~ Chapter 17: A Fair Claim~




Ariel navigated the Atlantican royal palace stealthily, pausing behind pillars and around shadowy corners with a skill that could only belong to someone who had spent years navigating these very corridors and hallways.

The plan had gone smoothly so far. Tip, Eric and Miasma had started a scuffle with some of the serpents just outside the borders of the city – creating a distraction so that Ariel had been able to sneak past the main sentries into the city. After that it had been easy, keeping low under the rubble and zipping from one hiding place to the next until she was in the palace (which, in itself, had a thousand and one more hiding places at Ariel’s disposal).

Admittedly before they’d started, Tip had been quite strongly against the plan, but in the end they’d all agreed that a single person sneaking in to find Triton was less risky than a few of them trying it. And besides, if there were three of them creating the ruckus, they could distract the enemies longer – thus ensuring Ariel’s safe passage to the palace. It had worked pretty well.

This was the first time Ariel had been able to return to the underwater palace in — gosh, had it really been that long? — but there was no time to reminisce. All thoughts of nostalgia were squashed beneath the weight of her mission. There were only a handful of the Sharkanians and Octopans inside the palace, most of them grumbling to themselves and standing around with the idleness that comes from having to stand guard. The rest of them were outside, where they were busy doing something else – Ariel was curious to know what, but she had to focus on the task at hand.

All right. Where would they keep daddy? Ariel peeked out from underneath a table and then quickly ducked back down when saw three Octopans swim into the room. None of them noticed Ariel as they were busy talking to each other in their Octopan language, but all three moved with purpose, as though they had a specific task to do. Ariel waited until they’d left the room before she quickly zipped out from her hiding place and followed them.

It was easy to follow them, too, considering how empty the palace was. Ariel kept a careful distance away, waiting around corners and then quickly swimming after them, all the time not making a sound besides the odd whoosh of rushing water.

Finally the Octopans stopped outside a doorway leading in to a darkened room that Ariel recognised as her father’s study. She waited and watched as the three Octopans called out to someone that was in the room, just out of Ariel’s sight. They talked for quite a while and Ariel was just starting to get restless when one of the Octopans barked something that sounded like an order and gestured with his spear.

In response, a Sharkanian swam out of the room, waving a sword of his own. They were talking to each other a little louder now, but Ariel could only make out a few words. Then the Sharkanian reached into the room and dragged out—

Melody!

Ariel focused. Okay. One Sharkanian and three Octopans. No big deal. She could handle them, if she had something that she could use as a weapon. Ariel looked around. The only thing within reach was a large seashell-decorated vase, which was good for knocking out one enemy, but four?

“…to take the princess to the Sorceress,” the Sharkanian said, this time loud enough that Ariel could hear each word clearly. The Octopans looked at each other as though skeptical, but the Sharkanian continued in a firmer voice, “She claims she has something of importance to tell the witch.” Melody kept her head bowed, as though she were afraid.

“I’d like to tell that witch to kiss my suckers,” one Octopan said angrily. The strange green ring of light around his neck glowed more brightly for a moment.

The Sharkanian merely made a growling noise at the back of his throat. “I’d like to see you say that to her face, ink-breath.”

“Shut up, teeth for brains!” another Octopan snapped.

The Sharkanian yanked at Melody’s arm insistently. “Come on, I’ve got to get to this,” he snarled. “Go inside and guard Triton yourselves if you want. I say that Garg can handle the old merman by himself, but what do I know?” The Sharkanian rolled his eyes.

Triton!

“He’s tied up, isn’t he?” one Octopan said.

“Do whatever you want,” the Sharkanian said, shrugging. “I’m taking the merprincess.” He tugged at Melody’s arm and off they went down the corridor. None of the Octopans seemed inclined to stop them.

Ariel had to inhale a little, feeling a pang of guilt that she could not try to rescue Melody at this point. But if she knew her daughter – and she did – then Melody could take care of herself. King Triton was Ariel’s focus right now, and she had to find out where the trident was.

“That was stupid,” one of the three Octopans said, after the Sharkanian and Melody disappeared around the corner. “What do we do now? The Sorceress said the three of us have to make our rounds, but Triton needs to be guarded.”

“I say that that one Sharkanian can guard an old merman, no problem,” said another Otcopan.

“One Octopan, definitely,” said the third. “But you know Sharkanians, they can be pretty stupid.”

There was a murmur of agreement among the trio.

“All right, you stay here and help that Sharkanian guard the sea king,” said one Octopan, tapping another on the shoulder with the blunt edge of his spear. “We’ll continue our rounds.”

“All right,” the tapped Octopan said, and entered the room.

Ariel was alert now. Her father was in that room guarded by one Sharkanian and one Octopan. Two enemies she could handle, especially with improvisation. She crouched deeper into the shadows of the pillar as the remaining two Octopans went back down the hallway to continue their rounds.

Once they were gone, Ariel reached over and hefted the decorative vase up. She sunk under the weight, and so had to reluctantly put it back down on the floor. Then she looked at the darkened study entrance, where just above there was a slight ridge, maybe wide enough to balance a vase on.

“Hmm,” Ariel said thoughtfully.

+++

Eric was watching the Sorceress work up a steam against Miasma, while Miasma herself remained perfectly flaccid and disinterested – which only served to enrage the Sorceress further. Eric had no idea what it was about, though from the choice of words the Sorceress was using, it was highly personal.

“Treachery!” the Sorceress was saying, the sceptre waving dangerously as her arms wove an angry dance around her. “And they call me evil!”

“People call it as they see it,” Miasma said easily.

Eric pulled his attention away and took a quick look around the city. There were debris and rubble almost everywhere underfoot (undertail, to be more accurate), but all the rocks would make good missiles if they needed to create another distraction and get away quickly once Ariel sent them the signal.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, I think,” Aquata whispered, cutting into his thoughts. Eric looked at his sister-in-law, who continued with, “But you should know this: next to Ariel, I’m the fastest swimmer in Atlantica, but even I wouldn’t be able to outswim all of them at once. Especially not him.” She nodded towards the Manta, who was talking with a group of serpents a fair distance away on the other end of the city.

“That may be so, but perhaps we won’t need speed,” Eric whispered back. The Sorceress was so engrossed in shouting at Miasma that she paid them no attention. “What do you make of those green rings around their necks?”

“A method of control, I think,” Aquata said. “I know them, especially the Sharkanians, and they wouldn’t obey the Sorceress unless they were coerced.”

Just then Eric’s attention was drawn by movement in the palace doorways: a Sharkanian came out of the palace through the main entrance, holding Melody by the arm in his blue-grey grip. Eric started in surprise at the sight of his daughter, and felt the others do the same.

“Melody!” Jeremy cried out.

That finally stopped the Sorceress’ verbal barrage upon Miasma. She turned, slightly puzzled, to watch the Sharkanian swim towards her with Melody in tow. “Princess,” the Sorceress said, nodding slightly. “The Atlanticans are being brought out of their prisons as I promised, you don’t have to worry.”

The Sharkanian stopped swimming towards the Sorceress when the green ring around his neck pulsed brighter for a moment, causing his body to spasm briefly in what appeared to be pain. Eric exchanged a quick glance with Aquata, who appeared to agree that the green rings were a control mechanism.

“She said there’s something she wants to tell you,” the Sharkanian said gruffly, thrusting Melody forward.

“Well, come here,” the Sorceress said, gesturing at Melody with a long hand. “Forgot something you wanted to add into your negotiations?”

Eric studied his daughter quietly, holding back the part of him that just wanted to grab her and take her way from the Sorceress as fast as he could. Her head was dipped forward and her hands tightly held together in an unnatural show of obedience – she’d never in her life looked that meek before her own parents. Eric smiled wryly and tensed up in case he’d need to react quickly.

Melody, now within arm’s length of the Sorceress, muttered something soft and way out of Eric’s own hearing.

Apparently the Sorceress had difficulty hearing it too, because she snapped, “Come on, I haven’t got all day. Well, actually I do, but that’s not the point. Speak up, girl.”

Melody opened her arms and in one of her hands something glinted. Eric watched, almost in slow-motion, as she thrust her arm out towards the Sorceress. But as she did, there was a loud crash somewhere nearby – like glass being shattered into a thousand pieces – and for a half-second Melody was distracted by the noise.

That half-second gave Sorceress the time to notice Melody, and when she did, she shrieked and brought her sceptre-wielding arm round towards the princess.

Eric reacted without thinking, soaring over the heads of the serpent guards who were too busy watching the Sorceress to stop him. All Eric knew was that he had to protect his daughter right now right now dear god why am I moving wrong? In a moment of adrenaline-fuelled emergency Eric forgot that he had one tail instead of two legs and lost a few precious seconds getting to his daughter as he struggled against his own body.

Melody gasp-screamed and tried to twist away as the sceptre fired at her hand.

The Sharkanian dagger glinted as it flew through the water and away from its intended target.

Eric was close enough now, and he grabbed the handle of the sceptre and pulled on it as hard as he could. The Sorceress turned to glare at him with her yellow eyes, her lips parting to hiss angrily through sharp teeth. They fought for control of the sceptre as around them various creatures erupted in panic or struggle.

“Melody, get away!” Eric shouted.

Melody was holding her hurting hand, gasping in pain. Her eyes widened when she saw him. “Daddy?”

“Daddy?!” the Sorceress shrieked. “Do I have the pleasure of meeting the famous King Eric?” The Sorceress suddenly turned to Miasma. “This is your doing, isn’t it, you traitor—”

Eric kneed the Sorceress in the stomach – at least, it was the knee-like area of his tail that he used to hit his enemy. She gasped, growled and then focused on trying to rip the sceptre out of his hands.

Eric held fast, even as he heard shouting from what sounded like the serpents, Octopans and Sharkanians and maybe even others, and then a booming curse from what was definitely the Manta. In the part of Eric’s mind that wasn’t trying to think of a way to wrench the sceptre out from the Sorceress’ hands, he registered that the various creatures were taking opportunity of the distraction to attack the Manta while he was unprotected by the Sorceress. Clever.

“Human,” the Sorceress cursed. Suddenly her tail swung round and struck Eric in the back. He gasped in pain and his hold on the sceptre loosened just enough that the Sorceress was able to pull it free, triumphant. “Fool!” she screamed.

Suddenly Melody appeared unseen behind the Sorceress, her good hand reaching out to grab around the Soceress’ thin green neck. She locked her elbow under the Sorceress’ bony chin, choking her breath. The Sorceress tried to point the sceptre at her attacker but it was difficult to get a clear shot.

“You will all die,” the Sorceress gasp-snarled. She twisted in the hold and then, using her tail again as a weapon, struck Melody in the back. Melody fell away in pain and Eric was ready to launch another attack but this time the Sorceress was ready. She swung the sceptre around and a magical green-gold protective bubble enveloped her. As soon as Eric hit the bubble he was pushed back by a small electric jolt.

“Melody, get back, get back,” Eric said quickly, waving at his daughter who was staring at the Sorceress in wild-eyed shock. Jeremy, Tip and Dash were trying to take her away, but she seemed to be mesmerized to the spot.

“All I had to do was get close enough…” Melody said softly, shocked at her own failure.

“Melody, come on,” Tip urged. Melody was shaken awake and started to swim away but a bolt of magical lightning cut off the path of escape.

“Fools!” the Sorceress shouted, her claw-like fingers gripping the handle of the sceptre. If she was annoyed before, she was beyond angry now. The sceptre glowed with pent-up magic ready to be let free. “This is how you repay my kindness? My generosity?”

The Sorceress pointed her sceptre at Melody. The fact that Eric was in the way didn’t deter her.

“Now you pay.”

+++

Ariel peeked out from behind the pillar and whistled.

The Octopan came out of the room, pointing his spear this way and that as he tried to find the source of the sound. Instead of hiding behind the pillar, Ariel tipped her head out further so that he could see her clearly. Just for measure, Ariel waved at him cheekily.

“Get over here!” the Octopan growled, starting to swim towards her.

Ariel calmly reached over and pulled a curtain tassle. The Octopan halted, confused, and his eyes moved curiously along the tassle, up the curtain line, over the various knots Ariel had tied between curtain lines along the wall, until it reached and tugged free a small rock that had been the only thing keeping a heavy vase from falling off its precarious perch – right on to the Octopan’s head.

“Oh,” said the Octopan, just before he collapsed to the floor, shards of Atlantican pottery crumbling all over him. Ariel knew she had to be fast, so she quickly swam forward to grab the Octopan’s fallen spear. And it was a good thing she did, too, because the Sharkanian guard that had been in the room now rushed forward to see what the ruckus was about.

The Sharkanian saw the fallen Octopan and quickly unsheathed his sword to point at Ariel. “What are you doing free, mermaid?” the Sharkanian snarled.

“Doing what any free mermaid would do,” Ariel said calmly.

The Sharkanian cautiously moved towards her, then suddenly he paused, frowned, and then said, “You look familiar.”

“Really? I thought all merpeople looked alike,” Ariel said.

“No, you…” the Sharkanian shook his head, although angry with himself for getting distracted. “Give up quickly. You know you haven’t a chance against me in combat.”

“Who said I was planning to fight you in combat?” This time Ariel grinned.

The Sharkanian looked up at the ceiling in alarm, in case there were any other traps waiting for him. But there were none except for this moment of distraction, for as soon as the Sharkanian looked away, Ariel flipped her fins and swam around him through the doorway to the royal study.

Ariel heard the Sharkanian growl in frustration behind her, but she kept her focus, taking in her new surroundings of the study in one quick sweep of her eyes. Her father was bound on the floor, next to a table. The only window looking out into the city was shut, but she could fix that and make it an exit to boot.

Ariel swung the spear round with all her might, sending it spinning into the window and upon contact, shattering it into a thousand pieces out into the open water.

Exit, check, Ariel mentally noted. She grabbed the closest piece of broken glass and spun around, wielding it as a weapon.

The Sharkanian was before her, this time angrier than before. “Don’t try—”

A scream cut the Sharkanian off mid-sentence, and sent a shiver of ice down Ariel’s back – because she recognised that voice.

“Melody,” Ariel whispered, but she daren’t move, not with a sword-wielding Sharkanian right in front of her.

“You know the princess?” the Sharkanian asked.

“She’s my daughter,” Ariel said.

“Your daughter?” the Sharkanian said in disbelief. “That cannot be! If that were true, then you are…”

“My daughter,” said King Triton, from where he was on the floor.

Ariel nodded. “I’m Ariel. Maybe you’ve heard of me?”

The Sharkanian looked torn, not only from this revelation, but also because of the noises that now spilled through the open window from the outside. There was shouting and yelling, some of it even in the Sharkanian language. They could both hear that there was fighting going on outside, and they both knew that at the moment, their enemy was not truly each other, but a certain green-skinned sorceress.

The two of them moved very slowly towards the window, both wanting to see what was going on. Very carefully looking out through the corner of their eyes while at the same time watching each other, they both saw glimpses of Eric’s struggle with the Sorceress, along with the way a whole swarm of Octopans, Sharkanians and Serpentines ambushed the Manta in unison.

Still, they remained there, at a stand-off. The Sharkanian was twitching slightly, and Ariel knew that it was because he wanted so badly to join the fight against the Manta.

“Daddy?” Ariel said carefully, keeping her eyes locked on the Sharkanian.

“Yes, Ariel?” King Triton replied.

“I’m looking for something,” Ariel said.

When King Triton answered her, his voice was low with meaning. “It’s somewhere no enemy of Atlantica can reach. You know where it is.”

Suddenly, outside, there was the unmistakable hum of magic being summoned. Ariel turned her head slightly and saw the Sorceress now alone with the sceptre, while Eric stood protectively between her and Melody. The Sorceress raised the sceptre straight at Melody, but Eric was in the way.

“Now you pay,” the Sorceress said. The sceptre started to glow with what was surely a fatal shot.

“No,” Ariel whispered hoarsely. Without a second thought she soared out through the open window, dropping the shard as she went, her palms out and open in front of her as she charged.

The only reason she got so close was because the Sorceress was so focused on her immediate victims of Melody and Eric. So Ariel did what came naturally, and as soon as she was close enough, grabbed a tuft of the Sorceress’ green hair in both hands and yanked as hard as she could.

The Sorceress screamed as her head was pulled back forcefully, the charge of magical lightning soaring upwards and away from its intended targets.

Ariel vaguely heard someone, maybe Tip, shouting, “Swim away, swim away!” It was as sound advice as anything else, so Ariel turned tail to get out of the Sorceress’ way since she had no other means to protect herself.

Ariel saw Eric grabbing Melody, and when their eyes locked he shouted, “Where is it?”

“He said it’s somewhere no enemy of Atlantica can reach!” Ariel shouted back.

“Ariel, look out!” Eric shouted.

Ariel didn’t see when the Sorceress’ retaliation bolt hit her right in the back. She certainly didn’t feel it when she slammed head-first into the coral wall of the palace and then fell to the ground amidst rubble and rock.

Melody screamed, even as her father’s arms wove protectively around her, even as her chest grew so tight that she could barely breathe, even as they clumsily swam away from the Sorceress who had, for lack of a better word, gone mad.

It seemed that the Sorceress was just now realising how terribly outnumbered she was. Maybe it was when she and Eric had fought for the sceptre, for the spell she’d placed on all of her minions had crumbled away, leaving the angry creatures to take up their weapons and charge. And charge they were, quite enthusiastically. The Manta had already fallen, wrestled down and beaten by a dozen angry creatures who had not forgotten his betrayal.

The Sorceress was alone now, though she still had the sceptre, and she turned this way and that like small hurricane, shooting out bolts of lightning at anyone and everyone that was moving – which was practically everyone. Eric was eager to get his daughter out of the way, so he manoeuvred as well as he could around rocks and bodies that spun around them like an deep sea typhoon.

Suddenly one of the Sorceress’ lighting bolts caught its target, and both Eric and Melody were sealed in a cocoon of yellow-green light. Eric felt the magic force its way between them, peeling his hold over his daughter and then wrapping itself around Melody’s body as it would a piece of orange, plucking it out from his grasp.

Once Melody was free she was yanked back to the Sorceress, while Eric himself was tossed aside. He gasped and then experienced a full-body thud when he hit something firm but not damaging. When he looked up there was Dash, who had caught him. Tip and Jeremy were there, as was Aquata, who had a strange look on her face.

Eric turned and watched as the Sorceress pulled Melody towards her with the sceptre’s magic. He looked around frantically for something, anything that could be used as a weapon.

Suddenly Aquata grabbed his arm. “Eric.”

Eric looked at her. “What?”

“Look,” Aquata said, pointing subtly.

They looked. Not at the Sorceress (who by now had caught Melody), but at the pile of rubble that had fallen on Ariel, which was moving. Not just moving, but shifting, as though something underneath it was trying to get up. As the Sorceress raged on overhead, they watched in hopeful silence as the sand and rock made away, revealing a slender body with long red hair.

Aquata looked up at the palace window, where she saw her father’s face looking out at them.

“But how…? We saw her crash…” Eric said.

“She’s protected,” Aquata said, realisation dawning. “Because she’s protecting it!”

“Protecting what?” Tip asked.

Ariel lifted herself out of the rubble, not a scratch on her. She flung her wild red hair back, eyes filled with the anger only a mother could know, and when she lifted her hands out before her, a yellow light appeared in one palm and then stretched to the other in a straight line. Then, at one of the ends, the light curved into a familiar three-spoked shape.

“When they attacked Atlantica and took everyone prisoner,” Aquata said, “Father put the trident in the safest place he knew, for as long as the trident remained free, the city could be restored to its people. So the trident would have to be hidden in a place that no enemy could reach, and that’s the heart of the only Atlantican who was still free.” Aquata smiled. “My baby sister.”

Ariel brandished the trident, aiming it at the Sorceress. “Get away from her, you witch!”

The Sorceress hissed.

“You’re alone now, Sorceress,” Ariel said, slowly approaching her with the trident. “The Manta is out of the picture—”

Indeed, the Sharkanians, Octopans and Serpents were taking great pleasure in taunting the Manta, who was bound and being sat on.

“—so that leaves you and me,” Ariel said.

“Ah, but I have your dear sweet princess!” the Sorceress said. Melody gulped as the Sorceress’ tail twisted itself tighter around her neck and torso.

Ariel looked at Melody, and something seemed to pass between them. She shifted the trident, which somehow looked smaller than it once was, perhaps to suit Ariel’s smaller physique. Then Ariel raised the trident, which started to glow.

“You can’t be serious—” the Sorceress said. But then she smiled and lifted the sceptre up, which started to glow with its own light. “All right then, we’ll see what you’re made of.”

Ariel charged with the trident to the Sorceress, who waited with the sceptre.

When the two magical items met, there was a sound unlike any ever heard in the seven seas. It was like a giant heartbeat, so strong was that it ceased to be just a sound, and resonated through every living creature in the ocean, causing fish to hide in the reefs, eels to shudder in their caves and clams to quiver in their shells.

Melody was caught in the heart of the magical storm that burned with magical fire and light. It was only by squinting that she could make out the forms of the Sorceress and her mother, each holding their own weapons which wove and twisted against it each other, locked in a battle of wills unlike anything Melody had ever seen. She could somehow feel their emotions leaking into the magic – the Sorceress’ rage and Ariel’s determination, but most of all she could feel how much Ariel loved her.

She could feel her father, too, though she could not see him. She could feel his love for her, and his love for Ariel, almost as tangible as something she could grasp and hold to her heart.

Suddenly the bracelet on Melody’s wrist shuddered, making her start in surprise. She had forgotten it was there, but it had suddenly started pulsing, as though with a heartbeat of its own. She raised it up to her face and saw that it was glowing unnaturally.

Suddenly the bracelet broke free with a snap, and though Melody tried to catch it, it swam away from her fingers like a sea snake, weaving its way towards Ariel and the Sorceress.

Ariel was moving with graceful fury, like some sort of possessed angel. The trident spun and turned, leaving gold streaks of magic against the white light of the magical storm. The Sorceress moved differently, stabbing and striking like a scorpion. Each time the two items met the other, the magical storm around them pulsed blinding. Neither of them noticed the bracelet weaving towards them.

Suddenly the Sorceress caught the trident’s spokes in the sceptre’s edge. She twisted sharply, effectively trapping the trident.

The bracelet quietly looped itself around where the sceptre and trident were locked.

Ariel and the Sorceress now finally noticed it, because a ghostly hand had appeared on the chain. The ghostly hand then slowly revealed itself to be connected to a ghostly arm and then ghostly shoulder, and soon revealed the vague pale outline of a handsome young merman.

Melody gasped around her smile, for she knew who it was. “Tempus!”

The ghost merman saw Melody and nodded. Then he said, in a voice that was not of this world, “The sceptre and the trident should be bound by love, not by hate. They cannot fight.” Then Tempus looked at the Sorceress. “This does not belong to you.” Then he looked at Melody for a brief moment and faded away.

The Sorceress gaped, confused by the ghostly apparition, but Ariel didn’t waste any time. Smiling faintly, she bent low over the trident and adjusted her fingers over the handle. Her eyes gleaming, the trident started to glow seemingly brighter than ever before, and the light flowed from her hands along the trident, up the spokes, across to the sceptre, and then down the sceptre’s handle to the Sorceress’ hands.

“Not yours!” Ariel shouted.

The sceptre burned the Sorceress’ hands, forcing her to release it with a scream.

There was an explosion, and the magical fight was over. Everyone who had been watching blinked rapidly to get the burning light out of their eyes. Melody recovered quickly, and saw that Ariel had been thrown a small distance away but was all right, and still had the trident in her hands.

But the Sorceress was flailing out, trying to catch the sceptre that was determinedly moving away from her hands.

“No, no!” the Sorceress screeched, swimming after it.

Then Ariel appeared before her, halting the Sorceress in her path by pointing the trident firmly at her torso. The Sorceress glared at the trident gingerly but Ariel was not letting her get away.

So the Sorceress was left to watch helplessly as the sceptre was mysteriously tugged clear across the distance and straight into the hands of Eric.

Who looked stunned, but carefully put his hands around the sceptre’s handle and lifted it.

“NO!” the Sorceress screamed, raising her fists to pound the water and proclaim her anger. “No, no, no!”

Eric swam up to his wife, who smiled at him. Together they faced the Sorceress, side by side, man and woman, land and sea, sceptre and trident. As one they zapped her, winding magical chains around her form and weighing her down to the sea floor. Watching all of this with a proud and slightly melancholy smile was their daughter, Melody, a child born of sea and shore.

It was only then that they noticed that they were also being watched by everyone else, by the Atlanticans and the Atlantican’s enemies alike, the latter of which had not missed the fact that now they owned two items of magic power, not just one. Then the couple’s gaze swept over the city itself, with its broken buildings and crumbling towers.

“Okay, we’ve got some cleaning up to do,” Ariel said.

+++

All’s well that end’s well, as the saying goes.

Ariel handled the hard fixing, removing the Sorceress’ adjustments to the city and restoring what had originally been there, except maybe with an improvement or two. Aquata and Melody helped free the Atlantican prisoners that had missed most of the action and needed a hot drink to steady their nerves. Jeremy, Tip and Dash went out of the city to fetch the Atlantican children, all of whom had of course known all along that everything would be all right.

Eric handled the soft fixing with his father-in-law, King Triton, by spending long talks with the leaders of the different factions that had attacked Atlantica. They couldn’t exactly put everyone in prison, and they didn’t want to do that anyway because what would that achieve? Besides, the fact that what had been a very good plan to conquer Atlantica had failed anyway was punishment enough for those who valued pride above all else. Peace had always been a fragile thing for Atlantica, but maybe this blow, and the threat of the trident and sceptre, would ensure it would stay there for at least some more years to come. The talks were long and went over into the next few days, but that suited Melody just fine for it gave her time to spend helping her friends put Atlantica back into order as much as could be done. The only exceptions to this were the Sorceress, who had to be sealed in another cave far hidden from her previous prison, and the Manta, who had to be cast away in distant exile.

Then there was the sombre ceremony where Triton formerly abdicated from the throne. There was not a dry eye (so to speak) in the house when Triton addressed his people, telling them that the time had come for a new ruler to take Atlantica into this new era, where the borders between land and sea blurred even further. It was a whole new era in so many ways, though Melody had little understanding on this because she’d had no idea how much the underwater community had changed in recent times, triggered by the unexpected marriage of a mermaid princess to a human prince.

Aquata was crowned Queen of Atlantica to the cheers of her people, and her face was the perfect picture of determination. Melody thought that her grandfather looked older without his crown, but there was a lightness to his movement that there hadn’t been there before, as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders – which was probably true.

After that, of course, it was barely any time at all until the moment came when Eric had to go back home, and Ariel with him. They still had a kingdom to take care of, and now that Eric had the sceptre (which was, by all accounts, rightfully his), things would be quite different among their people, especially with a certain merphobic Duke.

Jeremy mentioned this as he, Tip and Dash helped Melody pack up yet again. Her open bag lay on the bed but she’d hardly looked at it. The others took turns arguing over what to pack and what not to, while Melody hovered by the open window and clutched the seashell locket she wore around her neck.

Melody had been dreading leaving even more this time, for her love for Atlantica had grown in ways she’d never expected. It weighed on her heart more heavily than anything she’d ever known in her young life, so she treasured every touch, every smile, every twist of her beautiful red tail. She knew, in the forefront of her mind, that she could return here whenever she wanted, but somehow that wouldn’t be the same. Now that she’d had a taste of what it meant to be Atlantican, going back to the palace of her birth no longer felt like going home.

A knocking sound cut through her thoughts. “Come in!”

The seashell doorway groaned open and Ariel’s appeared. “Hi, honey.”

“Almost ready, mom,” Melody said.

“That can wait,” Ariel said. There was something strange about her voice, which made Melody alert. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was the sort of voice her mother would use just before they had to Talk About Something. Ariel swam in and said, “I want to show you something first. Will you come with me?”

“Of course,” Melody said.

Melody thought that it was something in the palace that her mother wanted to show her, so when Ariel lead her outside, she became confused. Eric was outside as well, hovering by the main Atlantican gates and talking softly with Triton and Aquata. As soon as the three of them saw her, their expressions changed into… Melody couldn’t tell what it was.

“What’s going on?” Melody asked her mother. “Are they coming with us?”

“No,” Ariel said. “It’ll just be you and me. We’re going for a little swim.”

“See you in a bit?” Eric called out.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Ariel said, laughing a little. “Watch my things.”

+++

They swam out, side by side, along a quiet little way not far from the palace. Ariel didn’t seem to want to say anything so Melody kept her questions to her self, waiting for her mother to break the silence.

The sea felt much more peaceful now, with the danger of the Manta and Sorceress having gone past. As Melody looked around at the shining coral and slow-waving kelp, she tried to imagine what is must have been like for her mother to grow up surrounded by all this beauty.

“We’re here,” Ariel said, stopping. “Follow me.”

Obedient and curious, Melody followed her mother, ducking her head under the low stony arch to enter the hidden cave. It was cooler inside, only a faint beam of filtered light trickling down to the floor from a narrow opening far above.

“Where are we?” Melody asked. Her voice echoed off the walls, and for some reason, it made her feel a little embarrassed at being so brass. There was something almost shrine-like about this place, though the walls were crumbling in places and…

Melody scrunched her eyes. She bent down and picked up what looked like a face, carved on stone. And not just any face, but her father’s.

“Once upon a time, this was my sanctuary,” Ariel said. Something changed in her voice, and when Melody looked at her, the years had suddenly fallen away from her face. Ariel stretched her arms wide and she spun in the water, the light casting an ethereal glow about her. Her laughter was light and carefree, and sounded like something that had always been right here.

Then Ariel looked at Melody, and was her mother again. “I made a mistake many years ago, my darling,” she said, taking Melody’s hands affectionately. “And you cannot imagine how much I’ve regretted it. I took twelve-years worth of memories of this place from you—”

“Mom, I understand why you did it—”

“Shh,” Ariel said gently. “Let me finish. I took twelve years from you, and you may forgive me, but I cannot forgive myself if I don’t give you what my father gave me.”

“Your father… you mean my grandfather?” Melody said.

“Your grandfather loved me so much that he gave me the greatest gift: a choice,” Ariel said. “And that is what I’m giving to you now.”

Melody frowned again. “But… I thought we’ve been through this before, and I destroyed the wall…”

“Yes, but you’ve still never known what it really means to be a Atlantican,” Ariel said. “And you are half Atlantican, Melody. This place harboured so many of my memories, some of which still have their mark here. And I want to give you the chance to find these memories, as well as create your own. I want you to have this grotto.”

Melody felt tingles move up her arm as she slowly realised what this meant. “What… What are you saying, mom?”

“When I was young I looked the sky,” Ariel said, looking up at the narrow opening at the ceiling of the tall cave. “And I see that same longing in you whenever you look at the sea. Your father and I have talked about it, and as young as you are, you don’t know what you want just yet. So we want you to spend the winter here, in Atlantica.”

Melody’s heart leapt into her throat, and she covered the gasp that came out of her mouth.

“But!” Ariel said, raising her hand. “At the end of the winter, when the storms pass and spring returns, you’ll give us your decision.”

Melody felt dizzy. “Decision?”

“To stay here, if that’s what you want,” Ariel said. “Your father and I support you, no matter what your choice will be.”

“Oh mom, are you—is this really—oh my gosh—” Melody leapt into her mother arms, gasping and sputtering for all the joy she felt. Mother and daughter spun in the water, hugging and laughing until Ariel bumped into a smooth rock and had to steady them both. But Melody could not stop giggling for all the world, and everything was dizzy and electrifying all at once.

She barely noticed as her mother lead the way back to Atlantica, though the moment that she saw her father she leapt into his arms for another massive bear hug. Triton and Aquata – and soon Tip, Dash and Jeremy – joined in, and there was laughing and hugging, and Melody and her friends quickly leaping to discussing the thousand and one things they were going to do in the underwater realm.

Melody could hardly think. Everything I ever wanted has come true! All the adventures I’ve ever wanted to have, and they’re mine!

“The celebrations in Atlantica will be tremendous!” Aquata proclaimed, lifting her trident to shoot a pantheon of magical sparks over the city. Her new crown fit magnificently among her brown tresses, and they seemed to glow with pride.

“I was always sad that it’s only in the worst occasions that you could come to visit Atlantica,” Triton said, patting Melody on the head. “So this is an occasion for happiness, my dear Melody.”

Melody clung to her grandfather, barely able to control her joyful laughter.

+++

Ariel and Eric surfaced alone.

Eric was quickly getting the hang of using a sceptre, though he didn’t much care for the bulky thing and shrunk it to something more resembling the royal mace and easier to carry. Grimsby and Carlotta were confused at the sight of the two royals but were accepting and rehashed their own reports of what had been going on in the kingdom.

Eric, as always, had no time to rest, and quickly adorned his normal clothes and went to the meeting room for further discussion on other kingly matters.

Ariel retreated to their bedroom, where her daughter’s fully-mended seaspin dress lay draped over the vanity chair.

Taking great care, Ariel clutched the seaspin dress to her chest, crawled under the covers, and cried.


THE END
















Author’s Elongated Post-Script:

That’s it! I hope that you’ve enjoyed the story, as long as it was. I will not be writing a sequel because this is exactly the open ending that I intended from the very beginning. In the movie’s ending, Triton suffered the loss of Ariel, so now history repeats itself. As far as I’m concerned, Melody will have dozens of her own adventures under the sea, then after that maybe she’ll go back to her princessly duties on land, or maybe she won’t.

Some notes and random things that might not have been clear:

That's all, and thank you for reading.
 


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