Ningyo Hime
Thank U 4 being patient with this story! At last, my brain baby has finally come 2 fruition. I like to say thanks 2 the voter cuz if it weren't for U, this fic wouldn't even B here! Before U read, I want 2 point out that some of the characters will be drastically different, for example, Nya and Kai aren't related (in fact, Kai's not even remotely human in this fic), and my OC's from Chosen by Destiny won't B here. Don't wanna write about them in ALL of my fics. First, gotta make my disclaimer!
I own neither Ninjago nor the Little Mermaid. Lego owns Ninjago and HC Andersen owns the Little Mermaid. Now I proudly present 2 you, Ningyo Hime!
Chapter 1: Mermaid Princess
Once upon a time- no. That's not quite right.
This story won't begin that way, because this is no ordinary fairy tale.
Unlike most stories that speak of fantastical sword fights, prim and proper ladies, and terrifying dragons, this one is a bittersweet tale of an innocent girl who left the world she knew and made tremendous sacrifices, all for the love of a stranger.
But first…
Do you ever wonder what lies beneath the waves of the vast oceans? Is there really nothing but sand underneath the water? Do only fish, whales, and other underwater critters call the world underneath the sea their home?
The answers may surprise you.
For it is in the blue realm beneath the oceans that this story begins. Deep, deep, under the sea…
Nobody ever thought that the land wasn't the only place where grand palaces were built. There wasn't a single person who doubted that great kingdoms and beautiful princesses existed only on the surface and there was absolutely nothing deep beneath the waves.
But they were wrong.
Underneath the surface, far out into the blue world of the oceans, where no fathoms can reach the bottom, there was a majestic kingdom with a beautiful castle more grand than any built on the land above, and the underwater plants and flowers surrounding it even more so.
Fish swam through the corals like birds flitting through the trees in our world. Crabs scurried on the sand akin to the horses galloping across the plains.
But no kingdom was without a true king.
The monarch who dwelled in this land in the ocean was the Sea King.
Kind and wise, he was beloved by all his subjects. Wearing lavish layered robes and a bejeweled crown, he ruled from his castle built out of the most beautiful corals and decked with all types of decorative shells and pearls. Even the tallest tower of the palace dwarfed the great minarets of the desert realms.
In this palace, he wasn't alone. He was always accompanied by his mother, who was as sagely as she was ancient, also wearing luxurious robes and fabulous jewelry. Almost all the people in the underwater kingdom looked up to her and approached her for advice on any subjects and matter. Even the king himself would appeal to his mother whenever he had difficulty resolving any issues that plagued his kingdom, not that it wasn't peaceful.
But one thing this story has in common with many fairy tales was that the king lost his wife. But he wasn't unhappy, for his queen, before her departure from this world, brought two beautiful daughters into the ocean kingdom. But don't go thinking the people below the sea are just like us. No, there was one big difference between them and the humans of the surface. Instead of having legs, the lower half of their bodies ended with a fish tail, each a different color for every single person under the sea. They were known as merpeople.
As for the two princesses, they were as different as can be, in both appearance and personality.
The firstborn was an intelligent beauty named Zelda, whose icy blue tail was almost white. Her skin was as pale as a porcelain doll, her crystal blue eyes pierced deep into the souls of anyone who were caught in her gaze, and above all, she had gorgeous platinum blonde hair that grew all the way to her shins, should she have legs.
As for the younger daughter, her name was Nya, and she's the little mermaid of this story.
The only similarities between Nya and Zelda were the length of their luxurious locks. Other than that, they looked completely different from each other.
Nya's hair was as black as the midnight sky and her tail was a brilliant red, akin to the roses that grew in the upper world, but she wouldn't know that, for she has never seen a rose before.
Many mermen and mermaids alike were quickly charmed with her large hazel eyes that always sparkled with childlike mirth, and her skin although fair, wasn't as pale as her sister's. When it comes to personality, the only things Nya and Zelda shared were their clever wits and the most beautiful voices to grace the entire world, above and below the sea. Once again, they were very different from one another by personality and interests.
Zelda was always quite reserved, often remaining in the palace, studying on history and the like and behaving like the princess she was born to be. Whenever she left, many mermaids flocked towards her, setting up fashion trends inspired by the royal jewelry adorning her hair, flesh, and tail but she was never too concerned with her looks. Zelda was almost always solely interested in her academic studies.
As for Nya, she loved to play outside, venturing onto the ocean floor and exploring shipwrecks, looking for any neat treasures that remained undiscovered by anyone else.
But she wasn't alone.
Nya had a dear friend who always accompanied her on her adventures away from the castle, no matter where she went, he followed. The most remarkable thing about her friend was not that he was far from royalty, but the fact was…
He was a fish.
Yes, Nya's best friend was none other than a fish whose scales were was as red as the princess' tail. She even named him Kai, after a word for 'red' in one of the languages spoken by humans, which she learned from the stories her grandmother told of the world above. A unique trait of the merpeople was that they can communicate with all creatures of the sea, from the guttural whales to the relatively high-pitched starfish, so Nya and Kai were able to speak to each other.
Anyhow, Nya wanted to do nothing more than sneak out of her luxurious palace and go on all sorts of adventures with Kai. But whenever she wasn't busy exploring with her fish friend, she would dream of the world that existed far above her abode.
What were those strange creatures her father and grandmother called 'birds'?
What was fire? Why does it burn everything?
What's it like to 'burn'?
After hearing stories of the lands above the sea from her father and grandmother, Nya couldn't wait until she'll finally come of age on her sixteenth birthday. But having to wait that long was NOT exactly the little princess' forte. She'll have to make do with the little treasures she found in those rusty sunken boats with Kai.
Until that time, all members of the royal family remained in the ocean kingdom, never to bring their heads above the water. The mermaid princesses were no exception.
Until the fateful day Zelda turned sixteen.
That day may not be about Nya, but she will never forget it.
Zelda was absolutely beautiful wearing a glamorous array of seashells all over her body, from head to tail. Servants swam to and fro getting the eldest princess dressed up for her big day.
Nya pleaded to go with her sister, but her father and grandmother insisted she should wait for her turn. Besides, it wouldn't take too long since she and Zelda were only one year apart. But patience wasn't exactly a virtue she possessed. She only observed as her sister continued to be all dolled up for her journey above water.
For her special day, Zelda was even adorned with a veil and a specially made tiara, which she'll always wear, even after her first venture to the surface, as a symbol of her adulthood. The little princess could do little else but watch with longing and envy as her sister swam to the surface, her veil trailing behind her icy tail.
Nya waited anxiously for hours until she would finally see her sister again.
When Zelda returned, her sister's fascination with the world above grew even more so as she bombarded her older sister with questions of the realm above the very moment she returned.
The eldest princess spoke of how these tiny things called stars twinkled in the sky even before the sun's warm rays disappeared entirely, the heavens was one large canvas for a dazzling array of purple, pink, yellow, and orange streaks swirling above her. The colorful sky reflected on the rippling waters, making it even more striking. Having never seen the sky, Nya can only imagine what it must've looked like.
Nya became even more envious of Zelda, who could now go to and from the surface whenever she pleased, but the older mermaid was always patient enough to tell her little sister everything she saw every time she returned.
Her sister would occasionally venture far from the palace before she exposed her lovely face to the surface. Sometimes, she even caught a glimpse of the land and the towns built there by the humans who dwelt upon the earth, or even swim up a river and into the lush forests with their lofty trees occupied by birds singing sweet songs. But Zelda's favorite time to visit the surface was during the winter when she would see these oh so little things called snowflakes dancing down from the heavens that fascinated her so much she ignored the biting chills of the wind. Of course she told Nya all about it when she finally returned after gazing at the tiny flecks of ice for what could've been an eternity.
Zelda had to admit, the good thing about going to the surface was that she could get away from all the enamored mermen who sought for her silky white hand in marriage.
Nya was still young and it was forbidden in the kingdom of the merpeople for the men to court a princess until she came of age, so she wouldn't understand that part for another long while.
But eventually, Zelda all too quickly consider her underwater home far more superior than that wonderful world above for reasons Nya never really knows. Zelda always kept to herself in the royal archives even before she came of age, reading all the books she have already read for the umpteenth time. So within months, the eldest princess went back to reading in the library and avoiding countless suitors.
But time seems to have a habit of always flying by pretty quickly.
Soon, Nya's sixteenth birthday was fast approaching.
Once again, servants swam all around the castle, trying to get the adventurous princess to dress up for her first time to the surface.
"Hurry! Hurry!"
"Where's the jewelry!?"
"We mustn't keep the king waiting!"
Nya hated getting dolled up, but it was part of the 'tradition' for mermaid princesses who came of age to look their best. This time, Zelda was also there to help her get ready.
"I know you've been waiting for this moment all your life, sister." Zelda spoke with that velvety voice of hers as she adorned her with pearl necklaces.
"I know, but do I have to wear all this?" Nya complained, observing her dark hair in the nearby mirror, also decorated with various gems and shells and topped with a fancy tiara.
"You must. It's a part of the royal customs. Now, let's get your veil."
"What about Kai? Can he come along?"
For a brief moment, Zelda's crystal eyes widened in astonishment, but she shook her head.
"Nya, if you keep frolicking with that naughty fish, you'll never be a true princess."
"But he's my friend! Why can't I hang out with him!?"
Again, Zelda tried to placate the more willful princess.
"Look, there's nothing wrong with making all sorts of friends, but you must remember. We are the daughters of the great Sea King, and we must live up to our royal names. Now, shall we go? Father and Grandmother are waiting for us."
After putting on her veil and some finishing touches, Nya was led to the main hall of the palace where her family awaited her.
There, on a throne of coral sat the Sea King, an aging man whose hair was now white as snow, but his face was always gentle and benevolent. Next to him sat his mother, an ancient woman with wrinkles all over her face and hair also as white as her son's, but her eyes still glimmered with vast knowledge.
"Father. Grandmother." Nya bowed her head before them.
"Nya," the Sea King started, "you have finally come of age. But remember, the surface can be a dangerous place. Please be careful."
"I will father."
Giving her parent a quick kiss on the forehead, Nya embraced her grandmother.
"It only feels like yesterday when your mother was still with us and brought you into the world. Funny how time passes by so fast. Now, you're all grown up, ready to see the world beyond our abode here in the bottom of the ocean."
"Grandmother…"
"Have a safe journey, Nya."
With that, Nya quickly swam away from the palace after saying her final farewells to her family, more than ready for this moment she has been waiting for all her life.
And thus, the story of the little mermaid has begun…
I know this was more of a prologue than an actual chapter, but I promise I'll get 2 the real story later.
BTW Zelda is my genderbent version of Zane, who'll be Nya's sibling instead of Kai. As for their father and grandmother, they're OC's inspired by Dr. Julien & Sensei Wu respectively but they're not really them being genderbent or having relationships changed.
4 those of U who adore happy endings, you're obviously at the wrong place. LEAVE. NOW. This will (generally) B more faithful 2 the original fairy tale.
Please review and tell me what U guys think of this fic so far.