Chapter XXXII - Atlantica (Part 3)
Retracing their steps to the sunken ships, Sebastian showed them a sealed passage that led straight to Ursula's lair. Her lair was inside the skeleton of a large leviathan. They swam through it's mouth.
"Ah!" Koga yelped swimming back into Donald, looking at the shriveled looking creatures that lined the floor. They groaned and cried in a terrifying manner. "What is that!"
"Ursula's victims." Sebastian said sadly. "This is what happens to those when they make a deal with that sea witch."
"I would have turned into that?" Ariel said horrified.
"No, we won't let that happen to you." Sora encouraged. "Don't worry, we will stop her." Ariel seemed lifted by his words but Koga still looked shaken up.
They made it to a large round chamber. Ursula looked from the end of the room. The Trident was hovering over her magic cauldron, drawing it's power into it.
"Well well, looks like we've got company!" She said smugly.
"Ursula, give back the Trident!" Sora said angrily.
"Hmm, I'm afraid that deal is no longer available."
"Then you leave us no choice." Koga growled summoning his Keyblade.
"Oh, how violent. That boy was right when he said you had a dark side."
Koga lowered his weapon. "You're talking about Riku?"
"Yes, the boy told us all about that little fight you two had. Who could ever expect such a sweet little boy could have such darkness in him." She laughed.
"No... I don't have darkness!" He said eyes wide. That fight, it was just a spur in the moment. There's no way giving in a little bit to your anger makes you a bad person, does it?
"Stop messing with my brother!" Sora said. "We are here to stop you. You can't run so just give up."
The sea witch tapped her thick chin. "Sora was it, I hear that you want to find your friend Kairi. Well what if I told you that I can bring her to you right this minute?"
"What?" Sora's eyes widened. "You know where she is?"
"Of course. She's currently in Maleficent's hands. So how about a deal, you leave this world to me and I will bring Kairi to you."
Sora looked to Koga who had the same apprehensive expression. Their face's hardened and they turned back to her.
"No!" They said together pointing their Keyblades at her.
Ursula's smile dropped turning into a venomous glare. "Fine, I tried to do this the easy way." She grabbed a vial in the shelves and threw it into the cauldron. It exploded in thick smoke that covered the whole room was filled. Ariel coughed as the smoke dissipated quickly.
"What happened, Sora!?" She snapped her head and her eyes widened looking at Sora. He had two human legs and wearing his regular clothes. He opened his mouth to gasp but then clutched his throat as he choked on the water, the magic helping him breath underwater was gone. Koga, Donald, and Goofy were also in the same state.
"They are human." She said. She didn't want to believe Ursula but there was no denying it now.
"They are suffocating!" Sebastian gasped. Jiminy appeared by Koga's side, his magic bubble was still there thankfully.
"Oh no!" Jiminy gasped as well. "They won't make it to the surface in time!"
"What do we do?" Ariel asked, she doesn't know who this little guy is but now isn't the time for introductions.
The cricket pointed his umbrella to the cauldron. "That thing is suppressing their magic. You gotta destroy it before my friends suffocate!"
"Like I will allow this, Flotsam, Jetsam! Go!" Ursula ordered. The two eels emerged from behind her and wrapped themselves around her. She struggled against their grip. "Now hold her still boys." She said as she grabbed the Trident and pointed it at her.
Suddenly someone shot at the cauldron with a Thunder spell. Ursula turned her head to Koga who weakly aimed his Shooting Star as he was choking on seawater.
"Why you little brat!" She snarled. She shot a blast back at him which he barely swam out of the way for.
"Let her go!" Sebastian said as he pinched Flotsam with his pincers. Jiminy poked Jetsam in the eye with the tip of his umbrella. The two eels flinched in pain as they loosened their grip on her. Ursula noticed and quickly shot a powerful blast at her. Ariel swam out of the way just in time. The two eels on the other hand were hit by the blast and exploded into a bunch of gory bits and pieces. Ursula cried in surprise and swam to them, cradling the remaining pieces in her hand.
Sora felt his vision get blurry as he was close to passing out.
"Babies! my poor little poopsies." She heard grunting and saw Ariel pushing her body against the cauldron. "NO!" She screamed as it tipped over. It released the liquid it was holding and it reacted to touching the ground. There was a burst of light and Sora felt himself able to breath again. The took a big gasp as he and the others turned back to merpeople. They all fell over trying to catch their breath. Ursula saw the opportunity and swam away as fast as she could. "This isn't over, you will pay!"
Sora looked up at Ariel after he took a moment to recover. "Thank you for saving us."
"Guys... I think I'm in the mood for fried calamari!" Koga shouted angrily as he swam off after her with the other's following close behind. They tailed Ursula out of the cave and into the shipwrecks.
She turned to them with a hateful glare with her grip tightening around the Trident which was glowing in her hand. "You pathetic fools, I rule the seas now!" She said as inky black darkness emerged from under her like an angry cloud. Unlike before, the ink didn't stop growing. To avoid it they all swam upwards as it covered the entire area under them. "The sea and all it's spoils, BOW TO MY POWER!" They all turned to a now gigantic Ursula smiling evilly at them.
"And I thought Sharks were my biggest concern." Koga said palms shaking. Ursula raised the Trident into the air and thunder bolts rained down from the surface. They all swam around them as Ursula laughed at how they ran in circles. Then Koga started taking potshots at Ursula as he avoided the lightning bolts.
"You dare to strike me?!" She roared. She took a big inhale, so strong it was making a strong current pulling Koga to her mouth. He tried to swim away but the pull was too strong. He cried out as he fell into her mouth where she chewed on him and spit him out. She grimaced. "Mmm, not very tasty."
"Gross." Koga whined using Cure on himself.
"Let's get her!" Sora, Goofy, and Ariel all rushed at Ursula while she was distracted. Their combined attacks were doing significant damage to her. She cried out when Donald launched Fira at her eye.
"You miscreants, this won't be pretty!" She said as she raised the Trident up and she was surrounded by a circle of lightning. Everyone backed off but still got struck. She then took a deep breath and blasted a powerful laser out of her mouth. It stuck Donald and Goofy knocking them out.
"Ursula!" She turned and Koga swam right up to her. "Wind!" He shouted and conjured a wind spell that forced water into her mouth at an excessive rate. Like when someone chokes on their own spit, Ursula choked on the forceful water. She swung her hands around in panic. "Sora, now!"
"This is it!" Sora said slamming at the fingers.
"Homerun!" Koga said swinging hard at the thumb. Ursula let go of her grip of the Trident and Sora took it in his hands.
Ursula roared looking down at him. "You fool, that is mine!"
"Well then you can have it!" He said throwing it at her. It glowed with power as it shot clean through her abdomen. She gasped in shock and pain as her body convulsed. She screamed as she fell back, body convulsing with energy. And then the ink cloud surrounded her, and then... she was gone. Koga let out a shaky laugh of relief as the battle was over. Ariel picked up the Trident and looked to her friends with a thankful smile.
The trip back to the palace was a quick and peaceful one. With Ursula gone, the Heartless were gone as well. The merfolk of Atlantica cheered at the heroes who saved them. Their cheers brought a warm feeling to their hearts that they did the right thing. Soon enough they made it back to the throne room where Flounder looked overjoyed to see them and Triton had a weak smile.
Ariel handed him his Trident and the power gave him his energy back. He wrapped an arm around his daughter.
"Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry!" Ariel said with tears in her eyes.
Triton looked at his daughter guiltily. "I'm the one that should be apologizing. You followed Ursula because I wouldn't let you follow your Heart." He then turned to the others. "Keybearers." He said to Koga and Sora. "I believed that the Keyblade brought only ruin and terror to the worlds, now I know I was mistaken. It is the actions of the wielders that should be judged, and you've done quite a service for my kingdom. You are always welcome here." They nodded in understanding. "And Ariel, I apologize for destroying that crystal, I just lost my temper when I saw it."
"Yeah, why did you want that crystal destroyed?" Koga asked.
"It held the power to reveal the Keyhole."
"I knew it!" Koga pumped his fist in triumph.
"The Keyhole is dangerous, I had to keep you away from it at any costs."
"Daddy..." Ariel whispered, now understanding why.
"Keybearers, I have one more request. Seal the Keyhole. My Trident has the power to reveal the Keyhole. Will you do it?"
"Of course, it's what we came here to do from the start." Sora said with a grin.
"But where is it daddy?" Ariel asked.
Triton looked at her with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Was it not obvious, in your grotto. Now take my Trident and seal it.
Ariel did as he asked and led them back to her Grotto. She held it up over the Trident-shaped hole and it started to glow. Then a bunch of bubbles gathered together to make a shape like a Keyhole. In less than a minute Sora sealed it and the bubbles vanished like it was never there.
Ariel swam up and put her hand on Sora's shoulder. "Sora, before you go, what is the outside world like?"
Sora and the other's blanched. "You know?"
The mermaid giggled. "I had a feeling."
Koga frowned. "I'm sorry we tricked you but we aren't allowed to really talk about that."
She gave a content smile back. "It's alright, you were just doing your job. I do hope you find what you are looking for. And besides, if you can travel to other worlds, maybe I can too." She looked up at the sun leaking through from the top.
"Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free
Wish I could be
Part of that world"
"You have a nice singing voice." Koga said blushing slightly.
Ariel looked at him with a cheery grin. "Thank you, you should see Sebastian's concerts. He might even have a part for you if you would like."
Before Koga could speak Donald put a hand to his mouth. "Sorry but we have to get going."
"And Ariel, don't give up on your dream. Don't let anyone tell you, you can't."
Sebastian was watching from the entrance of the grotto groaning. "And when the time comes to travel to another world, please leave me out of it!"
Well Atlantica is now done! Wonder what's up next for our heroes? Tune in for next chapter to find out!
See you guys next time...
HAVE FUN!