Chapter 17: A Rose By Any Other Name
Once the Council meeting was over, Melody had planned to pull herself out of the pool and go talk to Uma. She wanted to let her know that she wasn't alone and that there was someone in their family that cared about her. While Uma had stood up there, lashing out, her aunts had reared back, as though remembering Ursula and Morgana's rages.
But all Melody had seen was how thin her cousin was. How her ribs rose prominently and how sharp her collarbones were. When she looked at Uma, she didn't see a monster. She saw an abandoned girl.
A girl my family abandoned.
Melody caught sight of the young sea-witch, off to the side talking to the goddess Persephone. Throughout the entire meeting, even when she hadn't been speaking, Persephone was mesmerizing. Growing up on stories of the Greek Gods she descended from, especially of her own great-grandfather, Melody hadn't expected the Queen of the Underworld to be so . . . Nice.
Before Melody could pull herself out of the Council room pool, one of her aunts put a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Melody. Come," Attina said in a firm voice, leaving no room for argument. Melody bit her lip, shoulders slumping. Of course her aunts weren't happy with her.
The mermaids departed wordlessly together, swimming through the canals that led from the Council room to a hidden grotto just outside of the perimeter of Auradon Prep. Her aunts were quiet, which was unusual for the normally chatty bunch of sisters.
Once they had all broken the water's surface, the princess knew she was immediately in store for a lecturing.
"What were you thinking, Melody?" Attina hissed, breaking the silence as she angrily threw up her hands.
"Aunt Attina-"
"No!" the eldest of Triton's daughters cut her off. "Do you know what could have happened if you had been allowed to claim that...that...that girl!?" She pulled at her hair anxiously. "When she's caught breaking the rules - don't you dare interrupt me Melodia!" she snapped when the young mermaid dared to open her mouth in retaliation. "I'll shell-call your mother right now and tell her to take that necklace of yours away!"
The young mermaid gasped, clutching on to the shell hanging from her neck. It had taken so many months and so much back and forth between her grandfather and King Adam for her to be legally allowed to have such a magical item. Not even her older cousin who also went to Auradon Prep, Attina's daughter, was allowed to have one. Only Triton's heir had easy access to both land and sea.
(And Melody had been thrust into the role of Triton's heir before she could even say'high tide'.)
"You-y-you can't do that! I was only doing what was right!" Melody cried. "It was practically a witch hunt in there!"
"Well, she is a sea witch," one of her other aunts, Arista mumbled. Attina gave her sister a look before turning back to Melody with a deep frown. Seeing the defensive look on her niece's face, so similar to that of Ariel's, the mermaid let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose before taking a deep breath.
"Melody, I'm sorry," she said, reaching out and gently cupping her niece's cheek. "I know you apparently see potential in this Uma girl, but what you did was risky. If you had been allowed to claim her, you would have been sent back to the Isle with her when she inevitably did something evil. The Isle is such a horrible place."
Melody shoved her aunt's hand away, a storm brewing in her eyes. (She truly was Ariel's daughter.)
"Then why do we condemn children to live on it? Our own family!" Her aunts all hissed as if they had been slapped, but Melody continued, ignoring their response to their family's dark shame. "And why is it an automatic assumption that Uma or any kid from the Isle for that matter is evil? That's...that's…" Melody struggled to find the words before settling on words she had heard sailors by the dock say one day when no one had known she had snuck out of her parent's castle. "That's bullshit!"
The older mermaids gasped.
"Princess Melodia Athena Eriksen!" Attina began, but before she could say anything further, the walls of the grotto cave shook with a reverberating boom. Attina pulled Melody close to her while some of the other mermaids dove into the water, seeking shelter from the cave's falling debris.
And then...everything was silent again.
"W-what was that?" Melody questioned softly, slowly letting go of the older mermaid. Despite her aunt's cry for her to stay in the grotto until they knew for sure that things were safe, the younger mermaid dove underwater to exit through the cave's entrance to the outside, popping back up when she knew she was in a position to see the land nearby.
She gasped when she saw large dark plumes of smoke coming in the direction of Auradon Prep.
WLTF
All Ben heard was ringing in his ears, and all he could see was smoke and dust from the explosion that had happened mere feet from where he had just stood. One moment he and Evie were walking down the hall, trying to think of some way get Uma to understand that they hadn't meant to lie to her, that they knew that she wouldn't risk the lives of the rest of the kids still on the Isle for petty revenge, and then the next moment the wall of the hallway exploded open, knocking both him and Evie off their feet.
The young king attempted to push himself up, going into a coughing fit as the thick cloud of dust filled his lungs, his stomach cramping painfully with each cough.
"E-evie?" Ben coughed out, looking for familiar blue hair amongst the dust and debris. His lungs began to sting and his eyes watered due to the dust, but the panic that filled him with every second he didn't hear a response back from his friend was suffocating enough. "Evie!" he yelled, finally managing to stumble to his feet, the ringing in his ears accompanied by a throbbing headache and an overwhelming sense of nausea.
Dancing teacups. He must have a concussion.
"EVIE!" he managed to roar before going into another coughing fit.
"Why are you screaming for some silly girl? What's so special about her?"
Ben quickly spun on his heel, losing his balance as everything seemed to tilt sideways. He lost his balance, landing hard on his backside. He hissed in pain before looking up.
Staring down at him was a young boy dressed in green leaves who looked extremely familiar, but Ben's head was too woozy to remember where he had seen him before. The cocky smile on the strange boy's face shifted into surprise as he stared down at the king.
"Beasty?" the boy said softly before enlightenment appeared on his face. "No," he chuckled, kneeling inquisitively, like he was inspecting a bird with a broken wing, small and weak and utterly at his mercy.
Ben caught a glimpse of blue hair, covered in dust and debris, right over the boy's shoulder. But before he could focus on whether she was alive or not, his view was blocked by the strangely familiar boy.
"You're not the old Beasty King, are you?" the boy cooed, smile wide but eyes filled with hate. "No, but you'll do, little Beast."
And then the boy's shadow peeled from the ground, grabbing Ben in a crushing hold until he couldn't breathe, and that was the last thing the King of Auradon remembered...
WLTF
There was something about walking into a room and having all eyes on you.
Harry loved it.
Uma commanded it.
Gil, on the other hand would rather take a step back and not deal with it.
However, that didn't seem like an option in Auradon, Gil noted as he stepped into the school library, the few students who sat at tables filled with books pausing to stare at him.
Do I have something on my face? he wondered, self-consciously scrubbing at his cheek with the back of his hand. (Though, he supposed it was strange for a Gaston to be seen in a library.)
Honestly, Gil didn't want much. Just for him and his crew to be off the Isle together and happy. For Uma to be his Captain and for Harry to be his First Mate. Though his stubborn friends had finally made up (like he knew they would...like they always would because even Gil knew that what was between the two was more than just destiny), Gil couldn't help but feel a looming blade hanging over all of their heads as tensions seemed to rise at Auradon Prep.
He wasn't completely oblivious. (After all, there was a certain amount of awareness needed if he was the one who was supposed to watch Uma's or Harry's back.) Gil had seen how people had stared and talked about them when they had first arrived from the Isle. That in itself wasn't anything necessarily new. Not only as the son of one of the Big Bads on the Isle, being a member of Uma's crew made Gil stand out even more so than just with his father's name. People knew to give him space unless they wanted to start a fight that they wouldn't win.
Not having to fight over rotten food or constantly eating eggs was great, but everything else Gil had hoped and expected in terms of coming to Auradon were not meeting expectations. (For one, he had yet to poop rainbow jelly beans like Jonas and Gonzo had always said happened to people in Auradon. Maybe he wasn't eating enough starches?)
Here...Now...Things were different. There was a social hierarchy that Gil just didn't get and he didn't understand how he could fit in here to best help his two best friends.
Gil wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't blind to the pronounced dark circles underneath Uma's eyes or how Harry's entire body always seemed to tremble and the pale color his skin had taken recently. Plus, the members of the Anti-Hero club were also seemingly not doing well and most of them were already on their third round of detentions, except for Diego, who was able to sweet-talk his way through most things and Hadie who...well Hadie just kind of kept to himself and the plants in his room. (Gil had seen them once. They were nice.)
Wasn't life supposed to be better in Auradon?
Sighing, Gil moved through the maze-like set of bookshelves. The boy had never known so many different types of books existed. Tracing his finger over the spines of a few as he walked past, he wondered idly if Queen Belle had read them all. He hadn't met her but she seemed nice. (Though he was mostly basing that on his father's stories and also on the few interactions with Ben.)
"What's wrong, young Atlas?"
Gil looked up, startled, to see a woman with a gentle smile looking down at him from one of the tall ladders that allowed students to reach some of the higher books.
"Uh...my name isn't Atlas," he pointed towards himself. "I'm Gil. Just Gil."
The woman laughed. It was a nice sound. Warm.
"Well 'Just Gil', do you mind holding this ladder in place for me?"
Gil grabbed the ladder, keeping it in place. "Like this?"
"Perfect dear." She reached up for one of the higher books, opening it and flicking through it. "Now I don't mean to pry, but it looks like you're carrying the weight of the heavens on your shoulders."
"That sounds heavy. I think I would get squished." Gil frowned. "But it is hard being here. Things don't really make sense. I mean, things are always kind of confusing for me. My brothers and sometimes my friend Harry says it's because my brain is egg-sized. Uma thinks I could be smart if I just listened and didn't zone out but sometimes it's hard on the Isle and it's even harder here. I never know if I'm doing something right or wrong."
The woman nodded, the dark curls that were pulled back into an updo position by a white head wrap bouncing slightly as she looked over the top of her book down at him. "Starting a new journey is always hard, especially when going through it alone. That's why it's a gift when you know that there are people that you know you can trust and rely on. After all, some of the greatest heroes only became so because they had people they could count on." She chuckled softly as she adjusted herself on the ladder with practiced ease so that her back was facing the book, one of her feet hooking onto a ladder rung to stabilize her balance. "My sisters all have their own big personalities and interests but I know I can always rely on them, even when I feel lost. And that's the truth!" she raised her hand as if in a pledge. "Do you know what I mean, young Atlas?"
Gil scratched the back of his head. "Um...yes?"
The woman laughed again as she reached up to grab another book along with the first before making her way down the ladder. Once she got down, Gil was a little surprised to realize that this woman, even without her hair piled high, was still somewhat taller than him. "Don't worry yourself," she said, patting his shoulder. "Your role in this story is such an important one, for yourself and for others. I look forward to telling it," she smiled, handing him the two books in her hands.
If Gil wasn't confused before, he was definitely confused now. He looked down at the books she handed him but frowned when the titles weren't familiar to him. They weren't even in a language he recognized. He barely registered the light kiss the woman pressed to his brow, a tingling sensation filling him, like when he slept on his arm wrong. When the feeling passed, he looked up, but she was gone.
"You know, it's rude to keep a lady waiting, Gil," a voice called out from behind him. Turning towards the voice, Gil found Audrey sitting at a nearby table, a stack of books in front of her. From the cover of the book on top of the stack, he realized it was their History of Magic textbook.
Gil blinked. "Uh...were we supposed to be meeting now?" He blinked again and then looked over his shoulder. "Did you see where the pretty library lady went?"
Sleeping Beauty daughter's frowned. "The only librarian here is Aunt Fauna," she explained before shrugging it off like it was of little importance.
Audrey was nice, Gil thought taking in her always nicely done hair and always nicely cleaned clothes. One of the few nice things so far about Auradon. Sure she was a bit weird and sometimes over the last few days she would appear out of nowhere, linking her arm with his and laughing randomly even when he didn't say anything. Gil often wondered if she was going to cut someone since Harry was the only person he knew who would laugh at nothing.
Despite everything though, Audrey was one of the few Auradon-born that would speak to him. Most were either cowards or spoke down to him because they thought he was an idiot. (He wasn't an idiot. Uma had said so herself after tripping both of his brothers into a pile of goblin dung when he came back to the Shop with a particularly bad black eye after he said it was stupid to think that a girl couldn't be a good leader.)
"Gil," Audrey said, a hint of exasperation in her voice when he had still yet to make a move. "Are you going to join me or just stand there?"
"Oh," Gil nodded, placing the two books he was still holding into the bag slung over his shoulder and sitting none-too-gracefully in the seat across from her. She smiled expectantly and once again, Gil had to wonder if he had forgotten something important. "Uh...I noticed you looked tired in class right after lunch. Are you not sleeping well too because the beds are too soft here?"
Zut. That must have been the wrong thing to ask by the way the girl paled considerably.
Before Gil could fumble out an apology, a tight grip clamped down on his shoulder.
"What did you say to her?" a voice hissed angrily in his ear.
It was only Audrey's indignant squeak of "Jay!" that stopped Gil from acting on instinct and not grabbing a nearby pencil to jab onto the hand holding him. "He didn't do anything!"
The hand reluctantly retracted and Gil didn't hesitate to rub the spot where it had once been, impressed more so than irritated.
"Oh, um...Sorry, man," Jay murmured looking sheepish as he took a step back. Mal stood behind him, holding a dog that looked like the one that always followed Carlos.
Gil shrugged, hoping that would suffice as forgiveness here. It must have because Jay gave a slight nod. When he glanced back at Audrey, she looked considerably less pale and was giving Mal that look that Jonas often gave Harry, like she wasn't sure if she was happy or not to see her. He belatedly remembered that even though Mal had gone good, there was still a lot of history between her mother and Audrey's. (That must be awkward. Gil was glad that Ben and he didn't seem that awkward despite their parent's past.)
"I slept well," Audrey smiled, answering Gil's earlier question, though there was something in her eyes that told Gil that she wasn't being completely honest. He didn't push her though. He knew it wasn't his place. Even those born in Auradon had their own secrets. "What brings you two here? I highly doubt it was just to say hello," Audrey said, never breaking eye contact with Mal.
"Have you seen Carlos?" Mal got straight to the point. "We found Dude running around the halls frantically and we're kind of worried."
"I thought the dog could talk," Gil said, reaching out to pet the animal though Mal quickly took a step back, like she expected him to break the animal's head off. Gil must have looked hurt because Jay quickly stepped in to explain.
"The spell that was on him mostly wore off after a few days. He can only say simple things like names and stuff. Enough for us to know something is up but not exactly what."
"Well, I haven't seen Carlos all day," Audrey explained. "I know during morning cheer practice Jane said that she wanted to meet up with him, but I haven't heard anything since."
Mal nodded before turning a glare on Gil. "And what about you, Gaston?"
Gil tilted his head to the side. Why were people getting his name wrong today? "But I'm Gil," he said, confused. "I haven't seen Carlos though."
Mal's face squished up and turned a weird red color. Gil wondered if she too was trying to poop out rainbow jellybeans.
"What about Harry?" Jay intercepted. "Dude said something about a 'Red Pirate'."
Gil scratched the back of his neck. Before he could answer though, a loud BOOM was heard, followed quickly by the room shaking, many of the books falling from their shelves while students let out surprised screams.
"What was that?" Audrey cried from her hiding space underneath the table.
"It sounded like it came from the direction of the Council Room," Jay coughed as thick layers of dust swirled around them.
"Uma!" Gil gasped, already running out of the library towards the Council Room, despite Audrey, Mal, and Jay calling after him.
WLTF
"I'll need you to go to the Isle of the Doomed and run another electrical power check and restart."
A mousy brown head of hair popped up from where it had been hunched over, grading the poor excuses for essays that the students of Weird Science had turned in. The few assignments that were turned in either had handwriting that looked like chicken scratch or, in one case from one of the rare students from Shan Yu's compound, was actual chicken scratch.
"Another one, sir?" Sophie questioned, holding back a groan. She looked up at Yen Sid who was hovering in the back part of his office where vials of chemicals and a box of canisters filled with loose-leaf tea sat. (If the young apprentice had expected an explanation when one of their students from Harriet Hook's crew had arrived to class with said box of tea she didn't get one, just the brief look of amusement tainted with something sad in her master's eyes when he received it.)
The Weird Science professor's expression darkened and Sophie held back a squeak, shoulders hunching all the way to her ears.
"No disrespect, sir!" she hurriedly tried to back-track. "I was just wondering if something was wrong since we did one less than six months ago and the electrical currents that give the barrier a boost still remained steady. Despite, um. You know, Maleficent's escape attempt." Her master's expression still did not change and Sophie worried her bottom lip between her teeth, fearing that she had angered the man who she had always viewed as a second father.
After a moment, Yen Sid gave a harumph before returning back to his bunsen burner, where he was boiling another beaker of water.
"I'm getting old, my dear," he said, placing a blend of loose leaf tea in two tea infusers before placing them in two nearby cups. "And if I have done my job right training you as my apprentice," he murmured, slowly pouring the boiled water into the cups, "then it will be you one day with your own apprentice." He looked up at her, a thin but approving smile on his face. "But for right now, it would be wise, my young apprentice, to do as I say."
Sophie nodded, getting up. "Yes, sir. Of course, sir."
The young apprentice shrugged off her lab coat, exchanging it for a dulled in color but still well-taken care of yellow jacket. She paused for a moment before reaching out for a red scarf with white polka dots - a gift from her mother.
When she turned back to the old professor, his approving smile was tainted with...something. It reminded Sophie of the same look her mother and father had given her when she was selected by Yen Sid to be his apprentice all those years ago...
"Professor?" she asked, feeling like there were a thousand questions at the back of her throat, a million and one things that she wish she could say in this one moment but couldn't. "Sir? Is there...is there anything else you would like me to do?"
"No," Yen Sid sighed, turning away. He added two sugars and a squeeze of lemon to one cup, aged hands moving with deft confidence.
Taking his simple reply as his dismissal, Sophie grabbed her bag and was almost one foot out the door of the office when he called out to her.
"Yes, sir?" she looked over her shoulder.
He wasn't looking at her, instead he had his back facing her.
"Thank you for being my apprentice," he said. "You'll make an outstanding Sorcerer Supreme and Professor of Science when I'm gone. Be safe, my dear."
Sophie wanted to snort. Yen-Sid? Gone? The man had lived to see many kingdoms rise and fall. Yen-Sid had always been Sorcerer Supreme (though he had once mentioned someone named Walt that he had spoken so highly of, who supposedly taught him a great many things) and everyone who had ever studied under him, a handful of individuals that Sophie found herself immensely humbled to count herself among, only ever made it to the ranking of Sorcerer Apprentice.
"T-thank you sir," was all she managed to get out. "I'll come back as soon as I restart the power and check the self-replenishing power runes," she said before leaving, giving one final look at her mentor, unable to shake the strange foreboding feeling that filled her.
She didn't even notice the small purple lizard that managed to scurry into the office before she closed the door.
WLTF
"Good evening citizens of Auradon. This is Snow White interrupting your regularly scheduled program with breaking news. After 20 years of peace, the United States of Auradon is on high alert after an attack on the prestigious Auradon Preparatory School For Future Heroes and Leaders that led to the kidnapping of several students including High King Ben.
"Sources say a large…" Snow White cleared her throat, hesitancy evident in her face before she continued. "Sources say a large floating ship covered in the highly restricted substance known as pixie dust launched a cannonball attack along the front of the school. This happened less than half an hour after the conclusion of the meeting of the Council of Sidekicks that was to be the debut of High King Ben's newest Royal Councilor, who we now know is Uma of the Isle, daughter of the cruel sea witch, Ursula.
"The exact culprit behind this attack, as well as the identities of the other students kidnapped, are unknown as well as whether or not Ursula's daughter played any role of it. Members of the Auradon Daily News have attempted to contact the Office of the King as well as the Fairy Godmother, the Headmistress of Auradon Prep but the Office of the King has not responded and Auradon Prep is currently on lockdown, to the frustration of many concerned and worried parents and guardians of the school's students.
"In the next hour, we'll have an expert come in to talk to us about what this means for the United States of Auradon as a whole since this is the first time we have been without a High Monarch as well as what this means for the future safety of Auradon. And this leaves us with a serious question: Has our twenty years of 'Happily Ever After' finally come to an end? We-"
Mickey gently placed his tea cup down as Fairy Godmother lifted her hand to mute the television. The school therapist didn't comment on how she did so with magic and not the remote.
Fairy Godmother's office was already tense enough.
Leaning back in his chair, legs crossed, Mickey observed the woman. She was pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers, taking deep breaths.
"How could this have happened?" she sighed, glancing up at the muted newcast that was showing a helicopter view of the former east wing of the school's main building. Smoke was still rising out of the gaping hole through the fire had been put out hours ago. The statue of King Adam in his beastly state had been toppled over, its horns knocked clean off. It was obvious that it had been purposely done.
"Well, I'd hate to say I told you so but-" Mickey cut off at the headmistress's withering glare. "Sorry. This isn't the time for petty squabbles. We were attacked. Our students were put in danger and six of our students, including the High King, have been kidnapped." He tugged thoughtfully on the cuffs of his white gloves. "The pixie dust messed with the cameras and we only have two confirmed witnesses of what actually happened."
"It might as well be none," Fairy Godmother sighed again. "Uma was found unconscious and Dizzy..." she trailed off, expression growing instantly somber.
For a moment, Mickey caught a glimpse of sharp teeth, hair the color of starlight, black pupilless eyes, and pointed ears, but he blinked and the pristine but tired image of the headmistress of Auradon Prep shimmered back into view, albeit weakly. Mickey picked up his tea and slid it over wordlessly to the woman.
She looked at it for a moment, before reaching out and draining it in one long gulp. She made a face but the image of Auradon's pristine headmistress snapped back into place more firmly. "That's disgusting! I've told you before that the pills or even the shots work just as well as that disgusting brew of salamander blood and shedded pixie wings!"
"It's a habit at this point," he shrugged simply before his expression turned serious again. "Listen, Mildread," he began, ignoring the weak glare she sent him at the use of her name. "Neither of us saw this coming, which narrows down greatly the number of suspects. That, along with the fact that pixie dust was used...I think we both know who the main suspect is."
"Oh really, now?" the headmistress rolled her eyes. "And who would that be?"
"Peter Pan."
Fairy Godmother bristled at the immortal youth's name. "Let's not be hasty, Mr. Topolino. We don't know that for sure. Freddie Facilier came forward earlier and shared that Calista Jane Hook had managed to sneak her way back into Auradon Prep after her last...visit," she wrinkled her nose distastefully. "Perhaps she and her brother had planned to kidnap King Ben all along once young Mr. Hook was able to join her off the Isle."
Mickey couldn't help it. He laughed. "Seriously?" he chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "That's what you think? You're losing your touch, Milly, if you can't see true love when it's right before you. The boy's dedication to Ms. Uma is the only reason that Harry Hook left the Isle in the first place. You don't need a wand to be able to sense that."
The headmistress fumed, standing up from her chair. She had had enough. "You're right. I don't need a wand. What I need is a solution to get back our King before the whole nation goes into a panic! King Adam wants his son back with not a hair on that sweet boy's head misplaced. I have a crowd of paparazzi trying to sneak onto the grounds and gobble up any bit of information that they can get their grubby little hands on. I have parents - kings, queens, lords, and ladies - calling in, questioning the safety of this institution and my competence as headmistress, demanding to yank their children out." She walked around her table, coming toe-to-toe with the man before her, her face contorting into an angry sneer. "And I have a know-it-all member of my staff who thinks he can just come into my office and act as if I'm not aware of how dire all possible realities of our situation are! What I need is for my students to be returned safely and unharmed. You may be the most powerful of the Sorcerer's Apprentices and therefore hold some influence in the Council of Magic, but this is my school and I don't need any subordination from a mouse of a man who constantly critiques and judges me for my personal life choices! Now either do something useful or get the bippity-boppity out of my office!"
The room was silent, save for Fairy Godmother's heavy breathing, her words hanging tensely in the air between them.
Mickey eventually broke the tension with a sigh, looking down somewhat ashamedly. "How do you want to go about this?" he asked tiredly.
Fairy Godmother closed her eyes for a moment, taking a step back before speaking. "Ask Cogsworth to contact Neverland. Since they're the only known source of pixie dust, we'll start there. And no," she said raising her hand as he opened his mouth. "I don't believe that Pan has awoken, but we must be thorough and leave no stone unturned for the King's and the other students' sake. Meanwhile, we'll keep the lockdown in place until we know more. All students are to remain in the dorms. Food will be brought to them and until further notice, classes will be cancelled. We'll contact Mulan and Aladdin and have soldiers from the Northern Wei and Agrabah on standby. And if this..." she paused before sighing. "If this is something bigger-"
"You mean if Pan is awake. A possibility that may be likely," Mickey pointed out.
Fairy Godmother looked at the files of the missing students before her, each with a photo clipped to the front: King Ben, Harry Hook, Sammy Smee, Alan Murphy, Carlos De Vil, and...Evie.
"For their sake," she said gravely, reaching over for the pot of his disgusting tea and pouring herself her own cup. "I hope you're wrong."
"But if I'm not, we'll need help. Magical help," Mickey pressed before pausing thoughtfully. "When was the last time you talked to your sister?"
"Blue?" Fairy Godmother asked confusedly as she back at her desk, thinking of her fairy sister who was just as invested in Pinocchio's family as the headmistress herself was invested in Cinderella's family.
"No," Mickey corrected. "I'm talking about your other sister."
Fairy Godmother let out a snort, taking a long drag from her cup before placing it down. "Haven't seen Circe since the Accords were signed and the Isle was created. For all I know, she's not even Circe anymore. She always had a bad habit of...reinventing herself on whatever whim she had. Besides, if she knew what was good for her, she'd never step back in Auradon, else King Adam would have her head for the curse she placed on him and his castle."
Mickey frowned. "You'd think he be thanking her. Afterall, he'd never would have met Belle if she hadn't had cursed him."
"If Circe had just been doing it for the sake of matchmaking then sure," she frowned. "But unlike the Blue Fairy or even Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, Circe always toed the line between light and dark magic. If she did something that had good outcomes, it was never out of selflessness. No," she shook her head. "If things get dire we'll call the members of the Council of Magic that we do have and deal with it with reason. We don't need Circe or whatever she is calling herself now…"
WLTF
Her entire body felt heavy. And hot.
Eyes still closed, she instantly recognized the familiar feeling of Carlos curled up asleep against her side and her tired mind immediately began to think that they had probably fallen asleep in one of their rooms and that the weight leaning against her back was probably Jay and the weight that was cutting off circulation across her legs was Mal.
Having pieced together that easy and normal situation, Evie slowly began to let herself drift off again.
"Damn ye, lass! Wake up!" a roughened voice that was definitely not Mal's hissed against her leg. And the body behind her, though firm, didn't have nearly as much muscle as Jay's though in her hazy mind felt just as familiar.
Evie's eyes snapped open, the light instinctively making her wince. As she blinked her eyes several times until they were able to focus again, the daughter of the Evil Queen realized several things: judging by the air and the hard ground she was on they were definitely not at Auradon Prep; her hands were tied tightly behind her back; Carlos wasn't waking up no matter how many times she bumped against him; Ben was probably tied up and unconscious behind her; and Harry Hook… And Harry Hook was leaning on his back against her legs, his tied hands rubbing furiously against her fallen crown that had some point been propped between her boots.
Growing up on the Isle, even as sheltered as she had, had taught her that sometimes she was only given seconds to figure out a situation.
"That's not sharp enough to cut through the rope. You need a knife," she kept her voice low, eyes beginning to search the area that they were in already for an alternative. They looked to be in a hut, but there didn't seem to be much else in it other than themselves
Harry paused in his attempt at sawing off his bonds to glare coldly up at her.
"What? Really? You think?" he hissed, before going back to work. Evie rolled her eyes but clenched her feet tighter together to keep the crown in place as he continued his sawing attempt. After what felt like several moments, he let out an irritated growl.
"Fucking seven seas!"
"Where are we Harry? Who tied us up?"
"That would be me, princess," CJ grinned, walking in. "Though if I had my way, your pretty little ass wouldn't even be here."
"What have you done, Calista?" Harry growled, voice rough and eyes filled with the utmost hatred. Evie had heard that CJ and Harry didn't get along but Harry's reaction seemed really intense.
"Oh, nothing much," a voice chuckled above them. Evie looked up to see a boy wearing clothes of green leaves floating above them, hands placed cockily on his hips. "She just woke me up," he chuckled as he floated down next to CJ.
"And who are you?" Evie tried to smile, using the same tone she used with the younger children at Auradon Prep though everything within her was telling her that this boy was dangerous.
"Don't bother. Yer lookin' at a devil, lass," Harry growled, eyes never leaving the boy.
The young boy didn't seem insulted. If anything, he grinned wider.
"Just as spirited as always, Hook!"
Harry tried to spit at the boy. "Ye don't know me, Pan!" he said, loathing in every word.
It took a second, but Evie gasped, eyes wide. "You're Peter Pan."
Pan's chest puffed with pride as he floated down, crouching before her with a pleased look. "See! I knew you'd be a good Wendy!" he grinned, pleased, reaching out to touch her. However, before he could make contact, he quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had been stung. His eyes went back and forth between his hand and her before he floated back, a slow and pleased smile growing on his face. "Well, you just got more interesting."
WLTF
The fog that only played in the corners of her eyes were the only clues that Uma had to know that she was dreaming.
Harry was tugging on her hand, a soft grin on his lips as he looked over his shoulder at her, pulling her further into the dream, further into a forest that she had never seen before.
"Where are we going?" she asked with a frown.
Something was off. Something was not quite...right...
"Just a little bit further, darling," he promised, giving her a hand a light squeeze as they moved through the deep foliage. She wasn't sure where he was leading her, their path not apparent, twisting through and around the deep foliage seemingly directionless.
After awhile, his strides became longer and it was difficult for her to keep up with his faster pace.
"Harry!" Uma nearly tripped over a root. "You're going too fast! Harry!"
He continued on, ignoring her angry shouts to slow down until he brought her to a cliff.
Uma snatched her hand away from him, glaring at his back. After a moment, she begrudgingly moved forward to look at the view that he was so captivated by, breath catching at the beautiful sight. From here she could see the glistening water below them, the water of the island's lagoons shining bright like it was made of jewels. If she strained her ears enough, she could hear a chorus of hauntingly beautiful singing.
Mermaids, she thought momentarily with distaste before she caught a glimpse of her first mate. He looked so...unburdened. So free.
"It's beautiful," she breathed out, eyes never leaving him.
Harry was silent for a moment before he looked down at her. The easy smile that was on his face slipped, his eyes widening and before she could ask him what was wrong, he was spinning fully around on his heel, eyes wide and searching for something that seemed to increase the panic in his eyes every second he couldn't find it.
"Uma?" he called out, fear tinting his voice.
"What?" said girl questioned, confused, just as he shouted her name again.
"Uma!?"
"Harry! Chill! I'm right here stop-"
But he couldn't hear her. Couldn't see her. He continued to frantically call out her name, dropping his hook, pulling at his hair madly.
It broke something within her and Uma tried and tried and tried to move towards him, but she found her feet stuck, unable to go to her first mate who was slowly backing up to the edge of the cliff in his crazed state.
"Harry!" she struggled to move towards him as his foot nearly stepped off the edge, fear embedding itself into her very core.
And then...he stopped. Everything stopped. The sounds of the lagoon and the singing mermaids all silenced. And then suddenly, Harry looked right at her. Lines of the thick kohl he wore ran down his face, mapping the tear lines and making his face look gaunt and hollow and dead. But he seemed to have finally seen her as his lips turned upwards in a strained smile that chipped cruelly at her heart.
"Oh, a pirate's life is a wonderful life," he suddenly started singing, voice low and thick, never breaking eye contact with her. "It's filled with adventure and sport."
"Harry," the sea-witch attempted to keep her voice calm. "Come here," she extended a hand out slowly to him. "Take my hand."
"But live every minute for all that is in it," he continued to sing, his voice growing louder as he took a frightening step back.
"HOOK! Don't you dare!" Uma yelled, trying to fight the invisible force that kept her feet from moving,
Harry spread out his arms, singing more boisterously, "For the life of the pirate is short," he punctuated the last word, making a tight spin on his foot. "Oh, the life of the pirate is-" and then he fell backward off the cliff.
"NO!" Uma screamed, able to finally move. She thoughtlessly jumped off the cliff as well, just as Harry went crashing through the surface and beneath the deep waters below.
As soon as she was submerged in the water, her legs seamlessly transformed into tentacles, propelling her through the water to the unmoving body of her first mate.
She got closer to him, grabbing his arm. His eyes were closed, his skin pale and his lips already blue. But she had a hold of him. She could still save him. There was no other option.
She pulled him close to her, preparing to bring them both up to the surface when his body gave out, dispersing into sea foam.
"No," Uma said shaking her head, frantically trying to grab at the white substance as it began to float upwards. "No! NO! Not him! Please! NO!"
"BuT liVe EvErY mOmEnT fOr AlL tHaT iT iS," a warped version of Harry's sang around her tauntingly. "bUt LiVe EvErY mOmEnT fOr AlL tHaT iT is,"
"Stop it!" Uma cried covering her ears, the remaining sea foam spinning around her. "Please just stop!"
And then...everything stopped. And she felt suddenly felt at peace.
She was floating now.
She allowed herself to lazily float, still getting used to her tentacles. It was strange feeling, one that she was not sure would ever feel completely like herself, but she would make do. She always did.
She continued to float past a school of fish, watching the patterns and shapes they formed as they blocked out the sunlight from that pierced through the sea's surface. At one point, they seemed to form a hook shape and she briefly wondered why that seemed to cause her a bit of pain from her heart, before the thought slipped from her mind.
She reached up, letting one hand play in the refracted light, the other lightly placing itself on her stomach. She closed her eyes, at peace for the moment.
Just her, the currents, and her chi- And then, a boy with one amber eye and pale skin and hair the color of blue flame was before her.
"It is not your time to die, cousin. Wake up!" Hadie commanded, snapping his fingers.
Uma gasped, breaking through the surface of the water and sputtering as coldness enveloped her and water got uncomfortably in her nose. It took her a moment to realize that she was sitting up in an ornate tub, the spawn of her mother's demise hovering worriedly over her, that disgusting look of pity still in those seafoam green eyes.
"Y-you're awake!" Ariel's brat exclaimed as if that was supposed to mean anything to Uma. As if that gave the mermaid any reason to be anywhere near her.
"It wasn't her time," Hadie's whisper-like voice cut through the tension in the room like a knife. "You had nothing to worry about, cousin."
Even though it was only recently that Uma had learned about her heritage, the sea witch felt a ball of jealousy in her chest at the familial title her newly discovered cousin addressed Triton's spawn.
"Someone going to tell me why the hell I'm in a tub?" Uma splashed the water she still sat in, unconsciously forcing out a bit of power that seemed to be rolling like unsettled waves beneath her skin. She grinned a bit when the raven haired girl let out a squeak as she was caught in a splash, managing to soak a bit of her clothes. Hadie miraculously remained dry despite the floor and wall around him being splashed with water.
His lips quirked upwardly.
"You were hurt badly in the explosion that CJ and her mysterious accomplice created as a cover to kidnap the King. Two of Mal's gang were also taken, Grimhilde's daughter and the pup, along with Samuel Smee and Murphy...oh, and your pirate," Hadie said as if discussing the weather. "I was told that the son of Gaston found you and brought you to the infirmary. The mortal doctors here weren't sure you were going to make it. It was Melody who reminded them of your heritage."
"M-mer-people heal quicker in water. Faster if it's salt water," Melody informed, meeting Uma's glare with a determined gaze of her own. "We brought you back to your room and-"
"I'm not going to thank you," Uma cut her off, keeping her expression blank. (Inside she was screaming. In her dreams and reality all she could do was watch as Harry was taken from her. The one constant in her life snatched from her grip.)
"I didn't do it for your thanks, Uma," the mermaid said with a tone as if she was disappointed that Uma didn't seem to be getting something that she felt was obvious.
It irked Uma to no end. Her mother's necklace thrummed with power against her skin.
"Don't give me that damn pitying look you've been giving me since the Council meeting," the sea witch snarled, standing up and stepping out of the tub so that she came face to face with the other girl.
A blush crawled over Melody's face, but she held her ground.
"You say we're related and maybe we are, but blood relations mean nothing to me," Uma paused, glancing over at Hadie as well. "Ma made sure I knew that blood meant nothing. So both of you, I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. I don't need your pity. I don't need your handouts. I don't need this family shit!"
The water of the tub began to boil, sloshing dangerously over the sides. Hadie eyed it cautiously.
"Uma…" he warned. But the sea witch continued on, unstoppable as always, Ursula's necklace giving off a faint but threatening glow.
"I don't need you! I have a crew! I have a first mate!" her voice hitched, eyes burning, "I have-!"
The door exploded open, Gil barreling in. He blinked owlishly at them, as if he wasn't sure exactly why he was here. The necklace stopped glowing, becoming dormant once again.
"Uma?" he questioned before frowning, then looking away, and scratching the back of his neck. "Why are you naked?"
Though her cheeks warmed at her own delayed realization, Uma kept her voice even. "The better question Gil, is why aren't you giving me your shirt?"
"Oh! Yeah! Right," the blonde nodded. He quickly took off his shirt and held it out to his captain.
"You're right," Hadie said, for once sounding amused as she shrugged on Gil's oversized shirt over her head. When she turned to glare at him, he was looking at Gil like she had seen Evie look at an expensive dress. "You may not need us. But you'll want us...one day."
"I think you both have other places to be," Uma purposely stepped in front of Gil, blocking him from Hadie's view the best her short stature could do. "So get your asses out of here."
Gil made a move to leave but Uma grabbed him by one of his belt loops.
"NOT you, Gil."
Melody followed Hadie out, glancing over her shoulder once she made it outside the door of Uma's room. "He's right, if you ever want our help-"
Ursula's daughter closed the door on the mermaid.
"Fairy Godmother would say that was rude," Gil chided.
Uma glared at him before turning around and releasing a scream filled with anger, frustration, and an ocean's worth of other feelings until all that was left was empty and coldness. She couldn't explain it. It felt like her mind was numb and the only way she could even think to describe it some sort of sixth-sense connection to Harry, one that on some level she had always been aware she had but had gotten so used to that she forgot about it. Until now, when she couldn't feel the usual lulling thrum.
"Uma?" Gil finally spoke after awhile.
The pirate captain flopped face down on her bed. "What is it Gil?" she murmured into her mattress.
"I-I know I'm not first mate material like Harry but…" he paused trailing off until Uma could feel one of his hands rest comfortingly on her shoulder. "I got your back. I'll...I'll hold up the entire heavens for you if that's what you need me to do."
Uma snorted, though she turned to lay on her side to look up at him. "You say the weirdest things, but...uh...thanks."
Gil smiled brilliantly and without warning reaching over and gave her a tight hug. Allowing herself a few seconds, the hard exterior of the Pirate Queen briefly melted, revealing just sad and scared Uma hugging one of her best friends.
Eventually, she shoved Gil away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She appreciated that Gil didn't point out how red her eyes looked.
"We have to get him back, Gil. We have to get them all back."
The blonde nodded, a rare serious and focus look on his face. "I...I think I might know where you can start."
Less than half an hour later, dressed in her own clothes, Uma found herself in the school's infirmary. She had sent Gil off to do something only she could trust him with, insecurities appeased by the loyalty that oozed from the boy.
She watched Dizzy's even breathing, thinking to herself that it looked so strange to see the usually vibrant girl so...still.
"She was having really wicked waking dreams," Diego, who sat next to Dizzy's bed like a stoic sentry, sighed. "Some sort of spell. The doctors thought it would be best to give her something to knock her out into a dreamless sleep until they could figure out a counterspell. Since I'm 18 and legally an adult here, they let me stay with her, despite that Chad kid throwing a fit when they turned him away."
"Girl deserves the rest," Uma said getting up from her position sitting on the edge of the bed. She paused, plucking the vibrant green leaf that laid upon the nearby bed stand. "Is this…?"
"Yeah," Diego nodded, as he moved to tuck the unconscious girl further into her bed. "When Evie's boy, Doug, found her, she was clutching this. I don't know much about magic but...maybe it can help you find CJ and whoever she's working with."
Uma tilted her head to the side. "So you think there was someone else helping the little brat, too?"
Diego let out a tired chuckle. "No offense to your boyfriend-"
"First mate," Uma corrected automatically, though there was no heat behind her words.
Diego let out another chuckle. "Apologies, Queenie. But maybe if this was Harriet I'd believe the possibility of a Hook working alone. CJ and Harry tend to…" he paused, obviously searching for the right word that wouldn't offend her. "Not do well without some sort of...anchor."
"Well even more reason why I need to get my first mate back," Uma said pocketing the leaf.
"And my cousin," Diego added.
Uma observed him, keeping her expression blank. Carlos wasn't one of her priorities. Harry was, of course. And not bringing Ben back alive and well was the equivalent of putting a noose around her neck. Sammy Smee and Big Murph were under her protection. But Evie and Carlos were Mal's problems.
"Dragon Breath should have that covered," the sea witch said, preparing to make her way out when she felt Diego reach out and grab her arm.
"Mal isn't the one I follow," Diego stated, his words adding more weight to her shoulders.
She watched him over her shoulder for a moment before nodding. "I'll see what I can do," was all she would promise, all she would allow herself to promise because if it came down to it, she would sacrifice even Ben if it meant Harry was safe and at her side.
Letting go of her arm, Diego nodded, though he didn't seem completely convinced.
Uma gave Dizzy one final glance before exiting the infirmary.
Once alone in the unusually quiet hallway, Uma allowed her shoulders to slump slightly. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, centering herself.
She felt like she was breaking.
"You look like crap."
Uma bit her lip, holding back a sharp retort as she pushed away from the wall and stood tall, a cool glare on her face.
Mal waited impatiently with crossed arms and a cocked hip. "You have something we can use?" the half-fae asked.
Uma pulled out the leaf from her pocket. "What about you?"
Without breaking eye-contact with Uma, Mal reached into the book bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a book. Maleficent's spell book.
"Jay hasn't lost his touch. It was easy for him and Gil to sneak out and get it back from the museum, especially with Jordan's help," Mal explained, looking like she would rather be anywhere else, but sticking out her hand. "Truce?"
"Truce," Uma gripped the other girl's hand tightly, and they both surveyed each other, each thinking the same thing. If I have to sacrifice him for the other though . . .
Mal stepped back, a sneer pulling at her lips. "But I still think you're a shrimpy loser with delusions of grandeur."
Uma bared her teeth in a facsimile of a smile, stepping forward and relishing the look of unease on Mal's face as she registers how close Uma is. "And you're an uppity bitch who can't see past the end of her upturned nose. What's your point?"
"Though a cat fight would be fun to watch," Jay said, stepping out from a hiding space, Gil following. "We have bigger issues, like getting our friends back."
Mal turned on her heels, walking in the direction of her room. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's make a locator brew."
Hello hello! It's been awhile but thank you so much for all of your patience! I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than the previous to thank you all. As always, I appreciate all of your reviews, favorites, alerts, etc!
Special thanks to my wonderful and amazing beta, elphaba_swan for always working their magic.
Winter break is coming up for me so hopefully I'll be able to get a quicker start on the next chapter. Until then, let me know what you think of this chapter and feel free to follow me on Tumblr at edream93.
Until next time!