A playset rested on a floor along with a small doll.
"Girls." A deep voice said.
"Bedtime soon." A woman's said.
"Uh-oh!" An arm turns the doll turn as Ariel grabs it. "The princess is in a sea goblin's evil spell. Quick, Attina! A prince. A fancy one."
Attina then hands her a red piece of coral indicating a prince. And Alana held a dolphin doll, Aquata her seahorse Mr. Fuzzlefinkle, Arista a whale toy, Adella a manatee toy, and Andrina a seal toy.
The kelp peels back as Triton peeks in checking on them, and smiled watching them play together.
"Oh, no!" Alana cried. "The prince is trapped too."
"Who cares about danger when there's love?" Adella said deeply and then had the doll and coral piece kiss each other.
"Ugh, Adella." Ariel said in disgust.
"Kissing won't save the land." Aquata said as Adella giggled.
Athena then came in and Triton smiled as he watches them play.
"The lost fairies cry out." Attina said dramatically holding the whale toy and made a whale sound. "What sound does a manatee make?"
"I don't know." Andrina shrugged.
"I think it's a snorting sound." Arista said.
"Never mind." Attina said and grabs a shark toy. "They wake the shark king who breaks the spell and saves everyone!" She toss the shark at a Sea Serpent toy.
Adella then grabs all of the toys. "And they all get married."
Attina, Alana, Aquata, Arista, Andrina and Ariel then giggled.
"What are you playing?" Triton asked.
"Lost Kingdom." Ariel said. "The prince and the princess..."
"Hmm. That's like no lost kingdom I've even seen." Triton said.
Attina gasped as it got her attention. "You've seen a lost kingdom?"
"Wait, what?" Ariel stared.
"I have." Triton confirmed. "Once."
"And you've never told us this before?" Ariel inquired with her fists on her hips in an intimidating look.
"Well, I could tell you now if you..." Triton said.
The 7 little mermaids giggled as they gathered in Ariel's bed.
"Okay." Attina said.
"Now. Tell us now." Ariel said sitting next to Attina as they snuggled together.
"Are you sure about this?" Athena asked.
"It's time they know." Triton said and sat down by his daughters.
"Let's teased Sebastian later." Ariel whisper to Attina.
"If they can settle and listen." Triton said.
The 7 sisters then got quiet as Triton chuckled.
"Far away, as far north as any merfolk would dare go, stood a very old and forgotten land." Triton began his story. "But its life wasn't that of Sea Serpents and lost fairies. There lives a race of ancient creatures they lived before any of us. It was ruled and protected by the most powerful creature of all."
"Is he like you, Daddy?" Ariel asked.
"No, Ariel." Triton said. "He was far different from me. Their ways were so different from ours. He called himself the King of the Monsters. But still, they promised us friendship. They say he was a king like no other seen before him, giving life to the oceans wherever he goes. Keeping a strong and healthy balance in our ocean home. And protecting it from whatever would threaten it. And when I was just Attina's age, I was honored to meet him when we came to his waters. But I wasn't prepared for what the day would bring."
When Triton was just a merboy, his father and several of his guards attended to an event as 2 large mysterious creatures were in a pushing contest of strength.
"We let down our guard."
Young Triton looked around other creatures of the kingdom swam by.
"We were charmed. It felt so dream-like."
Triton looked around, and at the distance he thought he saw a creature with a hammerhead-shaped head swimming off.
"But something went wrong."
Suddenly yelling was heard as the seabed suddenly cracked open and bubbles jet out from steam vent deep underground. Merpeople fled as as well as the creatures as they swam away to find cover.
"An earthquake began. It was a brutal scene."
Then suddenly, a steam vent went off near Triton as he was sent flying back and hits a rock wall.
An unknown amount of time pass, and Triton barely conscious felt something lifting him up.
"Someone saved me."
The merpeople soon left the land.
"I'm told that the land was usually unpredictable, and that peaceful moments can turn nasty in an instant since that day."
"And since then things were rather different." Triton finished his story.
Ariel and her sisters were silent with stunned looks.
"Whoa, Daddy." Ariel said. "That was epic! Whoever saved you, I love them." She fell back into her mother's lap.
Triton chuckled. "I wish I knew who it was."
"What happened to the land?" Attina asked. "What's in the land now?"
"I don't know." Triton said unsure. "No one knows for sure. The King there sadly decided that merpeople aren't allowed there for their own safety. No one has came in, or out since then."
"So, we are safe." Athena said.
"Yes." Triton said. "But the land could wake again, and must be prepared for whatever danger it may bring. The King there swore that nothing will happen to us or Atlantica as long as he lives. He's actually been here a few times."
"Really?" Alana said.
"Yes, he's actually been here from Attina to Andrina were born." Triton said. "We've been keeping in touch."
"Was he here when I was born?" Ariel asked.
"No, he couldn't make it." Triton said. "The letter he sent was he was dealing with some problems of his own at the time."
"And on that note, how about we say goodnight to your father." Athena said.
"Ah." Ariel sadly whined. "But I still have so many questions!"
"Save them for another night, Ariel." Triton said playing her tail fin as he and Athena got up.
"You know I don't have that kind of patience." Ariel said to Attina. "Why did that King make a home in such a land like that? Who lives in such a dangerous place?"
"Do you think the land will wake again?" Attina asked her mother.
Athena thought for a moment.
"Only Mothra knows." Athena said.
"Moth-who?" Ariel frowned.
"When I was little, around Alana's age, my mother once told me of a great guardian that protects those in need." Athena explained. "Her loyalty was the King of the Monsters, and no one else. The King himself protected this ocean from many threats, and his greatest threat was that of a great dragon. Their last fight was in the far north, and it lead him to be frozen in an iceberg. I know this king will never let anything bad happen to us."
"Whoa." Ariel breathlessly said.
"We will ever see him?" Attina asked.
"I truly don't know." Athena said. "But someday, I know we will once again."
Attina and her sisters then went to their beds as Athena tucks Ariel in.
"Goodnight, Ariel." Athena said and kissed her daughter's forehead.
"Night." Ariel said and then drifts off to sleep.
Many years later, the full moon shines brightly over a lost and forgotten land.
Ancient trees and other plants stood in what appears to a lost world, and lakes lay scattered across the land.
Prehistoria.
Near a lake, a dragonfly flew crawling on an odd tree trunk, and then flew to another and rested there till the bark suddenly shivered. The dragonfly flew as a strange tree trunk lifted up revealing they were tree trunk-like legs, and they belong to a colossal creature bigger than an elephant.
A dinosaur.
It was an Apatosaurus was it walks off as a few other Apatosaurs were close by as bellows fill the air, 2 were in the water of the lake as one lowers it's head down to drink. A flock of birds flew off as a Pteranodon soars by and soon slows it's descend as it lands. It pecks at an old tuna and screeches.
Elsewhere, by a river, a trio of Ankylosaurus were drinking the flowing water as one lifted it's up and snorted and lowed.
Nearby, a flock of Pteranodons rest at a rocky ledge not too far from the sea.
In a cave, a lone Compsognathus wanders around the cave floor in search of food. And it soon came across some insects and starts pecking them.
Elsewhere in Prehistoria, a herd of Triceratops were migrating to a new area of food. They traveled by the dozens as youngsters traveled alongside with their elders for protection. A few were lounging and bathing in the water as a Stegosaurus was drinking nearby.
Elsewhere, a Compsognathus was pecking between the teeth of a large predatory dinosaur getting at the meat from it's leftover meal. It's a type of symbiotic relationship, similar to another in Africa with birds and crocodiles. One gets cleaned, and the other gets a meal.
The Compsognathus soon heads off as the predatory softly growled and lifts it's head up.
Close by, an Iguanodon was feeding on the ground plants and turns to the predator.
The dinosaur was a Giganotosaurus was it growled.
The Iguanodon snorted as it quickly heads off, and just as another predatory dinosaur appeared. And this one, was a legendary killer.
Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The T. Rex stares at the Giganotosaurus and lightly growled.
The T. Rex approaches the Giganotosaur as each footfall lands on the ground with a heavy thud. The 2 large predators begin to circle each other, testing for weaknesses. Neither want to risk an injury, and the Rex snapped at the Giga as it roared. The Tyrannosaurus then roars as well as the Giganotosaurus, and then they charged as they ram each other in the heads. They snapped at each other trying at one another's necks, and soon the Giga lifts up and clamps it's enormous jaws on the Rex's neck as the T. Rex roars as it tries to fight free.
The T. Rex struggled but soon managed to pull free, and the Rex lets out a thunderous roar as it echoed across Prehistoria.
The Rex and Giga growled as they were at a stand-off, but seeing they were equally matched. They both made the smart choice to back down as the fight ends in a draw, and they parted ways to live to fight another day.
The dinosaurs of Prehistoria lived in a remote region of the far Arctic. The hot springs in the area are enough to keep the land in stable temperatures, especially in this time of year as winter approaches, where nights in the Arctic are longer and colder. And because of it's remoteness and isolation, the dinosaurs are safe here.
So for these last survivors, this is a precious sanctuary.
Miles away from Prehistoria, on an ice flow near a great glacier, was a penguin and Walrus named Tip and Dash. Which they called themselves the adventurers/explorers.
They were peacefully asleep as Tip was clutching an icicle like a teddy bear. Dash snored peacefully as his right flipper scratched his side, and then he rolled and then accidentally rolled on top of Tip.
Tip quickly woke up feeling crushed under Dash's weight, and he yelled out all muffled trying to wake Dash up.
Dash then stirred and woke up, and heard his muffled yells.
"Tip?" Dash tiredly said. "Where are you?"
More muffled yelling as heard as he looked down.
"Oh!" Dash leaped off Tip. "Sorry, Tip."
Tip gasped a deep breath of air. "Being crushed by 2,000 pounds of blubber." He then got up. "You gotta lay off the clams for a while." He then fixed his back.
Then suddenly a loud crack echoed across the ice field.
"Forget your midnight snack, Dash?" Tip asked.
"Uh... That wasn't me." Dash said.
Another crack was heard as they turn to the glacier, and it heavily cracks as it was starting to break apart. And then, huge chucks of ice break and fall off the glacier wall, including a large section nearly a quarter-mile across. And they fell into the water generating a large tidal wave.
Tip and Dash were luckily well clear of the glacier, and remained silent as the water soon became still.
"Eh?" Tip shrugged.
He and Dash turn and head off to find a new place to sleep, when then suddenly a wind picked up as snow flowed by them. They turn to each other, and turn back to the broken ice sections was one large chunk strangely showed a strange yellow flash.
Tip and Dash watched as then soft growling was heard, and then a golden tail rose from as sharp barbs on it stood up making a rattling sound as yellow lightning flashed. Then, the neck and head of a dragon lifts up with a set of 10 horns on it, with a similar appearance to an Eastern Dragon and has a row of spines running down it's neck. Then a second identical head and neck lifts up, and then a third head lifts up as it had 2 rows of spines running down it's neck. The 3-headed dragon turns to the penguin and Walrus he dwarfs as a second tail lifts up as they were held in a fighting stance.
"You gotta be fricking kidding." Tip nervously quivered.
Yellow lightning flashed as the 3 heads of the dragon looked around, and then one of them roars out.
Then one of his 2 tails slams down hard on the ice, causing Tip and Dash to jump.
"Go, go, go, go!" Tip yelled as they ran for their lives.
They ran as the middle head of the dragon roars out loudly as if he was announcing his return as yellow lightning flashed. Then the left head lowers down as he then lifts an enormous left wing out from the ice as chunks with flying in every direction. He then roared as his right wing lifts up from the ice as his size was immense, over 25 feet tall with his heads held straight up, over 50 feet long, and a wingspan of nearly 80 feet. He then roars turning to the fleeing penguin and Walrus.
Tip and Dash nervously whimpered as they hugged each other in fear as the left head lowers down and sniffs them. But then, the middles shoves the left head aside and turns to the right head as it snarled.
"You wanna a piece of us you big lizard?!" Tip said holding a piece of ice. "TAKE THIS!"
He threw the piece as it hits the snout of the dragon's middle head and it blinked as they turn to each other. And then, like 3 giant cobras the heads lifts up high as thunder crashed with yellow lightning and the throats of their necks showed an electric glow as they stood high.
"Oh, shoot." Dash said.
The 3-headed dragon then roared firing powerful beams of yellow lightning as they hit the ice, and the force of them sends Tip and Dash flying back.
The dragon then lowered his heads down near the 2 as they growled as they shook like crazy.
"Let this be a nightmare!" Dash begged.
"Dash, if this is it, you're the best Walrus a penguin could ask." Tip said.
Suddenly the middle head of the dragon acts up as it chitters, and the right head then chirps in a confusing matter. He then backs away and lifts up and the left head looks around as the middle head hissed as if he was sensing something.
Confused of their attacker acting like this, Tip and Dash then heard and icy rumble as they looked behind them as they then saw a faint bright blue glow. And it was coming towards them as the ice shook.
The bright light draws closer as the 3-headed dragon watches it.
Tip and Dash watched the glow as it got even closer to them.
The bright glow then lowers, and then suddenly the ice explodes as chunks broke apart as then a row of flashing dorsal plates rose up as a large creature rose from the and growled as Tip and Dash watched it with widen eyes as it stood to his full height.
A large foot with big claws stomps on the ice as the creature stood on 2 massive pillar-like legs. The flashing from it's dorsal plates ceased as they showed jagged protrusions. A long tail with a rounded tip, and a muscular build as it stood 12 feet tall as it stood it's ground and growled.
But the blowing wind and darkness made it hard for Tip and Dash to truly get a good look at it.
The 3-headed dragon then stomped his right foot hard on the ice creating a heavy thud. And yellow lightning flashed as it's tails rattled like a rattlesnake as the middle head screeches out.
The creature through the wind narrowed red eyes with a glare at the dragon as he snorted.
The 3-headed dragon flapped his wings and yellow lightning flashed as all 3 heads growled and stood up high.
Both creatures stood their ground as the dragon held his wings up high as they size each other up.
The creature then lets out a thunderous ear-piercing roar as it echoes and thunders through the howling wind.
The 3-headed dragon then lets out a thunderous eerie screech and then charges.
"Oh, jeez!" Tip said.
Dash quickly flees as the creature's left foot stomps on the ice near Tip, and then it's enormous tail knocks Tip aside as he slid across the ice.
"Tip!" Dash cried.
The creature roared as he and the dragon collide into each other creating a shock wave as yellow lightning flashed. And then the creature grapples the right head and clamps it's jaws down on it as the middle head bit his shoulder. And the creature roars and slams the right head hard on the ice.
Tip continued sliding on the ice, and soon hits a chunk of ice, and a piece of drops down and pins him.
"Tip!" Dash cried rushing over to him.
The 2 massive creatures fought as the creature's left foot stomps on the ice as Dash quickly got to Tip.
"Tip!" Dash said.
"I'm stuck!" Tip said strained trying to lift the ice off him.
Screeching was heard as Dash turns to the battle, and then the 3-headed dragons fires a blast at the creature fall back and hits the ice hard near them.
The right head of the dragon growled as his tails rattled and snapped as the left head flicked it's snake-like tongue.
Dash soon recovered and shook as head as the creature soon rose up turning to the dragon and roars out.
Dash soon moves the ice off Tip.
"Are you all right?" Dash asked.
"Yeah, I got it! I got it." Tip said getting up. "Go, go!"
Dash quickly heads off as Tip followed and they turned to the fighting giants.
The creature bites down on the left head as the right head then fires a blast at the creature, and it roared in pain as it's tail lifts up high and hits the ice hard. Then, a dorsal plate on his tail lit up a blue glow. And then another as it follows up it's tail as Tip and Dash watched. The creature lifts it's tail up as a pulsating hum grew as the dorsal plates lit up following up it's back to it's head as the creature inhales deeply and then fires a powerful blue blast that looks equal, if not, stronger to Triton's trident blast. The 3 heads of the dragon avoided the blast stream, and then they screeched and fired a powerful lightning beam at the creature striking it on the chest as it was knocked off it's feet roaring. And it's blast continues firing as it struck a nearby glacier as sections of it exploded as Tip and Dash yelped and screamed trying to avoid getting hit.
The creature fell on it's side as it's blast attack finally ceased, and the creature was then pushed back and fell into the water as it screeches out loudly as he fell over.
With his rival down, the 3-headed dragon growled as he turns back to Tip and Dash heading to the water to make a break for it.
But then, the middle head roared as he looked back as the creature has recovered and got on the ice and roars.
Tip and Dash quickly leaped into the water and turns back to them.
The creature charges toward the dragon as it's 3 heads turn to each other, and then he lifted his wings up and then lifts off into the air and flies off vanishing into the clouds.
The creature then roars out angrily as it's rival flies off and Tip and Dash quickly dove under and swam off as the roar ends with a honking bellow.
Author's Note:
Here's to my 60th story.
This is probably last type of story one would think I would do on.
But I'm sure this will be a good one. And you made notice a Frozen II reference, I'm sure Ariel and her sisters were close with each other when they were kids.
Now I know that the prequel series and Ariel's Beginning may look like 2 of possibilities of what happened before the original, but a recent thought of showing Prehistoria and the dinosaurs was almost too good to ignore.
Now, the creatures of this lost kingdom will show be revealed more. But, I might have gave away a few possibilities of what this king might be.
The real villain in this story will make Ursula and even Morgana a mere shadow of him. But it's not the 3-headed dragon yet to be revealed truly.
And I might have few other Little Mermaid stories in mind for later on.