Uma had traded one cage for another, literally. Here she found herself detained in a dreary prison cell in Atlantica. She was powerless, and death was slowly creeping upon her. Talk about an overreaction, a death sentence, really?
Sure, the trident was all-powerful, and she was planning on using it for what would be classified as 'evil' misdeeds. But is it really evil to want to free children from oppression and abuse?
Fine, I'll stop caring then. I'll just die here, and every child on the Isle will never know what fresh air smells like. Uma taps her fingers against the stone wall of her cell. Faces of children that Uma referred to as the lost boys and girls of the Isle flashed in her mind.
I don't care! I'm tired of caring! Uma growled in frustration and lays her head back further against the wall. I try to help and free everyone, and where do I end up? Dead, that's where. And she wins, yet again.
Uma's thoughts traveled quickly stopping on a bittersweet reality. No one will even know I'm dead. Harry. Gil. My crew.
She shouldn't have gone in this alone, she knew her crew would always have her back. And what did she do? Break them free, and then swam away in shame. She felt like a complete and utter failure. Curse, her stupid pride for it left her to this awful fate.
She was known for her cunning plans, her sassy rhetoric, and extreme intelligence. That was all being clouded by her one stupid rash decision.
She should have known it was a trap, breaking in was easy, too easy. The layout had changed over time albeit slightly, and Uma somehow still managed to locate the trident. Locked away in an old treasury, which should have been a sign that something wasn't right.
All she felt was an enthralling thrill, everything she ever wanted could be achieved by the powerful magic trident. Even better, the power became amplified if it was held by a sensational descendant of Poseidon. Or so she's heard. Either way, she would be undefeated by all that would challenge her, and everyone would surely know her name.
Uma swiftly swims to the trident glee on her face. When she gets close enough to extend one of her long tentacles to grab the trident, it suddenly disappears and the scene before her changes. Uma glances all around fearful, she turns to scuttle away but bumps into something hard.
"I knew you'd be back Ursula," King Triton says in a menacing tone, his chest pushed out in confidence. "I knew that island wouldn't hold you for long."
Uma glares at the King of the sea before her, she debates running in a different direction. He had the majestic trident she sought in his hand, and he looked as if he was itching to use it. Uma decides to stand defiantly and crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm not Ursula." She replies with deadly venom in her voice.
The man narrows his eyes, "So it seems, you must be her daughter."
"Sadly, that's what I'm told," Uma comments sarcastically, a fake smile flashes on her face. She was nervous, but she couldn't show this man one ounce of her anxiety.
"You look just like her," he observes, and Uma glares angrily. "Are you half human?"
"I am, Mother seduced a fisherman. Tall, dark, handsome. Innocent and kind fool, easy bait." Uma then whispers snidely under her breath. "He still lives, doesn't care about me either."
"Oh, and yet you chose your mother's path?"
"I didn't have a choice, people like you made sure of that."
Not that she would ever want to be good. It was clearly a bunch of hodgepodge made up of people who enjoyed oppressing others with a veil around the world's eyes. Besides, Uma would never turn her back on evil. Never.
"I killed your mother, if it was up to me, you wouldn't exist."
Harsh. Her mother always said her Uncle was a ruthless man, but that seemed almost evil.
"Yeah, my mother says the same thing to me. See, I was a mistake."
King Triton says nothing, and for a flicker of a moment, Uma notices his grip slightly loosens on his Trident. "You know, I hate talking about my father. But, I do wonder, how he fell for my mother. He wasn't even under a love spell."
"Shocking." King Triton commented, "Love spells seem to be your mother's calling card."
"Mine too, when the situations right. Mother says my father was well sought out in his village. Rich dark brown umber skin, that glistened in the sun. And such a kind smile, and yet he chose her. But, he never chose me. Soon as he found out he fathered a child with Ursula the sea witch, he insisted they take me away. Nobody wants me."
Except for Harry. And I always managed to screw that up.
"Enough, of this conversation!" He bellows his face reddening in anger and irritation, "For trying to take my mighty trident, I'm sentencing you to death."
Uma laughs. "Try to catch me first."
She swings a tentacle at him in desperation, but he catches it with ease. She tries to pull it away from him but his grip is too tight. The trident she tried to steal earlier is suddenly lifted abruptly in his hands. Uma looks on in fear as the trident glows, and soon Uma is then transported to another place entirely.
She didn't know how long she's been trapped in this cell. Days probably? The lovely king came to visit her once, to inform her of her impending death sentence.
"A death sentence, really?" She laughs dryly, "And they say my mother is cruel!"
"You should have stayed away." He leaves abruptly after that leaving Uma alone with her thoughts.
She had tried to escape multiple times, tried ripping the hinges off the cell, which failed miserably. This prison was clearly built for a Cecaelia like herself, well obviously one in particular. It had also been enchanted, no matter how much magic Uma tried to throw at it, nothing happened. She was completely powerless in this cell.
So, here she was now, her mind emptied of all good escape plans. Leaning against the wall reminiscing about her short but eventful life. She wishes there was a way to mollify the anxiety of death knocking on her door. Instead of being haunted by should've done's and could be's.
Uma closes her eyes and thinks back to her favorite memory, it starred the one boy who never left her side, well once, but she doesn't like to think about that. And who doesn't make awful decisions in their life?
Harry sat on the cold hard ground next to the watering hole. Uma hadn't spoken to him in a month, and his ploy to make her jealous had failed. And the worst part is Mal and him bonded over fulfilling their parent's expectations. Their relationship had given him a strange empty feeling of happiness, but still, his heart belonged to Uma.
And it caused strain to their already fragile relationship. When Mal had left the Isle, even though their fling was brief, Harry still found himself hurt. He didn't like the feeling of rejection, although by now he should've been used to the feeling with Uma always effortlessly spurning his feelings down, with just a simple wave of her hand.
Uma, he missed saying her name, her brief lingering touches, and just the mere presence of her. He felt stupid, he didn't know why he thought it was a good idea to use the girl who had made Uma's life hell to finally convince Uma they should truly be together.
"You screwed up big time, Harry." Harry placed his hands on the prickly ground, pebbles of rocks sticking to his hand.
Uma was very surprised to see Harry, she had heard of Mal's departure from Gil. She laughed at how foolish Harry must have felt, even though she knew it was retaliation for that almost love confession, she accidentally rejected. He was still her friend, her best friend. And best friends could fight, not talk for years, and when they reunited pick up right where they left off.
But still, Uma worried Mal had changed her best friend. She felt insecure, Harry had always flirted with everyone, and so had she. But him targeting her, it was the biggest slap in the face. He knew how Mal made her feel, belittled her, called her...shrimpy. Gods, she hated the name.
Even when Harry and her were in less than stellar terms, she heard the boy defend her from that horrid nickname every chance he got. Uma, he would say, saying her name like it was a lost treasure. Her heart would aflutter, just hearing the sound of his voice. But when he said her name...what she felt was indescribable, warmth, joy, every positive emotion in the book seemed to hit her. She would sometimes find herself forgetting just for a millisecond that she's spent her whole life on this horrible Isle trapped like a fish in a tank.
Uma continues to watch Harry, who was staring down at the watering hole. Should I talk to him? No, I should leave. Her feet weren't in sync with her mind as she walked forward and sat down beside Harry.
She says nothing, as Harry glances at her from the side of his eye. Silence is awkwardly sewed into them both, as they stare aimlessly at the water.
"So, your girlfriend ditched you." Uma taunts, a jealous glint in her dark brown eyes, "Can't say I blame her, you aren't exactly loyal."
Harry's face fell, and Uma grimaced in regret. She wanted so bad to comfort him, to tell him she'll never leave him, but she does nothing choosing to watch him in their awkward silence.
"She wasn't my girlfriend." Harry defends feeling a little annoyed. He knew Uma was upset and she had every right to be. But the fact she questioned his loyalty bothered him.
Harry thinks about his undying loyalty to Uma, the loyalty he couldn't give up if he tried. She really doesn't know, does she? No, she did know. She had to know. It was so glaringly obvious.
"Then why are you sulking here because she left?"
Why was he sulking here? When he found out Mal had left, the first person he wanted to run to was Uma. But, she wasn't speaking to him and he didn't feel like being mocked by everyone. Still, Harry found himself searching for comfort, and it lead him straight here. The one place that he felt Uma and he could be themselves, well besides the ship, that is.
"I don't know, I guess I don't like being abandoned." His eyes gloss over to Uma's and he gives her an I'm still very bitter smile.
"You dated her for like a month, get over it." Uma lifts her chin up and rolls her eyes.
Harry grins at her but it quickly goes away. She was so jealous, why did he love it so much? He had spent months fuming because of Uma's flirtations with the crew, even though it was highly hypocritical. They didn't call Harry Hook the psychotic charmer for nothing.
Those flings were meaningless, everything was meaningless because at the end of the day he always found himself wanting to come back to her.
"You always know the right thing to say," Harry quips a little gleeful at Uma's display of blatant jealousy.
"I try," Uma nervously plays with her hair, a question looming in her mind. "Why her? I've seen you with plenty of people on the Isle, and you chose her."
"Wanted to get you where it really hurts."
It worked. Uma had actually shed tears when Gil told her. Uma always knew she hurt Harry when she rejected his affections. But this was the Isle. They couldn't be together, well they could, but they couldn't let anyone know they actually lo-liked each other.
Uma rolls her eyes, "You did, congratulations, Harry."
Harry wasn't used to Uma admitting hurt so openly. Or anything so openly. He looks at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have gone that far, I was so angry."
"I'm sure, I would have found a way to seduce Jay if I, you know felt the way you do." As soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth, Uma instantly felt regret.
Harry growls, but his eyes softened. "Gods, what have I done. That was awful of me."
He tries to imagine Uma with Jay and shudders.
"It was evil, perfectly dastardly. If I wasn't so angry, I'd be impressed."
"I do live to impress you," He states with a flirtatious smile.
"Harry, I'm sorry, you know how it is here. You and I could never-"
Harry raises his hand to cut Uma off. "Just pretend it didn't happen," Harry interrupts.
"It's for the best."
"Yeah, it is." Harry looks back to the waterhole, and silence falls back upon them.
Uma gently places her hand down on the rough sharp rocky surface and clears her throat. Harry looks forward still, Uma's hidden gesture unnoticed.
Uma slides her fingers closer to Harry, and Harry still finds himself lost in thought. Uma clears her throat louder in annoyance hoping Harry will finally take a hint. Harry finally does, looking down at her hand with curiosity. He casually leans back and places his hand next to hers. They know they couldn't wrap their fingers around the other's, but they both felt at ease just being beside each other.
After that incident, and Uma's brief scare of losing Harry for good, and to her at that. She upped her public display of affection for him, but still, the wall between them seemed to get higher. Not that it would stop Harry from climbing it, he did love a challenge.
Uma comes back to her bitter-sweet reality. Harry was nowhere to be seen, only an empty cell greeted her. She sighs, as she wonders what Harry was doing.
Harry was a mess, and the disarray possessing his mind was tearing him apart. He didn't know if he was 17 or 7 most of the night. In and out a state of reality, he felt haunted by a figure, he could never leave behind. His father.
Gil found himself stricken with shock, he expected Harry to be distressed, but what he saw before him was a crumpled defeated Harry with a look of insecurity in his eyes Gil had never seen before. Gil walked over to Harry who was sitting cross-legged on the cabin floor.
"Harry, are you okay?" Gil approaches his friend concerned.
Harry looks up a frazzled detached look in his eyes. "Never been better." He answered sarcastically.
"I knew, I shouldn't have taken your key. I'm so sorry, I just didn't want you to hurt anyone."
"Did you talk to them?" Harry asks desperately as he makes his way to stand up. "Are we going?"
"Yeah, I spoke to them about twenty minutes ago. I explained everything, they're a little ticked Uma would go on the journey alone, and without saying anything but they agreed. We're going to find Uma!"
Harry almost falls down, as he leaps with joy. "Thank gods, set course to Auradon."
"Already done, you can talk about your plan with the crew now," he then whispers quietly, "They just expect an apology first."
An apology? That wasn't exactly something expected from a group of villains. Part of him did feel an immense amount of guilt, but the prideful part of him was highly offended by the thought.
"I'm sorry, what? You want me to apologize?"
"Well, me and the crew. You broke an important pirate law, Harry."
"As acting Captain, anything I say goes." Harry points out with a smile.
"Harry, please, do it for-" Gil thinks of saying Uma's name but decides against it, "Me, do it for me, please."
"For you, anything." Harry says with a faux sweetness, and then rolls his eyes his demeanor reflecting his true emotions."I don't want to."
Harry sniffs in annoyance, and Gil sighs. "Alright, I'll tell them you said it. And you just play nice."
"Do what you want," Harry says waving Gil off and walks past Gil outside the door. He felt relieved to finally be out of his cabin.
"Are you going to eat breakfast with the crew?"
Harry stops looking back. "No, I'm going to eat in Uma's quarters."
"Why?" Gil asks confused.
Harry doesn't say anything not feeling the need to answer. He makes his way to the ship's kitchen, Gil following right behind. When Harry enters the kitchen the staff stop working instantly, fearful of their temporary Captains reaction.
Harry walks pausing at one of the chef's station. He looked to be around Harry's age but slightly older. Harry picked from what he was making, and the man looked at Harry angrily.
"Needs more salt," Harry says with a tense smile and winks dramatically walking away.
Gil mumbles an apology as Harry grabs a plate and proceeds to put random spouts of food on it.
"He's taking more than his helping." The Chef argued.
"I know, I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on with him." He admits.
Harry ignores the blabber and spots the door of the dining area. His breath seems taken away as he remembers what happened just through those doors. This is where it happened. He killed a man here. He wanted to run, throw up, be anywhere but here. Did the dining area look the same? No, of course, it wouldn't, they would have cleaned up the body days ago. With all his worries and fear stirring wildly like a witch and her cauldron, the door sung to him to still like a siren to a lost pirate.
Harry felt all eyes on him, everyone eager to see his next move. Stay calm. Don't be stupid.
Harry placed his tray at an empty table and proceeded to eat without a care. Gil sat across from him cautiously. "You okay there, Harry?"
"Fine, perfect in fact." He says with a detached smile, there seemed to be no lucidity in his eyes.
"You said you were going to eat in the Captains Quarters."
"I don't want to anymore." Harry says, "I'm allowed to change my mind, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are." Gil agrees cautiously observing Harry.
Harry eats as his mind wanders off and enters a battle with the grief he caused here days before. He can feel all eyes on him and he feels like an ant under a magnifying glass. Burning, his body heating up from their judgmental stares. Harry suddenly rises and grabs his tray walking back into the ship's kitchen. Gil quickly follows behind him calling his name. What was going on with him?
Suddenly, the tray seems blistering hot in his hands, he throws it upward without a second thought.
"Harry, what's going on?" Gil asks scared as his face scrunches up in confusion.
"Nothing," Harry mumbles, staring at the wasted food that laid on the floor.
Gil goes to say something but glances around the full kitchen, Harry was the main attraction, as all eyes seemed to be glued on him. "Hey, back to work!" Gil commanded.
They reluctantly went back to focusing on their assigned tasks. Gil places a hand on Harry's shoulder, and Harry moves his head a little to glare down at it.
"Harry, we should talk, privately."
Harry shakes Gil's hand off, "I'll be on deck."
"Harry, I really think we should talk," Gil insists firmly, he feels the urge to cower when he notices the muscles in Harry's face tighten in anger.
"I'm going on deck," Harry repeats and gives Gil a tight smile."Don't follow me!" Harry barks angrily and walks away quickly.
Gil valuing his life decides it's best for him not to follow. Gil had foolishly thought Harry and him had become even closer in recent days, their grief for Uma's disappearance had bound them with the string of lost. But now everything seemed thrown away, Harry as unstable as ever. Gil as confused as ever, what could he do? How could he help someone, who wouldn't let him in?
Gil walks in the opposite direction of Harry back to the dining area. He sits where Harry last sat, his shoulders sag in defeat. How could he fix a problem like Harry Hook?
The burdens of ruling a kingdom were really starting to get to King Ben. He nervously fixes his collar as he waits for the impending call. He's dealt with plenty of other royals in his life, but this was the first time he's ever had to negotiate for a person's life. And with The King Triton at that.
The mermaid king did not hide his disdain for Ben's father's plan. Ursula had always been a menace to the sea king's kingdom. Before she was seducing merpeople into shady deals, she was the princess of Atlantica. Ursula and her brother had never gotten along, he felt shamed by the fact the product of his father's illicit affair was given royal status.
To make matters worse, she was their father's favorite. At birth, fate had gifted her the power of song and she grew up using her beautiful singing voice to entertain her father and the many other gods. But Ursula grew tired of being treated like a measly minstrel girl. She wanted to be queen, a title that could never be hers because of legitimacy. Besides a beautiful singing voice, Ursula also possessed a cunning and quick thinking mind. Plan after plan she went through trying to find a way to declare her brother unfit, all failed.
Her brother had managed to somehow outsmart her and got her banished from the kingdom, the only home she knew. Her beautiful singing voice was horribly taken away, by her father and instead, her father forced her to wear a locket that gave her a new one. She was angry, painstakingly so, but there was nothing she could do. So she waited, till one of her foolish brother's daughters were in her evil clutches. And everyone knows how that ended.
The phone rung twice before King Triton picked up. Ben gives a shining almost too bright smile as a greeting. "Hello, I'm so glad you agreed to speak with me."
"Yes, what does the surface world want with my kingdom?" King Triton questions stiffly.
"Well, recently you have acquired a prisoner, I would like it if you release her."
"Do you know who this prisoner is?" King Triton questions and Ben nods. "And still you ask me to release her?"
"Her name's Uma, she's just a troubled and confused girl. You shouldn't judge her for her mother's crimes."
"No, but I should judge the fact that she tried to steal my Trident," Ben sighs, and King Triton continues, "She will pay for her crime."
"You don't understand Uma, isn't evil, she made a mistake." Ben pleads, but King Triton's ruling is clearly set in stone. "King Triton, I respectfully ask you at least let me come see her, to say goodbye."
"I didn't realize you were close to the girl," King Triton remarks with an eyebrow raised in interest.
"I'm not, I wished to be friends with her, and I hoped we would be, but, I guess that won't be happening now." Ben looks away saddened, "Please, If you'll just allow me to say goodbye."
"Fine, I will allow her the courtesy of a farewell from you."
"And my friends, as well, they know her." Ben requests and King Triton seems expressionless as Ben waits for an answer.
"You can bring them as well." King Triton agrees reluctantly, he was a little suspicious, but there was no way the human king would do something stupid in another King's domain.
"Thank you, King Triton. I greatly appreciate this."
King Triton nods, "I have to go now, I have many matters to attend to."
"Of course, sir. Thank you, for your time." Ben bows from his seat, and the screen turns blank.
Ben then abruptly gets out of his chair and runs to Mal and Evie's room. He opens the door and Mal and Evie look up at him with worry and concern in their eyes.
"We're going to Atlantica, but he wouldn't release her." Ben informs sadly, suddenly determination flashes on his face," We need a plan, we're going to break Uma out of Atlantica."
Mal and Evie smile as they look at each other a plan forming in their clever minds. Uma wouldn't die on any of their watches, and soon Uma will be free.
A.N. Thank you to NomaChocolate for helping me out with this. And my friend Timothy, for all his advice and letting me read my fics on call for hours. So, I took some of Ursula's backstory from Once Upon A Time. I haven't even watched that season. (I dropped once in season 3) But, I added Triton to the mix. And Uma having a fisherman dad is just a headcanon I have for some reason. I've been thinking about doing an Ursula backstory one-shot. Just because I'm kind of fascinated by Ursula's younger years and how she managed to seduce Uma's dad.
Also, if anyone has any ideas for the Jay/Harry confrontation I will inevitably have to write that would be much appreciated. I have no idea why Jay/Harry are rivals. It's clearly deeper than an over-competitive thing. And I haven't really found any info about it. I think my next update will be Runaway or a one-shot. Not sure yet! Check out my one-shot Glimpse, if you haven't read it yet! It's about time travel and huma.
And thank you to everyone who's reading this fic and any of my others. You guys are so great, I love reading your reviews. They are so encouraging! And I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Till next time!