Before the chapter starts, just wanting to say thanks for all the reviews! Glad to see the Dream Defenders comments as I read them. I will be open to suggestions for chapters in the future (I have a few plans but always up for suggestions.)
Another note, my posting are rather sporadic. I'm in college so my time is divided on top of the fact I have various stories I'm working on to, so please be patient.
Without further ado, let's begin the chapter.
Off in the shore area of the Magical World at Disney Sea, Seth looked at the sea before him. He was currently taking deep breaths, trying to dive into the water. However, his fear of the deep was getting to him.
Seth, while not openly admitted, had thalassophobia. This was due to seeing too many Instagram reels and the vastness of the sea. He had swam in pools but at least then he could see where the floor was.
"Ok… Seth, just… go into the water. You'll be fine. You'll be fine." He told himself. He knew with his shapeshifting ability he could turn into any sea creatures but his nerves were getting the best of him.
He slowly inched to the water, just his feet getting wet and was about to go fully in before chickening out, "On second thought, maybe I should just forget it. I mean, Atlantica is pretty deep and it is underwater. Plus, I'm not sure how long I can hold my morphs for. Hope it's not like 'Animorphs.'"
"If you want, I can just push you in." A voice joked.
"And how do I know exactly to trust y-" Seth paused before whirling around to see who he was talking to. Before him stood a woman with braided teal hair and she was dressed similar to a pirate. "Wait, are you Uma?" Seth recognized.
"That's my name." Uma, daughter of Ursula from the 'Descendants' franchise, cheekily said. "So, do I have permission to push you in?"
Seth went into fanboy mode, "Eeeekkkkkk! I love your song, 'What's My Name' from 'Descendants 2'! One of the best Disney Channel movie songs by far!"
"Always nice to meet a fan." Uma said proudly. "So, are you gonna hop in?"
Seth immediately tried to toughen up. "O-Of course, I am. It's just… I don't really know how to get to Atlantica." He admitted.
"Not surprising." Uma shrugged, "Most guests hardly visit the underwater world of the Magical World. Spent years outside the barrier and I found it. Though that was before the barrier was permanently brought down thanks to Mal and her husband."
Seth nodded along, "So, you know where it is?"
"Yes." Uma assured, "But unless you have a form that can survive the pressures of the deep, you might want to change your bathing suit."
Seth winced at that, his nerves getting the best of him. 'Curse those Instagram reels.' He thought to himself.
"Oh, come on Uma. Don't try to discourage him." Another voice spoke out from behind Seth, which prompted the human to pivot on the spot again.
And fanboy mode activated again.
On some rocks near the shoreline, laid a dark-skinned mermaid with roan hair. She had a purple seashell bra and a green tail. Seth stuttered for about three seconds before fainting on the spot.
About a decent twenty minutes later, Seth rose up to see Uma and the mermaid. Seth finally found his voice. "I can't believe I get to meet Ariel! Well, a version of Ariel. I thought I heard rumors that the live-action versions sometimes appear in the Magical World."
"You're right about that," Ariel -who will be known as Halle- said. "We know a majority of the live actions aren't as popular but some of us appear occasionally. We even have a small club for the live action films."
"You're my favorite Disney princess." Seth blurted before trying to cover it up. "I mean, a favorite Disney Princess of mine. Like Top 5… Top 3… Top 2? Am I making this worse for myself?"
"A tad." Uma quipped. Seth ignored her response.
"So, what are you doing here?" Halle asked the human. "I don't typically see any humans on the shoreline unless it's for a date or a dip into the ocean, but even then they don't go here."
"Oh, well…"
"He's trying to go to Atlantica but is being a guppy." Uma bluntly said.
"I'm not a guppy!" Seth defended himself.
"Then why are you afraid to get in the ocean?" Uma questioned with a smirk.
"Irrelevant." Seth dismissed, "I just didn't know how to get to Atlantica."
"Oh, that's easy." Halle reassured with a smile. "At least for merfolks and sea creatures. I guess humans don't have the same instincts as us."
"That makes sense." Seth agreed, putting a hand to his chin. "I wonder if my sea creatures' instincts can guide me then."
"So you don't need a little escort?" Uma quipped.
"I'm not opposed to company on my little under the sea excursion." Seth said.
"Well, then let's get to it." Halle said, diving into the ocean. Uma walked into the sea, diving beneath as well.
Seth took a deep breath, partially forgetting his fear, and dove in. He took the form of a green sea turtle due to the shallow water to get some movement. He spotted Halle and Uma, the latter now with her lower half as a cephalopod.
"Just follow us, guppy." Uma taunted as Seth grew red somewhat. The mermaid and daughter of Ursula swam expertly through the deep as Seth swapped into a tiger shark, expertly swimming with the pair.
Thanks to his water-adapted sight, Seth saw something that many people wouldn't really see. He saw the beautiful coral reefs, seagrass, anemones, and fish inhabiting the ocean. Something that made him relax and his thalassophobia lessened.
"So, is what you said true? That I am your favorite Disney Princess?" Halle teased a little.
Seth hadn't managed to learn to speak during his morphs, so all the shark could do was look away in mild embarrassment, much to the amusement of the mermaid.
"It's ok. I know we Disney Princesses have many fans. I believe there is this one Dream Defender who often hangs out with them. Although us live action princesses usually keep to ourselves." Halle explained.
"And most of us from Auradon don't really leave due to either duties or classes. Most of the VKs have been attending classes all over. But we venture out once in a while." Uma clarified. "I recently started up a new pirate crew. Thanks to the barrier being fully removed, we've ventured and seen many lands. I even encountered that Sparrow guy. Total loon but has… decent intentions."
Seth just nodded the best he could as a shark. He then swapped to a barracuda, taking a leaner form to maneuver.
About 20 minutes later, the three of them were passing more coral-themed house-like structures. Soon, they came across the sight of Atlantica's castle. It was the original castle rather than the live action.
"It's such a beauty." Halle said, "My original counterpart showed me what it looked like and I was blown away."
"I heard that," Uma commented, "After escaping the Isle, I came across this place and was so jealous."
Just before Seth could admire the sight some more, he spotted stray yellow magical beams fired from the castle which made him puzzled.
Halle gasped, "That must be my Dad's trident!" The live-action mermaid took off with Uma in tow. Seth turned into a Bottlenose dolphin, trying to keep pace with the two merfolk.
When the three entered the palace they found Namor incapacitated.
"Who did this?" Uma questioned as she came to a stop.
"I have a feeling…" Halle answered, knowing the culprit.
"But you would be wrong, little mermaid." A feminine voice said. The three looked to see a mermaid with a lionfish-themed orange tail and brown hair. She wore a smirk on her face.
Seth clicked angrily, recognizing her vaguely. Halle managed to translate. "Her name is Saleen?"
Seth clicked some more, explaining her origin to the merfolk. "From Aladdin the Series?"
"Glad someone knows who I am," the malevolent mermaid said with a coy smile.
Seth morphed into an orca and swam straight for her only for something to blindside him with the force of a torpedo. The shapeshifter was taken out of the throne room and got sent spinning. After coming to a halt, Seth's eyes honed in on his new target.
He made out a blue skin Atlantean dressed in yellow armor and a crown in the shape of a fish. Letting out a series of clicks, Seth recognized his assailant as Attuma, the underwater warlord from Marvel's Atlantis. That would explain why Namor was here but rather his MCU counterpart from Talokan. Probably to make a peace treaty of sorts.
But this iteration of Attuma was bent on ruling the underwater world with an iron fist so it was no wonder why he backstabbed Namor and worked with Saleen to take over Atlantica. So, Seth turned into a sailfish and met Attuma's blade.
"You will not win, surface dweller! Once Saleen obtains the trident, we shall conquer the seven seas then the surface!" Attuma boasted.
In the palace, Halle and Uma circled Saleen, who looked rather smug.
"What are you even doing here?" Uma asked and her tentacles were primed while Halle hovered close.
"Looking for power." Saleen said with a smile. "I heard that Triton's trident had incredible powers. So, with it in my hands, I'll be able to rule the seven seas and get anything I desire!"
"Well, I'm not necessarily a good guy, but you owning the seven seas doesn't sound good." Uma replied and her shell necklace glowed. Her tentacles gained a cerulean blue then unleashed a blast of Atlantean magic. Saleen simply waved her hand and water magic negated the blast.
"As if I'm intimidated by calamari and a redhead." Saleen gloated and several Sea Neons and Screwdivers Heartless arrived. "Get them!" She ordered.
"Do you know how to fight?" Uma asked, throwing out tentacles and smacking a pair of Screwdivers together.
Halle skillfully maneuvered away from a couple Sea Neons then used her Siren Song to stun them long enough for her to swim into them, defeating the Heartless cnidarians. "I think that should answer your question." Halle said and used her Siren Song once more.
Seth tried a different approach, using his giant squid form to hold Attuma in place but the warlord broke free, grabbed the tentacles and swung him into an underwater cliffside. Recovering, Seth emerged from the rumble as a Great White Shark, jaws agape to crunch down but Attuma delivered an uppercut.
The shapeshifter reciprocated and swam away with Attuma gloating over him, "Hahaha! That's right! Swim away from Attuma's might!"
'Is it just me or do all supervillains gloat when a superhero flees the scene?' Seth thought as he changed into a Sperm Whale. 'Get ready for the world's loudest animal!' Seth unleashed a burst of echolocation that made Attuma cover his ears. Using the distraction, Seth pushed forward with his fluke and slammed into Attuma hard.
Attuma was sent into a cliffside of his own, and wiped his face, almost with a look of amusement. "Impressive, shapeshifter. But I shall prevail!"
Seth took that challenge as a Mosasaurus and roared underwater, preparing to engage Attuma again with more force.
In the throne room, Halle and Uma had just defeated the last Heartless before eyeing Saleen.
The villainous mermaid grew a scowl and warmed up her water magic and fired two streams only for the dark-skinned merfolk to dodge them.
"You won't win! I always get my way!" The mermaid sorceress unleashed more blasts of water magic that Halle and Uma evaded. Halle was about to use her Siren Song but Saleen got a lucky hit, causing the redhead to wince. Uma jetted and threw her tentacles out to restrain Saleen. The pirate managed to snag Saleen's left arm but the mermaid conjured a water fist and hit Uma, who attempted to block with her spare tentacles.
Seth got himself sent to the seafloor from Attuma's haymaker in his mosasaur form. Attuma brought out his sword and prepared to strike once more but Seth in the form of a Leatherback sea turtle, his shell taking the damage before turning into a giant pacific octopus and inked the area for coverage.
Attuma fanned the cloud of ink and snarled as Seth had vanished. "Show yourself! Or are you afraid of the might that is Attuma!"
As a cuttlefish, Seth used his camouflage trait to hide while also coming up with a strategy.
'Man, Attuma is tough. Well, he does have home court advantage with the sea and packs a wallop. Brute force has its benefits but he doubles down on it.' Seth thought to himself. 'If I had hands, I could use Zoology. I don't think a shark, octopus, or dolphin is ideal, despite Sora using his own Keyblade when he was in the Pride Lands.'
Out of camouflage, Seth turned into a sailfish, grazing Attuma's armor with his speed. Seth curved around and repeated the maneuver twice until the warlord deflected with his blade.
'I just need to catch him off guard. But half of my sea morphs don't exactly match that.' Seth thought. His next form was a Tylosaurus and came at Attuma with jaws agape once more, biting into Attuma's arm.
Halle and Uma had done little to nothing against Saleen as both dark-skinned mermaids were rather tired now. "Seems the little mermaid and the calamari can't do anything against the superior Saleen." Saleen mocked.
Halle was about to prepare another Siren Song when she spotted someone in the corner of her eye. She grew a faint grin, "I wouldn't let that go to your head."
Saleen gave a scowl, thinking she was being insulted, and warmed another blast of water magic until she was suddenly encased in ice.
The original King Triton and Namor swam towards the scene, the Talokan king still somewhat injured but managed to deal with the pain.
"Thank you, Ariel and Uma." King Triton thanked, "Now we just need to deal with Attuma."
"The guppy is handling that." Uma replied. King Triton raised an eyebrow at the mention before Halle explained.
Seth had just been thrown off and swam back as a sea snake, slithering around Attuma's attempted strike then once finished, the shapeshifter delivered a tail slap in the form of a Humpback whale. Turning around, the marine mammal saw Attuma cratered into the seafloor. Taking a large turn, Seth rocketed down as a Hammerhead shark and rammed the Atlantean warlord deeper.
Seth retreated as a mackerel to see his handiwork. 'I just hit him with a whale tail and rammed with a shark whose head is literally a hammer. Is he done yet?'
Attuma, despite being bruised, battered, and hit with various moves from the shapeshifter, managed to rise slowly but surely. Seth groaned, letting out bubbles of mild irritation.
"Foolish surface dweller!" Attuma proclaimed. "I am the warlord of Atlantis for a reason! I do not bend to mere shapeshifters. I will say that you are quite the foe, but under the sea! I am-"
"Imperius Rex!" Namor yelled, rocketing into Attuma and defeating the warlord. Namor swam back to Seth's level. "Thank you for your help, Seth. Ariel has explained what had happened to me and the sea king." The mackerel just grew a smile at the defeat of Attuma as he was thanked by the Talokan King.
After Saleen and Attuma were taken away, Seth -as a Bottlenose dolphin again-, Halle, and Uma appeared in the throne room before King Triton and Namor as the Talokan ruler gave an apology.
"Forgive me, King Triton," Namor said humbly, "I was unaware of Attuma's plot. I assumed he would be a good choice as my advisor but he has different intentions unlike my Attuma. His treachery will not go unpunished."
"It is alright," King Triton answered, "It is fortunate that Ursula didn't attack. I heard of her latest attempt to conquer Castaway Cay but she failed thanks to the Dream Keeper and his allies. However, there will always be threats who want power for their own gain."
King Triton nodded and addressed the three teenagers. "Thank you for stopping Saleen and Attuma. We were in the middle of a treaty between Atlantica and Talokan when Saleen and the Heartless attacked. Namor was going to attack but Attuma beat him first."
Namor nodded, then King Triton continued. "While no one is capable of wielding the trident other than my bloodline, the attack was unexpected. Thank you for stopping them."
Seth clicked, which Halle translated, "We are glad to help."
"Not used to getting recognition, so I guess it isn't too bad." Uma said with a shrug.
Triton nodded and his trident glowed, "I wish to bestow a gift upon you all, if that is alright."
Halle and Uma declined but Seth was silently interested. He gave a meek click, explaining a potential gift. Triton nodded and released a calm stream of Atlantean magic towards the dolphin.
Seth felt himself transform back to human but with an exception. He retained his human form but gained a dark blue merman tail in the same fashion of Halle's tail.
Seth's eyes grew starry for the third time today, finally having a merman tail like he dreamed. He bowed, "Thank you, your Majesty." And took off like a kid who got a bike for Christmas, trying to get the hang of his new appendage. It wasn't too difficult for him, similar to a fluke from a cetacean.
"Man, he looks so excited for the tail." Uma said in mild amusement.
"He already understands it better than when I first got legs." Halle giggled.
Seth just hollered and cheered to himself as he learned to use his tail, even summoning Zoology in the depths. With his newfound merman tail, his fear of the depths now lessened. He was still fearful.
But to him, this undersea adventure was worth it.
Next time: Seth takes an excursion to the exotic and alien world of Pandora.
A/N: I was tempted to put Tiger Shark from 'Marvel' too in this chapter but decided against it.
As mentioned before, Saleen is from "Aladdin: The Series" and I decided to bring one of Disney's many obscure characters into the fray.
In my personal opinion, I enjoyed the live-action 'Little Mermaid.' She goes by Halle as once in TheDragonSaver's stories, he brought three Belles -the original, Once Upon A Time, and live-action- so I decided to try it out. I would think the live-action counterparts would go by their actors/actresses name.
Until next time!