Prince Eric stood on the balcony, where a magnificent view of the ocean lay. He held a flute in his hand, playing the tune Ariel had sang to him that day she rescued him. He looked out into the ocean and sighed.
Grimsby came up beside him.
"May I say, Eric," said Grimsby, "far better than any dream girl...is one of flesh and blood. Warm, caring, and right before your eyes..." Grimsby pointed to the window of Ariel's room, where Ariel stood at the window, combing her hair with a fork, and looking out at the sea. Grimsby walked away. Eric looked at Ariel and smiled. He looked at the flute in his hand, and threw it into the ocean. He then made his way up to Ariel's room, but something stopped him. Faintly, there was a soft sound, a voice so sweet, it could melt even the coldest of hearts. It was the voice he had heard when he was rescued.
Eric paused. He turned and walked back to the balcony. He saw a figure walking along the shore of the beach, a silhouette of a woman. (Eric almost shouted out, "I see a little silhouetto of a man!" but he held his tongue.) The woman sang Ariel's song, and Eric squinted to get a better view of her. As she sang, green light emanated from what looked like a shell around her neck. The light lifted through the air, and drifted into Eric's eyes. And, in that moment, he forgot all about Ariel.
~~~
"Way to go, Ariel!!!" shouted Scuttle, as he flew through the window at high speed, landing on Ariel's chest, and he began to cheer and congratulate her. "I just heard the news! Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!!"
Sebastian groaned. "What's dis idiot blabbering about?"
"As if you two didn't know!" said Scuttle eagerly. "The whole kingdom's talking about the prince getting himself hitched this afternoon!!" He looked at both Ariel and Sebastian, who were giving him looks that didn't understand. "You know, he's getting married!" Ariel perked up at this. "I just thought I'd stop in and congratulate you. Anyway, better get ready for your big day!!" And with that, Scuttle flew out through the window.
Ariel sat for a minute, thinking. Then she realized that this meant she could fulfill her end of the deal and become human forever! She beamed, and fixed her hair in the mirror. She ran down the hall to find Prince Eric, but she stopped in her tracks when an infamous familiar face met her eyes.
She stood on the balcony, watching Eric talk with Grimsby, and the brown-haired face of Vanessa was at Eric's side. Ariel stood there, listening to their conversation.
"Well, turns out this dream girl of yours really does exist!" said Grimsby.
"We wish to be married as soon as possible," said Eric, his expression unchanging.
"Oh, of course, but these things do take time, you know..." said Grimsby.
"The wedding ship departs at sunset," said Eric, who seemed determined to marry Vanessa.
Ariel silently gasped at these words. It wasn't she to whom Eric was to be wed. She'd never break the curse. She'd belong to Ursula forever.
Her eyes filled with tears; not because of her sealed fate, but because of her lost love. She had already chosen Eric over Harry, but at what cost? Her heart had only been broken more at this point than when Harry told her they could never be together. She turned away from the sight of Eric and Vanessa, and she ran into her room, crying as she ran.
Vanessa saw her run away while crying, and she placed her head against Eric's chest. She looked down at the shell on her neck, and let out a slight laugh.
~~~
Ariel watched silently as an enormous ship, decorated with many ribbons and banners in celebration for the Prince's wedding, set sail for the sea. Vanessa and Prince Eric were to be married in the ocean.
Ariel's legs grew weak. She leaned back against a large wooden pole for support, and she slid down onto the dock. She looked down and tears filled her eyes. Flounder swam underneath the docks, looking up at Ariel, and he felt sorry for her, and tears filled his eyes at well. Sebastian sat at Ariel's side, not looking at her, for he knew he would end up crying as well.
Ariel felt many emotions all at once, but the one that truly stuck out to her was sadness. Not only did she leave Harry for Prince Eric, but Prince Eric left her for another woman. She looked up and saw the ship drifting farther away from the shore, and Prince Eric drifting farther away from her. A tear slid down her face, causing ripples in the water, making her reflection waver.
~~~
Scuttle flew over towards the ship, looking for Ariel. He wanted to give her a word of advice before she got married to Eric. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice. It was Ariel's voice.
Scuttle paused in midair, and flew over to where the sound was coming from. He flew to a window and saw, not Ariel, but Vanessa, fixing her hair and singing to herself. She sang with Ariel's voice, but it was a sound that seemed crueler than that of what Ariel normally sounded like.
"What a lovely little bride I'll make; my dear, I'll look divine!" sang Vanessa, laughing to herself, taking a pin out of her hair. "Things are working out according to my ultimate design!" Vanessa took the pin and threw it at a picture of Eric which hung on the wall of the cabin. Scuttle gasped quietly. "Soon, I'll have that little mermaid, and the ocean will be mine!" Vanessa walked up to her mirror, and laughed to herself as she looked at her reflection, which was Ursula herself.
Scuttle's eyes grew wider and he flew away from the window. "The Sea Witch!" gasped Scuttle. "She's gonna- I gotta-" He flew into the ship's side in confusion, as he hurried to try and tell Ariel. "Ariel!" shouted Scuttle. "Ariel!"
He flew back to the dock, where Ariel sat, and she looked up as she heard Scuttle calling her name.
"Ariel..." said Scuttle, panting. "I...I was flying... Well, of course I was flying... But I saw...the watch! No, the witch! The witch was watching a mirror...and singing with a stolen set of pipes!" He grabbed Sebastian, who was staring skeptically at Scuttle, and he smacked him against the wooden dock in frustration. "Do you hear what I'm telling ya?! THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE SEA WITCH IN DISGUISE!!"
Ariel looked up at Scuttle in horror, and Sebastian, after being put down, said, "Are we sure he's even correct about dis?"
"Have I ever been wrong?" asked Scuttle.
Sebastian stared at him.
"I mean, when it's important?!" asked Scuttle.
However, Ariel believed Scuttle. She stood up in a hurry, and looked out into the horizon, and noticed that the sun was about to set. Ursula's voice rang through her ears: Before the sun sets on the third day...
Ariel had a look of determination on her face, and dove into the water. However, there was a slight downside to this; Ariel couldn't swim. She never learned how to swim with human legs.
Sebastian panicked. He cut a rope that contained many barrels, and told Ariel to grab onto one of those to hold herself up. He told Flounder to pull the rope that was attached to one of them, and that he, Flounder, would pull Ariel to the ship, as quickly as he could.
"What about me?" asked Scuttle. "What about me?"
"You," said Sebastian. "You find a way to stall that wedding!"
Sebastian swam underwater, looking to find King Triton.
"Stall the wedding?" asked Scuttle. Then, he had an idea. "That's it!"
~~~
"King Triton...?" said Sebastian, as he entered the king's throne room.
"Sebastian!" roared Triton, raising his trident angrily. "I entrust my youngest daughter to you... And what happens?! She disappears!" Sebastian backed away slowly in fear. "I ought to have you cracked and shelled!"
"I almost was, Your Highness..." said Sebastian.
"What kind of disaster will it take-?"
"A disaster...involving de Sea Witch, sir..." said Sebastian.
"WHAT?!!"
"Well...you see, dese two eels came...and, long story short, she traded her voice...for legs..."
"You're telling me...that Ariel traded away her voice...to become human?!" roared Triton.
"Yes," said Sebastian. "And now dat child has given up her very soul..."
Triton looked up at the surface in exasperation and fear. "Ariel, what have you done?" whispered Triton. He turned to Sebastian. "Let's go, we must save my daughter!"
YOU ARE READING
The Voice, The Witch, and the Dark Lord
Fantasy[SEQUEL] Ever since Hermione's memory potion erased the memories of all the events that took place during the Triwizard Tournament, Ariel has lived a quiet life. She resumed her old passion of discovery, with Flounder by her side, and Scuttle to gi...
