Gold | Disney Descendants

Chap 15

A year passes. Twyla even finds herself having fun some days, even if so many of them are just endless repetition. It's a day after new year that it hits her, that she remembers the conversation she had with her mother about the endlessly boring lives of Pixie Hollow and 'wake up, go to work, eat, go to bed, wake up'. Still, she finds herself happy to do it. She eats with her friends, she halves her free days between sword training with her mother and hanging out with her friends; they even go out and travel to the far edges of Neverland. She uses the necklace, she has sword fights with the Lost Boys.

She's been crossing days off on a calendar though and, before she knows it, she's staring at a big red circle surrounding the anniversary of her re-arrival. For a few minutes, she stays staring at it. A mixed kind of excitement with a touch of sadness fills her chest.

There's a couple of bags in the corner of her room. One is filled with a bunch of pouches filled with pixie dust that she's been storing all year; the other has a book filled with recipes, a bunch of clothes, her old boots (now thoroughly cleaned of ink), and a diary she's been writing in since a month after finding the necklace. Her sword has been at her hip every day, she refuses to leave the house without it; more than one person has compared her to Zarina for doing so.

Quietly, she lifts her quill and drags the tip in an 'x' through the circle. Today was the day. It was time to leave again.

She hoists her bags up, one crossing over her chest, the other hiked up on her shoulders. She touches the charm bracelet around her wrists, thumbing at the charms. In a day and a night, she'd be back through the barrier, back to Harry and Uma and Gil. The Cantata Necklace thumps against her chest as she leaves her room, Spritz buzzing after her.

As she leaves her room, an intense presence overwhelms her. Looking up, she sees Zarina standing beside Queen Clarion. A look of shock paints over her expression and she feels the instant need to curtsy. Queen Clarion looks as royal as ever and Twyla can only remember seeing her this close during her first arrival.

Clarion lifts her chin, smiling softly as she looks to Twyla. "Hello Twyla Lune. Come, walk with me." Her voice is high and lilting. Twyla glances briefly as Zarina then nods, following the fairy queen out of the house.

The pair walk quietly through Pixie Hollow for a while. Twyla's shoulders are stiff, she doesn't know how to act in this situation. Finally, the pair pause, standing before the arrival alter. It's surprisingly bare and, suddenly, they're alone.

"It become apparent that you're leaving again, Twyla Lune," Queen Clarion muses, hand folded in front of her as she turns towards the light-fairy. Twyla just nods and Clarion hums. "You used that bracelet to get to the Isle, did you not?"

Again, Twyla nods, fingers finding the charm bracelet, almost defensively.

Clarion sighs. "Neverland has stayed out of Auradon and the Isle's business for the past twenty years. I would prefer for it to stay that way. You must understand my worry in your interaction with the barrier. If any villain happened to get out-"

"You think it'll cause trouble for Neverland." Twyla finishes. Clarion nods. "The kids there, on the Isle. They're not that bad. It's their parents, they —" Clarion holds up a hand to stop her and Twyla falls silent.

"It's not in my interest to put the blame on anyone, but those in Auradon don't seem to see things the way you do. And many of us here do not either. If you truly intend to return there, I'm afraid you will have to stay." Twyla's brow furrows in confusion. "I will leave you one charm, to get in; but after that, you can't leave the same way. If you really want to go, I will not stop you, but you must understand my concern with putting such magic in the proximity of villains."

It's a little while, but finally, Twyla nods. Clarion holds out her hand and Twyla twists the bracelet around her wrist, fiddling with the many charms. She then takes it off, handing it to the Queen. Clarion removes all but one charm, then clips it back around Twyla's wrist. Still holding her hand, she squeezes it, looking upon the light-fairy with all the softness of a mother.

"We will miss you, Twyla Lune," she says, her voice soft, a tinge of sadness in it. Gently, she brings the younger into a hug. When she pulls away, she sniffs softly and looks away to wipe her eyes.

As they return back to the main part of Pixie Hollow, there's an explosion of light. Fireworks go off and Zarina, Saffron, Elspeth and Copper are all standing there. Behind them are all the other fairies of Pixie Hollow. There's food freshly baked laid across a bunch of tables and fireflies with lights of all different colours are floating around.

Tears fill Twyla's eyes and Zarina and the trio race forward to pull her into a tight group hug.

"W-what is all this?" She asks when she's finally released. Elspeth grins, making a wave to the apparent party.

"It's your send-off party!" Elspeth says, glowing brightly. Saffron's smiling too, for once, and bumps against Twyla's shoulder.

"We thought you should have an actual goodbye party for once," Saffron adds, "No running off at the crack of dawn this time."

—— §

The party continues for the rest of the day until the sun begins to set. That's when Twyla, Zarina and the trio head to the edge of Pixie Hollow. Twyla turns back to the rest of them, tears filling her eyes again. Her fingers twist the single charm left on her bracelet. This draws all of their eyes to it.

"You're not coming back," Saffron says, finally breaking the silence. Quietly, Twyla shakes her head.

"Queen Clarion was worried about villains getting their hands on the charms and escaping. To go back, I had to give up the rest of the charms," she explains, swallowing back tears. A choked kind of noise escapes Saffron and she looks away. Zarina is tearing up as she steps forward, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. Twyla can't hold back the tears, clutching her mother back just as tight. As they pull away, Zarina presses her forehead against Twyla's, wiping the tears from the light-fairy's cheek.

"It won't be forever. You'll come back to me one day," Zarina whispers, desperation in her voice as if trying to will the universe to bend to her words. Twyla just nods back, pulling her mother into one last tight hug. "I love you, Twyla."

"I love you too, mum."

Copper and Elspeth step forward next, pulling her in. The both of them are openly crying as they cling to her tightly.

"We'll miss you. So so much," Elspeth says, her voice shaking. Copper just nods, unable to speak, lip trembling. After a few more tears and quick hugs, it's finally Saffron's turn. Her hazel eyes are filled with a mix of anger and pain, tears brimming her eyes. Twyla pulls her into a hug and Saffron hugs back painfully tight.

"I hate you," she whispers in Twyla's ear, voice cracking. Twyla just laughs wetly, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Yeah, I know," she mumbles back.

Eventually, the two pull back and Saffron presses a hand to Twyla's cheek, rubbing her thumb against it to wipe away the tears. Leaning in, she presses a soft kiss to the other's lips. Twyla's hand finds Saffron's wrist, rubbing her thumb gently against the inside of it.

"Goodbye, Saff."

"Goodbye, Twylie."

She takes a step back, staring at Zarina and her friends. She wipes the last of the golden tears from her cheeks, puts on a brave face and a smile.

And then she leaves.