What Waves Cannot Measure

There are times when things don't work out quite so perfectly. In working past the obsticles that lay between them Ariel and Eric find themselves caught in an adventure like no other.

AN. This is a songfic. However, in compliance with the rules of any songs that I have not written myself or are not public domain will not be included on this site. I will see about posting the complete stories elsewhere should you wish to read the complete story with the songs included. Anything written in italics is a song.

Disclaimer: Ariel and all her freinds are the property of Disney. I do not own them but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

Rating: This story is Rated K+

Chapter 1

"La la la la la."

Attina hummed softly as she swam about the room she shared with her six sisters, absently tidying up the unmade beds and cluttered vanities. The cleaning was little more then an excuse really. Her true reason for being in the room lay on the end bed, closest to the window.

Under the precept of fluffing Alana's pillow, she drew closer to the still form of her youngest sister. A light current gently lifted her fiery red hair but, other than that, there was no movement from the little mermaid. She wasn't sleeping though. She was simply laying there as she had been for the past several days.

Attina sighed, picking a stuffed pink seahorse up off the floor and tossing it randomly onto one of the beds. It had been nearly a week since Ariel had returned from the world above.

Word spread quickly in Atlantica and by now nearly everyone in the kingdom had heard of how King Triton's youngest daughter had traded her voice to Ursula the sea witch in exchange for a pair of legs because she had fallen in love with a human prince. She had been gone for three days at the end of which there was a fierce battle in which Ursula nearly succeeded in taking control of the sea but was ultimately killed by the hand of the human.

However, that is where all the stories seemed to end. No one knew any further details. The only ones who did seem to have specifics on the events were Sebastian and Flounder. And both the crab and the young fish were being rather close-lipped about the whole affair in regards to everyone excepting, of course, the sea king himself.

Somewhere in the mix, Ariel had been transformed back into a mermaid and then she returned home with their father. Only, she wasn't the same Ariel who had left three days prior. Quiet and sullen, she didn't sing or play or go exploring or show any sort of interest whatsoever in things that had once captured her attention.

But why? Attina found it difficult to believe that her sister could have loved this human so much after only a few days. And besides, there wasn't anything that could be done. Ursula's magic wasn't the sort that was easily duplicated. The last master of potions in the sea, Madame Therraysta, had passed away years ago. The only two students she'd taken to the level required to make such a potion were also unavailable. The first had been Ursula herself who could no longer make it for obvious reasons. The second had been the princesses' own mother, Athena, who had been lost when they were all little girls.

It was impractical, Attina thought, for Ariel to go on like this, sulking about all day like a child throwing a tantrum. She'd made her own decision, risking everything in making a deal with the sea witch and landing herself in a mess. Now she should just grow up and deal with the consequences.

But as the eldest princess continued to gaze upon the youngest, she knew that it wasn't so simple. Her little sister was hurting and an over-practical attitude would do nothing to heal the pain she was feeling.

Ariel had always been so strong and while Attina didn't usually agree with her choices, she had always admired her spirit and courage to go after what she felt was right. In some ways, Attina had been almost jealous of the freedom Ariel seemed to have; a freedom she, as the eldest and future queen of Atlantica, could never poses. But now, the red-haired little mermaid's dreams had come back to bite her in the fin and a part of Attina long to say, I told you so. But those words would never pass her lips.

This was her sister; her littlest sister, who had dared to dream of more then their world had to offer; Ariel, who had saved a baby whale; Ariel, who had ridden a wild seahorse; Ariel, who had brought music back into the kingdom and happiness back into their lives.

It was hard to believe it had only been two years since then. But those two years had been filled with so much music and laughter that now it seemed far too quiet. Attina wasn't as great of a singer as Ariel but she could certainly carry a tune and so now, to fill the silence, she broke into the quiet lullaby that they had all known by heart since childhood.

However, she had only just begun the song when Ariel spoke.

"Please stop, Attina."

The soft request stopped Attina instantly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ariel would normally be the last one to ask anyone to stop singing. "But you love this song," she replied.

Ariel only shook her head, though it was barely perceptible. "Not now, please."

With a heavy sigh, Attina sank down on the bed beside her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ariel, come on. You can't go on like this. You'll waste away." She waited for a response, a movement, anything. There was none. "You can't keep holding all this inside. It's eating you up. Please, Ariel, you have to talk about it."

There was a pause and then, "I'm really tired right now Attina. Please, just leave me alone."

Attina sighed again and rose from the bed. "Alright Ariel, you win. Get some sleep. But… if you decide you want to talk, I'll be here." She returned to her cleaning, still keeping a casual eye on her little sister. Eventually, the little mermaid did drift off and Attina decided to go find out what her other sisters were up to.

She didn't have to go very far, for just as she left the room she spied them swimming towards her from the other end of the hall. She stopped and waited for them.

"Hey Attina, how's Ariel doing?" Adella asked softly when they reached their eldest sister.

"The same," she replied. "Won't sing, barely says a word… she's sleeping right now."

"Well, that's good," Aquata pointed out. "She hasn't been sleeping very well at night; always tossing and turning. She's probably having nightmares."

"Oo, do you think she's remembering what happened with the… sea witch?" Arista asked in a hushed voice, as though the words were taboo.

"Oh, who knows?" Attina didn't bother to keep her voice low as she spun around to lean in the door way and stare helplessly at the sleeping mermaid. "None of us know what really happened up there. I just can't imagine what could have caused her to be… like this…

"I've never seen her quite like this before."

"Happy?"asked Andrina.

"Yes."

"Excited?" Adella suggested.

"Sure."

"Dreamy," Alana added.

"Defiant,"Aquata put in.

"And so much more,

But this,

This is something new,

And I don't know what to do.

She's just a little mermaid.

She's too young,

To have her heart broken in two."

She swam back into the room, followed by her sisters and they all settled in various places surrounding the youngest princess. Attina resumed her place on the bed beside Ariel and continued to sing gently.

"Ariel,

Close your eyes.

Dream of days when music filled you up inside.

Don't think of love,

And how it left too soon,

Ariel,

This just isn't you.

Ariel…"

The other five drew closer and harmonized their voices with hers.

"Ariel,

This just isn't you."