This one will be pretty close to the original story. So be prepared for sadness.
Ariel was a curious mermaid. She loved anything that came from the human world. She would search through shipwrecks with Flounder and collect human treasures from them, although she knew that if her father ever found out about her collection, she would be punished.
He would always remind Ariel of her mother's death by humans. Ariel knew she should stay away from them, but she just couldn't. Everything about the human world was so fascinating to her, it drew her in.
After her and Flounder found the day's treasures, they headed to the surface to see Scuttle, the seagull. Scuttle explained the human things to Ariel, who listened intently to every word. As Ariel and Flounder entered Ariel's secret cave, Sebastian followed them.
Sebastian looked around and groaned, if king Triton found out about this, he would be crab salad. He wasn't watching where he was going and crashed into a cup which caused a chain reaction. Everything began falling and Sebastian flew across the cave. "Sebastian," Ariel asked in a panic.
"What is all of this Ariel? If your father knew about dis," Sebastian began, but Flounder swam into his face and yelled, "You aren't going to tell him are you?"
Sebastian looked over at Ariel's pleading face and sighed. "No of course not. Now come on, your father is expecting you," he said as he swam for the exit. Ariel cringed, she had forgotten about the musical that was today, she was about to be in trouble.
They hurried towards the exit and swam rapidly towards the king's throne. King Triton, as predicted, was not happy with his youngest daughter. Ariel was trying to explain herself, without giving herself away, when Flounder butted in and spilled everything. Ariel glared at him then sighed as her father yelled at her some more. Ariel's bottom lip quivered and she swam off towards her secret cave to be alone.
As she cried a dark shadow covered the top of her cave. Curiosity got the best of her once again and Ariel swam to find out what was going on. A huge ship floated on the water and there was music coming from it.
"Ariel! No," Sebastian yelled as Ariel swam closer. "You might be seen," he added, but she wasn't listening. She reached the ship and peered at the people on deck. Her eyes took in every movement they made with their legs and every sound that came from their instruments.
Ariel watched a certain pair of feet and then looked up to see the most beautiful being she had ever seen. His hair was stark black and his eyes were piercing blue, like the ocean on a clear day. He was beautiful. As he talked to some old man, a storm hit. Ariel was blown back into the water. She watched as the ship blew up and capsized into the water.
Quickly she searched the water for him and found him floating on some driftwood about to fall under the water. Ariel grabbed him quickly and swam him to the shore. She laid beside him and studied his features carefully. "He's beautiful," she murmured to her friends.
Eric was waking up and heard a beautiful voice talking beside his ear. By the time his eyes opened, the voice and the girl were gone. Sebastian had gotten Ariel away just in time and now they were swimming back towards Atlantica. "I can't believe you did that Ariel," he chided, but Ariel wasn't listening, she was planning on ways to see him again.
Sebastian sighed heavily, he had to get it through her head that seeing him was a very bad idea. As the days passed, Ariel's father noticed something strange going on with his daughter. When he cornered Sebastian about it, Sebastian let it slip that Ariel had saved a human and thought she was in love with him.
King Triton roared out in anger and demanded that Sebastian took him to Ariel immediately. Sebastian sighed sadly and did as the king demanded. Ariel was looking at her newest treasure, a statue of Eric, when her dad stormed in a paused. His eyes narrowed as he stared at all of the human things around the room and on the statute his daughter was clinging too.
Ursula, the sea witch was watching the events unfold through her crystal ball. She grinned as she watched the king destroy everything his daughter had treasured. She sent her eels out to fetch Ariel, she had a very delicious plan in place.
Once king Triton was done destroying his daughter's life, he swam off. He felt betrayed and that caused his harsh outburst. Ariel cried as she stared at her ruined things. Flounder and Sebastian looked on helplessly as she cried harder over the ruined statue. Ursula's eels took that moment to strike. They coaxed Ariel into seeing the sea witch.
Sebastian and Flounder followed when Ariel wouldn't listen to their pleas for her not to go. Ariel swam into the cave and looked at the seaweed looking things that kept grabbing at her. She swam up to avoid them and then entered Ursula's lair.
Ursula grinned and swam over to Ariel and they discussed the situation at hand. "So all's you gotta do is get dear princy to fall in love with you before the end of the third day. Seal it with true love's kiss and you will remain human, permanently," she said with a grin.
"And if he doesn't," Ariel asked unsure.
"Then you'll belong to me. Don't tell me you are underestimating yourself," Ursula coaxed gently.
Ariel sighed and shook her head. Her voice was a small price to pay for true love and happiness. She grabbed the pen and signed the contract. Sebastian and Flounder watched in horror as Ursula took Ariel's voice and then as Ariel's fin split into two legs. Ariel would have screamed from the horrific pain, but her voice was now gone.
Sebastian and Flounder hurried to Ariel's side as she struggled to swim to the surface. Ariel gasped for air once they reached the surface. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode. Sebastian perched on her leg and tried to come up with a plan to get the prince to notice her. Scuttle hurried to get something to cover her with while Sebastian and Flounder tried to get her to walk.
Ariel stood up and made a face like she was screaming. The excruciating pain that came with her legs was nothing short of unbearable. Her body collapsed to the ground as tears fell from her eyes. Her friends didn't know what to do, they knew if they told her father that, not only would he be furious, but Ariel would be miserable. Yet, they hated seeing the pain she was in. Each step she took it felt like broken glass was being shoved into her feet.
When she finally got used to walking, not the pain the movement, she pulled on the sheet that Scuttle had brought and wrapped it around herself. Suddenly, the prince arrived and saw Ariel struggling to walk. He stared into her tear filled eyes and knew that she had been through a lot.
"Easy now. What's your name," he asked her as he looped her arm around his shoulder and helped her towards his castle. Ariel tried to speak, but the words never came. Eric sighed and nodded, "You can't speak right?" Ariel nodded sadly.
Eric nodded again and escorted her into the castle where the maids hurried to get her cleaned up and into some clothes.
Ursula wasted no time with her plan. She found a human and used Ariel's voice on her then told the human what to do. Eric was walking along the beach when he spotted her. "Hello," she said and Eric immediately knew the voice. "It's you," he replied happily and ran up to her.
Vanessa smiled and nodded. "It's me," she replied and fell into his embrace.
Eric brought her back to the castle and introduced her to everyone, including Ariel. Ariel ran off crying and fell into her bed. Over the next couple of days, Eric had shown his love for Vanessa. She wanted him to be happy and so she had her friends get her father. King Triton changed Ariel back into a mermaid and then brought her to Ursula.
Ursula grinned and taunted, "Oh no, she belongs to me."
King Triton unleashed his anger and killed Ursula in an instant. Ariel sighed, she was free from Ursula, but she still didn't have her voice nor did she have Eric. Soon Ariel's heartbreak overcame her and she became one with the sea.
