"That was a close one," Martina muttered to her partner in crime. The pair watched the bedraggled couple disappear out of the "Tunnel of Love".
"Too close," Naga agreed. "We're going to have to do something fast before Lina digs her claws into the prince any deeper."
"I've got it!" Martina shouted. "We get Amelia to turn into a human to woo her darling prince charming. And just before she speaks to him, I'll trick her into using a 'Love Me' charm to win him over!"
"OH WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH! I see! Then we get them hitched A.S.A.P., so its goodbye Lina, hello rich life!" Naga finished.
The two cackled with glee at their evil plot and set off to look for their boss.
E, Sis: Later...
The sea-witch, Amelia, and her two cronies were sitting around a mahogany table, studying the spell book. Earlier the dastardly duo managed to convince the naive young octopus-girl to "follow her heart" and to tell Zelgadis how she felt towards him. Now they were searching for a better spell than the one cast on Lina, for how could Amelia confess her undying affection, if she couldn't say anything.
As luck would have it the next page after the 'Fish to human in 3 easy steps' spell was a 'How to become Human, without all the Hassles' incantation.
"My, this spell is so simple!" Amelia cried out with her usual glee.
While her two companions packed for their trip, Amelia practiced what she would say to Zel. She was so absorbed that she didn't overhear Naga and Martina's conversation.
"So, did you finish the 'Love Me' charm?" Naga asked as she picked out several
leather thong bikinis and shoved them into a duffel bag.
"Yup!" Martina answered as she did the same. "I've disguised it so cleverly that Amelia will think it's a normal breath mint! The draw back is that it'll wear off sometime tomorrow, so we'll have to make this a quickie wedding."
E, Sis: Elsewhere...
Prince Zel stared moodily out at the crashing waves. He was experiencing a multitude of emotions, the fore most being confusion and embarrassment.
Xellos calmly approached the thinking chimera and instantly gained his attention by bouncing a rock off Zel's head.
"My my, you're rather pensive tonight," Xellos said. "But then again the whole country side is buzzing with tales of your antics involving our charming guest and the 'Tunnel of Love'!"
Zel blushed as he recalled the snickers and stares of the people outside the ride's exit, when he and Lina exited soaking wet from their dunking. Naturally they all assumed, what almost could have taken place, actually did. Zel felt terrible for putting Lina through all that, that he couldn't face her for the rest of the day.
"Hmm, you know Zel, you've got something really incredible going for you here," Xellos said, surprising the hell outta the prince. "You should realize that sometimes what you could be searching for may well be right under your very nose."
Prince Zel stared at Xellos stunned. He could believe that Xellos could be so insightful and wise when I came to love, let alone advise HIM on the subject. He almost started to think there was more to Xellos than he gave him credit for until Xellos spoiled it all by continuing.
"But...if you want to ruin it for yourself go right ahead, I'd be more than happy to take our vibrant red head off your hands!" Xellos turned, and with a smile plastid to his face, left humming 'My Way' by.
"Fruitcake," Zel muttered to himself. "But he's got a point." He turned his gaze to Lina's window, seeing only her silhouette imprint on the bedroom curtain. Gathering his resolve, he made a sincere and heartfelt pledge.
"I'm going not going to let Lina get away. She's the greatest thing that's happened to me in a long time! I'm not going to lose that to someone else, now way!" He was all riled up to go marching up stairs to Lina's room, take her in his arms and convince her to be his, when he was promptly distracted by something on the beach.
E, Sis: Men and their short attention spans.