The Girl with the Green Tail

Chapter Eighteen: Hermione's Past With Ariel (Part Three: Ariel's Sisters)

"Look me in the eye, Ariel, and tell me the truth!" King Triton shouted. "You went up to the surface, didn't you?"
Ariel nodded. She couldn't speak because she felt on the verge of tears.
"Ariel, I can't stress how dangerous it is up there!" Triton shouted.
Suddenly, one of Ariel's older sisters burst into the room. It was Attina, the fourth oldest. "Don't blame her!" she shouted.
"Attina, what is this all about?" Triton asked angrily.
"She's only a girl of twelve; she doesn't understand yet!" Attina yelled at Triton.
"You never did such risk taking at this age," he said.
"That's because Mother was around."
This comment wiped the look of anger off King Triton's face, and it was replaced with remorse and mournfulness. But there was still firmness in his voice. "Under no circumstances will the Queen's death go unnoticed. Or unpunished." He turned to Ariel. "No matter what, Ariel, you must never again go to the surface. Understand?"
At this moment, Ariel burst into tears and swam out of the room. Her only friend was human. And now she could never see Hermione again?
No, Ariel thought. I must see her again. I have to bring her joy. She only has me. I'm her only friend. What would happen to her without me?

~~~

"Ariel, are you okay?" said Aquata.
Ariel sat on her bed, tears streaming from her eyes. "I just don't understand..."
Andrina looked at Aquata, then back at Ariel. "Should we tell her, Aquata?"
"I do believe she's too young," said Adella. "It only happened when she was about seven. She didn't understand, and I don't think she should know yet."
"Nonsense, Adella," said Attina. "Ariel needs to know what happened to the Queen," she turned to Ariel. "Our mother..." whispered Attina.
"What..." Ariel said, voice wavering with every word, "What do you mean?"
"It wasn't the Sea Witch who killed our mother, as Father has been wanting you to believe," said Allana.
"Ursula, she's-"
"One mustn't speak the name of the Sea Witch!" Aquata shouted.
"The Sea Witch, she's...innocent?" asked Ariel, after being interrupted.
"You could say she's innocent...of this one particular claim, at least," said Attina. Attina is the wisest, though not the oldest, of all the seven sisters. "The Sea Witch has done plenty of other terrible things. In her reign, and to this day."
"Even though she's been banished by Father, that won't keep her from getting to anyone," said Arista. "Her eels come and lure you to her lair. Once you're in there, she tempts you with a promising deal. She forces you to sign a contract, saying that if you fail to hold up your part of the deal..."
"What? What happens?" Ariel asked impatiently.
"No one knows," said Aquata.
Suddenly, Allana the youngest (or would be youngest, if Ariel had not been born) spoke with a loud voice, almost rebuking Aquata for speaking with such vagueness. "Yes, we know!" Allana said, surprised at such ignorance displayed by her older sister. "She uses her magic to take your soul, and you spend the rest of eternity in her cave, suffering until-"
"Allana! Stop!" Andrina shouted.
Aquata sighed.
"Oh..." Allana said, looking into the wide and fearful eyes of her younger sister, Ariel.
"Th-The Sea Witch... Collects the... souls of merpeople?" Ariel whispered.
All six older sisters nodded.
Ariel sat for a minute before remembering how they even got to the topic. Then blurted out, "But what happened to Mom?"
The sisters seemed confused at first, but then remembered.
"Well, Ariel," Attina began. "Mother was killed by humans. That's why Father is so protective of us when it comes to humans. He fears the same thing could happen to us."
Ariel sat there, sadly looking into Attina's eyes. "But has he ever even met one?"
Allana spoke up. "Humans are nothing but barbarians and animals to Father. He wouldn't want to meet one even if they were the nicest of all humans."
"He's never even given them a chance?" Ariel asked. "If he'd just talk to one of them, he'd find they mean no trouble at all! I met one myself! She's really kind!"
Four out of six sisters gasped.
"You met a human?!"
"Ariel, what were you thinking?!"
"Do you know how serious this is?!"
"Think what could have happened to you!!"
Suddenly, Aquata and Andrina both shouted out, "Way to go, Ariel!" And, moving the others out of the way, began to ask Ariel questions about the human she met.
"Is it a boy?" asked Andrina.
"Ooh! Is he handsome?" Aquata asked.
"I'll bet he's a real hook!" Andrina shouted.
"Quite a catch, I'm sure!" Aquata said.
Ariel laughed. "She's a girl."
Aquata and Andrina stopped laughing and shouting.
Aquata put an affectionate arm around Ariel's shoulder. "It's okay, Ariel," she said. "We'll accept you even if no one else will."
"Oh, come off it!" Attina shouted. Being the wisest, she caught on quicker than the rest. "She's not in love, she's just finally found a friend. And I don't think we should try to put the thought of her dating a young girl into her head. Especially at such a young age. Come on, Aquata. You've got too much seawater in your head."
Aquata laughed awkwardly, and removed her arm from Ariel's shoulder slowly.