Atlantica Palace
Inside the rsisters’ Dressing Room shimred with bioluminescent light, casting a soft glow over pearl-encrusted mirrors and coral vanities. Flowing anemone curtains drifted lazily with the ocean currents, and ornate chests brimd with golden tiaras, seashell combs, and gemstone-studded hairpins. The soft hum of ocean currents filled the chamber as the rsisters prepared for the day.
Andrina floated near the entrance of Ariel’s private space, arms crossed as she called out, "Ariel, dear, ti to co out. You’ve been in there all morning."
There was a brief silence before the curtain parted, and Ariel erged, humming Part of Your World under her breath. She moved gracefully, her expression distant, as if lost in a daydream. Reaching up, she carefully adjusted her flowing red hair, tucking a strand behind her ear with a wistful sigh.
Attina arched a brow, exchanging a knowing glance with the others. "What is with her lately?" she murmured.
Ariel barely acknowledged them. She plucked a delicate red sea flower from a coral arrangent, twirled it between her fingers, and with a dreamy smile, drifted toward the palace hallways.
Andrina and the rest of the rsisters shared a smirk before swimming after her.
Ariel glided through the grand halls, still lost in thought. Her sisters followed closely behind, watching with amusent as she spun lazily in the water, humming the sa lody.
As she rounded a corner, she collided lightly with her father, King Triton. Startled, she blinked up at him before breaking into a bright smile.
"Morning, Daddy!" she chid.
Without hesitation, she tucked the red flower behind his ear before twirling away once more, her voice carrying through the corridor as she swam off.
Triton blinked in confusion, glancing after her.
From behind, the rsisters hovered in the hallway, watching with smirks.
"Oh, she’s got it bad," Attina teased.
Triton turned to face them, brow furrowed. "What? What has she got?"
Andrina crossed her arms, grinning. "Isn’t it obvious, Daddy? Ariel’s in love."
Triton hesitated, then reached up and plucked the flower from behind his ear. He turned it over in his hand, realization dawning on his face.
"Ariel? In love?" he murmured to himself, watching as his youngest daughter disappeared down the corridor, still twirling and humming dreamily.
_______
Sebastian paced back and forth on a rock, his claws twitching as he muttered under his breath.
"Ok so far, so good. I don’t think the king knows."
Above him, Ariel lay on a smooth stone, absentmindedly plucking flower petals and letting them drift down. Orange petals fluttered through the water, one landing directly on Sebastian’s face. He huffed, blowing it away with an exasperated sigh.
"But it won’t be easy keeping sothing like this a secret for long," he said, turning his gaze upward, only to find Ariel lost in a dreamy daze.
Perched at the edge of the rock, Ariel continued her little ritual, her voice filled with quiet excitent.
"He loves ... hmm, he loves not... He loves !" She gasped, clutching the final petal close to her chest. "I knew it!"
Sebastian groaned as he climbed up beside her, rubbing his temples.
"Ariel, stop talking crazy."
"I gotta see him again—tonight!" Ariel’s voice was breathless with excitent. "Scuttle knows where they took him! The other humans—"
Before she could swim off, Sebastian lunged forward, grabbing onto her tail with both claws, planting himself firmly.
"Ariel—please!" he pleaded, tugging her back. "Will you get your head outta clouds and back in the water where it belongs?"
Ariel barely seed to hear him, already planning. "I’ll swim up to the village, and then Flounder can splash around to get his attention, and then with—"
Sebastian shot in front of her, blocking her way. His face was filled with urgency, his voice firm.
"Down here is your ho!"
Spinning around, he began his usual lecture, waving a claw as if to dismiss all her foolish thoughts. "Ariel, listen to . The human world—it’s a ss! Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there!"
But Ariel was already distracted. A soft whisper from Flounder, who had been lurking just behind Sebastian, was all it took. With a flick of her tail, she disappeared into the vast blue, slipping away unnoticed.
Sebastian, still deep in his speech, gestured dramatically. "There’s no music, no rhythm! All they do is—" He paused, blinking. "Ariel?"
Silence.
His eyes darted around, his heart sinking. "Ariel? Oh... sobody’s got to nail dat girl’s fins to the floor."
Just as he was about to take off after her, a small seahorse swam up in a hurry, stopping right in front of him.
"Sebastian! Sebastian, I’ve been looking all over for you!" the seahorse panted. "I’ve got an urgent ssage from the sea king!"
Sebastian stiffened. "The sea king?"
The seahorse tugged at his claw, urging him along. "He wants to see you right away—sothing about Ariel."
Sebastian’s eyes widened in horror. "He knows!"
_____
anwhile, far from the Village borders, Lucian stood at the edge of the sea, his golden eyes fixed on the horizon. The setting sun bathed the waves in a golden glow, the water stretching endlessly before him.
"Alright, let’s test this out," he muttered, cracking his neck. "But first... I should probably remove these."
He stripped off his clothes, neatly folding them on a nearby rock. As he stood bare, the cool evening breeze brushing against his skin, he glanced downward and smirked.
"Huh... it’s bigger," he noted before shrugging. "Well, not the ti for that."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and subrged himself in the water. The mont his body sank beneath the waves, a strange yet familiar sensation washed over him.
"Now... what do I do?"
His mind instinctively recalled the knowledge granted to him—Tideborn Shift. The information swam through his thoughts like second nature, guiding him to focus. A sudden warmth spread from his lower half, and in a flash of radiant blue light, his legs fused together.
When the glow faded, his lower half had transford.
A powerful rmaid tail now replaced his legs, shimring in hues of deep blue. The scales reflected the dimming sunlight, catching the water’s glow. He lifted it slightly, feeling the weight and strength within.
"Cool," he muttered, running a hand over the smooth scales.
Then, he tried to move.
Lucian kicked forward, expecting a surge of speed—but instead, he only floundered in place. His body tilted awkwardly to one side, and he struggled to find his balance.
Frowning, he adjusted his posture and attempted again, giving his tail a powerful flick.
Nothing.
Rather than gliding through the water, he barely shifted an inch. The knowledge of how to move was in his head, but knowledge alone wasn’t enough—his body wasn’t accustod to it.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue. "So, it’s not just instant mastery, huh? Looks like I need to practice."
And so, he did.
At first, he was a ss—his movents were clumsy, uncoordinated. He struggled to maintain balance, constantly overcorrecting or moving too rigidly. The sheer force of his tail was evident, but without finesse, it was useless.
Lucian took a different approach. Instead of brute force, he observed.
He thought of how fish swam, how dolphins propelled themselves effortlessly through the water. He rembered how rmaids were described in books—graceful, fluid.
Then, he mimicked.
Small, controlled flicks. Testing the range of motion. Learning how to use his torso to guide movent rather than just his tail. Little by little, it beca more natural.
Minutes turned to hours, and by the ti the sun is setting down from the sky, Lucian finally had it.
SPLASH!!
With one fluid motion, he surged forward, slicing through the water like a spear. He twisted, flipping his body with ease before darting upward, breaking through the surface in a powerful arc. Water cascaded off his body as he soared into the air before plunging back down.
He floated for a mont, letting bubbles rise around him. A grin played on his lips.
"Not bad," he murmured. "Not bad at all."
_______
Throne Room
King Triton sat upon his towering throne, holding a delicate flower in his massive hand. A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest as he twirled it between his fingers.
"Let’s see now... Oh, who could the lucky rman be?" he mused, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.
Just then, he noticed Sebastian entering the room. The tiny crab wore an expression of forced calm, but the way his legs twitched betrayed his nerves. Seeing him, Triton quickly cleared his throat and tucked the flower away, regaining his regal composure.
"Co in, Sebastian," he said, his voice firm yet welcoming.
Sebastian took a deep breath.
’I mustn’t overreact. I must remain calm.’ With that thought, he scurried down the long path leading to the throne, his claws clicking against the polished floor.
"Y-yes—" his voice cracked, coming out five octaves higher than usual. He coughed and tried again, this ti in his normal voice. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
Triton leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Sebastian, I’m concerned about Ariel. Have you noticed she’s been acting... peculiar lately?"
Sebastian’s claws twitched. "Peculiar?"
"You know—moaning about, daydreaming, singing to herself..." Triton studied him carefully. "You haven’t noticed anything?"
Sebastian opened his mouth, then hesitated. "Oh—well, I—"
Triton’s eyes narrowed. "Sebastian..."
Sebastian gulped. "Hmmm?"
The king straightened, his tone carrying a quiet authority. "I know you’ve been keeping sothing from ."
Sebastian stiffened. "Keeping... sothing?"
"About Ariel."
The tiny crab suddenly beca very aware of his shaking legs. He hurriedly crossed them to hide it. "Ariel?" he echoed, trying to feign innocence.
Triton’s patience thinned. In one swift motion, he pointed his glowing trident directly at the nervous crustacean.
"In love?"
Sebastian snapped. His composure shattered as he lunged forward, grabbing onto Triton’s beard in desperation.
"I TRIED TO STOP HER, SIR!!!" he wailed. "She wouldn’t listen! I told her to stay away from humans! They’re bad, they’re trouble, they—!"
Triton’s expression shifted instantly. His brows furrowed, his grip tightening on his trident.
"Humans?" His voice was dangerously low. "WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?!"
Sebastian froze, his eyes darting frantically. Realizing his slip, he forced a nervous laugh.
"Humans?" he repeated, chuckling weakly. "Who said anything about humans?"
Triton was not amused. Without warning, he grabbed Sebastian by the shell and yanked him closer, his eyes blazing.
"What. Do. You. an. Humans?"
Sebastian gulped audibly, his face pale with terror and thought. ’I’m dead’
______
On a small rocky island just off the coast, Scuttle the seagull stood perched atop a wooden post, humming a tune as he fiddled with his makeshift telescope.
"1492, dah-de-dum dee-do-do, rum-dim-dim, dee-do-dee-do~" he sang off-key, peering through the lens.
He lifted the telescope, only to accidentally plant the wide end on his forehead. Confused, he pulled it back and tried again.
"Scuttle!"
A familiar voice made him jump. He quickly flipped the telescope the right way around—only to see Ariel standing in the water far, far away.
"Whoa!" he squawked, nearly losing his balance. "rmaid off the port bow!"
He lowered the telescope—only to realize she was actually right in front of him.
"Whoa! What a swim!" he said, flapping his wings in excitent.
Ariel wasted no ti. "Scuttle, do you know where that man is?"
Scuttle tilted his head. "Yeah. But why do ya wanna go there?"
Before she could answer, he accidentally knocked over an anchor that had been resting beside him. The tal caught onto his foot, yanking him off his perch and sending him tumbling into the sand.
Ariel stifled a giggle. "Please, Scuttle! Can you help get there?" She clasped her hands together, her eyes pleading. "Pretty please?"
Scuttle flapped back onto his feet and puffed out his chest. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"
With that, he took to the air, leading the way. Ariel quickly followed, her tail propelling her forward.
"Wait for !" Flounder called, hurrying after them as fast as his little fins could carry him.
The sea stretched wide before them as Ariel and Flounder swam tirelessly toward their destination, Scuttle soaring high above.
Flounder suddenly squinted into the distance. Sothing was moving over the waves.
"Hey... is that a rman on a dragon?" he blurted out.
Ariel’s brows furrowed as she turned to look. Far ahead, a dark silhouette erged against the horizon.
As the figure grew closer, she could make out more details—a massive sea dragon, its sleek body gliding effortlessly through the water. And atop it, a silver-haired rman, his form moving in perfect sync with the creature.
Ariel’s breath hitched.
Flounder’s reaction was far less composed. His eyes widened in horror. "I-It’s a Scauldron! RUN!"
He imdiately started swimming in the opposite direction.
But Ariel didn’t move.
Her gaze was locked on the rider—the rman on the Scauldron. The way he commanded the beast, the ease with which he rode the waves...
Her heart pounded.
"Is that... him? But how?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers