Landlocked 44

        Ariel sobbed as she stroked her father's weedy form. 'Daddy.'
Jim was having problems of his own. The bubble around his head, not longer sustained by Triton's magic, had popped, leaving him only breaths left before he had to surface. He was about to swim for air when he saw Ariel's face change from regretful to vengeful, her fingers curled into claws. 'You monster!' She tried to scream and swam at the witch, who had her back to them. The spacer waved frantically toward the surface as Ariel grabbed at the witch's face angrily.
"Don't fool with me, you little brat!" Ursula screeched, throwing the princess against a boulder. Jim swam in vain to his mermaid's aid, the sea witch snarling dangerously with the trident pointed at Ariel's chest. "Contract or no con--"
    Then, out of nowhere, a harpoon grazed Ursula's shoulder and lodged itself in the sand. She yowled in pain then looked about angrily to see who the culprit might be. She spotted the lifeboat on the surface, the occupant squinting to see if he had hit his mark. "Aurgh!" The sea witch roared, pointing her trident at the small vessel.
'Eric!' Ariel realized, swimming at the witch and pulling back on her white hair just as the trident fired, skewing her aim. The bolt of magic hit Ursula's eels instead, reducing them to strands of nothingness.
"My babies!" Ursula cried, gather their remains in her hands. "Oh, my poor little poopsies!" The trident glowed with new fervor. "How dare you!" She screamed, turning the trident once again on Ariel, who was helping Jim back to the surface.
     Jim noticed the sea witch aiming out of the corner of his eye and, knowing he would not have enough time to signal Eric again, pushed Ariel out of range as Ursula let another stream of energy loose.
When the magic hit him, it felt like a hundred ships exploding. The sailor instinctively curled up around his wounded core, the last of his air supply squeezed out through gritted teeth.
'No! Jim!' Ariel screamed silently, darting toward him. In her shock and desperation, she did not heed how much Ursula had grown with the power of the trident, and Jim was picked up by a giant hand before Ariel could reach him.
"A sea king and a spacer?" The witch cackled. "Must be my lucky day!"
    Ariel started to chase after Jim herself, then realized Ursula was headed for the surface, and the human needed air. She reluctantly halted her pursuit to consider other options. The sea witch wouldn't kill Jim, not as long as he was useful, so Ariel still had time.
"Ariyal!" Sebastian hailed, swimming down to her. "What happened, chile'?"
The princess tried to explain as best she could, preoccupied by the fact that her spacer was in the clutches of a rampaging sorceress.
"King Triton was t-turned into a-- weed?" Flounder exclaimed, swimming over to them.
The mermaid nodded sadly. 'And now Ursula has Jim, and he's hurt!'
"D-didn't he have a broken leg--"
'I mean he was hit with magic!' Ariel was beginning to hydroventilate.
"Okay, okay." Sebastian soothed. "We don't 'ave much time. Come up to de surface. Maybe de preence can help."
Ariel's eyes widened. 'The prince?'

     Sebastian explained the whole ordeal, in the little English he knew, to Eric, who had already noticed the large octopus-woman wreaking havoc on the coastline. The wedding ship had sailed back to shore for fear of the monstrous waves.
"So that-- thing-- has Jim?" Eric asked, his fear barely masked by concern.
"Yes, sire." Sebastian replied, "An' 'e needs, ah, magical 'elp before de magic gets tru hees, ah, sees-tum."
"How much time are we talking?"
"Ideally? Five minutes ago."
"Hmmmm," Eric pondered for a moment, looking from Sebastian, to Ursula, to Ariel, then back to Sebastian again. Then, the answer caught his eye, and he grinned shakily. "I am capable of bigger things."
"Wot was dat?" The crab asked.
Eric smiled wider, a little wildness in his eyes. "I said, I have a plan."
     Ariel watched nervously as her marine friends hurried off toward Atlantica to start evacuating. The plan was just crazy enough to work, but she still feared for Jim and her father. She looked over at their enemy. Ursula was monstrous; ten stories tall easily, her features twisted in her bloodlust, her teeth flashing like daggers in the light of the trident. Lightning lit the night periodically, making the whole scene all the more terrifying. A warm hand covered Ariel's where she gripped the side of the dinghy.
"Everything will be fine." Eric reassured her, noticing the horrified look in her eyes. "We'll save Jim and get your father his-- power scepter back, I promise."
Ariel gave him a small smile to show she believed him. 'What's my job?' She asked.
"I need you over on her left flank to distract the witch before she remembers I'm here again." Eric laid the solar surfer across the boat's seats and climbed aboard, slipping his right foot into the appropriate slot. "Be sure to make a lot of noise--" he faltered, realizing his mistake "-- er, or, as much as you can. The surfer produces quite a racket, and even though the wind is really loud, we absolutely need the element of surprise."
Ariel squinted, not entirely happy with her role. 'Why am I the distraction?'
"Because I need you in the water when the witch goes down to do what you do best." Ariel stared at him blankly as he stepped on a bright red button, releasing the shimmering, orange sail. "Save Jim's life."

    As Eric struggled with the solar surfer, Ariel swam off, wondering how to draw the attention of the huge sea witch. What I need is something not just loud, but irritating and disruptive, the princess decided. Something annoying enough to keep her attention-- I know!
'Scuttle! Scuttle!' She called, waving to her friend cowering in an outcropping of rock.
He hopped down to meet her. "Wh-what is it, sweetie?"
Ariel smiled. 'I need your help.'
    "'Ey! 'Ey you, you overgrown calamari!"
Ursula turned her head toward the voice. She was the ruler of all the ocean, commander of seas! Who dared insult her? The answer hit her in the face.
"Back off, you pesky seagull!" She growled, attempted to backhand the infuriating bird that had flown into her nose. It bobbed and weaved in front of her like a jellyfish on gaseous fumes.
"I don't like calamari myself," he continued, evading her swinging hand. "Too rubbery. Now salmon! That's a good meal."
"Shut up!" The witch yelled, beginning to make wild shots with the trident. Ariel's eyes widened; if Scuttle was hit, he wouldn't survive. She picked up a fist-sized rock and threw it as hard as she could at the sea monster. It didn't hurt the witch, but it did distract her enough to allow Scuttle to fly away. Best of all, Ursula had her back to Eric, who finally managed to get the surfer's engine running.

    The surfer wobbled heavily when it first took off, its amateur passenger still not sure how the machine operated.
"So, my right foot is over the, um, thing that makes it turn on--" he reasoned allowed, "but where is the thing that makes it go?" Then he noticed a thick, red band painted just to the left of a groove in the handrail. Eric gripped his handle where the red indicated, then shook the sail. It was loose, as if it were supposed to move. He twisted the handle experimentally, and the surfer sped off, straight toward the back of the huge sea witch.
    Eric held back a scream, trying to figure out how to turn. As the witch grew closer and closer, the prince leaned heavily away from the sail, preparing to jump off. The surfer caught up with his motion, veering sharply to the right, and a strong wind caught the sail, pushing him back. Eric paused a moment, realizing what he had just done. Carefully, he leaned into the sail, and the solar surfer made a smooth left. He pulled the handle slowly toward himself, and the machine tilted into an ascent. The prince laughed triumphantly, steering the surfer back on course. Now, to end this nightmare.

    "Oh!" Ursula smiled viciously down at her assailant, her voice booming with magic. "If it isn't the little demoted princess. I had almost forgotten about you."
'Let him go, Ursula!' Ariel demanded, frowning to cover up her fear.
"What was that?" The witch asked. "I can't understand you, what with you having no voice and all. Here, let me pull up some subtitles." With a wave of the trident, a row of golden letters arranged themselves below Ariel, transcribing what she had said.
"Awww, you want me to free the space boy, do you?" Ursula reiterated with mock pity.
Ariel growled, and the witch laughed even louder as the the letters "GRRRRRRR" appeared in gold below the girl's head. Ariel swam through the letters, dissipating them. She was angry, now. Angry and afraid, as Jim dangled lifelessly in the witch's free hand.
'Fine, then I will rescue him!' Ariel declared hotly. 'Besides, I am a rightful heir to the throne. In my hands, the trident would be thousands of times more powerful than in yours!' Ursula read the subtitles, her grip tightened around the neck of said weapon with each word.
The princess saw Eric swerve in the air behind Ursula. Something was wrong; he needed more time.
She pressed on. 'Then again, what more can you expect, from a no-good, wannabe usurper of the throne? You are no more fit for the crown than a sea slug!' Now Ursula growled, and the trident shone red. Eric was completely out of sight, now, so Ariel had no choice but to keep the witch's attention. 'That-- metaphor suits because your, um, brain is as small as a sea slug's!'
"Enough!" Ursula roared, and a monstrous wave rose and collapsed on the princess. "We shall see who is more fit to rule!" She dipped the trident in the ocean and cut it like butter, the waves splitting in two and caving under its massive power. Ariel grabbed onto a rock and watched as Ursula opened a hole in the sea, the water spinning into the world's deadliest whirlpool. Skeletons of ships were pulled into its current, sailing to the surface and bobbing like ghosts on the water. Satisfied with her death trap, Ursula scoured the tumultuous sea for her victim. Ariel pressed herself against the rock, praying the witch wouldn't detect her. Fear gripped her and her breath came in heaving gasps. She was keeping Ursula occupied all right. Eric had better come through with his phase of the plan.
"I see you, princess!" Ursula crowed, striking the rock with a lightning bolt. The mermaid was blown off the remainder of the rock by gale force winds and thrown into the trident-made whirlpool.

    Eric had a problem. Just as he was in position to strike he realized that the solar surfer, while it had the speed necessary to accomplish his task, had a rounded and dull tip. To ensure victory, it was imperative to find something sharp to attach to it. First, however, he needed somewhere to land. Going back to shore would cause too much of a delay and, as he could see over Ursula's shoulder, Ariel was in trouble. Fortunately, the ships the sea witch resurrected made a perfect landing platform. Eric hesitantly, but safely, landed the machine on a rotting vessel and ran below deck to see what he could find.
    Fortunately, he discovered a treasure trove of old weapons in the ship's cargo bay. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything that wasn't so rusted or moldy it would break under the slightest pressure. He did excavate a long, copper pipe with the end severed diagonally into a brutal point that could work, but the heavy copper would upset the balance of the surfer, making it hard to maneuver. To fix this problem, Eric also returned to the main deck with two barrels of gunpowder to counter the weight. He tied his bounty to the surfer with some rope that was still usable. Eric looked over his shoulder toward the sea witch nervously. The sea was so disturbed now that the ship rocked erratically from side to side. He didn't have much time.

    Ariel hit the wet sand with an audible thud, the ocean floor absorbing only a little of the impact. The spray stung her eyes, and the rush of the water pounded in her ears. Somehow, though, Ariel could hear Ursula calling through the waves,
"You think you are powerful enough to wield the power of the trident? Well, let's see how long you can evade it!"

   When Jim opened his eyes, all he could see was the broiling, black clouds overhead and bits of the sea as it broke against the inky blackness of his captor. The pain he felt in his chest was breathtaking, and he almost passed out again. What had hit him? Oh yeah, Ursula's pointy fork-thing. Or rather, Triton's pointy fork-thing.
Jim had a delusional moment where he wondered what he should call the king if he planned on dating his daughter, then, with a swing of Ursula's gigantic arm, realized the chances of them actually surviving were slim to none. He grimaced, bracing himself as the sea witch swung back the hand carrying him, balancing her weight as she struck at something with the trident. Jim bit his lip to keep from yelling aloud as the turbulence batted around his broken leg, the plaster falling away from his dip in the ocean. Much more of this kind of handling and he would be crippled for good. He looked around best he could, taking in the situation to distract himself from the pain.
Over to his right, he saw Eric on a ship, doing something with the solar surfer. Jim wondered vaguely what he was planning, and if he should be worried for his surfer's safety. Then his gaze rolled over to the scene occurring on his left. A huge whirlpool stirred the ocean, and at the bottom, which he could see as Ursula moved her hand in front of her,  lay Ariel, looking fearfully up at them.
"Ariel!" Jim yelled, foregoing any discretion. "No, Ariel!" The mermaid could not hear him over the rush of the water, but the sea witch noticed his cries and laughed.
"Ahhh, so you're awake are you?"
Jim struggled in her grip, though upon release the only way he had to go was down.
"Good. You'll be able to see the show!" With a peal of laughter, Ursula aimed the trident into the whirlpool and fired. Jim watched in horror as Ariel scooted out of the way, the bolt only barely missing her tail.
"Ariel!" Jim called desperately, pushing against Ursula's huge fingers. "Please, kill me instead!" He pleaded, turning to his captor. "Torture me, cut me up, send my remains to the four corners of space but please--  don't hurt her."
The sea witch looked up from her aiming, glancing at him with half-lidded eyes. "You really shouldn't work yourself up so much." She informed him. "The magic poisoning your system will quicken if you get upset, and I need you alive to bargain with the Intergalactic Space Union."
"I don't care what you need!" Jim growled, but he stilled. Squirming only made the pain worse, and it wasn't going to free him.
"Morph," he whispered, patting his pocket where the shapeshifter slept. How he could sleep through a magic-induced hurricane, Jim had no clue. The blobby, pink creature slid lazily up Jim's arm and into the crook of his neck. Then Morph noticed what was happening, and gave out a high-pitched squeal. "Morph! Morph, focus. I need you to go down that hole," the sailor gestured with his head. "See where Ariel is? I need you to protect her. Can you do that for me?"
"Eye, eye, yap'n!" Morph squeaked, made braver by his responsibility.
"Good boy. Now, go!"
Morph wasted no time, speeding like a bullet into the depths of the pit just as Ursula let loose another volley of magical arrows. He swallowed one, coughing up smoke as his gelatin form dissolved the magic. Ariel ducked and weaved as the other magic bolts burrowed themselves into the ocean floor, turning the sand to glass where they landed.
'Morph?' Ariel asked, somewhat relieved, as the small animal transformed into a small shield, parrying the witch's blows. 'Morph, is Jim OK?'
"OK, OK!" Morph chirruped, giggling as the magic bounced off his steel exterior.
'Good.' The mermaid sighed, then, "Look out!" As she pushed away from another blast.
    "I'm getting bored of this game." Ursula grumbled, the trident lowering to her side. "And your little blob isn't making it any more entertaining." The witch grinned nastily, and the trident glowed anew. "Let's start the final round."
    Ariel was starting to think she could make it out of this alive, when all of a sudden, long strips of seaweed erupted from the sand, grabbing her limbs and tail and holding her to the ground. Morph was batted aside and sucked into the walls of the whirlpool. 'Morph!' Ariel shrieked, crying as she realized there was no escape.
    "Ariel!" Jim struggled harder than before, his hand wriggling down to reach into his boot.  Ursula cackled as the mermaid arched away from her bonds, her hair splayed limp and wet in blood red rivers around her. The mermaid turned her head to one side, her eyes shedding a single tear as she accepted her fate.
The sea witch took aim.
"Say good-bye to your sweetheart."
"No!" With one fluid motion that involved far too much pain than it was worth, Jim yanked a small knife from his boot and stabbed it up to the hilt into Ursula's hand. She yowled at the unexpected attack, then turned and glared at her prisoner.
"You fool!" The witch shook her injured hand, dislodging the knife and throwing Jim into the pit along with Ariel. He yelped in pain upon landing, white stars dancing at the edge of his vision. Thankfully, enough seaweed had grown to pad his fall so he didn't break another bone. He army-crawled over to Ariel, biting his lip till it bled to keep from whimpering with each movement.
"Are-- you OK?" He asked upon arriving, putting a hand to her cheek.
'That's a stupid question.' Ariel smiled, but she was crying. Jim used his thumb to brush the tears away.
"Awww, it's that sweet," came a voice from the mouth of the whirlpool. The youths looked defiantly up to the surface, finding strength in the other's company. Ursula brandished the trident, turning it reddish orange. The sea witch brought the trident to her cheek to aim, and the tip shown a bright, dangerous yellow. Ursula laughed triumphantly.
"So much for TRUE LOVE!"