Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants.
Chapter 14: Not So Different
The sounds of laughter and celebration could be heard all throughout the island. The fairies shined brightly, the air swirling with the pixie dust that had been so tightly guarded and kept away for so long. The mermaids were splashing joyfully and the flowers seemed to bloom brightly even under the cover of the night. Neverland seemed to be more awake, more alive than it ever had been in the last 20 years . . .
Yet, Tiger Lily never felt more afraid.
Silently slipping away from the party that her tribe volunteered (was forced) to hold, the Chieftainess of Neverland was careful to stay in the shadows as she made her way to an old but still floating row boat. Memories of long ago when a young brave and adventurous boy would swoop down and save her from cruel pirates using her as bait played in the back of her head like a badly edited movie: there were too many scenes that were either missing or over-edited. She was starting to lose her grasp on what was real or not in her mind. Had all of those good times had actually been all that good?
She got into the rowboat, trying not to make much noise as she began to row towards Auradon. She made a silent plea to any deity listening that her daughter, Tiger Peony, and the rest of the youth of Neverland, would forgive her for the burden that she placed on them . . . even hoped that Calista Jane, the trouble-making brat as she was, didn't face the same fate that her father before her blindly walked into.
She needed to get to Auradon. The Council of Sidekicks needed to know about Pan's awakening. Contingencies needed to be made before Neverland's Curse took full effect.
Already, she was feeling the desire to row back to shore. To forget about all of this and participate in the festivities and just forget about . . .
About . . .
What was she doing again?
Tiger Lily violently shook her head, clearing the haze from her mind. Not again, she vowed.
She was almost out of Neverland's waters when the boat tipped slightly, rocking her sideways. She paused, going deathly still. The mermaids of Neverland were a mischievous bunch. Unlike their counterparts in Atlantica, they were known for their pranks and slightly vain nature. Harmless . . . unless provoked. Unless otherwise led . . .
"You know, I'm kinda disappointed in you, Lily," the familiar young voice of her past sighed sadly behind her. A cold chill went down her spine and for the first time, Tiger Lily thought she may have understood the dread Captain Hook must have felt for all those years.
Tiger Lily clenched her eyes closed, fighting against the sudden desire to row back to Neverland and shirk all her duties to run and play, stronger this time in his presence. (Just let go. Being an adult is so boring . . . Just have fun . . .)
"Stop that Peter," she breathed out through clenched teeth, eyes still closed as the boat continued to rock precariously.
"Look at you, Lily. Trying to order me around," he scoffed. She could feel him floating in front of her, his breath fanning against her face as he leaned closer. Tiger Lily could only imagine him inspecting her face. Counting every new wrinkle and line she had gained since he had last seen her all those years ago. "You just had to grow old and be no fun didn't, ya?"
Pan gripped her chin tightly, and she opened her eyes, glare meeting glare.
"Where. Is. Tinker Bell?"
Tiger Lily shook her head out of his grip, holding herself with the air of a chief, head held tall. "To die," she began, voice clear and steady, "would be an awfully big adventure."
Pan flew back slightly, as if some invisible force had smacked him. His face went soft, a solemn look in his eyes, and for a second, Tiger Lily saw the boy she once looked up to as a hero.
"Then to death," he murmured softly, the serious expression foreign on his face.
She didn't even have time to respond before her boat finally tipped to the side, plunging her into the water. Tiger Lily tried to quickly resurface but webbed hands clamped down on her wrist, dragging her down into the murky depths despite her struggles.
Floating above the water's surface, Pan watched as the formerly beautiful mermaids, now with slitted pupils and shark-like teeth, dragged the woman down deeper into the water. He stayed there, watching dispassionately, until the last of the air bubbles came to the surface before stopping.
"Pan! PAN! Where the hell is your leafy ass?" he heard CJ shouting from the shore.
The dark expression immediately lightened, replaced by his usual mischievous smirk as he quickly flew and dropped down in front of her.
CJ nearly jumped but managed to catch herself. "There you are Flyboy! I thought we were going to do something fun!"
Pan grinned, landing beside her and throwing an arm over her shoulder. "We are, silly girl!" he said glancing across the waters to where the lights of Auradon shined brightly against the night sky. "And I know just where to start."
Across the water, in one of the dorm rooms of Auradon Prep, the heir of the Underworld suddenly looked up from the wilted plant he was repotting, his gaze far off and seeing something far beyond the confines of his darkened room.
The back of one dirt covered hand rubbed over his eye patch thoughtfully, unconcerned when dirt smudged against his cheek. He already knew what had occurred in the waters surrounding Neverland, could feel it in his bones as he felt the Fates cut another mortal's thread.
Hadie watched as a single bud bloomed on the otherwise wilted looking plant. Even with gloves on, he was aware of the delicate nature of life at his fingertips.
It was overwhelming. He was already forgetting what touching something without gloves actually felt like…
"People think it's all flashy lights and Homeric tales being the god of the underworld," he remembered his father lecture him years ago while shoving a plate of poorly seasoned and undercooked souvlaki into his hands to give to a customer. "But it's a dirty thankless job, kid, that can strip away at you if you let it. It's why even though I'm on this Zeus-forsaken Isle with all these damn mortals, I don't regret trying to kill off that beefcake cousin of yours. After all, you gotta switch things up every now and again when you're immortal like us, son. You gotta place your bets somewhere to keep things entertaining."
The lights of the room suddenly flooded on, Hadie finding himself holding back a curse at the sudden and blinding light. He flipped his hood up, darkening his glare, but his efforts were only met by the now familiar chuckle of his roommate.
"Don't give me that look," Diego chuckled, walking into the room and tossing his leather jacket haphazardly on a nearby chair. "A little light wouldn't kill you."
"But an angry roommate might kill you," Hadie continued to glare at him silently from under his hood before Diego sighed, rolling his eyes and walking back over to where the light switch was and turning the lights off.
Ignoring Diego's grumbled "spoiled brat", Hadie returned to looking at his mostly wilted plant. From the corner of his eye, he could see Diego sit down nearby, observing the plant as well.
"Lilium lancifolium. Tiger Lily, right?"
"Wow," Hadie murmured dryly, a hint of teasing in his tone. "You know some big flower words, De Vil. Careful that it doesn't ruin that bad boy persona of yours."
Knowing that he was being teased, Diego grinned, shaking his head as he playfully gave the other boy a rude hand gesture.
Sometimes Hadie still found it so odd that he had befriended Diego, even before the Anti-Hero club had started. The older boy was reckless and despite all his suaveness often didn't know when he was unintentionally flirting with death...or that death liked to flirt back…
"Don't pretend you don't think I'm the coolest. I know you're my biggest fan," Diego winked, reaching over to try and ruffle the other boy's head but Hadie quickly ducked out of the way, pulling his hood further down over his face.
The room was silent and Hadie felt more than saw the way the blood drained from his friend's face.
Ah...there was the fear.
"Fucking Dalmatians," Diego muttered wide eyed and apologetic. "I'm so sorry, H. I...I forgot."
"As they say, no rest for the wicked," Hadie shrugged, getting up to his feet and moving the potted plant with its single bloom to his desk where the sun would reach it in the morning.
"Hadie…" Diego frowned. "We are not our parents."
Caressing the closed bloom one more time with his gloved hand, Hadie let out a hollow chuckle. "We both know that's not true."
And oh Nyx, there was no greater reminder of that for the son of Hades as when every time he looked at his friend since arriving in Auradon, this land of magic, he knew up to the exact second, the exact number of heartbeats his friend had left. He kept his back turned to Diego, and could practically feel the other boy's eyes on him.
"You know I'm always here for you, bud," Diego finally sighed before shuffling into the bathroom.
Hadie allowed himself to let out a quiet breath of frustration before moving over to another plant, a simple fern. He removed his gloved and gave the plant the barest of strokes with his fingers. "A nice sentiment," he murmured under the sounds of Diego taking a shower as he watched the plant instantly wilt before turning to dust.
WLTF
For a brief moment, she knew it was a dream, the area around her having that dreamlike quality where everything seemed so hazy and yet clear. However, like most dreams, it was easy to forget the reality that was left behind, that after her conversation with Harry, Gil had come back with an armful of food which they had taken back to the boy's room where they could catch her up to what was happening. The recent all-nighters with Ben and Evie had finally taken their toll and she had dozed off at some point as Gil retold a story about some Audrey girl he had befriended, her hand sleepily searching for Harry's as her eye fluttered shut.
When she opened her eyes again, this time in a dream, Harry was tugging on their joined hands, fingers locking easily together, pulling them deeper into the lake that they had stood near just hours before.
He gave her one of his rare boyish grins, soft and easy like a secret between them, as he stepped backwards. Harry pulled her further out until the water was at his waist and just below her chest.
Uma couldn't help but to grin back at him, forgetting that this was a dream and feeling like a heavy weight was lifted off of her shoulder after the last three days.
They were both broken and bruised souls but at least they were together.
Sometimes that was all Uma even dared to wish for...
"He's the earth and heaven to you…"
Harry let go of her hands, pulling his captain close to him by her waist until she was resting her head on his chest, both of them gently swaying in the lake's gentle currents.
"I missed ye, Uma," he murmured pressing a lingering kiss on the crown of her head.
She didn't respond. Couldn't respond. Didn't want to think of the strange but not horrible fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had been ignoring for years at the thought of him. At being held so tightly by him...
"Girl you can't conceal it...We know how you're feeling...Who you thinking of…"
Uma pushed slightly away from Harry, nose wrinkled, looking over her shoulder in confusion.
"Did...did you hear that?" she questioned, scanning the surrounding greenery for the source of the...voice...or was it voices?
"Didn't hear a sound lass," Harry chuckled warmly behind her.
Uma sighed, allowing him to gently turn her face back to him with his calloused hand...not prepared to be staring at once bright but now glazed blue eyes sunken into a bloated pale white face, lips blue and spouting sea water.
Breath stuck in her throat.
She couldn't move.
Couldn't scream.
And then... they were falling.
Sinking…
Pulled down into the depths of the lake...no, they were under the sea.
Harry floated lifelessly down in front of her, unseeing eyes forever staring at her.
Judging her. Blaming her.
"WhO d'YoU tHiNk YoU'rE kIdDiNg? TrY tO kEeP iT hIdDeN…," the same voices from before echoed around her in a distorted melody that wrapped around her throat like her mother's tentacles, stealing her voice. "WhEn YoU gOnNa OwN uP tHaT yOu GoT, gOt, GoT iT bAd?"
"No," Uma tried to scream as she watched helplessly as long tentacles wrapped around the pale neck of her first mate. "NO!" she managed to cry out as a cackling sound that reminded her of her mother echoed in her ears. Her terrified mind wondered how Ursula had managed to get off the Isle only for Uma to realize belatedly that it was she who was laughing, that it was her tentacles; strong, big, and teal were wrapped around Harry's neck.
She had killed him.
"...not real…"
"GiVe Up...GiVe In…"
"...child, this is NOT real…"
"gIvE uP...gIvE iN…"
"UMA! THIS IS NOT REAL!"
"Uma?" Harry hovered over her, blue eyes clear and bright (and alive) with worry in the held in the way he tightly gripped his hook, ready to try and fight off even the dangers that weren't even there. "Talk to me, darling," he pleaded in the pale moonlight.
Sighing shakily, Uma reached out, removing Harry's hook from his hand before turning on her side facing away from her first mate. She could feel his eyes on her back and hear Gil's snore from the other bed.
It was just a dream. A terrible, horrible dream that she wouldn't allow to ever come true.
"Who am I?" she questioned so softly even she almost didn't hear it.
Harry swore under his breath, sounding exhausted. "Davy Jones, lass. All that time around Beasty Boy rottin' yer brain, Cap'n? Yer Uma of course!"
Uma didn't respond, keeping her gaze on the ways her hands clutched tightly around his hook.
Harry sighed, rolling off the bed and moving with light feet to the other side that she was facing. He knelt next to the bed and Uma felt herself looking anywhere but at his intense stare because then he would know just how much of a hot mess of emotions she was at the moment.
Seven seas, she really couldn't get a damn break.
One of her hands was pulled from the hook she was holding before an ever-familiar pair of lips pressed against it. Instantly, some of the tension in her body melted away.
"Don't ye do this to me again, Uma," he growled against her hand. "Don't ye dare push me away again. I really will kill someone if ye ignore me again for another three days."
Though his tone came off harsh, Uma couldn't help but chuckle, finally making eye contact with him as she pushed him back slightly. "Cheeky bastard," she rolled her eyes, the corner of her lips turning up briefly before her expression became somber. "Promise...Just...don't…. don't let me forget who I am. Okay? Promise?"
Harry's brows knitted, his mouth opening to say something before snapping shut.
"Aye, aye, Captain," he nodded tugging lightly on one of her braids as was his habit in these moments of vulnerability. "That I can do."
WLTF
"Ya seem to have a lot on your mind this morning. Care to talk about it?"
Mickey watched as the boy across from him stare intently out the window, hands anxiously petting the small dog on his lap. The boy looked dazed and distracted, the air around him heavy with nervous energy.
"Carlos," Mickey tried a little bit louder, startling the boy's attention back to him.
"Oh, uh. Sorry," he blushed, using the other hand that wasn't petting Dude to run through his hair. Carlos momentarily closed his eyes, as he took a second to firmly plant his feet on the ground, holding a deep breath before slowly letting it out, just as Mickey had taught him sessions ago. When he opened his eyes after a few repetitions, he saw that Mickey was smiling gently at him.
"Tough week?" the older man guessed.
"Yeah," Carlos nodded, a grin that looked more like a grimace on his face. "Something like that."
Mickey shrugged, opening out his hand, palm up invitingly. "Would you like to talk about what's going? What you're feeling?"
Putting Dude gently on the floor, Carlos leaned forward in his seat, elbows draped across his knees. (Oh boy, where to even begin?) "Just...things have been really tense, you know? With the new students from the Isle and some of the kids who were born here. Ever since...for days there's been rumors spreading that VKs, villain kids, are going to be sent back. And... And…" he trailed off, hands shaking as his fingers tapped against his knees.
"You're afraid that you'll be sent back," Mickey filled in. "Back to your mother?"
"YES!" Carlos nodded. "I thought that by sharing what happened to me...about what my mother did to me, that they would realize just how horrible the Isle is. But this…" he trailed off, flopping back on the couch, his posture slouched, his whole body screaming defeat.
"Ya did something that was really hard," Mickey acknowledged gently. "Ya talked about your past to a group full of people who probably could have never imagined such things to any child and you expected them to listen and make decisions accordingly. You thought they be better and you're frustrated that they're not."
"I thought they'd be, you know, 'heroes'," Carlos frowned; using air quotes. He huffed loudly, face twisting in annoyance. "And what's so frustrating is that the other students were finally starting to come around. Like, things were going well. Really well. I wasn't Cruella's son. I wasn't a villain. I was just...Carlos," he said the last part flatly. He bit his lip for a moment, ever aware of Mickey watching as he gathered his racing thoughts. (He was not going to start crying.) "And then Ben brings Uma to this side and everything goes to shit- I, I mean, uh, down the toilet," he quickly amended.
"You can curse in here if you want to," Mickey reassured reaching over for the mug of tea next to him. (Two sugars and a squeeze of lemon.) He took a sip of it, withholding a wince at the taste but taking another few sips nonetheless.
Carlos, always observant, noticed however. "Why do you drink that if you never like it?" he asked.
Mickey let out a chuckle, "I was forced to drink tea for so long by my former mentor that it's unfortunately become habit." He took one more sip before putting the cup back down. "Now, as ya were saying, ya feel that things took a turn for the worst when King Ben brought this Uma girl over? Did you know her well on the Isle?"
The boy looked almost offended at the thought. "No! But she was Mal's rival! The feuds between them were legendary! Uma was mean, cruel, and ruthless!"
"Mean, cruel, and ruthless…" Mickey hummed, stapling his gloved fingers together thoughtfully. "Doesn't that remind you of someone else you knew before you came to Auradon?"
"No," Carlos immediately stated before pausing. "I mean, Mal but...well, Mal did bully me...like, a lot...and I mean she did that thing where...Ugh," he sighed, scrubbing his face with a fist, irritated. "Fine! Mal was like that, and I mean she still has her mischievous streak every now and then...like the time she put purple dye in my shampoo...and in Dude's shampoo...and it wouldn't come out for two weeks... but- but it's like...We're family!" Carlos explained, voice filled with fondness and protectiveness. "She has her rough edges but...she means well."
"So Mal can be a little rough around the edges but you essentially gave her a chance," Mickey rephrased. "Do you not think that Uma, who seems similar to Mal in terms of the situations that they were both brought up in, should be given a chance?"
Carlos picked Dude up and allowed the dog to resettle in his lap. He focused on rubbing the dog behind his ears as he softly sighed, "Maybe."
Nodding Mickey decided to not push the matter any further. He could tell that there was another matter on his student's mind. "How are things with Jane?" he asked, watching as the boy's expression brightened instantly.
"It's going great," Carlos said, his voice full with affection and perhaps still a bit of disbelief. "We took Dude for a walk in the gardens the other day. You know, because it was such a beautiful day," the boy spoke excitedly, his words getting faster as his smile grew. "And Jane said this funny thing about a pumpkin-" He took a moment to laugh at the memory before he froze, expression falling.
"What just happened?" Mickey questioned, tapping his head to indicate he wanted to know what Carlos was thinking.
"I-it's nothing."
Dude jumped off of the boy's lap before making his way over to Mickey where he whined to be picked up. Mickey smiled at the animal as he picked him up. "You sure?" he asked scratching underneath the dog's head.
"She just asked me something about my childhood," Carlos said so softly that Mickey almost didn't hear him but once he realized what he had said, the older man felt a bit of pain for his student.
"It must be difficult keeping some of the traumatic elements of your childhood away from her."
Carlos chuckled though the way his eyes watered revealed that there was nothing funny. "I-I don't want to put that on her. I don't want her to think about how I got some of my scars every time she looks at me," he murmured tugging insecurely on his fingerless gloves where faint lash marks hid (though they weren't his only or worst ones). His foot began tapping frantically in anxiety. "She'll want to have nothing to do with me if she knew."
"How can ya be sure? What is the evidence for that? The evidence against? Has Jane ever been anything but supportive of you, Carlos?" the therapist questioned, letting go of Dude and letting the dog return back to his master when he noticed how his boy needed his support.
"I don't know," Carlos muttered softly, using the back of his hand to scrub at his eyes.
"You don't know or -"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Carlos yelled suddenly before instantly trying to fold into himself like he was afraid of being reprimanded. Dude let out a soft whine that sounded like "It's okay," as he tried to give Carlos comforting licks.
"Carlos," Mickey said softly after giving the boy a few seconds, careful to keep his tone non-threatening. "What ya went through was very traumatic. I imagine what many of the children of the Isle went through was. But you survived it. "
"I survived it," Carlos murmured weakly into Dude's fur.
Nodding Mickey continued. "It's your decision to share or not share. I'm not gonna force ya to do anything ya don't want to do and no one should. But as we've gone over before, putting Jane on this pedestal...not only must it be draining for her to be held to such high expectations, it also must be difficult for you too, right? If she's anything like her mother, I bet ya she's made of stronger stuff than you're giving her credit for."
Carlos nodded silently, eyes trained on his feet.
Mickey took a moment to take a breath for himself. Carlos was one of his favorites but also trickiest students to work with. His heart went out to the boy.
"Well," he said looking at his watch. "We talked about a lot today but I think one thing that kept coming up is that sometimes our pasts can stop us from opening up to others and as we both know, if we base things solely on the past, we miss opportunities to make some real changes," he summarized smoothly. "Maybe before our next session you can share with Jane one thing about your childhood. Something small. Or maybe get to know one of the new Isle transfer students better," Mickey said getting up from his chair, signaling the end of the session.
Carlos got up as well, nodding slowly. "Yeah," he said distractedly beginning to pack his things up. "I'm supposed to be hanging out with my cousin, Diego, so that'll be good, I guess."
With everything in his bag and Dude at his heels, Carlos made his way to the door, eyes going wide when he opened it and nearly ran into Jane who had her hand up as if she had been just about to knock on the door.
"Oh!" Jane blushed prettily. "Carlos! Hi. I was-"
"Sorry Jane!" Carlos suddenly squeaked scooping up Dude and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, freckles standing out over his own blush. "Can't talk. Late for uh...things. Bye!" he called over his shoulder as he made a quick exit from the waiting room.
Mickey sighed to himself, watching as the boy made a quick disappearance before turning his attention back to the startled girl.
"Is there something I can do for ya, Jane? It's been a while since we've last had a session together."
Holding in chuckles, Mickey watched as Jane let out a small squeak, snapping her head back towards him, blush darkening as she had seemed to have forgotten whose office she was in.
"Uh-uh- I mean- you-" she began before pausing and taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "Sorry, sir. Mother has asked me to inform you that members of the Council of Sidekicks are currently arriving and to be prepared if they should call you as an expert witness."
The man letting out a snort of annoyance, crossing his arms petulantly which surprised Jane. She had never seen him look so annoyed.
"Sounds like the Council is rearing to start a trial," he muttered before uncrossing his arms and giving Jane a polite smile. "Thanks for letting me know, Jane. I guess I should prepare."
"Oh! Right," Jane nodded, realizing she was being dismissed. She gave a goodbye before exiting the office and its waiting room and stepping out into the main hall.
Once the door was closed, Jane took another deep breath, waiting briefly for the tingling sensation she always experienced in the school therapist's presence to dissipate. Magic. Strong magic. Ancient magic, her instincts whispered and wondered not for the first time who the man had been before Auradon united...
Jane was startled out of her thoughts when she felt the weight of an arm slung around her shoulders. "Hello Janey-Jane!"
Blushing slightly, Jane gave the elder De Vil boy a grin. "Hi Diego. What's up?"
The older boy gave her one of his usual lazy grins as he pulled away from her, leaning against a nearby wall with the effortless coolness that Jane was beginning to associate with him. They had several classes together and though Diego seemed a bit of a harmless flirt, it was obvious that he cared about the Isle kids he came to Auradon with despite some of the recent tension between the new transfer students and the Auradon-born.
However, she could see that his grin was just a bit too much teeth, a bit too forced. Minute things that could be easily overlooked with how well it was hidden, but made Jane sad that he felt like he even needed to hide it.
It reminded her of a lot of Carlos.
"...Carlos."
Jane blinked and blushed once again as Diego chuckled at her, an inquisitive look on his face.
"Sorry!" she squeaked. "W-what did you say?"
"I said I came here for Carlos. We were supposed to meet after his...therapy session?" Diego frowned looking uncertain at the term, as if he wasn't sure he was saying it right.
"Oh yeah," Jane nodded. "He was just here but he...he ran off," she frowned thoughtfully. She hoped he was okay. He had been acting so strange recently the other day when they had been walking Dude. She hoped he wasn't stressed out by R.O.A.R. or working too hard on one of his brilliant inventions.
"Don't overthink it" Diego pushed away from the wall, offering her his arm after an overdramatic bow. "I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. The pup has got it bad for you."
Jane blushed, taking his offered arm. "Thanks Diego," she smiled, hoping he didn't see the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
WLTF
"How did you convince me to do this, again?" Uma sighed as she flopped back on the oversized pillow behind her. She looked up at the airy looking fabric strung above the top of the inside of the lamp with their bright pinks and oranges and purple that reminded her of the few sunrises she had seen from the Isle when the sky wasn't covered in dark and ominous clouds.
Rustling noises were heard across the room before a grinning face popped up in Uma's line of vision.
"Because I threatened to tell Fairy Godmother that you were in the boys' dorms past curfew last night if you didn't let me dress you for your Council meeting," Jordan smirked.
"You think I'm afraid of that old hag?" Uma challenged, raising a brow. If this girl expected her to be a pushover, then she had a rude awakening coming.
Jordan tossed several articles of clothes at her before placing her hands on her hips. "That may be so but you know you're in a tricky situation, roomie dear. For any other student being caught in their boyfriend's room past curfew-"
"Not my boyfriend," Uma interjected automatically, holding up a teal blazer that had been thrown at her. She liked it but it looked like it was missing something.
As if reading her mind, Jordan snapped her fingers and the shoulders of the blazer were covered in what looked like a stylish version of a navy captain's epaulettes. Uma tilted her head in thought before nodding. Not bad.
"As I was saying, if you were any other student, if you were Auradon born," the genie emphasized, "you'd get a slap on the wrist and made to bake cookies with one of the good fairies as punishment. But you're not. After what you pulled at Cotillion, there are a lot of people who would want you sent back just for sneezing," Jordan said pointedly, every line of her body tense with frustration.
"And I understand how that's my problem," Uma frowned getting up from the pillow seat she was laying on, blazer forgotten on the pillow. "But I'm still not sure how that's your problem. Even when you're threatening me, the end result is making me look better. So," Uma grinned predatorily stepped up toe to toe with Jordan, "what do you get out of this, friend?"
Jordan held the pirate captain's gaze before sighing, moving past her to flop on the large pillow that Uma had just vacated. She was silent for a moment before softly asking, "Do you know where genies come from?"
"Oh seven seas!" Uma said shaking her head quickly, eyes wide. "This is not the type of conversation I was expecting! I don't need the details of how your parents 'made love' or however you Auradon folk refer to sex as."
Rolling her eyes, Jordan snapped her fingers, causing the rug that Uma was standing on to be pulled out from under the pirate captain's feet and sending her sprawling on her back unto another large pillow that had appeared. Before a complaint could escape Uma's mouth, purple smoke swirled above their heads before revealing the cosmos.
"Do you know, at the beginning of all things, we were all made of dust from the cosmos? That all creatures and even magic were once one in the same and part of the stars?" Jordan murmured softly, fingers weaving a story above their heads. She waved a hand and a small speck of light grew until it was human in shape. "Though not all humans can use the magic around them, even the ones without the ability to manipulate it still have magic within them. Genies," Jordan smiled, cutting her hand above her and causing the human shape to form into a lamp, "are the cosmos personified. We are not born, at least not the human way. Magic is like energy, always changing but never destroyed. Never gone, only displaced somewhere else."
"This is a nice little light show and all," Uma sat up slightly to look over at the other girl. "But this still doesn't explain why you're helping me."
"Uh, wrong!" Jordan scoffed, turning on her side to face the other girl. "This has everything to do with your question. A Genie is magic personified. Now think hard, Captain. How do you imagine a being who is magic and magic is them would feel when they are strongly encouraged to not use magic?"
It didn't take Uma long to put the pieces together, understanding dawning on her face. "It'd be like telling a fish not to swim. It's something instinctual. You would be denying who and what you are if you stopped doing magic." Uma paused, still thinking as a deep frown began to set on her features before she suddenly sat up, braids whipping at her face at the sudden movement. She looked at Jordan, taking a mental jump. "You'd die, wouldn't you?"
Confetti shot down from somewhere above and bodiless applause filled the lamp.
"BINGO!" Jordan jumped to her feet and easily crossed the distance to where Uma sat. "And remember, Miss Queen of the Isle. For all intents and purposes of the lovely United States of Auradon, I'm a good guy. A quote, unquote hero. And even though Ben is a total naive but well-intentioned cinnamon roll, his dad and a few others on this side of the barrier could care less that they're forcing magical beings into extinction for the sake of progress." Jordan crossed her arms over chest as the corner of her lips turned down. "Now if the majority of the Council will do that to people that they like, imagine what would happen to the kids from the Isle whose parents they still have a grudge against."
Uma swore, getting to her feet, moving away from the pillow she had just occupied to pace a bit. She went back and forth a few times before she spun on her heel towards Jordan, invading the girl's personal space.
"If this is true, why in the Seven fucking Seas are you just now telling me this? Why are you telling me this?"
Jordan opened her mouth to speak but paused as a dull sound came from somewhere outside of the lamp. "Someone's at the door," she announced and Uma only had a moment to prepare herself as purple smoke surrounded them before placing them outside of the lamp and into the dorm room.
Whoever was behind the door knocked once more before Jordan opened the door, revealing Ben in all of his kingly attire. He smiled at both of them but both girls could see the nervous way his hands fiddled with his suit.
"Hello Jordan. Uma," he greeted nodding to them both, back straight before giving his full attention to the sea witch. "It's time. The Council is waiting for us."
Hello everyone! Thank you for being so patient with this chapter. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc. I really appreciate them.
Also, major thanks to my beta elphaba_swan. Check them out on AO3 or on Tumblr (kindofchaoticgood).
Again, thank you all so much for your patience. If you have time, please comment. I love knowing what you all think. Also, check out my Tumblr page (edream93) for prompt writings, my "We'll Light the Fuse" playlist and dreamcast boards and/or to just say hello!