The Little Mermaid: A Different Tail

~1: The hatred of humans began long ago...~

"Ariel! Your father will kill you!" Ariel gasped and dived back under the water, her 6-year-old tail flapping in surprise. "Mother! You scared me!" She gasped. Athena tutted with a frown and swam over, pulling her youngest daughter further away from the surface. "Somebody needs to!" Athena reprimanded. Ariel huffed. "What have we said about the surface, young lady?" She asked, stopping when they were far enough below. "No going to the surface," Ariel mumbled. "And what did you do today?" Athena asked once again. "Went to the surface," Her youngest mumbled once again. "What is it about the surface that you love so much?" Athena asked, brushing some of Ariel's fiery red locks away from her face. Ariel shrugged. "I don't know... it's interwesting." Athena chuckled. "Inter-rest-ing sweetheart. R, r, r."

~

Athena caught Ariel frequently up at the surface. She didn't always bust her for it, for Ariel was by far the most adventurous of her daughters, and didn't want her to lose that. But Athena lost another daughter to the surface, many many years ago. Ariel always asked the same question: "But mama, why can't we go up there? What's daddy so afraid of?" And one day, Athena told her.

They were on their traditional trip to the lagoon which bordered a castle. Athena had actually discovered the little lagoon when she was pregnant with Andrina, her youngest before Ariel. When Athena pulled herself over the rocks, she froze at the sight of another woman, a human woman. She too was pregnant. The woman's gasp unfroze Athena. "Oh my goodness," The woman had muttered. She was in the water as well, though only up to her knees. Her dress lay bunched up past her knees. "Hi," The woman spoke gently. "Come, I won't hurt you," Athena decided to trust her, for she had not really interacted with human women before. She swam over, being mindful to not show too much. "Oh my goodness, are you a mermaid?" She asked. Athena smiled slightly and nodded, flicking her tail in the water. "Oh, nobody believed me! I knew merfolk existed!" Athena chuckled. "Can you understand me?" The woman asked once more. "Yes, I can. And I do speak English as well... We all do," The woman had scoffed in a laughing way. "You can sit up here if you wish. I won't hurt you," Athena thought about it for a second and decided to hop next to the woman. She'd gasped. "I love your tail!" She gushed. Athena flicked it in the water. "Each tail has a unique colour set to their personality," Athena said. "What are the different colours then? If you don't mind me asking,"

Athena shook her head, "Not at all! All merfolk are born with a grey tail, and between their 1st and second birthday, their tail will adopt a colour suited for their traits and personality. The most common colours are light green, light blue, dark red and pink." Athena began to explain. "How about you? Do you have children then?" The lady interrupted. She then covered her mouth with a gasp, "I am so sorry! My eagerness got the better of me," Athena giggled, "It's fine. I have 6 daughters, so I'm used to excitement." The lady let her hand drop, the sheepish smile not leaving. "Most of my daughters have different coloured tails, except Arista and Alisa, they both have a dark red tail. Dark red usually means quite shy, but trustworthy." The lady placed a hand on her bump, "So, what are your other daughters called?" Athena dropped her tail back into the water, relishing in the instant coolness that enveloped her. "So, my eldest two are Alisa and Attina, Alisa has her dark red tail, but Attina has an orange one. Orange is the colour for a natural leader, like both my husband and I, except, we have dark blue, which means royalty," She paused, waiting to see if the lady had any questions. "I'd gathered you were royality by the way you held yourself, but that makes sense." The lady mused aloud.

"Next, is Alana with a violet tail. Then, Adella with a pale green tail. Aquata with a blue tail. Arista with a dark red tail, and our next baby, should it be a little girl, will be Andrina." Athena continued. "And what do their colours mean?" The lady asked. "So, violet is polite and vain, pale green is excitable, blue is playful and dark red is shy and trustworthy,"

The lady sighed whistfully, "How doesn't your husband mind that you have bore him 6 daughters? My husbands counsil would force him to marry another by that point," Athena frowned, "Should the baby's sex matter?" She asked. "To my husbands council, yes. They want a boy who can ascend the throne... despite previously having a Queen by birth," Athena rubbed her belly, "Sounds like your husbands council need stern words," The lady giggled. "Don't I know! They barely let me marry him!"

And so, the two expectant mothers chatted away until dusk. Athena came to know that the lady was Queen Liliana of Denmark, married to King Reginald of Denmark.

But, as promised, once Athena birthed Andrina, she took her whole family up to see her fast-friend. Liliana brought her own baby along, and Athena was very surprised at the resemblance his eyes held to the sea.

It became a tradition to meet on the eve of every full moon in the lagoon, complete with Triton and her now 7 daughters. A few full moons later, Athena found out she was expecting again. She went up to tell her friend, who was also expecting. But when Athena gave birth to Ariel, and they went up to see Lilian and her baby boy, Eric (who was now a year old) neither were there. She came to know that Lilian had passed away in childbirth, including the baby, leaving her husband a widow, and her son motherless.

Athena didn't go up to the lagoon as much as she used to, but still on every 2nd full moon, if not for pleasure, then for her friend's memory.

It was in that very same lagoon, she lost her oldest daughter, Alisa.

Alisa was holding Ariel while everybody played with instruments. Ariel began to get fussy, so Athena went over to take her from Alisa to the nurse. And it was then, an almighty bang echoed through the air. The family froze, waiting in shock. Another bang echoed through the air, meaning someone was after them. Her daughters screamed and cried, while the other merfolk dived under the water, abandoning their instruments. Athena dived under and began pulling her girls in by their tails, getting them out of the way of whoever was shooting at them. Triton began to help the others back into the water, and Athena did a quick headcount. Including Ariel, there were 7 heads. With a cold rush down her spine, Athena passed Ariel onto Attina and swam up to the surface again. Not a single tail lay, the people had all abandoned their things. The water was earily still. Until: "Ew, is she dead?" Athena zoned in on two burly men poking a mermaid with a stick. She saw the hair and the tail and immediately recognised her. "Looks that way. Looks like boss got one after all!" Followed by a sickening round of laughter. Athena glared, fuled by rage. She reached deep within and began chanting. "Échete adikísei to láthos átomo. Egó, vasílissa Athiná, se vrízo na ponás se káthe sou víma. Eíthe oi bótes sas na gemísoun me velónes, to aíma sas na vrázei zestó, ta mátia sas, na réei aíma. Eíthe na min vlápseis poté állon!" The water lit up a faint golden colour, rushing to the men surrounding her daughter.

Athena dropped below the surface, hearing the men scream in pain above.

The kingdom mourned the loss of the eldest daughter, and never went up to the surface again.

"Oh..." Ariel said after Athena had finished. Now, Ariel was 9 and beginning to understand things a bit more. "So... humans killed Alisa?" Athena nodded. "And daddy is worried I'll die as well?" She nodded again. "I feel sad now," Ariel whimpered, hiding in her mom's wavy auburn hair. "Ariel, it is ok to be sad, but you must understand why your father and I are so worried about you going up there," Ariel nodded. "I do... I do understand. But as long as I don't leave the water, am I still ok to watch the sun go to bed? It's very pretty," Athena thought about it. "I suppose so, as long as you're with me, or one of your other sisters."

"Ok, mama."

Translation:

You have wronged the wrong person.
I, Queen Athena, curse you to feel pain with every step you take. May your boots be filled with needles, your blood boiling hot, your eyes, stream blood.
May you never harm another!