𝔇𝔞𝔯𝔨 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔰 (𝔊𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔫 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔰 𝔄𝔘) (ℜ𝔢𝔴𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢)

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖊𝖓

To say Mal hated Ella was erroneous, she didn't hate the girl she actually cared for her, she admired her, she hated Ella's manipulative attitude and how well it worked on her. She hated how Ella didn't see her as a threat; she was merely a constant noise in the back of her head to drown out, Mal was a speed bump on her way to corrupt the crown.

Mal didn't dare speak out of turn in Ella's presence, Jazzy yeah, it's not like she was going to make a deal with the shadow girl, Aaron, definitely she was a dragon she hated water anyway, Ryder, less so but yeah, she wasn't afraid of the dark. Ella was different. Ella could kill her where she stood simply by singing. And unlike her mother Ella could control the decaying incantation.

So, imagine her fear when she found out Ryder could too. And she only found out because Jazzy levitated her with a gust of wind. She was floating crisscross in midair with a book in hand, "Ryder was making a date spot for you but got angry about something irrelevant and started muttering the decaying incantation," Mal looked down and sure as can be the grass was turning black.

"Ryder Gothel- Westergaard!" Ella shouted.

"Oh yeah and I called Ella," Jazzy added. She continued to levitate them not really caring about anything other than her book. How Jazzy was controlling the air so well was a mystery as Mal was finding it getting thinner and thinner and having trouble breathing. 

Ella stomped past them muttering the healing incantation fixing the grass and flowers as she walked, "What have I told you about saying that spell wildly!"

There was a muttered response, a slapping sound and Ella walked away back to Jay who was at the edge of the forest not daring to step on the decaying lands.

Jazzy let Mal down and walked away without a word. "Sorry about that," Ryder smirked.

"Did she hit you?" Mal asked, reaching out to Ryder's reddening cheek.

"Just a bit it's no big deal we're brother and sister, we would kill for each other or just kill each other there is no in between. I also did something stupid, so I deserved it."

Mal didn't think that was okay, but she said nothing. This was their sibling relationship, and she was evil after all; she wasn't even supposed to care. "I know Ben is probably gonna ask you out or something so I figured your first real date should be with me since, well yah know."

She nodded in understanding, though she was really annoyed that he thought he deserved her first date. She calmed herself though because it was possible this was all Ella's doing. she was behind most things in their lives. they had all grown accustomed to it. but now that she thought about it, it was rather odd that Ella was so invested in what they did in their free time and their love stories. 

The date wasn't anything extravagant which Mal could appreciate, it was just a picnic, talking about what they would do once they won, and getting to know each other a little more, "I actually like Auradon, and I can't wait for the others to see it," Ryder smiled.

"Ry," he hummed, "Jazzy said you 'wanted me' but don't you have a thing with Uma it's not like it was with Carlos, as much as I hate the witch, she made you happy right." Ryder winced at the memoires with Carlos.

Ryder and Carlos had once shared a mutual attraction, they were each other's comfort objects being close in age and the most emotionally available. When Carlos was running across the roofs with blood soaking his leather pants Ryder helped him, it was back when there was still a little Auradon in him. When Ryder came to Carlos' workshop window in tears from something is parents or even Ella did Carlos calmed in and whipped his tears away. 

During those times whenever Carlos was harmed in that death closet or by his mother he would run to Ryder's room. In those days Ryder became Carlos' object of affection and Ryder helped the boy heal. He found comfort of his own in his arms during the hardest days when he was covered in bruises from Ella, scrapes from his father throwing him down a flight of stairs or gashes from his mother throwing glass at him. Ten-year-olds don't know romantic love but they came as close as a child could get.