"What the?!", Eric quickly turned his attention towards the waters where that shot had come from. "Eric!", Ariel cried.
"Someone's attacking!", Eric bit his lip. "We've got to get back to the palace, sound the warning, get the Kingdom's forces and our few ships out on the water!".
As Ariel was gathering herself to get up and run to Eric's side, a sound pierced the air, and suddenly, a net came around Ariel, in the way of a harpoon, and Eric shouted in horror, "Ariel!", running to try to reach her when the net around Ariel shot away from him, dragging fast across the surface of the water like a skipping rock, to an imposing, creepy ship full of undead pirates who are seeing an illusion of Ariel as a mermaid when she is actually human, thanks to Ursula who's controlling them somewhat like puppets with few emotions, telling them of a way to seek revenge for Eric's act in capturing and hanging them.
Ariel screamed, "ERIC!", trying to fight against the net holding her prisoner, tears falling down in horror as the captain commanded the ship to turn around and head out of the lagoon, with the net winched upwards to the ship.
"ARIEL!", Eric screamed as he could only watch the ship start to sail away; despite him jumping into the water and trying to swim towards it. Of course, an undead ship certainly would be able to outrun a man trying to swim.
Eric's eyes were full of tears, angst, pain, anger, and fear, sobbing and trembling as he panted heavily before he felt nudges by his side, and saw Sebastian on Flounder's back.
They looked just as much as him, maybe less, but they are terribly worried, and Eric exhaled, gritting his teeth, "I gotta save her...Triton...he needs to know...".
"Flounder, you got to follow that ship, lad... we need to know where it's going!", Sebastian ordered as he got off Flounder's back.
"I'll keep up with it, I promise.", Flounder immediately started to swim after it. Eric looked at Sebastian before the crab nodded, clearly planning on heading to Triton. Which then left what Eric could do? The only thing he really knew and that was to sail after them, one way or another.
He narrowed his eyes and started to swim for shore when a seal appeared, helping him with a bark, heading for the coach with the horse on the shore beyond the lagoon, and Eric thanked the seal as he got into the coach, snapping the reins quickly, "Come on, boy, let's go!", and the horse neighed, cantering fast.
Under a record of five minutes, with people hiding in the houses, paving the way for Eric, arriving at the palace immediately, with Grimsby shouting, "Prince Eric! We heard the cannon! Where's Miss Ariel?!", and Eric, running out to Grimsby, "They took her! It was a pirate ship! I can't lose her again, Grim!", angst and heartbreak running through him, yet he is full of determination and pure will.
"I don't understand...", Grimsby asked as Eric walked right past him with the man trying to keep up. "Why would anyone want her?".
"Look, Grimsby... I don't know why, but what I do know is that we're going after her and getting her back. Now, what do we have available for pursuit?", Eric replied, and asked urgently and sharp.
"We only have two ships since the first one was sunk in that hurricane, and I doubt the royal barge would even catch up to a pirate ship if it's fast.", Grimsby replied, and Eric frowned, "Two ships? Grim, the pirate ship has cannons...".
"I know, we're fairly defenseless on the water as of right now...", Grimsby admitted as Eric sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's got to be something we can do... just something...", Eric muttered to himself.
Eric can feel Ariel's emotions of fear, shock, fright, stubbornness, anger, hope, and love right now, and he realized that he's in a similar situation like Triton years ago, and took a deep breath, looked at Grimsby, "Prepare the ships at once. If the ships are ready to set sail, we can leave at a moment's notice.".
Grimsby nodded, "Naturally, but we have no idea where they're going or what they're planning, sire...Even the royal messengers down the shoreline to towns and villages couldn't manage to gather news if they saw the pirate ship passing by in time to return back here to tell us of the pirates' route, if that.".
"We still need to try, Grim. I...I can't abandon her...She's the love of my life, and I need her as much as she needs me!", Eric shakily snapped at him, and Grimsby recoiled back slightly, and Eric sobbed, "I'm sorry, Grim...".
Grimsby reached to pat his shoulder, "Don't be...We all love Miss Ariel as much as you do, she's an inspiration to us all to be original to ourselves. We will save her, Eric, and we will do everything we can to find her, and-", before Carlotta suddenly called out to them, "Grimsby, Eric! There's...there's...oh, my gods, there's a merman outside at the front of the ocean steps!".
"A... a what? Carlotta, I know the attack certainly has riled us up, but please be serious...", Grimsby was completely dumbfounded by Carlotta's cry. "Uh, actually, Grim... she is serious.", Eric said before the older man looked at Eric like he had now lost it.
Grimsby blinked in confusion, "Eric?", and Eric exhaled, "If it's the merman I was hoping for, I pray he doesn't vaporize me on the spot for taking Ariel away from him, even if she chose to come to me.", with a sigh, and then turned around to walk quickly through the hallways to the entrance to the ocean steps.
He took a deep breath, and opened the doors, walking down the ocean steps, some of his breath still escaping away as he saw the impressionable, imposing, and wise figure of King Triton, holding his powerful trident. Ariel was right...She truly got a few minor features from her father including her eyes.
Eric walked to the last step, and bowed in respect and understandable fear, "King Triton.", submitting to him yet keeping an eye on him... "You're the Eric that Ariel fell for?", Triton began as Eric nodded.
"Yes. That's true.", Eric answered, waiting for the first sign of trouble. "Sebastian quickly informed me what had happened. Pirates had taken my daughter?", Triton asked as Eric nodded.
"Something very off about them, they didn't seem... normal. And they only took her and left...", Eric said. "Ursula...", Triton muttered.
Eric widened his eyes in horror, "Oh, gods, Ariel has told me about Ursula's powers with dark magic and how she doesn't like to lose... We broke the deal days ago... Ariel...we gotta save her from Ursula, sir! I love her so much that it hurts...".
"I agree.", Triton nodded. "I dread to think what Ursula will do with her... and... Ariel at least deserves for me to try to at least say some things to her."
"Good or bad?", Eric gave him a look as Triton sighed, "She should hear from my own lips that I've been a terrible father of late...".
Eric blinked in surprise before smiling softly, "Ariel was right...She may look a lot like her mother, but she's a lot like you too...She's not angry at you anymore, just sad that...you couldn't accept her being with me, and she wanted to ask for your forgiveness for what she did to you by going to Ursula...".
Triton exhaled deeply, "I pray we have all the time for that, but for now, we have to figure out how to stop the pirates, and save Ariel.", and Eric nodded, "Yes, the sooner the better. I can feel her emotions right now, and sire, she's really scared.".
"I see. You are truly soulmates with my daughter, then. Tell me, what was your plan prior to seeing me?", Triton asked, and Eric sighed heavily, "We only have two ships fast enough to pursue the pirate ship, but without knowledge of where the pirates are going, it's at a standstill.".
"I may be able to help with that then, if this is indeed the work of Ursula.", Triton said as he held up his trident. "Her foul magic should still leave enough of a trace...".
Eric exhaled in awe and surprise as the trident glowed gold while Triton laid it against the surface of the water, chanting in a foreign language for a minute before the two men can see a large faint ship-sized puddle of dark purple streaks at the far edge of the shoreline far from the palace, where the lagoon is, and from the puddle is a curving and rippling line of dark purple away from the lagoon, heading east-south.
"We must hurry before the trace runs out, I do not know how long it will last.", Triton replied urgently, and Eric nodded, "Right. I will get the ships to follow the trace.".
"Good. I'll be at your side soon, with my army. I hope this doesn't lead out to a battle or Ariel's life will be in danger.", Triton nodded firmly, and began to leave before pausing for a moment, "You're a good human, Eric.", and then left to disappear under the sea.
Eric had a small smile on his face by hearing that before he quickly took a deep breath. Focus on the task at hand, rescuing Ariel. Grimsby ran up to him as he panted out of breath, "Sir... I have no idea what's going on, but the ships are all ready to launch on your command.".
Eric turned around and looked at him, "Good. Keep an eye on the kingdom for me, Grim. I will return home with Ariel one way or another, and if we survive today, I can't waste time to ask her to marry me.".
Grimsby nodded, "Yes, sire, and that's about time. It was obvious to us all, Prince Eric, that you two are entirely in love with each other. Go save our princess and future queen, Eric.", and Eric smiled, "You got it, and oh, Grim, she is already a princess, King Triton is her father.", with a sheepish grin before leaving straight for the palace docks, leaving a gobsmacked Grimsby in the dust.
Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, Ariel is terrified and horrified as she was still in the net, seeing all the rotting, bad-smelling, terrible pirates, crowding around her as they hooted, jittered, and taunted.
Ariel was honestly more afraid than she probably had been ever in her life, especially considering she had never been this close to cruel humans like these ones; though Ariel could tell these ones weren't normal in the slightest.
"Look at her, what a prize! Ripe for picking! No wonder why she's that prince's girl!", the pirates laughed, conversated, and chatted as the captain stepped forward, leering at Ariel who recoiled yet stared at him glaringly.
"So, you're Prince Eric's sweetheart. Hmm, I wonder if he has taken your virginity, mermaid.", the captain sneered, and Ariel spat out, "Eric will destroy you all as he hates pirates!".
"My, my, such fire in a beautiful mermaid... hmm, so familiar... where have I seen it before?", the captain mused thoughtfully, and his first mate spoke, "Doesn't she look like that mermaid we harpooned? Oh, sure, the tail is different, but the hair is similar.".
"Oh, yes, now I remember! Indeed, that lass sure gave a fight in the last moments of her life before we cut away her scales...Pity that we didn't have a chance to have our way with her, right, lads?", the captain reminisced and inquired, and the crew nodded, "Aye!".
Ariel felt another wave of fear strike her. These pirates... the same ones that killed her mother, no doubt about that. And now, they planned much of the same if not worse. "Look at her, she's trembling!", one of them roared with laughter.
Ariel glared at them, "I'm not trembling, and I'm not a mermaid! I'm human!", and the pirates are about to reply when they froze, their eyes still and their bodies freezing, and a very familiar voice cackled, "You should be, princess.", as a pirate woman of dark brown hair and violet eyes stepped forward, beautiful and devious, and for a moment, Ariel saw Ursula behind the face of the pirate woman, and gasped, "Ursula!".
Ursula smirked, "That's right. I'm invisible to those undead pirates whenever I want, for I am their mistress, the puppet controller, and they are quite dangerous if you provoke them. Now, let's change that for real.", grinning as she held up a dark potion vial, and Ariel gasped in horror, trying to move back, but she was pinned in a corner, fighting to tear open the net, but it was no use as Ursula's lower body momentarily changed into tentacles, forcing Ariel down.
Ariel screamed, trying to fight back as Ursula removed the stopper, and grabbed her neck, and forced Ariel to drink the potion, and Ariel felt that familiar pain, the pain of dark magic as she felt her legs changing back into a tail, her tail, trying to bite her lip from screaming out again, not wanting to get her voice hoarse, barely feeling her clothes being taken off by dark magic, leaving her in her beloved purple seashells.
"There! Now, true love's kiss won't change you this time, only Triton's trident will, but he won't be able to, for I intend to make a trade.", Ursula cackled as her tentacles disappeared, now fully back in her human disguise.
Ariel panted as she coughed; the pain still immense as she teared up. "Oh, don't give me the sob story, dear. I don't like to be tricked. Fooling me into thinking that you and your prince weren't as close as you led me to believe...", Ursula spat.
"I didn't...", Ariel coughed again. "I didn't say anything...", she argued.
"Certainly threw all my plans nearly astray. I was planning on using your voice and this look; well, maybe not so rough looking. A princess rather than a pirate queen. But I was going to go on land in this body, use your voice to charm your prince and prevent you from ever succeeding... but you two just had to be so close with one another!", Ursula grabbed Ariel's cheeks and squeezed hard, almost as if the witch was trying to shatter her jaw.
Ariel barely managed to croak out, "Island brought us together. Time helped.", and Ursula scowled, "Indeed. For defying me and fooling me, you'll have to be punished for a bit. I will have the pirates go easy on you for I'd not rather want a dead princess to trade with.", before pushing Ariel away into the deck hard, earning Ariel to cry out in pain from the hit into her back and tail, even more wrangled in the net.
She then left, swaying with a smirk, "I'll return soon enough as either your prince or Triton will arrive one way or another.", before clicking her fingers, disappearing into the crowd, and the undead pirates became unfrozen, able to move again, and the first mate sneered, "She's being delusional, captain. Shall we prove to her that she's a mermaid?".
The captain chuckled, "Fine idea, first mate. Boys, bring out the stake.", and the crew nodded, "Aye!", before some of the crew headed downstairs, bringing out a metal stake pole minutes later, planting it in two holes, one in the cabin wall by the cabin door, and the other in the wooden mast, as other pirates grabbed Ariel, removing the net from her, and tying her up to the metal stake pole.
With horror, Ariel realized that she's being treated like a fish being cooked over a fire, but this, she will be cooked by the sun slowly, and she will crave for water. Oh, Eric never did that, but in glimpses of cookouts and such, she saw people doing it.
"I wonder if she tastes good...", one of the pirates chuckled. "Shouldn't we drain her of blood first at least?", another asked.
"Nah, that's what makes it better!", the first one said. "Captain!", one of the pirates called out.
"What is it?", the captain called up to the crow's nest. "Storm building on the horizon, coming right our direction!", the crow's nest pirate shouted.
"Ah, having to ruin the meal!", one of the pirates cursed as Ariel took a deep sigh of relief. Somehow, she was sure that was a sign that her father knew and was coming for her, it was the only explanation.
The captain bellowed, "Steward, turn the wheel! Open the sails! Looks like we're going to race a storm!", and the crew scrambled, going to their duties and such. Ariel watched it all as she can feel the sun heating up the metal against her back and tail, tears falling as it felt painful, and she then blinked, seeing something from her position, and in the distance, she saw a yellow shape moving and splashing towards the ship.
She gasped in shock, and screamed out, "No, Flounder, go back! Ursula is here! Go back!", and she widened her eyes in horror as one of the pirates held up a flintlock pistol, and shot off at Flounder who saw it coming, and ducked under the sea in time, and went back, swimming off with a splash as he shouted, "Eric is coming! Hold on, Ariel!", before Ariel was unable to see him anymore.