XIX. She's back.

Dreams by The Cranberries

Harry, Estella, and Gil tore through the streets on the stolen bikes, the engines roaring against the quiet decay of the Isle. The people of the marketplace barely flinched—they knew better than to get in the way of pirates.

The wind whipped through Estella's braids as she leaned forward, gripping the handlebars tightly. Gil whooped from behind her, his laughter wild and carefree.

Harry, of course, was the first to act. With a flick of his wrist, he jerked the bike hard to the side—skidding out deliberately and sending sparks flying as metal met stone. Estella followed suit, kicking out her leg to send her own bike into a violent spin before throwing herself off at the last second.

The bikes crashed in spectacular fashion, flipping end over end before finally coming to a smoking, shattered stop against the crumbling remains of an old fish stall.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then—

Gil let out a breathless laugh from where he lay sprawled on the ground. "I think that was our best one yet."

Harry groaned, rolling onto his back with a grin. "Aye, not bad."

Estella sat up, shaking dust from her hair. "You maniacs," she muttered, but there was a smirk tugging at her lips.

The wreckage was just another step in the plan. If anyone came looking for them, they'd assume a reckless accident. A distraction. A mess for someone else to clean up.

And meanwhile, they had somewhere else to be.

Harry pushed himself up first, reaching out a hand to Estella. She took it without hesitation, letting him pull her to her feet before he dusted off her shoulders with exaggerated care.

"Still in one piece, are ya?" he teased, hands lingering at her waist.

She rolled her eyes. "You wish I wasn't."

Gil clapped them both on the back. "C'mon, lovebirds. We've got a barrier to break through."

Estella scoffed but didn't pull away when Harry slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close as they walked toward the tunnels.

Everything was falling into place.

They moved fast, slipping through the winding streets before ducking into a hidden entrance—an old tunnel beneath the Isle that led straight to the square.

The plan was simple. The VKs were here. That meant opening the barrier to get back.

And when that barrier opened, they were going to break through.

They crouched low, waiting, listening. Then—

A pulse of magic. The air shifted.

The barrier was opening.

Harry smirked. "Showtime."

The three of them bolted, climbing out of the tunnels and running full speed ahead. They just made it past the threshold before the barrier snapped shut behind them.

And for the first time in forever—they could breathe.

The air wasn't thick with grime. The stench of rot and sewage was gone.

For a second, none of them moved.

Then—Harry let out a whoop of victory, grabbing Estella by the waist and spinning her in the air. She laughed, gripping onto his coat as he pressed his forehead against hers, breathless.

Gil tackled them both into a hug, nearly knocking them over as he grinned wildly. "We did it!"

But before they could celebrate further—

"Get back!"

Jay and Carlos were on them in an instant, shoving the pirates back. The force made Mal stumble—

And Hades' ember slipped from her grasp.

Harry's sharp eyes caught the flicker of blue. Without thinking, he lashed out with his boot, kicking the ember just before Mal could grab it.

It went flying—

—and sped into the direction of the ocean.

Mal's scream was immediate. "NO!"

A tense silence fell.

Then—

A massive tentacle shot up from the waves, curling around the ember before vanishing beneath the surface.

A second later, Uma emerged.

Mal looked panicked. "It won't work if it's wet!"

Estella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because that's gonna stop her."

Mal sent her a sharp glare, but Estella just smirked.

Meanwhile, Harry and Gil stood frozen, their eyes locked on Uma.

A year. A year of nothing but messages in bottles, lost in the tide.

Now, she was here.

Harry let out a breathless laugh, his grip tightening around Estella's waist. "Well, well... Captain's back."

Uma smirked, glancing between him and Estella. "Guess I finally get to meet the new pirate version of Tink, huh?"

Harry pulled Estella even closer, grinning. "Told ya I weren't lyin'."

Uma rolled her eyes. "Let's deal with these traitors first. Then we'll talk."

Estella's fingers brushed against the dagger at her thigh.

She smirked.

Time to settle the score.

Uma spun in the ocean, the waves rising high above the bridge before crashing down, soaking everyone in the group. Estella barely had time to throw up an arm before she was drenched, her leather jacket sticking to her arms uncomfortably.

When she lowered her hand, Uma was suddenly behind them, smirking as she held the blue ember in her palm.

Gil wasted no time—he launched himself forward, wrapping Uma in a tight hug that lifted her slightly off the ground. "I knew you were okay!" he laughed before finally letting go.

Uma shook her head with a chuckle before turning to Harry, who grinned at her. "Missed me, Captain?" he asked, his usual bravado masking the genuine relief in his eyes.

Uma scoffed but hugged him anyway. "Not really," she teased, before stepping back and setting her eyes on Estella.

The sea witch took in the smaller girl, her gaze sweeping over her like she was sizing her up. Estella, for her part, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Without warning, Uma reached out and ruffled Estella's braids with a smirk. "Didn't think Harry'd ever take a pet," she teased.

Estella batted her hand away with a glare. "Didn't think you'd take so damn long to get back," she shot back, smirking.

Uma just hummed, clearly pleased with the fire in her.

Before anyone could say anything else, Mal cleared her throat. "So, what's the plan, Uma? Gonna try and get revenge on me again?"

Estella rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't get stuck that way. "Not everything is about you, Mal," she snapped. "Don't be so self-centered."

Uma snorted, clearly entertained, before turning back to the group. "I did spend all this time away trying to find a hole in that stupid barrier," she admitted, twirling the ember between her fingers. "But let me tell you—Auradon? It's weird."

She held up a hand like she was about to deliver some grand wisdom. "They have these things called coconuts. They're like... furry rocks."

Estella blinked. "I—what?"

"And the fish?" Uma continued, ignoring her. "Huge. You could dance on their backs."

Gil's eyes widened. "No way."

Uma nodded seriously. "Way."

Estella bit back a laugh at the awe on both Gil and Harry's faces. Leave it to them to be more fascinated by fish than the fact that they'd finally gotten through the barrier.

Mal, however, still looked suspicious. "So what, you're saying you like Auradon now?"

Uma gave her a look. "I'm saying it's better than the Isle." She gestured at the ruined city around them. "Anything is better than this."

Estella wasn't sure she agreed. She wasn't even sure she wanted to agree.

But as she glanced at Harry, at Gil, at Uma—she knew one thing for certain.

She wasn't going back without a fight.

Mal stepped forward, extending her hand toward Uma. "Alright, hand it over."

Before Uma could respond, Carlos spoke up. "Wait—there's something else. Audrey, Sleeping Beauty's daughter, she—"

Estella, barely listening, leaned in close to Harry's ear, voice barely above a whisper. "She was a bitch."

Harry immediately burst into laughter, his cackle sharp and delighted. His arm tightened around Estella's waist, pulling her flush against him as he wheezed, clearly amused by her bluntness. Estella smirked up at him before flicking her gaze back to Uma, who was watching the scene with mild amusement.

Uma's smirk grew as she shifted her attention back to Mal. "Isn't it funny, Mal?" she mused. "How the roles have been reversed? Good kid turned Evil."

Estella didn't miss the glances that Mal, Jay, and Carlos shot her at that comment. She didn't acknowledge them either, instead giving Uma an easy, if slightly awkward, smile.

Mal, clearly irritated, squared her shoulders. "Uma, people's lives are in danger."

That only set Harry off again. He let out another wild cackle, eyes practically gleaming with amusement.

Uma, unimpressed, simply turned on her heel, making her way toward the ocean with the ember still in her grip. A vicious smirk curled at her lips as she lifted the ember over the water. "Guarantee me that every single villain kid who wants to, gets off the Isle."

Mal's jaw clenched. "I can't do that."

Uma let out a dry chuckle before dangling the ember lower, the tip of her fingers barely holding on. "How about now?"

Mal's eyes widened in panic. "Deal!" she shouted quickly.

Uma gave a satisfied nod before smoothly sliding the ember into her jacket pocket. She crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the VKs before settling back on Mal. "Saving the world all on your own?" she mused, shaking her head. "Sounds exhausting. Lucky for you, Mal, that's a job for pirates."

With that, she turned on her heel, her smirk only widening as she gestured toward her crew.

Mal sighed, clearly regretting every single one of her life choices, but after a moment, she nodded. "Fine."

Jay, still brooding about everything, suddenly looked around as if realizing something was missing. His eyes narrowed. "Wait. Where the hell are our bikes?"

That was the final straw for Estella, who immediately burst into laughter, Gil and Harry right behind her.

Gil grinned at Jay, completely unbothered. "Oh, yeah. We crashed them."

Harry, still giggling like a maniac, leaned into Jay's personal space, his grin turning psychotic as he made a loud, exaggerated crashing sound right in his face.

Jay's eye twitched.

Evie, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward with a hopeful smile. "You know... we could all be friends."

Estella snorted, crossing her arms. "Yeah, 'cause leaving me behind and manhandling me off a bike definitely screams friendship."

Uma, who had been watching Estella carefully, let out an amused hum. She tilted her head, the corners of her lips twitching upward. "I like her," she muttered, smirking as she gave Estella an approving once-over.

Evie, ignoring the tension, pulled a pack of gum from her pocket and held it out toward Uma. "Gum?"

Uma scoffed but plucked a piece from the pack anyway, popping it into her mouth. "Don't push it, princess." With that, she turned on her heel and strode off, her crew following behind her.

Mal, clearly trying to regain control of the situation, cleared her throat. "Alright, listen up—I'm still in charge here."

Harry immediately snickered, nudging Estella. "She's in charge," he mocked in a high-pitched voice, rolling his eyes.

Mal shot him a glare

The group exchanged glances before, one by one, they began walking off, leaving Mal to sigh in frustration before following after them.