Twisted Wonderland | Mickey's Print

43. Danger Under the Sea

During that night in which the twins had had to sleep in different places for the first time in a while, they both visualized the mirror in Yuu's room, were introduced to it, and found themselves in that gray space they were so familiar with. They were both dressed in the same clothes as last time, him with the white T-shirt and blue pants and she with the blue dress and the bow in her hair.

"Yukiko. Did you arrive safely last night?" Yuu asked, not being able to wait for the following morning.

"Yeah. Those two were already gone when I got home."

The gray space turned black as night, and they held hands to ensure they wouldn't get lost.

"It's never been so dark before..." Yuu commented. Not even in Scar's cave was such an absence of light.

Just after mentioning that, a light appeared and revealed the long corridor of a cavern. Both screamed and backed away upon seeing some strange, elongated, grim-looking creatures with eyes and mouths at their feet and on the walls emitting screams of fear.

"What are those things!?" Yukiko shouted.

"Animals? No, wait... Plants?!" Yuu judged from their limbless bodies anchored to the ground.

But those creatures were not the only ones in that place because the beautiful red-haired mermaid that saved the prince just swam in, indicating they were under the sea, deep enough for the light not to reach.

Ariel also watched the plants with fear and confusion as she swam deeper. One of them suddenly wrapped itself around her wrist and pulled on her as if trying to stop her from making a mistake (this was supported by the behavior of the rest: some reached out to try to do the same and others shook their heads with fear and insistence). But she managed to free herself and move away.

"Come in. Come in, my child," a mysterious female voice echoed, turning out to be from a woman with white hair and lilac skin they had never seen before.

"Another mermaid?" Yuu commented out loud when he saw her in the light.

They knew of legends that spoke of mermaids of different species depending on the lower part of their body. The new mermaid didn't have a common fish tailfin like Ariel. She had instead eight strong black octopus tentacles that gave the sensation of forming a dress that waved underwater.

"Why do I know that her name is Ursula?" Yukiko wondered, but there was no time for questions because the images continued talking.

"Let's see, you are here because you feel something for that human, that... little prince," Ursula continued.

The images took an apparent time jump and changed to Ariel and Ursula on what looked like a stone platform that turned out to be a dark cauldron anchored to the underwater floor as the moray eels Flotsam and Jetsam kept swimming nearby.

"I'll make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days," Ursula explained and began to form images of light that came out of her cauldron, making it clear that she could use magic. "Before the sun sets on the third day, you must make the prince fall in love with you."

The images jumped again. The twins weren't sure what they could have talked about, but Ariel looked more uncomfortable now. Ursula formed a golden contract that reminded Yuu in an unnerving way of the one he had just signed with Azul.

"Oh, we haven't discussed the subject of payment. What I want from you... is your voice!" Ursula exclaimed. "Take a gulp! Take a breath! Go ahead and sign the scroll. You poor unfortunate soul!"

Finally, Ariel gathered enough courage to grab the pen and closed her eyes as she signed the contract. On the other hand, Ursula looked at her with satisfaction while the moray eels smiled evilly.