Serene's view

The first few days afterwards are the hardest.

Maleficent and Pitch are in prison, because they've committed enough crimes by now to be justified. We can't exactly just toss them back to the Isle, can we? Blake is back on the Isle, though. Endora debated on restraining his powers, but everyone decided against it. Nobody wants to recreate our mistakes from the past. He seemed so shocked by this that he didn't even fight going back, he even looked a little sorry. Or at least confused.

And then there's me.

After a long, emotionally draining talk with King Ben and Queen Mal, they agreed that I wouldn't be punished. I had more than made up for it, nearly killing myself to get the wand to Brietta. My mother and father apologized so many times I can truthfully say I'm sick of the phrase "I'm sorry". Aunt Endora even came and proved to me that I don't, and never did, have a block on me. She did explain to me that Eleanor and Janessa's theories were right---I broke my own mental block on the dark side of my powers. Everyone is born with the capacity for goodness and evil, and when I was little I'd mentally shut away my evil side. But now, they were as free as my light side was.

She said that I had two options---I could either wear Lucy's bracelet to keep it at bay, (which she confirmed that it would work for as long as I needed) or I could learn to balance both sides out against each other.

I think I want to try the second option. While I was able to hold it, I felt whole. Real. But until I can learn to balance them, so I don't accidentally drain myself again, I'm keeping the bracelet on. My family aren't quitters, and I don't want it to start with me. My grandmother regained her powers after having them removed, for goodness' sake! I'm not going after the easier choice. Not after doing that caused all this in the first place. I gave up on myself, and that nearly destroyed everything I hold close.

Auradon itself didn't suffer much. After freeing everyone from the Isle, everyone with magic set about restoring all the buildings and cleaning up all the destruction. I tried helping at first, but people didn't like that much.

Even though I'd expected backlash from the general public, I never thought it would be as strong as it is. It's all anyone can talk about---the daughter of two of the biggest heroes ever nearly bringing Auradon down. The public was going around with a petition to have me permanently locked away, but Queen Isla shut that down very quickly. Everyone who knows what happened has been defending me, even Ben and Mal, but nobody seems to want to listen to anything other than it was my fault. And honestly, I've come to realize that I don't care anymore. I've spent too much time worrying about everything but myself, and I'm done with that. I know the truth, and the people close to me know the truth, and that's all that matters to me.

And that's the best part of all of this. I'd thought it would take time before I could ever get to where I was with my friends, but instead they know me better because of it. Since we don't have school again until after Cotillion, everyone's been coming over to my house daily so I don't have to leave. We do talk about what happened, but mostly in awe of Brietta. If we do mention me, it's normally in a teasing way. I don't mind. I think talking about things is a lot smarter than hiding it until it blows up in your face, now.

Brietta is over the moon. Fairy Godmother confirmed that the wand she'd earned was hers only, and that she no longer needed to complete Magic class to make it official. Her role in saving Auradon had already done that.

"But I'm still going to finish Magic class." Brietta explains to us while she twirls her wand around in her fingers, just like Eleanor does. We're all in my room now, sitting in a sort-of circle. "I want to learn how to use it fully. Whatever momentary lightbulb I had then is gone---I can barely do a proper spell nowad---oh!" she drops it, then picks it up sheepishly. "How do you do that all the time, Elea?"

Eleanor shrugs, easily spinning hers. "It's habit."

Brietta laughs. "I better figure out another thing to do with my wand, then, because that is confusing."

Lucy giggles from my bed. "I still can't believe you got a wand. I mean, I always knew you would, but not like this!"

"Oh, come on---it's Brietta." I say. "Of course she'd need to get a wand this way."

Isla snickers. "Maybe I'll try getting a wand that way."

"NO!" everyone shouts, and Isla rolls over on her back, cackling. Danielle shoves her leg, and Isla rolls onto her side.

"Don't even joke about that." Danielle scolds.

"I don't know how our parents ever went through stuff like this multiple times." Evan says, rubbing his forehead. "I didn't even do any of it, but just watching was bad enough!"

"Hey, we all helped shock them at the end." Max offers.

"Yeah, and that helped how? None of it worked until meeeee!" Brietta crows.

"Excuse me, but Seesee was the one who gave you the wand!" Eleanor reminds her.

"That was nothing." I argue. "And I started it all, so..."

Janessa elbows me. "Don't do that. You helped plenty. You're the one who knew Bri could kick their butts, after all. And you put on the bracelet."

"Speaking of!" Lucy suddenly says, reaching into her pocket. "I made bracelets for those of us who either weren't there or gave theirs up." She hands the bracelets to Hayder and Isla. "Serene helped---she gave them the extra silver stuff that wards off bad magic. Now they actually are friendship bracelets!" She's practically glowing.

Isla laughs as she ties it. "Friendship bracelet---this makes us look like a cult!" she waves hers in the air, and we all do as well. Since the silver thread flashes in the light, it kind of does make us look like we're purposely trying to look like a group.

"Friendships are like cults!" Lucy says cheerfully.

"Do you even know what cult means?" Hayder asks.

"Okay, maybe not cult." Lucy laughs. "But definitely like a fun gang or something."

"Imagine when we all show up to Cotillion wearing these." Danielle snorts. "This so does not go with my dress."

"What do your dresses look like?" Finn asks. "Didn't you make all of them, Lucy?"

She's grown so much lately. She doesn't flush at all, just beams and nods. "Ree's took the longest. It took hours to get hand-stitched the designs right on hers. Mine was close, though---I had to hand-paint some parts."

"You realize you're only wearing these once, right?" Max asks.

"That's why it has to count!" Lucy protests. "Plus, I won't leave my house unless I'm 100% proud of what I'm wearing. I put my best work out there, nothing I only halfway tried with. That's why they took so long. Not to mention, I had to find the right gems and stones to go on it."

"Oh! Speaking of stones---Hey Ree, whatever happened to the ember?" Max asks.

I blink. "Huh. I forgot to give it back, I guess." I stand and go over to my jewelry box, opening it and taking out the ember. "Here you go, Isla."

"Nah, you can keep it." She says, waving her hand.

"I don't want to." I insist. "Besides, it's still more attached to your family than mine. It became Great-Uncle Pluto's, so it's yours."

She shrugs, taking it. Like with Brietta, the second it touches her hand, a current seems to go through her, and her hair flushes deep purple with blue highlights.

Janessa hoots with laughter. "Now you look like your mom!"

Isla stands up quickly, laughing when she looks in the mirror. "Aw man, I just had my dye job done!"

Lucy tilts her head to the side. "Well, this one goes better with your dress than your old hair did, if that makes you feel better."

"When are we allowed to see them?" Max asks. "What is it with girls and not showing dresses until the day of?"

"What is it with guys and not asking girls to dances until the day of?" Brietta challenges.

"Technically, there's still about a week left." Max tells her.

"So are you planning on waiting until then to ask me?"

Max goes red. "W-what?"

"You heard me."

The rest of the room is going back and forth, like watching a tennis match. Max's mouth opens and closes a few times until Isla punches him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he glares at her, and she jerks her head no-so-subtly toward Brietta, who crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow his way.

"Ummmm..." Max glances around the room. "Ummm."

"Oh, for the love of---" Brietta throws her hands in the air. "Max, d'you want to go to Cotillion with me?"

He shakes his head and blinks for a few seconds in surprise. "Um. Yeah. Sure!"

"HA! I win." Lucy says. Everyone looks at her, and she flashes a grin. "I told Brietta she should ask him, and she said she wouldn't."

Janessa wiggles her eyebrows at Isla. "You wanna go together, Isla, since we've lost our third person?"

She shrugs. "I mean, I kinda thought the group'd be going together."

"Yes please." Danielle says. "Then I won't have to make excuses to guys asking me out, or to my parents asking why I'm not going with a date."

"Guys ask you out?" Evan asks innocently. Danielle hits him on the back of the head, and he snickers.

"Are you going to ask anyone, Finn?" Eleanor says slyly, poking him.

He shakes his head, giving her an annoyed look. "Stop it, Elea."

"Whyyyyyyyyy? Got anyone in miiiiiiind?"

"ELEA!"

Everyone laughs. "So anyway, does anyone know what's going to happen after Cotillion? Like, is Auradon going to address what happened? Are we going to do-over the Coronation?"

Isla wrinkles her nose. "No way. That dress was bad enough once, let alone twice. She successfully blessed me, and I turned to look at a crowd, so I'm Queen. Deal with it." She taps the crown on her head, smirking at the rest of us. "It's legal and binding."

"So shouldn't you be... y'know. Ruling right now?" Max asks.

Isla shrugs. "Not right this second. Since most everything happening right now is getting over the attack, and the backlash, Mom and Dad are handling that. I help sometimes, but I'm going to fully take over after Cotillion."

"Well, I for one am glad we're not doing another Coronation. There is no way I'm wearing sandal-heel-things again." Janessa shudders. "My feet are ugly." She wiggles her toes in the air. "I'm wearing boots, and that's that."

"I'm wearing boots too." Isla says.

"But boots ruin the whole look..." Lucy whines.

"So do these." Brietta raises her arm in the air, shaking the bracelet.

Lucy giggles. "Fair enough."

An alarm starts beeping quietly, and Lucy pulls her phone out. "Shoot! I've gotta go home. Bri, you wanna take me?"

"Why not me?" I pout.

"No offense, but Bri's is much nicer." Lucy says. "Yours gives me whiplash sometimes, and hers is like cotton candy that smells like roses."

I laugh. "That's true. Although I have no idea what my powers are like with this on." I shake my wrist.

"Care to try it on me?" Hayder asks. "I've got to get home soon too. Mom promised she'd go for takeout tonight."

"Does that not happen often?" Finn asks.

"Nope. Dad likes to cook." Hayder grins. "Which is amazing, by the way. But every so often I just want a burger and malt."

"Do you dip your fries in your malt?" I ask, standing. "It's like the best thing ever."

"Yuck!" Jenna sticks her tongue out. "Ketchup, you weirdo! Not a malt!"

"Actually, I do that too." Hayder says. "Strawberry malt."

"Chocolate." I say.

"STOP IT STOP IT!" Jenna screeches, covering her ears. "YOU ARE BOTH COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST FRENCH FRIES AND I DEMAND YOU LEAVE RIGHT NOW!"

We both laugh, and I offer my hand. He takes it, and we disappear with a snap, silver-gray fog covering us for a few seconds before we drop into Hayder's (small) palace courtyard.

"Huh. Guess my transportation hasn't changed much. It's just lighter. Anyway, see you tomorrow." I say, and start to move away so I can go home.

"Hey wait!" Hayder says suddenly. "Before you go---would you maybe want to go to Cotillion as my date?"

I stop dead. "What?"

He kind of smiles, looking a bit shy for the first time since I met him. "Would you be my date for Cotillion?"

I keep a completely straight face, crossing my arms. "This isn't a prank, right?"

He rolls his eyes. "Am I the kind of person to pull a prank?"

"No." I can't contain my grin, and smile wide before throwing my arms around him "Then... yes! I'd like that."

Hayder embraces me back. "Good, because I had no idea how you'd react. Lucy was the one who told me I should ask."

I laugh and pull away. "Remind me to thank her. I kind of assumed nobody would want to go with me."

"Well, if anything, the whole attack only proved my point."

"What point?"

"You're a very bright person." He smiles at me. "And I can claim I saw that before everyone else."

I can feel a blush creeping up my neck, but I do my best to ignore it. "How do you do that? How are you so freakishly straightforward?"

He shrugs, grinning wide. "My mom cared way too much about people's opinions when she was younger, so she made sure I was raised on the fact that people judge people, but you can choose to not care how others judge you. I mean, 99% of what people think about you is never shared out loud, anyway, so why bother?"

"I don't think that statistic is very true." I argue.

He laughs. "You're the only person I know who would argue with me on that."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Very good."

We both kind of go silent after that, and then I can tell my face is so red that I need to escape, so I gesture feebly behind me somewhere. "I better..."

He nods. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye!" I disappear, reappearing back in my room.

I can't believe how awkward I am. But for once, it's not something I really care about. I care more about the fact that SOMEONE JUST ASKED ME ON A DATE!

If I could scream while in transport, I would.