Jessica's Point of View

When I woke up, Ariel and Sebastian weren't around. Everyone else was already up. "Where are Ariel and Sebastian?" I asked no one in particular.

"I haven't seen 'em," Flounder commented.

"I'm sure they will turn up," Namiko added. Soon enough, they did.

"You guys, we have a plan!" Ariel exclaimed. We all gathered around her. Ariel held out a decorated shell. "This music box was something my father had made for my mother. If I take it back to him, he'll remember my mother, and music, and how to be happy. We have to get back to Atlantica. Once he sees this box, he'll fix everything. I know it!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me get this straight. You led us out here..." Ray Ray started.

"To the armpit of nowhere, man," Ink Spot added.

"In hope that Red might find the box. And now, you wanna go back to the palace..." Shelbow continued.

"To return the music box to the king..." Ink Spot said.

"On the chance that maybe it'll..." Ray Ray cut in.

"Remind him to remember how to be happy..." Shelbow continued.

"And then he'll bring music back?" Ink Spot finished.

"That about sums it up," Sebastian replied.

"Couldn't we just strap it to a dolphin or something? He'd get it eventually," Cheeks suggested. When no one responded, Ray Ray, Shelbow, Ink Spot, Cheeks, and Namiko huddled together and whispered among themselves. Ray Ray was the first to pull away, and the rest of them followed suit.

"Listen, the band talked it over, and..." Ray Ray trailed off.

"We just can't take that chance," Shelbow explained.

"What?!" Sebastian exclaimed.

"Huh?" Flounder asked.

"It's okay. Maybe someday it'll be different. You'll come home and play music all you want," Ariel smiled.

"Sure, Red. Someday. Someday," Ray Ray sighed.

"Bye," Ariel replied with a wave. I followed her and Sebastian back to Atlantica.

"Hey, Ariel! Wait up! Ariel!" Flounder called as he came swimming after us. We continued when he caught up to us.

We reached a darker part of the ocean. "I don't remember this much kelp when we came through here last night," Sebastian commented.

"Kelp, schmelp. I ain't afraid of these overgrown weeds." Flounder started smashing the kelp with his tail. "Hi-yah! Take that! And that! Hyaa!" There was a piece of kelp that didn't break. Flounder tried again, but it remained in one piece. We looked up to see that the "kelp" Flounder had tried to break was actually an eel.

"Guys? That ain't kelp!" Sebastian shrieked.

Marina swam up to us in purple camouflage. "Surprise!" She sang.

"Marina? What are you wearing?" Sebastian questioned.

"I thought I'd dress for the occasion," Marina replied.

"What's the occasion," Sebastian wondered. Marina pulled out a small net with a devious smile. Sebastian let out a small scream. "Go, go, go, go!" We all swam away as fast as we could. Sebastian stopped at a large rock. "Keep going!" I didn't have time to look back as we continued.

"This way! Quick!" Ariel shouted. We swam behind a large rock. "Where's Sebastian?"

"I think he bought us some time," I whispered. The eels came by, and we ducked behind the rock. Flounder hiccuped as the eels were leaving, and they turned around and saw us.

We swam inside a nearby cave and kept going until we were cornered. Blue tentacles scooped us up and carried us out of the cave. I looked up to see that Ink Spot had saved us. "Now!" Ink Spot shouted.

I saw that Ray Ray had seaweed tied to him and Cheeks, who was wearing a seashell helmet, being pulled into the seaweed by Shelbow to form a slingshot. Namiko was also with them. "Fire!" Ray Ray shouted. Shelbow let go of Cheeks, and he flew into a pointy rock, which broke off and tumbled into another pointy rock and so on until a pointy rock fell into the hole that Ink Spot had pulled us up from right over an eel.

"Yeah! Awesome!" Flounder cheered.

Ray Ray, Cheeks, Shelbow, and Namiko swam to us. "Oh, they hurting for certain," Ray Ray smirked. Shelbow muttered an agreement, and Cheeks laughed.

Ariel's expression turned to fear. "Sebastian's in trouble!"

"Follow me!" Flounder shouted.

We started swimming to Sebastian but were stopped by the eels. Ariel accidentally dropped the music box. "The music box!" She screamed, swimming after it.

"Ariel!" Flounder gasped before following her. Ariel caught the music box before it fell to the ocean floor, but the eels swam to her. Flounder swam away, and the eel chased after him.

"Flounder!" Ariel exclaimed. The Catfish Club and I swam to Ariel, but we were cornered by the eels, who were slowly closing in on us.

"Hey! Flounder at twelve o'clock!" Ink Spot announced. Flounder was still being followed by one of the eels.

"Twelve o' four actually," Shebow pointed out.

"Flounder!" Ariel shrieked. I summoned my keyblade, ready to fight. "Where did that come from?"

"Not important," I stated.

"Do the corkscrew!" Ariel called out to Flounder.

"Break out all the utensils!" Shelbow added.

Flounder weaved over and under the eels with the one eel still trailing behind him. Flounder managed to twist the eels into a knot as we cheered him on. Marina, who was inside a cylinder rock, came out of nowhere and began swimming straight for Sebastian in what looked like an effort to plow him over. "Sebastian!" Ariel gasped. She swam to Sebastian to push him out of the way.

"Look out!" Flounder warned.

Sebastian didn't have time to move, but he was okay because Ariel shoved Marina out of the way. Unfortunately, the impact left both Ariel and Marina unconscious. I swam to Ariel. "Ariel!" I shouted. She dropped to the ocean floor, and I sat down next to her. "Ariel, wake up!"

King Triton appeared next to me. I hadn't known how he had gotten there, but it didn't matter at that moment. He lifted Ariel's limp body and cradled her. The music box rolled out of her arms, opened up, and began playing music. "What have I done?" King Triton shuddered. He began singing to the tune on the music box.

Ariel began to stir in King Triton's arms, and she woke up. "Daddy?" She smiled.

"I'm... I'm so sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry," King Triton apologized.

Ariel hugged her father. "Daddy," She repeated. She let go. "Let's go home." Looking at the two of them together made me miss my father. I wondered what he was doing at that moment.

King Triton was still holding Ariel as he extended his hand to me. I reluctantly took it and began swimming back to Atlantica with them. "I'm so glad you're both alright," King Triton said.

"Your majesty, I-" I wasn't sure where to start. He didn't seem upset with me, but I had helped with a prison break and taking a princess away from Atlantica. "I understand if I have to leave. I'm not sure where I'll go, but I'll manage. I plea that you will be merciful enough to imprison me."

"Jessica, where did this come from? You're part of the family. I would never put you in prison. I certainly won't make you leave the palace. I'm sorry if I've made you feel unwelcome, but no more. From this moment forward, things are going to change," King Triton decided.

"Thank you, your majesty," I replied.