"Prepare for landing, guys!" Donald announced, retracting the steering wheel as the Gummi ship came to a halt in front of the next destination.
The other three peered out the window, gazing at the sight that lay before them. A beautiful golden palace stood at the centre of a thriving kingdom, filled with magnificent flora and fauna as far as the eye can see. The buildings shimmered amidst the ocean's waters, giving the entire kingdom a soft glow of gold and silver.
Wait… ocean?
"We're landing in the ocean?" Sora exclaimed, "We can't! We'll drown!"
Donald let out his mischievous laugh they knew all too well. They gulped; when Donald laughed like that, all bets were off the table. "Just you wait and see!" he said impishly.
Sora took a deep breath. It felt like the air he breathed back home on his island; fresh and clean with a soft briny mist from the ocean. Donald was right; he just had to wait and see…
He wriggled as he attempted to straighten himself out, failing miserably as he shifted horizontally and began to sink. He didn't have legs anymore; they were replaced by a long, indigo mermaid's tail spanning from his abdomen to a pair of translucent fins. He whirled around in surprise to see a dorsal fin protruding from his lower backside, his chest completely bare.
"What in the world…" he began.
"Eek!"
He jerked his head up in surprise. Akira must not be taking these changes too well…
She flapped her fins quickly as she covered her torso with her arms, looking very alarmed. Her scaled, orchid pink tail looked similar to Sora's, barring the dorsal fin. She wore a top similar in colour, with bands that crossed around her neck and over her back, leaving her midriff exposed, which she attempted to cover with her arms. Back on the islands, she always wore one-piece swimsuits when they went swimming; even sometimes opting to add a beach wrap on top of it. She wasn't used to these types of swimming tops that Kairi was always so fond of, and she absolutely hated that she was forced to wear it now.
"Why do we look like this?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Gawrsh, it must be the world reacting to our visit," Goofy said as he paddled towards her, "Now we can fit in with the locals."
"And the locals wear this?"
"Hey, count your lucky stars you didn't end up like me!" Donald said angrily.
Sure enough, Donald probably had the worst of it; his legs were replaced by six octopus-like tentacles, which were an oddity in themselves given the fact that Donald was a duck and could probably swim just fine with his regular webbed feet. Goofy took on the form of a sea turtle, his shield firmly stuck to the top of his shell. They had gotten used to the fact that they always looked strange in every world they landed in, but this one took the cake.
"Okay, let's try to at least be subtle and fit in," Sora said, making a calming motion with his hands, "How does that sound?"
The sound of rippling water and distant voices had suddenly reached their ears, the sound growing louder as whatever was coming their way drew closer. Rather than listen to him, Akira quickly swam behind an open clam shell, hiding from sight. Donald lost his balance and turned upside down while Goofy floated aimlessly in the soft current, making their group look even more like a circus of clowns than they did before.
"Come on, Sebastian!" they heard a female voice call.
A male voice responded to her with an interesting accent. "Ariel, wait! Slow down! Don't leave me behind!"
The voice that had just spoken belonged to a small red crab that darted through the water, coming to a tumbling halt before Donald's beak. The crab screamed when he came face to face with Donald's glare, frantically swimming back towards the young mermaid that had entered the area. He blended well with the crimson hue of her hair, becoming almost impossible to see.
"Relax, Sebastian," she said calmly, "They don't look like one of them. Right, Flounder?"
A small, yellow, tropical fish with blue stripes slowly poked its head out from behind her, looking as frightened as Sebastian the crab had before. He eyed the suspicious newcomers, taken aback by how silly they looked. "I don't know. There's something weird about them…"
Sora laughed nervously as he eyed his friends making fools of themselves behind him. So much for being inconspicuous. "Heh, what do you mean?" he asked with an apprehensive smile.
The red-haired mermaid swam up to Sora and circled around him, examining him closely; she wasn't shy or scared at all. "Hmm, you do seem… a little different. Where are you from?"
"We're from kind of far away," he answered anxiously, "A-and we're not really used to these waters."
The mermaid swam over to the open clam shell, noticing Akira shiver in fear behind it. She poked her head above the shell and smiled at the shaking girl, earning her a small shriek from the terrified Akira, who quickly flipped her fins in an attempt to swim away. However, she ended up on her side, unable to straighten herself out.
"Oh, haha, there you are, Akira!" Sora said loudly, attempting to grab the red-haired mermaid's attention, "You see, she's very shy around new people. My friends and I are travelling to other oceans beyond our own."
The mermaid beamed at them. "Oh, I see, an adventure! That sounds like fun! In that case, I'm sure Sebastian can show you how we swim around here!"
The crab was locked in an intense staring contest with Donald. "Ariel, King Triton will not like this one bit."
The mermaid named Ariel rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. They're not dangerous at all. Just… needing practice!"
Sebastian glared at her, swimming towards her to whisper in her ear. "And what if they're with those strange creatures? Notice how we followed them all the way here only to find these strangers? It all sounds suspicious to me!"
"Uh, you wouldn't be talking about the Heartless, would you?" Sora asked, overhearing their conversation.
"You know what they are?" Sebastian said with a small gasp.
"Y-yeah," he answered reluctantly, carefully choosing his words, "We've come across them during our travels, and we're experienced in fighting them."
Ariel clapped her hands with excitement. "That's amazing! Isn't that amazing, Sebastian?"
"Terrific," Sebastian answered, unamused.
"Oh, then you have to meet my father! These creatures only recently arrived in Atlantica, and he's been doing what he can to fight them off. I'm sure he'd love to meet heroes such as yourselves!"
Donald's eyes twinkled at her mention of the word 'heroes', but Sebastian was having none of it. "Ariel, please listen to me. This idea is awful-"
"Follow me," she said to them, interrupting him, "I'll lead you to the palace! And Flounder will help you get used to how we swim here, right, Flounder?"
Flounder had slowly approached the now upside-down Akira, both staring at each other in amazement. "Y-yeah, sure!" he responded.
"Okay, let's get going!" Ariel exclaimed as she led the way. The group gave each other confused glances before following her, attempting to keep themselves straight as they followed Flounder's tutelage. Sebastian followed them from the rear, nervously shaking his head.
"The King will not like this at all," he sighed to himself.
Not only was the sprawling underwater city of Atlantica a sight to behold; it was just as easy to get completely lost amidst its grottos, caves, and underwater tunnels. Ariel guided them through bubbling spouts, dark corridors made of rock and limestone, and through massive gardens of kelp, coral, and starfish. She explained that, if they were ever to get lost, they could simply follow the trident markers on the walls that pointed towards the castle, but with Atlantica's size and their difficulties swimming, they would have ended up lost either way. With Flounder's help, they were able to get the hang of their new fins and swim normally, albeit still being a little shaky.
As Ariel led them through a massive sparkling entryway lined with solid gold gates and decorated with glittering clams, pearls, and other gemstones, Sora couldn't help but wonder. "Say, Ariel," he asked, "You mentioned that we're going to meet your father at the palace, and Sebastian said his name was King Triton. Does that make you the princess of Atlantica?"
Ariel nodded, but furrowed her brows as well. "That it does."
Sora felt the sudden mood change and decided to put the conversation to rest. Sebastian, on the other hand, was not so familiar with social cues, and swam up to Sora's side as he began his monologue. "King Triton is a king revered by all who live in Atlantica; from the noble mermen and mermaids, to the tiniest guppy! He has ruled over Atlantica with justness, fairness, and-"
"Heartless!" Donald cried.
"Heartless? No, no, the King is anything but heartless…"
"No, Sebastian!" Ariel said to him, "Actual Heartless. Those creatures that attacked us earlier!"
As Sebastian began to understand the danger they were in, several jellyfish-like Heartless bolted past them, flapping their long fins as they quickly swam towards the entrance of the palace, heading straight for the throne room.
"Come on, guys! We have to stop them!" Sora cried. Summoning his Keyblade, he followed Ariel past the golden entry gates, flapping his fins against the soft current as he attempted to catch the Heartless before they had a chance to attack the King. However, the Heartless were more proficient swimmers than he and his allies were, and no matter how quickly they swam, the Heartless were always faster.
"They'll reach the King before we do!" Goofy cried.
A bolt of lighting suddenly flashed through the water, striking the Heartless and destroying them in one blow. They watched in amazement as several hearts drifted through the water and disappeared; they knew Triton was doing what he could to keep the Heartless threat contained, but they never imagined the power he held could be so fearsome. They felt a slight shiver when he swam into view, an older merman with a flowing white beard and a gold crown on his head; even though he was on their side, he had a very intimidating air.
"That was too close," he said in a deep voice, gripping his gold trident tightly in his right hand, "As long as I have my trident, I will not tolerate those creatures inside this palace."
"Daddy!" Ariel cried with relief as she swam up to him.
King Triton, however, looked none too pleased. "Oh, Ariel, when will you listen? It's dangerous out there! Strange creatures lurk outside."
He eyed the strange group as he spoke the last line, sending another shiver down their spines. They needed to convince him they weren't dangerous fast, lest they also get electrocuted like those Heartless. Sensing the tension, Sebastian cleared his throat and gestured to Triton. "Behold. You swim before the ruler of the seas: His Majesty, King Triton."
"And who are they?" he asked suspiciously.
"They helped us fight off those creatures!" Ariel said with a smile.
"They don't look familiar."
"We're from an ocean very far away," Sora said quickly, his anxiety mounting as Akira nervously nodded her head beside him.
"Yup! We came to find the Keyhole!" Goofy said happily, not an ounce of fear in his voice. Sora, Akira, and Donald stared at him with wide eyes, suddenly fearing for their lives.
"What's that?" Ariel asked curiously.
"There's no such thing! Certainly not here!" Triton bellowed, nostrils flared. His sudden screech terrified the group, surprising Ariel in the process.
"But, Daddy…" she said, her happy expression fading.
Her father shook his head. "Not another word," he demanded, "You are not to leave the palace. Is that clear?"
Ariel scowled at her father before swimming away, fuming as she passed through the entrance gates. The group nervously followed her, still shaken by his sudden outburst. They had never experienced someone vehemently denying the presence of a Keyhole, and they were at a loss on how to deal with it.
"But there is a Keyhole here, right? Like there is in every world?" Akira asked in a whisper as they passed through the entrance.
"Every world should have one," Donald said sternly.
"Then why would he say there isn't one?"
"Who knows."
They continued their swim in silence as Triton watched them with a scowl until they were out of view. He swam up to his throne and slumped in his seat, burying his face in his hands. "Perhaps I'm being too strict…" he sighed.
Sebastian swam up to his side, attempting to comfort him. "Of course not, your Majesty, you're simply concerned for her safety. Though I must admit, now I'm quite curious about this Keyhole."
"That need not concern you, Sebastian," he responded, lifting his head up and shooting the crab a quick glare, "Have you anything to report?"
"Just as you suspected, your Majesty, they seem to be coming from Ursula's grotto."
Triton nodded, stroking his beard. "I knew it, that sea witch is up to no good again. I see exile from the palace has taught her nothing."
"Yes, she poses serious danger."
Triton gave Sebastian a shifted look. "And I told you to keep Ariel away from such danger, did I not?"
Sebastian's eyes grew wide as Triton's words sank in. He nervously laughed as the king frowned at him, fumbling his words as he tried to come up with a new excuse. It wasn't that he didn't try to keep Ariel safe; she was such an adventurous and spirited young mermaid, it was difficult for a small crab like himself to keep up with her.
"Come here. I want to show you something," Ariel said as she guided the group out of the palace courtyard and towards a small grotto on the ocean floor.
The grotto wasn't particularly well hidden; its entrance was visibly covered by a large boulder. Yet, had she not pointed it out to the group, they would have never found it. It was in a small, enclosed area surrounded by nothing but boulders and rocks. If one were to find themselves travelling through the gorge, they would find their eye drawn to the secluded and romantic undersea gardens rather than to the small grotto hidden among the rocks. Sora pulled the boulder aside before they swam inside, following the dark corridor towards the small clearing.
The opening in the grotto's ceiling allowed for streams of soft light to illuminate the area. The rocks were fashioned into makeshift shelves, which were in turn covered with a multitude of items. Old jewelry, trinkets, music boxes, and books; some old, some new, some intact, and some in a condition beyond repair. Akira swam up to a box filled with rusting utensils as Goofy poked at a malfunctioning music box. Sora was at a loss for words, with Ariel giggling at his amazement.
"Do you like it? This is my collection," she said dreamily, "Flounder and I have found so many wonderful things! I think they're from the outside world."
She swam towards the centre of the room, gazing at all the treasure she had collected over the years as they glittered amidst the salt water and pale light. "Someday, I'm going to see what's out there," she said with resolve, "I'm going to see other worlds. Does that sound strange?"
Sora watched her with a stunned look, shaking his head, "Not at all. I used to feel the same way."
"Used to?"
"I mean… I still do."
She didn't notice his hesitation, nor his tiny slip-up. She had just concocted a marvellous idea in her head and was eager to share it. "Hey! Why don't we try looking for that Keyhole you mentioned?"
"But your father said-"
"Oh, he treats me like a child!" she said furiously, ignoring his apprehension.
None of them knew what to say next; they were certain King Triton was only trying to protect his daughter. But Ariel was also visibly hurt by his attempts to keep her confined to the palace, making this an awkward situation for them. Should they really be prying into family affairs?
"I have an idea!" she exclaimed after a small moment of silence, "Let's go to the abandoned ship! Flounder and I always go there to find treasure; maybe that Keyhole you're looking for is there too!"
Before any of them could answer, she quickly swam towards the grotto's exit, leaving them stunned as Flounder followed closely behind her.
"Should we really be enabling her?" Donald asked.
"It wouldn't hurt to check out other areas," Akira suggested, "We might find what we're looking for."
"But King Triton said there was no Keyhole here," Goofy said pensively, scratching his chin.
"There must be one," Sora said firmly, "The Heartless are here. They must have come through a Keyhole."
Donald shuddered at the thought. "Unless something else is drawing them here…"
Even amidst the sound of the current that swayed beyond her cavern, the muffled screams of her slaves could be heard all the way up to her inner chamber. She rolled her eyes at the noise; she had granted them their deepest desires, and this is how they repay her? Of course, she had to transform them into despicable, grey creatures since they could not pay the price of her benevolence, but that was hardly her concern. She watched a vision of Ariel swim across her illuminated table, followed by the Keyblade bearer and his allies as they closed in on the wreckage of an old pirate ship. She held back a laugh.
"Those impudent fools will never find the Keyhole," Ursula the sea witch said with a smile.
Two villainous eels slithered forth from the darkness, taking their rightful places at her side as she softly patted their heads.
"But the girl is falling right into our trap, and now we have the Heartless on our side…"
She slithered forward towards the table, the light illuminating her lavender skin and black tentacles as she grinned wickedly at the sight before her. "Triton, my old friend," she said with poison in her voice, "Your day is coming."
"Here we are," Ariel announced as they emerged from a small underground tunnel. She had led them to a massive circular gorge past the underwater alleyway where they had first met. The visibility in this gorge was severely reduced; the water was filled with particles of wood, dust, and tiny pieces of debris. An immense sunken ship lay broken and decomposing on the ocean floor; even though it seemed fairly old and had sunk many years prior, the water was still filled with the debris and wreckage it had released into the ocean when it sank. Akira waved her hand in front of her face, attempting to make the water around her less cloudy as she tried to get a better look at the ship.
"Even though we've been coming here for years, we always find something interesting," Ariel explained, "Come on! I'll show you."
She led them to the now broken deck of the ship, the mast having split at its base and fallen straight into the ship, revealing a massive hole towards the lower depths of the ship. They made their way towards what was left of the captain's cabin, admiring the sight. Even though the ship had sunk many years prior, many things had remained intact; gold and silver trinkets, medals and old cups and goblets lay strewn around cabin, still gleaming brilliantly under a coating of algae. They split up to look around, digging for anything peculiar or remarkable. They took turns calling Ariel over to investigate their findings, wondering if they had discovered something worthy of adding to her grotto's collection. Goofy had found an interesting string of pearls she had decided to take back, but it was Sora who had found the real bounty on this expedition.
"Guys, come take a look at this!" he called as he opened a locked treasure chest with his Keyblade. He had found what appeared to be a clear crystal trident, seemingly untouched even after having spent many years at the bottom of the ocean. It glittered with the brilliance of a thousand diamonds, drawing everyone's amazement.
"This is… beautiful," Ariel said softly.
"Hey, isn't there an impression on the wall of your grotto that's shaped just like this?" Akira asked.
"You're right! That will be the perfect spot for this!" she gasped, "But before we go back, shouldn't we look for that Keyhole you mentioned?"
Donald shrugged his shoulders. "We don't have a clue where it could-"
A massive crash jilted the boat as the window shattered, sending multiple shards of glass floating through the water. Where the window once stood now held a menacing mouth filled with teeth, biting and crunching as it attempted to grab a bite of the unsuspecting visitors. They recoiled towards the inner part of the cabin as the mouth of teeth broke the wood around it, getting closer to them by the minute.
"Shark!" Flounder cried, hiding behind Ariel's back.
"Hurry, we have to get out of here!" she cried.
One by one, they quickly slinked through a hole in the cabin's ceiling, flapping their fins as fast as they could. They bolted through the water as the shark broke itself free from the hole it had lodged its mouth into, eyeing them hungrily.
"Come! This way!" Ariel shouted. She quickly led them towards a bubbling pit near the tunnel they had arrived from as the shark began to close the distance between them. Flounder quickly threw himself into the pit, allowing the bubbles to propel him upwards through another vertical tunnel. It was much too small to fit the shark, and served as a perfect escape route, almost as if Ariel and Flounder had used it before on their previous run ins with the shark.
"Wait!" Donald called. He flapped his arms and waved his octopus-like tentacles as much as he possibly could, yet the preying shark was still faster. It opened its mouth wide, prepared to take a massive bite out of him.
Akira raised her staff in a panic, pointing it to the shark as it closed in on Donald. "Fire!" she cried.
Her spell exploded from the tip of her staff and immediately fizzled into a hazy smoke. Thankfully, a tiny cinder survived just long enough to come in contact with the shark's eye, distracting it long enough for Donald to bolt away, grabbing Akira by the wrist as he zoomed towards the bubbling pit. They shrieked as the bubbles jetted them upwards into the unknown, feeling the tunnel vibrate around them as the shark came crashing into the wall.
"Did you seriously try to cast a fire spell underwater?" Donald asked in a fury.
Akira gave him the look. That look. The look that said 'I walked on the ceiling in a world with talking rabbits and a queen that seemed way too eager to cut off people's heads' look. Donald sighed. He wanted to argue with the look, but he knew it would be pointless.
"What matters is that we're all safe now… right?" Sora asked, attempting to lighten the mood.
The tunnel they had escaped through was directly connected with the undersea gorge where Ariel's secret grotto was located, making it both a convenient shortcut and escape route. Flounder had proceeded on ahead towards the grotto while Ariel ushered the rest of her new friends in, eager to put her brand-new prize on display.
"Gawrsh, it looks like it fits just right!" Goofy said happily as he examined the trident-shaped depression.
Ariel nodded and carefully placed her new treasure into its spot, pressing lightly as it clicked into place. The crystal trident shone with even more brilliance than it did when they had originally discovered it; its surface shimmered in the pale rays of light that illuminated her grotto, standing as a testament to all the beautiful treasures that lined the walls of her secret hollow.
But not all such things stay secret forever.
"Ariel! You have disobeyed me again!"
They quickly turned around in fear as Triton's sharp and intimidating voice boomed through the grotto, frightening them half to death. Flounder quickly found shelter behind Ariel underneath her long, fiery red locks, trembling as the ruler of Atlantica towered over them. He was closely followed by a shuddering Sebastian, and Ariel was able to put two and two together; Sebastian had spilled the beans and revealed her endeavours to him.
"I-I can explain…" she began.
"I told you not to leave the palace!"
"But, daddy, we didn't go anywhere dangerous," she pleaded.
"Yeah!" Flounder piped up, "And that shark came nowhere near us –"
"Shark? What shark?!"
Flounder quickly sank behind Ariel once more, earning himself a glare from her. Meanwhile, Sora and the others remained huddled behind her as well, too frightened to move.
"And what in the world is that?" Triton asked angrily, pointing to the crystal trident in the wall.
Ariel was at a loss for words; there was nothing she could say that would convince him that they were okay, that they did not go far, and that no harm came their way. "Daddy, no!" she pleaded, hoping he would not do anything rash.
Yet Triton took her silence as an admittance of guilt. He furiously raised his trident and pointed it towards the crystal, casting a swift bolt of lightning that instantly shattered her newest and most prized treasure. They watched in horror as Triton showed no remorse for causing his daughter such distress, their mouths agape but with no words to show for it.
With tears forming in her eyes, Ariel looked upon her father with sadness and disdain. "How could you?" she asked softly before quickly swimming towards the exit.
King Triton sighed as his daughter swam past him, turning his attention to the group before him. He hated to be harsh to his daughter, but he had to ensure her safety. And he knew that this band of fools had nothing to offer in terms of safety.
"Young man," he said firmly, addressing Sora, "You're not from another ocean. You're from another world, aren't you?"
The group was slightly taken aback by his bold claims, but none too surprised. They were, for lack of a better term, like fish out of water in this world, and it was only a matter of time before someone noticed.
Sora gulped, but said nothing in response.
"You may fool Ariel, but you can't fool me. You don't know your dorsal fin from your tail!" he scolded, "Then you must be the key bearer."
"H-how did you know?" he asked. He didn't recall ever summoning his Keyblade in front of Triton but, then again, he hadn't paid much attention to begin with.
"You made no attempt to hide it!" Triton responded sternly, "As the key bearer, you must already know. One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."
"Of course, I know that, but…"
"You have violated this principle. The key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin."
Sora's eyes widened at his statement. He would never intentionally do such a thing…
"Aw, Sora's not like that," Goofy said in defense of his friend.
King Triton sighed heavily, feeling burdened. They seemed like nothing more than a simple band of fools; childish and immature but meaning no harm. Still, he had to stand by his ideals. "I thank you for saving my daughter," he said in a softer tone, "But there is no room in my ocean for you or your key."
He turned to exit the grotto, refusing to look Sora in the eye. Sebastian quickly followed behind him, leaving the group in a momentary state of shock and reflection.
"We're not really messing with the world order like he says we are… r-right?" Akira asked, more so to convince herself.
"Of course not," Donald said, crossing his arms, "We're doing the same thing we've always been doing!"
"But have we ever actually stopped to ask ourselves if what were doing is okay?"
Goofy brought his paddle-like flipper to his chin. "But, if we don't, then we'll just be letting the Heartless destroy this world."
She sighed as they fell silent, pondering Triton's words. He had said so many shocking and equally confusing things, and they hadn't the slightest clue on how to make heads or tails of his words.
"We don't… shatter peace and bring ruin wherever we go. That can't be true. It just can't," Sora said with a tinge of sadness.
His friends watched him with worry and concern as he gazed towards the opening in the ceiling; the light had faded a while ago, yet the grotto remained bright. Triton's words weighed heavily on him; even if he never meant to do any harm, he may have been doing so without realizing it. Unless the Keyblade wielders of old did in fact bring destruction and ruin in their wake, they did naught but tarnish his name. He had little to no clue about the legacy he inherited when the Keyblade was passed down to him; he simply did what any hero would do. He only wanted to protect the worlds from darkness while saving his friends and his home. Was that truly equivalent to shattering peace and bringing ruin?
Donald furrowed his brows. "Aw phooey. Forget what he said. We've helped plenty of people and saved plenty of worlds from the darkness!"
Goofy nodded. "Yeah! And we're going to help save this one too."
"But first," Akira interjected, "We'll need to find Ariel. What do you say?"
The three of them watched Sora with brilliant smiles painted across their faces, awaiting his response. Even in a slump, it was hard to ignore their optimism; and, when all was said and done, all they could do was their very best. Sora chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. Cheering up Ariel was a great place to start.
"That sounds like a plan," he said with a smile and a nod, "And, guys… Thanks."