Seeing Red

Age 8

(Inspired by the requests of NuvolaTempestosa and XcrimsondragonX)

I struggled with the brush. I couldn't reach the back of my head. I loved my hair; over the last two years it had started to turn blue. Darker than dad's but I didn't care, it was one less tie to my mother. I could reach the bottom of it when I pulled it over my shoulder but I couldn't reach the back of my scalp.

Finally, I sighed. Defeated again. It looked like I was wearing my hair out again.

"What's wrong, Little Dragon?" Dad leaned against the wall, watching my struggle.

"I wanted to do something different."

He sat down on the step. "Come here." I put the brush down. "Bring it here too."

I sat down on the step below him. He held out his hand and I handed him the brush. He twirled his finger and I turned around, so my back was to him.

"What do you want? A bun? A braid?"

Evie had a pretty braid as a crown but I wanted the real thing. "A braid."

"Braid it is."

He started to brush my hair.

I could almost hear his smile. "I used to do this for my sister, you know?"

I went to turn to face him but he stopped me from moving my head. "You have a sister?"

"I have several. Brothers too"

"Where are they?"

A brief paused then the brushing continued. "Far away from here on Olympus, but one day, my little demon, I will take you to meet them. They will love you."

"What are they like?"

A small chuckle. "My sister, Hesta, is the heart of family, when she left the inner circle a part of us died. Poseidon is as temperamental as the seas he commands. It was Demeter's hair I used to brush and braid, she always smiled, and loved to have flowers braided in. I still remember the day her smile died and I hated that I was the cause of it."

I was tempted to ask what happened but I loved the story too much to interrupt him. If I did, he might stop.

"Hera came next, stern but fair. She tried to take Hesta's place in our circle but it wasn't the same. Zeus… Zeus was the youngest, the favourite." Bitter, dad sounded bitter.

I reached back to take his free hand. "You're my favourite."

He put down the brush and kissed the back of my head. "And you're mine, little dragon."

He started to braid.

"Do they know you're here?"

A pause of barely a second. "They sent me here."

I waited for him to continue. He didn't. "Mother hurt people. Did you hurt people?"

"Yes, but I would take it back if I could."

"What did you do?"

"I reached too high, Mali. I was a god; I should have been content with the lot I drew. Now all I want is to just go back to the way it was. To go back to the Underworld." He finished the braid. "With you by my side."

I turned to face him. "I'd like that."

He pulled me into one of his rare hugs. "You have always been a princess to me, but there you will rule."

Present

"If someone hands you a crying baby, do you, A, curse it? B, lock it in a tower? C, give it a bottle? Or D, carve out its heart?" I still hated Fairy Godmother's voice. "Evie?"

My friend's hand was hesitantly up in the air. "What was the second one again?"

The headmistress took a deep breath, in and out, trying not to lose her cool. "Okay, anyone else? Mal?"

I'd been listening but not exactly paying attention, half asleep as I sketched a picture of the mine. Home. "C, give it a bottle."

Fairy Godmother smiled. "Correct. Again."

"You're on fire, girl."

Not literally, I hoped. I shrugged at Jay. "Just pick the one that doesn't sound like any fun."

"Oh." It finally sank into the others.

A girl, a younger version of Fairy Godmother in-fact, hurried into the room, head down, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

Fairy Godmother smiled. "Well, hello, dear one." I cringed, it was like she was taking to an infant, not a teenage girl.

Still refusing to meet any eyes the girl handed Fairy Godmother a clipboard. "You…You need to sign off on early dismissal for the coronation."

Signing the board. Fairy Godmother smiled, first at the girl then at us. "Everyone here remembers my daughter, Jane?"

"Mum, no!"

"It's okay, Jane, this is everyone."

A wave, an awkward curtsy. "Hi. That's okay, don't mind me. As you were." She fled the room, eyes plastered on the floor.

"Let's continue…"

I took the Ember out of my locker. I thought it would have been safe there and it probably was but it didn't feel the same without it in my pocket.

Keep it with you, keep it safe and let it keep you safe.

I had a promise I had to keep. I decided I wouldn't let it out of my sight or my reach again.

"Those kids are trouble." I didn't know the boy, but I hated him already.

"Bye, Mal." Evie heard and didn't want to get involved, she had a chemistry class to get to.

"Bye." Permission to go and to let me deal with it myself, I didn't feel like running of to my History of Heroes class.

"Come on, Chad. Give them a chance." Ben had just given me a direction for my anger. Chad.

Chad.

Audrey.

My list was slowly growing.

"Oh. No offense, Bennybear." Augh. "But you're just too trusting. Look, I know your mum fell in love with the big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince. But with my mum, the evil fairy was just an evil fairy. Her mother."

I slammed my locker. They all jumped. They knew I had heard them.

Ben spoke softly. "I think you're wrong about them. I'll see you later." Leaving his friends behind, he slid up beside me. "Hey! How was your first day?"

"Just great."

He didn't look convinced. The prince studied the artwork on front of my locker; LIVE EVIL surrounded by blue flames. "You should really think about taking this talent off the locker and into art class. I could, uh, sign you up. What do you think?"

I stifled a laugh. "Way to take all the fun out of it."

"Oh, Bennyboo."

I looked over his shoulder to see Audrey waving. "I think you're being summoned."

Suddenly Ben sighed, in annoyance? He obviously wasn't happy about being summoned, at being called Bennyboo, Bennybear, or anything of the sort. Especially when it was called out for everyone to hear. "She can wait."

"Whatever."

Audrey made no secret of her next words, her voice was sweet, her words were not. "You've been gone so long." Less than a minute, what a drama queen, princess, whatever. "Has she put you to sleep? Just like her mother did to mine."

I saw red.

I. Was. Not. My. Mother.

Fire.

I saw blue.

The fire raged against the magic. My dad trying to vanquish my mother inside of me.

Fire.

I gripped the Ember in my pocket.

Mali.

Mali.

That shrill laugh.

Fire.

I. Was. Not. My. Mother.

Mali.

Burn.

Audrey's locker exploded.

Blue fire jumped out, throwing her and Chad to the ground.

Ben ran over to help his girlfriend to her feet. "Are you okay?"

She didn't even answer him before whirling around to face me. "What the hell did you do?"

What had I done? First Carlos' game, now Audrey's locker.

"She didn't do anything." I was shocked that Ben jumped to my defence. "She was with me."

"Maybe she did it with her mind." Like Audrey it seemed Chad would take any excuse to blame me.

I did it, but that wasn't the point.

I found a loophole. Technically I wouldn't be lying. "Magic requires words." Technically I hadn't used magic. "Bibbiti-bobbidi-boo and all that." A gave her a wicked smile. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"She didn't say anything, I promise." Ben had a protective arm around Audrey but his eyes, and his worry, were on me. "Mal didn't do this."

Fairy Godmother hurried towards us, saving me from anymore of the princess' accusations. "Bibbiti-bobbidi, what happened?"

An accusing point. "She blew up my locker."

"Did not."

"Did to."

"Ladies." The headmistress tried to keep the peace, she turned to me. "Mal?"

"I didn't blow up her bloody locker." I crossed my arms. "But go ahead and blame me. That's what you do, isn't it? Blame villains for all your problems."

"Mal." Fairy Godmother spoke softly, almost kindly. "That's not what I meant."

"It never is." I hit my locker with an open palm, taking my anger out with a slap rather than with the fire. "I've got to get to class."

I must have looked pissed because everyone jumped out of my way. I held back another wicked smile, at least some things never changed.

Mali.

Mali.

Burn.

Burn it all down.

A/N: One review was concerned about Frollo being in charge of children. Creepy, yes. Wrong, yes. But I'm basing it on the prequel novel The Isle of the Lost where Frollo, Gothel and Facilier are teachers at the Isle school, Dragon Hall