Basic Story Info.
Story Title: Where I Belong
Chapter Number: 11
Chapter Title: "The Transformation"
Pairing: Ariel/Eric
Rating: T (Just in case!)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always.
Knock, knock.
Ariel knocked cautiously on Adella's door one night later, fidgeting with the necklace around her neck while she waited. She knew that it was a bit late at night, nine o'clock to be more specific, but she was ready. It was, quite simply, now or never.
Adella cracked open her door a few minutes later, peering out with sleepy eyes to see who her visitor was. "Oh, hey, Ariel, are you ok?" she asked wearily.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine..."
"What do you need then, dear?"
"I-I'm ready."
Adella mouth twisted into the shape of an "O" as she nodded her understanding. She opened the door wider and ushered her youngest sister into her room, having her a take a seat on her bed. Then, the light flipped on, Ariel squinting for a brief moment until her eyes adjusted.
"And you are completely sure?" Adella asked.
"Yes. I'm as sure as I'm ever going to be," Ariel responded, subconsciously grasping Eric's necklace that hung loosely around her neck.
"Ooh, what's that?" Adella asked curiously, swimming up in front of her sister.
"Oh, this? Eric gave it to me last night."
"Really? Can I see? Please?"
Ariel giggled at her sister's eagerness and nodded, holding the necklace out for her sister's examination.
"Aww! 'I love you, my Ariel.' How sweet!" she cooed. "You've found yourself one nice guy," she remarked.
Ariel blushed, "Thanks."
Just then, Ariel heard a series of knocks on her sister's door. Adella let go of Ariel's necklace, giving her a little wink, before she turned away, hurrying over to open the door. Ariel peered over her shoulder, gasping slightly as she saw other five sisters waiting anxiously in the doorway.
"So, you're ready Ariel?" Allana asked excitedly as the other sisters poured into Adella's room.
"Yes," Ariel said confidently. "I am."
"Oh, this is going to be so fun!" Atina exclaimed.
"Wait, but how did they know I was here...?" Ariel started, confused.
"Does it matter, Ariel?" Adella asked. "We're all here now, so let's get on the move, people! It's time to execute our plan."
Ariel remained in Adella's room while two of the sisters went off to fetch the trident. Luckily, as they informed her, there was no guard directly outside of the room with the trident in it. Plus, no one would ever suspect any of the sisters to take it anyway. Especially the two oldest, who could provide with the excuse that they were merely practicing working the power of the trident, which, really, wasn't completely a lie.
"Now, Ariel, if you're going to be a human, you have to dress like them right?" Andrina pointed out. "So, we retrieved this little piece of clothing here to help you out a bit."
Ariel watched on, a bit awe-struck, as her sisters pulled out some cloth from under Adella's bed, continuing to wrap it snugly around her body. "Oh, it's wonderful!" she gasped. "How did you ever get it down here safely?"
"Easy. It was an engagement present for you, darling," Aquata winked.
Adella then knocked on the door for the final time, "C'mon girls; it's go time."
Allana then swam past Ariel, the trident glimmering in her hand, in order open the window on the far side of the room just enough for her and Ariel to individually swim outside. The others followed behind closely in suit.
Thank goodness Adella's room backed up to a very private part of the castle and Atlantica, Ariel thought. Hopefully, there wasn't a huge risk of being seen and/or potential for getting caught here.
"Alright, you ready?" Arista asked.
Ariel nodded, gulping. Of course she was scared out of her life for this transformation, but it would all be worth it in the end. Right?
She sucked in a deep breath, mentally and physically preparing herself, for she had to be absolutely ready to make a long, treacherous swim to the surface as a human.
"Now, we'll be right here with you all the way. We won't abandon you. Promise," Aquata assured her.
"And now... you shall become a human," Adella said, her eyes twinkling. She took a nice and firm grasp on the trident, which was pointed directly at the youngest sister. She continued to close her eyes, picturing her baby sister as a human. She saw her human legs and she wanted her to have them it more than anything in the world...
A loud blast sounded as the trident worked its magic.
A wave of pain overcame Ariel and she cried out in agony, feeling tears burning in her eyes, for her whole body was shifting and rearranging in the most uncomfortable of ways. But, as the sisters well knew, it wasn't easy at all to reverse the power of the trident to help ease Ariel's discomfort, so, unfortunately, all they could do was watch on in horror and hope for the best for their sister.
Nonetheless, Ariel was still able to marvel, even if only slightly, as she watched the blob that had been her mermaid fins morph into long, slender human legs underneath her human clothing. At last, her fins faded away completely, replaced two beautiful human feet.
Then, she felt her gills take the form of human lungs, demanding oxygen this very second.
Her eyes widened in alarm at the sudden and immediate need for air. Adella dropped the trident in her wake as all the sisters took hold of Ariel, swimming towards the surface desperately and as quickly as they could.
Ariel helped as well, kicking with her new legs furiously towards the surface. It was still so far away, though, and her lungs were on fire.
She needed oxygen. Now. She couldn't even think clearly anymore. All she could see was water. Seemingly endless water...
I can do this. I can do this... I can't do this! What was I thinking?! Ariel thought as she kept on swimming. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
"Ariel, you can do this!" Aquata encouraged. "You're going to take your first breath as a human in just a few seconds now!"
Ariel nodded, but on the inside, she panicked, as she was beginning to lose focus of her surroundings. Then, she saw the moon's reflection on the water and she knew that she was so very close to the surface.
A splash sounded as Ariel's head burst through the surface, coughing and sputtering. Never had she been so grateful to breathe in the marvelous human air.
"See?" Adella said. "We told you so."
"There was nothing to really worry about," Allana echoed.
Ariel nodded quickly and gasped for air desperately, her chest heaving, trying to relieve her new lungs and her oxygen-deprived body as quickly as possible.
As soon as Ariel had caught her breath (somewhat) and calmed down her pulse a bit, her sisters helped her just a little ways more, dragging her weary body to the surf.
Ariel, extremely sore and panting, fell to her hands and knees and took it up from there, crawling onto the beach. She then felt her body collapse onto the sand with a sickening thud.
"Good luck, Ariel," she heard one of her sisters whisper. "We'll be up visit you soon!"
"Thank you so much," Ariel uttered, her eyelids becoming heavy. "This means so much to me."
"Don't mention it," someone echoed back.
Then, she blacked out, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Meanwhile...
Triton swam back and forth in his study anxiously. He was in a state of reverence, thinking back upon his previous actions to his daughter at dinner.
He could hear his own angry voice buzzing in his head and, at once, he had wondered if he had been too harsh on the child. He had chewed her out, almost unnecessarily, for going to the surface world again. But could you really blame him? It wasn't as if he didn't have probable cause because, well, Ariel's mother... she had loved to go to the surface world and watch the sunset or gaze up among the stars. That was back when there was no restriction on any citizen to go to the surface world; the human and mer-world were free to co-exist in peace.
Nonetheless, the two had made it a special night once a week to go up to the surface world all by themselves, on sort of a date, if you will, without any children or work to worry about. It was something both had immensely enjoyed together.
That is, until Triton had suddenly become too caught up with the important duty of palace work to accompany her any longer. She insisted it was fine, that'd she'd continue to go on her own.
What a mistake that had been, Triton thought, feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably.
Apparently, while she had been up there, it was to Triton's knowledge that she had met a human and had fallen for him immediately. Then, one night, she swam up to a ship, mistakenly thinking that it was his. Instead, it turned out to be a fish-eater's boat. In the end, she had gotten her fins caught in their hooks, the netting suffocating her mercilessly until she had finally died...
A pain stabbed at Triton's heart as he blinked back a few tears. It was then when he decreed no mer-person was ever to go to the surface. Again.
Was he really going to let Ariel go up there, fall in love with a human, and get snagged in a fish-eater's hook, only to end up just as her mother had? No, no, of course not!
But he couldn't blame her for just being a curious mermaid. He had once been just as curious when he was younger... and maybe it had purely been fate that the Ariel and that man had met... And if she really loved him...
Triton sighed, feeling heavy with regret and guilt. "Oh, what have I done?" he questioned himself, burying his face in his hands.
At the present moment, it looked as if he owed someone an apology and, perhaps, a second chance.
Uh-oh. That's just trouble waiting to happen! Well, my wonderful readers and reviewers, there's another chapter! Expect another update very, very soon. (;
-Dreaming Wide Awake
