Chapter 10: I've Got Some Mischief In My Blood

(A/N) Sorry for the delay, it was a tricky and long chapter to write. Lots of Easter eggs to look out for.

It became a daily routine, going to the meadow. Every morning Hayden would take Evie there, leading her by the hand down the cobblestone paths that led to the meadows. His mother's garden was tucked away in a hidden cavern, not far away from the Underworld palace. It was cloaked in a powerful glamour, creating the illusion that it was outside, with beautiful blue skies and fluffy clouds stretching off as far as the eye could see. Trees, flowers, shrubs, crops and fruit grew everywhere, with no rhythm or pattern. It was nature in its truest form, untamed and untainted by mortals.

Evie seemed to love the place, Hayden could tell with the way her eyes lit up. She was still timid, cautious, but he could see her coming out of her shell more and more. Each morning before they went to the garden, they would eat breakfast together, sitting side by side in her room. Evie wouldn't speak, but Hayden spoke more than enough for both of them.

Finally, after nearly a month, Evie finally worked up the courage to speak again.

Hayden and Evie were lying in a flower bed of blue tulips, a halo of yellow roses surrounding them. Evie sat with her legs crossed, idly playing with the tulips in front of her. Hayden was sprawled out beside her, both arms behind his head as he stared up at the faux sky. Pain and Panic, ever the loyal babysitters, where sitting a short distance away, where they could keep a sharp eye on the children. Pain was curled up on a hammock he had set up between two orchid trees, while Panic rested his back against one of the tree's trunk, contently making daisy chains - one of the few things that soothed his nerves.

For the past hour or so, Hayden had been ranting about the night prior. He and his father had gotten into an argument, one that they often fought.

"I'm nine years old! I'm not a child! I'm practically ten already," Hayden huffed, scowling bitterly. "I just really wanna see the Monster Realm, even if it's just one, teeny, tiny, little monster's liar!"

The Monster Realm was a dark section of The Underworld - forbidden to all but Hades himself - where all the monstrous creatures that he controlled dwelled. It was there that Hayden had wanted his father to take him so that he could finally get to see his father's pets up close - after all the stories his father had told him about them, how could he not? Much to the boy's displeasure, Hades - as always - had refused, insisting that Hayden was far too young to be dealing with monsters, especially as he was only a demigod, and therefore powerless.

It's too dangerous, Hades had said.

Hades knew his son far too well and knew that the youngster would not be satisfied at seeing the monsters only once. If he learned the way to the Monster Realm, Hayden would soon enough try and venture there himself. The monsters only obeyed Hades and that was because he had earned their fear and respect, something Hayden had not. If the young boy were to go anywhere near the monsters without his father's supervision, then they would devour him before he could blink - and that was only if he didn't bump into one of the monsters that liked to play with their food before eating.

Being denied access to the monsters made Hayden all the more eager to see the creatures for himself. They were like the forbidden fruit, tempting as they were irresistible. Before Evie had arrived in The Underworld, whenever he managed to slip away from Pain and Panic, he would often search for the mysterious realm. Much to his annoyance, he had yet to find even a hint of its location.

"He always treats me like a little kid," Hayden muttered. "One of these days, I'll go the distance and show him that I'm more than capable!"

Besides him, Evie turned her attention away from the flower in her hand, giving the boy a pitying smile. She surprised Hayden by placing a hand over his gloved one, offering him what little bit of comfort she had the courage to give. Hayden felt his anger drain a little and he couldn't help but return the smile.

"You know, it's nice to have a friend to share all this with," Hayden said, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of the suns heat upon his skin.

Before Evie had come here, he had never had anyone he could truly open up to, forced to bottle up his feelings on so many matters. But now, he had someone who was willing to listen, someone, he could open up his heart to and get everything off his chest.

"We're... friends?"

For a moment, Hayden thought he was hearing things. When he opened his eyes and saw Evie staring at him, he realised she was waiting for a response. She had spoken! After weeks of silence, she had finally spoken! Hayden swallowed back his excitement, determined to take things slowly.

"Of course," Hayden said, smilings softly.

"I don't really... have any friends," Evie mumbled, so quietly Hayden had to strain to hear.

"I find that hard to believe." He couldn't imagine that she had no one back on The Isle whom she could call a friend. Even though he hadn't had the chance to see the real her - the girl hidden behind the fear, wariness and grief - he knew she had to be someone instantly likeable. There was something sweet about her, something kind. He saw it in the way that she smiled at the flowers, how she held them tenderly in her hands like they were the most delicate and precious of treasures. There was an air about her, something caring and comforting.

"I... used to," she said, biting her lip. "Before I got banished."

Hayden perked up, alarmed and unsettled. "What do you mean... banished?"

"When I was five, I had a birthday party. I didn't want to invite Maleficent's daughter, Mal. She used to pick on me all the time. She didn't take too kindly to the lack of invite." Evie shrugged and wrapped her arms around her knees, her eyes glazing over with sadness. "Her mother wasn't happy either, so she banished my mother and me to our castle in the Dark Forest. I've been there ever since and no ones allowed to come to visit, so I don't have any friends anymore."

Hayden's hands clenched, his eyes flashing amber. It angered him to know that Evie had been treated so poorly, that she was forced to be locked away in a castle with no companions. It reminded him of his own plight, being trapped in The Underworld, his over-protective father forbidding him from leaving and having no friends of his own. It was a lonely and maddening fate to suffer, and his heart filled with anger knowing Evie had endured it.

"Well that doesn't matter anymore, Evie," Hayden said, pushing himself up to look at her. "You've got a friend in me, that I promise you."

Evie looked hesitant at first, wary even. She looked at him long and hard and Hayden prayed with all his might that she could see the serenity and conviction of his words in his eyes. He wanted her to believe him, to know that he meant what he said. When she smiled, a small, tentative thing, Hayden knew that she did, and his heart swelled with delight.

"I'll keep you safe from nasty dragons and anyone else who would ever want to hurt you," Hayden swore, his eyes shining fiercely.

From that day onwards, things changed between Evie and Hayden. With every passing day, Evie grew more confident in herself, her voice ringing louder and clearer. She smiled more, she laughed more and it didn't take long before Hayden found himself utterly smitten with her.

They went everywhere together, rarely leaving each other's side unless forced. Every day they played games in Pershones's gardens, their laughter ringing throughout the clearing. Hayden taught Evie the names of every plant that grew there, what their meaning was and explaining how they grew. Evie was eager to learn, though she was already well versed in the poisonous branches of the plant world.

When dinner time came, Evie eat her dinner with Hayden and his family. She tended to draw back into herself at dinner, and it was something that Hayden couldn't quite blame her for. Having dinner with two powerful Gods, especially one as intimidating as his father, was bound to make the girl nervous. With Persphones gentle encouragement and Hayden's reassurance, Evie eventually lowered her walls, letting her charming and sweet personality shine through. Hayden's parents were rather taken with her and grew to consider her a part of their family.

Evie was eventually given her own room, one decorated to suit her brighter character. It was a beautiful room made of white marble, with a bed fit for a queen, a walk-in-wardrobe filled with dresses and robes, a crystal vanity table and a table for two by a window overlooking The River Styx, where Evie and Hayden eat their breakfast each morning.

For Evie, her second life was simple and pleasant. She spent most of her time playing with Hayden in the meadows or the palace. Sometimes though, Hayden's mother would whisk her away for afternoon tea or strolls through the gardens while Hades took Hayden for his weekly 'godly lessons', where he learned about ruling The Underworld and his father's other duties. Evie was happy, truly happy for the first time, finally feeling free, no longer confined to sinister Isle or her run down, dreary castle.

For Hayden, although he too was happier than ever, finally having a friend to play and talk to, still he was not content. He wanted to be allowed free reign to explore The Underworld, to not be restricted to the palace and the meadows - his father's limits on where he and Evie were allowed to play. Everywhere else was off limits, branded too dangerous. Hayden knew Evie was content with their lot, but she had only been here a few months. Give it a few more and she too would feel the tug of the leash that was wound around their wrists.

One day, he decided enough was enough. He was bored of the meadows and the palace and wanted to venture further into The Underworld.

"Come on, Evie, it'll be fun!"

"I don't know, Hayden. I thought we were going swimming today at the lake," Evie mumbled as she rubbed her arms. "Besides, if your dad said we're not allowed to see the rest of The Underworld, maybe there's a good reason for it."

"He's being over'protective," Hayden rolled his eyes, scowling. "Don't you want to see the rest of The Underworld? I've lived here my entire life and I haven't even seen all of this place! I only get to see glimpses of what my dad shows me during his lessons."

"Hayden," Evie said softly, still unsure. "I don't know about this."

"I'm surprised the daughter of the Evil Queen isn't up for a little mischief," Hayden pouted, crossing his arms.

Evie bristled and scoffed, offended by his comment. Hayden couldn't help but smirk, knowing he was succeeding in convincing her. He knew that Evie took great pride in being the daughter of the Evil Queen and that she was never one to back down from a challenge. Poking at her pride was the best way to convince her. It worked. Evie's features changed from uncertain and cautious to determined.

"Mischief is in my blood," Evie replied, placing her hands on her hips and holding her chin high.

"Then prove it," Hayden dared, his eyes twinkling impishly.

"Fine, but if we get caught you're taking the blame," Evie said sternly, pointing a finger at the boy. "How are we going to lose Pain and Panic? They have eyes like hawks."

Hayden smirked. "Leave that to me."

"This is all your fault!"

"How is it my fault?" Pain snapped.

"How is it not your fault?" Panic retorted sharply.

The two demons were currently dangling upside from a willow tree in Persephone's meadow, their bodies tied up tightly with cord. They were swinging side to side and despite their struggling and straining, neither could free themselves.

"You're the one who fell for the 'oh, what's that behind you?' routine," Pain shouted, glaring at his companion. "It's the oldest trick in the book!"

"And where were you when I was getting knocked out by a frying pan? Oh, that's right. You were setting off a rope snare trap! How many times is Hayden going to trick you with that one?" Panic hissed. "And all it took was a new pair of sneakers to lure you in! Again!"

"Oh, for The Underworld's sake! It doesn't matter who's to blame! What matters is getting out of this mess before you know who finds us!" Pain groaned and grunted as he tried to break free from his bonds. "If he finds out Hayden got away again we really will be-"

A shadow fell over the demons. They ceased their struggling, slowly glancing up to see who or what was blocking the light. Both their eyes widening and a cry caught in their throat. In union, they both screamed, "Oh my Gods!"

Hayden laughed as he ran down the palace corridors and out one of the back doors that lead to the underground tunnels. Evie was not far behind him, and despite her reservations about disobeying Hades rules, she was grinning, enjoying the rush that came with throwing caution to the wind. Like Hayden, it had been far too long since she had caused any mischief and she couldn't help but relish in it.

The children finally slowed down when they came to one of the rivers that flowed through The Underworld. Its waters glowed an unusual grey colour, casting frightful shadows upon the cavern walls. Unlike The River Styx, no spirits glided through its waters.

"Which river is this, Hayden?" Evie asked, kneeling down beside the river.

"Careful, Evie!" Hayden yanked her up quickly, pulling her away from the river's edge. "That's The River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. If you touch its waters you'll begin to forget things."

"Oh," Evie said.

She glanced away from the waters but instantly wished she hadn't. Running through the tunnels she had hardly been able to make out anything, All she had to light her way was a dull lantern, and with the two of them running as fast as they could go, it had been hard to make out any details on the cavern or tunnel walls. But now that they had come to a stop, and with the bright light emitting from the river, Evie could clearly see what the walls were made of. It made her recoil, bumping into Hayden with a shriek.

The walls were made of bones. Thousands and thousands of bones! There were skulls, ribs, arms bones, legs bones and many others, all stacked on top of each other, embedded deeply into the stone walls. Not all of them looked human, some were misshapen with horns, antlers and other unusual features. Their hollowed out eye sockets stared lifelessly back at the girl, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"It's just bones," Hayden shrugged like it was no big deal. Evie supposed it wasn't, not for him, not the son of the ruler of the dead. But for Evie, it was unsettling and disturbing. There were one or two skulls lying about her mother's potion room, but nowhere near as many as this. "Come on, Evie. We need to hurry. If my dad finds out we're gone he'll know where we'll be heading."

"Where are we going?" Evie asked, confused. She had thought they were merely exploring, not going somewhere specific.

"The Monster Realm," Hayden whispered, eyes shining with excitement. "We just need to find it first. He keeps it well hidden."

"Monster Realm?" Evie gasped, alarmed by Hayden's plan. "Are you serious? Why are we going somewhere like that? We'll get eaten!"

"We won't get eaten," Hayden rolled his eyes. "Well... so long as we don't get caught. We just have to find it."

Hayden tapped his finger off his chin, pondering the different places that the realm could be. He was fairly certain that his father had been periodically switching the location of the realm, ensuring that his son could not find it whenever he managed to escape from Pain and Panic. If that was the case then he wasn't sure how he would ever find it. It would have to be a fluke, complete and utter luck, to stumble upon it. Either that or...

Hayden's eyes widened and he turned to Evie, looking at her curiously. "Evie... your mother's a witch, right? So... that would make you one too?"

"Well, yeah," Evie said, shrugging. "But I can't access my magic. The barrier..."

Hayden smirked as Evie's words trailed off. She looked stunned, realization dawning over her. She whirled around to face Hayden, excitement dancing in her eyes.

"But I'm not on The Isle anymore, I'm outside the barrier! So-"

"-So you can access your powers!" Hayden finished off eagerly. "You could use your magic to lead us straight to the Monster Realm!"

Evie's entire body was tingling with anticipation. All her life she had yearned to be able to do magic, to tap into the well of power she felt trapped inside her. And now here was that chance, a chance she had dreamed about since her mother had first told her of what she would one day be capable of, once they broke free of the barrier. Spells, curses, hexes, and enchantments, whatever she wanted, she could do. Her mother had been preparing her for that day, teaching her everything she could about the true path of a witch. Evie wasn't quite sold on the idea of going to the Monster Realm, but Hayden's request did offer her an opportunity to test out her powers.

"We would need to do a location spell, so I'll need a small mirror," Evie said, pulling out her compact mirror. It was shaped like a skull, one side bearing the mirror and the other the skulls giant black eyes, the ivory surface carved with swirls and curls. Hayden had gifted it to her a few weeks after she had arrived in The Underworld - she always kept it with her, whenever she went. "Hmm let me think. My mother always said that to do a spell I have to speak in verse while tapping into my magic, which I do by focusing."

Evie bit her lip, trying to think of an ideal rhyme to activate the spell. She had to be careful to make it clear to the magic what she was asking.

"Magic mirror wait no longer, reveal the location of the realm of monsters," Evie said, loudly and clearly.

The mirror began to shine, a golden arrow appearing on its surface. It swirled around and around like a compass, dazzling and glittering before it finally pointed towards a cave opening. Evie glanced to Hayden.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry," Hayden reassured her. "We're just gonna take a peek."

Evie didn't want to go to the Monster Realm. She was all up for a little mischief and misbehaviour, but this just seemed needlessly dangerous. Hayden seemed set on it though, and she didn't want to disappoint him nor did she trust him not to attempt to go there himself, it would be safer with the two of them, she reasoned. With dread churning her stomach, Evie let the arrow in her mirror lead them away from the river, and further away from the palace than either of them had ever been.

They walked for what felt like hours, going deeper and deeper into the underground tunnel systems that littered The Underworld. For a while, Evie thought the spell wasn't working, that it was merely pointing randomly. Surely they should have come across something by now? Just when she was about to voice her doubts a loud growl echoed down the tunnel. Hayden and Evie stilled, glancing around warily.

"Did you hear that?" Hayden whispered.

"Uh huh," Evie muttered, gulping.

"It has to be up ahead! Come on, Evie! We're almost there!"

Hayden hurried on ahead, Evie trailing after him. They came to a large cavern, larger than any the other ones they had seen. Much to their surprise, it was empty. Hayden frowned, looking around for the sight of any monsters. Evie too searched the cavern, though she did so out of fear of something sneaking up on them.

"This... looks like any other cavern in The Underworld. What gives?" Hayden snatched the mirror from Evie's hand but the arrow had vanished, which they assumed was the spells way of telling them they were at their desired destination. "Did this thing send us on a wild goose chase?"

Hayden began hitting the mirror off the palm of his hand, trying fruitlessly to figure out if something was wrong with it.

Evie took a step closer to him, something prickling her senses. Since they had stepped foot in the enormous cave, something had felt... off. She felt on edge, tense like her body instinctively knew something was wrong before she was consciously aware of it. Evie wasn't sure what the strange feeling was but all she knew was she wanted to leave, fast.

"Hayden, I wanna leave," Evie muttered. "Please."

"One minute, Evie. I just wanna figure out what's wrong with this... thing..."

Hayden stopped talking, frowning when he realised something was making a noise. Something low, almost like a hiss.

Evie heard it too and glanced over her shoulder. She let out a startled gasp, grabbing hold of Hayden's arm, forcing him to turn around.

Above the cave tunnel that they had just exited was another one a short distance above it. Inside the tunnel, two reptilian-like, amber eyes shone brightly in the darkness. The children backed away as the head of a massive beast slithered out of the hole, its mouth opening to reveal razor sharp fangs. Two more heads snaked out after the first, all of them grinning evilly down at the terrified children.

"The Hydra," Hayden whispered. "Evie... RUN!"

The Hyrda let out a cave quaking roar, rubble crumbling from the stalactites high above on the cavern ceiling. Evie and Hayden cried out, narrowly avoiding the falling debris. Their chests heaved and their legs burned as they ran across the clearing, trying to make it to one of the other tunnels. Behind them, The Hyrda crawled out of its hiding place, its feet shaking the ground with every step.

The children barely managed to get into the cave as one of the beast's heads reared forward, its teeth gnashing at their fleeing forms. Evie and Hayden stopped a few feet into the tunnel, both resting their hands on their knees, their backs bent as they tried to catch their breath.

"Don't worry, it can't get us in here. The tunnels too-"

The Hyrda dove into the tunnel, its body squeezing and taring through the rock. It's large claws raked the ground as it pulled its ways forward, inching closer and closer.

"Never mind!" Hayden yelled.

Evie grabbed Hayden by the wrist and pulled him further into the tunnel, The Hyrda ploughing its way towards them. Its fierce digging caused the tunnel to shake and crumble, more and more rubble falling around them. Hayden shouted something to Evie, but she couldn't hear him over the sound of the shattering rocks, snap of teeth and hiss of The Hyrda. It was only when they hit a wall did she realise he had tried to warn her about the dead end up ahead, his night vision giving him the heads up.

Here, the tunnel had expanded large enough for The Hyrda to stand up to its full height. It loomed over the children, its terrifying features cast in the amber light of Evie's lantern. Evie pushed herself up against the wall to get as far away from it as possible. She was shaking, tears racing down her cheeks. Hayden was trembling too, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Get away!" Hayden shouted, his voice quivering. "I'm Hayden! Hades son! Do you realize what he'll do to you if he finds out you killed us?"

Hayden moved in front of Evie, blocking her body with his own. His eyes glowed brightly, but the creature only seemed amused, a deep sound, almost like a sinister chuckle, reverting up its throats. The Hyrda cared not for the legacies or heritage of children, names held no power to it, and this is what Hades had tried to warn his son countless times. Down here, in the belly of The Underworld, those who had not earned the beasts respect were nothing but prey.

The Hyrda slammed one of its clawed paws down beside the children, causing them to yell out in fright, which only seemed to further please the sadistic creature.

It's playing with us, Evie realised, sickened.

It was going to draw out their fear before it finally ended them for good. Evie didn't want to die, she didn't want her second life to end so shortly. And she didn't want Hayden to die either. He had done so much for her. It was because of him that she got a second chance at life, he had become her first friend since her banishment, he looked out for her, played with her and cared for her. She didn't want to lose him, not like this.

Despite the fear swelling inside her, Evie shoved her way in front of Hayden and brought her hands over one another, outstretching them away from her body - just as her mother had shown her. The words of the spell of protection, one she had never been able to use before as the barrier had always been there leaching her magic away, fell from her lips with ease.

"Dark forces respect, this light which protects. My magic is a shield, that I chose to wield!"

Evie repeated the spell, louder and louder with every earth-shaking step that the creature took forward. She could feel the magic - still strange and unfamiliar - fizzling at her fingertips. Light shone from the palm of her hand and she winced, shutting her eyes as a brilliant white light flared to life. The Hydra shrieked as the light stung its eyes and it stumbled backwards, its heads smashing into the ceiling and body colliding with the walls of the tunnel. Rocks began raining down on the creature, battering into its body and causing it to shriek and panic.

The light from Evie's spell finally simmered away, and the Hydra's eyes adjusted just in time to see the tunnels ceilings beginning to cave in.

Hayden and Evie cried out as rocks crashed to the ground around them.

"Quick, Evie, follow me!" Hayden said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down the tunnel the way they had come. Behind them, The Hydra hissed and took chase, desperately trying to flee and determined to snatch up the brats that had disturbed it. Two of the Hydra's head struck forward, trying to catch the youngsters in its teeth.

Up ahead, they could see the larger cavern once more. The Hyrda was close behind them, a curtain of rocks falling behind it as the cave collapsed in on itself. The children threw themselves out the cave, barely escaping being crushed. The Hyrda was not so lucky.

Hayden pushed himself up off the ground, looking back to see The Hyrda crushed under the weight of the cave in, only one of its heads visible, sticking out through the rubble.

It reminded Hayden of The Hyrda's first demise at the hands of Hercules, a landslide having pulverised the creature. The Hyrda, the mighty beast of his childhood stories, was groaning and snarling, pathetically trying to lift the mountain of debris covering its body. Blood trickled down from its mouth, every movement causing it to wince and howl in agony. It was a pitiful sight, one that startled Hayden to his core.

It wasn't right...

"Hayden... let's go," Evie said quickly, helping him to his feet. "We need to get away from that thing!"

To Evie, the Hydra was nothing but a monstrous dragon. Every princess knew the dangers of dragons, it was a lesson she had learned the hard way on The Isle. They captured beautiful princesses and locked them away in terrible castles, forcing them to be alone and unloved, just like them. But to Hayden, The Hyrda was one of his father's most legendary monsters. It was a powerful figure from his childhood, one he had longed to see since he had first heard of it. And here was the incredible creature of legend, reduced to a writhing heap.

"We have to help it," Hayden said quietly.

"What?" Evie gasped, looking at her friend like he had gone mad - and maybe he had with suggesting such a ludicrous idea. "No, we need to leave before it gets back up or before something else finds us!"

"No, Evie, we need to help it," Hayden said, gently removing her hand from his arm. He moved over to the pile of rocks and began digging through the smaller rocks. "We can't just leave it here to die, Evie. This isn't how The Hydra goes down. Not again! It deserves better than this!"

"Hayden, it tried to kill us!"

"Evie... please."

Evie stilled, staring at Hayden with wide, confused eyes. Hayden looked at her pleadingly, gesturing to the helpless creature. The Hyrda had ceased its struggled, now watching the children curiously. It was too weak to do anything else.

"I can't... explain it. I just... I just can't let it get killed again. Dad said he wouldn't bring it back again if it failed him - if any, of his monsters, failed him. Please, help me free it. It's not going to hurt us, will you?"

The Hyrda lifted its head as much as it could, narrowing its eyes as it looked at the boy. Something flickered in its gaze before finally, as though understanding, it nodded. It turned its weakened gaze to Evie, barely able to keep its eyes open.

"Do you trust me?" Hayden asked.

She did, but this just seemed foolish. What if Hayden was wrong? What if the creature tried to hurt them again? They might not be so fortunate this time.

Evie looked at the creature, her heart twinging with pity at seeing the beast in pain. With a sigh, she nodded her head, praying to anyone listening that Hayden was right.

"Step aside and get behind me."

Hayden did as he was told. He watched as Evie lifted her hands, her brow scrunched in concentration, as she tried to think of any useful spell her mother had taught her or that she had read in her studies.

"Sands of time, hear my rhyme. Reverse the clocks, and lift the rocks," Evie whispered.

For a moment, nothing happened and Evie felt her heart deflate. Perhaps the spell she was trying to use was too strong for her current capabilities? Or perhaps her verse wasn't specific enough? But then, just as she was about to try another spell, the rocks crushing the creature began to levitate and vanish in puffs of sparkling, blue glitter. The Hydra rose to its feet, the wounds on its body patching and healing, disappearing as though they had never been.

"You did it, Evie!" Hayden shouted, punching the air.

Evie couldn't help the bright smile that broke onto her face. It was short lived when she heard the sound of growls and hisses coming from behind her. The children turned around, their hearts dropping at the sight that greeted them.

The other monsters had found them.

They were enormous creatures, snarling and hissing, some licking their lips in anticipation. High above them was a harpy-like creature with scruffy black feathers and frightful, red eyes. Below it, was a black gryphon, a minotaur, a giant warthog and a ferocious lion. Hidden in the shadows further back, more creatures lurked out of sight, their glowing eyes the only give away of their presence. They were a heart-stopping spectacle of terror, making the children feel insignificant and small.

"Hayden, I don't think I can beat all of them," Evie murmured, gripping onto Hayden's arm tightly.

A thunderous thud of a footstep behind them caused the children to spin around, having forgotten that The Hydra was still there, watching closely. Evie whimpered, burying her head into Hayden's shoulder. Hayden stared up at the creature, his eyes glowing brightly, a silent challenge for the creature to remember its promise, to remember who had saved it from eternal damnation.

The Hyrda stepped forward and leaned down, all three heads inches away from the children. Evie clutched onto Hayden tighter, but Hayden refused to look away, glaring at the creature with all his might. Evie had been brave when she stood her ground against The Hydra to save him, and now it was his turn to be courageous. He refused to bink or budge, putting everything he had into his glare, willing the beast into submission.

The Hyrda opened all of its mouths, its breath hot upon the children's flesh, salvia speckling their clothes. Abruptly, it pulled away, so fast that it caused Hayden to flinch. The Hyrda stepped over the children, standing in front of them and letting out a low, menacing hiss. The other creatures paused, looking at The Hydra in confusion. The Harpy screeched and swooped down, ready to sink its sharp talons into the youngsters. It didn't get far. One of The Hyrda's heads snapped out, grabbing the bird-like creature in its teeth before launching it across the cavern. The Harpy smashed into a cavern wall before falling to the ground with a deafening bang.

The other monsters took a step back, hissing angrily at The Hyrda.

The Hyrda began grunting and snarling, and it took Evie and Hayden a moment to realise what it was doing.

"It's... speaking to them," Evie whispered.

Hayden nodded, his grip on Evie's hand tightening.

Out of all the monsters, The Hydra was the most powerful - the other creatures knew this well. The others would follow its lead, out of fear if nothing else. After a few tense moments, the other monsters backed away, returning to the shadows. Only Evie, Hayden and The Hydra remained. The Hydra nodded its heads towards Hayden and Evie respectful, before it too stomped off into the darkness, vanishing.

Evie and Hayden relaxed, letting out a breath they hadn't realised they had been holding.

"Hayden... can we go now?"

"Good idea."

"I'll tell you what a better idea would have been," a third voice chimed in, one that riveted both children to the spot. Ever so slowly, they both turned around to find Hades towering over them, looking furious. Pain and Panic were clutched tightly in the God's hands, Pain by the tail and Panic by the ears, neither looking happy to be there. "Listening. To. Me!"

The entire room lit up as Hade's flames soared high, his entire body a furnace of fury.

Hayden winced but quickly covered it up with a dazzling, innocent smile.

"Hi, Dad, fancy meeting you here!"

Grounded.

They were both grounded for a month, an entire month! Evie flopped down onto her bed, bored out of her mind. She wasn't allowed out her room and neither was Hayden, which meant they only got to see each other at breakfast, lunch and dinner, which, they had to have in the presence of the adults. All trust had gone up in smoke.

"This is so boring!" Evie whined into her pillow.

It had only been a few days into her grounding and already she could feel cabin fever setting in. It didn't help that she was dreadfully worried about Hayden. She wanted to check up on him, knowing he had received the bulk of the blame and telling off for their running away to the Monster Realm. True, it had been his idea, but it was her fault that they had been able to find the realm. It didn't seem fair that he had gotten the brunt of his father's anger.

I'll just check on him and be right back, no will know I left, Evie decided.

It was easy to slip by Pain who was guarding her door, the little demon having fallen asleep. She crept along the marble and stone hallways, careful to remain out of sight of the servants and guards scurrying around - it was unusually busy, making Evie wonder if there was a special occasion they were preparing for. It took her longer than usual, but Evie eventually got to Hayden's room. Just as she was about to go in, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped over her mouth, preventing her from screaming as an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her behind a statue.

Evie's muffled cries ceased when she heard her captor hushing her. It was a familiar voice, one that sent a jolt of happiness through her. It was then that she noticed two guards passing by. She stopped struggling and kept quiet. Once they were out of earshot, Evie's captor whispered into her ear.

"You know, you're not supposed to leave your room when you're grounded," Hayden teased. "I'd almost think you'd never been grounded before."

Evie rolled her eyes, shoving aside Hayden's hand. She turned around to face him, a smile on her lips. "Actually, I haven't."

"You've never been grounded?" Hayden quirked an eyebrow, eyeing her sceptically.

"You only get grounded if you get caught," Evie winked.

Hayden smirked before opening his mouth, ready to retort when more footsteps echoed down the corridor. The children crouched down, watching several shadows as they passed by. Only two were familiar to Evie, one clearly being Hades and another Persephone. She had to peer out of her hiding place to make out the other four people walking beside them.

"Uh... oh," Hayden mumbled, peeking out to take a better look. "What is he doing here?"

"What? Who are they?" Evie asked.

There were three women draped in black cloaks, chattering away to one another quietly. Evie could barely make out their faces with their hoods obscuring them, but they reminded her a little of her mother's hag form. Beside them was a tall a man with dark purple skin, wearing white robes and golden sandals. Over his shoulder, he carried a lilac bow and quiver filled with arrows. He was incredibly handsome, with soft features, dark purple hair brushed back and bright blue eyes. The most striking things about him though was the set of glorious, white wings sprouting from his back. Evie was awed by the wings and wondered if the man was an angel.

As a child Evie had not known who any of the figures were, as a young women looking back on her long-forgotten memories, now she knew.

It was The Fates... and Cupid.

(A/N) Sorry about any mistakes, this chapter was driving me up the wall. I'll go through it later (as I will do for the rest of the story) and try and fix any spelling and grammar mistakes.

Again, I had to cut the chapter short as it got to long. I wonder what Cupid and The Fates are doing there? Hmmm... The reason we didn't get to see a big Hyrda chase/battle in chapter 3 'Gates of Tarturus' was so we could have it in this chapter. This is also why The Hyrda listened to Hayden and moved on in chapter 3, because it respects him for saving its life. Hayden can control the monsters like his father but rather than earning that power through fear he did so by compassion.

References:

The title is from Descendants 1 'Rotten To The Core'.

Blue tulips mean loyalty and yellow roses are for new beginnings, friendship and innocence.

"I'm nine years old! I'm not a child!" is a reference to The Little Mermaid, when King Triton is scolding Ariel in her treasure cove.

"I'll go the distance," is a reference to Hercules 'I Can Go The Distance.'

Evie being banished to her mother's castle occurs in The Descendants Books.

"You got a friend in me," is a line from the song 'You Got A Friend In Me' from Toy Story.

"Mischief is in my blood," is another reference to Descendents 1 'Rotten To The Core'.

Pain being lured into the trap by a pair of sneakers is a light reference to Pain's like of sneakers since he wore a pair of Hercules merchandise shoes in the movie. Pain and Panic screaming "Oh my Gods!" is another reference to Hercules, when they both annoy Hades.

"Do you trust me," is a line from Aladdin, said by Aladdin to Jasmine several times.

Reviews:

Thunderfiredragon: I'm hoping to add more flashbacks later on throughout the story of Hayden and Evie's time in The Underworld, I have a few cute ideas of them interacting! :D We'll find out how Evie got back to The Isle in the next chapter, it was supposed to be this one but it got so long ;A; Well also see more about Hayden's feelings turning from friendship to love in later chapters. Soulmates... maaaaaaaaybe (though I think Cupid's appearance may have put a loooot of credit into that theory). Thank you! I was so nervous writing him in the story, he's just sooooo... dramatic, that's its hard to convey XD I cannot wait to write Evie reacting to the memories coming back and having her interact with Hayden. Its definitely going to change their dynamic, now that she knows they were childhood friends. She'll have all these new feelings and it'll be hard for her to decide whether he's friend or foe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for much for your wonderful review! :D Also... subtle hint at what's to come but the hair thing will be coming into play soon ^_-

Guest: Thank you for reading the story, especially since its an unusual pairing. I loved all your questions, its so great to see people really thinking about the story! :D I can't reveal all the answers to your questions yet, but I can answer or hint to some.

Q1) Maybe. Q2) I can reveal it ain't Persephone, though who it is will be revealed in the next chapter, though there was a big clue in this one. Q3) Interesting theory, but nope. There's a major plot point for why Hayden was taken to The Isle, though no clues have been dropped to it as of yet. We'll see some hints to that in the next chapter. 4) Ohhh, now that would have been a really cool twist :O The ones who lead Evie to the spell to summon The Fates was just the spirits that haunted the library, when people enter it there's a sign that says "On your quest for knowledge the spirits will assist..." which is warning people that the ghosts will help you find the answers you're looking for, and they felt that The Fates were the best way to help Evie. Wish I'd come up with Hayden being the meddler there though, would have made him all the more cunning. The acquaintance the Fates were talking about though will be a major part of the first half of the next chapter, though there was a major clue at the end of this chapter about who he was ^_- 5) I'm surprised not many other people have mentioned that, but it very well could be. We shall have to wait and see. Major plot point secret. 6) Redemption could be on the table for Hayden, especially since we saw his compassion earned him the respect of the monsters in this chapter, compared to fear that his father uses. Oh, no need to apologise! I got so excited reading this review and seeing how much thought you were putting into it! :D I can't wait to answer all your questions though! Thank you so much for reviewing!

T. F. Crosby:

Thank you so much for the review! :D I'm still so glad you gave the story a chance. I completely understand why you'd baulk at first, honestly, I baulked at the thought of writing anything other than hevie at first XD I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the story though! That is a very good point! And what a sad world it would be without Evie (she's my faaaaaav descendant! 3 ) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx

Guest: I hope this answered some questions (I kinda think it may have raised more than answered) but the next chapter we will get the answers we're looking for. It was supposed to be in this chapter but it got soooooo long ;A;

blardiblarr: Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you love the story! Hope you enjoyed the update!

Next Chapter: Remember Me Though I Have To Say Goodbye

Hints: A little bit of angst, a little bit of drama. We find out why Cupid's there, why Evie and Hayden forgot, how Evie got back to The Isle (not Hayden), and Evie's reaction to Hayden with her memories back.

Also, if anyone has any requests for cute scenes with them feel free to suggest them and I'll try and work them into the story.