Part of Your World

That World

"I just don't know what we're going to do with you, young man."

"Dad, I'm sorry. I just forgot."

Y/n and Flounder glanced at each other, then back at Arius getting chewed out.

"As a result of your careless behavior -"

Sebastian poked out from behind King Triton's crown. "Careless and reckless behavior!"

"The entire concert was, er..."

"Well, it was ruined! 'Dat's all! Come-pletely dee-st-roa-yed" the crab cried, coming out of the king's beard and swimming in front of Arius. " 'Dis was to be 'de pee-nni-cle of my di-stin-guished career...NOW T'ANKS TO YOU I AM 'DE LAUGHING STOCK OF 'DE ENTIRE KINGDOM!"

Y/n swan in front of his face, yelling, "Hey, cool it, Mr. Krabs, it wasn't his fault!" Seeing Triton looking at her, she realized she now had to explain. "Okay, okay, hear me out. It was my fault. Okay. I asked him to go out. Chasing sharks, hanging out in sunken ships, chit-chatin' with a seagull..."

"Seagull? What?" Triton asked, alarmed, rising from his throne.

"I...oh, damn..."

Arius pulled her arm back, trying to get between them in case he got angry at the mermaid.

"Oh! You went up to the surface again, didn't you?! Didn't you?!"

Not wanting to lie, he said slowly, "Nothing...happened."

He put his hand to his forehead, getting flashbacks.

-

"Athena!" Younger Triton cried, reaching out to his wife as she swam upward to retrieve her gifted music box from pirates while their daughters and son swan quickly back to the palace.

She grabbed it, but looked up, horrified, when she realized the ship was about to crush her, puahing her into a large pile of rocks, crushing her.

"NO!"

-

Under the bright, blue endless sky...

-

"Oh, Arius, how many times must we go through this? You could've been seen by one of those barbarians; by one of those...humans!"

"Dad, they're not barbarians!" he argued, not noticing Y/n giving him the stink-eye.

"They're dangerous!" He cupped his chin, lifting his face up. "Do you think I want to see my only son snared by some fish-eater's hook?!"

Arius backed out of his father's grasp, shaking his head. "I'm sixteen years old! I'm not a child!"

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young man!" Triton yelled, pointing accusingly at him, Y/n backing up.

"Well -"

"As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!"

Groaning, he shouted, "If you would just listen -!"

But Triton turned around, too angry to let him speak. "Not another word! And I am never, never to hear of you going to the surface again! Is that CLEAR?!"

Arius opened his mouth to yell back again, but closed it. Lips quivering, he exhaled shapely and swam away, Y/n swimming after him with Flounder close behind.

Triton sighed grumpily, sitting back on his throne with his cheek resting in his hand. Sebastian, next to him, let out a hmm noise. "Teenagas. 'Dey t'ink 'dey know everyt'ing. You give 'dem an inch, 'dey swim all over 'de place."