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Ariel and her sisters loved the catfish club: it brought fresh air to her life. It reminded her of a woman, who used to hold her when she was a baby. They danced, they laughed, they sang. Aquata tried dancing but looked like she was in pain, Arista played with the band, Adella danced with some creatures, and even Attina joined a dance line.
Everyone was finally happy.
That was.... until someone found the club and snitched (Ariel suspected it was Marina but had no idea how she found it, nor any proof) to her dad, and he stormed in with his guards, silent with fury. "This... is how you watch over my daughter?" He'd seethed to Sebastian. The crab tried to defend himself, but couldn't come up with a valid reason. Ariel watched, desperate to help. Tears welled in her eyes, seeing innocent people getting shoved around by her fathers' power-hungry guards. "Lock him away," Her father commanded, pointing his trident at Sebastian.
Rationally, Ariel knew he wouldn't harm him: he was his best friend. But she wasn't thinking rationally, neither was Triton. "What!? No!" She yelled, swimming up to her father. "Lock them ALL away!" He yelled. "But your majesty, PLEASE!" Sebastian tried. Ariel swam up to her father, desperate to try and make him see reason. "Father, you can't do this!" She begged. Triton whipped around, pointing the trident at her. Ariel flinched backward. She heard her sisters gasp loudly behind her, worried for their sister. She stared into his eyes. The trident dropped away from her face, with a heavy sigh. She heard Adella say "No way did he just do that" to Arista, but didn't have the strength to say anything. Instead, Ariel hovered there, shocked. "Attina, take your sisters home," He spat, turning away.
Ariel still didn't move, she couldn't. "Yes sir," Attina said, and began ushering the sisters out. Ariel continued to stay still in fear that if she moved, she would burst into tears or go into a blind rage and do something she would later regret. Aquata and Attina wrapped their arms around Ariel's waist and guided her away from the man who just threatened her life.
~
They finally got back to the palace and were instructed to wait in their rooms until further instructions. Attina had long given up on Ariel and swam on ahead. Aquata and Arista assumed the role of guiding the shell shocked 15 year old to safety. Attina refused to speak to any of the siblings, choosing to pace instead.
When Aquata and Arista were happy that Ariel was safely deposited on her shell bed, they went and sat on their own. Ariel vacated the bed and chose to sit on the window instead. She stared into the vast ocean, sad. At some point, someone said something, but she didn't listen. The rest of her sisters left their room, save for Aquata. She gently sat on the window next to the youngest sibling. "Ariel, father wants to speak with us." She spoke, placing a hand on her younger sister's tail. "Well I don't," Ariel finally spoke. Aquata sighed. "If it's any consolation, I don't want to either, I have no respect for him after how he pointed the trident at you earlier. It was completely unneeded." She said. Ariel looked up at her. "But we need to go, because, if not for the fact he is our father, he is our King." Ariel looked away and blinked away some tears. "I wish mom was here still," She whispered, her throat thickening up with anguish.
Aquata sighed shakily. "So do I... but she's not, so.... we've gotta move on." Ariel scoffed, "Easy for you to say, you knew her better than I did. I was 3 when she died, you were 8. You have more memories with her, and more to remember her by. All I have is she used to sing." Aquata didn't say anything. "I know," She paused for a while. "To tell you the truth Ariel, when she first died, and sometimes now occasionally, I think to myself why couldn't it have been father? But then I remember that we'd be in the same place we are now, just without father." Ariel swallowed thickly. "Come on. Please?" Aquata begged. "Fine." Ariel gave in.
~
"You are all confined to the palace." Her dad spoke. "Yes sire," Attina replied. "Why don't you just lock us in jail?" Ariel snarked. She hadn't meant for him to hear, but he did. "Ariel, you are confined to the palace until you understand what you've done," he replied. "What did we do? Tell me, daddy!" She argued back. Attina spun around from in front, "ARIEL, leave it alone!" She snapped. Ariel glared, hurt by the betrayal. "No," She snapped. She swam up to her father. "We haven't done anything wrong! All we did was listen to music!"
"Which you know is forbidden!" Her father yelled. Ariel argued back: "But why? Why can't we have music?" Triton stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head and looking away. "This discussion is over." He said and began to swim away. "Just tell me!" Ariel begged. "I do not have to explain myself to you," He snapped as he swam away. "I don't understand! We used to love music!" Ariel tried again. Triton spun around again and got in her face. "I WILL NOT HAVE MUSIC IN MY KINGDOM!!" He yelled. Ariel flinched back. She was hurt and scared of the man she used to trust.
"FINE! THEN I WON'T BE PART OF YOUR KINGDOM ANYMORE!" She shrieked back and quickly swam away, sobbing.
~
Ariel swam to her room and immediately began gathering her things. She used her blanket as a makeshift bag and stuffed her pillow, backup seashell bra, and a flower from the flower wall by the window. She also grabbed her brush from under her bed. Her sisters began to come back through and saw the bag on the bed. "Ariel, don't be pathetic. You wouldn't survive a day out there, alone." Attina's sharp voice cut through the room. Ariel picked up her bag and stared defiantly into her eldest sister's eyes. "At least I'll die happier than I am in this place," She snapped. Arista gasped loudly. "Ariel, I'm warning you now. If you leave, he won't stop until you're back, you hear me? There will be people looking for you." Attina warned, glaring. "I. Don't. Care. I'm leaving, and you can either let me go peacefully, or I make you. I don't care which Attina, your choice." She stared, eyes watering. Attina spun around and refused to look at her.
"Fine. Tell him not to look for me, not unless someone is dead." That was the last thing she said before swimming out of their room.