Chapter Text
When the day of the departure comes, the villains are ready. They’ve spent year and day in mad search for something, anything, to breach the Barrier. They’ve even joined forces with each other to do so, can you believe it?
They’ve cooperated for a year and a day and they’ll be so happy to never see each other again. They’re the villains, the lone wolves and the threats waiting in the shadows.
Soon, they’ll have their Nevermore.
But first, they have to shake off the annoying, filthy and loud beings that are apparently their kids.
No big deal, right?
Oh, Evil…
Maleficent watches as the girl cries, her nose wrinkled in disgust. This child is supposed to be the blood of dragon, the descendant of the fair folk? Maybe her child is not fae after all.
She crouches down to her level anyway.
„Listen, you ungrateful child,“ she says, „This is a chance to prove yourself! If you can escape from this prison, I’ll know that I was right to claim you as mine! If you can break free, I’ll know that you deserve the mark on your arm. You’ll make me proud. Do you understand?“
The child wipes it’s tears and nods. Maleficent puts her hand on it’s – her – shoulder.
„Prove that you are the blood of the Dragon, my child. Have fun, be bad, and make your Maman proud.“
She strokes her daughter's hair in a carefree motion. She is not crying anymore. Good.
But before Maleficent leaves, she gives her daughter two more gifts:
She reveals her her full fae name, with a warning: No one else may know your true name, child! Remember that!
And she leaves her her old spellbook. She has it memorized, anyway.
The Evil Queen leaves her daughter without much fussing: It’s unladylike, anyway. And besides, no one is stealing the title of the fairest of them all, not even her daughter! She takes her mirror with her, it’s her most prized possession, and it doesn’t work under the Barrier anyway.
But she doesn’t leave the young princess empty-handed: She leaves her her very own make-up kit and a collection of old, dusty tomes full of knowledge long forbidden outside the barrier.
„Because,“ she says, „Good looks are not a lady's only weapon. Few clever words or a well-chosen spell may do the work as easily as your sweetest smile. Remember that, my child,“ she adds, as she packs the last of her robes, „And make something of yourself. You are royal, meine kleine Prinzessin, you are better than those common brats running around the streets. Oh, and a sharp dagger won’t go amiss either!“
Evie nods, engraving each world to memory: She will be beautiful and she will be smart. When she hits, she won’t miss.
When the Evil Queen leaves, Evie sits back with perfect posture, a sweet smile on her lips and not a single tear. She taught her well.
Before Gaston departs to the port, he visits Ursula with his oldest son in tow. He is the payment the sea witch has requested for her service. Gaston doesn’t care what happens next. He doesn’t say goodbye to either of his children, and the boys don’t wish him farewell either. They are busy crying in the arms of their Mother and their uncle LeFou.
Gaston doesn’t care for their tears, nor for the pleas of his wife and oldest friend. The adults are leaving and the children are not; the children should stay here, where they know it best. Is it too hard to understand?
Before Ursula leaves, she gifts her daughter her first follower and worshiper.
She considered taking her daughter with her for a while, she really did, but the girl has no gills nor tentacles. Only two useless, human legs. She would die in the depths of the ocean, surely.
It is only for her own good, really, to stay here, on the Isle, under the Barrier. Better half a life than death. Ursula can’t be bothered to care for offspring too weak to withstand the ocean anyway.
So she leaves her daughter with the Gaston’s boy on the Isle.
„Use him well,“ she says to her daughter, „And remember your name. Don’t let the others forget who you are, for you are descendant of the Gods and the sea. Don’t make me regret giving life to you.“
She slides into the water without a glance backwards, feeling the cold water all over her body. Soon, she will be free. Soon.
Cruella de Vill tries to take her son with her, because who else would fluff her furs and wash her car and mop the floors? Do the laundry, dust her collection of fashion awards? Jasper and Horace? Those two idiots? Please.
But that runt hid himself too well, she must acknowledge after hours of screaming, whistling and turning the remains of Hell Hall to ruins. That mutt doesn’t know what is good for him, she thinks, and besides, she can just make another child to do the dirty work for her.
Or steal it, that may be easier.
But she will concern herself with that when she is out.
For now, she settles for forcing Jasper and Horace to leave their kids on the Isle, too.
If she can’t have her child, no one can have theirs!
Judge Frollo hands his daughter a Bible before he leaves her. „Read, my child, and pray,“ he preaches as if he is still in the church and not on the Isle of the Lost.
„Pray, and one day you may be forgiven.“
For surely, she must be a sinner after a life here. After a life surrounded by villains, supernatural creatures and cheap women.
Renunciation and praying will soon purge her from her sin.
Only then will her soul be free.
And so he leaves.
Captain Hook doesn’t try to take his children with him, but he won’t leave them empty-handed. He may be a pirate, but he is an Enghlishman, and he has his standards. He designates three ships from his fleet to be left on the Isle. His children watch as he does so, looking at him and his men somewhat suspiciously. He doesn’t blame them, but that doesn’t mean he is pleased by that.
But they don’t look angry or afraid. Only determined to fight and survive.
That will be good for them.
He gives Lost revenge to his son and heir. It’s the fastest ship in his fleet, just after Jolly Roger. (He can’t take Harry with him, because the boy still looks like Peter Pan. He is afraid that he might accidentally kill him in a fit of rage or panic.) So instead, he gifts him a ship and a hook. A home and a weapon.
He designates another ship for his oldest, a ship that is promptly renamed Red Temptress by the overjoyed girl. Harriet doesn’t protest being left on the Isle, and he doesn’t inquire why. Because half of the pirates still believe that a woman on a ship is a bad omen. So he leaves his daughter here and gifts her a compass to guide her, should she ever find herself at the sea.
The ship for his youngest remains unnamed. But he leaves CJ behind anyway, because she looks even more like Peter Pan than her brother ever did, and because one day, she will be a woman too. His last gift for her is a telescope from fine gold that will show her the world.
Now he has work to do, men to command, fleet to prepare and major villains to argue with.
What a joy.
The Huns of Shan Yu’s army leave their kids behind willingly. They have no desire to take their untrained little ones to a war they may not survive.
Prince Hans leaves his children, because he won’t need heirs if he isn’t ever going to die. And his sons are just bastards, anyway…
So he leaves them with those parting words: „That is the world, cruel and unjust. And if you expected something else, well, then you need to grow up.“
But he stops in between the doors, guilt and doubts sneaking upon him momentarily. He shakes them off quickly, though he does wish his children good luck before he leaves.
Lady Tremaine actually tries to take all her children and grandchildren with her, but when her daughters show up on the meeting point without their babies?
Her patience runs thin.
She handed them a life of riches and prosperous marriage options on a silver platter, and what do they do? Destroy all her hard work? Ignore her wishes, leave her grandchildren on the Isle of the Lost?
Well, if that is their wish…
In a majestic shouting match, which leaves several villains nerby nearly trembling, she sends her daughters back to the decaying Tremaine manor.
She is not too old yet, and she can secure a much better life for herself without dragging two frankly useless old maidens like deadweight.
To think, neither of them managed to secure a match with a disgraced prince or a powerful sorcerer-!
The Tremaine sisters are the only adults left on the Isle.
They don’t leave their manor, ever.
Other parents just don’t care for their children at all, Mother Gothel lead among them. She never wanted children, and can’t wait to never see another loud, smelly baby human again. She will be better on her own.
As for some of the more lonesome villains… Well, there is no „Team“ in „I“.
In the end, only two children board the fleet: Dr Facilier’s little daughters, Celia and Freddie.
„How dare you propose I part from my girls and leave them in this hellhole, you mad woman!“ he yells into the surprised face of Cruella de Vil.
„Don’t worry, my little princesses, daddy won’t leave you here,“ he whispers into his daughter's ears. They believe him, and they grip his hands tightly. The shadows of the crowd float around them, thick like honey.
„Don’t look at my daughters like that,“ the Shadowman snaps at a pirate who mutters something about „double bad luck“, „Or you’ll find a fate much worse than death once we cross the Barrier.“
No one dares to argue with him after that.
And so, Celia and Freddie wave goodbye to the place they grew up in and everyone they knew. Dr. Faciler tries not to think about that aspect of leaving very much.
Moments later, the adult villains and two little girls break their way through the Barrier. And just as the last ship sails through, just as the last siren swims into the free ocean, the invisible force snaps back in place again.
The villains are free and their descendants are left to roam the Isle of the Lost.