STORY SO FAR…

All right, let's do this one more time. My name is Joshua Pharoah. Sumter and I'm pretty much autistic. You may have heard of me from my previous projects and my self-insert stories. But I'm getting ahead, so let's start at the beginning.

One minute, I was at home, minding my business and having everything to myself. But the next thing I knew, I found some strange shard outside, and suddenly, I got whisked away to a universe filled to the brim with characters and stories you and I had only seen in Disney movies…FOR REAL!

It turns out that the weird shard I found was a piece of the legendary Wishing Star that's been making the dreams of Disney characters come true for more than 100 years. Now, there are other pieces out there that have landed in several different worlds.

Now it's up to me to find all those shard pieces and restore the Wishing Star – by plotting a course to these familiar Disney worlds. Who knows how many worlds I've been to, right? Anyway…

Time to take the first steps of my very own multiversal adventure!

When I came to, I was floating around the ocean water surrounded by dozens of massive sunken ships and vessels that lined the ocean floor. It looked like a ship graveyard.

"Am I in the ocean?" I asked as I looked around and up at the surface. "It looks like I am. But how come I can breathe underwater?" Then, as I was about to swim up to the surface, I immediately noticed that my hands were…fins!

"Wh-What happened to my awesome, human look?"

Somewhere along the way, my appearance had changed into something else, so I thought this might be more of Merlin's magic. I've now turned into a blue-tang fish like Dory from Finding Nemo.

"Merlin said the piece of the Wishing Star's magic landed somewhere in the ocean," I said while trying to get used to my transformation. "All while I've been turned into a fish… I don't know what to think, or I'm losing my mind. But still, I gotta focus. That magic shard of the Wishing Star is around here somewhere."

Just then, something strange happened – I thought I heard voices.

"Ariel, wait for me!"

"Flounder, hurry up."

"You know I can't swim that fast."

I turned around to see a young mermaid with bright red hair and her yellow fish companion with blue stripes and fins looking over an old shipwreck lodged in a rock at the bottom of the sea.

I recognized those two as Ariel and Flounder, which means…I've landed in the world of The Little Mermaid.

"Aaaaand I just figured out how and where," I said as I followed Ariel and Flounder.

"There it is!" Ariel said as she pointed at the old shipwreck. "Isn't it fantastic?"

"Yeah, sure, it's great," Flounder replied with a hint of sarcasm but still felt scared. "Now let's get outta here!?"

"You're not getting cold fins now, are you?" Ariel asked as she swam toward the ominous ship.

"Who, me? No way!" Flounder replied as he caught up to Ariel. "It's just that it looks damp in there, yeah. And, uh, I think I might be coming down with something. And I got this cough."

"All right, I'm going inside," Ariel said. "You can just stay here and…watch for sharks."

"Okay. Yeah, you go. I'll stay and—" Flounder smiled, but he became quickly petrified at what Ariel had just said. "What? Sharks? Ariel, wait!"

Flounder quickly swam through the porthole to follow Ariel as he shook with fear. "Ariel, do you really think some sharks might be around here?"

Ariel chuckled. "Flounder, don't be such a guppy."

"I'm not a guppy."

As Ariel and Flounder swam deeper through the ship's lower decks, I followed them to ensure they wouldn't notice me and tried to find the Wishing Star piece.

"Gotta find it, gotta find it," I jabbered, looking over every corner, nook, and cranny of the shipwreck. "Where is it? The piece of the Wishing Star must be around here somewhere." Then, I suddenly felt uneasy that I was being watched as a dark figure swam outside the ship. I quickly looked out the window for a bit. "What on earth was that?"

As I continued to check every ship deck, I was unaware of a giant figure passing over.

"The piece of the Wishing Star must be around here," I groaned. "But it's not in the shipwreck, I'm sure. Still, the ocean is so big I don't know where to start—"

Just then, Flounder's voice screamed. "Shark! Shark! We're gonna die!"

I turned to see Ariel and Flounder swimming as fast as they could that they almost bumped into me. But I can see what they're swimming away from – an enormous gray shark was chasing them and destroying everything in its path. And he looks angry and hungry – hangry! Get it? Hangry?

Anyway, Ariel, Flounder, and I raced out of the ship just before the shark appeared and chased us around a broken mast of another vessel. Suddenly, Flounder got hit in the face by the mast and sank down dizzily to avoid the shark's hungry bite.

Suddenly, noticing that Flounder was falling toward the anchor gave me an idea. I reached toward the top of the anchor, grabbed Flounder, and looked up at the shark. "Hey, shark boy!" I called out to the shark. "Over here!"

Gritting its teeth, the speeding shark charged straight toward us, but I pulled myself and Flounder through the anchor hole just as the shark swam straight into it and got stuck.

Knowing this little chase was over, I got nose-to-nose with the shark. "Whoo, yeah! Oh, look at me and my bad self! I trapped you in that anchor right there! Ooh, I'm a hungry, angry shark. I'm having you for dinner. Well, you ain't dining today!"

While I did my little dance of victory, Flounder blew a raspberry at the shark. "You big bully!"

Growling with fury, the shark snapped at Flounder and me as we recoiled in fear.

Ariel giggled as she reached for her small, red bag. "Flounder, you really are a guppy."

"I am not!" Flounder said, protesting.

Ariel then turned to me. "Thanks for the help, Mister…uh…sorry, I didn't get your name."

"It's Joshua," I introduced myself. "Joshua Pharoah. Sumter. And you're Ariel and Flounder."

"Yes, how did you know?"

Instead of answering Ariel's question, I examined her bag to see that it was just a fork and a smoking pipe. "Looks like she doesn't have it."

"Have what?" Ariel asked in confusion.

"Sorry, I'm looking for the missing piece of the Wishing Star. I was sure you must've grabbed it from that sunken ship you were in, but…I guess not, huh?"

"Okay," Ariel said. "I don't know about any 'wishing stars' or 'missing pieces,' but mind if you come with us."

"Yeah, I thought as much," I said. "But where to?"

"We're off to go see Scuttle," Flounder said.

"Scuttle?" I repeated. "Oh, you mean that 'expert' on humans? Hate to break it to you, but I know more about the surface world as much as the next guy."

Ariel and Flounder looked at me in confusion.

"What!? It's true!" I continued. "My knowledge of the human world is far more advanced…I think."

I swam up to the surface with Ariel and Flounder behind me. Once we did, I could see a sunny day with the sun sparkling on the sea and the ocean waves as calm as ever.

"Man, I know the ocean is big, but…I didn't think it'd be this big. Finding that piece of the Wishing Star will take me forever."

Ariel and Flounder burst through the surface behind me as we spotted their bird friend, Scuttle, lounging in his nest, made of straws, branches, and old parts, on a large rock in the middle of the water.

"Scuttle!" Ariel called out the silly bird, who was humming a sea song out of tune while putting a telescope on his head like it's a hat.

"Whoa, mermaid off the port bow!" Scuttle yelled, looking through the telescope…at the wrong end. "Ariel! How you doin', kid?" Then, he moved the telescope down to see that we were right before him. "Whoa, what a swim."

"Heh, what'd I just say?" I said, unfazed by Scuttle's silliness. "This is the expert on humans and the surface world? Yeah, I'm, uh, not impressed."

"He's still got it," Flounder replied. "He's like a walking dictionary."

"Suuuurrre, he is."

Scuttle then turned to see me. "Hey, who's the new kid on the block?"

"Oh, right," Ariel introduced Scuttle to me. "This is Joshua Sumter. He just saved us."

"Eh, I was passing by. Or rather, I was just in the neighborhood."

"Anyway, look what we found," Ariel continued as she held out her bag.

"Yeah, we were in a sunken ship, and it was really creepy," Flounder added.

"Human stuff, huh?" Scuttle said with intrigue. "Hey, let me see!" He then fell off the nest and dug through Ariel's bag as he pulled out a fork. "Look at this. Wow, this is special, this is very, very unusual."

Unusual? It's just a fork, I thought.

"What? What is it?" Ariel asked, eager to know.

"It's a…dinglehopper!" Scuttle replied. "Humans use these little babies to straighten their hair out." Then, he demonstrated by combing and twirling his feathered head with a fork. "See, just a little twirl here, and a yank there, and…VIOLA! You have an aesthetically pleasing configuration of hair that humans go nuts over."

"A dinglehopper," Ariel said.

"You can't be serious," I scoffed. "That is called a fork, a kitchen utensil that we – I mean, humans – use to eat their food, along with a spoon. If you want a 'pleasing configuration of hair,' go for a hairbrush or a comb."

"Then, what about that one?" Flounder asked, pointing at a smoking tobacco pipe.

I was about to answer, but Scuttle interrupted. "Ah, this… I haven't seen it in years! This is wonderful… A banded, bulbous snarfblatt."

"Ooooohhh!" Ariel and Flounder exclaimed in unison.

I facepalmed with my hand…uh, fin. "That's a smoking pipe!"

"Well, shows what you know, the snarfblatt dates back to pre-hysterical times when humans used to sit around…" Scuttle continued as he gazed deeply into Ariel. "And stare at each other all day. It got very boring."

"Yeah, very boring," I sarcastically replied, rolling my eyes.

"So, they invented this snarfblatt to make fine music. Allow me."

But as Scuttle blew into the smoking pipe to "make music," a heap of sand, water, and sea plants popped out.

"Ha, I don't hear any music!" I laughed. "It's just stuck!"

But Ariel flinched at the word 'music' mentioned with dread. "Music! The concert! Oh my gosh, my father's gonna kill me!"

"The concert was today?" Flounder asked with worry.

"I'm sorry, I gotta go!" Ariel cried as she, Flounder, and I dived to the sea. "Thank you, Scuttle!"

"Anytime, sweetie!" Scuttle waved back. "Anytime!"

Ariel and Flounder hurried back to the glittering palace of Atlantica as fast as their fins could take them, with me getting dragged in. As soon as we reached the throne room, Ariel stood before her annoyed and furious father, King Triton, while Flounder and I looked on.

"I just don't know what we're going to do with you, young lady," King Triton said with disappointment in both his eyes and tone.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," Ariel replied. "I just forgot, I—"

"As a result of your careless behavior –"

"Carless and reckless behavior!" Sebastian, Triton's majordomo and the royal court composer, interrupted and scolded Ariel.

"The entire celebration was –" Triton continued.

"Ruined! That's all! Completely destroyed!" Sebastian interrupted again as he went to Ariel. "This concert was to be the pinnacle of my distinguished career. Now, thanks to you, I am the laughingstock of the entire kingdom!"

I came into the throne room, confronting Sebastian and Triton. "Will you cut her some slack already!? It was just one little concert, anyway!"

"And who are you?" King Triton asked as he looked at me. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"This is Joshua Sumter," Ariel said. "He helped save me."

"Yeah, I come in peace," I added. "For real!"

Soon, Flounder joined in, trying his best to explain. "And it wasn't Ariel's fault! Ah… Well, first, uh, this shark chased us. Yeah, yeah! And we tried to, but we couldn't…and then Joshua came in, and he was like, 'Wa-cha!' and we were like, 'Whoa!' Ah, and then we were safe."

I smiled proudly at myself until Flounder still continued. "Then, this seagull came, and it was 'This is this' and 'That and that,' and—"

"Hey, Flounder, stop talking!" I shouted as Flounder finally realized he said too much and quickly hid behind Ariel.

"Seagull?" King Triton repeated and rose from the throne to confront Ariel. "You went up to the surface again, didn't you? Didn't you?"

"Nothing happened," Ariel replied.

"Yeah, nothing happened," I repeated as I glared at Flounder for stating our visit to Scuttle.

King Triton sighed in despair. "Ariel, how many times must we go through this? You could've been seen by one of those barbarians, by…by one of those humans!"

HEY! I thought. I may be human, but I'm not barbaric. I'm autistic! And I'm civilized.

"Daddy, they're not barbarians!" Ariel said, protesting.

"They're dangerous!" King Triton replied, being serious. "Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter get snared by some fish eater's hook?"

"I'm sixteen years old! I'm not a child anymore!"

"Don't you take that tone of voice at me, young lady!" King Triton said with anger in his tone. "As long as you live under my ocean, you obey my rules!"

"But if you would just listen—"

"Not another word! And I am never, NEVER to hear of you going to the surface again! Is that clear!?"

Almost in tears, Ariel turned and swam out of the throne room, with me and Flounder trailing behind her.

A moment later, away from King Triton's throne room and out in the open ocean, I looked over at Ariel and Flounder. "Well, that could've gone better."

"My father is so…stubborn," Ariel replied. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Oh, it's okay. Parents think that we think we know everything. They gave us an inch, and we swam all over them."

Ariel looked at me for a bit of comfort. "Say, why don't we look for that Wishing Star piece you were talking about?"

I was surprised. "W-What!? Really? But won't your dad be flipping out?"

"My father just… He just doesn't understand. All I did was disappoint him, mostly because I disobeyed him."

"Your Pops is just being too strict, is all. He's just 'concerned' for your safety. Why don't we go to your grotto and cool off?"

Ariel smiled. "That's a great idea! That way, I can show you my collection."

Once Flounder handed Ariel her bag, the three of us swam to a cave barricaded by a huge rock, which Ariel lifted aside to reveal an opening. As we slipped into the cave, the boulder lowered behind us to close off the entrance.

When I turned around to see the grotto, I was utterly surprised. Inside was full of all the human stuff Ariel collected, with layers of rocks as shelves to house dozens of vases, plates, clocks, books, and even a harp. I now know for sure that they're from the surface.

"Whoa, they're all here!" I exclaimed in wonder.

"Yeah, some came from the shipwrecks while others drifted out to sea," Ariel replied. "I don't know what they are, but I'll find out one day. That way, everything in my collection would finally make sense."

"You mean like that fork and the smoking pipe?" I asked.

"Exactly," Ariel nodded, then she paused. "You know, you seem to know more about these wonderful things than Scuttle does."

"Well, yeah, I did say my knowledge of the human world is far more advanced, didn't I? That's because I really am a human. How and why else would I know so much about the stuff you found?"

I went to every shelf individually to label every "gadgets and gizmos" Ariel collected. Still, then I suddenly noticed a familiar glow coming from one shelf.

"Could it be…? That's the…" I gasped as I finally picked up what it was. "It's the piece of the Wishing Star!"

Flounder looked at it in surprise. "Wow, is that the piece you were talking about?"

"Yep, I guess it must've landed right here in the grotto unnoticed."

But then, Flounder and I turned to see Ariel sitting and resting gloomily on a rock ledge, staring at a fork with a sad look on her face.

"Ariel, are you okay?" Flounder asked with worry and concern.

"If only I could make Daddy understand," Ariel replied. "I just don't see things the way he does. I don't see how a world that made such wonderful things…could be bad."

I sighed as I sat down with Ariel and held the Wishing Star piece. "Ariel, kid, please. I've lived in the surface world all my life, and you don't see me complain about it."

"Well," Ariel smiled. "You say that because you know many things from the world above us."

"I don't know how to say this, but I can't say and act like I know ALL the answers. I've seen and done things you don't want to know about yet."

"It's amazing," Ariel said in amazement.

"Well, that's because all humans are 'barbaric.' Some are still good, and I'm kind of a neutral type of guy, and I'm autistic."

Ariel gazed toward the surface. "You're so lucky. I long to be out of these waters and into the sun and sand. I wish I could be part of that world." Then, she turned to see the Wishing Star piece glowing in my fin/hand. "Your piece is glowing."

"Yep, I finally found it. If you just wanted to give it to me, I wouldn't complain."

"Is that star piece very important to you?" Flounder asked me.

"Well, these pieces are part of a legendary star that has made everyone's dreams come true for many years. So, I have to find them all, and it's not that easy."

Suddenly, Ariel, Flounder, and I heard loud noises and falling objects. That would mean someone discovered Ariel's grotto.

"Sebastian!" Ariel cried in shock as we saw Sebastian glaring at us while wrapped in all this debris.

Removing all the junk off of him, Sebastian stood up quickly. "Ariel, what are you… How could you… What is all this?!"

Ariel tried to come up with a response, but I intervened as I confronted the majordomo. "None of your business, that's what this is! I didn't expect you to be following us or spying on us, anyway. What the heck are you even doing here!?"

"His Majesty assigned me to watch over Ariel," Sebastian answered.

"Oh, please!" I scoffed. "Ariel's 16, and she can take care of herself – with my help, of course."

"I seriously doubt that. Now tell me what all this is!"

"It's, uh…it's just my collection," Ariel answered awkwardly.

"Ooh, I see, your collection," Sebastian mocked with a fake smile. Then, he angrily threw the last two objects and began to scream angrily. "If your father knew about this place, he'd—"

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Flounder asked nervously.

"He better not tell the king anything," I said, pointing at Sebastian. "Look around you. You got better things to do than snapping your pinchers at other people's business."

"And I suppose you do?!" Sebastian replied as he waved his claws at me with a disapproving look. "You've been filling Ariel's head with your claims of being human and how you've been to the surface world all your life."

"Oh, don't get your crabby claws in a bundle," I replied. "I'm not trying to trick Ariel or any of you. I was just saying I'd take the piece of the Wishing Star if she didn't want it, but I don't have the time. Plus, I AM a human, so I know what to expect from up there."

"Well, if you ever said anything to defend your people in front of King Triton, I'll never hear the end!"

"Why you… If you're lookin' for a little rumble, you've got one."

"Relax, Joshua," Ariel calmed me down, and then she begged Sebastian. "And please, Sebastian. Daddy would never understand."

"Ariel, you're under a lot of pressure down here," Sebastian replied as he took Ariel's hand, forcing her out of the grotto. "Come with me. I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink."

"Uh, no, you ain't," I halted as I held Ariel's other hand. "Ariel is staying here with all her 'treasures,' and I'm labeling them for her. This is the one place where she can relax."

Just then, a vast dark shadow passed over us and the grotto. Ariel looked up, curiously distracted. "What do you suppose that is…?"

Slipping out of Sebastian's grip (and mine), Ariel swam out of the grotto and upward to see the bottom of a ship. She also heard booming noises and colorful lights.

"Sounds like a party going on in that ship," I said. "And I guess it's not a cruise ship."

"Ariel!" Sebastian yelled, swimming after Ariel. "No! Come back, you're going the wrong way!?"

"Lighten up, will you!?"

Ariel, Flounder, and I popped our heads to see an extensive ship sailing and bursts of fireworks that lit up the night sky.

"See? I told you it's a party," I said while Ariel giggled.

Sebastian made it to the surface as well, glaring at Ariel. "Ariel, what are you…" Then, he turned to see the ship and fireworks. "Jumpin' Jellyfish!"

Ariel swam toward the ship, and I joined up with her.

"Ariel! Ariel! Please, come back!" Sebastian yelled.

"Sorry, man!" I called out. "She's not taking any chances!"

Peeking through an open porthole at the side of the ship, Ariel and I can see a crew of sailors dancing and clapping to the beautiful music.

Suddenly, a shaggy, furry dog was on board, prancing around the deck. When it saw Ariel, it licked her face.

"Relax, Ariel," I whispered to her. "It's called a dog. They don't bite…much."

Just then, Ariel noticed one human in particular – with dark black hair, dimpled cheeks, and blue eyes. Judging by her eyes, I can tell Ariel is seriously in L-O-V-E!

Suddenly, Scuttle appeared, hovering alongside the boat. "Hey there, sweetie! Quite a show, eh!?"

"Scuttle, will you please zip it!?" I said, trying to silence the silly bird by grabbing his beak. "They'll hear you."

"I've never seen a human this close before," Ariel said as she stared dreamily at the black-haired human with his dog. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, but not as handsome as me, anyway," I replied as I noticed the dog. "And that dog is kinda hairy and slobbery, too." Then, I suddenly remembered. "Wait a minute, hold the phone… That's Prince Eric! There's his dog, Max, and this party on the boat is his birthday!"

"A prince!?" Ariel repeated in surprise. "That's even better."

Just then, a voice appeared on the boat. "Silence! Silence!"

The music stopped as everyone on the ship turned to Eric's most trusted manservant, Grimsby, who began to make an announcement. "It is now my honor and privilege to present our esteemed Prince Eric with a very special, very expensive, very large birthday gift."

"Grimsby, you old beanpole! You shouldn't have," Eric smiled.

"I know. Happy birthday, Eric!"

A sailor removed the canvas sheet to reveal a massive statue of Prince Eric…that made him look like a conquering hero.

"Gee, Grim," Eric managed to say. "It's…it's, uh, it's really somethin'."

"Yes, I commissioned it myself," Grimsby said. "Of course, I had hoped it would be a

wedding present."

"Oh, come on, Grim, don't start. Look, you're not still upset that I didn't fall for the princess of Glowerhaven, are you?"

Ariel, Scuttle, and I ducked as Eric and Grimsby continued their conversation.

"Oh, Eric, it isn't me alone," Grimsby said. "The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl."

"She's out there somewhere," Eric replied. "I just…I just haven't found her yet."

"Maybe it's perhaps that you haven't been looking hard enough."

"Believe me, Grim, when I find her, I'll know. Without a doubt, it'll just…BAM! Hit me like lightning."

Just then, thunder and lightning struck as dark storms gathered and rain began to fall on the ship.

"Hurricane a'commin'!" A sailor shouted. "Stand fast! Secure the riggin'!"

Soon, everyone on the ship struggled to keep it afloat, but the violent waves and winds had other ideas. Ariel and I tried to hold on to the boat, but it was useless as we dove back into the rough seas.

Then, many unfolding disasters happened – like a bolt of lightning striking one of the ship's sails, setting it on fire. In contrast, the boat crashed into a giant rock, sending Eric, Grimsby, and the crew overboard, and the statue sank into the sea. Then, Eric swam back to the burning ship to rescue his dog, Max, and toss him to the safety of the rowboat Grimsby and the crew were on…right before the boat exploded in a ball of flames and smoke.

And so, Ariel managed to save Eric as she pulled the prince away from the ship and swam toward shore.

As the storm passed, Ariel sat beside the unconscious Eric while Scuttle and I joined her.

"Is he…dead?" Ariel asked with worry.

"No, the prince is just unconscious," I reassured Ariel. "But I bet the others will get a better look at him, just to be on the safe side."

"I think so."

Then, I saw Scuttle lifting Eric's foot to his ear. "Oh, I can't make out a heartbeat."

"Scuttle, that's his foot," I groaned in dismay.

Ariel turned to see Eric, who was letting out a small sigh. "No, look, he's breathing." Then, smiling softly, she began to sing softly to Eric.

As Scuttle and I happily watched, Sebastian and Flounder washed up to witness this magical moment. But when Sebastian saw Ariel caressing Eric, his jaw dropped.

But just then, we heard barking in the distance, only to find Max running over toward his master, so we all swam to a nearby rock just to stay out of sight. Grimsby was there, helping the prince up.

"Eric!" Grimsby cried. "You really delight in these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, have you?"

Still wobbly and dizzy, Eric shook his head and tried to recall his experience. "A girl…rescued me. She was singing. She had the most beautiful voice."

"Eric, I think you've had a bit too much seawater. Off we go. Come on, Max."

From behind the rock perch, Ariel, Flounder, Scuttle, Sebastian, and I watched Grimsby and Max leading Eric home.

"Wow!" I blinked in surprise. "I did not expect that."

"We just gotta forget this whole thing ever happened," Sebastian replied nervously, losing his composure while sitting on Flounder's head. "The sea king will never know."

"What is there to not know and talk about!?" I said with a smile. "I saw a birthday party on deck, a real thunderstorm at sea, and Ariel almost had the occasional opportunity to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Haha! But I guess singing would do."

Sebastian snapped his pincher at me, not needing me or Scuttle to worsen the situation. "This is serious, boy! You won't tell him, I won't tell him, and I will stay in one piece. Got it!?"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" I nodded, then I smirked. "What are we talking about again?"

Sebastian groaned in dismay. "I'm a dead crab!"

Ariel, however, didn't listen. As her mind was still on Eric, she knew that somehow her life changed today and for the better. She's closer to the surface world than ever before, and someday, she will be a part of it!