Episode 14

**Episode 14** of Forever After is the fourteenth episode in the series.

## Summary

Robin meets Aurelia, and offers to be her guide to the surface world so she doesn't make any drastic deals with the Sea Witch.

## Plot

The Sea King questions if Robin and Tank are there to help his youngest, troubled daughter, and when Robin responds positively, the sisters swarm her, demanding to know how Robin can help and why they should trust her. Triton yells at his daughters to cease, the ocean waters rolling and tossing his daughters away from Robin, who drove her sword into the floor to keep from being thrown about as well.

The Sea King agrees to take Robin to Aurelia, hoping that an outsider's perspective will help where her family had failed, and he escorts Robin and Tank to his youngest daughter's grove where she is gazing at a statue of a male human with his dog.

Aurelia notices their arrival and begs to keep the statue, and Triton scolds her obsession with humans, knowing that his youngest daughter would not be content to see the human world for a day before returning home, that she would want to stay forever.

The Sea King instructs Robin to help before leaving with his daughters, and Robin goes to comfort the unhappy Sea Maid, explaining that she is there to preferably help her instead of her father, and asks what is wrong. Aurelia explains that she wants to meet the human prince her statue is based on so they can fall in love with each other, that way, she'll gain a piece of his soul so she can go to heaven after she dies, and Robin realizes that this version of the *Little Sea Maid* is the Hans Christian Andersen version.

Aurelia reveals that the Sea Witch had told her a mermaid without a soul is nothing but a beast, and Robin questions how authoritative that source is. Tank tells Aurelia that she doesn't need someone to give her a soul, and Robin points out that she had a pretty good life where she is, so what else could she want, and Aurelia says she wants to see the human world.

Aurelia's sisters all got to go see the world above the surface on their 15th birthday, and saw many things, like a volcano, flying fish, and a city on the edge of the coast that was lit with candles after the sunset. Tonight was supposed to be Aurelia's turn, but Triton is refusing to let his daughter go. Aristina comes and tries to convince her youngest sister to forget the human world and think of the feast that was being prepared for that evening, but Aurelia insists on finding the prince so she can gain a soul.

Aristina tells Aurelia the prince will not be interested in her because of her tail, and Aurelia reveals that she had been to see the Sea Witch, and she was willing to exchange whatever the Sea Witch wanted to gain human legs. Robins offers the suggestion of finding the person and meet them before sacrificing anything, but the princesses ignore her and keep arguing, Aurelia saying that she would only give up her beautiful voice and win the love of the prince with her beautiful form.

Robin comments that a good form doesn't hurt, and Aurelia surprises them by saying it will hurt, because the legs that the Sea Witch will give her would be pretty, light, and graceful, but every step will be as if she is walking on knives. Aristina is horrified, while Aurelia is convinced that physical pain is nothing compared to the anguish she currently feels in her heart. Robin points out that Aurelia is only 15 years old, and Aurelia says she is certain the Sea Witch will cut out her tongue cleanly, and Robin loudly interrupts to keep her from continuing.

Aristina insists that if Aurelia goes to the surface, she'll do something drastic, forcing Robin to point out that mooning over a statue isn't working either, and Aurelia's determination will have her finding a way to the surface despite all efforts otherwise, so she offers to take Aurelia to the surface. Aristina says she won't tell their father until after they've gone, and Robin thanks her, but receives the older sister's threat of being chased with a magical knife that would be gained from the Sea Witch.

Robin assures Aristina that there would be no need for that as she escorts Aurelia away from the statue, leaving a grumpy Aristina behind as Tank follows, commenting on the intensity of the fairy tales. The group travels upward, guiding Aurelia to her very first look above the surface of the ocean.

## Important Events

* Robin and Tank meet the Little Sea Maid, Aurelia
* Robin discovers the 'Little Sea Maid' is the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story

## Characters

Robin

Tank

Triton

Aristina

Affrea

Azusa

Aluska

Adamantia

Anita

Aurelia

Damir (Statue, Cameo)

Sea Witch (Mentioned)

## Credits

*Written by Violet Matter*

*Storyboarding by Valery Yu*

*Art by Hannah Patten*

Backgrounds by Megan Roberts

*Lettering by Kylie Hunsinger*

*Copy editing by Kat Vendetti*

*Produced by Quinn Sosna-Spear and Wil Kennedy*

## Trivia

* In the original Danish tale penned by Hans Christian Anderson, the Prince marries a princess from another land, condemning the Little Mermaid to turn into seafoam at dawn the next day, as stated in the Little Mermaid's deal with the Sea Witch. The Little Mermaid's sisters rise out of the water and bring her a dagger that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their long, beautiful hair. If the Little Mermaid kills the prince and lets his blood drip on her feet, she will become a mermaid once more.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Little\_Mermaid