One day, in the middle of the ocean, a mermaid stuck her head above the water and stared at a ship.
"Humans!" said the girl, Miu, better known as Ariel. "Flounder, it's humans!"
Matsuri, Flounder, looked concerned. "Um, Ariel, you're not going to swim over to the ship, are you?" She said, her voice shaking with worry.
"Of course I am!" said Miu.
"But it's dangerous!" said Matsuri.
"You think everything's dangerous," said Miu. "Besides, taking risks is fun!"
"Maybe for you," said Matsuri.
"Whatever," said Miu. "You can stay here, you crybaby." She swam off towards the boat, and Matsuri reluctantly followed.
Miu peered into the boat and saw many humans. Her eyes widened as she looked around at all of them.
"All different kinds," Miu whispered. "Look at all of them, Flounder!"
"No thanks," said Matsuri, ducking under the water.
Then Miu spotted a girl playing with her dog. "Woah, down, Satake!" the girl said. She laughed, brushing her short black hair out of her eyes as the dog licked her face.
"Hey Flounder, look at this one!" Miu said. "She looks about my age! And really friendly! And cute too!" Matsuri didn't answer, but Miu didn't care.
The girl with the dog stood up and walked over to a man on the ship and was talking to him. Miu couldn't make out their words at first, but then the girl and the man came closer and Miu heard the man say, "When are you going to get married, Chika-hime-sama? You won't be young forever, you know."
"Yeah, yeah," said the girl. "I'm just waiting for that special someone to come along, okay?"
"A special someone?" the man said. "Like who?"
"Oh, I don't know," Chika said. She walked to the side of the ship and stared out into the sea. "I won't know until I meet her. But I bet she's not far away."
Yes, I'm not far away at all! I'm right under you! Miu thought. She noticed it was beginning to rain and sighed, tearing her eyes away from the ship. "We should be getting home, Flounder," she said.
"Yes, let's go immediately!" Matsuri said.
Miu and Matsuri were about to head back to the undersea kingdom when they heard lightning strike and the sound of screaming came from the ship. Miu spun around and saw the ship fall over. Lightning had hit it! Miu's eyes darted around as she searched for Chika. She saw Chika fall out of the ship and into the sea. And she dove in after her.
苺苺苺
Miu sat on the seashore, leaning over Chika, whose eyes were closed, and her hair and clothing drenched with water. Miu gently touched Chika's chin, and slowly moved her hand across the girl's smooth skin.
"Uh, Ariel?" said Matsuri. "She's been saved; we can go home now."
"Just a little longer," said Miu. She wished Chika's eyes were open. She wondered what color they were.
"Ariel?" said Matsuri. "Are you okay?"
"Hm, yeah," said Miu. "I was just thinking."
"Thinking what?"
Miu's facial expression suddenly went from thoughtful to mischievous. "We should take her clothes off while she's still unconscious!"
"What!?"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Miu laughed hysterically at the look on Matsuri's face. "C'mon, let's go."
苺苺苺
Later that day, Miu and Matsuri were hanging out in Miu's secret hideout. This was where Miu hid all of the human items she'd found. She'd been collecting them for almost as long as she could remember.
"Hey Flounder," said Miu, "you know, sometimes... I wish I could be human."
"What?" said Matsuri. "What for?"
"There's just something fascinating about humans," said Miu.
"I don't see what you like so much about them," said Matsuri.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the door burst open and in came Nobue, Miu's mother. Miu panicked. Her mother had found her secret hideout! She knew she would never approve of it.
"What is this place!?" Nobue bellowed. "Ariel, why do you own all these human things!?"
"Well, I, uh, you see..." Miu stammered.
"I DO NOT APPROVE!" said Nobue. She aimed her magic triton at the human items and blew them all up.
"NO!" cried Miu. She quickly swam over to the ashes and tried to scoop them up, but they slipped between her fingers. She burst into tears, putting her head down on a rock.
"Ariel, this is for your own good. You need to stop thinking about humans and focus on more important things. Humans are dangerous creatures, and you are to stay away from them. Do you understand?" said Nobue.
"Yes, mother," Miu said quietly, sadly.
苺苺苺
Miu couldn't take it anymore. She was sick of being a mermaid. She wanted to be human. So she travelled to Ursula's cave, where she knew her wish would be granted.
"Ariel, we shouldn't be doing this!" shrieked Matsuri. "Your mother will kill you!"
"Yup, I'm such a rebel!" said Miu, grinning.
Ana sat in the cave, eating a bag of chips. "Oh, hello, Ariel!" she said.
"You know my name, Ursula?" said Miu, amazed.
"Yup! I know everything about everyone!"
"So you know why I'm here?" said Miu.
"Well, no, not that," said Ana.
"Oh," said Miu. "Well, I want to become a human."
"No problem!" said Ana. "But you're gonna hafta pay."
"Pay how?" said Miu. "I don't have any money on me."
"Oh, I don't want your money," said Ana. She swam over to Miu and put her hand on her throat. "I want your voice."
"My voice?" said Miu.
"Yes," said Ana. "If you'll give me your voice, I'll turn you into a human."
"Oh, okay!" said Miu. "I'll do it! Anything to be with Chika-hime-sama!"
"Woah, hold on. It's not that simple," said Ana. "There's one more thing. If you can get a kiss from Chika within three days, you'll get your voice back, and remain human forever. If you can't, you'll become a mermaid again. And you'll have to be my slave for the rest of your life." She grinned evilly.
Miu gulped. "Okay," she said.
"Huh!?" said Matsuri. "No, not okay!" But Ana had already cast the spell, and Miu was transforming into a human.
苺苺苺
Miu sat on the beach, admiring her new legs, a smile on her face. She tried to stand up, and fell over. Matsuri, who was floating in the water beside her, covered her eyes.
Walking on human legs was harder than Miu had expected it to be. She put her hand on a large rock nearby, using it to steady herself as she stood up, wobbling.
Then Miu heard a voice. It was Chika, walking along the coast with Satake ahead of her. Miu quickly hid behind a rock and peaked out at the princess.
"Wait up, Satake!" said Chika, laughing as she chased the dog. Satake barked, running in front of the rock Miu was hiding behind.
Eek! thought Miu. I'm not wearing any clothes since I became a human! What if she sees me like this? How embarrassing!
"What is it, Satake?" said Chika. She noticed a pair of eyes sticking out from behind the rock. "Oh, hello there!"
Miu waved, worriedly.
"What are you doing behind that rock?" Chika asked. She started to walk around it, and Miu quickly moved to her right. "Are you hiding from someone?"
Miu shook her head.
"Then what?"
Miu blushed. If only I could talk!
Chika finally looked over the rock and saw that Miu wasn't wearing any clothes. Her face turned red. "Oh, I'm sorry! Forgive me!"
Miu shrugged and gave an embarrassed smile. What a weird first impression...
"Hey, wait," said Chika. "Can you talk?"
Miu shook her head.
"I see," said Chika. "Are you lost or something?"
Miu shrugged.
"Well you're welcome to come to the castle with me and get some clothes," said Chika. "Maybe even stay for dinner?"
Miu nodded excitedly.
"Great!" said Chika.
苺苺苺
Shortly after arriving at the castle, Miu was given a simple pink dress to wear. How exciting! I'm wearing human clothes! And at dinner, she got to try a bunch of interesting new foods. This is nothing like what we eat under the sea!
Chika laughed at Miu's reaction to the food. "You're acting as if you've never seen ramen before!" she said.
Miu grinned and nodded, picking up her chopsticks. How to use these things... Miu desperately tried to pick up the noodles, but kept dropping it. Then she saw a fork and grabbed that. Hey, this looks like one of those... thingies! She began to brush her hair using the fork. Chika burst into laughter. She put her head down on the table. "You're so funny!" she said when she put her head back up. She wiped a tear from her eye.
What, am I doing it wrong? thought Miu. Oh wait, is this for the food too?
As if reading Miu's thoughts, Chika said, "That's for your steak and crab."
Oh! Miu stuck her fork in the steak and left it standing upright there. Chika started laughing again.
"Um, Chika-hime-sama?" said a man sitting to the left of Chika. "How long will this girl be staying here?"
"Oh, I dunno... at least for the night?" said Chika, her eyes not moving away from Miu as she spoke to the man.
"Where's she from?" the man asked.
"I dunno. She can't talk," Chika said.
"She sure is a strange one," the man said.
"Sure is," said Chika.
苺苺苺
Miu spent the night in the guest bedroom. The next day, the princess invited her on a ride around town in her horse drawn carriage. They got ice cream and ate it on a bridge, and went the lake to feed the geese. Miu was so excited to be experiencing the human world, and didn't miss the sea one bit. She was especially happy to be spending so much time with her crush.
If only I could talk, I could tell her how I feel, Miu thought. She looked over at Chika, who was smiling and staring off into the distance. Oh well. Just being here with her is enough.
"I wish I could ask your name," Chika said.
And I wish I could tell you, thought Miu. Then an idea came to her. She reached in a nearby pile of pebbles and began to spell out her name with them in the sand. Chika watched intently. When Miu finished, Chika smiled. "Oh, Ariel! That's such a pretty name!"
Miu blushed. Chika looked at the sky and said, "The sun is starting to set. Isn't it beautiful?" Miu nodded. "Ya know, I wish we could stay here together forever. Just the two of us. How long can you stay?"
Well, I have to get that kiss tomorrow or else I'll become a mermaid again, Miu thought. She put one finger up.
"One hour?" said Chika. Miu shook her head, and pointed to the sunset. "One more sunset?" Miu nodded. Chika smiled. "Okay then. We'll make the most of tomorrow. And the most of today, too." Miu smiled. "I don't want you to leave. Where do you live?" Miu pointed at the distant ocean. "Across the sea? Wow. I guess it'll be hard to keep in touch then."
More like impossible, Miu thought. She suddenly felt like crying. She looked at Chika, tears brimming her eyes. I'd miss you so much, she wanted to say.
Chika looked concerned. "Oh, don't cry, Ariel! Surely you can at least visit me, right? Or I can visit you?" Miu shook her head, the tears beginning to fall. "Well at least we'll have the memories then! Please don't be sad! I... I love you. I love you. So don't cry, Ariel!" She wiped the tears from Miu's eyes, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Then, a bit nervously, Chika leaned in and...
A wave splashed over Miu and Chika, drenching both of them.
苺苺苺
Ana, who was watching Miu and Chika in her crystal ball, huffed. "That was close!" she said. "I can't let her get that kiss! It's time for desperate measures!" Ana grabbed some potions and began to mix them in her cauldron. Then she turned herself into a human.
The next day, when Miu woke up, she thought, Today is my last chance. If I can't get that kiss from Chika-san, I'll become Ursula's slave. How stressful was that? Miu yawned and stretched, then got out of bed and put on a robe before leaving the room.
When Miu got to the stairs, she was surprised to see the princess standing beside a girl with long blonde hair- it was Ana! And Miu was even more shocked when she heard Chika say to the man standing beside her, "I wish to make this woman my wife."
"But didn't you just meet her?" the man said, befuddled.
"I wish to make this woman my wife," Chika repeated monotonously. Miu noticed Chika had a strange expression on her face. Her eyes stared straight ahead, and her voice was dull.
Is she under some sort of spell? Miu thought. Why would she suddenly decide to marry Ursula? And what is Ursula doing here, anyway? As a human?
"Well, okay," said the man. "If that's really what you want."
"It is," Chika said. "In fact, I think we should get married today."
"Today?" the man said. "What's the rush?"
Miu couldn't bear to hear any more. She ran back to her room and cried.
I should be the one to marry Chika-san, Miu thought.
Later that day, Chika and Ana were getting married on the ship, and Miu sat in the audience, watching jealously and angrily.
"Do you, Chika-hime-sama, wish to marry Ursula?"
"I do," said Chika, who was still speaking monotonously.
"And do you, Ursula, wish to marry-" All of a sudden, a strong wave rocked the ship, and the brides fell over. Miu held onto her seat as it slid backwards and crashed into the deck's railing.
Chika suddenly snapped out of it. "Huh? What happened?" she said. "Why am I in a wedding dress?"
"You were going to marry me, darling," Ana said quickly.
"Who are you?" Chika asked.
"I'm the love of your life, that's who I am!" said Ana. "Now kiss me already!"
Chika's face turned red. "But I-" Another strong wave hit the ship, and everyone rolled further down the deck. Miu held onto the railing and tried to stand up. Unable to do so, she crawled over to the brides and looked to see if Chika was okay. She didn't appear to be injured...
Then Miu felt a strange tingling sensation in her legs, and looked at them to see what was happening. They were sparkling and glowing. Miu frantically turned her head towards the sky and saw that the sun was setting. She watched her legs turn back into a mermaid tail.
Chika opened her eyes. "Ariel?" She noticed Miu's tail, and her eyes widened. "Ariel, are you a... a...?"
"A mermaid," said Ariel, her voice having been restored. "And now I have to be a slave for the rest of my life..."
"Ariel, you're talking!" Chika said, and she let out a gasp as Ana suddenly transformed back into her regular self and grabbed Miu.
"Time's up, little mermaid!" said Ana, laughing evilly.
"No!" shouted Chika. But then Ana plunged under the water, taking Miu with her. Chika dove in after them. She snatched Miu and brought her back up to the ship's deck, and Ana swam after them. Chika set Miu down on a chair and stood in front of her. She grabbed a sword from a nearby man and pointed it threateningly at Ana. "If you want her, you're gonna hafta kill me first."
"No problem," said Ana.
Chika lunged at Ana, stabbing her with the sword. Ana shouted and kicked, but Chika held the sword down until Ana wasn't moving anymore. Slowly, Chika stood up, leaving the sword in Ana's chest. Then she turned around to look at Miu, whose eyes were wide with shock. Chika was covered in blood. But she was smiling at Miu.
"Chika-san!" Miu squeaked out. "Are you okay?" Chika said nothing at first. She fell to the ground and laid on her back, holding her injured arm. Miu rushed over to her. "Chika-san! Please be okay! I love you! Don't die, Chika-san!"
"I think I'll be fine," said Chika weakly. "No major injuries. I'm just a little scraped up is all."
Miu smiled. "You're my hero."
Chika blushed. "I was just doing what any sensible person would've done. That's all."
"No, you saved me," said Miu. She moved closer to Chika and leaned over her, putting an arm on each side of her so that she was nearly laying on top of her.
Chika blushed, looking away, but smiling. "It was nothing."
"Nothing, huh?" Miu leaned over even further, so that her lips were centimeters from Chika's.
"Ariel..." Chika mumbled, her eyes halfway closed, a tiny smile on her lips. Then Miu leaned in and kissed Chika. Chika kissed her back. When the kiss ended, Miu was grinning so hard Chika thought her face must hurt.
"Ariel," Chika said. "You interrupted me."
Miu laughed. "Okay, so what were you gonna say?"
"I was gonna ask you to marry me," said Chika.
"Yes!" said Miu excitedly. "Let's get married right now! You're already dressed for it anyway!"
"Well, my dress is covered in blood," said Chika, giggling.
"Oh, right."
"But Ariel," said Chika. "You're still a mermaid."
Miu frowned. "Oh. I guess something needs to be done about that..."
"I can do something about that," a voice said. Miu and Chika turned their heads towards the direction the voice had come from, and saw Nobue floating in the water.
"Mother!" said Miu. "I am so sorry! I shouldn't have run off like this and I'll never do it again!"
"Ariel," said Nobue, "do you really love this girl?"
"Yes, I do," said Miu. "But I still shouldn't have disobeyed you, Mother!"
"And do you really love my daughter?" Nobue asked Chika.
Chika blushed and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Then it's settled," said Nobue.
"What is?" said Miu. "What's settled?"
Nobue waved her triton and pointed it at Miu. Miu watched in wonder as her tail became legs once again, and she was wearing a beautiful wedding dress.
"Mother!" said Miu. "Thank you so much!"
"You two deserve to be together," said Nobue, smiling. She slowly sank back below the ocean's surface.
Miu turned back to Chika, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. "Chika-san!" She ran back over to her lover and embraced her. "Now that I can talk I can tell you all about myself!"
Chika laughed. "How about after the wedding?" she said.
P.S. I plan on doing Beauty and the Beast next! With Ana as Belle and Nobue as the beast. And guess who's playing Gaston? XD