The Imagination Latibule: The Little Mermaid - Eric

Chapter 9

"Hey! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Scuttle yelled at you, and you groaned, throwing a pillow at the bird. You'd been a deep sleep, dreaming of Prince Eric, and didn't want to wake up. But Scuttle had a way of making entrances, and she dodged the pillow, helping herself to your breakfast as you sat up, wiping the sleep from your eyes and resting against the pillows. You may have been one of the lucky few to understand Scuttle, but it wasn't that much better than hearing her squawking.

"What is it Scuttle?" Sebastian asked, crawling out of your hair like it was the seaweed he slept in. You picked him up and helped him onto the duvet where he stretched his 

"You know when humans dress all nice like penguins?" she asked, and you nodded. "They throw rice for the pigeons like they're tryna blow them up, although those are just urban legends. I know a lot of really fat pigeons." 

"Scuttle," Sebastian moaned. "Get to the point." 

"Just listen Sebastian," Scuttle squawked, flying over the food and onto the end of the bed. "The chatter all over the palace is that Prince Eric is gonna propose!"

"What?!" Sebastian cried, scuttling over your knee as you sat bolt upright, staring at Scuttle in disbelief. He was going to propose? Your heart skipped several beats. You liked him, hell... you loved him, and the thought that he was going to propose sent you into a spin. "Did you hear that child?!" Sebastian said, tugging on your hair as you stared in the distance, braining whirring at a hundred miles a minute. 

"Say," Scuttle mused. "You're awfully quiet." You stared at her. "Oh, yeah."

"Get dressed, child," Sebastian urged. "We've got a lot of work to do before sundown." You didn't know why he'd set a deadline for tonight, but didn't argue as you threw on your clothes. You'd never assume under normal circumstances that a rumour be truth, but you wanted this one so badly to be real. 

Once you had on your dress, and your hair tied back with a blue ribbon, you forwent the uncomfortable shoes entirely and rushed down the stairs barefoot, eager to find Eric. You could hear the chatter of the court before you reached the bottom of the stairs, the place seemed alive in a way you'd never seen. You smiled at one of the maids as she walked by, and granted she smiled back, but she seemed sad as she looked at you and rushed away. Brushing it off, you headed towards the terraced ballroom, but stopped yourself from entering as you heard the Queen talking to Eric. Then you heard the voice of a girl you'd never heard before, but she sounded oddly like you. You snuck behind a pillar and glanced out, to see Eric with a girl dressed in purple. She was hanging off of his arm, cheek resting contentedly on his shoulder, and Eric, although smiling, seemed unsure of the situation. 

You sunk back into the shadows as Grimsby walked past, and when he saw you - he seemed to have a sixth sense for sensing your presence -  he could only offer a look of confused consolation, not giving away your location as he bowed to the Queen and Prince.  

"My goodness," the Queen exclaimed to him, clasping his hands tightly. "It is wonderful news, isn't it, Grimsby?"

Grimsby seemed less than enthralled as he glanced at the girl Eric was with. "Oh, yes," he answered blandly.

"I must admit, I was mistaken," the Queen said to her son. "It seems you really have found the girl of your dreams after all."

Girl of his dreams? No. Surely...

"Yes," Eric agreed, and you felt tears brim your eyes. Had the past few days meant nothing to him?

"Quite the surprise, Eric," his mother said, and as the girl grinned, the grip she had on his arm tightened. You stared at the subtle movement as Eric's dull eyes flickered back from the middle distance. There was something about her that made your blood run cold, some evil behind her eyes that you couldn't quite place. 

"What?" Eric asked, almost in a trance like state as he blinked rapidly. "Oh. Uh, I know. I know it must seem fast, but... but I do owe her my life."

No you thought. She didn't save you. I did.

The Queen nodded. "We will celebrate. This evening. You shall introduce your intended to the court. We can make that happen, can't we, Grimsby?" she asked, and Grimsby nodded unsurely.

"Yes. If it's really what you want, Eric."

"What I... want?" Eric answered, and as you wiped your tears on your sleeve, you failed to notice the gold flash of a sea witches enchantment cross his eyes. 

The girl spoke for him. "It's... It's what we both want."

"Lovely," the Queen said. "Let's begin preparations." As she clicked her fingers, the servants, who less deftly than you were eavesdropping, jumped into action, rushing about to ready themselves for this sudden engagement. With tears streaming down your face, you ran from the castle as fast as your legs could carry you, looking back to see Grimsby watching you go as the girl all but dragged Eric away.  

You never ever thought that you'd want to go home, but as you reached the beach and walked into the water, willing your legs to turn back into fins, it made you sob that they couldn't. You loved Eric, and you thought he loved you. But you were wrong, and there was nothing you could do about it. Swimming out to the rock where you first watched Eric get taken by the royal guard, you curled up in a ball, letting yourself cry until there were no tears left.

***

"What's wrong with that fool Prince?" you heard Sebastian mutter as he swum towards the rock. How he knew where you were, you didn't know. You didn't care. "Something fishy going on here. I don't like the smell of it..." As he crawled over the rock, he saw you and fell silent. You buried your head in your arms, not wanting to talk, and he sat gently on your forearm, patting your hair. 

He didn't like the silence as much as you, and eventually crawled around to your face, peeking through your hair. "What are you doing, child? You can't give up so easily. This all has to be some sort of misunderstanding," he said firmly. "I watched both of you. You're meant to be together." You buried your head further into the crook of your elbow as you heard Scuttle overhead. 

"There you are. I've been looking-- And I... And I thought I found you, 'cause I heard. But-- But then I saw it wasn't you. It... It was her! But... But it wasn't... In the mirror, except she had... She had your voice!" 

You looked up at Scuttle as Sebastian voiced your confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you get what I'm telling you?"

"No!" Sebastian cried, and then you glanced into the water as another familiar face appeared. 

Bobbing about the waves, Flounder had obviously heard your upset and come to find you. You reached into the water, and he held your finger tightly with his fin. "What's going on?" he asked, face peering out the water.

"The Prince has been tricked!" Scuttle yelled. "That lady who showed up is actually the Sea Witch in disguise." 

Your straightened up, staring at Scuttle. The bird was full of rubbish most of the time, but this wasn't something she'd lie about. 

"Are you sure about this?" Sebastian asked.

"Of course I'm sure! Have I ever been wrong?" You both stared at her. "I mean, like, you know, when it counts?"

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Flounder cried as you wiped away any tears. Eric was in danger, and you'd be damned if you weren't going to rescue him. "We have to do something before Prince Eric ends up with that slimy squid!"

"Flounder, go find Ariel," Sebastian ordered. "She knows where y/n has been. And tell the Sea King what's happened. He has to know everything. If anyone can stop Ursula and break this curse, it's him."

"Okay," flounder said, and as he swam off, you stood on the rock, staring up at the castle. You glanced down at Sebastian, the last ounce of unsureness disappearing as he nodded confidently at you. With that, you dived into the water and started swimming towards the castle. 

"Yes girl, go!" Sebastian cried, and his enthusiasm spurred you on as you headed for shore. There was no way you were loosing Eric to Ursula. You'd rather die than let that happen.