It has come to my attention that this story is long. Really long. Longer than any of the Harry Potter Books, the Percy Jackson Novels, the Twilight Saga, Narnia, the Hobbit, or the Book of Mormon. I'm making an effort to cut back on words, though I still have a few more things to add.

Mal hopped down the steps and brushed her ripped-up jeans off. She was wearing a short-sleeved purple exercise shirt that clung to her skin. It wasn't very practical for wings, Mal thought as she moved her hands above her head to see how far the shirt moved up on her waist. Maybe she could get Evie to design some fashionable shirts with holes in the back. She could, of course, rip and heal the fabric as her wings grew in and out, but it took a few extra seconds to get started and going.

With a little thought, her wings materialized from her back and she lifted off the ground. She soared upwards, trusting her wings and her fae instincts to carry her forward. Then she thrust herself forward in the sky and began to make her trip to the docks.

The air was still warm and sticky from the hot August sun, but it felt nice to whoosh over the trees, roads, and people below. Mal couldn't go that high due to air quality and the ever-looming prospect of falling. Therefore, she stuck to a reasonable height above the ground, where people couldn't easily recognize her and where she could see where she was going.

As Mal neared the docks, she saw her little ship waiting in the harbor to take her to the Isle. A long stretch car was nearby. Mal landed behind a building and quickly retracted her wings. She peered around the corner of the building she'd landed behind and crept outside.

Down the road was the long stretch car she had seen from the sky. Aurora and Phillip were hovering near the open door. Audrey was standing a few feet away, with a bag slung over her shoulder and a bright smile. She had braided her hair down her back and was wearing a tank top with thick straps over her shoulders. Her legs were mostly covered by capris, which were loose enough to be rolled up more if needed. She looked like a normal beach-goer instead of a princess. Mal felt a surge of pride.

"Hi, Mal!" Audrey smiled when she spotted the purple fairy coming down the path. She raised a hand and waved.

"Hey, Audrey!" Mal smiled. She raised her hand for a high-five as she approached the older girl. Audrey accepted. Mal turned her attention to the king and queen waiting anxiously near the car door like they wanted to hop in and drive away but weren't sure what to do. "Is everything okay?" Mal asked.

"Oh, yes." Aurora nodded. "We're seeing her off. We wanted to wait until you got back to leave." She bit her lip as she looked her daughter up and down. "Audrey's very excited to go back." She said. "But I'm a bit nervous. Will she be safe?"

"Mom," Audrey groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Yes," Mal confirmed. "We'll be in the city, and there's no crime or danger there. Right now, we're just helping people get set up. She'll be completely safe."

Aurora visibly relaxed. "Okay." She said, sounding much more sure of herself. "I trust you." She told Mal. Aurora put a hand on Phillip's shoulder. "She'll be fine." She told her husband. Her voice was strong and powerful. Mal blinked. It was almost like Aurora was trying to charm speak. She must have picked it up in the moors.

Phillip nodded. He stepped away from the car and wrapped his big arms around Audrey. He kissed the crown of her head and whispered: "I love you, come home soon."

"I will, papa." Audrey giggled. "I love you." She squeezed him tightly.

Phillip let the ghost of a smile slip across his face and murmured something back to her. They separated, and Audrey waved as both of her parents slipped into the car and the car began to drive off. When it had vanished around the end of the road, Audrey let out a deep sigh. Mal raised an eyebrow. "You sure everything's okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." Audrey nodded. "Actually… it's great. The funniest thing – ever since I got back from the Isle, I've been… lighter somehow."

"Oh?" Mal asked. "That is funny, considering we almost died two or three times last time."

"Maybe we can raise that count to four this time around." Audrey laughed, which surprised Mal more than anything, but she tried to quickly brush it off. Mal gestured dramatically to the end of the wharf, where a little ship waited to take them to the Isle. "How did you get here so fast?" Audrey asked as they approached the gangplank and began to climb onto the ship.

"I flew," Mal explained nonchalantly.

"You can fly?" Audrey asked. She didn't sound surprised, only curious.

"I have wings." Mal nodded. "They're purple and feathery. I usually wear them in the moorlands."

"Can I see?" Audrey asked.

Mal shrugged. As they stopped on the boat deck and crew members began to rush to and fro, she pulled her hair out of the way and turned around. Audrey hummed in mild surprise as Mal let her wings grow out. The princess drew a hand down the dark purple and Mal was pleased when the touch didn't bring tears to her eyes. They were growing stronger and less sensitive. And they were growing longer too if she wasn't wrong.

"So, why don't you just fly to the Isle?" Audrey asked.

"Not strong enough yet," Mal said, drawing a wing around her arm like a large, feathery blanket. She rubbed the stiff feathers along the top of the wing and resisted the urge to giggle at the tickling sensation. "I've been working on making them stronger, but I don't want to push them that far until I know I won't fall into the ocean and die."

The boat moved off of the harbor and Mal and Audrey both swayed, then continued talking as if nothing had happened. "So, in theory, when the Jolly Roger was sideways, and you were hanging off the side, you wouldn't have died because you had wings?" Audrey asked.

"In theory." Mal shrugged. "But that would have made it easier for my mom to knock me out. She couldn't knock me off the ship without killing her allies as well. And Uma would have flown into a rage. I think the fact I was both magical and about to fall off the ship drew a lot of attention from you guys and kept the other pirates from going after you."

Audrey walked to the end of the ship and watched the water crest around the ship's edge. "I owe you my life." She said softly. "I don't know if I can ever repay you for that."

"Jay said the same thing to Ben." Mal shrugged. "So, allow me to steal my husband's words." She cleared her throat. "Don't worry about it. It would be more than enough just for me to see you happy."

Audrey chuckled. "I used to think I wouldn't be able to be happy without Ben, but I'm beginning to think the Isle changed my thinking. When you told me that Ben would be proud of me, that was nice of course, but I thought: 'I'm proud of me! This is wicked cool!'" Both Mal and Audrey laughed. "The point is…" Audrey continued, pausing to put her chin on her hand and to peer out towards the Isle. "I feel a lot happier with myself. I haven't been this happy in months. Maybe years. So… thank you. Thanks for putting me in group one and saving my life when that man started shooting at us. You changed me."

Mal didn't say anything. She just smiled and patted Audrey's shoulder. "The world has a funny way of giving us what we need." She said. She grabbed a rope that was strung from the lookout post down to the ship railing and used it to climb up onto the railing. "Me, for example? I didn't know I needed Belle."

"Belle?" Audrey asked. "What about Ben?"

"Ben is a nice addition to getting Belle as a mother-in-law," Mal said seriously. She held a straight-mouthed expression for several seconds before she burst into giggles. Audrey laughed with her.

After about thirty more minutes, the captain called: "Land ho!" as they passed through the barrier onto the Isle. It had only been a few days, but thin, wispy clouds were already starting to collect in the greater area of the Isle. Soon, the Isle would again be overshadowed. She'd make sure that the air would never again be as it were. Mal looked out over the beach, where people were splashing and running about. She needed to start helping everyone get their lives together now.

"Our first business of order." Mal told Audrey, "Is to hunt down the Deavor girls and ask if there's anything we can get for the citizens."

"Okay." Audrey nodded determinedly.

Mal examined her partner and smirked. "We should get you a citizenship card." She said to Audrey.

Audrey's eyes lit up. "Can I have one?" She asked.

"Sure." Mal shrugged. "You'll have the starting amount of points and your own apartment on the very top floor."

"Cool." Audrey agreed.

Mal smiled. The ship began to pull into the small harbor that had been built when they'd first started construction and the crew rushed around to start the docking process. Strewn around the deck were numerous packages of various sizes for the Isle of the Lost. A few were probably things Mal had ordered for the Isle, but others would be donations from Auradonians. Mal felt a surge of pride for her husband's citizens.

As soon as the gangplank was lowered, Audrey and Mal slipped off. People waved and called to both of them as they wove their way towards the government building. The barrier looked a pretty pink above the walls before it became translucent against the bright blue sky. Although people were still allowed to go back and forth, no one had traveled to and fro since the Auradonian volunteers had vacated.

Mal held the door open for Audrey as they slipped inside. Inside, Evelyn Deavor was typing away on her screen while Eliza spoke to a small group a few feet away. Evelyn looked up at the sound of the door closing and put her tablet down with a smile when she saw Mal and Audrey.

"Why, it's two of my favorite people!" Evelyn smiled. "How can I help you, your majesties?"

"Just Audrey." Audrey corrected before Mal could open her mouth. "Do you have any idea of things that we need to buy from Auradon to start things up around here? School supplies and such?"

Evelyn smiled. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that anyway. Robert Callahan, who was allowed into the city before the whole 'Dragon Trip', has offered to teach classes. He says he has about thirty years' worth of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Robotics, and Math classes, the like. He said that, if you'll employ him, he'd be willing to hold classes in his own apartment or outside so that people can gain educations in those fields."

"I want a course description and synapse," Mal said immediately. "I want to make sure people get the education they need, and that he won't just say he'll teach them and pass them off. Those are high-level courses, though. Is there anyone else I might be able to ask to teach subjects for smaller children?"

"Not many," Evelyn admitted. "Cruella might have been able to do business, but she's still on the greater part of the Isle. Plenty of people can do magic, I'd be willing to teach design as a part-time thing, but…" Evelyn trailed off, biting her cheek.

"I get it." Mal sighed. "I'll talk to Hiro Hamada in Auradon and see what sort of resources he has for us. What do we need as far as school supplies?"

"Well…" Evelyn chewed her lip in thought. "We could go the traditional route with paper and pencils. Or… we could bring in screens for everyone that they could just carry through their school years. Try them to their cards. Turn in their assignments with a few taps. Greater student collaboration that way."

Mal's shoulder slumped in thought. "Yeah, but it's more money that way." She sighed. "I don't the Isle to get more into debt than we already have. I understand you need some things, but I can't just borrow from Auradon forever."

"Well, think of it this way," Evelyn said. "Spend money on paper and pencils for the next twenty years until you do have enough money to switch or start out with school-appointed tablets, which will cut cost on textbooks, utensils, the like. This way kids can't smuggle things as easily into their schoolrooms too. When they graduate, wipe the tablet down, erase the data, and hand it to the next person."

Mal sighed. "That does make sense." She admitted. "I'll bounce Ideas off Ben and figure out which will cost more in the long-run. Maybe Hiro will have tips on that as well. For now, though, our goals are finding someone who can teach younger students, and who can teach things like English and writing."

"I can." Audrey volunteered, raising her hand up beside her cheek. "I don't have a teaching license or anything, but I could totally teach an English class. I got my associates degree back while I was still at Auradon Prep, and I finished my bachelor's last summer."

"Fantastic," Mal said. "I don't know what either of those are, but it sounds like you have an idea of what to do. Would you be okay to teach? You do still live in Auradon."

Audrey bit her cheek in thought. "I think I can make it work." She decided. "When should we start?"

"As soon as possible," Mal told her. "I love that the citizens are having so much fun, but I didn't build this city so that everyone could have it for free. I told Ben we would pay our dues back as soon as we could."

"We've already started." Evelyn cut in. She pressed a few buttons on her tablet and whirled it around to show Mal. "Inter-citizen trade has been going on since the Auradonians left. People with magic have been in-home healing and fixing items for a small fee, people have started up in-home and separate shops, and a small construction team is gathering to allow people to pay them to build new structures while also accepting commissions from us. I've already started putting things into blueprints for them. ."

Mal's face broke out into a smile. This was the best news she'd had in a long, long time.

"Of course-" Evelyn cut off as she turned her screen back around. "our little government is creating more money than people are using to buy and sell but give it a few months for everyone to feel more comfortable with what they have and you'll have yourself a little monopoly. Hopefully by the end of the January after this coming one-" Evelyn made little stacking motions with her hands to describe her meaning. "You can stop creating new points out of thin air and use the money you have in your system, accounting for inflation of population and the natural rise of trade between Auradon and the Isle, of course."

Mal shook her head. "You're a genius." She told Evelyn. "What would I do without you?"

"Do this all yourself, I bet." Evelyn shrugged. "But hey, it gives me a purpose!"

"So… you're basically creating money out of thin air?" Audrey asked doubtfully.

"Yeah." Mal shrugged. "Everyone had a starting amount on their cards. People who come to me and ask for work can get more points added to their cards based on a stipend. Like Evelyn here." Mal gestures to Evelyn, who smiled and made a peace sign with her fingers. "We have food coming from Auradon still, but as soon as we get things going, I'll put a stop to that."

"I have someone who might be able to run a store or something for you." Evelyn declared. "And, at the same time, a request to garrison."

Every muscle in Mal's body tensed. "Request to garrison?" She asked slowly.

Evelyn's fingers flew up and down her screen. When she turned it around, the face of a very familiar pirate was onscreen.

"Harry?" Mal gasped. Beside her, Audrey clutched her purse and looked alarmed.

"Well, what did you expect?" Evelyn asked with an eye roll. "He's in love – you said it on TV yourself."

Mal's fingers went numb. "Uma." She let out a breath. "But… she doesn't remember him anymore." She turned to Audrey, white-faced and shaking. "What should I do?"

Audrey shrugged. "I don't know, but I trust you."

That didn't help. It wasn't an answer. If only being Queen of a land and a system you created came with a manual someone else had come up with. Mal exhaled. "Is there any way I can talk to him?"

Evelyn made a distant gesture towards where the city's gate was located. "He's been outside ever since you left. I only spoke to him yesterday, but he's camping there and asking everyone who comes close to fetch Uma for him. Desperation."

Mal lifted a hand and pressed it to her collarbone as she thought. "Has he… eaten?" She asked.

Evelyn shrugged. "Probably not. He's probably thinking to stay there and starve until he sees her."

Mal exhaled and looked back at Audrey. "Let's go see him." She decided. Audrey nodded. "Thank you, Evelyn." Mal squeezed her hand. "If you can, gather a list of bare essentials we need to get schools and certain businesses running, and we'll go from there."

"Wifi," Evelyn answered automatically. "This place would fly a lot quicker if they could look things up. Just saying." She held her hands up in defense as Mal nodded. "I'll look into what's going on and start organizing crews," Evelyn promised.

"Thank you," Mal repeated. She and Audrey began to back away. Evelyn waved as they slipped back outside. As the sunshine hit their faces, they began to speed-walk across the ground to the gate. Neither passed through, but they both peered around at the dark and gloomy expanse outside of the city. The clouds were gathering more steadily now, and it would only be a matter of time before the greater part of the Isle was completely overcast, just like before.

"Harry?" Audrey called suspiciously.

"Aye." A croak came from just behind the wall. Mal stepped out of the barrier, fully confident in her ability to perform magic and defend herself, to look around. A figure was slumped about three yards past the opening, leaning on the Wall. A pirate's hat was on the ground next to him, and he was twisting his hands nervously.

Mal walked over, which prompted Audrey to leave the safety of the barrier and follow her. Her blue and brown sneakers left even prints in the moist dirt. Mal knelt down a short distance from Harry. His skin was white and pasty, and he had deep bags under his eyes. He was covered in bruises. Dark seawater was dried in sticky black sheets on his skin. He must have fallen into the water during the battle. Mal's gut twisted. "You look awful." She told him.

Harry chuckled and grimaced simultaneously. "I can't sleep." He whispered.

"Where's your hook?" Mal asked. "How did you get out of the water?"

"It wasn't so bad wi' the tide coming in," Harry coughed. "Yer king threw it in that water. Some nobility you have in Auradon."

Mal sat back on her butt, stunned. Ben couldn't have known that the water was dangerous to even touch; that it would swallow you up. She swallowed. "Harry…" She trailed off.

Harry interrupted her. "I crawled up and she was gone. They brought her here. Please, please tell me she's happy? You ain't holding her?" His dark eyes were boring holes into Mal's soul.

"She's okay." Mal nodded. "She broke her back when she fell on the ship. I healed her, and we brought her here, but Harry-" She leaned forward and put a hand on his shoulder. A layer of grime fell off and stuck to her fingers. "She agreed to have her memories erased. She didn't want to remember the pain. She doesn't remember anything about the Isle anymore."

Harry pulled away. "You lie." He said softly, though he was already curling up into himself. "You've always lied." He shook his head and buried his head in his arms.

"I did what I had to do," Mal sighed, squeezing her eyes closed. "So, you've seen her then?"

He didn't move, and his voice was muffled because of his arms. "She walked past a couple of times with Drizella's daughter. Her hair looks nice. She finally took it out of all them braids… cut them off at her shoulders and let it fluff out in the sun."

"I haven't been able to see her yet." Mal sighed. "I'm sure she looks great." She examined Harry as she navigated different solutions in her head. "Listen, I can't let you in as you are. I feel bad for you, I do, but she needs to find out who she is without the villainy. It wouldn't be fair for me to expect you to not tell her." She exhaled. "And, on top of that, you fought against us. You made your choice. Once you get her back, will you really stay away from villainy?"

Harry didn't move. Mal wrung her hands as the silence intensified. Finally, she continued. "I can do an equal deal for what I did for her. If you allow me, I'll erase your memories of the Isle, introduce you to yourself as the son of Captain Hook. You can keep your possessions, and I'll reintroduce you to Uma. And then, maybe in a year or so, I'll let you have them all back, and you can make the decision to leave or stay. I didn't come to fight, so for once, do something right for yourself. "

Harry moved his head back upwards, though it was clear he didn't have the strength to do much. "You can do that?" He asked suspiciously.

"I'll even sign a contract," Mal told him. "You pick a day – any day after this time next year, and it'll say "Mal is required to return all of Harry Hook's memories on month-day-time-place, and I'll do it. You can put that paper on record and keep a copy with you, and I swear on my Mother's grave I will do it."

Harry took a deep breath and broke into coughs. Small spots of blood appeared in his hand as he covered his mouth. Mal stared. "You're sick." She said plainly.

"Yeah," Harry admitted. "Opening up the barrier brought some nasty stuff over. Almost everyone is sick. Ursula, Jafar, Facilier…."

"Magical Poisoning." Mal's eyes filled with tears. "They'll be okay, the barrier wasn't open for long, but…."

"But what?" Audrey asked. She covered her mouth in horror. "Your mom! She's in Auradon!"

Mal nodded as Harry wiped the remaining blood off his chin with a solemn attitude. "She's dying." She whispered, eyeing a tuft of Harry's hair that looked like it was about to fall out. "You're probably sick from the water, though," She told Harry. "Has anyone else ever come out of it?"

Harry shrugged. "No way ter tell." He tried to lift his arm but didn't have the strength to.

Mal put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to come inside?" She asked.

Harry stared ahead blankly for several seconds. He paused for so long Mal almost panicked. He looked like he might have died. But then he cleared his throat and nodded.

Mal turned to Audrey. "Fetch me a paper, please?" She asked. Audrey dropped her purse to the dirty ground and began to rummage. She quickly pulled out a blank pad of paper and a pen. Mal scribbled on it just as she'd said and turned the paper to Harry. Harry lifted the pen and wrote: January 22. A year and a half away. He signed his name and returned it to Mal.

"It's my birthday." He whispered. "I don't want to forget it."

Mal nodded. She ripped off the paper and returned the pad and pen to Audrey before she returned the paper to Harry. He folded it in fourths and held onto it tightly. "Can you move?" She asked Harry. He shook his head.

With Audrey and Mal's help, Harry managed to lay himself down on the ground. Mal smoothed his greasy hair as best she could and pressed her hands to the top of his scalp. "Be clean, be whole, of body and soul." She commanded softly.

Harry's body began to mend and straighten out of its own accord. Audrey and Mal both watched – tight-lipped – as Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ready?" Mal asked.

Harry grit his teeth and nodded.

"No more sorrow, no more fantasy. Relieve your pain and no more memory." Mal repeated, just as she had for Uma. Harry looked around wildly, in panic, and then abruptly relaxed. His eyes fluttered closed, just like Uma's had, and he went straight to sleep. Mal didn't let him sleep for long. She shook him carefully, and after a few seconds, Harry's eyes opened again.

"Hello?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hello," Mal said. "I'm Mal. I'm the queen of the city inside this wall, and of the Island that we're on."

"Oh. That's cool." Harry furrowed his brow.

"You're Harry Hook," Mal said, laying a hand down on Harry's arm. "You won't remember for a little while because you and I agreed it would be better to forget and I took those memories away. Do you see that paper in your hand?"

Harry unfolded the paper and looked at it. "January twenty-second." He read.

"That's the day I'll give you your memories back," Mal promised. "It's also your birthday." She winked conspiratorially.

Harry, to her surprise, blushed. "Okey." He slurred.

"I have someone you asked me to introduce you to," Mal said, very seriously. "You loved them very much. They're why you wanted to come into the city in the first place."

Harry looked between her and Audrey. "Is it you?" He asked Mal.

Mal blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, no it's not, I'm sorry."

Harry looked at Audrey. "Is it you?" He asked.

Audrey shook her head with a sad smile. Mal put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "They're like you." She told him. "She doesn't remember you either, but you two loved each other very much. We're going to go find her right now." Harry nodded. Mal got to her feet and helped him up. He swayed a bit, then went back to being the same steady pirate Mal had always known.

Mal guided Harry to the entrance slowly. "People might ask you about things that happened on the Isle, or about your dad. It's okay to tell them that you don't know."

"Is my dad inside?" Harry asked.

Mal shook her head. "I'm sorry, no." She didn't tell Harry that Captain Hook was still on this part of the Isle. He'd probably figure that out on his own and hopefully would have the sense to not go looking for his past. "When you get your memories back, you'll remember what he was like."

Harry nodded. Mal stepped inside of the barrier, but Audrey and Harry were momentarily trapped outside since the barrier had been sealed to those who didn't have a card.

The blank cards had been sealed into the wall. Only Mal could remove them now that the moor-women had gone home. She selected a dark red card and a hot pink card and presented them to Harry and Audrey. They quickly shook hands on conditions before Mal pulled them back to where they'd left Evelyn. Audrey officially received her top-most apartment room and Harry got one strategically placed across from Uma's, diagonal from Anastasia and Dizzy. Then they led him down to the beach, where most of the island socialized. They quickly found Anastasia and Dizzy doing basic haircuts in the surf and gathering the cut hair up with thin nets so that it wouldn't stick to the surfers. Audrey left her bag on the beach beside their supplies. A short way away, Uma was standing in the waist-deep water, observing with careless surprise how she could bend the sea to her will.

Mal stepped into the surf. "Uma!" She called.

Uma looked up. Like Harry had described, she'd unbraided her hair. It had been cut even shorter than he'd claimed. It was in pretty turquoise beach waves, going no further than mid-neck length. Streaks of white made the blue seem bright and colorful. She was wearing a turquoise tank-top that looked Auradonian. Thousands of brand-new sun kisses dotted her browned nose and arms.

Harry looked amazed as Mal pulled him by the upper arm to face Uma. "Harry, this is Uma. Uma, Harry." Mal introduced.

Harry sucked in a breath. "I know ye." He whispered. Uma looked equally interested. Her dark eyes traced Harry's arms as a little smile crept onto her face.

"I know neither of you remembers, but you were very important to each other before you came here," Mal explained, glancing between the two. "I wanted to introduce you to each other."

Uma held out a hand to shake, muscles rippling in the sun, but Harry only took it to hold it. His thumb ran over her knuckles. "I know why I loved you." He whispered.

Uma laughed. "You don't seem bad." She told him, nodding her approval to her new friend.

Mal backed away. She felt as if she were intruding on an extremely private moment. "If you have any questions, Harry, feel free to either ask me or anyone here. Don't lose your paper!" She cautioned.

"Oh!" Harry said, glancing down at his paper. "I should take this to my apartment." He looked at Uma. "Will you come with me?"

"Sure." Uma nodded. "I'm still learning the ropes too. What building are you in?"

Mal didn't hear Harry answer, but she heard Uma exclaim: "That's the same one as me!"

Audrey and Mal laughed together as they watched the two romp up onto the beach and head towards the city. "Just imagine their surprise when they find where his room is." Audrey chuckled as she looked out over the bay.

"I think they'll be just fine." Mal agreed.

Audrey looked over at where Dizzy and Anastasia were cutting hair. "Hey, Dizzy?" She called. "How much are you costing?"

Dizzy looked up with a smile. "We're trying three points for any colors since people are still getting used to the points system. It'll probably go up when we start figuring things out. Haircuts are free today and tomorrow because so many people need them." She helped rinse out a small girl's new hair, who felt it and yelled in joy.

"Can you do me?" Audrey asked, picking up a lock of hair. "I just want some pink streaks in it."

"Yeah." Dizzy smiled cheerfully. "We don't have all the things we had in Grandma's shop, so it'll take a little longer, but it'll still work since it's hot outside." She pulled on a pair of black gloves and began to walk back to the beach. Audrey followed her and so did Mal, for lack of nothing else to do at the moment.

"Do I need to wet my hair down?" Audrey asked.

"Nope." Dizzy shook her head. "We just put it in and let it dry. Now, how do you want it?" Dizzy picked up a bucket of various colors to show Audrey off the sand. Audrey selected the pink and Mal examined the colors as Dizzy pulled on the gloves and set to work putting pink on the ends of Audrey's hair.

Mal discovered a sparkly gold color and held it up to the sun to see the colorful gel stain inside. "Pretty color, isn't it?" A soft voice came from behind her.

Mal jumped and whirled to see Anastasia behind her. "Oh no." She said as the blood ran out of her face. "Your husband… I completely forgot!" She wailed. She hid her face as she berated herself for her slip. "I'm so sorry." She told Anastasia.

"It's okay." Anastasia smiled. "You've been busy."

"Yes." Mal nodded. "But that's no excuse. I will find him."

Anastasia smiled and her cheeks turned pink in the sunlight. "Do you want that color?" She asked, nodding at the bottle in Mal's hand.

Mal reexamined the color. "I don't know." She said. "Do the sparkles stay in the gel, or do they wash away?"

"They stay." Anastasia nodded. It looks like gold paint. It's thin enough it coats the hair and stays, and it can be done at different layers depending on how golden you want it.

Mal shrugged. "Can you do it in streaks? Like from the top of my head down?"

"Sure." Anastasia pulled some stained gloves out of her pocket and took the bottle out of Mal's hands. Mal turned awkwardly and sat in the surf with the waves lapping softly at her soaked clothes. Anastasia expertly separated Mal's hair and began to spread the color around Mal's head in moderate amounts. Within minutes, she had finished and left stunning gold streaks in Mal's long hair. Mal examined her reflection in the water's surface and decided it was time to return to the slightly curly locks she'd had back when she'd first went to Auradon.

"Nice." Audrey complimented her as she came to sit beside her. "I like the gold."

"I like the pink." Mal smiled. Audrey's hair was already starting to dry, but Mal's would be wet while the non-florescent color set.

Mal resisted the urge to pick at her hair. She wondered what Ben would think of it. If she decided she didn't like it after a few days, she could always cut it all off after the pixies grew it out.

"Okay," Dizzy said. She'd just finished scrubbing off her thick black gloves in the surf, which immediately set off warning bells in Mal's head. That stain couldn't be good for the beach. "We've only done this a few times. Mal probably knows more about it than we do. Do you have your cards?"

Audrey dug hers out of her pocket and held it out to Dizzy. We're charging three points." Dizzy told her.

Audrey nodded. "I know." She agreed. "You told me."

Dizzy nodded and moved her card closer to Audrey's. They swiped their cards past each others'. Audrey examined her card. There was a white square portion on the back that read the point balance. Audrey examined it. "Looks good." She said.

"Mine too." Dizzy smiled. They shook hands with smiles.

Mal held out her card to Anastasia. "Three?" She asked.

"Three." Anastasia nodded as she dug in her pocket for her card. As she looked, Mal pulled the card closer to her mouth and whispered a new number to it. Anastasia produced her card and they swiped without comment. Anastasia checked her balance on the back of the card. "I got seven extra points from you." She said with a frown. "Here." She held her card back out to re-swipe.

"Keep it." Mal shrugged. She carefully picked up a long lock of shiny golden hair and examined it. "You earned it. Besides, I'm supposed to be putting as much money as I can into the system for the next three months." She smirked at Audrey. "Also, I didn't know I could do that."

Mal put her card back in her pocket and sat back in the sun to wait for the gold to finish drying amongst all the purple. Audrey frowned at her. "Where's your phone?" Audrey asked.

"On the ship," Mal answered. She waved to a little boy who was sitting in the surf. Ever since the people from the Isle had first visited the beach, it'd been a popular spot. Another nice spot was the small park the Moor-women had grown before they'd left, with lots of pretty flowers, trees, and grass in irregular patterns. Mal supposed it was time to start thinking of making sure people could swim. "I need to get Evelyn a smartphone or something I can reach her by." She decided. She also needed Carlos to create an interweb.

"What's the idea now?" Audrey asked.

"Lots of the Isle kids can't swim. Like me? Totally cannot do the fish thing." Mal sighed. "Maybe it's time for us to start setting up things like that."

"Not yet," Audrey recommended. "Let them get their lives set up before we start bringing in extracurricular."

Mal sighed. "You're probably right. What I'm really worried about is when I have to leave, and you guys have to be by yourselves for a month. It worked well enough last time, but that was before we had the raid and two people lost their memories. Not going to lie – I'm a little nervous." She watched three kids go tumbling into the surf, laughing as they splashed and sent up mist around them.

"Oh, I'll watch them for you," Audrey offered, picking up a lock of hair and examining it.

"Really?" Mal asked, turning to raise her eyebrows at Audrey.

"Sure," Audrey agreed. "My parents are still in charge of Auroria anyways, and I won't be queen until I'm twenty-four."

"And you are?" Mal asked, scrunching her brow together.

"Twenty-two in November," Audrey explained.

"I thought Auradon coronations happened at twenty-two?" Mal asked, pulling her legs up. "Why twenty-four for you?"

"Auroria just does things differently. And yeah, the national minimum age is twenty-two." Audrey checked her nails blandly and then rubbed her scalp.

"Cool." Mal nodded, turning away again.

"When do you turn eighteen?" Audrey asked.

"Next January." Mal sighed. "If you want, while I'm gone, I'll tell the captain to wait for you every morning and you can come and go like I do. Just be there before ten and you're good."

"That'd be nice." Audrey agreed. The two girls sat in the surf and watched the Isle residents splash around them.

Audrey put her hand down in the wet sand and felt around in the soot until she came up with a beautiful round shell. "Argopectin." Someone said behind her as they plopped into the surf. Mal turned and let her eyes skim over the dark blue hair and dark eyes of the newcomer. It was Evan, Evie's brother. Behind him was Hades. Mal traced her dad's frame with her eyes as he stepped closer, hovering behind Evan. "Clams, scallops, and marine bivalve mollusks."

"Look at you." Mal laughed.

Evan shrugged with a carefree smirk. "Sorry to interrupt." He said. "How goes it in the land of royalty?"

"Well, you'd have to find a royal around here to answer that question," Mal declared, leaning her head back. "I'm off-duty."

"Does that mean I can't share with you my most recent finding?" Evan asked. "I finally figured out who your dad is." He gestured with a thumb behind his shoulder to Hades, looking rather proud of his discovery. "You were one of the last ones I didn't know."

"I know him," Mal nodded, opening her eyes and raising her eyebrows. She waved at Hades. "But good job. How'd you figure it out?"

"Not using any bad way," Evan clarified, cheeks going a bit red. "I heard a rumor and then went and asked him."

"That's still so weird," Audrey complained. "Your kids are going to be the grandchildren of Belle, Beast, the Mistress of all Evil and the God of the Underworld. Also, don't you have a stepmom?"

"I've never met her, if I do," Mal shrugged. Hades didn't offer up any information on the subject, only watching as she leaned her head back. She closed her eyes against the sunshine and let out a sigh. "Technically, Uma would be my cousin or something. Poseidon's granddaughter through Triton. Poseidon would be my Uncle."

"That's right." Hades finally rumbled.

Mal turned her gaze to her dad. "Are you doing okay over here?" She asked. "It must be weird to be around people again."

Hades flicked his head to the side a little. "Not bad. Word is starting to spread and I'm getting lots of questions on you. I'm thinking I'm going to make instruments and sell them."

"You could put on shows, too." Mal nodded. "Hey, um, dad, what are you doing as far as using your powers?"

Hades raised an eyebrow. "You planning on taking my ember?" He asked.

Mal shook her head. "I have my own magic. I'm just thinking, in the long run, I don't want people living forever. At some point, everyone has to die."

Hades held up a hand. "I know that better than anyone." He informed her and then tilted his head. "Moorland magic can't bring people back from the dead though, right?"

Mal considered all the creatures and people in the moorland and shook her head. "I don't think so," She informed Hades. "I'd have to ask around and see."

"I was talking about you," Hades drawled, rolling his eyes. "With the Moor blessings?"

Mal furrowed her brow. She tried to remember all of the blessings that had been spelled on her head almost a year ago, and only a few fainty wisps came to mind. "The blessings help me talk with everyone and renew the magic cycling through, but I think that's about it."

Hades frowned deeply, a line cutting across his jaw as he squinted at her. His eyes grew a little dark. "That's not true," He refuted her. "Your mother told me a thing or two about those enchantments, and they do far more than just give you the ability to talk fancy. Maleficent was able to create a curse she didn't even have the power to break, remember?"

She considered this and tried a little harder to recall the blessings. 'Command' had been one, and 'renew' had been another. Then there was, of course, 'speak', the one she had used the most. Mal shuffled her feet around in the sand and shaded her eyes from the sunlight glinting off the waters. "I don't know," She decided. "I'll ask when I'm in the moorlands."

Hades nodded and then leaned down a little with a teasing light suddenly filling his eyes. "And speaking of death, is the king treating you well? I have room for his soul in my kingdom if he isn't." He held up his hand, nails painted a vivid blue, and pretended to examine them as if making sure they were up to the task of hauling Mal's husband straight down to Tartarus.

"He treats me more than well," Mal responded, rolling her eyes. "And to be clear, just so there aren't any misconceptions when we die you're going to let us go to the good place together, right?" Hades cracked a little smile, which Mal took as an affirmative answer, and then turned back to Evan. "How is writing all your knowledge down going?" She asked.

"It's busy," Evan informed her. "It's cool when people who didn't know learn, though."

Mal nodded and then furrowed her brow. "How did you start that?" She asked, turning to stare at him as he picked up another shell out of the sand. Evan turned it over in his hands and studied its outline before he managed to glance up and meet her gaze. He really did have beautiful eyes. Dark indigo and clear.

"I didn't set out thinking I'd kiss villains to learn about who had parented who, if that's what you're asking," Evan whispered. He put the shell back down and began sifting in the beach to find more. "Mom threw me out when she found out she was pregnant with E. I was six and I survived by stealing until I got a little too tall to sneak away. I wasn't like Jay, fast and agile. I had to sneak and I just got too tall to weave through crowds. I almost starved until someone told me they'd feed me in exchange for favors. That someone turned out to be Claude Frollo. After that, I was passed around as the 'pretty boy' until I was old enough to play the game myself." Evan stopped talking to scrub a little at the side of a broken shell, which withered away to crumbles in his hand. He swallowed visibly before he found the strength to continue. "I don't know. It just sucked. I felt gross all the time. But I liked plants and tiny animals and then I found a textbook about life and biology, and it just fascinated me. I used it to get away from my life. And then, eventually, I used my life to get more of it. I figured that if I was already ruined, it wouldn't hurt to ruin myself a little more for something I actually wanted."

Mal flicked her gaze down to the beach, and then turned away. Audrey looked heartbroken and ill beside her. "That's tough," Mal whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's over," Evan shrugged. "I won't ever let another person take advantage of me. I've been hurt for the last time, and I don't have to let anybody hurt me for anything."

"How can you move past that?" Audrey asked, leaning forward and chewing on her lip a little as she spoke. "It took me ages and a near-death experience for me to forgive Mal for marrying Ben, and these people hurt you in ways you'll never forget or live past. How can you just let that go?"

Evan examined his hands, watching the veins and muscles in them before he shrugged. "They helped me live," He finally decided in a hoarse tone. "And part of it might have been my fault. I let them take me. I paid an expensive price, but I didn't have much to lose in the first place. There's nothing to lose when you're lonely and friendless." Audrey sat back as if she'd been slapped with tears filling her eyes, and Evan swallowed before he changed the subject. "I noticed Evie hasn't been coming around as much. I wanted to ask if everything is okay?"

"She's at college," Mal answered, keeping her eyes downcast and trained on the waves. "Fashion design major, I think."

"Oh." Evan's voice fell. "Can you see when she'll be coming back around?"

"I think for the holidays," Mal answered. "I'll tell her you miss her."

"Thank you, Mal," Evan said. He sat for a minute longer, but the silence was deafening. Slowly, he got up and walked away with his hands stuffed deep into his now-wet pockets. Hades watched the boy walk away, and then leaned over and picked up a lock of Mal's hair.

"The gold is nice," He told her. "Vibrant and flashy, but nice." He got to his feet. "I'm going to go check on that young man. You'd better come back to see me," He warned her.

"Maybe one day I'll have something set up so you can come visit me," Mal offered softly. Hades nodded silently, then turned and strode off. Down the beach, Evan's head was dipped down a little as he kicked the sands.

"He misses her," Audrey murmured.

Mal looked at Audrey. Audrey looked at Mal.

"We need-" Mal started.

"-Wifi." Audrey finished.

The two girls laughed and sat back in the sun a bit. It was nice to be on the same wavelength. Mal let her toes drift to the water's surface, where waves washed over her feet and tickled her skin. The sun was seeping into her skin. She couldn't stay here long, or she'd burn. Beside her, she could feel Audrey drowning in despair over the story she'd just been told. Mal cleared her throat. "You'll find lots of people like that here," She revealed in a voice that made her sound a lot stronger than she felt. "All the kids of the lower villains have been attacked in one way or another. Gaston is one of the worse cases. His kids are all over the Isle, and even some of his own daughters haven't been unscathed by him."

"That's revolting," Audrey shuddered. Mal nodded in silent agreement. "Was that ever you?"

"No," Mal shook her head. "My mom was powerful. Her name protected me. And even if it hadn't have, I had Jay and I was a pretty good swordsperson. I had power. I did wonder if it'd happen to me, though. Even when I went to Auradon." She watched the waves crash over her toes and sighed. "My goal is to stop it from ever happening to anyone ever again. I want people to be safe. I want people to have the same opportunities I was given."

She couldn't see Audrey's face but felt her silent approval. "I like not hating your guts," Audrey said softly.

Mal smirked over at Aurora's daughter. "Believe it or not, me too."

Audrey twiddled her thumbs in front of her new shell. "I'm sorry for all the rumors I spread about you. That was me, by the way."

"I know," Mal nodded, heart twisting a little as she remembered the headlines.

"You aren't mad?" Audrey asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mal chuckled. "You've more than proven yourself. I know it won't happen again." She buried her hand into the beach and came up with a handful of wet silt and glittering shells.

"I'll retract the statements if you want?" Audrey offered.

"And ruin your name? Don't worry about it." Mal retorted, relaxing a little as she felt baggage fall off her shoulders. It was nice to finally let things go.

Silence settled in between the two girls. As Mal watched people run through the water and examined Dizzy and Anastasia carefully snipping away at people's overgrown locks, she smiled at everything she'd built. She had a wonderful relationship with her husband, two new best friends, a mother and father-in-law, her dad, a sister, and two kingdoms that she had healed and built almost all by herself.

Her smile faded suddenly as a sad thought struck her. If only her real mom could be a part of it all.