"Keep moving! Come on! Go! Honestly, it's like herding a field of cattle!"
Doug stumbled over the uneven pavement, nearly taking out Evie who was trudging reluctantly in front of him. "Could we just--" he began, turning around to face the shadow directly behind him which had taken the form of a lion. Before he could even blink, a trident was shoved at his face. He cringed back in horror.
"No talking!" Queenie snapped again. She paused her triumphant march to glare at them. "Or I'll have to call my mother to deal with you, Auradon boy."
Doug paled. He didn't know which sounded worse. Meeting Evil Queen and dying by some slow curse or decapitation by the Queen of Hearts. Well, at least the latter would be quick. He couldn't believe he was envisioning his own death scenarios. Unconsciously, he reached for the Dragonfire. Maybe it could help them somehow? Maybe even just as a bargaining chip?
Evie saw where his hand was going and shook her head no. He understood her message perfectly. They were going to see the Evil Queen. Death or no, he wasn't to give up the crystal.
I'm so dead.
"Move!" Queenie snarled. The shadows shoved them forward and the lion growled warningly. Doug was rather surprised to learn that the figures actually had mass. Scientifically speaking, that should have been impossible!
Well, so should a kiss that could magically wake someone from eternal slumber, so he wasn't going to complain too much.
"Doug, come on." Evie held out her hand and he took it cautiously. He could feel Queenie's gaze locked on them, along with a spear at his back. And at that moment, all he could think of was how terrible of an idea it had been to come here. He wondered briefly if he'd ever get to see Auradon or his family again. There was no doubt that the Evil Queen would eliminate him the moment she realized who and what he was.
The troop marched solemnly through the dirty streets. Many curious gazes swiveled towards them, likely recognizing Evie and Queenie and wondering what squabble the two of them had gotten into this time. Some of them even looked as though they pitied the two teens being forced through the city. But there was no doubt that the atmosphere had changed. Queenie was in charge of the Isle now and no one dared to speak against her.
They got closer to the black castle. It stood, towering over the smaller, more insignificant huts surrounding it. Doug thought it looked a bit like something out of a horror movie. One look at Evie's face confirmed his suspicions. This was her mother's castle. Evil Queen was waiting for them. Still, the dwarf couldn't help but marvel at the complex design of the structure's mainframe. Though the Islanders didn't have a lot, they were quite resourceful. Unless one were to look closely, it would be difficult to guess that the castle was made mostly out of rocks and spare pieces of metal.
Is this where Evie lived? Doug's gaze scanned the entire building. He knew his girlfriend had been castle-schooled her entire life before coming to Auradon. But was this really where? In such a deserted part of the city? No friends? No magic? No band? He wondered how she'd done it.
He squeezed her hand tightly as they came to the last street and Doug could see a figure standing on a long balcony, waiting, possibly watching them. "Evie?" Doug hissed, his voice cracking terribly. His eyes met the observer's and, even from where he stood, he could feel the violent fury radiating from her. This had to be her. Evil Queen. Doug suddenly felt small in so many ways.
"Doug..." Evie began, tightening her grip on his hand for a moment before pulling away sharply. Before he could even ask what she was doing, she had already leaped into action, thrusting her hands forwards. Three shadows were sent flying backward into the wall and evaporated. "RUN!" Evie yelled as she charged at Queenie.
Doug blinked, stunned. And then, her words kicked in and he realized her plan. He swung into action, using the little bit of self-defense Lonnie had given him to yank the spear from the thing behind him and wield it like a sword against the army. He gritted his teeth, sizing up his opponents and running the math through his brain. There were an estimated forty-six shadows remaining, not including Queenie who wasn't a ghost thing. That was twenty-six a piece.
Easy.
One lunged for him from the right. Doug reacted immediately, swinging around and bringing up the spear to meet the shadowy cutlass. They struggled for a moment before Doug lunged backward, bracing himself for an attack. The shadow threw itself at him. He spun around it and jabbed his weapon into its back.
It exploded into dust and the next batch set in.
Evie suddenly appeared at his side, fending off two at once. "I thought I told you to run!" she snapped, shoving them back with a great force unusual for her.
Doug didn't answer as he ducked a blow from another shadow and punched it hard. To his shock, his hand went right through its head! With a cry of alarm, he yanked his arm back and stared at the thing in horror.
Behind them, Queenie laughed. "I see you've figured out my little secret. What do you think of my shadow henchmen? They can't be harmed by any normal things." She glanced smugly at Doug when she said normal. "Only magic can destroy them. Isn't that right, Evie?"
Evie ignored her and narrowed her eyes. "All right," she said to Doug as they both ducked and dodged the jabbing tridents. "So we need to rethink this. You take left and I'll go right?"
"Sounds good."
They broke apart. Evie dove for a group to the left, her eyes suddenly turning orange. Doug lunged right, slashing and hacking at the shadows, holding them back and unbalancing them as they charged at him. The two worked as a perfect team, taking down the shadows one by one. Meanwhile, Queenie stood off to the side, watching them fight, smirking. Behind her, a figure watched the battle in silence.
In a matter of moments, almost half of the shadows had been vanquished. But the two were beginning to tire as they once more went back to back. "How...many...more...of these things are...there?" Doug gasped, tiredly lifting the spear once more.
"Too many," Evie decided. "We need another plan."
"I'm open to suggestions! Duck!" He pulled her down to avoid a long sword as it went whistling over their heads.
Evie glared. "I'll blast them all." Her voice was cold. Even as she spoke, her hands were beginning to shine with an unusual orange glow.
Doug looked at her nervously. "Erm...maybe not?" He ducked and kicked out, stumbling as his foot vanished for a moment only to reappear on the other side of the shadow. "Oh...right...magic." He quickly jumped back. "Uh, Evie, maybe you should blast them." He didn't know what was going on with her. But whatever it was, it seemed to be destroying the creatures. It seemed like their best bet of getting out of there.
She nodded. "Stand back," she ordered. Her eyes flashed orange and she had a look deadly enough to kill. The light intensified and, a moment later, a sonic wave erupted around her, eliminating the entire army in one fell swoop.
Doug shielded his eyes as the wave knocked both Evie and him back onto the ground.
"NO!" Queenie shrieked. They both spun to face her. Doug rolled instinctively to protect the bluenette as the redhead stared at Evie with deadly intent. "You think you can escape?" With that, she reached into her purse and yanked something out.
Evie gasped. Doug stared.
It was a small blue gem, flashing with a recognizable glint. The Dragonfire, Doug realized in horror. How'd she get a hold of it?
"This is what you're after, isn't it?" she sneered. Evie froze and Doug lifted his spear threateningly. "Oh, now, now, don't be so hasty. You'll get your little jewel in time." Doug hated the smug grin on the Princess of Heart's face. He didn't trust her as far as he could throw her.
"I have a better idea," Evie snarled. "You give me the Dragonfire and Doug won't hurt you too badly." She chose to ignore that he was entirely incapable of hurting anyone at all. But Queenie didn't know that and Evie was using that to her advantage.
"This weakling?" Queenie jeered, eyeing Doug. "Don't make me laugh." And she did just that for the sake of it. "But, if you want this gem, come and get it. Later, E." With a mock two-finger salute, she disappeared into a puff of red smoke, cackling.
"QUEENIE!" Evie yelled but she was gone. And so was the Dragonfire. Evie staggered, worn out from the excessive explosion of power. Doug dropped the spear and hurried to her side.
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm...fine." She gave him a weak smile.
"You're not fine," Doug argued as Evie stumbled and he lunged to catch her. "Come on," he added, slinging her arm around his shoulders. "Let's get out of here."
"But...the Dragonfire..."
"It's gone," Doug told her. "E, it's not safe for us here. Please."
She nodded and the two of them limped away from the battlefield. Curious eyes stared at them from the shadows as they struggled back to their hideout. Upon reaching the top floor, Evie collapsed into a hammock, groaning in pain and muttering a bunch of incoherent words. Doug sat against the opposite wall, inhaling and exhaling deeply, shaking. He forced the tears of relief from his eyes. They'd escaped! They'd gotten away!
And it was all thanks to Evie.
He couldn't help but glance in her direction. What had happened to her? The orange light. It had been like...magic.
But how was that possible? Evie didn't have any powers...right?
"Doug..."
He turned, hearing her weak whisper, and found her staring at him from her hammock. She looked exhausted but still managed a weak smile. "Hey," she went on. "You did good back there. I didn't know you had it in you."
He smirked. "I guess Lonnie's tips paid off."
She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."
He frowned. "Evie, are you sure you're okay?"
She shrugged. "At first, I thought so. But now I'm not so sure."
"What happened back there? What was that orange power? And your eyes..."
Evie groaned. "It's a bit hard to explain," she mumbled. "I don't know what happened. It's...it's something I haven't seen for a long time...since I was a little girl. Last time, I just...got this weird feeling. Like...like I was on fire. And the next thing I knew, everything was destroyed. It's...it's something that I can't really explain and...don't really like talking about."
"This is what you and Mal were arguing about," Doug guessed.
Evie nodded, grunting as she tried to sit up and only managed a halfhearted attempt. "And now Queenie has the blue Dragonfire. How did she even get it? There's supposed to be some sort of protection around them so that only a hero could wield them."
"But Maleficent had all six."
"Yeah?" Evie stared at him blankly. "But Maleficent wasn't always bad, remember?"
"I guess." Doug moved over to sit against the wall next to her. "But now that we know that Queenie has the Dragonfire, don't you think we should start working on how we're going to get it back?"
"Oh...that's easy," Evie groaned. "There's only one person who could have helped Queenie get a hold of a Dragonfire."
"Maleficent?"
"Right." Evie painfully attempted to sit up again but fell back with a look of agony. "But since we don't know where Maleficent is...there's no way of knowing for sure what her plans might be. But there might be another way..." She trailed off here.
"What?" Doug sat up, interested.
"No, no, it would be too dangerous. Only a hero could complete it and...I don't think I can move..."
"I'll do it," Doug volunteered immediately, already fearing her trying to stand up again when it was obvious it was causing her so much pain. "What is it? Tell me what to do."
She gave him a small smile. "Doug, I know you want to help. And I'm grateful, really, but this is not something a dwarf can do."
"It's about finding the Dragonfire," Doug argued. "And a Dragonfire is practically a jewel, right? And what do you think my family has done for years? Sat around sniffing roses? If anyone can find a rock, it's me."
She sighed. "It's not about that," she explained. "It's just...to complete the trial...you'd have to face my mother."
Doug gulped. "Y-your mother? As in, the creepy woman that we were just trying to get away from? Are we talking about the same Evil Queen?"
Evie nodded. "Yes. Mom keeps her magic mirror--the big one that talks--in the uppermost room of her castle. If you could get to that, it could tell you where the Dragonfires are and where Maleficent is. But, there's still the problem of my mother. You have a Dragonfire with you. She'll want that. And she can sense the blood of a dwarf a mile away. You'd never get in. I was the only one who had a chance. I was going to go in before. That's why I told you to run."
"You wanted to get caught?"
Evie nodded. "Me. Not you. Mal was never supposed to send you with me."
"Well, I'm here now," Doug pointed out. "So tell me how to get in."
"But--"
"You can't do it," Doug went on. "You said it yourself. The Magic Mirror might be the only way to solve this mystery."
"But...the mirror won't even work for you. Just wait for me. I'll be feeling fine soon enough."
"Then I'll figure something else out. And how do you know the mirror won't work for me?" Doug said with a small smile, ignoring the last part.
"You're not related to us," Evie argued.
"Really? Are you sure the mirror only responds to genes? After all, I have magic now too." He gestured to the Dragonfire.
Evie looked at him. "You're not going to quit, are you?"
He shook his head, grinning. "Mal wanted me to come for a reason," he reminded her. "I think this might have been why. Now, try and get some rest," he added, standing up and fiddling with the stone in his pocket. "I'm going to go have a look around and see if I can find anything to help us."
"Be careful," Evie called after him as he hurried up the steps and disappeared around the corner. "And don't go anywhere without me!"
"Aren't I always? And I wouldn't dream of it," he replied.
She gave no response to that. None was needed. They both knew the answer.
Just like Doug knew what he had to do. Evie didn't want him to take on Evil Queen by himself. But she was in no condition to travel...let alone face her mother. And if that was indeed where the Magic Mirror was...
The silver Dragonfire can track its twin's movements. The conversation with Mal suddenly popped into his brain. His Dragonfire and Evie's were connected. So, maybe, if he could find a way to channel the jewel's power, he could find the blue Dragonfire and skip Evil Queen entirely.
He pulled the rock out of his pocket, feeling the icy-hot pain shoot through his nerves. It was like it knew what needed to be done. He took a deep breath and focused all of his thoughts into finding the other stone. His head began to throb. The world gave a violent lurch and the pain intensified.
And then he was gone.
He was standing on blackened soil. The sky was dark above him but he could still see the stars. He could hear the screams and heavy wingbeats of dragons. He turned slowly, scanning the heavens. A flash of purple scales flew by him.
Mal?
He started running after it, tripping over the uneven earth. "Mal!" he tried to call to her but no sound came out. Trees flew past on either side of him as he weaved through the forest. He could see the dragon's tail as it smashed through the leafy canopy and disappeared into an open clearing.
He emerged from the woods and found himself standing in a scorched meadow.
And in the distance, he could see a small cottage, burnt completely to the ground.
His home.
NO! He sprinted towards it, forcing back the tears. The cottage, and surrounding fields, looked like they had been the center of a massive explosion. He reached the hanging door and quickly pushed it aside. Stepping into the obliterated room, he searched frantically for signs of life. "Dad? Mom? Uncles?" Nothing.
"No..." he gasped, stepping back. "No, no, no, please, no!"
A dragon's furious roar split the heavens.
And then the world shifted.
He found himself standing in a dark room before a large mirror. In one hand, he held the silver Dragonfire. In the other, an identical blue stone.
There was a scream from behind him.
He turned.
There was a flash of light.
And he awoke.
Doug slowly opened his eyes. He found himself back on the Isle, leaning against the wall, shaking. The Dragonfire was still clutched tightly in his hand. He looked down at it and took a deep breath. The vision was clear. His family was in trouble. He knew what he had to do.
Grabbing his backpack, he headed for the door, stopping only briefly to glance toward Evie's unmoving form. I'm sorry, he told her silently. Please forgive me.
He headed out the door and back into the busy streets. But he wasn't heading toward the bridge and Auradon. He was going the other way.
Toward the Evil Queen's Castle.