Ursula, the Sea Witch

This is my story, the story of how I became what I am today, the story of how my birthright was stolen by my brother, the story of Ursula, the sea witch.

A long, long time ago I lived in Atlantica with my brother, Triton. Yes, yes, the very same... King Triton. (she makes an exasperated and dramatic face) Back then I was a mermaid as well, young, beautiful with a shimmering purple tail and a sharp wit, that's why our father, Poseidon, loved me so much, and always promised me half the kingdom when he'd no longer be willing to rule.

My troubles all started with our father's death. I know, I know... How does a god die? It's quite simple really. Another god kills him. In my father's case, it was a Titan that killed him, in the fierce battle between the Olympians and the Titans. Mortally wounded, the other gods brought Poseidon back into the ocean so he could say his last words to us, his children.

With his last breath, father shared his wish to divide the kingdom into two domains, one for Triton to rule and one for me. Sadly, we were the only ones to hear his wishes, thus it was easy for Triton to pretend that he hadn't heard anything when it was convenient for him.

For a while we lived in peace, but I couldn't shake the feeling that another war might come our way, the thought of it and being caught unprepared, frightened me. My brother has always been an idealist and a hopeless, sappy optimist and never thinks things could go wrong, I, on the other hand, am a realist.

I need to specify this, in Atlantica we only used white magic, but black magic is more potent and can be used for good if used correctly. I thought that maybe by using both I could help protect our people more. So I got my mother’s spell book, which she specifically left to me upon her death, and opened it under the dark arts, which she never used, but was aware of.

I started hiding in an underwater cave every day, in order to study and practise black magic and it wasn't until I was completely satisfied with my emboldened power, that I decided to disclose it to Triton.

One day, I went to him and told him the whole story, because I still trusted him back then. After I had finished speaking, his jaw dropped, he looked at me in anger and lunged for me. I zapped at him in an attempt to protect myself, but he swiftly hid behind a mirror-like surface and my magic ended up transforming me into what you see before you, a big blob of half-octopus creature... Oh! Fun fact! Did you know that sailors call me the Kraken? Bet you didn't know that one, did you? But I digress!

So after Triton got me to zap myself, he put me on trial, and told my people, who were now his, that our father never wanted me to rule, that he, as a good brother, let me rule because he took pitty on me, that I had learned black magic and would use it against them and would destroy us all. Selfish, lying bastard!

It was pointless for me to explain myself, explain the fact that I did it out of thirst for knowledge, out of the will to protect them from a possible, but real threat... Bunch of ingrates! They all believed my simple-minded brother, so I got banished. I was banished to the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, doomed to live in an underwater cave, all by myself, with no company but my tentacles and my thoughts of loneliness and sadness.

One day I got some eels as companions. I hate catfish, so I couldn't very well become a catfish lady, I had to become an eel lady... But enough about me, let's get back to... Me! Ha, ha, ha!

Now where was I? Ah, yes, I was sulking in my cave one day, when Triton came to see me. And, boy, was he frantic! He went on and on about some sea-demons, that the Titans had sent to destroy Atlantica, and that they were controlled by a black magic wizard called Galdur.

I crossed my arms upon hearing this and gave him an angry look. "What do you want from me, then?" I asked him, as if I didn't already know. He begged and pleaded with me to come and fight alongside him, to help him vanquish the enemy with my powers. I didn't hate him or the Atlanticans just yet, so out of the kindness of my heart and after a grovelling apology, I accepted.

Yes, yes, you want to know how it came to be that I bamboozled Ariel into giving me her voice. Tut, tut! Patience is a virtue! 

As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted... We swam to Atlantica and I saw with my very own eyes that the sea-demons were destroying everything and everyone in their path. I started zapping them with my powers left and right and it worked, up to a point where I got tired. I hid somewhere for a few seconds of rest, and got an idea... If I could kill Galdur, then the sea-demons might die with him or at least swim away, because they'd be left without a commander. So I looked for Galdur and found him in the throne room, sitting in my brother's chair.

Galdur was controlling his demons purely by the force of the mind. I stupidly attacked him, thinking I would catch him unaware and he zapped the hell out of me. I was forced to retreat and regroup.

I sought out my brother, thinking that if there are two of us, then we might have a chance against the wizard. We burst into the throne room attacking, but nothing we did seemed to work.

Just then I remembered a page from my mother’s spell book. It said that when light meets dark, the two combined create such magnificent power that it's unbeatable. That, to me, only meant one thing, so I grabbed my brother's white magic trident and channeled all my dark powers into it, causing a wave of electrical bolts to crash upon Galdur and I did not give in until the wizard was turned to dust before my eyes.

Job done, Atlantica saved, but I was drained now, still my brother looked open-mouthed at me with a stupid look on his face.

And after all that, what thanks did I get? Nothing, nada, zip, zero. My brother banished me all over again, saying I'm dangerous. And now here I am back in my gloomy little cave. And this time I finally got it through my thick skull. Nobody wants me around, everyone fears me, they all just want to forget me... Well, now, we can't have that, now can we?

I shall give them exactly what they feared most, and by Poseidon, they will remember me. The first on my black list is Triton and his family.

And what luck, just yesterday, that bubble-headed mermaid, Ariel, came to see me, whining over a mortal man and begging me to give her legs to pursue him. Well, I just had to do something to help the poor simpleton, didn't I?

I gave her legs in exchange for her voice, which I placed in this lovely sea-shell necklace. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with prince Errol, Eric, whatever... And I need to change into a mortal woman to bewitch the prince into seeing only me, so that Ariel doesn't stand a chance. (She creates a swirl of sand all around her and transforms into a lovely woman) Ah! There we are! Off to wreck the world! Ta-ta!