The Little Mermaid (MirAndy Style)

Chapter 2

What were you thinking?" Richard swam back and forth agitatedly.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I forgot!" Andrea looked down. Richard sighed and sat down on his green throne.

"It was the peak of my career," Emily seethed, scuttling around on the arm of Richard's throne. "You made me look like a fool in front of everyone!"

"I'm so sorry!" Andrea turned her large brown eyes on Emily, but the stubborn crab looked away with a hmph.

"It wasn't her fault!" Doug tried to jump in to save his best friend. "Um, we got chased by a shark! And then, this stupid seagull kept blabbering on about a stupid snarfblat and stuff-"

"Seagull?" Richard interrupted and glared at Andrea, who wilted and gave Doug an angry look. "You went up to the surface again, didn't you?"

"Um-"

"Didn't you?" he said louder.

"Nothing...happened," Andrea tried to dig herself out of the very deep hole she now found herself in.

"This is exactly the kind of reckless behavior I can not condone-" Richard said angrily, glaring at his youngest daughter.

"-Reckless behavior!" Emily chimed in.

"-And what's worse," Richard sighed and rubbed his eyes, "is that you honestly believe they can't hurt you. Those barbarians will kill you Andrea. You mustn't go up to the surface again."

"They aren't barbarians daddy," Andrea swished her tail impatiently.

"They are dangerous," Richard thundered. "And if you live under my sea, you follow my rules."

"But-"

"And you are to NEVER EVER go up to the shore again. Do you understand?"

"But-" Andrea tried again helplessly.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Richard roared.

Andrea shrank back, and before any tears could fall, she bit her lip and swam away quickly. Richard sunk down on his throne and rested his weary head in his hand.

"Was I too harsh on her?" he asked Emily.

"Absolutely not," she humphed. "Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you. Why, if Andrea were my daughter, I'd show her who was boss."

"Hmm," Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked at his most faithful crab.

"Andy needs constant supervision," Emily continued on with her rant, pacing back and forth with her claw raised in the air.

"You're absolutely right," Richard said.

"Otherwise, she'd go up to the surface and get herself killed," Emily puffed out her chest. "Andrea needs somebody to watch her all the time."

"You are correct," Richard poked Emily's stomach. "And you are just the crab for the job."
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"How do I manage to do the one job I will absolutely detest?" Emily sighed as she scrambled down the long hallway. "I should be composing symphonies, not watching an obstinate teenager."

She paused when she saw the brunette with Doug. They whispered, and then with a flick of their tails, were off. Growling under her breath, Emily used her claws to propel herself forward. She followed silently, but it was difficult, since they were traveling fast, and she couldn't keep up that well. However, she knew that she had to see what they were up to. Andrea paused in front of a large boulder, and after checking both ways, she pushed it out of the way and allowed Doug to swim in first before following. The rock started rolling back into place, and Emily squeaked. Precious time was running out as she motored her small ligaments to squeeze through the door before it shut. Luckily, she made it, but unluckily, her middle was being squished from being caught in the middle. Scanning her surroundings, Emily reached out for some sort of cloth thing, and pulled as hard as her claws would let her. She popped through, and ricocheted off the walls.