A Whole New World || J. JAFAR

Two - Return to The Isle

ALI

Three rapid knocks on my door wake me, and with a groan I pull on a ripped tee that I'm fairly sure is Jay's and answer the door quietly, careful not to wake the boy in my bed.

"Hello?"

I'm greeted by Mal, dressed in a purple outfit she would have worn as a VK, her eyes rimmed with red and tears streaking her cheeks. "Oh. Oh, Mal. Are you alright? Do you want to come in?"

Mal sniffs, shakes her head. "No, um. I, uh... You said I could come to you for anything, right?"

"Yeah?" I hesitate, look over my shoulder at where Jay snores away in my bed, Rahim sleeping across his legs, then step out of my dorm and close the door behind me. "You're going back, aren't you? To the Isle?" The girl nods, biting into her bottom lip. "I, uh... Will you come with me? Please? I -- I know I shouldn't ask, but..." Mal trails off, crying. "You're the only one who understands the way I feel, A. I can't..."

I think back to the early days with the VK's in Auradon -- to the times Mal and I would just sit in silence in the library, or out in the field. Then I think of more recent times, when we would go on long walks to distract ourselves from our suddenly busy lives, and Mal would tell me how lost she felt in Auradon, how she was thrown in the deep end and didn't know how to swim. And I think of when I would talk to her about my dad, and his childhood. How he and mom took me to the Agrabah slums with Abu and how much more accepted and free I felt in my own city than I have in Auradon Prep. How I pushed that aside so I could support Ben.

I swallow and nod. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll come. Let me just put on some shoes."

"There's no time." Mal chokes out. "Come on," She says, grabbing my hand in hers, "We'll find you something once we're there... Thank you, Ali."

"Anytime, M."

__

"You're sure this'll work?"

"Here's hoping." Mal breathes shakily, sniffing. "Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take us anywhere." She spells. Mal makes sure my arms are tight around her before revving her scooter. "Okay. Okay. Whew. We can do this. We can do this."

I push through the twisting in my stomach, forcing myself to ignore my thoughts of Jay waking up alone, of Rahim waiting for me to come home, watching my dormitory door eagerly, of Ben feeling abandoned. "You've got this, M." I sigh.

Mal grips my hand on her waist tightly, nodding and sniffing. "Please work." I hear her whisper to herself, before she releases me and we go shooting off of the cliff, magic enveloping the wheels of the scooter to give us a way to cross the water between Auradon and the Isle. I swallow. I really wish she had a bigger vehicle for us to cross over on.

We make it to the Isle in no time and as we pass through the magic barrier, I feel a surge of magic rush through me -- by the gasp from Mal, I figure she does, as well. She directs her scooter through a busy street, pulling up to a stop at a poster of her and Ben that had been defaced, 'GOOD GIRL' scrawled across the photo of Maleficent's daughter. She tears it down, scrunching it into a ball. 

"You alright?"

"I will be."

Mal ignores the stares from the residents of the Isle and starts the scooter back up, driving us further along the path and into a small garage beneath a set of rusted metal stairs. "This is it?" I ask. She gives me a look, "I know it's not exactly up to Auradon standards, but-"

"Feels like home." I shrug at Mal, shooting her a crooked smile. "'Street rat', remember, M? Now, come on. Let's find me some clothes, and... get you a new hairdo. Sorry, darling, but the blonde just isn't doing it for me when you're dressed like this." Mal smirks, a fire in her eyes. "Couldn't agree more, A." She loops her arm through mine, leading me out of the garage and stopping us across from a 'CAUTION: FLYING ROCKS' sign. "Let's make a quick pitstop first, though." She hands me her purple helmet and picks up a rock from the makeshift table behind her, smirking and launching it at the sign. Bullseye. The grating that covers the stairs slides open, and she turns to me, pleased. "Nothin' but net."