The Little Mermaid (MirAndy Style)

Chapter 4

"I can't believe you ratted her out like that!" Doug turned on Emily as soon as they got out of earshot of Andrea.

"It wasn't my fault!" Emily pleaded, "I didn't mean to. It was an accident. You know how persuasive the king can be."

Doug rolled his eyes. "Because of you, Andy is heartbroken and probably never going to come back home again."

Emily shrunk down in her shell and whimpered, "I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to."

"Hmph," Doug growled and didn't speak another word.

They sat in silence for a while, Doug fuming and Emily fretting. Andrea's form passed over them, and both looked up in surprise.

"Andy? Where are you going?" Emily asked cautiously.

"To see the sea witch," Andrea huffed and flipped her tail powerfully.

"Jacqueline? She's a monster!" Emily cried and tried to stop her by grabbing her tail.

"Why don't you go tell my father? You're good at that," Andrea snapped and flicked the small creature off of her.

"Ugh," Emily groaned. "Come on." She waved her claw to Doug and angrily swam after the enraged brunette.

Doug's sympathetic nerves kicked in, and his breathing accelerated as he drew closer and closer to Jacqueline's cavern. The air grew darker and chillier, and when he reached the entrance with all of the souls, he almost peed. Whimpering, he drew closer to Emily and bravely swallowed. His friend needed him.

Andrea's trepidation grew larger as she swam through the opening, and she gasped when a polyp from the garden of polyps reached up and snatched her wrist.

"Come in my child," a smooth, slightly accented voice floated out from the cavern.

Andrea hesitantly moved forward and gasped when she saw a woman with eight legs.

"A Cecaelia," she breathed quietly.

Jacqueline was actually really pretty once Andrea got past the 8 black tentacles that all seemed to have a mind of their own. The sea witch's short black hair had a silver streak in it, and her dark eyes were intriguing in a hypnotic sort of way. She smiled at Andrea's awestruck face and then plopped down on her seat. Jacqueline puckered up her lips and applied a red coral shade.

"So, you have a thing for this," she smacked her lips, "queen. I can't blame you angelface. She's quite a catch!"

"Um yes she is," Andrea stammered, not knowing what to say.

"Well the only way to get what you want, is to become a human yourself," she purred and stared at Andrea's frightened brown eyes through the mirror.

"You-you can do that?" Andrea gasped.

"That's my job," Jacqueline grinned. "To help poor unfortunate souls, like yourself."

One of her tentacles reached out and wrapped itself firmly around Andrea's waist and pulled her along to a black cauldron. She yanked her cabinet open and began throwing various magical items into the black pot, all the while keeping a firm hold on the young princess. The kettle started boiling and Jacqueline's eyes gleamed in the colors being produced by the magical potions.

She waved her hand over the steam and an image of Andrea appeared as a mermaid before turning in a human with two legs. Andrea's eyes grew wide, and a small smile stretched across her face. "Now, here's the deal. I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days," she waved her hand again, and three suns appeared. "Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get Miranda to kiss you. That is, she's got to kiss you. And it can't be any kiss- it must be a kiss of true love. If she does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human, permanently, but-if she doesn't, you turn back into a mermaid, and-you belong to me."