Author's Note: Hey guys, here's my first take on a Disney genderbend! I love The Little Mermaid so I made a gender-swapped version. Hope you like it!
I do not own The Little Mermaid or any properties belonging to Disney, Mickey owns it all.
The inspiration to write this came to me when I read fanwriter1245's genderbent Beauty & The Beast fanfic. It's incredible and you should go check it out! It was actually turned into a recording by the youtube channel Fanfiction Audio Dramas, you should check them out too!
So this story will basically follow the entire plot of the original movie, and not the broadway musical. I'm sorry, it just wasn't my thing! I love Sierra Boggess tho, she's amazing.
So Ariel is now Arron, and Eric is now Erica. Other major characters are genderswapped too, except for Grimsby, as I personally think the story works perfectly fine with him as he was.
With my generbent Frozen fanfic, it's funny to think how I've got two red-headed protagonists that share the same name. Hehe.
I've tried to make this story have as much original dialogue and creative choices as possible while still ringing true to the original characters and themes, as to not just copy the film word for word.
Fun fact; this was the first fanfic I ever wrote. I started it in about 2018 and uploaded it about three years later after much effort to turn it from steaming garbage to a clean trash can, and I'd like to say it's much better with my own personal flair added. I've been updating this story every few months since its publication, so the story original viewers read is very much different than the one currently uploaded, and I'm not done editing yet! There's always room for improvement.
Now, on with the fanfic. Hope you enjoy ;)
Chapter 1 - Fathoms Below
All kinds of creatures lived in the vast ocean. Dolphins, fish, sharks, and countless others all lived under the same watery roof. And today, they were happily going about their lives, fish jumping in and out of the waves, sea birds flying overhead, and a layer of mist floated on the surface of the water beneath the beautiful foggy sky.
Suddenly, a huge ship sent every sea creature swimming away at high speed as it sailed along the ocean blue, a merry tune emitting from the deck as happy sailors sang songs of the sea…
"I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Beware cause a mermaid be waitin' for you
In mysterious fathoms below!"
As the wind soared along the sky, a young sailor girl walked over to the side of the ship, her eyes closed in a state of complete and utter bliss and her red lips sporting a wide smile. She wore a loose, white pirate shirt with a knee-length blue skirt, her long ebony hair flapping freely in the breeze.
"Isn't this fantastic, Grimbsy?" she asked her right hand man. "The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face?"
A very sea-sick looking old man straightened up from clearly heaving over the side of the ship. "Oh, yes..." he grumbled, "Enchanting..." To which he then leant right back over.
"Tis a beauty of a day, ain't it?" said one of the sailors to his companions, "Queen Tritannia must be in a friendly type mood, eh?"
The girl looked over at the sailor in confusion. "Queen Tritannia?" she asked.
"Ruler of the mer-people, lass," another sailor replied. "Thought every young sea lover and good sailor knew about her."
A small smile appeared on the girl's face. Maybe the words of her late father were right; maybe she could be a good sailor.
"Oh, don't believe a word of it, Erica," said Grimsby in his stuck-up way, gaining his sea-legs and walking over to the crew. "It's hardly the knowledge a royal need know."
As much as Erica wished it weren't true, she was a princess... and she hated it. She was always having suitors shoved in her face at every corner, was always expected to behave with the utmost dignified mentality, and rarely had time to do the thing she loved most; sail the open seas.
"Oh, loosen up Grim, it's only a story." she laughed as she took a seat on the side of the ship, her enormous snow-white cat brushing against her black boots.
She reached down and scooped her up in a fluffy bundle, her actually thin body being hidden by at least a ruler's length of angelically soft fur. Erica had been so grateful that she was given a cat that loved ships and the sea as much as she did. Most felines scrambled away and fought tooth-and-nail to get away from the water, but Maxine didn't seem to mind at all, and often made herself at home while curled up in a bundle of rope and nets.
"Isn't that right, Maxine?" Erica cooed at the white ball of fluff in her arms. But still, Princess Erica couldn't help but wonder if there were such a thing as mer-people out there, and she would give anything to find out.
Meanwhile, down in the beautiful ice-blue ocean waters, stood the glowing underwater city of Atlantica. All mer-people lived inside the ancient, radiant city, under the rule of their beloved Queen, Tritannia, who was waiting for the curtain of the Palace theatre to go up. Tritannia was a regal mermaid to say the least. She had a sparkling violet tail and long, silky blonde hair. While she was quite an old mermaid, being 50 years of age, her smooth complexion never gave her away for a second.
To commemorate the coming-of-age of her second youngest son, Prince Averil, who would officially become a member of the royal court, the entire kingdom was assembled for a grand celebration to commemorate the newest addition to their house of law. Any moment, the curtain would rise and the Queen would make her entrance onto the stage, then present the 16 year old with his official royal emblem. She had selected an intricately decorated gold circlet. Not only was there to be a stupendous party, there was also to be a concert in which all seven mer-princes would partake. Even though today was about Averil, the entire kingdom had heard rumours of the youngest mer-prince, who had supposedly been gifted with the same beautiful voice as his mother, and it was for this reason that the littlest prince would have his own solo that very day.
As she sat upon her throne, her right-hand crab, Stella, was busy scuttling around below her with a horrified expression on her face.
"Is something the matter, Stella?" asked the Queen in her soft but demanding voice.
"Oh, nothing is wrong, your majesty," replied the crustacean in her Jamaican accent. Even though, in truth, she was worried sick. "Just a slight hiccup…"
"Well, I'm sure you'll work it out," said the Queen to her secretary. "I'm just looking forward to hearing my boys sing today!"
"Yes, your majesty. All of your sons are very talented." said Stella.
"Especially my little Arron!" said the Queen, practically glowing with pride.
"Yes, yes. Arron is my star pupil. He has the most wonderful voice..." said the crab with a huge re-assuring smile on her face as she began her journey towards the theatre's orchestra pit. However, her expression turned sour once she was out of view. "If only he'd show up for rehearsal once in a while…" she muttered to herself.
Stella tried to keep her composure as she nodded her presence to the awaiting band she would soon conduct, ready to spring into action once the Prince was crowned. But still, Stella knew two things for a fact. One, Arron had hardly been at any recent rehearsals for this show, and two, he was most certainly not backstage.
Arron was the youngest of the brood, each son being a year older than the other, the smallest prince being only fifteen years of age, and he was truly a gifted singer. He had a talent for making Stella extremely mad whenever she had to drag him to choir practice or get him to pay attention during a rehearsal. It seemed that that boy was always thinking of something else, though Stella couldn't think what.
The loyal anglerfish situated at the back of the hall extinguished their lights, and the crowd applauded as a royal sea-horse guard took the stage, a new set of lights falling on him. The crowd fell silent as the creature cleared its throat, and spoke in a cartoonishly high voice, "In honour of his coming-of-age, may I present, and may Atlantica welcome, the newest member to our house of law, Prince Averil!"
The crowd erupted in loud applause, and a young merman made his descent to the stage from over-head. When he reached his spot, he stood tall with his hands behind his back and a modest smile.
The seahorse spoke again. "Now, presenting her majesty, our beloved, our one and only, Queen Tritannia!"
The audience applauded even more passionately than before, as their kind queen who ruled over her people with compassion and reason descended from her throne and traversed the same path as her son, where the assembly bowed.
"My people," she began, "Today, we welcome another one of my sons into the court of elders. I know I and all of you expect great things from this fine young merman, and fulfil our wishes, he shall." she turned to face Averil as two seahorses swam up to them, the golden circlet secured between their curled, orange tails. "All hail Prince Averil of Atlantica!" she said as she gently placed the accessory on her son's blonde, bowed head, and Averil turned to face the people he would now fight to protect.
The citizens of Atlantica recited the same cree as their queen, and Averil felt somewhat smothered in the applause. The entirety of Atlantica had seen each one of the mer-princes grow through the years, and every one was fair of face and talented, having their own special skill;
The eldest, Alec, could play any instrument he touched by heart.
The second eldest, Atias, could beat anyone at any game of strategy, whether it be chess, cards, or any other, he was the grand-master in all things logical.
Abbot had read every book in the palace library and retained almost everything about them.
Aquatis could wipe out any opponent on the battlefield, and had the most mermaids swooning over him; But Aquatis only had eyes for one of the male army recruits he sparred with.
Aristan could paint any picture from memory and capture it beautifully, and Averil was a skilled carpenter.
However, none of the boys could properly decipher what their youngest companion's talent was. Although singing appeared to be Arron's strong-suit at first glance, he seemed to be completely uninterested in it.
Averil gave his acceptance speech, then went behind the curtain to join his awaiting brothers, the curtain destined to go up very soon.
Tritannia once again turned to face the crowd. "Let us rejoice this day through music, my subjects. For here, we celebrate our evolution from the long-forgotten sirens, and take pride in using our voices for good. I now present my seven sons, here to delight our kingdom and show devotion to their people."
The crowd cheered in response. Tritannia swam back to her throne and felt butterflies inside her as she anticipated her youngest son's musical debut. Just one more year to go, and it would be his turn to receive his title as member of the court, although she had no idea what she was going to give him as an emblem. Even though Tritannia loved her sons more than anything else in the world, it seemed that she knew frighteningly little about her youngest.
Ever since the death of the sea King, Athenean, Arron had closed himself off from the rest of his family and remained distant. Years ago, when Arron and his brothers were much younger, a human pirate ship looking to loot and abduct the mer-people had crashed into the rocks above the palace. Everyone had swam away as fast as they could, but the sea King was caught in the collision after fighting tirelessly to save as many of his people as possible, sending him to his watery grave.
The Queen had despised humans and anything related to them since that fateful day, and association with the human world was made forbidden that same year and was severely punishable. As a child, Arron had loved performing for Atlantica at any chance he got, but ever since he had lost his father, he had lost all interest in the beautiful voice he held. So Tritannia and the rest of her sons considered today Arron's first official musical presentation to the kingdom in years, as much as it was Averil's day to shine.
The orchestra started to play and the red curtain finally rose. Each of the Queen's sons took their turns, and in eldest to youngest order each sang their small solo beautifully and harmonised wonderfully as a choir at many sections. The show started without a hitch as each merman sang, but huge beams of sweat ran down Stella's red face as she felt Arron's line approaching...
Oh Arron, please… the little crab thought to herself as Arron's line crept closer and closer. She saw that the Queen was beaming with happiness. Please don't let Arron ruin this now…
The boys on stage started swimming around a huge seashell, which was starting to open. In rehearsals, Arron was supposed to swim out of the shell and sing his solo.
The shell opened up, and in its place was... nothing.
"Not again, child!" Stella cried, thinking of every music related opportunity Arron had gladly swam away from. Everyone in the hall let out a huge gasp. The boys, the audience, Stella, but most of all, Tritannia. How could her son have been so stupid?!
"ARRON!" she exclaimed as her golden trident glowed with anger in her hand.
A fifteen year old merman peeked out from behind a rock, his cyan blue eyes in awe of the sight that lay before him. He had crimson red hair and a teal-green tail, a purple shell necklace swinging from his neck, a pendant which he never took off. Arron had found the necklace he wore in the wreckage of his father's death, floating on the surface of the water, just a simple, purple seashell floating in the wake of the chaos, as if his father himself had sent it to him with his dying breath. Considering the fact that it strangely hadn't sunk to the bottom of the ocean, Arron took it as a sign and wore that shell as a tribute to his father, the last surviving thing found in the wake of destruction.
While not particularly muscular, Arron had red, rosy cheeks and was said by many to have a very charming aura about him. Being the teen that he was, he was always getting himself into trouble. Every other day he was dragged to his mother's throne room or had the guards escort him back to the castle to face some punishment or other, but he couldn't help it. He possessed his father's adventurous spirit, and deep down, his heart was truly hurt by his passing. His acts of rebelliousness were only because no one ever seemed to listen to the youngest brother, and he knew no other way to convey what he felt other than to break the rules. Sometimes at home, it felt like he had no voice at all.
He was always the silent one at mealtimes, yet quick to back-chat whenever he deemed it necessary... which was often. He just couldn't understand his family's hatred of the creatures above, and viewed his brothers as equals who needed to be corrected... although, he never really knew the best way to do it. But when he snuck away to hunt for shipwrecks with his best friend, he was much happier than at home. And right now, he had just scored the jackpot.
The little merman gazed at the sunken ship graveyard in front of him. "Wow..." he whispered in amazement, "Come on, Flora!" he gestured to his blue and yellow striped fish friend, who was shivering with fright next to him.
"Arron, are you sure? I mean, it's not like I'm scared or anything, but-" Arron laughed at his friend's endless phobias. He and Flora had been best friends since they were kids, and would have been partners in crime if it weren't for Flora's constant anxiety and fear of all things unknown.
"What are you, a guppy?" he said with a smile.
as he dragged the fish by her tail-fins towards the shipwreck.
The boy swam up to the deceased vessel and peered through the tiny, circular port-hole that served as a window. "It's too dark inside, I'm going in to get a better look." he said as his slim figure swam through the equally slim window.
"But, Arron, there could be sharks out here! Wait!" Flora exclaimed as she swam at full speed through the opening, her plump body getting stuck in the frame. She eventually squeezed herself through to come face to face with a laughing red-head.
"Flora, you really are a guppy. Let's explore this thing!" he said as he swam off from his friend and up through a hole in the ship leading to the upper deck.
If there was one thing Arron absolutely adored, it was the human world. The boy was mesmerised by anything that came from the creatures above, and would often collect bits and bobs of human trinkets he found on the ocean floor. He was fascinated by the world he was forbidden to see, and loved more than anything to explore their sunken ships... something his mother would never understand.
As Arron made his way up to the other parts of the ship, he noticed something silver shining between the floorboards.
"Oh my god…" he breathed as he swam up to the shiny object. "Oh my god!" he gasped as Flora came swimming in.
"What? What is it?" his friend made a confused face at what they both didn't know was a fork.
"No idea, but it's cool." replied Arron. "I bet Sienna will know!" he said as he put the fork in his bright, orange bag that was strapped across his chest. "Hmmm…" he murmured as he picked up another object off the ship's floor. "I wonder what this one is?"
In his captivation with the new object, Arron hadn't noticed that Flora was shaking violently with fear.
She swam closer to the merman, desperate to get his attention. "A-Arron…" she stammered, very slowly tapping her friend on the shoulder.
"What is it?" he asked as he turned around, his eyes widening with horror as the Prince and the fish came face to face with an enormous shark staring at them through the glass window. With a hungry grin, it flashed its many teeth, and shot directly through the window. Shattered bits of glass rained down through the water, and the weakened wood of the ship creaked and groaned, threatening to collapse on top of them. As soon as the window was no more, the shark snapped its razor-sharp jaws and set off for the two at top-speed.
"SHAR! SHARK! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Flora exclaimed, swimming for her life as the shark came racing after the two. Arron grabbed his fish friend swam in the nearest direction they could find as the shark practically ate through the wooden floor after them.
The shark snapped its huge, hungry jaws at the merman and the fish as it chased them through the ship. Barely missing the shark's teeth at many turns, Arron and Flora eventually managed to swim out of the ship and into the open ocean. The Prince and the fish made for the surface, but Arron dropped his bag of treasures in the process.
"Arron?! Leave it!" the little fish screeched as she saw her best friend swim closer to the shark, but Arron ignored her.
Swimming at full speed to get it, the shark spotted its prey, racing for the red-head as it swam faster and faster towards him. Arron finally grabbed onto his bag, reaching through the open hole of an anchor as it floated past, pulling away as soon as the shark slammed right through the whole, its blubbery mass of flesh not allowing it to move. The poor beast was trapped.
Arron smirked in triumph and swam away, Flora swimming up to the shark's face. "You big bully!" she said as she stuck out her tongue at the furious animal. Flora's victory was short lived however, as the shark snapped its huge jaws at the tiny fish, and Flora quickly swam away.
Arron was hardly able to contain his laughter. "Flora, you really are a guppy." he chuckled.
"I am not!"
Author's note: Sorry this chapter's so short! The next will be much longer, I promise. Hope you like it, love ya! Also, the name Averil and the detail that he's a carpenter was a reference to Auryn Rei Evroren's fabulous fanfiction, kind of an easter egg. But I can gladly change it if you readers wish ;)