(Mal)

The overwhelming sensation wrenching her body gave Mal an unsettling, vivid imagery of her insides twisting around each other with a vice-like grip, and the two mixed together was nearly enough to force her into a hunched position that would allow the bubbling bile to burn through her throat. Fortunately, it vanished the second it settled fully over her. The scenery shifted in front of her, and her legs buckled underneath her weight as soon as her feet touched solid ground, dropping her to her hands and knees. She swallowed thickly, forcing the lingering threat of bile down as she reacquainted herself with the feeling of life around her and a solid footing beneath her. That's the last time I'm traveling that way. Next time, I'm flying.

Pushing herself to her feet she brushed the gravel from the new indents in her palms, breathing deeply to rid her body of its remaining nausea. An annoyed grunt escaped her lips and echoed through the area when she saw the state of her leather pants, the usual dark purple now covered by light brown and grey rocks. Great, just what I needed. After cleaning the debris from her pants she straightened her posture to take in her surroundings.

She was surrounded by trees.

Blowing out a heavy puff of air she glanced around in hope to find any indication that could lead her to where she needed to be given she had no clue where she was currently, other than in the woods. When she turned to search the trees behind her she found her gaze lifting to the area of sky visible above the rows of green as a stone castle appeared before her. Found it. She could only see the top of the castle but she knew it wasn't a great distance from where she stood – maybe five miles at the most. After locating the bag she had brought with her she quickly retrieved it and started in the direction of the castle.

First, you will use this transport to get to Auradon safely, and without further delay.

She had done that, though she wouldn't exactly call it safe when she had literally had to fear for her internal organs staying intact.

Then, you will have to get to the castle and find Evie. You are to do everything in your power to protect the artifact, and the girl. And finally, when there is no longer anyone after the necklace, you are to confiscate it from her and bring it back to me, no matter what it takes.

Mal honestly had no idea as to why Head wanted possession of the artifact given the fact that it would be completely useless to him. It was obvious that the necklace only worked for the girl who currently had it, considering it had been dormant for hundreds of years, the only thing reactivating its power being the touch of the girl. You must be one special girl, huh? To be the only one who can command such a powerful artifact. She figured the girl had extremely powerful magic running through her veins. But in that case, why would I need to protect her? Couldn't she protect herself? And how would I get the necklace from her if she could waste me with one look? She wished Head had given her more information on the girl besides the fact that her name was Evie and that she was currently in her last year at Auradon Prep High School. Which makes her… seventeen? Eighteen? Either way, she couldn't be much older than Mal herself, maybe a year at the most considering she herself had only turned seventeen during summer training – how she remembered her birthday she had no idea, especially since she couldn't recall anything else about her life before the age of seven.

Why does any of this matter? She honestly had no idea why she was wondering about the girl's age. Well, she began in her mind, thinking of excuses as to why she had just spent the best part of five minutes mulling over the girl's age; the closer we are in age, the more likely it'll be for me to protect her if I could manage…

But her orders ran strong in the front of her mind, specifically the words Head had spoken as she left.

Oh, and Agent? Whatever happens, remember that Evie must never know you exist.

It would never matter how close in age she was with Evie – or any of the other students for that matter – she was to go about the mission the way she was forced to live the rest of her life; nonexistent to others. It was between two options when it came to her; she was either seen as weak and useless, or she was completely nonexistent. Even Head seemed to find her useless despite his admiration for what he called her gift. It was all she knew because it defined her life. Weak. Useless. Hopeless. Forgotten. Unloved. It defined her – no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise – because it was all she had ever known to be. She couldn't remember being anything else. You're only what the majority view of you. A phrase that had become the training mantra. Everything is decided by the majority; an agent is only as good as others think they are. And she could only guess that it was the same outside of agencies, that, as a person, one could only be what others thought of them because it's impossibly tiring working to be different.

But I'm not weak. I'm the best fighter in training class.

A class you hadn't managed to get out of for six years.

But I am out in the field, now, meaning I can't be useless. Head needs me to complete this mission, not anyone else.

She shut off her internal dialogue the way she always did; by reminding herself that, whether she truly was what others believed her to be or someone contrastingly different, it was the best way to live. She didn't believe any of it in any way, but she had heard the description spoken enough times that it had embed itself in her mind, tricking her into believing they were her own thoughts even though they were the farthest thing from. Not knowing how to be anything other than unimportant in the eyes of others didn't mean she was the same in her own eyes. Alone was better. Being alone didn't translate to being lonely. She preferred to experience everything on her own, she didn't crave anyone's affection in the slightest, and she constantly kept Head at the end of a twenty-foot diameter because of that; she didn't need him to be there for her, to care for her. She didn't need anyone. All she needed was herself. And she had that, she knew and understood herself better than anyone else ever would; and she was nothing like the others thought of her.

It would be the exact same in Auradon as well; she wouldn't need any of them. She would use and manipulate whoever she had to in order to protect the girl, then she would silence her herself and take the artifact. However, instead of going back to the agency to wait for the next mission, she will instead drop the necklace straight into Head's greedy and unworthy hands, and proceed to tell him to go f…

"How did you get your hair to look like that?"

Mal came to an abrupt halt – both in her thoughts and her movements – barely managing to refrain from striking reflexively by quickly reminding herself that she was now in Auradon, among casual, nonthreatening citizens. She immediately shifted her gaze to the girl that had stepped directly into her path, only just now realizing that her thought process had drawn her far enough from reality that she hadn't paid any attention to her surroundings; and she could tell simply from the area behind the strange girl that she was no longer in the woods. Studying the girl for a moment she noted her dark brown, bobbed hairstyle, the bright colors of her outfit, and the infuriatingly ecstatic smile etched into her features.

Mal arched her eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Your hair! It's so amazing!" The girl exclaimed, reaching up to caress the ends of her hair.

Mal batted her hand away forcefully, eyebrows furrowing. "Never do that."

"Sorry," the girl dropped her hands in front of her, the smile on her face never ceasing.

It struck Mal's nerves irritatingly.

"Have I seen you around here before?" The girl asked, briefly studying her appearance; Mal scowled. "I think I would have recognized you if I had."

This time Mal raised both her eyebrows, a silent warning; you better watch yourself. It was a one-sided conversation, but for some reason the bobbed-haired girl didn't seem to mind.

"I'm Lonnie, by the way," the overly-friendly girl said, holding out her hand for Mal to take.

She didn't. "Mal."

"That's a cool name," Lonnie responded ecstatically; the way she seemed to always respond. "Anyway, do you go to Auradon Prep?"

Those were the first words the girl had spoken that intrigued Mal, simply because of two newly familiar words; Auradon Prep.

"No," Mal answered, shifting her posture slightly in attempt to appear more friendly. "Do you?"

She wasn't acquainted with the act of being kind, and she definitely wasn't very talented at it because her tone came out almost as if she were threatening the girl; she didn't care though, she didn't have any reason to stay friendly for long.

"Yes! It's a fantastic school!" Lonnie said delightedly, clearly missing the harsh tone in Mal's voice, or choosing to ignore it. "I'm sad I'm finished after this year, but excited to move on, you know."

Mal forced a smile. "You talk too much."

Before Lonnie could fully register and respond to her statement, Mal took an intimidating step toward the taller girl and met her gaze directly. A pleasant tingling sensation overtook Mal's body as she locked Lonnie into her stare forcibly – though the girl didn't put up much fight – her magic rooting deep into the mind of the other girl. When Lonnie's eyes shun green she knew the girl was prepared to answer anything she had to ask.

"Now, tell me something of use," Mal started, immensely enjoying the feeling of being able to influence people freely after many torturous years of close monitoring ensuring she never did. "Do you know who Evie is?'

"Yes, she's my best friend despite where she came from," Lonnie answered submissively, incapable of tearing her dazed gaze from Mal's fierce one.

Best friend, huh? How lucky for me. An actual smile appeared on Mal's face, her nose scrunching because of it. Though she didn't much care for the ending of the answer she found herself slightly curious as to where Evie had come from that provoked such an add-on.

"You just became useful to me," Mal stated, holding the girl's gaze and allowing more magic to flow through her body rapidly. "So, Lonnie, where could I possibly find her at this time of day?"

"She's in advanced chemistry."

Mal groaned audibly, of course she's in class. "When will she be out?"

"In ten minutes."

"Then where can I find her?"

"The outside cafeteria for lunch."

"Thanks, buddy," Mal smiled, releasing her influence on the girl and patting her on the shoulder lightly before heading toward the castle.

If everyone in Auradon is like her, I'll kill myself. She desperately hoped Evie wasn't nearly as overly-ecstatic as Lonnie, knowing that she definitely wouldn't be able to handle watching over her for long if that were the case.

Mal had no idea where she was going, let alone where the cafeteria was, but as she got closer to the castle she found a smaller stone building next to it, blue and yellow flags extending from various stones to whip through the air. Well, I'm no professional, she thought as she caught glimpse of the design on the flag; but that looks like a high school. Scoping the area around the high school she found outside lockers, a sports field, and – furthest from her – several tables set up in the shade of nearby trees. There were students occupying various places, and a whole group jostling around the field – which she figured was a class.

Okay, she released a heavy breath; get to the lunch area… or, what you think is the lunch area. Wait for class to be out. Figure out which one is Evie. It sounded simple enough, until Head's orders floated through her mind again. You are to keep from the Auradon resident's suspicion and curiosity. Speak to no one and stick to the shadows. Then it was no longer an easy task. She had no clue how she was supposed to avoid everyone who lived in Auradon and protect the girl at the same time. Not to mention she had already spoken – and given her name to – one person, a person who just happened to be Evie's best friend. This is definitely going to be harder than Head led on. Of course she had already known that bit of information, but for some reason now unknown to her, she had believed it would be easier to avoid being noticed. However, now, as she stood surveying the openness of Auradon, she realized just how difficult that rule would be to follow. Staying away from Evie, that could be done with ease, but avoiding drawing attention to herself; nearly impossible.

So she decided to play by her own rules. You want the artifact; I'll get you the artifact. But it'll be done by my rules, not yours.

(Evie)

The offbeat symphony of a dozen lockers slamming shut filled the air as every student attending Auradon Prep readied themselves for the lunch period. Evie took her time at her locker, waiting for Jay like she always did, the boy insisting they head to lunch together since their classes were the same distance from their assigned lockers. She sighed as she closed her locker and slung her one-strapped bag over her shoulder, hoping her friend wouldn't bring his girlfriend to lunch with them again; she didn't think she could remain in Audrey's presence for even a minute after what had happened the day before. Just as the thought came to her mind it was pushed aside as Jay came around the corner, his long hair tied back and his arms bared by his usual leather tank-top. She internally rolled her eyes; does he ever wear anything else?

"Hey, Evie, you ready?" Jay questioned, hitting her with what he believed to be his award-winning smile.

"Don't you need to get anything from your locker?" Evie asked, gesturing to his locker with the hand that wasn't hugging her textbook to her chest.

"Nah," he waved his hand dismissively. "I'll get it after lunch. Let's go."

Deciding against pointing out that his choice would make him late for his next class Evie fell in step beside him, and they both left in the direction of the cafeteria. A small, comfortable silence fell over them as they walked, one that Evie found herself needing to break when she thought of the game yesterday.

"Why are you dating Audrey?"

Jay turned to look at her as he got trays of food for both of them; a habit that she had eventually given up on changing because he always took the tray from her hands when she grabbed it herself. Under his curious gaze she felt like looking away, but she resisted the urge, acting as though it had been nothing more than a casual question. Despite her exterior composure her heart was pounding against her ribcage under his scrutiny, and she swore she felt the necklace around her neck turning cold with her fear of how Jay would respond.

Instead, he just shrugged. "I don't know. She's pretty, and I kind of like the way she is with me. She's different with me than she is with everyone else. Nicer, less bossy."

Because she's trying to trick you into believing she's nice so she can use you. Were the words she desperately wanted to say but didn't.

"Why?" Jay spoke again before she could form a more appropriate response. "Is she still messing with you? If she is, just tell me and I'll sort it out."

Evie shook her head. "No, everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" Jay arched his eyebrow; Evie knew that look, and therefore knew what his next words were. "Because she seems to think you attacked her yesterday after the game."

Evie's posture immediately stiffened as her heartbeat accelerated to an unhealthy rate, and this time she was certain her necklace had frozen against her skin. When she glanced down at the crowned heart she almost expected to see ice-crystals decorating its edges, but knowing better she wasn't surprised when it looked as it always did. She brought her hand up to clasp her fingers around the jewel, only to immediately let it go when a sudden jolt of pain shot up her arm, the red heart burning her skin icily. I am so close to throwing this necklace into the enchanted lake.

"She's kidding, right?" Evie forced out a believable laugh, attempting to push the necklace from her mind. "As if I could make the earth attack anyone."

"I know, it's ridiculous," Jay laughed, carrying both of their trays to their usual table where Doug was already sitting. "You've never had magic before, and I'm sure if you did have magic you would have done much worse to Chad last year than spray him with a sleep perfume."

Evie sighed in relief knowing he thought Audrey was insane for casting such accusations; though she herself didn't exactly think Audrey was far from the truth. What else could it have been besides the necklace? She definitely had fair reason to believe it was the necklace her mother had given her, and Audrey had just as much reason to believe it was her; but that was the issue. Neither of them made any sense. She would never attack anyone, no matter how much they deserved to be put in their place, so it couldn't have been her who attacked Audrey; could it? As for her hunch, it was utterly ridiculous. The only object that could possess magic of its own was a wand, any other object with magic merely channeled it from a magical being; which she definitely wasn't. Sure, her mother had magic, but whoever her father was had to have siphoned it from rooting into Evie because she had never been capable of using magic, and she would have been able to access it by now.

As Jay set their trays on opposite sides of the table she thanked him like she always did, dropping into her seat on the bench beside Doug and smiling at the nerdy boy. She looked around for Carlos and Lonnie, wondering where they were, especially considering they both usually showed up before her and Jay. Just as she shifted her attention back to her lunch someone sat heavily on the open bench space beside her, so she turned to meet Lonnie's gaze, already knowing it was her.

"Oh my gosh, so I just met this girl with the coolest hair," Lonnie started ecstatically, brown eyes bright. "I've never seen her here before, but she looks about Carlos' age, so she must be going here, and…"

"Whoa, slow down there, Lon," Jay chuckled, a large, amused smile stretching across his face. "Don't forget the needed act of breathing."

Lonnie blinked at him a few times before turning back to Evie. "I'm going to ask her if she'll help me make my hair look cool."

"A girl you don't even know?" Doug asked, his face screwing up in concern for Lonnie's impulsive plan.

"I know her enough," Lonnie replied, meeting Doug's eyes. "Her name is Mal. Plus, she was asking where she could find Evie, so I figured she must know her."

At the mention of her name Evie became more invested in the conversation, and she looked up, her mind reeling. "I don't know anyone named Mal."

"Oh," Lonnie appeared disappointed, as if Evie not knowing the girl ruined her plans to get her hair fixed. "She seemed to know you."

"Maybe she's like… a long lost cousin, or something," Jay offered.

Evie fixed him with a look, letting out a dull, sarcastic laugh. "Very funny, Jay, but I know every member of my family. And besides, Mal is not a name that would be in my family."

"Right," Jay drawled tiredly, shoving a fork-full of food in his mouth before continuing; Evie cringed, disgusting. "I forgot your family is made up of princess-y names. Because Evie is so elegant."

"Please swallow your food before you talk," Evie shut her eyes and breathed deeply, ignoring his slash at her name. "It's rude to do otherwise."

If it had been anyone else who had asked, Evie knew that Jay would have just done it again mockingly, but because it was her he sent her an apologetic look and swallowed the chewed-up food in his mouth. At that, the table fell into a short silence, one that they all knew was destined to be shattered by Lonnie. However, it was broken by a late-arriving Carlos; he wasn't usually last to their table.

"Hey, is something up?" Evie asked the youngest boy, eyebrows knitting in concern at his late arrival.

"Yeah, bro, you're usually the second one here," Jay spoke up, clearly sharing her concern. "Is that teacher already giving you a hard time again? Because I swear I'll rip…"

"Relax, man," Carlos stopped Jay with a laugh, Dude hopping on the bench beside him when he sat down. "I just got held up…"

"By what?" Jay questioned curiously, acting as though he hadn't been about to threaten the life of a teacher.

"I was about to say, if you'd just let me finish," Carlos lightly smacked him before focusing his attention on Evie. "Someone was asking for you, Evie."

Evie swallowed thickly, her necklace turning cold again as her heart rate increased. She was thinking about what Lonnie had said; she seemed to know you.

"That's so odd!" Lonnie spoke first, seemingly seeing no correlation between the two occurrences; and maybe there wasn't, but Evie couldn't help but grow fearful. "Someone asked me about Evie today, too!"

"Who was asking for me, Carlos?" Evie asked, struggling to keep her voice from shaking as she prayed it wasn't the same girl that Lonnie had run into; Mal, or something similar to that.

"Um… I don't know her name, but she's just over…" Carlos trailed off after turning in his seat to point in the direction he had come from. "Uh, never mind. She's not there anymore. I mean, I asked if she wanted to sit with us, but she denied the offer."

"Seems creepy to me," Jay gave his opinion, keeping his stare on Evie, as if daring her to disagree.

Carlos shrugged and went back to eating. Evie couldn't help but let her gaze flicker continuously over the boy's shoulder in search for the anonymous girl who had asked him about her, her necklace throbbing against her chest in warning; you know this isn't normal. Don't go anywhere near anyone you don't know. But she didn't need her necklace's warning, she wasn't going to do anything that had even the slightest bit of danger written on its cover.