Chapter 10
The next morning was fast like the other mornings for the sun to rise up and it's light glittering through the sea. However, for Ariel felt her sleeping through the night to morning was long, come to think of it she wasn't able to sleep last night. After the ball party and her dance with Eric and abandoning him, she returned back to the place with Sebastian as he insisted Ariel that she needed to sleep. Getting to her bed without any one noticing her was easy, but to getting to sleep was hard. A huge headache started trembling inside her mind, Ariel tried to remember to great times last night she was dancing with Eric, but she could think of was when he asked her to stay with him. How they broke Ariel and she broke Eric harder and deeper as guilt was stuck within Ariel like poison flowing in her veins. She wished for time to slow down but when her tired, wide eyes spotted a glimpse of sun light, the poisonous guilt began rushing through her entire body faster making Ariel feel sick and really tired.
"Come on girls! Up! Up!" Marina yelled, but Ariel and her sisters were still so tired from last night.
"GET UP!" Marina shouted louder, the girls were half-way up and slowly swam out of the room, Ariel was the last one to exist.
When they were inside the main hall where their father, King Triton sits on his throne in a straight and proud position. The girls were staring up to their father while keeping their heads down trying to hide their small smiles from remembering the music at the club last night. However, Ariel was showing no small smile on her face, so she had nothing to hide from her father. Their morning walk around the kingdom was quick, Sebastian was the first to notice Ariel only one out of the daughters who didn't have a glimpse of cheerfulness or happiness on her face, then King Triton noticed his youngest daughter. Lastly, Marina noticed Ariel and Marina kept her still face and frowned at the poor child, but she secretly grew a small grin on her face. Once the morning walk was finished, the girls swam off including Ariel, but she was slower to leave through the gates of the kingdoms. Ariel was swimming around to find Flounder and tell him all about what happen last night, once she found Flounder swimming around while hiding away from the swordfish guards, so they won't spot him being laughing around like last time. Ariel wanted to go to their secret hideout and tell Flounder everything.
"Whoa" Flounder wowed, after listening about when Eric asked Ariel if she could stay with him. They both were silent as Ariel was sitting down on the back edge of the tall statue of Prince Eric while Flounder was swimming above and infront of her and asked, "So, what are you going to do?"
"Well, I don't know really" Ariel huffed feeling clueless as ever, "I told Sebastian that, maybe, I should tell Eric the truth and my father."
"I wonder which one will be shocked the most?" Flounder sarcastically asked.
"That's not funny."
"I know" Flounder apologise, then added, "Wait, why do you need to tell your father again?"
"Well, I can't keep it a secret forever" Ariel explain, "Also, I found something…"
"What?"
"That belonged to my mother."
Flounder went silent after Ariel mentioned about her mother, the only thing Flounder knew about Ariel's mother was that she died. Ariel continued, "It was, this music box that my father gave to her."
"Where did you find it?"
"Eric had it"
"Wow, what a coincidence" Flounder commented.
"And I thought this could help him remember the love of music, we should to have."
"You think that could work."
"I don't know" Ariel splatted her hands on her face and rubbed the top sides of her eyes in circles by the tip of her fingers, "I'm mainly panicking more about Eric than my father, to be honest."
Ariel looked up behind and swam infront of the statue of Prince Eric's face, and tried to imagen it's was really Eric and tried talking to him. She took a deep breathe in but there were empty words coming out from her mouth, Ariel growled through her white tenth feeling annoyed and angry about herself. Thinking, 'Why is this so difficult?!"
"What should I do?" Ariel turned around to face Flounder and asked.
"Why does it matter about what I think? You're the one who said you have to tell them."
"Exactly!" Ariel's voice sounded more annoyed and angrier, "I don't know how. It's not like I can go up to him and say, 'Hey Eric, forgot to mention about myself that I'm a mermaid.' No, it's doesn't work like that."
"Come on, Ariel" Flounder swam up behind Ariel's shoulder, "I mean I've around the sea and up to the surface many times before I met you, and I've seen many couples as happy as you are with him. And if he doesn't like the way the you're are, then his isn't the right one for you."
"Oh, Flounder" Ariel finally grew a smile and hugged Flounder by her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Maybe ask one of your sisters, they've probably done something like this before" Flounder wondered.
"Maybe…" Ariel thought about what Flounder just said, and it wasn't a bad idea.
"I mean, they've probably been in this situation before, so it might not hurt to ask one of them" Flounder added.
Ariel looked back at Flounder, "Flounder, you mustn't tell them. Promise me you won't…"
"I promise" Flounder answered before Ariel get to finish, but it made Ariel smile to know that she could trust Flounder.
"Come on let's go outside" Flounder suggested.
Ariel and Flounder swam out of the hideout and began looking around for something to do for today to get Ariel's mind distracted, so she could keep herself calm and steady without panicking by the thought of talking to Eric. There was some large, long, coral slides with surfaces as smooth and slippery as sea weed and green most covering rocks. Ariel started from the top with Flounder sitting back on top of her, they slowly lean forward over the edge and the weight from their bodies pressure further towards the down-way of the slide. Riding fast down through the slide as Ariel's scales on her tail slide softly without sliding by rough bumps and edges on slimy surface of the slide. Ariel and Flounder screamed out with excitement while feeling thrilled, they rode through the slide that twist and turns upside downs and sideways. Until they reached the end of the slide where they swing out up into the open space as Ariel lets go of Flounder and they both spin around like tossing a spinning stone up into the air then it drops down slowly back down onto the ground. They both laid down on the sandy ground and laughing out loud with their arms and fins, and tails spread out wide. Flounder thought of exploring around the sea and find more human stuff, but he didn't wanted Ariel to feel bad again from before, so they continue staying around the area and riding more slides.
After night arrived and Ariel and Flounder arrived at the Catfish Club, Flounder was dancing around with the other sea creatures, while Ariel watched the starfishes doing the limbo game where they bend backwards to walk underneath a stick, and a few fallen backwards. Then Ariel's sisters arrived at the club and began dancing around, even though Aquata couldn't dance they persuaded Aquata to dance. Then all of them swam towards to Ariel.
"Hey, why aren't you dancing?" Arista asked.
"Oh, maybe later" Ariel answered.
"Oh yeah" Andrina added in, she smirked, "You were probably doing something more fun with your prince."
Ariel looked annoyed at Andrina's sarcastic commented, then Aquata asked, "Yeah, what did you do last night?"
"Did you dance with him?" Alana asked.
"Did you kiss?" Adella asked next.
"I, um…" Ariel didn't know what answer, but her pausing was making her sisters thriller for their little sister being with her first crush. "Guys sorry I don't want to talk about it?"
Attina looked suspicious at her little sitter as she asked Ariel to go to somewhere quiet behind at the back stage, so they could talk. "Ariel, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, there's nothing…"
"Ariel?" Attina interrupted, "I see that look many times, what happened? Come one you could tell me"
Ariel looked at Attina and recognised that sisters' care in her eyes and felt her companion for Ariel to desperately get something off from weighing heavily on her shoulders. Ariel started slowly, "Attina, have you ever thought of, the possibly, that you might not stay in Atlantica."
"Why?" Attina raise an eyebrow.
"Because I was thinking I could, you know, stay somewhere?" Ariel tried to explain it while holding a smile but Attina just looked confused and worried for what Ariel could say next.
"Where exactly?" Attina pressured more on her questions. Ariel's eyes looked up then back at Attina which gave Attina the answer, "Wait, up there? The surface?"
Ariel was expecting Attina to be yelling, but instead Attina was laughing, "Okay, so how long? And I'm gusting very shortly because you probably don't know where to stay?"
"Actually, Eric asked me" Ariel replied back then Attina's eyes grew wide, "Attina, I said no. But now I thought maybe going out there and do something new in my life. Of course, I'll come back and visit, it's just…"
"Do you love him?" Attina asked a direct question to Ariel, making Ariel feel so sudden and shock and worst when she didn't how to answer.
"Oh, my goodness, Ariel" Attina's jaw was huffed, "You couldn't do this to yourself."
"Do what!" Ariel's voice became loud and angry, "That I'm visiting a human."
"Yes! Father said they're mindless, fish-eaters…"
"Daddy isn't always right you know"
"And you're going to hurt father when he's finds out."
"Oh why, you're going to tell him?" Ariel sarcastically replied back, then Attina eyed at her. "I can't believe it, first I showed you the music, then you and the others love it. Now you're saying what I'm doing is wrong."
"Yes, I loved the music and everything. But father has done everything for us, why can't you just respect him the same way?" Attina continued arguing.
"Okay, here's a question, have you actually ever heard daddy say, 'I love you?' or ever played or laughed with us." Ariel asked as she moved closer to Attina waiting to hear her 'quick, smart' answered, but Attina just stood there still and her eyes were showing how shocked she was. Ariel began breathing normally and turned around and slowly swam away towards the party.
"I don't know what's worst, the fact that you don't respect your family or that you forgotten how mum died?" Attina added before Ariel left the backstage room.
Ariel suddenly froze still and stare infront feeling shocked about what Attina just asked her, then Ariel's face was raging into anger. Ariel twisted around and swam up to Attina, "I can't believe you're throwing that my face!"
"She died from that kind!" Attina yelled back.
"But some of mer-people were cruel as humans years ago, and some could friendly. And you know what, Eric has nothing to me but shown kindness, extraordinary things. He has done more than what father, or you and the others have ever done!" Ariel's voice was louder.
"So, you rather leave your family for a human?!"
"Yes, I would actually. Attina I don't want to live my life without knowing anything than just doing nothing day by day by day."
"Because a human wants you to stay with him, no actually let me rewrite that for you, he wants the human you to stay" Attina pointed out.
"He likes me for who I'm am" Ariel argued back.
"Does he know you're a mermaid?" Attina asked but Ariel didn't have an answered to reply back, "That's what I thought."
"At least I've done something new in my life for once. What have you done? Oh, I know, nothing! You just sit around being 'daddy's pet' and all that!"
Unexpectedly, Attina stood very still and quietly staring at Ariel with her eyes widen as she felt shocked from Ariel's last commented. Attina shook her head slowly and shortly before saying, "That… that is unfair."
Attina silently swam away leaving Ariel behind, although Ariel felt she was right to say that, but she did feel a bit guilty after Attina left her. Ariel didn't understand what Attina meant when she finished, but it was too late to ask her and knew she would angrily yell back. After, Ariel swam back into the dancing room where everyone was still dancing even Sebastian was shaking the rattlers on the front of the stage, however Ariel couldn't see Attina around and guest that she has probably left to go back to the palace.
Meanwhile…
Attina swam back to the palace passing the shadowy corners of the castle's gates, she entered inside and through the empty hallways heading to her bedroom. Feeling no one is around so Attina could release her frown on her face until Marina appeared behind her.
"Where are your sisters?" Marina asked.
Attina taken in a deep breathe in before turning around and face Marina, "They're coming back soon."
"Oh, dearly" Marina swam over to Attina's side and laid her hands on Attina's shoulder, "What's the matter?"
"Nothing" Attina replied in a sorrow tone.
"You know, I've raised you girls for many years now" Marina moved her head closer to the side of Attina's and whispered, "And, just between you and me, I think you're the most responsible one, not because you'r the oldest and all that, because you always know the right thing."
"Chin up" Marina lifted Attina's chin, raising her head, "You always know what's best for your family."
"It's like when you'll become queen, you have to do what's best for the kingdom" Marina grinned at Attina before swimming away through the halls, leaving Attina behind still but began thinking of 'what's best for her family.' Her eyes rolled up staring straight ahead and started swimming towards the main hall where she finds her father sitting on throne with his triton by his side while reading some scrolls. Until his eyes caught Attina slowly swimming up towards in his present as she bowed infront of the King.
"Attina? You're alright my daughter?" Triton lowed the scrolls and focus on his daughter.
Attina took in a deep breathe in before replying, "Father, we need to talk."
Back at the Catfish Club
The party was getting louder by the band playing the music and more brighter by the colour lights, everyone was on the dance floor moving their tails, waving their arms and fins in the air like they just don't care. Ariel still kept her guilt for Attina after that argument they had, but Flounder after persuaded her to go on the dance floor and dance with him and Sebastian. As they music was getting louder and louder, the banging rhythm was echoing loud in the room.
Suddenly another banging noise in a rhythm was sounded louder and harder from behind the door entrance, everyone suddenly stopped and froze very still as their eyes rolled around fast to stare at the door. Ariel and Flounder stare right at the door, but Flounder slowly touched the side of Ariel's arm by his fin and slowly moved her backways. Flounder was trying to get Ariel near the other hole entrance where Ariel first fell that leads up to the secret hideout, unaware for Ariel as she still kept her eyes on the doors. The banging was louder and lounder by the second, until the final bang was the doors bashing down and clashing down to the ground. Lots of swordfish guards swam through the entrance which made everyone screamed loud in shock, including an octopus squirted out it's ink which cover the entire room by a black mist like changing the light of day into plain darkness of night. This was the perfect chance for Flounder trying to get Ariel through the hole to hide herself, "Quick this way!" Ariel felt Flounder pushing softly on the side of her as she also felt the rough, coral, round hole and quickly squeezed herself up through the hole. After, Flounder felt a sharp touch on his backside from the swordfish guard's long, pointy nose pushing the small dolphin towards the stage area where they keep everyone one else, they could find without escaping. Then, the black inky mist slowly vanishes which shows partly of everyone from the tip of their heads to the tip of their tails. The five daughters were there standing very still on the stage, along with the band and Flounders and Sebastian and all of the swordfish guards surrounding them with their noses pointing directly at them.
Ariel could it all happening through the small cracks in the tunnel as she was trying to keep herself high, so her tail wouldn't be seen by the guards through the hole. Suddenly, someone one else swam out through the door entrance, King Triton arrived in the room. The daughters standing on the stage gasped quietly and lowed their heads with their eyes closed showing, meanwhile Ariel was still hiding but her eyes were widened from the hock and her gasped loud as she quickly covered her mouth by her hand.
"This is how your look after my daughters" King Triton's voice was dark and stick like the dark night itself, as he was eyeing directly at Sebastian. The small red tried to explain but Triton finishes, "I trusted you" after Sebastian lowed his head and shut his eyes as he shamed his king.
"Guards! Lock everyone in this room away!" Triton ordered loudly with anger in his voice.
Sebastian and the band along with Flounder and other sea creatures swam out of the room in silently, then it was the girls after until Triton stopped them and counted. "Where's Ariel?" Triton asked, they all looked clueless however Flounder was trying to look the same, so they won't expect him.
Ariel didn't know what to do as the panicking feeling began to control of her body, screaming at Ariel, "SWIM! GET OUT!" So, that's what Ariel did, she swam up through the tunnel until she reached up to the secret hideout after she pushed the round, heavily door which was covering the entrance. Once, she pushed the small, round door Ariel was unaware that her hard breathing when she was pushing the door and then the loud drop from the door echoed through the tunnel to the bottom to the music room. Everyone heard the echoing sound and noticed it was coming from the hole, one of the swordfish guards investigated the hole and realised that it leads upwards to the ground surface.
Ariel was covering her mouth by both of her hands trying to breathe normally, then her hands moved up onto her head as her finger slide through her red hair and tighten the grips in between. Ariel didn't know what to do, she turn around in every corner of the cave like she was trying to find the situation at first sight, the rushing panic inside her gut couldn't make Ariel stop still. Slowly, Ariel took in control as she slowly realised that she had to face her father sooner or later. Suddenly, the same banging nose from below was sounded again at the door entrance but louder and harder. The door was pushed out of the way and a few swordfish guards swam through into the cave and surrounded Ariel like she was a prisoner who just escaped from prison. She quickly raised her hands showing her innocence, Ariel yelled, "It's me! It's only me!"
The guards lead Ariel out of the secret hideout where she meets her father face to face, he stares down at his youngest daughter with his raging, red eyes, however Ariel only stares up to her father with calm eyes as she wasn't afraid of him, then silently swam pass him. Triton watched Ariel pass with the guards still surrounding her before he looks back at the secret hideout as one of the guards told him about what was inside, all the human stuff and treasures. Then all of Triton's hatred for music and humans all rushed through his veins and into his trident as it glows bright and hot like the sun.
Ariel soon realized that her father was pointing his trident at the cave, she shouted as she reached out to pull Triton's arms away, "Daddy! No!"
Triton ignored Ariel's scream and his arms were too strong for Ariel to push away as he blasted with great power like bolts of lightning striking through the door entrance and blew up the entire room, the two hills above quickly tumbled down into broken, small pieces. Ariel watched in horror as everything the held the most incredible things that expresses what humanity really is, is gone, everything is now gone, all she treasured is now nothing but broken parts and dust. Even the statue of Prince Eric where now Ariel will never see an image of him ever again as long as she's underneath, of course she could image him in her mind but it's better to have something to remind Ariel of Eric and where she could practices talking to him. Ariel looks up to father with shocked look in her eyes, but Triton gazes down at Ariel again in the same raging stare. Ariel shocked her head shortly before noticing that Sebastian and the other sea creatures were heading back to the palace where they would be locked up in dungeon.
Ariel gasped when she realised that Flounder was joining them, she swam back to her father and yelled, "Flounder can't stay in the dungeon."
"He has commented a crime just like the others, and you" Triton replied without looking at Ariel.
"But he can't breathe underwater for a long time" Ariel begs, "He needs air from above."
Triton paused before answering, "Then, he shall be banished from Atlantica forever."
"No, daddy…"
"Enough!" Triton turned his face around to face his daughter as his eyes were red as burning fire from above land.
Ariel took in a deep breathe in before leaving her father and headed back towards the palace, before she looks to the side as Flounder was swimming away with two guards behind him so he doesn't try to escape. They both stare at each other as a silently way of saying goodbye to each other and quite possibly for the last time.
Later on, Triton ordered all of his daughters to see him in the main hall, they all stood silently with their heads down and their eyes half-closed as they couldn't bear to see the shame looks in their father's eyes. "You are all confined to the palace."
"Yes, father" Attina replied at the front of the group.
However, anger took the better of Ariel, "Then, why don't you just lock us up in the dungeon!"
"Ariel, you are confined to the palace until you understand what you have done!" Triton repeated directly back to Ariel as he nearly lifted himself off from his throne.
"What did we do?!" Ariel argued, "Go on! Tell us!"
"Ariel!" Attina spook out, "Just leave it!"
"No!" Ariel swam up infront of her father, "We haven't done anything wrong. All we did was just listening to music."
"Which you know is forbidden. And that's not the only law you broke, isn't it?" Triton asked which Ariel was first confused until she realised that he was talking about Eric.
"I consider myself as a reasonable king!" His voice was low and dark, "Because when I set certain rules, I expect those rules to be obeyed!"
Ariel anxiously bite her bottom lip, "But daddy…"
Triton look up to his other daughters and ordered, "Girls, you may leave" the dughters did as they were told however they all secretly hide behind the corner by the end of the hallway so they could listen to their arguments.
"Isn't it true, you rescued a human from drowning?!" Triton started their agreement again with Ariel
"Yes, but I have to…"
"Ariel, why can't you use your common sense?! They're mindless, fish-eating, thieves!"
"What! No!" Ariel growled through her white as it was driving her mind into madness, "You don't even know him!"
"Know him, I don't have to have to know him! They are all the same!" Triton's raging shouts echoing through the whole room and through the hallways as it shivers the daughter's bodies, except for Ariel. "You care more for that human than your home and family?!"
""I couldn't say this has been more of a 'home' to me than it has been up there" Ariel replied calmly.
"They have killed many of us!"
"So, have shakes and many more!" Ariel pointed, "And yet, we don't argue or created a stupid law about seeing them or trying to kill them, because we all live in the same world! And not all of them are bad you know."
Triton didn't believe that last sentence for he was still haunted by his wife's death, so he ignores Ariel's point and sentenced, "And for breaking that law, you will never, ever go up to the surface again!"
Ariel was about to argued back until she paused silently and thought of something that could bring more truth form her father. "Alright, I won't go up there again ever. If you tell me why we can't have music?"
Triton froze still and calm like he was about to answer back, until he shakes his head and straighten up, "This discussion is over."
"Just tell me!" Ariel shouted as her father swam passed her, until he stopped when Ariel added, "I don't understand, we all loved music."
Unexpected, Triton turned around in the most shadowed position and roared, "There will be no music in my kingdom!"
Ariel moved back shocked and scared as she has never seen her father in such rage and anger. Triton whispered n a calm voice, "Neither will you have any contacts with the human world again."
However, Ariel could feel that madness for herself as she whispered back, "No" that caught her father's and sister's attention. Before Triton could argue again, Ariel explained fully, "No, because for once in my life, I finally found something worth living instead of studying in this place day by day that doesn't rename itself as a 'home.'" Ariel pointed her finger upwards, "Up there, is much more than here, I learn new things of discovering, of what's life worth living. I've found fun, happiness, excitement, adventure, and…"
"I will not explain this again, Ariel!" Triton warned.
Ariel didn't to finish her sentence and now her anger boils hotter to speak up infront of her father, this ended with her thoughts about Eric, "…and daddy, I love him."
The eyes from Triton and the sisters were all widen with shock and gasped silently, "No" Triton silently shocked then his voice raised louder, "Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, you're a mermaid!"
"He doesn't care about that!" Ariel lied but she didn't want to get beaten down by her father, she added, "And neither do I."
"And Eric, you define of as a fish-eating, killer, he's much more than you'll ever be! He say things you couldn't even bare to say; I love you, I need you! In fact, when have you ever, ever said those words to us!" Ariel pointed out the missing love that broke her and her family, Triton was silent because he couldn't hide that what Ariel said was true. Ariel added, "And I'm not a little child anymore that you maybe still see, Eric sees me as someone who is special to him. Why can't you ever say?"
Ariel eye's narrow as she was close to finding the deep meaning behind her father's roughness and strictest ways towards everything and everyone else. However, Triton replied back that broke Ariel inside, "All I see of you now, is disappointment. And it would be the same for your mother."
Her heart cracked wide like a knife cutting through deeply, of course Ariel was already hunt when Sebastian or Attina mentioned about her mother when she was killed by humans, but by her own father who was the only parent she had to look up to yet he dares not to say those reminding, heart-breaking words, 'I love you.' Felt like she was about to fall backwards but Ariel stood up with her head and kept her eyes away, so she doesn't have to see her father's face. Finally, Ariel finishes as she swam pass slowly, "I may not remember much about my mother, but I know she won't have never wanted this." That finish shocked more to everyone as Ariel quickly swam away for, she couldn't bear to hear more comments about all of this; with the music, and with Eric. Triton watched his youngest daughter, Ariel swimming away with his half-closed eyes as he tried to cover the guilt, he was hiding from her and everyone else.
Ariel entered through the hallway and spotted her sisters standing flat against the side of the wall, staring at their younger sister with shocked eyes as they never heard their father roar so angrily and how Ariel could stand up to him and argue so strong-willed. Ariel looks back at them, yet she wouldn't care less about what they would comment, until she spotted Attina in the centre of them. Ariel gazed at her with red eyes like what father did the same to her, realising now for Attina was the oldest and has always respected father in every way even it means spoiling the secret musical Catfish Club as it trembled down with the secret hideout with all the human treasures along with it.
"Ariel…" Attina started with guilty eyes gazing with sorrow at her little sister, but Ariel swam quickly through the hallways for she didn't want to listen to Attina as her hatred grew more.
The sisters all come together as they watched Ariel soon vanished in the dark, shadowy corners of the hallways. Ariel arrived into her dark bedroom and swam towards her bed, she stopped and froze still coldly as she couldn't believe what she's done. All the anger, the confusion, the fear of losing everything she has now, is all clashing back in her mind and hitting her hard inside in her heart like strong waves of a windy storm. The fury through her cold veins rushed her arms to grip tight on her pillow and threw back hard on the surface of her bed. Thrashed herself sitting on the side of her bed as her hands covered her eyes and nearly her mouth for Ariel didn't want her cries echoing loud in the bedroom then through the hallways. Ariel breathe in lots of air to calm herself, but she still cried out all the sadness she piled within herself.
Her sisters soon arrived in the bed room as well, Ariel kept her position still facing the window instead of looking back on her sisters. "Ariel, please listen…" Attina continued trying to talk with Ariel but Ariel didn't move a muscle instead of lowing her head and shutting her eyes. "…I didn't mean" Attina reached out and gently touched on Ariel's shoulder, then quickly Ariel shifted away while facing away from her sisters.
Alena came behind Attina and suggested it was best to leave Ariel alone, soon they all slowly tucked themselves into their beds. Aquata noticed Arista was in bed with an unhappy frown on her face, then Aquata looks down on her stuff seahorse, Mr. Fuzzyfinkle. Aquata tapped gently on Arista's shoulder and gaze her Mr. Fuzzyfinkle so it could cheer up Arista while having a good sleep. Arista smiled then so did Aquata, before Aquata could get to sleep herself Arista said, "I thought we could be finally happy." Everyone heard and knew what Arista meant by that with the music and they all secretly agreed.
Aquata replied back softly, "So did we, but no one's happy now."
They all slowly fall fast asleep, except for Ariel as her eyes were half open gazing out into the great view through the window. She couldn't see the surface from laying down fully on her bed, which made her feel sadder that if she couldn't see the surface of the sea it reminded her that she couldn't ever see Eric again. Her heart was floating still and tired as thought it has been through the same treacherous storm where Ariel first met Eric. Then, Ariel thought of music, the fun times she had with her family and friends at the Catfish Club, the dancing with Eric, and the melody from her mother's music box. The gentle rhythm was played inside her mind and Ariel could fit in the last she will sing tonight to herself, in a small but precious memory of when she first sang to Eric and he was playing the piano.
"Soon you'll see… Someday I'll be…" Ariel sang in a the quietest whisper to herself, before slowly shutting her eyes.