It had been a few days after Cruella's art project on Carlos' spine before she finally returned.

"I see your healing up nicely. It's good to see the letters are still clear, now everyone will know who you really are." Cruella cackled at her own terrible joke, the sound made Carlos flinch but he was determined not to give his mother the satisfaction of thinking that she had won.

"What do you want?" Carlos asked behind bared teeth, trying hard not to let the pain in his voice show.

"Well, darling, my spell is almost ready. I thought you wanted to hear all about my wicked plan!" A dark smile twisted across Cruella's evil face as she saw Carlos' eyes widen.

"Wh-what? Really?"

"Well, of course darling! What good is an evil scheme if you can't even share it with anyone? Surely Lady Tremaine taught you that much." Cruella smiled again when she saw that Carlos was lost for words as he thought back to his time at Dragon Hall. Back then things had been so much simpler. Sure, he was still under Cruella's harsh control, but at least he knew where he stood. In Auradon, things were just so much more… complicated. Goodness was just so much more intricate than wickedness. "Well, do you want to hear mummy's devious plan or not?" Carlos merely nodded, still lost deep in his own memories.

"Tell me darling, what do you know of the Snow Queen?"

Carlos was confused for a moment, he had never thought his mother to be one for history. "D-do you mean Queen Elsa?"

"Of course not you idiot! Seriously, that silly mutt said you were supposed to be obsessed with Auradon's history."

"Technically, Arendelle is a separate kingdom." This smart-ass comment landed him a heavy blow so Carlos quickly continued before she could deliver another. "But yes, I know of the Snow Queen, a very distant relative of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna."

"Surely, you must have at least read her story?"

"Of course. The Snow Queen ruled over these snowflakes that looked like bees. Her kingdom had been over-run by the darkest of troll magic that turned everyone against each other and made even the prettiest of landscapes look like nothing more than boiled cabbage. One day, she kidnapped a boy who had fallen under the troll's spell. She took him to her palace and made him forget all about his family and friends so that he wouldn't suffer under the curse of hating them forever." Carlos paused for a second as he tried to remember the rest of the story. "One day, the boy's best friend went to the Snow Queen's palace to rescue him. She kissed him and his spell was broken. The dark magic disappeared and he remembered his family once again. The two returned home to find that they had grown older while away and they lived happily ever after. The Snow Queen was never seen again, though many believe she spent the rest of her life in her north palace surrounded by the snowflakes she controlled." Carlos was pleased to have reached the end of his story without his mother punishing him, he must have done something right for once.

Cruella appeared lost in thought for a moment before absent-mindedly remarking "It's funny how they'll change the story once the so-called 'villain' has redeemed themselves."

"W-what do you mean, mother?" Carlos asked, genuinely curious to hear a side of the story he had never expected.

"That's not what actually happened, it's just the story they tell that makes the Snow Queen seem like less of a villain. Oh, the perks of being related to the royal line." Cruella's face filled with rage and jealousy at the thought of a life other than her own.

"So, what did happen?" Carlos was distrustful of his mother but he wouldn't put it past the people of Arendelle to change history so as to protect one of their own.

"The trolls weren't the ones who created that dark curse, the Snow Queen was. I bet Kristoff was happy about that." Another cruel laugh came from between Cruella's twisted lips.

"But why would they change the story?"

"Because no one wants to be reminded that the Royal Family once gave birth to one of the greatest villains of all time. She only redeemed herself by not casting any more dark magic and by keeping to herself until she died. If I had had her power… well, let's just say Arendelle would be a much different place, a much colder place."

"But what does this have to do with your plan?"

"It has everything to do with my plan. In fact, it is my plan. Only, I will not be making the same mistake that she did. I may not have enough power to curse an entire kingdom but I only need enough to curse one person. One person who will bring everything around them crashing down. You see, I've notice how the Auradonians don't like to speak the dark truths within. Well… soon they'll have no choice but to face it. And when they do… they'll tear themselves apart."

Realisation slowly dawned on Carlos' face as he began to work out Cruella's plan. "I'm the one you're going to cast the curse on."

"Why, of course! Why else would I have kept you here for so long? Why else would I have waited in Auradon for months?"

"But… how? You have nowhere near as much power as the Snow Queen had."

"Of course not!" Cruella snapped, slapping Carlos hard with the rings on her fingers. Carlos knew she hated to be reminded of her shortcomings, but still, if she was to succeed he wanted to take every chance he could to tear her down. "But surely, you noticed my fabulous new mirror. Although, if I'm been honest, it does look rather ancient. Took me a long time to source but luckily the people of Arendelle had no idea of the power it held so it's protections were rather… minimal." Another wicked smile crept onto Cruella's lips at the memory of how she had retrieved it. Carlos didn't want to even imagine what wickedness his mother had conjured to get her hands on that mirror.

"But it's just a mirror, what could you do with it?"

"Everything!" Cruella cried. "It holds the remaining shards of the Snow Queen's dark curse. All I need to do is give it a little bit of a magical kick and then send it in the right direction. Before long, you'll be back in Auradon and tearing everyone apart. Even that horrid little street rat you call your boyfriend."

At the mention of Jay, Carlos eyes immediately lit up. "You're going to lose. The power of evil is good as none when stands before four hearts as one."

Cruella's lips twisted into a grimace. "Please, you sound as pathetic as Maleficent's spawn when she tried to save her true love." Cruella spat the last two words, clearly hating the concept. "How do you suppose you're going to defeat me?"

"True love's kiss." Carlos replied triumphantly. He was shocked however to see his mother only laugh at the suggestion.

"Pay attention darling! I told you that I wasn't going to make the same mistake that she did. True love's kiss is not going to break the curse, not this time."

"How can you be so sure? It worked last time." Dread began to fill his heart, knowing his mother had accounted for it before she even told him herself.

"It only worked the last time because the Snow Queen was stupid enough to remove the boy's memories of his friend. He neither hated nor loved her. She was a blank slate for him. The girl held enough love for the both of them and so, without the hate to balance it out, the kiss worked. I won't be making the same mistake."

"What?" Carlos immediately grew fearful of what his mother had planned. He knew he had been right when he recognised that a sane Cruella was far worse than a mad one.

"You see, I'm going to make sure you remember everyone. That way, you'll hate them even more. You'll have all your memories of them to tarnish their reputations with. Your 'love' isn't going to save you, because you'll hate him. You'll see only the worst in him and all the times he let you down. Your hatred will be enough to balance out any love that he might still have for you." Carlos' face fell when he recognised the truth of his mother's words. Only dread continued to fill his heart and his mother recognised it.

"It's so good to see you finally catch up. All the animals thought you were smart but so far all I've seen is complete stupidity. You really are such a disappointment."

"But… what about the price?" Carlos asked quietly, it was his last hope at stopping his mother's plan.

"Oh darling, isn't it obvious? The price is you! When I cast this curse, you'll hate me even more than you do now. I'll lose you forever. Though really, when you think about it, it seems more of a reward than a price. I'll finally be free of you. I can't wait to celebrate."

Carlos remained silent, resigned to his fate. He knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it so he just wanted it over and done with as quickly as possible. "Go on then, cast it."

"And put you out of your misery? Oh no, darling." Cruella's face now gleaming with malice. "I'm going to let you mull it over for a little while yet. Once the spell is cast you'll have no qualms about all the damage that you're about to cause. I want you to suffer first. I want you to realise how much you'll destroy your friends. They won't even know that you're under a curse."

"They'll figure it out."

"I'm sure they will, eventually. But by the time they work out what spell I've cast… well, it'll be too late. Auradon will be in ashes and there'll be nothing that they can do to stop me."

"They'll find a way."

"Don't you get it? They won't find one in time. By the time they finally work how to save you, they'll be torn apart. Seriously, I feel like I'm just repeating myself now. They won't be able to work together once all their dirty laundry has been exposed for the world to see. I'm sure you know plenty of dark secrets that the King would rather not be shared. Just think of how your little lover boy will feel when you finally tell him how you really feel. Every grievance you've been too shy to ever utter will finally come out. He'll finally see you as the villain you are. He'll run away, just as everyone else in your life has. He'll see how damaged you really are and he'll regret every single moment he spent with you." Cruella's head fell back as she succumbed to another fit of laughter. "Oh darling, it's going to be so much fun to watch."

With that Cruella retreated towards her lair and for hours Carlos could hear her laughter ring across the clearing. It made him sick and his teeth chatter. He thought of all the people who would turn against him. If he was lucky, he'd be thrown back on the Isle. More likely though, they'd kill him before he had a chance.

He was going to hurt so many people, it tore him apart. At least he could find some solace in the fact that his death would put an end to their suffering. If it was the only way, then it would be a price he would willingly pay.

Carlos spent the rest of the day, and most of the next, thinking about all the people in his life he loved. He thought of Mal and Evie, of how their kindness had shown him that the Isle didn't have to be such a dark place. He thought of Ben and Dude who had been the first in Auradon to ever show him any sort of kindness. They treated him as if he belonged for the first time in his life. They had helped him move on from his fear of dogs. Finally, Carlos' thoughts lingered on Jay… his Jay. All the pain of their past quickly evaporated at the thought of Carlos ever losing him. They had hardly spent any time together before being unceremoniously ripped apart. Carlos wished that they had both had the courage to accept their feelings long before they eventually had. Maybe then they would have had a shot at a proper happy ending. It's all Carlos ever wanted.

Now it seemed that fate would intervene once again and Carlos would be reminded that villains like him never got the happy ending they so desperately sought. Whatever force that worked against them achieving their goals had long since determined their fates as such. Their lives were doomed to sadness because of the poor choices of their parents. Carlos had never believed it was the just thing to do but still, he had hoped. He had hoped for a better ending than their parents.

For a moment, he had thought his prayers were answered when Ben had made his first royal proclamation. He had entered Auradon happier than ever before. He was finally free from his mother and her cruel hand. For the first time in his life, Carlos thought he had friends. He'd even had a crush on Jay and a relationship that hadn't been entirely bad.

But then… then fate had reared its ugly head again and he had found himself in the clutches of Harry Hook. He had barely survived the first time, and had come even closer to dying the second. Then Jay had rescued him along with Mal and Evie. The trio had held a vigil of sorts over Carlos' comatosed body and Jay had never left his side. Jay had held his hand and it had given Carlos the strength to return to himself. Again, Carlos had felt happy. Even happier than he had when he first escaped the Isle. Carlos had fooled himself into thinking that this story would have a better ending than his last.

It was not to be however. His happiness was once again fleeting. At first, the flyer had given him strength before another one had torn him down completely. He had become a shell of his former self. A shadow that even he was ashamed of. Through all of it though, Jay had stuck by him. Jay had never left his side. Jay had soothed every nightmare and every silent tear. Carlos had repaid him with heartbreak. He had let his feelings go too far and had turned against the one person who loved him more than anyone else. Carlos had failed and had ended up back in the clutches of his mother, again.

Now he was set to lose everything. Carlos was going to lose all the love and friendships he had formed in Auradon. All the good grades and good will he had built up over his time at the school would be for naught. Carlos would once again be alone. Scorned. An outcast. Carlos was going to do so much worse than lose everything. He was going to destroy it, willingly. The curse would make him little more than a passenger in his body as all his dark thoughts bubbled to the surface. Finally, everyone would see the real Carlos and they would hate him for it. Jay would hate him for it. Carlos fell asleep on the second day with his thoughts full of the older boy. He fell asleep whispering the name to himself.

He was rudely awoken by his mother who kicked him in the ribs, a lot harder than was strictly necessary. When he opened his eyes he found the clearing empty of any sign that his mother had even been there. Obviously, she had been busy during the night. Or rather, her animal minions had. He slowly brought himself to look up into the face of his mother, knowing that this would be the last time he would be able to do so as Carlos.

Cruella had a wicked glint in her eyes as she held the shard of a mirror in her hands. His time had come and he had come to terms with it. His eyes filled with the tears of memories that the curse would sour and use against those he loved. He tried to hide his face but it was no use. He heard the shattering of glass above his head and felt a million tiny particles land all over him. They settled in what remained of his clothes, in his body, his hair and, finally, they landed in his eyes.

Carlos blinked once and then the person he was before was gone. In its place was a boy full of anger and hatred as he glared up at the woman who was supposed to have raised him. He sneered at the state of her clothes, oh, how his mother had fallen. He took pleasure in knowing how much she had suffered in her past. He took pleasure in knowing the price she had paid for her magic. He felt glad that that insufferable fool Anita had failed, as she always had, at protecting his mother.

"Good, darling." The annoying voice rang above his head. "Now, go to sleep and don't wake up until your friends find you. Be a good boy for mummy." As much as he wanted to stay awake and defy her some more, Carlos found himself slipping into unconsciousness. Clearly her magic was growing and had moved beyond being able to control merely animals. As his eyes fluttered shut he caught sight of his mother whispering to that mangy mutt who had betrayed him. Who had fed Cruella all his secrets. He glared at the annoying runt who had led him to his mother and sealed his fate. There would be a special place in hell reserved for that mutt.

Carlos could not be sure of how much time had passed before he felt hands on his face and someone crying out his name. He began to stir but was not fully awake until he found himself in that grubby thief's hands. Carlos was not some prize to be stolen away so easily.

"Get off me you filthy street rat." Carlos spat at the piteous descendant of the slob Jafar. Like his father, Jay was terrible at succeeding in his plans. Carlos pushed himself out of the thief's arms and landed hard on the ground. Carlos could hear his so-called 'friends' worried questions above his head but he was determined to ignore them all.

They had failed him miserably. He had been so close to school yet they hadn't even found him. What, was he not special enough to use magic on? That dirty descendant of Maleficent surely had magic within her. What had happened to that? What had happened to Princess Blueberry's magic mirror? The old relic of another failed plot. Everyone was clearly just as useless as their parents. Obviously they didn't care enough about him or they would have broken any laws in Auradon to find him.

The King was supposed to be his friend! He could have changed any law he wanted if he really wasn't as spineless as his father. Oh, Carlos could see his face now too. Clearly they had all followed that stupid talking mutt, guided by their own guilt. He would make them pay for their ineptitude. When Auradon fell, Carlos would be sure to reserve the best seats for them. They would witness it all before finally meeting their well-deserved fates. They were all villains and deserved nothing more than the fate of any villain before them.

Still, Carlos remained silent as they trekked back to the school. It barely took them five minutes! Really? No one thought to even send a search party into the woods? They called him a villain and yet here they all were. The pathetic descendants of Auradon nobility all casting him worried glances as they made their way through the castle. Carlos saw the overgrown moth and heard her concerns but still, he did not reply. He needed to gather his strength before he destroyed them.

Soon, they would all pay. Soon, Carlos would rein hell upon all of them. It's exactly what they deserved.