Vanessa [A Poor Unfortunate Soul]

17. A Little Bottle of Magic

For the first time, in what felt like forever, Vanessa was happy. Not eternally happy, she knew it had to end at some point. It always did. But for now, she'd enjoy it.

As they swam through, what was the market place, people were still re-setting their shops. Hot gossip still filled the space, though.

"The king has gone to fight his sister" one yelled.

"She's not his sister, you dolt" another shouted, slapping the first.

"Who is the king's sister?" Vanessa asked, her fiance.

"There was a rumor, for a time" he explained. "Are you familiar with Ursula, the sea witch?"

"Is she not Morgana's sister?" Vanessa asked. Though, she already knew the answer. And dreaded it.

"She was" Finnick said. " Until, the accident"

"What accident?" she asked.

"I suppose accident isn't the right word" he corrected himself. "The king's youngest, her husband. He killed her. In the name of love"

"And what is the name of love?" She asked.

"For him" he answered. "It was Ariel"

"And this man" Vanessa added. "Was his name, Eric?"

"Yes" he laughed. "How did you know that?"

"I heard it around" she stammered, and lied. "The witch told me"

Vanessa couldn't very well tell him that she had once been a land dweller. Or whatever they called her species. She'd since left that life behind, and didn't intend on going back.

"She must still hold a grudge" he guessed.

"Wouldn't you?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't hold grudges" he told her. "That just isn't who I am, you see"

"What if you were in her shoes" she stammered.

"Shoes?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean" she said. "What if somebody took away the last person you considered family"

"From what I gather, she didn't consider her sister for much" said Finnick.

"Yes, but still" Vanessa said. "Even if this king is her brother, he's clearly dis-owned her. She has no one left"

"Is that sympathy?" He asked. "For the icy sea witch?"

"That's simply who I am, you see" she said. "If it is anyway"

"What is that meant to mean?" He asked, stopping and swam in front of her.

"That means, Finnick" Vanessa began. "That since yesterday, I have no idea who I am. Or who I was ever suppose to be"

"Because of this?" He asked, lifting her hand with the ring.

"Of course not" she said.

"Good" he told her, with a kiss. "Because I love you"

That word still caught her off guard.

"The witch, she told me something" Vanessa said, folding her fingers together.

"Tell me" he said, taking note of her distress.

"It must be lies" she supposed. "She told me that, her sister was my mother"

That remark made Finnick nearly fall over. If one could, in water.

"Well" he cleared his throat. "We all have to come from someone, right?"

"I never knew my mother" she said, taking a seat. "So, there is a slight possibility"

"Be that as it may" he said, after taking a moment. "You are not her. And shall never be. You are my Vanessa, my beautiful little mermaid"

After a meal, Vanessa had decided to bid one final goodbye to the witch. She felt she'd owe her that much.

Putting her head above the water, she examined the above domain. As the below was empty.

Undertow floated there in the water, clearly depressed.

"Undertow?" Vanessa asked, swimming next to the shrimp-sized shark.

"Oh, hey princess" he said, sniffling.

"What's happened?" She asked. "Where is Morgana, Cloak, and Dagger?"

"They didn't make it" he said, and whipped his nose with his fin.

"They're dead?" She asked.

"I don't have all the answers now, sweet pea" he shouted, and leaped in the air, splashing Vanessa when he fell back to the water. He stopped blubbering when he saw the ring. "Where'd ya' get that?"

"My fiancée, if you must know" she stammered, and held the ring close.

He raised an eyebrow, and dropped the subject.

"Here" he said. "You should probably have this, it is rightfully yours anyway"

He nudged the purple bottle that Morgana had showed her.

"Since when do you care for rightfulness?" She joked.

"Hey, easy" he said. "Just think of whatever you need, and the magic'll do the rest"

Vanessa wasn't sure what she'd ever need 'magic' for.

"Thank you" she still said anyway though, and left the cave.

She hid the bottle in the home that Finnick stayed in. Where else was she to put it? Certainly not in plain sight. And most certainly not use it. What a ridiculous notion. Vanessa, a practitioner of magic. She laughed so hard at herself, she'd nearly snorted.

"There you are" he exclaimed, entering the place. "I was worried"

"I'm fine" she said, accepting his hug.

"Good, because we have a party to get to" he said.

"What party?" She asked.