A Mermaid's Tail

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its fabulous characters. All recognizable players, dialogue, and/or magic spells belong to ABC and Disney.

Chapter 1

Just beyond the Enchanted Forest lies the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest blue bird and as clear as lightest crystal. Deep and dark and mysterious, it is an entirely different world hidden here from the surface dwellers. Here be the mermaids. These are not the sweet, innocent beings believed to be the dantiest of all sea creatures. These are true mermaids of legend, able to lure a sailor to his doom with one stanza of a sinister song. Beautiful but deadly they travel in pods ruled by the strongest female and terrorize all poor unfortunate souls who stray too close to their territory. Dragging their victims down to the depths, they will drown any wretched man and devour his earthly remains right down to the bones!

All but one. There was one mermaid that was different than the others…

She was an odd one. Quiet and thoughtful, she did not care for the hunt or the killings. While her sisters loved the excitement of bringing down humans, she was bothered by all of it. She did not like to see the dead men or hear their cries as they were pulled under the water, never to see their surface world again. It made her so sad that she could not look away, even though she could not bear to see the fear in the human's eyes. After every hunt she would always just scavenge bits of food, feeling terribly guilty about what she was eating. Her sisters always made fun of her and her queen would often scoff at her overall sympathy for the plight of the humans. The icy mer-queen branded her a weakling and never failed to remind the little mermaid of this.

One morning, in the ambient light of the early dawn, the entire pod was breaking fast on leftovers from the night before. The queen of the pod surveyed her subject with a quick glance of her cold, steely eyes and saw the little mermaid off by herself, fiddling with a piece of cloth that had belonged to the overcoat of a sailor.

The mer-queen swam over fast and knocked the item out of the younger ones hands. "Look at you! Weeping over the remains of some fish-eater human as if the creatures possessed souls. You are a disgrace to mer-kind!"

This particular outburst had caused Ariel to flee in humiliation from her pod. She sought the sanctuary of an isolated rocky bay, outcropping far enough from the shoreline that she was well hidden from wandering eyes. That she preferred her solitude was another oddity of hers; mermaids only traveled in schools. For now, all she wanted was a little time away from her family. She gripped the wet stone hard and hoisted herself up to perch delicately on the rock. As she adjusted her sitting position, being careful to keep her tail underwater, she heaved a frustrated, angry sigh.

"How can she say that! It's not fair," she murmured angrily to no one in particular, "She's so unfair!"

Ariel glanced over at the beach. From this angle she could see the deep, piercing green of the forest that lined the sandy seashore. The trees grew in such proximity it was hard to make out anything beyond a few meters of the sand. Further north the shore line ended abruptly with rocks harrowing the line of sand; only a few birds and sea creatures such as crabs called this in-between place home.

But humans also came here.

Ariel herself had seen many a fisherman and their families launching small vessels from these shores. She guessed that there was an establishment nearby where they would take their catch. What was the word…"village"? The boats were never big enough to catch the attention of her queen; mermaids were only interested in bringing down huge cargo ships with plenty of unlucky souls aboard. Ariel knew that she could lure a boat closer to her easily enough with her enchanting voice but she never wanted to. She was content to just watch from afar, fascinated with the actions of humans not vying for their lives. The way they walked, talked, and laughed at their cares…it was all so interesting and amazing.

Today there was no one on the shore to watch. Ariel was dishearted; she would have gladly welcomed the distraction. Trying to think of something else that would lift her spirits, she started singing a song to herself. Even though mermaids were only supposed to sing to lure their prey into oblivion, this little mermaid sang for the sheer joy of it. While her sisters sang shameless siren songs in order to stir a frenzy into any hardened sailor, Ariel would sing about anything with her beautiful voice. She formed some words that came to mind…

Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waiting for me

My lover stands on golden sand

And watches the ships that go sailing

That was another thing that she could not share with her sisters…she believed in loved. Mermaids often sang licentious lyrics in order to fill human males with lustful thoughts, but Ariel knew better than to get the two mixed up. She believed love was deeper, more of a secret. There must be a reason why humans wanted it so badly. Truthfully, she wanted it badly too…but mermaids were not capable of falling in love. That is what she had been told her whole life.

We'll meet, I know we'll meet

Beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be, beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

Was it so wrong that she longed to leave her family for another life? She knew deep down that she would always be a disappointment to her queen and her sisters. Always the strange one with the sympathetic soul and no desire to kill. Always the quiet, weak, useless little thing. It bothered her family so much that she was so different and honestly, it bothered her too. Anger stirred within her at the one-sided arguments she had always endured from her queen, the taunts and teases from her sisters, and the complete lack of empathy from her own kind. She had to end her song because an unpleasant bitterness was developing in her mouth.

"I am no mermaid," she muttered bitterly. "I might as well be human."

She was certain that it would be the most wonderful thing in the world to be human. No one judging her, calling her pitiful, or telling her it was unhealthy for her to have such thoughts. She would be free! Free to be herself and not have to worry about what anyone thought of her. Jerking her head to flip the soaked, crimson-colored hair off her face as she thought again about the argument with her queen. It left her feeling both angry and ashamed. No one understood her; none of her older sisters could ever comprehend her desire to leave the pod. They already always told her she spent more time on the surface than was healthy for a mermaid.

"I don't care," she said severely to herself.

And she really didn't; if anything she wanted more. She wanted to see something new, to see what life outside of the ocean was like. She wanted to really see humans. What was it like to have two legs and to walk and run and dance in someone's arms? She looked down at her own wet arms and then cast her eyes upon the rest of her fish-body. She was so far from being human: her shimmery, emerald fish tail extended far into the murky waters of the sea, the fins almost translucent as they spread. Her delicate lips concealed retractable fangs that were designed for tearing into flesh (not that she had ever done that) and her small hands could easily crush a man's skull with no effort. A far cry from any harmless-looking maidens she had seen walking along the beaches. She could not help but grimace at the thought of how deadly a mermaid's body was.

"Disappointed in the workmanship?" came a cackling voice.

Ariel jerked her head up to see an odd, human-looking creature seated on a small jetty of rocks, just extending out to the sea. The newcomer looked rather strange with greenish, scale-like skin that seemed to glitter like the sea with the receding sun on it. Even in his refined, expensive-looking garments he held himself rather comfortably on the rocks with one leg crossed over the other, hands resting on the knees.

Ariel hissed and quickly slid fully into the water, showing the stranger her fangs and slanted eyes. It did not seem to faze the newcomer; he simple gave an oily giggle. Ariel's suspicion rose as she got a closer look at the fellow. His eyes were bizarre, too large and reptilian-like for a human. The blackness of the irises reminded her of mermaids when the bloodlust took over and all reason was lost to the hunt. His face was nothing but angles with a large, protruding nose and jutting chin.

"Who are you?" she asked with narrowed, suspicious eyes. He had just appeared out of nowhere; that was not normal, even for the Enchanted Forest.

The newcomer smiled wickedly and gave a slight incline of his head with a flutter of hands; Ariel saw the filthy teeth and talon-like nails moreso than the attempt at a bow. "Rrrrrrrumplestiltskin is the name and making deals is the game," he shrilled.

Ariel frowned at this change in pace. "What makes you think I am interested in a deal?"

"Oh I don't know…could it be that you have been sitting her gazing at the humans every day for the past week? Perhaps a little misunderstanding with that queen of yours?" He seemed to be enjoying this one-sided conversation. "No wait…I've got it!" He held up a finger and tapped his temple as if contemplating something very complex. "You want more than anything in the world to leave this place?"

Ariel's glare became more severe. "I do not ask for your help imp!"

Rumplestiltskin lifted both eyebrows. So the little red-headed mermaid did have some spitfire in her? That was refreshing; it was so dull to have easily-convinced parties sometimes. "Nooooo, but perhaps you need it?" he retorted with a high-pitched giggle at the incredulous look on the mermaid's face.

"I mean why else would you be here pining away at the humans instead of out there with your…ahem...school doing what you're kind does best?" he cackled again as if he had just made a good joke.

Ariel squared her shoulders as she faced the creature, trying to put on a show of bravery. She'd fought treacherous sea monsters, hungry sharks, and even a hydra before, but always with the combined efforts of her mermaid sisters. Now she was all alone. She eased away from where the green demon sat. "Be gone!"

But Rumplestiltskin flashed a yellow smile at her. "Even before I tell you my deal?" He put on an exaggerated wounded expression. "Come now little mermaid… I think you really want to hear it."

The imp must have thought that she was desperate for something if he was attempting this ploy. With a pang of annoyance, she realized he was right. Still, his tricks would not work on her. Ariel was about to say so when the one called Rumplestiltskin spoke again.

"Oh yes." He said knowingly with a nod of the head. "I know what you want dearie. And I can give it to you…I can make you a human."

That shocked her out of her suspicion. She could be human? With legs? She could leave this place? Her glittering, blue eyes widened as they bore into his dark, black ones.

"Can you do that?" she asked in amazement, her hard voice softening in her wonder.

"Indeed I can," answered the imp, "For a price."

Ariel blinked hard, realizing the meaning of that simple statement. She knew from experience that mermaids did nothing out of kindness, so it did not surprise her that humans (or whatever it was?) seemed to have the same policy. Still, she was not so desperate that she would willingly enter into a debt with this creature. Mermaids did not need help from anyone, least of all sinister-looking greenish characters. Ariel trusted this imp about as far as she could throw him.

Her voice turned cold again as she forced the words out. "I am not interested in any deals that you have in mind sir. Now if you'll excuse me…"

With a sharp flick of her muscular fish-tail she dove without a splash, away from the surface world with its confusing creatures and wishful thinking. Ariel knew she would face a heavy scolding after she went crawling back to her queen, but it could not be helped. She had to get away before she changed her mind and begged the man of magic to give her legs.

Rumplestiltskin smirked as he watched the young mermaid dive beneath the surface and disappear into the cold depths of the grey waters. He had no doubt that she would return, it was only a matter of time really. He was always able to know a desperate soul when he saw one and this mermaid was no exception.

Rubbing his hands in delight, Rumplestiltskin contemplated his future, inevitable deal with the foolish young one. He knew exactly what he wanted and he also knew exactly what he would do with it. Something that he had wanted to do for a long time now. No matter… as he had told her before he had all the time in the world now.

...

For the next few weeks it was all Ariel could do to keep her conversation with the imp out of her head. That there was a way out of her wretched life as a defective mermaid had not even been considered before; she always assumed that she would eventually learn to be like her sisters sooner or later. It had seemed easier to just gripe and feel sorry for herself than actually leave her family. That was asking a lot for a mermaid, a social creature like many fish, to abandon everything she had ever known.

These thoughts led her to really really try the next time a ship was brought down.

It was a large cargo vessel, carrying an arsenal of war materials including swords, pikes, rapiers, and soldiers. That it was a ship carrying the means of death for many people made Ariel more than determined. She had been so ready to be what was expected of her as a mermaid, but when the moment came she did the unimaginable...

She tried to save a man's life.

Her whole school had been waiting, bobbing together in the seemingly peaceful waters of the bay. The crescent moon reflected off of the dark waters casting an ambient light onto the white sails pf the ship. A soft summer breeze drifted across surface of the water, barely touching the mermaids with coolness. But the beautiful, tranquil night was about to become very very ugly. Her queen started the evil song as she had always done:

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold…

All of her sisters took up the melodious tune, even Ariel. Drunk with desire the sailors scrambled along the decks, pining for the source of the beautiful melody. Within moments the ship had altered its course drastically and was steering straight for the submerged shoals that lined the outskirts of the bay. Ariel felt the familiar dread in her stomach but pushed it away, determined to stay and be a proper mermaid. The sound of the groaning ship as it struck the rocks was enough to make her want to cry out loud but she could not; mermaids do not cry. Instead, she lurched forward with the rest of her sisters towards the vessel, right into the thick of battle.

The ship was swamped by a pod of bloodthirsty mermaids in seconds. The sailors awoke from their dazed state, brought on by the songs of the sirens, to a hellish nightmare. Pulling themselves over the sides of the vessel with unnatural strength, the mermaid's devilish-yellow eyes shone with a ravenous hunger while their demonic fangs found their targets. Completely overwhelmed with the exitement of the chase, the savage mermaids were picking off the sailors, one by one. The water churned with men thrashing in the waves, their screams filling the once peaceful night sky. Already the seas were stained with the blood of the poor souls who had ripped apart by the voracious mermaids. In the midst of the chaos, Ariel flayed around in the water, completely confused and upset.

Oh gods, what was she thinking? This was not her…this would never be her. She could never do this. This was pure evil.

Right in the thick of battle she decided to leave. The ocean was pitching violently from drowning men and mermaids on the hunt but a few strong flicks of her tail, and she was diving far below the surface and away from the carnage. It was much calmer in the deeper, darker waters and she headed for the underside of the partially submerged boat. Her sense of urgency caused her to submerge at a faster pace than was prudent and it created an unpleasant crushing sensation in her ears. As she paused to adjust to the pressure change, a flash of white just above caught her attention.

It was a sailor! He had somehow escaped the clutched of her sisters, but now had fallen from the stern of the boat into the sea. His white shirt was flapping with the force of the waves and he started sinking rapidly.

Ariel did not think twice; she gave a sharp flap of her fins and propelled herself forward, even faster than before. Once more she felt the pull on her ears but she did not stop until she had grabbed the man's arms and was yanking him upward. They both broke the hard-churned surface, awash with the glowing blaze of the ship that had caught on fire. Ariel was at a loss as to what to do. The man she held onto did not seem to be struggling and for a split second she panicked, thinking him to be dead. A closer look revealed that he was breathing, not dead just unconscious. A large gash on his forehead indicated from whence this condition had come from; he had been knocked out by a blunt object. Grabbing tightly to his shoulders, she started to drag him in the direction of the shore, praying that her actions would go unnoticed by her sisters.

Her prayers were not answered.

"Well, look at this. Our little sister has finally snagged her first victim," came a cold voice from behind the struggling mermaid.

She did not need to turn to know who it was…Marina, her queen. The powerful alpha mermaid held her steely gaze right onto the human in Ariel's arms. The glow of the fire highlighted the blonde in her hair, making it seem like a golden crown as it fell around her exquisitely beautiful face. But her demonic fangs and fiendish eyes were fixed right onto the sailor that Ariel had saved.

Turning slowly, Ariel felt the breath pulled out from her as she lowered her eyes in submission. Her leader was not known for her generosity towards wayward mermaids and she knew that she would be facing severe punishment for what she had been about to do. The thought of this unnerved poor Ariel.

"What are you waiting for little sister? Devour him. He looks ever so tasty," Marina said haughtily.

Ariel felt her throat close up. She glanced at the face of the man in her arms. Gods he looked young, too young to die like this. Only hours ago she had been so ready for this, so ready to be just like her sisters. But now when the moment had finally come…she simply could not do it.

Holding her head up, trying to be brave Ariel simply said, "No."

Marina did not even blink an eye, if anything she looked as if she had been expecting this. Ariel was a little confused at this response. She did not expect this kind of a reaction: ranting and raving, yelling and screaming yes, but this?

Quick as a flash, Marina jolted forward and yanked the sailor out of Ariel's hands. Before she could even give a protest, Marina had sunk her fangs into the man's neck. He flew out of unconsciousness and his screeches were enough to send shock waves throughout Ariel. His flaying arms and kicking legs did nothing to sway the iron grip the mermaid queen had on him. Her eyes remained cold and indifferent as the life's blood of her prey was pumped out into the black waters.

Queen Marina did not let up, even after the man made a sickening, gurgling sound as he choked on his own blood and ceased struggling. She kept her fangs in but her eyes on Ariel the whole time. The message was clear: this was meant as a punishment for her. Several minutes after the final death flailing of her victim the mermaid queen shoved the body aside, and licked her blood-stained fangs in a very satisfying manner. Ariel could only stare in shock; never in all her years had she witnessed such actions of her queen. Surely she should be punished not the innocent sailor, it never occurred to her that one stupid decision would warrant such a painful, agonizing death.

Queen Marina flicked her long, blonde tresses out of her face and shifted her gaze away from Ariel towards the burning vessel. Former mast timbers were crackling and falling into the sea with a resounding hiss as the fires were extinguished. The ship was nearly fully submerged in the ocean, its weapons hardly suitable for anything now. No more screams pierced the night, all of the men were dead.

"One less human to worry about now. Spineless, stupid, fish-eaters incapable of any good or any reason. Humans are all the same, nourishment for the body and nothing else. Deserving of no mercy." Queen Marina said in her signature steely, cold voice. Her emotionless eyes bore onto Ariel's bowed head. "Why can you not understand this?"

She reached out and brushed a strand of Ariel's hair out of her eyes; a human would have taken the gesture as affectionate but Ariel knew better. She flinched at the touch and jerked her head away, keeping her eyes down.

Marina reached out again and cupped Ariel's chin with an iron grip, forcing the youngster's face upward. Her queen's voice remained calm, "You go too far this time little one. Your impudence has been growing and this will not be tolerated. Would you risk banishment from your sisters simply because you are flawed?"

Ariel felt her heart lurch at these words. Flawed? At one point in her hundreds of years of living she would have simply nodded her head automatically, agreeing to whatever her queen had said, but this was not that time. This was past her breaking point. She had had enough!

"Why can you not understand?" she snapped, "I do not want THIS!"

Ariel felt her chest thumping as she jolted her face away from the queen's cold hand. Never before had she acted this way; this was a deliberate act of defiance that would warrant heavy punishment…she did not care. She knew what she had to do.

With a flash of scales she spun and splashed away. Swimming as hard as she could she left the scene of carnage, of death and destruction, of empty hearts and cold eyes. If she had had any doubts about the imp's offer they were gone now. She was determined to leave this life behind.

Queen Marina watched the young one bound away in a flurry of splashes. The mermaid queen shook her head, her eyes trailing after young Ariel's wake. "Then you have chosen your fate little mermaid. You are not one of us."

That red-head had been giving her trouble for years and years now. It had really only been a matter of time before the young one would succumb to such stupid actions as tonight's. The mermaid queen had no doubt that Ariel would return; she had swum off multiple times but had always returned to her family. Still the miserable little weakling that she was, but she always came back. The queen was unaware that from the moment Ariel jerked herself away she never intended to come back.

Flicking her large aqua, scale-sheathed tail she turned to survey her pod's work. The ship was fully beneath the tossing waves of the sea and the remainder of her subjects finishing the last of the human flesh. A most satisfying night.

...

The song "Beyond the Sea" was made famous by the wonderful Frank Sinatra, a siren in his own time! Hopefully ole-blue-eyes would have loved the idea of a mermaid singing it as much as I do :)