This is a retelling/AU of The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, where Melody is 19 and not 12. I originally posted this FanFiction on Deviantart, and it is updated there every 1st and 15th of the month. I will be adding chapters to this story every Monday till it's caught up to the deviant art version.

If you would like to read ahead or check out my Disney fan edits here is my deviantart link:

https/mermaidmelodyedits/gallery

You can also check out my Disney fan edits on Instagram:

https/mermaid_melody_edits/

I'd super appreciate if you guys could leave me your thoughts in the comments! Critique, comments, discussion, etc. I want to hear it all!

I hope you all enjoy!

The sea is forever singing, rhythmically flowing always. The ocean was always right outside the princess's window, the water crashing and reaching up to her balcony. Her first memories were gentle ocean spray tickling her face, and a beautiful lullaby sending her to sleep in a satin cradle. The lullabies were a mix of her mother's singing, and the waves lapping the shore below her. Her mother's voice was indistinguishable from the ocean's, she sang every note perfectly in time to the water. The queen sang in time to the sea without taking her eyes off her daughter, never noticing how she only sang when the water was calm, and the surf quiet.

Only a few years before the Princess was born, her parents had been married. Her mother was a princess from a foreign land, who captured her father's heart when he heard her angelic voice. They were married quickly, and their love story was well known throughout the land.

The royal wedding had also ushered unprecedented prosperity into the land, their union uniting lands previously cut off from one another. The changes were felt almost immediately throughout the entire kingdom. Trade prospered, customs, cultures, goods, food, and wealth flowed between the nations.

Even the ocean the kingdom sat on seemed to be rejoicing. It had been fairly common for severe storms to cause endless damage, shipwrecks, and lost lives before the crown prince married. After Prince Eric and Princess Ariel's wedding day, not a single person perished in the sea. Anyone who was lost to the waves always appeared the next day on the shore, mostly dazed and unharmed.

Needless to say, the royal couple became incredibly beloved by their people. So when the announcement of a royal baby was made, the kingdom met the news with joy and festivities. Royal birth was a very special occasion, and this was the first birth in over 25 years. As soon as the queen was in labor, everyone waited with bated breath outside of the castle waiting for the news. The announcement was made that a Princess was born, and the people celebrated on land for 3 days as mother and baby recovered.

It was custom for the baby to be named and debuted to the world out at sea, on the massive and intricately decorated royal family ship. The same vessel where the queen and king had met, and the same they had been married on. Over a few days, it had been cleaned, decorated, and the air perfumed by thousands of flowers on board. An abalone shell crib was carefully loaded into the innermost cabin, and a crowd gathered at dawn waiting to send them off.

At about noon the proud parents appeared, accompanied by their many servants as they boarded. The queen carried a precious bundle, wrapped in white, and with the king by her side. Only the closest inner circles of the royal family were allowed on board for the voyage. The couple carried their new baby into their quarters, and the ship slowly began to drift from the dock. The entire kingdom burst into a roaring celebration that lasted for hours.

In the warm sunny afternoon, the boat anchored, and despite the lack of a storm, a crystal rainbow had ripped across the sky. Right before sunset, the queen took her precious baby from the crib, gently stroking the tiny face with her fingertips. King Eric came to her side and knew immediately his wife was nervous.

"She is so beautiful, just like her mother." He whispered into her ear, reassuringly placing his hand on her back. "Do you know what her name is?"

The queen adjusted the baby's satin dress and bow before looking at her husband.

"She is my song, so her name is Melody."

At sunset, the world met Princess Melody, and angelic music filled the air from the ocean to the shore. Queen Ariel presented her daughter to her father and sisters, King Triton, and the six crown princesses of Atlantica. Sadly, that was the last day anyone from Atlantica ever saw baby Melody again.

It wasn't long after the sunset that the storm hit. It was within minutes that the sea was a torrenting nightmare. Everyone on deck was scrambling in terror, the crew rushed to get the royal ship back to the docks. The rains and waves rapidly flooded the kingdom streets, people rushing inland and to higher ground.

The magnificent royal vessel sank in the castle harbor and everyone aboard the abandoned ship. The royal couple made it to shore, soaked and shivering. The princess's baby dress was heavy with water, the baby too exhausted to wail or cry anymore.

A lot of stories and rumors spread throughout the land about what happened that day, and the ensuing tragedies. The storm had only been the start of the problems for the kingdom. The sea seemed to rage all the time, battering the coastline. The water was so dangerous all seafaring was declared illegal by the monarchy, no fishing, no travel, no shipping, nothing.

The wealth, the goods, the trade, and the prosperity disappeared within months. Hardships were abundant, and the people grew weary and upset. Many believed the birth of the princess triggered cursed times, and it wasn't long before the royal family went from beloved to despised.

Hate for the monarchy only escalated, and soon the people had become more dangerous to the monarchy than the violent ocean side. Towering thick walls were built around the grounds, guards posted everywhere, and it was turned into an isolated fortress. Very few people came and went from the castle, and the royal family reportedly never left the premises.

Eventually, the sea calmed, and the people rebuilt somewhat. Yet the laws were never lifted, the walls never torn down, and the country never prospered as it once had.