04 | Unintended Journey
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Mal, daughter of Maleficent, was back on the Isle of the Lost. She managed to escape without anyone stopping her. The pressure was too overwhelming, and fleeing felt like her only option.
Pixie Bell did like the purple-headed girl but they weren't close. Their first interaction with each other was yesterday! And Pixie didn't know how she could help. She was only a measly fairy who was easily frightened. Maybe I should go back to my room, yeah! Leave this to them. I'll just pretend I didn't hear a thing.
But the second the fairy turned to fly back, she hit something. Something large and firm. With a clumsy bump, she fell from the impact into a dark enclosure.
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Eyes fluttering open, Pixie Bell got up, wobbling. Where was she? The only thing the Tinker could see was darkness. She opened her bag of pixie dust, using the glow to look around. She explored her surroundings, there was a mirror larger than her, some makeup, and jewelry. Loud voices surrounded her. She heard a familiar voice, Evie?
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Pixie attempted to yell but only jingles came out. No one would be able to hear her since she was in her original form! She swished around, pushing the walls made of fabric. The chattering stopped. A bright light appeared from above. Pixie was free! Immediately, the fairy flew out before hitting a window. The Fairy winced, rubbing her arm.
"Pixie? What are you doing in my purse?!" Evie gasped in surprise. She wondered how in the world Pixie was here, in the limo. She and her friends, Ben, Carlos, and Jay were driving to the Isle, in hopes of bringing back their best friend.
Pixie said the enchanting words under her breath, causing a white glow to transform her. She sat beside the shocked blueberry on the black leather cushion. "Where am I?" She asked. Confusion washed over her. A second ago, she had been on castle grounds, and now she is—
"Ah!" The fairy shrieked as she looked out the window. They were going to fall in the ocean! Pixie was too young to die and she definitely didn't want to go by drowning! But her scream died down as soon as she realized they weren't falling toward the pitch-black waters. She blushed in embarrassment.
"You're in the limo. how- how did you get in here?" Evie furrowed her brows. She knew they couldn't turn back. They were so close to the island. And this island was too dangerous for the fairy.
Pixie looked around, acknowledging that it wasn't just her and Evie. As she dusted herself off, Pixie Bell found herself surrounded by confused faces. There was King Ben and two unfamiliar people. One was tan and carried a lot of muscles. The other was white, and scrawny with a million freckles. Everyone in the car glared at the brunette, waiting for her answer.
"I- um, I accidentally overheard you- you guys, and I was gonna go back to my room, but I bumped into something and fell," Pixie explained, her sweet voice barely audible. She was red-faced that she got caught in this strange situation.
"Well, hello then, Pixie..." The King smiled awkwardly. Pixie was not supposed to know about this. No one was beside the four.
"Oh, so that's why I felt something hit my back! I guess Evie's bag was open when I was holding it." The tanned-skinned man spoke, coming to fruition.
Evie introduced the boys first so Pixie wouldn't be confused by the unknown faces. "Pixie, this is Jay, and that's Carlos, they are my friends from the Isle."
They all exchanged their "Hi's" and "Hello's" before Evie continued. "Um, well, we're going to the Isle of the Lost to save our friend, Mal."
Pixie nodded, already knowing the reason. She did not want to go with them. She just arrived at a foreign place a day ago, and she didn't want to go somewhere new again. But her attention was redirected to something else.
"What is this thing...?" Pixie wondered, stroking the leather cushion. They sure didn't have something like this in Pixie Hollow. Although, it reminded her of the wagon they use to carry animals in.
"It's a car, uh, where it takes you places but you need a driver. Oh, and check this out!" Carol smirked, pointing to the various arrangements of sweets. Pixie glanced at it, not reaching out to grab some. She didn't understand what those were. "It's candy!" Carlos clarified before munching on some. He remembered the first time he entered this limo, and all the candies he stuffed his face with.
Pixie reached to grab a strange crystal on a stick. It was beautiful but how is it edible? She plopped it into her mouth. Pixie's eyes lit up at the sugary goodness. It tasted like cherry, one of her favorite fruits. Before she could grab more candy, a loud rumble erupted. They went through the barrier surrounding the depressing island. A flash took over Pixie and she was forced into her small form. What just happened? Why have I gone back to being small?
Everyone was stunned at the sudden action. "Oh right, magic isn't allowed in the Isle, so I'm afraid the spell doesn't work here." Ben sighed.
"Then we should let her stay in the car. It's for the best."
Jay parked the car in a remote sheltered area, making sure that there was absolutely no one around. If someone were to notice, they would surely cause a ruckus! The area was surrounded by walls and tunnels that led to unknown places. Everyone except for the little brunette got out of the car, locking it.
They covered it with a thick cloth. The car was in complete darkness inside. Pixie was not a fan of the dark. She could not stay there. She banged on the window as hard as she could hoping someone would hear.
Evie lifted the cloth, seeing a glowing amber light at the window. She unlocked the car, opening the door. Pixie flew up to her, attempting to explain with her hands that she didn't want to be in there. The daughter of the Evil Queen understood what the fairy meant, feeling bad. "Okay, you're going to have to come with us then. We really need to be careful, it's extremely dangerous, especially for you."
The fairy could only reply with a hesitant nod. Pixie didn't want to be bothersome, after all this plan had nothing to do with her. They went into the mysterious tunnel.
"No one can know you're here, Ben," Evie began. "You have to stay low, okay? Don't speak to anyone, look at anyone—"
"Or breathe near anyone." Jay joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. This place held many unwanted memories for the boy. He didn't like being back in the gloomy environment.
Evie gave him a disapproving look. Now wasn't the time for jokes, she must bring her best friend back. Mal was the other half of her. Evie started leading the way, her heels clinking against the pavement. The outskirts were silent with barely anyone around, only the rats who were scavenging for food. After a few minutes, the noise had increased.
Auradon's King was taken aback at the awful conditions of the Isle. He had never been on the island before, so he did not know what to expect. His heart ached as he glanced at the people. "This is a lot worse than I expected..." He muttered, sadly.
Tears formed in Pixie's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. This place was heartbreaking to look at, she couldn't imagine how the people here lived. Even if this is the land of the villains, it isn't right.
He noticed a distressed-looking man and couldn't help but send him an innocent and sweet ear-to-ear smile. The man growled at him in response but Carlos pushed him away.
"Ben, you can't go around smiling at people." Carlos sighed, knowing that Ben needed to be taught the cold rules of the Isle.
"Why not? it could make someone's day." He wondered. Ben was just doing what a King was supposed to do. Nevertheless, the people of the Isle were still his people and he must treat them with some kindness.
"Well here, smiling at a stranger is like you're asking to pick a fight," Jay crossed his arms. It was true, kindness was considered abnormal in the Isle. Hence why fights were so common.
"Just... Don't make eye contact with anyone, okay? We don't want anyone to notice that the King of Auradon is walking around the streets." Evie said sternly. She resumed her walk but was aggressively pulled back. Two kids grabbed her, rummaging through her pockets. They snatched a piece of fabric with jewels engraved in it. Evie yelled at the kids before quieting down. Her eyes softened, as she stared at the children. She gave the item to the kids, they probably needed it more than she did.
Meanwhile, Pixie Bell was trailing behind. She was rummaging through her bag made out of pink rose petals. Her wings were slowing down, signaling it was time to use some pixie dust. Thankfully, she has enough to support her for six full moons— six months. That is if she uses it wisely.
She heard a loud voice call out, "Pixie!" It startled the fairy making her stumble and accidentally let go of the dust in her hand.
"No, no, no!" The brunette flew down, trying to catch the twinkling dust before it hit the ground. It would also be troublesome if someone were to notice. A fairy did not stand a chance in this kind of environment. Unfortunately, Pixie could only catch a few specks before the rest fell onto the floor. A few pebbles rose, floating. Pixie fled as quickly as a bunny, going towards the group. She sprinkled the leftovers onto her wings. Luckily, it was still enough to help her wings. She couldn't bear to use more than she should. The five hurried until they were stopped by a certain blonde boy.
"Hey, man! I know you." He sent a wide grin to Ben.
Ben slouched looking at everything but the guy. "Um, don't know you either man" He muttered, trying to be nonchalant.
"Uh, yeah you do? Dude I'll give you a hint. My dad is quick, slick, and his neck... Is incredibly thick." He illustrated. "Oh come on guys, my dad's Gaston!" Gil frowned in dejection. He noticed a poster taped onto the brick wall behind them. On that poster was a drawing of King Ben and his girlfriend, Mal. The boy he was talking to looked oddly similar to the one on the poster. He pointed, switching from Ben to the poster a few times before a lightbulb appeared above his head. In an instant, Gil recognized the boy in front of him.
"Oh, You're King Ben!" His eyes widened. "Yeah you totally are King Ben, and you're J-Jay, Carlos, Evie, Jay. Hey guys!—" And immediately, the group scurried off. For a moment, he was upset to have been left all alone but that sadness quickly left. This was time to be useful to his Pirate Crew for once.
"Oh, Uma's gonna love this!"
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The group caught their breaths as they stopped to rest. Pixie almost felt bad for running away from the blondie. He seemed sweet although he was from the Isle. She wanted to ask who he was but knew nobody would understand the poor girl. Even though she didn't like being big, she wished she was at this moment.
The fairy was scared and perplexed, and frankly, she missed her cozy bed. Why must she be so incredibly clumsy? If only she hadn't left her room then she wouldn't be apart of this. And to top it all off, she dropped some dust. Someone is going to end up finding it then they'll know that there was a fairy here and she'll be turned into fairy stew! Once again, her eyes water started to water. Now is not the time to be such a crybaby!
Evie noticed how disheveled Pixie looked and couldn't help but be worried for her new friend. She understood that this was most likely taking a toll on her. "Pixie, are you alright? I know you're probably scared— I understand. We'll try to get this done and over with as fast as possible."
Pixie's heart warmed at her understanding. For 16 years, Pixie had never had a friend like Evie. She was always alone, and the friends she made never lasted. No one ever cared for her like that. Even if she had just met the VK the same day, she felt as if their friendship would only grow. Pixie floated to the blue-headed girl, giving her a tiny hug.
Jay interrupted the heartfelt moment, telling them they needed to continue their short journey. They weren't far from her, well, assuming she would be in their old hang-out space. And they needed to leave this island fast. Since Gil found out they were here, it was only a matter of time until the other people know too.
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People made way for the man who carried a hook in hand. They cowered in fear, standing along the sides of the path. No one wanted to be near the spine-chilling man. Abruptly, the man paused. He glanced at the cracked stone floor, finding a subtle glow emitting. He bent down, swiping his finger across the floor. He brought it up to his eyes, rubbing his fingers together. "Pixie dust..." Harry Hook's deep brown eyes dimmed.