I swear, ever since I had to start sleeping on dis Poseidon forsaken dry sand my back has not been right. I missed my kelp bed with the wet sand pillows dat molded to your head. But could I go back to de ocean? No.

I turned around and faced Ariel. It was dark, but de moonlight reflecting off de crashing waves made everting visible enough. Ariel's hair was buried in sand with loose strands falling from her cheeks and over her neck. She took a huddle position to fend off the cold, despite the blankets dat boy constantly brought down for her de padding of sand made it hard to find warmth. Also the fabric would get wet at the bottom from rising tides, making the last foot of blanket completely worthless. That wouldn't be a problem if Ariel could climb up on shore just a little more, but it exhausted her enough to get dis far onto de beach.

It was nights like dese dat made me question her sanity. Was it really worth it? Long nights of little sleep and shivers, long days of heat and almost no time in de cooling ocean because she could not swim well enough to fend of de currents, and maybe an hour a day to see dat boy when he wasn't beating back constant proposals from dat French girl.

Dat boy told Ariel she let up, but I followed him one day to see it was de exact opposite. She was beating down his will power, little by little. I was sure dat if it wasn't for Ariel waiting on de beach, dat if she did choose to go to de ocean once again, he would have said yes to an arranged marriage long ago.

I sat up and felt my back crack through my ears. It sure sounded painful, so instinctively I flinched. I'm not sure whether it really hurt or not, though.

All pain set aside, it wasn't a bad night. De moon was high, Ariel was more peaceful den last night, dat sea bird wasn't talking in his sleep for once, and Flounder was able to find a place to sleep where de waves wouldn't shake him up so much.

I looked out to de sea, intending to tink of home dat I left behind for dis horrid sand dat got everywhere, a much too energetic bird, and a couple dat was being ruined by forces out of my control. I couldn't remember why I gave up my music and comfortable lifestyle again. But dat was typical.

Days would go by without me remembering why dis land was worth it, why I shouldn't order de Daughter's of Triton to clear my name and drag Ariel to sea. Dey would do it, if I chose de right argument and de proper words. I couldn't remember why I didn't do dat from de very beginning.

And den I would see dat boy and Ariel, laughing after Ariel pushed him into a crashing wave, or Max kissed Ariel too much for her to take and she had to scrub her face frantically for her to feel clean. And sometimes I wouldn't even see or hear de laughter or happiness, I would see tears and hear deir sobs. But sometimes dat reminded me too, why I chose dis land. Because through de pain and misery dey still clasped at each others hands and offered to be de rock de other could hang to when de storm got too rough.

I envied dem. I could certainly never hold down a relationship like dis. But den, maybe I've never been in love.

I sat looking out to de ocean for a while. Someting dat I did love about land more den under de sea was de night sky. So many sparkles in de blackness, like millions of pearls shinning throughout de night. De moon was over rated, it was dese tings dat boy called stars; dese should be de pride of humans.

My attention was pulled from de magnificence of de sky to someting else dat sparkled. Someting sparkling in de sea. I was up last night as well, and I knew dat sparkle wasn't dere before. Maybe de currents have brought me a little treat?

When I looked over de sparkle was almost gone, obscured by waves. I only made out de tip of it, for it was already retreating into deeper sea.

But dere was no mistaking what I saw dat moonlit night.

Three deadly points, shaped like miniature spears, throbbing with power of de ocean.

A three pointed Triton.

Eric

I was in a dilemma. When wasn't I these days? But this dilemma wasn't something like the princess wants your hand, or that mermaid isn't fit to be a bride, no this was much simpler. It was far too hot in this room.

Sleeping while sweating was extremely uncomfortable. I just couldn't do it. I got up and paced around my room a bit. It was much too hot.

Unbuttoning my shirt I threw open the windows, trying to coax a sea breeze inside. But the air was still, with no prospect of any offer to help. I couldn't go to the bed though, just the mattress itself gave off to much heat. Yet I needed to sleep, tomorrow I had big plans. I compromised. I laid down on my cool wooden floor.

Now I had another problem. What was more comfortable, sweating while sleeping or a hard wooden floor? I couldn't decide which one was worse, honestly I preferred neither.

I laughed a little to myself as I heard Sebastian in my head- "boy, when you have to go sleep on dat horrid dry sand soaking and freezing and sore, you can complain to me!" Something along though's lines, eh Sebastian?

I knew it, I have nothing to complain about. Ariel would love a bed that was too hot, for sure. I think Sebastian may even kill for one. He'd at least cut my fingers off. I remember his pinch well, I do not doubt that he could sever a body part.

After a few more minutes I got up off the floor. There was not point lying there getting a backache, it was still too hot anyway. I threw my silk pajama shirt onto the bed and went to sit out on my balcony. There was an amazing ocean view out there, one that I have cherished since I was little, and even more since Ariel came into my life.

Looking out at the ocean, it made me remember everything. Everything that Ariel has gone through, everything that she is willing to do, and everything that she had to leave behind, just to be with someone who can't be with her.

Was she crazy? Undoubtably. I couldn't imagine giving up my life for anyone, just throwing my family and friends into the past, just to get dumped in a different world that is not compatible with your body. Yet Ariel did all this. For me.

I was lucky. I must have been the luckiest guy in the world. Did I deserve Ariel? No, not in the slightest. And I've told her that before too. I wish I could convince her to leave, to go seek her fortune where she belongs and could be truly happy. Her sisters think I am stupid and don't see how much pain Ariel is in, but I think I see clearer than any of them. I believe I see that pain in Ariel's soul better than Ariel herself.

But I know, if she listened to me, if she did dive back into the ocean from which she came and left me I would go insane. I would swim after her until I drowned. I wouldn't be able to function properly. Ariel was my greatest strength, she got me through ever day and night. But she was equally my greatest weakness.

"Duck boy, duck!" a clipped voice I recognized as ocean dialect screamed at me.

I turned around, still in a haze of daydreams, to see what this voice was talking about. I saw it. Quiet clearly.

A giant ball of flaming energy rushing at my balcony, aimed right for my head.

I hit the balcony floor with my chest, barley allowing the ball to pass over me in time. The wall above my door exploded, sending chunks of white marble flying in ever direction. Small pieces manage to get over me and jump harmlessly down the cliffs into the sea. But chunks of marble too big to fly came down upon me. It was all a test of speed, who could move faster; the marble or the human.

A chunk of marble landed where my head was a second ago, another where my foot would have been. But there was no stop to this barrage of polished rock.

I saw the next ball of energy in time to dodge and I realized it wasn't the castle that wasn't stopping, it was the caster. Whatever was throwing these my way would not stop, like it had an unlimited source of power.

I turned around. This was not time to think of the person trying to kill me! This was a time to escape! But the door was blocked! My only choice would be to dive into the sea, but I had a bad feeling about that. I suddenly had a very bad feeling about the sea.

Sebastian

De boy was an idiot! Dere was noting else to it! He didn't even look de slightest panicked! If dere was a time to panic it would be now!

De thought barley crossed my mind before another rain of marble came down upon us. I quickly hid underneath one of de bigger stones dat was leaning awkwardly again de railing. Half de balcony was broken away, de doors were blocked, and de boy had no where to hide like myself. If dis continued he would die for sure.

But why wasn't he dead? If King Triton wanted to, he could have blasted dis whole castle in one shot. Why…?

De balcony shook violently. It was taking too much pressure, more and more was crumbling into de sea.

"Boy! Boy! Geez mon, snap out of it and help me find a way out!" De boy finally turned away and looked down to me. Despite his cool composition I saw panic racing in his eyes.

"Sebastian! What's happening? How can we get out of this?"

Dat was a good question. And it was very hard to tink while ducking out of de way of everyting.

Eric crawled over some marble and picked me up, "Where do we go?" he asked.

Suddenly eveyting just seemed to stop. Slow motion time was taking place. I saw de boy, with his black hair and blue eyes, slowly react to someting. He turned, beads of sweat flying off his chin, one of his hands suddenly covering me like a protective clam. But through his fingers clearly dere was a fireball, bigger den any we have seen yet, big enough to take out de whole balcony.

And in a split second Eric made his decision. I felt him carrying me, he turned his back on de red flaming ball and was running toward de door. It was a strange sensation for me, I saw every detail, but heard no noise.

And I saw what Eric was heading for. We both knew jumping into de sea would be useless; if we survived de landing we would be killed by someone greater. And de doors were blocked. Almost completely.

But dere was dis little hole through which one could see de bedroom. Not big enough for any human, not even a baby. But someting small could get through with ease.

My world snapped back into real time right as he threw me through that gap with his last words following me, screamed frantically over the buzzing of the oncoming energy. I didn't catch it all, but I caught enough.

And den de shockwave of an explosion knocked me into de back wall of de room, and I fell into darkness.