Welcome to chapter two. It took me a while to be happy with this, mainly because I was unsure of how well I wrote Mal. Feedback about her would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to comment if you want to see something in the future or just like something about this chapter. Thanks guys!
I don't own Descendants, only my OCs.
Audrey took a deep breath as she felt the temperature change to a cooler one as she stepped onto the marble tile. Blinking a few times, she shook off the minor disorientation and gazed around at the luxurious room they were in.
Mal, who was currently trying to calm her baby, let out a low whistle as she did a small spin to see each and every detail from the marble columns to the actual accents around the room. "Wow...You guys have certainly put in some work." She said before wincing as the baby let out a cry. "And you are loud…" She said dryly, prompting the baby to stop and smile. "Did she just…"
Audrey couldn't help the giggle that bubbled out. "I think little Mercy wanted her momma's attention." She said in a baby voice while walking over to the baby and her exasperated mother.
"Funny, especially since she has a thing for Ben more…" Mal said with sarcasm before falling silent at her words.
Audrey noticed the sudden silence and looked up from the baby to gaze at Mal. "...Mal, he'll be okay, Heidi said so." She said before seeing that Mal was attempting to hand Mercy off to her.
While Mal got Mercy out of her chest carrier, the purplette took in a shaky breath. "He...He just told me to run and not look back. Next thing I know...that entire area is just...gone. Like she transported it e-elsewhere or something." She said with heavy emotion as her eyes watered.
"It wasn't destroyed?" Audrey asked with a raised eyebrow as she accepted the smiling baby.
Mal shook her head and wiped away a tear. "No, it wasn't. It...it's just gone." She threw her hands up into the air and shook her head again. "I-I don't know how to explain it, I...he's just...gone." She mumbled, clearly holding back her emotions so she didn't cry in front of them.
Audrey frowned and looked at her with concern before pulling her into a gentle one-armed side hug. The former princess gently shushed the woman and patted her back in reassurance. "Mal, Heidi will save him. You heard her...it's all of Olympus versus one goddess. It's in their favor." She told her with a small smile.
"What if...something terrible happens and...they lose?" Mal whispered, blinking away her tears and putting on a serious look.
Audrey nodded at that. "We don't know if that will happen, we don't know anything right now so...all we can do is wait...and hope. Hope for the best." She assured her with a smile.
Mal closed her eyes with a sniff. "But prepare for the worst…" She muttered before shaking her head. "Can you just...hook me up with a room?" She asked quietly, looking at the pinkette with an almost hidden pleading look.
Audrey immediately nodded and began leading her out of the room and into the marble hallways. "I will be speaking with Hades, did you want me to contact Hestia? She moved into this castle not too long ago." She offered up with a look of concern.
Mal thought that over before looking up. "...Can she babysit?" She asked, her eyes flickering down to look at her daughter before looking back up at Audrey. "I...need some time on my own."
Audrey paused before nodding. "I'm sure she would be willing to do that for you." She said with a smile before guiding the purplette down another hallway. "She's your aunt...plus, she said she likes kids."
Mal raised an eyebrow at that. "If she likes kids...then why doesn't she have any?" She asked with mild confusion as she noticed the colors of the hallway begin to shift towards warmer hues.
Audrey shrugged as she adjusted her hold on the baby that had fallen asleep in her arms. "Maybe...She doesn't want to...do that with somebody?" She said thoughtfully while looking up at the ceilings that were painted with countless pieces of art.
Mal let out an almost silent snort. "Or she's a closet lesbian." She stated with a grin.
Audrey's eyes went big at that. "Wha-Why would you think that?" She asked in shock, stopping as a result of her surprise.
Mal continued walking as she laughed. "Why else would one become an eternal virgin? Because they don't like the opposite gender!" She exclaimed with a laugh.
Audrey blinked as she noticed someone walk beside her. Turning her focus onto the newcomer, she blanched as she noticed it was the very goddess they were talking about. "Uh, Mal?" She called out, trying to get the woman's attention.
"It just makes sense! Hestia isn't ugly, she isn't weak-hell, I know a lot of people who would date her. Not to mention most of the gods probably had a thing for her as well. The only reason she'd turn them down...is if she liked the other gender." Mal continued on, not noticing the elder goddess walking behind her.
Audrey caught up with them and looked even more confused once she saw Hestia smile at her. Almost as if...Oh… The former princess blinked as she realized just what the goddess was planning to do. "Uh, maybe?" She said in a somewhat distracted manner.
Before Mal could argue that she was right, she turned around and nearly stumbled into a fall at the sight of a smiling Hestia. "Oh...ah...Hestia! Good to see you!" She said with a forced smile and a nervous chuckle.
Hestia smirked at the sight of her nervous niece. "Mal. I was not informed that you would be staying here." She said calmly, her fiery orange eyes glowing with mischief.
"It was...very sudden. Couldn't exactly book a reservation for me and the uh...kiddo!" Mal said, trying to act as though she hadn't said everything she had said.
Hestia glanced at Audrey then at Mercy before tilting her head. "I believe that this is the first time I have met your daughter. Is it not?" She asked innocently while tilting her head the other way.
"...Were you there when we visited?" Mal asked with confusion before noticing Audrey rapidly shaking her head. "I mean-Yes. Yes it is. In fact, you can even have some time with her. I need a babysitter and Audrey told me that you like kids!" She said quickly, attempting to cover up her previous question.
Audrey nervously giggled at that as Hestia slowly turned to look at her. "Uh...Heidi told me?" She offered up before holding the baby out like it would save her.
While Mal facepalmed at the sight, Hestia gained an amused look before taking the baby from the pinkette. "Then Heidi was correct. I do like children and would be happy to take care of yours while you rest, Mal." The goddess said as she turned away from a very much relieved Audrey.
"Eh, heh, eh...Thanks…" Mal said, finding the floor to be much more interesting at the moment. "So...Why don't you just go with her while Audrey leads me to a room?" She asked while pointing at the former princess.
Audrey gave the purplette a "Why are you bringing me into your mess?!" look as Hestia gave the VK a warm smile. "Of course, I'll take her and my friend and I can spend time while you both relax." She said, her eyes glowing for emphasis as she glanced between them.
Audrey quickly nodded. "Oh, yeah, definitely! We'll go relax, visit the pool, go get some food-we will chill." She said, though she grimaced immediately after she said the last word.
Mal exchanged a look with Audrey before blinking. "...What she said." The purplette said plainly with halved eyes.
Hestia smiled a bit wider before beginning to walk away. "I expect to see you both at dinner!" She said as she turned a corner.
Mal's eyebrow twitched at that before she took a deep breath and calmed down. Looking at Audrey as the pinkette approached her, she shook her head. "Please don't ever say chill again...It sounds weird as hell coming from you." She said bluntly while beginning to head back down the hallway.
Audrey blinked at that and tilted her head. "It was that bad?"
Mal looked at her from over her shoulder. "Beyond bad, borderline cringeworthy." She deadpanned, prompting Audrey's eyes to widen before the young woman blinked and quickly followed the purplette.
As the doors to the grand hall were pushed open by two Olympian guards, Heidi was greeted with the immediate sound of countless beings trying to speak all at once.
Heidi's electric blue eyes halved at the sight and cleared her throat. "Guys?" She called out, trying to get at least one of them to shut up.
Artemis, who was keeping neutral and quiet, unlike most of the gods and goddesses, calmly picked up her bow before firing an arrow right into the shoulder of her distracted brother Apollo.
Apollo was the first to react with a yell followed by Ares laughing at the sight of the sun god trying to get the arrow out.
Artemis stared at the sight and rolled her eyes. "Heidi has arrived on behalf of Hades as representative of the Underworld. She requests that you...shut up." She said in a somewhat formal manner before dropping it and deadpanning at them.
While Ares practically ripped the arrow out of Apollo's shoulder, Poseidon acknowledged the much shorter woman with a bow of his head. "Heidi. Is all well in the Underworld?" He asked, standing up from his seat to approach her while his brother grumbled a bit about something.
Heidi smiled at him before nodding. "All is well with no reported uptick in deaths. Despite the scene caused in Auradon today, it seems as though there were little to no deaths caused or none at all. My father is looking further into the situation and will send updates via Pain and Panic if they are dire." She said, her voice taking on a professional tone around them as the gods nodded at her words.
"Is there anyone that was at the scene at the time of the attack that reported to you?" Poseidon inquired, causing a few gods, notably Athena, to sit forward in interest.
Heidi gave him another nod as she folded her arms behind her back. "My sister, the current Queen of Auradon, was able to escape with her daughter, Mercy, and make it to my house unharmed. She reported that the King has, most likely, disappeared due to the attack from a woman who claimed to go by Aphrodite. While we are unsure if the king was harmed, it is known that her attack was malicious and it is likely that she will attack again given the proper amount of time." She explained, catching the dreamy look of Ares' face at the mere mention of his long time lover while Hephaestus seemed to deflate a bit.
Zeus shook his head. "You say it was Aphrodite?" At the nod of his niece, the thunder god frowned. "She has been inactive for many years with no ill intent to be seen." He said aloud in thought.
Athena rose at that, gathering their attention immediately. "That may be true, however, the Aphrodite we know may not be the real one." Looking down at Heidi, she laced her fingers together. "Did your sister perhaps mention an alternative name for this woman?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, she said the woman was named Adelpha but you merely knew her as Aphrodite," Heidi confirmed with a frown.
Athena nodded at that and sat back down as she summoned a few books to look through. Meanwhile, Poseidon rubbed at his slightly stubbly chin in thought. "Adelpha...I feel as though I once heard the name from a…" He paused in thought before running a hand through his dark brown hair as his sea-green eyes narrowed. "A fae."
Athena looked up at that. "A fae? That would mean what we are dealing with goes back long before Aphrodite was supposedly born." She stated with a raised eyebrow.
Poseidon glanced at her before looking down at his highly confused niece. "Did your sister mention any sort of appearance?"
Heidi shook her head. "If Mal did see the woman up close...I don't believe she retained the information due to fear for her husband and friend's lives along with her own and her child's." She said with a frown, prompting many of the gods to nod in understanding.
Poseidon went silent as he subtly paced along the golden tiled floor. Zeus took this as his chance to speak and looked Heidi right in the eye. "So you have no proof that this was Aphrodite and not a villain that went unchecked?" He asked, prompting his wife, Hera, to shoot him a glare at his harsh tone.
Heidi stared back at him with a deep frown. "My sister remembered what she could and I'm amazed that she made it to my house without passing out, panicking, or being harmed. I believe that if you wish to prove that it was Aphrodite...you send someone down there to look." She said with narrowed eyes as the tips of her hair lit up.
Before the argument could ensue between the two, Poseidon stood between them, blocking their view of each other as he cleared his throat. "Heidi makes a point, brother. Her sister managed to do more than many mortals could and we should be glad that she survived and was able to give us important information." He said as he regarded his younger brother with a sharp glare.
Athena nodded as she shut a book. "We have a real name, Adelpha. If we can find information regarding a fae named Adelpha, we may be able to prove who did this. We don't need an appearance for that." She said matter-of-factly, defending the younger goddess with an unhappy look on her face as she regarded her father.
Heidi snuck in a smile that Athena returned before she looked around. "What we should do is attempt to venture in and learn more information. I, for one, would gladly do it so that my sister's suffering and pain was at least pinned on somebody and not a name." She said, meeting the eyes of several gods. "There are many of us and one of her, if we work together it will go smoothly."
The first to pipe up was none other than Apollo himself. "She has a point! Besides, we haven't had a good fight since...forever."
Ares joined in on that. "And even if Aphrodite turns out evil, we'll get to whoop her ass!" He declared, prompting Artemis to facepalm.
Hermes zoomed out of his seat and floated in the air. "We'll be in and out in time for dinner!" He said with a laugh.
"As much fun as that sounds...It's a no go from me." Dionysus said with a shake of his head as his dark purple eyes drifted back down to the wine bottle in his hand. "I have plans." He said, causing most of the gods to look at him with halved eyes.
Demeter huffed. "And I am not agreeing to any plan that was devised by the woman who helped her father steal my daughter." She said while shooting Heidi a glare.
Heidi's eyes halved at her. "All I did was get an online certificate to marry them." She deadpanned while Hermes grinned. "It was either me or Hermes, and he was dealing with a certain Godzilla of a goddess wreaking havoc on Greece." She said while folding her arms, prompting Demeter to scoff as her forest green eyes flowed with anger while the flowers in her blonde hair withered and died.
Hermes shrugged. "Point Heidi."
Heidi exchanged a high five with her floating cousin and folded her arms behind her back. "Excluding the two that have voiced their rejections of this plan, I believe that the majority have won this vote." She said neutrally, masking her smirk with a blank expression as she looked at her uncles.
Poseidon nodded at that while Zeus looked displeased at the news. The ocean god stopped pacing so he could shrink down to where he was only a foot taller than his niece and gave her a smile. "Consider it a plan, you have my support." He said in a lower tone, his godly echo vanishing along with his tremendous height.
Artemis rose from her seat and changed into her usual preteen form before nodding as her bow shifted to the proper size. "I too will follow her, not only for her alone, but for the people of Auradon." She said in her typical neutral tone.
"Oh, well now I have to go." Apollo said as he smirked, his form changing a bit so he was a somewhat normal height.
As most of the Olympians changed into their more human-like forms, Zeus scowled and stood up. "You all would listen to her over me? I am your king!" He said with a huff as Hera rubbed at her head in exasperation.
Apollo shrugged at him. "She has a plan, we haven't heard a plan from you yet." He said, prompting a few other gods to nod in agreement.
Poseidon looked back at his brother with a sigh. "Brother, Heidi has come up with a plan that I believe will be very successful." He said, holding a steady gaze with his rather upset brother.
"You all dare to listen to her?" Zeus asked in anger before growling. "Fine! Go get yourselves killed, it will be on her fault."
Ares blinked. "...So that definitely guarantees a good fight if he's saying we'll die." He said before grinning. "Let's go get kiiiiillled!" He yelled before charging out the door with a few gods following him close behind.
Dionysus blinked. "Actually, this sounds suddenly very interesting." He said, somehow in his 'human' form within seconds of Ares and the others leaving.
Heidi facepalmed at that as she saw him make a cloud and began to follow the others out on said cloud. "Everyone gets interested when Ares' possible death or at least dismemberment is involved."
Poseidon shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time a few of us have gotten excited over his chance of sudden demise." He said casually before smiling down at her. "Come on, I'll teleport with you there."
Heidi looked up and smiled warmly before linking arms with her uncle. "Then let's go." She said as she placed a neutral look on her face and closed her eyes.
