Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia Sequel

Chapter 100: Fish Out of Water

Chapter 100: Fish Out of Water

Ariel grabbed her trident – reached for Jim –

--and went black.

Yes. Black.

A billion tons of ocean? Pouring down? Water hard as rocks, like fists to the face?

They hadn't a chance in Hell.

Lucky, Pitch wanted them alive. And luckier, Ariel had transmitted a sonar distress signal across the ocean.

"Peeeeee-eeew!" Cordelia swept between Ariel and Jim. She pretended to vomit as their fingers slipped apart. "Yuuuuuck. Mermaid and the martian. Gross."

"Not gross as this freak." Adella plucked Tooth's plume. She sniffed the rainbow feather. "Ugly bird."

"Speaking of ugly birds." Maris and Limpet swam beneath North and Bunny. Wendy sagged between them, bowler drifting from her head as they pulled. "Look who we found – the ugliest little birdie of all! Lana, you remember our little dearie, don't you?"

They released. Wendy hung lifelessly as Lana curled around her, Ariel's trident in hand.

"Pitch said no drowning. Oh well." Lana seized a handful of Wendy's hair. "We'll just have a little fun instead."

Lana yanked. Wendy woke, recoiled painfully, and swallowed water in surprise. The mermaids giggled as she floundered.

"She's so helpless. So, so helpless without sexy best friend to save her  this time." Lana flipped the trident into Wendy's jaw. Blood spurted as Wendy rapped her tongue.

Lana grinned. The meaty smell of blood was exciting. The desire to finish what she started six years ago was overwhelming.

"Girls, take dear cousin Ariel and her boy-toy to Pitch. Bring the ugly fairytale creatures with you." 

She locked an arm about Wendy's throat. "Tell Pitch we're sorry...but the shadow worker drowned. Okie dokie?"

The mermaids laughed. 

Lana jiggled her elbow under Wendy's chin. "Doesn't that sound like fun, dearie? We're going to see what your insides look like!  Say bye-bye! Say bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye!" Cordelia flapped Jim's hand. Adella mimicked with Ariel's as the mermaids rose to the surface. "Bye-bye, shadow worker! Bye-b ---eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

A sea creature armada burst from the darkness. Flounder held the lead, Gil brought the rear, and a squadron of sharks, fish, and rays filled in-between. Responding to Ariel's distress call, they attacked the mermaids. 

It was ravenous as an open sushi bar.

And just about as hectic. 

The fish, so accustomed to Ariel's aquapathic powers, forgot that real humans couldn't breathe underwater. By the time Marlin and Gil aroused Ariel, her companions were suffocating.

Jim kicked, mermaids tangled in his legs. Aquamarine flashes obscured Wendy from view. North, Bunny, and Tooth paddled feebly through the mire.

Ariel redirected the fish as best she could. But the water was turbulent, and without her trident she could not communicate. Lana had disappeared with Wendy, and Crush had whisked Jim into the WFC. Ariel was uncharacteristically disoriented. Situations were changing too quickly, the ocean was churning like an upset stomach...