Ursula's Twisted Tale
Note: Inspired by Ariel's Beginning. My theory of how Ursula came into being.
Chapter 1--Marina Del Ray's Vendetta
Marina admitted, yes, she had committed a grievous wrong when she had wanted to electrocute Sebastian to death with her eels. Her eels, back in her cove, were lost without their 'mother' to tend to them. They never liked Benjamin the manatee's gentle nature much, even if they never admitted to it. But the morays had planned to bust their dear caretaker out of jail, even if it took all the electricity in their bodies. Such a feat would not be easily undertaken, nor would it be simple to execute. They would have to distract the guards. Already the leader of the group, Guantanamo, was plotting something deviously brilliant. The three other morays, Tempest, Eddy and Leech followed right behind their fearless and strikingly ingenious leader.
Guantanamo watched the swordfish guards outside Marina's cell intensely. He decided to use Tempest, the only female eel, as a distraction.
"You're the one with the feminine wiles. Chat them up a bit, and I will call for you when I need you.", he said. Nodding, Tempest followed her orders and the two other morays followed behind him closely. They reached Marina's cell and Guantanamo began slicing through the coral focusing his electricity as a laser at the end of his tail. Pretty soon the guards were hypnotized by Tempest's glare and Guantanamo called her.
"Excellent hypnotic technique, my dear.", he said, causing her to blush slightly. There was no time to be adulated however. They began focusing their energies like Guantanamo had and easily cut through the coral, allowing Marina and Benjamin to go free. But, Benjamin, really, hadn't been as lucky. Marina, swimming far ahead of him, swam as fast as she could to her cove. Sadly, he had been surrounded by the morays and they looked murderous.
"I can't say I'm exactly glad to see you.", Benjamin said, feeling shivers run from his head to his tail. Being around Marina's eels didn't exactly appeal to him.
In one fell swoop, they electrocuted him and left him for dead.
"Whatever happened to my friend, Benjamin ?", Marina asked as soon as she was back home and looking for him.
"He went the way of all earthly things, m'dear.", Guantanamo stated, bluntly, showing no remorse for the killing they had done. The eels had been plotting to kill him all along but Marina had never known it. Strangely, Marina wasn't saddened by his death.
"Too bad. But at least I have you around for company.", Marina said as she stroked them all under their chins and they basked in her attention and love. Little did she know their jealousy would lead to her undoing.
Chapter 2--Tumult the Half Breed
Tumult was a dark-haired, bedroom-eyed octo-man, not like anything mer-people had ever seen. He was the result of a passionate tryst between a mer-woman named Desdemona and one of his own kind, Rift. The octo-people were rare, and often outcast, but never dangerous. Rift was one of the few. He was unfaithful and a real women's man. He had dwelt in the depths soon after Desdemona left him for a more faithful and accountable husband. Her son, Tumult was born and rejected by everyone around him because he was a half-breed, and also from the 'strange race'. Tumult always hated being called both degrading terms and vowed one day, he'd have his revenge on the mer-people for that kind of racist treatment.
One fateful day, Tumult happened to be swimming along minding his own business when he saw Marina conversing with her eels about her plan to rise up against King Triton. He couldn't tell what she was talking about but his heart burst when he saw her. He wanted to pick some sea anemone for her to surprise her but wondered if giving her such a romantic gift would be too passionate. He couldn't hold himself back, however, no matter what thoughts he had in his head, his heart palpitated with every little movement she made. Quickly, he picked the purple flower and swam up to her.
"Hello there, miss.", he said, his voice low and seductive. It was the vocal equivalent of a soft, sensual caress.
Marina for once, was mute. At last she eked out the words,
"Better now since I saw you.", she said, flirtatiously.
"Might I escort you to the cove ? I know of a really exceptional restaurant and I'd like to treat you to a feast.", Tumult said, blushing deeply, still admiring her curves and then locking eyes with her.
"I would love that, but we haven't officially met.", Marina said, blushing in response.
"I'm Marina Del Ray. Who are you, handsome ?", she said, in a sultry, sexy tone.
"I'm Tumult. It is a pleasure to meet you, Marina. I feel we already have a connection. It's colossal.", Tumult said, still finding it hard to concentrate. Marina's eyes were so sumptuous he felt as if she was toying with him without even saying a word. He was loving every moment though. For once, he felt wanted, needed, and perhaps even loved.
Chapter 3--An Octoman Scorned
Tumult and Marina's relationship had been incredibly passionate as it began to bloom. They were married after dating each other for a year, but Tumult began to see a change in Marina. She had become more consumed with her revenge on Triton and was still fuming over Sebastian's role as high-council member to the throne. If she had her way, she would be his advisor. Not that crusty invertebrate.
Besides, she had also begun growing in her midsection, and Tumult knew what that meant. A little boy or girl was on the way, and perhaps she was feeling a bit moody about that. So, he put aside any notion that she might still have revenge issues with the King and prepared the way for their little blessing.
Ursula was born and she looked more like Tumult than anyone else. She had a black octopus body, lavender skin and her father's wavy white hair. She had her mother's stunning eyes and full, sumptuous lips. She already looked like a temptress even though she was only just an infant.
"She is absolutely majestic, isn't she ?", Tumult said, holding the little baby in his arms and singing to her. Ursula loved the sound of her daddy's voice and immediately it seemed like she was going to be daddy's little girl. Marina didn't like that all that much.
"Wouldn't you like to spend some time with your mommy ?", Marina asked the little octo-girl. Ursula shook her head left and right and pouted. Marina sulked. She couldn't understand why her own flesh and blood would deny her, but she loved her anyway.
Marina wasn't that attentive of a mother. Again, she began her plots to have Triton "fall" in an accident and she would take his place as rightful ruler. She had also lost her interest in Tumult, although he still loved her very passionately and went out of his way to show his affection to her as well as little Ursula. He was constantly the perfect mate and even more; an eternal student and philosopher.
One blissful day as Tumult arrived home from work to check on Ursula to see if she was sleeping, he had discovered Marina had been having an affair. He could smell the cologne of another merman on Marina's skin and could feel sweat on the small of her back. Her cheeks were still flushed from the aftermath of sex. His once rational mind had begun to cloud.
"Why have you been unfaithful ? Is it something I did or said ? I treat you well, Marina ! I treat you like royalty !", Tumult began to scream, causing the walls of the cove to shudder around him. When angered, Tumult could be frightening, but he would never harm anyone, for he knew better than to lash out in violence.
"I was just getting bored, darling. You're a stellar lover, but I cannot be tied down by you and Ursula. I need to swim freely. You understand right ?", Marina said, smugly. Tumult felt his ire rise and thought at any moment, his volcano of anger would erupt but he understood.
"If that is the way you feel, I will take Ursula and raise her myself.", Tumult seethed, swimming into the nursery and holding a sleeping Ursula in his arms. Apparently the arguing hadn't roused her. Marina said nothing, and Tumult never looked back. He was a single father now and nothing could make him happier.
Chapter 4--Tragedy
It was a peaceful day and Tumult was swimming alongside Ursula. She already knew how to use her tentacles well but then learned she could use magic, too.
"I wonder how you are doing that. Maybe it's from my mother, Desdemona. I had heard rumors she was a sea witch and others came to her for healing as well as fortunes. I am not sure of much else other than that but I never inherited her abilities.", Tumult said, impressed. He wasn't scared of the fact that his daughter could wield magic. In fact, he encouraged her to use it. Sadly, her playful antics caused a rather large pillar of barnacles and corral in the cove and it landed directly on top of Tumult's head. She was only 7 and seeing her father dying there on the ocean floor was enough to scar her for the rest of her life. She trembled, screaming at the top of her lungs,
"Magic is evil ! I caused this ! Put me away so I can never kill again !", which of course was a lie. It was an accident that she never planned on, and she had never thought such power could harm anyone. But the police saw the blood on the pristine ocean floor as direct proof she was unstable and decided to have her hospitalized.
Meanwhile…
Marina was enjoying her time with her lover, Persius. Her eels, however, weren't. They had grown weary of Marina's affection to Persius. They hadn't voiced their opinion earlier when Tumult and Ursula had been part of Marina's life, but they hadn't exactly approved of Marina leaving them. Oddly, the morays had liked Tumult and Ursula around. They were creatures they could understand, but sadly, now they were gone. This habit Marina had of sleeping around and not paying much attention to them had really annoyed them.
"What's the trouble, my precious ones ?", Marina said as she and Persius quietly ate dinner in the magical light of a candelabra.
"Trouble is you have neglected us.", Guantanamo stated, darkly.
"Yes, and your new 'friend', well…he doesn't suit us.", Tempest agreed.
"It was much better when Tumult and Ursula were here.", Eddy stated honestly. Marina was shocked by what the eels had just told her and she didn't feel comfortable in this sort of situation, whatsoever.
"Surely, if I would've known that…we could've worked something out.", Marina stated, beginning to sweat. The mood had gone from romantic to tense in milliseconds. The eels themselves were ominous, and their energy crackled around them dangerously. They definitely didn't seem to be in a reasoning mood.
"Coulda, woulda, shoulda.", Leech spat angrily. Before either of them could plea or ask for a reprieve the eels had electrocuted them both and swam away from the murder they had committed without batting an eyelash.
Chapter 5--The Beginning of Darkness
Ursula hated being confined and despite her past experience with magic, she began teaching herself. The darkness seemed to come naturally through her. It wouldn't bring her father back, but at least she could have her revenge on those who imprisoned her.
One day, while swimming idly in her cell, two young eels, Flotsam and Jetsam had a plan to "bust her out of the joint". While the guards were distracted, talking about the latest events in Atlantica, Ursula noticed them.
"You're papa's eels, aren't you ?", she said, grinning.
"Technically, we are progeny from those eels.", Flotsam answered, bowing.
"We've come to save you, Ursula and help you…whatever course you take.", Jetsam agreed. Ursula's smile turned into a saucy smirk. She was only a teenager, but having been incarcerated had given her time to multiply her abilities ten fold. Once liberated, she could begin her new existence of her want for power. Octo-people like herself, she thought, were forces to be reckoned with and she was determined her name would go down in history if it was the last thing she ever did.
As she matured, Ursula's powers began to multiply. She never had very many friends but that was only because she tended to be manipulative. Her only true friends were Flotsam and Jetsam, the ones that had freed her from the asylum. She was always quite sane and felt such a treatment in her youth had been overstated and unnecessary. Letting the past leave her behind, she focused more on the future. She could see King Triton commanded much respect, and though she wasn't nearly powerful enough to steal his trident, she kept that plot in her mind for a later date, sensing that even if she wasn't able to bring her beloved father back to life, at least she was honoring him and grandma Desdemona through her dedication to mastery of magic.
Epilogue
As Ursula grew older, she hated Triton even more and saw Ariel as the weak-link in Triton's chain of command. She was fairly pleased that she was now famous and had begun helping people. However, there was a dark side to this "helpful" nature. If her patients couldn't give her payment, they were reduced to nothing more but sea slugs or anemone, growing on the inside of her cave, never to return to the outside world. They were slaves in darkness, prisoners to Ursula's misery.
Ursula had always been watching Ariel from the moment she was conceived until the present day, feeling that the little songstress could give her what she wanted and she would someday be the most well-known octo-woman Atlantica had ever seen of. Sadly, she was the last of her kind because a mysterious plague had killed the octo-people one by one. She hadn't known this because her father was the only living octo-man she had ever known. Strangely, even after the plague had attacked, and this was years ago, she couldn't weep for them. All that occupied her thoughts now were wrapping her tentacles around that trident, and fathoms below preserve us if should ever a thing like that occur.