What Comes Next?

Chapter 25: FINALLY... Some Answers

Annalise's PoV:

    Evie had been right, The Isle didn't seem like a place of fun. I had heard the stories of this place and had wanted to visit at some point, but I was now regretting my desire to visit. Despite the improvements that Mal and Ben were trying to make, this was still a dreary place. Most of the buildings were run down, the streets were constantly cluttered and very few people seemed to be dressing nicely. Nobody seemed to be excited or happy, which I guess was understandable.
    There was almost this sense that evil still was very much alive in this place and could wreak havoc on Auradon at any point of time. And considering the current situation that we currently found ourselves in, that was very much true.
    As apprehensive as I was now feeling, Evie was remaining relatively calm. Of all of the royals of Auradon I had encountered, Evie was the most level headed, although Jane was a close second. She took a few deep breaths, oriented herself and with purpose began walking. Not sure where I was going, I followed close behind.
    Almost as if by muscle memory, Evie began traversing the narrows, dark streets. Not wanting to stand out as a target to who knows what, I stayed close to her. But, as we rounded a corner, I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't know where it was coming from, but I heard an all too familiar piece of music that sent shivers down my spine.
    Dasvidaniya Anya, Your Grace. Farewell. In the dark of the night terror will strike her. In the dark of the night evil will brew. I knew that song, it was the song of Rasputin. Rasputin, the one who had made my family's life a living hall, the man who had stolen my mother's family and her memory for so long. I didn't even know he was still here.
    Evie must have realized that I wasn't with her as she doubled and took me by the arm. "Annaliese don't worry, Rasputin lives underground. We crafted a special underground lair for him and he never leaves. He keeps trying to plot his revenge against your mother, but he is sealed away for all eternity. He can't escape, I promise. He will never harm you or your family ever again. Now come on, we are almost there."
    Evie's calm reassurance summoned my courage once more and I soldered onward. Evie hardly said as she navigated the streets. People gave her quite a large berth as she made her way towards a larger building in a square. I could only assume that this building was where Maleficent was hiding out.
    Evie stopped short of the door and turned to me. "Don't volunteer extra information to Maleficent. We have no idea what is wrong with her and I don't want her knowing things. We figure out what's wrong with her then we leave. Simple as that. Maleficent may be trying to turn a corer, but never trust a villain."
    And just like that, Evie opened the door. And almost like she was expecting us, Maleficent sat waiting. She sat in a battered armchair that must have been masquerading as her old throne. Her black and purple cloak was unmistakable. "Well, well, hello Evie, I didn't expect you to be returning home so soon. And you've brought a fellow royal, a duchess if I remember correctly."
    Evie showed no sign of emotion whatsoever as I tensed up behind her. She never flinched and she certainly didn't back down. "Hello Maleficent, I'm not returning to for starters. Secondly, you know that The Isle is not my home. I am here for one purpose and one purpose only. I am here to figure out what the fuck is wrong with you and why you aren't searching for your PREGNANT DAUGHTER!!!!"
    Evie's anger exploded. I don't think I had ever seen her get this angry. But as a mother, I think Evie was angry at the fact that a fellow mother wasn't doing everything in her power to find her child. The Mistress of Evil just tilted her head at Evie, as if the words didn't register.
    "My dear, Mal is on the throne right now. She doesn't need to be found. But, there certainly are gaps in my memory, as if there are blocks that I can not access." This information we already knew. I needed to know more if I was to determine what was wrong. So, against all basic instincts, I stepped forward.
    "Hello Maleficent, my mother dealt with memory problems, so studying those sorts of problems has become a passion of mine. That being said, what can you tell us about Harley, your daughter?" I was being forward, but I was following Evie's instructions. Be quick and direct.
    Maleficent opened her mouth, but no words came out. She kept trying to speak, but there was no sound. My mind poured over all of the research that I had done. This wasn't like my mother's problems and this certainly wasn't like Tiffany's spell that had previously impacted us. This was something entirely different, something much more powerful. But the more I thought about it and the circumstances, the more an idea began to formulate itself in my head.
    "Evie, I have an idea. It's a crazy one but it's a logical explanation. There are tales of memory hypnotization. Basically, someone hypnotizes a victim so that they remember only what they want them to remember. And if they try and talk about it, they are physically unable to. It's a powerful spell and I am not quite sure how to fix it, but I believe that is what Maleficent is suffering from." It was an outlandish theory, but it was the only one that made sense.
    Evie pondered for a moment before turning back to Maleficent. "We have what we came for. We have an idea of what is wrong and we can figure out how to fix it. Now, we are leaving here and making one more stop before leaving this place FOR GOOD. Goodbye Maleficent."
    And just like that, Evie stormed out of the house, leaving me standing there with Maleficent herself. Not wanting to be here any longer than necessary, I quickly left the house, leaving Maleficent by herself once more.