Frozen

                                                                                                  Frozen



 
          Melody screamed as she fell from the top of the ice tower.  She found herself landing on the stomach of her new walrus friend, Dash.  The fallen sea trident landed in Melody's grandfather's hands.
"Never again, Morgana, will you harm or threaten my family."  
He declared.
King Triton lit up his trident and encased the sea witch, in an icy prison.  Morgana was frozen as the ice block slid off of her sphere and fell into the never-ending ocean.  Morgana's eyes glittered evilly as she sank below.  Nobody knew, when the sea witch got Melody around her ankle with one of her tentacles, she placed a bit of dark magic on the princess's ankle and it was absorbed into Melody's skin as soon as it made contact.  Morgana knew, a 'piece' of herself, would awaken within Melody's body and take place.  As Morgana felt the cold take her life, her eyes glittered evilly for the last time.  Soon, she was no more...for now.



     Melody woke up, groggily, feeling herself being carried in someone's arms.  She opened her eyes and saw her Dad, Eric, was holding her close to him.
"Dad?"
She asked weakly,
"Oh Melody, I was so afraid we lost you."
Eric brought Melody down to the ice floor where Melody saw her mother, Ariel, as a mermaid looking at her worriedly.  Melody went into her father's embrace to her mother's open arms.  Melody felt herself relax in Ariel's hold.
"I'm so sorry mother."  
Melody said sadly,
"Oh, no sweetie, we're sorry.  We should have told you the truth."  Ariel said while looking Melody over.
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone.  I just thought I'd be a better mermaid…than a girl."
"Oh honey, it doesn't matter if you have fins or feet. We love for who you are on the inside.  Our very brave little girl."
King Trident swam over, his trident in hand, warmly smiling at Ariel, "Just like your mother."
Ariel smiled at him and Melody came running over to him.
"Oh, grandfather."  She jumped up and hugged him.  Trident smiled as he hugged Melody closer.
Ariel and Eric both looked at each other, smiling and back at Melody.  No one noticed the black mark growing on her ankle which seemed to be appearing.  Growing bigger.  Melody felt herself convulse in her grandfather's arms.
"Melody?  Are you alright?"
Trident gently put Melody on the ground, who began to grab her head tightly,
"Melody?  Honey?"  Ariel called out, noticing her daughter's distress.
Melody gripped her hair tighter as she felt an overpowering force take her mind bit by bit.  She screamed as she felt something dig further into her mind and then she slumped forward, hearing her mother call her name.


    Ariel worriedly cradled Melody in her arms.  Her daughter was fast asleep but was still twitching here and there.  Eric was right beside her and her father was gazing upon her, worried.
"Daddy, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure."
Melody groaned as she started to wake up, only when she opened her eyes, they were not a deep blue, they were red!  She grinned and before anyone could blink she lunged forward at her grandfather and gripped the trident, landing on her feet.
"Melody!"  Ariel gasped.  
Everyone saw her turn her face and her eyes were glittering red, her mouth twisted in an evil smile.  
"Melody is no more.  And now the trident is mine."
Her voice echoed sounding deeper.  Melody concentrated and her legs disappeared.  Morphing together, she grew a mermaid's tail only it was black and red, with the fins looking more sharp and defined.  Melody's hair changed with red streaks falling beside her cheeks, and her shirt turning into a black dress with her arms bare.
Melody grinned at the power in her hands while everyone stared at her horrified.
"Melody?  Honey?"  Eric tried to come closer to his daughter, only for her to blast him with the trident.
"Melody is gone.  Now I have something to do with this powerful little thing."  With that, she dove into the water.


    "What- What just happened?"  Eric said in shock.  Ariel was beside herself as she just saw her daughter turn herself into what looked like a sea witch and dive into the sea.  
"How is this possible?  Daddy, what happened to her?"
"Ariel…I don't know.  I don't understand how she changed."
"Did anybody notice her eyes were red?"  Sebastian said as he scuttled up.
"Yes, but how?"  Ariel said.
"It could've been dark magic."  King trident said in thought, and then he realized something, "Ariel, did Morgana touch Melody by any chance? Did she wrap her tentacles around her?"
Ariel put her hand to her chin, stroking it and her eyes went wide,
"Yes! Yes, she did."
"What does that mean though?"  Eric asked.
"It means that Morgana might have done something to Melody when no one was looking."
"In the ice cave!"  Ariel exclaimed and everyone turned to her, questioningly.
"When we were in the ice cave, Morgana had wrapped her tentacles around Melody before she threw her into the ice prison before she went off with me.  She could have done something then."
"But how do we get her out of it?"  Eric asked.
"I'm not sure."  Trident said sorrowfully.  Tip and Dash swam over, noticing the distressed faces on Melody's family.  Until Dash said,
"Hey, maybe that merman can help us."
"What merman?"  Ariel asked noticing the penguin and walrus.
"We all swam into a merman and his friends.  Melody seemed to like him and he liked her.  Maybe he could help Melody snap out of it."
"Maybe it could work.  She might recognize him enough to try and fight whatever's doing this to her."  Ariel said.



   Down below, Melody had the trident in her hands and while laughing evilly, she started waving it and the tip glowed an electrifying green.  Ice from below started to rise and she planted herself around the top of the iceberg, moving up to the surface.



    Ariel, Eric, and King Trident felt the rumble from underneath and just as they turned, they saw Melody break the surface, with her on top of the iceberg holding the trident in her hands, cackling just like Morgana had, it was then Ariel detected some of Morgana's voice inside her daughter's.
"Morgana!  It is her doing.  I heard it in Melody."
"So did I.,"  Eric said, getting angry at the dead sea witch.
"Me too."  King Triton said, if Morgana was alive he would fry her alive for doing this to his granddaughter.  Ariel moved closer to the water,
"Tip, Dash, can you bring me to where Melody met this merman?"
"You betcha."  
Dash said.
"Ariel, what are you doing?"  King Triton asked as she got in the water.
"I'm going to get help.  Eric, you and my father keep Melody busy for as long as you can, I'll be right back."
Eric and King Triton nodded and Ariel dove into the water with Tip and Dash.



   Ariel followed the walrus and Penguin who led her to Atlantica.  Ariel swam as quickly as she could, the sooner they could release Melody from Morgana's magic.  
"Over there."  Tip said.
Ariel looked ahead and saw them pointing to a blonde boy with an aqua blue tailfin, talking to two other merchildren.
"Excuse me,"  Ariel said.
The blonde turned around and saw Ariel with Tip and Dash.
"Oh hello again, is Mel-Mel with you?"
"Mel-Mel?"  Ariel asked.
"She was with these two when we bumped into each other.  She had black hair, blue eyes, and a red tailfin."
"That would be my daughter and her name is Melody."
"Melody?  That's a nice name."
"Thank you.  Now, you said you met her some time ago today."
"Yes."
"I need your help, something has happened to Melody and you might be able to save her."
"What happened?"  His face growing worried.
"The sea witch did something to Melody and now she's under some sort of magic spell.  Will you come with me?  If she sees you, she might recognize you and break away from what's controlling her."
"Yes."
"Thank you and what's your name?"
"Alex."
"Ok Alex, Follow me please."
Ariel swam away and Alex followed closely behind Ariel, Tip, and Dash as they made a beeline for the surface.  Hoping they were not too late.  



   Melody had the trident raised above her head as she started making the ice tower a throne again.  She sat in it, relishing in what she had done.
"Ah, I may not have my own body now, but I took that little mermaid's daughter.  Hmm, not a bad day after all."
Eric was doing his best to sneak along the ice and climb up.  The plan was King Trident was going to distract Melody until Ariel made it with the merman.  If she was distracted enough, Eric could grab the trident away from Melody and throw it back to his father-in-law.  Eric almost lost his balance as he climbed a very slippery spike.  
"Melody!"  King Triton called from below.
she moved her head towards her grandfather, not seeing the subtle look to Eric.
"What is it Triton?"  She sneered.
"Melody, please, stop this, this isn't you."
"Ohh, but it is me, grandfather," Melody said with a mocking tone, "I've never felt more alive."
"Melody.  You can fight this.  Please, granddaughter-"
"Funny how you're calling me that when you never took the time to see me."  She said bitterly.
King Triton bowed his head.  He knew this wasn't Melody, but he still felt terrible.   He could have tried harder to see her...
"Melody, we were just trying to protect you."
Ariel poked her head out of the water and did the same with Alex.  He held in a gasp as he saw Melody.  Her red eyes told him that she wasn't doing this on her own.  Alex took action and immediately swam quietly away from Ariel, Tip, and Dash.  Seeing spikes coming from the sides of the ice tower, Alex griped one and started climbing as best he could  

 
   Eric was just about there, he positioned himself underneath the throne.  He could hear Melody/Morgana talking with Trident.  Eric slowly brought himself up,
"Melody please, don't this."  Triton said.
"Honey, we never wanted to do this, we just didn't want Morgana to hurt you,"  Ariel said from below.
"Ha! Hurt me?  You don't seem to realize this:  You turned your daughter against you.  And now, you'll see what a big mistake that was."  Melody raised the trident. But Eric jumped and grabbed it, throwing her off balance.
"Get out of my daughter, Morgana."
"Oh Prince Eric, here to play 'rescue' for your little girl again?"  Melody/Morgana threw him off hard, "Well, you're too late."
"Melody!"



    Melody turned at the voice and saw the merman she had met earlier.
"Mel-Mel, come on remember me?"  Alex said, trying to come closer to her.
Melody seemed to remember as she stared in shock, her eyes starting to lose the red before she staggered and fell back before regaining composure.
"Oh, and who is this?  A brave little merboy thinking he can save the half-Atlantean brat.  Well a little too late for the show are we?"
Alex dodged the swipe of the trident and with all his might, he lunged forward.  Pinning Melody to the top of the tower, causing her to lose the trident.  While Melody was distracted, Eric grabbed the trident and threw it back to Triton who caught it as they all watched the scene from down below.  Melody's eyes glowed red and she threw Alex off of her.  She growled as she made her way over, ready to push him off the edge.
"Mel-Mel, please.  This is not you.  I remember the real you when we first met.  She was sweet, nice, and I wanted to get to know her better.  She's still there," Melody's composure started to fade. More red leaving her eyes, "I still wanna get to know you.  It doesn't matter if you are a human or a mermaid.  I think you're cool actually and would like to be your friend."
Melody's eyes were coming back into focus like a fog was being lifted from her mind.  Blue was overcoming the red as Alex grabbed her hands lightly and said,
"Please come back…Melody."  
Melody started to stagger again and she gripped her head in pain.  Breathing hard in and out.  Eric and Alex saw her shaking and then they heard a voice they were afraid they would never hear again,
"Get out of me, Morgana."
Everyone watched as Melody's blue eyes came back and she thrust her chest forward and out-spelled a smoke black essence that was left of Morgana herself.  The essence turned towards Melody with an enraged look.
"You will pay for this you little brat. "  
Alex rolled himself over to Melody and placed himself protectively in front of her,
"Don't you dare hurt her!"  Alex stated.
Morganas essence laughed, not seeing King Triton light up his trident and released a green lightning blast.  Morgana screamed in agony as the blast hit her and the sea witch slowly faded away.   Morgana was finally gone.  Melody was still shaking from behind feeling the weariness of what Morgana did to her.  Alex caught her as she went backward.  Eric climbed back up the ice tower and went to his daughter.
"Melody?"
She flinched when she heard her name.  She turned towards her father who just looked at her with a worried expression.  Melody lunged at her father, and cried hard, as Eric caught her in a gentle hug.
"I'm s-s-sssorry.  I didn't mean to-"
"Shush honey, it wasn't your fault."
Melody just held onto her father while Eric looked back at Alex.
"Thank you, for helping my daughter."
"You're welcome, your highness."
Eric nodded at him with a small smile and while holding Melody, Eric started to climb down the ice tower.



       Ariel watched her husband carry their daughter to the ground while Alex followed suit.  As Ariel saw Melody she saw that Morgana had done a lot more than they imagined.  Melody was passed to Ariel and gripped her mother in a hug.  Melody turned to her grandfather and shakily said,
"I'm sorry, grandfather, I, I-don't know what came over me."
Triton smiled and placed a hand on her chin.
"It wasn't your fault Melody.  Morgana used you.  It was not your doing, but hers.  You're safe now."
Melody smiled and moved out of her mother's arms and hugged her grandfather again.  Relishing his protective embrace.  After she was done, Melody turned to Alex.  She walked over to him slightly nervous.
"Hey."
Alex looked at her and smiled.
"Hey, you ok?"
"I am now…thank you for what you did back there."
"You're welcome, I mean what I said.  I'd like to be your friend…That's if you want to Melody."
Melody smiled,
"I'd like that myself, Alex."
She turned back to her parents.
"Does this mean we can take away the sea wall?"
Ariel and Eric smiled,
"Yes, it's time we have reunited with each other again."
Alex and Melody smiled.  Both had a feeling this would be the start of a wonderful friendship and new beginning.