It was almost dawn, Carlos was the only one sleeping
Mal and Hades were looking at the moon
Hades: "How are you Mal? Princes and crazy mothers aside"
Mal looked at him, she had been wrong, he did care. Hades had accepted them in the Cave, he cooked for them, he even listened to them talking about Auradon, he helped her...
He was asking because to him it mattered
Mal: "I don't know. Sometimes I forget all those awful stuff that happened to me... Then someone while talking gets a little closer to me and accidentally touches me and I'm there all over again.."
Hades nodded: "You should talk to someone about this"
Mal gritted her teeth, she knew who he was talking about: "I'm talking to you"
Hades: "You know what I mean. Now that you live in the land of Happily Ever After and all those sparkling things... you have a chance"
Mal: "A chance to what? Be normal?"
Hades laughed: "Honey, you'll never be normal. I don't want you to be normal. No. I meant a chance to be happy, to let go a little of the life your mother put you through" he turned to look at her "You deserve it. And if that means talking to one of those, why the hell not?"
Mal was thinking about it when they heard Carlos
Carlos: "It's almost dawn, we should get ready to go"
Mal nodded
Hades: "I'm coming with you if you don't mind. I need to go to the market anyway"
Carlos: "Sure. I'll introduce you to Jane" he was smiling, clearly happy to let Jane know a parent that wasn't crazy
Mal rolled her eyes: "Fine with me. Even better, nobody will try anything if you are with us"
Mal, Carlos, and Hades walked faster then Maleficent, so it was obvious that they would arrive at the market of the Reformed Part before noon
It took about 3 hours to get to the SeaPart
Mal: "Let's go say hi to Uma"
They went to Ursula's restaurant but they weren't there
Carlos: "The process"
Mal nodded
They went to the square and they found Uma there
Uma: "Hey there, you came"
Mal: "Of course"
Uma: "She is inside the prison, the process begins in 2 weeks"
Carlos nodded
Mal: "Can I see her?"
Carlos didn't except it, nor did Uma
Uma: "Why?"
Mal looked at Hades who nodded: "I need a mother-daughter talk"
Carlos: "What?"
Hades: "Son, let's go to the market. Mal will join us"
Mal: "Thank you father"
Hades nodded and almost dragged Carlos away
Uma: "All right, shrimp. I'll walk you to the cell"
Maleficent was in the cell when she heard someone call her name
Maleficent: "Listen, little squid, I already told you I won't talk"
She turned to see her daughter
Maleficent smiled: "I knew it. You came to save me. What did you do to the guards? Did you kill the little squid?"
Mal shooked her head: "No Mother. None of that. I'm here to talk, I won't help you"
Maleficent: "You are a disappointment. I created you. You were supposed to be evil. To be the worst of the worst. The curse. What went wrong with you? Carlos is Cruella's fault. But you. I did everything I could.."
Mal was angry now: "Are you done? I never said I'm not evil. I assure you I'm not all good. Do you want to know what went wrong with me? You. You made me hate you. Do you think I would help the person that killed, assaulted, beat me? You threw me at Gaston's sons. I'll never forgive you, I'll hate you forever."
Maleficent had listened: "What did you want me to do? What do you suggest"
Mal: "You idiot, you should have made me hate someone else. You should have taught me how to be evil" she took a deep breath "It doesn't matter. I'm here to tell you that your process will be in a few weeks, Carlos and I will come probably. Cruella is here too, somewhere. The Castle is mine now"
Maleficent: "So what?"
Mal: "If your trial frees you, you have nowhere to go. I thought that you wanted to know that"
Maleficent laughed: "You can't stop me from going in"
Mal smirked evilly: "Can't I? Did you forget who you are talking to?"
Maleficent: "What did you do?"
Mal: "You'll know"
Mal started to step back to go away
Maleficent clenched to the bars: "MAL WHAT DID YOU DO?"
But Mal didn't listen and left
Uma: "You okay, shrimp?"
Mal nodded: "Do you have her books?"
Uma: "We have everything that belonged to those psychos"
Mal: "Can I see it?"
Uma nodded and lead the way towards a room full of stuff that looked a lot like trash
Mal used a spell to shrink everything and then put it in her pocket: "I'll give it to FG, it's probably dark magic plus garbage"
Uma nodded
They exited the building
Mal: "I'm going to the market. See you Uma"
The two girls hugged
When Jane woke up, she saw Evie standing at the window like some owl
Jane: "Evie, what's wrong?"
Evie: "The rain. It killed someone" her voice was empty
Jane sighed, it was awful.. but Evie was too worried, like someone she knew had died
Jane: "Was it someone you knew?"
Evie: "That's the problem. We don't know"
Jane was confused now, a quick look at the room and she understood that Evie was talking about her and Jay
Jane: "I don't understand"
Jay: "Nobody in this Part died, nor in the SeaPart. The only innocents that could die now are Carlos and Mal. We don't know if when the rain started they were somewhere safe... if they were in the wrong part of the Isle..."
Jane: "But Uma said they were in the Forest"
Evie: "Nobody truly knows how the Forest works"
Jane got up: "We have to do something"
Evie: "We can't. We have to wait..."
Jay: "Actually there is a way to see if they are okay"
Evie: "We can't put her life at risk"
Jay shooked his head: "The mirror"
Jane: "Of course, if the mirror works it means that Mal is alive"
Evie: "Mal would never leave Carlos while it's raining. They are in the same place for sure"
Jane nodded and picked her mirror
Her mother appeared a few minutes later, but there was something weird, the mirror didn't look the same
Jane: "It's not Mal's magic... this trace is weird. Look" she gave the mirror to Evie
Evie: "Hades. Oh, thank you Gothel! They are with Hades"
Jane: "Are you sure?"
FG in the meantime didn't know what had happened: "What's going? What happened to Mal? Why are you blue? You usually appear in purple"
Evie: "Sorry FG. Jane explain. I'll go help with breakfast"
Jane smiled: "We have breakfast?"
Evie: "Yes"
FG was more confused than ever: "What's going with breakfast?"
Evie left and Jane started to explain
Jane: "Yesterday there was nothing to eat, mom. Anyway back to the magic of the mirror, we were worried about Mal and Carlos because yesterday it rained.. and well. This rain is different from ours... if you are touched by a drop of the rain..you can die. Someone died yesterday but we don't who, we were worried it could be Mal or Carlos. But they are with Hades luckily. I guess Mal was too tired and Hades helped with the magic"
FG: "You didn't eat yesterday?"
Jane: "There was no food..."
FG: "But today you do?"
Jane nodded
FG: "What did we do?" she wasn't talking to Jane
Jane: "Mom... it's worse then I imagined... I'll let you see it when I come back.. but this... This has to stop. Now"
FG nodded: "We'll find a way to make it right. Now go eat, you must be really hungry"
They said their goodbyes and Jane went to the kitchen
Grimhilde: "Goodmorning Jane, how are you?"
Grimhilde and Jafar had welcomed her in their house so easily that Jane felt at home with them. They were kind, smart, funny and not at all evil and vicious like Audrey used to say when they were children and she wanted to scare her
Everything they did was for Evie and Jay.
When Grimhilde and Jafar looked at each other or the kids there was nothing but pure love.
Jane: "Goodmorning, I'm fine thank you. How are you?"
Jafar had a bandage on his wrist: "Very well, thank you"
Grimhilde was shooking his head: "He is so stubborn, he keeps trying to see if the rain hurts and every time it's the same"
Jafar: "I'm telling you it didn't hurt like last time"
They were bickering now
Jay: "They are getting worse with age"
Evie nodded
Jafar: "Hey! What are you talking about?"
The four of them started to laugh
Jane smiled: "You all are so cute"
Grimhilde smiled at her with affection
Jafar: "All right, enough of the cuteness. Let's eat"
They ate between laughs their breakfast
Jane was about to ask what they were going to do on their last day when they heard people screaming
They ran outside to see a crowd near the market
Jane: "What's going on?"
Jay: "Let's find out"
They got near the crowd, Jafar was the taller and he saw the cause of the commotion
Jafar smiled: "Hades!" and he waved at someone, he turned to Grimhilde "It's Hades. I think I saw Carlos with him"
Grimhilde was smiling too: "What a nice surprise. We'll invite them to lunch and dinner"
Jane wasn't sure if she should be happy: "Hades at the market?"
Jay laughed seeing her face: "The man gotta eat. Don't worry. He's nice"
Hades had been able to see Jafar and was approaching
Carlos: "Guys!"
Jay started running towards Carlos and tackled him on the ground, Hades looked at his son and shook his head
Hades: "Jafar, Grimhilde, how are you this fine day?"
Jafar laughed and hugged him, Hades hugged him back awkwardly
Grimhilde: "It's Friday and we are fine. How are you?"
Hades retracted from the hug and smiled happily: "Very well"
Then he noticed Evie, she was searching for someone in the crowd
Hades: "She is talking with Uma, she'll be here soon. It's about Maleficent's process"
Evie nodded
Carlos and Jay joined smiling
Carlos was hugged by Grimhilde, Jafar and Evie
When Carlos looked at her, still smiling, Jane started blushing
Carlos: "Dad, this is Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter"
Hades looked at Carlos and then at the blushing girl with a smirk: "Of course, the lovely Jane. I heard a lot about you"
Carlos rolled his eyes but kept smiling, Jane had never seen him this happy
Jane shyly smiled at the God of the Afterlife: "Hello"
Hades: "Don't worry I don't bite"
Jane smiled: "I'm sorry, it's just... it's weird to meet an actual God. It doesn't happen every day, you know"
Hades laughed: "You are right. But Carlos told me all about your adventure in the Moors, you are quite powerful"
Jane smiled blushing: "Thank you.."
Hades understood the problem: "You can call me Hades"
The mirror called
FG: "Jane are you coming back?"
Hades: "Oh so that's the magic Mal was doing"
FG was confused, she hadn't heard Hades's voice in 20 years: "Who is that?"
Jane smiled: "Hades"
FG was shocked
Hades went near Jane and waved
Evie: "MAL!" and ran towards someone
Hades watched the girl ran in the crowd
Jay followed his sister
Carlos pouted: "Not cool. Why do I get only one bear hug while she gets two?"
FG: "Carlos is there too?" she had recovered from the shock
Jane nodded: "Mal is here too"
She heard someone yell Mal's name in the mirror
FG disappeared for a minute and then came back
Jane: "Was that Ben?"
FG smiled: "Yes, he is excited to see you all again"
Jane laughed: "Of course, all of us"
She saw Mal approaching
Jane: "Here comes Mal. I'll call you later"
The call ended
Ben: "Is Mal okay?"
FG looked at the boy with a smile, in the past three days he had been a mess
The school was closed, FG didn't want to risk anything so they were all together in the Castle
Doug and Lonnie were here at the Castle with Ben, they knew what had happened and had tried to distract the future King
FG: "She is fine. They will probably have lunch there and then come back here"
Ben's body relaxed for the first time
Belle entered the room and saw Ben's face
Belle: "Is it Mal?"
FG: "She is okay. They are together now, they will come back today"
Belle smiled happily: "Well that's wonderful news. I'll send the car immediately"
FG: "No, let's wait"
Ben: "Why?"
FG: "They got together just now. Also, Evie and Jay would probably like some time to prepare and say their goodbyes properly. Jane will call when they are ready"
Belle nodded: "Of course, you are right FG"
Ben nodded too
Mal: "Hello Jane, how are you?"
Jane: "I'm fine. What about you?"
Mal was about to answer when they heard a scream
The inhabitants of the Isle turned to stone, they were all searching for the danger
Then started other screams, the mothers picked their children and ran in their homes, men took their knives to defend themselves
Mal turned to Grimhilde: "Bring her inside and protect her"
Evie: "I'll go and guard the entrance"
Jane: "What's going on?"
Grimhilde: "Come with me" she dragged her away
They entered the house
Grimhilde: "Go upstairs and close the windows"
Jane did as she was told and then came downstairs to find Grimhilde with a shotgun
Jane was surprised
Grimhilde: "A gift, from the hunter. Nobody will hurt you I promise"
At the market
Mal and Jay were on one side while Jafar, Hades, and Carlos were on the other
Evie was hidden in an alley near her house to guard it
Jay: "What is going on?"
Mal: "No idea"
Jafar: "I don't understand"
Carlos: "I think I do"
Hades: "Who?"
A man appeared in the middle of the market square, he was with at least 15 men
The man: "Come on! Don't hide. I know you are here Mal"
Mal and Carlos on the opposite sides of the market recognized the man immediately: "Gaston"
Gaston: "Come on Mal! I know you are a brave little girl! I remember the first time I met you. You were 2 years old. You were so cute."
Hades was getting angry
Mal looked at him, then turned to Jay: "Go to Carlos and tell him to get the bow and take down some of those"
Jay: "What are you going to do?"
Mal: "I'll go and teach those dudes how to do an entrance"
Jay nodded, he trusted and knew her. She was going to be okay. So he started running through the stalls, he picked a bow and some arrows
Mal waited for Jay to refer the message, then she got out of her hiding place
Mal smirked: "Gaston, old friend. What brings you here this beautiful day?"
Gaston smiled at her: "Mal, you look beautiful like always. I heard rumors that you were back and I was very much disappointed. You didn't pay me any visit"
Mal: "I apologize. But here I am."
Gaston: "I see you. How are you?"
He was getting closer, some of the men were following him, others weren't
Luckily Carlos was a very silent hitman, he took down those who had stayed behind. Jafar, Jay, and Hades picked their bodies and hide them in the alleys
Mal: "Tired but overall well. What about you? I heard about Eddie"
Gaston's smile dropped: "Of course you did. I know you buried him in the Forest. Also, your mother was the one who killed him.. but I guess you know that too"
Mal nodded, her smile dropped too: "She is in the prison now"
Gaston: "Oh I know that"
A few meters divided them, Carlos in the meantime had taken down 4 more men.
They were still outnumbered, 8 men vs the five of them
Gaston: "But it's not enough, is it?" he smiled again "I mean Eddie was the weakest son I had but he was still young and learning, he could have become a strong man... if not for his connection with you. Maleficent killed him because of you."
Mal's guilt resurfaced immediately at the memory of Eddie's body, Gaston was right
Gaston took another step towards her but Mal wasn't listening anymore
She was the cause of it, her mother had killed Eddie for her
When the knife touched her skin she didn't even feel it, she got back to reality only because she heard Carlos's yell
She took a step back and touched her cheekbone, blood was running on her face, she heard an intake of breath that wasn't hers
Ben
Ben was sitting on the couch when he heard someone screaming, he got up immediately
Doug: "Woah, what's up?"
Ben looked at him: "Didn't you hear the scream?"
Lonnie looked worried: "Nobody screamed, Ben"
Ben confused sat down again
15 minutes later
Ben: "Ouch!" he touched his cheekbone and found blood
Ben: "What the..?"
Doug: "What?" he looked at Ben's hand "What did you do?"
Ben wasn't listening anymore: "Mal is danger"
Doug: "No, Ben. She is fine."
Ben shook his head, got up and ran upstairs, he entered the library
FG and his mother were there
Belle: "Ben what is it..?" then she saw his hand "Oh my! Ben, what happened to your hand?"
Ben: "It's not my blood" he looked at FG in the eyes "Mal"
That was all that he could say before fainting
Belle, FG, and Doug around him
FG: "He's boiling with fever"
Belle: "Adam!"
The fight was going on for a while now
Carlos was trying to get to Mal but he couldn't
Mal was fighting alone with Gaston
Jay, Jafar, and Hades were fighting with two men each
Carlos was fighting with one of Gaston's son, Julian, he was 17
Julian: "Your sister is going to die"
Carlos laughed: "As if that ever stopped her from coming back and kicked your asses"
Julian was taken aback a little and Carlos took advantage of that to take him down, he wasn't dead... yet
He was about to run towards Mal when he saw Hades down
Carlos: "DAD!"
Terrified he ran to help his father
Hades: "I'm fine Carlos. Go help your sister"
Carlos: "You are hurt. We are already outnumbered"
Together they fought
Mal had fought a lot during her life, she knew that this particular fight wasn't going very well
Not for her anyway
Gaston: "You have no idea how long I have waited to have you like this"
She was catching her breath when she saw a shadow near Gaston, the shadow she had seen only in her worst moments. Ben. She smiled
Gaston: "Why are you smiling like that? You bitch! You are going to die"
He took his sword and tried to hit her but she moved quickly
Mal got up and the shadow got through her, her magic woke up giving her the strength she needed.
Mal: "That never stopped me before, Gaston"
She took a sword and started fighting again
Gaston had wasted his force, he had taken advantage of her state of mind to hurt her badly, Mal had just got her strength renewed, she knew that now she had the advantage
Mal: "I think that we both know I'm not going to die today"
She heard someone behind but too late
Julian with a long knife
Two hands trapped her
The sword passed through her stomach and she saw through Ben's eyes for a second
Then darkness took over