(2) The Space Between (Evie/ (Fem) You)

-Chapter 13: The Crown and The Shell-

"She's spelled." I tell Mal, making her nod as she realises. "She found our spell book." Mal says, referring to Uma. I nod, thinking before stepping towards Y/N as she glares at the King. "Y/N. Y/N." I say, taking her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "Look at me." I say. "No, look at me." Uma says from beside me, making Y/N's eyes trail to her. "Y/N. You love me, remember?" I ask, watching as her eyes dart back to me. "No, you don't." Uma says, growling and pulling me back from taking Y/N's face. "Yes, you do." I say, watching as Y/N looks at me.

"Y/N, look at me." Uma growls, but getting ignored. Uma glares at me before turning to Fairy Godmother. "Bring down the barrier now!" She shouts. "I do not take orders from you!" The fairy says in return. "Y/N!" The sea witch cries, looking at the queen. "Tell her!" She asks. Y/N's eyes stray to Uma, as if deciding. I take her hands, making the Queen look me in my eyes.

"Y/N. I never told you that I loved you because I thought that you were just saying that. You didn't want to tell the world about us. I thought it was because you were ashamed, thinking that the public would hate us. That the only way to keep me from leaving you after that is to tell me you love me." I mutter to her, quietly so that only the close people can hear. "I thought it was only a matter of time before you realised all this work to keep us hidden was useless and wasn't worth it. I'd be left behind. Broken, hurt, alone." I say, letting a few tears slip past my eyes.

"Y/N. That...That was for me. You spent so much trying to get that for me." I cry, pointing to the crown. "It's part you, part me. It's us." I add, seeing Y/N's eyes light up at the thought. "Y/N, eyes over here!" Uma says. "Y/N. Please. You knew what we'd be. You weren't going to leave me, hide me. You were preparing to reveal us. To tell everyone, like I want to do now, that you're mine and I'm yours. That we belong together." I say. 

"Don't listen to her, Y/N!" Uma says, growling at me. "I realise now that you were protecting me. I'm sorry I didn't realise that earlier....but Y/N..." I start, cupping her face again as I feel her lean slightly into my touch, as if resisting the spell a bit to react. "Y/N, I love you." I say, staring into the girl's eyes as I watch it clear. Watch emotion fill them again. "I've always loved you." I add, making sure she hears every word. Y/N's eyes soften as I feel her hand slowly reach for me. One cupping my cheek and the other on my back. "Evie...." She mutters, staring at me with love and happiness.

I smile, loving the fact that the idea, the knowledge that I loved her back broke the spell. Love is stronger than any spell in the world.

"Ugh! Give it to me!" Uma shouts, jumping for the wand. Mal gets in her way, pushing her back as Uma growls, realising she's trapped before running to the side of the ship as guards run to her. "No! Stop!" Y/N shouts, running to the side too, stopping a few feet in front of Uma who's perched at the railing. "Uma, please. I know you. You're way more than just a villain." She says. Her hand makes sure to hold mine, squeezing it to let me know that I'm still hers and she's mine. That this isn't another weird declaration of love.

"I know your heart, Uma. I've known it since we were kids. I know your vision, your passion. I know you." She says. "I've been where you are, trust me. Don't let your pride get in the way of something you really want." She says. "Please, Uma. Don't run. I won't. Not like when we were children. We don't have to be enemies again!" She shouts.

The girl looks at us, weighing her options before smirking. She looks behind her, looking once more at Y/N before jumping in. "Uma, no!" She shouts. We all run to the edge, peering over as we see something shining in the water. "Oh shit...." I mutter.

Before we can do anything, the water swirls, growing and splashing onto us, drenching all of us....and all of my creations. Damn it, Uma!

As we look back, I realise....Uma is still there. But she's bigger, and has way too many legs. Uma's like her mom....she's an octopus now.

Y/N pov

I watch as Uma transforms into her octopus formation. I hold Evie behind me, wanting to protect her as I watch Uma laugh from below. "Love won't defeat this...." The pirate says. "The world will know my name!" She shouts, laughing loudly as she uses a tentacle to splash us. I growl at her.

First she spells me, manipulates me, breaks Evie's heart and now attacks us? I had faith in her, hoping that the girl from my childhood would return....but no. She's gone. All I see is a wicked witch who needs to be taught a lesson.

I step back, away from Evie as I feel the anger in my chest strengthen. The red hot rage fills my vision as I glare at the girl. I curl my hands into a fist, urging myself to not swing wildly, knowing that I won't hit anything. The anger fills my veins, my bones. Reaching the ends of my body as I feel a deep growl from the bottom of my lungs make its way out. I look at Evie, who's looking at me with wide eyes. "Y/N?" She asks as I see the light my eyes give off reflected in her eyes. I gasp, feeling my body have a mind of itself as I shudder.

Smoke fills my vision as I close my eyes, trying to understand the feeling I am feeling....before opening my eyes again to see myself high above everyone. All of them looking up at me as I try to speak, only for it to come out as a roar. I look at myself. My arms now wings, my feet now claws. I'm a goddamn dragon, just like my mother. I see Evie gasp, grinning at me as she watches. I see water suddenly splash onto deck again and growl, a real growl this time as I turn to the sea witch, seeing her grin and smirk at me. "Come on, Y/N! Let's finish this once and for all!" She shouts at me.

I roar, diving to attack her only for her to dodge my fire. As I attack, Uma defends. Uma attacks and I fly away. It goes on and on like this, neither of us getting any hits in. It could be because of the fire vs water situation happening....or it could be because neither of us has the heart to actually hurt the other. We grew up together. It's not easy to forget that.

As I dive, using my fire to make Uma dive into the water, I see Evie at the edge, watching me with worried eyes. I fly back to the side of the ship as Uma appears again, smirking. Before either of us can do anything, however, I hear someone on the ship roar. Not an actual roar, more like....they literally shout the word 'roar'.

I look over to see Ben taking off and jumping into the water between Uma and I as the others shout for Ben. What is the idiot doing now?

He appears on the surface of the water in between Uma and I, looking at us before speaking. "Y/N! Uma! Stop! Back down!" He shouts.

If I could speak, I'd tell him to move....or laugh at him. Either one. Does he really think Uma will back down?

As if reading my mind, Uma laughs at the King. "What are you gonna do, Ben? Splash me?" She asks teasingly, splashing him. "That's enough! It's got to stop! This isn't the answer!" The King shouts, looking between the two of us. Always the peacemaker. "The fighting has got to stop! Nobody wins this way! We have to listen...an-and respect each other." He adds. I fly a little lower, listening just like Uma is. "It won't be easy, but let's be brave enough to try." He says before looking at the pirate.

"Uma, I know you want what is best for the Isle. Help me make a difference." He says to the girl. She looks at him for a moment before her eyes shift to me. In them, I see the girl I had known when we were little. The passionate, caring and loyal girl. The girl who would do anything to save the people closest to her. The bitterness, manipulative girl is not faded into the back of her mind as she shows her true self. The girl I knew, and loved back then.

As if to answer, Uma bows her head at me, one of her tentacles now removing the crown from her head and instead, bringing it towards the boat, towards Evie. Evie takes it from the tentacle, shocked as she watches Uma then slowly sink into the water, disappearing from sight. She left. She didn't fight, she left.

Word Count: 2397