So now I'm going back to older works to finish things up now that I've finished a rather long Rey/Hux fanfic in such a short amount of time. I just really didn't want to leave this unfinished, honestly.

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 7

The number one unspoken rule on the Isle was that whatever Maleficent or Mal decreed, you went with it, no questions asked, or faced their wrath. Tough and wicked as Cruella could be, Carlos knew his mother had nothing on the Mistress of All Evil or her daughter. So he bowed his head, and whenever Mal made him do her homework, he never complained to her face.

That mentality stayed the same, to an extent, when Mal and Evie explained to Carlos and Jay just what was going on. Poor Mal didn't know how to deal with such a cruel—of course Carlos would help. He didn't want his friend to turn into her mother.

He'd just hate the aftermath if they failed.

Before long, Ben, with a bit of help from his parents and a few friends, found the gang a family crazy enough to embark with them on their quest to the Forbidden Mountain. They'd been provided with a ship, a crew, and Ben assured Carlos that even Dude could come along.

Good. The little guy really helped him out in really anxious situations. And Carlos wouldn't really trust as a pet sitter.

So here they were, on the west side of the kingdom, waiting for the crew to finish preparing the ship for the month long voyage. A thick fog surrounded the group—Mal (who was still wearing the scarf over her growing horns), Evie, himself, Jay, Ben at Mal's side, Belle, Adam, and Fairy Godmother—and Carlos yawned, wishing they weren't doing this so early. It'd still been dark when Ben pulled up to the school in his limo this morning.

For privacy, he guessed.

In the fog, Carlos couldn't tell if the ship was just a tall ship or a luxurious yacht—perhaps a bit of both. Everything in Auradon was like that, though; it was a place trapped in a fairy tale with looming, ancient castles and deep forests, juxtaposed by twenty-first century innovations, like smart phones and stretch limos.

Carlos clutched to his duffel tighter, hoping the motion sickness medicine he'd taken would prevent him from getting seasick. He'd never been on a boat, after all—none of the kids from the Isle had.

Fairy Godmother held Maleficent's scepter in tight, cautious hands, knowing she'd have to give it up at some point, but still very wary of what could happen. And Carlos couldn't blame her; it all sounded pretty sketchy. Dragon horns? Destroy the scepter willingly where it was forged? In the most dangerous waters? Not to mention Mal could so easily be tempted by the scepter's power at any time, and who knew what would happen if she got her hands on it.

The thought just sent shivers down Carlos' spine. Or maybe it was just the chilling morning weather.

"Did you really need four bags for a trip that's only going to be a few weeks?" Mal accused, pointing at the huge luggage Evie lugged behind her.

"What? A girl needs to travel with all her makeup and accessories," Evie tried to validate.

"Thank the gods I'm not bunking with you." Mal rolled her eyes, clutching tighter to Ben's arm.

Right, and Carlos couldn't believe the arrangement of the staterooms. Jay and Carlos would share a room—no surprise. But Evie would be paired with Ariel and Eric's daughter, Melody, and Ben and Mal would be in the stateroom that only had one bed.

Carlos wondered just how Ben had gotten Belle and Adam to agree with this arrangement. Not that Carlos thought the two of them would be up to anything like that, but still… one had to wonder.

From the fog, three figures emerged: a man, a woman with unbelievable red hair, and a gorgeous, raven-haired beauty, a few years older than the gang. Carlos had to do a double take of her, and the huge, shaggy dog she held by the leash. This was Melody? Carlos didn't think she would be so… pretty, in such an understated way, with her thick hair and large, blue eyes.

That dog might be vicious, though.

The redhead hugged Ben, Belle, Adam, and Fairy Godmother, then shook hands with the kids, introducing herself as Ariel. The sea was her home, she explained, and she always loved a good adventure. The man, Eric, clapped Adam and Ben on their shoulders and seemed entirely optimistic about the journey, even with all the dangers they were bound to face.

And Melody… well, her voice certainly complimented her name. Whenever she spoke, she sounded like she was almost singing, that was how pretty it was. Carlos was so entranced, he didn't even notice when Jay nudged him.

"I just graduated from the University of Auradon with a degree in Music Theory, and when I heard about all this, I just had to come along!" she trilled, petting her dog on the head.

It immediately took interest in Carlos and Dude. Carlos, still not used to all dogs (especially not the big, hairy ones), stilled, his eyes wide. It sniffed his feet, wagging its tail, and Melody had to keep it from jumping all over him. "Down, girl!" she commanded, and it—she—obeyed.

Melody looked up at Carlos sheepishly, tucking a strand of raven hair behind her ear. "Sorry… Maxine just really likes people and other dogs!"

"It's… okay," Carlos assured, hoping his blush wasn't too prominent. "She doesn't… she doesn't bite, does she?"

"No!" Melody assured, laughing. "She's so friendly—here!" She pulled Carlos' free hand down to that huge mop of fur, and Maxine immediately wagged her tail at the gesture (which, Carlos was still getting used to knowing, meant the dog was happy, and not ready for attack like Cruella had told him in the past).

"I'm Carlos," he introduced with a shy smile. He gestured to Dude, still in his arms. "And this is Dude. And I'm starting at the University of Auradon in the fall."

"No way!" she replied, clearly excited. "You're going to have so much fun. Any questions about college, you just come to me, okay?"

"Um… yeah!" Carlos agreed, already trying to think up questions to ask, just to have an excuse to talk to her again.

"Dude, you've got it bad," Jay murmured in his ear, and Carlos elbowed him.

He hated to admit it, though: his friend was right.


As Melody and Carlos hit it off, Ben kept his arm wrapped protectively around Mal's shoulders, to keep her warm and comforted. Eric announced that everything was almost ready—best to say goodbye to everyone now so their travel could get underway as soon as possible.

Ben kissed Mal's temple and parted from her so he could give a proper goodbye to his parents. Belle smiled shyly, nervous for her son's safety, while Adam kept his posture regal, as it usually was. Convincing his father to go on this quest with Mal and her friends had taken a few tries, but ultimately Ben's stubbornness and Belle's support wore him down. Once Belle had gotten in touch with Ariel, it became official: they were going to the Forbidden Mountain.

Belle enveloped him in a huge hug, as if they wouldn't see each other again. Ben kissed her forehead and brushed his mother's hair back. "Everything's going to work out," he assured, to both her and to himself. "We'll be back for that homecoming before you know it."

"I'm holding you to that, young man," Belle replied firmly, even if she was smiling.

Adam clapped Ben on his shoulder and handed him a sheathed sword. "Just in case," he warned. "You never know what could happen out there, with all that dark magic present."

In his beastly state, Adam had never really needed to use the sword, but his son wasn't leaving empty handed on such a dangerous journey. Ben accepted the sword in both hands with a polite bow, then hugged his father just as passionately as he had with Belle. "I'm securing my future," he assured lowly.

Adam nodded as he pulled away, moving to wrap around his wife to let his son go.

And with that, Ben stepped up to Fairy Godmother, who still held Maleficent's scepter in cautious hands.

"Mal won't get her hands on it, I promise," Ben murmured, giving her a warm smile. Mal said she didn't want the thing to tempt her—so it was being kept deep in storage on the ship. She wouldn't know where it was until they got to the Forbidden Mountain.

At least, that was the plan.

Fairy Godmother knew she had to give it up, so she hesitantly handed Ben the scepter with a sigh. "May your travels be well. All of you," she blessed, giving everyone a terse smile.

"We will succeed," Mal said, determined as she looked out onto the foggy waters and inhaled the sea salt air. "If this is what magic will ultimately give me, then I don't want to live with it."

Men in striped boat neck shirts (valets, Ben supposed) gathered everyone's duffels and luggage, bringing them on the ship. An elderly man stepped off, accented with a cravat and a rather large nose.

"Grimsby!" Eric grinned, clapping the old man on the back. Ben was surprised the guy was still standing after that, he was so frail looking.

He looked trustworthy, though, as he was Eric's oldest servant. Ben handed Grimsby the scepter, his face stern. "Hide this wherever you can," he ordered, keeping his voice firm. "I can't let Mal find this."

"Of course, sir," Grimsby replied with only a raise of his eyebrow, before walking back to Eric.

"We are ready to depart, sir," he announced before heading back on the ship.

Mal would protest not being close to the scepter the closer they got to the Forbidden Mountain, Ben knew. Hiding it probably wouldn't work, either. But everyone had to try for their own safety. Mal had even been the one to suggest Ben hide the thing from her.

After one final hug from his parents, Ben once again wrapped an arm around Mal's shoulders and led her onto the ship, following Eric, Ariel, and Melody.

Ben had briefly noticed Carlos taking interest in Melody, not that he blamed the former villain kid. Someone as smart as Carlos deserved an older girl like Melody, who could sympathize with any sea creature. He'd played with her at a few parties when they were kids, and really, they were dear friends.

Now… did the group know that she and her mother had underwater capabilities?

Mal took Ben out of his thoughts. "Nice sword," she joked with a wink.

"Oh, I'm just happy to see you is all," Ben teased back with a chuckle, and Mal nudged him once they were on the main deck.

But their intentions, despite the joking innuendo, were quite pure. Even when he heart he and Mal would be sharing a bed on the trip, his mind didn't stray further than innocent cuddling.

Ben stepped ahead of Mal and held his hand out. She took it with a raise of her brow, but then smiled at the gentlemanly gesture. But he knew what she was thinking: Mal was incredibly worried about what would happen when they got closer to the Forbidden Mountain, whether or not everything would go as smoothly as she hoped, how much this quest would test her relationships with Ben and her friends.

While the ship started to depart, Ben waved to his parents with a smile, hoping that gave them some more hope that they would all return safe. Evie complimented Melody on her coral dress; Jay already started attacking the food set up on a table on deck; Carlos clutched tightly to Dude, already looking green around the edges; and Ariel and Eric consulted with Carlotta, a plump maid, and Louis, their chef, about the evening meal.

But when Ben couldn't see his parents through the fog, he turned to Mal, who stared blankly, silently out at the open sea.

School and works makes things a bit more difficult, but hopefully I can get back to this as soon as I can.

As always, reviews and comments are greatly appreciated!