in the doorway, her hair wild and skirt ripped in one place where she had tripped over it. Her hands clutched the doorjamb, bracing her against it.
"A-Ariel?" Jim said breathlessly.
The girl looked up at the sound of his voice, and her eyes glassed over. 'Jim!' In an impressive display of prowess, the princess vaulted over the table separating them, using her recoil on landing to spring herself into Jim. The impact nearly knocked him off the bench he was straddling, but he didn't care. Jim wrapped his arms around her, pressing his tear-streaked face into her hair. He wasn't stupid: if she was here, there was only one explanation.
"You didn't go through with the wedding." He stated.
Jim nearly laughed in relief when she shook her head into his shoulder. Ariel locked her hands behind his back and sighed contentedly, shivering when her sailor pressed a kiss on the crown of her head. It was only a matter of minutes before the sun set and Ursula came to claim her prize. For now, though, Ariel would enjoy being where she knew she was meant to be.
Sebastian watched in horror as Ariel ran away from her prince in search of the sailor boy. She knew there could only be one outcome, how could she betray her father in this way?
The crab looked over his shoulder in trepidation, afraid of how the sea king would react. To his surprise, as the scrying mirrors showed Ariel jumping into the spacer's arms, King Triton's lips stretched into a little smile.
"Finally." He breathed.
"Sire?"
"Sebastian," the king intoned, folding his arms behind his back. "There is only so much a father can do for his children. For example, I cannot ensure their happiness in a forced marriage. But protect them from the clutches of a sea witch," He grinned wickedly at his consort. "That, I can do."
The guards outside of Ursula's prison didn't know their prisoner had escaped until they were blown into the walls by a wave of black magic, the last rays of the sun disappearing over the horizon. The captain coughed as clouds of black ink flooded the inner chamber, shielding the witch's flight path from view.
"Is everyone all right?" He yelled hoarsely over the groans of his fallen mermen. "Sound off!" By the time the soldiers were all accounted for, the ink had been swept away by the currents. The captain swam into the inner room to investigate.
"Gone," he sighed. He glanced in the corner. "And the contract, too. All right, men. Back to the palace. We've done all we can here. We can only report in and be ready for further orders."
King Triton looked up and away suddenly, his nose against the currents.
"Wh-wot is eet, sire?" Sebastian asked nervously.
"Ink. In the water." Triton frowned. "Ursula-"
A frantic seahorse darted into the king's chambers, his eyes wide with panic. "Ursula has escaped, my lord!"
As Ariel watched the sun set through the kitchen's wall-long window, she knew she should feel afraid of what was to come. But with her head on Jim's shoulder, his hands stroking her hair, she felt like the world was finally right. Whatever happened, it wasn't because she was too late or someone was unfair. It was because she chose him.
'It's almost time.'
"Huh?"
The princess pulled away from her love, though they remained touching. Jim cupped her cheek with his hand, and she leaned into it.
'I love you.' She said, staring into his steely blue eyes.
He grinned, then blushed slightly at his joy. "I- love you, too."
Ariel smiled, too. She took one of his hands in hers and stood.
'Jim, I have to go away for a while.'
The sailor's smile faded and he stood as well, tilted toward his good leg. "What? Why?"
'I have to repay a debt. Jim, I- haven't been very honest with you.' Jim rolled his eyes in agreement. 'But believe me, after I get out of this, I will find you, no matter what.'
"And how long will that be? I'm not going to be on this planet forever-"
Ariel put two fingers to his lips, and he felt a buzz of electricity on his skin.
'This isn't up for debate. I must leave.' Ariel looked down sheepishly, her face almost as red as her hair. 'But before I go,'
"I can't see your face, Ariel. I can't understand you-"
She looked up abruptly, her eyes urgent. 'Will you kiss me?'
Jim blushed as well, but the girl did not have to ask a second time. In one fluid motion, Jim drew Ariel into his arms and pulled her into a full, blissful kiss.
After a couple seconds Jim drew away, pressing his forehead to hers and smiling brightly.
"Your lips taste salty." He chuckled, moving his hands to her face.
Ariel blushed, a bit embarrassed by her apparently odd flavor.
Jim laughed again. "Don't worry, I like salty things."
He leaned in for another kiss and Ariel accepted, throwing her arms around his neck to keep him close. This might be the last time they were together, and it broke her heart to know it was all her fault. I love you, Jim. She thought as he deepened the kiss, and she poured all of her feelings for him into their touch. I love you.
In the rabble following the bride's flight, Sable managed to escape her aunts grasp, fighting her way through the confused crowd. She knew where the tramp must have gone.
"And Jim had assured me she had no feelings for him." The duchess hissed, pulling up her skirts as she carefully descended the stairs. "She is so fickle. That wench does not deserve him."
Well, at least soon he will be all mine, she thought, remembering the witch's promise. A sinister smile crossed over her red lips. Sable reached the kitchen door, which was hanging open. What she saw made her face flame with anger and her heart ice over with hate.
That redheaded vixen was kissing her Jim! And Jim was kissing her back! Sable's fists clenched until her nails cut into her own flesh. With a loud cry she sprinted into the room, slamming headlong into the couple. In their surprise, the two released each other, and Jim lost his balance and fell to the ground. His well-being did not concern the duchess, however. Sable grabbed Ariel by the shoulders and shook her hard.
"What gives you the right?" She shrieked. "Jim is mine! You have a bloody prince, why do you have to take Jim from me?"
"I'm not- yours, Sable." Jim grunted as he recovered.
"Stay out of this, cheater!" Sable ordered before turning back to her victim. "Well, what is your answer?"
Ariel was extremely irritated. She only had seconds left with Jim before the sun set on her life forever, and yet this barnacle had the gall to interfere.
'I'll give you my answer,' Ariel sneered, and kneed Sable hard in the stomach. Sable doubled over with a gasp, but before her foe could rush to Jim's side, the scorned woman rammed headfirst into the redhead, using her bent position to hold the other girl captive once again. Ariel beat on Sable's back, reaching out for Jim and screeching indignantly.
"There's no room- for two women in Jim's life," the duchess grunted, pushing Ariel toward the large window. "So sleep- with the fishes." With one last, violent push, the duchess hoisted the princess into the glass pane, the force breaking the frosted glass and sending the ex-mermaid tumbling five stories to the sea below.
Jim clambered to his feet and hobbled to the window, gripping the windowsill despite the jagged glass which cut his hands.
"What were you thinking?" He shrieked at the duchess, who also looked out the window to see if her victim resurfaced. Then she turned to Jim, her chocolate brown eyes cold.
"I was fulfilling my side of a bargain."
"What- never mind." Jim pushed off the windowsill and away from Sable. "If you thought this would. in some way, make me like you..." The sailor leaned on the tables around him as he limped over to the pantry. "...you are mistaken. Severely. Let me- put things in perspective for you." Jim opened the door to the kitchen closet with a heave and dragged out a long package from within. "If everyone on Earth were killed by an asteroid and you and I were the last two people on the planet, I would still die a virgin." He unwrapped the package to reveal a long, flat piece of machinery. "Something is wrong with you, Sable. Can I suggest getting a psychiatrist, or maybe a friend?" He folded an odd sort of stand out of the machine strapped his cast to it.
"C-can't you be my friend?" Sable asked desperately, realizing the gravity of her actions through the hate in his eyes.
"Not that kind of friend, Sable." Jim's right foot slid back and flipped a switch, causing the engine to sputter to life. "I'm going to go clean up your mess, but don't think you're getting off the hook. I doubt even a duchess can get out of an attempted murder charge." The spacer grinned savagely when the duchess jumped back as the machine began to hover above the ground. "Have a nice life."
Ariel hadn't hit the water before the night began to do its work. By the time the waves caught her, her tail had grown back and she could breathe underwater, but the soaked wedding dress pulled her down. She wrestled the gown over her head; the mermaid had worn her seashell top as a precaution, and was secretly proud of her forethought.
This done, she swam as fast as she could in the direction of Atlantica. Maybe luck was on her side, and she could reach the castle before Ursula-
"Not so fast, little princess." Ariel gave out a silent cry as a lasso of yellow magic circled her. Ursula chuckled as the princess wriggled in her bonds.
"Did you really think you were going to get away so easily?" The sea witch chortled, reeling Ariel in. She grabbed ahold of the girl's arm, and the lasso collapsed into a scroll in the witch's hand.
"I love these new binding contracts." Ursula grinned. "So versatile. Very handy for cooking, reaching high objects- trapping your nemesis's daughter-" The witch snapped her fingers and Flotsam and Jetsam emerged from the shadows, wrapping themselves tightly around Ariel's arms. The mermaid struggled to loosen their hold, growling like Jim did when the witch laughed at her folly. "Come," Ursula ordered her minions, still smiling viciously, "We've got a bigger fish to catch."
The nobles on the top deck scattered in confusion and fear as a strange flying machine shot from behind the quarter deck, hurtling high into the sky before nosediving back toward the ship.
"Witchcraft!" They screeched.
"Sorcery!"
"Suicide!"
Eric, seated at the foot of the altar with his chin in his hands, did not look up until the contraption sputtered to a stop in front of him, the roar of the engine almost drowning out the screams of the court. The prince looked up with a start, his thoughts scattered.
"J-Jim?" He stammered, his eyes wide at the scene before him. "W-what is this thing?"
"A solar surfer." Jim replied shortly. "No time to explain. Ariel's in trouble."
"What?"
"Sable pushed her out a window. I need you to lower a lifeboat. I'll meet you port side." Jim pulled back on the surfer's handle and sped off. Eric wasted no time, pushing through the troughs of nobles to reach the lifeboats.
"I need some help over here!" He called to the crew as he jumped into the boat and grabbed the supporting ropes. Captain Harris and two other crew members rushed to the prince's aid.
"Good luck t' ya, lad." He said as Eric dropped toward the sea. "Keep yer wits about ye. Sometin's not right in te waters t'day."
"Thank you, Captain." Eric replied. He let go of the ropes and allowed the boat to fall the last ten feet to the waves below.
When Eric hit the water, Jim was waiting for him. In one fluid motion, he collapsed the surfer's sail, detached his cast from its stand, and landed on the lifeboat's bench with a thud, storing his surfer next to him. Eric hesitantly offered Jim an oar, eyeing the surfer almost nervously. The sailor took the oar without meeting his eyes. He noticed the prince's trepidation, but didn't say a word.
"So," Eric grunted after they began rowing, "What's the plan?"
"She fell out the kitchen window, on the back side of the ship."
"So- this is a simple rescue mission."
Jim groaned inwardly, straining against the current. He looked up at the sky. It had been clear twenty minutes before, but now it looked like a hurricane was brewing. "I wouldn't count on it."
"You can stop staring at me now." Jim rolled his eyes at the prince, who had been glancing between the youth and his solar surfer as they rowed.
"What- are you?"
Jim sighed. "I'm a spacer. A student of the Interstellar Academy, here to learn earth's version of sailing." Eric continued to stare.
"I'm from outer space."
"Ohhh..." Eric's eyes widened. "So that explains-" He gestured to Morph, who turned back into his natural form now that their secret was out.
"Yeah."
"So- Ariel went to you, after she left me at the altar."
Jim blushed, remembering his encounter with the ex-bride. "Yeah- I'm sorry, man. I did not know she was going to do that."
"I don't think she did, either." Eric sighed resignedly. "She loves you, doesn't she?"
Jim shrugged and looked away. This was extremely awkward. "Let's just- focus on the problem at hand, awright?" He suggested. "We're- almost there."
Sebastian swam frantically away from the palace, running into Flounder on his way to the wedding ship.
"Sebastian?" He asked tentatively. He'd never seen the crab so undone. "Are you o-okay?"
"No ah am not okay!" The composer yelled, trying to push past the fish. "Ah need to see de space boy post haste! Dere ees trouble unda da sea an' we need all de help we cahn get!"
Flounder and Sebastian both swam to the surface together in search of the spacer.
He was easier to find than they expected: he was already on the water in a dinghy, rowing next to the large wedding barge.
"Jim!" Sebastian yelled, standing on Flounder's head and waving his claws. "Jim, mah boy!"
They were still at a distance, but Jim heard his name and looked out to sea quizzically.
"Keep swimming, Flounda," the composer ordered, crouching to stay balanced. "Dis is of de upmos-"
"I know!" Flounder countered, driving forward even harder as the sky grew cloudier. He was afraid. Ariel always got herself into trouble, but it was different this time. More... permanent.
Finally the two marine creatures overtook the small vessel, and Sebastian vaulted onto the rail of the dinghy.
"Jim, ma boy!"
Jim noticed him and smiled tightly at the crustacean. "Sebastian?"
"Yes, eet is I. Li-sen to me, Aryal's in danga!"
"Yeah, Sable threw her overboard."
"WHAT?"
"But Eric and I are going to get her. She can swim, right?"
"Wedda she cahn swim or not ees not de point! Eet's past sunset and de spell has not bin bro-ken! Dis ees a disasta-!"
"Ummm, excuse me," Eric interjected nervously. "But- are you talking to a crab?"
Jim sighed heavily. "Yes. He speaks a dialect of Atlantean I can understand. He has information about Ariel."
"Like how it's been more than ten minutes and she hasn't resurfaced?"
Jim hadn't realized this; the notion of Ariel actually dying never crossed his mind. "You're right." He turned to the crab, pushing the urge to jump overboard and find her to the back of his mind. "You said she's in danger. How can she still be alive?"
The crustacean, gestured off the starboard side into the sea. "See for yo-self."
Though the sea grew choppier by the minute, the water was still clear enough to see thirty feet down to the ocean floor. There, Jim could see two figures. One was obviously Ariel: her bright red hair contrasted harshly with the dull blue environment. The other was a large, dark creature Jim didn't recognize. Then something very near Ariel caught the light. Something green.
Jim did a double take, squinting into the depths. "She-she has a tail!" The sailor gasped, nearly dropping his oar.
"Meet Preen-cess Aryal, daughter of King Triton, king of Atlan-tica."
All of the jumbled puzzle pieces in Jim's mind came crashing together, forming a picture he hadn't even dared consider. Ariel was a mermaid. He'd heard the sailors tell talk about the merfolk, but thought they were only superstition. This explained everything. Why he found her on the beach, why she couldn't walk well, why she- why she lied to him. He felt anger and betrayal rise in him, but he quelled it, deciding to dwell on it later.
Jim leaned back into the boat, his mind reeling as Eric looked into the water, trying to see what his friend did. "By all that is good-" he whispered when he realized. "I'd heard stories, but-"
"So the thing- person- next to her is..."
"Ursula, de sea weech." Sebastian explained. "Aryal made a deal wit her. Gave her her voice een return fo human legs. De deal was if Aryal didn't get de kees of true love from de preence by sunset today..." The crab's face clouded over "...she wud belong to de weech fo-eva."
"Who's the dude with the long white hair?" Eric asked, pointing to a figure a short ways off.
"Oh no." The crab breathed.
"What?"
"Dat's de sea king. I hoped to get to yoo and save Aryal before he got hee-a."
"Why?" Jim asked in a low voice, half afraid of the answer.
"Becuz de king-" Sebastian shuddered. "Will give his crown to de witch to save his dau-ta, and de ocean will fall een-to chaos."
*GASP!* Yeah... that's about all I got.
To recap:
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