The Little Mermaid

Chapter Five

In palace throne room, Hakoda looked at the flower his daughter gave him, "Let's see, now... who could the lucky merman be?" He notices Pakku peaking in the throne room and quickly puts the flower away as he clears his throat, "Come in, Pakku."

"I mustn't overreact. I must remain calm." Pakku says to himself before he walks to the king. When he speaks to Hakoda, his voice us five octaves higher than normal, "Yes-" He clears his throat, "yes, Your Majesty."

"Pakku, I'm concerned about Katara. Have you noticed she's been acting peculiar lately?"

"Peculiar?"

"You know, mooning about, daydreaming, singing to herself. You haven't noticed, hmm?"

"Oh... well, I-"

"Pakku."

"Hmmm?"

Hakoda motions for Pakku to come closer, "I know you've been keeping something from me."

Pakku swims up and rests on the arm of the throne, "Keeping... something?"

"About Katara?"

"Katara?"

"In love?"

"I tried to stop her, sir! She wouldn't listen!" Pakku said in panic, "I told her to stay away from humans, they are bad, they are trouble, they-"

"Humans? WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?"

"Humans? Ho ho ho ho.... Who said anything about humans?"

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"Momo, why can't you just tell me what this is all about?" Katara asked as her and Momo entered her cave.

"You'll see. It's a suprise." Momo replies as they swim through the tunnel.

Katara gasps when she sees the statue of Aang, "Oh, Momo..." She hugs her friend, "Momo you're the best!" She swims up to the statue, "It looks just like him. It even has his eyes." She laughs, "Why, Aang, run away with you? This is all so... so sudden." She laughs again and turns around to see Hakoda, "Daddy!"

Momo quickly hides behind a chest before Hakoda begins talking, "I consider myself a reasonable merman. I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed."

"But Daddy-"

"Is it true you rescued a human from drowing?"

"Daddy, I had to-"

"Contact between the human world and the mer-world is strictly forbidden. Katara, you know that! Everyone knows that!"

"He would have died-"

"One less human to worry about!"

"You don't even know him."

"Know him? I don't have to know him. They're all the same. Spineless, savage, harpooning, fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling-"

"Daddy, I love him!" Katara gasps and hides behind the statue.

"No... Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, you're a mermaid!"

"I don't care."

"So help me Katara, I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way, so be it."

Hakoda's trident begins glowing and he starts blasting the human artifacts with his trident.

Daddy! No!" Katara pleads, "No, please- Daddy, stop!" She looks at the statue which is what was left, "Daddy, Nooo!!"

Hakoda blasts the statue. Katara begins crying and lays down on a rock.

Hakoda leaves, ashamed. But he had to protect his only daughter, especially after what happened to her mother.