A Tale of Tails

Changes

"Vivian!" Another merwoman turns from her cabinets of vials to look at the girl rushing in, a very pretty mermaid with striking bone structure . "What is it dear?" "Vivian I have a friend who needs help!" Vivian puts out an arm on Ari's shoulder, "Calm down child, what is it that you need?" "There's this girl on the surface, and she tried killing herself." Vivian began studying Ari more carefully as the word surface was mentioned. "And I asked her why she would want to do that and she said life on the surface sucked so I told her that you could make her a mermaid so I came here to ask if you've got a potion or something that could make her a mermaid." Vivian blinks a few times as she takes in what was just said. "Soooo there's a surface dweller who you want me to turn into a mermaid. Is that right?" Ari nods her head and continues talking in a rushed and stressed tone. "Can you help me? I mean her." The merlady taps her chin and rummaging through her cabinets and drawers. "I think I couldddd, but" "But what!?" She turns to look at the younger mermaid with a serious expression. "You would have to give me something in return" Ari looks confused by this statement, "Give you something? Like what?" Vivian looks up and down Ari, studying her features. She moves over and rubs both of Ari's shoulders, whispering in her ear. "Your soul would do quite nicely my dear." Ari jumps backwards in shock, "My soul?" Vivian goes back over to her with a concerned look on her face, "Yes, it's the only thing that would make my potion strong enough to do such a thing as changing her into a mermaid. You do want her to live don't you?" Ari looks at the ground with a frown, "I-i guess." She shakes her head and looks at Vivian with a steely resolve, "Yes, I want her to live a happy live. So..." She takes a deep breath before committing, "I will give my soul to you to save her life." Vivian's features suddenly turn cold as she grins and pulls Ari over to a large black pot in a back room, overflowing with fog. "Now dear, if you'll just open your mouth for me, nice and wide." Ari does as she's told and Vivian begins throwing vials into the pot and pouring things in, chanting something. As she continues chanting something is reacting in Ari's body as it feels like her very essence is being pulled out of her. A cloud of some sort of gas begins flowing out of her and into the pot which has begun bubbling and changing colors. At some point Ari blacks out and awakes to find Vivian looking over her, holding a cold rag to her forehead with a devilish grin on her face and a vial in her other hand. "Hello dear, sleep well?" Ari rubs her head and starts becoming more adjusted to the world around her. "Um yeah, I guess so. Did it work?" Vivian shakes the vial in front of her, "Indeed it did." Ari gasp in relief and quickly tries grabbing the vial but Vivian pulls it out of her reach. "Wait just a minute. This potion will indeed change your friend into a mermaid but in three days time she will turn back into a human." Ari loudly protests before Vivian speaks again. "Hold on, you can prevent this from happening very easily. All you have to do is get this girl to find her true love and get them to kiss and she'll stay a mermaid for the rest of her life." "That's not fair! I already paid you why do we have to do this too?!" "I don't make the rules, the magic does, now you better hurry and give that potion to her should you not? What if she's trying to kill herself again right now?" Ari gasps and grabs the vial, rushing out the cave and heading back towards the surface. She can't really even remember what happened, just that a part of her feels empty.