Gold | Disney Descendants

Chap 16

It's been over years since he last saw Twyla. She disappeared on the horizon in the dark of night, leaving the three pirate standing on the beach, watching her glow disappear through the barrier. Since then, Uma started her pirate crew, took the reins as Captain of the Lost Revenge, took Harry and Gil as her first and second mates. A month ago, four villain kids were taken off the island, to Auradon, leaving everyone else here to rot. There had been no sign at all that any more kids would be taken from the Isle. Uma's frustrated, that much is obvious. There's a bunch of chunks missing from one of the chip shop's wooden pillars where she'd taken a sword to it. Harry remembers her screaming irritation and having to pull her away. The three of them had sat together on the floor for hours, practically clinging to each other in some desperate form of comfort.

As annoying as it is to come around to the chip shop and watch Uma glower at the staticky television screen, every channel reporting on those three traitors. He's surprised she hasn't put a fist or a sword through the screen yet. Perhaps because she knows how furious Ursula would be. Either way, he tries to find any way to distract her from it. Nothing works though.

It's one of few days that he hasn't immediately gone down to the chip shop, or even the Lost Revenge. He's still surprised his father was so willing to barter his old ship as a prize. Instead, he's standing on the beach, staring out across the ocean. A year ago, in the early dark of night, he would have been here with Twyla. Now, he's alone, water sloshing against the toes of his boots, twisting the faux hook in his hand.

"Harry?" a voice says, quiet though still excited, from near the rocks. When he turns, hook readying, he's not expecting what he sees.

Twyla the fairy - yet no longer teensy-tiny. She's still wearing that same yellow buttercup dress that twists around her knees, but her boots are new and she's got a bright yellow jacket. Around her neck dangles a necklace, glinting in the dim sunlight. At her hip, he can see the pommel of a sword. She's smiling at him, wide and bright, and she's still got that glimmer of a glow around her.

His jaw slacks as he stares at her. Slowly, she twists and turns.

"Twyla?" he questions back, the hook almost slipping from his hand. He fumbles a few steps closer to her. "You're ... not small. Well you're still small, but you're not-"

"Four inches tall?" she finishes. He just nods. As he steps closer, she notes still having to look up at him. He's practically a foot taller than her.

"But how?" A short laugh escapes the girl and her fingers reach for the pendant hanging from the necklace. On her wrist, he can see the bracelet she'd worn while she was tiny, but it seems different. Like it's missing something.

"It's a - uh - it's a really long story," she clears her throat, "Are Uma and Gil around? How have you all been?"

"That's a long story," he echoes back with a laugh. His eyes flicker over her again and he makes a motion to her. "What happened to your wings?"

"Oh! They're just hidden. See?" she says. She slips the backpack off her shoulders, then she's pulling down one sleeve of her jacket. He can see the dark gold twisting lines that curl across her skin. He's stared at her wings long enough when she was fairy-sized to recognise the similarities. He slowly nods and she pulls her sleeve back up.

There's a brief moment of silence and then she's breaking it with a clap of her hands, rubbing her palms together.

"Well, I just flew through the night. I'm starved. We could talk over - what time is it? Lunch? - Yeah, we could talk over lunch."

Harry nods, she grabs her pack from the ground and then they're turning to make their way up the beach before he pauses and puts his hook up to catch her shoulder. She looks to him, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Lass, looking like you do, you stand out. You don't look like a villain kid." He makes a motion to her and her outfit. She looks down, thumbing at the fabric of her dress for a moment.

"I could shrink back down. You could hide me in your pocket."

"Sure. That'll work for the time." Silently, he watches her reach for the necklace pendent again, rubbing the pad of her thumb in a backwards circle. In a section, she shrinks down and she's that fluttering little glow that he remembered. She makes a 'ta-da' kind of motion and he just laughs.

"Amazing," he says, holding up a hand for her to settle onto before lifting her to his pocket so she could climb inside.