The wave immediately threw Everett off of his feet, taking him into the current. He held desperately onto his sister's hand, searching for Lorelai's. He gasped for air when he felt the ballroom floor again, his knees in standing water. Charlotte coughed, "Where's dad?" Taking off the mask, Everett searched for his parents through damp lashes.
Others were scrambling to their feet, some making it up the stairs. When they reached for the door, it snapped shut with force. "Uma!" Mal screamed at the top of her lungs. The queen was standing confidently on the wet floor, her dress soaking and her eyes green. Everett hadn't noticed the spiral water whirling in the center of the room, but the golden glow caught his immediate attention. It was trying faster and faster with every moment he remained petrified.
With a burst of light, water again rained down on the ballroom. A mischievous laugh echoed over the screams. Guests attempted to pry the doors open, but it was useless. Charlotte was still next to him as more people began to run. "Charlotte," Everett instructed, "go find Dad."
"What about you?" she asked as more water came down. It beat on his back, running over his face.
"Just go!" He managed to stand. Charlotte faltered multiple times before rising. "I'll find you later!" He wiped the water from his eyes, and she was gone. At least she would be somewhat safe and away from this mess. He was catching his breath when his opponent appeared.
"Have you missed me?" he heard Uma's voice drawl. The rain ceased instantly. The sea witch walked with purpose, her turquoise hair pulled back into a tightly braided tail. She was grinning with malicious ease, her shell necklace glowing intensely gold.
"You have been training for a long time, Uma," Mal held her ground. "But so have I."
"You know who else has been training?" Uma raised a gloved hand, the other clutching her shell. Everett heard the swoosh of the doors flying open. A large beast soared through the air, jumping the stairs entirely. The bear was smaller than the average, having dark black fur, and raging blue eyes. Guests quickly tried to make their escape, but the doors shut once again.
"Rose!" Ben called from the edge of the room. His voice was filled with hope. Lorelai was beside him, eyes wide with fear. They both knew that it was not Rose, but the bear Lorelai had seen a few nights ago. The beast was Uma's pawn this whole time.
Uma laughed. "Try something a little closer to home." Everett was puzzled at that. Closer than his sister? "Go on and show them what I've done for your poor unfortunate soul."
In a sudden puff of blue smoke, Max appeared. Everett gasped with the rest of the world. This of all things was not expected. "Max?" Mal gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. He looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks, his eyes glazed over.
"That's right, your own flesh and blood," Uma grinned, her eyes gleaming.
"Max!" Mal ran to him. She knelt down to the boy's height. She began to inspect him, gripping his shoulder and feeling his forehead. "Are you alright?" The boy did not move under his mother's touch, nor did his stare break from his master. Ben was making his way to them. Lorelai was still nowhere in sight. "What did you do to him?" Mal demanded, turning back to Uma.
The sea witch folded her arms. "What had to be done. I've shown him the good side. Perhaps he can remind you." Before anyone could move, Max put his fingers to his mother's neck. With a zap, she fell to the floor. Ben stopped his attempts to reach his son, frozen in horror. "Oh, King Ben," Uma stepped forward. "I feel like it was only yesterday that I had you tied to my ship. If I were any wiser, I would've never let you go. It would've certainly saved time."
"You could've been saved," Ben tried to negotiate. "But you refused."
"Don't put this on me!" Uma snapped. "I came to get what I deserve." She reached her hand forward, "And I will get it this time."
"The wand?" Ben asked.
"No," Uma shook her head, pleased. "The crown."
Before Ben could even open his mouth Uma struck him with a wave of water. "Fetch, boy," she told Max. The prince turned back into the dark beast and raced toward his father, where the crown had fallen from his brow. When the crown was secured in his jaw, horror, and disapproval shrieked.
"You will never be our queen!"
"Surely the wand can save us!"
"Where is Fairy Godmother?"
"Or the princess?"
"Silence!" Uma whipped another wave across the room, drenching the citizens. Max sat in front of her, still holding his father's crown. Uma took it in her hands, raising the jewel high above her head. Before she could place it, however, a shot of magic hurled through the air. The bolt hit Uma's hand causing the crown to fall back to the floor. The sea witch screamed with agony, her eyes looking down menacingly at the unconscious queen.
Everett's lips twitched up as Lorelai emerged from the crowd, her eyes flickering with a confident fire. Uma stared at her in disbelief for only a moment before regaining her composure. "So, you're finally showing your true colors, princess?"
"I can show you more than just colors," Lorelai said with a strong voice, Everett could see her hands shake by her sides. He needed to get closer to her, but how? Uma would notice if he moved, then what?
"Let's just cut to the chase," Uma snapped her fingers. Max growled, launching himself at his sister. Lorelai didn't hesitate to trap him in a spire of lightning, pinning the pup to the ground. He howled with pain at every advance he tried to make.
Off guard, Uma took matters into her own tentacles. She transformed in an instant, wrapping at Lorelai's feet. Everett decided now was the time for his attack. He took out the knife sheathed in his jacket and jabbed the nearest tentacle. He dragged along the wet scales, causing hot blood to spatter across his face. He heard a drastic whimper from the creature not far from him. Distracted, Everett looked at Max, who was now sitting still in his cage. He was bleeding on his hind leg. They were...connected?
In his moment of weakness, Uma ceased her attack on Lorelai, grabbing Everett instead. Before he could resist, his knife nicked his side. The injury worsened as she squeezed him like a cobra, taking his breath away. She brought him close to her face. "What a nice little friend you've got here, princess."
"Everett!" Lorelai cried. She latched her body onto a swinging tentacle, trying to get to Everett. Uma was wiser, however, as water swept the princess clean off. Lorelai rolled into the wall, her body limp. He screamed for her as the lighting cage over Max vanished. The beast took a moment to regain himself but then he snarled, making a slow pace to Lorelai.
"Lorelai!" Everett kicked, but it was useless. The knife had fallen from his grasp. With every squeeze from the tentacle, he could feel his cut ooze. It was over. She had won without a real fight.
"Hey!" Carlos darted in front of the prince. The beast stood on its hind legs, roaring.
"Leave him be." With a wave of her hand, Carlos's eyes turned to gold. He stepped aside, letting Max continue his pursuit.
Everett struggled once more, "No!"
"You really thought you could stop me?" Uma asked as she studied him. He met her gaze with the harshest glare he could muster.
"You're a monster!" he spat in her face. It was childish, but it was the best he could do.
She wrapped another one of her tentacles around his neck. Her voice deepened like a demon's, "You really thought you could go home?" He winced with pain, unable to reply. She laughed again, returning to the sea witch he recognized. "I'm not the monster here. You of all people should know that." He stared at her. "I didn't lock up my own kind. I took a boy who was suffering and turned him free."
"You manipulated him," Everett choked out, regretting the speech.
"His blood is Isle blood, and they can never wash that from his royal veins. Everyone had turned on him, even his sister. He will be my heir to a new world where the Isle will be free." She released his throat. "You can be a part of this." She expected an answer from him.
"I will never," Everett clutched at his throat. "You're only giving into the label they pin you with."
Her tentacle nearly crushed his ribs. "You don't understand, boy!" she snarled. "This is who you really are."
"This is what they want us to be! The monsters."
"Save the speech," Uma threw him down. He rolled across the slippery floor. His body ached. He couldn't get up. "Max, take care of this one when you're done with your sister." He wanted to cry out, but his lungs felt as if they had been closed in.
Lorelai was beginning to wake when Max closed in on her. The dog leaped with a snarl. Everett silently screamed as the lighting cracked, and Max was side-swept by a blur. Everett was stunned to see that another beast had entered the ballroom. This new one much more resembled a bear than a wolf, was much larger than Max, and its fur had a reddish tint to it.
"Rose." Everett managed to grin as he attempted to stand again.
Lorelai was still in a daze as Rose and Max fought in their beast forms. She was still adjusting to the fact that Max was a beast. She thought he was doing better. He was simply going through a faze. When she had discovered her magic, she didn't dare leave her room for weeks. He would do his best to conceal his powers and join his sister in secrecy. She never thought he would go down this evil path with all the help he was receiving.
She was brought back to the surface when there was a splash at her feet. Weakly, she used the wall as her support to keep her upright. Uma was watching the fight, trying to get her own tentacles in the mix. Lorelai knew Rose would come to save the day, but her timing could've been a little better. She had no clue where Everett was, or what their plan was. They never had a plan to start with.
The subjects around her cowered at her glance. She had forgotten that her magic was seen as something that wasn't a gift. She was used to eh praises Rose and Everett would give her for good use. She was now the freak she had always been afraid of being. The princess should've been disappointed in herself, but she had never felt more proud. Her eyes lifted from her hands and scanned the ballroom. Her vision was getting better and more focused. Everett was doing his best to cross the room around the swishing waves of water.
She did her best to meet him. They used each other for balance. "Where's Charlotte?" she asked him. Now that Rose was here, they would need the enchanted rose to complete the spell.
"I don't know," Everett was out of breath. "Are you alright?"
"I've been better," Lorelai said honestly. They each broke into a small chuckle before looking at the fight ahead of them. Rose had tumbled with Max, taking one of Uma's tentacles with her fangs. Uma screamed as blood seeped through Rose's jaw. Max whimpered as blood trickled from his leg to the floor. Uma swept another wave in an attempt to take advantage, causing Rose to loosen her grip.
In the rush, Max was ejected from the fight with a squeal. "I've got this one, dog." Uma commanded much weaker than before, "Take care of the others." The little beast was reluctant but rose again.
"Sedate him," Everett told Lorelai as he faced them.
"I've never used a spell like that before." She could only use the lightning cage, which would still cause pain. He was still her brother.
"He and Uma are connected somehow. We have to get him to stop before he takes more damage," Everet pointed out. She studied her beast of a brother. His steps were shaky, his breaths deep. If she had struck him once, surely he could die.
"Maybe we can talk him down," she suggested. Before getting Everett's approval, Lorelai stepped towards her brother. "Max! You need to stop." His furry ear twitched, but the grimace remained on his snout. "Please," she pleaded, realizing this felt familiar. "I'm your sister. I love you." The beast stopped, glaring at her. She could feel his disbelief.
Her guilt was instantaneous. That wasn't true. In a general way; yes, it was true. But right now she was standing in front of a stranger. Lorelai had been so caught up with Everett and discovering the other reality that she had let this one escape from her completely. Max had needed her. She could've given him the right guidance. She could've given him the trust that he needed to confide in her, but she didn't. She had let him get away.
This was how Ben felt when Rose had run, she realized. Rose had escaped again and again because her family hadn't loved her in the way she needed them to. Instead of having the trust to tell them, Rose left Ben with a hollow heart, wondering what he could've done differently.
Lorelai didn't have a voice to speak with. She was too shocked and horrified of herself to continue. She hadn't even noticed how Max had prepared to strike again. Everett's eyes were trained on her, waiting for her to do something. but there was nothing. Nothing that she could do to change what she had done. "I'm sorry."
There was a loud snarl, a leap, then silence.
Charlotte held out her hands with straight arms. She couldn't take the scene any longer. She had broken from the hold of Evie to save her brother. The beast kept his pursuit for a moment longer before skidding to a halt inches from her face. She kept her eyes open despite the large glowing orbs that pierced her gaze. She should've been terrified, but she remained in her place. This was for Everett. This was for Max. This was for her.
"Max," she managed to whisper. She was waiting for Uma to command him forward, but she was busy with Rose. So she faced the beast alone. "Stop...please." Her eyes began to well with tears. "Please, Max."
She was safe and alive. He thought she had gone far away, or at least that was what Uma had told him. Every night he would take another soldier, cursing their mind to search for his dearest missing friend. His magic was too strong, and many of them took to insanity. Uma was not trained for his kind of magic, for she ruled the sea, and he the land. Without him, she wouldn't have made it here on dry land.
But she had lied. Charlotte was safe. She was here, staring at him. She was scared. Scared of him.
Max fell limply to his knees in front of Charlotte. His body was bruised, bleeding, cold, and weak. He shivered, feeling as if he had just woke up from a cold and dark nightmare. He lifted his gaze back up to Charlotte's eyes. He called her name under his breath, shuddering. He attempted to hold out a hand, but he fell to his side. Catching his breath, he closed his eyes, letting the curses and lies leave his mind.
Then he felt Charlotte's warm arms wrap around his scrawny body. He gasped for air, coming to the surface as he held her by one arm.
Everett studied the scene before him. As Max slumped over, he watched as Rose continued to tear at Uma. There were no screams to escape Max's lips. They were disconnected. "Max," Lorelai breathed with a smile, figuring it out for herself. She was about to rush to her brother when Everett grabbed her arm. He was just as relieved as she was, but there was something more to this.
Face the reality in time for the last petal to fall, then the spell would be broken
If the beast could learn to love another and earn their love in return
When the final petal falls, I shall return to the ones I love
"Face the reality," Everett whispered.
"What?" Lorelai raised a brow.
"That's the thing. This isn't real," Everett couldn't believe himself. All of this time, he had been trying to fix this realm. "This isn't reality." Everett's mind rushed. "This is magic."
"We knew that, Everett," Lorelai stared at him curiously. "Rose created this land." His mind began to wander. She had pushed this Uma scheme rather quickly. Could she have devised the whole thing? No. She said he had created the characters in this world...right?
"She isn't real."
Rose was talking about Lorelai. Everett knew that everything was magic but...it was Rose's magic. Surely if her magic had sucked him in then-
"She wasted my time, giving me these challenges before she would send me back home," Everett ran his fingers through his hair. "Sh-she could send me back whenever she wanted."
"Everett," Lorelai gasped.
"Rose!" Everett suddenly called out. "This isn't real!"
Damn. He figured it out.
She was so close to getting away with it too. She had worked out this plan carefully ever since he had come here. For many nights she had studied that rose, trying to find a way he could break her curse so that she may stay. He bought into it easily, why did he have to figure it out now, when everything was almost complete?
With a roar, Rose transformed back into herself, halting everything in time. Everything went quiet as she floated down to the floor. Everett stared at her in disbelief. That kid was too clever for his own good. She admired and hated that about him. Guilt began to rise within her as she stepped towards the boy. Lorelai was looking just as confused in her frozen state. She needed a moment alone with Everett before she would release her niece.
"You were gonna send me back regardless," Everett raised a brow. She nodded. "Could you have the whole time?"
"No," she admitted. "I had to figure out a way for you alone to break the curse."
"So you devised this whole plot?"
"The rose did most of it," the enchantress said truthfully. "I had to come up with a mission for you to prove yourself, so I awoke Uma from the sea to stir up some trouble. please, don't be mad. They're not real, no harm was done." She noted the wound oozing down Everett's side. She snapped her fingers, healing the magically inflicted wound. His glare did not falter. "You weren't supposed to figure it out. I didn't want us to part on rough terms but..." Everett was speechless as Rose flicked her wrist. The rose sprung from Charlotte's bag and into the space between them. There was one wilting petal left on the bud.
"You're...going to send me back?" Everett glanced at the frozen Lorelai.
"You are worthy," Rose deemed. "You have learned to love and earned love. You are going to face your reality. Everything will be just right." He tried to but in, but she cut him off. "I want you to go home, Everett. With all that you've learned, you're gonna change your reality. You're going to be happy."
"What about yours?" Everett asked. Rose felt her heart sink to her stomach. She didn't want it to come to this. She wanted Everett to defeat Max, and she would defeat Uma with some help from Lorelai. Everett was to save the day, and she could've sent him home easily. Then she would never have to worry about that boy again.
"I'm going to be just fine," Rose tried her best to smile. "You won't ever have to think about me again once you're back home." She whispered to the bud, "He is worthy, by my curse, he has proven he has changed. He has earned my love, which he had not before, and has learned to love what he did not before." The bud began to glow.
"No," Everett blurted. She looked up from the flower. "It can't end like this. Rose, you deserve to be happy."
"Why do you care if I am happy?" Rose raised an eyebrow. it was a question she had asked many times before.
"You've been a great mentor and friend and I..." he took a deep breath. "I can't leave you like this because...because I love you." She gasped, hearing her own voice in her head.
If the beast could learn to love another and earn their love in return
When the final petal falls, I shall return to the ones I love
The petals burst out from Charlotte's backpack. They began to swirl around the pair. Everett stepped closer to her. "Are you doing this?"
Rose couldn't believe it. "No," she shook her head. "We're going back to the ones we love."
Everett's mind raced as the petals continued to swirl around them. He would have stood in shock forever, if not for the striking crack of the castle wall. Vines of magical flame crawled out from the crack, consuming everything around it. It continued to spread across the blue decorations, covering the windows. He watched as Rose's world crumbled. It soon began to spread to the frozen guests, taking them silently.
"Rose!" Everett found his voice. "Unfreeze Lorelai." Rose jumped at his words, as she was distracted in the flames, but did as he commanded quickly.
Lorelai gasped as she came back to life. With wide eyes, she took in the area quickly, fear rising in her. "Did we do it?" she asked, stepping into the circle of petals. Everett touched her arm to steady her.
"Yes," Everett didn't know how much time he would have left. "Rose and I are going back." The princess blinked in surprise.
"Does this mean that..." she glanced back to the crowd swallowed in flame. Charlotte and Max were captured. Fear pricked at her face, but Everett turned her towards him.
"Everything's going to be alright," he promised.
"I know..." she nodded, but he could still see the fear in her expression. She wrapped her arms around his neck."Don't forget about me."
"I'll find you in every reality," Everett promised, and he meant it. He pulled her close to him, squeezing her as tight as he could. They both leaned back, looking once more into each other's eyes. He didn't want to leave her like this. His gaze lingered down to her lips, but before he could lean in to kiss her, she held up a finger.
"Save it for later," Lorelai said with a grin. Everett matched her expression just as he felt himself lifted into the air. He tried to bring Lorelai with him, but she was planted to the ground. Rose was already floating waving her arms around for the rose petals to follow. Everett watched as Lorelai's legs were wrapped in the pink flame. She did not move as it crept up her body, taking her eyes last. Everett would've shuddered had it not been for the hope that he would see her again very soon.
"I suppose I need to send you back properly," Rose flicked her wrist to Everett. He felt the rushing wind from the petals as they twirled over his body. His fancy dress suit was gone, the freckles lept from his cheeks, and his hair grew shaggy and blue once again. He smiled, remembering how much he had missed himself. He glanced to Rose, who was also changing.
She was becoming...younger?
"Rose!" Everett called. The younger Rose opened her eyes to meet his gaze, then she was swept into the flame herself. "No!" he screamed. He tried to reach for where he was, but the petals held him back. He couldn't see past them. He couldn't see anything. His heart raced as he tried his best to fight against the rushing current, but he too was consumed.
Then he felt the cool forest grass beneath him.
He was home.