Chapter 4
Audrey's dorm room was pink… very pink.
Ellie had stayed in Audrey's room to rest while Evie and Mal checked the rest of the school. Celia was going through Audrey's jewelry, while Uma read her diary. The sea-witch glanced over at Ellie…
Even back on the Isle… Ellie was never… She was never what one would call truly evil, or mean… She was just… Ellie… And right now, she looked so tired. "Hey," Uma spoke softly, trying to not alert Celia. "You okay?"
"Hmm?" Ellie turned to her. "Yeah… Just tired."
And against Uma's better judgment, she patted the spot next to her on the bed. Ellie smiled and laid down next to the pirate, lounging back into the pillows. The door opened a while later and Evie and Mal stepped back in the room. Evie sighed, "She's nowhere on campus."
"I found her diary." Uma said. "And dang, did you ruin Audrey's life."
Mal brushed off the jab, "Okay, so did you find anything in there that we don't already know, or-"
"She hangs out at Fairy Cottage. You know, where Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather hid her mom from your mom?"
"Haha, yes. The irony is not lost on me."
Uma shifted around, laying back further into the plush pillows and mattress of Audrey's bed, "How can anyone with this bed ever be unhappy?"
Celia turned around in Audery's vanity chair, decked out in jewelry, "So how do I look?"
Evie looked at her for a moment, "Okay, the bling stays here."
"But she's bad."
"And we're not."
Celia whined a bit yet put it away. Uma glanced over at Ellie, who looked half-asleep. She gestured at her with her chin, "She normally like this?"
"Sometimes… But big spells tend to make it worse, though." Mal held both her hands out. "Come on, El." Ellie put her hands in hers, and Mal held her to her feet.
Uma looked at Evie's starter castle with a shocked look, "Nice digs."
Evie looked pleased. "I got a really good deal."
Ellie smiled softly as she watched Celia put a blanket over Dizzy and the Smee twins' forms, the daughter of Dr. Facilier reassuring her through words. Until the four girls heard a loud snore from the other room.
Uma headed towards the sound first, followed by Evie, Ellie, and Mal, leaving the children in the other room.
And lying on the floor of Evie's workroom, was Doug.
And he was dead asleep.
"Uh," Uma blinked. "Who's the dude?"
"Doug," Evie hurried to his side, crouching down. "Doug." She nudged him. "Wake up." she shook him. "Wake up."
"He's spelled." Uma supplemented. She glanced at Mal and Ellie, "Is she not a fast learner?"
Mal crossed her arms over her chest, "She's emotionally involved, okay?"
"Well in that case she should be able to wake him up." Evie looked at Uma confused, and the sea-witch smiled tightly. "True love's kiss? Works every time." That made Ellie look away, her mind wandering…
"Well, we haven't exactly used the 'L' word yet," Evie explained, then looked back down at Doug… She glanced at the other VK's. "Can we be alone?"
Ellie had cut herself a big slice out of Jane's birthday cake that the birthday girl would not be getting due to Audrey… y'know, trying to take over the kingdom. She cut Celia and Uma one as well, setting a slice aside for Mal. Ellie looked out the dining room window…
How did True Love's Kiss work? Why did it work?
Ellie knew the story… she knew the history… Her mother had told her multiple times over her life, reminding her of their origin…
How true loves used to be called soulmates…
How some people had marks… how their bond was so strong, it was near unbreakable…
That was why the Evil Queen's poison apple failed. No manner of magic could stand up to the bond of souls… Or at least, that's the reasoning she used after she was locked up.
And Ellie's soulmate…
Hades said he'd been waiting for her for a long time…
He'd been waiting for her for millions of years…
Mal chuckled as she came up behind Ellie, putting her hands on the back of her chair, "You always make such a mess with cake."
"Hey-" Ellie tilted her head back to fake-glare at her. A smudge of frosting was on her cheek, her piece mostly demolished. "It's my favorite food! You once got strawberries on that gown Evie made you."
"Touche." Mal looked over at Uma then. "That was a really good idea to check Audrey's room. Now we know we're on the right track."
Uma frowned at her, "Is there an insult in there that I missed?"
"Just… I wanted to thank you."
Both smiled a bit at that.
Mal took the seat next to Ellie at the table, across from Uma, and ate the slice of cake Ellie had cut from her. Uma took a big bite, "I don't know whose birthday it is, but I want this cake."
Ellie laughed. Mal looked down at her cake slice, "So, I maybe missed the boat a little on calling your Shrimpy and not letting you join our gang."
"Yeah…" Uma did the same. "We really could have torn up the Isle together."
Mal grinned, and so did Uma, and Ellie smiled from ear to ear… Maybe… maybe this would all work out.
A wooden board slammed against the window, blocking out the sunlight right then, causing the three to jump up. And then another… and another… each and every window and door were bolted shut with hurricane boards.
They were trapped.
And Celia screamed.
"Celia!" Ellie shouted and the girl came bolting around the corner, hugging Ellie tightly around the middle. The pink-ish red-haired woman held the younger girl tightly. "It'll be okay… We'll be okay…"
Evie and Doug ran in the room from the other entrance. Mal threw her hands out in front of her as her eyes glowed green, "You've caused my friends pain and fear, we've had enough, now disappear!"
Yet nothing happened.
"I-I'm sorry. My spells aren't working! Audrey's magic is getting stronger!" Ellie pulled her arms from around Celia, only for Mal to cut her off, her eyes filling with worry. "Don't Ellie. You already transmuted those knights. You can't take another big spell like that."
Ellie hesitated… she wanted to help… but she knew Mal was right… Her body couldn't take another spell like that… and all her alchemy circles were in her garage on the other side of the castle…
And then… Uma's shell necklace began to glow…
The sea-witch looked at it, then at Mal, who nodded, and the two clasped hands. "You've caused our friends pain and fear, we've had enough, now disappear!"
And for a long second, it seemed it wouldn't work…
But then the boards boarding up the house fell away like they never existed.
"You did it," Evie said, smiling gently. "Together… this is what I've been talking about."
Uma smirked, "Guess my shell likes you." Mal laughed, and then, the sea-witch reached inside her jacket- pulling out the ember. "Why don't you hold onto that?" She dropped it into Mal's hand, the dragon smiling, and they fist bumped.
Celia walked over to the window, peeking outside. She turned back to the ground with a grin, "Hey, it's your bae."
Mal gasped.
Carlos greeted Ellie frist, watching in concern as she slumped onto his shoulder. "Woah, hey, you okay?"
"Tried…" she murmured, and he reached up to put his hand on her forehead. Carlos' eyes widened… Ellie was running a fever…
That big spell with the knights…
It was catching up to her… quickly… too quickly…
Jay came over, greeting the pink-ish red-haired girl. Carlos shifted his grasp allowing Jay to put his arm around Ellie, her head slumping to his shoulder. "It's that spell," The son of Cruella told him as Jane came over to them. "I could tell she was on the edge before, back when she cast it, but now…"
Jane frowned worriedly towards Ellie… She remembered how jealous she used to be of her… Because Ellie and Carlos were so close, it almost seems like they were dating at times… But they were best friends, "Isn't it too soon for Ellie to have another episode?"
"Yeah… they've never been this close together before…" Carlos shook his head, smiling at his girlfriend. "Hey, so I know it's not ideal, but I still wanted to give this to you still, since it is your birthday." he held out a small, baby blue gift-wrapped box, and Jane took it happily.
She unwrapped it, taking out a silver necklace with Jarlos written out as the pendant. Carlos smiled nervously, "Ellie helped me make it. We went back and forth for two weeks on weather Jarlos or Cane was better, but we settled on Jarlos, because well-"
"Jane and Carlos, yeah, yeah, I get it… It's beautiful… Thanks Carlos."
Jane went to put it on, only for Carlos to take it and clasp it around her neck. Ellie shifted, pulling away from Jay and smiling, "Hey, where's my thanks? I'm the one that hit Carlos with pillows until he finally admitted Jarlos was better. Though then I had to admit I had ship names for you two."
Jane laughed, her smile growing, "Thanks, El."
"Okay," Mal called, drawing everyone's attention back towards the matter at hand. She looked at Ben seriously, "So we found out Audrey's most likely at Fairy Cottage. Did she ever take you there?"
"Every Fairy Godmother's Day." Ben replied, then glanced over at Jane. "Where is Fairy Godmother when you need her?"
"I wish I knew…" Jane looked down at her hands and Carlos put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
"Doug." Ben clapped his hand on his shoulder, "Go with Jane. We need to find Fairy Godmother."
Uma glanced between the two, "They might need some muscle."
Gil looked at himself, then shrugged, "I'll go."
"Yeah, actually, I would feel better." Carlos said, looking down at Jane.
Evie stepped forward, "Yeah, actually, I'd feel better too."
Doug looked at himself, then at Gil, and sighed, "Actually, I would too."
Gil smiled, throwing an arm around Doug's shoulders, "Alright, man! Let's do it."
Evie turned to her sister with a concerned frown… she hadn't been blind. She saw the way her twin staggered after casting that spell. But she wasn't dumb enough to tell Ellie to stay home, no; Ellie would simply take off without warning. "Maybe you should go too, El."
"She's already running a fever," Jay added, looking at Ellie, who was still at his side, his arm around her. Ellie elbowed him in the side angrily, scowling at him and he winced. That got three confused looks… Uma and her pirates hadn't ever been around for one of Ellie's episodes.
"You jerk." Ellie pulled away from Jay, irritated.
Ben frowned… he remembered when Mal got that call from Evie… the way Mal paled… he remembered seeing Ellie curled up in her dorm room's bed, ill… He had tried to help… but no doctor could find anything physically wrong with her… Ben had seen Ellie in the same position, laid up in bed, more times than he ever wanted…
He never wanted to see her like that again… None of them did… "Go with them, Ellie. I know you don't want to be left behind, but you'd be helping by going with them."
Ellie frowned deeply, "I'm not some helpless sick person, Ben!"
Evie put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I know you're not. We know you're not… But this is safer."
"So instead, I'm supposed to let my family go confront a crazy woman with Maleficent's scepter by themselves?"
"Please, Ellie… You can't-" Evie was scared right then… Never had Ellie come down with another episode so close to her last, even with such a large spell… In fact, the last episode came on without the slightest bit of warning… "You can't help us if you're having an episode."
Ellie's eyes burned with tears… She pushed her twins hand off shoulder, "Where are my keys?" Evie frowned but pulled them from her jacket pocket. Ellie took them, letting out a breath… They were right… She'd be useless…
But it still hurts… Knowing you couldn't protect them…
Ellie turned on her heel, looking over at Jane, Doug, and Gil, "Let's go. I'm driving."