Author's Note: Here's the final chapter! I know I was supposed to be busy for today and tomorrow, but those plans got cancelled, so I had the time to write and post this. Please enjoy the conclusion of this tale!
I own nothing here.
Chapter 3: The Ultimate Fates.
The next morning, Scuttle was flying in the air excitedly and made it into the opened window of Sora's room where he, Xion who'd finally gone to bed, Mickey, Riku and Roxas slept, exclaiming happily, "Hey, fellas! Wake up! You gotta hear this with Kairi and Axel! I'm gonna go wake them up!" before flying off.
Rudely awoken, Sora's group groggily sat up and wondered what Scuttle meant, though they did caught on something about Kairi and Axel, so, still half-asleep, the five of them decided to see what the fuss was about.
In Kairi and Axel's room, Scuttle flew into their window, happily crying out, "Kairi! Kairi, wake up! Wake up! I just told Ariel the news! It's gonna be great, kiddo! We did it!" and like Sora's group, Kairi and Axel, rudely awoken, groggily sat up and were half-asleep themselves.
"What's the bird talkin' about?" Axel yawned, then layed his head back onto the mattress, intending on going back to sleep, even as the still sleepy group of Sora and his friends walked through, yawning themselves.
"Right, like Ariel and the crab, you guys wouldn't know either, huh? The whole town's buzzin' about the prince gettin' himself hitched this afternoon!" Scuttle declared excitedly, and when the group just stared at him blankly, he shrugged, explaining. "You know, he and Ariel are getting married."
"Wait, what?" Riku asked, blinking.
Scuttle didn't reply, instead he gave a surprised Axel a noggin on the head, "Ya silly pyro-head! I just wanted to tell ya so you wouldn't miss. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it either!" He said before flying off.
It took the group a moment to try and process this new information, before they all realised what Scuttle said and suddenly were fully awake and surprised. Eric had asked Ariel to marry him! He really must love her!
"Ariel's getting married...! She's getting married!" Kairi cheered happily, leaping out of her bed and hugged Sora who mirrored her excitement, the two of them laughing and hugging each other. "We have to go see it! This is the big chance!"
"I know, right? I knew Ariel would pull through! This is just so awesome!" Sora cheered happily. "We should get ready! I wouldn't wanna miss this!"
"Oh boy! Looks like things are really workin' out after all!" Mickey said happily.
"That's...unexpected." Riku muttered, still trying to absord all this.
"What about you guys?" Roxas asked Sora and Kairi who stopped and realising what their friend just said, blushed before and shared a sheepish look.
"Well, um..." Sora began, and while he wanted desperately to proclaim his love to Kairi, and kiss her, and they both do have until sunset tonight, he still felt uncertain and while he didn't know it, Kairi was uncertain despite wanting to proclaim her love and kiss him as well.
"Well, there's nothing more romantic than seeing someone else's wedding. Plus the bride gets to throw the flowers and whoever catches it is next to be married." Xion suggested. "You both can, you know, do that there."
Axel sat up and shrugged, "She has a point. Though not to be a pessimest here, but I think the seagull's made another mistake."
"Whaddya' mean?" Mickey asked, confused.
"I just...got a bad feeling that the news is not all it's cracked up to be." The redhead reluctantedly replied. "Maybe we should ask Ariel and Sebastian to double check."
Realizing that he had a point, the group exited the room and made to find Ariel downstairs only to spot her and Sebastian hiding being a pillar, gazing down below. Judging her shocked expression and the voices of Grimsby and Eric, they hidden themselves next to her and saw both men on the main floor, with some girl holding arms with the Prince, named Vanessa.
"...We wish to be married as soon as possible." Eric said, in a monotone voice, which had Ariel mouth 'no' while Kairi and Xion softly gasped in horror and Sora, Axel, Mickey, Roxas, Axel and Sebastian's eyes widened in pure shock as all of their hearts quickly sank.
"Oh, yes - of course, Eric, but, er - but these things do take time, you know." Grimsby tried to explain.
"This afternoon, Grimsby. The wedding ship departs at sunset." Eric cut him off.
"Oh, oh - very well, Eric - as you wish." Grimsby reluctantedly replied.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ariel ran off, crying.
"Ariel, wait!" Kairi whispered a cry, quickly chasing after her with Xion following. Sora could only look on in horror and dismay.
"No way...How could Eric see the wrong girl for Ariel?" He shook his head, not wanting to believe it himself. Still, he and the others realized that Axel had been right; Scuttle had made yet another mistake and their excitement of things finally looking up were quickly crushed.
"I hate it when I'm right." Axel grunted, wanting to punch something hard in frustration. Still, as he eyed Vanessa, he gasped softly when he saw her gaze up at him and the others, and appeared to have watched Ariel run off in tears, and Kairi and Xion following her before the mysterious woman looked back to Eric.
The redhaired man's eyes furrowed. Something was suddenly very wrong and suspicious about that girl. Still, there was nothing that could be done now.
Ariel's heart had been broken.
Later that afternoon, after Sebastian found Flounder and told him the bad news, they, Ariel, Sora, Kairi and their other friends reached the docks and were too late as the wedding boat was sailing away into the sea. Scuttle didn't come by due to him being too busy thinking that Eric was going to marry Ariel. Ariel just slid down on a pillar, folding her arms around her legs and sobbed without her voice. Everyone else around her looked on in heartbreaking sympathy.
Seeing her like this broke their hearts, but none more so than Sora and Kairi who, due to the unfairness of breaking Sora's curse if Ariel couldn't have her happiness, agreed that neither could they. Despite their friends' objections, Kairi ultimately decided that she should at least keep Ariel company under Ursula's slavement for eternity while Sora to leave as a Naga for a more isolated area where he would live alone. Seeing Ariel cry though made Kairi cry in Sora's arms, and even Sora himself softly cried. All three of them shed tears which fell into the water, and even Xion, Mickey, Flounder and Axel silently shed their own tears due to the fact that they would be losing three of their best friends.
Meanwhile in the Town Square near the beach, Goofy was humming to himself in a cheerful mood and like Scuttle, he didn't realize that the news about Eric marrying Ariel was false.
So happily in his thoughts as he made his way to collect and deliver Eggs and had to miss the wedding, Goofy didn't look where he was going and accidently slipped on a flat tyre of a broken down car and yelped as he clumsily tried and failed to regain his balance. He slipped forward and crashed into both Reno who cried out as he and Rude had been trying to fix the car, and a young duck mechanic named Donald who squawked in alarm, leaving all three of them in a pile while Rude, Cloud, Zack, Tifa and Cissnei smirked and giggled.
"Ow! Hey, watch where you're goin', Goof'!" Reno grunted, immediately recongising the Egg-Delivery Boy who also works at the Burger Joint and just recently, as a waiter at the Castle. How this clumsy guy got three jobs, the redhead had no idea.
"Sorry. Guess I was thinkin' of the wedding." Goofy sheepishly replied, standing up along with Reno and the very annoyed Donald who glared at him.
"What's the big idea, ya' big Palooka?" Donald demanded.
"Why were you thinking about the wedding if you didn't even get invited?" Cloud asked, skeptically.
Goofy shrugged, "Gee, that's a good question. Everybody else in the castle got invited except me."
"Maybe it's because you're too clumsy that ya' might ruin the whole thing." Reno dryly suggested. "Not that it'll make much of a difference. Whatever Axel did musta-"
"So we're really gonna make Sora our new Naga-buddy today?" An unfamiliar voice exclaimed from a small distance that inadvertedly cut Reno off, followed by a loud 'Shush'.
"Who said that?" Zack asked, blinking and quickly concerned.
"Don't look at me." Reno shrugged.
"Not me." Donald shrugged as well.
"Didn't it say something about 'Naga'?" Tifa asked, worriedly.
"Let's take a look." Cloud suggested.
Despite the sudden nervousness, the group followed where the voices were coming from as another unfamiliar voice whispered loudly, "Keep it down, you moron! Even though the town is empty due to the false wedding, Sora's group may be lingering and unless you want our plan to be foiled, just, shut, up!"
Goofy and the others carefully peeked behind a building and a bunch of trees and their eyes widened in shock and disbelief, not to mention horror as both Marluxia and Demyx were having a secret meeting to discuss the plan to their ultimate success.
"Precisely. As long as that mermaid's friend does not kiss the Prince and that he marries the Seawitch, we will be able to control Sora and gain dominant control over the world. It will be difficult to confront Ursula once she gets Triton's Trident and rules the Ocean, but she will be no match for us. Soon, Sora, his friends and the world will be ours!" Marluxia answered Demyx's previous question.
"Guess it's kinda a good thing that Sora doesn't realise that the only to really break the spell is true love's kiss. Which, by the way, I'm still sore about when you lied to me about that." Demyx shrugged.
The pink haired Naga chuckled, "Ah, but I also added another twist; Even if Sora and Kairi kiss, they still aqquire the little mermaid's true love's kiss to become a human permamently. None the less, every living creature in the world will be our full coursed meals!"
"So can I really see if those animal-guys are tasty too, starting with that mouse?" Demyx asked excitedly.
Marluxia rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Yes, you get to eat that mouse too."
They heard enough. Goofy's group, horrified on what they'd just seen, heard and learned, they silently hurried back so that they wouldn't end up caught, though they were still horrified on what they learned and only Goofy knew the full truth due to him being one of the few knowing Sora's secret.
"Now do ya' believe that Nagas are real?" Reno asked Cissnei, shaking in fear.
"Yes, I'm definitely a believer now." Cissnei nodded, terrified.
"So the legend is true." Cloud muttered, shocked and horrified. "The curse of the Nagas. But...who's Sora?"
"You don't think...the wedding that's happening today is the one they were talking about, do you?" Tifa asked, worriedly.
"Well, I haven't heard of any other weddings." Rude pointed out.
"And not only that, they're gonna eat us!" Donald cried out hysterically, only for Reno and Zack to clamp his bill shut to keep him quiet.
"Gawrsh! Marluxia and the Seawitch! What'd I do? What'd I do!?" Goofy cried out hysterically while inadvertedly blurting it out. He then had an idea and cried out, still panicking, "They're gonna-I gotta-!" and without answering the others who looked at him in confusion, he quickly dashed off, leaving behind a trail of dust.
"Goofy! Where're you going!? Come back!" Zack cried out, though he was too late as Goofy sped off like a jet engine.
"Let's follow and see where he's goin'! Then we need to warn everyone else about the danger!" Reno declared. No one argued with that, and took off running.
Sora, Kairi and their friends were sitting on the platform, saddened as they waited for the ultimate final fate, when they heard a familiar voice call out, sounding urgent and worried this time.
"Ariel! Kairi! Sora!" Scuttle cried out, flying towards them before landing next to Ariel who slowly stopped crying and she and everyone looked to see he finally arrived.
"Fellas!" Scuttle panted, then explained what he'd just seen and learned a short time ago. "I was flying, I wa - of course I was flying - An' - I s- I saw that the watch - the witch was watchin' a mirror, and she was singin' with a stolen set o' pipes!" while gesturing everything he'd seen.
When they were too slow to understand, Scuttle grabbed Sebastian, yelling urgently, "Do you hear what I'm tellin' you?" and began to slam the crab onto the wood while yelling, "THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE SEA WITCH IN DISGUISE!"
"What!?" Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Axel, Xion, Roxas and Riku exclaimed in shock, while Ariel held a shocked expression.
"...I knew it! I knew something wasn't right with that girl we saw earlier! It was Ursula!" Axel grunted in realization and began hitting himself on the forehead with his fist. "Dang it! Why didn't I stop her when I had the chance!? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
"Axel, calm down!" Mickey cried out as he and Roxas grabbed hold of the redhead's shoulders and began shaking him to get him to stop. "You're only hurtin' yourself!"
"NAGAS!" Goofy's scream hollared, causing everyone to look to see him come running and screaming in a panic. "MICKEY! SORA! KAIRI! NAGAS! MARLUXIA'S HERE!" Only to slip and fall into the water, screaming, "YAA-HOO-HOOEEE!"
As soon as Riku and Sora pulled Goofy out of the water and onto the pier, he panted before explaining hysterically, "You're not gonna believe what I saw and heard! Marluxia and another Naga-they-they were talkin' about the weddin', a-and that the Sea-witch is marryin' the prince in disguise, and tha-that Marluxia lied to Sora about the curse! The only way is for Sora and Kairi and Ariel and the Prince to kiss to break the spell before Sunset or Sora'll turn into a Naga forever and that eatin' people and mermaids only make the chances of stayin' a Naga worse or better!"
He then grabbed Riku's shoulders and shook him heard while screaming, "They wannna have Sora turn Naga-forever to take over the world and eat everybody includin' all of us! And there's one Naga who wants to eat Mickey!"
A horrified tensed pause.
"A Naga wants to eat me?" Mickey asked, pointing at himself in pure shock and horror. Sure he knew that Naga's were notorious for eating humans and merpeople, but eating his own own and others, that was unheard of. Apparently the Naga that wasn't Marluxia intended on giving it a try, starting by taste-testing Mickey himself.
"...Marluxia lied? And he wants me to become a Naga to rule the world?" Sora asked, horrified beyond belief. He couldn't believe it; Marluxia was counting on him eating either people or merpeople to remain a Naga in case he failed to find true love! On top of that, that evil Naga was counting on Ursula to make sure Ariel wouldn't stay human forever!
Everyone else were just as shocked and horrified, except Sebastian who rubbed his sore head, asking both Scuttle and Goofy, "Are you both sure about this?"
"Have we ever been wrong?" Scuttle asked, panicking. "I mean, when it was important!?"
"What are we gonna do!?" Flounder cried out, worriedly.
Realizing that both Marluxia and Ursula had plotted the schemes the entire time by using Sora himself and Ariel, Sora stood up with determination, "For one thing, we can't let Marluxia and Ursula win! I'm not going to let it happen!"
"We have to crash that wedding!" Kairi agreed, standing up with equal determination and Ariel stood up in full agreement, as she remembered Ursula's words of the kiss before the sunset of the third day.
"My boat's right here! We can get there faster than a rowboat." Axel informed, agreeing that the wedding has to be stopped. The redhead hurried to retrieve it which was a small speed boat and powered it own. He slowed it down next to the others. "Hop on, guys!"
Seeing that Axel was right, Sora, Kairi, Ariel, Xion, Riku, Roxas and Mickey hopped in, before Kairi told Flounder, "C'mon, Flounder! We might need your help incase Axel's boat battery runs flat as fast as our fins can carry us!"
"I'll try!" Flounder nodded before he followed the boat when Axel drove it towards the Wedding boat.
"But what about the Naga-"
"Goofy! You warn everybody else and call the authorites to slow the Nagas down!" Mickey cut Goofy off before he vanished.
"Slow the Nagas down!...Uh, um...I know!" Goofy snapped his fingers as an idea hit him, before he raced off to find Cloud and the others since they too saw Marluxia and Demyx.
"I've gotta get to the sea king. He must know about this." Sebastian said to himself, knowing that Triton was the only one who could set this right.
Feeling left out and panicking, Scuttle asked, "What - What about me? What about ME?"
"You-find a way to STALL THAT WEDDING!" Sebastian ordered before diving to return to Atlantica.
"Stall the wedding?" Scuttle asked, rambling before he had an idea, "That's it!" and squawked as he flew off to find help from the local wildlife.
Goofy in the meantime ran until he nearly crashed into Reno and the others for the second time, but didn't stop as he unexpectedly grabbed Donald and continued on while calling out, "We gotta call for help to stop the Nagas! It's an emergancy!"
"Wh-what?" Reno asked, confused until he and the others realized that the Kingdom was in danger if the Nagas were not stopped. So the group nodded and followed Cloud's lead to follow Goofy and Donald-who was demanding to be put down-to find help.
Fully unaware of Goofy and Scuttle informing their friends of the plots, Marluxia and Demyx were resurfacing after hiding underwater and watched from the distance of the other side of the boat in glee and smirks, and in Demyx's case, his mouth watered as the very thought of eating Mickey Mouse excited him.
Only that the mullet-haired Naga heard something from the distance behind him and Marluxia. When then youngest Naga looked, his eyes widened as several cannon-ships, both modern military and medival royal navy, along with jet planes with guns were coming into view. There was also a helicopter which Reno commandeered, with the redhead himself in the pilot's seat, Rude in the co-pilot's seat, and Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Cissnei, Goofy and a very nauseous Donald riding in the back.
"Uh...oh..." Demyx muttered, worriedly. Realizing this was trouble, he tapped Marluxia's shoulder to get his attention. "Uh, Marluxia?"
"Shhh. Our moment of triumpth is coming ever so closer." Marluxia said, distractedly.
"But Marluxia...!" Demyx shook him this time, his voice getting higher and higher in fear as the calvary was getting closer and closer to attack.
"What!?" Marluxia growled, glaring at him. Only when the younger Naga scaredly pointed a shaky finger at what was seeing, by the time the pink-haired Naga looked, it was already too late as, at the signal from the captain on one of the ships, and by radio contact, all of the vessels fired their cannons, guns and missiles at the two of them who cried out and were hit and tried to knock away most.
While Marluxia knocked away from and almost hit Reno's chopper when the redhead managed to steer it away from the backfire, and the giant Naga made to crush one of the military ships, he was struck by more cannon fire which made him roar in pain and anger, Demyx tried and failed to knock away the open fire and instead had to try to clumsily dodge the attacks.
"Ow! Ow! Ow ow ow!" Demyx yelped girlishly, when he was attacked by the gunshots from Reno's helicopter when he found the button to open-fire.
"That's for wanting to try and eat my buddy Mickey, ya' big bully of a giant snake!" Goofy shouted angrily at Demyx through a megaphone while he held onto the side of the chopper before Tifa and Cissnei pulled him back in so that he wouldn't fall and get himself killed.
While the attack on the two giant evil Nagas went on-which no one on the boat was even noticing, there was chaos on the Wedding boat as Scuttle's rally of animals and fish barged in, dive-bombing at Ursula twice, first time they missed, but the second time they zoomed under her dress and she screamed in alarm in Ariel's voice. Max was barking excitedly while the guests ran around all over the deck in panic. Thankfully, the animals and sea-life focused on 'Vanessa' who was pinched on the nose by a lobster's claw, covered in star fish, thrown water at, bounced around on Seals like a beach ball, thrown into the wedding cake and spluttered in more water by a trio of Dolphins.
All this was happening just as Sora, Kairi and their group made it and were climbing up the side of the boat and climbed onto the deck, except for Flounder who dove back into the ocean. Scuttle finally flew up to Ursula and squawked loudly right in her face.
"Oh, why you little-!" Ursula growled and began strangling Scuttle who then tried to pull the seashell necklace off the sea-witch's neck. Fortunately, Max broke free from his leash and, seeing that all of the animals were helping, he decided to help and bit hard on the witch's, er, butt which made her scream in pain and made her lose her battle, letting Scuttle go and the necklace went flying in the air and crashed in front of Ariel, shattering into pieces.
Golden smoke came floating towards and around Ariel as her voice, now freed, echoed her singing while everyone watched on, and the spell over Eric was broken. Dazed, confused and feeling like he had a headache and hearing Ariel's voice, he and everyone saw what was happening. At least, the magic went into Ariel's throat and she sang to finish the song, her voice back where it belonged.
"Ariel?" Eric asked, amazed.
"Eric!" Ariel, now having her voice back, cried out happily, and Max happily ran up to her and she patted him gently.
"Her voice's back!" Xion sighed in relief and Mickey, Axel, Riku and Roxas cheered and smiled in relief.
"We did it!" Sora cheered happily and shared a loving and happy hug with Kairi while their friends cheered on as Eric, knowing the truth, hurried over to Ariel, holding her in his arms.
"Oh, Sora! This is wonderful!" Kairi said happily, and her eyes locked in with Sora's who nodded in agreement, the familiar and powerful feeling they felt last night dawning on them, and soon they were about to touch each other's lips for a kiss, as were Ariel and Eric...
Too late, the sun had set, and Sora, Kairi and Ariel hadn't made it. They felt pain in their bodies, before Sora, in the most painful transformation in his life, stumbled backwards and the others hadn't been able to catch him on time before he fell overboard and fell into the sea, quickly transforming back into his Naga form for the first time in three days, this time permamently, Kairi and Ariel both transforming back into mermaids much to everyone else's shock, and Ursula's delight.
"NO!" Xion, Roxas, Riku, Mickey and Axel cried out in dismay.
"You're too late! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Ursula cackled evilly. "YOU'RE TOO LATE!" She declared, using electricity of magic, discarding her disguise and revealing her true form, much to the guests' pure horror as they gasped when they saw the truth.
At sea, seeing the sparks of lightning, Marluxia turned to look and, realizing what happened, he began laughing manically. "Yes...At last!" He declared, before turning to the vessels before thrusting his tail at them, damaging and destorying five ships, causing planes to crash into the sea, and almost hitting Reno's helicopter and the redhead and Rude struggled to reposition the chopper to avoid in crashing while Goofy and everyone else nearly fell out. Cloud and Zack both saved Tifa and Cissnei from falling, and Goofy caught Donald who nearly fell to his death.
"Time to go to collect our newest member." Marluxia told Demyx, diving into the ocean.
"W-w-wait for me, Mar'!" Demyx yelped, quickly following.
"Is it over?" Donald asked, shakily.
"Uh..." Reno began, getting a bad vibe in his skin after the helicopter was back in perfect hovering. "I don't think so."
Back on the boat, Ursula crawled down the aisle, smacking Eric, Riku, Axel, Mickey and Roxas back where they landed had on the floor, while grabbing Ariel in her arms, and Kairi and Xion, who tried to pull Kairi away, with her tentacles, holding all three of them in a tight grip so that they couldn't escape.
"Hey, those are my friends and sister!" Axel growled as he quickly recovered, but was knocked back when he tried to save the girls.
"So long, losers." Ursula grinned, giving into the ocean with her captives.
"Come back!" Mickey cried out, but he and the others were too late. Knowing what has to be done, he turned to his friends and cried out, "We gotta save them and Sora!" only to scream when the boat rocked, as both Marluxia and Demyx purposely knocked into the boat underneath on their way to collect Sora who laid half unconscious on the ocean floor, groaning as the pain of the transformation still lingered.
"Poor little princess and little orphan." Ursula sneered to Ariel and Kairi, whose clothes fell off when they hit the water, while Xion tried to hold her breath in her attempts to not drown. "It's not you or your human friend that I'm after, though you, Kairi, have more power than I imagined. But I have a bigger fish to-"
"Ursula, STOP!" The sudden shout and appearance of King Triton made Ursula stop in her tracks, that and also that the Trident was aimed at her throat. Sebastian was next to him, glaring angrily at the sea witch going 'Hmph!' at her.
Casually and unworried, Ursula greeted, "Why, King Triton. How are you?"
Triton was in no mood of that, as he ordered in a growl, "Let them and that human go!" even though he still didn't trust humans, not even the human girl trapped in Ursula's grasp deserved this.
"Not a chance, Triton! They're mine now!" Ursula snapped in return, pulling Ariel up by the wrist while holding both Kairi and Xion behind her. "With your daughter, we made a deal, and with the orphan whose parents I took away, she has the power to heal, cure and break all black magic from Nagas, and this human is a little extra prize."
Handing Ariel to the two eels while using her magic to trap Kairi and Xion to the wall as the three of them struggled to pull free, Ursula showed Triton the contract with Ariel's signature on it. Kairi looked worriedly at Xion who was beginning to lose her battle not to drown, and then gazed into the distance and gasped as Marluxia floated over Sora who, regaining consciousness, saw the mermaid he loved trapped along with two of his friends, and Ursula confront the sea king.
"Kairi!" Sora cried out, making to try and move, and fortunately for once his Naga-side not interfering, the cravings didn't hit, but Marluxia pinned his arms to the floor and he cried out, before looking up and glared at the one who wanted him to stay as a Naga. "You!" He hissed.
"Well, Sora. It seems you are no longer welcome in the human world. But do not worry, we'll take good care of you." Marluxia purred cruelly.
"You lied to me! You were hoping that I would eat a person or a mermaid just so I'd end up staying as a Naga forever and help you to take over the world that I love!" Sora accused.
The pink-haired Naga laughed, "Yes, I lied most of the part. Besides, who would love a monster such as you? Of course, I didn't count that you would find true love with a mermaid, yet in order for you to stay a Naga, you had to chew the human or mermaid into pieces, because swallowing them whole would result in what you and your precious lover went through, regardless of the Princess making a deal with Ursula or not."
"But why me?" Sora demanded, struggling to free himself.
"Because our kind is dying, Sora." Marluxia informed him. "For years, humans and other sea kingdoms have reduced our number, one by one. You and your friends were the perfect candidates to restore our former glory, and to become even greater; to rule the world and show those fools what would happen should they try and mess with us! Join me, Sora. Help me save our Naga kind. You are the only one who can do that."
Sora hissed angrily, "Never!"
Marluxia smirked. "I knew you would say that. So, to change your mind, I will Demyx eat your precious true love and your friend..." He said, as Demyx appeared and grabbed both Kairi and Xion in both hands, where they struggled and Ursula, seeing this shrugged as she decided this was a way to get rid of Kairi, and turned her attention to making a new deal with Triton who was torn in saving Ariel or sparing his Kingdom. "...and tear them apart."
Horrified and conflicted himself, Sora was now struggling to make a decision. What should he do? Should he give up his freedom and risk the world for the safety of Kairi and Xion, or lose both of them for the sake of his freedom and the world's safety?
On the surface, Mickey, Axel, Riku, Roxas and Eric were in Axel's boat to the spot where they hoped to find their four friends who were in trouble, one in the risk of drowning, two who were Ursula's targets, and the last who was in the risk of becoming Marluxia's pawn.
"Hurry, before we lose them!" Mickey cried out to Axel, pleadingly.
"I'm trying to make this boat go faster, but it's not a submarine!" Axel pointed out, yet he wanted to rescue Kairi, Sora, Xion and Ariel more than the others.
"Now...which will it be?" Marluxia questioned, and the more Sora hesitated, the closer Kairi and Xion were towards Demyx's mouth and the fact that Xion was close to drowning.
Finally, with guilt as he couldn't bear to lose Kairi and Xion, Sora pleadingly replied in surrender, "Fine. I'll join you. Just-just let them go and leave my friends alone!"
"Ha! It's settled! Demyx, release them...but the others are yours!" Marluxia declared, much to Sora's horror and despite Demyx letting lose on both Kairi and Xion who was almost unconscious, Marluxia was still going to have all of his other friends killed and eaten. At the same time, Triton, in the same feeling as Sora, signed his name over Ariel's on the contract, and while Ariel was released from the curse of becoming a worm-like thing, it went towards Triton who shrank and transformed into a full worm-like thing, losing his grip on the Trident and his crown, much to everyone else's horror.
"No!" Sora cried out, only to scream when Marluxia grasped him around the neck with both hands, laughing manically as he began to flow dark magic into Sora's mouth and vanish.
"No!" Xion gurgled, only to gasp and clutch her throat.
"Xion!" Sora screamed, while struggling to fight back Marluxia's control.
"Xion!" Kairi cried out, holding her friend in horror and despair, while gazing at Sora and screamed out, "Sora!" trying to think of something, anything, to help her lover and friends. 'Please...please help!' She thought desperately.
Unexpectedly and as though her wish came true, Kairi's hands began to glow pink as did her pearl necklace her mother gave her, making her confused as it flowed to Xion's throat before it stopped and the human girl coughed, before stopping and somehow...breathing normally as though she was on land.
"What...how? Kairi...did you use magic to save me?" Xion surprisingly asked.
"I...I guess I did." Kairi admitted, before her eyes widened as a memory came to her; the time when it was her sixth birthday, when her mother gave her this necklace, her words echoed in her mind.
"This necklace will unlock the magical power, the power to heal and cure, and stop evil. The desire to help your friends and the one you love; never lose sight of that necklace, Kairi. The light in your heart will drive away the darkness."
"So this is what mother meant...this is my power to heal...to save everyone." Kairi realized. All that time as she grew older she thought it was a silly thing, which she believed when she was younger. Now she knew that her mother had spoken the truth, and this was what Ursula had feared. "That's why Ursula killed my parents; to stop them from protecting me."
Sora's screaming and Ursula's manical laughter brought her and Xion back to reality and as they both saw Sora's continuing to struggle while Marluxia went completely into Sora's body, with dark mists still surrounding him, seeing Sora's mouth open gave Kairi a risky idea, but she was torn between helping her lover and seeking revenge on Ursula who took away her parents and now took Ariel's father and home.
"I'll try and stop that sea-witch!" Xion said, reading along the lines with her friend. "Please be careful and save Sora, Kairi and you'd better come back alive! Because I don't forgive you if you don't."
Despite knowing the risk, Kairi nodded and replied, "You be careful too. I don't know if the magic I just used will be permament or just this once, so make it count."
The human girl nodded and swam quickly to Ursula who now wore Triton's crown and held the Trident in her grasp, absorbing it's magic into her own veins.
"Stop it, you monster!" Xion yelled, pulling at Ursula's hair, only to be pulled and thrown hard into the wall with Ariel by the furious witch.
"Don't fool with me, you little brat!" Ursula warned, pointing the Trident at the human and mermaid. "Great, now you can breathe underwater, thanks to that magical bra-Aaah!" she screamed as she felt a sharp sting from a harboon on her arm that was stabbed into her skin.
"Hey, don't even think abou-Yeow!" Demyx tried to stop Kairi from getting to the slowly possessed Sora and yelped when something hit him on the shoulder; it was as spear and when he and Ursula looked up, Eric, Mickey, Riku, Roxas and Axel floated there, having dove and were glaring at the two of them.
"Why, you little trolls!" Ursula growled angrily at the group.
"Okay, that's it. Now I'm mad!" Demyx growled, and when he looked at Mickey, he licked his lips and added, "And starving."
"Mickey! Axel! Guys! Get away!" Xion cried out desperately.
"Eric, look out!" Ariel cried out, as both she and Xion were pinned to the rock.
"After them!" Ursula commanded Floatsam and Jetsam, pointing at the group. The eels did as they were told, swimming towards the group who quickly hurried to the surface. Demyx also followed to get his meal.
Despite Axel seeing Kairi about to head to Sora and wanting to get to her, he was pulled along with Roxas to avoid Demyx's wrath and the eels. He gasped when Kairi aimed herself towards Sora's mouth.
"Sora! Open your mouth! I'm going in to save you!" Kairi cried out.
"K-Kairi, no!" Sora grunted, realising what she was about to do, struggling to stop himself from grasping her and eating her himself. But when his mouth opened wide, the mermaid used this to her advantage and swam right into it bravely, and Sora, with brief no control, closed it shut while Kairi swam into the forming dark mist like it was some kind of portal.
'Kairi, no!' Axel screamed in his mind just as he and the others resurfaced, grasping the side of his boat. But he, Mickey, Riku, Roxas and Eric were grabbed and pulled back into the water by both Demyx and the eels.
Above them in the helicopter as Reno and the others saw Axel and the others, they gasped in horror when they saw his brother and the others dragged back into the water.
"Axel, no!" Reno, Rude, Cloud, and Zack while both Cissnei and Tifa gasped in horror.
Goofy, seeing his friends in trouble, unexpectedly grabbed Donald and despite the others' objections, he yelled as he jumped out of the side of the chopper, "Geronimo!" holding his nose while taking a deep breath for an awkward dive.
Donald screamed and fell less splendidly and the two of them landed in the water with a splash. In the water, Demyx had Mickey in one hand as the latter struggled to pull himself free without drowning, and Axel, Riku and Roxas in the other, and Eric was trapped in the tails of Floatsam and Jetsam. Sebastian and Flounder, seeing Eric in trouble, swam up to the eels to save the Prince's life. Sebastian used his claw to pinch Floatsam's tail, causing the eel to scream in pain, while Flounder slapped Jetsam's face several times before the two swam away while the eels, having been attacked, were forced to release Eric and glaring at the crab and fish.
"There they are!" Goofy gurbled, pointing at his friends where Demyx was about to eat Mickey first. Without thinking and holding a spear, Goofy and a reluctanted Donald swam towards them. First they swam behind the Naga and while Goofy stabbed Demyx in the same spot where Axel had thrown the spear earlier, causing Demyx to yelp in pain, Donald got in front and punched the Naga in the nose.
"Yow!" Demyx yelped, inadvertedly loosening his grip on his captives who both quickly swam away and hesitated to try and get to Sora, though Roxas went to Xion who followed him, and Ariel made to follow, but was stuck as Ursula made to attack Eric, Mickey saw what was about to happen.
Inside Sora's mind, emerged from the mist, Kairi found herself floating in air, and saw that Sora, in his normal human form, was being in bind by a smaller version of Marluxia who towered over him as he was saying, "You belong to me now, Sora. Soon, our Naga race will thrive once more and the world will be ours!"
"Not if I can help it!" Kairi declared, getting both of their attentions and while Sora was shocked and worried for Kairi's safety as she somehow appeared in his mind and not in his stomach, Marluxia was furious. "You leave Sora alone, Marluxia!"
"Not a chance, mermaid! He's mine, now!" Marluxia declared.
"Kairi, get outta here!" Sora pleaded, "You'll be eaten!"
"I was eaten when Ursula took my parents away, Sora. I'm not going to lose you too! Or Axel, or Xion, or anyone else!" Kairi pointed out, her necklace glowing brightly, as she declared, "Sora...I love you!"
Instantly, the entire area was bursted in light which had Marluxia nearly blinded as he yelled, "Ugh! What!?" before seeing too late that Kairi, in her desire to save the one she truly loved, held her hands out and a burst of light shot out, blasting at Marluxia who screamed and was blasted away and vanished.
Sora, freed and the binds on him disappearing and the naga-vains that haunted his mind for two years slowly began to vanish along with the dark mist. Kairi cried out his name before she suddenly found herself surrounded in light and back inside the giant Sora's mouth. Just as she thought she was about to be swallowed up again, Kairi saw that the mouth was opening and, seeing her chance to escape while worried for her lover's state of mind, swam out quickly as Sora, with Marluxia's dark mist leaving his body and reforming the evil Naga back to solid form, was panting and groaning as he began to shrink and transform back into his human from, weakened.
"Sora!" Kairi screamed, swimming over to her lover who fully returned to normal, grabbing him and began pulling him back up to the surface as her magical power she never used before and desire to save and restore him to his true form somehow broke the spell in a new way that not even Marluxia had heard of before.
Ursula, also seeing this, grinned as she pointed the Trident at Eric, Kairi and Sora, evilly telling Ariel, "Say goodbye to your friends and your sweetheart."
'No you don't, ya' monster!' Mickey growled in his mind, as well as having an idea on how to stop Demyx once and for all and wanting a bit of revenge on him for trying to eat Mickey himself, swimming behind Ursula, nodding at Ariel to escape and leave this to him, and while the mermaid hurried up, Mickey pulled hard on Ursula's hair and yanked her back painfully.
Distracted by the sudden painful pull, Ursula aimed wrong and the powerful deadly blast shot up and zapped not only Demyx, but also Floatsam and Jetsam, all three of them screaming as they were electrocuted before exploding into tiny white scales.
"NO! Demyx! Not you too!" Marluxia yelled in dismay, seeing his only Naga companion suddenly zapped to death and now realized, with Kairi somehow returning Sora to human form with her magic, and Demyx now dead, he was the last surviving Naga in the entire world.
"Babies!" Ursula exclaimed in horror, realizing what she'd had done to her servants who were also her precious little ones, holding their remains in her hands, sobbing. "My poor little poopsies!"
Furiously, both Marluxia and Ursula glared up angrily at both Kairi and Mickey as they and their friends were the ones who ruined everything. It was all their fault! THEIR FAULT! Now wanting nothing more than to kill them to get what they wanted, Marluxia's eyes glowed a dangerous red as he surrounded himself with his magic, while Ursula used the power of the Trident to make herself grow, much to the horror of Sebastian and Flounder, the latter quivering in fear.
Back on the surface, Axel and the others were helping Mickey and the slowly recovering Sora onto the boat, the latter coughing weakly while Ariel and Eric swam towards each other.
"K-Kairi?" Sora asked, weakly, sitting up as he slowly regained his strength. "I-I'm really sorry! I-"
"I had to save you, Sora. It's okay!" Kairi replied, before telling him and the others urgently, "You have to get away, now!"
"No! I'm not leaving you again!" Sora replied stubbornly.
"Hey, what's goin' on!?" Donald demanded, the only one being utterly confused.
"Uh, fellas!?" Goofy cried out as he saw something that made the situation only get worse, which the others only saw what he was seeing when they heard splashing and a thunderous evil laughter. They couldn't believe what they were seeing; it was Ursula who had now grown into a giantess, towering over Ariel and Eric who both couldn't believe it either. It only got worse as Kairi, Sora and their friends were being washed aside when a more monsterous-snake like Marluxia emerged, towering over them as both Sora and Axel managed to hold onto Kairi as they watched on in horror, as did everyone still in the helicopter who couldn't believe what was happening.
Donald and Goofy both screamed and clinged onto each other in fear, quivering.
"You fools! Your hearts have led you to oblivion!" Marluxia boomed at them.
"Watch out!" Mickey cried out, as Marluxia made to attack them. Axel powered up his boat while Sora brought Kairi onboard to save her and they managed to dodge the now insane Naga's attack, while Ariel and Eric avoided the giant Ursula's tentacle from crushing them.
"Now I am the ruler of all the ocean! The waves obey my every whim!" Urslua declared, using the Trident to create a storm far worse than a hurricane, waves that were monsters and tidal waves, winds and rain that not even the helicopter could stand. In fact, the joint-stick in front of Reno snapped and the redhead examined it in confusion at first before he and the others realized in horror and gasped, before they all screamed as the chopper spun out of control and from Reno's brother and his friends with him in the boat.
Sora, Kairi and their friends found themselves on top of a tidal wave and a violent bump caused by Marluxia's tail as he, deciding to handle Ursula later, thrusted at them with his scales now covered in spikes that looked like rose thorns, causing Sora to fall overboard, much to everyone else's horror.
"Sora!" Kairi cried out, reaching out for him.
"Eric!" Ariel cried out as the waves were pulling her and Eric away from each other, and both Eric and Sora landed into the water.
"Soon all humans and merpeople are to be my course meal!" Marluxia declared, thrusting his tail at the group again, this time sending them flying into the air and as they screamed they landed into the water themselves before resurfacing with difficulty, while at the same time, nearing land as they were no where near in helping Axel and the others despite Reno's objections, the group in the helicopter had no choice but to jump out onto the beach, screaming while the helicopter crashed and exploded into the ocean. Reno, Rude, Cloud, Tifa, Zack and Cissnei landed in a tumble and roll on the sand before coming to a stop.
At the same time, Ursula began to, literally, stir the ocean with the Trident, creating a giant whirlpool and making sunken ships to resurface and sail around under her control. Kairi, Axel, Xion, Roxas who pulled Xion up, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Ariel all clinged onto a rock, while Eric hauled himself onto one of the ships, having an idea and climbed onto the deck. Sora, clinging onto another, saw an usual blade sticking out on the side of the ship, and when he pulled it, having an idea to use it to stab Marluxia in the heart as he was told that hearts were Naga's weakest spots, he saw that it was a sword shaped like a Key; A Keyblade, as legend would say that one who used it would use it to vanquish evil.
The moment Sora did, the silver blade with the crown-shaped key-matching his crown necklace-, golden armor around the hilt glowed and Sora's eyes widened in amazement before nodding as also heard that a keyblade choose it's master, and somehow choose him. No wonder Marluxia wanted him so bad. Sora was similiar to Kairi.
Nodding to himself, Sora climbed up the rest of the way on the boat, knowing that was heading towards Marluxia unexpectedly and he climbed up to the top. Ursula, seeing Kairi, Ariel and their friends, blasted them with the Trident, smashing the rock and sending them falling right to the bottom of the whirl where it was dry. Just as Ursula, and Marluxia, who saw them, blasted deadly magic at them, Axel and Riku scooped up Kairi and Ariel in their arms before they, Mickey, Roxas and Xion dodged their attacks, and Roxas pushing Xion out of the way, while being briefly hit on the arm and he cried out in pain.
"Roxas!" Xion cried out, worriedly, gently holding his arm in concern.
All nine of them, finding themselves trapped, looked up at Marluxia laughed evilly and declared with a grin, preparing to finish them off, "This is the end of you all!"
Ursula did the same as she prepared while saying, mainly to Ariel and Kairi, "So much for true love!"
Kairi, Ariel, Xion, Axel, Mickey, Roxas, Riku, Goofy and Donald could only watch on in fear before holding each other and braced themselves for their end.
"Not if I can help it, Marluxia!" Sora shouted behind the Naga, and when Marluxia looked and turned, his eyes widened as the teenager held his new Keyblade in hand, glaring at him angrily. "Leave Kairi and the others alone!" He shouted.
Without waiting a reply, Sora jumped and as Marluxia wondered where did Sora get the ancient Keyblade, he was too late to stop him as Sora thrusted the weapon right into Marluxia's chest and his heart as deep as he could. Horrified, Marluxia screamed in pure agony, while behind him, Eric, who'd been steering one of the ships, thrusted the pointy sharp part towards Ursula who also saw too late which made her stop what she was doing and was stabbed right into the stomach and she screamed in pain.
"Nooooooooo!" Marluxia yelled a dying scream, as both he and Ursula were zapped by the latter's powers as both of them sank and began die, disappearing and fading. In the water and on land, Sebastian, Flounder, Cloud, Zack, Tifa, Reno, Rude and Cissnei had to shield their eyes from the blinding exploding light as the giant Naga and the Sea Witch were vanquished.
Quickly resurfacing after the ocean returned to normal, Kairi and Ariel helped Sora and the others to shore, while Eric collasped on the sand, exhausted. Under the sea, as the Trident, free from Ursula's control, floated down while the curse Ursula caused for many years became broken. All of those she made deals with began to revert back to their original merfolk forms, including King Triton who was also restored and picked up his Trident with a smile.
Early the next morning, watching Ariel who rested on a rock as she sadly gazed at Eric, knowing that she would have to say goodbye to him forever, were Kairi, Sora, Axel, Xion, Mickey, Goofy, Riku and Roxas with sad expressions of their own, with Donald, Reno, Rude, Cloud, Tifa, Zack and Cissnei watching in the distance. They were told of what happened after Axel, relieved that his brother had been safe after being told what happened, finally admitted to truth about his friendship with Kairi, which at first Reno was angry about, but after seeing how close his brother was with the rather cute mermaid, cooled down and forgiven him, understanding.
Now that everyone in the ocean knew that Kairi had been telling the truth, she'd been offered to be welcomed to live in Atlantica due to her magical powers of healing. Though this also meant she would have to leave behind her dear friends of the surface.
"Poor Ariel." Mickey sighed.
"She was so close too." Riku sighed.
"At least Sora's now free from being a Naga, thanks to Kai' here." Axel shrugged, trying to lighten the mood a little, but winched when he realized it was a dumb thing to say. "Uh, sorry. That didn't come out right."
"It's okay. The Nagas are all gone and everyone's safe now." Sora replied, though he wasn't really cheerful either. He could only share a sad glance with Kairi, both knowing that they would have to say goodbye as Kairi, being a mermaid, couldn't live on land. "I just...wish you could stay, Kairi."
"Me too, Sora. But...it's for the best. Can you at least take care of Axel while I keep Ariel company?" Kairi requested.
"You have my word." Sora nodded, sighing. Remembering what she'd told him when she saved him in his mind, he finally decided to tell her his feelings, even with an audience around. "I love you too, Kairi."
Tears forming in her eyes, Kairi shared an embraced with Sora, not wanting to let go and not wanting this moment to end. Axel and Xion both shared a sad look and sighed, knowing that neither of them, Mickey, Goofy, Riku and Roxas would see Kairi or Ariel ever again.
Or so they thought.
Watching both groups, were Triton and Sebastian who sighed. The king, having seen and learned that Eric and Sora had saved them all with the help of their friends and Kairi, finally understood what Ariel had known all along; humans were not all bad. Life on the surface was much like life under the sea; there were good people and there were bad people, and there were good fish and bad fish, like Ursula and Marluxia.
Not only that, but Kairi had known and been friends with a human who, despite being a human, was like an older brother to her.
"Ariel and Kairi really do love that prince and Sora, don't they, Sebastian?" Triton asked.
Sebastian nodded, before explaining, "Well, it's like Xion once told me, your majesty. Everyone deserves to have their own lives. Even everyone in the ocean."
"You-were told that?" Triton asked skeptically, which made the crab laugh sheepishly. The merman sighed, before concluding, "Kairi is very close to her friends. I believe she has finally found her rightful place; to be with the one she loves. Though there is one problem left with Ariel."
"And what's that, your majesty?"
"...How much I'm going to miss her."
Sebastian was confused at first, until he realized what the King was about to do. Triton gently tapped the now glowing Trident onto the water and two glowing trails like a fork in a road travelled towards to both Kairi and Ariel, which Kairi's group noticed first and their eyes widened when the light touched her and Ariel on the rock. When both mermaids looked down along with Kairi's lover and friends, they realized what was going on and looked up at the King in surprise and smiles while the king nodded approvingly, and Reno's group looked on in awe.
Soon enough, gone was Kairi's tail and in it's place once more, this time permamently, were her pair of legs, and her clothes from before reappearing and restored. Happily and at first believing this was a dream, Sora helped Kairi to stand and spun her around happily, both of them happily laughing and then shared the passionate kiss they longed for, while near them, Ariel, back as a human and in a glittering and stunning blue dress, walked up to Eric who woke up and the two happily embraced and kissed as well.
As soon as Sora and Kairi's long and loving kiss stopped, Axel happily hugged both his adoptive sister and friend, quickly joined by Mickey, Goofy, Riku, Xion and Roxas who all happily shared a group hug with their two friends who were finally fully human, together and here to stay. Best part was, Ariel and Eric were together at long last forever as well.
Weeks later, on the newly restored wedding boat, Ariel was in a stunning wedding dress as she and Eric were kissing and happily married, both of them joined by Max who was happy to have Ariel welcomed into the family. Everyone on the boat, including Sora, Kairi, Axel, Xion, Roxas, Mickey, Goofy, Riku, Donald, Reno, Rude, Cloud, Tifa, Cissnei and Zack, and even the merfolk in the water near the boat all cheered and celebrated happily, though both Donald, and Carlotta cried their eyes out at the beautiful scene.
When it was time for the boat to leave, Ariel, Kairi and even Axel had a moment to say goodbye to Scuttle and Flounder, promising to visit soon, the latter waving an emotional goodbye while the former, having helped lift the little fish up, winked at the two former mermaids and Axel gave the bird a thumbs up.
At the wedding cake, Goofy stood next to it while Sebastian was on top of it, both of them tearing up happily, until Louis, seeing Sebastian, attempted to cleave him in half. Panicking, Goofy picked up Sebastian and made a run for it with the crazy chef hot on his and Sebastian's tail until the two noticed a rope attached to a mast and then had an idea.
"Aha! Yeaaaaaaaa!" Louis yelled, only to realise too late as Goofy and Sebastian both cheekily grinned while the former held the latter in his palm up and Sebastian cut the rope with his claw, the mast came swinging right at Louis, smacking him right in the face and some of his teeth fell out before he fell onto the floor, unconscious.
"Hooray! Ay-yhuck!" Goofy cheered, while bouncing a victorious Sebastian into the ocean where the crab rejoined Flounder and Scuttle who were proud of them and he bowed to them.
"Way to go, Goofy!" Mickey cheered his friend, sharing a high-five with Goofy who blushed.
"Gawrsh." Goofy said, bashfully.
Finally, Kairi and Ariel met with Triton who used magic to hover to their height, and while Kairi curtised to the king, Ariel hugged her father lovingly.
"Thank you, your majesty." Kairi said.
"I love you, Daddy." Ariel said.
Behind the two former mermaids, Sora, Eric, Axel, Riku and Roxas bowed while Xion curtised their respects and promise to take care of Kairi and Ariel, and Triton smiled warmly at the humans who had not only saved the world, but also shown him the real truth and new respect for humans. With a final caress of his daughter, Triton sank back into the water, and Ariel blew up a goodbye kiss, before she, her new husband and their friends waved a goodbye to everyone in the ocean and Triton used his Trident to create a beautiful rainbow.
As their friends of the ocean dove back into the sea, Roxas shyly twined fingers with Xion's and the two blushed before sharing their own kiss, having become a couple themselves and Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku, Goofy and Axel smiled happily, before Ariel and Eric shared another kiss.
And as for Sora and Kairi, they shared a loving look before they held each other in their arms and shared their own loving kiss, together forever, not only with each other, but also with their friends.
THE END
A/N: Thus end's the story of the Mermaid and the Giant Sea Naga. But already thinking up new ideas for this, I'm now thinking of writing a sequel or posting a rewrite of "The Magic Kingdom" which tells three scenarios of three kingdoms.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story and hopefully I'll update my other stories soon. Until then, farewell until next time.
See you later!
