*So I did something a little different with 'My Once Upon A Time'. I decided to use it as a teaching moment, let Halie be a big sister to Mal and help her through all at happens. I've always pictured doing this song like this, so I hope you guys enjoy!*

~Halie~

It was decided Jane, Doug and Gil would go find Fairy Godmother, hoping her wand could do some good against the sleeping spell. The rest of us made our way to Fairy Cottage, apparently where those fairies hid Aurora from Maleficent.
"Well this is really out of the way. Surprised no one found it."
"Stow the sarcasm, Halie."
Mal quipped, following Ben to the cottage door. I rolled my eyes, but bit my tongue and trailed behind. I will admit- I'm a little agitated without the ember; not used to it being so far out of my possession.

We made our way up the walk and Ben burst through the door… but the first floor is empty. Jay darted up the stairs to check while the rest of us meandered around.
"She's not upstairs."
"So much for this theory…"
Suddenly, frantic knocking rung out, all of us turning to a door by the fireplace. Ben took point and opened it, revealing a boy curled in on himself.
"Chad?"
"Uh, who's that?"
Mal shushed me, watching Ben move closer.
"It's okay, buddy. What happened?"
Chad rambled a few incoherent words before he noticed the door was open, and he took off, screaming about freedom.
"Well that was thrilling and productive."
Harry laughed and nudged my shoulder before we filed out of the cottage.

"Oof, let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already. What do you say, girls? Time to wrap things up?"
"You know, someday, you're gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up."
Ben chuckled, giving Mal a side hug.
"Actually, Mal promised to let all the kids off the isle- once this is over."
Evie smiled wide, but Ben's face contorted into confusion. At all this, my eyes narrowed, moving to Mal who kept walking ahead while the rest of us stopped.
"Mal?"
"I have to tell you guys something. Um… I lied to you. The kids won't be coming off the isle."
"What do you mean?"
"The program is shut down. And the barrier… will be closed for good."
"For Auradon's safety."

Instantaneously, my hair burst into red and orange flames. Anger danced over my face and my fists clenched in a effort to not punch my stupid half-sister.
"Hold up. So we're saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie. I knew it was a mistake to trust you. You're always out for yourself."
Uma took initiative, grabbing my shoulder in an effort to stem my anger, though hers was at a more controlled boiling point as well.
"And you, King Benny... you're probably just gonna throw us all back inside, eh?"
Harry looked so deflated; he loved it here now, and I don't blame him. But I just watched in anger as Celia stomped forward, tears in her eyes.
"You know what? I actually thought you were brave. You're nothing but a chicken. Too scared to tell me I was never gonna see my dad again."
"Celia…"

And not even I stopped Celia when she grabbed the ember from Mal's hand and threw it in the birdbath beside the path. Mal ran screaming to the water, grabbing the stone, chanting a spell in effort to reignite its magic.
"Bummer. Let's go find Gil and leave them all to rot."
Uma tried to tug my hand to join her, but I shook her off with my hatred still hard on Mal. She took the hint and walked off.
"No! Uma!"
Mal turned from one retreating back to a face of utter disappointment.
"Evie… I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I just… I thought that… I was afraid to tell you. I thought I was gonna lose my best friend. But I had to do something. I had to… protect Auradon."
"Closing the barrier was your idea?"
"I did it for us. I did it for… our life that we have here now."
"For our life?! What about the kids that we left behind on that island? The kids that we promised! We were their only hope. I thought you were gonna stand up for the VKs. But instead, you lied to them. And you lied to Jay. And you lied to Carlos. And you lied to me. We're your family."
Evie turned her back on Mal, the others turning their faces away.
"Evie. Evie, come on… I had no choice!"

Thunder clapped and pink smoke blocked Mal's view of her friends. I felt something strange trying to stop my flames from burning, but with a pulse of my magic, I sent away Audrey's attempt to turn me to stone… like the others.
Mal stood there, tears building up in her eyes as she took in the sight.
"No…"
I really didn't want to say a word to her. I didn't want to speak to this girl who was breaking hearts and promises of all the kids left on the isle. But my anger was at its limit. I stepped closer.

"Here you are alone, and you deserver it. Your friends have turned to stone, and that's on you. You had a cause to serve, but did you serve it? Did you see yourself in a way that wasn't true?"
"Halie…"
"Why tell all those lies? You feel unworthy? Like there isn't solid ground for you to stand…"
I took another step and offered my hand to Mal. She looked at me through her tear-filled eyes and hesitantly placed the hand that held the ember in mine.
"A sacrifice is not a firm foundation. You cannot build a castle on a mountain made of sand…"
I began leading Mal out of the forest, my hair changing slowly back to its beautiful firey-blue.
"This is not your father's fairytale. And it's not you mother's fault you failed. So when your story comes to light, make sure the story that they write goes… once upon a time, she fought the dragon."
"Once upon a time, the beast was me!"
"Once upon a misspent youth, she faced herself, she spoke the truth-"
"That's how I see my once upon a time- this time!"

By this point we were at the forest edge, and I could see Uma and Harry up ahead.
"You have to convince Uma. You made this mess, you fix it."
I spoke softly, letting go of her hand and gently pushing her off. Mal nodded slowly but ran off.
"Uma! Uma, stop. Please, stop. I need your help. We have a chance if we do this together."
"Your friends kick you to the curb? Good."
"Ben saw something in you. And today, Uma, I saw it too! You care! Uma… You care about everybody. And- Auradon is worth saving! Help us, please…"
Uma kept her mouth shut, looking just barely around Mal to see Halie approaching. But the blue-haired girl shook her head and mouthed 'up to you'.
"You talk pretty, but... she's already made up her mind."

Uma looked to Harry, seemingly taking a moment but then collected herself again.
"You brought this upon yourself, Mal. You figure out how to fix it. Let's go…"
Uma and Harry pushed past Mal, the girl crumpling in on herself again. But I stepped up and once again took her hand.
"Life is not a storybook, but life unfolds in chapters. Turn the page, and start to make amends. There's no pre-written guarantee of happy-ever-after! Step into your greatness, before your story ends! So when your story ends, they'll say, once upon a time a girl flew higher! Once upon a time, she made things right! Once upon a tie that binds, she changed she heart to change their minds!"
"That's got to be my once upon a time!"
"This once upon a time…"
"They'll finally see my once upon a time- this time!"

"This is all you. Mal. You write your story- make it how you want."
I once again pressed the ember into her palm, and vanished in a cloud of smoke.