Synopsis: More or less the same story as the 1989 film The Little Mermaid, except that it is from Ursula's POV(mostly); and it is just an attempt at filling in the blanks where I thought was needed. I hope to write more entries in the future. Until then, enjoy!
Part 1: Pre-Poor Unfortunate Souls
Hidden within her bed chamber, Ursula sat deep in thought, as she waited for her eel henchmen Flotsam & Jetsam to bring Princess Ariel to her lair for an unscheduled appointment. Just a few minutes earlier, she had witnessed an explosive argument between Ariel and her father King Triton, which was transmitted to her crystal ball via F & J witnessing the situation in real time, and which resulted in destroyed objects and the princess collapsing onto the ground in tears. At first seeing Ariel and her father argue over his human prejudices filled Ursula with malicious glee. This was turning out to be so perfect! While she held deep resentment for the entire Atlantican Royal Family, Ursula's real grudge was with King Triton who had permanently banished the sea witch from the kingdom for the crime of usurping the throne; or so the official story goes. In reality Triton was growing jealous of Ursula's talents in witchcraft and magic, which won her praise and acclaim amongst the merfolk who sought her services and advice; and he feared that along with her bared ambition, she would seek to challenge his rule over Atlantica by staging a coup. So it was not long until vicious rumours about her started spreading all over the kingdom, magical abnormalities started cropping up which were blamed solely on her and her witchcraft business suffered as a result. Living in Atlantica became so unbearable that Ursula had no choice but to pack up her belongings and leave the kingdom for good. The only customers she can currently get consist of the curious merfolk who had heard the stories of the "evil sea witch", and wanted to seek her out for themselves and the desperate. And Ursula in her simmering rage and bitterness over her predicament which has never abated all these years, went out of her way to make her deals with her customers as difficult for them to fulfil as possible, to ensure she could survive another day. So when she became aware of the fact that Triton and his youngest daughter's relationship was strained over her desire for the human world, Ursula finally saw an opportunity to enact revenge on the king. She had no genuine hard feelings for Ariel; she just saw her as the crucial key to Triton's undoing. By the end of their argument, Ursula's mood of sadistic triumph had vanished, and seeing Ariel huddled on the ground surrounded by broken objects evoked feelings of…..anger. At Triton for behaving like his typical petulant bastard self. The violent nature of his loss of temper alone brought to light painful memories of her past Ursula thought she had buried and forgotten. And compassion. For Ariel. The latter made Ursula want to slap herself. Was she going soft in her old age? She was The Sea Witch; she had a reputation to uphold! Ever since she started sending F & J to spy on Ariel, Ursula's feelings toward her developed from mutual curiosity, to lustful attraction, to full-blown obsession. Something about that fiery red hair and vibrant youthfulness awakened a deep longing and new-found passion that Ursula had not felt for a long time. She saw in Ariel an adventurous spirit which could not be confined to the depths of the ocean and which could prove detrimental to her father's plans for her future. A young woman who despite her high status was an outsider. Just like her.
"She's waiting."
F & J's slow drawling announcement woke Ursula up from her daydream and she sat up straight, while still keeping herself hidden in anticipation for Ariel's entrance. She finally appeared; she swam forth from behind the wall of the entrance, her posture bent low, like she wanted to disappear into thin air that very second. Her large eyes darted around the room in fear, her face woebegone and tearful. Ursula was taken aback by such an open display of raw vulnerability. It was hard to believe that this pitiful creature standing inside her humble lair, was the young Princess in Waiting of Atlantica. All Ursula wanted to do at that moment was take Ariel into her arms, comfort her and lay down with her and never let her go. For one brief moment, Ursula almost re-considered proceeding forward with her plan. Alas her golden opportunity was here now and she had to take advantage of it before she lost it for good. Maybe when this whole ordeal was over, provided that it went her way of course, Ursula could persuade Ariel to start a new life with her, where she could be her own personal magical muse. There would be no need for her to end up being yet another sea polyp like the rest of her "customers", no. Ursula was prepared to make the end result as painless as possible for Ariel. Ensure that she will grow to enjoy her new surroundings. Heaven knows how lonely Ursula has felt so many nights, with nobody but her henchmen and a garden of moaning polys keeping her company. It would be a nice change to have a relationship with someone who had such a love for learning and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Now was the time to act, before Ariel got cold fins and swam back out again.
"Come in, come in my child."
Ursula's deep seductive voice echoed all around the room. Ariel froze, not knowing where to look and how to react.
"We mustn't lurk in doorways, it's rude."
Suddenly the sea witch materialised right behind the mermaid, two of her tentacles wrapping around Ariel's waist while she pulled her closer to her bosom in a type of embrace; taking Ariel's small petite hands and clasping them into her own. Ariel reacted to all of this with surprise, this was not what she expected. After her confrontation with her father, Ariel had decided to turn to Ursula for help as a last resort, her head filled with the stories of "that dangerous sea witch" who had nothing but contempt for all that is pure and good. But feeling the witch's tentacles messaging her hips and her warm, tender embrace sent a shock wave through her system. It was all she could do to not burst into tears again, even if they were of relief. Slowly Ariel started to feel her resolve strengthen.
"One might question your…..(here Ursula turns Ariel around slowly so that they were now face to face, one tentacle cupping Ariel's chin so that they finally made eye-contact, their lips almost touching)…upbringing!" the witch said with a wide, toothy smile.
With a voluptuous chuckle, Ursula carried Ariel into her spell room where she gently untangled her while she swam towards her boudoir. Peering at the reflection in her mirror, the witch was pleased to see that Ariel, while still appearing to be nervous, seemed much more relaxed and her miserable countenance had evaporated. It would not do much good to do business with a customer who did not feel wanted or special; Ursula was determined to use all that was in her skill-set to exploit Ariel's weaknesses and make her receptive to whatever she had in store for her. It is better to attract bees with honey, instead of vinegar or however that silly human-created phrase went.
"So…..you decided to come to me because you have a forbidden interest in the world above. Most especially a human prince to be precise. And Daddy doesn't like that, does he?" She says as she reapplies her lipstick and fixes her hair.
Ariel shakes her head.
"Well then, it seems such a personal problem of this magnitude requires an even more radical solution." With her elbows on the dressing table, her chin resting on her downward-turned hands, Ursula made eye-contact with Ariel through the mirror.
"The only way you can get what you want is by becoming human yourself. And I will help you do just that."
Hearing this, Ariel's face lit up with awe; a new-found hope.
"You will do that for me?"
Ariel's response sent shivers of euphoric pleasure through Ursula's body; it took a lot of restraint just so she didn't end up grinning like an absolute fool. She had the mermaid's full attention now, which guaranteed that her deal with her will go swimmingly. But what really touched her in Ariel's question to her was its childlike innocence, a willingness to trust her with her fate and its tone revealed respect and admiration. It was more than Ursula hoped for.
"Of course, my sweet child." Getting up from her seat, Ursula swam towards Ariel, her hands reaching out to cup her face; this time Ariel did not tense up. Rather she let the witch lead her into a sort of strange circular dance with both of them enveloped in the kind of physical space only two souls sharing a common desire could be. Ursula could not tell whether it was real or a part of her fevered imagination…..but she thought she detected a tiny smile spread across Ariel's lips for a brief moment before being replaced with shy politeness again. "What kind of witch would I be, if I didn't seek to help someone in such distress?" she said while cradling Ariel's head and stroking her hair. "It broke my heart to see you in tears and alone, who else could possibly understand your plight?While this was part of Ursula's strategy for sweet-talking her customers into letting their guards down, all the same the emotion behind her words was real. Which in turn sought to make this double game she was playing a painful one. Giving Ariel's shoulders one last squeeze, the witch started to prepare for the grand magical spell she was about to perform. With a snap of her fingers, she activated her custom-made cauldron, a mixture of smoke and bubbles emanating from its surface. Peering at Ariel through the pink haze, Ursula's expression suddenly turned serious."You may have heard some…rather sordid stories about me. I am here to tell you that none of them are true."
She let these words hang in the air between them, the only sounds that could be heard in the silence was the hissing and bubbling erupting from the cauldron. Ariel took this opportunity to confront the sea-witch directly with her misgivings.
"According to my father and all those loyal to my family, you were seeking to overthrow him because you weren't satisfied enough with his offer that you can run your witchcraft business however you pleased as long as you did not interfere in royal affairs. Apparently you think you can rule better than he can. Is that true?"
" My only crime, Ursula said, throwing and mixing various ingredients into the cauldron. "was that I was the only person with close relations to your dear dad who was not afraid to speak my mind and tell him when he does something wrong. You see…..I know you love him dearly but your daddy is an egotistical control freak; I am sure you would agree with me on this?" Ariel's response was to roll her eyes and turn her face away slightly, the stormy confrontation with her father still fresh on her mind. Smirking, Ursula continued:"As it turned out I was blessed with the privilege of interacting with the common merfolk who sought my services. Dozens and dozens of them would come to me, with such wretched tales of woe you could not even imagine!" Ursula bit back a sneer. But the one complaint they all shared in common was how unhappy they were living under your father's rule. That it was not just that he would throw endless lavish parties for his friends while they struggled daily to get by. Naturally this was all very positive for my business, I am not a free therapist you know, and eventually he started to notice. So I may have offered some criticisms here and there over how he should prioritise the well-being of the merfolk instead of looking to feed his ego all the time, and I naively thought he would take my advice as me being helpful. But to overthrow him? Absolutely not!." At those last words, Ursula had grabbed a bottle full of some gooey business from a nearby shelf and flung it into the cauldron with a little too much force, resulting in a mini explosion of violent red and yellow sparks.
"Your father couldn't stand the fact that I was more popular with the public than he was, so he and his loyal goons conspired to turn them against me and ruined my reputation for good! He put me through hell!"
It took her a few moments to realise that she was breathing heavily and her eyes were wild with suppressed rage, and Ariel was staring at her with shock.
"I…..I had no idea.."
Ursula quickly composed herself and laughed reassuringly: "Oh why would you, you are the baby of the family. Am I correct in assuming you just heard what I said for the first time?"
"Yes."
"Thought so. Now I admit that I am rather ambitious, but not SO ambitious that I would even think about overthrowing anyone, no matter how terrible they are. But enough about Daddy dearest and his dull desires. We are here to fulfill your /desires my dear. You need not fear suffering punishment for his sins." Here Ursula motioned to Ariel to swim near the cauldron, beckoning her with one crimson nailed finger. She dropped her voice to just barely above a whisper.
"Come closer, child."
The two of them were now leaning forwards over the cauldron, facing each other on opposite sides. The bubbling substance was now emitting a yellowish orange glow and it felt really warm and pleasant on Ariel's skin. To Ursula, Ariel with her hair floating like a fiery halo, large blue-grey eyes and and her full lips parted slightly appeared to be like a creature more otherworldly than a mermaid, as if she were goddess from a legendary myth. The light emanating from the cauldron only served to further enhance her beauty which seemed unfairly impossible. Her face was only a few inches away from hers…..what should she give to just kiss those luscious lips…..but alas….focus! For now Ursula had to contend with keeping Ariel in as close to her physical proximity as possible.
"What I am about to tell you is very important. I am making you a potion that will give you a human form for three days. Three. No more, no less. If you decide to stay as a human indefinitely, you must find your prince, get him to fall in love in you and seal that love with a kiss."
"And if I fail?"
"Then you turn back into a mermaid and…Ursula leans back biting her lower lip. "You are mine."
"What?"
"Oh don't look so alarmed girl, this is quite a generous arrangement that I am offering you. When I say you become mine I mean that you pay your debt to me by visiting me on an agreed number of days and offering whatever services I ask of you. Sort of an employed muse of some sort."
It was during this moment that Ariel happened to notice the miserable-looking polyps hidden in the furthest corner of the room.
"What are those supposed to be?"
"Oh those are spies sent from the royal palace to expose my hideout. I had to teach them a lesson. Pay no attention to them!" Ursula waved at them dismissively. To her relief, Ariel seemed satisfied enough with her answer and did not ask further questions.
"So about the deal?…."
Ariel signalled to the sea-witch that she wanted to think it over and closed her eyes, her head bent over the cauldron, her hands gripping its opening. Outwardly she appeared calm, serene but inside she was bursting with adrenaline and conflicting emotions. Ariel was still very furious with her father for barging into her private grotto and destroying the "human" collection she had worked so hard to build, and finding a way to escape the ocean by going to his biggest nemesis for help seemed like the perfect way to get back at him. He had another thing coming if he thought she was going to swim back to him right on time for dinner and give him the satisfaction of thinking that he managed to shatter her human-world dreams into pieces. Oh how she will make him sorry that he ever lashed out at her like that, and for what? For saving a human being from drowning underwater instead of letting him die like he would have. Recalling the horrible cruel words Triton used to describe humans in general made it easier for Ariel to believe Ursula's side of the story, her body language and facial expressions alone read as genuine. Speaking of the sea-witch, Ariel found herself getting drawn towards the older woman. Her charisma and charm was incredibly infectious, her flirtatious bordering on erotic behaviour also did not go unnoticed by the mermaid and she happened to have a magical spell for her that will give her at least a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience true happiness. It was all very exciting. Almost too good to be true. And yet…Ariel still sensed that there was something off about her. That underneath the warm, heavy comfortable aura that was currently enveloping her, she was in dangerous and threatening waters. Nevertheless she was being offered a choice to finally take charge of her own destiny and she had to make a decision now. There was no going back. After all she had to admit the deal Ursula was offering to her was quite fair. Being in servitude to the sea-witch in case she failed the challenge of achieving her permanent human forum did not sound that bad. Ariel was startled awake by a slippery tentacle encircling her waist and she felt a hand brush her hair away from her face and a sensual voice whisper in her ear.
"So what will it be child?"
Ariel turned to see Ursula looking down at her with a tender expression on her face. She could not help but feel a little smitten.
If I am to remain human forever….like you said….I will never see my family again."
"That's right." Ursula replied with a dramatic flair. "but you will finally be happy. If your father really loved and cared about you he would want that for you. Wouldn't he?" Here she shoots a sharp, side-ways glance at Ariel.
"I guess."
"Oh I almost forgot. We haven't discussed the subject of payment."
Ariel clapped her hands over her face with sudden dismay.
"Oh no I didn't bring anything with me. If I had known-"
"No need to fret dear. I am quite flexible when it comes to payment methods." Ursula stroked Ariel's cheek, letting her fingers trace downwards towards her throat. Her facial expression suddenly turned carnal.
"You can repay me with…your voice."
"My voice? But if I gave away my voice how will I communicate with Eric? With other humans?"
"You're a smart girl, I'm sure you will find a way to make your feelings known. Take it from a woman who knows. Men whether they are on sea or land are rather simple creatures. A lady who talks to much confuses them, enrages them even. In fact they prefer that she does not talk at all. So she must rely on her looks and her body to get her man; and you my dear are blessed in that department!" Here Ursula made a playful attempt at grabbing Ariel's seashell bra which elicited an embarrassed giggle from the mermaid.
Suddenly the cauldron started to erupt, signalling that the potion was nearing completion. Ursula reached inside it to pull out a a golden shimmering piece of parchment, flinging it open to Ariel. She handed her a fish-bone for a pen.
"All you have to do is sign. Make your choice."
Ariel hesitated but only for a moment. Whatever consequences occurred as a result of her actions today, she will face them when the time came. She was sick and tired of denying her dreams and desires out of fear of punishment from her father. Whatever it cost she was going to experience the world of the humans above. To finally meet Eric properly.
"I'll do it."
With a quick cursory glance at the parchment's contents Ariel signed her name at the bottom. The contract disappeared into a puff of smoke by a flicker of Ursula's hand who now appeared to be in a state of manic joy.
What happened afterwards seemed to be all a blur in Ariel's mind. Smoke and lightening everywhere. The room filled with an electric blue light, then sickly green. Ursula shouting at her from the other side to sing something, anything. She does. Two long, ghost-like claws travelling down her throat and feeling her vocal chords go numb. Suddenly a small volcanic force covers her entire tail and she is being propelled upwards towards the surface in a burst of speed. While all of this was happening maniacal laughter was ringing in her ears.
The sea witch let herself go into a state of euphoric mirth as she watched her spell do its work and Ariel spinning to the top out of her sight. Today has turned out to be the best day of her life. The first phase of her plan went flawlessly; she knew that she made the right decision in trusting her intuition and seeing it through without hesitation. Once she was in a state of calm and was sure enough time had passed for Ariel to have reached the surface, she turned to Flotsam and Jetsam who floated to her side.
"Go after her boys, make sure she never receives that true love's kiss."
Sneering the eels dashed out of her lair leaving Ursula alone. She caught her reflection in her mirror and indulged in her vanity, her hands travelling across her breasts down to the area where her stomach and tentacles met. She may not be the young sprightly thing that she used to be, but she had curves in all the right places and the power to seduce anyone who crossed her path. Including Ariel. She recalled the few moments she made physical contact with the mermaid. A little touch here, a little embrace there…she swore she did not imagine this…but she was sure Ariel understood what she was doing. Not once did she utter a word of protest or show any revulsion towards her advances much to her delight. Still Ursula hoped that she did not intimidate her with her less than subtle gestures. Once Triton's precious daughter was finally hers, she intended to be very very gentle with her; that insipid human prince Ariel latched on to was nothing compared to the lover the sea witch was capable of being. There was no chance that the mermaid and human could fall in love in three days hence why she dictated so in the contract. One way or another she was going to make Ariel love her. All she had to do now was wait.
Next chapter: Part 2 Post-Kiss The Girl
SPLASH! The little rowing boat Ariel and Eric were riding tipped over, catching them both by surprise. Flotsam and Jetsam emerged out of the water, checking to see that the couple failed in their attempt to secure their true love's kiss. Confirming their success, they snickered and beamed their vision back to their mistress; who was watching everything through her crystal ball several feet below the ocean.
"That was so close…..TOO close!"
Ursula sat in her lair fuming a toxic mixture of panic and rage. Pity the fool who was unlucky to approach the sea witch in her current state. Had the eels not acted right on time, her plan would have completely fallen apart. This was not supposed to happen this soon! How did that wretched mermaid manage to seduce her boy toy in only two days? Were human couples really able to get intimate that quickly? Even though Ursula realised deep down that it was irrational for her to feel this way, she viewed Ariel's almost kiss with Eric as a betrayal. No, not just a betrayal, a cruel rejection. Apparently the deal she had offered wasn't good enough for the ungrateful little brat. The first few hours after the deal was struck were nerve-racking. How she waited on tenterhooks for something….or nothing to happen….that would signal to her that there was still time. The first night passed she breathed a sigh of relief.
She recalled their meeting the previous two nights….Ariel's face inches away from hers….her torso pressed against her own…the witch grimaced with longing. That palatable chemistry between them was no magic trickery, it was real. She was sure of it. And Ursula had managed to convince herself that Ariel felt the same way about her, at least a little. Just the thought of the mermaid giving away her heart to that bland human fop was enough to make her blood boil. How dare she? Ursula watched Ariel huddle close to Eric as they walked out of the beach soaking wet. She had to think fast. A malevolent smile slowly formed on her face as she suddenly thought of an idea. Oh you're not getting away from me that easily princess. A demented chuckle caught in her throat as she rushed towards her potion cabinet, grabbing the items that she needed and tossing them into her cauldron. As the mixture formed, the sea witch stroked the sea-shell pendant hanging from her neck. Ariel may have gotten within a hair's reach of securing her permanent human form but she was missing her most important asset: her voice. It was very clever foresight on Ursula's part that she never specified what she will do with her vocals regardless of the deal's outcome, which gave her the freedom to use them as she pleased. A blinding orange beam of light shot out of the cauldron and the sea witch swam into it. Ariel belonged solely to her and nobody, not even Triton had the power to stop her from getting her way. Now she was at war with both of them. As she felt her octopus form transform and the light of the spell permeating every nerve and muscle in her body, she let out a demonic laugh that could only mean that her already fragile sanity was slipping at a dangerous rate.
Chapter 3 (?) Post-Sham Wedding
The third day is almost over; dusk is fast approaching. Ariel had gotten her voice back but had missed the deadline to permanently become human and has reverted back to her mermaid form. Ursula had grabbed her off Eric's ship and was currently dragging her down to the bottom of the ocean.
"It's no use struggling." she said in a mocking tone to Ariel who was desperately trying to free her arm from the witch's steely grasp.
"You cheated!" Ariel shouted.
"I did no such thing, child. Since I am the original negotiator of our little deal, I have the authority to intervene and subvert any situations that might threaten to break it. It is all in the contract. You should know, since you read it in my presence."
"That isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair princess. Better get used to it."
Somehow or other, Ariel managed to stop in her tracks, causing Ursula to also pause right next to her. They had managed to reach the sea floor by this point.
"That incident with the boat….that was your doing wasn't it?"
The sea-witch flashed a taunting smile. "I might have had some…..indirect influence in that-OUCH STOP THAT!"
Ariel had let out a scream of rage and started pummelling Ursula with her free arm as well as trying to kick her with her tail. It did not take Ursula long however to defend herself and stop Ariel's attacks by grabbing both of her arms and pinning her down.
"Why can't you see that I did this for your own good? Those humans you are so enamoured with….they are a mediocre, primitive, ignorant lot. Do not think for one second they would not destroy you if they discovered what you really are. You will never belong with them. And that includes your precious prince. That boy has nothing to offer you."
"You're wrong. Eric is in love with me. I can feel it."
"BAH! You foolish girl. He is not in love with you, only with the idea of you as I demonstrated when I used your voice to trap him just now. Tell me dear, if he really is in love with you, why hasn't he come to your rescue?"
Ariel turned her gaze upwards towards the ocean's surface, where she could see the faint reflection of the moon rising against the violet-hued sky. The bottom of the wedding ship hovered like a giant bird in mid-air casting shadows on the sea-bed. Even from where they were floating, Ariel could sense that there was chaos above the deck due to the surreal event that had just occurred. Humans had just seen an actual mermaid and a half woman half octopus with their own eyes for the first time. Things will never be the same from this point on.
"He will come for me."
Ursula rolled her eyes in frustration. "You know…..even though you broke my heart pretty badly these past few days, I am willing to forgive you for your transgressions."
"What are you even talking about?" Ariel asked,
"I must admit I had my eye on you for quite some time. And I say that you and I have more in common than just ideological disagreement with your father. We could make a powerful partnership together."
Ursula picked Ariel up from the floor, albeit holding her hands and tail tight with her tentacles so she wouldn't start physically attacking her again.
"I am being honest when I say I have no real quarrel with you. In fact the only reason I involved myself in your little family drama is so I can get close to you. Why throw your mortality away for those inferior creatures up there when you can become the greatest, most splendid mermaid this kingdom has ever known, with my assistance? I can show you wonders and knowledge any human with his vast riches could only dream of possessing."
Ursula pulled Ariel closer to her, wrapping her arms around her waist. "You might not know it, she said lustfully. "but you are an especially bright woman, as well as beautiful. It would give me great pleasure if you actually considered my offer. Forget your father, forget the prince, start a new life with me. What do you say?"
Alternate ending 1
Ariel turned her head once more towards the ocean's surface. The evening dusk had completely turned to night so the wedding ship was just a barely visible outline. She could no longer hear the shouts and cries from the humans aboard; it became eerily quiet. In her desperation, Ariel waited, hoping that Eric would somehow release her from her predicament. But he never came. Why would he? She remembered the last time she looked at his face as he saw her mermaid form. His reaction was strange, was it shock? Definitely. Confusion? Disappointment? Disgust? He did not seem able to reach down and comfort her before Ursula grabbed her from him and threw her overboard. He probably thought that she had deceived him these past three days but what choice did she have? If she had tried to communicate the truth to him, he would have thought she was crazy and laughed at her. Minutes passed. Nothing. When it dawned on her that her waiting for Eric was futile, she let out a heavy sigh and her head dropped. Her journey to the human world was wonderful and she will never forget it, but it was over now. She had metaphorically sold her soul to get what she wanted and now she must pay the price. At least in the midst of the commotion on the ship, she had gotten her voice back, albeit accidentally. As Ariel slowly accepted her fate, Ursula wrapped one tentacle around her shoulders, nestling her closer. "I will make it worth your while." she said in a velvety whisper before planting a soft kiss on Ariel's forehead. This time, the mermaid did not flinch, or protest. Nor did she make a sound. It was only when Ariel's head suddenly tilted backwards that Ursula realised with surprise that she had fainted. Signalling to Flotsam and Jetsam who were floating close by to join her, Ursula scooped the little mermaid into her arms and they started the long journey back to her lair.
By the time they arrived back at her place, Ursula was exhausted and her arms ached; although Ariel was quite petite in size she still made for heavy weight by being carried for a long distance. Giving instructions to Flotsam and Jetsam to keep watch outside, Ursula swam towards her bedchambers where by hooking one tentacle on a jutting rock she pulled herself and Ariel up inside her conch shell bed. She lay Ariel gently on the shell surface where she normally slept then she selected one potion bottle from her boudoir. Opening Ariel's mouth with her fingers she spilled a few drops of the shiny,glittery liquid inside it and a fair amount of it on her face. Ariel did not stir nor wake up, but the stiff tension around her mouth and eyes which concealed her frustration had disappeared. As Ursula sat there rubbing the ointment on Ariel's face and neck while holding her hand with the other, deep dark thoughts began to form in her mind. It troubled her greatly that Ariel did not react or give any definitive response after she had opened her heart to her and confessed to her motivations for helping her become human. Even a cutting rejection would've been preferable to leaving her hanging like this. Although to be fair, Ariel had quite a tumultuous day, Ursula throwing a bomb like that on her would not have done her emotional and mental state any favours. Feelings of guilt began to plague Ursula's conscious which she did not like. What if Ariel was genuinely happy with her prince and he actually cared for her like she said? Is she no different than Ariel's father in believing that keeping this poor mermaid entrapped in a cage for her own safety and security trumped her own happiness? Ursula sighed as she squeezed Ariel's hand in hers. Until now she had never suffered any qualms over screwing over her clients in the deals she made with them. It was what she had to do to survive and they made their choice by coming to her for help. But if Ariel ended up holding her in contempt (and she would be right in doing so!) no matter how generous Ursula was with her, it would shatter her. For the first time in a long time, Ursula found herself in a moral quandary.
Alternate Ending 2 coming soon :)