Kingdom Hearts: The Next Generation
Whoo! It's been a while. Summer courses and whatnot. Let's see how I handle my month off… maybe this story will actually get somewhere…
Always a Way
The group cruised through the ocean for some time; finally coming upon Atlantica, an immense golden palace rising out of the sea-green gloom.
A palace which was veritably swarming with mermen in golden helmets and breastplates—an entire army's worth.
"Oh, swell," Max muttered. "The place is on high alert." He glared at Melody. "You have something to do with this?"
"No, no," Skye interrupted. "It's not on alert at all, look—they're all leaving." He pointed them out; each soldier seemed to be going in a different direction, but all of them were departing the palace. "No alert whatsoever, we can sneak in easily," Skye said smugly.
Melody seemed to be distracted, taking in the sight of the palace. "Atlantica… it's real."
"Of course it is," Skye said, clutching her hand tightly. "Let's do this."
They swam into the city, making their way around the coral-carved spires and arches. Getting into the palace was easy as swimming through the front door. In the throne room, they hid under a table to get their bearings.
The enormous throne of gold was raised high above the floor, and next to it sat the trident, standing upright in a perfectly-fitted holder.
"That's it," Melody said, fascinated.
"Well, go and grab it so we can get out of here," Max said impatiently. "Or not, either way."
Melody nodded and swam up to the trident. Skye turned on Max angrily. "What's your problem?" he demanded.
"Sorry," Max said softly. "I know you're infatuated and everything, but her story doesn't add up. Atlantica? My dad's been here. He told me all about it when I was a kid. I don't think this is an evil place!" He looked around edgily. "And here we are stealing from it! It makes me nervous. Melody could be lying to us, you know."
"Melody is not a servant of darkness," Skye said firmly.
"I didn't say she was," Max said gently. "But how do we know she's on the up and up? With all due respect, Skye, you're not a master. You can't know for sure what's in her heart. You might miss things. We might have something really messy on our hands."
Melody returned, gripping the trident comfortably in both hands. "I've got it. Let's go, you guys!"
The four of them started out a side window. Melody's seashell locket dropped to the floor. "My necklace!" she said, diving to retrieve it.
Before she could get her fingers wrapped around it, a deep voice could be heard raging, coming closer by the second.
"We haven't time for this! I want every available merman searching! Find her! FIND HER!"
Skye drew his Keyblade and got between Melody and the throne room entrance. "Go, go, we'll cover your back," he said.
"Okay," Melody said anxiously. "Hurry! I'll wait for you."
As soon as Melody darted away, the owner of the angry voice entered: an enormous merman with a long white beard and a crown atop his head. Accompanying him were a very mature red-haired mermaid and a small red crab.
"Daddy, look!" the mermaid said, pointing to Skye and his companions, who had also nervously produced their weapons.
"A Keyblade!" the king said. He charged straight at Skye—and gave him a crushing hug. "Our prayers have been answered! Surely the tides themselves must have sent you!"
"Wha…?" Skye choked out.
"Forgive me," the king said, backing away hastily. "I'm King Triton. Please, young Keybearer, I beg you, you must help me seek out my granddaughter, Princess Melody?"
"Your… your granddaughter?" Max enunciated, eyeing Skye smugly.
"Yes."
"Had a hunch," Max said, swimming over to the redheaded mermaid. "Ariel, right?"
"Yes," she said, surprised. "Have we met?"
"No, but there's a picture of you in the Hall of the Keyblade's Allies over on Crystal Spheres," Max replied.
"Crystal Spheres," Ariel repeated softly. "So you all know Sora?"
Skye inhaled sharply. "He's my teacher."
"You look good!" Max said to Ariel. "Especially considering those pictures were done so many years ago… you look exactly the same. But didn't you become human? To get married, right?"
"Yes," Ariel said. "But my daddy changed me back into a mermaid so I could help look for Melody."
Skye's face fell. "You're… you're her mother?"
Ariel nodded, then looked past Skye to the throne. "Daddy, the trident!"
The small crab swam up to the empty stand. "Impossible," he muttered. "Only someone of the royal line can remove the trident from the stand…"
Ariel plucked Melody's shell necklace off the floor, right from underneath Skye. "Melody…" she whispered, running a hand across it.
"Melody…" the crab repeated, a look of dawning horror crossing his face. "Who I was supposed to be watching! She runs away from home and steals the trident…" He scowled at Ariel. "Certainly takes after you, doesn't she?" He fell onto his back. "But I failed! I told you I was too old to keep track of an adventurous preteen!"
"It's okay, Sebastian," Ariel said absently. "How could Melody have gotten in here?"
"We came here with her," Max said promptly.
"Max!" Skye gaped.
"What?" Max sneered. "This is Melody's family we're talking to! They're not lying to us!"
"Neither was Melody," Skye declared. "Melody was honest with us—every word she said."
"Guys, stop it!" Webby chirped, coming between them. "Melody would never have done this if she's known the king was her grandpa. Obviously, someone lied to her—her 'friend', the one who told her to steal the trident."
"Morgana," King Triton said darkly.
Ariel approached Skye slowly. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Skye, ma'am," he replied nervously.
"Skye—that's beautiful," Ariel said. "Where is Melody now?"
"Well, um, your… Highness? Majesty? Are you a queen, or…?"
"Just Ariel is fine."
"Okay… Ariel," Skye said. "She's waiting for us, out there somewhere. Do you want to come with us?"
"Wait," Max said. "I don't think you should, not now." He put a flipper on Ariel's shoulder. "Melody might still be mad at you."
Ariel sighed. "Yes… she's probably feeling very betrayed right now."
"So, what do you suggest?" the king demanded.
"The three of us will go with her," Max said. "Just like we were going to anyway. We escort her back to this Morgana person, and you follow behind us without her seeing. We can all figure it out from there."
"Okay," Ariel said, clenching a fist in preparation. "Skye, promise me you'll look after her?"
"Yeah, I—I will," Skye choked out.
An assortment of seagoing Heartless popped up in a ring around Skye, Max, Webby, and Ariel, who all tensed up.
"Ooh, I haven't had to do this in a while," Ariel muttered. "Let me see… Thunder!"
Her attempt at casting a spell fizzled.
"Oops," she said. "Guess I'm out of practice…"
"We'll take care of it," Skye said. "We brought Melody here, so we owe you."
He attacked alone, corkscrewing through the circle of Heartless, obliterating them one by one. Having eliminated more than half of them, he cast an Aero spell, smothering those that remained.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Don't tell her what we found out," Max said as the trio returned to the open sea. "If she realized we've spoken to her mom, she won't trust us."
"I know, I know," Skye grumbled.
They caught up to Melody at the surface, her head above the water as she leaned against a rock.
"All this time," Melody muttered. "I never realized Atlantica was so close to my home."
They all looked to the shore. Just there was a great marble castle, separated from the sea by an immense wall.
"That's your home?" Skye whispered.
"It used to be."
"What's with the wall?" Skye asked.
"To keep me… in," Melody growled. "Come on, let's go." She turned around and dove, and the others had to rush to catch up to her. They swam in silence for a few minutes.
"I'm glad you guys got out okay," Melody finally said.
"Yeah, us too," Skye said.
"Did you get my necklace?"
"No, sorry," Skye said, realizing that Ariel still had it. "So… we're going back to your friend?"
"Right," Melody said. "Then I can be a mermaid forever…" She took the lead again, kicking her tail furiously.
"I hope it doesn't turn out that way," Skye muttered to himself, looking from her to the city.
Max gave him a reassuring tap with his flipper. "It's all right," he said. He indicated Ariel, stealthily following a safe distance behind them. "It'll work out, you'll see."
