Eric carefully pulled away from shore with his ship, not having any idea how he was going to explain to Triton why he wanted to visit Atlantica.

Thoughts of him being a merman ran through his head. What color tail would he have? Would he have trouble walking again like Ariel did the first time he had met her? Would it even be possible for a man of no sea life descent to even be changed into one?

Eric shook his head of all thoughts. All except for the spot that Triton had introduced him to years ago. The memory suddenly flooded his head…

"I'm trusting that you will take care of my daughter, Eric," Triton said, watching Ariel off in the distance as she played with Max and talked with Grimsby about wedding arrangements.

Eric smiled brightly at his bride-to-be in her sparkling purple dress and then turned to his future father-in-law. "Your Majesty, I promise, I will never do anything to hurt your daughter," he replied. "Listen, sir, if I ever hurt her I would never be able to forgive myself. I love her too much."

The king smiled at the man's words. Maybe all humans aren't such terrible creatures… he thought to himself.

Silence crept its way between the two men until Triton suddenly remembered something he needed to tell Eric about.

"Eric, I just remembered!" he exclaimed, nearly causing Eric to fall off of the rock he was sitting on. "I would like an open communication of some sort between myself and you and Ariel. In order to do this, I have ruled off a certain part of the ocean where merfolk and humans can meet for celebrations or just to be together, a place you and Ariel will own. I would be thrilled if you would accept this place to have the wedding ceremony." Eric grinned from ear to ear, and nodded his head yes.

"But, sir, where is this place?"

The king chuckled. "You'll see."

When wedding preparations began, Eric told Ariel what her father had said and they agreed to have the wedding on Eric's ship. Ariel was ecstatic that humans and merpeople would both be able to attend the ceremony, but she feared where the "place" would be located.

When the day of the wedding arrived, King Triton sent the dolphins that normally carried his carriage to bring Eric's ship to its destination point. Once there, everyone looked around and realized it was nothing but open ocean, nothing special at all.

However, at the end of the ceremony, when everyone was sound asleep in bed, King Triton called Ariel and Eric to him.

"I know what you're thinking," he whispered, fearful of waking anyone else up, "but this truly is a spot that you cannot forget. Look." He pointed off into the distance to something that even Ariel could barely make out.

"Father, I don't see anything," she mumbled, upset that her father would lie to her and Eric on their wedding day. Was he truly that much against them being together?

Triton laughed and put the trident into the water. In the distance, a series of islands popped up. Eric's jaw dropped in amazement and Ariel sighed, knowing she would miss such magical things.

"Those islands represent how much I care for you, both of you," the king explained. "They are there if you ever need me, my wedding gift to you. Just go onto one of the islands and tap on the water, just like this." He put his hand flat against the water and patted it like a dog, three times.

"If you do this, I'll be there as soon as I can. I need to be there for you. We are a family after all." With this, he winked at Eric as Ariel hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Daddy!" she shrieked. "You're the greatest!"

From then on, the islands had only been used twice. Once when Ariel had gotten homesick and needed to see her father and sisters again and also when the couple had told the king that he was going to be a grandfather.

Today, it was going to be used for a much different reason. A reason that no one of land or sea had ever truly thought of.

"Eric, are you completely sure about this?" Grimsby asked, cautious not to make Eric upset. They were approaching the islands and the king smiled happily.

"Grim, when have I ever been wrong when I'm completely sure about something?"

"Well, when you were completely sure that you wanted to marry the sea witch." Grimsby smiled.

"Alright, you got me there," Eric laughed. "But there was the time that I was completely sure that a girl had saved me and that she had sung to me. And I was right. So it's a tie."

Eric pulled closely to the shore, making sure his crew would have enough room to pull out when they left as well as trying to avoid beaching the ship. When everything was completely stopped, Eric jumped off the side and landed in the sand. He smiled up at Grimsby.

"Why don't you stay until after the change?" he teased, the only laugh coming from his crew.

"Never thought the mate who didn't know 'bout King Triton would one day be 'is son-in-law!" one called out as he took the wheel. Eric stood up and wiped the sand off of his pants, beaming.

"Tell the queen and Princess Melody I said hello, would you dear boy?" Grimsby called as the ship pulled away.

Eric waved back and replied, "Anytime, Grim!"

Once the ship was gone in the distance, barely able to be made out, Eric sauntered to the water's edge. He swallowed hard, wondering if his decision was the right one.

Suddenly, a picture from back home popped up in his head. It was one of Ariel and Melody, both with their tails, lying out on the beach. Eric lay between them and he remembered that as soon as the picture was taken, they had slapped him in the face with their fins.

He laughed. "Payback time girls," he thought out loud as his hand patted the water three times.