Chapter One
A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek Myths.
Alright, alright, I know—another AU of the Choosing Series. Let's just say…it's like my sandbox right now and my brain is curious to see how changing one little aspect of the Choosing series might have changed things and building on the changes from the small twist.
And before anyone jumps on me for adding yet another long fic to my repertoire (this is going to be 70 chapters), this was planned to start upon The Last Bridge finishing just like Small Twists of Fate was planned for after The Value of A Crew.
Hope you all like this chapter! Let me know what you think! :D
Mal's ankle screamed in agony as she tried to make her way to the clubhouse. She knew she shouldn't have called the Dragon by her name but it'd just slipped out.
It probably wouldn't have been as bad if Maleficent hadn't been in front of the Evil Queen when I said it, Mal thought. Thankfully, though, she wasn't alone. Uma and Harry had somehow stumbled across her once Mal had left Maleficent's territory and got close enough to Ursula's territory.
Thank Gods Harry had managed to create a splint—and also thank Gods Maleficent hadn't hurt Mal's ankle to the point where the bone was poking through the skin. It was a lot easier to hide an injury that way.
"Mal, I know it hurts but you've got to at least put some weight on that ankle," Uma muttered. "If you don't, it's going to be obvious to everyone on the Isle that you're hurt. And then we're all sitting ducks. Harry's good with his sword but even he can't fight off multiple guys at once."
"We've really got to set up a crew," Harry muttered.
"Worry…about that…later," Mal said, barely able to get the words out as she gritted her teeth.
Uma rolled her eyes. "Honestly, why not just let Harry give you a ride on his back or something?"
"Because…I'm not…some pampered princess…from Boreadon, Uma," Mal said as she gritted teeth to keep any pain from entering her voice. "No one…is going…to find out…I'm…not…okay."
"Who's going to tell the Dragon?" Harry asked, keeping an eye out for any trouble. "And Mal, are you even going to be comfortable? Go and take my room with papa, Harriet, and the Runt, I can stay in the clubhouse."
"What? Harry…"
"Mal, I know there's a bed at papa's," Harry said. "Harriet can prop up your ankle and papa's too scared of the Dragon to do anything but let you stay. We could even lie and say it was someone else who injured your ankle."
"You injured it trying to copy Jay's rooftop sliding trick," Uma said, the idea coming to her. "Everyone knows he just perfected it after all and he's being doing it all over the Isle. He just performed it escaping idiots two and three this morning."
"Idiots…two…and three?"
"Gaston Jr. and Gaston the third."
"Then…who's idiot number…one?"
Uma chuckled. "Their father of course. Now come on, the docks are closer to our territory anyway since the pirates run them."
"Well, run them three ways," Harry said. "You know papa and your mama split leadership with Lord Hades, Uma."
"You can't split something you don't want and everyone knows he just wants to be left alone," Uma shook her head. "But anyway, you want to keep arguing about who runs the docks and Pirate Cove or do you want to get Mal somewhere she can lie down and we're not sitting ducks?"
Harry nodded and the three of them changed course. Of course, in doing so, Mal accidentally put pressure on her injured ankle as she tried to stabilize herself on Uma.
Pain like nothing she had felt before rushed through her and Mal had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out loud. She might have only been four but she knew how the Isle worked.
She would not cause Uma or Harry to get hurt because of her.
"Mal? You okay?" Uma asked, glancing over at the purple haired girl.
"I'm…fine…" Mal gritted out.
"Mal, if you need to sit down, tell me. Because I might be taller than you but not by much and if you pass out…"
Mal shook her head but Uma could feel Mal grow almost limp. She knew she couldn't support Mal for long but she also knew that an unconscious Mal would be a giant target for older kids trying to make a name for themselves.
Wait! What was it that mama told me one night? Uma thought. Well, it wasn't so much that Ursula had told her but that she'd been ranting to her 'poopsies' and Uma had overheard. Every being with Olympian ancestry has this…link of some kind. And Uncle Hades is on the Isle. I know he and mama don't necessarily get along but he's been helping the kids of the Isle. Plus he hates Maleficent probably more than even the Evil Queen.
Uma bit her lip softly before trying her hardest to reach out with the mental link. She didn't know if it would even work with the barrier but she would try.
And if it didn't work, then they'd fall back on their plan B of setting up shop at Harry's place. And then Uma could slap Hook for daring to backhand her best friend. Over a picture too!
Focus, she thought. Mal doesn't need you getting distracted. Not with Maddy potentially lurking around every corner.
Still, Uma would definitely be grateful for the green haired annoyance. If it hadn't been for her tossing Mal to the side because she 'didn't want to be in Mal's shadow anymore', Uma wouldn't have gotten Mal.
"Uma?"
"Uncle Hades!" Uma said as Hades' voice pulled her out of her thoughts. The link must have worked! Hey…does that mean when I wished for fresh food on my birthday, someone from Olympus heard me? On second thought not the time to think about that. Need to stay focused.
Uma turned to Mal only to find that she'd gone almost limp. The pain from the injury to her ankle must have finally overtaken her.
"What happened?" Hades asked, trying to act as if he didn't care but on the inside he was raging. He knew what happened. How could he not?
He'd been watching the whole thing unfold through the ember, Maleficent breaking Mal's ankle, Mal running as best she could out of the Bargain Palace. Seeing her run into Uma and Harry, trying to make their way to their hideout before changing course to make their way to the docks.
That was when Hades decided enough was enough. His daughter was injured and injured in such a way that she was a sitting duck should anyone try to attack. Sure she'd have Uma and Harry but two four year olds who could fight wasn't the best thing to have if they were possibly attacked by adults.
Anything was possible after all.
"Lord Hades…maybe it would be better if we got to a more private location?" Harry asked, as if he was aware of the possibility of attack just as Hades was. "It's close to nightfall after all and I'd rather not be on the wrong side of the lions or hyenas."
Hades nodded. "Good point…and you are?"
"Harry, your Lordship. Harry Hook."
"Well then Hook Jr., let's get on the road," Hades told him. "As you said, the last thing any of us want is to find ourselves on the wrong side of the hyenas, lions, tigers, or Sabor. I never can remember if she's a leopard or jaguar."
"Does it matter?" Uma asked. "I mean, either way, Sabor's still going to eat us."
"Excellent point," Hades nodded and turned on his heel. He had resisted ever urge that was screaming at him to pick up Mal and rush her to the Underworld. But even as she was half slumped from the pain, he could still see the distrustful look on her face, the way she tensed up as she heard his voice.
He was an unknown to her. And the last thing Hades wanted was for her to run off when she was obviously hurt.
It's probably the fact that Uma called me 'Uncle' that Mal's even coming with me at all, Hades thought. She trusts Uma and so trusts me in some way.
"Steph!" Hades called as they walked into the Underworld. "Uma, Hook Jr., get Mal set up on a couch in the den. I'll be in there shortly."
Uma nodded and, with Harry's help, started to move Mal in the direction where Hades was pointing.
"Hades? What is it?" Persephone asked as she came out from around the corner. Truthfully, she had no idea that her husband had even left the Underworld.
"I need to talk to you," Hades said, gently pulling her into the kitchen. "What I"m going to say is going to get you very excited but I need to you to keep your voice down."
"I'm not the one who turned a whole forest to ash, Hades," Persephone said as she gave Hades a look.
"Eh good point," Hades nodded but then sighed. "Mal's here. She's here in the den and she's hurt. From how she was leaning against Uma, I'd say it's her ankle."
Hey, there was no reason to purposefully upset Persephone to let her know that it was Mal's ankle or that Maleficent had been responsible for it.
"Right," Persephone said after a few minutes. "Well she can't stay here."
"What? Steph!" Hades exclaimed, working hard to keep his voice down. "I'm not kicking her out. Not with an ankle injury."
Persephone shook her head. "No, no, Hades. You misunderstand me. I'm not kicking her out."
"Then what—?"
"I'm taking her to Auradon."