"It'll still be some time... they might indeed be born in a time of peace if we're fast enough." Zuri reminded as Ariel gave a small nod, "I certainly hope so... when much of the world's greatest threats are gone and we can all live and breathe in peace.".
Eric smiled, "I can agree with that. You know, we can't keep calling them the twins forever...", and Ariel giggled softly, "True...You know, it's weird that since I grew up with sisters, I always thought I'd have a daughter, but not a son...Ever since I came of age enough to know things, I wanted to give the name of Harmony to a possible daughter...".
Zuri smiled brightly, "That's a wonderful name. I love it.", and Eric nodded, "It's perfect as we all grew up on music, and we are one. Say, Zuri, is there unique boy names from Earth?".
"Well, in Jamaica, there are names for boys who are born on Monday. I was born on a Monday. Anyway, the boy's name I like is Kojo.", Zuri chuckled thoughtfully.
"Kojo and Harmony...", Ariel whispered as she gently rubbed her belly. "I never really had thought much in terms of names for heirs so honestly, the fact that you two already came up with some, they're perfect for me.", Eric smiled.
Zuri smiled, "It's settled then...One day, we will meet them officially.", and Eric nodded, "Indeed, and we will protect them with our love and parental instincts. And of course, I wouldn't be surprised if they are born on a Monday either.", with a laugh.
Ariel giggled, "Babies love to prove people wrong in lots of ways.", and Zuri chuckled, "True.", before smiling slyly, "You know, since we're all alone technically, why don't we make love?".
The couple agreed, and they happily, excitedly went to make love in the cavern for a couple of hours before getting tired, and heading back to the palace, in time before midnight, falling asleep in Ariel's bed together, the triad sleeping under seaweed blankets and holding Ariel between them to rest their hands on the baby bump.
"You're serious about this?", Attina asked Triton the next morning when he informed her of what he wanted of her. "I trust no one else for this role. Besides, you'll soon have to be queen when I'm truly gone... and don't bring up Ariel for a moment, I think that may have been a one-time thing with her.", Triton said.
"Still... Father, I'm worried, you've told us plenty of the stories of Pleasure Island and all... to go there...", Attina shuddered.
Triton sighed heavily, "I know, but I'd rather not want Ariel mad at me for not going to help, and besides, she's stubborn to help somehow in the invasion. And I have some history with the Kraken, it's time to end things and I have waited too long so I'll have to see to it that Pleasure Island is eradicated of dark magic, and the prisoners free to be themselves again. After all, you can't forget how many merpeople has returned to Atlantica from their polyp prison after Ursula was killed.".
Attina nodded in understanding, "Just be careful, Daddy.", and Triton held her cheek, "I will take care extremely, Attina, and I have Emma and her team on my side. I can't promise that the battle will be easy, but it will be worth it, alright?".
"Yes, Father. I will watch over Atlantica for you, with all my heart in it.", Attina smiled determinedly, and Triton smiled, "I know you will.", hugging Attina warmly.
Triton made quick goodbyes to the rest of his daughters; all who know that he might not come back if the battle would go ill. But even they had heard the rumor of the Talons as far under the sea... and if they could be the ones to destroy Pleasure Island and its dark magic, then they would.
"You alright, Daddy?", Ariel asked as the four of them looked back to Atlantica as they swam back to the cove. "Eh, just a funny feeling, like I'm never going to see it again...", Triton replied.
Ariel squeezed his hand, "It's the thought of Pleasure Island that is scarier than anything else. And besides, Emma and her team are specifically known for following a plan down to its last tack. You will be fine, and besides, you have the Trident.".
Triton smiled, "Always seeing the positive side of things, daughter...Yes, it's true that we can win. We all have to be careful and follow the plan your friends have.".
"I'll go on ahead and make sure Emma knows we're ready. After that... well, I'm sure they all have been thinking of what to do.," Eric said.
Zuri nodded, "I know them, Eric, they're bound to know the first thing of the plan to start with.", and Eric smiled before swimming on ahead to the surface.
Ariel sighed lightly before hearing a voice behind them, "Wait up, wait!", and they looked back to see Flounder swimming up, panting. Ariel blinked in surprise, "Flounder? What are you doing here?".
Flounder swam closer, "I'm going with you. Best friends to the end, and besides, maybe a small fish like me can find underwater tunnels under Pleasure Island. After all, there's bound to be freshwater sources that people have to drink from, as the sea is far too salty for drinking.".
The group looked to Ariel as she was thinking. "He's got a point. Not like we need him to fight or anything and I think they'd hardly suspect a fish.", Zuri pointed out. "He'd also probably be in the least amount of danger too.", Eric admitted.
Ariel smiled, and held Flounder's fins in her hands, "You sure about this?", and Flounder nodded, "Wild seahorses wouldn't stop me.", with a determined smile.
Ariel hugged him gently with a chuckle, hearing her old phrase come out of her dear best friend, and then heard Eric calling from ahead, "All clear! Emma's waiting!".
"Well, come on then... you can meet the others, I'm sure they can figure out how they can best utilize you.", Ariel said as the group swam back to the cove. Emma was the only one waiting as she leaned against the rocks.
"You know, you could've left us a note that you would be gone for the night.", Emma teased. Zuri rubbed the back of her neck, "Triton invited us, and well, we had a huge reunion of Ariel's sisters and all, and Ariel wanted to show us around Atlantica.", with a smile.
Emma chuckled, "Alright, I'll let that go for now, but next time or whatever, a note or something, okay?", and Ariel giggled, "We will make sure of that, Emma.".
Emma smiled again, and bowed once more, "Hello, your majesty. Ready to join us in the fight?", and Triton nodded, the Trident gleaming, "You will have my aid through the entire fight, Emma. And Flounder, Ariel's best friend is joining us along.".
Flounder waved a fin, and Emma smiled, "Brilliant. Give me a moment here.", closing her eyes, inhaling and exhaling as she then created a portal to a slight rocky shoreline with different hues of water, "Just jump through, and you will land into the water with no problem.", with a smile as she opened her eyes.
The group went through with no fear before they ended up all being right next to the ship in the water as it lied in anchor.
"Well, that was easier than I thought.", Triton admitted. "I was worried it might be a bit disorienting.".
"Emma's portals are surprisingly smooth, we've noticed.", Zuri chuckled.
Emma walked through the portal to the shoreline where the team is having a bit of downtime while figuring out things in a war meeting. Flounder smiled lightly, "That wasn't so bad!", before widening his eyes, "C-Crocodile!", seeing a snout surface near the team.
The gator snorted, "Excuse me, it's alligator, not crocodile, and second, I am a shapeshifter.", walking up on two legs as it shifted into a dark-skinned man with a small afro on his head, holding a trumpet in his hand, dark brown eyes glittering as he smiled, "Apologies for scaring you, little guy. Name's Louis, and that is Ray, a firefly shapeshifter.", pointing out a man perched on a boulder, red-haired with dark skin and dark green eyes.
Eric blinked, "Apparently, we missed out something last night.", and Emma chuckled, "Turns out they were first to come here months ago. They are friends of Tiana and Naveen who's prisoners on Pleasure Island.".
Ray nodded, "Yah, we done been here for ages since Eve, the little tyke of Naveen and Tiana was feeling too heartsick and asked us to do something to save her Momma and Dada.".
"Did they?", Zuri nodded. "Well, good timing, I guess; we were obviously on the way to rescue someone close to our group as well.".
"Mulan, that's what that Jason boy was saying. You could see it in his eyes of just how heartbroken he is to know she's still in that horrible place.", Louis shook his head.
"You know, I'm starting to worry about if we're not going to have enough room for folks if we pull this off... there's at least three for sure now, but... more...", Eric said.
Emma pointed out, "When Pleasure Island is cleansed, and won, I can do my portals, with Adam's help of his mirror, I can send everyone to their rightful homes and all.".
Eric blinked, "Oh, that makes me feel better. So, how do we do this?", and Haku grinned, "Illusions. If we make our ship look like the Jolly Roger, the Coachman can lift the shield for us to enter. After all, Hook went there every summer, and the Coachman would be desperate to know what held up Hook, but he doesn't know that he's dead.".
"Hopefully he'll take the bait. If Hook is too late, he might just keep it up for the Jolly Roger despite it.", Eric said. "Perhaps... but there's an extra reason why Triton is here.", Emma said.
"If there is indeed a dark shield protecting the island; I could be able to break through it... but for a brief period.", Triton said. "Which means if that's the case, then we need to move fast... but our element of surprise would be gone.", Logan huffed.
Zuri raised an eyebrow, "How long can you break the shield?", and Triton closed his eyes, his Trident glowing for a moment before dimming down, and Triton opened his eyes again, "Only two minutes. The dark magic in the shield is far stronger than I imagined...".
Ariel looked at Zuri, "What are you thinking?", and Zuri replied, "Perhaps it's time for some secret recon. If Triton breaks the shield just for one minute, the smallest can go in which means Flounder, Ray, and Haku. After the recon, with a signal somehow, Triton can break the shield for the second minute for the three to come back out and inform us of what's waiting beyond the shield, on the island itself.".
"If, of course, the Coachman doesn't simply let the shield down thinking we're Hook.", John reminded. "We might be able to get in that way easily.".
"Well, it's best we prepare for both scenarios; and just hope that the shield will be lowered to keep our surprise.", Emma reminded. "I agree.", Amelia added. "We'll just have to wait and see there... and we'll never know if we don't sail there now.".
Ariel smiled, "Let's get abroad.", using her necklace to shift into human form, coming out of the water to the shore. Triton used his trident to change Zuri and Eric back to human form, as they followed Ariel out of the water.
Jason took a deep breath and conjured up a tank from some metal and glass, and smiled apologetically at Flounder, "It's only temporary as I am sure you would prefer to stay as a fish instead of being a human.".
Flounder told Triton that he's fine with it, and Triton told Jason in turn as Jason can't understand sea creatures. Jason filled the tank in the shallows and nodded to Flounder who swam into the tank. Triton then took a deep breath, and used the trident on himself, changing into a human man with trousers, having legs, walking out of the waters.
"Do you not normally do that?", Eric chuckled as Triton tried to keep his balance. "I've never actually done it to myself before.", Triton smirked.
Ariel assisted him, "I don't blame you there, Daddy. Just one step at a time, and you will get used to it for the time being. Once we're in, you can change back in the lagoon around the dock, and Flounder will join you once Jason lowers him down. After all, the illusions should last enough for the goons on the docks to be fooled easily...".
John replied, "True, but first, we must sail first. If we sail fast, it will take us about five hours to get there.". Jason looked relieved, "Good. I don't want Mulan to lose more hope longer than this...Gods...I hope she's not hurt...".
Meanwhile, not knowing that her true love is so close to her, on Pleasure Island, Mulan sighed heavily as she ate her meager amount of hay in her paddock, surrounded by other donkeys of her gender including the heavily pregnant Tiana, unable to give birth for the past year, thanks to the Coachman, replying that a nursing donkey can't work with a foal underfoot.
Tiana, having dark brown fur with dark highlights, and brown eyes, looked at Mulan, "Is those new scars annoying you still?", glancing at the newly added scars on her back that happened last night.
Mulan scoffed, "They hurt like heck, but what else doesn't? How many times must I tell the Coachman that I don't want to be mated by force? Only Jason is allowed to touch me intimately.".
"Until he breaks you completely. Like so many before...", Tiana sighed as she glanced to her belly. "It's by sheer magic that I'm still alive...", she sobbed. "Or else me and this child would both be dead.".
"Eventually, he won't be able to keep you like this... I don't think Facilier would want you dead... not yet anyway.", Mulan said.
Tiana sighed heavily, "I always wanted to give Eve a sibling, but not like this, not when she's alone without her momma and dada...It's a miracle that Naveen is here, otherwise I wouldn't have lasted long...At least Facilier isn't here otherwise he'd be gloating like he was before he left for something the Coachman wanted him to do...".
Mulan nodded, "Small mercy, indeed.", before her eyes gleamed angrily at the prancing Coachman coming up to the paddock, ordering a couple of his shadowy monsters, "Captain Hook's ship has been sighted. Looks like he had a squabble somewhere on the seas. I am sure he is bound for some entertainment of his favorites once he comes on land. Take four of those donkeys to the aquarium and have that preggo one along with the rebel to show her the ropes.".
Tiana groaned, "Brilliant...Aquarium work again.", as the monster nodded and growled, grabbing the halters. Mulan blinked, having heard of the aquarium over the past month or so, for it was popular with the kids, but she didn't know that Captain Hook goes there too as well, "What's in the aquarium?", having not been there yet as she was confined to work under the Ferris Wheel or the carousel.
Tiana sighed, "It's just not donkeys, but it's rarer...There are some kids who are somehow immune to specific potions, while they're not with other potions. Transformed into dolphins, whales, seals...But the children doesn't know that...They are only wanting to see the fun and everything there is to, and that's not the worst thing...Somehow, long ago, Captain Hook came here with a captured mermaid, and she is forced to perform on the sake of her son she was pregnant with...As the merboy got older, he also performed, not wanting to see his mom get harmed...".
"Bastards, all of them...", Mulan growled as the group was about to be lead away before one of the creatures got close to the Coachman. "He's way behind schedule...", the creature whispered to the Coachman. "It's not normal for him to arrive this late.".
"Well, then tell me what you think?", the Coachman raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps he ran into a warship from one of the kingdoms... the dark forces have been losing ground for the past year... perhaps one of the coastal kingdoms decided to get bold.", the monster replied.
"Perhaps. Thought the threat of the Kraken would at least scare any of those warships away from this island.", the Coachman dismissed. "But what about further away from this island?", the creature asked.
"If Hook got himself into a scuffle with a fleet or something, that's on him, and he can explain it himself when he comes ashore.", the Coachman scoffed and started to walk away.
Tiana looked at Mulan, "What did you make of that, Mulan?", and Mulan smiled, "Probably Eric's kingdom...King Mickey must have talked to him. Or maybe the other islands are getting suspicious of the missing children. Slim hasn't gone out since last week, with another shipment of children...Remember that argument we heard up in their lair two days ago?", with a gesture to the huge tree which is as big as a two-story building, right smack between the amusement park and the lake where the Kraken resides.
Tiana looked thoughtful, "Maybe...Either way, we have work to do since Hook is on his way.", and they got dragged off with two other donkeys, heading to the aquarium, and Mulan asked, "What do we have to do?".
"We have to pull the gears to the gates to open them, push the levers for the hoops, the handlebars, and the ball-hooks.", Tiana replied before sighing, "Athena isn't going to be happy about this...Hook is a...er, what's the word your Jason said?".
Mulan blinked, "Pervert?", and Tiana nodded, "That's it. And young Theodore, her son, he hates it...". Mulan growled at just how helpless she was at the moment. She was praying every day for a rescue from Jason and his team, but... after the weeks, doubt was starting to nag at her, but she wasn't done yet. And she certainly wouldn't be broken. Only death would do that; she at least was sure of that.