The Little Merman

The Shore

Wren leans his back on his seaside castle and plays the flute. Max is beside him, watching.

"That voice. I can't get it out of my head. I've looked everywhere, Max - where could he be?" Wren grunted, gripping his flute.

In a cove further along the shoreline, Ariel lays on a rock. Sebastian and Flounder pants, exhausted. From helping Ariel swim to shore. Ariel pushes his hair out of his face and sits up. He sees his legs and is amazed. He lifts his foot in the air and wiggles his toes, amazed at his new legs.

"Well, look at what the catfish dragged in!" Scuttle's voice echoed as he flew from the blue sky.

Scuttle lands on his leg, looking intensely at him.

"Look at ya! Look at ya! There's something different. Don't tell me - I got it. It's your hairdo, right?" Scuttle horribly guessed.

Ariel shakes his head, biting his lip and smiling at the bird.

"You've been using the dinglehopper, right? No? No huh, well let me see. New... seashells? No new seashells." Scuttle raised his eyebrow.

Ariel shakes his new human leg, Scuttle is perched on to give him a clue.

"I gotta admit I can't put my foot on it right now, but if I just stand here long enough I know that I'll -"

Sebastian shouted, "He's got legs you idiot! He traded his voice to the sea witch and got legs. Jeez, man..."

"I knew that."

"Ariel's been turned into a human. He's gotta make the prince fall in love with him, and he's gotta ki- he's gotta kiss him." Flounder helpfully explained.

Ariel's legs wobble as he tries to stand up.

"And he's only got three days." Sebastian droned.

Ariel falls over, splashing his friends.

"Just look at him. On legs. On human legs! My nerves are shot. This is a catastrophe! What would his father say? I'll tell you what his father'd say." Sebastian grabbed Flounder's face, "He'd say he's gonna kill himself a crab, that's what his father's say!" Sebastian started marching back down to the ocean, "I'm gonna march me-self straight home right now and tell him just like I shoulda done de minute-"

Ariel picks up Sebastian and holds him in his hands. He wags his claw at Ariel as he shakes his head.

"And don't you shake your head at me, young man. Maybe there's still time. If we could get that witch to give you back your voice, you could go home with all the normal fish, and just be... just be... just be miserable for the rest of your life." Sebastian caved at Ariel's wide eyes.

"All right, all right. I'll try to help you find that prince." Sebastian hesitantly afford his help.

Ariel smiles and kisses Sebastian's head. He sets him down.

"Boy. What a soft-shell I'm turning out to be." Sebastian regretfully admitted.

Scuttle lands beside a wreckage.

"Now, Ariel, I'm tellin' ya, if you wanna be a human the first thing you gotta do is dress like one. Now lemme see." Scuttle picks up a sail.

Wren walks along the shore with Max, biting his lips. Max sniffs and raises his brow, his eyes showing. He barks and hops around excitedly. He runs down the beach.

"Max? Huh... what, Max!" Wren laughed, watching his crazy dog sprint in circles around him. Max finally took off, Wren grinning as he chased after the shaggy mutt.

Wren follows Max.

Scuttle whistles. Ariel looks down at his new outfit, placing his hands in his hair, scandalously moving his hips.

"Ya look great kid. Ya look - sensational." Scuttle complimented.

As Ariel wears a sail tied with ropes, he's alarmed by Max's barking. Flounder splashes back into the sea and Sebastian skitters away hopping behind a rock. Ariel runs around a rock a couple times, before he climbs onto the rock and Max licks his face. Ariel rubbed where Max licked, smiling at the new feeling.

"Max... Max - Quiet Max!" Ariel heard the familiar voice. He stopped smiling, quickly fixing his damp, tangled hair, trying to be presentable for the prince.

Wren ran behind a rock, turning and spotting his dog running around a familiar red-head.

Max ran to Wren, tugging at Wren's leg.
"What's gotten into you fella?" Wren smiled, leaning down, petting his dog.

Wren finally looked up, meeting close eye-contact with Ariel. "Oh... Oh, I see. Are you ok, mister? I'm sorry if this knucklehead scared you. He's harmless, really -" Wren stopped.

Wren gazes at his face and points at him.

"You... seem very familiar... to me. Have we met?" Wren marveled.

Ariel nods rapidly.

"Have we met?" Wren chimed.

Max comes between them and barks.

"I knew it!" Wren grabbed Ariel's hands, smiling as he pushed himself closer to  the red-head, "You're the one - the one I've been looking for! What's your name?" Wren beamed.

Ariel opens his mouth to reply "Ariel" and nothing comes out. He touches his throat, disappointed. Wren's smile slowly fades.

"What's wrong? What is it?" Wren puzzles, his grip on Ariel's hands loosening, which Ariel unfortunately notices.

Ariel taps his throat, frowning as Wren's smiling completely fell.

"You can't speak?"

Ariel shakes his head.

"Oh, oh. Then you couldn't be who I thought."

Wren had hoped the red-head would have been who he thought. That way he wouldn't have to marry a girl.

He really didn't want to marry a girl.

Ariel and Max let out matching frustrated sighs. Ariel waves his arms in an attempt to pantomime, finally getting an idea.

"What is it? You're hurt? No, No... You need help." Wren worriedly asked, playing a dangerous game of charades.

Ariel falls into his arms, his cheeks flaming as he wrapped his small arms around Wren. Wren holds him, his arms lightly holding the smaller boys sail covered waist, helping him stand.

"Whoa, whoa, careful - careful - easy. Damn, you must have really been through something. Don't worry, I'll help you. Come on... Come on, you'll be okay." Wren smiled, helping Ariel stand. He stumbled, clutching Wren's hands as tightly as he could. Wren grinning as he watched Ariel stumble.

Wren leads him away. Scuttle gives a thumbs up and Flounder grins, Ariel smiling back at them.