Oh I had fun with this one ;)


Chapter 44: Under the Sea

"I'm such an idiot," Dakota swam in circles from the rafters in Ariel's Grotto, "She fawns over me when I'm injured, insists she's some kind of monster, and I what do I do? I freeze up and let her run away! I should've kept assuring her that she'd done nothing wrong! I shouldn't've hesitated to chase after her! I should've tried harder to make her realize she's nothing like that six-year-old brat she used to be! Why couldn't she have just waited for me to come up with the right thing to say?"

Scarlett looked up from the globe she was spinning, "Cut her some slack. Last night was a lot for everyone to handle; especially for her,"

"You're right," he froze in place and slicked his dirty-blonde hair back, "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated at myself for how I reacted. I'm also more confused than I was before. I wish I knew what's going on inside her head. Does she like me, or does she like me like me?"

"No offense, but I think she has other things to worry about than pursuing a serious relationship with you,"

"Pursuing a serious relationship with who?"

The teens whirled around, "No one!"

Wendy, Peter, and Pufferbell floated before them with equally dubious expressions.

"Ya see?" Peter pointed a them with his signature smirk, "I told you they're hiding something. The only question is what?"

"I…I-I think-" Dakota clamped his mouth shut, but ultimately caved and blurted out, "I think Mindy might have a crush on me!"

Scarlett elbowed him, "Dakota!"

"What? They were bound to find out sooner or later!"

"And that makes it okay for you to announce it to a room full of kids?" Scarlett demanded, "Now he's gonna go tell her for the sole purpose of causing Peter Pandemonium!"

"You're right, I'm absolutely gonna do that!" Peter started swimming away while singing at the top of his lungs, "DAKOTA AND MINDY SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-"

Wendy grabbed his tail and yanked him back, "-you will do no such thing!"

"But it'll be so funny!"

Wendy rolled her eyes and turned back to the pair, "Dakota, what makes you so certain that Mindy doesn't feel the same way about you?"

"That's just it!" He burst, "I've never felt that way about her! We've always been like siblings growing up but…I don't know if that's changing or not. We have these-these moments where time seems to stop. Where nothing else matters. And then I find myself questioning my feelings for her, and it scares me,"

"Can you elaborate?"

"I'm borrred!" Peter whined, "Can I go tell Mindy now?"

"No!"

"You never let me have any fun!"

"I won't let you spoil this for them!"

"Spoil what?" Scarlett asked, "He just said he wasn't interested in her like that,"

"Yeah," Dakota nodded, "I'm not freaking out because I'm harboring feelings for her and I'm worried she doesn't feel the same. I'm freaking out because she might be harboring feelings for me and I'm worried she'll act on them at some point and change our entire relationship dynamic. Does that make sense?"

Peter gagged, "Gross! I regret ever being a part of this conversation! Come on, Tink!"

He zipped off with Pufferbell following close behind.

"Don't cause any mischief! You aren't qualified to mettle in anyone's love affairs!" Wendy called after him. She returned her attention back to the teens, "What makes you suspect that she is pining over you?"

"It's like I said earlier. We have these moments between us," Dakota explained, "Like when we accidently touch hands, bump into each other, or even… last night,"

"Wow!" Scarlett held her cheeks with a seemingly lovestruck grin, "Ya'll just so happen to brush against each other a few times?! It must be true love, when's the wedding?! Is your ship name Dindy or Makota?! Ooh, ooh! What about Davendingh?"

Wendy disregarded her sarcasm, "What happened last night?"

"After she…unalived the sirens, there was this heart-wrenching look in her eyes when she saw me… it was almost like she was ashamed to be alive because of who she is," Dakota felt his throat tighten, "It was awful. I'd never seen Mindy so horrified at her powers before. She was shaking as she held me, and all I could do was keep assuring her that I was okay. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I took her hands and squeezed them…then, we stared into each other's eyes for a while and…and…"

"And…?" Wendy urged.

"I don't know," Dakota slumped, "It was weird. Did I notice for the first time how sparkly her eyes really are? Maybe yes, maybe not. Did I feel attracted to her in the moment? Maybe yes, maybe not. Did-did I want to sweep her into my arms and kiss her to show her how much she means to me? Maybe yes, maybe not. The truth is, I have no idea what I'm feeling. I used to be so sure I never thought of her in that way, but I'm starting to second guess myself,"

Wendy tapped her chin in thought for a few seconds…

"Look into my eyes,"

"Um, why do you-"

"-trust me,"

Dakota gave an awkward laugh before making eye-contact with her.

"Think of Mindy," Wendy instructed, "Picture her clearly in your mind's eye. Pretend like she's standing right in front of you,"

Dakota did as he was told.

A beat passed.

Sweat beaded down his forehead as Wendy leaned forward while narrowing her eyes…finally, she drew back with a satisfied giggle, "You love her,"

"What?" Dakota squeaked, "N-no I don't,"

"Your dilated pupils say otherwise,"

Wendy shoved a silver platter from one of the shelves in front of his face. All the blood rushed to his head when he noticed the change in his eyes...

"Of course he loves her!" Scarlett burst, "But it's strictly platonic love!"

"Denial is the first symptom of a developing crush," Wendy stated matter-of-factly, "With denial comes surging emotions that simply cannot be contained, which then leads to a bold declaration of love, usually through song in the case of us Disney characters,"

"But we aren't characters in a story!"

"Perhaps not in your world, but the Dremesphere has clearly acknowledged that you belong here," Wendy pointed out, "The facts are as follows: Mindy is the protagonist, Dakota is her male love interest. It's inevitable they will end up together by the end of this adventure since the Disney formula commands it,"

"So you're saying fate has declared us soulmates?!" Dakota then moaned while holding his stomach, "I think I need to sit down,"

"I'm sorry, but that logic is bullshit," Scarlett opposed. "Dakota, if you're really so stressed about this, why not ask Mindy head-on?"

"Ask…ask me what?"

The trio whirled around to meet the very subject of their discourse.

Mindy's hair hung in thick, messy strands. Two horrendous-looking bags dangled underneath her eyes which looked even deader than usual. Her brows scrunched together as she strained to keep herself upright. At one point, her tail stopped moving altogether, and she nearly sank all the way to the Grotto's floor while emitting soft snores.

She only caught herself when Alistaire gave her a small electric shock. She shook her head as her brain struggled to comprehend what had happened. When the realization hit her, she thanked her amulet under her breath. Mindy then floated back to the high shelves while her friends watched her in astounded silence.

"Jesus Mindy, how much sleep did you get?" Scarlett asked.

"It was pretty difficult to even shut my eyes given…" Mindy released a drawn-out yawn while stretching her arms above her head, "…given the events that conspired yesterday. It's okay though, Ariel force-fed me a seaweed salad jam-packed with iodine to keep me awake. That reminds me, she wanted me to tell you guys she snuck out some more food from the royal kitchens for breakfast,"

"Still no seafood?" There was a hopeful lit to Dakota's voice, "Not even a mussel or a tiny oyster that I can spice up with my culinary expertise?"

"Afraid not," Mindy replied, "Ariel would kill us if she ever found out we wanted to eat one of her subjects,"

"She doesn't have to know! Who'd notice a little oyster missing?"

"Let me rephrase that. Triton would kill us if he ever found out we wanted to eat one of his subjects,"

Dakota deflated as thoughts of jambalaya left his mind.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?"

He cleared his throat loudly, "Um, uh-I j-just wanted to ask you if-if-"

"-if he could accompany you today to Mermaid Rock!" Wendy rescued him.

"Yes!" Dakota exclaimed with his usual brace-faced smile, "Yes, that's exactly what I was going to say!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Mindy protested.

"Why not?" he caught her eyes flicking over to the bruise on his mouth and chuckled, "While I'm touched you care so much about my safety, I know you'd never hurt me, kiddo,"

"I did yesterday,"

"That was an accident. You had no control over what the sirens did,"

"See, that's the problem," Mindy picked at her fingernails, "I created them, and I had no control over their actions. What if I lose control again and there's another accident? What-what if it's worse and I can't-"

"-Mindy," she winced as Dakota took hold of her hands, "You won't hurt me…you would never let yourself hurt me,"

Mindy opened her mouth, but couldn't say no to the steadfast, earnest look in his eyes…"I'll talk to Ariel first,"

"Wonderful! I'll meet you outside, you lovely mer-person you!"

Mindy removed herself from his touch, dove to the bottom of The Grotto, and snuck him a quick glance over her shoulder before leaving. Scarlett saw the splash of pink tinting her cheeks, and dread clenched her heart…

Wendy gave a girlish squeal, "You called her lovely!"

"You should know by now, that's something he says to literally everyone," Scarlett insisted.

"Oh, it was so romantic!" The Darling girl looked on the verge of swooning, "If I'd ever doubted that there was a spark between them, I certainly don't now!"

"What'd you pull that matchmaking stunt for anyway?"

"Can't you see? This is a perfect opportunity!" Wendy's eyes glistened with stars, "While our charming, semi-handsome, male lead is off on his outing with our charming, semi-pretty, female lead, we'll follow close behind to observe their behavior from a distance and report our findings,"

"There's only one problem with your ingenious plan," Scarlett poked a finger against her chest with each word, "They. Don't. Like. Each. Other. Like. That,"

"But how do you know that?"

"I-I just do, okay?"

"Why don't we make this a bit more interesting?" Wendy asked, "I wager by the end of this episode in our lives that Mindy and Dakota will at least share a kiss…on the lips,"

Dakota opened and closed his mouth a few times, "Uh-"

"-you're really that confident?" Scarlett threw her head back with a laugh, "Fine. I'll play your game. And what happens if you win, Dahling?"

"I really don't think this is such a go-,"

Wendy clapped her hands, "You have to let me give you a makeover!"

"Sure, sure, whatever," Scarlett rolled her eyes before smirking, "But if I win, you have to include one cuss word in each of your sentences for a full day,"

Dakota snapped his head towards her with a gasp, "What?! Wait a seco-"

"-I accept," Wendy cut him off with a wicked smile of her own.

"Ladies, ladies, this is crazy! I Can't we at least talk about this?"

But Scarlett and Wendy had already shaken hands.

Dakota rubbed his temples, "Sweet cheese and crackers,"


Mindy, Dakota, Ariel, and Sebastian wove through countless kelp forests, trenches, and even bumped into a pod of dolphins on their route to Mermaid Rock. Dakota was the only one who noticed the two mermaids swimming beneath them...

Occasionally, he'd catch either Scarlett or Wendy sneaking peeks at the pair. There was a close call when Mindy dropped the third clue, and it drifted towards the ocean floor. Scarlett and Wendy ducked underneath an umbrella of bubblegum-pink coral right as she dived towards it. Dakota threw himself in front of her, and caught the clue right before it could give away the girls' location.

He offered it to her with a grin, but Mindy drew back and insisted he keep it before swimming far ahead of him. Dakota's face fell. He then glanced down at the piece of coral where Scarlett and Wendy were hidden, and made an "I'm watching you" sign to it before darting after the princess.

Dakota was no idiot. He thought it cute how Mindy had been avoiding him throughout their journey, but chose not to comment on it until they started passing the outskirts of Atlantica.

"You're pulling an Elsa,"

"A what?" Mindy blurted out.

Dakota caught up to her, and floated backwards with a smirk while pushing up the bridge of his glasses. This time, he knew something about Disney Trivia that she didn't, and he relished every second of it.

"From Frozen," he clarified, "Remember how I said a couple days ago she was so afraid of what her ice powers could do that she shut out her loved ones, because she thought it was the only way to keep them safe? You're doing that. Right now. With me. And that is no bueno,"

"I'm sure her magic isn't nearly as dangerous as mine," Mindy pointed out, "The worst she could do is give someone a brain freeze. The worst I could do is incinerate someone using nothing but my voice…or who knows? Yen Sid tried to tell me nothing is as wild and as unpredictable as the imagination. I should've taken his warnings more seriously…it sucks. I used to think my magic was something beautiful. Weird at times, but beautiful…but now? Now, I can't stop thinking about how I have the potential to bend reality at my will. It's only a matter of time until I regain my memories and untap my full power…and I'm scared of what I could do with it if I'm not careful,"

"Your magic is beautiful, Mindy…more beautiful than you know," Dakota stopped to consider this, "You wanna hear what the lesson in Frozen was?"

"Don't name movies adjectives because it's stupid and by that logic, Peter Pan might as well be called Young, and Pinocchio might as well be called Wooden?"

He couldn't help but laugh at this, "Love thaws,"

Despite herself, Mindy turned to him…her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed to imperceivable slits, "That makes no sense,"

"You haven't seen the movie!"

"This is why I enjoy the classics. Their morals are far less vague," She set her gaze back forward as she counted off on her fingers, "Beauty and the Beast: True beauty is found within, Aladdin: Don't pretend to be something you're not because you're already a diamond in the rough. Snow White…kiss a seemingly dead thirteen-year-old girl in the middle of the forest even though you're seventeen years her senior, I don't know,"

"I won't spoil it for you, but by the end Elsa learns that in order to control her powers she needs to embrace the love of her sister," Dakota went on, "Without Anna's support, Elsa would have kept spiraling in her whirlwind of fear, and she would've never been able to see what she was truly capable of. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink,"

"I don't want to see what I'm truly capable of I-I-" Mindy took in a shuttering breath, "Every time I look at you, I think of how I should've tried harder to persuade you go back to Mulberry County on that first day. That's what a good friend would've done. I can't lose you, Dakota. I wouldn't be able to keep existing if-"

"-hey, hey, none of that," she stiffened when Dakota tilted her chin up with a boyish, lopsided smile, "I chose to stay, remember? If something happens, that's for my conscience to bear, not yours. Sorry kiddo, but it looks like you're stuck with me,"

She fought the urge to smile back.

That was the thing about Dakota.

He'd do anything for his friends to the point of jeopardizing his own safety. Mindy still didn't know what to make of this overprotective side of the Davendork she'd grown up with yet. She chalked it up to the now perilous situation they found themselves in, but somehow, she suspected that this unbridled dedication had been present throughout their entire childhood, and she was just now starting to see it.

This revelation made her even more terrified, not just of her untapped powers, but of the current fuzzy, warm, lovely emotions swirling within her. They made her slightly nauseous, and she didn't know if it was a good nauseous or a bad nauseous.

All she knew was that she was afraid of it, and so she forced more distance between them.

Dakota deflated, but decided to "Let it Go" for now.

"Here we are!" Ariel chirped as she poked her head out from a curtain of seaweed, "This way!"

The two mer-humans joined her. She giggled as she ducked back inside. Mindy gestured for Dakota to go in first, and she waited a few extra seconds before following. A spacious courtyard met her bleary eyes.

It contained platforms with various undersea musical instruments, some of which had been permanently etched into the architecture such as the brass section. It consisted of a series of intricate tubes that connected to wide, circular bells that were designed to release the sound.

Dakota let out an astonished gasp. His eyes shone like a kid in a candy store's. Curious, he floated over to one of them and puckered his lips.

Mindy's heartbeat accelerated, "Dakota, don't!"

She reached a hand out to stop him, but he blew into the horn. A blaring toot echoed throughout the courtyard; catching everyone off-guard. Dakota laughed in delight as he poked at the harmless bubbles that wafted from the bell.

Mindy let out a breath as she joined Ariel at the far side of the courtyard.

"Don't worry, this place is a predator-free zone," the little mermaid assured her, "That's why everyone likes to rehearse here, and why it's my favorite spot to daydream. Specifically about cute boys?"

Ariel nudged her, and tilted her head to Dakota who had found a clamshell keyboard and plucked out his own rendition of "Kiss the Girl". He stopped abruptly when Sebastian inquired what song he was playing, and only vaguely mentioned it was a song that was quite popular in The Otherworld.

An absurd amount of time passed before Mindy caught on to what Ariel was implying, and her cheeks burned beet red, "No, no, no, it's not-I mean, I wasn't-there isn't-"

Ariel released a musical laugh, "It's okay, your secret's safe with me,"

"What secret? I don't like him like that,"

"Ha!"

Wendy popped her head out from one of the holes of the courtyard's back wall and pointed at them. She hissed to her companion with a victorious smirk, "Denial. The first symptom of a developing crush!"

Scarlett grabbed her arm, and yanked her out of sight seconds before Mindy glanced up…her face scrunched up in confusion, then shrugged before turning back to Ariel who had sprawled across Mermaid Rock on her stomach.

It had a narrow downward-sloping platform with two leaf-shaped rocks connected at the bottom. Soft tendrils of maroon lichen draped across its sides with starfish and pretty flowers attached to it.

"Sure you don't," Ariel winked, "But it's obvious that he likes you. Here, I'll prove it,"

She picked a pale pink one and started plucking its petals.

"He loves you, he loves you not, he loves you, he loves you not-" Her eyes lit up in childish glee as she held the last petal out to her, "He loves you!" Ariel giggled and held it against her chest in victory, "I knew it!"

Mindy sat atop one of the "Fins of stone", and buried her face in her hands with a low groan.

Ariel frowned at this, "I'm only teasing, Mindy,"

"I know," she replied as she looked up in exhaustion, "I'm not frustrated at you, I'm frustrated with…well everything, really. I never thought traveling across the Disney worlds could be so stressful. All I want is to find the answer to this stupid riddle, and get out of here already,"

"You're… not having fun with me?"

"Not really," Mindy's jaw dropped when she processed what she'd just said, and waved her hands in panic, "I-I mean yes! Yes, of course I'm having fun with you, Ariel! That did not come out right at all, I'm so sorry! Ugh, I haven't been myself today. This place is incredible, and I'm so thankful that I have the honor of even being in your presence. It's just kind of difficult to enjoy all of this when I'm dealing with…so much,"

Ariel opened her mouth, then noticed her fingering the amulet around her neck... A beat passed, then she looked down in shame, "I owe you an apology,"

Mindy turned to her in shock, "For what?"

"I kind of froze up when you attacked those sirens," Ariel admitted, "I shouldn't've been so afraid of you. You would never hurt anyone on accident,"

"Tell that to Dakota,"

"You may be right in my memories being tampered with, but I still remember what kind of person you were, Mindy," the mermaid princess countered as she placed a hand on her shoulder, "Mischievous sure, but always knew whenever a prank had gone too far. The sirens guarding that clue, you had set them up for the two of usto face. You didn't anticipate Dakota being there when we went back for it. Your intentions weren't malicious. You only wanted to include some kind of obstacle for us to overcome for the fun of it. And I agreed with you. So, if anyone is to blame for what happened last night, it should be me,"

Mindy didn't know how to respond, so she settled for silence. She hoped Ariel could see in her eyes how appreciative she was for clarity of her past actions, even if she still viewed herself as a monster. The mermaid's lips eased into a reassuring smile,

"See? You're okay, everything is gonna be okay…now, let's find that next clue,"

Mindy nodded and straightened her glasses with resolve.

As one, the Fin Twins leaned over, and dangled their heads over the edge of the rock. After rummaging for a little bit, Mindy's brow wrinkled in confusion when she withdrew an envelope from behind a sea urchin.

"Mindy found something, everyone!" Ariel called out.

A strangled scream escaped Sebastian as he paddled over.

Dakota eyed him with an uncomfortable chuckle, "You uh, doing okay, crabcake?"

"Okay? Okay?" Sebastian demanded in a half-crazed shout, "Yes, I'm okay! In fact, I've never been better!"

"Why do I not believe yo-woah!"

The crustacean popped out of nowhere, gripped Dakota's face with his claws, and pressed his forehead against his, "OF COURSE I'M NOT DOING OKAY! I'VE NEVER KEPT A SECRET THIS LONG FROM THE SEA KING IN ALL MY YEARS OF BEING HIS ADVISOR! NOT ONLY IS HIS DAUGHTER RESCUING DROWNING PRINCES, BUT SHE'S ALSO HARBORING WANTED FUGITIVES WHO HAVE THE ENTIRE ISLE OF OBLIVION ON THEIR TAIL!"

"Alright, alright, point taken!" Dakota gasped as Sebastian released him, and rubbed his aching cheeks, "Jeez, sorry I asked…you give Mindy a run for her money in terms of going from 0-100 in less than a millisecond,"

Mindy stifled a laugh, causing him to look up at her with a soft smile…

"That reminds me, I gotta see Eric again," Ariel sat straight up as an idea sprang to mind, "Tonight! Scuttle knows where he lives!"

She swam off the rock, lost in her own little world.

"Ariel, please!" Sebastian gripped onto her fins, hanging on for dear life as she zipped around, "Will you get your head out of the clouds and back in the water where it belongs?"

Dakota grinned at Mindy in barely-contained excitement, "You know what's coming?"

"How could I not?" Against her better judgement, she gave a half-smile back, "It's only one of the most iconic musical numbers in Disney History,"

He uttered the words without even thinking, "Dance with me. It'll be fun,"

"We don't have time for fun, we need to open the next clue before something bad happens," Mindy drifted back while shaking her head and hugging herself, "I don't want to sing, and risk what happened to the sirens happening to you,"

"Then don't sing. Just dance,"

"But what if I step on your fee-err, tail? What if I mess up and fall? What if we're gone so long, we worry the others? The Lost Boys are already restless enough as it is, not to mention Jiminy will-"

"-Mindy," Dakota offered her his hand, and gave her a look that said he wasn't taking no for an answer, "You aren't fooling anyone. You're burnt out, I can tell. All I'm asking, is for you to spend a few minutes stopping and smelling the roses, and to remind yourself why you're here,"

She bit her lip as she contemplated this…then Mindy reached out, and accepted his hand.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Wendy squealed from somewhere behind them.

"I'll swim up to his castle! Then Flounder will splash around to get his attention, and then we'll go-"

"-down here is your home!" Sebastian cut off the lovesick mermaid's rant, "Ariel, listen to me-"

Mindy covered her mouth with a giggle as Dakota bopped his shoulders on beat.

"-the human world? It's a mess,"

"Ain't that the truth!"

"Life under the sea, is better than anything they got up there!" Sebastian exclaimed as he sat Ariel back down on Mermaid Rock and started singing, "The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else's lake!"

Ariel glanced up at the surface with longing eyes.

"You dream about going up there-" Sebastian tilted her chin back to his level, "-but that is a big mistake,"

"Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor!" Dakota gestured to the fields of endless coral, and the way the sunlight shimmered through the water.

A school of fish encircled Ariel, and caused her wavy red curls to spiral around her head like the top of an ice cream cone, "Such wonderful things around you, what more are you looking for?!"

This time, Mindy bopped her shoulders on beat.

"Under the sea!" Sebastian slid down Ariel's tail and did a sort of cha-cha with a charming smile, "Under the sea!"

Dakota twirled Mindy into his chest. He swayed them side-to-side while wiggling his brows suggestively, "Darling it's better, down where it's wetter!"

Mindy pushed his face away with a playful roll of her eyes.

"Take it from me!" Sebastian gave a pained look as he mimicked an average working human, "Up on the shore, they work all day. Out in the sun, they slave away!"

"While we devoting-"

"-full time to floating, under the sea!"

Sebastian leapt off of the mermaid's fins and floated towards the clam keyboard.

Mindy banged on an invisible drum as Dakota slammed the main theme. Sebastian laughed and finished the melody for him. The two stood cheek-to-cheek, and harmonized as Mindy bobbed adorably to the music.

"Down here all the fish is happy!"

"As off through the waves they roll!" Sebastian added as a dolphin approached Mindy. She sat on its back and they flipped above their heads with jovial smiles.

The duo frowned, "The fish on the land ain't happy!"

"They sad cause they in the bowl!" Dakota put the back of his hand on his forehead, as a depressed-looking bass floated besides him in a bubble.

Sebastian winked as he assured a distraught Ariel, "But fish in the bowl is lucky,"

"They in for a worser fate!" Dakota piped up.

The crab popped the bubble with a single claw; sending the fish landing on a flat piece of stone, "One day, when the boss get hungry-"

"-guess who's gon' be on the plate?" the sad sack asked in a baritone voice, as he jerked a thumb to himself.

"Uh oh, under the sea! Under the sea!"

Ariel poked at what she assumed to be flowers at the base of the rock. One of them sprung upwards, and revealed a cute seahorse. About a dozen followed, and spun around the princess who giggled in amusement.

"Nobody beat us-"

"-fry us and eat us!"

"In fricassee!"

Sebastian took a discarded fish hook, and stuffed it into a live oyster, "We what the land folks love to cook!"

"You're not wrong-ow!"

Mindy slugged Dakota's shoulder and pressed a finger to her lips.

"Under the sea, we off the hook!" Sebastian ducked as the oyster spit the hook out and it whizzed over his head, "We've got no troubles, life is the bubbles under the sea!"

Four multicolored snails popped out of their shells from behind him, and sang backup, "Under the sea!"

"Under the sea!"

"Under the sea!"

Sebastian meandered over to the conductor's pedestal in the courtyard, as more and more fish joined in on the production number. They hurried to their instruments, and accompanied the crab.

"Since life is sweet here, we got the beat here naturally!"

Four purple slugs materialized on either side of Mindy and Dakota and belted, "Naturalee-ee-ee!"

"Even the sturgeon and the ray-" Sebastian continued as the aforementioned fish swam up to each other, and withdrew a double-flute and a pair of nautical cymbals, "-they get the urge and start to play!"

Dakota booped Mindy on the nose, "We got the spirit-"

"-you got to hear it, under the sea!" Sebastian banged on a few shells before acknowledging the rest of the musicians, "The newt play the flute, the carp play the harp, the plaice play the bass, and they sounding sharp-"

"-the bass play the brass," Dakota pointed to the fish shredding on the trumpets, then to a heavy-weight fish slapping a drum with his tail, "The chub play the tub-"

"-the fluke is the duke of soul!"

"Yeah!"

"The ray he can play, the lings on the strings," Sebastian indicated the stingray beating a xylophone, and an orange female fish strumming a jellyfish's tentacles like a cello, "The trout's rocking out, the blackfish, she sings-"

Mindy grimaced at the offensive stereotype, "That's not okay,"

"The smelt and the sprat-"

"-they know where it's at,"

"And oh that blowfish blow!"

Mindy and Dakota joined hands and grooved to the instrumental break.

They drew in-and-out, hand-jived, and even did the drowning move. Mindy giggled when he lifted her by the waist and spun her around in a dizzying circle. She hadn't felt this euphoric since The Rat Trap. She could tell by Dakota's boundless energy, and the way he looked up at her with shining eyes that he felt the same.

When he put her down, they pressed their foreheads against each other's.

Dakota mouthed, "Sing,"

Mindy looked unsure, "I…I can't,"

"Melinda Maye Singh, you may sing now,"

She blushed at how tender his voice had gotten. Mindy hesitated before nodding slowly. Dakota beamed from ear-to-ear and led her to the center of the courtyard right as the band swelled and the key changed. They were lifted up by a ginormous grey octopus. Sebastian jammed atop a sea turtle which was balanced precariously atop the octopus's bell-shaped head.

"Ahhhhhh…under the sea!"

Mindy lifted her arms up as her nasally voice amplified.

Her amulet glowed, and cast the entire courtyard in a pulsing rainbow light, much to the performers' astonishment. With a wave of her hands, bioluminescent orbs appeared, and captured the light; refracting it like a million disco balls.

Dakota echoed her: "Under the sea!"

"Under the sea!"

"Under the sea!"

Sebastian rode atop a pack of sardines down to the ocean floor, "When the sardine, begin the beguine, it's music to me!"

"What do they got? A lotta sand?!" Mindy scooped up some clay and threw it at Dakota.

He laughed and sputtered as it hit him square in the face, "We got a hot crustacean band!"

Sebastian danced around a group of clapping clams, "Each little clam here, know how to jam here-"

"-under the sea!" everyone chorused.

Dakota twisted around a pair of slugs as they glided across the floor, "Each little slug here, cutting a rug here-"

"-under the sea!"

Mindy held up a tiny snail blasting notes from an itty-bitty saxophone, "Each little snail, they know how to wail here-"

"-that's why it's hotter, under the water!" Dakota fanned himself and fell on top of her.

Sebastian floated from the whirlwind of bubbles coming from the brass section, "Yeah we in luck here, down in the muck here-"

"-under the sea…!"

The lights flashed, and the music came to a blaring crescendo. Dakota and Mindy twirled above it all until the song ended in a dramatic final note, and he dipped her on the beat atop Mermaid Rock. Their ensemble of fish fanned around them with wide, enthusiastic smiles. Sebastian stood beside the pair with his claws spread out.

Dakota and Mindy panted, and lost themselves in each other's gaze…they started to lean in.

They didn't even notice Sebastian question where Ariel had gone, and the other fish lose interest and swim away, "Oh, somebody's got to nail that girl's fins to the floor…"

A final note snapped them out of it.

The couple detangled and avoided eye-contact, as the orbs sucked themselves back into Mindy's pendant. Harsh, black-and-white light replaced the once vivid hues of the courtyard, and reflected the stark contrast of the teens' current and previous feelings.

"Oh come on!" Wendy shouted in outrage from the hole.

Scarlett once again yanked her back down when the pair looked up.

They turned back to each other as an awkward silence hung in the air…

"Uh…" Dakota cleared his throat, "L-like I said, fun right?"

Mindy nodded dumbly, "Uh huh,"

The quiet was deafening.

"We should-"

"-yeah,"

Hearts racing in panic, they took off towards The Grotto while Sebastian followed a seahorse messenger back to Atlantica. Wendy and Scarlett emerged from their hiding place. The former looked about ready to tear her hair out, and the latter had her hands behind her back with a smug, half-lidded smile.

"They were so close!"

"Not close enough it seems," Scarlett inspected her nails, "Ready to give up while you're ahead?"

"Not a chance!" Wendy's eyes blazed with determination, "There's still time…all they need is a little push in the right direction,"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

The Darling Girl didn't answer. Then, she threw her head back with an unladylike groan before zooming off…

Scarlett snickered, "That's what I thought,"