“It’s too bad,” said Evie. “They worked so hard to make it special.”
Mal kept silent. In her pocket, the Dragon’s Egg throbbed and turned warmer. Was it connected to what was happening outside? She hoped not, but the freak rainstorm made up her mind. As soon as they got back to school, it was time to say goodbye to the evil talismans, once and for all.
It stormed for the entire trip from Seaside to Auradon City, but when they finally arrived at Auradon Prep that afternoon, the skies were as blue as ever. As the limousine pulled up to the school, Mal turned to her friends. “You guys, I think it’s time we dealt with the talismans.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” said Evie, making a face as she removed the golden apple—now a tarnished bronze—from her purse. “I’ve been carrying this for a few days and it gives me the creeps.”
“I don’t know, it’s kind of fun having them around; it reminds me of where we came from,” said Jay, unearthing a twisted wooden stick with a cobra head from his pack. Its snake eyes were leering and baleful, even in stasis.
“Well, unlike you, I don’t want to be reminded of the Isle of the Lost all the time,” said Evie. “Do you have yours, Carlos?”
Carlos nodded but looked nervous. “Yes, unfortunately. I wanted to leave it in my room because I don’t like carrying it around, but it felt like too much of a risk.” He showed them the plastic ring he had in his pocket.
“I have mine,” said Mal, removing the glowing Dragon’s Egg from hers.
“Great, I’ll let Fairy Godmother know we’re on our way,” said Ben.
“Right,” said Mal, taking a deep breath as they all got out of the car.
There was only one way to deal with the talismans; only one power in Auradon that was stronger than evil, tougher than wretchedness, and more tenacious than malevolence. A force that could turn a kitchen girl into a princess, tiny mice into a team of king’s horses, and a simple pumpkin into a wondrous carriage. The most powerful magical artifact in all of Auradon: Fairy Godmother’s wand, wielded by the most powerful magic-user in the land: Fairy Godmother.
They entered campus and headed to the main building, where they trooped into the office of the headmistress. The cozy, comfortable place was decorated in shades of princess pink and periwinkle blue, and even the curtains sparkled with starlight. There were cozy plump couches to sit on and many framed photographs of Fairy Godmother and her daughter, Jane.
“Welcome back! How was the Seaside Festival?” asked Fairy Godmother, getting up from behind her desk and smiling at all five of them. “Did you give King Triton my regards?”
“I did,” said Ben. “The festival was wonderful as usual, except for this strange storm at the end.”
“I saw on the news,” said Fairy Godmother. “What a shame.” She nodded to the four villain kids holding out their talismans. “So there they are, huh? I’ve been expecting them.”
“Sorry, we got distracted by school,” said Mal.
“Absolutely understandable. It’s not as though I were looking forward to this task either,” said Fairy Godmother, shaking her head. “Oh dear, what a collection. You are all heroes for surviving their temptations.” She shuddered at the sight of the pulsing Dragon’s Egg. “They will have to be destroyed, of course.”
“The sooner the better, Fairy G,” said Ben. “It’s best for the kingdom.”
“I suppose we have no choice,” she agreed. “These dangerous objects cannot fall into their true owners’ hands, but destroying them could unleash a sudden wild magic—a powerful and uncontrollable blast.”
“A necessary blast,” he soothed.
“But sometimes the consequences of using such great magic remain unknown until much later.” Fairy Godmother sighed.
“Can we do it soon?” said Carlos, grimacing.
“What’s your hurry?” said Jay with a grin as he twirled the cobra staff like a baton.
Evie shook her head decisively, her dark blue hair bobbing over her shoulders. “I’ll be glad to be rid of mine. I feel like if I close my eyes I can still see all those awful things that Magic Mirror showed me.”
Mal scrunched her nose. She didn’t want to admit it, but the reason she had been procrastinating its destruction was because she found it strangely comforting to hold the Dragon’s Egg. She understood that it was evil, and why it had to be destroyed—but it was meant for her. It was part of her heritage, part of her mother. And so a part of Mal—a very small part, but there nonetheless—would lament its demise.
“Right, no time like the present,” said Fairy Godmother, and they followed her out of the office. She led the group toward the Museum of Cultural History, where her wand was once again kept safe and secure, floating in a crystal case.
“Bibbidi bobbidi boo,” said Fairy Godmother, and the case disappeared, allowing her to pluck her wand from the air. “Hold them out, please,” she ordered.
Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay stood in a semicircle, talismans balanced on their palms. Fairy Godmother scratched her head with her wand for a minute, thinking hard. Then with a flourish she waved the wand above the talismans, showering glittery sparks all over the room.
“Salagadoola mechicka boola,
Send this apple back to its tree!