Chapter 26

Waters off the Enchanted Forest, present day

"I'll ask you one more time. Where were you?"

"Out of curiosity," the damned pirate said with an infuriating smirk, "if I refuse to answer yet again, just what is it you plan to do?"
Ursula wanted to slap Blackbeard so hard he'd have to blow his nose from the back of his head. "I'll…I'll turn you into a blowfish you lily-livered scourge of the seven seas!"

"A blowfish," Blackbeard said with a nod. "That could be interesting. That could be interesting indeed. We both know, however, that I'd be of no use to you changed into a sea creature. We both know that sorry lot you call my crew is as likely to kill each other off as they are to come up with a useable plan to steal the trident. They need a captain with a strong hand and the patience of Job to keep them in line."

Unfortunately he was right, but that didn't mean she had to roll over and take his crap!

"You're not the only pirate captain in the realm, you know! I can always find myself another!"

"None with my skill," he said confidently. "Besides, you have no way to obtain another captain. Now that the Evil Queen has reconciled with her step daughter, you have no leverage left with anyone who has the skill to get you what you want."

Ursula ground her teeth in frustration and then forced herself to calm. Why was she constantly being tested like this?
"Fine," Ursula said in a forced-neutral voice. "Would you, please let me know just what it was that led you to escape?"

"What else," he said with a shrug. "Business related to my desire for vengeance."

"I told you!" Ursula bellowed. "You aren't allowed to pursue your vengeance on land until after you obtain my trident for me!"

He gave her an arrogantly amused look. "And precisely when have you known pirates to care what is allowed to them and what is not.

Ursula closed her eyes and went to her happy place—a land where she had the trident and absolute power—and where this infuriating man was being tortured within an inch of his life.

"Fine, bud," she said sourly. "did you at least make progress with your revenge?"

A look she couldn't identify came and went on his face. "Oh, things are definitely…moving," he said in a careful voice.

"Good," she ground out. "And while you were busy looking to your own affairs, did you have a spare moment to think about mine?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," he said. "You, Ursula, are about to be a very happy octopus."

"Why's that?"

"I have a plan and it's almost guaranteed to work like a charm."

Over the next fifteen minutes, Blackbeard laid out a plan so brilliant, Ursula almost kissed him. A plan in which her forces divided and conquered Triton's forces during his precious daughter's wedding. A plan in which she got the trident and ruled the world. It was both brilliant and perfect.

But Ursula had never trusted perfect. There was something else in that shaggy head of his, or her name wasn't Ursula.

"Sounds great," she said as soon as he'd laid his whole plan out. "You better get cracking. Those pirates are going to need a lot of training if they're going to pull this off. Oh, and make sure they know that anyone who pillages, plunders or drinks on this mission will be zapped into next Tuesday!"

Ursula watched her captive leave, eyeing him distrustfully. When he was safely out of ear shot, she stepped from the room and bellowed for her most faithful servants. "Flotsam! Jetsam! Get your slimy asses in here!"
The eels slithered in languidly.

"Yes your shrillness?" Flotsam asked.

"How may we serve you?" Jetsam continued.

"I need you to do something for me," Ursula said, ignoring their oily tones.

"Your wish is our command, o sea witch most vile."

"Keep an eye on that shifty captain of mine," she said. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Mark my words. He's up to something."

"We'll keep two eyes on him."

….

Ursula had just sat down for her evening meal when the eels returned, an envelope held between them in their mouths. There was an amused gleam in each of their bright yellow eyes. This boded no good. Whenever those two slithering fools grinned like that, she was in for some serious bad news.

She took a fortifying sip of her wine and then turned back toward her minions. "Well?"

"Well what?" Flotsam taunted.

"Well, what news do you have for me?"

"Oh it's bad," Flotsam said.

"Truly terrible," Jetsam added.

"Exasperating," Flotsam continued.

"A true tragedy in the making," Jetsam agreed with a pious shake of his head.

"Enough!" Ursula thundered with a downward stroke of her hand. "You two idiots are giving me a headache! Either tell me what this terrible news is or leave me to dine in peace."

"Wouldn't want you to miss your meal, o chunky one," Flotsam said.

"Though in all honesty you probably could stand to skip a meal or two every once in a while," added Jetsam.

She glared. "What's that in your pie holes? Hand it over."

"Oh this thing?" Flotsam said, swimming just out of her reach. "Whatever makes you think you would be interested in this?"

"It's only a little note we happened to find within a pocket of your pirate captain's discarded pants," Jetsam added. "Only a letter he's apparently delivering from Snow White to Ariel."

Ursula blanched. Blackbeard was acting as messenger boy between Snow White and Ariel? This couldn't be good. She grabbed for the letter again, but this time Jetsam took it out of her reach.

"Hand it over, now!" she bellowed, "or I swear I'm going to make you into eel pie!"

"Now is that any way to talk to your most loyal and devoted servants?" Flotsam asked.

"Insulting, it is, indeed, Flotsam!" Jetsam said sanctimoniously.

Sigh. "I apologize," she said softly. "Now give me the letter."

"What's the magic word?" Flotsam asked in a sing-song voice.

Why the hell couldn't she get any respect from her slaves?

"Please," Ursula ground out.

"That's more like it," Jetsam said placing the letter in Ursula's outstretched hand.

Ursula carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper within. As she read her consternation grew. He was carrying a letter for Ariel…from Snow White? He was planning to meet with the mermaid? Snow White was vouching for his trustworthiness? This could only mean one thing. Blackbeard was double crossing her! He was working directly with the folks on land in order to defeat her. The sneaky, ungrateful son of a catfish!

Well, she wasn't going to stand for this. Oh no! That pirate would pay. Dearly!

"Well," Flotsam began.

"What do you think?" Jetsam continued.

"I think that pirate is messing with the wrong octopus!"

"I take it you want us to destroy the letter and bring you the pirate to punish?" Flotsam asked.

"Nah," Ursula said, thinking quickly. Blackbeard wanted to double cross her? Well two could play at that game! A beautiful, devious plan began to form. "Not yet anyway. Let him deliver the letter, and then we'll see what happens."

Pirate boy was about to learn that when you swam with the sharks, you tended to get bitten.

….

"Ariel, I have a terrible feeling about this," Erik said once again. "You know how concerned your father is about Ursula. I must urge you to reconsider."

Ariel peered down at the note in her left hand. "But don't you understand, Erik? The letter is from Snow White. She says we can trust Blackbeard, and her judgment is good enough for me."

"At least take some of your father's guards with you," Erik pleaded. "Blackbeard is a pirate. Not only that, but it appears he's Ursula's pirate. Snow White may trust him, but I don't."

"Erik," Ariel said in exasperation, "we've been over this! I can't bring my father's soldiers along with me, because then my father would find out. As overprotective as he is, he'd never let me go."

"Maybe he's right," Erik persisted.

"Didn't you see what the note said?" Ariel asked, shaking the missive in his face. "Whatever it is that Blackbeard wishes to discuss with me, Snow says it's a matter of vital necessity, not just to them, but to all the realms."

Erik sighed and then swam awkwardly the last few feet toward her. Ariel knew he was still a bit unsteady with his tail. Reaching her, he took her into his arms, and buried his head in her hair. "I know I can't talk you out of this, Darling, but please be careful. I love you, and I couldn't stand it if anything were to happen to you."

Ariel melted, and turned his head toward her. She poured all the love in her heart into the gentle kiss that followed. "I love you too, Erik. I promise to stay on my guard. Don't worry, I'll meet with the pirate, see what he wants, and then we can get back to preparing for our wedding and the whole beautiful life that we have before us."

Erik kissed her slowly once more and then released her. "Alright," he said on a sigh. "Go. The sooner you get this over with, the sooner my mind will be at ease.

Ariel swam with purpose to the coral reef Blackbeard had assigned as a meeting place, scanning for danger, anything out of the ordinary as she went. The meeting location wasn't precisely in a bad part of the ocean, but it was far outside the purview of her father's protection. A tingle of apprehension seized her. What if Erik was right? What if this was some sort of trick?

Not long after breakfast this morning, Ariel had received the note from Snow White telling her that something terrible was happening and that they desperately needed her help. Snow had insisted that Ariel meet with the pirate Blackbeard in order to get the necessary details. Oh, Ariel knew without a doubt that the letter truly came from Snow, and she further knew that Snow would never intentionally lead her astray, but a niggling doubt still plagued her. What if Blackbeard had managed to deceive Snow?

Ariel set her face toward the reef with determination. It didn't matter. Snow White needed her help, and her help she would get! She was more grateful than words could say for Snow's friendship, for her help and encouragement during that ball when she first met Erik. Concerns or not, she would not turn from Snow in her hour of need!

The agreed upon meeting place came into view. It was quite beautiful, with all its brilliant colors, with the rays of light that somehow penetrated the murky ocean depths. Ariel looked around. She must be early. There was no sign of the pirate.

What could this be about? What could she possibly do to help Snow and her companions? What could be so important that Snow would contact her like this when she knew how busy Ariel was preparing for the wedding?

And Blackbeard! That did give her pause. Wasn't it Blackbeard who the group said had attacked Robin Hood and abducted his son? Why did they trust him now? Ariel's curiosity was piqued…her curiosity and her unease.

"Welcome, madam," Ariel heard in a deep voice behind her. She jumped and spun around, putting her hand to her chest. Blackbeard. She needed to get it together. Being jumpy was one thing, but reacting like a scared rabbit was a different thing entirely!

"I have to admit, the princess's note piqued my curiosity," Ariel said, willing her heart rate to return to normal.

"No doubt," Blackbeard said with a chuckle. "I'd wager I'm the last person you would expect Snow White—or anyone at the castle—to endorse."

"Exactly," Ariel said, "but Snow says I can trust you, and I trust her judgment."

"I promise, your trust is not misplaced in this instance," Blackbeard said, and Ariel could hear the sincerity in his voice. "It so happens that the inhabitants of the castle and I have decided to work together in order to defeat a mutual and quite formidable enemy."

"And who might that be?"

"Ursula?"

Ariel gasped. "Ursula? The sea witch?"

"The very one."

"But…but," she spluttered, "nothing's been heard from or about her in ages. Even my mistrustful father has begun to relax again where Ursula is concerned."

"He would be most unwise to relax his guard against the demon octopus," Blackbeard said ominously. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that Ursula is very much active, and quite as formidable a foe as you could ever find."

"What does she want of us?" Ariel asked in a small voice.

"Your father's trident," Blackbeard said simply.

Ariel gasped again.

"Indeed," Blackbeard said grimly. "Can you even imagine the destruction that witch could wreak if she were to come into possession of the most magical item in all the realms?"

"But," Ariel said weakly, "she wants the trident. So what? A desire for something doesn't give you that thing."

"True enough," Blackbeard said with a nod. "Unfortunately, the situation has become critical. Ursula no longer merely has the desire for the trident, she now also has a plan for obtaining it."

"How?" Ariel asked, her eyes widening.

"I gave her the plan."

Ariel swam backward several feet.

"Fear not, your majesty," Blackbeard said with a staying motion of the hand. "I assure you I mean neither you nor anyone in your father's kingdom any harm."

"How can I believe that?" Ariel asked, folding her arms. "You just told me you provided Ursula with a plan to steal my father's trident!"

"Please," Blackbeard said insistently, "hear me out, madam. I assure you the time will be well spent."

She eyed him suspiciously for several moments. He was a dangerous man, there was no doubt about that. He was wild in appearance and ruthless in reputation, and yet, Ariel had the strangest desire to trust him. There was something utterly sincere and almost deferential in his tone. Perhaps she would hear him out.

"Very well," she said finally. "Continue."

"For many weeks now I've been uneasy with the direction Ursula is heading," Blackbeard began, pacing the ocean floor. "She's begun to lust for power, and if she is to obtain it…well, there will be no one in any realm who is safe from her. At long last my unease became so great that I found myself willing to put aside my vengeance in order to stop the sea witch. To that end, I traveled to the Enchanted Forest castle with the express purpose of gaining allies for myself—and for your father—in the battle to defeat Ursula."

"And what was their response?" Ariel asked.

Blackbeard grimaced. "Much like you; suspicious at first. I…I must admit they have reason. For quite some time I lost sight of all semblance of honor, to the severe detriment of innocent people."

"But the fact that you bear a letter from Snow White indicates they got over their suspicion, does it not?"

"Indeed," Blackbeard said. "Some with more difficulty than others."

"And did you manage to determine a plan of action to stop Ursula from enacting your plan?
"Aye," Blackbeard said with a nod. "It was actually Mrs. Jones who proposed the plan. It was her belief that we can no longer remain on the defensive. It is time we force a confrontation with Ursula. To that end, she suggested I act as a double agent of sorts. If we were to give her an iron-clad plan for stealing the trident—a plan that we are also well aware of, we are perfectly suited to stopping her."

"That makes sense," Ariel said with a nod. "What is this plan and how do you need me?"

"As to how we need you, I should think that would be obvious," Blackbeard said. "You are to be the courier, the go-between, carrying messages from our world to theirs and back."

"That I can do," Ariel said with a nod.

"Excellent," Blackbeard said. "As to our plan…well, that I fear you may have more difficulty agreeing to it."

"Why?"

"Well…" he said uneasily, "it will in all likelihood ruin your wedding."

"My wedding?" Ariel asked in confusion.

"Aye," Blackbeard said. "As it stands, the plan is this: Ursula will take advantage of your father's divided security during the wedding to steal the trident."

"No!" Ariel said in shock.

"Quite so," Blackbeard said with a nod. "We, of course, have no intention of allowing that to actually take place. When Ursula arrives in your father's kingdom, in the room where the trident is kept, she will find me, my pirates and the true love couples from the castle waiting for her. Once there, the power of Rumplestiltskin's, the Evil Queen's, and the Savior's magic combined with true love's magic will be sufficient to encapsulate Ursula and free the land from this scourge forever."

"Brilliant!" Ariel said, clapping her hands with the exuberance of a child. "It's perfect! It will work like a charm."

Suddenly the ocean erupted. Smoke and noise and confusion. There was a final loud bang, and then the smoke cleared. Ariel had only enough time to note she was wrapped tightly in a seaweed rope, before her eyes went to Ursula, herself, standing before her. Out of the corner of her eye, Ariel saw Blackbeard bound, gagged, and shackled to the coral reef.

"Oh, as to this plan working like a charm," Ursula drawled. "I seriously doubt that."

The witch was flanked on either side by a maniacally smiling eel. "Flotsam, Jetsam, now we've got her boys!" Ursula said to her slimy henchman. "The boss is on a roll!"

"Let us go!" Ariel demanded, struggling with all her might against the seaweed. If anything, her struggles only bound the rope tighter. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Sunshine? I'm kidnapping you."

"My father won't stand for this!" Ariel shouted. "He'll come after me! He'd do anything to save me."

Ursula laughed nastily. "Well, pet, that's precisely what I'm counting on. How much you willing to bet your precious papa will be willing to hand over his trident in order to keep me from ripping your soul clean out of your silly little body?"

Blackbeard struggled against his bonds, yelling incoherently behind his gag. Ursula turned in his direction. "And you, pirate! You have some nerve, double crossing me! Do you think I'm stupid?"

Blackbeard struggled ineffectually to speak around the gag.

"Oh, right," Ursula said, waving her hand lazily. The gag vanished.

"Do I think you're stupid?' Blackbeard bellowed. "Damn straight I do!"

Ursula got in his face. "Well that's where you're wrong!" she thundered. "I'm smart enough to figure out when I'm being played!"

"Well, done," Blackbeard said sarcastically. "It only took you about two years to figure it out."

She backhanded him across the face. Her ring dug into his cheek, tearing a long gash that promptly began bleeding profusely. He merely looked at her stonily.

"So this is how it's all going to play," Ursula said, returning to her place beside her minions. I take little princess here back to my castle, and my trusty servants take my demands to good old Triton. Simple enough deal: his trident for his daughter. I'll have the trident by nightfall!"

….

Erik swam as fast as his tail could take him. He moved slowly, far too slowly for his needs. How he wished he'd had more time to get used to this damn tail!

As he swam, one thought repeated obsessively through his mind. I have to get to Triton before Ursula does; I have to get to Triton before Ursula does! The fate of his dearest love may rest on it.

Erik had watched Ariel swim away early that morning, intent on attending her tete-a-tete with Blackbeard. As she disappeared from view, the unease, the worry simply wouldn't leave him. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones; they were all on the cusp of something terrible descending.

He'd tried to dismiss the feelings, tried to laugh it off as pre-wedding jitters, needless worry for his future wife, but the fears had only increased. He'd been seized with the unshakeable certainty that his true love was in danger and needed his help.

Finally, unable to stand the anxiety any longer, he'd swam after Ariel, stopping only when he was within a hundred yards of his love and the pirate with whom she was speaking. Erik concealed himself behind a reef, peering out, listening closely, determined to be at the ready if his Ariel should need him.

Erik was suitably impressed with the plan Blackbeard outlined. With the element of surprise on their side, they had more than a reasonable chance of success. It certainly didn't fail to come to Erik's attention that Blackbeard defied Ursula at considerable danger to his own well-being.

He'd heard of Blackbeard during his many voyages on the sea. Sailors talk, gossip nearly as much as old women, and what they had to say about Blackbeard was enough to send chills down Erik's spine. The man was said to be utterly ruthless—the devil incarnate.

Watching him speaking so courteously to Ariel, outlining a plan of such considerable danger to himself for the good of all the realms, well, Erik was inclined to believe the rumors about Blackbeard were greatly exaggerated.

Erik was just about to turn away from the meeting, having concluded that his fears truly were groundless, when it had happened. For lack of a better term, the ocean had exploded.

And then she was there—the sea witch in all her ugly, corpulent glory! It had taken everything within Erik to keep from swimming forward, pulling his sword, hacking at the bonds securing his love, and running the weapon through the octopus's loathsome body!

But concerned as he was for the woman he loved, Erik knew such an action would be fool-hardy at best. To come out swords blazing against the greatest sorceress under the sea would be futile. It would do nothing but insure he was captured as well, and then where would his Ariel be? At least free, he had a chance to stop Ursula before it was too late.

So here he was, swimming for his life to King Triton desperate for his future father-in-law's help in saving the mermaid they both loved.

Erik arrived in Triton's kingdom just in time to see the king, himself, holding his trident and driving his chariot pell-mell through the streets, Ursula's eels grinning nastily in his wake.

He was too late! The eels had already gotten to Triton. What was he to do now?

He needed help. More specifically he needed the help of someone stronger than himself, someone magical, someone who had the power to defeat the nastiest witch under the sea.

Suddenly it came to him. Blackbeard's original plan for defeating Ursula may no longer be practicable, but perhaps it didn't need to be discarded entirely. Ariel wasn't the only one capable of moving between sea and land. Thanks to the cuff he wore on his right arm, he was also capable. If Blackbeard was correct about the power the residents of the Enchanted Forest castle along with their true loves could yield, they may be the only ones capable of preventing Ursula from getting the trident; the only ones capable of freeing his Ariel.

Erik abruptly changed directions, swimming for the surface. Triton was on his way to Ursula with the trident. There wasn't a moment to lose!

Notes:

-I apologize for the utter lack of CS or OQ in this particular chapter. Plot reasons necessitated I focus entirely in the waters below the Enchanted Forest. Don't worry; our two well-loved couples will be prominent throughout the rest of the story.

-As I sat down to write this chapter, I soon realized that I was a bit overly optimistic in the notes to the last chapter. There's no way I can finish this story in two more chapters! I'm going to shoot for four more. That will put this story at an even 30 chapters.

-So things are not exactly going as planned under the sea. Ursula is poised to get the trident—and all the absolute power that comes with it. Can Erik get to the gang from Storybrooke in time to stop it?

-Up next: The Enchanted Forest castle residents take a trip under the sea, and the big battle commences. Can they get to Triton before he gives Ursula the trident? If not, is there any way to defeat her?