Gold | Disney Descendants

Chap 4

As it goes, not all good things last.

It's been almost a year. Harry sneaks out at night, he goes to the beach, then he and Twyla chat. Sometimes it goes until dawn, other times it's only a short matter of hours when they're tired. Every so often, Uma and Gil join them. Harry thinks she likes Uma more, though blames that on how she'll bring the fairy 'treats' of sorts. Other times, instead of asking question after question, Twyla puts on a light show, brightening their small corner of the beach with makeshift fireworks.

On this particular night, it's just Harry and Twyla, the two of them laughing on the beach. Then, suddenly a hand snatches the fairy right out of the air as she floated gleefully. A startle high-pitched yelp escapes the fairy and the snatcher laughs a familiar laugh.

"Harriet!" Harry snaps, shoving off the rock. He takes a swipe for his sister's hand, trying to grab the fairy back. Harriet just shoves him back into the sand, holding up the fairy like a prize statue. Twyla yells and kicks her legs and whacks her hands around. For a moment, all Harry can feel is deja vu. And anger.

"So this is what you've been doing, huh? Runnin' out here to hang out with a fairy?" Harriet boasts. Harry takes another grab for Twyla but misses again as Harriet dodges to the left. The older Hook child grins wide, waving the fairy in his face before twisting on her heel. Twyla's face is a picture of fear. "Dad's gonna be ecstatic! With me, at least!"

And with that she shoots off.

"Harriet, wait!" Harry shouts after her. In his sister's hand, he can still see Twyla glowing and struggling. With a growl, he races off after the two. He doesn't want to imagine what his father would do if he got his hands on Twyla. He takes every short cut he knows across the docks but still, he's too late.

He can hear practically every word of praise that his father lavished on Harriet. Harry crashes through the door and all he can see, as if everything else fades out, is Twyla's panicked face through the glass of the fairy-trapping lantern. Her hands press flat against the glass, her wings fluttering rapidly. The next thing he sees is the half-angry, half-disappointed glare of Captain Hook. Then there's the crack of Hook's hand across his face and he's hitting the floor.

He hears a buzzy, tinkling shout from Twyla but she's quickly drowned out as Captain Hook begins yelling. It lasts for hours until Harry is practically thrown from the room. He gets the slightest glance of Twyla glowing on Hook's desk before the door slams in his face. Harriet glances at him, but says nothing as she turns away towards her room. From the corner of his eye, he can see a frowning CJ peering out from her own room, but he ignores her in favour of heading off the ship.

If there's anybody that can help him now, it's Uma and Gil.

—— §

His cheek is a harsh shade of red, the mark of fingers across his face. Walking into the chip shop, Uma and Gil frown. They already knew, they didn't even need to ask. This wasn't the first time he'd walked in with a bruise from his father, albeit this was minor in comparison to some other times. That didn't stop the gentle way they reach for him though, their light touches dragging over his back and shoulders before he burst into the explanation of what had happened.

Five minutes later, he's pacing around the main room of the restaurant, taking his hands through his hair. Gil's chowing down on leftover chips before he reaches out to grab Harry by the hem of his jacket, stopping his almost dizzying pacing. Uma was sat on the counter, picking at one of the rip in her jeans, mouth in a deep frown.

"He'll kill her! O-or something!" Harry finally stops after Gil grabs him. He leans heavily against the counter between Uma and Gil, dropping his face into his hands. His fingers dug into his scalp, sounds of irritation escaping him.

"We break her out then," Uma finally says, breaking the silence. There's a pang of pain that rippled through his cheek as he rubs his face while lifting his head to look at her.

"What?" Harry and Gil say in unison, albeit Harry sounds more tired. Uma jumps down from the counter, flicking her blue braids over her shoulder. Her fists settle against her hips, determination in her eyes as she looks towards her best friends.

"We break her out. How hard could it be?"

Harry frowns, jaw tight. He knows that ship inside and out. So, ultimately, it sounds hard. Practically impossible. Break into James Hook's cabin, grab the lantern Twyla's in, then figure out how to get her off the Jolly Roger without Hook, Harriet or CJ noticing? Yeah, that was certainly impossible.

Yet they couldn't just not try. Friends weren't easy to come by on the Isle, so you didn't just leave them behind when they were in trouble.

So off they went, Uma snagging a sword left behind by one of the wharf-rats.