Warnings:
. Swearing.
. Mentions of animal abuse/death (But nothing too graphic)
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Cassie swept up the remnants of hair from the salon floor, routinely tossing the last strands into Helena's 'Wig Making' bucket. She spared a glance to her right, a small smile tugging at her lips when she heard Gilzean babbling away, the black-haired baby playfully tugging at Helena's brown curls.
"They found another one today, y'know."
Just like that, Cassie's moment of content was swept away. Her smile fell, and she pursed her lips, praying with every fibre of her being that Helena wouldn't see straight through her.
"I think I've lost count of how many there've been now," the Queen continued, keeping her voice light for the sake of little Gilzean.
"Twenty-eight," the little cat mumbled sombrely, re-capping the lid of the bucket with a little too much aggression. She knew she had to be careful: She couldn't give Helena any reason to suspect something. However, hiding her utter distain for the hook-wielding pirate was proving far more difficult than she'd anticipated.
It'd been two weeks since Cassie had last ventured out into the Isle. After witnessing the unfortunate pirate boy's demise, and the lengthy discussion she'd had with Helena about her loyalty, the Cheshire Cat's daughter had thought it best to lay low for a little while. After all, she was certain that - after her trip onto Uma's ship - Harry was looking for her, or he'd at least sent the word out to the rest of the crew, and Cassie had no desire to run into him again.
From what Helena had heard in the salon, though, Cassie knew full well he was eager to run into her.
It had started the day after she'd been to the ship. At first, no one had given it a second thought. The Isle was dreadful, and people were twisted and cruel, so it was no surprise to anyone. But then it kept going. Another was found the morning after, then another after the sun had gone down, and on and on it had continued. There didn't seem to be a pattern: Not one the Isle residents could figure out, anyway. What was left of the poor creatures were scattered about the inner-Isle, some left in the middle of the street, while others were dumped haphazardly in alleyways. No one knew who was so committed to such an atrocious act, and though the animals weren't exactly first priority, it was beginning to unsettle the inner-Islanders.
The witches were understandably outraged. Whenever a fresh one was found, everyone knew about it. Harsh, ear-shattering screeches echoed from the Witch School just around the corner, the former-magic beings mourning in their own twisted way. For a small time, the Islanders thought the witches were the intended targets. It made sense, after all, since the witches doted on the furry animals. But if that'd been true, then the animals would've been left outside the school itself, and not randomly placed. Either way, the witches weren't taking it well, and they made sure everyone knew it.
It was horribly stifling for Cassie. She spent the majority of her day as a feline, and now that numerous cats of all shapes, sizes, and colours were being dumped around the Isle in various states of dismemberment... well, it certainly sent her into a fit of rage and upset. More so since she knew exactly who was doing it, and why they were doing it.
Harry was calling her out. In his own vile and wicked way, the son of Hook was attempting to force the Cheshire Cat's daughter out of hiding, and if he kept it up - which she knew he would - then he would eventually succeed.
The Queen of Hearts hadn't questioned Cassie: Not at first, anyway. At the beginning, everyone had assumed the brutal killings had been a random, one-off kind of thing, and that included Helena and Cassie. Now, though, Helena's suspicious had piqued. The little cat didn't have to be looking at the Queen to know she was being closely watched, and Helena wasn't subtle in her scrutiny when she occasionally mentioned that another violated feline had been found. The Heart girl was looking for a reaction from Cassie, something to confirm her assumption that the Cheshire Cat's daughter was somehow involved with the new terror going about the Isle. Helena wasn't an idiot, and Cassie knew she was going to have to tell her eventually.
"You've been keeping count, huh?" the Queen said with a raised brow, gently bopping Gilzean up and down with her thigh.
Cassie shrugged. "It's kind'a hard not to." She carried the bucket toward the cupboard and shoved it back in its rightful place, brushing her thighs with her sweaty palms as she stood. "Anyone have any idea who it might be?" she asked, grabbing a piece of cloth from the side to wipe down the mirrors.
"Nah. Honestly, though, it could be anyone. There're a lot of sick freaks running around the place."
Cassie hummed in agreement, and ignored the yelling voice in the back of her mind demanding that she tell Helena who it was. She knew it wasn't right what was happening to her fellow felines, and the fact she had the ability to stop it had drowned her in exhaustion and unrelenting pain since she realised what was going on. If she was a stronger person, both physically and mentally, then maybe she would've put an end to it by now. But there was no way in Hades she was going to willingly surrender herself to Harry. Even without his sadistic tendencies and unbeatable strength Cassie wouldn't have attempted it, since the pirate crew had grown significantly since she'd first journeyed into their side of the Isle, and going against Harry meant going against Uma.
It took the little cat a moment or two to realise she was being called. When Helena's voice finally came through her ears, she looked up from the worktop she'd been cleaning.
"This is really hitting you, isn't it?" the Queen stated.
"Of course it is," replied Cassie, a sliver of irritation passing through in her tone. "They're just cats, Helena. They might not be like me but that doesn't give anyone the right to hurt them like that." She tossed the cloth to the side and sat in one of the salon chairs, nibbling away at her bottom lip once again.
Helena gave a small and somewhat understanding nod. "Yeah, I know. But we don't know who it is, pussycat. So we can't do anything about it."
The urge to give in and tell Helena what she knew was overbearing, but telling Helena that it was Harry killing all the cats also meant telling Helena she'd gone back onto Uma's ship the night before his nasty rampage started, and Cassie couldn't stand the idea of getting into an argument with her friend. The little cat was already feeling terribly guilty about the dead-cat build up, and anything else added onto it might make her explode.
"Okay, that's it." Helena stood up from her chair and balanced Gilzean on her hip, an exasperated sigh passing through her lips. She came forward and held Gilzean out in her arms, offering the little one to the sitting cat.
Silently, Cassie took hold of the baby, a curious expression crossing her face as she bounced Gilzean on her lap.
"I've been quiet about this long enough. Something's going on out there-" Helena pointed toward the window, gesturing out to the Isle, "-and I know you know what it is. You know I won't scream, shout, or try to hurt you as long as Gil's awake and in the room. So spill it." The Queen of Hearts stood straight, her arms crossed firmly against her chest while she looked down at the little cat, her foot tapping against the chessboard floor.
Cassie hesitated. She looked down at the baby in her arms, who was happily sucking away on his fist while he played with Cassie's hair, and then she looked at Helena. The little cat knew with certainty that Helena wouldn't do anything to upset her little one, but the information Cassie had to share wasn't exactly a smooth topic of conversation. Unfortunately, though, Helena was annoyingly stubborn, and Cassie had a feeling the Queen wouldn't let her move from her chair until she blabbed.
Maybe it was because of the emotions Cassie had been allowing to build up over the last few days, or maybe it was because Helena's stare was unrelenting and completely uncomfortable, either way the little cat knew she had to say something now, or deal with a nagging Queen of Hearts for the next week or more.
"It's Harry," she finally said.
"Harry?" the Heart girl repeated, and Cassie gave a quick nod. "Why would Harry be ripping apart little kitty-cats?"
"Because I ticked him off."
Helena's brows furrowed in confusion. "I thought he got you back for that?"
Cassie averted her eyes, slightly reluctant to divulge the full truth to her friend. "He did," she mumbled, avoiding eye-contact for the time being.
"But then why would-" Helena paused abruptly, and Cassie curiously peered up. The Queen's eyes were narrowed as she thought, her head tilted to the side. "You did something else, didn't you?"
"Sort of," the little cat said with a shrug. "He did something first, though, after that night, and I didn't know about it until I went out two weeks ago. But yeah... I did something else."
The Queen of Hearts groaned. "Pussycat, what did you do?" She quickly pulled up one of the chairs and flopped down into it, preparing herself for what Cassie had to say.
"He took my stuff, so I took it back." Cassie kept her answer short and to the point, knowing it wouldn't do either of them any good to beat around the bush. Besides, Helena was clever enough to figure things out without too much detail.
"He took your jewels."
"Yup."
"So you took them back."
"Uh-huh."
"And he's killing kitty-cats because..."
"I think he's trying to get me to come out of hiding."
Helena rolled her eyes. "Well... he definitely doesn't take this kind'a shit lightly," she muttered, lightly soothing her forehead.
"You don't say," the little cat sarcastically retorted, tickling Gilzean's toes with her index finger. A smile came to her face when he gave a heart-warming giggle, but the joyless topic being discussed refrained her from experiencing too much happiness.
"He has to know I'm not living at the Castle anymore, and that's probably driving him mad. He doesn't know where I am, or what I'm doing, or who I'm doing any of this with. All he really knows is that I took back my stuff." Cassie paused then, her stomach turning painfully. "If I come out of hiding he'll probably kill me. But if I don't, then he's gonna keep killing cats until I'm the only one left."
Helena had attentively listened, a look of deep thought upon her face, and after a minute or two of silence, she spoke, "What if there was a way to make him stop without risking your life?"
"Then I'd take it," answered Cassie, not a trace of hesitation in her voice. "If I could tell Harry to cut this shit out, and do it without getting myself killed, then I would definitely do it."
The room fell into silence again, aside from Gilzean's incoherent babbling and cooing, and Cassie waited patiently for Helena to voice whatever kind of plan she had in mind. The Queen of Hearts shuffled around on her chair, apparently unable to get comfy, but the little cat knew better. Plus, with the way Helena's dark eyes darted this way and that, and how she gently swayed her head from side to side, it was obvious enough the Heart girl had some kind of idea forming. From her erratic facial expressions, though, Cassie had to wonder if the Queen's plan was going to be good for them, or if it'd bring even more trouble to the little cat's already hectic life.
"I might have a solution, pussycat."
Cassie's brows raised in surprise. "Huh?"
"I need you to listen carefully, pussycat, alright?" Helena's voice was quiet and worryingly grave, and Cassie knew she had to pay close attention. "I wouldn't be offering you this if I thought there was another way, but with the way Harry's going I don't think you've got any other options. I have a few... friends, I guess, that could help you out."
The little cat knew by the way Helena said 'friends' that these people weren't exactly friends, per say. Allies, most likely. But with the way the Queen was discussing this with her, Cassie had a small feeling that this wasn't Helena's idea of a good plan.
"Who are they?" she inquired.
"My old crew," the Queen replied with a nervous giggle. "I haven't seen 'em in a while, but I know they're still hanging around somewhere. If I send the word out, I could have 'em here tomorrow night. But it's completely up to you, pussycat. How desperate are you to get Harry off your back? Once and for all?"
Cassie inhaled a deep breath, diverting her dark eyes to the little baby in her arms for a moment. Helena was giving her a great opportunity here: The very solution to her Harry-related issue. But if it was such a wonderful idea, and it would make her life a lot easier, then why on earth did she feel so conflicted?
The Cheshire Cat's daughter hadn't known Helena before she had Gilzean. However, what she did know was that the Heart girl she'd befriended wasn't the exact same girl who'd tormented the Isle before Gilzean had been born. Cassie had heard little tales of Helena's time before Gilzean, and from the little she'd heard, the little cat knew deep down that Helena hadn't been a good person. The Queen of Hearts had tormented, abused, and killed people on the Isle; Probably just for the fun of it. Helena's wild nature and fiery temper had been dulled down due to baby Gilzean, but from the sounds of it, her old 'crew' hadn't gone down the same path. For all Cassie knew, they were worse than Helena, and the little cat had to give this some thought before giving her answer.
"I-I don't want Harry dead," she managed to say, unable to hide the discomfort the idea of killing someone gave her.
Helena vigorously shook her head. "They won't kill him. Not unless you ask 'em to. Besides, if they kill Harry that brings a ton of shit down on all of us, not just you. Nah, they'll hurt him a little, just enough to keep him away from you."
Cassie loathed to admit it, but the offer was quite tempting. It was only natural for her to want some harm to come to the red pirate, especially when she thought over everything he'd so happily put her through since they met. If their roles were reversed, and he was the one to decide such a thing, she knew full well he'd take it within a second. Harry was cruel, terrifying, and gained great pleasure from the pain of others. He deserved it, really.
"What if it doesn't work?" she wondered.
"Pussycat, trust me, it'll work. I used to run with these guys, I know how they handle things here. They're no threat to me, but... damn, I feel bad for whoever gets on their bad side. I swear to you, if you wanna do this, Harry will never hurt you again." Helena's expression was entirely serious, and Cassie couldn't sense any trace of a lie in her voice, but she still hesitated.
"I don't know, Helena. I mean, you've done so much for me, and I'm so grateful for that. But I don't wanna owe these people any favours-"
"It won't be a favour to you," the Queen stated firmly, interrupting Cassie's worries. "It'll be a favour to me. I like you, pussycat. I like having you around, and so does Gil." Helena nodded toward the baby in Cassie's arms, who immediately raised his head at the sound of his name. "Harry's making you miserable, and I hate seeing my friends unhappy. I told you once that Harry had a little help when he was making a name for himself. I told you that he has Uma, and the crew following her. You have me, and as your 'teacher', I'll do whatever I can to make sure no one fucks with you again."
Cassie sighed, her mind swaying further in favour of the idea. "What do I have to do?"
"You have to want this," said Helena, leaning forward in her seat. "If we do this, you're putting yourself out there, just like we talked about. You'll have allies, including me and my old crew. Your name won't be some little rumour wandering around the Isle anymore, pussycat. People are gonna know you're here, and I need to know you're ready for that."
And there it was: The very reason Cassie had decided to stay with Helena in the first place. The little cat's old life had been nothing but lonely, boring, and painful. Nothing had satisfied her then, including her 'special things'. Sure, she'd been hidden away from the rest of the Isle, but Harry's brutal appearance in her life had swiftly put an end to it. Now, though, Helena was giving her a way out. The Queen of Hearts was tempting Cassie with everything she'd ever longed for. Friendship, power, and a reason to live. The Isle would finally know who she was, and what she was capable of doing. It meant putting herself on the spot, and going against the very rules her father had worked so hard to engrave into her mind.
No more hiding, and no more running. It was finally time.
"I'll do it." Cassie didn't realise the words had actually escaped her mouth until Helena smiled.
"I'll put the word out."
The little cat laughed, partly due to an overwhelming sense of nervousness and fear. "Is it wrong that I'm terrified?" she inquired, hoping the older girl wouldn't judge her for saying such a thing.
Helena reached out to take back Gilzean and - much to Cassie's relief - shook her head. "Nah. It's common sense to be worried about something like this. But don't worry, pussycat, with me behind you you'll do just fine."
~...~...~
"Gil!"
The son of Gaston looked up from his tray of food, his mouth already stuffed full with chips as he stared at his Captain. "Hmm?"
Uma rolled her eyes. "Where's Harry?" She hadn't seen her first mate for a good few hours now, and it was rare of him to not show up when the sun had gone down.
"The ship," mumbled Gil, his words barely coherent due to the ridiculous amount of food he was attempting to swallow down.
The teal-haired Captain paused, a silent curse passing through her lips. She spared a glance at the door, where the rest of her crew were coming through, chattering loudly to each other about whatever they'd been doing today.
Just as she'd planned, she and her pirates were steadily taking over the Isle. Instead of her crew numbering just seven, herself, Harry, and Gil included, there were at least fifteen of them now, and she was still receiving offers from others on this side of the Isle. And, thankfully, she hadn't received any trouble from outsiders just yet. The inner-Islanders hadn't been too pleased at their appearance in Maleficent's old territory, but after being given a glimpse of the destruction and pain her pirates could cause if the inner-Islanders didn't play by their rules, they'd soon shut up.
Everything was working out perfectly. Her crew was growing larger, her shoppe had more customers now than it ever had, and with the money they received from stores around the Isle, she was slowly beginning to make improvements to their ship. For maybe the first time in Uma's life, her plans and hard-work weren't going to waste, and there was no Mal or Core Four this time to ruin their fun.
However, despite fulfilling one half of their 'dream', it seemed her best friend had gone and lost his mind in the process.
Uma huffed and called out to one of her newer waitresses, a local pirate girl named Kara, and told her to take over. In response, Kara gave a sharp nod and got to work, taking over the orders Uma had already taken.
Without giving any word to Gil or her crew, Uma stormed out of the shoppe and headed for the ship, her fists clenched in utter irritation.
The Captain adored her first mate, and she really hated the idea of using her title against him, but he wasn't giving her much of a choice nowadays. She partly blamed Cassie for his current obsession, since he'd been pretty normal - or as normal as someone like Harry could be - before the little pest had made an appearance. On the other hand, though, Uma had to accept that this was just how Harry was. Sure, he was loyal, sometimes kind, and could be as mature as the rest of them when he felt like it. But there was two sides to her friend, and the half of him he never used against her terrified her beyond belief.
After Harry had killed the thief down in their cells, he'd gone back to his usual self. He'd been furious at the thought of someone else killing Cassie before he could, but eventually he'd come to accept it. Just as Uma had expected, his tantrum had only lasted a few days, at the least. He'd gone out each night before the sun went down, most likely to Cassie's hideaway, and came back an hour after sunrise. Each time he returned, his face was void of emotion, and Uma knew he hadn't found her yet. His persistent behaviour had ended after about a week, and the Captain had been quite baffled when - on his last night - he'd taken two of their crewmates with him. She hadn't been too sure what to expect that night, but knowing that her first mate had to work out his aggression in his own way, she hadn't asked about it. But the morning after, her best friend had come back a changed man. He'd waltzed into the shoppe with a gleeful smirk on his face, his usual swagger back in full swing, and Uma's curiosity had pushed her to ask what he'd been doing. After all, Harry only ever looked that happy when he'd done something completely awful, and if she was going to help him through it she had to know what'd happened.
Uma walked over the bridge and onto her ship, swiftly moving down the stairs and into the hallway. When she arrived at the top of the steps leading into the cells, she stopped, absentmindedly twirling one of her braids as she prepared herself to speak to the first mate.
Honestly, she felt absolutely ridiculous. This was just Harry: Her first mate and best friend. There was no way he'd hurt her. Although, he'd been experiencing some mood-swings lately, and while Uma was confident in an argument or fight, she couldn't possibly go against Harry. They went way back, so there was some kind of emotional attachment involved, and that alone would niggle away at her mind, preventing her from doing too much harm. Plus, with his larger build, and greater experience in duelling, she couldn't win against him if it came down to it.
When a faint meow echoed from down in the cells, Uma righted herself. She pushed her uncertainty and sliver of worry to the back of her mind, putting on her façade of indifference and strength once again. She was the Captain, not Harry. If she wanted to run the Isle the way she wanted, and control her crew, then she had to put her foot down when it came to him as well.
The Captain slowly descended the stairs, the light dimming as she entered the cells. She wasn't surprised to find Harry, since he'd spent most of his time over the last two weeks in this particular part of the ship, but she was rather bewildered to find him stroking one of the furry Isle pests.
"Harry," she sighed, leaning against the right side of the entryway. "What are you doing?"
The first mate sat on top one of the crates, his legs stretched out in front of him. His red leather coat was neatly spread across the crate just behind him, his hook and tricorn hat on top. In his arms, he held a thin, short-haired cat with big blue eyes.
"They're kind'a cute, ye know," he muttered, his fingers gently scratching beneath the cat's chin.
"If they're so cute then why d'you keep killing them?" wondered Uma, gesturing toward the other four felines, securely trapped within cages they usually used to fish for crabs.
Harry looked up from the black and white cat, raising a brow at his Captain. "Ye know why, Uma."
Uma knew that if she wasn't so busy running the crew and shoppe, she'd be running around the Isle herself, dead-set on locating Cassie before Harry could. If the Captain had her way, the little pest would be at the bottom of the ocean by now, and unable to twist the first mate's mind more than she already had. From the few encounters Uma had had with the Cheshire Cat's daughter, she knew with certainty that Cassie wasn't sure how to deal with someone like Harry. But even without meeting her, Uma would've been able to trace the naivety in the little cat. Whether Cassie knew it or not, every move she made against Harry was making a move against herself. In the end, only one of them was going to be able to win this game, and Uma knew exactly who she was putting her bet on.
"How long is this going to go on for?" she asked.
Harry shrugged. "As long as it takes."
A humourless laugh of disbelief passed through Uma's lips. "This is crazy, Harry. It's been two weeks since you started this..." she trailed off into silence, waving a hand toward the trapped felines. "You have to stop. It's not gonna work."
"Oh, it'll work," the first mate assured. "I'm a patient man, Uma, an' I can wait 'er out." He quietly clucked his tongue at the cat in his arms, and the unknowing animal purred in approval, nuzzling the side of its head into Harry's fingers.
"What makes you so sure this'll work?" asked Uma, sitting down on the bottom step.
"When we were climbin' up ta 'er den, she saved me... sort of. I got stuck. She could'a shoved me off, but she didn'. I saw somethin' in 'er eyes that night, Uma. An' I saw it before, when we were playin' in tha shoppe." Harry leaned forward, slowly so that he didn't startle the cat, as if he was about to share some big, life-changing secret. "She can' hurt people, Uma. She doesn' have it in 'er. Cassie's a clever girl, an' I know she's figure out by now that it's me plantin' little 'gifts' for 'er. She'll come ta me soon. I can feel it."
The Captain soothingly stroked her temples, positive her recurring headache was Harry's fault. His obsession with drawing out Cassie was beginning to drive Uma mad. Much like a cat with a mouse, Harry's grudge against the little cat wouldn't waver until he was bored, or she was dead. Which one was going to occur first, though, Uma had no idea.
"You've got two days."
Harry looked up, a somewhat astounded expression crossing his features. He'd probably anticipated a fight from his Captain, or that she'd demand he put an end to this right away.
"If she doesn't come to you within two days, you stop. I'm giving this order as your Captain, Harry. Don't you dare make me do this again." Despite aiming for a more firm and authoritative approach, Uma found her voice had taken on more of a plead, with obvious tints of annoyance. But it wasn't her fault. She'd watched Harry go through his emotional and mental breakdown, and it hurt her just as much as it twisted him.
Thankfully, Harry didn't seem to want to put up an kind of argument. In reply, he gave a quick nod.
"O' course, Cap'. Two days."
~...~...~
"Cassie, get up."
The little cat groaned in evident displeasure, twisting around beneath the blanket that covered her. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her chest slowly rising and falling with the motion, in an attempt to calm herself down from the fleeting wave of panic that came with her transformation.
"I can't," she whined, blinking furiously at the Queen of Hearts.
Helena, it seemed, was in no mood to deal with the little one's antics tonight. She gave a quick eye-roll and reached toward the dresser, withdrawing Cassie's clothes from the drawers.
"They're here," she announced quietly, throwing the clothes onto Cassie's face.
Due to temporary fatigue, her aching limbs, and a pressing need to gulp down whatever liquid she could manage to get her hands on, it took Cassie a little while to figure out what Helena was going on about. After a minute or more of silence, in which the little cat half-heartedly searched through her brain for a reason to Helena's sudden impatience, she finally pieced it all together.
They were here.
Cassie gaped, her erratic emotions darting from surprise to anxiety. "Already?" she managed to whisper.
"I told you, pussycat, they don't fuck around."
Some small part of Cassie hadn't been too sure the strangers would show up, and it was this part of her that also hoped they wouldn't. It was painfully obvious that she wasn't the best at making a good impression, and meeting people she didn't know for the first time was largely draining. The only person she could remember being fine with had been Sophie, but that'd mainly been because the girl was so small and shy that it was hard for Cassie to feel intimidated. Sophie wasn't a threat to anyone except herself, but the same couldn't be said for Helena's old crew.
Cassie manoeuvred up into a seated position, a grimace of discomfort flashing across her face. The ache wasn't too distressing, but it didn't exactly help her current situation.
"Take your time, pussycat," the Heart girl reassured, moving to sit at the edge of the bed.
"Sorry, I was under the impression I had to hurry my ass up," the little cat snapped, pulling the blanket away from her damp skin.
Helena shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just... it's been so long. I haven't seen these guys since I had Gilzean," she explained, respectfully covering her eyes with one hand while Cassie dressed herself.
"That's a long time," said Cassie, her voice no longer sharp now that the after affects of her transformation had worn down. She wiped the remainder of sweat from her body with a towel she kept close by, and tugged the black pants up her legs.
"No shit," the Queen remarked with a strained laugh.
Cassie didn't mean to go so slow while dressing, but she couldn't quite help herself. She was awfully nervous. And she couldn't hide how pleased she was that Helena had her eyes covered, preventing the Queen from sensing the nerves radiating from the little cat.
"So, is there anything I need to know before meeting these guys?"
Helena peeked through the gaps in her fingers, lowering her hand when she noticed Cassie was no longer indecent. "Yeah," she began, quickly moistening her lips with her tongue. "There's five of 'em. I doubt your daddy did anything to their parents, so don't worry about any inherited grudges. They're gonna try and throw you off a bit, maybe push you to see how far you can bend." Helena got to her feet and circled the bed, standing directly in front of Cassie. "You can't take their shit, pussycat. It's just a game, okay? They did it to me, too, and I'm still here. However you act with my crew tonight is how the Isle's gonna see you after. This is your night, pussycat."
If Cassie had held any hope of dismissing her worry, it'd surely been tarnished by Helena's words. Her stomach turned, her palms sweated, and the unbearable temptation to sprint from the salon was nagging away at the back of her mind. The weight of this evening, and how much it could mean for her, came down heavily on her shoulders, drowning her with insecurity. These people had been called to the salon to help her, and even though they'd only come because of Helena, it was Cassie giving the orders, so to speak. She needed their help, but they wouldn't offer it without a guarantee that she could follow through with the plan. Tonight, Cassie would have to dive down into the darker parts of herself, and hide away the kindness she knew was there. Tonight, she had to be a villain kid.
Even if she wasn't.
"How do I look?" she asked, gnawing away at her bottom lip.
Helena smiled and reached for something behind Cassie. When she stood back up again, the little cat realised that - during her 'moment' - she'd completely forgotten about her 'ears'.
"There," the Queen sighed, after neatly placing the headband onto Cassie's head. "Now you look like one of us."
Despite the fact she wasn't entirely evil, Cassie couldn't ignore the satisfaction she felt at Helena's words. It was an odd thing, to gain the approval of someone else, and Cassie was startled to realise that it was something she quite enjoyed. She had to wonder if it was because of her dad that she felt that way. After all, she had no idea who her mom was, so there was no way for her to know if the woman would be delighted at how Cassie had turned out. The Cheshire Cat had hardly been vocal when it came to how he felt about Cassie, and though he hadn't been horrid or unfair, neither had he shown any inkling of pride when it came to his daughter. Hell... the last time she'd seen him, he'd been the exact opposite.
Maybe Harry was right. She really did have daddy issues.
"You ready, pussycat?" the Queen inquired.
Deciding that whether or not Harry was right about her, and that thoughts about her father, wasn't the best thing to go through right now, Cassie gave Helena a simple nod.
"Then let's go." With that said, Helena headed for the closed door, and patiently waited for Cassie to follow.
Cassie couldn't refrain from whispering a small curse when she realised her confidence couldn't be forced. Her stomach was still wounds in knots, and now that she was heading for the door, a concerning nausea had started to rise. Silently, she did her best to calm her frantic thoughts, reassuring herself that there wasn't any danger here, and that even if there was, Helena had promised to look out for her. The only thing Cassie had to do tonight was play a part, and do it successfully.
Surprisingly, it was the memories of meeting Harry and Uma that cleared up the little cat's dilemma. Obviously the two meetings hadn't gone well, but in their own strange way, they were perfect examples of Cassie's ability to be a villain kid. Running away from Harry on the first night they met wasn't exactly the ideal image of typical V.K. behaviour, but the bits and pieces leading up to it had been close enough. She'd stood her ground when he accused her of being a thief, and when he'd pushed her she'd pushed back just as hard... maybe harder, considering he'd tried to attack her that night. And the evening she'd met Uma, her viciousness had been in full swing. It didn't matter that both occurrences hadn't ended too well for her, what mattered was that - at least for a little while - she was her worst self; Her Isle self, so to speak.
The Cheshire Cat's daughter frowned as she thought, coming to the conclusion that when her Isle self made its appearance, it was always during times of great stress and fear. The exact same things she was feeling at this particular moment.
With all of this in mind, Cassie moved quicker, a strange, self-assured type of feeling running through her small frame. She didn't need to doubt herself, not after everything she'd been through. She'd taken on Harry Hook himself, and though she was starting to lose their game, she'd still put up a good fight in the process.
Cassie trailed behind Helena as the Queen moved through the dinner room, and past the shimmering red curtain that separated it from the salon. Helena's movements were graceful and purposeful, she kept her head high and her back straight, and the little cat could practically see the dangerous aura outlining the Queen of Hearts. Maybe, in time, Cassie would also be able to give off the same dark vibe, but for the time being she had to stick to what she knew, and pray to whatever god was out there that it worked out well for her.
As soon as Helena went through, noisy chatter erupted from the salon area, and Cassie paused. She closed her eyes and listened closely, taking in the multiple voices - both male and female - coming from the salon. They sounded rather delighted to see Helena, but the same couldn't be said when it came to her.
"So, why'd you ask us here, baby?"
Whoever it was that asked that question, had a distinctively deep and husky voice, and the fact it was so clearly aimed in Helena's direction had Cassie's head spinning.
"I actually need a favour."
The hesitation Cassie could hear in Helena's tone was enough to push the little cat into moving. She couldn't disappoint or humiliate Helena in front of her friends, not after everything the Queen had done for her so far. Helena was risking her reputation tonight by asking her friends to help Cassie, and the little cat had sworn her loyalty, after all.
As quietly as she could, Cassie pulled back the curtain, holding it behind her back with her right hand, while she steadily leaned her left side against the entryway. If the group actually turned their heads, or realised there was someone else in the salon, then they'd be able to see her. For now, though, Cassie decided to leave them to it, while she simply observed for a second.
The first person she noticed was a boy, stretched out in one of Helena's salon chairs with his legs thrown over the arm. He was tall, that much Cassie could tell, and thin. His head was turned to the left, but she could see his facial features clear enough. Dark hair, almost brown, cut short with a fringe that swept across his forehead. His nose was long, and curved slightly toward the end, but that didn't distract from the appeal. He was quite the handsome one, but since he was dressed head-to-toe in black, Cassie had no true way of knowing who his villain parent was.
The girl next to him Cassie recognized almost immediately. Mad Maddy, some called her: Granddaughter of Madame Mim. She was a regular at the Witch School around the corner, and insanely fond of the cats that roamed the area; Cassie included. Despite her boisterous personality, it was Maddy's hair that stood her out from the crowd. At first, it appeared to be a blue-ish type of colour, but in the light Cassie could detect hints of aqua-green thrown into the mix. Even on the Isle, such a colour was strange when it was on someone's head, and the little cat often wondered how it became that colour in the first place.
To Mad Maddy's right, there was another girl - one Cassie didn't recognize - leaning cautiously against the vanity table. She had a round face and pointed nose, and her frizzy black hair fell down to her waist in corkscrew curls. The clothes she wore - a black and red plaid dress over a black, high-neck sweater - highlighted her obvious curves in a way Cassie assumed drove most of the Isle residents crazy. Her black tights were ripped with multiple ladders, and her feet covered with black, thick-heeled shoes... quite like Helena's. Again, Cassie had no idea who this girl's parent was, since the purple cloak she wore threw off any noticeable details of parentage.
Eventually, Cassie's gaze drifted to the last two of the group. On closer inspection, however, the little cat realised that the two boys had the exact same appearance of one. Twins. Both were tall, large in build, and wore the exact same clothes. With short black hair, and a strong jawline that Cassie somehow recognized, there was no ignoring just how gorgeous they were.
"What kind'a favour?" one of the twins asked Helena, and Cassie realised it was the one who'd spoken while she'd been hiding behind the curtain.
The Queen of Hearts looked back over her shoulder, directly at Cassie, and gave a relieved smile. "One for my friend."
Since Helena hadn't turned her head away, but instead turned her body in the little cat's direction, the rest of her crew followed the line, and Cassie fought against the urge to bolt the second she felt their eyes dragging across her body.
"Pussycat, this is my crew," said Helena, taking this moment of silence to begin the introductions. "Anthony Tremaine." The first boy. "Maddy." Cassie already knew that one. "Ginny Gothel." The little cat hadn't realised Rapunzel's kidnapper had started wearing purple. "Gaston Jr.." The twin with his hand on Helena's waist. "And Gaston Jr. Jr.." The other twin, who was currently holding little Gilzean. "Guys, this is pussycat. But most call her Cassie." The Queen finished with an overexaggerated wink, and Cassie rolled her eyes.
Kitty-cat, kitty, and pussycat: Never Cassie. Maybe she ought to change her name.
"I've never seen you before." Mad Maddy removed herself from the straddle position she'd had on the chair, her aqua-green eyes meticulously roaming over the little cat's appearance. She came in close... maybe a little too close in Cassie's opinion, but the little cat let it slide.
"Actually, I think you have," said Helena from the other side of the room. She released the Gaston twin's hand and walked forward, meeting the green-haired girl's gaze. "My little pussycat here has a secret, one I think you'll enjoy." The Heart girl was wonderfully taming the situation for Cassie, and giving her a clear path to travel down in the way of bringing her into the conversation.
This was it. It was finally Cassie's time.
"I can turn into a cat." She kept her voice to a normal octave, but the fact she was saying her secret out loud, and to strangers no less, somehow made her feel like she'd shouted it out to the whole damn Isle.
It didn't surprise the little cat that this caught the attention of Helena's crew. Maddy's bewilderment was a little more visible, since she was stood so close, but when Cassie glanced at the others, she could clearly see the way they perked up in curiosity and intrigue.
"How?" This time, it was Ginny who spoke up, and the demanding edge she took wasn't lost on Cassie.
"It's a family curse," the little cat explained, crossing her arms. "Someone in Auradon cursed my dad, then tossed him onto the Isle. So, no, I don't have magic. Just in case you guys were wondering." From the frown of displeasure on Ginny's face, Cassie knew full well that'd been the next question.
"A cat huh?" wondered Maddy, tilting her head to the side. "Are you one of mine?"
The number of cats that came through Witch School was unknown to Cassie, but it had to be close to thirty. The normal felines knew by now that Witch School was a safe place for them, somewhere on the Isle for them to find food, warmth, and affectionate touches if they needed it. Madam Mim's granddaughters were a personal favourite to many of the cats, and during her time inside the building, Cassie had started to notice the 'regulars'. The cats who - as soon as they entered - went straight toward their favourite witch, and hardly ever moved from their side.
Cassie, though, was most definitely not a normal cat. She didn't play favourites with the witches, and she very rarely hung around the school for too long. She simply went for the closest witch and took what she could get.
The Cheshire Cat's daughter shook her head. "Nope."
In response to Cassie's answer, the non-magic witch stood straight, a sly smirk playing at her lips. "Do you wanna be?" she whispered, her quieted voice only heard by Cassie and Helena.
Cassie blinked, her eyes widening just a fraction. The way Maddy's eyes consistently flickered down, with a strange gleam of something or other shining within, and the playfulness in which she'd asked that question, reminded the little cat of Harry. When he'd first caught her in the ship, he'd given her the same look, and just as she had then, Cassie was torn between the odd tingles drifting across her skin and the red flags of warning steadily rising in her mind.
"Easy, Maddy," the Queen of Hearts said through her giggles, taking Cassie's right hand into her left. "She's a little too innocent for you." Helena tugged at Cassie's hand, moving the girl away from Maddy, and into the middle of the room.
"So, what's this favour?" asked Anthony, and Cassie looked over. She couldn't guess what he thought of her just yet, but he hardly seemed moved in any way by her appearance in the room. If anything, he looked like he'd much rather be anywhere else. But the little cat could only assume - mainly due to the fact Helena wasn't at all offended by his attitude - that this was his constant state.
"I've got this... pirate related problem," the little cat hesitantly began.
Ginny scoffed. "Yeah, you and the rest of the Isle." The black-haired girl's smirk was swept away after a sharp, fearsome glare from Helena, and so Cassie continued.
"It's just one pirate, actually." Cassie sucked in a deep breath, the fingers of her right hand twirling the edges of her hair. "And he's the one who's been killing all the cats."
As Cassie expected, Maddy was the one to bristle at the announcement, and she was quick enough to ask the question Cassie knew they were all thinking.
"Who is it?" the green-haired girl inquired, shuffling from foot to foot.
Cassie swallowed nervously. "Harry Hook."
There was a moment of silence, but it didn't last long. After a minute, a cackle of laughter came from Ginny, though Cassie could tell the woman was far from amused.
"Harry Hook?" the daughter of Mother Gothel repeated, her laughter dimming into a long, drawn out sigh. "Oh, little girl, you've been playing with fire, haven't you?"
The little cat's lips twisted into a frown, her dark eyes meeting Ginny's piercing grey orbs. Cassie had no idea where the girl's animosity was coming from, and though she was a little startled by it, there was no way in Hades she was letting Ginny think she could do whatever she wanted to her.
"Actually, I think Harry's got himself a little obsession with her," said Helena, immediately coming to Cassie's defence. "He's been chasing her around the Isle since they met. And now he's killing poor, defenceless animals to get her attention. Tell me, sweetie, did he ever do something like that for you?" The Queen raised her brows pointedly at Ginny, who grimaced and clenched her jaw in response.
Suddenly, Cassie realised where the beautiful, frizzy-haired girl's attitude was coming from. Thanks to Helena, the little cat knew exactly why Ginny was now being so abrupt with her. The daughter of Gothel had had something with the son of Hook, and by the sounds of things, it hadn't ended too well. With the way Ginny was acting, Cassie knew with certainty that the end of their relationship hadn't been on her terms, and the girl was still carrying a torch for him.
"Harry's an asshole," said one of the twins: The one who wasn't holding Gilzean. "We all know that, even you, Gin'." The dark-haired girl lowered her eyes to the floor, a trace of sadness flashing across her face. "But what do you want us to do about it?" the twin asked, crossing his arms against his chest.
Helena opened her mouth to answer, but Cassie swiftly spoke up first. After all, the Queen wasn't her mom, and she didn't have to hold Cassie's hand and lead her through this. This was Cassie's night, and she had to stand her ground with this group.
"Helena told me you guys could help me get him off my back for good. I don't want him dead, I just wanna teach him a lesson. A lesson he'll never forget." Cassie paused then, and glanced at each member of the group. "Harry's a big guy, so there's no way for me to take him on all by myself." She gave a small shrug, her lips forming a pout of feigned disappointment. "But if you guys don't think you're up for the job, I'll go find someone else." At the end of her speech, Cassie gnawed away at her bottom lip, and waited for their answer.
"Well," said Helena, looking directly at one of the twins. "What do you think?"
"What if this bounces back on you?" he asked, moving forward to stand in front of Helena. "We have to think about retaliation here, baby. I don't want the pirates coming here. I won't risk you and Gil."
"It won't," the little cat assured, fully understanding his concerns. "I've been living with Helena for over a month, and no one knows I'm here except you guys. Harry's killing these animals to call me out, which means he has no idea where I am. I'm not an idiot, alright? I would never put Helena and Gil in danger." Cassie didn't want to show weakness around this bunch, but she had to make sure the Gaston twin knew how sincere she was being when it came to her new friend.
"What do we get out of this?" asked Ginny, having come out of her moment of self-pity during Cassie's chat with Gaston. "We're putting our asses on the line here, so what do we get?"
Wordlessly, Cassie crouched down and turned, reaching into the back of Helena's cupboard for one of the buckets. When she finally found what she was looking for, she withdrew the large bucket and stood, warily moving toward the black-haired girl.
"See, I thought you'd ask that," she admitted, stopping when she felt she was close enough. With her right hand, Cassie's removed the lid, and allowed the daughter of Gothel to peek inside.
"Holy Hades," the girl muttered, her eyes wide with appreciation and intrigue. Her sudden change of demeanour drew in the others, and even Anthony moved up from his seat, curious to see what was inside the bucket labelled 'Random Shit'.
"How did you get all of that?" asked Maddy, the glittering jewels inside the bucket reflecting in her bright green eyes.
Cassie gave a small, shy smile. "I have a few quirks," she replied, earning a chuckle of disbelief from the green-haired girl.
"No shit."
Ginny raised her hand, and went to reach down into the bucket, but Cassie rapidly brought the cap back down with a loud smack, stunning the daughter of Gothel.
"Do we have a deal?" the little cat asked, her lips moving upward into a smirk.
Ginny sighed and looked at Maddy, who - in turn - looked back at Anthony. The group shared questioning glances between themselves, going through some kind of internal conversation with each other before they gave their final answer.
In the meantime, Cassie put the bucket back in its rightful place. She'd move it later on when they'd all left, since she had no way of knowing if they - mainly Ginny - would attempt to sneak back into the salon and take the rest of her 'special things'.
"You're good at this, I'll give you that," one of the twins noted, and Cassie shrugged once more.
"I know. So, what's your answer?"
The group drifted toward each other, moving themselves into different spaces as if by routine. The twins stood near the back, shoulder to shoulder, and in front of the two stood Anthony and Ginny. Lastly - and much to Cassie's surprise - Maddy stood front and centre. They'd been spread across the salon when Cassie first saw them, so there hadn't been much inkling as to who was in charge, and the way they interacted with each other gave nothing away. Now, though, they were displaying their pecking order.
Maddy smiled, her tongue poking out between her teeth. "Looks like you've got yourself a deal, pussycat."
AN;
Hello my wonderful readers!
First of all, I need to make it clear that Maddy, Ginny, Anthony, Gaston Jr., and Gaston the third are not my characters. They belong to the writer of the 'Descendants' novels (Which I haven't read by the way). I'm merely borrowing them for the purpose of this story.
Okay, so, things took a bit of a dark turn in this story, but don't worry too much, after this chapter there won't be anymore abuse involving the poor animals of the Isle. No Harry/Cassie in this chapter, but they will definitely be interacting in the next chapter, so I hope you guys stick around for that.
Review Acknowledgment Time:
Muddy Birdy: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and that you like the friendship between Cassie and Helena. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Shipperandfanficer15: I'm so pleased you're enjoying the story so far, and that you liked the last chapter. I hope you like this one too. And thank you so much for your lovely review!
wonderlandsangel: Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying everything so far, and I hope you like this chapter. Thank you for the review!
Guest: Thank you for the lovely review! :)
Anyway, please leave me a review or PM to let me know what you think about this chapter. And much love to everyone who've followed and favourited as well!
(Any typos or misspells will be corrected once I've had a proper read-through, but if you spot any feel free to let me know. Thanks!)