And so, here it is. The final chapter for the first movie. There may be some things which won't make sense, but all will be explained here soon. Please leave a comment, for it gives me warm and fuzzies. What do you guys expect from Jay and Antoinette? How will she play into the next movie? What will be told soon?
CHAPTER 15
Antoinette climbed through the window and landed on her feet. She felt grateful that the windows weren't that high off of the ground. She stared out to the deserted lawns, no one would be at the school. Except her, apparently.
She started walking to the front of the school and pulled out her phone.
"I need a taxi to Auradon Prep to the coronation immediately," she explained to the person on the other end. Antoinette paused when the other person started laughing.
"No way sweetheart. The entire country is practically shut down until tomorrow morning. You're on your own."
Antoinette looked down at her phone. A tapping sensation beginning in her temple. She breathed in a deep breath. She had to think of a way to get to the coronation. Without a car. Or anyone who seemed interested in helping. Her headache began to grow steadily.
A sound caught her attention, causing her to turn. Coming out from behind the school was a lovely light brown horse who strolled in front of her. As if by magic.
"Can you help me? My friends are about to make a terrible mistake, including a boy who I care for," she said, petting the horse's nuzzle. The horse jerked it's head back.
The future king and daughter of the worst villain approached the former king and queen. Mal hesitated thinking of how to word the apology.
"About the other day," she started, "I just-"
"I told Ben this wouldn't be easy," Beast said, interrupting her. Ben smirked.
"You also taught me that a king has to believe in himself. Even when it isn't easy."
Riding a horse bareback was not at the top of Antoinette's list of things she wanted to do, but if a girl had to ride a Henson to stop one of the biggest mistakes from happening, then Antoinette would ride a Henson bareback. She rode through the empty streets of Auradon, ignoring people shouting at her.
"What are ye doing there, lass?"
Antoinette knew her riding through town would be on every page, printed and virtual, but she could not bring herself to care. Her hair, which she had so carefully crafted into an updo earlier that day, started to fall out as bobby pins clattered behind her. She was almost close.
Ben stared at everyone once the doors were open. The chorus sang and everyone was silent as they watched the future king walk carefully down the aisle. Mal waited on the other end, waiting for the perfect time to take the wand. Evie glanced at Carlos and Jay, waiting until it was the right time to move.
Jay's thoughts were somewhere else, once someone were to even glance at him, they would see his glazed over eyes. He was thinking of the red head he had left in Auradon Prep. Memories started to flash through his mind, as if some part was trying to convince him of all the reasons not to take down the barrier.
Laughter filled the room as Jay ate another slice of pizza. A few of his tourney mates were passing the ball back and forth behind him. Taylor's dorm room was the best since he didn't have a dorm mate to worry about so the tourney team always ate the winning pizza in his room. Jay was taking a bite of pizza when someone flopped down next to him on the couch.
"So, Antoinette, huh?" Taylor said. He was the shooter for the team, and pretty accurate. He had even grazed Jay during practice once.
"Uh, yeah. Antoinette." Jay swallowed his bite of pizza. Pepperoni was a pretty good choice.
"I'm not surprised to be honest," Taylor said, while taking a sip of his drink. The red solo cup sitting in his hand lazily.
"Yeah, why's that?" Jay asked.
"I don't know. Just something about you two. It just makes sense." Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Because we're both villian kids?" There was silence between the two for a moment filled with laughter from the others horsing around.
"No, because Antoinette is the type to just give everything to everyone. She continuously tries to prove she isn't a villain. She is one of the most selfless people I've met." Jay glanced at Taylor uncertain.
"Did you and her ever?" He trailed off. Taylor chuckled.
"No, but she put in a good word for me with Abigail, Princess Andrina's daughter. Abigail barely looked at me before that, and well," Taylor smiled to himself, "I'm gonna give her my jacket."
"Jacket?" Jay asked, his brows coming together. Taylor smirked at him while raising an eyebrow.
"I see that wasn't a thing on the Isle."
Ever since that conversation with his fellow tourney player he had images of Antoinette wearing his jersey. Waking up beside her, and having breakfast. Her in his jersey going for long walks. Her stripping his jersey off to go into the ocean. Antoinette looking over her shoulder and giving him that smile. Those were the images that kept flashing through his mind, only to be stopped by other images. Fire. Destruction. Curses. Antoinette staring at him. Afraid and hurt.
"I do solemnly swear." Ben's words caught his attention. Jay stared at the ceremony. Mal was staring intently at the interaction. He was waiting for their downfall to happen once she grabbed the wand. Jay felt a hand squeeze his, and for a moment he pretended the hand was Antoinette's, but then it happened again. Evie kept squeezing his hand. The message was clear: Get ready.
Antoinette stopped in front of the large cathedral and jumped as gracefully as she could off the horse. Running up the stairs she didn't stop to think of what to do. Her entire life she had carefully planned and thought out everything, but now, at one of the most important times of her life she had no time to do anything but to do.
She stumbled up the stairs, and when she looked back she realized why. One of her heels had broken. Grabbing her shoes Antoinette continued running with them in her hand.
Finally, a new wave of fresh air hit her lungs when she saw the doors. Closed. Large. Regal. Antoinette's shoulder heaved, and she left her shoes behind. Going to the doors she pushed them open.
"Stop!"
"Stop!" Every head in the Cathedral turned to stare at the redheaded girl.
"Antoinette?" Anastasia whispered, horrified. Something was definitely wrong.
"Ant?" Ben said, coming out as more of a question. He took in her appearance as he approached her. Antoinette started to run down the aisle to meet him.
"Ben," Mal said, trying to stop him from seeing his best friend. Mal had that particular feeling something was going to ruin the plan.
He walked past Mal and stared at Antoinette as he grasped the redhead's arms trying to calm her down. Her hair was disheveled and coming out of the up do. She was breathing fast, but what scared him most was her eyes. One look and the king could see the fear and desperate need for something in her eyes. That terrified him more than anything else.
"Why do you smell like a horse?" Ben asked. Antoinette shook her head.
"Nevermind that. You have to get the wand and get out of here," she said. Ben tilted his head.
"What are you talking about?" Ben rubbed his hands up and down her arms trying to calm her down.
"They're trying to take the wand, and take down the barrier," Antoinette said through gritted teeth.
"Hey, calm down. You're okay. Shhhh," Ben said, trying to sooth her. Antoinette shook her head. What wasn't he getting?
"No!" Antoinette hadn't been the one to say the word, but the simple syllable was enough to make both her and Ben turn. A hand was grasping the wand, and Fairy Godmother stared in terror.
Greed was a horrible thing, which grew in every human being, as well as every human brother and sister. Witches. Sorceresses. Wizards. As well as Fairies. Especially fairies who were raised as humans.
"If you won't make me beautiful I'll do it myself!" Jane shouted, trying to control the wand as energy swirled around her. Antoinette and Ben rushed forward. Ben ran forward to protect Mal. Wild magic sparked from the wand. Antoinette watched in horror, what was Jane doing?
An earth shaking spell reached their feet.
"Ben!" Antoinette said. Could he feel it too? The dull thumping which had been with her for as long as she could remember, coming and going as it pleased, finally came to the forefront of her head. Completely engulfing her in an intense pain. The lights were too bright then, irritating her at every opportunity when she tried to open her eyes. She could hear every sound amplified by twenty. If Antoinette hadn't been so selfish, she would have seen Mal had grabbed the wand.
"Ben, I said stay back!" Said the fairy in lilac. Antoinette winced. Audrey stepped forward.
"I told you so!" Mal turned the wand to Audrey and several stepped back in fear.
"Mal, eyes on me." Antoinette put her hand to her head as she spoke the words. Several footsteps could be heard running up behind her.
"Let's go." Carlos said, disappointed. Antoinette turned to them. Antoinette's breath caught her throat when she caught those big brown eyes.
"Nettie, please step back. Everything will be okay," Jay said. He reached out a hand as if to rest it on her shoulder. She jerked back.
"Don't touch me, Jay." A flash of hurt went over his face. Antoinette shook her head.
"Don't act like that. Please, don't listen to your parents." The two possible lovers stared at each other. For a second they were the only two people in the room.
"You really want to do this?" Ben asked. Mal turned the wand to Ben.
"We have no choice, Ben. Our parents-"
"Your parents made their choice. Now you make yours," he said. Mal shoulders slumped.
"I think I want to be good."
"You are good." Antoinette stared at Jay.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I'm listening to my heart," Ben said.
"I want to listen to my heart too," Mal started. "And my heart is telling me that we are not our parents."
She turned to her fellow villain children. Mal turned to Jay, and Antoinette watched him carefully.
"I mean, stealing things doesn't make you happy. Tourney and victory pizza with the team makes you happy." Mal started. She chuckled then. "And Antoinette makes you happy."
Antoinette turned to face Jay. He gave her a nervous smile.
"I make you happy?" Jay took her hands. His hands were much bigger than her's, and they were calloused from years of rough use.
"You make me happy. You make me want to be a better person," Jay explained. Mal turned away from the couple to Carlos.
"And you, scratching dude's belly makes you happy. Who would've thought? And Evie. You do not have to play dumb to get a guy. You are so smart."
Tears were now streaming down Mal's and Evie's face. Antoinette smiled.
"And I don't want to take over the world with evil. It doesn't make me happy. I want to go to school." She turned towards Ben. "And be with Ben, because Ben makes me really happy."
Mal faced her friends again after holding up her hand to show Ben's ring.
"Us being friends makes me really happy. Not destroying things. I choose good, you guys." She lifted up a fist, waiting for someone, anyone to place their fist next to hers. Jay reached for Antoinette's hand, and then lifted a fist to meet Mal's.
"I choose good, too."
"I choose good." Evie said, lifting her fist to meet the other two.
"So, just to be clear, we don't have to be worried about how really mad our parents will be? Because they're gonna be really, really mad," Carlos said, with a face of concern. Ben smiled with amusement, but something dropped in Antoinette's stomach.
"Your parents can't reach you here." Antoinette placed her hands on her head. Her face scrunched from a pounding.
BAM
BAM
BAM
Her scream echoed through the hall as she crouched down.
"Nettie!"
"Antoinette!" Her mother rushed forward. Jay's arm surrounded her, as her mother crouched down next to her.
"I feel it too, sweetie," Anastasia said, taking her daughter's head in her arms.
"Mrs. Baker, what do you feel?" Ben asked. He too had crouched down to see what was wrong with Antoinette. But Anastasia Baker would never answer Ben, instead everyone's attention turned to their greatest fear.
"I'm baaaaack!" Maleficent at her full glory, scepter in hand.
"Go away, mother." Mal's annoyed voice carried through the room. A face of annoyance decorated her features.
"Oh, you're funny, Malsie," Maleficent giggled. Her green eyes surveyed the room, blocking Beast, Belle, and Fairy Godmother from getting closer to her or the wand. Maleficent's eyes stopped however, at the crouching red-head, the girl's hands still on her head.
"My, my, my Mal. Looks like you've far exceeded expectations. Finding the last of the Tremaine blood, and it looks like she is ready!" An intense, crazy look in Maleficent's eyes. Anastasia stepped in front of her daughter. Her purple skirt twirled.
"Oh, little Anastasia. Don't play the hero. It nearly destroyed your family last time," Maleficent started, "but you know all about time, don't you?"
"Leave the past in the past Maleficent. You won't touch my family." Anastasia squared her shoulders. Maleficent chortled.
"Ah, you haven't lost your sense of humor," she said, and with a simple wave of her hand Anastasia flew back into the crowd.
"But humor never was your strong suit dear." Maleficent raised her scepter and for the first time in a very long time, green smoke filled the room, capturing fear within the hearts of all who were there. Antoinette was lifted off the floor and brought in front of the Mistress of Evil by the smoke.
"You have no idea what you are capable of. I could teach you things," Maleficent whispered, staring at the youngest Baker. Antoinette shook her head.
"I have nothing to learn from you," Antoinette said. Maleficent grinned.
"Pity, you would have been a great student. So rare to find someone so unconnected with their gifts." Maleficent sighed dramatically, "But alas."
Maleficent once again waved her hand and with a strong force Antoinette went flying. She laid on the floor, completely unconscious.
"Antoinette!" Jay shouted, before running up to her. Her eyes focused blurrily on him.
"Hey, stay with me." That was the last thing she heard before her world went completely black.
