I'm excited to be starting this Fanfic! I began writing it a month or two ago, and I just now started to really work on it. I hope to make the Chapters longer this time. Enjoy Chapter One(:

Update - 9/17/15: basic typo's, some word changes and added phrases. Nothing too major.


Ariel sat at her window, gazing at the world outside. The people swimming around, the buildings, the abundance of fish, it was what she saw every day, at the same time. She knew the city in and out, even the dark places where the giant orb in the city center that gave light could not reach.

It was an old and worn out routine, but she really had nothing else to do at this time each day. She woke up at dawn each morning, and by noon, all her duties would be completed for the day. She was 16, and the youngest Princess, after all.

When she was younger, she would spend this time with her brother, who was two years older then her, but when he turned sixteen, his duties became far more time-consuming. He would only have free time at night after her curfew. And this time of the year was the busiest, because of the annual Royal Concert. Now that she was of age, she would be just as busy soon. She rose earlier and went to bed later, and the people in the castle rarely had any free time in the few weeks it takes to prepare.

Her sisters were equally busy, if not more, and although Ariel would never admit it, she favored her brother over any of them. They didn't care much for anything besides parties and the latest fashion. But her brother was different, he could think for himself, and didn't chase after every girl he met.

She sighed audibly, pushing herself up, and swam out of her room, looking for something to do, a hobby she could pick up for the hour. But, of course, she could think of nothing, so she decided to search for her brother to see if she could help him with any of his duties.

It took about twenty minutes, but she finally found him in the royal library. She silently swam in, trying not to disturb anyone. He was sitting at a table, an incredibly long scroll in front of him. He was sitting so still, someone might have mistaken him for a statue, except for the fact that his black hair was silently flowing around his face. The Royal Tutor was standing over him, observing his progress.

Ariel knew it must have been killing him. He could never sit still for more than a minute, and he always had such trouble reading. But their father said he needed to learn to relax, proudly and confidently sitting or standing, since the council meetings sometimes took hours, and sitting on a throne was harder than it looked.

She wanted the Tutor to leave, so she thought a moment until an idea came to her. Swimming up to the Tutor with as much confidence and grace as she could, and trying not to look at her brother, she quietly said, "Tutor, I think someone was in your study room. I saw scrolls and papers scattered everywhere." She said seriously.

The Tutor's face morphed into horror, and he barely bowed to them as he swam away, knocking things around loudly as he muttered something about people not respecting education.

Her brother looked after him with a blank face, but then he smiled, his sea green eyes twinkling.

Ariel snorted, hardly able to contain herself any longer. It wasn't very clever, and yet he fell for it. Her outburst was so loud and sudden that both of them were shooed out of the room by the scroll keeper.

When they were far enough away, her brother gave her a hug. "Thank you Ariel. You always save me at the right moment. I was about to explode."

She smiled and returned the gesture. "You're welcome. I was just looking for someone to talk to, that's all."

"Well, it looks like I have a few minutes before our Tutor realizes the joke," he said, his tail swishing back and forth happily.

They managed to talk for half an hour before the lunch bell rang, and then they both hurried to the dining hall to join their family.

"Hello, my daughters. Hello, my son," King Poseidon greeted his eight children as they settled into their seats at the table.

"Hello father," They all said in unison.

Ariel and Percy sat next to each other, resuming their conversation as they ate kelp salad and oyster cakes.

After everyone was finished, they were the last ones out of the room before the King, so when they were about to swim through the huge double doors, they almost ran straight into the Tutor. His white hair was frizzy with irritation, and his tail swished back and forth in annoyance.

"Princess… My office is, in fact, not in disarray. Care to explain just what you were thinking?"

"What's this about?" The King said behind them.

Oops, Ariel thought.

"I… Ahh… I just thought that… Well, I-"

"Your Highness, your daughter pulled a most immature prank to send me to my office," He pointed at Ariel. "Very childlike, I might add."

"It was my idea, sir," Percy said.

The Merman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is it now? I highly doubt that."

She put a hand on Percy's arm, her mouth forming a silent 'thank you'.

"No, sir, he is just trying to take the blame for me. It was my fault. I just wanted to give him a break."

"A 'break'!" The tutor repeated, fuming. "He is a prince, to be taught in the ways of royalty. And you are a princess, who should act like one! How many times have I told you? You need to be graceful, polite, respectful and-"

"And sorry," The King said, coming up between Percy and Ariel and placing two hands on their shoulders. "You are sorry, correct Ariel?"

"I am, father," She nodded vigorously.

He calmly looked at their Tutor. "Well, she apologized. Everything is settled now. You are dismissed."

The Tutor looked like he wanted to argue, but bowed instead. "Thank you… Your Majesty." He then swam away.

When he was gone, the King turned to his children, sighing. "Ariel, Perseus, when will you two learn? All actions have consequences, even small ones, and especially when you are going to be leaders someday. Because of the upcoming ceremony, you will not be punished as thoroughly, but you must stay focused on your duties." King Poseidon turned around and swam away as through the door, but not before winking at both of them.

Both siblings smiled at each other, and then swam through the opened ceiling to do as the King said.

They weren't tasked with many things other than practicing, since they were performing together, while their sisters would do something of their own, and then they would all do a song together.

Ariel's voice was like no other. She often made people cry when she sang; everyone said her pure, clear voice was even more enchanting than the Sirens. And Percy could will the water to swirl and dance around them in a bright show of colors. Their abilities were matched by no other, not even their sisters, who more or less had the same abilities.

They practiced for hours while Sebastian, the official Court Composer, watched their progress.

"Oh wonderful, simple marvelous! You guys are gonna be da best in show! Dis concert will be the pinnacle of my distinguished career! Your father is gonna be pleased," He beamed.

"All thanks to you, Sebastian," Attina, Ariel's oldest sister, said.

The crustacean blushed, as much as he could with skin the color of a deep sunset.

"Well, you all know what time it is. I'd love to keep playing all night, but you guys gotta get your sleep. Your father would have my head if you showed up tomorrow with da sand still in your eyes!" Sebastian said, making a shooing noise with his claws causing bubbles.

"Goodnight, Sebastian," Ariel's siblings all said in unison as they left the stage and swam in the direction of their bed chambers. Ariel remained, wanting to ask her friend a question but not wanting her sisters to overhear.

Halfway through the room, Percy turned around.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

"I will in a minute. Go on ahead."

He nodded, and then left the room.

"Sebastian?" Ariel asked, swimming closer to the crab.

"Yes, Ariel?" He said without looking up from his music sheets.

"I was wondering if maybe I could ask you something."

"Of course."

"That will stay between us."

"Dat all depends."

"I've been wondering, for a while now, about the Sirens."

He lifted his head, frowning. "Why would ya wonder about a ting like dat?"

"I heard some of the servants talk about how they've become bolder lately. And I wanted to know why they still follow the old laws."

"They still fear da humans, Princess. They don't know how ta handle 'em. Now, are ya gonna get some sleep or not?" He tapped his claw against the podium impatiently.

"Of course, Sebastian. Goodnight," Ariel swam off to join her sisters. She really did hear the servants talking, but she wanted to know for a different reason. It was greatly connected with her interest in humans…


Percy sat at his bedroom desk, his eyes unfocused on the music sheet in front of him, his matching tail swishing slowly in thought. He normally had no problem with music, even when it was on paper, but his mind kept drifting to Ariel. She hadn't smiled or laughed the way she did that day in weeks, and he wasn't sure why. And he'd noticed that she would go off on her own outside the castle somewhere. It was strange.

He sighed, rolling up the sheet of paper and storing it in his desk drawer. He gently tapped the small glowing orb by his bed, its light dimming until it was completely dark. He then lifted the cover off his bed, and flopped down into it.

He hoped he would fall asleep quickly, and not have the usual nightmares he did often. It would be better not to even sleep at all. He wasn't even tired.

He chuckled out loud at such a childish thought. He rose from his bed, swimming out the giant clam shell door. He had asked for it to replace the sea vines that had been his door for years, wanting more privacy. As he thought about it, he wanted everything that way ever since he turned 16. He even had started shutting Ariel out. He rounded a corner, intending to swim around for a while and clear his head.

A blur of red out of his peripheral vision caught his attention. He whipped around just in time to see Ariel rocket through the hallway. It was well past midnight now, too late to be taking a stroll. He was doing the same, but he was inside the palace, while she was taking the hallway that led outside.

He was going to hate himself for this, but his curiosity pulled at him to follow her. He hesitated at first, swimming at a slow pace. But as soon as she was out of sight, he sped up. He followed her outside, where he was more likely to be seen, so he kept up a farther distance.

As he watched, a little fish joined Ariel, a yellow and blue-striped tropical fish named Flounder. He followed her everywhere and was very loyal, despite being afraid of all the adventures she went on.

After a few more minutes of swimming, they came to a rock wall, where she moved a large inconspicuous rock, both of them swimming inside.

He was just about to follow them when suddenly he felt a vibration. He glanced down. "Ah crap," He muttered, reaching into his tail pocket and taking out a small stone.

"Percy!" A feminine voice echoed from the rock. It was Attina, his eldest sister, calling him on the special stone.

"Um, yes, Attina?" Percy said tentatively.

"I realized I forgot some of your music sheets, but I couldn't find you when I entered your room. Where are you!?" She demanded.

"I was just out for a swim. Don't worry, I'm coming back."

He heard his sister sigh. "You had me worried. You can't go wandering off at night, something might have happened. Anyway, whenever you get back, I left the scrolls on your desk."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"If you aren't, I'm going to send a few guards out to get you."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Attina."

He heard her sigh again, before cutting off the communication. He placed the stone back in his pocket, gave one last look at the rock door, and then turned around, swimming back in the direction of the palace.


No one seemed to notice Ariel's absence the next morning, but Attina did give Percy a few looks. The next night and the night after that Percy snuck out, after making sure no one would check on him, to see if Ariel went back to the rock door, but she didn't. He didn't want to pry, but he was curious to see what would compel her to sneak out.

The days flew by, and Sebastian grew more excited with each passing rehearsal, even though Ariel hardly ever showed up.

The night of the concert finally came, and everyone in Atlantica swam to the big event. The girls were all lined up, and Percy was directly behind the curtain, warming up by swirling around a rainbow of colorful whirlpools and tendrils. The orchestra started checking their instruments, and the sisters were finalizing makeup and hair.

A small shrimp announcer swam in front of the audience, announcing the King, backed by trumpets.

King Triton himself swam in on a giant upside-down clam shell, pulled by two silver dolphins. He alighted on the largest balcony above the floor, his arms crossed proudly on his chest, his trident resting on a pedestal next to him.

The lights dimmed and a spotlight centered on Sebastian as he gracefully swam across the room to the podium next to the stage. The curtains rolled across the center as he started to wave his arms, the orchestra bursting to life.

"We are the children of Triton, great father who loves us and named us well…"

The girls started singing, swimming around in sync to their perfect harmony, Percy joining in with his water, the light bouncing and flowing around them, creating moving art.

After a few minutes, they rose in the middle of the stage, waving their arms at a dark spot at the back.

"And then there is the youngest in her musical debut, our seventh little sister we're presenting her to you…"

Manipulating the swirling, Percy made the lights move to the back, where Ariel would be sitting on a rock, and sing her lyrics…

All seven girls and Percy, and even Sebastian gasped at the empty wall, the crustacean looking up at the King whose face was redder than his shell.

"Ariel!"


Scuttle sat lounging, a golden spyglass on top of his head. He was sitting in a crow's nest, broken at the neck, which had washed up years ago on a large rock that rose out of the sea. He found it one day, settling down there.

"Scuttle!" He heard his name, looking for the spyglass, forgetting it was on top of his head. He looked up as if fell on his chest, not noticing a mermaid swim up to him.

"Hi Scuttle!" Ariel said.

"Whoa!" The seagull cried as he practically fell of his perch, the spyglass falling in the water. "Don't startle me like that!" He said.

"Sorry," she apologized after she dove for the item, handing it back to him. "I'm just too excited!"

He glanced at the red bag she carried. "Bring me some new human stuff, eh?"

She nodded, handing him the bag as Flounder swam up.

He dug through it, pulling out a wooden object that looked like a miniature trumpet.

"A Snarfblatt!" He said. He started going off about how it could make music, even though when he blew into it the thing spewed out seaweed and water. He made a face, as much as a seagull could, and put it back in the bag, taking out another item. This one was silver and looked like the King's Trident, except the three prongs were closer together, and bent at a strange angle instead of completely straight.

"It's a dinglehopper! Humans use these little babies to straighten their hair out." He explained.

"Wow," Ariel said, her eyes wide, mesmerized by the two human items.

"Too bad about the Snarfblatt, though." Scuttle picked it up, turning it over. "They don't work as well underwater, I suppose you'd have to get a new one. You could always use it as a planter or something, besides you have plenty of music-making instruments."

Ariel suddenly gasped, her hand flying to her head. "Music! Oh the concert… I totally forgot! My father's gonna kill me!"

"That was today!?" Flounder said, equally surprised.

Ariel shoved everything in her bag and started to swim away. "I'm sorry, but I gotta go! Thank you Scuttle!" She said, half waving.

"Any time!" He waved back.

Ariel dove beneath the waves, Flounder right behind her as she sped towards her home.


"Yes, hurry home Princess… We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration, now would we?" The Sea Witch cackled as she watched the mermaid through her crystal ball, courtesy of Flotsam and Jetsam.

"Ha, in my day, we had fantastical feasts! At least, when I lived in the palace." She sighed, waving her hand over the ball.

"Flotsam! Jetsam! You can stop now." She said to them, after which it immediately blanked. She waved her hand over it once again, and it started to glow, until the silhouette of a man appeared.

"What is it now, Witch?" A man's deep voice scowled from the orb.

"I'm just letting you know, Wizard, that my, ah, little plan is going to commence soon. The mermaid I was telling you about is going to get herself into trouble, and soon she'll be begging me to help her."

"You should hope so." The man said. "I'm not waiting another week for you. If your plan does not start making progress soon, I shall be forced to find someone else."

"Calm down, it'll be soon. Just one more week, and we shall rule everything we see!"

The Wizard didn't even bother replying before the orb dimmed, casting its usual sickly green color around the room.

Ursula scowled. No manners, indeed. What good was partnership, if you didn't at least pretend to have some class? She swam over to her hole, sitting inside and contemplating. She just had to wait until the mermaid got herself in so much trouble she would do anything fix it. It all would depend on when, but she hoped soon. She was on a deadline, and if the child wasn't in enough trouble already to allow her to proceed with her plan, Ursula would soon have to make some.


"I just don't know what I'm going to do with you young lady!" King Triton reprimanded his daughter, his hands waving and flying everywhere. Sebastian was by his side, furious with the girl. It was early in the morning, hardly everyone in the palace having slept with the King furious at his daughter for practically ruining the celebration. If Sebastian hadn't recovered as quickly as he did…

Percy floated just behind a pillar, trying not to appear eavesdropping, but he was trying to decide if interfering would help his sister or not. For the time, he decided it wouldn't.

"But it wasn't her fault!" He heard Flounder pipe up. "First, this shark chased us… Yeah! And then… We tried to… But, but we couldn't!" He stuttered. "And then the seagull came, and was this is this, and that is that."

"Seagull!?" the King exclaimed.

Percy winced. He knew about Ariel's adventures, as she had been going up to the surface for a few years, ever since she found a statuette of two humans dancing together on a small platform that spinned them around, making music.

"You went up to the surface again, didn't you? Didn't you!"

"Nothing… Happened." Ariel said.

She tried to convince him, but Percy could tell his father just wasn't buying it.

"As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!" King Poseidon shouted.

Percy peeked around the pillar just as his sister swam away, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Keeping to the shadows, he followed her, all the way out of the palace and into the deep blue of the sea. After a while, she came again to the rock wall, where she went inside again. He looked around, then came out of the shadows and swam up to the rock. He pulled it aside fairly easily, slipping inside.

He found himself in a short tunnel that opened into a grotto, bathed in silvery blue light from a small hole in the top. Rows and rows of natural shelves lined the walls, and in the middle Ariel reclined on a rock, placing a strange object that looked vaguely like the Trident inside what looked like a candelabra.

"Ariel, are you okay?" Flounder was asking.

"If only I could make him understand. I just don't see things the way he does. I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things… Could be bad." She sighed, rolling over on her back.

"I just want to be where the people are," She said. "I want to dance and run around. They're so free, Flounder." She rose up, glancing at her treasures.

"I just want to know what they know. And, what is a fire anyway? And… And why does it burn? What is burn anyway?" She reached her hand up through the hole, throwing shadows all over the grotto, her hand extended towards the sun. She let herself fall back down, her face never leaving the sky.

"Sometimes, I wish I could be part of their world. Even if only for a little while."

Percy looked up with her just as a huge shadow passed over the hole, momentarily casting them in darkness.

"I wonder…" Ariel said, the shadow leaving strange markings on her face.

Percy's eyes widened, knowing what she was going to do. It didn't look a whale. He turned around and pushed the rock, squeezing through the small opening. He burst out, swimming behind a rock just as Ariel appeared, oblivious to the bubbles he created in her haste to get up to the surface. Flounder followed her, and he saw Sebastian follow them in the same way Percy was. As soon as they were far enough, he swam out from underneath the rock, following them up to the surface.

He sucked in his breath when he broke through the water, unused to the air, momentarily trying to contain a cough from the sudden shift in his breathing. When he adjusted, he looked up to see Ariel climbing up the thing they saw. It was a ship. A human ship.

"What are you doing…?" He breathed. He saw Flounder and Sebastian half a mile in front of him, looking uncertain about what to do. He swam a little closer, trying to remain unseen, but still his curiosity got the better of him.


"So she found a human ship, hmm?" The sea witch watched from her perch, her tentacles slithering around her. This was her opportunity. She couldn't do much about the elements with the King still holding all the power, but she could cause quite a storm long enough until he noticed and squashed it. She didn't know how it would help her plan, but it would certainly count for something. She would play on Ariel's sympathy for the humans, and who knew, maybe the child would do something foolish.

"Just wait, my precious pets. Soon, everything will fall together nicely." Ursula cackled, throwing all kinds of vials and ingredients into her cauldron until it was bubbling and oozing.


Percy was trying to decide what to do next when he heard a loud thunder clap, and saw a streak of lightning course across the sky. He frowned, wondering if his father had discovered that Ariel was missing from the palace. His jaw tightened when the ship suddenly caught on fire from a stray ribbon of lightning, the entire vessel catching within moments.

He briefly saw his sister fly from it, only to pop up on the surface moments later. He went to try and swim over to her, when the ship exploded.

"Ariel!" Percy screamed, loud enough for Flounder and Sebastian to hear, both creatures whirling around to stare at the prince. Percy ignored them, diving into the water and speeding towards the wreckage, looking for his sister's distinctive green tail. He saw it as she also dove under the water, plunging into the darkness for a moment before rising back up, a human in her arms. She started to swim towards land with him, and it was all he could do to not cry out a warning to her. He had heard all kinds of stories about the humans. Swimming behind her, he didn't care if he was seen anymore. He caught up just as land came within sight, appearing as a tiny strip of darkness on the horizon, a bit darker than the ocean.

"Percy…" He heard her pant, fear visible in her eyes.

"It's okay. Let's just get him to shore." He said, taking one of the human's arms, knowing he'd regret it later. She nodded, and together they pushed towards land, careful to keep his head above the waves, the only fact about humans Percy knew being that they couldn't breathe in any kind of water. The storm lasted only half an hour, and finally, after a few more minutes, they got him on the beach, the sun already beaming from the center of the sky.

A Seagull, the one Flounder mentioned Percy presumed, came and landed next to the human, looking him over.

"Is he still alive?" Ariel asked, biting her lip. She knew she shouldn't care, but after saving him, she at least wanted him to live. Scuttle went over to the human's feet, lifting one to his ear.

"I… I can't hear a heartbeat…" Scuttle said sadly.

Ariel's heart sank. What was she going to do?

"Maybe we should just go. I think his friends were in a smaller ship when we were there. I'm sure they'll find him," Percy said quietly, staying just within the water.

Ariel didn't say anything, but the look she gave him was clear. Just to make sure he understood, she pulled herself farther up the beach, not caring that her tail was now deadweight.

Her brother sighed. "He isn't our problem, Ariel. Please, let's go home before father realizes we're gone. It's bad enough we're on the surface."

Ariel knit her eyebrows. "I don't…" She trailed off, blinking when she saw the human's chest rise. "Look! He's breathing." She pulled herself closer to him, brushing some hair from his face. She rested her hand on his face, and a strange tingling sensation ran through it.

Flounder and Sebastian were in the water near Percy, surprise visible on their faces.

"I wish I could be part of your world." She whispered, not even realizing she said the words she'd said before until they came out of her mouth. She remembered they were part of an old song about a siren who loved a merman, but they couldn't be together because of their parents. She started to hum the song. She came to the last verse as the human opened his eyes. He lifted his hand to the one she still had on her face.

"Ariel," Percy hissed behind her, noticing the human waking up too. He looked up to see more humans running towards them.

Ariel looked up when she heard a name being called. Her eyes widened, and she sprang from the sand, trying to pull herself back down the beach into the water. Percy grabbed her hand, helping her, and they both dove under. Sebastian and Flounder hid behind the rocks, keeping themselves invisible.

The human stood up, a dazed look on his face. His friends ran up, and they started talking, eventually moving off the beach out of sight.

Ariel sat on a rock, singing the last part of the song again as a wave crashed against her back, pushing herself up to watch the human walk away. Something deep inside her sighed, as if waking up from being asleep for a thousand years. She wasn't sure what this emotion was, but she didn't try to push it down.


"I can't stand it. It's too easy!" The sea witch laughed, watching the Princess through her crystal ball. "She's gone and fallen in love with a human, and not just any human, a Prince! Oh, this just keeps getting better and better. I might actually get entertainment from watching this long before I had intended. Flotsam, Jetsam!" She barked. "Keep an eye on this little mermaid for me. She may just be the key to bringing this plan to a close." Her pets cackled in response.

Her head snapped back to the globe as it glowed. The wizard appeared, his face hidden in shadow. "Have you secured the key to getting close to the prize?" His deep voice rumbled.

Ursula scowled. "And you say I don't knock. Yes, yes, I'm close. Give me two days, and I'll send my key in. She'll get close to the prize, don't worry."

"You have one! Send that key in by tomorrow morning or I promise you witch, my fury will be directed at you instead."

"Very well. I'll let you know, tomorrow." Ursula growled.

"You would do well to," He said, the globe going dark a moment later.

Ursula rolled her eyes; he was so dramatic.


"Ariel, dear, it's time to come out! You've been in there all morning!" Attina, the eldest Princess, called to the mermaid from outside the bedroom. The other sisters were there, all curious about why Ariel was acting so strange. She had been giggling and smiling to herself at supper the previous night, and it was unlike her to be so bubbly.

She floated out of the bedroom, humming an old song. The King came around the corner just as she reached it.

"Morning, Daddy," She kissed him on the cheek and put a flower in his hair before continuing on.

"Oh, she's got it bad." Another sister, Adella, said.

"What? What has she got?" Poseidon asked, looking at the flower, oblivious.

"Can't you tell Daddy?" Alana laughed. "Ariel's in love."

The King glanced back the way his daughter went, and smiled. "In love, you say?"

Percy, who was just swimming past, overheard the last few sentences. His eyes widened.

Uh oh, he thought. If Dad finds out about this…

He sped up, swimming past in a flurry of bubbles.

"Uh, morning Percy!" Alana called, and he waved back before disappearing.

"Is everyone going crazy around here!?" Arista threw her hands up in the air.


I started to write the second Chapter as soon as I finished the first, like, literally right after. I hope I can post weekly, or maybe two-weekly, heh. Happy Writing!