As promised, I updated sooner. We're about done with Atlantica, and next chapter features a rather special boss. But for now, we're here. Enjoy!

Triton: "DarthKingdom doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else."

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Chapter 91: The Trident's Power

"Okay, we have a problem." Sora admitted about twenty minutes later. Their group was assembled back at Triton's throne room. Triton and Eric were both nursing a few injuries, but no permanent damage had been done.

"So how do we fix it?" Riku asked.

"We find Morgana and get the trident back before she puts it to major use." Kairi replied simply. She looked at Nehrut. "How's that coming, by the way?"

Nehrut had been meditating for nearly fifteen minutes in an attempt to find the sea witch. "Pretty far... Haven't found her... Few more minutes please, it's hard to concentrate."

"If she has the trident, we're going to need more strength than what we have now." Ariel guessed. "Eric, do you think you could rally more support for us back on shore?"

"I'm sure I can whip something up." He replied, smiling.

"Found her!" Nehrut proclaimed loudly. He then grimaced, and clutched at his head. He had brought about a headache. "She's at the world's north pole. If we hurry now, we might be able to catch her before she tries anything."

"Eric, we'll be needing that support now." Sora said.

Without any further word, Eric swam out of the throne room in the direction of his ship.

"King Triton, rally whatever forces you can, we're in for a fight." Sora said. He caught himself as soon as he realized that he was giving orders to a king.

But surprisingly, Triton didn't seem to notice, or care. He simply nodded to Sora, and got up from his throne. "I'll assemble the guard, and we'll meet you at the pole as soon as we can." Then, almost reluctantly, he added, "Best of luck, Keyblade Master."

He quickly embraced Ariel (already knowing full and well that it would be pointless trying to talk her out of going to the pole), and swam outside.

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"Ah, there you are!" Morgana stated happily, beaming at the figure that had just entered her icy chamber. Her shadowy double swam to her, the gleaming golden trident in its near-transparent hands. "And look! You've brought the trident!"

Undertow immediately went crazy. "Give it to her! Give it to her! Give it to h-"

One of Morgana's tentacles shot out, and wrapped itself around the tiny shark's tail. She slammed him onto the large open chair into the center of the room.

"Forgive him, he's got a little size issue." Morgana apologized through clenched teeth.

"It doesn't understand you, you ignorant squid." came a voice from the cauldron. Turning around, Morgana wasn't particularly surprised to see that Crucion had come calling again.

"It has no thoughts of its own, it merely follows the orders it's given."

"Um, r-right. Yes." She stammered, and turned back to the duplicate. She stretched out her hand. "Now give it here..."

It swam forward, and placed the trident into her hands. The next second, it disappeared.

Morgana grinned manically. She gazed at the trident, which had taken on a greenish glow in her hand. She began to laugh, feeling the exhilaration of victory taking her over. She lifted the trident into the air. It crackled with electricity, the bolts flying all over across the cavern, and striking the walls.

"All the power of the seven seas are at my command!" She exclaimed, and cackled more.

"Hello!" Undertow interrupted impatiently. "Can we get with the program? It's still a small world down here!"

"Morgana!" Crucion shouted shortly, catching her attention immediately. "Need I remind you that you still have a job to do?"

"Ah, yes of course!" Morgana said, smiling, and running her finger along the length of the trident in an almost affectionate manner. "Don't worry, my friend. I'll get you those Keyblades. Count on it."

"Good." Crucion said, then sniffed a few times, as if trying to catch a whiff of something. "Because I believe that they are at your door right about now."

Perfectly timed, Morgana next heard a loud crashing noise from farther off, just outside of her home. It was soon followed by the sounds of shouting and fighting.

"You see?" Crucion said, smirking a little. "You have bigger fish to fry."

"Bigger fish! Now there's an idea!" Undertow pointed out, trying yet again to drop a hint.

Morgana rolled her eyes, and pointed the trident at Undertow.

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Sora plunged Oblivion through the head of a Kraken, pinning it to the icy wall behind it. It thrashed for a moment, before he ripped the blade from it's body, and spun around to block a strike from a Screwdriver. Donald took this one out with a blast of fire.

"Almost there." Nehrut said, charging down the underwater tunnel formed into the glacier with Riku. "She's close!"

"Uh, she's not the only one." Riku said, the two of them suddenly stopping in their tracks.

The tunnel ahead of them had suddenly been taken up with about two-thousand pounds worth of grinning tiger shark.

"Going somewhere, boys?" Undertow asked mockingly, his teeth shining in the very dim light.

"Yeah, through you." Riku said, pooling Dawn energy to his hand. "Ray of Dawn!"

Undertow opened his mouth wide, ready to bite the Keybearer's head off. Before the razor-sharp teeth chomped him in two, Riku fired a large blast of Dawn directly through his mouth, and down his throat.

The shark let out a scream of extreme pain, and flew backwards into one of the icy walls.

"I think she's already got the trident..." Ariel said, worried.

Suddenly, the entire cavern that they were floating in started to shake. Chunks of the walls and ceiling broke loose, and sank to the bottom.

"Get back outside!" Sora shouted urgently.

The other ten followed his advice immediately, turning around and swimming as quickly as possible back the way they had come. As the cavern crumbled around them, they were forced to constantly duck and weave out of the way of the falling debris on the way out.

All of them got back into the mostly-open water just as the tunnel collapsed behind them.

As they broke the surface of the water again, Donald asked, "What just happened?"

"Well, I think that had something to do with it." Sora said, pointing back toward the glacier they had just exited.

The whole giant glacier was crumbling and cracking all over. Massive chunks of ice were breaking free and falling into the churning ocean. As they watched, the very top began to crack in specific sections, and in a few seconds the top exploded in a shower of ice particles, which rained down on them like hail.

A huge, icy pillar rose from the new opening, stretching into the sky like a skyscraper. Sitting on top of the pillar in a throne-like chair that was also fashioned from the ice, was Morgana, the glowing green trident held in one hand.

"All hail Queen Morgana!" She proclaimed to the world.

"Well, this can't be good." Axel said, summoning his chakrams.

He was right. And things only took off from there. "All the power of the sea is at my command!" She shouted, cackling madly. She waved the trident around a few more times.

As she did, huge ice formations of various sizes shot up from the water. They shot all over in specific, mostly curving patterns. Sora and the others were forced to back away from the formation forming around the glacier as quickly as possible to avoid them.

When it was done nearly a full minute later, what was left resembled a twisted, icy version of the palace in Atlantica several miles away. And Morgana still sat on her huge pillar in the very center.

"Ya see that, ma!" She shouted into the sky. "Who's your favorite now!" Only now did she seem to take notice of them down in the water. "Ah, so nice of you to drop by!" She called. "I hope you brought your Keyblades, because we need them!"

Sora summoned his in response, and held it in a fighting position. But before any of them moved any further, they heard a shout from farther off. "The cavalry's coming!"

Everyone turned toward the direction of the sound. Approaching them among the glaciers was a large, wooden ship similar to the one Ariel and Eric owned. This one, however was clearly meant for combat. Sora saw an array of cannons on one side. A handful of sailors were scrambling across the upper deck, preparing for battle. Prince Eric himself was at the helm.

Morgana's response to this major offensive was a wide, devious grin. "Ah, Prince Eric! Come to join the party? We're having a blast!"

She aimed the trident almost casually at a large glacier –part of which was hanging over the ship's path. A narrow beam of green light burst from the tip toward the glacier. Slowly, Morgana moved the beam along its length, severing a chunk of the glacier from the main body.

In seconds, it was completely cut off, and fell crashing onto the ship.

The sails snapped under the weight of the ice block, and it crashed completely through them. The sailors rushed for the sides of the ship, leaping over the railing as fast as they could before it crushed the ship.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." Axel muttered.

"Eric!" Ariel exclaimed, voice thick with fright and worry.

She swam toward the ship without any further word to the others. Axel went after her, to ensure her safety (clearly not realizing that she had seen her own share of combat the last time Heartless had invaded her world).

The intrusions continued when they heard yet another familiar voice. "Morgana!"

Now, King Triton had arrived. He was in a chariot made out of a large, bronze shell. Sebastian was sitting on the front of the chariot in front of him. They were being pulled along by three dolphins. Following close behind the chariot was the remainder of the royal guard, ready for battle.

"King Triton!" Morgana greeted. "Is that the best you can do?"

Triton and his guards came to a stop by Sora and the rest. "Surrender the trident, and I will spare you!"

"What he said!" Sora agreed. Everyone brandished their weapons.

"Ooooooh. What'ya gonna do? Throw the crab at me?"

Sebastion growled.

"Face it, Triton." came a voice from nearby. Soon, everybody noticed a large dorsal fin breaking the surface of the water. Undertow (bruised, but still very much alive) surfaced. "You're all washed up!"

"We're not." Sora interjected. As if to reinforce his point, Axel and Ariel had already rejoined them. Sora saw Eric standing on a plate of ice through his peripheral vision.

Morgana waved the trident in circular patterns. Dozens and dozens of Heartless appeared on her new 'palace.' "Destroy them!"

"Attack!" Triton shouted.

The Heartless moved first, rushing toward the off-worlders and merpeople in a huge wave. Undertow came with them, the thrill of a hunt clear on his face.

Donald was the first to greet them, with a massive Thundaga spell that tore into their ranks. Next came a Refraction Ray attack from Riku. Tiny missiles of Dawn energy spiraled through the air, impacting with the Heartless before exploding.

After a massive, widespread mental blast from Nehrut, the Heartless ranks were reduced to only half of their previous intimidating number.

The thickest fighting came when the survivors finally managed to get to them.

Sora lashed out with the Keyblade, cutting two charging Sea Neons in half. He jumped completely out of the water as a Great Black came at him. He grabbed hold of its dorsal fin, and plunged his blade into the top of its head.

He landed easily back in the water, and dove under just in time to avoid a Kraken's shooting tentacles. To its surprise, Sora resurfaced on the other side of the Heartless, and drove it through the side of its head.

Kairi flew directly over him, and plunged her Keyblade into the forehead of an Aquatank that appeared in front of him. She pushed herself off of its vanishing remains, and landed next to Sora. She blocked the overhand strike of a Screwdriver, and allowed Sora to finish it for her.

Axel passed by them, throwing his chakrams in a wide arc. Before they boomeranged back to him, they cut down four Sea Neons and a Kraken. One injured Great Black rushed at the ex-Nobody before his weapons returned to him. As it opened its mouth, Axel thrust his hands forward, firing a large fireball directly down its throat.

Nehrut flew completely over the dying Heartless, aiming for an Aquatank behind it. He stabbed completely through it, and went back into the water. When he resurfaced, he was forced to dodge to the side, as three Krakens lashed out at him with their primary tentacles.

A familiar sai flew right past his left ear, and buried itself between the eyes of one of them. When its partners immediately turned to attack the new threat, Nehrut launched a mental blast at them, throwing them backwards into a glacier. He quickly swam over, and reclaimed Bariss' sai.

He tossed it to her as she passed him. She gave a quick 'thanks' as she passed, and brought her whip to her other hand. With it, she slashed the throat of a Screwdriver, and sliced a Sea Neon in half.

The telepath followed her, and leapt. His blade cut through another Screwdriver that she had somehow not noticed just before it impaled her.

Mickey threw Kingdom Crown at a Kraken. It cut it in two, and passed completely through it. It embedded itself in the chest of a Screwdriver, and stayed there until he summoned it back to his hand. He spun around, parrying a strike from another one, and stabbed it through the chest.

He dove into the water to avoid Goofy's flying shield, which bounced off of an Aquatank (wounding it) and cut through a Sea Neon before soaring back to him. The King leapt over Goofy, and destroyed a Sea Neon in midair.

Unfortunately, as he descended, Undertow shot up from beneath him, opening his mouth wide to swallow him up. Mickey noticed the huge shark just a tenth of a second before he wound up in his jaws.

Displaying his incredibly fast thought-process yet again, Mickey righted himself as much as possible in midair, and held his Keyblade out horizontally in front of him as he fell into Undertow's mouth.

The shark bit down, intending to close his teeth on the mouse. Instead, his teeth only met the hard ends of the Kingdom Crown Keyblade. Rather like Sora had done to the Moray Shadow, and to Cerberus before it, Mickey had wedged his mouth open.

Of all people, Ariel was the next one to take a shot at Undertow. Utilizing Blizzard-like magic that she had learned long ago, she fired a frosty spray of ice particles at the shark's exposed neck.

Undertow howled in pain, releasing his grip on the blade, and allowing Mickey to escape. Donald rushed in to back Ariel up, casting his own Blizzaga spells against Undertow's tough skin.

The massive shark was forced to hurriedly give ground, submerging his massive body, and swimming away.

But Riku and Yuffie weren't about to let him escape, and followed him. Yuffie threw her shuriken with all the force she could muster, cutting Undertow along his gills.

The shark stopped running, and spun around to face them head-on, trying to ignore the pain. As Yuffie reclaimed her weapon, Riku and Undertow charged at each other. Undertow opened wide, but this only proved to be another mistake.

The Guardian shot out from behind Riku, and grabbed the shark's jaws with its bare hands. It held them open, despite the fact that Undertow was thrashing in its grip in a fruitless attempt to escape.

Riku dismissed his Keyblade, and brought his hands together, gathering Dawn energy. With a shout, he thrust them both forward, sending a massive blast of Dawn down Undertow's throat.

The shark was completely silent as the blast exploded in his mouth, tossing him backwards, out of the water, and into the side of a glacier.

He hit it with such force, that the top of the glacier cracked off, and landed on top of it.

But though Undertow was out of the picture, the Heartless continued to swarm in, attacking from all sides. Eric, being stuck on land, was the subject of many semi-successful Heartless attacks, as was the unarmed Triton.

And all the while, Morgana overlooked all of it with an expression of extreme amusement. "Oh how dear Ursula would have adored this!"

"Well, not this." Sora muttered, fending off a Great Black. Eric (who was nearby on his chunk of glacier) stabbed down into its back with his saber, effectively ending its 'life.' Sora then raised his voice. "Ready Ariel?"

"Ready!" The mermaid confirmed, swimming rapidly toward him. As she came, she fired an icy blast into a Screwdriver's face.

When she was about ten feet from him, Sora began to swim to his right. Likewise, Ariel swam to her right. They continued swimming like this, churning the water between them in a circular pattern.

They picked up speed, and in only a matter of seconds, they had formed a rapidly spinning whirlpool between them. It almost immediately sucked up the Heartless around them. First one, then two, and then just over a dozen Heartless were sucked into the whirlpool, and quickly crushed by the force of the rushing water.

After just a few seconds of this, Sora and Ariel leapt free of the whirlpool, and it dissipated very quickly.

"Keep it together!" Sora exclaimed.

He held his blade directly out in front of him when he hit the water. He rushed toward the nearest Sea Neon, with blade still extended. Just before impact, Sora corkscrewed his entire body, coming at the Heartless like a deadly drill.

He plowed right through it, and the Kraken behind it, and didn't stop until his blade had pierced the huge belly of an Aquatank. He pulled his blade out, and repeated the drilling motion, ripping completely through five Sea Neons.

Ariel rushed at a Great Black, arms spread wide as if she was about to hug the Heartless. She clapped her hands together quickly, magically creating a large, beach-ball sized bubble.

The bubble shot at the Heartless at high speed, and exploded on contact with its skin. It shredded its black flesh, destroying both it, and the Screwdriver caught in the bubble's blast radius.

She ducked under a Kraken's tentacles, and fired a second bubble at the offending Kraken. As before, it exploded, along with two identical Heartless next to it. She fired a third at a Sea Neon. The bubble didn't explode on the tiny Heartless, but shot through it into a larger Aquatank. This Heartless, along with the three Sea Neons around it, were caught as it actually exploded.

The two of them continued this for over a minute, before they brought their limit to its close with Sora's exclamation of, "Now!"

He stopped his attack on a Screwdriver, and went under the surface of the water. He stopped about ten feet under, and held te Keyblade vertically above his head. Ariel swam down with him, and started swimming around the Keybearer, with her back to him.

She fired more of her special bubbles out into the water, where Heartless were beginning to close in on them. The bubbles all stopped dead about fifteen feet from her and Sora, who was still motionless with his blade pointing up.

She continued firing the bubbles until there were nearly fifty around them. She then abruptly stopped her firing and swam into the air over Sora.

The bubbles all shot toward Sora, stopping mere inches away from his skin. With one single motion, he brought the Keyblade slicing down.

With that single motion, the bubbles shot out in all directions at an astonishing speed, exploding on contact with anything they touched; Heartless, ice walls, and glaciers. They tore the area apart, sending chunks of ice flying in all directions, which in turn, further injured the Heartless survivors.

Soon, there were none left.

"Wonderful!"(1)

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Hope that you liked it. And stay tuned for the next one!

1) 'Tsunami Strike'

Please review!