At the heart of a particular island, a clear pond surrounded by rocks and stones like a decoration, was slowly shrouded by dark purple clouds coming from underneath. Slowly, the pond was engulfed entirely, and the water turned into black muddy water.

And from within the muddy water were large squirming tentacles that seems to be playing something. It sometimes emerge from the muddy waters, but immediately submerged again. This went on until the water burble bubbles as something came afloat from underneath the muddy waters.

Pale bluish skin of someone's back floated. Sharp fin attached to the vertebrae stretching up to the hips. The body was full of bruises and suspicious bloody suction marks. However, before the  body completely floated to the surface, three heavy black tentacles emerge and swiftly entangled the body and pull it down the water again.

A while later, bones floated back into the surface of the muddy waters. White bones, scattered and from every corner of the pond and it seems to have amount greater than just one corpse. Then, slowly it melted. As the bones turned into white liquid, the muddy waters was slowly being purifies and turned back into a clear pond again. 

But it seems that was not enough to turn back the pond. A puddle of black ink gathered at the center of the pond, and from the center, a woman emerged.

A woman with pale bluish complexion, but her looks was bewitching and stunning. Her black hair stick to her back as she brushed her hair with her hands as she arched her neck back. She steadily surfaced, and the puddle of blank ink affix itself into her body. 

As the woman came out of the water, the blank ink disappeared as well. It turned into a v-neck fitted style dress, that made her look more alluring and seductive. 

The woman, then walked out of the pond and sat on top of the boulder beside the pond. She sat like a queen. Her curl long eye lashes quivered as her half lidded eyes looked down on the pond she once at.

Then, she called out.

"Flotsam, Jetsam."

Hypnotic voice sounded, like the sea breeze from afternoon which makes you want to fall asleep. Her voice were neither high pitched not low. It was calm, empty but not cold enough to scare any one. However, her voice carries power, an absolute order. But it was not a forceful dominance or command, it was persuasion.

A seduction powerful enough to entice anyone into any of her bindings.

This is Ursula. The known Sea Witch that was both revered and despised.

Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

Electric sounds echos from within the pond, buzzing strong yellow and purple lightning. Two eels swim encircling the pond. They stopped in front of Ursula, and let their heads out of the water as they heed their master's call.

"How did those buffoon found my island?"

Hearing their master's inquiry, Flotsam and Jetsam looked at each other. They didn't know how to answer, even they did not know how. This island was isolated from the outside world. Their master especially created a special isolation spell that enveloped the whole island. The island won't be found by any means nor can anyone enter it unless their master gave them permission.

It means that, either their master's spell was broken or these fish bones have something that can make them go in and out of the island.

It can only be the later. They were about to speak out their opinions when their master suddenly interrupt them by waving her hands.

Flotsam and Jetsam then saw a terrifying sight of their master smiling like a sadistic Hunter.

"Oh. Interesting. Another lost soul."

Jetsam, the ell with purple lightning, hesitated a little bit, but still courageously asked.

"M-master, what do you mean?"

Smack! 

Using his tail, Flotsam smacked Jetsam's head and answer him with reprimanding tone.

"Idiot! It means there's another intruder."

"Oh. Then what should we do?"

Ursula chuckled sweetly. But the two shuddered from that. They shrunk their heads under the water wanting to hide, but they will appear rude if they did.

"Should I throw you two back in the Deep Trench?"

With Ursula's threat, Flotsam and Jetsam zip their mouth shut and shake their heads rigorously in desperation. They don't want to go back there again. They just came back. Even though, that Guardian was asleep, those undines especially liked to bully them and they can't do anything but endure, or they might woke up the sleeping devil inside the cave.

They feel chill just thinking about it. 

And now that they thought of it, the phenomenon that happened weeks ago– the two were sure, that demon lord was already awake. Who on earth wanted to go back there.

Rolling her eyes, Ursula ignored her two minions, and got up and walked out of the forest.

Just now, she heard a familiar voice, singing a childish song happily at the direction of the beach. 

While she walked forward, Ursula was thinking about what the two eels were thinking as well. That mysterious phenomenon that affected the entire seven seas. It broke off the spell surrounding her entire island, but she was too lazy to repair it and just let it be.

She didn't expect that those cretin will be able to find her island. It seems that she miscalculated. Well, it doesn't matter. Ursula killed them all off and despite her old bones she can still fight.

And the lost soul that was playing on her beach, Ursula already guess who she is.

She sighed, she raise her hand and push aside the leaves that was obstructing her view. And when she step forward, leaving the forest with just another step, she halted.

In front of her eyes, a humanoid little Mermaid suddenly jumped back without warning, she tripped and fell flat on her face.

The woman already expected some stupid reaction from her but she didn't expect this kind of exaggeration.

Looking at the fallen little Mermaid with her face buried on the sand, Ursula can't help but laugh. However, she endure until her stomach ache.

"You don't need to kneel in front of me your Majesty." She teased. Then she bow and showing the highest ceremonial bow of respect. "I, Ursula– the Sea Witch, Welcome Her Majesty, Alana to my island."

Hearing the woman's call, Reed abruptly raised her head in astonishment. She already forgotten her embarrassment, and shame from stumbling from the uneven sandy floor. 

And in her dazed state, Reed asked the woman to repeat what she just called her.

As if understanding something, Ursula– the old witch repeated her words. "Yes. It's Princess Alana, Your Majesty."

Shocked, Reed shows a thunderstruck expression for knowing her name for the first time.

What the f*ck!

What did she call me? Alana, is that my name?

'Wait. Wait. Wait. Is that right? Did I hear it right? She called herself Ursula. She said she was the sea witch. And she seems to know me as well!'

Squinting her eyes, Reed looked at Ursula thinking she might trigger something in her memories.

She did, though.

And it was a very unpleasant memories.

Looking at the person in front of her, Reed can't  help but feel a little... disgusted.

The food Reed hated the most is squid, specially octopus and everything that have tentacles.

"You never change, Your Majesty. It's been thousands of years, but... Can you really not masked that disgusting expression of yours? I still have the pride of the most beautiful Cecaelia across the entire ocean."

"...sorry" Reed stroke her arm feeling guilty. But she can't help it. Although she was in her humanoid form now, Reed can still smell her.

The unique scent of any tentacled fishes.

Trying to hypnotized herself that she is not an octopus, Reed breathe in and out. Filtering out Ursula's unique octopus scent, she finally stood up and patted out the sand and dust in her dress.

"Your reaction is always interesting. I always wonder why, you always looked at me that way. Am I really that disgusting?" She stared at Reed looking pitiful and hurt. Her shoulders trembled and her eyes moist from her tears, hanging onto the corner of her eyes. Trying so hard to endure not to laugh.

"N-no. No." Reed denied fast. "You're really beautiful, actually. Please don't take offense. It's just that..." Looking at her hesitantly, Reed doesn't know what to say.

On the other hand, Ursula amusingly looked at her princess that she haven't seen for thousands of years. Mischievous glint flashed on her eyes, and without waiting for Reed's reaction. Ursula quickly transformed back to her original form.

Her black dress ripped equally into eight, then it turned into fat healthy black tentacles. It wiggled and squirmed as Ursula walked closer to Reed. 

And Reed, who was paling by the minute, took a step back and stumbled again. She shrieked an adorable scream as she desperately crawled away from the octopus witch.

Ursula's eyes grew terribly cold, as she confirmed her conjecture. This is how her little princess reacted when they first met. It seems to be true, she really did lose her memories. And what's more infuriating is that, she wandering around defenseless.

Witnessing how the princess was freaking out, Ursula planned on retracting her legs. However, she saw the little Mermaid swiftly transform back to her original form and swim back to the sea.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You can't go back yet, Little Alana. We still yet to tell each other our stories. So, stay for a bit will yah~" 

Ursula stretched her tentacles and locked Reed's limbs and tail fin. She was lifted out of the sea and slowly being carried closer to the octopus witch.

Reed was getting desperate now. Feeling a soft squishy tentacles encircling her waist, arms and tail fin. 

Her face was paled as a paper, her lips were shivering, wanting to scream. But Reed remembered her dream and she immediately keep her mouth shut. She stop struggling and let Ursula dragged her back to the shore– or not. 

Ursula, didn't let go of the little Mermaid, even when they already reached the shore. She carried Reed back to her hide out and threw her directly to her pond.

Splash!

Reed who was frozen scared was suddenly threw in a cold pond. And like a person who was in daze for a long time and was suddenly splashed by a cold water. Reed gasped like a dying fish– actually like a drowning kid, wanting to hold onto something life saving.

The pond was actually very very deep, despite looking so small. Reed was shocked by how she was falling and that's why she panicked and completely forgotten that she can breathe underwater.

And her desperate action made all the people present laugh hard. 

Reed have a huge tail, fins and scales, all characteristics of a mermaid, she has it all. But right now. Reed looked like she was drowning.

Flotsam and Jetsam can't take it and directly laugh loud and harder than they laugh all their life. And Ursula, she just quietly sat on her boulder watching everything and waited for her little princess to calm down.

Hearing laugher from both sides. Reed finally realized where she was. In shame, she dive down, wanting to hide.

She found a small space in a middle of two rocks at the depths of the pond. She squeezed her body fit, curling in embarrassment.

She wanted to hide there forever, but when she heard the old witch's voice. Reed knew she have to forcefully swallow down her feelings of shame.

She didn't know why. But when Reed heard Ursula's voice when just shivered. Her body instinctively obeyed, like a frightened kid afraid of punishment.

Maybe it was because of the tone of her voice. It didn't sounds her usual playful tone, but it was strick, reserved and more an aura of domination. 

Reed reacted like a panicked student, when she heard Ursula's order. So, without thinking, Reed immediately swam back to the surface.

...

In front of Ursula, Reed with her head bow, faces Ursula the old witch.

Satisfied with her immediate action, Ursula nodded her head with a smile.

"Don't you feel curious, about what's my relationship with you, little Alana?"

As she heard her speak, Reed immediately looked up to Ursula. Stuttering, she said, "y-you know I–"

"– that you don't remember anything? Yup, I know. So, don't you feel curious?"

Shaking her head, Reed lowered her head again. "...no. I kind of...have a hunch..."

"Oh. Is that why your acting timid now?"

Reed dare not to speak. She's really nervous. This was basically her instinct, shouting her not to mess with this old witch.

Although, Reed knew that she was stronger. Nevertheless, right now, she felt as though she was facing an old Professor that was quick in criticizing her past thesis and dissertation.

Though, Reed still went directly to music industry. She still have several doctoral degrees like Echo did. 

Reed hated studying, and she really fear those old Professors. And right now, Reed could feel the aura of a strict instructor towards Ursula. 

And with how thick the thread of golden line connect between them, Reed knew that she stumbled at a person that will bring her pain in a neck.

Lowering her head in the water, Reed peaked at Ursula's expressions. She timidly inquired with a soft voice.

"...teacher...are you going to keep asking...questions?" 

"Heh. Now your calling me teacher." Snickering, Ursula roll her eyes. Actually, she was very surprised. How does her little student know? Then she remembered something only the possessor of the heart can do. If she recalled it, correctly, they were in a form of a thread. The thicker the thread, the deeper the bearer's connection is with the person at the end of the line. 

It seems that her student can already used that skill efficiently. If she's not mistaken, her father, the former bearer didn't have a choice but to completely sealed that skill, because he have trouble controlling it. It became his sight's obstruction and he almost got killed because he didn't properly saw his surroundings.

Feeling proud, Ursula teased her acting timid little student, asking her about her dislikes in anything related tentacles.

She was really curious about that. Whenever she asked, this little student of hers immediately run out and will avoid her for the entire week. 

And Ursula thought that she will act the same. No more like, she will immediately dismissed her question. In fact, it doesn't matter, because she doesn't remember anything at all.

However, she didn't expect her little student to answered her. And she even gave her a very detailed story.

And what she told really shocked her.

...