ADRIEN'S POV:
"Gah!" I awoke with a jump, falling onto the floor. My head was throbbing. I ran my hand through my hair. Looking around the room, I was able to deduce one thing.
...I had no idea where I was. There was a large bed that seemed to have around twenty pillows stuffed with feathers. Several intricate paintings hung on the blue walls, sculptures and vases were neatly placed around in decoration. I could tell the room had a very oceanic theme. I could even smell the ocean, it must be close. It was so much breezier and open than my room back in Paris. Sure I lived in a mansion, but it never quite felt like home. Everything was always so cold and grey and lifeless.
I thought back to the time I had spent playing video games at my classmate Marinette's house. The way her parents brought in freshly baked goods and the way they all laughed so warmly together. Man what I wouldn't give to have something like that. Marinette was such a sweet girl too, kind of shy but she could be fierce when she wanted to, like when she stands up to Chloe.
She kind of reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. ***(for further comment see end notes)
Thinking of home just made me realise how out of place I was here. Where was I? And had I really seen my Lady or had that been a dream? A wonderful…wonderful dream. I shook my head, trying to focus. Alright I was going to get out of here, find my Lady and leave wherever this is.
Just as I was about to leave the room, I saw a mirror on the wall….WHAT? I ran over to it, getting a closer look.
My face! It was all chiseled and older-ish. I grabbed my own jaw pulling it left and right, examining different angles of my new appearance. I still had blonde hair and green eyes, but I looked as though I had aged a few years. Even my hair was now more rounded, shorter and I had a fringe that was perfectly swooped across my forehead.
Ok if it was weird before. It had now past way beyond weird.
Is that why that old guy with the gaunt face was calling me 'Eric' and a 'Prince'?… Did the whole Story Teller and falling into a book thing make me into a character from a fairytale?
Definitely not what I was expecting to happen today.
"Oh your highness! You are awake. Excellent. The lady will be pleased. Come now you must get ready to meet your fiancé" A woman in a maids outfit came in, placing a glass and pitcher of water on the beside me. Again with the fiancé thing. Well if this was just a story, maybe it was best to play along with it for now. I mean it's a fairytale so I'm sure this will all end up happily ever after…right?…Unless this is the Grimm Brothers version.
I have a bad feeling that there's some version of Cinderella where the Prince gets decapitated.
I gulped and followed the maid out of the bedroom.
After several minutes of being brushed and groomed, I was rushed into a grand hall. I stood there with dozens of royal staff bowing behind me. I looked around nervously.
The old man from before walked in the room, a young girl in tow with her hand placed lightly around his right gloved.
I nearly laughed when I saw the blonde in the yellow dress step forward. That would have been embarrassing, but how was I supposed to help myself…The idea of me, marrying..her.
There stood a girl looking eerily similar to Chloe Bourgeois. Icy blue eyes stared at me keenly, looking me up and down with a satisfied smirk. Her light blonde hair was curled into ringlets and there was a yellow daisy jewel pinned into her hair. She let go of the elder man's arm and walked up to me. Then she placed her dainty hand forward, hovering it out in front of me.
She held it there for a few seconds before I heard the man cough. He was glaring at me with a furrowed brow, gesturing to her hand. Oh right!
I bent down and placed a kiss, lightly grazing her fingers. After that she excitedly hooked her arm into mine and dragged me off.
Great…looks like Chloe Bourgeois is my fiancé.
Where are you Ladybug?
***
MARINETTE'S POV:
When the Jamaican crab started talking I was ready to declare myself mentally insane.
"Ariel! His Majesty has been has been looking all over 'ta place for you child. You are hopeless completely hopeless!" the little red creature began scolding me.
"Um…I'm sorry?" I said as he stared at me expectedly.
"That's right you're sorry! Your father could have shelled me alive for letting you go see 'dat Prince of yours. And like 'da fool I am I let you see him! And what do I get in return? A likely death sentence" the crab said fanatically scuttling on the ocean floor.
"…Sebastian?" I asked, remembering the story of the little mermaid. I had seen it when I was around seven so some of the details were fuzzy.
"Yes young lady? Are you ready to go home now, before your father fries me up and hands me straight to 'dose humans up there for a quick appetiser?" he said pointing a claw up to the surface.
"No…I think…that I have to go to Ursula" I replied beginning to join the dots.
"THE SEA WITCH?! No! NO! She's a demon. A monster!" He gasped, tugging at my fin.
"Why in Atlantis would you wish to see her?!"
"I need to get legs to go to the mainland! I have to find my friend Cha- The Prince! I have to find the Prince of course!" I said quickly, forgetting to stick to the story. If I start talking about looking for a friend from another world, I'm sure the crab would tell some octopus to grab me and lock me in some kind of underwater loony bin.
The fact that that was a possibility nearly made me laugh at the total craziness of my situation.
Despite the protests from the crab I swam, searching around, trying to grab a clue as to where to find Ursula and get myself a pair of HUMAN legs. Before long two shady eels came circling around me. Why the original Ariel followed these two creeps anywhere is something I couldn't understand.
She really was desperate, but I guess so was I.
After I agreed to let them take me to the Sea Witch, we arrived at the mouth of a cave. Did Ursula purposely choose the creepiest cave she could find? It looked like a sea-dragon with sharp teeth and everything. I didn't even want to know how it was surrounded by a purple mist…underwater.
After narrowly making it through a garden of brown plants that had tried to grab and pull me apart, I finally reached a giant shell. Through it I heard the echo of a deep and rough woman's voice.
"Come in. Come in my child" the shell beckoned.
I swam forward, slightly hesitating.
"We musn't lurk in doorways..." that was when I saw her emerge from a window in the cave. Eight large black tentacles forming a dress that carried past her round waistline and up to her rather sizeable chest. Her skin a purplish grey tinge with large red lips and a mole to the side of her mouth. A darkened turquoise eyeshadow was heavily painted onto the eyelids and her thin pencil eyebrows were raised with a smug smile. For hair she had a short cut that floated upwards, making it look like white troll hair. Not that I was going to say that.
"...It's rrrude" she said rolling the 'r'.
She continued to talk and chuckle to herself, but my eyes were focused on the necklace tightly fastened around her thick neck. A thin black string with a small golden spiralled shell acting as a charm. I noticed her say something about a Prince.
"He is quite a catch. Isn't he." she stated laughing once again, going to sit down before a mirror jaded with shells.
I actually did find the comment amusing, imagining Chat making a pun about 'cat' and 'catch'. Something along the lines of 'She's right my Lady, I am quite the cat-tch'. I nearly smiled but Ursula looked at me through the mirrors reflection, reapplying a shade of lipstick. I hid my amusement.
"The only way to get what you want.. is to became a human yourself" she said her voice deepening to sell the temptation.
"That's what you do right. Give people what they want for a price?" I asked already knowing the answer.
"My my aren't we a well-informed little doll. Straight to the point I see. But ohhhh my poor sweeeet child my prices are so reasonable. I help those that have no one else to turn to, and all I ask in return are for little favours here and there" she said revelling as she could see how desperately I needed to make this deal.
That's when she started to break into song. That was definitely one of the strangest experiences of my life. 'Poor unfortunate soul' was right. That's exactly how I felt throughout the whole tune. I didn't fail to notice when she snuck in the line about having to rake a few souls that didn't meet the deadline, but I didn't have time to worry about that.
"Now heres' the deal. I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days" she held up three claw-like fingers to further illustrate the point.
A long tentacle reached up and curled around my chin pulling us face to face.
"Now listen! This is important." hovering over some kind of black coral she waved her hand over it and balls of yellow light began to pour out.
"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear old Princee to fall in love with you… That is he's got to kiss you." she explained, more lights coming out and forming the shapes of hearts and crowns. My ears caught on the word kiss. How could I have forgotten that part of the tale?
"Not just any kiss.." she began shaking her head.
"…the kiss of true love. If he does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human. Permanently." An image of a woman running appeared. The idea of getting my legs back already had me drawing closer to the image.
"But." she said shaking me out of my entrancement.
"If he doesn't… you turn back into a mermaid." hmm that doesn't sound too good. I'd rather not be half fish for the rest of my life.
"And.." she continued drawing her face closer to mine. The look on her face grew more sinister.
"You'll belong to meee" she declared huskily.
Ok just being a mermaid suddenly didn't sound as bad anymore.
I heard a voice behind me cry no, but it was quickly silenced.
"Have we got a deal?" the Sea Witch asked narrowing her eyes.
"Fine! You have a deal Ursula" I said summoning the courage to look her in those dead fish-like eyes. She smiled a toothy grin.
"Oh to be young, so rash and hasty. I love it! You'll have your man alright" she chuckled in a deep tone.
"But-" she began.
"Let me guess. You want something from me as payment?" I said knowing what she was about to ask for. The necklace she was wearing, the deal. It had all clicked into place. I remembered the story. She wanted my..
"Voice darrrling. I want your voice. A token, just a trifle. You won't even miss it" she sold in a devilish expression, gliding around the cave.
"Hm 'that's all' huh?" I said. Even though I babbled like an idiot in front of my crush Adrien, I still liked my voice right where it was.
"Yes. Who needs a voice? It's all about…Body Language." she said rolling her hips back and forth.
I could tell she was about to break into another song so I quickly intervened.
"Alright I'll do it. So let's get it over with." I said trying to sound confident. Of course I knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
First off I would have to find Chat Noir. Without a voice to ask people for help, where to look or convey anything at all. Secondly I would have just three days to kiss him, and not only that it would have to be one of 'true love'.
Sure he flirted with me all the time and acted smitten. But what if that's exactly what it was? Just an act. I didn't doubt for a second that his intentions with flirting were always meant with kind-hearted intent, but that didn't make it love either.
Then there was how I felt. Right now the only boy that made me feel something close to love was Adrien Agreste, the hottest boy in the world…and a model…and amazingly nice... and perfect. Ahh Adrien.
No I don't have time for daydreaming.
I would have to worry about all of these issues later. For now I needed to find Chat first before I thought about doing anything else.
And to do that I would need legs.
I saw Ursula lean over to the two eels saying something along the lines of 'The boss is on a roll'.
She flicked her hand and a glowing piece of parchment whirled into life, I flinched as the bright light shone directly in my face. Cursive letters were written in black writing all over the paper with a dotted line at the end saying 'For All Eternity'.
With another flick of her wrist a quill resembling the skeleton of a thin fish appeared.
I swallowed, grabbed the pen and brought it to the contract. I saw the eager gleam in her eyes.
In a moment of anger at having to give her exactly what she wanted, I swiftly signed my name, etching into the scroll as I went with the built up intentions I had taken out on the paper. The writing glowed hot and white, sparks flew from my name and I closed my eyes as the whole thing began to burn up. Ursula pulled it into her grasp and it disappeared in a puff of smoke that was quickly diluted in the water.
With one last smile she waved at me.
I felt my whole body begin to writhe and twist. Water was gaining speed around me, forming a vortex of bubbles and swirling currents. I coughed out and air bubbles began to erupt from my mouth. Everything tingled, I felt as though I had been set ablaze. I could feel my fins being tugged by an invisible force, the skin around the limb throbbing as the bones distorted. I felt searing pain all over my body and it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe. My vision went hazy, the salt water now stinging my eyes. Air was trapped in my throat and my head became dizzy from lack of oxygen. Then everything became a blur.