Check out my partner xez2003's new Descendants AU Fic. 'The Black Arrow - A tale of the Two Kingdoms'. I'm one of the betas for it!
Mal squinted down at Uma's ship. It was actually a little bit… better than she remembered it. It had been patched and the ropes recoiled, and everything polished to gleam. It was also extremely crowded. Sick and dying people laid on the boat deck, crying for help as villains walked to and fro. Mal spotted Ursula down in the sea, Hans and Clayton out on the boat deck, the Queen of Hearts singing: "Off with their Heads!" Over and over as she walked back and forth across the gangplank, and her own mother, Maleficent, down on the boat deck conversing with Uma.
She glanced at her comrades. Almost all of the groups that made up one and two had made it through, with the exception of a few stragglers. Namely Carlos and his group. Mal had visited the area of the crash and found it abandoned with no sign of visitation. She'd assumed that the crash had been caused by the unstable building structure and continued onwards. Besides them, Ben was also missing, but he had a sword, so he should be fine unless he'd somehow run into Captain Hook. And even then, Mal had seen Jay nearly outfight the older man. Anything was possible.
Mal studied the outline of the boat and turned to her peers. "I need a group to help me engage them on the south side." She told them. Someone needs to shoot Ursula. Since she's in the water, it'll take her out for more than a few days. Watch out for her tentacles. Shoot as many villains as you can. Group one will have to take on the villain kids. Rush in, grab anyone you can and rush out. We'll keep the fight going as long as we have to but try to tranquilize anyone who fights back. If they fight back, don't bring them to the city."
Everyone nodded, and people began to whisper the plans to their peers. Mal got up and began to creep down the wharf carefully. About twelve people followed her, including Evie. Jay stayed behind to man the rest of the group, and everyone accepted him as the 'Away leader'. Mal trusted Jay to be reasonable.
Once set on the south side, Mal directed a member of her group who held a stun gun to shoot the Queen of Hearts, who was mumbling her mantra as she continued her stroll. They readied their gun, aimed, and fired.
The queen toppled into the water below. Mal's group emerged from their hiding place and began to shoot more while the people with swords began to rush to the ropes that secured the boat to the shore. As Mal prepared to run, she spotted a black, white, and red figure racing down the hill with a tan princess on his heels and an immobilized boy on his back. Carlos.
Mal hesitated as they got closer. She stared at the arrow sticking out of the boy's leg as he cried in pain. "What happened?" She growled.
"Ambush." Carlos gasped. He put the boy on the ground.
"Fine, fine!" Mal growled. She tapped a member of group one on the shoulder. "Please take him back to the city." She asked.
The man nodded. "Yes, your highness." He agreed and quickly hoisted the boy onto his back. Behind Mal, chaos was starting to unfold. Ursula was rising out of the sea as her group started to attack the ship.
Carlos dropped two swords that he'd been clutching to his chest as he ran to the ground. He handed one to Audrey, who began to shake just holding it, and picked one up. "Where is everyone?" He cursed.
"Up on the rise," Mal answered, pointing. "We're the diversion. Don't aim to kill but take as many villains as you can out of the fight." Carlos nodded and sprinted into the fight. Mal turned to Audrey, who had started to cry.
"Mal." Audrey croaked out as tears fell down her face. "Mal, I can't do this. I'm not you. I'm not selfless enough, or strong enough. Ben was right to choose you over me. Please… I'll only make things worse."
Mal blinked. Where had the confident girl who'd climbed over all that wreckage gone? "I meant that I needed you, Audrey. Come on, I need your help."
"No! Mal, you don't understand!" Audrey sobbed, scrubbing at her cheeks. "I just saw… I'm too weak."
Mal put her hand on Audrey's cheek, keeping her from scrubbing at her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Whatever just happened, it'll be alright." She promised, mentally kicking herself for sending the girl with Carlos. She should have kept her nearby. "Now come on." She gestured to the ship. "I have a job for you. You are strong enough. You are fast enough. Audrey, you are enough."
Mal smiled at Audrey as the older girl took several deep breaths and began to compose herself. Then, Mal turned to the battle and saw a great number of the villains had not been expecting their tranquilizers and were falling in great numbers. She let loose a wicked grin and yelled: "Now!"
From up on the high rise there came a yell. Jay's group appeared out of the bushes and rushed down the hill towards the ship in a mighty wave of people. The villains paused in their fights to gape at the sheer amount of people bearing down on them. At that moment, four people all turned at the exact same time and shot Ursula in the back of her neck as she was trying to climb out of the water to get to Mal. Ursula's eyes rolled back in her head as she let loose a massive scream, and she toppled back into the filthy waters. The ropes holding the boat down broke and the gangplank shuddered. Captain Uma and First Mate Harry Hook leaped into action, desperately trying to keep the ship as Jay's group rushed into action. People were scooped up off the deck, and the heroes began to rush out of there.
Mal hefted her sword and rushed into battle. She had a mom to see, after all. Audrey followed on her tail with an intense, angry expression. She'd failed Mal before, but Mal had a feeling that would never happen again.
They stormed the ship. Within the space of a few minutes, all prisoners had been evacuated off the upper deck. The villains tried to use the prisoners as leverage by holding knives and swords to their necks, but they were shot and knocked out before the threat could lead to any real harm. Villains and their children still streamed out from below deck, leading Mal to believe that there were more prisoners in the hold. Probably smaller children and adults, given that most people on the deck were teenagers and tweens. All children of the villains and imprisoned people of the Isle.
Someone held up a length of dynamite, which was another forbidden item Auradon wasn't supposed to let over, and began to holler: "I'll light it up! Don't think I-" They were cut off with a stun gun to the back.
As Mal's feet hit the deck, she saw someone in black slip into the bridge of the ship. She ran, weaving around swords and foes and random stun blasts, and kicked the door open from the outside. Inside, Maleficent stood behind a wooden table, drumming her long, dirty nails on the table. Mal was caught so off-guard by her mother's appearance that she skidded to a stop and stared at the older woman for several seconds. Maleficent examined her daughter with a raised eyebrow, saying nothing. Dark bags were under her mother's eyes and sparse hairs fell out from underneath the cap. Maleficent didn't look well at all. She looked like she was sick, or exhausted to the point of illness.
Maleficent seemed to be examining her as well. Examining her hair, straight and long. Examining her face, her well-toned muscles, the ring on her finger. Maleficent raised her head in a silent motion of approval as if she were mentally congratulating herself on setting Mal up to be so well cared for. Mal felt her blood run hot with anger. How many nights had she planned her vengeance? How many times had she sworn she'd destroy her, or at least get back at her for setting her up with the Prince of Auradon? All for this. She had a sword and her traitorous, unarmed mom all in one room. She turned back towards the doorway and then, without a word, walked back out, and shut the door behind her.
"Hey, you!" She declared, pointing at someone with a stun gun as they set a villain toppling to the ground. "Can you shoot my mom? She's behind this door here." She kicked the door a little, and the person, while looking a little stunned, nodded. Mal stepped aside and watched them fling the door open. There was a flash of light where Mal had to close her eyes, and then she listened to her mom slump to the floor inside. Her legs shook.
Mal leaned against the wall and forced herself to wretch her eyes open to thank the person who'd made sure Maleficent wouldn't appear to hurt anyone. "Thank you," She nodded and was surprised to find her eyes were filled with tears.
She didn't understand why she was so worked up. After all, she had a new family and a new life. And it was a natural idea that kids grow up and leave their parents behind. Mal had a husband now and had lived without her mom just fine for over a year now. And it wasn't like she didn't have a mom - Belle loved her just as much as she loved Ben, and maybe more, in some ways. She didn't need her real mom. Her real mom who was twisted and toxic and who had only ever cared about getting off the Isle and never about her daughter.
Mal wiped her eyes and straightened up as a shadow descended over her. She put her sword up on instinct, heard the sound of another sword hitting hers, and discovered a girl with teal braids and a seashell-covered pirates' cap. "Uma," Mal gasped.
Uma sneered down at Mal. "Miss me, loser?"
Mal took a whiff of her opponent. "You still stink." She commented.
Uma bared her teeth and pushed down. Mal rolled out of the way, and Uma narrowly missed chopping off Maleficent's leg. "Come on, Mal!" She howled. "Let's finish this, once and for all!"
Mal barely had time to plant her feet underneath her before Uma came at her again. She yelped as she leaned back and saw Uma's sword slice the air her nose had just vacated. She brought her own sword up and Uma's next slash was interrupted by the presence of Mal's own weapon. Thus began a bloodthirsty exchange of clashes. The two girls dodged and parried each other's blows, driving themselves around the deck and avoiding the fallen villains as they fought. For every blow Uma tried to deal, Mal held a counter. For every time Mal rushed in for a defeat, Uma had a retaliation.
Finally, Uma drove Mal towards the edge of the deck level, and when Mal jumped to dodge her next jab, she slipped and fell to the next level of the deck below. Her sword skittered out of reach as all the wind was knocked out of her. Uma jumped down on top of her and raised her sword to bring it down on Mal's head. Mal tried to sluggishly scuttle backwards to grab her sword to almost no avail.
Someone let loose a wild war cry and rushed over. As Uma started to bring the sword down on top of Mal's head, Audrey appeared out of nowhere with her own sword raised high to protect her. The two swords clanged at each other and Uma's almost flew out of her hand as the girl fought to regain her balance.
Mal rolled out from under Uma's legs as Audrey swung at the surprised Uma and nicked the girl's ear. However, her swings were sloppy, and Mal knew it wouldn't be long before Audrey had nothing more to give. She leaped for her sword. A boot landed on the blade, pressing it to the ground. Harry Hook smiled down at her. He leaned down with a conspiratorial look on his face.
"Word is you brought the king here, to the Isle of the Lost. What, is he actually going to let you run free off your leash now?" Harry asked with a wicked grin. Mal growled. She was getting really sick of people assuming Ben was abusing her.
"What leash?" Mal spat.
Harry leered down at her. "Y'know, I was hoping he'd knock a bit o' that spirit outta you. Hmm, doesn't look like it, huh?"
"In your dreams, Hook." Mal rolled her eyes. She used the handle of her sword to pull her legs out from under her and lashed out at Harry's knee. The bridge of her foot collided with his knee and there was a loud popping sound. Harry cursed and crashed. Mal whipped her sword away and wheeled as Audrey was forced into a crouch by Uma, the better swordsman. This couldn't go on forever.
"Hey!" Mal yelled at a member of group two who was rushing off the ship with a small girl hanging on his shoulders. She pointed at Uma. "Shoot her!" She yelled and rushed in.
She kicked Uma off of Audrey and raised her sword as if she was going to force the girl to lock swords with her. As Uma raised her weapon, the boy shot, and Uma was knocked out cold. Mal stayed above her opponent for a few more seconds, huffing and puffing, and then straightened up and looked around.
The deck was quiet. As far as Mal could tell, every villain had been apprehended. Mal walked over to Audrey and held a hand up for the panting girl.
"Thanks." Audrey wheezed as she tried to catch her breath.
"No, thank you." Mal smiled. "You saved my life, and look! There's not even a scratch on you." She met Audrey's brown eyes as the girl began to smile a little in self-pride. "Ben's going to be so proud of you," Mal said.
Audrey's smile faded immediately. "Mal, I have to tell you-"
But Mal already knew what she was going to say. 'I'm sorry for all the petty things I did and all that jazz'. "Not now." She interrupted. "Let's go below deck and make sure everyone has been vacated, okay?"
Audrey looked like she wanted to protest, but she obeyed Mal. Mal glanced around the deck and sighed sadly at all the island rebels that were slumped over across the deck planks. All of them had ruined their chances to get into the city.
The stairs were at the front of the ship, underneath a square trapdoor. People were still wandering up and down with people on their backs and in their arms. "How many more are there?" Mal asked with a frown. A couple of people murmured responses, "Thirty? Forty?", but no one seemed sure. That didn't sound like very good news to Mal. She wished there was a way to pull the Jolly Roger out and around to the dock. Or to bring cars or ATV's past the bridge to get to here. Unfortunately, none of these longer-distance things existed on the Isle because the need simply wasn't there yet. Maybe one day.
Audrey and Mal headed below deck and immediately had to hold their noses. The hull smelt of body odor and human feces. There was almost no light, and at least sixty people remained. The last few members of the two groups were hoisting moaning individuals onto their backs, but it was clear that there would have to be second trips. Mal frowned. Where was Ben?
"Is this the only other place we have prisoners being kept?" She asked aloud. People exchanged looks. It seemed no one quite knew the answer. Mal and Audrey exchanged a glance, and then they linked their arms together and lifted a man whose leg was bloodied and twisted. They carefully navigated the stairs and set him on the deck before returning below deck to try and continue pulling people out of the dark and dingy area.
On their third trip up, Carlos was waiting for them, tight-lipped with worry. "Mal," He gasped when he saw her. He turned and pointed up on the bluff, where a small group of people was visible. "We have... people being kept in those buildings. At least forty others in one room alone, maybe more. The doors are locked. We're breaking the locks now, but we're going to need lots of help."
Mal exhaled with a sigh. "I wonder if there would be any way for me to spell a cart or something to take people in?" She rubbed her forehead and turned to Audrey. "Do you have any ideas? You seemed to be rather full of them this morning."
Audrey just shook her head though, and Mal had to exhale. "Okay. Maybe I will try and spell something. For now, do what you can and take who you can. Audrey and I are going to keep trying to help people and... there's just so many." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'll think of something," She decided. "Just... keep working. Maybe see if you can find some long boards."
The deck continued to fill up steadily. Soon, they were having to move the unconscious villains aside to make way for the people who needed help. Mal considered yanking Uma's hair out of spite as she passed by, but decided against it when Ben's disapproving face came into her mind. Speaking of Ben, where was he? Maybe he had found someone and taken them into the city when she hadn't been looking. That would make sense.
There were scores of people. Mal tried to keep track of the people she and Audrey carried up but lost count around seventy-seven when she realized that other people were also helping them bring people up and some were being escorted to the city, meaning her count would be inaccurate in the end. She could see, a little, how many people were being escorted out of buildings, and that was an even higher number.
"I need a scout," Mal gasped to Audrey as they set down a teenager, not much older than herself, with black hair. "Can you run up and check on the surrounding buildings? Call for people, and make sure there isn't anyone else trapped? I'll have to see what I can do to help people get to the city faster." Audrey nodded, though she looked a little uneasy to be apart from Mal, and picked up a sword. She and Mal hiked up the bluff and then Audrey disappeared as Mal went to the group.
Carlos was dropping a large plywood board onto a stack of similarly shaped boards. He glanced up as he heard Mal striding forward. "Will this do?" He mumbled, gesturing to the small pile. Mal exhaled with a sigh.
"We'll just have to take this one step at a time," she decided. "If only we'd known ahead of time how many people were trapped. I honestly had no idea how many people could be on the Isle because Auradon's records were so full of holes when they were handed to me."
"That and they're ignorant." Carlos wrinkled his nose. "It'd take a hole the size of the moon to cover up this all on its own."
Mal laughed a little and then took a board and examined it tactfully. "I don't know if this will work, but I've got to try." She sighed. She and Carlos carefully laid two people who were nearly unconscious on a board and Mal swallowed as she touched the side of it. "Noble steed, proud and fair; take them to the city there."
The board lifted a few inches off of the ground and drifted away, en route to the Isle city. Mal watched it go carefully and then nodded. "I don't know if I can do all of them, but I can do some of them. Who's next?"
"I don't know if that'll be necessary," Someone announced behind her. Mal turned and paused when she saw Jay, standing with his back to the ship and his arms crossed. Mal examined the lines in his face as he tried to keep his spine straight and meet her eyes and act like they were still exactly the way they'd once been. Carefully, he turned and gestured to the ship behind him. Mal turned and her mouth fell open. At least two hundred, probably more, people from the city, Auradon guards, and volunteers had returned, walking around the bluff just out of sight. She turned to Jay, whose gaze finally fell to the ground. "I brought reinforcements," He cleared his throat. "I've still got your back, Daughter of Maleficent."
Mal's eyes filled with a few tears at that statement. Of course he did. Of course he was still in her court, even after all this time and all these years. She nodded, trying to convey through every sense of her being that she was appreciative of him, and stepped forward to give him a quick hug around the shoulders. "Thanks, Jay, for everything."
When Mal released him, Jay looked a great deal calmer. He turned towards the docks, lifted two fingers to his lips, and whistled. People down on the docks looked up, and Mal and Jay raised their arms above their heads. "We have people up here!" He called. "Hurry!"
"Mal!" Audrey gasped, reappearing from around a corner looking completely winded. "I checked everywhere around here. There's only one other small place right at the base of the wharf in that building there-" She pointed to a relatively stable building about fifty feet from the shoreline. "And there's only ten or so there. Unless you want to scout the Isle, I think we have most of your citizens covered."
"Fantastic," Mal exhaled, smiling with a sigh of relief. She turned to Jay. "Are Mercy, May, and Myth already checking people in?"
"Yeah," Jay confirmed. "They're using the same message and everything. We don't know if everyone will stay - they might decide to become villains again after they're healed - but they're asking anyone who's conscious and treating everyone else outside the barrier if they can't confirm. No one is trying to break your rules. Believe me, your citizens are fiercely protective of the rules."
Mal nodded in approval and relief. "Maybe I'll make a temporary exception for those who are unconscious, just so that when the rebels wake up tomorrow there's no trouble, but I'll make that decision later. Do you have any numbers for me?"
"Two hundred," Jay responded, still waving people up onto the bluff. Mal rolled her eyes.
"No, really, Jay. How many have they checked in?" She asked. Jay turned to blink unfoundedly at her.
"No, I'm serious. Two-hundred-twenty-seven before I left about an hour to a half-hour ago. And hundreds of people are waiting beside the gates to go inside. You might have to get more cards. Your city's population is about to blow." Jay replied, speaking a little slowly so that Mal could grasp the full meaning of his words. Her mouth fell open.
"For real? I - I had probably better get back to help give people cards and... oh my goodness." She held her hands to her cheeks a little bit. "This is just... mind-boggling."
"Do you have enough space for everyone?" Jay asked, furrowing his brow.
Mal nodded. "Yes, and I can always pay for more buildings anyways. I just... wasn't really anticipating all of this. Who would have thought the Isle of the Lost could house so many?"
Jay put a hand on her shoulder and pointed down to the ship. "I think someone's trying to get your attention." He pointed. Mal watched as someone jumped up, waving their arms to the top of the bluff. She nodded in agreement and Jay patted her arm. "Go and help out down there. Carlos and I will take care of this crowd."
Mal nodded and turned to nod at her old partner. "Thanks again, Jay. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."
Jay nodded, and Mal began to hike back down. Audrey followed her, huffing a little as she navigated the steepish slope. They slipped onto the gangplank and navigated around people picking up Isle victims. Already, the deck was half-cleared. The person who'd been waving her down was the same short Isle boy who had been with Mal and her group earlier that day. "Queen Mal!" He gasped, pointing down the length of the ship. "You're needed below deck."
Mal frowned. The staircase was rather congested as people finished bringing up prisoners. "Has there been a death?" She asked, examining the people coming up and down.
The boy shook his head. "No, ah, ahem, you should see for yourself," He choked.
Mal and Audrey exchanged a look, and then they began to head to the staircase. People cleared a little as they saw her coming. Mal descended the stairs with an air of trepidation falling over her. She stepped over Drizella Tremaine and came face-to-face with Evie. Evie looked as ethereal as ever, but her face was pinched with worry.
"Mal." She said softly. "There's something you need to see." Evie ushered Mal to the back of the hull, where there was a door. Mal twisted the handle and peered inside. There were three small children under the age of two, all hungry and emancipated, and one cradle. Audrey gasped under her breath. Rescuers appeared in the doorway to take the children as Evie, Audrey, and Mal approached the cradle.
When they first peered inside, Audrey gasped again, and clapped her hands to her mouth. Mal's hands curled over the hilt of her sword as she bit the inside of her cheek hard.
Inside was a baby with white porcelain skin, as beautiful as the Auradon sunrise. She had no freckles, and her bare feet waved in the air as she slept. She appeared to be well-taken-care-of but was dirty nonetheless. Atop her head were long strands of bright purple hair.
Evie reached into the cradle and carefully moved the child's arm. Mal let out a breath as she spotted a dragon-shaped black ink mark curling around the girl's skin. It was the mark of Maleficent, matching the one on Mal's shoulder. This was a daughter of Maleficent who had been branded as such.
Mal turned to Evie. "Did you know about this?" She hissed.
Evie shook her head. "No. But the baby is obviously a few days – definitely less than a week old. I never even knew Maleficent was pregnant, even if she did go a little crazy a few weeks ago…" She trailed off.
Mal closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her head. "She… must have gotten pregnant… what, last November?" She looked at Evie, who nodded. November, as in when Mal had taken control of the moorlands and when the Isle of the Lost had changed hands.
"She must have realized you weren't coming back," Audrey whispered. Mal reached down and put her finger in the little girl's grasp. This was her little sister. Her brand-new baby sister. And her mom had planned to keep her on the Isle. Mal's eyes filled with tears. This was Mal's replacement. A girl Maleficent had hoped to raise up to be eviler than her first daughter.
Audrey helped Mal spread out the blankets, and they carefully wrapped the newborn up. She was so small her fingers and toes were still that mottled miscoloring most babies have. Mal would be willing to bet she still had her umbilical cord.
Once the baby was swaddled, Mal held her sister to her chest and they carried her out of the room. They checked all the other rooms, but everyone had been vacated. People were being carried away towards the city while others congregated on the deck.
Up on deck, Carlos waited with a small group of other people, all with stun guns. They had no idea how many rebels had escaped them and were waiting out, but so far there had been no problems with carrying everyone back. When Carlos spotted the tiny child in Mal's arms, his eyes bugged out and he dropped the gun. "W-Where'd she come from?" He gasped.
"My sister," Mal answered, pressing the little girl against her chest protectively. "We'll figure this out back in the city." She glanced around at the hundred-odd people who were waiting for instructions. Mal swallowed. "Let's finish up and go home," She announced. "Our work here is done."
Hours later, after the ship had been vacated by the heroes, Gaston, Dr. Facilier, and Captain Hook, stomped up to the ship with their prized prisoner in tow. They bound Ben's hands and legs to the mast and stomped around the deck, scuffing their shoes as they evaluated the damage. They tested a few people's necks, figured everyone was asleep, and set about fixing the physical damages.
"Maleficent's brat sure made a mess of things!" Hook snapped as he fixed the ropes that strung up to the mast. Meanwhile, Gaston tossed bits of wreckage overboard with a permanent scowl etched across his features.
"She'll be back!" He declared, pausing to glare at the young king bound in the center of the ship. "And this time, we'll be ready for her."
Ben twisted his hands in their bindings. He'd heard the battle, heard the sounds of Auradon and Isle success, and had been unable to call for help. Now, he had the honorable task of being bait. He swallowed and bowed his head, hoping Mal wouldn't rain down too much fire on his captors.
Acres of people stretched alongside the great walls of the city, all the way to Mal's old bridge. At least three hundred people, for a minimal estimate, lay on the ground as Isle and Auradon workers worked to revive and to treat people enough to agree or disagree to Mal's city conditions. Still more people were being brought from the Dark Isle into the light one. Myth, Mercy, and May hurried from place to place, giving Mal's conditions and assigning rooms and cards as quickly as possible. As news slowly came back that all of the Isle people had been rescued from the ship, some volunteers dropped their efforts, much to Mal's dismay. Large groups of volunteers from Auradon collapsed in the hot sand of the city and fell asleep. Guns and swords were abandoned at the gated entrances.
"Queen Mal!" Someone summoned her as she neared the group, clutching the small body to her chest. May rushed forward with her hand in the air. "We need help," She gasped. "We can only recite the incantations inside the barrier, and the entrance is too crowded with sick people who can't make the promises. What should we do?"
Mal exhaled, keeping her hands, one of the baby's neck and the other on its bottom to support her, and nodded. "I'm going to make an exception in my rules for this event only." She sighed. "For now, anyone who is unconscious is allowed inside, but when they wake up they will be required to make oaths with me in my city. And for today only, I'll let you use your magic in the barrier. And I'll be along to help you soon - just let me find a place for her." She gestured to the child that was slumbering against her chest. May nodded, looking a little overwhelmed, and Mal turned to find someone who could hold onto her sister for a few seconds so she could mess with the barrier. Evie and Audrey stood behind her, waiting. Mal held the baby out to Evie. "Evie, can you mind her for a few minutes while I stand here and fix the barriers to help everyone?" She asked.
Evie nodded and took the baby from Mal, fumbling her a little and then letting her settle into her arms. Mal felt a little tense watching the tiny girl go, even though it was just Evie. She closed her eyes and quickly started feeling for the barrier, knowing that the sooner she finished her task, the sooner she'd be able to take her sister back.
The barrier was a bit harder to find from the dark part of the Isle. She had to search through the pollution and there was lots of distance. Finally, she finished making her changes and quickly turned to take the baby from Evie. The child's weight felt familiar, if still uncomfortable. Mal carried her baby sister inside. She had no idea what to do. Eventually, the baby would wake and need to be fed and changed. And after that... she had no idea.
"What are you going to do with her?" Audrey asked, dropping her sword beside the gate and glancing at it forlornly as if she weren't sure how she felt about putting it down.
Mal shook her head, turning back to her two friends with a frazzled look in her eyes. "I have... no idea," She admitted. "I mean, she's my sister. I can't leave her with my mom and I can't let her stay on the bad part of the Isle. But...I don't know what to do with her here either."
Evie stared at the purple wisps of hair peeking out over the blankets. "Well, you're married. Maybe you and Ben..." She trailed off.
Mal shook her head furiously. "I don't think so. I mean, I know Ben wants kids; I know he probably wouldn't be all that disappointed or put-out if I decided that I wanted them right now. But for me? I have two kingdoms and a busy life and I... am not on the same page as he is. Plus, I'm way too young to be caring for a kid. How could I care for a kid I barely have time for anyways? But I can't just give her up or give her to someone else because she's my sister and because family is supposed to stick together. And even if I did give her up, I can't guarantee that someone wouldn't want her just because she's..." Mal paused to catch her breath, and Evie finished her sentence.
"Just because she's the sister of someone famous," Evie nodded.
Mal exhaled and closed her eyes. "I... I have to think. I have to make sure she's okay, and I have to think and talk with Ben and... think."
Audrey flinched in pain as Mal turned and headed towards where Eliza and her mother were talking to newcomers from the dark portion of the Isle of the Lost. Evie and Audrey hung back and watched the purple fairy approach Eliza and Evelyn, and then watched as Eliza led her away to a different building.
Audrey turned and picked her sword back up. She felt a lot stronger when she was holding it. If she'd been holding it when Ben had shown up, things might be different now. She had no idea how to break the news to Mal that her husband had been captured. As she focused on the blade and her reflection in the dirty blade, Carlos tapped Audrey on the shoulder.
"You were pretty brave," Carlos said softly. Audrey hung her head. Carlos opened his mouth to continue but paused as tears filled her eyes.
"You running helped take those two villains off my back. I was able to grab our swords and our teammate before Hook could catch me. He's smart, but not very fast. He's gotten older." Carlos clasped his hands together. "How did you escape?" He asked Audrey.
Audrey hiccupped and began to cry. "I'm a coward." She shook her head. "I'm an awful person."
Carlos looked startled by her outburst. He and Evie exchanged looks. "You... were doing well today?" Evie asked slowly.
Audrey turned to start at them with mascara caked under her eyes and her eyeliner running down her face. "It was Ben." She whispered.
Carlos almost jumped out of his skin. Evie went very, very still, and then took a glance around them. "Ben?" Carlos asked.
"He came out of nowhere and pushed me off the path." Audrey whisper-hissed. "And he put up an amazing fight, but Gaston and Facilier got him instead, and I was too afraid to help him or anything…" She trailed off as more tears came streaming down her face.
"Oh no," Carlos whispered. He jumped to his feet and looked all around. Evie's face was white. There was no sign of the blonde-haired prince anywhere, and he hadn't been seen since... a while. Carlos grabbed Audrey's arm and pulled her to her feet. "Jay!" He yelled as he spotted his friend walking into the area with an unconscious person in his arms. He waved Jay over as Evie began to comfort Audrey, who was sobbing and wiping her eyes.
"Carlos?" Jay asked, switching the weight of the person in his arms. "What's wrong?"
"Jay." Carlos gasped. "Audrey saw Ben get snatched by Facilier and Gaston. Have you seen him anywhere?"
Jay's face became stony. "I don't exactly make it a point to look for him," Jay said in a sour tone.
"Jay, this is serious!" Carlos hissed. "You know how upset Mal will be!"
Evie put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "We've got to tell her." She declared. "Now."
Jay groaned, but the four of them began to head away, up to the city to find Mal.
Eliza had led Mal to a small house in the city where nameless, abused children were being brought in to be taken care of by some of the Isle people until permanent solutions could be drafted. As Mal stepped in, everyone gasped and the room took on an air of hushed reverence. A woman stood up in the back of the room and hurriedly approached Mal. "Who do you have there?" She asked, looking down at the baby.
Mal swallowed. "Another daughter of Maleficent. I... need someone to look after her while I move everyone outside in. I was told this is the makeshift orphanage, sort of?"
"Sort of," The woman agreed. "So, you're coming back for her, is that right?"
"I am," Mal affirmed. "Hopefully it won't be more than a few hours. I swear I'll come back as soon as I can, and you should know how to hunt me down anyways, right?"
The woman laughed as she and Mal exchanged the child. As she looked down at the baby with bright eyes, a little sigh escaped her throat. "Well, you can leave her as long as you want. Look at how precious she is." She met Mal's eyes with a bright light. "I'm Claudine Frollo. My dad is Judge Frollo."
"Okay," Mal nodded. "Well, thank you for taking care of her. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."
Claudine nodded and turned away with tiny Maleficent in her arms, and Mal had to remind herself to slowly step back, turn around and walk out the door. She slipped back outside and shut the door behind her before brushing off her Isle jacket and jumping down the stairs. She hit the streets, turned left, towards the city gates, and stopped when she heard someone calling her name.
"Mal!" Carlos shouted, waving his arm to catch her attention as he, Evie, Jay, and Audrey all walked up. Mal paused on the sidewalk and took in their tight, worried expressions from a distance.
"What is it?" She asked as they drew closer. "Am I needed?"
Carlos shook his head and crossed his arms as he tried to pick out what he had to say. Evie began to wring her hands and more gentle tears streamed down Audrey's face. Only Jay remained indifferent. "About today," He began and stopped.
Mal blinked. Overall, she considered the invasion a vast success. Everyone had been rescued, the ship and bay completely vacated except for the people who had wanted to stay, and she had discovered her new sister and saved her from what was quite likely a horrible childhood. Definitely not anything she'd soon forget. "We got lots done," She sighed. 'I couldn't have done it without you guys. You too, Audrey. Thanks for sticking with me." She nodded to the Auradon girl, and Audrey abruptly burst into sobs and turned to hide her face. Mal took a half-step back in shock.
"M," Evie said in a hushed tone. "We need to talk about something that happened on the wharf."
Mal listened to the guarded edge in her voice. Bad news; this was bad news. She closed her eyes and put on a bright smile. "Success!" She cheered half-heartedly as she pushed her hands in her pockets. "We have family units starting up and we rescued almost five hundred people so far. I have a team of three people who are willing to watch after misplaced children and the Isle is safeish again." Mal opened her eyes. "Where's Ben?" She asked. "I need a victory kiss."
Evie winced so visibly she almost slipped and fell backward. Mal's smile dropped from her mouth. "Mal…" Jay trailed off. 'We actually do have bad news."
Well, there it was. No avoiding it anymore. Mal wiped her hands on her pants and straightened her back. "Okay," She exhaled. "Do you have a death count? Was someone hurt? What is it?"
A deep silence fell across the group. Evie kept her lips sealed and Carlos glanced at Jay. He cleared his throat when it was clear Jay wasn't going to say anything more on the subject. "We ran into Captain Hook, Dr. Facilier, and Gaston." He said softly. "When we were separated from you. Audrey ran and Facilier and Gaston chased after her. Just before they snatched her, someone rammed her, and she was knocked out of their path and saved." Carlos exhaled. "It was Ben. Ben was captured by Gaston and Facilier."
Mal blinked at them, feeling as if her world had suddenly been flipped over. "No," She shook her head. "No, he... he fights. He could fight them off." She gave a little laugh as tears filled her eyes. "He's got to be here somewhere." She turned to look around the city.
Audrey stepped forward and put a hand on Mal's shoulder. "He did fight them off. He had Gaston on the ground and everything. But then the place I was hiding... collapsed, and to distract from the noise he threw his sword down and hurled Facilier away, and Gaston picked the sword up before he could get it back."
Mal squeezed her eyes shut as hot, lavalike tears slid down her cheeks and dropped off her chin. Evie, Jay, and Carlos's mouths dropped in surprise. "No!" She wailed. "No, no, no! This is just a bad dream! It's all a bad dream!" Her chest was being pulled apart from the center of her ribcage, like two hooks had been latched, one in the right side and the other in the left, and she was being pulled into two. She tried to take a step and lost her footing, hurtling towards the ground until someone caught her in their strong arms. Mal felt all up and down their arms, hoping beyond all hope Ben had suddenly appeared, but all she found was the bulky muscles of Jay as she cried out in absolute anguish.
"By God, Mal!" Jay snapped in surprise. "Pick up your feet!"
Mal leaned into Jay with her arms tight around his neck, trying to remember where her feet even were in all of this pain. Jay shook her a little. "Snap out of it!" He demanded.
"Ben…" Mal moaned, using her fists to wipe at her eyes. "Oh my gosh, how could I have been so stupid? Oh, Ben..." She closed her eyes, balling her nails into the back of his vest as Jay tried to set her back on her feet. She felt like a ragdoll. Her muscles were like goop.
"Let go!" Jay demanded, holding fast onto her shoulders and trying to pry his distraught friend's hand off of him.
Evie put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Jay." She whispered. "She can't." The blue-haired girl's eyes were filled with tears too. This is what Auradon had reduced their friend to. From a pre-teen with nerves of steel to a young lady who wasn't sure what to do when her other half was gone. The pain in Mal's small frame as her body forced wretched sobs out was palpable.
Jay shook and put his friend down on the floor, where she curled her knees under her and buried her head in her hands, breaking down. "She has to!" He howled, looking like he might punch someone. There were tears in his eyes that he desperately tried to wipe away as he shook. "He's just a stupid boy! Mal never needed a boy before! She's Isle, she doesn't need anyone!"
"Jay," Carlos whispered to his friend. Audrey was backing away as Jay grew angrier and angrier. "He's her other half. She's in love with him."
"No, she's not!" Jay exploded. Tears ran down his face as he balled his fists and screamed. "He's cursed her! He's a lying, scheming-" Jay leaned down and seized Mal's shoulders. "Get up!" He yelled in her face with such force Mal tilted her head back like she thought he might slap her and began to sob even harder. Jay had heard the cries of death, the cries of loss, of hunger and of pain. He had never heard the cries of a breaking heart.
"Jay!" Evie put a hand on his arm and tried to pull him back in surprise. She couldn't believe Jay's unfathomable anger at Mal when she was so clearly in need of help and support.
"Get up! Come on! Get up! Come up!" Jay yelled, repeating the mantra over and over. His hands grew tight on Mal's small arms, and his shoulders began to shake. Once upon a time, she'd been saying this to him, to get him to stop moping and whining about his dad. Once upon a time, she'd been his partner and the person he'd assumed would naturally fit into his future. Once upon a time, he'd been her sword buddy and her protector and her friend, not this other person. "Get up." He croaked. "Get up. Come on. Get up. Come on. Get up. Please, come back to me." His head dropped in defeat.
Jay didn't know what he was feeling. Was this was Auradon called love? All he knew was that he had assumed, naturally, that he and Mal would be partners for life, maybe in more ways than one, and now she had a different partner, and he had nothing and no one. The person they'd jokingly referred to as 'The queen of the Isle' was now literally 'The Queen of the Isle of the Lost'. And she had a different King; one that wasn't him.
He released Mal and pulled her hands from her face. Mal was still pale, and her vibrant green eyes seemed a little duller than before. He remembered those eyes clearly. They were imprinted behind his eyelids. He'd been protecting her from the beginning, back when he was seven and she was three. Jay broke down.
"It's you and I." He begged her. "We rule the Isle. I answer to you, and you're the leader." His voice shook. "It's always been us. Please, Mal." He pushed the hair out of her eyes. "You're my right-hand girl." He begged. "Don't leave me again."
Again, because she'd already left once, and now she was leaving forever in a way he'd be able to see her and know her but she'd never be the same person. Mal dropped her head. Her hands were shaking. Her eyes looked glassy - like she had no idea what to do. Evie was crying softly behind Jay as Carlos carefully put a hand on Jay's shaking shoulder.
This was Mal, who had denounced love at the age of eight and schemed to put Evie to sleep for a hundred years. This was Mal, who had dunked Uma in rotten shrimp larvae. This was Mal, who had been sure her mom had been lying when she'd revealed her plans for Mal to become queen and whose eyes had lit up with fear as the guards had led her away. Evie had had that image of poor, frightened Mal in her head until the night she saw a figure with wings and horns fly to the top of the wall around the city and look down into the forest. That was the night she'd decided to pack her things and join the city. Now, Mal, strong and stalwart, had no idea what to do with herself. It wasn't fair.
Jay took a deep breath to steady himself and wiped his eyes and nose on his gloves. He took Mal's chin in his hands and wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. "Okay." He whispered. "Okay." It was the whimpers of a broken man.
He looked into his oldest friend's eyes and swallowed. "I don't understand." He whispered. "I don't know if I ever can. But I love you, I'm going to protect you, and I can see you need him." Jay's voice broke on the word 'need', but he pressed on. He squeezed her shoulders so hard his knuckles turned white. "So go get him. You're the queen. You kicked butt as an Islander, and now you kick butt as the most powerful, beautiful queen Auradon, the Moors, and the Isle will ever see. You changed every single person's life on the Isle and in the Moors, and soon Auradon will become a different place because of you. You can do anything you set your mind to. If you want him, then Gaston, Facilier, Hook, and the entire island can't stop you." He patted her arm and pulled her into an upright position. "Go get him." He whispered. The light came back into Mal's eyes.
Mal blinked and moved to wipe tears from her eyes. "Jay." She smiled. "You do have a heart."
"Shocking, huh?" Jay chuckled. He twisted his hands. "Can you forgive me?" He whispered.
"What's there to forgive?" Mal hummed.
Mal leaned forward to wrap her arms around Jay for a hug, but he stopped her, taking her arms and putting them back at her sides. Then quickly, before he could change his mind or before she could stop him, he took Mal's chin in his palm and leaned in. He pressed his lips onto hers. Evie and Audrey let out panicked gasps and Carlos's eyes grew impossibly wide. Mal's eyes grew wide and she froze for a second before she began to push him away. He withdrew immediately, and Mal fell back into the pavement a little, covering her mouth and wiping her lips in a frenzied sort of panic. Jay watched her. "Sorry." He whispered. "I know you're married, but I always told myself you'd be my first kiss." He covered his face to avoid Mal's gape of shock. "I'm not holding onto anything anymore; I know you've got someone else," Jay admitted as he stood up. "I just... needed that." He offered her his hand. "Come on." He said as he helped a stunned Mal to her feet. "Let's go get Prince Useless back."
Mal's face turned bright red. "Prince Useless?" She thundered and shoved him back. "And you needed that? You can't just take something like that from me just because you need it - my mouth isn't a tool you can borrow to fix yourself!"
Jay stared at her softly, nodding along to every word. "I always thought we'd end up together," He confessed. "We were just... the best team, you know?"
"That doesn't excuse anything!" Mal protested. "Do you expect me to just forgive you kissing me when I'm married and you know it?"
"I know you can't be with me." Jay shook his head and refused to meet her gaze. "I won't touch you again." He promised.
"Mal," Evie stepped forward and put a hand on Mal's shoulder, helping her back away from Jay. "What he did wasn't right but you're forgetting that our hearts are breaking too. We all need time."
Mal raised a hand to her lips, covering them and lightly tracing them. "For now," She declared. "But never again, or our friendship will end with it."
"Queen Mal!" Someone called from the gates, and Mal's head whipped around. People were waving at her for help. Her shoulders slumped as she turned back towards her friends.
"We need swords and maybe a stun gun or two. I doubt Gaston, Facilier, and Hook will be out in the open after all that loss today. Find some full-body armor and a couple more people we can trust out there." Mal commanded. She glanced at Jay with a curled lip and then turned away. "I'm going to help at the gates a little longer, and then it's back to the Isle."
They watched her walk away without a word. Audrey, Carlos, and Evie all shot worried, bewildered glances at Jay, and then slowly split off to hunt down the things they needed. The sun was an hour off of setting though, and Auradon's volunteers were beginning to pack up. Jay had a feeling that Mal's kingdom would need her a little longer than Mal hoped to stay. He watched her cross the border to the outside and authorize two more people to hand out cards, and couldn't help thinking that Ben was so lucky that she loved him and wanted him. Ben got everything she had to give, and Jay would just have to be happy to be one of her close friends. Still, he didn't regret that one robbery kiss, her lips pressed tight against his, as warm and full as he'd ever imagined before.