"Mal!" I yell. She glances once at me and then at Ben. Uma laughs hard. 

♫Huh! Let's get this party started, I swear I'm cold hearted!♫

Harry shoves Ben onto the plank. Ben stumbles dangerously close to the edge. 

♫There's no negotiation, I'm not here for debating!♫

♫You need some motivation? Just look at Ben an' Ellie's faces♫

Harry hooks his arm over Ben's shoulder and Evie glances at Jay. I'm just praying that they find some way out of this, since I still don't see a wand...

♫Then ask yourself how long you think I'll remain patient.♫

♫I'll throw them overboard and let 'em swim with killer sharks!♫

♫You either hand over the wand or they'll be ripped apart!♫

Carlos looks like he might explode. Is it bad that I'm about to die, and I'm happy I have a good soundtrack for my death?

♫Now let's all just be smart♫ 

♫Although for you that must be hard!♫ Mal sings. 

♫You'll get your wand. No one has to come to any harm!♫

♫Don't try to intimidate, your bark is much worse than you bite.♫

♫Who's the baddest of them all? I guess we're findin' out tonight!♫

♫Let's go, bring it on♫ Uma's crowd starts singing and dancing around, imitating crowns on their heads. 

♫Better give us what we want♫

♫It's the wand for the crown♫

♫If you don't, it's going down♫

♫Let's go, make your move♫ Mal's side barks back.

♫Peace or war, it's up to you♫

♫Give him up and do it now♫

♫If you don't, it's going down♫

♫We want the wand♫

♫Or else these two are gone♫

♫Your time is running out♫

♫You should really watch your mouth♫

♫Let's go, pound for pound♫ 

♫We're prepared to stand our ground♫

♫Put your swords up, put 'em up♫

♫It's goin' down♫

Uma's side comes back strong, rolling around and hitting their swords against the wood. Uma even taps her fingers along her sword like a person walking the plank. 

 ♫Oh, oh, oh, make the trade♫

♫Oh, oh, oh, or walk the plank♫

♫Oh, oh, oh, make the trade♫

♫Oh, oh, oh, or walk the plank♫

Gil spreads his arms as Uma walks by, presenting her like a fashion model. 

Mal turns back. ♫Ok, look, this is not a conversation♫

♫It's a do-or-die situation♫

♫If you don't give me back the king♫

♫I'll have no hesitation♫

♫I'll serve you right here♫

♫And I don't need a reservation♫

♫That way your whole "pirate crew" can have a demonstration♫

♫Release him now, and we can go our separate ways♫

♫Unless you wanna deal with me, and the VK's?♫

But, like I expected, Uma laughs. ♫So that's your big speech, huh?♫

♫An empty ultimatum?♫

Harry goes forward, in all his annoying guyliner glory. ♫All it takes is one swing, and I'll humiliate them♫

♫Matter of fact, make one wrong move and I'll debilitate them!♫

♫And if he even starts to slip, I'll eliminate him!♫ He points to Ben, still dangerously close to the edge. 

♫All it takes is one wrong look and I'll--

"Harry!" Uma yells. "We get it! Chill." She pulls him back. 

And they repeat the entire annoying stanza. I take back what I said before about a good soundtrack. Just kill me already, please. Uma's crew forms a clock for the your time is running out part. What, did they rehearse this? 

And then Carlos brings out the wand. Mal grabs it and starts forward. 

♫Hey!♫ Ben shouts. ♫We don't have to choose♫

♫We don't have to light the fuse!♫

♫Mal, whatever you do it's gonna be a lose-lose♫

♫There's gotta be a better way!♫

♫Uma, I promise, I'll give you your chance.♫

♫You'll have your say!♫

Uma puts her sword up. ♫Silly king!♫

♫You? Give me?♫

♫You're! Gonna give me a chance? Well, not a chance!♫

Ben looks defeated, pained even. What could he possibly be thinking? Uma would never become good! Well, no, Mal did, so Uma might. But there's no way, not right now.

Hans Jr. comes over and cuts me loose. "C'mon. Harry thinks Mal's giving up too easy. We're putting you on the plank instead." Ben is shoved backward onto the deck and Hans Jr. stays behind me so he can shove me forward at any given moment. He pushes me right up to the edge, where I can see the dark blue water below. I swallow and focus on Mal and the VK's again. 

Mal starts forward with the wand and Uma stops her. "Hold up. Mm. Too easy. Why don't you give it a test drive? We wanna see it work."

I note Evie turn to Carlos and say something. 

"You always were quite the drama queen." Mal tells Uma. 

"Oh, and nothing too big, or else they're both fish bait. Starting with princess, over there." Uma says. Hans grabs my jacket collar and leans me over the edge. If he let go, I'd drop like a stone. 

Mal gives an annoyed nod and turns around. Dude! What's he doing on the Isle? "Okay." Mal clears her throat. "Although it seems absurd, turn your bark into a word." Mal waves the wand in Dude's direction. 

Dude says nothing. Surprise, surprise. Why is the wand not working?

"Talk, dog!" Mal hisses. 

"Does this vest make me look fat?" Dude says. I can't help it and a laugh escapes my mouth. Uma's crew starts laughing too. 

"Does anyone have some bacon?" Dude asks. "Cookies?" Typical Dude, always thinking with his stomach.

Uma laughs. "Give me the wand!" She yells. 

"Give me Ben and Ellie!" Mal yells back. 

I'm still tipped over the side. Uma hesitates for one second. "Harry. Hans. Bring 'em over."

Hans growls. "You promised---"

"Hans. Now." Uma says. 

Hans growls a second time then pulls me back. I breathe a sigh of relief as the water disappears from my view. I shuffle backward on my tied-up feet and follow Ben in front of Mal. Gil breaks in front of Ben. 

"Oh, and Ben, before you go. Tell your mom Gaston says hi and also tell your dad that my dad wishes he'd finished off your dad when he had the chance." Ben can't respond, because Harry shoves him down on his knees in front of Mal. Hans does the same thing with me. 

"Hi Ben. Sorry I took your spot on the plank for a while." I whisper. 

He gives a small smile. "No, by all means."

"Aw." Uma says. She holds out her hand for the wand and Mal holds out her hand for Ben. Yeah, I'm once again invisible. 

"Cut 'em loose, Harry." Uma tells him.

He groans. "I never get to have any fun!" But he does it. Ben catches his hand with Mal's instantly. Carlos shoves his way over and grabs my hand. Mal puts the wand in Uma's hand and pulls us away quickly as the crew cellabrates. 

"Mal, Carlos, wait! We can't just let them---"

"We gotta go, Ellie!" Carlos breaks in. 

"Ben, go!" Mal yells, pushing him back. 

"But---" I start.

"BY THE POWER OF THE SEA, TEAR IT DOWN AND SET US FREE!" Uma yells, pointing the wand at the sky. 

"No!" I yell. 

"Ellie, we have to leave!" Carlos yells. 

And I understand then. Nothing's happening. That's not the real wand. 

"No!" Uma yells. She breaks the wand in half. "You do not get to win every time!"

"Guys!" Jay knocks over a barrel and starts handing out swords. Ah, now I get Lonnie's reason for being here. I grab one just as Uma yells. "Get 'em!"

"Look out!" Carlos yells. He's holding a slingshot, and once he lets go a burst of blue smoke explodes in front of Uma. He shoots another in orange. After red, pirates start swinging from the ship towards us. 

"Evie!" I yell. She notices the guy behind her and starts fighting him. I grin. The VK's just keep surprising me. 

"Princess!" Hans Jr. and Sr. drop in front of me. "We've got unfinished business." Hans Senior tells me. 

"What a random and hilarious coinky-dink! So do I!" I giggle, launching at them. I shove Hans Senior off the boardwalk and he falls screaming onto a lower one. I pout. Aw. I'd been hoping he'd make it to the water. 

"Dad!" Hans Jr. yells. "You'll pay for that!" he swings his sword, me ducking limbo-style just in time to avoid it. I hear a clatter above me and look up. Jay just dropped Harry's hook into the water! And Harry's diving after it!

I explode in laughter, dodging another blow from Hans Jr's sword. 

"Die already!" he snarls, swinging again. 

"No thanks!" I yell back, cutting his wrist to get him to drop his sword. I kick his gut, and he falls backward. Ah, this one hit the water. 

"Ellie!" Carlos appears next to me. "Come on, we're getting out of here!"

Two new pirates drop down next to us. "That might be a problem!" I tell him, ducking and rolling under the pirate's feet. 

Carlos starts fighting the other one. "Hey, Ellie can I ask you something?" he yells between breaths.

"Uh, not really a good time, but sure! Knock yourself out!" I try aiming for this one's wrist again, but he's quick!

"Would you maybe go to Cotillion with me? If we're not dead by then?" Carlos shouts, kicking the guy in the shin. 

I turn to look incredulously at him. "Are you kidding me??"

"No!"

"Then yes, you dummy!" I turn back just to see Hans Jr climbing up in front of me, soaking wet. "Ah, crap." I mutter. "Ruining the moment, Hans whichever you are!"

"There's only two!" he protests, taking a swing at me. 

"Ah-ah-ah!" I grab the handle of his sword, making him lose his grip. "Still trying to have my moment."

Carlos finally knocks his opponent away and kicks Hans Jr backward. "So, that was a yes?" He checks with me. 

"Definitely a yes." I tell him. 

"Yes!" He cheers, hugging me. I laugh then remember where we are. I shove him away and we turn back around to stop a sword. 

"Hi, old Hans." I say. "There's your son. Wanna join him?"

He snarls and mimics what I did to his son, grabbing the handle of my sword. He brings my face close to his.

I wrinkle my nose. "Ugh, what do you eat?"

"Trash, thanks to your perfect aunt!" he scowls. "Hans!"

"Her name's Anna. But maybe you weren't talking to me? Don't talk to yourself, it's creepy." I tell him. 

"Wasn't talking to me." he grins. I only have a second to realize how weird that looks on him before someone grabs my sword and shoves me against the railing. Hans Jr and Sr stand before me. 

Crap. I don't have a sword. 

I look  behind them, but Carlos and everybody else are occupied. 

"Goodbye, Princess!" Hans Sr yells. Both he and his son launch forward, grabbing me and hauling me over the railing. I scream and grab onto it with one hand, but they slam a sword on my fingers and my grip breaks. 

I fall and hit the water. People always say that from up high, it feels like cement. Yup. They're right. 

The dark blue envelopes me, and only then do I think to try and rip my gloves off. Losing breath fast, and struggling to get above the water line, I try and pry them off my fingers. When that doesn't work, I rip at the fabric. 

The cold water meets my skin, and warmth floods back into the rest of me. 

Just as I realize I can't breathe anymore. I try to breathe in, forgetting where I am. Water rushes into my lungs. 

I black out. 

____________________________________

This one is kinda shorter, but still. Hope you like! The picture at the top is the closest I could get to Ellie going under, but meh. As always, please comment and enjoy!