Nathan groggily awoke to the sensation of someone tapping his face lightly. The sound of Ursel laughing, jerking him awake faster. Mark exhaled in relief, before telling Nathan in a rush. "Get the trident! I'll help Sean!" Nathan glanced around, trying to process everything at once. Despite not knowing where he was or what was going on, he pieced enough to gather that something had gone horribly wrong. Mark started to swim toward the surface, drawing Nathan's attention to Riptide. Nathan's heart stopped when he saw Sean struggling in Riptide's jaws. He rose off the sandy floor, torn between helping Sean and doing what Mark had asked of him. Sean managed to get out of Riptide's jaws, heading for the surface. Riptide thrashed away like he was hurting, before turning back around to head for Sean. That's when Nathan heard Ursel almost purr out. "That's right. Stay right there..." The trident began to spark, and Nathan darted through the water to slam into Ursel. Grabbing the trident, Nathan used his momentum to push the trident off course.

Above them, Riptide surged forward with jaws open to attack Sean. Only to take a hard punch from Mark's fist to one of his eyes. Riptide jerked to snap his jaws at Mark, before getting struck by the trident's bolt of power and disintegrating into ash that drifted through the water. Mark yelped, looking down at them with wide eyes. Nathan tugged and tried to wrestle the trident from Ursel, but Ursel was way to strong. Yanking him around like a doll, Ursel yelled at him angrily. "Let go, you little brat!" When Nathan refused to give up, one of Ursel's tentacles sprang up to wrap around his throat. Nathan gasped as the suction cups latched to his skin and the tentacle began to constrict. Nathan held onto the trident for as long as he could before he felt the strength drain from him. Once his fingers slipped off, Ursel's tentacle loosened enough to slam him down against the sandy floor. Pinning him there. Ursel then pointed the trident back up at Sean, yelling out for Nathan to hear. "Time to tie up lose ends!"

Nathan thrashed but couldn't fight the inhuman strength of Ursel's tentacles. Mark rushed toward Sean, trying to coax him to get up to the surface. The trident sparked again as it charged for another attack, but Lorelei rushed in to grab Ursel around the neck, trying to suffocate him. Dropping the trident, Ursel clawed at her arms, until his tentacles rushed in to grab her. They grabbed her tail and throat, pulling and squeezing her until she let go. Once she was off, Ursel backhanded her across the face so hard that blood trickled from her nose as she fell unconscious. Snatching up the trident, Ursel growled out to Nathan. "Like mother like son..." Swatting Nathan with the end of the trident across the face, Nathan became dazed. Thinking he was unconscious, Ursel released Nathan and began to swim toward Sean quickly. Sean burst through the surface, coughing as a merman he didn't recognize helped shove him into the little boat. Climbing into it, Sean quickly snatched another harpoon as the Merman told him frantically. "LOOK OUT!"

The Merman tried to swim away as the water turned a bright yellow beneath the boat. Sean raised his harpoon to strike whatever came up. When the water surged beneath the boat as a beam blasted the small boat apart. Sean screamed as the blast knocked him clear into the air. Crashing back down into the icy cold water, he breeched the surface just in time to see the rising wave where his boat had been. Standing menacingly on the wave was the octopus creature. The creature laughed heartily, hefting the trident like he was getting ready to throw it at Sean. Sean gasped, searching for his own harpoon but he had lost it in the blast. Looking back up, he winced as he waited to see if he could dodge it, until Nathan flew out of the water from behind the creature. Nathan slammed into Ursel, wrapping his arms around his neck. The unexpected hit knocked the trident from Ursel's hands. Ursel's hands tried to snatch the trident but missed because of Nathan's shifting weight. Ursel's tentacles shot out to try and snatch it as it fell, but they came up short.

Sean reached out to try grabbing the trident, but the rough waves pushed him too far from it. The trident pierced into the water, sinking quickly to the depths. Mark quickly dived for it; swimming as hard as his uncooperative tail could handle. Nathan clung to Ursel as best he could, while the wave they were on fell beneath them. Crashing down over the surface, Ursel rolled and thrashed to try shaking him off. Prying his arms off with his tentacles, Ursel hung him out by his wrists before hitting him hard across the face and chest with a large tentacle. The blow knocked all the air from Nathan's body and set him to slam into the side of the jagged reef before falling limply into the water. Sean couldn't breathe as he watched Nathan limply slid into the water. The octopus creature panted, yelling out at Nathan. "That's the end of that! HA!" Taking a deep breath, Sean ducked under the water to try and rescue Nathan. He could see his blurry shape sinking to the depths, but he just couldn't swim fast enough to reach him. Plus, he worried that even if he did, that he wouldn't have enough air to get back up to the surface.

Reaching his depth limit, Sean's heart broke. He had to go back up, but he couldn't just leave Nathan down there. His body was torn with indecision. However, his body needed air. So, reluctantly he made up his mind to go back. Only to see a blurry dark shadow with eight limbs looming over him... and it seemed to be getting bigger? Realizing what it was, he twisted in the water and headed toward the base of the jagged reef. Finding a hole with what looked like light at the end, he quickly swam inside. The tentacles surged into the hole, curling and slamming into the walls as they sought him out. He felt one tentacle bump his foot, but it only made him swim faster to get out. Swimming toward the light, he found himself breeching the surface of a reef cavern. Coughing loudly, he saw a few floating barrels that looked familiar. They were from his shipwreck on the Lorelei. Unable to dwell on that, he looked up to where the moonlight was streaming in from. There was a small hole in the ceiling, letting the moonlight in.

Sinking a bit, he pushed off the reef to jump from the water to grab the edges. The rough rocks cut his palms, but he didn't care. He barely felt it as he pulled his slender body up through the hole. Crawling out on all fours, Sean took a risk and tried to wave down Hook's ship. It was starting to circle the outskirts of the reef and he hoped that they could help him. Even if it meant getting captured. That's when a tentacle shot up through the hole and wrapped around his waist. Sean clawed at the reef, screaming as the tentacle tried to pull him back into the hole. Noticing a rock by the hole, he scrambled for it. Clinging to it, he tried to pull himself around it to keep himself from going in. The tentacles tightened so much that Sean thought his ribs were going to break. His adrenaline fought hard to stay with the rock, until it broke under the strain of them. Sean let out a startled yell, but it was nothing compared to the scream of pain from the creature. The rock slammed down over the hole, pinning the creature's tentacle. The tentacle released him, thrashing wildly as it tried to get itself free.

Staggering up to his feet, Sean ran over the top of the reef to the highest point that he could get too. Waving his hands, he yelled out to the ship. "HEY?! OVER HERE! I'M OVER HERE!" Seeing the ship turn made Sean smile. Then it faded as he mumbled out breathlessly to himself. "Oh, please don't try to shoot me... Come on, Hook... Help me just this once." Hearing a rush of water behind him, Sean slowly turned around to see a wall of tentacles rise out of the water. He'd heard tails of the kraken and there was no doubt in his mind that he was looking at one. The tentacles slammed down over the reef, curling around the rocks. Sean ducked and dropped to all fours to avoid the tentacles, but they weren't searching for him. They were getting a firm grip. From the water, the creature rose out menacingly with murderous eyes that glared down at him. The creature moved with ease over the rocks toward him, hissing out in a dark and foreboding tone that bellowed on the wind. "You pitiful. Insignificant. FOOL!"

Sean turned to look at the water and jumped. He didn't even touch the water before tentacles snatched him. Wrapping around his torso and throat, the tentacles squeezed him slowly. Their eyes locked with each other as Ursel told him sinisterly. "So much for true love!" Sean whined before the creature plunged him into the depth of the icy cold water with his tentacles, holding him firmly beneath the water. Ursel laughed manically, feeling Sean squirm a little in his grasp. He was taking out all his pain and frustration from the last few years on this pathetic human and enjoying it! He was closer than ever to finally being happy. To finally feeling accepted and safe. Leaning over the side, he watched the bubbles lesson and squeezed the air from the prince a little more. Almost. Then from nearby, a familiar voice called out to him. "URSEL?!" The sound of his name sent a shiver through him, his heart fluttering in his chest. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Turning his head to look, Ursel stilled. His whole body trembling.

The man that stood on the bowsprit of the ship that approached looked like a vision from a dream. He looked the same as he remembered him. Fearlessly the pirate walked across and jumped off the bowsprit as the ship turned to avoid colliding with the reef. Every breath felt heavy as tears lined his eyes. Had he died? If he had... he never felt more at peace. His grip loosened on Sean as the name rolled off his tongue with longing. "James...?" A bright smile pulled at James's lips as he chuckled softly and replied in blissful shock. "You're alive?" Ursel looked down at his transformed body, his face twisting with shame and disgust. He hadn't looked like this the last time James had seen him. Ursel turned his face away, mumbling out as he hugged himself. "Don't look at me... I'm not... I'm..." Ursel buried his face in his shaking hands, starting to cry. James's hand touched his shoulder, sliding over his skin as he drew closer. When he stood beside him, James whispered into his ear so lovingly that Ursel thought he'd die. "You always get more beautiful every time I see you." Ursel looked up, his hands hesitantly reaching out to touch James's chest to make sure that he was real.

Feeling his warmth, Ursel gulped and looked in James's eyes. Cupping his face, James whispered to him. "I told you that I'd always come back for you." Ursel chuckled, wrapping his arms around James's neck as he told him through a light chuckle. "You're a man of your word." Pulling him into a tight hug, Ursel buried his face against his shoulder. It made his heart overflow with joy to feel James tremble in his arms just as much as he shook in his. Any anger he had felt was washed away with the crashing washes against the reef. In this moment, he'd give up everything just to keep James in his arms. James was everything good in this world. His touch was healing. His warmth was comfort. His kiss was cleansing. His laugh made Ursel smile brightly for the first time in a long time. Slowly his tentacles crept closer to keep James wrapped up in his embrace. James didn't seem to mind or care, whispering to him after a passionate kiss. "I've missed you." Ursel smirked, breathlessly whispering back. "I have something that I have to tell you."

Beneath the water, Sean tried not to move in order to save his air. When the tentacles slowly loosened and retreated. Sean tried to see why, but everything was so blurry. Sean then jumped as a merman handed him the trident. The Merman looked completely exhausted as he rested across the sandy floor. Hefting up the trident, Sean made his way up to the surface. Breaking the surface, he shook the water from his face and locked eyes on what he could see of the creature's back. Raising the trident, Sean threw it with all the force that he possessed. From the ship, Smee screamed out. "CAPTAIN!" The trident whizzed through the air and Hook shoved Ursel to the ground. Ursel fell chest first against the reef, the Nautilus Shell smashing against the reef. Ursel rolled over, gasping not at the broken shell but at how James hadn't managed to get down in time. Ursel screamed out James's name but stopped as the trident stopped short mere inches from James's chest. James panted heavily, while Ursel looked at his outstretched hand. Had he done that?

The pirates on the ship gasped and pointed to something, uttering out a single name on the breeze. Lowering his hand, Ursel watched the trident get called away from James. Sitting up, Ursel stared at his father with a defeated and scared expression. Poseidon caught his trident, then leaned on it a little as he exhaled out in a low fatherly voice. "That's enough, Ursel. Are we done?" Ursel's hand went to his neck, wincing when he looked down at the broken pieces of his necklace. The glowing power left behind by the shell swirled, before rolling down the reef and into the water. Bowing his head, he mumbled out to his father meekly. "I... I've got nothing left..." Poseidon moved closer and James stepped out in front of Ursel. Ursel tensed, reaching out to grab James's boot. James didn't flinch, when he snapped out at Poseidon. "Don't! If you want him, you'll have to kill me! I won't let you do this to us anymore!" Poseidon looked James in the eyes, before telling him calmly. "I'd love to see you try and stop me... but since I'm just starting to like you. I suggest you move."

James stood his ground for only a minute longer, then reluctantly took a single step to the side. Ursel's tentacles wrapped around James's legs, but he forced himself to look up at his father. Crouching, Poseidon put his trident against his shoulder and turned the handle absently between his hands as he said coolly. "I owe you an apology. The way I acted... What I said. You know... It's hard for me to change and understand. Time for me doesn't really change. Time passes so quickly and repeats itself so often that I just get lost in it. Yet, while parenting is still something that I'm learning... in your short lifetime you've progressed more than I have. You and your brother... You made me realize some things." Ursel sniffled but tried not to move or say anything. He still felt like he was in trouble. Poseidon licked his dry lips, then added lightly. "I'm not happy with what you've done. But... I'm starting to see that maybe my own actions could have been handled differently. I didn't see how much my own father's anger affected me... I pushed you and your siblings to carry burdens that you just aren't ready for."

Getting to his feet, Poseidon told Ursel with a small smile. "I guess my retirement will have to wait. I'm still needed." Extending out a hand, Poseidon made the pieces of the Nautilus Shell reform before putting it around his own neck. Ursel started to get up, telling his father shakily with teary eyes. "I'm sorry too, Daddy." Poseidon reached out to beckon Ursel into a hug. Creeping forward, Ursel hugged his father. He had never hugged his father before and he was at a loss for words by it now. When his father released him, Poseidon tapped under his chin with a finger before telling him seriously. "I do still have to punish you... but this time... I think it will work out for everyone." Ursel's heart skipped, then gasped as his body transformed into his human Vanessa form. Ursel looked over his hands in shock, while Poseidon told him coolly. "Something tells me that a few years as a human won't be as terrible for you." Poseidon's eyes then drifted to Sean, who was crawling up the beach of Mermaid Island to collapse from exhaustion across the sand. He still had one more thing to do. To Be Continued...