The group stumbled as they made it into the underworld, they had lost sight of the shadow that had hans' soul but they had more to worry about currently.

"I am so tired of portals, I thought being a royal would mean things like escaped villains and mass destruction wouldn't happen… I really wanted to just relax." Uma said as she dusted off her teal and Carlos snickered at each other and shook their heads.

"Auradon and the other kingdoms are just like the isle, just with different forms of danger and less uhm villainy?" Ben added as he looked at the two boys with a grin. Ua shrugged and looked around, the underworld was a dark and dank place with tal cave like stone walls and thorns that hung low from the high ceilings. The occasional moan or scream of a soul being tortured was heard as the four friends walked down a long narrow pathway,

"I can't wait until this is over and done with so I can go back to relaxing without annoyances…"

Ben and the boys looked at each other and bit their lips, Jay was going to say something about Uma's mother and how they still had to get her, but they figured Uma already knew that and just hid her true emotions well. The group walked for a while hiding from the occasional shadow that seemed to lurk in every dark space until they came across a room that was closed off and sealed, they could see what looked like a green shadowy mist moving back and forth from behind. Uma placed her hand on the sealed door and was shoved backwards by a powerful force,

"Whatever is in their lets not stick around to find out…" Ben said as he caught Uma in his arms, although they all knew only one person who could be behind there and so they quickly walked away and turned left down a long hallway which was filled with lanterns. Each lantern was a solid color and had a nameplate under it,

"Audrey" Carlos said as he read one of the light pink lanterns, his gaze fell down to the next row and read off Audrey's families name. "Aurora, Leah, Phillip…." his eyes fell on a dark lantern which wasn't lit up like the others, "King Stefan…" Carlos turned to face Ben who went to look at some other nameplates. Some of the lanterns were dark or flickering while others glowed strongly and brightly.

"What do you think these are?" Carlos asked curiously as he looked down the long row of lanterns and names.

"uh, I don't know but come look at these ones…" Jay called from all the way down at the end of the hall. The three teens ran down to meet up with the oldest VK and looked at the different Lanterns, they had different markings on them and had a strangeness to them. Jay pointed a finger upward above his head and when everyone looked they were shocked to see their names on lanterns as well as their parents. Carlos' Lantern was red and white with a strange crossbone symbol on it while Jay's was yellow and red with a cobra. Ben's had Auradon's insignia and Uma's had an sea witch,

"What do these lanterns mean?" Ben said as he looked at the Lanterns curiously unsure whether touching one was the best idea.

"Uh you guys might want to come here quickly" Uma said as she peered through a door that led to another room. Inside there were two lanterns one Purple and one Blue, the light inside of them were flickering and they were protected behind a green barrier.

"What is going on, are those lanterns Mal and Evie's?" Carlos' mind was racing with questions as he tried to understand what they all were seeing. Suddenly the room began to fill with a bluish gray smoke suddenly a man with blue flaming hair and wearing a black robe came walking from the smoke,

"Well hello and welcome to the underworld! I've been expecting you four.." Hades laughed and snapped his fingers sending the four teens to fall back into some chairs where their hands were bound with rope.

"We don't want any trouble Hades!" Jay said as he struggled against the ropes, he hated being tied down and vulnerable. Hades passed Mal and Evies Lanterns slowly and took a deep breath inward before looking at the four teens,

"You really don't understand do you… I came back here not for trouble but because I have a job to do.." Hades began to explain "Everyday people die, and it is my job to make sure they live a lifetime of suffering and pain for all eternity. Easy peasy…" Hades narrowed his eyes at Ben "but, then the king and his Queen decided to force me into a lifetime of exile on the Isle of the Lost"

"Ben's parents didn't imprison you, your actions did! Maybe if you didn't kill people for fun and amusement you would have been fine!" Uma yelled, she didn't care who Hades was he was just a jerk who needed a lesson anyway. Hades stared at Uma for a while with a serious expression on his face as if he were reading her mind, seeing her darkest thoughts…. He circled her and shook his head,

"Uma, daughter of Ursula… I would have thought you of all people would be smarter then this, your mother is the great and powerful queen of the sea! And yet, here you are hanging out with the traitors who are the exact reason you and your mother were on that floating prison…" Uma lowered her head, she had heard enough but Hades was far from done, "I'm thinking that perhaps you don't know what to do… you would think having a mother as powerful as your's that would show you that you don't stand a chance against-"

"Stop! Leave her alone!" Ben interrupted the God of the Underworld who looked over at the young King.

"Ah, yes… King Benjamin, the Son of the beautiful Queen Belle and her Beastly husband King Adam… tell me boy.." Hades made one swift stride over to the boy and soon stood beside him placing an arm around the boy's shoulder as if they were best friends.

"Do you still truly believe that there is actual goodness in people..?" Ben shrugged Hade's away and narrowed his light brown eyes at him

"Of course I do, and I always will." Hades rolled his eyes and shook his head clearly having something on his mind. He turned to Carlos and Jay and chuckled as they lowered their heads, Hades didn't have to even bring up what they all already knew but he loved seeing people in misery.

"So, who's it going to be?" Hades laughed loudly watching as Carlos and Jay kept their heads down with clear pain written on their faces. Ben looked at his friends and then at the man and growled

"What kind of mind tricks are you playing here Hades, what is all of this?"

"I'm so glad you asked Benjamin" Hades smirked as he walked over to the purple and blue lanterns.

"Every Lantern you see represents everybody in Auradon and the Isle of the Lost, from the day you are born the lantern is lit… once you die however the light goes out…"

"So, why are Mal and Evie's flickering then?" Ben asked cautiously

"Those two have been through alot of trauma, their lives are still in my contol… you see kids I control who lives and who dies.. and I havent chosen whether they will just yet…" Hades looked at the lanterns for a while before looking back at the teenagers before him, "Anyway, since I have a decision to make perhaps I should tell you four what you must do to get out of this place.."

"You and Facilier will be coming with us." Ben said firmly

"yes, yes I know.. just allow me this final victory…." Hades said with annoyance

"Each of you have messy thoughts right now, worries, descisions, unfinished questions and hope… before you four can leave you must come to terms and reach an answer otherwise I'm afraid you will be stuck for good.

"How do we do that exactly? Jay finally asked as Hades released the four from their seats. Hades

Conjured up three doors, "Each of you have a key thing you need behind the door, each one will help you reach an answer but the trick is… you can only go in order.. Ben is first, then Uma and then you and Carlos.. Once you are finished with those three things only then will I come quietly, and release Facilier and Hans so they can also join in your roundup of Villains." Hades explained. Ben turned to his friends and sighed "We won't be able to leave until we do this, we will be stuck in the underworld until this test is finished…" Jay,Carlos and Uma all nodded as Ben took a deep breath in and walked up to the door which opened upon him reaching it. He didn't know what was on the other side but he needed to be brave for not only his friends but for himself as well. As he walked in a flash of light seemed to engulf the room until the door closed behind him leaving the three teens to wait.

Ben jumped as the door closed behind him and he squinted his eyes in the darkened room, a single flame appeared lighting the room up a bit. He took in his surroundings, a single canopy bed sat in the far corner and beside it a small nightstand made of wood. A large towering bookcase covered the entire wall on the far left side and a blue chair sat in front of a fireplace, from the chair Ben could have sworn he saw a pair of horns sticking from the top of it and so he walked a little closer. With every step he began to see pictures, of a small fairy child and every photo the girl became less and less happy until soon they stopped as Ben stood in front of the chair, his eyes widened and he didn't know whether to yell or cry as the person sitting before him held a photo of herself holding a small purple haired child in her arms.

"M..Maleficent?" Ben spoke quietly causing the woman to look up right away, her face looked overcome with grief and pain and her pale face was puffy like her eyes which were wet with tears, Ben had never seen Maleficent cry and it broke his heart.

"What are you doing here, you shouldn't be here.." Maleficent spoke quickly as she used her scepter to stand up her long black robe brushed the floor ever so gently, she seemed nervous and relatively frightened.

"Maleficent, what's wrong.. I'm so happy to see you and Mal will be too, you could come with us and we can-" Maleficent cut him off placing her hand in the air and sighing

"Ben, I can't go back I am dead and things are as they should be.."

"But you're a hero, and heroes deserve recognition and a second chance."

"I am no hero Benjamin I never was and I will never be…"

"You saved your daughters life, you are a hero! Why can't you see that!"

"I said Enough! I didn't save my daughter… I wasn't planning on killing Grimhilde, I was aiming for Mal…" Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing, and shook his head

"No, no I don't believe you.. you love Mal… you told her you did!"

Maleficent stood rigidly in place as she looked at the young king, "King Benjamin, I will always love my daughter.. but I will always love freedom… I only ever wanted freedom, and if Mal was to win I would have been shoved back onto that floating prison and I couldn't have that."

"you wouldn't have been…I just don't understand.. why tell her that you wanted to change if you didn't.." Ben bit his lip he felt anger and despair and utter defeat, was Hades right… did he still think

All Villains were good at heart.. "Yes…" Ben muttered to himself.

Maleficent looked at the boy skeptically with a raised eyebrow, "what did you say?"

"I do still believe in you Maleficent, you love your daughter and you always will… and I will believe that Villains are good deep down inside until the end of time."

Maleficent's eyes seemed to become brighter as did the room, the fairy smiled at Ben and nodded her head regally "good job Ben,.."

"Good job? What do you mean?"

"You kept to your beliefs even when you doubted them, you have always believed in my daughter and you believe in me… and that my dear boy is something far more important then the need to win all the time." Ben couldn't help but smile as he launched himself into Maleficent;s arms hugging her tightly.

"Thank you Maleficent, for raising a strong and independant daughter… you are a great mother."

Maleficent froze and stiffened slightly as she was not used to hugs but she returned it eventually before pulling away, "My daughter is hurting, I am trying my best to keep Hades from ending their lives but I can't hold him off on his descion forever, when you see my daughter again tell her I have always been proud of her and that I love her.." Maleficent pulled out a small box from her pocket and handed it to Ben, "Give her this as well.. tell her whenever she wears it I wil be close by"

"I will, thank you.. for everything."

Ben walked to the door and waved at Maleficent as she once again sat down in her chair, when he emerged he saw his friends who imedietly came up to him.

"Are you okay?

"What happened…"

"did you get the answers you needed?" Ben smiled as he looked down at the box in his hands while his friends asked him countless questions,

"I got all the answers I needed…." He looked up at Uma who seemed nervous "You can do this, and this time we will be behind you one hundred percent.." The four all held out their wrists as Hades placed a special bracelet on them which tied them as prisoners of the underworld until removed. He looked at Ben and smirked before looking to Uma "As soon as you are done there, you three have to come back for the third and final part of the mission and then you can all leave with us.." The four teens all nodded as Uma walked towards the door which swung open and engulfed the teens in a bright light before closing once more behind them.

Hades watched the four walk through as Maleficent came out slowly,

"Those four are quite the group Hades… they will do anything for their friends."

"I know, and like I said before…." Hades walked over to the flickering lanterns

"I will do anything for my family."