Her Royal Highness

by WanderlustandFreedom

30 years after war ends, King Ben is about to ascend the throne, but there's one major roadblock - a child of Maleficent cursed to become his Queen, or else. Now, the two need to rule an increasing number of kingdoms, including Auradon, in uproar over a new Queen, an Ancient land desperate to survive, an Island severed off Auradon permanently, and war going on over their heads.

29. Chapter 27

"It's quite remarkable how easily the royals trust, really." The Evil Queen crooned as she sat rigid a few feet from him, filing her nails. "If Maleficent's spawn hadn't completely forgone the option of being worth anything to her mother, she could have easily taken control of the entire kingdom."

"Well, hopefully, they had some fun on their stint of ruling the world together." Captain Hook snorted, shaking his head. "My, how the mighty fall. We all swore that girl would be something when she left. We thought she might actually do it. Pity, she was so weak."

Ben twisted his hands in his bonds, listening to them speak and biting his tongue. In a class that he'd taken years ago, they'd advised people to tape blades or lockpicks to their skin using band-aids when going into dangerous situations. Ben wished he'd listened. Then he might have been able to slip away when the conversations turned to fights. Instead, he was left bound to the post. Harry Hook, the son of Captain Hook, had been put in charge of guarding him. The teenage boy was mostly facing the conversations, however. Not that it mattered. The ropes binding Ben's wrists were so tight he couldn't possibly wrench free.

A hand passed over his cheek in a somewhat gentle caress, and he turned away. "What do you think, Beast Boy?" Maleficent chortled. "Quite the failure, that girl of mine?"

Ben didn't turn to meet her eyes as the fire they'd lit on the docks made the shadows from Maleficent's horns flicker over his eyes. Fires, he was learning, were dangerous on the Isle. Some parts of the air, especially in this early summer, were flammable. Already, the fire had spouted twice, catching the gangplank aflame as random clouds floated around the water in the cooling night. The pirates seemed to think the worth outweighed the risk, but Ben wasn't so sure. For one, the light the flames provided was little, if none, and for two, if the fire caught on the ship he'd surely be left to burn alive. He was only bait, meaning that he was somewhat expendable. Sure, Mal would burn the wharf down and possibly carry out the execution threats she'd been tossing back and forth for a few months, but he'd still be dead.

"How does it feel to be a king now?" Harry, who was the son of Captain Hook, crowed. He traced Ben's face with a finger in a very weird, very intense motion. And, Ben had to admit, being king was not too appealing right now.

"You'd better hope your girlfriend shows up soon," A girl who he'd learned was named Uma chortled at him from her post at the gangplank, where she was sharpening a long sword in the dark. There was no moon, only the feel of the steel and the occasional reflection of the fire on the wharf. Uma confused him because she was only a teenager, yet Maleficent regarded her as either a second-in-command or a partner. The only reason he'd been able to pick up on was that they both had a mutual disregard for Mal.

"She's not my girlfriend," Ben shrugged, twisting his hands to try and stretch his sore arms. He'd been tied for a few hours, ever since the AK's and Mal's crew had deserted the ship. Ben hadn't seen them, but he'd heard Gaston complaining about the great loss the villains had suffered. He balled his fist up and ran a finger over the warm metal on his finger. "We married. But, you already knew that."

"That sneaky little witch." Uma hissed, sheathing her sword so violently Ben glanced her way and caught a peek of Maleficent's bright, stormy green eyes. "Who grabbed everything she wanted and left us nothing."

"Who turned her back on evil." Harry Hook joined in in her monologuing. He leaned in close to Ben, and Ben could smell something literally fishy on his breath. Harry, he knew, had a thing with Uma. However, he certainly seemed to do a lot of flirting around. Even with the enemy.

"Who said you weren't big or bad enough to be in her gang." A third pirate, one whose voice he didn't know, added in. Harry and Uma turned in the darkness to stare at him incredulously. However, the third person didn't quite seem to get the point. "You know, she called you shrimpy and ducked you into the-"

"Enough." Maleficent crooned, running a fingertip down Ben's cheek. Ben leaned back as she examined him. "At least she has a small excuse. You are cute. I mean, how could you not be, with King Adam for a father! Ah, that man. In another time, in another time." Ben's stomach turned a little. Maleficent sat down in a throne-like chair that had been set out on the deck for her to mock Ben from. It was intricately detailed, but he couldn't tell much in the darkness. "Still, you'd think she'd remember her own people, her family before running off with the prince. And really, I would have given you to her if she wanted you. She, on the other hand, gives us nothing."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but there's kind of a massive city being built about five miles that way." Ben nodded his head towards the utopia. "And she has made changes. I'm sure you noticed you're getting better food and clothing and-"

"And freedom." Maleficent scoffed. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but we're still trapped here while she goes around Auradon, visiting my old homeland and spelling anything she pleases."

Ben didn't quite see the point of arguing with Maleficent. Mal had only visited two places in Auradon - Auradon City and San Fransokyo. And of those two cities, only a handful of places in all. And as for spelling things... she couldn't exactly use her magic too much without people sending her shifty glances. He turned away as Harry Hook leaned in closer, laughing quietly.

"She didn't even come for her friends." Maleficent sniffed, brushing her eyebrow with a finger. "Selfish girl, really."

"Isn't that how you raised her?" Ben furrowed his brow in confusion. "I mean, obviously it didn't work, but okay." He sighed. "And you realize... the barrier to Auradon is sealed. She can't bring anyone over without my permission. I mean, sure, she could have released the barrier here, but none of you would have been able to get to Auradon." The fire popped in the distance. Ben could feel Maleficent's glare on him, though he was avoiding her eerie green gaze. Magic was a much bigger turn-on when it was Mal performing it, not her mother.

Technically, this woman was Ben's mother-in-law. That was a strange concept to grasp. He felt like, after this situation, he was allowed to make a few jokes about how horrid his wife's mom was. A grin came to his face as a really funny one came to mind. Slowly, he twisted his ring around and exhaled. Maleficent got to her feet. "It's ridiculous how like her father she is. Dramatic. Delusional. Easily distracted by flashy things."

Ben didn't say anything. He did wonder, though, what all of this said about Maleficent for actually creating her child with this man she apparently hated so vehemently. "She can't tell the breaking of a spell from the making of a spell." Maleficent scoffed. "Foolish, simple-minded imbecile."

"Well, we actually know a lot about spells after this ordeal." Ben hummed. "Her more than I do. She actually understood what Fairy Godmother was saying when she explained the broken curse."

The air stilled. Maleficent's eyes grew dim and then flashed so violently Ben could see his shoes against the deck. "Broken?" Maleficent demanded. "My spell, broken?"

Ben could only shrug. Maleficent seized his chin, looking outraged. "Then it's true that you've been controlling her in the palace? How did you manage to bypass my work?"

Something told Ben there must have been something somewhere in the spell's code that prevented the palace from not giving Mal too much power. He doubted, though, that the same restrictions applied to Mal not taking power they offered her. He shook his head. "I don't control her." He told Maleficent. "She kind of does her own thing and I just hope she comes back."

"You must be doing something." Maleficent hissed. "My daughter wouldn't stay with... a pawn!"

Ben twisted his chin out of Maleficent's grasp and clenched his fingers tightly around his wedding ring. "I guess that explains why she didn't come back for you." He replied.

The third pirate who'd attempted to join in on Harry and Uma's trash-talking gasped. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "That's a really, really good one. It's almost like that time Mal called Harry 'Mr. Coathanger' because the hook makes him look like a-"

"Stop talking." Harry hissed, glaring at Ben. Maleficent's breathing grew heavy. Ben exhaled.

"You know, we're not all that different here." He began. "Uma, Maleficent, you're leaders. You're all each other's friends. You could choose to be good. You could choose to take Mal's offer to live in the city. Just give up your bitterness, and-"

"It's your way or the highway!" Maleficent cackled. "Take up your route or stay locked away. Hmm. You can take my wings and my freedom and my daughter, but you can't take my head." Maleficent began to laugh, hard, descending into a mad fit and collapsing on the boat deck, coughing and choking as she laughed. Ben had heard his wife describe her mom's laughing fits, but he couldn't say he'd tried too hard to imagine them.

"Maleficent." He whispered. Mal's deranged mother looked up at him, head tilted to the side, and for a brief second Ben saw his wife smiling sweetly down at him from the trees at the castle, with snow falling all around them. He swallowed. "If you choose good, you could be part of her life again. Maybe you'll never get your wings or your scepter back from the museum, but you could talk to her. You could watch her grow. Mal and I - you could get to know us both. Mal's only going to be a teenager for a few more short years and then that phase of her life will be over and she'll be a young woman who's running two kingdoms. Don't you want to be part of your daughter's life?"

"Don't you want to be part of your daughter's life?" Maleficent mimicking in a high-pitched, chirping tone. "I am, and will always be a part of her life, princey. No matter how far she goes, she's never going to get rid of me. How long will you last? And while we're on the subject, she's still got a year until she's of age in Auradon. How does it feel, to be robbing the cradle?"

That was a low, low blow. Ben balled his fists up and exhaled. Harry Hook and Uma laughed to see how much it irked him. He met Maleficent's eyes. "The difference between you and I is simple." He began. "Both of us may be part of her life, but only one of us she loves. The other is nothing but a bad memory. Stuck in the past."

Maleficent flinched back, looking absolutely devastated by his words. It occurred to Ben that he may have gone a bit far as Maleficent's hands shook and as she stared at him incredulously. Glossy green tears appeared in her luminescent eyes. "One of us," She hissed, "One of us made her who she is."

Ben let out a breath through his nose. "And the other one of us gave her the choice of what she wanted to become."

Maleficent slapped him. Hard across his cheek and his nose. He felt a tiny stream of blood begin to trickle out of his right nostril. "You are nothing but a pawn!" Maleficent hissed. "A temporary fixation in her life. The moment I have my powers back, I will burn you off the face of this planet and make her see sense!"

She wouldn't be able to. Ben knew that. He steadied his breathing. "You could come back. You could apologize for betraying her and set things straight. You could watch her change people's lives. And down the road, you could see your grandchildren and-"

A solid punch in the nose stopped him from speaking. As Maleficent drew back her hand, she spun around and picked up the chair she'd been sitting in and hurled it at him. His stomach armor took most of the blow, but his breath still caught as the back of the chair slammed into his chest. He gasped for air as Maleficent spent a few seconds breathing heavy. It was time, he decided, to keep his mouth shut.

"You'll never touch my daughter again," Maleficent hissed. Green tears were still brimming in her eyes, reminding him of Mal when her hands were balling into fists of fury. "Not without her permission, not with her permission, not in the life of day or the death of dark. Or so help me, King Benjamin, you will die in the slowest, most painful way I can dream up."

The mistress of all evil, his mother-in-law, turned and strode across the gangplank. Those who had been lounging by the fire were silent in the wake of the argument. All was still. Ben felt out the engraving in his ring with a little breath. Please, please hurry Mal, he thought. I don't know how much longer your mom will hold out on me.

---

Rather than taking the recruits and alerting them to the fact their King was being held captive, thus creating mass panic and a sense of failure in the Auradonians, Mal took a small task force that consisted of her most trusted allies. Jay, Carlos, Evie, Lonnie, Audrey, and the small boy from the Isle who had been with her and Audrey the first time going in. By the time they'd gotten everyone ready and plotted to go in, the sun was beginning to set. They put their plans off until daylight and turned in for a restless sleep.

Jay, Evie, and Carlos waved goodbye to all of the recruits as they unknowingly congratulated each other on a great day and left to return to Auradon for the night. By day's end, the only Auradonians left were those with Mal.

Audrey stayed the night in an apartment on the highest floor. It wasn't anything fancy, but she was amazed at how quiet everything got at night and how easy it was to feel at home in the small space. She sat beside the window and watched children practice light magic down below as street lamps and inside lights flickered out, and she felt peace within her soul. Her phone laid forgotten beside her as she watched more stars appear above her than she'd ever seen before in her life in the sky above. It was a mosaic of lights and pinpricks that took her breath away. She'd never found beauty like that in any of her dresses. She'd never found comfort like this in any of her things at the palace. She'd never known herself like she had when Mal had praised her. 'Ben will be so proud.' She'd said.

There was an odd sort of sentiment there. Mal knew she'd come to impress Ben and, hopefully, steal him back, but when the time came, she still congratulated her in his name. It meant a lot to her, but the real prize of the day was knowing she had taken on an actual pirate sword fighter and saved the queen's life. No one had told her to do it. She hadn't thought she'd be able to succeed, but in the end, the battle had resulted in a flat-out victory and she hadn't even been hurt. Audrey curled her legs up to her chest as she replayed the look on Uma's face when she'd slid in with her sword in defense of the woman who had stolen her boyfriend, and a small smile slid onto her face.

In Jay's apartment on the first floor, he was looking out and watching the Isle children exchange glowing rocks and focus on levitating them as high as they could in a childish sport. The ghostly feeling of Mal's lips was resting on his mouth and sending him into a stupor. As he watched as their moms and older siblings call the kids inside, he failed to notice a shadow watch him watching them until Lonnie walked up to his window.

She waved. He waved back. She smiled and he saluted her. She pressed her mouth against the glass and made a fish face. He laughed and mirrored her. She disappeared from view, and a few seconds later there was a knock at his door. He and she stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking about everything under the stars. And Jay had to admit, it was nice to know a girl who was just as tough, if not tougher than he was. At least Auradon hadn't failed her.

And, on a quieter plane of emotion, talking to her made everything he'd once imagined about him and Mal seem... dimmer. She made it easier to focus on the now, and not the past. He began to forget how, once upon a time, he'd been Mal's only friend. Once upon a time, it had been them against the world. He'd fought for her life and she'd fought for his, and he had watched as, wherever she went, she pulled people together behind her. She'd done it with him, then Evie and Carlos, and then the Isle, and now with Auradon. Jay began to let go of the thoughts that he'd once had - that True Love didn't exist outside of Auradon, so he might as well stay partners with Mal, and maybe one day they would kiss, make meaningless love with each other, and there would be children to take up their mantle of ruling when he and Mal died - all because they were partners. Jay had known - been completely sure - that he would never have the chance to fall into true love. It just wouldn't happen.

But now here he was, alone with Evie and Carlos slipping away to school. And Mal was starstruck - completely devoted to Ben, and she was in that kind of love Jay had known was impossible to find on the Isle. Therefore, she would stay with Ben, and the love they would have would actually mean something to the both of them, and the life Jay had once figured would eventually happen was now just a dream, and he still had no idea what he wanted to do. So for now, he tried to forget the disappointment that Mal wasn't going to leave the palace. He tried to forget the feeling of Evie and Carlos slowly leaving him behind. He focused on Lonnie's clear, cool speech, and tried to ignore the fiery past and the ever-foreboding future.

Mal lay alone in her room, shivering in the dark and shaking a little. She'd chewed one lock of her hair at an odd angle shorter than the rest and bitten her nails down to her nail beds and she was still shaking in agony as her head filled with horrible images. What if they were hurting him? Ben's sword lay glinting in the corner for the morning, reminding her of every time he'd fought with her and ripping her heart in two because now she had to go fight for him.

Two soft knocks echoed at the door and Mal forced herself to her hands and knees before pressing her feet into the floor and striding across the room. Her sheets were a twisted mess. Everything was deadly silent except for the distant sounds of people still checking new citizens into the Isle. Mal wished she were there to help them, but her magic had become exhausted and Evie, Jay, and Carlos had hauled her away in the hopes she could steal a few precious hours of sleep. It had been past midnight when she'd been left here. She wondered who was calling on her.

Mal turned the lock and opened the door and felt her body become a bit stiff at the sight of the person on the other side of the door. They had turned away as if they had assumed her asleep, and looked amazed by her appearance. Slowly, they - he - cleared his throat. "Quite the show you put on yesterday,"

Hades. Mal swallowed, examining the tall blue hair and the tell-tale features she knew despite never having gotten a good look at the older man. She couldn't believe he was here. He must have been allowed in. He must have passed her regulations. She swallowed to clear the frog in her throat. Still, her voice came out sounding dry. "You know, I don't think I've ever looked at you face-to-face. Only glimpses."

"Can't imagine why," Hades whispered, turning to face her and putting his hands into his pockets. "You've grown up since I last saw you."

"Since I was what, five?" Mal snarked, raising an eyebrow.

Hades shook his head. "Show me some respect, kid. No, I think you were fourteen."

Fourteen. Fourteen had been years ago. Fourteen had been before Ben and the Isle and everything. She'd been young at fourteen. Mal brushed her messy, damaged hair away from her face. "Wow, should I be proud?" She snarked.

"I was just coming to see you," Hades explained, gesturing at the door.

"And at this hour, no less," Mal nodded. "I can't imagine why. Is it because I'm queen now? Suddenly worth your time?"

Hades examined her. His gaze felt like ice creeping down her spine. She watched his expression pass over different emotions like he wasn't even sure what he was feeling. "Can I come in?" He whispered.

Part of Mal wanted to shut the door in his face and lock him out. But really, she was alone, and being alone was lonely when it felt like this. It wasn't like she was going to sleep. She propped the door open with a foot. "Sure, I guess. It's not like I'm expecting anyone else before sunrise hours."

Hades stepped past her and sat down on a chair beside the door. Mal shut the door cautiously and watched him examine the room - her bed by the window with its ball of covers and all her possessions spread beside the wall. "You're alone?" He asked with a confused frown. "Where's Prince Charming?"

Prince Charming. Prince Useless. The titles were so similar that Mal felt indescribable rage spike up towards both the blue-haired god and her old best friend.

"Gone," She replied with a snort.

"He go back to Auradon without you?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you splitting up?"

"No," Mal shook her head and twisted her hands. "He's...out. My crew and I are going to go and save him tomorrow."

Realization passed over Hades's face. "Wow," He exhaled. "Some tough nut."

Mal said nothing as she returned to sit on her bed and picked nonchalantly at the covers, trying to untangle them. Hades watched her, and then tried again to get her to talk. "Is Auradon treating you right?"

Mal picked a thread off a blanket with a snap and shrugged. "I don't really interact with Auradon much outside of my blog," She replied.

"Oh," Hades nodded as if he'd already known this. He crossed his arms and leaned his chair back into the wall. "So, who's bright idea was it to marry you at sixteen?"

"Not Belle or Adam's, if that's what you're asking," Mal snorted. "The person in question is an emotional lunatic and generally not the easiest person to get along with."

"Ah, see, we have something in common already," Hades laughed with his hair lighting up a bit. "We both hate your mother."

"I don't hate mom," Mal denied, giving up on the mess of blankets and simply sitting straight with her head dipped to the flooring as she thought.

"How could you not hate her?" Hades asked with a sneer, balling his fists up a little.

Mal squeezed her eyes shut. She should have anticipated this, coming to the Isle and opening it up and everything. She should have planned ahead and felt a little foolish since she hadn't. "At least she stuck around," She mumbled in a low hiss. Because Hades hadn't stuck around. Hades had left.

"Oh, Mal, don't be bitter," Hades rolled his eyes a little.

Mal pushed herself up, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't have the nerves to deal with this. First Ben, gone, and now Hades, her father, here. "Why would you care?" She spat as she got up to go pick up Ben's sword. "Her plan... gets you off the Isle either way." She gestured to his presence for proof he hadn't asked for. "Did you know?"

"Know?" Hades scoffed and looked towards the ceiling. "That she was going to sell you out to Auradon in possibly the most bitter, heartless way? Sending you to a prince who had already turned five by the time you were born? Do you think I would have ever slept with her if I'd known what she was going to do with you?"

"Keep talking like that and people might think you actually care," Mal rolled her eyes, examining Ben's name on the leather handle. "You make it sound like I was planned."

"You had a curse on you, tying you as a literal failsafe to the throne," Hades pointed out with a deadpan expression. "Do you really think she wasn't planning on getting pregnant?" He shook his head and closed his eyes with the air of a man who was regretting many different things all at once.

"And you?" Mal asked, furrowing her brow. "What's your excuse?"

Hades looked back to the ground and nodded, looking like he had a lump stuck in his throat. "I don't have one," He admitted. "I wish we'd been closer when you were growing up so that I could have protected you or at least been a parent to you. I'm sorry."

"Oh, boo hoo!" Mal snapped, face twisting up as she squeezed the handle of Ben's sword and scowled. "Wake up and smell the stink! It's all over now, and you weren't there. You abandoned me and left me with an insane woman." She exhaled, closed her eyes, and let the sword swing in her hands a little. "Sixteen years of nothing," She whispered. "And then one year with everything I could ever want at my fingertips and it might all be ruined tomorrow." She sat back down, putting the blade to the floor and leaning over the sword a little like she was in pain.

Hades watched her. "That his?" He asked.

"You can't have it," Mal scowled. If anything, it was hers after his.

"It's nice," He rolled his eyes. "Did he ever use it?"

Mal hesitated, staring at the ground. Her hands felt a little numb. "Yeah," She agreed. "He was the most talented person I've ever seen with a sword."

"And he still got captured?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow. At the verb, Mal felt a twang in her chest that felt a little like one of her heartstrings had snapped. She looked away and focused on the wall.

"He had Gaston pinned and then put his sword down to throw Facilier," Mal repeated Audrey's words, trying to pretend it was someone other than Ben to keep from breaking down. "I've never been able to beat him without magic."

"Yeah, I saw that interview," Hades chuckled, pulling his leg up onto his knee. Mal paused, pondering his words, and then looked back up with a furrowed brow.

"Do you... keep up with my interviews?" She asked, scrunching her mouth and eyebrows together.

"Only watched day and night for the month after you left, waiting to see if the palace would talk about you at all," Hades admitted. "And after they announced you, I just left the TV on so I could catch all the gossip. I only turned it off when I was sure they wouldn't be saying anything. I would have tried to keep them from taking you - hidden you if I could've - but, uh, I didn't catch the gossip until two days after they'd taken you. Too late..." Hades trailed off, sounding regretful, and Mal stared at him. She imagined hiding from the guards as they searched for her, desperate to find a way to break or nullify the curse.

"I had no idea," She mumbled, picturing Ben and then Hades.

"No, really?" Hades snorted, rolling his eyes. Mal turned to stare at him as he dropped his leg back onto the floor, casting shadows across the floor.

"Thank you?" She mumbled, unsure of what to say.

"For what, being a lousy dad?" Hades snorted. "I wish I could make it up to you, but it sounds like you made it on your own, no thanks to me or your mom."

"I did what I had to do," Mal shrugged. There wasn't much else to say. She forced herself to prop the sword against the wall and closed her eyes. Hades got to his feet.

"And now?" He whispered, putting his hands back into his pockets and stepping towards the window a little.

Mal swallowed. "Well," She began, "When push comes to shove, you do what you gotta do," She mumbled.

Hades made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat and sighed. "That's my girl," He whispered.

There were seventeen years of nothing between them. Seventeen years of living in the worst place on earth with the craziest person alive. Mal had no idea how she felt like he'd been around the last four years when he'd only been here for fifteen minutes. It was somewhat comforting to have her dad around, talking to her, in the same room, but it was. She listened to him take a few steps and could feel his hesitation when he stopped a few steps from her. She swallowed. "I'd like you to meet him," She told him.

"Prince Charming?" Hades asked, sounding a little dumbfounded.

"His name is Ben," Mal rolled her eyes. "At least your nickname is better than Jay's. And yeah, he should meet at least one of my parents."

"Chances are he's probably met the other one by now," Hades pointed out. "I'm not sure he'd like to meet me. Does he even know about me?"

"He loves anything to do with the Isle and almost everything to do with me," Mal hummed. "He'd probably be thrilled. And no, he doesn't know, but we could change that."

Hades snorted. "Well, hopefully, I'll see you around the city, putting people to work, so maybe I'll meet him anyways. Should I pull up the dead and threaten him a little?"

Mal laughed, putting her head up a little more as tears prickled her eyes. She could see, quite clearly, what Ben's expression would be and it made her sad to imagine him. "Only a little," She sniffed as she wiped her eyes and made her shoulders stiff so they wouldn't shake. She'd thought she had no more tears left to cry, but evidently, it was not so.

Hades walked to her side, bumped her arm with his hip, and put a hand on her shoulder. "You going to be okay?" He whispered.

Mal shrugged. "It all depends on tomorrow," She sighed.

Hades cleared his throat and she glanced up to watch his brow furrow a little. "You really okay with... everything?" He asked. "The situation and the guy and-"

"Dad," Mal cut him off and watched his face contort in shock. "I love him."

Hades took his hands away and exhaled. "Okay, okay," He exhaled. "Just... don't forget your old man." He took a few steps away and headed for the door.

Mal watched him twist the knob. He was here, he'd seen her, and it seemed that they'd reconciled without any real explanation at all. She slowly got to her feet and swallowed. "I'm going to have to miss you all over again," she called as he took a step out. He paused, turning a little over his shoulder, and stared at her. Mal twisted her hands but couldn't find anything else to say. The stage of her life where she really needed a dad was over, and they both knew that.

Hades shrugged and glanced around at the new building, the new rooms, and everything else surrounding him. "Thanks for a glimpse of the sun."

The sun. The sun was coming up outside. She could see the sky lightening. The night was gone, and she hadn't slept a wink. Hades stepped outside and, with a last look, closed the door. Mal sat back down with a sigh and closed her eyes. 'I'm on my way,' she promised Ben. 'Just hang in there.

The sun rose and began to turn the water pretty colors and to bake the sands. Evie slipped out and locked her door behind her. She walked down the stairs to the first floor and found a dark-haired, handsome man walking around. He had an angular face, the darkest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen, and perfect white teeth that were chewing on his lip as he wandered around, looking lost. He held a piece of paper in his hands and this he glanced to every few seconds as he walked. "Excuse me." He stopped her and held out the paper. "I'm looking for room fifty-one. Can you help me?"

Evie blinked at him. A beautiful rosy color had erupted in his bottom lip. "I just came from fifty-one." She responded, glancing over his stylish outfit and letting her eyes hover on a few talismans around his neck.

The boy jumped back. "Oh!" He exclaimed, blue eyes blinking as he tried to act cool. "Oh, okay, well…" He cleared his throat and tucked the paper into his pocket, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops as he did. "I wasn't expecting this." He whispered, taking a moment to nervously scratch the back of his head in a way that made his dark hair catch the light attractively. "You see, ahem-"

"If you're asking for a date, now isn't a good time, sorry." Evie held up a hand, effectively cutting him off. The poor boy's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I have to leave to find the queen." Evie continued. She began to slide around him.

"No, no!" The boy stopped her, waving his hands and looking embarrassed. "See, I'm Evan, and, ahem, my mom is the Evil Queen too!" He spread his hands as if to present himself to her. Evie stopped and blinked as Evan began to wring his hands. "She gave me up because she was a little more into girl children, you know? But I'm your older brother! I wanted to meet you and, um…" He trailed off, looking extremely awkward, if still cute.

Evie stared. "My… brother?" She asked suspiciously. Her eyes once again flickered to his physical features. Brown hair though he had, it seemed to give off a blue tint. He had, she suddenly noticed, a lot of the same features she did. His eyes were the same shape and the same deep-set, their noses and mouths were identical, and they stood at equal heights with each other. It was like she was looking in a gender-inverted mirror. And, she had to admit, they both looked really, really good.

"Yeah!" Evan nodded. He was admiring her just as much as she was him, though his eyes clung to her hair most of all. "And, by the way, our dad – we have the same dad – he was an apple dryad that supported Maleficent during the War of Villainy when we were imprisoned on the Isle. I'm as old as the Isle itself. Gaston killed him before you were born."

That news distracted Evie from memorizing her brother's face. She stared at him, searching for any sort of a lie, and the truth hit her like Evan had thrown a rock at her heart. She swallowed. "Oh." She said.

"His name was Ergog if you want to know." Evan supplied. "He was our name-base. Everyone thinks it's off of the 'Evil' in 'Evil Queen', but Mom's name was actually Grimhilde."

"Wow," Evie whispered. "Thank you for telling me. I always wondered what my parentage was."

"No problem." Evan nodded. "I've got a good memory for these things. I'm really fascinated with biology - specifically pedigrees and heritage. I know about 80% of all the Isle kid's parents."

"Wait." Evie furrowed her brow. "For real?"

"Yeah." Evan shrugged. "Like your friend Jay, for example, his mom was a murderess who lured men to their deaths in Auradon using her charm. She's dead now because she tried her old trick with Gaston and, well, you probably know Gaston's reputation."

Hearing Gaston's name again reminded Evie she needed to find Mal, but her curiosity had been piqued. "What about Mal? Or Carlos?" She asked.

"Carlos is a son of a tycoon Cruella worked closely with while she was in Auradon. He may be alive, but definitely on the bad part of the Isle. He and Cruella had a split when she had the baby. I don't know who Mal's dad is. I know for sure that the new Maleficent kid, Malice, was fathered by Jafar." Evan explained.

Evie blinked in shock. "Jafar?" She sputtered as he head filled once again with memories of Jay - Jafar's son - kissing Mal - Maleficent's daughter. She almost wanted to be sick. "Maleficent let Jafar father a kid with her?"

"Yeah." Evan nodded, looking slightly uneasy as well. "She's been a little tipsy since Auradon pulled her first daughter off. Anyway." He exhaled. "Anyone else you're interested in?"

"Well…" Evie trailed off. A million questions surfaced inside her head. "I don't mean to pick your brain, but I've always wondered about Uma since her mom is an octopus." Evie put her hands together and fluttered her fingers.

"Cecelia." Evan corrected. "And it's fine. Most people don't care to talk about their parents. Anyway, Uma is a special case. Care for a guess?" He leveled a thin, attractive eyebrow at Evie.

"I don't know." Evie shrugged.

"Triton," Evan revealed. Evie's mouth dropped open. "King Triton still has power over the oceans. He can move freely in and out of the barrier. I'm not privy to details – nor do I want to be – but I'd be willing to guess they had a kid the way mermaids and most other sea creatures have kids."

"But Uma has legs." Evie furrowed her brow as her head began to spin even faster.

"She was born with a lung disorder. She couldn't breathe underwater. When Triton heard, he used the same magic he used on Ariel to give Uma legs." Evan shrugged.

"Through the barrier?" Evie asked.

"Magical items and spells usually work through the barrier for a short amount of time. I expect Ursula just held Uma a little close to the barrier until the spell took effect." Evan explained. He moved his hands as he talked.

"How do you know all this?" Evie asked.

Evan blushed scarlet. "Ah, due to mom, I'm pretty good at seducing people. Or just getting them to talk. Either way."

"You seduced Ursula?" Evie asked with wide eyes.

"No, no!" Evan flushed. "Just, er, Captain Hook." He picked up one of the talismans around his neck and showed Evie. It had the shape of a sword. "He gave me this as a form of protection."

"Captain Hook?" Evie's eyes grew even wider.

"You don't have to yell it out loud." Evan winced at the volume of her voice. "Yeah. I guess I'm just… unnaturally interested in pedigrees and phenotypes and Human Biology."

"Unnaturally is correct." Evie chuckled. "What about Maleficent? How did you figure that out? I didn't even know she was pregnant and suddenly she had a second kid."

"I heard that through the grapevine!" Evan said with his face completely red.

"What grapevine? Was it Jafar?" Evie began to twist the hem of her jacket as horrible images began to beat her brain full-force.

"It was not." Evan folded his arms and scowled. "And frankly, you're making this out to be a lot more than it is. Usually, it's an eye bat and some kissing and they tell me what I want to know and I leave."

"Usually?" Evie smirked.

"You shut up." Evan glared at her. "For the record, I did it at first to keep alive after Mom threw me out. And you're benefiting from my wealth of knowledge anyway, so you shouldn't judge."

Evie laughed. "That is beyond unbelievable. And you just remember all of this?" Evan nodded. "Wow," Evie said. "That's incredible." She cocked her head. "I wonder if Mal would be interested in you writing it all down, so she can go around and fill people in?"

Evan's eyes lit up. "That'd be cool." He nodded. "But I'd prefer if my methods didn't leave this conversation." He sent her a judging look.

"Aw." Evie pouted as the humor of the situation began to crash down on her. "Are you sure I can't tell Mal you made out with the villain who kidnapped her boyfriend?" With sudden realization, Evie slapped her hand over her mouth.

There was a long pause as Evan processed what she'd said and considered his response. Evan held up two long, clean fingers. "One, husband. Mal is married. Two, what the crap?" He opened his mouth to say more but apparently could not find the words.

Evie hung her head in shame. "I'm actually going to meet up with Mal now." She admitted. "She's probably waiting for me." She paused. "You didn't deny the making-out charge."

"So you can go rescue him?" Evan asked, ignoring her question.

"Yeah." Evie nodded. "It was super fun to meet you, and I really want to catch up and see where you've been all my life, but she's counting on my now." Evie began to back away.

"That's cool." Evan smiled. "I'm, uh, the first room in the third building, okay?" He pointed in the direction for her with a bright, blinding smile.

"Okay." Evie smiled. She turned and hurried away, down to the gate where Audrey, Mal, their friend, Jay, and Lonnie already were. Mal looked like she'd risen from the dead and Evie couldn't help scornfully thinking it was because Ben hadn't been there to put her out of her misery.

"Morning," Audrey said as Evie approached. She, unlike Mal, was wide-awake and seemed to have a new, unwavering energy about her. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and kept a hand curled on her sword like she was actually anxious to use it again.

"Good morning," Evie said. "Where's Carlos?"

"Right there." Mal pointed behind Evie. "Running late again." Evie turned around to see Carlos sprinting across the square as Islanders weaved around him, pulling his jacket around his shoulders.

"Ready." Carlos gasped as he caught up to them.

"That's not what I call 'ready'." Mal scoffed. A large, thick bag of swords was slung over her shoulder. A stun gun was strapped to everyone's hips except for Evie and Carlos. Mal tossed them one each.

Without much drama or small-talk, they all slipped outside the border and began to make the trek back to the wharf. Now that they knew the way, it didn't take them as long. Only about forty minutes.

Everyone was awake again except for Ursula. Most of the villain kids appeared to have deserted, and only Uma, Harry Hook, and Gil, who was the son of Gaston, remained. Not only were they awake, but they were also raving mad.

Ben was on deck with a red mark across his cheek as his head hung down with his chin hitting his chest. Mal clenched her hands so that her nails dug into her palms. Her stomach was churning and every muscle felt as strong and unyielding as a bar of metal.

Carlos put a hand on her shoulder. "Chill." He told her. "We'll get him back."

Mal nodded and swallowed. "I'll do the talking since I'm the only one who can use magic. God, look at how many villains. It looks like we're outnumbered one to fifty." She pointed down to the ship, shaking her head.

"You got a strategy?" Lonnie asked, furrowing her brow.

"Follow me." Mal nodded, though she wasn't quite sure what she'd be doing yet. They distributed the swords and Mal began the long walk down to the gangplank. Gil was the first person to see her.

"Hey, guys!" He yelled down to his comrades below from the lookout post. "Look who's returned!" Ben lifted his head and straightened his back when he saw her. Her heart thudded against her chest. He looked tired, but not badly hurt.

Harry Hook leaped up to stand on the gangplank as Mal's task force headed down to the ship. "Welcome!" He announced in a loud voice and paused to spit a mouthful of blood into the sea. A large bruise had formed around his jaw.

"Finally!" Uma screeched as she did a small pirate's jig watching the group approach. Mal planted her feet on the first part of the gangplank and watched as the villains untied Ben and hauled him to a walking plank. Out of reach, but not out of sight.

Maleficent cackled and walked beside Uma to the point where the gangplank connected to the boat. Mal met her mother's eyes.

"Let's get this party started!" Uma shouted. She raised her arms above her head as her new crew – the villains – cheered. Mal crossed her arms. As the cheering died down, Uma leaned toward Mal and whispered. "Let's see who's the more cold-hearted, yeah?"

"Yeah, skip the drama." Mal glared. "I want the king back. Now." She could feel her eyes smolder as she glanced over Uma's shoulder to Ben.

Uma smiled. "You know I've dreamed of this moment? You wanting something from me, and me watching you squirm like a worm on a hook."

Mal tilted her head. "I'm so flattered you dream about me. I haven't given you a thought since I left."

"A nice sentiment, if it were true." Uma scoffed. "I saw what you said on TV." She took a seat on the ship's railing and pulled a sword out of a barrel and a whetstone out of her pocket.

Mal watched her for a few seconds and then said: "Spit it out. You'd have killed him already if you wanted to make me mad. So, if you want your deal, you might as well set your conditions now."

"Otherwise?" Uma asked.

"Otherwise I'll be forced to sway my hand." Mal shrugged. The villains laughed.

"Your daughter talks a talk," Jafar told Maleficent.

Maleficent cackled. "For a wench who couldn't even overthrow a monarchy properly." She agreed. Mal ignored them, though her hands started to shake a little. Uma smirked at Mal.

"Let's put it this way," Uma said, dropping the sword back into the barrel with a thunk. "It's the wand," She held a hand aloft. "For the crown." She put her other hand up and held them even, like the two sides of a scale. "We want Fairy Godmother's wand. Bring it, and maybe we'll let him go with… minor scratches."

"Unharmed." Mal objected. "From here on out, every scratch you put on him I'll rain back on you." Mal's eyes lit up as she spoke. "Tenfold." She said to clarify.

Uma laughed. Mal cocked her head as the teal-haired girl looked around to her mates like she couldn't believe what Mal had said. "What if I refuse, and demand him back now?" Mal asked curiously.

Uma cracked all of her knuckles by flexing them. "If you refuse, I'll throw him overboard and let him swim with killer sharks. But not before I hand him over to the likes of Gaston and Gil. Gaston, how long have you waited for revenge on the king?" She gestured over to where Gaston and Gil stood behind Harry and Captain Hook, who was holding Ben at the end of the plank. Ben's face was a bit pale as he looked frantically towards Mal. Harry Hook took a few steps forward and seized Ben's chin, squishing his cheeks to make Ben resemble a fish. The pirates laughed and jeered. Uma joined in the laughter as she turned back to Mal. "Bring me the wand or he'll be ripped apart." Uma leveled her voice and balled her fists.

"Let's just be smart," Mal smirked though she was feeling a bit like she was breathing smoke. "You throw him in, and I'll personally string you up by your braids." She looked over at Harry with her blood boiling. "Hear that, Hook?" She growled. "I will shove your father's accessory through your jaw and string you from the mast by it."

Harry turned the hook in his left hand over and over as he glared at Mal.

Mal considered her options like any good queen would. Uma had Ben, the bribing material. She could either play Uma's game and trust they wouldn't hurt Ben while she was gone and that Auradon wouldn't have a fit when she asked for the Fairy Godmother's wand and –

The wand. Why would they want the wand? A magical artifact that was powerful and... not useless inside the barrier. This wasn't about revenge on Mal, it was about escape. Of course, since her mother was involved. It was always about escape.

Mal glanced at the ropes that had been broken when Ursula fell into the sea the day before. They had been repaired and restrung twice over. They were attached equally as strong to the ship. If they wanted to escape, they'd have to cut through the newly-strengthened ropes, and there were so many it could take anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes.

A plan began to form in her head. There was some principle of magical barriers that she'd heard in the moors – a barrier will never hold the person who created it. Or, by extension, the artifact that created it. Meaning that the wand, which had shaped the barrier, would work inside the barrier. And since she had re-conformed the barrier when the utopia was first built, she was also able to perform magic inside of it. She'd certainly lost a bit of magic doing so much yesterday, but maybe she could still bring down the barrier...

She rubbed her fingers together and felt a subtle static charge pick up. It was risky, but there were so many villains she doubted they could shoot them all before someone managed to slit either hers or Ben's throats. So, fight the villains with magic or risk someone dying. The barrier to Auradon should keep out anyone who managed to escape the scene of the crime, so the only threat should be to the Isle City or the Moorlands if the escapees can get that far. If she could get the barrier down and then use magic and the stun guns to knock them out..."I have a counter-offer," Mal announced.

Uma laughed. "If you want to negotiate, take it to Auradon! I'm not here for debating." She picked up a sword and pointed it to Ben. "You look at your prissy prince's face. How long do you expect me to stay patient, Mal? I've waited years for this!"

"No one has to get hurt," Mal said. "You want the wand to bring down the barrier, yes? What if I do it right here?" She pointed at the ground to accentuate her point. Behind her, Mal's crew exchanged wild looks. She heard Audrey muttering under her breath.

The villains quieted in their anxious stirring and stared at her in shock. Mal cupped her hands and breathed into them. A glowing sphere of green magic appeared in her hand. She held it aloft proudly. Maleficent faltered and outstretched a hand like she was remembering what she'd lost all those years ago. A crazed look filled her eyes, and Mal was reminded of those awful days where her mother would lock them in the apartment to scheme on how to escape the Isle, even when everyone else knew it was futile. Dr. Facilier, Lady Tremaine, Mother Gothel, Yzma, the Evil Queen, and Jafar all stared at the green orb in her hands longingly.

Uma turned and saw the way the villains were staring at Mal with intense longing. She studied Mal. "Bring Ben over." She commanded.

Captain Hook yanked Ben back so fast that Harry almost lost his balance and toppled overboard. Gaston and Gil glared at Ben as the immortal Captain pulled Adam's son towards Uma. They forced him to his knees on the gangplank and pushed his head down so that he couldn't even look Mal in the eyes. Every muscle in his arm was taunt - like he was prepared to pounce.

How had Uma managed to wrap the worst villains in the land around her finger? Mal had never seen her mother bow to anyone, yet here she was; letting Uma call shots.

"Bring it down first," Uma commanded, holding a new sword at ready. "Then you can snatch him and go."

Mal held out a hand with half of the orb still on it. "Swear on your life and on the lives of everyone here that you won't take him back after I bring it down."

Uma carefully skirted the edge of the gangplank, around Ben, and examined Mal's hand. "I so swear." She agreed. They shook on it, and the orb dissolved upon contact with Uma's skin. Uma stared at her hand, then retreated back behind Ben. Gaston walked to the edge of the gangplank and pulled the sword Uma had been sharpening from the barrel. Captain Hook moved out of the way as Gaston raised the sword above Ben's head.

Mal searched out for the magic of the barrier in the clouds above her. It took a little focus, but having worked with the weaving before, she managed to find it. She felt all the way around the Isle quickly, knowing that the more time she spent at this, the more drained she would become. She was powerful, but not inexhaustible. Finally, when she had a good bearing of the barrier and its hinks and trauncts, she poured her magic into the faults and began severing the barrier's hold. A sonic boom echoed from the sky and the clouds parted. A single ray of sunshine fell down upon her head.

Unsecured items on the dock and on the ship began to float upwards. Gaston's sword was ripped from his hand as the Queen of Hearts began to float upwards just a tad. Audrey yelled in surprise behind Mal.

Mal raised her hand to the sky as a neon blue bolt of lightning arced down from the sky, striking her palm. Mal absorbed the Fairy Godmother's residual magic as if it were her own, even though she was aware it would change her magical structure slightly. The clouds overhead dispersed, and the air cleared as the open-sea wind whisked onto the Isle and carried the pollution away. The black water began to clear for the first time in thirty years as fresh sea waves washed in.

Mal brought her hand back down as the lightning ceased and swayed on the spot. Above their heads was the sound of wind chimes, but as everyone looked up, they realized it was the result of about thirty-years-worth of snow and rain freezing on top of the barrier now falling on their heads.

Everyone ducked as black and grey ice rained down. Uma shrieked and held her hands up to cover her face. Her arms were scraped by the deadly shrapnel as it crashed to the earth. Ben ducked his head so that his jacket got the worst of it, and Mal threw up a panic shield around herself so the ice slid off her bubble and directly into the sea below. It hit the water and dissolved into the ocean. The sun hit the Isle for the first time in about thirty years, and the black ice began to melt into the soil.

Everyone was silent as they stared at the dissipating clouds. Mal panted from the intense magical strain she'd just performed. Her knees shook. She stretched forward a hand to try and quickly bind her mother (Or at least knock her out) but the strain was too much for her. Her hand would do nothing. She'd brought the barrier down for nothing.

Maleficent laughed. In a panic, Mal lunged forward, seized Ben's hand, and pulled him toward her. His shoes skidded on the gangplank as she yanked him out of his shock and to his feet. His hand felt warm and secure in hers. "Go!" She yelled.

"What did you do?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Go, go, go!" Mal urged, pushing Ben towards the pier. She stretched her hand out and managed to summon a spell to knock Gaston out as the large man began to rush towards Belle's son. Then she turned and tried to shove Ben off the gangplank. "Go, leave!" She screamed.

Ben grabbed her arm to keep his balance and shook his head. "If you think I'm leaving you, we obviously don't know each other well enough to be married." He slipped past Mal, back onto the ship, taking his sword out of the sheath on her hip. Mal watched him return to the ship, raising his sword above his shoulder. A pirate dashed towards him with a slightly-rusty, one-edged sword. Ben balanced his weight, braced his sword, and Mal flinched. Their other teammates took up swords and rushed onto the ship to attack the villains after him.

Afterwards, Mal would think it was silly that she'd worried for him, but at the time she'd only ever seen him fight her for fun, never against people who wanted him dead.

The pirate slammed against Ben's sword with his own weapon, expecting the Auradon king to be knocked back. Ben didn't even flinch. The pirate lost his footing upon being utterly unable to force Ben back and went skidding across the deck, slamming into the gangplank. Ben looked back at Mal with a firm, dedicated expression. She let loose a smile. He'd be just fine, she didn't need to protect him. She took up a sword and leveled her gaze with her mother, across the deck.

Maleficent summoned magic into her hands, just to watch the power flicker over her hands. And it occurred to Mal that her magic was actually a different color than Maleficent. It was brighter, more neon, and much more powerful. When had she become more powerful than Maleficent? She strode forward, bracing her sword, and marched to face her mother, heart hammering against her ribcage. Maleficent watched her daughter come forward, and a soft light entered her eyes. "You got a bit more height," She murmured.

Mal swallowed and a pinching feeling started in her throat. She felt power coming back into her hands slowly. "I'm still short." She mumbled, and Maleficent nodded.

"Like me," She agreed, and Mal flinched. She'd heard those words dozens of times before, all throughout her life, and they were not any less painful than they'd been before. Maleficent's expression was cold, but not frozen. "You know I would let you come back." She hummed. "You could be my daughter again. You wouldn't be a disappointment to me anymore."

Mal closed her eyes and let out a breath. "If the choice is a disappointment to you or a disappointment to myself, I know where my loyalties lie." She looked at her mom with tear pricking her eyes. "It's time to say goodbye to the past." Maleficent's face twisted up and the fairy witch let out a yell of outrage. Mal raised her sword and a free hand, and she and her mom began exchanging spell for spell for spell.

Across the deck, Ben was beginning a battle of his own. Harry Hook unsheathed his sword as he eyed Ben up and down. "You think you can hold a candle to an Islander, Young King?" He sneered. Behind Ben, the pirate who'd slammed the gangplank was slowly getting to his feet.

Ben watched enemies appear around him. It was clear that, while he was still considered easy prey, he was also considered a prized target. Seven pirates, including Harry Hook, surrounded him. Ben eyed each of them carefully. "I had another Islander say almost that exact same thing to me, and she got her rear end handed to her. Let's see how you do."

They couldn't all rush him at once without cutting themselves, so Ben just had to make sure and be fast. Harry Hook dashed forward with an ear-splitting screech and Ben threw him back. He whirled and caught another pirate's sword in a lock, hiked him backwards, and then caught his wrist to hurl him into two of his buddies. Then he was back to the front, sword fighting two more people and hiking them into the center of the deck, occasionally stopping to block pirates who were tailing him, trying to get him while his back was turned. With a splash, one went overboard.

Ben managed to steal a sword from one of his two opponents before he turned into a whirlwind of metal, forcing each of his remaining opponents back. Two more went into the ocean, and one hit his head against the mast, lifeless. Harry Hook looked about ready to spit blood. He jumped into the circle Ben had cleared around himself and stopped Ben swinging at a pirate who was dangerously pressed to the barrier of the deck. He and Ben parried and exchanged blow for blow for blow. Beads of sweat appeared on Harry's forehead as he tried to keep up with Ben's quick, natural swings. The pirate was quickly wearing down. Ben forced Harry to his knees, feeling a little winded as the other an struggled to try and get to his feet.

"Well, being a king feels a lot better now, let me tell you?" He whispered. Harry bared his teeth and tried to push back against Ben, but Ben forced the pirate to stay grounded.

"I'm going to kill you, you filthy Auradon Beast!" Harry yelled, veins throbbing in his neck.

Ben, keeping Harry down and struggling under his blade with one hand used the other to take Harry's hook from him. He popped the hook off of his hand guard and displayed it to Harry. "This is mine now," Ben announced. He threw Harry to the ground and kicked him in the stomach. Then, he made as if he were tossing it overboard, slipping the hook into his sleeve. Harry panicked and leaped overboard, not even stopping to consider the idea that Ben had kept it. Ben turned to the last two opponents and readied his swords. Both looked fairly surprised he'd managed to fight so well, but only one looked doubtful in their ability to take him down.

One jumped forward, but Ben threw them back using their own weight. They collapsed into the wall of the upper-level portion of the ship and went motionless. When Ben turned around, the last pirate had disappeared. Jay was staring at Ben, amazing and holding a sword uselessly in his right hand. Ben exhaled and waited to see what Jay would say, but it appeared Mal's old friend was at a loss for words.

"I - uh - was coming to rescue you," Jay explained, sounding very surprised.

Ben kept a straight face as he wondered why Isle People had a habit of assuming all Auradonians were weak. All things considered, it had been the heroes that had defeated the villains, not the other way around. But, since he couldn't exactly articulate this logic, he just shrugged. "Mal and I have more in common than we seem."

Jay's expression fell but didn't darken. He exhaled. "Yeah, I'm starting to see that," He admitted. Ben felt an invisible wind lift him up. He was finally starting to get it.

Ben held up his sword and Jay did the same. "Let's do this?" Ben asked.

Jay nodded. "Lets," he agreed. "And later, you'll have to teach me some of your moves."

"Think I measure up?" Ben asked, raising a little eyebrow.

Jay exhaled. "Dude, I'm going to have to stop underestimating you Auradon Folks. I think you could kick my butt any way to Sunday and back." Ben burst into laughter and together they rushed into battle.

Audrey and Lonnie took up close stances with Audrey mirroring Lonnie's movements as much as possible and Lonnie picking up Audrey's slack as best she could. Carlos and Captain Hook were exchanging swipes. Carlos wasn't as well-trained as Hook, but he was certainly much faster than him. Jay and Ben jumped around the ship, knocking enemies off and keeping attention on them. History had never seen a pair more talented in swordsmanship than those two.

Maleficent let loose a wild cackle as she summoned her magic upon her. Green flames engulfed her feet. Mal stretched forth a hand and they vanished, leaving only seared marks at her mother's feet. She was still exhausted, but her magic had returned and was fairing strong. Someone seized a new sword and rushed at her, but a blue laser blew out from behind Mal and struck him in the chest. He howled once and toppled into the sea.

Jay leaped past Mal with a stun gun in one hand and a sword in the other. He shot Dr. Facilier as the man pulled a handful of pink powder out of a pouch at his hip. Dr. Facilier fell to the ground. The powder spilled out of his hand and across the deck. Immediately, the deck began to glow golden. Mal's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Not too long ago, of course, Tinker Bell had pixie-dusted the entire ship. Now, it seemed Dr. Facilier had re-summoned the flying enchantment. She'd heard a rumor that Dr. Facilier only specialized in illusion magic, and to do any serious voodoo he had to request help from his 'friends', but the ship was rising into the sky, obviously real. Mal jumped aboard as the ship began to strain at its bonds and yanked her sword out of the pouch that she'd carried all the other swords in. Uma swung at her, but Mal ducked and the two began to battle swing for swing, blow for blow. Behind her, the rest of her teammates were jumping aboard, including Ben, who grabbed a second sword from Uma's barrel and ran to pick a fight with Captain Hook, immediately driving the other man into the ground, figuratively and literally.

"Ben!" Mal yelled. She ripped the stun gun from her hip and threw it to him. It landed on the deck where he slid and grabbed it. He shot the Queen of Hearts, who fell to the deck. As the ship rose into the sky, the ropes tying it to the dock began to strain but refused to break. The ship left the water entirely, and the deck tilted. Villains began falling overboard, but Mal's team and a couple of lucky crew members seized the ropes and pulleys that covered the ship and planted their feet firmly as the boat began to be pulled to a harsh ninety-degree angle, hanging off the dock by the ropes securing it. Mal gripped the side of the ship, which was now parallel with the ground. Only Maleficent remained standing upright as magic rooted her to the deck. She cackled as she played with green fire in her hands obsessively. As she walked across the vertical deck to Mal, Mal's newly unstable magic lashed out. Maleficent dodged sparks and grabbed her daughter's face. She twisted it from side to side. "A magical queen," She sneered. "I'll show you what a true evilicious magical queen can be!" Her eyes lit up like emeralds held in front of a fire and Maleficent dissolved into smoke. Mal gasped, fearing that her mother was going to try to head to Auradon, but instead, her form began to swirl and change.

In Maleficent's place was now a magical dragon, flying alongside the ship as it shrieked and yelled. The dragon had ugly, grey, scaly horns growing out of its head like a demented crown. Its body was covered in iron-like purple scales with large scars here and there. It howled and began to circle the ship.

"Mal!" Ben yelled from where he was hanging onto the rope ladder leading up to the bird's nest. "We can't keep this up forever!"

Mal knew he was right. "I don't know what to do!" She shrieked back. Originally, when she'd planned to bring down the barrier, she'd thought she could immediately bind Maleficent and Facilier before taking care of everyone else. Now that Maleficent had gone dragon and the ship was floating? Not so much.

"You can do this, Mal!" Someone yelled above her. Mal looked up to see that it was Audrey, who was hanging onto the opposite side of the ship for dear life.

"You're going down, Mal," Uma growled. She'd righted her feet on the side of the ship and was bearing her sword in hand. Mal knew she had to act fast, but she still didn't know what to do.

As Mal looked around desperately, Uma leaped into action. All Mal saw was the flash of polished steel as Uma's blade of injustice came down on her head.