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Chapter 25
Harry made his way to the long table in front of the kitchen and pushed two people aside as he leapt over it as the TV continued with their broadcast of Mal and her brother. Then Uma came out of the kitchen holding a tray of fish and chips that she dropped onto the countertop.
"Ooo." Harry murmured turning to the tray of food Uma brought before he began digging in as his captain stole a fish patty and threw it at the screen as she saw the 'happy royal couple' in another interview. Harry chuckled as Uma shook the crumbs from her fingers.
"Poser." She scoffed.
"Traitor!" Harry shouted before popping another chip in his mouth.
"Hello!" Uma shouted at the crew who then threw their food as well, Harry included, some of it sticking to the screen longer and sliding down Mal's perfect face.
"Oh, I would love to wipe the smiles off their faces." Harry said approaching the screen, wiping off some of the leftover fish patty and licking it off his finger. "Know what I mean?"
"Gil! You wanna quit choking down yolks and get with the program?" Uma scolded him like a child as he continued to try and beat his dad's record for how many eggs he could eat in a day. He swallowed the egg in his mouth and muttered.
"Yeah what they said."
"That little traitor, who left us in the dirt!" Uma yelled across the shop.
"Who turned her back on evil." Harry said munching on another fry.
"Who said you weren't big or bad enough to be in her gang." Gil said from the kitchen window where he was getting more eggs. He looked around confused when the whole place fell silent. "Back when we were kids." He tried explaining as if anyone there didn't get it. "Come on, you guys remember she called her Shrimpy and the name just kind of –" he paused when Harry stopped leaning on the table and stood up straight, the look in his eye telling Gil he was about to get hooked. Uma had to put her arm out to stop him, " – stuck." Gil finished finally understanding that he'd crossed a line.
Uma did her best to restrain a growl before rolling her eyes and turning to Harry. "That snooty little witch. Who grabbed everything she wanted and left me nothing."
"No she left you that sand box and then she said you could have the –"
"I need you to stop talking!" Uma ordered turning back to Gil and slamming her fist on the table making the trays and silverware rattle.
"Look, we have her turf now. Her brother tried ta keep it from us but we got it in the end." Harry reasoned, "They can stay in Boredon –"
"Harry that's her turf now." Uma sneered giving him a light tap on the shoulder before turning off the old television. "And I want it too. We should not be getting her leftovers. Son of Hook. Son of Gaston, and me! Most of all! Daughter of Ursula!" She said proudly.
"I admit that in the past I've been a nasty, they weren't kidding when they called me, well – a witch." She shrugged, "But you'll find that nowadays, I've mended all my ways repented, seen the light and made a switch." She twirled her pointer fingers in the air moving around the long bar table, "And I fortunately know a bit of magic, it's a talent that I always have possessed and here lately, please don't laugh, I use it on behalf of the miserable – " she pointed to one customer, "- lonely." She pointed to another, "And depressed."
"Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need." The whole crew sang as they lifted her onto the table where Harry joined her.
"This one longing to be thinner, that one wants to get a girl, and do I help them, yes indeed." She continued singing. Each of her crew had a story, each one she'd promised something in return for their service.
"Poor unfortunate souls, so sad, so true."
"They come flocking to my cauldron crying 'help Uma please!' and I help them. Yes I do."
She leapt off the table with Harry and moved across the room as her crew each bowed as she passed making an aisle across the shop. When she reached her seashell encrusted throne she sat down and drew her sword and played with the tip in her free hand, "Now it's happened once or twice, someone couldn't pay the price. And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em cross the coals. Yes I've had the odd complaint, but on the whole I've been a saint, to those poor unfortunate souls."
"Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need."
"This one longing to be thinner, that one wants to get a girl, and do I help them, yes indeed."
"Poor unfortunate souls, so sad, so true."
"They come flocking to my cauldron crying 'help Uma please!' and I help them. Yes I do."
She stood from her throne and onto the stage, "The men and I don't like a lot of blabber, a pirate who gossips is a bore. On my land it's preferred, not to say a word, and after all dear what is idle prattle for? They're not all that impressed with conversation," she sang as Harry swung over on a chandelier and landed beside her on stage, "True gentlemen avoid it when they can." She ran her finger under Harry's chin as he smiled, "But they dote and swoon and fawn on someone who's withdrawn, and she who holds her tongue who gets a man!" she winked at Harry.
"Come on you!" Harry shouted pushing some of the crew aside and off the stage out of Uma's way.
"Poor unfortunate souls. Go ahead. Make your choice! I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day, it won't cost much, just your voice." She drew her blade and spun in an elegant circle, slicing along a picture of Mal cutting across her voice box, when she'd finished her spin she was facing the shop again as they sang with her, "Poor unfortunate soul, it's sad but true. If you want to cross the bridge you've got to pay the toll."
And the toll to get across the bridge to Auradon was total loyalty to Uma.
"Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and – come on you! Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need. This one longing to be thinner, this one wants to get a girl and do I help them? Yes indeed." She made it back to the bar where they'd moved her throne, "Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need. They come flocking to my cauldron crying 'help Uma please!' and I help them, yes I do. Ha ha ha." She sat down and laughed with her crew who also cheered for her.
Then a tentacle came from the back door and swung at them all making everyone – even Uma – duck.
"Shut your clams!"
"Mom!"
"These dishes ain't gonna wash themselves!" Ursula shouted as her tentacle retreated.
"It's fine. It's fine." Uma assured her crew as she fixed her hair, "Because when I get my chance to rain down evil on Auradon, I will take it! They're gonna forget about that girl, and remember the name! –"
"Shrimpy!" Gil shouted oblivious to his folly. Uma nodded to Harry who bent in front of Gil and nodded at the door. The two boys left with Harry roughly grabbing Gil's collar. The doors slammed as Harry pushed Gil out of them as he stuttered. Then Harry went back inside fixing his hat before he immediately pivoted and returned outside; his hook aimed at Gil threateningly as he backtracked and finally understood that Uma wanted him out, so he turned and sat on the pier instead.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
Drac and Mal had parted when his sister realized she had to get going to meet Ben for their lunch date. Drac had to leave too, he had R.O.A.R. practice with Jay and Carlos and he couldn't under any circumstances miss that. It was the only place where he could flip and jump and let out all the energy he would usually use on the Isle.
When he got to the gym everyone else was already getting their helmets on. Drac rushed to get changed in the locker room before he rushed out and Jay spotted him.
"There you are." Jay smiled tossing him a helmet. As he put it on he spotted Carlos talking to Jane who was standing in the upper balcony. He looked nervous but got a reprieve when Jay called him over for practice.
"All right boys! Let's line it up. Carlos, you're with me, let's go." Jay said getting his team ready.
Drac faced off with Herkie, his parentage was obvious and although Drac got along with everybody in Auradon he did feel his blood spike with adrenaline at the thought of beating the greek boy and getting to tell his own father about it. He smirked under his helmet as he raised his sword.
Jay began shouting commands and Drac took his stance when he heard the phrase, "En guarde."
A second later the clashing of swords rang through the room. The weapons were blunted of course, so they wouldn't cut the boys but it would hurt to take a hit. Drac met Herkie blow for blow but knew there was a block behind him so he intentionally let the son of Hercules back him up. Then Drac somersaulted backwards up onto the block. he was able to deliver blows from above but the position gave Herkie too much opportunity to swing for Drac's feet. To rectify that he leapt over the ginger, flipping in the air and landing perfectly on his feet. Herkie wasn't prepared for it and now Drac had the chance to back him up to the block. Not as agile as someone who had grown up parkouring around the Isle he couldn't stealthily get atop it but in the next second it didn't matter. Someone leapt over their crossed swords and right into the center of their arena.
Immediately they took on Jay, meeting his sword before ballerina twirling onto one knee and going for his back. Jay spun to face them tearing off his mask to see better.
"Get him Jay!" one of the spectating students cheered from the sidelines.
Their swords met again before his adversary spun and did a double kick forcing Jay to lean back or get his head knocked off. Their blades rang out again and Jay ducked turning the defensive move into an impressive half cartwheel Drac had seen him do on the Isle. But whoever it was he was fighting gracefully spun to face him and crouched in a ready fighting pose. By this time many of the other spars had ended and Drac looked around as more of the team removed their masks to watch. He was able to name all the other boys leaving the person fighting Jay a mystery. They charged for Jay but he swung out his foot intentionally wanting to keep them out of range while he got his bearings. His opponent backflipped using one hand to make a gymnastics move that would win an olympic medal. Ooing and ahhing were heard all around. Drac sat on one of the blocks, one leg bent to his chest as he watched in awe. Their blades met again and almost nose to nose Jay called out, "Nice!"
He really had come a long way from the selfish tourney player who would knock anyone out of his way - even his own teammates.
Their swords rang out again and again as they speed of their fight picked up. The pair circled around making the other boys back up to avoid getting hit. At one point Jay's opponent met his blade but was so close they were able to snatch it from his hand leaving him defenseless as they retreated with a sword in each hand now.
"Aw Jay." One of the boys said sounding bummed.
"What happened?"
"Finish him."
The mystery swordsman took a few more swings at Jay but didn't make a final blow. In good form they held out Jay's sword and he kicked it out of their hand. But Jay didn't attack again, instead he lowered the blade to rest on his shoulder as his challenger removed their helmet making a cascade of raven hair fall out and over her shoulder - Lonnie.
"It's Lonnie." Jane said in shock as she and the other spectators applauded.
Jay smiled at her, "Not bad."
"You should put me on the team." she smiled.
Jay shrugged like it was a good idea. but then Chad Charming stood and protested loudly. "Wait what? No, no, no we'll be the laughing stock of the league. And what's going to happen next? We'll have girls playing tourney? I mean c'mon guys."
"So?" Jay asked with a quirked brow.
"So? So, have you not read the rule book?" Chad asked pulling it out. "Section two. Paragraph three. Eleven dash four. A team will be comprised of a captain and eight men." he held it up and showed it around. "Why don't you read the rule book."
"Yeah but you're down a man." Lonnie debated, "Since Ben had to leave to do all that king stuff."
"Exactly. We're down a man." Chad scoffed.
Lonnie turned to Jay with pleading eyes, "Jay."
"I'm sorry. Coach trusts me. I'm not going to stay captain if I just throw out the rule book."
"If my mother thought that way, she would have lost the war."
Chad scoffed again like it was the silliest thing he'd ever heard. But no one joined in with him. So he just waved the book in Lonnie's face as she left, "Rule book. Rule book."
"Good job Chad." Drac congratulated him and the prince turned to him with his usual dashing smile.
"Why thank you."
"Yeah, you must have stayed up late learning how to pronounce 'comprised'. That's a big word."
Some of the team behind him chuckled and Chad looked like he'd been slapped in the face. But before any arguing could happen Jay slapped Chad's shoulder. "Alright guys practice is over. Let's go. Hit the showers."
Drac stood from where he'd been sitting on one of the gold and blue blocks, but he didn't get far before there was a tug at his elbow.
He turned to see Carlos there.
"You've gotta help me." Carlos said grabbing his arm urgently.
"I'm not getting in the middle. You just have to find a way to ask Jane –"
"Not that. Dude."
"Oh, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Carlos asked with wide eyes, "He won't stop talking. About everything." He dropped his voice, "Even my anime underwear."
Drac chortled, "You have anime un-"
"Knock it off!" Carlos whisper-snapped at him, "You gotta find a way to make him stop."
He sighed still smiling, "Alright. Let me just grab something first from Mal."
Drac changed back into his white collared button down, purple blazer and slacks and headed back to Evie and Mal's room to search for their mother's spell book. Maybe something in there could tell him how to reverse that talking spell on Dude. Since that was where Mal had gotten the original spell in the first place, the antidote had to be in there too. But he knew she wasn't supposed to have the book, meaning he'd have to search for it.
He had looked under Mal's pillow first, then in all her drawers, under her socks, everywhere. He was running out of places to look when the door opened and his sister came in.
"Oh good you're back. Do you have mom's book? I need to reverse that spell and – what's wrong?"
He noticed the tears on her face and heard her sniffling. She looked up at him with glossy eyes and fell into his arms crying. He wrapped her in a hug not too sure what to do, he'd never seen her like this before. He'd thought their talk might have helped, it looked like it did. Something else must have happened, something that was the final straw and smashed his sister to pieces.
"I don't belong here." She wept and he rubbed her back trying to console her the way she had done to him earlier.
"Okay." He said calmly, "So what's the plan?" She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye confused, "Wherever you want to go we'll go."
She sniffled, "I want to go home."
He nodded, "Okay, I'll get my stuff and we'll take off in ten."
"Just like that?"
He smiled, "Yeah, just like that."
And for the first time in a long time Mal felt heard. Her little brother was willing to drop everything, uproot his life and go with her. All so she'd stop crying and be happy. A tear fell down her cheek, but she smiled.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
Drac was glad that when he got back to his dorm Jay, Carlos and Dude were gone, maybe Carlos had gone to try and ask Jane to Cotillion again. Maybe Jay had gone to talk to Lonnie about R.O.A.R. Either way it didn't matter, he was alone, which is what he needed.
Drac walked to the center of his room and crossed his arms. "I'm going to sound like such an idiot." He muttered to himself, "But it's for Mal, it's for Mal."
He took a deep breath and remembered a spell Merlin had talked about during one of his lessons, "Higgitus figgitus. Zumba ka-zing. I want your attention everything!" he hit the table three times and inanimate objects turned to him, "I'm packing to leave. Essentials only. Get in the bag." He pointed to his purple leather backpack.
Immediately clothes flew from his drawers and other needed items joined them. As the bag packed itself Drac set to changing his clothes. If he was going back to the Isle he couldn't go like this in lavender and mint prep school attire. He changed into a pair of black leather pants but one pant leg had gotten so shredded that Evie had replaced it with indigo leather back when they were on the Isle. She had been out of the purple leather he had usually worn, and the indigo leather at some point looked like it had fallen into a barrel of acid and lighter purple splotches now dotted the fabric. The black leg of his pants had held up well, though the same couldn't be said for the plum jacket. It wasn't his old one, unfortunately, he'd outgrown that one after his last growth spurt but it did mean he fit better into his second favorite now. Under it he wore his green tee shirt, some parts of the shirt he'd taken some fishnets and a can of black spray paint and made patches of scale looking patterns. One sleeve had fallen off a long time ago and Evie had replaced it for him with a pure black one. Now it fit tighter like one of Jay's sleeveless shirts but it still worked for Drac. He threw on his new purple leather jacket, this one zipped up the middle and he'd covered a good amount of it with little doodles of dragons and flames in black marker one day when he got bored. There was also the hood from a destroyed hoodie he'd have Evie sew into the collar, it was also indigo like half his pants.
As his bag finished packing he wiggled his fingers now partially covered by his darker green leather gloves which ended at his knuckles and didn't cover his fingers at all, except his thumb. He'd thrown on a clean pair of black boots but you wouldn't be able to tell they were clean because of all the paint that had landed on them, and he tied up the green laces on one shoe and the black laces on the other.
His hair he'd taken out of its sleek Auradon style and messed it up with his fingers. He grabbed his now full backpack and headed back to Mal and Evie's room. When he got there he shut the door behind him and found Mal standing at her desk quickly stabbing some holes in the top of an empty pencil box before grabbing their mom from her tank and putting her inside.
"Let's blow this popsicle stand. Yeah?" she got a small hiss in reply and he wished they knew what it meant, it could have been an insult for turning her into a lizard, it could have been an I told you so, or it could have been a remark of pride that her daughter was returning to her rotten roots, though that was the least likely.
Mal turned to Drac and gave him a nod and they took off.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
Mal had grabbed a bike that apparently Ben had gifted her just the other day before the siblings headed for the cliffs that faced the Isle. Drac hopped on the back as Mal drove but she stopped when they got there and pulled out her spell book and found what they needed. She pointed to the spell and he nodded knowing this would take both of their magic to pull off.
"Noble steed proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere." They recited and hoped her spell was powerful enough to get into the barrier. After all, the main point of it was to keep things in not lock them out. Drac felt his eyes glow as he used his magic but Mal's didn't, although she hadn't been practicing with it as much as Drac had.
"Please work." Mal whispered before she revved the engine and they took off over the cliff and across the water.
It was thrilling, his heart was in his throat, adrenaline was racing through his blood. Once they made it through the barrier with only a light jostle Drac looked over her shoulder with a smile that she returned. Being strong enough to get through the barrier was huge magic, a stunt they probably couldn't do from the other side once the majority of their power was cut off. Drac sighed to himself, back to parlor tricks, he thought. But hey, at least he and Mal would be ruling the Isle together, and he'd get to see Diaval and catch up with his dad again.
As they made it to a road and passed the alleyways people ducked as Mal swerved trying not to hit anyone.
"Stop trying to avoid them." Drac advised as Mal swerved. She looked to him in shock, seeming slightly appalled. He shrugged, "I know. I know. But this is the Isle. People will think you're soft."
She nodded and continued forward, letting the people fend for themselves as they dodged her.
She stopped the bike suddenly and Drac saw her turn to a poster of her done up like a blonde princess. Someone had sprayed 'good girl' across it which made Mal sneer and made Drac nervous. He remembered the graffiti he'd once seen on a poster of his mother and wondered how much the Isle resented him now too for leaving. Had Uma taken his side of the Isle? Would he and Mal find anywhere that was safe?
Mal tore and crumpled the poster before throwing it aside and riding off. Drac didn't have to ask her where she was going, he knew the route, she was headed for their old lair.
She stopped just before the entrance and parked the bike. He got off as she hit the kickstand with her foot and threw a tarp over it to keep it hidden. Drac ducked under a pipe and lifted his leg over a box emerging onto the alley. He looked left and right to make sure no one was around poking their nose into his business as Mal grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at the 'danger: flying rocks' sign which triggered their secret door to show itself.
To their right a metal grate opened and revealed a stairway. He and Mal smirked at each other before they headed up and the metal shut behind them. They went up one flight, turned and went up the second. He pushed aside the tarp that said 'Evil Lives!' in various colors of spray paint alongside their logos. Drac tried to ignore the reminder of their gang, after all, this wasn't the first time he came back to the Isle and had to change the way he lived.
When they walked in Mal threw her bag onto the ripped chair and looked around re-familiarizing herself with their hideout and the art she'd done on the walls. Drac took a deep breath and raised his hand conjuring a small flame, he still had his power here, he thought happily as he used the fire to light some of the white candles in the room giving it just enough light.
Caw! He heard and turned and saw Diaval resting outside his room on a metal rail in front of a large window. Some of the panes had broken over time and they had replaced them with pieces of colored glass they'd found around the Isle. . . or stole from other people's windows. Drac smiled at his feathered friend and walked over to him with a smile but once he was close Diaval tried to peck at him angrily.
"I'm sorry okay?" Drac said, "I didn't mean to just take off but those tunnels led us, everywhere." He said remembering going from a desert one moment to a city the next. "I brought you a present though. Crackers, the non-moldy kind from Auradon."
He pulled his backpack off his shoulder and unzipped the top pulling out the sleeve of crackers. He opened it and offered one to Diaval. The bird leaned forward and tilted his head examining it before he took a few pecks. Then he seemed pleased with the apology gift and hopped on Drac's arm to finish off the cracker.
"I missed you." Drac smiled as he gave the raven scritches on top of his head. When he was done Drac set him up at a table where he could enjoy the rest of the crackers, then he walked over to Mal who was getting settled in her own corner of the room throwing her clothes onto the bed once she'd taken them from her bag. She didn't have much Isle attire left, he figured Evie probably Auradon-ed up her wardrobe and he noticed his sister looked sad about it.
"It won't feel like this forever." He told her and she looked up at him "You'll be feeling like your old self in no time."
"Did you?" she asked and he paused.
"I never really went back to feeling like myself." He admitted, "I felt more like. . . a better version of me."
He saw something that looked like hope light up her eyes before he chuckled and picked up one of her blonde purple tipped curls in his hand.
"Come on, let's get you looking wickedly rotten again."