Half and Half

Chapter One

Mal's ankle screamed in agony as she tried to make her way to the clubhouse. She knew she shouldn't have called the Dragon by her name but it'd just slipped out.

It probably wouldn't have been as bad if Maleficent hadn't been in front of the Evil Queen when I said it, Mal thought. Thankfully, though, she wasn't alone. Uma and Harry had somehow stumbled across her once Mal had left Maleficent's territory and got close enough to Ursula's territory.

Thank Gods Harry had managed to create a splint—and also thank Gods Maleficent hadn't hurt Mal's ankle to the point where the bone was poking through the skin. It was a lot easier to hide an injury that way.

"Mal, I know it hurts but you've got to at least put some weight on that ankle," Uma muttered. "If you don't, it's going to be obvious to everyone on the Isle that you're hurt. And then we're all sitting ducks. Harry's good with his sword but even he can't fight off multiple guys at once."

"We've really got to set up a crew," Harry muttered.

"Worry...about that...later," Mal said, barely able to get the words out as she gritted her teeth.

Uma rolled her eyes. "Honestly, why not just let Harry give you a ride on his back or something?"

"Because...I'm not...some pampered princess...from Boreadon, Uma," Mal said as she gritted teeth to keep any pain from entering her voice. "No one...is going...to find out...I'm...not...okay."

"Who's going to tell the Dragon?" Harry asked, keeping an eye out for any trouble. "And Mal, are you even going to be comfortable? Go and take my room with papa, Harriet, and the Runt, I can stay in the clubhouse."

"What? Harry..."

"Mal, I know there's a bed at papa's," Harry said. "Harriet can prop up your ankle and papa's too scared of the Dragon to do anything but let you stay. We could even lie and say it was someone else who injured your ankle."

"You injured it trying to copy Jay's rooftop sliding trick," Uma said, the idea coming to her. "Everyone knows he just perfected it after all and he's being doing it all over the Isle. He just performed it escaping idiots two and three this morning."

"Idiots...two...and three?"

"Gaston Jr. and Gaston the third."

"Then...who's idiot number...one?"

Uma chuckled. "Their father of course. Now come on, the docks are closer to our territory anyway since the pirates run them."

"Well, run them three ways," Harry said. "You know papa and your mama split leadership with Lord Hades, Uma."

"You can't split something you don't want and everyone knows he just wants to be left alone," Uma shook her head. "But anyway, you want to keep arguing about who runs the docks and Pirate Cove or do you want to get Mal somewhere she can lie down and we're not sitting ducks?"

Harry nodded and the three of them changed course. Of course, in doing so, Mal accidentally put pressure on her injured ankle as she tried to stabilize herself on Uma.

Pain like nothing she had felt before rushed through her and Mal had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out loud. She might have only been four but she knew how the Isle worked.

She would not cause Uma or Harry to get hurt because of her.

"Mal? You okay?" Uma asked, glancing over at the purple haired girl.

"I'm...fine..." Mal gritted out.

"Mal, if you need to sit down, tell me. Because I might be taller than you but not by much and if you pass out..."