Chapter Twenty-Two

(Song in this chapter is "Vanessa's Song" - with a couple of alterations - from the movie the "Little Mermaid".)

"Aralyne. Aralyne, wake up. Wake up." I opened my eyes to see me leaning over my face. For a horrifying moment, I thought it was staring at Siren, but it couldn't have been! Siren's eyes were red, and this impostor had my golden brown eyes! I opened my mouth to scream, but the impostor slapped a hand over my mouth. What the hell was going on?!

With a growl, I lifted up my legs and kicked the fake me off the bed. She fell to the ground with a thump and groan.

"You litlle brat!" the other snarled. She suddenly morphed into Ursula and I gasped in horror. Leaning over the bed, I began reaching for Excalibur, but one of her tentacles wrapped around my ankle and dragged me off the bed. The rest of her tentacles pinned me down so I couldn't move, and one covered my mouth. I glared at her.

"Congratulations, princess, you did it," she sneered at me.

What's she blathering on about?

"Soon the whole town will be buzzin' about the youngest prince gettin' himself married this afternoon," she said and I stared at her, not understanding what the news was. "Married to a certain savior." Ursula transformed her upper body back into mine, and let me tell you seeing myself with tentacles was very creepy! She grabbed a length of rope and used it to tie me up. The last thing she did was stuff a cloth in my mouth to gag me before tossing me inside a wardrobe.

This couldn't be happening!

In the early morning, the bewitched Hans stood in the throne room with his arm around the fake Aralyne, his family and Grimsby surrounding them.

"Well, uh - err, Hans. I-it appears that you have made a choice and so has she. Congratulations, my dear," said the older man. Morgaine looked irritated while the other princes were furious. Why anyone would choose Hans was beyond them.

"We wish to be married as soon as possible," said Hans.

"Oh, yes - of course, Hans, but, er - but these things do take time, you know," said Eadric.

"Right away, Father. The wedding ship departs at noon."

"Oh, oh - very well, Hans - as you wish," said Grimsby agreeing to the terms. "Aralyne" smirked at the assembled princes.

"What do you mean Aralyne's getting married to Prince Hans?!" demanded Catherine rounding on her younger sister. She and Alyss were in their cottage's kitchen, the former standing near the sink while the younger sat at the table reading a newspaper.

"That's what it says here," said Alyss before taking a sip of tea. She then frowned and set down the paper. "But it is highly suspicious. She doesn't seem like the type of girl to marry a man she just met."

"Something is wrong. I can feel it," said Catherine running towards the window. She threw it open and morphed into a blue bird before flying off into the sky.

She soared over the Southern Isles, soon flying over the wedding ship. Hearing a voice singing, she followed and peered into a porthole to see Aralyne, twirling around.

"What a lovely little bride I'll make, my dear I'll look divine

Things are working out according to my ultimate design

Soon I'll have that little savior and the kingdom will be mine!"

With an evil laugh, Aralyne peered into the mirror, but Ursula was reflected back. Seeing this, Catherine began to panic.

"The sea witch! Oh no . . . She's- I gotta. . ." Turning, she quickly flew off back towards her cottage. Upon flying through the window, she became human once more.

"Alyss!" she panted "Alyss. I was flying, I wa - of course I was flying - An' - I s- I saw that the watch - the witch was watchin' a mirror! Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE SEA WITCH IN DISGUISE!" Alyss gaped at her. It makes sense now! There's no way she would marry a man she just met!

"What are we gonna do!?" Alyss asked setting down her teacup.

"We have to find Aralyne, first of all. If Ursula is impersonating her that means she's in trouble! Let's go!"

The two sisters transformed into blue birds and flew out of the cottage. After flying over the kingdom for a bit, they went straight towards the castle, and entered a room that had a window left wide open.

"So if she was staying here, she's probably still here somewhere," Alyss said thoughtfully, looking around the place.

"Well, we're definitely in the right room," said Catherine picking up a red, gold, and white dress off the floor. It was the exact same one Aralyne had been wearing the previous day.

I don't know how long I had been standing in the wardrobe. It could have been days, or even weeks! Still bound and gagged, I was completely powerless. Eventually I heard two voices speaking outside my wooden prison.

"So if she was staying here, she's probably still here somewhere."

"Well, we're definitely in the right room."

I knew those voices! But how was I to get their attention? I hopped and rammed my shoulder against the wardrobe's wall. Thump! Ow!

"What was that?"

Again. Thump! Ow! Right as I was about to ram my shoulder into the wood again, the doors opened and I toppled out of the wardrobe, landing on my side. Oooowww!

"Aralyne!"

Alyss pulled a knife out of her boot and used it to cut my bindings while Catherine pulled the gag out of my mouth.

"How did you know to find me?" I asked in slight surprise, sitting up.

"We knew something was wrong when we heard you're marrying the prince," said Catherine, "Now come on, before he ends up stuck with that sea witch for the rest of his life!"

The sisters each grabbed one of my hands and hauled me up onto my feet. Together the three of us ran out of the castle and Catherine led us to the docks where we skid to a halt.

"They're on that ship!" Catherine said pointing to the only one out in the ocean. It was so far! there was no way to get there in time!

"We have to find a way to stall the wedding," Alyss declared, then to my amazement my friends turned into bluebirds. They flew overhead chirping to rally up some help.

Without thinking, I jumped into the water and began heading towards the ship.

"Aralyne" was walking down the aisle to the alter with an evil smirk on her face. Max growled up at her, but she kicked him in the face to shut him up.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began when she had arrived before him. Hans just stood there in his hypnotic state.

"I've gotta make it," I gasped to myself when I was mere feet from the boat, "I'm almost there." Finally reaching my destination, I grasped a rope that had been dangling from the boat. Using that, I climbed up the side side of the ship, able to hear the wedding.

"Yes, um, do you Hans, take Aralyne, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Hans, no! I'm coming!

"Eh, and do you . . ." The Priest's words were drowned out as a myriad of birds and animals suddenly swooped onto the ship with Catherine and Alyss. Hearing the chaos, I smiled and kept climbing.

I suddenly heard my voice scream out, "Get away from me, you slimy little- Oh, why you little-!" Right as I pulled myself over the rail, I saw Ursula in her disguise swatting at the sea creatures. Alyss latched onto the necklace around her neck and yanked it off. The shell smashed on the floor at my feet. Hans blinked looking as if he had been under a spell.

"Aralyne?" he said in surprise.

"Hans," I said with a smile as Max came up to me barking happily.

He then turned and saw the impostor and looked back and forth between us, as did everyone else.

"Hans, get away from her!" Ursula ordered but my Prince ignored her.

"What's going on here?" demanded Queen Morgaine.

"Which Aralyne is the real one?" inquired King Eadric.

"That one," shouted Alyss and Catherine returning to their human forms and pointing at me.

The youngest prince ran towards me.

"HANS NO!" Ursula shouted. She suddenly reached behind a pillar and pulled out Excalibur, pointing it towards me.

"Aralyne, look out!" my shape-shifting friends shouted out.

Ursula snickered and shot a beam of green light at me. A sharp pain ran through the lower half of my body and I slid to the ground as my legs turned into a purple tail.

Hans stared down at me in bewilderment, his green eyes wide.

Laughing maniacally the sea witch lost her disguise. After crawling our way, she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me overboard. With an evil smirk she said to Hans, "So long, lover-boy."

"Aralyne!" he shouted as Ursula and I fell into the ocean.

The nightdress I had been wearing slid off my body, but thank goodness I still had my bra underneath. "Poor little princess," said Ursula dragging me through the ocean, "getting caught up in all of this drama. What would Tulio think?" I stared at her. Why would he care? "It doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure Siren would be pleased to hear I have disposed of you."

"You - You monster!" I launched up to try and take my sword back, but she kept it out of my reach and shoved me aside as easily as if I were kelp.

"Don't fool with me you little brat!" She yelled pointing Excalibur at me, again. She suddenly screamed as Catherine and Alyss appeared out of nowhere, pulling her hair. Hans was also by my side, and pulled me away from the sea witch. "Why you little trolls!" Ursula shouted aiming for my friends, but they dodged.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded of all three of them.

Ursula turned her attention to us and pointed at the Prince. "After him!" Flotsam and Jetsam, who must have been nearby, wrapped their bodies around him, and pulled him away from me. Ursula held me back with her tentacles. Hans struggled in the eels' grasp and I knew he needed air by how red his face was turning.

Alyss swam up to the eels and stabbed their tails with her knife. Flotsam and Jetsam screamed, releasing Hans, and he headed straight for the surface.

"Say goodbye to your sweetheart," Ursula snarled pointing the sword at Hans. Panicking, I pushed her arm aside at the exact same time Catherine grabbed Hans and pushed him out of the way. The blast missed them by inches, but did strike Flotsam and Jetsam who exploded into pieces.

Swimming up, I grabbed one of Hans's arms and Catherine and I helped him up to the surface. Alyss followed us.

When my friends had gotten some air, Hans wrapped his arms around me.

"Hate to break it up but we've got bigger problems!" Catherine said.

"You've got to get away from here," I said to all three of them.

"No, we won't leave you," Hans said. A myriad of bubbles appeared below us with a glowing light and hair, now the size of a ship came between us. And the four of us soon found ourselves on top of Ursula's head, who was now the size of a giant. Alyss and Catherine grabbed on to me to keep from falling as the sea witch grew larger.

Reaching around the hair, Hans grabbed my hand and jumped, pulling me along with the girls. After plunging into the water, we resurfaced to see Ursula had stopped growing, Hans wrapping his arms protectively around me once more.

"You pitiful, insignificant, fools!" Ursula said in her booming voice, sending a tentacle after us.

"Look out!" Hans shouted as the four of us dodged.

"I am never going swimming again! You sure got her attention!" Catherine gasped.

Looking back up, we saw Ursula was still holding the magic sword and pointed it at the sky, creating a storm. "Now I am the ruler of all the ocean! The waves obey my every whim!" Hans and I were torn apart and the girls grabbed my arm so that we weren't separated. "The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!"

"HANS!" I screamed, but he disappeared.

Continuing to use the sword, Ursula created a whirlpool and raised some shipwrecks. Alyss, Catherine, and I got caught in the whirlpool and sank down to the bottom. Above us, Ursula aimed the sword and tried blasting us, but we kept dodging along the ocean floor.

Laughing wickedly, Ursula cried, "So much for true love!" As she raised the sword to finish us off, we saw a ship steer into view, and impale the sea witch. She screamed, lightning striking her, and she fell to the bottom, dragging the ship with her.

Water crashed down around the girls and me, and the others disappeared. In the murky water, I saw Excalibur sinking to the ocean floor, but I grabbed it and quickly swam to the surface, frantically looking around until I saw Catherine and Alyss swimming towards shore; Hans was crawling on the beach and collapsed on the sand. Relief washed over me at the sight of them, but I still needed to check if they was okay. I swam over to the beach and pulled myself up beside them.

"We're fine," Alyss gasped when I reached their side and Catherine waved me off as she coughed up water.

I then turned my attention towards the prince.

"Hans," I said reaching out and brushing a lock of red hair out of his face. I was vaguely aware that the storm had ended and sunshine was peeking out through the clouds. There was no response other than his steady breathing. "Please, Hans, wake up," I begged. His hand reached out and grasped mine. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled at me.

"Aralyne," he said. Hans slowly sat up and I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I murmured into his collar bone. Pulling away, I used the sword's magic to turn me back into a human, and wearing a lavender dress.

After seeing my transformation, Hans laughed and asked, "Aralyne, will you marry me?"