Chapter 2

As promised, Polyphemus guided his nephew and Marin all the way to the coast of the land the spring was said to be part of. The prince then climbed onto a nearby rock, looking over the greenery of the coast, and the white sand lining it. He smiled at the sight, eager to be able to walk down those beaches.

"So, now what?" Aaron asked, as he climbed onto a rock, "Where're the springs?"

"Further inland," his uncle answered.

"Well, how do we get to it, then?" Marin asked, though he didn't really want to know.

"Well that part is quite simple," Polyphemus answered, "Using the power of the conch shell, I will turn both you and Aaron into humans." That much caught the prince and his friend off guard, as they stared at him.

"I thought you said you couldn't change us yourself," Aaron began, "That the conch shell didn't have the power."

"I said it wasn't in the way you needed to," Polyphemus said, "The magic of the conch shell can only do it temporarily. After three days, you two will revert back to mermen; if you want to stay human, you will need the waters of the spring." With that, he removed his shell from around his neck.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Prince Aaron," Marin said, swimming over to his friend, "I really don't think is a good idea."

"We're ready!" Aaron declared excitedly, not paying attention to Marin. Polyphemus then smiled, though not particularly warmly, as he opened the shell. Light then streamed from it, as it enveloped both boys. It hurt much more than Aaron thought it would, as he felt his tail literally get split in two, forming into a set of legs. Polyphemus then pushed the two boys to the coast, spilling them both onto the shore. Once the pain had subsided, Aaron rubbed his head, as he sat up, and he looked down.

It took the prince a full minute to realize what he was seeing, as he wiggled his toes for the first time. It felt so… strange, but it also felt good, almost like it was always meant to be. Fortunately, his uncle had also provided the boys with some clothes as well, so they weren't left completely naked. Aaron as now wearing a brown jacket with brown pants, and Marin a blue shirt with blue pants.

"This is amazing!" Aaron declared as he jumped to his feet. Marin tried to do the same, only to stumble, and face first into the sand.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Aaron said as he helped Marin up, "This is…"

"Nyannichuan is about a day's journey from here, due West," Polyphemus interrupted, pointing, "Be warned, though, there are several springs with magical properties." Aaron blinked, but nodded in understanding.

"Let's go Marin!" he said, pumping his fist.

"Y-Yeah," Marin said, as he still tried to find his footing, not so much following after Aaron as stumbling after him. As he watched his nephew go, Polyphemus smiled darkly. This was going even better than he thought.


By the following morning, Aaron and Marin had arrived at their destination. The "springs" as Polyphemus had described them, turned out just to be simple pools of water, that reminded Aaron slightly of the tide pools he'd sometimes seen on the coast line. They came up to the edge of one of them, as Aaron stared at them in anticipation.

"I'm still not so sure this is a good idea, my prince," Marin said, as he eyed the pool nervously.

"You can't back out on me now, Marin," Aaron answered, looking at his friend, "We've come too far."

"But your father is going to kill us if we go through with this!" Marin said.

"My father couldn't care less what I want!" Aaron said, "Sometimes I wish my uncle was my father. He at least understands."

"You should not be here!" Both boys attention was seized by the approach of a human. He was dressed in a brown suit with a brown hat, clothes they'd certainly never seen a human wear before.

"This area is very dangerous!" the man said, "Each of these springs are cursed!"

"Good!" Aaron declared with a smile, "Now, which of these springs is Nyannichuan." The man just pointed to one of the springs before them. Aaron smiled at the sight.

"This is it," he said, before he started running towards the spring, diving headlong into it. Marin involuntarily winced at the water being kicked up. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Aaron emerged from the water, coughing, still not used to being unable to breath underwater, as he pulled himself ashore. At first, he felt nothing, causing the prince to ponder whether or not the magic had actually worked.

"How do you feel?" Marin asked.

"I feel, normal," Aaron answered, looking his hands, "Do I look…" But then Aaron's body felt very warm, almost to the point of being hot, as he doubled over in pain.

"Aaron!" Marin called out, as the prince started to change. His hair grew long and full, and turned a brilliant red color. His chest swelled, and his hips widened. To top it all off, his face softened and his eyes turned green and grew rounder. As for Marin, he could only stare in shock, as his prince, stopped being a prince.

"I'm a girl?" Aaron cried, as she looked at her hands, and felt her body, face, and hair, "This wasn't supposed to happen! He never told us about me turning into a girl!" Even his voice had changed, becoming soft and feminine, almost melodic.

"You jump in Nyannichuan," the caretaker explained, in a tone that a teacher might give a student, "There very tragic legend of young girl drown in spring 1500 years ago. Whoever fall in spring take body of young girl." Those words hit Aaron like a slap from a whale's tail. Her uncle told her that if she jumped in the spring, she'd become a human, not a girl. Marin, in his shock took a step back, and, not looking where he was going, slipped… and fell into a completely different spring.

"Marin! No!" Aaron cried, as she hurried over, fumbling in the water in an attempt to find her friend. Eventually she grabbed something, and picked out… a fish.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Marin cried, as he floundered in Aaron's hold, now a yellow fish with blue fins and stripes.

"You fall in Yunichuan," the man explained, again like this was completely normal, "There tragic legend of young fish who drown in salt water spring 1800 years ago. Whoever fall in spring take body of young fish."

"Oh my…". Suddenly Aaron felt her head spin; this was all way too much to take in one sitting, and her mind just sort of reset on her, as she passed out.


"AARON! AARON! WAKE UP!" Aaron was woken up by the sound of Marin screaming, as she rubbed her forehead, sitting up.

"Marin?" she asked, "I had this crazy dream that you and I went on land, and there were these pools of water, and I…." She stopped as she heard her voice. She then reached up, feeling long silky hair, and then down, feeling her breasts.

"Darn it," she groaned, as she realized this had been a dream. She was attracted by the sound of splashing, to see Marin, still a fish, floundering in the water, with the sun starting to set.

"Come on!" Marin said, "We need to get you back to the ocean before the next sunrise!" Knowing he was right, Aaron managed to find a bucket near the spring, which she used to scoop Marin up into, and with that, they began the journey home.


It took them another night's worth of travel, and needless to say, Aaron was feeling rather exhausted by the time they reached the coast, and just in time too.

"Marin," Aaron said, as a strange sensation came over her, "I don't feel so good."

"Hurry!" Marin said, "Get in the water! Your uncle's spell is going to wear off!" Aaron picked up the face, but just as she was about to get to the water, she felt her body painfully convulse, causing her to drop Marin, fortunately into the water. With that, the legs disappeared, and her tail returned; it looked slightly different now, sleeker and more elegant.

Now a merperson again, Aaron dove into the water, and began the swim back home. Fortunately, this time they knew the way, and they were both much more motivated to get there quickly.

"We better go see your uncle," Marin said, as he and Aaron swam towards Polyphemus' temple. As they came in, though, they were greeted by a thundering voice.

"WHO ENTERS MY TEMPLE!" Polyphemus roared as he approached, not recognizing the unfamiliar mermaid, or her yellow fish companion.

"It's your nephew Aaron," Aaron answered with an embarrassed smile, "You have to help us, Uncle! The spring didn't work, it turned me into a girl." To her surprise, her uncle didn't look that distressed, or even that surprised. Instead, he just arched an eyebrow, as a smile worked its way onto his face.

"So I see," he said smoothly, still smiling. "I guess you went in the wrong spring."

"That's not true!" Marin protested, floundering around.

"You told us we could live amongst the humans," Aaron explained, not sure what Polyphemus was getting at here, "That we would be able to to have feet and legs if went into Nyannichuan."

"Have you been touched by hot water yet?"

"Uh, no," Aaron said, not sure what they had to do with anything, "Anyway, can you turn me back into a boy?" At first, Polyphemus didn't say anything, as he looked over Aaron, as if contemplating what had just happened, until he floated over to a nearby chest, and removed to pieces of kelp

"Eat this magic kelp," he said, holding it out to Aaron and Marin.

"What is it?" Marin asked.

"Just eat it," Polyphemus almost snapped, to his "nephew's surprise. At that, he cleared his throat slightly.

"It should help you." Aaron hesitantly took one, before handing one to Marin, as they both ate it. After eating it, she thought she'd become a boy again, but nothing happened. She didn't feel any different, and then her uncle started laughing triumphantly. The confusion started to give way to a sense of dread, like she had just done something very bad. That was when there was a tremendous explosion of power, and a flash of light, which Aaron very much recognized.

"This is the final straw, brother!" Triton declared, as he entered the temple, his trident glowing fiercely, "The last time you prey on my family!"

"Dad?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron?" Triton said, as he looked at his only son, now his seventh daughter, his eyes wide. He floated over to her, touching her face, as if to make sure what he was seeing was real. Then his surprise gave way to anger.

"Polyphemus!" he roared, turning to his brother, who just folded his arms smugly.

"Dad, I don't understand, what's going on?" Aaron asked, trying to make some sense about of what was happening.

"My brother has long coveted my throne, and he's nothing if not creative," Triton explained, "I'm sure after this, he would've found a way to make me disappear."

"No Uncle!" Aaron cried as a realization came over him, "You did this to me on purpose?!"

"Oh come now, nephew," Polyphemus said, his tone oozing mockery, "You turned out beautiful. If anything, you should be happy."

"Why… why didn't he just kill me?" Aaron asked, thinking this was the obvious solution; turning her into a girl definitely wouldn't have been the first thing she would've thought of.

"Oh, I could never do that," Polyphemus answered, now with a tone that was about as insincere as they could get, "Besides, I imagine even Triton would finally grow a spine if I tried such a move."

"Polyphemus," Triton growled, now shaking with rage, his grip on the trident tightening.

"There's nothing you can do now, Brother. Your only son is now a daughter. And the kelp they just ate solidified their curse. Not even hot water can turn them back now." Triton's face contorted in rage, as he pointed the glowing trident at his brother's throat.

"You won't kill me, Triton," Polyphemus said cooly, nudging the trident aside, to which Triton then pointed it at his brother's chest, as it crackled with power.

"I'm your brother," Polyphemus continued calmly, "Whatever would mother say if she were here?" Aaron looked up at her uncle, then at her father. She'd never seen him kill anyone before, and while she was certainly very upset at her uncle, would her father actually go through with this threat? Eventually Triton's face softened slightly, as he sighed.

"No," he said slowly, lowering his trident, and the glow started to fade, "I can't kill you."

"I thought as much," Polyphemus said cruelly, as he smiled triumphantly, "Now, perhaps we can discuss the matter of…" He couldn't finish, as Triton released a tremendous burst of power from the trident, which struck his brother, who cried out. Aaron couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise as her uncle began to change.

The scales on his tail turned gray, his arms turned into fins, a dorsal fin sprouted form his back, all the while as his body contorted into a bulkier, more bestial form. His teeth then turned sharp, and his eyes turned dark, and a large pair of gills appeared on the side of his throat. Aaron could only stare at the sight, as his uncle became a shark. The moment the glow faded, the shark seemed to realize what had happened, as he lunged at Triton, only for the king to wave his trident, sending the animal tumbling away.

"I hereby strip you of your name and bestow the name 'Glut' upon you," Triton said, pointing at the animal, "Now begone into the deep, where the other lowly bottom feeders dwell." The newly named Glut bared his teeth, as if he wanted to fight some more, but seemed to think better of it, before he slowly slunk away into the dark depths. Triton took a breath as he lowered his trident, shaking his head.

"My brother always wanted to the rule seas, so let him carve out his own little kingdom down there," Triton said, before turning to his son-turned-daughter, "Now as for you…"

"I'm sorry, Father," Aaron said softly, as she hung her head in shame.

"I told you your obsession with the surface world would eventually get you into a problem I couldn't pull you out of, Aaron," Triton scolded, "Next time, your curiosity may actually get you killed." Aaron just looked up at her father, before nodding slowly, to which Triton sighed.

"Now come, we should go home," he said, "I don't know how to explain this to your sisters." He then looked over Aaron, who was still wearing the brown jacket that Polpyhmus had bestowed upon her when he first turned her into a human.

"But first, I guess you lose that human garment, and find something more appropriate to wear," the king continued, before flicking the trident slightly, sending a wave of light over Aaron. When it faded, she was now wearing a purple seashell bra, suitable for a mermaid.

"Now come along, and I suppose you'll need a new name as well," Triton said, as they started swimming off, "How about… Ariel?"

"'Ariel'?" Aaron asked, "What kind of weird name is that?"

"What about me?" Marin piped up as he floated up to the king, "Do I get a new name?"

"Yes, something for your clumsy ways and lack of watching over my child," Triton said sternly, "How about, Flounder?"

"Sweet!" Flounder said enthusiastically, "Princess Ariel and her best friend Flounder, I like it. Maybe one day the'll write stories about us." With that, they all swam off, though, Aaron, or rather Ariel, was considerably less enthused.

Unbeknownst to them, however, the conch shell once worn by Polyphemus floated down to the seabed, where it settled down. However, it wasn't long before two eels emerged from the shadows, each with two different colored eyes, with one of them wrapping his tail around it, as they stared at it, and grinned at each other.


"Tch," Ursula, the Sea Witch, said rolling her eyes, as she watched through her minions' magic eyes, "I expected as much." She knew there was no way Triton would've let that scarred idiot off the hook, not after what he'd done.

"A fitting fate for such a fool," she said, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. That family never looks before they dive."


Polyphemus glared at the sight of the sea dragon corpse; it was an ugly sight to be sure, and no decent person would make their home there. And good thing too, because the last thing Polyphemus needed right not was a decent person.

The prince floated into the beast's mouth, passing over the writing and cowering polyps before him. He glared at them; he was fully intent on not suffering such a fate. As he made his way further in, he noticed a couple of eels lurking in the shadows over him, bearing their teeth.

"Out of the way creatures," Polyphemus growled, as he swatted them away.

"Prince Polyphemus," a voice suddenly called. Polyphemus made his way into what qualified as a central hall, where he saw a tentacled being descend to what qualified as the floor.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Ursula, inquired.

"I'm here because I have a bit of a problem," Polyphemus said, "My understanding is you help such poor souls, yes?"

"It depends," Ursula answered, as she floated around him, stroking his cheek with a tentacle, "What is said problem?" The king's brother swatted the tentacle away.

"I need something to deal with Prince Aaron," he said, "Something to remove him from the equation."

"Is that so?" Ursula asked, mockingly, deducing what Polyphemus really wanted, "May I ask why? After all, you're the second most powerful merman in all the sea."

"My point exactly, and I'll remain second best as long as long as that little fry is around."

"If I'm not mistaken, said 'fry' is your nephew, and future king, yes?" Ursula sneered.

"Tch," Polyphemus scoffed, waving his hand, "The weak son of a weak brother."

"I see," Ursula said, as she floated over to her mirror, as she took our a shell with hair cream in it, "Well then, just how badly do you want it?"

"I can't kill him, if that's what you're suggesting," Polyphemus said, "It won't be much of an accomplishment if my brother simply kills me himself."

"Oh, I suggest no such thing," Ursula said cooly, with a sly smile, "I'm sure even you could never find it in you to kill your own nephew." Polyphemus just grunted slightly.

"And, in light of that, I'm afraid your options are rather limited in that respect," the sea witch continued.

"Then I've wasted my time," the prince growled, as he started to swim away.

"Now, now," Ursula called, as a tentacle grabbed Polyphemus' tail, "I said your options were limited, not that you had none." The merman glared at the witch, before he turned and folded his arms.

"You're nephew is next in line to the throne, and since you're apparently savvy enough not to kill the boy, you have to find an alternative solution. So tell me, my friend, what if the prince were no longer a prince?" Polyphemus narrowed his eyes at the sea witch, as he folded his arms.

"I'm listening," he said. With that, Ursula went into detail about the nature of the spring, and what it could do. All the while, Polyphemus listened intently, as it was all laid out before him.

"Turning the prince into a princess," Polyphemus said, stroking his beard, "A novel solution, one I certainly wouldn't think of."

'Making the child incapable of inheriting the throne by law," Ursula said with a nod, "Even the power of the trident won't be able to undo the curse."

"So, all I need to do is expose my nephew to the spring's waters, and he'll become my niece," Polyphemus said folding his arms, "Seems straightforward."

"Oh, I'm afraid it's not that simple, Polyphemus," Ursula said, holding up her hand, "You see, even the curse of the spring has its limitations. The young lady will become a young man again when exposed to warm water."

"Hmmm," Polyphemus mused, his brow furrowing "That may yet be problematic, especially for Triton."

"But, as luck would have it," Ursula said, holding up a finger, "I happen to have in my position a special substance that can alleviate that weakness." She floated up to her cupboard, where she pulled out.

"This kelp is from the same springs that cursed them," she said, "The same magic flows through it, and if they were to consume it…" That was all Polyphemus needed to hear as he snatched the kelp, smiling.

"Now, there is still the matter of payment," Ursula said.

"Well, then I'm afraid you shouldn't waited until after telling me to demand it," Polyphemus said, as he released a flash of magic from his shell, and when it faded, he was gone. But Ursula didn't so much as flinch, instead she just chuckled darkly. This made Flotsam and Jetsam look at her in confusion.


"Bring the shell, boys," Ursula commanded to her eels, "We can get something out of this after all; Polyphemus isn't of any use though." With that, she turned attention back to the merfolk swam away.

"That now-former boy, on the other hand," Ursula said, as she floated towards the cauldron, her face spreading into a sinister grin, "She may yet prove to be of some use."

Note: Yeah, if you saw the video this was based on, or maybe just Ranma 1/2, you were probably able to guess what was going to happen. This isn't going to be the end, as I intend to do at least one more chapter exploring Ariel dealing with what just happened to her. This chapter follows the original video very closely, with a few dialogue and detail changes.

Again, credit for this goes to MissMako. Doesn't seem like very many people are reading this, but those who did, thank you. I'll confess I wrote this mostly for the original creator, and to scratch a very long itch