Chapter 13

The Rescue

"You seem distracted Urchin, are you ok?" i hear Ollie ask, i not even looking at him remained slient as i swam beside. Gabriella continued to suggest places where we hadn't looked. Just was so desperatley wanting to find her fast that i eventually suggested that we all should separate to cover more ground. Gabriella and Ollie nodded and knowledge my request. They seemed to understand! Hopefully or do they?.

"Be careful Urchin!" Gabriella says through sign before patting me on my bare shoulder. Ollie did the same and asked to let them know if he hears or see's anything. The two sooner disappear heading towards the other side of town while i leave and head for the reefs.

It was dark and deserted, even through many of the royals and close friends were at looking (i believe) for Ariel, the ocean was a big place. My fears were growing as i got further and further away from Atlantica. I come to my cave and decide to look there to see if Ariel maybe was hiding there but no luck. My hammock was looking good as i was in desprate need of sleep but no i had to stand by the kings orders.

Then a thought came to me, i think back at the feeling i had eariler about sensing that Ariel was no longer in the ocean. Could she had gotten herself in the clutches of Ursula the Sea Witch? Could she had gone to see the Sea Witch to help her full fill her wish to become human to be with that human?. The thought chilled down my spine "Ok Urchin, maybe now is the time to be really brave and be the hero!" i say under my breath.

I began to head for where Ursula's lair was. From what i was told her lair was hidden in one of the deepest parts of the ocean not far from Atlantica. A place that was out of bounds for merfolk but from what i have heard some do not listen. Especially if they wish for Ursula to help them to make their lives better. I also heard that she does deals for a particular price and if the price is not full filled merfolk strangly go missing. I just hope that Ariel hasn't stupidly made a deal and that i am not too late!.

It got darker and the water temperture seemed to get colder too. The only warmth was coming from the valves in the floor puffing out volcanic heat. Currents were pushing me back up as i got deeper. I managed to swim and fight aganist them even through i was over tired for not getting any sleep. Soon i came to find a lit up skeleton like lair that looked like a skeleton of a huge prehistoric fish. Clouds of underwater purple smoke seemed to gentley float around the lair. It was freaky.

I latched on to a near by rock to catch my breath before entering to see if Ariel was there. Ursula was a scary women of black tenticles instead of a single tail. She was a large women with white hair and purple skin. I had only seen her once on one of our adventures with Ariel. I could hear singing and evil laughing.

This kinda freaked me out as maybe she already had a victim in her clutches. Maybe i was too late "Please not be Ariel, please not be Ariel!" i say under my breath while having my eyes closed. I soon open them and take a breath before i head a little closer to the lair but something caught my eye before i made a move. Something was leaving the lair, heading upwards but it didn't look like Ursula.

I could still hear her laughing continuously but the laughing remained inside the lair. What ever it was it was swimming fast and almost struggling. I came out of the shadows and went into help mode. I swim directly towards the thing not even caring if the thing was going to eat me "Hey, are you ok?" i ask it. Then to my horror, i suddenly hear two familiar voices "URCHIN! IS THAT YOU MON?", "QUICK WE NEED YOUR HELP!".

The voices sounded like Sebastian and Flounder but i was still unable to see who it actually was. I swim closer to follow it and to my shock horror as i got into more light, i spotted Sebastian and Flounder who were holding Ariel...who...who...now had LEGS?. Her green tail had vanished. Ariel had been transformed into a human! I was speechless. I'm too late!.

Ariel was awake looking like she was struggling, her eyes were wide & her mouth was all blown up. She was not speaking a word. "URCHIN, SHE CANNOT BREATH, WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET HER UP TO THE SURFACE!" Sebastian screamed, i had heard him loud and clear understanding that humans are unable to breath underwater.

I go under her right arm pit, so her arm was across my back neck and shoulders with head resting on my just below my left shoulder. I used all my strength in my body and tail to get her up to the surface "Come on Ariel, we will make it!" i say to her gentley. Flounder assisted in going under one of her arm pits to also push her up while Sebastian clipped on to his tail. I was unsure if she was able to hear me but she managed to make a small nod as she tried kicking with her new legs.

The three of us kept talking to her as we quickly made our way up to the surface. We were so deep and the surface seemed so far but thankfully it got closer and closer. "We are almost there Ariel! Let's make a huge break on the surface! Ready 1, 2, 3!" i shout as we break onto the surface. We all just about jumped completely out of the water but Sebastian, Flounder and I were too exhausted. Ariel however made a huge leap out of the water to take her first breath as a human.

She then fell back into the water, puffing and panting like we were but she didn't say a word. Sebastian, Flounder and I noticed that she was struggling to keep afloat so we assist and swim her to the nearest human land. She couldn't just stay here now that she was...human!. We all didn't say word as we were all still catching our breath, however i did notice Ariel smile like she was thanking me for rescuing her but why wasn't she talking to me?.