Descendants Beyond Chapter 1: Prologue, an Anime X-overs + Descendants, 2015 Crossover fanfic

Greetings fellow readers and Writers! That's right, I'm still here, back with a brand new Descendants story, and boy, do I have a story for you! But first, an explanation of sorts. The past months since I finished my Descendants crossover with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure have been, to say the least, terrible. Aside from financial woes and helping a family member recover from drug addiction and crippling depression, not to mention the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been dealing with a tough case of writer's block. That, and struggling to work out an idea for an original high fantasy novel I've been toying with for years, I just haven't had time for fanfiction.

But I've made time now and intend to make this story my best yet, surpassing my Kingdom Hearts sagas in sheer epic scale. This Descendants fic will surpass space and time and bring worlds together and tear words apart. Hearts shall break, new loves shall forge and more than one mystery shall find resolution.

As for who's in this story, not only will we see familiar faces but new ones as well, for I'm crossing Descendants with several Anime I grew up with, such as Ranma ½, Yu Yu Hakusho and Tenchi Universe. There will be other Anime involved that I'll introduce in due course. Also included are elements from The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series and a few other games.

As usual, I own only my original characters, all others belong to their creators, so don't sue me, I'm only trying to tell a story I hope many will read and enjoy. As for those who do read, please leave your reviews, so long as they're not overtly negative. If you find this story not to your liking, that's your opinion, just don't bombard me with outright hateful words. If you don't like it, don't read it, after all…THIS IS FANFICTION!

Additionally, this is an updated version with numbered breaks in the chapter to better keep track of things. Thank you for your understanding.

And now, without further delay, the story begins…

Prologue: Setting In Motion

When Mal and her friends brought down The Barrier surrounding The Isle of the Lost, they failed to realize the significance of that day, the twenty-first anniversary of the establishment of said Barrier. Twenty-one years the former villains of Auradon endured incarcerated on an offshore gulag. Accounting for leap years, that would make seven thousand, six hundred and seventy days under a perpetual overcast sky, plus or minus a few hours. One hundred and four thousand and eighty hours of garbage for sustenance, plus or minus a few minutes. Eleven million, forty-four thousand, eight hundred minutes of watching as Auradon prospered. Six hundred sixty-two million, six hundred eighty-eight thousand seconds the likes of Maleficent, Jafar, Evil Queen and Curella De Vil had to endure a fate worse than death.

What is the point of quantifying such a length of time? We'll find out in a few minutes.

Less than two hours after the permanent removal of The Barrier and restoring the bridge with the mainland found a strange reunion in four parts on The Isle of The Lost, followed by a fifth reunion. Let us examine the fifth reunion first.

Evie was the first to reach the arranged meeting place outside Dragon Hall. The former dark princess turned fashion superstar could only look at her former place of education, reminiscing on the good and bad times, assuming one could have good times at a school for teaching children how to inflict harm on innocents, to all in all be the worst that they can be.

Her rumination was interrupted by the arrival of Carlos, "Hey, you find your mom?" Evie asked.

"Oh, I found her, alright," said a somewhat incensed Carlos, "I finally told her where we stand, me and my mom."

"Don't tell me yet," said Evie, "we all agreed to wait until we're all together again."

"You don't have to wait for long," said Jay as he walked up, a smile on his face, "you are not gonna believe what my dad agreed to."

"Whatever it was, it's got nothing on what my mom said she'd do," said Evie, "but we're gonna wait for Mal before we share stories."

The wait was short as Mal walked up to her friends with a disconsolate countenance, her eyes on her shoes and her shoulders slumped.

"Mal!" Evie called animatedly as she, Jay and Carlos ran to their friend, only to stop when they saw how disheartened Mal looked. "Mal? Are you…did you…"

"No, I didn't find my mom," said Mal as she crossed her arms in frustration, her eyes looking at Dragon Hall, "I knew I shouldn't have let her run lose when we came back that one time."

"Oh wow," said Carlos, "is she…"

"She's not dead, I don't doubt that," said Mal, "she's too twisted to let herself die again, even as a lizard. No, my mother's still scurrying about The Isle, probably holding up in some deep, dark corner where she can brood about revenge and the bad old days to her lizard heart's content."

"Then…she could be anywhere," said Jay as he, Evie and Carlos looked around anxiously, as if waiting for Maleficent to pop in and curse them to oblivion. "There's a million and one hiding places she could've found. We may never find her."

"Then you'll never get a chance to patch things up with your mom," said a sympathetic and slightly relieved Carlos, "I'm so sorry for you."

"No, it's alright," said Mal, "it's probably for the best." It was at that moment that Evie realized Mal was hiding something from her friends. Throughout their conversation, Mal avoided making eye contact with Evie and the two boys. Evie could only guess that Mal was outright lying or telling only part of the truth.

"Yeah, for the best," said Mal, "me and my mom, we never really connected, even when she was proud of me. No, I doubt she'll ever accept me for who I am."

That last sentence was when Mal's eyes focused on her friends. That, Evie mused, was the truth.

Mal then smiled at Evie, Jay and Carlos, "but just because I didn't find my mom, it shouldn't ruin the day. What about you guys? How'd it go with your folks?"

At that Evie, Jay and Carlos began talking at once with enthusiastic vigor. Mal held out her hands for silence, "one at a time, one at a time!"

Mal then pointed at Jay, "you go first."

"Why Jay?" Carlos asked, "why can't I go first?"

"And why should you boys go first when there's a lady present?" Evie asked.

"I'm going first because I've got the best story!" said Jay.

"No, I do!" said both Evie and Carlos.

"Jay's going first because I said so!" said a mischievously smiling Mal, "consider it a command from your future co-monarch. After all," she held up her hand, displaying her engagement ring and the one Ben gave her on the day of his coronation.

"Whatever you say, your highness," said a teasing Jay as he, Evie and Carlos bowed reverently, "or should I now say, 'your goddessness?'"

"Hey, that's right," said Carlos, "Mal, you're Hades' daughter, so that makes you a demigoddess."

"All this time my best friend was from on high," said Evie, "we should be groveling at her feet to earn her divine blessing!"

At that Mal blushed with embarrassment, "oh please, don't grovel! The last thing I need is a cult of worshipers."

"Wouldn't surprise me if a cult dedicated to your divine beauty was growing right now across Auradon," Jay taunted.

"Ooh, I hope not," said a mortified Mal, "I'd never hear the end of it from…from," she shook her head to clear her thoughts, "never mind my unwanted worshipers. What about you guys? Jay, what happened with your dad?"

"Okay, well," said a more sober Jay, "there I was, walking into my dad's store, when…"

…Jafar's Junk Shop… one hour ago…

"Dad? You here?" Jay asked as he walked through the rows of repurposed items, the majority of which no doubt acquired by ill-gotten means, "Dad?"

From the back room emerged Jafar, the former Grand Vizier of Agrabah polishing up a shoddily repaired alarm clock. For a few seconds, father and son looked at each other without words, before the later spoke.

"So, son, you've come back after so long on the mainland," said Jafar coolly, "what kept you?"

"Well, you know, dad," said Jay apprehensively, "things got…complicated in Auradon."

"Oh yes, complicated," said Jafar as he placed the alarm clock on a shelf and walked over, "I can see how abandoning your mission to free your people in exchange for a life of luxury and lavish luster could be considered complicated."

"It wasn't like that, dad!" said Jay.

"Oh no, I understand completely," said Jafar, "I mean, how could you resist such opportunities at wealth, fame and power? Look at you now, star player for Auradon Prep's Tourney team and former captain of the fencing team. Nice job of handing over the position to that girl, but I could have seduced her without losing the job."

At that Jay glared crossly at Jafar, "I didn't seduce Lonnie, dad!"

"Ah, I see, she seduced you," said Jafar, "and who could blame you? The girl is quite the minx, I'm told, no doubt inheriting her charms and looks from her mother, who was quite the catch, so I'm told."

"You don't get it, do you," said a thoroughly incensed Jay, "I love Lonnie and she loves me. And my choosing to live in Auradon wasn't about gaining wealth, fame and power! I chose to be good because it was the right thing to do. I learned there was more to life than getting what you want by whatever means necessary."

"Is there, now?" Jafar asked.

"Darn right there is!" said Jay defiantly, "and you know what else I learned? That I don't have to beat up my friends and enemies to get what I want, that hard work, compassion and love are worth it, that you can find happiness without resorting to the quick and dirty path. I choose to be good and if you can't understand that, then there's nothing more we have to say. Goodbye, dad."

With that Jay turned around and headed for the door yet stopped halfway by a desperate shout from Jafar.

"Son! Wait!"

Jay stopped and turned around to look back, shocked to see a look of worry on Jafar's face.

"Son, I…I shouldn't have pushed you away like that," said a truly regretful Jafar, "I now know that you are indeed a man among men, free to forge your own destiny."

Jay raised a curious eyebrow, "are you just saying that to get back on my good side? Or do you mean it?"

"I do mean it," said Jafar solemnly, "I admit that I was unhappy at first that you and your friends abandoned the mission, but it was after learning of your achievements on the mainland that I began to realize how wrong we were to try and force you younglings into copies of your forbearers."

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Jafar?" Jay asked.

"He's right here," said Jafar, "older and a little wiser. I know now that you grabbed the chance to become a better person and made good use of that chance. Perhaps now, now that The Barrier is permanently down, that I could get the same chance?"

Jay couldn't believe that this was the same Jafar who once plotted to take over Agrabah, who once was the most powerful Genie in the world, whom had once conspired with Maleficent to break free of The Isle and rain down some serious vengeance upon Auradon.

"Alright," said Jay, "if you're sincere about becoming a better person, I know how you can prove it."

"How?" Jafar asked.

"Go to Agrabah and apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine," said Jay.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Jafar, his fists trembling with indignation as he glared at Jay, "apologize to that street rat and his shrew wife!? You expect me to fall on my knees and beg for absolution?! What else, should I apologize to that flea-bitten monkey of his?"

"It wouldn't hurt," said Jay, "if you're serious about giving up being a villain, then you should do the one thing villains never do; forgive and forget."

At that Jafar looked ready to explode, yet after a few seconds of deep breathing, he finally looked at Jay again, "alright, if that's what it takes to get my life back, then yes, I'll apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine, but not to the monkey, and certainly not to that blue buffoon of a Genie."

"Fair enough," said Jay as he held out his hand and spat on his palm, "shake on it?"

"Fair enough," said Jafar as he spat into his palm and shook Jay's hand. He then embraced Jay, "you truly are a man among men now, my son, and I can say, with utter sincerity, that I am proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too, dad," said Jay, "if you can change, then there's hope for everyone on The Isle."

"I wouldn't exactly say that about everyone," said Jafar, "but I believe that quite a few of us old-timers wish to change for the better," a mischievous glint appeared in his eye, "just don't expect me to give up all my wicked ways. That young monarch you care so much for and his lovely bride, they'll need someone familiar with court intrigue if they're going to succeed, the rest of the world isn't as pure and innocent as Auradon is, you know."

"No way," said Carlos, "no way your dad's gonna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine."

"I knew you'd say that," said Jay as he pulled out a folded piece of paper, "which is why I asked my dad to sign this, just to prove he's on the up and up for a change."

Carlos took and unfolded the paper, which he read with Evie and Mal looking over his shoulders…

I, Jafar, former Grand Vizier of Agrabah, do hereby swear to appear in the palace of Agrabah at a date and time to be determined, to offer my most sincere apologizes to the persons known as Aladdin and Jasmine.

"That's my dad's signature," said Jay as he pointed to a script line at the bottom of the page, "with my name next to it."

"That's your handwriting, alright," said Evie.

"And Jafar's," said an impressed Carlos, "but, you're not gonna make your dad apologize, are you?"

"No way, like I'd try anything dishonest to make my dad do something he didn't want to," said Jay, "I really think he's trying to change."

"Well, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt," said Evie, "just like I hope you three will give my mom the same benefit."

"Yeah, how'd things go with your mom?" Mal asked.

"Well," said an embarrassed Evie, "not as well as Jay and his dad, not at first I mean. Okay, so I went to my old home, walked in and said hello to my mom, and she disowned me."

"No way!" said a stunned Carlos, while Jay and Mal looked equally dumbfounded.

"Way," said a serious Evie.

…Castle Across the Way…one hour ago…

"Get out of my castle!" wailed The Evil Queen as she turned her back on Evie, "I have no daughter!"

"Mom, seriously?" Evie asked crossly, "you're playing this card? Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"You're no issue of mine!" said The Evil Queen as she crossed her arms, "you are not my daughter, for no daughter of mine would disgrace herself such as you!"

"What are you talking about?!" Evie asked, "what did I do that was disgraceful? Yes, I let you, Jafar, Curella and Maleficent down when Mal, Jay, Carlos and I didn't use Fairy Godmother's wand to bring down the barrier!"

"A shameful act in itself!" said The Evil Queen, "yet your disgrace runs deeper than that!"

"You mean when I turned my back on evil and started my own fashion business?" Evie asked, "or how I chose learning a real education instead of wasting my time chasing after a meal ticket of a husband? There's more to a woman than being dumb and pretty for men!"

"Since when has charm and good looks been disgraceful?" The Evil Queen asked as she finally turned around to look at Evie, "and what is wrong with choosing to find a husband who'll provide you with a financially secure future? I married Snow White's father and look how far I got?"

"Yeah, we all know how that turned out," Evie muttered.

"And stop muttering, Evie!" snapped The Evil Queen, "I may not be as good as hiding my age as that wretched Snow White, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm getting hard of hearing."

"Oh, so I'm your daughter again when it comes with pointing out my faults?" Evie asked.

"And another fault of yours!" said The Evil Queen, "you came back to The Isle on more than one occasion, yet you didn't come to see me, not once, not even just to see if I was still alive."

"Oh," said Evie as her anger subdued to shame, "I…I didn't think you'd want to see me, that'd you'd yell at me for what a failure I was to you, that you'd try and stop me from going back to Auradon."

"And why should you have gone back to that horrible place?!" snapped The Evil Queen, "when your entire world was here, with me, with your mother."

"The world is so much bigger than The Isle, mom," said Evie, "just as there's more to charm and good looks for a woman. I've found happiness with my schoolwork and fashion designs. I even have a house in Auradon."

"A house?" The Evil Queen asked, "just a house? What happened to ruling in a castle with an iron fist!?"

"One thing at a time, mom," said Evie, "and before you berate me again, I'm sorry I didn't come and see you when I had every chance to do so. I was caught up in forging my own destiny, but things are different now. The Barrier's down for good, so we can be together again, you can come with me to Auradon."

"You…you mean that?" The Evil Queen asked, "you want me to go with you to the mainland? But…what about all the people who hate me? What of Snow White?"

"I'm sure she'd forgive you if you'd let her," said Evie.

"Yes, she would, the pure-hearted snippet," said The Evil Queen through gritted teeth, "but it's impossible, I cannot go with you, not after your disgrace."

At that Evie had reached her limit, now it was her turn to do the shouted, "Alright, that's enough, mother! Just what did I do to make you so upset?"

"You truly wish to know?" said The Evil Queen, "you wish to know the source of your shame?"

"Just tell me already!" snapped Evie.

"You had the nerve, the sheer insolence, the audacity," said The Evil Queen, "you just had to fall in love with the son of a dwarf, didn't you?!"

For a few seconds Evie couldn't speak, she was so shocked by her mother's words. Finally, when her tongue became unglued, "wait, you mean Doug?"

"Yes, that one!" said The Evil Queen, "The son of one of The Seven! You just had to fall in love with the spawn of one of Snow White's companions? You had to do it, after what they did to me? After they murdered me?!"

"What are you talking about?" Evie asked, "they didn't murder you, they chased you up the mountain, you tried to roll a boulder down on them and you fell off the cliff!"

"After they chased me up the mountain with intent to murder me!" snapped The Evil Queen.

"After you poisoned Snow White!" snapped Evie, "and before that, you told The Huntsman to cut out her heart, and before that, you made her your slave, after you killed her father!"

"She started it!" said a now crying Evil Queen, "she stole what was rightfully mine! I was The Fairest of Them All! Me, not her, me! The Magic Mirror…it…"

"Oh, the Mirror, of course," said Evie, "let me tell you something, mother, something about your precious Magic Mirror. The Spirit of the Mirror, it lied to you."

"What? No, no, I don't believe it!" said The Evil Queen, "Mirrors don't lie, especially magic mirrors."

"They lie when it suits their purpose," said Evie.

"Oh, and you learned that in your preppy Auradon Prep?" The Evil Queen asked.

"Yes, I did," said Evie defiantly, "and you know what else I learned? I learned that there will always be people with irrational hatred of others. Hatred of race, religion and ideas. I see now that your heart is so full of greed, vanity and hate that there's no changing it. I'm sorry to bother you mother, you won't have to see me again." With that she turned around and headed for the front door.

"EVIE! WAIT!" shouted The Evil Queen.

Evie paused in mid step, half wanting to keep going, to leave this part of her past behind and move forward to a better, brighter future with those whom she loves and who love her back. Yet despite her recent revelations, Evie still loved her mother.

"For what?" Evie asked as she turned around, "so you can yell at me about how much of a disgrace I am? I have no shame in what I did. If anyone should feel shame, it's you. You tried to have an innocent girl's heart cut out!"

"It…it's far more complicated than that, Evie," said a nervously sweating Evil Queen, as if she were desperately trying to justify her past actions, "It…it was the only way…"

"For what? To satisfy your vanity?" Evie asked, "so what if Snow White was younger and prettier than you?" She shook her head to clear negative thoughts, "you know what, I'm done. We can go round and round about who's right and wrong until the sun explodes and you'll never change. I can't be the selfish little gold digger you want me to be, mom, so goodbye."

"NO! Don't go!" called The Evil Queen, "Evie, please…I…I've been so lonely without you."

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you," said Evie, "I have my own life now."

"I know that," said The Evil Queen, "I see that you've become a strong, independent woman with a great and glorious future to embrace, and I want to be a part of that future."

"I don't know," said Evie honestly. She did want her mother back in her life, but not at the cost of her independence and individuality.

"I'll do whatever you ask, Evie," said The Evil Queen as she walked up to and grasped Evie's hands, "anything you wish, just don't shut me out of your life again. Please, don't leave me alone."

For just a moment, Evie saw the sincerity in her mother's eyes, that she truly wanted to be her mother, not just mold her into a carbon copy. But would The Evil Queen hold true to her sincerity? There was only one way to find out.

"You'll do anything?" Evie asked

"Anything," said The Evil Queen.

"Alright," said Evie, "there's three things you can do to earn your way back into my life. First, apologize to Snow White."

"Apologize?" The Evil Queen asked.

"Yes, and I want you to mean it," said Evie, "apologize not just for the Huntsman incident and poisoned apple, but for all the years of forced servitude."

"Just tell me where she is and she's as good as apologized," said The Evil Queen, "what's the other things you want me to do?"

"I want you to meet with Doug," said Evie as she smiled warmly, "get to know him and see how much we love each other."

At that The Evil Queen had to take a bracing breath before responding, "alright, you tell me where and when and I'll met your little boyfriend."

"And he's not short," said Evie, "I think we're almost the same height, more or less."

"I'll be the judge of that," said The Evil Queen, "I'm still your mother, despite our differences. Now, about this last request…"

"Come to Auradon," said Evie, "and make a life for yourself there."

"What do you mean?" The Evil Queen asked.

"Forget about this horrible place," said Evie as she indicated the dilapidated dwelling where she spent the first sixteen years of her life, "can you honestly say to me that you're happy in this crumbling castle?"

"Well, not really," said The Evil Queen, "it's so hard to keep it clean, it's so drafty and stuffy at the same time, and it's nearly impossible to get the dust and cobwebs out, even with professional cleaners, and don't get me started on mold.

"But that's beside the point. I have to stay here; Maleficent banished the both of us."

"Because we didn't invite Mal to my birthday party that one time, I remember," said Evie, "but that was a long time ago. Maleficent's powerless now. She can't hurt you, me or anyone else. So come with me to Auradon and take control of your life again."

"And do what there?" The Evil Queen asked, "there's no way Snow White or any of those insufferably innocent princes and princesses will let me rule my old kingdom again, especially Belle and her shaggy spouse and their son, whom was too young to be made monarch, not at sixteen anyway."

"Well, I think Ben's doing a good job as King," said Evie, "and I'm sure he'll help you find a job you'll like."

At that The Evil Queen did a double take, "excuse me? A 'job?'"

"Yeah, a job," said Evie, "there's got to be something you can…"

"Never!" snapped The Evil Queen, "I will not lower myself to menial labor!"

"Wait, I never said anything about menial labor," said Evie as she held up her hands in a placating manner.

"Well what else will I do?" demanded The Evil Queen, "what other skills do I have where I can support myself! Do you honestly expect me to become a common laborer? I, who once held an entire nation in the grips of terror at the mere mention of my name? I, a master of the mystic arts? And what about my powers? You think that turncoat of a Fairy Godmother will allow me to ever pursue the mystic arts again?"

"You're overreacting, mother!" said Evie sternly, "things are changing for the better in Auradon, now that The Isle's connected to the mainland again. You can have a better life in Auradon if you give yourself a chance."

The Evil Queen crossed her arms, "and what if I say no? What if I choose not to seek employment in Auradon?"

At that Evie sighed with disappointment, "then you can stay here and collect dust while the castle falls apart around you. I'm sorry, mother, but those are my conditions. I can't make you choose your fate; it's all up to you."

"Well?" Jay asked, "what'd she choose?"

"She said she'd try," said Evie, "that we'll try together."

"There's no way your mom's gonna apologize to Snow White," said Carlos, "no way. She might get to like Doug, but she'll never apologize, and she'll never get a job in Auradon."

"Oh really?" Evie asked, "I'll bet you fifty Auradon Dollars she will."

"You're on!" said Carlos as he and Evie shook hands.

"So, what now?" Mal asked, "is your mom gonna move in with you or find a hotel or something?"

"We haven't exactly figured that part out yet," said Evie, "but I'm hopeful things will work out, we just have to make it work."

"Good luck with that," said Carlos, "and good luck making my mom change, now there's a lost cause if there ever was."

"Yeah, what happened with your mom?" Jay asked.

"Ugh! She's impossible!" said an exasperated Carlos, "you think she was crazy when we first left The Isle? She's even more crazy!"

"But you said you told her where the two of you stand, right?" Evie asked.

"Oh, I told her, alright," said Carlos, "did it make a difference? No! She acted like nothing happened! She's acting like I never left The Isle, and that's just the beginning of it!"

…Hell Hall…one hour ago…

"You can start, Carlos," said Curella De Vil, "by dry cleaning my best furs. Afters, you can exfoliate my feet and do my nails, and we must do something about my makeup, and it must all be done by tonight, I have a very important engagement."

"Mom, will you just listen to me?" asked an exceedingly frustrated Carlos, "I'm not your personal manservant anymore. I have my own life in Auradon now."

"And we must speak with the landscapers about the croquet hoops," said Curella, "they've grown far too big and are attracting caribous."

"You can't grow croquet hoops, mom," said Carlos, "and there's never been any caribous on The Isle. Look, will you please hear me out? I'm not a little kid anymore; I've found friends and love. Just wait until you meat Jane, she's…"

"And we must do something about your hair, it's far too unruly," said Cruella, "and…" she then paused in mid-ramble and took several deep sniffs, "wait…something's…off," she then hurried over and sniffed all over Carlos.

"What…what are you doing?" Carlos asked in an uncomfortable tone, "stop that!"

"What's this? What is this horrid stench about you?" Curella asked, "you stink of dogs!"

"What? Yes, I have a dog now, mom," said Carlos, "you know that, I showed you Dude during the video call back…"

At that Curella let out a shriek of outrage and disgust and turned her back on Carlos.

"Mom, stop it!" said Carlos, "you're being ridiculous!"

"To think it would come to this!" wailed Curella, "that my son, my own flesh and blood, whom I nurtured and educated in the ways of the world, would stoop so low as to associate with the lowest, filthiest animal in the world!"

"You're crazy!" said Carlos, "you don't know anything about me! And dogs are filthy, I mean, they can get filthy, but you can always give a dog a bath. Well, except Dude, he really doesn't like baths and…"

But then Curella turned around, a disturbing glint in her eyes, "we'll sort that all out soon enough. Bring over the mangy mutt."

"You want to meet Dude?" Carlos asked cautiously.

"Oh yes, bring the creature," said Curella, "it's just one animal, but I'm sure my talents can do something with its skin. And bring your female friend. If she's as beautiful as you say so, then a fur accessory will make her more beautiful."

Carlos' stomach roiled as he realized his mother's intention of skinning Dude and making Jane wear him. "You are crazy," he said in a disgusted tone, "you're sick, mom! You're sick and need help!"

"The only help I need is to prepare for tonight's society ball," said Curella, "and you must get my new fur dry-cleaned. It's the Siberian Tiger one, and as for shoes, fetch and polish the Komodo Dragon boots. And since I'm feeling adventurous tonight, oil up the White Rhino leather belt."

"Yeah…sure," said Carlos as he cautiously backed away, not just physically but from his mother's twisted world, "I'll…get right on it."

"Wow, your mom needs help," said an astonished Jay, while Evie and Mal looked equally flabbergasted.

"And I'm gonna get her help," said Carlos as he held up his phone, "I called Ben and he called the mental ward at the hospital."

"You're having your mom committed?" Mal asked.

"She needs help, desperately!" said Carlos, "I can't have her running around like a gibbering psycho. She could hurt someone or herself. I did say that she wanted to turn Dude into an accessory for Jane to model, right?"

"There's a thought I'll never get out of my head," said a disgusted Evie, "as soon as we get back to the mainland, I'm gonna make a large donation to the Auradonian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals."

"Yeah, well, you're gonna have to leave without me," said Carlos, "the men in white coats are gonna be here soon to take my mom to the hospital; I heard St. Primrose's has a very good psychiatric program."

"I hope they can fix your mom," said Jay, "it'd really suck if you had to go visit her in the psycho ward once a week."

"That's not gonna happen!" said Carlos, "I'll see her every other week, and on holidays."

"Sounds fair to me," said Mal, "well, coming back to The Isle was fun in its own way, but I'm ready to get back home. I heard Ben's throwing a huge ball in honor of today's reunification."

"You sure you don't want to stay for a while more?" Evie asked, "we can help you look for your mom again."

Once again, Evie saw Mal avert her eyes, "uh…no, that's alright. Even if we do find her, I doubt my mom's gonna want to talk to me, like, ever."

With that statement, Evie knew for sure that Mal was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth. She looked at her best friend with serious resolve in her eyes, "Mal, doesn't this remind you of anything."

"What are you talking about?" Mal asked.

"Remember when you were using magic to fit in better as an Auradon Girl so you wouldn't disappoint Ben?" Evie asked, "and how that all blew up and Ben got kidnapped?"

"That's right, you were acting kinda squirrely then," said Carlos, "and you're acting kinda squirrely now."

"How's she like a squirrel?" Jay asked, "but she is keeping something big bottled up," he looked at Mal, "and it's gonna explode if you keep it inside."

At that Mal looked ready to argue that nothing was wrong, that she wasn't hiding anything. But several seconds of internal conflict broke her resolve and tears welled up in her eyes, "oh…I can't lie to you guys. I did find my mom," she then sat down and sighed with frustrated revulsion, "and boy, did I find her."

"Well, tell us," said Carlos as he, Jay and Evie sat down around Mal, "what happened?"

"I'll only tell if you promise not to freak out," said Mal.

"It's that bad, right?" Jay asked.

"Worse," said Mal, "and I'm not saying anything else unless you swear you won't freak out."

"We promise," said Evie, who then looked at Jay and Carlos, "don't we?"

"Absolutely," said Carlos, while Jay nodded in affirmation.

"Alright," sighed Mal, "so, yes, I found my mother. I figured the first place to look for her was our old home, so…"

…Bargain Castle…one hour ago…

"Mom? Are you here?" Mal asked as she walked through the neglected corridors where she spent the first sixteen years of her life, "Mom?"

She sighed, "great, the one place on the whole island with more hiding places than the rest of the island put together."

"BOO!"

Mal let loose a startled yelp at the sudden noise from behind. Turning around on reflex, she saw, to her shock and gladness, Maleficent, restored to her humanoid appearance, and chortling with playful glee.

"Oh…the look on your face!" giggled Maleficent, "I know, it was a cheap shot, but it's the petty things that are often the most rewarding."

"Mom…how?" Mal asked, "how are you…?"

"Not a lizard?" Maleficent asked, "it wasn't easy, I'll tell you that."

"But, this can't be real," said Mal, "Fairy Godmother said you wouldn't go back to normal until your heart had more love in it."

"And you believed that out of shape, in shape pixy who turned her back on her true nature over your dear mother?" Maleficent asked, "please, even as a lizard, I knew how to fix myself."

The deposed yet prideful Mistress of all Evil pointed at the floor, where Mal saw scorch marks in purposeful patterns.

"It took me months to draw an enchantment circle," said Maleficent, "believe me, lizard claws weren't meant to hold a stick of chalk, and don't get me started on what I had to do to get all the potion reagents in place."

"So you used a reversal ritual on yourself," said Mal as she recognized the scorch lines as a spell from her mother's spell book, "and waited for The Barrier to come down to activate it," she then looked at Maleficent, "but there's no way you could've known that the barrier would go down."

"But I did know," said Maleficent, "I knew that you'd never abandon me, that you wouldn't forsake your true self. That whole 'We choose good' bit at the coronation was just a ruse, that you were just biding your time, waiting for just the right moment to rain some epic wickedness down on those miserable mainlanders."

"Oh, mom," said a disappointed Mal, "you couldn't be more wrong."

"I'm never wrong, darling," Maleficent, "comes with the job of 'Mistress of all Evil.' Now that The Barrier's down, I'll show those annoying Auradonians just how Evil their Mistress can be."

"I can't let you do that, mom!" said Mal defiantly.

"Oh, sweetie, don't be hasty," said Maleficent, "you'll get your chance to wreak havoc, just as soon as your dear mumsy works out twenty-one years of pent-up angst."

"You weren't here for twenty-one years, mom," said Mal, "I took care of you while you were a lizard."

"Like I ever needed anyone to take care of me," said Maleficent, "but all in all, it was twenty-one years. Today's the anniversary of the banishment of all of Auradon's more interesting peoples to this insufferable island. Twenty-one years, Mal; that's seven thousand, six hundred and seventy days of abstract humiliation."

"I know you've suffered, mom," said Mal, "but…"

"That's one hundred and four thousand and eighty hours of living off the leftovers and castoffs of those pesky Princesses and their disgustingly cute boyfriends! That's eleven million, forty-four thousand, eight hundred minutes of glaring across the waters, and believe me, my eyes are tired."

"Mom, please," said Mal, "if you'd just listen…"

"No, you listen to me, young lady!" snapped Maleficent, "I've had to endure six hundred sixty-two million, six hundred eighty-eight thousand seconds without my powers, and I'm not counting the few minutes I had messing with your phony boyfriend and his crowd."

"Don't forget when you tried to barbeque my friends," said Mal.

"And I would've if you hadn't picked that precise moment to stand up to me!" said Maleficent, "but that's beside the point! Six hundred sixty-two million, six hundred eighty-eight thousand seconds living like a misbegotten mortal, and I counted every one of those seconds."

"And that's why you failed at Ben's coronation," said Mal, "and there's nothing phony about our love." She held up the hand with the engagement ring, "Ben asked me to be his Queen and I said yes."

"Oh, honey," said Maleficent, "aren't you taking this spelled love a bit too far?"

"I never needed magic to make Ben love me," said Mal, "and I've always loved him, it just took me a while to realize it. Just as I hope you'll realize that there's so much more to life than being the worst of the worst."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Maleficent asked, "I think you've spent too much time at that squeaky-clean school with the rest of the pinkets and preppies."

"I learned so much at Auradon Prep," said Mal, "and not just about being good. If only you'd give goodness a chance, mom, you'd realize how beautiful the world can be and how you can make your own part of it beautiful," Mal held out her hand, "come with me, Mom, and I can show you."

At that Maleficent laughed cruelly, "you…you actually expect me to go to Auradon Prep and learn there? To practice proper manners and how to be a contributing member of society?"

"I'm saying you have a chance to make fresh start!" said Mal, "to finally accept me as your daughter, to love me for who I am, not what you want me to be."

By now Maleficent's patience was running out, "The only thing I'll accept is what a disappointment you turned out to be," said The Mistress of all Evil, "now, Scepter me and we can get started on your reeducation."

"I don't have your Scepter, Mom," said Maleficent, "it's locked up in The Museum of Cultural History with Fairy Godmother's wand and the rest of the artifacts."

"No biggie," said Maleficent, "it'll answer my call," she then raised her hand up, "Scepter, Come To Me!"

For a few seconds nothing happened.

"It'll take a bit to come," said Maleficent, "traveling across the kingdom and the water, you know. So, you look like you're eating well, another bad influence from Auradon."

"Everyone from The Isle can eat well now, Mom," said Mal, "with The Barrier down and the bridge restored, we can all get a chance at a better, brighter future."

"Hon, the future of Auradon is dead," said Mal, "get used to it. And while I'm thinking about it, so are your friends. I still owe your posse a serious throwdown for defying me. And what's this I hear about you and Ursula's spawn?"

"Uma's changed, Mom," said Mal, "just like I hope you can change."

"ENOUGH!" snapped Maleficent as her eyes flashed green, forcing a startled Mal to stumble and fall to the floor. Mal backed away as her irate mother advanced menacingly, "I've had just about enough your malarkey, young lady! You might have overpowered my dominance before, but it's time you learned just which dragon rules the nest around here!" she then looked out the window, "if my Scepter ever gets here. Where is that thing?"

"It should've been here by now," said a pondering Mal, "what if…what if it's not coming at all?"

"THAT'S IT!" bellowed Maleficent as her hands crackled with purple lightning, "like I need my Scepter to discipline my daughter! Take THIS!" bringing both hands together, she blasted Mal…

"Holy crow! Why aren't you dead?!" exclaimed Carlos.

"I'm getting to that," said Mal, "just hang on."

"Your own mother tried to kill you, Mal," said Evie, "why are you so calm about it?"

"I'll tell you why if you'd let me," said Mal.

"Let her talk," said Jay as he munched on some popcorn, "she's getting to the good part."

"Where'd you get that?" Carlos asked as he helped himself to Jay's snack.

"Same place I got this soda," said Mal, who then took a sip from a bottle of cola, "now, there I was, about to be electrocuted by my Mom, when…"

…when Mal brought up her right hand, holding Hades' Ember. A sphere of blue fire surrounded Mal, deflecting the lightning blast into the stone roof.

"What?!" exclaimed Maleficent as Mal stood up, "that Ember! You stole it from Hades?"

"He gave it to me," said Mal as blue flames licked her hair, "a gift from Father to Daughter."

Maleficent glared at Mal, "so, you know the truth, then."

"Yes I do," said Mal with righteous indignation, "why didn't you tell me Hades was my dad? Why'd you keep telling me that my father was some weak mortal who died? Do you hate Hades so much?"

"It…it was a mistake!" said Maleficent defensively, "I let my guard down for just a minute and Hades swooped in and infatuated me, he can be quite charming, The God of the Underworld, you know."

"Yeah, quite the talker," said Mal, "but surely you must've had some feelings for him, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"Which I regret with every fiber of my being!" said Maleficent, "you were an accident!"

It was as if someone punched Mal in the heart with a pair of spiked brass knuckles, such was her feelings at Maleficent's denial. "You take that back!"

"No!" said Maleficent.

Mal's eyes glowed fiercely as she held up the blazing Ember, while her hair blazed with equal fury, "you will take that back, Mother!"

"Or what?" Maleficent asked daringly as her eyes glowed and her hands crackled with purple lightning, "you'll burn me? Like your father burned me with feelings? I'd like to see you try."

With a cry of outright fury, Mal sent a stream of blue fire at Maleficent, who responded with a bolt of lightning. The two attacks met in the middle of the room and canceled each other out.

"You may be able to use The Ember, Mal," said Maleficent, "but not as extravagantly as your dad!"

"I'm fine with what I've got!" said Mal as she threw a blue fireball at her mother, who countered it with a green meteor.

"We're at an impasse, Mal!" said Maleficent, "I'm without my Scepter, and you can't tap into The Ember's full power!"

"That's okay," said Mal, "I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve!" she then began speaking a spell, which Maleficent countered with a simple word of power. Mal's spell fell apart on her lips before she could finish speaking it. She tried another verbal spell, only to have her tongue trip over itself with Maleficent's blocking.

"Where do you think you learned your tricks?" Maleficent asked, "your spellbook? It was my book first, and I wrote everything in it. Face it, Mal, you can't beat me. You're too weak as a Dark Faerie, and as a Demigoddess, well, let's just as you're just not good enough."

"Unreal!" said Jay between bites of pizza, "even without her Scepter, your mom's hardcore."

"I'd hate to see what she would've done with it," said Jay as he spread some mustard on a hotdog, while Evie cut a sandwich in half, "hey, where did we get these snacks, anyway?"

"The same place I got these strawberries," said Mal as she held up a bowl of said fruit topped with strawberries and cream, "now will you please let me finish?"

"You're right, Mom," said Mal, "as a Dark Faerie, I'm way, way out of your league."

"That's more like it!" said Maleficent.

"And I may never be as powerful as Dad is," said Mal, "but I'm not just a Dark Faerie, or only a Demigoddess," smiling brightly, she shot a double blast of blue fire and purple lightning at her mother, "I'm both!"

Maleficent countered with her own shield spell, but the combined blast of Dark Faerie and Olympian power cracked the shield and forced Maleficent back several paces.

"And I'm not just a girl from The Isle," said Mal as she pummeled Maleficent's shield with fireballs and meteors, "or a Lady of Auradon! I'm more than Ben's girlfriend! I am the future Queen of a unified Auradon!"

With one last double blast of meteors and fireballs, Maleficent's shield shattered. With a cry of fright, Maleficent looked around for cover yet found that she'd been backed into a corner.

"And as future Queen," said Mal as she advanced towards her mother, "I've a duty to protect the kingdom and its people, all of its people, from those whom would spread hatred, fear, sorrow and cruelty."

"So what are you gonna do?" Maleficent asked, "destroy me? I'm your mother! I gave birth to you, fed and clothed you for sixteen years! I taught you everything you needed to know to survive on The Isle. I prepared you for a dark and glorious future!"

"I don't want your future, Mom," said Mal, "but you can still be a part of mine. Please, give up your dark ways and be happy with me and Ben and everyone else."

"And do what, then?!" Maleficent asked, "sit around and get old while you and your fuzzy fiancé present me with mutant grandbabies?"

Purple smoke swirled around Maleficent, "I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!" she bellowed as she transformed into a dragon, which took flight and charged up a blast of fire to incinerate Mal.

"I'm sorry, Mom," said a disillusioned Mal as she took a bracing breath, then uttered a spell

"With these words, her powers I so bind, a mortal she shall be, until I change my mind!"

With a soundless reverberation, Maleficent's transformation reversed. When the purple smoke cleared, she lay on the floor in a heap for a few seconds.

Groaning with several aches, Maleficent stood up, glaring wrathfully at Mal, "you…you insufferable twerp! How dare you…you…wait, something's wrong! Something's…" Maleficent reached up to touch her horns, only to find… "Missing! My horns! Where are my horns!"

"See for yourself," said Mal as she wordlessly summoned a hand mirror and tossed it to her mother.

Maleficent grabbed the mirror and gazed in horror at her reflection. Where her horns were, now flowed unruly locks of purple hair, while her normally unnaturally pale completion had more lifelike tone.

"What Did You Do To Me?!" Maleficent demanded.

"I bound your powers, Mom," said Mal, "you're mortal, and you'll stay mortal, so long as I will it! I hope this gives you a chance to make a few life changes for the better."

Shrieking like a mad animal, Maleficent rushed at her daughter, her hands outstretched to grab Mal by the throat. Mal simply teleported a few feet to the side and watched as Maleficent lost balance and fell to the floor again.

"You're only hurting yourself, Mom," said Mal as Maleficent pulled herself to her feet, "I take that back, you're hurting me too," she tapped her heart, "in here. Please, before you make things worse, come with me to Auradon. We can find help for you and make things better."

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Maleficent asked, her eyes overflowing with hatred for Mal, "It'd just make your day to see me give up and give in. Well I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction, missy! I will get my revenge on Auradon, and you and all your friends and your beloved Ben, you'll all suffer!"

"How, Mom!" Mal asked, "you're even more powerless than you were under The Barrier!"

"How little you know me," said Maleficent as she reached for a pocket in her robes, "didn't I teach you to always have a backup plan? To always keep one last trick up your sleeves for emergences?"

Before Mal realized it, her mother pulled out a scroll and untied it. Maleficent then bit her right thumb as she shook the scroll loose with her left. She then smeared blood over the writing on the scroll. The writing glowed with dark gray light as a magic circle appeared around Maleficent.

"I'll be back, daughter of mine!" said Maleficent as the circle's illumination grew to blinding levels, forcing Mal to shield her eyes, "you'll live to regret ever defying me!"

Mal had to look away as the light grew to painful levels, only to wish she could cover her ears as Maleficent let loose her most wicked cackle of all. Finally the light faded out and Mal could look back, only to see that her mother was gone.

"She's gone?" a horrified Evie asked, "but…you took away her powers, how could she…"

"She must have had that teleportation spell prepared years ago," said Mal, "she made it so all it took was some of her blood to activated it, all for just such an emergency."

"But where did she go?" Jay asked.

"I wish I knew," said Mal.

"Then what are we doing sitting around eating snacks?!" Carlos asked, "seriously, where'd all this food come from? Never mind that, we've gotta tell Ben! We gotta tell Fairy Godmother, we gotta tell…"

"No!" said Mal urgently, "we can't tell Ben, or Fairy Godmother, or anyone!"

"Seriously, Mal?" Jay asked, "did you hit your head while fighting your mom?"

"Your mother is running loose in Auradon, Mal," said Evie, "we need to find her before she hurts someone!"

"She can't," said Mal, "as long as I wish it, she can't use magic, any magic. I don't know if she has any more blood spells written in advanced stashed somewhere, but she can't work anything new; no spells, curses, enchantments or illusions, she can't even brew a potion. She's truly powerless in the world now."

"All the more reason to find her!" said Evie, "who knows what mischief she'll work up? We need to find her and…"

"And what? Send her back to The Isle?" Mal asked. She pointed up, "in case you forgot, The Barrier's gone and the Isle's linked to the mainland again."

"Well… we could throw her in jail," said Carlos, "or make a new Barrier somewhere else, or…"

"Or kill her?" Mal asked, "because that's what's gonna happen if word gets out that my Mom's running loose without her powers. There's a lot of people in Auradon who'd pay to see my Mom dead."

"I don't believe that," said Jay, "just who in Auradon would put a price on your mom's head?

"Queen Leah," said Mal, "Snow White and Cinderella wouldn't mind seeing my Mom finished off for good. I'm sure Ben would want my Mom to get a fair trial, but Belle and Beast, they'd want it over with once and for all."

"Then, what are we going to do?" Evie asked, "not tell anyone?"

"Exactly," said Mal, "we'll keep it a secret, just the four of us."

"No way!" said Carlos, "I can't keep a secret like that!"

"Me neither," said Jay, "we have to tell Ben at least. I'm sure if we just tell Ben, he'd handle things quietly."

"There's too many people around Ben to keep this quiet," said Mal, "if we tell him today, by tomorrow the whole kingdom will know. There'd be a price on my Mom so high, she'd never find a moment's peace. No, we have to let her go."

"We can't, Mal!" said Evie, "this is your mother we're talking about!"

"I know!" said Mal, "I know, but she is my mother. I must believe there's some good in her, even if it's just one small speck of it. I wouldn't be here if she was 100% evil. I have to give her a chance to change, to choose to be good."

"You really think she can change?" Evie asked.

"If your mom and Jay's dad can try to change," said Mal, "and if Carlos has hope for his mom, then anything's possible."

"Seriously, I can't keep a secret this big!" said Carlos, "as soon as I see Jane, I'll blab, I just know I'll blab!"

"You'll have to try, Carlos," said Evie, "we'll all have to try," she looked at Mal, "I promise to keep this secret, Mal, for however long it takes."

"Me too," said Jay, "I promise."

Mal, Evie and Jay looked at Carlos with expecting faces.

"This is a huge mistake, guys," said Carlos, "but…alright, I promise."

"Thanks, guys," said Mal as she hugged Evie, then Jay, then Carlos, "thank you so much."

"Anything for our future co-monarch and living goddess!" said Evie teasingly.

"Seriosuly, stop that," said Mal.

"All hail Mal!" pestered Jay, "Divine Queen of all Auradon!"

"Long may she reign from on high!" said Carlos, "may she never smite us lowly mortals with her blazing turkeys of glory!"

"Blazing turkeys of glory?" Mal asked. This caused all four to laugh heartily.

"Alright," said Carlos as they calmed down, "seriously, we're gonna get in serious trouble if anyone finds out that Maleficent's loose."

"We'll just have to make sure the truth never gets out," said Evie as the four stood together, "we may be good, but we can still be a little bad."

"Because we're rotten," said Mal.

"To the core!" said all four as they brought their fists together.

Little did Mal and her closest companions know that their choice that day would set in motion dire consequences, not just for them, not just for their friends and loved ones, not just for Auradon or even their world, but for worlds across space and time.

But before we see those dire consequences, we need to establish certain other events that are related to the consequences, so please bear with me, dear readers and writers.

Hidden in a place beyond space and time, a vast host of Elves were gearing up for conquest. An amalgamation of High, Dark and Wood Elves, the army numbered in the hundreds of thousands, all preparing their armor and weapons with one purpose in mind: conquest and enslavement.

Aside from personal armor and small arms, flying machines powered by magic were assembled, while a fenced area of the war camp held tents were specialized equipment were readied.

Yet it was the center of the encampment that mattered the most. Here, inside an enormous pavilion atop which flew the banner of a black Chimera, was the driving force of the army.

Within the tent hundreds of Elf clerks and administrators were pushing the papers and tallying figures for the forthcoming campaign. Messengers ran to and throw by the dozens. Yet it was towards the center of the tent, beyond a layer of decorative tapestries and protective enchantments, where the true heart of the army lay.

There in the center of the entire host were six Elves. They stood clustered around a table on which a three-dimensional hologram of a certain kingdom.

"It's called 'Auradon,' Your Majesty," said one of the Elves, a High Elf to be exact. He wore an elaborately tailored black and gray uniform overloaded with ribbons and medals. His obnoxiously styled black hair gleamed in the bridge's overhead lights like a black lighthouse, yet his abnormally large nose made his hair seem almost commonplace.

At his comments one of the Elves, a female with raven-black hair down to her ankles, wearing elaborately tailored robes and an unnaturally golden complexion, nodded in contemplation. The light of the tent gleamed off an elaborate silver mask over her eyes.

"Auradon," said another High Elf, one much taller and thinner than his compatriots. He wore a black and white butler's suit and tie. With graying hair and one eye bosting a monocle, he examined the highlighted hologram with calculating interest, "and the test readings are accurate, General Tahromiath?"

"Assuming Anaeduseus's contraptions are correct," said the uniformed Elf, General Tahromiath.

"They are correct!" snapped a balding Dark Elf male in a white labcoat with black gloves and bosting cybernetic implants on the left side of his face, the left eye replaced by a three-lensed rotating camera, "my scanners are never wrong! Auradon has the highest concentration of untapped Magicka we've seen in generations! This may very well be the motherlode!"

"That's a bold statement, Professor," said the butler Elf.

"We've heard that before," said a female Wood Elf with dark brown skin, long, braided brown hair and light green eyes. Her black and gray uniform was tight against her well-muscled body to allow freedom of movement, while on her hands were gloves with blinking lights.

"Every time we plan a new conquest," said the muscled Elf, "we get the same report from Professor Anaeduseus; 'this land's Magicka is the most potent seen yet! We've found the motherlode!' And yet after we're done with said conquest, we come with less than we had before."

"That's because we keep expending more Magicka than what we gain in the harvesting!" said Dark Elf in the lab coat, Professor Anaeduseus, "which wouldn't be so much a problem if you and your bullyboys didn't go overboard in subduing the local populations."

"He does have a point, Charmore," said General Tahromiath to the muscled Wood Elf, "your elite guards do have a habit of spilling more blood than necessary."

"My elites and I only do what is necessary to protect The Empress's interests," said the muscled Wood Elf, Charmore, "and I'll thank you to keep your nose out of my business."

At that General Tahromiath glared hatefully at Charmore, "what did you say about my nose!?" with a flick of his wrist, the overly adorned officer summoned a deadly rapier and aimed the point at the muscled woman, "say it again! Insult my nose again, witch!"

"You want me to make fun of your nose?" Charmore asked daringly as she cracked her knuckles, her gloves crackling with energy as she assumed a fighting stance, "your nose is so big, it…"

"Ugh! Again with the insults!" snapped another female High Elf. This one, a pale-faced beauty with coal black eyes and wavy auburn hair down to her waist, wearing a form-fitting dress and cloak that accented her sensual figure, approached the two bickering individuals, "why am I not surprised?"

"Stay out of this, Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth!" sapped Charmore, "the glorified doorman and I have a date with a beatdown!"

"The only beating you'll get is at the point of my blade!" snapped General Tahromiath.

"Do not make me stop you," said the cloaked High Elf, Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth, her hands shimmering with dark magic, "you won't like the results."

"I would stand down, you two," said the butler Elf, "Ms. Aelsonifeth is the Empress' sorceress supreme. If she so wished, she'd snuff out our lives like a flame on a candle."

"If it would end your petty quarreling, I'd let you two finish each other off," said Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth, "but now is not the time for such vulgar displays of power, not when there's so much work to be done."

"Damn right there's work to be done!" said Charmore, "with so many unknown in Auradon, we dare not move until we acquire more information. We must know how much resistance this land's humans will put up before we even set foot there."

"That's the beauty of Auradon," said Professor Anaeduseus, "the humans there, they've all but outlawed magic."

"Truly?" Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth asked dryly, "we've seen lands with repressed magic before; the results of refined Magicka were pitiful."

"Not this land!" said Professor Anadeuseus, "an entire generation of magic users were born and matured in Auradon without tapping into their powers, or rather, a very narrow minority could practice their talents. The rest of the younglings were merely taught to 'seek alternate means to solve their problems.'"

"And this is the law of the land?" General Tahromiath asked.

"Well…not exactly a law set in stone," said Professor Anadeuseus, "more like a commonly accepted guideline, one promoted by Auradon's leading citizens."

"And the lack of use of their powers have not atrophied their Magicka?" the butler Elf asked.

"If anything, it magnified their untapped Magicka!" said Professor Anadeuseus, "and furthermore," he indicated on the map the recently reconnected Isle of the Lost, "many youngsters born in this flyspeck have even greater potential. And then there's the older generations, the ones who willingly stopped practicing their arts; the years of magical abstinence caused a buildup of Magicka."

"It's settled then," said the Elf in the mask, speaking in a reverberating tone that made the other Elves flinch back in terror, "We shall harvest Auradon."

"Empress Camilsama, your grace!" said Charmore, "with all due respect, we must still gather further information, at least until we know its safe for you."

"You insufferable, vapid whore!" snapped Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth, "do you believe The Empress' power so weak as to hold her back like an invalid? Is the Sovereign of the Xylothian Empire so feeble that she is to be coddled like an infant?"

"Am I an infant, Charmore?" the masked Elf, Empress Camilsama, asked.

"Wha-no! No, of course not, Your Grace!" said Charmore as she kowtowed in supplication, "I meant no insult. My only concern is your safety, as is the duty of my position! Please, do not take offence at my zeal for duty!"

"I see no offence in diligence in duty," said Empress Camilsama, "rise, dear one, for you are correct."

"She is?!" asked Professor Anaeduseus incrediously.

"Yes, she is," said Empress Camilsama as Charmore got up and brushed off her uniform, "we must indeed gather further information before we can begin harvesting Auradon. There is much to learn about this land and its people."

"It shall be done immediately, your grace," said General Tahromiath.

"Who knows," said Empress Camilsama, "perhaps this land, this Auradon, is where we shall find 'it.' But that is a future concern. For now, we must put our efforts towards discovering the practicing mages that are the greatest threats to our efforts and eliminate them."

"There's no force in Auradon, magic or otherwise," said General Tahromiath, "that can stop my army, I mean, your army, your grace."

"The right spell in the right place and bring any campaign to ruin, dear general," said Empress Camilsama, "we must allow for every contingency. We shall delay the harvesting until we find…the one."

"The one?" the butler Elf asked, "which one, your grace?"

"The one we can trust, Mr. Pensive," said Empress Camilsama, finally naming the butler, "somewhere in Auradon, there is one willing to betray their land to us, to give us exactly the information we desire."

"You seek a traitor?" Elanmanwe Aelsonifeth asked, "your grace, we've never had to rely on traitors before."

"With good reason," said General Tahromiath, "they simply can't be trusted. Anyone's loyalty that can be bought can be outbid, or worse, return to their original loyalties."

"Nevertheless, there is such a traitor in Auradon," said Empress Camilsama as she walked over to and cast her shadow over the map, "someone with so much hate and rage, they will do anything to get their heart's desire."

The masked Elf Empress then reached out a gloved hand and made a fist over the map, "All we have to do is find and offer them that desire."

…Auradon City…Ten Days After Reunification…

Among the sprawling skyscrapers of the kingdom's capital lay a room that, as far as the public knew, doesn't exist. In fact, only seven individuals in the whole kingdom had access to a room completely cut off from the outside world through various scientific means.

In the room stood a rectangular table with seven chairs around it and one speakerphone at the far end where the eighth chair would be. Seated in the seven chairs were individuals of indeterminable race, gender or any form of identification, save for the colored masks they wore and for a single Greek letter on the mask's forehead.

The one at the head of the table wore a red mask with a Greek letter 'A'. He rapped his gloved knuckles on the tabletop and spoke in an altered voice; "The meeting of The Logician League shall come to order. All those present will state their codenames."

The other six masked individuals spoke in turn…

"Beta Blue."

"Gamma Yellow."

"Delta Green."

"Epsilon Indigo."

"Zeta Orange."

"Eta Violet."

"Alpha Red," said the one at the head of the table. "And is Omega White ready?"

A different altered voice came from the speakerphone, "Yes, Alpha Red, I am ready."

"Very well," said Alpha Red, "we shall now discuss the current disposition towards Magic in Auradon. Beta Blue?"

"The disposition has drastically changed in recent days," said Beta Blue, "Ever since Lady Mal announced her dual heritage and brought down The Barrier, reuniting Auradon with The Isle of the Lost, magic has rapidly gone from 'gently discouraged' to 'publicly tolerated' as a fact of life."

This statement earned an irritated murmur from the assembled masked individuals.

"One would have thought that the recent rampage at the hands of Princess Audrey would have galvanized the people against magic," said Delta Green.

"It's worse than that," said Beta Blue, "as we speak, Fairy Godmother is on the verge of allowing magical curriculum to be taught at Auradon Prep and other academic institutions throughout the kingdom."

"NO!" exclaimed Epsilon Indigo, while the others save for Alpha Red and the mysterious Omega White to boisterously voice their displeasure.

"Gentlepersons, please!" said Alpha Red as he stood up, "mere shouting will get us nowhere!"

"Well, our other efforts seem to be for naught, Alpha Red!" said Gamma Yellow, "decades of planning in the shadows, accumulating financial and technical resources, amassing technology and allies, and for what? So Auradon can be forever poisoned by the corruption of magic?! No, I say! No!"

At that Gamma Yellow activated a holographic display of a slideshow showcasing technical schematics for various advanced machines of war, "we have the technology to take over the kingdom! I say strike now! Eliminate King Benjamin and his half-breed freak of a fiancée before it is too late!"

"And turn the King and his future bride into martyrs for counter revolutionists?" Eta Violet asked, "I think not. We agreed long ago that our revolution would be a subtle one. Must we remind you of the plan?"

"As if we could forget the plan," said Zeta Orange, "you've been obsessing about it from day one."

"Well, let's have a refresher course, then," said Eta Violet, "At the founding of Auradon, we, The Logician League, deemed the reforms drafted with Auradon's charter discouraging the use of magic to be too lenient. It was magic that caused so much suffering in the land long before Maleficent, Ursula, Hades and the other Villains begin their reins of terror."

"Magic has always been a taint on the land," said Gamma Yellow, "a taint that held back the advancement of science. Even though magic played a necessary role in the formation of Auradon, it is simply no longer needed."

"Only the complete elimination of magic, all magic, from Auradon can bring about the utopia of logic and reason we seek," said Delta Green, "but so long as the likes of Fairy Godmother hold onto magic as a necessary evil, the utopia shall remain a dream."

"Which is why we set out over eighteen years ago to realize that dream," said Beta Blue, "yet with the normalization of magic in Auradon, the dream shall die."

"All is not lost, comrades," said Alpha Red, "the plan can still come to fruition.

"Not if King Benjamin Florian Adamson marries the unholy spawn of Maleficent and Hades," said Epsilon Indigo, "We should have had the mutant eliminated the moment she set foot on the mainland."

"We dared not to do that," said Gamma Yellow, "if I recall correctly, Omega White calculated a 79.835% probability that Mal's death would have turn public favor towards the plight of The Islanders."

"And now she's to be our future co-monarch," said Epsilon Indigo, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"The plan can still succeed, comrades," said Alpha Red, "and yes, Lady Man will still die, but we must be careful how we do it." He then looked at the speakerphone, "what say you, Omega White?"

"I calculate an 83.116% probability of further acceptance of magic if Lady Mal were to be outright assassinated," said Omega White, "in order for the plan to succeed, we must have Lady Mal die in a way that shall break the heart of King Benjamin Florian, only to be filled with an unadulterated hatred of magic."

"And while his heart is still vulnerable," said Alpha Red, "a supporting heart shall stand in and comfort The King with such compassion that he will fall in love with her on the rebound."

"Yet the substitute heart will be one we control," said Delta Green, "a heart raised on logic and reason, dedicated to the advancement of science and the eradication of magic from Auradon."

"And with this logical heart by his side," said Beta Blue, "influencing King Ben's inevitable crusade against magic, Auradon shall be transformed into the scientific hegemony we so desire."

"'The Technologic Socialist Republic of Auradon,'" said Alpha Red, "I like the sound of it."

"Yes, yes, it's a lovely name," said Epsilon Indigo, "and we'd have it by now, if Ben had stuck with Audrey as we intended from the beginning. Audrey would die, magic would be blamed, Ben's new squeeze would make him hate magic more and we'd be at the top of the new hegemony. Mal won't be so easy to destroy."

"Neither will Audrey," said Beta Blue, "or Uma or any other magic user in Auradon now that they're free to use their powers."

"We can still slow the normalization of magic," said Alpha Red, "keep the general public of Auradon still fearful of the mystic arts until we're ready to eliminate Lady Mal."

"And when we do," said Gamma Yellow as he reactivated the hologram of futuristic weapons, "we'll have an army ready to exterminate magic users from Auradon once and for all!"

"Your weapons are years away from battle readiness!" said Eta Violet, "whereas Project Galatea…"

"Oh, not that again!" exclaimed Beta Blue, while the others groaned in annoyance.

"I tell you all Project Galatea is viable!" exclaimed Eta Violet, "the technology we recovered from the probe to another world, it is unlike anything we've seen on our world! If we could reverse engineer the technology, it…"

"And how long will that take?!" Beta Blue snapped.

"Comrades! Please!" shouted Alpha Red, "this petty bickering is pointless! We've sworn to keep such illogical dribble from our gatherings."

"Then please," said Eta Violet, "Enlighten us on a more logical course of action. How do you believe we should proceed in turning Auradon against magic?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Alpha Red, "Comrades, I have an idea or two I'd like to share…"

…Twelve Days After Reunification…

And yet, as The Logician League consolidated their designs on dominating Ben's heart and the eradication of magic, another and far more diabolical plot was hatching against Auradon. At the summit of Bald Mountain where the demon Chernabog once held court with his unholy minions, a cabal of twelve men and women in white cloaks adorned with alternating patterns of flames and ice, waited in silence as a thirteenth cloaked man gazed up, observing the movements of celestial bodies.

Finally, the thirteenth spoke to the other twelve, "The Stars do not lie."

"The Stars do not lie!" the other twelve chanted in response.

"Brothers and sisters," said the thirteenth, "I have observed the movements of the heavens and compared them to the conditions stated in The Gylethian Prophecy."

"The Gylethian Prophecy," said one of the cloaked acolytes, "which foretold the formation, schism and reunification of Auradon to the letter."

"The Prophecy," said a second acolyte, "which foretold the coming of a child of faerie and Olympus, who would choose between light and darkness."

"Had the child chosen darkness, another would choose light and the two would fight to the death," said a third acolyte, "but the child chose light, so the other fell into darkness."

"Only to find redemption at the hand of her opposite," said a fourth acolyte, "as foretold in The Prophecy."

"As foretold in The Prophecy!" said all thirteen.

"There is no doubt that Lady Mal is the child who had to choose," said the lead Acolyte, "and her nemesis, whom we originally assumed was Uma, daughter of Ursula, was revealed to be Princess Audrey. She wielded the scepter of Maleficent as if born to it.

"Brothers and Sisters, there are two others stated in the prophecy; a child of land and sea, whom also had to choose between light and darkness. We now believe this is Uma, but the fourth child, another of faerie destined to wield the power of light, has yet to embrace her heritage."

"Jane, daughter of Fairy Godmother," said a fifth acolyte, "her mind has been poisoned against the use of magic. Had her mother not corrupted her impression of magic, the girl would have her wings long since and wielding her mother's wand or crafted one of her own."

"It matters not, brothers and sisters," said the lead acolyte, "enough conditions of the first phase of the prophecy have been fulfilled. The stars are now right to herald the second phase."

"The second phase," said the second acolyte, "in which war comes to Auradon. Invaders from another world shall attack. They shall bring weapons of destruction and trigger famine, plagues and death throughout the kingdom."

"The war shall also bring about a battle for the very heart of Auradon," said a sixth acolyte, "a heart that may yet shatter, reform and turn to stone."

"The fate of that heart will herald the third and final phase of The Prophecy," said the seventh acolyte, "in which our Celestial Father and Master, Lord Uc'thythrholbh, shall at long last, make his approach."

"Lord Uc'thythrholbh!" chanted all thirteen, "'He whom shall cleanse the world in Fire and Ice!'"

"And it is we," said the lead acolyte, "The Children of Uc'thythrholbh, who shall show him the way to Auradon for its purification. This world is corrupted to its very soul. For countless generations, the collective sins of humanity have left their mark on the world, a festering wound that no healing, magic or scientific, and can cure. Only the cleansing will of Lord Uc'thythrholbh can bring about salvation for the world."

"He shall Cleanse the World! He shall Cleanse the World!" chanted the acolytes.

"Yet our Celestial Father is far, far away," said the lead acolyte, "far beyond the range of our mere voices. To bring our Celestial Father closer, close enough so He can see the corruption of the world, we must have more.

"We must increase our numbers, brothers and sisters. We must bring more into the arms of our Celestial Father. We must convince the ignorantly sinful masses of Auradon that salvation lays with Lord Uc'thythrholbh. We must gather the fold together in the hundreds, in the thousands, in the tens of thousands, When we have enough, when our voices range in the multitudes, only then will our call reach out through the depths of the cosmos to our Celestial Father. Only then will He hear our cry for salvation and Cleanse the world in Fire and Ice."

"He shall Cleanse the world in Fire and Ice! He shall Cleanse the world in Fire and Ice!" chanted all thirteen acolytes.

…Saurana Rainforest…Two Months After Reunification…

And now we turn to a more lighthearted yet vital scene that will decide the fate of Auradon.

Jay and Gil made good on their plans to go rafting down a jungle river and were having the time of their lives, or so they said in their emails and tweets to their loved ones back in Auradon. Truth be told, their adventure ranged from somewhat fun to mediocre, all the way to downright unbearable.

Case in point; three weeks into their trip, the two boys from The Isle found themselves stuck in a flyspeck of a trading outpost on ariver in a rainforest on the other side of the world, waiting for their raft to be repaired after shredding it on some rapids, having lost most of their supplies and means of communication.

"So, what are we waiting for again?" Gil asked as he slapped at the latest of countless mosquitos attempting to siphon some of his blood. He and Jay were sitting at a table at a hole in the wall cantina, nursing barely palatable, lukewarm soft drinks, sweating profusely in the stifling heat and humidity, and employing all their willpower not to scream in frustration at their deplorable situation.

"We're waiting for someone with a job for us," said Jay, "I don't know what kind of job, but it'd better pay enough for us to get back home."

"You know, I'm not the smartest pirate around," said Gil, "but if Uma were here, she'd have us steal another boat and whatever we needed to keep going down the river."

"With everyone in town right on our heels," said Jay, "bro, we're not doing that. You gotta remember, it's not VK's verses AK's anymore, we're all Auradonians."

"Tell that to the Islander in me," said Gil as he sipped at his soda, grimacing at its barely tolerable flavor, then smacked at another mosquito, "please tell me we got all our shots before we left?"

"We're not gonna get sick, dude," said Jay, "but I'm pretty sick and tired of this whole mess."

"Maybe going river-rafting in the jungle by ourselves wasn't such a good idea," said Gil.

"That's the smartest thing you've said all day," said an impressed Jay.

"It's the smartest thing I can remember saying," Gil remarked as he and Jay clicked soda bottles and drank more, wincing in disgust after swallowing.

Jay then noticed someone entering the cantina, a rather portly specimen of a man in a stereotypical white safari outfit complete with pith helmet and using a small pickax as a walking stick. The portly man removed his helmet to wipe his sweaty brow with a monogrammed handkerchief with the letters H.C.S., brushing back his graying brown hair before donning his helmet again.

"Is that the guy?" Gil asked as the man used a dry proton of his handkerchief to clean his rather thick glasses.

"If he isn't," said Jay as the man waddled over, "he sure picked the wrong place for a vacation." Jay stood up, "Mr. Sacknooseman?" he asked.

"Saknussemm," said the portly man in a refined accent, "Professor Hobart C. Saknussemm, and you two must be the boys from Auradon whom had that horrific accident on the river."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," said Gil, "if you count destroying our raft, losing all our food and tents and stuff and getting suck in the middle of nowhere horrific."

"Now most of our money and electronics and waiting for work where there is none to be found, that's horrible," said Jay.

"Oh, I have work for strapping young boys such as yourselves," said Professor Hobart C. Saknussemm as he wiped his brow again, sighing with relief as he sat down, "oh dear, this wretched heat and humidity. Give me my books and classroom any day." He signaled the barkeep for something to drink and three fresh sodas were soon on the table.

"To your health, my friends," said Professor Saknussemn as he drank his soda, wincing at the flavor, "oh my, that is ghastly."

"So, what kind of work do you have for us?" Jay asked cautiously.

"The most important work you may ever do in your life, young man," said Professor Saknussemm, "a rescue operation of the highest priority." He took out a detailed leather wallet, from which he pulled a photo of himself with three girls. The eldest looked eighteen with long, honey blonde hair and a glowing complexion, the middle was around fourteen with short red hair and pale skin, while the youngest, around eleven or twelve, had dark brown hair in braided pigtails and medium skin tone, with hazel eyes behind thick glasses.

"My daughters," said Professor Saknussemm, indicating the girls from oldest to youngest, "Jocelyn, Beatrice and Olivia, "I admit this photograph is many years out of date, my late wife was the one holding the camera."

He then took out another photo, one showing Jocelyn in her mid-twenties grinning at the camera with an equally grinning man holding her in his arms.

"Her fiancé, Lukas," said Professor Saknussemm, "they both vanished into the jungle four months ago. I need you two to help me find them."

Half an hour later Jay and Gil were following Professor Saknussemm to the river docks with an agreement sealed with handshakes and more information in their heads. The professor's daughters differed in their lives as their looks; Jocelyn followed her father's example in the field of academic scholarship. Beatrice showed a talent in magic at an early age, while Olivia was the athlete in the family.

Going back to Jocelyn, she met and fell in love with Lukas Lukos, a rising star in the field of magical archeology. While Professor Sakussemm approved of Lukas and gave his blessing in the forthcoming nuptials, he fretted every time Lukas convinced Jocelyn to go with him to a field dig.

"I was never an outdoorsman," admitted Professor Saknussemm, "dirt, dust, the elements and goodness knows what manner of horrific animals waiting to pounce, no thank you. No, I prefer the company of paper and ink. Yes, I know you youngsters and your digital age, but there will always be those who feel most at home with solid books; I'm sure you've read some of my work, especially my world history books, they're quite popular in Auradon I've been told."

"Uh…we really didn't pay that much attention in history class," said Jay.

"Yes, I can see you two are of the physical type rather than academic," said Professor Saknussemm, "which is quite alright with me, not everyone was born an academic. Now you take my youngest, Olivia, now there's a girl meant for physicality, I am sure you will get along with her quite well. Very well in fact if you catch my drift."

"Gil can catch it," said Jay, "I've already got a girlfriend."

"Yeah, about that," said Gil inquiringly, "where was your girlfriend back then? I didn't see here at all."

"Lonnie's touring the R.O.A.R. circuit with the Northern Wei team," said Jay, "but she'll be back."

The professor continued with his tale, focusing on Jocelyn and Lukas's latest enterprise.

"They heard of a lost civilization in the jungle in this area," said the professor, "I myself never heard the rumors of any such lost civilization, but Jocelyn and Lukas, their wedding was coming up and they wanted one last great discovery before settling down and raising a family. They were only supposed to be in the jungle for six weeks plus travel time; their last contact was four months ago, and frankly, I'm tired of waiting around for word."

"Okay, then," said Jay, "where do we start looking?"

"The last place I know for sure they were," said Professor Saknussemm, "their base camp up one of the river tributaries and a short hike into the jungle." He then pulled out a tablet with a GPS app.

"There," said Professor Saknussen as he used the map feature to zoom in on a fixed point in the jungle, "their camp is there. Jocelyn's mobile device hasn't budged in months."

"Wouldn't it have run out of power by now?" Gil asked.

"Lukas had a solar charger set up in the upper canopy of the jungle," said the professor, "even in this ghastly climate and with so much rain, it's still running. No, my friends, this is where our quest will begin in earnest."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jay asked, "let's go find your daughter."

They reached one of the docks were three people were loading supplies onto a large boat. "That's it?" Gil asked, "Just three people and us?"

"I tried hiring locals," said Professor Saknussemm, "but everyone I talked to refused as soon as I mentioned where in the jungle I wanted to go."

At that Jay eyed the professor suspiciously, "anything you want to tell us, Professor Sakussemm? Anything you forgot to mention before we shook on it?"

"It's nothing," said the professor, "just silly local superstition about demons, necromancers and the walking dead. My research has proven a minimal of magical activity in this wilderness. No, whatever happened to Jocelyn, it wasn't necromancers or zombies or anything of the sort."

"Don't you dare start," said one of the people loading the boat, a girl of eighteen years with shoulder-length brown hair tied in a ponytail, bright hazel eyes and a well-muscled figure, "you've been ranting nonstop since we left home about snakebites, vicious predators, jungle diseases, accidents and hostile natives. It's tedious."

At that, Professor Saknussemm irately glared at the girl, "My dear, when you have a daughter lost in the wilderness with no contact for months on end, I hope you look back on this moment feel sorry for your overwrought father." He then looked at Jay and Gil, "my friends, this is my youngest, Olivia. Olivia, dear, these fine young gentlemen from Auradon are going to help us find your sister and future brother-in-law."

Olivia walked up to and circled around Gil and Jay, giving them serious apprising looks, "you look like you can handle yourselves, just stay out of my way when we find Jocelyn and Lukas, because if he's done anything to her, I'll make him wish the jungle killed him." At that she went back to loading supplies, easily hefting large boxes over her head.

"She's beautiful," said Gil in a slightly dazed tone as he looked at Olivia.

"You're preaching to the preacher, bro," said Jay. Olivia was beautiful, and not just on the outside, but Jay could not describe it. Something about her, her confidence or her determination to find Jocelyn, or maybe the way life's worries bounced off her. The best words Jay could find about Olivia was that no evil of the world could touch her, or if it did, it would get its ass kicked over the horizon.

"Well, come on then!" said Olivia, "make yourselves useful and help load supplies already! My father isn't paying you to stare at my ass all day, you know!"

Shaking their heads to clear unwanted thoughts, specifically thoughts of Olivia's posterior, Jay and Gil grabbed boxes of food and medicine to load onto the boat.

"Bro, stop it," said Jay to Gil as they stored more boxes.

"Stop what?" Gil asked innocently.

"Gawking at Olivia," said Jay, "I don't think she likes it. I don't think she likes either of us."

"Oh, she's just playing hard to get," said Gil, "my dad says…"

"Your dad's obsession with Ben's mom is why he got stuck on The Isle in the first place," said Jay, "look, I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life, but if Olivia says 'no,' she means 'no.' So if she tells you to back off, you do it."

"But I like her," said Gil, "and I want to know her better."

"You'd have better luck making friends with a river fish, man," said one of the two men in Professor Saknussemm's party, a tall, lean man with short red hair and one brown eye, the other made of glass. "I've known Olivia since she was yea high," he indicated up to his knee, "she was a tomboy then and doesn't like men now at all."

"You mean she's…she's a…" said Jay as he glanced at Olivia.

"I haven't heard her come out, yet," said the tall man, "but from what I can tell, Olivia thinks romance is for the weak-minded."

"And how do you know that?" Gil asked, "and who are you, anyway?"

"He's a brown-nosing grad student weaseling for extra credit," said the other man. Whereas the first was tall and lean, the other was short and husky, with black hair and gray eyes and very hairy arms.

"Oh shut up, Charles," said the tall man, "you want The Professor to sign off on your diploma as much as I do," he then looked at Jay and Gil, "sorry about that, I'm Thomas James. My stout friend here is Charles Wallace; we're both Professor Saknussemm's research assistants."

"And basically his indentured servants," said Charles Wallace, "and we'll never be free unless we find The Professor's daughter."

"Professor Saknussemm basically swore he'd never return to the university until he finds Jocelyn," said Thomas James.

"Yeah, yeah, but what about Olivia?" Gil asked, "why doesn't she like guys?"

"I really don't know," said Thomas James, "there are rumors she is…well…you know… swings the other way."

"I know what a lesbian is," said Gil irately, "I'm not that dumb! But is she or isn't she?"

"I don't know," said Thomas James, "I only heard rumors."

"You've been listening to the wrong rumors," said Charles Wallace, "I heard she doesn't like any kind of romance. The way I heard it and this is third or fourth-hand knowledge mind you, Olivia was…"

"I was what?!" Olivia asked irately as she stood nearby, making all four males jump in surprise. She cracked her knuckles loudly, a sound which Jay associated with breaking walnuts, before Olivia resumed loading the boat.

"Yeah, best not to talk about her behind her back," said Charles Wallace.

"Look, kid," said Thomas James to Gil, "I won't tell you how to live your love life but stay away from Olivia Saknussemm; it's your neck if you don't."

"I'm gonna talk to her anyway," said Gil confidently as he walked over to Olivia.

"Boy! Didn't you hear what I just said?!" exclaimed Thomas James.

"Is he really that dumb?" Charles Wallace asked.

"That dumb and a half," said Jay as Gil stopped in front of Olivia.

"Well?" the beautifully muscled girl asked irately, "what do you want?"

"I…uh…" said an anxiously perspiring Gil. Now that the moment had come, what few words he knew had failed him.

"I told you not to stare at me!" snapped Olivia, "Men, you're all alike! All you see is what's on the outside! Is that it, you wanna make it with me just because of my assets!?" she held up her right fist, "here's one asset I'll gladly share with you, and if you're still persistent," she then held up her left fist, "I'll share this one with you too! You looking for the matched set?! Well!? Say something, dumbass!"

"Ijustwantedtoknowhowyougotsostrong!" Gil blurted out in one hasty breath.

At that Olivia looked slightly thrown for a loop, "you what?" she asked.

"He's curious about your monstrous strength, dearest," said Professor Saknussemm, "honestly, Olivia, not every man in the world sees you so horridly as you think."

"Uh…yeah, that's it," said a calmer Gil, "I wanna know what she did to get so strong."

"Oh, you wanna compare training regimens," said Olivia as she flashed a genuine smile, "well, why didn't you say so? I'd be glad to trade workout pointers."

"I had to see it to believe it," remarked Charles Wallace as Olivia struck up a friendly conversation with Gil, "and here I thought she'd knock him into the river."

"The last boy who thought he'd jump her bones, she punched him fifteen feet across a room," said Thomas James.

"No, it was only twelve," said Charles Wallace.

"It was fifteen," said Thomas James.

"Oh, like you were there to see it!" said Charles Wallace. At that he and Thomas James bickered back and forth over who saw what. Jay could only sigh with resignation at his situation, hoping that they would find The Professor's missing daughter as soon as possible so he and Gil could go back to Auradon.

…Three Days Later…

After navigating up a tributary of the river and hiking several kilometers into the jungle, Jay, Gil and their newfound companions were closing in on Jocelyn's base camp, or so said The Professor's navigation.

"You sure that thing's working right?" Jay asked as they followed a narrow, overgrown trail up a steady incline.

"My dear boy, I've told you time and time again, Jocelyn's mobile hasn't budged in months," said a profusely sweating and somewhat breathless Professor Saknussemm, "at this steady pace, we'll be there in a matter of minutes."

"If we're so close," said Gil, "why not run the rest of the way?"

"You really are one egg short of a dozen," said an affably teasing Olivia, "you run in the jungle, you'll trip and break your neck before you know it. Then again, with such that thick neck of yours, you probably end up with just a bruise."

"My head's hard as a rock too," said Gil as he smiled at Olivia.

"It is a rock," laughed Olivia as she smiled back.

Jay couldn't help but be amazed at how friendly Olivia had become with Gil considering her initial hostility towards both boys. While still refusing to let Gil touch her, Olivia was more than happy to keep their relationship platonic. She even laughed at one or two of Jay's jokes, provided he kept his distance.

He also learned more about the Saknussemm family; The Professor's late wife, Lorelei, was a minor noble from Cinderellasburg. Graceful, beautiful and intelligent, Lorelei fell in love with her history teacher, Hobart, and they married on her eighteenth birthday. While their in-laws weren't exactly happy with the union, especially Lorelei's parents and elder brothers, the newlyweds were on Cloud 9 and the birth of their children only sent their joy to new heights.

Alas, Lorelei died of cancer four years previously, breaking The Professor's heart and driving a wedge in the relationships between Olivia and her sisters. Olivia threw herself into her physical training, abandoning her former love for competitive sports and devoting herself to weightlifting and the mastery of martial arts.

The middle sister, Beatrice, whom has a mild form of Autism, gave in to her obsession with the study of magic and was well on her way to becoming a powerful sorceress, while pledging to use her powers for good. As for Jocelyn, she drifted for a year before meeting and falling in love with Lukas at first sight.

"I never saw Jocelyn so happy as she was when I visited her on a dig with Lukas," said Olivia, "just being out in the elements and digging up the garbage of the past made her glow again. Seriously, that's what she and Lukas were working on, an ancient garbage heap."

"We often learn the most about our forebearers by what they left behind, my dear," said The Professor.

"And you really think they're gonna make some big, world-changing discovery by digging in some lost civilization dump?" Jay asked.

"I don't know what they found, my boy," said The Professor in a serious tone, "just that they're missing and are in trouble. My goodness is that the time!? We're losing daylight! Come everyone! We must reach the base camp before dusk!"

"It's right there, Professor!" said Thomas James as the travelers crested a ridge and saw a large clearing several hundred meters down the opposite slope.

"JOCELYN!" shouted Olivia as she dashed ahead down the trail.

"She's gonna break her neck like this!" said Gil as he and Jay hurried after her, with The Professor, Thomas James and Charles Wallace following.

Jay and Gil reached the clearing without falling and saw Olivia franticly searching through a wrecked camp full of destroyed tents, damaged equipment and rotten food and supplies.

"JOCELYN!" Olivia called as she desperately looked around, "JOCELYN!?"

"My stars and garters," said Professor Saknussemm as he, Charles Wallace and Thomas James reached the clearing.

"What happened here, Professor?" Charles Wallace asked.

"I don't know," said The Professor as he followed the navigation app on maximum zoom to one of the destroyed tents, pulling from the wreckage a still active cell phone, "but whatever happened, it made Jocelyn drop her device."

"You gave her that phone for her birthday," said Thomas James, "she'd fight tooth and nail before she'd give it up. What could have scared her to make her leave it behind?"

"I don't know, man!" snapped Professor Saknussemm as he tried desperately to keep his emotions from boiling over, "I don't know what happened here!"

"Something happened," said Jay as he examined one of the wrecked tents, "there's claw marks and dried blood here."

"There's blood here too!" said Gil as he looked at a dark patch on the ground, "there's blood everywhere!"

"But…no bodies," said Olivia as she too saw patches of dried blood scattered across the camp, "if there's no bodies, then…then…"

"We must prepare for the worst, my dear," said Professor Saknussemm as he comfortingly placed his arms around Olivia, "for all we know, your sister has been digested by jungle predators."

"I don't think so," said a suspicious Jay, "anyone notice anything strange about this situation?"

"Yeah, my sister could be dead!" snapped Olivia, "that strange enough for you!?"

Just then Charles Wallace gave a cry of startlement, "PROFESSOR!"

Jay and the others hurried over to Charles Wallace as he rummaged through a pile of trash, revealing a body.

"Well, that's one…" said Thomas James, wincing as he saw the enraged glare from Olivia.

"No, he's alive, I tell you!" said Charles Wallace.

"Oh, my giddy aunt, you're right!" said The Professor as he hurried over. Jay and Gil got closer and saw an unconscious, severely malnourished and dehydrated man in his late twenties.

"It's Lukas!" said Professor Saknussemm, "Lukas, can you hear me, man!"

"Where's my sister!?" Olivia demanded as she grabbed the unresponsive Lukas, "Where's Jocelyn, you creep! Tell me!"

"For goodness sake, Oliva!" said The Professor, "The man is at death's door already! You two!" he shouted at Charles Wallace and Thomas James, "fix a shelter for the poor man! Who knows how long he's been alone like this?"

A short time later a large tent was set up with a portable air conditioning unit. The Professor had Lukas secure in a thermal blanket and was slowly poring drops of water down his throat, while the two grad students waited to help with whatever The Professor asked.

"I don't like this," said Olivia as she angrily paced back and forth outside with Jay and Gil looking on, "the one person we find is the fiancé? I don't think so! He knows something and I'm gonna find out what!"

"What do you think he knows?" Gil asked, "he can't tell anyone anything like this."

"We're just gonna have to wait until Lukas gets his strength back," said Jay, "The Professor says he's got a good chance of making it."

"Oh, he'd better make it," said Olivia as she cracked her knuckles, "he'd better wake up and talk. Oh…if he did anything to Jocelyn, if he even so much as let a single hair of hers fall out of place, I'll…"

"You'll what?" Gil asked, "beat him to death? Whatever hell Lukas went through, killing him might be a mercy."

"You're right, death is too easy for him," said Olivia.

"Oh, stop acting like a Villain and help me figure out what happened here," said Jay as he looked at one of the patches of dried blood.

"Why are you even bothering?!" Olivia asked, "you and your friend, you're just interested in whatever my father agreed to pay you."

"I was interested in the money," said Jay, "we need it to get back home, but now I'm genuinely curious about what happened to your sister. Just take a moment and look around."

"I not that smart, but a bunch of people don't go missing without leaving something behind," said Gil, "where did the bodies go?"

"Jungle predators," said Olivia as she tried not to cry, "like my father said."

"Then we'd see tracks of those predators," said Jay, "but there aren't any. Look at the ground, you see any tracks made by something other than a boot?"

Olivia walked around, examining the soil for tracks, "there are a lot of boot prints, and…some other kind of shoeprint," she looked at Jay, "why didn't Cinderella's son go with you? We could ask him about shoes."

At that Jay and Gil laughed heartily, "if you knew Chad, you'd know why we didn't want him to come with us. And he's really not an expert on shoes."

"What about the claw marks?" Gil asked, "my dad taught me everything he knew about hunting," he pointed to one of the claw marks, "no animal he hunted made these."

"This whole thing is wrong," said Jay in an uneasy tone, "everything about this screams wrongness."

Just then The Professor emerged from the tent, "well, Lukas isn't going to die today."

"Did he say anything?" Olivia asked as she strained to control herself, "anything about Jocelyn?"

"No, I'm sorry, Olivia," said Professor Saknussemm, "the man is holding onto life by the hairs on his neck. I've done all I can here, we need to get him to a hospital."

"We're not going anywhere until we find out what happened here!" said Olivia with steadfast fortitude.

"I don't think we can, my dear," said The Professor, "we checked all the camp's equipment, all their computers and recording devices were destroyed."

"What about Jocelyn's phone?" Olivia asked, "she'd have made a video of whatever happened, I know she would've."

"I can't unlock her phone," said Professor Saknussemm, "she never told me her password."

"Professor!" called Thomas James, "he's awake!"

At that Olivia lead the rush into the tent. Thomas James and Charles Wallace held Olivia back while Professor Saknussemm knelt by the barely conscious Lukas.

"My dear boy," said Professor Saknussemm as he wetted a cloth and squeezed a few drops into Lukas' mouth, "what happened to you?"

"What happed to Jocelyn!?" Olivia demanded.

"We…we found it…" Lukas whispered, "Xamatros…we found Xamatros."

"Xamatros?" Gil asked.

"The fabled lost civilization they were chasing," said The Professor, "you found something of it, Lukas? You found some ruins?"

"City…we found the city," said Lukas, "Xamatros, we found the entrance."

"Entrance? What entrance?" The Professor asked.

"No one could find Xamatros because it wass underground," said Lukas, "Jocelyn, we found the way down, but I wish we hadn't. We shouldn't have come here."

"Why?" The Professor asked, "What did you find?"

At that Lukas cringed at a memory of utter horror.

"What did you find, boy!" exclaimed Professor Saknussemm as he shook Lukas gently but firmly, "What did you and my daughter find?!"

"Evil!" said Lukas, "We found evil, pure and simple!" at that he passed out.

"Well, this is just great," said Olivia a few minutes later as she, her father, Charles Wallace Jay and Gil stood outside, while Thomas James remained in the tent to watch Lukas.

"They found something, alright," said Olivia, "and boy did they fracked up!"

"Whatever it was they found, it made a mess of things here and took the bodies," said Charles Wallace, "but left Lukas behind, alive."

"Yes, we have quite the mystery on our hands," said Professor Saknussemm.

"Well, you lot can sit around scratching your heads if you like," said Olivia, "but I'm gonna do something constructive. I'm gonna find this lost city of Jocelyn's and find out what she found."

"You'll do no such thing, daughter of mine!" said The Professor sternly, "it's bad enough I have one lost daughter, I won't let you go wandering alone in the jungle!"

"Who said anything about going off by myself?" Olivia asked. She looked at Gil and Jay, "they can come with me."

"Okay," said Gil as he picked up his pack, eager to spend more time with Olivia.

"No, we're not going," said Jay, "this isn't right, any of this."

"You wanna stay with my father and think?" Olivia asked, "whatever combs your hair, I'm sure Gil's perfectly capable of keeping me safe."

"I sure am!" said Gil as he smiled happily, more than eager for a chance to be with Olivia alone.

"Just don't get any ideas while we're in the bush together," said Olivia.

"No, listen!" said Jay.

"To what?" Gil asked, "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly, nothing," said Jay, "we're in the middle of the jungle, and there's nothing making noise but us."

"He's right," said Charles Wallace, "the air should be deafening with birds, insects and all sorts of animals."

"Ever since we got to the camp, I've felt something was wrong," said Jay, "whatever's going on, it's scaring away all the animals. I think whatever evil Jocelyn and Lukas found, it's still out there."

It was then a deafening crash of a tree resounded through the jungle, startling Jay and the others enough to make them jump. A few seconds later came another falling tree crash, then another and another, and they were getting closer to the camp with each one.

"What's going on?" Thomas James asked as he hurried out from the tent.

"That evil Lukas mentioned?" Gil asked, "it's about to find us!"

"Bring it!" said Olivia as she cracked her knuckles, "it took my sister, I'll make it give her back!"

The trees parted with a thundering collapse and there, standing at a path forged from fallen trees, was a boy of about 17 with black hair tied back with a yellow and black bandana, wearing a yellow shirt, black pants, with a bamboo umbrella strapped to his backpack.

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOOOOOOWWW?!" exclaimed the boy. He then saw Jay, Gil and the others, looking rather dumbstruck at this sudden turn of events.

"Oh, hey there!" the boy shouted as he ran towards our heroes, "can you help me? I'm kinda lost, do you know where Furinkan High School is from here?" Yet all Jay and the others could do was stare in disbelief.