Hello everyone. Sorry that I haven't update in two weeks. I have nothing to say until the end, so enjoy.


Chapter 41: A Debt that hasn't been Paid

-Sea Cave-

In the dark cave, Shika is brewing a magic potion.

'I've decided. The Aqua Mermaid Princess shall be my next victim and I know what present to give her...' the Sea Witch through.

After adding rare ingredients into her cauldron, such as rare herbs and plants, she muttered a spell:

With my potion thou shall drink

Bring back bad memories of thy

Also brought back thine old self

Alas, erase thy current life

May my potion bring thou nightmares

For a price has yet been payed

Thou shall be sought

Thus my curse to thee will be against thy heart!

Shika took a glass vial and collect some of the potion in it. It was glowing a strange purple color until it turn completely an inky purple.

"Perfect."

-Pearl Waters-

In the bath house, the Mermaid Princesses are decorating the area for the christmas holiday and for the Orange Mermaid Princess' birthday which is just three days away!

"Lucia, can you pass me that star?" Hanon asked as the Pink Mermaid Princess handed her the golden ornament. After placing it on top of the grand Christmas tree, she sighs, "Geez, I know that Nikora wanted this place to look its best, but why does it has to be a lot of work?"

"It's so we can get into the Christmas spirit, Hanon. And you are lacking it." Taki suddenly appeared.

"Taki-san! You surprised me." Lucia replied.

"I see you've finished decorating the tree." Julie walked into the room with Sakura.

"Wow..." Sakura stared at the tree in wonder. After all, this will be her first Christmas. "How pretty."

"I'm thirsty." Hanon replied.

"Good work, everyone." Nikora came in with the other princesses and Hippo. "As a reward for your efforts, you all can take the rest of the day off. And I'll treat you to my special dinner later."

"Nikora, is there still juice in the fridge?" Hanon questioned as she climbed down the latter.

"Yes." she answered.

"Then don't mind if I get to it first!" she ran passed the woman.

"Hey, wait Hanon!" Lucia tried to stopped her. Today was her chance to try the new juice that Nikora bought from a market. Apparently, it was suppose to be very delicious with this wonderful taste.

The other mermaids follow to see how the scene plays out.

-Kitchen-

In the kitchen, black mist trail to the fridge. It opened the fridge and took out the juice. Pouring it into the glass, the mist took the vial and pour the potion into the juice. It immediately disappears after hearing the princesses coming closer.

"I win!" Hanon exclaimed as she grabbed the glass of juice off the counter.

"Aw, no fair." Lucia pout in defeat.

"Don't worry, Lucia. If you let me drink it, I'll treat you to anything you want." Hanon gave her friend an offer she knew that she couldn't resist.

"Alright." Lucia suddenly beamed.

Just as Julie walked into the kitchen after the other mermaids, she got the feeling that something is wrong.

"Hanon, wait! Don't drink the juice-" her warning didn't reach the Aqua Princess in time.

"Eh?" Hanon question until she felt something weird happening to her. "Oh, I don't... Feel so... Well..."

The glass fall from her grasp as she collapsed on the floor, Hippo was fast enough to catch the fallen cup.

"Hanon, Hanon, Hanon." Lucia was the closest to her and caught her before she got the chance to completely fall to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Hippo came into the scene.

"Hanon drank the juice and she then collapsed." Lucia answered, showing Julie the cup.

"Let me see." Julie request as her sister gave her the juice. Julie had her hand above the glass and it glowed a reddish color. It fade once she was done analyzing it.

"Well?" Karen questioned.

"It's a forgetting potion, but I don't know the details." Julie answered. "Do you know, Akari?" she turned to the White Princess. Akari took it and with just a simple sample of it, she knew it's effects.

"Hanon will be fine. It's not harmful, just..." she trailed off.

"Just..." Noel urge her to continue.

"She'll remember who she is in the ancient past... But she'll forgot who she is now." Akari answered.

"WHAT!" the girls, with the exception of Julie and Sakura, exclaimed in disbelief.

"Anyway, we shouldn't just leave her laying on the ground. Let's take her to her room." Hippo suggested as the girls agreed.

-Living Room-

After some time, Lucia approached Akari, who was staring at the window, lost in a daze. She never got the chance to know Akari as much as her other friends and would like the chance to know her now.

"Akari." she called out to the White Princess, snapping her out of her daze.

"Oh yes, Lucia?" Akari turned her attention to her.

"I was wondering, since you were the Swan Princess in the past, what was your life?" Lucia asked.

"Oh, actually... I rather not talk about it. I'm sorry." Akari apologized.

"Oh, that's okay. I didn't mean to get nosy. Anyway, how could you tell about potion when Julie couldn't?" Lucia questioned.

"I was an botanist in my past life, so I know most herbs brewed to make a forgetting potion." Akari replied. "I also met Hanon's past self long ago too."

"Really? Who she is?" Lucia asked.

"The miller's daughter." Akari answer.

Lucia started to frown, "Does that mean Rumpelstiltskin is real?"

"I don't know, I haven't met him."

"But, I know." a voice spoke up. The two turned to see that it was Julie. "I'll tell you about it, but first, you should come upstairs. Hanon has awakened."

"Is she alright?" Lucia questioned.

"I am not sure if 'alright' is the right word." Julie comment.

-Hanon's Room-

The girls arrive to the Aqua Princess' room. Hanon was in bed looking at her six friends with a confused expression. She then turned her gaze at them.

"Hanon, are you okay?" Lucia asked.

"Hanon? Who's Hanon? My name is Mizu!" Hanon answered.

"What are you talking about, Hanon?" Rina questioned in concern.

"My name isn't Hanon! My name is Mizu!" Hanon got out of bed and started to run out the door.

"Hanon-san, where are you going?" Hippo asked as he tried to stopped her.

"I have to warn him!" Hanon exclaimed, pushing Hippo out of her way.

-Sea Cave-

Meanwhile, Shika was watching the entire scene from her crystal ball. Clearly, she was entertained by the events.

"That's right, Princess. Fret all you want, but nothing in the world can save him! I'll see to it that he can't be saved!" Shika muttered. She turned to her cabinet to take out a tiny box.

'She was clever, using this box to trapped him. Pandora's Box.'

"You've been waiting for a long time, my friend. It's time you get your revenge for what the promise breaker of a Princess did to you. I release thee, come forth, Rumpelstiltskin!"

The box opened as a tiny man emerge from the box as he is set free. For a moment, he looked at the woman who have set him free.

"My Queen, is that you?" Rumpelstiltskin questioned.

"Yes, my friend. Unfortunately, some people destroyed my beauty. I plan on getting revenge on them, but I can't be content if I don't help a friend get his." Shika answered.

A dangerous smirk appeared on the little imp's face.

"I will get my revenge. After what the foolish girl did." he then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

-Pearl Waters-

To prevent her from leaving the bath house in her current state, the girls have no choice but to tie her to a chair. It became very stressful to the princesses with their friend yelling and screaming during the process and after it.

"Let me go!" Hanon yelled as she struggled against the ropes. "I have to go save him! You have to let me save him!"

The mermaids, on the other hands, were covering their ears at Hanon's loud outbursts. They have no idea what to do with Hanon, neither the Original Pearls.

"Julie, you said you know Hanon's story. What happened?" Noel had to yell so the Red Princess can hear her.

"What?!" Julie couldn't hear between Hanon's screams and Noel's question.

"What happened in Hanon's past life!" Noel repeated her questioned.

Julie, still couldn't hear, walked up to Hanon. She poured water on her, reverting Hanon back to her mermaid self.

"Wha- what did you do to me?" Hanon settled down in panic at the sight of her legs being replaced by a beautiful blue tail.

"It's nothing to worry about." Julie answered, who blew sleeping powder at Hanon. The Aqua Princess was now asleep. "Hippo, please carry Hanon back to her room."

"Roger!" Hippo complied as he moves Hanon away from the living room.

"If Hanon is the miller's daughter, does that means she had a child after marrying the prince?" Noel asked her questioned.

"When she mentioned that she has to save 'him', was she referring to her child?" Coco questioned.

"Actually... Mizu's story isn't exactly like what the humans wrote. The price wasn't a child since Mizu didn't have one yet." Julie trailed off.

"So, what is the price then, Julie?" Seira asked.

Julie was about to speak until Hippo ran downstairs

"Trouble! Trouble!" he yelled.

"What is it Hippo?" Lucia asked.

"Hanon escaped."

"What!" the girls exclaimed.

'The sleeping powder effects worn off that quickly?' Julie wondered to herself.

"Hippo, what were you doing?" Coco questioned.

"I was hoping to get her in bed, but I couldn't do it while she was tied to the chair. So I..." he trailed off.

"We have to go after her!" Rina exclaimed as everyone agrees.

-Park-

In the park, Hanon was searching for her prince.

'Where... Where can he be?' Hanon, or rather Mizu thought.

-Flashback-

A little man visited the daughter of a miller. He requested something from the girl in exchange for his spinning. On the first night...

"How about that pretty thing on your head?"

"My barrette? It's very important to me..."

"Either that or no deal."

"Alright..." the girl sadly agreed.

The second night...

The girl had to give up her necklace, despite it was her mother's.

The last night...

"I have nothing to give you." the girl despaired.

"You seem to like the prince very much, despite you being a commoner." the imp noticed.

"He's... He's the only one who sees me as who I am, not as a commoner or a miller's daughter."

"Then how about... For this last night, I'll take your love's memories?"

"What's the point of taking his hand and being with him together if he won't have any memories of me? Besides, what could you need of it?"

"That is not part of the deal. So... Is it a yes?" the little man asked.

"Yes."

"But it won't be only from this time, it's forever..." the imp muttered to himself so the girl couldn't hear her.

-Flashback Ends-

The truth is, Mizu thought she heard the words "forever", so she has to find her prince. However, how can she find him with so many people?

Meanwhile, the girls split up into two groups. Rina, Karen, Noel, and Coco search on land while Julie, Akari, Sakura, Seira, and Lucia headed for the ocean.

"Julie, why are we going to the ocean?" Lucia asked while running.

"To get Hanon back, her memories back. Normally, our past selves have to recognized that they have been reborn into us. If they have no memories, like Hanon, then they'll be completely lost." the Red Princess explained.

The five jumped off a cliff and dived into the water.

"This way." Akari lead them.

-Underwater Cave-

The mermaids entered a cave. Inside is a shell that glowed many colors. It slowly opened and a voice spoke.

"Mermaid Princesses, what is it you need?"

"We need a way to help our friend. She has forgotten who she is and we have to get her back." Julie answered.

The shell close and opened again to reveal an aqua shell.

"Give this to you friend. It will bring back her memories, but beware, the little one is looking for her."

"Thank you." the mermaids replied as they quickly swims away from the cave.

-Land-

On land, Hanon was walking around the beach while the other mermaids on land followed her from the bushes.

"What would we do after we get close to her?" Coco questioned.

"We'll simply take her back?" Noel suggested in a question why. They didn't plan this far.

"Look, it's Nagisa." Rina pointed out.

"Hanon!" the boy ran up to his love after she came into his view.

"My prince!" Hanon cried.

Suddenly, the wind howled and the clouds blocked the sun.

"What's going on?" Karen questioned.

"Something is coming." Rina answered.

"I'm back!" a little man appeared. "And I've come to collect my payment."

"Who are you?" Nagisa asked in confusion.

"Please, don't take his memories." Hanon begged.

"My memories?" Nagisa questioned

"Well, I'll gave you a chance to guess me name, but first..." with a wave of his hands, a barrier was formed around the three of them. The girls got out of their hiding places but cannot entered the barrier. "It won't work, anything physical outside cannot enter, so you can't help her." he told them. Turning to Hanon, he says, "You have till the sun sets, Princess. If you can't guess my name by then, I'll take what's mine."

-Sea-

From the waters, the other mermaids saw what happened.

"What are we going to do? We can't get to Hanon." Seira replied.

"Lets see if what we were given can help her." Akari pointed out as Julie took the shell out of her pendent.

"I think I've seen this before..." Sakura took notice of the shell.

"Do you know what it do?" Lucia asked her littlest sister.

"It's a shell that can call any spirit. Hanon forgot who she is, but her memories are a part of her soul, just like her heart. And we all know most of the fairytale, so if we can get Hanon to returned to Mizu, she'll be able to guess Rumpelstiltskin's name." Sakura answered.

"How does it work?" Seira asked.

"We have to put our memories of Hanon into this shell and summon her spirit." Sakura answered.

"Then lets waste no time and concentrate." Akari suggest as the others did the same.

The shell glowed and started to crack. The girls ignore the cracking and did not let their concentrate falter. The shell broke completely as the spirit of their friend emerge from it.

"Hanon!" the mermaids exclaimed.

Hanon's spirit smiled in gratitude and float to the barrier. She went through and returned to her body. It was just like what happened to Rina, except in reverse. Once Hanon regained her memories back and merge completely with her past self, she opened her eyes.

"Well? Give up?" the imp asked.

"Your name... Your name is... Rumpelstiltskin!"

"No!" he yelled in fury. "This can't be! How was is possible!" he started to lose his powers until he disappears in a cloud of smoke.

"Hanon?" Nagisa questioned. "What was going on?"

"I'll tell you later." Hanon replied.

"Hanon!" the girl turned to see her friends running towards her.

They all hugged her and was asking her if she remembered everything. Of course, she answered yes.


As I said before, I have news and it's probably not a happy one. I'm starting to have writer's block on this story, so now it will have to take even longer for me to update. Specifically, that means I'll update every two weeks instead of every week. Hopefully, I can get through this predicament and be able to write more fun chapters. Here's what to look forward to. See you in two week. Next on Undeniable Love...

Lucia: Hurry, today is Christmas Eve!

Rina: It's also getting close to Seira's Birthday.

Hanon: I can't wait to see Karen's date with Subaru.

Julie: Today is the day...

Satoru: Julie, I will come to you.

Next time on Undeniable Love Chapter 42: Christmas Joy