Chapter Text
" ALONG THE ROCKY COAST OF PARADISE, WHERE THE TIDE BRINGS SEA TO LAND, TWO RULERS DREW LINES IN THE SAND.
GUIDED BY ANCIENT FEARS, THEY KEPT THEIR REALMS DIVIDED, BORDERED BY THE SAME CHURNING SURF, YET WORLDS APART...
UNTIL A STORM CAST THEIR CHILDREN ASHORE TOGETHER, MERMAID AND MAN, SIDE BY SIDE...
AND LOVE TURNED THE TIDE. "
“Eric, I need you to know. I need you to know everything” Ariel could see the setting sun in the corner of her eye. She was running out of time, but she needed him to know she needed to know about the rescue, Ursula what she was but most importantly how she felt for him
“None of that matters now.”
Instantly all of her worries were gone as she closed her eyes and tilted her head up to meet Eric, when suddenly. . .
SNAP
Ariel gasped in pain as a dull ache shot through her body. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she grabbed onto Eric, feeling herself sinking onto the ground. A green fog flurried from underneath her damp blue dress. Her legs, which she had had for the past three days, were now gone, and in its place was her tail.
‘Vanessa’ Ursula in disguise cackled as the sun finally set. The deal was done. Ursula had won.
The crowd muttered amongst themselves in shock but one voice was louder than the other.
“Goodness. She’s a sea creature.” The Queen gasped, taking small steps back away from the captive scene in front of her.
The word Creature was laced with malice.
“YOU’RE TOO LATE!” Vanessa screeched. “YOU’RE TOO-” Her erratic screams faded out into harsh breaths as she caught sight of a terror etched on a few of everyone's faces. They were scared but not of her, not anymore. Something behind her.
Vanessa turned around to see just beyond the highest point of the kingdom was purple smoke flowing through the air like water. If she hadn’t known any better she would’ve thought this was some of King Triton's doing, trying to save his precious ‘little one’. But this….this was something else. Something more menacing than even the Sea Gods could conjure up. Something that placed an evil smile on her face.
As the fog moved closer, absorbing the kingdom in its wake, the party guest started to scream in horror, running in any direction in hopes of evading the fast approaching cloud.
“This is the work of the Sea Gods! I warned you, Eric!” Queen Selina shouted over the commotion. "I warned you. The gods are ANGRY!”
Ariel crowered in Eric’s arms. This was all her fault. If she hadn't gone to Ursula that day none of this would've happened. She would've been lonely underwater still with a wrecked grotto but Eric and his people would be safe.
Eric took his eyes off the purple smoke to glance at his mother. The fear and disgust on her face were so visible. He watched his mother's eyes quickly spare a glance at Ariel’s tail for a fleeting moment as if the sight of the tail burned her retinas.
“Your Majesty, you must leave. You must find cover” Grimsby held the Queen with a gentle yet strong arm aiming to guide her inside the castle. Things were getting out of control fast.
“Eric!” Queen Selina held out a hand for her son. She needs to get him away from this madness. She almost lost him before she can- she couldn’t lose him again. Especially with him in grabbing the reach.
Eric realized what was happening. She wanted him to go with her. Alone. He knew it and Ariel knew it herself as well.
She shifted in his arms, planting her palms on the cool cobblestone deck propping herself up. She looked at her tail as her greenish purple fins flapped in the wind. She had never truly seen her tail in the daylight like this before, how the light reflected off her scales showing pink and green hues. She never noticed how similar her tail looked to her mother's.
“Eric!” The Queen's shouts broke Ariel out of her thoughts. She was no longer commanding but was begging for her son to come to safety with her but yet he didn't move.
Eric frowned before gathering Ariel back into his arms. Pulling her close.
Most of the kingdom and the castle were engulfed in the mysterious smoke. Some of the party guests were huddled together as smoke passed through them. Vanessa or the Sea Witch watching the smoke approach with a sinister smile on her face. She tilted her back, “You can have your human heartthrob! But this isn’t over!” With a loud cackle, Vanessa walked into the cloud.
Ariel furrowed a brow in confusion before immediately tilting her head up to look at the prince. “Eric, you need to le-”
“No.” he cut her off, shaking his head. “I lost you once. I'm not gonna lose you again."
At that moment nothing else did matter.
Not the mysterious smoke.
Not what was going to happen next.
None of it mattered as the cloud engulfed all of the kingdom and its people. Ariel and Eric were still in each other's arms. Together. As they were meant to b–.