Standing outside the castle, Ariel sighed, looking up at the beautiful, bright blue sky. Ten years had passed since she'd seen her family, and all because of that stupid, crazy sea witch. Melody, being the adventurous 10-year old that she was, loved the sea, and constantly questioned Ariel as to why there was a wall enveloping the castle. In those cases, Ariel would simply shrug and tell her it was for safety.
She desperately wished they hadn't had to put the wall up, but the threat of Morgana left them no choice. Though Ariel could go down to the ocean if she wanted to, by going to the outskirts of the town, she wished she could see the beautiful view of her childhood home from the castle.
The princess was feeling extra depressed that day, and she decided to go down to the ocean, anyways. Though it was possible for her to meet her family there, she persuaded her Daddy to not come near the surface. For all they knew, Morgana could be tracking their every move, waiting for the perfect time to attack. Hopefully, if they didn't have contact with each other, Morgana would believe that Melody didn't mean as much to King Triton that he would sacrifice his triton in exchange for his granddaughter.
When Ariel reached the shoreline, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes as the waves brushed over her feet. She desperately wished she didn't have to do this to her family, but she wouldn't risk Melody's safety.
The former mermaid opened her eyes to glance at the ocean, remembering her past life. Though she much preferred land, she did miss her scaly green fins, guiding her as she swam through the ocean.
Suddenly, Ariel noticed something emerge from the water before quickly disappearing. Puzzled, she looked more closely, and when it emerged again, she noticed it was a tail. A blue tail, almost like…. No, it couldn't be… Almost like Aquata's!
Ariel felt herself grow more excited, and when the tail emerged again, she called, "Aquata?" Almost instantly, the brunette mermaid popped out of the ocean, looking around to see who had called her name. She noticed Ariel and gasped, then swam over to her as Ariel raced farther into the ocean.
The two met, and Ariel threw her arms around her older sister. "Aquata! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to come to the surface!" she exclaimed, though there was a smile on her face.
"Ariel! Oh my Cod, it's been too long!" Aquata laughed. "I wanted to feel the sun again, so I snuck away from Attina and Daddy and came here for a few minutes! I'm so glad to see you!"
After another hug, Aquata's smile faded. With a frown, she said quietly, "I wish we got to see you more. This isn't right. But we'll find Morgana and get rid of her, I promise."
Ariel let out a sigh, nodding slightly. "I know," she said, her voice shaking as she felt tears in her eyes. "I just need to keep Melody protected. You shouldn't be here."
"I know, I know," Aquata replied, "and I wish I got to see my niece more. But we're trying, Ariel, we're trying." The two fell silent for a moment, hearing nothing but the crashing of the waves. "I.. I guess I should go, huh?" she said sadly.
Ariel nodded. "I'm so happy I got to see you," she said. "Say hello to the others for me, okay? I miss you all… so much."
Aquata nodded and shut her eyes tightly to hold back tears. After hugging Ariel again, she turned and dove under the water, leaving Ariel alone on the beach again. Ariel was so thankful to have reunited with her sister, but she wished that it didn't have to be like this.