"Where is she? She's supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"
"I don't know! She didn't even go to dinner—"
"Shh! He's here!"
With his presence heard just a few feet away, the sisters lined up to bid their father goodnight. It's a tradition done by the daughters of the King to show how much of royal daughters they were. However, with the absence of their youngest sister, they couldn't keep a straight face up.
King Triton soon came through the curtain of purple seaweeds. Pleased of seeing her daughters lining up, he put his hands on his back.
"Girls."
"Yes, father," in unison the daughters spoke.
"I—Where's Ariel?"
It didn't take long for the father to notice the absence of his youngest daughter. He scanned the room from left to right, but came with a vain result.
"We have no idea, father. She hasn't been seen since…" Attina paused in mid-sentence, not knowing of what to say. The king waited for her to finish her sentence, when a red-haired mermaid peeked over his shoulder from behind.
"Did I miss something?"
King Triton turned around to see her, and his eyes bulging right away. "The dinner, you missed that."
"Ah, no worries," Ariel simply swam past her father towards Attina's side. "I caught up with it minutes ago, there were still some in the kitchen."
Triton crossed his arms, very much feeling suspicious. "Ariel? Where have you been?"
"Somewhere…" she turned around, only to find out her father not even buying the first word. Biting her bottom lip, her mind came up with an excuse. "The reef. Flounder and I had some… sightseeing!"
Triton reduced the gap between him and the suspected daughter of his, glaring a little at her. Every single girl in the room except Ariel herself looked at their youngest sister. They could already tell something smelled fishy. Triton was aware of this, but then, he decided to dig for the truth later on. Besides, he had the trusted companion he'd tasked just for the job.
"Very well," he looked at the other daughters. "Sleep well, my daughters."
"Good night father," the daughters replied simultaneously.
"Good night," with that, he left the room. The girls remained stationery for a few seconds before Attina broke the silence.
"Ariel, where have you been?" Being the eldest among the sisters, of course she had to ask the question again.
"Attina, didn't you hear? I went to the reef!" Ariel was annoyed with the same question. To avoid more questions, she headed to her bed.
"No, that's not what I meant. Where have you been specifically in the past days? Or weeks, perhaps, I don't know! Where have you been?" Attina slowly approached her sister.
"And why should you care?" Ariel shot back.
Alana cut in. "Because we all know well enough that you've been to places where we do not necessarily want you to go to, Ari. Come on, don't be such a rock-head, will you?"
"I'm not being a rock-headed person, Alana!" Ariel chuckled, with heavy sarcasm. "Is it wrong for me to come home with a smile on my face? Adella comes home with a goofy smile nearly every day, and god knows what she's been up to. Why don't you question her about that?"
"Because merboys happen to be attractive, Ariel," Attina crossed her arms. "She's being approached, or currently approaching a—"
"Being approached!" Adella exclaimed from under her blanket.
"Being approached by a merboy," Attina rolled her eyes around. "At the moment. At least we do know it's a merboy that's behind her goofy smiles, Ari. Now, tell me what's behind yours." She smiled reassuringly.
Although her reason was still yet uncovered, the hint had already been spoken several times by now, and Ariel couldn't simply ignore that. It was a boy. But there's no way she was going to spill everything right now. Her mind processed for any kind of excuse available, and decided to go with this one.
"Fine…" she sighed. "It's… someone. Happy?"
"Oh my!" Aquata suddenly rose from her bed to see Ariel. "Who? When? How?!"
"That's all you're getting, okay?" Ariel gestured her hands in denial, but it seemed to be a vain effort. Within seconds, every single of her sister perked up from their beds and circled their youngest sister.
I guess that's not all they're getting…'
Someone, huh?'
Being the responsible father he was supposed to be, Triton swam away in stealth after a little bit of eavesdropping action towards the throne room. The moonlight was illuminating the room from the crystal ceiling above. Although it was a mere dim lighting, it was enough for him to see his trident he'd left on the throne itself.
"I suppose if it's someone… Violence is not needed," he shook his head.
"Your majesty?"
A voice called from across the room, and a tiny red speck seemed to be the source. It was Sebastian.
"Sebastian?"
"I overheard you… what do you mean with violence, if I may ask?" Sebastian curiously asked, swimming over towards the king.
"It's Ariel."
"And what does the trident have to do with her?"
"Nothing, in fact," he smiled a little. "I think Ariel's into someone, right now."
Sebastian's eyes widened by a tad. "S-She is?"
"Yes, I overheard the girls' conversation, and I left at the point where Ariel gave up on Attina's question regarding her weird behavior lately. It was someone!" King Triton let out a single laugh. "I wonder who the lucky merboy is."
"O-Oh… A merboy."
"I gave you the task to observe her carefully, Sebastian. I suppose you already knew about this?"
"I… was about to report to you, just now, actually!" Sebastian smiled uneasily.
"Ah! So you've seen him! What is he like? Manly? Tough? Nerdy?"
"I think it's… best to leave the details away, Your majesty. I-I don't think Ariel would want us to interfere her privacy," Sebastian shoved his claws together nervously.
"And what do you think you've been doing with her, Sebastian?" Triton shrugged. "You wouldn't say that spying on her is not interfering her privacy?"
Sebastian gulped. "I…"
The king waved a hand to assure the crab. "It's okay, it was my command, after all. Tomorrow, you and I will see who the boy is together!"
"O-Oh tomorrow?"
"Yes! Tomorrow! It's time to see who it is!" He palmed his hand with a proud smile. "Meet me after breakfast, Sebastian. For now, good night!"
"G-Good night, your majesty!"
Sebastian watched the king leave the room into his room, and deeply sighed when he's out of sight afterwards. Just when he thought he couldn't get anymore nervous for keeping secrets from his own king, things got even worse.
Oh, what do I do?'
"He's brown haired, as tall as you are, has a not-so-muscular body posture, and very kind," Arista counted every characteristic with her finger.
"Yes! And that's all you're getting! Period!" Ariel exclaimed. She had been answering questions regarding the boy in question, and the her sisters weren't going to be satisfied anytime soon.
"What's the color of his tail?" Asked Andrina.
Having enough questions fired at her, Ariel buried her face into her pillow and hid under the blanket. The behavior was giggled by the other sisters, who finally decided to leave her alone for the night. Except for one, who was Attina.
"Alright Ari," she landed a hand on her little sister's shoulder. "Eventually, we will see him in the flesh," she whispered.
"In your dreams, Attina."
"Perhaps not my dreams, but yours, possibly," she teased, giving a friendly push. "Goodnight, lover girl."
Hearing silence after a few minutes, Ariel decided that it was safe to take a look at a secret. Silently under her blanket, Ariel pulled out an object from under her pillow. It was Jim's comb.
Hm… Should I? Is it wrong for girls to do it?'
With a hand, she lowered her blanket slowly until her eyes were finally uncovered. She gazed at the round hole in their room that provided a view to the open water.
"I… don't see why not," she smiled to herself.
The next morning, a family of aliens left the Benbow Inn. The inn's workers bid farewell to the family, and their departure marked the end of the holiday season in the year. It was the last family to stay in the inn.
Sarah gave a final wave at the Corington family as they departed on their solar cart away from the inn. After it took a turn, Sarah turned around to see at the empty dining room she's in.
"And that should be it," she crossed her arms. "I don't think things will be hectic from now on."
"I… put my faith on you, Sarah," Ben walked to the table the family last sat on. "I really need a long rest."
"I suppose you've had one when Captain Flint took your memory circuit," she smiled, taking off her apron.
"That…" Ben tried to find an excuse. "Wasn't… exactly one! You see, there's a difference between staying shut down and—"
"Don't think there is, Ben." Jim cut in, making an entrance from the stairs with a face fresh from the bed. Ben glanced at the boy before continuing to work, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.
"An expert in robotic now, aren't you?" The robot retorted.
"I am an expert at detecting excuses," he chuckled.
"Which was passed down from me," Sarah walked past her son. "Good morning."
"Mornin'… Where's breakfast?"
"Grab anything from the kitchen. I have to leave to the market to buy some supplies."
"Mhh…" Jim stretched his muscles. "I'll have a breakfast and a wind from the sea, please."
"Serve yourself, James." Sarah put on a hat and a satchel while walking to the door. "I'll be right back in an hour or two. Bye!"
Seeing her mother leave gave Jim the cue to initiate his plan. He aimlessly walked to the kitchen due to his blurry vision. Almost like reflex, and without even seeing where his hands were heading, he reached for the toaster and put the required breads in it. Thirty seconds of waiting, the breads popped up abruptly. Again, his hands reached for a knife and a peanut butter to apply some on the bread without Jim's visual guidance.
Once done, he walked out with the bread to the backdoor of the inn.
When the breeze of cold wind washed against his face, that's the moment where he was switched on. His gray-blue eyes peeled open.
"Ah…"
In front of him, he saw a painting. Only, it was real. Baby blue sky, several white clouds, and the dark blue ocean. The only missing touch was a red-haired mermaid at the moment, which was soon to be added. In their last meeting, they promised to meet right after breakfast.
As he descended down the stairs, Jim took small bites of his sandwich. He had something special planned under his sleeve.
"Right… this is it. It all comes to this very moment," he spoke to himself, then swallowed the bite he took.
The boy turned to the ocean. "The weather is perfect, the sun is out, it can't get anymore better than this, can it? Or do I plan for a setting with a sunset… damn, now I'm thinking doing it at sunset is better."
Jim took a bite again. "Right, come on, you've done this before. It's easy!... it's not, actually. It's Ariel, what am I thinking? Ugh… I can't possibly do this in the old-fashioned way."
He swallowed the bite. "I will firstly say… 'Ari, I have something to tell', or…"
Jim froze for a while, playing out scenarios in his head. Scenario after scenario was played, either the one where he uses his smolder to gain the mermaid's attention, or to the one where he stutters on every single word of his sentence, or the one where he pulls her to kiss her. Every possible scenario was thought out, until he resumed his walk down to the beach.
"What do I do?… I really… adore her…" he scratched his hair, finding the ground more interesting to see while walking.
"I really… do not want to… mess this up," his bare feet pressed against the sands. Feeling them, he turned instantly to the direction of the sea.
"God…"
"Are you okay Jim?"
Jim looked up to the source of the voice, and it took him by surprise to see Ariel already there.
"OH—ARIEL! Gosh, you surprised me!"
"Jim, you were… muttering on every single step you took on the staircase. What were you on about?" She smiled curiously.
"I—I uh… You know," he proceeded to generate a random word with his brain, and he came up with the word "life".
"Life… in general."
"Heh, I remember reading a book written by a human that I scavenged from a ship. There's a line that says, 'when life gives you lemons'," the mermaid paused mid-sentence, remembering the rest.
"You complain about the lemons," Jim finished, sitting in front of her and finishing his sandwich.
"… That's not the rest of the quote," she frowned. "You make lemonades out of the lemons!"
"I suppose we have a different view about life," he shrugged.
"What does that suppose to mean, anyway? What's a lemon? What's a lemonade?"
He chuckled, entering teacher-mode in an instance.
And the conversation proceeded to continue. The two were in a world where only the two of them existed. Their eyes often got locked at each other's, and smiles were seen frequently returning each other's. It had been like this ever since they gained each other's trust.
Ariel saw Jim as a book, an attractive one, with secret pages here and there, there's always something new to learn. She'd be lying if she were to say that there's a single thing that bored her from him. His hairstyle, his posture, his soothing voice, his hypnotizing eyes, and the best part, his personality. It matched hers flawlessly, like that last piece of puzzle that fitted the whole puzzle. A desire to venture around with no one to wait for was a wish of hers, which, like any other wishes, are never bound to come true. But, she could really see herself doing what Jim does the best, which was venturing. Side by side, as adventure companions, as lovers.
However, as if she had a mental timer in her head, her time had run out from the current session.
"I really would like to travel down to—"
"I'm sorry Jim!" Ariel cut in, "I have to leave… now. There's a practice I have to attend, and you know how strict Sebastian is, as I've told you."
"Oh…" Disappointment filled his tone. 'I missed my opportunity, way to go, Hawkins!'
Indeed, he did miss his opportunity. His plan to confess his love to the mermaid never happened.
"I'm really sorry, but I can meet up again today, on the bright side!"
The 'bright' side brightened the male. "Really? W-When?"
"Meet me at sunset. How about that?" Said Ariel.
"T-That's perfect!"
"Alright then! I'll see you—" at this moment, even with his heart cheered up by the news that she still could meet on sunset, he felt that he was going to lose her. Desperation filled his heart in an abundant amount in less than a second when the mermaid let herself being pulled by the wave. He had to do something.
"W-Wait, Ariel!"
The mermaid halted.
"Yes?"
"Can…" he grabbed his pendant. "Can I… record you in this pendant?"
"Record me?" She took a grip on the sands to reach for the male. "What do you mean?"
"This pendant had recorded memories from my life, some were filled by my mom, but when I understood of how to operate the tool, I had started recording memorable memories by myself," he explained with a smile. "And I thought… I'd record you in here too."
"Ah… So I'll have a picture of myself in there!" Ariel pointed at the object.
"Correct. So if you please, this will just take a second or two." Jim flipped the pendant open, and initiated to begin a short recording. He pointed the little item at Ariel, and it scanned the mermaid with flashing green lights.
"Alright… I guess, say cheese?"
"Cheese?"
Snap. The pendant finished recording.
"Why cheese? What's a cheese?" Ariel questioned.
Jim smiled at the pendant proudly. "More on that this evening! Don't miss that!"
Ariel giggled once. "Remind me about the cheese thingy then," she smiled. "Alright! I'll see you!"
She let the waves carry her back into the water before cutting through it like a butter knife. Seeing that, Jim had a look on the recording the pendant had done. The pendant projected the one and only, Ariel, laying on the sand, tail curled upwards.
I guess, say cheese?"
Cheese?"
He chuckled at the short clip. Her dreamy face was one out of many things he adored from her, so he played the clip several times, and smiled with goof all the time.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" A deep voice called.
Jim shut the pendant off, and he gasped deeply at who it was.
A merman, with a built posture, and a torrent of water supporting his weight to keep him stand straight up to face the boy from the beach. It was King Triton himself, although his identity was still a question mark for Jim. Jim didn't bother to question the man's identity. He saw him as a threat, so he desperately tried to retreat by crawling backwards.
"Do not worry, I mean no harm." Triton spoke reassuringly.
"W-Who are you?!"
"I am King Triton. Ring any bell?"
"King Triton… King Triton?!" Jim's bell was rung.
"Yes, boy. Kneel before me," Triton gestured him to kneel with his trident. Seeing that his position as the king of Atlantica was no match with Jim's position as a cabin boy, he obeyed the king's command.
"I did say I meant no harm… but you do mean one," Triton spoke sharply. "I cannot trust such a peasant looking boy on my daughter's side, especially if he's a human!"
Jim frowned at the king. He wanted to spit back, but he carefully chose his words. "Y-Your majesty, we're simply friends!"
"You're fooling no one, boy! You're in love with her, and so is she with you! I cannot let that happen! You and your gossipy mouth will only spread of our kingdom, and that will do no good!"
"Your majesty, I haven't done anything like that! Your daughter specifically requested your species to be kept as secret, and I did as she requested! I've told no one, and will never do!" Jim was pleading at this point.
"Hmph, as the king of Atlantica, I must do what must be done. I cannot take any risk," Triton pointed his trident at the boy. "I will have to erase your memory about anything related to our people, especially, my daughter, Ariel."
Jim inhaled a gasp. Hearing this, he stood up, and walked backwards slowly. "Your Majesty, you can't do this!"
"I can, and I will," the torrent of water that acted as the base of King Triton moved the king forward towards the boy. The trident in his arm shone brightly, its light blinding Jim.
"No, PLEASE!"
"Goodbye."
From the tip of a trident, a yellow beam was shot, echoing a thunderous sound. It hit right on Jim's temple, and there was no avoiding. Everything happened so rapidly, and with Jim being blinded, he was an easy target.
The shot left the human unconscious. Triton deliberately used very few energies, as his purpose was to only erase Jim's memory about everything he knew about mermaids. Pleased with the task done smoothly, Triton turned around to head back into the ocean. Sebastian jumped from the rocks near him to catch up with his king.
"Your majesty… your daughter will be…"
"I know how she'll react. And as a true father, I will tell everything by myself," Triton retorted. Hearing this, Sebastian stopped following him with a disappointed look.
"She will get used to this, no matter she likes it or not."
Sebastian watched the king leave, then took a peek at the boy Ariel's in love with. He was still lying on the sand, very much concussed. Every single ounce of his being was filled with empathy. Neither of the two deserved any of these, as they both simply found happiness in each other.
A robotic figure rushed its way down the stairs to help the boy. Not wanting to be seen, Sebastian dived down underwater.
"Jim? Jim?"
Once he reached for the boy, Ben shook him left to right in panic.
"JIM!? WAKE UP BUDDY!"
Same place, different time. The sun was on the far west, and a figure breached through the surface of the water. The figure had a bright smile curled on her face, and it belonged to, of course, Ariel.
She looked up at the beach to see no one was there. It was an odd sight, considering Jim would always be there, on that one rock.
"Huh… I guess it's not just Sebastian who can come late," she complained about Sebastian's late arrival on the practice this morning, which was oddly a suspicious phenomenon. But it wasn't suspicious enough for her to investigate.
"I guess I'll wait for a while…"
So, she waited,
and waited,
and waited.
