Eris' Poor Unfortunate Souls/Disgust's Transformation

Past the Ship's Graveyard, past the Canyon of Rocks, down, into the ravine filled with purple geysers that spewed noxious gas, a skeleton of a monster long forgotten sat. A pair of jaws large enough to swallow a whale gaped as if frozen in its last dying scream. Disgust stopped right in front thankful that the jaws were so large so there was plenty of room to swim between the dead, but still razor sharp, teeth.

She bit her lip as her heart and courage flutter for a moment.

"This way." Foxy and Lumpjaw said in unison.

Taking a nervous gulp, she entered the belly of the beast. The hallways were dark, and the fox and bear led the way, and a nervous Disgust followed them. But as they went in further, she heard a moaning and howling sound as they entered the next hallway. The deeper they were in, the louder it got, as Disgust looked down and noticed something moving along the bottom. She then paled in fright as some light shined in and showed the horrifying polyps. And then suddenly, one of them shot at her, wrapping around her wrist. She struggled, trying to pull it off, until one final tug, she broke free. In fear, she swam fast to the fox and bear's side as they reached their final destination.

It was a room with a huge conch hung from the ceiling, along with a few shelves full of strange concoctions, a vanity mirror, and a cauldron shaped like a closed clawed hand. It was when they entered the room. "Come in. Come in, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways." Eris spoke up from the conch.

Disgust nervously came in, and she saw Eris slithering her way out of the conch and landing on the floor, as she quirking, "It's rude."

An orange seashell necklace hovered around her neck.

Eris strutted towards a vanity in the corner and her words brought Disgust out of her amazed stupor.

"One MIGHT question your upbringing." she chuckled, sat down examining herself in the mirror.

"Now, then." Eris said, as one of her long, dark tentacles squirted some foaming hair gel from a shell-shaped bottle. "You're here because you have a thing for this normal male emotion. This, er, green emotion fellow." Her red nails ran through her black hair. "Not that I blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?"

"Well, Miss Green," Eris said. Red lips puckered as she applied lipstick. "the solution to your problem is simple." She finished the phrase with a pop of her lips. "The only way to get what you want - is to become a normal emotion yourself."

Disgust gasped in surprise by that solution. She figured it was impossible to even become a normal emotion; she even knew her uncle wouldn't allow it with the power of the Trident. But then she looked to Eris with hope in her eyes. "Can you DO that?" she asked.

Eris smirked as she turned towards Disgust and said, "My dear, sweet child. That's what I do."

She then swam towards Disgust as she stated, "It's what I live for. To help unfortunate merfolk and mer-creatures - like yourself."

She then sighed sadly as she cupped Disgust's face with one of her tentacles, causing Disgust to flinch away, "Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

She swam up, and Foxy and Lumpjaw snaked around their mistress, her husky voice low and almost hypnotizing.

Eris: *I admit that in the past I've been a nasty*
*They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch*

Foxy and Lumpjaw laughed as they swirled around Eris, who also twirled in circles.

Eris: *But you'll find that nowadays*
*I've mended all my ways*
Repented, seen the light and made a switch

The fox and the bear circled one last time before leaving Eris with a flourish as she floated back down towards the mesmerized mer-emotion.

Eris: *True? Yes*

The fox and the bear returned to circling her again as she strutted over to the claw hand cauldron growing out of the ground.

Eris: *And I fortunately know a little magic*
*It's a talent that I always have possessed*

With a wave of her arms, the claw opened, and pink steam rose up, and whatever was inside cast an eerie glow on the evil woman's face.

Eris: *And here lately, please don't laugh*

She grinned and waggled a finger at the princess who was slowly swimming closer, curiosity over coming her fear.

Eris: *I use it on behalf*
*Of the miserable, lonely and depressed*
*Pathetic*

Eris had pulled up two mer-people made of the glowing pink steam, and Disgust was too enthralled to hear the last part she had whispered to her laughing servants.

Eris: *Poor unfortunate souls*
*In pain*
*In need*
*This one longing to be thinner*
*That one wants to get the girl*
*And do I help them?*

A snap of her fingers, and the two figures were transformed, the scrawny merman was now a handsome merman, and the chubby mermaid was now a slim girl mermaid, both were the way they wanted to be.

Eris: *Yes, indeed*

The two embraced each other, and Eris continued to strut and sing around the cauldron.

Eris: *Those poor unfortunate souls*
*So sad*
*So true*

Jim Crow, Kaa, and Baba Looey had secretly entered. Shaking with fear, they sneaked past the polyps.

Eris: *They come flocking to my cauldron*
*Crying, "Spells, Eris please!"*
*And I help them?*
*Yes, I do*
*Now it's happened once or twice*
*Someone couldn't pay the price*
*And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals*

Her hand clenched into a fist, and the two dissolved in a tornado, scraggly little polyps in their place. Eris closed her claw hand cauldron, grabbed one of the pink fluorescent curling seaweeds that hung from the ceiling, and began playing with it.

Eris: *Yes, I've had the odd complaint*
*But on the whole, I've been a saint*
*To those poor unfortunate souls*

She loomed over the other polyps until they all began to quake and cry in fear again. Disgust was distracted by them before Eris pulled the mer-emotion closer to her with the seaweed.

"Now, here's the deal," she said. She began pulling her over towards the cauldron, releasing the plant once her surprisingly strong hand had a hold of Disgust's arm, sharp maroon claws biting into the soft flesh. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a normal emotion for three days."

A distracted look crossed her grimacing face as she tried to brush off a stray tentacle that had wrapped itself across her shoulder and chest.

"Got that?" Eris repeated, "Three days."

They had arrived at the terrible black claw which had sealed up again, and, leaning over it, Eris grabbed Disgust's chin with a tentacle as the girl had been unconsciously looking for a way out.

"Now listen, this is important." Eris said, as she opened her claw hand cauldron again, and three glowing yellow suns floated out between the cracks in the claws.

"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get Mr. Green to fall in love with you." Eris continued.

A crown followed as the suns set and a heart, pulsing and beating red floated up in the center.

"That is, he's got to kiss you." the evil goddess of chaos continued, "Not just any kiss, the kiss of true love."

The heart pulsed, and its shining red glow over powered the gold of the crown.

Kaa, Baba Looey, and Jim Crow were swimming around the corner, keeping out of sight, and saw what was happening and heard everything. Out of the cauldron then popped a silhouette of Disgust and Trust together, but this image, Disgust had legs as Eris explained, "If he *does* kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain normal emotion permanently,"

Disgust smiled at this outcome, but then frowned as the silhouette changed from her and Trust together, with her back as a mer-emotion. She was sucked back down and Eris' grinning face filled her vision.

"But if he doesn't," Eris went on, "you turn back into a mer-emotion, and you belong to me!"

Jim Crow couldn't take it anymore. "No, Disgust!" he yelled. But then he, Kaa, and Baba Looey were quickly silenced by the fox and the bear, as Eris once again grabbed her chin bringing her attention back to her. "Have we got a deal?" she asked.

Seeing Jim Crow, Kaa, and Baba Looey reminded her of home, and an interesting thought crossed her mind that caused her to furrow her brow. "If I become normal emotion," she said. "I'll never be with my uncle or sisters again."

Eris faked her concern as she nodded, "That's right." But then she smirked and chuckled, "But, you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, innit?" she jeered, lying back on the claw.

At that moment, Eris thought of something else. "Oh! And there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know."

Oh that look on her shocked little face! Hmhmhm!

Even though this evil goddess of chaos and her magic scared her, a touch of desperation colored her voice at the thought of the chance being taken away.

Disgust tried to explain, "But I don't have any -"

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle." Eris said, covering the female green emotion's mouth with her hand, "You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is...your voice."

The way it came out, the way that red nail insisted on touching her chin again, it felt... sinister. Disgust gingerly touched her throat. "My voice?" she asked.

Eris nodded. "You've got it, green beans. No more talking, singing, nothing!" She listed off the stipulations on her fingers and ended it with a pop of her lips.

Disgust protested, "But without my voice, how can I -"

But was cut off again by the evil goddess of chaos, "You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't underestimate the importance of body language! Ha!" Eris responded in rhythm like she was singing on "body language", she started shaking her bottom and began to sing again.

Eris: *The men up there don't like a lot of blabber*
*They think a girl who gossips is a bore*

As she said this, she went to a cupboard and opened it.

Eris: *Yes, on land it's much preferred*
*For ladies not to say a word*
*And after all, dear, what is idle prattle for?*
*Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation*

She threw five bottles with a few ingredients into a cauldron as Disgust looked on.

Eris: *True gentlemen avoid it when they can*
*But they dote and swoon and fawn*
*On a lady who's withdrawn*

Eris then threw a tongue into the cauldron, causing more red smoke.

Eris: *It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man*
*Come on, you poor unfortunate soul*
*Go ahead!*
*Make your choice!*

As Disgust looked in the orange smoke, Trust's face began to form. She absentmindedly gazed into it until she heard Eris' voice.

Eris: *I'm a very busy woman*
*And I haven't got all day*
*It won't cost much*
*Just your voice!*

And then Eris face shot through the image, scaring Disgust as she finished. She threw a little turquoise jellyfish right into the pit of her cauldron. It exploded into turquoise smoke, and I couldn't help feel a tad twinge of pity for the poor creature.

Eris: *You poor unfortunate soul*
*It's sad*
*But true*

Eris then put a hand on Disgust's shoulder and gave her a very, very long yellow scroll and a quill. It is a contract that Eris gives to mer-people and mer-animals who had to make thier deals with her, official.

Eris: *If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet*
*You've got to pay the toll*
*Take a gulp and take a breath*
*And go ahead and sign the scroll!*

Disgust read the first part, which read, "I, hereby hand over to Eris, one voice. Signed X.\_"

Eris: *Foxy, Lumpjaw, now I've got her, boys*
*The boss is on a roll*
*This poor*

A stern look came onto Disgust's face as she looked up.

Eris: *un*

Disgust grabbed the pen as Jim Crow, Kaa, and Baba Looey gasped in shock.

Eris: *fortunate soul!*

Disgust then turned her own head away while shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth as she signed "Disgust" on the dotted line. When Disgust finished signing her own name, she opened her eyes and Eris took the contract scroll. The deal was done! Eris smiled evilly, spread her hands over her cauldron, chanting a spell, and her cauldron then started glowing blue.

Eris: *Beluga, Sevruga: Come winds of the Caspian Sea*

As Eris chanted this, a blue whirlwind appeared around her and Disgust, who looked extremely nervous.

Eris: *Larynxes, glossitis, et laryngitis*
***La voce** to me!*

Then two huge green phantom-like hands, symbolizing Eris' hands appeared, and the whirlwind turned green as well. Each was to her left and right, and Eris looked towards Disgust as she stated, "Now, sing!" She looked at Disgust with an insane look in her eyes and an evil toothy grin.

Without any hesitation, the female green emotion sang out, or vocalized, the tune of her song. But as she sang, a small golden sphere glowed in her throat; the small golden glowing sphere in her throat was none other than her voice. The spell was working!

"Keep singing!" Eris shouted.

As Disgust did so, the hands reached out for her. As one hand reached for her, Disgust flinched a little, but still held her tone. And then, like a viper striking for a mouse and getting it, the hand shot into her mouth and ventured down Disgust's throat. And in a few seconds, it pulled out, along with Disgust's voice as it continued to hold the notes in her song. Disgust saw the golden orb that was her voice, and held her throat, knowing it was lost forever. And then the hands were reeled right into Eris' shell necklace, which she insanely grinned at as she cackled like a maniac.

Then Eris began to laugh wickedly as Disgust got trapped in a yellow bubble, as the whirlwind also turned yellow and she began to completely change.

Jim Crow shook, and Kaa and Baba Looey closed their eyes as they watched in complete horror as Disgust was transforming from mer-emotion to normal emotion.

Disgust felt her fins splitting into two, her lower fish body began to disappear as it started to lose its color and match Disgust's skin tone. Her legs emerged, and her tail fins became feet. She was now wearing a forest green bikini bottom, but she was still wearing her forest green bandeau top and orchid ascot.

The bubble disappeared, but now Disgust was left unable to breath underwater, and she couldn't swim either.

Jim Crow, Kaa, and Baba Looey darted from their hiding place and went on either sides of the green-haired now-normal emotion and swam to the surface as fast as they could. Eris cackled evilly as they left her lair. The group kept swimming and swimming until finally managing to get Disgust above water. Disgust took a huge breath of air upon reaching the surface. With that problem solved, everyone guided her to the nearby shore. But will they be able to help their friend, especially in this dire time, and without Disgust's voice? This was now a serious problem for them.