Chapter Twenty Nine
A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs. Everything else either belongs to Disney or the Greek Myths!
Thank you all so much for the continued support! I can't believe how close we are to 400 reviews! It really is astounding!
Well, we're now on our way across the bridge! Honestly, I didn't think this day would come-well I did but I thought it would be a lot further out as normally my good friend writer's block comes a knocking around this time.
As always, special thanks to AmethystDragon14 for being the best sounding board a person could get!
Please let me know what you think! :D
A week went by and the invitations were posted, just as promised. Mal stared at the invitation in her hand in shock. Somehow, it had been delivered to Ursula's Chip Shoppe rather than Maleficent's castle or the Underworld. Mal honestly suspected Harry had something to do with that, considering all four of the invitations were there. Speaking of those invitations...
"Wait a minute," Mal said slowly as she looked at the other envelopes. "None of these have your name on them Uma. Or your's Harry."
"Yeah we noticed that too," Uma nodded. "But who cares Mali? Boreadon wants you!"
"No, no, no, no!" Mal said, shaking her head. "I'm not going! Not if half my gang's left behind! I'm not going to leave you two here to defend the turt while I go to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses!"
"Mal, hang on a minute. Just take a moment to think this through," Uma said softly, looking thoughtful while Harry just looked at her like she was crazy.
"Uma there's nothing to think through!" Mal exclaimed, whirling around to face her. "You're my cousin! Harry's my crew! I won't leave you two behind! Especially just because Boreadon's asking-if they want me then why didn't they ask before?"
She looked through the invitations once more and scowled as she noticed one of the names on the envelopes.
"Look! This one's addressed to Blueberry! DeVil is tolerable since we put him under our protection but Blueberry? You really think Jay and I would rather leave you two behind and pal around with them?"
"Uma, really, how can you think this is a good idea?" Harry asked. "We'd be splitting the crew and Mal and Jay would be off in Boreadon without our protection."
"Because if you two would think for a moment, this is a chance to get through the barrier without having to battle all of Boreadon's forces! Hell, by the looks of things, they'll open it for Mal and Jay!"
"Oh joy they're letting four kids off the Isle," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "I've got you guys here and Hadie! I'm sure Jay would agree too, we're not going to Boreadon without you!"
"Mal, at the very least we need to go tell Uncle Hades about this. I think he should know."
"You'll have to drag me to dad then Uma, because I am never and I mean never going to Boreadon."
"Fine then," Uma said and grabbed Mal's arm and began to pull her out of the Chip Shoppe's back room. "Harry, grab the letters."
"What? No! Uma!" Mal exclaimed as her cousin began to actually drag her out of the restaurant, reminiscent of when they were seven. They may have had better access to food than most of the other kids on the Isle but they were still Isle kids-therefore Mal was fairly light for her age and Uma could drag her with ease, being a smidge taller. Harry could only laugh and do as he was told. Such a scene had become common on Hades' side of the Isle, so much so that no one really questioned it.
It helped that by now, Mal's crew basically ran Hades' side of the Isle with the help of the Warf Rats. The children on their side of the Isle knew by now that there was one rule you didn't break—don't question Mal's crew.
"Uncle Hades! We have some news we think you should hear!" Uma called over Mal's protests as they walked into the Underworld.
"What is it?" Hades asked, coming out of the kitchen as he'd been trying a new recipe for the restaurant.
"Dad, ignore her!" Mal shouted, struggling against Uma's grip but she had a grip like an octopus when she was determined. "She's gone insane!"
"Mal, while I care for you and your loyalty to us, I'm not insane. You're not thinking clearly about this," Uma told her before looking over at Hades. "It seems Boreadon is under new management or something. Mal and Jay have been invited off the Isle."
"What?!" Hades exclaimed, looking over at Mal. "Mali, is this true?"
Mal shrugged. "Yeah. Now tell Uma it's a crazy idea and that I'm not going! Oh, and tell her to let go of my wrist!"
"Wait, wait, Uma's right Mal. Let's think about this, oh and Uma let her go before she starts hitting you like when you girls were younger. Now, who exactly invited them off?"
"Harry, show Uncle Hades the letters," Uma said as she slowly released Mal. Harry walked slowly up to Hades.
"It's true, sir, there's one for each of them. Oh, and DeVil and Blueberry too," he said as he handed Hades the envelopes.
Hades took the envelopes from Harry, setting the ones for DeVil and Evil Queen's daughter aside, before opening up Mal's invitation and reading it. "Seems you've been invited off the Isle by Prince Ben."
"Great, we know who it is," Mal said with an eye roll as Jay slipped into the Underworld and joined the group. She'd wonder where he had been later—there were more pressing issues. "Now, can we stop entertaining this crazy notion that I'm going to Boreadon? My home is here."
"Mal, think about this. He has invited you and three other kids off the Isle. That could mean he could be talked into doing it again," Hades told her.
"Dad, wouldn't that still happen if Blueberry and DeVil went by themselves?" Mal asked. "I'm not leaving Uma and Harry. Or you! Dad, if I went to Boreadon, I'd never see you again!"
"Mal, again, think about it. If you can get into the Princeling's good books, we could start getting actual food around here. I mean, I love Uncle Hades' food but he can only do so much with what Boreadon sends us," Uma said. "Boreadon, the land on the other side of the bridge wants Jay and wants you! Go there, show them they were wrong about the VKs! You don't have to leave us for long if Boreadon decides to invite others!"
"Why should I show them anything Uma? They kept us kids on the Isle when we didn't do anything, never sent us any decent food and basically ignored us! What, now that their pampered prince feels guilty or something, I'm supposed to drop everything and go skip on over to Boreadon? This is insane!"
"Mal, as much as I don't want you to go, think about it. If you can make the prince your ally, you could pave the way for the others you want to come over there. You could have Uma, Harry, even Hadie," Hades told her.
"You know, it's no fun when you two gang up on me," Mal muttered. "Dad, I'm your daughter. Shouldn't you be on my side?"
"If it helps Mal, I want you to stay," Harry said. "How can I keep you out of trouble if you're in Boreadon?"
"Mali, the last thing I want is for you to leave but if there's even a small chance of one of my kids having the life they deserve then I'm not going to sit here have let her throw it away," Hades said, ignoring Harry's comment. "Your loyalty to your crew is admirable honey but as I said, you could have them over there with you with just a little bit of patience."
"Dad, they don't want me," Mal said. "They want Maleficent's daughter. Look, it even says so on the envelope. I'm not Maleficent's daughter. I'm not Maleficent's anything! I'm mom's daughter! Maleficent's daughter has been dead since I was nine years old!"
Hades sighed. "It's clear that Auradon doesn't check the registry anymore or they'd have seen the update. Regardless, they're still asking for you Mal. Don't turn down your chance to leave the Isle because of semantics. This is your chance to get out of here, to have a good life—"
"I have a good life dad! I have access to food, parents who aren't crazy. I rule the Isle—both your half and the Dragon's by virtue of association! Why would I give that up?"
"Mal, if you were off the Isle you'd have access to good food, food that wasn't rotten, doctors if you needed one and you'd be able to spend time in the sun! If your mother was here and not in Auradon, she'd tell you the same thing."
"Mal, Uncle Hades is right. You're throwing away a golden opportunity because of a name on a letter. Think about what you could do for the Isle by being off it! You're going, end of story!"
"Uma, I'm not going! If Boreadon wants me so badly then they can ask for the daughter of Lady Persephone!" Mal shot back. "The Dragon's daughter has been dead—unofficially since age five but officially since age nine!"
"Mal, think about it! You'd be another voice for the the Isle! You could get us food, maybe even a medical system! You could get us off the Isle! Do you want Hadie stuck here the rest of his life?"
"Uma, if they don't know the registry's updated do you really think they'll listen to me? They'd just see me as the Dragon's spawn." Mal said with a frown. "And no fair using Hadie! Of course I don't want him on this Isle for the rest of his life!"
"Low blow or not, it may be the only way to get you to think this through! If you won't go for yourself, then go for your little brother! Go for us! You need to go! Captain's orders!"
"Uma! You can't play that card! Not with me—I'm co captain remember?" Mal exclaimed before picking up the invitations again. "I'm going to state again, they're inviting Jay, DeVil and Blueberry! DeVil's grown on me since we brought him under our protection but if you think I'm spending the rest of my life with only Blueberry to talk to as a VK girl, you're out of your mind! I'm not leaving you and Harry here by yourselves Uma!"
"Mal, we will be fine. Someone needs to hold the turf, and it's not like you're going to going to disappear off into the sun and forget about us right?"
"Well…no. Because I'm not going anywhere. The Isle is my home Uma!"
"And your home needs you to go across that bridge!"
"Jay's going to have to drag me across that bridge Uma because I'm not going!" Mal growled, digging her feet in. Estelle trotted over and sat next to her, looking at the group in slight confusion.
"That can be arranged Mal, do you want to test me?"
"You wouldn't dare Uma!"
"Try me. You can either get into that limo willingly or unwillingly but you are going for our future and the Isle's future! You're going!"
"You'd have to catch me first Uma! Because there is no way in the Underworld am I willingly going into that limo! End. Of. Story!"
Uma sighed and shook her head. "Alright, you leave me no choice Mal. Jay! Grab her!"
"Jay don't you dare—put me down this instant!"
Jay sighed. "Sorry Mali. No can do. Captain's orders."
"I'm your co-captain! This is mutiny! Dad! A little help here!"
"I'll go pack your bag Mal. Don't worry, Hadie and Estelle will be well taken care of," Uma said, hurrying off to Mal's room.
"Have to say Mal, I'm on your friends' side here," Hades said. "Though Jay, I'd switch to a mode of carrying that won't lead to a dislocated shoulder."
"Yes sir."
"Dad!"
"Mal, I love you and it's because I love you that this has to happen," Hades told her. "Like I said, if there is a chance for even one of my kids to have the life they deserve then it needs to happen. There is always the hope with you there, Hadie can get off the Isle too."
"…dad, you really I'm going to have to kill Jay for holding me in a bridal pose right now? All this just so I go and rub elbows with some prissy princesses and pampered princes? I thought you liked Jay!"
Hades chuckled and shook his head. "Jay, do you value your shoulder or your life more? Cause something tells me carrying Mal into the limo's the only way she'll go there so you'll have to pick one. I'd advise the shoulder really. They have doctors across the bridge from what Steph tells me."
"Yes sir," Jay nodded, shifting Mal over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Mal, will you calm down? Consider this, you're swiping another girl's spot. Say Freddy boy had gotten a spot, would you want to go just to spite him?"
"The day Freddy Boy leaves this Isle in nothing less than a body bag is the day I start prancing around Boreadon like a prissy princess," Mal growled.
Jay closed his eyes and mentally facepalmed, being unable to actually do it as he was carrying Mal and didn't want to risk dropping her.
"I mean it Jay! He will see his precious hellfire before he gets off this Isle!"
"Yes Mal, I know. I usually help even if you won't let me give the revenge he deserves for pushing you into the cove all those years ago."
"You won't be able to help if you're off in Boreadon Jay! How are we supposed to make sure our turf stays out of Freddy boy's hands if we're off drinking tea and doing Gods know what else over across the bridge?"
"Mal, as I said, that is why Harry and I will still be here," Uma said as she came back in, holding Mal's bag.
Mal glared from her spot over Jay's shoulder. "Uma, what do you think Freddy boy will do when he learns it's just you and Harry defending the turf?"
"Ah hem! Are you forgetting that I have friends on the other side? Plus the Warf Rats, they've been itching for a fight actually. Henry's been uping the training with Ryan, Derek and Dustin."
"Jay and I are itching for a fight too! You'd honestly get into a fight with Freddy boy and his angels without us?!"
"It will be strange, I'll admit, but it would be in defense of our turf!"
"Now you're just being dramatic," Mal muttered.
"I'm being dramatic? I'm not the one who needs to be carried into the limo to have a chance at a better life," Uma said, waving Mal's bag.
"Oh, Mali, I swiped something for you when I was over at the Dragon's," Jay said. "Her spies already know about the invites—DeVil and Blueberry were there too. She actually seemed annoyed her knuckleheads didn't find you."
Mal smirked at that fact. "Her knuckleheads aren't allowed on dad's side of the Isle. Quite easy to avoid being detected by the Dragon when her spies are only allowed in her territory."
"Anyway…" Jay said and pulled a certain book out of his jacket-which was easier said than done considering he was still holding Mal over his shoulder. "Little bit of revenge huh? And you're still a magic user anyway so you'd be able to actually use this in Boreadon."
"Jay, I'd be more impressed that you swiped something from under the Dragon's nose if you weren't currently holding me like a sack of potatoes!"
"If I put you down, I'll never get ahold of you again."
"You got that right! Have you all forgotten what Boreadon did to us?! Trapped us on an Isle without decent food, no medical system and Freddy boy! Why would I willingly go there?"
"Mal, no one has forgotten that!"
"Then why do you all want me to go there?!"
"Because Mal, as has already been pointed out, if a first group of us can get invited over then it's not out of the realm of possibility that others will too. Don't you want to have control over who comes next? Don't you want to see your mom?"
Mal glowered. "Of course I want to see mom! But I'll see mom in six months anyway! Still…having control over who comes next is tempting."
"Will you go for the sake of that? To keep the ones we know deserve the Isle on the Isle if nothing else?"
"…I hate all of you so much right now. But fine. If only because Freddy boy is not leaving this Isle. Not if I can help it!"
"Fair enough."
"Now will you order Jay to let me down?!"
"That depends. Can you promise you won't bolt on us?" Uma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I make no promises!" Mal exclaimed.
"Then you're not getting down."
"What?! Uma, you're not actually going to have Jay carry me to the limo are you?!" Mal shouted. The last thing she needed was for the entire Isle to see her get carried off like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She had a rep and she wasn't going to ruin it by having Jay carry her like some simpering…princess!
"Can you behave and walk by yourself?"
"I'm a VK. Since when do we behave?"
Uma sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Let me rephrase that then. Will you go quietly?"
"Uma, all of us know Mal'll never go quietly," Jay chuckled.
"True…"
"So let me go or the next thing I'll do is dislocate Jay's shoulder!" Mal exclaimed. "You have until 'five'!"
"I've got two shoulders Mal and they've got doctors in Boreadon," Jay shrugged causing Mal to growl in displeasure. "Growl all you want Mal, I'm not letting you down."
"Jay, you are so lucky—"
"Lucky how Mal? That I'm your first mate?" Jay smirked. "Why yes I am. Because I know you'd have already dislocated my shoulder and escaped if I wasn't."
"Jay!"
"Yes Mal?"
Mal growled once more causing Uma and Harry to roll their eyes.
"Down girl," Jay chuckled. "I'll let you down when we get in the limo."
Mal sighed. "Dad…"
"Sorry Mali, I'm with Jay on this one," Hades chuckled. His daughter was tenacious, he'd give her that.
"I'm not even allowed to say goodbye?"
Hades gave his daughter a sad smile. "Of course you are Mali. Jay?"
"You run and I'm chasing you down," Jay said as he set Mal down.
Mal sighed as Hades pulled her into a hug. "Bye dad."
"Love you Mali," Hades whispered before kissing the top of her head.
"Love you too dad," Mal whispered back.
"You go out there and you show Boreadon what a child of the Gods can do, okay?"
Mal nodded, smirking a little at the use of the nickname. Her dad didn't use it often around the kids as her mom thought it might be a bad idea to poison the kids against the kingdom. "I'll give mom a hug for you and Hadie okay?"
"I know you will," Hades said. "Just remember this okay? No matter what happens over there, never apologize for who you are or try to change yourself to make the simpering royals happy."
Mal nodded softly. "Auradon's going to regret inviting me over there," she said with a small smirk.
Hades couldn't help but chuckle at that, before cupping his daughter's face in his hands. He knew it likely wouldn't be the last time he saw her but it would still be a while before he saw her face.
"Dad? Is Mal going somewhere?"
"Hey Hadie," Mal said with a sad smile, turning away from their dad to pick her younger brother up into a hug.
"Mali! You're being weird!"
"Yeah, well when I'm not going to see you for a while, I'm allowed to be weird."
"Why won't you be seeing me for a while?" Hadie asked. "Is…is the Dragon making you go somewhere?"
"Actually it's more a combination of dad and your cousin but essentially yes."
"Uma or Virgil?" Hadie asked.
"Uma. She pulled the captain card."
"Oh. Why is Uma sending you someplace?"
"Because she wants me to get into Prince Beastie's good books," Mal sighed.
Hadie frowned. "Is that possible? I mean he's part of the Auradon royal family and they clearly don't care about the Isle."
"Well all I know is that me and Jay are wanted over there—and I think the limo's almost here, the invite said it'd be arriving soon. So little bro, I'm going to have to say goodbye," Mal said with a frown. "Be ruthless but loyal. I'll tell mom you said hi," she told him, kissing his head as she set him down.
"We'll keep an eye out for him Mali, like I said," Uma promised. "No one'll mess with him."
Mal smiled before pulling Uma into a hug. "You let Freddy boy or his angels put one toe into our territory, I'll come back and kick both your butt and his," she whispered.
"Aye aye captain," Uma chuckled.
"That's co-captain, Uma," Mal said with a smirk causing Uma to chuckle again.
"Go on. We don't want you being late and missing the limo."
Mal snorted but gave Harry a quick hug. "If you continue to listen to your father, I will find a way to smite him from Boreadon," she muttered. "You matter to this crew Harry. Don't forget it."
Harry smiled slightly and squeezed her lightly. "Go on cap'n, give Boreadon hell for us."
"Count on it," Mal muttered.
Harry smiled as the hug broke and Mal couldn't help but give a sad smile herself.
"Go on Mal," Uma said softly, handing Mal her bag. Estelle whined softly, causing Mal to give another sad smile as she knelt down.
"I can't take you with me boy," she said as she scratched behind his ear. "I wish I could. But you've got to stay here, to keep Hadie and dad out of trouble. Okay? Promise?"
Estelle gave a small yip and gave Mal's hand a small lick, as if making the promise.
"Good boy," Mal whispered, the sad smile still on her face as she kissed Estelle's middle head.
"We'll take care of him Mal," Harry promised.
"I know," Mal sighed as she stood up. Uma handed Mal her bag, which she'd dropped when she bent down to say goodbye to Estelle.
"Better ship off cap'n. Both of you, actually. You'll be late."
Jay and Mal nodded, Mal taking her bag—Jay already had his bag with him.
"Jay, I can't believe I'm saying this, but…don't steal too much," Uma said softly. "Don't give Boreadon a reason to kick you back here-you know Mal might actually go insane if one of us isn't there."
"I make no promises," Jay said with a small chuckle.
Mal couldn't help but chuckle herself as she shook her head. "C'mon Jay. Before I change my mind."
"Coming Mal." Jay nodded. Mal could only assume his own bag was back with the Dragon and his father. "Let's go."
Mal nodded slowly and the two of them headed out of the Underworld and to the limo. Little did they know how much their lives were about to change.
