Chapter 1:
The wind blew across the land and the bubbles filled the sea. The sun beat down upon the water and glistened softly on the surface.
Ariel raced through the warm water as fast as her tail would allow, passing the dancing seaweed and the rocks that sat neatly at the bottom of the ocean. Her heart pounded as she dared to dive lower and lower….. She dared to go where her father had forbid.
"Come on, Flounder! I have something to show you!"
Flounder's eyes quickly darted left and right as panic and fear rose inside of him. "Ariel… I-I don't think we should go any further! W-we both k-know we'll get into trouble!" They always got into trouble and it was always Ariel's fault.
Ariel rolled her eyes and laughed sweetly at him… Poor little Flounder he never dared to explore! She suppressed a sigh and gently grabbed one of his little fins. "P-please…. I'll show you the new human things that I've found!... I've got a whittzy-hopper! Oh and a dinglebot-thingy! And… another thing, more precious than anything else in the entire ocean!"
He looked back over his shoulder and saw the empty and desolate sea behind him. How bad can it be? He thought gingerly, swimming closer towards Ariel. "O-Ok b-but if we get into trouble it's all your fault!" She nodded carelessly and raced off again, feeling the water rush through her hair.
The sea was turning cold as they dived lower into the depths of the unknown ocean. Ariel had never felt so free! "Isn't this great, Flounder? Isn't this just fintasitic!" Flounder grinned back at her sardonically. "Sure." He paused. "This is just the fishiest!"
Ariel sighed at him and stopped. "Oh come on…. You'll get to see Eric!" Her heart thudded rapidly. Flounder glared at her with his eyes turning as sharp as a sting-rays nose. "E-Eric? Ariel who's Eric? I-It's s-sounds like a h-human!"
Her cheeks flushed a darker shade…. A human. "Did you take him?" Ariel sighed contently. "I saved him… His ship was caught on rocks so I took him with me." Flounder swallowed hard, not wanting to believe Ariel's tale. "Why didn't you put him back on the shore?"
She bit down on her bottom lip and felt a knot tie in her stomach. "Daddy, says they're bad up there doesn't he? Well, Eric is one of the good humans, I know he is! I saved him, Flounder!"
Flounder shook his head in disbelief. "You're crazy, Ariel! Y-your father! Oh my crabs…. What are you going to do if he finds out?" Ariel shrugged her shoulders and kissed his cheek lightly. "Daddy? If he finds out I've got Eric I'll just…. Well I don't know!" An image of Eric entered her mind and she felt her heart soar…. He made her feel so….. Wow.
She blushed deeply.
"This is bad, Ariel!" Flounder muttered fearfully. Was she losing her mind? Was it the bubbles? Flounder paused and stared at Ariel in horror. "Humans can't breathe in water….. He'll die!" Her eyes widened and she rushed off without another word.
Oh…. Have I killed him? Oh Eric! Ariel thought as heinous images of Eric drowning and gasping for air invaded her mind. A shiver ran down her spine as she felt a single tear slip down her cheek.
A dark whispering filled the sea as Ariel hit the rocky ocean bed. "W-who's there?" She muttered. "E-Eric?" The depths let out a low growl and she swam up in fright. "Ariel! I think we need to leave!" She shook her head at Flounder's suggestion. "I'm not leaving without, Eric!"
She cast her eyes around and spotted her secret sea cave…. Her human cave where she hid her divine collections. "I'll save you... Again." She muttered swimming into her dark den.
She saw him immediately, Eric's body was floating and his eyes were closed. Ariel's stomach lurched at the sight of him in such a way. She never wanted to hurt him! She only wanted to save him from the other ghastly humans…..
She brushed her fingers through his lustrous black hair and felt her stomach burst with bubbles. She grabbed his arms and pulled him quickly out of the cave.
Ariel didn't wait for Flounder, how could she possibly waste time when her human was hurt!
Frantically, she raced up from the deep darkness of the bottom of the ocean and began to see the sun glistening on the surface. She past the fish rapidly before they could ask questions…. The fish always were noisy creatures.
Ariel burst from the sea and rushed for a rock. "I'm so sorry." She muttered sullenly. She placed Eric on the sand as the shallow water ran beneath him. He was breathing…. Ariel gazed down at him. He's so beautiful! He gasped suddenly and coughed.
She leaned down closer filled with curiosity and wonder. "Are you alright? Hello?... Human…." Ariel brushed her fingers against his cheek gently….. He was so soft…. His skin was so smooth.
He opened his eyes. "Who are you? What's happened?….."
Ariel ducked behind the rock rapidly. She would be in so much trouble if her father found out. Don't say anything! Go! Leave! Ariel's instincts told her to flee but her heart protested.
"You saved me?" He muttered weakly attempting to lean over and get a better look at her… He could only see her face… Her eyes were the colour of the very sea that she sat in. "C-Can you s-speak? W-What's your name?"
Ariel shrugged her shoulders at Eric.
They were silent for a few moments with their eyes stuck on one-another. "I'm Eric and I'd like to thank you for saving my life…. Can you come out so that I can see you?" Ariel shook her head abruptly and fought to keep her tail out of his sight. Eric's heart thudded against his chest. He'd never seen a girl as beautiful as the one before him.
"Prince Eric!" He groaned out in irritation as Grimsby called after him with the panic and fear clear in his voice. Ariel watched and sunk deeper and deeper into the water. She saw an older human rushing towards them.
She wanted to laugh, he looked so different from Eric, his skin had wrinkles and he was no where near as handsome. "Sorry about this… Please let me introduce Grimsby to you, my heroine." Ariel felt herself blush at his charming words… But then she realized what he was actually saying.
No! She shook her head as she saw Grimsby getting closer to her. "No! Eric please…. I don't…. I can't! I must go… If daddy finds out!" She dived back into the ocean without another word, ignoring Eric calling for her to return.
"Please! Come back!" Ariel could still hear him yelling for her to return but she knew she could not... "Ariel!"
Her heart pounded and a knot quickly tied in her stomach. She knew that voice instantly... Daddy! She turned behind her and saw her father, King Triton towering over her with his great triton in his hand and his expression enraged and livid. Oh no... She was in trouble.
"How dare you disobey me! You think I won't have found out about the human? A human, Ariel! Haven't I told you enough times about humans? They are the evil creatures the same one that killed your mother! I've told you to many times! If you go up to that shore again or even speak to a another human... I will have it that you will see Flounder or any of the other fish again!"
Ariel opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. A tear slipped down her cheek and she ripped her eyes away from him. "Who told you?" Ariel asked angrily swimming on just in front of her father. "Sebastian... He has been following you! Making sure that you were safe under my orders!"
The fish swam in all different directions making way for Ariel and King Triton as they past through the sea. Ariel sighed sadly to herself slowly gliding through the water.
Daddy never listens! He doesn't understand! She thought sullenly. "Ariel..." She didn't want to look at her father! "When we return to Atlantica you will be watched over by Sebastian and you shall not leave the Palace or your bedroom!" She groaned out in rage. Her life wasn't fair at all! "I hate you!" She cried.
Ariel saw Atlantica in the distance and rushed through into her familiar kingdom, racing for the Palace. "Stupid sea slug rules! How could I ever be part of that world? I'm imprisoned here! I'm stuck in a place where I'm forbidden to do anything I want! It's so un-fishing fair!" Ariel threw her head in her hands swimming to her bedroom rapidly.
"How could I ever like a human? A beautiful human with his black hair and his gorgeous eyes! See Ariel you're off again! Oh..." She sobbed harder and slammed her door shut only thinking of Eric. If only she could make her father understand! She'd never felt her heart soar like he had made it when he spoke. She had never felt so blithe when he was with her.
She floated on her shell bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Bet'cha on land they understand that they don't reprimand their daughters..." Ariel snuffled unable to say anymore. She doubted that she would ever see Eric again. She doubted she'd ever see outside of Atlantica's wall ever again...
She didn't even know if she'd be allowed to see Flounder again! Ariel closed her eyes... Yes, she'd see Eric... In her dreams and in her mind.
"Someday I'll be part of your world... Somehow, someday I promise!" Another of Ariel's tears fell.
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