Haunted by the Shadows

Ashlyn's POV

It's been three weeks since that night, when everything fell apart. Where I lost Crysie, where I ran away, where I met him. My attention hasn't focused on her ever since training began. It's focused on him, on the Isle, on my training.

Survival.

That's what mattered. I wonder if she's still alive.

She must be, right? I mean, she's strong. But, she's all alone. Just like she has been this entire damn time. I've gotten too carried away. I've gotten too caught up in all this stuff with him. I need to find her.

"Lost in your own head again, are you lass?" A voice sneered, snapping me back to reality.

He swung towards me in a split second, the blade of his sword nearly missing my throat as I brought mine forth. The metal blades clashed against each other, his force overwhelming me, causing me to bring my sword back. He lunged towards me again, this time swinging towards my arm, leaving a trail of blood along the forefront of my arm.

This time, I swung towards him, bringing my sword up to his neck and lunging forward. He disappeared in half of a second, leaving me to swing at air.

His sword scraped across the wooden floors as he walked towards me, the sound getting louder and louder every second he moved closer to me. I gripped the handle of my sword tighter and turned around, lunging at where I believed him to be.

I was wrong, as proved by his sword slicing right against my stomach, leaving a small patch of blood bleeding through my jacket. I swung towards him; his sword rising up to block my incoming attack. His sword clashed against mine as he slammed his sword downwards, slicing right at my leg, causing me to lose my balance and fall.

He swung again, going for a final strike, this was the Isle, there's no playing fair here. Wait…

His sword struck me in the stomach, that bitch! I could feel the blood leaking from the wound, I felt nauseous, but I stuck to the plan. A few seconds passed, but my magic didn't act up. What a pain, that might make this a bit harder. As he made his way towards me I tried to focus on my magic.

Nothing…

What the hell!

I could see him raising his sword for a final strike, the last one definitely wasn't enough, was it?

It was like time froze. The sword was stuck in midair, not moving, there was no breeze, his eyes were blank, it was...frozen. Taking the chance I rolled out of the way of where his sword was about to strike me, grabbing my sword from the ground and swinging towards him, his sword meeting mine in a split second, so much for that plan.

New idea.

As he swung towards me again, I brought my sword up to meet his, but at the last second I hit the handle of the sword in his hand as hard as I could.

But he didn't drop it. Damn it!

He smirked and thrusted his sword into my stomach. I screamed, tears springing from my eyes, my throat dry. My vision blurred, turning dark...Crysie, I'm sorry.

"Stupid girl, use your magic."

Fading away...

"Use your magic!"

Darkness…

"Ashlyn!"

Nothing...

As I came to I heard screaming, causing my ears to ring. There was this immense pain in my stomach, the moments before I lost consciousness rushing back to me and hitting me like a wave. Was he trying to kill me, or was that training?

Maybe I deserve it. I mean, I've been lying to them the entire time. And once I find Crysie I'm just gonna leave again, like nothing happened. How could I do that to them?

They've done nothing but help me countless times, and I'm just gonna leave? I can't do that to them. I can't. It's not fair to them.

But it's the Isle, things aren't fair here. How the hell am I even supposed to go home? This was a stupid idea. There's a stupid barrier! I'm an idiot, how could I do this?

"You almost killed her!" Someone shouted from behind the closed door. "What made you think she would have survived that? You fucking stabbed her! She can't survive that..."

"Harry, she will be fine. I've survived worse than that."

"She isn't you, dad! She's not even from here!" His voice went quiet, but I could still hear him through the closed doors, "What if she died? What if she does die?"

I don't want him to feel that way, to constantly worry about me. I need him to know that I'm fine.

"H-" I tried to call out his name, but my voice went quiet after a few seconds. My eyes darted around the room, this can't be happening right now.

The figure emerged from the shadows, slowly walking over to me. Why? Why now?

It's glowing yellow eyes grew closer and closer, his laugh echoing in the room, before suddenly ceasing. Disappearing. Leaving me alone, and afraid.

Why is he after me?

I need to find Crysie!

"H-"

Again, my voice left me. Damn it! Here goes nothing…

I could feel an immense pain in my stomach as I tried to sit up, I could still feel the blood soaking through the bandages; my hand grasped over my wound. I fell back to the hard floor, causing my back to hurt more. I tried to tap the ground or kick something, basically anything that could get someone to notice I was awake, but my body hurt so much that it felt worthless. They'll come in here eventually. I just hope Crysie will be okay.

And that he won't hurt her…

My eyes began to slowly close, everything beginning to fade away. I felt nauseous, the world was spinning. A few minutes won't hurt. Just a few minutes.

Please, survive Crysie. Until I can find you...

"Ashlyn, please wake up…"

"Yeah, we don't want to lose you, you're like my sister!"

"And Harry wouldn't be able to live with himself."

"Shut up Harriet!"

Harry? Ceecee? Harriet?

No, just a few more minutes, then I'll open my eyes. Just a few more minutes…

Darkness.

Pain, that's all I felt. Pain, physical and emotional. Regret, regret for what I did. I never should have come to the Isle, I never should have agreed to go with Crysie that night. I should have stood up for her. I should have stood up to my parents about the Isle. I should have stood up to Uma when she tried to drown me. But I didn't…

I just ruin the lives of everyone I come in contact with. Crysie was my first friend, and bam she's gone. Ben's my little brother, but he keeps being dragged off to prepare for becoming king in six years. I should become fucking queen! Not him! I deserve it! I can do something…

I'm just gonna die here. I'm gonna never see Crysie again. I'm just gonna die the same way that I lived, alone. Alone, afraid, and full of regret. Regret for ever doing all those stupid things, things that ruined their lives. I mean, according to Ceecee, Harry and Uma were close before I came, and he hasn't been to the ship the entire time I've been here. Maybe I should just disappear.

That would be better for everyone.

An escape from this suffering. This echoing voice in my head, telling me to end it. It'd be better.

"Do it…" It whispers, the voice quiet and only lingering in the back of my mind.

I can't ruin their lives anymore if I'm not in it.

"Do it…" It's more aggressive this time. Almost like it's whispering it directly in my ear.

How would they feel? Would she feel better if I just disappeared? If I died? Maybe she would...

"You ruined my life! I lost my parents and I'm gonna die here because of you! Just disappear! Nobody wants you anymore! You destroy the lives of everyone around you!" Crysie…

She doesn't want me. She's right. It'd be better.

"Do it!" The voice is screaming at me, telling me, echoing in my head…

"Do it!"

"Do it!"

"Do it!"

"Just end your life!"

But...what about my parents, and Harry. His family's been so kind to me. They've helped me, but I don't deserve it.

It'd be better with me gone.

"We never wanted you! That's why we tried again for your brother! Compared to him, you don't matter!"

Mom…

"You were just a mistake. That's all you'll ever be…"

Dad…

"Do it…"

It'd be better.

"I only took pity on you so that I could use you. Get out of this hellhole, before I killed you. You're worthless, nobody would even care if I shoved my hook right through your chest."

Harry…

"Do it!"

Nobody wants me…

It's better this way…

With me gone…

The darkness began to fade, a bright light engulfing me. As my eyes opened I saw a single figure standing in front of me. Her hair was golden, her eyes emerald, her skin pale. She seems familiar...

"It's not your time, my dear. Never believe a word when someone says otherwise. You matter to everyone you're around. Don't believe his deceptions, don't fall for his lies. Don't be afraid to fight back. Don't be afraid to find the truth. Don't be afraid to admit that you are loved."

Tears welled up in my eyes upon those words. Do I really matter? "Who are you?!" I cried out. "Show yourself?"

The light began to fade. "No! Show me! Show me who you are!"

"Show me! Show me! Don't leave me alone!"

Darkness…

"She'll wake up, I know it."

"Harry, when the guards find out…"

"I know, but she's not dead. She can't be."

"Dad said that her...Harry, her pulse, there isn't one. Her heart wasn't beating Harry."

"Her magic, it works here. It's healed her before, I've seen it. It should be able to heal her now. She can't die. Not when it's my fault for bringing her to dad."

"Harry…"

"Just leave me alone, Harriet."

"Whatever, I'm here if you need me."

Let me say, light hurts like a bitch when you feel like you're about to die. It feels like I did. I can feel nothing, is there light in heaven, or hell, whichever one I'm going to? I don't feel anything now, pain, I'm fucking dead! I never got to say bye to Ben, to Crysie, Harry, Ceecee, Harriet, not even my parents. Not Emma and Hook, not Jack and Elsa. Nobody. Not like they'll miss me. Maybe I'll be paying a surprise visit to the underworld sooner than I thought. Two near death experiences in three weeks, new world record, especially when one of them ends in my real death. And with me being the daughter of the people who trapped him on the Isle, I'm sure I'm damned for eternity in the Underworld.

Fuck…

Wait? Is there light in the underworld?

It was really dark last time. I'm not there. I can't be. So I'm not dead…

Then where the hell am I?

"Ashlyn?"

His voice, Harry, he's here. That means I'm alive, or he's dead. No, I'm alive, I have to be. I have to find Crysie, I can't do that if I'm dead, I have to protect her from him. From whatever the hell he wants with us.

"Mom, her heart…." His voice trailed off.

"Harry...you have to let it go. It's not your fault-"

"Her hearts fucking beating, mom. She's still alive."

Human contact feels weird, at least, that's what I assume this feeling is. I feel kind of light headed, one more nap would do me good, but I need to find Crysie, I need to protect her. Without putting Harry and his family in danger. Even though his dad almost killed me.

"There's a pulse…"

"Th-that's not possible. She fucking died! We watched her die! How the hell is she still alive?!" Harriet practically screamed, causing my ears to start ringing.

The room went silent as my eyes flickered open, the light in the room causing me to flinch back. This is the fucking Isle, there isn't even natural electricity here, or sunlight. How the hell is it so bright?!

"Ashlyn?" He whispered.

Wait...I never told him my real name. Fuck! How the hell did he know. Did Uma know? Did Emma tell him? Fuck, please say he doesn''t know who my real parents are…

"Ash, are you awake?"

My eyes darted towards the source of the voice, it sounded just like Crysie.

"Come on… let's go for a flight, watch the sunrise, it'll be fun!"

Crysie…

"Ash, I'm scared… I don't want to…"

"I know, but Crysie, I promise you won't hurt me."

That's me, and Crysie. When we watched the sunrise last year. The first time she hurt me with her magic.

How I wish things could return to that…

"Ash, no! Wake up! Wake up! You said I wouldn't hurt you! You promised me that you wouldn't ever leave me!"

"Mom, she's gonna hate me!"

"I'd never hate you Crysie..."

"Ash! You're awake!"

"You can't lose me that easily."

I love you Ash…"

She does care about me. She did then, she does now, right? It was just a dream, she does still love me, my parents love me, Harry at least tolerates me. It was just a dream.

"Ella, come on. Stop staring at my brother!"

What?!

My cheeks turned scarlet as I turned away from Harry. I was reminiscing, not staring at him! It just might have seemed like I was staring at him.

"Ella?" He whispered. "You're alive?"

Wait, why did he go back to Ella? Does he not want me to know that he knows who I really am?

"Yeah, of course I'm alive. What makes you think otherwise?"

"Your heart stopped beating. You have no reason to still be alive!"

What? My heart stopped beating? "What?"

"Your magic wouldn't work. You started to scream, we thought you were waking up, and then it just stopped, dad went to check your pulse and…"

"There was none." Harriet finished. "You shouldn't be alive. It's been a few days since, yet Harry refuses to actually leave. Even stole my fucking room so he could be there if you woke up."

I smiled, he really did care. He's not just using me.

"Good to see you too, Harriet."

She just rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving Ceecee staring at me. Her golden-brown eyes were staring straight into my soul, a small smile playing on her pale lips.

"Hey Ceecee," I trailed off as she wrapped her arms around me, the memories of the first time we met flooding my mind.

I had run off after I first met Hook, Harry chased after me, and I saw a few boys, a little bit older than me, bullying a girl that looked exactly like Emma. They held a knife to her throat, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. It was horrible! I stepped in, almost got stabbed, but I eventually chased them off. She introduced herself and explained how her mom kept her hidden from me since she didn't trust me. Understandable. Harry almost freaked when he saw me walking back next to her.

I refused to let anyone ever hurt her. That's why I stuck around. For them. For Harry and his family. Even for Harriet, even though she'd probably love to kill me.

It felt great to be able to protect someone again. To stand up for them. It made my drive for finding Crysie stronger. With no way out of this hell, maybe we could stay with Harry and Ceecee.

No, that's gonna be too difficult for them. They've been supplying me food, shelter, there's no way that they could keep that up.

I should find some way to contribute…

"You're alive!' She whispered. "You're actually alive! Mommy said your heart stopped beating. I didn't want to lose you so soon Elly!"

I giggled some and turned towards Harry, despite what he'd say; I could see tears dripping down his cheeks. They all care about me. They don't hate me. They don't want me gone.

But Crysie…

He's here, he's after her. He attacked us, that's what led to all of this! That's what led to me coming here! What led to me meeting them…

No! I need to find her!

"Ha-" The last thing I'd ever expect were his arms to wrap around me, pulling me into his chest. "You're alive lass. I knew you'd make it."

He looked so happy, it broke my heart to tell him the next thing. "Harry, I need to go. I need to find her," I whispered, my voice cracking. Harry and I had grown kind of close over the last few weeks, he always stood up for me, which always made my heart flutter. I didn't want to leave him, but I couldn't stay. I have to find Crysie, if he's after her, then I don't have much time. And I can't come back afterwards, if I'm right about this, about him being after us, it will only put them in danger. I can't do that.

"What?" He muttered. "No, you need to stay. You need rest. Anyone could easily take you in this state, or even kill you. I can't let you go now, lass." He murmured, "Just stay. Just for a little while longer."

The thought was appealing. Right now I was sore as fuck, but I don't have time for rest. I Need to make sure she's safe. I can't lose her.

"Har, she's my sister. I need to help her," I whisper. By now, everybody in the room is staring at us. Wonderful.

'But she isn't, is she? I mean, you're parents aren't actually those two, so-"

"Just because we have different parents doesn't make us any less family. She's like my sister, and that never will change. Now move out of the way, and let me go find her." My voice raised, causing Ceecee to gasp and run over to me.

"You'll come back, right? After you find her?" Her lip was quivering, she's terrified by what my answer might be. She doesn't want to lose me.

But I didn't say a word. Tears welled in her eyes, her quickly running out.

"Ceecee!" I called after her, but nothing.

Harry was glaring at me, and Emma and Captain Hook only looked disappointed. "You're leaving?" He asked, his voice cracking. "After everything we did for you! After I saved your fucking life from my own fucking captain, putting my entire fucking reputation in jeapordy, for you! And you're just gonna leave? I thought you actually cared for us…

"Harry, I do. I just…" I trailed off, unable to find the words. He's right. I'm not protecting them, I'm abandoning them. If I just asked for help instead of insisting to do it alone then…

"What...the hell...did you fucking do?" An angry voice shouted as they walked towards me. "Why the fuck did my sister run off?"

I didn't look her in the eye. I couldn't.

The red print she left on my cheek didn't even compare to what I felt I deserved. I'm leaving. I'm so fucking selfish. They've been nothing but kind to me, and how do I repay that? I tell them I have to leave.

Fuck me.

"What the hell did you do to her?' She screamed.

"I told her the truth. That I had to do what I came here for, and after that…"

Her fist collided with my upper jaw, which if I'm honest, hurt like a bitch, but I still stayed silent.

"You should've stayed dead! If a single hair on her head gets touched, I'm killing you myself, and I'll make sure you stay dead."

With that, she turned and walked out, running after Ceecee.

"Harry…" I trailed off, my voice betraying me.

"I never should've fucking trusted you! I should've left you there, let someone else find you, let someone else torture you! I should've never stopped Uma from drowning you. I should've just let you die alone instead of waiting by you every single fucking day! That's what you deserve!"

His words broke my heart, but they were well warranted…

"Harry-"

"But I didn't. Because I actually cared about you. I always stood up for you. Now I know that was a mistake. I don't want to ever see you here again. You've caused too much damage. Just go back to fairytale land and forget about us."

What? No, no... please…"Harry-"

"Get out." His voice was quiet but I made out every word. But I didn't, I didn't move a single muscle.

'Get the fuck out!"

Tears were streaming down my eyes, I didn't even think, I just saw a small gold vortex wrap around me, and then I appeared somewhere different. I couldn't stand. The pain from being stabbed was still there, but that wasn't even part of the reason. I sunk to my knees and cried. That was the second time I've lost someone I see as family, and losing Harry and Ceecee, it broke my heart. Harriets words still lingered in my head, "You should've stayed dead." It was well deserved. Maybe I should. Maybe that would be better. But I need to find her. I can't just...die...not until I know she's okay.

Then, dying might be the best option. If I'm dead I can't ruin their lives. And nobody would even care. I don't have anyone to go back to. Not anymore, and it's all my fault.

I couldn't sleep that night, other than the constant fear of being kidnapped by anyone at any second, I still was worried about Crysie. I had no clue where to even start looking for her. Where he would be? I couldn't help but worry about Ceecee too, she may hate me now, but I still care about her. Did Harriet find her? She had to, right? Is she still out here, all alone?

Part of me wants to go look for her, but that's just gonna lead to me getting lost and dying. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. But I need to focus on Crysie. It couldn't hurt to stop by Harry and check if she came back.

"You should've stayed dead! If a single hair on her head gets touched, I'm killing you myself, and I'll make sure you stay dead." Harriet's words echoed in my hand. Surely, she wouldn't kill me for just checking if Ceecee's okay.

It was dark, but it always is here. It's always dark, and scary. It's the perfect place for him. In the shadows. There's no sunlight, no breeze, it was cold. I was still wearing my attire from when I arrived, other than a leather jacket Harry stole from Harriet from me. No wonder she didn't really like me at the start. And after everything afterwards, especially now, I can't blame her.

I'm a fucking idiot! Why couldn't I have just said a fucking word? Why didn't I say i would stay; that I would come back? Why didn't I lie?

I swear if Ceecee gets hurt…

I need to make sure she's okay, no matter the consequences. If she's not…

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Loud footsteps. I could heal metal clanging as each step was taken. Who the hell has armor here?

One glimpse and I was shocked; Auradonian Guards were here. Are they looking for me?

Fuck, they're all gonna get killed! But if they think I'll leave now then they're idiots.

They murmured something among themselves before continuing to walk away. However, one of them noticed me, their eyes widening slightly as they examined me.

I should have just changed my fucking clothes. Not only are these horrible, but now I'm gonna get caught because of what I'm wearing. They motioned towards another, causing them to stop, turning to face me.

What to do? What to do?

Within seconds all the guards were looking at me, causing me to smirk. I knew exactly how to play this off. I pulled the hood of the leather jacket he supplied me with over my face; couldn't have them recognizing me.

Thank god I'm emotional right now!

They all were staring at me, wondering if I was really who they were here for.

Ceecee's gone, and it's my fault. Harry hates me. I ruin the lives of everyone I come in contact with! Crysie's possibly dead, and I'm just fucking up everything! I lost my brother, I lost her, I lost Harry, Ceecee, my parents, Elsa and Jack; not like they'd ever want me after what I did to Crysie.

Why didn't I just fucking say no? Say no when Crysie asked me to go fly with her that night? Why did she have to be the one who got in trouble for it?

Tears welled up in my eyes.

It should've been me! It should've fucking been me! Crysie's gonna die and its my fault. Ben's gonna be alone and its all cause of that one fucking decision!

I've lost everything. The only good thing about being here was having the chance to find Crysie, and being with Harry. Then I met Ceecee.

But now that's all fucking gone!

My skin was pale, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Perfect.

The guards were all staring at me in confusion, and pity. I ran towards them, making sure they could hear my sobs.

"Please help!" I cried, "My sister's gone!"

They all stared at me in pity, but said nothing. Right, Auradon wouldn't fucking care about the people here.

"What do you mean?" One of the guards asked softly. A new one, I remember him. He's the one who was supposed to protect me. Whenever we went out in public. Zane, I think.

Yikes, I wonder what dad did to him after I disappeared? He better have done nothing! How was he supposed to know?

Right, lying. Forgot.

I gasped, further selling my act. "My little sister, she's missing!" I cried.

His face softened. I hit a soft spot.

"What's your name?" He asked softly.

The other guards looked uneasy. They knew villains had a thing for deception in the past, and now wasn't any different. Other than the fact that I'm not a villain.

"Ella," I answer, my voice quivering.

He kneeled down to me, a small smile on his face, "When did you last see her?"

I frowned, Who to tell him about? Crysie or Ceecee?

Ceecce's probably with Harry by now, Crysie's the smarter choice. "I think a few weeks ago," I muttered, "I'm so worried. She's not safe here. She might be dead."

His expression shifted at that, he wore a frown on his face, but the other guards still looked confused. Should they trust me or not?

One of them walked forward leaning down to Zane.

"She's lying." They whispered. "Don't trust her."

I scowled at him, but Zane just glared harshly at them. He was pissed.

"She's just a girl!" He growled. "Not a murderer."

The guard said nothing, just shot me a glare. That's when I sealed the deal.

"I should just go, it's not like the people who trapped me here would care," I mumbled, turning my back to them.

That struck a chord in everyone. Do I feel guilty, yes. But I'm not lying, just hiding the truth. The more people to help me find Crysie the better.

However, they said nothing. Nobody did, not even Zane. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and turned around, running into the darkness, not even noticing that my hood fell from my head.

So much for that plan.

"Zane, she-"

"She's just a girl, we should help her." He complained.

"Dude, she was gonna lead you to your death. Okay, this isn't Auradon. We're here on a mission to find the stupid princess, so just stick to the damn plan. Helping villain children isn't our job, or necessary."

If I wasn't trying to play the part, I would've walked up to him and punched him there and then.

He just sighed and didn't say a word. 'The princess is our top priority, if you want to go get yourself killed, be my guest."

Zane said nothing, just nodded and followed the others, but not before sparing one last glance in my direction; his eyes widening slightly. Blond hair, shit, my hood fell! I quickly fled deeper into the darkness, hoping he didn't totally recognize me.

I started racking my brain for ideas, that plan had failed. Where do I start? Crysie's gone, I have no clue where she is. For all I know she could be d-no! She's alive. She has to be. I just don't have enough to go off of. I need to fix my mistakes. Finding Crysie is what I'm here for, but I can't let Ceecee get hurt because I'm being selfish. It's not like they'd understand. I've lied to them this whole damn time, and they know it. But I won't let them get hurt.

"Just stop!" A voice whimpered. He was young, a kid, that's for sure. Maybe a few years younger than me. I felt my protectiveness act up. I'd never let Ben get hurt, that's for sure. This voice just reminded me of that. Of protecting someone. I ran towards the source, no matter how stupid the idea seemed.

"You're useless!" A voice sneered. "Fucking coward."

Something in me snapped at that. Nobody should ever be told they're useless by the world. It's wrong. Nobody's useless, just maybe sometimes some people are destructive like me, but not useless.

I turned towards an alley, the group coming into view. I really have a knack for running into dark alleyways.

"You're just a punching bag. Might be time for someone to just fucking end you. You're too pathetic to fight back. It's hysterical!" They let out a laugh, and the kid screamed louder than before.

My heart clenched. I had to do something. That's my flaw, I have to protect everyone. It's gonna get me killed eventually.

I focused on protecting the kid, but images of that night flashed in my mind. Crysie's scream. That's the last thing I heard from her. Ceecee running off. That's what happens to the people I try to protect. I always mess things up. But I need to help. It's not even a consideration, it's a desire. That's what makes me happy. Protecting people.

As my eyes flickered open I could see a small white light radiating from my palm, gaining the attention of the group tormenting the kid. Their eyes all widened slightly, before their grins turned into menacing smirks. All aimed at me.

How wonderful.

Small gold swirls began to circle me, and in an instant I was in front of the kid, taking in all his features. He was young, a little younger than Ben, Crysie's age, maybe younger. His hair hat black roots, but was a platinum white color at the tips. His hair was in freckles, the kind I would love to ruffle if only to annoy them. Not the time for that.

They looked confused, scared even. Understandable.

"What's the little girl gonna do?" One of the boys taunted, roughly grabbing my hand. His grip made my hand start to go numb. That bitch!

He cursed under his breath and through me against the wall the little boy was laying against. There was a burn mark on his hand. How'd that happen?

He reached into his jacket, causing my lips to quiver. The boy just squirmed and tried to run, but one of the members of the group caught him and threw him back into the wall.

Everything after that became a blur. It was like my mind took a backseat to what my body was doing.

He reached into his jacket, revealing a silver knife, the tip stained with blood. That's not terrifying at all. His smirk was wide, a maniacal grin would be a better way to describe it. Truly terrifying.

His gaze was on me, but the others were focusing on the boy; his screams filling my ears. He's just a kid! Nobody should go through that! I felt a sense of warmth fill me, some kind of confidence filling me, even though I felt terrified. I'm an idiot.

Then he dropped the knife, his eyes staring at mine, and his lip began to quiver. Everyone's attention was on me. The burn mark on his hand began to stretch further up his arm, causing him to scream. One of the others grabbed for a knife and thrusted it towards my chest, but as their arm touched my skin, they too began to scream, a burn mark growing from where they made contact.

Confusion was exactly what I felt. What the fuck just happened? But I wasn't gonna take it for granted. I smiled softly at the little boy, and grabbed his hand, gold swirls wrapping around me and him, as the people around us all began to shout accusations at me.

"Witch!"

That's the last one I heard before I appeared on the other side of the Isle with the little boy. He looked terrified of me. It made my heart hurt.

"Y-Your eyes…" He stuttered. "They're blue!"

I laughed softly. "What's your name?" I ask, he's just a kid, childish things like that are expected. Look at me, acting so mature. Guess that's why mom thought I'd be a good queen. Things will definitely change then. Starting with the kids here. Other than Uma. That bitch can rot here for trying to kill me. At least unless she shows she'll change.

"Carlos," He answers softly. "De Vil"

I smiled, that was to be expected based on his appearance. "I'm Ella," I introduce myself with the fake name I've used.

"Th-Thank you," He whispers.

I smile, but it shifts into a smirk as a thought comes to me. "You know, it's not a villainous thing to say thank you, is it?" I tease him.

I expected him to laugh or glare at me, but he didn't. "I-I'm sorry, miss. P-Please do-don't hurt me."

I'm sorry, what?

"Carlos, calm down I won't hurt you, why would I even do that?" I ask him.

"Because I'm not a villain," He mutters.

"Can I let you in on a secret?" I ask him.

He nods softly. "I'm not a villain either. I'm not even from here."

He gasps, "What?"

"My real name is Ella Frost, my parents are Elsa and Jack Frost, have you heard of them?"

He shakes his head, so there I was, telling the tale of the people I started to see as parents, to a nine year old I rescued from a group of bullies. I even told him about what happened with Crysie, about how she's the reason I'm here.

About how I don't know where she is. I don't know what to do. But just telling him that story, it made me happy. It reminded me of the stories I'd tell Ben. God, I miss him. I hope he misses me and doesn't think I'm dead.

God, what do I even do? I want to get back to my family. To Ben, my parents, but...I can't just leave everyone here.

There is no best of both worlds this time.

Despite there being a barrier preventing much light from filtering in, the sunset on the Isle is easily the most beautiful sight here. Since it's right in the middle of the ocean you get to hear the peaceful sound of the waves as the sun goes down, the sky outside being an orange color. It was like for the first time the screams stopped. Just beauty.

Carlos sat next to me as we watched. He was entranced by it, having explained that he was never even let out this late to watch it. All kids should be able to experience this, feel the wind blowing against their skin, not just live in the dark.

They don't deserve that.

After the sunset Carlos began to look worried. I knew why, during our discussion he told me about his homelife. It broke my heart, thinking a parent would abuse their own child. I even spent hours trying to heal the scars on his legs from the bear traps his mother hid.

What child would ever want to go back to a mother like that? I couldn't just let him go back to a place where I knew he would get hurt. But it's not like I can just stay with him to protect him. But then an idea came to my mind.

"Hey Carlos, do you know of any secluded areas?" I question.

He looked confused, causing me to elaborate more, "Like a place where nobody else is. Where it could be just you."

He grinned and nodded quickly, grabbing my hand and beginning to run.

Can I just say, even though he's two years younger than me, he runs hella fast. I was having way too much trouble keeping up.

Then he led me to an area that physically made me shiver. It was a pitch black forest, nobody's here, that's for sure. How could he think this is a good place? Then again, I never fully explained my idea.

What shocked me most about this place though, was the fact that there was one singular tree that was still alive, and taller than the rest. It's a place no villain would ever think of visiting.

Only question is, how do we make something that could allow him to stay here for the night, or any night, for that matter. So he can escape the abuse from his mother.

I might kill myself trying to help this kid.

"How high can you climb?" I ask him, noticing a smile on his face as he stares at the top of the tree.

All he does is smirk and run towards the tree.

Okay, just focus on helping him. That's all. Anything, even something small, just to help him. What do I need, wood? Magic?

God knows I'm not gonna be able to find wood sitting around the woods without cutting down these trees, not like it'd matter, they're pretty much dead. Nobody would care if they were cut down. The issue is I can't.

Could I really use my magic to do this?

He looked at me in confusion as I closed my eyes and focused on the branches of the dead trees around me, "break," I begged.

Nothing.

"Break," I plead again, but nothing.

I can't give up, I have to do this to help him. I can't help everyone, but I can try to. "Break!" I screamed, and as that word left my mouth, the tree branches of the dead trees began to fall apart, one by one. Carlos looked at me in awe, and even I was speechless. There were hundreds of branches on the dirt.

"H-How'd you do that?" He asked, in complete and utter shock.

I smiled but didn't say a word.

Now for the pretty much impossible part. "Assemble," I whispered.

I pictured the ideal placement of the branches, it needed to be sturdy, I can't just have them break and him fall to his death. "Please assemble," I beg.

The branches start to shake, but still don't move.

If I don't do this he has to go back to his mom. He has to get hurt. That can't happen.

I need to protect him.

A small light began to emit from my hands, a small aura wrapping around the branches, Carlos' jaw was dropped in awe. I was fascinated but had to focus on the task at hand. On protecting him, and also going to find Ceecee.

I have so fucking much to do. The branches began to lay over each other, being magically bonded together. I felt myself get lightheaded. My vision began to fade. The branches began to shake.

"Just a little more," I begged. Then darkness.

I looked around, it was dark. Pitch black. That's the only way to describe it. I felt scared, I didn't know what the hell was happening, I just knew it was dangerous. Then something shocked me, a glimpse of golden blonde hair, and beautiful brown eyes. Her skin was pale, she was young, and I recognized her. Ceecee.

She was trapped, she was scared. I could feel it. I had to help her. I had to help everyone.

Then it began to fade. But something terrified me, glowing yellow eyes glaring back at me, taunting me, begging me to come for her.

The dark of the forest was nothing compared to the darkness I saw around her. It was nothing compared to the terror I felt looking in those glowing yellow eyes.

True fear.

The first thing I saw when I came to was the awesome white hair of Carlos. It really matched him, kind of making me wonder who dyed it, or if it was natural. Was that even possible? It has to be, since Crysie has white hair and the ice shards in it. But that's thanks to her magic. Weird, Cruella doesn't have magic, not that I know of, but that's fun. I like it. Doesn't matter how.

He had a smile on his face when he saw my eyes open, "You're okay!" He cheered.

I smile, but feel like fainting when I see what happened. All the tree branches are gone, all of it. It's hopeless.

"You did it!" He cheered!

I frowned, "I'm sorry, I-"

"No, look up, you did it!"

I do as he says, and at the top branches of the only tree that's alive, there's a group of branches, bundled together, forming a treehouse. It's small, poor quality, but should be usable for a while.

That means I have to go find Ceecee now.

"Can you climb up there?" I ask him. He nods and walks towards the tree. "Just come here if you need to avoid your mom," I advise him.

He frowns. "Will you come back?" He asks. "In case my mom finds out?"

Did not think of that. But, I have to go find Ceecee, and pray to god that my nightmare was just that; a nightmare. Regardless, I nod, "I'm not going to just abandon you," I tell him.

God, I hope he'll be okay.

With that thought I turn around, walking out of the forest in the pitch black. How am I supposed to find Ceecee like this?

There's one place I need to check first. Harry.

"Even if it kills me," I whisper.

The walk there took hours, not only was it on the other side of the Isle, but it was dark. Very dark. Not even the stars to light my way. Screams filled my ears. Screams of children. It was driving me insane. How could I help everyone?

I could hear screaming from the water, it cleared all my thoughts. I knew who was screaming, and I think I know why.

I walked towards the docks, and sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed.

"Harry," I whisper, my voice breaking. He turns around and faces me with nothing but hatred.

"I warned you," He mumbled. "Never come back!"

"I just need to know if Ceecee's safe. If she is, I'll disappear forever."

He doesn't say a word, and that's the only answer I need. She's still gone.

"It's your fault she's gone!" He growls. "She could be dead and it's cause of you!"

"She's not," I argue. "I know it."

He doesn't say a word, he just walks closer to me. I only knew why when I felt the cold metal against my neck. "I should just kill you," He whispers. "After what we did, you're just gonna abandon us. Leave us here to rot. You're just like your parents."

"I'm nothing like them! Harry, I don't have a choice. If I stay…" I trail off, not like he'd believe me. It's hopeless.

"You think I didn't know the risk of housing the Auradonian Princess; the one destined to be Queen. I knew the risk. My mom did, my dad did, we all did. But we did it anyway. For weeks."

"Why?" I choke out. "Why did you care so much? Because you thought it would gain you favor, get you out of here? Why did you save me that night? Why did you stop Uma from killing me? Why did you want to train me? Just give me a fucking answer and I'll leave!"

His face softened and he lowered the sword, giving me a chance to breathe. "Because you could make a difference here. I've seen every time your parents mention you on the fucking Auradon channels, how much you care for people. How you'd do anything to protect people. You were the only fucking one who even would care for these children here. For my family. For all the families here. The people that aren't villains! You were the only one who would care. Then when you arrived…" He trailed off. "How could you make a difference for the Isle if you were dead?"

"Did you ever even care for me?" I question. "Or is that it?"

"Why do you think I got so mad when you said you had to leave? To what, protect us? We're the ones who protected you!"

"Harry, you don't understand…"

"You can't protect everyone! You can't protect us when we're supposed to be protecting you!"

"I'm not letting you get hurt because of me! They are after me and Crystal, not you!"

"So that's their name. The girl you always were with on the tv. We knew the risk, we did it anyway."

"Could you handle standing up against Pitch Black?" I ask harshly. "Because he's the reason I'm in this fucking situation. When I find Crystal, I have to leave. If we stay here he will kill you. He's after us. I need to protect you. And he followed us here."

Out of all things, I did not expect him to start laughing. "You're the only one here that's ever had magic work through the barrier. He couldn't have been the cause of this, when he's been trapped her the entire damn time.'

What? But, the thing that attacked us, it was just like the ones in the stories Crysie's parents told us. I was speechless. How was that even possible?

"Come up with a better excuse before breaking my sister's heart. You know how close she was to you. You saved her fucking life, and she adored you. And then you were planning to just leave to protect her? Bullshit! You might have been protecting her, but you broke her heart. That's far worse."

"I'm sorry, okay! I get it! I can't protect everyone! I ruin the lives of everyone I come near! I get it! It's all my fucking fault! You knew I'd have to leave eventually. Is that the real reason you didn't want Ceecee near me? You didn't want her to get attached? You didn't want to get attached? Because you care for the Isle. We both do. We care for the children here. We have dreams, and my fucking parents ruined that. But I can't just stay here forever. I wish I could change things. I wish I could take down the barrier, or get all the children out of here, but I can't! I'm not able to protect you, I get it! But I sure as hell will try! I always will try to protect the people I care about, even if it kills me!

"Protect their hearts, not just their body. Is it really worth it to protect somebody's life, if it involves breaking their heart in the process?"

I didn't know what to say. Sure, they could live on, but a broken heart can never fully be prepared. It haunts someone forever.

Is it worth it to protect them from a potential risk, if it means breaking their hearts. Sure, we only have known each other for a few weeks, but, I can't just leave. It's cruel. It's an evil thing to do. And I am far from evil.

"I think I know where Ceecee is. Will you help me?"

He didn't say a word.

"I'll never bother you again afterwards if that's what you want. I'll disappear."

He glared at me, "Did you not listen to a single fucking thing I said? If you're dead, then all of us are doomed."

I say nothing.

"No, when we find her, if we find her, you go back. Where you're safe. And I swear to god, if you forget about the Isle, if you don't dedicate your entire life to helping the kids here, to protecting them-"

I didn't let him finish his threat, "I won't ever forget about what the kids here go through. I will help you all, eventually."

He smiles, but I wasn't finished. "But I'm not leaving here until I find my sister. Otherwise this was pointless. All I'll have done is break hearts. When I find her, I'll leave. I will see you again afterwards, all of you. I will make a difference."

He sighs, "Then you'll need somewhere to stay until then. Where you're safe."

"About that…" I trail off, remembering the guards here looking for me. "There's Auradon guards here. They're looking for me."

"Then you better pray to god you find your friend and my sister before they find you. Now, where's my sister."

"That's the issue, I don't know where. I know who."

His face contorts in anger and he growls under his breath. "Who has my sister?"

I frown, "Pitch Black. He's trying to lure me in. Both of us. I don't know why, but..."

"You got her in that position, you're going to find her. The only question is where to begin."

"I might have an idea," A female voice speaks up, causing shivers to go down my spine. So she knows I'm here, how wonderful. "But she's going alone."

"What?" I question in shock. "Why?"

"Because, you got my sister kidnapped. Meaning you will find her."

I sigh. "Where?"

"The darkest place in the entire Isle. To the north of Hell Hall, that's all I know. It's up to you to find it from there. But if a single hair on my sister's head is touched by the time she gets home, then you will be left bleeding out in the exact spot you stand. I don't give a fuck if Harry tries to stop me. Fuck the Isle. My sister gets hurt, so do you. Now go!"

How am I supposed to find the darkest place on the Isle, when it's always fucking dark? Hell Hall? That's the place Carlos told me about. Where he lived. The woods were near that, meaning...

Could it be in those woods?

Might as well start by checking, but if it is there then what about Carlos? Is he safe there? Maybe I should stop by?

The thing I hate most about this place is the screams. It's like a natural instinct to notice every single one and want to help every single person that's the source of those screams. Harry's right, they don't deserve to be here. They never did.

Nobody deserves to live in this pain, especially not children.

The walk took hours, just like the walk from the woods to the docks. It was torture, hearing those screams along the way. It's like he chose the place with the loudest screams as the place to lure me out to. Oh wait, he did. If my nightmare was real.

I neared the wooded area, it was like a shadow was casted over it, this had to be the place. So onward I went, my first priority being checking the tree in the center, making sure he was safe. The tree stood out over the rest, my eyes scanning the area around it. The small treehouse I made him was still resting in the branches, but...I felt something was wrong.

There were now small indents in the tree, big enough for even an adult to use. That just made me more scared. Carlos told me he was a great climber, why would he need indents that big?

So I could come?

I ran towards the tree, pushing my foot into the indent, it was rough; carved with a knife. My heart began to beat faster and faster, one foot after another, one branch, then to another. The indents slowly began to decrease in size, but it still was an easy fit for me. Just don't look down. Just make sure he's okay.

Another scream, that's all it took for me to lose focus. One wrong step. That's all it took. My hand reached for the wrong branch, my foot slipped, and a scream erupted from my lips.

Darkness.