Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mal follows alongside the guards as Evie continues asking question after question about Auradon Prep. So far only one guard answers her, the new one who’s barely old enough to be here. Mal just tunes them out; she has bigger things to worry about. Her mom has big plans; plans that depend solely on Mal to work. Normally, Mal wouldn’t hesitate to achieve her mother’s goals but then she hears her dad’s voice echoing within her mind.

‘Don’t let anyone ruin this for you. Be better than me. Be better than Maleficent ever was.’

All her life Mal has been split in two, torn between which parent to follow. She wants to make them both proud and for a while that was easy. She maintained her territory, created a fearsome gang, and did almost everything her mother asked of her. For dad all Mal had to do was visit; without mom learning about it. It didn’t matter what Mal did, dad was always proud of her.

But now, everything had changed. Auradon finally made a move and one no one, but her mom, saw coming. Now Mal had a choice to make. A choice she always knew was coming but one she was desperate to ignore. Follow her mom’s plan and free evil or listen to her dad and be free from her parents’ legacy of villainy.

‘Be free. But most of all, be true to yourself.’

Mal feels off kilter, like her whole world has been flipped upside down. She doesn’t know how to be herself. There isn’t room on the Isle to be anything but your parent’s kid, their evil little copy. She can’t afford to be Malice here, just Mini Maleficent. That fact never bothered her before today.

She knows Evie, Jay and Carlos will follow along with whatever she plans on doing. If she says to ‘steal the wand’, they won’t stop until Fairy Godmother’s wand is held within her hands. If Mal says, ‘screw that plan, we’re done being evil’, they will drop her mom’s plan in a heartbeat.

Her brother would help her, Mal is sure of it, even if he disagrees. They swore to stick with one another no matter what. If Mal wants to steal the wand, then Malachite will be right by her side when wickedness returns to Auradon. There isn’t anything her brother wouldn’t sacrifice to ensure her happiness just as Mal would do for him.

Truthfully, it’s Uma and her crew that would be Mal’s biggest hinderance if she chooses to follow her mom’s plan. Uma will do whatever it takes to ensure the children of the Isle are freed. If Uma thinks, even for a moment, that Mal’s plan puts the children of the Isle at risk, then Uma won’t help. In fact, she may even reveal Mal’s goal to Auradon. That would put Harry on the opposing side of both her brother and Jay.

Mal can’t be the reason her brother loses one of his soulmates. She can’t do that to Jay either; he’s one of her oldest friends. She can’t risk jeopardizing the future of every kid on the Isle of the Lost. She can’t ask Evie, Carlos, and Jay to forgo their own choices to meet her demands. Mal can’t just throw away her friendship with Uma, Harry, and Gil over a magical wand.

But she can’t let her mom down either.

There are so many things Mal can’t do; so many outcomes she refuses to allow happen. These decisions are hers to make and they must be something Mal can live with. Could she live with her mother’s disappointment? Can she really be whatever she desires in Auradon? Who exactly does Mal want to be?

Just when Mal thinks the emotional turmoil will overtake her Malachite comes into view. He’s leaning against one of two cars parked within the Isle’s Neutral Zone, his guitar case is carefully leaning up beside him as several guards eye him warily. He looks up as the guards escorting them arrive and smirks as he locks onto Mal.

“Hi Mali.” Her brother teases.

She rolls her eyes and adjusts her bag, “I see the four of you can’t even hold your own against Auradon.”

“Not all of us wanted a royal escort.” Uma sneers.

Mal can play this game; it’s one she and Uma have been playing for years. As far as the Isle is concerned, Mal and Uma are bitter rivals who will do whatever it takes to overpower the other. The key to keeping up this facade is pretending to argue whenever they cross paths.

“That’s a funny way of saying you got caught.” Jay says, moving closer to Mal’s side.

Both Harry and Gil move closer to Uma as Carlos and Evie take their respective places alongside Mal and Jay. Malachite finally rises off of the car before shoving his hands within the pockets of his leather jacket. The hand on Uma’s sword pulls it a little out of its sheath. The small bit of exposed metal shimmers against the few sunrays strong enough to breech the barrier.

Malachite looks over to the group of guards inching forward to break up their squabbling. “So, who’s your money on? Personally, I’m betting on Mali, but I’m biased there.”

None of the guards listen to her brother, but a few do shy away from his direction. Mal can’t help but roll her eyes at Malachite’s antics. Her brother loves to sow the seeds of chaos, especially at the expense of the Auradonian Guard. It’s something all Isle kids get; after all the guards are part of why they all grew up here. At least that used to be the case.

“That’s enough, stand down or stay here. The choice is yours.” The Captain of the guards doesn’t raise his voice but the authority he projects doesn’t falter.

Mal looks over at Uma, one eyebrow raised. Uma’s eyes gleam excitedly as she understands what Mal is trying to convey. Both she and Uma agree, if push comes to shove, the eight of them can take on the guards and win. Uma tilts her head towards the cars. Mal understands her too. There’s a time and place for fighting but this isn’t one of them.

Mal waves off her crew just as Uma sheaths her sword. Gil happily walks off as Carlos quickly ducks behind Jay. Evie skips back over to the guards as she continues to raddle off question after question. Harry sighs loudly as Malachite boos dramatically. Both Mal and Uma share a knowing smirk; these guards are so easy to rile up.

“Good, now each car can hold four of you, divide up accordingly and pick one to ride in.” The captain says.

“Well seeing as we were here first, us pirates should ride in that car.” Harry demands, using his hook to point at the first car.

Evie whips around so fast it even catches Mal off guard. “Royalty gets first pick so naturally we should be first.”

Mal sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. This is going to turn into a whole thing, she can feel it. Judging by the way Uma is rolling her eyes, she agrees as well. Mal loves her friends but sometimes they turn everything into a competition.

“You know what trumps royalty? A God!” Malachite shouts, arms spread wide to gesture at himself.

Without missing a beat, all seven of them shout “Demigod” at the top of their lungs while pointing at her brother.

Malachite scowls and Harry and Jay laugh. The Captain of the guard places his head in his hands, mumbling under his breath as the rest of his men look at him for guidance. At this rate it won’t matter if Mal doesn’t return to her mom without the wand if they never make off the Isle of the Lost in the first place.

“Enough! The Core Four will ride in the first car and the Sea Three with Achite shall ride in the second. Am I clear?” The captain announces leaving no room for disagreement.

Uma doesn’t waste a moment; she opens the car door and enters the second car without any delay. Gil waves as he gives the Isle one last look before hopping in after Uma. Harry looks between Gil and Uma, sighing dramatically before stomping in after them. Malachite looks between the final empty seat awaiting him and the captain.

“I may be a demi-god but I’m no second pick.” Malachite says as he lifts his guitar case back onto his shoulders.

“Seriously Ack? Just sit in the freaking car.” Mal snaps.

Her brother scoffs, “Easy for you to say! You’re in the first car!”

She levels him a glare, eyes flashing dangerously. Mal can see the green flare glowing off Malachite’s shades. He frowns at her, and Mal hardens her glare in response. “Ugh! Fine, I’ll get in the freaking car!”

Mal smiles, the glow fading from her eyes, as Malachite mumbles angerly the whole way to the car. He sits down in a huff and slams the car door shut. She snaps her fingers and tilts her head towards the first car. Carlos passes his bag over to Jay before darting inside the car.

“Hey, what do we do with these?” Jay asks, holding up both Carlos and his bags.

One of the guards pulls out a small device and clicks it. A small popping noise is heard, and the back top of the car lifts up a little. Jay looks at Mal, but all she can do is shrug. Jay hoists both bags over his shoulders and makes his way to the back of the car. He lifts the top up revealing a space perfect for storing their stuff.

“Huh, that’s new.” Jay whispers loudly to himself before depositing the two bags within.

Evie skips over, humming under her breath as she passes her bags over to Jay. He gladly takes them and begins arranging them within the car space. Evie gives the guards a small curtsey before taking a seat next to Carlos.

Jay finishes arranging the bags, leaving a space for Mal’s. He gives her a nod and makes his way to his own seat. Jay stops for a single moment, his eyes darting up to the front of the car where a golden little crown trinket is displayed on the exterior. With a small shake of his head, Jay enters the car, shuffling in after Evie.

Mal places her bag within the space but hesitates to close the contraption. Her mom’s spellbook is within the contents of her bag. If the guards decide to search their stuff they may decide to remove it. She needs that book to learn magic; Mal doubts Auradon will let the children of villains harness their full magical potential.

Still, losing the spell book is a risk she has to take. There’s not enough room on her person to hide the book and there wasn’t enough cover to pass it to Malachite to hide. At least her dad’s ember can remain safely hidden inside one of the secret pockets Evie sown into her jacket. If Mal concentrates hard enough, she can almost trick herself into sensing her dad’s power from within the gem.

With a hefty slam Mal closes the lid shut, hiding their stuff from view. Hopefully Auradon is naïve enough to either allow their bags inside the school without being searched or they fail to understand the importance of their collected magical items. She enters the car, carefully sitting beside Jay but before she can close her door one of the guards shuts it.

Two guards enter the car, the young man from earlier and another slightly older man. The older of the two sits behind the wheel, placing the same device from before in some kind of key slot. The car roars to life, making Mal, Evie and Jay tense in suspense. Carlos is the only one of them to ever have been in a car before. The man hits a button on the door; Mal thinks, she can’t exactly see it from the small slit in between them and the guards.

The button causes some kind of clicking noise near each of their doors. Mal and Jay both look around, but they find nothing of a note has changed within the space. It’s only while searching for the origin of the noise that Mal truly takes in the sight before her. Never in her life has she seen a stash like this. There’s stuff overflowing from every surface, some of which looks edible, and an array of devices she has no idea how to operate.

Carlos looks over to Mal, a question lingering in his eyes. She squints a little in response, it’s both an approval and a warning. Carlos cautiously reaches a few fingers out to a small, opened box with small brown spheres each held within their own square space. There’s a little tannish color drizzled over the top of the spheres. They look like nothing Mal has ever seen before.

Carlos brings the sphere to his face just as the car begins to move. The four of them freeze in place, eyeing the guards from the small rectangular hole. The two guards talk amongst themselves about how to best exit the Isle. With one last glance at one another, Carlos pops the whole sphere within his mouth, and bites down hard.

Evie whines as her hands reach out for Carlos’ mouth. Her fingers wiggle nervously in front of his face as Mal and Jay lean forward expectantly. Carlos chews excitedly, his eyes widening with every bite. He reaches back towards the box, grabbing two more balls.

He holds them out to the three of them. “You got to try these!” He says with a mouth full of whatever the spheres are.

Jay wastes no time. He grabs one of the balls from Carlos’ hand and pops it into his mouth. Jay moans happily as he chews. He tries to grab the second one Carlos is holding but the younger teen bats him away while offering the sphere to Evie. She plucks it from his hand, sniffs it carefully before pouting.

“Excuse me?” Evie asks, leaning closer to the small window that separates them from the guards. “What are these?”

The younger guard turns to look at Evie. His eyebrows furrow as he looks between Evie holding the sphere and where Jay and Carlos are fighting over the box. Even the other guard looks shocked by Evie’s question.

“It’s chocolate with caramel. Have… have none of you had chocolate before?”

The four of them shake their heads. The young guard looks at his companion in shock. The other guard tightens his grip on the wheel, and his face freely displays his own simmering anger. Foolish Auradonians, always thinking the world is so perfect; that their own lives of blissful happiness must be the norm for everyone else. No wonder they never tried to get the VKs before today.

“Is it common in Auradon?” Evie asks, her eyes shining at the mere thought of doing anything like the other royals.

“Yeah, it is and it’s really good too!” The guard driving answers.

Evie nods excitedly. She takes a small bite from the chocolate sphere. Mal watches as she takes delicate bites, her smile growing larger with each one. Jay finally manages to nab several of the spheres from the box. Carlos pulls the remaining pieces closer to his chest. Mal eyes the chocolate Evie’s been slowly eating. The center of the ball is filled with a viscous brown liquid.

“M! You should try one!” Evie squeals.

Jay holds out his stole stash of chocolates. With a frown, Mal plucks one up. She rolls the ball around between her fingers. It’s cooler than she was expecting and the drizzle of- what was it, caramel? - is sticky. Evie, Jay, and Carlos stare at her with mounting excitement. Mal groans as she pops the chocolate into her mouth.

She doesn’t see why some random Auradonian food has her crew so- Oh! This is like nothing Mal has ever had before. There’s a flavor Mal has never tasted before, never experienced before but it coats the surface of her tongue. It’s, well Mal doesn’t know what it is, but she wants so much more of it. She waves her hands, demanding more of this chocolate. Jay, her ever loyal right hand, deposits the rest of his stash into her hands in favor of trying the rest of food strewn about.

Greedily, Mal shoves another chocolate into her mouth, reveling in the way it melts on her tongue. From the corner of her eye, she sees Jay trying several brightly colored spheres. They’re more translucent than the chocolates and tinier too. He reaches over to offer some of them to Evie and Carlos. Mal doesn’t bother with them; she has her chocolates to satisfy her hunger.

She hopes the second car has these chocolates too. Mal knows her brother would love these just as much as she does. Maybe this is what dad meant? Maybe life in Auradon won’t be too bad-

“There’s no road!” Mal shouts at the top of her lungs.

With zero hesitation Jay throws himself over their group. Evie tenses as Carlos curls into both her and Jay. Mal finds herself burying her face into Jay’s back, screwing her eyes shut, and bracing for the inevitable fall and crash. Mal can’t believe she was this foolish. Of course, Auradon wasn’t actually going to free them. This was nothing more than a trap; one they all obliviously walked right in to. She can only hope their deaths won’t completely ruin her dad. She can’t imagine what losing both her and Ack will do to him.

“No, it’s okay, we have to use magic to exit the Isle, I promise.” The young guard pleads, gesturing to out to the view before them.

Mal squints, looking to where the guard is pointing. She can see something golden emanating from around the car. It shimmers ahead of them building a glamorous golden bridge that connects the Isle of the Lost to Auradon. It’s beautiful and powerful and so much more than anything Mal has ever experienced; even more than the little specks of magical remnants found in her mom’s old fortress.

And yet the beauty of that magic pales in comparison to the sight before her. The sky is blue with fluffy white specs in all kinds of shapes. The dark murky waters Mal has known all her life begin to brighten. The water seems crystal clear from their high vantage point atop the bridge. And the grass! Oh, the grass is greener than any dye Evie has ever blended for Mal.

Mal can feel the tears building in her eyes. She can feel the excitement bursting in her chest. Is this what the Mortal Realm looks like? Is the Moors even more colorful and vibrant than this? Mal had no idea the world could look so alive. And Olympus wonders why her dad was so pissed about living in the Underworld!

“Oh, my apples! Look how bright everything is!” Evie exclaims, leaning over Carlos with her face pressed against the glass.

“Do you see any dogs? Carlos whispers, falling to the floor of the car.

“No, not yet.” Jay replies, peering over Evie’s head.

Mal looks out her own window. She watches as the car follows the paved path deeper into Auradon. Evie pulls Carlos back up into his spot. The two of them look out their window gasping with each new detail they discover. Jay winds back over to her side, resting his chin on the top of her head. They spend the rest of the trip in silence, taking in the sights around them.

Mal can feel the young guard’s eyes staring intensely at her group, watching their every reaction.

*

The car pulls to a stop at the biggest castle Mal has ever seen. It’s strewn in blue and yellow banners with one huge yellow banner hanging above the main doors. ‘Welcome to Auradon Prep’ is written in glittery bold blue letters. Two figures are waiting for them; an older woman and a teenaged girl around their age- most likely a mother and her daughter judging by how alike they look.

Before Mal can contemplate the pair before them, her car door opens. Malachite holds out a hand for her, one she eagerly takes. Once out of the car, she takes a moment to get a proper look at their watchers. The woman is around her mom’s age, brown hair, wearing an extremely light shade of purple with the largest bow Mal has ever seen in the most hideous shade of pink.

It’s the teenaged girl that holds Mal’s interest. Her hair is black instead of brown like the older woman, and the girl’s hair dangles a short distance above her shoulders. Her dress is fully blue; the exact shade is something Evie would most definitely call pastel, with smaller blue bows leading down the center with long white sleeves. A huge bow in a similar shade of blue rests atop her hair. It complements her eyes which are the most striking shade of bright blue.

Overall, the girl is downright adorable in a way that just screams Auradonian. No one on the Isle, except for Evie or one of the Tremaine daughters, would ever look like that. She breaks away from those hauntingly bright eyes as Malachite brings her before Uma and her pirates. There’s something about that girl; something that keeps drawing Mal to her like some kind of kinship she just can’t quite place.  

“Well, looks like they’re rolling out the royal treatment for all of us this time around.” Uma jokes, voice low and head tilting towards the huge banner.

They all chuckle lowly at her comment just in time for Evie to skip over. She waves happily as her mounting ecstasy reaches its peak. Only Gil waves back but Harry and Uma both give her a nod of acknowledgement. Jay saunters over, his eyes darting down to Uma’s sword, which until now Mal hadn’t realized was missing.

“The guards in our car told us to leave our weapons in the car.” Malachite says. Both she and Jay glance over at Harry, his hook still held in place. “Apparently it doesn’t count as a weapon if they think you’re missing a hand.”  

Mal’s eyes dart back to the pair of women. They’ve taken a step forward and Mal braces for whatever assault they might have planned. An eternity passes in but a single moment as no one moves; at least, until Carlos exits from their car.

The older woman takes a moment to count their group, ensuring no doubt that all eight of them made it off the Isle. It’s the girl’s reaction that captivates Mal. She nudges Ack, using the top of her head to tilt his gaze towards the girl. She can feel him tense beside her as Malachite realizes the same thing Mal does. This girl stares in astonishment at Carlos, eyes full of hope and face flushed.

This girl, whoever she is, may just be the other half of Carlos De Vil.

It never even occurred to Mal that her soulmate might not be from the Isle of the Lost. She never gave her fated match a second thought. She wasn’t like her brother; she never felt drawn to the same person over and over again like he was with Jay and Harry. Mal always thought she’d take after their dad in the soulmate department; to always know they’re out there but never within her reach.   

The woman clears her throat, drawing their attention to her. “Welcome to Auradon Prep, I’m your headmistress Fairy Godmother and this is my daughter Jane.”

Huh, so that’s your name and that is the Fairy Godmother. Unless, of course, Auradon has more than one fairy with that title. It seems like stealing the wand will be easier than Mal expected; especially if her hunch about Jane and Carlos is right. That is, if Mal is willing to exploit Carlos and his potential soulmate to her advantage.

“Like the Fairy Godmother? As in Cinderella and all that bibbidi bobbidi stuff.” Mal asks.

Her crew tense at the question, each one waiting eagerly, ready to memorize everything their new headmistress says. Malachite leans closer to her side, his fingers tapping against her back in a spot Fairy Godmother or her daughter can’t see. She shuffles closer to him, squeezing his arm slightly. She’ll fill Malachite in later, when Auradon isn’t listening in.

“You bibbidi bobbidi know it!” Answers their headmistress. “Now, let’s get this tour started!”

“What about our bags?” Jay asks, pointing back at their car.

“You bags will be waiting for you at the end of our tour.” With a wave, she begins walking closer to the entrance. All of them follow.

Fairy Godmother stops in front of a metal statue of a man wearing a crown. Around them many green hedges weave into a pattern that’s mirrored on both sides of the statue. The significance of the pattern has no meaning to Mal. Between the hedges are blooming flowers, small trees with circular leaves and perfectly manicured grasses.

“This is the entrance lawn, here students like to meet up with friends or relax while they study. And this,” She points up at the man, “is King Adam, current ruler of Auradon alongside his wife, Queen Belle.”

Mal studies the statue. It’s funny how much she knows about a man she hasn’t met before. The statue does the king justice; Mal will give it that. She’s tagged enough of his posters on the Isle to know what the man actually looks like. It’s just a little hard to think of this man and the monster Gaston raves about after overindulging in his cups as the same person.

“Is there a prince too?” Evie asks dreamily.

“As a matter of fact, there is and he’s the reason all eight of you are here!”

“Explain.” Uma demands, taking a step closer to the fey.

“Well Prince Ben used his first royal proclamation to have the eight of you released. He, like his mother before him, believes there’s goodness in all of us, including all the children of the Isle.”

And isn’t that a detail mother didn’t mention. Evie squeals, bouncing in place as she fans herself with her hands. Both Harry and Jay squint up at the statue, studying it as if it’s an enemy poised to attack. Carlos and Gil also stare up at the statue, but their looks are filled with more so with awe than anything else. Both her and Ack, along with Uma stare at Fairy Godmother in disbelief.

“And how old is this prince again?” Malachite asks with a voice full of disinterest, but Mal knows her brother well enough to know this prince has his full attention.

“Sixteen, he’s in our grade too and he really wants to meet all of you.” Answers Jane. It’s the first thing the girl has said since they got here. For all of Jane’s obvious self-doubt, her reply is full of confidence.

Mal doesn’t know what kind of man this Ben is but for him to obtain the respect of a fey, even a potential half one at that, says a lot about his character. It’s no wonder Malachite is so intrigued; even Mal’s interest has been piqued. But she has bigger things to worry about than some naïve Auradonian prince; she’ll leave Ben to Evie to wonder about.   

“Why’s the statue shiny?” Gil asks.

For a moment, no one answers. For starters, the metal of the statue is dulled from time. The material is still in good condition and there’s not a speck of dirt on it but to call it shiny would be wrong. Carlos and Jay both turn to Gil and then the statue again, studying it for any hint of a shimmer. Uma shakes her head as Evie pats Gil’s shoulders. Jane looks up at the statue in confusion as her mother looks completely thrown off.

“Gil… there’s no shiny anything on that statue.” Harry whispers loudly as he wraps his arms around Gil’s shoulders.

“Oh, I see it!” Malachite exclaims. At everyone’s confusion he elaborates. “The shine is an enchantment on the metalwork. Look closer there.”

Her brother turns her head slightly, gesturing to where a heart would be if the statue were actually a man. For a moment Mal doesn’t see anything but then a flicker of gold catches her eye. It’s not as bright as the golden bridge that freed them from the Isle but it’s similar enough. She doesn’t know if that means both enchantments were created by the same person or if they’re of the same kind of casting.

“Would you look at that, there’s a shimmer.” Mal says in disbelief.

Fairy Godmother snaps out of her confusion, “Oh yes, the statue is indeed enchanted! King Adam wanted his statue to be able to transform between man and”, she claps her hands, “beast!”

The statue of the human king shimmers. The metal warps, changing shape right before their eyes. The eight of them take a step back, cautious of the magic emitting from the statue. Within seconds, the transformation is complete. Fur in place of skin, horns instead of a crown and paws with claws for hands; yes, this is the Beast that Gaston yearns to hunt.

Carlos lets out a blood curdling scream. It’s only then that Mal realizes his fear of dogs extends to metal beast statues that bear a resemblance to all things canine. Calros leaps into the air and Jay scoops him up, shielding the statue from his view. Gil and Evie both pat Carols on the back as they whisper reassurances. Malachite removes himself from Mal’s arms, clapping to change the statue back.

“There”, Ack says once the statue is a mere man once more, “I’ve solved your dog problem.”

Carlos peers passed where he’s buried himself into Jay, shaking in fear as he stares at the statue. Upon realizing it’s a person again and not a beast, he relaxes. Jay sets him down, dusting their youngest member off before turning his attention back to Fairy Godmother.

“Let’s continue.” She says with less enthusiasm. The Wish Fey is still clearly frazzled by the scene she just witnessed. Mal gives Malachite a look, rolling her eyes as she loops her arm around his own. Auradonians; the fools have no idea how the world really worlds.

Fairy Godmother throws open the wooden doors, leading their group deeper inside the school’s entrance hall. The walls have wooden paneling similar to the doors with grey carpeting on the floor and steps. The windows have stained glass centers depicting a rose and similar staining around each window’s border. There are several seating areas with lamps, lit candles in holders on the walls and a matching chandelier hanging in the center of the room. Two sets of staircases lead to the second floor. There’s an overhanging balcony for people to congregate at with two single doors on opposite ends leading deeper into the castle. A massive, chiseled fireplace, cold from disuse, is centered on the back wall with two sets of doors, on opposite sides of the fireplace and two hallways to traverse through.

The room itself is bigger than most of the houses on the Isle. Space is just another luxury the Isle denizens can’t afford. Every building has a purpose; there is no such thing as empty space. But here in Auradon, in this school for the children of heroes and royals, there’s more space than any single person could ever hope to fill.

“And this lovely room is our entrance hall. Many students use this room as a relaxing space to unwind in between their classes.”

Fairy Godmother gestures to the hall on Mal’s right. “This hallway leads to the faculty rooms. You can meet with your professors, talk with your guidance counselors, or stop by the doctors’ office if you’re ever feeling unwell. And of course, my office is the one at the end!”

“You have doctors here?” Carlos exclaims.

“Yes, we also offer mental health counselling too. As part of the Council’s arrangement for your arrival, all eight of you must be cleared by a licensed therapist if you wish to stop attending sessions. But we’ll talk more about that later on this week, okay?”

The eight of them all agree but it’s not like any of them have much of a choice. Still, doctors are just here for every little bump or bruise these good doers might have is astonishing. Doctors aren’t plentiful on the Isle. The few villains capable of treating injuries mainly refuse unless offered payments no VK can afford. And Mal has no idea what mental health counseling is but whatever it is she needs to be cleared of it immediately.

“Through this hallway, you’ll find access to most of the school’s lockers, the cafeteria, the pool, the gymnasium, the art studios, and all of Auradon Prep’s sport team locker rooms. That’s where we’ll end today’s tour.”

“Lastly, both of these doors,” she says in reference to the ones on either side of the fireplace, “lead to the courtyard, where many of our students choose to eat during the warmer weather, the athletics’ fields for many of our sports teams, and some more lockers, which is where all of yours are!”

Fairy Godmother leads them up the first set of stairs to the balcony space. She opens the door, beckoning the nine of them to follow. The hallway widens revealing another large sitting room. Fluffy white couches span across the room, all of which are centered around a giant screen hung on the wall. Bookshelves of every shape and size are tucked into every flat wall and corner. A random assortment of tables and chairs are spaced out amongst the shelves. Even from this distance it seems like none of the books are duplicates of one another.

There is one single door, to the left from where they enter, and a huge archway on the right; both of which are centered on their respective walls. Fairy Godmother stops their group once they’ve all filed into the center of the seating area.

“This is the communal seating space for all of our students. You may find yourself snuggled up on the couches either watching the television or engrossed deep in a book. Of course, there are also tables to play games with your friends.”

She points out the single door. “This is where you can find your Dorm Heads. There’s one for the girl’s dormitory and one for the boy’s. Our lovely Coach Jenkins of Agrabah is the Dorm Head for you boys and for the girl’s we have the respectable Cassandra of Corona.”

“None of us know who they are.” Her brother tacks on.

Fairy Godmother sighs, “You’ll meet them at the end of the tour.”    

“This archway leads to the dorms. Boys are on the right in the rooms with even numbers and girls are on the left with the odd numbers. Each room holds two people and comes with two beds, a small common space and a bathroom to share alongside your roommate.”

“I call dibs on the demigod.” Harry shouts, pulling Malachite out of Mal’s grasp.

“Oh, no. None of you are allowed to be paired up together. Your roommate pairings were handcrafted to ensure no ah issues arose.”

It doesn’t take a genius for them to understand that Auradon doesn’t want the eight of them conspiring behind their backs or finishing what their parents’ started. Not being paired with Evie is annoying but not impossible to overcome. The eight of them have years of experience sneaking in and out of places without detection. She has no doubt they’ll find a way to meet up without their roommates noticing.

“Who are our roomies and when will they be arriving or is that too much for us to know?” Malachite pulls out of Harry’s grasp, his fingers lingering on his boyfriend’s exposed skin as he moves away.

“That information is for your Dorm Heads to tell you. But I can say that Mal is paired up with my daughter Jane.” Happily, Fairy Godmother places her hands atop Jane’s shoulders, giving her daughter a few small shakes as she speaks.

Mal looks to Jane, her new roommate, Carlos’ possible soulmate, and her best means of obtaining Fairy Godmother’s wand. Jane, for her part, doesn’t avert her eyes as Mal stares her down. She gets the impression Jane is studying her just as much as Mal is. Normally, such a revelation would bother Mal, but it only makes Jane all the more intriguing.

Mal has never met another fey before; half or full. Her brother doesn’t count; they’re twins after all, just two halves of the same whole. She can’t help but wonder how much Jane has in common with her. Is being the daughter of a powerful Fey just as burdensome in Auradon as it is on the Isle of the Lost? Is the shadow Fairy Godmother casts just as consuming as her own mother’s?

Is Jane torn between honoring her mother’s legacy and keeping her dad’s wishes intact?

“Oh, this is so exciting! I can’t wait to meet my roommate!” Evie squeals, twirling in place.

“Now that’s the spirit.” Fairy Godmother shouts. She clears her throat, “Onto the next location, we’ll return here after the tour’s over.”

Fairy Godmother leaves the dorm’s lounge with Jane hot on her heels. Mal and her fellow VKs give each other a look of annoyance. Auradon Prep is proving to be just as exhausting as Mal thought. At least her roommate isn’t some prissy little princess. The only princess Mal likes is Evie.

“This might just be the worst day of my life.” Ack mumbles under his breath before following after their tour guide.

The seven of them trail after Malachite. Fairy Godmother and Jane are already waiting by the second door. Upon their arrival, the elder Fey opens the door revealing another hallway with rows and rows of rooms. All eight of them peer down the hall, eyeing the walls. There are posters and artwork hung all over and what appears to be several empty bulletin boards.

“Here are where many of your classes will be held. If you join any clubs, chances are, their meetings will be held within one of these rooms. Also, as Juniors, you’re able to choose two elective classes. To ensure your Isle upbringings won’t deter your acclamation into Auradonian society, all eight of you have been given the elective class of Remedial Goodness 101!”

“Let me guess, new class?” Mal asks Jane. It’s the first thing she’s said to the fey since their introduction.

Jane, for her part, cracks a small smile. “It is, but all of you can still choose one more elective. Auradon Prep actually has a huge list to choose from, so you’ll probably find something you all enjoy.”

“Do we have to pick now, or is there a deadline we should know about? Oh, do we tell you or our Dorm Head?” Carlos begins rattling off question after question. “Can we look at the list after the tour? Is there one copy or can we each get our own?”

“You can tell either myself or your respective Dorm Heads. You’ll have until two weeks before the school year starts to pick and you’ll each get your own copy to peruse on a later date.” Fairy Godmother says as she closes the door. “Lastly, both sets of stairs lead up to the library and the classroom where Remedial Goodness 101 will be held. Any other questions?”

“I have one.” Gil says, “When do we get to eat?”

“Excellent question!” Fairy Godmother begins walking back down the stairs.

All eight of them eagerly follow. Every Isle kid knows the most important resource you need to survive is food. The adults get the best pick of the Isle’s supply. They hoard it in places the VKs and rodents can’t access. What little scraps remain are fought over like gold. If they can control Auradon Prep’s food, then they will hold all the power.

“The cafeteria is opened for three intervals. You can eat as much as you want or return as many times as you please during those times. Breakfast is between six am to nine am, lunch from eleven to three and dinner from five pm to eight pm.”

They follow Fairy Godmother through the left hallway from earlier. There are rows and rows of lockers. A few rooms on either side of the hall break up the locker rows. The hallway splits down into two directions. Fairy Godmother turns right, and they all walk after her.

“If you wish to eat after the cafeteria has closed, you may use the kitchen, but our only rule is that you clean any messes you make or dishes you used.”

They pass several more rooms before arriving at an open archway. The room is big enough to feed the whole Isle. There are huge benches all across the space and several huge wall-to-floor windows with a perfect view of what Mal assumes is the courtyard. Apart from the tables, the only other furniture in the room appears to be for serving and storing food. Right now, they’re empty; the same can’t be said for the cafeteria as a whole.

“Fuck, it’s a trap.” Malachite whispers.

Standing around the room are several Auradonian guards and two people, a man and a woman, not in any recognizable uniform. The man is tall, has buzzed black hair, and is dark skinned. He’s dressed in the same shade of blue and yellow as the banners outside. The woman is dressed in darker colors, a long blue dress with sleeves to her elbows, fancy flat shoes, a single long glove worn only on her right hand.

The bags Mal and her crew arrived with have been placed atop one of the benches alongside four other bags. She assumes they’re for her brother and the Sea Three since she recognizes one of the bags from her dad’s closet.

A guard steps forward; his armor is just as golden as his hair and the blue of his cape matches his eyes. He appears different from the rest of the guards, similar in a way to the captain that brought the eight of them here.

“Good afternoon, my name is Captain Phoebus de Châteaupers, head of the royal guard.” Fuck, this is a trap. “In accordance with the Royal Proclamation passed by Prince Ben the eight of you have been giving a chance to prove yourselves as law abiding citizens of Auradon.”

Mal looks over at her friends. A silent command to be prepared to fight flickers in her eyes. Jay gives her a small nod and steps closer to her side. Harry and Gil slowly move over to block Carlos and Evie from view. If Auradon wants a fight, the eight of them will fight till their last breath.

“The eight of you need to be searched and you need to hand over all weapons on your person. Your bags”, he gestures to the bench where their bags lay, “were searched earlier, were cleared, and can be returned to the eight of you.”

“Just to be clear, you confirm the eight of us don’t have anything dangerous and then we’re free to go?” Jay questions, arms crossed over his chest.

“That’s correct. Now, does anyone want to go first?” Phoebus asks.

Not one to sit back and wait, Malachite steps forward. Phoebus nods approvingly, signaling for two guards to step forward. Her brother stops in front of the two guards. Carefully, Malachite removes his guitar case and places it on the bench. He removes his jacket and hands it off to one of the guards.

“Please deposit any weapons onto the bench in front of you.”

One guard opens the guitar case, checking the lining and the guitar itself for anything amiss. The other guard checks out Ack’s jacket. The only thing of note either of them find are writing quills. With a smirk, her brother reaches down to the front of his left boot and removes a switchblade. He chucks it onto the table.

“Can I go now?”  

The guards hands back Ack’s jacket, which he slips back on. The same guard removes a large rectangular device. He waves it across Ack’s body as it trills noisily. After Malachite’s whole body has been scanned, the guard nods.

“We’ll send you back to the dorms in pairs of two.” Says the man not in armor as he beckons Malachite to his side.

Mal watches as Harry and Jay silently argue which of them will go next. It’s mostly done with glares and through wiggling their eyebrows. Before either of them can finish their argument, Gil steps forward. He carefully removes several daggers from his person, a few of which Mal wasn’t aware he possessed.

After the rectangle passes by Gil in much the same way it did Malachite, the guards allow Gil to pass. Phoebus hands Gil and Malachite their bags from the table and the nonuniformed man leads them out of the room. Gil waves as he exits and Malachite snarls at Harry and Jay.

Gross, she hates it when Ack flirts in front of her.

Evie skips over. She hums to herself as she removes her crown and small handbag, placing them carefully on top of the bench. As the guard rifles through her bag, she removes her knives and daggers. One of the guards whistles as Evie’s fifteenth and final knife is handed over. Evie stands perfectly still as she’s scanned. Once cleared, her magic mirror still safely kept in her purse, Evie collects her luggage with a curtsey.

Uma wastes no time, haphazardly dropping knife after knife. The guards only reach for their weapons once, and only when Uma pulls out a pistol from her boot. She gives Phoebus a flat stare as she carefully places the gun on the table. The guard scanning her flinches, but nothing is detected, and Uma is cleared to retrieve her bag. The lady leads Evie and Uma away just as the man returns.

Carlos walks over to Mal. She ruffles his hair and places her arm around his shoulders. Her message is clear; she’ll leave when he does. He smiles gratefully up at Mal, and clings to her side. Jay shoves Harry to the floor and darts over to the guards. He drops two small daggers and holds his hands out, waiting to be scanned. 

Harry flips Jay off as her thief collects his stuff. Harry places several small knives onto the table. He gives the guard one of his more seductive looks before tossing his hook onto the table. Several guards gasp aloud as they realize the signature hook hid a very much still attached hand. With a sigh, the guard scans Harry but this time the thing beeps as it scans Harry’s waist.

“Oh oops!” Harry taunts as he removes the revolver tucked inside his crotch. “Silly me.”

Mal watches as Carlos studies the device with renewed interest. She may have no idea how the machine functions, but Mal has no doubt Carlos will figure it out. She turns her focus back onto Jay, who’s collecting his own bag from Phoebus. All Mal can do is hope her mom’s spell book passed their inspection. Or pray her dad’s ember doesn’t set off the device.

Harry saunters over to collect his bag. He swings it into Jay’s shoulder as he lifts it up. Jay tenses, jaw clenching hard as he grits his teeth. Harry stares him down, as if daring Jay to challenge him in front of all these guards. It’s practically a declaration of love as far as Isle flirtations go.

“Get a room.” Carlos whispers for Mal’s ears only.

“Alright you two, save it for the Tourney Field.” The man, most likely Coach Jenkins, says as he steps between Harry and Jay.

Neither of the boys break eye contact but Harry mouths the words ‘tourney field?’ to Jay who only shrugs in response. Both boys stop their flirtations long enough to follow Jenkins back to the dorms. Mal has no doubt they’ll resume their flirting, especially once they’re reunited with Malachite.

Carlos turns to Mal; head tilted towards the two guards. She ponders for a moment whether she wants to go first or let Carlos. Ultimately, she decides to go last; Mal knows exactly how many weapons Carlos De Vil carries on his person. She smiles, using a grin that most resembles a cat who’s caught a fat mouse. Phoebus eyes her warily as if sensing her rising amusement. Jane gives her a curious look; her eyes darting between Mal and Carlos.  

If the guards weren’t scared before they will be now.

Carlos shrinks into himself as he walks towards the guards. He avoids their glances and distances himself to prevent any accidental touching. He turns back to Mal, resembling a scared frightened child more so than a fearsome villain. His eyes gleaming in anticipation are the only hint of his ruse. Mal gives Carlos a nod. The guards tense, fearing the worst.

Let the games commence…

With a speed only years of living on the Isle can curate, Carlos deposits two guns onto the bench top. Before either guard can react, her youngest crew member is pulling two more pistols from where they’re hidden in his waistband. He leans down, removing the last of his guns, a tiny little thing, from where it’s strapped to his right ankle.

The guard moves to begin scanning Carlos, but he waves the man off. Despite herself, Mal laughs aloud. Swift fingers dart into his sleeves, removing six little throwing daggers from each arm. He pats down his pants, nimble hands removing several more knives. Jane makes a noise, something between a whine and a scream as Carlos continues putting down blade after blade.

It’s only when his pile is triple what everyone else’s is that Carlos finally stops. He looks over his weapon pile, counting each weapon before nodding to the guards. “That should be all of them.”

“Should?” Phoebus asks in a huff, but Mal gets the impression he’s more amused than scared.

“I’m always off by a blade or two. They’re harder to keep track of then the guns.” He answers with a shrug.

The guard scans Carlos from a small distance. Nothing beeps until it reaches his left pants pocket. The guard looks up to Carlos, slight fear evident on his face; Carlos looks down at the machine deep in though.

“Oh right, that.” Carlos mutters, pulling a small handheld device from his pockets.

“What is it?” The guard not scanning Carlos asks.

“My sleep inducer.” Carlos says as he flips the switch.

The sound of crackling is heard, and a small bit of lightning is visible from the end of Carlos’ device. The lady, who’s probably her Dorm Head, Cassandra of Corona, cackles.

“You made a taser! He made a taser!” She wipes her eyes as her laughter finally subsides. “I can’t wait to tell Varian.”

The rest of his scan continues without incident. Carlos gives Mal a small smile, eyes glimmering in satisfaction. Mal nods, her amusement evident; Carlos went above and beyond. Her message is clear; there’s a reason her crew only has four members. Auradon may think they hold all the power but even Mal’s weakest member is superior to anything they have here.

Mal steps forward; graceful as a Fey and as powerful as a God. She reaches into her jacket and removes the only weapon she keeps on her person. It’s a sheathed knife, a gift from Malachite actually; for protection he’d said as he placed it into her hands. While Mal's crew fights a lot on the Isle, most people fear her mother's wrath enough that Mal doesn't need a multitude of weaponry to be safe. And the other adults, and even a few of the older VKs, still remember and fear her dad's wrath too. 

“Will I ever get this back.” Mal asks Phoebus.

He studies her face and then the weapon held protectively in her hands. “That depends on your conduct within Auradon Prep and why you want it back.”

She ponders for a moment about how much she wants to reveal. She’s already tipped her hand a little; they know she values this specific weapon. Damn. “It was a gift.”

“We’ll see.” Is all the captain replies but there’s no hint of cruelty within his words.

She nods, gently placing the knife next to the other piles of weapons. She commits the design to memory; a black background with a purple shimmering dragon breathing green fire. Mal has no idea how long Malachite spent painting the sheath, but she always appreciated his efforts. She waits patiently for the guards to clear her.

She hoists her bag onto her shoulders. Carlos lugs his own bag as he walks over. Cassandra walks over eyeing them both. “Ready?”

Both teens nod. They follow her back through the same hallway they used to get there. Jane trailing after them as Fairy Godmother stays behind to talk with Phoebus. No doubt they’re discussing the eight of them and the weaponry they possessed without their knowledge.

“I am Cassandra, the female Dorm Head. There are a few ground rules we need to go over.” Cassandra says as they reenter the entrance hall. “Firstly, all students must return to their rooms by nine o’clock at night.”

“We have a curfew?” Mal groans.

“It’s for everyone but you don’t get in trouble if you’re not back in time as long as you’re not outside or in the gym or pool.” Jane supplies.

Mal files that information away for later use. She has no doubt if the wand isn’t in Fairy Godmother’s office, then it’ll be somewhere nearby outside of the school. If she, or any of the others are caught sneaking around all they need to do is lie about their destination and avoid certain rooms. That's easy enough to remember. 

“After nine o’clock, students are not allowed, unless previously approved, to be in dorm rooms that are not their own. Lastly, if anyone, and I mean anyone, gives you a hard time, tell me. I’ll handle it.” She turns to look Carlos and Mal in the eyes. “Any questions?”

“Can we eat once we’re done unpacking?” Carlos asks.

“Yes, Phoebus and his guards will be done by then. Fairy Godmother wanted to give you all some time to unwind before eating.”

They enter the dorm lounge without any more talking. The only occupant waiting is Coach Jenkins. He turns, eyes landing on Carlos and smiles. He beckons Carlos over, but Carlos turns to Mal, waiting for her approval before departing.

“Tell the others to wait for us here if you find them first. We’ll eat together when we’re all done.” Carlos nods and heads over to his Dorm Head.

“Come on, I’ll take you to our room.” Jane offers Mal her hand. She takes it, trusting her fellow fey to lead her.

*

The room Mal will be sharing with Jane is beyond the door labeled ‘11’ on the left side. The door before hers and the door after hers are also open. Jane shuffles into their room, flopping onto the bed on the right side of the room. A quick glance of their shared space reveals several trinkets decorating the right half and a mostly barren left side.

Everything, and Mal means everything, is frilly and pink.

“This place is so amazing!” Evie beams as she exits from the room before Mal’s dorm.

Mal scrunches her nose in disgust but bites back a mean comment for Evie’s sake. She knows this is everything her best friend has ever wanted. For now, at least until the eight of them decide on what plan to follow, she’ll let Evie enjoy every pink frilly thing Auradon has to offer, even if it makes her skin crawl.

“About time you joined us.” Uma says as she exits the door labeled ‘13’. “Where’s little miss godmother?” She whispers.

Mal gestures her head past her door, to where Jane sits patiently waiting for Mal to enter. “Our Dorm Head says there’ll be food soon so us, the boys, dinner after unpacking.” Mal says loud enough for the boys to hear. Their doors aren’t open at all and Mal isn’t quite sure which rooms they’re in.

“Oh perfect! I’ll finish up now.” Evie darts back into her room. Mal peers inside and sees Evie’s things strewn all over the right bed and dresser.

“I’m guessing your mom has a plan?” Uma whispers, mindful of Jane’s presence.

“Oh yeah, big plans but later.” Mal moves closer to the sea witch. “But I’ll run it by you before doing anything. You know my mother only looks out for herself.” Even if Mal knows her words are true saying them aloud still feels wrong.

Uma snorts, “That’s an understatement. After dinner and after we ditch baby blue.”

Mal nods. Uma turns back into her own room. With a shake of her head and a long heavy sigh, Mal enters her pink home away from home. She drops her bag onto her new bed and flops down beside it. She stares at Jane who offers her a weak, shy smile.

“I can move sides if you want.” Jane mumbles, eyes nervously darting between Mal and the rest of the room.

“I prefer this side. Did you move in earlier today?” Mal asks more out of idle curiosity, then for the sake of intel gathering.

“Oh, this morning. Mom said I could move in at the start of the school year like everyone else, but I thought…” She babbles excitedly before trailing off suddenly. “I wanted to meet you.” She whispers so quietly, Mal thinks she may have imagined it.

Mal leaves Jane to sort out her inner turmoil; it’s the least she can do. Once Jane has put herself back together, once she’s deemed herself to be presentable again, Mal will talk more with her. On the Isle, someone like Jane usually doesn’t last long unless they have someone stronger backing them up. Gil, for example, has both Uma and Harry and Carlos has Mal, Jay and Evie.

But who does Jane have? Does her mother’s legacy ensure her safety in the same way her dad’s protects Malachite? Maybe that’s why Jane adores that princely fellow so much; he uses his power as ruler of Auradon to ensure Jane’s safety.

Mal shakes the thoughts away; she can figure out the power structure of Auradon Prep later. She unzips her bag and begins sorting her clothes into her new dresser. It’s bigger than anything she’s had on the Isle and all her outfits barely fill the thing. At least Evie will have fun making new outfits to fill the space.

After her clothes, Mal begins organizing her art supplies. Her small pack of pencils remain but the little blades she uses to sharpen them are gone. Typical Auradon, taking away all her most useful tools. She growls, then huffs, but leaves the pack leaning against her lamp on her nightstand. The only things left in her bag are her art books and her mom’s spell book, if it wasn't confiscated.

And dad’s ember but that beauty is going straight to Malachite.

She’s almost afraid to look for the spell book. Mal doesn’t know what she’ll do if it’s gone- or what mother will do to her if she loses it so soon. She pulls out four books and sighs in relief; Mal only has three art books, the fourth is the spell book. With a smirk, Mal stacks the four books neatly beside her lamp; leaving the spell book as the second to last book. If anyone looks through the stack, they’ll think it’s just a collection of her artwork and nothing more.

Mal admires her side of the room. All her stuff is neatly in its proper place. The bed sheets and the curtains need to go; they’re much too princessy for her taste. Hopefully Jane can be convinced of that too. Mal doesn’t know what she’ll do if she has to spent the rest of her time here surrounded by all this pink.

“Join us for dinner.” Mal all but demands.

Jane lights up. “Really! I mean yes!” She darts up, squealing. It reminds Mal of Evie. “Thank you for inviting me.”

They make their way back to the dorm lounge. Upon arriving, it’s clear they’re the last ones to arrive. Jay and Harry are pestering Malachite who’s perusing one of the bookshelves. Uma and Gil are chatting amongst themselves. Carlos holds up a mirror for Evie as she reapplies her lipstick.

“Oh joy, you’re…” Malachite’s voice sputters out once he spots Jane. “Picking up a stray, Mali?”

Only years of experience stop Mal from reacting to his teasing. Little brothers, always so ready to tease every choice she makes. “Good, you’re all here.” She doesn’t wait for a response and leaves for the cafeteria.

As predicted, everyone follows her without commenting or complaining.

Surprisingly, it’s Jane who takes the lead. Mal remembers how to get back there; every Isle kid needs a good sense of direction, but following Jane allows her to take in more of her environment. She spots things she didn’t notice the first time through, artwork from other students, lists of clubs and activities, and pictures from past school events.

She spots a younger version of Jane in a few of them, always next to the same group of kids; two boys and a girl. There’s something familiar about the other girl, something Mal can’t quite place, but she’s definitely a princess. Her dresses are all pink, and her curled brown hair is never out of place. The boys are always in some type of sports gear or what appears to be a school uniform. The blonde one looks sadder with each passing year as the other looks more exhausted as he grows.

Mal files it away for a later date.

The smell of food wafts past them. Harry and Jay take off, running towards the source at alarming speeds. Mal finds herself picking up her pace once the boys are out of sight. Her stomach rumbles hungrily; the chocolates were the only thing she’d eaten today.  

“Oh Fates.” Malachite exclaims quietly; eyes focused on the sight before him.

Mal can’t blame him, the sight before them is breathtaking. Never in all her life has Mal ever seen so much food; and not all of the stations are in use. Only three of the stations are open; there’s salad with vegetables so fresh they might as well be covered in dirt, steaming hot soup, and some type of circular bread and meat.

“What is this?” Harry exclaims, holding one of the rounded meats to his face.

“Oh, that’s a burger.” Jane answers. Upon their confused looks she adds, “it’s beef. Cow.”

They all gasp and nod in understanding. Harry and Jay begin crafting their perfect burgers, creating something monstrous in the process. Evie and Malachite raid the salad bar, debating with each other which toppings to use. Mal joins Uma and Gil by the soup section as Carlos joins Harry and Jay.

The soup itself is yellowish in color, thick and creamy, with chunks of some kind of green vegetable scattered amongst it. It smells divine; Mal’s stomach rumbles with every hint of spice she smells. She pours a large amount into a bowl, nearly overflowing it as she does so. Just holding the bowl warms her hands; it’s a feeling none of the Isle’s food has every truly done before.

With warm soup obtained and small bits of bread, Mal, Uma, and Gil claim one of the bigger tables for their group. Carlos returns next, with two burgers as Malachite and Evie arrive with their salads. Harry and Jay have four plates between them; each packed fully with food. Jane is the last to return, with a small salad and a serving of soup.  

They begin eating immediately; Jane’s the only one not devouring her plate.

“So, when exactly does everyone else get here. Coach said it would be the Friday before classes start but never really mentioned a date.” Malachite asks as he skewers a piece of lettuce.

“Oh, classes start the seventeenth of August so everyone else should start arriving on the fourteenth.” Jane answers.

“Um, what day is today?” Gil asks.

They all look at Jane. While they all know how calendar works, the Isle of the Lost operates on its own system. They all know the order of months, how many days each one has, and the proper order of the days of the week. But keeping track of time is hard and after a while everyone just sort of stopped. Nowadays, they mainly use seasonal weather patterns to keep track of time and operating by their own Isle system.

“Today? That would be the first of June.”

“Oh okay, two and a half months isn’t too bad.” Jay says before shoving another burger down his throat.

Jane looks between the eight of them, concern and disbelief evident all across her features. She doesn’t ask for clarification or press for more details; Jane just continues her meal as if nothing has changed. Mal doesn’t know if that makes her like Jane more or less.

*

With full bellies and their hunger satisfied, the group of nine make their way back to their respective rooms. The sun is barely visible from the trees and soon it’ll have completely set. It’s hard to think they’ve been in Auradon for half a day already. Upon entering their shared lounge no one makes a break for their rooms. Jane watches them carefully, her body halfway through the archway.

Sleeping is a dangerous thing on the Isle. It’s when you’re most vulnerable. To combat this danger many gangs sleep in shifts; to ensure that there’s always someone watching your back or your stash. The truth of the matter is none of them have slept alone in over a decade.

“Oh good, you’re all back in time for curfew!” Coach Jenkins announces as he exits his office, Cassandra hot on his heels. “Well, all that’s left to do is to head off to bed.”

“Coach?” Jane asks nervously, “I was wondering if we could have a sleepover in the lounge as a way of getting to know each other better.”

“That’s a great idea.” Cassandra replies. “We’ll be right through this door if you need us. Just clean up after yourselves in the morning.”

The two Dorm Heads leave. Jane rattles off a list of things every sleepover must have, tons of blankets and pillows and snacks. It doesn’t take them long to gather everything on her list or to move some of the couches to better accommodate the nine of them. It surprises Mal just how quickly they all follow Jane's orders or how fast Jane was to give them. Mal wonders if Jane noticed their trepidation at being separated and concocted this sleepover as a ruse. If that’s true, Jane may be more like them than Mal thought.

The nine of them form a circle on the floor with their heads in the center. They spend the first hour or two listening as Jane explains how the television functions; Carlos pays the most attention. They chat about nothing of note, mainly the weather Auradon Prep usually experiences, or various club or school run activities that start up again soon. The eight of them mostly listen as Jane speaks, opting for one or two worded answers and eventually they slip into a semi-awkward silence. While Jane is distracted, Mal taps out a code. ‘Two. Morning.’ Her fellow VKs pick up on it, with Jane none the wiser. 

Mal allows herself to drift to sleep sometime after that, her crew is here to protect her, and she has a meeting to be well rested for.  

Chapter Text

Clocks, for all Harry hates them, have their uses. For instance, they make keeping track of time extremely easy, which is something any pirate wants when they have an early morning meeting to make. Sleepovers, as it turns out, also make attending secret meetings, under the noses of pesky Auradonians, so much easier.

The lounge they occupy is completely dark. There’s no windows here for the occasional stream of moonlight to breach. Harry can barely make out the shapes of his crew members in the dark. Gil, he finds mainly through his soft snoring. It’s not too loud, much more like the purring of a kitten than the loud disruptive roars of the ocean.

Jay’s curled up between Evie and Carlos. They’re tightly snuggled up in a way that makes Harry’s heart constrict. While CJ isn’t the cuddly type, Harry still finds himself missing his sister. The twins aren’t cuddled up with one another either, their new addition, Jane, blocks them. He isn’t sure what to make of her yet.  

Uma is easier to find, mostly because she’s sitting up and watching the clock. It isn’t quite time yet, but it will be in a matter of minutes. She turns to look at him as he sits up, a small smile breaks out across her face but disappears soon after.

“Shall I wake up Gil?” He whispers, cautious of Jane. He doesn’t know how light of a sleeper she is, and he doesn’t want to be the reason they’re all caught.

“Not yet.” She whispers back. “Did CJ pack your bag too?”

“Aye, left a note saying she was confiscating my room back home as payment.” He laughs lowly and full of merriment.

“I thought as much. She said she’d run our crew in my absence.”

“That’s CJ for you.”

They lapse into a comfortable silence. The only sound in the room is the ticking of the clock. Harry tries to ignore it; he can’t even see the clock in this darkness, but the noise consumes him. It builds, amplifying as if there are ten thousand clocks within the room. Every shape looming in the shadows is another clock counting down until his demise.

Uma rushes forward, quiet as a mouse. She tilts his head down. He gasps, sputtering as air fills his lungs again. Uma runs her fingers through his hair and Harry forces his mind to focus on that- on her- instead of ticking clocks. Her fingers gently brushing against his scalp, the two of them breathing in tandem, and the warmth that radiates from Uma.

She’s one of the few constants in Harry’s life. He’s followed her lead for as long as Harry can remember. He isn’t sure when he and Uma actually met, he isn’t sure if she knows for sure either, but her presence within his memories goes as far back as he can recall. It’s comforting, in a way, to know they’ve survived together despite everything the Isle of the Lost has thrown their way.

Another hand is placed upon his back. It’s Gil’s; Harry can tell by the callouses on his hand. They all have them, the callouses, but Gil’s are higher on his palm from years of pulling and tying ropes. Harry’s dad has similar ones from all his years of sailing.

Harry has no doubt he has similar callouses on his own hands or that CJ will have them too.

Gil’s palm rubs his back reassuringly. Harry clammers to grab them both, his Captain and their left hand, desperate for the comfort their presence brings. He selfishly wants more; wants Malachite and Jay and the extra warmth they bring him. He wants his sister CJ, wants to pull her close and never let go and to laugh as she complains with a wide smile on her face.

And there’s a part of Harry that wants his dad; to be comforted by the only parent he remembers, to be held safely in his dad’s arms, to be…

“Everything alright?” Mal asks, her voice quiet and her tone chalked full of concern.

From her left, with a peacefully sleeping Jane in between, Malachite begins to rise. Harry’s demigod reaches out into the dark, patting the floor in search of his signature shades but comes up emptyhanded. Carlos shuffles from his spot, Evie rubs her eyes sleepily, and Jay just lies there with eyes wide open.

Uma looks down at him and Harry finds himself nodding without truly thinking it over. “Yes,” Uma replies, “We’re good.”

“Come on, let’s talk somewhere more… private.” Mal smirks, leading their group over to the dorm rooms.

They don’t walk far before Mal’s pulling open a door marked with an 11. She pulls the curtains open, allowing the soft glow of the moon to enter the room. It’s so much brighter than the moonlight they get on the Isle. Harry can’t help but laugh as he runs his fingers through the moonbeams. Uma clears her throat and motions for Mal to start talking. Harry turns away from the window; his Captain needs him to focus.

“I’ll cut right to the chase. My mom wants the four of us to steal Fairy Godmother’s wand and destroy the barrier around the Isle.” Mal says.

No one says anything. Evie, Jay, and Carlos refuse to make eye contact with the rest of them. Uma sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose. Gil stands there, mouth agape and Harry finds himself mimicking his friend. And Malachite, his precious demigod, stands rigidly in place. Anger burns in his exposed green eyes.

“Well, that sounds like the Mistress of Evil.” Uma mutters under her breath.

“Ack?” Mal asks, reaching out for her brother.

“Are you following that plan?” Malachite asks, not mentioning his mother in the slightest.

Maleficent is, understandably so, a sore subject for Harry’s boyfriend; actually, mothers in general tend to be a no-go subject for both his boyfriends. Maybe Harry would feel the same way if he remembered his own or if she wasn’t buried beneath the waves.

Mal pulls her arms back into herself. She swallows hard before speaking, “Dad said to be free. To be ourselves outside of their legacies.”

Malachite lights open, eyes wide and glossy with unshed tears. “You saw dad.”

Mal nods, a small smile creeps onto her face. She reaches inside her jacket and pulls out a small glowing blue rock. Harry recognizes it; he’s been around Hades enough times to know that’s his ember. Malachite reaches for it as if it’s the most important treasure he could possibly possess. Mal hands it to her twin with no hesitation.

“Dad.” Malachite whispers reverently as he holds the ember to his heart.

“We can all agree that releasing most of our parents is a bad idea.” Uma begins, her eyes drifting over to Gil. “But there are two factors we need to consider.”

Everyone pulls their focus back to Uma. “Firstly, even if we don’t steal the wand, the next batch of VKs may come over with similar plans. I doubt that Fey’s wand is the only magical item capable of freeing the Isle.”

“Uma’s right. Sooner or later, our fellow VKs may follow us over and finish whatever plans their parents make. Then our parents will know that we chose to disobey them, and they’ll punish us.” Evie adds on.

“Secondly, we have no idea if these Auradonians will hold up their end of this arrangement. They can send us back at any moment and for any reason they wish. If they suspect we have ill intentions, then we ruin this chance for all the VKs who are still innocent children.” Uma finishes.

“Uma’s right. We can’t just blindly follow our parents here, but we also can’t just throw away the future of every kid on the Isle. Auradon already did that to them. We can’t sit back idly and hope Auradon doesn’t stab us in the back. They’ve never looked out for us before.” Jay says, nearly shouting.

“So, we steal the wand for us.” Malachite says. He clutches the ember tightly in his hand and continues. “We steal the wand and any other magical objects that could break the barrier, and we use them to free the children of the Isle if needed.”

“We take the good and leave the bad.” Mal says, her hand held out, in a fist, for the others.

“We take the good and leave the bad.” Uma says as she connects her fist to Mal’s.

It doesn’t take long for the others to join in, Harry included. Soon there are eight fists connected as one circle. They are the only witnesses to this decision; neither the moon nor the stars will rat them out. With one final nod their group breaks away. Mal closes the curtains, plunging the room into darkness once more. Jay’s the last one out; he’s a master at closing doors quietly.

They slowly make their way back to the lounge and Jane. Quietly, they shuffle back into their previous positions. Jane doesn’t stir, her breaths still even, and neither of their Dorm Heads poke out to check up on them.

Auradonians, Harry thinks, are quite the foolish bunch indeed.

**

Harry stirs awake to the sound of talking. He tenses, his eyes slowly opening. Quickly, he scans his surroundings; the coach from earlier is talking quietly with Gil, the girls are all gone, and the only person still beside him is Malachite. He shuffles a little to get a better view of his boyfriend, trying to disguise the movement as an uncurious shuffle of someone who’s still deep asleep.

He squints, taking in the sight before him. Malachite rests on his back, one arm tucked nearly behind his head. Those dammed black shades rest atop his eyes, hiding them from Harry’s view. Harry scowls before remembering he’s still pretending to be asleep. He smooths out his features again just in time to notice the quick flash of Malachite’s smirk.

Harry can’t help but smile as he fully opens his eyes. Malachite sits up, stretching as he rises. There’s a moment where Harry watches as Malachite’s limbs flex, but it’s interrupted before Harry can comment or properly enjoy the view.

“Well good morning, you two.” Jenkins says much too loudly for Harry’s liking.

“Hi guys! Jay and I were about to leave without you.” Gil cheerfully announces.

Malachite yawns, “And yet, you’re the only one here.”

Gil laughs, a dopey little smile spreads across his face. “He wanted to try out the showers. Evie said they have hot water. Can you believe it?”

Both Harry and Malachite freeze in place and Harry doesn’t need to be psychic to know what his demigod is thinking. Showers are a luxury on the Isle, but hot showers are practically unheard of. They’re something their parents talk about, a relic from their lives before the Isle of the Lost’s creation. Hot showers are something they can only dream of.

And Auradon has them… They can use them….

Malachite darts up at an alarming speed. He’s rushed through the archway before Harry can finish processing Gil’s words. Harry laughs, loud and manically, before chasing after his love. Distantly, he can hear Gil talking with the coach fellow again, but their words are lost to Harry. He needs that shower- he yearns for it.

He almost arrives at his door, the one with a 12 on it, just as the door, marked with a 10, opens. Jay walks out, nearly toppling into Harry as he does so. Harry wants to yell or shove past him but the sight in front of him is heavenly. Jay’s long hair is damp, in fact Jay’s still drying it off with some yellow towel. Jay’s skin is still glistening from the wet droplets and Harry forgets for a moment why he ever thought anything was more important than this.

“Well don’t you look ravishing this morning.” Harry purrs, his eyes trailing up and down Jay’s exposed chest. 

Jay smirks, letting the towel drying his hair rest around his shoulders. “You know we all have our own showers, right? There’s no need to race Ack for his.”

“Maybe I planned on joining him.” Harry steps closer to Jay. He runs a hand across Jay’s toned bicep. “Maybe I should have joined you.”

Jay laughs, it stirs something deep within Harry’s heart. Laughter, truly happy laughter, is another rarity on the Isle. To be the one to pull it from Jay, to be the reason his fated half is so content is worth more to Harry than any treasure he could plunder.

If they’re actually soulmates….

“Enjoy your shower Harry, I’ll be waiting with Gil when the two of you are done.”

Jay tosses the towel back into his room. He shuts his door and walks back to the longue where Gil’s waiting, pulling a sleeveless vest onto his body; one Harry failed to notice before. Harry watches him leave, tracing the droplets with his eyes as the fall down Jay’s arms. Jay’s hair and the vest blocks most of his back, and while Harry mourns the loss of that slight, he’s grateful he can still appreciate how nicely Jay’s pants hug his ass.

With a sigh, Harry enters his own room. He had claimed the left side, mostly out of habit. It’s the side that’s closest to the door and as Uma’s first mate, it’s his duty to shield his captain from danger. Uma isn’t his roommate, and Harry isn’t sure the guy’s worth protecting yet. Harry actually can’t remember who the guy is. Coach had mentioned it last night as they walked back after being searched, but Harry had other thoughts on his mind at the time.

Hopefully Jay remembers what the man said, otherwise Harry will need to wait until the start of school.

Harry grabs everything he’ll need for his shower; a set of clean clothes, his makeup, and his bandages. He decides to keep things tame today, settling for a plain white shirt, the leather band that hides his soul mark, and a pair of dark pants. He folds the clothes, resting what little bit of his makeup stash remains after years of use and the bandages on top of today’s outfits.

He rests his clothes on the counterspace beside the sink. Harry’s lucky Auradon Prep provided toiletries to them. There’s a toothbrush in blue, yellow towels just like the one Jay as using, fancy sponges, and all types of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners just waiting to be used.

He peels off yesterday’s clothing, letting them remain scattered on the floor. He wastes no time getting into the shower. The tiled floor beneath his feet is cold. Harry tries his best to remember all the little details his dad gave on how to operate showers, but the Jolly Roger mainly used tubs. Showers don’t really go well on pirate ships.

There are only two knobs to fiddle with so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. Harry twists one randomly only to jump back as freezing cold water pelts his skin. He screeches, arms flailing as he desperately tries to turn the other knob without touching the water. While Harry is no stranger to working in freezing rain, it’s different when you’re naked and expecting the warm embrace of a mythical hot shower.

Eventually, the water heats up and Harry can’t help but moan. The water is hot enough for steam to coat the walls and float through the air. He closes his eyes and stands underneath the spray of water, allowing it to wash over him. He tilts his head a little, sighing happily as the water runs through his hair.

He can understand why everyone craves showers so badly. This feeling, of the water running over his body, is the most relaxed Harry has ever felt. It’s comforting and Harry hasn’t even tried the soaps yet. He grabs the sponge, depositing a heaping glob of soap onto it. As it seeps into the sponge the whole thing froths. Harry giggles excitedly as the sponge peels layer after layer of grime off his body.

And to think Harry ever felt clean before this.

If the others weren’t waiting for Harry, he would spend the next few hours happily scrubbing away at his body until there was nothing left. He’d carefully wash every inch of hair on his head and every bit of his flesh. But Harry is on a time limit and the thought of eating another meal so soon after his last is exhilarating.

His hair can wait until a later date. For now, he’s far cleaner than anything that he could have achieved on the Isle. That will need to be enough for Auradon’s standards; as it is, this has surpassed all of Harry’s expectations. To think he’s lived his whole life without this is a sin.

The suds of soap are washed away, and Harry reluctantly shuts off the water. By Isle standards, this is the longest Harry has ever taken to get clean; by Auradonian standards he’s probably coming up short. It’s crazy to think Auradon just does this all the time whenever they feel like. To obtain this level of cleanliness would risk losing precious water needed for survival- a frivolous waste for a cleanliness that wouldn’t last an hour.

He steps out of the shower, staring wildly at how much steam there is all around him. The entire mirror is damp from the condensation and Harry finds himself thankful to be spared the image of himself before he’s fixed. Wasting no more time, Harry begins the task of drying himself off. He doesn’t know how Jay does it with all his hair, all Harry needs to do is rub a towel over his head a few times and it’s done.

With body and hair dried, Harry moves on to the next step of his routine. He grabs the bandages and begins to wrap them around his chest. Harry remembers all the warning his dad gave him when Harry first started doing this. It seemed silly, at first, how precautious his dad wanted him to be. Now, Harry is thankful his dad took the time to teach him how to properly and safely bind.

He takes a moment to ensure the bandages will hold before he starts getting dressed. There were only ever a few instances where they fell, most of which occurred when Harry was still new to binding and hadn’t perfected his technique.

Once dressed, Harry wipes a small part of the mirror dry. He doesn’t need the whole mirror, just enough to see his eyes. He applies the eyeliner first, outlining his eyes in thick, sloppy circles. Next, he grabs the eyeshadow and smears it over his eyelids. He takes his time examining the look he has achieved, a messy and wild appearance that complements his flirtatious nature.

He twists around, checking himself out to ensure the Harry Hook Auradon sees is the Harry Hook he wants to be. On the Isle, your image is everything. Actions can be outdone, words can be ignored, but no one ever forgets Harry when he walks by. He presents himself as the only son of Captain James Hook and that’s all the Isle cares about.

Harry saunters out of his dorm and goes back to where his lovers and Gil are waiting. Jay and Gil are leaning against the armrests of the larger couch while Malachite sits idly in the couch’s center. Gil looks up as Harry enters, waving happily. Malachite stands, ignoring them all as he exits, Jay hot on his heels. Harry slings one arm around Gil’s shoulders and follows his two possible soulmates towards food.

If there’s one thing Harry loves more than the two of them, it’s watching them leave. Jay’s still shirtless with a single gold colored band across his soul mark and his hair is still damp. Malachite has forgone his iconic jacket, instead choosing a nice dark blue dress shirt type thing and another one of his signature black pants. Harry recognizes the shirt’s design as one of Evie’s creations, but he’s never seen his demigod in it before.

Regardless, Evie has truly outdone herself with this one. The dark blue fabrics contrast against the lighter color of Malachite’s natural blue hair. Maybe it’s the bit of magic lingering within here or just how alive Auradon is compared to the Isle, but both Malachite and Jay seem to radiate power. It’s not quite like the glow Gil described with the transforming statue, but it feels similar.

They enter the meal hall with little fanfare. The girls and Carlos are already there, midway through their meal it seems. This time, Harry actually recognizes what they’re eating. While the pancakes before them are far fluffier than the ones on the Isle, Harry at least knows what they are. There is also an assortment of fruits mixed in some kind of white goop that only Evie seemed brave enough to try,

“Good morning, my Queen.” Malachite says softly before planting a small kiss onto the back of Mal’s head.

“You’re finally awake.” Mal points to Evie’s meal. “It’s fruits with yogurt, some kind of dairy milk-based product.”   

Malachite hums, an acknowledgement of his sister’s insight. Jay and Gil waste no time stacking their plates high with pancakes while Malachite braves the unknown flavors of yogurt. Harry is a brave soul at heart, but he’d rather eat the pancakes. His dad makes them as best he can with the Isle’s limited resources, but Harry’s heard the stories of what they’re supposed to taste like.

His dad says they taste best with something called syrup and butter. The Isle has neither of these things, but Harry has no doubts that Auradon Prep does. After all, the future heroes of Auradon receive the best life has to offer. Only villains and their children deserve their scraps.

Harry sits down at the table, his own plate stacked high with fluffy pancakes. Jay is pouring a thick, almost viscous, brownish liquid onto his own stack. Gil’s stack is already coated in the stuff and Gil greedily shoves forkful after forkful into his mouth.

“Oh, you gotta try them with the syrup.” Carlos says around a mouthful of pancakes.

Jay hands the pitcher full of syrup over to Harry. Greedily, he pours a helpful heaping onto his plate, watching intensely as the syrup falls down the stack. He swipes a bit of the syrup off the spout of pitcher. It’s sticky, far stickier than Harry expected. He places his finger into his mouth, tasting the syrup.

Maybe Harry should have done this before pouring nearly all of the stuff onto his meal. Maybe Harry shouldn’t have poured so much of the stuff in the first place. But Harry is a man who, more often than not, listens to his impulses. They’ve kept him alive this long. Well that and Uma’s sharp wits.

Luckily for Harry, the syrup is sweet. In fact, it just may be the sweetest thing Harry has ever tried. It’s a shame his demigod opted for the fruit and yogurt; Harry would have loved to watch Malachite’s face light up as he ate this. His demigod had a sweet tooth after all, as did all Fey.

If they’re going to be in Auradon for the foreseeable future, then Harry has no doubt he’ll get to witness Malachite trying syrup or any other sweet treats they can find. He stabs his stack of food, shoves the pancakes into his mouth and moans excitedly. Uma pauses mid bite to stare at him in mild disgust.

“Harry,” Uma sighs, “we’re trying to eat here.”

He tries to mumble out an apology, but his mouth is stuffed full of food. A few bits of it fly out of his mouth and onto the table. Jane looks scandalized, poor thing, as Evie passes over a napkin to Harry. He takes it, wiping down both the table and his face.

“Well, that was gross.” Malachite says in between each spoonful of his own meal.

Jane nods in agreement but a slight smile cracks out of her mouth. Mal shoves her empty plate towards the center of the table and Jane sets down her own fork. Her own plate is empty except for a few tiny pieces of pancake and little bits of unused syrup.

Once Uma is down with her meal she turns to Jane and asks, “So, does your mom have some kind of schedule for us to follow or are we free to do as we please today?”

Jane pauses, a glass held midway to her mouth. “Oh, I think she wanted the eight of to receive your physicals today.”

“Physicals?” Carlos asks nervously. “Like fighting?”

“Oh no, as in a checkup by a doctor. She just wants to ensure none of you have any untreated health complications.”

Mal frowns, her eyes hardening. “We’re perfectly fine. We don’t need this.”

Jane pouts a little at Mal’s blatant dismissal. “Then the physical will confirm that.”

“Mali, I don’t think we really have a say in the matter.” Malachite says. He looks over at Jane. “I take it this is another one of the Council’s requirements for our stay in Auradon.”

She nods, looking rather embarrassed by the admission. Harry shakes his head and continues eating. Might as well enjoy his meal before everything comes crashing down around him. He has no idea how thorough Auradon will be during this physical. Harry has no idea how they’ll react to his differences. Despite being run by the worse villains the world has ever seen, most of the Isle’s citizens are rather accepting of Harry’s preferred gender.

He's worked hard to ensure his body resembles the truth of who he is given the Isle’s lackluster resources. The Isle accepts Harry for who he is: villains care more about how you present yourself than whatever biology determines you to be. Pirates, for example, are very accepting of those who differ in any way.

 But Harry has no idea how accepting Auradon is.  

This doctor might refuse to refer to Harry as the son of Captain Hook. It’s been so long since anyone has referred to him as anything else and Harry knows he can’t go back to before. He was miserable before his visual transition. His body felt wrong, he felt wrong, and every time someone called him the daughter of Captain Hook a part of his soul died.

**

Harry can feel his nausea mounting as breakfast wraps up. While Harry’s transition is no secret amongst his crew or his potential soulmates, the rest of the Core Four doesn’t know. It’s not that Harry doesn’t trust them with the knowledge, it’s just that Harry liked having people in his life who only knew the true version of himself.

But now, as they walk back towards the entrance hall, Harry knows it’s only a matter of time before he is exposed. Uma knew from the start. She watched Harry struggle to be someone he wasn’t and was nothing but supportive as he transitioned. Gil found out by accident during a rather unfortunate bleeding through. Gil’s only reaction was to offer Harry his own jacket to hide the stain until they were back home and Harry could safely change.

Harry told Jay and Malachite. It was a gut-wrenching experience. He had no way of knowing how either man would react. Jay was raised by Jafar, and the man wasn’t known for his tolerances and Malachite tends to present himself as someone who’s coldly indifferent to those around him. They had accepted Harry for who he is, for who he was truly always supposed to be.

But that doesn’t mean Auradon, or her citizens will be.

Harry’s heart leaps into their chest as they arrive at the entrance hall. Fairy Godmother is already there waiting with two new people. A short man with graying hair and glasses and a woman with red curly hair and vividly green eyes. He swallows back bile; they both wear white coats and Harry knows they’re doctors.

“Hello children, we were just on our way to you.” Fairy Godmother exclaims. She motions to the two people standing beside her. “This is our resident doctor here at Auradon Prep, Dr. Gail Myner. And this lovely gentleman is Doc, one of the seven dwarves.”

Harry can’t see Evie’s face from where he’s standing but he can’t help but wonder if the presence of someone her mother harmed fills her with dread. Harry hasn’t had the pleasure of running into any Darlings or Lost Boys so he can’t say for sure how he’d react to meeting them.

“Jane mentioned something about physicals?” Uma says, stepping forward, slightly blocking Evie from view.

Another thing Harry hadn’t considered is how the people their parents harmed would react to them. This man, dwarf really, may be an Auradonian but that doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of wickedness. While Snow White faced most of the Evil Queen’s wrath, the seven dwarves were still harmed by her actions. As a doctor, Doc knows how to heal a body, which means he also knows the best ways to harm it too.

“Yes! Today is all about your physical health.” Fairy Godmother proclaims, hands moving wildly as she speaks. “Dr. Myner will be examining Mal, Evie and Uma while Doc is here to help speed things up by examining the boys.”

“And if we refuse?” Mal asks while examining her fingertips with a bored expression.

Fairy Godmother frowns, nose scrunching a little as she formulates a response. “As per Auradon Prep’s enrollment guidelines all students must submit an accurate health history. Seeing as the eight of you grew up on the Isle of the Lost, your medical history needed for enrollment must be created now.”

The eight of them exchange glances. A myriad of silent conversations are held. Mal finds this whole thing to be pointless. Uma and Malachite think they should suck it up and get it over with. Jay, Gil, and Evie will follow whatever their leaders decide. Only Carlos is on Harry’s side; that being this physical will be the worst mistake they could make in Auradon.

On the Isle, sharing injuries with anyone, not a part of your crew, was a dangerous gamble. One never knew when their allies would turn into enemies. Injuries were weaknesses that could be exploited. Auradon wanted them to share their injuries and reveal their secrets. This, Harry felt, was too much of a gamble.

But, in the end, the choice was Uma’s to make for him and Gil and Mal’s to decide for her own crew. Harry may not always agree with the choices Uma makes but he would never defy his Captain or her orders.

Uma looks to Harry, and he knows she’s realizing what he’s so afraid of. He’s been fixed for so many years it sometimes catches them off guard that Harry’s physical body isn’t accurate. She won’t force him to go through with this if Harry truly doesn’t want to. But that decision may bring more harm than good.

Their morning’s meeting plays over in Harry’s mind. They have a goal in mind; ensure the children of the Isle of the Lost are free. His sister, CJ, is one of those kids. If Harry makes a fuss about this, it could prevent CJ, or any of the other children, from being brought over. But, on the other hand, if Harry had to spend an indefinite amount of time being referred to as the wrong gender… well Auradon will see just how crazy a Hook could really be.

“Fine, we’ll do your damn physicals but if either of you cross any lines, “Uma crosses her arms over her chest, “well, you can’t blame us for defending ourselves.”

Fairy Godmother opens her mouth to speak, but Dr. Myner interrupts her. “If at any time the eight of you feel we’re being too invasive we can stop. The purpose of this physical is to ensure the eight of you are healthy and to treat what’s not.”

“Well said, Gail.” Doc says. “This is to ensure the eight of you receive the same level of care as any teenager in Auradon. But we can stop at any point if it’s too much.”

“Let’s just get this over with.” Mal sighs, pushing past the three Auradonians and into the faculty hall.

Fairy Godmother gestures for the rest of their group to follow. Mal didn’t venture too far into the hall and slips back into their group as they pass but their destination isn’t too deep inside. Fairy Godmother leads them into the first door on the right. It’s a fairly small room, by Auradonian standards, with several comfy chairs and posters on health and positivity hanging on the walls. There’s a large desk on the left side of the room, with a nameplate for Dr. Myner, and three coats with separators between them on the backhand wall.

There are two doors behind the desk and another on the opposite wall. The doors behind the desk are labelled one and two while the opposite door has a sigh that says lav. Harry has a feeling that the eight of them are about to be separated. Jane, it seems, didn’t follow them here.

That discovery does nothing to alleviate Harry’s growing nerves.  

“This is my main room of operation.” Dr. Myner says. “For today, we’ll do your examinations in the private spaces to your left. The door on the right is a bathroom. You’re all free to use it while you wait.”

Doc clears his throat, “We’ll do this in alphabetical order.” Faintly Harry hears Malachite swear under his breath. That’s what he gets for using Achite as his preferred name. “You don’t have to stay here while you wait but if you do wander off, please stay nearby.”

“Well, I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.” Fairy Godmother says cheerfully before exiting.

Dr. Myner looks over their assembled group. “Unless you have any questions, we’ll begin now.”

Carlos raises a hand, “Will it be public knowledge? Ah, our health information?”

Doc adjusts his glasses. “No, the information will stay between us unless you have a medical emergency and another doctor needs access or if you approve of a medical proxy. The Council won’t see any of it unless you want them to.”

“Why would we want the Council to see our medical data?” Malachite says harshly.

Dr. Myner replies, “There are some people here in Auradon who may not understand the harsh reality of living on the Isle. By opting to share your medical records, it could be seen as evidence to the contrary. But that isn’t a choice you need to make now nor is it something you must feel obligated to do. It’s merely an option to consider.”

“And, before you ask, a medical proxy is someone who has access to your medical records and can make decisions for you if you are unconscious or unavailable. Medically speaking all eight of you should be old enough to make those choices yourself but legally speaking, you’re still children.” Doc tacks on.

“Do we need one of those now?” Evie asks, eyes adverted from Doc.

He eyes Evie warily or sadly, Harry can’t really tell, before replying. “Not yet but none of you are legally adults yet so if you wish for an adult to help you or make medical decisions for you, just ask Fairy Godmother and one will be provided.”

“Anything else?” Dr. Myner asks. The eight of them remain silent. “Feel free to ask if you think of any more questions and don’t be afraid to speak to us privately later on if needed.”

“Alright, up first we have Achite and Evie.”

Dr. Myner leads Evie into the room marked with a 1 as Doc and Achite enters room 2. Both doors shut with a click. None of them sit down; the six of them stand rigidly, listening for any hint of distress from their friends. Harry can feel his terror mounting; the sound of ticking clocks intensifies.

First Auradon took all their weapons, leaving the eight of them defenseless and now they’re being separated. On the Isle, this would be a death sentence, but in Auradon their fates are completely unknown.

“Hey, breathe with me, okay?” Jay’s voice whispers over the sounds of clockwork.

Warm hands rub up and down his arms, spreading heat all across his body. Harry focuses on Jay; on the way his chest puffs up and the way his abs probably expand and deflate with every breath underneath the vest. Harry places his own hand atop Jay’s heart and rests his head in the crook of Jay’s neck. He breathes in the scent of him, something floral that just screams Auradon. He laughs a little, feeling off kilter and dizzy with fright.

Jay doesn’t say anything else; he just wraps his arms around Harry and pulls him in closer. Jay rests his chin in Harry’s hair. He allows himself to get lost in the moment, something he’d never do on the Isle of the Lost. He tries not to think about how Malachite’s warmth is missing. But the ticking sounds decrease until they’re nonexistent once more.

Harry pulls out of Jay’s embrace, smiling a little at Jay’s proud beaming smile. His djinn is a protector at heart; it’s something Jafar would never understand. “Thank you, love. I needed that.”

Harry is thankful his friends are kind enough not to comment on his little episode. It seems like they’ve been getting worse. He’s had two today; a feat that hasn’t happened for quite some time. Uma and Malachite did say trouble was brewing on the Isle, who could have guessed it followed the eight of them to Auradon.

A clicking sound is heard moments before the second door burst open. Malachite stomps out angrily, spouting off in Greek as he storms out of the room. Mal turns to follow him out but then the first door opens again. Evie exits, looking a little pale but not as unnerved as Malachite, and eyes them all curiously before sitting down.

Dr. Myner motions to Mal, beckoning her inside and Doc calls out Carlos’ name. Carlos looks back at Evie, his eyes blown wide in fear. Evie, for her part, only smiles brightly at him. The boy nods before following Doc into the room with a click. Mal huffs, turning to follow Dr. Myner into the room. Before the door shuts, Mal stares Harry down and tilts her head towards the exit.

After the door clicks, Evie asks, “What happened? Where did Achite go?”

“You just missed him leaving in blaze of fury.” Uma says, eyeing the exit. “We’re lucky he didn’t burst into literal flames.”

“We’ll go after him, seeing as dear Gil here is next up.” Harry says as he pulls Jay after him.

Jay allows Harry to pull him away with little complaints. They find Malachite in the entrance hall; it seems their demigod didn’t wander too far after all. His back is towards them both, but even from here, Harry can see his body shaking as he breathes. Malachite’s hands clench the stair’s railing, and his forehead rests on top of wood.

“Love?” Harry calls out, his eyes darting around the room for any lurking baby godmothers.

Malachite’s head rises. He turns to face them with a small, pained smile to greet them. He lets go of the railing, reaching out for Jay and Harry. Neither of them is cruel enough to deny Malachite their comfort. The three of them end up resting on the floor, leaning against the first two stairs.

“What happened?” Jay asks, carefully running his fingers through Malachite’s hair.

Their demigod shakes his head. “It’s so stupid. I don’t know why I’m so…” He clenches his jaw before exhaling. “Everything was going fine until he asked me to take them off.” He gestures to his shades. 

“You stormed out of that room because a doctor wanted to see your eyes?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“Well, when you say it like that it sounds ridiculous.” Malachite says his tone biting. With a sigh, Malachite continues, “I know it’s ridiculous. I just… I panicked.”

“Panicked?” Jay leans closer to Malachite. “It’s not like you to panic.”

Malachite sighs, resting the back of his head against the steps. “What if he figures it out and tells the Council and it gets back to her.” Malachite shudders. “She’ll kill dad if anyone here finds out.”

“If isn’t a guarantee, My Achite. Even if Auradon discovers your mom’s identity, it doesn’t mean she’ll be aware of it.” Harry counters.

“That’s not a risk I’m willing to take. My dad gave up everything to keep me safe, the least I can do is harbor this secret to protect him.”

“And you can count on both of us to help you.” Jay says. “Now let’s head back before Mal’s physical is finished.”

“Crap, I really freaked her out, huh?”

Both Jay and Harry reply in perfect sync with, “Yeah, no shit.”

The three of them laugh at that; Jay leaning against the railing, Harry falling to the floor, and Malachite sinking deeper into the steps. They each take a moment to catch their breath before rising. It’s Jay that pulls them both to their feet. Before they return, Malachite runs his fingers through his hair.

It’s far messier than anything Harry has seen his demigod showcase on the Isle. While Malachite’s hair doesn’t quite reach the same height as Hades’ hair, for whatever reason it’s no longer styled up today. The short strands of hair cover the sides of Malachite’s forehead like badly cut banges.

“Your hair’s down.” Harry says in surprise. Malachite’s hair hasn’t been down since they were kids. He’s surprised he’s only just now noticing.

“Well, Harry, I felt adding flammable substances to my possibly flaming hair to be a bad idea.”

“That’s fair.”

The walk back to the doctor’s office is short. Evie’s sitting down, nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress. Gil sits beside Evie, rubbing her back; they’re not talking but Harry gets the impression their conversation just wrapped up. Uma paces anxiously around the room. All three of their heads lock onto them as they enter.

“Feeling better?” Evie asks Malachite.

He nods, choosing to sit on the other side of Evie rather than speak. Jay nabs the spot next to Gil, bumping shoulders with Harry’s fellow pirate as he does so. Harry leaves the four of them in favor of walking over to Uma. She nudges him to one of the cots and the two of them choose to sit down there.

“How’s Achite?” She mumbles lowly.

“It seems Doc got a little too close to his eyes. You know how Ack gets whenever she’s brought up.”

Uma hums in acknowledgement. “Can’t say that I blame him.”

One of the doors clicks open and Mal steps out. She looks far more annoyed than she had been before entering. Her eyes instantly snap over to Malachite, and she brightens up. Uma gives Harry a reassuring pat before walking into the room. The door clicks shut once more.

“Hey Mali.” Malachite says sheepishly.

Mal doesn’t dignify her brother with a response. Instead, she pulls him out of his seat and drags him out of the room entirely. Harry, and the rest of their group, lean over trying to catch another glimpse of the twins but Mal’s moved them out of sight. Even the sound of Malachite grumbling fades away.

“I do not want to be Ack right now.” Jay jokes as he sinks back into his chair. Evie nods and Gil winces, both in agreement.

“Shouldn’t Carlos be back by now?” Evie asks. She’s still nervously fiddling with her dress.

Harry slinks back to the second examination room. He cups one hand around his ear and rests it against the door. He tries to pick up any hint of words, but the voices are muffled too much for Harry to hear. He pulls back with a shake of his head.

“Sorry, princess, it seems these Auradonians know how to soundproof a room.” Harry says as he fills Malachite’s previous seat.

Jay takes one of Evie’s hands within his own. “We both know what kind of mother Cruella is.”

There’s a hardness to Jay’s voice Harry isn’t used to hearing. His djinn rarely expresses such hatred. Harry doesn’t know what kind of relationship Carlos has with his mother, but he does know most parents on the Isle are shit.

The twins lucked out with their dad; the same can be said for Smee’s own twin sons too. And while his own dad has his faults, Harry knows he tries his best. His dad isn’t violent or cruel, or neglectful. As far as Isle parents go, Harry knows he’s lucky. Gil, on the other hand, wasn’t.

If Cruella De Vil parents her son like Gaston does; well, Harry can understand why a health physical would take so long.

“Poor lad.” Harry whispers.

Several more minutes pass before another door opens. The four of them sit up straighter, waiting in rapt attention for whichever friend is about to exit. The second door slowly creaks open and Evie exhales quietly. Carlos looks shaken up, he’s pale and shaking in fear with red splotchy cheeks. Jay stands, his chair clattering to the ground as he does so.

“I’m okay.” Carlos stutters. “I’m okay. I just… can we go back please.” He begs; eyes focused solely on Evie.

Evie nods, opening her arms wide as she stands. Carlos wastes no time burrowing himself into her embrace. Harry hears the faint sound of a muffled sob before Evie is escorting her youngest gang member to safety.

“What did you do?” Jay says to Doc; his voice is devoid of any emotion.

Doc sighs and shakes his head. “I will not reveal private patient information-” Jay huffs, stomping out of the room before Doc can finish is sentence.

“Oh, is it my turn now?” Gil asks excitedly.

Doc nods, the dwarf’s stress is evident all over his face. Poor bastard, he has no idea how to deal with them. Gil gives Harry a wave, one he returns, before entering the room. It’s not until the door clicks shut that Harry realizes he’s truly alone.

He could leave but then Uma would be alone once she’s done. Harry isn’t sure where the twins will be, but Harry wouldn’t be surprised if they were gone for most of the day. Evie probably brought Carlos to her own room and Jay is fast enough to catch up with them. Harry slumps into his seat. Now that he’s alone again Harry can feel his terror mounting.

He’s next on the list; right after Gil. There’s a very real possibility that Dr. Myner will finish up with Uma before Doc is done with Gil. Which means the lady doctor will be examining Harry. It’s a fucked-up irony, that Harry will end up being treated just like the girls instead of the boys. Even after all his efforts to fix himself, the universe won’t let him forget.

On the Isle Harry knows what to do. He follows Uma’s orders, annoys CJ and butts heads with his dad. If he’s hurt, then Gil patches him up. If he has free time, Harry usually finds Jay or Malachite or both and spends it with them in secret. But here, in Auradon, the game has changed, and the rules make no sense.

He’s not allowed to stab these adults and run. He can’t just avoid them until they lose interest. Harry is cut off from his crew. He’s separated from his family. And his soulmates are busy; if they’re even his soulmates. Harry has always assumed they are, but he’s never actually checked.

They must work here, their soul marks; the compasses should actually point in a direction now that they’re off the Isle of the Lost and free of the anti-magic barrier. He could check now and follow the needle points back to their sources. But if those sources aren’t Jay and Malachite…. Harry doesn’t know what he’ll do.

He loves them; he loves them so much more than he ever expected to. He’s spent years reassuring Jay that they’re meant for each other, but Harry never thought he’d be in a position to actually confirm it. He could roll down his sleeve the next time he’s in their presence and know for sure… but if his needles don’t point to them… if they’re not destined for Harry after all…

“What are you doing?” Uma asks, jarring Harry from his thoughts.

He startles, nearly falling out of his seat. “Nothing.” He says instinctually.

Uma stares at him, one eyebrow raised with mild amusement clear as day on her face. Dr. Myner tucks a stray curl behind her ear. She eyes the waiting room only to circle back onto Harry.

“Where are the others?” She asks.

“Well Mal and Ack left to talk. Gil’s in there with Doc.” He points to the other room. “And Jay left with Evie and Carlos.”

“I see.” She pauses for a moment before continuing. “I can perform your physical if you’d like or you can wait for Doc if you’d feel more comfortable.”

He swallows hard. Would he truly feel more comfortable with Doc? All Harry wants is to continue to be recognized as his father’s only son. He doesn’t want the knowledge of his secrets to change the way people perceive him. It doesn’t matter which doctor examines him; the outcome will still be the same.

“Aye, might as well get this over with.” He can only hope his voice hasn’t betrayed his fears.

Uma slaps his shoulder as he walks past. “I’ll wait for you and Gil here.” He gives her a nod and a shaky smile. Uma slumps onto one of the seats, one leg propped up on the seat base and her chin resting on her own knee.

Dr. Myner shuts the door, locking it with a click. Harry glances around the space; there are several counters and drawers most likely stocked full of supplies the Isle can only dream of. She guides Harry to a scale contraption in the back corner. “Step up onto this for me.” She says after pressing a button. As Harry steps onto the scale, she pulls out a sheet of paper from one of the drawers and slips onto a clipboard.

She adjusts the top part of some kind of ruler that’s attached to the scale until it rests on Harry’s head. He watches as Dr. Myner adds numbers to the paper chart before raising the ruler top and asking Harry to step off.

She motions for Harry to sit on the large, cushioned seat within the center of the room. He hops onto the seat and the fabric crinkles beneath him. “Your weight was lower than average, which indicates some level of malnutrition, but your height was within the normal range.”

“Well, the Isle isn’t exactly known for its cuisine.” He taunts.

Dr. Myner frowns at that but continues on. “Firstly, state your name and date of birth, or age if you don’t know, for the record.” She asks, her pen held near the top of the paper.

“Harry Hook.” He pauses for a moment as he contemplates her request. “I’m fifteen.”

Dr. Myner nods as she quickly writes on the paper. She pulls open a different drawer, placing several different devices onto the countertop. She turns back to Harry, clipboard still in hand. “Any family history of heart problems or other illnesses?”

Harry blinks a little, trying to recall any relevant medical history of the Hook family. He doesn’t think his family, on either side, has any relevant health issues. “No, not that I can think of.”

“Now, I’ll take your temperature.” She holds out a small device.

Harry nods, allowing her to begin. He digs his hands into the fabric beneath him as she runs the device across his forehead and beneath his ear. The device beeps and Dr. Myner takes a moment to read it. She frowns before jolting down the results.

“Your temperature is 34 degrees Celsius or 93.2 in Fahrenheit. It’s a little lower than normal but that’s to be expected given your upbringing.”  

The doctor puts the device away and grabs an armband connected to a pump and reader. “This is a blood pressure cuff. I’ll use this and a stethoscope to check your blood pressure and heart rate.”

Harry holds out his arm. She wraps the cuff snuggly around his arm and places the stethoscope into her ears. The circular part of the stethoscope is placed in the crux of Harry’s arm. Harry winces as Dr. Myner squeezes the balloon attached to the cuff causing the band around his arm to tighten. After a minute passes she unscrews the valve, and the cuff loosens its hold.

She removes the cuff from his arm completely and writes on the paper again before addressing Harry. “Your blood pressure is 129 over 79, which is higher than average. I’d like to continue monitoring this in the hopes of bringing it back into normal range.”

Dr. Myner adjusts the stethoscope and motions for Harry to scoot up towards the edge of the seat. He complies. “Breathe normally and inhale or exhale when I say so.” She holds the circular part of the stethoscope out towards his heart.

Harry can see the exact moment Dr. Myner realizes his secret. Her eyebrows furrow and she pulls the stethoscope back slightly. She looks into Harry’s eyes and can probably see his own eyes widening in fear. She pulls back completely and drops the stethoscope from her hold; it hangs around her neck menacingly.   

He should have known this would go horribly wrong.

“Harry…” She pauses, and he can tell she’s trying to pick her words carefully. “Are you trans?”

Harry contemplates his options; he could deny it or confirm it and deal with the potential fallout, or he could flee from the room. Granted the door was locked, Dr. Myner is in the way, and it’s not like Harry knows Auradon Prep’s layout well enough to evade capture.

“Oh, Harry.” She mumbles and he knows his silence has all but confirms it. He braces for it, her inevitable misgendering. “That’s not something you need to hide here.”

“Please, I know how the world works. People don’t like it when others deviate from the norm. I was born in the wrong body; that’s nobody’s business but my own.” Harry pulls away from her gaze.

“There are things I can do for you to help with your transition, if you wish. You don’t have to suffer in silence here.”

He turns back to her, suddenly eager. “Help how?”

“Auradon has several options for trans people to take depending on how they wish to transition. There are hormone therapies you could take, binders you can buy that will help you safely bind or surgeries you can undergo once you’re older.”

“I have options?” Harry whispers ecstatically. He never thought there would be a time in his life where his body matched his soul. He forced himself to accept only looking the part with the aid of clothing and make up. He thought, now that they were in Auradon and had access to magic, that Uma or Jay or the twins would change him.

“For your age, I’d recommend hormone therapy once we’ve gotten your blood pressure and nutrition back within normal ranges. Your heart rate is probably lower than average too.”

“But then you can fix me.” He asks or rather begs.

“I will do everything within my power to help you safely transition but you can’t keep any health-related secrets from me. They could risk your health and hinder your transition.”

Harry nods, “I understand! Just check my heart already so you can fix the rest of me.”

She places the stethoscope back against his heart. He breathes in and out as the doctor asks. She moves the stethoscope down to his abdomen and their process repeats. The examination continues with his upper and lower back but with deeper exhales and inhales.

“Three more things and then we can wrap this up.” She says as she finishes writing down his heart rate results. “First, your heart rate is lower as I expected, at 75 beats per minute.”

“What should it be at?”

“On average 78 bpm for your age range but as a trans man, your heart rate should be on the higher end of that. Secondly, I want to draw some blood in order to properly assess your nutritional levels, discover your blood type, and check your immunity levels. These things will be important for your health treatments and future transitioning.”

 “Take what you need.” Harry says as he rolls up his sleeve.

Dr. Myner collects a blue band to use as torniquet, several tube vials with different colored caps, alcohol wipes, a cotton swab and a needle with a collection controlment. She wipes the alcohol wipe in the crux of his arm and wraps the band slightly above that point. After the needle sticks into his arm, she releases the torniquet.

She grabs one of the tubes with a red cap. Harry watches as it fills with his blood. It’s weird, he’s used to only ever seeing his blood when someone is hurting him. He finds himself fascinated with the process, watching as Dr. Myner switches the red tube out for a blue capped tube. She places both tubes back into the tray before grabbing a gold capped tube and a pink capped tube. After those are filled too, she finishes with a yellow capped tube.

Gently, she places a cotton ball on top of where the needle is before pulling the needle out. She tapes the cotton ball onto his skin. “There, all done. I’ll have these shipped out for testing and once the results are in, we’ll meet up again for another physical.”

“And thirdly?” Harry asks, realizing they only covered her first two points.  

“And lastly, when was your last period?”

Harry squints at her before it clicks. “Oh! The bleeding.” He exhales dramatically as he tries to remember the last time that hindered his existence. “Probably sometime four months back.”

“Okay, that needs to happen once per month.”

“What?!” Harry interrupts. “You mean I need to go through that more often than not!”

“At least until we start your hormone therapy.”

“Fuck.”

**

Uma and Gil are waiting for him once he’s done. There’s a questioning look in their eyes and Harry is eager to share his good news; preferably once they’re back in the privacy of one of their rooms. Uma gives him a look over before ushering both he and Gil out of the rooms. They follow their captain’s lead all the way back to her dorm, room 13.

Uma sits on the left bed and Harry can see a scattering of her stuff on the lefthand side too. She motions for the both of them to join her on the bed as she props herself on the headboard. Gil sits down first, scooting towards the bed’s center to leave room for Harry.

“Does she know?” Uma asks, her hands reaching for a sword that’s no longer there. It’s weird to see Uma so unarmed; it’s almost like she’s walking around Auradon Prep completely naked.

“Aye but turns out Auradon is much more accepting than the Isle. Once I’m back in their normal ranges, Dr. Myner will help me transition fully.”

Gil lights up, “That’s great Harry! Now no one will ever doubt you’re a real man again.”

Uma nods. “And I’ll work on mastering my magic just in case. Hopefully Auradon won’t let us down but if they do, I’ll make sure you get the body you want.”

Harry smiles wildly, darting forward to hug the daylights out of his captain. “Uma!” He yells gleefully, dragging out each syllable of her name as he does so. “You’re the best captain a pirate could ask for.”

She rolls her eyes, swatting at him playfully. Gil suddenly dives forward crushing the both of them in tight hug. The three of them laugh as Uma pretends she’s trying to pry them off. Harry hasn’t felt this happy in ages. Life on the Isle is hard work, and it leaves little time for one to be alone with their dread. But, right now, in this moment Harry feels like a heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulders.

He knows there are still more problems to face in the future; they have a wand to find, if not to steal for themselves, than to protect from their fellow VKs. They need to research and locate anything else; besides the things they smuggled from the Isle, that could bring the barrier down. While they haven’t encountered anyone who hates them yet, Harry knows it would be foolish to think all of Auradon is happy with Prince Ben and his proclamation.

And Harry still doesn’t know for sure if Jay and Malachite are, indeed, his soulmates.

“Boys,” Uma says, breaking the silence, “I think we spend this night alone. We try one night alone and regroup in the morning.”

Gil looks at Harry; they’ve never disobeyed their captain’s orders before, and they won’t start in Auradon. “Aye.” They both reply.

“Good.” Uma says with a nod. “Now, get out of my room.”

Neither Gil nor Harry waste any time after that. They leave Uma’s room, shutting the door behind them. The last two days have been a lot and Harry can’t blame Uma for wanting a moment for herself. They’ve been searched, poked and prodded by Auradon Prep and Harry gets the impression it’s just getting started. This kingdom is a minefield no VK knows how to maneuver; one who’s rules aren’t written in any language the eight of them know how to decipher yet.

Gil pats Harry’s arm before darting into his own room; the door marked with a 14. It’s fitting that their rooms are both right across from Uma’s. It seems that Auradon Prep can’t manage to separate the Sea Three after all.  

Harry walks past his own door, opting to enter room 10. His prize is waiting on the right-side bed. Jay looks up as Harry enters, a bright smile that’s only reserved for his boyfriends spreads across his face. Harry sits down beside Jay as his djinn rises up and wraps his arms around Harry.

“How’d it go?” Jay mumbles as he plants a kiss onto Harry’s neck.

“Better than expected.” Harry replies, nuzzling his cheek into Jay’s hair. Jay’s smile grows wider and, this time he kisses Harry’s cheek.

Harry swallows hard. He knows Jay feels unworthy of them. It’s a sentiment Harry shares when his self-hatred is at its worst. But Harry needs to know; needs to confirm it and stomp away their doubts once all for all.

“I want to check.” He says breathlessly.

His words come out in a rush. Jay pauses, pulling away slightly to look into Harry’s eyes. Harry tries to say the words, to explain exactly what he desires but the words lodge themselves in his throat. Jay’s concern rises and Harry whines pitifully as he grabs the golden band on Jay’s wrist.

“I want to check.” He says again, still shaky and unsure. “I want the three of us to check together.”

Jay’s jaw clenches and his eyes harden for a moment before softening completely. He caresses Harry’s cheek and pulls their heads together until their foreheads are touching. Harry breathes in his scent; the one that smells more of Auradon than his djinn turned thief.

“Okay.” Jay says, no hint of his emotions spilling into the word. “I’ll get Ack.”

All Harry can do is nod as Jay pulls out of his grasp. Harry can’t help but worry as Jay leaves; what if this is the last time they’re together? What if he ruined them by asking? Could the three of them have lived happily in limbo; never knowing the truth?

Jay returns a moment later with Malachite right behind him. Their demigod closes the door and locks it with a familiar click. Jay reclaims his previous seat, and Malachite opts to claim the spot on the opposite side of Harry. He’s squished between them; normally the feeling doesn’t fill him with such dread.

“Shall we?” Malachite asks. “We only really need to use one mark.”

Harry nods but doesn’t move to roll up his sleeve. He turns to Jay instead, but their djinn is frozen in place, his fingers digging deeply into his band, but he makes no effort to remove it. Jay’s eyes prickle with tears and both he and Harry turn to Malachite pleadingly.

Malachite huffs, a small smirk on his face as if he expected his outcome. He pulls his shades off his face and tucks them onto his skirt just beneath his chin. He rolls up his sleeve with no hesitation and angles his wrist between them. The three of them look down with bated breath at Malachite’s soul mark.

The two needle points have stopped their aimless spinning and are locked in place pointing directly at Jay and Harry.

“See, I told you we were Fated for each other.” Malachite teases but Harry can barely hear his soulmate over the beating of his own heart.

Chapter Text

Carlos doesn’t like Auradon Prep. It’s empty, much too empty for a school claiming to teach the next generation of heroes and royals. Summer break was the excuse Jane gave, but Carlos wasn’t buying that. Schooling on the Isle didn’t come with breaks; you either attended or joined something more important.

And Carlos was a part of something more important than school. He was one of Mal’s chosen few, a feat not many on the Isle could claim. She trusted him with her secrets; he knew her dad, knew the locations of her stashes, and was privy to her most private thoughts and conversations. Mal saw Carlos as an equal, even after his experimentation got Diaval killed.

That trust Mal held for Carlos was his greatest treasure. For as long as he held it, the only person willing to hurt him was…

Auradon Prep didn’t play by the Isle’s rules, that much was clear. Carlos realized that the moment they were striped of all their weapons. The feeling was cemented after the eight of them were examined. There is a reason Carlos doesn’t like to be shirtless around others. He knows just how many scars are littered across his flesh. He knows just how weak he is considered.

And now, now Auradon Prep knows it too.

He doesn’t know what Auradon has in store for them today; he’s almost too afraid to ask. He keeps thinking it can’t be any worse than the previous day but that keeps proving to be false. They’ve only been here for approximately three days and yet Auradon has managed to completely disarm them. On the Isle, this kind of power would have earned you the respect of even the strongest of villains; being on the other end of it, being the people who are rendered weak by it, is a feeling Carlos never thought he’d experience again.

Mal kept them safe on the Isle. Her power alone was enough to stop even the most ambitious of VKs. No one wants to mess with Maleficent’s daughter; and Mal further cemented that fact by claiming Jay and Evie as hers. Carlos knows he isn’t the best at fighting; running on the other hand, is something he excels at. But Mal picked Carlos for a reason; her mother may have introduced them, but if Mal didn’t think Carlos was worthy of standing by her side he wouldn’t be in the Core Four in the first place.

That is to say, Mal is the one person Carlos doesn’t want to let down.

Mal has a plan, one Carlos knows she may need his tech expertise to pull off. But Auradon Prep has stuff that makes the tech on the Isle of the Lost pale in comparison. He needs to master it, master everything Auradon Prep has to offer so when Mal does strike, he can back her up just as she expects him to. And they’ll need weapons and supplies, if Auradon decides to starve them out or fight them head on, they’ll die.

Weapons, medicine, and nonperishable foods; that’s what Carlos needs to secure for his leader. Even if Mal hasn’t asked him to, Carlos knows she’ll need this; might as well be proactive in their collection.

***

Yesterday weighs heavily on his mind, the things Doc said and the truths he revealed about Carlos linger. Carlos always knew he was the weak link of the Core Four; Jay is strong, Evie is deadly, and Mal is cunning. Carlos is smart but he isn’t like the rest of his crew. They adapted to Isle life, for none of them were truly born for it, but Carlos never could keep up. At least Gil, for all his kindness, has the strength to support his crew.

Carlos has wits; he can outsmart his enemies or build weaponry from nothing, but Mal doesn’t really need him for that. There are plenty of VKs who are smart and tech savvy. Mal could have her pick of them; she did, and yet it’s him who she claimed. He doesn’t know what she saw in him that made him worthy, but he aches to live up to it- to Mal’s standards.   

He wishes he could stay here, curled up beside Evie, and under the safety of her covers. He doesn’t remember falling asleep yesterday, but he does remember Evie dragging him into her room and Jay bursting through the door moments later. The three of them talked for a while, at least until Doc called Jay away. After that, Evie wrapped them both in the blanket Auradon Prep provided and talked to him about the new outfits she had planned for them and the inspirations their new home had brought her.

He must have drifted to sleep during that since Evie’s arms are still around him. Carlos can feel her breath tickling his ear. He shuffles a bit, careful not to awaken Evie from her beauty sleep. Two nights in Auradon and he’s already broken the rules. He thought Jay or Mal would be first; then again, they might have for all he knows.

He wraps the blankets he displaced back across Evie’s body. She shifts a little, eyes blearily staring up at him. Carlos freezes in place, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She shuts her eyes and shuffles deeper into the bed. “It’s okay, we’ll talk later.” Evie mumbles as she drifts back to sleep.

He tiptoes out of the room and shuts the door with little noise. He has years of experience sneaking around his mother’s manor, careful not to alert her to his presence; the last thing Carlos wanted was for her to remember his existence. He peers down the hall, towards where the archway is and where the Dorm Heads reside, but no one notices him sneaking out of the wrong room.

He turns deeper into the hall. Evie’s room, number 9, is nowhere near his own. In fact, Carlos’ room, number 16, is the only one not near the rest of his crew. He creeps down the hall slowly, none of the other doors are open and Carlos has no idea what time it actually is. It’s morning, some time after dawn, but the exact time eludes him.

Daylight streams into the hall. It’s far brighter than anything they ever get on the Isle of the Lost. Auradon is beautiful and its beauty only highlights just how awful the Isle is. Everything is so bright, so vibrantly alive and Carlos can’t imagine ever going back to the dull, muted colors of the Isle. He’s glad Mal doesn’t want to help their parents be free. He’s glad that the other VKs, who are trapped with monsters like he was, are the ones they’re protecting.

But if Mal changes her mind…. He’ll back her up.

He trusts Mal. He knows she’ll never lead their group astray; even if Maleficent is the most terrifying villainess Carlos has ever met. His own mother is a close second but those are memories Carlos doesn’t wish to linger on. He has the scars to haunt him; he doesn’t need the memories to accompany them as well.

Auradon knows, Doc saw it all and Carlos is trying not to panic. Evie said it would be alright, and Jay said he would protect Carlos. But the doubts still linger. Doc, after seeing the scars, spoke to Carlos with a sickly-sweet voice that promised to help. Carlos is a lot of things, but naive isn’t one of them. Adults don’t help without some kind of ulterior motive.

“Morning!” Gil greets cheerfully as Carlos bites back a scream. He didn’t notice Gil exiting his room, the one right besides his own.

Gil stands in front of his door and Carlos can barely make out the number 14 behind him. Gil watches Carlos, as if he’s studying him or hunting him, with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. He looks fierce, with his muted orange vest, dark pants and hair tied back. There’s no battle paint across his face, but Carlos can see the faded markings from where it used to be days prior.

“Hi Gil, I didn’t see you… there.” Carlos relaxes, for all of Gil’s scariness he’d never harm Carlos. Well, not without Uma ordering it.

Gil nods, arms uncrossing as he approaches Carlos. “I heard yesterday was bad for you.” Carlos can see Gil struggling to speak. Gil frowns before shaking his head and says, “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes,” Carlos answers, unsure if he really does feel better or just trying to put everyone else at ease. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” He mumbles.

“I get it.” Gil says with a softness Carlos isn’t used to hearing from the former son of Gaston.

Carlos never really gave much thought into how similar his and Gil’s childhood really were. He knew their parents were both horrible, but it never occurred to Carlos that they might have been horrible in the same way. He almost asks Gil if he has scars littering his body too; ones that he’s ashamed to have obtained, but he stops himself.

“Wanna take a walking breakfast?” Gil asks, cutting through the awkward silence surrounding them.

“Ah, sure?” He replies, unsure of what exactly Gil is asking of him.

Gil wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads Carlos away from the dorms. They walk in a comfortable silence that’s occasionally interrupted by Gil humming. It’s one of those sea shanties that always gets stuck in Carlos’ head whenever Mal does business with Uma at the docks. Carlos finds himself humming along with Gil, a smile growing wide across his face.

Gil has always been easy to get along with despite being on Uma’s crew. Carlos found Jay intimidating when they first met. Achite was terrifying and that was before Carlos realized he was the son of Hades. Harry had an air of craziness around him that Carlos was afraid to touch; he had enough craziness with his own mother than to deal with other people’s crazy too, but Harry’s crazy turned out to be better to deal with than his mother’s.  

But he and Gil clicked. They were two kids who were nothing like their parents, who were so unlike their parents that they were always punished for it. They were seen as the weak links of their respective crews or seen as too weak to survive the Isle of the Lost. They both wished to find their soulmates, but Gil was always more vocal about that fact than Carlos.

Everyone on the Isle knew Gil wanted to find his fated match, but only their friends knew Carlos wanted that too. Gil never made Carlos feel bad for hiding that fact. Carlos liked that about Gil.

Gil holds out two apples to Carlos. He hadn’t realized Gil led them back to the cafeteria or picked out apples for them. The first one is red, far redder than any apple they have on the Isle. It looks more like one of Evie’s jewelry pieces than an actual edible fruit. The second apple is green; Carlos never knew apples could be anything but red.

Eagerly, he picks up the green apple. It’s heavier and firmer than any apple he’s had before but, then again, Carlos never had apples in Auradon before. Gil laughs under his breath and leads Carlos back out of the room. It never occurred to Carlos that they could eat somewhere else but he’s eager to try it. On the Isle, eating is done in secret, in some dark hideaway safe from prying eyes.

They exit through the front doors and take a seat by the statue of the king. Thankfully, it’s in man mode and not the beastly dog form. Their backs are resting against the green hedges, and Carlos leans his head against the top of leaves. It tickles his neck but it’s worth the view of the clear blue sky. There’s nothing like this back home.

“Here.” Gil says, offering an apple slice to Carlos.

He takes, biting into the slice. It’s sweet, not in the same way the chocolates were, but sweet, nonetheless. He hums happily as he finishes the slice. Gil smiles, looking quite proud of himself as he continues to cut slices of the red apple.

“Is it weird for you?” Carlos asks, tilting his head towards the statue.

Gil hasn’t said anything yet, but Carlos knows he would feel weird if there were statues of dalmatians or the Radcliffes strewn about Auradon Prep. That’s the one good thing about having Cruella De Vil for a mother; her crimes are notorious but the people she harmed aren’t the literal rulers of Auradon or their most trusted friends. The odds of Carlos running into the Radcliffe family are slim to none, but Gil will most certainly meet the son of Belle and Beast.

Gil looks up at the statue. There’s an unreadable expression across his face. “No, what happened was between our parents, not me and not Prince Ben. At least, that’s how I see it.” He studies the statue a bit more. “I think the prince feels the same way if he brought me here.”

Carlos can’t really argue with that. Gil eats a slice before handing Carlos another slice. They eat in silence trading slices of the red apple until it’s nothing but a core. Carlos hands over the green apple, watching as Gil carves out slice after slice. He hands the first slice to Carlos. He takes a small bite.

He hisses a little, pulling the slice out of his mouth. Gil tenses, his eyes darken before they dart between Carlos’ mouth and the green slice. “It’s sour.” Carlos explains, holding out the slice to Gil.

Gil tilts his head as he examines the slice, his eyes narrowing as he turns the slice over in his fingers. Cautiously, Gil takes a small nibble. His face scrunches and Gil looks at Carlos with widening eyes. “It is sour. Weird.” Gil giggles as he hands Carlos back the slice.

Carlos nods in agreement. Now that he knows the green apples are sour, he’s ready for when the taste hits his mouth. He still scrunches his face as the sourness hits him but unlike last time he continues eating the slice. Gil eats one slice and passes another to Carlos; they continue this cycle until that apple is gone too.

After they finish eating, Gil lies down on the ground. He stares up at the sky with a pleasant smile across his face. Gil folds his arms behind his back and tucks the knife, one of Auradon’s shiny harmless utensils, into his boot. Carlos laughs; Auradon is so full of everything that they won’t notice if he nabs a bit of their stash.

“It’s like pilfering the Hun Army.” Gil says. “They hoard so much stuff, they never notice when we nick a few things for the Docks.”

“Didn’t Saruul catch wind of your stealing?” Carlos remembers Saruul, Shan Yu’s daughter, storming one of Uma’s ships with a small portion of the Hun Army to back her up. Not that she needed it; as one of the few elder VKs on the Isle, Saruul has both the experience, and the respect needed to maintain Hun control of the southwestern region of the Isle of the Lost.

Gil frowns, “Uma could have beaten her, but she didn’t want to risk the crew.”

Now that would be a fight worth watching, Carlos thinks. Uma’s skill with a sword is rivaled, almost, by none and Saruul is considered one of the best female fighters of the Isle, and that includes the adult villainesses. With a few more years of experience, Carlos has no doubt Uma could give Saruul a run for her power.

Carlos shimmies onto the ground beside Gil. He alternates between staring up at the sky and back at Gil. A few clouds have graced the sky with their presence, doting the blue sky in puffs of fluffy white. It reminds Carlos of a book he found ages ago that described a creature called a sheep.

“Hey Carlos,” Gil calls out, eyes never leaving the sky. “Have you looked yet?”

He turns to look at Gil, whose expression is tight and full of uncertainty. “Looked at what?”

Gil swallows hard and finally turns to meet Carlos’ lingering gaze. “Your soul mark; have you looked?”

Carlos can feel the surprise widening in his eyes and his mouth hangs agape. His soul mark, and thus his soulmate, have always been on the back of his mind. He’s thought about what he could say to his soulmate or the things they could do together but that always felt like a fantasy just beyond his reach. He’s spent his whole life watching his needle spin aimlessly that Carlos genuinely forgot the marks would work here in Auradon.

He sits up suddenly, his stomach lurching as he rises. He could know exactly where his soulmate is. His needle should be locked in one direction. Carlos could follow it and find them waiting at the end. He could have checked the moment they arrived in Auradon, but Carlos never thought of it- he never thought of his soulmate.

Carlos holds out his arm, the one on which his soul mark resides. His fingers linger on the cuff of his sleeve, but Carlos can’t seem to pull the damn thing down. He can see them shaking, his fingers. His breathing feels erratic. Gil places a steady hand over his shaking fingers.

“It’s okay.” He says calmly. “We can check together.”

Numbly, Carlos nods, watching as Gil unties the band covering his own mark. With a deep breath and his eyes blown wide open, Gil pulls off the band and reveals his wrist. The two of them lean in, staring at Gil’s soul mark.

Carlos has seen Gil’s mark before, has studied the older teen’s mark almost as much as his own. But, for all Carlos has seen it, Gil’s mark has never been as still as this. The needle of the compass points away from them, and for a sinking moment Carlos thinks it’s angled straight back at the Isle of the Lost, but it’s curved a bit towards the west.

“Oh.” Gil mutters breathlessly and Carlos can’t fault the guy. Gil’s mark, while pointing away from Auradon Prep, still points to a region of Auradon. Even if they found a way to fix the soul marks on the Isle Gil wouldn’t have been able to follow his until now.

“Your soulmate’s from Auradon.” Carlos whispers hysterically. He never thought that would be possible; they’re VKs so of course their soulmates are from the Isle of the Lost too.

Except, if you’re Gil, whose soulmate has always been from Auradon.

“Oh.” Gil repeats, with a voice full of awe and agony.  

This changes everything. Gil’s destined for someone here, in Auradon. Carlos never considered the possibility that their soulmates wouldn’t be stuck back home. The only people Carlos knows to have found their soulmates are Jay, Achite, and Harry. He doesn’t know what’s worse, his soulmate still being on the Isle, completely unaware of him or his soulmate being from Auradon and believing they would never meet.

Which raises an important question in Carlos’ opinion; did Auradon know soulmate matches could occur between their children and the VKs and purposely left them on the Isle of the Lost or are the children of Auradon destined for the VKs ashamed of their matches and refused to admit it aloud?

Another thing Carlos never considered when pondering his soul mark was the fact his own soulmate might reject him. Would that become Gil’s reality? An Auradonian that wants nothing to do with him. Gil doesn’t deserve that; he’s one of the best things to come out of the Isle of the Lost.

Gil lifts up Carlos’ arm. He freezes in place, eyes widening as he watches Gil roll up his sleeve. Carlos isn’t wearing a band to hide his mark, he didn’t think it would be needed in Auradon; it’s a decision he regrets now that his wrist is on full display. Carlos whimpers, eyes screwed shut; he just can’t bring himself to look.

“Huh.” Gil mumbles, his fingers gently tracing the outline of his compass.

Carlos squints, looking down at his mark. Gil moves his fingers and reveals his needle point. Carlos gasps so hard he chokes, coughing on air and spit as he stares down at his wrist in horror. His compass doesn’t point anywhere near the Isle. In fact, his needle points directly behind him and towards the east… which means his soulmate either lives in the region of Auradon behind the school or…

Or his soulmate is currently in the dorm halls of Auradon Prep.

It’s not Gil, because Gil’s compass points in the opposite direction and towards the west and Gil is sitting right beside him. Jay, Harry, and Achite have been together for a while; Carlos doesn’t need to see their soul marks to know they’re matches. Which leaves the three girls he arrived at Auradon Prep with. Out of the three of them, Evie would be the most probable choice, but Carlos has always seen her as more of a sister than a lover. Uma scares him and he doubts she would be interested or destined for someone like him.

And Mal is Mal. The thought of him being anything romantic with Mal feels wrong; and it’s not just because he’s afraid of her… and her brother… and Hades…

“Do you think it’s one of the girls?” Gil asks, echoing Carlos’ own thoughts.

He shakes his head. “No, at least I don’t think so. I wasn’t drawn to any of them like Achite, Jay, and Harry were to each other.” Carlos looks over his shoulders at where the dorms are. Most of the curtains are drawn shut but one, Evie’s room, is open and Carlos can see a blue blob moving about. “But I don’t know anyone else.”

Gil nods in agreement until his eyes lock onto the window after Evie’s. It’s Mal’s room, Carlos remembers it was after Evie’s when they held their meeting. Gil pulls away from Carlos, eyes sparkling, “You haven’t met anyone else except for Jane.”   

“Jane? As in Fairy Godmother’s daughter? That Jane?” Carlos can’t help the startled laugh that escapes him. The daughter of one of Auradon’s most powerful magic users destined for him. It’s laughable, the thought of someone so important being tied to him.

“I think you’d be cute together!” Gil continues, a bright cheerful smile breaking out. “You know, if she’s yours.”

“She’s not.” She can’t be.

He thinks of every interaction he’s had with the fey. Half-Fey? See, Carlos doesn’t know anything about the girl except for her name and her mother. They talked a bit during that first day and she answered all his questions about the television and its remote. Jane is soft-spoken but once she gets going, her voice rings out like a gentle melody. And she normally wears shades of pastel blue with pink bows of every size and shape with short dark hair that frames her face nicely and…

What is he thinking?

Gil gives him a look. He doesn’t say anything, but Carlos can hear his ‘I told you so’ loud and clear. He feels his face flushing red. How did he miss this? And what does he do now? Does she even know? Will Carlos have to break the news to her? He starts to feel sick; bile rises in his throat. There’s a reason he’s a follower and not a leader. Maybe he should ask Mal for help?

“There you two are!” Fairy Godmother calls out, bubbly and bright, from where she stands at Auradon Prep’s entrance. “Come along boys, we have much to get through today!”

He takes it back; Carlos is most definitely going to be sick. Does she know that Carlos is- maybe- destined for her daughter? Would she approve or would she ship Carlos back to the Isle of the Lost for even daring to entertain- Gil lifts him up and drags him back indoors. Carlos can only hope his thoughts were left behind with King Adam’s statue.

***

They follow Fairy Godmother in silence up the stairs and to the third floor. The library is huge, with comfy couches and rows and rows of bookshelves jammed packed with books. Carlos has never seen a library before, much less one with so much knowledge available. He hopes the VKs have access to them, the books that is.

Fairy Godmother doesn’t linger in the room long, walking towards a large, windowed room with rows of wooden desks, a blackboard with the words ‘Academic Testing’ written in cursive, and the rest of their friends patiently waiting with their Dorm Heads. Gil pulls him over to where Uma and Harry are grouped just as Fairy Godmother claps her hands together.

“Now that we’re all here, today will be spent testing your knowledge of various subjects so we can place the eight of you in the class levels best suited to your abilities.” She gestures to the desks, “First we’ll start with…. Math!”

“Ew.” Harry mutters under his breath as Gil frowns.

“Since we have no way of tracking what you’ve learned on the Isle, testing you today is the only way to truly gage your academic potential.” Cassandra states. “You will be tested from the basics to well past what Auradon Prep requires you to know. The goal of these exams isn’t to pass, it’s to figure out what gaps need to be filled in your education or what subjects you’ve already mastered.”

Coach Jenkins steps forward. “There will be no time limit, and you can take as many or as few breaks as needed. There are four exams you will need to take, after each one you will be given a thirty-minute break to unwind. Lunch will be held at twelve and all eight of you will have an hour before testing starts again.”

“Um, I have a question.” Evie asks, one hand held high above her head. Fairy Godmother gives her a nod to continue. “What happens if we don’t finish all the tests today?”

“If you cannot finish all four exams today, then we can continue tomorrow or for as long as the eight of you need to complete them.” Fairy Godmother answers. “Any other questions?”

Carlos looks around the room. Gil looks at the blackboard, a deep frown present on his face. Uma and Harry have their arms crossed and are mumbling back and forth to one another in hushed tones. Mal stands, rigid and aloof, as Achite leans against her. Jay looks bored and Evie looks unbothered, but Carlos knows she’s really nervous.

No one broaches another question, and they’re separated across the room. Each desk can seat two people but the eight of them have been spread out so that none of them are near each other. Carlos drums his fingers nervously as Jenkins and Cassandra begin handing out pencils and a thick packet of paper.

He’s good at math, at least Carlos thinks he’s good at math. Maybe the math on the Isle is different than the math in Auradon? Can math be different? See, Carlos is already doubting himself; maybe that is what Auradon wants, for the eight of them to doubt their skills.

Jenkins plops one of the packets down in front of Carlos. He grabs it quickly, eyes scanning over the contents of the first page. It’s easy stuff, just simple problems of addition and subtraction. Carlos would be insulted if he didn’t know most kids on the Isle don’t actually know this. He’s lucky in that regard; that his mother left him alone for long enough to learn everything he could in secret.

At the top of the page, Carlos hastily adds his name and the date where it’s requested. If Jane hadn’t mentioned it earlier in the week, Carlos might not have known it was the third of June. He breezes through the first few pages, jolting down answers as the problems shift from simple addition and subtraction to basic multiplication and division problems.

He speeds through several pages, taking barely enough time to double check he’s leaving the correct answers in his haste. Even when the problems shift to harder versions and the additions of letters don’t slow Carlos down. He’s done this kind of math before; it’s required to build some of his more ambitious projects.

He peers out of the corner of his eye, careful not to alert the adults to what’s he’s doing. He’s not cheating, but Carlos is curious about where the others are in their progress. He can’t look behind him where Uma, Harry, Achite, and Gil are but he can look over to Evie and Jay; Mal is just a little too far away for him to make out her packet.

Jay is scrunched down low, brows furrowing as his pencil scratches against the page. His arms shield his packet from view so Carlos can’t see how far his friend has made it. Evie on the other hand, is a few pages behind Carlos, around where the ‘solve for x’ problems began. She isn’t solving the problems but merely doodling dress designs in the blank spaces. It looks like something for herself, a mix of new leisure wear and fancy ballgowns.

Carlos leaves Evie to her imagination; he knows it’s only a matter of time before he sees any of those designs coming to life between her fingertips. Watching Evie stitch outfits is a performance Carlos loves to watch. Evie looks peaceful, the most content any Isle prisoner can get, as her designs come to life; it’s the only time Carlos thinks she actually looks as young as she really is- as young as any of them truly are.

He shakes his head, throwing thoughts of home from his mind and focuses back on the task at hand.

“Done!” Achite shouts as his chair clatters to the ground.

Carlos whips his head around to look at the demigod, as does everyone else. Achite holds the packet in one hand and waves it around. Harry and Jay both share a look of fond exasperation before their eyes darken in annoyance.

“Some of us are trying to concentrate here!” Jay bellows, his voice low and dangerous.

Harry’s eyes darts between the two of them, his pencil jammed between his teeth as Harry swirls it around. Gross. Evie continues her doodling as Mal just squints up at her twin, disbelief evident all over her face. Right, every now and then, the twins get super competitive with one another. The funniest part is neither seems to realize it.

“You don’t need to shout, Achite, just bring your tests to one of us when you finish.” Fairy Godmother says as she points to herself and the Dorm Heads.

Achite saunters up to the front of the room and gives a half-assed salute as he hands over his test. Harry mutters ‘Showoff’ under his breath loud enough for the whole room to hear. Achite’s lazy smile drops into a deep frown as a low growling noise fills the air.

Carlos looks over to Mal and rolls his eyes. She smirks at him and makes a soundless gagging motion. Neither Harry nor Achite notices them.

Before any more shenanigans happen, Fairy Godmother clears her throat loudly. It breaks the spell of familiarity among them. Achite leaves the room, Harry pulls the pencil from his mouth, and the remaining seven of them continue working. From the corner of his eye, Carlos sees Uma rise up silently and hands over her own test with none of the dramatics Achite displayed.

A few more minutes pass and Carlos finishes his own packet. He takes a moment to go through the whole thing, double and triple checking his work. Fairy Godmother said that accuracy didn’t matter but Carlos wants his answers to be correct. For so long being smart was the only thing Carlos had going for him. If he loses that now… if Auradon renders him average or worse below average…

Mal chose him for his mind; his quick thinking and his masterful ability to craft gadgets and solve problems. He can’t let her, or the rest of their crew, down. They depend on Carlos to be the smart one; if he’s not, then what use is he?

He swallows nervously as he stands. He can feel the eyes of his crew members tracking his movements as Carlos hands over his test. Jenkins gives him a pat on the shoulders as Cassandra mutters, “See you in about thirty minutes.”

Carlos nods mutely before scurrying out of the room. He gasps as the glass doors shut behind him and nearly screams again as he walks past some shelves and bumps into Achite.

“Carlos! You made it.” Uma teases from where she’s leaning against the opposite shelf. Achite slams a hand over Carlos’ mouth just as he begins to scream, muffling the noise just enough to not alert the others.

Achite pulls Carlos deeper into the space between the rows of books, Ack’s hand still held firmly over his mouth. From here, the three of them can see the classroom, and by extension their friends, without Fairy Godmother and the Dorm Heads noticing them.

“Wanna see how many books we can steal in thirty minutes? Achite goads, eyebrows wiggling.

“No, do not steal books.” Uma chastises as she slaps Ack’s shoulder. “Let’s save the thievery for the important shit, like food or weapons.”

“Killjoy.” Achite says as he removes his hand from Carlos’ mouth. “But seriously, just how many books does Auradon Prep need? I bet they won’t miss a few.” He mutters the last but as his fingers trail over the spines of several books.

Carlos eyes the books greedily. “Think of all the knowledge they hold.”  He whispers, hands reaching out towards a book titled ‘A History of Magical Practices.’ He can feel Uma’s presence behind him and can faintly hear her mumbling the title to herself.

“Damn, okay, new plan, we steal that book.” Uma says, pointing at A History of Magical Practices.

“I told you so.” Achite sings in a teasing tone. Suddenly serious, Achite straightens up and says, “We should see what other hidden gems this library has and make a list of what we need so when we do take them, we leave nothing important behind.”

Uma nods, motioning for the three of them to split up. Achite goes left, Uma heads off to the right, and Carlos stays in the center. He begins scanning the books nearby, finds that A History of Magical Practices has several copies available, and looks for anything else that catches his eye. Truthfully, everything does, but right now he’s focusing on what will benefit Mal and their mission.

A History of Magical Practices could prove useful for understanding and learning magic, especially since most of their crew has magical potential. Carlos doesn’t know if Harry and Gil possess magic, but considering Gil saw the statue glowing on their first day and Carlos didn’t probably answers that.

***

Nearly thirty minutes later and the only noteworthy books Carlos found were A History of Magical Practices, Auradon: A Nation Build Upon Peace, The Herbalist’s Guide to Medicine, and Dueling Tactics Across the Realm. It’s a short list considering the massive collection of books Auradon Prep has to offer, but Carlos was on a time limit. Plus, he had to use up some of his time to fill Mal, Jay, and Evie in on Achite’s plan.

Still, with his time limit is over, Carlos makes his way back to the classroom. Achite and Uma are already inside working hard on their second exam and Gil is still seated but Carlos is pretty sure Gil hasn’t finished his first test yet. That fact doesn’t seem to deter Gil though and Carlos hopes Gil can finish soon.

Fairy Godmother smiles brightly as Carlos approaches. Lowly she whispers, “This second exam is all about science. Just try your best and raise your hand if you have any questions.” She hands over another packet and a new pencil before ushering him to retake his original spot. He adds his name and the date to the top of the first page and begins.

Like the math exam, the questions begin with easy concepts that Carlos could answer in his sleep. Again, he flies through page after page, taking note of his crew returning in shifts for their science tests and Gil finally exiting, math test finished.

Unlike the math exam, there is a point where Carlos doesn’t fully understand the questions being asked of him. There are words he’s never seen before or chemicals or elements he’s never heard of, or formulas for things Carlos never needed nor had access to learn on the Isle. He knows he could answer them correctly if Carlos had been able to learn them earlier.

With each passing page Carlos finds himself becoming more and more frustrated. He’s the smart one; he should know these things, but Carlos doesn’t. He wants to pull his hair out or curl up under the desk, away from prying eyes. Carlos can’t do either of those options without looking weak in Auradon’s eyes.

Auradon may already think he’s the weak link of the Core Four, but Carlos would rather stab himself than willingly confirm that fact to them.

Carlos tries to power through it, filling in answers he isn’t confidante in. Soon the pages are all full of answers, but Carlos can’t bring himself to hand in his test. Maybe it would have been better if Carlos hadn’t looked at his soul mark. Knowing it could be Jane; knowing that Fairy Godmother already has more than enough reasons to hate him leaves Carlos faltering.

He knows, if Jane actually is his soulmate, earning approval from her or her mother will be difficult. He’s just a human without any drop of magical potential whose potential soulmate is either a full fey or a half-fey. Would they approve of him if his mother, and his father, wasn’t one of Auradon’s vilest villains?

Mal would know what to do, what to say in order for such a lowly human to win the love and affection of a fey. Evie could tell him how to woo the heart of any girl with fanciful gifts and romantic dates. He needs to talk with Mal, preferably in private and then later Evie. The princess is Carlos’ oldest friend, his sister in all but blood; keeping this secret from her feels wrong.

A loud knocking sound yanks Carlos from his thoughts. Fairy Godmother stands by the blackboard, rapping her knuckles against it. “Attention children, it’s officially time for lunch. Please place your exams in a pile on the left if you’re done or on the right if you need more time to finish. You can finish them after lunch. Dismissed!”

The eight of them line up, both the twins and Evie place their exams on the left while the Sea Three and Jay place theirs on the right. Carlos hesitates, stuck in place between both piles. His test is technically done but he isn’t satisfied with his answers. He knows parts of it aren’t correct but there’s not really much Carlos can do other than accept the fact he won’t be able to fix his mistakes within the allotted time.

“Everything alright?” Coach Jenkins asks. The older man studies Carlos, his eyes searching for any hint of distress.

Carlos can feel his throat tightening as tears prickle in the corners of his eyes. He nods and hopes there’s not a hint of distress expressed on his face. The rest of his crew are masters at masking their expressions. Before Jenkins can interrogate Carlos some more, Carlos throws his test onto the completed pile and darts out of the room as fast as he can.

The rest of the Core Four are waiting for him just past the glass doors. Mal gestures for the three of them to follow. They do, with Jay slinking an arm over his shoulders while Evie loudly complains about the contents of the last two tests. Uma walks ahead of them with Harry and Gil on either side of her. Achite slows down to stand by Mal’s side.

***

Carlos takes small bites out of his pizza. Any other day he would be devouring the delicious meal, but today his mind is buzzing with useless thoughts. He’s still hung up on the science test. Carlos knows he’s smart but what if the tests don’t show that? What if Auradon thinks he’s stupid and weak and unworthy of being on Mal’s team?

“What’s up with you?” Mal accuses her green eyes digging into Carlos’ soul. He can’t help but wonder what Mal, or Achite, inherited from her parents magic wise.

He gulps as her eyes narrow dangerously onto him. Carlos looks around the cafeteria. Jay and Harry are at their own table, shoving whole pizza slices down their throats as Achite watches in disgust. Evie sits with Gil and Uma chatting idly but they’re too far away for him to hear.

Carlos hadn’t realized their groups had split up for today’s meal.

He looks up at Mal, but her expression is unreadable even to him. “Did… did you plan this?” He shutters in equal parts fear and amazement.

Mal doesn’t answer but her smirk is revealing enough. She brings her teacup to her lips and slips it slowly still staring at Carlos, awaiting his answer. There’s no point in hiding the truth from Mal, not that Carlos had any intention to do so. He just planned to talk with her later after their exams, but it seems like Mal had other plans.

“Gil and I had breakfast together this morning.” Carlos won’t reveal what he learned about Gil’s soulmate. First, that’s something Mal might not care about and secondly, it’s not his secret to reveal. “I looked at my compass.” He whispers as if revealing a deadly secret.

“So, you know it’s Jane.” Mal states as if the fact Carlos and Jane are soulmates is common knowledge.

He stares Mal down in complete and utter shock. Did Mal figure it out on her own? Did Jane tell her? Were they talking about him? Is Jane interested in him already? Carlos can feel his cheeks reddening at that thought.

“Mali!” Achite whines as he slips into the seat between Mal and Carlos. “I thought we agreed on not telling Carlos.”

“You both knew?!” Carlos wheezes. His brain feels lightheaded, and his throat constricts against his words.

Mal scowls, “I didn’t tell him! Carlos looked at his soul mark.”

The pair of twins stare one another down; at least Carlos thinks Achite is staring Mal down, it’s hard to tell with the shades on. Mal’s eyes flash green and Achite growls a little but just as quickly as they start both of them stop.

“So, you and Jane!” Achite says enthusiastically but quietly enough to not alert the others.

“There’s no me and Jane!” Carlos hastily replies. “I mean, I don’t even know for sure it’s her!”

Mal’s eyes narrow onto Carlos once more. She flicks her hand and before Carlos can decipher what she means, Achite grabs his wrist and reveals his soul mark. He tries to pry his arm out of Achite’s grasp but the demigod’s grip is too strong.

“Stop resisting and look.” Achite says pointedly, his shades aimed at Carlos’ wrist.

He looks down at his soul mark and sucks in a deep breath. The needle is moving across his compass from the left to pointing towards his fingers. It locks into place just as a figure emerges into the room. Carlos snaps his head up, looking right where his needle is pointed and sees Jane.

Jane looks across the room, an uneasy expression all over her face as if she isn’t sure she’s welcomed. Carlos pulls his arm out of Achite’s grip, not that Achite puts up much of a fight, and rolls his sleeve back over his soul mark. Mal sets down her teacup and waves Jane over; her fellow fey obediently follows.

Jane squeaks out a small, “Hi” as she sits down in the seat opposite of Achite, leaving her right in between Mal and Carlos. His cheeks flush as Jane tucks a few stray strands of her dark locks behind her ear. She nervously fiddles with her fingers as the three of them watch her.

“I invited Jane to lunch.” Mal says. “I thought it was best for us to bond.” Mal doesn’t look at Carlos when she speaks but he knows her words are directed at him.

“Well, I for one am happy to talk with you!” Achite says, staring intensely at Carlos when he says the word talk.

Both twins turn to look at Carlos, each one wearing an identical look. He’s known both of them long enough to know what they want but Carlos isn’t sure on what to say to Jane yet. His mind is still processing that Jane is destined for him of all people. How are soulmates supposed to introduce themselves to one another? It’s not like the Isle or any of their parents could offer them instructions.

He looks to Jane and comes face to face with her blue eyes. They’re not any shade of blue Carlos has ever seen before; something light like ice but full of the warmth the freezing substance lacks. Her head tilts a little as she stares at him, her pin straight hair falling to the side. A small blush spreads across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

“The books,” He says, breaking whatever trance the two of them were under. Besides him, Mal and Achite sigh. “Ah, um, I mean… Are we allowed to access them.” He squeaks out, growing more and more unsure of himself.

“The ones in the library, right?” Jane asks and the three of them nod. “Any student of Auradon Prep can check out two books; you just need a library card.”

“Oh?” Mal says. “And how would us VKs get one of those?” She gestures to herself, Achite, and Carlos.

Jane’s eyes light up excitedly and Carlos feels like his face is flushing even brighter. “Usually newly arriving students get them during move in during August, but I’ll ask my mom if we can start you guys early. I sometimes help out in the library so I can make your cards.”

Mal smiles sharply. “That would be wonderful Jane.”

Carlos doesn’t speak again, instead choosing to take bite after bite of his meal. By now the pizza has grown cold but he doesn’t mind it. Carlos has eaten much worser meals during his life and Auradon’s worst meal is still considered luxury eating back home. Achite and Mal chat idly with Jane, asking question after question on how the library cards work.

Jane answers each question without hesitation, revealing how the library is organized, how long each student is allowed to hold onto a book, or how to return and renew their books. On the Isle that kind of information was worth killing for but here, in Auradon, Jane happily hands over secret after secret.

All Carlos can do is hope Mal doesn’t plan on using his status as Jane’s soulmate to further their plans. The more the fey girl talks, the more Carlos wants to be worthy of her. He doesn’t want to betray Jane, the very thought of doing that to her fills him with dread, but Carlos is loyal to Mal first and foremost; if she demands it, Carlos will do it.

***

After lunch the eight of them return to the classroom with Jane. Carlos, along with Mal, Achite, and Evie are given the next exam; all on literature and sentence structure. Carlos isn’t entirely sure what that will entail but there’s not much he can do about it. Jay and the Sea Three are given their science tests to finish up. Jane stands beside her mother, excitedly gesturing between the eight of them and the shelves of books.

Jane’s voice isn’t loud enough for Carlos to hear her, but her presence here distracts him. The others don’t seem affected by her. His eyes lock onto every movement her hands make; he hadn’t realized earlier that there’s chipped pink nail polish on her fingertips that matched the bow he first saw her in. Carlos fills in one answer only to notice the way her head bobbles as she talks or how her hair sways or…

‘Focus!’ He scolds himself. He can’t afford to fail just because Jane is here in all her beautiful- No! He looks down at the questions, sentence structures, grammar, all of which are easily solved. Carlos loses himself in it. But like before, it reaches a point where Carlos has no idea what he’s doing.

The questions take a turn and begin focusing on plots of specific books, most of which Carlos has never heard of before. While Carlos has read some books back home, he mostly dabbled in scientific stuff and not fictional shit. He had problems to solve and dilly dallying with nonsensical fantasies wasn’t worth wasting what precious free time he had.  

He sighs quietly.

Auradon Prep keeps testing them with knowledge he doesn’t have. Why can’t they ask useful questions? Carlos could explain the intricate dynamics behind Isle territories and why certain villains rule certain places. He can defuse a bomb in under thirty seconds or turn a pile of scraps into a working weapon. Why would the plot of some books he’s never read be a true test of his acquired knowledge?

“Bloody hell.” Harry mumbles under his breath as he passes Carlos. Carlos looks up and watches as Uma’s most loyal pirate leaves the room with Gil and their captain right behind him. From the corner of his eye, Carlos can see Jay struggling through the last page of the science test.

Carlos continues working through each question, giving it his all. He may not have read the books they focus on but surely there must be a hint in their titles that correlates to their plots. Both Jay and Jane exit the room. Carlos has to force his eyes onto the page and not on Jane. He can feel his heart beating erratically in his chest as she passes.

Does she feel it too? The way his whole being reacts to her presence as if it can’t live without her.  

He doesn’t understand how he missed it before or how he missed her when they first arrived. Of course he noticed her, she was the only person around their age, but he wasn’t drawn to her. Isn’t that what everyone says, ‘You’ll know it’s your soulmate before you check your compass’.

Most villains on the Isle either haven’t met their soulmates or lost them somewhere along their fall into darkness. Carlos doesn’t know where his mom falls on that scale. It’s not like she would answer him if he asked; in fact, she’d probably beat him within an inch of his life for daring to. Truthfully, the only soulmate couple he knows is Jay, Harry, and Achite.

He doesn’t know how the three of them figured that out, only that they had. Carlos watched them flirt, fight, and jest, and hide just how much they loved each other from the rest of the Isle. Was it just a matter of the three of them having two needles each? Were they drawn towards one another just a little too much and their chemistry a little too intense?

How does it feel to fall in love with your soulmate?

Carlos spent so much of his time trying to find her, find Jane, and now that he has, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Do they start dating? Should they get to know one another as friends first? Is there weird fey courtship rules Carlos must follow? There are no clearly outlined steps for him to follow yet.

***

Time passes by, the Sea Three return, and a while later so does Jay. No one else has left yet; it seems as though all eight of them are struggling with this test. Carlos himself still has two pages left. He can hear Harry muttering angrily to himself and Jay furiously scratching answers onto his pages. The twins appear to be the only ones not outwardly struggling but Carlos can see both of them sit tensely in their seats.

Evie has returned to her doodling but this time around it’s castles and hearts and crowns that fill the blank sections of her exam. Uma exhales a little louder than normal, her hands running across her face before she returns to writing down answers. Carlos goes back to his test; he easily can power through two pages.

The sound of a chair scraping doesn’t pull Carlos away from his test. He doesn’t need to look up to know one of the twins or Uma finished first. He just focuses on filling in answer after answer; he doesn’t know what topics their final exam will cover but surely it must be better than this.

“What the actual fuck!” Achite screeches. At that, Carlos does look up and he can understand Achite’s reaction.

“Language please!” Fairy Godmother says as she collects Gil’s test.

Gil as in one of Uma’s pirates, Gaston’s disowned son, that Gil is done with the literature test before any of them. Carlos always knew Gil pretended to be dumber than he actually was but this… this can’t be possible.

Carlos struggled with most of this, more so than anything else they’ve been tested on so far. But Gil, who’s had less time than Carlos, is already done! He must have breezed through the whole thing. But Carlos has no idea if Gil tried to accurately answer the questions or just guessed the whole way through. He doesn’t know which answer would make him feel better. And he hates the way his heart tightens in jealousy. Gil is his friend, Carlos should be proud of him.

“Oh, I’m done too!” Evie squeals as she bounces up to the front of the room. She places the test down in front of Fairy Godmother who seems just as shocked as the rest of them.

Gil and Evie walk out together, and Carlos feels like he entered an alternate reality. Maybe he never actually woke up this morning and this is all some dream or Achite spelled him after Carlos pulled his arm away. The door clicks shut and the six of them remain. Achite flexes his jaw and goes back to writing. Jay and Harry stare at one another in disbelief. Mal and Uma hold a silent conversation with raised eyebrows and frowns. Carlos looks down at his final pages and randomly picks answers until it's done.

Carlos stands up and hands over his test. Fairy Godmother speaks but he can’t seem to process her words. He nods before exiting without looking back at the others.

He finds Evie and Gil fairly easily. They’re by the windows, sitting on a plump couch, and talking. Carlos can see Gil’s arm is extended and his soul mark is on full display. Gil’s needle still points in the same direction it did this morning.

Evie looks up as he approaches. “Can you believe Gil’s soulmate is from here?!” She whispers excitedly. “I hope my soulmate is some Auradonian prince. Oh, wouldn’t that be perfect!” She cups her cheeks and squeals, but her eyes lack their usual sparkle.

“I just hope he like me.” Gil says quietly as his fingertips brush over his mark. He looks wistfully out the window and off into the distance.

Evie excitedly pats the cushion between her and Gil. “Sit, sit.” Carlos sits just as she continues talking. “I never thought to look at my soul mark. It completely slipped my mind they would work here. Have you looked yet?”

Her eyes burrow questioningly into his own. Carlos nods, Gil already knew he looked, and Carlos isn’t one to keep secrets from Evie. “Gil and I checked this morning. It’s Jane.”

Evie gasps aloud, her hands flair wildly in the air before she slams them against her mouth. Her eyes dart between Carlos, Gil, and the door Jane left from earlier. Gil nudges Carlos on the shoulder and gives him a bright smile.

“I can’t believe this! First Gil and now you! Are we all destined for Auradonians?”

“Not all of us.” Gil states. “Harry, Jay, and Achite are soulmates too, remember.”

“Still, this is so exciting! Do you know which kingdom your needle points at? Maybe we can lower down potential soulmates for you Gil.” Evie gasps even louder than before and her arms resume their flailing. “Could you imagine if it’s Prince Ben and he freed the eight of us for love!”

“I don’t think any of us are that lucky, sorry Evie.” Carlos answers. Evie nods sadly but doesn’t argue otherwise.

Gil shakes his head. “I only know the direction but I’m sure we can find a map and plot it out!”

“And you!” Evie nearly shouts, pointing directly at Carlos. “You and Jane!? Have you told her yet? Does Mal know?”

“No, I haven’t told Jane and Mal told me so.” He sighs, trying to find the words to articulate his situation without sounding either ungrateful or disinterested. Instead, Carlos looks to Gil. “Have you told Uma?”

“I told her and Harry and, I guess Jay too, during the other break.” Gil replies with a small nod of his head. 

“Oh no, don’t you dare try to change the subject Carlos De Vil.” Evie scolds. “We can talk more about Gil’s soulmate later, no offense Gil.”

“None taken.”

“Look,” Carlos says as Evie narrows her eyes at him. “There’s nothing going on between Jane and me. I haven’t told her and I’m not sure if she wants me.”

Gil tilts his head at Carlos questioningly. “But she’s your soulmate, why wouldn’t she want you?”

“Because she’s a fey and I’m a human. Because I’m nothing compared to- ow! That hurt Evie.” Carlos rubs the part of his arm Evie pinched.

“Don’t talk about my friend like that.”

“Okay Evie.”

“You’re scarier than I thought.” Gil mumbles absentmindedly.

Evie smiles, bright and deadly, the sparkle returning to her brown eyes. “Thank you, Gil!”  

Carlos leans back against the couch, pouting and rubbing his arm so Evie knows just how much it hurts. He wanted to talk with Evie, wanted advice on how to properly court Jane just as well as any Auradonian prince, but now that he’s here, he can’t bring himself to say the words aloud.

It was so much simpler inside the recesses of his mind. There he could tally the pros and cons without outside influence. He could build up his confidence without Auradon or Fairy Godmother’s disapproval. But he knows it’s her and, if she doesn’t already know, it’s only a matter of time before Jane knows Carlos is her soulmate too.

“I just want it to be perfect.” He confesses lowly. “I’m hers and she’s mine. I’ve never had something that precious that wasn’t shared between the four of us or destroyed by my mother.”

Carlos can feel his tears pooling within the corners of his eyes. Evie grasps one of his hands and squeezes it tightly. Gil inches closer and holds his arms out wide. With a careful nod from Carlos, Gil envelopes him in a tight but reassuring hug. Evie moves closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

His chest heaves a little as Carlos fights back the urge to cry. “Besides there’s probably specific fey courtship rules I’d need to follow.”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that.” Evie pouts.

“We can ask Harry or Jay about how they courted Achite.” Gil answers.

Both Evie and Carlos look up at Gil but before either of them can say anything, another voice teasingly cuts through. “Did somebody say my name?” Standing off to the side of them, is Achite.

“Carlos wants to court Jane the fey way.”

“Gil!” Carlos whines but the damage is done.

Achite freezes in place, staring down at Carlos. A wide and dangerous smile spreads slowly across his face. “Gifts. We fey folk like gifts. Plants or trinkets will do just no cold iron, obviously. And be honest; nobody likes a liar.” He plops himself onto the armrest of the couch. “Anything else I can help with?”

Gil holds out his arm, his compass is still revealed, and the needle is locked in place. “Do you know what’s in that direction?” Gil asks, pointing down at his soul mark.

Achite mutters something in Greek; Carlos isn’t sure what, both Achite and Mal refuse to teach them their father’s tongue. Achite leans down; shades aimed right at Gil’s soul mark. “Well, isn’t that interesting.” Achite looks up at Carlos. “Maybe we can ask Jane for a map of Auradon? Also, your thirty minutes are almost up”

The three of them stare up at Achite as they process the words. Immediately they shoot up off the couch and run back towards the glass doors of the classroom. Behind them, Achite cackles boisterously. Carlos isn’t sure he’s ever seen Mal’s twin laugh as loudly on the Isle before; well, laugh so loudly without intending to purposely piss people off.

They do end up passing Mal and Uma just as the two leaders exit the glass doors.

***

The final exam, it turns out, is history based or more specifically Auradonian history. Most VKs know the basics of Auradonian history; when the Isle was formed, which heroes defeated which villains and the events leading up to said defeats. It’s their history too, the reason why they were born under the anti-magic barrier and inside an inescapable prison instead of Auradon proper.

Everyone knows which royal line, Belle and her beast, rules Auradon; their posters are scattered all across the Isle of the Lost. But when it comes to anything that occurred in Auradon after the Isle’s formation; well, most VKs tend to ignore such things. Of course, little tidbits of information make their way to the Isle but, at least in Carlos’ case, said information wasn’t relevant to his goals and thus wasn’t worth tracking.

Maybe Mal or Uma or Achite cared enough to memorize the happenings of Auradon as they occurred. Maybe Evie, who’s always been obsessed with living Auradon, kept an ear out for any scraps of information the Auradonian guards gossiped about during their shifts. Regardless, the history exam ends up revealing more about the happenings of Auradon as a whole than Carlos ever expected.  

Carlos had no idea Auradon had a council who aided with the passing of laws. The Isle has something similar but it’s more so the children of important villains coming together to fight over territories, supplies, and whatever scraps of power are available on the Isle.

Why that council would ban magic when so many of their heroes relied on that to defeat their villains leaves Carlos scratching his head. Even he, a full-blooded human as far as he’s aware, knows magic is a tool to be wielded. It’s up to the person using it to determine if it’s good or evil. Carlos could understand if they banned the dark stuff like blood magic or curses, but to blanket ban it all, with little to no exceptions, seems extreme even to him.

There’s probably more to it than this test of questions can relay and hopefully their classes in a few months can shed more light onto how the Magical Ban came to be. Regardless, Carlos finishes that exam far faster than the other three.

He hands it off to Fairy Godmother. She offers him a big smile and another albeit smaller packet of papers. His eyebrows furrow in confusion but she begins speaking before Carlos can ask for an explanation.

“This is the list of elective classes Auradon Prep has to offer. You may pick one and inform either myself or your Dorm Head of your choice. You have until two weeks before the school year begins to pick one. If you can’t decide, let one of us know and we’ll pick one for you based on your interests.”

“Okay, thank you.” Carlos says, holding the list of elective classes close to his chest.

He leaves the classroom and library and makes his way back towards his room. Once back inside the safety of room 16, Carlos lies down on the comfy bed and begins reading the list of classes. There are many options all ranging from basic life skills to in dept explanations of various kingdoms and their associated cultures. And to Carlos’ surprise, there are even classes on magical law, practices, and histories.

Carlos sets the list aside, leaving it on the nightstand closest to him. He can look it over in more detail later or ask Mal if she has a specific class in mind for him to take. Maybe Mal wants the four of them to be in the same class just to ensure they’ll have at least one other thing together. Maybe he can find a specific class that will make their goals easier to achieve.  

Either way, today was exhausting and Carlos could really use some rest. He slips off his shoes and buries himself under the warm covers. Mal will wake him up if she needs him or Evie will after she’s done. For now, though, Carlos closes his eyes and drifts to sleep.

Chapter Text

Gil awakens before the sun rises. Carefully and quietly, he sneaks out of room 14; it doesn’t feel like his room yet, but Gil felt that way too when he first moved onto one of Uma’s ships. He peaks his head through the archway and listens cautiously for either of the Dorm Heads. After a beat of time, Gil is confident that neither Mr. Jenkins nor Miss Cassandra is awake yet.

Gil continues to make his way out, sneaking down the stairs, careful not to creak any of the steps on his way down. So far, he hadn’t noticed any guards patrolling the school, but Gil wouldn’t be surprised if they were; they’re the children of Auradon’s worst villains and Gil is the son of the people who harmed their rulers most of all.

He peers around the railing, eyes scanning the dark space for any other hint of life other than himself. Nothing catches his eye and Gil makes his exit. He cracks open the entrance doors and slips through, closing the doors with a barely audible click. Gil takes a moment to see if the noise alerted anyone, but no one arrives.

The outside of Auradon Prep is haunting beautiful in the early glow of dawn. The colors of the flowers pop against the dark, drawing your eyes to them. The greens of the leaves and grass almost begin to blend in with the darkness but it’s the sky that Gil loves most of all. Most of the sky is a dark shade of purplish black but from the west a splash of orange and yellow begins to weave across the darkness. The sun has barely begun to rise but bits of it peek through the forest on the outskirts of Auradon Prep.

Taking a seat on the dampish grass, Gil watches as the sun slowly chases away the night.

Back home, the yellow hue of the barrier blocks out most of the colors of the sunrise. Through the barrier sunlight is muted, moonlight is barely visible, and stars are practically nonexistent. But here in Auradon, there’s beauty in every part of the sun’s movement or the moon’s glow and the stars twinkle with their own shiny light. For so much of his life such things were only known through the stories Harry’s dad told of his previous adventures at sea.   

But now Gil has experienced it for himself. In the distance a bird begins its morning song and is immediately answered by another. Soon the whole forest is holding its own private symphony as the sun inches up. There is so much of the world Gil never knew about, so much beauty in the basics of life itself.

All Gil can do is take it all in and hope that, wherever he is, his soulmate appreciates it just as much as Gil does. And wonder if he would like to see the treasures of the natural world alongside Gil for the rest of their lives.

“My dad believes you’re a monster that should be killed.” Gil says to the statue behind him. King Adam’s stone form doesn’t answer. “He’s training my brothers to kill you and your son.”

A slight breeze blows past Gil, tussling his loose hair a bit. “He tried to train me too, but I failed. I could have passed it you know, his trial, but I…” He trails off, unsure of how to word his jumbled thoughts.

“He labeled us with numbers. I was Four. That’s all we were to him; numbers in his lineage.” Gil runs his fingers through the blades of grass. “My mom was the one who named me Gilbert. I don’t know if my brothers had other names that he erased.”

His chest heaves and his throat burns as it always does whenever he thinks of her. “She wanted me to be kind. She tried to hide me from him so his cruelty would never taint me. I don’t have many memories of her. He took those from me just as violently as he took her.”

He thinks of her, his mom. He has so few memories of her left but the one that stands out to Gil most of all is the day he lost her. Gil can remember it clearly; the way her eyes widened in fear when his dad approached them and how she begged until her last breath for dad to leave them alone. He remembers the way his dad’s face contorted in anger and the aggressiveness at which he swung his knife.

It splattered everywhere, mom’s blood, across the walls and droplets of it clung to his face. He fell to the ground, stuck between scampering away and rushing to mom’s aid. Dad grabbed him, his fingers dug tightly into Gil’s shoulder, as he pulled Gil away. She held her arm out, her final action, to reach for Gil but her hand barely rose off the floor before it clattered back down.

That’s what he remembers best; her motionless body lying in a pool of her own blood, her eyes lifeless and wide, the terror still etched upon her features, and how her blonde hair looked brownish when caked in her blood.

Gil exhales as his throat tightens. He doesn’t know why he feels so compelled to speak with the statue. Maybe it’s so when, if ever, he meets King Adam or Prince Ben he’ll be able to explain himself without faltering. Gil isn’t sure it’ll be needed but he feels as if his very existence must be explained, at least to them.

“I don’t know why your son picked me… but I want to prove myself worthy of his proclamation.” With that, Gil stands and dusts off his pants. He slips back to his room without detection and waits patiently for the rest of his crew to awaken.

****

A few hours later Gil finds himself back in the library on the third floor. Jane stands behind a large desk, pulling things from compartments he can’t see. Uma leans against the desk, facing Jane, watching curiously as the fey girl works. Harry waltzes over to Jay and begins pestering him while Carlos and Evie whisper back and forth to one another. It seems, to Gil, that Carlos still hasn’t talked with his soulmate yet. Mal walks forward with Achite on her heels. They stop at the desk, Mal standing in front of Jane, separated by the wooden material, with Achite leering over Mal’s shoulders.

“So, I spoke to my mom, and she said I could make the eight of you library cards to check out some books. But only if you want them!” Jane flushes, eyes widening as if the mere thought of forcing them into anything is unforgivable.

“How long will this take?” Uma asks as she taps her fingers against the wood. “I was looking forward to our first free day at Auradon Prep.”

After breakfast that morning, Mr. Jenkins informed the eight of them that today was theirs to enjoy before the rest of their mandated tasks resumed tomorrow. Uma roped Harry and him into exploring the school in more detail while the Core Four planned to build a shared stash for the eight of them. Their plans were derailed when Jane arrived shortly afterwards and explained how the library worked and offered to create them cards.

“Oh, not too long. Just a few minutes each to fill in your information and the cards will be done in shortly after.” Jane explains. “The cards are mainly to access the library after school hours, and they work in the library in Auradon City too.”

“I thought Auradon was this whole place not one measly city.” Evie says as she finally looks away from Carlos.

Jane pauses from where she’s working, setting up some kind of tech box. “The city is named after the kingdom and is Ben’s to rule over once he’s coronated. While all the current royal families fall under King Adam and Queen Belle’s rule, they still maintain power over their previous kingdoms.”

“Fascinating.” Evie exclaims under her breath before she turns back to Carlos.

Gil watches as Jane continues to set everything up. Back on the Isle books weren’t a high priority resource for Uma or her crew. Most of their knowledge could be passed down through hard work and experience so there was no need to go looking for more. Tying knots, adjusting sails, or moving supplies to and from ships were the bulk of Gil’s tasks outside of being Uma’s attack dog.

He knows that, out of the eight of them, Carlos had the biggest collection of books, after Gil’s mom, and even that collection paled in comparison to Auradon Prep’s library. Gil finds the whole thing to be intriguing; to think so much knowledge and history is just waiting there to be accessed without issue. It’s crazy just how different Auradon functions compared to the Isle.

“What did you mean earlier by our information?” Achite asks as he rests his chin against Mal’s right shoulder. Mal tries to shrug him off, but he doesn’t budge. Jane watches their interaction in mild amusement before looking back at Achite in confusion.

“You said you needed to fill in our information to make the cards. So, what information do you require?” Mal clarifies.

“Usually we ask for your name, date of birth or age, an official form of identification, and your current address but you guys don’t have most of that. But that’s okay! We can work around that.” Jane finishes adjusting the devices around her. “Okay, who wants to go first?”

Mal pulls away from Achite and closer to Jane. “Let’s get this over with.”

With a nod Jane asks, “Name and date of birth or age?”

“Mal, sixteen.” She drums her fingers against the wooden surface, lost in thought for a moment. “March 20^th.”

Jane quickly clicks the random keys, filling the room with a clacking noise. She only stumbles a little when Mal states her actual birthday but recovers quickly. Everyone on the Isle knows Mal’s birthday; her mother throws the biggest and wickedest party for Mal every year. They’re all invited, with the exception of Hades and Achite.

“And the last thing we need is a picture.” Jane looks up at Mal and holds a different device that’s connected to where she’s typing. Mal’s eyes dart between Jane and the device for several seconds before she’s shoving Achite off to the side.

Jane counts down from three and there’s a huge flash of light that makes Gil flinch. He blinks his eyes but the weird circles that plague his vision refuse to leave. He hears Harry hiss and watches as Uma shakes her head while blinking.

One of the machines Jane grabbed earlier begins to make noise. Seven of them begin to lean closer to the machine, watching with intense focus as something starts to slowly rise out of its center. Carlos is the only one who leans away, darting behind Evie with a small shriek. Gil wasn’t sure what he was expecting but this definitely wasn’t it.

The noise ceases just as a small blue rectangle emerges from the center. Jane plucks it up, shakes it a bit, before handing it over to Mal. She takes it and holds it out for the rest of them to see. The left side of the card has an image of Mal’s face, pale skin, purple hair loose and slightly curled, with wide eyes and flat smile. The rest of the card has both her name, age and birthday written on the right side in a small white box. The rest of the card has a golden border and Auradon Prep written in the center of the bottom of the card.

“See, easy-peasy!” Jane exclaims.

Mal pockets her card and gestures for someone else to step forward as she moves off to the side. Both Uma and Achite step forward. Gil’s captain eyes Achite, arms crossed and jaw clenching, but Achite doesn’t back down; he stands straighter and begins growling. Their standoff doesn’t last long once Mal slaps the back of Achite’s head.

With that Gil watches as Uma shoves Achite aside with a simple, “Move aside, demigod, Jane and I have business.”

And Gil knows how this will play out. Jane will make a card for Uma and then ask for someone else to go next. Jay and Harry will argue flirtatiously about which one should go next only for Achite to bypass them both. Their argument will continue long enough for both Evie and Carlos to go and will be settled once either Uma or Mal grow annoyed with their flirting. Harry and Jay will go, the order depending on whichever name is shouted first, and Gil will wrap up the process by being last.

So, Gil does the reasonable thing and wanders off. He’ll know it’s his turn once the bickering dies down.

He walks by the shelves, running his fingers across the spines of the books, tracing their designs gingerly as he does so. Gil isn’t sure if he’ll ever use the card; books have never really interest him- his mom reading to him is what held his interest not the act of reading itself, but he’ll still get one. There’s really only one thing Gil is interested in knowing and this library probably won’t hold the answer.

Ever since Gil learned his soulmate is currently somewhere in Auradon, his whole world has felt off kilter. All Gil has ever wanted was his soulmate; to be happy and loved by them. For the first time in Gil’s life, that dream has an actual shot at becoming a reality. If doing so wouldn’t risk getting the eight of them sent back to the Isle, Gil would have taken off in the direction of his needle yesterday morning.  

Gil wants to know everything about him, his soulmate. He wonders if he’s close with his family or has siblings. Does he live in a big house or something small but full of comfort? How far away exactly is he from Auradon Prep? What kingdom does he reside in? What are his hopes and dreams?

Does he know Gil is from the Isle of the Lost? Has he been searching for a way to find Gil just as much as Gil has him? Would Gil’s parentage prevent him from ever loving Gil? Would Gil be rejected on the spot because of his parents’ crimes?

Gil can’t help but shudder as the thoughts swirl in his mind, taking on a darker, more cynical twist. Gil isn’t his parents; in fact, he’s done all he can to not repeat their mistakes. It’s why he tries his best to be polite and considerate to everyone he meets. His dad regards niceties as weaknesses and his mom tended to be a harsh judge of character.

A piece of art hanging on one of the walls catches Gil’s eye. He walks closer to it; the work is one he hadn’t noticed yesterday. As he approaches, Gil realizes it’s not art at all, but rather a map of Auradon as a whole, complete with little labels under every nation. Gil’s eyes dart around the borders of the map, looking for a compass or other directional cues.

He knows his soulmate is to the west of Auradon Prep with a slight downward curve. The bottom right corner of the map shows it has a compass of its own. There isn’t an Isle of the Lost on the map but Gil spots Auradon City just off the map’s center. There’s even an Auradon Prep marker just northeast of the city. Gil takes a deep breath as his fingers, without touching the map, traces a path westward.

There are only two cities marked in the direction Gil remembers his compass pointing; Charmington and Cinderellasberg. Even Gil, who had little to no interactions with any of the Tremaine children, can put together which royal family rules those places. Does that mean his soulmate is a random citizen of one of those cities? Or is Gil’s soulmate the son of Prince Charming- wouldn’t he be a king now? - and Cinderella? Does Charming and Cinderella even have a son?

Gil pulls his hand away like it’s been burned.

He wanted to know and yet, now that he does, or at least suspect, Gil wishes he didn’t. He gets it now, why Carlos is so cagey with Jane. This information is almost too much to process when coupled with their Isle upbringings. The rules of the Isle are easy to follow but Auradon is an unknown and, if Gil learned anything from his dad, it’s that the unknown will kill you faster than any known enemy.

A prince isn’t something Gil knows how to handle. A prince should be destined for someone like Evie, a damsel in need of saving from a wickedly evil mother; not that Evie is incapable of defending herself if need be. Princes need heirs and Gil can’t provide any man, royal or not, with that. When Achite said the Fates could be cruel, is this what he meant?

Suddenly Evie’s theory that one of them is destined for Prince Ben seems a lot more believable.

Swallowing hard, Gil backs away from the map. He needs a moment; Gil feels too much like that battery Carlos overloaded when they were kids; the battery couldn’t handle the amount of power Carlos filled it with and exploded. Thankfully humans can’t explode but that doesn’t stop his brain from trying.

Gil wanders back to the group just in time for Carlos’ turn. Carlos nervously walks up to Jane, but his eyes keep darting between Mal and Evie. Both ladies wiggle their library cards at Carlos, who, in turn, can only sigh and receive his own.

“Carlos De Vil, ah fourteen, I think. I don’t… I’ve never…” Carlos stutters off, blushing brightly as Jane stares at him. “Mother doesn’t really do birthdays.” He mumbles just loud enough for all of them to hear.

It’s a sad fact of Isle life Gil can relate to. His dad only kept track of birthdays until they turned ten. After their tenth birthday, his dad stopped celebrating their yearly survival. Gil remembers though, that Two would do something nice for him and Three whenever their birthdays arrived; although Gil isn’t sure if that’s a tradition Two does for the rest of their brothers or if he stopped after Gil was disowned.

Gil hopes, for his brothers' sake, that Two still does it; if only to know their dad wasn’t able to completely strip his brothers of their humanity.

“Here.” Jane says as she hands the card over to Carlos. There’s a sadness that lingers within her words that leaves Gil wondering if Jane knows she and Carlos are made for one another after all.

Harry strides over to the desk just as Carlos darts back behind Evie. Gil watches as Harry flashes Jane with one of his more charming - he really can’t escape that word today - smiles and props his elbow against the desk’s surface.

Batting his eyelashes Harry holds out one hand for Jane to shake. “Harry Hook, fifteen, pleasure to make your acquaintance Duckling.” Jane, for her part, only grimaces a little as she shakes his hand before returning back to filling in Harry’s card information.   

Another flash of light follows after Jane holds up the device. Harry looks directly at the device with a big smile and poses one hand under his chin and the other on his hip. The card exits the same device as Mal’s card and looks identical apart from the information listed and picture displayed.

“And I thought you banned magic.” Harry teases as he traces the image of his face on the card.

Jane frowns. “That’s not magic it’s… never mind, I’ll explain that later.”

Jay bounces up, giving Harry a slight shove. Gil’s friend gasps aloud and tries to move closer to Jay but Uma pulls him away. Gil watches as Uma scolds Harry under her breath as Harry pouts the whole time.

“Jay’s my name and I’m probably still sixteen.”

“Probably?” Jane asks, just as the flashing happens again.

He nods, “Most of us only have a rough estimate of our ages. And it’s not like my dad cared enough to remember mine.” Jay says nonchalantly. He plucks his card out of the machine before Jane can grab it for him. “You always look so sad whenever one of us don’t know our birthdays. Don’t worry about it so much, birthdays are a drag on the Isle anyways.”

With the last of her crew members done, Mal leads her gang over to one of the longer tables. Achite waves and mumbles out a goodbye as he walks off after them. Gil can see the five of them from the corner of his eye, talking amongst themselves as they show off their cards. Uma nudges her head towards the desk and Gil finds himself following the order before his mind has even processed it. Gil greets Jane with a wave, and she offers Gil a small smile in return.

“I’m Gilbert, fifteen and I used to know my birthday, but I forgot.” Gil states with a slight nod.

Jane gets that sad look again, but Gil is used to being pitied by strangers. She holds out the device again and gives Gil a sad smile. He smiles back, big and bright in an attempt to cheer her up. Another flash of light leaves Gil reeling back, blinking quickly as his eyes adjust. He rubs his hands over his eyes, but the small muted colored circles stay within his vision.

“Here you go.” Jane says, handing over Gil’s card.

He takes it just as Uma and Harry loop their arms through his own and begin to lead Gil out of the library. “Oh, bye Jane! Thank you for the cards.” Faintly, Gil thinks he hears Jane respond but it’s lost as his friends pull him away.

“Now if only learning more about our new roomies was that easy.” Harry laments with a long, drawn-out sight.

There’s a rustling sound behind them, like objects being hastily placed down. Jane’s voice calls them back before the three of them can leave. “Wait, I can show you your roommates right now, if you want.”

Uma turns around, unlinking their arms. Even Mal listens intensely from her table. “Show us.” Both leaders say in unison.

Jane gestures towards the table Mal commandeered earlier before she darts off behind the desk once more and begins rustling around the shelves there. Uma walks over, choosing to stand beside Mal as Harry leads Gil over to stand by Jay and Achite. Carlos looks between Evie and the twins but none of them look at Carlos.

Faintly, under her breath Evie whispers, “Just talk with her already.”

Jane returns with a book titled Auradon Prep Yearbook. She sets the book on top of the table and angles it for all of them to see. “Every year Auradon Prep releases a yearbook that shows each of the school’s students as well as the various clubs and activities done that school year.”

“I’m guessing this is last year’s book and our roommates are showcased for us to find.” Achite says as he watches Jane flip through several pages.

“Yup.” Jane agrees. She stops flipping the pages and settles on a section labeled Most Likely To. “Here is Evie’s roommate.”

This section of the yearbook shows two people per page. Jane points to the second photo on the first page of the section. The lady Jane points to has long flowy brown hair, a small golden crown atop her head, and warm brown eyes. Her skin is flawless and fair, and her smile is bright and inviting. The name Audrey Rose is written beneath her image, and it’s followed by Most Likely to Follow her Dreams.

Evie squeals. “Can you believe it M!? I get to room with another princess!” She claps her hands excitedly as Mal just glares down at the princess in the yearbook.

“Jane?” Mal asks, cutting through Evie’s excitement “Is Audrey the daughter of Aurora and Phillip?” Mal’s eyes never leave the image, even as she asks her question.

Gil looks up at Jane just in time to watch her eyes widen. Fear embeds itself across her face and that’s all the conformation Gil needs to know that Mal’s guess is true. Evie’s smile falters, looking far more strained than it did moments ago. Mal finally looks up, her face revealing nothing of her emotions or thoughts.

“The House of Briar Rose has gained a new flower.” Mal states idly. “Well, who’s next?”

Jane blinks several times at Mal before suddenly flipping to the next page. She mutely points to the image of a man on the top of the fourth page. His crown is bigger than Audrey Rose’s, but his hair is a similar shade of brown. He looks so familiar to Gil that he knows this must be Prince Ben even before he sees the Benjamin beneath him.

It’s also the fact that he resembles most of Gil’s brothers as if their dad tried to recreate the family, he believes Queen Belle denied him all those years ago.

“Right, the prince that brought us all here.” Jay says, peering down at him. “Most likely to be good ruler, huh?” Jay smirks up at them, laughing a little. “Well, he certainly has my vote.”

“The prince is my roommate, right? I believe that’s the name Coach told me when we arrived.” Achite looks to Jane questioningly. She nods, confirming his assumption.

Suddenly, Gil remembers their first day at Auradon Prep and Coach explaining how the school functioned as he led Achite and Gil back towards the dorm. Once they arrived, he told the two of them who their roommates would be but, in the moment, Gil was too focused on being rendered weaponless to pay attention.

“And the man beneath him is Gil’s roommate, Chad Charming.” Jane motions to the image beneath Prince Ben.

Gil looks down at the image of Chad Charming and time seems to slow down. Golden locks of hair slicked back, eyes a vibrant mix of dark hazel, and a lazy smile forever frozen across his pale complexion. His crown is held with his hands instead of atop his head. The Most Likely to Find True Love beneath Chad’s name glares up at Gil tauntingly.  

The image depicts a happy prince, one who looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but Gil can see the cracks in the mask Chad wears. There’s a dullness to his eyes; one Gil recognizes from his childhood. All of his brothers get it, even Gil had it before he left; that never ending sadness that lingers no matter how hard you try to chase it away.

Chad’s façade of happiness is an act; one Gil isn’t sure Auradon Prep, or its students have picked up on. It feels like a confirmation and a slap in the face all at once. Why else would a prince of Auradon feel such hopelessness if not for his soulmate being banished beyond his reach? Gil’s heart aches at the thought of it, of Chad spending who knows how long believing they would never meet.

Gil isn’t one to linger on thoughts. He was raised to act immediately and fight his way through any problem. To linger on his thoughts, to waste time pondering the ‘what ifs’ is a foreign concept for Gil. While Auradon as a whole is full of unknown possibilities, Gil only has his gut instincts to rely on. But his thoughts linger on Chad; his mind is consumed with the single image of the Charming prince he’s seen. How much of Chad’s personality is an act crafted to hide his innermost feelings?

If anyone knew, it would be Jane; it was Jane’s mother, after all, that helped Cinderella all those years ago. But the questions lodge themselves in Gil’s throat. The words refuse to exit his mouth and his body rebels, refusing to give the words a voice.

Jane flips the page over and Chad Charming can only haunt Gil from the recesses of his mind. She points to the top of the fifth page, at a lean guy with short brownish hair and thin rimmed glasses. His smile is thin, but his green eyes burn with what Gil assumes is ambition judging by his Most Likely to be Successful.

“That’s Doug and he’s Carlos’ roommate.” Jane states.

Carlos looks at Doug and then back at Jane. His face flushes pink and he gingerly tugs on Evie’s sleeve. There’s a burning plea igniting within his eyes, but Evie looks pointedly between Carlos and Jane. His eyes widen and he shakes his head in disagreement just as Evie sighs sadly. Mal’s eyes focus on the two of them and Gil watches as she rolls her eyes.

“Jane, I have a question.” Mal says, ignoring Evie’s slight glare and Carlos slinking out of Jane’s eyesight. “What hero is Doug’s parent?”

And that must be the question Carlos wanted Evie to ask Jane on his behalf. Gil’s a little surprised Mal would ask it for Carlos considering mercy isn’t something she’s known for. But, then again, her crew have always been the exception to most of Mal’s rules. It’s why the eight of them are lucky enough to know her full parentage, after all.

“Oh, he’s the son of Dopey, one of…” Jane trails off, looking at Evie with the same fear she displayed when Mal asked about Audrey Rose. It takes Gil a moment to remember that Dopey is one of the dwarves that helped Snow White defeat Evie’s mom.

Gil watches as Evie eyes the image of Doug with an unreadable expression. He can see an intensity burning in her eyes, but the exact emotion is lost to him. Gil, even after all these years, still doesn’t know how Evie feels about her mom. He knows Carlos fears his mom, and that Uma is resentful towards her own while Harry and Jay never talk about their mothers; although Gil isn’t sure if it’s because they don’t know their identities or not.

The twins never discuss how they feel about either of their parents but the fact they sneak around to visit one another and their dad under their mom’s nose is revealing enough. But Evie never speaks ill of her mother, nor does she praise her either. Gil gets it though; moms can be complicated; his own mom definitely was.  

Jane clears her throat; a slight pinkish blush tints her cheeks. She flips over a few more pages before settling on another image of a man. This one has red hair that almost reaches his shoulders, brown eyes, and little freckles dotting his nose and cheeks barely visible on his pale skin. The word Kristian reveals his name and he’s Most Likely to Write a Love Song.

“This is Kristian, son of Anna and Kristoff, rulers of Arendelle. He’s rooming with Harry.”

“Well, he’s no demigod, but I guess he’ll do.” Harry sighs, eyeing Achite who’s probably rolling his eyes in response.

“And Uma’s roommate, Lonnie should be next.” Jane mumbles, mostly to herself as she flips through a few more pages. She stops, pointing down to the last image on the page. “Yup, there she is.”

Li Lonnie smiles widely, her dark brown eyes twinkling with excitement. Her dark colored hair barely passes her ears and curves against her skin in a style that reminds Gil more of Julian, Prince John’s eldest kid, more than anything else. Gil thinks she and Uma will get along greatly if her Most Likely to Win a Duel is true.

“Mulan’s daughter, right?” Uma asks as Jane nods. “I hope she inherited her mother’s skill with a blade.”

Jane laughs, something small and Gil spots Carlos shrinking deeper into himself as his face flushes red. “She most definitely did.”

Uma nods in approval, no doubt imagining all the fun they’ll have dueling one another. While the Isle has many skilled swordsmen, after years of fighting one another, even Gil finds their moves repetitive and easy to predict. Uma, whose skill far surpasses Gil’s, hasn’t had a decent sword fight in years. Gil supposes that’s one more good thing to come out of being in Auradon; the ability to learn new dueling tactics and fight against new foes.

Jay claps his hands together, startling Gil from his thoughts. He rubs his hands together, a smile spreading across his face as he does so. “I see you saved the best for last!”

“Please,” Achite leers. “We all know the best goes first and that title belongs to-”

“Me.” Mal interrupts. “After all, I’ve already met my roomie, right Jane?”

Jane smiles timidly, the blush returning to her cheeks. She flips the page over, struggling for a moment to keep the page in place. “Here he is, Macarius.”

“Damn!” Harry gasps aloud as the eight of them peer down at the image. Even Jay has a slight darkening of his cheeks, something Gil hasn’t seen since Jay began dating Harry and Achite.

Gil can understand the reaction, though. Macarius is quite attractive, but something nags Gil about it; almost as if there’s something eerily familiar about him. Short, glossy brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and skin just slightly tanned but flawless, nonetheless. Gil can only wonder about the Most Likely to Save a City written beneath his name.

Achite growls, his face leaning closer to the yearbook. “I know that face. Why do I know that face?”

At that the seven of them lean down closer, studying Macarius. Gil can’t place it, but Achite’s words ring true. Maybe someone in his family is on the Isle? Both Morgana and Drizella had siblings here in Auradon. But Macarius didn’t resemble any of the Tremaines or Le Fays Gil knew.

“Jane.” Mal says, looking sharply at her roommate. “Whose son is he?”

Jane’s eyes widen comically large, and her mouth opens and closes several times without any words exiting. Achite finally pries his eyes away from the image, and stares Jane down before sucking a deep breath. He mutters a word harshly in Greek before covering his mouth with both hands.

“What?” Jay asks, smiling dropping. “What’s wrong with my roommate?” He looks questioningly between Mal and Achite.

Mal sighs, replying in a tone that almost sounds bored. “Macarius is a Greek name.”

“He’s a demigod!?” Harry exclaims excitedly as Jay’s eyes widen.

“Wait, which God is he related to?” Jay asks.

Under his breath, Achite mutters. “Oh, Fates this can’t get any worse!”

“Wait for it.” Mal taunts, eyes widening as her smile grows.  

Jane gulps before speaking in a stuttering, nervous voice. “Macarius is related to Zeus. He’s Hercules and Megara’s son.”

Harry cackles loudly as Achite screeches at the top of his lungs. Gil winces a little at the sound. Achite begins to run his fingers harshly through his hair. Jay stares down at Macarius, his gaze hardening. Harry stumbles over, landing painfully onto the floor, still laughing loudly as he falls.

“The Fates hate me!” Achite cries. “I can’t believe Nutmeg has a kid around my age.”  

“Way to bury the lead, Jane.” Uma laughs as she teases her. Jane’s blush darkens and she looks directly at the floor. “Anything else we should know?” Uma asks, clapping Jane’s shoulder.

“Lonnie and Macarius are soulmates and have been dating for a while and Kristain is soulmates with,” Jane points to the imagine across from Macarius. “her.”

They all look to where Jane is pointing and even Harry, still resting on the floor, places his elbows on the table and follows along. Just above Jane’s finger is a woman around their age. Her hair is as long as Evie’s and is glossier than Macarius’. While her eyes are blue too, they’re a much lighter tone, resembling the pale blues Jane wears more than anything else.

The name Melody sits just beside Jane’s finger, nearly blocked by the shadow she casts. She grins up at them, with her hair tied back, and dressed in a suit resembling something a sailor would wear. Most Likely to Sail Across the World seems fitting beneath her name.

“And whose kid is she?” Evie asks this time around.

Jane’s eyes dart to Uma but flicker back to Evie when she answers. “Melody is Ariel and Eric’s daughter.”

“Is she a sailor like her dad?” Uma asks, her own fingers tracing the outfit Melody wears in the image. Jane nods and Uma smiles faintly. “A daddy’s girl then, how fitting.”

“Fitting?” Jane asks nervously.

“The Lost Revenge is always looking for new recruits. I haven’t managed to recruit a princess yet but who doesn’t love a challenge?” Uma states, but something about her words seem off to Gil, as if she’s reciting a lie and not the truth, but he isn’t one to call out his captain.

“Plus, it’ll be nice to have more swimmers on our crew.” Harry pipes up from the floor.  

Jane shuts the yearbook with a soft thud. She waves the eight of them off as she returns the book to its rightful place. Mal leads her brother away as Achite still mutters about the unfairness of the universe under his breath. The rest of her crew follow her out, pausing only for a moment to whisper their goodbyes.

Uma lifts Harry off the ground with a sigh. “Come on boys, we have a castle to explore.”

With that, both Harry and Gil follow their captain out of the library. Gil stops at the door, waving to Jane before he exits. She waves back before returning to her previous task of putting all the devices they used earlier away. Uma slings down the stairs with Harry right by her side. They chat amongst themselves about the children of Ariel and Hercules, but Gil finds himself drifting away from their conversation.

He can see Chad Charming within his mind. The hauntingly dull and dark hazel eyes. The pin straight golden hair held perfectly in place. That lazy smile and the pearly white teeth within it. Most Likely to Find True Love; how that phrase taunts him.

‘I’m trying.’ Gil thinks. ‘I’m trying to find my way to you. Are you trying to find me?’

****

Gil shuts the last door with a barely audible click. Uma sighs frustratingly from behind him. Gil turns to face her, watching silently as she flexes her shoulders. Harry leans against the wall, looking towards the pictures hanging on the walls around them.

All the rooms they searched through were empty, except for the chairs and desks placed neatly inside them. There were no papers of hidden secrets or information for them to scavenge. The classrooms of Auradon Prep held nothing relevant for them, and the hallways were just that; long stretches of room made to connect one part of the school to another.

It was disappointing, especially since the two schools littering the Isle of the Lost held all kinds of secrets.

Gil barely attended Dragon Hall and had transferred to Serpent Prep once he joined Uma’s crew. He remembered that Dragon Hall had secret passageways hidden all over that led deeper into the tombs that the school was repurposed around. At Serpent Prep, there were hidden pockets of supplies for any who were smart enough to find them instead of hidden passageways to discover.

But Auradon Prep held neither supplies nor secrets for the three of them to find. It was disappointing to say the least.

“Well, that was a bust.” Harry announces as he kicks off from the wall. “I knew these goody two-shoes were boring, but this is just downright disappointing.”

Uma snorts. “You can say that again.” She cracks her neck. “Hopefully Mal and her crew had more luck.”  

Uma motions for them to follow and both Gil and Harry stand side by side behind her, trailing after their captain loyally as she marches forward. All of the rooms were exactly as Fairy Godmother described; classrooms for teaching, a lovely looking gym Gil was most excited to use, a few art rooms, several locker rooms for each sport team, and a pool locked behind a door they couldn't open.

Uma speaks again once they’re back at the entrance hall. “Well boys, I’m going to regroup with Mal and see what she found. Feel free to do whatever.”

She waves them off and begins climbing the stairs. Harry looks at Gil, giving him a wide smile, his eyes dazzling. “I’m off to find my lovers and perhaps share a lovely meal.” Gil laughs as Harry climbs the steps two at a time, calling out to Jay and Achite. “Oh, dearies! Your pirate awaits!”

And, just like that, Gil is alone again.

It’s fine, Gil is used to being left on his own. He walks back towards the cafeteria, grabbing an orange before exiting through the courtyard. He walks past the circular tables and deeper into the back of Auradon Prep. He can see a sports field in the distance; probably the tourney field Mr. Jenkins talks so much about. He wants the boys to try out once the school year begins in August.

Gil thinks he might try it. Neither Serpent Prep nor Dragon Hall had team-based sport teams. There were wrestling teams, that Gil joined, that involved sparring against both members of each school for the chance of being number one. The same held true for the dueling clubs from each school. Serpent Prep was the only school to have a swim team, but Uma dominated that; it’s not like any of them had a chance at out swimming a sea witch.

Gil follows the path that leads to the field. He begins to slowly peel the orange; there’s a trick Two taught him as a kid that lets you peel the whole orange without breaking the peel into pieces, but Gil was never able to do it as well as his brother.

He likes being a part of Uma’s pirate crew; likes the feeling of belonging it brings him. Maybe being on the Tourney team will bring Gil that same sense of belonging? Everything about Auradon is so different from the Isle of the Lost. Gil constantly feels like his footing is off balance and that even the littlest of motion will send him falling. But Gil knows how to follow orders and complete tasks, and isn’t that what all sports are? Following your coach’s instructions and working to complete whatever goal gets you points.

The peel rips off the orange before Gil can get the whole thing off. He stands there, right before the chain linked fence of the Tourney Field, with an orange peel in one hand and a partially peeled orange in the other. He doesn’t know how Two does it so flawlessly and Gil hasn’t been in a position to ask his -former?- brother in years.

With a sigh, Gil pockets the peel and begins to pick at the remaining peel. His fingers find purchase on the peel, and he pulls it up. Once there’s enough to begin the peeling process again, Gil pushes the gate open. It complies, squeaking as it parts. He slips past the opening and walks over to the various seating arrangements. Gil climbs to the top, takes a seat and continues to peel the orange.

Once the peel is off, Gil pulls free one individual slice. He places it in his mouth and bites down, letting the juice permeate his mouth. It tastes sweet, sort of like the apples from yesterday, but with a tanginess Gil can’t quite place. The oranges on the Isle, the ones his brother always shared between them, always had a bitterness to them.  

Gil, for as much as he loves Uma and Harry, does miss his brothers. Two and Three were his constant companions before their dad disowned him. Five and Six would follow Gil around and he spent his free time entertaining them with stories. Seven was just a baby when Gil left and he doubts his youngest brother even remembers him now.

Despite their upbringing of being raised to surpass one another, Gil still considered himself close with his brothers. At least until he failed. According to the Isle rumor mill, his brothers were instructed by their dad to kill Gil for staining their legacy, but Gil doesn’t know how true that is. Isle rumor also says Mal and Uma are bitter rivals who won’t stop fighting until one of them is dead.  

He eats another slice. The flavor seeps back onto his tongue as tears prickle his eyes. It’s an orange, something he’s eaten time and time again, but so much has changed since then and now everything is different. Gil may actually never see his brothers again. While he hasn’t talked with any of them in five years, he still caught glimpses of them; the Isle of the Lost isn’t that big. But Gil’s in Auradon now, free from the barrier and their dad, but his brothers are still trapped there, and they may always be.  

This time he bites down on two slices. Gil savors the taste as he brings his soul mark into view. The compass still points in the same direction, back towards Charmington and Cinderellasberg. He can still picture Chad Charming when closes his eyes. That singular image haunts his every thought. The carefree way he smiled, the emptiness held within his eyes, and the words written beneath his name; all of it stays perfectly ingrained inside every recess of Gil’s mind.

He doesn’t know for sure if Chad is his soulmate or not. Gil isn’t sure what he’ll do either way. Would he be happy with Chad; happy to live inside his castle and rule by his side? What will Gil do if it isn’t Chad? What if his soulmate just lives in Chad’s kingdom and nothing more? Would that life, the life of a commoner, be more appealing to him instead?

His life was so much easier when the hardest obstacle to finding his soulmate was the barrier surrounding the Isle of the Lost. He eats another slice. Gil doesn’t know what the rules are regarding soulmates in Auradon. Does each kingdom have its own rules that must be followed? Are there consequences for breaking them? Somehow, rules and regulations seem much more daunting than the Isle’s way of ignoring and hiding.

But Gil is thankful he doesn’t have to hide away the best part of himself like he would have to do back home. He doesn’t know how Harry, who loves everyone so fiercely, can be content with loving Jay and Achite in secret. Gil thinks it would have broken him completely. He knows exactly what hiding a soulmate did to his father and Gil has no desire to repeat that mistake himself.

He wonders if his mom found her soulmate. Did she love them? Did they reject her or did their identity remain a mystery she died before solving? Did they die prematurely and that loss is what filled her with darkness; what fueled the cruelty in which she enacted her crimes? For all Gil loves his mom, for all he mourns her death, he hopes more than anything that he doesn’t end up like her.

Gil wasn’t raised to love, and he wasn’t made with it either. Who’s to say he would be any good at loving anyone in the first place.

****

Gil arrives back at the courtyard just as he plops the last orange slice into his mouth. The courtyard looks the same as when he left it apart from the faint chatter echoing on the wind. A laugh, one just as familiar to Gil as his own, and another voice, too low to hear the words, speaks over top the laughter. He follows the noises, stopping only to deposit the orange peels into a trash can.

The voices lead to a blanket hidden behind a tall, thick tree. Several plates of eaten food are scatted atop the pale-yellow fabric. He spots Harry first, leaning on his side, one hand propping up his chin while the other dances in the air. Harry’s back is to Gil, his attention focused solely on Jay, who sits up straight, and Achite, who lays across Jay’s lap.

It’s Jay who spots Gil first. He looks up past Harry’s head, tensing until he realizes it’s just Gil. Achite, who begins to sit up once Jay tenses, waves to Gil as he shuffles off of his boyfriend. Harry’s head whips around and he rises to a sitting position just as Gil reaches the edge of the blanket. Gil looks between the three of them, silently asking for permission to sit. The trio of boyfriends smile up at Gil and gesture to a spot beside Harry.

“Gilson!” Achite greets warmly, with that old childhood nickname. “What can we do for you?”

Gil thinks for a moment; what can they do for him? He thinks of all the thoughts lingering in his mind, his family, Chad Charming, his soul mark and the direction it unwaveringly points to, and love or Gil’s lack of it. Who better to ask questions about matters of the heart than the only people Gil knows who are in a happy loving relationship.

Love isn’t something his dad ever tolerated. In fact, it’s something he tried to beat out of Gil and his brothers. Love is something his mom tried to impact on him before her death, but Gil can barely remember her words of wisdom. He just… all Gil wants, what he yearns for most of all…

“Gil? Mate, everything alright?” Harry asks, shaking Gil’s shoulder as he does so.

“How did you know?” His voice is barely a whisper and all three of them lean in closer to hear him. “How could you tell the three of you were soulmates under the barrier?”

Gil can hear the way the words catch in his throat, and he can feel the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He can see the way Harry and Jay look at him, with eyes full of concern, and can feel the intensity of Achite’s gaze through the dark shades. Not one of them speaks, their eyes flicker between each other and they avoid Gil’s lingering gaze.

“Well, that’s not what I was expecting.” Achite mumbles. “We just… I don’t know how to answer that.” Achite looks between Harry and Jay.

“Look, we kind of just came together on accident.” Jay answers, looking far more sheepish than Gil was expecting. “I mean… it really just happened.”

“You remember what we were like back then, always bickering with one another.” Harry reminisces; a dopey smile stretches across his face. “One minute we were yelling and the next we were kissing. And afterwards we realized kissing one another felt just as natural as breathing.”

Achite snorts and begins to stretch out across the blanket. “Please, you speak as if the arguing suddenly stopped too. We love each other and we love to argue too.”

“It’s called to lovingly bicker, my Achite.”

“Blame Harry, he’s the one that starts all our bickering.” Jay teases, leaning down to plant a kiss onto Harry’s forehead.

Achite laughs and then flails around as Jay kisses his forehead too. Harry scowls, or rather tries to, but his smile keeps breaking his annoyed mask. Gil watches them silently, laughing amongst themselves as Jay peppers Harry and Achite in kisses. It’s something Gil’s never seen them do before; something the Isle never would have allowed them to do before.

It’s something Gil never thought would be available for any of them to do; something so far away from anything he could ever imagine doing and yet, now that he knows it’s an option, he can’t imagine a life without it.

He wants this. A life of love and laughter with the person he was made for. He wants to look upon his soulmate and watch as his eyes light up with love. Gil wants to hold his hand, watch as their compasses point to each other, as they run across fields or through the forest or stay perfectly still beside one another.

“Did that help?” Achite asks, a hint of laughter echoing within his words.

Gil looks at his friends, sees the love that fills their eyes and the smiles stretching across their faces and lies, “Yes, it did. Thank you.”

He stands quickly, feeling his face flushes red and his throat tightening. Something twists his heart that makes Gil feel like his blood is boiling. He leaves the courtyard, ignoring the concerned calls of his friends. Jealousy was always the weakness of Gastons; it seems even Gil, despite his best attempts, isn’t immune to its monstrous embrace.

****

Gil watches as the sun begins to set from his seat on the ground. He can feel the unmoving eyes of King Adam staring him down. Realistically, Gil knows the statue isn’t staring at him, that magic or not, the statue can’t watch him. But that doesn’t make the feeling of being watched dissipate or maybe that’s just the guilt talking.

He tries to focus on the colors streaking across the sky; the oranges and yellows being chased by the darkening purples and black. He banishes thoughts of Chad Charming or his own messed up family, but they linger still. He wasn’t raised to linger on the unknown, which is ironic considering all his dad does is linger and obsess on his past.

“I don’t… I feel jealous of them, my friends. They found each other under the barrier. It’s something most of us thought was impossible. I tried for years to find him, my soulmate, but I couldn’t” Gil feels the tears slip down his face. “I didn’t know… I never considered it before, but he’s from here.”

Gil takes in a shaky breath. “He’s from Auradon, either Charmington or Cinderellasberg, I think. I feel like such a fool. All those years I tried to search for him, and it wasn’t even possible!”

He gasps, choking on a sob. His chest heaves a few times as Gil tries to steady himself but the sobs rack through his entire body. “I tried to be good, to be better than my parents, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough. That he’ll hate me because of them.”

Angling his body, Gil turns to face the statue. It’s still as unmoving as ever, the metal king holding the same position he always does when in human mode. “Your son is the only reason I have a shot at finding my soulmate. No matter what happens, I’ll never forget that. I’ll be forever indebted to him.”

The sun begins to dip, slowly setting in the same direction his compass points to. Everything leads back to him, to Charmington and Cinderellasberg, and Chad freaking Charming. Even the last lights of the sun resemble his golden locks. Gil sobs harder, the tears fall down his face like an unstoppable rainstorm.

“Can someone be more than just their parents’ son?”

The statue doesn’t reply.

“I don’t want to be like them, but their blood flows through my veins. I was raised to fulfil their dreams, to bring forth their goals. I was made to slay a beast and his son.”

The sun dips under the trees or behind a building too far for Gil to see. It plagues the outside of Auradon Prep in darkness. There’s not a hint of sound, save for Gil’s crying. It’s a weird feeling, to cry so freely, when so much of his childhood forbid it.

‘Gastons don’t cry. Real men shed no tears.’ Was something his dad always said.

“I don’t think my heart could bear it.” He cries out, placing a hand over his heart. “If he hates me, I think that would ruin me.”

Gil looks up at the metal form of King Adam and imagines the terror he must have felt as Gil’s dad hunted him down. Of the fear that struck him just as the bolt of dad’s crossbow dug into his flesh. Was King Adam more afraid of dying as a beast or of leaving Belle defenseless against such a monster?  

He thinks of the little boy, the one King Adam used to be, and wonders how anyone could have looked down upon that child and cursed them into a monster. Rude or not, wasn’t there a better way to teach that lesson? Why rope in the castle staff into such a cruel and permanent punishment? And to tether the reversal of their curse to love of someone unknown; how would any of that teach King Adam the lesson of kindness?

Did King Adam consider it nice or cruel to spend every waking moment knowing he had ten years for true love to find him?

“Is this my punishment? For my crime of existing?” The facial features of the statue are barely visible from where Gil kneels, but he can feel the eyes upon him. “I didn’t ask to exist. I never wanted to be born.”

He thinks of his childhood, full of brothers and broken bones and shattered bonds destroyed by a father incapable of expressing love for anything other than himself. Gil thinks of Mal, Achite and Hades, and how Maleficent ripped them apart just to punish Hades for reasons only she can list. He thinks of Uma, Harry and Jay, forced to grow up too soon in order to protect the next generation from harm. And of Carlos and Evie, who have never known their fathers despite desperately trying to learn their identities; desperately hoping they have at least one parent who truly loves them.

It isn’t fair, for any of them, that their upbringings deny them the love they all desperately crave; that even those of them with decent parents can’t showcase it off in the light of day. The Isle of the Lost is a prison for their parents and a tomb for their children. How could any adult look upon them, Gil and his fellow VKs, and condemn them to its eternal punishment?

“How could you do that to us? We were children! We still are children! Why does it fall upon your son to right such wrongs?”

His fingers dig into the ground and the fabric of his shirt. “Why are we punished alongside them for the crimes they committed?”

Gil’s head dips. He can feel his hair brush against his ears and the back of his neck. The ground beneath his hand is cool to the touch and soft and so unlike the rough, coarse dirt of the Isle. Even the shirt he wears, some random leather shirt that Jonas lent him ages ago that Gil most definitely forgot to return, feels tough against the calloused flesh of his palm.

He hopes they’re okay, the rest of the Lost Revenge’s crew. With the three of them gone, who knows which of their remaining members, took charge. It could be Jonas, who’s the closest in age to Uma, or Desiree, who’s small size does nothing to hinder the viciousness of her strikes. Even CJ, despite not being an official member of the crew, may have come in and taken charge.

Their numbers have grown a lot over the years, and all Gil can do is hope their crew hasn’t dissolved into chaos during their absence. Or, that the other gangs of the Isle haven't swooped in, using their removal to Auradon, as the prefect time to wipe out the Lost Revenge crew.

At last, Gil’s crying subsides. He steadies his breath, lowering his forehead onto the cool dirt path. A few blades of grass tickle his skin, but Gil pays it no mind. He stays there, holding that position until the sun completely sets and the darkness covers everything. Sitting up, Gil wipes the dirt from his palms and forehead.

He looks back up at the statue, just barely visible under the cover of nighttime. He can only really see the silhouette of King Adam. No features can be seen clearly, just the slight indents they leave within the metal. The confession of Gil’s existence comes barreling out, barely a whisper but shattering the silence all around him, nonetheless.

“I’m sorry my mom cursed you.”

Chapter Text

Evie hums to herself as she runs the brush through her hair. She maneuvers the brush across her scalp, careful to detangle the knots instead of ripping them out entirely. She repeats the process several times over until there’s not a single doubt in her mind that every strand is untangled. She sets the brush down on the titled countertop.

She looks at herself in the mirror. Back home, in her mother’s ruined castle, all their mirrors had scratches or cracks; a side effect of everything on the Isle being Auradon’s trash. But here, in Auradon, every mirror is perfectly polished with nary a crack in sight. It makes applying makeup or admiring one’s reflection so much easier. Evie never realized just how terrible the mirrors back home really were.

Of course, her mother’s handheld magic mirror was just as perfect as any old mirror in Auradon, but Evie just thought that was due to its magicalness.

The mirror in her new bathroom, attached to her new bedroom in Auradon, can fit the entirety of her bathroom within its gaze. Evie can see her shiny new shower that offers both hot and cold options and can see some of the fancy bottles of products stacked neatly inside. To have bottles of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion available all at once is something Evie could only dream of on the Isle. It’s exciting, no invigorating to use them every day. And use them sparingly of course, Evie isn’t one to waste such luxuries; and luckily her childhood taught her how to conserve limited resources.

In the mirror she can even see part of the counter, the brush she just set down, her scavenged collection of makeup, the rim of the sink, and the small golden glass that holds her toothbrush. It’s royal blue and Evie adores it; although she isn’t sure if everyone else got blue ones too or if each bathroom came with toothbrushes color coded to the eight of them.

Everything, both in the room and reflected within the mirror, looks as though it belongs; like those images Evie cuts out of the few discarded magazines that end up on the Isle. In fact, the only thing that looks out of place is well, her.

Blue hair with a slight wavy flow, brown eyes so dark they almost look black, dark marks underneath her eyes, and sunken cheeks. Evie had almost forgotten what she looked like without all her makeup on. It’s truly a hideous sight to behold; one that only Evie is privy to witness. And luckily, she only has to bear the sight for a little while longer.

‘A bare face is a bad face, Evie!”

Evie begins by opening the faucet of the sink. She runs her hands underneath the water before splashing her face several times. She grabs one of the hand towels hanging on the wall beside the sink and dries her hands. Evie adjusts the towel and lightly dabs it against her face. She sets the towel down and grabs her case of foundation.

Using her fingers, she spreads it across her face, pressing it deep enough to stick. She had a makeup sponge, one she managed to find a few years back, but it didn’t survive the last Tremaine tea party thrown by Annalise, Dizzy’s eldest sister. Luckily, Evie had years and years of experience applying makeup with just her fingers alone.

She continues humming to herself as she spreads the foundation across her face. The name of the song escapes her but it’s most definitely something she’s heard Hades play for Mal. Her hand pauses involuntarily, her eyes darting up to meet her reflection. She looks so young, so much like a helpless child. Did her father want to be in her life too? Did mother bar him from her life just like Maleficent did Hades?

Her eyes widen as unshed tears begin the collect within the corner of her eyes. ‘Don’t cry, you foolish girl! You’ll bloat!’ What could her life have been like if she wasn’t the daughter of the Evil Queen? Would things be better for her? Worst? Would she still be a member of Mal’s crew? It’s not like Evie will ever know, her fate has already been set as Achite would say. Besides, Evie knows her mother will take the secret of Evie’s full parentage to her grave.  

It's for the best; it has to be. If her father wanted to be in her life, he’d find a way just like Hades did for Mal. ‘Worry lines, girl! Stop fretting!’ She eyes herself in the mirror again, humming still, as she examines her face for any spots the foundation may have missed. Once Evie is sure every part of her is covered, she moves to grab her concealer.

She rubs a little underneath her eyes, all over her nose, across her cheekbones, and dabs a little on her forehead. It’s moments like these, where the concealer outlines her face, where she truly misses her little makeup sponge; it truly made this whole process so much faster. Oh well, Evie isn’t one to dwell on the negatives. Resuming her humming, Evie continues to mix the concealer into her face.

With her face nearly complete, Evie bats her eyes at her reflection. She puckers her lips, striking pose after pose, ensuring that no matter what face she pulls her makeup won’t crack or falter. She smiles and then falters; - ‘smile lines!’- and sets her face back into a more neutral pose. She smudges the product remaining on her hands between her fingers.

Opening the facet, she washes away the leftover makeup. Evie knows realistically that the makeup wouldn’t be enough to do anything with but the loss of it still strikes her deeply. Building up her collection took years of scavenging and trading with the Tremaine sisters so discarding even the smallest fraction of it feels like a waste of all her time and effort.

After drying off her hands, Evie reaches for her container of blush. She pulls out her makeup brush, a gift from Dizzy, for her most recent birthday, and carefully sweeps it across the little remnants of blush she has left. She’d need to get a new one soon, but Evie hasn’t the faintest idea of how to do so in Auradon. She angles her face to one side to get a better look of herself as she applies the blush on one cheek at a time. With a careful grip, she swings the brush lightly against her skin in upward strokes; just like mother taught her. Once she’s satisfied with that cheek Evie switches sides, reangling her head to better view her barren cheek. Again, she repeats the process of applying her blush until everything is perfect.

Evie sets down the blush and brush, instead choosing to pick up her eyeshadow. The small case she found came with its own brush, a little thing barely the size of Evie’s finger. She resumes her humming as she applies a mix of blue, black, and a sparkly silver to her eyelids, mixing until each of her eyes takes on a smokey blue color.

Next, Evie grabs her eyeliner. It’s royal blue and another gift she’d received for her birthday, this time from Mal and Achite. Where Mal and her brother managed to find such a thing remains a mystery even to Evie, who knows all the best places to score makeup of any kind. She uncaps the lid and begins outlining her eyes in her most favorite color.

She takes a moment to observe herself in the mirror. Her cheeks appear full with just a hint of pink blooming across them. Her skin is fair, flawless even, and her eyes pop out against all the blue. There’s only one final touch Evie needs to add to complete the look. Evie grabs the lipstick, a pale pinkish color mother says is meant to represent her purity and runs it across her lips. It silences her humming but it’s worth the results.

“Perfect.” Evie sighs out. “Now, that’s the second fairest face in all the Isle.” She states proudly, tapping her reflection in the mirror. She places a small golden crown atop her head and adjusts her apple necklace before exiting the bathroom. For today, her fifth day in Auradon, Evie wears a nice frilly dress of blue and black. It’s an outfit she usually only wore for very special occasions, but what’s more special than another day in Auradon?

Besides, after looking at all the outfits Evie’s fellow students wore in that silly little yearbook Jane flipped though yesterday, Evie knows her fanciest outfits don’t hold a candle to Auradon’s worst.

“Oh, that’s such a fun idea!” Evie squeals to herself. “I should make new outfits for all of us!”

How fun! She’ll make herself something nice and of course Mal, Jay, and Carlos could always use another outfit. Evie will need to measure Uma, Harry and Gil but they’re all in this together now, so of course Evie needs to design something for the three of them. It’ll be nice, Evie supposes, designing something completely new for a change. Oh, and Achite too, Evie can’t forget Mal’s baby brother, either.

And maybe something for Jane, if the girl so wishes. After all, she’s destined for Carlos so it’s only a matter of time before she’s officially one of them too.

The plan begins to form in Evie’s mind; sketch new outfits for herself and the Core Four, get measurements for the Sea Three, Achite, and Jane, find a sewing machine or ask Carlos to build her one, and find a way to obtain fabrics. Evie has a few rolls that she brought over from the Isle, but they’re mostly in her colors or the rest of her crew’s. If she wants to sew anything for the rest of her friends, she’ll need many more colors and much more supplies.

*****

“I was thinking,” Evie begins, absentmindedly spinning her spoon into her oatmeal. Around the table, her friends all look up at her, pausing their conversations. “We have so much more space for clothes so maybe I could make us some more?”

She studies her friends from under her eyelashes, watching intently as they ponder her words. Mal frowns a little, her nose wrinkling, before she nods. Jay gives her a thumbs up and Carlos just smiles at her. Evie turns her attention to Uma, Harry, and Gil.

“I, for one, would love to wear one of your designs.” Harry says right before scooping a heaping spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth. He smiles at Uma, who scowls at him and the oatmeal coating his teeth.

“How exactly does this work?” Uma, the ever-practical captain asks.

“Oh, it’s easy!” Evie says, dropping her spoon into the bowl. “I just need to measure you and then sketch out a few designs. All you need to do is stand still and pick out your favorite designs.”

Uma nods, looking between Harry and Gil. She sets down her own spoon before relying, “Works for me, just let me know when you’re ready.”

Evie claps her hands together and squeals. She had always wanted to design something for Uma and her crew. Their style, while similar to the Core Four’s- as all VKs styles are, Uma and her pirates balance practicality and style in a way Evie is nearly jealous of. Mal cares very little about style and the same can be said for Jay; they’re both two practical peas in a pod. And Carlos just follows Evie’s lead, okay to accept whatever vision Evie wishes to implement without offering much feedback in return.

But Uma and her crew may just be cut from the same fashionable cloth as Evie, so to speak. It’ll be nice for once to design outfits for people who know exactly what styles they wish to wear and what designs aren’t for them. Even Achite, who tends to be the more stylish of his family, is content to let Evie handle every aspect of the design process; trusting her completely to create something he’ll like.

And she does it well, Evie knows exactly what her teammates will and won’t wear. She knows when to experiment with their clothing and when to stick to the norm. But that doesn’t mean the creative process doesn’t get boring when she’s the only one designing.

Achite sets down his teacup. “I’m guessing you need my measurements too?”

Evie nods, “Yours, Uma, Harry, Gil, and Jane’s too, if you wish.” She directs the last part to Jane, who looks up at Evie with wide eyes and confusion written all over her face.

“Me?” Jane asks, pointing to herself. “I’m not really the most stylish person, though.”

“But your style is so cute! And it’s nothing like anything I get to design back home.” Even Dizzy, who’s style is the closest to Jane’s, has a roughness to her that all VKs share. But Jane is as pretty as a princess and Evie has spent her whole life wishing to be that cute and Auradonian.

Jane flushes, a light pink dusting across her face -it’s the kind of look Evie would kill to replicate with her makeup; a look mother would kill Evie to obtain. “I’d love that, Evie, thank you.”

Evie picks her spoon back up, sweeping up a hearty serving of oatmeal onto it. Careful, Evie! Think of your waistline! “Oh Jane, just think of it as a thank you for the library cards.”

They lapse into silence after that, not that Evie minds; it gives her time to imagine the new clothes she wants to make for everyone. For Mal, obviously lots of purple, black, and green and mostly pants instead of dresses. For Uma, Evie’s thinking of maybe adding a sash that mimics a skirt but isn’t; she’s still workshopping it.

Of course she’ll need to get proper measurements before truly designing things. There’s nothing worse, in a designing aspect, than coming up with a creative masterpiece that can’t work due to the person’s actual measurements hindering the desired design.

She can envision it clearly; the cute dress she’ll wear on her first date with her soulmate, the gigantic pink bow and plaid dress Jane will wear when Carlos finally confesses, or the scaled leather jacket Achite will walk down Auradon Prep’s halls in.

Evie still hasn’t looked at her soul mark, in detail that is. She can’t bring herself to properly check. Every time she tries to look deeper into its direction, she hears her mother’s voice echoing in her head. ‘A prince Evie, anything less isn’t worth the effort!’ Evie doesn’t know what would be worse for her; a soulmate who isn’t a prince or one that is.

If he’s a prince, then everyone else will think Evie’s only pursuing him because of her heritage.  Evie could live with the rest of Auradon hating her; after all, she’ll still have her friends beside her and her soulmate to cherish her. But mother will be so disappointed if Evie marries a commoner. All those lessons, everything she taught Evie would have been for nothing. Evie wants to love him, wants her soulmate with every fiber of her being, but Evie knows that even here in Auradon who your parents are matters just as much as who you are.

She’s a princess without a kingdom; a royal without a throne. A little girl without a father or a home to call her own. The daughter of the Evil Queen is all Auradon may ever see her as; especially if she starts chasing princes with big castles full of mirrors.

But, in Auradon dreams come true and love prevails over evil. Her soulmate must love her; that’s what all the stories say. He’s from here, that much Evie knows, somewhere to the northwest of Auradon Prep. Evie’s done the hardest part; or rather Prince Ben has done it for them by freeing the eight of them. Now she must leave the rest to him, her possibly not a prince soulmate, to do the rest.

He must be the one to find her and court her. There’s too much legacy surrounding her; too much history of wicked deeds committed by her mother for Evie to be the one to do it. She already has her work cut out for her trying to convince Auradon she’s harmless, well mostly harmless; or rather not as harmful as her mother was and that Evie merely wishes to be a fashion designer.

That’s her task, designing beautiful outfits and launching her brand for all of Auradon to buy. Of course, she still needs to name her brand or buy enough fabric to make her designs a reality or find a way to promote her outfits outside the halls of Auradon Prep. See, Evie as too much to do already without chasing after her soulmate.

Her husband to be should, hopefully, be free enough to chase after her. That’s a man’s duty after all, to find his soulmate no matter the obstacles in his way. Honestly, Evie’s doing him a favor, being so easy to spot.

“There you all are and with my daughter!” Fairy Godmother exclaims excitedly as she enters.

“Hi mom.” Jane states happily and Evie isn’t used to that; are children in Auradon always so happy to see their parents? Evie always thought being happy to see one’s parent was reserved solely for the twins with their father.

Achite huffs out a sigh as he sets down his now empty teacup. “I take it you have something new for the eight of us to do.”

“You bibbidi bobbidi know it!” She says, pointing at the eight of them. None of them share her enthusiasm. Fairy Godmother clears her throat, dropping some of her excitement. “Today is the start of your therapy journey.”

“Come again?” Uma asks, disgust written all over her face.

“Therapy. It’s like medicine but for your mind.” Fairy Godmother gestures wildly around as she speaks. “Like with your physicals, we’ll start in alphabetical order. So, we can all walk over together when you’re done or just Achite and Carlos can follow me.”

“We’ll go together!” The eight of them shout in tandem.

Fairy Godmother’s eyes widen but it’s Jane that speaks next. “It’s okay. Therapy isn’t a bad thing. It’s meant to help you form healthy coping habits and break away from bad or toxic behaviors.”

“You had bad behavior that needed correcting? I find that hard to believe.” Harry sputters out looking between Jane and her mother.

“Oh no, I went after my dad died. It helped.” She doesn’t say more and none of them are cruel enough to push the issue. If Jane wanted to reveal more she would. But Evie does note the way Carlos’ eyes widen as he stares at Jane; how curious.

There are several looks past between the eight of them in rapid succession.

Uma glares at her crew; ‘Eat faster and prepare for trouble.’

Achite tilts his head between Jane and Fairy Godmother; ‘Dead dad, definitely a mortal then, making Jane a half-fey like us.’

Mal rolls her eyes; ‘Focus brother. Therapy sounds like a way of finding out more of our secrets.’

Jay’s eyes dart between their group as he shovels the last of his oatmeal into his mouth. Harry and Gil mimic him, shoving spoonful after spoonful into their mouths. Fairy Godmother tries to speak, something along the lines of “There’s no rush!” but is ignored. Carlos huffs, shaking his head as he watches the three of them, continuing to eat at a normal pace.

“Done!” Harry shouts, spewing half eaten oatmeal all over the table. “I’m done first!”

“Gross, close your damn mouth, Harry.” Uma scolds as she ducks out of the way.

Soon after that, the rest of them are setting down empty plates. Fairy Godmother can only sigh, a grimace openly displayed on her face. It’s the most disgusted the Wish Fey has ever looked in their presence, which considering this is them at their tamest, says a lot about the type of fun Auradonians have.

“You shouldn’t pull that face,” Evie speaks without thinking, eyes widening slightly as she realizes, “it’ll cause wrinkles.” She finishes in a huff. Hopefully Fairy Godmother doesn’t take offense or notice the way her voice hitches as she speaks. All Evie can do is offer a small, shaky smile as the rest of them prepare to leave.

Fairy Godmother blinks a few times at Evie, one hand reaching for her cheeks. “Right… let’s just…” She trails off, looking away from their group, and begins sulking off.

They follow after her, leaving their mess behind, much to Gil and Achite’s dismay. Evie listens to the two of them complain the whole way back; well, it’s mostly Achite who complains, Gil who nods along, with Mal and Uma complaining about Achite’s complaints as they walk. Jay and Harry walk ahead of their group, mimicking the argument with one another much to Carlos and Jane’s amusement.

Evie is a little surprised when Jane breaks away from the group to approach her. The, most likely, half-fey girl brushes a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and swallows hard before whispering “I think you broke my mom.”

“I didn’t mean to, honest.” Evie whispers back.

Jane giggles a little and it’s clear to Evie that Carlos, once he gets his shit together, will be very happy with her. “I’ve never seen someone speak to her like that.” Jane looks ahead to where her mother has just turned the corner. “Do you really like my style?”

Evie studies Jane. She sees the way Jane holds herself, how she pulls into herself, the pinkish color dusting her cheeks and knows Jane isn’t asking out of vanity. Evie knows vanity; she grew up with it after all. And Jane is nothing like Evie’s mother or Drizzella Tremaine, or Evie.

“Of course! You’re downright adorable, Jane.” All Evie can do is hope Jane hears the sincerity in her voice.

Jane opens her mouth to speak again but Jay’s sarcastic voice interrupts. “Oh great, more people.”

“Come in closer, children.” Fairy Godmother calls, ushering them back into the entrance hall. “These lovely doctors are your new therapists, Dr. Lacy Harlow and Dr. Madellaine Bells.”

Fairy Godmother gestures to each woman as she calls out their names.  Dr. Harlow is a short woman with black hair pulled tightly into a bun and piercing brown eyes nearly as dark as Evie’s. On the other hand, Dr. Bells is taller, but not by much, with short blonde hair that barely reaches her shoulders and dark green eyes that glimmer in the sunlight.

“Dr. Harlow was my therapist.” Jane offers offhandedly under her breath.

As if summoned, Dr. Harlow steps forward, eyeing their group with a calculating gaze. The mind doctor’s eyes barely linger on them with the exception of two of them. She pauses once; brown eyes locking onto Jane and smiles a little. She gives Jane a small nod of her head and Jane returns it with a wave of her own. The other person Dr. Harlow lingers on is her. It takes Evie by surprise, the speed to which Dr. Harlow’s eyes snap from Jane to her. Her eyes widen in fear or anger or both; darkening as they lock onto the small crown atop her head.

Evie doesn’t let the doctor’s staring deter her; her face remains impassive as if Evie hasn’t noticed a thing.

A shadow looms over Evie’s shoulder and a quick peer from the corner of her eye reveals Jay. He stands silent and still like a statue; it seems that Evie wasn’t the only one to notice Harlow’s staring. While her face betrays nothing, Evie is secretly glad to have Jay beside her. He’s not just the muscle of their group like the Isle believes, but rather, Jay is their most fierce protector.

Out of the sight of Auradonian eyes, Jay’s hand presses against Evie’s back. It’s another silent reassurance that, no matter what happens today, Jay will defend Evie and her honor from anyone who dares tarnish them. Evie leans back into Jay’s hand; both an acknowledgement of his aid and a silent thank you all in one.

“Shall we get started?” Dr. Harlow asks, her eyes finally tearing away from Evie.

Fairy Godmother nods, motioning for Achite and Carlos to step forward. Evie turns back just in time to watch Carlos duck out from behind Mal’s back. He inches forward, stopping every few steps to look back at her and Mal, until he’s standing in front of the group. Achite looks between the two mind doctors and Fairy Godmother, a frown growing across his face before he takes his place beside Carlos.

Dr. Bells clears her throat, smiling brightly at their group. “Our offices are in the room across from the nurse’s office. The rest of you can wait here while we begin our sessions. Dr. Harlow and I will grab you ourselves when we’re ready. Any questions?”

“Uh, Carlos De Vil,” Carlos begins, raising one of his hands high above his head. Both doctors look at him expectantly. “I’m guessing… well maybe…” He looks to Achite with a pleading expression.

Achite sighs, “He wants to know which one of you is assigned to us.” He deadpans.

“Oh, that one’s simple.” Dr. Bells answers. “I’ve been assigned to you, Carlos De Vil, and Dr. Harlow is Achite’s.”

“Yes,” Dr. Harlow interrupts. “I’m the therapist for the Sea Three as well and Dr. Bells will take on the rest of the Core Four unless any of you wish to be reassigned.”

Uma slips forward, taking up the space behind Jane. “Reassigned?”

It’s Fairy Godmother that speaks next. “Therapy is different for everyone and while someone can be a great therapist, they might not be the best choice for different patients. If at any point the eight of you feel like a better match can help you, just ask.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Mal asks in an almost condescending tone, “we can ask for a different therapist, but we’re not allowed to stop therapy without approval?”

None of the Auradonians know how to respond to that one. Uma snorts, muttering a “typical Auradonians” under her breath as Harry and Jay scoff to themselves. Mal huffs, rolling her eyes, but doesn’t comment any further. Even Jane looks rather puzzled by the whole thing, but not Evie; she knows the eight of them have to rebuild all the trust their parents so rashly destroyed.  

“How long should this take then?” Uma asks, gesturing between Achite, Carlos, and the two mind doctors.

Dr. Harlow recovers quicker from Mal’s previous question and answers Uma. “Forty-five minutes for the individual sessions and approximately ten more minutes to prepare for the next.”

Everyone nods and Fairy Godmother gestures for both Dr. Bells and Dr. Harlow to begin. They leave with Achite and Carlos trailing after their new respective therapist. After the door closes shut behind them, Fairy Godmother turns them, the remaining seven, and waits patiently for something; but Evie isn’t quite sure what.

Mal steps over, standing in between Uma and Jay. She rests one hand on Evie’s shoulder and the other on Jay’s arm. She ignores Fairy Godmother as she speaks, instead looking between their collected group. “We can hang out in either mine or Evie’s room and then head back down in fifty.”

“Oh!” Evie exclaims loudly. “I can measure you all for outfits while we wait.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Uma begins walking towards the steps, snapping her fingers. “Come on, boys.”

Both Gil and Harry happily trail after their captain. Jay gives her and Mal a look before following after. Mal wastes no time after that, walking over to the steps, surpassing the boys with Evie and Jane left to trail after her.

“Have fun.” Fairy Godmother calls out excitedly just as their group is about to disappear from sight.

They arrive back at the dorm longue when Jane speaks. “We can stay in our room, I know Evie’s is closer but ours is fully furnished already.”

Their group looks at Jane then Mal and finally settling on Evie. She doesn’t need them to voice their questions aloud to know what they’re all asking. “That works for me. I wouldn’t want to accidently do anything to Audrey’s side before she gets here.”

With that they filter into Mal and Jane’s room. Evie breaks off, making a pitstop at her room to grab her supplies. Her measuring tape, a few scrapes of fabric colors, and her sketchbook for outlining her designs, both past and future, and a small paper and pencil are all held within her hands once Evie reenters Mal’s room.

Mal longues on her own bed, boots still on, legs crossed over one another, flipping through her mother’s spell book. Jay sits on a chair beside the beautiful bay window, the curtains pulled wide open letting the sunlight pour into the room. Uma sits on the other chair across from Jay with both Harry and Gil residing at the small table and Jane sits straight up on her own bed, clearly awaiting Evie’s arrival.

Evie sets down her supplies, struggling for a moment as the measuring tape unrolls itself and nearly falls off the table. Gil’s quick reflexes have him scooping it up and passing it back to Evie in no time. She places the tape on top of her sketchbook and walks over to Jane. She holds out the sketchbook to Jane. The girl eagerly takes it and begins flipping through page after page.

“Now, who wants to go first?” Evie asks, brandishing the measuring tape with a wicked smile across her face.

“Do Gil first.” Uma calls out from her spot. “He’s up next after Achite and you should be next after Carlos.”

Evie hums in agreement as Gil rises from his seat. She beckons out orders; how to stand, which limbs to hold out. Gil, as always, follows directions perfectly. With each measurement, Evie jots it down on the paper. Every now and then Jane exclaims as she flips through Evie’s designs, so much so that Harry joins her, sitting beside the fey girl on her bed. They point at sketches together, talking in hushed tones, happily trading whispers.

“Done.” Evie announces, a few minutes later, shooing Gil off.

“Already?” Uma asks, looking between Evie and Gil.

Evie nods. “The measurement process is easy-peasy.”

Uma strolls up to Evie and the process begins anew. For a captain who mainly gives orders, Evie is surprised at the ease in which Uma follows them. Much like Gil, Uma does exactly as Evie directs. From the corner of her eye, while she jots down Uma’s measurements, Evie sees that Gil has joined Jane and Harry. She flashes a quick look at Jay while measuring Uma’s waist and finds him lying beside Mal; both peering deeply into the spell book, oblivious to everything going on around them.

This is what Evie enjoyed most about living on the Isle, the unity of her friends. While they could never be so relaxed together in public, the eight of them could be this calm within the safety of Carlos’ treehouse or one of Uma’s ships or Hades’ mineshaft house. It feels nice to be together without threats or weapons flailing about. Of course, now their group has expanded to include Jane.

Evie can’t help but wonder what other Auradonians will end up joining their little gang. Will her soulmate be among them? Or perhaps Gil’s? And what would they be like? How will their dynamics shake up their already chaotic bunch? Even now, Evie can see just how well Jane will fit in among them. While the half-fey has an awkward shyness about her, Jane’s kindhearted nature is exactly what they need.

Jane could be the smooth rock that rounds out all their sharp edges. At least, that’s what Evie hopes will happen; that Jane will buff the harshness of the Isle from them and they, in turn, will crack open her shell. It’s the least they can do for Carlos’ soulmate and Jane could do with some more confidence.

“There you go, all done!” Evie says.

Uma gives Evie a quick nod before strolling over to Mal’s bed. Harry saunters up to Evie before she can call him over. Gil remains beside Jane; the two of them still flipping through the pages pointing out and commenting lowly on each design. It warms Evie’s heart to see her creations be appreciated by others. Mal scoffs a little, drawing Evie’s attention back over just in time to watch Uma slink onto the bed beside her.

Evie smiles and begins measuring Harry. Mal, sandwiched between Jay and Uma, continues flipping through her spell book while Gil and Jane laugh amongst themselves, trading smiles and giggling like old friends. She can’t wait for Carlos and Achite to join them; then Carlos will finally have no excuse to avoid Jane.

“I never really paid much attention to your outfits, but I must admit they’re rather nice.” Harry says, as Evie measures out his arms.

“I’m glad you like them. You know it’s my dream to open up a boutique of my own.” She smiles brightly at the thought of her very own fashion brand. “Can you imagine it? All of Auradon wearing my designs.”

“Really?!” Jane exclaims; her voice filled with disbelief.

“That’s Evie for you. Dreams of being the first fashion designer from the Isle.” Jay taunts but his tone holds no bite.

“Well, you’d be really good at it.” Jane says as she taps her fingers against the sketchbook. “Seriously, all the princesses here will love these.”

Evie always thought meeting her soulmate would be the happiest she’s ever felt, but this, hearing Jane’s words, may surpass it. Her dream always felt like such an impossibility on the Isle of the Lost and now, in Auradon, like an uphill battle. But the ease in which Jane speaks, the sincerity of her words; Jane truly believes in her. Maybe Evie doesn’t need a prince after all.

“Slow down princess, there’s still a few factors you’re forgetting.” Uma calls out from Mal’s bed.

Evie stares at her questioningly. “Like what?”

“Like the fact that we’re the children of Auradon’s most vilest villains and no Auradonian will trust us with anything.” Mal comments without looking up from the spell book.

“No.” Uma taunts back, scoffing as Mal gives her a shove. “Like the fact you need money for any business.”

“Or a storefront.” Adds Harry.

“Or a name.” Gil says. The group looks at him in confusion. “For your brand. It needs a name and a label too. Something for people to identify with it.”

“Gil has a point.” Jay says in equal parts agreement and confusion.

“Well, it’s not like I’m in a rush or anything.” Evie fumbles out, feeling her face heat up. “I mean, between this new school and learning goodness, I have my hands full already.”

Evie watches as they ponder her words, the room lapsing back into silence as she goes back to measuring Harry. The silence isn’t deafening or deadly like on the Isle but rather comfortable. It’s occasionally broken by Evie muttering directions, or Uma and Mal whispering about various spells, or Gil and Jane resuming their talking although it seems they finished flipping through the sketchbook.

“Off you go.” Evie shoves Harry lightly.

He swings around one of the bed’s pillars, landing on the bed with a quiet plop, trading places with Jane. Jane stands before Evie, a timid smile on her face, Her arms are held at her sides, but they dig into the fabric of her dress, twisting it nervously.

“Are you sure you want me wearing one of your creations?” She babbles nervously. “You’re so pretty- I mean your designs are so pretty and I’m just a … plain Jane.”

“Plain Jane?” Mal asks, eyes flashing green, as she sets her mom’s spell book down. “Who calls you that.”

Ah, Evie had almost forgotten how protective half-feys are of their people; or maybe it’s a Godly thing, either way once either twin decides you’re theirs, anyone or anything that causes you harm is on their shit list. Evie used to be on the list thanks to her mother’s old rivalry with Maleficent. While the twins didn’t really care for someone insulting their mom, the moment Evie’s mother dragged Mal into it they did. Thankfully that whole mess is water under the troll bridge now and Mal is her bestest friend in all the Isle.

Jane’s mouth screws shut, and Evie guesses if anyone knows how vicious feys can be with their chosen it would be Jane. “No one, really just… uh…” Jane stutters. Mal’s eyes narrow onto her roommate, the green flash darkening. “Tessa.”

“And just who does this Tessa chick think she is?” Mal asks, sitting up. Jay and Uma scramble up to follow her.

Jane gulps, swallowing hard. “It was really only that once at… well, that doesn’t matter… but it’s fine… mostly.”

“Dude, you might as well tell her.” Jay huffs. “Trust me, Mal won’t let it go otherwise.”

Jane sighs. “Tessa is Tinkerbelle’s daughter. She’s a little mean sometimes cause I’m a half-fey and she’s a full one.”

“Ah, just like her mother then?” Harry laughs. “She hated that Darling girl too, right? That’s how my old man almost bested Pan.”

“Sounds like she’s just green with envy over you. But don’t worry, you have the eight of us now.” Uma also adds.

Jane smiles, her eyes scanning over their collected group. “I like you guys way more than her anyways.”

*****

They cluster around the couch, Evie sitting in the center with Gil on her right and Jane on her left. Harry and Jay have perched on the stairs farthest from the hall while Uma leans against the wall beside them. Mal is the only one of them not still, instead she opts to pace back and forth as their group awaits Carlos and Achite’s return.

Evie gets it, Mal’s nervous and slightly frustrated energy; Achite isn’t just her brother, he’s her twin too. Evie knows if the situation was reversed, she’d be an anxious wreck too. Even Harry and Jay aren’t spared from the restless energy. Harry taps his fingers against the railing and Jay’s whole body reeks of tension.

For a brief moment jealousy pools within the pit of Evie’s stomach. She, as far as she knows, has no siblings of her own and her soulmate is completely unknown to her. Maybe it’s better this way; the sibling thing not the soulmate one. At least Evie doesn’t have to fret about leaving them behind. It’s bad enough knowing Dizzy is there but hopefully her older siblings will finally pick up Evie’s slack. She doesn’t know how Harry can stomach it, being parted so abruptly from his sister.

She wonders if her dad had other children, if he claimed them instead of her.

The doors burst open, and Carlos comes flailing out the door with Achite right behind him. Carlos seems okay, at least better than he did after their physical. There’s still a tension held between both boys but neither one is darting for cover, so Evie hopes it won’t be too bad. Achite wastes no time quickly walking over to Mal.

Evie opens her arms, inviting Carlos into a hug; one he gladly accepts. She can feel him relaxing within her grasp. Mal examines Achite with a critical glare, checking for any hint of injury or discomfort her brother may have.

“What happened? How did it go?” Mal asks as she begins lifting Achite’s arms.

For his part, Achite accepts Mal’s investigation of his wellbeing as he answers. “She asked a lot of questions about me, my childhood, nothing super invasive.”

“Same here. Dr. Bells asked if I had any present concerns and we talked about dogs mostly.” Carlos shudders in Evie’s arms. “You know, how they’re viscous bloodthirsty pack animals who rip apart misbehaving boys.”

“Dogs aren’t really like that.” Jane mumbles but Evie doubts Carlos will listen. Both Hades and Achite have spent literal years trying to dissuade this fear of Carlos’ and have yet to make any progress.

“And you?” Mal looks at her brother. “Did you and Dr. Harlow talk about anything specific?”

Achite smirks, finally pulling free of Mal’s grasp. “Sorry Mali that’s confidential- ow! Did you just pinch me?!” He pouts, rubbing the part of his arm Mal no doubtably pinched.

“So, we just talk about ourselves, and our fears and we can be cleared?” Harry muses aloud.

“That’s kinda how it goes. You talk about things that you need to work on or overcome or that burden you and your therapist teaches you skills to help achieve that.” Jane replies.

“You mean those Council folks want to ensure our parents didn’t fuck us up beyond repair, right?” Uma corrects.

Jane doesn’t reply at first but a small flush spreads across her face as she nods timidly. “I stopped talking for a bit after my dad died so mom got me an appointment with Dr. Harlow. She mainly did the talking since I … you know, but it helped and now I talk again so…”

“We should try instead of resisting?” Evie finishes, hoping that’s what Jane was implying.

Jane’s smile grows. “Exactly.”

Before any of them can continue speaking, both Dr. Bells and Dr. Harlow return. Evie gives the rest of her friends a reassuring smile as Gil walks over to her. Dr. Harlow gives them a curt nod before she and Dr. Bells begin leading Evie and Gil back to the room across from nurse’s office. Like before, there’s a small waiting area with many plants scattered across shelves packed full of books.

Unlike the nurse’s office, the two rooms, most likely the one’s they’ll be separated into, are on opposite sides of the room, across from where they enter. Dr. Harlow leads Gil to the room on the left while Evie follows Dr. Bells to the room on the right. The right room is brightly colored with a few different seats to take as well as a large wooden desk. There are more plants and a few shelves to house them, although no books are within these.

“Feel free to make yourself at home.” Dr. Bells says as she shuts the door.

Evie takes a seat on a chair set in between two shelves of flowers. She examines them, admiring the vibrant yellow and orange petals of what Evie can only assume are tulips. Dr. Bells takes a seat nearby, facing Evie with a notebook in hand.

“Today’s session is more of a ‘getting to know you’ thing. I ask you questions, and we determine our next course of action, as in what behaviors need correcting or what trauma can be healed or goals you wish to achieve. Ready?”

“Yup!” Evie nods clapping her hands together quietly.

“Alrighty. Tell me a bit about yourself. Whatever you deem most important to who you are.”

“Well, I’m Evie daughter of the Evil Queen, obviously. I’m fifteen years old and my birthday is in December.” She ponders for a moment what else there is to say about herself. “I like to design outfits for my friends and wish to open up my own boutique one day or marry a prince with a castle full of mirrors.”

“Tell me more about that.”

“The boutique or the prince?”

“Whichever is more important to you.”

Evie thinks it over. The boutique is her dream, her innermost desire since she was just a little princess. But the prince was the goal her mother insisted Evie follow; the sole reason Evie is here, to marry a prince and give her mother the kingdom and castle she deserves. It’s like the whole ‘if my soulmate’s a prince’ thing all over again.

“I’m supposed to marry a prince, that’s what mommy wants from me. What she’s instructed me to do since as long as I can remember.”

Dr. Bells stops writing and looks up at Evie. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes?” Even Evie can hear the doubt. “I mean shouldn’t a good daughter do what her mother wishes?”

“Within reason. This is your life, Evie. Your mother made her choices and you’re free to make choices outside of what she wants. There’s a difference between listening to one’s parents and breaking free from oppressive chains.”

“How can you tell?”

“When your mom tells you to do things does she take in your opinions or feelings regarding matters? Do her decisions always benefit her but not you? That is something we can navigate further; whether or not your mother is merely a strict parent or an abusive one.”

“Oh, she never hits me. She would never risk my beauty.”

Dr. Bells looks to Evie sadly. “A parent can be abusive without physically hurting you. There are multiple types of abuse. Physically is the one most of us think of, but there are verbal and emotional types of abuse too.”

“Can we talk about something else?” Evie asks, voice low. She feels more like a small helpless child than the strong member of the Core Four she actually is.

“Of course, would you like to talk about your boutique dream or something else entirely?”

Evie rubs her fingers against the hem of her skirt. She had gotten the fabric from Anthony as a reward for helping his younger sisters with their sewing. She would have done it regardless of the fabric, especially for Dizzy, but it certainly helped matters.

“Are you close with your family? Sorry, can I ask that?” Evie flushes, burying her face in her hands and hoping it doesn’t smug her makeup.

“I was orphaned at a young age and taken in by a traveling circus. During one of our shows, I found my soulmate and we’ve been together ever since.”

“I want to find my soulmate.” Evie mutters still looking down at her dress skirt. “We’re not allowed to on the Isle, so I tried not to think about.”

“Why not?”

There are several things Evie could say but she opts to say the one that applies regardless of if their soul compasses work or not. “Our parents don’t believe in True Love. Most of them were denied it so now they deny us of it too. That way, we’re just as wicked as they are.”

“Did you ever try to look or have you checked now that you’re in Auradon?”

“I peeked, saw the direction but…” Evie stops, feeling uneasy. “Do you remember them? Your parents?”

“Evie that’s not something we should talk about. This is about you; your needs, goals, and concerns.”

Evie feints innocence. “Oh sorry! I was just making pleasant conversation. That’s what this is right, just the two of us talking back and forth for several minutes?”

“There’s a little more to it than that. Therapy, at least the type I do, does involve conversation but the focus of our talks must revolve around you and your needs, not me or my life outside this office.”

“You were the one who brought your past up in the first place. I was just following your lead. It’s not like I’ve done this before. The Isle isn’t exactly known for sharing.”

Dr. Bells sets down her pencil and notebook into her lap. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have done that, I apologize. I only meant to help ease you into the process by establishing trust.”

Evie sighs, finally letting go of the hem of her dress. “On the Isle, trust isn’t something most of us have. We work with other VKs or form groups of our own, but rarely do we trust one another to the extent you Auradonians do each other.”

“And do you trust any of your fellow VKs?”

“I trust Mal. I’ll follow her anywhere, do whatever she demands; all of us would. It’s why we’re a part of the Core Four and not someone else.”

“Have you and Mal been friends for long?”

“Not really. She and Jay have known each other for over a decade. But Carlos and I only joined within the last two years.” Evie smiles as she relives the memories of their first mission together. “We actually hated each other in the beginning.”

“Really? I thought your mothers were friends?” Dr. Bells asks, notebook and pencil frozen in place mid-sentence.

“My mom and Mal’s had quite the rivalry during the Isle’s early days. When I was six, mother threw a huge birthday party for me and invited everyone on the Isle except for Mal. It was a whole thing.” Evie says with a wave of her hand. “A few years back they … well Mal and I aren’t exactly sure what they did but they’re allies now so.”

“So, you and Mal can be friends?”

“Best friends.” Evie corrects.

“And the other members of your crew, Carlos and Jay, do you trust them too?”

“Of course. Carlos and I go way back, just like Mal and Jay. We met at Dragon Hall; it’s one of the schools on the Isle. I earned Jay’s trust the same way I did Mal’s.”

“How did you earn their trust?”

The true answer is Evie wished Jay free from his lamp after they discovered there was a small remnant of magic residing on the Isle of Doom, but Evie can’t tell that to anyone. The five of them swore to never speak of that, to never risk any of their parents learning that truth. She must lie; it’s not Evie’s secret to reveal, she would never do that to Jay.

“I see.” Dr. Bells says and Evie realizes she paused for longer than she meant to. “We don’t have to discuss that now if you’re not comfortable.” Evie nods and Dr. Bells continues speaking. “What about the Sea Three? To my understanding the seven of you are rivals.”

“That’s true. Our crews are the two strongest for our age group. Although our rivalry is played up a bit since Maleficent and Ursula really hate each other.”

“To clarify for my understanding, you’re only allowed to be friends with the children of your parent’s allies”

Evie nods. “Or if your parents are neutral with each other or live in the same general area. That’s why I can befriend the Tremaine children, but Carlos can’t. Or why Uma and Harry are on a team despite Ursula and Captain Hook hating each other’s guts.”

Dr. Bells nods. “I see.” But Evie can see the doctor doesn’t understand in the slightest.

“It all really depends on whether or not your parent cares about that sort of thing. My mother, Maleficent, and Drizella Tremaine care very much about exactly which children their kids align with. Jafar and Cruella don’t really care about their kids enough to enforce any alignment rules in either direction. And Uma doesn’t listen to her mother enough to follow any rule enforced.”

“What about if one of your parents is allied with someone but the other isn’t?”

“Oh, it only matters if it’s the parent who claimed you.”

“Claimed you?”

“I’m the daughter of the Evil Queen. Mother claimed me as her kid so any allies my father has are moot. Besides, most of us don’t know our other parents. No love allowed, remember.”

“And are you one of the VKs who knows their full parentage?”

Evie feels her jaw tense as her eyes burn in something. “No, I’m not.”

*****

Evie exits the room just in time to meet up with Gil. He greets her with a small wave, extending his other arm for her to grab like some sort of royal ball date. She takes it, sighing happily as she’s reunited with one of her friends again. Therapy, despite being told what it was, still caught Evie off guard and Evie hates being caught off guard.

“How’d yours go?” Gil mumbles into Evie’s ear.

She smiles a little, “Not too bad, all things considered, but not exactly a walk through the graveyard.”

“I liked it.” Gil states, a small but pleasant smile on his face. “It felt nice to talk about everything without judgement.”

They walk back together in silence only to be greeted by Achite, Harry, and Jay. They’re sitting on the couch, Achite in the middle with Harry closest to the door. Jay spots them first, smiling wide as he sees them entering.

“Welcome back!” Jay greets as he rises.

“Mali thought it would be better if the people going next and one other person greeted you two. You know, instead of everyone moving back and forth every hour.” Achite also rises, clapping each of his soulmates before heading over to the stairs.

Gil nods. “Thanks guys! It wasn’t so bad after all. I really liked it.”

“Of course you did.” Achite mutters to himself but it lacks any real bite.

“I’m surprised Mal or Uma didn’t come down instead.” Evie states. Mal and Uma are their leaders, and it isn’t like them to leave any members of their crew alone after something like this.

Harry snorts, smile growing wider as he looks over to Achite. Even Jay snickers a little under his breath. “A certain someone couldn’t handle the heat.”

“Harry means,” Achite sneers, “that one can only watch Carlos avoid Jane while they’re in the same freaking room for so long.”

“He’s still not talking with her.”

Jay places his hands onto Evie’s shoulders. “Evie he won’t even look in her direction. It’s worse than that time Zevon tried to ask Mal out.”

Evie remembers that day very well and that was before Zevon failed to ask Mal out. Two years ago, Drizella threw a ball in celebration of her twins, Anthoy and Annalise’s seventeenth birthday and everyone of high status was invited. Evie and Carlos went together as friends, same with Mal and Jay, but poor Zevon didn’t hear that tidbit of gossip in time. He asked out Mal in the middle of Scheme Management 101 except he kept stuttering over his words. The more their class laughed, the less sense Zevon made, and all Mal could do was stand there frozen in horror.

Well, probably not as much horror as Zevon was experiencing.

Still, the whole thing was just awful, even by Isle standards. And it killed any rep Zevon had made for himself, thus rendering him an outcast of Dragon Hall until he switched over to Serpent Prep a few months later. Evie, nor Mal or any member of their crew for that matter, had seen Zevon since; but the memory of his failure lingered on in everyone’s memories.

“Oh, we heard about that over in Serpent Prep, but little Zevon refused to talk about it.” Harry muses. “Was it really that bad?”

“Worse.” Jay, Evie, and Achite answer in unison before bursting out into laughter.

“No, but seriously, that shit was brutal.” Achite says as he adjusts his shades, careful not to reveal his eyes. Evie wonders if Dr. Harlow asked him about that too.

“Poor Zevon.” Gil says with a sigh.

Before anyone else can reply both doctors return. Jay and Harry leave with them without any incidents. Evie, arm still looped with Gil’s, follows Achite back upstairs and into Mal’s room. Even before they enter, Evie can hear the mummering of their conversations. Achite wastes no time barreling into the room and dropping onto Mal’s bed, nearly crushing his sister’s feet as he does so.

Gil pulls away from Evie, opting to join Uma at the chairs by the window. Mal is still in her bed reading her mom’s spell book while Carlos is cuddled up beside her. Jane sits alone on her own bed flipping through Evie’s sketchbook again. Right, it feels like so long ago that Evie was measuring everyone.

Speaking of measuring, “Achite can you come over here? I got everyone’s measurements except yours.”

Achite groans loudly as he dramatically slides off of Mal’s bed. Mal eyes him over the top of her book, rolling her eyes at his antics. “If I must.” He groans out once he’s completely draped on the floor.

He returns to Evie’s side, and she begins looking for the paper she previously wrote the other measurements on. Evie finds it easily, bringing it closer to her side. Achite shrugs off his jacket, draping it over the back of one of the chairs, and poses for Evie. She waves him off, shuffling Achite into a more manageable position.

“I take it your therapy appointment went the same way as Carlos and Achite’s?” Uma asks as she walks past Evie, choosing to sit down next to Jane. The half-fey closes the sketchbook, scooting over to make room for Uma.

“Honestly, you and Mal will hate it, but only because you both hate revealing private matters to strangers.” Evie answers honestly. “I talked a bit about myself and our friendships or how the Isle of the Lost operates.”

“That’s not too bad.” Mal says, finally looking up.

Achite laughs. “In my case, the more I tried to avoid certain topics the more Dr. Harlow wrote down.” He looks over to Mal. “Face it Mali, the more you try to hide your secrets the more obvious they become.”

“Did Dr. Harlow press you that hard?” Evie asks as she measures his waist. “Dr. Bells let me change the subject whenever I didn’t feel like talking about something.”

Achite scoffs aloud. “It may not be the next session or the one after that, but sooner or later she’ll ask you about all the things you avoided. That’s why they took notes, right Jane?”

Their eclectic group turns to Jane expectantly.

“It’s true. Even after I started talking again, Dr. Harlow still wanted me to talk about my grief and how I felt about my dad’s passing no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.” Jane pauses for a moment; sadness passes across her face before it disappears just as quickly as it arrives. “At the time I hated it but now, looking back, I really needed it.”

“Did it really help? Being forced to open up about it?” Gil asks, a seriousness overtaking him that Evie normally only associates with the rest of Gil’s family.

Jane nods. “I kept it all bottled up inside me; I thought talking about it hurt more. But the truth was, hiding how I felt prevented my grief from ever lessening. I was stuck in that moment, the one where I lost my dad, but now I can think or talk about him with others without it hurting so badly.”

Gil nods but doesn’t say anything else. Evie doesn’t know who Gil lost; she wouldn’t put it past Gaston to work his sons to death but racking over her memories doesn’t reveal any specific death she can pinpoint. Not that that sort of thing is always common knowledge; death is so common back on the Isle that sometimes people pass without anyone acknowledging it.

“Well, I said I would try, and I did, so.” Evie smiles victoriously. “Now, it’s up to you two.”

“Ew.” Mal mutters.

Uma scrunches her nose, “We’ll see Evie. But we all agreed to try to adapt so,” She looks at Mal as she speaks, “we need to suck it up and try.”

Mal waves one of her hands, ignoring Uma completely. Achite snickers and Carlos flushes as he buries himself deeper into Mal’s side. Evie looks over to Gil and they trade secret smiles and teasing eye rolls. Even Uma huffs playfully as she shuffles closer to Jane, who looks around the room in with a bemused expression.

“Oh!” Evie exclaims just as she finishes writing down Achite’s measurements. Achite repeats his earlier actions and snuggles up next to his sister. “I forgot to ask yesterday, but you mentioned that some of our roommates met their soulmates, and I was wondering how that works.”

Jane’s eyes widen and she stutters out, “You don’t know how soulmates work?” There’s a broken heartedness to her words that cuts Evie’s heart deeply.

“Oh no! I meant if Auradon has any specific rules regarding soulmates. Like courtship stuff or laws we shouldn’t break.” Evie flails around, desperate to explain their misunderstanding.

Jane relaxes, exhaling aloud, one hand held over her heart. “For a moment there I thought none of you knew how soulmates worked.” She mumbles. “But to answer your question there’s no official rules or laws regarding soulmates.”

“Really? I thought Auradon would be all preachy about True Love.” Achite says.

“Nope, most people end up with their soulmates but it’s not a rule or requirement or anything. Some people refuse to date anyone that isn’t their match while other like to explore things romantically before settling down forever with their soulmates.”

“Huh.” Mal mutters. “And are you waiting for you soulmate or open to loving someone else first?”

Jane opens her mouth, eyes flickering over to Carlos for a brief moment, before she looks back to Mal and pauses. She seems to think over the question for several moments before replying. “I’m okay with waiting for my soulmate. I was made for him and he for me. Why try with someone you already know won’t work out.”

Achite smirks and Evie will never tell him how much it makes him resemble his mother. “So, your soulmate is your only option for romantic love? You must really want to meet him, that is if you haven’t already?”

“Oh I… Well… I mean” Jane flushes again. “I just hope he’s happy with me, you know?”

“Jane!” Evie squeals. “Why wouldn’t he be happy with you? You’re just adorable! As memorable as a mirror; truly one of the fairest faces in all of Auradon.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Achite waves off. “Blessed by Aphrodite herself or whatever.”

“You guys.” Jane flushes.

“Face it Jane.” Mal says as she shuts the book with an audible thunk. “Any boy would be lucky to have you, right Carlos?” Mal strikes, turning to Carlos as she asks, feigning innocence but her eyes reveal her wicked intents, although only Carlos, Evie and Gil can truly see it.

Carlos flushes bright red and even his ears aren’t spared. He turns to Jane, eyes darting around everywhere that isn’t her. Several times he tries to speak but only indecipherable squeaking comes out. She can understand now why Achite couldn’t bear to watch this; it would be funny to watch if Evie didn’t know Carlos planned on avoiding Jane for the rest of their lives.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Jane says, deflating with every squeak Carlos makes.

“You’re pretty!” Carlos shouts before darting out of the room.

Evie giggles whispering to herself, “I wonder if my soulmate will be just as flustered by my appearance?” No one else seems to hear her and Evie is fine with that.

Meeting her soulmate, oh Evie can’t wait for the day. How will it go? What will he do? Evie can’t help but daydream about it, imagining bouquets of roses, golden crowns and glistening ballrooms, spinning across the room as the music swells. Evie hopes it’s magical or wonderful or downright romantic, but most of all, she hopes he’s far braver than Carlos currently is.

Chapter Text

She barely catches a glimpse of her, just a random girl amongst a group of three other Auradonians. Her appearance spans across several pictures adorning the halls. No matter which hall Uma walks through, the girl’s image continues to haunt her. Always present, always among the same group of friends. Two boys and a girl who is most definitely Jane. Maybe Uma should ask her?

She must be a big deal to these Auradonians, Jane’s mystery friend, since she is featured so prominently on their walls. Every event she’s present with pristine fancy dresses and hair perfectly in place. And to think Uma thought Evie was exaggerating over how perfect a princess should be. But that princess takes the treasure; covered in pink frilliness and brown curly locks framing her face, even her makeup isn’t a touch out of place. She’s sickeningly perfect in a way that makes Uma’s skin crawl. Why else would Uma’s heart start beating so recklessly inside her chest?

Is this what Auradon was doing while Uma was fighting to keep her crew alive? Hosting fancy little school events and competing over meaningless awards, ignorant of the children dying just an ocean away. It makes Uma sick to think about it. Just how clueless is Auradon to the suffering of the Isle? Or do they just not care? Better the children of villains dying than their perfect little angels.

It’s not like Uma or the rest of the VKs asked to be born to Auradon’s greatest villains. It’s not like any of them had much of a choice in any of their upbringings. All of the villains sentenced to the Isle were adults, with the exception of Sir Mordred, who willingly walked the path of darkness. If Uma was born in Auradon, during a time before her mom was locked away, she would have chosen goodness.

But that isn’t true, necessarily.

Uma wouldn’t follow her mom down her path of darkness; she has no desire to live in an ocean run by her mother or her aunts. And the thought of spending her days tricking poor unfortunate merfolk isn’t the kind of life Uma would want for herself either. Apart from being in the sea, there’s no part of her mom’s legacy Uma wishes to emulate.

But her dad is a different story… Uma would have traded anything to stand beside him as his equal. To be his most loyal daughter and help him enact his revenge.

<> 

Jane places the yearbook down, flipping through several pages until she lands on the one she’s looking for. She points down to the second image on the first page and Uma’s heart begins beating erratically again. She’s the girl from before, the one who’s almost always beside Jane in the pictures aligning the halls. She even more prissy in this book than the in the other images Uma saw.

Her smile is enchantingly bright and welcoming. Those brown eyes of her shine as they stare motionlessly at nothing. Her hair still frames her face perfectly and none of her brown strands are out of place. Her lips are a glossy pink and her cheeks a rosy red. The crown atop her head completes the image; the girl, Audrey Rose, is perfection personified.

Uma reads the words beneath her name, ‘Most Likely to Follow her Dreams’ and wonders what exactly her dreams are. What could a princess possibly want for that isn’t handed over to her on a silver platter? What does Audrey’s life lack? Do princesses even lack anything? No wonder her face feels so heated, Uma has to work for everything, and this pampered princess doesn’t know suffering in the slightest. It’s anger that heats up her face, hatred that speeds up her heart; nothing more to it than that.

It's like meeting Saruul all over again. Shan Yu’s daughter is everything a VK should be, a fearsome fighter, a skilled warrior who can demand submission without even drawing her blades. She is everything Uma aspired to be; a leader of a powerful group and a daughter any villainous father would be proud to have. And Uma hates Saruul for it just as much as she respects her for it.

It’s not a silly little crush like CJ teased. Uma doesn’t have time for such childish things. CJ was clearly imagining things and Harry agreeing with her was just to annoy Uma; nothing more, nothing less. If the rest of her crew believed it, they would have said something. And if Uma blushed like some lovesick Auradonian, well no one else but her needed to know about it.

“Jane? Is Audrey the daughter of Aurora and Phillip?” Mal asks, in an almost bored tone, pulling Uma from her thoughts of the past.

That confirms it than, if anyone will be a threat to their groups safety, then it’ll be Audrey Rose. No wonder Uma can’t stand the sight of her face. As a captain, even if Mal isn’t an official member of her crew, it’s Uma’s job to protect her. If the situation was reversed, Mal would do the same. It’s the least Uma can do for one of her oldest friends.

It’s definitely not another crush- not that Uma had one before.

Besides, the feeling that overcomes Uma is so much stronger than with Saruul. At least with her, Uma could respect the power the Hun heir wielded. With Audrey Rose, princess of Auradon, there was nothing for Uma to respect. The heat rising off her cheeks and the fast-paced beating of her heart should be reserved for her soulm-

Oh.

Oh fuck!

Uma is so screwed.

******

Uma rarely remembers her dreams. At most, she gets glimpses of colors, a lingering of emotion, or nothing at all. It never bothered her much before, life on the Isle demanded Uma to be completely aware of her surroundings. To be lost in one’s mind, to let silly things like dreams distract you meant the difference between life and death.

But her dreams in Auradon are different.

She’s only spent five nights on the other side of the barrier and yet whenever Uma wakes, she remembers. It was slow at first, little things lingering for far longer than they did back home. Uma can almost envision it; locks of brown hair, laughter ringing out over the roaring of waves, and Uma’s heart beating out of her chest.

She doesn’t know what it means, she can wager a guess, but Uma isn’t a gambler. She prefers to take in all the information, formulate a plan of attack, and strike with all her might. To gamble is to risk losing it all and Uma has far too many people counting on her to risk. A good captain will lead her crew to victory and protect them from harm; Uma is determined to be the best captain the Isle or Auradon has ever seen.

Her crew may still be stuck on the Isle- for now, Uma has no intention of leaving them there, but Uma is still their captain, and nothing is worth risking their safety for. Even if she dreams of the same person since arriving at Auradon Prep. Even if Uma believes that person to be Evie’s future roommate Audrey Rose.

Even if Uma suspects Audrey Rose to be her soulmate.

That thought alone is almost too much. There’s still so much to do, so many people to save. How can Uma be selfish at a time like this? She is a captain, and she has a crew to protect. She can’t afford to add another name to her list of people to protect; Harry, CJ, Gil, Squeaky, Squirmy, Gonzo, Desiree, Bonny, Jonas, Mal, Achite, Jay, Carlos, Evie and now Jane since Mal seems so adamant to include her fellow fey.  

Uma has time to confirm it though; school doesn’t start for another two and a half months. Her suspicions may prove false by the time the school year starts. She has enough problems to worry about anyways. What Mal revealed about her mom’s plan- stealing Fairy Godmother’s wand from wherever it is and securing any other magical objects capable of destroying the barrier, still needs to be dealt with. So far, they’ve only talked about it once.

And then there’s the fact Gil’s soulmate is from Auradon.

It’s Uma’s duty to ensure the boy is worthy of Gil. He takes on too much shit for Uma’s liking and it’s about time Gil’s gotten something good. Harry is finally able to love his boys freely without the Isle’s rigid rules weighing them down but who knows what obstacles Auradon will create for them.  

Yes, Uma has her work cut out for her already. Find Gil’s soulmate and ensure he won’t harm Gil, locate and secure any objects or weapons capable of bringing down the anti-magical barrier, befriend Prince Ben and ensure at least one member of her crew is a part of the next batch of VKs brought over or that another batch of VKs will even be picked, and figure out which Auradonians pose the biggest threat to their safety and do whatever it takes to ensure the eight of them aren’t harmed.

Uma can wait until both her crewmates have secured their happiness and for the rest of her crew to be brought over before obtaining her own. She can’t afford to waste time chasing after some prissy princess or be distracted during a time like this. Audrey Rose can wait; Uma has far more pressing matters.

There’s no telling what Fairy Godmother and Auradon Prep will throw their way today. Uma can’t afford to be distracted by this any longer. No more Auradonian princesses or thoughts of soulmates or how said princess and Uma’s soulmate are one and the same.

*****

“I think my mom has another thing prepped for you guys today, but I’m not really sure what.” Jane begins over a bowl of cereal. “You guys already got physicals and had your first therapy sessions.”

Uma nods along as she eats another spoonful of her own. Across from her, Uma watches as Mal and her brother both count up with their fingers, no doubt keeping tally of everything Jane’s listed.

“And we also did all those placement exams.” Harry adds, pointing his spoon at the others in a way reminiscent of how he used to with his hook. Both twins tick up another finger.

Jay pushes his empty bowl forward. “What else is there? Seriously, this is way more than anything on the Isle.”

The eight of them mummer in agreement. Uma gets that Auradon wants to ensure the eight of them are healthy, competent beings and all, but they’ve really only had one day to themselves. How are they supposed to adjust to anything when there’s no downtime to do so. Not that the eight of them would know what to do with downtime in the first place; the Isle lifestyle doesn’t exactly grant moments of peace for its citizens. But still, Auradon could at least pretend the eight of them deserve a break.

“Did Prince Ben mention anything else in his proclamation? Or maybe the Council said something else about what’s required for our stay in Auradon?” Evie asks.

Jane shakes her head again. “Not really. Ben mostly said the eight of you were coming and the Council mainly talks with my mom not me. You know, classified information and all that.”

“Well, let’s think of it in a different way.” Achite says. “What is something most Auradonians do that probably doesn’t happen on the Isle? Something that the Isle’s lack of resources prevents or something our parents wouldn’t be able to do for us.”

Jane ponders it for a moment, muttering aimlessly to herself as she taps her chin. “Sorry guys, I can’t really think of anything else.”

“It’s fine duckling, I’m sure it can’t be any worst then the tests. Now that was evil.” Harry shudders dramatically, drawing out a smile from Jane.

Usually by now their little group slips into silence. Instead, they chat idly amongst themselves. Evie and Jane casually talk about Evie’s designs with Harry and Gil jumping in with specific outfits they liked most. Jay and Carlos talk in hushed tones about their roommates and what the future may hold. Uma almost pities Jay and Evie; their roommates no doubt wants nothing to do with the people they care most about. Mal and Achite even seem to hold a quiet conversation about chess matches; a hobby the three of them share, challenging one another to games of chess and betting on favors or secrets.

Uma doesn’t know what she’d do if she had to limit the time she spent with Harry and Gil if her roommate ended up hating them. At least Li Lonnie, daughter of Mulan and that General guy Uma always forgets the name of, has nothing to do with the three of them. The only potential problem would be Harry’s roommate and only because Kristian is apparently soulmates with Ariel’s daughter.

But still, what Uma’s mom did to Ariel and Eric isn’t nearly as bad as poisoning or cursing infants. At least, Uma feels like the poisoning and kidnapping of Hercules and the sleeping curse Aurora got was way worst then being tricked by her mom. Not that Uma thinks any of those options are good, but rather her mom is definitely the lesser of those evils.

Also, it’s crazy to think of Achite and Mal’s lame dad as the same God who nearly brought Olympus to its knees. Unlike most of their parents, Hades refuses to glorify or fondly recall all the atrocities he committed so it makes associating him with said actions rather difficult. It’s like what her mom always says, ‘fatherhood weakens men.’ It’s a sentiment Uma believes Maleficent would agree with.

Uma wonders if her da-

“Oh!” Jane shouts suddenly, startling the whole table. “Magic! Most of you would have magic!” Jane exclaims.

“Well yeah, children of magical beings and all.” Mal states the obvious but they can all tell there’s some key detail they’re missing.  

“And in Auradon you would have learned to wield it.” Jane says. “Well, if you have the gifts for it.” Jane adds sadly. And even a blind person could see there’s a story there.

“Wait, I thought the Council banned magic?” Carlos asks, finally acknowledging Jane. “There was a whole section about it during our history tests.”

“They did.” Jane confirms, seemingly happy with Carlos’ attention. “But those with magic still learn to control it as a precaution to prevent any magical accidents from happening. You just can’t use it afterwards.”

“I have so many questions.” Achite mutters and Uma can’t help but agree.

“We get to learn magic?” Mal asks the question on all their minds. Her excitement is palpable, and Uma doesn’t think she’s ever seen Mal so intrigued.

“If you have it.” Jane confirms. “You probably do since your mom’s so powerful even though you’re a half-fey too.”

“How long did it take you?” Uma asks. “To master your magic.” She tacks on when Jane looks confused.

Jane’s face falls and that sadness from earlier returns. Oh, Uma gets it, Jane is just human enough to have inherited none of her mother’s magic. It never occurred to Uma that she might be in a similar boat. Does her dad’s humanness hinder her own magical potential too? Will she be unable to keep her promise to Harry?

“I tried to as a kid, after my dad… you know.” She swallows hard, eyes welling up with tears. “Turns out I can’t.”

“You can’t as in they tested you and you didn’t have magic, or you can’t as in your dad’s death blocked your magic from taking shape?” Achite asks, with little to no tact.

“Dude! You can’t just ask a person that.” Jay hisses.

“It’s fine. My mom tried to teach me as a kid and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather tried again after my dad died.” She pauses for a moment, staring down sadly at her hands. “They all agreed I probably didn’t inherit anything.”

“Probably? There isn’t a proper way to confirm things?” Uma asks. She has no idea how to tell if a person has magic or not without said person just chucking out spells. She’s sure Auradon no doubt has a whole process to determine things and learning that process would benefit the VKs greatly.

“Most half-feys don’t inherit any magic. It all really comes down to the magical level of their fey parent.” Jane looks over to Mal. “That’s why I think you would… Have magic, I mean, cause your mom’s super strong.”

“But so’s your mom.” Gil says, and Uma can’t help but agree. Fairy Godmother might be super lame in person, at least by Isle standards, but the whole pumpkin into a carriage and pulling a literal ballgown out of tatter shreds is pretty impressive; especially to kids with nothing to their name and no access to magic of any kind.

“My earlier point still stands. You were probably too young to properly preform magic and then your dad’s death just emotionally wrecked you thus hindering you magic.”

“Achite! You still can’t just casually bring up people’s dead family members.” Evie scolds. “Sorry about him, he was socialized by Hades.”

Achite scoffs. “My social skills are fine. Dad’s the one who can’t hold a decent conversation!”

“What about what you think?” Mal asks, staring at Jane intensely. Jane’s eyebrows furrow but before she can voice her reply, Mal continues speaking. “You said your mom and the other feys decided you didn’t have magic but what about you?”

A strange tension overtakes Jane, and her words bleed with a desperation Uma didn’t think anyone in Auradon possessed. “I believe I have magic,” Jane whispers, “I just can’t prove it. But I know it’s true.”

“You said your dad was fully human right? So, it’s not like you could’ve inherited magic from him that interferes with the fey stuff.” Carlos mutters. “Maybe you just need a different teacher? Just because someone is good at doing something doesn’t mean they’re just as good teaching it to others.”

“That’s right! Remember Harper’s lesson?” Harry says. Uma and Gil shudder as the memories surface. “Harper is the daughter of the Evil Queen’s old huntsman, and she tried to teach us younger VKs self-defense.”

Evie nods, “Mom never let me meet Harper because of her dad’s betrayal, but her skills with a blade are rivaled only by Saruul, Shan Yu’s daughter, and Morgie le Fay, Morgana’s second son.”

“But none of that skill swinging a blade transferred to her ability to teach. It was awful and the whole thing ended before the day finished. Which sucked cause Harper is one of the only older VKs who actually gives a damn about all of us.” Uma finishes.

“Older VKs? I thought you guys were the oldest. Like our age range was the maximum.”

“You’re almost correct, Jane.” Jay says. “But the truth is our age range has the biggest population. There are actually a few VKs older than us but not many.”

“Wait, how much older? Like eighteen, maybe nineteen, right? I mean none of them could be any older, the Isle is only twenty years old.” She stops for a moment, noticing their collective silence.  “Guys?”  

“Well, if it makes you any feel better only one of them is twenty.” Achite exclaims, aiming for excitement but landing in unsettling. Jane agrees judging by the horrified expression on her face.

“So, Queen Belle was right? There was already a child on the Isle of the Lost.” Jane mumbles to herself and Uma doubts the others can hear it. Louder, Jane asks, “Who’s the oldest VK then?”

“Oh, that would be Morgie. If Camelot had waited like six more months to sentence Morgana, then he would have been born here just like his brother.” Achite answers offhandedly. “Anyways, back to your magic. Maybe you and Mali can teach each other.”

Mal looks between her brother and Jane, studying them both before replying. “Sure, I’ll teach you magic.”

Jane’s eyes widen and a smile spreads across her face so fast it nearly splits her face in two. “Really?” Jane asks, her voice full of raw emotion.

Mal stares at Jane for another moment. “We can learn magic together even if Auradon refuses to teach us VKs.”

And Uma can’t help but agree silently. She doesn’t have a drop of fey blood within her veins, but she does have the power of ocean magic within her. Uma isn’t the only one with a magical heritage, Achite, like Mal, holds the power of Gods and feys alike in his blood. Evie and Jay both have magical lineages and even Gil seems capable of something given the fact that he was the first of them to notice the statue’s enchantment.

No one knows who Carlos’ biological father is or what skills, magical or otherwise, he’d possess. Harry would be in the same ship as Uma; one nonmagical father and one very magical mother. But the only difference is, like Achite with his fey ancestry, Harry can never let Auradon know about it; that is, if he inherited anything in the first place. Hopefully, if Harry did get some magic, it’s not too distinctive. Otherwise, that little secret will become public knowledge.

******

It’s not until after lunch that Fairy Godmother fetches them. Jane is left behind with Lady Cassandra, but Coach Jenkins is nowhere in sight. Fairy Godmother leads them away from the school and out through the courtyard towards where the tourney field is. Their destination seems to be an empty field nearby; empty except for the group of new people waiting for them.

Even before Uma can get a proper glimpse at the mismatching group of figures, she can sense the raw power they radiate. It’s almost nauseating to Uma, and she wonders if the others can feel it too, if the others feel completely helpless in comparison. This is the magical strength that brought forth their parents’ downfall, the power Auradon wields, and the reason the eight of them were robbed of their childhoods.  

“They’re magic.” Achite states, a hollowness to his voice. Uma knows he feels it too- just how badly they’re outclassed.

They’re really just foolish little kids. Most of the VKs barely even defy their parents, what chance do the eight of them have against Auradon? They could fight the Guard, could beat those weak humans without breaking a sweat. But them- that little group of seven would be their doom. And to think they thought they were so strong before this. In the eyes of Auradon, they’re nothing more than little kids playing pretend, just emulating their parents with no idea how pathetic they really are.

“Correct! Every magically gifted child in Auradon is granted the chance to learn how to properly control their magic as per the Magical Ban Exception Law. Since the eight of you grew up on the Isle, that chance to learn is being upheld right now.” Fairy Godmother doesn’t pause her walking to answer, instead she barrels on ahead.

Their group follows her; it’s not like they have much of a choice. Magic has always been something most of them wanted but could never dream of obtaining for themselves. Of course they won’t waste this opportunity to learn, even if Auradon will deny them the freedom to cast it afterwards. But it’s almost reassuring, in a way, to know that ban extends to the rest of the Isles's citizens too.

Fairy Godmother continues moving forward. Uma appreciates that the headmistress doesn’t continue talking as she does. There’s already so much to focus on and Uma doesn’t think she could handle listening to Fairy Godmother speak as the other group became more visible.

Uma studies the group carefully once they’re in view. Of the seven people, two of them are only a few years older than them, four appear to be around Fairy Godmother’s age, and the last has an aura of timelessness to her that leaves Uma to believe she can’t be human- and that’s not even considering just how unnatural she already looks.

Of the younger group members, Uma’s eye is drawn to the man first. His hair is a reddish-brown color that almost looks orange in the sunlight. Like most Auradonians, his skin is both fair and flawless in a way that would have Evie or any of the Tremaines seething. And his eyes are a shade of green that resembles the grass or leaves around him. He’s probably no older than eighteen or nineteen and the outfit he wears consists of an orange shirt and ripped jeans.

The other young woman, who’s no doubt in the man’s age range or slightly older, bears a striking resemblance to Jenkins of all people. Her skin is only a little darker than Jay’s but still lighter than the coach’s. Her eyes are a piercing blue that almost rivals Jane’s eyes and her hair looks like it should be on the Isle more than here. Dark black with wild streaks of purple Dizzy would love tied in a ponytail that would leave CJ envious. Her shirt, if it can even be called that, is more of a purple cloth tied around her chest with some type of translucent golden shirt overtop. Her pants are a similar shade of purple with golden trimming around the waist and ankles, and the material puffs out around her thighs.

Of the four older adults, three of which are female, are most likely the feys Jane mentioned earlier; Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather. They all wear nearly identical dresses and pointed witchlike hats, in the respective colors of red, blue, and green. The one in red has gray hair, the one in green, blonde hair with graying streaks, and the blue one is the only one with a fully dark set of locks. They appear to be in some sort of heated argument, whispering harshly to one another.

Poor Mal, she’s going to be stuck with them. No wonder Jane didn’t learn a thing.

The only other man has brown hair, a thick beard, glasses shielding his brown eyes from view, dressed in a dark bluish suit. He fiddles with the collar of his matching dress coat, mumbling to himself. He looks up, seeing them approach, but the moment is ruined by the contents of one of his pockets spilling out onto the floor. Uma can’t believe these are the people responsible for stopping their parents.

The last member of the group looks more like someone you’d find on the Isle. Her hair is nearly the same shade of black as the night sky but only a little lighter. Her skin is unnaturally pale, like the sun refused to mar it in any way, shape, or form. And her eyes, Uma’s never seen anything like them before, are the same shade of red as freshly drawn blood. Even the suit she wears is striking, all black with silver accents and a metal band depicting the phases of the moon across her waist.

This lady can’t be human, and if this group is here to teach the eight of them how to control their powers, then she must be a Goddess. That’s the only explanation Uma can think of for her unnatural and all-powerful appearance.

“Wonderful, you all made it!” Fairy Godmother announces; it’s unclear which group she’s referring to. “Now, of the eight of you, five of you have known magical parentages. But then Gil here saw the enchantment on King Adam’s statue, which makes at least six magic users.”

“I saw it too. Does that mean I’m magic too?” Harry asks.

The older man adjusts is glasses. “That would seem to be the case Mr. Hook. And you, young Mr. De Vil? Did you notice anything amagical? I mean amiss?”

Carlos shakes his head. “No, the statue looked normal to me so no magic for me, right?”

“Well, anything is probable. I mean possible, but in your case I think not.”

“Still, for today at least, we’ll have you try. Just in case.” Fairy Godmother interrupts.

“Indeed! No lost souls slipping through the backs, er cracks.”

“And where are my manners, allow me to introduce your magic teachers.” Fairy Godmother gestures to the older man. “This is Merlin.”

“What?!” Achite exclaims loudly. “Sorry, I just thought you’d be… you know…older.”

“Ah, I see Morgana is still calling a decrepit old man. Honestly, I’m only a few years older than her, I don’t know why she insists I’m one bad day away from creaking under. I mean over.”

“And we are Flora-”

“Fauna!”

“And Merryweather!”

“Yes, yes. We’re here to teach dear Mal how to harness her fey gifts.” Flora says.

“If she has them, Flora. Not all half-feys have magic. No offense, Faye, little Jane is still such a lovely girl.” Merryweather speaks over Flora.

“But still!” Fauna gushes. “It’s oh so wonderful to meet you Mal.”

The three of them turn expectantly to Mal, who in turn mumbles out, “Yeah, sure. Great and all.”

“Ladies, please focus.” Fairy Godmother scolds before gesturing to the younger adults. “This lovely young lady is Jubilee, and her friend here is Prince Caspian of Atlantica.”

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet all of you, I’m Jubilee just like FG said. Oh, and I’m the Genie’s oldest kid.” She proudly proclaims, pointing to her chest with both her thumbs. “I just graduated AP last year but my baby brother’s in your year!”

“As the headmistress stated, I’m Caspian, son of Attina.” Uma knows that name, Attina. Why does she know that na- oh fuck, she’s one of Triton’s daughters; the eldest she thinks. “And this’ll be my final year at Auradon Prep.”

“And that just leaves our final guest.” Fairy Godmother turns their collected attention to the remaining unnamed, most likely a Goddess, group member.

Her red eyes scan over the eight of them, pausing intensely on Uma, Harry, and Evie before locking onto Achite. He mutters something under his breath but it’s too low for Uma to tell if it was Greek or not. The red eyes briefly dart over to Mal, a curious expression overtaking the woman’s face, before her full attention is resumed back onto Achite.

“I am Hecate.” Her eyes never leave Achite’s face. “And you, little flame, shall be my new apprentice.” Her voice has not a single drop of humor and leaves no room for arguments.

Maybe the nephew of Ariel won’t be so bad after all. Although, Uma thinks anyone would be better than her. Uma can only pity Achite from afar because, as much as she likes the guy, there’s no way she’s fighting a Goddess for him. Especially when she has no idea what Hecate is the Goddess of in the first place.

One thing is for certain, Carlos lucked out being the only nonmagical human in their group. There won’t be any magic lessons, after today, with clumsy wizards, argumentative feys, overexcitable genies, the son of your mom’s greatest enemies, or the scariest and only Goddess Uma’s ever met. Seriously, the rest of Mount Olympus can’t be scarier than her, right?

“Alrighty!” Fairy Godmother claps her hands together. “Now it’s time for the eight of you to split off.”

“Jay’s with me!” Jubilee announces as she darts forward, dragging Jay away.

“Hey, wait!” Jay shouts, pulling free of Jubilee, but the genie continues walking ahead leaving Jay no choice but to follow after her. “I’ll see you guys in Mal’s.” He says before chasing after Jubilee.

“Let’s get this over with.” Mal mutters under her breath, walking closer to the three feys.

They continue to gush over Mal, leading her out of the field and into the forest surrounding Auradon Prep. Uma wasn’t sure if the wooded area counted as part of the school but this seems to imply, at least to her, that it does. She’ll file that bit of information away for later; forests aren’t something the Isle’s ever had so exploring one should be fun.

“You four are with me.” Merlin points out to Evie, Gil, Harry, and Carlos. “At least until we can pinpoint the exact natures of your magic. We may find that the nature of my magic clashes with your own. Dear Evelyn here may need a proper witch to teach her.”

“Oh, it’s just Evie, not Evelyn.” Evie corrects.

“Oh no, I’m pretty sure that’s what your father calls you.” Merlin taps his chin. “Or am I thinking of someone else?”

“You’re definitely thinking of someone else. Evie here doesn’t have a dad.” Gil helpfully adds.

She knows Evie doesn’t talk about her old man, most likely because old EQ hasn’t told Evie his identity. Even if Uma’s reasoning for hiding her own dad differs from Evie’s, she knows it probably hurts just as badly.

“Ah, perhaps you’re right… which one are you again? Graham? Grim?”

“Gil! Gilbert to be precise.”

“Ah, thank you young Gilbert.” Merlin says sincerely. “Well, shall we set up here then? If that’s alright with you, Faye?” He looks over to Fairy Godmother.

Is Fairy Godmother’s name Faye? Uma knows, from her mom’s own history and a lifetime of being friends with Mal and Achite, that a person’s true name holds power. To know the name of a fey is to have power over them. Would Merlin really be so careless within their presence? Then again, this is the man who’s gotten two of their names wrong, mixed up multiple words, and emptied his pockets at least once.

“It should be, unless Hecate needs the area for Achite?” Both the remaining adults turn back to the Goddess, who appears to be holding the world’s longest starring contest with Achite.

“Uma and I should take our leave then.” Caspian says. Fairy Godmother nods, waving them off as she and Merlin watch Hecate watch Achite.

******

Caspian gestures for Uma to follow him and she does. He leads them back to Auradon Prep and back through the hallway containing the cafeteria. At the fork in hall, where they usually turn to enter the cafeteria, Caspian continues walking straight ahead. Uma remembers from her earlier exploration of the school that the gyms and pool are down this way.

“Is the pool our destination then?” Uma asks. Usually, silence is alright with her but it’s different being on the other end of things. It’s usually Uma holding the power and the other party uncomfortable in her presence. Back home, this tactic is one of her favorite ways to obtain information.

“Yes, given our genetics, a water-based location would work best. I would prefer to bring you straight to the sea but.” He gives Uma a look and she can easily fill in the rest herself.

‘But the Council doesn’t you anywhere near true water.’

‘But my family doesn’t want you in our home.’

‘But the eight of you aren’t allowed outside of this school.’

Regardless of which one is actually what Caspian meant changes very little for Uma. Either the Atlantic royal family, rightfully, doesn’t trust the child of their worst villain or the eight of them aren’t allowed to travel freely through Auradon. Honestly, it never occurred to Uma or the others that they could technically run away. It’s not like they have options of places or people to hide them. It's not like Hades is around to shelter them.

Caspian pulls a small silver key from out of his pocket and unlocks the door. “All of my cousins and I have unlimited access to the pool.” He looks up, his green eyes locking onto her own. “You’ll probably get your own key too.” 

Uma nods, not quite sure what to say back. Caspian doesn’t seem to wait for a reply, walking into the room and Uma follows. She’s seen a pool before, back at Serpent Prep but that pool was full of dirty seawater, and the titled flooring was grimy. Uma was one of the few students there who could handle swimming in the pool without getting sick. It made becoming swim captain of Serpent Prep’s swim team super easy.

But, like with everything else, Auradon’s pool is pristine. The water is a sparkling clear blue color, and the titles are white with intricate golden designs weaving all across the floor. There are several large windows that resemble the ones in the cafeteria, but these look out a different part of the school.

“Technically, there are several spells we could start with. Basic things I could give you to practice learning until our next lesson, but I thought you’d like to start with this one first.” Caspian holds out a small necklace from around his neck.

It’s a simple design, some type of tannish cord woven tightly together around a single pale pinkish white pearl. Uma finds herself walking closer to Caspian, holding out her fingers to grasp the pearl but she reluctantly stops herself from making contact. There’s a swirl of magic that occasionally glides across the pearl’s surface; something yellowish in color. It reminds Uma of the stories her aunts used to tell her of their own sea-based casting.

“I’m guessing this is what allows you to walk on land, right? A gift from your grandfather?”

“After Auntie Ariel moved to the surface, Grandpa made each of his other daughters trinkets that allowed them to traverse freely between land and sea. It’s a tradition he’s continued with every new addition.”

“I know my mother used something similar when she tricked your aunt. And one of her sisters, my Aunt Uli, also had a necklace like yours too.” She doesn’t really remember Aunt Uli, her and mom’s rivalry had intensified under the barrier. Eventually, the tension drove all three sisters apart.

“Either of their necklaces could be repurposed for you to do the same. Minus the trickery and all that.” He covers his face sheepishly afterwards.

Uma laughs, it’s amusing how much Caspian, like Jane, seems to overthink his conversations with her. “Uli’s necklace disappeared shortly after her death. Probably sunken beneath waves with the rest of her bones.” It was partly Aunt Uli’s friendship with Hook that brought Uma and Harry together and, even after all these years, Uma misses her deeply. “And mom’s was destroyed by Morgana.”

“Sisterly jealousy?” At Uma’s confused expression he clarifies. “The necklace.”

“Oh, not her sister Morgana, the other one, from Camelot, la Fey. She destroyed mom’s necklace; it was a whole thing. But I came to be a few years afterwards, so I only know about the incident through the rumor mill.”

Uma leaves out the part where she, Harry, Gil, and a small portion of her crew spent years searching for the missing pieces of mom’s necklace or how those broken pieces are kept in a bottle within her room here in Auradon. She’ll have to thank CJ’s quick thinking for disguising the necklace as one of those tacky souvenir seashell bottles and stashing it in Uma’s bag. The Auradonian Guard probably wouldn’t have let Uma keep it if they suspected the broken shell pieces to be her mom’s old necklace.

“Well, in that case, Atlantica can provide you with a necklace of your own. If you end up requiring one, that is.”

Uma cocks her head to one side. “You mean if I’m allowed in your kingdom?”

“The crux of the matter is you are a rarity. My cousin, Melody is half human and half mermaid, unlike the rest of us, she doesn’t require any necklaces or spells to traverse between our kingdoms. You might be able to do the same, but we can’t say for sure.”

“So, to clarify, because I’m not fully a merfolk like my mom, I may be able to transform between legs and tentacles whenever I what? Touch water? At will?” Uma never considered the possibility of changing forms without that necklace. It was the whole reason she painstakingly searched for the missing pieces.

“That seems to be the case for Melody. She can change forms, at will, deciding whether she prefers to swim with fins or legs or whatnot. Obviously, you and she are not the same type of mer, given your mothers, but the same effects should apply.” He walks closer to the pool. “The truth is it’s only been our parents’ generation of Atlantians that have mixed with humans, and even then, it’s just been the two of you. And there’s still the mystery of whether or not your dad was fully human.”

“Well, the only Atlantians you sent to the Isle was my mom and her sisters, so it’s not like dear old dad could be mermish in the first place.”

“But the Isle is full of magical and nonmagical men. We know in Melody’s case that she’s able to change despite the fact her father is fully human. If yours isn’t, he possesses magic, it could alter the way your magic functions in comparison.”

Uma ruminates on what Caspian has said. She and Melody are the only half merfolk, half humans in Auradon, at least for now. She remembers from her aunt’s stories that traveling between land and sea was forbidden for a time. It doesn’t surprise Uma that her existence is such a rarity; Mal and Achite are in a similar boat. Revealing her full parentage won’t really change much for her; her dad is just as human as Melody’s. Any difference between Uma or her will come from their mothers or rather how the magic King Trident used on Ariel affects Melody and how Ursula’s magic affects Uma.

“Let’s just operate under the assumption that he’s fully human and course correct if need be. Most of the men in the docks tend to be human anyway.” Uma looks at the pool and the still water it contains. “That’s the other reason you brought me here, isn’t it? To see if I can change forms without the need of an enchantment.”

“I figured that would be a good basis to start off with. If you can’t, then I can begin the process of having an enchanted item procured for you. If not, we can focus on ensuring your transformations are flawless as we begin spell casting.”

“You’re the expert, I’ll follow your lead.” It’s not something Uma is used to doing, following the orders of others, but learning magic- being able to traverse between land and sea; Uma will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Caspian laughs. “It’s funny, I’m only a year or two older than you.” With a small shake of his head, Caspian removes his shoes and socks before slipping into the pool.

Uma watches in fascination as Caspian’s body glows in a yellowish hue. He’s engulfed completely and the light is nearly blinding but Uma can’t bring herself to look away. She squints down at the pool, watching as the silhouette of Caspian’s legs morph quickly into a tail. The light dims and the yellow hue fades back into the pearl around Caspian’s neck. The orange shirt he wore entering the pool is still in place, now slightly damp from his chest down. The jeans have disappeared and in their place is one long tail with muted orange scales. It almost reminds Uma of the orange color in a sunset.

Caspian twists a little, adjusting his position so that his back rests against the opposite pool wall and his tail can stretch out in the remaining space. Now that he’s inside it, in proper merman form, Uma truly understands just how big the pool truly is. Caspian barely makes a dent in the water; there’s still enough room for several more people to comfortable swim around in.

She can envision it, Caspian and all his cousins, swimming across the pool together in these forms. Their colors shimmering against the water, their laughter echoing across the room. They splash one another, sing songs in harmony, or just lounge in the water as sunlight dips in through the windows. It must be such fun, the kind of fun Uma craved to give her crew; that almost childlike innocence no Isle kid could have obtained for themselves but yearned for, nonetheless.

Caspian sighs contently, leaning his head against the tiled base of the pool. “Your turn.” He gestures to the rest of the pool. “I promise the water’s lovely.”

Uma’s never been someone to shy away from anything. She quickly shucks off her boots and rolls off her socks, placing them neatly over the top of her boots. Taking a moment, Uma eyes the pool and herself. The water is deep enough to submerge most of her chest and possibly her shoulders. She’s not afraid of getting wet or walking around in damp clothes; it seems that Caspian isn’t either.

Carefully, Uma sits down at the edge of the pool. She dips one foot into the water, marvels for a second at how cool it feels against her skin, and slips her other foot in. She sits there, swinging her legs back and forth slowly in the water. It’s relaxing, peaceful even and Uma can’t remember the last time she felt like this.  

This is what Uma wants to bring to the children of the Isle, this feeling of total bliss.

That’s what the plan is for, Uma can’t afford to forget it or be distracted. Ensure Prince Ben brings over more VKs, help her crew settle into life in Auradon, prevent any other VKs from ruining this for all of them, secure anything that can be used to bring down the barrier, and last of all create a backup plan in case Auradon doesn’t hold up their promise.

So far, their backup plan is based loosely on the eight of them, at least the ones capable of performing magic, growing strong enough to open the barrier themselves. Which means, the future of the VKs depends on how quickly Uma can master her magic; because she has magic, she’s decided it. It’s the least her mom’s genes could have done for her considering just how much mom has screwed her over before.

In one fluid movement, Uma pushes herself off the pool’s edge and slips completely under the water. She briefly hears Caspian shout aloud just before her head sinks completely beneath the water. Instinctually, her eyes shut, and Uma holds her breath. Fear grips her. What if Caspian’s theory is wrong? What if Uma is just human enough to wash out her mom’s blood?

What if…

…what if…

…what if…

But the ‘what if’ never comes.

“As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, please don’t kill yourself on my behalf.” Caspian says, voice strained, as he pulls Uma’s head above water.

She gasps, breathing hard as she rapidly blinks. Uma laughs or rather huffs, equal mixes of annoyed and accepting. If the situation had been reversed, Uma would have done the same thing. That’s the role of a captain after all, to both protect and guide your people to the best of your ability.

Still, it’s annoying to be on the other side of things.  

“Worried people will think you did it on purpose, if I died on your watch?” Uma asks teasingly.

Caspian laughs, a little hint of hysteria in his voice. “Of course! I have my whole future ahead of me too, you know.”

There’s a moment where Uma is about to speak, to crack some joke about perfect princes and nepotism and covering up crimes when she feels it. Uma can’t describe it, the feeling that overtakes her. It feels like every fiber of her being is torn apart or as if she’s finally returned home after a long journey abroad. It’s everything she’s ever wanted; everything she’s ever feared.  

Instinctually Uma reaches out to grasp Caspian. She knows her fingers must be painfully digging into his flesh, but she can’t move or speak or do anything. Uma doesn’t cry, doesn’t let anyone apart from her friends see her in such a vulnerable state. She can feel the tears prickling in her eyes, can feel them threatening to slip down her face. Her vision blurs and faintly she thinks Caspian is speaking but nothing is processed in her mind.

She wants to scream out, to beg or plead; two things which feel so foreign to Uma. She’s a strong leader, people beg her for mercy, people plead to her for their lives. If her throat wasn’t constricting against her will, Uma would be begging or pleading or doing whatever it took for the feeling to stop. Does that make her weak? Defective? Dying?

“Oh seas.” Is the first thing Uma hears once everything has subsided.

She comes back to reality with her head leaning against Caspian’s shoulders and her body aching with remnant pain. She lifts her head, tilting it to the side and finally sees it. A tentacle, teal green in color, the same color as her own colored hair. She wills it to move, the appendage, and it does so, moving at her will.

“I did it.” She whispers hoarsely.

“You did.” Caspian says as he steadies Uma in the water.

She gets a better look at herself. There are three other tentacles behind her. Each one the same shade of teal green as the first one she saw. Four tentacles in her merfolk form, Uma could work with that. Now hopefully, mastering her magic didn’t hurt as badly as changing did.

“I think properly delving into your magic lessons will need to wait.” Uma groans at Caspian’s words. She’s so close, so close to the magic needed to protect everyone she cares for. “No, Uma this shouldn’t have hurt you. The transition is meant to be seamless, painless even. Your pain could be the result of your parentage or…”

“Or what?” Uma asks, voice still strained.

“Or this is the barrier’s doing. We have no idea what living under an anti-magical barrier does to magical beings.”

It never occurred to Uma that the anti-magical barrier might have been hurting them this whole time. She feels sick to her stomach. Is it killing them slowly- those of them with magic? Will all their abilities be hindered? Did Auradon know or at least suspect? Did they leave all of them in there despite it?

What better way to ensure the next generation of heroes could overcome the VKs than to permanently damage their connections with their gifts.

“They broke us.” Uma hisses out. All that righteous anger boils in Uma’s blood. “They broke us.”

******

Uma lets Mal voice wash over her from where her back rests against Mal’s bed, legs stretched out on the floor. The rest of her magic lesson passed in a haze; Caspian offered words of comfort, words that felt hallow, before ending the lesson. Uma knows he probably means well but he just can’t understand her or the rest of the VKs- no one in Auradon can either. Still, he was gracious enough to walk Uma back to her room before leaving to return to Atlantica.

The whole ordeal gave Uma enough time to wash away the lesson, literally, and change before regrouping with the others. So far, the others consist of Jane, nodding along with everything Mal says, and Mal who’s frustratingly ranting about the incompetence of her teachers as she paces across her room.

“They disagreed the whole time. Flora said one thing. Merryweather just had to interrupt just to contradict the whole thing, and Fauna can’t pick a side to save her life!” Mal grows in frustration and it’s in moments like this where Uma can’t believe Auradon doesn’t know Mal is Hades’ daughter.

“I know! Magic comes from within. No wait, magic is in everything. Oh, hold on, it’s a tool to be wielded as its user seems fit.” Jane says, no doubt parroting the three feys’ endless arguments. “They did the same thing when I tried to learn.”

“Well, no wonder you didn’t learn a damn thing!” Mal huffs, exhaling sharply before calming herself down, at least outwardly. “We’ll just have to figure it out ourselves. Between your knowledge of magic and my upbringing, I’m sure the two of us can crack this.”

Jane light up. “I have some theories I wanted to try out but could never really figure out how to work it! But I’m sure you can make sense of it and- oh! There’s always Pixie Hollow, but the fairies there tend to be a little judgy of us half-feys.”

“Let me guess, Tessa’s from there?”

Jane nods. “She only ever leaves for school. Why she wishes to attend Auradon Prep when she dislikes humans is beyond me but…” Jane suddenly cuts off, face flushing brightly and a high-pitched squeaking sound emanating from her throat.

Mal stops her walking, opting to plop down beside Jane on the other girl’s bed. “She probably likes to showoff just how superior she is to such lowly humans.” Mal taunts, earning Jane’s laughter.

“How else would us weak halflings know what power a true fey could wield without her guidance.” Jane jokes back.

Both Jane and Mal dissolve into laughter, leaning against one another as they do so. Uma is glad that Mal is able to find the silver lining in such a disastrous first lesson. Usually, it ends up being Uma’s job to find the positives while Mal sulks. Today just has Uma flipped inside out and upside down. They all knew being in Auradon would throw them off their game, but this is downright pitiful.

Uma doesn’t know what to do. Obviously, Mal hasn’t been able to pick up enough know-how from her lessons to attempt anything magical, so Uma’s the only one who might have experienced that. But there’s a chance Mal’s magic and the others’ magic will be fine and that Uma is the only one affected.

Her magic isn’t just linked to her body; it’s tethered to her form.

She’s spent sixteen, maybe seventeen, years unable to cycle between her forms. Her fellow VKs, at least of the seven brought over with her, can’t do what she does. Mal and Achite could shapeshift, but those forms aren’t their true forms. Although, neither twin has horns or wings like Maleficent. Could that be something they would have gotten if they had been born in Auradon? And shouldn’t Jay have a djinn form like Jafar or the Genie?

How many physical manifestations of their magic have been lost thanks to the magical barrier?

Jane doesn’t have wings. Do all half-feys lack them? Or is Fairy Godmother a different species of fey compared to Maleficent? There must be multiple types of fairies. Uma knows there are different types of merfolk. And the citizens of New Nottingham, banded together under the rule of Prince John’s eldest heir, Julian, are technically shapeshifters too.

Will they suffer during their transformations like Uma did? Most of those VKs are young, too young to experience such pain. Freeing them from the Isle of the Lost is still the right thing to do but would it be better to wait until they know more about how to fix things? Isn’t it just as cruel to bring them over to suffer from their magic than leaving them on the Isle to die?

Uma needs to meet the prince. Once she knows Prince Ben, she can ask him about the timeline for bringing over more VKs and then she’ll know just how much time she has to fix things. For now, she has the next two and a half months to work with Caspi-

“I hate magic!” Harry proclaims as he bursts into Mal’s room.

Uma barely has time to recover before Harry’s draping himself all over her side. She accepts her fate, Harry sometimes gets clinging when he’s being dramatic. Gil follows in afterwards carrying Carlos on his back and Evie skips in behind them.

“Merlin said I just might be a magical prodigy! Can you believe it M?” Evie squeals, slotting herself on Jane’s other side.

“Oh, come on! The old geezer who can’t even string together a proper sentence is a better teacher than those three!” Mal growls out, sprawling out against Jane’s bed. “The Fates are truly cruel mistresses indeed.”

“No, he’s not!” Harry hisses out from behind Uma. “I didn’t do a damn thing!”

“At least you have magic.” Carlos mutters out tiredly as Gil sets him down in Mal’s bed. Carlos curls up into a ball, pulling Mal’s covers over his body. “And you made those yellow sparks so stop being dramatic.”

“My magic’s blue! Just like the rest of me!” Evie adds enthusiastically.

“What about you Gil?” Jane asks. “Did you have any luck?”

Gil nods, smiling as he wiggles his fingers together. A swirl of shimmering pink and gold appears between Gil’s fingers, and a black silhouette begins to appear in the space between his hands. The color fades and the shimmering stops. Gil holds out a single, stemless golden rose. He holds it out to Mal who gladly takes it.

“Isn’t it so pretty! I hope I can make flowers too or cloth. Imagine how many outfits I could make.” Evie sighs contently, probably imagining the outfits she’s designing for all of them.

“And the money you’ll save since you won’t need to buy cloth.” Jane looks around the room. “Oh, do you guys just… uh steal things on the Isle?”

“Jane! You’re learning!” Harry coos. “But seriously, we either barter for resources or just outright steal it. It depends on how badly you need it or who has it.”

Jane nods, filing away Harry’s words. She lies down next to Mal, scooching over closer to Mal’s side. “Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather aren’t the best teachers. I hoped they might have improved since my lessons all those years ago.”

“But they suck!” Mal huffs. “Spent my whole lesson bickering with one another instead of teaching.”

“And what about you Uma? I know Mal and I talked a lot about how disastrous those three are as teachers.”

Uma looks over to Jane. “We didn’t practice spells yet. Just worked on switching between our land and sea forms.” She leaves out how painful hers was and the fact the anti-magical barrier may have slowly been destroying her other form or how Auradon may have left them on the Isle on purpose.

Yeah, Uma leaves a lot of information out. She needs to gather more data and learn more about who’s one the Council before she starts sharing her suspicions. If the Council did this to them on purpose, then there’s a chance Prince Ben didn’t know and if Uma can show him proof, he’ll become their strongest ally in Auradon. But if Uma is wrong… well, there’s no telling what Auradon will do to her.

And it doesn’t help that her dad’s words keep echoing in her mind. ‘Loose lips sink ships, Uma. And you never know who’s listening in.’

“Uma!” Harry shouts into her ear, dragging out each syllable in her name. “You were a mermaid!  Octopus? Squid?” He pauses for a moment. “Merpus? Meruid?”

“You’re crazy, Harry.” Uma laughs caught completely off-guard by Harry’s antics. It’s one of the things Uma loves most about him; just how wildly unpredictable Harry can be at times.

Gil takes a seat at the table, angling the chair to face Uma. From the corner of her eye, Uma can see Carlos sitting up and watching her in mild fascination. Even from the other bed, three pairs of eyes stare at her in curiosity.

She sighs halfheartedly, a small smile just barely peeking out. “I have four tentacles. Greenish teal in color. But that’s as far as we got. Caspian didn’t want to push me too hard or anything.”

Harry gasps aloud and Uma rushes to clamp her hand over his mouth. She can hear his muffled excitement and can feel his breath against her hand. His blue eyes stare pleadingly at her, most likely begging to be released. She narrows her eyes at him but removes her hand.

“That’s so cool!” Harry flops back against Mal’s bed. “Everyone’s more magical than me.” He whines.

“More magical than me.” Carlos complains as he rolls back into himself.

“And Mal didn’t learn a thing.” Evie counters back. “No offense, sorry M!”

“Maybe Jay and Achite’s lessons suck too?” Gil offers helpfully.

Harry perks up at the mention of his soulmates. A gleeful smile spreads across his face. “Thank you, Gil. I hope they’re suffering to.”

Jane makes a questioning little hum but both Mal and Evie mumble something to her. Uma watches as whatever question Jane had fades away as Jane opts not to ask it. Uma isn’t quite sure what they said to Jane but knows neither girl would ever reveal that secret without permission. She gets it, why they would keep their relationship a secret from Auradon, even if they might be the only eight of them with Isle soulmates.

Gil’s soulmate is from Auradon and so is Uma’s. Carlos gets easily flustered around Jane and while Uma isn’t sure if Carlos and Jane are soulmates, that would explain why Mal is so quick to integrate Jane into their group. Evie hasn’t said anything about her mark, but Uma gets the impression if her soulmate was back on the Isle, their group would have heard her complaining about it by now.

Mal is the only one Uma can’t get a read on. Mal’s also the kind of person who doesn’t really care all that much about soulmates. If it’s because Mal either has no desire for her soulmate or cares way too much to reveal it, is beyond Uma.

From down the hall a muffled voice shouts out “What!?” at the top of their lungs.

Mal sits up, asking “Was that Ack?”

Before any of them can confirm it, Jay angrily bursts into the room. He scans the room, eyes burning furiously. In all the years she has known him, Uma has never seen Jay this mad before. Just as Jay’s eyes lock onto Jane, Achite barges into the room.

“Jay.” Achite begs and Uma’s never heard him sound so desperate before either. “Please calm down, let’s talk about this.” Jay ignores him, eyes still locked onto Jane.

Harry rises to his feet, looking between Achite, Jay, and Jane. “What happened? What’s going on?”

“Jubilee said.” He stops, growing to frustrated to continue speaking. Little bursts of red energy spark off of his body in synch with every breath he takes.  “Did you know Coach Jenkins is the fucking Genie!?”

Well, that explains Achite’s previous shoutti- wait what!? “Like the Genie?”

“Oh, you didn’t know already?” Jane says like that sort of information if common fucking knowledge.
“Does it sound like he knew?” Achite asks sarcastically.

******

Audrey laughs, and the sound reminds Uma of little bells ringing out. It’s not disruptive, more like music, ringing out in a creative melody. It harmonies with the sound waves crashing against the sand. Uma can feel her face heating up and a smile begins to crest across her face. She never thought she, of all people, could feel this happy.

A hand squeezes her shoulder, and Uma looks up to find Audrey staring out at her.

Her eyes shine in the sunlight and it casts a golden hue across Audrey’s head, shining her blonde curls in a halo of light. The blue and pink streaks Dizzy added have almost completely faded and Uma wonders what colors Audrey will dye it next. Regardless, Audrey will be just as beautiful as always and Uma finds herself mimicking Audrey’s smile at the thought of it.

It’s crazy to think she and Audrey are here together after everything. To think there’s someone out there who loves Uma just as fiercely as any VK defending their territory. Sometimes Uma can’t believe Audrey is real and that she not only wants Uma too but loves her so unapologetically. Even in her wildest fantasies, Uma never imagined anything, or anyone as perfect as Audrey.

It’s not like anything on the Isle could have prepared her for this kind of love either.  

Another wave crests over their feet and Audrey squeals in delight. Uma throws her head back and laughs as Audrey buries her face into Uma’s shoulder. Her hand tightens against her shoulder, but Uma doesn’t pull away. Instead, Uma pulls Audrey’s hand into her own, wrapping her other around Audrey’s waist as she binds them together.  

“You’re such a princess.” Uma teases, her voice light and full of love.

Audrey finally looks up at Uma, her smile never wavering. “Better a princess than a no-good pirate.”

It’s their own version of ‘I love you’, something not quite Isle but not Auradonian either. Just them; theirs and theirs alone.

Uma tilts Audrey’s head, parting her lips to-

Chapter Text

Even after a restless night’s sleep, the reveal is still haunting Jay. 

He’s numb from the betrayal, dizzy with rage. He never suspected, never even realized who Jenkins was until Jubilee casually mentioned it. Jubilee, who’s the daughter of the Genie, the Genie who is Jenkins who is Jay’s Dorm Head and the coach here at Auradon Prep.

Jenkins is Genie; Genie is Jenkins.

How did Jay miss this? Were there little signs or hints that Jay missed? Things his mind skipped over because he was too busy focusing on Harry or Ack? Shouldn’t Jay have been able to sense the Genie’s- Jenkins’ power? Why didn’t he sense it? Why did Jenkins hide it?

There has to be a reason, right? Why else would Jenkins not mention it? They’ve barely interacted in the week Jay’s been here; once during the first day, again during the placement testing, and that was it. Is he planning something? Is he seeking revenge against Jay on behalf of Aladdin and Jasmine? Jafar may have harmed the Genie, but the majority of his crimes were against them and not Jenkins. At least, that’s Jay’s understanding of what went down in Agrabah.

He feels bad for Jubilee, for how he walked away in silence at the end of their lesson without a goodbye. Jay didn’t mean to be so rude, Mal taught him better than that, but after she casually mentioned staying afterwards to visit her dad… Jay just froze. She didn’t even realize Jay didn’t know, she assumed someone, probably her dad, had told him already.

And Jane, poor Jane, had assumed Jay already knew.

Jay hates the way he treated her too. He shouldn’t have yelled; he should have listened to Ack and calmed down. Jane was nice to him despite everything. She explained it to him, the whole Genie Jenkins thing. Apparently, once he was freed from his lamp, Genie changed his name to Jenkins and has been living by that name for the past twenty years.

He’d left the room after that, stomped away in anger as Ack and Harry followed after him. The three of them spent the night in his room, snuggled up three to a bed, talking the night away as Jay tried to process the day’s events.

He learned that Harry’s magic lessons hadn’t been so fun, but Harry did possess some bit of magic. And that Malachite spent his lesson trying to out plan a literal Goddess. Not that it worked, although Malachite said Hecate seemed more assumed than annoyed by his antics. His own lesson had been fun too, before the reveal. Jay and Jubilee got along great. She had an energy about her, one that reminded Jay of Evie. They discovered that while Jay felt compelled to grant any wish he heard, he could resist if he focused hard enough.

His ability to resist wish granting is most likely thanks to Evie since she freed him from his lamp two years ago. A fact Jay’s so glad he didn’t share with Jubilee. The last thing Jay needs is for Jenkins to know all his secrets. Once Jay figures out what Jenkins is planning and if his children are in on it, then Jay might share that piece of information with Jubilee.

Does Jane know his son? Jubilee mentioned a brother, one still attending Auradon Prep. Does he want to meet Jay? Jay’s never met anyone like him before; Jubilee was the first. It was nice- no wonder Mal liked hanging around Jane so much, she might pretend it’s for Carlos’ sake, but Jay knows her well enough to know she enjoys Jane’s company too.

Would they be friends? Jay never thought about whether or not the Genie had kids his age or if Aladdin and Jasime had kids. Crap, they probably have kids and they’re probably around Jay’s age and will be attending Auradon Prep once the school year begins and-

“Stop thinking so loudly.” Ack mumbles into Jay’s shoulder. On the opposite side, Harry begins to stir.

Jay sighs. “I can’t help it. Did you know? I mean before I told you?”

“Love, none of us knew until you told us. Well, with the exception of Duckling that is.” Wiping his face, Harry rises off of Jay’s chest. “Morning my lovelies.” Harry purrs seductively before blowing them each a kiss.

Ack groans again, trying to bury himself deeper into Jay. It doesn’t seem to be working, and Jay laughs a little as Achite whines. Harry sighs lazily, stretching as he slips off the bed. He waves sloppily before exiting, no doubt heading back to his own room to prepare for the day.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Ack.”

“Ugh.” Achite mutters sleepily as he shifts upward. “You should apologize to Jane. I think you freaked her out with all your yelling.” He says sleepily.  

Crap.

He didn’t mean to scare Jane, but Jay was just so… finding out the truth about Jenkins left Jay reeling. He felt as if he was back in the Isle, locked away in the small closet inside his old man’s shop, scratching at the walls in a desperate attempt to escape the confined space while his dad yells at him to suck it up cause the inside of the lamp is so much smaller.

And Jay knows exactly how small the inside of a lamp is. He may have only spent a few seconds inside of his own before Evie freed him but those were the longest seconds of Jay’s life and maybe even the worst. He can’t go back to that small dark space and thinking about Jenkins just brings that feeling back to the surface instead of tucked away like Jay prefers.

It’s fine, Jay can do this. He’s spent his whole life pretending to be things he isn’t, he can survive a few more years doing in Auradon.

*******

“I’m sorry, about yesterday.” Jay says, taking a seat across from Mal and Jane. He’s slotted right between his soulmates.

It still doesn’t seem real, knowing he didn’t steal people as amazing as Harry and Malachite for himself. He never thought he would be worthy of them; still can’t quite believe it, but the proof is right there on his wrist. Jay watches them sometimes, the needles on his compass, and tries to pick out which needle correlates to which boyfriend. So far Jay thinks Harry’s is the fancier needle while Achite’s is simpler; just like his soulmates- Harry is dramatic in everything and Malachite remains ever the practical being.

“It’s fine, Jay.” Jane says. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know, or I would have told you myself. I’ve only ever known Coach as Jenkins and I’ve always known he used to be Aladdin’s genie, but I forgot none of you would know that too.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” Jay says. From the corner of his eye, he can see Mal nodding along. “You’ve been nothing but kind to us and… I’m sorry.”

Jane stares him down, eyes sharpening and for a moment Jay thinks she might actually curse him. “I forgive you.” She says, her eyes lighting back up again.

Jay laughs, a little, caught off by Jane’s words. “Thanks Jane.”

“I still can’t believe it.” Uma says, spearing a pancake on her fork. “I didn’t think Auradon would let us meet the people our parents harmed so soon. I got to meet Caspian, who’s the son of one of Triton’s daughters, Jay’s unknowingly been chatting up the Genie, Evie crossed paths with Doc earlier this week-”

“And Mali met Aurora’s old babysitters.” Malachite interrupts. The whole table laughs as Uma whacks Ack on the shoulder lightly. “Sorry Uma, didn’t mean to cut you off there.” He mumbles sheepishly.

“Well, it’s not like they’re introducing us to the people that were harmed directly.” Evie says once the laughter dies down. “I mean, yeah my mom went after the dwarves, but Snow White was always her main target.”

“That’s true, I doubt any of us will be allowed near those folks any time soon.” Uma agrees before taking another bite.

Jane makes a noise, something between a squeak and a grimace. Jay finds himself turning towards the half-fey. “Jane, is there something we’re missing?” He asks.

 Jane scoots forwards, eyeing the room, before whispering in a hushed tone. “I overheard my mom talking with the council last night. Apparently, you guys are supposed to be getting foster families soon. You know, since you’re still kids in the eyes of Auradon and your parents are locked away on the Isle.”

“Are you implying that some of our parents’ victims want to take us in?” Carlos asks, his voice rising an octave with every word. Jay wonders if Carlos is more worried about living with the Radcliffe family or their hoard of dogs.

“Mom didn’t say or rather she never implied which families were approved, but I know from Audrey that her mom’s been trying to get you, Mal, for years; same with Aziz and his parents. And I think Melody mentioned her parents wanting to take in Uma too.”

“Aziz?” Gil asks but Jay feels like he can already guess the answer.

‘Don’t say it. Don’t say Aziz, son of Aladdin and Jasmine.’ Jay silently pleads. From under the table, Harry gently taps his foot against Jay’s shin. He looks over to Harry, who’s just staring at him in concern.

Jay’s still staring at Harry when Jane confirms Jay’s suspicions with a simple. “Oh, Aziz is Aladdin and Jasmine’s kid.” And just when Jay thinks, maybe that wouldn’t be too bad, Jane adds, “He’s in our grade too.”

He’s going to be sick; Jay’s going to waste all this precious food by puking it up all over the nice school tables. The meal he’s eating this morning could feed a whole family for at least three days, more if they’re really good at rationing. He can’t waste it, not when so many VKs are starving, not when-

Wait.

Hold on.

Did Jane say they wanted Jay?

Aladdin and Jasmine wanted him? Jafar’s kid? To what?

His own mother didn’t wan- Not that Jay blamed her; he wouldn’t want him either if the situation was reversed but at least he wouldn’t take it even farther by trying to kill him.

“Jay?” Mal calls out and Jay feels compelled to face her. She eyes Jay, giving his whole face quite the extensive search through. Mal doesn’t need to say the words aloud; Jay knows what she’s asking. Are you alright?

Jay nods, once then twice. “Want us for what? Revenge? Retribution?” Jay’s seen firsthand just how far some of the families on the Isle handle a rivalry; the means of revenge may differ from family to family, but one thing remains the same- they always target the children.

It’s not that most villains see their children as beloved gifts. In fact, most times it’s the opposite. The truth of the matter is their children tend to be the only things their parents have left to claim. The villains have no real power on the Isle, money is meaningless. Territory and children are the only way to truly set yourself apart from others.

And children make for great pawns to ensure their territory is well maintained.

“I would like to know that too.” Uma says, fork pointed directly at Jane.

“They wanted to bring you guys out of the Isle of the Lost and raise you here in Auradon. I know Ben’s mom, the Queen, and Audrey’s mom started the movement, but the Council never passed it. They’ve gotten a lot more support as the years progressed.”

The eight of them stare at Jane in mixed reactions of shock, disbelief, awe, and horror. Jay knows Jane isn’t lying to them. For starters, the girl is such an open book even Gil could see through her and, secondly, Jane hasn’t lied to them since they’ve been here so why start now.

He wonders what his own face shows. Jay isn’t quite sure what he’s feeling. The disbelief is definitely there but there’s something more buried deep within him. It prickles his skin, leaving Jay feeling a weird mix of cold and hot; like Jay’s skin is freezing but his insides are boiling over. It itches and Jay wants to claw his own skin off.

“Bullshit.” Achite spits out, lips curled in anger. “If Auradon really wanted us here, they would have done so years ago.”

“Then why are we here now?” Gil asks sadly.

“Politics.” Both twins answer in unison. Achite nods and Mal continues speaking. “Auradon’s precious prince wanted us here and your Council doesn’t want to risk losing his approval by disagreeing.”

“So, then what does the prince want the eight of us for?” Harry asks.

“He really does want to help you guys and the rest of the children on the Isle.” Jane mumbles weakly. “Ben’s a good person, I swear.”

“You mean he’s nice when you’re around.” Achite counters.

Uma nods, crossing her arms. “Nobody’s that nice, not without some sort of ulterior motive. He wants something and, for some reason, the eight of us got it.”

“We’re from the Isle of the Lost, what could we possibly have that the future ruler of Auradon could want?” Carlos questions.

Jay doesn’t have an answer to that and neither does the rest of their group.

*******

For once, it’s Cassandra and Genie Jenkins that pull them aside after breakfast. The whole way back, Jay can feel the coach’s eyes on him. From the corner of his eyes, Jay can see Jenkins trying to speak with him. Jay ignores him; he can’t… not yet… not now.

Their group, Jane included, is ushered back to the dorm lounge where Fairy Godmother is eagerly awaiting them. There’s a stack of eight color coordinated boxes staged neatly on a small table behind her. Jay eyes them up, the boxes; they’re roughly the size of a small book although much thicker than any book Jay’s ever read.

Not that Jay does much reading.

“Come, come. Sit, sit.” Fairy Godmother urges, waving them over to the couches behind her.

They sit, four to a couch, squished tightly in place. That feeling from before, the one where Jay feels both hot and cold, returns. Evie, on his right, quickly taps his wrist, snapping Jay out of his thoughts before he can truly get lost in them. That keeps happening to him ever since they’ve arrived in Auradon. Back on the Isle, Jay never would have gotten so distracted.

Today marks their first week in Auradon and Jay’s already losing his touch.

“We have just a bit more to get through plus,” She emphasizes that word a little too much of Jay’s liking, “a super fun surprise for you all tomorrow!”

Jay can feel Jenkins eyeing him. He can’t see the genie- former genie?- from where he’s sitting, but Jay knows Jenkins is behind him. He’s watching Jay, staring him down like his mother’s minions sometimes do back home. Jay can work with this. If he can avoid their blades, he can avoid Jenkins… whatever Jenkins has.

“I’ll make this quick so you all can go back to enjoying your Sunday. First thing first, your future living arrangements.”

“Don’t be dogs. Please don’t involve dogs.” Carlos mutters under his breath.

“Since your parents are… not available to house you in Auradon, the Council and I have worked hard to find you all good foster families to stay with during school breaks and holidays. For this summer, the eight of you are permitted to stay here, in Auradon Prep, but it’s merely a temporary situation.”

Fairy Godmother continues, either oblivious or uncaring to the growing uneasiness of their group. Jay wonders if they can refuse or change them, these foster families. They’re allowed to change doctors so it should work similarly to that, right? The better question Jay needs to ask himself is whether or not he wants to live with Aladdin and Jasmine in Agrabah.

Agrabah, his old man’s birthplace. Jay never imagined getting to go there. He’s heard offhanded comments about the country, from other Agrabians who were banished to the Isle. Jafar never mentioned Agrabah, at least not to Jay. He tries not to focus on how badly that stings.

Jay wasn’t expecting the tightness in his chest or the yearning in his soul at the mere thought of getting to be there. He wonders if Mal and Ack feel the same way about the Underworld or the Moors.

“I know the eight of you like to do things as a group but this is private information so I can tell you your new foster families as a group or indivi-.”

“As a group” Everyone, apart from Jay shouts outs, interrupting the headmistress. Fairy Godmother turns to him, and Jay manages to mutter out “as a group” too.

She gives them all a pleasant smile but there’s an uneasiness to it that Jay picks up on. She’s nervous to tell them or maybe even fearful of how the eight of them will respond. The Council wouldn’t actually place them with the families their parents’ wronged most. Just because Jay thought about it earlier doesn’t mean he actually expected it to come true.

There’s just too much risk, on both sides, for the Council to grant it. Right?

“Let’s just cut to it. I’m up first, being Achite and all.” Achite waves his hand, shooing Fairy Godmother to get a move on. “So which uncle wants me?”

Fairy Godmother grimaces and Achite tenses up. “About that.” It’s such an uncanny moment, watching the confident headmistress resemble her insecure daughter.

Mal’s eyes dart between her brother and the other fey, and Jay finds himself doing the same. Jay doesn’t know which is worse, being stuck living with the family you never met or learning they refused to house you in the first place. He lucked out in that regard; neither of his parents have family here in Auradon.

“Oh.” Achite strains, voice catching. “They didn’t, did they?” He asks numbly.

If Jay didn’t know Malachite just as well as himself or Harry, he would miss just how deeply this dismissal cuts his soulmate. Because Jay can actually call him that now. Ack may sound nonchalant to their keepers, but Jay knows he’s devastated.

“Neither of your uncles live somewhere you can access. Mount Olympus is only available to fully divine beings so…” She trails off.

“And the other one?” Ack’s voice is almost monotone.

“Well, Poseidon usually remains within the sea and since you can’t breathe underwater, his claim was denied.”

“I see.” Achite says as he adjusts his shades. “So, who’s the unfortunate God that’s stuck with me?”

“That would be Demeter and her daughter Persephone. They are some of the few Olympians that reside among us mortals, so they were gracious enough to offer hosting you.” Casandra answers, walking over to join Fairy Godmother.  

Fairy Godmother looks like she wants to say more but even a blind man can see Achite’s shut down and is done with this avenue of conversation.

“For Carlos,” Casandra says, causing Carlos to perk up. “The Radcliffe family offered to welcome you into their home. Given the nature of your mother’s crimes and their relation to the Radcliffes, the Council was hesitant to grant this.”

“So why did they? Did no one else want me?” Carlos asks and, unlike Ack, lets his sadness permeate his words.

“The Radcliffes have spent years petitioning the Council for your removal. Both Roger and Anita made it very clear they wouldn’t rest until you were safely in their care; something that hasn’t changed now that you’re here.” Genie Jenkins says, his eyes remain focused on Carlos, but they flicker over to Jay every few seconds.

“Do, do, they still have their… eh... dogs.” Carlos squeaks out, the final word barely more than a high-pitched whine.

“Oh, yes! They run a whole dog sanctuary out of their farm.” Fairy Godmother adds, completely blind to Carlos’ paling face or his eyes widening in fear.  

“Me next! Me next!” Evie exclaims, flailing one hand high in the air, earning a chuckle from the three adults in the room.

“I believe Snow White and Florian offered.” Casandra says, eyes darting over to Fairy Godmother who nods her head in agreement.

Evie gasps aloud, something between shock and disbelief. Jay can’t blame her, none of them would have guessed that. He isn’t sure how much he likes these fosters for them. Ack is Olympus’ least favorite demigod, Carlos got stuck with one hundred and one dogs, and Evie’s being shipped off to the former stepsister who remains completely unknown to them.

Hades mentioned Hercules and the rest of his family whenever they asked so Jay knows a fair bit about the Greek Patheon. His own dad ranted about the incompetence of the Sultan and his daughter and the no good street rat that tricked him. Of course, most of that wasn’t directed at Jay, but rather the walls as Jafar drunkenly schemed aloud to himself. Sometimes Jay thinks his dad forgets he’s around.

Cruella and Ursala, although Jay only knows about that from the Sea Three, are known to go off on tangents about the families that toppled their plans. Harry’s dad was more than happy to share old stories about Neverland to any VK willing to listen. It’s easy to see where Harry gets his flair for the dramatics watching Captain Hook reenact his battles with Peter Pan as several VKs watch enamored; sometimes Harry or CJ would fill in as Peter Pan.

Even Maleficent mentioned Aurora’s parents every now and then. She never mentioned Aurora or Phillip though, most of what Jay knows about that pair came from Diaval. Like with most things in Jay’s life, Jafar never shared a thing.  

There’s no team in I after all.

While Jafar only talked about Aladdin and Jasmine and the Genie after overindulging in his liquor, the Evil Queen mentioned nothing of use in regards to Snow White. Sure, EQ mentioned how ugly or deceitful she thought Snow White was, but that knowledge doesn’t help them. She insulted her former stepdaughter every chance she got, like most of their parents do with their defeaters. But when it came to Snow White’s personality or important details of her character, EQ never said a thing. A part of Jay thinks it might be because the Evil Queen never cared enough about the girl to learn it in the first place.

“- and lots and lots of mirrors!” Evie finishes, jarring Jay from his thoughts.

Crap, why does this keep happening to him?

Genie Jenkins moves closer to Casandra and Fairy Godmother. “Gil here was placed with Queen Anna and King Kristoff of Arendelle. For security reasons, our reigning royal family can’t risk housing any of you, but I do know Queen Belle asked Queen Anna personally to look after you.”

“I can’t wait to meet them! And to thank Queen Belle for looking out for me!” Gil is the only one of them to seem truly happy with his placement. Jay has no doubt Gil will remain the only one happy with their placement.

“Does this mean I got Pan or a Darling?” Harry scans the three Auardonians and finds whatever tell he’s looking for. “A Darling! How darling! But which one is mine? The girl, Wendy? Or one of her brothers, perhaps?”

“John Darling and his wife Alice.” The headmistress confirms and Harry cackles in delight.

‘Pirates,’ Jay thinks fondly as he watches Harry. ‘They’re always hard to predict.’

His good mood doesn’t last long. Jenkins turns to Jay and doesn’t break eye contact for once. As his dark eyes stare into Jay’s own, Jay realizes his name is up next. The next foster family is his. His stomach lurches and Jay swallows hard.

He is Mal’s righthand man. The warrior that guards the Core Four and defeats their rivals with ease. He’s a djinn worthy of both a pirate and a demi-fey. He’s not afraid. He’s not trapped even if it feels like the walls are closing in on him. Even if every fiber of his being feels like it’s being sucked back into his lamp and no amount of clawing will free hi-

“Al and Jas *cough* excuse me, Aladdin and Jasmine all but demanded to take you in. The Council tried to refuse several times but, in the end, Al won out.” Jenkins smiles at that and Jay wonders if he was in the room too. Did Jenkins help them get Jay? “Their win is what allowed the Radcliffes to get you, Carlos”

Oh, so it’s Jay’s fault Carlos will be subjected to hundreds of dogs, the boy’s worst fears. The fire in his veins freezes over, leaving Jay nothing more than a frozen corpse. Jenkins’ eyes still won’t leave him. Why won’t they leave him? Carlos elbows him and right, right, Jay needs to respond.

“Okay.” He says, proud of how steady his voice remains.

“By that logic, I’m with Aurora and Phillip then?” Mal asks, head tilting towards Fairy Godmother in a way that’s almost condescending. It’s intentionally, judging by how wide her eyes are and how much she’s expressing her innocence. Jay has to cough to disguise his snort of amusement.

Casandra nods. “You’re with House Briar-Rose and Uma gets to bounce between land and sea.”

“Seriously?” Uma asks in disbelief, looking more and more eager by the second.

‘See, all pirates are unhinged no matter how sane they pretend to be.’

“Yes, Ariel and Eric offered to house you but given the proximity to Atlantica and Melody’s persistence, I how no doubts you’ll end up swimming between both kingdoms, your magic willing.” Casandra smiles, and Jay knows he knows that from back home.

“And with that done, that brings us to these.” Fairy Godmother gestures to the small stack of six boxes. Jay had forgotten about those. He’s never forgotten about loot before. He’s really losing his touch. “These are your very own phones!”

“You mean like Jane’s little magic box?” Ack asks, finally regaining his composure.

“Not magic, science! Technology!” Jane laughs as she waves her own phone at Achite.

“Each of your foster families were kind enough to add you to their phone plans. Now each of your phones comes preprogramed with the numbers of your dorm head, my own, both Dr. Myner and your respective therapists, your magic teacher, and your foster families.” Fairy Godmother finishes, handing out each box as she talks.

Jay’s is red with golden ribbon tied into a bow at the top. He’s never gotten a gift from someone who wasn’t his crew or soulmates, or related to the two, before. It makes his chest constrict tightly.

“Um, are phone numbers different from counting numbers?” Gil asks.

“Yes.” Jenkins says quickly, clearing his throat again. “A person’s phone number allows you to call or text them instantly. Calls are like talking to someone regardless of distance and texting allows you to send messages instantly.”

“So, I could be halfway across this school and Mali would be able to hear me as if I was standing right beside her?” Ack asks excitedly. Jay can’t blame him.

Communication is a big deal back home. Different crews and gangs have their own system for sending messages. Writings are coded, smoke signals deployed, hidden notes stored away, even the occasional bell ringing, but all of that requires someone to be on constant alert to notice them. Talking to someone instantly is a game changer.

And Auradon is handing over that advantage without a second thought.

“Yup! And you can even take photos too!” Jane adds

Achite squeals, like actually squeals, as he digs out his phone. Jay has known Ack for a long time, has seen his soulmate his actual fucking soulmate through several different phases of his life, but never, never, has Jay even heard Malachite squeal before.

Jay tugs the bow off his box and chucks the lid off to the side. It hits Harry, who splutters once it makes contact, just as he intended. Harry gapes at him dramatically, scoffing as one hand loudly slaps against his heart. Jay smirks, Harry’s eyes focus on him, and Achite looks between the both of them. Jay knows Ack well enough to see the faintest hint of the smile threatening to peek out over his frown.

“Rude!” Harry slurs, chucking his own lid at Malachite who ducks out of the way just in the nick of time.

“And the big surprise?” Uma sarcastically calls out as the others, Jay included, pull out their shiny new phones.

“Ah, yes, your allowances. Each of your foster families has set aside funds for you to use as you please.”

“Treasure?! How much?” Harry demands, his new phone is instantly abandoned.

“All eight of you are starting out with fifty dollars. Your foster families may add to it during the semester and if you acquire any cash through legal means, then it can be added to your accounts too. Which, I believe, leads us to your big surprise.” Jenkins answers, turning in tandem with Casandra towards Fairy Godmother.

“In order for you to get access to your cards, you need to go to the bank, the closest of which is in Auradon City. Which means…” Fairy Godmother drags out the final words.

At first, Jay wants to be annoyed by the fey’s antics but then he processes what exactly she’s saying. They get to leave. In order to get their money, which they’ve already established is needed in Auradon, they need to leave Auradon Prep.

Achite squeals again, turning to Mal and says speaks excitedly in Greek. You’d think after ten plus years of knowing the twins Jay would have picked up some of the language, but the only word Jay understands is ‘Mali’.

“We get to leave?” Mal asks, her excitement almost mirroring her brother’s.

“Both myself and Coach Jenkins will be escorting you, alongside Captain Phoebus and some of his guards, into town and afterwards, the eight of you are permitted to walk through the city if you wish.” Casandra smiles at their group. “We’ll leave tomorrow, sometime after breakfast but until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend.”  

With that, Casandra, Fairy Godmother, and Jenkins leave. But Jay notes the way Jenkins hesitates before fully exiting the room and how his eyes linger once more upon him. Jay doesn’t look, doesn’t show a hint of acknowledgement.

*******

Jay watches as Malachite fiddles with the phone while he lies across Harry’s bed. Ack’s phone is a smokey grey color, not quite white but not completely dark either. It suits Ack; the only way the color could be better suited to his boyfriend was if it was blue. His own phone is red, and Jay tries not to think of that implication. But it’s there, lingering in the back of his mind.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ack asks, shades glued to his phone screen.

“No.” Jay huffs out as he begins to pace across Harry’s room.

Harry snuggles closer to Ack and loudly whispers, “So, we both think Jay’s lying, right?”

“I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.” Harry mumbles back, rolling his eyes.

“It’s just… why would he lie?”

“Technically, he didn’t.” Malachite responds, finally looking up. “I mean it’s a lie of omission sure, but it’s not like Jenkins outright lied to your face.”

“True, true.” Harry nods along, using his phone, a yellowish gold color, to gesture between the three of them.

Jay huffs angrily. A lie of omission is still a lie, at least when the person omitting things isn’t Jay. He’s had his fair share of omissions before; technically still does, if Jay’s being honest with himself. The Isle practically runs off of the secrets everyone keeps. Hiding things is normal back home; expected even.

But Jay can’t help but feel that this situation is completely different, however irrational that may be.

Jay is used to being the one keeping secrets, whether those secrets are his own or Mal’s or even Ack’s. He isn’t used to being on the other side of things; doesn’t know how to handle being the last one to know something. The whole thing makes Jay feel exposed and not in the fun way Harry likes him.

“Maybe he thought you knew.” Harry ponders aloud; phone haphazardly tossed onto his bed.

“Well now he knows I didn’t know, and he still hasn’t done anything.”

Achite sighs, resting the back of his head against one of Harry’s pillows. “You say that like you’re not actively avoiding the guy. I mean that’s the whole reason we’re holed up in Harry’s room.”

Oh, right.

Jay forgot about that.

“You’re one to talk, love.” Harry teases, poking Malachite’s cheek. “You’re the demigod of avoidance.”

Malachite huffs, both a laugh and an exasperated exhale. “That’s not how that works, you know.” An easygoing smile growing across his face before morphing into a scowl. “And since when do I avoid things?”

Jay can feel his own frown changing into a smile. “I don’t know, Ack. You do tend to avoid confrontation at all costs.” Achite squawks, a habit he’s unknowingly picked up from Diaval. “You haven’t even mentioned your foster family.” Jay meant for it to be light teasing, but his words have a sharper edge than he intended.

“It makes sense, my fostering. I can’t enter Mount Olympus, nor can I breathe underwater. Lady Demeter and her daughter are the only Olympians that reside within the Mortal Realm that my dad hasn’t personally wronged. I understand the logic in them fostering me.”

Harry sucks in a breath, grimacing as he does so. “Love, that doesn’t mean a part of you doesn’t feel snubbed.” His voice drops to a whisper. “Your sister gets to stay with Aurora. I know that has to hurt.”

Ack’s jaw clenches, his face turning away from them both as his cheeks begin to flush. Jay feels his heart squeeze uncomfortably; he knows this face- Malachite only makes it when he’s about to lose his composure. It’s a rare sight, Ack crying. For as long as Jay’s known him, it’s only happened on a handful of occasions. Jay loathes the Olympians for being the ones to render Malachite to tears.

“Of course it hurts!” He hisses out. A few stray tears slip past his shades. “I thought… I hoped…” He cuts himself off in an agitated growl. “I’ve always known just how small my family would be. It was foolish to think leaving the Isle of the Lost would change that.”

Harry leans himself against Malachite and Jay’s legs carry him over to his soulmates before Achite has finished speaking. He lies down next to them, pulling Ack and Harry against himself. One of Harry’s arms wraps around Ack’s waist and the other firmly holds onto Jay. He finds himself gently tugging off Malachite’s shades, revealing Ack’s reddening green eyes.

For a while, Achite’s only remaining family was his dad, Mal, and Diaval. Losing Diaval nearly broke Achite, in ways Jay and Harry may never fully understand. Jay doesn’t have anything to tether him to his mother but, regardless of his relationship with her, losing that tether would devastate him. Diaval was Malachite’s tether to Maleficent; Mal didn’t count because she and Ack tended to count themselves as half of one whole.

“No matter what, you’ll have your place among us.” Harry mummers softly into Achite’s ear.

Achite starts to heave, chest rising and falling rapidly as he sobs, and tears continue to fall faster down his rosy cheeks. Jay isn’t good with words; actions have always been how he expressed himself best. So, he does what he does best and pulls his boyfriends closer, erasing any divisions there are between them. Gently, far gentler than Jay ever thought he was capable of, he presses a kiss onto Achite’s head. And another on his forehead.

He plots a trail of kisses atop Malachite’s face. Two kisses against his eyelids, one for each eye. A few kisses pressed into the cheek closest to him; enough pressed to wipe away the tears and draw a breathy laugh out of Achite. Another for his chin and a few to trace out Ack’s jawline. Harry watches Jay, a small, soft smile that’s just for them on his face as Harry runs his fingers through Achite’s loose hair, humming a soft melody just for them.  

Achite mumbles something against Jay’s collarbone but the words are too muffled to make out.

“Can you repeat that one more time for me?” Jay gently presses as he plants another kiss onto Achite’s neck.

Achite angles himself better, green eyes glistening with unshed tears and blue locks slightly tussled. He looks perfect; exactly like the divine ethereal Gods and enchantingly beautiful fey bloodlines that flow through his veins.

There is no line too far, no sacrifice too great, to keep Malachite and Harry safe from harm.

Achite brings up both his hands and caresses both their faces. His fingers trace the outlines of both Jay and Harry’s cheekbones as if they were the greatest gifts a God could ever receive. “I think losing either of you would ruin me beyond repair.

Harry gasps aloud, a noise between pure ecstasy and untold horror. Jay gets it though; he feels the exact same way about the two of them. Losing them, losing either of them, would completely destroy him in all the ways the Isle couldn’t.

After all, losing a soulmate, or two, is the kind of torment that creates a monster in the first place.

*******

Jay lies down, angled up at the sky, watching from the yellow blanket as Achite sets down plates and Harry fills them up with food. They had done this earlier in the week, back when Jane helped make their library cards, but Gil had interrupted them with questions about their relationship. Their jovial mood had soured after Gil departed; by that point the three of them all knew where Gil’s soul mark pointed.

An Auradonian soulmate wasn’t an option any of them expected; and to think that both Gil and Carlos have one is truly shocking. But, then again, Carlos and Gil have always been the best of what the Isle of the Lost had to offer. If any of them deserved to love someone unmarred by the Isle’s harshness, it would be those two. Although Jay isn’t sure how deserving these Auradonians are of their friends. Jane, at least, seems to be every bit as kind as Carlos is.

“Here’s to hoping round two goes in our favor.” Harry toasts, passing Jay a glass of water. Jay accepts it, clinking it against Harry’s own glass and the rim of Achite’s teacup.

The selection of food is smaller this time around, just an assortment of fruit, a smallish bowl of yogurt, and a plate of crackers, meat and cheese. They operate in tandem, Harry grabbing crackers and cheese and passing them to Jay who adds the meat. The two of them share this meal as Achite scoops spoonful’s of yogurt and blueberries into his mouth.

Achite takes a small sip of tea. “I think it’s both.”

“Think what’s both, love?” Harry asks before popping a grape into his mouth.

“My fostering. I understand why Lady Demeter was chosen but it also hurts to know my uncles didn’t fight harder, if at all, to keep me.” Achite sets the teacup down onto its saucer. “I think it’s the same for you. You understand why Jenkins didn’t tell you and yet at the same time it unnerves you.”

Jay sighs, setting down his own meal. “Maybe. Maybe not. But if I confront him and his intentions are bad, I put us all at risk. All it takes is for him to say something and then the eight of us are being shipped back to the Isle.” Jay shudders at the thought of returning home emptyhanded. “I can’t be the reason we go back.”

“Oh love, that would be on him, not you.” Harry consoles, one hand squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

“I just don’t like it. We’re at such a disadvantage. And now the people who our parents wronged most will be responsible for us? What if they take their vengeance out on us? It’s not like Auradon will believe us over them.”

“You have a point.” Achite says. “But this is Auradon. Getting revenge is an Isle mentality so it’s unlikely we’ll be in danger here. Unlikely but not impossible.”

“That’s what worries me.” Jay nearly shouts, his frustration mounting. “When has anything ever gone our way? Everything comes at a price and us VKs are always the ones to pay it.”

Neither of his boyfriends respond initially. Achite looks down at his teacup, swirling the liquid around before taking several small sips. Harry never takes his eyes off of Jay, his blue eyes full of love and sadness.

“I’m sorry.” Jay mutters. “This was supposed to be about us and not-”

“It’s alright.” Malachite interrupts, bringing one hand up to caress Jay’s cheek. He finds himself leaning into the touch as Ack’s fingers gently rub against his skin. “We want every part of you Jay, no matter what. Talking about these things are a part of that.”

“And I for one,” Harry says as he leans his head against Jay’s shoulder, “would rather you talk about it with us than to shove it deep down inside.” Harry pokes his nose with one of his fingers. “You’re always bottling up your emotions and then bursting apart when it’s too much to handle.”

Jay laughs wetly. “I just hate worrying you guys. I’m the eldest, it’s my job to protect us.”

“You know, Uma might actually be older than you. Until we figure out your birthday, we’ll never know for sure.” Harry leans off his shoulder, in mock offense of Jay slighting Uma.

Achite snorts as he eats another spoonful. “I dare you to tell my sister you’re her protector.” Achite laughs a little. “Mali would be so offended. You’re hers to protect.”

“Hey! I protect Mal sometimes.”

Harry looks at Achite, eyes widening in intrigue. “Is this some weird fey thing or a weird godly thing?”

“I… oh…” Malachite frowns. “Huh, it might be a fey thing.” He says with a grin. “We do like to guard what’s ours.”

“Oh, and are we yours then?” Harry purrs, leaning closer to Malachite.

Malachite smirks, “But of course. You’re mine and I’m yours. Not even death shall part us.” Harry puckers his lips and Malachite laughs.

Jay loves this, loves that they can be like this without fearing for their lives. There aren’t any villains looming overhead, waiting for a moment of weakness to strike nor are there any VKs looking for the opportunity to take out their rivals and earn their parent’s approval. Jafar will never learn of Jay’s preference for men or punish Jay for loving Harry and Ack.

But he has no idea how Fairy Godmother or Casandra or Jenkins will react to their relationship. Jay has no idea how Auradon feels about being gay or having more than one soulmate. And Jay is both of those things and loves two people who are in similar situations. Harry said Dr. Myner would help him transition but that doesn’t mean Auradon would be tolerable to everything.

“What’s wro-” Malachite starts to ask before the sound of screaming interrupts him.

The three of them swivel towards the sound. It grows louder and louder with every passing second and that’s when it hits Jay. He knows that scream; it’s Carlos who’s screaming. He’s on his feet a second later, rushing towards Carlos with Harry and Achite hot on his heels.

Carlos darts past Jay, screaming, arms flailing wildly, as he runs. Before Jay can ask what’s happening another shape darts past him and after Carlos. It’s small, nimble, and covered in brownish yellow fur.

“Is that a dog?” Harry calls out from behind Jay.

“That can’t be a dog. Can it?” Malachite questions. “There’s no way Cerberus is that pathetic looking.”

Jay doesn’t wait for the two of them to finish debating, instead he chases after the dog and Carlos. He’s faster than the creature but not Carlos. Carlos may not be the strongest of them, but he is the fastest of their crew for a reason. And even if Jay could catch up to him, he isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do.

A loud, sharp whistling noise cuts off Jay’s thoughts before he can properly formulate a plan. Jay stops in place and so does the dog and Carlos. It sits down, the dog, tail swinging back and forth as Achite approaches it. As Malachite bends down towards the dog, Carlos whimpers loudly.

“Careful! It’s a vicious creature that’ll rip your throat out!” Carlos stutters out, voice rising higher with every word.

Achite doesn’t say anything, just raises an eyebrow at Carlos before lifting the dog into his arms. Jay approaches just as Ack begins to examine the dog. He scratches the dog’s head as Carlos continues to make distressed noises, curling into himself as he does so. Harry approaches just as Achite adjusts his hold on the dog.

“Tada!” Ack says to Carlos, voice heavy with sarcasm. “Some vicious doggy you got here.”

“Ack, seriously, you know he’s afraid of dogs.” Jay scolds, pulling Carlos closer to him in an attempt to alleviate some of his fear.

“I thought dogs were supposed to be taller or spotted or, you know, three-headed.” Harry asks, peering over Achite’s shoulders.

Exasperated, Achite turns to Harry. “There are several different species of dogs. And Cerberus is really the only three-headed dog.”

“The three-headed thing was real?!” Carlos screeches as Achite winces.

“Don’t worry about Cerberus. Dad said he only says in the Underworld, and I’m not allowed there so it’s fine.”

“You’re not allowed in the underwor-”

“Drop it, Jay.” Achite interrupts, turning on his heel, dog still in hand. Jay looks at Harry, who can only shrug in response.

Jay turns back to Carlos. “You need me here?”

Carlos shakes his head. “No, no. I’m just… I’m going back inside, find Evie.” Carlos shudders. “I need to lie down.”

With that, Carlos begins making his way inside. Jay watches him leave; his eyes never leave Carlos until the younger teen is completely out of sight. At one point he spies Harry leaving out of the corner of his eye; his pirate most likely returning to their date spot.

Once Carlos is back inside, Jay makes his way back to their picnic spot. Harry is there, popping grapes into his mouth, an annoyed expression clear as day on his face. Malachite is there too, without the dog, scowling as he stirs the remainder of his yogurt around. At first Jay thinks they’re mad at him, for ruining their date by chasing after Carlos but then he spots the third figure.

Jenkins is there, hidden by the tree, chatting with his boys about tourney and the upcoming school year. Jay approaches cautiously; the same tree that hid Jenkins from his view now working in his favor. Harry and Achite both spot him approaching but neither reveals his arrival to Jenkins. Jay feels his whole body tense up as his blood pumps liquid fire through his body.

“Oh, Jay!” Jenkins suddenly announces turning to face him. How did he know Jay was there? “I was hoping to chat with you. You know, I was just telling your friends here about our upcoming tourney practices. I hope you three will consider joining our school’s lovely team.”

He stares Jay down, dark eyes burrowing into his soul. It reminds Jay of his old man. Cold, dark eyes, raging anger, throbbing veins; for a moment Jay forgets Jenkins isn’t Jafar or that he’s not actually on the Isle of the Lost anymore.

“Jay?” He asks, taking a step closer to approach.

Instinctually, Jay brings his hands up, taking a step back. Harry’s already on his feet, hand reaching for a weapon he no longer possesses. Malachite sneers, not that Jenkins can see him- his back is to both Harry and Ack; a mistake that would cost him his life back home. The faint smell of fire hits Jay and it’s only then that Jay notices the smoke rising off Malachite’s hair.

Jenkins takes a step back, raising his hands in surrender. “Woah, hey now, I just wanna cleat the air, okay? I think it’s high time we talked.”

*******

Jay doesn’t know why he agrees but he does. He lets Jenkins lead him away from Achite and Harry, assuring both his boyfriends he’ll be back soon. With every step he takes, Jay can feel his heart pounding out of his chest. On the Isle, following someone unarmed is a death sentence. Why should Auradon be any different?

They end up back at the Tourney Field. Jay remembers it well from his time with Jubilee; Jubilee who is the daughter of the Genie and thus Jenkins’ daughter. Jenkins takes a seat on one of the wooden benches on the sidelines. He scoots towards the end and gestures for Jay to take a seat on the other.

Once he sits down, Jenkins talks. “So… Jubes mentioned you didn’t know.”

“How would I?” Jay cuts in, anger burning brightly.

Jenkins sighs, staring down at his hands. “You’re right. It was wrong of me to assume you were already aware. I thought Faye might have mentioned it earlier but… I should have double checked.” He looks at Jay expectantly.

“Why are you here? Is it because of me?” Jay asks, fighting down the urge shudder. Jay is the protector of the Core Four, he’s not supposed to show fear; he’s not supposed to experience fear in the first place.

“No, I’ve worked at Auradon Prep for several years now. Your arrival here wasn’t a factor. I wanted to help people in the same way I got to help Al, but without all the ownership and magic. Coaching tourney fulfills me.”

“That’s it?” That can’t be it? There has to be more. There’s always more. It’s never that simple.

Jenkins huffs out a laugh. “What else would there be?”

Jay scoff, jumping off the bench. “What else? What else?!” He stares Jenkins down. “There’s always something else! You can’t be so… this!” He gestures to Jenkins.

Jenkins raises an eyebrow. “Now listen kid, I’m not sure what you heard from you dad but-”

Jay laughs, low and darkly. “Talk about you. My whole life has been about you and what you did.” Jay thinks of all the false lamps he’s stolen, and all the small spaces Jafar shoved him into in preparation for his own lamp.

“Jay.” Jenkins says in that sad pitiful voice every Auradonian uses with them. Those poor little VKs, so fucked up from the shitty childhoods we trapped them into. If only someone could have done something about it. Oh well, so sad, too bad.

“No. No!” Jay shouts, backing away from him. “You will not pity me. You don’t get to pity me.” Jay can feel his eyes burning. The whole world blurs a little and his ears ring like someone fired a gun or detonated a bomb too close to him.

“Jay. It’s alright. Just calm down please.” Jenkins begs.

The intensity of the fire in Jay’s blood reaches a new peak. If Jay didn’t know any better, he’d think his body was being torn apart. Why did he agree to this? Why is he here? Jay’s entire body shakes in synch with every breath he takes. He squeezes his eyes shut and digs his fingers into his scalp.

“Your magic is reacting to your emotions. I know it’s hard, but you need to calm down before you lose complete control.” Jenkins says, inching towards Jay like he’s some kind of wild, wounded animal.

Something crackles in his ear, like a small burst of lightning. Jay groans as his head explodes in pain, screwing his eyes shut as he digs his palms into his eyelids. It’s too much, the feeling, it’s far too much for Jay to handle. He tries to convince himself he’s safe, that Jenkins can’t hurt him, that his dad is too far away to harm him again, but it has no effect.

It’s hard to convince yourself you’re actually safe if you’ve never truly experienced safety before.

Jenkins steps closer, almost close enough to touch Jay. He groans again as the pressure in head mounts. He tries to step back but his vision blurs as his body begins to sway. What’s happening to him?

“Stop!” Jay whispers or shouts, it’s hard to tell with the buzzing noise in his ears. He hates the way his voice falters, how it betrays his own inner turmoil.

“Okay. Okay, I’ll say right here, just listen to the sound of my voice.” Jenkins raises his hands in surrender. “It’s going to be alright kid.”

“I’m not a kid.” Jay groans, digging harder into his scalp.

He hasn’t been a kid in years, doesn’t think he ever truly was. No one on the Isle really gets to have a childhood. He knows Hades tried his best to ensure Mal and Achite got to be kids for as long as possible, an effort Hades extended to their ragtag crew too, but still. The Isle of the Lost is no place for children; you either grow up fast or die young.

He gasps loudly as his mind feels as though it’s shattering. Something wet slides down part of his face. It drips onto his lips and the taste of metal hits his tongue. Blood? He’s bleeding? You only bleed when you’re hurt but when did Jay get injured? Did Jenkins attack him? Did he use magic? Jay’s body sways dangerously and Jenkins rushes forward to what? Catch him?

Jay falls, his knees hitting the ground hardly. He clutches his head tightly, fingers nearly pulling his hair out by the roots. Distantly, he hears two voices; one screaming and one faintly speaking. It takes Jay a minute to realize it’s him screaming and Jenkins trying to calm him down.

“You need to let go.” Jay thinks Jenkins mutters, but the noise is muffled by whatever’s happening to Jay.

Letting go has never been Jay’s strong suit. He hoards things, burying them deep inside himself until they burst out of him. He held onto Harry and Malachite, even when he wasn’t entirely sure they were his to keep. How does one even let go of something they can’t even hold. He tries to imagine dropping his magic onto the ground and letting it dissipate into nothingness.

He can envision it within his mind, just barely visible past the mind-numbing pressure, sparkling red energy seeping out of his body as harmless as a breeze. The fantasy is nothing like reality. With one gasping, choking breath, Jay screams with everything he has. As soon as it’s down, Jay feels better. Like a rope being cut in one swing, the feeling has all but dissipated.

He knees there, on the ground, shaky hands with blood under his nails finally removed from where they were digging into his skull.

“What the fuck did you do to him?!” Malachite shouts as he angrily stomps over to Jay.

Jay looks up just in time for Ack to give him a once over. As Achite scans him for anything out of sorts, his hands trailing all over his body, Jay surveys the scene before him. Jenkins is half laying half sitting on the ground beside the bench. He looks at Jay in equal mix of shock and concern. The rest of the Tourney Field looks just the same as before.

“What happened?” Jay asks, voice hoarse and throat aching.

Achite winces, looking behind him. Jay follows his gaze and meets Harry’s concern face. “Love, you blew up.” Harry says numbly. “You lit up in a red beam of lightning and pure energy. Fired it straight into the sky like some kind of human flare.”

“He’s right.” Jenkins confirms, still in shock. “How did you…” He trails off, no doubt realizing the answer.

Jay has no idea what he did let alone how he did it.

Malachite continues fussing over him as Harry helps Jenkins to his feet. Jay doesn’t attempt to get up, he doesn’t think he could even if he tried. Jay feels drained, empty, like he’s run across the entirety of the Isle five times in a row. At least his soulmates are here, they’ll handle everything for Jay until he’s recovered.

Jenkins dusts off pants. “Alrighty then. I think it’s safe to say you definitely inherited more than just the Genie magic. It seems like those abilities have mixed with Jafar’s sorcery.”

Right, his dad had magical abilities before he became a djinn. Jay always forgets about that. For a moment there, he thought it might be because of his mother’s magical prowess. Now that magic mixing with the djinn stuff would be bad for all parties involved.

“Will Jay get in trouble for this?” Harry asks.

Achite scoffs loudly, hair smoking, the sound he makes resembling a crow. “He better not! It’s not our faults we can’t control our powers.”

“Which is exactly why Jay won’t get in trouble. I’ll inform Fairy Godmother about what happened but only so we can figure out a plan that’ll best serve Jay.” Jenkins replies. 

*******

“What do you mean you exploded!” Mal roars.

“I didn’t explode; my magic did. There’s a difference.” Jay mutters into Mal’s pillow.

He’s lying on Mal’s bed, wrapped up snuggly in her blankets. No doubt it’s Achite’s doing. It’s just the Core Four in Mal’s room right now. Achite and Harry went with Jenkins to report to Fairy Godmother what happened and to ensure Jenkins doesn’t screw Jay over. Uma and Gil asked Jane for her help, checking out a few books out of the library as a way to distract her.

Now Jay is free to speak with Mal, Carlos, and Evie without worrying about it getting back to Auradon’s ear.

“Wait, that red beam earlier, was you?!” Carlos sputters, eyes darting between Jay and Evie. “Evie and I saw that!”

Jay hums in agreement, eyes shutting. He’s so tired and all he wants to do is drift off to sleep- preferably with his soulmates, but his crew keeps demanding his attention.

“Are you okay Jay?” Evie asks, rubbing her hand up and down his back. It’s comforting and Jay is thankful Evie inherited none of her mother’s coldness. Sometimes Jay worries about how similar he is to his parents; worries about how badly their faults have damaged him.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” Mal asks, he can’t see her, but Jay can hear her angrily stomping across her room.

“No Mal.” He mumbles groggily. “Jenkins said it was a magical accident and that all eight of us are prone to them. It’ll probably happen again to all of us, until we learn to properly control our powers.”

“You mean to the seven of you.” Carlos says smugly. “I don’t have magic.”

Both he and Evie hum in agreement and Mal growls in frustration. Jay knows she prides herself on her impeccable control, to know that control may falter in Auradon, where she needs it most, has no doubt unnerved her. There’s also the fact that Mal’s powers may mark her as the daughter of Hades and not Maleficent. With everything they have going on, the last thing they need is a larger target painted on their backs.

“Alright.” Mal says, her anger subsiding. “Now we just need to survive our trip tomorrow.”

With everything that happened, Jay forgot about that. They get to leave Auradon Prep tomorrow and explore more of what this nation has to offer. They’re still prisoners but at least their prison is expanding. And who knows what new probabilities this trip will reveal. If they can show Auradon, and its citizens, they can ‘be good’ and all that shit then maybe more VKs can be brought over sooner.

It's a nice thought, one that follows Jay as he drifts off to sleep. He’ll leave the planning to Mal; she’s never led them astray before.

Chapter Text

Audrey knows she’s driving herself crazy, but she can’t help it. Today’s the day Ben’s proclamation goes into effect. Right now, as Audrey excitedly paces across her room, several of their best and brightest guards are liberating eight of the countless VKs locked away on the Isle. Two of which are Mal and Achite.

If Audrey was excited to learn Ben’s proclamation passed, it’s nothing compared to knowing the twins were picked. Audrey didn’t even have to convince Ben to pick them! He did it all on his own. She could just kiss him, in a completely platonic sort of way, as thanks. The truth is Audrey would have been thankful for any eight VKs to be chosen; she’s watched her mom fight again and again to make that a reality and to know her own friend made it be…

Well, Audrey will forever grateful be grateful to Ben.

And that’s not even considering the fact that her soulmate might be among those first eight. Audrey knows her own soulmate hails from the Isle of the Lost but the odds that he might be among Ben’s chosen seems unlikely. Why should Audrey be that lucky when so many others deserve it more? The only things missing from Audrey’s life were her soulmate and the twins.

The twins are here or will be soon and Audrey’s already waited sixteen years, what’s a few more? Audrey knows she’s blessed; knows that so many others crave to have half the stuff she does.

But still, not knowing for certain is driving her mad. She knows the cars have already left for the Isle, but she doesn’t know if they’re on their way back or not. What if she checks too soon and the needle hasn’t moved but her soulmate is one of the eight picked and Audrey doesn’t realize because she checked too soon and-

See, she’s totally losing it!

A light tapping noise at her window pulls Audrey out of her thoughts. A quick glance at her door ensures her bedroom is closed off and out of sight from prying eyes, Audrey hurries over to the window. She opens it slightly and ushers Diaval inside. Once he’s safely inside, Audrey shuts the window and draws the curtains closed.

Diaval lands on her bed, wings expanded and flapping excitedly as he hops in place. Audrey sits beside him, nodding along as he bobs. She smiles when he hobbles onto her dress, balancing himself on her kneecap.

“Oh Diaval, did you hear? Did mother tell you yet?” Gently she scratches the top of his head, relishing in the little coo it draws out of him.

“Eggs!” Diaval cawks happily with a nod. “Eggs here!”

“Yes, they’re being brought over right now and in three months’ time school will start again and you’ll be able to see them.”

Audrey never thought there would be a day when she looked forward for summer break to end so soon and yet here she is, wishing she could pack her bags and move back in already. This year also marks the first time her new roommate is a complete stranger. For the last two years, Jane has been Audrey’s roommate. It’ll be weird waking up beside anyone else.

And Jane, lucky Jane, gets to spend the whole summer with the eight of them. Who knows what fun adventures will be left by the time Audrey arrives. She just hopes they’re nice to Jane. Audrey would hate it if her friends and the VKs couldn’t get along; or worse, if they liked everyone but her.

She hopes she and Evie will get along. Audrey knows Evie and Mal are the best of friends and if Audrey wants to befriend Mal it’ll help to have Evie as an ally. Not that Audrey would use Evie to get her way! That would be mean, after all. Audrey’s just spent so much of her childhood dreaming about the day she could befriend the twins and now that reality is becoming possible, well, Audrey just wants everything to go as smoothly as possible.

“Ow, Diaval!” She scolds halfheartedly, as Diaval gently pecks at the long dress sleeve that hides her soul mark from view. “I was waiting. What if I checked it too soon or what if it doesn’t move?”

Diaval cocks his head to one side, eye darting between Audrey and her wrist. “Tell rents.”

“What? Rent? What are we renting?”

“Pa rents!” He squawks indignantly.

“Oh! Oh. You mean about my soulmate being from the Isle?” She sighs, fingers unconsciously reaching for her mark. They brush against the soft fabric of her light pink dress. “I was going to wait until after I met my soulmate.”  

If Diaval was in human form Audrey has no doubt he’d look annoyed right now.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Audrey whines. “I know they would be supportive, it’s just…” Audrey sighs, words failing her. She leans back, resting her head against her collection of pillows.

She doesn’t know how to convey the complexities of her emotions in a way that makes any bit of sense. Audrey knows her parents would understand; that they would never dare deny Audrey her true love. That isn’t the problem. The problem is, Audrey knows how hard they’ve worked to free the VKs from the Isle and if they knew Audrey’s future happiness depended on their success then every failure would hurt them so much more than it already does.

“Mom works so hard trying to free them and dad does his best to support her. If they knew…. If they knew then…. I don’t want them to think they haven’t tried hard enough. Or that they’re letting me down too.” She sniffles a little as a few stray tears slip down her face.

Diaval doesn’t say anything. He shuffles a little, shifting his body until he’s resting against Audrey’s chest and shoulder. She holds him close, shifting a little to curve into his cuddling, relishing in the comfort his presence brings her. She wonders briefly if he ever did things like this for the twins and whether or not Mal and Achite had some else to comfort them once Diaval escaped.

“I can wait.” Audrey says, voice shaky from crying. “I have parents who love me and a home full of comfort. I can wait. I know I can.”

“Sad.” Is Diaval’s only reply, barely muttered loud enough for Audrey to hear. Maybe he didn’t intend for her to hear it in the first place.

She laughs, a sad shaky sob of a laugh. Yes, it’s rather sad indeed, a princess surrounded by everything yearning for the one thing all her family’s wealth and power can’t buy. A princess wallowing in her own misery; a misery that won’t subside until she finds the person her needle points to.

**

As much as Audrey loves her grandmother, the woman in question sure makes it very difficult most of the time. Family dinner can be a tense event when it’s just the four of them. Mom sits at the head of the table, grammy opposite her, with Audrey and her dad slotted between them. Some evenings, everything goes well, no one mentions the Isle, or a certain dark fey, or the curse. Most days, well, most days mom and grammy turn the dinner table into their own personal battlefield.

Audrey doesn’t blame her mom for it, once grammy gets going nothing really stops her; and it’s almost always grammy who starts it. Audrey would know; she’s spent literal years trying to sway her grandmother away from the path of darkness she walks. Audrey knows there’s a line between getting justice and enacting revenge; Maleficent crossed that line once and look at her now. That’s not the life Audrey wants for her grandmother.

The cycle has to break eventually or else it’ll destroy them all- both her family and the twins’.

This dinner is unlike any Audrey has ever attended; even the family dinner they had after Ben’s proclamation passed was spent watching mom and grammy arguing for hours on end until grammy stormed out before the food had been served. Tonight’s dinner is completely silent and not in a nice comforting way. Audrey can practically see the tension rising and so can her dad, judging by the way he keeps looking back and forth at mom and grammy.

Dad and grammy have never truly clicked, but he tries for mom and Audrey’s sake.

The only noise breaking up the silence is the sound of their utensils scraping across their plates. Today marks the second night the VKs have been in Auradon proper and grammy is not happy about it; especially since one of those eight VKs is Maleficent’s daughter.

A part of Audrey wonders if knowing Mal’s father was Hades would make grammy like Mal more or less. Would knowing she risks Hades’ ire as well be enough to dissuade grammy from doing whatever she has planned? Or would she use that as another tally against Mal and rally Olympus to her cause.

She knows from Lonnie, who heard through Macarius, that Mount Olympus isn’t thrilled to learn Achite is now here in Auradon or that he even existed in the first place. Learning Achite’s mother is the Mistress of Evil herself probably wouldn’t help adhere Achite to his fellow Olympians.

Obviously, Audrey would never reveal this knowledge to her grammy or the rest of Mount Olympus or anyone really, not unless the twins asked her to.

Her fork pauses in place for a moment. Would the twins even tell Auradon of their full parentage? Or would the risk of gaining too many powerful enemies dissuade them from even trying? Audrey hopes they learn to trust Auradon enough to reveal it; hiding such a secret must not only be exhausting but demoralizing too.

Audrey’s never a sibling before but she can’t imagine needing to hide your connection to them for the sake of both your safety. She wonders if it strains their relationship or makes it stronger. It’s hard for her to imagine it, Audrey’s always been an only child. That fact never bothered her too much before, but deep-down Audrey’s always wanted a sister. Maybe that’s why she and Jane click so well, since she’s basically the little sister Audrey never had.

Huh, maybe she should tell Jane that.

Still, Audrey’s excited to meet the twins. Audrey’s met a pair of twins before, Rapunzel and Eugene’s children, Estelle and Rowan, and Audrey can’t remember a time where they ever denied their relationship. Now those two do almost everything together. Do Mal and Achite work hard to hide their similarities from view?

What a sad life that must be, hiding parts of yourself for the sake of others. Audrey gets it though, a fact she wished more than anything she didn’t understand. She has her secrets, hiding Diaval from the rest of the palace staff and a soulmate from the Isle of the Lost, but keeping those secrets are worth every bit of pain it brings her. Audrey was raised to protect the innocent, to love freely, and see the goodness in everything; the least she can do is protect those that are incapable of defending themselves.

“Did you even try to bar that fey from coming here?” Grammy hisses and the hope of having a quiet dinner without issue vanishes.

“No mother.” Mom replies calmly, but Audrey can tell her anger is slowly rising. “Mal is not her mother, nor has she committed any crimes. To leave her and the rest of the Isle born there would be the real crime.”  

Grammy scoffs and Audrey sees her dad’s grip on his fork tighten. “You mean she hasn’t committed any crimes that we know of! She could be a murderer already for all we know.”

“Could, Leah. Just because Mal could be one doesn’t mean she already is.” Her dad counters.

Grammy recoils back as if she’s been physically struck and it takes Audrey a moment to remember she can’t just roll her eyes at grammy’s antics. She must remain outwardly neutral; it’s the only way to learn whatever her grandmother is planning and stop it.

Thankfully, Diaval is back in the garden atrium, where he lives full-time. Mom thought he would prefer the Moors, but Audrey knows he won’t return to that home unless the twins are beside him.

If grammy ever spotted the raven, Audrey knows all hell would break lose.

“How dare you speak to your mother-in-law like that.” Grammy says, her offense is clear as day. “Aurora, I am trying to protect our family from them!” She hisses, wielding her knife in the direction of the Isle.

“And we appreciate your protectiveness, mother, but Mal is a child. One we can save from such darkness.” Mom pleads, not that it ever changes grammy’s mind.

“For all we know, Mal could be the newest victim of Maleficent’s cruelty.” Dad adds, ignoring the way grammy flinches at the mention of a certain dark fey.

Audrey knows, from Diaval, that whatever went down between Maleficent and Hades was bad. That whatever the dark fey did or said may have revolved around threatening Achite or Mal or them both. Audrey doesn’t know the exact nature of the threats she said to force Hades to back down, but she knows one thing for certain- Maleficent is a fey of her word.

And if she threatened to harm the twins, she would do so without hesitation.

“Victim?!” Grammy exclaims, nearly hysterical. “In what universe has that girl suffered just as much as I! The dark fey’s daughter is no victim, Aurora. She’s playing you for a fool just like Maleficent did to you and Stefan.” A single lonesome tear slips down grammy’s face at the mention of her late husband.

At that, both her parents pause. Grammy rarely ever mentions her former husband and to do so now has shaken them all off their game. Grammy did love him, Stefan; mother too, although not by much after learning of all the awful things he did for the sake of furthering his own power.

Audrey has spent literal years obsessively watching her soul mark in fear of the needle fading into a scar one day, symbolizing the death of her soulmate. She can’t imagine the fear or heartbreak grammy felt when she lost Stefan. That could have been her reality; waking up to a scared over soul mark and knowing her soulmate was dead before they ever had a chance.

“Mom, what happened to father was-”

“Could happen again! To any of us!” Grammy shouts, in a tone that’s as close to begging as grammy can muster.

“Mal hasn’t killed anyone. The Auradonian guard was very certain on that matter.” Dad states in a tone that says this topic is over for debating.

“And what if the first person she kills is Audrey?” Grammy counters back. “Did you even think of your daughter’s safety? You have no idea what it’s like to really lose a child.”

The atmosphere of the dining hall drops to below freezing temperatures. Her dad turns to grammy, eyes blazing in a fury Audrey’s never seen before. It’s easy to imagine this version of her dad going toe to toe with an all-powerful dark fey. Her mom, on the other hand, has lost all her anger, looking more saddened by the turn of events than anything else.

“Do you really think I would endanger Audrey’s life? That we would gamble with her wellbeing?” Mom asks, gesturing between herself and dad.

“Audrey is our daughter, Leah.” Dad begins, sitting tensely in his chair. “Her life, her wellbeing, is something we have always protected. Just because you disagree on how we do so doesn’t make that fact any less true.”

Grammy scoffs, looking between Audrey’s parents. “You don’t understand. Those children are deceiving you! That half breed girl is tricking you just like her mother! Dark feys can’t be trusted. How many times, Aurora, must a fey curse you until you learn this lesson?” Grammy shouts, and it’s the loudest she’s ever gotten in Audrey’s presence.

She knows her grammy can be confrontational on a good day. Audrey knows she probably yells all the time in council rooms or with- at other royals, but grammy never does so around Audrey. Grammy’s always been kind around her. As a little kid, Audrey always thought it was because grammy didn’t think Audrey was old enough to handle it. Now, Audrey thinks grammy didn’t want her to look at her the same way mom does right now.    

Mom looks to grammy in complete and utter betrayal, eyes shining with unshed tears and one hand tightening across her face. Dad recoils back as if struck and Audrey feels herself doing the same. To blame mom’s kind heart for all the horrors she’s suffered, to transfer the blame from grandfather when he knowingly pissed off Maleficent in the first is… is…

Audrey can’t describe the way her heart constricts in her chest or the alarm bells ringing in her head. Mom was a baby when the first curse was cast. She hadn’t done anything except exist! And the second curse, the one dad woke mom up from, was something no one, apart from Maleficent, saw coming. Why the dark fey betrayed mom, and dad, is something not even Diaval could answer.

He was just as surprised and confused by Maleficent’s actions as they were.

Maybe the twins know more. Maybe Maleficent shared her reasoning with Hades and later on one, or both, of them revealed that reasoning to Mal or Achite. Until her family has a chance to meet the twins, that answer may always be left unanswered.

And maybe, by then, grammy won’t be considered family anymore.

The rest of dinner passes in silence. Audrey breathes a sigh of relief once it’s over, retreating to her room after feigning exhaustion. Her parents wish her goodnight and grammy kisses her cheek. She doesn’t know why, once safely buried under her covers, her eyes release a steady flow of tears.

***

Audrey wakes up feeling more exhausted than rested. Her night was spent tossing and turning as her dreams became more and more abstract; colorful braids of blue and green, sword duels on ships, and dark roaring waves greeted her whenever her eyes closed. Audrey doesn’t know for sure what it could mean, and she has bigger things to deal with.

Things that are far more tangible than dreams.

Which means Audrey is a very busy princess this morning. Rushing around, Audrey picks a pretty pink dress with white accents and a matching white band for covering her compass. She barely has a chance to peek at her mark, which is no longer pointing towards the Isle. Audrey curses, in a very unladylike manner, and hopes no one was around to hear it.

She doesn’t have time to dwell on it- on her soulmate being in Auradon, before she’s pressing kisses onto her parents’ cheeks and hugging them goodbye. After grammy’s outburst last night, Audrey knows she’s planning something. Grammy won’t tell mom, and certainly not dad, but Audrey is another story.

Hence, her rushing around, as much as a princess can do without losing her gracefulness, to meet up with grammy for breakfast.

Grammy’s castle is nearby, close enough that Audrey would walk over to grammy’s as a kid; well Audrey and several knights for her safely but that was expected for a princess as beloved as herself when traveling alone. Grammy never rebuilt her old castle, the one she lived in with Grandfather Stafan, instead opting to build a newer castle closer to where mom’s castle was.

Which meant, growing up, Audrey got to hear about how awful it is to live so close to the Moors or how dangerous or- well grammy’s opinion of anything Maleficent related, is never good.

As a little girl, these breakfast mornings with grammy were Audrey’s favorite. Sometimes mom would join them too and the three of them would laugh over tea and biscuits as Audrey babbled about everything. Grammy would listen intently and offer treats and advice and pepper Audrey in all the love a child could ever desire. To say Audrey was spoiled rotten would be an understatement.

The more mom pushed for the VKs to be freed from the Isle in the council room, the more tense those morning meals became. Grammy refused to leave council arguments in the council room and mom didn’t want to fight during their free time, especially if little Audrey was around to hear it. Which is why Audrey started attending these meals alone.

Dad came once and it did not go well. Grammy tried to tell dad to make mom stop. As if dad controlled mom and could force her to do anything against her will. Dad didn’t take too kindly to grammy’s insinuation and his confrontation, which happened after Audrey left, was legendary according to several of the palace maids.

 Still, sharing a morning meal with grammy is a tradition almost as old as their family dinners. Now as a sixteen-year-old, Audrey is able to walk to grammy’s all on her ownsome. Just as quickly as Audrey left home, she finds herself sitting in grammy’s tearoom sipping on a nice cup of chamomile as grammy pours her own cup.

“I’m sorry about last night.” Grammy begins, taking a slow sip of her tea. “But you’re old enough to know about these matters.”

“Yes, grammy. I understand.” Audrey replies, batting her eyes innocently.

“Your mother’s heart is kind, far too kind for politics. And it seems our dear prince Ben shares that kindness.” Grammy levels Audrey with a look. “That Council of ours has led your mother and friend of yours astray. It’s up to us to guide them back.”

“And how will we do that, grammy? The VKs are already here. By the time I get to Auradon Prep, they’ll have been here for months.”

Grammy smirks. “Clever girl. But don’t worry too much about that, for now. Prince Ben is where your focus should lay.”

“You want me to talk with Ben about his proclamation?” Even if Audrey wanted to convince Ben to rescind it, which she doesn’t, Ben is far too stubborn to listen. A trait which may end up saving the rest of the VKs from grammy’s plan.

“Prince Ben needs a strong hand to guide him. Someone he can rely on to help him rule. That someone should be you.”

“Me? Well, of course I’ll help Ben out, but grammy, Ben has advisors and later on a Queen to lean on. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to help.” Audrey sets her teacup down on the table, her hands shaking just a little too much to steadily hold the cup.

Grammy sets down her teacup and takes Audrey’s hands within her own. “My dearest granddaughter, Prince Ben’s Queen will be you.” Grammy says delightfully.

“What?!” Audrey exclaims. “But grammy-”

“It’s perfect! The two of you have been friends for years. I’m honestly surprised you’re not dating already. Who better to sit beside the prince and rule all of Auradon than you? Who will have the peoples’ interest at heart better than you, Audrey!” Grammy interrupts.

Audrey finds herself disagreeing despite the word ‘no’ getting caught in her throat. “Grammy! Ben wants to marry for love. Not politics. We’re not soulmates!” She pleads, hoping for once grammy will bend to someone else’s will.

“You’re a princess Audrey and he’s a prince. The prince! Neither one of you will marry for love. You both have a duty to perform; that comes before love. Besides, you said it yourself, you and Prince Ben are friends; you can learn to love one another as the years progress.”

Involuntarily, her fingers crest across the band covering her soul mark. “But my soulmate.” Audrey whines like a little kid not getting their way.

“Believe me, my dear, you can be quite happy without your soulmate.”

That gives Audrey pause. All her life, as far as Audrey and her mom were concerned, grammy and grandfather were soulmates. But the way grammy is speaking- were she and Stefan not soulmates? Oh no, oh no no no! Were Maleficent and Stefan soulmates? Is that why Maleficent reacted so extremely to everything grandfather did?

“Grammy?” Audrey begs, nearly hysterically. “You and grandfather were soulmates, right?”

Grammy looks to Audrey curiously. “Of course not. Our union was arranged by my father. I was to be wed to whichever man could slay the monster that roamed the Moors.” Grammy smiles as if reliving a pleasant memory. “When your grandfather walked in with those wings… Oh! I knew he would always protect me.”

“But… what… your soulmates?”

“No one worthy of a princess. Not like Stefan was.” Grammy sighs contently, one hand placed over her heart for a brief moment. “Never mind that, we need to focus on what matters; you and Prince Ben.”

“You want me to make Ben choose me over his soulmate and convince him to send the VKs back to the Isle of the Lost.” She states numbly.

Grammy cups Audrey’s cheeks. “I knew I could count on you!”

Audrey feels sick to her stomach. No doubt, her tea has grown far too cold for consumption.

***

Audrey returns home from grammy’s castle in a state of shock. She’s lucky her parents are busy finalizing things for the VKs to notice her, otherwise they would’ve clocked just how off kilter Audrey is. Maybe one of the servants will notify them but for now Audrey is spared from their questioning. Besides, her parents are ensuring the VKs will have safe places to live once Auradon Prep is closed for the next major break.

She just needs a moment to process everything.

Once back in the safety of her own room, Audrey lies gracefully on her bed. She stretches out, groaning as she does so. She just can’t believe it; how could grammy even suggest that? Audrey being Auradon’s next queen, marrying Ben for the sake of politics. And let’s not forget, the fact that grammy and grandfather weren’t soulmates.

Audrey knew that her parents’ generation broke the tradition of politically arranged marriages- that their generation changed the rules by marrying their soulmates instead of political advantages. She knows it’s thanks to them that her own generation gets to choose their own soulmates and not some stranger from faraway lands. But to think grammy would hold onto such an old-fashioned tradition and one that hinders Audrey’s wellbeing too.

Everyone knows how excited Ben is to meet his soulmate, how much he already loves her. Audrey, even if she loved Ben romantically, wouldn’t dream of getting in between that. She’s glad, for both their sakes, that her relationship with Ben has always been purely platonic. Audrey doesn’t need to marry Ben or be queen of Auradon to be happy. All she wants, all she’s ever wanted, was for her family to be complete.

Her parents, her friends, Diaval and the twins and her soulmate are all Audrey needs to remain content with her life.

But that answer isn’t good enough for grammy.

When Audrey tells her parents; because Audrey doesn’t think she can handle keeping another secret from them, all hell will break loose. Dad only tolerates grammy’s presences for her sake and mom’s. Mom was always willing to tolerate grammy’s opinion of the VKs, understanding that her mom had unresolved trauma from Stefan’s death and Maleficent’s curse. But grammy’s blatant disregard for Audrey’s true love in favor of power is a line crossed even her mom can’t ignore.

Once they know, grammy will be cut off from their family until… well, Audrey isn’t sure grammy will ever be welcomed back after a stunt like that and whatever plan grammy has to harm the VKs will either ramp up in destruction or remain a mystery until triggered.

Audrey rolls over onto her stomach and drops her face into one of her pillows. She digs her fingers into the fabric as she screams into the plush pillow. She feels a bit better once she’s done, leaning propped up on her elbows. She tucks a stray stand of hair behind her ear just as her phone starts to vibrate on her nightstand.

Sitting up, Audrey grabs her phone and flips it over revealing an incoming call. It’s a group call, one between herself, Jane, Chad, and Ben. Quickly, nearly fumbling as she does so, Audrey answers. The call connects and Audrey is greeted by her closest friends. She tries to shove the thoughts of grammy’s plan to the back of her mind.

“Hi Audrey!” Three voices greet.

“Hey guys!” Audrey greets back. “How’s it going Jane? Any trouble?”

“Are they threatening you? Have they hurt you already?” Chad asks. Before Jane can answer, Chad gasps loudly. “Are they there? Can you speak freely?”

Jane sighs. “Chad the VKs are taking their placement exams today. I’m fine.”

“How are they settling in?” Ben asks.

“So, you’re safe until they return?”

 “I’m fine, Chad. No one’s threatening me, please stop asking. And I think they’re settling as well as can be expected, I guess. They really don’t speak to me.”

“You can always call us.” Audrey says. “Or visit us.”

“Yes, you’re always welcomed with us, Jane.” Ben confirms. “You don’t have to spend the whole summer at Auradon Prep if you don’t want to.”

“You can come home right now!” Chad exclaims. “I can rescue you right now, just say the word.”

There’s a muffling sound coming from Chad’s side of the call, almost as if he’s rushing around. Audrey has no doubt Chad is running through his family’s castle, keys in hand, waiting to take Jane home.

“I don’t need rescuing Chad.” Jane groans. Audrey wonders how many times Jane and Chad have had this conversation since Jane chose to remain at Auradon Prep with her mom for the summer.

“Are you and Mal getting along? I know you said they don’t really include you but they’re at least civil with you, right?”

“They’re nice. I mostly get asked questions about the school or how things here work.” Jane mumbles something else after that but Audrey can’t hear it.

“What was that last bit, Jane?” Ben questions.

“I… Yesterday, the eight of them had their physicals. And… well… I think it’s a good thing you got them out.”

Audrey feels her stomach drop. Neither Chad nor Ben reply either. Jane isn’t one to gossip about others and she certainly isn’t one to lie or exaggerate. If she thinks the VKs needed to get out of the Isle of the Lost because of whatever small tidbit of information she got from the aftermath of their physicals, then Audrey can only imagine the horrors.

For Jane to even mention it in the first place means it must be truly awful.

Are the eight of them severely malnourished? Are their bodies covered in scars? Are they in pain? Do any of them even know what comfort feels like? Or safety? Have any of them ever felt truly secure on the Isle of the Lost or with their parents?

Do they even know their parents?

Audrey knows the twins do but only because Diaval told her. But for the remaining six VKs, Audrey only knows one of their parents. Is that something the VKs all know but keep hidden from Auradon? Audrey can’t imagine spending her life with only one of her parents. Audrey gets the feeling there’s a lot about the VKs she can’t even begin to understand.

All she can do is hope her soulmate is alright. She knows one of those eight VKs is hers; and most likely her soulmate is one of the guys. There are five of them, so the probability of her soulmate being one of the boys is higher than it being one of the three girls. But then again, what does Audrey know about love; she’s been waiting for her soulmate after all.

“And it’s not just them. I won’t stop until they’re all free. No child should be punished because of their parents’ crimes.” Ben declares, and Audrey knows he means it.

“Is that safe?!” Chad whines. “What if they hurt us? Or curse us? Or-”

“We get it Chad!” Audrey huffs. “You’ve made your stance on this quite clear.”

Ben sighs. “Chad, if you feel so strongly about this, why did you agree to room with one of them in the first place?” And that’s news to Audrey, but not to Jane who echoes Ben’s question.

Chad exhales, sputtering about. “I… well… it.” Chad makes a noise, something between a whine and a groan, “Mommy said it was a good idea.” Chad mumbles to himself.

Ah, that explains it; Chad is the biggest momma’s boy Audrey’s ever met. There’s nothing Chad wouldn’t do to make her proud, even if that meant becoming roommates with one of the VKs he so clearly fears. Poor Chad, between trying to make his mom proud and his fear of the VKs, this school year will most definitely be difficult for him.

“Which VKs are you and Ben rooming with anyways?”

Ben laughs a little. “I was told Achite, and I were going to be roommates. It should be an interesting year, living with the Isle’s sole neutral party.” Ben goes quiet for a moment. “Maybe he’ll help me figure how which VKs to free next?” Ben mutters, lost in thought.

Jane hums in agreement. “Oh, Achite! He’s a bit of a mystery but I’m sure you’ll solve him.”

Audrey wonders what kind of mystery Achite is. Is he secretive? Hard to read? A silent loner type? A small part of her is jealous Jane is there at Auradon Prep instead of her but Audrey shoves that feeling aside. Jane is everything good Auradon has to offer. If anyone should be the VKs introduction to Auradon as a whole, Audrey can think of no one better than Jane- well apart from Ben.

If anyone can show the VKs the light and convince them to trust Auradon, it’ll be Jane.

“Well, who doesn’t like a good mystery!” Ben jests. “What about you Audrey? I saw you signed up too.”

“I got Evie. I hope she’ll like me.”

“I think the two of you will get along great!” Jane adds.

Chad muffled voice crackles over the phone, but his words are lost in the transmittance. Audrey doesn’t need to hear his words to know Chad is being pessimistic about the VKs again. Honestly her old friend has changed since they started attending Auradon Prep. Audrey doesn’t know what went down between Chad but she hopes Chad decides to confide in someone soon.

She’s really worried about him, even if he’s behaving like a fool.

“Chad?” Audrey asks. “Which VK are you with?”

Chad sighs dramatically. “I got Gil! Which means Ben can’t visit me anymore.” Chad whines.

“Gil’s really nice, actually.” Jane adds in a huff.

“Of course I’ll visit your room Chad, and I look forward to meeting Gil. I’m glad you speak so highly of him, Jane.” Ben teases.

“Yeah, he’s- oh, hold on. Hi Mal, did you need something?” There’s a pause, and Audrey can faintly hear someone, female, speaking to Jane. Audrey can feel her heart hammering out of her chest; this is the closest she’s ever been to meeting either of the twins. “Lunch sounds perfect. I’ll meet you there.” Another pause of silence passes. “Okay, I’m back.”

“Don’t eat food offered by feys!” Chad warns.

“Chad, I’m a fey.”

“Oh, right. But still, be careful.”

“We’ll let you go, then. Goodbye Jane, we’ll talk more later.” Ben says.

“Bye Jane, we love you!” Audrey replies.

“Please come home soon.” Chad mutters, and Audrey knows that’s the best her friend can manage. She wishes she knew what changed Chad so much from the kindhearted boy Audrey grew up with or that, at least that version of Chad could return soon. The rumors at school are that Chad found his soulmate and things went poorly.

Audrey hopes that isn’t true, she isn’t quite the fan of playboy, womanizer Chad but even that version of her friend deserves true love.  

*****

Two days after her disaster of a breakfast with grammy, Audrey finds herself hiding away in her mom’s garden. It’s peaceful here, even with Diaval flying overhead and squawking excitedly at the thought of finally being on the same side of the barrier as the twins again. Audrey can relate as she watches her needle, still frozen in place but finally pointing in a direction she can run towards.

Not much had changed in the atrium since Audrey and her friends first fixed the garden. Nowadays, there are garden staff who handle the daily needs of the space. Diaval and a few other songbirds made their home inside, filling the space with beautiful songs. The biggest change has to be the roses themselves which, in recent years, have taken on quite the unusual coloring. Rather than their vibrant red hue, the rose petals have morphed into a mesh of blue and pink.

It reminds Audrey of her mom’s old ballgown, the one Flora and Merryweather kept switching the colors of.

Her mind still feels ripped apart. The plans her grandmother made for Audrey’s future, the revelations about grandfather- about who his true soulmate may have actually been; all of it has Audrey feeling so helplessly out of place. Things were so much simpler when her soulmate seemed unreachable, and the twins were locked away.

They’re finally here, her true love and the twins, that was the hardest part. That was supposed to be the hardest part. Meeting the twins, explaining Diaval’s survival, meeting her soulmate- all of that was supposed to be the fun part. The happy part.

And it was until grammy ruined it with talks of marrying Ben and removing the VKs from Auradon.

Why can’t grammy move on from the past? Why can’t she view the VKs as victims of their parents or children or people capable of choosing goodness? Why can’t grammy believe in them or mom or her enough to set aside her fears?

It’s not fair.

Diaval lands on the table, hobbling over to her exposed wrist. He tilts his head and looks back and forth at Audrey and her soul mark. She knows what he’s going to say; it’s the same thing he’s been saying all week, or rather the same thing Diaval’s said since discovering Audrey’s soulmate is from the Isle of the Lost.

Audrey knows Diaval is right, that she should just tell her parents already; especially now that Audrey knows grammy’s plan involves her being married off to Ben. Not that grammy has the power to do that without her parents’ knowledge or approval or Ben’s either for that matter - neither of which grammy will ever receive. But once Audrey starts talking, she’s afraid she won’t stop until everything has been revealed.

One of the eight VKs Ben brought over is her soulmate. Her soulmate could even be one of the twins, but Audrey has no way of knowing for sure until she returns to school. Unless, of course, Jane befriends the VKs before school starts and they reveal some of them have already found their soulmates. Audrey is operating under the impression that all eight of them haven’t found their soulmates but that doesn’t mean her assumption is true.

“Tell?” Diaval chirps, head tilting as he asks.

“Yeah, Diaval, I think you’re right.” Audrey confirms as she reaches over to scratch his head.

Diaval coos happily and leans into her fingertips. It’s how her parents find her, scratching Diaval’s head with her soul mark on full display. There’s a moment where neither Audrey nor her parents say anything. They just stare at one another in equal measure of surprise. Audrey has always been someone who kept her soul mark hidden from the world, even before she realized where it originally pointed.

For her, her soulmate was a private affair only she was entitled to know about. Everyone else would know whatever Audrey wanted them to know and only after she and her truest love have met.

“Hi mom. Hi dad.” Audrey sheepishly mumbles. She gestures to the empty chairs beside her. “Can we talk?”

“Of course, sweetie.” Dad says, pulling out a chair for mom.

Mom gracefully sits and dad pushes her in. Audrey waits for both her parents to sit down before continuing. As dad takes his seat, Diaval hobbles over to mom who greets him with a few head scratches of her own.

“Anyone we know?” Dad asks, one hand hovering above her soul mark. His voice holds a playful tone, but Audrey can see the fatherly concern hidden beneath it.

Audrey shakes her head. “No. I don’t even know him yet.”

“A northwestern direction, you could follow that.” Mom says. “Let’s see, Auradon City, a part of the Enchanted Forest, Imperial China and an outlying region of Camelot are all in that direction.”

Dad nods. “We could easily visit any of those places if you wished to go soulmate searching. I know you mentioned waiting until you finished your schooling but if you’re ready now that’s okay too.”

Audrey feels her eyes prickle with unshed tears. Soulmate searching is a fairly new rite of Auradonian passage. As the name implies, young adults, usually those who’ve recently graduated high school, go on epic road trips as they follow after their soul marks. The trend originally began with her parents’ generation, who faced all kinds of villains in an attempt to find true love. 

Audrey always planned on going on her Search with Jane, Ben and Chad. It’s a promise they made together as kids. She knows Aziz and Jordan have a similar plan too. That too is a more modern addition to the Search, bringing along a group of friends as your group follows the compass of one member until their soulmate is found and then switches to the next member and the next until all soulmates are found.

“We don’t need to go that far. My compass will guide me to Auradon Prep.” Audrey reveals.

It takes her parents a moment to truly process Audrey’s words. There’s confusion and puzzling facial expressions exchanged between her parents until the paling dread of understanding hits them. They turn to Audrey, eerily in synch with one another, both their faces mirroring each other in sad understanding.

“Oh Audrey. Oh baby.” Mom whispers, hands reaching out for Audrey.

Audrey eagerly grabs one of her hands before reaching out for her dad with her other hand. He wastes no time accepting it. Audrey clutches both her parents’ hands within her own just as her unshed tears begin to fall. She lets out a shaky laugh and struggles to not let it become a sob.

“How long have you known?” Dad asks with a tightness to his words. Audrey looks up to him and sees his own eyes welling up with tears. It nearly breaks her heart and if Audrey wasn’t crying before she would most definitely would be now.   

Another laugh sob rips free from her throat. “The last two years; since we found Diaval.” She stutters between her crying.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Her mom asks, looking between Audrey and her dad. A few tears slide down mom’s face. “Did… did you think we would disapprove?” Dad’s face breaks and a stray tear falls down his face.

“No!” Audrey shouts shakily. “Never! I just didn’t want to burden you.”

Dad reaches out with his other hand, bringing forth to caress her face. “On sweetheart, you’re our daughter. There’s nothing you can do to burden us. Ever.”

Audrey shakes her head. “You work so hard trying to free them. I didn’t want you to think you were failing me on top of them. I know you feel so guilty for the lack of progress, and I didn’t want to add to that.”

“Oh Audrey. We’re supposed to protect you, not the other way around.” Mom teases shakily as more tears fall. “You shouldn’t suffer alone.”

“I knew.” Diaval squawks indignantly.

“He wanted me to tell you.” Audrey laughs through another sob.

Dad, with a sob laugh of his own, says “Well he is quite a clever raven.” Diaval preens at the praise before flying off, giving their family a moment of privacy.  

Mom collects herself faster than dad and asks, “Do you know which of the eight might be your soulmate?” One of mom’s fingers taps the end of her needle.

“No, it could be any of them.” Audrey wipes her face and reaches out for her parents again when she’s done. “Jane says they haven’t really opened up yet so it’s hard to pinpoint which of their personalities best aligns with my interests.”

Dad nods as he processes her words. “Do… do you want to visit Auradon Prep over the summer or wait for school to start?”

Audrey thinks it over. On one hand, she wants to meet her soulmate as soon as possible. On the other hand, Jane said the VKs are still settling in. This has been quite an adjustment for them, going from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon. Audrey can set aside her own wants; she has years of practice after all. Audrey has waited her whole life for this moment, she can wait a few more months.

“I’ll wait.”

“Are you sure?” Mom asks, gently rubbing Audrey’s wrist.

Audrey nods. “I’m sure. They need more time to adjust to everything. I don’t want to overwhelm my soulmate. It’ll be better for us in the long run to wait.”

“Okay.” Dad agrees. “But if you change your mind, let us know.”

“Or if Jane needs anything or wishes to visit.” Mom adds.

Audrey smiles, a real genuine one. “I will.”

Both her parents get up to leave and it’s only then that Audrey remembers her soulmate wasn’t the only secret she was keeping. There’s still whatever grammy’s planning and the fact it relies on Audrey marrying Ben to manipulate him and the fact that Stefan and grammy weren’t soulmates and how that probably explains Maleficent’s deep seeded hatred of them.

“Wait!” Audrey shouts, her voice nearing hysterical. “There’s something else you need to know.”

They turn back to Audrey, waiting for her to continue.

“When I had breakfast with grammy she said, she implied…” She takes in a shuddering breath to calm herself down before continuing. “Grammy wants me to marry Ben so I can convince him to send back the VKs.”

“What?!” Her parents shout in unison and even Diaval squawks from overhead.

“But she knows you both wish to marry your soulmates.” Mom answers, equal mix of disappointment and disbelief.

Dad shakes his head. “Leah knows Ben isn’t Audrey’s soulmate. I thought of all the things we’d disagree with, soulmates wouldn’t be one of them. I thought she’d want you to have your best shot at happiness.”

“She said I could be happy without my soulmate like she and Stefan were.”

“Well, that’s rather hypocritical of- they weren’t soulmates?” Dad nearly shouts. He places his hands over his eyes and mutters darkly under his breath as he paces around the pathway.

Mom laughs darkly. “Huh, that explains a lot.” She says numbly.

“Stefan and Maleficent were soulmates?” Dad asks Diaval, his voice bordering on hysterical.

Diaval looks as sheepish as a bird can manage. “Yes.” He answers from wherever he’s hiding in the atrium.

Dad freezes suddenly. “He… he took her wings, Aurora. They were soulmates and he… mutilated her.” Dad’s clear disgust with Stefan’s actions is only heightened by learning they were soulmates. Audrey gets it, she can’t even imagine dad doing anything that cruel to mom. No wonder Maleficent hated their family.

Not that this revelation justifies the dark fey taking out her issues on mom, but it certainly explains why Maleficent fixated so hard on exacting revenge on Audrey’s grandparents.

Audrey stares down at her soul mark. It’s still openly displayed, and Audrey thinks this might just be the longest she’s ever had it uncovered. She hopes her true love is okay and that Audrey never hurts them as badly as Stefan did Maleficent; or that no one else has either.

At least they’re in Auradon now.

The only danger here, for any VK, is grammy and the only VK grammy wishes to harm is Mal. Not that Audrey will let her; she has a whole summer to plan and unravel grammy’s plot. And now, her parents can help her too. The VKs have suffered enough, and Audrey refuses to let Auradon be another hostile place for them.

It’s the least she can do for her soulmate.

*******

One week. The VKs have officially been in Auradon for one full week. Audrey can barely contain her excitement… or her fear… or any emotion really. A roller-coaster of emotions speeds through Audrey’s mind. Her soulmate and the twins, one of which may actually be her soulmate, are safe within the walls of Auradon Prep.

But on the other hand, gammy is scheming and whatever plan she’s forming involves Mal. It’ll be bad, Audrey has no doubts about that, but grammy’s goal isn’t to harm Mal or her fellow VKs but rather to send them back to the Isle and keep the rest of them there forever and always. At least, Audrey hopes grammy’s plan doesn’t involve harming Mal. Audrey has no idea what grammy’s full plot will be and now that she’s revealed the truth to her parents she may never know.

Or worse, Audrey will discover the full extent of grammy’s plan once it’s fully in motion.

Just another reason for Audrey to earn the trust of the twins. She needs to warn them about grammy and hopefully before they reveal their familial status to all of Auradon. Grammy can plot and plan all she wants but as long as Audrey, and by extension Mal and Achite, know the truth, grammy will always be a few steps behind them.

“Careful Audrey, watch your step.” Mom calls out from behind her.

Audrey laughs, “I know mom. I’ve walked to the Moors before.”

Still, Audrey heeds her mom’s advice and slows down her pace, waiting to walk alongside her mom. They don’t visit the Moors often; without its guardian around the creatures who inhabit the Moors aren’t all that welcoming to outsiders. Luckily for Audrey her mom’s previous maternal relationship with Maleficent allows her access and by extension Audrey.

The weather today is perfect for a walk to the Moors. The sun shines brightly and there’s a slight breeze that tussles Audrey’s hair. She’s dressed accordingly for the occasion, dark hiking boots, light comfortable pants and a nice pink sweater. If anyone should be careful, it’s mom. She always dresses up for their visits to the Moors and today is no different; her dress today is white with streaks of pink and blue on the skirt.

At least dad was able to convince mom to wear hiking boots instead of heels this time around.  

Mom loops her arms around Audrey’s and presses a quick kiss onto her temple. “We needed this, yes? We haven’t been to the Moors since spring break.”

“And now we get to tell the Moors about Mal and Achite’s arrival.” Audrey adds.

Mom smiles, beautiful and bright. “Indeed. Oh, how happy they’ll be.”

From the moment mom and dad learned of Mal’s existence, back before Diaval escaped and told them about Achite, mom went to the Moors. She gathered all the creatures there and told them all she knew about Maleficent’s daughter. At the time, she didn’t have much information, just a few sightings from the guards.

Now, with Diaval’s help and the addition of Achite’s heritage, mom had many stories to share with the Moors. Diaval, of course, refuses to return unless accompanied by the twins so it’s up to mom and Audrey to pass along the information. Audrey doesn’t mind it; the Moors are beautiful even without a fey to protect it.

 But even that beauty can’t last forever.

Audery knows the Moors have been weakening ever since Maleficent’s imprisonment. As its protector, the dark fey did more than just guard the Moors and its creatures from harm. From Audrey’s limited human understanding, the Moors use their guardian fey as a tether. The fey’s magic is used to keep the cycle of life moving in the Moors and in return the Moors boost their chosen fey’s power.

Had Stefan fought Maleficent properly in the Moors, when he took her wings, he would have lost his life, and Maleficent would still have her wings. Of course, in that reality Audrey wouldn’t exist because her mom never would have been created. Maybe she shouldn’t dwell on that what-if.

That’s why the Moors are so eager for the twins’ arrival. One of them will become their new guardian, the new Protector of the Moors.

It’s not just Audrey who needs to wait a little longer. Once the twins trust her, Audrey can bring them home, to the Moors, where they truly belong- if they wish. Either way, the Moors will always be a safe place for them; shielding the twins from harm just as their mom protected the Moors in the past.

The wall of thorns, created by Maleficent to shield the Moors from humanity, still stand tall and imposing, but it no longer blocks outsiders from entering. Of course, most citizens of Auroria, the kingdom her parents rule over which borders the Moors, refuse to step foot in the Moors. Audrey knows the inhabitants are still wary of most humans, especially with their ruler locked away.

Mom lets go of Audrey’s arm. With all the grace a queen can muster, she rushes forward into the Moors. Audrey shouts out after her, brimming with excitement and runs in after her. The Moors are still just as beautiful as Audrey remembers. A shimmering lake with crystalline rocks, tall trees with glistening green leaves and vibrant flowers of every shape and color but Audrey can see the cracks within the perfect visage.

The leaves droop ever so slightly and the flowers, while still bright, are beginning to dull despite summer just starting. Even the water has lost some of its shine. It breaks Audrey’s heart to see the Moors suffering similarly to mom’s atrium. At least with the atrium, Audrey was able to fix it up with the help of her friends, but the Moors are beyond her fixing. They need a fey and despite Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather’s best efforts the Moors want Maleficent’s line and no one else.

The Moors, like Audrey have waited all this time for this very moment, for what’s theirs to finally be accessible again.

Audrey catches up with her mom fairly easily. Mom is staring up at Balthazar, one of the spriggans- a tall treelike creature that inhabits the Moors. Balthazar is sort of the unofficial leader of the Moors until the twins, or Maleficent, reclaim their rightful place as Protector. Audrey gives Balthazar a small courtesy when he notices her approach.

“We have wonderful news, Balthazar!” Mom says. Balthazar tilts his head down towards mom questioningly. “They’re here, in Auradon. The twins are off the Isle!”

Balthazar chitters something and mom nods her head. Despite spending a great deal of her life exploring the Moors, Audrey never quite picked up the language of the Moors like her mom has. As far as Audrey knows, no other human has either. Balthazar looks at Audrey, the dark sockets of his eyes burrowing into her own.

“Yes Balthazar, the twins are in Auradon. And once it’s safe, we’ll bring them here and the Moors will have a Protector once more.”

Balthazar’s jagged jaw cracks open wide, it’s as close to a smile as any spriggan can muster. Audrey and her mom mimic Balthazar’s smile as the spriggan roars out something for the rest of the Moors’ citizens. More chittering echoes across the Moors and Audrey doesn’t need to speak their language to understand what they’re saying.

The Moors are celebrating the arrival of Mal and Achite.

Chapter Text

Malachite can’t sleep. This bed isn’t his own; it’s far too soft and warm to be his. It leaves him feeling content and before he knows it, he has drifted off to sleep only to dart awake once the relaxation fully kicks in. Relaxation equals death; to stop moving is to paint a bigger target on one’s own back, to sleep is to be unaware, to sleep is to risk the permanent embrace of death.

If dad were here, he’d say Malachite was being dramatic, to which Malachie would respond with something along the lines of ‘I get this from you, dad’.

But dad isn’t here to tease Malachite’s dramatic nature, and he isn’t here for Malachite to annoy with sarcastic remarks. Because Malachite is in Auradon now and dad is still locked away on the Isle of the Lost. It’s such a fitting name, the Isle of the Lost, because for the first time in Malachite’s life dad is truly lost to him.

Dad’s ember helps alleviate some of that helplessness he feels. Malachite can feel dad’s power shuffling inside the small rock. It’s comforting and familiar despite the fact Malachite’s never truly felt dad’s power before. But it’s still not the same as having dad. Malachite would give up every bit of his magic if it meant bringing dad over here.

This room isn’t Malachite’s either. Sure, the left side of the room is strewn about in his things. The guitar, still in its case, is leaning against the wall, a few quills are tossed haphazardly on the nightstand, and several loose papers are scattered about the table. Dad’s ember is tucked neatly underneath his pillow, allowing him easy access, but also hides the ember from prying eyes. But this space isn’t inherently his; in a few months the right side will be filled to the brim with the Prince’s things.

Malachite’s never had a roommate before. He and Mali used to share a room despite them both having their own. They would bounce between each room, desperate to stay within each other’s orbit for as long as possible before Malice had to go back to her. Jay and Gil both used to live with Malachite and dad for a brief stint of time, but each boy had their own space.

And while Jay and Harry sometimes spent the night in Malachite’s bed- much to his dad’s dismay, neither boy truly roomed with him.

Still sleep eludes him, not that he has to sleep for much longer anyways; the sun should be rising soon, and Gil has already left the dorms to do whatever it is he does before the sun rises. Gastons, even disowned ones, aren’t the kind of men who stay idle for long. Malachite hears him leave every morning; it’s not that hard considering his own lack of sleep or the fact his room, number eight, is the room before everyone else’s.

He could sneak into Mali’s space; he’s done it before back home. It’s not too hard to slip into her bed and curl himself around her. But he’s not home and sneaking into each other’s rooms at certain times is against the rules of Auradon Prep and Malachite isn’t too keen on getting caught breaking the rules so soon. Sneaking between Jay and Harry’s rooms doesn’t count; at least not to him. He’s only been in Auradon for one week; technically eight days now but who’s counting?

He’s counting, Malachite hasn’t stopped counting.

A new noise interrupts Malachite’s thinking. Jumping up he turns to the source of the noise, a low buzzing sound, the phone he received yesterday. Malachite groans, laying back down onto his mountain of pillows, one hand gently passing over dad’s ember as the other pulls the covers over his head.

Fairy Godmother wasn’t exaggerating when she said the phones came preprogrammed with certain numbers. There were already several messages waiting for Malachite when he booted up the device; a few from Lady Demeter’s daughter, Lady Persephone, welcoming him to Auradon and offering aid should he need it and several from his uncle, Poseidon. 

Even Hecate has left a few instructions on things she wants Malachite to practice in preparation for their next lesson.

He hasn’t responded to any of the messages. The emotions he feels are still too raw to properly formulate an elegant response without risking offending anyone. Lady Persephone isn’t a Goddess his dad has mentioned before, which doesn’t mean much considering dad wasn’t very social back then and the fact Lady Demeter famously doesn’t like him. Malachite doesn’t know what to say to her or how genuine her words really are.

His uncle, on the other hand, is still too painful to think about. Malachite gets why he can’t stay with him but that doesn’t stop the sting of rejection he feels. It feels like Olympus is closing their ranks and Malachite isn’t welcomed among them. The messages Poseidon leaves, all about how much he cares about Achite and wants to meet him, come across as false.

But that might just be Malachite’s own emotional turmoil hindering his perception or how his fey blood reacts to perceived instances of rejection.

And Hecate is herself and Malachite has no intention of blindly obeying her orders. He’ll follow her magic advice; he does want to learn how to harness his abilities, but Malachite isn’t going to tell her any of that. She’ll just be smug about it and Malachite isn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she has information he wants.  

Curiosity gets the better of him and Malachite finds himself reaching for the handheld device. He powers it up, groaning as the bright light illuminates his face; his shades for once are on the nightstand beside him and not on his face. Blinking harshly, he reads the notification informing him of another message from Poseidon; it seems the sea god has no concept of mortal sleeping habits or the fact Achite may need them.

Not that he was sleeping in the first place, but still, he’s only half a god.

This most recent message is just like the others. It’s full of promises of familial bonds and expressions of gratitude and love and emotional stuff Malachite has no idea how to deal with. Family has always been a weird subject for him. Mal and dad were a constant in Achite’s life; he never doubted how much they love him or the lengths they’d go to keep him safe. Davi is… dead seems too final.

And mother never wanted him.

Maybe that’s why he’s so hesitant to trust his uncle’s words. Dad and Mal and Davi were the only family he’s ever truly had. Adding others to that- to his family, seems wrong or like something Malachite doesn’t deserve. Or maybe his hesitance has to do with Mal and how wrong it feels to welcome in other family members without her.

They haven’t talked much about whether or not they should reveal their status as twins to the rest of Auradon. Their original stance was to wait until they got a better understanding of how Auradon Prep works and which players are in the game. The existence of Macarius also leaves Achite hesitant to call Mal his sister aloud. He has no idea how Macarius will react to his existence and until Achite knows where Macarius allegiances lay, he won’t risk Mal’s safety. And he knows Mali has similar feelings regarding Audrey-Rose.

Mali, she’s just one room down in dorm nine. He misses her, misses her presence and the comfort she provides him. They’ve spent their whole lives together and any bit of separation leaves Achite feeling like he’s been torn in two. The addition of Harry and Jay has also left a similar impression, it’s just more intense with Malice.

They’re the same, two literal halves of one whole. Siblings, twins, two of a kind.

Grabbing his shades, Achite slips them onto his face and begins tiptoeing his way over to Mali’s room. Opening his door, he peers into the hallway. There’s no other trace of life, everyone apart from Gil is still sleeping. He shuts his door with a careful click and slowly turns Mal’s door. He pokes his head inside and spots Mali easily.

She curled up into herself, the blanket halfway off her body leaving her upper half, a sleeveless black shirt, exposed. Her face is peaceful, and it brings a smile to his face. He barely spares a glance over at Jane, who is turned away and wrapped deeply in her covers. Mali’s nose scrunches up as Achite approaches her side. Without warning, her eyes snap open, glowing green and a small growl emitting from her throat.

The glow dissipates once she realizes it’s him.

“Hi Mali.” He whispers with a small wave.

Mal huffs, eyes screwing shut as she buries her face deeper into her pillow. Without a word she lifts up the blanket and Malachite wastes no time slipping in beside her. Malachite shuffles in, Malice removes his shades and places them on her nightstand.  It takes them a moment to snuggle up comfortably, wrapping the blanket across themselves as their bodies slot into place. Mali wraps her arms around his chest, resting her head beneath his chin.

“I missed you.” Mal mumbles.

“Me too. It still feels wrong to sleep without you or dad.”

Mal laughs softly, her breath tickling his neck. “That’s cause you’re clingy.”

Achite tries to pull Mal closer but there’s no more room separating them. Instead, he dips his chin onto the top of Malice’s head. “I miss dad.” He whispers quietly for her ears only.

Mal’s fingers tighten. “Me too.” She brings one of her hands up to his cheek. “But we’ll be okay as long as we’re together.”

“Together forever?” Malachite asks in Greek.

“Together forever.” Mal confirms in their father’s tongue.

The safety and comfort Malice’s presence brings him has Malachite drifting off to sleep without any issue.

********

Achite wakes to the sound of soft voices filtering past his ears. He whines as he attempts to bury himself deeper into the warmth radiating from Mal. Mal huffs as someone else giggles quietly, but Achite ignores it. Sleepiness clings to him just as he clings to Mal.

“Are you sure he’s okay?” Jane asks in a hushed tone.

Malachite’s eyes shoot open, and he pulls away from Mal, sitting straight up in her bed. Jane is behind him probably still in her bed, but Mal is still lounging on her bed, arms wrapped loosely around him.

“Achite.” Mal warns. She knows he’s panicking, and a panicked demi-god is a dangerous one, especially when he doesn’t know the full extent of his power.

“What time is it?” He mutters, voice rough with sleep.

“It’s a little past eight.” Jane answers. “We’re the last ones up but Mal didn’t want to leave you.”

Achite groans, head dropping onto Mal’s shoulder, his back is still to Jane. Everything is fine as long as she doesn’t see his eyes. “Do the dorm heads know I’m here? Are we in trouble?”

Malice snorts. “No to both questions. Jenkins is still distracted with Jay and Jane told Cassandra that I was sleeping in.” He nods and then frowns. Achite doesn’t like the thought of Jenkins being near Jay, especially after what happened yesterday. “Come on, we get to blow this joint after breakfast.”

And that gets Achite’s attention, green eyes locking onto Mal’s matching pair. They’re going to Auradon City today. Achite’s rising up again as Mal shoves his shades onto his face. He hisses as her fingers brush past his eyes, nearly poking one. Pulling the shades out of her hands and adjusting them on his face only makes Mal roll her eyes. Once the shades are firmly in place, Malice shoves him off her bed.

“Hurry up and get dressed, will you.” Mal demands as she begins collecting her own outfit for the day- her signature Isle look. Achite turns around, clocking the fact that Jane is already dressed in a simple pink shirt and blue jeans. He waves and Jane returns the gesture. He isn’t sure if he trusts Jane yet and it’s only her connection to Carlos that has Achite willing to try.

Regardless, she hasn’t sold out Mal and Achite’s current sleeping arrangement. Maybe she’s trustworthy or maybe she’s planning on using this information to her advantage. He hopes, for Carlos’ sake, that it’s the former. Carlos deserves something nice for a change; the Fates have been cruel enough to him already.  

Quickly shuffling back into his- well, not his room but his nonetheless, Achite speeds through his morning routine. He showers, brushes his teeth, and throws on a plain white dress shirt, dark pants, and his signature black leather jacket. His hair is still a little damp and barely reaches his chin in length. It’s the longest Achite has ever kept his hair.

Maybe he’ll grow it out a little more, not to Jay’s length but maybe around Malice’s.

Speaking of Mal, his dearest twin is waiting for him, leaning against the wall across from his room. She pushes off the wall as he exits and holds out her elbow for him to take. They walk to the cafeteria in tandem, arms linked together. They’re the last to arrive; even Jane is sitting down and eating already.

“Well good morning love.” Harry teases while holding a bowl of oatmeal as Achite takes a seat. “Thought you might be hungry.” Harry offers the bowl and a spoon.

Achite doesn’t respond, too busy with shoving spoonfuls of oatmeal into his mouth. Everyone else, apart from Mal and Jane, seems to be done with their meals already. Just how long did he oversleep? Jay and Gil are chatting about Jenkins, Evie and Uma are examining some sketches- probably the new designs Evie’s making her, Harry’s staring at him and making kissy faces, and Mal’s eating.

And Carlos is staring at Jane as his fellow half-fey eats her breakfast, also oatmeal with slices of heart-shaped reddish pink fruit that he doesn’t recognize. Every time Jane looks up, Carlos adverts his eyes and blushes a deep scarlet. It seems Carlos is still avoiding speaking to Jane directly. Hopefully Carlos gets his shit together and hashes things out with Jane before school starts up again.

If Evie gets her way, which she most likely will, Jane will end up being one of the prettiest girls at Auradon Prep. Jane’s willing to wait for her soulmate but the other students attending might not be.

“So, we’re still leaving right?” Uma asks once she’s done reviewing Evie’s designs.

Jane cocks her head to the side, confusion all over her face. “Of course, why wouldn’t you?”

“Cause Jay here lit up like a flare yesterday.” Carlos mutters, swishing his spoon around an empty bowl.

“That was an accident brought on by stress. Magical accidents almost aways happen in times of high stress or after attempting to use your abilities. It was just bad luck your talk with Jenkins followed your magic lessons with Jubilee.” Jane explains.

“But what if it happens again?” Evie questions. “We don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Jane shakes her head. “You won’t. Magical accidents are taxing. They drain a person out, which is why Jay slept until dinnertime yesterday. But it also means he won’t have another one until he recharges, which usually takes a few days. Probably longer for you guys since you’ve never done magic before.”

“And the rest of us? I don’t want to be sent back to the Isle for something we can’t control.” Evie’s eyes widen, darting across their group as she speaks.

“Well, let’s break this down.” Malachite begins. “Jay’s in the clear because of yesterday. Carlos doesn’t have magic, and Harry didn’t do anything magical enough for an accident to occur, right?”

“That’s right.” Jane confirms. “Magical accidents are usually due to the person attempting to either push their limits or attempt too much at once. If Harry, or the rest of you, were to lose control because of that, it would have happened during the lessons.”

“And I had the stress version which is why it happened yesterday and not the day before.” Jay states, nodding along.

“Exactly!”

Mal huffs. “And it’s not like I did magic in the first place to begin with.” Her annoyance with the three fairies bleeding through.

Achite snorts. “At least you didn’t have Hecate. She watches me like I’m beneath her or something.”

His friends all stare at him but Gil is the only one who voices their shared thought aloud. “But you are, she’s a Goddess.”

The growl escapes his throat before Malachite can hold it back. “Gilson! We’re supposed to be friends.”

“Oh, sorry.” Gil says, face falling.

“Don’t listen to the angry demi-god, Gil.” Harry purrs, draping his arms over Gil’s shoulders. Harry leans in, pressing his face against Gil’s. “He’s just upset your magic’s so pretty.”

Gil smiles brightly at Harry’s words and Achite is thankful his shades hide his eye roll from the others. They’re such dorks; his most cherished friends, but Malachite wouldn’t trade them for anything. Silence lapses over their table as everyone returns to their previous engagements.

A part of him is excited to see Auradon City. Auradon Prep is already so unlike anything they’ve ever known so it stands to reason this city would be no different. It’s hard to imagine a city full of people as anything other than a cramped mess of dirt and disease wrapped up in muted, dull colors -if it has any color at all. But everything this side of the barrier is bursting with life and color, and Malachite can’t wait to see it- to experience it.

On the other hand, he’s terrified this will all end in disaster. So far, everyone they’ve met has been happy or neutral about their arrival in Auradon. But that doesn’t mean everyone in Auradon City will be happy with Ben’s proclamation or with the eight of them wandering through. There’s a very real chance today may end up being their last day off the Isle.

They could be attacked by disgruntled citizens or paraded around like freaks or avoided at all costs.

None of those options sound appealing to Malachite, especially since none of them have any reliable way of defending themselves. Even if they had kept their weapons using them would definitely guarantee being sent back to the Isle of the Lost and none of them would risk this chance for all the kids still locked away.

Being in Auradon is such a different experience from their childhoods and Malachite knows they can’t ruin this for kids like Celia, CJ and the Smee twins, Dizzy, North, Fool or all of Gil’s younger brothers. They still have a chance of turning out good- of escaping the Isle without any lingering issues. It’s their jobs as older VKs to shelter them from the burden of a VKs’ existence.

Mal pushes her own empty bowl away, her smile sharp and twisted, “Let’s ditch school.”

Uma rises from the table, grinning like a shark. “I couldn’t agree more.”

********

Malachite nervously drums his fingers against his thigh as two cars, just like the ones they arrived in, pull up at the school’s main entrance. The cars stop and two guards exit each car. It’s eerily similar to their arrival; except this time, they’re on the opposite side of the barrier. Maybe he should have taken dad’s ember with him after all.

Achite recognizes three of the guards. The first is Captain Phoebus, who is still adorned in his regal golden armor. The other two men are the same guards that helped Captain Stuart drag him away from the docks. It’s the fourth man that gives him pause; there’s something familiar about him, like Achite knows his face from somewhere.

The man is around Phoebus’ age. His skin is even paler than Carlos or Evie’s but that’s where their similarity ends. His eyes are green, not dark but not the same pale shade he and Mali have either. And his hair is short, barely curling past his ears and almost as red as- well Red. It nags him though, the feeling like he knows this man from somewhere- it’s similar to Lady Cassandra and who ever she reminds him of.

“Hello again.” Phoebus greets them warmly. “I’m sure the eight of you remember Chip and Andrew from your arrival here last week.”

The eight of them give half-hearted acknowledgements to the two guards. Jane greets them both with a smile and a hello; both guards return her affections. Like the Isle of the Lost, everyone in Auradon just seems to know each other. Or maybe only the children of Auradon’s heroes know each other.

But that begs the question of who Chip and Andrew are and why Jane knows them so well.

“And this Henrik, my right hand so to speak.” Phoebus gestures to the mystery fourth man.

“Were you a part of the guards that brought us over?” Evie asks, studying Henrik intensely. So, it seems Achite isn’t the only one who thinks there is something familiar about Henrik.

“No, this is our first time meeting.” Henrik responds.  

“Really? I could have sworn I’ve seen your face before.” Evie teases, batting her eyelashes at the man. From the corner of his eye, Achite spots Jay locking onto Henrik. Jay’s eyes bore into the man, faint recognition dancing within them.

“But you patrol the Isle, right? That’s why you’re so familiar.” Harry leers, peering over Gil’s shoulders.

Henrik’s face falls, annoyance overtaking his feature before he schools it back into a more neutral expression. “I don’t patrol the Isle of the Lost, but I do bear a striking resemblance to my youngest brother.”

Evie’s face lights up. “Oh! You’re one of Prince Hans’ brothers. From the Southern Isles, right?”

He nods. “Yes, Hans is- well you know.”

“I’m sorry, are why just going to gloss over the face Evie recognizes Hans? I though no one seen the man in years.” Uma looks to Evie, demanding an explanation.

“Oh no, his daughter hangs out with Annalise, so I see her sometimes when I visit Dizzy.” Evie turns to Henrik. “You look so much like her.”

“That makes more sense.” Uma mutters to herself with just a hint of laughter.

“Hans has a daughter?” Henrik asks, clearly caught completely off guard.

“Heidi, right?” Achite asks Evie.

She nods. “Her dad really doesn’t let her out much, but she’s allowed at the Tremaine homestead.

“Hans’ daughter hangs out with the Tremaines?” Jane asks.

Captain Phoebus clears his throat. “As informative as this conversation has been, we really must get a move on.” He looks at Henrik with an apologetic expression.

“Split off into two groups of four, we know the drill.” Mal rolls her eyes as she speaks, ending with a pointed glare at him.

Achite huffs, gearing up to defend himself with a biting retort, when he sees the shimmer of amusement in Mali’s eyes. Ah, we’re joking then. He switches tactics, opting for a more teasing approach when Chip or Andrew- Achite doesn’t actually know which is which, interrupts.

“Unless Jane is joining us too.” Chip or Andrew asks, whichever one is the older blonde man.

Harry gasps aloud, rocketing over to Jane. “Duckling! You have to join us!” Harry exclaims, drawing out his words as he pleads with the half-fey.

Jane laughs, a small blush spreading across his face. “Sure, I’ll join, if that’s alright with you.” The last bit is spoken to Captain Phoebus.

“One group of four and one group of five.” Phoebus confirms. “Unless you wish to ride with Jenkins and Cass in their car.” He directs at Jane.

Achite had forgotten about that tidbit of information; that Coach Jenkins, who is the Genie, and Lady Cassandra, who looks eerily familiar just as Henrik did, are supposed to be accompanying them. At least, if Captain Phoebus is to be believed, the two dorm heads are taking a separate car instead of one of theirs. Malachite doesn’t think it would bode well for anyone if Jay and Jenkins were trapped together in a combined space.

“I’ll ride with you guys, if that’s okay.” Jane asks timidly.

Now, the most important questions are which group gets Jane and who’s getting the first car.

“We get first dibs this time.” Uma demands, pulling both Harry and Gil towards the first car where Phoebus and the older blonde stands. Henrik and the brunette are by the second car.

Mal looks like she wants to debate this further, but Evie agrees before she can disagree. “Oh, that’s perfect! This way we can talk more about Heidi on the way there!” Evie claps her hands together as she walks over to the second car.

Carlos trails over to her, eyes darting back to Jane. Jay looks between Henrik and Harry, no doubt wishing he could join the Sea Three instead of listening to Evie’s princess gossip. Mal seems to be debating something internally while Jane looks between Mal and the second car.

“How about this,” Mal asks Uma, “I trade you Jay for Achite and we get Jane.”

Achite perks up at that. As much as he enjoys spending time with both of his soulmates, either together or separate, he misses being with his sister. Ironically, it was easier for them to spend time together on the Isle of the Lost than in Auradon.

“We can trade Achite for Jay but why should you get Jane? She’s already your roommate.” Maybe if Achite was a little less integrated with both groups, he’d feel insecure that Jane’s being fought over rather than himself. But he’s known Uma long enough to know she’s completely aware of how much he misses Malice and wants to be with her.

Jay wastes no time walking over to Uma and her crew. Achite shuffles closer to Mal. Gil and Harry pull Jay with them into the car while Mal and Uma continue their standoff over Jane. Carlos watches, eyes jumping between both leaders as Evie strikes up a conversation with Henrik.

“Ladies, ladies, you’re both fearsome leaders.” Achite begins, clasping Malice’s shoulders. “The solution here is easy; Jane rides with one car on the way to Auradon City and then the opposite car on the way back.”

“We get her first.” Mal demands her eyes narrowing on Uma, pulling Jane closer.

Uma’s jaw clenches as she stares Mal down. Everyone watches as the two leaders throw their metaphorical weight around. “Fine, that works for me.”

With that their group divides, taking their seats in each car. Carlos takes the window seat, Evie sits beside him, and Jane is slotted next to her. Mal gestures for Achite to enter first. He crinkles his nose but doesn’t fight against her silent demand. Malice is older after all, and that makes her his protector. Once both he and Mal are seated the brunette man closes their car door.

Evie waits until both men are firmly situated before revealing everything she knows about Heidi. The younger man starts the car up and Achite’s stomach lurches as they begin moving. Carlos and Mal look out their windows and Jane seems just as enthralled by Evie as Henrik. While Achite never personally met Heidi, he’s seen her around a bit during her few excursions outside of her dad’s castle.

“Well, let’s see, Heidi is one of the oldest VKs at nineteen.” Evie starts but Henrik interrupts her.

“Nineteen? Just how old are the rest of them?”

Achite answers that one; he is the one who deals with Morgie, and the rest of the older VKs, the most out of their group being the Isle’s sole neutral party after all. “Morgie le Fay is the oldest at twenty.” Both guards gasps aloud. “And then the Tremaine twins, Heidi, Saruul and Gil’s eldest brother are all nineteen.”

“They’re also the VKs who have the most pull among the villains.” Carlos adds helpfully. “Well, barring Heidi since she doesn’t really interact much with anyone.”

It’s Mal who continues. “The last three oldest VKs are all eighteen. Misty, one Madam Mim’s many daughters. Julian, the eldest of Prince John’s children and Harper, the Huntsman’s daughter.”

“I never realized there were…” The brunette trails off, staring at the road ahead.

“None of us did, Andrew, but we know now.” Henrik places a hand on Andrew’s shoulder, comforting the younger boy.

“As I said earlier, Heidi mainly hangs out with Annalise Tremaine. Usually, Annalise visits her cause Hans is really protective of her. She’s nice enough, really shy.” Evie pauses, contemplation over taking her features. “Actually, she’s a lot like Jane in a way.”

“Really?” Jane asks, breaking the tension forming between the guards.

“Like I said, she’s super quiet, really pretty, but also a little unsure of herself, you know.” Jane deflates a little at Evie’s words. “Oh, but that’s not a bad thing. Honestly! Trust me, it’s far better than being vain or cruel.”

Achite leans over to Jane, whispering loudly for the whole car to hear. “Trust me, my lady, you don’t wanna be anything like Anthony Tremaine. Now that guy’s an ass.”

Carlos snickers at that as Evie frowns, her eyes glaring into Achite. “Anthony’s nice enough.”

“Only to you E.” Mal mutters. “He’s only nice enough to his sisters and you.”

Evie stops glaring. “That’s not true, is it?” She turns to Carlos. “Anthony’s nice to you right?”

Carlos looks as if he’s been caught stealing from his mother’s coat closet. “Do I have to answer that?” He whispers to Mal, eyes pleading with his fearless leader to spare him from Evie’s questioning gaze.

“Face it, E, you’re the only one who likes him.” Mal teases.

Jane’s eyes flicker between the two girls. “He’s not like your soulmate or something, right?” Jane asks Evie. Poor Jane, she has no idea what to make of Isle relations or allegiances.

Evie looks positively disgusted by Jane’s accusation so much so that Achite laughs out loud. “No! Definitely not! He’s just the one guy on the Isle mother refuses to set me up with.”

Andrew makes a choking sound. “Your mom tries to set you up with nineteen-year-olds?” Evie nods her head, confirming Andrew’s question. “But you’re like sixteen!”

“Fifteen actually.” Evie interrupts.

“That’s worse!” Andrew groans. “I’m nineteen and I’d never! Fifteen!” He shakes his head, hands gripping the wheel tighter. “Nineteen is far too old for a fifteen-year-old. You know that right? Please tell me you know that.”

Beside Andrew, Henrik stares blankly at the road ahead. Achite can see the other car containing the rest of their friends just a bit ahead. A quick glance behind them reveals a third car, blue in color in contrast to the two black cars they’re always transported in, trailing after; most likely Coach Jenkins and Lady Cassandra following after them. 

Evie giggles, that silly little laugh she does when things freak her out and she isn’t sure what the correct response should be. “You sound just like Anthony.”

Achite gets the feeling that Andrew would be slamming his face against a hard surface if he wasn’t the one driving.

“Oh, don’t act so surprised. Our parents are villains- the worst ones Auradon has ever faced, what did you expect?”

********

“Welcome to Auradon City.” Phoebus says after they all exit the cars.

Achite stands smushed between Mal and Jane as Evie and Carlos hide behind them. Jay walks over, one arm slinged across Gil’s shoulder as Harry and Uma walk over in unison. Even Cassandra and Jenkins have joined them, opting to stand directly behind the nine of them.

Auradon City is nothing like the Isle of the Lost. The streets are clean and evenly paved. Everything fits a similar aesthetic to the surrounding buildings instead of looking like a mismatched patchwork city like back home. While they’re unlit in the morning light, several lampposts are spaced out across each sidewalk. Bright banners and whimsical signposts guide people all around the city.

Achite never imagined a city could be as bright and colorful as the one before him. And judging by how his friends react they feel the same way. Judging by how Jane and the other Auradonains aren’t reacting leaves him to believe all cities in Auradon resemble this one.

There are even several people walking about; not near any of them, of course, but Achite can feel watchful eyes staring their way and he can faintly hear the hushed whispers of the citizens.

Malachite can’t blame them, the VKs blend in on the Isle but here in Auradon their style stands out like an infested wound. He and Mal are both wrapped up in leather, black and blue for him and purple and green for her. It’s their normal Isle attire and among the colorful collection of Auradonians they look like the criminals Auradon no doubt assumes they are.

Uma and Harry are kitted out in most of their pirate gear minus their weapons and hats. Uma’s outfit of teals and darkish purple and a collection of various pieces of jewelry stand out against the blue and gold that coats the city. Harry’s flowy red dress coat and the white ruffled collar of his shirt make him the spitting image of his dad, Captain Hook, minus the signature hook and with the addition of Harry’s smeared eyeliner.

Carlos must be sweating under all the fur he’s covered in, but you’d never guess it by looking at the boy. He’s still curling into himself and hiding behind Mal and Achite but the harsh hue of white and black against the dark red of his sleeves instantly draws eyes to their youngest member. Evie’s outfit today is simple, by Evie’s standards, but still so far from anything Auradon is used to. White shirt with splashes of dark blue, a red heart with a large golden crown imprinted upon it, a bluish black skirt and dark leggings; Evie’s picked her least threatening outfit for today.

Jay has opted for a simple black sleeveless vest with a red serpent coiled on the back and red pants. Each of Jay’s wrists is adorned in black leather bands that mimic the chains a genie bound to a lamp would have. Achite has no idea if Jay’s doing it on purpose to unsettle Jenkins- if he is it’s working, or if Jay just likes how the bands hide his soul mark without making that intention obvious.

But it’s the last member of their group that most of the Auradonians here focus on.

Gil isn’t wearing anything wild by either of their nation’s standards. Dark pants, a muted orange shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a plain leather band wrapped around his soul mark; out of all of them Gil looks the least threatening. He’s not even doing anything worthy of watching either; Gil’s just staring down at the sidewalk, as Jay and Harry trade jokes beside him.

But that doesn’t stop the watchful eyes from locking onto Gil. It doesn’t stop the parents from carefully guiding their small children away from their group as their eyes never leave Gil or prevent the few people seated at a restaurant across the street from pointing and whispering about Gil.

Malice leans in close and whispers, “Jane said Auradon City is Prince Ben’s.” Achite’s eyebrows furrow in confusion as Mal levels him a sharp glare. “The Beast’s son.” She hisses.

And it’s only then that Malachite understands; Auradon City is King Adam’s city, and Gil is Gaston’s son. Everyone in this city knows who Gil’s father is, probably because they knew Gaston or survived his assault on King Adam. The staring and hushed whispers suddenly make a lot more sense; it would be like Achite walking through Thebes.  

He really should have brought dad’s ember along.

“First we’ll enter Auradon Banking for the eight of you to receive your banking cards and then you’ll be free to explore the city with our escort.” Phoebus looks down at his wrist, most likely at some sort of watch. “It’s currently ten-two and we should be leaving around twelve.”  

Achite turns back to Gil, who’s finally looked up. He wants to ask Gil if he’s okay or if he knows what the people of this city are thinking about him. Gil offers him a small smile that barely reaches his eyes, and Malachite knows Gil has noticed. The eight of them were so excited to leave the confines of Auradon Prep but none of them realized what leaving actually implied.

Phoebus leads them inside Auradon Banking, Chip holds the door open for them. Their group follows after Phoebus, silent and as non-threatening as any VK can manage. By now, Achite knows the rest of their group, including the Auradonians, has realized they’re being watched. Lady Cassandra eyes the room, looking for threats, Jenkins watches them with pity, and Henrik and Andrew create a human barrier between the citizens and them. Malachite isn’t sure if they’re protecting them from any pissed off citizens or keeping them eight of them away from the innocent civilians.

He isn’t sure he wants that answer.

The sound of their footsteps echoes off the marbled flooring; Achite can’t help but flitch with every step their group takes. They’re drawing too much attention to themselves; not that standing still would benefit them. Mal slinks her arm through his own and her fingers dig a little into the leather of his jacket. Malachite focuses on that, on his sister, to ground himself.

“At least this place is so opened.” Mal mumbles as she looks across the room. Achite hums in agreement; the space is very open with only a few columns in the center offering cover. “It’ll be hard to ambush someone here.”

“That’s kinda the point.” Andrew whispers back. Achite doesn’t need to see Mal to know she’s tensing up. Neither of them thought the guards were close enough to hear them. “It’s to deter bank robbers, so don’t try it cause you’ll be caught.” He jokes or at least Achite thinks he’s joking; it’s hard to tell over the fast beating of his heart.

“How long is this going to take?” Uma asks, her voice is just loud enough to reverberate across the room. Malachite hisses quietly as Mal’s nose scrunches. “I’d rather explore this city than be cooped up in here.” After a small pause she adds, “No offense.”

“Not long, you just need to sign a paper and accept your card.” Phoebus replies.

Chip, who’s ran up after them, adds, “And don’t lose it! Or else there’s a ton of paperwork you have to do to get a new one. Trust me, it’s not fun.”

Uma nods her head, and Harry makes a disgusted face at the thought of paperwork. Achite has no doubt Harry probably planned on ‘losing’ his card as an excuse to leave Auradon Prep again. It would have been a solid plan if not for the paperwork; Harry despises paperwork. Maybe Malachite will have to lose his own card, if only to see how the process works. Better to gather as much data on the inner workings of Auradon now than struggle to do so later when they’re being hunted down and returned to the Isle of the Lost.

They arrive at a long desk with glass barriers with small slits and that’s where their journey ends. Phoebus talks to the man behind the desk, who eyes them warily before rushing off out of sight into a backroom. The man returns momentarily with a handful of paper and eight small black cases. Phoebus moves to the side slightly and gestures to their group.

Right, they know what to do, one at a time, usually in aphetically order, they must follow this person’s instructions to a fault. It’s what they’ve been doing since they got here.

Achite steps up to the desk and drums his fingers against the wood. The man stares at him, fear rising in his eyes, as Malachite waits for further instructions. When the man, who’s paling fasting than a VK with a nicked artery, doesn’t say anything Phoebus clears his throat loudly.

The man jumps, like actually jumps, and Achite does roll his eyes, thankful these shades block it from view. Shakily he slides a paper across the desk and then rolls a pen through the slit. “Sign the paper and fill in your information… if you know it….” The man stutters in a high-pitched hushed tone.

Achite picks up the pen, clicking it to reveal the inked tip, and reads over the document. Dad would lose it if Malachite signed some legally binding contract without reading the fine print. Not that this would be legally binding to him; Achite is not his legal name after all, but Auradon doesn’t know that. Once the document is read and signed, Achite places the pen down onto the desk and slides the paper back through the slit.

“Your card’s in the case, thank you for choosing Auradon Banking for all your banking needs.” The man says as he slides the black case over to Achite.

Achite nods, collecting the case as he walks away. Carlos immediately darts forward and the process repeats. Achite returns to Mal, holds the small black case up for Malice to view. Once her eyes leave the case, he shoves it into his jacket pocket. He’ll look over the card and case once he’s back at Auradon Prep.

Carlos walks away, his own case in hand, and Evie takes his place at the desk. She greets the man warmly and continues to make small talk as she goes through the document. The bank man doesn’t say anything, in fact he looks more afraid of Evie than he did of him, but Achite does hear Lady Cassandra snickering under her breath at the interaction. Case in hand, Evie gives the man a dramatic curtsey and walks over to where Carlos stands beside Jane. It seems Carlos and Jane are discussing the bank card at great lengths.

“Thank the Fates, I thought he’d never talk with her on his own.” Malice mumbles, echoing Malachite’s own thoughts.

Harry walks up to the desk, breaking their established group order. There’s a moment when the eight of them all freeze in place, bracing for something to happen, but nothing does, Harry gets the paper and immediately starts signing it without reading it. If any of the adults notice they skipped Gil, none of them say it.

Jay arrives at the desk before Harry walks away. The two boys eye each other up and Malachite mentally prepares for how to break his boyfriends apart without getting their group sent back home, but Harry returns to Uma without Jay doing anything. Achite should feel relieved they didn’t make a scene in the city that hates Gil but now he’s too busy focusing on why his boyfriends didn’t in the first place.

It's only then that he realizes Captain Phoebus and Coach Jenkins are also focusing on his boys that he realizes that’s exactly why they flipped the script. Now the guards are more focused on Harry and Jay- thus stealing the citizen’s focus from Gil to the two of them instead. Malachite schools his features so the Auradonians don’t see just how happy the realization makes him.

Malice pats his arm as she trades places with Jay and Malachite uses this time to wander over to Gil. Uma and Harry haven’t left Gil’s side, barring Harry’s card acquisition and Jay has joined Evie by Carlos and Jane. Gil lights up upon his arrival and Malachite silently claps one of his shoulders.

“Gilson.” Achite whispers. “You good?”

Gil ducks his head, a small pink flush coats his cheeks. One day Gil is going to make some Auradonian boy very happy. “You guys are so protective.” Gil huffs with a small smile. “I knew the people here wouldn’t be happy to see me, but I don’t think anyone here will hurt me.”

“And we’re not going to risk your life regardless.” Uma adds before she walks over to the desk. Mal, it seems, has chosen to join the rest of her crew beside Jane.

“We’re in Auradon, only villains attack people because of their parentage.” Gil replies but his doubts seep out.

Harry slings an arm across Gil’s waist. “We don’t know that, not for sure. Auradon could be full of hypocrites for all we know.”

Gil nods, eyes scanning the room before returning to the two of them. “But we’ll protect each other no matter what.”

“Yeah, we will.” Harry replies while Achite nods.

With that, Gil walks up to the desk. Uma doesn’t return, opting to stand off to the side but close enough to Gil that she could intervene if need be. Harry and Achite stare at Gil during the whole process. It’s not until Gil returns to their side and Captain Phoebus leads them out of the bank that Malachite finally starts to relax.

********

It’s Jane who takes command of their tour through Auradon City, assigning herself as their temporary tour guide. She stands ahead of the group, right beside Captain Phoebus, pointing out places, naming them, and giving their group an assortment of anecdotes and facts associated with each building.

Sometimes either Jenkins or Lady Cassandra will cut in with a remark of their own or one of the guards will do the same, but for the most part everyone follows Jane’s lead. It’s almost jarring in which his fellow half-fey went from the insecure little girl to the confidant teenager before them. Achite wonders Jane has even realized the change herself.

“And this is Belle’s Square.” Jane announces as they reach the center of town. It’s an open space, full of nearly identical, manicured hedges, with blooming blue and yellow flowers, all centered around a massive water fountain in the shape of an opened book. “Come on!” Jane calls to them as she walks over to the fountain.

“Oh wow.” Uma mutters, eyes never leaving the water feature. There’s nothing like this back home; water is too much of a necessity to waste on anything decorative like this.

They approach the fountain, and Malachite can feel the slight spray of water against his skin as a light breeze passes by. It’s pleasant in a way he wasn’t expecting. Wind blowing water against one’s skin tends to be razor sharp and freezing cold back on the Isle; and usually soaked anyone unfortunate enough to be walking around.

“King Adam had this fountain commissioned for Queen Belle after their wedding. It’s a symbol of their eternal love and meant to allow any fellow book lovers a nice place to sit as they read. If she’s free Queen Belle hosts readings here.”

“It’s true.” Chip interrupts. “Belle will come down, sit by the fountain and read aloud to the children in town. It’s a super fun time.” Malachite files the fact Chip is on a first name basis with the Queen of Auradon away for future research.

The closest the Isle of the Lost has to something like this would be his dad. Dad doesn’t exactly leave home all that often but sometimes when Achite was younger Dad would tell him and Mali stories of their family. As they got older, their friends joined in too. It would be the six of them, since this was before Mal befriended Evie and Carlos, listening as dad told them about all the feats their goldy relatives committed eons ago.

Those days from his childhood were some of Malachite’s favorites. It was dad’s way of ensuring Achite always knew one side of his family since… since mother cut him off so harshly. He and Gil always listened in silent fascination, Uma and Malice always had questions, and Harry and Jay would gasp aloud with every twist.

Malachite misses that most of all now that he’s here in Auradon; he never imagined there would be a point in his life without his dad present.

“And over here is the library I told you about before. Your library cards work here too.” Jane says as she leads them away from the fountain and down another road.

The Auradon City library is a small but tall building, towering over its neighbors by several stories. The windows all have similar stained glass to Auradon Prep, but these seem to depict the love story between Queen Belle and King Adam. It’s beautiful, the craftsmanship, and the tale the glass displays tugs at Achite’s heartstrings. It’s clear that these rulers love each other very much; and Achite’s heart yearns in jealousy.

There was a point in time, on the Isle, when his parents were this sickening in love. He doesn’t remember it- most of it occurred before his birth, but some of the older VKs mention it from time to time. Morgie does it the most, but only because the prince is a bit of a romantic who idolizes Achite’s dad. And any mention of his parents made by Anthony is usually for subtle insulting purposes; not that Anthony hates Malachite’s dad either, but more so Anthony seems to enjoy annoying Achite himself.  

Actually, most of the older VKs seem to idolize or respect his dad way more than their own parents.

Jane trails off ahead, continuing chatting about Auradon City and all its wonders. Achite can barely focus on her words, distracted suddenly by how much his misses his dad. Malice had said he was clingy, and Malachite hadn’t denied it- he is clingy, and he wants his dad. Achite can feel his eyes prickling with unshed tears, his breathing beings to speed up and just when he thinks he’ll completely lose himself in the middle of Auradon City’s perfectly paved street, Mal links her arm through his.

“You’re too quiet.” She mumbles as she guides him back to the group. Malachite hadn’t realized he was drifting behind. “Normally you’d be asking question after question, what’s wrong?”

He swallows hard, willing the tears to stay in his eyes. “I want to go home.” Achite confesses, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mal frowns a little and her eyes press shut for a moment. “I know. Me too.” She pulls him closer into her side after that. “But we’re still together.”

Achite can hear the faint falter in her voice and knows Malice feels it too. They’re off kilter, out of balance with how Auradon is run. They know where they belong, or rather who belongs beside them, and he isn’t here. Their dad is still locked away, the younger VKs are trapped on the Isle and the only thing either of them can do is ensure more children are brought over. They can free the VKs from the Isle of the Lost, ensure they all get happy little lives in Auradon, but they can never free their dad.

He’ll forever be just out of their reach but always in sight. The Fates can be cruel indeed.  

“There’s so many shops!” Carlos exclaims breathlessly. The young boys eyes are wide and scan across the buildings all around them.

Evie squeals, although a little softer than she’d normally do- they’re all still containing their reactions to ensure Gil’s safety after all. “Look at how pretty everything is! I want it all! Oh, look over there!” Evie points out a small shop at the corner of the road in front of them, one that appears to be selling fabrics.

“Auradon City has everything you need.” Jane says. “There’s a bakery over there,” She points across the street from the fabric shop, “and there’s a grocery store right here,” She gestures to the shop immediately to their right, “and there’s even a jewelry store here.” Jane points to the left, right across from the grocery store.

“Look at all the treasure! Uma, we could bury hundreds of chests with that kind of score.” Harry’s eyes light up as he wanders over to the jewelry store. Uma grabs the back of his jacket’s collar, holding her second in command firmly in place.

“I don’t think the Auradonians would appreciate that Har.” Uma says with a strained laugh. “Let’s leave the treasure hunting on the Isle, okay?” While Uma’s sentence ends there, Achite knows Uma has a silent ‘for now’ tacked onto the end of her words. Hopefully their guards haven’t realized that yet too.

“Are their stores for books too?” Gil asks, looking around the street. Gil’s voice is quiet, mindful of how the few city citizens are listening in. Malachite hates how subdued Gil appears right now; his friend hasn’t been this reserved since before Gil officially left his father’s care.

Lady Cassandra answers that one. “There are several bookstores all across Auradon City and Auradon as a whole. There’s just not any on this street.

Jane lights up, “There’s a bookstore the next street over across from Mrs. Potts Tea Emporium, they have the best treats. Can we stop there for a bite to eat?”

Ten pairs, including Chip’s, of eyes swivel towards Captain Phoebus. He sighs, shaking his head with a small smile. “Of course we can stop by, we still have an hour, and a half left before our departure.”

Several quiet cheers are heard as Jane, Harry, Carlos, and Evie all celebrate briefly. Uma and Mal share a knowing look, eyes rolling and small smirks shared by both leaders. Jay nudges Gil’s shoulder and the younger boy shakes his head with a bright smile; whatever Jay’s said seems to have cheered Gil up. Achite can feel himself relaxing but makes no effort to remove himself from Malice’s embrace.

He knows they’re clinging too closely to one another and in public too, but mother’s eyes can’t reach them here in Auradon. If they want to announce their sibling status, if they want to live their lives tethered together, then the choice is theirs and theirs alone. Which means they really need to talk about it at some point soon.

It can still wait. They still have a little time before the pieces are connected together.

Again, Jane leads the charge, winding their group past buildings at an ease which reveals her familiarity with the city. Achite had assumed if Jane lived in any city, it would be in whichever one is connected with Cinderella and the Charming guy. If his memory is correct, it was them who Jane’s mother aided in their fight against the Tremaine Family all those years ago.

Evie beats him to though, cheerfully asking, “Jane, do you live in Auradon City too?”

Jane turns around, stopping her journey to the Tea Emporium. “Oh, no. Mom and I live all the way in Cinderellasberg to the West.” Carlos’ eyes dart immediately to Gil but Gil, who’s frozen tensely in place, hasn’t acknowledged Carlos at all.

“Really?” Evie exclaims. “But you know your way around here so well.”

Jane laughs with a little nod. “That’s because I spend a lot of time here during the school year. A lot of the students at Auradon Prep visit this city during the weekend. And when I was younger, Chad would bring me along during his visits with Ben.”

“Would we be allowed to visit Auradon City unattended once school starts up or will we need to run that by you guys?” Uma asks Captain Phoebus, Lady Cassandra, and Jenkins.

“That depends on you.” Jenkins answers. “Right now, the eight of you are still learning the ropes so to speak. We all know it’s quite an adjustment going from the Isle to Auradon. The guards are here to ensure nothing bad happens to any of us.” And isn’t that quite an understatement too. The eight of them all know the Council and the Auradonians don’t trust them yet.

“What Jenkins is trying to say, “Lady Cassandra interrupts, “is that so long as the eight of you make a valiant effort to follow Auradon’s laws, then things like these escorts can be removed. We can’t imagine what your lives were like or how loyal the eight of you are to your parents. But I hope we can prove to you all that Auradon truly does care and has your wellbeing in mind.”

Lady Cassandra speaks with the voice of years of leadership experience. Malachite would bet any number of his secrets, she’s more than just a dorm head. He doesn’t know who she truly is; or which villain her legacy is tethered to, but Achite does know she’s someone who’s had to fight for her share.

Maybe, just maybe, Lady Cassandra is just like them- similar to the way Malice thinks Jane is to them too.  

“We can work with that.” Uma says, turning back to Jane and ushering the half-fey forward.

They continue mostly in silence following after Jane. It’s familiar, their new normal; trailing after Jane or her mother, whispering amongst themselves, exclaiming quietly at all the newness around them. It only stops once they arrive at the large one-story building with large, wide glass windows.

Mrs. Potts Tea Emporium is covered in sandy colored bricks wrapped in ivy. There are purple and golden trimmings above each window and displays of baked goods and their pricing. A few people sit inside, nursing cups of tea or coffee as they chat amongst themselves. As they enter the shop, Achite spots an older woman working behind the counter.

“Mrs. Potts was a servant at Beast Castle and a part of the original curse that united our King and Queen,” Jane adds in a hushed tone, leaving out any mention of the Enchantress or Gaston. There were always rumors on the Isle that the Enchantress was never captured, that for all the Beast looked he could never find and imprison the witch who cursed him- Isle rumor also thinks his dad can leave the Isle whenever he wants so Achite doesn’t put too much belief into rumors.

It’s Chip and not Captain Phoebus, who darts forward after the captain gestures ahead with a soft sigh. The young adult quickly rushes towards the counter displaying several baked goods and a cash register. The older woman notices his approach and lights, shouting “Chip!” rather loudly. It’s only then that Achite realizes how similar the two look.

“They’re related?” Gil asks, voice low and strained. Despite the questioning tone, they all know the answer before the captain replies.

“Yes, Chip is Mrs. Potts son.” Phoebus confirms but a moment later.

Gil frowns, eyeing the pair of mother and son. “He’s older than twenty. Chip was a part of the curse too, right?”

Phoebus winces as he ushers their group to a longer table away from the few citizens already inside. Mal finally pulls her arm free as she takes a seat. Around them, Achite can hear his friends whispering about Gil’s question. Gil’s right of course, Chip is definitely mid to late twenties in age, which means he was either cursed alongside the others or grew up without his mother for a brief part of his childhood. If it’s the latter, hopefully there was a Mr. Potts around.

“Chip was a teacup.” Jane adds when none of the adults answer Gil. “He doesn’t like to talk about it much so don’t bring it up okay.” The eight of them agree, Gil’s eyes never leaving the pair as he does too, and Achite makes a mental note to check in with Gil about that later.

There were also rumors that Gaston was the only person on the Isle who knew where the Enchantress was and that they had some sort of plan to enact their shared revenge against the Beast.

Malachite shakes his head, letting past Isle rumors fall out and instead chooses to focus on the people around them. Phoebus, Henrik, and Andrew are keeping watch, eyeing both the door, them, and the three other citizens already inside. Lady Cassandra and Jenkins are collecting menus for them to order from, and the rest of his friends are talking quietly with Jane about what she usually orders- something called triple chocolate brownies.

Of the three people already inside, beside Chip’s mother, two of them are seated together. They, a man and a woman, both appear to be a year or two older then Achite and his friends. The man has black hair, slicked back with some sort of gel, with eyes that are a hazelly color. His skin is tan, though not as dark as Jay’s, and everything he wears is black in color. Honestly the guy looks like he belongs over here with them.

The woman, on the other hand, wears a sleeveless white dress with a pattern of sunflowers and green vines. Her back is to Achite so he can’t see her face, but her hair is long, nearly reaching her waist and with a darker shade of red than Henrik’s hair. She reaches out to her companion, her hand turned just enough to expose her wrist -and her compass that points to the man across from her. Soulmates then, enjoying the mid-morning together.

The other person, also female and also of a similar age, sits alone enjoying a nice cup of tea by herself. There’s an array of pencils and fabrics scattered around her table in a way similar to stuff he’s seen Evie do while sketching out designs. Her brown eyes occasionally dart up to where Chip and Mrs. Potts are, a small smile spreading across the girl’s face whenever she does so. Her hair, a similar shade of brown to her eyes, barely passes her ears. The only piece of clothing Achite can make out is a zipped up Auradon Prep cheer jacket she’s wearing.   

“That’s Lucienne.” Jane says, no doubt catching Achite’s staring. “She’s a year above us, and the daughter of Lumiere and Fifi, other palace staff that were affected by the curse.”

“She’s a designer too.” Evie adds, eyeing the fabric scraps around Lucienne.”

Jane nods. “Her parents run a fabric and tailor shop, the one we saw earlier actually. I just didn’t bring us closer because….” Jane trails off, looking apologetic. It’s easy enough for them to fill in because she and or her parents don’t want the eight of you here.

Their dorm heads return, placing a menu in front of each of them. Achite pulls his gaze away from Lucienne and focuses on the menu. There are lists of things he barely recognizes, words he doesn’t know the meaning of that are too far from his ability to comprehend. At least he knows what tea is; coffee has always been a bit too bitter for his tastes being a half-fey and all.  

Around him, the others place orders that Jenkins writes down, probably to relay to Mrs. Potts. Chip has finally wandered away from his mother only to be called over by Lucienne. Achite can hear the faint whispering of their words but not the exact words themselves. They’re talking about the eight of them, that much is clear. Lucienne’s eyes keep darting between Chip and Gil, fear evident in her wide brown eyes.

She’s afraid of them or rather afraid of Gil, which would be hilarious back home considering how much of a softie Gil is compared to his brothers. Achite doesn’t do much business with Two or Three, but he’s worked with them on occasion. Two is silent, the kind of man who only speaks when needed and every word he says is perfectly picked to obtain his goal or rely his threats. Three is loud, in near constant motion in a way that sets off every instinct Malachite has.  

Gilbert is the Gaston Malachite fears the least but only because he knows Gil wouldn’t harm anyone without a valid reason. If Gil attacks him, it’s because Achite crossed some serious lines. Gil’s brothers, on the other hand, would mount Achite like one of their gators.  

“And you Achite?” Jenkins asks.

Achite looks over to Jenkins, spots his friends eyeing him wearily, and orders the first time that comes to mind. “Just a cup of chamomile tea.”

“No treats?” Lady Cassandra asks.

“He’ll have the same as me.” Mal answers and Achite nods. He has no idea what treat Malice has ordered but he’s sure he’ll like it; and if not, he can offer it to Mal.

Jenkins leaves with their orders just as Chip returns to their table. The young guard talks with Captain Phoebus in hushed tones, the two speaking quacking as they look between their table and Lucienne’s. Achite spares at glace back at Lucienne, but the teenager isn’t there- she’s standing right in front of them.

Henrik and Andrew tense up as Chip walks over to Lucienne. He tries to tell her something, but the girl ignores him. Phoebus moves closer to Gil and Achite realizes that Lucienne is standing right behind Gil- that Gil is her target and not the rest of them. Achite tenses up, bracing for the worst, the rest of their respective crews mimicking him too. Even the soulmates a few tables over are watching intensely.

Only Gil seems to remain calm.

“You’re Gaston’s son.” Lucienne asks, her voice wavering as she speaks.

Gil turns, facing the shaking teen. He doesn’t look angry or mean or happy, just slightly defeated. “I am. One of many.”

“How many?” Her voice drops a little.

Gil tilts his head to the side, pondering. “Last I heard there’s seven of us now, but I was disowned years ago, so I’d be the last to know.”

That seems to trip Lucienne up. She pauses, her confusion and disbelief racing across her face. She wants to ask Gil why, even Jane would be able to gather that much, but Lucienne doesn’t. She isn’t confident enough to try.

Gil, probably seeing her inner turmoil, because even a blind man could tell, honestly this girl has no idea how to mask her emotions, gives her the answer regardless. “Dad said I had something called empathy and didn’t want me spreading it to my brothers, so he kicked me out when I was ten.”

Both Lucienne and Chip look horrified, the captain and his guards are shocked, and the couple both gasps aloud before shrinking into their seats, trying and failing to stay out of sight. Malachite laughs loudly, startling the poor Auradonians as he does so, but he can’t help it. They look so completely caught off guard and this isn’t even the worst thing Gaston has ever done- the man’s personally wronged the parents of at least three people in this fucking room.

 “How many times do we need to remind you guys our parents are the worst Auradon has to offer. If they can’t terrorize all of you, who did you think they’d target instead?” Malachite lets the implications hang in the air. “Honestly, stop acting so surprised whenever you learn awful people who did awful things continued to do awful things to their children.”

Lucienne leaves after that with a quiet “I’m sorry”. Gil tries to tell her it’s alright, but she either doesn’t hear him or doesn’t believe him. Jenkins and Mrs. Potts return with their orders, silent and subdued; they both clearly heard that exchange and have nothing to say or nothing to justify their whatever. They eat in silence, the VKs used to such things and the Auradonians struggling with the consequences of their actions.

Honestly, Achite only regrets how torn up Jane appears, sniffling into her triple chocolate brownie. She’s been nothing but nice without any strings attached, and all they do is upset her. 

The tea is great, and the treat Mal got them even better. He’ll ask her for the name later, if only to get more of it himself.

They leave Auradon City after that, way before their allotted leaving time. The whole ride back, without Jane, is passed in complete silence.

********

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Chapter Text

Carlos holds out the drawer for Mal to study. It took him a bit of time to remove the drawer from its hinges and design a temporary false bottom. It’s not perfect, he doesn’t have the materials yet to build a perfect, more permanent replica capable of fooling Auradon, but this flimsy thing can at least conceal their new stash so long as someone isn’t looking too hard for it. And Auradon doesn’t seem to look too deeply into anything.

“How much material do you need?” Mal asks, her fingers trailing over the wooden drawer.

Carlos thinks it over. The drawers are something they all have in their rooms, courtesy of Auradon Prep. He can easily install the false drawers in all of their rooms so that their crews can hide stuff from their roommates’ prying eyes. Mal with her spellbook, Evie and the mirror, Achite with Hades’ ember, the knives Gil’s been collecting, and whatever stuff Uma managed to smuggle in. Carlos doesn’t know for sure that she has something but it’s Uma; if Mal did it, then Uma must have too.

“That depends. I’ll need to find the same type of wood, you know so it matches the true bottom. And then I need to whittle the false bottom with an opening and locking mechanism. Once I properly build one, I can accurately estimate how much more I’ll need and how much time it’ll take to make the rest.”

Mal nods, appeased with his assessment. Carlos preens as she levels him with one of her kinder smirks. She doesn’t need to say it aloud, Carlos knows Mal probably never will, but he knows she’s proud. She nudges the drawer back into his arms.

“Put it back before Jenkins or Cassandra notice. I’ll have Jay start looking for the wood you need. Hopefully the woods around the school are in bounds and that those trees are the same.” Her eyes dart over to the closed bathroom door. “If it’s not the right wood, ask Evie to mirror it.” She cocks her head towards the main door and Carlos leaves with a nod of his own.

Heart pounding, Carlos rushes back towards his own room. He hasn’t seen Jane since yesterday and isn’t quite sure where they- as in the eight of them not just him, stand with her. She was withdrawn after their visit to Mrs. Potts Tea Emporium and spent the rest of the day with her mom. Uma said she spent most of their car ride asking about Gil’s childhood. Gil’s never been one for secrets and happily shared all the atrocities of his upbringing under Gaston.

Carlos doesn’t want to see the pity in her pretty blue eyes. Or imagine her face contorted in sadness. Jane deserves to be happy; to be filled with light and life and everything nice. He wants to rid her life of such darkness; that kind of thing shouldn’t taint an Auradonian. She’s his soulmate after all, even if he can only talk to her about library books or how their little plastic money cards work.

Mal can handle Jane; she’s her roommate and if Carlos is needed Mal will say so. He trusts that if something is truly wrong with Jane, Mal would fix it through any means necessary. He shuts his door with a semi loud thunk and goes to work readding the drawer back to the bottom of his dresser. The drawer clicks into place fairly easily and Carlos places some random shirts on top of it, hiding the false bottom from view.

There are only a few things currently hidden with the false bottom, just a few knives Gil nicked during some previous meals that Carlos plans to hand out to the others once their drawers are fixed and some random screws he found around Auradon Prep. He and Gil have been searching for food to store but right now there’s just no way to prevent it from spoiling. Medicine is going to be the hardest thing for them to find, which is pretty similar to the Isle of the Lost too.

Water will be the easiest to store, it seems, which is unlike the Isle. Here in Auradon, there are lidded cups and bottles made primarily to store water without spilling it. All the Core Four or Sea Three needs to do is grab few bottles, fill them up, and hide them away from the other students. It’ll be easy, child’s play to achieve. Honestly the only thing holding them back is him and his inability to build the proper hideaway for their stashes.

Carlos shouldn’t be so frustrated by that, especially with how happy Mal is with his progress, but he is. He’s what is holding them back; it’s up to Carlos to build the mechanism to hide their stashes from Auradon Prep. He should be happy with himself, that he’s able to aid his crew despite his status as the group’s only non-magical human. That’s a crowning achievement, a magicless human providing a witch, a djinn, and a demi-fey with something they trust no one else to do.

It's not enough, Carlos feels. How can he, as a lowly powerless mortal, call himself their equal?  He should be doing more to be worthy of standing beside them. They’re the only family Carlos has ever known. He can’t let them down. He can’t lose them. He

“Hey.” Gil calls out, muffled by Carlos’ closed door. “You up?”

Carlos swallows hard, finally rising up from the floor. Dresser drawer closed, he walks over to his door and welcomes Gil inside. They sit down together on his bed- and how weird is that? Carlos actually has a bed; he’s never had one of those before; and settles into an uncomfortable silence.

Gil doesn’t say anything, his eyes darting between the blanket on the bed and the empty left side of the room. He tries not to think of what it’ll be like when his roommate, Doug, moves in. Carlos tries to think of what Gil wants, if this visit is related to their stash building or yesterday’s events. Unlike the others, his mom didn’t terrorize literal kingdoms or their future rulers.

Carlos never thought there would ever be a day he was thankful to have Cruella De Vil for a mother and yet here he is.

“Is this about yesterday?” Carlos asks, hating the way his voice cracks on the last word.

Gil nods, refusing to make eye contact. “I didn’t expect… they really hate me.” Gil mumbles sadly.

There’s not really anything Carlos can say because Gil is right; the citizens of Auradon City both feared and hated Gil’s existence. Before they learned of their foster families, Carlos had thought the Radcliffes would want nothing to do with him. Had the situation been reversed, Carlos certainly wouldn’t; but they want him, for some reason. The same cannot be said for Gil.

Auradon City, before it was called Auradon City, was the place Gaston grew up. He lived in that town, interacted with the people there, and it was those people he convinced to storm the castle that housed the Beast and his staff. Gil walked down the same streets his father did, saw the same people who knew Gaston personally and had apparently been talking with someone his dad nearly killed. Chip being one of the castle staff that the Enchantress cursed wasn’t something Carlos ever saw coming.

And If Carlos didn’t see it coming, then Gil definitely didn’t either.

“At least your foster family isn’t nearby.” Carlos says, trying to sound comforting. Honestly the revelation that the eight of them won’t be spending school breaks together is a little disheartening. And by a little, Carlos means a lot. “Arendelle isn’t anywhere near here.”

Gil nods, eyes glazing over. “And I’ll be sorta close to where Uma is.” Gil shrugs a little. “Harry’s the one who’s all alone.”

“We’ll look out for him. He’ll be by some of the Core Four” And by some Carlos means him and Evie and possibly Mal. Still, regardless of which of them is near each other, they’ll still be hundreds of miles and multiple kingdoms apart. They can agree to look out for one another all they want; the truth is none of them have any idea if they truly can.

Gil finally looks up. “Are you afraid Jane will hate you for being her soulmate?”

Carlos blanches, a whine exiting his mouth as his jumbled words get lodged within his throat. “N-no! No! Why would…. Oh. Oh Gil.”

“What if he hates me for being Gaston’s son? What if I lose him because of where I was born? Where we were born.” Gil’s eyes are wet and glossy, and a few tears slip down his cheeks.

Carlos shuffles in place nervously. “I don’t know, Gil. But Achite says t-that finding our soulmates, that having the c-compass in the first place is a part of our Fate. And that no one can escape Fate.”

“That doesn’t mean Fate has a happy ending planned for us. My dad met his soulmate and they’re not together; not romantically anyway.” Gil adds with a scoff. “Hades never found his soulmate either.”

“Well, it’s not like Hades went looking.” The words fly out of Carlos’ mouth before his mind can even process it. His face flushes darkly, and Carlos barely manages to stop himself from squeaking.

Gil laughs, wiping the tears from his face. He smiles again, something Carlos hasn’t seen since their trip outside of Auradon Prep yesterday. He feels proud of himself for cheering Gil up, even if it wasn’t how he planned on doing it. Carlos is usually so careful about what he says, especially when it pertains to someone like Hades.

“Please don’t tell Achite I said that.” Carlos mumbles, the red flush just starting to dissipate.

“I think Achite would find that funny and Hades would too.” Gil laughs again, no doubt imagining Hades hearing Carlos’ previous words. “Mal definitely would.”

“Oh no! You can’t tell her, she’d…” Well Gil may be right; Mal loves her dad but also loves to crack jokes at his expense too.

“Come on,” Gil says once his laughter dies down. “Let’s eat with the others.”

Carlos nods, following after Gil as the older teen leads him away. As they’re descending the stairs, they catch up with Mal. Jane’s not with her. Carlos doesn’t like the feeling building up in his chest. It reminds him of all the moments before his mom would beat him.

Carlos had hoped he’d left that particular feeling back on the Isle.

*********

After breakfast their group finds themselves back in Mal’s room. Carlos lays beside Mal, watching as she skims through her spellbook. She’s flipping through it slower than Mal normally would, allowing Carlos enough time to study each page. It’s truly amazing just how many spells Mal’s mother has within the small book.

Evie, Gil, and Harry all sit scattered about the table. Evie is showing off her sketchbook to the two pirates. Both Harry and Gil spend their time flipping between the designs, pointing out what they like or what they don’t as Evie takes notes. Uma and Jay are by the window, talking in hushed tones. Carlos isn’t close enough to fully hear their words but he’s able to pick out Jenkins’ name among their whisperings.

Neither Jane nor Achite are present. In fact, neither of them was at breakfast either. Carlos doesn’t know if they’re together or if Jane’s still avoiding them after yesterday, but Mal isn’t concerned by their absence. If something was truly wrong, if Achite really was in danger or missing, there’s no way Mal would be lying in bed casually flipping through her spellbook.

Mal sighs, setting the spellbook down before angling her body towards him. “You and Gil got to breakfast late.”

“We were talking about yesterday.”

“Ack and Jane left early. They’re up in the library cause Achite wanted to check something out.”

Carlos nods. Jane isn’t avoiding him- avoiding them, she’s just helping Achite out. The feeling in his chest lessens a little. “Did… has Jane talked about yesterday?”

Mal wrinkles her nose. “We did. She’s worried about us and the VKs we left behind. If anything, we’ve cemented Jane as a solid ally in our goal.”

Uma snorts from her chair. “Jane may be Fairy Godmother’s daughter but that doesn’t mean she has a lot of political pull here. Her support is great and all but that doesn’t guarantee anything for us or for our fellow VKs.”

“But” Mal begins, sitting up. “Jane is friends with the Auradonians who do. Her oldest friends are royalty, Prince Ben included among them. She might not be able to persuade the Council on our behalf, but she can persuade the royals who can.”

“Is that why you befriended Jane?” Harry asks tensely. “To ensure we had a way of tethering the royals to our cause?”

Carlos whips his head over to Mal. He trusts her; Mal is his leader, and he’ll follow her all the way to the Underworld if he has to, but Jane is his soulmate. If Carlos had to choose between the two half-feys, it’s Mal he’ll... He owes Mal his life, even if Carlos owes Jane his heart. He doesn’t want to pick between them, but…

“I befriended Jane because I wanted to. The addition of her support and the advantages that brings us are merely a welcome bonus.” Mal hisses, her eyes flashing green.

Harry holds up his hands in surrender and Mal’s anger dissipates.

Uma stands, walking over to Mal and Carlos. She sits back down on the bed, leaning against one of the wooden bedposts. “We haven’t discussed it more.” Uma says vaguely, eyes darting to the closed room door.

“I know.” Mal mumbles, following Uma’s darting eyes. “But you felt how strong they were. If we had to fight Auradon, we’d lose.”

Uma nods, but it’s Jay who speaks next. “We can’t even control ourselves right now. Even if we found an item to use, there’s no guarantee any of us could…. We might end up breaking the whole damn barrier.”

“We could free our parents.” Gil whispers, shuddering at the thought. Carlos feels every hair on his body rising. “We can’t risk that. No matter what Auradon does, we can’t let them out!” Gil begs, voice tinted with fear.

“We won’t.” Mal answers. She swallows harshly, eyes blinding rapidly. If Carlos didn’t know better, he’d think Mal was afraid, but Mal doesn’t feel fear. Right?  “For now, we need to focus on mastering our magical abilities and ensuring more VKs are brought over.”

“And we can’t do anything to jeopardize the other VKs” Evie adds. “They’re counting on us.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Uma agrees. “Master our powers and play politics.”

“I hope you filled our dear demigod of this plan.” Harry teases, but a nervous energy clings to his words. “If anyone can sweettalk these Auradonians into doing our bidding, it’ll be Achite.”

And Carlos knows Harry is right. Achite isn’t the Isle sole neutral party for no reason; Mal’s brother has quite the knack for figuring out how people tick. There’s no one on the Isle who can convince rival gangs to set aside their differences for a common goal like Achite can. If anyone can convince Auradon to keep releasing more VKs- if any of them could influence which VKs are picked next; Achite’s who Carlos would pick to do it.

“Good thing Achite is rooming with Prince Ben than.” Jay says as he shuffles onto the bed too.

Relief spreads throughout the room and Carlos doesn’t need magic to see his friends relaxing at the revelation. Achite, even without being privy to this conversation, is already doing damage control for yesterday with Jane. Maybe Carlos should talk with Achite again about fey courtships; it hasn’t even been a full day yet, but Carlos misses Jane far more than he expected considering how little they’ve talked.

A knock at the door brings the earlier tension back into the room. Achite wouldn’t knock since Jane is with him and it’s Jane’s room so she wouldn’t be knocking either. Six pairs of eyes lock onto Mal, waiting for the half-fey, demi-fey technically, to do something. Mal doesn’t respond aloud, instead she walks over to the door, opening it slightly.

On one hand, the way Mal’s holding the door blocks their group from view. It’s a protection tactic they use back home; even on one’s own turf, you never let unknown parties know how many VKs are with you or where they’re stationed. On the other hand, it means, the six of them can’t see who Mal is talking with either.

But they can hear them.

“Cassandra.” Mal announces, door still held slightly ajar. “Jane’s in the library.”

“I’m not looking for Jane.” Carlos sees Mal’s shoulders rise slightly. The six of them all lean a little closer to the door, mindful to stay out of sight too. “Is Uma with you?”

Mal doesn’t turn around, head tilting like she’s thinking over Cassandra’s question. Carlos, and the others, all turn to Uma. Gil and Jay stand, shielding Uma, who doesn’t look too pleased with their actions. Evie freezes in place, eyes screwed shut and Harry covers his mouth with both hands, muffling the slight whining noise he’s making.

Uma carefully shoves Jay and Gil aside and walks over to Mal. Mal moves over, allowing Uma to stand in the spot she previously occupied. Uma replaces her hand on the door, still keeping it slightly ajar as Mal now leans on the opposite wall beside her and can no longer reach the door without blocking Uma in.

“What’s up?” Uma asks far more casually than Carlos expects.

“This is a key to the pool here on campus.” Cassandra says, probably holding out the key for Uma. “A key part of both your physical health and magical abilities rely on you being submerged in water so-”

“So, I get to splash around in your fancy pool whenever I want.” Uma finishes, taking the key.

“Yes, but please inform myself or the rest of the staff when you do so. In case of an emergency, we need to know where our students are at all times. Coincidently, if you were to have some type of magical or physical accident within the pool and no one knew you were there; well, I’m sure you can fill in the rest yourself.”

“Can we all go?” Harry shouts as he walks over to Uma. “To the pool, Cassie! Can we all splash around with Uma or is it mers only.”

If Cassandra makes a face at Harry’s choice of a nickname, Carlos can’t see it. Her reply on the other hand, he does hear. “Honestly, we would prefer if Uma was accompanied by others, especially if they can swim.”

“Gil can swim, right buddy?” Harry calls over. Gil nods silently. Harry looks to Mal. “I don’t know about your crew though.”

“Carlos swims.” Mal answers, which is true, but Carlos didn’t know Mal knew that. In fact, he doesn’t know how she knows that. “Jay too, for that matter.”

“You can swim!?” Carlos whispers to Jay. Jay just smirks, eyebrows wiggling.  

Uma leans back, opening the door wide and exposing their collective group. Cassandra’s face betrays her shock for just a moment before she’s schooling her features with an ease Carlos is almost jealous of. His face is always betraying him; he just can’t quite mask his emotions as well as the rest of his crew.

The key is twirled between Uma’s fingers as she shows it off to their group. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m thinking today’s a pool trip kinda day.” Uma smiles, sharp and vicious.

Mal stalks over to Uma. “Well, it’s about time we saw a new part of this school.”

Both leaders smile wickedly at one another, and Carlos knows he’s going to spend the next few hours soaking wet.

*********

“Holy fuck is this place shiny!” Carlos cringes at Harry’s loud exclamation. The pirate’s voice echoes a little off the walls, making his words seem louder than normal.

“Harry.” Uma scolds as she shucks off her shoes and socks.

Carlos wanders over to Gil and where the boy is standing beside the edge of the pool. Gil’s looking down at the pool and it’s pristine sparkling water. Even the pool back at his mother’s manor isn’t this clean; mainly because it’s not Carlos’ job to clean it. It’s one of the few tasks mother delegated to Horace and Jasper which means it doesn’t always get done. But mother never yells at him about it so it’s not his problem.

It's better not to remind mother chores aren’t being done, especially if she hasn’t cared enough to notice before.

“It’s so clear.” Gil mutters once Carlos is close by.

He nods, “Yeah, my mother’s pool was never this nice.”

“Is that where you learned to swim?”

“Yup,” Carlos confirms. “What about you? Does Gaston have a pool in his lodge we don’t know about?”

Gil shakes his head no. “You know that body of water by the docks where most of the gators live?” At Carlos’ nod, Gil continues. “Dad would chuck us in there. We either learned to swim or died trying.”

“That sounds like Gaston.” Carlos mutters darkly and Gil hums in agreement.

Carlos squeals as a hand claps the back of his shoulder. Harry snickers behind Carlos’ ear as Harry drapes his arms around Gil and Carlos. Harry lightly knocks his head against Gil’s and then repeats the process with Carlos.

“You don’t think there are any sea creatures lurking about in there?” Harry whispers, eyes blown wide and locked onto the pool.

Harry’s weird aversion to water is well known on the Isle, almost as much as Captain Hook’s prevalence for being almost eaten by marine creatures.

“Well, there’s definitely going to be one in there soon.” Evie jokes from across the room.

“What? How do you know?” Harry exclaims, ducking for cover behind Gil.

Jay crosses his arms over his chest as he stares Harry down. “Evie meant Uma, dumbass.”

Harry gapes up at Jay, half crouched behind Gil. “I knew that. I meant besides Uma.”

Carlos lets the voices of his friends wash over him, instead opting to watch the still water of the pool. Swimming wasn’t really something they could do on the Isle. There were very few spots of seawater the VKs had access to, and they were always packed to the brim with gators. As far as Carlos knew there were only two pools on the Isle, the one at his mother’s manor and the one at Serpent Prep.

While he hadn’t done it in a while, swimming always calmed Carlos down. There was something about the water washing over him or the way it muffled the world that lured Carlos into a state of peace. Obviously, he had to stop after his pool stopped being clean; he couldn’t risk getting sick. Even just standing around this room has Carlos relaxing. He would- ripples emerge across the pool’s surface and Carlos turns his head. Uma’s feet dangle in the pool’s water, her pants legs rolled up towards her knees.

But to swim now would mean revealing just how many scars Carlos has gotten over the years and that reveal isn’t something he’s ready for.

“I missed this.” Uma murmurs softly. Carlos shuffles over to her. He sits next to her; his own feet crisscrossed on the cool tiles.

Carlos nods in agreement. “What was the pool like at Serpent Prep? We Dragon Hallers, weren’t allowed in.”

“Filthy.” The three pirates answer in unison before laughing aloud. The sound echoes across the room and Carlos can’t help but smile and laugh too.

Uma nudges him with her elbow. “I had no idea you knew how to swim too. Had I known, we would have made a proper pirate out of you De Vil.”

“I can’t imagine myself as a pirate.” Carlos huffs, shaking his head. “But I appreciate the offer, I think?”

“Hey!” Mal scolds, “Carlos is mine. I chose him first.” Uma holds her hands up in mock surrender.

“Technically, I found Carlos first.” Evie jests. “But you chose me too, didn’t you M?”

Mal smirks, but it’s softer than her usually look. “Damn right I did.”

Evie walks over to the pool’s edge. “I never really thought about swimming outside of cute swimsuits.” Evie giggles. “Honestly, the whole thing freaks me out a little. Drowning is such a bad way to go.” She murmurs that last bit softly, her faces pales ever so slightly.

“That’s why I prefer to stay on the ground.” Mal mutters.

“No, you prefer staying in your daddy’s domain.” Harry teases.

Mal makes a face, a cross between disgust and humor. “Don’t call my dad that. It sounds weird coming from you and that flirtatious tone.”

“I second that.” Uma adds. “Achite might actual combust if he heard you.”

Harry whirls over to Jay, who’s been silently staring out the huge glass windows. “Love, do you think that’s true?”

“Huh?” Jay asks, clearly distracted. Both Mal and Harry pick up on it, Carlos too technically.

“Love? You okay?” Harry asks, walking over to his soulmate. “Is Jenkins bothering you again? Your magic going flary?”

Jay uncrosses his arms, a small huff of laughter escaping his lips. “I thought I saw… doesn’t matter. But if Ack hears you saying inappropriate things about his dad again, he’ll have your soul.”

“Again?” Mal asks darkly.

Harry whips around to face her. “Now it’s not what you’re thinking. I merely pointed out once, back when we first started dating that-”

“He called Hades hot. Like sexy hot and not flaming hot.” Jay adds with a wide smile.

Mal’s face contorts in disgust. Uma roars with laughter, Carlos even thinks he sees a few tears roll down. Evie and Gil look like they’re pondering Harry’s observation; or that they’re agreeing with Harry while Mal’s too distracted with the pirate to notice them. Carlos, for one, doesn’t get it; Hades is more like their group dad… not that Carlos considers the God to be his dad. That would be weird…

Oh boy.

“We agreed to never speak of that again!” Carlos screams, or rather yelps loudly, as Achite bellows from the doorway. “What part of to ours graves escaped you?”

“Love! Jay’s the one said it.” Harry pleads.

Jay scoffs. “You said it first.”

“You agreed with me!” Harry wails. Jay’s face falls.

“You what?” Achite speaks softly. His fingers are pale white where he’s clutching a book. Jane pokes her head into the room, eyes darting between Harry and Achite.

“You guys think…” Jane asks, trailing off when she makes eye contact with Achite again. “Nope, never mind, I’m good.”

“Clever girl Jane. Achite can be quite possessive of his dad.” Evie teases as she pulls Jane into the room. “Come, come. We can talk about cute swimsuits together. Like where to get them because this outfit,” Evie gestures to the pretty blue leather dress she’s wearing, “really can’t get wet.”

“Oh, well the school provides basic swimwear. Like swimming trunks for the boys and one-piece swimsuits for us girls. You can keep them too since that would be a really weird thing to share.” Jane shakes her head at that. “They get the job done but they’re in our school’s colors.”

“So they’re blue and gold and horribly designed?” Evie finishes.

Jane nods. “Yup, you can buy swimsuits, prettier ones, in most kingdoms. There’s a place we all go to in Auradon City. Our tour never got that far, the store is on the opposite side of town. Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I ruined the tour.” Gil says, eyes cast downward.

“No Gil, I completely forgot you’re Gaston’s son. And I didn’t think we’d run into Lucienne or that…” Jane huffs. “You’re my friend. You’re all my friends and I didn’t think about how other people would react to your presence. I’m sorry.”

“We’re the children of Auradon’s most fearsome villains. People were always going to be weary of our presence.” Achite says, walking towards both his soulmates.

“But you’re not your parents.” Jane adds fiercely. “You were born on the Isle, yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re all evil too. Your parents made their choices but none of you had any say. I know we’ve only known each other for a short period of time, but I don’t think any of you are bad.”

“We know, Jane.” Mal relies lowly.

“And your support means more to us than you’ll ever understand.” Uma says.

“You only like us because you’ve taken the time to know us.” Achite adds. “The rest of Auradon doesn’t have any reason to get to know us either.”

“They should. You guys haven’t done anything wrong.” They all must make some sort of face because Jane huffs angrily before continuing. “No! You guys did whatever you needed to survive. I won’t fault you for that. I can’t hate you for that.”

A fey’s loyalty is a wonderful thing; Carlos would know, he’s somehow managed to obtain it from three different feys. Why Mal and Achite adore him, why Jane after only a week and some change of knowing them feels such protectiveness over the eight of them is beyond Carlos. It must be a fey thing, that overprotectiveness over things viewed as yours. Mal decided Evie and him were hers after one mission. Achite only needed to see Mal’s approval before claiming the two of them too. And now, here’s Jane, their friend of nine days, pledging her unwavering faith in them.  

“My Lady Jane, who needs the world’s approval when we have yours.” Achite smiles, bright and genuine, arms slinking around both his partners.

A moment of silence overtakes the room only to be broken by Uma. “Enough of that touchy feely shit. It’s pool party time.” With that Uma slides off the tile, submerging herself fully into the pristine waters.

*********

The only sounds in the pool room are Uma and Jay splashing one another, in some sort of competition only they understand. Gil and Evie sit on the other side of the pool, bare feet swinging back and forth in the water. They’re talking about something; Carlos is too far away to hear what but considering this morning it’s probably about yesterday.

Mal, Achite, and Harry are as far away from the pool as they can possibly be without exiting the room entirely. Mal’s on her phone; it’s a nice purple color that almost matches her hair. Occasionally, she’ll look up to check up on the rest of their crew before continuing whatever it is she’s doing. Achite is next to Mal, leaning against the wall reading Tourney: Rules and Regulations. Harry is sitting in Achite’s lap, reading along. At first Carlos didn’t understand why Achite would choose a book about Tourney until he remembers the first lesson in Schemes Management 101; in order to beat your enemy, you must know everything about them.

The only Tourney related Auradonian they know is Jenkins. He’s Auradon Prep’s coach after all. While Jenkins and Achite have no quarrels, Jay and Jenkins do, which explains Achite’s choice in reading material and Harry’s sudden interest in the sport. They’re learning everything they can about the one thing they know is important to Jenkins-apart from the man’s children of course.

And that just leaves Carlos and Jane and where they’re awkwardly sitting beside one another, staring out the windows.

He doesn’t know what to say to her. Yesterday was just a fluke; it’s easier to talk with Jane when it’s about how Auradon works. When it’s just the two of them, he falters. Carlos isn’t nearly as interesting as the rest of his friends. It’s not that he doesn’t want to talk with her; it’s just that there’s so much between them.

How does one even begin to talk with their soulmate? Thanks to Evie, Carlos knows she’s waiting for him. Does that mean Jane knows they belong together? Is she leaving him hints, waiting for Carlos to make the first move? Is that how it’s done in Auradon? Or does she not know? Will Carlos be the one to break it to her?

“It’s a beautiful day outside.” Jane says.

“Yeah, really sunny. Nothing like the Isle.” He adds.

From the spot where Mal, Achite, and Harry are grouped Carlos hears several low groans. He risks a glace in their direction but the three of them are exactly as Carlos last saw them. He looks back to Jane, who’s staring right at him.

“What’s it like, the Isle of the Lost. You guys mention things here and there, but none of you really talk about it.” She rests her head against the glass. “I always thought it couldn’t be that bad or that the Council would have intervened sooner if things were really bad. But that was wrong of me to assume, right?”

Her eyes bore into him, filled with questions and agony and guilt. Carlos feels his throat hitch as his breath stalls. He knows he should say something to comfort her, to wash away all her sadness, but all Carlos can focus on is how beautiful she looks. Her icy blue eyes are wide and so full of emotion and life that it tugs at his heartstrings. Her face is pale, devoid of any color except the dusting of pink across her cheeks and nose. The short dark locks of Jane’s hair, sans any type of bow to hold them in place, splay out against her jaw.

“It’s cold, the Isle, and wet like it’s either just started or just stopped raining. Everything is cramped, like the Isle is one poorly packed closet. Everyone knows everyone but there’s no comfort in it. You’re always being watched or judged or plotted against. And it’s never clean. Clean doesn’t exist there, not like it does here.”

Jane frowns, pondering his words. “Is there anything good about it?”

“It depends.” He pauses, swallowing hard. “Most of the VKs aren’t too bad. Yeah, we’re all rivals but at the end of the day, it’s us VKs verses the adults. It’s sorta an unspoken agreement.” He chuckles at that.

“What about…” Whatever question Jane wanted to ask is changed. “How did you all meet?”

“Evie and I met at Dragon Hall- Ah, that’s one of the schools back home. We were both outcasts and we just kind of clicked together. We always knew of the others, but we never really interacted with them until like two years ago.”

“I thought the four of you were on the same crew for a while?”

“Evie and I joined Mal’s crew two years ago. That’s when our parents formed their new alliance. Mal’s mother wanted us to find her scepter. Afterwards Mal liked Evie and I enough to make us members of her crew. Once we joined, she and Jay introduced us to Uma and her crew and Achite.”

Jane looks over to Mal, but her attention is claimed by Harry and Achite. Harry’s moved so that his head is resting on Achite’s thighs while the rest of his body is laid out in front of Achite. Carlos can hear faint mumbling from Achite as the demigod reads the book quietly to Harry, and Mal too if she’s listening.

“They’ve been friends a long time then?”

Carlos nods. “Mal and Achite have known each other the longest.” Technically not a lie since they’re twins. “Same with Uma and Harry. From my understanding, Jay wandered into Hades’ place, met Achite who introduced him to Mal.”

“And the Sea Three?”

“I know Gil did the same thing as Jay, wandered into Achite’s home, befriended Achite who then introduced him to everyone else. And then once Gaston disowned him, Gil officially joined Uma’s crew. But, before you ask, I have no idea how Mal and Achite met Uma or which of them befriended who first. But it probably involves Hades.”

“I think I get it. It’s similar to my friends.”

Carlos nods. “The royals, right?”

Jane nods. “Chad and I grew up together, causes of our moms, you know. Chad met Ben and they became fast friends. Chad introduced me and Ben introduced Audrey and we’ve been friends ever since.” She smiles faintly. “We planned on doing our search together.”

“Search?”

Jane’s eyes widen. “Oh, our soulmate search. You and group of friends go on a road trip after graduating high school and the trip doesn’t end until everyone’s found their soulmate.” Jane’s smile falters. “I don’t think we’re going anymore.”

“They all found their soulmates already?”

Jane shakes her head. “No, Chad’s… Chad gets weird whenever soulmates are mentioned. Audrey thinks he found his and it ended badly. Whatever happened, it really soured things.”

“I’m sorry.” Carlos says instead of I’m right here; you already found me.

Jane smiles up at him bright enough that Carlos fears he may have said the silent part out loud. Jane giggles and sounds like little bells ringing in the wind. She looks up at him, opens her mouth to say something- Carlos can feel his heart beating out of his chest and wonders just how red his face is when the moment is ruined.

The door to the pool room snaps open. Achite growls, startled, Mal’s eyes go green, and Harry screeches like he’s been shot. Jay curses before he and Uma slip under the water, the door opening shocked them enough for both VKs to lose their footing. Evie almost falls into the pool- which would be very bad considering she can’t swim, but Gil catches her just in time.

Both Jane and Carlos startle so hard they knock their heads into the windows. They both wince in unison, rubbing the matching bumps on their heads. “Sorry about that,” Fairy Godmother says, “I just need a moment with Jane.”

Jane flushes, one hand still rubbing her head and the other clutching Carlos’ shoulder. He didn’t even realize they both reached out to each other, using one another to steady themselves. Jane pulls her hand away from Carlos like she’s been burned. She squeaks out an apology before following after her mom.

Their footsteps fade away and once it seems the mother and daughter fey pair are out of ear shot, everyone turns to Carlos.

“What?” He asks, uncomfortable with all the attention on him.

“Carlos! You did it!” Evie squeals as she walks over to him.

“Did what?” Carlos ask again as Evie wraps her arms around him.

“Carlos you sly dog!” Achite says, a predatory smirk expanding across his face. “You held a decent conversation with your soulmate and all on your ownsome!”

“Thank the Fates.” Mal mutters, in good humor. “I thought you’d take all summer.”

Harry winks at him. “Now remember the best way to please a lady is to- Don’t even think about it Jay!” Harry crawls backwards away from a soaking wet Jay, who edges towards Harry and Achite with his arms spread wide.

“I’m holding paper Jay.” Achite warns, Tourney: Rules and Regulations held in front of him like a shield. “Take Harry and spare me.”

Harry pauses his shuffling, gasping aloud as he turns to Achite. “Betrayed by my lov-Jay!” Harry screams, as Jay finishes wrapping his wet arms around Harry. Jay nuzzles Harry, his wet hair sticks all over Harry’s exposed skin. “Look at what you’ve caused.” Harry whines at Achite; the book still held between them.

“So how do you feel?” Evie whispers, completely ignoring Harry pleading for Uma to avenge him as Achite begs Mal to shield him.  

Carlos turns away just as Mal plucks the book from Achite’s grasp, and Uma and Jay descend upon him. “It felt good. Nice. I really” Carlos cringes a little at Achite’s scream as he’s soaked, “like her.”

“Gilson! Avenge me!” Achite pleads.

Gil looks over at Achite smushed between Uma and Jay, to Mal holding the book and her phone, and then to Harry frowning in wet clothing. “You got this Uma!”

Achite scoffs, a whine escaping his throat. “Men, they always disappoint you.”

*********

After drying off, at least those of them who got wet which did not include him, the nine of them went to lunch. It was a simple affair, the nine of them cluttered around a table, trading bits and pieces of fruit and cheese and crackers. It was a lighter meal than previous Auradonian lunches but with more resources than the eight of them could ever hope to scavenge on the Isle.

It’s the closest they’ve gotten to recreating meals from back home.

Carlos finds himself slotted in between Evie and Jane, laughing as Achite continued to ignore Harry, much to the pirate’s dismay. Somewhere along the way, probably while everyone was drying off, Mal returned the tourney book and Achite is making good progress reading it as he eats bits of fruit while Harry pouts next to him.

“Can all of you swim?” Jane asks while passing Evie a handful of crackers.

“Gil, Jay, myself, and Carlos can.” Uma replies before popping a blueberry into her mouth. “But I think the whole half mer thing implies that.”

“How did the rest of you learn? I didn’t think the barrier extended to the sea enough to learn. And from how you all talk about it, the Isle doesn’t seem like the kind of place to have pools.”

“There are a few patches of seawater where you could learn to swim. At least that’s how my brothers and I learned.” Gil pauses for a moment. “Although Serpent Prep does have a pool.”

“Not a lot of people can swim so learning how meant I had an escape route not many VKs could use.” Jay grins cheekily. “I evaded a lot of angry VKs by jumping into the ocean.”

“Mother’s manor has a pool. Horace and Jasper taught me how to swim while they taught Harold and Jace. Ah, their kids; the Badum cousins.” Carlos says.

“My dad taught me.” Jane adds unprompted.

Harry nods, finally turning away from Achite. “My dad taught me to fear the ocean.”

“Oh that’s…” Jane doesn’t finish her reply.

Achite and Mal both nod in agreement. “The ocean is a dangerous, scary place. I prefer to remain out of the water.” Says Achite. Mal points to her brother in agreement, adding “My parentage and water don’t really mix.”

“Feys and water can… oh this is some weird Isle thing I don’t know about isn’t it.” Jane asks.

Mal smiles, clapping. “Yay, you’re learning.” Mal drops the mock niceties. “You can’t tell anyone outside of this table, but the truth is my dad and water don’t mix well.”

“Oh. Oh! Of course, I understand.” Jane’s eyes gleam excitedly at the little bit of knowledge she’s learned about Mal’s parentage. 

Carlos is shocked Mal even said anything and he’s not the only one. Harry’s mouth hangs open, Gil stares at Mal with wide eyes, and Uma’s frozen in place, a piece of cheese held halfway to her mouth. Jay looks at Mal in equal measures of concern and disbelief, the same expression no doubt mirrored on Carlos’ own face, and Evie looks like her birthday came early.

Achite is the only one who’s emotions are indecipherable.

“M! You’re sharing! Oh Dr. Bells will be so happy!” Evie squeals excitedly.

Achite reaches out, poking Mal’s cheek with one finger. She swats him away; annoyance clearly displayed on her face. “Who are you and what have you done to my Mali?” Achite asks in mock concern.

Mal scowls, rolling her eyes. “Jane shared something personal, so I did too” Mal defends. “We’d be pretty crappy friends if Jane was the only one who opened up about shit.”

“I didn’t think you knew your dad.” Jane mutters.

“Oh, my Lady Jane, that is one long and complicated story.” Achite says and Jane seems to drop it; no doubt happy Mal shared anything personal at all.

“Do all of you know your other parents?” Jane asks, seemingly not dropping it.

The table takes on an eerie silence. No answers Jane, instead opting to glance around the one and at each other as if daring someone else to go first. Achite and Uma look uncomfortable; Jay’s face contorts in barely concealed rage and Gil pales. Only himself and Harry appear unaffected as Evie frowns, eyes avoiding everyone else.

“That is a complicated answer.” Mal replies once it’s clear no one else will. “When our parents made the Isle, they needed a way to secure alliances, something to heighten their power or something to trade away to others. Money is meaningless on the Isle and resources are too scarce to be bartered like that so…”

“So, they used us instead.” Achite finishes.

Jane pales. “What?”

“Most of us were born because of the things Mal already stated and because of that, most of us aren’t allowed to interact with our other parent. When you buy something from the store, the previous owner doesn’t check in on their old product, understand?” Achite asks.

“I know who my dad is, Evie and Carlos don’t.” Mal adds. “But even if I didn’t, our mothers would never tell us. Because if we knew who they were, we might not be loyal to them.”

“You’re their pawns, their way of furthering their legacies.” Jane answers in sad understanding.

“That’s right.” Uma confirms. “Sometimes, one of us figures it out but we can’t really do anything with the knowledge because our other parent either doesn’t want us or can’t acknowledge us without our claimed parent reacting badly.”

“What happens if you have a sibling, but they’re claimed by a different parent?” Jane’s eyes well up with tears. Carlos thinks she seems to know the answer already but is still holding out hope she’s misunderstanding how the Isle functions.

“It depends.” Achite answers as the resident expert on the topic. “If you both know, you can sneak around to see each other and hope your claimed parents don’t mind or that they never find out. What usually ends up happening is one sibling, usually the eldest, knows and recruits the younger sibling for their crew.”

“Or you end up like my family.” Gil says. “My dad only claims strong sons, so I probably have a ton of sisters and a few brothers out there that I don’t know about. I know I have several brothers but the actual number of siblings I actually have is probably a lot bigger.”

Jane’s eyes light up, an idea taking hold. “So, some of you could be siblings and not actually know it, because most of you only know one parent’s identity.”

“That’s possible.” Evie confirms. “But it’s not like we have any way to confirm it.”

“You do!” Jane exclaims. “We could run a DNA test and if any of you are related, it would tell you. If you share both parents or only one, the test will tell you. And all you need is a sample of hair, or spit, or blood to do it.”

“And some of the villains on the Isle still have family here in Auradon, right? So even if we weren’t related to each other, we could be related to someone here.” Carlos adds on excitedly.

“Yes, exactly!” Jane exclaims, eyes lighting up as she stares at him. “I can ask my mom about it or you guys could talk to your doctors about it.”

It’s Uma who answers, speaking on behalf of all of them. “I think it’ll be best if we took some time to think this over, Jane. Not all of us want to know or already know and don’t want the rest of Auradon to know. We haven’t even been here for a full month yet and we’re already… let’s table this discussion for a later date.”

“That’s fine. I won’t say anything to anyone without approval. I just wanted the eight of you to know it’s an option, but if you have any questions, let me know.” She continues after a slight pause. “Or let me know if there’s anything else you guys need. We’re friends now, after all.”

“Oh!” Evie exclaims suddenly causing Carlos to nearly jump out of his skin. “I was wondering if I could go back to Auradon City sometime soon.”

“You want to go back?” Mal asks.

Evie nods. “Now that most of you approved my sketches I can start sewing them. But I don’t have enough fabric.” Evie turns to Jane, pleading her case. “It doesn’t even need to be all eight of us that goes, just me and someone to help me carry any extra fabric rolls.”

“I’ll go with too, be your bag man.” Jay says, flexing his arms.

“I’ll tag along too. Maybe I’ll get my hands on some treasure.” Harry adds on as Uma rolls her eyes.

Achite leans forward, shutting the book and placing it on the table. “I could use some more ink, and I can pick up more art supplies for you too Mali.”

“Works for me.” Mal agrees.

“I’ll talk to my mom after lunch and ask her. Since it’s a smaller group, you might be able to go tomorrow but no promises.”

“I understand.” Evie says.

Jane looks at the rest of their group. “Mal’s not going but Evie, Jay, Harry, and Achite are. Will the rest of you stay behind too?”

“No offense but I’d rather stay here. Achite can keep Harry out of trouble if need be.” Uma answers, ignoring how Harry pouts beside her.

Jane turns her gaze to him and Carlos fights back the urge to blush. He doesn’t want to go back to the city. There were too many prying eyes, too many pathways to take, too unknown to ease his mind. At least back on the Isle, Carlos knows exactly how to evade danger; he doesn’t have that knowledge.

“No, I’ll stay here.” Carlos answers, thankful that his voice doesn’t quiver.

“I’ll go.” Gil answers last. Gil’s choice shocks them all, Carlos included especially considering their earlier conversation.

“You sure, Gil?” Uma asks as she studies her pirate. 

Gil nods. “They’re afraid of me because of who my dad is but it’s like Jane said, they don’t know me or any of us really. How can we expect Auradon not to be afraid of us if they never see us?”

*********

Carlos stands outside room eight; Achite’s room. He knows the demi-fey is inside and has been since their group parted ways after lunch. Carlos spent some time with Evie in Mal’s room, watching as his oldest friend sketched away. Mal and Jane, once she returned from talking with her mom, chose to remain in their room too, talking about their magic. The Sea Three went back to the pool while Jay opted for some alone time walking around the school.

Carlos can hear them, Mal and Jane, talking in hushed tones, comparing everything they know about fey magic and the faint sound of Evie’s pencils scratching across her sketchbook. He’s not sure what Achite’s doing, probably still reading that tourney book, but with Mal already occupied with Jane, Achite is Carlos’ only option. The door to room eight is closed, and Carlos knocks quietly on the wood. There’s a shuffling sound and then the door opens revealing Achite.

Achite cocks his head, inviting Carlos inside. Once he enters the room, Achite shuts the door again. He follows Achite’s lead, sitting on the edge of the bed while Achite lounges across it. Achite leans his head against his pillows, shades ever present atop his face, with arms folded behind his head. Carlos always knew just how alike Achite and Hades are but it’s still super uncanny to see it like this.

“Jane or the DNA testing?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you here about Jane or about the opportunity of using your blood to find possible relatives.”

“I’m here about Jane.” Carlos frowns, finally contemplating the rest of Achite’s words. He never really thought he would ever find his dad or any possible siblings or potential Auradonian relatives but now that opportunity is available. Carlos doesn’t know how he feels about that. “Did you really think I came to you about the test?”

Achite shrugs, arms moving to rest across his chest instead. “You don’t know your dad. And if Jane’s telling the truth, you have a strong chance of finding that out. I don’t know if any of us, barring Mali and I, are related to you but it’s possible.”

“S-should I do then?” Carlos asks, so unsure of himself.

“I can’t make that choice for you. Even if you’re not related to any of the others, your dad could still have family in Auradon that, once they learn of your existence, may want you too. If that’s the case, you might be able to get out of staying at the Radcliffe’s residence.”

Carlos nods, shuffling over so he’s laying down next to Achite. Achite wraps one arm around his shoulders in return. “Do you think Mal would be mad if I did it?”

“No.” Achite answers without any hint of hesitation. “She knows how bad of a mother Cruella is, if there’s a chance your dad would be better and you want to find him, then she’ll help you.”

Carlos leans into Achite. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Achite pauses for a moment before continuing. “So, what exactly did you want to ask about Jane, cause at this point I know basically the same things you do.”

“Remember a few days ago when me, Evie and Gil asked you about-”

“Fey courtships?” Achite sits up a little, jostling Carlos. “Are you going to court our dear Lady Jane? Oh! You are, how nice.”

“Stop teasing, I’m serious.”

“So am I!” Achite fully sits up, turning to face Carlos directly. “Okay, like I said previously, gift giving is your best option. Things relating to nature, food or trinkets; especially if you made them yourself but that’s not a requirement.”

Carlos begins the mental list in his mind; gifts, food, things made by him. “You said not to lie too, right?”

“I did; we fey folk can always tell when someone is lying to us-”

“Wait seriously?” Carlos’ eyes widen, while he’s never lied to either twin or their mother, the thought of them knowing about it leaves him feeling hallow.

“Why do you think I’m so good at making deals.” Achite says with a smirk. “But in all honesty, under the barrier that gift was less accurate, you could say. I would get weird feelings but now I outright know if someone’s lying or not.”

“Huh, that’s good to know. Not that I plan on lying to either of you!”

“We know. We trust you.” Achite replies in that eerie way that also means Mal would too, even if she’s not present for the conversation.

“It’s really scary when you and Mal do that.” He mutters.

Achite smiles, laughing a little. “I know but it’s super fun. Anyways, back to business. To properly start your courtship, you must give your intended a courtship gift. They will judge it and if they deem it acceptable, then your courtship has officially started.”

“So, we would be dating then?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“How will Jane know if it’s a courtship gift or a friendship gift?”

“Before you hand over the gift, you’ll say a little something about your intentions. A simple ‘this gift represents my devotion to you’ or ‘let this gift symbolize my desire for a courtship’. Honestly, mention it’s a courtship gift, hand it over, and Jane will know what to do.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, Carlos.” Achite answers. “Now you and Jane are a little too young for marriage, so I’ll keep the rest to myself for a few more years.”

Carlos feels his face flush. “Marriage!? Who said anything about that!”

“Well, she is your soulmate, I imagine you’ll marry her eventually. Not that you have to. Do whatever works for the two of you, everyone else’s opinions be damned.”

Carlos can’t believe this… wait… “Why do you know so much about fey courtships and marriage? I thought you got disowned before you were old enough to learn this and Mal doesn’t strike me as the kind of person to ask your mom about it.”

“That’s true, Mali didn’t ask and mother didn’t tell either of us.” Achite answers with a hint of bitterness. “I asked dad; he courted her the fey way not the Greek way.”

 Huh, Carlos wasn’t expecting that, who knew Hades was such a romantic. The whole relationship between Hades and Maleficent had ended by the time Carlos started forming memories so, unlike a few of his friends and the elder VKs, Carlos has no memories of them as a couple. He never put much thought into what that relationship would have been like. He knew Mal and Achite’s parents had loved one another, however brief it might have been, but he never truly realized what that implied.

Now that he thinks it over, Carlos can totally see Hades as a romantic and loving partner. The way he cares about the twins and how that paternal love extends to their whole friend group makes it easy to imagine what Hades would be like in a more romantic relationship. With that in mind, it’s still impossible for Carlos to see Maleficent taking on a more romantic role.

“Do you miss that- your parents being together?” Carlos asks without thinking. He winces once his mind realizes what he’s said.

“No.” There’s a roughness to the way Achite answers that makes Carlos shiver. “I don’t have many memories of them together, but I remember enough. Dad deserves someone who will love him just as much as he’ll love her.”

“Do you think his soulmate is one of the Greek Goddesses? Or will you try and find her? Or do you think she’ll come find you since you’re out of the barrier?”

“Oh.” Achite mumbles softly more to himself than Carlos. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s fine Carlos; my dad’s soulmate showing up isn’t something I ever considered but it’s entirely possible. Plus, focusing on that will give me something else to do besides this whole Jenkins mess.” Achite huffs in annoyance at the mention of their Dorm Head. “Anything else on your mind?”

And actually, there is something else that’s been bugging Carlos; something he’s forced himself not to dwell on for the last two days. “What did you do with the dog?”

“What?” Achite exhales; it’s the first and only time Carlos has ever caught him off guard.

“The dog that chased me a few days ago. What did you do with it?”

“I kinda let him wander off. Jane mentioned the dog is a stray that lives on school grounds.”

Carlos nods, thanking Achite for everything and makes sure to close room eight’s door on his way out. Learning that the vicious dog that chased him is no doubt prowling the school looking for its next victim wasn’t what Carlos wanted to hear but at least he now knows to stay vigilant whenever outside.

And there’s also the case of what to make Jane. He wants his courtship gift to be perfect; the kind of thing only he can give Jane. The only problem is Carlos has no fucking idea what that could be. What can a magicless human give a fey? What can a VK gift an Auradonian? How can he prove himself worthy of Jane when all he has to offer her is his soul mark?

Jane deserves far better than what Carlos can give her.