Obviously, all the characters and the lines which are identical to the ones from the movie belong to Disney.
Thankfully, they managed to reach the surface in a few minutes, and Ariel burst through it and took her first human breath. Flounder and Sebastian sighed with relief; the princess would live. They continued to support her and swam in the direction of the nearest shore. After what seemed like an eternity of paddling, they deposited the former mermaid upon the sand. Then the threesome collapsed in exhaustion.
The first rays of daylight were peeking over the horizon by the time that they began stirring. Flounder was the first to come out of his stupor. Sebastian shook himself next. And together, they looked over at the girl stretched out on the sand.
Ariel felt the sun's warmth caress her face. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she sat up in shock as she realized that she was surrounded by air, and not by water. She looked down, and stared at the purple fabric and unfamiliar limbs which had taken the place of her tail.
Filled with wonder, she slowly tried to lift one of the legs. It worked. Then she attempted to move the toes. They danced back and forth.
"They're mine!" the girl gasped. "I'm a human!"
Before her friends could respond, another voice came from the sky.
"Look at what the tide dragged in!" Scuttle alighted on Ariel's foot. "But there is something different about you – now, what is it? Have you been using a dinglehopper? Have you -"
"She's got legs, Scuttle!" Sebastian shrieked impatiently. "She used her father's trident on herself and got legs." He looked at Ariel, who was attempting to stand up. "Just look at her! What a catastrophe! I am marching home this minute to tell de Sea King - "
"No, Sebastian!" Ariel cried out. Although wobbling and unsteady, she caught the crab just as he was about to disappear under the surface of the sea. "Please don't!"
"Don't shake your head like dat, Princess Ariel!" Sebastian scolded. "I will bring your father here, and he will turn you back into a mermaid, and you can go home and…and…," he caught Ariel's pleading gaze and relented. "And be miserable for the remainder of your days. Oh very well! I will help you find your prince!"
"Oh thank you, Sebastian!" Ariel cried out, pressing her lips to the crustacean's head.
At that moment, they heard the sound of barking. Sebastian, startled, jumped up upon her shoulder. Looking over in the direction from whence the strange cacophony had come, Ariel saw a shaggy creature whom she recognized – it was Eric's animal friend. As he was making a great deal of noise and dashing straight at her, however, she panicked. Dashing to the closest rock formation, she scampered up clumsily.
Undeterred by the height, the dog kept jumping and managed to lick her face before being summoned by the call,
"Max!"
Ariel sharply turned and stared at the figure who was running across the beach, calling out the mutt's name. Eric!
Her heart began to beat faster than it had when she had been chased by sharks. It was almost too good to be true – that he would just appear on the beach, so soon after her transformation into a human. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to make herself presentable. She could feel Sebastian burrowing deeper into her tresses, successfully making himself unseen.
"What has gotten into you, Max?" Eric asked uneasily as the dog ran back to him. He looked up and noticed the red-headed girl perched on the rocks. "Oh!" he exclaimed.
Walking up to Ariel, he softly said,
"Are you alright, Miss? I apologize if this knucklehead startled you." Ariel nodded, smiling at him, too overcome to speak at just that moment. As he caught sight of her eyes, Eric gasped. "You…you seem so familiar. Have we met?"
Ariel nodded eagerly.
"I knew it! You are the one…the one I have been looking for! What is your name?"
"Ariel," the girl replied in her melodic voice.
"Ariel!" Eric repeated, grasping her hands in his own. "What a pretty name!"
"Thank you," the girl said with a soft laugh.
"No, it is I who should thank you," Eric cried out. "You saved my life in the middle of the ocean. I and all my friends and entire kingdom owe you a great deal of gratitude. Thank you so very much for your selfless act."
Ariel blushed.
"You are very welcome. I am so relieved that you are alright. When I first brought you to shore I feared the worst, for you were so pale and still that I thought you dead. I almost cried from happiness when I noticed that you were still breathing."
"Perhaps you did not cry, but you did sing," Eric said teasingly. "I remember. I have not been able to shake the memory of your voice from my head since that morning. It was the most wonderful song I ever heard – I have been playing it on my flute and longing to hear it again. Perhaps you would sing it to me again sometime?"
Without hesitation, Ariel opened her lips and began to sing with her whole heart.
"What would I give to live where you are?
What would I do, to stay here beside you?
What would I do to see you, smiling at me?
Where would we walk, where would we run,
if we could stay all day in the sun,
just you and me,
and I could be part of your world?"
Eric closed his eyes briefly and drank in the sound of her voice. Yes, this was his dream girl, without a doubt. He would know that voice anywhere. When she finished, he opened his eyes and gave her another smile.
"That was beautiful," he murmured. "But, why didn't you stay with me? I have been going mad, trying to trace you…why did you not simply stay on the beach with me?"
Ariel felt a crustacean claw nudge her shoulder and remembered that Sebastian was hiding in her hair. She also knew the meaning behind his slightly painful prodding. He was trying to warn her to be careful and tactful; her father had forbidden contact between the merworld and human world for decades, and it was entirely possible that humans did not even know that merpeople existed. She and Eric were getting on swimmingly, but all that could change in a moment if she began to talk of Atlantica and merpeople and claim, without any proof, that she had once been a mermaid. He would think her deranged, and he would want nothing to do with her. Therefore, she gave an honest reply but one which did not reveal that she had left because the King of the Sea had expected her home and because she could not fend on land for long as a mermaid.
"Your…knucklehead…startled me, so I jumped into the sea and swam away so that he could not hurt me."
"Oh Max!" Eric groaned, looking at the dog beside him. "How much trouble you caused!" He looked back at Ariel. "I take it that you are very afraid of dogs?"
"I…I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I am not used to them," Ariel admitted, looking down at the energetic beast warily.
"I assure you that Max would never hurt you. He may run quickly and bark loudly, but he is very gentle."
"I believe you," the girl said, smiling.
"Then would you please allow me to help you off that boulder?" Eric asked. Ariel nodded. Her heart danced with joy as she took the hand that he held out. He said nothing as she climbed down and stumbled a few steps forward, assuming that her legs were still trembling from the adrenaline rush which she had had from seeing and fearing Max. He simply tucked the beautiful girl into the crook of his arm and helped her across the beach. As they walked, Ariel's legs became steadier and surer. When she was able to bear her own weight, Eric released his hold and reached for her hand instead.
"Do you live in my kingdom?" he asked.
"No," Ariel murmured, afraid of where the conversation was going. "I…I was given an unexpected opportunity to travel here recently. I have just arrived."
"Where will you be staying?"
"I…I have not made arrangements yet."
"Perfect!" Eric exclaimed, smiling broadly. "In that case, you must stay at the castle! We have many rooms, and I do not wish to lose you again. You are a difficult girl to find. Will you do me the honor of being my guest?"
"Yes, with pleasure," the redhead said, blushing. She glanced back surreptitiously at Flounder and Scuttle, who nodded and urged her on.
The young man beamed with happiness.
"I cannot wait to introduce you to Grimsby. He has spent the last weeks telling me to be reasonable, that nice young ladies do not swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then vanishing into thin air."
Ariel laughed.
"I have a reputation for swimming where I ought not to go, much to my father's despair!"
The instant after the words had left her lips, she paled. Had she said too much? Thankfully, Eric chuckled and seemed to suspect nothing out of the ordinary.
"Although I ought not to encourage rebellion to parental authority, I am very glad that you were in those waters that night. I would have perished otherwise."
They walked on for a while, talking of Eric's love of sailing. Before long, the palace was before them.