"Seems so calm today...", Ariel said as the trio looked out to the sea as the ship sailed. "Guess your father is giving us a clear day.", Eric chuckled as Melody gave a tiny burp. "Well, hopefully that's a good sign.", Eric gave his daughter a little tickle on her belly.
Melody giggled and cooed happily at Eric, and Ariel beamed warmly, "She's growing so fast...My little Melody.", with a content smile. "She really is...", Eric brushed her hair. "She'll be our age before we know it.", Eric chuckled as Ariel gave him a light slap to the shoulder.
"Eric! Don't say that! You'll make me think we have so little time to be her parents!", Ariel playfully glared at Eric. Eric reassured Ariel with a kiss on her cheek, "Don't worry, she won't grow that fast, my love.", with a smile.
Ariel chuckled, "I'll hold you to that, my king.", kissing him on the lips as Melody gurgled happily. Eric smiled, "Oh, you like that, Melody? Well, there will be a time where you will be grossed out, and we'll be amused, teasing you.", and Melody babbled, with Ariel giggling warmly.
A knock on the door, "Your majesties. We've arrived slightly above Atlantica.", Grimsby showed up, and Eric smiled, "Good, blow the horns and strike the drums. We're coming in a minute.".
"You know, if some other ship was watching, they'd wonder why we'd be holding steady in the middle of the sea.", Eric chuckled as he kissed Ariel. "Let them wonder...", Ariel kissed him right back as the two of them got ready to head back up on deck.
Melody was taking in every sound, sight, and smell as she smiled in delight as Ariel sung her family lullaby to her. "She loves hearing you sing that.", Eric smiled as she nodded.
"I wonder if she'll inherit the singing voice of myself and Mother...", Ariel wondered as Eric rubbed the back of his neck. "Two sirens in my life? So much for my free will.", he joked as Ariel gave a snide look.
"Careful, Eric, I might just put Melody up to that if you keep that joke up.", Ariel giggled as Melody tried reaching out to Ariel's face and gave a small laugh.
Eric laughed wryly as they came into the sun, walking down the stairs, with the crew laughing and working around with the crow's nest watcher calling out, "Merpeople approaching! Happy birthday, Princess Melody!", as a song began playing with the drums, and citizen guests on the barge began singing, smiling all around, with Max barking to the beat.
Ariel sang from her heart as she held Melody to her heart as she walked alongside Eric, and the guests was overjoyed to see their Queen happy again as they took up to her song, and soon, the sea became alive with so many merpeople, sea creatures, and all.
Even the seagulls joined in, especially Scuttle who smiled widely as he landed on the mast, hearing the song of the Queen, and Atlantica delighted in hearing their beloved princess-turned Queen's singing voice again, with Sebastian and Flounder arriving by the anchor, happy to hear their friend and see her smiling again as she cuddled Melody.
A moment later, the trident showed up, followed by King Triton, smiling in joy as he heard his youngest daughter singing as he used magic to lift himself up to the side of the barge, as Ariel, Eric, and little Melody arrived, and as Ariel sang the last notes, Triton reached out to touch Melody who's giggling and smiling at him, stroking her cheek warmly, and Melody gave out a little laugh of joy, making Triton beam happily as he then looked at Ariel who gave him a bright, genuine smile.
He raised his trident, and once again, he created a rainbow over the sea, over the barge, and everybody cheered and whistled from both sides, congratulating. Melody clapped her hands happily, giggling.
"I think she likes her show off of a grandfather.", Ariel teased as Triton smiled. "Anything to make her happy... how are you doing today, Ariel?", he asked as Ariel took a small sigh and nodded.
"Okay... just... I did cry a bit for a few minutes when I woke up. Tazio just was on the mind, especially today.", Ariel explained.
"It's alright, Ariel, it's good that you still cry for him. I'd be more worried if you fully moved on.", Triton said. "I know... it gets better some days... and others are worse.", Ariel spoke softly.
"That's how it was for me with Athena. In time, eventually, you'll feel like you've moved on, but there's always still that something there to make sure that those who are gone are not fully gone from the lives of those that loved them.", Triton said wisely.
Ariel gave a small smile, "I think he's watching over us right now...I just wish he...", and Triton nodded, "I know, daughter. But I think he would approve of my gift for Melody.", as he laid the trident on the barrister, and pulled out a beautiful golden shell locket with Melody's name on it from his sash.
"Oh, Daddy, it's beautiful!", Ariel gasped in awe, and Eric nodded, "That's perfect for her.", with a bright smile.
Triton smiled, "It's beautiful on the outside, but special on the inside. Something for you to be reminded that you will always be part of the sea, granddaughter.", before opening it up to reveal a visual orb of Atlantica with merpeople swimming around the city, smiling and laughing as a familiar lullaby came from it.
Melody cooed and babbled as she delighted in seeing Atlantica, smiling, and Ariel smiled brightly at Triton, "Oh, Daddy, Mother's lullaby...", and Triton smiled sadly, "Athena would have appreciated to be part of her granddaughter's gift this way...".
Ariel replied, "I think she knows, Daddy.", before gasping softly in surprise to see a merbaby swimming and playing with a sea turtle in the orb, but this merbaby isn't an ordinary one, but Tazio!
Having a tail that switches colors like a rainbow, yet it's truly Tazio, bright-eyed, healthy, and smiling. Ariel whispered, "Daddy...Is that...", and Triton spoke softly, "I don't know what color his tail is supposed to be, but I...your husband gave me a painting of Tazio, and I wanted Melody to remember her twin brother in a way that she would know what he looked like without being so sickly...I'm sorry if it's upsetting you, I can change it!".
"No...", Ariel quickly took a deep breath. "Sorry, just... it was just emotional there.". She chuckled, "It's perfect, Daddy... you just... I don't know how you do it sometimes.", with an awed smile. "Years and years of experience.", Triton gave a small chuckle.
Melody gurgled happily, and Eric chuckled, "I think Melody approves too.", and Triton smiled warmly before closing the locket, and placing it around Melody's neck, with Melody giggling as she held it in her small hands, and the small family was smiling before suddenly, a black tentacle with dark blue scales appeared out of the water, wrapping Melody so swiftly, taking her away.
Ariel cried out in terror and shock, "Melody!", with Eric watching in horror as Melody still was giggling, unknowing of the danger, as Cetus appeared upon his stingrays, cackling, and the sky darkened as Triton grabbed his trident, glowing threateningly, "Stranger, let go of her!".
"I think not.", Cetus chuckled. "After all, if I do, what's stopping you from vaporizing me?", he asked as Triton looked at him funny. That was almost the exact same thing that...
Ariel gasped in horror as she remembered that as well, "You...you knew Ursula?!", and Cetus chuckled, deciding to make a little white lie instead of the truth, knowing how human mothers act like killer whales when a youngling is threatened...
"I indeed did...After all, she was my teacher.", Cetus chuckled fondly as he smiled, cooing at Melody who giggled, "Such an innocent one...Ursula would be quite impressed, if not annoyed that this adorable baby is the splitting image of the human who killed her with a bow-spear...and then of course, she would be proud of me as the student precedes the master, since I nearly killed your daughter who had up changed one of Ursula's plans...Admittedly, I was getting anxious, and then what did I find out? The death of a newborn prince who was the splitting image of Ariel and Athena! Oh, I truly had a party!", with a cackle.
The news was like being shot with a flintlock musket. The wave of emotions that suddenly hit with it... if looks could kill, there was at least three for sure that would've had Cetus dead on the very spot he was in.
Cetus chuckled, "Oooh, I'm so terrified...Not!", before smirking as he climbed up to the netting of a mast on the far side of the barge, "Of course, I have to tie up another end. If Ursula was here, she would make sure that the bloodline of a certain human and mermaid ends, and I intend to honor that. And oh, Queen Ariel, I think you'd be surprised to see a face of your past. Oh, Glut!".
Suddenly, a humungous great white shark appeared, snarling and growling as he pushed away several merpeople and sea creatures, an intelligent look in his eyes. Cetus cackled, "Remarkable what dark magic can do! Is that right, Glut?".
Glut grinned, "You got that right! Feels good to be smart and huge! Now, where's the delicious morsel, master? I'm starving!", as he made it to the side of the barge, and Cetus cackled, "Here's the spawn of the mermaid who escaped your teeth numerous times in the ship graveyard!", dangling Melody in his tentacles, lower and lower to Glut who opened his mouth with hundreds of teeth.
Ariel was completely stunned as not only Glut had showed up, but the fact that Melody was in fatal danger. At the same time, Eric and Triton certainly weren't going to stand by and watch the baby be killed.
Triton may not be able to vaporize Cetus with Melody in his tentacles, but he can vaporize Glut with the trident, and with a roar of fury, he shot off a beam at Glut as Eric ran, jumped, and tackled Cetus, pummeling him with fists, his heart enraged at how Cetus nearly killed his wife by poisoning her, making Tazio so deadly ill, killing him, and now, he had put Melody in fatal danger, kidnapping her in a moment of peace.
In the tackle, Cetus shouted in surprise, letting go of Melody who fell down and down, and Ariel screamed, "Melody!", and Scuttle came to the rescue, his beak latching into the back of Melody's dress.
"Gah! She's heavy!", Scuttle called out as his mouth was tight making sure not to drop Melody. Scuttle was trying to fly back to safety. Meanwhile at the same time, Eric suddenly found a tentacle wrapped around his throat as Cetus quickly was fighting back.
Ariel shouted in horror, "Eric!", as Eric was choking, trying to get the tentacle off his throat, and Triton widened his eyes in shock just as he had vaporized Glut, and tried to think fast before noticing Scuttle carrying Melody in a struggle, and Triton was stuck before seeing a red blur in the air.
It was Sebastian, and he had ordered Flounder to jump and flip him over, and now he's flying through the air, direct shot to Cetus, landing on his head, his claws punching into Cetus's eyes from above as he scuttled into his face.
"AH!", Cetus cried out in pain as he was blinded, letting Eric go before he ended up falling right overboard into the water. Everything suddenly went quiet for a moment as Ariel ran over to Eric as he was trying to regain his breath.
Triton instantly helped Scuttle by taking Melody in his arm, and Melody was unharmed, thankfully as she giggled happily, innocently unknowing how much danger she was in, while Ariel dropped to her knees, "Eric!", looking over Eric who was panting heavily, marks of suction cups on his neck, and he looked up at Ariel with a raspy voice, "Melody?".
Triton called out, "I got her, Eric!", just as Cetus snarled, resurfacing, and growling at Sebastian, trapped in one of his tentacles, his claws pinned, "Fine, if I can't kill the spawn or the human, then I will kill you, crab!", knowing that he is Triton's eldest friend and adviser, and before everyone could react or move to stop him, there was a loud snap with a scream of pain from Sebastian, and then silence.
He threw Sebastian away, sneering, "This is only the beginning, Triton!", as he spun and spun, ink filling the sea, with the stingrays heading into the ink storm, as one of the sisters caught Sebastian's body, and Cetus's voice echoed as he vanished into the ink storm, "And I will always be watching you, your precious daughter, and that spawn of hers!", with a cackle.
"Sebastian!", Ariel cried out as she ran over to the edge of the deck where her sister was. "Please tell me he's not...", Ariel was on the verge of a heart attack from shock from everything that had just happened... nearly losing her husband and daughter to the monster who poisoned her and eventually caused her son to die... and now...
Arista looked up at her, "His shell...was the snap we heard...It's really bad, Ariel...Sebastian...he's not moving...". Ariel closed her eyes and just placed her head against the ship railing, as she begun to break down and cry again.
Triton went over to give Melody back to Eric, quickly deciding that it was better to be there with Ariel since Eric wasn't as close with Sebastian as himself, Ariel, or the rest of his daughters.
Triton narrowed his eyes, "Guards, Soldiers, scour the seas! Find him! Find that monster!", and his guards and soldiers saluted, diving under the sea, and brought himself down to the surface of the sea, swimming slowly to Arista who held Sebastian's body tenderly and gently as the citizens of Atlantica was shocked, crying and grieving as Atlantica had a whole lot of respect, and admiration for Sebastian as he was the adviser of Triton, the famous lead musician in the Catfish Club, and the court composer of Atlantica.
Eric himself wrapped Ariel in his arms, in a huddle as Melody whimpered in confusion and concern for her mama, trying to reach up to her face as Ariel cried out in grief and heartbreak while the people on the barge was in shock and sympathy, watching the family, with some glancing down at the sea, feeling somehow that the land and the sea was connected on this day over everything that had happened.
Good and evil happened, with Cetus admitting his motives and his crimes, having nearly killed the entire royal family, yet the king, princess was saved by family of the sea, including Triton, Scuttle, and Sebastian...
"Ariel... I'm so sorry...", Eric whispered as Ariel sniffled. "It's... it's not your fault, Eric... I just... I just hate that it seems like we keep getting others killed because of our love...", she whispered as Eric was stunned to hear that coming from her.
"Ariel, listen to me.", Eric spoke firmly, "It's not your fault or anyone else's fault on this boat or in Atlantica, it's that monster's fault. And Sebastian chose to save me. He was family, and family is important to us all. I would never thank him enough for that, even if I wasn't that close to him, I was glad to call him a friend because he fought for equality, peace, love, family, and friendship. He knew the consequences, and he knew that you and Melody needed me. Yes, he died tragically with pain, but he's at peace now...He knows that his family is safe now...", kissing her on the temple tenderly.
At the same time as Eric gave his speech to Ariel, Triton took Sebastian's body gently from Arista, so small in his big hand, and Triton exhaled deeply, "You have served me well, Sebastian...You shall be avenged...Thank you for being there for me all those years, my most trusted friend...You were and will always be part of my family...You have done wonderful things...Rest in peace, my friend.", before looking up, and lifted up his trident.
"Atlantica, head to the city, stay in your homes! Attina, take your sisters down to the gardens in the palace... I will be right there, Attina, I think Ariel would want to say good-bye to Sebastian...", Triton sighed deeply.
"Oh, Sebastian...", Ariel whispered as Triton brought the body close to her, "Thank you... for saving our lives...". She kissed his shell, just trying to hold back all the tears that were on the verge of coming, "Goodbye... ya old crab.". She took a step back as she started to sob once more as Eric went to comfort her.
Triton replied softly, looking at Eric, "I'll return soon this afternoon. I hope I have better news.", before leaving and disappearing into the sea, and Grimsby called out, "Captain...Bring us home to the palace.", with a solemn and sympathetic look.
And so, the royal barge headed back to the palace, with the guest villagers from the town heading home, with the staff resuming their duties of chores and such in the palace, and after putting Melody to bed for her nap, Ariel sobbed, knowing that Triton had chosen the royal gardens in Atlantica's palace to be Sebastian's resting place, right next to her mother's gravestone that has grown over with coral and flowers.