It was another day at the Inkwell Isle School for Supernaturally Gifted Youth and Ember was doing well with her schoolwork. During recess, Ember joined her best friend Isfrid Frostbite along with her other three friends Abel Airway, Marette Manowar and Cliff Boulderstone. They were playing kickball with their powers.
"Hey gang, check this out!" Abel said smugly.
Then, he makes a little tornado lift the ball and blew it at Cliff's head.
"Ow." Cliff said.
"Come on you big oaf! Do something!" Abel argued.
"Abel! Don't provoke him!" Marette reminded him.
"Oh, lighten up Mar!" Abel protested.
Then, he throws the ball again but this time, Cliff's hand turned into stone and slammed the ball at Abel, thus knocking him out of the air.
"Owww…." Abel groaned in pain.
"Ooh, looks like someone's out!" Marette taunted.
Meanwhile, Ember and Isfrid were watching on the bench.
"Are those three always like that?" Ember asked.
"Oh yes. Abel thinks he knows everything but he's kind of a weakling. Poor Cliff maybe big but he's a big scaredy cat, especially with water. And Marette acts very tough but deep down, she's really insecure." Isfrid explained.
"Oh wow." Ember said shocked.
"But we mustn't let them know that we know Ember. We all have our secrets you know. You didn't know the Devil was your real father until your mama told you." Isfrid said.
"Isfrid, can we not go back to that please? Like you're the most popular girl here but you don't know how to do everything…" Ember was about to say until Isfrid shushed her.
"SHH! I thought we don't expose each other's secrets!" Isfrid whispered.
"Okay, sorry. I didn't mean it." Ember apologized.
"That's alright. At least it's just between us besties." Isfrid said.
"Hey Isfrid! Ember! Your turn girls!" Marette called out.
"Looks like we're up. Come on Ember." Isfrid said.
"Okay." Ember said.
Both girls got up and Marette tossed them the ball. Isfrid goes first and used her snow powers to float the ball and blew it to Ember. She decided to use her fire powers to hit it back, but to her shock, she accidentally melted the ball.
"UGH! I can't do it! I destroy everything I touch!" Ember angrily ranted and was about to blow fire.
"Ember! Calm down! Deep breaths." Isfrid said quickly to calm Ember.
Ember took deep breaths until she finally calmed down.
"Your problem is you let your powers destroy and hurt if you let them. Think of something positive as you hit the ball with your powers." Isfrid advised.
"Positive?" Ember asked.
"Yes. For example, if I think negative, my powers will just freeze the ball and… crack! Shatter to pieces like glass." Isfrid said as she demonstrated with another ball.
Ember watched in amazement.
"Now you try it. Think positive. Think of something happy and calm." Isfrid said.
Isfrid tosses the ball to Ember once again. Ember thought of her father and her human family and how much they love her. She smiled as she used her fire powers to gently hit the ball back to Isfrid without melting it this time. Isfrid and the others were impressed.
"You did it Ember." Isfrid complimented.
"I… I did?" Ember said, feeling shocked.
"Whoo! Way to go Ember!" Marette cheered.
"Yay Ember!" Cliff cheered.
"Yeah, I knew she could do it." Abel admitted.
"Now, let's do this again. Shall we?" Isfrid asked.
"Yeah!" Ember said excitedly.
Isfrid and Ember played with the ball as she got control over her powers and emotions as they played without any further destruction.
Just then, the bell rang, and recess was over. Ember and the other kids headed back to their classrooms to resume school.
After school, Ember and her friends walk out to the front of the school to wait for their parents.
"Thanks for teaching me to be positive with my powers." Ember thanked Isfrid.
"Aw, you're welcome, Ember. You know, mama taught me that and that's how I maintained control of my magic. Even you can too." Isfrid explained.
"Really? Father didn't teach me that." Ember said.
"Oh, I guess he's really that evil. No offense." Isfrid said.
"None taken." Ember said, not taking any offense since she knew her father was evil.
Just then, the elevator appeared from the ground. Henchman opened the door, and the Devil was right there.
"Ah, there you are Ember. Let's go home." The Devil said.
"See you tomorrow Isfrid?" Ember asked.
"Of course, I will. See you then." Isfrid said.
"Bye!" Ember said as she ran up to the elevator.
The Devil wrapped his arm around Ember as Henchman closed the door and the elevator disappeared into the ground.
"Wow, at least they have a magical elevator." Isfrid said.
Then, Isfrid's mother Isolde arrives to pick up her daughter and both leave for their home at the North Pole.
Down in Hell, the Devil has Ember complete her homework before he started his next lesson on her training.
They both go to the arena to start her daily training.
"Now my dearest Ember. Can you levitate without the use of your broom?" The Devil asked.
Ember demonstrated by levitating herself off the ground.
"Mm-hmm. Impressive my dear. Because remember, you may not always have your broomstick and may have to levitate on your own when in certain situations. I should know." The Devil said.
"Really?" Ember asked.
"Yes, like if you fall over a cliff and don't have your broomstick, you can save yourself by levitating yourself." The Devil explained.
"Oh." Ember said.
"Come, we're going out." The Devil said as he levitated on his pitchfork.
Ember summoned her broomstick and flew with her father to the surface. They flew around the sky until they get a good view of the entire Inkwell Isles.
"Wow." Ember said, awestruck.
"Yes dear. This the world we live in." The Devil said.
Ember looked at an island northeast of the mainland with a volcano.
"What's that volcanic island?" Ember asked.
"That's Mt. Eruptus. It's a very dangerous place." The Devil answered.
"Ooh, I like danger." Ember said, now fascinated.
She attempts to fly down to the volcano until the Devil grabbed her.
"No young lady! Did you miss the word dangerous? That place is off limits for a reason!" The Devil scolded.
"Aw…" Ember said sadly.
"I think we're done here today. Let's go home." The Devil said.
Both the Devil and Ember teleported back to Hell, have dinner and head off to bed.
The next day at school, Ember and her friends were once again at recess playing ball together.
"So, how'd training go with your father?" Isfrid asked Ember while they waited for their turn.
"Well, we were practicing levitation in the sky until I saw a really cool volcanic island father called 'Mt. Eruptus'. I wanted to check it out, but father wouldn't let me. Father's brave enough to go there." Ember answered disappointedly.
"Oh yeah, I've heard of Mt. Eruptus too. They say a giant man-eating monster lives there and will eat anyone who dares trespass on his property. Because nobody who's ever gone there ever came back." Isfrid explained.
Ember's eyes widened, feeling awestruck.
"Wow, really? A giant man-eating monster? Whoa!" Ember said excitedly.
"I must've said too much. Or maybe your father would've told you sooner or later." Isfrid said nervously.
"Isfrid! Ember! Your turn!" Marette called.
"Come on, let's play." Isfrid said.
Both girls get up, take the ball from Abel and started playing.
Later after school, Ember and her friends decided to have study group in Hell and joins her father in the elevator with their books and schoolwork.
After arriving in Hell, the Devil ordered Henchman to escort the children to the conference room where they can study together without distractions and supervise them.
"Uh, what's E=MC^2 mean?" Ember asked, confused on their science homework.
"Ember, mass–energy equivalence is the relationship between mass and energy in a system's rest frame, where the two quantities differ only by a multiplicative constant and the units of measurement." Abel answered.
Ember sat there, not having a clue what Abel was talking about.
"Okay… that's interesting Abel." Ember pretended to understand.
"Yes, it is interesting. Albert Einstein invented the equation himself." Abel explained.
"That absent-minded smarty-pants?" Marette asked sarcastically.
"He was not absent-minded! He was a genius!" Abel argued.
Marette and Abel continued bickering until Henchman interrupted.
"Alright you two that's enough!" Henchman scolded.
Marette and Abel stopped bickering.
"Now, back to your studies kids. You got a big test coming up this Friday." Henchman reminded them.
The five kids resumed their studying until their homework was finished.
"Alright Henchman, we're done with our homework." Ember said as the kids were packing up their schoolwork.
"Great job Ember, kids! Your father said you can all go play outside now." Henchman announced.
"YAY!" All five kids cheered.
"… As long as I'm there to keep an eye on you all. Orders from your father." Henchman finished.
All kids groaned, but regardless they head to the surface world to play together while Henchman kept an eye on them.
Ember thought about Mt. Eruptus again and decided to go explore the island with her friends. But she realized she needed to ditch Henchman and needed to come up with a plan. Suddenly, she got an idea.
"Hey guys, you wanna head over to the docks and have a rock-skipping contest?" Ember asked.
"The docks? Why there?" Isfrid asked, confused.
"You'll see when we get there." Ember whispered in her ear.
"Oh." Isfrid said, now understanding.
"Oh boy! Oh boy!" Cliff said excitedly jumping up and down, causing the ground to shake.
"You big oaf! You're causing an earthquake again!" Abel scolded.
"Oops, sorry." Cliff apologized.
"I could show off my water skills while we're there!" Marette said excitedly.
"Alright kids but remember: no wandering off." Henchman reminded them.
"We won't Henchman." Ember said, seemingly innocent.
Henchman escorts the children to the docks.
"So, where are we really going?" Isfrid whispered to Ember.
"Mt. Eruptus." Ember whispered back.
"Wow!" Cliff said loudly.
"SHH!" Ember shushed him, reminding him that Henchman was right there.
"I knew you were up to something Ember!" Marette whispered.
"Yep, you know me, Marette." Ember whispered.
"But one problem, how do we get rid of him?" Abel quietly asked about Henchman.
The kids quietly huddled up as Ember explained the plan. The group arrives at the docks as Henchman looked at the kids.
"Duh, okay kids were here." Henchman said.
"Cliff, you got the flat rocks?" Ember asked.
"Yep!" Cliff said as he held up a pile of flat rocks.
"Perfect!" Isfrid said.
"Now kids, don't knock any of those boats down." Henchman said.
"Oh, we wouldn't do that. We just wanna see who can skip rocks the furthest." Marette explained.
"Okay but be careful now." Henchman said as he watched the kids.
The kids lineup on the docks and prepared to skip rocks.
"Alright, who wants to go first?" Ember asked.
"I'll go first!" Isfrid called.
Isfrid froze her rock and threw the rock at a good distance.
"Not bad Isfrid." Marette complimented.
"Why, thank you." Isfrid thanked.
"Okay then, I'll go next." Ember said.
Ember threw her rock and it got further to Isfrid's rock but just barely close.
"Ooh, you were so close to my distance!" Isfrid complimented.
"Thank you. I learned from the best." Ember said back.
"My turn!" Abel said.
Abel threw his rock, but it only made it three hops.
"Oh, well good try Abel." Ember said.
"You need to build some upper arm strength." Marette taunted.
"And you need to build some leg strength!" Abel argued back.
"Why you little…!" Marette said angrily and prepared to attack.
"Break it up you two! It's just a game!" Henchman scolded.
"My turn!" Cliff exclaimed.
Cliff grabbed Henchman, thinking it was a rock.
"What? No! I'm not a rock! Put me…!"
Henchman was about to protest until Cliff threw Henchman as far as he could as he was hopping across the water.
"Down…!" Henchman yelled as his voice died off into the distance.
All five children laughed.
"Alright it worked!" Ember exclaimed.
"We got rid of him!" Isfrid agreed.
"Hey, sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it." Marette apologized to Abel.
"It's okay, I didn't mean what I said either. But it was convincing, wasn't it?" Abel asked.
"Yeah, it was. Henchman really fell for it." Marette bragged and both laughed.
"I win! I win! I win!" Cliff cheered.
"Yes Cliff, you won! Nice throw!" Ember complimented.
"Why, thank you Ember. So, what are we gonna do now?" Cliff asked.
Ember looked down and saw a big raft tied to the docks.
"We're going on a field trip ladies and gentlemen." Ember answered.
"Oh boy! I love field trips!" Cliff exclaimed excitedly.
"Ooh, this just got exciting!" Marette said, feeling excited.
The kids hop on the raft and Marette shapeshifted her legs into her mermaid tail and pushed the raft while Ember steered. They sail through the waves as they got splashed a little.
"This was a great idea, Ember! Thanks!" Abel complimented.
"I'm so excited for this field trip!" Cliff added.
"Thanks guys! We're almost there! We just gotta go over that waterfall!" Ember said as they were approaching a waterfall.
"WATERFALL?!" The group exclaimed fearfully.
Abel flies off the raft, Marette grabbed Abel's legs as Cliff fearfully grabbed Isfrid and Ember. They go over the waterfall and screamed as they fell down. Abel and Marette flew down to the bottom and look for their friends. Ember and Isfrid come up to the surface and gasped for air. Cliff was panicking and yelling for help, thinking he was drowning.
"Help! Help me! I'm drowning! I can't swim!" Cliff yelled.
"Hey you big oaf! Stop it!" Abel yelled as Marette leg go and landed in the water and swam up to her friends.
"Easy Abel, you know how Cliff is. He's scared of drowning." Isfrid reminded Abel.
"Cliff, you're okay! You're not drowning!" Ember called out to Cliff as she laughed.
Cliff calms down and looked and realized he was just sitting there, not drowning at all.
"Oh… thank you Ember." Cliff thanked.
"We landed in the kiddie pool." Ember said, making him feel better.
"Oh boy! The kiddie pool!"
Cliff said excitedly and made huge splashes, accidentally causing Abel to get wet and fall into the water. The four kids laugh at Abel as he looked unamused.
"Alright everyone, let's get going!" Ember said, feeling excited.
The five kids head off into the jungle, all awestruck of the sights. They approach a boulder, but Cliff picked it up and tossed it away and continued.
Suddenly, a venomous flower came down from a tree and spat venom at the group. Isfrid made an ice barrier to protect them just in time. Ember growled furiously and made the flower retreat.
Next, they cross a river until they are ambushed by a school of piranhas until Marette used her water powers to splash them away. They reach the shore safely as Ember held Cliff's finger to help him brave the water without drowning.
Then, they come across a cliff with a giant carnivorous plant waiting for them. Ember gets an idea and whispers into Cliff's ear. He giggled and picked up a large boulder. He looked down and called out,
"Open wide!"
He drops the boulder, and the carnivorous plant mouth is blocked. The kids land safely on the boulder and jump down on the ground. They scale up the volcano until they hear a screeching noise.
"W-w-w-what was that?!" Isfrid fearfully asked.
"Uh oh! Grim Matchstick!" Ember exclaimed.
"Quick in here!" Marette called as she pointed to a cave.
The group runs into the cave and avoids being spotted just in time as Grim Matchstick, the giant three headed dragon flew by looking for the intruders.
"What do we do?" Cliff asked fearfully as he held Ember tightly.
Abel thought for a moment, then he got an idea. He flew up the entrance and reached out his hands, making a tornado. He shoots the tornado away from the cave, thus distracting Grim Matchstick and he flies away after the tornado.
"Phew!" The group sighed of relief.
"That was quick thinking Abel!" Isfrid complimented.
"Thank you Isfrid. Dragons really hate being disturbed." Abel explained.
"Hello? I can't breathe Cliff! Put me down!" Ember struggled to speak.
"Oh, oops! Sorry Ember." Cliff apologized.
"It's… alright." Ember said as she caught her breath.
"Uh… guys? You really need to see this!" Marette called to the group.
The four kids join Marette further into the cave and look down and saw an area with piles of skeletons. They're all awestruck and climbed down the cliff to investigate the area.
"Where are we?" Isfrid asked.
"If my calculations are correct, we are in the monster's lair within Mt. Eruptus." Abel answered nervously.
"We made guys! This is it!" Ember said excitedly.
The children explore the lair together until they come across another cave, but it was dark they couldn't see anything.
"Wow!" All five kids exclaimed.
"Okay, I feel like we've explored enough. We should get outta here." Marette said nervously.
"Aw come on Marette, we haven't even been inside yet." Ember said.
"I dunno Ember, maybe she's right, we should quit while we're ahead." Abel agreed.
"Since when did you both started agreeing on something?" Ember asked.
"Ember, they're right. We should go. We could get into big trouble." Isfrid said.
"I wanna go home!" Cliff begged.
Ember sighed and said,
"Alright fine."
But just as they were about to leave, they hear a loud snoring noise from the dark cave, making the children gasp.
"I'll bet that's the monster! Come on, let's go check it out!" Ember said excitedly.
But before Ember could enter the dark cave, an unexpected vistor blocks their path: an angry Henchman.
"Henchman?!" Ember asked nervously.
"Ember! What are you doing?! You know your father warned you not to come here! I should've known you were up to something!" Henchman scolded.
Ember groaned, knowing she was in big trouble.
"Now, come along kids. We're going home, right now." Henchman ordered.
"But Henchman, we're the first ones to explore the monsters cave and we'll live to talk about it!" Ember argued.
"Ember, you don't know what you're dealing with! If we stay here, we're in grave danger!" Henchman warned.
"I'm not scared of anything like father isn't! I'm just as brave and demonic as he is!" Ember argued loudly.
"SHHH!" The group tried to shush her.
But it was too late, they hear the giant monster waking up. Thunderous footsteps were approaching. The group looked in horror as they saw… a giant gorilla monster approaching out of his sleeping cave with an angry look on his face. He looked down at the group and growled furiously.
"T-t-t-t-that's a-a-a-a b-b-b-b-big g-g-g-gorilla." Abel said, now scared.
The giant gorilla roared loudly.
"RUN!" Cliff screamed loudly.
The group started running for their lives towards a tunnel. Henchman tried to catch up with the children, but he was suddenly grabbed by the giant gorilla.
The children stop running.
"Hey, where's Henchman?" Marette asked.
"Uh oh." Ember said, realizing what was happening.
They run back towards the dark cave and spot the giant gorilla about to eat Henchman alive. With quick thinking, Ember fired her flamethrower attack from her fists and blasted at the giant gorilla's hand, freeing Henchman.
But the giant gorilla yelled in pain and accidentally hit Henchman, blasting him out of the volcano.
"Hey you big palooka! Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" Ember yelled angrily.
"Uh… like us?" Isfrid nervously asked.
"Uh oh." Ember said, not thinking this through.
The gorilla looked down and saw the group of kids and growled at them.
"I think we should run." Abel whispered.
"Yeah, good idea." Marette agreed.
"RUN!" Cliff screamed.
The gorilla attempted to attack the children as they screamed and ran away. They run towards the tunnel, avoiding the gorilla's attacks with his fists and teeth. Suddenly, the kids fall down another tunnel in the ground. They all slide down until they reach another area with sunlight shining in, realizing they were almost out of the volcano.
"Light! I see light!" Abel shouted.
"Find the way out!" Ember said.
Abel flew up and found the exit.
"Up here guys! But I don't see a way up for you guys to get up here!" Abel called.
Remembering her training, Ember got an idea.
"I got an idea!" Ember said.
Ember levitated herself and her friends off the ground.
"Oh clever!" Isfrid complimented.
"Whee! I'm flying!" Cliff said excitedly.
"Huh, this is like swimming, only in the air." Marette complimented.
They hear loud roaring and quickly fly towards the exit as the giant gorilla drew closer.
"EMBER!" Isfrid yelled.
Ember turned around and realized Isfrid's dress got caught on a rock and was stuck. Ember gasped as Isfrid screamed. The giant gorilla prepared to eat Isfrid until Ember quickly flew towards the gorilla, shapeshifted into her demon form and blasted the gorilla away. Ember frees Isfrid and carries her to the exit.
"Wow, you can turn into a demon?" Isfrid asked.
"This is why I warned you not to ever make me angry!" Ember answered.
The gorilla got up, now angrier than ever. The kids make it outside and run into the jungle. They reach the waterfall. Before Ember could levitate the group again, a giant rock was thrown, blocking their way off the island. The group realized they were trapped.
"Oh no! We're trapped!" Marette yelled fearfully.
"Oh, help me mommy! I want my blankie!" Cliff sobbed uncontrollably.
The group gasped as the giant gorilla approached, now feeling like he's got them.
Ember grew angrier and tried to attack with her demonic powers. The gorilla swiped Ember up in his fist and roared loudly in her face.
"EMBER!" Isfrid cried out.
Ember's rage grew and let out a roar of her own. But it did no good as the gorilla prepared to eat Ember.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an even louder roar was heard, startling the gorilla and Ember.
"Huh?" Ember asked as the gorilla looked up fearfully at something.
Her eyes widened as she looked behind her and saw the Devil in his giant gorilla form enraged at the gorilla.
The Devil reached out his hand, gesturing him to give him Ember or else. The gorilla quickly complies and dropped Ember in the Devil's palm. He closed his fist, trapping Ember inside. The Devil places Ember down next to her friends as she shapeshifted back to her normal form.
"Ember! You're okay!" Isfrid said, feeling relieved and hugged her.
"Yeah… sure." Ember said, now scared her father was here.
The Devil fought the giant gorilla as Henchman arrived and landed next to the kids, revealing he brought the Devil here.
After a while of fighting, the Devil pins down the giant gorilla as he whimpered, begging for mercy.
"Don't ever come near my daughter again!" The Devil boomed furiously and gave one last roar.
The giant gorilla fearfully retreats to his lair, whimpering for his life.
The Devil shrunk back to his regular form, holding his pitchfork. Henchman flew next to his boss, giving him a two thumbs up for his victory. But the Devil glared at Henchman for his incompetence.
The children approach the Devil, all feeling scared knowing they were in big trouble. Ember hid behind Cliff fearfully since she knew how her father would react. The Devil turned around and faced the children.
"EMBER! FRONT AND CENTER RIGHT NOW!" The Devil yelled at the top of his voice, scaring the children.
The Devil glared at Cliff and gestured him to step aside. Cliff quickly moved aside, revealing Ember. She gulped as she nervously approached her enraged father.
"Father, I-I-I…" Ember struggled to speak.
"…Deliberately disobeyed me young lady!" The Devil furiously finished her sentence.
"Father… I-I I'm so sorry!" Ember fearfully apologized.
"Oh, you're gonna be sorry alright! Get in the elevator! All of you right now! We're going home!" The Devil angrily said as Henchman summoned the elevator.
Ember hung her head down in shame. Isfrid wrapped her arm around her.
"Thank you for saving my life. You really are brave." Isfrid whispered.
The children entered the elevator, Henchman pushed the down button and disappeared into the ground.
As they traveled, the Devil stood there angrier than ever. Ember avoided eye contact and held Isfrid. They arrived back in Hell to the throne room. The Devil stormed out of the elevator as the children nervously stepped out after him. Henchman followed his boss behind, feeling bad for Ember.
"HENCHMAN!" The Devil yelled.
Henchman quickly approached his boss.
"Y-y-yes boss?" Henchman nervously asked.
"Take Isfrid, Marette, Abel and Cliff home. I must teach my daughter a lesson." The Devil ordered as he glared at Ember.
Ember ducked behind Isfrid.
"It's gonna be your funeral girl." Marette said sadly.
"Yeah, that's all the adventure I needed." Abel said as he gathered his backpack.
"At least we're all okay." Cliff said, trying to be positive.
"Cliff's right. It'll be okay Ember, think positive. Remember?" Isfrid encouraged Ember.
"Yeah, sure." Ember said sadly.
Henchman approached the children.
"Come along children. Into the elevator. You too, Isfrid." Henchman ordered the children.
Isfrid released Ember and joined the others into the elevator. Henchman looked at Ember and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Ember… good luck." Henchman wished her luck.
Henchman entered the elevator, closed the door and disappeared up to the surface to drop off each of the kids home, leaving Ember alone with her father in Hell.
"EMBER!" The Devil yelled.
Ember cringed, knowing she was going to face the consequences of her actions. She nervously approached her father sitting on his throne waiting for her. She stopped in front of the stairs at a fair distance from her father.
"Ember, I am very, very disappointed in you!" The Devil scolded.
"I know." Ember said.
"You could've been killed! All of you! You put your friends in grave danger! Especially Isfrid!" The Devil further scolded.
Ember tried to hold back tears from her father's yelling.
"What do you have to say for yourself?!" The Devil asked, giving her a chance to explain.
"I-I-I… I was just… trying to prove to my friends I was brave and demonic like you father!" Ember tearfully explained.
"Ember, I'm only brave and demonic when I must be! It doesn't mean you have to go putting yourself in danger that'll cost you your life!" The Devil pointed out.
"It doesn't? But you fear nothing!" Ember protested.
"You're wrong! I was today! I feared I was going to lose you!" The Devil admitted.
"Really? Even you feel fear?" Ember asked, confused.
"Yes! Even demons can get scared!" The Devil answered.
Ember couldn't believe even her all-powerful father was ever scared of anything.
"You are facing dire consequences for your actions young lady! I want you to wash up and go to bed! You're gonna have a long time to think about what you've done! To your friends and to yourself!" The Devil ordered her.
"Yes father." Ember sadly agreed.
Ember leaves for her bedroom, brushes her teeth, changes into her nightgown and crawled into bed. Umbra leapt up on her bed and snuggled against her head as Ember was crying.
"Thanks Umbra. I dunno what I'm gonna do now." Ember said tearfully.
Umbra licked her face and purred. After crying for a while, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Back in the throne room, the Devil sighed in frustration of yelling at Ember and held his head in his hand. Henchman returned in the elevator and approached his boss.
"Duh, the children are safe at home sir." Henchman reported.
"Good." The Devil said frustrated.
"D'aw boss, it'll be okay. I know you're upset and very angry at Ember and you have every right to be as her father. But don't be too hard on her boss. She's still a kid, and kids around her age often break the rules. Let this be a lesson to her to stay out of trouble." Henchman pointed out.
"Thank you, Henchman. But she's still gonna face punishment for disobeying me and almost getting herself and her friends killed out there." The Devil said.
"I know boss. It'll definitely teach her a lesson." Henchman agreed.
"Exactly. Alright, make sure her room is locked so she doesn't get any ideas. I'll think about her punishment in the morning." The Devil said as he prepared to go to bed.
"Duh, okay boss. You'll think of something." Henchman agreed.
The Devil goes to his bedroom to bed and Henchman locked Ember's bedroom door and went to bed himself.
The next morning, Ember wakes up and gets ready for school. Henchman unlocks and enters her room with a cart carrying a teapot and a cup.
"Good morning, Ember. How are you feeling?" Henchman asked.
Ember looked at him sadly, knowing she was still in big trouble.
"Aw, I know you're still upset, but you should've listened to your father. He really cares about you. I should know." Henchman assured her.
"No, he doesn't. He just wants to punish me!" Ember said, once again tearing up.
"Ember, if he didn't care about you, would he have come all the way to Mt. Eruptus, save your life and bring you home?" Henchman asked, proving a point.
Ember thought about it and realized he was right.
"You were lucky he got there just in time before that gorilla finished you off." Henchman reminded her.
"I guess you're right Henchman. I'm so sorry." Ember apologized.
"It's alright. Let this be a lesson to you to listen to your father from now on." Henchman advised and gave her a hug.
"Okay, Henchman." Ember agreed.
"Henchman! Is my daughter ready yet?" The Devil called, making Ember cringe.
"Yes boss! We're coming right now!" Henchman called back.
"Let's go. Your father's waiting." Henchman said.
Ember sighed, knowing he has a punishment ready for her. They leave her bedroom and arrive at the dining area where the Devil sat in his chair with a stern look. Ember nervously sits at the table as Henchman delivered their breakfast plates. Ember started eating as the Devil cleared his throat, getting her attention.
"I thought long and hard about your punishment Ember." The Devil announced.
Ember gulped in fear and felt her heart beating fast.
"For your disobedience, you are grounded for two weeks! That means no after-school activities, no playdates, no study group, no dessert and no visiting your human family! I've already discussed this with your mother and Clarence, and they agreed!" The Devil declared.
Ember's eyes popped.
"Mama and papa know about it?" Ember asked nervously.
"Yes, Ember. And your mother said she's very disappointed in you too! I told them everything!" The Devil revealed.
Ember gulped; knowing her human parents were also disappointed.
"Alright, now finish up and I'll drop you off at school." The Devil ordered her.
Ember finished her breakfast, grabbed her backpack and she along with the Devil and Henchman enter the elevator. Henchman closed the door, pushed the up button and disappeared to the surface.
They drop Ember off at school as the Devil warned,
"Remember: No after-school activities, playdates and study group! I'll pick you up right after school!"
The Devil and Henchman disappeared into Hell as Ember joined her friends in Mrs. Atkinson's classroom.
During math class, Ember was too depressed to even focus on her schoolwork.
Suddenly, a paper airplane note flew and landed on her desk. Ember quietly opened the note and it said,
"Ember,
We're so sorry you got into trouble with your father and being grounded for two weeks. Since we can't have playdates or study group for two weeks, we can still play at recess and be at lunch together. We'll get through this together. And for the record, we still had our adventure at Mt. Eruptus and lived to tell about it. You're now the talk of the school, everybody wants to hear the story. We'll talk again at recess.
Your best buddies,
Isfrid, Marette, Abel and Cliff"
Ember smiled and looked at her friends smiling at her.
At recess Ember joined her friends at the kickball field. Isfrid looked at Ember feeling sad as she wrapped her arm around her.
"It'll be okay Ember. I promise." Isfrid assured her.
Ember smiled a little and sunk her head into her chest.
Just then a large group of students approached Ember and her friends.
"Ember! Did you really go to Mt. Eruptus and take on the monster?" One student asked.
"What was it like? Did you see his lair?" Another student asked.
Everyone had so many questions for Ember about their adventure at Mt. Eruptus. Isfrid stood up on the bench.
"Now, now everyone! Ember will tell you everything that happened." Isfrid announced, calming the crowd down.
"Ember? Would you like to do the honors?" Isfrid asked.
Ember was shocked that everyone wanted to hear their adventure. Isfrid helped Ember stand up and Ember cleared her throat as everyone waited eagerly to hear the story. Ember started from the beginning all the way to the end while summarizing the highlights and the gist.
After finishing the story, everyone applauded.
"Ember really saved my life from being eaten by that dastardly giant gorilla. For that, I owe her my life. And I am proud to call her my best friend." Isfrid said as she wrapped her arm around Ember.
"Let's hear it for Ember! The bravest in the school!" Abel called out.
"You the queen of the fiery underworld!" Marette called next.
"Hooray for Ember!" Cliff called after.
All the students cheer Ember on as Cliff lifted her. Ember smiled and waved, feeling much better as she felt accepted by the school.
Later after recess, they resumed their classes until it was time for lunch. Ember enjoyed the attention she was getting from her fellow students.
"Wow, so this is what it's like to be popular?" Ember asked Isfrid.
"Yes, Ember. You're popular. Just not quite as popular as me." Isfrid said.
"Well, we're popular together… bestie?" Ember asked.
"Of course, we are bestie!" Isfrid said as she wrapped her arm around her and both girls giggled.
Later after school, Ember complied with her father's orders and went straight home, did her homework and was confined to her room. At least she had her kitten Umbra and broomstick to keep her company.
That evening, Ember was playing with Umbra and her toys until she heard a knock at her door.
"Ember! Your father said you can wash up for dinner now!" Henchman called.
"Okay!" Ember said as she quickly went to her bathroom to wash up.
After doing so, she hears the door unlock and Henchman opens the door.
"If you're ready Ember, let's go." Henchman said.
Henchman escorts Ember to the dining area and Ember sat down with her father.
"Remember: dinner only, no dessert!" The Devil reminded her.
"Yes, father. I will never disobey you again." Ember answered.
Both eat dinner together until the Devil sends Ember off to bed.
Ember puts up with being grounded for the next two weeks until the Devil was able to forgive and trust her again and her privileges were given back. Over time, Ember learned her lesson about listening to her parents and going places she shouldn't, especially involving her friends.