Chapter Five: The Sea Witch
November 20, 2023 at 5:50 AM
Amy Rose swims home, passing various rocks, corals and seaweed. The flow of water after the thunderstorm had already calmed down and everything was calm. It was even too quiet, despite the sounds of bubbles and the movements of the little mermaid herself. Despite all this, there was mostly silence. It seemed that nothing could destroy all this. Only in the end it was interrupted. She heard someone groan. He sounded so convincing, as if someone somewhere was in pain. Turning her gaze a little to the right towards the source of the sound, she saw an elderly mermaid in an open space in the sand. It was a mouse with a fish tail. She tried to reach her cane, but she didnβt have enough strength and, judging by her moans, it was painful for her to move. Amy couldn't stand by and watch this. She decided to intervene and help the old woman.
β Don't move, I'm coming now! β she asked the elderly woman, swam up to the cane, took it in her hands and handed it to the granny herself in her right hand. Then, carefully taking her by the waist, she helped her up.
The elderly woman, grabbing her back with her free hand, straightened up and said:
β Thank you, young lady. You are very kind to me.
β Nonsense! I couldnβt watch you suffer and that no one could help you. If you were me, you would do the same for any mermaid who would get into a similar scrape. β Rose explained.
β Youβre right about that, princess Rose. β the old mouse said smiling.
β How do you know my name? β asked Amy. β I didnβt introduce myself to you.
β I know everything about you, baby. β the mouse answers and, raising his cane, draws a circle in the ocean floor, as if in the air.
The circle turns out to be magical and draws an image. Inside the magic circle one could see the same beach where Amy had taken the rescued Prince Sonic before and left him there. The circle also showed an image of Amy herself looking at him from a hiding spot behind one of the rocks on the water. Then the circle and the image disappeared, dissolving into bubbles. The hedgehog was shocked by what she saw and looked in surprise at the elderly woman. The latter raised her cane up, despite the sciatica, and spun her tops, making her disappear in the form of a beam of light. This very beam of light became larger, enveloping the old woman. Amy closed her eyes so as not to go blind, continuing to look at the one she helped. The old woman had changed in appearance and now looked different. Now it was a young sea witch. Half bat, half octopus. The upper body resembled an anthropomorphic bat. True, without wings, while instead of legs, and especially instead of a tail, she had sixteen tentacles.
β Hello, Amy. β she told her in a different voice.
β Witch!...Are you a sea witch? Right?
β Don't be afraid, princess. In my test of helping others, you proved that despite your disgusting family and the difficult life that has beaten you, you are pure in soul and have a kind heart. For this I will reward you generously and at the same time help you.
β Will you reward? Can you help? What? - Amy didnβt understand.
β Whatβs not clear? You fell in love with him! That handsome and brave prince? - asked the witch.
The little mermaid nodded silently and the witch continued the conversation:
β You want to live with him, donβt you? You and the prince, together... For... Ever!
Amy was silent for a long time at first, thinking about that question.
β Yes... But how did you... β she wanted to ask how the witch knew that she was in love with the prince, when she interrupted her with the answer:
β I have eyes and ears everywhere. Both underwater and on land. I help many mermaids and mermans with their difficult lives. Some people, for example, cannot live without love, while others are too frail and weak. I helped each and every one of them and each of them was happy with their new life. True, I donβt help just anyone, but only a select few who are truly worthy of my help. You, Amy, turned out to be one of them by chance or coincidence. Any mermaid in your place would have long ago given up and, tired of enduring a beaten life, might have wanted to take revenge on her offenders. But you're not like that, are you?
At first Rose silently shook her head in response, and then asked:
β And you will really help me?
β Of couse. β she answered briefly and lightly took the little mermaidβs hand.
They swam in a completely different direction, away from the palace and the shore at the same time. While they were sailing, Amy decided to interrogate the witch along the way:
β But still, why did you decide to help only people like me?
β Once upon a time, when I was about your age, Amy. I, too, was seriously beaten by life. Everyone hated me, mocked me because I was not like everyone else, teased me as an ugly mutant octopus, and my parents didnβt even care about my complaints about all this. But I believed in the bright side within me and did not allow any selfish goals or thirst for revenge to get the better of me. After all, if this had happened to me, then perhaps I would have died in much the same way as your mother. Or she would have sunk to the very bottom, like that red echidna on that princeβs ship you saved. My family hated me, I hated my life, and in the end, unable to bear it all, I ran away from home.
β But why? β The little mermaid hedgehog didnβt understand.
β To start a new life and live in your own way. I had nothing but knowledge, a thirst for knowledge, and the key to the cave of sea alchemy. I firmly decided of my own free will that I would look for people like me, hard-living and unfortunate fish who were unlucky in their lives. And when I find it, I will help them and make their lives better. This is how I live now. By the way, my name is Rouge. Sorry for not introducing myself right away.
They sailed to a small rock that looked like a human skull, whose jaw was open and was the entrance to a cave. Swimming there, the witch released the little mermaid and temporarily left her next to the bookshelf, where the hedgehog sat down on a stone bench. Rouge floated to other shelves where the ingredients for her potions and magical drinks were stored.
β I have a special magic potion that will turn you from a mermaid into a human. Only then will you be able to see your prince again and you will be together.
β Is there any other way? β asked Rose.
β Unfortunately no. You will get what you wanted if you become human yourself. β Rouge explained and Amy thought, lowering her head and feeling a little sad. β I donβt blame you, prince Hedgehog really is that good. Even I myself would give everything in the world to be with him. But I'm not you, so I won't do that. Yes, and Iβm into romantic relationships... More about womens. β she said the last words, running her hand over the fur on her head.
β Okay. What's the catch? β asked the little mermaid. Although she was partly naive, she was also suspicious, so as not to immediately fall for a trick during an agreement with someone.
β A catch? No, no, what are you? There is no trick here. There is only one small condition. A mere trifle. β Raising her shoulders for a second, the witch explained, after which she took out a couple of bottles, whose contents she poured into the cauldron. β You will turn into a human forever. True, there are two side effects that, unfortunately, I still cannot eliminate myself. The first of them is that if you are deeply in love with your prince and have a strong romantic connection with him, then you should definitely love each other and should never exchange each other for anyone else. After all, if either you or the prince takes another wife, otherwise you will begin to feel that your heart is breaking with grief. And at dawn the next day you will turn into sea foam... And you will die. Remember! It is most important!
β Okay, what about the second side effect?
β And the second is that you will lose your voice.
β My voice? β Amy asked thoughtfully, lightly touching her throat.
β Unfortunately yes. As a result, you won't be able to say anything... But! There are also advantages. You can communicate in sign language or use our body language. People rarely communicate like this too. They sometimes do not like screamers and talkers. So why waste extra words when some people might like dumb ones? And the most important thing. When you become human, like I said, you will remain human forever. At the same time, you will no longer be able to return to the crystal palace and live there. Don't forget that people's lungs are not like ours. This means you wonβt be able to breathe underwater either.
β βSo, having become a human, I will never see my dad or my brothers and sisters again?β β the little mermaid thought, turning towards the exit.
β Well, why do you need them? You yourself know very well that they never loved you, but only treated you like a thing. If they loved you, they would truly love you for who you are. Even despite your different opinion towards people. In a good case, you will live on land with a prince, who may be the only one who will love you for who you are. - Rouge explained, and Amy still didnβt know what to do in this regard. She was still thinking. - Don't despair! We often think and make choices, on which our future fate then depends. For example, the king of Atlantis could have thought twice, or better yet, thrice before using a great weapon in a war against the whole world. Because of this, his city was eventually flooded. Then perhaps his city would not have sunk to the bottom and would have survived to this day on the surface.
The clinking sound of a microwave immediately came from the boiler. The witch took a wooden bowl, filled it with the contents from the cauldron and drank it on both cheeks. After drinking the contents, she sighed:
β Ah! My everyday and famous seaweed and snail soup. Do you want to try?
β No thanks, I already had breakfast. β Rose answered, and by the way, she wasnβt lying at all.
β As you want! β said the witch, once again filled the bowl with soup from the cauldron and drank it again. Then she put the bowl aside and opened the door of the nightstand, taking out a bottle in the shape of a shell, closed with a pebble. β Here it is. This drink will give you legs instead of a tail. With the help of your legs you can walk on the ground, run and even jump.
β Really? β Rose smiled at first, but then changed her joy to thoughtfulness. β Wonβt it hurt me?
β No. Any step you take on the ground, stones and other places on your feet will be like the touch of the softest cotton wool on the hardest stone. You won't even feel anything and you can even dance. And you will also be able to rejoice and smile, even standing still, even moving from one place to another.
Amy was content with the fact that she could be on land and meet Prince Sonic again. However, something was bothering her. Her inner voice in her head even repeated to her:
β βDon't trust her! What if this is a trap? Don't be a naive fool! What if sheβs deceiving you?β
β Well, I donβt know... I havenβt decided yet whether I really need this... Maybe you can give me time to think?
Rouge smiled as she put her potion back and took out another item. It was a white glove with slits for the fingertips.
β Fine, I'll give you time to think. β she said and handed the same glove into the hands of the little mermaid. β When the time comes and you still decide to agree or refuse, just put it on your hand and snap your fingers with it. This is a magic glove. When you put it on and click your fingers with it, I will immediately appear in front of you. Now, if you want, swim to your home.
β Thank you. I will think. β Amy said and left the cave. The witch followed her with her gaze and smiled.
β Naive! β she said about her, quietly grinning. β But honest... And very, very kind.
