Chapter Text
Sister's Forever
Chapter 1
Concert
The sky was cloudy and grey. A flock of gulls flew over the rough sea waters, and seals and dolphins surfaced to breathe. The marine mammals watched as a vast ship sailed past. Aboard the boat, the crew sang a merry sea song while they opened the sails and pulled a net full of redfish up from the depths.
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue and its hey to the starboard, heave-ho. Look out, lad, a mermaid be waitin' for you In mysterious fathoms below.
A young man in a white shirt held onto a rope and sighed contentedly as the salty breeze blew through his raven hair. Next to him was his loyal sheepdog, Max, who panted gaily.
"Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face... a perfect day to be at sea!"
His royal advisor, Sir Grimbsy, was green in the face and leaning over the side of the ship, losing his lunch. "Oh yes.. delightful..."
On the side of the ship, a man a year younger than him was looking down at the water in awe, wondering what life lived beneath those waves. His blonde hair dances softly in the wind.
"A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly-type mood." A sailor commented as he took out some of the fish, which made the blonde feel uneasy.
"King Triton?" The black-haired man asked.
"Why, ruler of the merpeople, lad. Thought every good sailor knew about him." Another sailor explained.
"Merpeople?" Elmer asked. "As in…"
Grimsby snorted at the idea. "Merpeople! Eric, Elmer, pay no attention to this nautical nonsense."
The sailor waved wildly a fish in Grimsby's face. "But it ain't nonsense, it's the truth! I'm tellin' you, down in the depths of the ocean they live."
Whilst no one was looking, Elmer slipped one of the fish back into the ocean.
The fish signed in relief before swimming, joining thousands of other marine creatures in the kingdom of Atlantica, where a grand concert was to be held. The concert was to be the debut of King Triton's youngest daughter, Ariel.
A sea horse addressed the vast crowd. "His Royal Highness, King Triton!"
Triton entered on a chariot pulled by a trio of Bottlenosed Dolphins. The audience cheered as he used his triton to light a chandelier.
"And presenting the distinguished court composer, Horatio Thelonious Ignatius Crustaceous Sebastian!"
Sebastian entered the hall in his small chariot, pulled by two tumultuous orange fish, that swam so quickly they caused the chariot to tip upside down.
"I'm really looking forward to this performance, Sebastian," Triton said, letting go of the bridles on the dolphins as the chariot landed on the balcony.
"Oh, Your Majesty, this will be the finest concert I have ever conducted. Your daughters, they will be spectacular!"
"Yes, and especially my little Ariel."
"Yes, yes, she has the most beautiful voice. Hmm?" Then, under his breath, he muttered. "If only she'd show up for rehearsals once in a while."
The princesses were getting ready in the dressing room. They practised their song, their voice as sweet as honey.
"That was perfect. Now, remember, ladies, this is a celebration. The audience wants smiles, they want energy." The oldest, named Attina, instructed. "We've got to make Sebastian's music sore."
The others nodded, understanding.
"This is going to be great," Alana said before noticing her reflection in a mirror. "And luckily, I'm looking gorgeous just for the occasion."
"Do you think they'll be boys watching us?" Adella hoped, earning eye rolls from the others.
"I'm just glad we're not dancing. The last thing I need is everyone in the kingdom saying I dance like a piece of kelp." Aquata signed.
"I say you dance more like a dying jellyfish on a beach." Andrina jibbed, earning a glare from her older sister.
"You're not that bad of a dancer," Arista stated, hoping to cheer Aquata up. However, the brunette in blue noticed something familiar in her younger sister's hand.
"Is that my lipstick?"
"No." Arista fibbed.
"Then why does it have my name on it?"
"Ladies, ladies! Let's return to the subject at hand." Attina ordered. The other five returned to the line. "Andina, you must eject from the diaphragm. Aquata, watch that high-end. Alana remember, you sing after Adella."
Alana nodded.
"And then it's Ariel's turn." Arista said.
"Not quite. We introduce her then she..." That was when Attina noticed that the youngest wasn't present. "Where's Ariel?"
"She's not here?" Arista asked.
"How can she not be here? She's the soloist, she has to be here?" Attina stated crossly.
"You know Ariel. She'd miss her own Birthday party." Alana said.
"She almost did last year," Adella added.
"Her big eighteenth too," Aquata said. "But what an entrance she made."
It was then a grey fish swam up to them. "Princess, you're on." He announced before swimming off.
"What are we going to do without Ariel?" Arista panicked.
"Stay calm. I'll tell Sebastian, so he can…" but before Attina could finish, the seahorse announced that the concert was about to begin.
"Too late," Andrina stated deadpan.
Without any alternative, they swam into position.
Sebastian laid out his music sheet and his baton. Once silence fell, he struck up the orchestra. They played the music in perfect rhyme, not missing a bet.
The bubble curtains popped away as three giant clam shells arose. The sisters swim out of the giant clam shells as they sing in harmony.
"Oh, we are the daughters of Triton. Great father who loves us and named us well: Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Alana
And then there is the youngest in her musical debut. Our seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you. To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell / She's our sister Ari–"
The shell opened to reveal that Ariel hadn't turned up. Sebastian gasped in horror, the sisters whinst, the orchestra stopped playing, and the king was furious.
"Ariel!" Triton yelled.