Cherry Meets the Little Mermaid

chapter 11

"Ariel, Ariel!" Scuttle was flying towards Eric's castle. "Wake up! I just heard the news. Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!"

"What is this idiot babbling about?" Sebastian asked with a yawn.

"Right, as if you two didn't know, huh?" Scuttle smirked. "The whole town's buzzin' about the prince gettin' himself hitched this afternoon! You know, he's getting married! You silly side-walker! I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!"

"Really?" Urchin sounded delighted for his foster sister. "And what about Darla?"

"Well, you two are too young to get married, but she was talking about the boy of her dreams from last night and who else could that be?" Scuttle smiled to the former merboy.

This caused for Urchin and Ariel to smile. Scuttle then flew off for a little while, but promised to come back later.

"Let's go see 'em!" Urchin said to Ariel.

Ariel nodded in agreement and with that, they came downstairs to see Eric and Darla, but were instantly heartbroken once they saw something they did not want to see.

Eric was standing in front of Grimsby and Cherry's parents with 'Vanessa' on his arm and was making wedding arrangements with her and not Ariel. And where Darla was somehow in love with someone else. Ariel couldn't bear to watch Eric in love with someone else.

Urchin came over to Darla as she was picking a flower's petals, doing the traditional 'he loves me, he loves me not' ordeal that many little girls did when they believed they were in love. "Goldilocks?" he called to the girl.

"Hmm?" Darla had a clearly in love smile. "Oh, I didn't see you there... Isn't this a wonderful turn of events? The prince is getting married and I've found my soulmate..."

"Really?" Urchin asked, hopeful.

"Oh, yes..." Darla giggled, looking lost in her own little world and it looked to be a very happy place with warmth and fluff all around.

"Do I know this boy or merboy?" Urchin asked.

"Of course..." Darla giggled.

"Say his name for me?" Urchin smirked, feeling he already knew the answer.

"Ryan." Darla said.

"What!?" Urchin's eyes widened then in betrayal. "Darla, what about us!?"

"Oh, I'm gonna marry him..." Darla smiled as she plucked the final petal.

This shocked Urchin very dearly.

Darla giggled. "He loves me!" she then let the final petal fall.

As Urchin watched the flower petal fall, he felt like his heart had done the same in his chest.

Atticus and Cherry ran downstairs and were shocked to see Eric with Vanessa.

"Well, uh, Er-Eric," Grimsby said once he met the woman of Eric's dreams. "I-It appears that we were mistaken. This mystery maiden of yours does, in fact, exist. A-And she is lovely. Congratulations, my dear."

"We wish to be married as soon as possible." Eric informed.

"Rushing into things, aren't we?" Bud asked.

"Remember, I was six months pregnant when we got married." Michelle whispered to her husband.

"Yes, I remember." Bud whispered back.

"This afternoon, Grimsby," Eric told the elder man. "The wedding ship departs at sunset."

"Oh, very well, Eric," Grimsby eventually agreed. "As you wish."