Hi all sorry for the delay, but here the next chapter for all.
Next chapter will be up in maybe a few weeks more or less.
I do not own any of the characters, it belongs to Disney unless I put an OC.
Credit
Ginnyrules27 - Thank you for all your help. This chapter is amazing. Without you I don't know where I'll be with this story.
Please enjoy and keep safe, I lost friend last week due to COVID. So keep yourself warm and healthy. ;)
Chapter 12
Mal walked up to the bridge as her eyes continue to glow, alternating between blue and green. Her hair continued to burn bright blue like her father's, only now it seemed to go all the way down to her arms. The sky above her was still covered by the purplish-blue smoke, smoke that had grown so thick that it continued to block out the sunlight.
Leaning on the entrance to the bridge, Mal sighed. "I can't do this anymore."
She began to make her way onto the bridge, the ember in her hand glowing brighter. She could feel its power coursing through her veins. She closed her eyes, never noticing that the sky above her started growing darker as well.
"Mal!"
Mal's eyes flew open and she looked around. Had…had that been Ben's voice she heard? No, that wasn't possible, he was a statue wasn't he?
"Mal!"
There it was again! Ben's voice and it seemed to come from…behind her?
Mal turned around and saw that she hadn't been imagining anything. Ben, Zelda and her father were standing far enough away as to avoid being hit by the ember but close enough that they could be heard. Hades held Ben back as Zelda started walking closer to Mal, holding up her hands as if to show Mal that she meant no harm.
"Mal, listen to me," Zelda said softly as she closed the distance between herself and her cousin. "I can help."
"Who are you?" Mal asked, griping the ember tighter as her eyes glanced to Ben, who was still being held back by Hades.
"I'm Zelda, daughter of Zeus," Zelda said but stopped as she saw that Mal's eyes had stopped alternating between blue and green, settling on a bright blue.
"Your father helped with the barrier!" Mal growled, shooting an energy bolt at Zelda before she could react. Somehow, she was able to dodge the bolt in time and fired an attack back at Mal. Using the ember, which continued to glow bright blue, Mal fired off another energy bolt which collided in midair with that of her cousin's.
"Lord Hades, let me go," Ben exclaimed as he struggled against Hades' grip. "I can get through to Mal!"
He didn't care about the potential danger, he didn't care about what would happen to Auradon should he get hurt or worse. All he wanted was to have Mal back in his arms, to calm her down. He couldn't help but wonder, as he took in the scene in front of him, how this all happened in the first place.
"Ben…" Hades said and then paused. He really couldn't take the risk if Ben got hurt. Mal would never forgive herself if that happened. But the two were True Love after all. Maybe Ben could get through where he and Zelda had failed?
Hades was pulled from his thoughts as Zelda crashed into the ground mere inches from them, a purplish-blue smoke was all that remained of where Mal had stood.
"…she vanished again," Ben said softly, barely feeling Hades loosening his grip on him as the Lord of the Underworld went to go help up his niece.
"Uncle Hades…Mal's powers…they're stronger than mine," Zelda said softly, giving her uncle a worried look before glancing over at the spot where she'd fought Mal.
"Why didn't you let me talk to her?" Ben asked, looking over at Hades.
Hades turned around and looked at his future son-in-law but as he opened his mouth, he found for the first time he didn't know what to do nor did he know what to say.
"What happened?" A familiar voice called, preventing Hades from answering and inadvertently coming to his rescue. The three of them looked as Evie, Poseidon, and Percy came from around the castle and walked over to them. Poseidon looked over at Zelda in concern and a hint of worry.
"I'm fine Uncle," Zelda said softly. "I'll be able to walk it off."
"We had an encounter with Mal," Hades explained.
"I still say I could have talked to her," Ben sighed, causing Evie to frown slightly as she heard that.
"Why didn't he speak to her?" Evie asked as she turned to Hades. While she didn't want to question a God, especially with so many around her at the moment, but she was curious. "Mal would do anything to protect Ben."
"I wasn't thinking," Hades said before running his hand through his hair and looked at the tiny box that resided in Evie's hands. "Is that…?"
"Yes, this is Maleficent," Evie nodded, handing the tiny box to Hades. He took it carefully, making sure not to drop it. The last thing he wanted was for his ex-wife to be let loose. He opened the box to see Maleficent in her lizard form looking straight at him. She paused, as if not expecting to see the God, before hissing at him.
"No. You don't hiss at me," Hades growled. "Our daughter is in trouble and all you can do is try and control her like you've done her whole life."
"Brother, perhaps we should transform her back into her Fae self?" Poseidon suggested.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of that," Ben said sharply.
"We don't have a choice Ben," Zelda said softly. "If Maleficent could get through to her the first time by trying to control her, then maybe we can get her to help us bring back Mal in exchange for her freedom."
"She'll just try to destroy us again!"
"Not if I talk to her alone," Hades said with a sigh before turning to his brother. "How will we turn her back?"
"We need the assistance of another God. Proteus might help but he's not popular amongst the mortals. However, he does owe me a favor."
"Evie, Ben, Zelda, I want you three to see if you can find Mal again. But whatever you do don't go near her," Hades stated, looking at Ben. 'Ben, I mean it. I know you love her but for Auradon's sake, don't go near her."
"Uncle Hades is right," Percy nodded. "We'll go to Proteus and get him to turn Maleficent back. Just stay as safe as possible."
"Let's go then," Poseidon said and the three Gods left, leaving a Goddess and two mortals alone. Ben looked over at Evie.
"Evie, I can't just stay away from her," he said softly, the conversation unnoticed by Zelda as she was looking off toward the Isle.
"I know Ben," Evie sighed. "So we make our own plan. Together."
