Hey guys! My inspiration is officially back from vacation, and it seems I'm just pumping out one story after another, huh? (Well it does to me. XD)

Disclaimer: I don't own The Little Mermaid or Gravitation.

~The Little Mermaid: On the Surface~

~Chapter 1~

Shuichi pushed aside a huge rock, slipping into his secret grotto and hauling said object back. Once inside, he swam over to the rock set in the middle of his precious hideout. Sitting, he crossed his arms as memories of not so long ago flooded his mind.

"Shuichi! I've told you time and time again!" Triton scolded his son. "The surface is an evil, dangerous place! Full of selfish and reckless beings! There is not one reason to be intrigued with such vile things!" He fumed at his son, all of his sisters peeking around a corner nearby and feeling sympathy for their brother. Although acting out as a woman was annoying for Shuichi, he'd take that over being lectured over his father any day. Yes, do to his deceased mother's wishes he was known outside of the kingdom as a girl.

"But- But father! I just..." The pinkette couldn't find an explanation for himself- if he were to say that of all things he wished for legs, his father would certainly forbid him for leaving the castle ever again.

"Silence!" The king boomed.

At being cut off the teenager couldn't hold in his anger any longer and burst. "I HATE YOU! YOU ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO DESPISE HUMANS!" And with that Shu swam from the kingdom, leaving him family and servants in awe.

Triton pinched the bridge of his nose, stroking his long white beard and saying to one of his servants beside him, "Maybe I was too hard on him?" The crab only looked down and nodded slightly.

Shuichi sniffed and blinked his eyes. He cast his gaze down towards his seafoam-green tail, swishing it slightly from side to side. "Maybe he's right. Maybe there is something the matter with me." He saw a trinket he had collected recently and plucked it from a horizontal hole in the wall, scanning the makeshift shelf and smiling to himself. "But I just can't see how a world that makes such wonderful things... could be bad." The trinket was one solid, shiny line that separated into four at the end- one the things that dumbfounded him the most. [1] What could they use that for? He drug it through his short hair and giggled.

"Look at this stuff,
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the "girl"...
The "girl" who has everything?"

He placed the trinket back, lying down on the rock in the center of the grotto and looking up into the small hole above- so close to the surface that the small bright orb in the sky lit the small space brilliantly, it's gleam bouncing from one treasure to another.

"Look at this trove,
Treasures untold!
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here you think-
"Sure, she's got everything."
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty,
I've got whozits and whatzits galore.
You want thingamabobs?
I've got twenty...
But who cares?
No big deal...
I want more..."

His gaze softened and his voice become strained.

"I wanna be where the people are.
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'.
Walking around on those- what do you call 'em?
Oh - feet!"

He chuckled at his own forgetfulness.

"Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far.
Legs are required for jumping, dancing!
Strolling along down a - what's that word again? Street!
Up where they walk, up where they run,
Up where they stay all day in the sun!
Wanderin' free - wish I could be,
Part of that world..."

"What would I give if I could live out of these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
Bet'cha on land, they understand,
That they don't reprimand their children... Men and women, sick of swimmin'..."

"Ready to stand!"

"I'm ready to know what the people know!
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers!
What's a fire and why does it - what's the word?
Burn?"

He found himself getting closer and closer to that one small exit that lead to the surface, he reached his arm longingly through it, feeling the coolness of oxygen meeting with his damp limb.

"When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?
Out of the sea...
Wish I... could be...
Part of that world..."

He retracted his arm back to his chest, gazing through the exit.

And that's the first chappie. I know it's kind of short, sorry 'bout that. Anywho I'm feeling inspired- so review and an update will come as soon as later today. (Or do I mean tonight?)

[1] In case you didn't catch it, the "trinket" is a fork. ^_^

Thanks for reading!