Ariel was off exploring another wreck looking for human things. That her friend could explain to her. The human world always fascinated her. She never understood her father's hatred towards them. When not all of them we bad, right? At least she didn't think so. She adored her one and only human friend. They had been friends for 6 years and her father knew nothing about them. If her father knew there would be hurricanes and tsunamis across the oceans.
Only recently had her father unbanned music in the sea. After her mother died he had banned it. That took 10 years. Him ever changing his tune on humans was a whole different pod of whales.
Ariel sighed she missed her friend. She saw them less and less. When they were younger they had more free time to meet. Now they were both growing up and had more responsibilities.
Speaking of responsibilities she needed to be back at Atlantica for a concert.
"Come on Flounder! I have the concert. My father's gonna fillet me!" Ariel bagged the pretty green stone and swam off.
"Ariel! I can't swim as fast as you!" Flounder called and whined about being left behind. Ariel turned back grabbed his tail and continued on her speedy way.
Later that evening after the concert Triton had a word with his youngest daughter.
"Ariel... How could you? This was a very important event! To celebrate our alliance with the Eastern Seas merfolk." Triton Sighed before berating her.
" I'm sorry Daddy. I lost track of time." Ariel tried to apologise looking down sheepishly.
" You were out looking for human things again weren't you?!" Triton already knew the answer to his question. Triton was furious.
" ..." Ariel had no words. Due to fear of her father's anger.
" You are not to leave this palace!!!! Until I say otherwise!!!" Triton yelled, anger raged in his voice like a hurricane.
Ariel flinched at the volume and negative energy. She instantly began crying. She would never understand her father. She swam off to her room without a word.
She sadly wasn't very close with her sisters. Attina though, being the motherly elder sister she was. Came in to try and calm her sobbing sister.
" I... can't... do.. this.. anymore!" Ariel tried saying between sobs. It came out in blubbery mumbles. Attina understood her, being use to her crying talk.
" You know how he is. Why do you go against his wishes?" Attina tried to reason with her.
"I don't understand his wishes! Not all of the humans are bad. One is my best friend!" Ariel cried out much clearer.
"You're friends with a human!?" Attina was shocked at her sister's gall.
" No! I can't... No I can't stay in this palace any longer!" Ariel was hysterical with her fear, her anger and surfeit of everything. She wrenched herself from her sister's embrace and swam out her bedroom window. Attina would never be able to catch her. Ariel was the fastest of all of her sisters. She just watched her go. Attina figured she'd cool off and come home.
Ariel had never been this upset about anything before. She just couldn't take her father's negativity anymore. She swam to her grotto. Flounder was home for the night she had no one to talk to. Sitting in silence fuming. She pulled out the beautiful green stone. She had found earlier.
As she looked at it feeling attached to it some how. A couple of eels disturbed her.
" Sssomeone'sss upssset.." One of them hissed as he spoke.
"Ssshall we tell her how sssshe can feel better?" The other asked the first eel.
"Yesss!" The first one answered.
"Who.. are .. . you?" She sniffled between words.
"Friendsss of sssomeone who can help you." The first answered.
"Who can make all your dreamsss come true." The second one said.
Ariel was so upset she didn't think long. She put the stone in her shell bra. "Take me, to them." Ariel would finally not have to argue everyday. Or do unreasonable things. Well to her they were. They lead the way and she followed.
Later they arrived at a creepy skeleton of a sea monster. Ariel entered through the mouth, following the eels. Swimming through the eery corridor resembling a throat. There were strange plants with eyes lining the floor and partway up the walls. Ariel swallowed her fear and continued on.
"Who, has come to ask for help?" A seflilepod woman asked in a sweet voice.
"I do. My name is Merlena. I want to be human." Ariel lyed about her name. She hoped she was believable.
"Of course sweet fish. We just need payment. " The woman said.
"I don't have anything. What could I give you for payment?" Ariel asked nervously.
"You have a pretty voice. That will suffice. If you sign here I'll get to work." The woman said pulling out a contract.
Ariel said nothing just took the fishtail bone quill and signed. The contract burst into a spray of light. The sea witch began her spell for taking Ariel's voice then. Then told her to sing. Ariel sang her favorite song the only one she could think of. Before she new it her voice flew out of her glowing like a fosferesant pearl. Slipping inside the witch's storage shell. Then the witch brewed a potion to give her legs. The sea witch bottled it in a cone shell bottle.
"This is temporary. It lasts 3 days no longer. If you share true loves kiss it becomes permanent. Wait till you reach the surface. Preferably near a beach. Understand?" The sea witch explained and asked the now mute mermaid. Ariel nodded and accepted the bottle. She swam away with a nod of thanks.
Ariel made her way to the surface and straight to the beach. It was a specific one. Where she likes to meet her friend. She surfaced, swam then crawled with her arms some. Till she could sit in the edge of the water. Just enough to submerg her hips. She pulled out the shell phial. Watching the sun rise she shed a single tear. Before she decided there was no going back. Uncorking the shell she knocked it back quick. It had an awful taste like sea slug, brain coral, and fire coral. She nearly spit it all up, but she choked it down. Then laid back in the shallow water as it washed up over her body.
A young man had just woke and had decided to look at the sun rise. Out his bedroom window. A swirl of aqua and teal light shimmered on a nearby beach. The beach itself was hidden by a ledge and some large rock formations worn down by time and the sea. Grabbed his clothes dressed and ran from his chambers. He ran down the back stairs avoiding everyone in the castle he lived in.
Once outside he snuck around the grounds till he was down by the beach and ran the rest of the way. Peaking around the rock formations took a bit of effort. They were really a bit awkward to move around or over. He managed and just ended up on the other side.
What he saw beyond surprised him. He watched for a moment stunned. There was a young woman with vibrant red hair laying in the surf. She was wearing a purple shell top and was very naked below the waist.
"Ariel!?" He asked very shocked by what he saw.
She looked up at his voice and smiled brightly. She went to get up but fell. Being not used to her legs obviously. Her knees never reminded the ground though.