Messina's Poor Unfortunate Souls/Viper'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. Viper 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." Arthur and Cecil said in unison.

Taking a nervous gulp, she entered the belly of the beast. The hallways were dark, and the vultures led the way, and a nervous Viper 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 Viper 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 neck. She struggled, trying to pull it off, until one final tug, she broke free. In fear, she swam fast to vultures' 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." Messina spoke up from the conch.

Viper nervously came in, and she saw Messina 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.

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

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

"Now, then." Messina said, as one of her long, dark tentacles squirted some foaming face cream from a shell-shaped bottle. "You're here because you have a thing for this normal animal. This, er, bird fellow." She took off her tiara, and her red nails spread the cream across her face before she placed her tiara back on her head. "Not that I blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?"

"Well, reptile girl," Messina said. Green 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 snake yourself."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arthur and Cecil laughed as they swirled around Messina, who also twirled in circles.

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

The vultures circled one last time before leaving Messina with a flourish as she floated back down towards the mesmerized mer-serpent.

Messina: *True? Yes*

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

Messina: *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 snak queen's face.

Messina: *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.

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

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

Viper: *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 boy mer-serpent was now a handsome boy mer-serpents, and the chubby girl mer-serpent was now a slim girl mer-serpent, both were the way they wanted to be.

Messina: *Yes, indeed*

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

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

Rabbit, Pixie, and Dixie had secretly entered. Shaking with fear, they sneaked past the polyps.

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

Messina: *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. Viper was distracted by them before Messina pulled the mer-serpent 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 Viper's neck, sharp maroon claws biting into the soft flesh. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a normal snake 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?" Messina repeated, "Three days."

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

"Now listen, this is important." Messina 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 Kung Fu Bird to fall in love with you." Messina 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 snake queen 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.

Pixie, Dixie, and Rabbit 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 Viper and Crane together, but this image, Viper had a snake tail as Narissa explained, "If he *does* kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain normal snake permanently,"

Viper smiled at this outcome, but then frowned as the silhouette changed from her and Crane together, with her back as a mer-serpent. She was sucked back down and Messina's grinning face filled her vision.

"But if he doesn't," Messina went on, "you turn back into a mermouse, and you belong to me!"

Rabbit couldn't take it anymore. "No, Viper!" he yelled. But then he, Pixie, and Dixie were quickly silenced by the two vultures, and Messina once again grabbed her chin bringing her attention back to her. "Have we got a deal?" she asked.

Seeing Rabbit, Pixie, and Dixie reminded her of home, and an interesting thought crossed her mind that caused her to furrow her brow. "If I become normal snake," she said. "I'll never be with my uncle or sisters again."

Messina 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, Messina 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 snake queen and her magic scared her, a touch of desperation colored her voice at the thought of the chance being taken away.

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

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle." Messina said, covering the female snake'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. Viper gasped softly. "My voice?" she asked.

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

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

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

Messina: *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.

Messina: *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 Viper looked on.

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

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

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

As Viper looked in the smoke, Crane's face began to form. She absentmindedly gazed into it until she heard Messina's voice,

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

And then Messina's face shot through the image, scaring Viper 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.

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

Messina then put a arm around Viper's neck and gave her a very, very long golden scroll and a quill. It is a contract that Messina gives to mer-animals who had to make thier deals with her, official.

Messina: *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!*

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

Messina: *Arthur, Cecil, now I've got her, boys*
*The boss is on a roll*
*This poor*

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

Messina: *un*

Viper grabbed the pen with her teeth as Rabbit, Pixie, and Dixie gasped in shock.

Messina: *fortunate soul!*

Viper then shut her eyes as she signed "Master Viper" on the dotted line. When Viper finished signing her own name, she opened her eyes and Messina took the contract scroll. The deal was done! Messina smiled evilly, spread her hands over her cauldron, chanting a spell, and her cauldron then started glowing blue.

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

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

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

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

Without any hesitation, the female snake 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!" Messina shouted.

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

Then Messina began to laugh wickedly as Viper got trapped in a yellow bubble, and she began to completely change.

Rabbit shook, and Pixie and Dixie closed their eyes as they watched in complete horror as Viper was transforming from mer-serpent to normal snake.

Viper felt her lower fish body began to disappear as it started to lose its color and match Viper's skin tone. Her fish tail becomes an actual snake tail. She was now wearing a jade green bikini bottom, but she was still wearing her jade green shell bra and lotus flowers.

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

Rabbit, Pixie, and Dixie darted from their hiding place and went on either sides of the now-normal female snake and swam to the surface as fast as they could. Messina cackled evilly as they left her lair. The group kept swimming and swimming until finally managing to get Viper above water. Viper 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 Viper's voice? This was now a serious problem for them.