It was strange, walking. Legs were so feeble. One wrong step and humans could easily topple to the ground. But the intrigue and mysterious nature of the surface world was at Ariel's fingertips. Who was she to complain about a few minor details?
It took her hours before she managed to climb onto the docks and walk properly. And it took her hours more to find someone mad enough to take a distraught, disoriented girl to the marketplace. But eventually she learned.
Upon arrival, she paced around the center of town, staring in awe at the traders and buyers and wives and children all going about their daily routine. They exchanged a certain amount of produce with little gold and silver coins. And when they didn't have enough, they couldn't buy it.
So strange, Ariel thought to herself.
The sights were beautiful. Colorful shades of clothing, the tall mudbricks of buildings, the smell of fresh salt filling the seaboard town. There was a horde of people wandering from right to left, picking up handful of fruits and buckets of fish. It was surreal. She was living inside her own dream.
Ariel walked clumsily over to the fruit cart where a rotund man was selling fruits by the barrel. The young girl picked up a ruby red apple from one of the carts and stared at it for a long while. She had never seen anything so lush and so red before. Its exterior was smooth and glossy, shining in the midafternoon sun like a ruby in a sunken treasure chest.
She pointed to the apple and then back at the man.
The man smiled kindly. "No charge."
Ariel let out a wide smile, nodding towards the man, as she no longer could thank him with her words. Slowly, she bit into the fruit, tasting the sweet juice seeping through the skin of the apple. Ariel had never tasted something like this before. She licked her lips and took another bite.
Her focus became so involved in the delicious fruit that Ariel failed to see the incoming carriage. When her emerald green eyes looked up from her half-bitten apple, it was too late. The carriage was spinning out of control, the horses galloping uncontrollably towards her. She was paralyzed. She stood there frozen in absolute fear as the impending carriage awaited to crush her.
However, in a brisk movement, Ariel was pushed aside, fatefully dodging the bullet. When the carriage was inches away from her face, a pair of strong arms grabbed her from the middle of the street and threw her to safety. She collapsed on the ground as the carriage crashed into a neighboring fish stand, splattering poultry on the people most close.
Ariel rubbed her forehead as she opened her eyes and observed her surroundings. She hadn't the faintest idea what has just occurred.
She turned and faced her rescuer, gradually pushing himself off the ground and rising to his feet. Her eyes widened, immediately recognizing his face.
"Are you okay," Prince Eric asked, smiling down at her, those deep blue eyes staring directly into her soul.
Ariel gulped. It was him. She couldn't manage any words, just a simple nod.
Eric helped her off the ground, pulling her to safety. Local buyers, in their surroundings, were bickering about the mess, as the prince's only concern was the damsel that he had saved.
"Can you walk?" Eric asked, placing his strong hands around her waist in case Ariel was disoriented from the accident.
Ariel nodded again. She tried in vain to make out a few words, forgetting for a second that her voice was lost.
Eric frowned. "You can't talk, can you?"
She shook her head. Ariel must've looked like a complete disaster, at least she assumed so, or else Eric wouldn't have said the next few words that would change her life forever.
"We'd better get you cleaned up," Eric smiled. "I'll take you back to my castle."
"So what's the plan, captain?" Shay said next to Killian, facing Gold's Pawn Shop with utter disdain. They had finally arrived at their destination, a fact that Shay was pleased to hear. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get back to her life.
Killian smiled. "I have a few ideas."
The pirate and the mermaid strolled to the back of the shop. There stood a backdoor into the pawnshop where they saw no signs of Rumplestiltskin. They coast was clear and more than half was left for the mission.
"After you, my dear," Hook said, motioning his hand towards the door.
Slowly, the pair pushed open the doors and slipped in. The pungent smell of antique books and candle wax filled Shay with tears. She pushed onwards, pretending not to notice the pirate swiftly smuggling a polished gold trinket into his pocket along with her locket.
The first thing her eyes were drawn to was dainty little teacup lying on the cashier. Strange: that chipped cup looked oddly familiar. Her eyes darted around in panic as she consciously watched her surroundings for any signs of black magic or him. Neither was in sight. She paced gradually around the store, looking at all the antiquities that were on display in perfect presentation. A pair of puppets lying off to the side. A windmill stashed in the front. A collection of silver placed along the shop window. Shay sighed. With this much in his shop, it would take days before they ever found something that led to the dagger.
They wandered aimlessly around the shop. Shay turned to Hook, shooting him a frustrated look. What do we do now, she mouthed to him.
He shrugged.
They needed something to show for a day's work. The dagger was obviously out of reach, even for a well-bred thief and a masterful pirate. But it didn't stop them from trying to look. Shay flipped over sheets of aged papyrus and dry paintbrushes in search of Stiltskin's most dear belongings. Hook tore down the treasure trunks and cabinets looking for his crocodile's weakness. They searched for what felt like hours with no luck.
Suddenly, the pair was dead silent. They heard the faint ding of the bell as footsteps neared the backroom of the pawnshop. Rumplestiltskin was back.
Shay's green eyes flashed a look of distress to Hook. His face hardened as he felt the presence of a most hated enemy return into his life. They had to think fast.
Shay signaled Killian to get out of the shop before he was discovered. The pirate remained there in a stone-like persistence, staring angrily at the man who took everything from him. It didn't look like he was going to be much help.
"Killian," Shay whispered sharply. "We have to get out of here."
No response. Shay rolled her eyes. Typical.
Before considering the consequences, the young woman rushed out of the backroom, leaving the pirate standing there alone. The horrendous smell of candle was replaced by the irrational fear of darkness. She walked out into the open where Mr. Gold's back was turned to her, fumbling around with some antiquities along the counter. She took a deep breath and coughed ever so slightly. Gold's head turned around and smiled. It was the same smile Shay remembered so long ago.
"Well isn't this a lovely surprise."
The man stood firm, still, and dangerous. She held her composure but inside, she was screaming.
"It's a small town," Shay managed to utter, "We were bound to meet eventually."
Mr. Gold stood motionlessly in front of the cashier register, with his cane and arms outstretched towards her. Shay slowly backed away from him, an action that brought a smile to the man's lips. She was scared of him. Good. Nice to see that some things don't change.
"What can I do for you, Miss Winters," Mr. Gold smiled. "Or do you prefer Ariel?"
Shay had to think quickly. She hadn't planned that far ahead in their plot to foil Rumplestiltskin. She needed a lie, a damn good one.
"Bring him back," Shay said firmly.
Mr. Gold's smile faded. "What?"
"You heard me," Shay articulated, "Bring him back."
The owner shook his head in disbelief. "After all this time, haven't you learned? Dead is dead, dearie. There's no cheating it."
"So find a way," Shay gritted. "I don't care if you have to kill everybody in town to save him. Just do it."
Mr. Gold made a disapproving sound from his mouth. "Don't you think it's about time to accept Eric's death? It has been 29 years."
"It's your fault he's dead," Shay exclaimed. "If it wasn't for you…"
Rumplestiltskin smirked, limping past the counter. "If it wasn't for me, you would still be a mute. Be glad I even gave you back your voice."
Shay stood there. Her eyes were glued to the Dark One as he paced towards the entrance in a semicircle manner, as if attempting to block any means of escape. She had no clue what she was trying to accomplish with this. The young girl was aware that this would happen: her anger and frustration getting the best of her. It was the first time she saw Gold since that day and Shay knew her emotions would get the better of her.
"You don't know what it's like," Shay muttered with contempt, "To lose someone that you loved."
Mr. Gold's nostril flared. "Oh, I don't know?"
"He's gone, Gold," she screamed at him. "He's not coming back."
Shay, of course, was stalling. But the hot tears streaming out of the corner of her eyes were as true as the sky was blue.
Those hidden feelings, buried emotions came flooding into the surface. Shay's emerald green pupils streamed with tears. Her mouth quivered uncontrollably. Her fists were clenched tight at her waist. Mr. Gold stared at her with cold and distant eyes: Shay was convinced he knew nothing of love and never would.
Before she could throw another word at the pawnshop owner, the front doors swung open. Shay wiped away a few loose tears and looked straight ahead behind Gold. There, stood a young brunette with dazzling blue eyes and an innocent smile. She carried a few books in her hand, her smile wearing thin as she saw the intruder in her beloved's shop.
"Who are you," the girl asked.
Shay stared straight ahead. Mr. Gold cleared his throat.
"She's nobody," he muttered. "Just another customer."
Not willing to back down from a fight, Shay opened her mouth to speak again. But then she saw Killian appear from outside the store window, waving at her to come out. Her work here was done.
Live to fight another day Shay justified as she wiped away some stray tears and marched out of the pawnshop, her eyes puffy and her nose red. The smell of fresh air filled her lungs but her clogged windpipes were blocked any normal patterns of breathing.
Shay raced far enough down the block before stopping; she didn't want the pirate to see her so weak and vulnerable. Not that it did any help. Killian, trailing behind her, wore an expressionless look on his face when he faced his accomplice. No matter how far they walked, he could smell the scent of despair radiating off the girl.
"Did you find anything," Shay demanded, refusing to look him in the eye.
He paused for a split second before answering. "There was nothing in the shop. He keeps his secrets well-hidden."
"All that in vain," Shay shook her head, wiping her soaked cheeks with the back of her hand.
Killian opened his mouth. Shay didn't know what he was going to say because she cut him off before he could say it.
"I'm fine," she snapped, before walking off into the alleyway.
Hook seemed genuinely concerned for her, possibly because he saw a part of him in the mermaid. The pain of loss, the anger towards the Dark One, the absolute hatred and burning thirst hidden well away from those who don't understand. He learned over the years to control that anger, to let others see only what he'd let them see. Shay, being relatively new at tragedy, hasn't figured out the secret yet.
For what they felt, the loss of their true love, the pain never stops.
She would be lying if she said she didn't miss it. Even on the happiest day of her life, Ariel's mind still wandered back to her first love. The faint ripples, the playful waters. The sea was, is, and always will be her home.
But she had in fact found a new love. Her true love. The ocean was a faint memory compared to what she felt right now, interlocked in Eric's arms as the two paced down the soft bed of sand, the waves cascading around their feet. The prince stared lovingly into the eyes of the mermaid, her billowing auburn hair contrasted against the virescent eyes. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. And now, she was his wife.
"I love you," Prince Eric whispered in her ear.
Ariel shut her eyes and mouthed "I love you" back to her prince. If she shut her eyes, she could pretend not to see her prince's pained reaction to every moment she opens her mouth. Ariel knew he meant no disrespect when he grimaced at her stifled voice. Eric merely felt the same suffering she felt, her inability to talk and sing and laugh. He couldn't bear the pain that she felt.
But tonight was her wedding night. Ariel cared not for silly trivialities such as her voice. All she wanted was to feel Eric's arms around her waist, never letting her go.
It seemed like a distant memory that first day they met. Eric brought the strange girl back to his castle where the maids cleaned and clothed her. When she was presentable once again, Eric attempted to figure out where she came from. No such luck. Seeing no other option, the generous prince asked her to stay with him for the time being.
Gossip spread around the kingdom faster than the winds. Soon enough, every fisherman and trader knew of the prince's charity case. But none knew of his growing love and fondness for the beauty each passing day.
The pair was inseparable; whenever either was seen outside of the castle, one was accompanying the other. Every jealous suitor of Eric's knew of the truth: her exploits were hopeless in light of Ariel's beauty. It was then that they fell in love.
And now, Ariel married her prince charming, living the dream that only young girls long for their whole lives.
She smiled up at her handsome new husband. Tiptoeing off the grounds of the sand and slowly planted a kiss on his mouth. The smell of the salty air engulfed the pair. Eric ran his hands through her burning red hair, for a second forgetting her pain, forgetting even his name. The little mermaid seemed to have that effect on him.
It didn't matter. He need no pester her about it any longer for he had already devised a plan. A plan to restore Ariel's voice.
The night had befallen the town. It was late into the hours of darkness. Everybody in Storybrooke was sound asleep, dreaming of his or her old homes or true loves. Save for two thieves stalking the dark like predators in the shadows.
Killian and Shay crept around the corner into the backroom of Mr. Gold's pawnshop. The young woman pressed her fingers across her lips, reminding Hook that this was no place to open that big mouth of his. He shrugged it off.
Deftly, she pulled out a bobby pin from the back of her ear and slipped it into the keyhole. Hook scrutinized the girl's quick and sly movements as she picked the lock of the most dangerous man in town. Even in the height of her pain, she had guts; even Hook couldn't deny that. When they both heard the click of the doorknob, Shay rose to her feet, brushing the dirt off her black pants. She pushed open the backroom doors to the pawnshop, slipping through the entrance, the pirate following closely behind. The backroom was left in the same state in which the two had seen it earlier that day. Everything was still in place and no sign of the dagger anywhere.
Shay continued tearing the room apart while the pirate glided into the front head of the shop, swiftly moving around in the darkness with the movement of his dark cape.
As she fumbled through a pile of old worn-out books, Shay caught something through the edge of her piercing green eyes. It was that cup, the chipped one she saw earlier that day. She furrowed her eyebrows as she stroked her fingers along its blue lining. Why was this cup so familiar? She couldn't fathom how she could have any connection to silverware that Rumplestiltskin would own. Curious of its origins, Shay slyly pocketed the chipping cup while Killian was out of sight. She continued searching the confines of the backroom but found that her mind wandered back to the dainty cup.
"Psh."
Shay looked up. Killian had popped his head around the backroom and waved his hand around to get her attention.
"What?" Shay mouthed back to him.
"I found something," he hissed. "Come see."
Shay dropped the pile of antique books back onto the table where she found them and quietly crept towards the front of the room. Her eyes peered around the shop. Everything seemed in perfect formation as seen earlier that day. Except the front. Killian nodded his head at the place the wall head that now revealed a safety deposit box, hidden behind a painting of sunflowers. Shay kicked herself in the knee for not thinking of it beforehand. Of course there would be a safety deposit box.
"Can you open it?" Hook whispered.
Shay let herself indulge in a pirate-like vice and smirked. "Who do you think you're talking to?"
She pulled her red hair behind her ears and pressed her head against the safe. Swiveling around the combination lock, Shay listened intently for the faint sound of clicks at each turn. Click. The first number was found. She twisted the other direction slowly, shutting her eyes for maximum concentration. Click. There goes another one. The last one was always the most difficult. Her breathing slowed and her hands began to sweat. She hadn't done this for such a long time; how can she be so sure she could do it? Click.
The safe's doors swung open.
Killian raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I underestimated you."
"Most people do," Shay whispered back, peering into the darkened box.
In one glance, there were many things that could've been stolen that would've sparked Gold's anger in a myriad of creative ways.
However, she barely had enough time to examine Mr. Gold's valuable possessions before the pirate immediately grabbed what seemed like the least valuable of all his jewels and treasures. It was a raggedy old shawl, covered in dust. He seemed like he recognized the cloth, never a good sign when discovered in Mr. Gold's shop.
Killian nodded at the young girl, shutting the doors of the safe, as if to say that their work was done here.
Shay furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Her eyes seem to spark inquiry at the pirate as he strolled towards the backroom and towards the exit. Shay ran quickly behind, one hand curled around the chipped cup and another clenched in a fist, prepared to pummel that reckless and irrational pirate.
"Rumplestiltskin."
Prince Eric stood firmly at the abandoned sea town where Ariel met the Dark One many months ago. His depthless blue eyes searched anxiously for the darkened magician to appear in hopes that his wishes for his wife would be granted. Though he merely waited for a few seconds, his mind cursed it to feel like hours. But eventually, he arrived.
"How lovely," said a high-pitched voice. "I don't think I've ever had the honor."
Eric swiveled around and faced a yellow-skinned creature facing him with reptilian eyes staring at him intensely. He bit back his common sense telling him to run far away from this place and gulped.
"My name is Eric," the young prince articulated carefully.
"There's no need," Rumplestiltskin smirked. "I know exactly who you are."
Eric swallowed. "You do?"
"Why, of course," the Dark One stated. "After all, your dearly beloved and I go way back."
Eric stood very still but even his motionless stance couldn't conceal his utter fear for the most dangerous man in Fairytale Land. Rumplestiltskin smiled cruelly at the man.
"That is why you're here, isn't it," the Dark One remarked. "For that mermaid."
"I want a trade for her voice," Eric stuttered quickly. The words left his mouth before he could devise an elaborate plan to deceive his opponent.
The Dark One, however, simply giggled. "I knew this day would come. It was bound to happen, Prince Eric. You were bound to fall in love with her."
"Will you do it," Eric said, ignoring the man's last comments.
The Dark One paced around the statue of Eric, rubbing the soft spot on his chin.
"What would I get in return?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "You can't trade something for nothing, dearie."
"I'll give you anything," Eric spouted desperately. "Please, just give Ariel her voice back."
Rumplestiltskin paused mid-step. He cracked a triumphant smile that he had been waiting for for the last year.
"Anything?" the Dark One remarked. "I like the sound of that."
The pair of thieves rushed back to Smee's bar where Shay unlocked the door quickly and quietly before the neighbors were woken by their raucous.
"Go," she urged, shoving the pirate into the front doors of the closed bar.
Hook let out an "umph" sound before being shoved into a pitch-black saloon while Shay locked the doors behind her as she slipped into her workspace. She quickly flicked on all the light switches, illuminating the dirty confines of the rusty old bar that she worked. She sighed. It seemed that this was now the only place she could hide.
"Well, Little Mermaid," the pirate smirked. "This is call for celebration."
"Which part?" Shay remarked sarcastically, "The fact that we never find the dagger or that the only thing we have to show for today is a worn-out napkin."
Hook shrugged. "It's more than a napkin, love."
Shay crossed her arms. "Do tell."
The pirate's eyes darted around the bar. "First I need a drink."
The young woman rolled her eyes. She slipped around the back of the counter and grabbed a couple of beers from the refrigerator and slamming it down in front of Killian's wry grin.
"Talk," Shay demanded.
The pirate took a sip from the glass container before making a disgusted face. "What the hell is this? This isn't rum!"
"No, but it's the next best thing," Shay nodded. "What's the shawl got to do with the Dark One?"
"It's his son's," Hook explained, sipping more of the beer.
Shay spread the shawl out across the counter, running her fingers through the soft fabric of the cloth that used to belong to Rumplestiltskin's son.
"I never took him for the fatherly type," Shay muttered.
"I can guarantee," Hook stated in an as-a-matter-a-fact tone, "That crocodile values this rag more than any other trinket in his entire collection."
"What makes you so sure?" Shay asked curiously.
Hook cracked a crooked smirk. "Reasons."
The bar was silent. There were crickets chirping outside as the nighttime air filled the bar with dreary looks of a day-well spent. Shay wiped down the counter as the pirate sat at the stool, sipping a foreign drink and scrutinizing the young bartender's every move.
"As much as I enjoy discussing Rumplestiltskin," Killian smirked, 'I'd much rather talk about you."
Shay paused. "What's there to talk about?"
Hook gazed at the broken girl of nineteen. Her steel wall did wonders for her apathy but he knew better than to trust common appearances.
"Today, at the shop," the pirate remarked.
"That was brilliant acting," Shay smirked. "As I pirate, I suspect you should know a thing or two about it."
"As a pirate," Hook narrowed his eyes, "I can tell the difference between deception and truth."
Shay pursed her lips and looked down. She remained utterly silent, not that it surprised the pirate. He rarely talked about what happened to him so many years ago. He can imagine the pain that the girl kept well hidden underneath a cold exterior. Hook sighed, knowing that you can't get information without giving.
"Her name was Milah," he said, playfully stroking the edge of his icy cool beer bottle. "She was the Dark One's wife."
"Let me guess," Shay smiled. "First mate?"
Killian smiled nostalgically. "Something like that."
Shay threw the towel rag to the side and crossed her arms. "What happened?"
Killian stared at the hole in the wall behind Shay's head. "She was killed."
"By Rumplestiltskin," Shay finished.
"He tore her heart out like it was nothing," he angrily seethed through his mouth. "Like he didn't care that he was taking her away from me."
Shay blinked her eyes, trying to prevent any tears from sneaking onto her face. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Hook was more similar to her than she'd like.
"That man left me with a nothing but hate in my life," Hook gritted, his eyes nearing a dangerous shade of blue. "Now he will suffer the same fate."
Shay scoffed to herself. "Vengeance."
"Justice," Killian corrected.
"Listen, Hook," Shay shook her head. "Revenge isn't going to help you make peace with what happened."
Killian's smirk returned onto his face. "Is this your personal insight, love, or just another act?"
Shay sighed. It seemed only fair, now that Hook revealed his tale. She sat onto the countertop of the bar and stared down into her beer bottle. The reflection of herself in the drink referred her back to that day that she regretted so much. So much that she still blames herself for everything to this very moment.
Ariel smiled warmly as she saw her prince return to the castle. It had been hours since Eric mysteriously disappeared from the castle and she had begun to worry. Never had he left for such a long time and never returned.
She embraced her tightly as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. It wasn't like him to disappear off into the night and Ariel had the most uncomfortable feeling that something was wrong.
She flashed him a look that seemed to say "Where were you? I was worried."
"I was out," Eric smiled.
"Where," she mouthed towards him.
"The outskirts of town," he said. "Ariel, I have something for you."
Ariel shot him a look of skepticism.
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
The young girl bit her lower lip and did as she was told. She heard her prince rustle around his coat pockets as he searched for something. The young girl tapped her feet impatiently, a habit she never seemed to be able to break. When she opened her eyes, Eric held in his hands something she thought she'd never see again.
Her eyes opened in wide shock. It was her voice. She'd recognize her voice anywhere. It was encased in a compact seashell, radiating a melody of the sea to any neighboring ears. She wavered her eyes from the seashell to Eric.
"What did you do?" Ariel mouthed.
"I went to Rumplestiltskin," Eric explained. "He agreed to give you back your voice."
Ariel frowned. "For what price?"
"It doesn't matter," her prince shook his head. "Here."
Eric placed the seashell into Ariel's smooth palm. She stared at it for a long time before crushing it through her fingers. The young mermaid felt her silky voice slip around her skin, slithering across her arm. She could feel the warmth of its song embrace her once again. Ariel opened her mouth and once again, a harmonious voice appeared.
"Eric." Ariel said her first words in a long while, the name of her true love.
The man was stunned. He had never heard his wife speak before today. Eric was practically down in tears as Ariel laughed mellifluously, a hauntingly beautiful noise that echoed in Eric's mind forever.
"I love you," Ariel smiled. "Always and forever."
The prince embraced her tightly, running his fingers through her silky red hair. Everything about Ariel was perfect now. They could live happily ever after.
"Well how sweet?"
Ariel looked up in terror of that voice. Rumplestiltskin stood in their castle, his arms arched at his hips and eyes staring straight at the mermaid and her prince. Eric's grip around Ariel tightened as he saw the dark magician return.
"What are you doing here?" Ariel demanded. "Leave, now!"
The Dark One feigned offense at the mermaid's caustic remarks. "How rude. I believe only the owner of the home is allowed to evict unwanted guests."
"Owner?" Ariel muttered, turning to Eric. "What is he talking about?"
Rumplestiltskin magically appeared before Ariel's eyes in a flash of purple smoke. "Your darling prince traded his kingdom for you voice, dearie."
Ariel gasped. "No."
The Dark One giggled. "Oh, it's quite true, dearie. Now, I believe you two have outstayed your welcome."
Suddenly, the pair of lovers felt themselves thrust by an invisible hand. They resisted as much as they could but at that particular moment, Ariel wasn't feeling particularly strong. The magic overpowered them and they were thrown out the windows of the castle, pummeling to the depths of the sea, hopeless and in despair.
Ariel was the first to impact the light waves caressing the bedrock of the castle. Rumplestiltskin's castle, now. She swallowed a gulp of the seawater as she kept her head level to the surface. Eric swam around frantically in search of his love.
"Ariel," he shouted.
"I'm here," she gasped out, still in shock.
Eric reached for her. The young mermaid simply stared at him with empty glares.
"You traded your kingdom?" she whispered.
Eric smiled faintly. It was an odd sight to see: two figures floating aimlessly in the water with nowhere else to go. The young prince placed his arms on the girl's shoulder.
"You needed your voice," Eric stated.
"I don't need anything except you," Ariel growled at her husband. "Why can't you understand that?"
"Everyone deserves a voice," the prince tried to explain.
Before Ariel could retaliate, there was an earth-trembling thump in the cascade of waves. Both were silent as they listened for the tremor. Thundering. Large. The fish of the sea swam desperately away. The ocean was empty of any life save for Ariel and Eric. Was it Rumplestiltskin trying to scare them off? No, even the Dark One had limits. This power felt infinite.
Suddenly a figure rose above the waters. Ariel's eyes darted to the emerging structure before her eyes. The ominous figure ascended swiftly, water fluttering off its skin as the luminescence of its fins glittered against sunlight. It wasn't enormous. Just her stepmother.
"Ursula," Ariel whispered.
Ursula's head bobbed up and down with the waves. Her midnight black hair tousled along the surface of the sea as her dangerously golden eyes threatened the young mermaid with a single look. Why had her stepmother come?
"Ariel," she smiled sickly. "We've been looking for you everywhere. To think you abandoned the kingdom."
Ariel's eyes trailed down to the legs. She realized the hypocrisy of her accusations to Eric since she herself abandoned her seat on the throne for humanity. She glared into the eyes of her stepmother, those merciless pupils, and stood unmoved in the water.
"What are you doing here," Ariel demanded, drawing on the strength that brought her to Eric.
"Everyone in Atlantis has been searching for months for you, Ariel," Ursula remarked, ignoring her previous comment.
Ariel stared at her. Ursula never cared about any of Triton's children, let alone her. She was the only one Ursula despised because Ariel saw straight through her façade.
"So how did you find me?"
Ursula smirked. "Look below your feet, darling. You're in my domain. I'm the queen of the sea."
"By marriage," Ariel retorted. "Not by blood."
"We've all been so worried for your wellbeing," Ursula said with mock sympathy. "The king has been bedridden with despair at your departure."
"So why are you here if you don't care so much," Ariel shouted over the sound of thundering clouds beckoning towards them.
Ursula smiled. "I don't. In fact, I'd much rather see you dead."
Ariel froze. Her spouse, floating beside her, held her closer than ever as Ariel heard the blood pulse through her veins in panicked synchrony. Dead?
"It's rather convenient," Ursula remarked. "And no one would suspect it. The wandering mermaid, committing treason to be with a human prince. Killed by a band of pirates coming from afar. Washed away to the depths of the sea."
"Why?" Ariel demanded. "Why me?"
"I never liked you, Ariel," Ursula snickered. "But now I see your value. You're the key to controlling Atlantis."
Ariel's eyes fluttered uncontrollable from Ursula to the sea.
"No one will believe your lies," Ariel exclaimed.
"They don't have to," Ursula said, gliding closer and closer towards the pair. "They just have to grieve for the death of their beloved daughter and sister. That'll give me my chance to take over."
"I won't let it happen," Ariel exclaimed.
"You'll be dead," Ursula snarled. "Nobody will stop me."
She pulled out from her back an elongated silver sword, beckoning around the thundering clouds that encompassed the two. It was time. Ursula glowered shrewdly at Ariel, as she gripped the sword with all her might.
"Goodbye," Ursula muttered. "Little Mermaid."
She charged. Ariel stood there in complete shock. Her mind was still processing why her stepmother was so cruel and so power-hungry. Her eyes stared at Ursula's unkempt and wild behavior, almost verging on psychotic. Ariel floated in the water, knowing better than the run. For how can a human outrun a mermaid?
She shut her eyes. It would be over soon.
Ariel heard the sound of the sword slicing through flesh. But she felt no pain.
Opening her eyes, Ariel saw Eric protectively standing before her, Ursula's sword stabbed cleanly through her prince's chest. The little mermaid's breaths heaved as Eric's blood slowly diffused into the water. She shook her head in disbelief as the blue eyes of her husband faded into lifeless ice.
"No," Ariel whispered. "Eric?"
There was no answer. She felt his face: no sign of warmth. She checked his eyes, his pulse, his movement: he was dead. Ariel felt the hot tears roll down her cheek as she watched her true love die before her eyes.
Suddenly, there were no more tears. Ariel's breath steadied as she watched Ursula hovering in the water not five feet away. She felt something that she had never felt before. This insatiable anger that conquered her, compelled her to squeeze the life out of the women responsible for Eric's death.
Without thinking, Ariel drew the sword from Eric's chest and charged towards Ursula. The Queen, stunned at the young mermaid's reaction, fled the surface of the water. But Ariel was faster. She attacked Ursula before she could descend down to the depths of Atlantis. Ariel ran the sword repeatedly through her stepmother's heart, until her anger died away and nothing was left except two dead bodies and the guilt she felt when she had realized what she'd done.
"After Eric's death," Shay illustrated, "I went around towns picking up odd jobs. Eventually, when the curse struck, I had a consistent job as a bartender in a village far away from Eric's kingdom."
"And what of the crocodile?" Killian asked softly.
"It wasn't Rumplestiltskin's fault. Not really," Shay explained, "I just needed someone to blame, someone besides myself."
When the young woman finished her story, Hook saw her in a completely different light. He'd underestimated the amount of pain she had to endure, so much tragedy all at the young age of nineteen. Shay was beyond her years, both finding and losing a true love. Shay already killed the person responsible for Eric's death: now, she answered for it every day for the rest of her life.
"I have to admit," the pirate remarked solemnly, "I never would've expected this from you."
"Because I'm a little mermaid," Shay smiled. "Because I'm a princess?"
"Because you're innocent."
Shay sighed. "I was."
Killian toyed with his empty beer bottle, watching as the droplets of condensation skimmed down the rim. Out of nowhere, the pirate let out a thundering laugh. Shay looked up in surprise.
"What's so funny?" she demanded, her cold veneer returning to her face.
"Nothing," Hook smiled.
Shay smirked. It was a rare phenomenon to find your true love in your lifetime. Even more rare was to watch your love die. Now here they were, two lost souls wandering aimlessly in the world because of the deaths that defined them.
The young woman fiddled with the chipped cup she swiped from Rumplestiltskin's counter. While telling her story, Shay suddenly remembered why the dainty tea set had looked so familiar. It was a cup from Eric's castle before it was taken over by the Dark One. Shay wanted to destroy it as a symbol of her growing hatred for what Rumplestiltskin did to her, but a part of her wouldn't do it. It was Eric's after all. Gold was right: after all this time, she still couldn't let him go.
As she stood behind the counter, Hook watched Shay as she became self-absorbed in her own world. He figured now was as good a time as any to reveal his true motives for approaching her this morning.
"Come on," Hook said, standing up from the counter.
"What?" Shay exclaimed, her concentration broken from her own thoughts.
The pirate marched out of the bar as Shay fumbled around to grab her coat. What the hell did he think he was doing? As she raced out of the bar, she thought to herself What have I got myself into?
They wandered for what seemed like a pointless around town, through the pawnshop, around town hall, through the library. Not many people were out and about but enough to worry Shay that they would be seen. She didn't like walking so showily around, especially with a hooked-hand villain escorting her.
"Where are we going?" Shay hissed.
"We're almost there," Hook simply said.
Indeed they were. They arrived at the docks where no ships there, no fishermen, no people. It was completely deserted. Killian stepped onto one particular dock and began pacing around like an impatient boy.
"You brought me to an empty dock," Shay stated. "In the middle of the night, when I could be getting sleep."
"It won't be empty for long," Hook mumbled.
Suddenly, the smell of dark magic overwhelmed her. Shay furrowed her eyebrows as she noted the presence of the unholy mystique that surrounded them. A cloud of purple smoke emerged behind Shay, revealing a woman of medium stature, lips as red as blood, and Renaissance clothing that matched Hook's absurd clothing.
"Hello, dear," the woman smiled.
"Who the hell are you?" Shay demanded, looking accusingly at Hook. The pirate simply stood there, his arms crossed in a stiff reluctance, as if he wanted to be here less than Shay.
"My name is Cora," she said with cool detachment.
"Is that supposed to scare me?" Shay remarked with spunk.
Cora let out a melodious laugh. "No, Ariel. But I do hope to chat with you if that's quite alright."
Shay froze. "How did you…"
"Please," the witch scoffed. "You think a pirate can figure out your true identity? Who do you think sent Hook your way?"
Shay, refusing to look at the pirate, stared down Cora.
"So how do you know me?"
"Your mother and I go way back," Cora smiled. "But all in due time."
The three of them stood in the docks, each staring down the other. Cora examined the young redhead with particular interest. Shay glared down Hook, who refused to look her in the eye. His blue-green pupils trailed the movement of the waters as the waves cascaded against the wooden stakes that held up the docks in which they stand.
"I see you failed to bring me the Dark One's dagger," Cora said, averting her eyes from Shay to Hook.
"Complications," the pirate muttered with contempt. "I don't have time to play cat and mouse with you, Cora. I have my own agenda."
"That you do," the witch smiled. "But while you're still here, you'll answer to me first or else the consequences will be most severe."
Hook remained silent. He knew of the wickedness Cora could unleash upon him. The mermaid stood no chance.
"Now, dear," Cora turned to face Shay. "Enough niceties."
That was niceties? Shay thought to herself.
"I have an offer for you," Cora said. "One that I suggest you take."
"Or else the consequences will be severe?" Shay mocked.
Killian smirked as Cora stared at her with well-concealed indignation.
"Help me destroy Rumplestiltskin," Cora explained. "Kill him, decapitate him, doesn't matter. As long as he is no longer a threat."
Shay pursed her lips. "I would love to murder Gold as much as the next town person, but I'm going to need a little more incentive to do that. One gold locket just isn't going to cut it."
Cora smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."
She pulled from under her robe a bottle of radiant potion, flickering red and purple in the pale light of the moon.
"What's that?" Shay asked.
"Escape," Cora said. "Help me defeat Rumplestiltskin and you can leave the town forever. Without losing your memory."
Shay remained motionless. The thing she wanted more than true love was adventure, escape. After all this time, the young mermaid was still the same, thirsting for the new and discovering the unknown. With this, she could get a fresh start in the world, become someone else entirely, and not hide her identity like a lost cause. She would no longer be the queen slayer; she could be whomever she wanted.
"So what will it be?" Cora said.
Shay shut her eyes. She pictured walking down the streets of Manhattan, touring the French Quarters of New Orleans, watching the sunset on the Eiffel Tower.
"I'll do it."
Cora smiled. And just like that, a purple smoke enveloped her presence and she disappeared from sight. Shay turned to Killian who was less tense and more flippant than ever.
Without warning, she punched him in the arm, hoping to make a dent in his rather perfect physique.
"Guess I deserved that," Hook smirked, rubbing his bruised shoulder.
"You did," Shay snapped, "Why didn't tell me you weren't working alone?"
"You didn't ask," Hook said as he flexed his arm.
Shay rolled her eyes. "That's a horrible reason."
Hook smirked. He reached for his back pocket and flashed the golden locket before Shay's emerald eyes.
"I believe this is yours," Killian said.
Using his hook, he unlocked the clip and wrapped its cool golden metal around Shay's neck. She was about to protest but she couldn't. Why couldn't she? Shay reached for the gold locket pressed against her skin as Killian carefully secured the necklace. She shut her eyes and felt warm inside, as if her family was still with her after all this time.
"I guess we'll be seeing each other more often than not," Shay remarked coldly.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Killian smirked.
"So what if it is," Shay retorted.
The pirate simply smiled at the mermaid. He saw something in her that he hadn't seen in himself for a while. Redemption.
"I like you, little mermaid," Hook said with a bright smile across his face. "It certainly won't be a tragedy to have you around."
And like that, Shay walked away from the docks, leaving the pirate alone, standing there and staring out into the vast open ocean. The young mermaid toyed with her gold necklace, reunited with the past and unknowingly walking directly on the path towards her future.