By morning, the waves gently carried Ariel’s transformed body to the shore. The magic had granted her delicate legs in exchange for her tail, though every step would bring her pain. She stumbled forward, the soft sand unfamiliar beneath her feet.
The prince, who had been walking along the beach, soon caught sight of her. His eyes widened in surprise, and without hesitation, he rushed to her side.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Ariel nodded, though she could not speak. The prince furrowed his brow in confusion but helped her stand. Despite her inability to speak, there was an undeniable connection between them.
Nearby, hidden within the foliage, Mike and Heidi watched the scene unfold.
"So far, everything's going the way it should," Mike murmured.
Heidi nodded. "But something tells me that won’t last for long."
True to their fears, as the second day approached, Sebastian Reck struck.
Under the cover of night, he found Ariel, who had been resting near the prince’s palace.
"Such a shame," he whispered, his voice like a breeze of dark intent. "All that pain… and for what?"
Ariel’s eyes widened in alarm as Sebastian’s form emerged before her. She instinctively tried to flee, but he raised his hand, and dark magic bound her in place.
"Don’t be afraid," he said, a twisted smile forming. "I’m not here to harm you. No, I’m here to help."
Ariel shook her head, silently pleading for him to leave her alone. But Sebastian’s voice was irresistible.
"Why suffer when you can have everything?" he hissed. "Your voice… your love… your happy ending. All without pain."
With a cruel laugh, Sebastian summoned a glowing orb of darkness. It hovered before Ariel, its power resonating with forbidden magic. Her voice — the voice she had lost — returned to her in an instant.
Ariel gasped, clutching her throat in disbelief. Her voice. She could feel it. The temptation was unbearable.
"Go," Sebastian urged. "Speak to him. Win his heart. The story will be yours, no sacrifice needed."
Ariel hesitated. The price of her actions weighed heavily on her, but the dark allure of Sebastian’s words lingered.
Observing the scene from afar, Mike clenched his fists.
"He’s trying to corrupt the story," he growled. "We can’t let that happen."
Heidi nodded. "We’ll stop him. But we’ll have to be careful. If the story falls apart, we might lose more than just a fairy tale."
_ _ _
Sebastian Reck's dark influence had already begun to seep into the world of the Little Mermaid.
The sky seemed dimmer, and the once lively ocean breeze grew unnaturally cold.
Ariel, her voice miraculously restored, struggled with the weight of the twisted magic that lingered around her.
Mike and Heidi sprinted toward the shore where Sebastian had confronted Ariel. Their eyes burned with determination.
“We can’t let him mess up this story,” Heidi panted, her fists clenched.
Mike nodded. “Not after everything we saw in the Snow White world. Sacrifice is what makes these stories meaningful. If we let him erase that… everything falls apart.”
As they approached, Sebastian turned to face them, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
“Ah, the so-called Orb Warriors,” he sneered. “I should thank you. Because of your interference with Lord Alucard, I now have the perfect opportunity. Corrupting these pathetic stories is far more amusing than simply destroying you.”
Mike glared at him. “We’re not letting you ruin this world.”
Sebastian chuckled. “You can try. But remember — love without sacrifice is just a shallow illusion. And soon, Ariel will know that too.”
With a snap of his fingers, Sebastian vanished in a swirl of shadows, his laughter echoing through the air.
Ariel was left trembling on the shore, overwhelmed by the return of her voice.
The prince was soon by her side once more, astonished to hear her speak.
“You can talk!” he exclaimed, his eyes filled with joy.
“Yes,” Ariel said softly, her voice melodic and clear. But a shadow of uncertainty lingered in her heart.
The prince, unaware of the dark bargain, took her hand. “It’s a miracle.”
Mike and Heidi approached, but Ariel’s gaze was fixed on the prince. She couldn’t reveal the truth — the temptation of having it all without the sacrifice.
Heidi’s expression softened. “Ariel, you don’t have to listen to Sebastian. The real story is about the strength to sacrifice. Without it, what does this love really mean?”
Ariel hesitated, her hands trembling. But before she could answer, the air around them darkened.
Sebastian’s voice echoed once more. “Let’s see just how much you’re willing to lose.”
Without warning, Sebastian emerged, surrounded by swirling black mist. His power pulsed with dark energy. The ground beneath them cracked, and the once serene beach was now consumed by an ominous force.
Mike and Heidi leaped into action.
“Get Ariel to safety!” Mike shouted to the prince, who quickly pulled Ariel away.
Sebastian sneered. “You think you can stop me? I’ve already corrupted this world. The tale is mine now!”
With a twisted motion, Sebastian unleashed a wave of black energy. Mike transformed and conjured a water barrier while Heidi used her frying pan to deflect the attack as she transformed. The impact sent shockwaves across the beach.
The battle raged on, but Sebastian’s strength was overwhelming.
Every attack Mike and Heidi launched was effortlessly countered.
“You’re pathetic without your precious ‘love form,’” Sebastian mocked. “Where is your so-called power now?”
Heidi gritted her teeth. “We don’t need it to beat you!”
But as the battle wore on, the truth became evident. Sebastian was far too strong.
Mike was knocked to the ground, blood dripping from his forehead, leaking out of his suit. Heidi stumbled beside him, her breathing ragged.
“Mike,” Heidi whispered, her voice trembling. “We’re… not going to win like this.”
Mike reached for her hand, his grip tightening. “Then we’ll do it the only way we know how.”
Sebastian smirked. “And what would that be?”
Mike's eyes flashed with determination. “Sacrifice.”
In a swift motion, Mike threw himself forward, forming a cloud of lightning with his wand around Sebastian. He gritted his teeth, pouring all of his remaining strength into the attack.
“Mike, no!” Heidi screamed, realizing his intent.
Sebastian struggled against the lightning force, but Mike’s resolve held firm.
“You’re not… destroying this world,” Mike growled. “I won’t let you.”
But Sebastian's power flared, breaking through the lightning cloud. In a devastating counterattack, Sebastian struck Mike down with a dark sphere, sending him crashing into the ground, detransformed.
“Mike!” Heidi detransformed and cried, tears welling in her eyes.
Ignoring her injuries, she rushed to his side. He lay unmoving, his breathing shallow. The pain of losing him pierced through her heart.
“No… please,” Heidi whispered, her tears falling onto his face. “Don’t leave me.”
The unbearable grief mirrored the sorrow of the story they had just witnessed. In that moment, Heidi understood Ariel’s pain — the agony of losing someone you love.
But then, something stirred. A gentle warmth spread from Heidi’s heart. The memory of every moment she had shared with Mike — the laughter, the fights, the understanding — all came rushing back.
A soft glow enveloped them both.
Sebastian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible.”
Mike’s eyes slowly opened, and as he saw Heidi’s tear-streaked face, a soft smile formed.
“You really are stubborn, aren’t you?” he whispered weakly.
Heidi sobbed. “Shut up. You’re the stubborn one.”
Their hands clasped tightly, and the glow intensified. The memories of their battles, their sacrifices, and their unwavering devotion ignited a powerful light.
Sebastian shielded his eyes as the radiant energy consumed them.
Mike and Heidi’s forms changed, glowing with a divine brilliance. Their forms shimmered, and their eyes burned with newfound determination.
“This…” Sebastian growled. “This can’t be!”
Mike and Heidi stood side by side, their hands intertwined. They had awakened their Love Form once more.
Sebastian unleashed a barrage of dark energy, but the light of their love deflected every strike. They moved in perfect harmony, their attacks synchronized.
“For every pain, every loss, and every sacrifice…” Mike declared.
“We stand together,” Heidi continued. “And we won’t let you destroy that.”
Their combined power surged forth, forming a colossal burst of light. The force overwhelmed Sebastian, shattering his dark energy.
"No!" Sebastian screamed as he was engulfed by the light.
The shadows dissipated, and the world was restored.
The ocean sparkled once more, the air light and clear.
Ariel and the prince, witnessing the victory, embraced in relief. The tale had been preserved.
Mike and Heidi, now back to their normal forms, exchanged a long look. Though exhausted, they smiled.
“That was… something,” Mike said, his voice shaky.
Heidi nodded. “We understand it now, don’t we? The pain of sacrifice.”
“Yeah,” Mike murmured. “But it’s also what makes love so powerful.”
Heidi then grabbed Mike by his hands, trembling. "Promise me, you won't do anything like that again. "
Mike somehow didn't laugh or mock her this time.
He rather pulled her in an embrace whispering seriously. "No, I won't."
They walked hand in hand and were heading back.
The story then reset removing the corrupted part modified by Reck.
Hand in hand, they watched as Ariel and the prince’s story restarted as it was meant to — a tale of sacrifice, courage, and love.
And as their spaceship awaited, Mike and Heidi knew that their own story was only just beginning.