Mother Gothel’s Poor Unfortunate Souls/Crysta’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. Crysta 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." Roscoe and DeSoto said in unison.

Taking a nervous gulp, she entered the belly of the beast. The hallways were dark, and the two dogs led the way, and a nervous Crysta 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 Crysta 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 dogs' 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." Mother Gothel spoke up from the conch.

Crysta nervously came in, and she saw Mother Gothel 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.

Mother Gothel strutted towards a vanity in the corner and her words brought Crysta out of her amazed stupor.

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

"Now, then." Mother Gothel 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 human boy. This, er, teenager fellow." Her red nails ran through her black hair. "Not that I blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?"

"Well, fairy princess girl," Mother Gothel 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 fairy yourself."

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

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

She then swam towards Crysta 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 Crysta's face with one of her tentacles, causing Crysta to flinch away, "Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

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

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

Roscoe and DeSoto laughed as they swirled around Mother Gothel, who also twirled in circles.

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

The two dogs circled one last time before leaving Mother Gothel with a flourish as she floated back down towards the mesmerized mer-fairy.

Mother Gothel: *True? Yes*

The two dogs returned to circling her again as she strutted over to the claw hand cauldron growing out of the ground.

Mother Gothel: *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.

Mother Gothel: *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.

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

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

Mother Gothel: *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 bow merman was now a handsome merman, and the chubby mermaid was now a slim mermaid, both were the way they wanted to be.

Mother Gothel: *Yes, indeed*

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

Mother Gothel: *Those poor unfortunate souls*
*So sad*
*So true*

Jiminy, Tod, and Copper had secretly entered. Shaking with fear, they sneaked past the polyps.

Mother Gothel: *They come flocking to my cauldron*
*Crying, "Spells, Mother Gothel 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. Mother Gothel closed her claw hand cauldron, grabbed one of the pink fluorescent curling seaweeds that hung from the ceiling, and began playing with it.

Mother Gothel: *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. Crysta was distracted by them before Mother Gothel pulled the mer-fairy 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 Crysta's arm, sharp maroon claws biting into the soft flesh. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a normal fairy 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?" Mother Gothel repeated, "Three days."

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

"Now listen, this is important." Mother Gothel 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. Blonde Guy to fall in love with you." Mother Gothel 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 woman 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.

Tod, Copper, and Jiminy 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 Crysta and Zak together, but this image, Crysta had legs as Mother Gothel explained, "If he *does* kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain normal fairy permanently,"

Crysta smiled at this outcome, but then frowned as the silhouette changed from her and Zak together, with her back as a mer-fairy. She was sucked back down and Mother Gothel's grinning face filled her vision.

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

Jiminy couldn't take it anymore. "No, Crysta!" he yelled. But then he, Tod, and Copper were quickly silenced by the two dogs, as Mother Gothel once again grabbed her chin bringing her attention back to her. "Have we got a deal?" she asked.

Seeing Jiminy, Tod, and Copper reminded her of home, and an interesting thought crossed her mind that caused her to furrow her brow. "If I become normal fairy," she said. "I'll never be with my father or sisters again."

Mother Gothel 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, Mother Gothel 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 woman and her magic scared her, a touch of desperation colored her voice at the thought of the chance being taken away.

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

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle." Mother Gothel said, covering the black-haired fairy'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. Crysta gingerly touched her throat. "My voice?" she asked.

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

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

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

Mother Gothel: *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.

Mother Gothel: *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 Crysta looked on.

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

Mother Gothel then threw a tongue into the cauldron, causing more smoke.

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

As Crysta looked in the smoke, Zak's face began to form. She absentmindedly gazed into it until she heard Mother Gothel's voice.

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

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

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

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

Mother Gothel: *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!*

Crysta read the first part, which read, "I, hereby hand over to Mother Gothel, one voice. Signed X.\_"

Mother Gothel: *Roscoe, DeSoto, now I've got her, boys*
*The boss is on a roll*
*This poor*

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

Mother Gothel: *un*

Crysta grabbed the pen as Jiminy, Tod, and Copper gasped in shock.

Mother Gothel: *fortunate soul!*

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

Mother Gothel: *Beluga, Sevruga: Come winds of the Caspian Sea*

As Mother Gothel chanted this, a blue whirlwind appeared around her and Crysta, who looked extremely nervous.

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

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

Without any hesitation, the black-haired fairy 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!" Mother Gothel shouted.

As Crysta did so, the hands reached out for her. As one hand reached for her, Crysta 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 Crysta's throat. And in a few seconds, it pulled out, along with Crysta's voice as it continued to hold the notes in her song. Crysta 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 Mother Gothel's shell necklace, which she insanely grinned at as she cackled like a maniac.

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

Jiminy shook, and Tod and Copper closed their eyes as they watched in complete horror as Crysta was transforming from mer-fairy to normal fairy.

Crysta felt her fins splitting into two, her lower fish body began to disappear as it started to lose its color and match Crysta's skin tone. Her legs emerged, and her tail fins became feet. She was now wearing a red bikini bottom, but she was still wearing her red shell bra.

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

Jiminy, Tod, and Copper darted from their hiding place and went on either sides of the black-haired now-normal fairy and swam to the surface as fast as they could. Gothel cackled evilly as they left her lair. The group kept swimming and swimming until finally managing to get Crysta above water. Crysta 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 Crysta's voice? This was now a serious problem for them.