Enchanted forest
Arista/Hallie Pov
Honestly I should of seen this coming Ariel was always the one who would do something like this.
It had been just any other night, Ariel had invited me to join her for an evening swim and I've never been one to pass up on that.
I don't always get it see Ariel, father has Aquata and I patrolling the west of Atlantica.
So it was nice.
However that peaceful silence would be shattered by a bright flash and a piece of burning wood thrown into the sea.
Ariel and I share looks before we swim toward the surface to uncover what was transpiring.
What lays before us is complete anarchy and panic.
A burning ship lights the night sky, humans are jumping overboard, swimming to the boats trying to escaping the fiery blaze.
"Ariel we should leave."
I turn to my sister only to discover ocean, Ariel nowhere in sight.
"Ariel? Ariel!"
My reckless sister is swimming right towards the burning ship all I can do is watch in horror as she dodges falling beams.
"Ariel! Please come back!"
I go onto swim after her but before I can move The ship breaks apart and one of the men is blasted off and swallowed by the voracious sea.
I dive down to avoid being caught in the crossfire and then to my shock.
Ariel is swimming towards the drowning human.
What is she doing?
She answer's my question by grabbing the man by his shirt and swims him towards the Sandy shore.
Oh this is bad.
Thank Poseidon that none of the other sailors have noticed Ariel pulling one of their own to shore.
Ariel lays The man safely on the sand While I look on from the water contemplating our punishment from father for even being in the vicinity of humans.
Despite him being safe on shore Ariel continues to stay with the strange man, occasionally stroking his face and his hair.
He's safe, why won't she just leave already.
I should just leave but I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to Ariel and I couldn't help her, so I stayed through the night, observing my sister and the unconscious man.
Finally when the sun rises Ariel once again slides into the water and swims over to me.
Her expression was one I could not decipher.
"He's so beautiful Arista, not like anything father has ever said about human's."
"Ariel you've finally gotten to see a human up close now, that's great, now we can both go back to our lives and never speak of this day again, we will also need to come up with a excuse for father as the why we were out all night."
I go to swim away but Ariel doesn't move.
"Ariel?"
Ariel has a look of contemplation, she then look to me with a strange resolve.
"I don't want to leave him, I want to stay with him."
I splash back slightly in shock.
"You want to stay? Ariel what are you talking about?"
"I found it."
"Found what?"
She's confusing me.
"My other half."
Mermaid say what now.
"Ariel you've never even spoken to the man, let alone ever had a proper conversation, you didn't even know him, you just met him a few hours ago."
Ariel just looks at me.
"Trust me I know, I don't understand it myself, but all I know is I can't stand the thought of leaving him, I want to be by his side. I love him."
She loves him.
The scary thing is.
I believe her.
I've known my sister for 22 years, and never have I even seen her like this, and a look in her eyes was so familiar.
It was the look my father used to give my mother when she was alive.
My mother athena was the love of my fathers life, his queen but most importantly his best friend.
Her death destroyed him.
I don't know what is more scary.
Ariel risking her life to save a human
Or
Falling in love with that same human.
Knowing I have to bring the obvious up.
I gently placed me arm of her shoulder.
"Ariel even if he would remember you, who is to say he would return such feelings and even if he did and he knew your secret the two of you could never be together, Ariel I'm sorry."
Ariel's face is almost painful to whiteness, I know I've just shattered her heart by telling the truth, but one day maybe she will find a merman who could make her content.
It's the best she could hope for.
I grasp her hand.
"Come Ariel, we need to get back to the palace."
Ariel gives the man one last look before following me under the waves.
Well This was not how I wanted my evening swim to go, but I do know one thing.
Ariel is in love with a human, and I will do everything in power to keep father from finding out.