Chapter 5: Day Three - Endgame
When Ariel woke up the following morning, she was very wet in a very...sensitive spot. The dream from which she had awakened had been very provocative, very sensual, very pleasing to her mind...and, to top it all off, it had involved Belle and that lagoon where they had spent the first half of last night. Oh, if Belle ever found out about this...
As Ariel went to look down at the wet spot, she saw, to her horror, that that section of her nightgown was now plastered to that wet spot, creating a stain that would easily reveal how her body had reacted to the images her mind had conjured. Ariel was scared of how Belle might react, so she quickly shed it and changed into her casual dress. Putting on her flats, she darted across the foyer and pressed an ear to Belle's bedroom door. What she heard almost made her burst out laughing: Belle was moaning softly, sounding a lot like Ariel had in her own dream. Ariel wanted nothing more than to make Belle's visions into almost unbearably satisfying reality, but somehow found the strength to push it aside for now. Just then, an idea came to her:
Maybe I can run some errands in town for her, she thought. She'll probably appreciate that. So she went back into the foyer and looked around for something to write with. There were none to be found.
Blast. You'd think they'd keep these things within easy reach. Maybe the wait staff knows where some are. So she went to the kitchen door and knocked on it. It slowly opened and she immediately began to rummage through the nearest cabinets.
"Somebody's definitely on the hunt for something," came a gentle voice off to her right. She turned and saw a clock standing there that she didn't recognize, but judging by his appearance, it could only be Cogsworth. Remembering the tips that Belle had given her, Ariel curtsied politely with a smile.
"Oh..." said Cogsworth, surprised. "Well, hello, there, my dear." And he gave a gentle bow. "Anyway, can I help you find something?" Ariel, wasting no time, mimed writing in midair.
"Pen and paper, eh?" guessed Cogsworth. Ariel nodded vigorously. "Not to worry, there're plenty of those about. If you'll return to the foyer, I'll show you where some are." And he led Ariel to a side table near the entrance to the dining room. At Cogsworth's request, Ariel opened the drawer built into it to find exactly what she had been looking for: pens and paper. Well, she had wanted a quill, but these would do. After he showed her how to work them, she set to the task, writing down for Belle what she would be up to for today. After signing her name, she signed "thank you" to Cogsworth.
"Oh, you're very welcome, milady," he answered politely. "Do you require anything else?" Ariel, smiling, shook her head no.
"Well, if you think of something," requested Cogsworth, "please do not hesitate to let us know." And with a graceful bow, he made his exit. Ariel, meanwhile, returned to Belle's bedroom door and slipped her note under it. Then, grabbing a wicker basket from near the door, she opened the front doors and let herself out into the world.
Making her way into the town square, she stopped at the baker's stand.
"Well, good morning, Miss," he greeted jovially. "Haven't seen you around town before. What's your name?" Ariel placed her hand up against her throat, then made a strike-through motion with the same hand.
"Oh, you're mute?" guessed the baker. "Oh, well, ain't that a kick in the head. Are you new around here?" Ariel nodded.
"Aha!" cried the baker. "I knew it! Well, you definitely came to the right place to start, Miss. My name's Roger, and my wife Linda and I will hook you up with the finest, freshest breads and rolls in Eastbourne, or we don't deserve the title of town bakers!"
And so he did, teaching Ariel what to look for in the best breads and pastries, then letting her pick out whatever caught her eye. And the best part? He ultimately decided not to charge her, since it was her first time in town.
And it was a similar experience with every other person she met: Upon finding out she was mute, they treated her very well.
Wow, thought Ariel as she was about to make her way home, I could get used to this. But it'll be so damned nice to have my voice back. And she made for the square's exit feeling better than she had in quite a while.
That is, until she ran into Gaston. He stopped her just as she passed by the baker's stand, full basket in hand.
"Ah," he said smoothly, "if it isn't Belle's new...friend." Ariel, revolted, was unnerved by the emphasis he had put on the word "friend". Did he know how she felt about Belle?
"You've met me," noted Gaston, preventing Ariel from going around him, "and I happen to know you're mute, so let's skip the formalities, shall we?" With that, he forcefully grabbed her by both wrists and shoved her up against a nearby wall. The wicker basket went flying from the impact, and its contents spilled onto the ground.
"Cutting to the chase," began Gaston dangerously. "I know you're in love with Belle, but I also know what you are. Let me tell you something right now...Little Mermaid..." Ariel let out a silent, horrified gasp. "...Belle is going to be MY wife, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
He really is that thick, thought Ariel. Disgusting.
"It's true," chuckled Gaston. "I happened to drop by the mansion this morning. Belle came running at me...and confessed her love for me right there on the spot. And when she kissed me..." Ariel's eyes grew wide. She knew he was lying, but there was something about his tone that worried her very deeply.
"...it was just like I'd imagined," Gaston droned on. "That taste..." And he slowly ran his gloved fingers across his own mouth. "...bayberries."
Ariel fought to free herself, afraid that Gaston was about to force himself on her. Unfortunately, he had a different plan in mind for her.
"Easy there, Little Miss Firebrand," reprimanded Gaston, "I'm almost done. We've already got a wedding planned out. She went to get her wedding dress squared away, and as soon as she's done with that, we're on the first plane to France. She'll forget all about you, 'cause she'll have someone like me." And with those final words, Gaston let out a truly evil laugh as he let Ariel go. Ariel, wasting no time, started running as fast as she possibly could back to the mansion, presumably to check on Belle.
Run, run, run, as fast as you can, thought Gaston. But you're too late. Oh, Belle is going to pay SO dearly for getting involved with you...
Earlier in the day, around about noontime, Belle walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She had just taken a cold shower, one which she had desperately needed after waking up this morning drenched in her own juices, thanks to an amazingly vivid dream involving her, Ariel, and the lagoon they had gone to last night.
Heaven help me, thought Belle as she dressed behind the screen, that was intense. Imagine if Ariel had walked in on that, especially right at the end. And an involuntary chill ran down her spine as she pictured Ariel's reaction.
She would never truly know just how close she had come to seeing Ariel's reaction for herself earlier that morning.
After she walked out from behind the screen, Belle saw a piece of paper laying in front of her bedroom door. Picking it up, she began to read, her eyes growing wider with each word.
Belle,
I woke up early today. Since you've been so kind to me,
I figured I should return the favor. I've gone into town
to take care of your shopping. If you need me, find me there.
Love always,
Ariel
P.S. Hopefully, you...enjoyed...your dream today.
Oh, my goodness, thought Belle, horrified. Some of those townspeople would eat her for lunch! Throwing on her own flats, Belle darted out of the mansion and started to head for town. She had just barely started on the road, however, when something she had been hoping to hear for a month and change finally floated into her ears: an eerily familiar singing voice.
Belle stopped dead in her tracks. Looking towards the beach, from which the voice was emanating, she saw a figure walking towards her, arms outstretched. It was, indeed, the voice of her savior.
I'm sorry, Ariel, Belle mentally apologized, but I have to at least say thank you to this woman for saving me and allowing me to live long enough to meet you. So she slowly began to make her way over to the beach, to the figure. The closer she got, the more powerful the singing became...almost like a spell was being cast on her. (Which, unbeknownst to her, was exactly the case.) When they finally drew within arm's length of each other, Belle was completely hypnotized. She looked at her rescuer and saw an amazingly beautiful woman, with long, flowing, very dark hair, a heavenly figure, and mysterious brown eyes. She wore a golden seashell necklace and a cream-colored dress under a black petticoat.
It was almost as if Belle were looking at Ariel, but with deliberate mistakes.
"It's you..." she breathed slowly. "You...saved me."
"Yes," answered the woman warmly. "And I've longed to see you again ever since."
"Well..." replied Belle slowly. "...here I am. I'm Belle Cartier. What's your name?"
"My name is Vanessa," she answered, "and I've dreamed of this moment for a month. Will you dance with me?"
Belle wanted to politely refuse; Ariel could be in trouble, and might need her help. But the power this...Vanessa...had over her was too strong.
"Of course," she agreed. "But first, I need some music. Come with me; I'll get my music box and you can clean up a bit."
"Lead the way," acquiesced Vanessa in a smoking whisper, and gently kissed Belle's hand.
I've finally found her, Belle thought all the way back up to the mansion. And yet...something's off. She just doesn't...feel right.
A bit later, Vanessa was in Belle's bedroom, cleaning up a bit for the dance on the beach. Gleefully celebrating how perfectly her plan...and spell...had worked, she broke into song.
Meanwhile, Scuttle had dropped by to remind Ariel that she didn't have much time left. All he found was Sebastian, wrapped up in a little wicker cradle, passed out. Scuttle, deciding that desperate times called for desperate measures, went straight for his big guns. Taking a deep breath, he began to warble, just as he had last night. Immediately, Sebastian was on his beak, clamping it shut.
"Were you TRYING to wake me up?!" he growled.
"Yeah, I was," struggled Scuttle. "Gotta find Ariel."
"OK," shot Sebastian, letting go of Scuttle's beak, "first off, mission accomplished, mon! Second off, Ariel's..." He stopped in his tracks as he pointed to Ariel's bed, which turned out to be empty.
"Where is she?" they asked in unison. It was at that point that Ariel's voice floated in through the open window Scuttle had used to get in.
"What in de name of Poseidon?!" cried Sebastian. "When did dey kiss?"
"Either we missed it..." deduced Scuttle. "...or something's up."
"Follow dat voice!" commanded Sebastian. Scuttle obeyed, gently taking Sebastian in his webbed feet to the area from whence the voice seemed to be emanating: the open window of Belle's room. Perching themselves just beneath the edge of the window, so as not to be seen, they saw Vanessa dancing and singing around the room:
What a lovely little bride I'll make
My dear, I'll look divine
Things are working out
According to my ultimate design
She took...something...out of her hair. Scuttle and Sebastian couldn't make out what it was, but Vanessa chucked it like a dart at the vanity mirror. It landed with a loud thunk in the engraved face in the frame, knocking the mirror out of position.
It was about now that Sebastian got a look at Vanessa's necklace. It was a golden spiral seashell that looked scarily familiar: Sebastian could swear he'd seen it before. But where?
They were about to get their answer, as Vanessa stepped on the vanity stool, and then on the vanity proper, smashing a small purple perfume bottle.
Soon I'll have that little mermaid
And the ocean will be mine...
Vanessa now executed a little twirl on the vanity and moved the mirror just enough to allow Scuttle and Sebastian to see the final nail in her coffin: As Vanessa's laughter filled the room, reflected in the mirror was not her own face...but that of a truly evil creature with short white hair and ruby-red lips.
"The sea witch!" breathed Scuttle.
"We gotta find Ariel!" ordered Sebastian quietly. "We gotta put a stop to dis!"
"Amen to that!" agreed Scuttle. "Let's go!" And he gathered Sebastian up and flew off.
They followed the road into town from above, Scuttle staying on course while Sebastian kept a lookout. About halfway to town, Sebastian saw her: Ariel was running at full speed back towards the mansion. From what Sebastian could make out, she did not look happy. A very worried look was plastered onto her face as she bolted for home.
"Ahoy, mon!" he cried out. "Dere she is, right below us!"
"The wind's against us!" noted Scuttle. "We won't catch up to her!"
"No need to," answered Sebastian. "I know where she's going! Just follow her!"
Since the wind was blowing to the east, Ariel did, indeed, make it back to the mansion first. She searched every room where Belle was likely to spend her time...no luck. Then every other room in the mansion...no sign of her. She even took a look in the back yard...no Belle. Just a flock of Swablu, though Ariel did not know that was what they were.
With one last room to search, Ariel darted over to it: Belle's bedroom. Throwing open the door, what she saw...was an empty bed. Belle was nowhere to be found. She was gone.
Ariel, for the second time in a week, felt her heart completely disintegrate. Belle had left her in the dust. There would be no good-bye, no confessions, no farewell kiss...A pain, sorrow, and heartbreak that Ariel had only felt once before...when Triton had destroyed the statue of Belle in her treasure cave...came flooding back with a vengeance. Losing all hope, Ariel collapsed onto Belle's bed and let the tears flow freely. Burying her face in the pillow, her body wracked itself with desperate sobs and unbearable anguish. All she wanted now was to die, so as to make the agony stop.
It was at about that time that she felt something plop down on the bed next to her. Jerking her head up from the pillow, hoping to see Belle, her face brightened as she turned to regard the weight on the bed. She was a little disappointed when she saw that it was not Belle. But Sebastian and Scuttle would do quite nicely.
"Ariel, what are ya doing?!" cried Scuttle. "You gotta go and get after your woman!" Ariel looked at Scuttle quizzically.
"Long story short," explained Sebastian, "Belle is under a spell from de sea witch! We're going to find where dey are, and report back to you!"
"Stay right here!" ordered Scuttle as he took Sebastian and flew off again. Ariel felt such a rage and determination as she had never known existed boiling white-hot inside her. She was about to take matters into her own hands and find Ursula herself when Scuttle came flying back in, Sebastian in tow.
"We're in luck, kiddo!" Scuttle reported. "They're dancin' on the beach across the street!"
"Ya better hurry!" added Sebastian. "De sun's about to set! We'll distract de witch! You go get dat girl to kiss you!" And off they went again. Ariel followed, opening the door and moving with purpose through the mansion, to the front door.
The mermaid...was on a mission.
On the beach, soft music was playing from a small portable speaker which was sitting in the sand near Belle and Vanessa, who were gliding slowly across the sand in a simple waltz.
"I never did say thank you for saving my life," noted Belle.
"And you'll never have to," answered Vanessa quietly, looking deeply into Belle's eyes. "Just kiss me."
Belle felt herself lean in slowly for a tender kiss, though not of her own volition. Their lips were about to touch...
...when Vanessa let out an ear-piercing shriek of pain. Belle jumped back, startled, and lost her footing, falling to the sand. She saw a small red crab latched onto Vanessa's earlobe with one of its claws. Vanessa fought to free herself from the crab's grip, but no sooner had she gotten it loose than a seagull came down from the sky and, looking like an F/A-18 Hornet buzzing its base, came within inches of Vanessa's face. Belle would later swear that the bird had also placed its feet in a dive kick position; Vanessa went diving to the sand to avoid it. When she went down, Belle saw Ariel running towards them, a look of resolve and vengeance upon her normally soft face.
"Ariel?" she said to herself, confused. Unseen by Belle, the crab had cut the string on Vanessa's necklace, and it was no longer around her neck when she came up. As she searched for it, Ariel came up and caught Vanessa across the face with a powerful punch, followed swiftly by a kick to the abdomen. As Vanessa doubled over, Ariel walked around behind her, jumped on her back, placed her feet on Vanessa's thighs, and let herself fall backwards. The force of the monkey flip was such that Vanessa was sent sailing clear out to sea.
"Ariel!" Belle heard a very Jamaican voice call out. She looked and saw that it was coming from the crab. Somehow, this did not surprise her...perhaps, she surmised, when one spent a great deal of their time talking to inanimate objects, talking sea creatures was as nothing.
"De shell!" ordered the crab. "Break de shell! And hurry! I gotta go get de Sea King! Sorry, Ariel, but he must know about dis!" And he darted off into the ocean without another word. Ariel, resigned to this, simply nodded.
Wasting no time, Ariel picked up the shell and looked around for something to break it with. Very quickly, she spotted a decent-sized rock nearby. With all her might, she hurled the shell at the rock. Upon contact, the shell exploded, and Ariel's voice flew from it. The all-too-familiar melody which was Ariel's favorite began to emanate from the small ball of green light. Ariel threw her head back and closed her eyes, beginning to vocalize in her mind along with the melody as her mouth opened. Slowly...ever so slowly...Ariel's voice began to float through the sky towards Ariel herself. Just inches away from its home, it trembled for a bit...and then, for a split second, it was coming from without...and then it was within. Ariel, her voice finally back where it belonged, concluded the melody as only she could.
At about that same time, the spell on Belle was broken, and she felt her mind clear itself up. Gingerly, she stood up, and looked excitedly at Ariel.
"Ariel?" she asked.
"Belle..." replied Ariel. "Oh, come here."
"It really was you..." breathed Belle. "You're the one. You rescued me!" And she ran at Ariel, arms thrown wide.
"Yes!" cried Ariel in confirmation. "It was me! Oh, how long I've wanted to say that out loud!" And she embraced Belle tightly, vowing never to let go of her again. When they finally did separate, Belle looked deeply into Ariel's eyes.
"Well, now that the whole misunderstanding is cleared up," she said softly, "I'd like to say thank you for saving my life."
"Oh," laughed Ariel, smiling, "it was nothing. I'm just glad I finally got to tell you."
"And I'm glad I finally got to thank you," retorted Belle. "But there's so many other things I want to say..." And she felt herself leaning towards Ariel, who also seemed to be leaning closer.
"Save the talking for later..." requested Ariel. "I know you've wanted to do this for at least two days now, so now's your chance...Kiss me..." And Belle and Ariel felt their eyes close, ready to cement their destiny at long last.
Unseen by either of the two women, a young hunter had seen the whole thing and was now taking a position behind Ariel, hunting knife in hand, ready to taste mermaid's blood, murder in his eyes.
Scuttle saw this, and attempted to alert the young women to the danger.
"Hey, look out!" he cried, diving low. "You've both got unwanted company!"
"I love you, Belle..." whispered Ariel just as her lips were about to meet Belle's. And she truly could feel the love coming off herself and Belle in waves. But just as history was about to be made, a far more powerful, and far less pleasant, sensation overcame Ariel.
Belle staggered backwards for the second time as Ariel let out an inhuman scream of pain which could be heard for miles. Unlike with Vanessa, though, Belle saw nothing to cause the injury. So what was making Ariel scream bloody murder?
The answer to this was now lodged firmly in Ariel's back, and it was piercing vital organs. It revealed itself to Belle as a hunting knife which had been shoved up to the hilt through Ariel's left half, near where her heart was. As shock and disbelief set in, she saw who had been responsible: Gaston was looking down on Ariel's prone form with disgust.
"Leviticus 20:16, Belle," he said haughtily. "'If a woman lies down with a beast, both the woman and the beast are to be put to death.'"
"...Ariel was not an animal..." Belle managed to force out, appalled that even Gaston would say such a thing.
"Oh, was that her name?" asked Gaston. "Well, Ariel..." He spat the name. "...has one last secret for you." And he gestured to where Ariel now lay in the sand, using his boot to gently roll her onto her back.
Belle looked...and could not believe what she was seeing. Where feet had been for the past three days, there was now an aqua-colored fish's tail.
"A mermaid..." sobbed Belle. "You killed a mermaid?!"
"Bestiality," reminded Gaston angrily, "is a sin for which the penalty is death! Technically, I'm supposed to kill you, as well, but you know I can't do that."
"You should," retorted Belle, "because there's no way I'll ever marry you!"
"Oh, Belle," sighed Gaston, frustrated, "you need to pay for your sins! But if you repent now, and agree to be my wife, God the Eternal Father will forgive you! HE WILL SAVE YOU..." Gaston was cut off as a long black tentacle wrapped itself around his entire body...and squeezed. Belle could hear the crackling sound of bones breaking, and then a death rattle as Gaston literally had the life squeezed out of him and the hunting knife fell from his hand. Its job done, the tentacle, with little visible effort on its part, tossed Gaston's sizable corpse seaward. It gained a considerable amount of flight time before it finally hit the water with a splash, never to rise again.
Meanwhile, the sun was finally out of view. Belle slowly crawled over to Ariel and draped herself on top of her. It seemed impossible, but one quick pulse check confirmed it: Ariel was dying.
"No..." breathed Belle. "Ariel, stay with me. Please don't die."
"That's...no longer...my choice...to make," Ariel struggled to say. "Anyway...this is better...than being forced...to become part...of the...Octopus's Garden."
Belle had no idea why Ariel was referencing a song from long ago, but it mattered little: She wasn't long for this world.
"Oh, I wish he'd stabbed me instead," lamented Belle. "Stay with me...I need you."
"Belle..." whispered Ariel. "...just hold me." And with that, at long last, Ariel gave in to temptation...and captured Belle's lips for her own. It was a soft, gentle, meaningful kiss, usually not meant for giving when one of the participants was on their deathbed.
It was, indeed, the ultimate bittersweet ending, and Belle felt her closed eyes well up, ready to overflow with salty tears once they opened again. Stroking Ariel's silky hair, her mind became a blur as she lost herself in the kiss.
As the embrace lingered, Belle pressed her own body against Ariel's as gently as possible. With one of her last conscious thoughts, Ariel could swear she felt the pounding of Belle's heart against her own chest.
Then, she was finally enveloped by the approaching darkness...and knew no more.
Wishing that this moment would never end, it was all too soon that Belle felt Ariel become limp, as if her spirit had simply leapt out of her body. Her head sank back heavily against Belle's arm, sweet lips being pulled away, and then fell sharply to the side, going into repose.
Belle, faced with the raw reality of the situation, was left no choice but to open her eyes and deal with the harshest truth she had ever been forced to confront.
Ariel was gone.
Meanwhile, Ursula had borne witness to this entire scene, the top of her head just poking above water. At first, she had been furious since Gaston had broken their deal and stolen her most prized object from her. Then, as she surveyed the scene and saw Ariel finally perish, an idea came to her.
Maybe I could use this to finally gain rulership of the world's waters. Triton would give ANYTHING to have his daughter back. Smiling evilly, she sent a tentacle over to Ariel's corpse and ripped it from Belle's grasp, dragging it down to the ocean, ready to strike the ultimate deal.
Belle tried her best to hold on to Ariel, but it was all for naught: the tentacle was simply too strong. As Ariel's corpse was ripped from her grasp, Belle was overcome with the sort of heartbroken sorrow that only the premature death of one's soul mate brings.
"Please...No..." Belle pleaded with thin air. "Ariel...Come back...Please...I love you."
And it felt truly liberating to finally admit it. Unfortunately for Belle, this confession had come mere moments too late, and there was nothing that could be done. Realizing this, she finally allowed the desperate sobs and bitter tears to flow forth, even more so than she had when her father had died.
Had anyone been watching, it would have been easy to see what had happened: The soul and spirit of Belle Cartier had been completely destroyed.
Ursula, meanwhile, was looking for Triton, Ariel's lifeless body trailing along behind her. She soon spotted him, swimming directly at her.
"Ah, there you are!" she called to him. "Where have you been? There's something you should see." And she showed him Ariel's corpse.
"No..." gasped Triton. "My daughter...What have you DONE TO HER?!" he raged.
"Not a thing," answered Ursula honestly. "I simply helped her to live out her dream and this is what happened. Of course, you know that there are very few limits to what my magic can do. I'll make you a deal. You agree to crown me Queen of the Seas and I give you back your daughter. What do you say, Daddy Dearest?" And a contract for the deal appeared from thin air directly in front of Triton.
Without hesitation, and putting his daughter before himself, Triton leveled his trident with the dotted line on the scroll. In a flash of blinding light, his signature appeared in the proper place. With Ursula cackling madly, Triton's crown and trident disappeared from his possession, to reappear in Ursula's. Immediately, Triton was transformed into one of the poor souls that decorated Ursula's Garden.
"And now I possess ULTIMATE POWER!" yelled Ursula. "But let it not be said that Ursula does not honor her bargains." With that, she pointed the trident at Ariel's wound, which immediately healed itself. With a final burst of magic, Ariel felt life welling up within herself again. She looked around to get her bearings and caught sight of Ursula wearing Triton's crown and holding his trident. Fear built up inside her as she looked around for Triton, and eventually laid eyes on a creature who could only be her father. She swam over to him and sobbed,
"Oh, Daddy. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause this much trouble."
"No time to worry about that now..." muttered Triton. "Go to Atlantica! Get help!" Ariel hastened to obey.
"Bring all the help you want," laughed Ursula at Ariel's retreating form. "You can't stop me now! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!" And with that, she grew to 20 times her normal size, and made her way to the surface.
"Time to check on that poor unfortunate soul I left on the beach..."
Back on said beach, Belle's face was buried in her hands, and she was doing some serious crying. Her body wracked itself with sobs, each slightly louder and much more desperate than the last. The pain and sorrow coursing through her now was almost unbearable. Ariel, the mermaid who had saved her, the woman she loved more than anyone else left alive in her life, was gone, never to return.
"Hurts like the dickens, don't it?"
The evil voice filled her entire being, and she felt a surprising emotion overcome her...barely controlled, frenzied rage. Beginning to see red at the edges of her vision, she turned towards the source of the voice and saw a repulsive woman over sixty feet tall, and at least three times as wide.
"And you must be the one who made Ariel jump through all those hoops," she said through gritted teeth.
"Did not," corrected the colossal woman. "She came to me of her own free will, and she paid the price of admission. Ursula always keeps her deals."
"Well, Ursula," snarled Belle, "surely you know how I'm feeling at the moment."
"Of course, my dear girl," chuckled Ursula. "You feel so hurt and lonely, you could die...in other words, perfect material for a breakup song. I can oblige with the dying part," she offered snidely. "The cold calm of death can end all pain, or so I'm told."
"Please do," challenged Belle. "I'd love nothing more than to die right now. I might even see Ariel again. But when Belle Cartier makes a promise, by God, she damn well keeps it. And I promise to you right here and right now that if I am to die today, I'm taking you to Hell with me!"
Ursula could not suppress a hearty belly laugh at these words.
"Oh, I love it when my victim has a fighter's streak," she said to Belle. "It makes the kill that much more...fun. You're welcome to try, dearie."
"No..." Belle reminded herself. "Either do...or do not. There is no try." With that, she picked up Gaston's hunting knife and readied herself for a fight.
You got the touch!
You got the power...!
YEAH!
As Belle stood there, one of Ursula's tentacles shot out of the water towards her. She deftly dodged it and jumped atop it.
"What?" cried Ursula, and made a flicking motion that would send Belle flying out towards open water...or would have, had Ursula's girth not been in the way. Belle landed on Ursula's left shoulder, but the momentum carried her off the shoulder and sent her tumbling down Ursula's back.
After all is said and done
You never walk, you never run
You're a winner
You've got the moves, you know the streets
Break the rules, take the heat
You're nobody's fool
Just before Belle hit the black material that made up Ursula's dress, she managed to find a handhold on a skin imperfection that would normally have been microscopic, and her fall stopped.
You're at your best when the going gets rough
You've been put to the test, BUT IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!
You got the touch!
You got the power!
When all hell's breaking loose,
You'll be right in the eye of the storm!
You got the heart!
You got the motion!
You know that when things get too tough,
You got the touch!
And with Ursula's tentacles thrashing all around her, but unable to reach her, Belle slowly began to climb up Ursula's back.
Now I know how Wander felt in Shadow of the Colossus, Belle could not prevent herself from thinking, as she remembered another of her favorite stories from back in France. She tucked the dagger inside her apron and continued her climb.
You never bend, you never break
You seem to know just what it takes
You're a fighter!
It's in the blood, it's in the will
It's in the mighty hands of steel
When you're standing your ground
As Belle finally reached the top of Ursula's head, she made her way to the front and began to climb down her forehead.
And you never give in when your back's to the wall
Gonna fight to the end AND YOU'RE TAKING IT ALL!
Belle made her way to the point where she was standing on the inside edge of one of Ursula's eyelids. Thankfully, Ursula was so colossal, Belle could not be seen.
You got the touch!
You got the power!
When all hell's breaking loose,
You'll be riding the eye of the storm!
You got the heart!
You got the motion!
You know that when things get too tough,
You got the touch!
Taking the dagger from her apron, she held it high above her head, gathered her strength, and sank it deep into Ursula's eyeball, dragging it around to cause more damage. Ursula screamed from the pain and, blinded by it, dropped the trident, which fell into the water and shrank back to its normal size.
Belle saw it land, and an idea came to her:
"If you find yourself at a great height above the open water," the old sailor informed her, "try to align yourself so you are perpendicular to the water, enter the fetal position, and exit said position just as you hit the water. The impact of your feet going under will break the surface tension and let you escape your journey without serious injury."
"Wish me luck, Prince Eric," she said to the sky, and made her way back to Ursula's left shoulder as quickly as possible. Sliding down her arm towards the open water, Belle made a jump into thin air just as she reached the tip of Ursula's middle finger.
YOU'RE FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE!
YOU KNOW YOU GOT THE TOUCH!
As Belle soared gracefully through the open air, she curled herself up into a ball, and felt herself drop like a stone. Just before she impacted the water, she uncoiled, just as Eric had told her, and his advice worked: she came through the dive unharmed. Surfacing quickly, she swam over to the trident and grabbed a hold of it.
You're at your best when the going gets rough
You've been put to the test, BUT IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!
You got the touch!
You got the power...!
YEAH!
Thinking of Ariel, and only Ariel, Belle leveled the trident with Ursula's chest.
"For Ariel...and anyone else you've wronged in your life...BURN IN HELL!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
You got the touch!
You got the power...!
TOUCH!
The trident began to glow with a blinding white light, which slowly resolved itself at the tip of the middle prong into a beam of deadly energy, piercing Ursula through the chest. Ursula's scream of agony was strangely satisfying to Belle as she collapsed back under the ocean's surface, dissolving into a cloud of smoke, which quickly dissipated.
Ding-dong, the wicked witch was dead.
As Ursula faded into oblivion, Triton felt himself return to normal: He was King of the Seas once again. He checked for his crown...there it was. But he was still missing his trident. As he looked around, he saw its silhouette just above the water's surface, being held by...someone. He started swimming up to go get it.
Belle was still staring at the spot where Ursula had been, wondering how she had been able to do what she had just done.
"Excuse me, miss," came a strong yet gentle voice from behind her and slightly to her right. "I do believe you're holding something of mine." Belle turned around to see who it was and was confronted by a powerful-looking merman with white hair and a long, flowing beard of the same color. Belle saw a crown perched on his head, so he was obviously royalty of some kind.
"Forgive me, Your Highness," she requested, "but I have a feeling this would go a lot better if I had solid ground to stand on."
"Of course, my dear," acquiesced Triton, and he helped her to shore. When at last she was able to stand up, she could not resist asking:
"May I have your name, Your Majesty?"
"I am Triton," he answered proudly, "descendant of Poseidon and King of the Seas."
"Aha..." mused Belle. "Then this trident is yours." And, descending to one knee, she held the trident out to him, as if she was presenting a special sword at a formal ceremony. Triton took it, and as he did, he felt his old strength returning to him in spades.
"Miss," he began, "you have done a greater service for the mer world than any resident of it in history. For killing Ursula, we are forever in your debt. We shall tell your story until the end of time. But stories are much more magical when the main character has a name. What is yours?"
"I am Belle Cartier, Your Grace," replied Belle, curtsying deeply.
"Miss Belle..." Triton admonished gently. "You bow to no merperson." And with that, he gave a deep and respectful bow. "Your bravery, nerve, and valor shall serve as an inspiration to my kingdom. I also must take note of the purity in your heart and spirit. It is because of this that you were able to command my trident: it only responds to the ruler of the seas, but barring that, those it deems worthy to wield it."
"Forgive my flippance, Sir," requested Belle, "but is that your trident or the hammer they call Mjolnir?" Triton laughed, the first time he had done so in a long while.
"They were both forged from the same star by the same person," he chuckled, "so I can understand how you would confuse the two."
"Speaking of the trident," began Belle, "how did Ursula come to hold it and your crown?"
"I must confess I made a deal," answered Triton sadly, "my position as King of the Seas in exchange for my daughter's life. But Ursula was always a tricky one, and, unfortunately, I remember nothing from when I signed the contract until I turned back to myself. ...I know not whether Ariel is alive."
"I remember Ursula saying that she always keeps her deals," thought Belle aloud. "If she truly was that skilled, then Ariel may yet live."
"In which case," promised Triton, "I swear on the River Styx that I will keep searching until I find her...dead or alive, and wherever she may be."
"May I request," dared Belle, "that when you find her, can you bring her to me? I love her dearly, and if she turns out to be dead, I wish to say a proper farewell."
"Your wish is my command," said Triton humbly.
"Thank you, Your Lordship," sighed Belle, "for your time and the information, as well as your generosity. Also, I am truly sorry for any trouble I may have caused you."
"Miss Cartier," answered Triton, placing a hand on her cheek. "You have nothing to apologize for. Nobody is truly to blame here; Ursula was the one who twisted the situation to her advantage and put us all through this. You know...now that I think about it...I may not have been entirely right about humans. I thought they were nothing but trouble."
"For the most part, they are," chuckled Belle.
"Maybe," continued Triton, "but if there are any more like you among them, there is, indeed, hope for your species. I would say more, but I have a mermaid to find. When she is found, I will send word."
"Thank you again," said Belle, "and fare thee well. Perchance we'll meet again someday."
Triton replied with another deep bow, and slowly made his exit. Once he was out of sight, Belle began the short, but lonely walk back to the mansion. She would love to see her wait staff again, but she knew the mansion would feel empty and worthless without Ariel in it with her.
Oh, Ariel, why? she thought sadly as she reentered her bedroom, her eyes watering again. Why did you have to be so perfect? And with this thought, she collapsed on her bed and began to properly mourn the loss of her first true love.
Damn it, Ariel, I love you. I just want to see you again...
Back under the water's surface, Triton was slowly making his way back to Atlantica to deliver the news when he saw her: Ariel was leading a cavalry of soldiers straight at him.
"Ariel?!" he cried out, overjoyed. "Is it really you?!"
"Daddy!" she yelled. "You're OK! Does that mean...?!"
"Yes," Triton reassured her as they embraced desperately. "Ursula is dead...by your Belle's hand."
"What?!" cried Ariel. "Belle killed her?!"
"Love, I now understand," admitted Triton, "is something even humans seem to believe is worth fighting for."
"Especially Belle," pointed out Ariel. "Her heart is true, and I want to spend the rest of my days with her."
"I must warn you," began Triton, "if you choose that life, all you and Belle will be able to truly rely on is each other. As you no doubt experienced, there are a great number of people in the world who would deride you and Belle, and turn their backs on you simply because of the nature of your relationship. They say that your love cannot be real because your bodies are the same."
"Don't remind me," shivered Ariel. "One of them hated it enough to kill me. But as long as I'm with Belle, I'll always be happy, because she loves me for who I am, and vice versa."
"You truly do see with your heart, don't you?" asked Triton, laughing. Ariel only smiled.
"Well, I must say, I have a lot to think about," confessed Triton. "I hope you can understand that. But you've definitely given me reason to let you have your dream."
"Thank you, Daddy," squeaked Ariel, planting a kiss on her father's cheek. "That's all I've ever wanted."
"Come, my daughter," requested Triton, "let us return to Atlantica and share the good news with everyone." Ariel complied, swimming at her father's side with the cavalry at their backs.
Don't worry, Belle, she thought with all her might, willing Belle to hear her. I will see you again soon. I have to hope...I have to believe...
A/N: Yep. DING DONG, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD! Now all that's left is to bring the two soul mates together at last. Will it happen? Find out next time.
TBC...