Once upon a time, in the Red Sea, in the underwater kingdom of Bur Sudan, lived Queen Yaya /Trapped in her own kingdom/Silenced by traditionAnd empty after producing many heirs for a King /Triton, the careless, the traditional, the oppressor /Yaya was only comforted by her handmaid, her queen /Her queen slain by her oppressor because she knew too much /She knew Yaya's secrets, every last one /With no one to confide in and the burden of behind a mother to six mermaidens the it soon became too much /Ariel, the eldest daughter, saw it all, /Saw Yaya floating lifelessly in an impenetrable bubble filled with blood /Saw her mother's gaping wrist and ebony hair slick with blood, /And saw her deep brown eyelids close, never to open again /And just like her mother did, Ariel grew wary of King Triton, seeing him as the opressor / TraditionTradition would catch up with the heir to Bur Sudan /Ariel, who was 10 when she discovered her mother floating in a bloody bubble, was the heir /At only 17 she had to find a husband /To have To hold To tear from his life on land and into the depths of the sea, never to return / Ariel was not sure she could follow tradition, but feared  what would occur if she did notQueen Yaya couldn't follow tradition and her maid was killed /The secret had been kept all these years, no one else knew /What would happen to Fatima, if Ariel chose to be honest with her, and herself? / The heir sat on her favorite rock in the palace garden, shimmering red scales against cold rock,questioning questioning her sexuality then rationalizing that everyone must notice just how Fatima's onyx hair fell over her caramel breastand knowing that she was lying to herself / Fatima swam up behind Ariel and wrapped her arms around her, rested her chin in her ebony coilsShe felt the Saudi Arabian noble's breasts press against her back /"Have you gone to Ursula yet?" Fatima asked, her voice as warm as her yellow scales and chocolate eyes /"Not yet but, I know I'll have to today"Fatima sighed and let go of her friend of who she was openly, surley attracted /she sat down on Ariel's rockAnd Ariel told her of her plan to go and find a man just to see if she could be with one at all /Or if she would risk being banished from her kingdom / Fatima knew that some men would take advantage of her once Ursula's spell was cast and bagged her not to go /Not to make her wonder if she'd ever see her again /Or if they had any chance of being together /The oppressor interrupted Fatima's thoughts /His booming presence made the water cold /Ariel could no longer feel Fatima's warmth /Now they had to pretendPretend they didn't ache for each otherTriton glared away Fatima's light and she swam away, daring to give a loving glance at her heir for what could be the last time / Triton glared gown at his daughter /"You're late" Ursula was seldom made to wait, this was Ariel's one act of protest /Thus far Tradition Triton pointed the heir in the direction of Tradition /And she left herself behind as she went / In the witch's cave Ursula sat, looming expanse of purple and black with white hair and bulging blue eyes, staring down at the heir /"You're late" Ariel had nothing to say /"You will go to Sudan and find a man. /Careful, chose only one to pursueOnce you chose he will have control over all that you do." /The heir's green eyes widened in fear /"Be calm childThis spell will only lastwhile you're on landbut not a moment past." /Ariel whished she had run away /Fatima's warning was not solely out of fear, but based in truth /This spell could take away her youth /"Be gone, my childAnd don't com backUntil you've found the man who will be made to love you, the beguiled / Ariel's eyes burned with fear /As she swam away /Night had seeped into the water and Ariel would need the whole night to swim to the shore of Bur Sudan, across the Red Sea from the homeland of the only merperson she truly missed deep below the sea / The sunlight licked the surface of the ocean just as the wind touched Ariel's face for the first time / As she swam to shore it happened /Her scales morphed into human skin /Tail separated into legs /Lungs replacing gills /She took an unfamiliar breath and started to figure out how her legs worked /It was high tide and the waves seemed to grow like seaweed /Tall and swaying /A wave grabbed Ariel and threw her onto the beach /There were fishermen off in the distance, fishing off a dock /fishermen waiting for the first day's catch stood in awe /They had seen her / Now She had to pick one /From this far away they all looked the same, with woven linens around their waists and spears poised at the water /Waiting for an unlucky fish / "Are you alright?" She almost screamed, she hadn't even heard him aproach her /He stood above her like a shady tree, /He showed her a gap-tooth smile /"Here" he said, handing her brightly colored woven cloth similar to his /"Thanks" Ariel threw the cloth around herself and got up /Her legs seemed to vanish beneath her /He caught her arm and helped her back up /Then looked at her for a moment /Saw the ocean roaring and cracking in her green eyes/The sand sparkled on her brown skin /"I'm Elijah" /"Ariel, is this Bur Sudan?" /"Yes. I live here." / Elijah/Ariel couldn't have picked a better man to pursue/He was kind and gentle and it was almost as if the spell had no effect on the heir /almost /"You must be hungry. Do you want some fish?" /Ariel wasn't but felt her feet move to follow him and her lips couldn't protest /She walked with Elijah down the beach, away from the eagerly staring fisherman /He asked her all kinds of questions /She looked for answers in the blue sky, it had none /"My mother wonders when I'll get married" /The fear made here eyes burn again /Ariel nodded /He watched her closely, looking for a response in her green ocean eyes / They ate fish /The all too familiar meat slithered down her throat /It was like she was caving in on herself /Even though she'd left her true self behind /the mermaid was still there /appalled and screaming / Elijah leaned in /had been gradually inching towards her /making her cold in the scorching Sudanese sun /His soft lips touched hers /Her open eyes lit with flames / Suddenly the heir needed her Saudi queen /needed Fatima's all knowing gaze and comforting eyes /needed to feel her yellow scales against her own crimson ones /needed to hear her advice / She pressed her hand into his chest /He pulled away, looking embarrassed /Even if she walked away from Elijah right now /How to break the spell? / "I need to tell you something about me. I'm not making this up, it's all trueI'm not attracted to men, so I need to set you free And there's nothing you can do I'm not from here either, I'm from deep in the sea, and I need you to help me flee."/ Elijah looked at her, speechless but not disbelieving and rose to get his raft /On the water he told her he believed her, and that it was okay, though he seemed slightly disappointed /They sailed out towards the sun 'till they were right above Ariel's ocean kingdom /As the sun shifted in the sky her scales returned and Elijah marveled at her shimmering crimson tail /She thanked him again, then away she swam /Back to the person she never should have left / In the depth of the sea the oppressor waited /Looking for Ariel with a man in tow /There was no man /Titan waited in rage / The heir ignored him and swam to Fatima, who had been waiting on their favorite rock /Fatima's light still shone and her embrace was as warm as before /The entire kingdom had come to watch and saw nothing they expected /Ariel's sisters came out of the pastel forest of coral to watch /Triton demanded why she'd returned with no man /Ariel told him she didn't need one /She told him all the royal family needed was right here and they would be united / When Triton protested Ariel know exactly what to do /She knew she had to avenge Queen Yaya and tell all the kingdom just what Triton had done /They were aghast when they heard that their king was a murderer /He looked ashamed and said he'd done it out of jealousy /No longer a king he'd begged of his daughters for forgiveness /But everyone agreed /Ariel's love was to be freed /And Triton would rein no longer.  / Tradition /Tradition was broken /The merfolk had spoken /Their oppressor banished and the sea witch too /Ariel would have her kingdom and her Queen /And the underwater kingdom of Bur Sudan would live anew.