Captured By Pirates

This chapter depicts Ben's journey under the sea and reveals Uma's plans for her captive.

[Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Descendants 2 or the dialogue used from the film. Some dialogue from the film has been included in order to tie in the events of the film into my fanfic. No copyright infringement or theft of intellectual property is intended.]

Chapter 12

He could not believe it. He was breathing underwater.

Ben had gone swimming at the beach many times. And often wished that he could swim deep into the ocean without the need of air tanks. And now unexpectedly his wish was being granted.

As Uma towed him deeper and deeper down towards the bottom of the sea, Ben marveled. He was able to do more than just breathe; he was able to see clearly through the dark waters. He saw a school of fish whip swiftly by as they continued their descent, in spite of the low light every fin, every scale, every unblinking eye was as easy to see as if he were viewing them in an aquarium.

"Wow," Ben whispered in amazement, then he gasped. He was able to speak and hear underwater as well. It must have been that spell of Uma's. Not only had it given him the ability to breathe water, it also enabled him to see, hear, and speak in the liquid. And although they were thousands of fathoms below the waves, the pressure wasn't bothering him at all.

'If only Uma was on the side of good,' Ben thought, 'what wonders could she show us?'

Uma had looked back at his exclamation and smiled. She was gratified that the king seemed to be enjoying this as much as she always did. Few landsmen ever had the opportunity to experience the wonders under the sea. And even if they did, she thought with bitterness, they would probably just want to exploit the underwater beauty, rather than treasure it as she did. For a moment Uma second-guessed her plans. She knew this young king was not a bad man. And while ignorant, he had tried to make changes that would benefit at least some of those on the Isle, if not everyone. She quickly looked away from him, fearing that her weakening resolve might show on her face. The spell she had placed on the king enabled him to see her just as easily below the waves as above them. Although her mother had not been a great parent, she took pride in being the most notorious sea witch in all the seven seas, and trained her daughter to carry on her legacy as a sorceress. Which is how Uma had been able to place the underwater adaptation spell on the king. In fact, her mother had used that same spell on her father all those years ago. If only he had been willing to stay after her mother's enchantments over him had worn off, maybe then Ursula would not be so full of bitterness and resentment.

Trying not to think of this, Uma set her mind on what was ahead. They were nearing the end of the chain that they had been following from the surface. One end rested safely in the boat above, keeping it moored in the middle of the ocean, while the other was connected to a ring attached to the rock face of her home. As they alighted on the sandy seafloor she looked back at Ben. He was wide-eyed taking in the submarine splendors around him, barely noticing her slip the key out from the folds of her clothes once more. She swam over to a large round rock near the mooring chain. Then pressed her hand onto the middle of the spherical boulder, which was almost twice her height. It began to glow where her hand rested, then a small keyhole appeared, she quickly placed her key in and turned, then just as quickly removed it. The stone quietly rolled to the side exposing the cavernous opening to Uma's pelagic dwelling. She swam back to Ben and took his arm with a bit more gentleness, than before, and led him through the vast entrance.

The king was impressed with all that he saw. It was astonishing just to be so deep in the ocean and be able to actually see everything clearly and breathe freely. He could not help but feel envious of all the merpeople living in King Triton's domain. He would never understand how Queen Ariel could become bored with living under the sea. 'Well, to each their own,' Ben thought. Then he noticed Uma pulling out her key again and going towards the boulder. As he watched her unlock the rocky door he realized that the key she was using was the same one she had used on her cabin door, could this mean that the key was magical and could change shape to fit any lock that it was placed in? He contemplated if he would be able to get the key from her and free himself. But before he could think on this further, Uma was returning to his side and ushering him through the doorway.

He was surprised to find himself in an open living space, almost like a large flat. On one side was what looked like a kitchen and on the other a lounge area. The living space had several oddly shaped cushions and what Ben supposed was some kind of sofa, all positioned around a thermal vent, which acted as a fireplace. Towards the back wall he saw a second massive boulder, which he assumed was another door. Uma directed him to sit on one of the cushions, which felt like sitting on a jelly filled exercise ball. He noticed Uma placing her hand on the massive boulder again. Like before it lit up and then slid back into place. Ben realized that without Uma's touch, he would not be able to exit this rocky apartment on his own. There did not seem to be any windows and he doubted the other door would move without Uma's touch and magical key. He was even more trapped now, than he had been on the ship. Still the marvels of his deep-sea adventure were so beyond anything that he could have imagined that he was more full of awe than despair at the moment.

Then as he began to relax, exhaustion took the king and he slumped over. At first Uma was alarmed by the king falling across her sofa. Then she realized what must have happened and relaxed. While her spell had granted him the ability to live underwater, it had not restore his strength or energy. Uma now felt a little guilty for all that she had put Ben through. Those beatings, being jeered at, threatened, and insulted, left tied up for hours on end; had that all really been necessary? Uma knew, deep down inside, that the real reason for her cruelty was because of the anger she felt towards Mal. Not only did she get to leave the Isle, she had won the heart of Auradon's King. It was not fair. Why did Mal get so much, while she was denied everything she had ever wanted? Uma realized it was wrong to take out her anger for Mal on the woman's boyfriend, but it was not like she could cause the same kind of suffering to her old friend. Uma hoped that the pain that Ben had experienced would somehow also hurt Mal.

She shook her head. No, Uma knew better than that. Hurting others never hurt the people that you were really mad at. Her mother proved that every time she blamed Uma for her dad leaving them. Every painful blow she had received from her mother had done nothing to assuage Ursula's fury towards the man that had left them. And yet here she was acting just as embittered and resentful as her mother, only her anger was directed at her ex-childhood friend. A friend whom had one day decided that they were no longer friends. Mal had turned from being Uma's best friend to her worst enemy for no apparent reason. Calling her "Shrimpy" and turning their other friends against her. Eventually Uma stopped chasing after Mal, trying to make amends, and instead made new friends. Well, maybe the word friend was a bit of a stretch for her pirate crew. Friends are not supposed to fear each other, they are not meant to take orders, and typically do not call their friend captain. Still her shipmates were the closest things she had to friends or family these days, and after all they were better than nothing. Still, thanks to Mal she had lost her best friend and had missed out on the chance to leave the Isle of the Lost and live in Auradon. Now she would be taking everything she could away from Mal. And she would start with her boyfriend, Ben.

Uma headed towards the kitchen and began gathering ingredients. If her plans went well Uma would have many nights with Ben. But this would be the very first and she wanted him awake and full of enough stamina to make it through the night. An evil grin grew on Uma's face as she mixed the components for her revitalization potion.