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Meeting the Little Mermaid 4

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There was something wrong with Ariel, it showed in each step she took and through each breath she breathed. But mostly it reflected in her eyes, her ice cold eyes. They used to be filled with laughter and curiosity, I could swim in her eyes for hours, but now they shut out everything. Her eyes just saw things, but she wasn't truly seeing them. I knew my Ariel, all this land, all this human stuff, it would send her into a frenzy of excitement, but now...now it was just a mild interest. And this interest, well, wasn't very interesting. It wasn't curiosity causing it, it was more instinct, to know what these things did so she could survive later on, but that was the length of her knowledge thirst. This is what she was living on at the moment, just basic survival skills, the minimum amount of knowledge. It was as if all her emotion was sucked away, but how could that be?

We arrived at the palace, another item of interest I thought would intrigue her, but it had the same effect as everything else land had to offer her so far; boredom. Again I had to wonder if she was sick in some way.

"Ariel, are you sure your alright?"

"Yes," she didn't sound annoyed, not excited, just badgered, like it was just illogical for me to ask again.

"Did anything happen when you turned human?" It could always be a flaw, something we could possibly fix.

"Yes, some events did happen," she sounded so logical, no humor, no sarcasm, it was just simple answers.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I went to visit the Sea Witch, who gave me a pair of legs for all my emotions-" she started, but I held up my hand to silence her. All her emotions! No happiness, no laughter to echo down this barren halls. No sadness, she would never need my shoulder to cry on. Did that also mean no love? It was an emotion, and if she didn't love me, could I love her? Of course I could, I had to scoff myself, true love was deeper then emotions, it was a connection. I lowered my hand, with that digested, well not really, I'm sure the actual impact would hit me later, but for the moment I should listen to the rest of her story.

"Ursula, that's the witch's name, told me I had three days to get a true loves kiss from you, then I would be human forever," she concluded with a shake of her head, confirmation that every fact was correct.

Could it be that easy? A kiss? A simple kiss of true love? This witch either really wanted us together, or she was not the smartest fish in the sea. We've been in love, in a true deep love, for months now, ever since Ariel fist sung to me.

"Well then, may I kiss you, my love?" I gave her a small bow, your first kiss wasn't something to take for granted.

"I don't see why not," she sounded bored, indifferent, like this kiss was nothing. Where was the passion I knew in her? What happened to the laughter that shown in each smile and the curiosity that flooded her eyes? Where did her love and kindness vanish too? But no matter, she was still my true love.

I leaned in for the kiss, she remained still. Gently, as if she was a flower petal, I placed my lips upon hers. This is what I've been dreaming about, and every time I have it was filled with warmth that could heat someone in the worst of blizzards. I always knew it would be a passionate kiss between two of the most compatible people and it would work magic. But this kiss, this kiss was cold. It was just a kiss, something I may have given my mother, or maybe a very esteemed guest. This kiss was not the kiss of true love, this was the kiss of a delusional couple

This was not my little mermaid, this was merely a shell of what I knew.
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I was almost dere, almost dere. Oh, I could not breathe! Swimming as fast as I've been, and just being a crab. But de Sea King must know about dis, he would kill me either through physical violence or stress, so by Poseidon, I would at least do dis job right. Ugh, why was de city so far away from land? Could have made it easier on me. Finally, I could see it rising over de horizon, like the sun, if we had a sun.

King Triton was sitting in his throne, like always, but he looked lost and out of place. Like someting was missing.

"Sebastian, Sebastian where is my daughter? Where is Ariel?" he spoke up as I walked in. Ah, so she was missing, or she ran away. Leave to de king to notice when his daughter is missing for 3 hours.

"Your Majesty, I know where your head strong teenager is," I started. And den my legs started shaking, my voice became high like before puberty. Why was I scared? I had nothing to fear, except the future violent murder awaiting for me, but what of dat?

"Sebastian, where is she?" His Majesty looked scared, worried, and hopeful. He was really worried about her; what a blow this would be.

"Sire, she went to de Sea Witch-"

"Ursula!" he screamed it, but in a shocked way. I could understand, he taught all de little ones their whole life; stay away from de Sea Witch.

"And the Sea Witch turned her into a human-"

"A human!" Now he was just angry. His triton lit up with dat haunting yellow which normally predicted explosions and underwater fire.

"And, in payment for her humanity, she gave Ursula her emotions," was it to late to run? With the way de triton was glowing, I answered myself a yes.

"Sebastian! You, you…traitor! Conspiracy against the throne!" I was expecting a tantrum, maybe a little shouting and threatening, den a quick death from anger. But dese accusations, I would not die with my name in de shipwrecks!

"I tried to stop her sir! She wouldn't listen!" My life! My short, short life, I could see it flying before my eyes. But, as long as the proud name of the crab is cleared, I will die with a little honor.

"Where is she? Where is that disobedient, rotten, little girl of mine?" I now realized I've done wrong. He pushed his daughter to dis, if he hadn't gone and blown up everyting she would have never felt the need to go to de surface. What would he push her to next? Depression? Suicidal thoughts? Suicidal actions? Ariel was a fragile girl, her hormones were all up and down, and if he took her away from her love...it was scary to tink about. But it was too late, I did the exact same ting last time too; go snitch on Ariel. When would I learn? So I did something that I would make sure never to risk my life like dat again.

"Sire, she is with de humans," I told him, my mind racing much farther ahead den dis conversation.

"Well, let's go get her. Let's punish her," he started swimming away, murder in his gaze, but I was going to direct dat murder at someone else.

"Your Majesty, if I may suggest, instead of going after Ariel right now, go for de Sea Witch," I wish dere was more places to hide in dis chamber.

"What insanity is this?"

"Well, you see," my voice was squeaky again. Cough it out, keep going, "Ariel gave all her emotion to dat witch. If you were to kill her love and all humans now she would not learn. See she can't feel pain or anger or sadness. But if you go for Ursula and get Ariel's emotions back to her, den she shall learn from her mistakes, you see?" Dey didn't make shells deep enough to hide in anymore. De first thing I do if I get through this is order a custom made one.

But, de Sea King actually looked reasonable, surprise surprise. "You may be right Sebastian. But we would have to prepare, the day after tomorrow, we attack."

Great, after I got over my shock, I just had to make sure dat Ariel stayed human after de Witch was killed.
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Grimsby took this meeting a little less gracious then I thought he would. The maids brought Ariel to the bath and to change, so it was time for Grimsby to give me that lecture.

"Nice young ladies don't just go swimming about, saving people in the middle of the ocean, and then disappear into thin air," he chuckled to himself as he filled his pipe. Grims was the closest thing to a father I've ever had, and if father always gave lectures like this then thank God I only had a mother.

"Grims, I found her, I found that girl,"

"Well then my boy, why aren't we jumping for joy? Why aren't wedding arrangements being made at this moment? You should be married as soon as possible!"

"I just...I don't know if I am marrying her or Maribel yet," I looked out at the sunset. One day down, two more to go for me to love Ariel. I sure wouldn't bet on myself.

"Eric! You spend all this time frolicking about looking for this girl, and then you decide not to marry her? My goodness boy, at this rate you'll never settle down-"

"I'll find the right girl Grims! And I'm gonna marry her,"

"Oh ho ho, come on dear," Carlotta was leading Ariel down from her bath. She was dressed in a dress made of the finest pink silk and most delicate white sateen. It surrounded her like a billowing cloud, then becoming tight at the waist, making her look like an angel sitting in the heavens. But I have seen her more beautiful, on those days when she sat on the beach with her fiery hair knotted through with the white sand after she excitedly rolled around in it, her face covered in dried salt, and dog hair stuck in-between her scales. On these days, no matter how disheveled she became, there was a spark in her eyes, rosy excitement to her cheeks, and a smile on her lips. Now she was dressed in the most beautiful clothing I've seen her in with her hair placed almost artistically, and yet she has never looked so ugly. Where was the girl I loved?

But Grims, Grims wasn't looking at her emotions, or rather, lack of them, he was looking at her face.

"Y-you a-are...not real. You...no, I don't know you," Grimsby was shuddering, shaking like a frail old leaf. Well he was much older now. Ah well, maybe I should take him up to his room.

"Grims, you old coot, why don't we go rest, you seem a bit...ah, tired," Oh, Grims and his breakdowns, it wouldn't do to have him in a quarantine again.

"Tired? Yes, yes you're right. Just so exhausted, must be seeing things, yes, I should really get some rest," and with that Grimsby got up and walked away with out diner. Shame, it was his favorite meal, stuffed crab.

I all of sudden got worried; would Ariel be insulated if I fed her fish? And then it hit me, she couldn't be insulted, she couldn't care about it.

Maybe it was better to marry the woman I never loved over my love I no logger knew.
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De King was in a rage. When wasn't he dese days? He was too busy planning an attack with de army, no need to notice the court composer. So, on de excuse that my head could not take anymore, I left him with de intention of heading home. Or, dey thought dat was my intention. But I had other ideas on my mind. I had to find Ariel, warn her, help her get dat true love's kiss, because dis was all my fault. Ariel would have never gone to dat witch if I held it together, and den if I just didn't tell her father now she wouldn't be hurt. I know dat she could't hurt now, even if her father destroyed everyting on land she would just look on, see it as a mild distraction. But when de three days were up she would live a life of misery. I had to get her dat kiss before he came, so before dat attack. Once Ursula was good and dead de the king would come up here and attack dis whole world. Ariel would end up dying herself.b I had to help, I just had to.
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Eric said after tea with Maribel he would take me on a tour of the kingdom. He looked at me in such a sad way, almost like pity. With my head cleared of emotions I could see how weak this made him. His hope for me to be the girl he once knew, his pride to never show a tear, these made him struggle to be with Maribel and struggle to let me go. Not that I would be any happier if he did, nor any more disappointed, but, I think he would be happier. And for some reason, I wanted him to be happy. It wasn't strange, I didn't feel like it would make me happy, and I didn't feel like it would make me feel better, but it was just a want, gnawing away at my stomach in dull pains. I couldn't call it because of love, I couldn't say I was jealous, I just...wanted. No motive, no reason, it just seemed right, and somewhere in the back of my head, I knew it was. And just because it doesn't change me at all, why shouldn't he be happy? Didn't we love each other once?

Well, didn't matter anyway, there was no more love. I remember the kiss. I remember how I used to cherish those kisses; now I saw how my mind was clouded with love and I was blinded with happiness. How could I have been so naive before?

But, even if I was thinking clearly for once, I did, on occasion, feel empty. Just empty, like my stomach and all other innards vanished along with my emotions. It made me sick, sore, and trembly. I always wanted it to leave, but it didn't. I think it was because my organs remembered how it used to be, how ecstatic I would be with feet and how much I would care about Eric. How offended I would have been at last night dinner. And I wasn't, who cared if a crab died to make our food? I got to eat, didn't I?

I also saw that becoming human was a rash decision influenced by non other then the chance that he loved me based on looks, but even then I knew it was not true. Or did I? If I did, would I have signed? Questions with no answers and there would never be answers, might as well just leave them behind me.

I had to change, my pink nightgown was really getting itchy and some people would look down on me if I itched while with Eric.
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Maribel, admittedly, was beautiful. She had curls that fell like a water fall, but it shone like the sun. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes a dark green that reminded me of gems. She was pampered with usual princess tea drinking outfits: a corset, a dress of the national colors, at least three rings, one necklace that normally belonged to some distant dead relative, and her crown. But the thing I noticed first was how proper she was.

Ariel never acted proper around me, I've almost forgotten what it was like. She was so stiff, when I walked in with my blue suit she curtsied slightly, held out one white gloved hand which I kissed, and she waited for me to talk before speaking. Ariel, when ever I first stepped out into her sight, she was a blaze with new questions, firing them left and right. Oh, I missed her curiosity. And her laughter. I wonder what her singing sounded like now. I would have to ask on our tour.

Was there even a point to the tour? I mean, she would look around, maybe nod her head once or twice, but it wasn't like she was actually interested. But, maybe, there was the chance, the chance that something could be stirred, something could come up. I don't know, but hey, here's to hoping.

What was even worse about Maribel was that she was nice. Nice and funny. I asked her to sing and, just as Grimsby said, her voice was lovely. It was filled with tears and hardship of life, but was also overflowing with happiness and joy. I didn't realize how emotionally deprived I was until I talked to Maribel. She made me feel normal, like I wasn't seeing a mermaid who abandoned all feeling to be with me.

When we bid each other good-bye, or adieu as Maribel naturally said, I was beginning to wonder if Ariel was really my true love.
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I wasn't too late, by de time I got back to de surface Ariel was riding around in those transportation tings dat were pulled by dose four legged animals. I still couldn't see dat girl's fascination with dis world, from what I saw it was cruel and painful to everyone who wasn't one of dem. But she chose dis life, I would help her keep it.

It broke my heart to see her walking like dis. Not walking in general, it is what she wanted, but walking without caring. Just so impartial. Dose little people behind dat little stage, she would have been fascinated, probably even ruined de show. And I know dat she defiantly would be trying to see ever point of dat...what was de best way to describe it...carriage. She would have even been looking under it. It would be a lot harder to get her dat kiss, especially by tomorrow morning.

Eric took her on a romantic boat ride, but it was filled with silence. What could I do? Ariel looked so…ah! I couldn't take it! And Eric was just staring off in de distance, like his love was waiting dere. They weren't giving me anyting to work with!

"Stand back," a sea bird said and landed on a group a blue birds, "Eh, eh, eh, um. Waaa Waaawaawawa Wawaaa Wawawawa-"

"Huh something should find that poor thing and put it out of it's misery," Eric attempted a little chuckle, but Ariel merrily shrugged, not embarrassed in de slightest.

"WaWAAAA!" the stupid bird crowed.

"Geez mon, I'm surrounded by amateurs," I dived off de boat and into de swamp. I may not be able to woo dat couple with emotional music, but any song has got to be better den dat tone deaf bird, "You want something done, you got to do it yourself," Dere was piece of seagrass dat would do perfectly. I swam back to de surface, time to work my magic.

"First we got to create, de mood," I smiled at some ducks and turtles, dey knew what I meant, "Percussion," de turtle flipped and de ducks started playing dem, nice, soothing, romantic.

"Strings!" de crickets knew dere part, instant beauty. Why was I so good at my job, I don't even know.

"Winds!" De winds blew through de reeds.

"Words," Now for my turn.

"Dere you see her,
"Sitting dere across an ocean,
She may not have any emotion,
But dere someting about her,
And you don't know why,
But you're dying to try
You wanna kiss de girl,"
I was practically on Eric's shoulder and I could see his head turning. I held on to some grass and shot back into de lagoon. Sure I was covered in dis swampy water, but better den dat boy seeing me. I saw Ariel shrug, but deer was no way of knowing what to. Better continue with my art.

"Yes you want her,
look at her you know you do,
possible deep down she wants you too
Dere is one way to ask her,"
de flamingos chimed in, perfection. Always look to graceful birds if you want good backup.

"It don't take a word,
not a single word
go one and kiss de girl,"
de boy was hesitant, like he knew what was going to happen. Did he kiss her already? I should have never left, den I would know. Flounder might know, but I couldn't ask him now. What we needed was a good tenor chorus line, something deep. Frogs, always look to de frogs.

"Sing with me now," I pointed at de frogs, and quick as sword fish dey were on de boat paddles, ready for deir part.

"Shalalalalala my oh my,
Look like de boy to shy,
He won't kiss de girl,
Shalalalalala ain't dat sad,
Ain't it a shame, too bad,
He gonna miss de girl,"
A tortoise nodded at me. Dey were so old, dey knew a ting or two about loosing a girl. But I had to turn my focus, de couple was talking, I could hear de prince's voice echo over de serene blue waters.

"You know, Ariel, I really want to give you that true loves kiss, but how can I? You're not as...passionate as I remember," Eric look truly sad. It was now I realized dat he could take good care of dis hormonal teenager, and dat meant a lot to me. She was like my niece, only dat really annoying one you can only stand to see once a year, but you love her so much.

"Well, Eric, thinking back on it, I have reason to believe that this was the witch's plan all along, get you to fall out of love with me. I have come to the conclusion that she has been watching us, and that she figured it out, even though I didn't." Ariel said it so matter-of-factually, I've never heard her so sure of herself or so smart. I liked her much better without dose 16 year old emotions buzzing around her body. But it was still sad to look upon, where was de little girl I used to know?

"Why would she want to kill our love? And what do you mean you didn't know? Did you think I just liked you for your voice?" Eric sounded astounded, like dat was de most demeaning ting she could think to say. I also thought dat was why Eric loved her, now I just felt guilty. I didn't even like him!

"In fact Eric, I did think that you only liked me for my looks and voice. I see now that was just a fit of emotions, but it was what I believed. And, did I forget to tell you? If I don't get the kiss before the sun sets on the third day I turn back into a mermaid and become Ursula's property."

"Her property!"

"Or slave, I'm a little fuzzy on the details," Ariel touched de water gently with her fingertips. Eric just looked stunned.

"And you don't care about this? You're not worried that you are going to become the evil sea witch's slave?"

"Oh Eric, tell me, how can I care?" And I think it just hit de kid that her emotions were really gone, nothing more to dem, because she couldn't care. Sure she could want, she could need, but care...dat was no longer her ability.

"Now's your moment," some tadpoles chimed in with high pitched background words. I was sad for de couple, but de song must always go on, right?

"Floating in a blue lagoon,
Boy you better do it soon
No time would be better,
It don't take a word, not a single word,
Go on and kiss de girl,"
Fish started cooing and cheering them on, swimming around deem to stop de boat. It was de perfect set up, de perfect scene, and if we could just get dat boy to move in a few inches, his lips would be on hers and de magic would begin! Nothing like a song to bring up old memories of love, and right now, dat is all we need.

"Shalalalalala don't be scared,
You got de mood prepared,
Go on and kiss de girl,
Whoa whoa,
Shalalalalala don't stop now,
Don't try to hide it out,
You wanna kiss de girl,
Shalalalalala float along
And listen to de song
It's saying kiss de girl
Whoa whoa,
Shalalalalala let de music play,
Do what de music say
You gotta kiss de girl,"
he was leaning in closer! And so was she, maybe a memory of faint love lost to magic compelled her, but it didn't matter, I was sure dis kiss would work!

"Go on and kiss de girl,
just got to kiss de girl
GO ON AND
Kiss de girl,"
so close, dey were an inch away...SPLASH!
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I remembered, that love I first felt to this girl, that connection I once had. I remembered why I loved her, and for that once second, I thought I loved her again. And now, soaking wet with the muddy waters of this blue lagoon, I knew why I had to love her again. Because my love for her was too deep, and, emotions or no emotions, it would always be there. Even if I married someone else, even if I made someone else my queen, I would never love them as I loved this girl. And for that, I needed to anything humanly possible to fall in love with her again, just long enough to give her that kiss.
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Thank Poseidon for eels, especially the loyal type. They were slapping tails now, basking in the glory of flipping a whole boat. Oh, my little babies, what would I do if they were gone?

"Nice work boys! That was a close one, too close! That little tramp! Oh, she's better then I thought," I could see her in my bubble, that hunky prince helping her out of the water. I sensed that the kiss would have worked, that the prince was feeling all lovey dovey about her again. But how? I'll tell you how, she was bringing up memories of his love, with those romance songs and passionate animal friends. Disgusting pigs.

"At this rate, he'll be kissing her by sunset for sure! Well, it's time Ursula took matters into her own tentacles!" What did I need? A butterfly trapped in it's own air bubble, a hypnosis potion boiled in dry seaweed, a human clothing maker made with the finest silks a fish could find. And...oh I was missing something...ah yes, eye sight spell, the possession potion, the piece de resistance.

"Flotsam, Jetsam!" my minions looked at me through those magic eyes I gave them, "why don't you invite miss Princess of France to a midnight swim? I know how much the ladies love your persuasion," the boys laughed and swam off to the palace, Miss Maribel would be in my grasp in no time, " Triton's daughter will be mine, and then I'll make him writhe, I'll see him wriggle like a worm on a hook! Hahahaha, ahahahaha!"
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Outside was always nice, at night when the waves would splash up against the beach in a haunting song. I liked to play my mother's flute along with it, and the only song I deemed fit to play was Ariel's theme, it fell and rose like the tide, was just as beautiful as any moonlit shore. And it was sort of a sad memory, something to mourn, because even though she was hear, even though I knew what I had to do, I was having so much trouble.

Why was life so difficult?! All I ever wanted was to marry for love, and she comes out of no where, saving my life. Then, BAM! she turns out to be half fish. But everything is good we still love when FLASH! I need a human queen. So my love is mad at me, but I'll try and convince her later, I'm sad sure, but I'll find her again. All of a sudden WHOOSH! my half fish is human and life couldn't be better, except for that little thing where she lost ALL EMOTION, which is sort of something I fell in love with, and contributes to the other parts I fell in love with. So I guess now that I can't love her I can at least try to move on to Maribel, but ALAKAZAM! she steals my heart again with that song only I could hear apparently. And for a minute I thought she was in love with me again, because I know that I wasn't the only one leaning in for a smooch. Could life get anymore complicated? Why couldn't it be as simple as the ocean, just float around, maybe have a storm or two, but overall just go with the world.

Ugh. Well, on the bright side, it was a beautiful night. The moonlight reflected off the crystals in the sand, the ocean seemed to be at peace with itself, Max was sleeping in the doorway of the balcony, my music was floating throughout the air. Perfect.

"Eric," Grimsby said out of the night. I jumped, he just came up on me. "If I may say so, far better then any dream girl, is one right before your eyes," he gestured to the beach where Maribel was sitting. All her princess dresses and jewelry was off, she was just a girl now, in a nice silk nightgown.

And there was laughter. But not that stuffy polite laughter she used for tea, a familiar laughter, a type of laughter that I've heard from only one other girl. That was Ariel's laugh. But there was nothing funny going on down there, yet it was the most beautiful noise I've heard in a long time. How did Maribel get Ariel's laugh?

The laughter changed, I had to strain my ears to hear it, but Maribel was sobbing. I've heard this sobbing too, when I first saw Ariel and ran. It made me sad to listen to this, I wanted to go down there and comfort her, but that wasn't Ariel it was Maribel. I looked over at Grimsby but he was already gone, slunk back inside as quick as he came. I couldn't concern myself with Grims's strange ways right now, that crying was still eating away at me.

But it wasn't crying anymore, it was shouting, yelling, screaming, bashing her fists into the sand. I recognized it as anger, hard, all consuming frustration. It shouldn't have been attractive, I've should have been scared. Maribel's blond curls were filled with sand, her beautiful voice screeching as loud as she could muster. I should not have found it a pretty sight. But I did. It was how Ariel looks when she is truly angry, I learned this from our chats about her father.

And now her tantrum stopped, she turned and looked up the balcony, at me, and smiled. Her green eyes flashed gold and streamed out up at me. I knew I should have gotten away, that gold light just felt wrong, but Maribel was so great, because her eyes, following the light, were filled with all the emotions and sensations Ariel's eyes spoke of. Then I saw nothing, nothing but the golden light. All vanished. And as fast as it came, it flicked off, as did my thoughts, except for one; Maribel. How much I wanted to be with Maribel.
After a serious case of writer's block I finally got this far. So Eric remembers true love and Ariel has memory of it too, which sort of triggers true love kiss. Well, I always thought that when Ursula said the kiss of true love it has to be on Eric's part, not Ariel's, so if Eric in in true love with Ariel that is good enough for the spell.

Quick Explanation: You may be wondering why Sebastian got the king when in the movie Ariel stops him and he doesn't actually go to Triton. Well, without her emotions, Ariel doesn't really care if she lives in misery later and she doesn't care if she would be happy and in love if she found the prince. THEREFORE, Ariel is not compelled to stop Sebastian from swimming to the king which he does.

One more chapter! Don't ask anything about it though, I know as much as you do. The big question is, what is Ursula up to? Because I can tell you one thing, it is not what it seems.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask (unless, as stated above, they are about the future chapter) I know I can intend to write things and get them myself but not make them very clear.

Part 1 [link]
Part 2 [link]
Part 3 [link]
Part 5 [link]
Part 6 [link]

The Little Mermaid © Disney
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SlapShot84's avatar
Missing the next chapter :(