Uma scowled as she swabbed the floor of her mother's restaurant, the ties of the apron around her waist feeling more restraining than usual. She couldn't believe she was still on the Isle, even after what she'd seen in the viewing.
What was the point of having her, Harry and Gil there if King Beastie Jr. wasn't going to let them off or at least start pulling the younger kids off the Isle? Surely the Blue Fairy wouldn't be that cruel, to give the kids a taste of the outside world, to give Uma a taste of what it was like to have her powers, only to snatch it back?
There had been some changes though. Sure the food had gotten better, no one could deny that. But what had Ben done to the perpetrator?
Were they thrown on the Isle, trapped for the rest of their lives in the hell they helped create? Nope, they just lost their cushy title. Still got to live in Auradon, still got perfectly normal food, still got to live in the sun.
She sighed as she slammed the mop into the bucket. She wasn't going to lie, a small part of her thought that King Benny would have looked past the viewing and given her a chance. Just like he gave Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos. Didn't her crew deserve the same?
Not that I have much of a crew anymore. Not since the viewing. Well maybe that's not exactly true—the grunts are the same as they've always been, it's just two people in particular who've been odd. Oh Harry's still loyal but he's...withdrawn. He spends more time around Harriet than he does me lately. Oh and Gil's worthless but nothing new there. Mooning over Macaria of all people! If he had to get a crush on someone, did it have to be Zeus' granddaughter? Also known as my cousin, one of the brainless Olympians?
Gil was a few eggs shy of a full carton in terms of smarts but he was another loyal crew mate. As much as he drove her crazy at times, the last thing Uma wanted was for Gil to get hurt—unless she was the one doing the hurting. The only good thing about his love sick puppy act was that he wasn't trailing after Harry like an actual puppy.
It didn't endear the youngest Gaston son to Harry when they were kids and it certainly didn't endear him now.
"Cap'n!"
"Ah, finally speaking to me again I see," Uma snarked as Harry rushed in. The first mate had run so fast, he actually needed a few minutes to catch his breath. His hand and hook rested on his thighs as his back lifted up and down.
"This must be some news," Uma said with a slight smirk. "What, did Gil fall off the dock again? Did we finally take Mal's territory? Did one of the rats find a way off the Isle?"
The pirate straightened up and looked over at Uma, his face completely serious. "Mal's on the Isle."
"What?" Uma barked, the smirk slipping off her face.
Did Auradon break her like it did in the viewing?
The thought entered her head before Uma could stop it and she shoved it down. Mal had her own crew-if she was having problems she could go to them. She didn't need Uma. Not anymore.
"One of the rats, he saw Mal with DeVil and Jay, over near Curl Up and Dye. Evie was there too with a new boy. He called himself Mitchell, son of Morgana."
"Aunt Morgana doesn't have a kid. She was too busy getting revenge on Triton and getting turned into an ice cube by his precious granddaughter," Uma said slowly. The only person...or people who would know that would be...
"Harry, I think the Isle's been blessed by a royal visit," Uma said, rolling her eyes. "Chances are people across the bridge know Benny's here too, considering the fuss that Arendelle brat made during the viewing whenever Beastie boy went anywhere 'dangerous' without a guard."
"According to Dustin, it's just Mal, Jay, Evie and DeVil," Harry said. "And Beastie boy of course. But no sign of any guards, royal or otherwise. I could take 'em with just a few men. Hell, Beastie Jr. probably will walk off on his own just like the viewing—all I'd need is one well timed whack with my sword and he's out like a light."
"And I said no Harry," Uma snapped. "Beastie Jr. is smart, that much we saw in the viewing. How much of a chance do you think we'll have to get off the Isle if we kidnap him?"
"Probably the same chance we have now with Mal poisoning him against us," Harry shot back. "Then again, if we'd stuck with Mal and Jay in the first place we might have gotten off this rock a hell of a lot sooner!"
"Watch your tone Harry," Uma growled and closed the distance between them. "You know you've had an attitude ever since the Blue Fairy graciously dropped us back on the Isle. Spit it out."
Harry rolled his eyes but continued to stand ramrod straight at attention. "No attitude cap'n."
"Oh come on Harry, I've known you since we were five. Something's bothering you. It's got to be otherwise you wouldn't be around Harriet as much as you are right now."
"It a crime for a brother to hang around his sister? Harriet's being more open with her relationship with the Smeelette, if the Captain finds out, he won't be pleased. Then again he'd actually have to pay attention to Harriet to notice it."
Uma sighed. Harry was extremely protective of his older sister though considering Harriet was more like his mother, that may have been expected. He'd already lost one mother, he wasn't going to lose another. "Considering you have two sisters and you normally avoid one like the plague, I'd say yes," she said, focusing more on his question than his explanation. She had no issues with Harriet and the Smeelette, she wasn't a prissy Boreadon royal-now if Harriet had been dating someone from Freddy's crew, then there'd be an issue.
Harry shrugged. "The runt doesn't want me hanging around her. I see no reason to force my company on her. Even if she does need a lesson in her taste in men—rumor is she has a crush on Jay of all people."
"So do half the girls on the Isle," Uma pointed out, remembering what the older boy had looked like at the viewing. Maybe 'crush' was the wrong word-lusting after Jay would have been more appropriate but it seemed strange to apply that phrase to CJ. "Boreadon's helped Jay out in that department, but you're changing the subject."
Harry rolled his eyes and Uma growled under her breath. Why did Harry have to be so stubborn? Honestly, Gil would be easier to talk to because it was clear as day what he was thinking. Well, he usually wasn't but that was besides the point.
"Harry, you know that future's not going to happen right?" Uma asked, taking a wild guess as to what was bothering her first mate, and she gave an internal sigh as Harry stiffened ever so slightly. If Uma wasn't looking right at him, she'd have never noticed.
"If I get the chance to escape this rock, I will take it. But I won't leave you on the Isle," she promised, her voice softening slightly since it was just the two of them. She didn't have to put on the tough captain act. "I won't leave my crew on the Isle."
Sighing she shook her head. "I don't know what happened in that future that'll never be but Harry? It's you, me and Gil. Never forget that."
"Does it have to be Gil?" Harry muttered and Uma chuckled. He was back.
"Hey, Gil's been pretty okay since the viewing," she said. "When's the last time he reminded us about the Incident?"
"Probably the last time the whole crew was in here. So before we were kidnapped by the Blue Fairy and we discovered Mal can transform into a dragon."
"Thanks for reminding me," Uma muttered. She still had nightmares about that freaking dragon flying after her and Pan...and her without her sword! Not that anyone knew of course. You reveal a weakness, others will use that to their advantage. Even if that weakness was something only one person could exploit.
"Go make sure Freddy boy hasn't wormed his way back into our territory," Uma said. "I know you're hankering for a fight, so go have one with him. Just don't kill him."
"And why is that cap'n?" Harry asked.
"That's a job for a captain," Uma said with a smirk and Harry chuckled. "The Angels will know my name—and so will Mal and the others."
"So what you're saying is they can keep their jewels divine and their manners refined but revenge is going to be—?"
"Mine," Uma finished, the smirk still on her face. "Go on Harry, I'll catch up with you and the crew later."
Harry nodded and headed out the door, grabbing his sword from the sword check. Uma trusted Harry that he wouldn't go after Mal or the others. She'd given an order and Harry stuck to those orders. Usually. There was one time when she'd given the order to leave Gil alone and Harry had ignored it but to be fair, they were twelve.
Grabbing the mop bucket and mop, Uma sighed as she went to put them away. So Benny and Mal had finally decided to grace the Isle with their presence. She was honestly surprised it took them this long. Then again, if they were redoing that jacket, it would take some time. Blueberry was many things but you couldn't say she wasn't throughout when it came to her designs.
A giant golden shield with the beast's head in the center...on a dark blue jacket. Uma shook her head. She may not know fashion but even she could have told Blueberry that would have been an obvious sign of who Benny was considering the number of posters of King Beast that had been put up throughout the Isle when they were growing up.
Plus the announcement of Benny's birth on Auradon News. And his christening. And probably whenever he went to the bathroom...geez did the people of Auradon not have a life?
Considering all the news coverage of Mal from the viewing, I'd say not, Uma thought with a small chuckle and shook her head. Even if she hadn't enjoyed watching someone else destroy Mal, Uma couldn't lie and said it didn't irk her. Watching Mal go back to having the perfect life and this time, actually enjoy it.
Every time she appeared on their tv, Uma wanted to take something and throw it at her. Usually it was some sort of food—she didn't want to waste the food on Mal but nine times out of ten, her anger won out.
The day Anastasia Tremaine and her brats left the Isle was the happiest day of Uma's life. Not because she hated Anastasia or her kids. Well, maybe her son. But because it was a sign that more kids were getting off the Isle.
Celia could get off the Isle. Her little half-sister was too good for this place. She deserved to have friends and a crew on the other side. With Mal calling the shots, it was likely the kids who were closest to those four would find their way off the Isle. While the others waited, forgotten, needing to scrape by on whatever they could find.
Growling a little as rage pulsed through her veins, Uma tore off the apron and stormed out. She made her way to the end of the dock and sighed, looking out onto the sea.
Gods what would it be like, to truly get to test out the powers of my shell? Uma thought, resting on the railing, her fingers absentmindedly brushing the smooth shell pendant of her necklace. Seeing herself as a giant octopus woman in the viewing felt almost like a tease, showing Uma just what she was capable of and then sticking her under the barrier to remind her that she would never get that chance.
Mal would be able to perfect her dragon form, probably get to the point that she would never have to think before doing it. It'd just be second nature to her.
But Uma would never get that chance. All because of that stupid viewing!
An outcry from some of the nearby pirates broke Uma out of her thoughts and she blinked as she saw the outline of the golden barrier. It...it was opening!
Mal and the others must be leaving, Uma thought, her hand resting on the railing. Now's my chance.
But what about Celia? The crew? Harry? You're just going to leave them behind?
Uma shoved down that inner voice and climbed over the railing, standing on the edge. Taking one last look at her ship, she jumped into the water. She couldn't help the small smirk that came on her face as she swam, making her way to the barrier as fast as she could. Sure it closed pretty quickly, Uma wasn't going to lie.
But Uma hadn't been lying in the viewing. She was a strong swimmer. She beat the barrier easily.
Coming to the surface, Uma let out a small chuckle as she treaded water and looked at the Isle from the other side of the barrier for the first time in her life. Why hadn't she done this months ago, when Mal and the others were invited off the Isle?
Ah, that wasn't important—what was important was she needed to get somewhere no one could see her. There she could build her strength, master her magic and get Harry and the crew off the Isle.
Swimming off, Uma smirked as she saw the glow of her shell for the first time. Sure she had seen it in the viewing...but there was nothing that beat the sight of it in real life.
Mal's going to be sorry she ever messed with me, Uma thought. Benny's going to be sorry he had the urge to go see the Isle. Oh I bet they'll be beating themselves up for months trying to look for me! But if there's one thing a child from the Isle of the Lost knows, it's how to avoid detection.
That didn't mean Uma was above gloating however. A few weeks later, a message appeared in the royal post.
"Hey Mal, this is for you," Ben said as Mal walked into his office, holding up a pale blue envelope. "It must have gotten slipped into my mail by mistake."
"Huh," Mal said. "Maybe it's Harriet. I asked her to reach out if she thought of any more kids who would benefit from getting off the Isle."
Ben shook his head. "This didn't come from the goblins, and I didn't recognize the address so. I don't think it's Granddad or Chip."
"Ben, there is no address to recognize," Mal sighed. "Well, there's only one way to solve this mystery."
With a swift motion, she tore open the envelope and pulled out the message inside.
Thought you'd keep me trapped forever? Guess again dragon breath.
We ride with the tide.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed,looking at the shock on his girlfriend's face and rushed over to Mal's side. "What is it? Who sent that?"
Mal shook her head and reread the message, as if looking at it again would change its contents. It did not.
"Ben..." Mal said faintly, looking up at her boyfriend. "Uma escaped the Isle."
"What?" Ben exclaimed, looking at the message. "But...but how? We didn't go near her territory, you were the only one to go to Pirate Cove and you said you didn't see her; there would have been no way for her to discover we were even there."
"Uma has spies everywhere on the Isle, I should have considered that," Mal sighed. "As for her escape, there's only one way she could have. Remember...she's a strong swimmer and the barrier may close pretty quickly but Uma could beat it in her sleep."
"What's her plan?" Ben asked and Mal sighed.
"I wish I knew," she muttered. "We've fixed the food situation, I'm still working on that medical system but that'll be implemented soon, oh speaking of changes to the Isle, Carlos wants to meet with you soon but we can talk about that later."
The only thing Mal could think of was that outside the barrier, Uma would have the ability to grow her powers just like Mal had with hers. They could change the Isle all they'd like but for a magic user, the only change worth making would be the ability to use one's powers.
Unfortunately, with the likes of Madam Mim, Jafar, and the Evil Queen on the Isle, that wasn't likely to happen any time soon. Plus, if one of those villains got their magic back, they might try to turn Maleficent back into a human instead of the lizard she had been since Ben's coronation.
No one wanted that.
"I'll talk to King Eric, set up ships in every port we have to go out and look for her," Ben promised. "From what I saw of Uma in the viewing, she'll stick to the water."
Mal nodded and looked once more at the note. Her cousin would stick to the water. And she would stick to the air.
Turning on her heel, Mal strode out of the office. She needed to contact her step-mother. Screw her other godly abilities. She only needed to perfect one.