AN;

Hello readers! Just a small note to help out with this story.

First of all, I really, truly, deeply apologise to any of you who've been reading the 'Sink or Swim' series. I haven't updated 'All or Nothing' in so damn long and I really, really feel bad about it. That's actually why I wrote this fic, to be honest. I'm trying my best to get back into the 'S.O.S' world, and I'm slowly getting there. Obviously, I still have to work out the re-edits on the other stories, but it shouldn't take me too long.

To those of you who haven't read 'Sink or Swim', or the other two fics I made involving this OC, you should probably go and read those before reading this. Or you could do it backwards, read this and then - if you're interested - go and read the others. If you do, please forgive my strange writing, my style's changed since I wrote those fics and I'm doing my best to re-edit them.

This story is pretty much how I imagine Queenie would've met Harry had Jay grown a pair of balls and brought her to Auradon like he promised. Please keep in mind that Queenie isn't the same as she is in the 'S.O.S' universe. She hasn't had to deal with being left behind, or beaten, or almost killed, and she doesn't know Harry.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

The Red Thread of Fate

The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances.
This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break.

The bell rang out to signal the end of classes, and Queenie eagerly rushed out of Magical History, heading back toward her dorm room. The soles of her feet ached in protest with each step she took, and her shoulder-bag weighed her down drastically, the added load of revision books and study-notebooks taking its toll on her small frame.

The young princess groaned as she switched her bag to her left shoulder, sluggishly making her way down the hallway and avoiding the excited students making their way back to their own rooms. She allowed her mind to wander for a short time, only to regret the act as soon as she re-called Mal's words earlier on that day.

That morning, the Princess of Hearts had spent her time with Mal and Evie, working on her notes while her blue-haired friend measured the daughter of Maleficent for her Cotillion gown. At first, nothing had been amiss. The majority of the morning had been rather light, which was a great relief considering Mal's newfound 'fame', and the endless line of paparazzi following her about the school. But after a little while, the blonde had decided to bring up the Isle, and curiously asked if the two princesses had ever felt the urge to turn back to their old ways. Evie had handled the situation wonderfully, delicately explaining to Mal that she was overwhelmingly grateful for where they were now, and that she had no desire to return to the Isle. Queenie, on the other hand, had gone deathly silent at the very mention of the dreaded prison, and thanked the gods that Evie had managed to push aside the conversation before Mal could ask her what she thought of the idea.

Now, though, Queenie couldn't help but let her mind drift back to the Isle, and the discomforting memories were all too eager to begin replaying her mind on an endless loop. She'd spent many sleepless nights wondering what it'd be like to live in Auradon, a large part of her longing to be surrounded by peace, happiness and overall 'goodness'. A place where she never had to worry about being attacked in the street, somewhere she wouldn't be judged because of the group she associated herself with, and a land where she could be free to be who she was in peace.

But those dreams had simply been a naïve fantasy.

Queenie couldn't ever regret coming to Auradon. After all, it had been an invitation not-so-easily granted, and she'd never forget that fact either. But Auradon wasn't as magical as some might think. No one on the Isle could've prepared her for the overwhelming stress and pressure she'd have to endure after enrolling at Auradon Prep, nor could they explain to her just how difficult it was to fit into such a privileged society. And even though Queenie could relate to Mal in some way on how hard it was to deal with so much work, the princess knew she couldn't quite explain to anyone exactly what it was she was going through.

Ever since she could remember, Queenie had been raised on basic knowledge of being a princess. She'd learnt everything from her mother: Things as simple as form and grace to things as large as ruling a Kingdom. But Auradon had immediately torn away her hopes of fitting in as soon as she arrived from the Isle. Her mother had taught her the 'wrong way to rule', As F.G. had so wonderfully put it when Queenie first came to Auradon. Everything Queenie had learnt from her mother had to be scrapped and replaced with new and 'better' information.

In simpler terms, Queenie had had to learn sixteen years worth of studying in only six months. Where other princesses flew through their quizzes and projects, she found it rather difficult to keep up. She assumed the only reason she passed her classes nowadays was because of the pity her teachers felt at seeing her struggle.

Queenie released a small sigh of relief as she tugged at the door handle of her room. As soon as she crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag to the carpeted floor, her right hand moving back to gently knead into her left shoulder.

"Rough day?"

Queenie opened her eyes and gave a small nod. She remained quiet as she padded through the room, dropping herself onto the bed beside her best friend with a loud 'oomph'.

"How was your day?" she asked kindly, awkwardly moving around on the bed until her head rested firmly in Ava's lap.

"Same as always," the mermaid laughed in reply, going about her usual routine of running her fingers through Queenie's brown ringlets.

On the day she'd arrived in Auradon, Queenie had been surprised to know that she'd be sharing a room with an A.K.. According to Ben, they'd still been in the midst of rearranging and building extra dorm rooms for any V.K.'s he planned on bringing in from the Isle. And while the thought of sharing a room with someone she didn't know had scared her to death, Queenie couldn't ever have asked for a better room-mate than Ava.

Meeting new people had always come difficult to the Princess of Hearts, and when Ben happily told her she'd be sharing a dorm room with an Auradon-born, she hadn't taken the news well. Almost immediately she'd gone ranting to Jay, her fear at having to get to know a genuinely good person completely unravelling her mind. Thankfully, her 'saviour' had understood exactly where she was coming from and helped soothe some of her concerns, and he'd even been generous enough to come with her to meet her new roommate.

When she'd been unable to put off meeting her roommate any longer, Queenie had reluctantly followed Jay toward the dorm room, her right hand clutching his left like it was the only thing keeping her feet on the ground. She'd been so nervous that day, and she'd made the ridiculous decision of passing on any opportunity for food at the risk of throwing it up.

Jay's moral support hadn't been needed, she eventually came to find out. Ava had been so kind and welcoming that day, explaining that they both had their own side in the dorm room and she was free to do whatever she wished with her own... within reason, obviously. The little mermaid was every part the perfect princess: Beautiful, kind, always on time, and constantly in a cheerful mood. She was everything someone like Queenie needed in a friend, and the Princess of Hearts knew with certainty that if she hadn't met Ava, she'd have surely drowned by now.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Ava's eyes widened as she frantically removed herself from the bed, leaping toward her bedside table. "This came for you earlier."

Queenie furrowed her brows and sat up straight, cautiously accepting the neatly-wrapped package Ava handed to her. "What is it?" she asked, lightly shaking the box as if a noise of some kind would give her a clear answer.

"I don't know," the redhead muttered, fidgeting with excitement. "Open it!"

With a small laugh at her best friend's antics, Queenie carefully unwrapped the mysterious package, rummaging her brain for any idea of what it might be. The only mail she ever received was a letter from her Aunt in Wonderland, and even then they only came once a month. Never had she received a package of any kind, and despite having left the Isle months ago, she couldn't quite shake away that lingering threat of danger that came with every uncertainty.

When the wrapping was gone, however, Queenie felt her suspicions had been idiotic. "Huh," she muttered, holding the small box in her left hand.

"A phone?" the mermaid wondered with slight disappointment. Clearly, she'd been expecting something a bit more exciting. "Wait, there's a letter." Ava pointed toward the back of the box with her finger, and Queenie turned it over.

"Hmm," she voiced curiously, slowly pulling the letter away from the box. She immediately handed the box to Ava and unfolded the letter, soon realising that the note was written in her Aunt's handwriting.

"What does it say?" asked Ava, stretching herself across the bed on her right side.

Queenie took a deep breath, preparing herself to read the words out loud. "My dearest Queenie," she began, "I know my letter wasn't due for another few weeks, but I couldn't put this off. I know you've been having a lot of trouble with your..." Queenie trailed off into silence, her worried eyes flickering up to Ava's face. "Magic."

"What?!" the mermaid exclaimed in panic, darting up into a seated position. "How did she know?" Ava's voice was quiet and whispered, the risk of anyone overhearing through the door too high in probability for her to loudly discuss the sensitive topic.

"How I know this shouldn't worry you." Queenie carried on reading the letter, hoping the rest of her Aunt's words would soothe the sudden fear she was currently engulfed in. "I wanted to help but Auradonian's don't take well to having us Wonderland-residents in their Kingdom, so seeing you personally wasn't an option. This was the next best thing, but don't be fooled by the box. Nothing in our world is as it seems. All my love, your Aunt."

The air in the room became thick and stifling, and Queenie found herself stunned into silence as she pondered her Aunt's words. It didn't make any sense. Why would her Aunt send her a phone to help with magic? Unless it contained the phone number of a wizard, or other magical being that could help her with her 'little issue', then she couldn't wrap her mind around its use.

"I am so confused right now," she admitted, her left hand worryingly toying with the pendant around her neck.

"Can I see it?" the mermaid asked, and Queenie handed her the letter. "Nothing in our world is as it seems," she repeated the single line, her lips pursed as her eyes darted from the letter to the box on the bed. "Open the box." At Ava's small demand, Queenie released her pendant and picked up the box.

The suspense was overwhelming. Her Aunts words had been rather ominous, and left a lot to Queenie's rather active imagination, so the Princess of Hearts couldn't help but worry about what the box actually contained.

"You ready?" she asked, glancing up at Ava, who was practically jumping up and down from the mystery of it all.

"Open it!" she exclaimed, her wide and intrigued eyes trained firmly on the box in Queenie's hands.

With a quick thought of reassurance that her Aunt wouldn't send her anything purposefully harming, Queenie tilted the box upside down and let the object it contained fall into her right hand. When it did, and they both saw what it actually was, it turned into a bit of anti-climactic moment, so to speak.

"A book?" the redhead stated with both anger and disappointment. "All that for a fricking book?!" Queenie laughed, from both embarrassment of her unneeded worry and her friends inability to curse properly, and looked back down at her hands.

It was roughly the size of the palm of her hand, and Queenie wondered if she'd even be able to read the writing inside the pages. If this little thing was actually sent to help then she had to question her Aunt's sanity.

"There has to be more to this," the mermaid insisted, waving a hand toward the book. "This can't be it."

Queenie nodded in agreement, and half-heartedly scrutinized the object in her hands. If nothing in Wonderland was as it seemed, just as her Aunt had said, then Ava was right. There had to be more. "Maybe if I-"

"Q'," her friend said loudly, interrupting the princess's words. "Your necklace." The wariness of Ava's tone, along with the wide-eyed stare of anxiety on the little mermaid's face, had Queenie quickly looking down to see exactly what her necklace was doing.

It wasn't so much the necklace as it was the red, heart-shaped gem trapped inside the gold swirls. It continuously glowed and faded, like a weird beacon of some kind, and Queenie struggled not to shake as she felt a familiar tingle in her palms and chest.

"Q', are you okay?" the mermaid inquired gently, seeing the look of utter distress on her best friend's face.

"Uh, nope." Queenie deeply inhaled and released, trying as best as she could to tame down the oncoming rush of power. It happened every so often, usually when she was alone and with nothing to do, but sometimes it arrived when she was feeling particularly stressed. When these moments came, she had to use every ounce of her strength to fight against it or - in the worst-case scenario - find a cupboard to lock herself in until it eventually went away. This was the reason her Aunt sent the book, and she prayed to whoever was listening that it helped in some way.

"Use your magic," encouraged Ava, and Queenie vehemently shook her head in objection. "No, Queenie listen to me." The Princess looked up to meet Ava's gaze, the small tears that built in the corners of her eyes enough to translate just how scared she was of using her magic. "You wanna learn how to control it, right?"

"Yes," the princess gasped in reply, her stomach turning as a red glow formed in the centre of her palms.

"Then use it on the book. Your Aunt sent it to you for a reason, Queenie. Maybe this is it. Just let it go." Ava could see the reluctance on Queenie's face, so she precariously put her right hand to Queenie's cheek. "I'm here, okay? Nothing bad's gonna happen, I promise." The Princess of Hearts didn't trust many, but she trusted Ava wholeheartedly, and with her friend's reassurance, she sucked in one last, deep breath and focussed her magic.

The relief was almost instantaneous. It was like every single pressure or worrying thought was leaving her body through her hands, and Queenie could say with utter certainty that she hadn't felt anything like it before. Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest, and she barely felt her hands anymore, only an enormous pins-and-needles kind of sensation pulsating from the wrist down.

Queenie frowned when she noticed the growing weight in her hands. The book, which had been so small before, was now transforming right in front of her eyes, slowly stretching until it was a few inches larger than a regular book in the library. Partly, she was relieved to know that her Aunt hadn't been completely out of her mind when she sent her the tiny book, but she couldn't ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that this was a bad idea.

It felt like she'd been at this for hours when the magic eventually faded. It cleared away from the book like a red mist, disappearing into the clear air now that its job was done. Meanwhile, the glow in Queenie's palms faded back into her usual skin, the rush of her magic leaving her just as fast as it had come.

"How do you feel?" the redhead asked once the magic had gone completely, her concern for her friend's wellbeing overriding her fascination with the now-enlarged book in Queenie's lap.

"Good, I guess?" the princess unsurely replied, fiddling with her pendant. "I don't know how to explain it." Since her magic had made its appearance, Queenie had been working furiously to keep it from her teachers and friends. After all, the Auradonian's were dead-set on encouraging the students to learn and live without their magic, and she dreaded to think of what might happen if she was caught using hers on school grounds.

Queenie's magic hadn't come through on immediate arrival. It had slowly developed over time, strange buzzes of electricity in her hands soon turning into a glow of red light that she couldn't control. At first, she'd denied its existence, a stupid decision on her part since she knew full well her mother had used magic, and that her Aunt still did. But what else could she do? No one knew about it; Not even Jay. It was only by chance that Ava found out, the little mermaid having walked into the dorm room the moment Queenie's frustration at not being able to finish her homework triggered her hidden 'ability', the furiously bright glow too obvious to be hidden without notice. Thankfully, Ava hadn't made a huge fuss, but she firmly insisted on Queenie hiding it until she could fully control it.

It had now been five months since that happened, and the princess still hadn't quite come to terms on exactly how to gain control. There were no classes in Auradon to teach magical children how to use their magic, since most had been taught from birth by their own parents. Speaking to Fairy Godmother about it was out of the question, especially with the Cotillion right around the corner. The only other option for magical help was the fairies, and Queenie hadn't dropped to that level of desperation just yet.

Not once since her discovery had Queenie thought to even attempt to use her magic. She assumed that if she ignored the problem, it would somehow disappear on its own. A stupid assumption on her part really, since it was more than obvious by now that it wasn't going anywhere. However, taking Ava's suggestion on using her magic on the book had helped drastically. It wasn't painful or terrifying, just uncomfortable, but maybe that was because she'd been ignoring it all this time. It felt right, and the relief had been so immense.

Much to the princess's dejection, however, she knew she couldn't do it again. Magic wasn't to be used on school grounds unless a teacher was present, and even then they weren't urged to continue. It was seen as an uncertainty, a power that shouldn't have been bestowed upon the students. Whether it was because of all the villains who'd used their powers to wreak havoc, or because they had no true need for it anymore, Queenie wasn't sure. Either way, she knew she had to get rid of it, and now she finally had the means to do just that.

"Well, are you gonna open it or what?" wondered Ava, sharply nodding towards the book.

Queenie looked down and held her breath, gently smoothing her fingers over the brown, worn cover of the book. There was nothing special about it, not even a symbol of some sort to let her know who the book belonged to. All she could hope was that amongst its pages, she would find something to help her get rid of her magic.

The Princess of Hearts took another deep breath, and finally she opened up the book. "There's another note," she announced with slight annoyance, removing the piece of paper neatly folded into the back of the front cover.

"Wait!" the mermaid yelped, and Queenie stopped as she removed the note from its place, watching with great amusement as Ava sprinted toward their door and turned the lock. "There." She came back just as fast as she'd moved, crisscrossing her legs on the bed as she leaned forward, eagerly awaiting Queenie's words.

"You're outta your mind," the princess commented with a smile, lightly rolling her eyes as she looked down at the paper. "It's from my Aunt again."

"She really likes those letters, huh?"

"To my lovely niece, if you're reading this then it means you had the courage to use your magic and open up this book. Please don't worry about anyone else finding it, your mother charmed the pages when she still held magic so only you and anyone with our blood can unlock its spells. Despite her issues, she was quite the clever one, that sister of mine." Queenie couldn't help but frown, the mention of her mom in somewhat of a good light stunning her slightly.

"Before you go any further you should know exactly what your magic is capable of. It isn't the same as Auradonian magic, its uses aren't limited to a positive or negative side. If you want to use it for good then you can, and if you want to use it for something darker... well, that's entirely up to you. Whatever you decide I'll respect your decision, as long as it doesn't danger my Kingdom."

"Is she giving you the go-ahead to go nuts with this stuff?" the redhead remarked with disbelief.

"I dunno," muttered Queenie, lightly shaking her head. She quickly licked her dry lips as her eyes roamed the page, and she began to read again, "Your mother wasn't always bad, Queenie. Unfortunate circumstances caused her change, and I do hope she started writing this journal before her evil took over. I couldn't bring myself to read this book so I honestly have no idea what it contains, but I truly hope something in its pages can help you determine what to do with your life. Just remember that while you are your own person, your mother is still a part of you. Her darkness runs through your veins just the same as it runs through mine, and you have to accept it to understand control. Your magic doesn't define you, you define your magic. I wish you the best of luck, my dearest niece, and I hope your mind settles soon. All my love, your Auntie."

"Uh, what does she mean? 'Her darkness runs through your veins'?" inquired Ava, almost warily.

"I-I have no idea." That was a lie. Queenie knew exactly what her Aunt meant by that, but telling Ava was too much. Her friend was keeping enough secrets for her already: She didn't need another.

"Hmm, okay, well I think I've had enough mystery for one day. How about you?"

Queenie took the opening Ava offered, and she placed the note back into its place, carefully closing the book. "I've definitely had enough," she agreed, carrying it over the drawer of her own bedside table.

"You got any plans for tonight?" the little mermaid asked, and just like that the earlier moment of suspense and uncertainty was gone.

"I'm not sure," the princess replied, rolling her eyes skyward as she thought. "I know Jay wanted to speak to me about something." Queenie grew curious at the small, knowing smirk tugging at her friend's lips, and she raised a brow in question. "What?"

"Hmm, nothing," the mermaid sang, making it painfully obvious that it was more than just 'nothing'.

"Ava." Queenie perched at the edge of her bed, staring at the redheaded girl on the other side of the room.

"Really, it's nothing," she insisted, and Queenie stared harder. If there was one thing Ava loved more than anything, it was telling her friends anything even remotely close to exciting news. Especially if it involved said-friend. "Okay!" she yelled furiously, and Queenie smiled triumphantly. "I heard from Lonnie, who heard from Jane, who heard from Carlos that Jay's going to ask you to Cotillion."

Quick as lightening, the smile fell from Queenie's face. "What?"

"What?" Ava laughed. "It's not a bad thing. You guys have been dancing around each other for months, it's about damn time one of you makes a move." Obviously, Ava only saw the good in this. She was Auradon-born, part of the group of children who thought a guy asking out a girl was the biggest highlight of a young woman's life.

"Oh no. Are you sure?" the princess pressed, getting to her feet. She slowly began to pace back and forth, her palms sweating as a familiar swell of nervousness stirred up in her chest.

Ava tilted her head. "Uh, yeah. What's wrong? Isn't it a good thing?" Her confusion was evident, her mind too pure and untainted to think of this as a bad thing.

"No, definitely not a good thing."

"Okay, let's assess the situation here. He's the Captain of the jousting team. He's one of the hottest guys in this damn school, and he doesn't have the personality of a marshmallow. He helped save Auradon from fricking Maleficent." Ava counted off the reasons on her fingers, and gently shook her head incredulously in Queenie's direction. "How is this not a good thing?"

Queenie raised a hand to her pendant, firmly grasping the gem. "Because that doesn't mean anything to me," she admitted, ignoring the judgement in her friend's eyes. "I don't care what he's done for Auradon, or that every girl in this school wants him. What I care about is what he's done for me."

"Has he done anything for you?" the redhead asked slowly, still confused by Queenie's apprehension to this subject.

"He's done everything for me." Queenie gave a disheartened sigh, settling down onto the edge of her bed once again. "He saved me from my mom. He introduced me to the Core Four, and begged them to take me in when I got kicked out. He tried to teach me how to be bad, and even though it didn't work he still tried. And he brought me to Auradon. Even now he's still helping me."

"Then why are you so scared of this?" Ava got to her feet and approached Queenie's bed, sitting beside the princess. "If he's done all those nice things for you, then why don't you want this?"

Queenie looked up and met Ava's gaze. "It's because he's done all those nice things for me. You don't understand, Ava. I owe him. If he asks me to go to Cotillion as something more than friends then how can I say no? What kind of person does that make me?"

Finally, it seemed like Ava understood. Going to the Cotillion with Jay wasn't what scared Queenie, it was the implication.

"Okay, I think I get it now." Ava grasped Queenie's right hand in her left, a small act of support and reassurance that the princess surely needed. "You don't like Jay... like that. And you're worried that if he likes you like that, then you can't say no. Because if you say no then the entire school's going to be looking at you like you're absolutely insane for turning him down. Am I right?"

"Close enough," the princess confirmed.

"You wanna know what I think?"

Queenie nodded. "Hmm?"

"I think you're being too hard on yourself. If you don't wanna go to Cotillion with him as more than friends then you don't have to. If he's your best friend, and he cares about you as much as I do, then he won't care. You don't have to do anything you don't wanna do, Queenie. This isn't the Isle, this is Auradon. You make the choices here, and no one else can tell you different. Okay?" At the end of her long-winded speech, Ava tugged Queenie into a tight embrace, and the princess returned it with as much enthusiasm as she could.

"Thanks Ava." Queenie couldn't ever explain to Ava just how much her words meant to her, but she hoped her actions spoke louder than her voice ever could.

Ava leaned back, a gentle smile stretching her lips as she playfully tugged on one of Queenie's curls. "No need to thank me. We're friends, and this is what friends do." Queenie gave a small nod and turned her head, resting her cheek on Ava's shoulder. "You wanna come to the pier with me?"

"I can't swim," the princess mumbled.

"I'm not asking you to," the mermaid giggled, twisting her head to look down at her friend. "I asked if you wanted to come to the pier. Maybe you can bring your 'phone', try and find something helpful. You need a break from school, Q'. Your homework can wait."

Queenie gaped in mock-dismay, widening her eyes as she looked up at Ava. "Are you telling me to knock off studying?" The mermaid rolled her eyes, and Queenie sat straight. "You're such a bad influence."

"Says the girl from the Isle," the redhead countered in jest.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a shining example of people from the Isle." Queenie tried to keep the hurt from her voice to avoid making Ava feel guilty, but she had a small feeling she sensed it anyway.

"That's not a bad thing, Q'," the mermaid assured, tilting her head to meet Queenie's diverted gaze. "I don't know what it's like over there. Hell... I don't think I want to know what it's like. What I do know is that you're nothing like the others, and it's not a bad thing. You were born in the wrong place but you're here now, you shouldn't let what people said on the Isle get to you here."

Queenie knew Ava was only trying to be helpful, to reassure her in the best way she knew how, but it didn't exactly put the princess's mind at ease. There was some truth to what the little mermaid said, however. Queenie wasn't like the others. She hadn't been as obvious on the Isle as everyone else, but even she knew there was some 'bad' to her. Just because she hadn't stolen, fought, or whatever other wicked deed the Isle-residents chose to act out whenever they wanted to, didn't mean she was completely innocent. Her 'evil' was there somewhere, trapped in an impenetrable cage inside her mind. She'd happily locked it away the day she knew the truth about who she was on the Isle, and there was no way in hell she was going to let it out anytime soon.

But Ava couldn't know that. Her sweet and thoughtful best-friend could never find out about it, and Queenie would go down fighting before she let it come to light.

"Stop it."

"Huh?" the princess mumbled, only now realising she'd gone off into her thoughts... again.

"I know that face," the redhead said pointedly as she raised a brow. "That's your thinking face, and when you think bad things happen. Come on." Ava jumped to her feet and Queenie flailed to the side, grasping at the bed so that she didn't fall on the floor.

"Where are we going?" the princess wondered with a groan.

"To the pier," her friend declared, wandering into the bathroom they shared to find a towel. "You need to get out and it's time for my 'therapy'. You can worry about the world later."

Queenie grumbled in protest. She didn't want to go down to the pier. She wanted to stay inside her room, lock the door, and get to work on whatever homework she'd had given to her that day. Although, maybe a little break away from school was exactly what she needed. Fresh air, silence, and time to gather her thoughts and figure out how to deal with her 'problem'. After all, she couldn't exactly put off going through her mom's book forever, and her Aunt wouldn't have sent it to her if she didn't think it had some kind of answer.

With a small huff, she finally got to her feet and reached for her bedside drawer, grasping the large book with both hands. She eyed it warily, her brows furrowed as she gently ran her fingers over the cover. Even without the use of her magic she could feel it, burrowed down deep in her body as it lay in waiting, vibrating in - what Queenie could only describe as - pleasure. Whatever kind of power it was inside her, it reacted strongly to the book she now held in her trembling hands, and it terrified her.

"You ready?"

Queenie jumped at the sound of Ava's joyful voice, almost dropping the book to the floor. She looked back over her shoulder at the redhead, a pang of guilt grasping her chest. She wanted to tell her. She had to tell her.

But not today.

"Yeah," she vibrantly replied, praying with every fibre of her being that her friend couldn't see straight through her smile. "Let's go."

~...~...~

Queenie yawned and gently rubbed at her eyes, her head resting on her right palm as she closely perused her mother's spell-book. Her hazel eyes frantically scanned through the words and pages, brows furrowed in thought as her mother's voice floated through her mind. Nothing of use had been found, and yet she couldn't help but be utterly intrigued by the book currently resting on the wooden surface beneath her.

The Princess of Hearts wasn't too sure how long they'd been out on the pier. The sun had long-since set, and the lanterns trailing along the path had slowly began to light. They'd have to head back to their dorm room soon, but a few more minutes couldn't hurt. Even if they did happen to arrive back at Auradon Prep when the guards were closing up, there wasn't much to worry about. She and Ava were - for the most part at least - perfect princesses. They were always on time for class, constantly doing their best in each and every subject, and they hadn't had any warnings previous to this. If anything, all they'd receive is a small scolding from Fairy Godmother and a strict warning to not do it again. A ridiculously small punishment in Queenie's opinion, but who was she to complain?

Queenie slowly pushed herself up from the deck and groaned, her arms and back aching in reprimand at the uncomfortable position she'd been stretched out in. Curiously, she shuffled along the ground and toward the edge of the pier, peering into the dark waters below in a half-hearted attempt to spot her friend.

Ava hadn't made an appearance for at least half an hour now, and the princess had to wonder if the little mermaid truly knew how late it was. Then again, the redhead always seemed to lose track of time when she was below the surface, her determination to seek out little 'treasures' along the bottom of the ocean continuously keeping her mind occupied. For whatever reason, Ava simply couldn't let herself go home without having found something to put on her shelf, and it both amused and irritated Queenie immensely.

When it finally registered in Queenie's mind that - without a tail or underwater flashlight of some sort - she wasn't going to spot her friend, she pulled back from the edge. She inhaled a deep breath and looked up at the ocean, leaning back on her hands as she silently took in the beautiful sight being presented to her. Truthfully, the princess hadn't been too sure about Ava's earlier decision to bring her along to the pier tonight. Her mind was often ruthless, and her thoughts fleeting and frantic, so the idea of sitting still for so long didn't sit well with her. But reading through her mom's book had helped sway her mind from the troubles she currently faced at Auradon Prep, and it certainly surprised her that the sounds of the ocean could be so soothing. The view itself, even for a land-dweller like her, was astonishing. The moon was full and high in the sky, its reflection glowing along the sea. The waves were calm and gentle, and the water glittered beautifully from the natural light. Even the stars seemed almost magical. It really was like a whole different world. One that took her far away from the world she was trapped in.

As if her gaze was dragged by a magnetic pull of some sort, Queenie's eyes eventually travelled toward the dark clouds hovering in the near-distance. Even now, after six months in Auradon, she still couldn't help the stomach-turning anxiety she felt when faced with the Isle. She'd often wake up in the middle of the night in some kind of half-conscious, half-awake state plagued by nightmares. Sometimes she was back in her den on the Isle, curled up on the dusty old couch with nothing but a scratchy blanket to keep her warm, the occasional scattering of cans from the world outside making her flinch. Other times, she'd be cautiously roaming the streets, digging through trashcans for something even remotely close to food. Her head was a dark place, and it almost-always kept her awake at night, taunting her with thoughts of what might have happened to her if Jay hadn't come back.

Over the months she'd spent in Auradon, Queenie had soon learnt a small, and temporary, relief to her nightmares and worrying thoughts. Whenever the threat of an unnerving thought made itself known, she'd lean up toward her window and simply look. The sight of the Isle so far away, and safely contained by a magical barrier, helped dissipate some of her fear. The danger and uncertainty it held couldn't hurt her anymore, and it never would. Never again would she have to worry about going without food or water, or wake up in the middle of the night and double-check she'd locked every chain on the door. In Auradon she was safe.

An audible 'splash' from below the pier startled the princess from her thoughts, and she swiftly leaned back over to see a familiar head re-surfacing.

"Hey, everything okay?" the mermaid asked, pulling herself up onto the edge of the pier with a small grunt.

"Peachy," the princess replied with a relieved smile. Ava's appearance came at just the right moment. "You find anything?"

Disheartened, Ava shook her head. "Nothing," she mumbled with a pout.

"Hmm, that sucks."

"Not really," the redhead lightly objected. "It's so beautiful down there. I wish I could show you."

Queenie reached back for her shoulder bag, dragging it between herself and Ava. "One day you can," she replied, pulling out the fluffy, lilac towel.

"Thanks." Ava gratefully took the towel and began drying off her tail, then running the material over her arms and upper body. "You find anything in the book?" she inquired.

"Not exactly," the princess admitted with a frown, glancing back at the aforementioned object. "It's kind of like a diary. My mom liked writing stuff down, I guess. She talks a lot about how she's feeling, and how her magic is based around her emotions. I haven't found anything that tells me how to get rid of my magic though."

"You wanna get rid of your magic?" wondered Ava, neatly twisting her long locks up into the towel.

"I've spent my entire life without it, so why should I keep it? Besides, magic isn't allowed here in Auradon. I don't wanna get in trouble." There was some truth to her words, but some things were better left unsaid, so to speak.

Ava gave a small giggle. "You won't get in trouble, Q'," she reassured. "I just think your magic is like my tail, or gills. It's a part of who you are and where you come from. You should embrace it."

Queenie was somewhat grateful for Ava's attempts at shedding some positivity on the subject, but she couldn't quite bring herself to agree. The judgement and suspicion from the Auradonian's had tamed down since the Coronation, almost to the point it was hardly ever seen, but it was still there. Some of them were waiting for something to go wrong, hanging onto the edge of their seats for one of the former Isle-residents to slip up and do something bad. They'd all been treading on eggshells for the last few months, and Queenie had driven herself to the point of insanity trying to be the best princess she could be. If she wanted to stay here in Auradon, and live a free life, then she had to leave the Isle behind, and if it also meant giving up the magic she'd inherited from her mother then so be it. Broken vases and fiery tempers could be hidden, but magic couldn't.

"I'll think about it," she finally managed to reply.

They fell into silence then, and Queenie went to work on packing everything into the shoulder bag while waiting patiently for Ava to dry off. Hopefully, the little mermaid would grow her legs sooner rather than later, and they could get back to Auradon Prep, and maybe avoid a stern talking-to by Fairy Godmother if they were quick enough.

"Queenie."

The Princess hummed to let the mermaid know she was listening, though she focussed more on attempting to zip up her overloaded bag.

"Q', you need to look," the mermaid hissed.

Queenie rolled her eyes and turned, a brow raised in question as she faced her friend. At the sight of Ava's turned head, however, the princess soon followed the mermaid's line of vision, her eyes widening in complete bewilderment at the unmistakable lights trailing along the ocean surface.

"Are you seeing this?!"

Stunned into silence, Queenie could do nothing but nod. The swirling orbs of light flowing through the air toward the Isle wasn't what surprised her, nor was it the golden road created by the very same magic. What truly terrified Queenie was the familiar black limo driving along the road, heading straight for the Isle of the Lost.

"Someone's going to the Isle," the redhead noted, her voice expressing the exact same shock and worry that Queenie felt.

"Who the hell would go to the Isle?" was Queenie's mumbled reply.

"I dunno, but I'm gonna find out."

Before the princess could even think about questioning Ava's words, the little mermaid was gone from her sight, a loud 'splash' and quick spray of water against her ankles a rather obvious answer. Instantly, Queenie was down on her knees, her shoulder bag awkwardly clinging to her arm as she anxiously searched for her friend.

"Ava!" she yelled down at the rippling water, desperately praying that her friend hadn't been stupid enough to do what the princess suspected she was in the midst of doing. "Ava!"

Thankfully, after a few seconds that dragged longer than Queenie could handle, Ava's head broke through the surface of the water. The Princess gave an audible gasp of relief, though it was only short-lived as annoyance soon followed.

"What the hell were you going to do?!" she demanded.

The mermaid gave no reply, though her gaze continuously darted between the Princess of Hearts and the still-glowing bridge. "Queenie, we have to find out what's going on," she said finally.

"No, we don't," the brown-haired girl tersely replied. "That-" she pointed a finger in the direction of the bridge, "-is not our problem."

"What if something's happening? Something bad. People don't just go to the Isle, Q'."

"Ava, it's not our problem."

"What if it is?!" the mermaid countered, a flicker of anger showing in her eyes. It was more than obvious Ava wanted to find out what was going on, and the lengths she was willing to go to gain that information terrified Queenie. She knew full well what Ava was getting at and she wanted no part in it. "I'm going to find out what's happening, whether you like it or not."

Queenie furiously narrowed her eyes down at the little mermaid. "Ava, no."

The little mermaid raised a single brow, challenging Queenie's protest, and slowly began to lower herself beneath the water.

"Ava," the princess begged, the situation rapidly becoming even more dangerous than it originally was. She spared a glance up at the bridge, the limo barely visible now as it got closer towards the Isle. The bridge would be gone as soon as the car passed through the barrier, and so would Ava's ability to find out what was going on.

"I'm going to find out what's going on. Come with me, or don't," the mermaid declared firmly, her chin dipping below the surface.

Much to the princess's dismay, it was now clear as day that her friend was going to the Isle, and she had to make a choice; Fast. If she went with Ava then she'd be willingly returning to the source of her nightmares. A place so dark, evil, and twisted that only the worst of the worst could survive. A place that terrified her more than anything else. Or she could stay. However, staying meant letting her best friend travel to one of the most dangerous places in the land on her own. Ava's curiosity knew no limits, and if Queenie decided to stay in Auradon, it could very well get her killed. The little mermaid didn't know the Isle like Queenie did, and she had no idea just how bad things could get over there.

Before her mind could overpower her protectiveness over the little mermaid, Queenie begrudgingly nodded her head. "Fine," she spat, yanking the strap of her shoulder bag over her head. "Let's go."

~...~...~

People from the Isle didn't swim. Whether it was due to laziness and not having the need to do so, the almost-invisible barrier that came so close toward the edge of land preventing them from even attempting it, or at the risk of running into the infamous sea-witch, Queenie didn't know. Either way, it wasn't a desired skill to have, and she'd never held an interest in knowing. Until arriving at Auradon, that is. With no barrier to keep her back, and the dazzlingly clear waters surrounding Auradon, the Princess of Hearts had gradually developed an interest. Her fishy-friend had also played a large part in deepening her intrigue. After her arrival in Auradon, however, it'd turned into another sentence on her to-do list. Over the months, she'd been swamped with changing her looks, focussing her entire mind on her classes and homework, and - most recently - hiding her growing magic. Learning to swim had been pushed back and set aside, something she'd simply get around to doing another day.

Oh, how she wished she'd learnt sooner. If she'd taken the initiative to spare some time to learn, then her first time actually being in the water would be a good memory. Maybe she'd have gone to the indoor swimming pool at Auradon. Maybe she'd have gone with Ava to the shallower depths near the edge of Auradon, and let her friend guide her through the motions. The sun would've been high in the sky, the air warm and inviting, and the water much the same. She would've taken her time and simply enjoyed the new sensations, knowing that not many from the Isle had the pleasure of enjoying such things. It should have been a good experience. Thanks to Ava's unwillingness to listen and see sense, however, her moment would always stray toward a memory she'd much rather forget.

The Princess of Hearts coughed and gagged as soon as her head came above the surface. She'd had the sense to hold her breath and not panic while holding onto her friend as she swam them towards the Isle, but the speed in which the mermaid had done so hadn't given Queenie much reassurance, and despite her efforts a lot of water had ended up in her mouth.

"Q', are you okay?" the redhead inquired gently, helping the princess climb up onto a rock closer toward land.

Queenie grimaced at the salty taste on her tongue and spat into the ocean, desperate to rid herself of the awful flavour coating the inside of her mouth. Her skin erupted in goose-bumps the second she climbed up onto the rock, the cold air that always accompanied the Isle wrapping around her soaked skin. Her dress was tight and transparent thanks to the water, her underwear plain to see through the white fabric. With a huff if irritation, she yanked the hair tie out of her locks, her perfectly tamed down curls now dripping and uncomfortably sticking to her skin.

"No, I'm not okay," she eventually managed to reply, pulling her legs out of the water. "You're an idiot." Any other time, she'd have apologised straight after, but this wasn't just 'another time'. Ava had been stupid enough to jump on the opportunity to go the Isle and find out who had taken a late-night ride to the dreaded place, and Queenie could only pray that they'd both return home in one piece.

"You didn't have to come!" the mermaid bellowed, clearly offended by Queenie's insult. "You could've stayed there and went for help."

"Well you didn't exactly give me much time to think it over," the princess fired in return. "Besides I couldn't let you come here on your own."

Ava gave a small sigh and pulled herself up onto the same rocky ledge, her tail swaying gently in the water. "I know. Thank you for coming, really." Her earlier anger had diminished completely, and Queenie suspected the realisation of exactly where they were had finally triggered Ava's rational thought.

Queenie pursed her lips, but said nothing, her annoyance toward Ava dwindling quickly when she took a quick glance at their surroundings. The cut-off bridge was right above their heads, which meant they couldn't be seen by any Isle-dwellers roaming around. But they couldn't stay here all night. The murky water was way too dangerous for an Auradon-born mermaid to be swimming through, and the Princess of Hearts would surely freeze to death by the time morning came. Realistically, the only option was for them to go on land and find the limo, and hopefully track down the morons they'd been following in the first place.

Queenie quickly opened up her shoulder bag and scanned through their belongings, a small sigh of distress passing through her lips when she realised the journey through the ocean had completely soaked the entire bag. Ava's towel couldn't be used, which meant she'd have to dry off on her own.

"Damn it," she hissed, tugging the strap over her head with frustration.

"What?" the mermaid half-heartedly murmured, too intrigued by the gloomy land surrounding them to give Queenie her full attention.

"Your towel," the princess said loudly, rolling her eyes at the mermaid's lack of worry to their current situation. "You can't use it."

"Can't you just use your magic?"

Queenie raised a brow at the little mermaid's stupidity, unwilling to believe her friend could be so thoughtless. "Seriously?"

At the look on Queenie's face, Ava shamefully averted her gaze, a small grimace crossing her features as she eyed her tail. "Sorry, I forgot," she apologetically whispered.

Queenie dropped her current animosity toward her best-friend, guilt eating away at her chest when she took note of the embarrassment on the little mermaid's face. It wasn't Ava's fault the Isle scared her so much. It may have been Ava's fault they were here in the first place, but the princess couldn't hold a grudge against her for the remainder of their time here. If they were going to find the people who'd come here first, and get off the Isle and back home to Auradon safely, then they had to work together.

"I have to find something to dry you off," she pointed out, apprehensively glancing at the rocky path leading up onto the surface. She couldn't drag Ava up on land, since the likelihood of someone catching her was too high in probability. If she was going to get her friend dry then it meant, at least for a little while, wandering along the outer Isle alone.

People in Auradon only had an idea of what the Isle was like. It held the worst villains in the land and that was an answer in itself. But the Auradonian's couldn't ever truly know what went on here, not without visiting and seeing all the acts first-hand. It wasn't just stealing, fighting and plotting that went on here. Those acts were committed, but they were considered pathetic by Isle-standards. From what Queenie could unfortunately remember, things were worse than that. Maleficent had ruled the Isle then, and she'd done so to the best of her ability, helped by an unknown amount of goblins. She'd set the rules and no one ever questioned her. However, not everything that happened there was done so with her knowledge, and even if it had, as long as it didn't directly affect her position she didn't care. If something bad happened then it happened and that was that. Twenty years of being locked up in a wildly overpopulated city had only driven the wickedness deeper, and the princess couldn't ever begin to describe the things she'd had the misfortune of seeing on the Isle.

It wasn't a good place to be alone. Even villains came together to form allegiances of some sort, none too eager to attempt surviving all on their own. If she was right, which Queenie dreadfully knew she was, then the Isle hadn't gotten any better since she and the Core Four left. So to now have to go looking around for something all alone... well, it wasn't something she was eager to do.

"Q', you can't go up there all by yourself."

"I have to, Ava," the princess told her. "We need to find the limo if we wanna get back home. We can't do that with you all... fishy." Queenie waved a hand toward Ava's tail, and the mermaid gave a dejected nod in acceptance.

"I guess." Ava looked up at the land in question with a look of complete distress. "Are you gonna be okay up there?" she inquired.

"Hey, I'll be fine," the princess insisted, her lips stretching into a smile as she reassuringly grasped Ava's hand. "This is where I come from. I know how it works, and I know all the twists and turns. I just need to know you'll stay right here, okay? No one can see you."

"I'm not an idiot, Q'!" the mermaid exclaimed, and Queenie countered that argument with a pointed glance toward the mermaid's tail. "Okay, I'm not that much of an idiot," she corrected, earning a giggle of amusement from the princess. "I promise I'll stay here."

Despite the little mermaid's faults, when she made a promise she always kept to it. Keeping Queenie's magical secret, and hiding the princess's terrifying nightmares from Jay and the others, were only two of many promises she'd made during their friendship, and not once had she ever slipped up and broken said promise. It was a welcomed guarantee that Queenie needed to be able to leave her best-friend alone on the Isle, but the oncoming unease she felt at actually having to do that wouldn't leave her mind.

"Okay. I just need you to help me get there." Queenie nodded toward the rocky path a few feet away from the ledge they currently sat on, separated from them by a large space of water.

Wordlessly, the little mermaid gave a sharp nod and lowered herself into the water. The red-head waited patiently for Queenie, who had great hesitance in going back in the water, to carefully slide down the rock and into the water. When the princess finally did make the slide, Ava was ready, and she held tight to Queenie's hands as she used her tail to manoeuvre them toward the land.

"Where are you gonna go?" the redhead inquired when they reached the ledge, keeping her shoulders beneath the water while Queenie climbed up onto the uneven surface.

"I have no idea," the princess admitted, lightly shaking her head. "I need to find something to get you dry. Then I have to find you some clothes, because the Isle isn't somewhere you wanna be caught naked. There's only one place I can get those things but I can't leave you alone too long."

Queenie's old den was the most obvious, and more practical, option to go with. She had clothes there, and a number of things that she could use to dry Ava off. The only issue was that her den was further inland than she was comfortable with, the distance she'd have to put between herself and Ava too dangerous to even think about. Stealing had never been her strongest skill-set on the Isle, not that she'd had many to begin with, but it'd have to be done if she was going to get Ava out of the water as soon as possible.

"Then go there," the mermaid suggested, and when Queenie opened her mouth to instantly explain why that was such a bad idea, Ava cut her off quickly. "I'm not some kind of damsel in distress, Queenie. In the water I'm fast, and my tail can knock out a shark. I'm safer down here than I am up there, but I need you to stay safe too. If the place you're talking about is the easiest way to get me out of here then do it. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just worry about you."

It was a task easier said than done. The only reason travelling to her den to retrieve the items they needed was the easiest option was because she wouldn't have to steal. Stealing came with a risk of being caught, which also came with a certainty that whoever caught her would cut off her fingers one by one. Getting to the den had its own risks and troubles: Some worse than others. Queenie wasn't as famous on the Isle as her four friends, but her outfit would surely make her stick out. She was soaked from head to toe, and that alone would raise a few suspicions of the Isle-residents. No matter what she did it came with a threat, but all she had to do was choose the better option.

"Me and the others had this place here, and it has everything we need. But it's in the middle of the Isle and it'll take me some time to get there and back without anyone seeing me." Her explanation to Ava was short and simple, and though there was a little more to it than that, she couldn't delve into the details. All she had to do was make sure Ava knew how long she'd be.

"Queenie, I get it. Just go, okay? And stay safe." The understanding and bravery Ava was showing by agreeing to remain on the edge of the Isle alone was rather astonishing, though Queenie had a small feeling the mermaid wouldn't be quite so willing to do so if she had even the faintest idea of what might happen to her if she was caught.

"Fine, I'll go. But no wandering off while I'm gone, got it? I know you like to go looking but you don't know what you'll find over here. Even if you're bored out of your mind I need to know you'll stay put. Okay?" She knew she was acting like Ava was nothing more than a naïve child, but in some ways she could be. So, though the mermaid knew better than to go swimming off and looking for something, there was always a small chance she'd do it anyway, and Queenie couldn't go walking through the Isle if all she could do was worry about Ava. If she was going to do this then she had to be able to concentrate.

A spray of ice-cold water splashed against her face and Queenie gasped, furiously wiping the droplets away with the back of her hand.

"I'm not a kid, Q'," the redhead stated with an exasperated huff. "I'll. Be. Fine. Now go."

Queenie scoffed in absolute indignation when Ava abruptly ducked down beneath the surface of the water, refusing to give Queenie the opportunity to say anything more. Only when it became apparent that the little mermaid wasn't going to be coming back up anytime soon, the princess finally stood straight. She began a careful ascent toward the main road, cursing her Auradon footwear when she realised the heels on her feet weren't designed for the unstable floor of the Isle.

"Okay," she mumbled toward herself when she finally reached the beginning of the long road. "Here we go."

~...~...~

Travelling through the Isle felt like stepping into one of her drawn-out nightmares. The air was thick with fumes and chemicals, to the point where certain areas got a little harder to breathe. The numerous buildings forming a jungle-like appearance on the Isle were practically falling apart, beams of wood and stone connecting them together to avoid a complete collapse. Not even the scattered, brightly painted colours on the walls could make it seem like a joyful place. Anything even remotely close to giving a sense of reassurance was destroyed by the loud screeches and occasional yells echoing through the winding alleyways and streets, the sounds too sinister to be taken as anything less than violent.

Queenie tried hard to recollect the lessons the Core Four had taught her back when they'd first taken her in. Lessons that she hadn't ever had to put to use since she'd been under their protection around that time, and no one ever even attempted to try something at the risk of angering the four and ending up at the wrath of their villainous parents. Evie had explained to her the importance of appearance and ones attitude, that a persons outfit alone was a symbol of wealth and position, something the Princess of Hearts thought was ridiculous on a place like the Isle. She'd explained that as long as Queenie looked and acted like she meant something, even if she didn't, then no one would think to mess with her.

'Keep your chin up and back straight, and walk like you own the damn place.'

That was easy enough. Queenie had done pretty much that since arriving in Auradon. Appearances were pretty much everything over there. If someone could act like they were important and keep in line with the fashion trends then they were good to go. However, looks alone could only get her so far, and that was exactly where Jay's advice came into play.

The former thief had been her favourite mentor, though some would rightfully argue that he was only her favourite because he'd 'rescued' her from her mother. His expertise had been theft and - on occasion - fighting. He'd attempted to teach her how to keep a person's gaze while also dipping his hand into their pockets multiple times, and though she'd gotten a little good at it, she hadn't dared to try it on an unsuspecting Isle victim. She hadn't needed anything so she hadn't taken anything either, simply because it wasn't fair. He'd taught her much more than that, though, and he always made sure to keep the lessons strictly to things she could actually use.

The Core Four had each had a very different talent, and for very different things. Mal hadn't actually had a talent, not when Queenie took away the strange, magical green glow the former leader could do with her eyes. Sure, she was quick with come-backs and wittier than most, but alone she wasn't much of a threat. If anything, her mother had been her weapon. Maleficent's rule over the Isle obviously came with protection, and that just so happened to extend to her daughter as well. Evie's talent had been her looks, or most notably her charm. The Evil Queen's daughter had been blessed with her mother's beauty, so much so that it often stunned many of the Isle's residents. Her voice was smooth like silk, hidden insults and sly digs floating from her tongue just as well as a compliment or sweet nothings. Plus, her ability to transform many raggedy old cloth on the Isle into a beautifully put-together outfit was a wonderful thing in itself. Carlos had been a strange one, and Queenie struggled back then to figure out what it was he was so good at doing. Running errands for his mother wasn't exactly a 'talent', and with his small height he wasn't exactly a threat. However, during her time with the four there had been a slight power struggle between Jay and Mal, the two often disagreeing with the best way to deal with a particular situation, and every single time it'd been Carlos who tamed down the fight and made them see sense. When dealing with two nasty, and very dominant, people locked in some kind of argument, reasoning with the both of them could be counted as a wonderful skill-set to have. Especially on the Isle.

Unlike her wicked friends, Queenie hadn't had a specific knack. Mal had authority, Evie had beauty, Jay had strength, and Carlos had reasoning. Together they made a powerful group of friends, and joining their gang had been more intimidating than anything else Queenie could think of. Each one had given her tid-bits of knowledge she could use, but she hadn't ever had something of her own. She'd felt so useless being around the Core Four, like a little kitten following them around all the time. She hadn't ever spoken up about it, not even to Jay. She'd been so grateful for the protection and comfort that came with being with them that the risk of voicing her concern, and most-likely bringing it to their attention as well, would end all of that. So she'd stayed quiet.

Queenie could practically feel the stares as she moved through the streets. The sun had gone down, and the majority of the Isle had retreated back to their homes, but a good few were still wandering about, and they'd obviously taken notice of the young, sopping wet girl travelling through their domain. Much to Queenie's relief, none had approached her just yet, and she could only assume it was the confidence she feigned when walking through the Isle. Even in her dishevelled state she kept it up, her eyes locked straight ahead and head held high as if she was meant to look like this and no one could tell her different. Whether her new-found confidence came from playing pretend in Auradon for so long, or the well-being of her best-friend resting solely on her shoulders, she wasn't sure. Either way, she couldn't risk being found out, and she'd die before she let anything bad happen to Ava.

Since the Isle hadn't changed one bit since her departure, Queenie found it wonderfully easy to navigate. She had to rely on memory, her feet taking her where she needed to go before her mind could catch up. It didn't seem to matter that she'd been in Auradon for months. The Isle had firmly stayed with her, and despite having loathed it for so long, she couldn't shake away how grateful she was that it had.

Queenie ignored the stall owners closing up for the evening and continued her journey, a small smile coming to her face when she recognized the narrow street she'd turned onto. Her den was just up the path, and with that thought in mind she sped up her movements, delighted to know she'd be safely indoors soon enough.

Unfortunately, her joy was short-lived the moment the steam coming from one of the buildings cleared out. The entrance to the den should have been a welcomed sight, but the three unmistakable figures loitering near the doorway shocked her.

"Jay?" she muttered thoughtfully, blinking a few times to make sure her vision was clear and the salt-water hadn't made her hallucinate. He was still there, just like Carlos and Evie, the three hovering near their rightful perches just as they had when they lived on the Isle. It was a rather nostalgic sight.

As if he'd somehow heard his name, the former thief's head whipped in Queenie's direction, his eyes widening comically as he pretty much did the same thing she had only seconds ago.

"What the fuck."

Queenie rolled her eyes at his surprised words, her feet dragging her toward them before she could even doubt the action. At least now she knew who'd been in the limo.

"Queenie," he mumbled in an almost-question, still somehow doubting that she was actually here on the Isle.

"Uh, hi," she greeted pathetically, dropping her earlier façade.

"W-what the hell are you doing here?" asked Evie, her hands placed firmly on her hips as though she were a scolding parent.

Queenie winced. "I was at the pier with Ava when you guys came here, and it's kind'a hard not to notice a glowing bridge at this late hour."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," the Evil Queen's daughter said pointedly, raising a perfectly plucked brow in displeasure.

"In a nutshell, Ava wanted to know what was going on, and I came to make sure she didn't get herself killed. Good enough?" Queenie gave the most apologetic smile she could muster, though she knew in the back of her mind it wouldn't ease their worry. "Wait, why are you here?"

The tables turned with one simple question. The concern and slight irritation melted from Evie's face, her eyes diverting to the side as she pondered Queenie's enquiry. Meanwhile, Queenie turned to Carlos, the youngest seemingly distracted by something down the street. Whatever their reason for being here, they didn't seem to want to divulge it to Queenie, and so the princess turned to the only one she knew she'd be able to get any answers from.

"Jay, what's going on?"

It was almost hilarious to see him so worried, his gaze darting from Evie to Carlos in a plead for help. Given the circumstances, however, Queenie's amusement was gone as quick as it came. They were keeping something from her, possibly something important, and that didn't sit well with her.

"Mal came back to the Isle," he eventually blurted. "So we came to bring her back."

Queenie gaped, her head tilted to the side as she repeated Jay's words in her mind. She couldn't help her confusion, and she felt it was rather justified. She already knew the former gang-leader was having trouble fitting in at Auradon, especially after the discussion she'd had with Mal and Evie that morning in their dorm-room. Being the girlfriend to the King couldn't be an easy task, what with all the reporters, T.V. interviews, and travelling the royal couple had been forced to go through. Obviously, the stress had gotten to the daughter of Maleficent, and she'd made the decision to return to the one place she'd ever had some control. What completely bewildered Queenie wasn't the decisions of her old leader, but her friend's decision to return to the dreaded Isle without even letting her know they were planning to do so.

Queenie gave a long-winded sigh, thinking over her next question and her slight reluctance to even ask it. "Okay, I get that. Why didn't you guys tell me? I could've helped in some way. Or I could've kept things calm over in Auradon so people didn't get suspicious. Did you think I wouldn't notice that all four of you were gone?" She kept her voice light and gentle so that they didn't take offence in some way, but she couldn't hide the pang of hurt she had to endure because of their decision not to tell her.

"Five."

Queenie looked back over her shoulder at Carlos, and the wide-eyed look on his face was enough to let her know he hadn't meant to blurt that statement out.

"Carlos!" exclaimed Evie in reprimand.

"Five?" the brown-haired princess wondered with a thoughtful frown. "Who-" Her question was abruptly cut short when her mind put the pieces together rather swiftly. Evie, Jay, and Carlos aside, there was only one other person who'd be stupid enough to come to the Isle looking for Mal. One who was just as oblivious and naïve as Ava to the danger that lurked here. "Seriously, you brought Ben to the Isle?!"

The group jumped into action as soon as Queenie, rather loudly, voiced her outrage. Jay's hand instantly came across her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else, while the other two frantically scanned their surroundings for anyone that may have overheard.

"Are you crazy?" the former-thief hissed.

Queenie smacked the hand away from her mouth. "Are you crazy?" she retorted, utterly pissed off that they had the audacity to look at her like she was the moron when they'd brought the King of all people to the Isle of the Lost. "Coming here and getting Mal back is understandable. But bringing Ben here as well is suicidal, okay? It's fucking insane."

"Ben was coming here no matter what, Q'," the Evil Queen's daughter told her. "I couldn't let him come here without help, so I brought these two along for the ride."

Queenie groaned and gently rubbed her forehead. What was it with the Auradonian's and running off towards the Isle?

"Queenie," the son of Jafar called gently, taking her left hand with his right. "We didn't mean to keep this from you, alright? We were just in such a hurry that we couldn't think straight. Bringing you along didn't even cross my mind."

And there it was, the one thing that confirmed it all for the little princess. On the Isle she hadn't ever felt like a true part of the group, just a little follower that used their power to her advantage, and it'd only been partly true. Their status on the Isle ensured she'd stay safe by hanging out with them, and it brought her a lot of comfort after her mom threw her out. But it'd also been more than that, and over time she'd actually considered them her friends. Her arrival in Auradon had only helped strengthen that thought. After all, there was no way Jay would think to come back and get her unless she actually meant something to them. During their time in Auradon, she'd grown closer to the four, seeing each of them in a different light now that they weren't suffocated by the weight of their parent's orders. She'd started to think that maybe they saw her as one of them now that they were in a different land, but Jay's attempts at soothing her mind had only confirmed what she knew all along.

"If I thought Ava was in trouble and I couldn't handle it on my own I'd bring all of you. Especially back to the Isle, of all places. I know I'm not much help but the least you could've done was give me a heads up about it. Did you really come here and not consider the possibility of what might happen if you didn't come back? Because there's a good chance that could happen, y'know. You're basically fugitives here. If you'd let me know about this I could've done something, and if you had then I wouldn't fucking be here." Queenie could hide her true feelings as well as anyone else, but the devastation she felt at knowing they hadn't even given her a second thought was more than she could handle, and it made itself clear in her voice.

Jay at least had the decency to seem remorseful at the fact he hadn't told her what was going down tonight, and after a quick look at the others Queenie could see that they felt the same way. Evidently, they hadn't been thinking straight when they came to get Mal, since none had spoke up about having a backup plan in case things went to shit, and the princess tried her best to understand their reasoning. Coming here had been a half-assed plan at most, something they had rushed to put together since they were so desperate to find their friend and bring her home. In a way, Queenie could sympathise. After all, she'd do the same if it was one of them, but she couldn't confidently say that they'd do it for her if she was in Mal's position right now.

"Look, I'm just here for some clothes. Can you at least wait for me and Ava? We kind'a need a ride back to Auradon." Queenie hoped that her current composure wasn't only temporary, because if it was then she'd surely be feeling it's full affects later on when they got home, and she dreaded to think what would happen to her dormroom if it did.

"Sure," the former-thief agreed with a small nod, apparently unable to find anything else to say to the young princess.

Queenie gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and stepped back to grab a rock from the near barrel. She drew back her arm and chucked the stone toward the 'Danger' sign, a loud clunk meeting her ears as the sign moved back and the security door to the stairwell slid open.

"Home, sweet home."

Without sparing a glance at the trio, Queenie began a quick trek up the stairwell, her heels clanking loudly on the metal stairs. She tried not to think too hard about the fact she was walking into the place the majority of her nightmares were set in, instead relaxing herself with the thought that as soon as she got her stuff together she could go and find Ava, and they could get the hell off this island

The princess fell so deep into her thoughts that she didn't see or hear the person currently headed toward her. It was only when their shoulders brushed that she even thought to pay attention, and as soon as she did she realised that it was Ben. Only Ben.

"Hey," she quietly greeted. "You okay?"

The King shook his head and opened his mouth, only to close it soon after. Whatever he was feeling couldn't be good, if the misery on his face was anything to go by, and he didn't seem to be in the mood to share. He simply shrugged his shoulders and continued his descent.

Queenie carried on without giving the King much thought, though she did silently scold herself for not even attempting to help ease his pain in some way. Judging by the look in Ben's eyes, however, she knew with certainty that anything she said wouldn't have done much good. The poor boy was obviously heartbroken, and the little princess couldn't ever offer helpful advice for something she knew nothing about. Besides, she had more important things to deal with than Ben's poor heart right now. He'd survive.

"Go away!"

"Hello to you too," the princess sarcastically muttered as she came in through the door, ignoring the flutter of discomfort she felt at being back in her old 'home'.

"Queenie," the daughter of Maleficent noted with a flinch. "Look, I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

Queenie finally directed her gaze to Mal, her lips pursed in thought as she not-so-subtly took in Mal's appearance. The former leader had donned her mother's colours once more, dressed from head to toe in dark shades of purple and green. The hair she'd magically altered to blonde back in Auradon was now straight, short, and a shade falling somewhere between pink and purple. All in all, she looked exactly like she had before they'd left the Isle, though the wet tracks along her cheeks and redness of her eyes was a clear enough sign that she wasn't that girl anymore.

"You okay?" the princess asked, extending the same courtesy she had to Ben only moments ago.

"No."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

Content with the answer she'd been given, Queenie nodded. "Okay then," she muttered.

Since the daughter of Maleficent seemed more concerned with the spray-painted portrait on the wall, and wallowing in whatever sadness she was currently swarmed by, Queenie moved on to the task she'd come here to complete. With her best-friend's wellbeing in mind, Queenie hastily moved toward the bedroom she'd once shared with Evie, pleased to find it hadn't been trashed or moved around during their absence.

As she bustled about the bedroom, Queenie tried hard to not let the fact she was back in her den affect her in some way. Ever time a niggle of anxiety or discomfort approached, she'd quickly think of Ava, and how the risk of the little mermaid being found grew larger with each passing second. Thankfully, Queenie's worry over her friend outfought the fleeting thoughts of being back, and soon enough the Princess of Hearts had done what she needed to do.

Queenie slowly exited the old bedroom, finger-brushing her damp hair into a messy ponytail. She strolled over to the full-length, shattered mirror leaning against one of the walls, surveying her appearance with great apprehension.

The white, transparent dress she'd come onto the Isle wearing was now neatly folded at the bottom of one of Evie's old bags. In its place Queenie now wore her old colours of red and black. Her mother's colours. The high-waisted, plaid skirt was rather tight around her middle, though she had to remind herself that Evie had made these clothes for her while they were still on the Isle, and thanks to Auradon the Princess had grown to a healthier weight since then. The black, quarter-length sleeved shirt was cut off a few inches below her breasts, the sleeves flaring out at the elbows rather beautifully. On her feet she wore a pair of black, knee-length boots one of the four had been kind enough to steal for her, the flats much more comfortable and practical than her heels had been.

The Princess of Hearts stared at herself in the broken pieces of mirror, somewhat curious.

Queenie truly hadn't realised how much she'd changed since leaving the Isle. Back then, she'd hardly looked at her reflection too long, her self-doubt always causing her to nit-pick at invisible errors. She still did the same in Auradon, though with less vigour than before. Now it was silly little things, a lone curl out of place, or a wrinkle in her clothes: Things that could be corrected. After all, the Auradonian's valued appearance over everything else. If she looked presentable then no one would question a thing.

The Isle was much different. No one truly focussed on how another person was dressed unless it gave them some kind of ammunition. Clothes on the Isle were worn or designed for practicality, not fashion. However, since many villains on the Isle had been rather famous for their obsession with their looks, a few V.K.'s had wound up much the same. Evie was a shining example. If her makeup was done perfectly and her clothes were matched then she could take on the world. It had been a mindset Queenie had never quite understood, but now - as she looked in the mirror - she could grasp the idea of it to a degree. The clothes on her body were matched to the Isle, and it gave her an added boost of confidence to know that she'd fit in well.

The Princess couldn't help it, but she had to admit that she actually looked good. Or bad, considering where they were.

"I thought I told you guys to go away."

Queenie finally took her gaze away from her reflection and looked back over her shoulder. Mal was still in the exact same place, stood on top of a chair with a spray-paint can in hand, but the rest of the Core Four had also joined them.

"Where's Ben?" the princess inquired from the other side of the room, having noticed the King's absence when he didn't immediately come through after Carlos.

At her question, the three shared a guilt-ridden and worried glance, almost having some kind of mental discussion with each other before their eyes eventually fell to Mal.

"Mal," the daughter of the Evil Queen began, sombrely.

The daughter of Maleficent furrowed her brows, a questioning expression on her face as her eyes drifted to each group member. Only when it became clear that something was terribly wrong did she jump down from her chair.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"We didn't mean for it to happen, I swear. We took our eyes off of him for, like, a second and-" Carlos cut his explanation short when Mal's eyes glowed green, a clear sign of her impatience.

"Harry Hook took him," said Evie, pulling the purple-haired girl's attention toward herself. "If we wanna get Ben back you have to meet Uma, tonight at her place. Alone."

After a moment or two of uncomfortable silence, Mal's eyes dulled down into their usual colour, and a loud yell of anger passed through her lips. She paced back and forth, her eyes darting along the floor as she pondered the deadly situation her ex-boyfriend had gotten himself caught up in.

"If you guys hadn't brought him here this never would've happened. What were you thinking?!" she yelled.

"He was coming with or without us we just wanted to protect him," the blue-haired princess exclaimed.

"Yeah," the son of Cruella De Vil piped up. "And we completely blew it."

"Okay, okay. So, what're we gonna do?" asked Jay, disrupting the oncoming argument.

Queenie gave a quiet sigh and drifted toward the couch, deciding that - at least for now - it was best for her to wait and see if her friends could come up with a well-thought-out plan before she had to leave.

"We are not doing anything," the former leader told the three. "This is between Uma and me. And guess what? She's a punk, and now I have to go and get him."

"Woah, Mal. You're still gonna have to go through Harry Hook and his Warf Rats," said Carlos.

"You're gonna need us," the former-thief said, almost pleading with their old leader to let them come along.

Mal gave a small shrug. "Uma said to come alone," she muttered.

Queenie, having sensed another argument brewing, decided to speak up, "I can take her halfway. I have to go and get Ava anyway."

"What the hell's Ava doing on the Isle?"

"It's a weird story. I'll tell you on the way."

A small nod was all Mal gave in reply, and Queenie jumped to her feet. She quickly grabbed the bag full of clothes for Ava and pulled it up onto her shoulder, following Mal toward the door.

"Q', wait."

The Princess paused and turned, bouncing on her feet. She didn't know what Jay had to say, at the moment she didn't quite care. All she knew with certainty was that Ben had been kidnapped, and that meant the people of the Isle knew they were back. Ava was at a greater risk of being found now, and the sooner Queenie got to her the better.

Queenie stood patiently as the son of Jafar approached her, her head tilting back with each step he took to get close. He didn't say anything, and the Princess of Hearts fought against the idea of telling him to hurry things up. Maybe she would have, at first, but from the utter uncertainty she could see in his expression she decided to stay quiet.

Seconds came and went as they stood. Queenie remained as still as a statue, half of her wanting to pressure her friend into saying his concerns while the other half kept her silent, her kind nature sparking at the dilemma she could plainly see going on in Jay's mind. She had no idea what was going on inside that head of his, but whatever it was it couldn't have been good, and he was clearly struggling to say whatever it is he had to say.

Eventually, one side of his head won. Instead of words, the former thief gave a small, disheartened sigh, as if the next thing he did wasn't much of a willing nor satisfying decision.

"Please be careful," he whispered, slowly lowering his head further to press a gentle kiss on her forehead.

In that moment, Queenie thought back on her earlier conversation with Ava, back when they were in their dorm room at Auradon Prep. Ava had reassured her that, if her fondness for Jay was strictly bound within the friendship lines, then she didn't have to take it further than that. She was allowed to reject him if she wanted to. In Jay's defence, though, he hadn't even admitted that he felt something more for Queenie. The princess was merely freaking out over a few rumours she'd heard from her bubbly, romance-adoring best friend. Besides, there was no way in Hades Jay could ever like her like that. He deserved more than she could give him, and she was certain he knew it too.

But if that was the case, then why did this one simple kiss on the forehead make her feel so bad?

Since her words seemed to catch themselves in the back of her throat, Queenie gave Jay a slow nod in response to his sweet request.

"Q', let's go," called Mal, shuffling impatiently while she stood near the door.

The Princess of Hearts blinked, bringing her focus back to the more important matter at hand. "Yeah, sure," she agreed, avoiding all eye-contact with the rest of the group as she walked toward Mal. "Let's go."

~...~...~

Much to Queenie's complete relief, the walk back toward the edge of the Isle was a quick one. Mal was - understandably - in a rush herself, and so the former leader didn't drag her feet when they moved. If anything, she was much faster than Queenie, and the young princess had to silently wonder how Mal could move so fast without tripping in her thick, high-heeled boots.

Then again, Ben's life was kind of at stake.

Queenie subtly glanced over at the daughter of Maleficent, and found the girl's enraged scowl hadn't disappeared during the journey. Mal was pissed, and she had good reason to be. Whatever had happened between her and Ben, it might've altered their label, but it hadn't taken away the amount of love they felt for one another. So, considering the situation, the princess had to admit that her friend was holding her shit together rather well.

"So," the purple-haired girl said with a long sigh. "Ava wanted to see the Isle, huh?"

Safely assuming that Mal needed some kind of distraction, instead of a silence that gave her no choice but to overthink the entire situation, Queenie eagerly jumped at the chance to fill in the space.

"Yup," she sang, her agitated tone explaining exactly how she felt about it. "We were on the pier, and we stayed out a little later than usual. I wanted to go back to school and tell F.G., but Ava had other ideas." Queenie's mood visibly brightened when they came to a dark tunnel, knowing that the bridge was practically right around the next corner.

Mal scoffed, a humourless smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "What is it with these guys?!" she incredulously exclaimed, and Queenie couldn't help but giggle. "I'm serious, Q'. I thought Ben was crazy enough for coming here to find me, but if Ava willingly came here just to see why someone from Auradon was visiting the Isle, then that makes it an Auradonian thing. D'you think there's something in the water? I think there is."

"Or," countered Queenie with an amused grin, "it's something else. C'mon, Mal, even you have to admit how boring Auradon is. Everything's so good, and cheerful, and bright... there's no excitement! I think the dark-side has its own appeal to the good-guys in Auradon, whether they know it or not."

The daughter of Maleficent rolled her eyes. "You might be right about that one," she agreed, a small, cheerful smile coming to her face.

"There's no 'maybe' about it," joked Queenie, doing her best to keep them in the carefree topic they'd wound up discussing. "I know I'm right. I mean... c'mon, have you seen the way those Auradon girls look at Jay? He might not be the 'bad boy' anymore, but he still dresses like one, and it's obviously doing something for them."

Mal chuckled and lightly shook her head, clearly entertained by the princess's choice of explanation. However, Queenie noticed a hesitant, thoughtful frown work its way onto Mal's face, and she sensed that the conversation was about to go down a road she'd much rather avoid.

"So, you and Jay, huh?"

Queenie shrugged, staring ahead at the path in front of them. "Not really," she quietly objected. "I mean... Ava's said a few things, but I dunno. We're just friends."

"Honestly, Q', that kiss wasn't something a 'friend' would do. A pat on the back, maybe. But not a kiss."

"It was just on the forehead," the princess said pointedly, as if that alone would prove her right.

"Well, how did it feel?"

Queenie stumbled, her foot having caught the side of the other, but she quickly righted herself. She hadn't anticipated that particular question, so Mal had certainly caught her off guard.

"H-huh?"

Mal rolled her eyes, again. "How did it feel?" she repeated, slower this time.

"I-I don't know," the princess stammered, anxiously fiddling with her pendant. "How is it supposed to feel?" Obviously, Queenie lacked all experience when it came to the opposite sex, so she had no idea what she was supposed to experience when someone kissed her. And though Mal had just gone through a painful breakup, she was the only one around for Queenie to ask.

If Mal was at all uncomfortable with this line of questioning, she didn't show it. Her green eyes rolled skyward, her lips pursing as she thought of answer.

"It's like... being scared, I guess. Your belly hurts, and your hands get all sweaty and disgusting, and your head just won't shut the hell up." A small, thoughtful smile came to the purple-haired girl's face, and Queenie automatically guessed that Mal was thinking about the fonder memories she shared with Ben. "You're not scared of him, though, you're just terrified because you finally understand how much power this guy has over you. And even though you want to run, you don't. Because if you do that then you risk hurting them, and you'd never hurt them like that." By the end of her explanation, Mal's voice had taken on a more nostalgic approach. Her smile was gone, replaced by a deep, saddened frown. And her eyes, that still stared ahead at nothing in particular, began to shine, most likely due to the tears threatening to fall.

It was more than obvious that Mal wasn't thinking about Jay and Queenie anymore, and though the Princess of Hearts was partly relieved, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, she'd been stupid enough to ask Mal what a kiss from a potential partner should feel like, even with the knowledge that the former leader was experiencing one of the worst things a young woman could go through.

Seeing someone as mentally strong as the daughter of Maleficent losing all composure over something as simple as heartbreak was quite worrying, and Queenie truly hoped she'd never have to go through it herself.

Nothing else was said after that. Thankfully, though, Queenie wasn't left to wallow in her guilt for much longer. Soon enough, she and Mal came through to the end of the tunnel, which led to a large, warehouse-like space.

"Well, this is me." Mal waved a hand toward a cramped, dimly-lit tunnel, of sorts, and Queenie grimaced. Even from this side of the tunnel, the salt-air was unmistakable, and the sound of crashing waves echoed eerily from the other side.

The princess looked back over her shoulder, content with the fact that while both of them were in undesirable situations, at least she didn't have to go through the creepy tunnel.

"Okay, I'm going this way." Queenie motioned to the large opening on the opposite side, which led straight out onto the road that'd take her back to the cut-off bridge.

The daughter of Maleficent gave a quick nod. "Alright."

"Good luck," the princess said encouragingly, having noticed the slight tremble in Mal's bottom lip.

"Yeah, you too."

When Mal climbed into the tunnel, and headed for the other side with a sudden determination in her steps, Queenie hovered near the opening. There was an odd, gut-churning sensation of fear rolling around inside of her, like her body was preparing her for something awful. Mal was strong in her own way, and even though Queenie knew it, she still couldn't help but feel a little anxious that her friend was heading into dangerous territory all by herself. If Ava wasn't trapped in the waters near the edge of the Isle, the princess might've at least walked Mal to the halfway point, just to make sure this 'Uma' girl hadn't planned on some kind of ambush.

But she couldn't think about that now, and she couldn't exactly leave Ava on her own any longer. Queenie might've known Mal longer, but Ava was her best friend, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that the little mermaid would always come first.

As soon as Mal disappeared from view, Queenie turned and headed for the bridge. Just as she had when heading for the den, she stayed close to the walls on either side of the road instead of travelling directly down the middle. After all, the last thing she needed right now was someone spotting her from the rooftops and alerting the rest of the Isle.

Queenie's apprehension gradually dimmed with each step she took, until it eventually disappeared altogether. When she stood near the bridge, at the top of the slope she'd climbed a little earlier, the princess quickly surveyed her surroundings. Apart from the moving water below the bridge, she couldn't hear a trace of any Isle-residents lingering about the area. As soon as she was certain she was alone, Queenie carefully began her descent, cautious of the slippery spots.

Soon enough, Queenie stood in the same spot she'd been in earlier, when she'd last seen Ava.

"Ava!" she called, crouching down to get closer to the water. She wasn't completely sure if mermaids could hear anything below the surface, but she had to at least give it a go. "Ava!"

"What tha bloody hell are ya doin'?"

Queenie yelped and jumped back from the edge, her heart thudding erratically in her chest. Slowly, she turned around, both curious and distressed when she looked up to find whoever it was that'd called down to her.

At first, the little princess couldn't see anyone. It was dark, after all, and she had to squint to be able to see a simple outline of another human being. Eventually, though, she spotted the stranger.

"What the fuck?!" she yelled, a spark of agitation lighting up somewhere inside of her. "I could've fallen in, you know that, right?!" Usually, she wasn't quite so high-tempered. However, it seemed Ava wasn't able to hear her beneath the waves, since the little mermaid hadn't made an abrupt appearance just yet. And now she had to deal with a sneaky stranger that she couldn't even see.

"My apologies, love." The stranger's voice was filled with sarcasm, and Queenie couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I don' usually find anyone down 'ere. If ya're tryin' ta die, though, I recommend jumpin' from tha bridge. Ya'd probably crack yar neck on one o' tha rocks. Be much quicker, an' less painful I reckon."

The Princess of Hearts sighed and looked back at the water, her hazel eyes darting across the surface for any sign of her friend. If Ava came up now, she wouldn't know there was someone else there, so the risk of someone finding out about the little mermaid was too high for Queenie to stay where she was. But if Ava came up and heard Queenie talking to someone, then she'd surely figure out that it wasn't safe for her to come out yet, and she'd stay hidden.

In short, Queenie had to get this guy as far from the shoreline as she possibly could.

"Thanks for the suggestion," she finally replied, reluctantly making her way back up the slippery path. "But I wasn't jumping." With an embarrassing amount of struggle, Queenie finally made it to the top, and she rubbed the dirt from her hands onto her shoulder bag.

"Sure looked like ya were."

The princess huffed. "Well, I wasn't," she insisted, finally looking up at the stranger when she was done cleaning her hands. She still couldn't fully see him, since there weren't any streetlights hanging near the bridge and he stayed in the shadows.

"Then what were ya doin' down there?" he inquired.

Queenie's eyes flickered back down to the water, disheartened to still see no sign of her best friend, but she quickly brought her eyes back to the stranger. It was slightly nerve wracking, being face to face with someone she couldn't even see, but it somehow made it a little easier. All she knew was that he was a guy, and while that thought was worrying enough considering where they were, the fact she couldn't visibly see how scary, intimidating, or large he was made it a hell of a lot easier for her to talk to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise we were playing Twenty Questions," she retorted, dismissing his question.

"That's quite a shame, lass," he drawled, and Queenie sensed the humour in his tone. "I jus' love ta play games."

There was a faint shuffling sound, which Queenie quickly determined was the stranger moving out of his hiding spot, and she held her breath. Instinctively, her right hand slid up to grasp the heart-shaped pendant around her neck, and she watched with a lingering uncertainty as he made his way toward the light.

The very moment Queenie finally had a clear view of the mysterious boy she'd been talking to, she felt as though her heart had jumped up inside her throat, clogging up her airways. It wasn't as if she recognized him from her former time on the Isle, although the niggle of something or other in the back of her mind stirred, the gears in her brain turning at the very sight of him. For now, she just had to accept that she'd never seen him before, because there was absolutely no way in Hades she would've forgotten someone like him.

If she hadn't been utterly appreciative of the fact she'd changed clothes before, then she certainly was now. Because while she took her time to scrutinize the teenager in front of her, he did the exact same thing to her.

"My, my, my," he sang, brows raised high as he took her in. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

Suddenly realising that she hadn't said anything in a while, Queenie swallowed down the lump in her throat, mentally reminding herself of where she was, and exactly why she was there.

"What's yar name, love?"

Since the original heroes and villains had been so far up their own asses, they'd all decided to name their descendants with the exact same first initial from their own names. For some, it wasn't so much of a problem, but for Queenie it was a huge pain in the downstairs. The first initial of her name - 'Q' - was incredibly rare, and if the person she was speaking to was clever they'd figure it out in no time. The only mistake they could make was by guessing she was the Evil Queen's daughter, but since Evie had pretty much shown herself off in each corner of the Isle back when they'd lived there, the chances of someone assuming Queenie was Queen Grimhilde's daughter was slim. There was only one other Queen on the Isle, and thanks to the pendant Queenie wore around her neck, it was painfully obvious whose offspring she was.

Now, Queenie was presented with a substantial dilemma. No one had really noticed her back when she'd lived on the Isle, since she'd mostly hid herself behind whichever Core Four member had been around at the time. The rest of the Isle had hardly looked at her twice, but she had to put that down to the fear they had at being caught staring. However, the Core Four had been notorious back in the day, and she had no idea if her name had been thrown around just as well as theirs. If this stranger knew of her name, and that she'd been part of the Core Four, he'd surely kill her.

On the other hand, though, Queenie hadn't gone to Auradon with the others. When they'd been sent to Auradon by their parents to retrieve F.G.'s wand, she'd been back on the Isle, hanging around in the den. She hadn't been flaunted about on T.V. like they had, and she hadn't announced her decision to be good for the world to see. Even when Jay came back to the Isle to get her, he'd done so as secretly as he could manage. Unlike when the Core Four had first left the Isle, there hadn't been a huge crowd of Isle-dwellers waiting to see who'd arrived. No one had known Jay was coming, or that Queenie was leaving, and there hadn't been any reporters when she arrived in Auradon. Unless this stranger paid very, very close attention to the news, or what'd been happening on the Isle six months ago, there was no way in Hades he'd know who she was.

"You called me out first," she finally said, clasping her hands together behind her back. "How 'bout you give me your name first?"

Their strange meeting had now become a challenge, of sorts. If this stranger gave her his name first, he ran the risk of Queenie figuring out who his villainous parent was, and exactly what that could mean for her. If their parents had had some kind of animosity before they'd been born, then it would also fall onto the shoulders of their offspring, and they would have no choice but to form a hatred for each other. Unfortunately for Queenie, her mother was quite the vicious woman, and the princess had lost count of the amount of heads she'd taken off. There was a small chance that her mother had taken the head of someone close to this stranger, and so Queenie had to be very, very careful.

"Aw, c'mon now, darlin'." The stranger stepped forward, and Queenie took a step back, keeping the distance between them. "Are ya scared o' me?"

Of course she was scared of him, but she wasn't about to let it fall from her lips. One couldn't show fear on the Isle, especially when meeting another V.K. for the very first time. There was a... system, of sorts, that had to be followed in times like this one.

When Queenie had first met Jay, she'd been an absolute brat. Convinced that she and her mother really did rule wherever they were, she'd been raised to think they were of higher importance than everyone else, and that the world had to bow down at their feet. When she thought of it now, she couldn't help but cringe in mortification. Jay had bust through the wooden planks nailed to her tower windows and climbed right in without a second thought, not even having the sense to take a quick look around the room before he came in. The moment his feet had met the ground, Queenie had been on him in a flash, demanding that he tell her why he'd been stupid enough to sneak into her bedroom. In true Jay fashion, he'd attempted to flirt his way out of the surprising situation, but she hadn't fallen for it. Like the ruthless princess she'd been raised to be, Queenie had stayed rooted in her spot, her eyes narrowed with utter fury. There'd been a lot of shouting on her part, and after the fourth threat of his head being removed Jay had finally snapped. He hadn't yelled, though Queenie knew it'd only been because he had no way of knowing if her guards were close by. Instead, he'd calmly brought her down from her tantrum, and gently began to ask questions about her life.

A lot had happened since then. Queenie wasn't the girl she was back before she'd met Jay, and she hoped to never go back to her old ways again. However, she'd stood her ground with Jay that day, and she had to do that now. One V.K. could never show submission to another: Not without angering their parents, anyway. With Ava's wellbeing on the line, Queenie couldn't let this stranger know she lived in Auradon. Whether she liked it or not, she had to return to her old ways, but maybe with a little less fire this time.

The princess didn't answer right away. Instead, she began a slow inspection of the stranger in front of her, one that made it incredibly obvious to him that she was deciding if he was a threat or not. Of course, she knew he was. She wasn't a fighter, and she loathed confrontation since it tended to poke her temper, so even the lesser known V.K.'s were a threat to her right now.

Again, though, the Isle had a system for things like this, and she had to go through with it.

Figuring out his parent through colours alone just wasn't an option. Like many on the Isle, Queenie included, he dressed in red and black, and there were too many villains on the island that dressed the same. His coat was long, red, and buttoned up to his throat, and Queenie could faintly see the odd patches sewn on in random places. His pants were black, with noticeable rips near the edges, and the dirtied, worn boots on his feet were black as well. Much to the princess's annoyance, she couldn't spot a trademark of any kind, something that could help her figure out who'd made him. What caught her eye, though, was the sword hanging down against his left leg, strapped securely to his waist.

A pirate.

Queenie's eyes snapped up to meet his. "No," she answered, though the audible notch of her voice said otherwise. "Should I be?" Thankfully, her tone righted itself, giving no indication of the apprehension she truly felt.

During her time on the Isle, Queenie hadn't been unfortunate enough to run into any of the pirates. The Core Four had stayed on their own turf in the centre of the Isle, and so the little princess had never felt the need to venture further. The only thing Queenie knew about the pirates was what she'd heard from her friends, and since Mal had had some sort of feud going on with the pirate named Uma, they'd been quite vocal with their opinions. But the words 'Shrimpy', 'pathetic', 'losers', and 'salt sniffers' weren't going to help her with this situation.

For a minute, the pirate stayed silent. Like Queenie had with him, he dragged his eyes over her body, his gaze pausing when he saw the golden chain around her neck. She'd had the good sense to tuck it into her shirt before he'd stepped into the light, so without her own trademark on show, he was probably as stuck as she was.

"Well, now, that depends," he eventually said, cocking his head to the side. "Are ya a mermaid as well?"

Queenie's face grew pale, and the nausea she'd felt when walking down the road returned with a vengeance. She quickly looked back at the water, silently praying for Ava to make an appearance and put her worries to rest. Realistically, though, Queenie already knew why her friend hadn't popped up yet. Somehow, someone on the Isle had found Ava.

The princess turned back to face the pirate, who hadn't moved since he'd dropped that bomb on her. But now there was something different about him. Before, Queenie hadn't seen much of a reaction. He'd been a bit teasing, and quite sarcastic, but she hadn't seen anything too dangerous. Now, though, Queenie knew someone had taken Ava, and she was paying closer attention to the boy in front of her.

A cold wind swept through the Isle, and Queenie shivered, stumbling back and away from the pirate. Her gaze moved to the road, but then she looked at the path to her left, then again to the one on her right. She had absolutely no idea who could've found Ava in the short time she'd been gone, and though the Isle was small compared to Auradon, it was still quite large. The twists and turns were every which way, and dead-ends were everywhere. Their little city was basically a maze, and now she had to decided which way she was going to go.

"Well, are ya?"

At the sound of the pirate's voice, Queenie brought her attention back to him. The frantic voices in her mind halted, and her suspicions began to take place. She hadn't seen him when she'd first come back to the bridge, but that didn't mean he hadn't been hovering around in the dark. After all, she'd been too preoccupied with getting to Ava as soon as possible, so it was understandable that she'd somehow missed seeing him. He'd asked her if she was a mermaid too, which meant he'd obviously seen Ava at some point. Maybe he even knew who took the redhead. Maybe he was the one who gave the order.

Before she could even think twice about doing it, Queenie leapt forward, catching both the pirate and herself off guard. She brutally gripped the fabric covering his shoulders and pushed, slamming him back into the wall.

Apparently, she was going to have to fully resort to her former ways; Fire and all.

"Where the fuck is she?!"

The pirate laughed, his head thrown back against the wall while his shoulders shook in amusement. Clearly, the sight of someone as unthreatening as Queenie taking him on was what he classed as hilarious, and it agitated the high-tempered princess even more.

While he was laughing, Queenie's eyes moved down to the sword around his waist. She'd never used a sword in her entire life, but she had to just think of it as an enlarged knife. With a speed she'd never really had before, Queenie removed her hand from his shoulder and reached down for the sword, her fingers wrapping around the handle.

The sound of the sword being drawn was loud and grating, and it sent a shiver of discomfort through Queenie when she withdrew the weapon. In a simple second she had the sword between the two of them, her left hand gripping the sharper end as she put it to his throat.

"Look, I've had a long fucking day, and I'm not in the mood to deal with this shit right now. So tell me where she is," the princess demanded, ignoring the tingling sensation she felt in her palms and the middle of her chest. There was also an uncomfortable sting in her left hand, which she knew was the sword cutting into her skin due to the force of her grip, but she had to put it aside for now.

The pirate brought his head away from the wall, the humorous smile dripping away from his face. His eyes, which Queenie now saw were a startling blue, darted between her own and the sword she held to his throat.

"Are ya gonna kill me if I don' answer?" he asked, his tongue darting across his bottom lip.

Queenie raised a brow. "You wanna find out?" She pushed the sword in further, greatly pleased when a hiss of pain passed through his lips.

"I don' think ya've got it in ya," he taunted with a dark chuckle.

The young princess huffed in annoyance, and she peered at the space where sword met skin. There was a very small line of blood, spreading onto the edge of the sword. If she pushed down any harder she'd do some serious damage.

"C'mon, princess."

The movement of something or other from the corner of her eye pulled Queenie's attention away, and she quickly glanced over to the left. She'd been much too distracted by the suffocating heat building beneath her skin, and complete panic over what might've happened to Ava, that she hadn't noticed the pirate moving his hands.

Instead of making an attempt at shoving her away, which Queenie assumed he would do, the pirate brought his hands to the sword, his fingers sliding over Queenie's. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, and Queenie brought her eyes back to his.

"Do it." His eyes were lit up in some kind of sick pleasure, his teeth bared in a terrifying grin. His hands squeezed again, and Queenie realised with an intense wave of disgust that he was actually encouraging her to do this.

"You're nuts," she hissed.

The pirate hummed in agreement. "Ya've got no idea, love."

All of a sudden, Queenie's fury died down into nothing, and an awful shame started to take its place. Her body no longer felt like it was on fire. In fact, she'd swiftly become incredibly cold. Her eyebrows began to raise, while her eyes steadily widened in fear and disbelief. The realisation of what she'd been seconds away from doing just now became perfectly clear.

Queenie's hands began to release the sword, and her fingers twitched against the pirate's. The look on her face, and the fact she was loosening her grip on the weapon, alerted the mad pirate. And he took this opening with great satisfaction.

With her hands trapped beneath his, he tightened his grip, raising the sword above her head. The sword cut into her hand even further and Queenie gasped, from both the pain and the speed he used to switch their positions.

Since the sword was no longer an issue, the pirate stepped forward, shoving his right leg between Queenie's. He used his upper torso to push and twist her around, and Queenie tripped over his left leg, her fumbled movements betraying her. He'd thrown her off completely, and since her mind was trying to accept how crazy he was, while also dealing with her worry over what she'd almost done to him, it wasn't too hard for him to get her pinned to the wall.

Now it was Queenie's life at stake. The sword above her head was now pressed to her throat, the pirate using his hold on her hands to turn her own movements against her.

"Well, aren't we in a bit of a pickle?" he mocked.

Knowing that fighting against him would only kill her faster, Queenie froze, doing her best to press herself further into the wall. She was still reeling from the aftershock of nearly killing someone, and now she was somewhat humiliated that he'd caught her off guard.

"Where is she?" the princess asked again, though with less impatience than before. Now, it was more of a plead.

The pirate tutted, shaking his head back and forth. "Sorry, love, ya're not exactly in tha position ta be askin' questions." He sucked in a sharp breath, thoughtfully looking her over. "What do I do with ya now, eh?"

"You could let me go," she suggested. It was a half-assed attempt on her part, but at least she could go out knowing she'd tried.

Surprisingly, he appeared to be thinking it over. "Huh," the pirate muttered, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug. "Never thought o' that one." He lowered the sword then, but still kept it close to her neck, and leaned in. "But where's tha fun in that?"

A faint yelp of shock flew through Queenie's parted lips, her head coming forward as the pirate put more force into the push. The stinging sensation in her neck became unbearable, and the palm of her left hand throbbed from the grip she unwillingly still had on the sword. In the back of her mind, Queenie's two sides were at war. The part of her that belonged in Auradon wept, already grieving for the friends she was leaving behind, and the things she still hadn't done. But the other part of her, the one she kept locked away in a cage, yanked and shoved at the bars locking it in, screaming in demand. The part of her that was pure Isle was begging to be let out.

The idea was rather tempting, actually. At least if she let herself relax for a little bit, and finally dropped the wall she'd been hiding behind for so long, it'd make this moment a hell of a lot easier. Plus, if she let her emotions go this once, and stopped letting the anger, disappointment, and frustration build up inside of her, it would spark some sort of adrenaline rush. Of course, the heat beneath her skin would be a little uncomfortable, but at least it would get rid of the pain the pirate was causing.

After spending so long hiding herself behind towering walls, Queenie finally let them merge. Just this once, she wouldn't drive herself crazy wondering which side she belonged to.

But there was nothing. Well... the pain in her neck and hand was still there, of course. Aside from that, though, she didn't feel any different. It was a little anti-climactic, actually. After all, her nasty little self had been quite the pest back in Auradon, pushing away in her mind whenever something particularly stressful occurred. Now that she'd let it in, and finally accepted that she was just as good as she was evil, it'd gone to sleep.

Then she felt it. What she'd mistaken for pins-and-needles, since the pirate still had a death grip on her hands, was actually something else; Something she was very familiar with. Instead of the burning fire she usually felt when her temper came to life spreading through every inch of her skin, it was now firmly rooted inside of her chest, causing her heart to beat even faster.

Queenie's eyes widened in surprise, and an incredulous giggle forced its way up through her throat. Even her wildest dreams - or nightmares - she hadn't thought of this.

"Are ya alright there, love?"

During her moment of overwhelming appreciation and great shock, Queenie had somehow forgot why she'd been having her dilemma in the first place. Slowly, the princess raised her head, staring at the pirate through tears of laughter.

"Oh, I'm fine," she managed to say, quite enjoying the confounded look on his face. "But you won't be."

Before the pirate could so much as mumble another word, Queenie let the vibration from her palms drift into the sword. There was a bright flash of red light, and then he was gone. Not completely gone, of course. All she'd wanted to do was get him away from her, and her magic had been kind enough to do just that.

When the red smoke faded, flowing back into Queenie's still-glowing palms, she saw the pirate a few feet away. He was lying on his back, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace, while groans of pain escaped his mouth.

"What tha fuck?!" he yelled out, smacking his hands against the dirt floor.

The Princess of Hearts smiled and moved toward the pirate, crouching down to his level when she was close enough. She couldn't help but giggle when he made pathetic attempts to get away from her, shuffling his back across the floor with the use of his feet. She'd certainly taken him by surprise with that one, but she couldn't blame him entirely. They were on the Isle, and behind the magical barrier that prevented the use of magic, so it was only natural that he'd assume she didn't have any. Hell... she hadn't even known she could use her magic here. Her aunt had told her that their magic wasn't the same as the magic in Auradon, but Queenie hadn't expected it to surpass Auradon magic altogether.

"So," the princess chirped, a knowing smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth. She raised her right hand for him to see the glowing pulse beneath the skin of her palm, wiggling her fingers in a taunting manner. "You gonna tell me where she is now?"

AN;

Right, long chapter I know, but I only plan for this fic to be a two-parter, so the chapters will be quite long. Again, Queenie's personality is quite different to how it is in the 'S.O.S' universe, but I had a lot of fun writing it.

Anyway, please let me know your thoughts in a review or PM. And favourites and follows are appreciated also. But please no flames.

Thanks for reading!