As I'd taken to flying the Gummi Ship myself, I didn't get a chance to talk to Sora on the rest of the way to Atlantica, and since the entire world is underwater at this point, I doubted I'd get the chance to check the book while in that world.
It seems I'm not the only one that doesn't like Atlantica though. The number one world on my list of worlds I hate, for quite a few reasons. First, while not quite as easy to get lost in as Monstro, the added directions and the underwater currents make it very easy. Secondly, the Heartless make that worse, and not only that they seem to be endless – no sooner do I defeat one bunch than another shows up. Thirdly, whenever I'm swimming around trying to defeat them, I always end up triggering the appearance of another group nearby, making things twice as hard. Fourth, though only really relevant to me and my own adventures there, I'm not all that good at singing. Fifth, Triton might mean well, but he's got some serious issues when it comes to being overprotective, and they're often the cause of the same thing he's trying to prevent. And lastly, though until now I've kept it quiet... unless I'm in a swimming pool or very small lake, the moment I know water has closed over my head, I panic. It doesn't matter if I can see the sea floor underneath me or how clearly I can see, it just happens every time.
This world was not one I wanted to go to, and it showed when I stopped us just outside.
"There's nowhere to land," Goofy pointed out, thinking this was why I'd stopped. "It's all water."
"Doesn't matter, not with my magic," Donald insisted. "Just leave it to me."
"Are you alright Sora?" Jiminy asked, concerned. "You're looking... a little green around the gills."
"Please, don't," I told him in a pained tone. "I'm not looking forward to this. Joking about it isn't going to make it any easier."
"We could come back later," Donald suggested. "There's two other worlds we could go to."
"We'd still have to come here again though," I pointed out. "The Keyhole has to be locked. The Heartless are already here, if we do nothing it'll only be a matter of time before they find the Keyhole. Just give me a few moments to myself first. Keep an eye out for passing Heartless, Donald."
There isn't all that much room up in the Gummi Ship, but there was enough that I could get the book out without anyone else seeing. I wrote in it three words.
'Do something, Sora.'
'Like what?'
'I don't know. Anything. Just don't make me have to go to this world, or at least don't make it take long.'
'There isn't anything I can do except try to limit the Heartless a bit. The rest is up to you.'
'Thanks Sora,' I wrote sarcastically, though that probably got lost in the words. 'What was behind that Keyblade of Riku's, by the way?'
'It's a fake, don't worry. It's a bit like Xion's one. Actually, it'll end up being her one, but that won't happen yet. You've changed a lot of Riku's part of the story, Liam – be very careful what you do next time you meet him. I don't dare make any more changes to him myself. Now go on – go swimming.'
With that closing remark, it was clear I wasn't getting out of this. I'd have to bear it.
"Alright," I announced, getting up again. "I don't like this, but we don't have a choice. No one mention the Keyblade or Keyhole, because we'll end up causing trouble if we're not careful, so I'm going to handle it myself. If any locals ask, we're from another ocean. Now lets get on with this before I change my mind."
Unlike Sora, while in Atlantica I don't become a merman. Or merboy, depending on who you ask. Technically I do, but it depends on your definitions. Sora becomes half-dolphin. I wasn't sure at the time what I became, but Sora later told me my own change there made me half-swordfish. Apparently it's because I'm so sharp mentally.
Splashing down into the oceans of Atlantica was a lot like taking an exceptionally high dive, not something I've ever done myself. Once you get past the water rushing towards you, it's actually sort of fun.
In retrospect, it's probably a good thing Donald's magic allowed us to breath underwater, otherwise I'd have been in trouble the moment I was in the water. I imagine I looked fairly ridiculous, floundering around underwater with the silvery tail I'd gained. Due to that, I didn't sink down as low as the others did, so they didn't notice, being more concerned with not sinking all the way.
It gave me the opportunity to try and calm myself at least a little, and gain some measure of control. Also unlike him, I can swim, and not too badly at that. I know enough to be able to swim fairly effectively with a tail, and so was able to join the others just in time to see Ariel and her friends stop by.
Sebastian's a bit slower than the others, so he was complaining about being left behind. Then he met Donald, who had flipped upside down to stare at him, arms crossed. Sebastian jumped back, having not noticed him until too late.
"Relax, Sebastian," Ariel chuckled. "They don't look like any threat to us. Right Flounder?"
The shy little yellow fish looked us over, then answered, "There's something a bit weird about them..." Then he nodded to me, "And he looks like he's got some kind of problem."
"Let's just say I'm confronting a personal issue of mine," I answered. "We come from a long way away from here."
"Then what are you doing so far from home?"
"I can't talk about it. I have to tell..." I faked a frown. Of course I knew who I was talking about, but I didn't want to make Ariel feel like we didn't need her. Without her around, I would have been lost there for ages. "Big guy, has a trident," I went on vaguely, as if trying to figure it out.
"King Triton?" Flounder suggested.
"That's the one. Him. I don't suppose you happen to know the way, do you?"
"Sure we do," Ariel answered. "Just follow the trident symbols on the walls!"
"Ariel, King Triton will not like this!" Sebastian warned.
"Oh, bother that. They're no one to worry about." I heard the tell-tale sound of Heartless appearing, and Ariel's hurried addition of, "But they are! Swim for cover!"
The three of them took refuge in a large clamshell. Despite my misgivings about the local Heartless, it didn't seem like I had any choice – I was going to have to fight them, and try to get the hang of swimming and fighting at the same time.
It's not easy. Momentum keeps you going a lot of the time, so often at first I only managed a few light blows before I drifted out of reach. It took me a little time to figure out how to counter that drift, and even then I still didn't exactly do too well.
It's harder than it sounds, because your attention's divided between swimming, fighting, and keeping an eye on the other Heartless around, and since I was also trying not to end up the way I usually do underwater, I was even more distracted.
Once the Heartless were finally dealt with, I tapped on the top of the shell Ariel had been hiding in.
"You can come out now. We got rid of them."
"You did?" Flounder's muffled voice came. "Are you sure?"
"Completely. And if any more show up, we'll deal with them too."
The shell opened enough for Ariel to poke her head out and check, then apparently satisfied that it was safe, she emerged, followed by her friends.
"What's that you've got there?" she asked me.
"It's just my weapon," I answered. I didn't want to call it what it is because of it's relation to the Keyhole – and that I wanted to keep to myself until I met Triton. I was starting to form a plan that might get around his annoying attitude. "I'm Sora," I introduced myself. "That there is Donald, and he's Goofy."
She handled her own introductions, which I only pretended to pay attention to. Knowing who people are in advance is useful, and let me continue to plot how I was going to get out of having to do most of this world.
It seemed that Sora hadn't done anything about the Heartless here, or if he had it wasn't noticeable – not yet, anyway. We were attacked fairly often along the way to Triton's palace, and I even started to get to grips with this additional dimension of movement here. I still can't say I liked it though. I was still keenly aware of the surface up above me.
As we grew closer to the palace, I figured out what Sora had done – he'd set it so that each bunch of Heartless only spawned once, stemming the sometimes seemingly never-ending tide of them, and so that if I was fighting one group, no others would appear. Effectively eliminating a fair part of my problems with the world.
There were still too many of them when we were just outside, and in the middle of fighting them there was a massive bolt of lightning – how that didn't fry everything nearby I don't know – and the last of them were defeated.
Ariel went on ahead to the one who'd shot that lightning, King Triton.
"Introduce us, Sebastian," I nudged the little... crab? Lobster? I think he's a crab, but I'm not good at identifying sea-creatures.
"Behold!" he announced grandly in a voice louder than his tiny size. "You swim before the rules of the seas, His Majesty King Triton."
"And who are they?"
"They helped us fight off those creatures," Ariel explained
"They don't look familiar."
"Not a word," I breathed to Donald and Goofy, then to Triton, "We came from a very far-off ocean. I was sent with a message for you alone, your Majesty." I might not want to be here, but I still know my manners in front of royalty. Not that I've ever met royalty outside of living Sora's life for him, but still.
"I will hear your message in a moment. Ariel, you are not to leave the palace again – it's far too dangerous."
"But Daddy-" she protested, but he cut her off with a wave of one hand, sending her and Flounder swimming away, presumably to her grotto just outside.
"Sebastian?" Triton asked them..
"Just as you suspected. They're coming from Ursula's grotto."
"I see exile has taught that sea witch nothing."
"Yes," Sebastian agreed. "She's a big danger."
"And didn't I tell you to keep Ariel away from such danger?" Sebastian bore that look for a few moments, then sighed and followed after Ariel. Triton gave me a meaningful look.
"My name's Sora, your Majesty. These are my companions, Donald and Goofy."
"You said you had a message."
I nodded, "Those creatures showed up in our own ocean too. They're called the Heartless, and we found a way to prevent them from being a threat." I hesitated, then added, "I should tell you we were warned you might not like the idea."
"I will decide that. Go on."
"We located the source of the Heartless – if I overheard your subject correctly, here it is this Ursula – and stopped them, then located and locked the Keyhole."
I waited. Knowing the reaction he has to Sora's attempt to explain, I was not optimistic about this working all that well. On the other hand, if it did work... but then I'd be left with the explanation of the Keyblade and being from another world instead.
"How do you propose to lock it, Sora? I understand the only item that can do such a thing does not come from this... ocean." I heard 'world' where he meant to say it.
The Keyblade came into my hand.
"You mean this. It has the capability to lock the Keyhole."
"You're not from another ocean, are you?"
"No. Forgive my deceiving you, but I had to tell you about this, and if you'd known I was from another would I believe you may not have heard me out."
Triton regarded me for a moment, then gave one slow nod, as if this wasn't easy for him. "I will trust you with the location of the Keyhole when you have proved your theory is correct. Handle Ursula, and I will believe you... but I must insist you make no attempt to locate the Keyhole yourself!"
"You have my word," I answered, gave him a respectful nod – which isn't easy underwater by the way, if you're not careful you'll end up spinning around in the water – then we left.
This was a bit of a problem. To get Ursula to show up, I'd need to follow the proper storyline, and that meant Ariel would find the Crystal Trident – and if I was there when she tried to show the Keyhole with it, Triton would suspect me of breaking the same word I'd just given him.
