Chapter 2:

Life Under the Sea

Ariel

"Ariel! Ariel! The King wants to see you!"

Ariel threw her hands up, her palms gracing the soft inside of the giant clamshell in which she lay. She used her might to thrust upward and the clamshell opened. Bubbles poured out of the clamshell and rose toward the surface of the sea fathoms above her.

Ariel arose from her clamshell bed which was layered with seaweed, sponges, and the soft insides of the clam itself. Her body hovered gently in the still seawater. Her breasts were bare and her nipples stood sticking straight out. Her bright, red hair floated around her head as if each strand of hair were alive. She stretched her arms high above her head and bent her back slightly sticking her breasts out. Her tail swayed back and forth twirling water all around her body, kicking up dirt, mollusks, and shrimp from the seafloor. Ariel plucked a shrimp from the twirling water and bit into it. She chewed and savored the taste of the crunchy delight.

"Ariel!"

Sebastian swam through the dark, still waters. He approached Ariel's bedchamber and came to a stop upon feeling the currents coming from Ariel's room. He watched as she twirled around kicking up debris from the seafloor. Her hair twirled about her head and chest. Her tail flapped around and as she twirled faster and faster a small cyclone of water enveloped her. Ariel darted out from the twirling water and kicked her tail up and down heading straight for Sebastian.

Sebastian's eyes widened. "Ariel...!"

Ariel swept up her father's servant in her arms and spun around until she was floating on her back in the dark depths of the sea. She giggled. "Sebastian, did you see the stars floating in the sky last night? They were beautiful! They were unlike any stars I have ever seen before. They were unlike anything I had previously witnessed living under Eric's ruling." She shuddered at the thought of being with Eric. She perked up again thinking of the floating stars. "They sparkled and gleamed in the air! And, the people..." Ariel gasped. "Did you see the festivities? Everyone was so happy!" She sighed. "It makes me almost miss being human..."

"Ariel, that's what I'm here for. Your father wants to speak with you."

Ariel shifted her eyes. "Oh, Sebastian, you didn't tell my father that I went to the surface, did you?"

"I didn't," Sebastian said, shaking his head. "But nonetheless, he knows."

A lump grew in Ariel’s throat. It had been just over seven years since that fateful day that she had rescued Prince Eric from his destroyed ship; seven years since King Triton had warned his daughter about going to the surface and communing with the humans; seven years since Ariel had accepted a curse from her aunt Ursula that made her human—just as she had desired—damning her to the unfortunate life of being stuck on land with legs. And, now being a mermaid again—having the curse broken—she was with fishtail once more.

Ariel cast her ocean-blue eyes to the seafloor. "I just wanted to see the stars," she murmured.

Sebastian struggled against Ariel's arms and large breasts. He managed to slide out from her grasp and wound up in a plethora of red hair. He fought his way out of the floating hair and turned to his servant's daughter. "Come, Ariel. The King will see you now."

Ariel looked down at her exposed breasts. They had certainly developed and become fuller since that fateful night seven years ago when she had rescued the Prince of Flowerhaven. Though mermaids often lived in the nude, the King of Atlantica, Ruler of the Sea, made it a rule that all mermaids must keep their chests covered when in his presence. She never understood the rule since mermen were allowed to go without covering their chests, but the King was Father and she did what she was told even at the age of twenty-two... at least, most of the time.

Living under the dark depths of the sea had its perks, though, when it came to being a mermaid. Ariel flapped her tail and thrust herself back to her room. Even with minimal light she could still see things clearly. Her eyes were special and allowed her to see in the dark, though all of the colors were warped by her dark-sea vision. Everything that wasn't touched by the light of the surface world appeared in a shade of green to Ariel, but she didn't mind since it enabled her to see in the dark. It made hunting easier as fish and other sea life that lacked dark-sea vision was at a disadvantage. They were less likely to escape her when she found hunger growling from her stomach.

Ariel made her way to her bedchamber. She darted through the water, her hair flowing behind her and her tail whipping through the currents. She stopped just beside her giant clamshell bed and lowered herself to the sea floor. The fin at the base of her tail brushed along the seabed and kicked up dirt and shrimp and mollusks. She reached behind her plucking another shrimp from the stirred-up water. She bit into the crustacean and chewed with her sharp teeth. As she swallowed her food, she lifted the top of the chest that lay beside her bed. A giant bubble followed by a plethora of tiny bubbles emerged from the container and floated away.

Inside the chest were countless items Ariel had gathered over the years. She reached inside and pulled out her blue, seashell bra. She didn't like wearing it much anymore because her breasts had become too large for it and it was now uncomfortable. She did her best to squeeze her breasts in the shells. She wrapped the thin seaweed holding the shells in place around her back and tied it. Her breasts ached being confined in shells that were way too small for her bust, but she managed the pain. She would soon be able to free them once she was finished with Father's meeting—whatever it was he wanted to talk to her about, though Ariel had her suspicions that it may entail her visit to the surface the night before.

Ariel looked back in the chest and saw the gift Scuttle had given her years ago. She reached in and pulled out the item. Her dinglehopper. She ran her hands through her long, wavy hair and gathered it all over her left shoulder. She held the handle of the dinglehopper in her right hand and began stroking it through her soft, flowing locks. She smiled at herself and cooed each time it went through her hair. When she finished, she set it back in the chest.

Hidden in the chest at the very bottom was a faded brown, leather pouch. Mother had given it to her as a child. It was one of the last things she still owned that was given to her by her mother. She always kept it hidden away in her chest for fear that her sisters may try and steal it. It was worn and water damaged and the name that was once written across it had become barely visible. Ariel reached in and grabbed the leather pouch.

She opened it and stuck her hand in the pouch. She pulled out several clamshells that were tied together by a thin strand of seaweed and a small starfish that had long since perished. Ariel tied the seaweed in her hair letting the decorative clamshells sit atop her head like a makeshift hair band which kept her bangs out of her eyes. She attached the starfish to her hair behind her left ear. She closed the pouch and tucked it away in her chest and then closed it.

She whipped around stirring water all around her. Her wavy hair traveled slowly through the water and brushed along her scaly chest floating behind her. She kicked her tail up and down and extended her arms out in front of her. She dashed forward creating her own current behind her, kicking up more shrimp and mollusks from the seafloor, and made her way to Father's palace.

# # #

As Ariel flapped her tail through the calm, serene water, the spire sitting atop Father's palace gleamed golden with the sunlight from the surface. The golden glow cascaded down into the depths slowly fading into oblivion as the bottom of the palace sat in complete darkness. For Ariel though, the palace floor shimmered in a green glow. She kept dashing forward, kicking her tail and flaring her gills that rested on either side of her neck as she exerted energy moving through the water.

She darted through several pillars leading up to the main entrance of the palace. Seaweed coiled around the base of the pillar and sea slugs, octopi, and other various sea creatures rested upon the pillars. Ariel glided into the dark, lively palace, her spirits lifting as the familiar melodies of the merfolk cascaded through the sea. The songs she had cherished and sung throughout her childhood resonated deeply, bringing a smile to her face. Mermaids and mermen sang jolly tunes, and Ariel twirled gracefully among them, swaying her hips in time with the music.

King Triton's palace in the deep, dark blue

Welcome to all merfolk like me and you

Here in the sea where his kingdom lies

He's our Ruler; he's valiant, brave, and wise

As Ariel shifted through the merfolk to Father's throne room she hummed along with the song. As she ascended, the palace brightened, the green fading into a golden light radiating from Father's throne room, which lay at the end of a wide hallway crafted from ancient shipwrecks. Ariel darted through the empty hallway and was met by the blinding golden light emitting from the surface of the water and jutting down into Father's throne room. Ariel rubbed her eyes allowing them to readjust to the brightness of the room.

King Triton sat on his throne, which was crafted from a large, broken, fossilized seashell. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared down at his youngest daughter—his eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared, his lips straight, and his brows knitted together. Ariel's smile faded as she examined Father's disappointment. Sebastian swam over to Ariel.

"The King," he introduced, extending a pincer out to her father.

Ariel moved forward slightly and curled her tail up behind her. It was a nervous habit of hers that she did whenever she knew Father was disappointed or upset with her. She wrapped her arms around her chest and lowered her head stealing quick glances of Father as she darted her eyes up at him and then back to the golden floor of the throne room. She pursed her lips.

King Triton spoke. "Ariel…" His voice was deep, stern, and calm. Ariel winced at his voice. The King spoke her name again. "Ariel." This time Ariel lifted her head, her eyes settling upon her father. She didn't say a word. She couldn't. Her voice had betrayed her. It was as if she had traded it again, except instead of getting human legs out of the trade, she was gifted with Father's disappointment.

"Ariel, do you know why I've summoned you here?"

Ariel knew, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.

King Triton continued, "Attina told me she saw you go to the surface last night."

Ariel's eyes widened. Attina...

"Why did you go to the surface when I specifically forbade you from going up there ever again?"

Ariel's jaw trembled; her bottom lip quivered. Her heart thumped against her rib cage. She spoke, but her voice was soft, low. “I—I wanted to see the stars..."

"What was that?" the King said loudly, the water stirring around him.

Ariel's tail continued to curl up the length of her back. She was twenty-two and Father still ruled over her life. Then again, he was the King of Atlantica, Ruler of the Sea. The entire world beneath the surface was his domain. Ariel had no choice but to obey Father.

"I wanted to see the floating stars," she repeated, this time speaking a bit louder.

"I need you to speak up." His voice cut through her like jagged rocks found deep in the chasms of the dark depths of the ocean's caves.

"I wanted to see the stars floating above the surface!" shouted Ariel. Realizing her sudden outburst, she sank closer to the surface of the throne room. Her arms tightened around her chest, her chin burrowing between the swell of her breasts.

"And that is why you are here, Ariel," Father murmured. Now who needs to speak up? As if Father could read her mind, his voice boomed. "How many times have I told you to never go to the surface?"

Ariel winced.

"How many times have I warned you about the humans living on land and what they'll do to us? Do you remember your mother, Ariel?" He waited for her to show some sort of reaction or emotion. Ariel didn't move. Her nails dug into her arms. "Well, do you?"

"Yes!" Ariel screamed. She rose to meet her father. Water twirled all around her, her red hair floating freely away from her body. "I remember Mother!" she shouted. "I remember she used to take us—all of us!—to the surface so we could play and enjoy the sights and sounds of life above the sea. She wasn't scared, Daddy! She was fearless and she was smart and funny and she had the most melodic and wonderful voice any one—human or merfolk—could ask for!" Ariel's jaw still trembled. Tears seeped from her eyes and mixed with the seawater. "I loved Mom and she would have told us to explore the surface, because she knew that not all people are like the pirates"—she clenched her teeth, growling the word—"that killed her!" Ariel's voice quavered. "I explore the surface for Mother. I explore the surface because she would have wanted me to. I explore the surface because I like gazing at the stars and imagining she's looking down on me and smiling."

As a child, Ariel's mother had always told her that to be a mermaid or a merman meant to live eternally among the stars, even though they lived under the sea. She had told Ariel that when merfolk passed away, they were turned to seafoam so that their bodies could return to the sea, but that their spirits—their essence—lived on forever among the stars. Ariel took that to heart and when her mother was killed, she felt lost, abandoned. She loved her father and her sisters, but she loved her mother most of all. To see the stars was to see her mother's beautiful smile once more.

Ariel straightened her back and her tail and locked eyes with Father.

"Your mother was a brave mermaid," the King said softly. "Perhaps even the bravest mermaid I had or even will ever know, but she lost her life exploring the surface. I don't want that for you, Ariel. I don't want to see you die."

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Ariel's voice quavered. "How can you still control my life?" She floated in the water whipping her tail back and forth, stirring up water all around her. "How long must you keep me trapped here like a prisoner?"

King Triton rose from his seashell-crafted throne. He gripped his trident and furrowed his brow. His peach skin flushed red, the crimson rising from his chest to his neck and settling in his face. He shouted, "Do you remember what happened with your prince? Do you remember the torment he put you through? Do you remember what happened to Flounder—your best friend?"

Ariel's bottom lip quivered again. She felt a sharp pain pierce her heart, as if Father had stabbed her with his trident. Ariel sank to the surface of the throne room floor. Her tail collapsed beneath her. She straightened her arms keeping herself propped up, but they quivered and gave out beneath her. Her turquoise tail curled around her being and she sobbed.

Images of Flounder filled her mind which only had her crying harder. Her voice projected throughout the throne room bouncing off walls and stirring up water. Ariel lay at the floor of the throne room cascaded in the golden light that permeated Father's throne room from the Sun far above the surface.

King Triton sighed upon seeing his youngest daughter hurt and broken. He softened his eyes and dropped his shoulders. He swam down to his daughter. "Ariel, I'm—"

Ariel shot up, snarling at Father. "No! You're wrong! I do belong on the surface and I don't belong here!" Ariel whipped her tail up and down and jetted through the water as quickly as possible. As water passed through her mouth and nose, she absorbed as much oxygen as she could, ejecting the used water through the gills on her neck. She swam as hard as she could as she went through the palace. As she winded through a corridor she stopped. Floating before her was her traitorous sister, Attina. Attina's shoulders slumped. Her head hung low and she crossed her arms over her chest. Ariel narrowed her eyes and scowled at the auburn-haired, orange-finned mermaid. She darted past her not saying a word.

Ariel continued on through the palace and back into the darkness where the other merfolk were still singing of praise about her father. She gritted her teeth, furrowed her brow, and flared her nostrils as she left Father's palace and disappeared into the darkness of the sea.

# # #

Ariel rifled through her chest. She picked up her dinglehopper and tucked it under her hair band and reached back into the chest. She pulled out her leather pouch and a few pieces of seaweed that had grown through the cracked bottom of the chest. I can't believe Attina would rat me out! As if she's so innocent! Ariel sat at the edge of her giant clamshell bed and tied the ends together. I saw her with Andrina last night! I didn't rat her out! Oh, but maybe I should now! She threaded the seaweed through a small loop coming from the leather pouch and tied the other ends together. She placed the seaweed around her shoulder and let the leather pouch hang from her person like a satchel. She calmed. That wouldn't be fair to Andrina, though...

Before Ariel could swim away from her bedchamber, Sebastian called out to her. "Ariel!"

Ariel turned her head, her hair billowing through the water's slow, majestic dance. Hearing Sebastian's voice, her anger returned. "I'm not going back, Sebastian. Tell my father I'm done living under his dominion. I want a life of my own. I will prove to him that mermaids can live on the surface."

Sebastian gasped. "Ariel, you mustn't!"

"I'm tired of being treated like a child, Sebastian. Eric was one person. They're not all as bad as he was. There were others in Flowerhaven who were nice and beautiful and caring. Not all humans are terrible. There's someone out there for me, Sebastian, and he's caring and loyal and wise and—"

“Human.”

Ariel’s eyes fell upon Sebastian. His claws fell to his sides as he stared back at Ariel, his expression sullen. Ariel averted her gaze, staring off into the dark abyss. She hung her head low. “There is someone out there for me...”

"Ariel, why can't you just find a nice, young merman to wed and let your father be happy?"

"Because I'm tired of doing everything he wants me to do. This is my life, Sebastian. He doesn't get to control it. Mother would want me to be happy and right now and I'm not happy. Look, I'm grateful to have been rescued from Flowerhaven, I truly am, but ever since I was rescued, Father has done everything in his power to make sure I never go back to the surface."

"Your father loves you very much, Ariel. That's why he did what he did to save you. He gave you this place away from the palace so you could enjoy your freedom."

“This isn't freedom, Sebastian.” Ariel thrust her arms out and twirled. “So I'm no longer living in the palace; he still monitors me daily. I want my freedom on the surface.” She gently grabbed Sebastian and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

Sebastian squirmed in Ariel's embrace. His voice was muffled. "Where will you go?"

Ariel let loose of her father's servant. "I don't know." She looked to the surface far above her. "I just want to be up there. I want to prove that I can take care of myself. I want to feel love again. I want to feel the way I felt about Eric when I first laid eyes on him. I want to find my prince."

Sebastian settled to the surface of Ariel's bed. "What do I tell the King?" Sebastian’s eyes settled on his pincers.

"Tell him I swam away," Ariel's eyes dropped to the seafloor. "Tell him I need to make a life of my own."

Before Ariel could second guess herself, she thrust herself up off of her bed. She floated in the water, turning to her father's servant—her friend. She lifted her hand, curling her fingers at Sebastian. The crab waved a pincer back at the princess. She turned and swam away; disappearing into the cold, still darkness.

"I'll miss you, too," Sebastian muttered, his voice fading into the void that was the abyss.

# # #

Ariel swam through the dark depths feeling the water against her skin and scales. Her hair glided behind her and her tail whipped up and down, thrusting her through the salty seawater. She swam with haste for fear that Father may try and stop her should she slow down. Images of everything she'd be leaving behind settled in her mind and she noticed her bottom lip trembling. She didn't like the thought of leaving behind her sisters, Father, Sebastian... her family, her home. She wanted to be free, though, and the only way to be free was to live her life away from the merman who kept her trapped like a prisoner.

She twirled through the water and did her best to cheer herself up. She forced her pout into a smile, though her trembling bottom lip cut through the facade. Happier thoughts were needed. Scuttle came to mind which elicited a giggle from Ariel. She thought about what he might say at her good news and how he was always lively and energetic with his expressions. Ariel continued giggling.

Oh, Scuttle...! He'll be so happy to see me! We haven't seen each other in ages it seems! Her eyes softened and her pout returned. I just wish Flounder could be here with me... Ariel lingered on the thought for a moment before shaking her head. No! Flounder was careful and protective and cautious, but he would have wanted me to be happy.

Ariel whipped her tail and headed for the glowing surface.

This is for Flounder.

She beat her tail harder and faster in the water, propelling herself closer and closer to the shimmering surface. The green dark-sea vision faded as the Sun’s radiate glow beamed across the nearing surface.

This is for Mother.

Ariel smiled and inhaled a deep breath of water, allowing her gills to do their magic. She extended her arms far in front of her and broke through the surface of the water. Her body sailed through the warm, cool air and the Sun's golden light beat down on her glistening skin and scales. She sparkled like the stars in the blackest parts of the sky.

"This is for me!" Her voice rang out across the surface of the sea.

She broke through the surface of the water heading back into the sea. She curved her tail and beat it downward with phenomenal strength and ejected herself upward and out of the water yet again. Beads of water flew through the air and off of her hair and her tail as she dived under water yet again. She giggled and smiled widely feeling the warm rays of the Sun beat down on her back and tail.

She flipped over onto her back and floated on the surface of the water. She inhaled a deep breath from the still, cool air above the surface and watched as her chest rose with each breath and then collapsed with each exhale. It only then occurred to her that her breasts still ached. They were still confined in her undersized bra. She reached behind her back and undid the seaweed that kept them covering her breasts. She tossed the bra off into the sea and it sank into the deep, dark void. Her breasts were as free as she was. She lay on the surface enjoying the warm glow from the Sun.

It didn't last too long, though. Ariel picked up on the currents in the water. They were coming directly at her and she opened her eyes. She whipped her tail beneath her and floated in the water, keeping only her head and arms above the surface. A large, wooden vessel tore through the calm waters of the sea. Ariel dived and watched as the vessel sailed above her. She marveled at it, having only ever seen Eric's ship from underneath. She beat her tail and chased after it.

A ship! If there's a ship that means there are people on board. If there are people on board then that means my prince could be up there! Ariel's eyes widened and her mouth stretched open. Her mouth slowly closed and her eyes narrowed. I have to be cautious, though. I don't want to have to have Father come to my rescue again. He'll never let me leave his side ever again.

Ariel watched as the ship cut through the water and traveled away from her. It can't hurt to follow it, though. Ariel's destitute look gave way to a guile grin. After all, where ships go people are sure to be. Ariel beat her tail in the water and took off after the ship, trailing behind it a good ways away.

The ship slowed momentum as the Sun disappeared beneath the horizon and into the underworld. As darkness enveloped the sky and sea, Ariel relied on her dark-sea vision to keep her floating with the ship. She looked up through the surface of the water and saw large, white sails drawn and capturing the cool, breezy air. Ariel poked her head out of the water and stuck her tongue in the air. She could sense a storm was coming and she noticed the ship was heading directly toward it.

# # #

Ariel's leather pouch whipped against her hip as the water picked up momentum all around her. The cool, breezy air above the surface had become violent and lightning flashed and danced through the dark sky. A loud boom echoed through the air and ruptured through the surface of the water, causing Ariel to cover her ears. The pattering sound of rain hitting the sea’s surface made Ariel look up. The sky flashed again and another loud boom followed.

The sea had come alive with the storm. Water retracted from the ship and then curled upon itself crashing into the wooden vessel. The ship rocked back and forth and the violent wind ripped through its many sails. The ship was having a hard time staying flat on the surface as the water and wind bullied it without mercy.

Ariel pierced the surface. The screams of men aboard the vessel caught her ears even more so than the thunder. Everything was cast in a green hue except for when the lightning lit up the sky and her surroundings. The screams of the men aboard the ship faded as the sea grew more violent. The sound of the surface breaking as if dolphins or other merfolk were jumping from the sea and diving back into the water caught Ariel’s attention. That's when she realized what was happening.

The sea is devouring them!

Ariel dove underwater and searched for the men. She noticed several of them kicking their feet trying their best to stay above the surface. She knew enough about humans—having previously been one herself—to know that they couldn't breathe underwater. Ariel quickly took off after the men in an attempt to rescue them. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to save all of them as there seemed to be more than just a few floating in the water the closer she got to the ship.

Out of the darkness, beneath her, something caught her eye. She looked and what she feared most in the vast sea had come to reign terror upon the helpless men floating in the violent water.

Sharks came from the dark depths and swam to the surface with malicious intent. They began plucking men from the surface and dragging them through the dark water, clouds of blood spewing in their wake. Ariel beat her tail harder doing her best to try and save the other men. One by one each man was plucked away from the surface in a cloud of crimson and drowning screams.

Ariel darted through the water avoiding the clouds of blood. The surface of the water broke as another man fell through the water screaming. Ariel managed to grab hold of him around his chest and he shrieked, but the water distorted his voice. Together, Ariel and the man broke through the surface and he took in a deep breath of air.

"My Queen! Your Majesty!"

Ariel shook her head in confusion. "I'm not a queen," she said. "I got you, though. I'll save yo—"

"The water!"

The man trembled beside Ariel, his arm quivering as it clutched her half-skin, half-scale body. She felt his heart pounding desperately, as if it were trying to escape his chest. Too petrified to comprehend that his savior wasn’t entirely human, his other arm hovered unsteadily over her right shoulder, trembling as well.

Ariel turned her head to see a monstrous wave roaring toward the ship from which the man had fallen. Lightning flashed across the black canvas that was the night sky illuminating the wave. Ariel had seen many waves like this before and each time they were aimed at a ship, the ship never survived.

"Big breath," Ariel shouted.

The man took in a deep breath and Ariel submerged with him gripped to her. She flapped her tail hard doing her best to escape the sea's torment. She surfaced on the other side of the ship. The man wiped his eyes and in horror he yelled, "Your Majesty!" as the wave moved closer and closer to the ship.

The man shrieked again. He was yanked from Ariel's grasp and dragged underwater. A cloud of crimson bloomed out all around Ariel's body and she gasped in terror. She moved out of the way of the blood and dived underwater again chasing after the man. Blood spewed from the shark's mouth. It let go of his body. He floated limp and lifeless in the sea.

There was nothing more Ariel could do for him. She hovered in the water and watched in terror at the carnage all around her. The green sea had become red with death.

The water moved about frantically with the sea's wrath. She watched as the large wave barreled into the side of the wooden vessel. She listened and watched as wood cracked and the sails along with the mainmast came tumbling down. The large, thick pole crashed into the surface of the ship and then penetrated the surface of the raging sea, sinking quickly.

The ship went quiet as no one was left aboard it to scream and cry out for their life. Ariel watched as the pole sunk deeper and deeper into the abyss and that's when she noticed it. There was something under the sail, trapped, struggling to get free.

Ariel's eyes widened and she dived to the sinking pole. She struggled at ripping the flax sail, but it wouldn't give. Ariel maneuvered her way around the white flax material and found a gap that gave her an entrance. She wriggled her way through when two pieces of ice floated out. She furrowed her brow and continued inside the twisted sail. Someone struggled inside and Ariel couldn't quite reach them. She wriggled her scaly tail through the flax material and managed to untwist the sail and just as she did the body of the person struggling went limp.

Ariel didn't give up, though.

She wrapped an arm around the thin frame and beat her tail in the crashing waters. She made her way to the surface avoiding debris that had fallen from the broken ship. She burst through the surface and lifted the anonymous person's head above the sloshing water. She quickly looked around for something in which to place her survivor. In the distance was something floating. She narrowed her eyes and then they shot open at the realization of what she was seeing.

A boat!

She kept her arm clenched around her survivor and swam through the currents. The storm was dying down and the winds were becoming less harsh. The water was becoming easier to travel. She made quick progress to the tiny, wooden boat and when she reached it, she extended her free arm out and grabbed the side of it. She lifted herself partway out of the water and tossed her survivor into the boat. The survivor rolled to the center of the boat and Ariel let go, falling back into the water. She turned around, her back straight and her chest puffed out.

I did it. I saved someone. I saved them from the water and I saved them from the sharks!

Ariel huffed, took in considerable amounts of water, sucking the oxygen out with her gills. Her tail lay still as she yawned. She wanted to sleep, but she knew she had to get away from the wreckage of the ship and the sharks that lay somewhere out there.

Ariel lifted her arms above her head and placed her palms against the bottom of the boat. She beat her tail, but then stopped. Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see a pointy, gray snout bearing sharp, jagged teeth beneath it. She froze. A shark lay still in the water a couple fathoms from her.

Ariel's heart pounded in her chest. Her hands quivered. She took her chance. She beat her tail as hard and as fast as she could while keeping her palms pressed to the underbelly of the boat. The shark took off after her.

Swimming while pushing a boat was something she had never done before. It was exhausting and her arms and her tail grew tired quickly. The shark was relentless though. It kept after the mermaid.

It chomped its jaws as it grew closer and closer to Ariel's turquoise tail. When she noticed the water pulsing from the shark behind her, she let loose of the boat and let it sail through the water. She spiraled through the water and the shark went over her. She grabbed it from underneath and beat her tail into it.

"Leave us alone!" Ariel shouted, whipping her tail against the belly of the shark.

The shark stopped and twisted about in the water, causing Ariel to lose grip. It opened its jaws and attempted to take a bite out of Ariel. She reached in her hair and pulled her dinglehopper free from her makeshift hairband. As the shark lunged at her she thrust the prongs of the dinglehopper into the shark's eye. The large carnivorous behemoth twisted and cried out in pain as blood spewed from its ruptured eye. Ariel darted off into the sea toward the boat. She lifted her hands and pushed it through the water far from the shark.

As the Sun began to rise from the underworld and cast its light far into the canvas of the sky and across the calm sea, Ariel found herself too weak to push on any further. She slowed the boat until it came to a stop. She wanted to take a look at her survivor, but she was too tired and too weak to lift herself to see over the side of the boat. Her eyes fluttered. Sleep was soon to consume her. She took in a deep breath and curled up beneath the boat. She floated in the water and before she let sleep whisk her away, she looked around one last time to make sure she and her survivor were safe. The water was calm and all was quiet. She smiled.

I saved someone. I saved my prince.

Her heavy lids closed and she fell into oblivion.