A/N: So, this is... random. I was going through one of the 100 theme challenge things (I'm not even sure whihc one), and one of the words was tail. And this just popped into my head - exprloring Artie's paralysis in a different way.

I've never really written Artina/Tartie before - the closest I ever came was in New Names, where there was some background Artina. But Tina is so sweet, and during the first season it was really her who Artie vented his frustrations about being in a wheelchair to. So, she fit. Hope you enjoy!

Tail

Artie had always been ashamed of his tail. It had been damaged in a fishing net when he was child, and now it hindered him; he couldn't swim at half the speed or the other mermen and mermaids, and he didn't look any bit as graceful while doing so. He heard the other merfolk whisper about him as he passed, felt their pitying stares on his back, but he never turned to face them.

When the other children were training in sports, swimming laps and increasing their speed, jumping out of the water and performing acrobatic twists and flips, and learning correct diving form, Artie was left on the sidelines, watching sadly and knowing he would give anything, anything to be able to swim like them.

Most of the other kids didn't really talk to him; they didn't know how to. What were they supposed to ask him to do with them, when everything they did involved swimming at a speed he wasn't capable of? Occasionally, a small merboy named Kurt would keep him company, but his main hobby was collecting shiny objects to decorate his tail with, and Artie couldn't help him go on his hunts, so he usually went off with a pretty mermaid named Mercedes, who had the coolest fin Artie had ever seen (it was gold and purple, and he was pretty sure Kurt was jealous of it, even though Kurt's tail was a really cool blue-green-grey, that always seemed to be changing colors, and Artie didn't even understand why he needed to decorate it).

Artie was really preoccupied with other merfolks' tails, if only because he wished his tail was better looking. Sure, the color was cool – it was warm cinnamon, with dark emerald swirls. But it was bent oddly, and one of the bottom fins was shredded, so it wasn't a very nice tail to look at, at least in his opinion.

Suddenly a crystal blue tail appeared next to his, shimmering silver where the sun hit it. He looked up to be met face-to-face with Brittany Pierce, a beautiful, popular mermaid in his class who was sort of on the dull side. Not far behind her were, of course, Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray. The three girls were rarely seen apart.

"H-hi," Artie stuttered, not sure what to say to this beautiful mermaid in front of him. He became quickly horrified, though, when he realized Brittany was intently studying his tail.

"Why's your tail like that?" she asked, voice light and airy, nothing but innocent curiosity in her tone. She obviously wasn't trying to be rude, but the question stung anyway. He wanted to hide his tail from her view, but of course that was impossible. His deformity was on display for anyone to see. "It's bent all funny. And it looks like my catfish attacked you."

"U-um, I," Artie stammered. "I just… hurt it. When I was little."

"Oh." Brittany cocked her head. "Does it still hurt?"

"No, not anymore."

"So how come you can't swim normal like the rest of us?"

Artie closed his eyes. Her questions were dragging too many insecurities to the surface, all at once. He didn't want to be mean to Brittany, because she wasn't intending to hurt him, but he didn't want to keep answering her questions, either.

"Brittany," a smooth voice cut in, and Quinn Fabray swam closer to them, her long, brilliant orange-red tail shimmering like an impossible flame beneath the water. "Artie doesn't want to talk about this, it's making him sad."

Brittany looked surprised, and then upset. She turned back to Artie. "I'm sorry for making you sad," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," Artie replied in a quiet voice.

Santana flicked her dark, rich maroon tail and rolled her eyes. "Let's get going. Leave Loser McCripple Fin to his pity party." Quinn shot her friend a look that clearly told her to shut up, then put a comforting hand on Artie's shoulder for a second. And then the trio was off, swimming faster and more fluidly than Artie could ever dream of doing.

"Don't listen to them."

Artie's head snapped up at the quiet, sweet voice, and he was met with a pretty, kind-looking Asian mermaid. Her tail was nothing fancy – dark blue, with streaks of royal purple – but Artie thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. Her long dark hair flowed behind her as she swam closer to him, a tentative smile still on her face.

"I don't think your tail is weird at all."

Artie was so entranced by her beauty that it took him a second longer than it should have to register the comment. When he did, he blushed and looked down at his shredded fins. "But it is," he said sadly. "It's weird and ugly and it doesn't work right."

"No," the girl protested. "It's cool! I've never seen another tail like it. It's so unique. Unlike mine, which is plain and boring." She flicked her tail absentmindedly.

"It's not plain and boring at all!" Artie rushed to assure her. "It looks like the deepest, most mysterious parts of the ocean, like it's endless."

She smiled self-consciously at him. "You really think so?"

He nodded eagerly. "Of course! It's the prettiest tail I've ever seen. Even prettier that Mercedes', and she has gold in hers. Only don't tell her I like yours more because then she might slip crabs in my clam while I sleep."

The girl giggled, and Artie almost sighed at the tinkling sound. "Well I think your tail is a beautiful color too. It looks like the land, at least the parts the humans haven't destroyed. The pretty parts."

Artie smiled bashfully. No one had ever complimented his tail before; they usually just asked what was wrong with it. "Thanks." They sat in silence for a few more moments before he blurted, "I'm Artie, by the way. Artie Abrams."

She smiled kindly back at him, and gosh she had the greatest smile. It was like rainbows and dolphins and angelfish combined. "I'm Tina Cohen-Chang. I just moved here from the Pacific, off the coast of Hawaii."

"Well, Ms. Cohen-Chang," Artie began, trying his best to be suave. "Allow me to show you around?"

This brought forth another giggle as Tina looped her arm through his. "That would be lovely, Mr. Abrams," she replied.

"I hope you don't mind that we'll have to go slow…" Artie warned, voice turning serious and apprehensive. He didn't know what he would do if this beautiful mermaid wanted to leave him so soon because of his deformity. He'd had so many people judge him about it before…

"Pfft," Tina waved her hand, as if she was dispelling all his fears. "Who wants to go fast on a tour, anyways? Isn't the whole point of a tour to take in the sights?" The comment was offhanded, but it meant so much to Artie, because finally, finally someone didn't care that he couldn't swim as long or as fast as anyone else.

As they set off on their way, Artie turned to the pretty girl he was quickly developing a crush on and said, "Tina, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." And maybe more.

A/N: I know the whole mermaids thing is a little out of left field, but let me know what you though nonetheless!