I hope everyone has gotten a chance to watch Descendants: The Rise of Red! I have a lot of thoughts on the movie, but overall I still had a fun time. I'm actually planning to write a new, shorter story that takes place in this universe but with some of the new characters appearing as well.

Also, Ben and Mal's wedding is coming soon!

Yes, I am still working on the story. Sorry progress has been this slow, but I will try my best to keep chapters coming!

A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.

A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.

Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.

Enjoy!

Chapter 28: Heritage

"Are you absolutely sure, CJ? Are you one hundred percent sure? Not a single doubt in your mind?" Mal asked, shuffling on her feet.

"I'm sure enough, Malsie. Could you stop fidgeting? You're acting like a scared puppy." CJ scoffed.

The two girls found themselves at a familiar location, by the foundation of the magical bridge that sporadically leads to the Isle of the Lost. Only this time, they were not joined by a convoy of Auradon military personnel. Instead, only two cars accompanied them.

Ben and Archer stood by the second car, occasionally glancing in their direction. Their questions and inquiries had been even more numerous than Mal's had been. She couldn't blame them. After all, she could still barely wrap her head around the fact that she might actually get to know who her father was today and even get a chance to confront him.

The past two days had been a rollercoaster of emotions following CJ's accidental discovery. Mal constantly replayed the conversation they'd had in her head.

"You know who my father is?" She had asked.

"That ring." CJ had pointed to her hand. "I once stole it for someone back on the Isle…"

"What do you mean?"

"Someone had hired me, you know, to steal it… This specific ring… I was supposed to hand it over to him and he'd give me a butt load of money, more than I'd ever gotten for any regular job…"

"Who!?" Mal's breathing had quickened at this point. "Who hired you?"

"Hades…" CJ had breathlessly replied.

Evie and Freddie had audibly gasped.

"Hades had hired me to steal this ring… After the failed robbery, he had often helped me out with odd jobs and the like… I'd find him stuff or food, because he doesn't like going out, as you all know… This ring, Mal, came from Hades…"

That was two days ago.

First had been denial. Mal tried to convince herself that there was no way Hades could be her father. Then again, she had no real reason to doubt CJ's story, and there was no one she could ask about the matter and verify any claims. Her mother, still a lizard, was not big on verbal communication.

After finally coming to terms with the possibility that Hades could be her father, Mal switched to bargaining. She had spent those two days relentlessly going over every option that now lay open for her. On the one hand, she had tried to convince herself to not pay any attention to this development, no matter how earth-shattering it was. After all, she had lived a relatively happy and successful life without any sort of father figure in it. Hades, if he really was Mal's father, had similarly never even so much as tried to contact her or be there for her, aside from apparently sending her a gift on her birthday once. On the other hand, Mal had the nagging feeling that this was simply not something she could ignore. A week before her wedding, and she could not bring herself to focus on it for longer than a few seconds at a time anymore…

She would now flare up in anger at even the mere thought of Hades, and how he had neglected her all of her life. She felt as though it was her right, as a daughter, to hold him accountable. She also believed that confronting him would somehow help her grow as a person and maybe even understand life just a bit better. Everyone around her, Ben and Evie most prominently, had whole-heartedly told her that they would support whatever decision she would make.

She had eventually opted for the second choice.

She was once again clad in her traditional leather Isle attire. CJ, who would accompany her, had similarly donned her favorite red leather coat.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want us to come along?" Ben spoke up as he and Archer approached the two girls. "We can still make some last-minute alterations to the plan…"

"I'm sure. Thank you though." Mal gave a weak smile.

"And you're also sure it'll be safe?" Archer inquired. "No secret plots to try and kidnap or torture either of you?"

"I messaged Harry, as I told you before." CJ answered. "He says the Isle has changed. I'm not sure how, but I'll guess we'll see. In any case, he has promised me that we will not be harassed in any way shape or form during our time there."

"If you say you trust him…" Archer muttered. "I'm having a hard time being convinced…"

"Same here." Ben added, a dark undertone present in his voice.

"I will do all the talking with Harry. Mal won't even have to see him. But he is making sure we'll be safe on the Isle, so even the slightest bit of gratitude would be nice…" CJ pouted.

Mal shared Ben and Archer's sentiment though. Harry Hook had done so many horrible things to her in the past, so she absolutely did not feel like trying to mend their relationship or listen to his excuses for even a second. She did not want to spend any more time on the Isle than was absolutely necessary. The plan was to go in, have her talk, and get out. CJ would tag along for some added protection, and also because she wanted to check up on Harry and see how the Isle was being handled post-war.

"It's about midday…" Ben pondered, staring at his watch. "You two should head off…"

"Be safe." Archer told CJ as he leaned in to kiss her goodbye.

Mal did the same to Ben, stroking his cheek as an added gesture. "I'll be alright. We'll be back before you know it."

With that, Mal and CJ stepped into the car that was waiting for them. Mal performed the spell that made the magical bridge appear, before the driver took off.

The drive over the bridge, as always, went smooth and quickly. Mal felt somewhat nauseous from the anticipation. She had felt the same way before Ben's coronation, or before cotilion, or back when Ben had escorted her through Beast Castle before their short-lived breakup.

"Do you, ehm, do you know what you're gonna say?" CJ asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

Mal shrugged. She had thought of a million things she wanted to say, and a million more she wanted to scream and yell. Still, now that the moment of truth loomed closer than ever, her head felt empty.

CJ kept looking at her, waiting for an answer. When Mal refused to speak for several minutes, CJ finally looked away.

At the other end of the bridge, the car passed underneath the gate that served as the border of the Isle before driving further up the cobbled streets. Mal semi-expected some of the Isle inhabitants to start banging on the vehicle or even hurl rocks their way. None of this happened. As she peered out the tinted windows, she saw that most people barely even looked up as the car passed. This surprised her, since arrivals from Auradon used to always be big news when she still lived on the Isle.

The car slowly came to a halt. While Mal had to steady her breathing in order to calm her nerves, CJ did not waste a single second as she immediately unbuckled her seatbelt before jumping out of the vehicle.

"Sis!" A familiar voice called out, though Mal could not see him.

CJ squealed as she ran up to her brother and embraced him. Mal's stomach did a little twist, and she felt a familiar feeling of hatred and disgust spread through her body. She had promised CJ not to try and confront Harry, but there was also no way in hell she would act friendly towards him.

"You look amazing." Harry told his sister. Mal could just about make out his broad smile through the tinted windows. He seemed happier and healthier than Mal had ever seen him. The scars he had suffered throughout the war had healed nicely, though they still marked his once dashing features. He sported his trademark red leather jacket, but his hook was nowhere to be seen. He was also wearing a pair of dirty yellow rubber rain boots and gardening gloves.

"You do too…" CJ replied. "Wow, the Isle seems… Different…"

Mal took a better look around. She got what CJ meant. The streets weren't littered with trash, as usual, and the cobbled roads appeared to be freshly swept and cleaned. The buildings too had far less graffiti on them than had previously always been the case, and most roofs looked to have been recently fixed or reinforced. All in all, the Isle looked a little more like an actual bustling town than the run-down prison camp it had always been during Mal's time there.

"Just you wait…" Harry proudly boasted. "We've accomplished so much… I gotta show ya around…"

"Harry… We, ehm, there's something we need to do first…" CJ replied apologetically.

Mal saw Harry sneak a glance into the car.

"Don't talk to her." CJ warned.

"I won't." Harry put up his hands. "Just… When you're done with, I don't know, whatever it is that you have to do, please drop by the market. Please, CJ."

CJ sighed deeply and shuffled on her feet. "I'll try… Okay?"

That appeared to be good enough for Harry. "Awesome. I already had a talk with most inhabitants. No one will bother you two. I promise. Gil will keep an eye on you from a distance, just in case."

"No one will bother us? Not even Uma or Harriet?" CJ inquired in a skeptical tone.

Harry frowned a little. "Uma, well, she's been a bit out of it for the past few months… My guess is she's somewhere near the southern shore at the moment… Harriet's no trouble. No one follows her anymore, safe for Clay and Anthony. They're holed up in Solomon's former territory mostly. I've already sent some people to keep them at bay."

"Huh…" CJ seemed somewhat impressed. "So, are you running things now?"

Harry shrugged, seemingly very happy with himself. "Sorta. I got plenty of help though. A lot of villain kids and even some of the older ones genuinely want to help try to make the Isle a better place. Now, with Solomon gone and Uma and Harriet on the down low, the streets are far more quiet…"

"How did everyone handle, you know, losing the war?" CJ went on in a somewhat hesitant tone.

Harry's look darkened ever so slightly. "Not very well in the beginning, but, well… There wasn't much use moping around, and you had promised you would maybe come visit some times, so I really stepped up and tried to get everyone in line. Most people did not mind. I mean, why get in the way when someone's trying to make your life a little better? Now we got a bit of order going and there's less robberies and random stabbings… I'd call that a win…"

Mal scraped her throat from inside the car.

"Oh, shit, yeah…" CJ muttered. "Harry, that all sounds amazing, but there's something we gotta do. I'll see you later, okay? I'll come to the market…"

Harry's eyes sparkled. "Deal. Alright. Just go on through. See you soon."

With that, he retreated, joining up with a group of Isle inhabitants who had seemingly been specifically waiting for him.

CJ poked her head back in the car. "He's gone. You wanna come out now?"

"Ugh, I still don't get how you can just talk to him… After all he's done… I know for a fact he's hurt you as well…" Mal complained as she stepped out into the sunlight.

"He's my brother." CJ simply replied. "There'll always be a part of me that will hate him for all the things he's done. But he's trying. He's trying to do better, and I feel like I should give him that chance and maybe even help him…"

Mal just rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with… I don't want to spend one more second here than is absolutely necessary…"

With that, Mal and CJ set off towards their destination. True to Harry's word, they were not harassed or yelled at by the Isle inhabitants, though there was some less-than-kind glaring and cranky muttering. Overall, the Isle seemed far more peaceful than ever before.

"This is weird…" CJ muttered after an older woman had kindly smiled at them as they passed by.

"What? Us two walking through the Isle as allies, or the fact that everyone's putting up a good act?" Mal sneered.

"I'm not sure it's an act." CJ pondered. "Maybe Harry's right. Maybe the war really did a number on the people here and now they're done with being dicks to each other. Who knows? Maybe the Isle can actually become a better place…"

"I'll believe it when I see it…" Mal murmured.

The two trudged ahead, past Bargain Castle, Doctor Facilier's Voodoo Shop and the Curl Up & Dye, on towards the slumps. Even here, Harry's influence was clearly visible. There was less trash on the streets and some of the more run-down houses had construction equipment around them, signaling that they were being renovated.

It was here that Mal and CJ were first approached by someone.

A young girl with bright red hair and equally bright red leather clothes jumped out of a dark alley and obstructed their path.

"CJ! Mal! You're back!" Said Red, daughter of the Red Queen, smiling brightly.

"Bloody hell, not now, Red!" CJ bluntly sneered.

Mal could not really blame CJ for her outburst. Red had always been a notoriously annoying pest, prone to either endlessly nagging your ear off or breaking everything she could get her hands on when things wouldn't go her way. Even in her early youth she had shown extremely malicious, vindictive and outright sociopathic behavior, which had been one of the primary reasons that Mal and her friends had not invited her into Auradon, while a lot of other younger villain kids had gotten that chance.

Back during her time on the Isle, which felt like ages ago, Mal had always done her best to avoid Red. The Red Queen had been one of the villains who had not supported the villain cause during the first great war, but had been sent to the Isle of the Lost nonetheless. These 'lesser villains' had been banished to the slumps, and neither they or their offspring interacted much with the other parts of the Isle. Red had been one of the few who would occasionally and unsuccessfully try to cross the literal bridge. Mal remembered that the younger girl had often taken to following CJ around a lot, having clearly felt some sort of admiration for CJ's rebellious and tenacious nature. Mal had last seen her when she had left for Auradon for the first time. Back then, Red had been a pesky little girl. Now, she had grown into a seemingly equally pesky teenager.

She was taller than both Mal and CJ now, slender and athletic, with long, wavy red hair. Her attire was so bright red that it nearly blinded Mal. She was also quite pretty, with a large smile and sparkling red-brown eyes.

Red seemed a little blown away by CJ's comment, but didn't stop smiling nonetheless. "But CJ, I haven't seen you in, what, years… And Mal, even longer… We should catch up… We can exchange war stories… I never left the Isle myself, but I heard so many things from so many people… Ooh, you guys must have awesome stories as well! You beat Solomon, didn't you? He was such a dick when he came back with his cauldron… I'm glad we're rid of him…" She blabbered on and on.

Mal and CJ exchanged a quick look of pure exasperation.

"Get out of the way, Red." CJ told the younger girl with a scowl.

Red blinked. "But… We're friends, aren't we? I know we haven't talked in a while…"

"We're not friends, you pest." CJ snarled. "Mal and I are on a schedule, so move, if you know what's good for you."

This finally wiped the smile off of Red's face, a hideous frown replacing it. "What's that supposed to mean?" She hissed, quickly turning as red as her hair.

"It means 'get your annoying ass out of here'!" CJ went on.

Mal was kind of surprised. During all her months in Auradon, CJ had never shown this confrontational side. Then again, being back in these old and familiar surroundings probably unleashed some of her less endearing qualities.

Red seemed even more confused. "I-I thought we were good…" Her bottom lip started trembling. "I thought… I thought…"

"You thought wrong, now go away." CJ still did the talking.

Red's hand shot to her side, where she kept a short dagger sheathed, but CJ was quicker. With a lightning reflex, she pulled out her own sword and pointed it at Red, who froze.

"CJ!" Mal warned her companion, pulling on her arm. It would not bode well if it became known that the two of them had harmed a girl during their time on the Isle. "She's just a kid…"

"An annoying one…" CJ muttered, but she did lower her blade.

Red had gone pale when CJ drew her sword, perhaps because of CJ's reputation as the best swordfighter on the Isle. In any case, she no longer seemed as bubbly and enthusiastic as when she had jumped out at them. With a huff, she turned around and headed off, her red hair dancing behind her.

"Was that really necessary?" Mal sighed.

"You know who she is… What she's capable of…" CJ sneered, sheathing her sword. "Even if she's just a fraction of the little psychopath she was now that she's grown up a bit, I still don't want her anywhere near me…"

"That's how I used to feel about you…" Mal shrugged.

"Har har." CJ rolled her eyes before the two resumed their journey.

Mal couldn't help but keep replaying their little confrontation with Red as she and CJ crossed the bridge that connected the slumps to the rest of the Isle's main city. Red had seemed genuinely hurt. It was as if she had been expecting something different when she approached Mal and CJ. Could she have maybe bettered herself since Mal had last seen her, and had she been expecting to be allowed into Auradon? That would be hard to believe.

"What are the last things you heard about Red before you left for Auradon?" Mal inquired.

"Are you serious?" CJ raised her eyebrows. "What? Are you feeling bad for her? It's probably just an act… You saw her reach for her dagger. She was ready to try and take us on… God knows that wouldn't have ended well for her…"

"CJ, just answer the question." Mal sighed as the two began making their way down the shore on the other side of the bridge.

"Ugh, fine… Ehm… I heard she was still not showing up for school… She hadn't joined any gangs… I don't know… Everyone hated her. You know how it was with the kids from the slumps. Red was acting out more than most though. I think most people avoided her because of how annoying she was, but some others were genuinely scared of her… I've also heard about some of the things she's done… Cruel things…" CJ recounted, sounding extremely serious.

"Back when we made the list… You know, the list of VK's we were thinking of inviting to Auradon… Evie, Carlos, Jay and I, none of us hesitated for a second when we chose to disregard Red…" Mal muttered.

"And what about me? Evie told me you overruled all the others keep me out of Auradon." CJ scoffed.

"True. And look how that turned out. What if we made a mistake with some of the villain kids that are still here? The ones from the slumps especially…" Mal pondered.

"Malsie, are you just wrecking your little purple head about this because you don't want to confront your dad?" CJ asked with a mocking undertone.

Mal started blushing, both because CJ was one hundred percent correct and because they had reached their destination.

A large metal fence partially hidden behind piles of rubble guarded the entrance to a tunnel underneath the bridge. Hades's hideout.

"Wow, the last time the two of us were here was on, you know, that night…" CJ pointed out.

"You don't have to come along if you don't want to." Mal told her, having to repress a shiver as she stared at the gate.

"I'll keep escorting you until we reach Hades. I've been to his lair plenty of times, remember? I'll say 'hi' and get out of your hair." CJ casually answered.

"You can also just wait here, or go to the market like you said you would…" Mal proposed semi-hopefully.

CJ stared at her with obvious compassion. "Wow… This really has you freaked out…"

"Of course it does!" Mal snapped, breathing heavily.

CJ looked to the ground, lazily kicking a pebble. "Well, Malsie… If you wanna turn back, I'm also all for it… However, if you still want to have your talk, than I'd say it'd be best to just get it over with… Like ripping of a Band-Aid… I mean, what good is sitting out here overthinking things gonna do?"

Mal hated it when CJ had a point. "Fine…" She grumbled.

"Goodie." CJ skeptically replied before walking up to the rusty gate.

Together, they managed to open it with much creaking. The tunnel was dark, but both girls had brought along a flashlight. For around fifteen minutes, they trudged through the darkness, the only exciting thing being the occasional rat that would scurry away from the light they shone ahead. Mal vividly remembered the first and only time she'd traversed this tunnel, back when her gang mostly consisted of people she now considered mortal enemies.

They reached the entrance to Hades's cave without trouble and kept a look-out for potential trip wires and other booby traps as they ascended the earthy stairs that led right up to his lair.

The cave soon opened up right into Hades's living quarters. Not much had changed since the last time Mal had set foot in there. Still the same old pieces of beat-up furniture, shabby rugs and half-broken household items.

A fire burned in the hearth on the opposite end of the room. A giant mohawk of blue hair stuck out over the back of a slightly moldy old recliner that was facing away from them.

"You haven't shown your face in here for a while… What do you want?" Hades asked in a tired and annoyed tone. He didn't even bother to look in their direction.

Mal and CJ gave each other a quick look.

"I wanted to say 'hi'…" CJ softly muttered. "Also, ehm, I've brought someone…"

"You'd dare…" Hades growled as he swiveled around. His blue eyes and hair both momentarily flared up before he suddenly saw Mal. His eyes widened.

"That sounds like my cue…" CJ tutted, taking a step back. "Good luck, Malsie. Find me at the market…"

With that, CJ promptly turned around and quickly left. Mal slowly turned to Hades, who had not moved an inch. The deafening silence between them lasted for over a minute. Mal looked Hades over with slight interest, while he had seemingly been shocked into silence.

He looked exactly like Mad remembered and had pictured him. Still with his enormous signature blue mohawk and black, leather punk rock attire. He was also quite dirty. That, combined with the smell of dirt and discarded booze that hung around his lair, gave the impression of long-lost glory.

Mal reached into her back pocket and took out the blue ring. She took a few steps forward and placed it on top of a rickety coffee table right in front of Hades.

He stared at the ring, but did not do or say anything.

"Well?" Mal asked, her voice slightly uneven.

Hades's eyes shot up at her. "Well what?" He replied in a grouchy tone.

"Was that yours? Did you give that to me when I turned 15?" Mal went on, trying to focus her breathing.

"Yes." Hades casually answered, like it was no big deal.

Mal's eyes widened. "So, you're my father?"

Hades bit his lip. "Is Maleficent still around? You didn't bring her with, did you?"

Mal shook her head.

Hades reclined in his seat and sighed deeply. "Then yes… I am your father…"

Mal's head was spinning. She had no real clue what to do. If this was Auradon, they would run up to each other and hug while exchanging passionate vows about how much they loved each other and how they regretted the time together they'd lost.

This was not Auradon though.

"That's all you have to say?" Mal eventually spoke up.

"What do you want?" Hades shrugged. "Were you expecting flowers?"

"No…" Mal blushed slightly. "Just, I don't know… Something…"

"This ain't that kinda party, sweetheart." Hades rolled his eyes.

Mal kept audibly breathing in and out, her hands balled into fists. "Why didn't you ever look me up? Or, you know, let me know that you're my freaking dad!?"

Hades's look darkened. "What'd your mother tell you? That I was some drunk who didn't care? Or that I had died? What?"

"She never said a word about you. Just whenever I'd screw up in her eyes, then she would tell me I'd inherited some of my father's qualities."

Hades chuckled. "Sounds like Mel, alright…"

Mal gave a short, spiteful chuckle. "Still, you never tried either. You never tried to get to know me or let me know you existed. What, did my mother threaten you? Are you scared of her or something?"

Hades stood up. He was a lot taller than Mal. "You don't get to run your mouth around me, sweetheart… You haven't earned the privilege…"

"Oh? Being neglected all of my life has not earned me the privilege to speak my mind to you?" Mal spat.

"That was your mother's choice." Hades countered. "She wanted you to have nothing to do with me."

"And you just rolled over and agreed? You didn't try to fight it?"

"You wouldn't either if you'd heard even half the things she promised to do to me if I even got near you." Hades sneered.

Mal's eyes shone bright green for a second. "So, you're saying it's all mom's fault?"

Hades resumed a more casual stance. "Not all of it… I'll admit, I would probably not have been the best father… Your daddy issues go back generations, sweetheart…"

"Don't call me that." Mal snapped.

"I do wonder though…" Hades ignored Mal's outburst as he leaned down and picked up her ring. "How did you find out about the ring? And why come here now? What are you expecting?"

Mal took a few careful breaths. "CJ told me she was the one who brought you the ring… She pieced together that you were my father after hearing my story of how I got it…"

"Hmm…" Hades chuckled as he started pacing back and forth. "I thought you and CJ had grown apart. She often came here to vent about how horrible you were… That was the only way I ever got to find out anything about you…"

Mal blushed a little. "We're friends now. We… I'm not sure if you even know, but there was a pretty big war that ended only a couple of months ago…"

"Oh, I know. Some news is so big it even reaches my desolate hole." Hades scoffed. "I heard that you and your Auradonian prince boyfriend were the ones that took down the Horned King's son… Is that correct?"

Mal nodded. "With help from CJ. And Ben's not a prince anymore. He's king."

"Touché." Hades mumbled. "So, things are all sunshine and butterflies again out in fairytale land?"

Mal felt her anger slowly grow. "They are… I'm getting married soon…"

This finally really got Hades's attention, as he stopped pacing. "Married? You? To the king?"

Mal nodded again. "In a week…"

Hades blinked a few times. "And… What? You want me to congratulate you? You want another gift? Another ring? Or are you desperately in need for someone to walk you down the aisle? Is that why you came to see me?" He threw the ring back down on the coffee table.

"No." Mal huffed, having to really try to keep her anger in check. Hades wasn't acting like this was a big deal. Instead, it felt as though he was trying his best to get rid of Mal as quickly as possible. "I just… I just… I wanted to know why you abandoned me…"

"I told you." Hades sneered. "Your heartless mother…"

"So, what's stopping you now?" Mal questioned. "Mom is out of the picture. I'm soon to become queen of Auradon. I can get you off the Isle if I want…"

Hades took a step back. "You're not serious…"

"I can be." Mal said in a challenging tone. "I'll be queen soon. I can do whatever I want."

Hades looked around his filthy, desolate lair. Mal was sure he was imagining a life away from all this depressing misery. "Hmph… I mean, it's not like you actually want to spend time with your dear old pops, is it, sweetheart?"

"I told you not to call me that!" Mal repeated, her eyes shining brighter than before.

The corners of Hades's mouth perked up. "Ha… You're just like your mother… She also had a temper like a caged lion…"

"I'm nothing like her." Mal argued. "And I distanced myself from her a long time ago."

"Good for you." Hades murmured as he resumed his pacing around.

Mal just kept staring daggers at him. "So there's not even a small part of you that wants to spend time with me, or, you know, even get to know me at all?"

"I've never been a people person… You know, one of the consequences of being the designated lord of the underworld…" Hades's teasing tone was starting to infuriate Mal.

"You're saying you don't love me at all?"

"Love?" Hades scoffed. "Love? What has Auradon done to you? Sweetheart, how could I love someone I don't know? Yes, you're my daughter, but you can count the minutes we've spent together on one hand. You have done nothing to earn my affection, so don't act like you're entitled to anything…"

"Why send me the ring then?" Mal was now practically yelling. "That was a sign of affection. Why let me know that you were out there? I had accepted my life without a dad, but then you pull that stunt and give me false hope? That's… That's just cruel…" She was getting teary-eyed. She had never discussed her feelings about the lack of a father figure in her life with anyone before.

Hades did look like he felt somewhat bad, but also rolled his eyes. "Cruel? Are we not villains? Is cruelty not out bread and butter?" He laughed mockingly. "The ring was no act of cruelty though… It was more of a reward… No one had ever succeeded in robbing me before… When your group came for my ember, and I saw you… I have to admit, I was impressed. You deserved something for your trouble…"

"Really?" The disappointment dripped from Mal's voice. "The ring was a reward for robbing you?"

"I told Maleficent to give you that ring and tell you it was from your father. That was my only demand. Then I would leave you alone forever. I don't know, I guess I thought maybe you were smart enough to put two and two together… Heck, I even gave you a blue ring… It's not that difficult a mystery, is it?"

"Seriously!? You're blaming me for not figuring out that ring was from you?"

Hades just shrugged.

"You really are a horrible father…" Mal softly spoke. "First you don't fight to be with me… Then you send me vague riddles… Then, after mom was defeated, you still made no effort to try and contact me… And now, when I'm here, right in front of you, you don't show an ounce of remorse… You're not even trying to make it up to me…"

"Sorry not to meet your great expectations." Hades muttered.

"I don't think just expecting you to just be nice to me or do even the bare minimum of fatherly duties are impossible demands!" Mal spat.

"What fatherly duties? Cutting the crusts of your sandwiches? Teaching you to ride a bike? I feel like the ship has sailed on our relationship a while ago… No offense, princess, but it seems like you have managed fine without me… Why try and jeopardize that by pulling me along?"

"Because you're my dad, apparently…" Mal withheld a sob. "I know the Isle is different, but Auradon has showed me some of the amazing things some dads do for their children… I thought that, maybe, if I could just experience the slightest flicker of that… It would help me deal with the years of neglect and abuse that still haunt me to this day…"

Hades looked at her intently. "Then go to therapy or something… Your fairytale land seems to be good at those sorts of things… I can't help you, sweetheart… The things you want are not the things I can give you…"

"How can you be so harsh?" Mal fell out at him.

"Because I have accepted things the way they are!" Hades yelled, pointing a finger. "I have learned to live with the consequences of my actions… I don't have to like it, but that's the way things are. I accepted having to live the rest of my life in this hellhole! I never wanted to bring a child into this misery, so you're goddamn right I didn't fight it when Maleficent ordered me to stay away from you! I was never gonna be a father… And I'm not up for trying now… You want to be happy, Mal? You want to heal, or whatever? The best I can do is tell you to get out and live life without me in it… That can be my wedding gift to you…"

Mal had to actively refrain from kicking at Hades's battered furniture. "Is that really how you feel? You would rather wither away in this cave than go with your daughter?"

"Yes." Hades answered coldly. "Think of this as me actually looking out for you, sweetheart. I have had a long time to think about all the things I would say to you if you would finally find me, so don't expect me to change my mind on the spot…"

A single tear dripped down Mal's cheek. She couldn't believe she actually fooled herself into believing she and her long-lost father would actually have a heartfelt reunion. She couldn't believe there was actually a part of her that imagined him going to her wedding, or that she had already planned some activities in her head that the two of them could bond over. She had grown accustomed to fairytale endings, not realizing until it was too late that her life has never been a fairytale one.

She felt numb. "Fine then…" She turned to leave.

"Mal, wait…" Hades spoke.

Mal turned around, a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"You forgot the ring." Hades grumbled before tossing it to her. "Keep it…"

Mal caught the ring, almost fumbling it. She did not want to thank him. She did not want to say anything to him anymore. The two looked straight into each other's eyes for a few more seconds. Mal saw how Hades uncomfortably fidgeted with his hands. He was probably anxious for her to leave.

She turned around again, her legs feeling like lead. She stepped into the tunnel and had almost gone out of earshot when Hades called after her again.

"Good luck with your wedding! Relationships are a bitch!"

Mal felt another wave of anger wash over her. She stopped walking, half-expecting Hades to follow after her and mock her some more, but nothing of the sort happened.

When, almost fifteen minutes later, Mal finally stepped out into the sun again, she took almost a full minute to simply breathe in the fresher air and try to calm herself. Everyone had warned her that this might happen; that even if Hades were Mal's father, that he would prove to be a disappointment. Mal tried to steady her nerves. She did not want any Isle inhabitant to see her burst into tears. No, what she needed now was to get out and back to Auradon. She needed Ben. She needed Evie.

She walked off with resolute strides, past the slumps and back to the Isle's main city. She was too caught up in her thoughts to notice the ways in which the Isle looked nicer than ever before or how many of the inhabitants nodded or kindly smiled as she walked by.

She quickly found the market, and, even in her disgruntled state, was baffled by what she saw. Formerly, the market had been a hodgepodge of shabby stands and worn out rugs with all sorts of broken and worthless items or moldy food on display. Now, she saw carts and stalls with brightly colored cloth roofs. The items for sale were still largely broken or filthy, but the food all looked fresh. Looking further back, Mal saw a large array of wooden vegetable garden beds, all containing seas of luscious green.

It was also there that she noticed CJ, smiling brightly and kneeling next to Harry as they were examining a freshly dug up bunch of carrots.

Mal made her way over and caught a flash of their conversation.

"It took a while, but the gardens have been spectacular… We actually set up a program that means no one goes to bed hungry anymore… A couple of the villains didn't like it at first… You know, giving instead of taking, but they're all on board now… We got carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and a lot more…" Harry explained to his sister.

CJ beamed in response, but her smile immediately disappeared when she noticed Mal walking in their direction and noticed her expression.

"Mal? What happened? I didn't expect you back for at least like another half hour…" CJ inquired.

Mal's eyes flashed towards Harry, who immediately stepped back. That was for the better, since Mal wasn't sure if she could control herself at the moment if the wrong person would try to approach her.

"I'm done. We're leaving." Mal snapped.

CJ took a step closer. "What happened?"

"Our conversation ran short. That's all you need to know."

CJ bit her lip and looked around the market. Mal realized she probably wanted to spend some more time here and see more of the things Harry had done in their absence. "Okay… Okay…" She eventually mumbled. "Let's head back…"

Mal felt slightly guilty, but was also happy that CJ didn't fight her on this.

"Wait, CJ!" Harry called out. He made sure to step around Mal in a wide circle as he approached his sister. "I thought we'd have more time? I was still going to show you the inlet and the harbor…"

"Another time, okay?" CJ replied. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't leave Mal, and I won't ask her to stay longer than she wants to…"

Harry sighed. "So, you'll come back?"

"Definitely." CJ smiled. "You've done some amazing work, Harry. I'm so proud of you."

Harry smiled as well as he leaned in and embraced his sister.

Mal felt somewhat uneasy as CJ hugged him back, squealing in delight. It was as though CJ was rubbing her now much happier family life in Mal's face. "CJ." She called out in an impatient tone.

CJ quickly let go of her brother. "Yes, yes. Bye Harry. See you soon, okay?"

"You bet." Harry grinned and he waved as CJ and Mal took off.

"What happened?" CJ repeated as soon as the two of them were out of earshot.

"Nothing that concerns you." Mal sneered.

CJ seemed a little offended. "Okay, well, excuse me for thinking we are now friends or something… I thought being friends meant having to listen to each other's miserable problems…"

Mal rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you, but I'm really not in the mood for talking about what just happened…"

"Suit yourself." CJ replied in a soft voice.

The journey back to Auradon was awkward and quiet. At certain times, CJ would open her mouth and look like she wanted to ask more questions before ultimately deciding against it. Back on shore, Ben and Archer were equally surprised to see the girls return so soon, but Mal did not share her thoughts with them either, instead just requesting they immediately return home.

All that time spent in silence gave Mal time to reflect. She went over her entire conversation with Hades, who she could not address as her father in her mind. She tried to remember what she had expected their confrontation to be like before it had happened. Come to think of it, she had not expected much, but she had at least hoped Hades would show the slightest hint of remorse or care for her wellbeing. Neither had been the case.

"Mal?" Ben hesitantly approached her later that evening with Evie in tow. They were back at Beast Castle. Mal hadn't attended dinner, instead locking herself in her and Ben's room to further contemplate. "Mal, I feel like we need to talk…"

"I know." Mal sighed as she turned to the two of them.

"I take it, from your solemn silence, that things didn't go well with Hades…" Evie said as she sat down next to Mal and placed a delicate hand on her shoulder.

Mal shook her head.

"What happened? What did he say?" Ben inquired.

Mal took a deep breath. "He is my father. He didn't deny it. However, when I pressed him on the matter, he made it painfully obvious that he never wanted anything to do with me, and he never will…"

Mal told Ben and Evie about her conversation with Hades in more detail, including all the despicable things he had said to her.

"Oh, M…" Evie leaned in and hugged Mal. "I'm so sorry…"

"Me too." Ben added. "So, how are you handling it? What can we do for you?"

Mal sighed deeply. "I don't know… Honestly, looking back, I didn't expect much… Also, not that much has changed in my life if you look at it… I didn't have a father last week, and I don't have one now…"

"Still… Rejection hurts… Especially when it concerns your family…" Evie consoled her. "Most of the VK's can relate to you there…"

"I know it's not the same as losing a parent…" Ben began, sounding a little unsure. "But I believe, from all that I've learned, that in times like these, you need to remember that there are many people who do love you, Mal. I love you. Evie loves you. We all love you. And there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you in my life."

Mal smiled weakly.

"Yeah." Evie added. "You know what? He doesn't want to be in your life!? That's his loss! He's an egotistical idiot for not seeing how amazing you are, Mal. And what use is some miserable old coot who only spreads misery and anger? You know what, I think he might actually be right… You're much better off without him… You don't need him… You got us…"

"I guess…" Mal closed her eyes. "But I just couldn't help but feel just, you know, a tiny sliver of hope… I never had any siblings… My mom was, you know, my mom… I thought that maybe, finally, I'd have family that doesn't despise me…"

"You do have siblings." Evie stubbornly told her. "I am your sister. Jay and Carlos are your brothers. Did we not decide on that a while ago? Blood doesn't matter… What matters is who is there for you when you need them…"

"That's us." Ben jumped in. "And a week from now it'll be official. You will get your family, Mal… And all the love you deserve…"

Mal wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ohh… Come here, you two…"

The three shared a strong embrace, with each of them laughing through the emotional tears.

They were right, of course. Mal did not need to concern herself with people who didn't love her for who she was. She did not need more absentee or neglectful parental figures in her life, even if they were related by blood. She had everything she needed. She was happier than ever. No Hades or anyone else could take that away from her.

"Wait… If you're Hades's daughter, does that mean you're Alex's cousin?" Evie suddenly asked.

"Huh…" Mal pulled up her eyebrows. "I guess so…"