A/N- So this is kind of low quality, but I don't think I have any intentions to expand upon it even though I could if I wanted to. It's just very un-canon in my opinion. I am not someone who thinks Ariel and Eric wouldn't work out. I've just recently had inspiration for something heartbreaking. If it wasn't for the inspiration I wouldn't have been able to write something like this.

Only the Sea Loved Her

Ariel had thought she loved Eric. She had thought he loved her.

She supposed that was true, but neither of them were meant to be.

They were romantic concepts: a drowning sailor saved by a beautiful mermaid, a lonely girl found an escape and friend in her lover, a princess and her prince destined to live happily ever after like a fairytale. They were hopelessly romantic concepts.

She had let her guard down, for once believing she could be happy. Ariel had indulged herself in dreaming of a life with Eric, letting him be on her mind every second she was awake and in every dream she had at night. Whenever he came to her mind, Ariel would let herself grin like an idiot randomly in the middle of the day, sometimes during the poorest moments. Never before had she trusted someone and took them by their words, but Ariel found herself hanging onto every word of affection Eric gave to her. She looked towards him as her source of happiness. Suddenly, she felt the desire to live, to experience each day with him.

When she first went to live with him on land, Ariel had thought the connection she felt with Eric was real. Perhaps it was. She could speak effortlessly with him, as if her feelings, thoughts, dreams, fears were all meant to be shared with him. They could talk about anything, only stopping when pulled apart by Eric's duties of ruling a kingdom. He always found his way back to her, looking at her with a warm smile that made Ariel feel loved. They both swore they made each other happier than ever.

Sometimes, Ariel felt like she could get lost in his beautiful, blue eyes and adoring smile, and she did, which only left her more vulnerable to heartache.

Eventually, the war came just a few months into their engagement. Eric suddenly became swamped with work. He was constantly busy attending meetings, planning with generals on what their next moves should be. His free time dwindled and the couple saw each other less during the day, limited to a few hours at night.

For a while, Eric would rise early to write a heartfelt letter to be delivered to Ariel at some point during the day. He would call her his, told her they were meant to be, and that he couldn't wait to see her again. Ariel would hug these letters, reread them just to get the sense he was with her, and in some passages, she would be brought to tears, happy tears caused by the overwhelming feeling of being loved for once.

But then the letters stopped as the war progressed.

The letters stopped, and they hardly spoke. Eric hardly had time to see her in the evenings, and if any free time did come about, he used it to go to bed. Due to his constant exhausted state, he had very little energy to share much affection during any small moments they got together.

He had stopped calling Ariel his and telling her they were meant to be. Without that affection, she became confused. What was happening to their connection?

Ariel knew the war was hard on him and kept him busy. She knew it kept him tired, but he could have tried a little harder. All she wanted was for Eric's rare affection to be shown more to reassure her things would be okay. Ariel continued offering it to him at first, and he would kindly smile and nod in response, but that was it. She eventually stopped, unsure if he even wanted it.

Their connection was real at one point, but it had to be nurtured. She had tried, but failed, and it was broken–lost amongst the obstacles of life. They fell apart.

Yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him. Was she mad? Very often, but she didn't hate Eric. If anything, she was thankful for the moments she got with him. Ariel was also very sure she was proud of him. He was doing what was best for his kingdom, and his people needed him. She admired him for that.

Needless to say, it was only a matter of time until Ariel realized she couldn't stay with him. The war would end, but when? She had told him she would do anything for him, waiting included, but how could she? How could Ariel wait for him in a lonely, new world she knew nothing about? She had to think about her happiness and stress.

She thought of Eric's happiness too. Ariel came to realize royal life in the human world was so intense. Life in general was less carefree than it was under the sea. Eric would need a wife that could withstand the lonely nights without him by having other means and people to occupy her mind. Ariel had none of that on land.

But she did under the sea.

The decision was painful to make, so she was glad when Eric encouraged it.

He approached her one evening. Ariel smiled upon seeing him, though deep down, she knew. They had hardly spoken the past week.

Eric sat her down and told her he was sorry the war started and his attention had been taken away from her. He told Ariel he wished things could change, but he didn't think they would any time soon. Eric then told her that he didn't want to see her unhappy. He wasn't in a position to properly provide for her happiness, so if Ariel wanted to leave, Eric would give his blessing.

"You aren't even going to put up a fight?" Flounder had asked Ariel when she told him and sent him to inform her father.

The soon-to-be mermaid again simply shook her head. It wasn't meant to be.

Ariel left in the early morning. She said goodbye to the world that couldn't bring her true happiness. She had left a short note thanking Eric for the moments they shared, and when she looked up at his balcony before her departure to the sea, she saw him watching. Letter in his hand, he gave her a small nod and smile. She couldn't deny part of her was relieved to sense the sadness in his smile; it told her he cared.

And with her last image of him, she returned to the sea, to her home, to her only love.

She felt immense relief upon returning home as the sea surrounded her in security and she felt the current wash away all her stress.

But it could not easily wash away her heartache. Her heart would take a while to heal, and maybe never would. Ariel was aware of that. Perhaps under different circumstances they were meant to be, but she was a mermaid and he was a prince caught up in the politics of the human world. She would think of him for the rest of her life, but he could not have her. The sea would.

Swimming to the emptiest part of the sea, Ariel closed her eyes. She gave herself back to the sea. The current played with her hair and kissed her on the cheek. It provided her protection and a home, a wide, open, lonely home.

She would let the sea consume her, for she finally knew who loved her: loneliness. Loneliness was all that loved her. It was her one true companion, always there for her.

A/N- So yes, very sad, but at least Ariel has some good writing material...