Chapter 10:

An Island for Two

Elsa

The Sun was nearing the horizon, cascading its reddish, orange glow across the lush, beautiful island. The trees rustled as a breeze blew overhead and crickets chirped from beyond the lush foliage. Birds flew through the sky, squawking and chirping, as they disappeared into the forest beyond the beach. The tide washed up on the beach gently, covering the sand in white foam.

Elsa's eyes fluttered open. Her mouth opened wide with a yawn. She stretched her arms in the cool sand and then sat up. Beside her was Ariel, sprawled out on the beach still covered by the shade of a nearby tree. Elsa gazed upon the beautiful mermaid lying beside her. Ariel's chest rose and fell with each slow breath. One arm was draped over her eyes and her tail was lying in the dark, wet sand, covered in the light, frothy sea foam. Ariel was dead to the world. Elsa felt the corner of her lips lift as she watched Ariel sleep.

Since arriving on the island earlier in the day, both Elsa and Ariel had stayed active. It had all started with Ariel throwing sand at Elsa which led to Elsa chasing Ariel along the beach while chucking snowballs at her. Afterwards, they played on the beach together: building sand castles, covering one another in sand, and making sand angels. It had all culminated in Elsa and Ariel laying near each other in the shade of a tree along the foreshore with the gentle high tide washing up on Ariel's tail from time to time so she wouldn't dry out. They had fallen asleep in the shade and now Elsa was awake several hours later with Ariel still sleeping.

Ariel's other arm was outstretched toward Elsa. Ariel had offered Elsa a place to snuggle up next to her and even though Elsa hadn't taken the offer, Ariel had left her arm open anyway in case Elsa would have reconsidered. Elsa twisted around and surveyed the lush foliage beyond the beach. The grass along the sand was taller than any grass she had seen before, waist high at the very least. There were large, green leaves along the grass that Elsa didn’t recognize as anything common in Arendelle. Looking back at Ariel, Elsa had an idea. She got to her feet tiptoed to the foliage.

Beyond the lush foliage and the flower and fruit trees, which lined the edge of the beach for as far as Elsa could see, there was the forest. The setting Sun brought out the fireflies and they thrived in the thick darkness of the island's forest. Elsa marveled at the sight. She rarely had the chance to witness something as beautiful as the night sky over a vast forest, with crickets chirping in harmony with nature's elegant display.

This island is beautiful, Elsa thought. It’s a shame we have to leave so soon. She thought of Anna and how worried she would be if Elsa didn’t arrive back in Arendelle on time, never minding the fact that her entire crew of guards and sailors had perished at sea.

As Elsa watched the display of lights flicker in the forest, her wide eyes and smile faltered. The storm hadn't been her fault. It wasn't like the Great Freeze from two years prior. That had been her fault. She had no control over the storm out at sea and what had happened, yet she still felt guilty. She was the only one to have survived the storm and if it hadn't been for Ariel she would have perished just as everyone else had. Anna would have lost her sister for good this time and she would have to take the heavy burden of not only raising a child, albeit with her husband Kristoff, but becoming Queen of Arendelle as well—a position Elsa knew Anna wasn’t prepared for at this time.

Elsa shook her head at the depressing thoughts swirling in her mind and pushed them away knowing there was nothing she could do now for those lost out at sea. Her only purpose now was to get back home to Anna. She looked back at Ariel. And to find something suitable with which to cover Ariel.

Elsa knelt down and examined the large leaves she noticed earlier while sitting on the beach. From afar they appeared larger than they actually were. She pulled a few from their roots and held them up to her body. Covering Ariel in them would be possible, but she’d a lot of them. Elsa plucked the leaves from the dirt hoping to acquire enough to make a somewhat decent blanket for her mermaid friend.

As Elsa gathered more leaves, she noticed something large, green, and round a bit further into the forest. It appeared to be a rock, but the texture seemed to be a bit off. Elsa furrowed her brow and put the leaves down in the sand. She leaned forward into the foliage and tugged at the mysterious object. It came loose and while heavy Elsa was able to pick it up. She dropped it in the sand and realized it wasn't a rock, but rather an empty turtle shell.

She ran her hands over the top of it. The texture was smooth and the shell itself was a bit bumpy, but all-in-all it appeared to be in great shape. Elsa turned the shell over and running across the underside of it was what seemed to be a bony layer where the turtle itself would have been. Elsa ran her hand along the under layer confirming that it was in fact bone. Had the shell been without this bony layer Elsa could have used the shell for several different things such as a basket to carry items or perhaps even a pan for cooking food. Elsa huffed and left the shell in the sand, returning to pluck more leaves from the grass.

With a handful of leaves in her arms, Elsa made her way back to Ariel. As she walked toward Ariel, she saw the small lifeboat perched up on the sand and remembered the seaweed blanket that Ariel had made for her. She rolled her eyes at the realization that she already had a blanket waiting for her. She dropped all of the leaves from her arms and ran over to the boat.

Elsa reached in and pulled the blanket out. Beneath it was Ariel’s satchel containing her seaweed hair band and her decorative starfish along with the conch shell Ariel had given to Elsa as a gift. Elsa grabbed all of their belongings out of the boat and made her way back to Ariel. She carefully placed the conch shell and the satchel in the sand so as not to disturb Ariel and then she opened up the blanket.

Ariel’s tail twitched as the foam from the high tide gently washed over her. Elsa took in the sight of the mermaid once more as she shimmered in the orange glow of the setting Sun. Ariel’s lips were curved in a soft smile and her fingers twitched much like her tail was doing. Elsa wondered what it was she was dreaming about when her heart fluttered in her chest. Her gaze settled on Ariel’s soft, plump lips. Elsa noticed her tongue running over her own lips as she gazed down at Ariel. They tingled as she craved a kiss from the mermaid.

Elsa closed her eyes. With a deep breath, Elsa thought, You do such weird things to me, Ariel. Weird, but wonderful things. A warm blush enveloped her cheeks and she gently placed the seaweed blanket across Ariel’s torso. She tucked the blanket under Ariel while simultaneously tucking her bottom lip beneath her teeth. Brushing the backs of her fingers across Ariel’s soft cheeks, she whispered, “Sweet dreams, my beautiful salmon.”

Elsa fell back on her rear and peered out across the lonely sea. The waters were calm and with the exception of the chirping crickets behind her the island was silent. Elsa looked down at her person and realized she was still wearing the same lavender gown from three nights earlier when her ship had sunk.

I should probably change. Unfortunately, everything she had had with her was on the ship that was now resting in its grave somewhere under the sea. Ice dress it is, I guess?

The high tide was slow moving and shallow which Elsa took comfort in. The last thing she wanted was for the water to come in and sweep her away. Sure, she had a mermaid to rescue her, but being out in the water nevertheless was terrifying, especially after having nearly drowned. A shiver ran down Elsa's spine as she recalled the terror of being trapped under the sail, helpless. She shuddered, pushing the haunting memory away.

Elsa slowly dipped her foot in the bubbly foam of the sea. She walked a few steps out into the water, allowing the tide to go up to her ankles. She peered back at Ariel, rubbing the back of her neck, her mouth going dry. Ariel obviously had no qualms about being nude around Elsa so why should Elsa be worried about being naked around Ariel?

Seeing Ariel's arm still draped over her eyes, Elsa turned back toward the sea and tugged at her lavender gown. Her shoulder slipped from the gown and she pulled her arms from the sheer sleeves, one at a time. When her arms came free, the rest of the gown fell freely to her feet, floating in the foam.

Her pert breasts sat on her chest with very little sag to them. Her pink nipples were small and soft and when she ran her hands over them, they stiffened. Her nipples had always been sensitive to touch.

What really is the big deal about these? Elsa cupped her breasts in her hands. With her thumbs running over her nipples and the setting Sun’s warm glow on her skin, Elsa closed her eyes. She was transported back to earlier in the day when she was sitting with Ariel in the boat, her lips ever so close to Ariel’s.

Gazing into Ariel’s ocean-blue eyes, she rested her forehead against Ariel’s. The tips of their noses brushed together and a ragged breath escaped Elsa’s lips. Her thumbs and her index fingers closed around her erect nipples. Elsa’s hands parted from Ariel’s and ever-so-slowly caressed their way up her arms. God, her skin was so damn soft. Elsa tugged gently on her nipples, a gasp escaping her lips. Her breasts tingled at the sensation which sent a flood of warmth careening between her legs. Elsa’s knees buckled and she fell into the seafoam, her panties wet with seawater.

Elsa’s eyes shot open and she gasped for a deep breath. Her heart thumped in her chest and she splashed cool warm on her flushed cheeks. Elsa sat back in the seafoam, her gown still beneath her and she stared between her legs. She was no stranger to touching herself when she needed to, but what she felt in this moment was something else entirely. She burned with passion and Elsa needed to relieve herself. She gazed back at the beach and Ariel was still asleep in the shade. With her bottom lip secured beneath her upper teeth, Elsa scooted up further onto the beach until only her ankles rested in the seafoam.

Elsa laid back in the warm sand and brought her hands up around her breasts, pushing them together. Her stiff nipples dug into her palms and then her right breast fell away as she moved her right hand slowly down her abdomen. Her fingers traced over her soft navel and stopped at the waistband of her soaked panties. Her fingers slid beneath the silk material and into a patch of hair between her thighs. The tips of her fingers slid through the soft hair and when she reached the top of her lips, she gasped, her body jerking at her own touch.

Elsa slid her middle finger between her soft, warm lips and was met with a wetness that hadn’t been caused by the sea. Eyes closed and toes digging into the wet sand, Elsa returned to the boat with Ariel.

As her hands slid up Ariel’s arms and onto her bony shoulders, Elsa’s eyes never left Ariel’s. Her ragged breath caused her lips to tremble and when Ariel gently placed her hands on either side of Elsa’s hips and slowly ran them up her torso, Elsa shivered.

Elsa tugged at her nipple with her left hand.

Ariel’s hands reached just beneath Elsa’s breasts and she paused. “Don’t stop,” Elsa pleaded. As Ariel’s hands traveled up along her sides, her thumbs ran over Elsa’s breasts, stopping at her nipples.

“Do you like it when I touch you?” murmured Ariel.

Elsa slid her middle finger and her ring finger into herself. Lips trembling, Elsa gasped, “Yes. Keep touching me.”

Ariel’s hands rounded Elsa’s breasts and Elsa’s nipples hardened into Ariel’s palms through her gown. Elsa slid her hands from Ariel’s shoulders up her neck and then to her cheeks. She cradled Ariel’s face in her palms.

“Can I kiss you?” Elsa groaned. Her fingers pushed between her soft folds, sliding in and out. Her hips bucked into her hand and her abs tightened as her back arched.

“Yes,” Ariel whispered. Elsa leaned forward, her lips touching Ariel’s. A life of cold and ice melted away inside Elsa as her lips sparked with a raging flame. A rush of heat rocketed from her lips and coursed throughout her body.

Elsa’s arched back straightened and her abs contracted involuntarily, causing her to lift forward, holding on to the single breath still trapped in her lungs. With her fingers still working their way inside of her and her palm rubbing at her erect clit, she convulsed, exhaling her trapped breath in a loud guttural groan. Her heels dug into the soft, wet sand and slid out from under her, her legs going limp and her own arousal coating her fingers. She slid her fingers from her body and brought her hand to her chest. She admired her own stickiness between her fingers and managed a giggle between catching her breath. She peered across the beach and Ariel was still asleep under the tree, seafoam washing up her tail. She arched an eyebrow at the mermaid and cooed as she let out another deep breath.

When Elsa finally managed to get back to her feet, she picked up her drenched gown and laid it out in the sand so that hopefully it could dry. She stepped out of her panties and placed them next to the gown as well. She waded out into the water again. She needed to bathe or at least bathe as well as she could without soap. She crouched down and cupped some water in her hands and poured it over herself. She wiped her skin down with her moist hands and did her best to clean up. She ran a finger in her mouth and rubbed at her teeth since she didn’t have a toothbrush on her.

When Elsa finished, she stood up, her body glistening amidst the soft, orange glow coming from the beautiful sunset and returned to the warm sand. Using her magic, Elsa extended her arms and willed ice to form around her body.

The ice took shape starting at her forearms and materializing over her shoulders. It went down her chest and over the soft curves of her breasts and down to her abdomen forming the bodice. As it flowed past her curvy hips the dress flared out slightly so as not to be quite as tight as her regal ice gown that she often wore back in Arendelle. This slightly new design gave her legs more room to spread and left her feeling more comfortable. The water left on her skin turned to tiny crystals and fell at her feet. She didn't bother with shoes of any kind as she quite enjoyed the sand between her toes.

When her magic had completely redesigned her in her new, elegant dress Elsa admired her work. The light blue dress shimmered in the dying, soft light of the fading sunset. The ice against her skin brought a comforting chill that made her feel a touch closer to home. Elsa turned her head out toward the western horizon and watched as the last bit of sunlight disappeared. She turned back toward Ariel, her heart fluttering at the memory of the fantasy she experienced with Ariel, and in the dark made her way to her friend.

# # #

Ariel

Ariel's eyes fluttered open to pure darkness. She lifted her arm from her eyes and stared up at the sky. The Moon was shining bright and the stars twinkled in its silvery glow. Ariel ran her fingers through the silky, white sand and turned her head to where Elsa had been before she had fallen asleep. Her blonde peasant wasn't there, though.

Ariel turned over onto her stomach with sand falling from her back, her hair, and her tail and she looked up and down the beach for Elsa. The beach appeared to be empty, though. "Elsa?" Ariel said. Not hearing a response, she shouted, "Elsa?"

Still, there was no reply. Ariel's pulse quickened. Where is she? Where has she gone? What happened to her? Ariel turned in the sand and positioned herself so she was facing where the boat had been. It was still in the sand which meant Elsa was still hopefully on the island.

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Ariel turned and peered out across the sea. The water was calm and silent. It shimmered in the silver moonlight and reflected the multiple stars hanging in the black sky. As the high tide gently washed up the beach leaving a trail of seafoam in its wake, Ariel peered across the beach and found Elsa's clothes. Her eyes widened and her tail trembled.

"Elsa!" Ariel shouted across the sea. Ariel dragged herself through the soft sand and headed straight for the sea. "Elsa, I'll save you!"

"Save me from what?" Elsa shouted from behind Ariel.

Ariel stopped and turned around. "Elsa?"

Further up the beach, the foliage rustled and out of the leafy grass came Ariel's beautiful, blonde friend. Her lips immediately curved upward as a blush prickled in her cheeks and her tail swayed back and forth. "I'm over here," Elsa shouted back at Ariel. "I'm getting fruit for us to eat. I was getting hungry and I didn't want to wake you."

Ariel sighed with relief. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She moved further up the sand, her tail slithering along the beach, until she met Elsa at the edge of the grass. “Don't scare me like that!”

Elsa chuckled. "What? I'm fine. I was just getting fruit." Elsa held up her arm showing off a red piece of fruit that Ariel didn't recognize.

"You had me worried. I thought something happened to you."

Elsa smirked at Ariel. "I'm sorry. It's just that you looked so peaceful on the sand; I couldn't bring myself to wake you up, at least not until after I had acquired some food for us to eat."

Ariel looked to Elsa's clothing on the beach and then cocked her head back at Elsa. "Are you nude? Your clothes are in the sand."

Elsa's body was hidden behind the tall grass. From Ariel's point of view, being on land and only having the length of her arms to lift her, she could only see so much. Without legs, Ariel only stood about three feet off the ground.

Elsa chuckled and plucked another red piece of fruit from a tree. "No, I'm wearing clothes. I took my other clothes off so I could bathe in the sea and rather than putting them back on, since they were dirty anyways, I decided to use my magic to make myself an ice dress."

"You can do that?" Ariel was in awe by the thought of magic being used in such diverse ways.

Elsa turned her head toward Ariel and chuckled. "I can do a lot with my magic. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I feel more comfortable with it." She plucked an orange piece of fruit from a tree and then made her way toward Ariel.

When Elsa stepped out of the grass and onto the sand, Ariel couldn't help much marvel at Elsa. Her new ice dress sparkled against the silver moonlight. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The dress drew her eyes to it and she couldn't look away.

Ariel eyeballed the dress from top to bottom. Everything about it was stunning. She noticed Elsa giggle and then take off toward the spot they had been resting at near the tree. "Are you coming?"

Ariel just stared at Elsa. How could you possibly get any prettier? I thought mermaids were supposed to be the most beautiful creatures in the world, yet your beauty is unfathomable.

"Ariel," Elsa giggled. "Are you coming or am I going to have to eat all of this fruit myself?"

Ariel, with her eyes still glued to the sparkling dress, dragged herself through the sand until she was sitting next to her blonde friend. She felt compelled to touch it, but she didn't want to ruin it. How sturdy was the ice? Would it fall apart if she touched it? She was hesitant, so she sat back and watched her friend mess with the fruit she had collected.

Sitting in the sand in front of Elsa was a basket made of ice. Elsa picked an orange piece of fruit from the basket.

Ariel studied it. “What is it?”

Elsa cocked her head at Ariel. “You were human for two years and you never had an orange?”

“Orange?” Ariel shook her head. “Is it called that because it’s orange?” Ariel reached into the basket and pulled a red piece of fruit from it. “Is this one called a red?”

Elsa chuckled. “That”—Elsa grabbed the apple from Ariel’s hand and replaced it with the orange—“is an apple.”

“But if this is called an orange”—she held out the orange in her hand—“and it’s orange, why isn’t the apple called a red?”

Elsa shrugged stifling a laugh. “That’s just the human name for it.”

"Humans are weird.”

"You're the one with the fish tail," Elsa said, flashing a sly grin at Ariel.

Ariel feigned a gasp. "It's better than legs!"

"Only in the water."

"Well, I seem to remember a certain young woman nearly drowning because she didn't have a tail."

Elsa narrowed her eyes and then grinned at Ariel. "Touché." Elsa nodded at the orange in Ariel’s hand. "You want to try it?"

Ariel's eyes returned to Elsa's glittering dress. I want to touch it. I want to feel it. Ariel squeezed her long, thin fingers around the firm fruit. She brought it to her mouth and took a big bite out of it, juices coating her lips and running down her chin. It was certainly different in taste from anything she was used to.

The hard, spongy covering of the fruit tasted awful to Ariel, yet the inside—the juicy, soft heart of the fruit—tasted sweet and sour. Ariel's lips puckered and her face contorted. She chewed through the covering of the fruit and spit it out, swallowing the juicy interior of the orange. Elsa covered her lips with her hand and giggled.

"Ack, what? That was disgusting yet delicious all at once. Why do humans eat such weird things? You know, that's what's great about fish and shrimp and other seafood. You know what you're getting when you pick it out of the water. I grab a fish and I expect delicious, cold, raw meat and that's what I get! When I look at this," Ariel said, holding out the orange, "I expect... Well, I don't know what to expect! But I certainly didn't expect to like it and hate it at the same time."

Elsa continued to giggle at Ariel's ranting. "Ariel, you're supposed to peel the orange, not eat the rind."

The sour, citrusy taste still lingered in Ariel's mouth. She scraped the roof of her tongue against her teeth. "Nothing in the ocean tastes anything like this!" she exclaimed as she held up the bitten-into fruit.

"I know," Elsa said. She placed the apple in her hand back in the basket and picked out another orange, digging the nail of her numb into the fruit and peeling back a bit of the rind. "Fruit is delicious and good for you."

Ariel watched as Elsa peeled her orange completely. She threw the rind into the sand and split the soft, juicy interior in half in her hands. Elsa handed one of the halves to Ariel. "Here, now try it."

Ariel stared at the orange she had bitten into. "What do you want me to do with this?"

Elsa sat her half of the peeled orange in her lap. "Hand it to me. I'll peel it for you."

Ariel eyed the fruit. "I can do it," she insisted. Elsa’s grin faltered. Ariel shifted slightly in the sand and rephrased her last remark.

"I mean, I can do it," she said, her tone softening. She offered a smile at Elsa.

"Thank you," Ariel said, offering Elsa a smile, eager to see Elsa’s own smile return to her lips. "Thank you for getting dinner." Elsa's eyes met hers and it worked; her grin returned.

Ariel dug her sharp nails into the rind and peeled away at the fruit. Unfortunately, her sharp nails dug into the soft interior, pulling away much of the meat of the fruit with the rind. When Ariel was done peeling the fruit there wasn't all that much left of the soft, edible insides. Ariel pursed her lips and slumped her shoulders at her abysmal work.

She looked toward Elsa when she heard giggling next to her. Elsa, with orange juice coating her lips and running down her chin, giggled at Ariel's handiwork. "You peeled too much of it.”

"I've never done this before," whined Ariel. She dropped the orange, or what was left of it, into the sand feeling completely useless. “I should have let you peel it for me.” She huffed. "I think I'm just going to go grab a fish." Her eyes wandered back to Elsa's glittering dress. A lump had taken shape in her throat and the need to touch the dress returned.

"Before you do, perhaps you'd like to try this? You may like it more?" Elsa handed Ariel the apple. "You don't have to peel it or anything. You can eat it all. Well, except for the core. Don't eat the core... or the stem."

Ariel took the piece of fruit. "You want me to eat this red?"

Elsa chuckled at Ariel. "It's an apple. Not all fruits are named after their colors. Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure only an orange is named after its color."

"Apple," said Ariel. She repeated the word a few more times. "So, this is good to eat as is?"

Elsa nodded. She quickly snatched the apple away from Ariel and wiped the sand from it and then handed it back. "There, now it's good to eat."

Ariel rolled the apple around in her hand, its shiny, red exterior reflecting the moonlight. She opened her mouth and took a big bite out of the apple. Unlike the orange, this piece of fruit was hard and not just on the outside, but on the inside, too. She chewed and as the sweet juices coated her tongue, Ariel found herself quite enjoying this… apple. She swallowed her bite and took another large bite from the apple.

In a few more bites she had the apple eaten down to its core. Flecks of red peeling lined Ariel's lips and chin and when she was finished, she tossed the core behind her. Rubbing her belly, she grinned with wide eyes, "Now that was good!"

Elsa handed Ariel another apple. "Here, have another."

Ariel gently took the apple from Elsa's hand this time and bit into it. Elsa peeled another orange and together they enjoyed their fruity dinner on the beach under the glow of the soft moonlight.

# # #

When they had both finished eating, they had lay together in the sand listening to the crickets chirp beyond the sandy beach, enjoying a light breeze coming in from the sea, and gazing up at the stars in all of their beauty.

"What do stars mean to humans?" asked Ariel, after a long, comfortable silence between the two young women.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know what they mean to me, to merfolk. They're the deceased merfolk watching down on their friends and family from the Great Sea Above. Do they mean anything to humans? I would imagine they can't mean the same thing to you as they do to me since humans aren't even supposed to know mermaids exist."

"I know you exist."

Ariel turned her head so she could see Elsa, who was gazing at her. Ariel’s cheeks warmed.

"You're an exception. The rest of the human world doesn't know we exist." Ariel rolled onto her belly, crossing her forearms and arching her back. Gazing down at Elsa, she peered into her beautiful icy blue eyes. Ariel’s eyes traced over Elsa's delicate nose before lingering on her lips. She hadn't felt a pair of lips against her own since Eric, and now, as she lingered on Elsa's, she craved that feeling once more. Elsa's soft voice gently brought her out of her reverie.

"Stars are just... a way of navigation, I guess?" Ariel focused in on Elsa's words and not on her lips or her dress, which she still wanted to touch. "Humans look to the stars to find their way home. We look to the stars to find hope. They shine brightly up there reminding us that maybe there's more to life than just what we have here."

"Oh.” Outside of merfolk culture, it seemed that stars truly were nothing more than tiny balls of light trapped up in the sky, only permitted to come out when the Sun disappears into the Underworld. "So, stars don't mean anything to humans other than a way of navigation? You don't even see other humans up there in the way that we see merfolk?"

"How could I?" Ariel met Elsa’s eyes again. The moonlight sparkled across her icy blue irises. “All of those stars up there in the Great Sea Above are merfolk looking down on us.”

Ariel couldn't resist a smile. Was Elsa's answer corny? Perhaps. But hearing Elsa profess her belief in the merfolks’ legend of the stars meant everything to Ariel.

"I believe," whispered Elsa.

Ariel's neck burned and her face prickled with heat. Her heart fluttered. Her tail squirmed in the sand.

"You do?" Ariel murmured.

Elsa averted her eyes to the sky, just beyond Ariel’s face. "A gorgeous, red-haired, little mermaid once told me that every star in the sky is a merfolk staring down on us, watching us from the Great Sea Above. She told me that every year the souls of the deceased gather at Corona and float off together so none of them have to be alone when they meet for the great journey.” Elsa’s eyes settled back on Ariel’s “That's a far more beautiful story than anything I’ve ever heard about the stars. How could I not want to believe in such a thing?"

Ariel clenched her eyes shut, a single tear making its way down her nose. "You're the reason my father is wrong about humans," she whispered. Ariel opened her eyes and though Elsa was now a blurry mess, she sensed her gaze locking onto Elsa’s. "It's humans like you who should want to make us come to the surface and explore life above the sea. It's the beauty in your heart to be open to such beliefs that don't even reflect your own customs that should make us want to come to the surface. You make me happy to have met you."

"You make me happy, too," Elsa said softly. She reached up with her hand and wiped the single tear from Ariel’s nose.

Ariel turned over and laid with Elsa in the sand for several minutes, quietly, just staring up at the sky as the gentle waves of the high tide came up the beach and the chirping crickets played in the background. Ariel traced her fingers in the sand between herself and Elsa. She slowly traced her way to Elsa's knee and when her finger grazed the cold, glossy dress, Ariel craned her neck to peer at Elsa.

"Can... Can I touch it?" Ariel breathed.

Elsa curled her leg, her knee moving ever-so-carefully toward Ariel’s hand and she nodded.

Ariel traced her finger slowly up the curve of Elsa's knee. The slick, icy coldness of her dress sent chills down Ariel's spine. Never had she felt something so wonderful much less on a human. As her finger curved around the bend of Elsa's knee, her palm came down slowly, covering the body part. Though Ariel’s neck was beginning to ache being angled in its current position, she didn’t want to move and she didn’t want to lose eye contact with Elsa.

With her hand lying fully on Elsa's knee, she slowly began to rub her hand up Elsa's leg. The slick, cold dress remained still, yet underneath Ariel could feel the muscles in Elsa’s thigh twitching. Her hand slowly caressed its way up Elsa’s thigh, eliciting a gasp from her blonde friend.

Ariel noticed weird things happening to her own body. Things that hadn’t happened to her since she was with Eric. Her nipples stiffened under her bra and just below her waist, hiding beneath a layer of scales where her reproductive organs were located, her core roiled with heat. Oftentimes something like this only happened when she was doing something she enjoyed or something that felt good. And right now, caressing Elsa's thigh felt good to her. It felt really good.

Elsa's entire face flushed as did her neck and the upper part of her exposed chest. As Ariel's fingers traveled up her thigh and neared the apex, Ariel stopped. Elsa's eyes were now closed and her breathing labored. Her lips quivered and as she spoke, Ariel noticed the quavering of her voice.

"What's wrong?"

Ariel slowly pulled her hand away from Elsa's thigh. Her own voice was ragged. "Your dress… it feels wonderful.”

Elsa opened her eyes, her chest heaving. "Why did you stop?"

Because I’m falling for you. Ariel lied, "I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

Elsa was still recovering. Her body quivered in the sand. "I-I could eat, I-I guess?"

Ariel smiled. She sat up and stared down at her gorgeous, blonde friend. "I like the apples, but they didn't do much to settle my hunger. I'm going to go and grab us some fish. Is that okay with you?"

Elsa managed to sit up. Ariel could see that she was still quivering a bit. Sand fell from her arms and her hair and in the moonlight, she looked like a queen, a goddess. Ariel's nipples were still erect under her bra.

"Uh, yeah," Elsa said, shaking her head.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Ariel dragged herself toward the sea.

Elsa got up and began walking away from the spot they had claimed as their own under the tree. Ariel turned around before disappearing into the water. "Where you going?"

"I'm going to get some sticks," replied Elsa, her voice still a bit shaky.

"Why?"

"If we're eating fish, I want to make a fire. I know you eat fish raw, but I'd like to have mine cooked for a change."

Ariel slithered her way into the sea.

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About ten fathoms out from the coast of the island the sea was still and quiet. Ariel floated on the surface on her back with her hands tucked up under her head and her hair splayed out all around her like an octopus with its tentacles spread out in all directions. She stared up at the stars with a pleasant grin spread across her lips as she basked in the glow of the moonlight, her green tail glistening and sparkling just like the stars of her ancestors above.

"As you've probably seen, I rescued someone," Ariel murmured. "Her ship was caught in Poseidon's rage and it sank like all ships do when facing the wrath of the gods. I tried saving everyone I could, but the water was too much for them and then there were sharks. I managed to save one person, though.

"Mother, I saved a woman. I thought she was a man and I thought maybe I could find my new prince, but he turned out to be no prince. He was a woman, but a wonderful woman. Don't let me underestimate Elsa. Oh, and that's her name: Elsa. She's beautiful and funny and charming and just a wonderful person to be around. I really like her, Mother." Ariel pursed her lips as a blush enveloped her cheeks. "In fact, I really, really like her!” Ariel’s slit pulsed as she thought about Elsa again and how good her thigh felt against her hand.

"I know Father would never allow me to be with her. He would tell me that all humans are the same, that all humans are like Eric. But Mother, Eric wasn't always a bad man. He was loving and protective when we met and when we were first married. He was humble and courteous and accepting of all of my flaws as a human. I know it didn't last, but I can't see Elsa being the same way."

Ariel sighed. "Mother, I wish you were here. I wish you were here to tell Father that being at the surface isn't bad. I wish you were here so I could talk to you about my feelings about Elsa. I wish you were here so I could hug you again and feel you in my arms and lay my head on your chest and just listen to your soft heart beating."

Ariel sighed deeply and continued to drift atop the water for several minutes, silently gazing up at the twinkling stars.

"Ariel." The voice drifted across the sea, wrapping around her like a tender embrace. Ariel's heart fluttered, warmth flooding her cheeks as a smile graced her lips.

Ariel sat up in the water, her tail disappearing beneath the surface and her head poking above it. "I'm out here still!”

"I got the sticks for the fire," Elsa said.

"I'll get the fish. I was just admiring the sky."

Elsa lifted her head. "It is beautiful. If I wave, do you think your mother will see me?"

Ariel's shoulders rose, drawing near her ears, as a blush, warmer than the sun's caress, filled her cheeks. She loved hearing Elsa speak about her mother. It brought a sense of solace to her, since she knew Elsa would never get the pleasure of actually meeting her. "She may," Ariel replied.

Ariel watched as Elsa waved to the stars. "Hi, Athena. I just want you to know that your daughter is really wonderful. If I have to be stuck out at sea with someone, I'm glad that it's her."

Ariel covered her face with her wet hands. The cool seawater did little to relieve her burning cheeks, but then again, neither did her grin alleviate the heat. "Elsa," Ariel giggled, cheeks flushed, "stop it. You're embarrassing me!"

"Oh, and I forgot to mention that your daughter is gorgeous!" Elsa shouted to the stars.

"Oh, my gods, Elsa! That's it, I'm—ugh!—"

Elsa giggled and fell on her rear in the sand. "I just thought I'd tell her the truth!”

"You're so embarrassing!"

Elsa flashed Ariel a wide, toothy smile and a wink to accompany it.

As Ariel submerged, she lifted her head to the stars once more. "She really is wonderful, Mother. I love you." And with that Ariel completely submerged herself under the sea and began her hunt for a second dinner.