Ariel took a deep breath, feeling somewhat hopeful with that news as the storm continued to loom while the heat certainly was starting to get to Ariel on her skin that was connected to the metal.
"Captain! Two ships coming from the rear; they're chasing us!", the crow's nest called out. "Looks to be a fairly galleon and a fairly new frigate!".
"And that storm is taking away all our speed and letting them catch up!", the captain spat as Ariel suddenly felt something on her back that wasn't metal.
"Darlin', you're certainly not an appetizer, trust me on that!", Ariel's eyes widened as she recognized Scuttle's voice. She gasped, looking back at Scuttle, happy tears as she whispered loudly, "Scuttle! I'm so glad to see you! Please, the ropes! Bite them with your beak!".
"No problem! Just give me a sec to...", Scuttle started to bite down on the ropes, trying to get Ariel freed while the pirates were distracted with the oncoming ships.
"Just hold on, Eric... I'll be right back with you there.", Ariel whispered to herself as she suddenly felt her hands freed and fell forward.
Ariel was hanging as the base of her tail is still tied, as Scuttle scrambled downwards to bite down on the other ropes, trying to get her free when a roar of fury sounded out, and an oar from one of the rotting lifeboats hit Scuttle just as Ariel was freed, falling down to the floor, widening her eyes in horror as Ursula in her human disguise whacked Scuttle away, shouting as he squawked in pain, "That hurts!", trying to regain his bearings as he flew away.
Ursula snarled, "Should have known that you have friends in high places, princess.", glaring at Ariel as she tried to get away, scrambling to escape when Ursula tsked, "Uh-huh, not yet.", as she clicked her fingers, and a couple of pirates grabbed Ariel, pinning her arms behind her back, tying them, along with a bandana tied around her mouth.
Ursula clicked her fingers again, and the pirates went back to their duties, to focus on the incoming ships, as Ursula approached Ariel, "From the looks of it, Triton will be here soon by a few minutes, and of course, behind him, is your dear prince and his ships.".
Ariel tried to mouth things but obviously the bandana was preventing her from really saying anything. "Oh, don't worry, you'll be reunited with them all soon enough.", Ursula laughed.
Meanwhile, at the same time, Eric was looking right at Ursula and Ariel through his looking glass. "Wish that seagull had sharper teeth.", Eric sighed as the ship's captain walked up to him.
"Your majesty, the Patrona's guns are ready... what few we have. Concezione's bringing up all the rest of the fleet's cannons. She'll be able to send those pirates to the bottom.", the captain replied.
"Except at this rate, we'll be engaged first. Despite the size, Patrona's lighter, thanks to the lack of most guns.", Eric bit his lip.
"Six cannon isn't going to be enough to duel that ship, sire. Especially since we have three on each side against their fifteen.", the captain said.
Eric frowned, trying to think of something, a plan, when he heard the sound of clicking, and he glanced down to see Sebastian walking up to him on the barrister, and Eric spoke, "Sebastian. Is the king nearby?".
Sebastian nodded, and Eric exhaled, "I may have an idea, but this would be risky for Triton's army. We need to lower the number of pirates as much as possible without putting Ariel in danger. If we attack the side where Ariel isn't on, the ship can be crippled then for Triton's army to attack from the front, at the sails, and then the ship will be practically floating without the wind.".
"Sir?", the captain was awaiting orders as Eric nodded. "Captain, get ready to turn us so we can strike without being in the direction of their guns.", Eric smirked. The captain grinned.
"Crossing a T? By God, that might just work...", the captain then whistled and began barking out orders to the rest of the crew.
"If we can get Ariel off that thing and leave it crippled, we can hopefully have Concezione in the battle ready to send them all to the depths.", Eric explained to Sebastian.
Sebastian blinked thoughtfully before nodding, and saluting before he jumped off the barrister to dive into the sea, to inform the king of the plan.
Eric lifted his looking glass again, to look at Ariel, "Just hold on, Ariel.", having been surprised to see that she is a mermaid again, but realized that it was Ursula's dark magic that did it.
"Ugh... I should've used magic on the ship too...", Ursula growled as she watched the ship starting to be put in a spot. Triton's storm in front of them, the two ships gaining from behind. She looked back to Ariel and walked over to her, "This might be getting a bit nasty... wouldn't want to ruin my hostage.".
Ariel widened her eyes as Ursula grabbed her, heading into the cabin, and through the cabin window, she can see the two ships approaching fast, doing a strange maneuver she hadn't seen before, but realized that it must be Eric's plan.
"Aim well, Captain... we've only got one chance to cripple that ship unless you want this ship to be hammered.", Eric warned at the captain.
"Steady, boys... aim the chain shot!". The ship got closer and closer before taking a violent swerve as the storm began to bare down on both ships. "FIRE!".
As if on cue with the crack of lightning; the three cannons on the right side opened fire, sailing through the air above the pirate's main deck and tearing right through the crossbeams of the sails.
The pirates shouted as the sails on the three masts fell over, and before they knew it, the army of merman soldiers from the front, threw their spears at every pirate in sight, impaling them at once yet some are still standing for some of the spears are in their bodies, not their heads.
From below decks, more pirates came up to the top since the ship was now basically dead in the water with no sails, only relying on the storm to move it about while the Patrona quickly turned away to stay out of the firing arcs of the pirate ship. Eric wasn't going to risk the ship if it wasn't needed and at this moment, it clearly wasn't.
Ursula raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, the storm is getting stronger, and less pirates to control about. I believe it's about time to get you down to the sea where you properly belong.", and Ariel widened her eyes, squirming away in horror, but Ursula held her tight as she transformed back into her sea witch self, grabbing chairs from the desk, throwing them to the cabin window, breaking the glass with lots of force, clearing it away.
Ariel tried to scream out, but the bandana was tight as Ursula cackled, and dived down to the sea, and Ariel heard Eric's scream of horror, "ARIEL!", and the last thing she saw was a familiar speck of inky black hair, running for a lifeboat, before she disappeared into the sea, in the clutches of Ursula who was soon met by the eel brothers, carrying her bag of potions and ingredients as Ursula breathed deeply, "Ah, nice to be back home in the sea, right, princess?".
Ariel greatly missed the sea, that's for sure, but it's painful for the saltwater is making her burns from the metal stake pole worse, and Ursula hummed as she dug around in her bag, "Now for a bit more incentive.", before laughing as she pulled out a potion vial, and Ariel widened her eyes in horror as Ursula grabbed her throat, clicking off the stopper, and forced her to drink it as she freed the bandana momentarily.
Almost immediately, she felt heavy, starting with her fins, and she looked down to see stone creeping over her fins, and with terror, she realized that she's becoming a statue! Ursula cackled, "There, 5 minutes should make you complete, but of course, if Triton comes before that limit of time, well, what wouldn't a desperate father do?".
While Ursula was laughing under the waters, Eric was being grabbed by the Patrona's captain, "Sire, please, take sense! You go out in a lifeboat during this storm and battle, you'll be claimed by those waters!".
"I'm not losing her, Captain!", Eric shouted at the man.
The captain saw the pure will and determination and love in Eric's face, and sighed, letting him go, and unlocked the winch locks, dropping the lifeboat with Eric giving him a grateful look, and once it touched the water, Eric set off, rowing immediately, grunting.
He saw a faint familiar glow moving through the water, and realized that it's Triton, and he followed, watching as he rowed furiously.
Ursula heard a roar of fury, "URSULA!", and she looked over to see Triton swimming fast with his trident glowing intensely, with a mad Sebastian on his shoulder. Ursula tsked, "Temper, or do you want to destroy your daughter?", her tentacles curling around Ariel as she is turning into stone, her tail already gray.
"Let... her... go...", Triton said, cold anger and rage in every word.
"Now, see, that's not how this works.", Ursula chuckled. "What would you do if I did? Easy, blast me with your trident there. So, you're in no position to make demands unless you want to shatter her to pieces. Of course, I don't see the big deal... you have six other daug- oh, that's right... Ariel here is almost the spitting image of Athena.". She gave a sick laugh.
Ariel widened her eyes in surprise and confusion. Ursula knew her mother?! Triton exhaled sharply with pain and rage, "You led the pirates to the cove, betraying Atlantica, and indirectly, you killed my wife, Ursula! All because you wanted to be powerful with your foul, dark magic!".
Ariel gave a horrified gasp, yet muffled against the bandana, and Ursula heard her before cackling, "Oh, my, you didn't know, hmm, princess? Looks like you have another reason to be angry at dear old daddy.".
Glaring at her, Ariel shook her head, and Sebastian spoke, "I think she's angry at you, witch.", and Ursula scowled, "Ah, no need to fret your head about that, princess.", before snapping her fingers, and a gold contract appeared, "If you don't want your daughter to be completely stone, lost to you forever, there's a way to stop it...Of course, it means trading something much more valuable, and in turn, someone else even better.", with a wicked smile.
Ariel was shaking her head for Triton. She knew exactly what was probably in that contract even if she couldn't see the print on it from where she was being held. Triton too was conflicted as Ursula could tell.
"Better make a decision, 'Daddy'.", Ursula used that word to really twist the knife. "The hourglass is trickling fast.".
Triton widened his eyes, exhaling as Sebastian protested, "You can't, your majesty!", and Triton spoke reverently, "I have to, Sebastian.", nudging him off his shoulder, and swam closer to Ursula and Ariel.
He locked his eyes to Ariel, "I'm truly sorry, Ariel...for everything I did. I..I was a terrible father...I hope this is my redemption for that...And I give you my blessing to be with Eric, he's a good human.", with a weak smile before sighing, "I love you, daughter.", as he then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and with his trident, he blasted a thin line to the contract, his name signed in legal script, opening his eyes to see his daughter trying to cry out to him as Ursula laughed, "It's done then!".
The contract became a swirl of golden magic, flashing around Ariel, turning her back to normal, and into Triton who shouted, becoming stone faster than before, dropping the trident, with Ariel having suddenly freed from the magic, screaming out loud, "Daddy! NO!".
Ariel sobbed as she embraced her stone father as Ursula swam up and plucked the non-stone crown off Triton's head and took his trident. "Aw, my dear, don't cry.". One of her tentacles wrapped around Ariel's back like she was trying to give her a shoulder to cry on. "He's much better this way after all. Don't have to worry about him changing his mind and separating you from your prince again.", she teased.
Ariel turned around and glared at Ursula, "Don't touch me! You're a monster!", swimming fast to attack her, and Ursula shouted in surprise and rage, whipping her tentacles to grab Ariel, forcing her down against a stone, "Monster? Well, then, it's time to be a monster!", the trident glowing as it went threateningly against Ariel who recoiled in fear and terror.
"AH!", Ursula suddenly cried out in pain as she turned to see that she had taken a harpoon right to the shoulder... delivered by Eric who amazingly had some serious throwing power even while underwater.
Ariel gasped in relief, joy, shock, and fear, "Eric! Eric, swim! Go!", and Ursula snarled, ordering the eel brothers, "After him, boys!", with Eric swimming upwards to take some air, with the eel brothers swimming up to him.
Eric panted as he resurfaced, scrambling to get back into the lifeboat when he felt strong flesh grab him, and pull him back with force, and he shouted, heading back into the sea, holding his breath as the eel brothers trapped him, dragging him down as he tried to fight back.
At the same time, Flounder and Sebastian had reunited with each other and quickly moved into action to try and help Eric with his eel issue. "Come on, lad, he doesn't have much time!".
Flounder and Sebastian went for an eel brother each, with Sebastian clawing at the tail, biting it, earning the eel to shout, with Flounder whapping his tail into the other eel brother's face furiously, earning them to let go of Eric who was almost out of breath, trying to move when Ursula pointed the Trident, "Say goodbye to your beau, princess.", aiming for Eric.
Ariel gasped, squirming hard out of the tentacles, grabbing Ursula by the hair, yanking her back, earning her to shout in pain and surprise, missing Eric by a margin, hitting the eel brothers, vaporizing them at once with them giving out final screams of life.
Ursula screamed in horror and heartbreak, "Flotsam, Jetsam, my poor baby boys!", catching the remains of the eel brothers in her hands, before rage took over her, seeing Ariel swimming up to rejoin Eric, and she snarled, "That does it!", as ink came around her, filling the ocean, with the trident glowing more intensely than ever, with Sebastian and Flounder watching in horror.
Ariel called out to Eric as she resurfaced, "Eric!", with Eric swimming, holding her as he kissed her forehead, "Ariel! Oh, are you okay?!", and Ariel hugged him, "You gotta get out of here, it's dangerous!".
"No, I am not leaving you, Ariel. I ain't losing you again.", Eric firmly protested, kissing her again on the forehead when they noticed something happening, and saw the water bubbling around them, becoming sort of hot.
"Oh, that's not good...", Eric whispered before the two of them suddenly felt something large beneath them and rising out of the sea. As it turns out, it was Ursula's head as she was getting big. Real big.
They were sitting on the crown, Triton's crown, split between one of the large spikes as Ursula grew and grew, cackling and laughing, and Ariel grabbed his hand, gesturing to the sea, and with a nod, Eric went with Ariel, diving to the sea, and resurfacing, panting as they reached for each other, huddling up close, with horror in their eyes as they saw the humungous form of Ursula before them.
Ursula roared, "You simple, foolish, and stupid fools! You will pay with your lives!", whipping one of her large tentacles at them, and Eric shouted, "Ariel, swim!", the couple diving to swim to escape the tentacle as Ursula cackled, "Now, I am the Queen of the seven seas! All obey me to every whim!", whirling the storm into higher, intensifying storm clouds, with thunderous lightning and wild rain.
Triton's army was scattered as they retreated from any sort of reach to Ursula. The two Tirulian ships were also trying to reverse course while the pirate ship was being tossed around by the mighty waves. Eric wrapped his arms around Ariel tight as the two of them were pinned up against a large rock that was sticking out; practically the peak of a mountain if the Mediterranean was drained.
Ursula noticed, and blasted the rock, parting the couple, and Ariel screamed, "Eric!", reaching for him, as Ursula snarled, tipping the trident into the sea, "Time to make my mark on the world!", creating a humungous whirlpool, parting the couple even further away as Eric reached for Ariel, trying to swim to her, "Ariel!", before screaming out as a wave took him away while another wave swept Ariel into the whirlpool, sending her with a mighty crash into the bottom of the tunnel-like whirlpool as more wrecked ships rose out of the water.
Ariel felt so much pain as her back and tail was really scraped and bleeding, and she looked up to Ursula with horror and terror, the wind whipping her hair furiously, and Ursula grinned maliciously, "Target practice!", the trident glowing intensely as she aimed for Ariel, and Ariel shrieked out in shock as she dodged the first blast, with Ursula then repeatedly shooting at her.