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Chapter 6: Elsa's Little Mermaid

(Ariel)

With every beat of her tail, Ariel ascended to the surface, the sky in all of its vastness seeming within reach. She yearned for the day that she would be able to see her mother again, to join in the great, deep ocean of stars and hold her and hug her and hear that soft, melodic voice speak to her once again. Of course, to meet her mother again would mean to die and that was the worst part of being able to have the chance to be with the late Queen Athena again. Ariel had no intention of dying today for she had only one objective right now: getting back to Elsa.

After the long swim away from Mantis Forest, Ariel had returned safely to Elsa's boat. As the young mermaid resurfaced, she noticed tiny, white flakes falling around the boat, glimmering in the sunlight. She had recognized them as snowflakes from when she had been a human living on land. Ariel marveled at their beauty. As one floated down toward the water, Ariel moved a little and let it land on her nose. It was cold, like her home at the bottom of the ocean, but then it melted away.

Elsa had her back turned to where Ariel had surfaced. Those same white snowflakes fell all around the blonde, making Elsa's blonde hair glimmer like the stars in the night's sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight and for snow to be falling on such a warm day made no sense at all, but Ariel paid that bit of knowledge little attention. She, instead, just marveled at the snow's beauty, at Elsa's beauty.

"They're beautiful," Ariel said softly.

Elsa turned to see Ariel with her head poking out of the water, her red hair clinging to the sides of her face, her clamshell hair band doing its job at keeping the hair out of the mermaid's eyes. Elsa quickly flailed her arms in the air, batting away the snowflakes. She stammered, "Uh, yeah... Weird, summer snow... I heard it happens every once and a great while."

Elsa seemed edgy and frightened, Ariel noticed. "I've only ever seen snow a couple of times," Ariel said. "Living in the ocean, we don't get snow and my father disapproves of my sisters and me coming to the surface. Though, there was this place two summers ago that had been covered in snow and ice over a single night. It was magical," Ariel awed at the memory. Elsa's eyes widened with horror. "It was as if something had cursed the land and the surrounding fjord with a bizarre summertime winter. It's somewhere up north. I don't know what humans call it, but merfolk call it the Summersnow Kingdom. Father took us all to see it. It was the one time he allowed us to go to the surface since"—Ariel paused. She thought of the last time her father had allowed his kingdom to the surface. They had all come to save the princess from her imprisonment by her ex-husband, Prince Eric of Glowerhaven. "Well, it doesn't matter," Ariel finished, shaking the memory from her mind.

Elsa shifted her eyes. "So, you're not scared?" she stammered.

"Scared?" asked Ariel. "What would I be scared of? It's just snow." She opened her mouth, letting a snowflake melt on her tongue. "Though, on a day like today I would assume it to be rain, now that I think about it." Ariel looked up to the cloudless sky. "Actually, there aren't any clou—"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Elsa said quickly, interrupting the mermaid. "There's nothing magical about it. It's just snow." Elsa sat back, her shoulders slumped as if she was upset about something. She, then, quickly perked up. "What do you think of it?"

"It's very pretty," Ariel said. Seeing the snow fall around Elsa and glimmer against the sunlight, Ariel felt an odd sense of calmness about her, not that she had been feeling stressed before. She once again noticed the beauty that was Elsa. Her eyes glistened with their beautiful icy blue glow. Her disheveled hair sparkled in the sunlight as snowflakes littered her platinum blonde locks. Her smile was bright and warm. Forgetting about the lack of clouds in the sky as she had been too mesmerized by Elsa, Ariel asked, "Can I join you?"

Elsa nodded. "Come on in."

"Oh, but first,"—Ariel lifted her arm out of the water and handed Elsa the conch shell—"I got this for you. I thought it was pretty and since you're pretty, too, I figured you may like it?"

Elsa blushed and took the conch. Its surface was rich with pinks and oranges like the painted twilight sky with shades of green algae staining several of the shell's spires. The shell was smooth and a bit fuzzy to the touch, which Elsa grimaced at, but upon realizing Ariel was watching her, she smiled again. "Thank you. It is very pretty." She sat the conch in the boat beside her.

Ariel smiled back at the blonde. "I'm glad you like it. If you hold it up to your ear, you can sometimes hear the sea whisper its secrets to you."

Elsa looked back at the conch, tilting her head slightly. She picked it up again and held it to her ear. She could hear the hum of the sea, but nothing more. "It's not saying anything," Elsa said, frowning.

"It'll speak to you when the sea has something worth saying." Ariel thought back to when she first acquired the conch. It had said, Beware of the Queen. But who was the Queen? Ariel brushed the thought away.

Ariel lifted her other arm from the water and threw the mantis shrimp into the boat. The boat shifted in the water as Ariel climbed in. "I found us a delicious mid-afternoon lunch!" Ariel twisted and turned until she was relaxing with her back against the side of the boat and her tail hanging over the edge, her fin resting atop the water. She added with a smirk, "Well, I assume it's delicious, anyways. I've heard great things about mantis shrimp! I've personally never had the luxury of being asked out on an expensive date."

Ariel turned and observed Elsa, her eyes wide, her upper lip curled, her jaw hanging agape. She looked mortified. "What's wrong?" asked Ariel. "Do I have something on me?" Ariel began searching her body. "It's not the bra, is it?"

Her new bra was beige and matched the sand that she had often sat in when she would go down to the beach to see her old friends from the sea during her two years while living in Glowerhaven. It was certainly a stark contrast from her lavender seashell bra that she had owned and wore when she was younger. At least that bra had been pretty, Ariel noted. This new one was just bland in appearance, but then again it fit comfortably and that's all she could really ask for.

Elsa pointed at the dead shrimp lying in the boat. "What... is that?" she exclaimed, her voice quavering with disgust.

Ariel leaned forward, picking up the shrimp. Her hand wrapped around its rough, scaly abdomen, her fingers resting in its many legs. As she held it up she noticed in the sunlight that the mantis shrimp had been quite colorful, beautiful even. It ranged from colors of aqua blue to green like her tail to orange and red like the sky during sunset. Its body fell limp as its large, orange claws dangled away from its body. It was easily well over a fin long.

"It's a mantis shrimp. You see, down where I live in Atlantica the mantis shrimp is considered something of a rare treat. It's for those extra special occasions." She wriggled her eyebrows at the word 'special'. "They're also supposed to be really dangerous to catch what with these claws that they have, but I"—Ariel smirked, feeling proud of herself—"caught and killed one all by myself. Actually, I nearly killed an entire nest of them," she added to herself, that last part. She tossed the shrimp toward Elsa. "You can have the first bite."

"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Elsa scrambled toward the bow of the small boat again, just as she had done upon first meeting the mermaid. "Get it out of here!"

"What? Why?"

Elsa stared in horror at the dead arthropod. Ariel noticed the blonde shudder and then she leaned forward and hastily threw the shrimp from the boat. Ariel watched it fly through the air and land in the water with a splash. "No!" Ariel screamed. Before she could dive in the water after their meal, the water rippled and then the rare delicacy was gone. Ariel's mouth hung agape as she watched all of her hard work taken from her by presumably a hungry fish. She turned and scowled at Elsa. "I would have eaten that if you weren't going to!"

Elsa cowered in her corner not saying a word as the mermaid shouted at her. Ariel crossed her arms over her breasts and sat back in the boat, muttering incoherently to herself. Her fin flapped erratically at the thought of her dinner being thrown away. They sat in silence for a long time.

# # #

A blurred glare sitting on the surface, the sun was furthering its descent into the underworld. As the sun's orange glow warmed her drying red hair and her bare back, Ariel sat in the boat, brooding, with her eyebrows knitted together, her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. She contemplated just leaving. If my hard work for a decent meal isn't going to be appreciated, then maybe I should just go! Elsa is gorgeous and wonderful, or so I thought, but if she can't appreciate me getting us dinner, then—

Ariel's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of sniffling. She recognized it as human crying. She turned her attention to Elsa and her hardened expression softened. Elsa was sitting as closely to the bow as she could with her knees tucked up against her chest, her face hidden behind her hands. Her body trembled and immediately Ariel felt awful for shouting at the young woman. Ariel's eyes drifted to the bed of the boat as her shoulders slumped.

"Hey," Ariel said softly, "I didn't mean to yell at you." Elsa kept sniffling and crying softly to herself. "I'm sorry." Ariel twisted and laid on her belly, her arms extended as she kept her back arched, showing off her new bra. "Look, I found a bra. You don't have to be embarrassed when looking at me anymore."

Elsa didn't look up, though. She kept to herself and continued to cry. Ariel tried to think of something she could say or do to show Elsa that she wasn't upset about the shrimp, even though she really had wanted to eat it. Ariel noticed her leather pouch that Elsa had tucked between her thighs and her belly.

"My mother gave me that pouch, you know? She said she had found it when she was younger, but I think someone had given it to her. It used to have a name embroidered across it, but it's since worn out being in the sea for so long. That's how I came up with the name James for you when I thought you were a man."

Elsa sniffled. She lifted her head slightly. Ariel's story seemed to be working. Elsa looked at the mermaid, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks wet with tears. She pulled the leather pouch from between her legs and her belly. She looked at the pouch that the mermaid had turned into a satchel and tried to pronounce the name, or what was left of the name, anyways. "James... ...mewhoo...?"

Ariel giggled, hoping Elsa would giggle with her. She didn't. "It used to read James Bartholomew Hook. I don't know who he was. My mother would never speak of him. She just happened to have his leather pouch and when I was younger she gave it to me and told me to keep it. She entrusted me with it. I miss my mother dearly." As Ariel thought about her beloved mother, she sighed knowing that if she was human she would surely be shedding a few tears to her memories. "She was a wonderful sea maiden," Ariel added, softly, endearingly.

Elsa wiped her eyes and rubbed her finger across her nose. "What was she like?"

"She was compassionate, loving, and a wonderful mother to me and my six sisters; she loved my father, and she loved all us—her children—with all of her heart and then some. My mother always put everyone first and foremost in her life, especially when it came to her family. She loved to sing—oh!—she had the most amazing voice I had and have ever heard." Ariel's face lit up at being able to expel such wonderful praise for her beloved and dearly departed mother. "She had a voice that could make Poseidon swoon." Ariel chuckled. "I loved my mother." Her gleeful expression faded to that of loss and sorrow. "I love my mother," she added, dolefully, making sure to put an emphasis on 'love'.

Elsa reached out, handing the leather pouch to the mermaid across from her. Ariel took it and held it close to her cheek, the leather reminding the mermaid of when she was younger and would cuddle up next to her mother—her head resting peacefully atop her mother's soft bosom. "She sounds wonderful," said Elsa, still sniffling. "What was her name?"

"Athena," Ariel said gently.

"That's a really beautiful name. I bet she was a really beautiful mermaid."

"More beautiful than any mermaid or human I've ever laid eyes on," Ariel said. Though, you're a very close second, Ariel added to herself. Ariel's response elicited a chuckle from Elsa. Ariel perked up, curious at what was so funny. "What?"

Elsa shook her head. "It's nothing. Just the words 'more beautiful'... my sister would have said beautifuller. It reminded me of her. She was pregnant when I left. I just"—Elsa paused, casting her eyes to the calm water—"I just hope I get to see her again."

"You will," Ariel promised. "I'll make sure of it. I'll get you home."

Still looking out at the water, Elsa said, "I don't even know where I am. How am I supposed to get home? I'm lost."

Ariel thought about their location for a moment. How far had she come from Atlantica? She had swum at least half a day from her home before coming across Elsa's ship. She, then, had followed the ship until later that night when the storm had hit. She had rescued Elsa and swum a significant distance while pushing the boat to escape the sharks, and then she had slept. Upon waking up she had discovered the boat missing and she had to swim another few hours to find it which brought them to where they were now, about an hour north of the Mantis Forest. How far they had traveled Ariel really didn't know, but for the sake of giving Elsa hope she was willing to guess.

"Well, I'd say we're about a day's swim north of the Floating Stars."

"The Floating Stars," said Elsa. "What are the Floating Stars?"

"Something else my mother had told me when I was younger was that when all merfolk pass away, they float up to the stars to be in the Great Sea in the sky. Every star in the night's sky is a merfolk looking down on their friends or family and the Floating Stars are the ones ascending to the Great Sea. It happens once every year during the summer near Corona. The spirits of all of the deceased merfolk from the past year gather at Corona and ascend together so no one has to be alone when making the travel. It's actually quite beautiful, and although I don't look forward to death, I do look forward to the travel someday. It'll be nice to see my mother again." Ariel smiled, memories of her mother warming her heart, causing her jaw to slightly tremble.

"Corona," said Elsa. "You mean, as in the Kingdom of Corona?"

Ariel nodded. "Yeah, that's it. We actually call it the Island of Stars, but because of being at the surface so often, I've heard people call it Corona. I just assumed that was the land's human name."

"Oh, so the Floating Stars... you think that they're"—Elsa paused as if she was thinking about something. Her red, puffy eyes met Ariel's. A smile lifted across her lips. "That's a beautiful story. It's really wonderful that all of your departed would get together to travel to the Great Sea above all at once."

Ariel smiled as she looked to the sky. "Yeah, I just hope my mother is looking down on me and smiling at the mermaid I've become. She wouldn't put up with the dumb rule that my father instated about all of us never coming to the surface. She loved being at the surface. She would encourage us to go out and explore. We'd still be shy around humans and would need to keep our distance, but she would at least let us see the sky, taste the air, and feel the sunlight on our cold skin and slick tails." Ariel brought her gaze back to Elsa's tantalizing eyes. "I just hope I make her proud."

Elsa moved closer to Ariel. The boat rocked back and forth on the surface. She sat down and gently put her hand on Ariel's forearm. With Elsa's touch, Ariel felt her heart skip a beat. A warm rush of tingles went through her body and settled in her tail. Ariel could feel a hot blush settling in her cheeks. "She is," Elsa said, confidently and without doubt.

Elsa's stomach growled. Both girls looked at the blonde's mid-section. Together, they both began giggling. "I guess I'm still hungry," chuckled Elsa.

"Well, I brought you lunch and you tossed it away," Ariel said, feigning anger.

Elsa blushed and turned her head. "Yeah, I'm still deeply sorry about that. It's just that bugs creep me out and that looked like the ocean's equivalent to a gigantic bug."

Ariel laughed. "Oh, but a tasty bug I would imagine!"

Elsa sat back, placing her hands on her stomach. "I wish I had something to eat. I wish there was an island around here or something where I could stretch my legs and find some fruit or something. I'm really getting annoyed by all of this water." Realizing she was sitting next to a mermaid, Elsa suddenly added, "Not that you're annoying me! You're not!" Ariel grinned. "It's just that humans aren't made for the sea. We're land mammals."

"Makes so much sense why you're constantly crossing our seas," Ariel jested.

"Eh, travel," Elsa said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'll find us some lunch if you promise not to throw it overboard again," Ariel said.

"What are you going to find out here?" asked Elsa. "There's nothing but water out here."

"That's all I need. There's plenty to eat under the sea."

Elsa's eyes widened. Before she could tell Ariel not to go, the mermaid was gone, disappearing into the sea once more.

# # #

As Ariel swam in search of something quick and easy to feast upon, she thought more about Elsa. It's more than just beauty with her. She's a truly sweet and wonderful person. Sure, Eric was the same way at first as well, but something about Elsa is different. She has a heart that beats with love. She's compassionate and endearing. She loves her sister. She makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. She makes me feel like I'm in the right place when I'm with her.

Swimming further away from the boat, Ariel came across a school of mackerel lounging in the warm seawater. Being out in the open, she knew she would have to rely on speed to catch one of the fish. As soon as the fish would spot her, they would undoubtedly swim away in a rush to get to safety. Mermaids were well known as not only being protectors of the sea, but for being fierce predators to those fish not considered their friends.

Ariel lurked in the water like the predator she was, keeping extremely still. Her hair floated above her like red tentacles from a sea anemone. With quick precision, Ariel darted off into the school of mackerel and captured one in her hand. The others swam away from the mermaid in all directions screaming, "Mermaid! Swim away!"

The mackerel squirmed in Ariel's hand, attempting to get free. Ariel tightened her grip around the fish ensuring that it was hers. She gloated to herself at catching the silver-scaled mackerel. Fish were actually never that hard to catch for mermaids, but the fact that she didn't have to go chasing after one made this moment all the better. She would be able to return to Elsa quickly which brought more warm tingles to her tail.

Gods, what is it about her?

# # #

(Elsa)

Elsa sat patiently in the boat waiting for Ariel, her friend, her savior, to return. Though, honestly she felt a bit worried. Sure, she had eaten fish before, but she had never eaten raw fish. How would she tell Ariel that she wasn't in the mood to eat? She already knew that Elsa was hungry, that's why she had disappeared under the sea for the second time to get food. Elsa had upset the mermaid by throwing out their first meal, how could she possibly get out of this without upsetting the mermaid yet again?

Elsa's eyes were wide and she wringed her hands. Sweat lined her brow. The sun was nearing the western horizon, taking much of the harsh heat with it. At least that's one problem out of the way, Elsa thought. Then again, that leaves me stranded out at sea in the dark for another night. At least I have Ariel. I know she'll keep me safe.

The thought of the mermaid warmed Elsa's heart. I can't believe we were both at Corona the same night watching the floating lanterns. It's amazing that mermaids and humans can perceive the same thing as two totally different things. To us, the floating lanterns are a symbol of Rapunzel's birth and her return to her rightful home in the kingdom; but, to mermaids the floating lanterns are the souls of their brethren swimming to the Great Sea high in the sky. It's truly beautiful. Elsa felt the corner of her lips lift. If only we could have met at Corona two nights ago, perhaps we could have watched the Floating Stars together. Elsa caught herself referring to the lanterns as stars. She liked it. She could have been my other half, the Eugene to my Rapunzel.

Just then the water rippled and Ariel's head broke through the surface. Elsa noticed the red head, and worry had returned to her face. Ariel must have noticed, because she immediately asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Elsa shook her head. She forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing. I wasn't expecting you to get dinner so quickly."

"Well, I hope you're starving, because"—Ariel lifted her hand from the water, the mackerel flailing around in her grasp—"I brought food! It may not be a mantis shrimp, but it'll do."

Ariel tossed the fish into the boat and then climbed in. The mackerel flopped around, gasping. Elsa lurched away just as she had done with the mantis shrimp, except this time she didn't shriek or throw the food back into the water.

"It's alive!" Elsa stammered.

"Of course it's alive. You weren't expecting me to find a dead, half-consumed fish were you?"

"But, it's—it's flopping around! It's alive!"

Ariel stared at Elsa and then sighed. She grabbed the fish with both hands and snapped its spine, showing no remorse. The crunch of its bones elicited a half-gasp/half-shriek from Elsa. Her hands were covering her mouth in horror as she watched the fish fall from Ariel's hands into the boat, limp and lifeless. Though sweet, beautiful, and her own personal savior, Elsa recognized that Ariel still had a savage side to her at heart.

But, to what extent is she really different from any one of us, Elsa thought. Wouldn't we all do the same thing in her situation? She grew up in the sea. Killing and eating fish is as natural to her as killing and eating fish is to us, or deer even. Elsa shifted her eyes. Well, except for Kristoff, but he's just strange anyways.

Ariel picked up the fish. "Don't be frightened. It won't bite... anymore," she smirked. She wriggled the fish at Elsa. Elsa shrieked and cowered away causing Ariel to laugh. "Oh, come on, it's dead. Let's eat!"

Elsa watched as Ariel stuck the fish's head in her mouth. Wondering if Ariel had planned on eating the fish whole as is, she gasped when Ariel bit down on the mackerel, hard. The bones broke with a sickening crunch and Ariel yanked the fish's body from her teeth, the fish now headless. Ariel turned and spit the head into the water, traces of blood dripping down the mermaid's chin. Ariel used her sharp nails like a knife to slice the fish open. She opened the fish up slightly and proceeded to gut it using her nails, tossing a few of the innards into the sea and a few into her mouth. She spread the fish's body completely open like a book and picked out several of its bones. She then ripped the fish into two halves and handed one of the halves to Elsa. Elsa's face was green with disgust.

"You don't look so well," Ariel noted.

Elsa felt her stomach churn. She leaned over the side of the boat and proceeded to vomit into the water. Unfortunately, her stomach was empty so she only heaved and spit saliva. She needed to eat, but she wasn't sure she could bring herself to eat the fish that had literally been slaughtered right in front of her.

When Elsa sat back in the boat, she looked at the mermaid. Ariel was raking her nails along the fish's body. When she flicked her fingers at the water, scales from the fish floated on the surface, glimmering in the dying sunlight. "I'm not a huge fan of the scales," said Ariel, turning to Elsa. "They get in my teeth."

Elsa felt the urge to vomit once again, but she did her best to keep the feeling at bay. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, the smell of the salty sea filling her lungs. She was lucky she had her ice magic to use as a way of keeping herself hydrated when Ariel wasn't looking, because she was afraid of what Ariel would have done had she needed freshwater to drink.

Elsa picked up the fish half that Ariel had given her and stared at it. Blood dripped from its severed body. Her heart thudded in her chest and every inch of her body was screaming at her to not eat the fish. She hadn't come up with an excuse to deny Ariel's treat seeing as how she knew that, 'Ew! Ew! Ew! I'm not eating this!' was an unacceptable excuse. Plus, she didn't want to insult the mermaid again. Besides, she needed to eat something and there was nothing else for her to eat out in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe raw fish is a delicacy somewhere in the world? Elsa thought.

Hesitantly, Elsa brought the ripped mackerel to her lips. Her hands trembled. The fish wasn't flattering to look at being raw and bloody. She imagined it cooked and seasoned, like she was used to having her fish back home in Arendelle. She inhaled a deep breath, the coppery smell of blood replacing the salty sea fragrance in her lungs. She felt the urge to vomit yet again, but she was able to stifle the feeling. Opening her mouth, Elsa bit down on the fish and pulled away, a small chunk of flesh sitting idly on her tongue.

The fish was in her mouth, but now what? She couldn't bring herself to chew. I made it this far, just chew the damn thing! Thoughts were stronger than action. Her jaw locked. Saliva was building in her mouth, mixing with the fish and the blood. There was a metallic twang to what was sitting on her tongue, but all-in-all Elsa noted that the taste was... not bad, she thought. It was far from being delicious, but it wasn't as horrid as she thought it would have been. Elsa forced herself to chew. The texture was a bit rubbery and the scales were actually the worst part.

She swallowed.

"So, what do you think?" asked Ariel, her half of the fish completely consumed.

Elsa felt saliva running down her chin. As she wiped it away, she noticed it was actually blood. Her queasiness settled, surprisingly. Elsa cleared her throat, noticing the strong taste of blood still lingering in her mouth. "The aftertaste isn't too pleasant what with the blood, and the scales I really don't care for, but it's okay. It's not something I want to eat everyday and I would still prefer to have it cooked, but for being stranded out at sea it's a meal." Elsa surprised herself by taking another bite.

Ariel held out her hand. "Give me the fish."

Confused, Elsa cocked her head since her mouth was presently occupied with raw mackerel.

Ariel smiled, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "I'll remove the scales for you."

Elsa nodded, still chewing the fish. She handed it to Ariel and the mermaid began raking her nails along the fish. Elsa swallowed, staring at the mermaid scale her dinner. There was something endearing about Ariel that made Elsa smile and feel safe when she was in Ariel's presence, yet there was also the savagery of the young mermaid that Elsa wasn't used to. Ariel had not only saved the Queen and vowed to protect her, but she was willing to feed her and stay with her just so she wouldn't have to be alone. She's not even supposed to be up here with me, Elsa thought. Yet, here she is. Elsa stared longingly at the red haired, green tailed mermaid until she noticed her heart flutter in her chest. "Why are you doing this?" asked Elsa.

As Ariel flicked her fingers at the water, the peeled scales floating on the surface, she cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Elsa began, repositioning herself to not only find a more comfortable position, but to find a way to be closer to Ariel without making it obvious, "why did you rescue me? Why are you staying with me?"

Ariel flicked her fingers at the water again. The piece of fish had been completely scaled. Its flesh was pink and more closely resembled a fish that Elsa was used to eating, pre-cooked of course. Ariel handed it back to the blonde.

"I just...thought it was the right thing to do. Mermaids aren't evil sea creatures like some people think we are." She spoke as if she had knowledge of people referring to mermaids as vile and wretched sea demons. "We're actually quite kind and peaceful. I wanted to save all of those men on your ship, but I couldn't. There were just too many. And the sharks..." Ariel's voice lingered. Noticing the hurt in Ariel's voice, Elsa reached out and gently placed a hand on the mermaid's forearm. Ariel smiled and blushed as she brought her beautiful eyes to meet Elsa's. She continued, "Then, I noticed you trapped under the sail and I made it my mission to save at least one person. And I did."

Elsa felt a smile form on her lips. The pain of losing her men would always be on her conscience, but there was nothing more she could do for them now. She could only hope that they were in a better place. She took a bite of the fish, this time it tasting slightly better without the scales.

"Do you not want me here?" asked the young mermaid, coyly.

Elsa quickly swallowed. "No, I do!" Realizing the suddenness of her reply, Elsa took another bite so as not to show her embarrassment. You do things to me... You make me feel things I've never felt before.

Ariel smiled. "Well, I'm glad, because honestly I'm happy to have met you."

There it was. Elsa's cheeks turned blazing red. Even with her body being unnaturally cold, she could feel the heat in her cheeks. She turned her head away from Ariel trying to hide her embarrassment. I'm happy to have met—

There was a splash as the boat rocked back and forth. Elsa turned back toward the mermaid and she was gone. Elsa desperately began searching for her, finding the beautiful red head floating behind the boat.

"We've been here for most of the day," Ariel said. "What do you say we get out of here? The faster we move the faster we can get you home."

Home, Elsa thought. Home...

Elsa nodded. "Okay, but why are you in the water?"

"I'm going to push you, silly."

"Push me? I don't need you to push me. Get back in this boat!" Elsa demanded, her hierarchy as Queen coming through.

"I'm going to push you from underneath," explained Ariel. "It's how I got you away from the shark last night."

"But, I can row," said Elsa, pointing at the oars on either side of the boat. "Using these are how I managed to get away from you this morning."

"You did get fairly far," Ariel said, pondering for a moment.

"Yes, now get back in this boat!"

"I think I'll just swim for a while. I was starting to dry out anyways."

Elsa smirked. "You silly salmon."

Ariel feigned a gasp. "Salmon?!" She flicked her hand, splashing water at Elsa. "You dull peasant!"

Elsa's mouth dropped. The only person to have ever joked about her hierarchy was Anna and that was because they are sisters. Not even Kristoff would joke to Elsa about being anything other than the Queen. Then again, Ariel didn't know about Elsa's true identity. She had no idea Elsa was a queen. It actually felt good to be just another somebody to someone instead of having to be queen to everyone.

Elsa giggled. "The peasant and the salmon... they'll make stories about us!" Elsa began rowing, the small boat inching its way through the calm water.

"I dare anyone but you to call me a salmon! I'll show them just how vicious a mermaid can truly be!"

Elsa blushed and giggled again. "You can be my little salmon."

"Or, I can be your little mermaid..." A blush quickly consumed Ariel's cheeks.

Elsa smiled warmly at her new friend. "I think I like that more. Ariel, the little mermaid."

"Your little mermaid," Ariel corrected.

Elsa just smiled as she continued rowing and watching Ariel swim beside her, her long red locks flowing on the water's surface.

# # #

After about two hours of rowing and being pushed by Ariel, Elsa was exhausted. She had spent the last hour sitting by herself in the boat, her eyelids heavy. The sun had set nearly an hour prior and the night's sky was alive with stars and the glow of the full moon. A gentle breeze blew across the calm sea and Elsa inhaled the salty air, a smell she was slowly growing to like.

The boat shifted and Ariel climbed in holding something green in her hands. She pulled what appeared to be a blanket from the water and sat it in the boat. Elsa furrowed her brow, giving the mermaid a confused look.

"It's a blanket. I made it from seaweed. That's what I've been doing since the sun disappeared into the underworld." The underworld, thought Elsa. I'm learning so much about mermaid culture and it's quite fascinating. She picked up the wet seaweed blanket and nearly grimaced at its slimy touch. "I know it's wet," said Ariel, "but I was thinking you may still be able to cover up with it. I know it can sometimes get cold on the surface and I thought it would be nice if you could cover up and keep warm. It may be a bit cold tonight since the seaweed is wet, but maybe tomorrow it'll dry in the sun and then you can use it for warmth?"

She's so sweet, Elsa thought. She felt the urge to hug Ariel. Her compassion for Elsa sent warm tingles throughout the Queen's body. Elsa picked up the blanket despite its slimy texture. "You made this for me so I would stay warm?"

Ariel nodded. "I know how humans can often get cold at night. I'm sorry if it doesn't keep you warm tonight since it's wet, but I at least wanted to try and do something to help you through the night."

She thought of me enough to try and make a blanket to keep me warm despite the cold not bothering me. She truly is a sweetheart, Elsa thought.

"Thank you," Elsa said, smiling. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Ariel smiled, her shoulders going to her ears. "Hey, you want me to tell you more about the stars?" Ariel asked excitedly.

Elsa chuckled. "I'd like that very much," she replied softly.

Ariel and Elsa looked to the sky. Ariel pointed to various stars and told Elsa all about what she had learned as a child from her mother. As they sat in that boat together, Elsa listened to the mermaid, her gaze slowly going from the stars to Ariel. Ariel's face lit up as she kept explaining more of the lore behind the stars and the Great Sea above. Elsa smiled serenely and looked back to the sky, listening to her new friend.

My little mermaid...