(No P.O.V.)
Rafferty was concerned about Melody during the 4-day coma she and Ariel was in, and he realized that it was simply a piece of Ursula's magic that had exhausted Melody in. He heard stories about Ursula from Sebastian and the royal family, but seeing how a small part fought back against Melody, well, it caused him to confess his crush upon Melody, not wanting to see Melody get truly hurt or worse by Ursula's powerful magic.
Melody was surprised yet pleased to know that it wasn't just her who felt the same, and she will tell her answer once Ursula is done for. Rafferty accepted the condition, knowing how Melody is, having known her all his life.
Morgana was a piece of kelp, but Ursula, she's the whole strand of kelp. One against Ursula, she'd completely have vaporized, but 52,340 soldiers and citizens against Ursula and her loyal minions, the chance to win has grown far greater.
It was another month when Ariel, Melody, and co. has set out for Atlantica, with their allies and armies behind them, and once they got closer, they then reunited with the secret group of rebels and spies including Ariel's old friends, Urchin, Gabriella, and Ollie.
They had found out that Ursula is controlling a group of great whites including a familiar old face Ariel knew all too well; Glut the shark from the shipwreck area near Atlantica. Besides the great whites, there is also a group of brainwashed/manipulated people and creatures that trespassed into Atlantica during Ursula's terrible reign over the years, and caught by Ursula and her eel minions.
Altogether, 30 great whites and 50 brainwashed/manipulated people formed Ursula's army. The band was relieved that they had left in the early years before security got far more dangerous. And the scared citizens were fiercely convinced once Ariel's old friends told them that if a Cecilian or not, Ariel is the same old princess who loved to sing and explore.
The citizens teamed up, and joined the armies into fighting Ursula's minions, managing to draw out the eel brothers out of the palace, leaving Ursula alone. Sebastian led Ariel and co. to a secret tunnel in the palace, something only Triton knew, never having the thought to tell Attina or the other girls about it long ago.
Melody bravely went first into the throne room, telling the others to get behind the pillars and such until Melody gives the signal for Ariel to strike Ursula in the back, and once the Trident falls, Attina goes for it. It was quite a battle as Melody got cut here and there narrowly from the blasts of the Trident, leaving the indention that there will be scars in the end.
The plan almost went perfectly, but Attina was seen, and with rage, Ursula reached out to grab Attina, but never saw Eric coming as she became blindsided by a spear through the heart by force of Eric's jaw strength.
Instantly, before everybody's eyes, the castle became alive once more, and Ariel, Eric, Triton, Arista returned back to normal, hearing confused shouts and bewildered hope outside the castle.
Of course, in a instant second, Attina temporarily changed Eric into a merman when she saw that Eric was struggling to hold in his breath in his human form, taken back momentarily as he changed so fast from his shark form.
And there, with a simple yet intense look, Ariel and Eric finally, truly kissed for the first time with Melody smiling happily as she watched on. The city was echoing with cheers, music, laughter, joy, freedom as all of Melody's family and friends listened.