The soft sound of knuckles hitting the wooden door of Dizzy, Uma and Mal's bedroom went unnoticed by the two people inside the room before the door opened, exposing a nervous Mal as she stepped into the bedroom and gently kicked the door closed with her heel-covered foot. Dizzy was sat at the edge of the bed in front of Uma as the older teenager brushed her hair free of their curls and Dizzy continued to play with the edge of her cyan coloured nighty. The little girl had gotten changed when she first entered the room into a cyan coloured, silk nightgown that was decorated beautifully with lace boarding the sweetheart neckline and edge of the nightgown while the cyan colour sparkled like a thousand specks of Pixie Dust in the fireplace's light as the drawn curtains allowed the soft glow of the sunset to shine into the room. Uma's head turned at the sound of the door opening, a small smile on her lips as she saw Mal, before getting off of the bed and walking towards Mal, meeting her in the middle of the room so Dizzy couldn't hear them easily.
"How is she?" Mal asked in concern as she looked over Uma's shoulder, watching a tired Dizzy move to lay under the covers of the large middle bed and snuggle closer to the silk pillow. Mal knew it was going to be difficult for the little girl to deal with Evie's death and it was going to take a toll on everyone, but she never expected Dizzy to be able to lie so perfectly to the point where even Mal started to believe that Dizzy's smile was real. When Dizzy was around people, she smiled kindly -maybe not as big as a smile as the little girl would normally be able to give, but Mal knew that they were no longer in a 'normal' situation- and made everyone, including Mal, belief that she was getting better and was slowly starting to accept the help from people she needed to be able to handle everything that seemed to be happening at once. However, Mal soon realised that when alone, all of Dizzy's protective walls came crumbling down and her true self was revealed to anyone who was looking at the little girl at the time. Dizzy's eyes were already filled with tears and she curled herself into a ball like she didn't want anyone to come near her. It made Mal realise that the little girl was breaking -badly- and that she had to fix it.
Mal looked back at Uma and noticed her tired eyes and parted lips like she was too tired to stand as the daughter of Ursula gently swayed side to side. Mal reached out and took Uma's hands, steading the princess as she looked at her concerningly and Uma shook her head, smiling thankfully at Mal while the purple-haired teen gently squeezed the girls hands reassuringly. "Are you alright? You seem really tired. Maybe you should stay here and get some rest, prepare for the storm of people we are going to have to deal with tomorrow" Mal suggested before Uma shook her head, no.
"No, it's fine. I'm fine" Uma reassured with a kind smile. "Thank you, though. For the worry. As for Dizzy, she says she doesn't feel great - a headache, aching bones, tired eyes, the whole lot. Her mind has been working too much with her trying to fake every emotion" Oh, so she wasn't the only one to notice it, Mal thought with a sad smile. "That it's made her sick, really sick even. Mal, I don't know about this illness because Oceana usually dealt with illness in the castle whenever somebody got sick and I highly doubt that Dizzy would talk about this to anyone outside the group. Mal, I don't know what to do" Uma admitted with a concerned look as Mal nodded in agreement.
"I'll talk to Ben after this meeting to see if he can quickly get Oceana and Pearl over here. And Harris, before they find out about Evie, so it's easier" Mal responded quickly, her smile growing as Uma's lips curved into a small but very thankful smile. Mal gently squeezed Uma's hands as she smiled, "Why don't you go and talk to Harry while I look after Dizzy before we head over to the meeting? I know you say your fine but you're really not and if you don't want to talk about it right now then fine, but you may want to consider talking to Harry. He, like everyone, misses the real you and while we all haven't been ourselves lately -with good reason too- you've been distant and tried to push everyone away more than any of us but you know we hold on too strong to be pushed away and let you deal with this on your own. Talk to him, please" Mal pleaded.
"I know I push people away" Uma started with a cracked voice, hiding her unshed tears as she turned her head to prevent her best friend from seeing the small droplets of water forming in the corners of her dark brown eyes. "I know I seem distant but..." Uma pursed her lips together to stop herself from talking before Mal gently squeezed her hands, making Uma turn her head to look at the purple-haired teenager. "I'm sorry, I just need time" Uma requested as Mal smiled and nodded in understanding.
"Okay, but promise me that when you want to talk, you will" Mal pleaded as Uma nodded in agreement, smiling at the relieved look in Mal's eyes at her best friends words. "Okay, well why don't you go to Harry and I will look after Dizzy until it's time for the meeting so she isn't alone" Mal suggested with a kind smile as Uma nodded her head in agreement. "Audrey is tucking Alex in her room but she agreed to come with us to the meeting and the reporters should be arriving soon but if you don't want to do it, tell me" Mal begged as Uma shook her head, no. "Okay then"
"I'm going to go to Harry" Uma responded as she and Mal quickly hugged, quickly whispering to one another an 'I love you' before they pulled away. Uma looked into Mal's eyes and noticed the sliver of concern for the daughter of Ursula and quickly squeezed her pale hands in reassurance. "I will be fine" Uma promised before Mal nodded in agreement and the two let go of each other's hands so Uma could walk towards the doors while Mal moved to sit beside Dizzy on the middle bed in the room. Mal smiled at Uma one last time as the daughter of Ursula closed the bedroom doors before turning back towards Dizzy, who smiled sadly up at the daughter of Maleficent while the teenager began to run her fingers through Dizzy's newly-brushed hair. Looking down at Dizzy, Mal noticed how the little girl was playing with Evie's diamond ring, twisting it around her dainty finger while staring intently at the beautifully reflective and clear diamonds at the front of the ring. Dizzy signed softly at the familiar feeling of fingers running through her hair, reminding her of the time Evie ran her own fingers through her soft hair to calm her down from the raging storm that encased the little girl's life and smiled softly at the memories that flooded her mind at the first touch.
Dizzy knew that while the soft action of Evie running her fingers through Dizzy's hair calmed her down tremendously, it also calmed down the blue-haired princess as she was able to make sure that Dizzy was safe, even somewhere as unsafe as the Isle Of The Lost. Evie felt like as long as Dizzy was safe, so was safe as Evie couldn't imagine a life without the little girl's large smile or shining eyes and didn't want to. It meant that Dizzy wasn't with her evil grandmother -sweeping floors constantly like a young Cinderella- if the little girl was with the blue-haired princess and that thought alone was capable of slowing down Evie's racing mind. Dizzy always felt safe in Evie's arms, like Evie had the power to stop all the evil from entering their lives even on the Isle of The Lost where evil ran free in the dirty streets. Evie was able to make Dizzy forget where she lived and allowed her to envision a life where she wasn't sweeping the floors in her grandmother's shop and instead, living a lavish life in Auradon, with Evie by her side as the two walked down the highstreets with high-end bags hanging from their arms, filled with luxury clothes. Dizzy loved to imagine that life, but the thought of the blue-haired princess not being beside her in Auradon scared her that she was now in a strange and new kingdom without the person she counted as a mother.
Mal smiled at the small smile on Dizzy's face as she continued to gaze down at the elegant ring Evie had given her daughter only a couple of days prior. The two stayed in that position for a couple of minutes, with each of their minds drifting off to the familiar memories containing the beautiful smile of the blue-haired princess who always protected them with all her power. Mal thought about the times she was sick or unwell, unable to keep up the brave facade she always wore, and the person who was always by her side, the one who made sure she ate the right food and was always comfortable as the colour drained from Mal's rosy cheeks. It was Eve who sat next to the teenager and tried to make her better, even though Mal repeatably told her to leave so she to did not get sick, and even when Evie's own checks started to lose their colouring, she still refused to leave her best friend alone until she was healthy and on her feet again. It was Evie who made sure that Mal was okay and thankfully, she decided to teach Mal the value of love, kindness and generosity even on the Isle Of The Lost. And as Mal observed the longing look in Dizzy's eyes, she was truly thankful that her friend had taken the time to teach Mal kindness because she knew that she would need it so Dizzy was happy. Evie may not have known that she would have died so early but Mal guessed that Evie knew that -because she would gladly do anything for her friends- at some point, she would leave Dizzy in the hands of her friends. Evie just wanted to make sure that Mal felt like she was ready to look after Dizzy when the time came.
"She always told me to have courage" Dizzy's head slowly lifted up to meet Mal's emerald green eyes as the purple-haired teenager spoke softly, her fingers continuing to run through Dizzy's long hair. "She always said that if somebody has faith in their self and the world we live in, no matter how hard it is, everything will be alright. I know it's hard to have faith in anyone due to the place we grew up in and now due to everything that's happened in the past couple of days but that's what makes us strong. It's what makes you strong" Mal added with a determined smile as she nodded down at Dizzy who sat up and looked questioningly at the purple-haired teenager. "I know you don't feel strong, Zeus knows I don't but we need to work together to fix the cracks in our armour or we will fall."
"How? I'm just a kid"
"When we were younger, maybe a couple of years older then you, me and Evie wanted to rule the world" Mal smirked as Dizzy looked at her questioningly, wondering why the teenager was telling her this story while she sat still and listened to the daughter of Maleficent. "She was going to be the queen of the whole world and she was the only one I would think to give put my place as queen for because I knew that she would have done a far better job at ruling the world than me. Even if she wasn't that evil. But whenever Evie thought that she couldn't rule the world -that her mother was right and that she needed a man, which is completely wrong because you and I both know how independent she is- she would always tell me that we were just kids, and therefore had no real power and couldn't do something as amazing as rule the world"
"But then, I would remind of what she had accomplished as 'a kid'" Mal continued with a large smile as Dizzy blushed, finally understanding how the story related to what she was going through now. "I would remind her of how she faced her biggest fears when we had to receive my mother's sceptre, she often helped all of us when we got sick and usually gave us her food if we needed it. She was also my closest adviser -meaning that everything that happened under my rule over there, was because of her- and she was my most trusted friend. She was more of a princess -more of a queen- then I or anyone else on that island or over here could possibly think to be and so, as I watched my best friend, my sister, grow up and face her own challenges, I promised her that if anything were to happen to her -whether that be she got sick or what we are dealing with now- I would make sure you and everyone were alright. Even on the Isle of The Lost, she still cared so much for everyone. Even if she was only 'a kid'" Mal finished with a small smile as Dizzy leaned down to cuddle Mal, wrapping her arms around the teenagers middle and placing her head in Mal's lap as the teenager ran her fingers through her long brown hair.
"How do I stop it?" Dizzy asked quietly. "I wish I could just stop my heart from hurting as we all did on the Isle Of The Lost. I know it wasn't the healthiest thing to do in the world -it was like torture- but it felt like no matter what happened, we could still be ourselves" Dizzy quietly muttered. "I want the old me back, the one who swept floors in the day and danced at night with her family and friends. Is it weird that I miss the old me, even if I think the old me is still...me?"
"It's not weird at all, in fact, I think that's the smartest and trusted thing I have ever heard" Mal smiled as Dizzy snuggled in closer to her. "Everything on the island was a form of torture, whether that be our parents or ourselves, we didn't like the fact that we had emotions. I know because for sixteen years, I suppressed every emotion -sadness, happiness, grief, all of them- because I thought that if I felt anything other then empty, I was weak. But you don't need to feel empty or alone because you aren't -you have the biggest heart out of anyone in this whole kingdom, let it show. If you ever wake up and feel like you need to cry or you feel alone, just tell me or Uma or Harry, Jay, Carlos or Gil and we will all give you a giant bear hug until you feel better because chances are, if you feel down, one of us also will" Mal smiled as she pulled Dizzy closer, letting the girl giggle loudly as Mal hugged her tightly.
Dizzy knew Mal was right and as she hugged the older girl back just as tightly, she understood what Mal was saying. She wasn't alone, she was never alone because she had her family by her side. Although it still hurt, Dizzy was sure that over time, the pain in her heart would transform into distant but clear memories of the mother she had lost. It was going to take time -she would cry and laugh and sign all at the same time in that space- but Dizzy knew that the time would be worth it. After all, all good things come over time. She just had to be patient and learn how to let people in and not push them out, like she had been taught to do on the Isle Of The Lost.
"Can you sing me to sleep? Mom used to all the time and you know..."
"Of course" Mal smiled as Dizzy gently rested her head on the pillow beside Mal, holding onto the purple-haired teenager's hand as she smiled up at Mal. Mal smiled back as she quietly hummed, watching while Dizzy's eyes fluttered closed after a couple of seconds.
"Mother cannot guide you,
Now you're on your own.
Only me beside you,
Still, you not alone.
No one is alone.
Truly.
No one is alone
Mother isn't here now,
Wrong things, right things.
Who knows what she'd say?
Who can say what's true?
Nothing's quite so clear no,
Do things, fight things.
Feel you've lost your way?
You decide, but
You are not alone.
Believe me
No one is alone (No one is alone)
Believe me
Truly.
People make mistakes
Fathers
Mothers
People make mistakes
Holding to their own
Thinking they're alone
Honour their mistakes
Fight for their mistakes
Everybody makes
One another's terrible mistakes
Witches can be right
Giant's can be good.
You decide what's right,
You decide what's good.
Just remember (Just remember)
Someone is on your side
Your side
Your side-
Someone else is not.
While we're seeing our side,
Our side
Our side
Maybe we forgot.
They are not alone.
No one is alone
Someone is on your side
No one is alone"
"Auntie Mal"
"Yes, dear" Mal smiled as she got off the bed and smiled down at the little girl who was cuddled up to the large pillows on the bed.
"Love Ya"
"I love you too, now, come on. Get some sleep"
After talking to the rest of the group, the girls decided that Audrey, Uma and Mal would talk to the press while Lonnie and Jane stayed with the boys -the two girls felt like they would be a better use with their respective boyfriends than with the other girls on a stage announcing Evie's fate to the whole kingdom on live TV. The boys decided that they would stay in Audrey, Jane and Lonnie's room so they could make sure that Dizzy was okay before they returned back to their normal rooms once Uma, Audrey and Mal were finished with the press. And that's where they currently were, in the Auradonians room while the daughters of Ursula, Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty stood beside the former king and queen -accompanied by Ben- as they waited for the press to settle down while they sat in the royal meeting room.
The room looked like all the other royal rooms in the castle that weren't designed for the royal family to live in, -in Mal's eyes, those rooms thankfully had a lot less gold and portraits in them- with gold borders and large white doors that matched the elegant wallpaper which had an elegant design of roses in gold. In the centre of the room, under an enchanting chandelier, was a long wooden table that currently held some of the most popular reporters Auradon had to offer, all dressed in dark suits and polished shoes, as they chatted amongst one another. The floor matched the dark wood colouring of the table and contrasted greatly with the white doors and walls which made the long room seem cosy and warm with the addition of the large fireplace at the back of the room which was currently lit. At the top of the room was a small podium where the teenagers and former king and queen were stood, with Mal in the middle -and Uma and Audrey on the left of her as Ben stood to the right of her and Queen Belle and King Adam stood off to the side of the podium- as she looked around at the quietly-talking reporters.
"Excuse me" the room quietened quickly at the sound of Mal's voice, with each reporter turning to look at the Lady Of The Court intently. Ben's fingers laced with hers as the reporters took out their pens and notepads, prepared to write down all of the Lady Of The Court's words for whatever article they were going to write. Instantly, Uma blanked out and although she tried to focus on Mal's endearing words -her beautiful description of their late sister and the simplistic version of the events of Cotillion that led to the tragedy- Uma found that it was much easier to focus on the way Audrey's hand grabbed hers in an effort to stop her own tears from falling in front of all the reporters and squeezed it reassuringly or how the fire at the back of the room flickered like it understood the effects Mal's words had on the reporters in the room as well as the teenagers standing opposite its glowing flames.
She didn't mean too but somehow, Uma's mind knew that it would be easier for her to ignore Mal's words then listen to her and take in the description of her late sister. Although she knew that she had to come to terms with the fact that Evie was gone, it still stung to hear the words from someone else's lips or her own. Evie, of course, was like her sister and a loss that great meant that Uma's already fragile heart was breaking under the immense pressure of the past events. In less than seventy-two hours, the daughter of Ursula had changed homes, -practically biding goodbye to everyone and everything she had ever known on the Isle Of The Lost, good and bad, in her sixteen years of existence- left the only biological family she had ever had that did care about her, deal with the sudden disappearance -and later death- of the daughter of the Evil Queen and on top of all of this, had to make sure everyone, including herself, was mentally and physically okay going through everything.
So, if Uma was being honest with herself -truly honest- she was tired. She was tired of the pain in her chest or the sadness that weighed down on her shoulders and caused her body to be heavy with grief. She was tired of the fact that her friends weren't okay. That they could cry and show their emotions to the people they loved and yet her heart was like a guarded castle under siege, stopping any emotion from escaping and instead, trapping them inside Uma's heart until they died of neglect. She supposed she should be happy that her friends were expressing their emotions so clearly -it meant that she could unquestionably state what her friends were feeling and quickly be able to fix it- but she was slightly concerned that she felt so...unable to do the same. She felt trapped -like all her emotions were invalid and not worth her time even though she knew that was false.
She hated that while her friends tried to be there for her and understand what she was going through, her heart prevented her from explaining her emotions to the people who were practically her family. She wished Pearl, Oceana and Harris were with her. While she appreciated her friend's efforts to comfort her, Uma really did need her two sisters and Harris by her side. Oceana was the most protective person Uma knew -including Harry- and while the older sister could often get very upset if Uma was hurt by anyone, she was also able to tell Uma's emotions even when the teenager couldn't herself. Uma needed someone -anyone- to tell her what to do and to just explain the effects her body was going through over the past couple of days. She had so much to be thankful for -moving from the Isle Of The Lost and leaving her mothers clutches to name a few- but she also had many reasons to cry like the loss of her family who was still on the Isle Of The Lost or the death of the blue-haired princess who filled her life with so much happiness and smiles. It was like a rollercoaster, and currently, Uma didn't know if she was going up or down, if she needed to squeal in happiness, cry in pain, or lift her hands up from the rails and be free or hold on tight and never let go. She knew what she needed to do, but... sometimes it easier to do what's easiest then what's right for yourself and others.
"Thank you for coming today and while I understand this is not the news you were looking for, we appreciate that you listened to the full story and we hope that you can respect that we need some time before we can continue on with everything. In myself and King Ben's absence, Queen Belle and King Adam will be temporarily controlling the rules of the kingdom and be attending the meetings with the court while myself and King Ben help our selves and friends through this difficult time" Mal's voice broke Uma out of her trance as the teenager looked around the room, noticing the tear-filled eyes of the reporters and the vice grip on Uma's hand belonging to Audrey as the princess tried so desperately to disguise her own tears. Uma gently squeezed Audrey's back, allowing the princess to turn her head and smile kindly at the daughter of Ursula before they both turned to watch Mal concluded her statement. "Now, the castle trusts that you will respect our wishes to be able to deal with this sudden loss of a family member on our own and in our time. Please be reassured that the Villain who caused this is now in custody and the sidekick has been placed in confinement while we continue to investigate the events. Thank you" Mal finished before she turned her head to see Audrey and Uma nodding at her in understanding -they knew how hard it must have been for Mal to talk to anyone, much less a bunch of unknown reporters, about her sister's death- and smiling at her efforts to stop the small tears from escaping her emerald green eyes.
While Ben stepped forward to answer any questions the press may have, Audrey gently released Uma's hand and walked towards Mal, shielding her from the few flashing lights of the cameras as she wrapped an arm around Mal's torso and walked towards the doors of the large meeting room, with Uma walking on the other side of Mal and holding the girls shaking hands. Mal smiled thankfully at Uma as the three girls walked out of the room and down the long hallways directed towards their shared bedrooms in pure silence. Uma knew that opening up to anyone was going to be difficult for her but she was Uma -daughter of Ursula and princess of the Isle of The Lost- and she refused to allow something as primitive as her emotions get the best of her and make her feel unheard by her family.
Uma knew that her family loved, valued and cared about her and that if something was worrying her too much, they would intervene but she also knew that she needed Oceana, Pearl and Harris, as much as the others did. They were all a family; a group of damaged people looking for a way out of their home while also fixing the scars that ran deep in each other's hearts. Oceana was the closest thing to a parent the group had -caring, protective and willing to do anything for the teenagers she called her family, no matter the cost- while also being a loving sister to Uma and Pearl, who desperately relied on the older sister for guidance and stability through everything in their lives. The group needed Oceana to be able to understand the thousand of emotions running through their system, heightening the stabbing pain in their chests, even if they could not and they also needed Pearl -to see the little girl smile, laugh and hug while also making them understand that everything would be okay in the end. Harris was protective of all the girls he classed as his sisters, and while they had grown up and become sophisticated young women, Uma knew they would appreciate the sight of the son of Hades being there with them -hugging them like they were going to be ripped away from him the moment he let go or baking them midnight cookies when they couldn't sleep due to the nightmares.
Uma felt a gentle pull of her hand as she looked around, noticing the open door of Audrey, Jane and Lonnie's room as Mal walked into the room, leaving a concerned looking Audrey and a disoriented Uma stood in the hallway outside the room. Uma smiled at Audrey as the princess raised an eyebrow at the Isle girl, having already noticed the faraway look Uma had possessed during Mal's speech. "I'm fine" Uma reassured, already knowing what Audrey was going to ask as the concerned look in Audrey's eyes increased. "I'm just going to walk around the castle, you know? Just a minute to myself. I will come back in a little while but don't let anyone come after me unless it is really important" Audrey agreed with a nod of her head as she slowly let go of Uma's hand before walking into the bedroom, where all the teenagers signed -already knowing that Uma was a challenge all on her own that they would have to help.
Uma breathed in deeply before she gently pushed the glass, French windows open and stepped out onto the semi-circle balcony which connected the end of the large hallway she had walked down moments ago, only a story above where she first started her adventure. Below the semi-circle balcony was Belle's rose garden, light up by the small fairy lights under the sparkling stars above where the daughter of Ursula stood on the balcony and full of vibrant trees and beautiful roses that sparkled like a thousand bags of Pixie Dust from Pixie-hollow. The paths below the balcony were made up of small pebbles that shined in the slow light going from the fairy lights that hung from the tall oak trees which grew in front of the bushes beside the path, shadowing the delicate roses under the branches and vibrant leaves. Above the top of the oak trees in the rose garden was the shore of Auradon, glowing in the stars light as the waves crashed softly onto the sandy beaches currently empty of visitors as it stood under the tall hills of houses and castles which surrounded Castle Beast and the capital of Auradon. In the distance, Uma could make out the soft sounds of dolphins swimming in the sea peacefully under the heavens, calling out to one another as they swam around Auradon's shore.
Uma could make out all of Auradon from here, the beautifully large castle's on top of the green hills that surrounded the large cities underneath them busy with life and shining brightly from the lights in the windows of homes and shops -where Uma was sure families were cuddled up to one another watching a movie before going to bed. The daughter of Ursula could make out the Isle of The Lost from where it stood a mile or so away from the shore of Auradon and the soft glow of the dime lights coming from the dark island where she could image her sisters and Harris sat in the study as Oceana worked on some documents Uma was sure that she was supposed to do instead of her older sister and Harris plated Pearl's hair to get ready for bed in a couple of minutes -Uma had taught the son of Hades how to braid Pearl's hair a couple of years ago, when Harris first entered her family, so he could do it when Oceana was too busy or when Uma wasn't in the castle and Uma was proud to say that Harris caught on quickly to the hair-advice.
Uma stepped forward again and pressed her hands against the barrier on the balcony, her eyes scanning over the whole of the new kingdom she now lived in while she signed in contentment, wondering how such a beautiful kingdom could bring so much pain. Uma realised that the kingdom was covered in a thick blanket of beauty which hid the truth of pain and sadness under its comfortable wool. All the posters Uma saw as a child which promoted a beautiful kingdom full of happiness and joy, promoted the false idea that where she loved effected Uma's emotions and destiny. She -foolishly Uma thought- believed that if Uma lived in Auradon, surrounded by happiness and hope for the world and the people who lived within it, and she was only now realising how wrong she was.
It didn't matter if she lived in Auradon or the Isle Of The Lost because it only mattered whether or not she had her friends and family by her side to face whatever she had to face in either of the two kingdoms. Uma stayed silent as she watched the light above twinkle against the blanket of night, wondering about everything that had happened in the past couple of days. If anyone was to ask Uma how long she stood outside, watching the blanket of night as the clouds rolled over the full moon above her, she would have honestly told them that she had no idea because eventually, the soft chirps of birds and the howling of the wind mixed into one another and Uma was having a hard time separating the sounds from one another.
Mal had been looking for the daughter of Ursula for the last thirty minutes -after waiting three and a half hours in Audrey, Jane and Lonnie's room with the rest of the gang- and she was starting to get worried as she walked down the corridors. Mal had told everyone else to get some sleep once Ben had returned from the conference, explaining about how the reporters asked little questions about Evie's death for their articles and offered their condolences, and the purple-haired teenager told her friends that she was going to look for the daughter of Ursula after she noticed that the temperature outside had decreased thanks to the sun going down and that Uma was probably freezing. Luckily, Mal found her best friend faster then she thought she would, stood outside on the balcony with her back towards the doors and staring up at the evening stars. The daughter of Maleficent walked towards the doors and slowly opened them, watching Uma as she made no movement to acknowledge Mal's presence while the teenager closed the glass doors behind her and pulled Ben's blue and gold jacket -which certainly didn't go with her outfit- tighter to her body as the cold nibbled at her exposed skin.
"The evening star is shining bright" Mal sung softly as she walked towards her best friend, quickly wrapping her shoulders with one of the spare jackets she had brought with her when she noticed Uma's shaking shoulders. Uma broke her gaze away from the stars and smiled at her best friend, clasping the front of the jacket to keep it from falling as she slowly rested her head on Mal's shoulder once the teenager pulled her friend into a side hug.
"So make a wish and hold on tight,
There's magic in the air tonight,
And anything can happen"
"Hey Mal" Uma muttered as she raised one of her hands -still keeping a tight grip on her jacket as her body shook violently from cold- and wiped her rosy checks, finding them wet from the moisture leaking from her eyes that Uma didn't even know was there. The daughter of Ursula hadn't realised that she was crying and signed softly as she felt Mal look down at her, her eyes full of love and concern as she noticed the large tears falling down Uma's checks and in the corners of the girl's deep brown eyes. Mal moved quickly, pulling Uma into a tight hug as Uma placed her head in the curve of Mal's neck while she wrapped her arm around her best friend's torso, smiling softly as she felt the gentle caresses of the tip of Mal's fingers as she created imaginary shapes on the girls back.
Mal didn't say anything but try and comfort her best friend, holding her tightly as tears continued to leak from Uma's eyes and sobs racked through the daughter of Ursula's body. For how long the two stayed like that, Mal didn't have a clue but she knew that when she pulled away slowly to look at her best friend, her tears had stopped and now, there were lines drawn onto Uma's checks that went all the way to the girls pouting lips. Mal smiled as she brought a hand up and lightly wiped away her friend's tears, leaving her hand resting on Uma's check as she looked down towards the floor, ignoring Mal's kind and reassuring smile as her own eyes gleamed with her unshed tears upon seeing her best friend cry so violently in her arms.
"How long have I been out here?"
"Four hours or so" Mal answered softly as Uma hummed in acknowledgement. "What have you being doing out here?" Uma signed as she shrugged her shoulders as Mal nodded, dropping the subject immediately as she figured that whatever Uma had been thinking about, wasn't something she was ready to share. While it scared Mal that her best friend wasn't talking and changes were happening, she knew that she was exactly the same -she found herself shutting people out, even the people she promised herself she would never shut out in her life- and Mal understood that currently, Uma just needed a shoulder to cry on instead of someone who would pester her for answers.
"Did you need me or something?" Uma asked quietly as she looked up at her best friend. "Is everyone alright? Dizzy? Harry? Gil? What about Jay and Carlos? Please tell me nothing has happened while I've been gone" Uma began to panic until Mal smiled and shook her head, no, causing Uma to sign in thankfulness. It didn't surprise Mal that even when Uma was crying and shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm, she still cared deeply about her friends and worried about them when she wasn't with them. "Then what's wrong?" Uma asked, concern lacing her voice as she looked at her best friend who was smiling kindly.
"We have a surprise" Mal smirked as she unwrapped her arms from around Uma and grabbed the girls hands, giving them a gentle squeeze as Uma looked at her best friend confusingly. "I mean, that with a little bit of planning on Ben's part, we were about to send a limo and get her here before the days up. She just arrived when I left to get you" Mal grinned. "Come on, she's already packing in her room and I promised I would get you before she goes to sleep so we don't have much time. Come on" Mal added as she gently pulled Uma's hands towards the glass doors, making the teenager smile as she followed the daughter of Maleficent while shaking her head.
"Who came by, Mal? Who's here?"
"Your surprise, of course. Must I repeat everything"
Uma smiled sheepishly as she pushed the golden door open, smiling at Mal who was beside her while she opened the door and stepped inside the room, looking around the room with a hidden interest. The room was the same size as Uma's room in the castle -if Uma paid any attention to where Mal had pulled her, then she would have realised that the room she was now in was opposite her own- but only had one bed, which was pushed against the right wall so the side of it was facing Uma, so the daughter of Ursula could see the half-unpacked suitcases lay at the bottom of the silk bed, covered in decorative pillows. At the very bottom of the bed was a larger suitcase which was white and gold -obviously intended for the room- which rested on the cream coloured carpet which was laid down under it. Opposite the bed was a vanity table with a large mirror hanging on the wall and a white chair for someone to sit in that was pushed in the corner of the room, next to a floor-length window that looked out onto the semi-circle balcony which faced the ocean and Isle of The Lost. At the other end of the room, were two doors -one leading to the large walk-in closet and the other leading to the marble bathroom- and in between the two doors, was a large desk covered in stacks of papers and a thin laptop opened up to display some more documents. The large chandelier in the centre of the tall ceiling was turned on and the crystals glowed brightly in the reflective surface of the giant french-windows which led to the semi-circle balcony.
Uma looked back at Mal as she walked into the room cautiously wondering who she was meeting as she heard the clicking of a light switch coming from the bathroom, followed by the lock of the bathroom door being unlocked and its opening to reveal a tall woman. She was wearing a pair of poke-a-dot pyjama bottoms that had a silk bow at the top of it to tie it around the women's small waist and her top was a simple black, long-sleeved top which had a simple neckline on it. The women's braided hair was pulled up into a bun at the top of her head as she dabbed her neck with a shower towel -indicating to a shocked Uma that the women had just exited the shower. The women looked up after hearing Uma's shocked gasp, small tears welling in her eyes at the sight of the daughter of Ursula as she dropped her towel on the ground, "Uma"
"O-Oceana" Uma muttered as she rushed forward and engulfed her older sister in a hug, holding her sister close as Oceana wrapped her own arms around Uma's torso. Uma had no clue how her sister was in Auradon of all places, especially since Oceana had always said that she would stay on the Isle of The Lost until every child and well-deserving adult was out of harms way on the Island and was living a good life in Auradon -she also said that she needed to appoint a new ruler so after they left, the island didn't descend into madness and uncivilised behaviour ensured. But currently, Uma didn't care about why her sister decided to visit Auradon and instead, focused on the tight hug Oceana was giving her as she placed quickly but equally loving kisses on the top of her head.
"H-How are you here? I remember you saying you would never come to Auradon unless all the children were off of the island" Uma recalled as she gently moved back, allowing her tear-filled eyes to meet Oceana's while the queen raised her hand and rested it on her younger sisters check, signing softly as she felt Uma relax -for the first time in a couple of days- into her hand. "Is Pearl here?" Uma asked softly, a hint of panic in her voice at the thought of her younger sister being left on the Isle of The Lost or stuck in Auradon. She knew that she would much rather have Pearl in Auradon then on the Isle of The lost but Uma would also prefer to have her sisters with her instead of with anyone else -a fact she knew was ridiculous because the only people who would have Pearl would be Uma's friends who were all very trustworthy people but Uma suspected that she was too protective and wanted to know exactly where her family where. "What about Harris? How's the Isle doing? Please tell me you don't have a lot of work to do since I'm gone."
"Pearl is still on the Island with Harris, getting her to pack and be ready and leaving the Isle without anyone to rule it would have been to much work in such a small amount of time and we would have had to wait a whole other day to see you. By Mal's letter, it sounded drastically urgent and I could feel your sadness about Evie even on the Isle with the barrier suppressing it so I knew I had to come over and check on you and the others" Oceana explained with a kind smile. "Sophie promised me that she would take care of the Isle while Harris looked after Pearl, making sure she is alright with the news of Evie's fate. Poor Pearl wanted so desperately to come with me -she really did- but I promised her that in a couple of days time, with Mal's and king Ben's permission, she and Harris could visit Auradon before all three of us return to the Isle. But firstly, I have to make sure everyone is alright and by the sound of it, you are the one I need to start with" Oceana smiled softly at Uma's guilty look while the teenager giggled under her breath.
"So you know what happened?"
"Of course, I do. I almost screamed when I figured out that it was Ursula" For the first time in Uma's life, Oceana was truly angry and Uma could say that she understood Oceana's emotions. It was one thing to feel immense sadness at the loss of a sister but to know that it was their mother who had hurt Uma's best friend -a girl who was almost like her sister in every way bar blood- caused anger to seep through Oceana's veins when she first learned of the event. Of course, she had to hide that emotion but Uma knew that her sister would be angry -heck, even Uma was angry about the fact that Ursula had caused the attack- and it was nice to understand that her emotion she valid and someone understood it. "I am so immensely proud that you were able to fight Ursula and save the kingdom with your friends. Mal explained everything in her letter and the small details she missed was filled in for me when I arrived, so I know about what happened and what has happened with you"
"So you know about the...?"
"The panic attack, the shutting people out? Yea, I know"
"I am sorry for interrupting, but I just wanted to say that Uma, there are blankets for you in the trunk if you decide to stay with Oceana" Mal said as Oceana and Uma slowly pulled away from one another, smiling kindly at the purple-haired teen as Oceana opened her arms as an invite to a hug while raising her perfectly groomed eyebrow at the teenager she often considered her family member by everything but blood. Mal smiled as she walked forward, engulfing Uma and Oceana into a hug as Oceana quickly kissed the top of her head, running her fingers through Mal's hair while the three of them hugged. "Well, I will leave you two alone" Mal smiled as she pulled away looking at Uma reassuringly while the teen wiped away the last remaining tears. Oceana smiled at Mal while the teenager leaned in and whispered to her, "Please, make sure she talks about things. Like I wrote in my letter, things aren't great" Mal whispered before pulling away fully and making her way to the doors.
Mal smiled as she closed the door, hearing the soft mumbles of the two sisters talking as they moved to sit on the silk bed and walked towards Jane, Lonnie and Audrey's room just across the hall. The corridor was no longer lit up by the glow of the chandeliers and was now illuminated by the soft glow of the candles hanging on the walls by their golden holders beside the white doors of the girl's room. Mal quietly opened the door to see her group of friends, lay around the room while they talked in hushed whispers to one another about many different topics. Lonnie was sat comfortably in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace -her pyjama covered legs thrown over the arms- as Jay leaned against the back of the chair and talked quietly with Jane and Carlos who were sat and stood in a similar position. Alex was resting sound asleep next to Audrey on the closest bed to Mal while the princess talked to Gil about some of his memories on the Isle of The Lost as he corrected some of her facts about the island -Gil was more than happy to tell his girlfriend about his life on the island and how he came to meet Harry and Uma, the closest things he had ever had to true siblings which made Audrey smile kindly. Ben and Harry were stood at the back of the room, gazing out at Belle's rose garden while the two silently talked about their respectable girlfriends lives on the island after Ben said that Mal never really talked about it as much as the others did and Harry thought it would be nice to talk to the boyfriend of his sister.
Mal smiled at the whole group as she walked into the room, heading state towards her boyfriend who still didn't know she was in the room. Mal smiled as she wrapped her arms around Ben's waist, smiling sheepishly at Harry as Ben turned around and wrapped an arm around Mal to pull her closer in front of him, planting a gentle kiss on top of Mal's head while the purple-haired teen cuddled closer to Ben's chest with her back. Harry smiled at the couple, happy that the girl he considered his sister was happy with someone who treated her with respect and wanted what's best for her but also understood that she was not a damsel in distress and could protect herself -she was born on the Isle of The Lost after all. "Hey, Pirate" Mal greeted as Ben wrapped his arms around Mal's waist and Mal placed her hands on Ben's, securing it tightly around her.
"Hey, Dragon. Did Uma like her surprise?"
"Of course she did, Harry" Mal reassured with a kind smile. "Without you, I would have never been able to do this and I am so grateful. I think for the first time in a while, Uma will talk about her feelings and be alright." Mal reassured Harry before the three returned to gazing at the rose garden below, admiring the beautiful reflection of the stars against the red petals of the rose and the subtle glow of the water at the bottom of the path which led to the castle's private beach. While Ben believed that having his own private beach was a privilege and an honour not many people had in his kingdom, he was starting to appreciate it a lot more now that he had people to share it with -to laugh with as they walk down the sandy shores or have friendly campfires on the shore within the beautiful sunsets as they ate smores and drank freshly made hot chocolate- and he knew that after everything settled down and people began to smile more than frown, he and his friends and family would be able to enjoy the beach, just like he and Evie had whenever the princess stayed at the castle.
The young king had fond memories of walking across the beach, throwing small stones to the calm water's waves until the soft steps of his blue-haired friend brought him out of his sleepless trance, causing him to turn and smile as she held two cups of freshly made hot chocolate in her hand. Ben loved memories where he and Evie would stand beside one another, holding cups of hot chocolate with fresh cream and shavings of rich chocolate as they quietly talked amongst themselves but sometimes, in rare moments where the waves were calm and the moon was full, the two didn't need the simplistic sound of words and could stand together, wrapped in a thick blanket of comfortable silence which defended the two against the harshly cold winds which blew against Evie's dark blue curls. He just hoped that he could be able to have similar memories again with his friends.
"Hey, Mal" Audrey called out after half an hour of the three friends being in silence, causing Mal to turn around in Ben's arms to see the smiling princess. "You have to help me here. Gil, says that you used to prank Yzma by swapping her poisons and apparently, you turned her into a cuddly puppy for a day" Audrey giggled as Mal smiled and nodded, slowly walking out of Ben's arms and towards the bed and she climbed on and quickly threw her arm around Gil's shoulder, laying her head on the blushing pirates shoulders while the rest of the room turned towards the purple-haired princess. Mal cleaned her throat as the rest of the group listened intently to Mal's story, laughing quietly at the funny parts and smiling sweetly at the humorous parts which involved the blue-haired princess.
The truth was, that Yzma was one of the few villains who still retained her sense of humour and while she had been slightly annoyed that it was a puppy she was turned into, she quickly laughed about it when she saw the horrified look cross Carlos's face when Mal had called her friends for help. Like most situations, Mal quickly called Oceana for her help once Evie had run some tests -something Mal was very proud of as she watched her best friend act like a true doctor and scientist when trying to come up with a conclusion to how they were going to get Yzma into her true, human form- and came to the conclusion that she couldn't reverse the situation until the poison wore off. Of course, after everything went back to normal, Yzma and the group refused to talk about the event and went back to their normal lives but the teenagers still giggled about it to this day, smiling proudly at Evie for her using her brain instead of her looks to solve any situation and proud of Carlos that he was able to get over his fear of dogs -even if he was shaking to the bone at the time.
Ben smiled as she watched his girlfriend tell the story with animated gestures and a gleeful look in her eyes, laughing along with her friends as she explained the story. "You know, she really loves you" Harry muttered, making Ben break his gaze away from his girlfriend and towards the pirate who was still watching in amusement as Mal told the story. "You make her stronger, give her something to fight for. Before you, Mal would have done anything for her family -she has done anything and she's gotten in pretty stupid situations because of that- but now, you make her realise that just running into a situation blind is stupid and she has learned to let people help her" Harry added. "Thanks"
"I don't think I did anything"
"You may not see it, but I do. She has changed"
"How?"
"See that glint in her eyes" Harry nodded towards Mal's eyes, which -as he said- had a shimmer of emerald green in the corner of Mal's eyes. "Or the sparkle in her smile" Harry added when Mal smiled widely at her friend's laughter. Ben hummed in acknowledgement as he looked at his beautiful girlfriend, smiling gratefully as he continued to watch Mal tell her story. "She never used to look like that on the island and thankfully, after everything that's happened, she still smiles. That's because of you, Ben" Harry nodded
"What? No, Prince Beasty?" Ben teased as he turns to look at Harry fully. While Harry had been in Auradon, his Isle habits hadn't washed away and he was more than happy to continue the trend of nicknaming everyone instead of using their true name. On an island where having friends instead of alliances were rare, many VK's resulted in using nicknames in a way of building friendships with people and so they could talk about someone without the surrounding people knowing who the person was. To use someone's true name on the Isle, was an act of friendship -which meant that it was rare- as it meant that the person wasn't viewed as higher or lower than the person and instead, insinuating that they were equals on an island where everyone was trying to gain more power over there peers.
"No, it's Ben" Harry replied as he extended his hand out to Ben for a handshake, smiling at the young king when he clasped his hand around Harry's and shook it. "You make Mal happy, and that's enough for me to treat you like a friend. Welcome to the crew" Harry added as Ben nodded in a thank you. At that moment, Mal turned around, smiling softly at the sight of Harry and Ben shaking hands and finally talking like true friends. Mal soon realised that everything was going to be fine; Oceana had come to help Uma, Harry and Ben were now friends and Mal could tell that Dizzy was going to be okay. And that was alright to her.
