Disclaimer : Obviously don't own The Little Mermaid but the plot and Marina and the rest of the Co. are mine.
Thank you, I see a lot of people have read this. I am currently doing this and Clair de Lune my Twilight fic. so please excuse the fact that I am a little late every so often I also intend to start my other ones. Thank you and please review.
Beautiful Dreamer is one of my childhood lullabyes and I thought it was perfect for Marina. What's your opinion? Any questions? Don't hesitate to ask.
Chapter 2
Beautiful Dreamer
"I told you, I told you to be home before dinner," Melody was furious with her daughter. Words slashed through the air much like her father before her when he was angered; there was complete doubt that her temper had been from Ariel. "But instead Scuttle had to go back and look for you, you were an hour late Marina! Can you explain yourself?" she finally questioned her blue-eyed daughter currently sitting in her nightgown, wet hair dripping over her sand-colored skin.
"Not without sounding crazy mother." She responded with the utmost sincerity. Melody sat at the vanity looking at her thirteen year old child.
Marina was growing, no doubt, and she was starting to become as defiant as she had been as a kid. It was with that thought Melody smiled so reassuringly that it struck Marina by surprise. Moving Melody came to sit next to the young princess and slowly moved her wet hair into three plates preparing to braid it.
"I should have realized," she muttered just so that her daughter may hear. "You're just like me at this age." That caught Marina's attention, the blue eyes passed down three generations quickly turned to their incarnate narrowing in the slightest bit of suspicion.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"The water Marina, I should have realized it. Keeping you on land must be killer, the water is probably more suited for you," Melody was frenzied in her words standing to twirl around the room in a delightfully wave-like way. To Melody it was as if it were something she'd been waiting for all her life. "I hated being on land when I was your age, and I still prefer to be under the sea," she knelt next to Marina. "As soon as I can I'll arrange for you to spend as much time as you want down there. A year or so?"
"M-mom, I-" but she couldn't finish, Melody's eyes were so bright with hope that her daughter shared the exact same passion.
It wasn't that Marina didn't love the sea; it felt like home to her. But she never felt completely whole when she was there. Something in the back of her young teenage mind always told her there was something else she was missing and it wasn't here, on land or sea.
"Thanks mom." She finally responded forcing a smile to her lips, quickly overlooked by Melody who, in her exuberance, could never guess that it was fake.
"Oh Marina, just wait till your grandma gets back, it'll be nice for her to have some help down there."
"Yeah, of course." Melody lifted herself once more kissing her daughter lightly on the forehead. Quickly, Marina took advantage of the distance to tuck herself in bed covering the blankets over her head.
"Night mom." She said.
Melody moved over to open on of the balcony doors smiling at her little girl for all the wrong reasons. "Goodnight Marina."
She blew out Marina's night candle and left the moonlit room.
The distant sound of waves crashed against the rocks in a slow lulling rhythm, gentle snores from the perch above Marina's balcony door emitted from Scuttle who stayed close to the princess often enough. Shadows were cast by the clouds that glided past the silver moon outside, each one a sheep for Marina to count until her eyes drifted shut.
Deep breaths, heavy breaths. She had to run faster, faster than the wind, faster than anything… "Starlit! Lumiere! Luna! Shimmer!" Marina could hear herself, but what did it mean? Were they names? Names she'd never heard before? Did anyone even have such silly names?
Wait… Wait, Shimmer!
The blonde, the girl in the sea! Marina knew that name and that delicate, beautiful face. Her eyes started to swell with tears, feeling the loss in her heart. What was going on?
"Ow." She'd stepped on something hard. Glass, broken glass all over the floor, and rocks all scattered and pointed. Walls, torn and water damaged; where was she?
"Mom? Daddy…Shimmer?" she cried desperately for anyone she knew. A familiar face had to come from somewhere. Marina ran despite the pain in her feet from the pointed and broken pieces on the floor, and yet not on speck of blood had appeared on the soles of her feet. How odd that was.
"Marina?" the tinkling sound was familiar and one of a kind.
"Shimmer? Is that you?"
"Oh by the moon, Marina, please help me!"
"I'm coming. Where are you?" Marina called, and called again; but Shimmer's voice had died.
Marina ran into a large room, the large windows in the circular hall reminded her instantly of another room she knew very well. The ballroom. Marina was home someone had to be here.
"Marina, sweet princess, it's a pleasure." A chilling voice, so elegant and beautiful ran past her ear like an ice wind. Turning she hoped to encounter the speaker but only met-
Rising from her sheets screaming long and loud. The squawk of Scuttle outside followed as he swooped through her open door, the sunlight breaking over the horizon telling her what time it was. Footsteps were quick and her blue painted door swung open with a force known only to her father.
Justin looked about the room his blonde hair scraggly, sword in hand to protect his daughter. Not to far behind was Melody her hair wet from a morning swim most likely.
"Hey there girlie you sound like you're under attack." Scuttle was shaking the sleep off as he settled on Marina's headboard.
Chocolate brown tresses were damp with a cold sweat her eyes wide and petrified even as she felt her body being pressed against her father's warm chest. "Marina your cold as death." He muttered in her ear his warm breath making her shiver. One of her hands reached and gripped to the fabric of his white shirt, clutching onto it for dear life.
"Daddy it was so scary, I don't know…I couldn't find you or mom anywhere." She whispered it feeling herself slowly ease into a more comfortable state. Melody looked up at the white gull that seemed about to fall asleep on the headboard. Justin comforted his daughter rocking her as he'd laid his sword against the side of the bed.
"Scuttle," Melody started earning a look from her husband, he would never get used to this whole 'talk to the animals' thing his wife and daughter had going on. "Did anyone come in?"
The bird straightened himself once acknowledged and shook his feathered head. If a bird could frown certainly Scuttle would have now, the old bird felt guilty he could not help, but it wasn't much a surprise when surely he could sleep like a rock. "Sorry Melody, I don't think anything did." Though he didn't sound sure.
The queen sighed running a hand through her damp hair moving to stand over her daughter and husband. "Marina, honey, it was probably just a nightmare." She smiled, attempting to reassure the girl. It didn't work as her daughter shook her head in disagreement.
"No, no it was so real mother. I-" but she was cut off just as quickly.
"Marina, sleep a little longer. It was just a nightmare. We'll have your favorite breakfast ready, that's something to look forward to right."
Marina knew it was no use; it probably was just a silly nightmare. But ones with names that she didn't know but felt attached to. At that, the names were so odd, certainly not ones that Marina would be accustomed to, even as a small child. It was so vivid and real, everything seemed so likely.
Eventually she nodded her head and Justin laid Marina's head back on her pillow kissing her on the forehead as her mother had some time ago.
"Rest, princess." He smiled and grabbed his wife's hand pulling the dark haired Melody outside the room.
The sun was close to rising higher but both parents knew their daughter would compose herself a bit before getting out of bed. Justin's tanned hand rested on one of Melody's bare shoulders pulling her to him.
"She's getting older, but she acted like she did as five year old." He said concern on his lips.
"Do you remember what happened last time she was plagued by a nightmare?" Melody questioned her blue eyes focusing on Justin's brown with the same concern.
"Unfortunately I do. Atlantica was attacked, your father was wounded deeply because of it."
Melody nodded. "If we'd paid more attention he wouldn't have to spend his life as a merman, he could go back and forth like mother and me."
"We didn't know Melody. Marina is special; she can sense things stronger than the rest of us. We all have our talents."
"Than maybe the sea is better for her. Justin, I think that's what she wants, to live in the sea, not here on land."
He smiled. "My love, that was your dream, are you sure you are not misinterpreting?"
Melody frowned and shook her head. "I know my daughter, she's just like her mother."
"In more ways than one." He answered chuckling as they made their way to the kitchen.
Later that morning Marina found herself seated in the ballroom watching a few of the courtiers have some fun with the orchestra's practice for tonight's festivities. Drawing in a breath she sunk even lower into her chair and watched her father whisk past her with an invisible partner in his arms, just casually having fun since his wife never did like dancing and had disappeared for another swim some time ago. The only ones keeping young Marina any company were Max II and Scuttle, perched on an open window next to her.
The floor length green dress was not her favorite thing in the world, but it was lighter than what she would have to wear later on that night. A frilly purple monster that she swore made her look like an oversized grape. Nonetheless Melody would be wearing something uncomfortable and so would Marina, no compromises.
Beside her Max lifted his old head and barked at a familiar scent. In came Melody her eyes drifting from her daughter to her husband taking a deep breath of concentration before moving to cut in with Justin's non-existent partner. Her furrowed black brows putting Marina at immediate suspicion about what they were talking about, there was also her mother's darting glances in her general direction.
In a moment Marina was standing and storming out of the ballroom, she'd felt glum all morning here trying to keep her father adequate company without stepping on the dance floor. Since Melody was back there was no longer a point in being there. It wasn't the wasted morning that made Marina mad however; it was the secrets they were suddenly keeping from her. Never before had they ever kept a secret from her, why start now?
"I miss Sebastian." She started, Scuttle following by each window nearly ran into the next hearing Marina's soft words.
"That cranky ol' crab? What ya missin' him for girlie when you got us?" he indicated both him and the puppy Max II –or just Max to most people- who was following enthusiastically a few steps ahead of the princess.
Marina sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "If Sebastian were here he'd have something smart to say and make me not worry so much." He'd been a lifesaver in the past and now she was without him and her crazy dream that night had definitely gotten the better of her.
Apparently it wasn't the end of her nightmares, it was the same all over again. Shimmer crying out for help and a mysterious voice at the end in which she'd woken up from nearly screaming but muffled by Max's whines -she'd decided to let him sleep with her that night.
"I'm okay boy." She petted the white furred head of the animal and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. No, she was far from fine.
On the fifth day she hadn't slept much at all and it was beginning to show as she nearly fell asleep over her eggs at breakfast.
Melody's worried gaze turned to Justin who was just as horrified by this drastic change in their daughter. Certainly something was wrong, she wasn't saying a word of what it was though and that worried her parents even more.
The sound of dishes clashing and a few screams were what woke Marina from her slumber and shook Melody from her bout of concern, both knew it and both said it, "Sebastian."
Marina was the first one up moving with the racing grace she most likely had gotten from her father's side of the family rather than her mothers. The red crustacean was out of the kitchen and in Marina's cupped hands quicker than lightening. She held him close to her mid-section waiting for the new cook Francois to come from the kitchen, it seemed Sebastian had a very odd connection with the cooks; every one of them seemed to chase him. Though on a few occasions they were the ones being chased out and hadn't come back since either.
Sure enough Francois came out, a butcher knife in his hand fair black hair pulled out from everywhere, apron askew as he searched franticly for the little red menace. "I know it is here." He whispered low, as if he were hunting only to spot the princess in front of him giving him a very quizzical look. "Uh." He stuttered in his actions facing the disappointment of his king and queen who were both seemingly just as stunned when it was pretty predictable by now. "Forgive me. I cook now," he said and was off into the kitchen.
Marina giggled lightly, a comfort to her mother and father, as she unfolded her hands around the crab. "Oh Sebastian where have you been I have so much to tell you."
The crab smiled up at the princess but could not hide the look in his eyes. His gaze searched for the raven-haired queen and she stepped forward holding out her hand for him.
"Marina, take Max and go play on the beach."
"But mother." She became defiant. Secrets? Again?
"Now Marina."
So the princess had no choice but to comply and picked up her pale yellow skirts and walked out. A frown prominent on her visage while she made her ways outdoors.
Once outside she sat on the sand sifting her fingers through the warmth of the sun-warmed sand. Max jumped around the waves nipping at fish that he meant no harm to. He was a small sheepdog, but playful just like his father. Scuttle flew in the distance circling at an amazing height; he was being daring today. This little note made Marina giggle leaning back, splaying her hair out and not caring if she got a few sand bits in there.
"I haven't slept in a while." She muttered. The sun was warm on her cheeks and the lullaby of the sea was so tempting. Marina wanted to sleep and sunbathe like a real mermaid would, but she knew the consequences if she let her eyes slip shut.
She would dream of a terrible dark castle, and she would hear only one voice. One beautiful voice that she couldn't help.
"Marina." It would sound just like that, like tinkling bell or chime. "Marina, are you sleeping?"
"What?" she was shocked and sat up immediately to come face to face with Shimmer, the blonde girl was as beautiful in broad daylight as Marina remembered.
Dressed in the simplest white gown Shimmer's slender form looked like moonlight personified. In the sun she seemed untouched by the golden light and was instead bathed in a silver silk so translucent and lovely that Marina's sand colored cheeks flushed in embarrassment to the comparison of their looks.
"Do you remember me, Marina? We met in the sea." Her voice so delicate it was mesmerizing.
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Thanks everyone for reading. Don't forget to review I hope to have a third chapter up very soon.
-Anna Craft
