"What do you plan to do now?" I asked Ariel as we floated in the shallows. It was low tide, the only time the sea was calm enough for her to be in. And to hang out with me.
But this wasn't about me. My problems didn't matter at the moment. Ariel's problems were far bigger, and you always have to take care of the larger problems first.
"I don't know. Live happily ever after," She said it like it was a question.
The truth was happily ever after was a question at this point. Ariel couldn't swim because of her tail. The huge expanse of water that was once home was now limited to a tiny cove where she could crawl if need be. But even during high tide it was to dangerous for her to risk basking on the shallow bottom. Sebastian and I had to help her twice a day get back to the safety of dry sand.
Yet even then it wasn't right. Because of the King's recent transaction with the Sea Witch, Ariel lost her legs. No more walking for her.
No more swimming. No more walking. All she could do was float and lie down. Nothing else.
Or Ariel could drift out to sea and let her father find her. Then he could heal her up, give her back a tail and a life with the fishes. And me! That would be great, if it all just went to normal.
But we never talked about that option. It was really not something anyone wanted to bring up. Because it hurt Ariel to think about it. And to see my best friend so mentally battered from all the recent activities and betrayals, well that hurt me too.
I had to look out for Ariel now. It was my duty as a friend. And also there was no one else to look after her.
Sebastian was a little steamed. Still a traitor to the throne, considered a criminal against Atlantica, his anger must have at least doubled then before this whole fiasco. As he put it, Atlantica was his whole life and now he betrayed himself.
We all knew he meant he hurt himself by helping Ariel, but that was another thing we skirted around.
Then there was Eric. Ya, he was doing his best to care for his mermaid and his kingdom, but it just wasn't good enough. Most of the day the Prince had to be back at the palace. There was the matter of his coronation coming up and still no queen.
Grimsby was apparently "breathing down his neck" whatever that means. But the old man wanted the young prince to be in love with someone who was not half fish, particularly a young French woman who he almost accidentally married.
Like that was going to happen. When together, Eric and Ariel were so mushy and lovey-dovey even I had to leave. Unless they were disguising the future, then I stayed, because it was my job to help them with the future.
But so far the future was a blank slate, all odds and ends thrown up in the air for destiny to meddle with. Just so many problems; both kingdoms excepting one another, how Ariel will be if we don't do something for her soon, and Triton not showing any signs of letting up on his angry rampage against all human kind.
The weird thing is this all had one very simple solution. Ariel had to have legs. If once again she had feet for walking and running and all those human movements, everything would be okay.
But that brought up another problem, this one with no answer. It's not like they sell legs on bargain in the shops. They didn't really sell them off of bargain either.
So, what do we do now?
Hola! Really short chapter, just a re-introduction. So I was having a private debate with myself if I really wanted to stop or not and no side was winning for a while. But I was sitting in class bored out of my mind and I thought up another chapter that is in progress at this moment. So it shall continue! Thanks for everyone who read, and I hope you enjoy the rest! And thanks for all the great reviews, I'm glad people are entertained so far!
