Was I mad? Did I go insane? That thing I took for a skirt was…well, scaly. What was wrong with me? Are there skirts made out of scales now? Fashion was always moving forward, new times new style, I couldn't keep up with everything. That must be it, yes, simply new fashion, we could get her out of it once she was in the palace.

I scooped her up and out of the water. She fell out of my hands and back down into the waves with an explosive splash. It couldn't be, no, no, Grimsby was the one insane, his theory was the wrong one, this was a lie, a trick, an illusion.

I felt dizzy. The world was spinning around me, or maybe it was still and I was the one spinning. I could no longer tell. This was all too strange.

"Ouch," the most beautiful voice in the world broke into my brain. I dropped her, but I had a right. I thought she was human, I thought she just liked swimming or something, I would have never guessed…

Grimsby's theory came back to my mind. Well, no longer Grimsby's theory, it was now his fact, his knowledge. Uh, to think we shut him up in that tower for telling the truth. Even worse, think about the truth he was telling. Mermaids and mermen, living under our very ocean, swimming around just as we walk. What was worse, I was in love with one. The right girl, I finally found my true love, and she is half fish. Was that right? Should I be disgusted with myself? This wasn't natural, she wasn't natural. Then there were the even bigger questions, would these things attack? Were they dangerous? Should I continue to ignore them, or should I issue an all out war on the sea people?

It was too much for me to take, this was something else, a whole new world. Then there were eyes, piercing me while she sat in the water. Her eyes were speaking to me, those curious blue eyes, begging for me to understand. But how could I? Grimsby was the one in quarantine, but I felt like I needed one more at this point. I ran back to the palace, not even looking back at Ariel. Even when I heard her scream my name with a certain need.

Ariel

I knew this was a bad idea! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! What was I thinking? What was going through my head? I wanted to show him what I was, but I should have seen this coming, him running away in pure hatred. Daddy was right again; humans are barbarians.

"ERIC!" I needed him, I had to explain. They couldn't be like Daddy said, because Daddy was wrong and I always knew that and lived by it. If it turned out he was right…what did I have to go on? "ERIC!' But he did not turn, he ran away from me in disgust. Because I was disgusting.

I dove back into the depths of the ocean, Flounder was on my tail. There was only one place I could go now, just one place in this whole ocean that would offer any comfort; my cavern, my personal cave of treasures, this was the place to go.

The rock wasn't very hard to lift once you knew the trick. Instead of lifting it like most would, pull the top back and slide in, otherwise it was just a hassle. Flounder and I have become professionals of a sort, so we slipped into the place within a matter of seconds. Even though I just experienced the greatest pain of my life, I was still, and resented myself for it, a little excited to see my collection. Especially now that I knew there was that statue waiting for me, a forever reminder of the perfect man the got away.

I was only teary eyed when I entered my cavern, when I got inside I just couldn't hold it back any longer. All the pain and suffering I just endured in the past half hour, and now… now this. All my priceless treasures, my hard earned collection, my only connection to the world above, destroyed, demolished, incinerated.

Thing-a-mobobs lay shattered in a splintered box. A chain from a gadget was hanging from it's original spot, the bulk of the gadget was no where to be found. All my doohickies were burned, there delicate pictures blackened and charred with something that was not found in the sea naturally. All my years of going to the surface, scavenging sunken ships; gone, vanished, I was back at block one.

I swam to the middle of my cavern, and my tail slapped something, something hard like stone. I looked down, and there in the beam of light was his face, the face of the man I loved. No body, no stand, no back of the head, just his hard, cold, stone face.

Someone coughed. It didn't startle me, I was expecting him to be here, he was just so hard to see sometimes, especially after life takes a turn for the worst. "Ariel, your father wants to see you," Sebastian was practically hiding in his shell, his head only out far enough to speak. At that point I was sure it was him, although he promised not to tell, although he promised to stay together, he told. Sebastian was the reason for all this madness.

"And what if I say no, huh? What if I swim away and use my voice to make a living, just wander the sea until I find a cure for this disease, what if I did that?" I was swimming around my cavern in a pattern humans called pacing. What would I give to actually be able to pace?

"What disease Ariel?" Flounder swam forward, his voice back to the guppy fish I knew and loved.

"This disease!" I flapped my tail furiously, "This cancer that has turned my life into misery! This horrible tumor that is focused on destroying my life! This disease!" I flapped my tail again, trying to wiggle my fins in opposite directions, like the people walk, but it was hopeless. I sank back down to the wet sand and started to sob.

"Ariel, being a mermaid is not a bad thing-"

"Yes it is! You don't know the half of it Sebastian! I don't get to walk, to run! I don't get to feel dry sand, nor do I get to feel the heat of the sun! There is no fire I get to warm myself by, no dinglehopper that can make my hair like the humans! I get to sit here, while the man I love hates me for being this…this…thing!" I sobbed into my arms, both my friends staring at me. They just couldn't understand, no one could understand the pain of my heart.

Eric

If I knew it was wrong, then why did I feel such pain? It was like someone stabbed my heart repeatedly, and yet I knew I did the right thing. Anyone would agree. So why did I feel so broken?

I have been staying away from the ocean ever since that moment, all of Max's walks went back over to the woods. No more sea breeze for me. But yet, standing on the balcony that faced the open sea was my favorite time of the day. I couldn't place it, but there was this connection I felt with the ocean, more then before I almost drowned. I wanted to see her again, but I couldn't. She was under the ocean, the one place off limits to people like me, and I was on land, the one place off limits to things like her.

There was that word I kept using: thing. I didn't think she was a thing, but what else could I call her? Not human certainly, but not quite a fish. A mermaid. No, no. She was not that, not that, anything else but that. I walked up to my room and collapsed on my bed. I just had to tell myself the truth, she was not a mermaid, she was not a mermaid, she…was not a…mermaid. I started to sob.

When was the last time I cried? I think it was on my 9th birthday, the day my mother died. She was sick for such a long time, we all knew it was coming, but no matter how long you know, can someone ever be prepared? My father went before my mother, I didn't really know him. Sometimes I thought I could remember his laugh, a friendly smile, him playing with me down by the water. I cherished these memories, real or not, they were the only connection I ever had to him. That flute I played all the time, that was my mother's, it was her most prized possession, she used to tell me, because it was a gift from the man she loved. She never said if that was my father or not, I just always assumed it, but looking back, with the experience I have now, I don't think it was my dad she loved. She was a queen, could only marry someone of equal status.

Equal status. What did that even mean? I used to know; someone ranked as high as you in the social status, someone on the same level of the food chain. What about Ariel? Was she equal status? Even if not, didn't love boost someone up in the status? In my status she was higher then anything, above all of us. And yet, she was below all of us as well, because, in the end, she wasn't even on our social chain. The local peasants were human, the house hold pets we held so dear to our hearts were given a place in out statuses, but a mixture of a fish and a human, a hybrid, a mutant, where could she be placed?

I grabbed my hair and tugged. Why was life so complicated? Couldn't I have just found a simple girl? One with legs, for starters? I had to get my head out of the clouds, I should have married those princesses when I had the chance. But no, I had to be the dreamer prince, the one prince ever who thought true love existed for a royal man. Right now I had to think that being with the wrong woman was much better then not being able to be with the right one. I decided it, the next princess I met I would marry. There would be no love for me, I would bare through it, just like Mom.

Ariel

Sebastian called my bluff. I couldn't run away, first off; where is there to run to? Atlantica was the only place I knew, except for a few rural kelp farms outside of town, but that wouldn't get me far. Second; Daddy would never even give me the chance to escape past the boarder. Sebastian would run to him right away, I would be caught before I could even contemplate going to the surface. I would go to Daddy and I would receive my punishment. Someone once told me that it was better to ask for forgiveness rather then permission. Let's hope that holds true.

"Ariel! I consider myself a reasonable merman. I said certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed!" The first thing he says to me as I swim down the isle. I couldn't muster the energy to argue my point, I was too broken.

"I understand Daddy," I bent my head down and stared at his tail. I would not fight or argue. If Eric still loved me maybe it would have been different, but what was the point if there was no reward?

"Is it true, you rescued a human from drowning?" Sometimes Daddy was so fierce, most of the time it scared me, but not today, I wouldn't let it.

"Yes," I whispered it, but my voice seemed to echo around so much, a whisper was all it took.

"Contact with the human world is strictly forbidden, Ariel you know that! Everyone knows that!" he started shouting in my face, I just couldn't take it any more. My nerves were shaking, I could feel myself vibrating, I was done, I couldn't hold it back anymore!

"Daddy I love him!" I shoved my fist into my mouth. I should have controlled it, I should have held it back! Why can't I do anything right?

"What? Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, your a mermaid!"

"I don't care," I had nothing to hide behind, I would stand strong and tall.

"Did you see what power I had over your items? I told you to stop collecting, I ordered you to leave it alone, and you disobeyed. I destroyed every one of them. Who's to say I don't have the same power over your precious humans?"

I gasped. Daddy wouldn't. He wasn't a killer, he wouldn't hurt someone unless he was in a rage. But that was it wasn't it? Daddy was in a rage, against me, but how could he hurt his youngest daughter? He would hurt the thing closest to me; those humans.

"Daddy you wouldn't!" I started advancing at him.

"Oh yes I would Ariel, yes I would," he sat back down in his throne, his eyes told me everything. Yes, he would.

I swam away, not to my usual place of comfort, that cave was no longer a treasure trove, it was a tomb. I would go to the thing I wanted most. Would I put him in more danger by showing my face? I couldn't think about that now, I had to warn him to stay out of the sea, even if he hates me, he deserved to know.

Eric

I was out on the balcony again. I didn't like to go down by the beach any more, but I still had to keep a hawk's eye on the waves. What if she came? What would I say? What would I do? Last she saw me, I was in disgust. I still am. But I have to talk to her, to see what is happening. Maybe there was a chance for change, maybe she could become human yet. Maybe it was all just a joke pulled by some of those sailors when I didn't believe their merpeople tale.

The water looked like it was on fire again. It was funny to see water on fire, it was unnatural. Wait, water couldn't get set on fire, I've been over this, this had to be something else. I knew she came.

I've been telling myself forever that I couldn't go see her again, it was too much for everyone. So why was I running down to the beach with Max on my heels? It was not a smart move on my part, but there since when did I ever make the right move? Half of me was just begging to hear that voice, just one more time. That amazing, hypnotic voice. And another part of me wanted to look into her eyes, for a nice sense of closer. Those curious, wonderful blue eyes.

I seemed to get to the beach faster then normal. Before I knew it I was wading out to the rock where we first officially met. Max would never come out this deep willingly; his hair weighed him down.

She was waiting there behind the rock to avoid peering eyes from the palace. She was just as beautiful as I remembered, but the thing I took for a skirt at first, well…I could see its real purpose now.

"H-hi," I stuttered. I don't care if she was a mermaid, she still had this strange talent of amazing me.

"Hi," she wasn't trying to figure me out like last time. Her eyes were covered in a plate of armor, she was impervious to feeling. Ariel had officially put up a shield, preparing for more pain.

"Hi," I said in a little ashamed voice.

"You said that already,"

"Oh, yea. Silly me," she hated me I could tell.

"Listen, I know you probably don't want to see me, even hate me-"

"I don't-"

"Let me finish. I came here to tell you to stay out of the water, stay away from the ocean. Land is the only safe place for you now,"

I couldn't understand, the ocean was my life. If I didn't have the ocean, what did I have? "I can't do that,"

"Listen to me Eric, I risked my own life to come here," she quickly glared under the water. I saw a little crab shutter. Of course she could talk to animals, "But Daddy is furious at me, and in order to get to me, he'll come after you," I couldn't believe this, her father was trying to kill me? Me? What did I do? "It's all my fault, it really is. I should have just not come up when he told me too! But there you were drowning and then when you talked to me, well I felt so much better about everything! But I have learned something from you; I can't trust humans. And now you have to learn something from me; you can trust mermaids. So when I tell you that you have to stay out of the water, I honestly mean it," she looked around, as if something was following her, "I have to go," Ariel started to retreat. I grabbed her hand. This time she didn't fight it.

"Listen, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, it just… caught me by surprise. If there is one thing I want you to take away from my world, it is my trust. I just… I can't take too much information at once. So take my trust," I really wanted her to believe me, but I wasn't expecting it. I hurt her, I could tell by the way she kept her distance. But in those wonderfully blue eyes, I could see part of her protection fall, like she wanted to believe me, just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Alright," my hand still was holding her wrist and I could feel her trying to pull away. I wouldn't let her.

"Will I see you again?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Too risky, maybe not," and she made it final. My grip fell loose at the abrupt answer, but then again I kind of deserved that. And before I could change her mind she was gone.

Ariel

I did flips and rolls, my hair floating into my face. I was so dizzy, but how could I stop? I was going to see him again! I mean, I told him maybe, but that was probably yes to me! But didn't I put a 'not' in there? I couldn't keep track of my words, there were so many and none that could explain the joy I was feeling. I would make sure to see him again. So what if he broke my heart once before? It's not like he really knew me then, and he told me he didn't hate me…well, he sort of did. I started singing the song I first told Eric.

"Ariel, can't you keep your head for a minute? We have to think about this," Sebastian was pacing the ocean floor. I grabbed him and started to spin like a dolphin.

"Oh Sebastian, what's there to think about? Life is just wonderful!" I sung it to him, I just couldn't stop, I was so happy.

"What if King Triton already knows? What if he sent a spy?" Sebastian started hyperventilating. He was even more a guppy than Flounder!

"Sebastian, calm down. Daddy…well Daddy will hurt me or Eric if he finds out, you have nothing to worry about," the only way this would stay a secret if he was calm, not like last time.

"You won't tell would you?" Flounder swam up to him as fast as a fish his size could go. No matter how much a guppy Flounder was, he always had his moments.

"Please Sebastian, he would never understand," I needed Sebastian to understand, cause if Sebastian didn't understand, then my whole life would fall apart.

"Alright, alright, I'll help you see the prince," I was extatic! I hugged Sebastian and kissed him until he started lightly pinching my cheeks. I would see him again, I really would.

Eric

Grimsby was arranging another meet with the Princess of France. The doctors said he finally stopped talking about the people that surly had to live under the sea. With the quarantine lifted he was back to his old habits, arranging meet and greets, taking care of some kingly stuff I wasn't qualified to do yet, things like that. I promised myself I would marry this princess, I mean she was beautiful, loved animals, and she was great ruler, but she wasn't my love. That title belonged to the little mermaid. But if I may not see Ariel again, should I wait? Maybe really means no, 'maybe not' pretty much means absolutely not. Didn't I tell myself I would marry? Forget love, that is what I said. Love is a fairytale, it belongs to storybooks. Not people like me, I only had a few choices in the world, so love was out of the question.

I spent the day in town, wandering. What would Ariel say if she could come up here? What would she do first? Would she enjoy the human world? Does it really matter? It isn't like she can, it isn't like she wants to. Maybe she did once, when she thought me nice and trustful, but I blew that up. I just, I just wanted to explain myself better. Maybe tomorrow I should sail around, search for the familiar underwater fire.

Sunset fell faster then I thought it would. I decided to make my way down to the beach, just enjoy the salty air and the mystery that lied beneath.

Max was with me, when in need of an excuse just take Max for a walk. The sheepdog's hair still flopped in his eyes, but, funny enough, he never ran into anything. Strange dog.

The sun was just about to set. I sat on the beach leaning into my arm. What was it like under the sea? Was it better then up here? But if you were under the sea, how could you enjoy beautiful sunsets like this, where the sky turned to pink and the water made light dance?

The sun fell and out popped a large army of tiny stars. They bedazzled the sky, like dewdrops of the night. They were a gateway to the heavens. If you were down on the ocean floor, how could you enjoy times like this?

"it's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice said suddenly right in front of me. Max started barking like a maniac.

"Down Max! Down boy!" I tried to settle the dog down, but something about this girl just set him off. He sprinted into the small crashing waves and jumped around the girl. She widened her eyes in terror and dived back into the surf.

"Hey! Wait! He's harmless, he just wanted to say hello!" I called after her. The once chance I get to speak with that girl and Max had to go ruin it.

But I saw her red hair bobbing. It lead right back to the rock where we first met, much farther then Max would dare venture, but for me to talk to her no depth was too deep, even if the rock wasn't in that deep.

The first thing I did when reaching her was looking into those eyes that hypnotized me so. There was still a barrier around them, a defense against the pain she expected me to inflict on her.

"You look wonderful tonight," I smiled at her. Under the moonlight I could see her blushing, but the protection still stayed, "Look, honestly, I didn't mean to hurt you, it was just a bit much to take in at once,"

"Eric, I understand. I also understand if you decide to leave. Just know, I will be looking for a cure, or a…way out. I want to be part of your world," Her eyes spoke around her defenses, she really wanted to find a cure. But was this a disease? Or was this more of a way of life? Something that she has learned to live with, just as I learned to walk with legs. Maybe, just maybe, I was looking at this wrong, and I was making her look at it wrong as well.

"Ariel, I want you to be part my world as well, but I don't think you can find a cure,"

"Why? I am sure it exists, it has to-"

"No, Ariel, I don't think you can find a cure, because I don't think it is sickness. I think it is you, and you know what?"

"What?" her voice was crying, even if her eyes stayed dry.

"I wouldn't have you any other way," that was lie, oh how I wish she had feet. But her eyes immediately let out all emotion; happiness, sadness, anxiousness, fear, anger. She fell into my arms, sobbing into my shoulder, but I could feel a smile on her face.