Her footsteps echoed through the dark corridors as Layla entered the dungeons. As she made her way through, she could see the prisoners looking up and glancing at her anxiously. A smile curled on her lips. She had made a name for herself among the prisoners and loved to watch them squirm whenever she entered their cells. They were so fun to play with and easy to break. She could never get enough of it. But this time, they were lucky and could avoid her games. No matter how much she enjoyed it, she had better things to do than play with some random prisoner. A new prisoner had just been brought into the lair, and she had been waiting for this for a long time. It was time to reunite with her old friend... And get rid of the last part of her past.
She stopped at his cell, opened the door, and stepped inside without saying a single word. Her eyes inspected the man chained to the wall on the other side of the room. Philip... Even after years, she could instantly recognize him. He hadn't changed a bit instead of that he got older. His brown hair was a bit messy, and his clothes seemed to be torn. Jafar's guards always liked to play rough if they had to... And knowing Philip, they definitely had to.
Philip looked up when she stepped inside the room, but not with fear like the others. No, his brown eyes were filled with defiance. A true hero through and through. But the question was how long it would be before she broke him too.
"What do you want?" he asked as he glared at her and tried to struggle against his chains.
She smiled. Oh, here we go...
"Now is that a way to greet your old friend?" she asked with feigned hurt, before stepping into the light. She lowered her hood deliberately slow. "Hello Philip."
Philip stared at her confused, and she patiently waited for him to remember who she was. Unlike him, she had changed a lot after all. Then his eyes widened.
"Layla?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Layla smiled cruelly, slowly stepping closer to him. She reveled in the man's shock.
"Surprised to see me?" she asked. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
She walked up to him slowly, savoring every step as he stared at her in disbelief. Predictable... Heroes would never want to see they lost, even when the proof is right in front of them.
"Layla..." Philip brought out, still with the disbelief in his voice. "What... What happened to you?"
"What happened to me?" Layla repeated the question and tilted her head lightly as if she actually needed to think about it. Then she leaned in, the cruel smile never leaving her face. "I stopped being afraid."
Her hand slit under his chin, slowly tilting it upwards so he was forced to look at her. She smiled as his eyes met hers, filled with disbelief and defiance. But she could see the tiniest bit of fear behind it. Her eyes glinted with amusement and glee. She knew how to break him.
"I remember you once thought you could save me," she softly said, looking at him with feigned affection. "You would be there for me when I needed you... You would help me make the right choices and I would never have to be afraid. Now tell me, my sweet, handsome hero..." she leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "How does it feel to know you failed? To know that I have not become the girl you wanted me to be?"
She grinned as she heard his breath shake, and he struggled against the chains even more, wanting to move away from her. Already? And she hadn't even started yet.
"Layla, please," he pleaded and she pulled back to look at him. "This isn't you, Layla. I know it isn't..."
Layla's laughter echoed through the room, able to reach beyond the cell and to be heard by any other prisoner close by.
"Always the same with you heroes, isn't it," she sighed, shaking her head amused. "Never wanting to admit you failed... Believing there is still good left in everyone and it will be pulled out as long as you keep denying what is right in front of you." She cupped his cheek softly with one hand. "It's me, Philip. That scared conflicted girl you knew has just grown up into a strong woman. You are seeing me at my true potential. I am serving a master of true power now. Someone who doesn't try to change me, but believes in me fully."
"Clearly this 'master of true power' has changed you..." Philip argued, never losing eye contact with her. "I only tried to help you. You have to remember who you are, Layla, you are better than this!"
Layla narrowed her eyes, straightening up, but keeping his gaze. He wasn't giving up... Why was she even surprised?
"Oh, Philip, you are such a hero..." she softly said. "Pathetic... Clinging on to goodness. You've slayed a dragon to save a girl you met once in the woods and were instantly convinced you loved her... You tried to help a scared girl that was unable to control her own power... A hero through and through. And look where it all got you."
She gestured around the dark dungeon cell, chuckling lightly at the irony of the situation he was in now.
"You can't keep me here forever," Philip answered, his eyes still filled with defiance. "People will be looking for me."
Another laugh echoed through the dungeon.
"Oh, of course they will be looking for you," Layla said, still giggling. "I'm counting on it. Enough cells in here to have a few extra prisoners... Until Jafar lost his use for them of course, but they wouldn't leave this place alive..." She tilted her head lightly, enjoying the look of fear and anger on his face, before her eyes darkened. "But the question is if they would even find you here. You haven't found me after eight years... Or did you even try to look for me when I disappeared?"
Philip's eyes softened again, and he sighed softly.
"Of course I did," he told her. "I've never forgotten about you, Lay-Lay."
Layla blinked, hearing the nickname he chose for her for the first time in years. Her eyes widened as she felt a tug at her heart and she slowly stumbled backwards a bit. Suddenly a flash of a memory came back to her, playing in her mind. Her and Philip were together as friends, younger, and happy... Layla looked uncomfortable and unsure, but Philip's eyes were soft, and he put his hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to be afraid," he had told her. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me. That's what friends are for, Lay-Lay."
Layla's heart raced as she felt a familiar, light warmth in her heart. Something she knew... No... She had gotten rid of that weakness years ago! It couldn't be there. Philip looked at her as she stopped her taunting and something in her expression changed. His eyes now had a new emotion. Hope.
"You know this isn't right, Layla," he told her. "This isn't you... Whatever happened to you, you have to snap out of it and remember who you are. You are a lot more than this."
Layla stared at him as he spoke. The sensation inside of her was dim. Very dim, but enough to catch her off guard. She took a deep breath. No. She wouldn't let herself be weak again! Her eyes darkened and she stepped closer to him, ignoring the small tugs at her heart.
"You really don't give up, do you?" she asked him, frustrated and annoyed. "You think that, after years, I still care? I brought you here to cut the last ties with my previous life. You can keep clinging on to that hope and heroic morality for all I care, that doesn't change anything."
She wasn't only saying it to Philip, but to herself, trying to block that piece of her old self out. She balled her fists, but then she smiled.
"You should be proud of me, Philip," she told him, stepping closer to him again. "You don't realize how powerful I have become. I have embraced my powers instead of being afraid of them. Isn't that what you wanted? Let me show you what I can do..."
She flicked her wrist and the chains holding him down started to glow softly in a light purple hue. Philip's eyes widened as he gasped for breath, letting out a scream of agony and pain. He started to shake violently and breathing heavily, trying to fight against the chains. Layla crossed her arms and smiled as she watched him struggle. It didn't matter how much he tried to fight. The more he fought, the more the chains would hurt him.
"Layla..." Philip brought out through his breaths. "Stop... Please..."
Layla laughed as she continued to watch him. Then finally, with another flick of her wrist, she stopped her magic. Philip slumped down, panting from the experience he just had.
"Already had enough?" Layla asked him with a cruel grin. "I haven't even started showing you my real power yet." She stepped closer to him, leaning in. "Aren't you proud of me? Imagine what I can do with these powers. The others in this dungeon can confirm that what you just experienced is nothing."
"Why are you doing this?" Philip asked her, his voice finally breaking.
"Why?" she asked, tilting her head. "Because it's fun. You see... You are used to villains that simply try to get rid of you, and will be gone forever once you defeated them... Me? I like to play the long game. I prefer to watch my victims squirm. Break them until there is nothing left of their hope and heroism."
Her hand lifted up and she carefully pushed his hair back while she held his gaze.
"You know..." she softly said. "You seem to be so set on being there for me... Even when you can clearly see where I stand now, you seem unable to resist your loyalty to your old friend. If you really want to remain loyal to me... I could make you useful."
Philip glared at her.
"I wouldn't be loyal to a villain, Layla," he told her.
"Villain?" Layla asked narrowing her eyes. "I'm a villain to you now? Of course... There are villains and there are heroes. There is nothing in between, is there? But either way... What makes you think you are in a position to choose? You're here, chained in a dungeon... Weak... And free for me to play with for as long as I want too."
Philip shook his head as she softly chuckled.
"Don't do this, Layla," he pleaded, but she could hear the hope in his voice slowly disappearing.
"I'm showing you mercy, Philip," she told him with a sigh. "You can have your old friend back... We can be just like we used to be. Unless, of course... You prefer to die." Philip didn't answer her this time and simply glared at her. She smiled, reveling in the look of betrayal in his eyes. She hadn't broken him yet, but what was the fun in doing that instantly? She cupped his cheek, slowly tilting his head up again. "Get some rest... I will be back later. We have a lot of catching up to do after all, don't we?"
She leaned in, turning her head and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. She then pulled back, giving him a playful pat against his other cheek and then standing up straight. Without another word, she made her way to the door, slamming it shut behind her and leaving her old friend to his thoughts.
As she walked away from his cell, she once again felt a soft tug at her heart. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she blocked out the feeling.
"So you're still there, even when I thought I got rid of you..." she softly said, opening her eyes with a snap and narrowing them as if she was speaking to someone in front of her. "Well... We shall see which one of us can last the longest. You won't overthrow me again."
Author's note:
Well there we go. Two opposite girls in one story. I have to say, this was fun and hard to write at the same time. But I hope you all like it and are excited to see more of both Lily and Layla's adventures! Please do let me know what you think, I am excited to hear your thoughts and speculations about the story.