11. THE RESCUE.

She'd never seen such a strong storm before. The rain was pouring and the gales made difficult to control the ship. The sky was totally dark and the thunder and lightning were helping to make it worse.

Killian was walking all over the ship, giving instructions to everyone and Eric was nowhere to be found. Aurora wanted to help, but she didn't know what to do. She was just standing on the deck, trying not to fall and watching how the captain organized the crew. Finally, he approached her.

"Aurora, go to the cabin" he said.

"Why? I want to help." she replied. "There must be something I can do."

"There's no time to discuss it, just go."

"But..." she tried to resist.

"Aurora, please." he took her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

She felt really disappointed, but the way he'd looked at her (almost begging) when he said that two words made her surrender. She nodded and, being very careful, headed to the cabin. On her way she came across Eric, who was dressed in a way she'd never seen before.

"What's that?" she asked, full of curiosity.

"There's no time to explain. This is called neoprene and this" he pointed to the gas bottle he was carrying "is oxygen. I need to reach the mermaids to ask them for help and this... 'outfit' can help me. I brought it from Storybrooke... Wish me luck" and he disappeared upstairs.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt that the storm had finished. The ship's movements were normal again and the sound of the rain, the wind and the thunders had stopped. She'd been sitting on the bed all the time, wondering what was happening outside the cabin and still quite angry for not having been given the opportunity to show that she wasn't useless, that she could do something to deal with the problems too. After a couple of minutes, Killian entered the the cabin. Immediately he realized that she wasn't precisely happy.

"Hey... are you mad at me?" he asked and sat next to her.

"Why haven't you let me help you? Do you think I'm useless? A burden?"

"Of course you're not, but that storm was too much for you, believe me. If I've told you to come here it was to protect you. I know you always want to help people, no matter what dangers you can face, and that's one of the things I love about you, but I couldn't let you participate, you don't know how a storm can be. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to stand it." She sighed. Why could she be angry with him after what he'd said?

"You always manage to convince me" she said. "But next time, if you think it's not too much for me, let me help you."

"I promise" he said with a smile. She smiled back. After a couple of seconds, she spoke again:

"You'd better change those clothes, you're soaking." Suddenly, a question popped into her mind "Why has the storm finished? I mean, she wanted to kill us, didn't she? And she stops attacking us..."

"Fortunately, since she isn't the governor of the seas, her powers have limits." he stood up and took off his shirt. Suddenly, the cabin seemed hotter to her "But she'll return."

"And..." she started, standing up and approaching him with a naughty smile "Will she need some time to do it?" she kissed his lips, putting her hands on his chest.

"Yes..." he answered. "We should use it."

And putting his 'hands' on her hips without stopping kissing her, he guided the princess backwards to the bed.

.

When Eric returned to the Jolly Roger, he was in a really good mood. He'd done it: he'd reached Ariel's former palace and had spoken to the king himself, who'd agreed to do anything he could to help him rescue his daughter. His plan was going well so far. After taking off his wetsuit, he went out of his cabin and headed to the deck. Once he was there, he found Killian on the seer post, looking through his telescope with a worried look. Eric called him.

"Hook! Is anything wrong?"

"I don't know yet, but I've got the sensation that it is, I'm unable to tell you why." He went down to where Eric was standing "What about you? Aurora's told me where you've been."

"They're helping us. While her eyes are put on us, they're going to negociate Ariel's release... again. I hope she'll be so focused on the two aspects that she'll miss a little detail: I'll go to her den and look for Ariel" he made a pause "I hope it works."

"And I hope you're quick" Killian said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because here she comes again." he answered, looking at a point behind Eric's back.

When the prince turned to where the captain was staring at, he saw a big group of... what the hell were that things which were swimming towards the ship? They looked like zombies, but they were definitely alive. Seaweeds, corals and another sea's features covered their bodies. As usual, the captain started to orgaize the crew. Once everyone was ready to fight, he rushed to the cabin, where Aurora was.

"Killian, what...?" she asked, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"Here" he gave her the sword she'd been practising with "We're being attacked. There's no time to explain. Come with me and try to stay close."

She nodded and he took her hand. When they arrived the deck, they saw the battle had already started.

"Just remember what I've taught you" he said before a couple of enemies noticed their presence and attacked them. Aurora didn't have time to think, just reacted by instinct against her opponent... and she managed to send him to the sea again. That little victory encouraged her to keep fighting with all her energies, happy to be finally useful.

The fight continued for about half an hour. Luckily, none of the inhabitants of the Jolly Roger was killed, but there were many injuries. In spite of that, nobody stopped fighting, but Ursula's 'army' was strong and they didn't know how many time they would be able to resist. As the captain, Killian had to keep an eye on everyone while he was fighting, specially on Aurora, although she was doing really well, making him feel proud of her (and his abilities as a teacher, of course). He was doing his best to give instructions to the crew, but their opponents weren't stupid and soon realized who the captain was, so they focused on defeating him first. Hook found himself facing two enemies at the same time who were more muscular than him. Eventually, he ended up falling and lying on his back. He couldn't see what was happening around him, just that two of that 'people' managed to hold him. He was trying to release himself when a third came to kill the captain... until he was stabbed by a new sword which he didn't know where it came from. When his former potential killer fell to the floor, Hook could see how Aurora drew her sword from his dead body and faced one of his two captors. Killian just couldn't believe it, where had his pricess gone?

The fight continued for many minutes until the creatures of the sea who remained alive suddenly stopped. The time itself seemed to stop too. And then there weren't any 'zombies' anymore but a group of mermaids (males and females) that rushed to the water. Nobody understood anything, but, after some moments of silence and astonishment, Killian spoke:

"Alright, gentlemen, everyone has done a great job. Take care of the injured while we try to guess what's happened."

Aurora was exhausted. Once the fight has finished, she realized what she'd done and felt even more astonished than the men who'd seen her actions in the battle. She was just sitting on the floor, processing everything that had happened when Killian sat next to her and hugged her with his right arm.

"Are you fine?" he asked.

"Yeah" she answered.

"You've been awesome. Just... I don't have words."

"Thanks." she smiled "I had a good teacher... and probably an adrenaline rush."

He smiled too, and in that precise moment they heard how something emerged from the water. All the crew approached the side of the ship from which the sound had been heard and saw three people there. Well, to be more specific, there were a human and two mermaids. One of them was a red-haired woman who they recognized immediately and the other one, an old man who was holding a trident, was hugging her. Tears were rolling down the father and daughter's cheeks. Eric was with them, wearing his wetsuit and smiling widely. He waved to the people on the ship. King Triton turned to him and shook his hand, clapping his back too. The group of three spent some minutes speaking while the others were unable to hear a word. Finally they approached the ship and, to everyone's astonishment, when Eric and Ariel reached the deck, her fins didn't exist anymore.

"Don't look at her, idiots!" ordered Killian, avoiding looking at the naked girl who was half-covered by her long hair and Eric's body. He gave her his own coat and she said a low 'thank you' to the captain.

Then, King Triton spoke: he thanked everyone of them for having helped him, his daughter and his entire kingdom and announced that Eric had killed Ursula.

"What?" Killian asked, along with half of the crew.

"Well..." Eric seemed quite shy "After setting Ariel free I thought I couldn't miss the opportunity to do it. So I took her by surprise and... you know... I found a broken mast and ... I did it." An applause broke the ocean's silence and many people approached Eric to hug him and clap his back. 'So that's why the battle ended' thought Aurora. Everyone seemed to be coming to the same conclussion. "Now that we've done what we came to do, it's time to go home" he looked at Ariel, who nodded and turned to her father.

"Just one more thing." the old man said and, after he waved his trident, a big chest filled with golden coins appeared on the deck "It comes from a shrunk ship. We don't need it but I think you'll find an utility for it." finally, he turned to Ariel "You were right, not all the humans are bad. Be happy, my dear." and hugged his daughter again. Aurora couldn't avoid letting a tear scape from one of her eyes. "Take care of her- concluded the king looking at Eric."

"I will" he answered.

.

Moments after, the king had disappeared and the sea became quiet again.

"Alright, people. Everything's over" said Killian in a loud tone "Somebody help me to bring this" he pointed at the chest "to my cabin."

"We'll count the coins and deal them among everyone." added Eric.

"But that's a task for tomorrow." continued the captain "Rest as much as you can and tomorrow night I promise we'll have the best welcoming party that this woman" he pointed to Ariel "has had in all her life." Another applause was heard. "There's something I still don't understand" he said to Eric and Ariel while the crew was going inside the ship "Who were the people she sent to attack us?"

"Her slaves" answered Ariel "People who didn't pay her for her magic favours or sold their freedom in exchange of one. Now, dead or alive, they're free."

Some seconds of silence followed her explanation. Then, Eric spoke again.

"You must be tired" he said to the former mermaid. "Come with me, I'll show you our cabin." And saying goodbye to Killian and Aurora, he followed the crew, taking Ariel by her waist.

.

In the following morning everyone was ready to return home. The Jolly Roger started to sail under a blue sky. There was a relaxed and happy atmosphere and at night, the party started. Many barrels of rum were brought to the deck and the music and Aurora's 'beloved' songs sounded louder than never.

"Hey! Don't sing that if you don't want our guest to return under the sea!" ordered Killian, who had already drunk a couple of rum glasses.

Ariel was impressed by everything she saw: the ship, the objects, the people's behaviour... everything was so new and so amazing. That'd always been her dream and Eric was there to share it with. Aurora, who was really happy with the presence of another woman aboard to talk to, asked her (with her own glass of rum in hand) about the first time she'd seen Eric.

"Well..." started the mermaid "my father had sent me and my six sisters to a castle we have near Eric's kingdom, to protect us from the war." he made a little pause and then continued "I've always been fascinated by the human's world, althought in my kingdom everyoned thought they were very dangerous to us. I wasn't allowed to go to observe them, but I usually escaped and did it anyway. One of that times, I found him..." he was cut by her boyfriend.

"They know that part. You can skip it."

"After saving him I couldn't let him see me" she continued "But I was determined to join your world more than never. I usually escaped from my sisters to look for him and watch from the distance, until one day I heard about that man called Rump..."

"No, no, no, no, no!" shouted Hook and, immediately, he realized what he'd done and tried to fix it "I mean... you can skip that part too, Eric told us about it."

Ariel seemed quite surprised with his behaviour but didn't say anything and concluded her story.

"I guess there's nothing more to tell you. Ursula told my father what I'd done and, until you appeared, he'd been looking for the way to save me from her."

"Does anybody want more rum?!" asked one of the sailors, ending with the conversation.

"I think I prefer to dance" said Eric and, taking Ariel's hand, he guided her to an empty area of the deck.

The party lasted until late hours. Even when the two couples had gone to their respective cabins looking for some intimacy, the crew kept celebrating.

.

Many days passed and nothing remarkable happened during that time, apart from the fact that, as they were the only women on the ship, Aurora and Ariel had started to develop a close relationship, sharing a lot of time together, alone or with their respective partners. They'd got used to have a snack together sitting on a table brought to the quarterdeck while they talked a lot about everything. One of those days, they'd had to find another place as the rain had started to pour that morning and wouldn't stop for hours.

"I'm fed up with this ship" complained Aurora while the rain tapped on her cabin's window.

"Why? I thought you liked it." asked a surprised Ariel.

"And I do but I've got tired of it. I need a change... and a rest... and I'm starving" she said taking another piece of fruit.

"Well, we'll soon reach the shore. You really look tired" admitted the red-haired.

"I'm not sleeping very well lately."

"Are you fine?"

"Yes, I am. It's just that I've been having nightmares."

They were more than nightmares. She didn't want to talk about it with anyone excepting Killian, but since a week before, she'd been returning to the Netherworld.

- (a week before)-

She was standing on the familiar red room, trying to avoid the flames which were everywhere and looking around her, hoping to find anyone. But she was all alone. She screamed but could barely hear her voice... until she heard another one.

"Aurora... wake up... come on, Aurora... wake up."

She opened her eyes and found herself on her bed, with a worried Killian by her side. She couldn't speak and just focused on control her breathing.

"You were having a nightmare." he told her and touched her forehead "And I think you have fever."

"No" she managed to speak "It's something else."

"I'll bring you some water, alright?" she nodded. When he returned with a bottle and a glass, she'd sat on the bed, her face still pale. He handed her the glass and waited until she'd drunk enough "Now tell me what happens" he sat next to her and took her hand.

Still with difficulties she explained him everything about the room in flames. He listened to her in silence

"I don't know, I haven't been there for a long time, I thought I could control it now and I wouldn't go there again" she said.

"It's alright." he hugged her. She buried her face on his chest and he caressed her hair "Try to sleep again, I'll take care of you."