"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Carter blinked finding everyone sprawled around him. Jade and Scooby were checking each other for injuries, Winnie was rubbing her elbow and, his mother...
Well, he was in trouble.
But, standing before them was Maleficent herself. Carter suddenly found himself speechless, as did everyone else. The way her eyes swept over them made him feel two inches tall.
"Who are you?", Maleficent hissed with icy menace at these intruders into her private domain. Carter's mother stood protectively in front of them, meeting the Dark Fae's gaze unflinchingly.
"I am Christina Rose Shadowfae Dracula-Rogers", she said firmly. "I assure you our intrusion was accide..."
"-'Shadowfae'?-", Maleficent gasped softly, then rushed forward to look at the young woman before with uncomfortable scrutiny; a face so very much like her own, with the hair of her own long lost... "You're Alissa's daughter."
"Yes,"
"MY CHILD!", Maleficent seized a shocked Christina in a fierce embrace. "I have been hoping and searching for ANY sign of my daughter for so very long! And here you are, my grand-daughter! Where is your mother? I so very much wish to see her!"
"Whoa! Just... whoa!", Christina gasped, pulling away. "Just because my mom's name is 'Alissa' doesn't mean...!"
Just then, Maleficent saw the torn front of Carter's shirt as he stared in wonder at her...and saw the Dragonmark upon his chest!
"Then I shall show you proof, my dear", she said, pulling the left sleeve of her robes to expose her forearm...and her own Dragonmark. "Only ONE fae in every generation of my line bears the Dragonmark, as your son does" pointing at Carter, who gasped. His birthmark! "As do you, I suspect."
Christina gasped, eyes widening her hand reflexively going to the back of her neck.
"They are marks of great power", she continued, then laughed chillingly. "Lucinda and her daughter Fayebelle were SSSOOOOO disappointed when neither of them were born with it! Lucinda was particularly angry, as she was your mother's elder sister. And now I know why Fayebell's daughter Selena was not born with it either! It went to YOU, my dear boy."
"So the baby won't have it?" Winnie asked quietly, inching closer to Christina but Maleficent had already heard her.
"Baby?" she repeated, her eyes moving from Christina's face to her stomach.
Christina nodded.
"Mom, Shaggy will lose his marbles if-,"
"Oh no,"
…...
Shaggy was in a panic. He was the only one in the entire house. That shouldn't have been possible. They were all just in the bedroom so where did they go? He sat on the couch pondering these things. He had already searched the entire house from top to bottom, outside, he even jumped in the pool finding nothing. His hands were shaking, his whole body was shaking. He was scared, worried, terrified. Where had his family gone?
Then, he blinked, falling backward into his wife's arms.
"Like, what just happened?" he asked, looking up at Christina confusedly.
"Someone did something he wasn't supposed to and now we're here," she replied
"Where exactly is here?"
"Ever After,"
Shaggy bolted upright finding himself face to face with Maleficent herself only to faint again.
Christina rolled her eyes, "Shaggy, Honey, please wake up," she prompted waving a few snacks in front of his face.
Once he was awake and calm, Shaggy turned all his attention to Christina.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes,"
"Did you fall?"
Christina flinched, "Out of the mirror,"
Shaggy went into panic mode again.
Christina grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to meet her eyes, "The first thing I did was check on the baby, magic remember?"
Shaggy calmed, "Like, can we go home now?"
"You can't," Maleficent declared, catching them by surprise, "Not yet" she added seeing their alarmed faces.
"We have too," Christina reasoned, "We both have jobs and the kids have school,"
"Please, stay for a while. I've been searching for so long."
She looked so sad and alone.
"Only for a short while." Christina relented seeing her son's pleading gaze.
Carter smiled, hugging his mother.
"But as soon as we get back You're grounded, Carter Chase"
"MOOOM"
…...
"That didn't go as planned," Carter sheepishly whispered to Winnie as they sat down for lunch.
"Ya think?" Winnie deadpanned.
The dining hall was massive, dark and cold. Carter was wishing his shirt hadn't torn as he couldn't keep from shivering. Half-vampire, he may have been but he felt the cold just like his mother.
"You okay, Carter?"
"Just cold, Winnie,"
"Maybe after we eat your mom can fix your shirt,"
"Maybe,"
Their conversation came to a standstill when the doors to the dining hall opened. The two watched as three fairies entered, each dressed darkly with displeased looks on their faces.
"You sent for us Mother?" the eldest of the three asked, her voice shrill and unpleasant.
Maleficent smiled, "Lucinda, this is your niece Christina and her family,"
Carter watched nervously. Lucinda seemed to sneer at his mother, her eyes sweeping over them, judging them.
"And where is my dear sister?" she demanded.
"I'm afraid she's passed on," his mother replied solemnly.
Lucinda snorted as if it were funny thing his grandma was no longer with them. Carter grit his teeth but calmed when Winnie grabbed his hand under the table. Listening as his mother went on to make introductions.
Lucinda didn't even nod, sitting down beside him instead.
Carter squirmed, he didn't like being this close to this, strange, obviously wicked fairy. He barely listened as Maleficent made the introductions that Lucinda had neglected to give. Focusing on his meal instead.
Winnie caught his eye, giving him a reassuring smile. They would brave this together.
There was silence for the first few minutes before Lucinda started asking his mother questions. Questions about evil deeds, hexes, curses if she was feared where she came from. When Christina replied that she would never curse anyone Lucinda laughed and laughed and laughed.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!", Lucinda cackled wickedly. "Like mother, like daughter! Alissa was always a sanctimonious goody-two-shoes who wore her heart on her sleeve, too! I knew it would get her killed one day! And you're just as pathetic!"
Carter clenched his fists and grit his teeth. It didn't matter if they were related! Lucinda had no right to say such things about his mom.
She didn't know her like Carter did. Simply put, his mom was awesome!
"Leave Mom alone!" he snapped even though he knew better.
Lucinda turned to face him pointedly, a snide remark about his werewolf girlfriend on her lips, when she saw the rip in his shirt, or rather what was under it...
"YOU HAVE THE DRAGONMARK?!", she screamed angrily.
"WHAT?!", Faybelle and Selena both scream at once.
The trio circled him like vultures making him squirm yet again.
"How can this be!" Lucinda roared angrily turning to where Maleficent sat at the head of the table, "They aren't even evil!"
"As I've told you before Lucinda, it's a gift of Fate,"
"But why Alissa! Why her daughter and why this, this weakling boy!"
"Don't speak that way about my son!" Christina growled.
Lucinda set her sights on Christina.
"YOU aren't worthy of such a mark! You're an abomination! A Blight! You aren't worthy of our family name-"
On and on she went and with each statement, Carter grew angrier until he couldn't take it anymore!
"LEAVE MY MOM ALONE!" he roared grabbing onto Lucinda as a surprising burst of red flames leaped from his body to her wings setting them ablaze.
Carter stumbled back in surprise, the flames that had consumed him ceasing instantly.
He ran from the room.
What had he done?
…...
Okay, I think that's a good stopping point. What did you think? What do you predict?
Big thank you to DRAGONDAVE45 for all the help!
Review!