Rise of the Isle of the Lost

by Melissa de la Cruz

  “They’re jumping, not flying,” said Jay, looking envious. “It’s like water parkour.”

  “Oh, like what they do in R.O.A.R. competitions,” Carlos teased, meaning the Royal Order of Auradon Regiment. “You know, all that sword-fighting, flips and stuff, or as you call it, ‘jumping.’”

  “Right, when are tryouts again?”

  “After our last tourney game.”

  “Cool,” said Jay, adjusting his red beanie over his forehead.

  Mal shushed the guys as the mermaids finished their song and the clam closed again and disappeared underwater. Next, the orchestra was introduced, showcasing a talented variety of sea creatures playing instruments in a custom-built stage-size aquarium. It was a joyful, dazzling celebration. Growing up, Mal recalled watching (okay, sneering at) the festival coverage on Auradon News Network, but that was nothing compared to seeing it live, to marveling at the shimmering scales on the mermaids and watching a killer shark pluck harp strings with its fin so delicately. The Seaside Festival was just the first in an annual all-kingdom “Celebration of Auradon” wherein every kingdom hosted the king with a plethora of festivities that showcased their unique culture.

  Suddenly, Mal felt something shift in her pocket and got a glimpse of the Dragon’s Egg she had found in the Catacombs of Doom only a few days earlier. The evil talisman had been disarmed, but its surface was crisscrossed with fine green lines, and they were multiplying by the minute.

  Mal knew it was dangerous, but she couldn’t help keeping the Dragon’s Egg with her at all times. It had to be destroyed soon, and Ben kept reminding her about it, but she always had an excuse as to why she couldn’t see Fairy Godmother just yet. For some reason, she just wanted to keep the egg a little longer. There was no rush just yet, was there? Besides, the Dragon’s Egg was so warm and toasty in her pocket.

  “It’s nice to be back,” said Mal. “Even though we were only gone for a day, it felt like we were down in the Catacombs for a long time.”

  Ben nodded. “I’m glad everything worked out.”

  “Thanks to you,” she said, since Ben had appeared at the last minute to set everything right on that adventure.

  “And you!” he said, nudging her.

  “And us!” chimed in Carlos, Jay, and Evie teasingly.

  “Totally! Group hug?” said Mal, opening up her arms.

  “Group hug!” they chorused, and the five of them shared an affectionate embrace. Evie pulled in Arabella too, so she wouldn’t feel left out, even though she hadn’t braved the Catacombs of Doom with them.

  The orchestra finished its performance with a roaring crescendo of percussion by a group of manta rays, just as a proud King Triton rose from the waves. He held his golden trident to the sky and the entire coastline exploded in a dazzling canvas of color and light and magic. The crowd thrilled at the sight, and Ben put an arm around Mal as the fireworks boomed all around them. She leaned her head against his chest and nestled into his arms, feeling lucky and content—and just a tiny bit guilty about the Dragon’s Egg hidden in her pocket.

  After the show, the gang wandered down to the exhibitor booths to shop for Seaside souvenirs before the start of the mer-games. Mal and Ben walked hand in hand behind their friends, lingering at a stand selling seashell necklaces.

  “Pretty,” said Mal, holding up a particularly luminescent piece, a creamy pastel-colored one polished to a high shine.

  “Each one is unique.” The mermaid attending the booth smiled. “No two are alike in all the world.”

  “Do you want one?” asked Ben, reaching for his wallet.

  Mal smiled and shook her head. “No, I just like looking at them.” She handed the seashell necklace back to the mermaid.

  “They’re not just beautiful,” the mermaid told them. “Each of them contains a little sea magic. The most famous seashell necklace was Ursula’s golden one, of course. Her power almost defeated Triton’s, but thankfully it was destroyed.” The mermaid shuddered at the memory.

  Mal nodded and took Ben’s hand and pulled him away to catch up with the rest of the group. She didn’t want any mention of villain history to mar their day, and Ursula’s evil actions still cast a shadow on the Seaside community, in the same way that Audrey’s grandmother had snapped upon seeing Mal, the daughter of Sleeping Beauty’s famous nemesis, attending school in Auradon.

  They found their friends in front of a booth selling scoops of Seaside’s famous clam-shaped fried ice cream. Arabella had taken on the role of unofficial tour guide, and was telling Evie, Jay, and Carlos which flavors tasted the best and which ones to avoid.

  “Plankton is a good choice; it tastes like pistachio,” Arabella said, tapping the glass and pointing to the nearest tub.

  “Sounds good, I’ll take it,” said Carlos.

  Jay leaned over the counter. “What about that one?” he asked, motioning to a dark-colored flavor.

  “Oh, that’s anemone. It tastes like chocolate.”

  “Nice, I’ll go with that one,” said Jay, nodding to the merman working the counter. He watched as the merman scooped up a hefty roll, placed it between two crusty pieces of bread, closed it up like a clam and tossed the entire thing into the fryer, then stuck it on a Popsicle stick and handed it to Jay to eat.

  Jay bit into it and smiled in satisfaction. “Wow, how does it keep from melting?” he asked.

  “Magic,” said Evie. “Kidding. The bread keeps the heat away from the ice cream like a shield. It’s simple chemistry.”

  “Which one do you want, Mal?” asked Ben. “My treat. Let me guess. Purple starfish!”

  “Good guess!” she said, squeezing his hand.

  “One purple starfish coming right up,” he said with a smile. “I’ll have the same,” Ben told the clerk.

  Mal took a bite. It tasted like lavender and honey. Delicious. Evie and Arabella chose the whitecaps flavor, which Evie reported tasted just like vanilla except with a little more sea salt. The group left the ice-cream counter and slowly made their way through the crowded aisles of booths, admiring colorful pieces of sea glass and scrimshaw sculptures.

  “Hey, what about this?” said Carlos, picking up a T-shirt that proudly proclaimed, “I Went to the Seaside Festival and All I Got Was This T-shirt.”

  “Perfect,” said Evie. “Especially since it’s in black and white.”

  “Of course!” said Carlos, tossing the shirt over his shoulder.

  The next booth sold CDs of blue-whale songs, and Carlos picked up a set of headphones to listen. “I wonder why they haven’t switched to offering it on a digital streaming service yet,” he said.

  “Oh, you know blue whales, they’re a little old-fashioned and set in their ways,” explained Arabella. “But you guys should head back to the aquatic auditorium to catch the start of the one-million-meter butterfly. The mermen swim so fast you can’t even see their fins! They’re just blurs in the water!”

  “You’re not joining us?” asked Evie.

  “I have to say hi to my family. My grandfather’s hosting a reception under the sea,” said Arabella. “I’ll catch you at the free-fin race.”

  The mer-games were just as thrilling as Arabella promised, and Mal cheered with the rest of the crowd as the merfolk showcased their speed and strength in a number of races and competitions. Evie decided she liked the synchronized fin dancing best, while the boys enjoyed the underwater boxing matches, which were projected on a screen since the other audience members couldn’t actually go underwater to watch them like the mermaids did. The free-fin race was just about to start when a flash of lightning forked the sky and a crash of thunder rolled, booming so loud it echoed all over the open-air stadium.

  Ben looked up with a frown at the suddenly dark skies. “Huh, that’s weird. All the weathermen predicted sunny skies for today,” he said.

  “But isn’t it always sunny in Auradon?” asked Mal.

  “Not today,” said Carlos, as seemingly out of nowhere, an angry storm gathered above their head
s, turning the clouds black and sending sheets of rain all over the colorful tents and booths and drenching everyone seated in the auditorium. The merfolk dove into the sea while everyone else rushed to the exits.

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Ben, removing his jacket to use as an umbrella over their heads. “Follow me to the limo!”

  They ran out toward the parking lot, where cars and carriages were gridlocked as everyone tried to get out of the rain and leave the festival at the same time. The five of them piled into the royal limousine, drenched and shaking from the cold, wet droplets soaking the leather seats.

  “Where did that storm come from?” said Evie, her bangs plastered to her forehead. “There were blue skies just a second ago.”

  “Where’s Arabella?” asked Carlos.

  “She texted me earlier. She said she was going to stay a little longer at her grandfather’s party and not to wait,” said Evie, checking her phone again. “She’s with her family.”

  “We need to get home before it gets any worse,” said Ben.

  Mal agreed. “Yeah, let’s go.” Outside, rain lashed the windows and a furious wind howled, rocking the car. The exuberant celebration of underwater life had ended, literally, with a wash.

  “So much for the festival,” said Jay.

  “It’s too bad,” said Evie. “They worked so hard to make it special.”

  Mal kept silent. In her pocket, the Dragon’s Egg throbbed and turned warmer. Was it connected to what was happening outside? She hoped not, but the freak rainstorm made up her mind. As soon as they got back to school, it was time to say goodbye to the evil talismans, once and for all.

  It stormed for the entire trip from Seaside to Auradon City, but when they finally arrived at Auradon Prep that afternoon, the skies were as blue as ever. As the limousine pulled up to the school, Mal turned to her friends. “You guys, I think it’s time we dealt with the talismans.”

  “I was hoping you would say that,” said Evie, making a face as she removed the golden apple—now a tarnished bronze—from her purse. “I’ve been carrying this for a few days and it gives me the creeps.”

  “I don’t know, it’s kind of fun having them around; it reminds me of where we came from,” said Jay, unearthing a twisted wooden stick with a cobra head from his pack. Its snake eyes were leering and baleful, even in stasis.

  “Well, unlike you, I don’t want to be reminded of the Isle of the Lost all the time,” said Evie. “Do you have yours, Carlos?”

  Carlos nodded but looked nervous. “Yes, unfortunately. I wanted to leave it in my room because I don’t like carrying it around, but it felt like too much of a risk.” He showed them the plastic ring he had in his pocket.

  “I have mine,” said Mal, removing the glowing Dragon’s Egg from hers.

  “Great, I’ll let Fairy Godmother know we’re on our way,” said Ben.

  “Right,” said Mal, taking a deep breath as they all got out of the car.

  There was only one way to deal with the talismans; only one power in Auradon that was stronger than evil, tougher than wretchedness, and more tenacious than malevolence. A force that could turn a kitchen girl into a princess, tiny mice into a team of king’s horses, and a simple pumpkin into a wondrous carriage. The most powerful magical artifact in all of Auradon: Fairy Godmother’s wand, wielded by the most powerful magic-user in the land: Fairy Godmother.

  They entered campus and headed to the main building, where they trooped into the office of the headmistress. The cozy, comfortable place was decorated in shades of princess pink and periwinkle blue, and even the curtains sparkled with starlight. There were cozy plump couches to sit on and many framed photographs of Fairy Godmother and her daughter, Jane.

  “Welcome back! How was the Seaside Festival?” asked Fairy Godmother, getting up from behind her desk and smiling at all five of them. “Did you give King Triton my regards?”

  “I did,” said Ben. “The festival was wonderful as usual, except for this strange storm at the end.”

  “I saw on the news,” said Fairy Godmother. “What a shame.” She nodded to the four villain kids holding out their talismans. “So there they are, huh? I’ve been expecting them.”

  “Sorry, we got distracted by school,” said Mal.

  “Absolutely understandable. It’s not as though I were looking forward to this task either,” said Fairy Godmother, shaking her head. “Oh dear, what a collection. You are all heroes for surviving their temptations.” She shuddered at the sight of the pulsing Dragon’s Egg. “They will have to be destroyed, of course.”

  “The sooner the better, Fairy G,” said Ben. “It’s best for the kingdom.”

  “I suppose we have no choice,” she agreed. “These dangerous objects cannot fall into their true owners’ hands, but destroying them could unleash a sudden wild magic—a powerful and uncontrollable blast.”

  “A necessary blast,” he soothed.

  “But sometimes the consequences of using such great magic remain unknown until much later.” Fairy Godmother sighed.

  “Can we do it soon?” said Carlos, grimacing.

  “What’s your hurry?” said Jay with a grin as he twirled the cobra staff like a baton.

  Evie shook her head decisively, her dark blue hair bobbing over her shoulders. “I’ll be glad to be rid of mine. I feel like if I close my eyes I can still see all those awful things that Magic Mirror showed me.”

  Mal scrunched her nose. She didn’t want to admit it, but the reason she had been procrastinating its destruction was because she found it strangely comforting to hold the Dragon’s Egg. She understood that it was evil, and why it had to be destroyed—but it was meant for her. It was part of her heritage, part of her mother. And so a part of Mal—a very small part, but there nonetheless—would lament its demise.

  “Right, no time like the present,” said Fairy Godmother, and they followed her out of the office. She led the group toward the Museum of Cultural History, where her wand was once again kept safe and secure, floating in a crystal case.

  “Bibbidi bobbidi boo,” said Fairy Godmother, and the case disappeared, allowing her to pluck her wand from the air. “Hold them out, please,” she ordered.

  Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay stood in a semicircle, talismans balanced on their palms. Fairy Godmother scratched her head with her wand for a minute, thinking hard. Then with a flourish she waved the wand above the talismans, showering glittery sparks all over the room.

  “Salagadoola mechicka boola,

  Send this apple back to its tree!

  Salagadoola mechicka boola,

  Destroy this ring of envy!

  Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo,

  Stop this cobra from hissing forever!

  And the thingabob that does the job

  Says this Dragon’s Egg will hatch never!”

  Fairy Godmother pointed her wand, shooting an arc of light over the talismans that wrapped around them like a mini tornado, and as the power grew, the room became hot with magic.

  The light turned into a ball of flame that reached into the ceiling, and with a piercing, high-pitched noise that shattered every window in the museum and caused everyone in the room to put their fingers in their ears, the light burst through the roof and out into the sky, and the four talismans erupted in a huge explosion of sparkles that showered everyone in shiny, powdery dust.

  When the smoke cleared, Fairy Godmother waved her wand toward the ceiling and fixed the hole, and then turned to the windows.

  “Whoa,” said Mal, rubbing dust from her eyes and coughing.

  “Do you like my hair this way?” Evie joked, and Mal realized they now all had frizzed hair that stood on end. Carlos’s was practically a Mohawk.

  “Everyone all right?” asked Ben, wiping the glittery soot from his shoulders.

  “Yeah, I guess,” said Jay, who was on the floor looking for his beanie, which had been knocked off his head by the force of the spell.

  “I think we’re okay for the most part,
” said Carlos, coughing and holding his sides.

  “Mal, you look a bit woozy,” said Ben, concerned.

  In truth, she felt as if she’d just been punched in the stomach by the loss of the Dragon’s Egg, but she gave him a brave smile. “Evie?” she asked, turning to her friend, who was a bit pale.

  Evie nodded, but her smile was strained. The loss of their talismans had affected them all.

  “Well, let’s hope the only damage was to the ceiling and windows,” said Fairy Godmother with an anxious smile. The pink bow around her neck was slightly singed. “Like I said, you never know what happens when this kind of wild magic is unleashed.”

  “I’ll ask the council and all the kingdoms to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Thank you, Fairy Godmother,” said Ben.

  Mal straightened her jacket, a troubled look on her face. “But what about the dome remote control that got left on the Isle of the Lost? If the goblins on the island ever get it to work, Cruella De Vil, Evil Queen, Jafar, and all their minions can still get off the Isle.”

  “Hmm, that is a puzzle,” said Fairy Godmother.

  But Carlos was bouncing on the balls of his feet, his face lit up with excitement. “I thought of that, and I was worried too, until I remembered something.” He held up a small black electronic device and fiddled with the buttons.

  “What did you remember?” asked Jay, curious, and looking over Carlos’s shoulder.

  “Codes can be reprogrammed. Even if they get the remote to work, they won’t have the new code to open the dome,” said Carlos with a grin. “I already took care of it.”

  “Just like magic!” said Evie.

  “Nope, just like science,” said Carlos, with a nod to Fairy Godmother, who strongly advocated that the residents of Auradon learn to live without depending on magic.

  “So we’re safe now, right?” asked Evie hesitantly.

  “Safe and sound,” said Fairy Godmother. “Except for the exams coming up.”

  There was a communal groan as Ben and the villain kids remembered. You could save the kingdom, but you still had to pass Magical History.