Into the Spotlight: A Little Mermaid Remix

Once Upon A Multiverse: Part 2

A/N: A representation of Oceania in human form ^^

The sirens had lived in happy isolation for eons.

They could breathe oxygen and live on land if they wished, but what was the point in competing with the humans when they had an entire domain all their own that the humans could barely penetrate?

And perhaps sometimes... they tipped over boats for fun.

What? Humans were annoying. And constantly trespassed.

They were always careful not to drown the fools, however. The gods and goddesses were forever in the humans' favor. If too many complained or prayed to separate deities, the sirens would simply be inviting death upon themselves. The immortals' bias blinded them to all of the humans' faults. They supported their little worshipers heavily, ignoring the complaints of magical races.

All save Oceania. She was always theirs.

Or so they'd thought.

Before long, the scourge of human expansion was such that even those not directly competing for living space were affected.

Their lovely ocean waters were polluted with city waste and crowded with boats. Food sources, from fish to kelp, were depleted.

The humans were busy playing lovely fishing and navy games, not knowing or caring that they were steadily hurting the sirens beneath the deep.

The sirens struck back, summoning storms, sinking ships, drowning sailors, and freezing waters.

But it didn't discourage the humans whatsoever.

One thing could be said for them. The humans were very courageous, proud, and persistent... or just plain stupid.

It was only out of pure desperation that the sirens pleaded with their goddess to stop this. To help them against inevitable expansion and prevent further death.

She turned her back on them.

Alone, with no one else to turn to and a home that had become incapable of supporting them, the sirens took matters into their own hands.

They moved onto land.

Into coastal towns and on islands that only they knew of. The humans would find the islands eventually, but when they did, the sirens would be ready.

The land was not the same as home. The sirens quickly realized that air is painful to breathe after extended amounts of time. Magic and saltwater relieved these aches and kept their voices strong and songs potent.

The sirens wanted nothing to do with the humans who had ruined their home. They were angry of course, but they were also smart enough to recognize that bitterness would get them nowhere. The human race as a whole outnumbered them 100 to 1. And on top of that, the sirens were spread out.

To challenge the humans, was to invite death upon themselves.

But that changed.

In Alleba, an island initially colonized by sirens, the humans installed a monarchy, with its own royal family. The sirens weren't happy, but their numbers were few. They brewed in discontent, not daring to strike back until the calculus proved they would win.

That never happened.

A few sirens became tired of waiting. They struck the royal family, instigating a coup, and inciting other humans to help them against the royals.

And, for a time, they were successful.

The human royal family members were all slaughtered, save one daughter. She escaped, but that was of no matter to the sirens. They were finally free to live in the light and escape the shadows they had dwelled in for so long. They ruled Alleba for twenty years as a new monarchy, confident they had finally found a true new home on land.

Until the daughter returned.

She brought reinforcements from kingdoms over and decimated the entire siren population of the island. The survivors returned to the shadows, complacent with the prospect of life, even if it meant they lost their freedom. Some couldn't bear to lose both and fled back to the ocean for a time.

Ever since then, the sirens have noted their place.

The humans have the power, the numbers, and the immortals.

Assimilate to their way of life, or die.

The sirens rebuilt themselves, making a new life of secrecy. And this new life had three rules.

1. Don't leap blindly. Follow the majority of humans. Wait for the prime opportunity to make your decisions.

2. Don't make needless enemies. Sirens are hated enough.

3. Never sing in public.

These rules were passed down and upheld rigorously for generations. Before long, the idea of sirens in Alleba faded into nonexistence. Magical creatures and magic itself declined. The humans forgot that they were not alone in their world, that they had never been alone in the world.

The sirens contented themselves with the shadows, their dreams of the light at an end.

Because although the ocean sparkles and glitters in the light, everyone knows if you sink far enough, you'll find only darkness in the deepest depths of the deep.